TOW: Search Engine Visibility

This week I had the opportunity to both listen to and read some really great information from some even greater people. One item that I have read is Search Engine Visibility: An Edelman Digital Position Paper put together by Steve Rubel, Kevin King, Michael Wiley, and Rick Murray.  In this paper search engines and the way organizations can use them effectively is discussed. This subject is important in that a lot of business is done online as well as most people seek out information about companies online. In the paper it is stated “Google alone registered 7.23 billion searches in 2008.”  So we can imagine how many searches may have been registered in 2009 or how many will be registered this year.

I will not say that it surprised me but I will describe learning valuable steps to take to become more visible online as very interesting. Of course, as a public relations student I have learned a little about how organizations prefer to be at the top of the list of the various search engines. Over time it becomes clear which companies have really focused an effort towards becoming visible especially when you learn the steps that can be taken to increase that visibility.  In the position paper the steps are listed as follows:

1. Research
2. Teamwork
3. Planning
4. Experimentation
5. Benevolence

Of these steps I believe the research phase to be one of the most important. It is a difficult task to reach a public without first knowing what that public wants or is thinking. In order to become visible an organization must know what a specific public is looking for. This idea is discussed in the paper as well. An organization must familiarize itself with the specific “keywords” that the publics use to find what they are looking for. How awesome is that? A little research allows an organization to effectively reel in potential customers. This is not brand new. At least it should not be to anyone trying to ensure the continuity of an organization.

After reading the information provided it would be very interesting to learn more about the difference between visibility tactics. The four types of searches: paid, optimized, reputational, and social, all have their advantages but I would like to learn more about what disadvantage a company is at after it chooses on route. Also, how effective is it to only choose one or do representatives usually practice more than one together. It seems as though the two that have just begun to emerge (reputational and social) would be the most effective for the current social media path that we are on. I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to learning more about it all.

Does Your Brand Have Personality?

“Folks will tell you when you suck and when you are wonderful with equal bluntness.” -taken from Eric Schwartzman’s Notes on Twitterville

Today  I had the pleasure of listening to Eric Schwartzman’s podcast interview with Shel Israel, author of Twitterville: How Business Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods. In announcing the books release the author described it as a “business book” that highlights topics such as the move into the “new Conversational Era.” For the entire description you can visit Global Neighbourhoods.

One of the topics discussed during the interview that really peaked my interest was the idea of organizations humanizing their brands or, in other words and more specifically, creating an online personality that is personable.

Schwartzman and Israel discuss the fact that some companies have not yet taken the step to personalize and tweet from accounts represented by logo images. Schwartzman stated that “if organizations do not tweet under their brand name someone else might.” He then questioned how an organization would be able to protect their brand name if employees created personal accounts instead of the brand name. Israel made a good point by pointing out that the term “branding” allows companies the opportunity to allow passionate employees to create relationships and communicate the positives about the company. He then said branding also leaves the window for opportunity for companies to “fool you.. (the customer) into thinking a company is something that their not.”

I agree with Israel in that I believe it’s important for organizations to take advantage of the chance to put a face with the company. It’s easier to communicate as a customer what your needs are when there is a face to look at or there is someone interacting with you. I could imagine being on a social network coming across a company with a “Logo Account” and not taking the person I speak with seriously because it’s not personal. It doesn’t seem as if they have my best interest in mind.

The idea of being worried that someone may falsely claim to be a representative of a company is valid but at the same time if a company already has an existing account that has created meaningful relationships the false account then becomes irrelevant.

Listen to the podcast at: on the Record Online.

Podcast Name: Twitterville: Humanizing Brands and Building Loyalty with Shel Israel

PR Writing Blog Highlights 1

I have the privilege of being a Peer Leader for Professor Barbara Nixon’s PR Writing class this semester. As a part of the course the students are required to maintain a blog including posts with topics of the week, reading notes, public relations connections, and comments on other blogs.

Even though all the students have done well some of them went beyond the requirements and demonstrated a great understanding of how maintaining a blog can be a great way to practice their public relations writing skills.

1. Erica Campbell

Erica has done a wonderful job of organizing her posts so that they are all easy to find. Her posts all have personality which makes them entertaining and well written. She is well on her way to being an awesome blogger.

2. Jessica Dudley

If I didn’t know any better I would think Jessica has been blogging for some time now. She was very thorough in each post. Everything she wrote was concise and easy to understand. She even included links and video to help in the delivery of her message. Good Job Jessica!

Last but definitely not least…

3. Matt Cook:

Matt has done a wonderful job of keeping up with his blog assignments. He has demonstrated that he understands that to pull readers in the writing must be grammar free and entertaining. I enjoyed reading his blog posts.

Each week I will highlight three lovely students as they continue blogging throughout the semester. I’m excited to see how their writing skills develop and what new ways they come up with to make their blogs stand out.

TOW: Social Media in 140 Characters

Adam Vincenzini recently challenged 140 communicators to define “Social Media” in 140 characters. If you aren’t familiar with the importance of 140 characters I want you to stop reading this post and visit Twitter. However, if you are familiar with the importance continue reading because this post gets better.

Vincenzini explained in his post, “REVEALED: Defining Social Media in 140 Characters… by 140 Communication Characters,” that a lot of consumers do not know how to accurately define “social media”. As a matter of fact, I would argue, consumers take part in the world of social media every day and fail to realize the magnitude of the relationship between themselves and social media and social media and business.

Vincenzini felt it important that communicators be able to describe social media in a way that people have never really got it will finally understand. He compiled a list of all 140 definitions. I have chosen a few to share that I thought were a great way to describe what “social media” is based on what I have learned so far about social media and the interactions that take place.

Definition 1:

@jgarant A borderless space to consume & share information & opinions – to engage directly with inductry minds & develop personally and professionally

I selected this definition because the words “borderless space” jumped out at me. The world of social media is so broad. There are no boundaries that hinder growth or stop the interaction of different minds. So I believe that this definition almost embodies the foundation that the social media is built on. Through social media people are connected in ways that have not always been available.

Definition 2:

@hermioneway: “Media that’s social …it’s about everyone taking part and having a voice.”

I love the fact that we can look at media as being “social,” something that we can all be a part of. Every individual has an opportunity to share his or her account on any topic, at any time. In the past media was something that was, in my opinion, controlled by a single entity and now we are seeing people on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other social networks sharing their opinions, their video and whatever else. It is amazing to see how quickly information spreads because so many people now have an outlet.

Definition 3:

@teresamolinaro: Socia media is the engine of our creative economy, fueling human connectivity, innovation, prosperity, & a driving force in shaping our future

Who can argue that social media is not shaping our future? If you can find one person I would really be interested in hearing the argument. (Seriously!) Through social media industry leaders are provided a way to keep in touch with consumers and then provide them the products that they are seeking.

Definition 4:

…and my absolute favorite.

@Monsty a revolution, a shift, the changing of the guard, the return of communication to it’s native form -> conversation <- the beginning

Life is good when communication is finally about conversation again. We all know the communication model but do we follow it? Are we hearing each other? Are industry leaders really paying attention to what consumers are saying? Finally, they have no choice. Social media makes sure that consumers are heard.

As I was reading through the definitions I was inspired. Social media means that industry leaders will one day have no choice but to change the way they do business.

Want to know what I think social media is? I have created my own 14o character definition of social media… here it is:

@So_Talia: Social Media is the development of open-relationships (consumer to consumer or industry to consumer) based on the ability uncover the truth

That definition could lead to a whole different discussion. Let me just say that social media provides both the business and the consumer the ability to be honest which means both parties can then act accordingly.

The Comment Tango

This comment tango post has been provided for you to keep up with the comments I leave outside of my blog. I enjoy reading blogs and sharing my thoughts so here is an easy way for you to see what I’m saying:

Comment #6-February 8, 2010

Twitter Strategy: Branded vs. Individual Twitter Accounts by Eric Schwartzman

After reading the information presented here I would love to see more companies adopt the strategies that Toyota or Dell use. I was trying to decide which of the two strategies is more effective but I came to the conclusion that it probably depends on the specific goals of the organization. Both strategies are good because both the brand and the individual is visible to anyone with questions or concerns. One example of an organization simply providing information through a Twitter account is @macTweeter. This account simply pushes out links to information, freebies, and updates. So there isn’t really a need for them to have an individual account for that purpose. I really enjoyed this post. I have learned a lot. I look forward to reading more of your writing.

Comment #5-February 7, 2010

Personal Branding by Dan Couture

Okay, I have to say that before I watched the video I wasn’t too sure if I agreed with what you were saying. However, after the video I see how the idea of personal branding could be considered egocentric. I still believe that it is important to develop yourself as a “personal brand” because then you are able to really focus your energy and your activities more effectively towards a goal. I also believe there is a difference between legitimately branding yourself when creating an online presence and those irrelevant personal brands in the infomercials that we never remember minutes after seeing them. In the video it’s stated that Dr. Phil is a brand and I completely agree but is that to say that someone who is still in the beginning stages is not?

Comment #4-February 5, 2010

How Much Would You Pay? by The Prowl

Wow! This is interesting. I would never pay for a follower. I would actually like to know who came up with the idea in the first place. I would argue that the point of social media is to effectively communicate and not to see how many irrelevant followers you can get on Twitter by paying someone to create accounts. I am actually a little offended to say the least. I work hard for my followers by talking about things that matter. It is almost like cheating on a test.

Comment #3-February 5, 2010

Cover Letter Tips for the Public Relations Major by Meghan Callahan

Meghan, I believe your second point (doing research) is my favorite out of the entire blog post. So many people apply for jobs and never do research. They just go along for the ride because an opportunity presents itself. It has to be upsetting in an interview for an employer to ask a question and get a response that does not line up the companies values or objectives because an individual has not done the proper research to find out what a company is about. These tips for a cover letter are awesome. I am beginning my application process for different schools and jobs so this information will be very helpful.

Comment #2-February 2, 2010

Framing Your Social Media Efforts by Chris Brogan

As a public relations student, I have been learning a lot about how social media is changing the way business is done and the way people interact. For me, it has been interesting to watch companies that never had a large online identity suddenly become social networking specialist. I believe that the information you have provided are things that people need to begin to understand in order to make both their online presence and existing relationships better, more effective. One of my PR professors, Barabara Nixon, has done a good job of making sure as graduating seniors we understand the importance of all of the things you have mentioned especially trying it all together. It’s important for people to not just focus their efforts in one central area but to be present in all of them and use them correctly. A lot of times I see smaller companies that have a Facebook profile/page but have no idea how to start a blog or use video. I appreciate how you have outlined all of this information.

Comment #1-February 2, 2010

Is Social Media Monitoring Ethical? by Meghan Beytagh

My Comment: I believe you may have one of the best Social Media & Ethics posts as of yet. I enjoyed reading your breakdown of Social Media and then the act of monitoring social media as it relates to ethics. I saw that also you referred to Chris Brogan, someone that I have come to admire after being introduced to him by Professor Barbara Nixon. I believe he offers a lot of insight on ethics, social media, and how they relate to each other. I’m not sure if I agree with the statement “social media monitoring was created by the consumers out of the distrust of the information being presented from the corporations.” I feel as though social media monitoring is more so corporations have the ability to monitor what consumers are saying about their brands. In my eyes, most consumers have no idea that companies are out there searching the web, monitoring conversations, and then tailoring their marketing approaches, branding campaigns, and simply their brands to what the consumers are saying they want.

The New Media Kit

I came across this video on YouTube and I believe what Michael Greece says is true. With new media taking over a lot of the traditional ways of reaching publics are being replaced. A lot of companies are cutting back on the “door to door” pitches and are going straight to social networks to reach potential consumers.

One of the most interesting things about the way social media is used, I believe, is the fact that companies can now create a personal relationship with clients over the internet. Through monitoring profiles and other things companies can tailor an entire pitch to a person. For instance, the ads that I see when I log into Facebook all have to do with Greek paraphernalia and graduate school because I am a part of a sorority and I have started posting thoughts about what I want to do after graduation. It is amazing how companies can keep track of your online activity and then send information your way.

When it comes to what Greece was saying about some companies needing to set themselves a part by having something that people can remember like the traditional media kit, business cards, pamphlets, or brochures I believe he is on to something. If every company is moving their business online and you are the one company that is still marketing yourself by reaching out to people with things that they can hold or put down on their desk and remember you by you are still one step ahead of that person who is sitting at the computer hoping someone is seeing their online ads.

I think it’s important to see what everyone else is doing and then do something different.

Talia.

Social Media Monitoring & Ethics

Ethics is a topic often discussed in the world of public relations. I would like to briefly discuss it as it is related to Social Media Monitoring. It is easy to pass the act of monitoring social media off as something unimportant when you have no investment in a product, person, or organization but I believe that it is vital activity that practitioners should take part in to ensure  a positive reputation for their respective clients.

Chris Brogan makes an interesting point in his blog, “The Ethics Imperative in Social Media.” Brogan writes about the fact that the internet world keeps what I would like to call “mental notes” of all online activity. Everything done online will pretty much always be there for people to see. So in situations when consumers post negative things about a company, i believe, it could be considered fair to allow these companies to “mediate” the conversations. It could only make an organization better right?

Of course, it seems as though I am going in circles here because I haven’t really touched on the ethical part of this topic just yet. I think it is difficult to really make a concrete decision on whether or not it’s ethical. On the one hand organizations are provided with a lot of information that can help them become better and on the other you have the risk of companies using Social Media Monitoring to mislead consumers.

Picture this, a practitioner finds negative information about a company online and notifies the client, even provides ways for them to address whatever it is they have found. The company (or the practitioner) goes online and posts positive information about the company through anonymous post (so basically posers!). How ethical is that? …Not at all.

So I guess the conclusion I have come to after really thinking about what I have read from other bloggers and seen in my many searches is that like everything else in life social media monitoring can be ethical when done the right way but there are chances of information being misused and that’s when things get unethical.

I agree with Jason Falls when he says, “..people with less than respectable ethical grounding are going to find it difficult to be successful in social media.” It’s like asking a pathological liar to tell the truth and nothing but the truth… nearly impossible.

Wow! I feel like I had an epiphany.

….need me to explain a little more?… Talk to me!

Talia.

Social Media & American Red Cross

Social Media has played a major role in the way information about the crisis in Haiti is being distributed to the public. It is evident that a large percentage of  people first learned of the crisis from social networks such as Twitter and Facebook as their followers/friends began to speak on the topic. Only then did they really pay attention to conventional news outlets in order to gain more detailed information. Just by simply searching the words “Social Media AND Haiti” several results show that give evidence as to the the great impact that the social media world and its citizens had.

For instance, in an article by Tom Brown titled “Social networks find triumph amid tragedy in devastated Haiti,” Brown mentions the fact that the American Red Cross earned millions of dollars by asking people to text message “Haiti” to 90999. At the time of his article he noted that Red Cross had earned $3 million from text messages alone. He also noted that giving people the ability to text provided a way for people to help that did not require much effort or an instant pay out.

Even when limited to 140 characters on Twitter people were able to spread the news rapidly. Social media is continuing to change the way we communicate. I wouldn’t be surprised if soon there wasn’t a Tweet911 option for frequent Twitter users.

Check out this video I found on YouTube:

Talia.

Blogging Suicide

Any experienced blogger will tell you that a vital part of getting and retaining readers is showing an interest in the blogs they might author. The most effective way to do that is to comment on the blogs they write. How does the old saying go?… “You scratch my back and I will scratch yours.” The next time you read a blog, instead of saying to yourself, “Oh, that was a good point,” you should make a comment on the blog so that the author knows they are going in the right direction. Nine times out of ten that person will then either reply to your comment or visit your blog to see if you are half as interesting as the comment you left.

Remember that blogging is another form of networking. For instance, I have gained readers from posting the link of my blog on Twitter. Your blog is just another way to sell yourself. So when you leave comments it gives a fellow blogger the opportunity to get to know a little piece of you.

With that said, the format of your blog is very important. The worse thing you could do is leave a comment that is hard to understand or is filled with grammatical errors and typos. I understand that blogging can sometimes be seen as an informal form of writing but there will still be readers (…people like me!) who will become very offended if it seems like you did not proof read what you’ve posted.

So here are my top three tips for writing an effective blog comment:

1. Keeping Up With the Kardashians- In other words, it is important to stay informed on current events or at least the information included in the blog you choose to comment on. It may not be the best idea to comment on an idea that you have no background information on. Unless, your comment is asking the question, “Where can I find more information on this particular subject?”
2. Quit While Your Ahead: There is no need to write an entire blog post in the comment box on someone’s blog. If you find yourself creating new ideas and references that is the time to take it back to your blog. Be sure to provide a link to the blog that originated the idea and let the person know that you too had some thoughts and would like for them to review them. NETWORKING!
3. Review before Submission: Before you hit the comment/submit button read it and then read it again. Be sure your statements are concise. Explain what you mean thoroughly so that others understand and can reply to what you have posted.

Of course these are just a few tips. There are many ways to approach commenting on blogs. I am very interested in hearing what you think.

Talk to me.

Talia.

“The State vs. Radric Davis”

So I just received my copy of the album “The State vs. Radric Davis.” Can you see the irony?

This album is the latest release of artist Gucci Mane who was recently sentenced to 12 months in prison. However, that isn’t what this post is about. I just thought that was interesting.

In my opinion this album is worth blogging about. The collaborations are off the chart and it’s the type of music that has the ability to appeal to many different publics. I cannot even name a favorite song. The entire album is easy on the ears. Guest appearances include: Nicki Minaj, Trina, Bobby Valentino, Keyshia Cole, Lil’ Wayne, and other popular artist.

“I’m my best friend …and I’m my worst enemy …and no one else can hurt me unless I let them ..are you feeling me …and misery loves company and I had my share of misery …no mystery my infamy got me in hip hop history” -Gucci Mane (Worst Enemy)

The song “Worst Enemy” is on the top of my playlist right now. The lyrics, in my opinion, give a real world view of what it means to live a successful life. There will be people who claim to be your friend but probably really do not have your best interest in mind. However you look at it all you can do is learn from your mistakes and continue to push forward.

Preview the album: Gucci Mane