Read original post at Younginvincibles.org

Be back soon. : )

Their response:

Hmm okay.  Maybe no one has mentioned it yet. (Fat chance.) What’s the Twitterverse chatting about?

Hmmm. Not good.  Where are you A&F?

This is a prime example why social media monitoring is CRUCIAL.  Having a policy on how to handle these situations is even more important.  Perhaps Legal is on vacation.  Maybe the intern is freaking out waiting for their boss to come back from lunch.

All I know is, while people are defining the A&F brand, A&F isn’t anywhere to be found.

Abercrombie, if you need any help on the social media front, I’d love to chat.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin.  If you’re unfamiliar with the case, click here. This post is not about racial issues within the United States.  It’s about how the public learned about Trayvon Martin.  Personally, I heard about the case via Facebook thanks to my former classmates.  While sitting in my room watching MSNBC, I wondered, if it weren’t for social media, would we even know about this 17-year-old?

Before social media, commoners (us) had very little input on WHAT’S newsworthy.   It’s a known fact, that news organizations are businesses.  They cover stories that attract ratings, ensuring advertising dollars.  This young man was killed nearly a month ago, but you barely heard a peep from the big news organizations.

Now the tables have turned.  Social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and “the media” (newspapers, television news, magazines) feed off each other.  The news about Trayvon is a perfect example of a groundswell.  The few who knew about the case, spread the word.  Eventually the cause gained influence and attracted the attention of influencers, helping spread even more awareness about Trayvon.

Here are the stats from CNN

• The #TrayvonMartin hashtag attracted tens of thousands of mentions on Twitter, peaking Tuesday (3/20/12).

• On Facebook, a group called “Justice For Trayvon Martin” has more than 18,000 “likes.”

• There are more than 50 petitions at Change.org related to Trayvon Martin, according to the activism website’s Communications Director, Brianna Cayo-Cotter. She said the cause is shaping up to be one of the most popular ever hosted on the site.

My Facebook timeline was filled with angry people, outraged by the lack of media attention for this tragedy.  Everyday, more and more of my Facebook friends started posting pictures of themselves with hoodies and Skittles, asking their followers, “Do I look suspicious?”.  Slowly, this case became front and center of the mainstream media’s agenda.  Rallies are being organized.  People are being informed about the case and taking action.  Now you can’t turn on the news without hearing about Trayvon Martin.

If you thought social media is just for fun, a toy or is completely irrelevant to making change, think about Trayvon Martin.

What do I want?  I want a complete incorporation of social media in my television watching experience.  Think-The Voice.

What Grinds My Gears

• Lack on integration.  Engage with me!
• Winning badges.They’re flat and one dimensional.  Maybe it’s just me but I don’t care about winning them…and more importantly I don’t care if you’ve won a badge.
• TV watching social networks a.k.a, a glorified YouTube page.  If you can’t chat with others who are watching the show, what’s the point?  It just looks cool but it’s still flat.

Just when I was just about to give up on social tv, Oprah came.

If any of you’ve watched OWN, you may have seen clips for the big O’s new show, Oprah’s Life Lessons.  I will admit, I was a little skeptical about a workshop on television and the Internet.  But I should have known, the woman who made book clubs a television phenomenon, could pull off a virtual workshop with millions.

• You can watch the show live
• You can submit questions to Oprah

• You can see live comments via Facebook and Twitter
• Last but not least, you can chat with Oprah Live

ALL AT ONCE!

I can’t wait for Social TV to take over.   It’s clear from the Twitter frenzies during television events like the Royal Wedding, it was bound to happen.  I’m sure with copyright laws and budgets that not everyone can attain to the social savvy-ness of the Big O.  Dare to dream people!

Situation:

Ragu wanted people to know that with their products, the home cook can create a variety of scrumptious, family friendly meals. They decided to target Daddy bloggers, encouraging Dads to shake up dinner.  Not a bad idea, since everyone focuses on moms.

Problem:

The video and tweets the public relations team sent to the Dads were perceived by the bloggers as condescending and sexist.  Ragu assumed Dads are all thumbs when it comes to matters in the kitchen.

The Saga Continues:

Moms aren’t the only ones who can pitch a fit when they’re mad.  The Dads used their social media platforms to put Ragu on blast.

What was Ragu’s response? <Crickets> aka silence.

So what was the point, Ragu?  Yeah, you made a mistake, big deal.  You can’t please everyone.  However, you could show folks that you’re HUMAN.  Yes, I know, Ragu is not a person. Note- people aren’t pissed at the sauce, they’re upset by the seemingly lack of empathy of the people who represent Ragu.

What they could have done?

• Tweeting  apologies would be a great first step. However, it’s important to note that you cannot fix an action with words.
• So the next step should be to ask what the Dads would like from Ragu and find out what do the Dads need in a product.
• Maybe Ragu could position itself as an ally to the Dads helping them dispel the myth that Dads are dopey in the kitchen.

Irony

Ragu cared about the opinions of these bloggers.  If they didn’t, why would they bother to reach out to them?  However, Ragu’s lack of response showed that they only care about the opinions of these bloggers, when the bloggers and touting positive sentiments about the sauce.

While some bloggers felt the Dad bloggers overreacted, quite frankly, that doesn’t matter. People respect the Dad bloggers and perhaps other Dads look up to them.  If Ragu sauce is $2.99 and Prego is $2.99 as well, which sauce do you think they’ll pick?

Social media embodies what public relations is all about.  You don’t have to wonder what people think, they’re SHOUTING it, they might have even tagged you in the post or tweet.  Stop avoiding social media!  Social media forces organizations to realize they’re not always so awesome.  That’s probably a good thing.

I’ve been in many brainstorming sessions where co-workers and I will look at social media savvy companies in order to get some bright ideas for future client recommendations.  Inevitably, someone would always mention Apple as a possible example of a social company.  Almost immediately, the room erupts with conflicting opinions.  “They have no official Twitter presence!”  “They don’t even have a Facebook!”  After all the griping, one co-worker shook his head in confusion and asked, “Why does everyone think Apple is such a social media phenomenon? They have no social media presence.”

The answer?  Steve Jobs.

Still not following me?  Don’t worry; I’ll break this down for you.

Think about the premise behind social media.  It’s an innovative medium that allows individuals to connect with others like never before.  The impact of social media revolutionized how we share, discover and devour content.  Social media is a revolution.  It’s a form of democratization.  These social media principals are what made Steve Jobs and Apple so successful.

Apple has been a major driver behind the social media revolution. No, Apple doesn’t tweet out its product news or have a Facebook page where it asks you questions about what features you would like included in the iPad 3.  Steve Jobs and Apple create the products that enable social media to be so prominent.

Here are some examples:

iPhone: Changed the way we Connect and Share Information

Al Gore took the first steps of changing how we receive and share information by creating the Internet (joke) but Steve Jobs’ invention of the iPhone allowed us to access and share information anywhere, anytime.  How many of you had the Internet on your cell before the iPhone?  I know I didn’t.  Now you can’t imagine a phone without it!  The mobile Internet allowed us to feed our Facebook addictions and connect with people in new ways.

Now we play games like Words With Friends with family and friends who are spread throughout the country.  How could a game like this be possible without the innovation of the iPhone and now the iPad?  Phones are not just for talking.  Steve Jobs changed how we connect with others.  Have a problem? I’m sure there’s an app for that!  Who knew what a mobile application was before Apple?

iTunes: Integral to the People’s Revolution- ItTransformed the Music Industry by Giving the Power Back to the People

I’m always saying how social media allows us to “stick it to the man.”  For example, Hollywood can spend millions of dollars on a movie promo telling the world how great their movie is.  However, if it does suck, best believe their money will go to waste after the first wave of moviegoers and I tweet that the movie is garbage.

Social media forces “the man” to create better content.

iTunes does the same thing to the music industry.  No longer will I spend $15.00 for an album that only contains one good song.  I’ll gladly pay $0.99 or less.  If you want the rest of my money, record execs need to ensure their talent is creating QUALITY content.

I could go on and on, but I’m hoping you get the picture.  Steve Jobs revolutionized and redefined everyday technology and communication.  You can’t spell social media without Steve Jobs.  As a social media enthusiast and Apple fanatic, I’m grateful that Steve Jobs lived his life hungrily and foolishly.

I am not the creator or owner of any images featured in this article.

Just in case you missed it, a recent study conducted by the University of Maryland’s business school found that Facebook Applications (apps) created an economy with 235,644 jobs.  What’s the value of The Facebook App economy? A whopping 15.71 billion dollars in the United States.

As I’ve said time and time again, social media has allowed us to connect and share information in ways like never before.  Some of these connections have exposed us to hobbies we’ve never actively engaged in before such as applications and games.  Facebook and mobile apps have been a breeding ground for non-typical gamers (think Farmville and Angry Bird users).  This larger consumer audience creates a higher demand, allowing for companies to hire more people to create these games.  The money cycle continues as people pay for perks and advertisers place ads within the games.

Social media also gives smaller companies and start ups an opportunity to build their presence, allowing them to create jobs.  In the good old days, people learned about your company through a television commercial, billboard ad, newspaper ad, etc.  As the underdog, you had to either have money to get noticed or pray a gatekeeper (“the man” or media) deemed you as important and was willing to give your organization a spotlight.  Now a Facebook like, tweet, Youtube video, or blog can help spread awareness to your audience.  You essentially become “the man” because you have access to your audience through different democratic channels.  Currently a good portion of the growth in U.S. jobs has been driven by companies that are less than 5 years old.

So to all of you who think social media is just a function, you need to open your mind as see the industry and its impact on the economy.  What are some other ways social media makes money?

Check out companies that are creating jobs.

For those of you who didn’t have the opportunity to attend, here’s my event recap for DC Web Women’s stellar September event, “Everything you wanted to know about Google+ but were afraid to ask!”

The event took place in Google’s awesomely, amazing DC office.  After being distracted by the colorful chairs and candy, I re-focused and listened to Google’s Public Sector Manager, Ginny Hunt.  Although the crowd had a few critiques of Google +, such as the lack of a search option within the network, everyone seemed to have a great time and learn a lot about the fastest growing social network.

Here’s The Low Down on Google +

The objective: Unlike other social networks, the masterminds behind Google + wanted to create a network that allows users to share with people online the same way they share things in real life.

After looking at some fundamental sharing principals: (i.e.)

• Who do you share with (friends, colleagues, industry professionals, etc)
• What do you share (videos, blogs, news, etc)
• How do you share (mobile devices, laptops, etc)

They then created a network that…

• Allows users to control what they share with both their professional and personal networks
• Makes content easy to share
• Allows users to see only the relevant information choose (think circles)

How Google+ integrates with a Google search

Would you like a little more control over what people find on the web about you?  If you add links (you can link to your blog, company, articles, etc.) those results will have a higher search ranking.  Basically, Google + allows you to curate your own content and to put your best virtual foot forward.

Although Google + is all about control, keep in mind that a +1 on the Internet and sharing within Google+ are completely different.  If you do a Google search and you choose to +1 an article, the whole world will see that.  So if you don’t feel comfortable with the world knowing your views on sensitive topics, +1 cautiously.  However, if you want to share something like a family photo within your Google + network, share without worry, the world won’t see that unless you make it public.

I could write for days about Google +!  I encourage you to test it out, I know I will!

Here are a few of the responses:

Although these responses gave me a chuckle, I realized some of these opinions, if shared by clients and employers, can negatively impact a social media practitioner’s work experience and productivity level.

How?  Well, if somebody thinks an intern can handle your job, how many resources are they going to give you? How much time are they going to allow you to finish a project?

These perceptions can cause dilemmas such as:

• Having too small of a budget. Once I was pushed off a project because the organization wanted to save money and replaced me with an intern. What was the end result? They wasted their own money.  Although they paid me to start the logistics of the project, unfortunately, the intern was never able to execute it.  Hopefully, my client learned that the youngest person on the team isn’t always going to be asocial media guru.

• Undercharging. Perhaps because social media is considered fun and frivolous, some companies are afraid to charge their clients correctly. For example, I hate when people recommend blogs as a common social media solution. I also hate when people think you can write a quality blog post in under an hour.  Blogs are very time-consuming and difficult to maintain.  In the age of instant communication, you need to ensure that you have fresh content and accurate facts.  Quality work is going to cost money.  Think of the logistics and time that go into a project before low-balling the price.

• Facing impossible deadlines. People severely underestimate how much time it takes to research the web, create a blog, find bloggers and manage a social network.  Since so many people use social media for fun, many don’t think of it as work.  This could lead to managers allotting minimal time for employees to complete deliverables.

All the above factors can lead to lackluster results for a social media campaign.  Once I was tasked to grow a Twitter following but the budget was so small, I could only research and tweet an hour a day. Did I mention they didn’t have a website or ANY original content?  Unless you’re a sexy brand, that time frame for building a following is no bueno.  Building takes time, strategy, content and creativity.

What can you do to avoid feeling you’re in the eighth circle of hell at work?

• Be the authority! Know how long it takes to do things. If you and your team are constantly struggling to make deadlines, it might be because someone’s not putting enough time in the budget.
• Be transparent. When I’m working with a social media virgin, I like to check in with them on the first project.  One thing I do is set a 5 hour check-in.  I’ll show them my progress in 5 hours so they can get an idea how long a task takes.  That helps sets everyone’s expectations.

What are some other common dilemmas?

Want to join in the conversation in person?  Come to I Heart Social Media DC’s Sad Summer’s Over Social on 9/28.