A More Social World

It baffles me when I still hear complaints that Facebook and Twitter is leading to an anti-social world.  I think that it’s the opposite.  I believe that social media makes it easier to be more social. I see it happening everyday.  I’m not just saying that because I’m a PR student who is addicted to social media. 

With a single tweet I can post my prediction of the Braves hitting against the Diamondbacks in the game tonight and it might get featured on SportsCenter.  My aunt can post a video on Facebook of my cousin playing basketball in Boston and I can watch him in Columbus, Ohio.  Maybe I need a new recipe to make for a cookout this weekend.  With a few clicks on Pinterest I can find a new dish to try from a person that I’ve never met in my life.  The way that we receive news is no different.  I can filter through NYTimes stories on my Google+ page spending time reading the stories that I’m interested in instead of hunting through a paper.  

Social media outlets have changed the way that we live our lives. We might not always notice the change in the daily activities I’ve listed because it has become routine.  It becomes clearer when big news happens like the news of Dick Clark’s passing on Wednesday night.  Dick Clark was legendary.  There will always be people that are influenced by Dick Clark but there will never be another Dick Clark. 

I actually heard about his death because I was on Twitter when the story was reported.  People may argue that I would have heard it somewhere else eventually but Twitter was first.  Lately Twitter has been my main source for big news events.  I’m sure there are many people that agree with this. 

My memories of Clark are the grandfatherly, happy man talking to celebrities and counting down the moments into the New Year.  My mom and dad had different memories of him.  I had never seen a clip of American Bandstand before Wednesday and now I have the ability to view them with the click of a mouse.

My parents aren’t the only ones with memories of Clark.  Search #DickClark or #RIPDickClark on Twitter and this becomes obvious.  I love having the ability to hear everyone’s memories. People don’t just post on Twitter either.  Google+, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Flickr, and other social media sites give people an outlet to share their memories.  The news stations even use their websites to feature memories.  Here's an article from Huffington Post and it features some memories from people:

  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/dick-clarks-new-years-eve_n_1437040.html

This is just one example of many out there today.  The nostalgic posts from people older than myself give my generation a chance to learn more about Clark and the impact he made on the world of entertainment.  I now can imagine Clark as a sweet, experienced man wishing me a happy New Year every year and also as a fresh, handsome man with a lot of charisma breaking down barriers by introducing music and dance to the nation.

American Bandstand clips have been featured on the news and people who got their big break from Clark spoke highly of his character.  The tweets and posts keep rolling in reflecting on Clark and his various professional projects.  Today we can sort through all of the memories and learn more about what the world lost which have been collected online. Without technology and social media collecting these images and memories wouldn’t be as easy.  So as you are browsing the news be thankful that we live in a time where we can honor those who deserve recognition in huge ways.  

I, like the rest of the world, am sending thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Clark at this time.  I have no doubt that with all of the memories that have now been published online he will never be forgotten.      

'photo by Alan Light'

The Wonderful World of Twitter

I love Twitter.  It is the best free marketing that we have in our digital world for clients currently.  As a communication student this means Twitter is just one of the mediums that we need to constantly learn and adapt with.  I love exploring how social media can enhance representing a client.  I’ve made a list of six tips I try to incorporate into my Twitter account. 

Blair’s Top 6 Tips On Twitter:

1. Try to stay up to date with current events and tweet them as they are happening.

            Last summer there was an earthquake in Columbus.  I felt it but I didn’t know what it was.  I logged in to Twitter and saw a few posts reporting it was an earthquake. I tweeted one myself. The earthquake was reported on Twitter faster then the local news stations.

2. Don’t just follow the companies and brands that you like, interact with them. 

            For example if I get frozen yogurt at Yagoot, I’ll send them a quick tweet to know how awesome it tasted. It’s a great way to introduce your followers to new things and it is also a way to personalize your Twitter.

3. Photos and links are your best friend.

            Words are great but we all know the saying, “a picture is worth 1,000 words.”  On a medium where your words are limited (who can say everything they want to in 140 characters or less anyway) a photo can fill in for the words you don’t have room to say.  This is the same with a link.  You can put a shortened link in your tweet that might take your followers to the facts and your tweet can just be an opinion about the news.  Pictures and links are the best way to personalize your tweets.       

4. Follow your friends but keep it professional.

            I’ve let those people who choose to interact with me on Twitter know that the professionalism of my account is important to me. I think it’s important to show that you have a human side and talk to your friends but there’s no reason to talk in a way that you wouldn’t be proud of.  Before I tweet anything I think whether I would be happy if it got retweeted.  If I would be embarrassed, I don’t post it. 

5. You can connect your Twitter with your LinkedIn but still control the posts that get posted.

            This was important for me because I did not want every single tweet that I submit to go to my professional LinkedIn account.  I keep my Twitter professional but my LinkedIn is even more professional.  I was taught at a Public Relations Society of America meeting how to set up my LinkedIn and Twitter so that only posts with #in will go from Twitter to LinkedIn.  I usually do this with relevant articles that I find on PR or other professional news.  This has been one of the best discoveries.  Not only is my LinkedIn staying current and active so that it appears in searches but it also stays clean.  I don’t post as frequently to my LinkedIn.  I was taught that once a week is good, but usually I only post when I find a quality article.    

6. Put screen shots of your tweets in you portfolio. 

I think that people forget that these are samples of your writing too.  In this social media savvy world they might even be more important samples of your writing.  Saying that you know how to use social media in an interview is different than being able to show examples of your sample tweets.  I try to keep some that have been retweeted and replied to.  At a recent interview I took a screenshot of the tweets that I had replied to for that company.  I showed them the conversation and explained how I was already following their projects.

The bottom line that I try to remember with my Twitter is to be myself.  I try to personalize my tweets as much as I possibly can.  I want my twitter to be a way for my followers or maybe a future employer to start to get to know me.  I try to be creative while maintain a professional account.    

Anyone else have some cool Twitter tips? Share them here.  Or follow me @BlairBlu.

Blair's Facts of Life

My name is Blair and even though I'm not actually named after the character on The Facts of Life, it's a great show.  I'm a junior majoring in Strategic Communications at The Ohio State University. I hope to work in sports PR or represent a client with a passion for athletics someday.

I've played almost every sport and my athletics are currently helping me pay for college.  I have been bowling since I was five years old and now I'm a collegiate bowler for OSU.   In my spare time I coach middle school and high school bowlers to try to help them have similar opportunities.  

I was president of the bowling club for the past two years and media representative for the past three. I manage the Facebook, Twitter page and write a monthly article for the American Bowler magazine on my experience as an OSU bowler.  I love writing about my bowling.

Recently a high school bowling coach helped me realize how influential my articles were. He told me that he made his athletes read them and used one to run a practice.  This encouraged me to try to connect my love for bowling with my love for writing. 

For the past three years I have taken courses at OSU that will prepare me to work in PR. I'm also a member of the OSU PRSSA chapter.  I am especially interested in social media and learning the best ways to use them.  Last summer, I was an intern at a public relations firm called, The Street Consulting.  This summer, I will be an intern in marketing and public relations at the Office of Recreational Sports at OSU.  I’m excited to start this internship. 

I love learning and listening to other’s experiences. Feel free to reach out to me. 

Thanks for reading!