Tag Archives: facebook

40 Days 40 Nights without Facebook

Computer with lock and chainChocolate. Alcohol. Cheese. Cursing. Typical things that one would give up for Lent. I’ve tried to all of them for the full forty (read: forty-six when including Sundays) for Lent. In the Christian faith, Lent is to remind us of the temptation that Jesus endured in the desert from Satan. Lent is a time for us to give up one of our vices. I’m not religious. I go to church on the “important” holidays but this year I really wanted to give Lent a valiant effort. For the first time ever, I can truthfully say I survived Lent without cheating. I gave up Facebook. When people heard I was giving up Facebook there were a lot of questions: Why not Twitter? What do you miss most? Obstacles? Will you go back? etc. I can tell you this, life was better without Facebook. Continue reading

The Inner Turmoil of a SM User VS. Marketer

Man standing on rural road holding road map, head obscured by mapWorking in the social media space, I can safely say that overall I understand the marketing perks of Twitter, Facebook, etc. Sure I participate in these sites as part of my job and as marketing research, but at the end of the day I’m also a user.

Originally I fought tooth and nail against signing up for Twitter because at the time I didn’t see a need for it. I kept wondering, “Who is going to care what I have to say?”  Obviously I have changed my tune, and decided to just dive into the world of Twitter once I found my niche.  Still, I primarily use it solely for work.

Lately, however, my social media conundrum is with Foursquare. As a marketer, I know I should be using it; as a consumer, I just don’t care. Continue reading

Could SM Become the New Product Placement?

Eat sign in desertFrom AOL’s prominence in You’ve Got Mail to T-Mobile’s stronghold on MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge franchise, product placements are hard to miss.  They’ve run the gamut from subtly integrated to awkwardly implanted, generated buzz, and, prompted viewers to reevaluate their perceptions of endorsement.  But what’s next?

Could SM come to occupy a similar role in movies and television programs?  Is it reasonable to think we could see a day where reality show contestants are live tweeting?  Could Facebook updates replace some of the face-to-face interaction?  Not to mention how the speed at which messages move in the SM sphere seems ideal for helping the contestants on reality dating shows to spread their trash talk and drama effectively. Continue reading

The Decline of the R.S.V.P.

pearls invitation jewelryIn a recent op-ed in the New York Times, the writer took on the current state of the R.S.V.P. He talked about the lack of response that R.S.V.P.s illicit, and that perhaps evites are on the way out the door. This is especially frustrating as a publicist when you are putting on event and are forced to utilize the cost-effective method of evites. You depend on responses.

The decline of evite popularity is becoming more and more of a trend.

I, myself, have been on both sides of the fence in relation to the R.S.V.P. Nothing is more frustrating then sending out an evite, only to realize no one has responded. Not only does it make you sad, but how do you even know who is coming to the event or not? Continue reading

Your Social Media Idea in a Sentence

If you didn’t know already, the PRBC has our very own Facebook Fan Page. Every Friday, we ask everyone a random question in a series called “Fun Facts Friday.” Last week we just finished up presenting our 35 ideas about social media in 30 minutes, so we asked you to share your one social media idea in a sentence.

Here is what a couple of you had to say: Continue reading

To Reduce, Reuse or Recycle…Your Ads

Marketing Executive Holding ProductIn recent months I’ve noticed an uptick in what I consider recycled advertisements – those television spots that were new within the past year or two, but disappeared for quite some time. After an absence, these ads are back. While I can understand that ad budgets have shrunk within the past year, I think companies are overlooking the message that this strategy is sending to consumers.  Continue reading

Do you believe in social media?

Computer and globe montageWhen I spoke at the PRSA-CVC Social Media Conference last fall, I told my audience, “You can’t engage in social media for the sake of doing so.”  To my audience, the majority of whom were there because they lacked experience with but felt pressured to engage in social media, this statement probably seemed bizarre.  As though I were implying that you don’t have to jump on the SM band wagon.

A few months later, I realize that my statement was a bit more accurate than I initially thought.  With SM, there is virtually nothing to be gained by going through the motions.  Having made what I am sure some will perceive as an incredulous statement, I think it is important for companies to understand the value of SM before engaging in it. Continue reading

The Future of Sales…Twitter

Salesman Making PitchIt’s very interesting to see the evolution of social media. From just networking with friends and looking at fun pictures, to conducting business and measuring interaction, social media has become the means of communication. The response time of a complaint or compliment on when someone is mentioned is astonishing. One time I mentioned, “Everytime Kate Perry E-mails me, I get excited for a split second thinking it was the singer, then it’s Vocus” and instantly Vocus responds “We’ll be sure to mention that to Kate!”

Its a great feeling having your voice heard, just recently I tweeted something negative about Cision, our best friend and worst enemy. I tweeted that Cision was going way too slowly and i’m sure I did a big “You Suck,” but I instantly got a response asking to do something to my brower to speed it up. Great customer service there. However, that is not the point of this post. Continue reading

Dear Telephone (A Love Letter)

Hand in desert holding vintage telephoneDear Telephone,

Times have definitely changed. We used to talk with each other every day, seven hours a day, five days a week. During those moments, I couldn’t bear the sight of you.

Currently with the popularity of e-mails, Twitter, Facebook and text messages, it seems we rarely speak anymore.  Please don’t be sad. It’s because of all these other forms of communication that I’ve really grown to miss our relationship.

Remember the times we used to talk with journalists and reporters? Sure not all the conversations were glorious, but the point was it was a conversation – there was a hint of a personal connection. Continue reading

Legos are for…Adults?!?

Lego Turbine Displayed At Technology ExtravaganzaLegos were a fundamental part of my childhood and I am sure many others’ as well.  That said, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that I found LegoClick intriguing.  While it is, at its core, a social network, Lego has taken great strides to integrate its effort into other SM tools.

This new community comes complete with its own hashtag (#Legoclick) and YouTube videos, encourages interaction through Flickr and showcases user photos of some impressive Lego creations.  The question is, is this enough to keep adults engaged?

I raise the question of adults, because LegoClick is intended to be a community of inventors.  Mashable reports it is a community to share visions about new products and toys.  So, are Legos destined to become the new water cooler buzz and lunch hour stress buster? Continue reading