Social Media and the Presidential #Debates

Now that the Presidential debates are over, it's time to discuss how social media fared while the debates raged on.

First and foremost, I'd like to say that both camps were quick to Tweet and post material about the debates on their respective social media sites, even while the candidates were still in the midst of debating. It makes my heart sing to see how social media continues to develop into a major political tool.

This being said, let's recap on why social media was the clear winner of the 2012 Presidential debates.

· The Numbers Don't Lie: A combined 12.24 million comments and Tweets were made on Facebook and Twitter during the second debate alone. That is a lot social media activity for an hour and a half event. What's notable here is that people flocked to social media sites to share opinions, comments, and rally around each other. That kind of unity is powerful and noteworthy.

· Topping the Social Media Charts: According to this article from the Washington Post, the second Presidential debate was the top political debate of all time on social media. In fact, the second debate was ranked as the third most talked about event in general on social media, while the first debate came in fifth place. That means two of the top five spots for most popular events on social media go to the 2012 Presidential debates.

· Romney's "Binders Full of Women" Remark : As far as social media buzz goes, this remark from the debates takes the cake. When explaining how he staffed his cabinet as governor during the second debate, Governor Romney stated that he looked through "binders full of women" to hire female employees. As a result of this remark, Binders Full of Women began trending on Twitter and became an instant "meme". The phrase even spawned a Facebook page, which gained 300,000 "likes" in less than 24 hours. Need I say more?

· Romney's "Big Bird" Jab: During the first debate, Governor Romney generated even more social media buzz when he stated that he would cut funding from PBS, specifically commenting that Big Bird "has to go". Romney's comments inspired countless "memes" and prompted liberal blogger Cale Crout to create a fake Big Bird Twitter that dishes out anti-Romney Tweets. Once again, all debate responses turned to social media.

· Obama’s “Horses and Bayonets” Comment: During the third debate, Romney stated that the U.S. Navy now has fewer ships than it did in 1916. Obama’s response? “Well Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military has changed.” Bayonets quickly began trending on Twitter after Obama’s zinger, and an array of Bayonet “memes” has hit the internet. Once again, social media users flocked together during these debates to express their opinions on their favorite social sites.

No matter which candidate you're voting for this November, there is no denying that regardless of how the votes swing, social media has had an outstanding election season.

Getting a Grasp on Social Media

I really appreciate how this photo simplifies the vast world of social media.

The other day, my mother asked me about an edited photo she saw of me on Facebook. I told her I took it with Instagram and the conversation quickly turned into an inquisition about social media. What is Instagram? What's the point? Is it the same as Twitter? How does it end up on Facebook? Etc, etc...

This post is not meant to be condescending in any way. My mom was right to ask so many questions, because it truly is a daunting task attempting to understand all things social media. Following my conversation with her, it dawned on me just how complicated social media can appear to someone who doesn't use it on a daily basis. It can even be complicated to me at times, and I do it for a living!

In honor of my mom (and anyone else who struggles to understand social media), I decided to simplify a few of the most popular social media sites, much like the photo above does:

• Facebook: A social networking site. Allows people to create an online profile, equipped with photos, work and education information, interests and more. Once a profile is created, users can upload photos, "check in" to places that they visit, add friends, create status updates, "like" the pages of their favorite celebrities and much, much more.
• Twitter: A social networking site. Instead of "adding" friends, Twitter users "follow" people of interest. Much like the status update feature on Facebook, Twitter allows users to post their thoughts in real-time, with a 140 character limit on all "Tweets". Pictures may also be added to Twitter via TwitPic. Twitter is infamous for its popularity among celebrities and young people.
•  Foursquare: An application that can be downloaded on smartphones that allows users to "check in" to places they visit. Many companies offer special discounts to customers who "check in" on Foursquare. Users can follow friends to see their recent destinations and earn points for each "check in". Users who  frequent a certain place more often than others becomes the "Mayor" of that establishment.
• Pinterest: An interactive social site where users "Pin" aesthetically pleasing photos to various "boards". These images and boards are shared with people who follow you, who in turn have the option to Re-Pin your images to their respective boards. In short, Pinterest is a tool to spread an image around the online world in a fast, easy way.
• Youtube: A video hosting site that allows users to upload and view videos. Many people use Youtube to showcase their talents, find music videos and view how-to videos. Brands typically use Youtube as a visual promotional tool by uploading videos that display how a product works, how a product is received, etc. Anyone can create a Youtube account to either upload videos or "favorite" videos they like.
• Instagram: Originally available as an application only for users with iPhones, Instagram is now available for download on Android smartphones as well. The app. allows users to take pictures with their phone's (or iPad's) camera, then alter the photo in visually appealing ways. Instagram provides users with different filters and frames that give photos a distinct look. Users can then share the edited photos on other social media sites when they connect the sites to their Instagram account.
• LinkedIn: A social networking site for business professionals. Much like a resume, users upload information about their work skills, job titles, current positions, etc. Users can make connections with other professionals and businesses. Companies use LinkedIn as a platform for their business in an attempt to gain exposure, find new employees and discuss products and services.

I won't go into ALL social media sites for length's sake, but the seven I have explained in this post are widely regarded as the most used social media sites. I hope it helps! 

My First [Successful] Attempt At Event Planning

This past weekend, I partnered with a sponsor of my client to put on an Oktoberfest event. This was the first time I helped organize an event pretty much on my own, so I'm very excited that my client was happy and that guests had a great time!

Partnering with a sponsor always makes event planning much, much easier-  especially when the sponsor is a popular brand and is so willing to cooperate. The sponsor helped to alleviate stress and allowed me to spend a lot more time with guests that I invited and a lot less time running around making last minute adjustments.

Guests enjoyed discounted beer, themed prizes, a show and more. I got in some quality bonding time with a couple bloggers and enjoyed a night of entertainment. All in all, the event was a success. 

Although we were up against a lot of competition for an Oktoberfest event, ticket sales were high for the night and everyone seemed to have a great time playing games, winning prizes and drinking beer out of an official cup from my client.

Oktoberfest will now always remind me of the first time I helped plan an event sans tons of instruction from my superiors. It was a fun, traditional way to bring in the Fall and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it.

5 Things I've Learned in My 5 Months On The Job

It's October, which means I have officially been at my PR job for 5 months! I know this may not seem like a very long time, but it has flown by for me.

Just 6 months ago, I was a recent college grad who was terrified of never finding a job in my field. In honor of the fact that I did find a job (and love it), I would like to share with you 5 things I've learned over the last  5 months.

1. Always, Always, Always Be Respectful: This applies to every single professional you encounter. Over the last 5 months, I have met a few people I may not necessarily ever want to interact with outside of a professional setting. Despite my distaste for these people, I am always careful to treat them with just as much respect as I do with my boss or my other colleagues. In PR, you never know when you're going to need a contact, so be nice to everyone. 
2. PR Opportunities Are Everywhere: One of the things I love about this field is that marketing efforts are everywhere.  This means that opportunities to gain exposure for clients are also everywhere. I don't think I'll ever passively read a newspaper or magazine again. I am constantly scanning the pages of publications to find any upcoming opportunities to act on. If you're a young PR professional like myself, remember to keep your eyes peeled for PR opportunities at all times.
3. Be Willing to Go the Extra Mile: When it comes to work, there are certain tasks you know you must get done in a given work day. What most people don't focus on are the tasks that you don't have to do, but will better you or your company in the long run if you do them anyway. These tasks can be as simple as attending networking functions after work or staying  for a half an hour longer at the end of the day to wrap up a discussion with your boss. Making more of an effort than is required on the job will always pay off.
4. Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions: I'll admit, when I first started my job I was determined to look like I knew exactly what I was doing. But guess what? No one knows exactly what they're doing all the time. Over time I've learned that it's O.K. to ask for a little more clarification on an assignment. It's better to ask for further direction than to complete a task incorrectly.
5. Learn From Everything You Do: Whether you've made a mistake or you've used a tactic that was a huge success, learn from everything you do. If the way you wrote that monthly report was totally wrong, make sure you don't write it the same way next time. If you landed your client a huge media placement in a certain publication, make sure you use the same strategy for approaching other media outlets. No matter what the experience may be, learn from it and apply what you've learned to future tasks.

The 5 months I've spent working in PR have been both rewarding and challenging. I've had some amazing opportunities, and it's comforting to know that I've picked the right career path for me. Here's to the next 5 months and beyond!

Fake Followers: Are They Helpful or Harmful?

When I began doing the social media for one of my clients, I was impressed by how many "likes" they had on Facebook. In fact, I thought they wouldn't need my help at all when it came to maintaining a Facebook page.So, you can imagine my shock and dismay when I discovered that these "likes" had been purchased and weren't actual Facebook fans at all.

Fake "likes" on Facebook and fake "follows" on Twitter are a hot topic in the social media world. For a couple hundred dollars, organizations can inflate their followers and skip the hassle of convincing the Average Joe to actually want to follow them on social media sites. The ultimate question is: do brands benefit from buying followers?

Here's my stance on this:

First and foremost, I believe it is immoral to fool social media users into thinking you have a larger following than you actually do. It is deceiving, and if you are ever discovered (Facebook especially has become more savvy with detecting purchased "likes") it could very well ruin your reputation on social media forever.

Beyond the obvious moral dilemma I have with purchasing a social media following, I think it's important to remember what social media is intended to do for a brand. Social media is a gateway to your audience/customers/fans. It should be used as a way to communicate with people who are interested in your brand and who actually care what you have to say. If your followers are not genuine customers of your brand, what's the point of posting quality content?

When it comes to purchasing a social media following, I will offer any brands the same advice I offered my client: If you haven't purchased fans yet, don't. If you've already purchased them, delete the fake ones and eat the cost. It's more important to create a passionate, loyal following of real-life brand ambassadors than it is to increase a number. Take the time to target your audience and reach out to them-- it will pay off in the end!