Week 13: Social Media (Clear)

Social networking is extremely important to today's society and how we communicate on a more intimate level.  Without social networking, it is obvious that it is harder to communicate on a global scale.  I have to say, it's fascinating that people 30 years ago didn't even have cellphones and were able to be as successful as they were.  I think that social media is perfect when used correctly and it's important to recognize that just because you have a good social networking page/site, it doesn't make the company successful overnight.  A lot of passion and creativity has to go into funding, creating and maintaining these sites and keep it as personalized as possible is ideal.  No one likes to speak to a computer.  When we receive telemarketer calls, how annoying is that?  People will become engaged when they want to become  engaged.  Giving them the power and time to invest in your product is ideal.  Most people that want to talk good about your product will do so.

As a Public Relations major, I have had a lot of experience with social media.  I use it on a daily basis to communicate effectively with clients and noticed that it's almost the easiest ways to do business.  When building a social media page, it's important to not be pushy, but get your name out there.  Even if the comments are somewhat negative, you can still turn this into a positive.  For example, when BP had their recent crisis with the oil spill, everyone wanted to hate them.  Now I am not saying what they did and how they handled the situation was ideal, but if you have noticed lately, they have done a lot with their twitter, Facebook and overall communication efforts through new media.  They have ways that you can donate to help fund small town people effected by the disaster and keep you updated 24 hours on how they have made a difference.  Eventually, BP will generate enough corporate social responsibility to improve their image and in the long run, gain back the business from those who were effected by their disastrous situation.

I enjoyed professor Means breaking down all the different types of social media and providing a background of their importance and strengths.  It's amazing that the richest companies and professionals in the world use social media so extensively and that should be a sign of how the world will be in the future.

Here is a really cool video on ways that you can improve your social media and get people to take your company or brand more seriously.  It's full of motivating texts and really makes you take social media seriously.  Let me know what you think.

Avatar: Extra Credit

So I had the pleasure of creating my own avatar.  I have to say, this is an interesting feature that you can easily do for a little fun.  I think that avatars were a great way to keep things "secretive" and not give away your full identity.  What do you guys think?  Is this a decent portrayal of myself?  I was a little disappointed with the accessories and types of clothing options, but it's a free site, so i appreciated the simplicity of the creation process.  I used the site, DoppelMe, considering I have heard so many positive things about the site.  

I think the coolest part of creating an avatar, is being able to change your appearance by your moods and what's going on in your life.  Obviously, if i was more engaged with using avatars, i would have a cast on my foot at the moment.  I broke my foot this week and would have updated the avatar with crutches and a cast on my left foot.  Being that this is a free site, it gives you the limited use of clothing and accessories and gets the job done, so there is not too much to argue with.  

I enjoyed this process, considering i have not made an avatar for myself since obtaining an Xbox a few years back.  I wish that avatars were used more frequently.  They are definitely a lot of fun!

Presentation Project: To Write Love on Her Arms

So this week I finished up my presentation on the organization "To Write Love on Her Arms" (TWLOHA).  I have to say that this presentation was something new to me.  As a Public Relations major, I usually have a lot more time to present and it was quite the challenge to engage an audience, but it was a fun challenge.  I used no bullet points and wanted to focus on the dark beauty of the organization.

If you haven't actually had a chance to check out this organization, I highly suggest that you do so.  I've been involved with their message and story since I was in high school and love the way that a small non-profit like TWLOHA is becoming so global.

The main focus I wanted to get across in my presentation was that this organization isn't just doing things that are beneficial to people and society, but their branding and overall message creates a solid business structure.  They have a trendy, cool aspect about them and that's one of the main reasons I wanted to get involved with this organization.  A successful organization or business should be able to sell itself on a daily basis.  TWLOHA focuses more on the younger generation and forces people to get involved with what they are doing.

When evaluating myself, I think that I met the requirements necessary in getting the message across through the usage of images and video media.  I think that music, if not used properly, adds way to much noise to a presentation, so I wanted to focus on that aspect.  I related the presentation to a company and demonstrated, very quickly, the importance of what the organization was doing and how a company should look at that message and run with it.  It's not stealing, it's an influence.

As the great Steven Tyler, frontman of Aerosmith, once said "Everyone steals from one another.  You just have to learn how to make it your own, so that person who you stole from wants to steal from you."

I also had the pleasure of viewing Samantha Mauder's powerpoint presentation on Disney.  She didn't really present it from a business standpoint, but I appreciated learning more about a company's diversity and how it branded itself as "a place where a kid, can be a kid."  If you think about it, Disney made being a kid okay at any age.  I personally think that Disney rips off the working class, but that is the business of making money I guess.  But we're getting off topic...

In conclusion,  I feel that my presentation was enjoyable and presented in a newer, modern approach.  It's definitely not to the standards of a TED performance, but I always look at myself as an improving character in the presentation world.

Here is the link to my presentation.  I hope you enjoy and I look forward to hearing from you.
TWLOHA Presentation

Best,

David Cole