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Participating in the webinar, "10 Keys to Social Media Success" discussed key topics in social media tactics to employ for your client's success. Integrating your public relations campaigns into your social media is crucial. There are so many ways for you to aid a campaign with a social media element, such as creating a short video and posting it throughout various outlets, tweeting about the progress of the campaign, changing your client's default picture on Facebook to reflect the PT campaign, etc. Although this seems like common sense, title all of your videos, blog posts, etc the same of the campaign or reflecting the name of the campaign as well. By making the published social media content easy to find when typed into a search engine, you are helping to ensure its popularity and help it go viral.

The feedback aspect of social media is not only so unique to what makes it such a helpful public relations resource but should be used to your client's advantage as well. Pay attention to what users are writing and respond back to them so that they know there actually is someone paying attention to them. Similarly, use Facebook groups to find your best customers and localize your search. Think globally, act locally is the tried and true public relations motto, so do not let that fall through the cracks when your PR efforts go cyber. It is still important to target very specific locations and demographics and tailor your message accordingly.

Additionally, it is savvy social media public relations to capitalize on activity between Facebook friends and what they are up to. By finding active Facebook users appropriate for your client, you are able to track what groups they joined, which then can lead you to hundreds if not thousands of people just like that one person who was interested in your product. There are countless opportunities available to you and your client via social media, if you know how to use them correctly.

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Measurement of social media is important not only in the beginning and end of a specific campaign, but as an ongoing aspect of your public relations efforts. First, knowing your objectives is key to being able to measure the success of your social media outlet. For example, are your objectives informational or motivational? Do you want to spread awareness of increase ROI? Obviously based on your objectives the way you measure the effectiveness of your social media will reflect as well.

Measuring the results of social media efforts when they are based on how much revenue is produced can be measured by the amount of clicks/hits/visits/etc lead to purchases. However, measuring attitudes and opinions are often a bit more challenging since they can only be based on the feedback your client receives. 

The best way to measure its success and popularity though is to track the amount of active, average monthly users and what percentage are returning versus new visitors. Additionally, you can track how often others spread and share your client's social media pages since that influence can lead to increased usage as well. 

There are many different ways to tailor the measurement of social media outlets to fit your client. However, despite what their objectives might be, it is always crucial to constantly monitor the various pages to minimize risk and keep track of how successful and efficient their social media is being. 

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One of social media's most popular website, Facebook, somehow always has a way of knowing just what advertisements to post that relate most to you, or who exactly to suggest you add as a friend. Have you ever wondered how they know what relates specifically to you? Thanks to the article "Facebook Privacy: Social Network Tracks Users After They Leave Site," the mystery is solved. Facebook has shared that they track users even after they leave the website.

Although Facebook officials promise that they personal information they obtain is solely used to tailor advertisements to be specific for each user's interests and that they do not sell the information to theird parties, it is still not a fact openly shared with its users. Regardless of whether or not this should be deemed "unethical," should it at least be clearly stated and shared with users that Facebook does track you upon registration?

Many Facebook users take advantage of the privacy settings and assume that since they take precaution in what gets posted to their friends and who can find them when being searched that they're privacy is being highly protected. However, would they have the same feelings toward Facebook if they knew that the website has been tracking and following them after they exit the web page? Despite personal opinions, Facebook has not openly shared their user's information with any other companies as far as public knowledge goes, and promises never to do so. 

The article referenced can be found here: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/facebook-tracking-scrutiny/story?id=14960711 

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Personal privacy is often sacrificed when using smart phone mobile applications such as on an iphone. The article, "Parting With Privacy With a Quick Click for Adolescents" discuses an age which is not protected by the federal government and yet not quite aware of the risks of sharing their privacy through a mobile application, and yet are a booming demographic of social media.

Not only are smart phone applications a risk to this age group of tweens and young teens, but social media in general. At this age, many middle school and early high school attendees do not think twice to post personal information to Facebook or other social media sites since many of them edit their privacy settings. However, just because a privacy setting may not be as exposed as usual does not cover their safety in its entirety. The article discuses how many adolescents are so quick to click "allow" when a mobile phone application asks for their location, and yet do not wonder or question why that information is needed.

Although the federal government protects young children, they do not regulate the safety of teens via social media because they are supposed to know better. However, when discussing an age of 12-14 year-olds, they are still naive enough to not know better yet expected to do so. In addition, although the government does take some action for the safety of children, there is just so much they can actually do. The laws typically address what is made available to children and what warnings need to accompany certain applications, however, the conduct of children through social media and mobile applications is up to their parents as well as their own personal responsibility.

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Knowing when and how to "talk business" through social media outlets, especially like Twitter for example, is important before engaging in such. Before posting anything to a social media site, a business needs to have the message approved and checked through the appropriate people. By ensuring the message posted on social media outlets is appropriate for your client's brand is crucial to keeping their image consistent.

Consistency within social media public relation's efforts helping shape and mold the brand's identity and reputation online. When you think of a company and visit their social media pages, you should have an idea of what to expect, the content on your client's social media shouldn't be shocking or out of the ordinary to their visitors. What ends up being published to a brand's social media should be an extension of their overall reputation, as well as should add value to the visitors and be relevant information shared that their fans/followers/visitors would assume to be interested in.

A way for you to track your client's success or need for improvement of its social media reputation is by constantly monitoring and measuring their various outlets. Through tracking the number of fans, followers and blog hits/visitors, it will be evident whether or not your social media efforts have been efficient. In addition, by tracking your client's mentioned tweets, retweets and Facebook insights on their fan page (which can tell you the break down of what their fans were engaging in the most, whether it be looking through pictures, posting comments or responding to status updates) can give you an idea of where additional social media efforts are needed.

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Search engine optimization is not only the practice in which a website pops up when typed into a search by a user as a result of mathematical formulas. It is an extremely useful public relations and marketing social media tool as well. By editing your client's website to help increase its visibility on web engine searches, it can help increase the amount of visitors and traffic it receives, which then in turn will help ultimately boost its popularity and revenue.

While the most commonly used search engine is Google, there are countless options when seeking alternative search engines. Some other commonly known ones include Bing, Stumble Upon, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, Ask.com, MSN, the list could go on forever.

Similarly, there are many different types of search engines as well. While the typical user will go to a general search engine when looking for information, users visit other topic-specific search engines when seeking additional information on a subject. For example: dictionary.com when looking up definitions of words, travel websites like Orbitz,com, Travelocity.com or Kayak.com when looking for flights and other travel accommodations as well as websites like Yelp.com which can help a user find information on a business or service.

Search engines and their optimization can be altered in a number of ways, however, it is always in your client's best interest to use best public relations practices and "white hat" search engine tactics to ensure their social media is being conducted as ethically as possible. If you or your client are practicing "black hat," or unethical, search engine techniques, then there is the risk not only of a negative public reputation but of being banned from a search engine altogether should they discover the negative practices being employed.

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Corporate social media during times of crisis or even just any negative social media in general, needs to not only be taken seriously but receive an individualized and personalized response to in order for it to be taken care of. In the article, "Social Media Can Damage Corporate Image" by Rick Nauert of Psych Central News, business's responses to these issues are not only cause of concern and interest to public relations practitioners but to he business world overall.


Public relations practitioners are extremely concerned with how negative social media can effect their PR efforts, but it is important to step back and also think of the lasting impact it has on the consumer and the reputation of the brand in general and not just to them specifically. Nauert makes valid points when he states, "negative messages created by victims significantly increased the negative reputation of an organization, and were more likely to result in boycotts against the organization than when it was sourced to unaffected individuals" in a study published by the University of Missouri. 


User-generated content is such a valued aspect of social media given its ability to offer the feature of feedback and for the brand to give a response based on their consumer's feedback. However, that valuable feature is lost and could ever turn sour when not responded to in an appropriate way. Although it is rarely acceptable to delete a post made by your audience (unless it is spam or irrelevant), sometimes it is absolutely crucial when the user is making obscene, violent or threatening comments. Unless the feedback going to an extreme like that, it is important to leave up all responses you or your client gets, even if it is negative, so other visitors can notice that not only do you respond in a timely matter but that you have the consumer's best interest in mind. 


By offering personalized responses to your visitors feedback encourages for more so take place, and provided that you appropriately respond to any negative outcry, encourages even more positive posts to be shared. 

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Business's social media outlets can become extensive to monitor for a public relations practitioner. However, constantly being in the know of what is being published about your client is essential for its social media success. Open forums and community edited pages, like Wikipedia for example, allow virtually anyone to publish something about your client, no matter how true or false it may be. 

Not only is is crucial for you to monitor websites like Wikipedia, it is equally as important to edit the content to make sure it is as accurate and truthful as possible. Since Wikipedia has only recently become recognized as a reliable website given its open forum nature, it is in everyone's best interest to keep it unbiased and accurate instead of creating content for your client that is not even true. 

Since Wikipedia and other open forum websites can be edited by anyone, they give visitors a sense of trust since it could have been created and written by a peer. By practicing effective public relations, you can edit and monitor a site like Wikipedia as it pertains to your client, while still using the voice and language of a consumer. 

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Producing viral social media campaigns is a challenging task. However, the most difficult aspect is creating something with potential to be easily shared and turn viral, like a short video. Viral videos are most common, because of the accessbility they offer. Anyone can share them with a click of one's computer mouse to copy and paste it to an entire mass e-mail of family and friends.

Viral social media has a domino effect on people, and once it gets going, can easily become a huge sensation. According to the article, "New Theory Explains What Makes YouTube Videos Go Viral" by Natalie Wolchover points out a major way to get your video to go viral is to play on one's emotions. While videos of cute animals are sweet to share, the most intriguing ones are often disturbing and shocking.

In addition to playing on one's emotions, it needs to have content which many can relate to. An example of a widely successful viral video is the "Ouch Charlie" YouTube sensation. In this video, Charlie (a young boy) is playing with his baby brother who proceeds to stick his finger in the baby's mouth which it then not let go of. It is shocking and amusing because you can tell the baby is hurting his older brother and plays on our emotions because while the audience is laughing the brother is in pain. Additionally, the baby then giggles after he lets go, adding an additional laugh to the viewer. Since this is a fairly basic video content, it speaks to many since we all have that young family member who has probably bitten us/peed on us/grabbed a hold of us and will not let go/etc. While it's cute and endearing, we call all relate to how painful it can be.

While Charlie and his younger brother were just an innocent home movie, it still can teach public relations practitioners what can easily go viral and attract such a large number of viewers. Something short, playing on our emotions, and of general and yet interestingly relatable content.


The article referenced can be found here: http://news.yahoo.com/theory-explains-makes-youtube-videos-viral-184013005.html

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Social media is a major tool in times of needed crisis communication. Given its real-time feature, it can help businesses, government and other large entities reach key publics with appropriate messages in the quickest way possible.

Breaking news can be shared via tweets, as well as important messages to aid in damage control. What makes social media updates successful crisis communication is when they are short and brief, summarize main points, aid the overall message and are not created separately for social media (to ensure consistency in your messages), tap into all available resources, as well as allow for public feedback in the form of comments and responses.

The same way a funny video can go viral or breaking news can spread crisis communication can and should be shared just as rapidly. The key is to make the information available across all social media platforms and to all your various audiences. In addition, by exhausting all ways possible through partnerships, you can ensure your client's message is being received. For example, if it is a health related crisis, by targeting organizations like the Red Cross or doctor's associations, you can reach a wider audience than just through your social media outlets alone.

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Podcasts allow listeners to take their interests and passions on the go. Being able to download and listen to a podcast is such an easy way to keep one's mobility in tact while still tuning into a channel to keep up with new/events/etc.

An example of a podcast I've enjoyed listening to is, "The Nutrition Diva: Quick and Dirty Tips to Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous." The Nutrition Diva posts around 25 minute podcasts about nutrition and significant topics regarding health and fitness. Being able to download the podcasts and take them on the go with me through my ITunes on my phone.

Podcasts are so easily accessible and a fun alternative to listening to music in the car or while traveling. They bring information to various demographics and can connect others through similar interests. Podcasts are a new tool that can help spread information and educate interested, key publics on specific topics.


http://www.podcast.com/Health/Fitness-and-Nutrition/I-2358.htm

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Social media campaign videos can bring a public relations campaign to life. Taking a company and exhausting multiple media outlets with a campaign can help if its one that attracts the viewer in a unique way. For example; Old Spice launched their campaign featuring Isaiah Mustafa as the "the man your man could smell like" targeting women for a man's body wash. The concept may seem odd but Old Spice has the right idea since women hold most of the purchasing power within the typical household.

The "Old Spice Guy" campaign was funny, unique and capturing the attention of audiences all over thanks to social media. By incorporating short videos of the commercials via social media, it allowed the campaign to go viral and aid Old Spice's television component.

Not only do videos within social media campaigns engage the viewer in a different way than just reading text or looking at pictures, it also opens a gateway for responses in the same medium as well. Video responses and parodies of the Old Spice commercials were shocking in numbers, yet just as entertaining and amusing at the original as well. Individuals took it upon themselves to create video replies and posted them on YouTube, gaining even more notoriety to the campaign. Old Spice was able to post the responses and their own videos across various social media platforms, thus furthering the amount of attention their campaign was able to achieve.

The responses can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD1WqPGn5Ag&feature=player_embedded

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Social media bookmarking and RSS feeds are an easy way to organize one's social media tabs stay up to date on favored sites. Unfortunately, most people not only do not take advantage of how simple these functions are to use, but do not not even know of their existence. PR-Squared's "Social Media Tactics" Series clearly outlines the advantages of using the social media bookmarking website, Delicious.com.

The concept of organizing all major new releases through their own account would make obtaining them easier and give others a way to simply reference them as well. In addition, by encouraging others to take advantage of the 255 character space to add a description for each link also allows others to easily find what they are looking for.

In addition, giving the option to "tag" pages can not only help for personal reasons to remember which pages were helpful, but they also give you the option to act as a moderator. By giving the option to tag a page as incorrect or useless, there ensures that the only gatekeeper of information is the public.


http://www.pr-squared.com/index.php/2007/09/prsquareds_social_media_tactic

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Personal branding via social media is a way to express yourself online to share with others. Since it is up to you who your audience is, (for example: friends and family versus potential employers) the direction of a personal brand is entirely up to you. Discovering and creating your personal brand should be based on how you want others to perceive you. According to the article, "Personal Branding 101" by Dan Schawbel, when deciding on your personal brand, your goal should be to set yourself apart by fulfilling a niche which has yet to be filled.

Making yourself stand apart from others can be difficult, but no one knows you better than yourself. With any brand, you need to establish consistencies. For example, anything you produce like a blog, business card, etc should follow the same design elements and focuses. In addition, wherever there is an opportunity for you to share your brand, use it. Don't ever leave an "about me" or "bio" section blank. Think up of a short blurb consisting of no more than two sentences which sums up you and what you want your brand to convey. Just because many social media outlets have character limits does not mean you need to sacrifice creativity for word count.

Similarly, in order for you to obtain fans/friends/followers/etc you need to make the first move and put your brand out there. By engaging via social media with others that have value to your brand showcases that you are interested in expanding and encourages others to engage with you as well.

http://mashable.com/2009/02/05/personal-branding-101/

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Social media is an extremely useful tool used to communicate and interact with others, whether it be friends, family, significant others, colleagues and to some even students? When friending others on Facebook, the protocol for who to accept, who to deny, and who to have on a limited profile can get a bit fuzzy at times.

The article, "Student Facebook requests: Accept of Decline?", Karla Pasos, a physical education elementary school teacher at the time, recounts when she began getting friend requests from students. At first she did not take any action in accepting or declining, instead she surveyed her fellow colleagues to get their advice on the matter. She found that most educators did not accept their students friend requests, however, the older the students got, the most willing the teachers were to allow their relationships with students to go cyber.

High school teachers were typically more likely to be friends with their students, especially when they were able to incorporate their social media outlets into their learning calender. For example, teachers would post supplemental references for further reading, remind students when projects/papers/assignments were due, and engage their students in online discussions. These are prime examples of how social media can aid the classroom even at a young age. However, in Karla's case, at an elementary school level especially in a physical education class, there are not many ways in which an educator can use social media as a learning tool. Which is exactly what prompted her to decline students' friend requests.

As someone who highly values their privacy, I do not think it is necessary or even appropriate for an educator to engage with their students via personal social media pages, regardless of the school level. That being said, of course there are exceptions such as connecting via LinkedIn. However, I think if a teacher wants to engage their students in a unique way that they can relate to, they should create "student friendly" user pages specifically restricted to classroom or appropriately relevant materials. Additionally, I do not think it is appropriate for the same boundaries to be crossed in regards to an employer/employee relationship as well.

The debate of these relationships becoming cyber are gaining attention of others as well when this summer Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed a state-wide bill prohibiting the most teacher-student communication on social networking sites. The state becoming active in voicing their opinions makes a strong statement on what is and is not appropriate in the revolution of the education field as young students are becoming active users of social media and advanced technology in general.



http://mat.usc.edu/student-facebook-requests-accept-or-decline/

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Stakeholder relations and social media within public relations plays a special role for businesses. With such a wide and quick access to what seems like a limitless amount of people would be foolish not for a business to capitalize on. In addition, with so many people potentially talking about your company, wouldn't you find it necessary to constantly know what is being said? It is poor public relations, forget about social media, but overall for you not to be on the cusp of what's happening regarding your client.

According to a study published by Burson Marsteller in 2011, 84% of Fortune 100 companies are using at least one of the four most popular social media platforms including: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or corporate blogs. These statistics are a clear indication of the direction social media in regards to public relations is headed.

The integration of social media to a public relations campaign can offer an interactive element in a much more user-friendly and cost efficient way. Facebook fans can comment and like what you clients posts, Twitter followers can retweet news/announcements/links, and YouTube users and blog followers can comment on videos and text. This option to engage your audience can be done quickly and affectively to aid public relations campaign or just ongoing client relations in general.

Employees can share with friends and family newsworthy happenings at their company, helping one's social media efforts turn viral. In addition, by creating stakeholder-specific social media accounts and outreach, your client can personally address key publics. For example, a company which employs hundreds of individuals would benefit from a monthly or bimonthly CEO blog where the head of the company can personally address his or her employees. In addition, by spotlighting a valued employee or consumer once in a while can also add a personalized element to a large corporation. By executing both of these ideas via social media outlets, it can ensure everyone is easily reached and gets the message. In addition, these examples can engage key publics in a positive way and motive employees in a very short time needed to create the messages.

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            Social media has influenced the way we communicate without a doubt. However, by adding real time updates like Twitter, for example, to our top outlets, has changed the way we receive breaking news more importantly. When Twitter first gained popularity as a form of microblogging, it was viewed as a professional tool for journalists and news outlets given its real-time feature. Its popularity quickly spread as being a useful site to be participate in despite one’s age or profession.

            Although today Twitter has millions of registered users for business and personal use, the way it has aided the news profession has been the most heavily impacted. Breaking news of events has been able to start trending on twitter to reach the masses in a matter of minutes. For example, I was on twitter when I got word of the death of Osama Bin Laden, which then prompted me to the twitter page of CNN. Spreading word of such prominent news for our country was able to happen in such a short period of time and allowed me to tune into CNN on television to get the full story of what had happened. Updates from people in Washington, DC during this time were also helpful in sharing their stories of how many rushed to the White House to spread their patriotism and emotions for the events that were taking place.

            Additionally, with so many being connected via Twitter, even the President of the United States, citizens can trust to be receiving reliable information. Social media has become an outlet for virtually any demographic to engage in, despite location, profession, age or race. Sharing news, insight, opinions and ideas is now so easy and even free, provided to appropriate tools. 

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          Microblogging has emerged as a new and even faster way to connect with others via social media. Twitter as the most well known outlet for microblogging is now fulfilling this role of the “world wide talk show” according to the “Twitter Handbook” written by Deborah Micek and Warren Whitlock. Ironically enough, this world wide communication phenomenon has limited us to just 140 characters. The handbook points out what makes twitter and microblogging overall so unique to the social media world, “Twitter is all about SPEED and PARTICIAPTING in the CONVERSAITION.” By becoming an active tweeter, your company, brand, etc is now connected with an unlimited audience in a speed that was never before possible.

            Despite its short and sweet nature of sharing brief thoughts, Twitter is anything but simple. Much thought is put behind the 140 character updates that companies produce. Beginning with the username, it is crucial for the name of one’s Twitter page to be easily accessible from a mobile phone (where much of tweeting originates from), meaning no symbols should be included. Additionally, using your brand as the twitter username ensures you to be as easy to find when searched as possible. Clearly stated in the “Twitter Handbook,” “the key is to be remembered.”

            Also important to attracting followers and developing your brand on twitter, besides creating a simple and relevant username, is to personalize your page as much as possible. Immediately add a photo when you register as well as customize the background and color scheme of the text will attract others to following and engaging with you.

            Obtaining followers for your brand is important and can be accomplished by being proactive and following people you think would be worthwhile to follow you back or to start a tweet conversation with others. However, once you get others to follow you, you need to keep them as well. By adding value to their twitter feed you can ensure not only that you will keep your followers but that they will spread your page to their followers as being of interest to many. 

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Nancy Hicks of Ketchum's, "Health E Minds Healthcare Commentary" discusses an interesting concept to the healthcare field in her article, "Medical Schools Screen Applicants for Charm Factor." Top medical schools across the country are introducing new criteria to their incoming classes of future doctors. Strong communication skills are now on the list of top priorities for doctors to possess and prestigious schools like Stanford and UCLA are making sure their doctor's have all the necessary skills. 

A new process of interviewing students called Multiple Mini Interviews, in which potential students essentially speed date recruiters at the average length of eight minutes for each session. The reasoning behind the creation of this new, unique interviewing process is that traditional interviews do not appropriately predict the performance of a student, as well as reflect an individual's communication skills, especially with just one interviewer as the judge. 

Since recent studies show that many preventable deaths occur as a result of poor communications among doctors and other staff members, by changing the requirements to even be admitted into medical school can help drastically decrease these occurrences.  In addition to this, more and more often when one is admitted into a hospital or healthcare clinic it is rare to find that the patient is only dealing with one doctor and/or nurse, there is typically a team or duo at the very least taking care of you. Working individually and only having to report to yourself is not a common work environment in the health field. 

With this in mind, it is also noteworthy to mention how and whom is taking this communication faux pas into consideration and attempting to move forward in the right direction for the healthcare field. This past weekend I was accompanying a dear friend on a trip to Baptist Hospital in South Florida when she suddenly fell ill. While making a trip to a hospital ER is just about as enjoyable as spending all day at your local DMV, this visit was not as torturous as I had envisioned. The nurses who we had initially spoken to were compassionate and understanding, not to mention worked extremely quickly and efficiently, we had been put into a room under a half hour. In addition to this, whenever we were passed onto another staff member, despite having all of my friend's medical information printed out in front of them, they always asked how she was feeling in the moment, if there were any changes, and reiterated her reasons for the visit to ensure correct information. We were both discussing how friendly, personable and professional all of the staff was when a shift supervisor came into her room to review how the care she was receiving was going. He asked if we had any complaints and made sure she was receiving the appropriate care and was in constant communication with her doctors/nurses. 

After reading this article I immediately was brought back to my afternoon spent at Baptist Hospital and how thanks to A+ communication skills, my friend's trip to the ER was as efficient and pleasurable as possible. 

http://health.ketchum.com/blog/medical-schools-screen-applicants-charm-factor 

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The YouTube video, "Social Media Helps Police Catch Burglars"features a new aspect of justice that did not exist before this current social media revolution society is currently in the midst of. Local Police in Boca Raton, FL are finding that posting security footage on social media websites ads well as sending them out via e-mail lists are becoming more and more common, as well ultimately successful in finding criminals.

Websites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have all been allies of the police force in their recent efforts to capture criminals. Not only are social networking sites changing the way we communicate with others, they are now being used in society as social mediators almost, keeping the peace through informing and educating those in your community.

Social media makes targeting a specific community easier than ever. With options on certain sites like Facebook where you can target an update to reach a specific community or network as well as Twitter where localized Twitter pages can retweet to reach a desired audience. Social media is an extremely useful tool for as wide as the federal government to share news as well as a country's police force to find a burglar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBkRj-4gbtY

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The article, "Users of the World, Unite! The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media," by Andreas M. Kaplan,  introduces an in-depth view into social media, its forms as well as some insight in the opportunities and challenges of engaging in it. In recent years, social media has seemingly changed the world. The recent explosion of social media is not solely through the contribution of young users, but should be viewed as a mutual interest that has peaked across age demographics. According to Kaplan, "...members of Generation X, now 35-44 years old, increasingly populate the ranks of joiners, spectators, and critics."

Since this revolution of social media has attracted all age groups, it is crucial for businesses to be apart of the trend. However, this is increasingly where we find the challenges becoming more and more common. Although social media offers a way for businesses to reach their consumers at essentially no cost and faster than ever, it also allows their consumer to spread a negative message about them at no cost and faster than ever. Kaplan discusses this further, "...businesses have increasingly less control over the information available about them on cyberspace." One person's negative experience with a company can seriously damage their reputation, especially if its the right person with the right voice. "Historically, companies were able to control the information available about them through strategically placed press announcements and good public relations managers. Today, however, firms have been increasingly relegated to the sidelines as mere observers."

This being said, public relations efforts, especially in the form of social media experts, are more valuable than ever to employ. With savvy PR tactics on the web, a company can easily prevent crises from arising and should they take place, to have a quick and proactive response to them.

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Social Media can often be a tricky resource for individuals, however, what happens to companies when they experience social media gone wrong? If a college student was tagged in an inappropriate picture, we oculd prbably just call up the person who posted it and tell them to take it down, put it on a private view, etc. and eventually any controversy will hopefully pass in due time. But when a company utilizes social media in an unflattering way, the damage is out there and who knows how many have seen it and whose eyes its came across.

In the article, "5 Examples of Social Media Blunders and What to Learn From Them," by Ben Parr this concept is discussed. My favorite example of the list is the controversial video created by Motrin. Clearly, it was a well designed video posted by Motrin in efforts to "connect" with mothers through back, neck and shoulder pain caused by carrying around young children, something all mothers of young children can probably relate to. However, Motrin received a ton of negative backlash from this campaign because of the things it hinted at.

This is a great example of poor social media causing a negative effect on the company. Had Motrin perhaps conducted extensive testing in the forms of focus groups on the video they probably would have noticed it takes the tone of mocking mothers who carry their young children in devices strapped to their bodies.

http://mashable.com/2009/03/08/social-media-blunders/

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Public relations was once a position that was highly regarded. A position in which one acted as an advisory to a big business's CEO is now one with a tarnished reputation, a confusing job and just an overall poor image of the field. How did this happen? It started with a break of trust. Trust is the most important aspect of any business relationship, whether it be from employer to employee, client to company or even company to their public, trust is a necessary part of the business transaction.

Well what could have happened to break this bond of trust? The public started becoming more and more aware of what is going on in the world, all thanks to social media and the current streaming of live information. Being in the know isn't always a positive thing...isn't ignorance bliss? In huge scandals involving companies, celebrities, popular organizations, etc at what price should we be kept in constant communication?

Thankfully, as a result of these scandals and this break of trust many have become aware now more than ever that public relations is necessary in times even when there is not a crisis. By keeping a positive reputation and image an entity is already reducing the damage an issue could do to them.

w2r

Being dubbed the "user generated generation" definitely has its perks as well as faults. According to TIME Magazine articles, "You -- Yes, You -- Are TIME's Person of the Year," "Power to the People," Enough About You," and "Your Web, Your Way" the present-day population has undergone a revolution of everything we thought was possible, all thanks to the world wide web and a little thing we like to call Web 2.0.

In the article, "Enough About You," Brian Williams discusses the concept of a "user generated generation" where the everything references the first person singular, and how we are convinced that our thoughts, opinions and ideas are all so crucial and interesting that we NEED to share them with the rest of the world. Williams also mentions how, "today, everyone gets celebrated...," but at what price? Children are receiving trophies not for winning but for merely entering and participating. We are beginning to feel entitled to everything as a result being over praised. This is effecting our work ethic, our attitudes and our overall lives. In addition to all this, we are now making our lives more public than ever before. Blogs have turned into viral diaries, tweets and status updates share your current emotions, and foursquare lets you check in and announce exactly where you are. With so many ways to express ourselves, are we really showing our true emotions or are we just inflating the positive aspects of our lives and sharing a more romanticized version of our lives?

In addition to a change of attitudes, we are noticing a shift in positions in terms of careers and business. Jeff Howe mentions in his TIME article, "Your Web, Your Way," how professional advertising, marketing campaigns and client relations efforts sought out by big businesses are now being replaced. Anyone with an internet connection can create a blog and trash a company, can give them negative ratings on an online public forum calling for hours of a social media specialist to intervene. Now more than ever, the internet has given a voice to just about everyone.

This newfound voice to the masses hasn't only effected us negatively, it has given the population a way to communicate and share details on just about everything known to man. Lev Grossman sums up this concept perfectly in his piece, "Power to The People," when he states; "...sometimes, the best inventions are the ones people find their own uses for." The internet and Web 2.0 isn't just for a young generation or that guy in his mom's basement with the screen-name hottiegal042...its for everyone. Its for you and me. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, venture onward young explorers, type away you budding bloggers, sing it all out you you and coming youtubers....the web is entirely what you make of it.

w1r - TIME Profile of an ordinary person made powerful by social media

At the risk of being too similar to TIME's Person of the Year 2006...someone ordinary made powerful by social media isn't just you. No, it's your love life.  Not only had social media changed the way we interact with and meet other individuals, it has revolutionized the way we date, flirt and even get married. Today, 1 in 5 relationships began online through dating websites and other forms of social media. With so much going on in life, it seems like the best way to meet someone romantically. Social media has not only been the gateway to online dating, but a form of it as well. Just because social media outlets like Facebook, MySpace, etc were created typically to connect with existing friends and colleagues, that does not mean it is always used like that. Many social media sites are allowing people to reconnect with long lost friends, family and former flames. In addition, people are meeting through social media sites in addition to dating-specific websites (which are a form of social media in themselves). Our generation's dating and personal lives are being plastered all over the internet, with terms like "Facebook official" often determining how serious a couple's relationship really is. The test of true love is now being determined by whether or not a couple has made their relationship a public matter for others to see.

Although this entire concept of our very personal lives made public, social media site like Facebook are not far off in the concept of what they are making available for their users. Not only is there the option to post your relationship on your user page, but you can also tag your significant other in it as well, making it able for your friends to gain knowledge about your partner. Additionally, the options for how you can define your relationship seem almost endless. With typical options available like, "in a relationship with..." or, "married to...." one also has the option to define that they are "widowed," in an "open relationship" with someone, and now even "in a domestic partnership."

Facebook has absolutely capitalized on their ability to offer an extensive amount of options when publicizing one's personal life. Although this is not only useful, but one of the ways Facebook is so unique, it is without a doubt taking away a certain element from your relationship with another, no matter how you choose to define it as.

w1o

Welcome to my blog! Thanks for checking it out whoever you are, wherever in this crazy world you might find yourself.

This blog has been officially created for a CPR 590 course but I hope to spice it up with tons of personality and maybe keep it going long after this semester is over. To give you a little bit "about me" i want to do so in the form of 6-word memoirs. I'll just add them as I go along but here's a start to some:

1. "marching to my own drum beat"
2. "trying new things; not quite right"
3. "satisfaction of hard work completed; incomparable"
4. "gathering nuts from my family tree"
5. "clocking my heels; wishing for home"