Nicole's Social Media and PR Blog

Social Media Resume

2008-04-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

I am a Communication major at St. Edward’s University. I am seeking a challenging internship that will merge my knowledge of social media as well as customer service and public relations knowledge.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Nicole Etheridge
St. Edward’s University
Communication Student
Email: netheri [at] stedwards [dot] edu
Blog: http://netheri.blogspot.com/

PROFILE:

• Long term career interest in sports marketing/public relations
• Familiar with emerging media technologies: blogs, web pages and podcasts
• Experienced in creating and adapting video, audio and text for online PR tools
• Excellent academic preparation; successfully completed coursework in Media
Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Organizational Communication, and
Internet and Social Media in PR
• Team player with well developed leadership skills
• Computer literate: Word, Excel and PowerPoint

EDUCATION:

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Expected May 2009
St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas

MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS:

Podcast: Discusses what a blog is and many different types and aspects of blogging.

Web Video Project: World Hunger Video

U.S. Falling Behind in Social Media Creation

2008-04-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting article discussing how the U.S. is lagging in social media creations. With all of the social networking sites that we have and more and more businesses and such catching on, I thought this was intriguing. As I continued reading the article I found that Americans are more likely to watch or read the content made by others rather than make our own. The article states that Americans, “Love to watch.” Another interesting piece of information I found in the article states, “A little over 60 percent of Internet users in the U.S. said they read blogs, but just 26 percent had created one, compared to over 70 percent of Internet users who blog in South Korea and China.”

Social Media get together

2008-04-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

I found this article announcing a social media get together in Jordan. It’s being put on to show the different aspects of social media and content sharing. Web 2.0 is soaring in the Middle East now with “more than 300 active blogs in Jordan alone and the country’s Queen Rania recently launched her own YouTube page.” The conference hopes to attract a regional audience of marketing and communications specialists, advertisers, public relations professionals and media companies.

Advertising for the people from the people

2008-04-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

I was scanning through Citizen Marketers the other day and came across a section talking about contests. I found this interesting since we had just finished an assignment for class that involved making a web video. The book says “With the right democratic principles in place, solid execution, and a respectful awareness about the potential of social media to spread word of mouth, a contest can improve fortunes and enhance loyalty.” I agree with this statement completely. This is an easy way for a company or organization to allow the people to put forth their talents towards something they like. Although, the GM’s Chevy Tahoe disaster proves things can turn against you. This campaign collected several thousand negative ads posted by SUV critics. In the book, The New Influencer, the Chevrolet general manager was quoted, “We, on the other hand, welcome the opportunity to clarify the facts…In our opinion, this has been one of the most creative and successful promotions we have done.” Also, from the book, it discusses the “Driving Forces” of viral marketing:
Declining response rates
Technology developments
Demographic shifts
Customer preference
Low cost
Youtube has been hailed the advertising medium of the future so why not take advantage of this new way of marketing.

Social Networking is Becoming More Appealing

2008-04-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last class we were scanning the ComScore website and my fellow classmate and I came across the demographic profiles for selected social networking. We found that myspace visitors are now “age 35 or older.” I found this slightly alarming at first considering I myself have a myspace and assumed the demographics would prove to be a bit younger. I can see how the age span works out this way especially now seeing the many uses myspace can bring to businesses and such. Comscore then goes on to explain that these sites are all different, aiming towards different crowds. Of course facebook’s demographics would prove to be younger because this site was created for college students. Social networking isn’t just aiming at the youngsters anymore and is proving to appeal to more people.

World Hunger

2008-04-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

World Hunger Video

2008-04-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Podcasts for Everyone

2008-04-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

While sitting around watching television tonight I started watching Joel Osteen. Osteen is is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas and was named "Most Influential Christian in America" in 2006 by The Church Report. As I was watching his sermon, at the bottom of the screen they showed a website where you can go to receive free podcasts and broadcasts of his show. It's interesting now after taking this social media class how all these different aspects of the internet are taking over. Now that I know what all these things are such as the podcast, I am better able to recognize all the different places they come up. We discuss in class how social media is starting to take over and I believe that Joel Osteen and his messages have made it to a vast population in some part due to the fact that he is keeping up with the times and the growing internet population.

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

2008-04-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

I usually tend to blog more about things that are discussed in class or assigned readings but I came across a story that I thought was worth talking about. A teammate of mine introduced me to the story of Randy Pausch and his incredible story about his fight with pancreatic cancer. You might have seen the show about him on Oprah, but for those of you who haven’t here is a brief summary. Pausch is a professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In September 2006, he was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer and after all his therapy was given an estimated three to six months to live.
He gave what he was made known for his “Last Lecture” on September 18, 2007 which attracted wide attention from the international media, became an Internet hit, and was viewed over a million times in the first month after its delivery.
I think the messages in his speech are ones worth hearing and will have an impact on anyone who listens.
Since then, Pausch now has a website dedicated to raising awareness about pancreatic cancer and funding. It is amazing how the internet is able to help people in this way and to allow those such as Pausch the opportunity to touch so many lives.

Old vs. New

2008-04-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

We discussed in class the other day about the differences in the old press release and the new mainstream media (social media release). Overall, we came to the conclusion that the new social media release is definitely a more effective way of getting information to the public. There are several reasons we found for why this is so:

-The way we influence has changed
-Better coverage
-Tools surrounding it make it social
-Fosters relationships with bloggers
-Doesn’t replace the traditional press release
-Still need a good story to attract viewers

Just because there is a new way of getting news out to the public does not mean that this is the only reason that it will become more popular. You still need a good story that will attract the viewers and make them want to read about it.

The Cluetrain Manifesto

2008-04-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

The book The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual is a book that’s mission is to promote global conversation and faster and smarter companies. The book includes 95 theses about the growing markets on the web and how this is the better and smarter way to go about a business. Some of the theses I think are interesting:

6. The Internet is enabling conversations among human beings that were simply not possible in the era of mass media.

Because of the internet, people are able to have faster conversations directly from one person to another without the slow responses and “inhuman” sounding feedback. These conversations were not possible before the internet and all of its connections.

21. Companies need to lighten up and take themselves less seriously. They need to get a sense of humor.
22. Getting a sense of humor does not mean putting some jokes on the corporate web site. Rather, it requires big values, a little humility, straight talk, and a genuine point of view.

I liked these statements for the simple fact that it is saying companies need to be more real. The public likes to feel as though they can relate to a company and are treated as though they are of importance. With these new online markets, it creates a way for people to get in touch and stay in touch in a faster manner. It helps support a steady flow of conversation that is good both for the company but also for the community. The fact that companies are working to become more straight-forward and genuine will help them relate better and become stronger business organizations.

Video sharing gone too far

2008-04-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

We have just recently been discussing viral videos and their effect on the internet. A viral video is defined as video clip content which gains widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing, typically through email or IM messages, blogs and other media sharing websites. Viral videos are often humorous but a recent news story discusses how an attempt at creating a popular video on YouTube turned into teens arrests.

Eight teenagers were arrested after filming the beating of another girl. One of the mothers said the girl “had provoked the other teens by threatening and insulting them on MySpace, a social networking Web site.”
This news story goes to show just how much influence these popular social internet sights have on people and how if not used properly can cause preventable situations like this one. In an earlier blog post I discussed my reaction to “Growing up Online” and talked about how the younger generations are learning to use the internet at an early age because this is what the world revolves around. The internet and social media is the new way of living but also needs to be controlled.

Teens Arrested Over Taped Beating

Social Media...A distraction?

2008-03-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

This semester we have been discussing in our internet and social media class about blogs and other forms of social media and how progressive and beneficial they are for people and companies. As I was browsing through some blogs on the subject matter I came across a blog by Jim Tobin who is actually taking the opposite side on the matter. His blog is called Social Media is a Waste of Time, Part I. It is very rare for someone to argue against social media and its productiveness, especially when being in a class where the very purpose is to show and explore the emerging social media technologies. On his bog, Jim Tobin states, “Social media is a distraction. Social media is a time waster. Social media is unproductive.” I think it is definitely a purposefully controversial blog for many of the people who have and will read it.

Personally I do not agree with everything he has written about. He states that blogging is a waste of time and does not check anything off of your to-do list, but in fact having read his blog helped me to write my own in response and has checked off my blog for the week in this class. Not only this but the things he lists that are a waste of time such as watching television and talking to friends are only true to an extent. Otherwise these are very significant ways of idea and creativity growth. Whether we love it or hate it, it has sparked an emotion within us which has inspired us to think, much like his blog has.

Family Blogs about Campaign

2008-03-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

As I signed onto the internet earlier I watched as the AOL news stories scrolled across my computer screen. I came across a story about the forever popular election. Since being in this Internet and social media class, the idea of blogging has been cemented into our brains and will continue to be a source of media that differentiates itself from the mainstream. Blogs offer a two way feedback system that can be very beneficial for both the blogger and the commenter.

McCain’s daughter Meghan has hopped on that bandwagon and begun her own blog at http://www.mccainblogette.com/. Instead of going the political route and discussing campaign issues, this blog is more about making the McCain family more real. Her blog also consists of photos, music, and fashion. The idea of her online diary is to show people that her family is just like everyone else’s.

Here's the link to the news story I found on Meghan's blog.

Hillary Clinton's Campaign

2008-03-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have already blogged about Obama's campaigning and social media strategies so I only thought it fair to share another candidates tactics as well. Hillary uses much of the same internet sites as Obama but far less than him. Some of the sites include:

Her main site also connects you to other feature sites of hers including:

Utterz Voice Your Support

2008-03-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Want to voice your support in this year's election? There is a way to do this without standing on the street corner holding a sign for your candidate or posting signs in your front yard. Utterz has created a way to show your support by posting a badge on your blog, website, or any other social network. There is even a tally of the percentages of each badge vote.

This site shows the importance of the internet and its effect on society. People know the internet has a huge impact on people because of its increased usage so why not cater to it?

Podcast on Blogging

2008-03-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a short podcast made by Chase, Marcela, and myself, discussing what a blog is and many different types and aspects of blogging. Check it out by clicking on the picture.
:00 Chase introduces our podcast
:10 Chase defines a blog
1:21 Chase introduces the next segment about the different types of blogs
1:24 Nicole talks about the different types of blogs
3:40 Nicole intorduces the segment about blogging as part of mass media and blogging consequences
3:46 Marcela discusses blogging as part of mass media and consequences
5:03 Marcela closing

Social Media for good causes

2008-02-24T15:39:00.001-08:00

Anyone out there interested in raising money for something? Whether it be a charitable cause or just needing money for a birthday gift there is a website designed to help people collect money. At Fundable.org you can make your own webpage for just about any project. Some ways in which people are using this site is for:

· Raising money for personal projects
· Setting up fundraising pages
· Buying gifts as groups
· Collecting money for Events and Trips
· Confirming Demand

Fundable is just one example of a way in which people are using online sources and social media for good causes.
Of course this is just one of several websites that is trying to reach out to those who are looking to help out. On the downside of this project, it is not a non-profit fundraising organization. If you are giving funds to a non-profit through Fundable, you should contact the non-profit organization directly. It’s shocking how the internet is taking over so many aspects of our lives so quickly. Who knows maybe this will end all the door to door soliciting and turn everyone to the internet?

Social Media and the Election

2008-02-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

While browsing some websites discussing the upcoming election and the debates, I came across a site discussing the importance of social media during the election. The social media aspect of the election this year for the candidates is a huge part of this process. Without the help of these online sites for discussion and debate, some would be left behind. The organizations that will be most successful this year are those that participate in social media.
Obama’s campaign website is set up as a social network and is helping to attract attention from the traditionally young non-voters. His page is set up with several other online sources for his campaign. Some of these social media outlets include:
Facebook
Myspace
Digg
Twitter
Eons
Glee
MiGente
AsianAve
DNC Partybuilder

I think this use of social media will be very beneficial in getting more voters at election time. It is because of the vast amounts of online sources that people are becoming more aware of the issues and are able to talk about them.

Response to "Growing up Online"

2008-02-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through Frontline’s Growing up Online and reading through some of inside the revolution. It discusses whether this new form of communication and documentation is “just old teenage culture in a new wrapper” or whether it is a real transformation and danger. I think that both of these theories are correct.
Remembering back to when I was in junior high and high school, girls loved to show off pictures of their exciting trips, parties, dances. Etc. People decorated their lockers with pictures and quotes and anything that could define them. It was “the thing to do” to bring in photo albums full of pictures and pass them around to all your friends. Now this same culture is in the form of internet websites such as facebook and myspace. People can create their own pages to define who they are and form social networks through the computer. Guys and girls can post all kinds of pictures and albums for their friends to view in a quicker and easier fashion than “back in the day.”
This just proves how quickly our society can change and yet still maintain the same basic culture but rather through a form of technology. This has definitely made changes to the way we live and the way we go about our lives and for the most part is a good thing. There are sites dedicated to tragedies and in remembrance of lost lives. Also, this is an easy way to raise awareness to causes for just about any type of event. For example there is a facebook group “Pray for the students of NIU” with 12, 622 members currently. But with the good comes the bad.
Others think this new from of communication is a real danger. Kids are learning to use the internet at a younger age and because of this they are less educated about the dangers behind posting personal information. Because they are growing up in a world revolving around reality television they have a skewed vision of what privacy means. It takes the old saying learn from your mistakes to a new level. Some of these mistakes that are made online for millions to view are hard if at all possible to forget about. If anyone has ever kept and diary and come back and read it ten years down the road, they can understand how some of the things we used to say and talk about should not be spread all over the internet.
There have been several stories on the news and all over the world about internet stalkers and stories about how the internet has helped to aid in suicide. It is these types of stories that credit the growing up online phenomenon to be a dangerous one.
I think we need to be able to find a healthy balance between what is “just old teenage culture in a new wrapper” and what is dangerous. This new form of culture can be exciting and new but we need to know how to keep control of it before it controls us.

Internet Reputation

2008-02-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

In class the other day I found our discussion on the Google Netherworld quite interesting. We have had several discussions on how quickly the media and blogging sights such as this one can blow up and turn casual stories into the buzz of the internet. Corporations have to be on top of their game at all times and not fall into the trap of bad publicity. We discussed such stories as the ComCast technician falling asleep on the customer’s couch as well as our latest story about how a pitch turned ugly.
Not only are big corporations at risk on the Google Netherworld, but we ourselves can fall into this trap. In class we have also had several discussions about the risks that myspace and facebook have on our future.
It’s as easy as a click of a button to recollect our past and all our pictures that have been posted in countless profiles all over the internet. Students need to be more aware of what they are posting and allowing others to view. Just as these stores listed above have had an effect on these companies, the same things could happen to us.
This is why it is also important that companies have a good public relations team to clear up stories that could give them a bad rap. We discussed how Apple’s CEO had to handle the iphone controversy. This is a good example of how a company can be quick to respond to a dilemma to prevent further controversy and more buzz.
As the internet becomes increasingly more accessible and more people are beginning to join the blogging world, internet reputation will begin to have more relevance.

Social Outlets

2008-02-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

This past week in class we got to watch the Facebook Infomercial Parody video on youtube. I thought this was a very comical view to the world many can relate to on all college campuses. But overall, facebook and myspace have gotten a reputation as being a good outlet in the social media world. Many companies have hopped on this ban wagon and made a myspace page. For instance there is a page made for all the super bowl commercials so they can continuously be viewed even after the super bowl. Many other companies have done the same so they can gain more views and make themselves known through this type of media outlet. Although these pages seem to pull a number of hits, there are still those who question whether or not these social ads work.

Here is a post from a non-believer which discusses his reasoning behind why they do not work.

See for yourself whether or not you think these types of social outlets are successful.

eBay's Mistake?

2008-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

As many of you know eBay is an online auction and shopping website for people and businesses to sell goods and services. I came across a blog discussing how eBay is removing their two way feedback system. I have to agree that it is a mistake on their part to remove this type of communication. eBay is based off of the fact that they are able to have this open communication between buyer and seller.

Although I have never bought or sold anything on this site I have always assumed this is the way in which eBay made its business. To take this two way communication away would turn it into simply another online selling website. It would take away the very thing that made this online buying and selling site different from the rest.

2008-02-03T19:55:00.000-08:00

With all the hype circulating around the internet lately about the super bowl, I figured I could add to the buzz. Along with the game, how could anyone forget about the infamous commercials? Because of all the attention these commercials get through social media and having them all over the internet, these corporations are starting to get more bang for their buck. These commercials will be circulating all over you tube, news websites, and more. The Austin American Statesman has a page to watch and rate all the commercials that appeared during the big game. Decide for yourself if this year’s ads lived up to your expectations.

Fanatics

2008-02-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

In last week’s readings from Citizen Marketers, it discussed the key players in social media. These people include the filters, fanatics, facilitators, and firecrackers. I found the most interesting of these key social media players to be the fanatics. I especially took interest to the story about Fiona Apple and FreeFiona.com. A 21-year-old music teacher named Dave Muscato took the initiative to make this website in order to pressure Sony to release her new album Extraordinary Machine. Because of all the press attention from the campaign, her label finally gave her the money and creative freedom to rerecord the album on her terms.
This is a great example of how social media can have a huge impact on people and companies. If it were not for Fiona’s fan, her career would have ended. There are several instances where social media has saved careers or changed their career paths altogether. Whether it is artists, musicians, sports, politics, etc., there is always someone out there who is fan enough to get people to start talking.
Social media can also work with the exact opposite effect by looking to discredit people rather than to hype them up. Luckily for Apple, her fanatic got her an album that debuted at number seven on the Billboard charts and later nominated for a Grammy Award.

Democratization

2008-01-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

Our textbook, Citizen Marketers, discusses the idea of democratization. The authors describe this as the work incessantly against the forces of control. The first story they discuss describes how this concept forces companies to become more transparent even against their will. One example they use is the story about Wrigley Field’s crumble.
In summary potentially injurious chunks of concrete crumbled to the seats below. The Cubs made repairs without telling anyone even the Chicago Tribune. Although this scene tried to remain out of the public eye, web sites, blogs, and other competing media created its own buzz. Because of all the hype from other forms of media and word of mouth, it became apparent that the problem needed to be acknowledged.
This describes just how the media world can quickly spread and gain attention to any particular event or story. Because of the technologies that we have now, people are able to create these online communities because of its accessibility. These forms of media also demonstrate how fan sites can start and eventually start to contribute to the teams. Whether the site’s blogs bash the team’s effort in the last game or praise them for their victory, the publicity and buzz it causes creates more attention.
Overall, by waiting to acknowledge the issue, the Cubs began a waterfall effect that ended with greater newsworthiness. The information hold illustrates the information control.

Social Media Changing Public Relations

2008-01-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.dpkpr.com/en/art/?326
Is social media changing public relations? This has become a popular question lately as new trends are beginning to set in and take over the world of public relations. People no longer only rely on the nightly news and newspapers to fill them in with the latest news stories. Although this mainstream media is still very important, some feel as though this is directed towards an older audience. A way in which the media is gaining attention from the younger audience is in the blogging world also known as the "blogosphere." This might seem like only a small part of the community but it is steadily growing and gaining more and more attention. Also with the use of the RSS tool the information is endless. It is a useful way of getting the latest news stories, trends, and whatever is in your own interests. It is also very useful because the information comes directly to you without having to go search for it.
I feel that these ideas are not far from the truth as far as changing public relations. This is not a bad thing at all. I feel as if the nightly news and newspapers can be a bit bland at times. I think this new way of exchanging information is more engaging and beneficial for everyone.