Social Media

This article touches on something I think we all knew but it is still interesting to read the facts. The next few years are going to be an interesting time for media outlets with the popularity of social networking sites. Constant Contact may be out of business.... Here is the article, its interesting. 

http://mashable.com/2009/03/09/social-networking-more-popular-than-email/

It is safe to say that new advertising and marketing plans will need to be made, but my question is, Are business plans going to change? Are existing businesses going to have to change business plans in order to survive?

Twitter ...

Social Media is becoming one of the most important avenues for marketing and public relations. I have been  using facebook and YouTube for years, but I just recently joined Twitter. A few weeks ago I was at am information session at Beehive PR. This is a great agency by the way! I asked a question about Twitter and how public relations professionals have been using it since I had yet to find the importance or significance of it. Our host gave me a fantastic answer and I joined Twitter right away! I also just recently read this post about Twitter and thought it was interesting insight into the marketing work behind Twitter.

http://www.beehivepr.biz/thebuzz/2009/03/26/making-the-jump-to-twitter/

Enjoy!

VYPE!

VYPE High School Magazine is the best website to find up to date scores and sports news in Minnesota. It covers high schools all across the Twin Cities attending games, interviewing parents, coaches, players, and the fans. This magazine brings athletics in Minnesota together and supports athletic programs any way they can. The reporters and photographers would love to hear your ideas for a great story in your community! If your school or company wants to work with VYPE contact Carrie Gill at carrie.gill@vype.com.

Rain Rain .... Come Back! I'm Prepared Now!

I bought my first pair of rain boots today! I held off buying them last year, but secretly wish I hadn't. How gross it is to be walking around the University of Minnesota with wet jeans and water soaking through your shoes. It did rain today and I got to wear them! They worked like a charm :) My mom thinks they are just hideous, but aren't they supposed to be? Mine are bright yellow with navy blue Scottie dogs all over them. I think they are great and hope it we have lots of April showers this year!

HUGE Banner Ads!

These new 'jumbo' size banner advertisements are intense! They are definitely eye-catching though. I caught my first glimpse of one on YouTube this past week. I am still not convinced of the success of banner advertisements. I think we all need to move more towards interactive advertising. We are living in the time of the 'seeker' generation. We are on the prowl looking for the new 'big' thing, and we will find it. We are media savvy individuals that are surfing the web for hours each day. I heard about the big banner ads and went searching for them. I think the first few ads will have significant effects for the product, but as with all advertising, as more and more companies do this kind of advertising, it will get old, boring, and obnoxious to the consumers. It will slowly fall into the clutter until it is not even noticed any more. Similar to the i-phone applications, this two will being overdone and too hard to keep track of everything. What are we to do as public relations practitioners and advertisers. We must continue to be on the look out for new ways to get the attention of our audiences.

Where's My Fifteen Minutes?

Where's My Fifteen Minutes by Howard Bragman should be read by anyone and everyone! I don't care if you have been in PR your entire life or if you are a student just begnning to learn to ropes, this book could be helpful to anyone. Where's My Fifteen Minutes goes into the basic first steps one should take to get the attention they desearve. He uses examples from his own life, the good and the bad. He speaks the truth, telling us what works and what does not. It is a quick and richly entertaining read.

What is the scariest thing for me and my friends right now? It is not the grade that I got on my last midterm or my dad's reaction when he sees my latest credit card bill, though those are both scary things. The scariest thing for us is the daunting task of finding a job in this awful economy. So what are the options? The thought of staying in school has crossed my mind. Graduate School? Law School? Those are both great suggestions but I think the most important thing when looking for a job is experience. I have learned more from my internship experiences than any class I every took.
So what should my 22 year old friends I do? We begin the hunting process. We join organizations that can build our networks. Currently I am a member of MIMA and ISES. Both have helped create some great contacts for me. We market ourselves online. Twitter (which I am still getting used to), FaceBook, LinkedIn, and your own personal blog. We just do something. We find internships, volunteer opportunities, and if we are lucky jobs in a field somewhat close to what we want to end up doing. We ride this out. Companies will be looking for people ... soon .... until then we do something, anything.