Blog Friendly PR: Helping You Make Important Connections

The public relations industry strongly relies on social media these days, and it seems like companies can never get enough of this publicity (when it is positive, of course).

Personally, I feel that company blogs are one of the most effective uses of social media. That is why a recent post on PR Couture caught my attention. Fashion Better Blogger Relations with Blog Friendly PR talks about how agencies and bloggers are looking for new and better ways to connect with one another.

A new site, Blog Friendly PR, is allowing bloggers, public relations practitioners, and companies to unite. This web-site was developed on the basis of one simple idea: Blogs and review sites are the new way to effectively market products to consumers.

But what exactly does all of this mean?

Blog Friendly PR has a list of review writers who are looking to write about companies and/or products on their blogs. It also provides information about PR practitioners, business owners, journalists, and other people working in media who want to have a presence in online review blogs.

Blog Friendly PR is making is making it easier for these two groups of individuals to connect and work together.

Need someone to review your product? Looking for a product to review? Head to Blog Friendly PR and get your name on the list.

New Addition for Your Social Media Toolkit

I recently read a post by Dave Fleet about what is currently in his social media “toolkit.” In this post, he talks about the social media tools that he uses on a regular basis.

I was pretty excited when I realized that I actually knew what most of these tools were and had used them at one point or another. But there was one in particular that stood out, mostly because he had noted that it was new. So I decided to check it out.

MicroPlaza is one of the new social media tools that you should take the time to become familiar with. Have you ever noticed that the links people post on Twitter often get lost in the mass of tweets you get each day? Wish you could check out the ones that spiked your interest, but you don’t have the time to filter though everything to find them again?

That’s where MicroPlaza comes into play. This new tool goes through your Twitter network and shows all the links posted by the people that you are following. It even shows you everyone else who posted the links as well, so you can see what those outside of your network have to say. One more cool feature is called “being someone.” This allows you to view all the links shared in someone else’s network.

Try it out. MicroPlaza just might become the newest addition to your own social media toolkit.

Times are Changing, So Should the Workplace

(The following is an article I wrote for my business writing class arguing that employers should be allowed to use Facebook at work.)

Social media. What’s that? Put simply, it is a technological innovation that has the potential to change how business of all sorts is done.

Gur Tsabar made a strong argument in a recent PR Week article, as he wrote:

“The organization of tomorrow will today understand that it must evolve to operationalize around its communications function. That is the fundamental shift necessary to successfully communicate in this highly fragmented new media environment. It is also the line in the sand that will ultimately separate the organizations that continue to view new media tools as an end from those that fundamentally understand that new media tools are but a means to achieving a new, more engaged reality. So if ever there was a time to reinvent the way your organization communicates, now would be it.”

You may be asking yourself, what does this have to do with me? Whether you are the CEO of a large organization or an employee who spends most of the day in front of a computer screen, social media is an issue that you should be aware of.

As our country knows, times have changed. Hence, so must the ways that we conduct business. We are living and working in a different world today, and a dwindling economy has made everyone’s future uncertain. As we face many obstacles and have limited resources to deal with these issues, social media is a valuable resource that has the capabilities to help businesses everywhere survive and succeed.

One of the most popular and well-known social media tools out there today is Facebook. In 2007, comScore reported astounding increases in the numbers of people using Facebook. There was an 181% increase among users between the ages of 25 and 35, and users 35 years and older went up by 98%. As the statistics indicate, a lot of people are on Facebook, and businesses are missing out if they ignore this on-line meeting room of individuals.

As with the introduction of most new ideas in society, there are many who are against the use of Facebook in the workplace. Unfortunately, these skeptical individuals do not fully grasp the ways in which this social media tool can benefit companies in so many ways.

Opponents of employees using Facebook worry about a decrease in productivity. They are concerned about wasting money on employees who sit around and look at people’s pictures and update their Facebook statuses all day instead of concentrating on the work that needs to get done. But let’s be honest, an employee who doesn’t want to do the work is going to find a way to stay occupied whether or not they can access Facebook on their computer.

Mike Stopforth, a speaker who teaches businesses how to use new Web 2.0 technologies to their advantage, makes an excellent point as he says: “Employees also waste time talking to friends and texting on their personal mobile phones but you don’t ban those. For crying out loud, your employees waste time with email. Why not ban that too. Heck, let’s ban all electronic communication. That will really up productivity.” Even the slightest distraction has the potential to impact a person’s productivity, so let’s look at how using Facebook in the workplace can make employees more productive instead.

Facebook is a valuable business communication tool, for both internal and external purposes. Groups can be created to revolve around specific topics, and group members can share their ideas with one another through discussion boards. One example of how Facebook has been used to bring employees together is the group that IBM created. The IBM Facebook group presently has 11,394 members, all current or previous employees of the company. IBM employees who may have never known about one another beforehand now have the opportunity to interact and develop a business relationship via this on-line resource. Additionally, those who work together on a regular basis have an opportunity to learn more about their fellow colleagues and interact on a new level. Better company communication sounds like a plus to me.

Facebook is also a valuable tool for promoting and selling your business. Microsoft took note of this as they made the decision to take a $240 million equity stake in Facebook in 2007. Microsoft recognized the unique opportunities that exist with the growing popularity of Facebook, and it is time that other businesses do the same.

In a struggling economy, it is necessary that businesses make smarter decisions about their advertising, marketing, and public relations strategies. Having a presence on Facebook can be extremely beneficial. One useful application in particular is Facebook advertising. By putting an ad on Facebook, you can tell over 175,000,000 people about your business. You also have the opportunity to target specific ages, genders, and locations. Additionally, no longer are you stuck with a static ad. If the statistics Facebook gives you about who’s clicking on your ad doesn’t meet your standards, then you can easily modify the content until you get the results you want.

Doing business on Facebook is smart. But when do you expect all of this to get done if you don’t let your employees get on the site while they’re at work?

If you are still a little skeptical, let me ask you a few questions. Why would you want to let an opportunity like this slip through your fingers? Are employees really being “unproductive” when they’re building professional relationships with people they may never get to talk with in person? Is the extra bandwidth they use while on Facebook that much of an inconvenience when they’re trying to improve the companies that they work for and ensure the security of their jobs?

Social media is a growing phenomenon, and we all need to get more involved with tools like Facebook to do everything in our power to make it through these difficult times. The benefits of allowing employees to use Facebook while at work just may make the difference between collapsing or thriving. Just because it is a “social” media site doesn’t eliminate the fact that Facebook can be used for positive business purposes.

With knowledge of the benefits of Facebook, it can easily be integrated into the workplace. So take a chance. Encourage employees to make the most out of this social media tool. See what Facebook can do for your business.

_______________________________________

After taking PR courses and learning about the importance of social media, it was hard for me to understand why employers would be so adamant about banning Facebook in the workplace. The public relations industry is clearly embracing this new tool, but I can’t help but wonder why so many other sectors are skeptical about getting involved. We know that people are costantly checking their Facebook accounts, so why would any business not want to jump in and have a presence? Your thoughts?

Social Media in the Non-Profit World

Two summers ago, I completed an internship in Charlotte with Speedway Children’s Charities. As I was working for this non-profit organization, I had the opportunity to attend several meetings and other special gatherings to discuss matters in the non-profit world….much of what went way over my head at the time. One such excursion I made with my supervisor was to the 2007 Roundtables for Non-Profits Luncheon hosted by PRSA.

Each person in attendance was randomly assigned to a table at the luncheon, and each table had a speaker present on a different topic. It did not have much significance to me at the time, but I had the opportunity of sitting in on a very interesting discussion. The topic I learned about that day was social media….a farfetched phenomenon to me and most of the others at my table at that time. I can still remember one woman blatantly interrupting our speaker’s presentation and asking him why he was telling her about something that didn’t matter to her and that she would never understand. Little did we both know how important these new technologies would become for the non-profit world.

I have recently become interested in pursuing a career path in the non-profit sector, so I have started to expand the types of blogs I am looking at so that I know what I am thinking about getting myself in to. I found two very interesting blogs that stress how important it is for non-profit organizations to use social media tools to their advantage. Beth Kanter’s blog focuses entirely on how non-profits can benefit from using social media, and Marc Pitman joins in the conversation as he recommends using these tools for non-profit fundraising.

Discussion about one social media tool in particular stands out….Twitter. I was one of the biggest Twitter skeptics out there when I was first introduced to this tool, but I have finally realized how useful it can really be….and it is about time that those in the non-profit world come to the same realization. Beth Kanter found Twitter “both interesting and annoying” over a year ago and is now encouraging the non-profit world to delve into this new territory. Marc Pitman lists the numerous benefits for fundraisers to have a presence on Twitter, and he is even helping to lead a Twitter webinar on January 30 to educate the non-profit world.

Clearly, things have changed a lot just in the past few years. Those who once thought they would never have to worry about social media tools like Twitter are now finding that these new technologies are essential to the success of their non-profits.

Oh, Twitter

When Dr. V told my public relations class that we would have to start Twittering, I was less than thrilled. I didn’t really understand the point of saying something that your “followers” would care about in 140 characters or less. I, along with many of my classmates, struggled to come up with things to write that would be even slightly meaningful for those who have chosen to follow us. The semester is coming to a close, and I have been Twittering for a few months now. But I’m still wondering why. Even as I look at the tweets posted by the people I am following, the majority of them are equivalent to a person’s Facebook status. I am guilty of posting the same kinds of messages most of the time, but is all of this actually helping me in any way?

Quite honestly, I still don’t completely understand the world of Twitter….and I think that’s just fine. Even though I don’t always know what I should be looking for in other people’s tweets or know what I should write in my own, I think it is the experience and exposure I have obtained that will help me in the future. Some of the biggest people in social media are following me….me of all people! Even if I don’t post the most intelligent or thought provoking tweets all the time, I am still on their radar. I know how to use Twitter if an employer is ever looking for someone who is familiar with this tool. Confusion leads to questions, and questions lead to answers. Even though I am not entirely sure why Twitter is so important, I know that it is….and that is an answer that will help me out in the long run.

Looking at new social media tools

 

After looking over the list of social media tools that was put together by Chris Brogan, I realized very quickly that I am still a newbie when it comes to this stuff. I thought I was pretty technologically savvy just being familiar with and efficient at using Facebook, Twitter, and blogging on WordPress. This list made it quite clear that I have only skimmed the surface of social media. Fortunately, I have learned to not be intimidated by these sites anymore. I will admit, I was not fond at all about having to blog and use Twitter on a regular basis for my public relations class when I first found out that I would have to engage in such online activities. Thankfully, I have learned to embrace the various social media outlets that exist, and I am excited to get to know more about them.

This list allowed me to become more familiar with sites that I had never heard of. There were a few in particular that caught my interest. I have gradually become a fan of Twitter the more I use it. A site similar to this is Brightkite, and I really like how users can insert photos into their comments to supplement what they have to say. I haven’t completely decided how I feel about social bookmarking sites. However, after looking over a few of them, I think I would prefer to use Ma.gnolia over the others since I found the format of this website much easier to understand. Reddit was my favorite social news site because it allows you to customize what topics you want to view, and it puts this option in a place where even first time users will immediately see it. Lastly, I thought that Twitter Search was a fun social media site as well. If I want to see what people are Twittering about topics ranging from Sarah Palin to Britney Spears, this site makes it possible. This website would also be a very useful tool if I wanted to conduct any type of research on Twitter.

In conclusion….there are a lot of really neat social media tools for people to explore, and I still have a lot to learn!