Take a second to look at the title of this post. What is the first word that comes to mind? Power? Strength? Success? I genuinely hope those words came to your mind, but I fear that words like sex, object, submission and wear were the first to arise.
I have been home for three days and this is the first time I have actually sat down to watch TV, and I'll admit I have done a lot of it. While watching female empowerment movies such as The Princess Diaries and Legally Blonde, the display of commercials aired on TV contained extremely objectifying and sexualized images of women, and I am truly disappointed.
As a 19-year old woman, I hope to enter an equal opportunity world. I should be able to walk alone on a street and not question every man that walks past me. I recently read a fantastic article from 2013 (which may be outdated, but the ideas are still extremely relevant) which provides examples of how society views women in different types of situations. The examples outlined in the article really make me question how society functions this way. Women make up half the population and the world would literally stop expanding if women didn't exist. So why is there a gender gap? Why are women degraded on a daily basis? Why is this ok?
To me, this is a major problem. I hope you agree with me because something needs to change in this society and women need to be seen as more than boobs and a butt to advertise a man's cologne.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
Home for the Holidays
Exams and classes are finally over, and it is time to just relax, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy the holiday season. Tonight is my first night home since Thanksgiving break three weeks ago. Being able to eat a nice dinner with my family makes me happy and I realize how much I truly miss seeing them. The best feeling in the world will be sleeping with my puppy tonight :)
I have a lot of hope for this three week winter break. Not only will I be catching up with friends and family, I am hoping to change my lifestyle habits. I have discussed my New Year's resolutions, but I want to start now. My goal is to go back to ONU more in shape and with healthy habits. The first goal is completing the "30-Day Shred" by Jillian Michaels. I have started this program but I never finished, and I plan to finish this time. I need to finish. Eating healthy is extremely important, especially in college, and I'm planning to make a change in the way I eat and actually considering what I put into my body.
I'm ready to bring in the new year with some ongoing goals and I'm going to try my hardest to follow through. Keep an eye out for update post!
I have a lot of hope for this three week winter break. Not only will I be catching up with friends and family, I am hoping to change my lifestyle habits. I have discussed my New Year's resolutions, but I want to start now. My goal is to go back to ONU more in shape and with healthy habits. The first goal is completing the "30-Day Shred" by Jillian Michaels. I have started this program but I never finished, and I plan to finish this time. I need to finish. Eating healthy is extremely important, especially in college, and I'm planning to make a change in the way I eat and actually considering what I put into my body.
I'm ready to bring in the new year with some ongoing goals and I'm going to try my hardest to follow through. Keep an eye out for update post!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Nonprofit Organizations and Universities
For the final reading assignment of the semester, "Measure What Matters" explained how nonprofit organizations and universities need to measure in order to be the most successful. Both nonprofits and universities rely heavily on voluntary support and they must maintain strong relationships to grow and become more well known. The seven steps of measurement can be applied to both groups in similar ways, and it is important to understand how measurement can help an organization grow.
Nonprofit organizations are strongly based on relationships because they typically require mostly volunteer work and these relationships are the foundation for reputation and awareness. You probably have heard the bells ring at stores and malls to encourage people to donate spare change to the Salvation Army. These bell ringers consist of volunteers who decide they want to help out a good cause and stand in the cold to hopefully convince passers-by to drop money into the little red towers. People volunteer because the Salvation Army has built a strong reputation, and the system is working.
The main steps to measurement in a nonprofit are to define objectives using main mission, prioritize your audience, establish a benchmark. choose a metric, select measurement tool, analyze results and repeat. While planning a project, it is especially important for a nonprofit to stay within the boundaries of the organization's overall mission. Anything that goes against its core values will lead the audience to wonder what the organization actually wants to accomplish.
Universities are similar to nonprofits and need to establish strong relationships. Alumni, parents, prospective students and faculty are the main audience for universities. It is important to measure what people are saying about you, use of social media in an academic environment, what people think about you and behavior. Universities are unique because there is one main goal to achieve and measure.
Attending a university or showing interest in a nonprofit begins the relationship and the organization will need to maintain that relationship in order to be successful. Think about some of the nonprofits you are familiar with and understand that without support of volunteers and members, that organization would not be present in your mind.
Nonprofit organizations are strongly based on relationships because they typically require mostly volunteer work and these relationships are the foundation for reputation and awareness. You probably have heard the bells ring at stores and malls to encourage people to donate spare change to the Salvation Army. These bell ringers consist of volunteers who decide they want to help out a good cause and stand in the cold to hopefully convince passers-by to drop money into the little red towers. People volunteer because the Salvation Army has built a strong reputation, and the system is working.
The main steps to measurement in a nonprofit are to define objectives using main mission, prioritize your audience, establish a benchmark. choose a metric, select measurement tool, analyze results and repeat. While planning a project, it is especially important for a nonprofit to stay within the boundaries of the organization's overall mission. Anything that goes against its core values will lead the audience to wonder what the organization actually wants to accomplish.
Universities are similar to nonprofits and need to establish strong relationships. Alumni, parents, prospective students and faculty are the main audience for universities. It is important to measure what people are saying about you, use of social media in an academic environment, what people think about you and behavior. Universities are unique because there is one main goal to achieve and measure.
Attending a university or showing interest in a nonprofit begins the relationship and the organization will need to maintain that relationship in order to be successful. Think about some of the nonprofits you are familiar with and understand that without support of volunteers and members, that organization would not be present in your mind.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Closing Remarks
The semester is finally coming to a close and I have a few loose ends to tie before I can leave ONU and spend three wonderful weeks at home with my family. This blog post is part of my final "to do" list.
Over the past 15 weeks, I have been assigned to write three blog posts each week and I believe I have successfully fulfilled the assignment. I'm beginning to realize that I was not simply writing blog posts every week, but I was also improving my visibility on social media. Many of the topics discussed in my Social Media Principles course have carried through into my everyday life, and I find myself actively participating on Facebook or blogs. Social media is a truly wonderful invention and I learned a lot about the benefits of maintaining social media, especially this blog, and engaging in conversations.
Social media is a fast, easy way to share information to people all around the world. In my experience, sharing my blogs on Facebook resulted in more page views. This is an indicator that people actually look at the different links you post on Facebook. Although it might be losing its hype, Facebook is still a good network to use because it allows you to communicate with people you might not see on a regular basis.
I am extremely glad I decided to sign up for Social Media Principles this semester. Social media is the newest frontier and educating yourself on how it works and how you can benefit from effectively using your profile is important for the 21st century.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Small School, Close Community
When I began looking into colleges two years ago, I knew I was looking for something small and somewhat close to home, and I found exactly what I was looking for when I came across Ohio Northern University.
I grew up in a small town outside of Bowling Green, OH, so I have always been accustomed to small communities and the 30 minute drive to reach an actual city. In my high school of close to 1000 students, I knew mostly all of the other students in my class, as well as the other classes. Some of my former classmates ventured off to places like Ohio State University, Penn State University, University of Michigan and, of course, Bowling Green State University, but I would have drowned in a sea of thousands of people had I attended a large school like my peers.
Well, what is there to do in Ada, OH? Honestly, not much, but that's ok with me. I can spend time with my friends, studying, making trips to nearby cities and simply enjoying the beautiful campus. As I mentioned previously, the thought of driving a half hour to go shopping is not a problem for me because I have done it my entire life. Anyway, what's more important when deciding what college to go to: shopping centers or the well-accredited academic programs?
Most people think going to a small school means you will know everyone on campus, but that is not true at all. Maybe it's just me, but there are still a lot of people I see on campus that I do not know. Ohio Northern is also a warm environment. I feel like even if I don't know someone on campus, we might exchange greetings and warm wishes.
I'm beginning to realize that I made a wise decision two years ago when I decided ONU was the place for me to further my education. Hopefully I will have the opportunity meet new people and enjoy what the next two and a half years of college have to offer.
I grew up in a small town outside of Bowling Green, OH, so I have always been accustomed to small communities and the 30 minute drive to reach an actual city. In my high school of close to 1000 students, I knew mostly all of the other students in my class, as well as the other classes. Some of my former classmates ventured off to places like Ohio State University, Penn State University, University of Michigan and, of course, Bowling Green State University, but I would have drowned in a sea of thousands of people had I attended a large school like my peers.
Well, what is there to do in Ada, OH? Honestly, not much, but that's ok with me. I can spend time with my friends, studying, making trips to nearby cities and simply enjoying the beautiful campus. As I mentioned previously, the thought of driving a half hour to go shopping is not a problem for me because I have done it my entire life. Anyway, what's more important when deciding what college to go to: shopping centers or the well-accredited academic programs?
Most people think going to a small school means you will know everyone on campus, but that is not true at all. Maybe it's just me, but there are still a lot of people I see on campus that I do not know. Ohio Northern is also a warm environment. I feel like even if I don't know someone on campus, we might exchange greetings and warm wishes.
I'm beginning to realize that I made a wise decision two years ago when I decided ONU was the place for me to further my education. Hopefully I will have the opportunity meet new people and enjoy what the next two and a half years of college have to offer.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
A Fresh Start
As the calendar year and school year come to a close, I start to reflect on this year and wonder what I could have done differently. Well, it's safe to say that I would change a lot of things if I could go back in time and restart this year, but I can't go back and I am stuck here with a month left in the year 2014.
What can I change for the future? How can I improve my life and relationships? Who do I want to become? These are the questions floating around in my head, and they are the questions I'm not sure how to answer. December always seems to be a month of reflection, celebration and longing for change. We always wait for the first day of the year, January 1, to begin any new idea or project or diet or anything. Why are we always waiting?
I suppose it is easier to make a difference when you are beginning something new. I tell myself I'm going to workout on Monday because it makes more sense to start at the beginning of the week. I tell myself I will apply myself and study more next semester. We look for that beginning because it makes sense to start there and make a change.
My hope is to make an extreme change in my lifestyle, but why not wait another month to get started? A new year seems like a good time to make a change.
I guess I can call the list I'm about to make my New Year's resolutions. January 1, 2015 will bring change to my life and here is my promise to follow through with the changes I want to make. Now, I'm going to apologize for the cliche resolutions I will have, but I believe these are necessary to living a happier, healthier life.
What can I change for the future? How can I improve my life and relationships? Who do I want to become? These are the questions floating around in my head, and they are the questions I'm not sure how to answer. December always seems to be a month of reflection, celebration and longing for change. We always wait for the first day of the year, January 1, to begin any new idea or project or diet or anything. Why are we always waiting?
I suppose it is easier to make a difference when you are beginning something new. I tell myself I'm going to workout on Monday because it makes more sense to start at the beginning of the week. I tell myself I will apply myself and study more next semester. We look for that beginning because it makes sense to start there and make a change.
My hope is to make an extreme change in my lifestyle, but why not wait another month to get started? A new year seems like a good time to make a change.
I guess I can call the list I'm about to make my New Year's resolutions. January 1, 2015 will bring change to my life and here is my promise to follow through with the changes I want to make. Now, I'm going to apologize for the cliche resolutions I will have, but I believe these are necessary to living a happier, healthier life.
- Eat well balanced, healthy meals every day including a breakfast, lunch, dinner and three snacks.
- Exercise at least four times a week incorporating fun, effective workouts
- Get to know more of my sisters and other people outside of my small friend group
- Begin a yoga routine to improve mind and body
- Sleep at least 8 hours every night
- Get all homework done in a timely manner and avoid staying up until past midnight working on the homework due the next day
I am genuinely looking forward to the new year so I can begin a new lifestyle. For all of my close friends out there, please help me follow these resolutions. Change can be extremely difficult, but I know these changes will improve my outlook on life and overall success.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Trust and Crisis
Chapters 11 and 12 of "Measure What Matters" discusses crises, reputation and relationships between a company its partners and salespeople. A company's reputation defines everything, and if the reputation is not good, people will not trust the company and it will be more difficult to handle a crisis.
When a crisis breaks out, a company must be quick to calm down worried customers. Paine talks about how measurement can play a role in maintaining control in a crisis situation. She states that you must constantly monitor your audience and what they are saying about your brand to try to catch a crisis before it is out of control. Measuring crises involves following what people are saying about your brand, but also what people believe about your company.
Reputation is everything. Trust is the basis of any reputation and relationships are the basis of all trust. A company is responsible for making its customers believe the right messages. Consistency is important to build a strong, healthy reputation.
Everyone is Watching
If you have logged in with any of your social media networks, you know the Grand Jury decision on the Mike Brown case. Everyone was tweeting their opinions and news updates about the rioting in Ferguson, Missouri. Social media allows everyone to have instant access to any information they want.
Many of the tweets and posts last night expressed the despair and disappointment of the users everywhere when it was announced that the Grand Jury decided to not charge Officer Darren Wilson. Although most of the posts were geared toward the decision, a single tweet from a local TV station caused thousands of users to reply in disgust and anger.
Many of the tweets and posts last night expressed the despair and disappointment of the users everywhere when it was announced that the Grand Jury decided to not charge Officer Darren Wilson. Although most of the posts were geared toward the decision, a single tweet from a local TV station caused thousands of users to reply in disgust and anger.
This tweet and the announced decision is a bad combination. The rioting in the streets in Ferguson and all around the country is an explosion of emotions and opinions, and this tweet seems extremely disrespectful of the Brown family. After the criticism, Channel 9 responded by deleting the original message and posting two additional tweets apologizing for the insensitivity.
The importance of thinking before you speak is exponentially higher when you post something onto social media. Once a post is published, it's too late to completely delete it. Someone has already seen it, shared it, taken a picture of it and told everyone else about it. Everyone is watching you and one wrong move can cause immediate reaction in this real-time world.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Home Sweet Home
The anticipation of going home tomorrow might be killing me because I can't wait to see my family, my dog and my friends. Although I have about 30 hours left to wait, I can't help thinking that I am going home right now to relax curled up on the couch with Buster.
I'll admit it, this semester has been pretty hard on me and I feel distant from my family and friends. I'm hoping all bad feelings are relieved after being home for a little over a week. I haven't seen any of my friends, or even my family, since Fall Break. Now, that was only about a month ago, but it feels like eternity. It's safe to say going home will be a much needed break from classes and busy schedules, and there is always the added bonus of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There's just something about the warm welcome of family and the smell of pumpkin pie and turkey. I have a lot to be thankful for, but I know sometimes I forget to stop and remember those things. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is what I am thankful for this year.
- My mom because she has always been my role model. I know I don't call or talk to her as much as I should, but I know being home this week will be good for both of us, and I am so excited to see her.
- Nolan, my boyfriend, because he honestly treats me with more respect and care than I ever could have imagined. I can't wait to spend this holiday and many other holidays with him!
- My step dad, Tom, because he is a great guy and I know he does a lot for me, even when I don't ask.
- My roommate, Michelle, because she brings so much light to my life. I know I can always count on her to be silly with me and I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to be her roommate this year.
- Devan and Jordan because I know I can always count on them to have my back. These girls have been such a major part of my life and I know they will be lifelong friends. Thank you, formal sorority recruitment last year, for bringing these two crazy cats into my life.
- My Little, Hannah, because she has truly shown me what it means to be a big sister. We always have fun together and she has helped me grow so much in the short few months since we met. I wouldn't trade her for anything, and I am thankful that she loves me as much as I love her.
- My Big, Ashley, because she is always there if I need her. We don't see each other as much as I wish we could, but her texts and posts on my Facebook page always brighten my day. I'm thankful for having a Big as amazing as Ashley.
- Mathematics because, well, I wouldn't know what I was doing at ONU if I wasn't studying mathematics. I can always count on math to stump me and then brighten my day when I finally understand what I'm doing.
- Don't laugh at me for this one! I truly hope you could say the same for your major or profession because you should probably change if you don't feel the same,
I truly can't wait to go home and celebrate Thanksgiving with the people who make the biggest impact in my life. I am thankful to be going home tomorrow. I hope you all have a safe and thankful Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
PRSSA Mentors
For Social Media Principles, we were assigned a topic of the PRSSA program at Ohio Northern University to create a video on to promote the program. My topic is PRSSA mentors and I was able to learn a lot from creating this video. I'm warning you all now, my video making skills are not strong and this is the first video I have ever made!
I had the opportunity to interview Rachael McKee and Hannah Peterson, and they both gave me wonderful information about the mentor program and how it helps students grow. A special thanks to both of them for allowing me to record our interviews to use the audio in the video.
Please enjoy!
Employees Matter
This week in Social Media Principles, we discussed chapters 9 and 10 from "Measure What Matters." Chapter 10 brings measurement back to home base and talks about how employees play a major part in improving a company. I found particulate interest in this chapter because we have mainly discussed the customers or the audience, rather than the workers behind the magic.
There are six steps to measure relationships with different communities: measurable goals, understand the environment, who and what are your benchmarks, audience priorities, choose measurement tools and analyze data to improve business. Chapter 10 explains these six steps in terms of the employees of a company. These steps are essential to growth in any company.
Conducting a base measurement is essential to see what changes need to be made and the information is used in the future to determine if changes have occurred. A company must find out what channels its employees are using and what is important to them. The employees are necessary for a company to be successful and if employees are not buying into the idea, neither will the customers.
Success needs to be defined for all measurement tools. Defining a goal is a good way to make sure everyone is on board and committed to work toward improvement. Once data is collected, it must be analyzed and a plan needs to be set to make a change in the company. If you ask your employees to answer some survey questions, they will expect to hear the results and for change to happen.
Chapter 10 hits on a topic that is usually not covered: the employees. You can't forget about the people that help your company run smoothly and increase sales from within the company's walls!
There are six steps to measure relationships with different communities: measurable goals, understand the environment, who and what are your benchmarks, audience priorities, choose measurement tools and analyze data to improve business. Chapter 10 explains these six steps in terms of the employees of a company. These steps are essential to growth in any company.
Conducting a base measurement is essential to see what changes need to be made and the information is used in the future to determine if changes have occurred. A company must find out what channels its employees are using and what is important to them. The employees are necessary for a company to be successful and if employees are not buying into the idea, neither will the customers.
Success needs to be defined for all measurement tools. Defining a goal is a good way to make sure everyone is on board and committed to work toward improvement. Once data is collected, it must be analyzed and a plan needs to be set to make a change in the company. If you ask your employees to answer some survey questions, they will expect to hear the results and for change to happen.
Chapter 10 hits on a topic that is usually not covered: the employees. You can't forget about the people that help your company run smoothly and increase sales from within the company's walls!
Monday, November 17, 2014
Wear Your Letters in Your Heart
This past weekend was Greek Leadership Day, and even though I did not get the opportunity to go to all of the presentations, the main speaker was absolutely wonderful to listen to. We all have certain events we must attend to receive different chapter ratings at the end of the year. Theses events are called Standards of Excellence (SOE) and they are typically educational type programs to help us grow as people and students. This weekend, the speaker was brought to ONU by the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council and Phi Mu Delta, and he taught us what our letters should mean for each and every one of us in Greek life.
David Stollman speaks to college Greek life students all around the country and spreads an important message that we often forget about during our time in school. During his presentation, he taught us what it truly means to me a member of a Greek organization and he shed some light on stereotypes and why there is a negative association with Greek life.
Stollman explained the original values all Greek organizations were founded on and asked us why ideas have changed. He asked why hazing was part of 'tradition' when our founders were focused on emphasizing love and acceptance. Being a figurative cow and being upfront with friends who need help but might not necessarily want it is an important part to effective brotherhood or sisterhood.
The most important part of the presentation was his discussion on hallow letters. Stollman explained that someone who is wearing hallow letters only wants to be a part of the Greek organization for the typical "frat boy image" or the social aspect of Greek life. They are present, but not for the true, right reasons. As an active member of Alpha Xi Delta, hallow letters are the most disappointing part of Greek life. I honestly love my sorority and all of my sisters, and it genuinely hurts for someone to wear the letters that so many generations have worked to maintain. I know people in other organizations who wear hallow letters and I can see the toll it is taking on the rest of the organization.
Stollman left by advising us to take our letters off our chests and put them into our hearts. By putting the letters in your heart, you are swearing to live up to the standards set forth by your founders and to live the ideals of your chapter in every day of your life.
If you are a member of any Greek organization, I highly encourage you to check out David Stollman because he is absolutely inspiring.
David Stollman speaks to college Greek life students all around the country and spreads an important message that we often forget about during our time in school. During his presentation, he taught us what it truly means to me a member of a Greek organization and he shed some light on stereotypes and why there is a negative association with Greek life.
Stollman explained the original values all Greek organizations were founded on and asked us why ideas have changed. He asked why hazing was part of 'tradition' when our founders were focused on emphasizing love and acceptance. Being a figurative cow and being upfront with friends who need help but might not necessarily want it is an important part to effective brotherhood or sisterhood.
The most important part of the presentation was his discussion on hallow letters. Stollman explained that someone who is wearing hallow letters only wants to be a part of the Greek organization for the typical "frat boy image" or the social aspect of Greek life. They are present, but not for the true, right reasons. As an active member of Alpha Xi Delta, hallow letters are the most disappointing part of Greek life. I honestly love my sorority and all of my sisters, and it genuinely hurts for someone to wear the letters that so many generations have worked to maintain. I know people in other organizations who wear hallow letters and I can see the toll it is taking on the rest of the organization.
Stollman left by advising us to take our letters off our chests and put them into our hearts. By putting the letters in your heart, you are swearing to live up to the standards set forth by your founders and to live the ideals of your chapter in every day of your life.
If you are a member of any Greek organization, I highly encourage you to check out David Stollman because he is absolutely inspiring.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Engagement is Key
This week for Social Media Principles, Chapter 5 was included in part of the reading assignment for "Measure What Matters." This chapter was full of a lot of important information about how social media and PR have changed to fit more advanced technology and the need for news quickly. A major subject in Chapter 5 is the levels of engagement between users and a brand .
The different levels explain the relationship between the audience and the company on social media and can help plan projects to increase engagement.
The first level, lurking, is the most simple and probably the most common of the other four. The user that 'lurks' scrolls through social media news feeds liking posts without putting much effort in. This is usually the first step in any relationship. I am definitely guilty of liking and scrolling on Facebook, sometimes without even reading what the post is.
The next step in the relationship is casual. This involves Twitter follows, blog subscriptions, downloading a video from YouTube and suggesting a page to a friend on Facebook. This relationship needs to be accessed after checking how many times a user returns to the site. Analytics can be used to measure the interactions of users to the brand. This step is often where the relationship ends.
Next, the relationship moves to active. In this step, users actively participate on Facebook and retweet news on Twitter. Both parties benefit in this relationship. This step is important for the company to ask what they did to cause users to improve their relationship.
The fourth step is the committed relationship. The users are beginning to trust the company enough to provide their identity for membership. Positive expectations about the relationship are being enforced and both parties feel favorable toward each other. New registrations should be measured for increase over time.
The final level of engagement is a loyal relationship. This is the most advanced of all the levels. Surveys should be used to determine the true feelings of the organization. More accurate results would be obtained by taking a survey before and after to see if there are any changes in the perception of the company throughout a period of time.
The different levels of engagement are vital for the success of an organization. Getting users to start with lurking and make their way up to loyalty could be a difficult task, but it is definitely worth the time.
The different levels explain the relationship between the audience and the company on social media and can help plan projects to increase engagement.
The first level, lurking, is the most simple and probably the most common of the other four. The user that 'lurks' scrolls through social media news feeds liking posts without putting much effort in. This is usually the first step in any relationship. I am definitely guilty of liking and scrolling on Facebook, sometimes without even reading what the post is.
The next step in the relationship is casual. This involves Twitter follows, blog subscriptions, downloading a video from YouTube and suggesting a page to a friend on Facebook. This relationship needs to be accessed after checking how many times a user returns to the site. Analytics can be used to measure the interactions of users to the brand. This step is often where the relationship ends.
Next, the relationship moves to active. In this step, users actively participate on Facebook and retweet news on Twitter. Both parties benefit in this relationship. This step is important for the company to ask what they did to cause users to improve their relationship.
The fourth step is the committed relationship. The users are beginning to trust the company enough to provide their identity for membership. Positive expectations about the relationship are being enforced and both parties feel favorable toward each other. New registrations should be measured for increase over time.
The final level of engagement is a loyal relationship. This is the most advanced of all the levels. Surveys should be used to determine the true feelings of the organization. More accurate results would be obtained by taking a survey before and after to see if there are any changes in the perception of the company throughout a period of time.
The different levels of engagement are vital for the success of an organization. Getting users to start with lurking and make their way up to loyalty could be a difficult task, but it is definitely worth the time.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Brand Yourself!
Social media has completely changed how people interact with one another. Instead of picking up the phone and calling someone, you can simply instant message them on Facebook or send them a direct message on Twitter. Equivalently, many people turn to reviews online to find out if a product is worth buying. Many people have turned to shopping online for just about anything because it is quick and you can buy necessary items from the comfort of your home. How does this major change in communication affect those trying to make a name for themselves? Is it easier for them or does the readily available information allow everyone to being their own business, meaning more competition?
I found an interesting article, written by Yohana Desta, that describes 10 tips for the 'lazy person' to help create a personal brand. Creatively titled "The Lazy Person's Guide to Personal Branding," this article gives some good advice for anyone beginning their journey of creating their own brand. While I will not go through all 10 points, because I want you to click the link above and go check it out yourself, I will discuss some of my favorites.
The first bit of advice Desta gives is to stop and think about what you actually want your brand to be. Many people skip this important first step because they are too excited to begin their personal brand. Slow down and look at what your expertise includes, that way you can exactly pinpoint what your brand should be.
The next bits of advice that caught my attention go hand-in-hand. You need to find your niche and label your expertise. Join the group that works with what you want your brand to be and label your brand as such. You need to make your labels specific and unique. Tell your audience exactly what you stand for and what your brand is.
The final topic I want to address is one of the most important. Desta says it is important to check all of your current social media sites to make sure the messages portrayed through posts on social media are consistent with the messages and values you want others to see. If your company wants to be family friendly, posting images of alcohol and partying probably is not the best option for you.
If you're looking to begin a your personal brand, I encourage you to check out the article! These tips can be used to simply clean up your personal social media profiles. Even if you aren't trying to sell a product, you're selling yourself to friends and possible future employers!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
It's Just Life
While scrolling through Facebook one day, I came across an article that is scarily relevant to my life right now. The title of the article is "19 Things Every 19-Year-Old Girl Needs to Hear Right Now." I realized that I exaggerate everything bad that happens to me, but I fail to see the good, productive things. Although the article is targeted toward 19 year old girls, the true audience should be everyone. The messages shared are important for everyone to hear, regardless of age and gender.
I highly recommend reading the linked article, but here are the main themes the author discusses: you are human, you do not need to force improvement, improvement will come naturally, the sophomore slump is not real, let go of your emotions, relationships take two people, not everything needs to be extravagant, you can only control your feelings and others will feel whatever they want, disappointment is ok, you have the power to be everything you want to be and you are already everything you need to be. I am definitely guilty of breaking these 'rules,' but I am still alive and I am still paving the way for my own success. Before coming to ONU, I spent 18 years building up my life, my credentials, my experiences and my GPA, but now I'm in college and everything is different and that is perfectly ok.
I'd like to add a couple of ideas to this article. First, quality is more important than quantity (in most cases). Classes, friends and extracurricular activities are often reasons for stress to all college students. I might not be able to say I have 20 friends, but I have about six of the most wonderful friends I could ever ask for. I could be involved in 10 organizations on campus, but it's more meaningful for me to participate and gain valuable experience from a few.
Second, laugh at yourself. I find that too many people in this society take their mistakes and faults too seriously. If you make a mistake, you should be able to laugh at that mistake. The laughing does not need to occur immediately following, sometimes you need time to find humor in your mistakes, but it should come eventually. Laughter is the best medicine.
Finally, admit when you are wrong. It takes a lot for a person to admit their own fault. If you know you have hurt someone or done a bad thing, take the blame and let it go.
Sometimes we all need to step back and reevaluate the situation at hand. Everything will be ok, even if it takes a year or two. All you can do is keep living your life to the fullest and make every second count. Do the things that make you happy because no one else is living your life.
I highly recommend reading the linked article, but here are the main themes the author discusses: you are human, you do not need to force improvement, improvement will come naturally, the sophomore slump is not real, let go of your emotions, relationships take two people, not everything needs to be extravagant, you can only control your feelings and others will feel whatever they want, disappointment is ok, you have the power to be everything you want to be and you are already everything you need to be. I am definitely guilty of breaking these 'rules,' but I am still alive and I am still paving the way for my own success. Before coming to ONU, I spent 18 years building up my life, my credentials, my experiences and my GPA, but now I'm in college and everything is different and that is perfectly ok.
I'd like to add a couple of ideas to this article. First, quality is more important than quantity (in most cases). Classes, friends and extracurricular activities are often reasons for stress to all college students. I might not be able to say I have 20 friends, but I have about six of the most wonderful friends I could ever ask for. I could be involved in 10 organizations on campus, but it's more meaningful for me to participate and gain valuable experience from a few.
Second, laugh at yourself. I find that too many people in this society take their mistakes and faults too seriously. If you make a mistake, you should be able to laugh at that mistake. The laughing does not need to occur immediately following, sometimes you need time to find humor in your mistakes, but it should come eventually. Laughter is the best medicine.
Finally, admit when you are wrong. It takes a lot for a person to admit their own fault. If you know you have hurt someone or done a bad thing, take the blame and let it go.
Sometimes we all need to step back and reevaluate the situation at hand. Everything will be ok, even if it takes a year or two. All you can do is keep living your life to the fullest and make every second count. Do the things that make you happy because no one else is living your life.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
The Life of a Poor College Student
My mother has always told me I have expensive taste. Well, that is a difficult thing to deal with when you are stuck in college with an on campus job where you only make about $100 over the course of two weeks. Although I am extremely lucky to have a campus job, saving money is not my strongest skill. I recently received my Little in my sorority, and that cost me the majority of my checking account. I am beginning to feel low on money, but there are so many things I want to buy.
I have a closet full of clothes, but I only want more. My favorite pair of boots is falling apart, so I need to replace those. I am not eating like I should because I have no food in my dorm. I guess I never realized how difficult living on my own would be for me.
I am now done blowing my paycheck on craft supplies and I can sit and actually evaluate my budget for the remainder of the semester and year.
There will always be new things for me to buy, but I'm hoping to improve my self-control so I can leave school with a decent amount of money saved. I don't think my expensive tastes will ever change, but I can learn how to wait for the day I have a career and am bringing home a paycheck big enough to support myself and a family. There is not a sports car in my near future, but if I can start saving now, maybe somewhere down the road you will see me rolling around town in my sky blue, convertible mustang.
If you have any tips for saving money, please feel free to comment below! I need all the help I can get.
Measurement Matters
My final reading assignment for Social Media Principles is "Measure What Matters" by Katie Delahaye Paine. This book gives insight to what businesses should be looking for in measuring ROI and analyzing consumer use of social media. The first two chapters give an idea of how measurement is important and explains common misconceptions about measurement.
The first chapter discusses how measurement helps a company improve its relationships with customers and increase its sales. Measurement allows a company to compare its performance with its competition quickly and easily. The economy is all about competition, that's why it is important to be able to see where you fall on the totem pole, so you can improve if needed. Measurement also reveals your strengths and weaknesses. A company can't grow without understanding what they need to change and what needs to be updated. A large number of companies do not measure their ROI at all, especially on social, which will only hurt them in the long run.
There are a handful of myths that "Measure What Matters" debunks, which give reasons for why more companies are using measurement programs. Being a mathematics major with a statistics minor, I laughed at a few of these ideas because these measurement tools use statistics. The first is that measurement is punishment. This idea stems from employees worrying that their plans are not gaining a positive result. There is fear in failure, but the only way for someone to learn and improve their ideas is by making a few mistakes along the way. Getting a negative result should push a company to move forward and make the necessary adjustments in order to gain a positive result. Another myth is that measurement is too expensive. This idea is contradictory because measurement allows you to see if your money is being well budgeted and if you are wasting money on tools that are not resulting in the desired response. If measurement is not used in a company, it might never know if its money is being used in the most effective way possible.
There are five other major myths that include measurement creates more work, measurement is only quantitative, ROI is impossible to measure, measurement can only be done after a project is finished and 'we know what's happening, we don't need research.'
Too many people shy away from numbers for various reasons. I promise numbers are not as scary as they seem. Measuring what your company is accomplishing -- or not accomplishing-- is the best way to improve current projects and methods to create the most profit. In the end, measurement is worth crunching the numbers and analyzing the statistics.
The first chapter discusses how measurement helps a company improve its relationships with customers and increase its sales. Measurement allows a company to compare its performance with its competition quickly and easily. The economy is all about competition, that's why it is important to be able to see where you fall on the totem pole, so you can improve if needed. Measurement also reveals your strengths and weaknesses. A company can't grow without understanding what they need to change and what needs to be updated. A large number of companies do not measure their ROI at all, especially on social, which will only hurt them in the long run.
There are a handful of myths that "Measure What Matters" debunks, which give reasons for why more companies are using measurement programs. Being a mathematics major with a statistics minor, I laughed at a few of these ideas because these measurement tools use statistics. The first is that measurement is punishment. This idea stems from employees worrying that their plans are not gaining a positive result. There is fear in failure, but the only way for someone to learn and improve their ideas is by making a few mistakes along the way. Getting a negative result should push a company to move forward and make the necessary adjustments in order to gain a positive result. Another myth is that measurement is too expensive. This idea is contradictory because measurement allows you to see if your money is being well budgeted and if you are wasting money on tools that are not resulting in the desired response. If measurement is not used in a company, it might never know if its money is being used in the most effective way possible.
There are five other major myths that include measurement creates more work, measurement is only quantitative, ROI is impossible to measure, measurement can only be done after a project is finished and 'we know what's happening, we don't need research.'
Too many people shy away from numbers for various reasons. I promise numbers are not as scary as they seem. Measuring what your company is accomplishing -- or not accomplishing-- is the best way to improve current projects and methods to create the most profit. In the end, measurement is worth crunching the numbers and analyzing the statistics.
Friday, October 31, 2014
The Professional Side of Social Media
Last summer, I joined LinkedIn because I needed to find a job for the summer. I was really struggling to find something that fit what I was looking for and a lot of businesses did not want to hire someone only for the summer, so I figured LinkedIn would be able to help me get what I needed.
Since then, I found and completed my summer job, but LinkedIn has been sent to the back of my mind. I still check my email and find messages about people wanting to connect with me. Maybe LinkedIn isn't a valuable resource for me at the current time, but I know I will use it in the next two years to help get a job.
I decided to do a little research about LinkedIn and I found an article titled, "6 Steps to a More Marketable LinkedIn Profile." The article outlined ways to improve your LinkedIn profile to become more appealing to future employers. The six steps include revisit your goals, layer in your keywords, strip out the clutter, reintroduce your personality, take a look at your profile picture and get recommendations. If you are serious about revamping your profile, click the link above to get more information about how to make yourself more marketable.
Even though I don't use my LinkedIn account as much as I should it is a great tool to find jobs and to connect with people. LinkedIn allows you build relationships in a professional manner, which will be beneficial for me once I graduate from ONU. All college students should begin thinking about how they want themselves to be seen by professionals all over the world, and LinkedIn is a good way to build a profile that will definitely be viewed by future employers!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
The Consumer's Voice
Chapter 16 of "Real-Time" explains the importance of social media allowing consumers to gain their voices again. This chapter expresses that customers have lost their voice somewhere along the way and they are just beginning to speak up for what they think and to share their ideas with a company. Sharing reviews of products is one of the most beneficial things a customer can do to help the company improve for the future.
Social media is a quick way for a company to see how its customers feel about a new product. The book uses an analogy of social media being like a huge town square, where people can gather and share their ideas.
In previous chapters, "Real-Time" talks about how companies often block employees from using social media at work, which is not necessarily the way to increase work and production. Consumers want to know what is going on and not allowing any use of social media is a good way to lose contact with customers. If an employee gets on their personal Facebook or Twitter and sees a post bashing their company, they can report it even if it is somehow missed by the team of analysts. Communications policies are important to maintain a balance between work and social interactions with customers.
Social media is a quick way for a company to see how its customers feel about a new product. The book uses an analogy of social media being like a huge town square, where people can gather and share their ideas.
In previous chapters, "Real-Time" talks about how companies often block employees from using social media at work, which is not necessarily the way to increase work and production. Consumers want to know what is going on and not allowing any use of social media is a good way to lose contact with customers. If an employee gets on their personal Facebook or Twitter and sees a post bashing their company, they can report it even if it is somehow missed by the team of analysts. Communications policies are important to maintain a balance between work and social interactions with customers.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Bullying in the 21st Century
Social media is a fast and easy way to communicate with friends and family, and in my post "Social Media and Self-Esteem" I discussed how social media can affect someone's self-esteem. I recently watched the movie "Cyberbully," the TV movie released in 2011. The story follows a teenage girl who wants to be popular, but all went wrong when she joins social media networks. Her friends began to make fun of her through social media and she attempted to kill herself.
Although not all cyberbullying results in an attempted suicide, social media allows people to hide behind a screen and harm others. The film holds major significance in our current society because most interactions occur online and these conversations are usually not monitored by an outside source. I personally can't say I have ever been bullied online, but I have seen fights break out on Facebook over status updates. These fights are prominent around election season, where everyone wants to express their opinions and push down those that oppose their views.
I have not heard of many cases of cyberbullying recently, maybe that trend has been outgrown, but the idea that social media allows us to be what we want to be rather than what we actually might be is scary.
There are now social media sites that are completely anonymous. Yik Yak is the most prominent on college campuses, and I have mentioned in a previous post how this app is dangerous for people to use. The anonymity allows users to actually state what they think without thinking about any repercussions because there aren't any. Cyberbullying is still happening and now it can be completely anonymous.
The movie "Cyberbully" might have aired three years ago for the first time on TV, but the idea of cyberbullying still exists. Instead of using social media to harm others, it should be used to build relationships and to communicate (nicely) with friends, family and businesses.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Course Overload and Registration Stress
As the final weeks of classes are coming toward me at full force, I am feeling the stress and frustration of finishing my current classes and beginning the new ones.
I calculated my grades in all of classes, which turned out to be a huge mistake. I know this semester has not been my best, but after looking at all of my current grades, I feel a wave of disappointment take over. Right now, I only have an A in one of my classes, two are Bs and two are Cs. I'm positive that I have never received a C as a final grade, but that is something that might happen at this point. We have six weeks left of classes and then it's the dreaded finals week. The stress is finally beginning to get to me, but I worry it is too late to make a major change.
I have never needed to study a lot for any of my classes, especially in high school. It is a shock to me when I see that I'm doing poorly in my classes because that has never been an issue. This proves to me that I need to make a change for the remaining of the semester and into next semester. Actually applying myself and studying will improve my experience in classes, and I hope to come out next semester with good grades.
This week is the beginning of registration for spring semester and that in itself is stressful. On top of that, my adviser has yet to communicate with me about what I need to schedule. I emailed my past adviser about courses and he informed me that he has retired and I need to contact another faculty member, who is my actual adviser. This information would have been beneficial to me at the beginning of the year so I knew who to contact with questions regarding my academics. I am disappointed in the faculty in the math department for how they handled my situation.
My frustration aside, I hope to improve my study habits in the future. This year has been a test for me, but I feel like I might be failing. With six weeks left, maybe I can make the change I desperately need.
I calculated my grades in all of classes, which turned out to be a huge mistake. I know this semester has not been my best, but after looking at all of my current grades, I feel a wave of disappointment take over. Right now, I only have an A in one of my classes, two are Bs and two are Cs. I'm positive that I have never received a C as a final grade, but that is something that might happen at this point. We have six weeks left of classes and then it's the dreaded finals week. The stress is finally beginning to get to me, but I worry it is too late to make a major change.
I have never needed to study a lot for any of my classes, especially in high school. It is a shock to me when I see that I'm doing poorly in my classes because that has never been an issue. This proves to me that I need to make a change for the remaining of the semester and into next semester. Actually applying myself and studying will improve my experience in classes, and I hope to come out next semester with good grades.
This week is the beginning of registration for spring semester and that in itself is stressful. On top of that, my adviser has yet to communicate with me about what I need to schedule. I emailed my past adviser about courses and he informed me that he has retired and I need to contact another faculty member, who is my actual adviser. This information would have been beneficial to me at the beginning of the year so I knew who to contact with questions regarding my academics. I am disappointed in the faculty in the math department for how they handled my situation.
My frustration aside, I hope to improve my study habits in the future. This year has been a test for me, but I feel like I might be failing. With six weeks left, maybe I can make the change I desperately need.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Big Things Come in Little Packages
I am finally able to announce that I now have a Little sister in my sorority. Although it was difficult to keep the secret for two weeks, the look on her face when I blew out her candle was priceless. My Little is Hannah Lane, and I could not be any happier to announce that to the world.
Getting your Little is one of the biggest events of your time in a sorority and I am so honored to have found the perfect one for me. I remember getting my Big last year and I also remember looking around the room at my reveal and seeing families with 10 or more girls in them. There were only three people from my family at my reveal and my known family only consists of eight women total. That is tiny compared to some of the families. It's about quality, not necessarily quality, and we could not have found a better person to be in the Flower Family.
I was asked two weeks ago if I would take Hannah as my Little and I said yes and began crying because I was so happy and relieved. From the moment I met her, I knew I could see her being my Little sister.
I am the youngest member of my family, so being the older one in the family is a different experience for me, but I plan to make the most of my experience as Hannah's Big.
Last night was one of the best nights of my life and I wouldn't trade how I felt for the world. There is no greater joy than the first hug you get from your Little when you reveal yourself to them. Hannah is the perfect Flower and the perfect Little for me. I can't wait to see where our relationship goes in the future, and I promise to always stand by her side.
Welcome to the Flower Family, Hannah. I can't wait to see all the wonderful things you accomplish, and I am so proud to be able to say I am your Big forever and always.
Getting your Little is one of the biggest events of your time in a sorority and I am so honored to have found the perfect one for me. I remember getting my Big last year and I also remember looking around the room at my reveal and seeing families with 10 or more girls in them. There were only three people from my family at my reveal and my known family only consists of eight women total. That is tiny compared to some of the families. It's about quality, not necessarily quality, and we could not have found a better person to be in the Flower Family.
I was asked two weeks ago if I would take Hannah as my Little and I said yes and began crying because I was so happy and relieved. From the moment I met her, I knew I could see her being my Little sister.
I am the youngest member of my family, so being the older one in the family is a different experience for me, but I plan to make the most of my experience as Hannah's Big.
Last night was one of the best nights of my life and I wouldn't trade how I felt for the world. There is no greater joy than the first hug you get from your Little when you reveal yourself to them. Hannah is the perfect Flower and the perfect Little for me. I can't wait to see where our relationship goes in the future, and I promise to always stand by her side.
Welcome to the Flower Family, Hannah. I can't wait to see all the wonderful things you accomplish, and I am so proud to be able to say I am your Big forever and always.
"Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life. No matter what."
Monday, October 20, 2014
Respond to a Crisis
I am currently reading "Real-Time Marketing and PR" and chapter 10 discusses crises and how no one is safe. Every company must have a plan in case of emergency, and the people in charge of the crisis plan must be ready for anything that happens.
While reading this part, I related it back to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and floods. When a disaster occurs, people typically panic, but there should be a plan for evacuation or a safe place to hide from the storm. Information is usually broadcast all over every news station and updates are regular and informative. The same concept applies to companies experiencing a crisis.
The first important thing to remember is that everything is happening in real time, which means a story could break on a social media network before you get the information out to your audience. If that's the case, you must address the problem on that medium and move on from that point. It is never a good idea to ignore the situation, the crisis should be explained and resolved before others can comment and critique the company in question.
If a crisis occurs, a team should be ready to handle the situation and get the correct information out to the audience as quickly as possible. After the initial information is given, updates should be scheduled to continue to tell people what is going on.
The book outlines why it is important to get your message out and to react quickly, but accurately, when a problem occurs. There should always be a plan, and there should be a team to execute the plan when needed. If crises are ignored or kicked under the rug, a company could be looking at more than a flood or a hurricane when it monitors its social media content.
While reading this part, I related it back to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and floods. When a disaster occurs, people typically panic, but there should be a plan for evacuation or a safe place to hide from the storm. Information is usually broadcast all over every news station and updates are regular and informative. The same concept applies to companies experiencing a crisis.
The first important thing to remember is that everything is happening in real time, which means a story could break on a social media network before you get the information out to your audience. If that's the case, you must address the problem on that medium and move on from that point. It is never a good idea to ignore the situation, the crisis should be explained and resolved before others can comment and critique the company in question.
If a crisis occurs, a team should be ready to handle the situation and get the correct information out to the audience as quickly as possible. After the initial information is given, updates should be scheduled to continue to tell people what is going on.
The book outlines why it is important to get your message out and to react quickly, but accurately, when a problem occurs. There should always be a plan, and there should be a team to execute the plan when needed. If crises are ignored or kicked under the rug, a company could be looking at more than a flood or a hurricane when it monitors its social media content.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
PR as a Mathematics Major
As most of you probably know, I am currently studying mathematics at ONU. I chose my major because I have always loved numbers and math problems, and there are many potential careers for me to consider. You can find more information about why I chose math as my major in my post "What are you planning to do with that?"
You might be asking why I am hosting a blog that contains mostly posts about PR and social media if I am studying mathematics, but the answer is simple: I am hosting this blog because it is required for my Social Media Principles course, but I thoroughly enjoy writing every week. Sometimes I feel a little strange sitting in class because I am surrounded by PR, Communication and Marketing majors, and they are taking the class for their major. I'm simply taking it because I thought it would be an interesting class.
Actually, I am interested in PR and communication classes because they are very different from my normal math classes. PR and social media is always changing and evolving and it's important to stay on top of the current media trends. Through my class, I have learned that PR is really all about relationships and building lasting connections between your company and its customers.
Before this class, I always thought PR was all about appearances and making sure you look good, but that's not necessarily the case. Obviously you want your company to be represented well, but it's more about how the customers are treated and how you deal with various crises that occur.
Although I am a math major and will probably rarely use the skills I'm learning in Social Media Principles for whatever career I choose, I think it's beneficial for everyone to see how they should use their resources to build relationships through a PR mindset. Even if I can't use these skills doing math problems, I can certainly keep them in mind for my own daily social media use and interactions with other people.
You might be asking why I am hosting a blog that contains mostly posts about PR and social media if I am studying mathematics, but the answer is simple: I am hosting this blog because it is required for my Social Media Principles course, but I thoroughly enjoy writing every week. Sometimes I feel a little strange sitting in class because I am surrounded by PR, Communication and Marketing majors, and they are taking the class for their major. I'm simply taking it because I thought it would be an interesting class.
Actually, I am interested in PR and communication classes because they are very different from my normal math classes. PR and social media is always changing and evolving and it's important to stay on top of the current media trends. Through my class, I have learned that PR is really all about relationships and building lasting connections between your company and its customers.
Before this class, I always thought PR was all about appearances and making sure you look good, but that's not necessarily the case. Obviously you want your company to be represented well, but it's more about how the customers are treated and how you deal with various crises that occur.
Although I am a math major and will probably rarely use the skills I'm learning in Social Media Principles for whatever career I choose, I think it's beneficial for everyone to see how they should use their resources to build relationships through a PR mindset. Even if I can't use these skills doing math problems, I can certainly keep them in mind for my own daily social media use and interactions with other people.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Quick Response is Key
I am currently reading "Real-Time Marketing and PR" by David Meerman Scott for my social media principles class and Chapter 6 explained how important it is to respond quickly to any complaints customers have. After reading this chapter, I thought about how ONU handled Homecoming this year. In a previous post I discussed the lack of posts from the official ONU Twitter and Facebook profiles during the Homecoming weekend. I feel that Chapter 6 of "Real-Time" could teach the people in charge of the ONU social media a lesson on response and reaction to the community.
Chapter 6 explains a crisis that occurred for Amazon.com when they illegally sold books to their Kindle users and then they abruptly refunded and deleted the books from the customers' Kindle accounts. It took the CEO of Kindle one week to send an apology to customers after they complained on a Kindle user forum. The book emphasizes how important it is for companies to respond quickly to its customer complaints. Although the CEO apologized and was sincere about it, but the apology was sent too late to make a huge difference.
During Homecoming weekend, ONU did not post as much as they should have given the major event that occurred. For my class, I was assigned to live tweet an event from Homecoming and make a blog post about how ONU could have improved their appearance on social media sites. There are about 15 people in my class and we all discussed the same idea that ONU did not post as much as they should have, but no one from ONU has reached out to say anything about why they were not posting. If they were monitoring the content that included anything ONU related, they would see posts about how lacking social media was about Homecoming.
"Real-Time" explains how important it is to move from the old-school, traditional media approach of newspapers and magazines to the new, real-time approach. Social media has evolved the way news spreads and companies need to begin using the new ideas to spread information. Homecoming at ONU is a recent example of how real-time social media was not used effectively to benefit a brand.
Chapter 6 explains a crisis that occurred for Amazon.com when they illegally sold books to their Kindle users and then they abruptly refunded and deleted the books from the customers' Kindle accounts. It took the CEO of Kindle one week to send an apology to customers after they complained on a Kindle user forum. The book emphasizes how important it is for companies to respond quickly to its customer complaints. Although the CEO apologized and was sincere about it, but the apology was sent too late to make a huge difference.
During Homecoming weekend, ONU did not post as much as they should have given the major event that occurred. For my class, I was assigned to live tweet an event from Homecoming and make a blog post about how ONU could have improved their appearance on social media sites. There are about 15 people in my class and we all discussed the same idea that ONU did not post as much as they should have, but no one from ONU has reached out to say anything about why they were not posting. If they were monitoring the content that included anything ONU related, they would see posts about how lacking social media was about Homecoming.
"Real-Time" explains how important it is to move from the old-school, traditional media approach of newspapers and magazines to the new, real-time approach. Social media has evolved the way news spreads and companies need to begin using the new ideas to spread information. Homecoming at ONU is a recent example of how real-time social media was not used effectively to benefit a brand.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Home is Where the Heart is
This weekend was Fall Break for ONU, and I was lucky enough to spend my time at home with my family and old friends from high school. Although I couldn't wait to be home for the first time in 8 weeks, nothing went as I planned and this weekend wasn't as fun as I was hoping it would be.
Friday was Homecoming for my high school and I was really looking forward to the football game and seeing old friends. After being home and seeing my dog, I tried to get in my car to meet my friends for the game. Those plans hit a roadblock when my car wouldn't start; the battery was completely dead. My step dad pulled in a minute or two later and we attempted to jump the car, but that didn't work. The next 40 minutes consisted of us trying to get my car to start, until he finally offered to take me into town to the game. I was only 10 minutes late to the game. After that, everything was fun with my friends and we won the game!
After the game, I went to get some food with the friends I was meeting. I didn't realize how much I would miss having Buffalo Wild Wings, but those boneless honey barbecue wings hit the spot. My mom, Nolan, and I then went to watch my sister's band perform at a local bar. Spending time with family and friends is the best stress relief.
The weekend was off to a great start, until Saturday night. Without getting into all of the details, I went to spend time with a few friends and it felt like everything had changed. I guess that's what happens when you leave your hometown for college. Old friends become just that, old friends. Now, not all of my friends from home have changed, but Saturday night made me realize that my "hometown" isn't necessarily my home anymore.
I will always have my family and there are some friends I see myself having forever, but my homecoming is not what I expected it to be and I think reality of change is beginning to set in. I love being home, but I can't wait to return to my second home at ONU.
Friday was Homecoming for my high school and I was really looking forward to the football game and seeing old friends. After being home and seeing my dog, I tried to get in my car to meet my friends for the game. Those plans hit a roadblock when my car wouldn't start; the battery was completely dead. My step dad pulled in a minute or two later and we attempted to jump the car, but that didn't work. The next 40 minutes consisted of us trying to get my car to start, until he finally offered to take me into town to the game. I was only 10 minutes late to the game. After that, everything was fun with my friends and we won the game!
After the game, I went to get some food with the friends I was meeting. I didn't realize how much I would miss having Buffalo Wild Wings, but those boneless honey barbecue wings hit the spot. My mom, Nolan, and I then went to watch my sister's band perform at a local bar. Spending time with family and friends is the best stress relief.
The weekend was off to a great start, until Saturday night. Without getting into all of the details, I went to spend time with a few friends and it felt like everything had changed. I guess that's what happens when you leave your hometown for college. Old friends become just that, old friends. Now, not all of my friends from home have changed, but Saturday night made me realize that my "hometown" isn't necessarily my home anymore.
I will always have my family and there are some friends I see myself having forever, but my homecoming is not what I expected it to be and I think reality of change is beginning to set in. I love being home, but I can't wait to return to my second home at ONU.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Homecoming at ONU
This past weekend was Homecoming at Ohio Northern and I had a blast celebrating and attending different events the university sponsored. For my social media principles course, I had to choose an event and live tweet important updates. I picked the football game against John Carroll University. Those tweets can be found here in a Storify. Spoiler alert: We lost the game, but I had fun cheering with my friends in the stands.
Homecoming is one of the biggest events for ONU, but you would never know by looking at their Facebook and Twitter updates. I was extremely disappointed to see that they didn't post anything about the various events that were taking place all weekend. Alumni look forward to Homecoming so they can come back to campus and see old friends and meet some new ones. The lack of information posted on Facebook and Twitter shows ONU's lack of engagement in the community.
During the weekend, Ohio Northern's Twitter posted 3 updates about events and they were all pictures with very little meaning. For the live tweeting assignment, we were to use the #ONUHC14, but these tags were nowhere to be found in ONU's tweets! There was hardly any information about the events including what they were, where they were, and where they were happening.
The same trend follows with Facebook. The major post that mentioned anything about Homecoming was a photo album, which was posted on Monday. There was no mention of the schedule of events or where those events could be found.
Ohio Northern was not engaged in the community at all for one of their major events, and I think that's pretty sad. I would expect the university to reach out to alumni and parents for such a big event. The social media profiles should have posted updates of events during the weekend, but also reminders of events during the week.
For future events, specially Homecoming, ONU should establish a tag for all to use and tweet updates and events leading up to the main weekend. There was a spirit week last week and I did not know about most of those events. Engaging the community is extremely important to get your audience to listen and want to join your activities. The Facebook page should have posted the schedule of events, as well as updates during the events.
How you use social media says a low about a brand, and ONU should be attempting to market themselves more effectively, especially because future students will look at these resources to see what kind of events are available on campus.
Homecoming is one of the biggest events for ONU, but you would never know by looking at their Facebook and Twitter updates. I was extremely disappointed to see that they didn't post anything about the various events that were taking place all weekend. Alumni look forward to Homecoming so they can come back to campus and see old friends and meet some new ones. The lack of information posted on Facebook and Twitter shows ONU's lack of engagement in the community.
During the weekend, Ohio Northern's Twitter posted 3 updates about events and they were all pictures with very little meaning. For the live tweeting assignment, we were to use the #ONUHC14, but these tags were nowhere to be found in ONU's tweets! There was hardly any information about the events including what they were, where they were, and where they were happening.
The same trend follows with Facebook. The major post that mentioned anything about Homecoming was a photo album, which was posted on Monday. There was no mention of the schedule of events or where those events could be found.
Ohio Northern was not engaged in the community at all for one of their major events, and I think that's pretty sad. I would expect the university to reach out to alumni and parents for such a big event. The social media profiles should have posted updates of events during the weekend, but also reminders of events during the week.
For future events, specially Homecoming, ONU should establish a tag for all to use and tweet updates and events leading up to the main weekend. There was a spirit week last week and I did not know about most of those events. Engaging the community is extremely important to get your audience to listen and want to join your activities. The Facebook page should have posted the schedule of events, as well as updates during the events.
How you use social media says a low about a brand, and ONU should be attempting to market themselves more effectively, especially because future students will look at these resources to see what kind of events are available on campus.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
The Big Four
One of the more beneficial parts from reading "Share This" is part 3. This section of the book is the most helpful in my life and holds the most significance. Part 3 of "Share This" explains the major social media networks and how a company could use them to its best advantage.
The first social media site the book discusses is Facebook. I personally use Facebook in my daily life and I know it is a growing presence in the business world. The book says that companies should use Facebook to amplify messages, build communities and engage with fans. Evaluation is still important when using Facebook and there are three tiers to evaluation; those include conversation triggers, conversations created and conversation outcomes. Facebook strategies are helpful for companies to build a network and promote a product.
The second social media site the book discusses in Twitter. Twitter is an easier and faster way for a business to spread information and engage the community. Twitter is different from Facebook in that it is easier to favorite and retweet. People are more engaged and tags allow users to connect with other users. Twitter allows companies to spread news quickly to a large number of people.
The third social media site the book discusses is LinkedIn. This site is a more professional network for companies to use. I have a LinkedIn account and I used it to find a job over the summer. LinkedIn allows people to share their skills and experiences with potential employers. Companies can utilize LinkedIn to find employees and to spread information about new ideas or job opportunities.
The final social media site in Google+, but I feel that this site is not a helpful one to use. We discussed that no one uses Google+ and it isn't moving forward in the social media world.
Reading "Share This" has helped me understand how social media can be used to benefit a company and the employees within that company.
The first social media site the book discusses is Facebook. I personally use Facebook in my daily life and I know it is a growing presence in the business world. The book says that companies should use Facebook to amplify messages, build communities and engage with fans. Evaluation is still important when using Facebook and there are three tiers to evaluation; those include conversation triggers, conversations created and conversation outcomes. Facebook strategies are helpful for companies to build a network and promote a product.
The second social media site the book discusses in Twitter. Twitter is an easier and faster way for a business to spread information and engage the community. Twitter is different from Facebook in that it is easier to favorite and retweet. People are more engaged and tags allow users to connect with other users. Twitter allows companies to spread news quickly to a large number of people.
The third social media site the book discusses is LinkedIn. This site is a more professional network for companies to use. I have a LinkedIn account and I used it to find a job over the summer. LinkedIn allows people to share their skills and experiences with potential employers. Companies can utilize LinkedIn to find employees and to spread information about new ideas or job opportunities.
The final social media site in Google+, but I feel that this site is not a helpful one to use. We discussed that no one uses Google+ and it isn't moving forward in the social media world.
Reading "Share This" has helped me understand how social media can be used to benefit a company and the employees within that company.
Monday, October 6, 2014
The Blogger Life
As you probably know, I am currently enrolled in a class called Social Media Principles. One requirement for the class is to create a blog that includes 3 posts: one about social media or PR, one about my life at ONU and one about the book we are reading in class. Although I struggle to find something to write, I couldn't be happier to have this blog.
I personally feel that blogging is one form of social media that is often overlooked in our society. Blogging might be different from Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, but it is a great way to release thoughts and to promote yourself.
I found an article titled "The 20 Biggest Benefits of Blogging,"which explains how maintaining a blog is beneficial for users. The benefits that stood out the most to me include becoming a better writer, gaining influence in the online community, building your network, learning in-demand skills, improving your SEO, expressing yourself, helping others and taking control of your identity. These benefits are the most important because they all play a part in creating an online presence.
The article also talks about how companies can use blogs to reach out to its customers to improve its brand. Companies are able to learn more about the customers and sell products by using blogs, and blogging is a skill that not all people can master. This gives companies that use blogs an advantage over those that don't.
Blogging is the best kept secret of the social media world, but I think more people could benefit from hosting a blog. I'm just getting started in this class, but I plan to continue with a blog in the future.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
The Greatest People I Will Ever Meet
My life here at Northern has been full of ups and downs. I explained the past year at school in a previous post, "The College Experience." What I failed to mention in this post was the amazing friends I have made on this campus, and I think I owe them at least a post on this blog.
Let me start be telling you that I am originally from the Bowling Green, Ohio area, and three students from my high school decided to come here, including me. One of the other students is my boyfriend of four years, and the other is an old friend of mine (who recently actually became a sister through Alpha Xi Delta). That being said, I only knew two people when I arrived at ONU.
I struggle at making friends and meeting new people because I am generally extremely shy until I get to know you more. Well, I can't get to know someone if I never talk to anyone, so it was a major obstacle for me to overcome. As I discussed in the post linked above, I expected to be best friends with my roommate, but that didn't happen and I had to find another way to make friends.
I tried sorority recruitment, which worked out in my favor because I met 3 of my best friends that way. After that process, I gained about 50 people who were my sisters. There is a common misconception that joining a sorority means you are paying for friends, and there is a saying that goes with that where the sorority member says, "if that's true, I didn't pay nearly enough." I did not pay for my friends; I am paying for my T-shirts, socials, formals, housing, and dues for the National Fraternity. My sisters don't have to be my friends, and I'm not close with all of them, but the majority of my good friends have come from Alpha Xi.
I now have two 'daughters' and they bring me joy and I would never trade them for anything. These are two of the girls I met through recruitment and, even though there was a rough spot last year, they have been a constant part of my life.
Here's us at Spring Bid Day 2014!
My roommate this year is the last one who has been there from the beginning. I am so glad we have been able to get to know each other more over the past year. We have too much fun together, but I won't complain about that. Our room is usually full of dancing, singing and laughter.
Next up is my sorority Big. We might not have known each other much when we were matched up, but we are the same person. I couldn't be happier to be her Little and I hope to soon get a Little of my own to share the joy of the Flower Family! My Big is the most caring person I have ever met, and I hope to be like her to my own Little.
The final person I want to mention is my boyfriend. I'm apologizing in advance if I get sappy. I would not be the person I am today without the love and support of my boyfriend. We ended up both choosing Ohio Northern and we have grown together by being here. It is really important for both of us to have our own individual activities so we actually have to work a little to be together. We recently celebrated four years of being together and they have truly been the best four years of my life.
These five people have changed my life for the better, but they are not the only ones. I have more friends than I can write about in a post on this blog. No, they aren't all my closest, best friends, but they all have the ability to make me smile and laugh and be myself. I am so thankful for the people I have met and I believe these are the greatest people I will ever meet.
"Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for good." -- Lyrics from "For Good" from "Wicked"
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Employee Engagement
Part 7 of "Share This" discusses the importance of engaging the employees of a company. You must gather input and create a plan before you choose the channels you want to utilize for your company. After the channels are chosen, the information needs to stay in a real time setting in order to keep up with the demand of the audience. Employee engagement allows feedback and collaboration throughout the company, which is important in keeping ideas fresh and moving forward.
Organizations are constantly part of evolving communities and networks, and this allows a flow of social communication for a company. According to "Share This," employees need to be involved in the process to make sure the company is matching business needs to the recommendations of employees. It's important not to begin a social media site on a platform that will not help the company move forward simply because it's the hottest, new tool.
Utilizing employees to their best potential is helpful to the growth of a company. The employees do the work that needs to be done and their ideas can push the company into the right direction. Seeking input from your employees will empower everyone to be proactive.
"Share This" explains how the employees of a company need to be included on decision making and putting them on social media helps improve the company overall.
Organizations are constantly part of evolving communities and networks, and this allows a flow of social communication for a company. According to "Share This," employees need to be involved in the process to make sure the company is matching business needs to the recommendations of employees. It's important not to begin a social media site on a platform that will not help the company move forward simply because it's the hottest, new tool.
Utilizing employees to their best potential is helpful to the growth of a company. The employees do the work that needs to be done and their ideas can push the company into the right direction. Seeking input from your employees will empower everyone to be proactive.
"Share This" explains how the employees of a company need to be included on decision making and putting them on social media helps improve the company overall.
Monday, September 29, 2014
It's My Time
It's 8 o'clock and I have already completed some of my homework and a full workout. I feel extremely accomplished. My typical day leaves me feeling guilty that I didn't find time to check things off my 'To Do' list. Today is the first day I have been extremely productive in a while.
I am an extreme procrastinator; I have been that way for as long as I can remember. Procrastination runs in my family, and I truly believe that.
Homework overload hits the day before all of my assignments are due and I usually stay up too late to try to finish the things I should have been doing a long time ago. I don't always procrastinate, and when I get my assignments done on time, I feel really good about myself. So why is it that I can't finish all of my assignments ahead of time? What is taking up so much time for me not to get my work done? I have no idea how to answer those questions. Maybe I get too busy for my own life and absolutely cannot find the time, but I think I get distracted the majority of the time.
This week will be different. I'm already on a good track and I intend to keep up with this trend. Look for an update in the future! I hope I can bring you good news in a week or two.
I am an extreme procrastinator; I have been that way for as long as I can remember. Procrastination runs in my family, and I truly believe that.
Homework overload hits the day before all of my assignments are due and I usually stay up too late to try to finish the things I should have been doing a long time ago. I don't always procrastinate, and when I get my assignments done on time, I feel really good about myself. So why is it that I can't finish all of my assignments ahead of time? What is taking up so much time for me not to get my work done? I have no idea how to answer those questions. Maybe I get too busy for my own life and absolutely cannot find the time, but I think I get distracted the majority of the time.
This week will be different. I'm already on a good track and I intend to keep up with this trend. Look for an update in the future! I hope I can bring you good news in a week or two.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Mathematics and Social Media
For my social media principles course, I was assigned to host an interview with a person in my preferred department and create a podcast based on that information. I chose to interview the mathematics department chair, Mihai Caragiu.
Caragiu is in charge of any PR for the math department, and he shared his plans for the future regarding social media. He gave me all the information I needed to get a better understanding of how ONU's math department connects with students.
Please enjoy the podcast below!
Caragiu is in charge of any PR for the math department, and he shared his plans for the future regarding social media. He gave me all the information I needed to get a better understanding of how ONU's math department connects with students.
Please enjoy the podcast below!
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
A Flawed Rule System
A new, Twitter-like app is becoming the hottest topic of the social media world. In this app, users are able to post anything they desire and what they say is completely anonymous. The app is also restricted by location, meaning you only see posts from those within a few miles of your location. This app is called Yik Yak.
Yik Yak is mainly directed towards college students and college campuses, and it allows people to discuss their thoughts on current topics on campus. Like all social media apps, there are certain terms and conditions the users must follow and their membership could be suspended if these rules are broken. Many Yik Yak users follow the rules and post about classes, Mac food, the black swans and various other topics, but sometimes there is a bad seed, which turns into a rotten garden, which turns into an endless sea of offensive Yaks.
I witnessed a negative post ruin a friend's night this past Saturday. Someone completely degraded my friend in a post that included her full name and our sorority's name. '
I decided I would look over the rules that are supposed to govern the users of Yik Yak, and I found that they are not well enforced.
Yik Yak is mainly directed towards college students and college campuses, and it allows people to discuss their thoughts on current topics on campus. Like all social media apps, there are certain terms and conditions the users must follow and their membership could be suspended if these rules are broken. Many Yik Yak users follow the rules and post about classes, Mac food, the black swans and various other topics, but sometimes there is a bad seed, which turns into a rotten garden, which turns into an endless sea of offensive Yaks.
I witnessed a negative post ruin a friend's night this past Saturday. Someone completely degraded my friend in a post that included her full name and our sorority's name. '
I decided I would look over the rules that are supposed to govern the users of Yik Yak, and I found that they are not well enforced.
- "You do not bully or specifically target other yakkers."
- "You DO NOT bully or specifically target other yakkers."
I think it's somewhat humorous for the makers of Yik Yak to make this rule so important, but I can't explain how many times I have seen people personally called out by other yakkers in offensive posts. Names are sometimes included, which does not follow the rules. I find some of the yaks offensive even if they are not targeted towards me. People post about how awful Greek life is, how horny they are or how hot that girl was in Mac earlier.
- "Zero tolerance policy on posting people's phone numbers."
- "Don't clutter people's feeds with useless of offensive yaks. If you see a useless of offensive yak, make sure you do your part by downvoting or reporting it."
For anyone who has looked at Yik Yak, the majority of the posts are useless or offensive. There is no monitoring system on Yik Yak other than the users. It is our responsibility to downvote or report offensive posts, however, a post must be downvoted at least 5 times to get it removed. Each vote is counted once on a post and you cannot vote more than once on the same post, so 5 or more people have to downvote a post, and hope that no one else upvotes that same post, to remove it from the page. Does that make sense? It doesn't make any sense in my opinion.
- "If your yaks continue to be downvoted or reported, you will be suspended."
If you are actively on Yik Yak, please try to keep it clean. I am tired of seeing your comments about that hot girl in your Chem class or that you haven't had sex in too long. If you wouldn't want your name posted next to it, you probably shouldn't be posting it, and maybe we should all just stick to Twitter.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Social Media and Branding
I finished reading Part 4 of "Share This: the Social Media Handbook for PR Professionals" and I am making connections between my use of social media and how professionals should be using social media to market their brand.
Part 4 discusses how to use social media to improve a brand and encourage communication and interaction between a company and its customers. The difficulty of measuring return on investment was mentioned and I feel that there is a way to make the system function more effectively. "Share This" gives an example of P&G using printable coupons to increase sales in store, but there is no effective method to get people to buy items from a store while remaining on the social media site. Measuring ROI can be difficult, however, if managers keep track of their sales before and after posting on their social media outlets, they should be able to determine if there is an increase in sales.
As I was reading, I began thinking about how I use my social media websites and how the organizations I am involved in use social media websites. The book discusses the importance of engaging your followers and monitoring your content. I made a connection to Alpha Xi Delta and how our PR Vice President and Social Media Chair use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We are told to be aware of what we post in order to keep our Chapter clean of any negative or inappropriate posts. Our social media team works very hard to keep the organization's Facebook Page (found here) updated and full of necessary information.
In terms of Facebook and the generic social media websites, my sorority does well to keep things engaging and informative, but I think we could utilize other resources to make our presence even stronger. "Share This" suggests the use of videos (YouTube) and blogging to reach out to an audience. I agree with the book that people do not make the most of using video or blogs to engage their peers (or companies to the customers). Both blogs and video content are easy to share and you can keep people more updated about what you're doing because you can go into more detail and they can actually see things in action.
I think Alpha Xi would do well to begin a blog or a YouTube channel, or both. I would love to post videos of events to show other chapters what we are doing, and maybe they could get some ideas from us!
"Share This" is mainly targeted towards professionals, but I think everyone can use these tips in their daily lives. We all are a brand, we all are trying to put our best foot out there and we all are trying to get a response from a specific audience.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
The College Experience
College is a life changing experience. You just turn 18 years old and you are thrown out on your own in a world that isn't necessarily the 'real world,' but your parents expect you to be an adult. Attending any college can be the most intimidating time in a person's life. I experienced the shock of the college culture last year as a freshman at Ohio Northern University.
Of course, I knew a few things to expect: the drinking, staying up way to late, getting yourself to classes, trying to make new friends and participating in different activities. It's not high school anymore, and people are fairly open about their lives. I came into college with an expectation, but that expectation was definitely exceeded.
It's honestly hour and I would like to share my experience and thoughts on the 'College Experience.'
When I arrived on campus, I was excited and nervous for my opening weekend. Anyone who knows me understands that I am shy when you first meet me, but I become outgoing when you give me some time. I was matched with a random roommate and we had messaged each other over the summer to talk about who would bring the fridge and microwave. I thought I would at least have my roommate as my friend.
Opening weekend came and I attended every event, but my Orientation Leader was not welcoming and obviously had her favorites. I made friends with one girl in my group, but that friendship did not last. We parted ways after we went through Greek recruitment and ended up in different sororities.
My roommate, as mentioned earlier, was the person I expected to be my first friend on campus, but that was not the case. We were civil with each other, but we never became friends. She found her group and I was left to try to find mine. My old roommate moved out of our room two weeks later and I was left alone.
During this time, I decided I would try Greek life. I have always been interested in joining a sorority but I was scared about the stereotypes. I found my home with Alpha Xi Delta and I found my best friends along the way. For the first time, I didn't feel alone and I was happy.
Shortly after joining my sorority, I attended my first party and I had fun. I was offered a drink or two, but I politely turned them down and continued to have fun with my friends.
Everything was beginning to take a turn for the better and I was in a good place. My best friend moved into my room after her own problems with her roommate. The rest of my freshman year included me finding who I was and growing up into who I am today.
Although my college experience did not start off on the best foot, I ended my freshman year with more knowledge and hope for a great second year at Ohio Northern University. I am emphasizing that this is my college experience.
As I expected, going to college also meant going to college parties. I have personally attended my share of parties over the past year and I have seen things I cannot write about in this blog, but I'm sure you can use your imagination. Parties are sometimes synonymous with drinking, but I can happily say that I have never even taken a sip of anything alcoholic. I honestly do not plan to drink until I turn 21, but there are some people that do not agree with my decision. I can't count the number of times I have been asked why I don't drink. I will respond with my reason and they criticize me and tell me, "but it's part of the college experience." No, I'm sorry, but drinking is not part of my college experience.
Now I am a sophomore at Ohio Northern and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me. I hope my experience continues to cause me to grow in every way possible. I know I will not be the same person in a year, but I hope to be a better version of myself.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Pinterest, Twitter and Snapchat, oh my!
I bought my first smartphone about 10 months ago and filled my storage space with as many apps as I could, both useful and not. Many of the apps I downloaded were social media type apps, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest and Tumblr. Since then, I have added Yik Yak and Timehop to the mix. Why do I have all of these social media apps? Do I need every single one of them? How did I get started on so many different networks?
My experience with social media began with MySpace, much like everyone else from my generation. I remember faking my age to be able to create a profile and always forgetting how old I made myself when I forgot my password. That was the coolest thing of the time and the biggest decision I had to make was who to put as my 'Top Friends.' Like most trends, MySpace died out and is now used mostly for music. I logged on for the first time in years and I found things had changed quite a bit:
The time of social media is now and we use social media to carry out the majority of our daily conversations with our friends. I currently use Facebook, Timehop and Instagram daily to communicate with my friends. That leaves Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, Yik Yak and Snapchat on my phone for no reason. Why do I feel compelled to keep these apps around? Don't get me wrong, I check these places every now and then, but probably not as much as I should.
My goal is to get more out of my social media practices. I have all the resources, but I feel that I am not utilizing them well. Does that mean I need to post more updates and network myself more? Maybe. I guess that's something I need to work on. Social media sites can be a little overwhelming, but I want to master them and use them to my best advantage. My objective is to use all of my social media apps more to improve my overall image. I don't need a million followers, but I want to at least have a profile with current posts. If I can't complete this task in a month or two, I might as well delete my accounts and forget I even had them.
Feel free to follow me on all of my social media outlets and help encourage me to achieve my goal!
Facebook
Twitter: @MichelleHaver
Instagram: @meeshell36
Snapchat: myshell36
Pinterest
My experience with social media began with MySpace, much like everyone else from my generation. I remember faking my age to be able to create a profile and always forgetting how old I made myself when I forgot my password. That was the coolest thing of the time and the biggest decision I had to make was who to put as my 'Top Friends.' Like most trends, MySpace died out and is now used mostly for music. I logged on for the first time in years and I found things had changed quite a bit:
My goal is to get more out of my social media practices. I have all the resources, but I feel that I am not utilizing them well. Does that mean I need to post more updates and network myself more? Maybe. I guess that's something I need to work on. Social media sites can be a little overwhelming, but I want to master them and use them to my best advantage. My objective is to use all of my social media apps more to improve my overall image. I don't need a million followers, but I want to at least have a profile with current posts. If I can't complete this task in a month or two, I might as well delete my accounts and forget I even had them.
Feel free to follow me on all of my social media outlets and help encourage me to achieve my goal!
Twitter: @MichelleHaver
Instagram: @meeshell36
Snapchat: myshell36
Monday, September 15, 2014
Homesick and Breaking Down
This past weekend was full of excitement and fun, but also stress and lack of sleep. I couldn't be happier with how things turned out for my sorority and the rest of Greek life, but I would give anything to just go home.
I am not the type of person who wants to go home every weekend and I do not call my parents everyday, but home is calling me now. My life at ONU is great; recruitment is now over, classes are going well and I feel comfortable, but I really miss my dog and my mom and my stepfather and my house in the middle of nowhere.
Before coming to ONU, I was always independent and didn't need my parents around all the time. I actually preferred when they weren't around. I enjoyed my freedom and I love that I was able to be responsible for myself. Towards the end of my high school career, I realized how lucky I really was to have the parents I have. They trust me and I know I can always turn to them if I need something. Like most teenagers, I couldn't wait to leave the house and be an adult, but I'm beginning to miss my parents being there.
I can't begin to explain how much I would love to go home and curl up on the couch with my dog. It would feel so wonderful to start a movie and just relax without worrying about not being productive enough. I can daydream all I want, but reality will hit again soon. I have homework, sorority events and I was hoping to get a workout in tonight. I am beginning to feel guilty for taking that two hour nap earlier.
I guess the old saying holds, you never know what you have until it's gone. I had a loving family, time to relax and do nothing all day, home cooked meals and a dog to always cuddle with. Now, I have my laptop, homework to do, tests to study for, one true meal eaten today and only a stuffed animal to cuddle with. Home sounds pretty good to me, and it's only Monday.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Social Media Strategy
We began reading "Share This: the Social Media Handbook for PR Professionals" this week in my social media principles class. This handbook is a useful tool that allows you to get the most out of using social media for your business. The first part of "Share This" gives statistics about users and defines the terms the authors will use throughout the book. The second part explains how planning works in using social media.
The planning aspect of using social media is extremely interesting to me. I personally use social media daily, but I don't put in a lot of planning to what I'm doing. When a company wants to use social media to its advantage, more planning and strategy is involved. These strategies require six steps: select a squad, choose a goal, listen, think character and content, integrate your outposts and measure what you treasure.
Selecting a squad to be in charge of the social media is one of the most important steps. The people you select must be active in social media in their daily lives so they actually understand what to do and how social media works. These people must be able to keep everyone else involved and up to date on what is happening with the company.
Choosing a goal is a basic step in planning to use social media. What does your company want to achieve by using social media? It is important to choose only one goal because you can focus all of your attention on that one goal and make it the most successful that it can be. Success in a goal is usually measured by return on investment (ROI) by the leaders of the company.
Listening, as I have mentioned in a previous post, is an important skill for businesses, especially when using social media. Checking keywords and typing your company's name into a search engine is a great way to begin the listening process. This step allows you to find out what your customers really want from you and you can build your brand from their suggestions. Even if the reviews are bad, your company can learn from those mistakes and never make them again. Listening also gives you the opportunity to see what you are doing well. It is important to use tools that allow you to listen and participate.
Thinking character and content is the next step in making a strategy for using social media. Character and image are two completely different things; character is the real deal and image is what you show others. A company needs to reveal its human side in order for customers to feel more invited. The content being shared needs to be monitored, and if there are negative comments, they need to be handled.
Integrating your outposts means making the most of the social media sites you are using. It is not necessary to use all of the social sites you possibly can, but it's more about using them well and connecting them to each other.
Measuring what you treasure is looking at your ROI and deciding if your plan was successful or not. You can then take this information and plan your next goal accordingly.
These steps are the basis of using social media to your best advantage. Business use of social media takes much more planning than personal, everyday use.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Use Your Resources
In my previous post (found here), I described the ideas of listening to customers using the groundswell as a major resource. I recently finished reading "Groundswell" and everything about the book was put into perspective. The final chapters describe case studies of companies using the groundswell to its advantage. I found the stories about Dove and Dell to be the most significant.
Dove, a Unilever brand, was able to tap into the groundswell successfully and used the public to help enhance its brand. It began its journey by creating a challenge on The Apprentice. The ads created by the contestants turned out badly, but Dove used this opportunity to create its own ad. The new ad created a flow of visits to Dove's website. Dove's team did not want to stop there, Rob Masters decided to create a stream of Web-based videos to promote its new product, "Dove's Calming Night." They used this new site to offer free samples to users, and this was the moment Unilever realized the potential of the groundswell.
Throughout Dove's experience, the leaders of Unilever were able to loosen their control on the company and let the groundswell work. "Groundswell" gives three elements that Unilever used to help use the groundswell to its best advantage: have a plan, take small steps that make a big impact and include leaders in the plan.
Using Dove's example, we can see that there are many things that contribute to a growing company. Utilizing the groundswell takes time and patience. Planning in advance and taking small steps to achieve the company's goals are important to make a difference. The idea of the groundswell is to let the customers take more control of the company by allowing them to share their feelings about the products. Leaders must let go of some of the control they have to allow the groundswell to work.
Dell's experience is very different from Dove's. Many customers were displeased with Dell's products and they became more displeased when Dell did nothing to help them or to improve its product. The company finally realized what was happening and started listening, which I explained in a previous post to be the most important part of the groundswell. Dell began blogging to reach out to the customers, even the higher ups in the company contributed to the blogs. They were able to let go of some control over the company and allow the groundswell to work.
Letting go of control is a very important step for companies to tap into the groundswell. This process allows customers to feel comfortable with talking to the leaders of the company because they actually care what the customer has to say.
Dove, a Unilever brand, was able to tap into the groundswell successfully and used the public to help enhance its brand. It began its journey by creating a challenge on The Apprentice. The ads created by the contestants turned out badly, but Dove used this opportunity to create its own ad. The new ad created a flow of visits to Dove's website. Dove's team did not want to stop there, Rob Masters decided to create a stream of Web-based videos to promote its new product, "Dove's Calming Night." They used this new site to offer free samples to users, and this was the moment Unilever realized the potential of the groundswell.
Throughout Dove's experience, the leaders of Unilever were able to loosen their control on the company and let the groundswell work. "Groundswell" gives three elements that Unilever used to help use the groundswell to its best advantage: have a plan, take small steps that make a big impact and include leaders in the plan.
Using Dove's example, we can see that there are many things that contribute to a growing company. Utilizing the groundswell takes time and patience. Planning in advance and taking small steps to achieve the company's goals are important to make a difference. The idea of the groundswell is to let the customers take more control of the company by allowing them to share their feelings about the products. Leaders must let go of some of the control they have to allow the groundswell to work.
Dell's experience is very different from Dove's. Many customers were displeased with Dell's products and they became more displeased when Dell did nothing to help them or to improve its product. The company finally realized what was happening and started listening, which I explained in a previous post to be the most important part of the groundswell. Dell began blogging to reach out to the customers, even the higher ups in the company contributed to the blogs. They were able to let go of some control over the company and allow the groundswell to work.
Letting go of control is a very important step for companies to tap into the groundswell. This process allows customers to feel comfortable with talking to the leaders of the company because they actually care what the customer has to say.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Social Media and Self-Esteem
Have you ever felt the joy of opening your Facebook page and seeing a lot of notifications? Have you ever checked your phone and smiled because you had a list of users who liked your Instagram picture? Have you ever posted something funny on Twitter, but no one favorited or retweeted it? Have you ever messaged someone but never got a response? Most people, including myself, would answer these questions with a yes. Why does social media hold a major role in how we feel about ourselves?
While thinking about how to answer that question, it all began to make sense. People don't post status updates or pictures to not get a response. We post these things with the hope that someone will 'like' it and respond. When I post a picture on Facebook or Instagram, I expect that my friends will give me feedback on it. If I check my recently added photo and it has not yet received more than 10 likes, I feel my self-esteem drop a little bit.
I decided to do a little research on the relationship between social media and self-esteem. Like most things, there are two sides to this story: the positive and the negative.
The first article emphasized the negative, stating that social media gives a false sense of reality and causes the user to become envious of others and measure their success by the success of others. Social media allows everyone to brag about their life and demonstrate how well they are doing. The article also says that people who use social media a lot crave attention and drama. Wait until election time and log onto Facebook, that is the best time to scroll down endless comments of arguing political views. The amount of drama that comes from a single status is astounding.
The other article I found focused on the positive images of using social media. This article describes a study done on college students at Cornell University. They placed some students at computers and allowed them to change their Facebook profiles while the others sat at computers that were turned off and had a mirror propped next to the screen. After a few minutes, the students took a questionnaire to measure their self-esteem. The students that were allowed to edit their Facebook profiles showed higher self-esteem levels than the other students.
Social media gives users a chance to show off their achievements and put their best foot forward. Watching people 'like' or 'favorite' your posts gives you a sense of belonging and happiness, but if your posts are not well received, your self-esteem can drop. Although updating your profile picture or your twitter feed makes you happy and raises your self-esteem, it is a good idea to leave your phone or computer somewhere and enjoy real face to face contact.
While thinking about how to answer that question, it all began to make sense. People don't post status updates or pictures to not get a response. We post these things with the hope that someone will 'like' it and respond. When I post a picture on Facebook or Instagram, I expect that my friends will give me feedback on it. If I check my recently added photo and it has not yet received more than 10 likes, I feel my self-esteem drop a little bit.
I decided to do a little research on the relationship between social media and self-esteem. Like most things, there are two sides to this story: the positive and the negative.
The first article emphasized the negative, stating that social media gives a false sense of reality and causes the user to become envious of others and measure their success by the success of others. Social media allows everyone to brag about their life and demonstrate how well they are doing. The article also says that people who use social media a lot crave attention and drama. Wait until election time and log onto Facebook, that is the best time to scroll down endless comments of arguing political views. The amount of drama that comes from a single status is astounding.
The other article I found focused on the positive images of using social media. This article describes a study done on college students at Cornell University. They placed some students at computers and allowed them to change their Facebook profiles while the others sat at computers that were turned off and had a mirror propped next to the screen. After a few minutes, the students took a questionnaire to measure their self-esteem. The students that were allowed to edit their Facebook profiles showed higher self-esteem levels than the other students.
Social media gives users a chance to show off their achievements and put their best foot forward. Watching people 'like' or 'favorite' your posts gives you a sense of belonging and happiness, but if your posts are not well received, your self-esteem can drop. Although updating your profile picture or your twitter feed makes you happy and raises your self-esteem, it is a good idea to leave your phone or computer somewhere and enjoy real face to face contact.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Not Enough to Do
The first weeks of classes are over and everyone is now getting settled into their schedules. Various sports and organizations are beginning to meet and plan their events for the year. Welcome Fest, Ohio Northern's activities fair, was a couple weekends ago and there was a wide variety of clubs and sports and musical groups for all to join. Last year, I remember signing up for as many things as I could, but I sadly did not follow through with many of them.
This year at Welcome Fest, I signed up for fewer clubs. The emails have started to file into my inbox and I write the meeting dates into my planner and wait for the day to arrive.
Even though I have signed up for some activities, I feel somewhat empty; almost as if there is more I can be doing. I want to be active in more organizations, but I'm not sure that makes sense for me. My sorority emphasizes participation in other organizations, and I think I am involved on campus, however, when I write down what I actually am participating in, I realize there is not much on my list.
Why do I feel the need to push myself into campus organizations? I am currently enrolled in 18 credit hours of classes, I have a campus job as a Math/Stat tutor and I am actively involved in my sorority. Is there more I can do to fill my time? Of course there is, but I feel overwhelmed already.
I am hoping that working towards leadership roles in my current organizations will fill the empty feeling I have. I want to feel accomplished after this year, not stressed out about all of the activities I have to keep track of. Here's to my round two at ONU; may my sophomore year bring more memories and good times.
I am hoping that working towards leadership roles in my current organizations will fill the empty feeling I have. I want to feel accomplished after this year, not stressed out about all of the activities I have to keep track of. Here's to my round two at ONU; may my sophomore year bring more memories and good times.
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