Another semester is done! Thankfully, I didn't have a really busy schedule with a lot of finals. Being a communications major, most of my "finals" in communication classes have been similar to the other tests and done during dead week. I only had one final and a showcase for my finals week.
I left early to study for my final in Intro to Convergent Media. Of course, it was on Monday morning. I thought I brought my midterm with me, but I didn't. I just skimmed through my book and notes to refresh my memory and hoped for the best. When I got it, I was surprised at the number of questions from the midterm. It took me about 30 minutes to finish, so I was pretty excited.
The dance showcase took place Wednesday night. It was really fun to perform and watch the other dances. Our class was second to perform, so we watched the first dance from the side then got into our lines to step on stage. I think we did a great job. Personally, I was happy when I got my pirouette! Some days, pirouettes would cooperate with me. Other days, my pirouettes would not look great.
Looking to next semester, I'm happy with my schedule. I have a few communication classes, one history class, symphonic band and a ballet class in my schedule. I'm really excited to take Ballet 1 again! I never got to take dance classes when I was young, so I had no real experience in ballet. This time, I won't have to go into class with no clue on any of the terms. I'll be able to become better at the basics, and hopefully next year, I can take more dance classes!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Social Media in 2014
Social media is always changing. Every year, there are predictions made about social media for the following year. Sue Reynolds recently posted an article on Carmine Media that gives four social media predictions for 2014. Two predictions were interesting to read.
The first prediction is hashtags will be the main call to action. Reynolds believes with the addition of hashtags to Facebook, more campaigns will be based around them. Creating a unique hashtag for a new campaign can generate buzz for the campaign. Also, it is possible for more people to search a hashtag on Twitter and see your tweet.
Another interesting prediction is because of Foursquare's place pins, they will bring more attention to local data. It was predicted that Foursquare would not have success in 2013. However, Foursquare proved people wrong by providing location data in various applications. Reynolds expects social media platforms will use this location data and give notification to users based on their location. She also shares an experience she had when Foursquare asked her how her trip to Fairport was after she took a trip to Ohio.
I think these are two good predictions. Hashtags are common on Twitter, and they are becoming common on Facebook. Platforms can integrate location data and gives users the appropriate notifications. There are many predictions on a number of articles. What do you expect to see with social media next year?
The first prediction is hashtags will be the main call to action. Reynolds believes with the addition of hashtags to Facebook, more campaigns will be based around them. Creating a unique hashtag for a new campaign can generate buzz for the campaign. Also, it is possible for more people to search a hashtag on Twitter and see your tweet.
Another interesting prediction is because of Foursquare's place pins, they will bring more attention to local data. It was predicted that Foursquare would not have success in 2013. However, Foursquare proved people wrong by providing location data in various applications. Reynolds expects social media platforms will use this location data and give notification to users based on their location. She also shares an experience she had when Foursquare asked her how her trip to Fairport was after she took a trip to Ohio.
I think these are two good predictions. Hashtags are common on Twitter, and they are becoming common on Facebook. Platforms can integrate location data and gives users the appropriate notifications. There are many predictions on a number of articles. What do you expect to see with social media next year?
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The Importance of Measuring
Chapter 13 of Measure What Matters talks about measurement for nonprofits. Measurement is important in any field, but it is becoming more important in the nonprofit field. Relationships are another important aspect for nonprofits. It is important to have effective relationships. Katie Paine gives three reason why measurement has become increasingly important for nonprofits: social media, metrics and accountability.
Social media provides new ways for a nonprofit business to reach out to local stakeholders. If you want to figure the best way to reach them, you have to measure the success of each way you try and reach out to them. When you know the best way to reach stakeholders, you can refocus your social media strategy and be more effective.
The second reason to measure is metrics. In today's world, executive directors and board members are coming from for-profit businesses. They expect metrics will be available. There is a new requirement of detailed evaluations of any programs or initiatives your business does. These make it important to measure the results of your programs and initiatives.
The final reason why it is important is measure is accountability. Those who donate and contribute request accountability for the gifts they provide. When you measure your programs and initiatives, you can also include the contributions from the donors and contributors. It can be a win-win situation. Those who give get their credit and your business is helped.
In this chapter, I learned how important is it to measure in the nonprofit field. Measuring relationships is very important for nonprofits. You can improve how you reach your audience when you measure how effective communication is, especially with social media. When you can evaluate how your programs worked, you can use that information to improve those programs. Measuring is a key to better success with a nonprofit business.
Social media provides new ways for a nonprofit business to reach out to local stakeholders. If you want to figure the best way to reach them, you have to measure the success of each way you try and reach out to them. When you know the best way to reach stakeholders, you can refocus your social media strategy and be more effective.
The second reason to measure is metrics. In today's world, executive directors and board members are coming from for-profit businesses. They expect metrics will be available. There is a new requirement of detailed evaluations of any programs or initiatives your business does. These make it important to measure the results of your programs and initiatives.
The final reason why it is important is measure is accountability. Those who donate and contribute request accountability for the gifts they provide. When you measure your programs and initiatives, you can also include the contributions from the donors and contributors. It can be a win-win situation. Those who give get their credit and your business is helped.
In this chapter, I learned how important is it to measure in the nonprofit field. Measuring relationships is very important for nonprofits. You can improve how you reach your audience when you measure how effective communication is, especially with social media. When you can evaluate how your programs worked, you can use that information to improve those programs. Measuring is a key to better success with a nonprofit business.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Blaze of Lights
After Thanksgiving, the city of Bluffton holds their annual Blaze of Lights event. This year, my mom and I went to the Blaze of Lights celebration. The first night includes an ice sculptor, parade, booths on Main Street and more. Other things are done on a nightly basis until the beginning of the new year. These include a light show called The Gift of Giving, a holiday display and decorations in store windows. While we have viewed the decorations and the light show in the past, this was the first time we went on the first night.
Around 4 p.m., there was an ice sculptor who created an image of Santa Claus from a block of ice. It was interesting to watch him create this display. There was a mix of big chunks of ice taken off the block, with some smaller, intricate pieces of ice taken off the ice block. Before the parade, we got hot chocolate from a coffee shop. The parade started around 5 p.m. and it was a pretty long parade. There were fire trucks, a marching band, baton groups, clowns and more.
Once the parade was done, we walked up and down Main Street to see what was offered. There weren't a lot of booths set up, which surprised me. Also, a lot of businesses on Main Street were closed during the event. I expected more booths and more businesses to stay open.
We were getting ready to leave and noticed The Gift of Giving was actually going on at that time. I read it would begin after the parade on the first night, and posters around town said the show would start at 7 p.m. We pulled in and caught the second half of the show. Once it was done, we found a better spot to watch the next show.
The show is about a tree that is left behind and does not get to become a Christmas tree. At first, she is sad because she will not get to experience the joy of being a Christmas tree. An older tree and some animals help her learn that giving to others can give yourself joy. There is music by Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra that accompanies the show. Once the show was done, we were on our way home.
It was fun going to the first night of the Blaze of Lights. The parade and ice sculptor were fun to watch. The Gift of Giving is a short, entertaining show that lets the audience know how it feels to give to others. We're already planning to go to it next year!
Around 4 p.m., there was an ice sculptor who created an image of Santa Claus from a block of ice. It was interesting to watch him create this display. There was a mix of big chunks of ice taken off the block, with some smaller, intricate pieces of ice taken off the ice block. Before the parade, we got hot chocolate from a coffee shop. The parade started around 5 p.m. and it was a pretty long parade. There were fire trucks, a marching band, baton groups, clowns and more.
Once the parade was done, we walked up and down Main Street to see what was offered. There weren't a lot of booths set up, which surprised me. Also, a lot of businesses on Main Street were closed during the event. I expected more booths and more businesses to stay open.
We were getting ready to leave and noticed The Gift of Giving was actually going on at that time. I read it would begin after the parade on the first night, and posters around town said the show would start at 7 p.m. We pulled in and caught the second half of the show. Once it was done, we found a better spot to watch the next show.
The show is about a tree that is left behind and does not get to become a Christmas tree. At first, she is sad because she will not get to experience the joy of being a Christmas tree. An older tree and some animals help her learn that giving to others can give yourself joy. There is music by Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra that accompanies the show. Once the show was done, we were on our way home.
It was fun going to the first night of the Blaze of Lights. The parade and ice sculptor were fun to watch. The Gift of Giving is a short, entertaining show that lets the audience know how it feels to give to others. We're already planning to go to it next year!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Holiday Bells
The holiday season is coming up fast. One of the traditions at Ohio Northern University is the Holiday Spectacular, a show full of Christmas spirit. Every year, sisters of Tau Beta Sigma ring hand bells before each show and I decided to sign up to ring bells before the shows on campus. This was my first year ringing bells, so I was nervous.
To add to my nervousness, I only had one rehearsal, on Wednesday, before Thursday's show. One rehearsal got cancelled due to weather and I worked during the next rehearsal. There was the idea of making Wednesday's rehearsal a little bit longer, but that didn't happen. After the rehearsal I was able to go to, I started to wonder what I got myself into.
Thursday night came around and I felt like I could do this and not get confused. Luckily, that's what happened! During the week, we added some other songs to play before the show. A number of people enjoyed the music we provided while they waited to enter the theatre.
Even though I came into this with no experience ringing hand bells, it was a lot of fun! I think I got better each time I rang bells. It was great to see people enjoy our music. I hope I can ring bells next year.
To add to my nervousness, I only had one rehearsal, on Wednesday, before Thursday's show. One rehearsal got cancelled due to weather and I worked during the next rehearsal. There was the idea of making Wednesday's rehearsal a little bit longer, but that didn't happen. After the rehearsal I was able to go to, I started to wonder what I got myself into.
Thursday night came around and I felt like I could do this and not get confused. Luckily, that's what happened! During the week, we added some other songs to play before the show. A number of people enjoyed the music we provided while they waited to enter the theatre.
Even though I came into this with no experience ringing hand bells, it was a lot of fun! I think I got better each time I rang bells. It was great to see people enjoy our music. I hope I can ring bells next year.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Trust and Your Reputation
While chapter 11 of Measure What Matters discusses threats to your reputation. Katie Paine devotes a large portion of this chapter to trust. One major factor of your reputation is trust. It can help build or destroy your reputation. The idea of trust has been studied by itself and as an aspect of the quality of relationships. Paine shares that you can measure three parts of trust, competence, integrity and dependability, with the Grunig Relationship Survey. Next, she explains five characteristics of trust between an organization and its publics.
The first characteristic is trust that it is multilevel. It comes from various interactions that can be as close as coworkers, and as far as different organizations. These interactions can include two people or a lot of people. So, there has to be a huge net when you survey your publics. It cannot be a small group that is surveyed, because you will be likely to forget people.
Trust is also culturally rooted. It is tied to the beliefs of the organization's culture. It is important to know your publics' self-image and definitions if you want an accurate measurement of trust. Also, trust is based on communication. The outcome of communication behaviors is trust. You want to give information that is accurate and explanations for your decisions. In addition, you want to have an appropriate, sincere openness. Communication is a main aspect in trust measurement.
The fourth characteristic is that it is dynamic. Trust goes through building phases, destabilization phases and rebuilding phases. It has to consistently be measured. Finally, trust is multidimensional. There are multiple factors of trust at the cognitive, emotional and behavioral levels. All of these can affect a person's idea of trust.
It was interesting to learn about these characteristics of trust. The main characteristic I agreed with was that it is communication-based. You want to give the public accurate information and be open to what they have to say. I agreed with these characteristics and realized how important it is to measure trust.
The first characteristic is trust that it is multilevel. It comes from various interactions that can be as close as coworkers, and as far as different organizations. These interactions can include two people or a lot of people. So, there has to be a huge net when you survey your publics. It cannot be a small group that is surveyed, because you will be likely to forget people.
Trust is also culturally rooted. It is tied to the beliefs of the organization's culture. It is important to know your publics' self-image and definitions if you want an accurate measurement of trust. Also, trust is based on communication. The outcome of communication behaviors is trust. You want to give information that is accurate and explanations for your decisions. In addition, you want to have an appropriate, sincere openness. Communication is a main aspect in trust measurement.
The fourth characteristic is that it is dynamic. Trust goes through building phases, destabilization phases and rebuilding phases. It has to consistently be measured. Finally, trust is multidimensional. There are multiple factors of trust at the cognitive, emotional and behavioral levels. All of these can affect a person's idea of trust.
It was interesting to learn about these characteristics of trust. The main characteristic I agreed with was that it is communication-based. You want to give the public accurate information and be open to what they have to say. I agreed with these characteristics and realized how important it is to measure trust.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Boost Your Brand's Presence on Social Media
Many businesses utilize social media to reach fans and customers. It can be hard to make your content stand out from the rest. The Huffington Post posted an article that explains how to improve your brand's social media presence. Three tips are shared in this article: nail your brand voice, make it regular and use visuals.
The first tip is to figure out your brand's voice. Author Zach Kitschke states that a brand voice comes from a narrative or authentic story. You can think about the brand as if it is a person. You should figure out who your brand would be, what it would be interested in and what hobbies it would have. By knowing your brand's voice, it is easier to determine what to post and what language to use. Plus, once your brand voice is correct, it will help everything else be correct.
The second tip is to make it regular. It is suggested to post on Facebook once a day so fans will regularly see new content. Posting too much is a risk, so you may have to adjust how frequently you post. It is also important to develop content. You want the content to be consistent so fans are not surprised by a post.
The last tip is to use visuals. A post can have a better response if a picture is included. A study of 1.3 million posts on the top 10,000 Facebook pages found that posts with images tend to get more comments, likes and shares. On Twitter, tweets with pictures get four times more engagement than tweets with no image.
I am not surprised by these tips. Once a brand voice is determined, it is easier to figure out what type of content to post. People want to see a new post frequently. They do not want to see a post from June and the next post in November. Also, people like to see pictures. They don't just want to read the words. They want to see an image with the post. It may take some experimentation, but it will help your brand if you have a strong presence on social media.
The first tip is to figure out your brand's voice. Author Zach Kitschke states that a brand voice comes from a narrative or authentic story. You can think about the brand as if it is a person. You should figure out who your brand would be, what it would be interested in and what hobbies it would have. By knowing your brand's voice, it is easier to determine what to post and what language to use. Plus, once your brand voice is correct, it will help everything else be correct.
The second tip is to make it regular. It is suggested to post on Facebook once a day so fans will regularly see new content. Posting too much is a risk, so you may have to adjust how frequently you post. It is also important to develop content. You want the content to be consistent so fans are not surprised by a post.
The last tip is to use visuals. A post can have a better response if a picture is included. A study of 1.3 million posts on the top 10,000 Facebook pages found that posts with images tend to get more comments, likes and shares. On Twitter, tweets with pictures get four times more engagement than tweets with no image.
I am not surprised by these tips. Once a brand voice is determined, it is easier to figure out what type of content to post. People want to see a new post frequently. They do not want to see a post from June and the next post in November. Also, people like to see pictures. They don't just want to read the words. They want to see an image with the post. It may take some experimentation, but it will help your brand if you have a strong presence on social media.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Another Season is Done
Saturday marked the end of another marching band season. Although it was windy, the weather wasn't too bad. It was actually nice during the morning rehearsal. After we went through pregame and cleaned up the halftime drill, we did a run-through of the show and were dismissed to get lunch and get ready for the game.
Eventually, it was time to get ready for the 1813 halftime show. We marched to the first song, Ride of the Valkyries. After that song, we marched to another spot, where we stood and played La Donna e Mobile and The Pilgrim's Chorus. While we played the fight song and marched off the field, I almost ran into two guys who were standing underneath the bleachers. I though that was interesting, considering how that happened two times earlier in the season.
Once halftime was done, the game was a lot of fun. I enjoyed my snack, chocolate chip cookies and Mountain Dew. A lot of people took pictures, and I was no exception. Our section also took pictures, like other sections did. I also got a picture with my ONU twin, Christine.
We got the win, which was a plus. After the game, it was exciting to see the football team's excitement while we played and sang the fight song.
As fun as Saturday was, it made me realize there were a lot of "lasts" that occurred. In our pregame formation, I stood between two of our "Mister Sisters" in Tau Beta Sigma in the "N." Also, there was a field conductor sandwich I was a part of this season. Neither of those will happen with those people next year. While I will miss the seniors, I can't wait to see what will happen next year!
Eventually, it was time to get ready for the 1813 halftime show. We marched to the first song, Ride of the Valkyries. After that song, we marched to another spot, where we stood and played La Donna e Mobile and The Pilgrim's Chorus. While we played the fight song and marched off the field, I almost ran into two guys who were standing underneath the bleachers. I though that was interesting, considering how that happened two times earlier in the season.
Once halftime was done, the game was a lot of fun. I enjoyed my snack, chocolate chip cookies and Mountain Dew. A lot of people took pictures, and I was no exception. Our section also took pictures, like other sections did. I also got a picture with my ONU twin, Christine.
ONU twins
We got the win, which was a plus. After the game, it was exciting to see the football team's excitement while we played and sang the fight song.
As fun as Saturday was, it made me realize there were a lot of "lasts" that occurred. In our pregame formation, I stood between two of our "Mister Sisters" in Tau Beta Sigma in the "N." Also, there was a field conductor sandwich I was a part of this season. Neither of those will happen with those people next year. While I will miss the seniors, I can't wait to see what will happen next year!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Communities and Relationships
In today's world, news travels fast. Chapter 9 of Measure What Matters talks about measuring and improving relationships in your community. If you have a good relationship with your community, if a crisis occurs, the community can come to your defense. Katie Paine begins the chapter by explaining what your community may include.
Due to social media, there is a new idea of community. It is no longer limited to people and organizations that are close to your business. Today, a community can include anyone or any group that has an influence on your business. Customers, vendors, partners are just some of the aspects of a community.
The other interesting part of this chapter is how your relationship can influence your business or organization. Paine includes an example of how each type of relationship can affect your business. A bad relationship occurred between Amazon and its Kindle user community. Amazon had to delete books that did not have legal distribution rights and ignored the Kindle users. Amazon's chief executive officer had to apologize and admit the wrongdoing to regain the community's trust.
On the other hand, a good community will defend you when a crisis occurs. After Shamu the whale killed its trainer at SeaWorld, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, formed a Facebook campaign against SeaWorld called "Free All Whales." The Facebook community and Sea World have had a good relationship and that community came to SeaWorld's defense.
I enjoyed learning what about these two things. In the past, it would be limited to people and groups near your business. Now, a community can be much larger. I also learned how important it is to have a good relationship with your community. You may need them to help you out someday, so you want that good relationship.
Due to social media, there is a new idea of community. It is no longer limited to people and organizations that are close to your business. Today, a community can include anyone or any group that has an influence on your business. Customers, vendors, partners are just some of the aspects of a community.
The other interesting part of this chapter is how your relationship can influence your business or organization. Paine includes an example of how each type of relationship can affect your business. A bad relationship occurred between Amazon and its Kindle user community. Amazon had to delete books that did not have legal distribution rights and ignored the Kindle users. Amazon's chief executive officer had to apologize and admit the wrongdoing to regain the community's trust.
On the other hand, a good community will defend you when a crisis occurs. After Shamu the whale killed its trainer at SeaWorld, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, formed a Facebook campaign against SeaWorld called "Free All Whales." The Facebook community and Sea World have had a good relationship and that community came to SeaWorld's defense.
I enjoyed learning what about these two things. In the past, it would be limited to people and groups near your business. Now, a community can be much larger. I also learned how important it is to have a good relationship with your community. You may need them to help you out someday, so you want that good relationship.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Using Social Media to Get News
In today's world, it is easy to get news from social media platforms. While Facebook and Twitter are the most common sites to share news, other sites do the same thing. As a result, more people are using multiple social media sites to get news. USA Today recently posted an article that explains how people use multiple sources to get news.
The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to see where social media users get their news. 26 percent of American adults use Facebook and Twitter to get news. In addition, nine percent use three sites to get news. Surprisingly, Reddit, which is used by three percent of Americans, is used by 62 percent of its users to get news. The report also stated Facebook is the most popular social media platform to get news among people who use more than one source. People may get their news from Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites, but they also get news from Facebook.
Overall, these results do not surprise me. This report showed me how we want news now. We don't want to wait for the newspaper or a news program. We want to have the ability to get news instantly. With social media, the news is at our fingertips. Also, using more than one site can be beneficial. We can get more details on a particular story, provided that story is shared on multiple sites. Also, we can get more stories overall. Do you use social media to get stories?
The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to see where social media users get their news. 26 percent of American adults use Facebook and Twitter to get news. In addition, nine percent use three sites to get news. Surprisingly, Reddit, which is used by three percent of Americans, is used by 62 percent of its users to get news. The report also stated Facebook is the most popular social media platform to get news among people who use more than one source. People may get their news from Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites, but they also get news from Facebook.
Overall, these results do not surprise me. This report showed me how we want news now. We don't want to wait for the newspaper or a news program. We want to have the ability to get news instantly. With social media, the news is at our fingertips. Also, using more than one site can be beneficial. We can get more details on a particular story, provided that story is shared on multiple sites. Also, we can get more stories overall. Do you use social media to get stories?
Monday, November 11, 2013
Listening and Responding to the Marketplace
Chapter six of Katie Paine's Measure What Matters focuses on using numbers to get closer to customers. She mainly talks about listening, learning and responding to the marketplace. In the marketplace, there are five things to do.
The first is setting up and refining search terms. You should set up Google Alerts to search keywords your company uses. Next, you need to monitor the results to determine if your keywords are effective. If the keywords are not helping, then they need to be changed or refined. A phrase can be placed in quotes to help refine the search. In addition to your company, alerts should also be set up for competitors' names and brands.
The next step is reviewing and tracking results. A majority of results are irrelevant or not interesting to you. These results have to be discarded. Paine recommends creating an Excel spreadsheet to track items. The date the item appeared, source, author and subject should be included in this spreadsheet.
Once that is done, you have to check which outlets matter. After a month, there will be a list of channels and outlets that mention your company, products or market. A way to refine your list is determining the ratio of comments to posts and rank them from highest to lowest. You can assume that posts with the greatest amount of comments have a greater interest and influence to more people. Other things to pay attention to are channels, outlets and writers who get the most comments, as they are normally more influential.
The last two steps are closely related. The fourth step is figuring out what the market things of you and your competition. You have to learn what issues have the most concern and your position. Finally, you have to see how you are positioned in the marketplace against your competition and use that knowledge to gain an advantage. When you learn your competition's strengths, you can work to improve your products. Likewise, when you know the competition's weaknesses, you can determine the best way to gain an advantage. This exercise provides you with great information. However, the most valuable information is what the market likes best and least about your competition.
I think this exercise is important for companies to do. The exercise can show companies how effective their search terms are, as well as the keywords of their competitors. Companies can learn the most influential outlets and pay attention to them. Also, they can learn how to get a step up on their competition.
The first is setting up and refining search terms. You should set up Google Alerts to search keywords your company uses. Next, you need to monitor the results to determine if your keywords are effective. If the keywords are not helping, then they need to be changed or refined. A phrase can be placed in quotes to help refine the search. In addition to your company, alerts should also be set up for competitors' names and brands.
The next step is reviewing and tracking results. A majority of results are irrelevant or not interesting to you. These results have to be discarded. Paine recommends creating an Excel spreadsheet to track items. The date the item appeared, source, author and subject should be included in this spreadsheet.
Once that is done, you have to check which outlets matter. After a month, there will be a list of channels and outlets that mention your company, products or market. A way to refine your list is determining the ratio of comments to posts and rank them from highest to lowest. You can assume that posts with the greatest amount of comments have a greater interest and influence to more people. Other things to pay attention to are channels, outlets and writers who get the most comments, as they are normally more influential.
The last two steps are closely related. The fourth step is figuring out what the market things of you and your competition. You have to learn what issues have the most concern and your position. Finally, you have to see how you are positioned in the marketplace against your competition and use that knowledge to gain an advantage. When you learn your competition's strengths, you can work to improve your products. Likewise, when you know the competition's weaknesses, you can determine the best way to gain an advantage. This exercise provides you with great information. However, the most valuable information is what the market likes best and least about your competition.
I think this exercise is important for companies to do. The exercise can show companies how effective their search terms are, as well as the keywords of their competitors. Companies can learn the most influential outlets and pay attention to them. Also, they can learn how to get a step up on their competition.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Sister Week
Every year, as part of recruitment, Tau Beta Sigma holds Sister Week. During the week, there are events each night for the sisters and potential members to attend. This allows potential members to learn more about the sisters and how we serve the bands and the community. It also gives current sisters the ability to spend time together outside of marching band or wind orchestra. There is a mix of service and social events throughout the week. The week ends with Rose Tea, which is our formal event. Potential members have to attend two events to get an invitation to Rose Tea. It is the last recruitment event for the semester and the last chance to get to know sisters and potential members.
It is hard to pick a favorite event, because all of them are so much fun. This year, I would say my favorite event was performing at Elmcroft Senior Living Center. Friday evening, we carpooled to Elmcroft to perform a short concert for the residents. It was a lot of fun and everyone had a great time. Afterwards, we went to Kewpee to eat and socialize. The car ride to and from Elmcroft allowed me to get to know Andrea and Kaitlyn, two potential members. We had so much fun. On the way back to campus, we started to create a song. It was a great night.
Even though it is busy, Sister Week is one of my favorite weeks of the semester. I get to spend time with sisters and potential members I normally don't get to see on a regular basis. Plus, our events are very fun. They are a great way to relax after a day of classes. The week allows me to remember why I wanted to join Tau Beta Sigma.
It is hard to pick a favorite event, because all of them are so much fun. This year, I would say my favorite event was performing at Elmcroft Senior Living Center. Friday evening, we carpooled to Elmcroft to perform a short concert for the residents. It was a lot of fun and everyone had a great time. Afterwards, we went to Kewpee to eat and socialize. The car ride to and from Elmcroft allowed me to get to know Andrea and Kaitlyn, two potential members. We had so much fun. On the way back to campus, we started to create a song. It was a great night.
Even though it is busy, Sister Week is one of my favorite weeks of the semester. I get to spend time with sisters and potential members I normally don't get to see on a regular basis. Plus, our events are very fun. They are a great way to relax after a day of classes. The week allows me to remember why I wanted to join Tau Beta Sigma.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Using Social Media Effectively
It is common for companies to have multiple social media platforms. However, each site should not have the same design and information. Each platform has a different target audience and different purpose. Companies should figure out the appropriate social media strategy for each platform. New Media Campaigns shares three tips to have effective strategies.
The first tip is to understand the audience that utilizes each social media site. The article states how Pinterest and politics would not mix well. Pinterest's target audience is women between the ages of 18 and 34. The purpose of Pinterest is to share lifestyle tips and design inspiration.
The second tip is to find unique ways to present content to people. Videos and pictures are a great way to share content. A how-to video or a photo album are great ways for people to see your content.
Lastly, incentives should be offered for people to engage with the company. People can use social media to promote and share a company. There are various companies that post a picture of an item, whether it's an article of clothing or an accessory, on their Facebook page. Fans can like the photo and enter to win a gift card or the item that is in the picture. A fan that wins a gift card or the item could then promote that company on social media.
These are great tips to use social media effectively. The target audience can help a company determine how to post content. Unique ways to share content can help create more interest in your company. Also, people should have the opportunity to get something from engaging with the company. When you post content that can make an impact, you have a better chance of reaching more people and keeping them interested in your company.
The first tip is to understand the audience that utilizes each social media site. The article states how Pinterest and politics would not mix well. Pinterest's target audience is women between the ages of 18 and 34. The purpose of Pinterest is to share lifestyle tips and design inspiration.
The second tip is to find unique ways to present content to people. Videos and pictures are a great way to share content. A how-to video or a photo album are great ways for people to see your content.
Lastly, incentives should be offered for people to engage with the company. People can use social media to promote and share a company. There are various companies that post a picture of an item, whether it's an article of clothing or an accessory, on their Facebook page. Fans can like the photo and enter to win a gift card or the item that is in the picture. A fan that wins a gift card or the item could then promote that company on social media.
These are great tips to use social media effectively. The target audience can help a company determine how to post content. Unique ways to share content can help create more interest in your company. Also, people should have the opportunity to get something from engaging with the company. When you post content that can make an impact, you have a better chance of reaching more people and keeping them interested in your company.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Band-O-Rama
The marching band has finished another Band-O-Rama! What is Band-O-Rama, you may ask? For the audience, it is an annual marching band concert with great music. A wide variety of music is played. Music from pregame, the halftime shows and other band favorites is performed. Generally, there is a great turnout for the event.
For the band members, it is a very long day. Rehearsal and pictures precede the actual concert. Rehearsal starts in the morning and is pretty long. Along with the music, the band learns how to get in the theatre and on stage. Also, we learn how to head off stage so we can play the final song. Once rehearsal is done, there is a brief break to change into uniform for pictures to be taken. After pictures and a lunch break, we do final preparation and then perform the concert.
While the day is long, it is also fun. In between songs, there is a chance for funny commentary. During a break from the music, someone in the audience yelled, "Happy Birthday, Dr. Bates!" We broke into song and requested a speech. After his introduction, he quoted "Respect," one of the songs from the Divalicious show. This speech was one of the best I have heard.
Post-concert pictures are very common. Band members typically get pictures taken with their friends and family. This year, I got a picture with one of my section leaders who is one of our "Mister Sisters" of Tau Beta Sigma and a field conductor. This was his last Band-O-Rama and he has been my "BC buddy" for this year. We are the only two baritone players who read bass clef music. The others read treble clef. This made me realize that he won't be around next year and I'm really going to miss him, even if he picks on me constantly.
For the band members, it is a very long day. Rehearsal and pictures precede the actual concert. Rehearsal starts in the morning and is pretty long. Along with the music, the band learns how to get in the theatre and on stage. Also, we learn how to head off stage so we can play the final song. Once rehearsal is done, there is a brief break to change into uniform for pictures to be taken. After pictures and a lunch break, we do final preparation and then perform the concert.
While the day is long, it is also fun. In between songs, there is a chance for funny commentary. During a break from the music, someone in the audience yelled, "Happy Birthday, Dr. Bates!" We broke into song and requested a speech. After his introduction, he quoted "Respect," one of the songs from the Divalicious show. This speech was one of the best I have heard.
Post-concert pictures are very common. Band members typically get pictures taken with their friends and family. This year, I got a picture with one of my section leaders who is one of our "Mister Sisters" of Tau Beta Sigma and a field conductor. This was his last Band-O-Rama and he has been my "BC buddy" for this year. We are the only two baritone players who read bass clef music. The others read treble clef. This made me realize that he won't be around next year and I'm really going to miss him, even if he picks on me constantly.
BC Buddies!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Today's Public Relations and Social Media Rules
Social media is constantly changing. Due to social media's nature, people involved in public relations and marketing have to adapt their approaches. Today, these professionals have to listen more. Also, they have to measure engagement instead of how many people visit their site. Chapter five of Measure What Matters shares four new rules for public relations and social media.
1. You're not in control and never have been.
Katie Paine shares the quote, "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it" (p. 74). It is impossible to manage what people say about your company. If you try to dominate a conversation on a social media site, it will not work out for you.
2. There is no market for your message.
It does not matter how many people get your message. The important thing is what people do when they get the message. By listening to the social community, you may persuade them to listen and respond to a part of your message. A two-way synchronous communication method is needed. Both parties have to work together. Fans can decide to agree or disagree with your message. Plus, they can give you feedback on your message.
3. It's about reaching the right eyeballs, not all the eyeballs.
Paine shares two issues with measuring success through eyeballs. First, the numbers do not exist. It is very hard to count eyeballs through social media. The second reason is many influential blogs do not provide circulation figures of other data on people who visit their sites. This means the quantity of people does not matter as much as the quality of people who get a message. Today, what matters is what people will do with the information they find. What should they do? They should read and share your information with their friends, comment on your information or sign up for something. These are things you can measure.
4. It's worse to not be talked about at all.
In social media, it is better to be talked about in a negative sense than ignored. If someone talks about you in a bad way, another person has the ability to write something positive and defend you. Plus, journalists use blogs to get story ideas, check facts and more. If you are not discussed, it is hard to show journalists that you are newsworthy. It also hurts your business if your product category is discussed, but your brand is not included in the conversation.
I think these rules are very useful for social media and public relations. People seem concerned with how many people visit their site more than how many people do something with the message that is sent. I really agree with the third and fourth rules. Instead of focusing on the quantity, quality should be the main focus. Also, there has to be discussion about your company. It can be difficult to hear negative comments, but it will be better in the long run than if nothing is said about your company.
1. You're not in control and never have been.
Katie Paine shares the quote, "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it" (p. 74). It is impossible to manage what people say about your company. If you try to dominate a conversation on a social media site, it will not work out for you.
2. There is no market for your message.
It does not matter how many people get your message. The important thing is what people do when they get the message. By listening to the social community, you may persuade them to listen and respond to a part of your message. A two-way synchronous communication method is needed. Both parties have to work together. Fans can decide to agree or disagree with your message. Plus, they can give you feedback on your message.
3. It's about reaching the right eyeballs, not all the eyeballs.
Paine shares two issues with measuring success through eyeballs. First, the numbers do not exist. It is very hard to count eyeballs through social media. The second reason is many influential blogs do not provide circulation figures of other data on people who visit their sites. This means the quantity of people does not matter as much as the quality of people who get a message. Today, what matters is what people will do with the information they find. What should they do? They should read and share your information with their friends, comment on your information or sign up for something. These are things you can measure.
4. It's worse to not be talked about at all.
In social media, it is better to be talked about in a negative sense than ignored. If someone talks about you in a bad way, another person has the ability to write something positive and defend you. Plus, journalists use blogs to get story ideas, check facts and more. If you are not discussed, it is hard to show journalists that you are newsworthy. It also hurts your business if your product category is discussed, but your brand is not included in the conversation.
I think these rules are very useful for social media and public relations. People seem concerned with how many people visit their site more than how many people do something with the message that is sent. I really agree with the third and fourth rules. Instead of focusing on the quantity, quality should be the main focus. Also, there has to be discussion about your company. It can be difficult to hear negative comments, but it will be better in the long run than if nothing is said about your company.
Friday, November 1, 2013
30 Minutes for Social Media
In an organization, you may wonder how you can fit social media into the daily schedule. When you add in the normal work schedule, it can be hard to add in social media responsibilities. Pardot has recently posted an article that shows how you can manage social media in 30 minutes a day.
While the article talks about devoting 30 minutes a day to social media, that is considered the minimum amount of time. You can have a good presence, but having more time helps you have a stronger social media presence. If you're starting out, 30 minutes is a great amount of time for social media management. If may sound daunting, but it's not too bad. If you have multiple sites, it results in a few minutes for each site.
The article also includes an infographic that shows how to break down the 30 minutes among various social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. The image shows how to divide the time among six social networking sites. Ten minutes is devoted to Twitter, while six minutes is for Facebook and LinkedIn. Four minutes is dedicated to Pinterest. Finally, two minutes is for Google+ and Instagram.
The time devoted to each site will vary, depending on the amount of social networking sites your organization has. I like how some sites have more time devoted to them than others. Perhaps those sites have a stronger following, or there is more activity on those sites. The most active sites should have more time devoted to them, while less active sites receive a smaller amount of time.
While the article talks about devoting 30 minutes a day to social media, that is considered the minimum amount of time. You can have a good presence, but having more time helps you have a stronger social media presence. If you're starting out, 30 minutes is a great amount of time for social media management. If may sound daunting, but it's not too bad. If you have multiple sites, it results in a few minutes for each site.
The article also includes an infographic that shows how to break down the 30 minutes among various social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. The image shows how to divide the time among six social networking sites. Ten minutes is devoted to Twitter, while six minutes is for Facebook and LinkedIn. Four minutes is dedicated to Pinterest. Finally, two minutes is for Google+ and Instagram.
The time devoted to each site will vary, depending on the amount of social networking sites your organization has. I like how some sites have more time devoted to them than others. Perhaps those sites have a stronger following, or there is more activity on those sites. The most active sites should have more time devoted to them, while less active sites receive a smaller amount of time.
Monday, October 28, 2013
What is Success?
Chapter two of Measure What Matters explains how to start measuring in an organization. One section talks about how to determine what is considered success. Before success can be achieved, it has to be defined. Measureable objectives have to be put in place before a program begins. Katie Paine gives six steps to choose and reach an agreement on measureable objectives.
1. Understand your background. List the outcomes of what you want to measure.
2. Assemble everyone on your team.
3. Ask them what they mean when they weren't successful. Write the responses on a flip chart.
4. Ask them what they mean when they were successful. Write the responses on a flip chart.
5. Ask them what their objectives are and write the responses on a flip chart.
6. After all of the objectives are listed, have everyone vote on the highest priority.
Paine shares how she does the last step. She gives everyone a page of sticky dots. Each person can choose how they use their dots. They may place all of their dots by one objective, or they may split their dots up among a few objectives. Once everyone has voted, the objective that has the most dots is measured first.
This system gives a company an agreed upon definition of success. Everyone will know how success is defined. As a result, it will be easier to judge performance.
I really enjoyed Paine's steps to figure out measureable objectives. It was easy to read and understand. I could see this system work for many companies. This gives everyone a voice and lets them choose the most important objective. After everyone knows what the success definition is, they can work together to reach the goals they have set for themselves. Also, when everyone knows how to reach success, they will have a better understanding on how to gain success. This can help the organization be more successful.
1. Understand your background. List the outcomes of what you want to measure.
2. Assemble everyone on your team.
3. Ask them what they mean when they weren't successful. Write the responses on a flip chart.
4. Ask them what they mean when they were successful. Write the responses on a flip chart.
5. Ask them what their objectives are and write the responses on a flip chart.
6. After all of the objectives are listed, have everyone vote on the highest priority.
Paine shares how she does the last step. She gives everyone a page of sticky dots. Each person can choose how they use their dots. They may place all of their dots by one objective, or they may split their dots up among a few objectives. Once everyone has voted, the objective that has the most dots is measured first.
This system gives a company an agreed upon definition of success. Everyone will know how success is defined. As a result, it will be easier to judge performance.
I really enjoyed Paine's steps to figure out measureable objectives. It was easy to read and understand. I could see this system work for many companies. This gives everyone a voice and lets them choose the most important objective. After everyone knows what the success definition is, they can work together to reach the goals they have set for themselves. Also, when everyone knows how to reach success, they will have a better understanding on how to gain success. This can help the organization be more successful.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
A Final Performance
Yesterday was the final halftime performance of the Divalicious show for the marching band. We performed the entire show, which hasn't happened since the Sidney Band Festival. This time, we got to march the entire show, which did not happen in Sidney.
I was excited to perform because my mom was able to watch the entire halftime show. I remember the first game I marched in freshman year because she was helping out at the game and had to leave about a minute into halftime. I could tell where she was for two reasons.
1. She wore a bright orange headband.
2. During the first song, she kept moving to see me better. I don't know how well this worked, because I moved to the other side of the field after the first song.
With one show done, it's time to work on the second show. The next show has an 1813 theme. Music by Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi will be performed. There will also be new drill to learn, but we have quite a bit of time to learn it.
Next week is Band-O-Rama, the annual marching band concert. Music from both shows will be performed, as well as the pregame show and other fun songs. It's always a long day, but a lot of fun. It's also a great chance to listen to the band and not get really cold at a football game!
I was excited to perform because my mom was able to watch the entire halftime show. I remember the first game I marched in freshman year because she was helping out at the game and had to leave about a minute into halftime. I could tell where she was for two reasons.
1. She wore a bright orange headband.
2. During the first song, she kept moving to see me better. I don't know how well this worked, because I moved to the other side of the field after the first song.
With one show done, it's time to work on the second show. The next show has an 1813 theme. Music by Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi will be performed. There will also be new drill to learn, but we have quite a bit of time to learn it.
Next week is Band-O-Rama, the annual marching band concert. Music from both shows will be performed, as well as the pregame show and other fun songs. It's always a long day, but a lot of fun. It's also a great chance to listen to the band and not get really cold at a football game!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Homecoming and Social Media
During homecoming weekend at Ohio Northern University, various groups hold alumni lunches or dinners. Alumni and current students can share their memories and experiences. Tau Beta Sigma is no exception, as a picnic was held after the football game. Since I would be at the picnic, I decided to live tweet the picnic. Here is a link to my Storify: http://storify.com/Courtney26/tau-beta-sigma-picnic
Once I finished that, I looked over ONU's Facebook and Twitter accounts. The goals were to see what they do well in terms of Homecoming promotion and what they could improve on in the future. With Facebook, pictures of various homecoming events were posted, but they were posted after the event occurred. This gave fans the opportunity to comment about the pictures. I did not see any promotional posts about homecoming. The Twitter page had one tweet about homecoming, which included a link to a news story on ONU's Web site.
While the pictures were nice, they weren't posted as the event took place. In today's world, people want things now. It isn't the greatest feeling to wait days or hours to see pictures or read a recap about an event. People want information in real time, which creates a sense of instant gratification.
More promotional posts and live tweeting can help spark interest in Homecoming events. The extra posts can help remind people of upcoming events. It is easy to forget about something. Also, events can be created on Facebook. This gives fans a chance to learn more about a particular event. Fans can also let their friends know about the event. As a result, that event could have better attendance than expected. The important thing is to get the word out and let people know about upcoming events.
Once I finished that, I looked over ONU's Facebook and Twitter accounts. The goals were to see what they do well in terms of Homecoming promotion and what they could improve on in the future. With Facebook, pictures of various homecoming events were posted, but they were posted after the event occurred. This gave fans the opportunity to comment about the pictures. I did not see any promotional posts about homecoming. The Twitter page had one tweet about homecoming, which included a link to a news story on ONU's Web site.
While the pictures were nice, they weren't posted as the event took place. In today's world, people want things now. It isn't the greatest feeling to wait days or hours to see pictures or read a recap about an event. People want information in real time, which creates a sense of instant gratification.
More promotional posts and live tweeting can help spark interest in Homecoming events. The extra posts can help remind people of upcoming events. It is easy to forget about something. Also, events can be created on Facebook. This gives fans a chance to learn more about a particular event. Fans can also let their friends know about the event. As a result, that event could have better attendance than expected. The important thing is to get the word out and let people know about upcoming events.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Real Time Concert CDs
Chapter 12 of "Real-Time Marketing and PR" talks about doing things in real time that normally takes longer to complete. David Meerman Scott explains instant gratification and how it is a strong attribute in today's real-time culture. If you do something faster than others, you gain a competitive edge. He provides an example of doing something in real time that involves the Grateful Dead and concert CDs.
After lead singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia's death in 1995, the band no longer used the Grateful Dead name for touring purposes. They still play on, most recently as Further, with bassist Phil Lesh, guitarist Bob Weir and others. As you go to a Further concert, or even during intermission, you can order a recording of that show on CD. Plus, you can get the CD after the concert.
When you order your CD, you are given a wristband. During the show, the recording crew burns three CDs and works extremely fast to finish copying and packing the three-CD set. Once the concert and CDs are done, customers line up and exchange their wristbands for their CD set.
I like this idea a lot. Typically, if you order a CD of a concert you attend, you'll just order the CD at that time. After a couple of weeks, you'll get the CD. Compared to this well-known way to order a CD, the CD crew for Further definitely has a competitive edge. Not only do guests get that particular concert CD set, they get it the same day! They have a great understanding of real time. I think it would be cool if more people follow the example Further has used.
After lead singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia's death in 1995, the band no longer used the Grateful Dead name for touring purposes. They still play on, most recently as Further, with bassist Phil Lesh, guitarist Bob Weir and others. As you go to a Further concert, or even during intermission, you can order a recording of that show on CD. Plus, you can get the CD after the concert.
When you order your CD, you are given a wristband. During the show, the recording crew burns three CDs and works extremely fast to finish copying and packing the three-CD set. Once the concert and CDs are done, customers line up and exchange their wristbands for their CD set.
I like this idea a lot. Typically, if you order a CD of a concert you attend, you'll just order the CD at that time. After a couple of weeks, you'll get the CD. Compared to this well-known way to order a CD, the CD crew for Further definitely has a competitive edge. Not only do guests get that particular concert CD set, they get it the same day! They have a great understanding of real time. I think it would be cool if more people follow the example Further has used.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Helping Bullying Victims Personally
There are a number of Facebook groups against bullying. A Facebook search of "against bullying" results in over 1,000 pages. NBC News posted an interesting story about one of these groups. Recently, a teen and mother have teamed up to create a new anti-bullying group.
Jacob Stallman has been bullied since seventh grade. At first, he was bullied because he was overweight. Once he lost weight, he thought the bullying would stop. Not only did the bullying continue, it got worse after he came out as gay to a friend. His mother, Tania, noticed something was wrong with her son. They used to talk together quite frequently. As the bullying continued, those talks became rare.
His mother created a new Facebook group against bullying. "Tipton Against Kids Being Bullied" allows members to be in touch with anti-bullying resources. In addition, members have the ability to help others and share concerns. She posted fliers to promote the group and have people visit and join the group. Today, the group have over 1,900 members who can get help if needed. Not only does the group help victims, both Tania and Jacob reach out to victims of bullying. I think personally reaching out to these people is a good thing. They can help cheer up numerous people.
I really enjoyed reading this story. Jacob was not afraid to reach out to his mother and tell her about the bullying. By sharing, she was able to help his son, as well as other victims of bullying. I think this group can help a lot of people. If someone in this group was being bullied and talked about it, it is possible for that victim to get a response from someone who was also bullied.
Jacob Stallman has been bullied since seventh grade. At first, he was bullied because he was overweight. Once he lost weight, he thought the bullying would stop. Not only did the bullying continue, it got worse after he came out as gay to a friend. His mother, Tania, noticed something was wrong with her son. They used to talk together quite frequently. As the bullying continued, those talks became rare.
His mother created a new Facebook group against bullying. "Tipton Against Kids Being Bullied" allows members to be in touch with anti-bullying resources. In addition, members have the ability to help others and share concerns. She posted fliers to promote the group and have people visit and join the group. Today, the group have over 1,900 members who can get help if needed. Not only does the group help victims, both Tania and Jacob reach out to victims of bullying. I think personally reaching out to these people is a good thing. They can help cheer up numerous people.
I really enjoyed reading this story. Jacob was not afraid to reach out to his mother and tell her about the bullying. By sharing, she was able to help his son, as well as other victims of bullying. I think this group can help a lot of people. If someone in this group was being bullied and talked about it, it is possible for that victim to get a response from someone who was also bullied.
Friday, October 18, 2013
New York City
The marching band trip to New York City was crazy. It was an eventful four days with a lot of things scheduled. There always seems to be a surprise that pops up on band trips, and this was no exception.
We left early Saturday morning. When we got on the buses, it was uncertain if we would perform at the Statue of Liberty. When we got to New York City, we were unsure what our schedule was. We ended up doing a harbor tour, where we got to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Once the tour was done, we got to explore Battery Park for the afternoon.
Eventually, we got to the hotel in New Jersey. This affected the "STOMP" group, as we had to get our stuff off the bus, place it in a hotel room and then figure out where the theatre was. Eventually, we got to the theatre, although we arrived 46 minutes late. Thankfully, we got to see the second half of "STOMP." It was a very cool performance. I enjoyed watching it live.
Sunday was much calmer. Most of the band went to the musical they chose to see. "Chicago" was interesting. I really liked the songs. The story was pretty cool, too. After "Chicago," our group got dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. The restaurant had a singing wait staff, which was cool. The food and entertainment were wonderful.
Later that night, I found some other friends and walked with them. We had dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, which was next to our hotel. This was my first time there and I got crispy jumbo shrimp. It was a fun experience, and I also got a shirt.
Monday was the Columbus Day parade. We went from 47th to first in the lineup. Due to the government shutdown, the West Point band was not allowed to participate and we took their place. Once we finished, we were told we would be reinserted in the parade. Luckily, we only had to march half of the parade route the second time around.
After the parade, we went back to the hotel and a group of us went to Joe's Crab Shack. This time, I had shrimp pasta alfredo and it was really good. I decided not to go back into New York and it was a great choice. I was able to relax and I slept pretty well.
Tuesday morning, we packed up and came back to Ada. We actually got back earlier than expected. Everyone was excited when got back in Ada. Once I got home, I got to see a video of the band playing the National Anthem and marching in the parade.
Overall, it was a great experience. I got to see two shows, march in a parade and explore New York City. It made me glad to be in marching band at Ohio Northern University.
We left early Saturday morning. When we got on the buses, it was uncertain if we would perform at the Statue of Liberty. When we got to New York City, we were unsure what our schedule was. We ended up doing a harbor tour, where we got to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Once the tour was done, we got to explore Battery Park for the afternoon.
Eventually, we got to the hotel in New Jersey. This affected the "STOMP" group, as we had to get our stuff off the bus, place it in a hotel room and then figure out where the theatre was. Eventually, we got to the theatre, although we arrived 46 minutes late. Thankfully, we got to see the second half of "STOMP." It was a very cool performance. I enjoyed watching it live.
Sunday was much calmer. Most of the band went to the musical they chose to see. "Chicago" was interesting. I really liked the songs. The story was pretty cool, too. After "Chicago," our group got dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. The restaurant had a singing wait staff, which was cool. The food and entertainment were wonderful.
Later that night, I found some other friends and walked with them. We had dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, which was next to our hotel. This was my first time there and I got crispy jumbo shrimp. It was a fun experience, and I also got a shirt.
Monday was the Columbus Day parade. We went from 47th to first in the lineup. Due to the government shutdown, the West Point band was not allowed to participate and we took their place. Once we finished, we were told we would be reinserted in the parade. Luckily, we only had to march half of the parade route the second time around.
After the parade, we went back to the hotel and a group of us went to Joe's Crab Shack. This time, I had shrimp pasta alfredo and it was really good. I decided not to go back into New York and it was a great choice. I was able to relax and I slept pretty well.
Tuesday morning, we packed up and came back to Ada. We actually got back earlier than expected. Everyone was excited when got back in Ada. Once I got home, I got to see a video of the band playing the National Anthem and marching in the parade.
Overall, it was a great experience. I got to see two shows, march in a parade and explore New York City. It made me glad to be in marching band at Ohio Northern University.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Fall Break is Near
I am so excited for fall break. It's not just because I get a break from classes. The marching band is going on a trip to New York. Even though our schedule may be affected due to the government shutdown, I am looking forward to the trip. It will be my first time in New York and I am excited that I'll get to be with my friends.
One thing I'm excited about is seeing shows! We got to choose between four musicals: "Chicago," "Cinderella," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Wicked." I choose to see "Chicago" because it sounded interesting to me. In addition, a small group of us is going to see "STOMP" tomorrow night. I cannot wait to see "STOMP." I watched a movie of it in high school, but I am anxious to see it live.
We also get to perform during our trip. On Monday, we are performing in the Columbus Day parade. Fun fact: If you take this parade and the Homecoming parade, we'll march in two parades in one week. Monday's parade is going to be a new experience, as it will be the first time I've marched in New York.
I cannot believe this trip is so close. I can't wait to get there and have free time to explore New York. I'm also really excited to see shows. Do you have any fun plans for fall break?
One thing I'm excited about is seeing shows! We got to choose between four musicals: "Chicago," "Cinderella," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Wicked." I choose to see "Chicago" because it sounded interesting to me. In addition, a small group of us is going to see "STOMP" tomorrow night. I cannot wait to see "STOMP." I watched a movie of it in high school, but I am anxious to see it live.
We also get to perform during our trip. On Monday, we are performing in the Columbus Day parade. Fun fact: If you take this parade and the Homecoming parade, we'll march in two parades in one week. Monday's parade is going to be a new experience, as it will be the first time I've marched in New York.
I cannot believe this trip is so close. I can't wait to get there and have free time to explore New York. I'm also really excited to see shows. Do you have any fun plans for fall break?
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Crowdsourcing
Chapter nine of "Real-Time Marketing and PR" talks about crowdsourcing, or taking a task that a few people can do and distributing it among a larger group of people via online social networks. David Meerman Scott begins the chapter by talking about BrandBowl 2010, created by the ad agency Mullen, which ranked viewers' reactions to ads that were shown during the 2010 Super Bowl. Through the chapter, Scott shares various ways crowdsourcing can be used for different tasks. These include how to name a product or title a book and how to produce a movie with no budget.
Scott talks about how Mark Levy use crowdsourcing to come up with the final title of his book, "Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight and Content." Levy and the publisher utilized SurveyMonkey to gain input from people on the title and subtitle of the book. A email questionnaire was sent to Levy's friends, colleagues and fans. They had to rank their favorites from the lists of titles and subtitles. Although Levy was worried that he would lose control of his project, that wasn't the case. The "Accidental Genius" title was the favorite title. In addition, he provided a forum to people to help create the subtitle.
Another example of crowdsourcing occurred with Jan Willem Alphenaar, who produced and directed a two-hour documentary, "DSB the Movie", for free. He crowdsourced everything that was required for the film. Not only that, the documentary was completed in four months, compared to the typical year for similar productions. The time it took for the movie to be finished surprised me. Alphenaar told people about his film through LinkedIn, Twitter and Hyves, a Dutch-language social networking site. Through crowdsourcing, many tasks were accomplished quickly, such as writing the script, filming the movie and determining the soundtrack.
While crowdsourcing sounds like a great idea, you also have to consider what the contributors will receive. In the case of "DSB the Movie," the contributors felt like they were greatly involved in the film and received a credit in the film. They should be offered a reward for their efforts. Perhaps you thank the contributors, or they receive an item.
Crowdsourcing sounds like an interesting idea. Tasks can get done much quicker than by using a traditional method. However, you have to consider the positives with the negatives. It is possible that crowdsourcing could gain a bad reputation. Some people could try and get something for nothing and not provide a benefit to contributors.
Scott talks about how Mark Levy use crowdsourcing to come up with the final title of his book, "Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight and Content." Levy and the publisher utilized SurveyMonkey to gain input from people on the title and subtitle of the book. A email questionnaire was sent to Levy's friends, colleagues and fans. They had to rank their favorites from the lists of titles and subtitles. Although Levy was worried that he would lose control of his project, that wasn't the case. The "Accidental Genius" title was the favorite title. In addition, he provided a forum to people to help create the subtitle.
Another example of crowdsourcing occurred with Jan Willem Alphenaar, who produced and directed a two-hour documentary, "DSB the Movie", for free. He crowdsourced everything that was required for the film. Not only that, the documentary was completed in four months, compared to the typical year for similar productions. The time it took for the movie to be finished surprised me. Alphenaar told people about his film through LinkedIn, Twitter and Hyves, a Dutch-language social networking site. Through crowdsourcing, many tasks were accomplished quickly, such as writing the script, filming the movie and determining the soundtrack.
While crowdsourcing sounds like a great idea, you also have to consider what the contributors will receive. In the case of "DSB the Movie," the contributors felt like they were greatly involved in the film and received a credit in the film. They should be offered a reward for their efforts. Perhaps you thank the contributors, or they receive an item.
Crowdsourcing sounds like an interesting idea. Tasks can get done much quicker than by using a traditional method. However, you have to consider the positives with the negatives. It is possible that crowdsourcing could gain a bad reputation. Some people could try and get something for nothing and not provide a benefit to contributors.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
The Importance of Hashtags
If you are just joining the social media bandwagon, you may
be wondering about hashtags and why they show up. However, they are important
in online communication and can be fun to use. Hashtags began on Twitter in 2007 and
now exist on other social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram. It is
easy to join a conversation simply by adding a hashtag to the end of a tweet. In
addition, hashtags allow users to look for specific content. The word or phrase
directly following the hashtag symbol (#) becomes a searchable link. Mashable posted
a beginner's guide to using hashtags.
What are some basic guidelines regarding hashtags? Spaces are not allowed. Instead, you group the words together. If you want some separation between words, you can use capital letters. Numbers are supported, provided words are also in the hashtag. Punctuation marks are not supported, so they cannot be included in a hashtag.
You can also create hashtags. By adding the hash before a group of words, you have made your own hashtag. The hashtags you create can be entertaining or help promote a group or event.
Today, businesses are using hashtags to promote events. It helps to use relevant hashtags that people are likely to search. However, you can also create your own hashtag to promote an upcoming event or campaign. Another tip for businesses is to follow relevant trends. It is possible to use those hashtags for your business, if it applies to your business.
I thought this article provided good information for people who do not know about hashtags. Not only did it provide a brief history, but it discussed specific reasons hashtags are used today. It was informative and interesting to read about the importance of hashtags. Do you enjoy using hashtags?
What are some basic guidelines regarding hashtags? Spaces are not allowed. Instead, you group the words together. If you want some separation between words, you can use capital letters. Numbers are supported, provided words are also in the hashtag. Punctuation marks are not supported, so they cannot be included in a hashtag.
You can also create hashtags. By adding the hash before a group of words, you have made your own hashtag. The hashtags you create can be entertaining or help promote a group or event.
Today, businesses are using hashtags to promote events. It helps to use relevant hashtags that people are likely to search. However, you can also create your own hashtag to promote an upcoming event or campaign. Another tip for businesses is to follow relevant trends. It is possible to use those hashtags for your business, if it applies to your business.
I thought this article provided good information for people who do not know about hashtags. Not only did it provide a brief history, but it discussed specific reasons hashtags are used today. It was informative and interesting to read about the importance of hashtags. Do you enjoy using hashtags?
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Contacting Top Companies
In chapter five in "Real-Time Marketing and PR," David Meerman Scott asks if some companies are too big to succeed. He wonders if information can travel quickly enough in these companies. He decided to contact the top 100 companies in the United States online and ask them if communication has changed and adapted to the digital era.
Out of the 100 companies Scott attempted to contact, 28 responded to his email. 10 companies only provided telephone contacts, and one company's form did not work. The response times varied greatly. Five companies responded in under an hour. Four responded within one to two hours. Three answered in three to four hours. 11 companies responded the next day. Four companies responded between two and three days. Finally, one company responded over a week after Scott's initial contact.
Why does a small fraction of the top companies respond in real time? These companies have developed a real time mindset, and are leaders in more than just communicating in real time. Scott includes a comparison of the 2010 stock prices and shares that the companies that responded to his question typically did better than the S&P 500 stock index.
Scott's research confirmed two things. First, the biggest companies could respond to questions and comments in real time. Second, approximately 75% of the top companies were not contacted or did not reply. It is not good that most of these companies couldn't be contacted or replied to Scott's question. In today's world, we want to have the ability to contact a company. Also, if we contact a company, we want a response to our question or comment. Perhaps these companies and others can learn and make it easier for customers to contact them.
Out of the 100 companies Scott attempted to contact, 28 responded to his email. 10 companies only provided telephone contacts, and one company's form did not work. The response times varied greatly. Five companies responded in under an hour. Four responded within one to two hours. Three answered in three to four hours. 11 companies responded the next day. Four companies responded between two and three days. Finally, one company responded over a week after Scott's initial contact.
Why does a small fraction of the top companies respond in real time? These companies have developed a real time mindset, and are leaders in more than just communicating in real time. Scott includes a comparison of the 2010 stock prices and shares that the companies that responded to his question typically did better than the S&P 500 stock index.
Scott's research confirmed two things. First, the biggest companies could respond to questions and comments in real time. Second, approximately 75% of the top companies were not contacted or did not reply. It is not good that most of these companies couldn't be contacted or replied to Scott's question. In today's world, we want to have the ability to contact a company. Also, if we contact a company, we want a response to our question or comment. Perhaps these companies and others can learn and make it easier for customers to contact them.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Football Games
Although I have very little football knowledge, I love football games at Ohio Northern. So many people watch the games and there's a community atmosphere at the stadium. There are many things the band does during the games besides play music. Here are some of my favorite band things that take place during football games.
1. Pregame
I love marching down the field and going through the pregame routine. It means the game is so close to getting started. I also enjoy when the team comes out, we play the fight song and we march off the field. So far this season, while we march off the field, I have almost collided with someone who is off the field. Thankfully, I have been able to see and move over, avoiding these situations.
2. The roller coaster
This is led be a member or two of the drumline and the band simply mimics whatever the leaders do. It's just like the name implies, a short roller coaster, occasionally with pauses for any difficulties that may occur. The "ride" is always energetic and intense. It is a quick thing to do, but it is so much fun.
3. "Baby Got Back"
Every game, a few guys will sing this song during the fourth quarter. It starts with an introduction from the percussion, then the guys go into the first verse of the song. The guys who sing get into it and it is a blast to watch and listen. It's something I look forward to each game.
What is your favorite part about ONU football games?
1. Pregame
I love marching down the field and going through the pregame routine. It means the game is so close to getting started. I also enjoy when the team comes out, we play the fight song and we march off the field. So far this season, while we march off the field, I have almost collided with someone who is off the field. Thankfully, I have been able to see and move over, avoiding these situations.
2. The roller coaster
This is led be a member or two of the drumline and the band simply mimics whatever the leaders do. It's just like the name implies, a short roller coaster, occasionally with pauses for any difficulties that may occur. The "ride" is always energetic and intense. It is a quick thing to do, but it is so much fun.
3. "Baby Got Back"
Every game, a few guys will sing this song during the fourth quarter. It starts with an introduction from the percussion, then the guys go into the first verse of the song. The guys who sing get into it and it is a blast to watch and listen. It's something I look forward to each game.
What is your favorite part about ONU football games?
Thursday, October 3, 2013
What Are You Saying on Facebook?
Mashable recently posted an interesting article about what your Facebook profile says about you. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania reviewed 75,000 Facebook profiles and the language used on these profiles. The group, led by information scientist H. Andrew Schwartz, then predicted the gender of each user. They were able to predict the user's gender with 92 percent accuracy. In addition, they had 50 percent accuracy when they guessed the user's age within three years.
This study used an "open-vocabulary approach," which allows the data to figure out the most important words or phrases. This differs from a closed-vocabulary approach, which uses established lists of related words. This open-vocabulary approach forces researchers to learn new trait markers.
Some of the results from this study were similar to previous findings, while other results were new. For example, the term "party" is more likely to be used among extroverts. Neurotic people are more likely to use the word "depressed." Introverts are more likely to discuss Japanese media, such as "anime" and "manga." People who are more closed would be more likely to use shorthand.
My reaction to the results was mixed. I was surprised at the accuracy rate of guessing a user's gender. I thought it would be between 50 and 60 percent. 92 percent was a shock to me. However, I was not as surprised at the language used by extroverts and introverts. I can check this with my Facebook friends. For example, some of my extroverted friends frequently mention parties. On the other hand, some of my friends who are introverted talk about anime and manga.
Have you ever thought about what people think about you on Facebook?
This study used an "open-vocabulary approach," which allows the data to figure out the most important words or phrases. This differs from a closed-vocabulary approach, which uses established lists of related words. This open-vocabulary approach forces researchers to learn new trait markers.
Some of the results from this study were similar to previous findings, while other results were new. For example, the term "party" is more likely to be used among extroverts. Neurotic people are more likely to use the word "depressed." Introverts are more likely to discuss Japanese media, such as "anime" and "manga." People who are more closed would be more likely to use shorthand.
My reaction to the results was mixed. I was surprised at the accuracy rate of guessing a user's gender. I thought it would be between 50 and 60 percent. 92 percent was a shock to me. However, I was not as surprised at the language used by extroverts and introverts. I can check this with my Facebook friends. For example, some of my extroverted friends frequently mention parties. On the other hand, some of my friends who are introverted talk about anime and manga.
Have you ever thought about what people think about you on Facebook?
Monday, September 30, 2013
Social Media and Internal Communication
Chapter 22 of Share This talks about employee engagement and how social media is changing internal communication. Rachel Miller shares research by Melcrum that lists the top three benefits for internal communicators who put a business case for the use of social media: innovation and idea exchange, employee engagement and knowledge management and collaboration.
Innovation and idea exchange was the top response with 41.5 percent of the vote. Employees and management can use social media to toss around new thoughts and ideas. Not only can new ideas be shared, feedback can also take place. Other employees can share their thoughts on a particular idea. When a new idea is created and thoughts are shared, there can be a vote to see if this idea could benefit the company.Employee engagement received 38.4 percent of the vote. Social media allows employees to feel more involved with the company. A small group of employees could be in charge of managing the social media platforms. Some employees may be the ones writing on the different profiles.
Knowledge management and collaboration got 30.8 percent of the vote. If something needs to be shared, it can be posted on a social media site. Using social media can allow people to work together on various tasks that need to happen. If a project is assigned to a group of employees, each person can use their individual strengths and knowledge to help create a final product that is effective.
I believe these are three good reasons to use social media in any organization. It allows ideas and thoughts to be exchanged between employees. It gives the employees more ways to be involved within the company. The knowledge of the company can be shared with others. Plus, employees can use their knowledge when they have to work on a project for the company. Social media has a decent role in internal communication. If more businesses decide to use social media, I think the internal communication can improve, which can benefit everyone involved.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Back for High School for a Night
In high school, I loved playing at football games. It was one of the highlights of the week. When I had the chance to play with a high school band again, I was pretty excited. That is exactly what I got to do last night, along with other Ohio Northern University band members.
The band director at Upper Scioto Valley is an alumna member of Tau Beta Sigma at ONU. The USV band consists of 17 members, and they do not march. She was asked to have the band play for the school's Homecoming game. She talked to our vice president of service of Tau Beta Sigma, who announced this to the band. We had approximately 20 students who went to play with the USV band. After we ran through the fight song once with USV's band, we went to the field.
For halftime, we played four songs: My Sharona, Another One Bites the Dust, Smoke on the Water and Land of a Thousand Dances. For the performance, we just stood in the stands. I thought the performance went well. It was fun to play songs I haven't played before.
We also played our version of Charge throughout the game. I had trouble getting the "USV, USV, fight, fight, fight!" chant down, as did others. I would start to say "Go," then realize that wasn't part of this chant. Perhaps that is from having our chant stuck in my head from playing Charge countless times during ONU games.
Even though USV made a good comeback towards the end, they couldn't get the win. However, the game was a fun experience for everybody. The USV band got to play at a football game and the ONU band members got to play in a more relaxed setting.
The band director at Upper Scioto Valley is an alumna member of Tau Beta Sigma at ONU. The USV band consists of 17 members, and they do not march. She was asked to have the band play for the school's Homecoming game. She talked to our vice president of service of Tau Beta Sigma, who announced this to the band. We had approximately 20 students who went to play with the USV band. After we ran through the fight song once with USV's band, we went to the field.
For halftime, we played four songs: My Sharona, Another One Bites the Dust, Smoke on the Water and Land of a Thousand Dances. For the performance, we just stood in the stands. I thought the performance went well. It was fun to play songs I haven't played before.
We also played our version of Charge throughout the game. I had trouble getting the "USV, USV, fight, fight, fight!" chant down, as did others. I would start to say "Go," then realize that wasn't part of this chant. Perhaps that is from having our chant stuck in my head from playing Charge countless times during ONU games.
Even though USV made a good comeback towards the end, they couldn't get the win. However, the game was a fun experience for everybody. The USV band got to play at a football game and the ONU band members got to play in a more relaxed setting.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Locating a Hit and Run Driver through Reddit
Police are getting involved with social media. They have the ability to post pictures from a surveillance camera online, along with any information regarding a crime. This gives the public the opportunity to help the police identify these people. Likewise, the public can take to social media in a similar way, which is what one Austin, Texas woman did to find a hit and run driver who ran into her car.
You wouldn't expect to step outside and see parts of your car's bumper around the street. Similarly, you wouldn't think somebody would run into your car. Unfortunately, that was the sight for Nicole Barnes last week. A hit-and-run driver slammed into Barnes's Honda SUV. The SUV was pushed onto the curve and into another vehicle.
Barnes called police, but they were only able to take a crash report. Not satisfied with that, she did some investigating on her own. She found parts of the bumper and an emblem that was on the front of the car. Next, she went to Reddit and posted a plea. In less than five hours, another Reddit user posted pictures of a land rover that matched Barnes's description. The land rover was not even two miles away from Barnes.
Even with the evidence, police were not able to determine if the owner of the land rover was driving at the time of the accident. Therefore, no arrests were able to be made. However, she did say she left a note letting the land rover owner know she would sue.
I think social media is becoming a helping tool for police and the public. With a description of an incident and picture of possible suspects, it is possible for tips to come in to help close a case. It is easier to reach a wide number of people through social media.
You wouldn't expect to step outside and see parts of your car's bumper around the street. Similarly, you wouldn't think somebody would run into your car. Unfortunately, that was the sight for Nicole Barnes last week. A hit-and-run driver slammed into Barnes's Honda SUV. The SUV was pushed onto the curve and into another vehicle.
Barnes called police, but they were only able to take a crash report. Not satisfied with that, she did some investigating on her own. She found parts of the bumper and an emblem that was on the front of the car. Next, she went to Reddit and posted a plea. In less than five hours, another Reddit user posted pictures of a land rover that matched Barnes's description. The land rover was not even two miles away from Barnes.
Even with the evidence, police were not able to determine if the owner of the land rover was driving at the time of the accident. Therefore, no arrests were able to be made. However, she did say she left a note letting the land rover owner know she would sue.
I think social media is becoming a helping tool for police and the public. With a description of an incident and picture of possible suspects, it is possible for tips to come in to help close a case. It is easier to reach a wide number of people through social media.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Pitch to Journalists Using Social Media
Today, a lot of stories are first posted online. How do these stories reach the online world so quickly? Pitching is a way to let journalists know about possible stories, even as they are being developed. Chapter 16 of Share This focuses on pitching stories using social media.
Before you pitch a story, you have to establish yourself and learn about the community you want to engage with. If you pitch a story to journalists who do not know you, you are not going to have a lot of success. You want journalists to know who you are before you pitch a story. It is possible that you have influential people and journalists who are already following you. You want a network that is original to the brands you manage. Also, you want to invite influential people to join your community. These people can help you with the story you want to promote.
With the actual story you are going to pitch, you have to tailor it to your various audiences. Every audience has its own interest to the story. An 18-year-old and a 50-year-old are likely to have different reasons to read a particular story. As a result, you should alter the story for each journalist who will receive your story pitch.
When you have an online presence, you also have to compete with other people to capture the attention of journalists. Twitter and other online channels are used by journalists as an information source. They may find possible scoops or insight for a story they are working on. This causes a number of engagement opportunities.
When you pitch your story, you want to make sure the story is relevant to the journalists who get your pitch. A good place to start developing relationships with other journalists and influential people is Twitter. Using Twitter to pitch stories can benefit you. This allows one-on-one conversations to take place. You can learn what each journalist requires in their stories. As a result, you can alter the story to better suit each journalist.
What happens after you pitch your story? You want to have an effective approach when you send a story. Once a journalist has shown interest in your story, you want to send the story in the body of the email instead of attaching the story as a file.
I think using Twitter is a great starting point when you pitch stories. With a maximum of 140 characters, you have to find the relevant parts of the story. You have the ability to tweet directly to journalists and find out what each journalist wants.
Before you pitch a story, you have to establish yourself and learn about the community you want to engage with. If you pitch a story to journalists who do not know you, you are not going to have a lot of success. You want journalists to know who you are before you pitch a story. It is possible that you have influential people and journalists who are already following you. You want a network that is original to the brands you manage. Also, you want to invite influential people to join your community. These people can help you with the story you want to promote.
With the actual story you are going to pitch, you have to tailor it to your various audiences. Every audience has its own interest to the story. An 18-year-old and a 50-year-old are likely to have different reasons to read a particular story. As a result, you should alter the story for each journalist who will receive your story pitch.
When you have an online presence, you also have to compete with other people to capture the attention of journalists. Twitter and other online channels are used by journalists as an information source. They may find possible scoops or insight for a story they are working on. This causes a number of engagement opportunities.
When you pitch your story, you want to make sure the story is relevant to the journalists who get your pitch. A good place to start developing relationships with other journalists and influential people is Twitter. Using Twitter to pitch stories can benefit you. This allows one-on-one conversations to take place. You can learn what each journalist requires in their stories. As a result, you can alter the story to better suit each journalist.
What happens after you pitch your story? You want to have an effective approach when you send a story. Once a journalist has shown interest in your story, you want to send the story in the body of the email instead of attaching the story as a file.
I think using Twitter is a great starting point when you pitch stories. With a maximum of 140 characters, you have to find the relevant parts of the story. You have the ability to tweet directly to journalists and find out what each journalist wants.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
A Muddy Show
Yesterday was a very busy day for the marching band. We
marched in the Harvest and Herb Festival parade, had a rehearsal and performed
at Sidney in a band festival. After the Sidney performance, I decided I would
use this post to talk about that, as it was an interesting experience.
We left for Sidney around 5 p.m. and arrived an hour later.
We had some time to relax before we warmed up and got ready to do our pregame
routine. We were told the field was not in the best condition, but I’m sure
nobody expected what the field actually looked like. I thought there may be some mud and it would be manageable to march on. Needless to say, I was wrong.
While we marched onto the field, we realized this would be a
very muddy field. Mud got on our shoes and pants, and we didn’t start
performing yet! We did not prance like we typically do, and I was okay with
that. I almost fell towards the end of the fight song. Thankfully, nobody fell
during that performance, but we still had to perform our halftime show after
the high school bands performed.
The show was fun. The announcer got the crowd
involved with a number of spirit chants. Some of the bands were very spirited
as they watched the show. However, the field continued to affect the bands. Most of
the bands would march some songs, then stand and play the rest of their show.
Eventually, we were told that we would only march our first
song, then stand and play the rest. I was personally glad to hear that, as I’m
sure other band members were. We waited for Sidney’s band to finish and then we
took the field to perform our “Divalicious” show!
Getting on the field was a little different than normal. We weren’t
in a big block, marching in time. We just marched to our spot, not in any distinct
shape. Eventually, the first song ended and we got to stand for the rest of the
show! However, I was standing in a deep mud pile and I was worried it would be
hard to step out of at the end of the show. Fortunately, my shoes didn’t get
stuck in the mud and we were done.
The aftermath of a muddy field
Overall, it was an interesting evening in Sidney. Even though mud covered my shoes and pants, it was a fun experience. It also made me excited for the turf field. Here's to no more muddy fields this year!
Friday, September 20, 2013
Social Media and Tragedies
When tragedy strikes, it is common to talk about it. At the very least, they are acknowledged. It is not uncommon for people to acknowledge these types of events on their personal social media profiles. Hashtags are frequently created following a tragedy to show support for the victims. This allows a person to insert themselves into a conversation.
What about businesses? How should they respond to a tragedy? The Chicago Tribune recently posted an article that recommends businesses step away from the keyboard following a tragedy. Canon USA did this on 9/11. They simply tweeted, "In remembrance, we will be silent on all Canon USA social media properties." They provided a link to their contact page in case a customer needed help.
You may wonder why a company chooses to go silent. By going silent, there is no risk of posting something that can be considered offensive or insensitive. A post may sound normal, but after an unfortunate event, it may sound inappropriate. It could negatively affect the company, as they could lose customers if they go ahead and post something that could sound bad at that time. An example of this is Gap's tweet following Hurricane Sandy, which they took down later:
What about businesses? How should they respond to a tragedy? The Chicago Tribune recently posted an article that recommends businesses step away from the keyboard following a tragedy. Canon USA did this on 9/11. They simply tweeted, "In remembrance, we will be silent on all Canon USA social media properties." They provided a link to their contact page in case a customer needed help.
You may wonder why a company chooses to go silent. By going silent, there is no risk of posting something that can be considered offensive or insensitive. A post may sound normal, but after an unfortunate event, it may sound inappropriate. It could negatively affect the company, as they could lose customers if they go ahead and post something that could sound bad at that time. An example of this is Gap's tweet following Hurricane Sandy, which they took down later:
Photo found on Social Media Influence
To me, this tweet showed little support for the victims of Hurricane Sandy and focused more on visiting Gap's website to shop. Not surprisingly, some customers were not happy with the tweet. Later, Gap went to Twitter and apologized for this tweet. They explained that the tweet was meant to remind everyone to stay safe and inside.
I think a company that goes silent on social media after a tragedy shows respect for those who were affected by the tragedy. I also think it shows the victims that the company cares about what happened. I wish more companies would follow Canon's example. They weren't talking up their products and getting people to buy their items. While they were not active on social media, they still provided a means for customers to get help.
Monday, September 16, 2013
The Importance of Guidelines
Chapter five of Share This talks about social media guidelines. They are generally described as a set of rules created by a company that lets employees know what to do and what not to do when utilizing social media to engage fans. Since no two companies are the same, every company has their own set of guidelines.
A company may wonder how to create social media guidelines. The book shares two ways to create guidelines. The first way is to change the guidelines as social media opportunities, as well as risks, are presented. The second way is to establish a clear set of rules from the beginning. Both ways have their benefits. With the first way, social media is constantly changing. It may benefit companies to alter their social media guidelines to reflect these changes. With a clear set of guidelines, employees know from the start what they can and cannot do with social media. This will provide less confusion to the employees.
However, positives comes with negatives. If the guidelines are changed with every change in social media, then the employees are likely to be confused with the guidelines. They will be more likely to be unaware of the guidelines with constant changes. The downside of one clear set of guidelines is the possibility of change. If a huge social media change comes around, it will not allow changes to be made in the guidelines.
A tip that is mentioned in Share This is to revise and update guidelines on a regular basis. I feel that social media guidelines have to reflect any major changes that occur within a company. A set of guidelines from 2005 would be considered outdated in 2013. Companies could determine a period of time, such as two or three years, where they can review the guidelines and revise them if necessary. Whenever the guidelines are changed, the employees should be informed as quickly as possible. Also, they should receive a revised copy of the guidelines, so they know the new rules.
I believe it is a good thing for companies to have a set of social media guidelines. Employees know what they can and cannot post. Everyone is on the same page in regards to social media. Companies can benefit from having clear guidelines that their employees understand.
A company may wonder how to create social media guidelines. The book shares two ways to create guidelines. The first way is to change the guidelines as social media opportunities, as well as risks, are presented. The second way is to establish a clear set of rules from the beginning. Both ways have their benefits. With the first way, social media is constantly changing. It may benefit companies to alter their social media guidelines to reflect these changes. With a clear set of guidelines, employees know from the start what they can and cannot do with social media. This will provide less confusion to the employees.
However, positives comes with negatives. If the guidelines are changed with every change in social media, then the employees are likely to be confused with the guidelines. They will be more likely to be unaware of the guidelines with constant changes. The downside of one clear set of guidelines is the possibility of change. If a huge social media change comes around, it will not allow changes to be made in the guidelines.
A tip that is mentioned in Share This is to revise and update guidelines on a regular basis. I feel that social media guidelines have to reflect any major changes that occur within a company. A set of guidelines from 2005 would be considered outdated in 2013. Companies could determine a period of time, such as two or three years, where they can review the guidelines and revise them if necessary. Whenever the guidelines are changed, the employees should be informed as quickly as possible. Also, they should receive a revised copy of the guidelines, so they know the new rules.
I believe it is a good thing for companies to have a set of social media guidelines. Employees know what they can and cannot post. Everyone is on the same page in regards to social media. Companies can benefit from having clear guidelines that their employees understand.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Trying Something New
I have heard that college is the time to branch out and try new things. Whether it is a class, club or a group, Ohio Northern provides its students with many opportunities to try something new. I have taken advantage of this and cannot believe how much I have already done.
Freshman year, I did two new things. First, I became a deejay at WONB, our campus radio station! That was something I never thought I would do. If you know me, I am a shy girl. It helped me break out of my shell, and I have grown as a person just from working there.
The other new thing was becoming a sister of Tau Beta Sigma. I was so excited when I got a bid to join! The member-in-training process was interesting, and I went through it with a great group of girls. The day I became a sister was so exciting! It was the same day as the social event we scheduled, so I got to spend a lot of time with sisters.
Last year, I became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega. I knew some people that were in the group, so I decided to check it out. The rush events I attended were interesting. Since I joined, I realized that there are many ways to provide service. Plus, it can be fun to help others!
The new thing I am doing now is ballet! Last year, the idea of taking a dance class struck me. However, I took Dance and Culture, which was more of an informative class about the dances different cultures do. It was interesting, but not what I wanted from a dance class. I wanted to actually dance.
It would make sense that when I figured out my schedule for this semester, I would include a dance class, right? However, that was not the case. It wasn't until the end of July that I changed my mind about one class that was on my schedule. It didn't sound as appealing to me and I started to have second thoughts about it. Luckily, a ballet class still had an open spot! Even though I had to drop a class to add ballet, I was so excited to finally be in a dance class!
So far, it is an interesting experience. I love going to class and learning new things. I have no formal dance experience, so there is a lot to learn! Some things are easier to learn than others. I hope that it will get easier as the semester goes on.
If you haven't considered trying a new activity, I would recommend it! You may find that you really enjoy something! Likewise, you may try something and hate it. The point is you have to try new things to see if you like them or not.
What is something new you have tried at Ohio Northern?
Freshman year, I did two new things. First, I became a deejay at WONB, our campus radio station! That was something I never thought I would do. If you know me, I am a shy girl. It helped me break out of my shell, and I have grown as a person just from working there.
The other new thing was becoming a sister of Tau Beta Sigma. I was so excited when I got a bid to join! The member-in-training process was interesting, and I went through it with a great group of girls. The day I became a sister was so exciting! It was the same day as the social event we scheduled, so I got to spend a lot of time with sisters.
Last year, I became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega. I knew some people that were in the group, so I decided to check it out. The rush events I attended were interesting. Since I joined, I realized that there are many ways to provide service. Plus, it can be fun to help others!
The new thing I am doing now is ballet! Last year, the idea of taking a dance class struck me. However, I took Dance and Culture, which was more of an informative class about the dances different cultures do. It was interesting, but not what I wanted from a dance class. I wanted to actually dance.
It would make sense that when I figured out my schedule for this semester, I would include a dance class, right? However, that was not the case. It wasn't until the end of July that I changed my mind about one class that was on my schedule. It didn't sound as appealing to me and I started to have second thoughts about it. Luckily, a ballet class still had an open spot! Even though I had to drop a class to add ballet, I was so excited to finally be in a dance class!
So far, it is an interesting experience. I love going to class and learning new things. I have no formal dance experience, so there is a lot to learn! Some things are easier to learn than others. I hope that it will get easier as the semester goes on.
If you haven't considered trying a new activity, I would recommend it! You may find that you really enjoy something! Likewise, you may try something and hate it. The point is you have to try new things to see if you like them or not.
What is something new you have tried at Ohio Northern?
Friday, September 13, 2013
Interacting with Fans
Social media allows companies to interact with their fans. Isn't it cool when a company replies to your comment or concern? This shows the customers that the company is listening to them. In addition, this allows the customers to have a voice in the company. The comments or concerns can be reviewed by the company, which can benefit the company in the long run. This happens a lot on Facebook and Twitter.
With Facebook, more in-depth conversations can take place between the company and the customers. If a question is posted, a customer has the ability to give a thorough answer. Similarly, a customer can initiate a conversation and post a question they have. The company can look over the question and respond to the customer.
One way Twitter can connect with customers is through the use of hashtags. They can be utilized for a Twitter chat. Each chat has its individual hashtag. By including the hashtag for the chat, your post can reach more than just your followers. Anyone who searches that hashtag can find your tweet. Plus, this allows other people to respond to your tweet.
One of the older ways you could contact companies was by writing a letter and mailing it to that company. You may have received a response, but it would take some time. Now, responses can occur in the same day. If you have an issue with your Dell computer, you could ask a question on Dell's Facebook page or tweet and mention Dell. A response can arrive much faster by using social media than sending Dell a letter.
Companies want to hear your feedback, whether it's positive or negative. They want to know what you think of them and what they can improve. By providing feedback, you're giving your opinion and having a say in what the company is doing. Don't be afraid to give feedback to your favorite company!
Have you ever contacted a company and received a response?
With Facebook, more in-depth conversations can take place between the company and the customers. If a question is posted, a customer has the ability to give a thorough answer. Similarly, a customer can initiate a conversation and post a question they have. The company can look over the question and respond to the customer.
One way Twitter can connect with customers is through the use of hashtags. They can be utilized for a Twitter chat. Each chat has its individual hashtag. By including the hashtag for the chat, your post can reach more than just your followers. Anyone who searches that hashtag can find your tweet. Plus, this allows other people to respond to your tweet.
One of the older ways you could contact companies was by writing a letter and mailing it to that company. You may have received a response, but it would take some time. Now, responses can occur in the same day. If you have an issue with your Dell computer, you could ask a question on Dell's Facebook page or tweet and mention Dell. A response can arrive much faster by using social media than sending Dell a letter.
Companies want to hear your feedback, whether it's positive or negative. They want to know what you think of them and what they can improve. By providing feedback, you're giving your opinion and having a say in what the company is doing. Don't be afraid to give feedback to your favorite company!
Have you ever contacted a company and received a response?
Monday, September 9, 2013
Share This Part One
The first
part of Share This starts with an introduction
to social networks. When I think of social networks, Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube are the first things that pop into my head. However, there are a lot of
social networks out there, such as Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr. It
is no surprise that there are many options for social networks, as they are
used by over 70 percent of people. This makes me wonder what that number is today.
With the
various social networks available, how can they be classified? There has to be some way to categorize the different networks. Katy Howell
discusses eight categories:
1. Networking sites are online networks made
up by individuals and most recognizable by user profiles.
2. Blogs, which are created in a diary form,
show the writer’s opinions and thoughts.
3. Microblogs are a shorter blogging form,
with 140-200 characters per post.
4. Collaborative communities require users to
work together to reach a goal.
5. Communities and forums can
launch and disappear quickly, or become established forums. Discussion-based
forums, review communities, branded communities and do-it-yourself communities
are discussed.
6. Content-sharing communities are stored
and found on social networks that focus on ranking, sharing and sorting. These
include photo and video sharing sites.
7. Geo-social networks allow
users to “check in” or comment about their location.
8. Virtual worlds are an online community
with computer-simulated environments. Users interact with others through the
use or avatars.
It may feel
like a challenge to incorporate social media into public relations, but it is
essential. Companies can get involved in the conversations their fans have,
which helps create mutually beneficial relationships with the company and
target audience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)