If you have been reading my posts, you would know that I have a Personal Learning Project that centers on Personal Branding on Twitter. My goal was to create @CHANELspeaks, tweet about celebrity news, and work on establishing credibility with the help of the amount of followers as well as tweets with the latest news.
March 2nd marks the birth of @CHANELspeaks and I had until April 20th to gain 100+ followers. Considering I had made an account last year (just so I could see if my Public Relations teacher was going to be on time to class), and had only 22 followers, I just didn't see the point in Twitter and wondered who would even want to follow me. However, with my new perspective on Twitter and how it can benefit myself from furthering my understanding of the power of social media tools to being a major plus on my resume made me rethink Twitter.
With @CHANELspeaks, I tweet about celeb news which is basically what my life revolves around and to my surprise I was able to gain 104 followers. My dedication in delivering news has helped me get a start for personally branding myself as a celebrity tweeter and I plan on doing nothing but grow from this experience.
On Twitter, @DerCarlosMo, aka Carlos Morales, tweets about the latest news in celebrities, fashion, and more. With currently 156 followers, he is gaining a Twitter presence with his personality shining through the tweets and by tweeting the latest breaking news.
He so kindly agreed to an interview via Twitter but you can read the interview right here on Carlos Morales' tips on how he is personal branding himself on Twitter. (Keep in mind since it was on Twitter, the questions and answers are brief and to the point!)
@CHANELspeaks: @DerCarlosMo, how did you gain a presence on Twitter?
@DerCarlosMo: well i think it's not difficult, is just a blog where you publish what you want and shows part of your personality ;)
@CHANELspeaks: What a perfect answer! @DerCarlosMo & how long did it take you to reach so many followers?
@DerCarlosMo: how long? I think two months.. I wasn't interested at first, but over time i've become addicted to it! ;)
@CHANELspeaks: I was the same way @DerCarlosMo! With that new perspective, why do you feel Twitter benefits people?
@DerCarlosMo: @CHANELspeaks help people to know what is happening in the world, in many aspects as politic, economy, gossip, etc..
@CHANELspeaks: Last question: @DerCarlosMo, what was your strategy to gain the followers you have?
@DerCarlosMo: @CHANELspeaks i didn't had a strategy, people who know me r followin me n i'm glad to have followers around the world, but a good pic helps
Glad we were able to end on a funny note for the interview! He gave some helpful quick tips to keep in mind! Aside from not having a specific strategy, we basically approached Twitter the same way.
Be sure to follow both him and I on Twitter to learn more about us or see what we have to say.
Apr 20, 2011
Apr 17, 2011
ENGAGE in the Human Network
As usual my posts on Brian Solis' Engage are to engage my readers on what engaged me (funny?).
What caught my attention this time was "human network". Solis states that the "human network" is what allows everyone to basically connect to one another by linking across social media networks. Reading this couldn't let me help but think of the video about 6 Degrees of Separation. Somehow we can all connect to one another. Who cares? Well you should. As I have stated oh so many times, my Personal Learning Project for my Social Media for PR class centers on Personal Branding on Twitter. In order to get myself out there, gain more followers, credibility, and etc., I need to up my engagement within the Twitter community.
I always believe that is easier said than done because I am the type of person that likes when people come to me, not the other way around. However, what I am slowly realizing is that it truly is crucial that my engagement within the community will actually bring nothing but more knowledge to me as well as possibly more credibility in the form of many followers for my celebrity news tweets. Once I have engaged in other peoples' interests, conversations, tweets, what have you, they will most likely engage with me.
This means that connections will be formed and the human network is able to be established.
Pretty neat, a bit repetitive, but maybe this is for my own good so I can finally be knocked into some sense that I need to be as "vocal" as possible within the Twitter community.
What caught my attention this time was "human network". Solis states that the "human network" is what allows everyone to basically connect to one another by linking across social media networks. Reading this couldn't let me help but think of the video about 6 Degrees of Separation. Somehow we can all connect to one another. Who cares? Well you should. As I have stated oh so many times, my Personal Learning Project for my Social Media for PR class centers on Personal Branding on Twitter. In order to get myself out there, gain more followers, credibility, and etc., I need to up my engagement within the Twitter community.
I always believe that is easier said than done because I am the type of person that likes when people come to me, not the other way around. However, what I am slowly realizing is that it truly is crucial that my engagement within the community will actually bring nothing but more knowledge to me as well as possibly more credibility in the form of many followers for my celebrity news tweets. Once I have engaged in other peoples' interests, conversations, tweets, what have you, they will most likely engage with me.
This means that connections will be formed and the human network is able to be established.
Pretty neat, a bit repetitive, but maybe this is for my own good so I can finally be knocked into some sense that I need to be as "vocal" as possible within the Twitter community.
Khloe and Lamar
TV's newest "Dreamteam" has had E-channel goers overall very satisfied.
If you haven't a clue who I'm talking about, it's definitely not a notion of a team of NBA/WNBA players but instead Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom.
The couple first came onto the scene in E's Keeping Up With the Kardashians and their story was what sparked an incredible amount of interest with the Kardashian fans.
Kardashian and Odom met, became boyfriend and girlfriend, engaged, and married all in 30 days [one episode]. Of course the struggle for the family to understand why the couple wanted to move so fast in their relationship was natural but I couldn't help but just be excited for Khloe to have seemingly found someone very special for her. As soon as they were pronounced husband and wife, there was one thought that popped into my head; "without a doubt, they will get their own spinoff".
Born was a new married celebrity couple and a new reality TV show for me to become obsessed with, Khloe & Lamar. The show premiered Sunday April 10th ( a week ago from today), and according to the Nielsen TV ratings, it did extremely well---well duh. In my opinion, it seems like the Kardashians have the Midas touch, meaning anything they touch turns instantly into gold (or in this case high TV ratings and loads of money). The Kardashian empire is doing nothing but building and to me, doesn't seem like it is going anywhere.
I can't help but think of all the companies that approach the Kardashians (and now Mr. Odom) to do promotional work for them. They've got their TV shows by E, Quick-Trim diet pills, Sketchers toning shoes, perfumes, a jewelry and accessories line for Bebe, a clothing line with Sears, Midori liqueur, clubs, and supposedly have a deal in the works with major nail polish company, OPI. Who knows, I might still even be missing some more things they endorse, but you get the point---they are taking over.
Now if I can get a Kardashian to tweet about me, I bet I could get a bunch of followers because the Kardashain-followers are nothing but loyal to the beautiful family.
Jeez, if I could one day have even half the amount of power they do, I'll be a happy person.
If you haven't a clue who I'm talking about, it's definitely not a notion of a team of NBA/WNBA players but instead Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom.
 |
| Khloe Kardahian & Lamar Odom |
The couple first came onto the scene in E's Keeping Up With the Kardashians and their story was what sparked an incredible amount of interest with the Kardashian fans.
Kardashian and Odom met, became boyfriend and girlfriend, engaged, and married all in 30 days [one episode]. Of course the struggle for the family to understand why the couple wanted to move so fast in their relationship was natural but I couldn't help but just be excited for Khloe to have seemingly found someone very special for her. As soon as they were pronounced husband and wife, there was one thought that popped into my head; "without a doubt, they will get their own spinoff".
Born was a new married celebrity couple and a new reality TV show for me to become obsessed with, Khloe & Lamar. The show premiered Sunday April 10th ( a week ago from today), and according to the Nielsen TV ratings, it did extremely well---well duh. In my opinion, it seems like the Kardashians have the Midas touch, meaning anything they touch turns instantly into gold (or in this case high TV ratings and loads of money). The Kardashian empire is doing nothing but building and to me, doesn't seem like it is going anywhere.
I can't help but think of all the companies that approach the Kardashians (and now Mr. Odom) to do promotional work for them. They've got their TV shows by E, Quick-Trim diet pills, Sketchers toning shoes, perfumes, a jewelry and accessories line for Bebe, a clothing line with Sears, Midori liqueur, clubs, and supposedly have a deal in the works with major nail polish company, OPI. Who knows, I might still even be missing some more things they endorse, but you get the point---they are taking over.
Now if I can get a Kardashian to tweet about me, I bet I could get a bunch of followers because the Kardashain-followers are nothing but loyal to the beautiful family.
Jeez, if I could one day have even half the amount of power they do, I'll be a happy person.
Apr 6, 2011
ENGAGE in BRANDING
For my Social Media for PR Class, we were in charge of coming up with our own Personal Learning Network. We were to take social media tools and further our knowledge in them by working with the tools and using them to our own learning benefits. I decided my PLN would be based on Personal Branding on Twitter. This would mean I would create a Twitter account, work to become known as a reliable source of celebrity news in hopes of gaining 100+ followers (by April 18th, I'm currently at 73), all to hopefully one day be able to put on my resume my efficiency in Twitter with my focus of entertainment news.
In Chapter 12 of Brian Solis' Engage, Branding is the focus of the chapter. With the goal of my PLN project being Personal Branding, I found I was able to gain some helpful information for my project on this particular chapter even though I'm not branding a company but instead myself.
The first section titled "Establishing an Online Presence and Defining the Brand Persona" helped me realize ways that would help organize my Twitter persona, @CHANELspeaks. It's easy for anybody to just create an account so if I want to stand out from all the other fishes in this big, vast, social media sea, then I need to consider the following factors; what am I trying to accomplish, how do I want to be viewed by my followers, what makes me a good spokesperson for my news, and how can I appeal to people.
As Mr. Solis has stated, online profiles speaks volumes about you and your brand. I want my personal branding on Twitter to have its own characteristics because everything from my username, background, news, engagement with other fellow Tweeters and more will be under scrutiny of the public.
There are so many different factors into becoming successful now. You can't just want something, you have to have everything else to carefully back and project it. I used to hate Twitter but my PLN project, class, Engage, and my own explorations have led to my growing love for this social media tool. I love tweeting now and the fact that I'm trying to find out the perfect formula to personally branding on Twitter
To end this post, I'd like to state that if my blog posts have interested you or if you love celebrity news or even if you just want to see what else I have to say then follow me @CHANELspeaks
In Chapter 12 of Brian Solis' Engage, Branding is the focus of the chapter. With the goal of my PLN project being Personal Branding, I found I was able to gain some helpful information for my project on this particular chapter even though I'm not branding a company but instead myself.
The first section titled "Establishing an Online Presence and Defining the Brand Persona" helped me realize ways that would help organize my Twitter persona, @CHANELspeaks. It's easy for anybody to just create an account so if I want to stand out from all the other fishes in this big, vast, social media sea, then I need to consider the following factors; what am I trying to accomplish, how do I want to be viewed by my followers, what makes me a good spokesperson for my news, and how can I appeal to people.
As Mr. Solis has stated, online profiles speaks volumes about you and your brand. I want my personal branding on Twitter to have its own characteristics because everything from my username, background, news, engagement with other fellow Tweeters and more will be under scrutiny of the public.
There are so many different factors into becoming successful now. You can't just want something, you have to have everything else to carefully back and project it. I used to hate Twitter but my PLN project, class, Engage, and my own explorations have led to my growing love for this social media tool. I love tweeting now and the fact that I'm trying to find out the perfect formula to personally branding on Twitter
To end this post, I'd like to state that if my blog posts have interested you or if you love celebrity news or even if you just want to see what else I have to say then follow me @CHANELspeaks
Apr 3, 2011
ENGAGE
While reading chapters 6-12 of Engage, something caught my eye on Chapter 9. Chapter 9 had a section titled "Geo location/mobile networking" and has been a topic that has always interested me.
In one of my previous posts, I have talked about the beauty of social media tools such as Gowalla, FourSquare, and Whrrl and of how much social media can really benefit a person. (Of course, by benefit, I mean save me some money!)
The section started out with how Twitter came to be a dominant social media tool. Being a college student in Austin, I was interested to find out that Twitter debuted in March 2006 and got a kick start with Austin's famous South by Southwest (SXSW), which is a huge Austin event combining music, film, and interactive all in one!
When SXSW 2007 finally rolled around, Twitter became a primary tool SXSW attendees used to keep up with one another. Of course, I cannot also forget to mention that Twitter wasn't the first social media network that connected people with geo location...apparently a social media tool by the name of Dodgeball was a competitor.
Now, why haven't we heard of Dodgeball before? Twitter just outpaced Dodgeball and Google (of course Google) stepped in and shut the service down. From there, tools like Gowalla and FourSquare started to appear and attempt to show people how they could benefit from geo locating. All these would perform as apps on people's phones, allowing users to easily update their location, and of course get them awesome deals on some places there were in.
In order to not repeat myself from a pervious post, I recommend checking out my post from February 27 to get more information as well as more of my take on tools I've talked about above.
In one of my previous posts, I have talked about the beauty of social media tools such as Gowalla, FourSquare, and Whrrl and of how much social media can really benefit a person. (Of course, by benefit, I mean save me some money!)
The section started out with how Twitter came to be a dominant social media tool. Being a college student in Austin, I was interested to find out that Twitter debuted in March 2006 and got a kick start with Austin's famous South by Southwest (SXSW), which is a huge Austin event combining music, film, and interactive all in one!
When SXSW 2007 finally rolled around, Twitter became a primary tool SXSW attendees used to keep up with one another. Of course, I cannot also forget to mention that Twitter wasn't the first social media network that connected people with geo location...apparently a social media tool by the name of Dodgeball was a competitor.
Now, why haven't we heard of Dodgeball before? Twitter just outpaced Dodgeball and Google (of course Google) stepped in and shut the service down. From there, tools like Gowalla and FourSquare started to appear and attempt to show people how they could benefit from geo locating. All these would perform as apps on people's phones, allowing users to easily update their location, and of course get them awesome deals on some places there were in.
In order to not repeat myself from a pervious post, I recommend checking out my post from February 27 to get more information as well as more of my take on tools I've talked about above.
An Angel may lose her wings
Ah, Victoria's Secret...with the land of unmentionables promoted by some of the best looking "Angels" in the world.
Let's be honest; when we think of Victoria's Secret we think of the pretty models who were solely picked for their jobs because, well, they're pretty and have a great body. Their whole contracts are based on those things because of the image Victoria's Secret firmly believes in; healthy and sexy.
22 year old VS Angel, Candice Swaneopel, has recently caused a media buzz because she's not upholding the VS image. When it gets right down to it, it's also clearly a health issue! This is clearly dangerous for her and doesn't promote a good image for the company that is all for being comfortable in your skin and not promoting stick thin girls that won't even appeal to the majority of America!
With the media always seeming to promote that beauty only comes in the form of stick thin girls, its hard for girls to imagine being any other way, because if you are, then you're not "pretty".
I call BS on that one. I think beauty comes in all forms and that Victoria's Secret is one of the rather healthy ones. They don't want that sickly skinny girl promoting their stuff....they want healthy women embracing their curves to have that role. If they are to leave Swaneopel as is, their image will become ruined, and will come under fire by the public for the unhealthiness VS would be "promoting". It makes much more sense to help the girl and save their image all at once.
In Swaneopel's defense, she claims that because of the busy life of a successful model, the traveling has really taken a toll on her and her body. Swaneopel says that with all of the traveling a model has to go through, it can really be stressful, but she still eats and loves boxing. Apparently her metabolism and stress are to blame for the Angel's new barely there figure....but the public doesn't seem to be buying it.
As we all know the public has the power to control a company, and in this case, VS is definitly taking it all into consideration.
This Angel could possibly lose her wings/contract with Victoria's Secret unless she makes some changes. An insider reports that the company would like her to gain up to 15 pounds or even be at her once curvy figure again. No final word has been given on whether or not the talk will turn to action.
Candice Swaneopel has released a statement claiming she is "healthy and happy" and is appreciative of how much the public cares for her. Is this the clever PR person talking inside her? I don't see anything healthy about that, but that's just my opinion.
Let's be honest; when we think of Victoria's Secret we think of the pretty models who were solely picked for their jobs because, well, they're pretty and have a great body. Their whole contracts are based on those things because of the image Victoria's Secret firmly believes in; healthy and sexy.
 |
| Victoria's Secret Angel, Candice Swaneopel |
With the media always seeming to promote that beauty only comes in the form of stick thin girls, its hard for girls to imagine being any other way, because if you are, then you're not "pretty".
I call BS on that one. I think beauty comes in all forms and that Victoria's Secret is one of the rather healthy ones. They don't want that sickly skinny girl promoting their stuff....they want healthy women embracing their curves to have that role. If they are to leave Swaneopel as is, their image will become ruined, and will come under fire by the public for the unhealthiness VS would be "promoting". It makes much more sense to help the girl and save their image all at once.
In Swaneopel's defense, she claims that because of the busy life of a successful model, the traveling has really taken a toll on her and her body. Swaneopel says that with all of the traveling a model has to go through, it can really be stressful, but she still eats and loves boxing. Apparently her metabolism and stress are to blame for the Angel's new barely there figure....but the public doesn't seem to be buying it.
As we all know the public has the power to control a company, and in this case, VS is definitly taking it all into consideration.
This Angel could possibly lose her wings/contract with Victoria's Secret unless she makes some changes. An insider reports that the company would like her to gain up to 15 pounds or even be at her once curvy figure again. No final word has been given on whether or not the talk will turn to action.
 | ||
| Now & Then |
Candice Swaneopel has released a statement claiming she is "healthy and happy" and is appreciative of how much the public cares for her. Is this the clever PR person talking inside her? I don't see anything healthy about that, but that's just my opinion.
Mar 28, 2011
Tennis Made Sexy by Serena Williams
I've been playing tennis for many years now but have only played the Top Spin tennis video game probably once my entire life.
For those of you who don't know what Top Spin is, it's a video game that hosts both men's and women's pro-athletes in the game and lets you play against them as your own character or as another pro. Of course, all you do is play tennis matches on the game, but it is pretty fun if you are into tennis and like video games.
Sounds bland? To those who don't play tennis, that's most likely the case. I'm thinking that with that thought in mind, Top Spin decided to take things up a notch--or maybe even too high up a notch? Their most recent commercial for Top Spin 4 was actually banned from TV---really? Who would've thought a tennis video game advertisement could be considered racy? The "sexy" advertisement led to the banning of it on TV and when something is banned on TV you can almost bet it'll end up somewhere on YouTube, and sure enough I found the commercial.
When I was watching this, all I could think of was "why?"---I mean c'mon was it really necessary for those outfits to be used for that commercial? It's not relevant whatsoever, but is trying to pull the old "sex sells," bit in hopes that Top Spin 4 will appeal to not just tennis players effective in gaining everyone else (or in particular guys who think they'll be seeing those kind of outfits on the avatars of the game).
I can't help but wonder if they really thought the commercial would help reap in sales or if they just knew it would be banned and thus leading more people to actually go and check out the advertisement to see what the fuss is about. As of right now it has 21, 942 views and counting---not to mention the demographic of people watching it: males ranging from ages 25-54. In all fairness, that's the demographic that will buy the video game so if anything the advertisement has done it's job.
I personally think if it wasn't for the "butt-shots" it wouldn't be so racy and maybe even prevented it from being banned on TV. I will also say even though I was confused as to why Top Spin 4 went about this route, it's actually kinda funny to me. I first heard about this commercial through my brother, who is also a tennis player, and he even said the commercial was racy and weird. (I'm so proud!)
However, I also have to say how is it any different from the Victoria's Secret ads? (Devil's Advocate much?)
No matter what the motive is behind an advertisement, everyone understands the goal is to the get a buzz going. However, does this ring true with, "not all publicity is good publicity" ? Join everyone else and judge away.
For those of you who don't know what Top Spin is, it's a video game that hosts both men's and women's pro-athletes in the game and lets you play against them as your own character or as another pro. Of course, all you do is play tennis matches on the game, but it is pretty fun if you are into tennis and like video games.
Sounds bland? To those who don't play tennis, that's most likely the case. I'm thinking that with that thought in mind, Top Spin decided to take things up a notch--or maybe even too high up a notch? Their most recent commercial for Top Spin 4 was actually banned from TV---really? Who would've thought a tennis video game advertisement could be considered racy? The "sexy" advertisement led to the banning of it on TV and when something is banned on TV you can almost bet it'll end up somewhere on YouTube, and sure enough I found the commercial.
When I was watching this, all I could think of was "why?"---I mean c'mon was it really necessary for those outfits to be used for that commercial? It's not relevant whatsoever, but is trying to pull the old "sex sells," bit in hopes that Top Spin 4 will appeal to not just tennis players effective in gaining everyone else (or in particular guys who think they'll be seeing those kind of outfits on the avatars of the game).
I can't help but wonder if they really thought the commercial would help reap in sales or if they just knew it would be banned and thus leading more people to actually go and check out the advertisement to see what the fuss is about. As of right now it has 21, 942 views and counting---not to mention the demographic of people watching it: males ranging from ages 25-54. In all fairness, that's the demographic that will buy the video game so if anything the advertisement has done it's job.
I personally think if it wasn't for the "butt-shots" it wouldn't be so racy and maybe even prevented it from being banned on TV. I will also say even though I was confused as to why Top Spin 4 went about this route, it's actually kinda funny to me. I first heard about this commercial through my brother, who is also a tennis player, and he even said the commercial was racy and weird. (I'm so proud!)
However, I also have to say how is it any different from the Victoria's Secret ads? (Devil's Advocate much?)
No matter what the motive is behind an advertisement, everyone understands the goal is to the get a buzz going. However, does this ring true with, "not all publicity is good publicity" ? Join everyone else and judge away.
Mar 6, 2011
How Viral Videos can Make or Break you
 |
| Fashion designer, John Galliano |
In recent fashion news, John Galliano, a designer for the high-end french label, Dior, was exploited in a video drunk, making anti-Semitic comments and saying how he loved Hitler. (You can see the video as in the link below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je9w9H8iR7Y
Naturally, when a celebrity does something out of line and it is caught on video or pictures, it is set in stone that it will become viral.
Because of that video, Dior ultimately fired Galliano and he will be facing charges that could lead, if found guilty, to 6 months in prison & a hefty fine of about $30,000 (in American form).
But say that video hadn't leaked---sure it happened, but the video never hit the internet or any other form of media. Would Galliano still be with Dior today? I think yes.
Image is everything, especially when you are in the eye of the public. As I have previously ranted in my other posts, it seems like people are just waiting to catch a star at their worst moment and then claim them to be a terrible person over all.
If we look at John Galliano, pre-video leak, we would only know him for his wonderful work as a designer. He's dressed everyone from Princess Diana to Heidi Klum, was named "one of the most influential gay people in Britian" in 2007, and in 2009, was admitted to the French Legion of Honour (which is the highest honor in France).
He's done work for years & just because of 1 viral video, he lost his job. It broke the designer.
Of course I'd like to take the time to also say this happened rightfully so. If Dior had kept him, I think that would have given the PR crew a major headache and the brand would've become tarnished real fast and would've eventually led him to be fired anyways. He also has a history of abusing alcohol which I think majorly hurt him since he was drunk when the video was made.
In terms of viral videos "making a person", Justin Bieber is a prime example of such a thing. Videos of him on Youtube playing instruments and singing led to big-time artist/producer, Usher, giving the boy a contract. Look at him now---he's famous, all the girls want him, he's probably even the youngest child artist to have made it so big so quick.
So next time, think before you speak & think before you do, because you never know if it might end up viral. && as we all know, once it's on the internet, it never exactly is "erased". On the note of viral, Saturday Night Live, SNL, did a skit encasing the most hated people at the moment, and you can guess who's on it....
A lot has happened since I last blogged about John Galliano's drunk viral video where he insulted the Jewish community. I did a pipe to feed me some news revolving around the incident to see if I could catch some new news or even news I didn't catch before.
So what's happened with Mr. Galliano?
Well not only did Galliano get fired from Dior but also his very own label! Ouch. I also previously mentioned that John Galliano has had a problem with alcohol abuse in the past and that this was a representation of a ghost that returned to haunt him. Instead of being at Paris Fashion Week (which is a REALLY big deal amongst fashionistas everywhere), Galliano was at the Meadows Rehabilitation facility in Arizona. It is the very same rehab facility that Sir Elton John and Donatella Versace had once checked into so its had some celebrity clientele. It was said that Galliano was deeply upset he had to miss Paris' fashion week, especially his own show, and felt that everything he has created during his fashion empire reign, was going to get washed away from him.
I do feel sorry for Mr. Galliano because he's in this position where he has ruined his own fashion name because he gave into a weakness of his that he's been trying to avoid for years. However, at the same time, he is a grown man, a 50 year old grown man, and if he cannot control what he does or what he says, then he shouldn't be in the public view.
How is everyone in our world supposed to get along and accept one another for their differences, whether its looks, culture, or anything else, when the people we admire and that are in the public view can't be supportive of that movement?
My thoughts are with Mr. Galliano, but they are a mixture of disappointment and disgust.
Feb 28, 2011
Groundswell Ch. 4-6
I used to hate the word "research".
Every time I hear it, I think of long essays, boredom, and tedious work.
However, like almost everything else, things change and the word "research" now doesn't make me think of nothing but negative things.
Companies and their presence on the internet is crucial now more than ever. If your company doesn't have a website, chances are, it's not as successful as a company with a website. Interesting how the success of a company can come from whether or not they have a website, but there is one reason that leads this accusation to be true.
When I am looking to make a purchase, especially if it is a rather expensive one, I go online to the website of the product, and read all the reviews on the product.
It is very rare that I find a company that doesn't have a website or even a review section for their product. With how the economy has been, to me, it is crucial that my money gets its worth.
For example, I bought a CHI straightener a couple of years back because that's what my best friend used. It lasted me about 6 years before it finally couldn't fire up anymore. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with using the same brand or try something new so it led to me doing some research. ULTA, Sally's Beauty Supply, Target, and just about any store that carried hair straightening tools, I read review after review on all brands of straighteners.
Of course, it only led me to be brand loyal, and stick with the CHI line.
People look to other people when they don't know the answer to something; it's just a part of our human nature. Reviews on companies' websites can be a good or bad thing for them, but it definitely does nothing but benefit us and provide us with more knowledge.
Every time I hear it, I think of long essays, boredom, and tedious work.
However, like almost everything else, things change and the word "research" now doesn't make me think of nothing but negative things.
Companies and their presence on the internet is crucial now more than ever. If your company doesn't have a website, chances are, it's not as successful as a company with a website. Interesting how the success of a company can come from whether or not they have a website, but there is one reason that leads this accusation to be true.
When I am looking to make a purchase, especially if it is a rather expensive one, I go online to the website of the product, and read all the reviews on the product.
It is very rare that I find a company that doesn't have a website or even a review section for their product. With how the economy has been, to me, it is crucial that my money gets its worth.
For example, I bought a CHI straightener a couple of years back because that's what my best friend used. It lasted me about 6 years before it finally couldn't fire up anymore. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with using the same brand or try something new so it led to me doing some research. ULTA, Sally's Beauty Supply, Target, and just about any store that carried hair straightening tools, I read review after review on all brands of straighteners.
Of course, it only led me to be brand loyal, and stick with the CHI line.
People look to other people when they don't know the answer to something; it's just a part of our human nature. Reviews on companies' websites can be a good or bad thing for them, but it definitely does nothing but benefit us and provide us with more knowledge.
Feb 27, 2011
Four Square, Gowalla, & Whrrl oh my!
Who would have thought social media would be able to get us discounts at some of our favorite places?
Just when we think social media can’t help us anymore, it does. Four Square, Gowalla, and Whrrl (just to name a few) are social media tools that allow users to “check-in” at the place they are currently at, and depending on the number of times the user has “checked in”, they could receive a discount or better yet, something free! Friends of the user who also have accounts are able to see where the user has checked in or even look through where other people using the tool recommend going.
When I first heard about this, I thought, how creepy and I definitely don’t want everyone knowing where I am at every single second. I then learned you can set your privacy settings so only certain people see it or even nobody at all. What really won me over with this idea was that it can truly benefit me if I religiously use it. Even though not every single place agrees to these special deals if you use certain social media tools, it still can help out your pocket.
I actually think these tools are a good investment on both sides; the user and the provider of the goods. The user of course, gets discounts and free things, while the provider gets an army of mini-advertisers for free. By people “checking-in” and other people being able to see where they go, it can stimulate more business for the providers because people tend to go where they’re friends have been (especially if they’ve had a good experience) and if the user talks about how they received free chips and queso at their favorite Mexican restaurant, then everyone will want to head there for the free food. You could even say these tools digitize the old punch cards business would give out to their customers. If that doesn’t sell you, this should; downloading the tool is free.
Without a doubt in my mind, there are more pros than cons to these type of tools, and once again I’m impressed with social media.
Just when we think social media can’t help us anymore, it does. Four Square, Gowalla, and Whrrl (just to name a few) are social media tools that allow users to “check-in” at the place they are currently at, and depending on the number of times the user has “checked in”, they could receive a discount or better yet, something free! Friends of the user who also have accounts are able to see where the user has checked in or even look through where other people using the tool recommend going.
When I first heard about this, I thought, how creepy and I definitely don’t want everyone knowing where I am at every single second. I then learned you can set your privacy settings so only certain people see it or even nobody at all. What really won me over with this idea was that it can truly benefit me if I religiously use it. Even though not every single place agrees to these special deals if you use certain social media tools, it still can help out your pocket.
I actually think these tools are a good investment on both sides; the user and the provider of the goods. The user of course, gets discounts and free things, while the provider gets an army of mini-advertisers for free. By people “checking-in” and other people being able to see where they go, it can stimulate more business for the providers because people tend to go where they’re friends have been (especially if they’ve had a good experience) and if the user talks about how they received free chips and queso at their favorite Mexican restaurant, then everyone will want to head there for the free food. You could even say these tools digitize the old punch cards business would give out to their customers. If that doesn’t sell you, this should; downloading the tool is free.
Without a doubt in my mind, there are more pros than cons to these type of tools, and once again I’m impressed with social media.
Feb 20, 2011
Athletes' Twitter
Ah the beauty of social media: bringing people together one social network at a time.
Of everyone I know who has a Twitter account, they primarily use it to follow celebrities. The reason behind following a celebrity? To actually feel like you are a part of their life. You went with Justin Bieber to the grocery store. You helped Kim Kardashian pick out her outfit for the day. You even congratulated Blake Griffin on that dunk he made in the game last night.
All we want is to feel like we personally know our celeb favorites because it just makes us feel oh so special.
As the social media world is constantly changing so are the “rules” for how celebrities can use them. However, for the sake of your eyes, we’re focusing on Professional Athletes and the rules that are placed on them for their Twitter account updates.
I read an interesting blog post on Mashable by sportscaster Len Berman that helped me gather a specific example of when an athlete has gotten in trouble in the name of Twitter.
In December of 2009, Brandon Jennings, a then-rookie on the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team posted a tweet that said “Back to 500. Yes!!! “500 means” where doing good. Way to Play Hard Guys” after beating Portland in overtime. The excited athlete got slapped with a $7,500 fine because of his tweet. The reason? Players are not allowed to tweet during games and 45 minutes before and after the game as well! This is because this helps the other forms of media, such as the TV or radio, get first dibs on the athletes’ first-take on their games.
Personally, I think the fine was way more for what the “damage” was worth. I mean $7,500 just for being excited over your team’s win in overtime? There are definitely worse things than that on Twitter. Professional athletes now have a “Twitter rule book” but it doesn’t stop just there. Now, even college athletes have rules about their Twitter postings.
I actually like the fact that there are rules to protect the athletes, their teams, and of course, their image. Without rules, there would be chaos, mass Twitter chaos. Social media provides an outlet for people to express their feelings and who they are, but it’s not always done in a positive way. With the amount of people having access to this, it’s almost as if people are waiting for someone to say something wrong so a Twitter storm can form! People seem to love talking about other peoples’ mistakes.
Hmmm….must be a new social trend?
Of everyone I know who has a Twitter account, they primarily use it to follow celebrities. The reason behind following a celebrity? To actually feel like you are a part of their life. You went with Justin Bieber to the grocery store. You helped Kim Kardashian pick out her outfit for the day. You even congratulated Blake Griffin on that dunk he made in the game last night.
All we want is to feel like we personally know our celeb favorites because it just makes us feel oh so special.
As the social media world is constantly changing so are the “rules” for how celebrities can use them. However, for the sake of your eyes, we’re focusing on Professional Athletes and the rules that are placed on them for their Twitter account updates.
I read an interesting blog post on Mashable by sportscaster Len Berman that helped me gather a specific example of when an athlete has gotten in trouble in the name of Twitter.
In December of 2009, Brandon Jennings, a then-rookie on the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team posted a tweet that said “Back to 500. Yes!!! “500 means” where doing good. Way to Play Hard Guys” after beating Portland in overtime. The excited athlete got slapped with a $7,500 fine because of his tweet. The reason? Players are not allowed to tweet during games and 45 minutes before and after the game as well! This is because this helps the other forms of media, such as the TV or radio, get first dibs on the athletes’ first-take on their games.
Personally, I think the fine was way more for what the “damage” was worth. I mean $7,500 just for being excited over your team’s win in overtime? There are definitely worse things than that on Twitter. Professional athletes now have a “Twitter rule book” but it doesn’t stop just there. Now, even college athletes have rules about their Twitter postings.
I actually like the fact that there are rules to protect the athletes, their teams, and of course, their image. Without rules, there would be chaos, mass Twitter chaos. Social media provides an outlet for people to express their feelings and who they are, but it’s not always done in a positive way. With the amount of people having access to this, it’s almost as if people are waiting for someone to say something wrong so a Twitter storm can form! People seem to love talking about other peoples’ mistakes.
Hmmm….must be a new social trend?
Feb 13, 2011
What's so delicious about Delicious?
I like to think of myself as a "tech-savy" type of person and that I know what there is to know out there in the internet.
However, my Social Media for PR class has taught me that I'm not a know-it-all when it comes to social media tools. That there are tools out there that can make my life a whole lot easier then I ever could have imagined it to be.
Delicious is a wonderful example of a social media tool invention that can be used for a multitude of things on the internet. This website is a "social bookmarking service" which means it allows users to store, share, and even discover other users' bookmarks on their websites! For those who don't understand what a "bookmark" is, it's basically does what a bookmark does for a book, saves the spot where you were so you can come back to it at another time. "Bookmarking" on the internet is the same concept and with Delicious making it easy for users to come back to spots they were at on the internet!
Such a wonderful tool right? Kind of makes you want to use it next time you plan on bookmarking a website, looking for other similar bookmarks, or even sharing your own to others right? Well it's actually being bought by Yahoo and according to the Read Write Web website, it will end up being sold by the major company. Why must all good things come to an end? The answer: money. In my opinion, a tool like this will or probably already has been re-incarnated.
Delicious had a lot of things it offered users which made it so delicious to people who wanted to be tech-savy and even make their lives easier.
I can only wonder what tool will be created next that will make my life on the internet a whole lot easier........
However, my Social Media for PR class has taught me that I'm not a know-it-all when it comes to social media tools. That there are tools out there that can make my life a whole lot easier then I ever could have imagined it to be.
Delicious is a wonderful example of a social media tool invention that can be used for a multitude of things on the internet. This website is a "social bookmarking service" which means it allows users to store, share, and even discover other users' bookmarks on their websites! For those who don't understand what a "bookmark" is, it's basically does what a bookmark does for a book, saves the spot where you were so you can come back to it at another time. "Bookmarking" on the internet is the same concept and with Delicious making it easy for users to come back to spots they were at on the internet!
Such a wonderful tool right? Kind of makes you want to use it next time you plan on bookmarking a website, looking for other similar bookmarks, or even sharing your own to others right? Well it's actually being bought by Yahoo and according to the Read Write Web website, it will end up being sold by the major company. Why must all good things come to an end? The answer: money. In my opinion, a tool like this will or probably already has been re-incarnated.
Delicious had a lot of things it offered users which made it so delicious to people who wanted to be tech-savy and even make their lives easier.
I can only wonder what tool will be created next that will make my life on the internet a whole lot easier........
How to get "Likes" on your Facebook Business Page
Facebook’s understanding of not wanting to be a "fad of the moment" website has led them to constantly update the social media tool.From Profile view changes, to endless security options, I thought Facebook did about everything they could but then came the “Like” button. The “Like” button gave users the option to give a virtual thumbs-up to a photo, comment, or status someone left as a funny way to let people know what they posted was “Liked” by somebody. Before I knew it, companies and celebrities left and right were creating pages for themselves to be represented on Facebook in hopes of catching some attention from users. Pages started featuring “like” buttons that the Facebooker would have to click on in order to leave comments on the page.
But how do you get Facebookers to “like” your page unless they do some investigative research for it, fueled by their own curiosity? My own Yahoo & David Beckham example is the answer to this very question.
I have “David Beckham” listed as one of my “Interests” on Facebook and since marketers and companies are now able to tell what you like and are able to advertise something of your own interest to you, I see ads all the time about David Beckham. The first thing I noticed on my sidebar last year was “Win a Chance to meet David Beckham!”--& since I am convinced I will meet my beloved soccer player, I clicked on the ad in hopes to being that much closer to my dream. Right away I read the about the contest and was left with one clear understanding; all I had to do was “Like” the page and I was entered to win a chance to meet Mr. Beckham. I thought it was way too easy but “liked” the page anyways.
No, I didn’t win the chance to meet Becks, but Yahoo got me to “Like” them even though never in a million years would I have done such a thing. To this very day I “like” Yahoo---even though they conned me into “Liking” their page.
The more people “Like” your business page, the better you are perceived to other onlookers. In this case, Yahoo just wanted a creative way to gain “Likers” and did so by coming up with a creative way to get peoples’ attention and look popular on Facebook because appearances are everything. I thought it was all about David Beckham, but really the “like” was all for Yahoo. Well done Yahoo, well done.
But how do you get Facebookers to “like” your page unless they do some investigative research for it, fueled by their own curiosity? My own Yahoo & David Beckham example is the answer to this very question.
I have “David Beckham” listed as one of my “Interests” on Facebook and since marketers and companies are now able to tell what you like and are able to advertise something of your own interest to you, I see ads all the time about David Beckham. The first thing I noticed on my sidebar last year was “Win a Chance to meet David Beckham!”--& since I am convinced I will meet my beloved soccer player, I clicked on the ad in hopes to being that much closer to my dream. Right away I read the about the contest and was left with one clear understanding; all I had to do was “Like” the page and I was entered to win a chance to meet Mr. Beckham. I thought it was way too easy but “liked” the page anyways.
No, I didn’t win the chance to meet Becks, but Yahoo got me to “Like” them even though never in a million years would I have done such a thing. To this very day I “like” Yahoo---even though they conned me into “Liking” their page.
The more people “Like” your business page, the better you are perceived to other onlookers. In this case, Yahoo just wanted a creative way to gain “Likers” and did so by coming up with a creative way to get peoples’ attention and look popular on Facebook because appearances are everything. I thought it was all about David Beckham, but really the “like” was all for Yahoo. Well done Yahoo, well done.
Feb 6, 2011
Power to the People [of the internet]
After reading the first chapter of Groundswell, there was a part that will forever be engraved in my head because of the powerful message behind it; the people of internet have power.
As explained in Groundswell, blogger Jennifer Laycock created shirts with the slogan, “Breast Milk: The Other White Milk” to raise money for her breast-feeding charity. Before Laycock even began to “make her fortune” for the charity off the shirts, the National Pork Board sent her a letter saying she was tarnishing their slogan “The Other White Meat” with her own version and demanded she stop the making and selling of the shirts.
Laycock’s background in Internet Marketing lead her to document the entire ordeal on her blog, causing over two-hundred other blogs to link their blogs to her story, and gave the National Pork Board a PR disaster. The Board immediately jumped in to a settlement with Laycock and even took up a collection among its employees to help donate money for the charity.
The people of the internet have power and are able to do as they please with it. Situations can get out-of-hand quick because of word-of-mouth and is true now more than ever in the internet world. Social media websites allow for people to be able to express themselves as well as their feelings towards just about anything. Whether it’s in a good or bad way, the peoples’ voices have the ability to possibly influence major business decisions.
So let’s get this straight…
The people of the internet can be > not = to big companies with big legal teams?
That’s one equation I’ll be happy to remember for the rest of my life.
Jan 30, 2011
PR disasters & how we benefit from them
I'm not gonna lie to you....I always find it interesting how a celebrity of some sort manages to get in some kind of scandal and how quick (or slow) they or their PR people are to bounce them right back.
I stumbled upon this website called Celebrity: PR Disasters
& while it may seem like a bad thing that I like to read about PR disasters I want everyone to think of it more as PRactice.
We can definitely learn from mistakes---they just don't have to always be our own!
A post I remember reading from last year on
Tiger Woods' Comeback Nike Commerical he made after the big scandal of how he cheated on his wife with so many different women.
It has Woods' staring straight into the camera (as if he's staring right at you) in black & white, while a voice-over of his deceased father plays in the background basically scolding him from the trouble he has caused. Of course Wood's father wasn't talking about the fact that Tiger is actually a Cheater but instead of how he was disappointed in him & how he knows he hopes he can bounce back.
Whether people loved or hated the commercial and were able to accept it as a sincere apology was questioned heavily by the viewers, but it fulfilled Nike's bad PR solution by doing one thing: making it something that was going to be talked about by everyone! Not sure I would file this under "Success" for the PR peeps over at Nike but I will say the commercial did make over 3 million hits on YouTube...good or bad for Woods?....its up to you.
I stumbled upon this website called Celebrity: PR Disasters
& while it may seem like a bad thing that I like to read about PR disasters I want everyone to think of it more as PRactice.
We can definitely learn from mistakes---they just don't have to always be our own!
A post I remember reading from last year on
Tiger Woods' Comeback Nike Commerical he made after the big scandal of how he cheated on his wife with so many different women.
 |
| Tiger Woods In Nike Commercial |
Whether people loved or hated the commercial and were able to accept it as a sincere apology was questioned heavily by the viewers, but it fulfilled Nike's bad PR solution by doing one thing: making it something that was going to be talked about by everyone! Not sure I would file this under "Success" for the PR peeps over at Nike but I will say the commercial did make over 3 million hits on YouTube...good or bad for Woods?....its up to you.
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