Social Media vs. The Basics

PRSSA National Forum Article

I wrote an article for PRSSA Forum, check it out!

I interviewed a Professor at Auburn University, Robert French, and the Founder of Caffiene Communications, Bryan Lemonds.

PRSSA Free Webinar

PRSA is offering FREE WEBINAR: “Don’t Be Faceless: Learn 7 Essential Social Media Techniques for PR Success”

From Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Searching for a FREE social media professional development event? We’ve got a FREE WEBINAR that’s just what you’re looking for! Sign up for “Don’t Be Faceless: Learn Seven Essential Social Media Techniques for PR Success” on Wednesday, January 14 @ 3 p.m. EST.

As the world of communications continues to change, it is no longer an option to simply refer to the social media guy or girl within your organization for all things digital. Every public relations pro needs to know the basics of social media and how to apply them effectively. How should social media play a role in your overall communications strategy? In this session you will learn:

– Techniques that are field tested and proven through work with dozens of clients, including some of the world’s largest brands.
– Actionable tips for how to put your knowledge to work the very next day — or perhaps even the same afternoon.
– How to integrate social media and personality into your overall communications strategy so it complements your other efforts.
– Tracking and reporting your success in a way about that will get your boss excited (and reward you).

Join ROHIT BHARGAVA, award-winning author, blogger, founding member and SVP of Ogilvy PR’s 360 Digital Influence, is author of the best-selling new marketing book, “Personality Not Included,” an engaging, useful guide to the future of public relations and how personality and social media are impacting the world of business. He publishes the Influential Marketing blog, which is ranked among the top 50 marketing blogs in the world, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek and other global media. He also is a popular keynote speaker on marketing and business strategy and often appears as a guest columnist in media publications. He believes in being approachable, helping others do great things and loves to be identified as a smart marketer — although, he prefers to be described as a nice guy.

Register today at: http://www.prsa.org/PD/events/DontBeFaceless.html

Spread the word on Facebook by inviting people to the FB event at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=43073960875&ref=nf

***Check out PRSA’s upcoming events at http://www.prsa.org/PD/events.html ***

Social Media Policy

Melanie McBride posted a template, and encouraged her readers to “[Steal This] Personal Social Media Policy.” Since she has this licensed under Creative Commons, I’m sharing it with you here.

 

MY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

[a work in progress]

1. Connecting: Introduce yourself and tell me why you want to connect

I would love an introduction from new people, but I dont have to have one. If its college friends that I may have been introduced to previously, then no. But if its on Twitter or LinkedIn, then yes. Please introduce yourself and the connection that we have for me to add you.

2. Follow, add, friend: Come on In!

I friend immediately if I am going to friend or add someone. If it takes time, you are probably in Limbo and I feel bad giving a straight rejection…but its coming.

3. Privacy, boundaries and safety: a-b-C your way out of it!

I prefer to have only professional information, with harmless personal information out there. I dont mind if you see the pictures from my weekend out, as long as they are pictures that I would show my Grandmother. In fact, I dont take pictures that I wouldnt show her, so I guess Im safe! I dont post or write information that should be kept private; I feel that its my responsibility to protect that, not my networks.

4. Signal to noise: Tweet much? Not me…

I am not as active as I have been on Twitter, due to other Social Media interests such as Facebook and blogging (writing and reading) so I really dont mind.

5. Personal data and sharing: Network!

I would love to connect professionally, but that’s it.

6. My networking needs and uses:

Facebook is mostly personal/ organizational with PRSSA

Twitter is professional/ educational

LinkedIn is only professional

I dont use MySpace.

7. Your criteria here: Be Kind, Rewind

Just like any other courtesy based policy, be kind and professional. I dont need to know your personal business and I dont need you in mine 🙂

 

I <3 Time Warner

Why have I written a ton of posts on a separate page about Time Warner? Im sure in a blog full of random PR student information, this question has come to mind. Just to fill you in, I have a final project in my PRCA 3331 Corporate PR class that I chose to do on Time Warner. I would rather blog than write a term paper, so here it is! Check out the page (up there to the right) Time Warner- a positive online presence!

M. Piper

Groundswell- No Other but Time Warner

What Is Groundswell?

It’s a book by two Forrester analysts with practical, data-based strategies for companies that want to harness the power of social technologies like blogs, social networks, and YouTube. Featuring 25 full case studies, a complete road map for social strategy, and data from around the world. Learn more about the book, download an excerpt, or see our reviews.

http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell

So that was just so that you know where I am coming from when I talk about the Groundswell, which is just a wave of Social Media that has hit and is not going to wash away. Time Warner is using the Groundswell in that it is a huge part of the Groundswell already. Time Warner works through websites for a vast amount of its company. Entertainment has jumped on the Groundswell wave with full force, with Time Warner right in the middle of it.

For example:

 I can read about my movies, television shows, and other entertainment on www.moviefone.com

I can read celebrity gossip and news on www.popeater.com

I can access the latest fashion on www.instyle.com

I can search directions for my next trip on www.mapquest.com

Everything that Time Warner does is online as well as in the traditional versions of TV, news, and magazine, etc. Also, Time Warner interacts with its audience through questions and comments features. They provide social networking sites online like www.bebo.com The Groundswell is popular with many Corporations and Companies these days, but when I think about the sites and aspects of the Groundswell; I think of who? No other but Time Warner!

Economy Depresses, Time Warner Restructures

“Challenge unlike we have seen before”

 

According to an article by the Financial Express, Time Warner faces challenges because of the recent fall in the economy. It plans to restructure, which will cut approximately 600 jobs.

“Industry conditions have been challenging due to the financial crisis, which has produced sharp decreases in advertising spending. This is expected to continue through most of 2009,” Time Inc Chairman and Chief Executive Ann Moore wrote in a memo on Tuesday to employees that was obtained by Reuters.

She said it was a challenge “unlike any we’ve seen before.”

There has been an increasing decline in advertisement spending in U.S. magazines and newspapers. People would rather read free information online than buy it in print. (Here we are reading and writing blogs as they speak!)

This will affect popular magazines, but they will not be closing any of them at this time. The information is not permanent right now, changes differ from day to day with each decision made. The number of employees cut may be between 300-600. The company is also talking about selling their AOL unit to Yahoo.

The positive aspect of this restructuring will be that they will have more opportunities to focus on their Internet-based publics. The plans are to categorize the 24 magazines and websites into three umbrellas: news, style and entertainment, and lifestyle properties.

Positive for PR majors: “Time Inc also will create an advertising sales and marketing group to handle sales across all of Time’s magazine brands, something Moore said was critical because of the difficult ad sales environment. The unit will be run by Stephanie George, also a Time executive vice president.”

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/time-warner-plans-restructuring-to-axe-600-jobs/378948/2

http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1008327,00.html

Time Community Warner (Community is their middle name)

Community Involvement

There was so much to say on this topic that I just provided the links to this area of www.timewarner.com I will say that my favorite part of the community involvement area is that Time Warner provides employees with up to five days of paid leave to participate in community volunteer or charity work. What a great way to help out the community in which Time Warner is involved! Also, what a great way to nourish all aspects of their employee’s lives!

 

 

Education and the Arts

 

Employee Engagement

 

FAQs and Contacts  

Public Relations Model-Time Warner

I believe that Time Warner uses the Two Way Symmetric Model of Public Relations. Of the PR Models by Grunig and Hunt, this model is appropriately applied to Time Warner. This model gets feedback with view to changing practices, and it is a dialogue instead of a monologue.

Time Warner uses its websites and print to ask for questions and comments from their audiences. In each of the different divisions and businesses, they ask for feedback in order to better serve those who support Time Warner

Time Warner- Reaching YOU!

The target market of Time Warner is everyone, even you! They have so many divisions of the company in the online and entertainment industry that they have things to offer everyone. From People magazine to CCNmoney.com to Tom and Jerry Tales video games, there are aspects of information, entertainment, and connection for all types and ages of people. Just take a trip to their website, www.timewarner.com to find what interests you.

Achieve Your Goals: Careers within Time Warner

With 86,000 employees, there has to be a spot for me, right? When looking for jobs on the Time Warner website, there are different categories. You can search by Industry, Interest, Division, and/or Location. They actually have a PR/Advertising section in the Interest option, and this is what I searched. I found 22 listings for Advertising/Public Relations, ranging in different locations and interests. Interests include PR, Marketing, Promotions, Advertising, Publicity, Sales, and Graphic Design. Locations include New York, NY, Atlanta, GA, Austin, TX, Burbank, CA, and London, UK.

 

To find jobs on www.timewarner.com: click on careers and follow the directions based on your interests. Check out the “Submit your Resume” feature too- You never know, your next job could be waiting!

Time Warner makes it easy to find jobs tailored to you. They also have wonderful employee benefits and opportunities, for example: Child Care opportunities, Health and Wellness opportunities, and their Employee First Philosophy. Time Warner makes it clear that they value their employees and the work and personal lives of those employees. Within the “Working with Us” feature, you can read stories of current employees and their positive experiences working in the different divisions of Time Warner.

 

Here is an example of a job listing on the Careers section of the web site:

Posting Job Title	Corporate Communications & New Media Coordinator
TimeWarner Division	Turner Broadcasting
Industry	Advertising Cable/Broadcast Television Networks Online Content/Services
Location	United States – Georgia – Atlanta
Requisition #	108212BR
Position Type	Full Time
Posting Job Description	Qualifications: Qualifications: A four-year college degree in Journalism, English, Web Development or the equivalent. Minimum two – four years in online environment. Skilled in the use of Adobe Photoshop and/or Illustrator. Deep knowledge of the Web and HTML. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated experiences as part of a high-functioning team. Desired: Knowledge of Flash, SharePoint, multimedia editing. Knowledge of AP Style editing and client service experience a plus. Duties: Essential Job Functions: The corporate communications and new media coordinator will help update and maintain corporate online properties. This will entail working with company groups, departments and networks to solicit stories, gather assets, edit communications, format messages for online distribution, schedule promotions and design/edit artwork for online and print as necessary. Additionally the position involves compiling, editing, formatting and distributing daily news digests for online and email distribution, along with a variety of administrative tasks. Job Requirements: This position requires a can-do, client-focused mentality; creativity and a broad curiosity; Web savvy and solid graphic design skills; the ability to be flexible, to multi-task and meet tight deadlines; and a facility for working both independently and in a team setting. This person should be proactive in keeping abreast of industry developments and company news; and should not only operate comfortably in the current Web environment, but be forward-thinking and focused on where the field is going. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity Employers.

http://www.timewarner.com/corp/careers/index.html

https://careers.timewarner.com/1033/asp/tg/cim_searchresults.asp?function=runquery&agentid=5373947

http://www.timewarner.com/corp/careers/working_with_us/index.html

https://careers.timewarner.com/1033/asp/tg/cim_jobdetail.asp?SID=^L70FaCOLPqbodhVd9kKuj4I3NbPnsRA0LKfz422yNtmy0Qigvoenw5U5KfH_slp_rhc_TQwqAOPruhStyVTC_C_R__L_F_ijZ1/BWwoqdzd4GEPolJbRTNs4Y9chY=&jobId=480333&type=search&JobReqLang=1&recordstart=1&JobSiteId=36&JobSiteInfo=480333_36&GQId=0