Facebook Hits 500 Million Users and is Only Growing Stronger

For social media users all over the world, Facebook has become a portal of communication, a transportable yearbook, a free marketing tool, or a way to organize events. On July 22, 2010, Facebook announced that they officially hit 500 million users, which is approximately a 500% increase in users in a mere two years. With this networking site growing so fast, the company is constantly working towards innovation. A recent article from Ragan.com outlined five predictions for the Facebook empire:

1. Optimized Aggregator of All Content on All Platforms (including mobile) for Individuals and their Friends: The website intends to have increased features that allow videos and other multi-media content, and will also expand Facebook mobile, enabling users to share and find more content through the website.
2. Portals and Websites for Businesses: Today, many businesses create a Facebook page before they even create a website!
3. Blogging Platform Replacement: Although blogs are likely to remain popular to those of us who are interested in writing and PR, writing a note on Facebook is significantly easier than creating and updating a blog for the average user.
4. Monetizing will Continue to Grow: Since Facebook is able to specify gender, age, career, location, interests and other key demographics, it has proven to be an incredible marketing tool.
5. Continual Integration With Every Corner Of The Web: Facebook has added the “like” option to a wide range of websites, which may be just the beginning of their integration with other websites.

As Facebook grows (and approaches the billions!), it has changed from a way to keep in touch with your friends and family to a multipurpose, multi-million dollar website.

As the site continues evolve, perhaps we should all ask ourselves: how can we change the way we use Facebook to take advantage of the site’s expanding list of benefits?

6 Tips for Finding a PR Job After College

It might seem a little early to start worrying about finding a full-time job in May 2011, but I think the earlier you start preparing the better. Maybe it's because I'm on the five year plan to two degrees, but I started thinking about the job search with my graduating peers during the spring. A few of my friends got jobs in November 2009, some got them right before graduation, and others just got them or are still struggling. Especially in these times, you don't just automatically get a job because you have a degree and put a few applications out there. It takes preparation to competitively position yourself against the millions of other graduating seniors all over the country, every single year. That's why I want to get a head start.

It seemed fortuitous that I had an informational interview this morning and was thinking about the job search when I opened my e-mail inbox and one of the articles featured on PR Daily was "6 Tips for Finding a PR Job after College" by Jacqueline Akbarian. Perfect!

Although you have probably heard some of the tips before, it doesn't hurt to reinforce them. I have also inserted my own advice into some of the points.

1. Be persistent - Don't be discouraged by "no" or no answer when applying. You will most likely apply to far more jobs than you get interviews. Stay motivated!

2. Build your network - Build your network online and offline. Use social media tools to connect with professionals in your geographic and/or interest area, join networking organizations (Young Professionals Network, www.ypnphilly.com, is a great one in Philadelphia), and don't forget that even though your professors are in the classroom now, it doesn't mean they aren't well connected. The article states that 80 percent of people get jobs through someone they know. Leverage your relationships!

3. In-person, surprise visit - Be a go-getter and show up at the corporate office. Depending on the corporate culture, they may be annoyed at you for interrupting their day or perhaps they will admire your ambition and it will help you land your dream job.

4. Follow-up - The article suggests calling about a week after you submitted an application if you haven't heard anything. On another note, make sure to follow-up with a "thank you" after any interview you have. This should be within 1-3 days.

5. Be professional and classy (all the time) - You never know who you're going to meet, and when you're going to meet them.

6. Keep an open mind - Don't settle for something you hate, but realize that you may need more experience and your dream job may be one step further in your career.


I look forward to keeping you updated on the job search and would love to hear about yours as well! Graduates, do you have any tips that helped you land your first full-time job after college?

Hamlet's BlackBerry: A Great Summer Read

Summer is a time where most of us look forward to enjoying some well-deserved relaxation. However, between BlackBerries, iPhones, laptops and wifi it's difficult to completely disconnect. Have you ever planned on having a relaxing dinner, or on going to bed early, when you receive an urgent email that completely distracts you? I think we ALL have!

That's precisely why William Powers' new book Hamlet's BlackBerry immediately intrigued me. He wrote it as a 'practical philosophy for building a good life in the digital age' aimed at helping readers unplug from technology and be fully present around family and friends. Powers understands how difficult this can be, especially when so many people are married to their jobs as well as their spouses. The proof is in the pudding for Powers who practices this philosophy in his own life. To counteract his family's connectedness they have weekend 'dead time' where their modem is unplugged and cell phones are turned off. He claims to see a huge improvement in family communication that brings them closer together and has lasting effects throughout the week.

Powers also theorizes that constant connectivity both fragments our social network and distracts us from our own internal dialogue. When you're tending to relationships through several different avenues of communication (tweet, wall post, text, e-mail) it has an isolating effect. Keeping tabs on your friends and loved ones digitally just isn't sufficient as it's missing a human element. Similarly, all of this digital communication distracts us so much that we don't have time to think anymore. Our thoughts are so jumbled from the buzzing, beeping or flashing we don't have the chance to take a look around and 'smell the roses'.

Powers knows that the digital world is here to stay and doesn't expect readers to stop using technology all together. He's simply suggesting better ways to balance connectivity with real life, one-on-one communication so we can live happier, less stressed lives. As PR professionals we know the importance of connectedness all too well and it's good for us to take a deep breath and relax every once in a while!

Read a July 20th interview with William Powers by NPR and an excerpt from Hamlet's Blackberry here. How do you feel about the pervasiveness of digital connectivity today? Is it a friend or foe?

Worldwide Connected Travel with Gtrot

I may not have the available funds in my bank account to be the traveling fiend that I yearn to be, however, I do on occasion find the opportunity to pack my bags and explore.

I recently took a little trip to a small beach that I had never visited before but had heard several great recommendations about. While I was visiting, I ran into two friends from high school that I hadn't seen in a few years- a great added bonus to my vacation. It was crazy to think that we all would have been in the same small town at the same time without having a clue if chance hadn't brought us together.

It is experiences such as these that served as the inspiration for gtrot, a web portal used for helping travelers better sync up their plans with their globetrotting friends. Started by Harvard alum Zachary Smith, the website is now home to over 3,000 users.

The website links users' Facebook profiles to pull in information on their friends who have entered rough travel itineraries into the gtrot site and plots the plans on a map. Your gtrot account creates a travel profile that includes previous trips, future plans and modes of transportation. The site also allows you to directly book flights, hotels and and cabs through Kayak.com and Hotels.com and then puts that information into your profile (you can choose to keep it private as well).

Gtrot allows travelers to connect with friends to plan trips and also allows users who have already booked vacations to see if any friends will be in the surrounding areas.

The second phase of the company is now in the works- one that will focus on integrating users' social media posts about their travels and placing them into their travel logs. This way, travelers can not only see where their friends have visited but also read about their various experiences at different venues and locations. Gtrot will utilize tweets, Facebook updates and foursquare check ins to generate an extensive travel log of every traveler.

The website's next plan is to enrich travelers' experiences by connecting users with Groupons- the fastest growing source of group-powered discounts for entertainment, food and salon-type venues.

As a traveler, I am incredibly excited to create my own profile on gtrot and connect with friends all over the world. I think the site is an incredibly useful tool that will only serve to enhance all of my future travel experiences.

Check out the rest of the article on gtrot here to learn more about the great upcoming site.

Old Spice Personalizes Viral Marketing

Old Spice has taken viral marketing and social media to a new level through their most recent campaign.

The campaign began with commercials featuring NFL wide receiver turned actor Isaiah Mustafa, now known as the Old Spice guy. The commercials portrayed Mustafa as "the man your man could smell like," a man seeming to posses all of the qualities women want in a man.

On July 13, Old Spice tweeted, "Today could be just like the other 364 days you log into twitter, or maybe the Old Spice man shows up @OldSpice." Hours later, Old Spice fans and followers began receiving video responses from the Old Spice guy in reply to their comments and tweets.

The recipients of the video responses included celebrities, other companies and everyday social media users. In each video, the Old Spice guy addressed the recipient by name, repeated their comment and then replied with a witty response in his "the man your man could smell like" voice. All while standing in front of a shower wearing just a towel around his waist.

Other companies have been commended for their personal responses to consumers through social media, but Old Spice went above and beyond with these videos. What do you think about Old Spice's tactic? Can other companies successfully pull off similar campaigns, or will nothing compare to the original?

To see Mashable's picks for the top 10 funniest Old Spice guy responses, click here.

In the classrooms of the future, will technology aid cheaters or stop them?

Some argue that the advancement of technology, like cell phones with Internet technology, have made it easier for students to cheat in the classroom.

But it may also be the answer to stopping it. The University of Central Florida has developed a testing center that New York Times reporter Trip Gabriel said may be "the frontier in the battle to stop student cheating."

Students taking tests there must adhere to strict rules; tests are taken on computers hidden in recessed desk tops; and proctors can use cameras to zoom in on and record the actions of students who are potentially cheating.

Part of the problem, according to some educators, is not always blatant cheating but rather that some students no longer regard practices like copying and pasting material from the Internet as cheating. Technology is helping to curb such misconceptions about academic integrity, too. At universities across the country, students are increasingly required to complete online courses about plagiarism and to use websites like turnitin.com to check schoolwork for unoriginal material.

I think it is unfortunate that some of today's students have stooped so low to rip off other people's work that universities have been forced to take these measures. However, I think these new technologies are interesting. Critics say that such technologies operate under the presumption of guilt. How do you feel about the use of technology to crack down on cheating in the classroom? Do you think it violates students' privacy and undermines a positive and optimistic classroom environment? Or do you see it as the answer?

SS United States, the Next Historic Attraction

A huge public relations effort awaits as the SS United States Conservancy has secured the funding it needs to purchase the SS United States and begin redevelopment and refurbishing plans. The money for the purchase comes from a donation by Philadelphia philanthropist H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest.

If everything goes accordingly, the opening of the ship will be a PR bonanza. The conservancy group wants to turn this ship, the largest ocean liner ever built in the US, into a historical and flamboyant attraction. Potential plans could include restaurants, museums, hotels, and shopping and entertainment settings. Such plans would also provide hundreds, if not thousands of jobs both during the ship’s renovation and once it is competed.

The completed project would be a major draw for the city lucky enough to win berthing for the SS United States. Presently, both New York and Philadelphia appear to be under consideration. The winning city will require a significant amount of public relations work for the project to succeed.

This guest blog was written by staff member Trish Wyatt.