I thought that my birthday is newsworthy!
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
NEW BLOG LIST
Check out MY (improved) BLOG LIST------------------------------------------------------->
http://www.inc.com/steve-cody/common-misconceptions-and-myths-of-public-relations.html
Copy and paste the link above and read a great short article about "You Don't Know Jack About Public Relations".
I think this article clarifies it all.......enjoy!
I think this article clarifies it all.......enjoy!
Social Media Monitoring Tools
There are numerous ways to monitor and measure social media and its efforts in an organization. Three tools that I value and see great importance in are:
1) Yahoo Pipes: This tool allows you to mash up your content feeds. It allows you to combine and remix content from online. Pipes allows you to manipulate content from the web and collect it in an easy and simple manner. The commands can be combined to create an output that meets your needs.
Yahoo Pipes is valuable to measuring a social media web program because it allows you to track your brand or product mentions through several social media sites, which provides a clearer picture and greater understanding of your brand/product as a whole. Pipes also allows you to combine several feeds into one, then sort, filter and translate it, which is a great way to 'manipulate' the content. Pipes allows you to monitor multiple feeds and obtain alerts when feed activity meets a certain activity threshold, keeping you continuously updated and current in relation to activity involving your brand/product.
2) Addict-O-Matic: This tool allows you to instantly create a custom page with the latest buzz on any topic. It is like a "one-stop shop" that allows you to see an analysis of the impact your brand/product has throughout the social web (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr,etc). It collects all the information and processes it into one single webpage.
Addict-o-matic is valuable in measuring a social media web program as it allows you to see all the activity of your brand/product on the web in one webpage, which is an asset when trying to get a full perspective of your brand/product and the climate of it's presence in the social web. It can also allow you to see who is talking about your brand/product, what they are saying and allows you to easily access this information with a keyword search.
3) Google Trends: This tool can be used to see the impact bloggers or a campaign has on a brand. It allows to measure the level of interest, over a period of time, over various geographic spaces.
Google Trends can be valuable in measuring a social media web program as it allows you to see the effect your brand/product has over a large georgraphic space, which provides a larger picture of the impact it has on people throught the world. It allows for keyword searches, which provides a more precise and specific collection of data, that can allow you to better understand the impact your brand/product has in what it is you are trying to determine/analyze. This tool organizes the data in regions, for instance "Hot Searches (USA)". This precise categorization allows you to exactly pinpoint where and by whom your brand/product is being discussed, which can give you a better understanding of how your product is discussed in specific areas.
4) Trackur: This is a paid tool that allows you to manage your online reputation and is a social media tool. It provides you with all the monitoring tools you need, it is brandable, and will rate the sway power of your influencers for their responses. It also sends the results to your inbox, RSS feed and web-based dashboard. There are four payment plans, varying from $18-$377 per month.
Trackur is a powerful tool in measuring a social web program by allowing you to listen to your customers (which provides essential feedback), monitor your online reputation (provides you with a solid picture of your presence in the social web) and simplify your social media monitoring (the easier it is for a company to monitor the social media, the better they can prepare to plan and decide on appropriate 'next steps').
1) Yahoo Pipes: This tool allows you to mash up your content feeds. It allows you to combine and remix content from online. Pipes allows you to manipulate content from the web and collect it in an easy and simple manner. The commands can be combined to create an output that meets your needs.
Yahoo Pipes is valuable to measuring a social media web program because it allows you to track your brand or product mentions through several social media sites, which provides a clearer picture and greater understanding of your brand/product as a whole. Pipes also allows you to combine several feeds into one, then sort, filter and translate it, which is a great way to 'manipulate' the content. Pipes allows you to monitor multiple feeds and obtain alerts when feed activity meets a certain activity threshold, keeping you continuously updated and current in relation to activity involving your brand/product.
2) Addict-O-Matic: This tool allows you to instantly create a custom page with the latest buzz on any topic. It is like a "one-stop shop" that allows you to see an analysis of the impact your brand/product has throughout the social web (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr,etc). It collects all the information and processes it into one single webpage.
Addict-o-matic is valuable in measuring a social media web program as it allows you to see all the activity of your brand/product on the web in one webpage, which is an asset when trying to get a full perspective of your brand/product and the climate of it's presence in the social web. It can also allow you to see who is talking about your brand/product, what they are saying and allows you to easily access this information with a keyword search.
3) Google Trends: This tool can be used to see the impact bloggers or a campaign has on a brand. It allows to measure the level of interest, over a period of time, over various geographic spaces.
Google Trends can be valuable in measuring a social media web program as it allows you to see the effect your brand/product has over a large georgraphic space, which provides a larger picture of the impact it has on people throught the world. It allows for keyword searches, which provides a more precise and specific collection of data, that can allow you to better understand the impact your brand/product has in what it is you are trying to determine/analyze. This tool organizes the data in regions, for instance "Hot Searches (USA)". This precise categorization allows you to exactly pinpoint where and by whom your brand/product is being discussed, which can give you a better understanding of how your product is discussed in specific areas.
4) Trackur: This is a paid tool that allows you to manage your online reputation and is a social media tool. It provides you with all the monitoring tools you need, it is brandable, and will rate the sway power of your influencers for their responses. It also sends the results to your inbox, RSS feed and web-based dashboard. There are four payment plans, varying from $18-$377 per month.
Trackur is a powerful tool in measuring a social web program by allowing you to listen to your customers (which provides essential feedback), monitor your online reputation (provides you with a solid picture of your presence in the social web) and simplify your social media monitoring (the easier it is for a company to monitor the social media, the better they can prepare to plan and decide on appropriate 'next steps').
Monday, 13 February 2012
Social Media and Public Relations: Your Guide To The Social Media Jungle
The following is a great article about social media and its impact on Public Relations.
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/6-ways-to-track-the-impact-of-social-media-on-public-relations/
Social media is a vital tool for Public Relations. More and more companies need to note the importance of social media and how imperative it is to be present in the social media world! Social media is here, and its here to stay!
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/6-ways-to-track-the-impact-of-social-media-on-public-relations/
Social media is a vital tool for Public Relations. More and more companies need to note the importance of social media and how imperative it is to be present in the social media world! Social media is here, and its here to stay!
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT
The community manager must stay updated and informed about social media and at the same time always take into consideration the needs and requirements of his/her organization's business objectives.
Community management is vital in today's world. I believe that there is immense pressure and importance put on the community manager to successfully deliver both the needs of the online community and his/her organization.
Telus, the phone company, does a great job in community management.
1) Telus is on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube. They use these four tools quite wisely, in order to reach all possible clientele via various social tools.
Facebook: Facebook is used to discuss events Telus is involved in and show the different ways they are helping the community and their clients. They list fundraisers they are a part of, such as Stepping Up, which recognizes people that help their community. They also post about different ways they are giving back to their clients, such as joining WagJag to provide clients with various deals and offers. This is a great way to reach the specific client demographic that is on Facebook.
Twitter: Telus actually has two Twitter accounts. One is used for posting information about events and activities Telus is involved in, as well as a way to "learn, help and share" with its followers/clients. The second account is TELLUSSupport, where you can complain about all your phone and service problems and a Telus support person tries to help you out. There is always a representative from the support team signed in to help you out. I think this is a great way to get instant answers to your phone related issues, and show your clients that you are dedicated to providing them the service they deserve.
LinkedIn: The LinkedIn page discusses information about Telus and provides information about its employees (new hires and people that changed positions in the organization). This is a great way for people to have direct contact with someone at the organization if they wish to correspond with them directly.
Youtube: The Youtube channel is used to allow clients to log in and learn how to use different products Telus offers, such as the new Blackberry Torch. They also post videos on 'why to choose Telus', which is a great way to obtain new clients. If you are trying to choose a service provider and you click on the Telus Youtube channel and get all this information on how to use different devices, allowing you to get information instantaneously, you quickly become impressed with the organization and what they offer.
2) Telus also does a great job with community management within their organization. If you walk into a Telus store and you have a question or a problem with your device, the in-store representative can instantly message or call a technician or service personnel with greater knowledge if further help/information is required. Telus employees are all provided with a phone that allows them to instantly communicate with eachother, if they need help or have a question. They also have a chat forum tool on their computers that allows the employees to communicate with eachother, allowing the employees the opportunity to work together and learn from eachother.
I think Telus takes social media 'seriously' and therefore does a great job with community management.
Personally, I am a Telus customer and have been since I was 13 years old. I think they do a great job reaching out to customers and making their customers feel like the organization is really striving to meet their needs/wants and stand by the services they promise to deliver!
Community management is vital in today's world. I believe that there is immense pressure and importance put on the community manager to successfully deliver both the needs of the online community and his/her organization.
Telus, the phone company, does a great job in community management.
1) Telus is on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube. They use these four tools quite wisely, in order to reach all possible clientele via various social tools.
Facebook: Facebook is used to discuss events Telus is involved in and show the different ways they are helping the community and their clients. They list fundraisers they are a part of, such as Stepping Up, which recognizes people that help their community. They also post about different ways they are giving back to their clients, such as joining WagJag to provide clients with various deals and offers. This is a great way to reach the specific client demographic that is on Facebook.
Twitter: Telus actually has two Twitter accounts. One is used for posting information about events and activities Telus is involved in, as well as a way to "learn, help and share" with its followers/clients. The second account is TELLUSSupport, where you can complain about all your phone and service problems and a Telus support person tries to help you out. There is always a representative from the support team signed in to help you out. I think this is a great way to get instant answers to your phone related issues, and show your clients that you are dedicated to providing them the service they deserve.
LinkedIn: The LinkedIn page discusses information about Telus and provides information about its employees (new hires and people that changed positions in the organization). This is a great way for people to have direct contact with someone at the organization if they wish to correspond with them directly.
Youtube: The Youtube channel is used to allow clients to log in and learn how to use different products Telus offers, such as the new Blackberry Torch. They also post videos on 'why to choose Telus', which is a great way to obtain new clients. If you are trying to choose a service provider and you click on the Telus Youtube channel and get all this information on how to use different devices, allowing you to get information instantaneously, you quickly become impressed with the organization and what they offer.
2) Telus also does a great job with community management within their organization. If you walk into a Telus store and you have a question or a problem with your device, the in-store representative can instantly message or call a technician or service personnel with greater knowledge if further help/information is required. Telus employees are all provided with a phone that allows them to instantly communicate with eachother, if they need help or have a question. They also have a chat forum tool on their computers that allows the employees to communicate with eachother, allowing the employees the opportunity to work together and learn from eachother.
I think Telus takes social media 'seriously' and therefore does a great job with community management.
Personally, I am a Telus customer and have been since I was 13 years old. I think they do a great job reaching out to customers and making their customers feel like the organization is really striving to meet their needs/wants and stand by the services they promise to deliver!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Let Me Show You Where I Am....
FourSquare:
I am new to using FourSquare and I have to say that I am both amused and doubtful about it. I like the idea of knowing where people are and the interesting restaurants and locations they have visited, but when I really think about it, it can be quite scary to know that anyone can know where I am. For instance, if I sign in to FourSquare through my Facebook account, anyone on Facebook that stumbles on my page can track where I go and where I've been!
FourSquare can be a vital tool for Public Relations in various ways:
1. FourSquare allows the participant to be the promoter of a place they check into. When holding an event, having people check in can help determine which demographic is engaged and what they are thinking. Participants can add comments, showing what they are thinking, both positive or negative, which can help guide the direction to take on a PR level (by knowing what the demographic is thinking and feeling about your product/service). Obtaining feedback and reacting to it, shows your target demographic that you are listening to their opinions, which can only be a positive point for the product/service being offered.
2. FourSquare can allow you to obtain an even larger audience, by allowing your current audience that is checking in at your product/service to invite others to join. Someone who may not be interested in a specific grocery store for example, may be intrigued to go and check it out due to their peers constantly checking in and commenting on this grocery store. This is a great way to promote and bring awareness.
3. FourSquare can be a great way to keep your loyal 'fans' loyal to your product/service. By giving out coupons to people who check in ecourages them to come back and even invite a friend along. This is definitely a great way to build your stakeholders.
The single biggest learning that I had from using FourSquare is that it showed me that I belong to a virtual group or community. Not only can I see who else visits the places I do, I can read about how they feel about these places and their suggestions in regards to the locations they visit.
StumbleUpon:
I am also new to using StumbleUpon. I find this to be a great tool as it is geared specifically to my interests. I like how it allows me to discover about my different interests and at the same time review people's thoughts and opinions.
StumbleUpon can be used as a tool in Public Relations by:
1. This discovery engine can be used to bring attention to your content. Once people gain trust in what you are saying, your content will be viewed and commented on regularly. This could be a good way to reach your desired demographics.
2. This tool can allow you to increase the number of your desired demographic. Once you start to gain followers, the numbers will just grow if you continue to be committed to the quality of content you offer.
3. This tool can help promote events and bring awareness towards an event by allowing for links to be added. For instance, you can add links to Facebook, Twitter, articles, and other content, which allows you to get your product/service/event to your desired demographic.
The single biggest learning that I had from starting to use StumbleUpon is that I now realize the importance of quality content. The content you present does not necessarily have to be long and full of little details. If you present short, precise, relevant and logical information....you are good to go!
QR Codes:
I have personally been using QR codes for some time now. I find this to be a great asset in many ways. Not only does it allow you to provide information on a much larger scale, it allows for quick and easy access. The first time I really saw the amazing potential of using a QR code was when I was at a Tim Burton exhibit. Every piece of art on display had a QR code that you could scan and find a lot more information and detail on. I was walking around with my friend and observing the art, and at the same time scanning the QR codes reading and researching more about what we were looking at.
QR codes can be a great asset to Public Relations by:
1. QR codes can allow you to provide alot more information in a media kit, than ever possible. You allow the possibilty of a quick scan to direct someone to a ton of information.
2. QR codes can allow you to see who is scanning your codes, which provides data on who your demographic is. Knowing your demographic and who is consuming your product is essential to Public Relations.
3. QR codes can increase the interest of what you are trying to promote/campaign and thus your demographics. Getting people to scan your QR code and direct them to your website or online media kit can be a great way to give them more information and therefore maintain interest and increase traffic of your desired demographics.
My single biggest learning from re-evaluating the use of QR codes is that I realize how important it is to provide information. QR codes allow the ability to provide vast information with a simple scan. Scanning a code can direct someone to more information, in a quick and easy way. Today, we want quick information and alot of it, and QR codes meet this desire/need! In Public relations time and space are limited. People want information fast and at times space is limited. A press release is very limited in the amount of space permitted, and a QR code can help eliminate the space limitation.
I am new to using FourSquare and I have to say that I am both amused and doubtful about it. I like the idea of knowing where people are and the interesting restaurants and locations they have visited, but when I really think about it, it can be quite scary to know that anyone can know where I am. For instance, if I sign in to FourSquare through my Facebook account, anyone on Facebook that stumbles on my page can track where I go and where I've been!
FourSquare can be a vital tool for Public Relations in various ways:
1. FourSquare allows the participant to be the promoter of a place they check into. When holding an event, having people check in can help determine which demographic is engaged and what they are thinking. Participants can add comments, showing what they are thinking, both positive or negative, which can help guide the direction to take on a PR level (by knowing what the demographic is thinking and feeling about your product/service). Obtaining feedback and reacting to it, shows your target demographic that you are listening to their opinions, which can only be a positive point for the product/service being offered.
2. FourSquare can allow you to obtain an even larger audience, by allowing your current audience that is checking in at your product/service to invite others to join. Someone who may not be interested in a specific grocery store for example, may be intrigued to go and check it out due to their peers constantly checking in and commenting on this grocery store. This is a great way to promote and bring awareness.
3. FourSquare can be a great way to keep your loyal 'fans' loyal to your product/service. By giving out coupons to people who check in ecourages them to come back and even invite a friend along. This is definitely a great way to build your stakeholders.
The single biggest learning that I had from using FourSquare is that it showed me that I belong to a virtual group or community. Not only can I see who else visits the places I do, I can read about how they feel about these places and their suggestions in regards to the locations they visit.
StumbleUpon:
I am also new to using StumbleUpon. I find this to be a great tool as it is geared specifically to my interests. I like how it allows me to discover about my different interests and at the same time review people's thoughts and opinions.
StumbleUpon can be used as a tool in Public Relations by:
1. This discovery engine can be used to bring attention to your content. Once people gain trust in what you are saying, your content will be viewed and commented on regularly. This could be a good way to reach your desired demographics.
2. This tool can allow you to increase the number of your desired demographic. Once you start to gain followers, the numbers will just grow if you continue to be committed to the quality of content you offer.
3. This tool can help promote events and bring awareness towards an event by allowing for links to be added. For instance, you can add links to Facebook, Twitter, articles, and other content, which allows you to get your product/service/event to your desired demographic.
The single biggest learning that I had from starting to use StumbleUpon is that I now realize the importance of quality content. The content you present does not necessarily have to be long and full of little details. If you present short, precise, relevant and logical information....you are good to go!
QR Codes:
I have personally been using QR codes for some time now. I find this to be a great asset in many ways. Not only does it allow you to provide information on a much larger scale, it allows for quick and easy access. The first time I really saw the amazing potential of using a QR code was when I was at a Tim Burton exhibit. Every piece of art on display had a QR code that you could scan and find a lot more information and detail on. I was walking around with my friend and observing the art, and at the same time scanning the QR codes reading and researching more about what we were looking at.
QR codes can be a great asset to Public Relations by:
1. QR codes can allow you to provide alot more information in a media kit, than ever possible. You allow the possibilty of a quick scan to direct someone to a ton of information.
2. QR codes can allow you to see who is scanning your codes, which provides data on who your demographic is. Knowing your demographic and who is consuming your product is essential to Public Relations.
3. QR codes can increase the interest of what you are trying to promote/campaign and thus your demographics. Getting people to scan your QR code and direct them to your website or online media kit can be a great way to give them more information and therefore maintain interest and increase traffic of your desired demographics.
My single biggest learning from re-evaluating the use of QR codes is that I realize how important it is to provide information. QR codes allow the ability to provide vast information with a simple scan. Scanning a code can direct someone to more information, in a quick and easy way. Today, we want quick information and alot of it, and QR codes meet this desire/need! In Public relations time and space are limited. People want information fast and at times space is limited. A press release is very limited in the amount of space permitted, and a QR code can help eliminate the space limitation.
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