Twitter

A world without breast cancer

Sunday, September 5th, 2010 Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | 1 Comment »

A personal note: Last Spring I received a phone call all of us dread, the news that a family member had been diagnosed with cancer. The phone call, or should I say text (yes the lines of communication etiquette were blurred, damn you technology) from my younger sister saying “Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.” As you can imagine, I immediately called my family demanding to know details and then that feeling set in, the dreaded feeling of the future “Will my mom be okay?”

Happy to say, five months later my mom had a lumpectomy and is recovering just fine. I have never been more proud of my mother, she is such a strong woman. It’s not the easiest watching a family member go through this process, but as my mother likes to say, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

I am glad there are so many national organizations that support the cause. Every October for Breast Cancer Awareness month, several consumer related products like Yoplait or Hershey Bliss chocolates, unveil their “pink ribbon” marketing campaigns to support breast cancer research and programs.

With October just around the corner, more and more organizations are pulling together to share their message. The Susan G. Komen For The Cure organization is great example of  how to use social media effectively. From Facebook, Twitter and their dynamic website, each channel appeals to the same audience. Location seems to be the only differentiator.  Cities across the U.S. host the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure every year and use individual Twitter profiles to share content on the race and interact with participants. Overall, they do a great job softening a hard message by bringing friends and families together.

Next month, a good family friend and I will be running in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k race here in Phoenix in support of my mother. The race is on October 10th, and costs $30 to register. If you cannot participate in the walk/race, you can make a donation on our page to help support breast cancer research.

How Twitter Positively Changed My Life

Friday, September 3rd, 2010 Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Social Media | 1 Comment »

Though I’ve only been active on Twitter for about a year and a half, the microblogging website has changed my life.  I’ve found that even 140-character conversations can make a difference in the long run.  So just how has Twitter affected me?  Definitely in more ways than one. (WARNING: The following post will make me seem like a huge social media dork, which is pretty much true.)

Job search. I graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Mass Communication and Journalism at ASU in May.  Luckily, I had an internship lined up at the Internet marketing company Vertical Measures, which turned into a full-time job about a month later.  How did I find the internship?  By following Content Strategist Elise Redlin-Cook on Twitter.  She tweeted about a scholarship contest Vertical Measures was hosting.  I entered and I won!  A few months later Elise tweeted about an available internship position at the company.  I surely would not have known about the opportunity if it weren’t for Twitter.

As a journalist and blogger. I have been blogging on the AZPRC site for a few months now.  Also, as a journalism student, I wrote for ASU’s paper The State Press, AZCentral.com and other Valley publications.  Since graduation I have continued blogging and have also began freelance writing for Green Living AZ, a sustainable living magazine.  Lately when I am looking for a source to interview, I will send a tweet asking my followers for contacts.  It has worked out great so far! 

Professional relationships. I’ve connected with so many people in the Internet marketing industry through Twitter.  Through these connections, I have gained a great deal of knowledge about industry trends and also made friends with some Internet marketing greats.  Additionally, these connections have led me to opportunities such as guest blogging and becoming a member of the AZIMA Marketing Committee. 

Personal relationships. If you follow me on Twitter, you probably know that one of my favorite bands is Phish.  I tweet about the band at least once a day and sometimes much, much more than that, mainly because the band has a large Twitter following.  Most Phish fans on Twitter have joined the Phish Twibe.  A “twibe” is just another name for a group, but the Phish Twibe is so much more than that.  I converse with twibe members daily and have met quite a few of them in person!  I have formed lasting friendships with many of them and I know that wherever I am around the country at any given time, I will have a friend in a twibe member.  It may sound silly, but these people have become great friends.

Some of the #Twibe at a Tweet-Up

What about you? How, if at all, has Twitter affected your life?

Why You Need Social Media AND PR

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | 2 Comments »

We’d like to welcome our first, of hopefully many, guest bloggers. The below post is by Vernon Marker.  Vernon is an expert on many subjects including SEO and social media.  He uses his expertise and knowledge to answer questions on a Q&A site. Follow him on Twitter, @VernMarker.

Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Social media sites are all the rage these days. And it’s not just individuals who are signing up and letting the world know what they are up to. Companies and businesses are using social media sites, especially Twitter and Facebook, to spread the word about what they have to offer. Social media is a cheap and easy wayto market what your company has to offer. But should it replace traditional PR methods? Absolutely not. Any strong marketing strategy should incorporate both social media and PR. Why? Because while the two are marketing strategies, their approach is different and so is their target audiences.

Social media is a great way to connect with your customers on a more personal basis. You actually get to interact with people and hear directly what they like and dislikeabout your product or service. It’s also a great way to give you a more visible image, when it is done right. The thing about social media is that it is very interactive. If you have a Twitter or Facebook account for your company or a company department, you need to make sure that you are talking and responding to your customers when you can. If you simple list or “tweet” your services, people won’t pay a whole lot of attention. The key is to make it casual and not seem like you are using it as a marketing tool. Talk to people. Mention stuff that is outside of the company from time to time. If people believe that there is actually a person behind the account they will be more open to communicating and actually reading what you post.

But don’t think that just because you tweet you should bypass a more traditional PR campaign. There are certain things that a PR company can do and offer that you can’t get through social media. Sure, PR may be seen as the older, stuffy sibling to social media, but keep in mind that older quite often means wiser. A great PR campaign is more than press releases and product descriptions: the right PR company can offer you a custom made campaign that can target your core customer base. PR firms also have a direct line to more traditional forms of media, such as print media. And people do still read magazines and newspapers. A PR campaign coupled with a strong social media presence can ensure that your marketing campaign has all the bases covered. And there is nothing that says that the two can’t work together and overlay somewhat. Use your Twitter account to not only promote any PR campaigns that your company may have in place, but also gage what larger scale PR may work.

And, not all of your potential customers use social media sites. So, if you opt out of traditional PR, then you will be doing a great disservice to your business. If you are unhappy with your PR or you think that it is too old school, don’t discard it, but rather re-evaluate it. PR firms are constantly changing and adapting. It may not be that PR isn’t going to work for your business, but that you need to take your PR in a different direction.

Social media has moved beyond simply being a tool for individuals to stay in touch. For most companies it’s an essential part of their marketing strategy. And it should be. It’s a great way to talk to your customers and really find out how they feel about your business. But don’t throw your PR plan out for the hipper social media sites. Used together, social media and PR can ensure that you have every marketing angle covered.

Can social media lead to bad PR?

Sunday, April 25th, 2010 Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | No Comments »

With social media becoming an increasingly popular way to connect with customers, businesses everywhere are setting up Twitter accounts, Facebook Pages and more.  Actually, I find it perplexing when a product or company is not represented on social media websites.  As an up-and-coming public relations professional, I’ve been learning all the positive aspects of social media.  For example, you can easily partake in dialogue with customers, it’s fast, it’s free, and it’s far reaching.  But can social media lead to bad PR?

There are two instances that stand out in my mind where social media has caused a problem for companies.  In February, Southwest Airlines was involved in a social media disaster.  Filmmaker and actor Kevin Smith claimed that a Southwest Airlines employee told him he is “too fat” to fly.  Smith then contacted Southwest Airlines via Twitter about the incident.  One tweet read:

“Wanna tell me I’m too wide for the sky? Totally cool. But fair warning, folks: IF YOU LOOK LIKE ME, YOU MAY BE EJECTED FROM @SOUTHWESTAIR.”

Southwest Airlines responded through Twitter also, and eventually issued an apology on their blog.

Airplane

Another example of social media gone wrong is Honda’s online campaign for their new vehicle, the Honda Accord Crosstour.  The company set up a Facebook Page where pictures of the vehicle’s design were shown to fans.  Unfortunately for Honda, the response was not what they may have expected.  The pictures were flooded with negative comments about the design of the car.

Things may have been looking up when one commenter stated he would purchase the car if he could.  Then it was made apparent that the commenter was Honda’s product manager.

Though social media is extremely useful in business, it can lead to problems if not used effectively.  Given the viral nature of social media, word travels faster than ever these days.  So be careful what you tweet, be responsive to customers and be honest with the people who are potentially spending money on your product.