LinkedIn- The real-world company networking event

In my social media class, we have moved farther into the “Social Media Marketing Workbook.” This chapter focuses primarily on LinkedIn. This is a place to get connections and grow the outreach of those connections. It is all about the people you know, not what you know. I wanted to share just a few of the points when working with connections.

 1^st level connections:

-These are the people who have accepted your connection requests.

·         You can direct message or see the email of these connections.

·         You can ask them to introduce you to their 1^st level connections.

·         You can search for people whom match that keyword and are 1^st level connections.

2nd level connections

-These are the 1^st level connections of your 1^st level connections.

·         These are the friends of friends.

·         You ask your 1^st level connections for an introduction to a 2^nd level.

You want to continually ask business people for their emails. From here you want to look them up on LinkedIn. The key is not to spam people who are on LinkedIn. Only contact those people whom you know. If you spam people you do not know, your account can be deactivated. Also, you want people to ask you to be a connection. If you give a presentation, then you should ask the attendees to connect on LinkedIn. Connecting your LinkedIn to your blog or website can increase the flow of people on your account.  

LinkedIn is the site for connections. While reading this chapter, I got on my own LinkedIn account and added content per how the book suggested to. I encourage all of you to get on your own accounts and build your profile. Happy connecting!

How to Build a Crisis Team

This week I decided to take a turn from social media and focus on public relations. I found an article on PR News about five ways to build a crisis team. You never know when or where a crisis can occur. It only takes a moment to tear down a brands reputation. It is important for a company to have a group of people prepared to handle these situations. This group of people will work as a team to respond to the crisis and figure out how to rebuild the brand at any time.

This article highlights the five points on how to build a powerful crisis team. I wanted to share this with all of you because a crisis team is crucial to have when building or running a brand.

1.       Establish a baseline

The baseline is used to determine the positive and negative mentions. This then makes it possible to know exactly when a situation has turned into a crisis. This information should then be shared with management so they are on the same page.

2.       Assign members to communicate with media, stakeholders, and the public

This can occur on social media channels, online newsroom, or individual accounts. Pre-assigning members is the best way to ensure you reach key stakeholders.

3.       Create a crisis command center

Have a command center where you can consolidate, report, and process from a data standpoint. You can a specific area where crisis is set up and you have members of each team working on a solution in the drill sessions.

4.       Invest in training, planning, and drills

It has been noted that it is well worth the spend when you have money specifically saved for drills and training for crisis situations.

5.       Get an executive buy-in

It is extremely important to make the case to upper management that their organization could be wiped out by a crisis.

Crisis control is detrimental when crisis comes along. There are keys steps to take to build a top crisis team. I hope you have also learned something about how important crisis management is. Remember that a crisis can come along at any time and threaten your business, so make sure your team is prepared!

Posters for Tomorrow

4Tomorrow is an independent, non-profit organization based in Paris. They work with people in and outside of the design community. The poster projects are created based on issues that affect all of us. The past poster campaigns have covered topics including: freedom of expression, death penalty, right to education, gender equality, right to housing and the Work Right campaign. The main goal of 4Tomorrow is to create a greater range of awareness in a powerful manor.

They chose posters to be the media of the designs because they are “easy to make and distribute.” They are a simple way to express thoughts and engage people in discussions. Posters are widely attractive and accessible.

My Narrative Structures class has had the opportunity in the past two weeks to explore what 4Tomoorow does and create our own posters. The topic we were given was the right to education. For this we had to look deep into the demographics and statistics behind children not engaging in schooling across the world. We also have had the opportunity to work alongside the Ada Public Library to promote education.

We do not realize how privileged some of us are to be getting any sort of education. There are children out there that are deprived of these rights. In some countries, the boys are the ones who get to go to school. These boys are also the ones who drop out sooner or repeat grades. Many children that do get the opportunity to get an education, have parents who are incapable of helping them with their homework. The numbers of parents and children that do not receive and education is overwhelming.

I have included the image of the poster I designed for the right to education campaign. Through so much research I found this one quote that stuck with me. The quote by John Dewey states, “Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.” Education is the basis for life, it enables us to grow and learn the unthinkable.

I encourage all of you to think about how you got to where you are today. Research some of the facts about education worldwide. Think about all those children out there who do not get the education they deserve. I also encourage all of you to research posters for tomorrow because what they do could change the way the world thinks. 

Six Random Tattoo Facts

Sense I have personally gotten four tattoos in the past couple of years, and have been looking for more ideas, I figured it would be interesting to look up some random facts about tattoos. I found an article on msn that goes through a series of facts. I chose just six that I found most intriguing. Enjoy!

1.       Between 1961 and 1997, it was illegal to get a tattoo in New York City following the outbreak of hepatitis B.

2.      The red star which is incorporated into the Macy's logo is a part of the tattoo of its founder, R.H. Macy. Macy got the ink while working on a whaling ship in his adolescence. 

3.      Black henna used for temporary tattoos contains p-phenylenediamine or PPD. The FDA has warned that it may cause permanent scarring and other reactions.

4.      Over the years, sailors’ tattoos have had different meanings. For instance, a turtle indicated he had crossed the Equator, a dragon signified that the sailor had served in China, and an anchor showed that he had crossed the Atlantic. 

5.      A tattoo parlor called Little Vinnie’s Tattoos in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is well known among female breast cancer survivors. Vinnie expertly designs detailed areolas on women after they have had mastectomies. 

6.      While filming “xXx,” actor Vin Diesel had a fake tattoo – the name Melkor – on his stomach. It was revealed that it was the name of Diesel’s character on a game of which he was a big fan, Dungeons & Dragons.

I hope you all found these facts as interesting as I did. Tattoos have become a soft of addiction for me. While they can be addicting, tattoos for me have been a strong sense of self-expression and a strong creative outlet. So, have any of you gotten a tattoo? If so what meaning do they have in their life? 

Why Social Media Marketing is Valuable

In my social media class, we have moved on to a new book entitled, Social Media Marketing Workbook by Jason McDonald. This book is designed to explain how to market on social media, but also provides access to free social media marketing tools. In the introduction, they highlight the four reasons social media marketing is valuable.

1.       Social media is big:

·         Facebook- over one billion users

·         LinkedIn- 350 million members

·         YouTube- 300 hours of video are uploaded every minute

·         Google+ and Yelp- nearly everyone uses to check business reviews

2.      Your customers are on social media:

·         Facebook- teenagers to grandmas, business executives to flight attendants

·         LinkedIn- professionals

3.      Social media is free:

·         Access to friends and family

·         Information on brands

·         Build brands, spread eWOM

4.      Social Media can reach not only existing but also new customers

-Facebook and Twitter

·         Stay in touch with current customers

·         Be discovered by new customers

Social media is key for marketing industries. Most clients and customers utilize social media networks so industries can find customers and customers can find them. I am excited to share with you all more tips as I read more into this book.

Pinterest and the Wedding Industry

It is no shocker to the people who know me that Pinterest is my favorite social platform. While searching for recent activity involving the social media world, I found an article on SocialMedia Today involving recent data on Pinterest and its involvement in wedding planning. I found some of the findings from the study to be shocking, while others seem more obvious.

I just want to share some of the results the Pinterest company found while conducting their study.

1.    Busiest months for wedding planning:

The study found that January through March are the busiest months. Pinners are also using Pinterest more when they are still in the “discovery mode” and searching for what they might like. This seems obvious to me because I feel as though people are planning during those times for a springtime wedding.

2.   Searches and Pins per year:

The results showed that Pinners save nearly 900 million Pins about weddings per year. They also conduct 378 million wedding-related searches every year.

3.   Engaged Pinners:

Pinterest says that 81% of engaged Pinners start planning on Pinterest before they’re even engaged. This is not a shocking comment to me. As a female, planning your wedding is one of the biggest events in your life, so having ideas ahead of time does not come as a surprise.

These are just three of the points made in the article. So, I have a couple of questions for you all. Have you or someone you know started their wedding planning ahead of time? Was Pinterest a first resort? What do you feel is the most important part of the wedding planning process?

“From finding the perfect dress, to last rose petal falling on the isle, and the romantic kiss after the I do’s, you fall in love with the idea that today is the day, your dreams come true.”

 -Faith Lugibihl

The Little Blue Book: Volume Four

It has come the time to some up “The Art of Social Media.” I have found this book to be very helpful. Not only does it describe what each social media platform does, it also gives tips on how to properly run these sites. I love how the book is written in such a way that anybody can understand and follow what Guy and Peg have shared with us. I just want to share with you all some of the things that I have learned and find useful from reading this “Little Blue Book!”

1.       Stay Consistent

It is very important to stay consistent between each platform that you use. You should use the same screen name and image as you are creating a profile on each site. This makes it easier for people to find and connect with you.

2.      Responding to Comments

The key here is to go three rounds. First round is the initial comment. The second round should be your response and the third round is the commenters second comment. After this point it is turned to an argument and should no longer be put on social media. If all else fails do not be afraid to delete, block, or report.

3.      Add a share button

You should add share buttons to your blog. This is a great way to get more people to follow you. They will also use this as social proof and might encourage more people to share your posts.

4.      Do not be clueless

This is where you should not tell people what to share. You also should not do things such as buy followers or ask people to follow you. Ignore the unfollows, meaning do not announce when you unfollow someone and do not ask why someone unfollowed you. Be clean and professional.

This book is full of so many more tips than I have shared with you. I hope you have learned things as I have from “The Little Blue Book.” Feel free to add some of your own comments or tips that you have learned!

Five Ingredients You Didn't Know Were in a Can of Coca-Cola

For the past few weeks I have been working on an info graphic for one of my classes. We had to recreate an old info graphic to better it. Through hours of research I found out information that has changed my mind on drinking Coca-Cola. There are just some things that are not displayed to you on things such as the nutrition label. The company has recently released their “Taste the Feeling” campaign. Coco-Cola wants their customers to believe they are getting “great taste and refreshment.” They want to bring to life the idea that drinking Coke is a simple pleasure that makes every day moments more special.

With everything comes some sort of glitch. For the Coca-Cola industry, their glitch is the effects the ingredients have on the people drinking them. I just wanted to share with you all some of the effects that Coke has on the body.

1.       E591- Aspartame

Aspartame is a GMO product that in extremely high doses has a major effect on the body. A major concern is Aspartame poisoning. The side effects of this include: unconsciousness, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, palpitations, weight gain, anxiety, memory loss, depression, and more. The diseases that can come from this include: brain tumors, MS, Epilepsy, Graves’ Disease, Alzheimer’s, and Tuberculosis.

2.      Carbonated tap water

This water comes from unfiltered municipal tap water. The added carbon to this increases the body’s gastric secretions. This may also make you flatulent.

3.      E590- Acesulfame Potassium

This ingredient is known for aggravating the heart, vascular and nervous systems. It can be very harmful for pregnant women and children.

4.      E338- Orthophosphoric Acid

This can lead to osteoporosis. Side effects can include things such as skin and eye irritation and can interfere with the body’s calcium absorption.

5.      E330- Citric Acid

Citric Acid is okay for the body in small doses. If becomes a problem when consumed in larger doses. When consumed in large doses Citric Acid begins to eat away at the stomach and esophageal lining.

These are just some of the ingredients that go into that “refreshing” can of Coca-Cola.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this is not to turn you away from Coca-Cola, but it a way to get all of you to take a step back and think about what you are putting into your body every time you drink a can of Coke. Feel free to leave your opinions about this in the comments!

Social Media's Overall Impact on Society

 This week’s blog is a little different from what you typically see. I made a podcast! It is about the impact social media has in our society today. We all know that sense social media made its entrance in the world, it has made a huge impact on our lives. This can be good for everyone to listen to as I touch upon some positives and negatives social media has had.

 Social Media's Overall Impact on Society

Key Points:

The positives-

Communication

Socialization

The Negatives-

Disconnect from the world around us

Attention seekers

Cyberbullying and harassment

Productivity and privacy

Sources I Referenced:

The Good, The Bad, The Social

Delete Cyberbullying

What Impact has Social Media Truly had on Society

Social Media and Society: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

RSS

Benefits of being a Military Brat

So, for those of you who do not know, a Military Brat is the child of a Military serviceman or woman. I am a proud Navy Brat. If I could go back to my childhood I would not change a thing. I was born on a Military Base in Jacksonville, Florida. I have lived in another country, and traveled to many states.

I wanted to share with you all a few of the things I have found beneficial from being a Brat.

1.      Respect for others

This may seem cliché, but it has really taught me to be respectful to other people, especially for those in the Military. These people have been through so much in their lives and put their lives out there for our safety. I honestly thank a veteran or active service member every chance I get because you do not know the last time someone thanked them and how much it means to them. I come from a line of Military people so it is something that I feel is ingrained into me, and I respect what those who serve do for everyone else.

2.      Desire to travel

Like I mentioned above I was born in Jacksonville, Florida. I have also lived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Now I was a baby when this happened but I do remember a few things; the warm weather, swimming on Christmas, and the crabs that seemed to be everywhere. Other places I have lived include Norfolk, Virginia and somewhere in Maryland. This has given me the urge to always want to be on the go, travel, and explore new things. You learn that there are so many more things out there to experience than if you stayed in one place you whole life. (I have been to many more places but there are just too many to list.)

3.      Lifelong memories

Even though my father retired from the U.S. Navy back in 2001 and I was only four years old I remember some of the things like they happened yesterday. Like living in Cuba, I remember little things like swimming in the ocean, the animals that you will not encounter in Ohio, and just the calmness from the fresh air. One event I do not remember but do remember the stories about would be the hurricane that I was told I slept through. I also remember the day my father retired. There is no other experience like walking onto the massive aircraft carrier as a four-year-old and the pride and joy that came from that moment of my father serving our country but also the feeling that I will have my dad at home and not off traveling the world.

There are so many more benefits to being a Brat. I just wanted to give you all a little insight into some of my life and what it means to me to be able to have had some of the experiences I have had in my life. One thing I do ask of you all is when you see a veteran or service member, please thank them. I guarantee it will make their day so much better!

The Little Blue Book: Volume Three

This week’s readings stand out with the “Don’ts” on how to not look clueless on social media. I mean who wants to look clueless on their social media? I know I do not. As obvious as it may seem it is key to not look portray yourself as clueless. You may not even know you are doing some of these things, but after this I hope you learn a few ways to improve the way you interact on social media.

 Below are just a few of the “Don’ts” that stood out to me as I was reading.

1.      Don’t be an orifice

If want you want to say has no value, is belligerent, or shuts down others posts, then you should not say them. It is as simple as that. Don’t say hurtful/harmful things just because you think it might make you look “cool.”

2.      Don’t buy followers or ask people to follow you

People think that having many followers is important, and it is. But it is even more important that those followers are interactive toward your posts. If you ask people to follow you or buy followers, you are not getting quality followers. They can often just be an empty name on the list of followers.

3.      Don’t worry about unfollows

It does NOT matter who you unfollow. People quit frankly do not care about this. More than likely if you unfollow someone, it will not influence someone to unfollow that same person. Also, don’t worry why people unfollow you. It is a process and a part of social media. It happens. It is not worth stressing over those who leave.

4.      Don’t swear

I really like this one because I am often turned off from reading something that had profane language. Especially repeated swearing. It used to represent openness and sincerity, but it is also seen as inarticulate and clueless.

I hope you have learned something, as I have, from these few tips. Just remember to represent yourself or your company in a professional or intelligent manner!

Google Adds New Function Similar to Pinterest

I am a huge fan of Pinterest and of food. While searching for a topic for this week’s blogs I found an article on SocialMedia Today that has Google looking like Pinterest. This caught my attention first because of the food but also because of how similar it looks to the actual Pinterest app.

  The Google app has added a new “Recipe Search” function that is like the “Guided Search” option on Pinterest. This allows users an additional range of which to search and find exactly what you want. This new function now gives guided suggestions to satisfy your desires. This is almost the exact same as the Pinterest app.

Guided Search on Pinterest was launched in 2014 and has only been improving since. Google is concerned that they will lose search traffic. With the number of people who use other sites to search for anything means that that number is not searching on the Google site.

It is not a shocker that all social media sites are trying to grow and this is causing them to be more aligned. If they have the opportunity to adapt a function that is working for someone else, they will try to make it work for their program. This can cause a loss in differentiation meaning that eventually all the social media networks could run together and act as the same function.

From looking at the way the new Google function works compared to Pinterest, I am somewhat bothered by how similar they are. I feel as though networks should work in such a way that they stay independent. I understand wanting to reach more people by adding a new function, but I also think it is important to stand out and be your own thing.

So, I ask you, will you be trying the new Google “Recipe Search” or are you going to remain with the Pinterest “Guided Search?”