An article on Personal Branding Blog has a very helpful quiz to determine whether or not you're making the most of your social media, or just using social media as a word vomit of your pitches and products.
The Facebook questions seem to be a little bit biased toward companies. There are actually many really important actions you can take when using your personal Facebook account that help you to network and maintain relationships with colleagues, former classmates and more. A lot of them seem to slip through the cracks, so here are the ones I think are most important:
1. The birthday reminder is there for a reason. We've all done it, I know I have: we see a person's birthday reminder pop up on the right events column and immediately click through to pound out a "Happy birthday, you!" and consider it a job well done. While this is OK for people you have no desire to work with or maintain a relationship with, people with whom you've forged or hope to forge a connection, you have to do a bit more. I recommend actually sending a private message, telling them happy birthday. You can thank them for something nice they did for you, remind them of the fun time you had at a conference or meeting or ask after a personal item you had discussed previously. This shows that they're more to you than just a wall post, a public display of affection; you actually want a response to the message, you want to hear how they are.
2. Like their picture? Say it. I'm not saying zero in on the first bikini picture you see of a female coworker or say something that could be construed as inappropriate. If they took pictures at an event you attended or wished you could've attended, say something about them! Tell them how fun it looks, or ask if that speaker was as good as you heard. This starts a conversation and helps personalize your relationship.
3. You don't live online, so don't keep your relationship there. Since I was the "Facebook Girl" my first year of college, I know it well to be the person who friends everyone, comments on their walls and photos, and then can't recognize them in person. It's a huge embarrassment and, to be honest, can be looked at as desperate. Don't be like I was - do it right. If you know them online and talk with them online, you better be talking to them in person as well. Make sure your online and offline behaviors are complementary, not creepy.
So there you have it. They may seem like simple ideas, but they are often overlooked by students who want to network at 1 a.m. and have nothing better to do. If you follow rules like these, you'll be remembered as a thoughtful person, not just a social media addict.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
What do you think?
I'm sure you know I have Google Analytics on this thing... I've been viewed in eight states, and it's been less than a month! That's awesome!
To my visitors - please leave a comment and say hello! If you like what you see, if you disagree, if you want to talk about a certain topic... let me know. I'd love to hear back from you and see what you think.
To my visitors - please leave a comment and say hello! If you like what you see, if you disagree, if you want to talk about a certain topic... let me know. I'd love to hear back from you and see what you think.
Make a Positive Intern Impression
I found this article about how to get your foot in the door with a company before applying to an internship. It's very useful and advice that had certainly never occurred to me before. What do you do, however, when you have the internship, and are looking to get hired? Having recently experienced this myself, I've found there are four attributes that impress employers universally.
1. You're not an intern they have to babysit. This may seem like a bit of a "Well, duh" statement, but it's more common than you might think. Some interns get to the office and get sidetracked in doing their work in the first ten minutes of the assignment. Worse, they're hard workers, but they need their work to be guided every step of the way. For many interns, they think it's a sign of making sure they get the project right; to the employers, it feels like they basically are having to complete the task themselves. This isn't to say that you should rush off and complete a project to the fullest then check with your employer; but if you can fill in the blanks with previous examples or even run a simple Google search of the project, that's going to mean a lot more than having to have your hand held the entire time.
2. No work is above you, if it's a company you want to work for. At my internship, my boss would apologize to me if I was given something menial to do, like scan and fax or fill out manual labor paperwork. However, it's doing these things without complaint that show you care about not only your job, but the company as well. You're helping save them time and money and complete a task in the meantime. One caveat - you're not a personal secretary. Don't get taken advantage of. But if there's a slow day at the office and your projects get done early, I'd advise asking what you can help them with and then accept the task with a smile.
3. Your work is consistently exceptional. Even if you're not getting paid money for your internship, you're still being paid in experience. You should own every project you are given to the maximum potential. Not giving a project your full attention or efforts is a sign of disrespect. Plus, if you're doing high quality work, they're going to want to keep you around.
4. People know you as nice and efficient. If you're sitting silently at your computer all day, it's easy to fall through the cracks. If you're standing talking to other co-workers or interns a lot, you'll look like you don't do very much. But if you can find the perfect balance of being friendly and helpful to others in your office, especially higher management, while still being an efficient worker, you'll increase your value considerably.
Bottom line? Snagging a hire after an internship is all about managing your personal brand. Sometimes the company might not have room or a position; this is an unfortunate but common situation. However, in some cases, they're willing to make a spot for you, even if it is just part time. Keep your brand idea in mind next time you're asked to do some filing, then smile and take the project. Trust me, it'll help.
1. You're not an intern they have to babysit. This may seem like a bit of a "Well, duh" statement, but it's more common than you might think. Some interns get to the office and get sidetracked in doing their work in the first ten minutes of the assignment. Worse, they're hard workers, but they need their work to be guided every step of the way. For many interns, they think it's a sign of making sure they get the project right; to the employers, it feels like they basically are having to complete the task themselves. This isn't to say that you should rush off and complete a project to the fullest then check with your employer; but if you can fill in the blanks with previous examples or even run a simple Google search of the project, that's going to mean a lot more than having to have your hand held the entire time.
2. No work is above you, if it's a company you want to work for. At my internship, my boss would apologize to me if I was given something menial to do, like scan and fax or fill out manual labor paperwork. However, it's doing these things without complaint that show you care about not only your job, but the company as well. You're helping save them time and money and complete a task in the meantime. One caveat - you're not a personal secretary. Don't get taken advantage of. But if there's a slow day at the office and your projects get done early, I'd advise asking what you can help them with and then accept the task with a smile.
3. Your work is consistently exceptional. Even if you're not getting paid money for your internship, you're still being paid in experience. You should own every project you are given to the maximum potential. Not giving a project your full attention or efforts is a sign of disrespect. Plus, if you're doing high quality work, they're going to want to keep you around.
4. People know you as nice and efficient. If you're sitting silently at your computer all day, it's easy to fall through the cracks. If you're standing talking to other co-workers or interns a lot, you'll look like you don't do very much. But if you can find the perfect balance of being friendly and helpful to others in your office, especially higher management, while still being an efficient worker, you'll increase your value considerably.
Bottom line? Snagging a hire after an internship is all about managing your personal brand. Sometimes the company might not have room or a position; this is an unfortunate but common situation. However, in some cases, they're willing to make a spot for you, even if it is just part time. Keep your brand idea in mind next time you're asked to do some filing, then smile and take the project. Trust me, it'll help.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Linked In, and How You Can Screw Up On It
While looking at twitter searches for #PR, I found this little number: http://bit.ly/6HQ1AQ?r=td
on a website called New Grad Life. Seeing as I'm just one year away from being a grad, and being a LinkedIn user, I decided to peruse the article, and found that apparently, I'm making a ton of huge mistakes.
Not only do I not have a personal URL (I don't think so, anyway), but I also don't have a company website for my internships and professional experience. Until NSAC gets a website, and my current job (at a nonprofit organization) adds interns to their website, it's somewhat irrelevant to put my company website on my LinkedIn page. My page is already set to public, which is both a blessing and a curse. Though it's public, I've never heard anything from anyone about liking my information or seeking an employee like me.
Aside from those, there were two points I could see I was lacking and I agree with fully.
You should be participating in discussions. Among all of my social networking platforms, it seems exhausting to try and keep up with everyone. So yes, I let my LinkedIn discussions lapse. This seems like an important place for me to channel some energy, more important than say, Facebook, but this is the place where I'm going to meet professionals and get my name out there. By not stepping into the spotlight, I'm doing a great job at existing but not contributing to the LinkedIn Community.
You should be giving recommendations, and heck, sometimes asking for them.
The first time I got on linkedIn, I recommended three of my 7 connections almost immediately. I've since grown my network to considerably larger, but failed to keep up with the recommendations. For the students I've worked with, I should be touting their successes along with my own, and in some cases, asking for reciprocation. This is something I plan to work on.
There is one part that I really didn't agree with: Not updating status often.
This isn't Facebook. I don't link my tweets to my LinkedIn profile because let's face it, LinkedIn connections don't want to hear about bands I like, reporters I'm talking to or restaurants I appreciate. The articles that I tweet about, I most often link here on my blog. I update my status once every weeks to what I'm currently looking for or what I have achieved. I think that suffices. It gives me enough personality and action without being obnoxious.
LinkedIn is definitely a platform I need more experience in and exposure to. I'm making this one of my goals: to get more active and more proficient at LinkedIn relationships.
on a website called New Grad Life. Seeing as I'm just one year away from being a grad, and being a LinkedIn user, I decided to peruse the article, and found that apparently, I'm making a ton of huge mistakes.
Not only do I not have a personal URL (I don't think so, anyway), but I also don't have a company website for my internships and professional experience. Until NSAC gets a website, and my current job (at a nonprofit organization) adds interns to their website, it's somewhat irrelevant to put my company website on my LinkedIn page. My page is already set to public, which is both a blessing and a curse. Though it's public, I've never heard anything from anyone about liking my information or seeking an employee like me.
Aside from those, there were two points I could see I was lacking and I agree with fully.
You should be participating in discussions. Among all of my social networking platforms, it seems exhausting to try and keep up with everyone. So yes, I let my LinkedIn discussions lapse. This seems like an important place for me to channel some energy, more important than say, Facebook, but this is the place where I'm going to meet professionals and get my name out there. By not stepping into the spotlight, I'm doing a great job at existing but not contributing to the LinkedIn Community.
You should be giving recommendations, and heck, sometimes asking for them.
The first time I got on linkedIn, I recommended three of my 7 connections almost immediately. I've since grown my network to considerably larger, but failed to keep up with the recommendations. For the students I've worked with, I should be touting their successes along with my own, and in some cases, asking for reciprocation. This is something I plan to work on.
There is one part that I really didn't agree with: Not updating status often.
This isn't Facebook. I don't link my tweets to my LinkedIn profile because let's face it, LinkedIn connections don't want to hear about bands I like, reporters I'm talking to or restaurants I appreciate. The articles that I tweet about, I most often link here on my blog. I update my status once every weeks to what I'm currently looking for or what I have achieved. I think that suffices. It gives me enough personality and action without being obnoxious.
LinkedIn is definitely a platform I need more experience in and exposure to. I'm making this one of my goals: to get more active and more proficient at LinkedIn relationships.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Product Placement
I found this article on the upcoming "Iron Man 2," a film I am VERY excited for, and the product placement therein. It talks about two of my biggest loves: the Iron Man films and how advertisers integrated their products into it.
http://adage.com/madisonandvine/article?article_id=143349
Much like the infamous "Arrested Development" Burger King episode, a lot of movies and TV shows are painfully obvious with their product placement that makes it obnoxious. I don't think the "Iron Man" films make it obnoxious. It's blatantly obvious, but it's tied to the storyline in a seamless way. I can't wait to see this product placement sequel :)
http://adage.com/madisonandvine/article?article_id=143349
Much like the infamous "Arrested Development" Burger King episode, a lot of movies and TV shows are painfully obvious with their product placement that makes it obnoxious. I don't think the "Iron Man" films make it obnoxious. It's blatantly obvious, but it's tied to the storyline in a seamless way. I can't wait to see this product placement sequel :)
Is Social Media Killing Communication?
The Bulldog Reporter, a great resource for PR professionals, recently posted an article regarding the use of social media in lieu of other forms of communication. Here's the source:
http://bit.ly/CnmNk
As I read the article, I couldn't help but notice some of my own follies but also, a few points with which I disagree. The article stated, "The Pew Internet & American Life Project found that, "Some evidence that use of social networking services (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn) substitutes for some neighborhood involvement."
As a busy college student involved in clubs and organizations up to my ears, sometimes the only way to balance a busy schedule and a busy life is with social media. No time to coordinate eight people for a brainstorm session? Why not hold it on Google Wave, where we can post and reply as our schedule permits? Want to make plans for the evening? A simple "Who wants to grab dinner tonight?" tweet can illicit responses from friends or colleagues who would like to see you, without bothering them through a phone call that might interrupt them or a text message they might not get. One of my favorite things about social media is the convenience it provides. It allows people to respond to things in their own time, especially issues that aren't time-sensitive, and allows for communication with people you never thought possible. I don't know anyone at Johnson & Wales Unviersity in Rhode Island, but now I've communicated with several from the #nsac search on Twitter.
The article does present one very important point, however, about the effect on a person's social skills. Some people will post things on their Twitter or Facebook that are long and explanatory but not elaborate in person; others will present an entirely different online persona than they would appear to be in person. The key to maintaining communication on social media is authenticity. If you say it on Twitter, bring it up in real life; if you wouldn't say it in person, don't say it on Facebook. It's as simple as that. Instead of thinking of how refreshing it will be to say what's on your mind at that moment, think of who's receiving it and how it will be received before clicking "send."
As for marketers, this tactic is important, but it's absolutely essential to keep the client's tone in traditional advertising aligned with the tone of the social media communications. Just because you're communicating on behalf of the client, does not mean you should necessarily put your tone into the messages.
Reading all of these articles and having had the successes and snafus that I've had with social media, it all brings me back to one ideal that seems to be the soul of every lesson: Social media is not for everyone. If you know how to use it, go ahead; if you want to learn how to use it, tread lightly; if you are jumping in with no experience or guidance, prepare for failure.
http://bit.ly/CnmNk
As I read the article, I couldn't help but notice some of my own follies but also, a few points with which I disagree. The article stated, "The Pew Internet & American Life Project found that, "Some evidence that use of social networking services (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn) substitutes for some neighborhood involvement."
As a busy college student involved in clubs and organizations up to my ears, sometimes the only way to balance a busy schedule and a busy life is with social media. No time to coordinate eight people for a brainstorm session? Why not hold it on Google Wave, where we can post and reply as our schedule permits? Want to make plans for the evening? A simple "Who wants to grab dinner tonight?" tweet can illicit responses from friends or colleagues who would like to see you, without bothering them through a phone call that might interrupt them or a text message they might not get. One of my favorite things about social media is the convenience it provides. It allows people to respond to things in their own time, especially issues that aren't time-sensitive, and allows for communication with people you never thought possible. I don't know anyone at Johnson & Wales Unviersity in Rhode Island, but now I've communicated with several from the #nsac search on Twitter.
The article does present one very important point, however, about the effect on a person's social skills. Some people will post things on their Twitter or Facebook that are long and explanatory but not elaborate in person; others will present an entirely different online persona than they would appear to be in person. The key to maintaining communication on social media is authenticity. If you say it on Twitter, bring it up in real life; if you wouldn't say it in person, don't say it on Facebook. It's as simple as that. Instead of thinking of how refreshing it will be to say what's on your mind at that moment, think of who's receiving it and how it will be received before clicking "send."
As for marketers, this tactic is important, but it's absolutely essential to keep the client's tone in traditional advertising aligned with the tone of the social media communications. Just because you're communicating on behalf of the client, does not mean you should necessarily put your tone into the messages.
Reading all of these articles and having had the successes and snafus that I've had with social media, it all brings me back to one ideal that seems to be the soul of every lesson: Social media is not for everyone. If you know how to use it, go ahead; if you want to learn how to use it, tread lightly; if you are jumping in with no experience or guidance, prepare for failure.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Chapman - District 15 Champions, 2nd Year!
I am so, so proud to announce that the Chapman NSAC team, Circle Advertising, has done it again - we won District 15 competition for the second year in a row!
This week has been insanely busy preparing for competition. As one of four "hippers," or someone who has all of the answers to the judges' questions in her "hip pocket," it was my job to go through the book and find every hole in our plan and brainstorm a solution that we could present to the judges. Some of the questions our "hipper" team uncovered actually were asked, so it was very fortunate we prepared as well as we did!
One thing I constantly face in interviews is the question of whether or not I am experienced. Many interviewers don't fully understand what NSAC does - we create a comprehensive campaign from start to finish. I might be on the PR department, but I take part in every aspect, from research to promotions to creative to media. PR is just what I put the most time into. NSAC is the essential experience that employers don't even know they're looking for. And now I have two beautiful plans books that I can say placed first in their district, one of them fourth in the nation, and hope they complement my attempt to explain the experience this has given me.
NSAC is by far the smartest choice I've made since starting my college career at Chapman. It's one thing to sit and listen to professionals, take notes and imagine how you can apply the pointers one day; it's entirely another to listen to the professionals and then go do what they're doing, but with their guidance. Someone from Y&R isn't going to give someone from DraftFCB pointers on how they can improve or spill the secrets to success they've learned, so this is us taking advantage of it while we still can.
I'm so proud of our team and the work we accomplished. It makes everything feel so worth it.
This week has been insanely busy preparing for competition. As one of four "hippers," or someone who has all of the answers to the judges' questions in her "hip pocket," it was my job to go through the book and find every hole in our plan and brainstorm a solution that we could present to the judges. Some of the questions our "hipper" team uncovered actually were asked, so it was very fortunate we prepared as well as we did!
One thing I constantly face in interviews is the question of whether or not I am experienced. Many interviewers don't fully understand what NSAC does - we create a comprehensive campaign from start to finish. I might be on the PR department, but I take part in every aspect, from research to promotions to creative to media. PR is just what I put the most time into. NSAC is the essential experience that employers don't even know they're looking for. And now I have two beautiful plans books that I can say placed first in their district, one of them fourth in the nation, and hope they complement my attempt to explain the experience this has given me.
NSAC is by far the smartest choice I've made since starting my college career at Chapman. It's one thing to sit and listen to professionals, take notes and imagine how you can apply the pointers one day; it's entirely another to listen to the professionals and then go do what they're doing, but with their guidance. Someone from Y&R isn't going to give someone from DraftFCB pointers on how they can improve or spill the secrets to success they've learned, so this is us taking advantage of it while we still can.
I'm so proud of our team and the work we accomplished. It makes everything feel so worth it.
Monday, April 19, 2010
iPhone 4G... Oh hello there!
I was very unsurprised to wake up this morning and find that the iPhone had been leaked. As a bit of a tech nerd, I was intrigued, but moreso in Apple's response to the situation rather than the device itself. Being as I'm on Verizon and have no hope of acquiring an iPhone any time soon, I set to looking at Apple's PR response and found... none. At least thus far.
"If you've ever had the misfortune of dealing with Apple's PR people, you know the company treats information about its products the same way Kathy Bates' character in Misery treats authors." (http://bit.ly/bW53tX)
Some bloggers seem to think that this was a marketing ploy, by Apple, to bring attention to the new iPhone and get people hyped for it. However, I doubt this to be true.
The product itself seems to be very new and complex. This could be as bad for Apple as the iPad... that customers get a sneak peak, build it up into something it isn't, and then find nothing but disappointment when it actually gets released. What Apple would be smart to do in its response, is to make sure to confirm or deny the Gizmodo feature speculations.
When I got to Apple's website a few minutes ago, ready to read their response, I found nothing. I'm really anxious to see what they have to say.
"If you've ever had the misfortune of dealing with Apple's PR people, you know the company treats information about its products the same way Kathy Bates' character in Misery treats authors." (http://bit.ly/bW53tX)
Some bloggers seem to think that this was a marketing ploy, by Apple, to bring attention to the new iPhone and get people hyped for it. However, I doubt this to be true.
The product itself seems to be very new and complex. This could be as bad for Apple as the iPad... that customers get a sneak peak, build it up into something it isn't, and then find nothing but disappointment when it actually gets released. What Apple would be smart to do in its response, is to make sure to confirm or deny the Gizmodo feature speculations.
When I got to Apple's website a few minutes ago, ready to read their response, I found nothing. I'm really anxious to see what they have to say.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Freelance Work: Pitch those Press Releases!
I'm finding my niche in freelance work, even though I only have two clients so far. It's really fortunate that I have businesses who are willing to take a chance on me handling their publicity as well as professors who are willing to help me excel even as a student. I've found there are three important things to remember when doing freelance media pitching, especially if you're not familiar with the newspapers yourself:
1. Customize your media pitches by platform and audience. I recently sent out a press release to multiple sources with the hope that they'll contact my client for an interview. While there was only so much that could be said each time and not many ways to say it, I made sure to differentiate between small newspapers, big newspapers, magazines and blogs because I wanted to make the content relevant to the person I was contacting.
2. Don't let an online submission form scare you. There were a few newspapers that had no contact information for business editors or staff writers, and only the blank submission box to work with. When I did some research in the business section, I found several press releases ran as-is. I'm sure this is the process these businesses followed, and so I followed it as well. When in doubt, try and find an actual person who can at least forward the release on to someone who would handle it - but if you have to submit it online, just make sure you check all the right boxes.
3. Familiarize yourself to know how to speak to these editors. I've never read the newspapers I was pitching to, so I made sure to take a few minutes on each paper to familiarize myself to see who would best benefit from my release. If it's business expansion, this paper put it in Business while that paper would put it in the Local section. You don't have to go through all of their archives, but if you at can at least look at what is on their website and respect their structure, they'll be much more willing to work with you.
In other news, I'm excited to hear that AP Style has finally changed Web site to website. I've already corrected my press releases to read website.
1. Customize your media pitches by platform and audience. I recently sent out a press release to multiple sources with the hope that they'll contact my client for an interview. While there was only so much that could be said each time and not many ways to say it, I made sure to differentiate between small newspapers, big newspapers, magazines and blogs because I wanted to make the content relevant to the person I was contacting.
2. Don't let an online submission form scare you. There were a few newspapers that had no contact information for business editors or staff writers, and only the blank submission box to work with. When I did some research in the business section, I found several press releases ran as-is. I'm sure this is the process these businesses followed, and so I followed it as well. When in doubt, try and find an actual person who can at least forward the release on to someone who would handle it - but if you have to submit it online, just make sure you check all the right boxes.
3. Familiarize yourself to know how to speak to these editors. I've never read the newspapers I was pitching to, so I made sure to take a few minutes on each paper to familiarize myself to see who would best benefit from my release. If it's business expansion, this paper put it in Business while that paper would put it in the Local section. You don't have to go through all of their archives, but if you at can at least look at what is on their website and respect their structure, they'll be much more willing to work with you.
In other news, I'm excited to hear that AP Style has finally changed Web site to website. I've already corrected my press releases to read website.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
5 Ways To Reduce Social Media Distractions
Oh Mashable, how you speak to me.
"“Insecurity work” is the stuff we do that has no intended outcome, does not move the ball forward in any way, and is quick enough that you can do it multiple times a day without realizing. But nonetheless, it puts us at ease.
The first step in reducing insecurity work is becoming self-aware. Recognize what you do in your everyday life that is, in fact, insecurity work. The second step is to establish some guidelines and rituals for yourself that provide more discipline, such as restricting all insecurity work to a specified 30 minute block every day. The third step, if applicable to you, is to delegate the task of checking on this data to a less insecure colleague who can review it periodically and report any concerns."
http://mashable.com/2010/04/15/reduce-social-media-distractions/
I'm definitely going to start trying this. I find that obsessively checking my email, my Facebook, and my Twitter only stress me out more, or make me aggravated that no one has responded yet to the message I just sent. I think I'll set myself a goal of only checking my personal Facebook and Twitter account three times per day (morning, afternoon, night) and my work email and Twitter as needed. Here's my goal, hopefully I'll stick to it. I am rebelling against social media addiction!
"“Insecurity work” is the stuff we do that has no intended outcome, does not move the ball forward in any way, and is quick enough that you can do it multiple times a day without realizing. But nonetheless, it puts us at ease.
The first step in reducing insecurity work is becoming self-aware. Recognize what you do in your everyday life that is, in fact, insecurity work. The second step is to establish some guidelines and rituals for yourself that provide more discipline, such as restricting all insecurity work to a specified 30 minute block every day. The third step, if applicable to you, is to delegate the task of checking on this data to a less insecure colleague who can review it periodically and report any concerns."
http://mashable.com/2010/04/15/reduce-social-media-distractions/
I'm definitely going to start trying this. I find that obsessively checking my email, my Facebook, and my Twitter only stress me out more, or make me aggravated that no one has responded yet to the message I just sent. I think I'll set myself a goal of only checking my personal Facebook and Twitter account three times per day (morning, afternoon, night) and my work email and Twitter as needed. Here's my goal, hopefully I'll stick to it. I am rebelling against social media addiction!
Ad Club Speaker: Drew Lewis
(Photos coming soon!)
Today's Ad Club Speaker, Drew Lewis, came to us from Wunderman and his own company, FusionCorp, to talk to us about his job as a new media director. Drew had a lot of interesting stories to tell us about his time at Y & R, his origins in art and the grasp he has (thus far) on the industry. He stayed almost three hours, chatting with us well after the meeting had ended. Unfortunately the turnout was dismal today, but Drew didn't seem to care. I really love the interactive Ad Club and PRSSA meetings because it's nice to get face time with the speaker and hear more about his or her climb experience on a personal level.
Another thing I love about Ad Club? The things that get me thinking. As Drew was talking, there were two points I jotted down on my iPod touch (or iPad Nano, as I so lamely jested earlier) for blogging purposes.
First of all, Drew brought up the impact of brand ambassadors. I had to admit, the power of brand ambassadors has always been something that I never really lent importance to, but now see the error of my ways. I mean, I never used to be an Apple fan. I had my Creative Zen Touch and my Toshiba laptop and Apple wasn't even on my radar. As I grew up, more and more people had iPods. I held off for a long time... my iPod Classic, now my sister's, is actually only three years old. But the power of the brand ambassadors, the hardcore Apple fans that had their products and told me that I needed them, have pretty much fueled my desire for both a Macbook and for the latest Apple gadgets - and thus why I traded for my iPod Touch. One of the biggest challenges with brand ambassadors is to get them vocal, and once vocal, keep them talking. For every person with a massive penchant for Apple, there are fans who keep quiet and may use the gadgets, but don't tell every PC user they see that, "You should really get a Mac." I see social media as the perfect venue to reach the brand ambassadors and not only elicit their help, but reward them for their loyalty and willingness to communicate about the devices. Like in Chris Brogan's "Trust Agents," people will listen to the Average Joe much more intently than they will Joe Marketer.
Another point that Drew brought up was his interaction with creative people and the effect on his own creativity. I'm by no means a creative person - I can come up with big ideas, but they aren't by any means the winning one. However, therein liesthe beauty of it: you don't have to come up with the winning one, if you depend upon others to help you develop it. By coming up with one mediocre idea, you might be providing the springboard for the winning idea. Drew said, "Being around smart people makes me feel smarter," which I absolutely agree with. When I sat in on Creative meetings during NSAC, I felt more creative; when I sat in on Media, I felt like I knew more and more about Media. Working in a collaborative environment is essential to success.
Drew was just great. As we were leaving for the night, a few people were talking about how listening to speakers like Drew, they just felt even more excited about advertising. It was a welcome shot of adrenaline to the heart after the last exhausting nine months and a good boost for the week before regional NSAC competition.
Since my #FF article earlier about recommending rather than just spurting names has somewhat sunk in, it's Friday in Idaho and therefore time for me to make my suggestions:
Here's a link to Drew's website! http://www.drewmichaellewis.com/
You already know the insights I've received from him, now go look into his work.
Also, here's a link to one of my friend's websites: http://www.howtomworks.com
Tom Arthur is one of those smart people that makes you feel smarter from being around him. He's brilliant when it comes to details - you can always see the cogs in his mind turning, even when you're just getting dinner with him. He's always on the cutting edge of technology, telling me about all of the apps I should be downloading and social media I should be using (I usually hold out for a while, but he eventually sucks me into it).
Today's Ad Club Speaker, Drew Lewis, came to us from Wunderman and his own company, FusionCorp, to talk to us about his job as a new media director. Drew had a lot of interesting stories to tell us about his time at Y & R, his origins in art and the grasp he has (thus far) on the industry. He stayed almost three hours, chatting with us well after the meeting had ended. Unfortunately the turnout was dismal today, but Drew didn't seem to care. I really love the interactive Ad Club and PRSSA meetings because it's nice to get face time with the speaker and hear more about his or her climb experience on a personal level.
Another thing I love about Ad Club? The things that get me thinking. As Drew was talking, there were two points I jotted down on my iPod touch (or iPad Nano, as I so lamely jested earlier) for blogging purposes.
First of all, Drew brought up the impact of brand ambassadors. I had to admit, the power of brand ambassadors has always been something that I never really lent importance to, but now see the error of my ways. I mean, I never used to be an Apple fan. I had my Creative Zen Touch and my Toshiba laptop and Apple wasn't even on my radar. As I grew up, more and more people had iPods. I held off for a long time... my iPod Classic, now my sister's, is actually only three years old. But the power of the brand ambassadors, the hardcore Apple fans that had their products and told me that I needed them, have pretty much fueled my desire for both a Macbook and for the latest Apple gadgets - and thus why I traded for my iPod Touch. One of the biggest challenges with brand ambassadors is to get them vocal, and once vocal, keep them talking. For every person with a massive penchant for Apple, there are fans who keep quiet and may use the gadgets, but don't tell every PC user they see that, "You should really get a Mac." I see social media as the perfect venue to reach the brand ambassadors and not only elicit their help, but reward them for their loyalty and willingness to communicate about the devices. Like in Chris Brogan's "Trust Agents," people will listen to the Average Joe much more intently than they will Joe Marketer.
Another point that Drew brought up was his interaction with creative people and the effect on his own creativity. I'm by no means a creative person - I can come up with big ideas, but they aren't by any means the winning one. However, therein liesthe beauty of it: you don't have to come up with the winning one, if you depend upon others to help you develop it. By coming up with one mediocre idea, you might be providing the springboard for the winning idea. Drew said, "Being around smart people makes me feel smarter," which I absolutely agree with. When I sat in on Creative meetings during NSAC, I felt more creative; when I sat in on Media, I felt like I knew more and more about Media. Working in a collaborative environment is essential to success.
Drew was just great. As we were leaving for the night, a few people were talking about how listening to speakers like Drew, they just felt even more excited about advertising. It was a welcome shot of adrenaline to the heart after the last exhausting nine months and a good boost for the week before regional NSAC competition.
Since my #FF article earlier about recommending rather than just spurting names has somewhat sunk in, it's Friday in Idaho and therefore time for me to make my suggestions:
Here's a link to Drew's website! http://www.drewmichaellewis.com/
You already know the insights I've received from him, now go look into his work.
Also, here's a link to one of my friend's websites: http://www.howtomworks.com
Tom Arthur is one of those smart people that makes you feel smarter from being around him. He's brilliant when it comes to details - you can always see the cogs in his mind turning, even when you're just getting dinner with him. He's always on the cutting edge of technology, telling me about all of the apps I should be downloading and social media I should be using (I usually hold out for a while, but he eventually sucks me into it).
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Promoted Tweets: We knew it was eventual & A few thoughts on Facebook
Yesterday, promoted Tweets launched on Twitter results. For those of you not familiar with Twitter, Twitter's "promoted tweets," or paid sponsored tweets, are now showing up in searches.
I'm sad to see that the self-motivational aspect of Twitter go, which depended on how much you could get retweeted, how many followers you could get, and how you interacted with them; that was what determined your success or failure, not your ability to pay to show up in search results.
Along with Twitter's new homepage, I see a profitable future for Twitter, one that involves more and more advertising dollars. It's hard to say if the original appeals of Twitter - one on one communication and the building of an online community - will prevail over the new advertising dollars. That's up to the Tweeple (yeah, that physically hurt me to type... won't do that again).
In other social media news, I read an article yesterday about Facebook users preferring to "like" something rather than become a fan of it. The psychology of those terms is very interesting to me, and given the extensive research I've done into the 18 - 25-year-old demographic, stems from a specific group of users. Because psychographic research repeatedly shows that Millenials prefer not to be subverted, I understand fully why the terminology of "liking" something sounds more pro-active, giving psychological satisfaction while maintaining a supportive relationship of a product or company. It seems like being a "fan" could count you as one of many, lessening the ability for the Millenial to be an individual. That's just what I've read into it, anyway.
A change I've waited for and still not seen on Facebook is, the dislike button. I remember groups springing up with the launch of the Like button, calling for a dislike button. There are the obvious PR problems of negativity that it could present, but this seems to be a classic case of The Customer is Always Right. If Facebook users want a dislike button, they're going to keep creating groups and sending emails until they get one, or they'll move onto a new platform that offers a better way for them to interact with their peers. I'm still waiting to see when it will happen, and the obligatory Facebook status updates as soon as it does. Failbooking.com and Lamebook.com will appreciate the new material.
I'm sad to see that the self-motivational aspect of Twitter go, which depended on how much you could get retweeted, how many followers you could get, and how you interacted with them; that was what determined your success or failure, not your ability to pay to show up in search results.
Along with Twitter's new homepage, I see a profitable future for Twitter, one that involves more and more advertising dollars. It's hard to say if the original appeals of Twitter - one on one communication and the building of an online community - will prevail over the new advertising dollars. That's up to the Tweeple (yeah, that physically hurt me to type... won't do that again).
In other social media news, I read an article yesterday about Facebook users preferring to "like" something rather than become a fan of it. The psychology of those terms is very interesting to me, and given the extensive research I've done into the 18 - 25-year-old demographic, stems from a specific group of users. Because psychographic research repeatedly shows that Millenials prefer not to be subverted, I understand fully why the terminology of "liking" something sounds more pro-active, giving psychological satisfaction while maintaining a supportive relationship of a product or company. It seems like being a "fan" could count you as one of many, lessening the ability for the Millenial to be an individual. That's just what I've read into it, anyway.
A change I've waited for and still not seen on Facebook is, the dislike button. I remember groups springing up with the launch of the Like button, calling for a dislike button. There are the obvious PR problems of negativity that it could present, but this seems to be a classic case of The Customer is Always Right. If Facebook users want a dislike button, they're going to keep creating groups and sending emails until they get one, or they'll move onto a new platform that offers a better way for them to interact with their peers. I'm still waiting to see when it will happen, and the obligatory Facebook status updates as soon as it does. Failbooking.com and Lamebook.com will appreciate the new material.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
"Face Time Beyond Facebook"
One of my biggest hurdles in social media has been mixing business and personal life. I want to put my professional opinions on Facebook, but the majority of the people who have access to my Facebook are my friends. I want to put communicate with friends through Twitter, but then feel bad for the people following me who see my back-and-forth. Learning to balance life on one platform with another has been a challenging task, one I sometimes fail to upkeep.
The bottom line, I've found, is that the rules for Twitter and Facebook are generally this: if you wouldn't tell your audience in person about this topic, you probably shouldn't post it on your page. I wouldn't tell my sister or parents about the exciting spike in location-based social media; I wouldn't tell all of my colleagues and professionals in my industry about how bored I am on the weekend. This is one of my social media weaknesses that I am working to rectify.
Enjoy the original article from the Bulldog Reporter below:
http://bit.ly/9Lpi2l
The bottom line, I've found, is that the rules for Twitter and Facebook are generally this: if you wouldn't tell your audience in person about this topic, you probably shouldn't post it on your page. I wouldn't tell my sister or parents about the exciting spike in location-based social media; I wouldn't tell all of my colleagues and professionals in my industry about how bored I am on the weekend. This is one of my social media weaknesses that I am working to rectify.
Enjoy the original article from the Bulldog Reporter below:
http://bit.ly/9Lpi2l
Playing Music Matchmaker
I'm a music junkie. I love all kinds of music. I can lose hours of my life on hypem.com, searching for my favorite artists and then regaling in the blog results I get and listening to artists other people like. Now that I've met some people whose music I enjoy and whom I believe in, I'd love to get them started online and see if I can get their music out there. Mashable, very appropriately, turned up this article when I was searching the archives and has given me a bit of direction as to where I can help this band go from here!
http://mashable.com/2009/02/19/musician-marketing-tools/
When I saw Last.Fm made the list, I was very excited, because I'm so familiar with that platform. Having over 14,000 scrobbles (no judgement!) I'm a bit of a Last.Fm veteran. The other arenas are new to look into.
I'm a firm believer in doing what you love - I love to help people, and I love music. This is going to be a beautiful challenge for me and hopefully helpful to the artists I respect.
http://mashable.com/2009/02/19/musician-marketing-tools/
When I saw Last.Fm made the list, I was very excited, because I'm so familiar with that platform. Having over 14,000 scrobbles (no judgement!) I'm a bit of a Last.Fm veteran. The other arenas are new to look into.
I'm a firm believer in doing what you love - I love to help people, and I love music. This is going to be a beautiful challenge for me and hopefully helpful to the artists I respect.
Monday, April 12, 2010
StartupRoots
I read this article today and thought of my recent scavenger hunt for PR internships. I've been looking at well-established companies with big payrolls, small record labels, massive corporations and nonprofit companies. It never occurred to me that a startup company might be the place to look - a crash course in real-world experience. Upon reading StartupRoots' blog about why working for startups is more rewarding, I think I might start looking around for more startup companies in Orange County that could use some PR help. I have a lot of talents that I can use but haven't had the opportunity to, because I haven't worked at places that allowed me to get creative with my skills. A startup might just be the place to do that!
http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/04/startuproots-plays-matchmaker-startups-college-interns.php
http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/04/startuproots-plays-matchmaker-startups-college-interns.php
Thursday, April 8, 2010
"The Most Influential Cause Marketing Campaigns"
Lists like these are fascinating to me. It was interesting to read this article because many of the companies listed, are ones we used as our case studies for our NSAC PR Department. Project (RED) is one of my very favorite cause marketing campaigns, one of the few organizations I'm completely faithful to. They have such creative partnership ideas that are still grounded - Apple, Starbucks, the Gap - all companies that communicate with an apathetic demographic (the 18-25 year-olds) and create a passion to give back to a cause. Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty is another I admire, because it has been so resilient against media backlash and nay sayers. It might be a double standard because the corporation perpetuates the very media exposures it is trying to change via Axe, but the effort and marketing is remarkable. This article had some great older examples as well, highly recommended to the PR/Cause Marketing buffs out there (like me!)
http://adage.com/goodworks/post?article_id=142037
Fun fact of how I know I'm a PR junkie: I saw a Jack Daniel's safe drinking and driving advertisement at an Angels game... I clapped, looked to one of my friends and said, "Oh, I love corporate responsibility."
http://adage.com/goodworks/post?article_id=142037
Fun fact of how I know I'm a PR junkie: I saw a Jack Daniel's safe drinking and driving advertisement at an Angels game... I clapped, looked to one of my friends and said, "Oh, I love corporate responsibility."
Reflecting on the National Student Advertising Competition
Getting the campaign book last year was a very surreal moment. When I first got the Tio book and held it in my hands, it was so strange thinking that all of the work we had done had culminated in this small, 30-page book. It was phenomenal to see some of my work put into print and distributed in a classroom. The feeling wasn't as exciting this year when I got Feel Free book, but not because I was less excited about the campaign. There was a different feeling this time - one of satisfaction and pride, when I flipped through it and saw how much we all have grown since last year. We keep setting the bar higher and higher as a team to do better, reach further, and perform as impressively as possible. I also felt so grateful, that I was able to work with so many bright people. There are amazing minds on our Chapman PR team: it never fails to amaze me how talented and brilliant my fellow students are. It can be intimidating at times, thinking that we'll all be joining the job market and competing for those jobs; however, in some cases we'll be working alongside one another. To be able to work with these people again one day - that's something I would love to see happen.
The PR department, itself, is a very static element of the team. Last year, it was very uncertain as to what we were needed to do, since the campaign was for a nonprofit organization. This year, it was easier because it was a corporation. We developed a social media cause marketing campaign and I'm so proud to have lead my team. They are wonderful - driven, intelligent, and resilient. It was strange to be on the PR team two years in a row with two completely different groups of people, but not a bad experience in any way. I love both the teams for what they were, and appreciate every person I worked with because of what they brought to the table: passion and compatibility. Even the times we weren't working as efficiently as possible, we were learning and we got to a place we needed to be. That in itself was a great experience to have.
Because things often need to be tweaked to strengthen a campaign, it was bittersweet to see that many of our social media ideas had to be reworked in order to fit as cohesively as possible with the campaign. Timing wasn't on our side, as it rarely is, but I am pleased with how everything turned out. The core of what our department believed in is present. I printed out a copy of the original plan and stuck it in the book for interviews, to show how well we can work with other members of the team and our directors to change ideas but keep the integrity of the inspiration.
I can't wait to go on my next interview, so that I can bring in both books with me and show them to the representative.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
"10 Twitter Tips for Nonprofit Organizations"
At my current internship at a local nonprofit, I'm working on using Twitter to get publicity for a specific event. Starting out, it's been daunting - looking at less than ten followers and having trouble getting retweeted or communicating with the people that can help my cause. This article by Heather Mansfield for Change.Org has given me some really helpful tips and hopefully I'll be able to get the message out even further!
http://nonprofits.change.org/blog/view/10_twitter_tips_for_nonprofit_organizations
http://nonprofits.change.org/blog/view/10_twitter_tips_for_nonprofit_organizations
I'm Anti-Google Reader
I love blogs. I love to read them, to visit them. The reason why I frequent my favorites, is that it has its own identity and purpose, even if sometimes content overlaps. When I signed up for Google Reader in November, I had a realization: a lot of a blog's appeal can come from its aesthetic as much as its content.
For example, Geekologie.com.
I love this blog. The writer is hilarious and the things he features are zany and random and all things geeks love. It's a place where I can scroll through a Star Wars tattoo to a man blending an iPad to something useful, like China's newly-discovered "yeti." Reading Geekologie mixed in among posts from Gizmodo and industry blogs, made me lose the purpose that I was reading it for in the first place. Maybe it's just me personally, but I find actually visiting a blog and reading the content in its natural environment can make or break the reader's experience. It's possible to sort with Google Reader and find only Geekologie posts, but doesn't that lose the purpose? Why not just go to the actual blog? At the same time, sometimes formatting and links are lost. As a stickler for readability, I hate to see when formatting is sacrificed. Sometimes Google Reader can take a bad formatting and make it better, but it seems more likely that the original formatting was just fine, and it gets sacrificed for simplicity.
While Google is fantastic at simplifying every aspect of life, this is one thing I'd rather not be simplified. Are there any hardcore Google Reader fans out there that would disagree? What do you think?
A time for blogging
After a lot of dragging my feet and trying to focus myself on what I'm passionate about, I've come to the conclusion that I love Public Relations. I love it. I love everything about it. Sponsorships make my mouth water. Social Media makes me euphoric. Writing a press release... well, there's nothing fun about that because I'm overanalyzing what I'm writing.
I have a ton of advertising and public relations rants and raves spread across Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. I concluded that it is time to consolidate my thoughts and create a blog that presents important articles, resources and my own interpretations of the industry I'm going to join in a bit over a year.
Here's what you can expect:
Articles from various sources that I've found informative or useful. Mini-case studies that I will critique and commend after one catches my eye. Updates on my professional development, like PRSSA and Ad Club events. This blog isn't so much for everyone else, though it might be helpful - it's a way for me to organize my passion in one place.
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