From Traditional to Digital: The New PR

I’m sorry for not keeping up with my blog in a timely fashion. This week has been crazy and on top of that I’m getting sick. But onto today’s post.

In the past, media relations has always been a long process for me. Once the press release is finalized, I have to pitch it. So I have to pull out my good ol’ media contact list and call each contact (well those that pertain to the topic of the press release) and tell them about the press release and ask if I can send them a copy. From there I have to send it out and contact them again to see if they receive them. Sometimes I have to refresh their minds of what the press release is about and hope that they remember. Let’s just say the process is long. Although I love every aspect of media relations sometimes it can seem like an overdrawn process to reach your target audience.

However, there is a new way to do media relations in today’s tech savvy world. David Meerman Scott explains this new way in his book “The New Rules of Marketing and PR.” Instead of sending your press release to the middle person, it can be directly sent to your audience through the Web. Sounds crazy, however effective.

So I tried it. I wrote a press release about the class and David Meerman Scott. I created a free account on http://www.free-press-release.com. I submitted the press release on there and hope to help continue creating a buzz about the class and about his book.  There are other press release distribution sites, however the Web site I used was one of the few free sites. Here is a link of press release distribution sites. 

Want to see my press release. Click on the link here http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200903/1235977068.html

I am always open to comments and critics. I like to learn and grow to make me a better person and professional. So leave comments please!

And one more thing. If you are a PR/Marketing/Advertising student, professional, admirer, please pick up David Meerman Scott’s book “New Rules of Marketing and PR.” You will not be disappointed.

It’s A Whole New World

Yesterday I attended the Speed Networking event at MSU. Speed Networking is like speed dating, but your meeting and networking with professionals. I got to meet professionals from the fields of advertising, public relations, communication, and marketing. An overall advice from some of the professionals I met was that getting involved with digital media is important. Aspects of the traditional world is becoming intertwined with the new media world. It’s becoming faster to share the news, videos and pictures around the world. Individuals don’t have to wait to check their e-mail on their computers; they can receive it at a touch of a button on their phone or mp3 player (for those who have Wi-Fi capabilities on their players). You don’t have to be face-to-face to connect with another person. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking Web sites make it to where you can network with other professionals, potential clients or with someone of similar interests and hobbies. In essence, it is becoming vital to become a part of this new world.

There are some who are already transition into this new world. There are those who know about it but are hesitant to joint and then there are those who are either confused or don’t know anything about it, and it’s nothing to be ashamed about or viewed as a negative thing. Regardless of where your level of expertise on new media is, you may still have some things to learn about this world.

In my second post, I talked about a class that I was taking this semester called New Media Drivers License, which is being taught by Derek Mehraban. I am having a lot of fun in this class! I am also learning new things about new media that I didn’t know before. Taking this class will not only help me make a presence in the new media world but also become marketable to companies that I apply to for a job. This class has helped me with both. 

If you are trying to find your online voice, a professional who is trying to learn new public relations tactics, or just want to learn the basics, ADV 492 – New Media Drivers License is a class you need to take. So, if you’re in the state of Michigan and have two Saturdays to give up, then you should enroll. You will not be disappointed. To learn more about the class and see some of the assignments, go to the website and check it out. Also, go to the Facebook group, New Media Drivers License. 

If you’re already set and going to enroll for next semester, check out chrisg.com, a website that talks about the basics of new media.

Do You Want To Be On Top? Learn SEO

I recently Googled myself to see what will come up in the search. And I must say, I am impress. The first thing that showed up is my LinkedIn profile. How did I accomplish that? By planning and using specific keywords, relevant content and designs, it will allow my blogs, profile pages, published content and any other online marketing that I am creating to drive traffic to these Web sites. 

Let me explain. Search engine optimization or SEO is a way to reach your audience by providing great content and have a way to cater to their needs. Your publish content on the Internet must be “search engine friendly.” In his book, “The New Rules of Marketing and PR,” David Meerman Scott gives this definition of SEO: “Search engine optimization is the art and science of ensuring that the words and phrases on your site, blog, and other on-line content are found by the search engines and that, once found, your site is given the highest ranking possible in the natural search results.” Sounds easy, right? Believe me, you can get to the top on search engine sites.

Mediacollege.com explains how to use your keywords effectively on your page, blog, and profile to get the highest ranking possible. Here are a few things they noted in their article:

 

• Page Titles should use be short and describe the content accurately. Using keywords can be used also
• Search engines place an emphasis text and descriptions that are in heading tags (h1, h2, h3…). Use the list of keywords you have in these tags
• Make sure to have common words and text that your expected audience will search for on sites like Google and Yahoo!

 

Other ways to get to the top is by joining sites like Digg and del.icio.us and bookmarking the links to your pages on these websites. Use keywords from your pages for your tag words.

If you have Firefox, download the Google Toolbar. There is an Page Rank application to check the ranking of any page on the scale from 1-10. When I checked the ranking of my LinkedIn page it was 5/10.

Check out this site, The Digital Bus, for the basic on SEO. For more information, check out Google’s SEO Starter Guide and SEO Basics. 

Use these basics and check out recommended Web sites. Follow these tips and you too can get to the top of the rankings. 

Till Next Time.

Find Me Online – Social Networking

 

Lisa Atufunwa's Facebook

Social networking has become a very popular the past couple of years. I first began using social networking sites when I signed up for an account on BlackPlanet.com when I was in the 7th grade. During that time, it was more about meeting new people and keeping in touch with friends. On my Blackplanet profile page, I added pictures of my favorite music artists, talked about my interests, and gave personal shoutouts to my closest friends. Then, my interests on social networking sites were to meet new people with common interests, like music, movies, and sports.

 

Today, I continue creating profiles on social networking sites, but my interests on these sites have changed from when I was in middle school. I use sites like Facebook or Myspace to network with those who are in the entertainment, sports, and public relations/advertising industries. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are becoming more a way to connect with professionals, whether it is to network to build your list of clients or to connect with someone who can help you with finding a job. I currently “tweet” about the opportunities I have with PRSSA, school, work, and my quest to finding a entry-level position in public relations. I also use LinkedIn as a way to connect with more professionals who may not have a Facebook or Twitter account. In addition, it can serve as a mini online resume. 

If you have a Twitter account, you can follow me @lisaatufunwa. To see some of my experiences, view my LinkedIn page. And you can always Facebook me (when you are adding me, add the one with just “Lisa Atufunwa.” The other Lisa is my cousin’s wife). I am open to meeting new people. I believe that everyone is here to teach you something or help you out. So, don’t hesitate to find me online. Can’t wait to connect with you.

Lisa Atufunwa's Twitter Page

 

 

Till next time.

Google Adwords

Google never cease to amaze me. I remember when it was just a search engine that we used for research in middle school. I remember my teacher telling us to go to Google, and the first thing in my head was “What the hell is Google?” All I knew was either MSN, Yahoo, and Lycos (you remember Lycos?) Fast forward ten plus years later and Google is the top leader in the internet world. I can go on and on about the things Google has to offer to those who are following the new media movement, but I already went into detail about that in my last post on Google Earth. 

So I am going to move onto what I wanted to talk about, Google Adwords. Adwords is Google’s primary source of revenue. It is a pay-per-click advertising campaign that is triggered by keywords that are associated with the ad (in this case a banner that will show up on the side of the screen). So, if a person searched a word, say for example  ”Playhouse,” Google or Web sites affiliated with Google will have advertisements that will show up underneath the “Sponsored Links” column. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the experience of creating my own Adwords banner and have specific keywords that are associated with my blog. I must say the process was not difficult at all. When I first thought of creating a Adwords banner, I thought the process would take a very long time and will give me some sort of a minor headache. But, I was wrong. I set my budget to $10.00/month. The HIGHLY suggest against creating a budget below $50.oo. But, I was doing this for fun, so my budget did not matter as of now. I have chosen 14 keywords that will trigger for my ad banner to show up.  Here is a list of keywords I have chosen to advertise my blog page: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally here is my ad banner:

Ad Banner

 

 

 

 

 

 

I must say that this is a different avenue to do advertising. However, you have to know what keywords will help your campaign get awareness. In addition, you must have a budget that can help your ad get pushed to the top of the “Sponsored Links” column and have an increase number of clicks on the ad. I have learned a lot more about this form of advertising and hope to continue learn more. Not bad for my first Adwords campaign!

Till next time.

Google Earth

Google is becoming one of the leading companies that is involved with the new media era (I remember when it first was known to find information on the internet). Now, it has many applications to cater to everyone’s need, whether it is putting or creating documents through Google Docs, e-mail, online shopping, or keeping everything that is going on in your life with Google Calendar. 

With many applications and tools, one of my favorite tools is Google Earth. For those who may not know what Google Earth is, it is a 3D system that allow you to view the world in 3D satellite imagery of the galaxies, buildings, and geographical areas. Through the tool, you can search for places around the world, such as Greece or Cabo or see a 3D image of your home or job (I must say I was very excited when I saw the image of my Dad’s car sitting outside of my house in Denver). In addition, you can get directions to and from destinations in a 3D format. You can see that is is one of my favorite features in Google Earth.

One thing that I do find scary is the fact that major influential people has no control over the fact that their house can be searched through Google Earth (yes I did put this to the test. Like I said I explored everything about Google Earth). Some major celebrities’ houses can be found through Google Earth; meaning that you can obtain directions to and from their house. So much for privacy.

According to the “official” Google Earth Blog, Google Earth has added new features and concepts to their tool, such as having the ability to see ocean floors in 3D satellite imagery. Google Earth was able to produce 3D images of President Obama’s Inauguration. GeoEye provided some of the satellite images during the inauguration.

In addition, those who volunteer in their community can now search for volunteer work using Google Earth through VolunteerMatch, one of the leading websites that lists community service opportunities in the United States. To see this feature, check out the video.

I love Google Earth! I will continue to use this tool in the future. I know it will continue to grow into something bigger in the future. Maybe watching live images through tool. You may never know.

Till next time.

New Media in 2009

The new year brings new opportunities and changes. 2009 has already bought us a new President and the changes and new path he will pave for this country. For myself its new hope and ideas that will make my future brighter.

In the new media world, new innovative ideas are being developed while other media will continue to thrive this new year. Robin Good wrote a two part blog about new media in 2009 – what independent publishers should expect this upcoming year. Part one talks about online publishing, marketing and advertising, video and net television, digital imaging, visual communication and site design. Part two details social networks and social media, identity, future events strategy, learning, education, online collaboration. 

These predictions are just his own opinions. He is not an expert in the new media field. However, he brings very insightful of what will happen within each market. Some of the things presented in the two part blog I did not know existed in the new media world (I am still learning new things every day about the new media world). 

According to Robin Good, web publishers should begin creating mobile versions of their website(s). There is a service that does free mobilization for websites, however, it is rely only on creating a portable device compatible to your RSS feed. But this method will bombard mobile devices with advertising. Hopefully someone (maybe Google) will create a product that will allow independent publishers to create mobile versions without having advertisements attach to them.

Legal issues and censorship will also become a topic within new media. Independent publishers may have to lobby for their rights and the rights of their new media ideas. Legislation may extend the commercial protection in the 1st Amendment to new media. However, there are those who think they should create new protection for new media.

Other predictions of 2009 included the growth of Twitter, Google, and social media and social media marketing. To read more of Robin Good’s predictions, go to New Media Trends and Predictions of 2009 - Part 1 and Part 2.

Blooger’s Block?

Blogscomic.net

There are times where I get writer’s block and it takes me longer than ever to write something. That’s how I felt this week when I was thinking of what I wanted to write about or in this case blog about this week.

 

 

 

 

My mind was spinning due to the lack of ideas for a blog topic. I would think of ideas while I was on the bus to my class, while I was at home, and sometimes I would dream about it (seriously). With no concrete idea developed, I took another route to get out of this block; I asked my “circle.”

I explained to three of my closest friends of my blog quest and that I needed help thinking of an idea for a blog. They all gave me some ideas, but I did not know how to put my own twist to it. But during my conversations with them, they kept telling me to write something that I know and feel passion about. Sounds easy, but in reality it can be at hard at times.

I was getting frustrated. I went to Google and typed in blog topics. Automatically, the first thing that popped up was a blog titled “100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write” by Christ Brogan. Within his blog, he provided 100 topics for a blog, which he wrote on a plane from San Francisco. I liked the topics and thought it was a good idea to create this list. Here is the link to his blog: http://chrisbrogan.com . Thanks Chris!

There is also another blog titled “55 More Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write” written by Darren Barefoot. If you need any blog topics go to these websites.

Do you have any blog topic that should be on these lists?

Till Next Time.

Oh one more thing – thinking about changing the theme of my whole blog. Any suggestions?