07.08.09
Who we are on Twitter is who we are in life
Sometimes when I log into my Twitter account, I feel like I’m walking into a middle school dance, where the lights are low and balloons fall from the rafters and where everyone has already paired off to slow dance and I’m left to skirt the edges of the proverbial gym on my own. It’s very Sixteen Candles.
There’s just that moment where I want to stay hidden in the corners and see everything that’s going on, be able to say I was there, but not risk the rejection or embarrassment of stepping solo on to the dance floor.
But, nothing ventured, nothing gained is the name of the game in social media, so I take a deep breath and tweet.
It’s not unlike who I am in real life. In new situations with new people I tend to stick to the walls while I give my self a pep talk, then I eventually dive in with fake-it-till-you-make-it confidence and hope to wind up with new friends and meaningful conversation.
On the other hand, when I’m comfortable and conversing with trusted tweeps, I am happy to be open with ideas, opinions and even personal experiences.
It amazed me when I paused to think about the correlation between my reaction to real life situations and the little flips my stomach do before hitting enter on a tweet.
What if no one responds?
What if my tweet is taken the wrong way?
What if I inadvertently offend someone?
Now, I’ve been known to over think things. It’s very un-Aries of me. But I do worry how people will react or receive what I’ve said. I want to be liked: In person. On Twitter. And I do believe that’s true for all of us out there in the Twitiverse.
Oh, the fear of being made a fool of, or rejected, on the Twitter-stage!
I suppose my position on this belies own character flaws and insecurities — too sensitive probably, maybe a worry wart — but I don’t think I’m alone…Especially among communicators. We are so trained to say the right thing and deliver the right message that there’s a hint of fear about saying the wrong thing that bleeds over into other areas of our lives. (I’m totally projecting on all communicators. Sorry communicators.)
But with all that being said (all hints of fear aside), who we are in real life is often shaped by strong opinions, wacky world views, unique experiences and even character flaws. It makes us each wonderfully individual and special (just like we Gen-Yers were told 
). So too, who we are on Twitter is shaped by the information we share, the things we choose not to respond to, the responses we craft, the opinion and rants we voice, the pictures we post and stories we tell in 140 characters or less.
Being an active participant in social media requires a dose of bravery. I have preached exactly that there in my non-microblog. You have to engage in conversation, but I have not practiced that paradigm as often as I should.
So, I plan to get brave and follow my own advice. Just maybe it will earn me a few more friends. On Twitter and in real life.
~R
I’m a bad blogger
I’m fascinated by social media. I read about it, read more about it, talk about it and think about it but when it comes to actually engaging in social media on my own time (not the time spent working on it for my clients), I have a tough time. Actually, the problem is more lack of time. I spend so much time learning about it that I don’t do it. And, the best way to really learn it is to do it.
As I’ve shared this challenge with others, I’ve found that this is a struggle that many people face. It’s especially true for those of us that have to be knowledgeable about social media and use it at work on a daily. We’re so busy keeping up with it for our jobs that it’s difficult to do it on our own time. To help myself spend more time engaging with social media and hopefully others like me, I created this list of tips:
1. Set aside time each day for social media: It can be 10 minutes or 2 hours but spend it using social media not just reading or talking about it. Update your Facebook profile, Tweet, write a blog post, share a video, etc. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do it.
2. Don’t try to be a rockstar with every social media tool: Take a cue from the Google philosophy to do one thing really, really well. Pick your favorite social media tools and spend your time there sharing meaningful information and building relationships.
3. Set a goal: Like everything else in life, it helps to have something to work towards so vow to blog twice a week or build your list of Tweeps to 1,000 in the next 30 days. Once you set your goal, get moving because you’ve got work to do.
In the spirit of taking my own advice, I’m going to publicly commit to blogging here twice a week. Hopefully, while accomplishing my goal, I’ll be able to provide some valuable insight along the way. Either way, thanks for helping me become a better social media doer.
~S
06.25.09
The most significant media day in the past two decades
I’m paraphrasing my husband in the headline from a report he heard on the radio today.
We know now that the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson, has passed on at the age of 50 from an apparent cardiac arrest at his house in Holmbly Hill, Calif.
The means by which this information came to light and the speed at which the media reported was unlike anything I, and I’m sure many others, have never seen.
Today, the first news I saw of MJ was on a Facebook update. I immediately went to a trusted news resource to see what was going on — People.com had nothing up yet. (I don’t trust any entertainment news until People confirms it.)
As I searched for more information, tweets were lighting like wild fire with reports of an ambulance speeding to UCLA medical, an unconscious Jackson and words like, “grave situation.”
I pulled up TMZ.com and there before my stunned eyes was a huge masthead reading
RIP: Michael Jackson Dies
I quickly visited the usual news suspects (MSNBC, CNN, BBC, New York Times, LA Times), but few reported more than an incident where Jackson was rushed to the hospital.
Within the next five minutes breaking news headlines scrolled across every screen “REPORTS: Michael Jackson Dead,” and “unconfirmed sources” filled quotes. All of those sources which I deem as credible referred back to the shocking news TMZ boldly published.
The sheer onslaught of information was as shocking as the news being delivered today. Such a strange day. We’ve lost two cultural icons – Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. One, a rather expected death — perhaps even hoped for that she might have some peace and be set free from pain. The other so monumentally unexpected.
Michael Jackson 1958-2009
Farrah Fawcett 1947-2009
The only other event in my lifetime that I can recall garnering so much attention and coverage is the tragic passing of Princess Diana. I was in 7th grade, spending the night at my friend Lindsey’s house and we watched CNN until the sun came up the next day. But event that momentous and awful event seems to pale in comparison to what I saw today.
Perhaps the reason why is the advent of Facebook and Twitter. People posted sentiments, memories, songs, videos, news reports, lyrics, photos, you name it, with lightening speed. I am awed by the out poring of touching reports and celebrity call ins and speed with which so many TV packages have been pulled together. ABC broadcast not one but two hour-long specials honoring the lives of Fawcett and Jackson.
But let’s face it: people like Farrah and MJ are the ones whose obituaries the Associated Press (and many other news outlets) had drafted years and years ago.
Like him or not, you can’t deny his impact on GLOBAL society. He’s not unlike the phenomena of social media, which in so many ways heralded the news of his death.
I don’t doubt whatever personality who dubbed today the most significant media day in the past two decades. In my twenty-something life I can’t recall anything like it.
~R
06.15.09
CMSF: The one year mark
A year ago, when I launched Cut Me Some Flack, I wanted to capture the experience of Gen Y professionals in a field we all knew was changing.
And change it has.
So here’s a couple things I’ve learned/observed:
- The coversation has been dominated by Social Media.
- The second most frequent topic matter: newspaper down-sizing, layoffs, closures
- The old tools and practices are getting a face lift or are going by the wayside
Each of these trends — as far as CMSF is concerned — lead into one another. The rise of social media contributed to the fall of so many practices (I mean a 140 character press release just isn’t realistic). And a leaner, meaner media further bolsters the quick access and short response format of social media.
Having entered this field only four years ago, I can say that just about EVERYTHING has changed. And this past year really seems to be the tipping point. We’re in a new era of PR. And we’ll keep tabs on the changes in the media, communications practices and anything else that catches our eye.
~R
05.29.09
Many of GM’s Issues Hinge on Branding
There’s a lot of chatter out there about whether or not GM will file for bankruptcy come Monday. Today, it seems almost certain that GM will unload (by selling or dismantling) two of it’s brands Saturn & Hummer.
An article on MSNBC this morning discusses the pending departure of these brands and points to them as two tales indicative of the larger GM fate.
I believe it all comes down to branding.
Saturn launched in the early 80’s with a mission of being nimble and a direct U.S. challenger to efficient and innovative cars coming from companies like Toyota and Honda overseas. While early adopters bought into this way of thinking, Saturn struggled to maintain its innovation an lost much of its nimble nature as it gradually wove operations in with other GM brands and Saturn’s offerings began to look more and more and more like its Chevy, Pontiac and Buick cousins.
GM really faltered on the brand promise of Saturn. If your brand is “nimble” everything about you must be genuinely flexible and malleable. If your brand is innovative, the last thing you can do is be like anyone else. In short…epic fail.
It seemed though that all was not lost. Recently Saturn has debuted several models that hearken back to those characteristics, even offering hybrid models. Alas, it seems it’s just too little too late.
Hopefully Saturn can find a buyer who can help the company find itself again. So many people have called for American car companies to be nimble and innovative in this environment that perhaps it’s a golden opportunity for the cast off GM brand.
Hummer on the other hand has an image problem.
If you conjure one image that embodies the idea of “American Excess,” what is it? Probably a Hummer. The gas-guzzling, road-hogging, I’m-bigger-than-you-so-I’m-changing-lanes-and-you’d-better-move-over SUV is loved by those who can afford to drive it, and generally loathed by those who have to share the road with it.
The military vehicle gone civil SUV inherently pours salt in the wounds of an ailing economy. With a high price point and an expensive cost of ownership (gas prices), this behemoth stands for the boom time gone by.
It might even be fair to say that there’s some resentment for this brand, even among those who bought into the “Bigger-is-better” mentality of homes and cars (and gas tanks).
It will be a enormous undertaking and require real creativity on the part of a buyer to repair the image of Hummer. Some serious changes in gas mileage will obviously be the first order of business, not simply because of new (and needed) fuel economy standards, but for the viability of the brand!
In the end, I doubt a brand like Hummer will ever see anywhere near the same cache as it had about five years ago. The elements that made Hummer a popular purchase simply don’t exist anymore.
Whomever buys up these brands — assuming they don’t go away altogether — will have to have a top-notch marketing staff to tap into:
- The brand value of Saturn and make it adhere to its brand promises
- Re-brand Hummer in a radically different way
Brand gurus, start your engines.
~R
05.27.09
Social Media Overwhelms Me
How is it possible to monitor:
- all of the incoming tweets
- view people’s photo slideshows and status updates on friend and fan pages on Facebook
- keep up with recommendations and group discussions on LinkedIn
…all while keeping your facts straight, remaining relevant and not letting social media management become a full-time job!?
Some applications weaving these platforms together make it easier to gather all the incoming information, but being an active participant in response to that info is still a major undertaking.
So, how to manage?
- Get one serving a day — Commit to participating on one platform a day. Be active on Twitter one day, catch up on all the new connections on LinkedIn the next, update your profile on Facebook the following day.
- Prioritize — While part of the joy of social media is the instant gratification of the communication, don’t feel pressured to respond to everything IMMEDIATELY. Though Twitter often requires near instantaneous responses, many other social media interactions can survive with a little lag time.
- Experiment with combo platforms — Applications like TweetDeck and Facebook ad-ons, along with many others, can help you manage responses from several social media in one place. Making your social media a one-stop-shop scenario does help.
So much of social media is customized to the user. It’s the same with the management. You ultimately have to develop your own schedule & style.
~R
05.06.09
Online News Readers Site “Green” As Their Motivation To Drop The Paper Habit
An MSNBC article by Tony Sclafani tackled the issue of people wanting news, but not the paper. His article reveals that people across the US are turning to free on-line versions of their local paper in lieu of the less tree-friendly paper version.
I’m definitely in the on-line category. I’ve never had a paper subscription. It’s just much easier to peruse news sources on-line — no muss, no fuss, no waste. But the article’s closing paragraph does make a good point:
…if newspapers cease publishing hard copy editions, they’ll be leaving elderly readers without a longstanding resource for news.
While news is a for-profit model in many cases, it’s also a public service. To disregard a sizable demographic of the readership would be irresponsible.
So where’s the compromise? Clearly on-line news sources will only continue to expand, but how can papers responsibly phase out their hard-copies?
There are more questions than answers about the fate of newspapers. One thing is for certain though, it’s not a question of IF newspapers will go away…it’s WHEN & HOW.
~R
04.15.09
Off the shelf PR
There was an announcement in the Phoenix Business Journal yesterday that the Valley of the Sun will soon have a PRStore.
This franchise touts itself as offering:
- Logo design
- Web development
- Direct mail
- Brochures
- Promotional products
- Press release
- Media placement
…all in a one-stop-shop.
I feel fairly skeptical about a shop like this for two reasons:
- PR requires planning! You can’t just go in and do one-off press releases!! It’s not strategic. Press releases are a TACTIC!
- Several PRStore franchisees have recently filed claims of fraud and racketeering against the franchise owners.
I understand that making public relations accessible to small business is important. We in the field all know the tremendous power of our craft…when executed appropriately.
It comes down to this — with what I’ve learned about PRStore, I don’t have confidence in the company (Anyone being sued for fraud doesn’t exactly inspire trust and confidence!) nor do I believe the their practices conducive to long-term strategy that ultimately serves clients best and drives business to them.
But don’t just take it from me. Several PR peers I look up to had similar opinions about the new “agency.”
Len Gutman of Valley PR Blog:
I really am not sure what to think. I can see where the centralization of graphic design, web sites, collateral development, printing and such can be cost effective for a small client. I could even be convinced that a franchisee in a strip mall can write a decent press release — although I’d like to see their degree and test them on their knowledge of AP Style. But I can’t believe they can craft a strategic public relations campaign with well thought out tactics across multiple platforms.
Abbie Fink of HMA Time:
Our industry has spent years convincing clients and our organizations that public relations is a strategic part of any good business plan. That it must be well thought-out and budgeted for. It is not something that can or should be purchased off the shelf.
Public relations is not a commodity, we shouldn’t sell it the same way as we sell shirts and ties.
It should be mentioned that the franchisees who are opening the Phoenix location do have marketing backgrounds.
Still…I’m skeptical.
~R
03.31.09
Chicago Sun-Times in the Red
Sun-Times Media Group, owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and 58 other papers, has filed for Ch. 11 bankruptcy today. The Sun-Times plans to continue to run its holdings as usual while it restructures and “stabilizes operations.” See the full CNN article here.
The hits really just keep on coming don’t they!
While the Sun-Times announcement is bothersome, I’m more worried about the fresh cuts announced at both the Washington Post and The New York Times this week. The overall picture is really bleak.
How about a tally, shall we?
- Washington Post – budget cuts
- New York Times — budget cuts
- L.A. Times — holding company in bankruptcy
- Chicago Times — holding company in bankruptcy
- Chicago Sun-Times — holding company in bankruptcy
- Seattle PI — Web only
- Christian Science Monitor — Web only
- Rocky Mountain News — ciao
- Miami Herald — reportedly for sale
That’s disheartening. That’s a lot of talented journalists jobs at risk.
What’s worse is that there’s still no contingency plan. We are still asking “where will journalism go?” The answer seems to be online, but how will this format sustain itself?
Until we have answers, we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled. Keep tabs at Paper Cuts.
~R
