Holiday Vacation

There will be no blog post until the New Year as I am traveling out the country for the rest of the month. Everyone have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!

Holiday Season: A Time To Give

This will be a short post today because I have been so swamped with school work, only two weeks to graduation! However, I wanted to write about a special cause my organization is participating in to create awareness about feeding those in the Lubbock community who are without food.

I am so blessed to have at least three meals a day and am excited to participate in the food drive here at work. What is interesting is that my organization chose to create a witty video about canned foods that really took away from the sadness associated with the feed the hungry campaign. The images on the traditional print (posters, flyers, etc.) are all more realistic showing children with empty plates. I think that both are fine and get the word-of-mouth going. I know my office will be participating by providing canned foods for those in need!  I hope that for those of you who have the opportunity to help someone this holiday season take action and make the season special for those in need.

Hurricane Sandy: Crisis Communication At Its Best

What is one of the top stories trending on social media right now? Well hurricane Sandy of course! In what is predicted to be one of the most devastating and largest hurricanes in the history of the United States, hurricane Sandy is set to hit land tonight. To any public relations practitioner, a crisis such as this is a once in a lifetime event to study.

So much research from this crisis is just staring us in the face. Which state communicated its proactive storm efforts and evacuation orders best, which media channel was most utilized to disseminate information, how well did the government communicate with states, which sources were viewed as most influential and trustworthy, etc. The list could go on and on! There is so much that public relations practitioners could learn from this event in order to influence future natural disaster crisis communication efforts. I for one will be examining and analyzing as many of the communication tactics as possible, but I hope that someone with more time and resources will actually conduct research on this crisis.

A Life Without Facebook

Author: Anonymous

Deciding to leave Facebook was a decision I had encountered before. In the past I had given up my account as a form of religious fasting, but this last time was different. I think as technology advanced and allowed me greater access to my addiction, I decided that it was maybe time to call it quits.

It all started with a horrible dating experience that opened my eyes up to how different the world might really be thanks to social media. No longer is there any mystery or excitement in trying to figure out the other person when their lives are plastered on your news feed. By this happening, it ties into your friends, their friends, and strangers knowing your business or having an opinion which could make or break a potential relationship.

I have also become very uncomfortable with the mobile apps being able to automatically upload pictures for me, track my every movement, and make potential profit on any marketing data they acquire from me.

The third reason I canceled Facebook was because I became tired of hearing how happy everyone else’s lives were going. I know this sounds horrible, but, it feels like Facebook would tend to emphasize areas of life you may feel deficient. While I have a very fortunate life filled with travel, amazing sports seats, and very close friends, it always seemed like Facebook would highlight other areas of impropriety in my life.

I cancelled Facebook the last week of July, 2012, and haven’t looked back. I said goodbye to friends I hadn’t seen or really spoken to in years, and have begun taking a more active role in my own life and development, focusing on personal and meaningful relationships. Those friends who truly matter have my email and phone number. I went from 900 FB friends to about 20 close friends and family that will be around the rest of my life.

I think others will begin feel Facebook Fatigue and gravitate to a more in person social environment. By cancelling Facebook, I no longer feel like someone is looking over my shoulder and watching my every move. This includes employers or potential employers.

Public Relations: Academia Versus Industry

I literally just finished a 17 page exam over public relations including its definition, theories, models, major contributors to the field, etc. Of course the main issue I focused on throughout was how a lack of a universal definition of PR makes it impossible for others not in the industry to understand what PR really is. Even those in the industry don’t understand! We are not advertisers, we are not marketers, and we are not journalists. Public relations has evolved greatly over the last few years and with the ever changing internal and external environments surrounding organizations, PR will continue to advance.

I read a blog post today in the Huffington Post by MichaelRamah and there was one thing he said that really incorporated what public relations practitioners do in today’s markets. “Successfully building multi-directional paths of communication between organizations and their stakeholders is now pivotal to brands' strength and survival. And the only industry that's really in a position to do that well -- to assess client needs and deliver solutions with more insight and less prejudice than anyone else -- is public relations.”

He goes on to discuss how PR practitioners don’t just utilize one theory, method, or media channel sources as they once did; instead they use specific tools to handle communication challenges, all which vary based on the situation presented. I just found it interesting that not even 2 hours after completing an exam on this very topic in the PR academic world, someone in the professional PR world wrote about the same thing. Perhaps the criticism that the PR industry is not in alignment with PR academia is shifting toward a more universal understanding of the practice? Or perhaps the faculty at the Texas Tech College of Media and Communication are just that in tune with what is happening in the industry compared to past practices and just did an awesome job of educating me? Who knows, either way the methods in which PR practitioners are handling communication challenges is changing. I can’t wait to see how the industry will continue to shift in the future.

No Blog Post

There is no post this week because I have been writing three seperate papers for school. Just burned out on writing for the week. Thanks!

Social Media and 9/11

Last year, on this exact day, I wrote a blog post about how media in general has changed over the years. Today, I noticed tons of bloggers and journalists writing stories over the same thing but with more focus on how social media would have been beneficial 11 years ago on 9/11. So for today’s post I will just repeat what I wrote last year because it is still true.

“When I read and hear others stories about where people were and how they heard about the planes crashing into the twin towers, almost all say “I found out through the television” or “My friend called me to tell me about it.” Then the next day people would pick up a newspaper to learn more. Think about how you were notified and how you communicated with others about it. No one was flocking to Twitter or Facebook to spread the word. They were not clicking news apps on their phones to find out information. Instead, the media used television as their main outlet. It is amazing to me how much has changed over a ten year time period. Now most would go online to social media sites when seeking information. Before, people could only watch and then converse with those they saw in person or called. Now, one can get information from multiple sources and talk about it in seconds to others worldwide.”

How could social media have changed the spread of information and events that happened on 9/11? There are so many answers to this question but we have to remember that this was 11 years ago. Yes things would have been much different, but we could apply social media to any major catastrophe that happened in history and come up with ways in which it could have been different.

So once again I repeat myself from last year:

“To all of those who lost their lives and to their families, we remember you on this day. To those who fight to protect this country, thank you for all that you do.”

Twitter Research: It's Getting Interesting

An interesting study was released today suggesting that Lubbock residents were more friendly on Twitter (ha-ha imagine that). For those of you who have never been to Lubbock, well welcome to West Texas where people are friendly. The study specifically focused on certain phrases used on Twitter such as “good morning” and “F*ck you” finding that Lubbock was consistently active in saying “good morning.” Houston, Buffalo NY, and Los Angeles were some of the cities ranked highest for dropping the F bomb.

I don’t think there is much to write about this, more just something that I found interesting. I think analysis of conversational lingo on Twitter may correlate with overall attitudes of residents within cities; however, this study definitely needs to be repeated several more times, on a larger scale, and over a longer time frame. Just found this fascinating so thought I would share!



 

 

 

 

Typical results of the “Good Morning” Twitter map from Vertaline

Great Twitter Feeds

No big post today, just an article everyone should read on the funniest corporate twitter feeds. I love it

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33488/14-funny-brands-you-cant-help-but-follow-in-social-media

Social Media Altering the Brain?

I recently read the article “This is your brain on social media” and found it interesting, but I’m not sure I believe most of it. The author claims that social media is rewiring our brains, which is true, but maybe not to the extent that is suggested in this article. Here is my breakdown:

We’re becoming dumber: I spend a lot of time on social media sites, including conducting research on social media use among health care professionals. I do not believe the statement “their brains are more numb than that of a pot smoker.” More research is definitely needed on this. I could see how multitasking and participating/being active in several social media accounts at once could do this, but it seems only temporary at best. Research has suggested that multitasking negatively affects the brain, causing disorientation and lack of focus. Also, citing research from 2005? Please. Let’s get some updated information here because popular sites such Twitter were not even around until 2006. Also, the public was not utilizing social media the same in 2005 as they are today.

We get bored more easily: Well this I believe. I think it is because we as a society are so used to be connected to others that when we are not, we don’t know what to do with our time. Easy enough to consider.  Moving on….

We are less satisfied: I would hope that people are less satisfied by connecting/conversing with people online then they would in real life. Several factors are involved in communication including tone, body language, facial expressions, etc. Most of these factors are missing with online communication which is why it would make sense that people are not as satisfied with an online conversations in comparison to face to face.

We are becoming more partisan: I agree with this to an extent. I think this statement forgets to consider factors such as age, education level, access to internet, and so on. For example, some of my dance students who are around 10 years old believe what they read in online news. They do not question what they read or research opposing viewpoints. They do not understand that sites such as Google and Facebook select content that they think would be of interest to the individual. However, these are kids who are at a lower level of education and a lower level of online freedom/access. Now if adults believe and quote everything they read online without learning about opposing views, well…hmmm…how to word this nicely….that’s just ridiculous.

Social Media in the OR

Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children took a big step yesterday by allowing a social media team into the OR to report on the surgery of a three-year-old girl. This live stream of updates was a first for any hospital in the Orlando Health System. Of course the parents signed consent, but physicians allowing live feeds and updates to be reported from their OR are still rare. It is instead an upcoming trend that most are still VERY uncomfortable with.

The social media team posted updates on Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and live video on YouTube. They will also be covering the little girl’s recovery over the next few weeks. I can only imagine the legal nightmare that the hospital went through to accomplish this task, however, it did seem successful. When handled appropriately, live feeds from the OR can be educational and informative. However, handled poorly, and well……..your just asking for it ha-ha.

Questions are being raised though. Are the images too graphic for social media? Is it fair to the child to show her surgery when she doesn’t fully understand the privacy issues? Has social media gone too far? Etc. The outcome from streaming this surgery has created word of mouth, views and hits on the sites were extremely high, and the story is being covered both nationally and internationally. So I guess the question really is “Was it worth it” and the answer as of right now is “Yes.”

Are We Too Connected?

My post today is a simple concept but one that I have found myself thinking about a lot. Are we too connected? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have my phone and ipad with me at all times. Plus, I have a laptop computer that I use at home. I realized when hanging out with a friend last week that maybe I should try harder to disconnect myself from the world for an hour or so. We couldn’t even watch a movie without my email making my phone beep! Then he would say “Do you need to check that?” and of course the answer was “Yes.” But do I really need to check my email when it comes through? Will the world end if I don’t respond to people in a timely manner past 5 pm? Probably not, but I find myself responding immediately to emails, posts, etc. It doesn’t really bother me too much because I make myself available for people to find me if needed, however, I know some of my friends are not the same. Once 5 pm hits, the computer goes off. Just think of how many devices you use per day and for how long to stay connected to others. What do you think? Are we too connected? I believe the answer to be yes, but is it sometimes bad to be so connected?

Facebook and Preconceived Notions

So my name’s Taylor, and about ten months ago (September 14th, 2012, to be exact), I was accepted into medical school at the Texas Tech School of Medicine. I was so excited I may have cried a little. About six months ago, I joined a Facebook page for the Texas Tech School of Medicine Class of 2016. And my excitement disappeared faster than a dad at a dance recital.

The people posting to this Facebook page were the most annoying people I had ever seen! I’m spending the next four years with these kids? This is the problem with meeting people on the Internet before you meet them in person. You develop opinions about them based on three or four comments on a public forum.

Take for example Jessica* (name has been changed- God forbid my future classmates stumble upon this post), who posted the most obnoxious and annoying questions on our page. Which textbook edition should we use? What are the professor’s office hours like? Where will I park during the year? And all I could think was “Really, Jessica? It’s February! Why do you need to know where you’ll be parking next August?” It was so irritating! I couldn’t handle her questions, and she had me worried that my entire med school class would drive me as crazy as she did.

But when I met Jessica at welcome weekend, I actually enjoyed her company. (It helped that she bought a few of my drinks). She wasn’t the annoying gunner I thought she was going to be, but it was still hard to get that image of her out of my head. To this day, anytime I see that Jessica has posted on our Facebook page, I groan.

Then there is this boy Drew* who was as awful in person as he was over the Internet. This kid got into a fight (and I do mean fight) with current medical students over what textbooks to use. All I wanted to say was, “I’m sorry Drew, have you been in medical school before? No? Then shut up!” Instead I closed my computer down and avoided him like the plague at welcome week. In fact, any time I saw Drew, he was relatively alone.

Did this guy completely alienate himself from the group before he’d even met any of them in person?

And if Drew could do that in five comments, could I?

 

Guest Blogger: Taylor Warmoth

Too Young For Facebook? Not Anymore

If any of you have been watching the news lately I am sure that you have heard the rumors about Facebook allowing new users under the age of 13 to join the site, and yes the rumors are true. Facebook has been tossing around the idea for a few weeks now and are trying to find a “safe, child-friendly space on the site” (The New York Times). Here are my thoughts on this:

1.       Allowing users under 13 is a marketers/advertisers dream! Target, target, target those kiddos and start getting them hooked on your brand while they are young and don’t know any better ha-ha.

2.       I personally don’t think these kids will know how to responsibly use the site but I guess that is where parents would need to step in and monitor the use (like they really will)

3.       Privacy risks are already a big issue and so imagine how bad it will get when a young adult posts things online that can come back to bite them in the butt later. They don’t understand the seriousness of privacy concerns or even how long a photo can stay out in the cyber world

4.       As a part-time dance instructor, I allow certain students from the dance studio to be my friend and see my status updates. However, if the young adults that I teach tried to add me, I would have to deny it. Sad face but in my opinion they aren’t mature enough to know me on that level and to respect my Facebook page. What’s to keep them from posting stupid, pointless things on my wall? They don’t need to know when I am out at happy hour. Ha-ha.

5.       Facebook should just create a Facebook for kid’s version that is completely separate and then transfer the profile, etc when they hit a certain age. The end (just a thought and pretty sure that would be complicated)

6.       Isn’t cyber bullying a huge issue right now? I don’t think allowing young adults another site to intimidate and harass others is a good idea.

I could literally go on and on about this but oh well. Honestly, from the PR side, I understand the pros of allowing under 13 users on Facebook. From my personal opinion, I don’t like the idea. What do you think?

Traveling

The blog is going to remain inactive for a few weeks due to me traveling for my job. I am trying to line up guest bloggers in my place to help fill the void. If not, I will be back and posting soon!

Facebook Ads Ineffective?

General Motors (GM) has officially removed itself from Facebook advertising after claiming that the ads had “little impact on consumers’ car purchases.” This is a big deal for Facebook since the company is headed into public offerings on target to become a $100 billion company. A huge corporation such as GM leaving the Facebook advertising world has created some buzz about the effectiveness of the ads. The news of GM discontinuing advertising with Facebook did come as a shock to most, but mainly because of the timing is this drawing in media attention. Also, “According to an AP-CNBC poll this week, 57 percent of Facebook users never click ads or other paid content.” This stat is not helping Facebook at all either. Personally, I never look at Facebook ads and find them annoying. Ads on the site never influence my purchasing decisions and I actually just flat out ignore them. However, I am a PR person and understand that I am being targeted etc., so I wonder if others are influenced by the ads and just not me? It would be interesting for Facebook to conduct eye tracking studies on consumers to locate where Facebook users are looking on a screen. Eye tracking could offer insight into whether or not consumers are in fact looking at ads on Facebook, and if so, what ads they find more appealing. So what do you think? Do the ads really impact your purchasing behavior?  Do you even notice them?

Social Media Fatigue?

Recently I read an article claiming that young adults are suffering from social media fatigue and honestly, I can agree with that statement. Dont get me wrong, I love social media and everything that it does but some days it can take alot of effort to use. During finals for school, I find it a chore to check my Facebook and Twitter accounts. It is not like it takes me a long time to get done; just more that I forget or want to sleep in my spare time away from the text books! The study also suggested that social media has crept into every corner of a young adults life, claiming respondents suggested that it directly conflicts with family, friend and significant others. My favorite part of this study was, “A significant number of respondents in all three countries say they visit social media sites while on dates (13 per cent), while in bed with their partner (11 per cent) and even during intimate moments (7 per cent).” Seems like maybe young adults need to be taught some manners! Ha-ha. Understanding social media use is still a newer topic in the research field, but perhaps experts should focus more on ways to keep social media balance? If young adults are already experiencing fatigue, will the fallout be here before we know it?

To read the research study, click here.

Social Media and the Teenager

 

Guest Blogger:
Alicia King

Very rarely do you find a teenager that does not use social media. It is a great way to connect with others that share similar interests. Sites such as Pinterest allow you to connect with millions of people to share great recipes, craft ideas, and the latest fashion trends. What more could a teen ask for? And YouTube is a great site for sharing music, dance, and funny videos. These useful tools enable us to be more in tune with the constantly changing trends and topics. These sites have allowed teens to connect in ways that have never before been possible. Being able to share similar interests not only with friends and family, but with people around the world is incredible. It is so exciting to think about what the future holds for social media!

Crazy Busy

There will no blog post until next week because I am taking finals and completing final projects at school this week. See you all next week for another great blog post and thanks for your patients!

Project Glass

The buzz this week has been all about Google’s new “Project Glass” or wearable glasses-like devices that present a transparent screen and give you web-connected data for your everyday life. I personally think this invention is a long way off and has a lot of problems that could arise from it, but the idea overall is awesome! So far on the Google+ Project Glass page the information has been shared over 10,000 times and there are 500 comments. Project Glass is definitely creating buzz. Is this the future of smart phones? The video of the glasses can be seen at here. I honestly love this idea and hope that Google can find a way to make this a success. However, I wonder how many people are going to be wearing these glasses and trying to drive, work, etc. A huge issue right now is people talking on the phone/texting while driving! How can Google encourage people to use these glasses responsibly? It looks like I would have to completely re-learn or practice walking just so I don’t get distracted by the web showing up in front of my eyes while out for a stroll!

I wonder if marketers and advertisers will take over your glasses to push products and promotions like they do now with every other piece of technology ha-ha. These are still a prototype and Google is doing the right thing by listening to possible consumers. We may never see these hit the market but now that the idea has been revealed to the masses, I bet we do. Imagine these glasses replacing your smart phone. It seems this could be a step into the future. What do you think?

What’s The Fastest Media Channel To Get In Touch With Someone?

I want to conduct an experiment someday soon to discover the fastest media channel to get in touch with me.

The experiment:

Multiple people somehow find a way to get in touch with me (all at the same time) about going to dinner.

That sounds easy enough right? I am just curious to see which media channel I would check first and which media channel would people choose to find me. Would it be Facebook, Twitter, email, text, instant message, or phone call? I honestly want to know which one I would respond to on the fastest and check first. I know the phone would be out because I screen and don’t always like to talk to people (even my friends) when I don’t know why they are calling. I think either through social networks, email or text would I be most likely to respond, check first is a whole different question.

Which one do you think you would check first and respond to?

Job Seekers Prepare To Hand Over Your Facebook Page

I was completely caught off guard this morning when watching HLN on TV thanks to a special news report. Apparently, more and more employers are asking job applicants for their Facebook login information. Many have been asking, “Is this legal?” Apparently so, but I doubt for long. The report this morning stated that three states in U.S. have already had representatives file to protect people from being asked for this personal information.

What happened to the good ole days of Facebook stalking where you try to “friend” the applicant and then see their page? This story has blown up in the news and gained a lot of attention in just a short amount of time. I feel like requesting Facebook login information would scare of possible candidates. If they don’t have anything to hide, they will gladly show you their page without having to hand you the password. Also, from a public relations standpoint, this shows that employers have little faith in their employees. It makes employers appear untrusting and unwilling to build personal relationships. In my personal experience, I have NEVER learned information about a person more from Facebook than from actually just taking the time to get to know them.

I understand how employers could examine someone’s Facebook page and make judgments about them as a person; however, I have to wonder how accurate those judgments really are? Can you learn everything you need to know from someone’s Facebook page? Employers are taking applicants login information and not only viewing the applicants’ page, but also their friends’ pages.  For example, I am friends with about 900 people on Facebook, yet I only actually spend face-to-face time with 30 of them. Just how accurate of an analysis of a person can you make from this? We no longer judge a book by its cover, we judge by its Facebook page. Also, most people tend to use Facebook to connect with others. If knowing that an employer could deny you a job based on your Facebook profile and friends, will this limit who you are friends with and your connections?

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out in the courts and in the future that’s for sure. What do you think? Are employers overstepping?

Does Social Media Take A Spring Break Vacation?

Spring break is finally here! Well not for me because I work but for students at least. Are people still using social media as much as normal or is there a decline in social media use during spring break? Spring break is supposed to be a time for individuals to relax and enjoy their time off, but does this mean they take time off from their computers and phones as well? I notice that without my friends from school in town and without a boring class to sit in, I have not been checking my Facebook, Twitter, etc accounts, mostly because the people I want to see or the time I want to waste is not currently here. What do you think? Do you use social media more or less during spring break?

Social Networks and the First Time Mom

Guest Blogger: Meag Warren

When I first found out I was going to be a mom, being the crazy research type person I am, I immediately ran to the internet to start my search. I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of social networks made just for parents. Some great examples are cafemom.com, Mom365.com, babycenter.com and many more. Not only are the sites filled with doctors research and information but they have millions of questions and answers that are all posted by fellow parents. Through pregnancy and now birth of my son, I have been able to find information from parents who have experienced the same things. It is very comforting as a parent to know your not alone in some situations and are able to get sound advice from thousands of other parents just like you. Sometimes all the research in the world just doesnt compare to those real life experiences. These sites are also great for many other things such as all the great shopping tips! Everyone knows how expensive babies can be and by using these tools I know where all the great sales are and have saved a ton on diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, etc. These sites are even great for passing on information about fun kids activities happening in your area. This year we have been to kid fairs, swimming lessons, baseball events, library events, etc. all because of companys and parents posting their information on these websites. It truly is a great resource for any parent to help stay connected and up to date.

Too Many Different Social Media Accounts to Manage

Guest Blogger: Oscar Casas

FaceBook, Twitter, Google+, Blogger, and MySpace –by themselves, they’re already a lot to handle, but what if you’re in charge of the social media for your business? If so, then you have the above accounts X2! So let’s assume you’re in charge of social media for your small business or organization. How does one keep track of multiple accounts? When posting updates, would it seem difficult to not update your own account as opposed to your company’s account? How do you keep the two separated? Is it difficult to manage multiple logins / passwords? Is there a social media app that can separate the two for you? Will MySpace ever be relevant again?  

Book Authors Get Blogging

Recently I have had a little time to read for enjoyment (not school textbooks) and have actually managed to finish a few books. Several of the books that I have read are a three-part series, all with the third books waiting to be released. Naturally, I researched online to discover the release dates of these third books and what I found was very interesting. Instead of the author’s main website, the first search result pulled was the author’s blog. This happened when I searched for several different authors. I found the blogs to be much better than their websites and more personal. The blogs were a better way for me to relate the author, obtain information about the books, learn about what fans thought, and for me to contact the authors directly. The experience of the blogs provides a more personal feel without as much marketing behind it.  

So I decided to examine some differences on two author’s blog sites. Both of these authors (who shall remain nameless) write popular young adult fiction books. Most of the content was the same (comments from fans, post about upcoming books, etc.) but there were two things that I noticed right away.

1.       Author #1 blogged about her personal life as well as her books and story ideas. Author #2 strictly used the blog to discuss the books and stories.

2.       Author #1 did not respond to fans often or in a timely manner. Author #2 usually responded within 24 hours.

I find it interesting to see how people utilize blogs and what kind of information they disperse. Author #1 uses her blog to connect with readers through a personal level, allowing them to see into her daily life and world, while author #2 only connects with readers on a more professional level.

I do think that author #1 should attempt to respond to follower’s comments and posts. Most of the comments and posts were about the upcoming book being released in a few weeks. The author should be responding quickly to keep followers informed and interested in the new book. This is the perfect time to enhance the relationships with fans and consumers.

Author #2 had a very unique idea to solve a situation with her book. The third book in the series was supposed to be released today and it failed to meet the deadline. Fans and followers of the blog exploded the page with comments and questions. The author did not ignore what people were saying and asking. Instead she apologized, explained what had happened in the editing process and why the book was being delayed, and then as an apology gift released the first chapter of the third book for free on the blog. Talk about customer service 101!

So to sum up….book author’s get blogging!

Facebook IPO

Facebook has managed to once again change the social media scene. “Facebook on Wednesday filed to go public and raise $5 billion in what could be the largest-ever Internet IPO.” This is an amazing feat for Facebook and this announcement has also managed to put a high value of worth for other social media sites/companies. There really isn’t a whole I can say on this subject right now because I am just so excited to watch how other sites handle this. For example, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Google, Twitter, and Microsoft were some of their biggest competitors, stating that actions these companies take over the next year could have an effect on the FB stock. Here isa link to a great article that explains everything. Let me know your thoughtson this. A Facebook stock could really change the market. LEt me know what you think!

Goodbye Social Media, Hello Smart Phone?

Well the time has finally arrived, or so it seems. A majority of media professionals predicted that mobile apps would be the next big thing in 2012, yet what they failed to place major focus on was social media fatigue. New reports from India claim that “Of 2,000 Internet users surveyed across 14 cities, 55% recorded that they had consciously reduced time spent on social media, while nearly 30% had already deactivated or deleted their accounts from popular websites like Facebook, Twitter, Orkut and LinkedIn.” The users surveyed were urban Indian students ages 12 to 25, the most popular ages for social media sites.

Social media fatigue has been a concern but people failed to predict  just how fast it would get here. India ditching social media may be the beginning of change in the social media realm. It has been suggested that social media sites such as Facebook will be used mainly for E-Commerce and E-Marketing in the future and not for connecting/building relationships with friends. However, this report startles me. Universities across the United States are just now implementing social media classes in their communications colleges and departments. Are we too late? Is social media just a phase?

I do understand the fact that India is the only location to be reporting such high statistics and that additional research is needed to verify if results could be replicated in other countries. Yet, what can social media sites learn from this report? According to the researchers from the study, mobile apps that can directly connect people to each other are the way to go.

For example, one respondent answered “I’d rather talk to friends on ‘Whatsapp’ than write on their Facebook wall and await a delayed response.” Another said, “One can multitask between texting, calling, chatting and gaming rather than being addicted to a web page all day long.” It will be interesting to see if this social media fatigue trend increases and spreads, but also will be a great time for mobile app companies to really expand and reach new users.

Does Facebook Make You Sad?

I recently read a fascinating article titled Facebook: Issocial media envy making you sad? The writer of this article discusses how researchers from Utah Valley University “found that the way we view our lives and ourselves could very much be dependent on how much time we spend online.” One of the most interesting results the researchers discovered was that people who spend more time on Facebook thought others had a much better life than they do.

As a public relations professional, I spend hours on social networking sites, however, this is part of my job. Myself and other PR experts often define a lot of strengthens based on use of social media. For example, a Masters student in my class was recently asked to describe himself. He talked about his job and why he was getting a Masters degree, but then also concluded his introduction with his Klout score. He valued his “worth” based on how influential he was on Klout.  Perhaps those who are not using social media sites for work are experiencing social media envy.

Glancing through my personal Facebook news feed I currently see posts about babies, how lucky people are to be in love, wedding/engagement announcements, etc. My news feed is filled with people basically bragging about their lives ha-ha. One of the most common status updates I see if “I am so lucky to be in love with a wonderful man who treats me like a queen!” or “I am so blessed to have such a beautiful baby who is perfect in every way.” People seem like they are pumping themselves up or bragging about their amazing life. Are they really this happy all the time? I would say no. I think that most use social media sites to push positive messages because they don’t want to appear sad or unhappy. They want others to think everything is going perfectly in their lives when instead they most likely live a normal, chaotic, emotional life like everyone else. So if the majority is posting positive happenings in their lives, do others feel their lives aren’t good enough? According to the research yes.  

I do not live my life based on what others post or what I read on Facebook. I am not sad when I read that someone is engaged or bought a new house or something. Instead I just click the “like” button and move on to more interesting posts. Perhaps what Facebook users should realize is that the people you know on social media sites aren’t the real deal. You know their lives through a social media realm, not through personal face-to face interactions. Body language is removed, leaving only the word of the person posting to trust. So don’t be sad when you read others status updates that are happy, just be happy for that person and know that they face similar day to day problems just as you do. No one is perfect no matter how hard they try to make their Facebook profile reflect so.

SOPA Strike

So today is the big day! Major Websites are going dark for 24 hours in protest of web piracy bills. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what is occurring, let me fill you in briefly:

“Simply put, S. 968 and H.R. 3261 would require ISPs to block access to foreign websites that infringe on copyrights. Online piracy from China and elsewhere is a massive problem for the media industry, one that costs as much as $250 billion per year and costs the industry 750,000 jobs, according to a 2008 statement by Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). But how exactly the bills would counter piracy has many up in arms.” (FoxNews.Com)

The blackout is a “response to the Protect Intellectual Property Act under consideration in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, a pair of bills backed by the motion picture and recording industries that are intended to eliminate theft online once and for all.” (FoxNews.Com)

Major Internet sites participating in the blackout include Reddit, Wikipedia, Word Press, Mozilla, and more. For a complete list of participants, click here. Google, Twitter, Amazon and Facebook are also protesting. On my home page on Twitter, I count 14 tweets about SOPA that have come through in the last 10 minutes and the number will only continue to grow as the day goes on. Today is a big day for social media researchers. It will be interesting to observe how each site protests. For example, Google is protesting by censoring their logo. Wikipedia is making all of their English pages dark. This protest/blackout will give scholars and researchers a firsthand look at just how powerful and influential Internet site owners can be. Will the protest be successful or will it just cause Internet users to be frustrated with the sites? Do you agree with the protest or not?

Groupon Gets Clicky

Everyone loves Groupon and Living Social. These companies have been competing head to head offering daily deals in cities across the United States. I personally prefer Groupon over Living Social because the companies chosen for discounts are more reliable and if they are not, Groupons customer service is easier to deal with than Living Social.

However, Groupon is about to take themselves one step above Living Social and other daily deal sites by offering a Value Wheel called Clicky that will let you spin for discounts. “Clicky’s proposition is pretty straightforward: Groupon members can take a spin on Clicky and will be randomly awarded discounts.” The Groupon site does state that most people will not win anything but it still seems like a great way marketing tool. Who wouldn’t want to attempt to gain a discount on an already discounted item?

Groupon was one of the first companies involved in the daily deal movement and has remained at the top since its launch. Clicky is a great way for Groupon to gain new customers while keeping regular customers engaged as well. Plus, Clicky is not offered on other daily deal sites. I predict that numerous daily deal sites will follow with the discounts on an already discounted item idea shortly.   

What are your thoughts on Clicky?

Best/Worst Commercial of 2011

This will be a very short post today. I recently conducted a poll through my Twitter, Google +, and Facebook pages to see what my followers thought were the best and worst commercials of 2011. I appreciate everyone who voted and participated in my poll! Here are the results:

#1 Favorite: Party Rock Anthem-Kia Soul Hamster Commercial

#1 Worst: Poop There It Is-Luvs Diapers

There were some very close runner-ups but these two seemed to gain a unanimous vote! Do you agree with the results? Have ones that you think were better or worse? Let me know your thoughts!