Let me start this post by saying two things.
1. I am not a stalker, creeper or peeping Tom.
2. I really do love Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.
When Facebook first started it was exclusive. Exclusivity was one of the reasons its popularity grew so rapidly. Facebook started with expanding to different colleges and eventually removed the registration requirement of having a “.edu” e-mail addresses, and the exclusive angle slowly wore off.
Facebook’s market has expanded from college students in the United Sates, to anyone with internet access in the entire world. Seven year old children have pages, celebrities and journalists have pages even my grandmother has a page.
If exclusivity is not drawing people in to social media than what is? Why are people signing up for sites like Facebook in masses?
There are now games to play, a constant status feed to look at and pictures galore. Facebook has redesigned itself several times. The most prominent reasons are differing expectations from potential members and privacy concerns.
You now have countless privacy options ranging from being completely open to completely hidden. All those privacy settings fly out the window with “opt-in” options on some websites. You can log in with your Facebook name and password, and the company has access to all of your information.
If that is not creepy enough, Facebook is launching a new option where you can click through your friends and check who you have a crush on. If they are single, you will get an email stating that they are available, and if they are in a relationship, an e-mail will notify you if things go downhill.
Facebook saw how successful Foursquare had become and wanted a piece of the action. It now has a plug-in called “Facebook Places.” You can check in wherever you are; in your house, in your car, at school, at work etc. and it will show up as your status.
Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and even Linked In are all intertwined. If you post something on your Foursquare or Facebook account, it can show up on your other social media pages (depending on your settings).
I don’t know about you, but I think this is a little “Big Brother.” I don’t think we need to make it any easier for your creepy neighbor or robbers to come in and steal or kidnap you. I know that you can change your settings to private and only your friends can see your information, but come on now, how many of you really know all of your Facebook friends personally.
Twitter is even worse, because if you tweet where you check in on Four Square, anyone who chooses to follow you will see where you are.
From the marketing side, Four Square and Facebook Places are both great tools, I get to see who has visited my business and how many times along with what tips they have for other customers. As a consumer, Facebook relationship updates and tracking where I go still feels like I am giving up to much of my personal information to whoever decides to listen at that point and time.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Deadlines.
Before the wonderful world of Public Relations, and Journalism classes at all
for that matter I never carried a planner, made to-do lists or put updates in my phone. In every class that I have taken, and every networking experience one thing that has been drilled into my head is don't miss your deadlines. Not only do public relations professionals have to worry about their own deadlines, but deadlines of the press and their clients.
I now carry a planner in my purse, constantly make to-do lists and update my
phone on a regular basis. I thought that it was just me; maybe I'm just a
college kid who needs the constant reminders of when assignments are due.
I Googled, yes Googled "public relations time management" and thousands of
articles came up. One blog caught my attention; Personal PR by Tiffany
Monhollon stresses the importance of using technology to help you, not distract you. When I thought about this a little more I realized that between Facebook, Twitter, STubleUpon.com etc, I get distracted more often than using the tools to help me.
As I get farther and father in school and in my career I realize that
multitasking is something you have to be good at. Being given several projects at once, all with different deadlines is considered normal and not being able to juggle is unacceptable. Prioritizing what is most important, what will take the longest to do and what is due first are all keys that help me stay on track and organized.
Asking for help is something I have had to learn to do. Saying "I don't know" in the PR world is not frowned upon. I think any reporter, boss or coworker would rather you ask questions than do something wrong or give out the wrong
information.
Keeping up with a planner and daily to-do lists may seem a little time consuming in itself, but I get a slight joy out of being able to cross things off my list. My blue sticky notes get lots of use in my purse, and being able to throw one away with everything crossed off is an amazing feeling.
I have grown to love those blue sticky-notes. Maybe one day, (someday soon?) My to-do list will be empty. I think that if I ever do get everything crossed off I would have to find something else to write down. An empty to-do list, even if it is just a bucket list, seems quite depressing.
for that matter I never carried a planner, made to-do lists or put updates in my phone. In every class that I have taken, and every networking experience one thing that has been drilled into my head is don't miss your deadlines. Not only do public relations professionals have to worry about their own deadlines, but deadlines of the press and their clients.
I now carry a planner in my purse, constantly make to-do lists and update my
phone on a regular basis. I thought that it was just me; maybe I'm just a
college kid who needs the constant reminders of when assignments are due.
I Googled, yes Googled "public relations time management" and thousands of
articles came up. One blog caught my attention; Personal PR by Tiffany
Monhollon stresses the importance of using technology to help you, not distract you. When I thought about this a little more I realized that between Facebook, Twitter, STubleUpon.com etc, I get distracted more often than using the tools to help me.
As I get farther and father in school and in my career I realize that
multitasking is something you have to be good at. Being given several projects at once, all with different deadlines is considered normal and not being able to juggle is unacceptable. Prioritizing what is most important, what will take the longest to do and what is due first are all keys that help me stay on track and organized.
Asking for help is something I have had to learn to do. Saying "I don't know" in the PR world is not frowned upon. I think any reporter, boss or coworker would rather you ask questions than do something wrong or give out the wrong
information.
Keeping up with a planner and daily to-do lists may seem a little time consuming in itself, but I get a slight joy out of being able to cross things off my list. My blue sticky notes get lots of use in my purse, and being able to throw one away with everything crossed off is an amazing feeling.
I have grown to love those blue sticky-notes. Maybe one day, (someday soon?) My to-do list will be empty. I think that if I ever do get everything crossed off I would have to find something else to write down. An empty to-do list, even if it is just a bucket list, seems quite depressing.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Misunderstoood.
I work in an advising office for the University Of North Texas Mayborn School Of Journalism. I interact with high school students and their parents on a daily basis, whether they are coming for a tour or are at one of our many recruitment events. When I say my major is Public relations there is usually a weird look and a quick change of subject. At first I was a little taken aback, but after seeing the same reaction time after time it became a normal thing to see. I have come to the conclusion that people react the way they do for 2 reasons.
1. They don’t have any clue what public relations means
2. They think they know what PR means, but actually have the wrong idea.
After getting questions from prospective students such as “what do you actually do in PR” and “is there even a demand for people in that field” along with the disgusting looks from parents, I realized that Public Relations professionals are misconstrued in the public’s eye.
I am not going to school for four years in order to lie through my teeth to you. I am also not learning how to be deceitful to the public, say no comment on TV or to make up information on behalf of my client.
I am learning how to write clearly and concisely (AP style of course), create communication plans and uphold the PRSA code of ethics. It is not just speaking in front of a camera. You write the speech, brief the media even get the media interested in your product.
After answering the students questions and explaining that PR is not just a corrupt profession and yes, every company really either has in-house PR or it is outsourced, the parents usually zone back in.
The parents usually try and shoe their kids away, while the kids seem really interested in what we have to offer. More times than not I slip them a business card and they contact us later.
Don’t get me wrong, some parents are not that clueless. Some have a great understanding of PR and what it entails: long hours, practice makes perfect attitude and a commitment to bettering your client. Those parents, the ones who encourage their kids to do what they want well, your kids will make great PR professionals.
I really hope that this generation,the ones who are getting taught the correct way to be a PR professional, can change the perception of some people and help them understand Public Relations is not a propaganda driven career.
1. They don’t have any clue what public relations means
2. They think they know what PR means, but actually have the wrong idea.
After getting questions from prospective students such as “what do you actually do in PR” and “is there even a demand for people in that field” along with the disgusting looks from parents, I realized that Public Relations professionals are misconstrued in the public’s eye.
I am not going to school for four years in order to lie through my teeth to you. I am also not learning how to be deceitful to the public, say no comment on TV or to make up information on behalf of my client.
I am learning how to write clearly and concisely (AP style of course), create communication plans and uphold the PRSA code of ethics. It is not just speaking in front of a camera. You write the speech, brief the media even get the media interested in your product.
After answering the students questions and explaining that PR is not just a corrupt profession and yes, every company really either has in-house PR or it is outsourced, the parents usually zone back in.
The parents usually try and shoe their kids away, while the kids seem really interested in what we have to offer. More times than not I slip them a business card and they contact us later.
Don’t get me wrong, some parents are not that clueless. Some have a great understanding of PR and what it entails: long hours, practice makes perfect attitude and a commitment to bettering your client. Those parents, the ones who encourage their kids to do what they want well, your kids will make great PR professionals.
I really hope that this generation,the ones who are getting taught the correct way to be a PR professional, can change the perception of some people and help them understand Public Relations is not a propaganda driven career.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Technology Takeover?
I woke up this morning made some coffee and immediately got on the Internet. I checked my e-mail, tweeted and Skyped my best friend all before I got dressed. Have social media and the World Wide Web become more of a necessity than an indulgence.
Our generation (Generation X/Y) and the ones below us feel entitled to all the Internet offers. E-mail and texting are no longer fast enough and if a web page doesn’t load, well that is just unacceptable. The invention of websites such as Hulu and YouTube created an anti-commercial viewership and watching a short advertisement before a video is “annoying.”
After the invention and wide usage of e-mail a snowball effect happened. Being able to communicate with friends, get your message to consumers and share ideas with colleges around the world was the “gateway drug” of sorts.
Today we have applications not only for computers but for our phones as well. With Skype and Facetime we can not only talk, but see who we are talking to. The application Hey Tell has turned voicemail into a thing of the past. You can now turn your mobile device into a walkie- talkie. Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Blogger and Flicker are just some of the Social Media sites that not only work on laptops but on Smartphones as well.
Is all this technology taking over our lives? When you sit in a classroom you can look around the room and see people on their laptops checking out Facebook or Twitter. Go to any restaurant and you can see families not even talking, just playing on their mobile phones. Some people spend fourty hours a month checking the news, social media and browsing the Web. Are they obsessed? Actually according to a recent study from ComSCORE that’s the new average time spend surfing the Internet.
The Internet also helps us connect. It is easier for small businesses to become global, companies to get feedback and friends to stay in touch. Response times via the internet are becoming less and less, helping keep us dependent on the services it offers.
When the cold weather was to much for The Electric Reliability Council of Texas
to handle, blackouts occurred. People (myself included) did not know what to do with themselves with no internet or TV to occupy their time. That was until I remembered my phone! Alas, I was saved and could connect with fellow North Texans to complain about the weather.
Has all this technology taken over our lives, or is it just improving the way we communicate? To me it is a little bit of both. I can’t wait to see what future technology has in store for us.
http://www.comscoredatamine.com/2011/01/average-time-spent-online-per-u-s-visitor-in-2010/
Our generation (Generation X/Y) and the ones below us feel entitled to all the Internet offers. E-mail and texting are no longer fast enough and if a web page doesn’t load, well that is just unacceptable. The invention of websites such as Hulu and YouTube created an anti-commercial viewership and watching a short advertisement before a video is “annoying.”
After the invention and wide usage of e-mail a snowball effect happened. Being able to communicate with friends, get your message to consumers and share ideas with colleges around the world was the “gateway drug” of sorts.
Today we have applications not only for computers but for our phones as well. With Skype and Facetime we can not only talk, but see who we are talking to. The application Hey Tell has turned voicemail into a thing of the past. You can now turn your mobile device into a walkie- talkie. Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Blogger and Flicker are just some of the Social Media sites that not only work on laptops but on Smartphones as well.
Is all this technology taking over our lives? When you sit in a classroom you can look around the room and see people on their laptops checking out Facebook or Twitter. Go to any restaurant and you can see families not even talking, just playing on their mobile phones. Some people spend fourty hours a month checking the news, social media and browsing the Web. Are they obsessed? Actually according to a recent study from ComSCORE that’s the new average time spend surfing the Internet.
The Internet also helps us connect. It is easier for small businesses to become global, companies to get feedback and friends to stay in touch. Response times via the internet are becoming less and less, helping keep us dependent on the services it offers.
When the cold weather was to much for The Electric Reliability Council of Texas
to handle, blackouts occurred. People (myself included) did not know what to do with themselves with no internet or TV to occupy their time. That was until I remembered my phone! Alas, I was saved and could connect with fellow North Texans to complain about the weather.
Has all this technology taken over our lives, or is it just improving the way we communicate? To me it is a little bit of both. I can’t wait to see what future technology has in store for us.
http://www.comscoredatamine.com/2011/01/average-time-spent-online-per-u-s-visitor-in-2010/
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