Blogging

Emily Wilkins
1/31/09
Current Topics
Fisher

Blogging

Another emerging trend in the field of public relations is blogging. Blogging can be important to public relations practitioners as far as delivery of news coverage and information sharing is concerned. The growing technique helps prove how influential the internet has become as a communication medium.
        Blogs are short for weblogs. These are online personal commentary links according to www.educause.edu. They can be viewed as online journals to which people can respond to, such as an e-mail. They are simple to create and easy to access that lead to open discussions. Evaluating blogs’ strengths and weaknesses, guidelines are being set for the workplace. Blogs have become an accepted instructional technology tool and is continuing to be used for various tasks for practitioners.
        Public relations practitioners use blogging as a way of delivering news coverage and information sharing. This way, they can not only reach out to bloggers, but to bloggers in question. This makes communication easier for faculty to express opinions, promote dialogue and support teaching and learning. Many companies in both technical fields such as eBay and Microsoft and nontechnical fields such as General Motors and Wells Fargo Bank now have in-house blogs that report on developments in the company. Some of those developments might include new items posted to the web pages, new cars on the lot, and different banking tools that are being introduced to the company. These blogs can also inform its readers on why these items, cars, programs, and accounts are all going to be beneficial to the customers. For any questions or concerns on behalf of these blogs or postings, customers are given the opportunity to reply to the blogs and ask questions directly.
        Some of the benefits involved with blocks for public relation practitioners include gaining visibility as a thought leader, engaging customers in dialogue, developing your brand, and using each one as an opportunity. By publicizing their news through internet, discussion is opened up to various audiences. With the variety of people exposed to the blogs, it leaves room for people to communicate new ideas and an abundance of feedback. Allowing customers to engage in the dialogue, makes for a better outcome for the company. Using feedback and applying it towards ideas and new techniques. This is an excellent alternative for good customer service. Each blog can be used as an opportunity to reach out to these customers for an idea of what they are looking for in the company. It is a quick and easy-to-use tool to have that provides interaction with potential customers and accommodate to those needs.
        Before creating a blog, practitioners need to remember a few things about what they are going to include in it. First of all, know who the audience is going to be. Plan the material according to the people that are going to be reading along. Secondly, choose what the blog is going to be about. The structure of the blog and the topic chosen is going to determine whether or not the message will get across to its readers. The topic chosen needs to be open-ended and have opportunity for feedback and conversation. Engaging in conversation is crucial in public relations to meet the needs of potential and current customers. Then, find what will be needed to do to exceed those expectations and accommodate accordingly. The public are what make public relations so it is most appropriate to find these new techniques that will help run a better system.
These aspects all contribute to the emerging trends in public relations. Practitioners are used to the consistent changes in the workforce, especially with technology. Technology faces regular changes and it is up to fields, such as public relations, to be prepared and learn new ways.

Cisco Eos: The Media & Entertainment World's Social Media

By Madison Chambers

Cisco Eos is an Internet hosted software platform that allows for media and entertainment companies to create online communities.  The websites are easily created and allows fans to easily interact with their favorite musicians, actors, or anything else that a media or entertainment company would want to promote (Reardon 2009). Warner Music Group is an example of a company that uses Cisco Eos. WMG uses this form of social media to promote bands such as Paramore and Halestorm, and singers like Trey Songz and Sean Paul. These artists use Cisco Eos to provide a customized social interactive cite that provides their fans with a great experience (Werner Music Company and Cisco, 2009).

This type of social media gives consumers of the media and entertainment world a chance to actively interact with their favorite musician or actor. Cisco Eos also allows for the public to view their news from the source of their favorite types of entertainment. According to Jim Brady, member of the Cisco Newsroom, thirty-six percent of the public goes straight to the source concerning entertainment news directly from their favored type of media (Brady 2009). Cisco Eos also is trying to knockdown the rates of piracy. By allowing fans to interact with their favorite musician, actor, etc., there could possibly be a decrease in piracy since the music or video is practically given to them (Reardon 2009).

Cisco Eos is a great way for media and entertainment companies to socialize with their publics. By being able to socially interact with one another, the message can be received better and more and more people will use Cisco Eos to get their news and updates on their favorite celebrities. 

Since this is a fairly new type of social media, reviews were difficult to find. However, from the readings of the articles written about Cisco Eos, I have gathered that it is a great innovation that has been influenced by PR 2.0 and is trying to getting everyone involved: both professionals and the public.

Works Cited

Brady, J. (2009, January 7). Cisco Eos Platform Delivers Online Social Experience for Consumers,

Powerful Web 2.0 Platform for Media & Entertainment Companies. Retrieved from

 http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2009/prod_010709b.html

Reardon, M. (2009, January 6). Cisco adds social networking to its forte [Newsgroup message].
     Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10133792-93.html

n.a. (2009, August 12). Warner Music Group & Cisco Announce Strategic Agreement to Deliver Social
     Entertainment Experiences to Online Audiences [Newsgroup message]. Retrieved from
     http://www.wmg.com/newsdetails/id/8a0af81222e46eb901230f17b92d17c0

Monica Peterson-Social Media Assignment

The social media that I chose was the website Hi5 (www.hi5.com). Attached is my paper.

 

-Monica Peterson

Flickr

Kat Donovan

www.flickr.com

Social media takes many forms for many different uses.  There are many social media that contain photo usage, but there are also social media that focus only on photo publishing. Flickr is a program that allows users to post their photos with descriptions, join groups, enables other individuals to comment on others’ photos, and allows users to “follow” other users to keep up with their latest work.  Flickr also allows users to post their photos from Flickr to other blogs, such as Twitter and personal blogs. Users can send photos directly from their phone to Flickr.

One organization that uses Flickr is NASA. NASA has an account on Flickr that I have subscribed to follow. NASA’s profile information contains a section about their photos that are posted and how they are available to the public and news organizations. NASA gives permission on their profile for the photos to be used, with due credit. The photos cannot be used in any way that suggest NASA gives approval or endorsement for another product. They have posted photos since February of 2009, and have photos taken as early as 2004 posted to their account.

There could be many benefits of companies and organizations using Flickr. Flickr provides a way to post photos that is credible, reputable and, most importantly, instant. Photos that need to be made public can be uploaded to Flickr and obtained by the public and the media extremely quick.  The photos can be reused and posted in a way that is easy and dependable.

Podcasts as an Excelling Form of Social Media by Laura Yeager

Podcasts have proven to be an emerging trend in the public relations industry. The public relations industry is constantly changing and adapting to keep up with technology and the public. Podcasting consists of recording a digital file that can be distributed over the net using syndication feeds to be able to be played over the computer, MP3, or via IPod ( Faulhaber). Especially when related to public relations, the importance of podcasts is to reach an audience. When it comes to public relations and reaching a specific target audience, the more people that are introduced to the product or service the more successful that product or service is. PodGarden, an innovator of online marketing, states that it is projected that by 2013, 37.6 million people will be downloading podcasts each month (Podcast Importance.) This proves that podcasts are an outlet that if used correctly, can reach the masses.

Those who receive a podcasts are called subscribers and the podcast receiver is the technology that allows the subscriber to receive the podcast content. The receiver produces technology that has a way of narrowing down the subscribers specific podcast interests. This allows podcasts to be targeted by individual interest.

Podcast websites have even targeted the public relations profession, to provide a tool to the individuals in the public relations industry. Podcast websites such as PRWebPodcast provides an aid for public relations professionals by featuring interviews about press releases, producing the ability to bring news releases to life, and once again connect with the public.  

           Eric Schwartzman, founder and chairman of public relations services provider, iPressroom, states that “Public Relations podcasting initiatives can whisper in the ear of an influential, outspoken audience of brand ambassadors and compelling listeners to serve as word-of-mouth agents, repeating what they hear to friends and family” (Schwartzman.) Podcasts can be an extremely valid public relations tool for organizations. Podcasts provide a way for companies and organizations to develop and emotional bond with their customers (101publicrelations.)

 Podcasts can give companies more of a personality and hence make the company and the services it provides more relatable to the customer. Multiple companies including BMW and General Motors have podcasts linked to their company website to create more of an integrated relationship with their customers. The messages these companies send out via podcasts include messages for the CEO, new product launches, service use information, and technology briefs (Faulhaber.)

Apart from providing public relations for products and services, as well as being able to appeal to specific audiences, podcasting can also produce a public relations campaign for individuals. California Governor Arnold Swarzenegger used podcasts to package and distribute political speeches (Fernado.)

Communication is the core of public relations. A global study by Universal McCann found that the number of podcast listeners in the United States has doubled in the last year and a half (Schwartzman). With its availability on the internet, podcasts can be reached throughout the global marketplace and can provide a public relations tool for a variety of different outlets. Podcasts are one of the latest communication tools used by all generations and most target groups, and will continue to be a successful public relations practice.

 

Faulhaber, P. (2008). Podcasts and public relations. Suite 101, Retrieved from http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/podcasting_perfect_tool_for_public_relations

Fernado, A. (2005). Podcasting, anyone?. Communication World, 22. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=112&sid=98683033-0c5c-4fb6-88e5-d9d7f1c35465%40sessionmgr111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d

(n.d.). Podcast importance. Retrieved from http://podgarden.oneupweb.com/podcast_importance.htm

Shwartzman, E. (2008). Study suggests corporate podcasting is a growth opportunity for communicators. Comprehnsion, Retrieved from http://comprehension.prsa.org/?p=141

(n.d.). The Value of podcasting. 101 Public Relations, Retrieved from http://101publicrelations.com/blog/the_value_of_podcasting_001792.html

 

 

 

 

Facebook

Facebook

By Kathleen Ostby

Facebook is a social networking site that allows all members to add friends, send messages and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves.  Founded in February of 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook took off in usage among college students.  Originally intended to help students on the Harvard campus connect with each other Facebook has expanded, first to college students, then included high school students in 2005, and now currently takes any members.  It is an organized way to invite people to events, get groups together, find out more about friends, and post pictures and videos.

Facebook is now open internationally and currently has more than 350 million active users worldwide and helps people connect all over the globe, making this world just a bit smaller.  For example, as a member of Facebook I am able to add friends from many other countries, which helps me connect and stay connected with people I’ve met in my life and also makes communication with people who are not in the same city easier and more efficient.  Facebook revolutionized the way people communicate and stay in contact.  Last summer I spent two months in Jacksonville, Florida away from my friends and family and everything I knew.  Facebook helped me stay connected with them because instead of calling each of them and updating them about what was going on in my life I was able to post a note about what was happening and ‘tag’ everyone in it, this way I saved time and was still able to stay connected with family and friends back home. 

Since the launch date Facebook has changed drastically.  Now instead of just being able to communicate with friends and family you are able to play games, use applications and take personality and IQ tests, you are also able to join groups, support causes and view ads on the side of the page that are related directly to you.  Many companies use Facebook to sell to their direct client by placing ads according to what interests the person by learning from their profile which is really helpful for business and PR people.

LinkedIn to Business

LinkedIn

By Jessica Tobin


LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site. Founded in December 2002 by Reid Hoffman and launched in May 2003. It is used as a professional networking media. The new CEO of LinkedIn is Jeff Weiner, who was once a Yahoo! Inc executive. LinkedIn allows members to create business contacts (called connections on LinkedIn), search for jobs, and find potential clients. Members have the ability to create their own professional profile that can be viewed by others in their network, and also view the profiles of their own contacts. Employers can look for people to hire also, as you can post your resume.

There are more than 55 million people on LinkedIn taking advantage of all the professionals who get on this site and network. Executives from all fortune 500 companies are members. Over half of these people are from the United States alone, 11 million are from Europe and 3 million are from India. There are170 industries and over 200 countries around the world using LinkedIn.

Networking is important when you are trying to get a job, ever hear it’s not what you know, it’s who you know? This is a website that combines both of these! You post what you know, and meet the people you need to know to get ahead. By adding all the people you know to your connections, you can see who they are connected with too, and if they know someone you want to be introduced to for a job, you can ask them to introduce you. This is like ‘mutual friends’ on facebook. If there is someone you would like to meet, you would search your mutual friends and that is how you would be able to meet that person.

Also, when you are researching a company you may want to look for, there are all kinds of statistics about the company. These statistics include female to male ratio of the employees, the percentage of most common titles/positions in the company, location of company’s headquarters and offices, or it could even include a list of employees who work there or used to work there.

There are other features of LinkedIn like LinkedIn Answers and LinkedIn Groups. LinkedIn Answers is a lot like Google Answers, or Yahoo Answers, except more business oriented with the questions and the people who answer the questions. LinkedIn Groups are like the networks on Facebook, but can include anything from alumni to greek or sports teams. With LinkedIn groups, this is a good way to see what you have in common in life outside of the business world with other people in your industry.

http://press.linkedin.com/