Blogging

It has happened to all of us. You are researching for a paper on Google only to accidentally click on someone’s blog, and an hour later you have looked at every picture of their baby, their favorite songs of the week and creative recipe ideas. More and more people are flocking to blog sites as a way of sharing their opinions, and businesses are realizing blogs can provide a pivotal connection to their customers that they have never experienced before.

In the article, “How Successful Blogging is Like Surviving High School,” free lance writer Josh Sarz gives readers 10 tips and rules to maintain a successful blog.

#1-WORK HARD: Learn to multitask brainstorming, writing, modifying your website, marketing yourself and pitching your ideas.

#2-GET INVOLVED: Socialize with other bloggers, name-drop and retweet.

#3-BE PRESENT: This comes down to the basics of journalism, timeliness, and to get your name out there!

#4-DO YOUR HOMEWORK: If you are going to put something online, you better know what you are talking about. It is important to do your research.

#5-MAKE A DIVERSE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: “If you have ten pals who blog about blogging talk about you, that’s great. If you have 30 people from all sorts of niches and industries willing to vouch for you, that’s massive.”

#6-KEEP YOUR LOCKER STACKED: Be prepared with backup posts.

#7-BE EXCESSIVELY HAPPY: People flock to what is positive. It is important to keep a good attitude even if your posts receive comments you may not like.

#8-STAY FOCUSED: “Remember to stay focused on what you’re blogging for,” by creating and maintaining goals.

#9-GO OUT ON DATES: Some might find success seeking guest post opportunities.

#10-GET IN THE YEARBOOK: Get recognition!

Similarly, and on a more serious note, there are significant opportunities for making money from your blog.

No matter the nature of your blog, “It’s going to be about continuously delivering content that inspires people, and helps them in some aspect in their lives.”

 Sources:

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2012/01/29/how-successful-blogging-is-just-like-surviving-highschool/

http://www.problogger.net/moneymap/

http://www.problogger.net/make-money-blogging/

Final Press Release 1: Announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 31, 2012

Contact:

Preston Parker, President

Social Media Club of Cache Valley

1504 Lynnwood Ave.

Logan, UT 84341

661-772-7537

ANNOUNCING NEW CACHE VALLEY CLUB

For those interested in social media technology

LOGAN, Utah--The Social Media Club of Cache Valley (SMCCV), which officially launched in August of 2009, continues to educate and facilitate networking opportunities for members.

 “The SMCCV is the premier social media chapter of Cache Valley,” said President Preston Parker. “You’ll meet people that are using social media in a way you hadn’t thought of before.”

The non-profit group currently meets on the second Tuesday of every month and invites students, business owners, entrepreneurs and those interested in social media to attend the workshops, panel discussions and speakers. If you come to a meeting you are considered an active member.

The Social Media Club is a global organization founded in San Francisco. The SMCCV currently has seven board members whose efforts compare similarly to larger chapters around the nation.

Contact:

Kate Clark, Media Representative

(435-760-4671)

kateclark05@gmail.com

-END-

Press Release 1: Announcement

For Immediate Release: Jan. 24, 2012

President Preston Parker

1504 Lynwood Ave.

Logan, UT 84341

661-772-7537

ANNOUNCING NEW CACHE VALLEY CLUB

For anyone interested in social media technology.

LOGAN, Utah--The Social Media Club of Cache Valley (SMCC), which officially launched in August of 2009, hopes to educate and facilitate networking.

 “The SMCC is the premier social media chapter of Cache Valley,” said President Preston Parker. “You’ll meet people that are using social media in a way you hadn’t thought of before.”

Public Relations Representative Kate Clark

(435-760-4671)

Kateclark05@gmail.com

-END-

Organizational Uses

Studies show that non-profits are utilizing social media sites for organizational use more than most professional businesses. “The trick, say nonprofit advocacy experts, is to pair virtual campaigns with flesh-and-blood action.” That is, social media is a great tool for charities and non-profits, but it is only part of the process that gets people involved.

A study by Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, interpreted in the infographic below, had similar findings.

“The deal is, it’s not about money, it’s about getting people to talk with each other to make people’s lives better,” said Newmark.

Environmental activist Jamie Henn adds that social media is “a place where people can share the work they are doing in the real world and gain a sense of momentum and community by seeing similar stories from around the planet.”

Social media is raising awareness of charity and non-profit campaigns and will hopefully encourage more people to get involved.

Sources:

http://philanthropy.com/article/How-Nonprofits-Can-Use-Social/126402/

http://mashable.com/2011/10/14/how-non-profits-use-social-media/

United Breaks Guitars

In 2008, country musician Dave Carroll boarded a United Airlines flight with his $3,500 Taylor guitar, only to have the neck broken off by careless baggage personnel. After voicing his complaints to three uninterested employees and trying to settle the matter for nearly a year, Carroll wrote the song “United Breaks Guitars,” which received over 150,000 views on Youtube the first day it was posted. Since, Carroll has created two more songs about the incident, which are also Youtube phenomenon and Itunes top hits. Some people may discredit the possibilities of social media, but it is apparent in this situation and others that social media is changing the face of public relations.

Had United merely apologized, even if they couldn’t compensate Carroll for the guitar, the detriment and embarrassment to their public relations and entire company probably could have been avoided. United argued that because the claim hadn’t been filed within 24 hours, that Carroll’s complaint was ineligible. Whether these are distasteful guidelines or Carroll had truly procrastinated filing a claim, it seems that United simply didn’t show any concern for their customer. How many similar complaints were made by United Airlines customers that weren’t as vocal with their discontent as Carroll? Carroll made an example out of United, and hopefully this video can stand as a reminder of how important public relations is to keep positive ties between an organization and the public.

As social media is growing, more companies need to be aware of bad public relations so lazy behaviors can be changed and avoided. Everything on the web is instant, and available for the entire world to see. Those in public relations need to know how to respond, when to respond and how to maintain professionalism.

Since “United Breaks Guitars,” was released, they have contacted Carroll and tried to make amends. They know their reputation has been damaged, and are trying to save face.

I think Carroll should be commended for taking a stand against how careless United Airlines handled this situation. We are all consumers, and we depend on people to do their jobs with integrity. As someone in communications, this is a great example to keep in mind when dealing with situations and people of all kinds.

The Big Seven

With the use of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others, small businesses are connecting to their audiences faster and easier than ever before. Not only do these sites offer public engagement, but ad space that can potentially reach thousands of people in hours. Social media is changing the face of small businesses around the globe. The infographic below, created by Postling, provides an analysis of how small businesses have been using social media. (http://mashable.com/2011/02/14/small-business-social-media-infographic/)

 Not surprisingly, Facebook and Twitter rank well above other social media sites.With millions of members that are checking their feed or tweets multiple times a day, a small business could benefit from the interaction and traffic their internet audiences provide. Many consumers are even beginning to rely on sites like Facebook to get to know your company before they step foot in one of your stores, or go to one of your events. If your company doesn’t have a Facebook or Twitter, they may not take the time to come into your store to discover what your company is about. As a small business, these sites also allow you to reach audiences across the globe that may not have otherwise heard about your establishment.

Several articles floating around the web reiterate the same message. The article “Building Your Blogging and Facebook Empire,” (http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/10/building-your-blogging-and-facebook-empire.html) provides tips and links for small business owners that are getting involved with social media, namely Facebook.

“Just like advertisers, small businesses should be concerned about engagement. How many people are talking about you and your brand on Facebook? This may be the real measure of success when using the social media to market your small business.”

Social media is here to stay. It is changing public relations, marketing and advertising for nearly every company. As we see social media popularity continue to increase, so should the number of small businesses who are taking advantage of all it can do for them and their publics.

Letter to Cousin

Dear Cousin,

I just started a new semester and am learning about the proper way to write for public relations purposes. Public relations facilitates communication between an organization and its publics, and serves the best interests of both. PR professionals work in practically every field and can be viewed as spokespersons, advertisers and interpreters.

You may think that public relations writing wouldn’t differ much from other forms of writing, but there are very specific objectives, styles and established elements that must be considered before any writing for this profession be published or given to an employer.

First of all, you must thoroughly understand the mission and goals of the organization you are writing for. Public relations writers must be knowledgeable about all aspects of the institution they work for. For example, if you are the PR person for a real estate company, you might need to know about zoning laws and homeowner’s insurance.

As a PR person you are also expected to communicate the views of the public to your organization, so it is imperative to know your audiences and their concerns or needs. It is also typically rare that a public relations message is important to everyone, so tactics for public awareness and communication processing are important when choosing the right audience, the right message, the right medium to deliver the message and the frequency and reach for attracting attention from target audiences.

Although PR writing isn’t always considered “hard news,” journalists rely on PR managers for information. In turn, PR managers also rely on the news media to distribute information about their organization to the public. Various forms of PR writing include news releases, press kits, pitch letters, news conferences, personal appearances, public service announcements, pitch letters and the use of social media outlets. All of these formats help PR persons communicate a strategically planned message with a particular purpose, for a particular audience.

I am excited to be able to apply all the things I’ve been learning about public relations writing when I’m looking for a job after I graduate this spring. I hope to hear from you soon!

Yours truly,

Kate