Some social campaign pointers.

This term is slowly coming to a close and one of the classes that I will never forget is my Advertising/PR workshop class. My group and I worked the entire semester on this one important project in hopes of launching a successful campaign. Yes, we are talking about the whole enchilada, including the social aspect of it all; we set up a Facebook page as well as a Twitter account. Today, I came across some tips on Mashable for people who are thinking of working with social media for their campaign and realized, social media can take any campaign in a whole new direction.

Our campaign was very successful and I feel that some of the useful tips on Mashable can be seen in the way we conducted our semester long campaign. While my Ad/PR group worked on our campaign for the New York Organ Donor Network, we definitely used our Facebook page as well as our Twitter account to promote our event as well as our cause. We used it as a communication tool and our means of feedback from our target audience. It's very important to know what the goals of the campaign are. For us, it was to create awareness for the cause and to promote our event. We wanted to keep our supporters updated and motivated throughout the campaign, leading up to our big event. As our campaign comes to an end, we must not forget about the supporters that have been there the whole way. So, we will have a reflection/follow up for our supporters! A successful social media campaign is as good as the investment of time into it.

Who doesn't love freebies?

As everything seems to be moving to the social media world, it's nice to know freebies are there too. You should definitely check out this article on Mashable if you'd like some freebies! So, just a brief overview of the options:

1) Type in #freebie or #freebies in the search box

2) Follow them freebie tweeters (check out the article on Mashable for legit tweeters)

3) Checkout TwitterFreebies.com

4) Drop into a Twitter Party

5) Follow your favorite brands

Considering how simple these options are, why not give it a shot? I have been a dedicated follower of all my favorite brands ever since I started my Twitter account, so I can check that off my list. Working my way up the list from the bottom, dropping into a Twitter Party. Wait, they have parties on Twitter? You learn something new every day! Basically, a brand or company would host these events for about 2 hours for discussion as well as coupons and giveaways. I need to drop by a Twitter party sometimes myself. I'm making my way up the list and it can be quite distracting since there are so many freebies out there! Did I just read that there is free handmade soap?! I think freebies on Twitter is a great way to promote brands as well as keep tweeters engaged and interested. We are seriously moving away from the days of coupon clippings and time and date restrictions. Freebies on Twitter lets tweeters know about the newest freebies and the best thing is, there are freebies around the clock!

Would you be friends with your parents on Facebook?

You know how parents love to friend request their kids on Facebook these days? Surpisingly, only 48% of parents friend their kids on Facebook according to a recent survey. I think the reason for this may possibly be the fact that most parents know that their kids wouldn't accept their parents' friend request. I mean, I know I wouldn't, haha. Isn't it bad enough that we have had our parents keeping tabs on us all our lives? If we add them on Facebook, we're telling them that it's acceptable for them to do so. I have reluctantly added several of my uncles and aunts on Facebook. Of course, I don't have anything to hide, but occasionally there is something that bothers me and I like to share it via Facebook status; I can get a bit carried away sometimes. We would think social media is a place where our parents can't keep tabs on us, but parents are catching up quickly! While we know that some parents try too hard by attempting to talk to us in lingo such as "yo" and "what up," there are parents that really know what it means to be just a friend on social media. Lord knows that's not my parents!

Starbucks on Facebook, can it get any better?

I'm SURE the majority of you are not like me when it comes to Starbucks , but this is great regardless! As many companies are taking their products to social media outlets, Starbucks is no different and perhaps one of the first companies to do so. Instead of going to the Starbucks website to check my card balance, I can just check it through the easy Facebook Application. As much as we like to protect our privacy, we know that the consistent changes on Facebook makes it harder than ever, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. By adding any application on Facebook, we are allowing that application access to our information, but isn't anything we put on the internet accessible to others? Even though Starbucks may be one of those applications that can access our information, we know that such a big company won't do anything to risk its image. If anyone ever catches the terms of service and actually reads it, it should say somewhere in there that our information is as secure as when we log in through the actual Starbucks website...right?

A Follow Up on Twitter Trends.

Where does this week's twitter trend leave us? Let's try to forget Justin Bieber for a minute, even if he's #1 on the trend list. All right, so like we said before, the trends list keeps tweeters in tune with what's happening on Twitter. Well, if I hadn't looked at the trend list, I probably would have found out in like 2 years, that Super Junior was on the trend list! Who is Super Junior? For those of you who do not listen to Korean music, Super Junior is one of the largest boybands in the world with 13, yes, 13 members! Now 2 of their members are on Twitter, so only 11 more to go, right? It's interesting how celebrities from all over the world are getting onto Twitter and making use of their celebrity status for the good and sometimes the bad.

So what are some other functions of the trends list? Many of the subjects that make it to the list are completely because tweeters share some love for the celebrities or topics. It's also a place where tweeters can share things such as song titles or a place where tweeters can show they're knowledgeable and make their tweets heard! For example, in the past week, many people tweeted about earth day, it is like a community that bands together for a good cause! When's the last time you found a way to mobilize people for a good cause so quickly?

What's so special about a Like button?

In a recent article for CNN Tech by Mashable's very own, Pete Cashmore, we learn the Like button on Facebook is so much more than a button! So we know that there are a lot of things we can do on Facebook, but on Twitter, the options appear to be limited to three things: follow, tweet and retweet. However, for a lot of Facebook users (a.k.a. me) who aren't into all those applications, what is the big draw with Facebook? In the article, I have found the answer, the Like button. Ah yes, we like to like things and this button just makes it so easy and NORMAL. For example, if a friend of yours says something to you, don't you wish you could hit a Like button then, but that would be weird, right? You wouldn't say to them, "I like what you just said." On Facebook, "liking" things is beyond normal, it's a part of our daily routines! I think the like button makes the whole entire Facebook experience more personal and more interactive; it basically lets Facebook users know that they have a voice amongst Facebook users. If you tell me that you have never "liked" a friend's status or a facebook page, I just know you are lying! Ok fine, were you at least tempted to hit the like button?

Social Media Savvy?

I find that lately, there isn't much to do on Facebook or Twitter. I passed the phase of adding a bunch of applications in which I own a virtual restaurant or have a virtual pet. As for Twitter, there is the occasional tweeting and retweeting, but I don't really have the drive that I once had to look for people to follow. So, in a recent post on Mashable, it does a rundown of some resources that social media may have that we probably overlooked. The thing I love about this post was the advice it gives in addition to the resources.

Many of the resources are perfectly legit and useful! For example, you can learn how to create a FREE music playlist, watch photoshop tutorials on youtube or just overall, be more productive when it comes to social media. I have to admit though, it was the great additional advice that the post offered that I had to read over first. I'd like to know how Facebook changed dating for the worse, wouldn't you? Yah, everything in that tidbit sounds about right. Also, we may laugh about all that Facebook stalking and all, but it can be serious and really creepy. So one of the topics you can read up on is how to prevent and report online stalking, simple and straightforward tips, but so much so that we easily forget it. When you get a chance, you should definitely take a look at the resources we actually have when it comes to social media; in the end, it all goes back to why we're here in the first place. Did you forget already?

Press Releases via Social Media

In recent years, we can certainly say that the PR field has adapted well to the constant changes when it comes to reaching out. Moving away from traditional press release, many companies have moved their press releases online for faster and more efficient reasons. Among the websites that offere a place for press releases to be shared, the most popular is PR Newswire; this is not by mistake. When you visit the site, there is an entire list of the products and services that this website offers. There is no need to wonder how this website can be helpful because somewhere in the list, there has to be something that you want or need - it does it all:

- Distribution
- Targeting, Monitoring & Measurement
- Web Site Engagement
- Multimedia & Broadcast PR
- Marketing
- Investor Relations
- Trade Show
- Small Business Solutions
- Non Profit Tool Kit
- Request a Price Quote

Similar to PR Newswire is another website, PR Web. This website may not cover as much as PR Newswire, but it does emphasize an important point, it's really about visibility! Many of the companies in their database are top media outlets in a wide variety of fields. The website emphasizes how much visibility press releases will be getting, which promotes greater distribution.

So, simply put, it covers all the ground necessary when it comes to spreading the word, which has always been the job of press releases. From what I understand, these websites do a great job of tailoring to individual needs of companies and PR professionals. Doing press releases online creates a broader outlet circle. There may no longer be that close relationship that was necessary previously. Instead, it is the possibility of more outlets picking up the press release and in a shorter amount of time.

Trending on Twitter.

You ever wonder why Justin Bieber is always trending on Twitter? Yah, I'd like to know what that's about too. It's really no surprise that he is among the top 20 trends all the time! Tweeters love to start or follow trends on Twitter. Most of the time, I don't really know what's on the trending list unless I sign in to my account. The other times that I realize what is trending on Twitter is when about 6 or 7 of my friends all have the same thing, usually a sentence that starts or ends with a # symbol.

A easy way to understand the trends would be to click it and see how other people are tweeting in relation to it. If we have more time to invest in understanding the trends, the What The Trend website does an amazing job. This site is very useful, especially when we don't always follow what EVERY trend is about on Twitter. Luckily for tweeters like me, this site keeps me updated every week and breaks down who and what the trends are. After taking a look at this site, I think it makes a lot more of the trending topics more appealing to me. So, another perspective to the whole trending ordeal, it's not all nonsense. Justin Bieber is at the height of his career and Tweeters are simply showing him their love!

How much of a social influencer are you?

I personally feel that being on Twitter, it's not necessarily how many followers you have, it's about truly reaching the ones that do follow you. Well, guess what? I may be seriously wrong. According to website like Twinfluence and WeFollow, I am an absolute failure as a social influencer. If social influence were measurable (which it is), Twinfluence and WeFollow can let you know how much of a social influencer you are. After entering my twitter name in the analyzer, I realized I am in the 0.0 - 0.1 percentage. I guess that makes some sense considering how many people are on twitter and how many followers I have. It's nice to know that people that I follow are recognized as "friends" in the analyzer. The categories that the site breaks down our social influence are, reach, velocity, social capital and centralization - all of which I am either low on or are "fragile." Bottom line, I am not a great social influencer...at the moment.

Until the day that I am somewhat influential in the social media world, I can learn a thing or two from Tweeters who are at the top of their game. WeFollow is the ultimate Twitter directory, which leads us to all the many tweeters out there! It's main page separates the most influential tweeters into categories, whether it's in music or social media. Through this website, we can easily follow all the most influential tweeters in their categories. It's learning from the top Tweeters all in one place!

Are you familiar with Foursquare?

For those of you who aren't very familiar with Foursquare, it is an application that can be used with a user's facebook or twitter account. To be honest, I had to do a little googling myself to figure out how exactly this works. So if I grasped how this application works, users "check in" their location and let others following them know where they are, how convenient. Foursquare is growing in popularity, thanks to the help of reality show celebrities. I personally believe that without the help of these celebrities making use of this application, it would just be another application. Now, with the deal (MTV/VH1) in place, Foursquare is definitely going to grow in popularity.

It appears to be a win-win situation that Foursquare and MTV/VH1 has in their hands. It is a current trend that viewers have grown obsessed with, reality tv. However, in reality, reality tv is possibly the most scripted as tv shows come. Nonetheless, viewers love the shows and love the characters. So, with an application like Foursquare that gives the viewers easy access to their favorite reality star in person? They are so there! Foursquare is certainly beyond facebook in which you can become a fan; it is beyond Twitter in which you can tweet or retweet him or her. For those willing celebrities that can't wait for the attention they get, they can "check in" and use it to their advantage. The celebrities as well as the Foursquare application get the publicity they want or need. Foursquare is definitely something to watch for in 2010.

Is this an addiction?

I was taking my midterm one afternoon and suddenly felt my phone vibrate, it was a twitter update. Risking the professor thinking that I was cheating, I checked it; my friend just wanted to share her horrible day with her twitter family. Call me ridiculous or call me addicted, the anticipation of what that twitter update might have been made me part of the percentage. There really is no surprise there since my generation is so technology oriented. Forget the whole mumbo jumbo about getting the ipad, what good is all this technology without the social networks and applications?

People use to go online mainly to check their emails and maybe glance over headlines on popular then sites such as yahoo or aol. Fast forward to post social networks, I strongly believe people check their Facebook for updates every morning BEFORE they check their emails. I think we are just lucky that people even check their email anymore since they're on Facebook so often, they mainly use Facebook messages. So while people are checking their Facebook for updates, they get a twitter news update and then end up doing some follow up on via google. Users of social network sites are all too comfortable with accessing everything all in one place. I would say it's more of how a user feels being connected and not so much how he or she may feel when he or she gets an update, wouldn't you say? I believe it's not an addiction, it's just staying more connected to each other than people back in the day.

What does today mean for Twitter?

Happy birthday Twitter! It's been 4 years since the day the first ever Tweet. Although a birthday is self explanatory with the parties and the cake, there's also the significance of this day, moving forward being another year older! I'm certain Twitter has some great plans in store for the next couple of years, possibly to become a bigger trend than it already is now? When Twitter first started out, there were critics that said it wasn't a means of social networking that would last in the long run.

A large part of this was due to it's supposed limitations. Although Twitter is limited in comparison to networking sites like Facebook, it is enough in it's own way. Despite how Twitter is only meant for users to Tweet 140 characters at a time and RT @ others, it is THE social network. With social networks like Facebook, users get so caught up in getting all those different applications rather than using it as a means of staying connected. It is true that you can be connected to over 500 friends on Facebook, but without communication, they are just people you're connected to, but don't necessarily interact with them.Twitter is simple, it keeps users communicating and interacting with one another. It is this direct relationship between users that makes Twitter a proud 4 year old social network.

The future of advertising...online forums?

We certainly saw this coming or as far as I was concerned, it's been happening. As technology continues to advance, we slowly move away from reading newspapers in print and watching tv. Yes, we love to read our books on the Kindle, get our news sent via text message to our phones and catch back episodes of Glee on Hulu. So where does this leave space for advertising to get their ideas across to the consumers? They're going to go where we are, online forums. Honestly, aren't we sick of watching bad commercials on tv and sit there wondering what they're selling? Even better than producing commercials for you to decide whether or not you want to watch, you can be part of an online forum.

Advertisers let you know what and how they want to sell their products or services and consumers can let them know what you think. This is the perfect solution for advertisers and consumers being that it's cost efficient as well as time efficient. Advertisers don't have to waste time on commercials and ads that don't really reach the consumers. Online forums directly reaches their target audience while getting back a straightforward and fast response. Everybody can get what they want to some extent. We might actually not mind advertisements in the near future.

Facebook is in the lead and Myspace is not dead?

If people ever decide to take two minutes to stop updating their facebook statuses and stop tweeting/retweeting, they might be interested in knowing a little more about their beloved social networks. Facebook has been found to be the leader of social networking sites and Myspace is in a not so close second; "what that boils down to is that the time spent on Facebook is almost five hours longer than the time spent on Myspace" (Mashable). It seems that it was mostly popular among users as a dating site. Perhaps it is due to the use of it by many of the musicians today, it is back on the map as a networking site - woot, number 2!

Nevertheless, we certainly have been changing with the times. When people use to meet each other, they exchanged cell phone numbers and email addresses, but now all we really hear is, "Hey, are you on facebook? I'll facebook you." Yes, it's that simple. Why wouldn't we spend at least 6 hours per person per month on it? It keeps us connected to everyone, every minute and every second. Not to mention all the applications that have been made available for facebook users with all the many interests. I have several friends who now believe they are capable farmers, courtesy of the farmville application.

I am actually surprised that even the global average per person per month is ONLY 6 hours since there is really so much that Facebook offers. Personally, I sign in to Facebook for at least 2 hours a day on a daily basis and I thought that was below the average! The possibilities for Facebook in the near future seem endless because it is always quick to create what its users want and need. Is it even possible for another social networking site to come in and replace Facebook?