Social Media Overview

Social media includes user-generated, online, communication devices that allow participants to share a wide-range of unregulated content. Because users are both authors and audience members, social media creates a true democracy where any participant can be a newsmaker and information collector. Social media often involves and integrates different technology including text, images, video and audio.

Here is a useful breakdown of social media sites from http://searchengineland.com/how-search-like-social-media-16325

Social News Sites (such as Digg, Reddit, Yahoo Buzz)
Social Bookmarking Sites (such as Delicious, StumbleUpon)
Social Networking (such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn)
Social Knowledge (such as Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers)
Social Sharing (such as YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Urban Spoon, Yelp)

These websites allow users to create personal profiles at no cost.

Social Media and Public Relations

The growth of the social media sector presents some interesting opportunities for public relations specialists. Because there are no costs to uploading material, social media is an affordable avenue for reaching a large number of people. Some organizations are limiting their involvement with social media to buying ad space on popular blogs; however, most now acknowledge that the ability to develop content and have a dialogue with its publics presents an enormous opportunity.

These opportunities also present significant challenges. Managing the reputation and brand of an organization in such a vast sea of information is a significant task for organizations of all sizes. Constant monitoring of social media sites has the potential to consume mass amounts of time and resources of public relations professionals.

Credibility of information is another challenge faced by public relations specialists. Savvy users of social media are skeptical of content. A collaborative effort in maintaining high ethical standards from the public relations industry will help with the perception of credibility.

The lack of regulation on the Internet is one of the reasons it is so successful, however, this lack of regulation also creates some big legal and ethical questions that remain unanswered at this time. The Facebook controversy is an example where the privacy of its users was being questioned after Facebook changed its terms of use. Take a look at the YouTube video to learn more.

Social Media In Use: University Student Recruitment

Social Media In Use: University Student Recruitment
by Chelsea Herman

University recruitment is becoming an ever-competitive task, in part because of the proliferation of options in post-secondary education and in part because of the diminishing pool of graduating high-school students across Canada. By 2012, "the 18- to 21-year-old cohort is expected to level out and start declining nationwide" (Trends in Higher Education: Enrolment). In order to draw in prospective students in this demographic, post-secondary recruiters are recognizing the need to publicize their schools' "brand" using the target demographic's language and via the mediums that matter to them. Understanding the expectations of the "millennial" generation, as this generation has been called, is crucial to the university recruitment race. Because increasingly computer-saavy students typically use the internet for their university searches and because they expect high-quality visuals and media, particular attention is now paid to university websites, and traditional print recruitment tools (view books and brochures) have increasingly been supplemented by the following social media:

Blogging
MIT was one of the first universities to effectively use blogs on its website, and many Canadian universities have followed suit. Blogs written by students from various faculties and programs, as well as alumni, staff, and high-ranking university officers and directors, are featured on the university's homepage or prospective student/admissions page. According to higher education recruitment expert Bob Johnson (interviewed in Campus Technology magazine), even university presidents are using blogs because they are an "excellent place to speak frankly to the public...about issues that are important to the school." This medium can be troublesome from the PR professional's standpoint, says Johnson, because of the ease with which blogging can be done; bloggers, including university directors and presidents, can write and publish blogs without consulting with public relations and communications experts.

Social Networking Sites such as Facebook and MySpace
According to a recent Pew Internet survey (Pew Internet on Adults and Social Media), 57% of adults aged 25 to 34 maintain profiles on social networking sites, while 75% of adults aged 18 to 24 do, and the numbers are rising in both demographics.
Facebook is a particularly prominent medium in the student recruitment race, because compared to MySpace, Facebook users are more affluent, more male, and more highly educated (Source: "The Evolution of Online Student Recruitment" - Campus Technology). Facebook can be used in an informal way, such as creating a university group that allows prospective students to meet others, which "reduce[s] the intimidation factor." One prospective Acadia University student appreciated the university's Facebook group, reporting that she "felt at ease asking questions of someone her own age [and that] she was getting the straight goods and not a faculty member's hard sell". This approach can be a inexpensive form of publicity, but again, can cause problems for the PR department because it again is difficult to oversee or control.

Easier to control from a PR standpoint is Facebook sponsored content, which is more expensive but which offers targeted advertising, allowing the institution to direct specific messages to specific segments of the population--from those of certain ages and locations to those with specific interests and hobbies.

University-specific online portals
Some universities have designed and built some of the capabilities of social networking sites, blogging sites, YouTube, and other social media into their own websites. This allows the institution to provide the interactive and visual- and media-rich content that millennials expect, while maintaining some control over the messages conveyed and emphasizing what's important to the institution.

Acadia University claims to be "one of the early adopters of the online portal," according to its director of communications and marketing, having focused on "Web 2.0 approaches focusing on user-generated content." Its website also includes "AcadiaTV" (http://www.acadiau.ca/acadiatv/), which features a variety of YouTube videos specific to the Acadia University experience.

The University of Alberta's "Bears' Den Online Community" (http://www.registrar.ualberta.ca/ro.cfm?id=270), which includes live chats, blogging, and a YouTube-based video contest in which prospective students can vote for a winner.

McGill University's "Campaign McGill" (http://sixwords.mcgill.ca/homepage.html) has an interactive website inviting users to "Think Big in Six Little Words", sharing their dreams or their fondest McGill memory in six words.


Experts agree that only those universities that take the time to understand the millennial generation will have a real stake in the university recruitment race.

Choosing the Technological Forum Most Effective for the Target Audience
By Jennifer Aristorenas

The growth of technology and use of social media has exploded in popularity within the corporate, banking, medical and legal sectors. Blackberries widely known as "Crackberries" give a good idea of just how much this technological medium is used and relied upon today. Web conferencing, Instant Messenger, Intranet, e-mail, Facebook and Twitter all play an important role in how organizations decide to communicate on many levels to different audiences.

Web conferencing substantially saves on time and cost of travel. Colleagues and clients can now communicate from all over the world in real time. While the web conference is taking place, participants can hold discussions using Instant Messenger in order to effectively get ideas across to everyone involved in the meeting. Facebook, although having lost a portion of their older users due to ineffective communication as seen in the video above, still plays a role for business development by creating a networking device for business contacts to flourish.

Intranet has now been the main vehicle for internal communications within an organization and works effectively when associates log into a password-protected network where a homepage immediately appears. Partners, associates and all employees are now updated on company news instantaneously and simultaneously.

The example where Facebook has managed to alienate some of the older social networkers, demonstrates how crucial it is for Public Relations associates to choose the communication tactic that would be most effective and relevant for their target audience. In order for the message to be communicated accurately to the intended targets, the strategy chosen is important through all stages seen in the diagram below:

As the "Sphere of Impact" demonstrates, communicating the message must be effectively executed at each layer. Although getting the word out through personal exchange is most effective, today's technology certainly enables this communication to take place in real-time and with wide reach. The key is in choosing the forum or vehicle which will best be heard and understood effectively by the target audience.

Based on the video above, if an older demographic was your target market, would Facebook be the best tactic?

Musicians and MySpace
By Jamie Peck

MySpace is a social networking website with over one hundred million users to date. The purpose of MySpace is to connect with people, which is exactly what an aspiring music artist needs to do to build their brand awareness. Musicians have the ability to announce upcoming shows and communicate with their audience: including representatives from newspapers, venues, radio, and of course fans.

In order to build a fan base, musicians use MySpace to build a music profile; this essentially free advertising space. They build this fan base by keeping an updated profile, logging on daily, adding new friends, commenting on other profiles, sharing music of course, and other MySpace activities to increase their “presence” on the site. All of this with the ultimate goal of communicating with a record label.

With the right public display of talent, a musician has the ability to attract thousands of visitors to their page daily. This fan base is essential for success as most record labels use this information to determine the profitability of signing the musician to their label.
Musicians also use MySpace to “set the record straight”. Some musicians already successful in their career, may post blogs correcting a statement that was misunderstood or to give their opinion on a popular media topic. Blogging is a massive driver of traffic to a popular music artist’s page. It often creates controversy, interest, and adds depth to the user’s profile.

These are just some of the ways that musicians use MySpace. It is a great way for fans to see other dimensions of an artist and feel as though they are “behind the scenes”. This particular form of social media is growing every day as more musicians attempt to grow their audience. Whether you agree with this less traditional form of exposure or not, it is not going to slow down any time soon. Unless you have the ability to travel at light speed, there is no other medium that will expose your talent to as many different audiences as the internet.

What happens when social media turns against itself?

By Rebecca Penz

Social media is the new black. Everybody’s wearing it: corporations, individuals, even five year-olds are learning to navigate through the unlimited, uncontrolled world of the internet. The potential to access billions of people at minimal expense is a temptation that few organizations can or should ignore.

But what happens when social media turns against you. The ability to access billions of people can turn into managing the thunder of those same billions when things go terribly wrong. The online world has changed the way people act. Children are no longer seen and not heard, not online anyway. Free expression is all the rage. Don’t have an opinion, don’t bother coming online. And so, public scrutiny of ad campaigns and business activities is at an all-time high. Social media empowers individuals to connect with other individuals. When those individuals unite over a cause, they create one loud voice.

Motrin gets a massive headache
A major faux-pas by Motrin brought on the vitriol of its audience. Motrin posted an ad on its website targeting moms with new babies (see YouTube video link). The ad suggested that even though baby-wearing has major benefits for the baby, it is a major source of back and neck pain for mothers. Motrin did not anticipate the large scale rebellion from the middle class mothers of America. Within a few hours of the post, there was widespread blogging about the ad. By that evening, it was the most tweeted subject on Twitter. And by the following morning, rebuttal videos starring angry moms were posted on YouTube including a nine-minute video played to the tune of Danny Boy. Motrin’s greatest mistake was underestimating the passion that mothers have for the health of their babies (in this case the benefits of babywearing). Motrin ended up pulling the ad and apologizing, and only time will tell what the impact will be on the brand.

Sony and the tech savvy:
In YouTube’s early years, numerous companies posted uncredited videos in an effort to start viral marketing campaigns. Sony posted a video featuring two adults making a rap video about how much they wanted a Playstation portable for Christmas (See YouTube video link). Sony apparently forgot the tech savvy nature of their target audience. The blogosphere called them to account. Within weeks, Sony made a public apology to its consumers for misleading them. But despite their best efforts, Sony will never be able to erase the memory of this mistake. New postings of disgust and ridicule still pop up weekly.

Facebook makes an about face
You would think those in the business of developing the technologies would be savvy enough to steer clear. Not so. When Facebook changed their terms of service (see YouTube video link) and proclaimed ownership of all things posted on Facebook even after deletion by the poster, they became their own worst enemy. At least three Facebook sites were developed with the sole purpose of killing the new terms of service. The revolt of its users forced Facebook to revert to the old terms of service.

Things to remember (User Be Warned)
1. Once you post it, you can never take it back!
2. Viral marketing can work both ways. Social media is fundamentally based on two-way communication, so the enormous audience that is exposed to positive publicity is also able to hear and spread negative feedback.
3. Beware of blatant or subversive advertising – social networkers are highly sensitive to sneaky approaches and your attempt could backfire miserably.
4. Continue to monitor your brand. Being on and investing in a social media community are two completely different concepts. Anyone can sign up for a social platform but not everyone can spend the time and energy it takes to invest in the community of the site.

Welcome to the "Global Village"

By Cara Weirmier

Facebook has officially done what MySpace began, ushered us into the Global Village era. Everyone is either “on” facebook, or at least knows someone who uses this medium. What an opportunity for the PR professional. From the pop-up ads that come on every time a page loads, to the “groups” that people can join, millions can be reached. Go onto facebook and type into the search your favourite Hollywood star, sports hero, political figure, or even cause. They will be there. Even better, it’s free! What a fantastic thing for our profession! Get the message out to millions, and you can’t get any more in budget than free!

Many non-profits and activists use these new social sites to further their cause. From missing children, to breast cancer awareness, to saving the trees, Facebook has become the "it" place to be heard. Teens to baby-boomers can be found surfing Facebook, and it only takes one joining your group to get the ball rolling, so to speak. If one a person sees that their friend has joined a new group, chances are good that they will at least check it out. Then they join, and their other friends join... One group that shows the potential audience out there is called "Six Degrees of Separation-The Experiment." http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14436512661 It was started to see if they could get everyone on facebook to join their group, to prove that we can all be connected somehow. As of 4:30pm, February 28th I checked and found that there were 3,537,284 members.

This medium also makes it easier to monitor your audience. You can see who has joined your group. You can see what gender they are, age, race etc. You can begin posts within your group to start conversations, which in turn will help you gather more information from the users to help tweak your message or campaign. You have at your fingertips instant access to survey information that in the past would have taken weeks, perhaps months to prepare, send out, receive and tabulate. Now you have instant, or near instant, feedback.