Watch out Facebook a New Social Media Giant is in Town

As of recently, Google has officially gone social with its new product Google+. Although this is not Google's first attempt to go social (remember Google Buzz or even Google Wave? Neither do we) this highly anticipated product is getting a lot of press and expected to give Facebook a run for its social media money.

We see a few similarities between Google+ and Facebook including "the stream" practically Facebook's news feed, but "the stream" will be tailored to the users particular interest. Google+ hopes that "the stream" will be the users daily update conquering Twitter and Facebook for the most recent news.

A new feature Google+ has introduced is the circles app. The circle can be tailored to a specific organization or group such as "family", "co-workers", or even a general friends circle. The circle app is also a way to recruit new Google+ members.

In addition to "the stream" and Google's circles app, they have developed the Huddle, a in which to set up talk with multiple friends or individual circles that one has created. The Hangout, includes video up to ten people who can drop in and out of the conversation once invited. Also Google+ has mobile uploading and something called Sparks, allows one to share links with those belonging to a particular group or an individual.

The recent release of Google's upcoming plans about their new product was only a very small piece of the large social picture. Google has recently spent lengthy time and an endless amount of funds to be a giant in an ever expanding social world. Vic Gundotra, Google's social media leader states, “We’re transforming Google itself into a social destination at a level and scale that we’ve never attempted — orders of magnitude more investment, in terms of people, than any previous project".

What makes this new product a threat to Facebook is its ability to individualize post to a certain group or individuals without having all of your thousands of friends see the post. Unlike many other social media providers, Google+'s design is centered around the user and the social world they individually create.

Tips for a Successful Interview

With the fall internship application window rapidly approaching, it will be helpful to go over some ground rules for interviewing that you may have lost touch with over the summer months.

In order to be successful in an interview, there are things you have to do before, during and after. They may be interviewing multiple applicants, so it is important to do all that you can to make the best impression that gets you the offer! Below are some tips I have outlined to keep in mind.

Before:

• Research the company. Check out their website before the interview and look at any recent news article that they may be mentioned in. If the employer asks why you picked their company and you don't have an answer, it makes you look as if you don't really care if you get the job with them or not.
  
• Bring your resume and writing samples. While not all employers ask for a copy of your resume or writing samples, they will notice if you are prepared with them for the interview. They should be freshly printed, not crumbled or dirty in any way.
  
• Get directions! While this may be obvious, if you are traveling to a part of town that you are not familiar with, make sure to look up the easiest way for you to get there ahead of time. It will look unprofessional if you show up disheveled from rushing there, or worse if you show up late.
  

During:

• Stay calm. You wouldn't be interviewing for the position if you weren't qualified. Be confident with a smile, strong handshake, good posture and eye contact.
• Look professional. Make sure you are dressed appropriately and choose dark colors that give the feeling of authority. Ladies, leave the perfume and flashy jewelry at home!
• Ask questions. If they don't already specify, it will be helpful to inquire about the types of projects you will be working on, how many interns they have, how you are supposed to dress, how many hours you will be working and if you will be compensated for your work. It could also be useful to ask when you will be hearing from them about the position.
  

After:

• Follow up. It is completely acceptable to call or email the employer a couple of days after your interview thanking them for the opportunity and to express that you are looking forward to hearing from them. Don't get carried away, if they give you a time frame make sure that you are within boundaries. Also, if you have any additional questions, this would be the time to ask.

What helpful tips do you think about when interviewing?

Location is Key

One of the primary goals of marketing a brand is to make it easily recognizable and attainable to everyone. When the average American goes out during the day, they pass hundreds of advertisements posted on billboards, in windows, on street poles, and even bus stops. This is because location is key. It is nearly impossible to avoid one of these everyday installments, and that is the goal, to make sure consumers remember your brand. In "HOW TO: Leverage Location for Better Ad Campaigns", David Staas highlights several ways to locationize your brand:

• Local messaging: When leading a national campaign, it is important to instill a local element into your advertisements to give your audience a sense of familiarity and personal attachment. According to Staas, one particular brand, placed advertisements in New York and incorporated the Statue of Liberty, and the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles. Doing this gave a more local, trustworthy feel to the brand rather than an inapproachable and consumerist one.
  
• Let consumers engage with a specific location: With the introduction of GPS capabilities in most mobile phones, location based apps have boomed. Foursquare, for instance, allows its users to "check-in" to locations for their friends to see. This idea of checking in to locations broadcasts that place across the web and sparks the idea that this location is the place to be. Another location based app, Shopkick, partners with specific brands so that when you step into their shop and check-in via your phone, you will earn points towards major discounts, attracting all the bargain hunters out there.
  
• Consider proximity: Most consumers will not trek too far for a 10% discount. But when faced with a larger discount of 40-50%, customers become much more willing to go the extra mile and buy a larger quantity of items. This allows marketers to gauge farther than just the immediate area of the store in order to attract new and returning customers.

What do you think? Do you have any location based apps on your phone? Can you think of any brands that have been using location to encourage consumers? Let us know!

To read more on taking advantage of location when promoting your brand, click here.

Takeaways from 'Social Media Engagement'

The amount of information out there always amazes me. With that said, in a recent search for information about how organizations should be using social media, I found a website that compiles Keynote and PowerPoint presentations. Presentations range from web design to social media topics. A particularly good PowerPoint on the site is called Social Media Engagement. Some interesting takeaways:

“On the right day, with the right story anyone can command a bigger,
more attentive audience than any TV network.”
• Social media will eventually be called just plain “media.”
Basically, the world will acknowledge that the power to publish
information to large audiences is no longer in the hands of the
organization, but the audience.

“The upside is infinite”
• For organizations that utilize it correctly, it is obvious that
social media is great news. As the presentation states “The power of a
good story will be multiplied many times over by the voices of the
brand’s fans and advocates, the cost of media will plummet for most
brands because distribution costs on social media are close to zero.”

“Up until a year ago, saying ‘no’ to social media was a safe course…”
• Organizational silence tells the web community you do not care about
them, or that you are hiding something. “You cannot hold the moral
high ground if everyone knows that you never fire.”

The most important thing I learned from this PowerPoint is that before
starting any type of social media effort, the organization must make
sure they know their brand, and their brand’s story. Essentially, a
brand must know who they are before trying to tell its audience a
story about itself. Starting with the brand, one must determine the
brand’s core narrative. Next, the audience must be determined.
Organizations must figure out the media habits of its audience, their
passions, expectations, etc. Finally, an organization must figure out
what their competition is doing with social media so they can
determine what they can offer that their audience cannot find
elsewhere.

Check out noteandpoint.com for more interesting slides and continue
your search for new innovative idea of how to utilize social media!


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kurie Fitzgerald.

Politics and PR: Don't Stop Using Social Media!

The following post was written by Jason Mollica, '97 Temple Alum.

Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D-NY) social scandal garnered plenty of headlines in June. You remember the story: Weiner tweeted lewd pictures to a 21-year old college student. Then it was found out he did the same to a few other Twitter followers. Weiner resigned under the pressure of first lying about sending the photos.

Now this isn’t going to be a blog on what Rep. Weiner did wrong or how some need a re-education with social media. What I would like this to be is a call for politicians nationwide to continue to use social media.

Yes, do NOT stop your tweeting and posting to Facebook because of this, or a few other missteps by your political brethren. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube can be powerful tools in your arsenal. But, they also need to understand that social media can build you up and in one tweet, take you down.

Meghan McCain, the daughter of Arizona Sen. John McCain (also an avid tweeter), wrote a column on “The Daily Beast” in June. In it, she wondered if politicians should be on Twitter period. She said:

So I have to ask: What do politicians really gain by using Twitter? There are only a handful of politicians who are truly great on Twitter—the rest rely on their account to release press releases. But even the entertaining Tweeters stumble because the only way to succeed in the medium is to be unscripted.

I believe politicians have a ton to gain on Twitter. Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker has been doing outstanding things with his social media efforts. Philly’s own Mayor Michael Nutter is also a great example that if politicians understand what social media can do, it can affect change.

Ms. McCain is right when she says during the election cycle that tweets will be more powerful and dangerous. It’s up to the politicians to be smart and savvy, though.

Jason Mollica is a 1997 graduate of Temple University's School of Communication and Theater. Since then, he has worked in television and radio in Philadelphia and New York City. Upon leaving the industry in 2005, he began a career in public relations and marketing. He is currently the public relations manager for Carr Marketing Communications in Amherst, N.Y. You can follow him on Twitter, @JasMollica, and read his blog at http://oneguysjourney.wordpress.com

Perception Matters

Establishing the proper message and creating the right perception of your organization is crucial to developing and maintaining a positive relationship with a community. Joey’s Mini Mart, a small corner store located in a quiet, pleasant neighborhood in Scottsville, New York, a couple miles away from the Rochester Institute of Technology, opened for business less than three years ago. Joey’s Mini Mart is submerged in the middle of a neighborhood, prohibiting the store from being able to put in gas pumps. Additionally, the store faced heavy competition from well-established covenant stores in the area that have gas pumps. These two facts concerned the young owner, Joe Valvano, but did not deter him from opening. The mini mart was just the beginning of his plan. The ultimate goal was to open up a liquor store. Considering the close proximity of a university, the idea of a liquor store seemed to be a very profitable entity, but being located in a family neighborhood presented an obstacle.

Joe needed to create an image that would allow him to maintain a steady flow of business as well as promote the opening of his liquor store with little backlash or resistance from the surrounding community, a venture that often leads to negative reactions. To accomplish this, Valvano decided to embed himself in the neighborhood and become a part of the people of Scottsville’s everyday lives. His main objective became to create a welcoming experience for customers, greeting them with a smile and engaging them in conversations about their lives and their families. He created the perception that he cared, and he really did. In fact, he knew more about his customers than just their names and what they bought, he knew about their lives because they felt comfortable sharing with him. Valvano also gave back to the community, sponsoring children’s soccer and hockey teams. Joe had effectively painted himself as a prominent member of the town of Scottsville, granting him regular business and notoriety among the neighborhood.

When it came time to open the liquor store, Father and Son Wine and Spirits, Joe was already a staple within the community. Inhabitants of the neighborhood wanted to see him succeed because they felt like he was one of them. Because of this, no one minded a liquor store in their backyard. After all that Joe had done for the community, how could they?

The identity that Joe was able to create for his mini mart directly lead to his ability to construct a business that can sometimes be perceived as deviant or sinful, without any negative reaction from those who live nearby. His simple plan of involving himself in the community has allowed Joe to maintain a strong relationship with his customers and expand his business into the future.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Evan Galusha

Socially Stupid with Social Media

With all of the self-proclaimed social media "experts" and "gurus" floating around Facebook and the Twitterverse, you'd think more people would know what they were doing. I see countless people abusing the sites that have so much potential to be beneficial to the individual and/or company using them. I'm not claiming that I always know what I'm doing. Social media is constantly shifting, changing, growing and improving and I try my best to keep up with changing times. However, to help you be less socially stupid, here are 5 mistakes to avoid when using social media courtesy of the PR Meets Marketing blog:

1. Self-serving comments: It’s a fine line between being helpful and being self-promotional. I think this is the most common mistake you’ll see. Companies or individuals will research blogs and post comments only as way to promote their content. As a rule of thumb, it’s better to leave out any promotional stuff and add comments that contribute to the overall discussion.

2. All About Me: Many marketers and people still subscribe to the notion of broadcast media, just sending out updates about themselves. Social Media is about conversations and engagement. Listen to the conversations and participate when appropriate (see point 1).

3. Follow You, Follow Me: I call these folks the “pied pipers of social media.” You know who I mean. They’re the folks with hundreds and thousands of friends and followers on Twitter or Facebook with no discrimination. Unless you’re a top personality, be selective on who you follow.

4. Hit & Run: I’ve been noticing this trend recently. It’s very similar to point 1 but in a different way. These are individuals who join communities, liked LinkedIn Groups, and only post discussions or responses that are only related to their company. I call these folks hit & runners as they run in, post, and run out again.

5. Hot to Trot to Not: When individuals or companies begin participating on social media, they tend to be very excited. They join different networks, jump in on tweetchats and comments everywhere. But after the luster wears off, their participation begins to wane, until eventually they disappear. For corporate brands, it’s important to have a calendar of content and several individuals contributing to your social media channels.

So... how many of the mistakes are you guilty of? What other mistakes do you see people making on various social media sites? Let us know!