May 28th, 2010
Prior to 2004, the definition of a “facebook” was a pamphlet given out each fall to college freshmen that contained the names and faces of every student in their incoming class—a handy little who’s who of yearbook-style thumbnails that maybe even listed everyone’s hometown. By the time I arrived at college in the fall of 2005, the word had taken on a new definition.
The premise was similar, but the “book” was online, and in addition to hometown, you could see the political views, relationship status and favorite quote—ranging from the Dalai Lama to Lil Wayne—of your friends and anyone who shared your college network. You could even write messages on their “walls”, the Internet equivalent of the ubiquitous white boards tacked to the doors in every residence hall. I remember feeling acutely distressed when I finally got a Facebook account late that summer, and discovered that I was way behind the curve: my future classmates were already making friends and planning meet ups. Clearly I was doomed to be alone.
Well, I managed to catch up once the year started, but my little case of freshman anxiety proved just how quickly Facebook was spreading, and foretold of how omnipresent it would become.
Since then, Facebook has taken on a life of its own: one that founder Mark Zuckerburg probably never imagined when he launched it from his Harvard dorm room. In the next few weeks, Facebook will claim it’s 500 millionth user—slightly less than the population of North America.
But with this growth comes a growing list of pros and cons. Most obviously, Facebook retains its original purpose. As Jill remarked on the blog a few months ago, Facebook is the most convenient and direct way to stay in touch with people you likely would’ve fallen out of contact with if Facebook didn’t exist. It’s nice to feel connected at the click of a mouse. Facebook can also be a great networking and marketing tool. My sister is interning for a non-profit this summer, and one of her major projects is to figure out the best way for the organization to utilize Facebook to gain followers and recognition.
Of course, there are drawbacks too, many of which we’ve discussed before. For the last few years, Facebook has repeatedly come under fire for its ambiguous, complex privacy settings which allow third party sources to access certain information about you unless you specifically opt out. Just two days ago, a New York Times blog considered the benefits of a government takeover of the website in order to reign in the chaos. Earlier this week, Zuckerberg himself published an op-ed in the Washington Post to address some of the privacy concerns felt by millions of disgruntled users, and just this morning, Facebook unveiled new privacy controls which are aimed at shifting control back to the user—it remains to be seen if they are up to snuff.
And like any pop culture phenomenon worth its salt, Facebook was recently featured on South Park. The episode pokes fun at society’s sometimes compulsive obsession with the site—the need to up one’s friend count, the necessity of returning a poke from one’s grandma. South Park humorously comments on how easily we become engrossed in the virtual, and neglect our reality.
In six short years, Facebook has gone from an Ivy League social outlet to a household name, fodder for parodies and a regular subject of the news. And in another six years, who knows what the state of Facebook will be? It’s hard to believe that it could become much more accessible or widespread than it already is—but for some reason, I don’t doubt the possibility. Astronauts Facebooking from space? Don’t count it out. Until then, we’ll have to wait and see.
March 9th, 2010
Image: Flickr user Ivan Walsh
Oh joy—another PR Tools discussion! Last we spoke, I argued for the importance for the press release in the PR industry. I still stand by my statement that “the press release is the foundation of any earned media campaign,” but just as one must adapt to live, one must also accept change to survive in the PR industry.
In the last eighteen months, Twitter and Facebook and other social networks, such as Chatroulette, have taken off. In order to exceed the status quo we (and other PR professionals as well) have had to adapt our styles, techniques and tools to maintain our audiences’ attention.
So how long do we have to maintain someone’s attention? According to Wikipedia, the average adult will only focus on something for eight seconds unless the person engages in a sustained focus—the act of actively concentrating on an object or task at hand for twenty minutes or more. This means that we have less than ten seconds to seduce our readers into an uninterrupted focus on our press release. Catchy headlines and sub-headers are nice and dandy but what better way to tempt our readers than to include pictures, slideshows, etc. in the press release? Websites like PitchEngine (an ELISE favorite) allow for graphics and videos to stream while the viewer reads or skims the release. Since publishing our NCIIA March Madness for the Mind 2010 release on PitchEngine it has been viewed over 300 times.
As society begins to rely more heavily on visual news rather than the written word, the PR industry must be malleable and willing to conform to new practices and techniques that will emotionally entice the reader and motivate them to read about the story. It isn’t enough to have a well-written story any more; graphics and visuals are necessary. How will you incorporate them into your next PR campaign?
February 2nd, 2010
Last fall, our awesome ELISE intern, Kira Loretto, wrote a thoughtful post about the potential harm social media can inflict on your career. People are beginning to learn this: don’t post photos of yourself engaging in illegal activity without making sure that nobody you don’t want to see them, can. Don’t set your Facebook status to read: “Don’t feel like going to work today. Calling in ’sick,’” if you’re friends with your boss.
But what about the things we post on-line that aren’t damaging … just annoying? In an article about Twitter for the New York Times last month, David Carr expressed the problem that many people have with social media platforms: nobody cares what you had for breakfast. Carr makes the argument that in spite of this, Twitter is a useful tool: you just have to be selective about who you follow.
Easier said than done. Aside from proving valuable resources for information, social media services like Facebook and Twitter allow us to stay connected to old friends and far-away family members like never before. How else would I be in touch with the German exchange students who spent a year at my high school, my cousin teaching math to girls in Qatar, my continent-crossing sister? By writing a letter? Surely, you’ve never seen my handwriting.
But my desire to stay connected to people in my life means that I can’t do as Carr suggested and be selective in my following and friending, only aligning myself (virtually) with people who provide solid, useful information. It means that I’m opening myself up to dozens, if not hundreds, of posts about what my friends had for breakfast. And more than that, it means that I’m on the receiving end of a terrific amount of overshare.
I’m not alone: countless Web sites and Internet memes have been devoted to people who “suck” at social media. Aside from enthusiastic self-promoters and “app” addicts, the one group that seems most universally hated is the oversharers.
Don’t know what I’m talking about? Let’s take a little peek at your Facebook newsfeed, shall we? Your perpetually pregnant childhood friend posting about how “the morning sickness is so much worse than last time: I spent the morning throwing up!”? Overshare. Your lovelorn sorority sister who, after a date, posts: “Finally, a great date! Dinner and a movie and then …”? Overshare. All of the people you know who share break-ups, make-ups, potty stories, bedroom stories, and drunken pontifications? Over. Share.
Think of it this way: you run into an old acquaintance on the street. You haven’t seen each other in five years. Do you talk about your most recent trip to the bathroom, or your most recent trip to Bermuda? Unless you’re both gastroenterologists, I think you know what the answer should be. Use that mindset when posting to Facebook or Twitter: if you wouldn’t say it in person, it doesn’t belong on-line.
So please, folks: leave the poopy diapers, the bar brawls, and the deep moments of self introspection off your status messages and Twitter updates. These are things you should share with a select few, not the unwashed masses. It might not affect your career, but it’s guaranteed to affect your relationships with your social media contacts.
November 25th, 2009
ATTENTION! VERY IMPORTANT!
I guess I don’t have to cyber scream it, but it grabbed your attention didn’t it? Much the same way the the media alert would.
What is a media alert? A media alert or media advisory, is a tool used by PR professionals to interest media about an announcement or upcoming event. Media alerts are to-the-point and answer the questions who, what, when, where and why in less than a page. They are effective because they draw the journalist in without losing them in the extra verbiage that press releases and media kits tend to contain.
Recently, I have noticed that some PR professionals are using Twitter and Facebook statuses to promote their clients. I understand where this trend is coming from, but I would suggest that these methods and practices are not as effective in securing TV and print coverage as the media alert. As far as I know, journalists are not going to hop on their Twitter or Facebook accounts to find their next story. Just look at how little journalists use other social networking sites, such as LinkedIn. Our trip to the Philadelphia Inquirer a few weeks ago reaffirms my belief that journalists working at traditional media outlets just are not ready to fully embrace the 140 character trends sweeping the industry. Yes, the journalist enjoys bite-sized information but sometimes 140 characters just isn’t enough and clicking the provided Web link is an extra step not worth taking. Journalists are busy, and the more work we do in advance the greater the potential for positive results. We are nothing if not thorough at ELISE.
Five years from now the traditional media alert might be totally extinct, but as for now it still reigns as king with us.
September 17th, 2009
In this day and age, it seems like everybody and their mother has a Facebook, and for better or worse, I’m being literal. My mom hasn’t hopped on the bandwagon yet, but the point is, you can’t keep track of everyone who is out there in cyberspace reading your posted information, be it an admissions counselor, ex-boyfriend, or employer. In fact, just this week, Facebook’s user population nearly equaled that of the U.S.
Social media allows you to create an impression on people, and just as with face-to-face interactions, you would like the impression to be a good one. This freedom of expression that the Internet equips us with, through sites like Twitter, Facebook, personal blogs and even professional networking sites such as LinkedIn—while it is certainly liberating, can also be dangerous if you aren’t careful (read: you don’t use common sense). In the last few years, social media has evolved from a largely personal tool for connecting with friends, new and old, to a universe in which it is uncommon for a major public figure, large corporation, or maybe your average socially conscious PR firm not to have a Twitter account. Social media is everywhere, and like Geico’s latest advertising campaign, the little money stack with eyes, it’s watching you.
With this in mind, a few weeks ago I read an article on the dangers of social media for your career, and it struck a chord with me. We all have moments when we are frustrated with life, but there is something to be said for not airing dirty laundry in public. For instance, if you happen to follow the company Twitter, or are Facebook friends with your co-workers, it’s probably not the best idea to publicly complain about your job. When I see my friends do this, I cringe in discomfort for them. Even law enforcement uses Facebook these days, though they won’t be writing on your wall. Just the other week, an annual party at my alma mater was broken up by the police after they read details of it on a Facebook event page.
While some might consider this an invasion of privacy, if it’s out there, someone will find it. Hear me now, people, and thank me later. Use the old rule of thumb… If you wouldn’t want your mother to see it, read it, or hear about it, then don’t post it, because like I said at the beginning, chances of that are increasing.
Social media is meant to help you, not hurt you. Freedom of expression is one of the many great things about our wonderful country, but a little self-censoring never hurt anyone (and I bet it never lost anyone their job either).
September 10th, 2009
A few weeks ago, I was at a friend’s housewarming in Manhattan, and talk turned, as it seems to do these days, to social media.
I don’t remember how the conversation started. Somebody probably asked if we’d seen something somebody else tweeted. At some point, though, the conversation turned to best practices when using social media for work, and a friend in attendance at the party, Alex Cohen (who, I should note, was instrumental in getting ELISE on Twitter) said that deciding what social media channel to use when initiating a professional conversation was kind of like dating.
Readers of this blog will know that I love a good metaphor, so naturally I was attracted to Alex’s comparison and decided that I had to write a blog post about it. And away we go…
Say you’re at a bar with your friends. One of your friends notices that one of his friends is also there and invites him over to your table. Suddenly, West Side Story-style, everything gets quiet and everyone in the room fades into soft focus. It may not be love at first sight, but it’s something. You spend the rest of the evening ignoring your friends and talking to the guy. All too soon, it’s time to go home. You exchange information… and then you wait. Which of you is going to make first contact? Are you going to call? E-mail? Facebook stalk? Follow on Twitter? Post a love song to your MySpace page? The possibilities for getting in touch with a potential paramour these days are endless—it’s just all about the approach.
In the world of PR, it’s not too different—minus the soft focus and softer music, that is. We become acquainted with a reporter or his work, either in person; via opportunities posted to ProfNet or Help a Reporter Out; through Twitter; or by simply doing our homework. If we’ve identified that reporter as somebody we’d like to pitch, we then figure out the best approach. Do we keep it simple and send an e-mail? Kick it old school with a phone call or a fax? Or do we embrace social media and shoot for a LinkedIn invite or post to a reporter’s Facebook fanpage? Is it déclassé to pitch on Twitter for the world to see?
Pitching, like dating, is all about the approach. Does the journalist we want to pitch often tweet out information on what he’s working on and ask for input? Then he probably won’t mind if we @reply him with a 140 character pitch. Is he connected to several other PR pros on LinkedIn? Then he would probably be open to connecting with you, too. Hasn’t updated his Facebook wall in over a month? Then maybe a more traditional method of pitching, like an e-mail or a phone call, might be best.
And just like in dating, if the approach is right and you begin to see more of each other, a beautiful relationship can result.
September 1st, 2009
As a recent college graduate, I am brand spanking new to the working world, and I have to say I like it here. While at first the prospect of spreading my wings was a little daunting, I am finding that the adjustment is not as difficult as I once anticipated. In fact, it feels more like a natural progression than the culture shock I expected, so no complaints here. Not to mention, I am very grateful to have a job in the current economy, while many of my friends and fellow members of the Class of ‘09 were not so lucky. (Let alone a job I find challenging and enjoyable, but I digress…)
Working in PR is fast paced and exciting, and I learn new things every day with the assignments that cross my desk. Pitches, press releases, messaging sessions and marketing plans are all relatively new to me. However, there are some parts of my job for which I am already prepared, and I owe that to the four years I spent in college, both in and out of the classroom.
Thanks largely to professors who favored the Socratic method, I never knew when I would be called upon to deliver an impromptu analysis of anything from the Fed’s latest bailout to Cartesian Dualism. As a result, I feel comfortable discussing just about anything with just about anyone. This is often necessary in PR, when new ideas come to the table and need to be fleshed out, given direction and strategy, and sent into the world. I’m learning on my feet in this department, but it helps to be able to communicate freely and effectively. Thanks a mil, Socrates.
On another subject, who better than a recent college grad to tackle the developing world of social media? We know Facebook and Twitter inside and out and read countless blogs as a source of entertainment (read: procrastination). I can’t count the number of times I would be writing a paper while simultaneously updating my Facebook status to bemoan its existence. Ironic, isn’t it? And while it’s often true that college students get their practice with social media in order to put off work, we make it our business to stay on top of things. PR professionals take this to the next level, using social media to create meaning with every last character of the 140 that Twitter allots.
My work at ELISE allows me to use some of my old college tricks, but the end results are proving far more valuable than any Facebook stalking expedition ever did. Tune in as the weeks go by and I undoubtedly learn more as I get my feet wet in the world of PR.
July 28th, 2009
On July 16, 2009, David Gelles from Financial Times reported that for “the first time a government has found Facebook in direct violation of its laws, and comes as the world’s largest social network with 250m users, is pushing its users to share more of their information with everyone on the Web.” Personally I think this is a bit scary. Even though I jumped on the Facebook bandwagon in 2004, I have a hard time accepting the fact that I am being shared with 250 million people. To me this is absurd—but if you were to monitor my social media activity, you would question the above statement because I find myself logging into Facebook every time I re-open a Web browser. It has become as habitual for me as checking my e-mail.
In my defense, this past weekend I was more concerned with Facebook than I had been previously. Last week, both Jill and my friend Dave brought to my attention something suspicious when they logged on to their accounts. Under “Suggestions,” Jill and Dave had an icon named Chrissy Buckley. This concerned me because we were already friends, and I do not have multiple accounts.
I did some research, Googled myself, looked up my profile privacy settings—everything seemed to be fine and very secure. Long story short, somebody had cloned my account. This means someone or something had copied my account and privacy settings and set up an identical Facebook page. After a few days, back and forth with what seemed like a machine automated e-mailer named “Will,” I was finally able to get this cloned account deleted.
This ordeal got me thinking: how secure am I when I log in to my account? Who’s to say my privacy settings are even working? I felt violated. I felt as though someone had taken a piece of me and taunted and teased me. In a way, isn’t it a form of identity theft? If I found out who did this, could I press charges? Unfortunately, the answer is probably not. I do, however, think that Facebook needs to reform its privacy settings now that this tool is available to 250 million people. It’s just a thought.
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart said it right when she stated: “Facebook has to be more transparent about telling people what they do with their personal information, how long they keep it, and who is able to use it.” Isn’t that already a standard practice when it comes to collecting and utilizing personal information such as credit cards, birthdays and other such important details?
I’m not sure what to do or how to solve this problem; however, I do think that Facebook could come up with a system that checks on new accounts. Maybe it is the idealist in me that thinks employing actual humans to monitor the activity could fix the problem of offensive and cloned accounts. Not only would you be setting up some sort of justice system within a social networking program, but you would also be providing more jobs for people to fill. It seems like a win-win situation. What do you think?
July 13th, 2009
The other day I was perusing the Internet when I stumbled across an article by Jeremy Porter called “How Do You Measure PR?” The article explored the many different ways in which PR professionals document and measure their success for their clients. The article states that: “…a recent survey conducted by the American Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) and Institute for Public Relations (IPR)…found that 88 percent of PR practitioners believe measurement is an integral part of the PR process, and 77 percent are currently tracking their programs.” Porter than goes on to ask, “Am I the only one that thinks this should be 100 percent?”
No, Jeremy, you are not the only one that thinks this number should be 100%. In my experience, most clients require summaries of successes. How extensive that summary is depends on the client, but most clients like to see what they are paying for. How can a company grow if it does not document, analyze and act based on past failures and successes? How does a company acquire more clients if the company has nothing to show for itself?
As we all know, the definition of “media” has grown, within the last few years, to include social media. It is no longer just print (newspapers and magazines) and broadcast (radio and television). Now, in order to measure PR success in its entirety, we need to consider blog posts, tweets, Facebook mentions and links. Since it’s no longer acceptable to just list newspaper, magazine or TV/radio mentions, there are new questions we need to ask: How do you decipher which blog posts are relevant and which tweets are considered successful? How do you measure the success of a tweet? Can you really evaluate the success of something that has the potential for being accessible to millions?
As we are in the middle of compiling a report for one of our clients that documents our media successes, we have to consider when and if we will include any relevant tweets and Facebook posts that would catapult someone to read a blog post that mentioned our client. Is it enough to say x-amount of readers were exposed to this story based on the publication’s reported audience? Or do we have to take it one step further and state that x-amount of people tweeted and re-tweeted a link to this story, and thus the number of readers exposed to the story equals the audience of the publication + the audience of a tweet containing the link to the story + the audience exposed to the story via Facebook and other social media outlets?
I think we can answer the question in part: messaging needs to resonate with its audience. If we can say we have successfully reached our intended audience (as demonstrated by the numbers), then we have done most of the job. The second part of our job—and really the most important—is asking whether we created a compelling story that inspires or motivates the consumer.
June 1st, 2009
It’s spring, which is a season for rebirth and renewal. And we here at ELISE communications have decided to take Mother Nature’s charge seriously. There’s change in the air at ELISE: not just our new blog, but a new office in Old City Philadelphia (more details soon) and a new face or two. So be sure to check our blog regularly for regular updates on ELISE, our clients, and just general ruminations about everything ranging from PR best practices to our favorite potato chips. If you like what you see, you can also become an ELISE fan on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
