07.17.08
Are you fed up with a company? Get Satisfaction!
Both LinkedIn and Facebook are social networking companies that are listed on Get Satisfaction. LinkedIn is a site that facilitates online professional networking and relationship building. Facebook, on the other hand, is a widely-used social networking site that links friends through work, education, interests and geographical location.
Company Reps
There are six company representatives listed for LinkedIn, and their profiles are very bare. Only one representative, Adam Nash, reported his title at LinkedIn. Otherwise, no profile information was listed other than blog links.
Four representatives displayed a link to their blogs in their Get Satisfaction profile. These blog links can offset the fact that there was no profile information in Get Satisfaction since the blogs offer such background information.
Furthermore, all of the company representatives have detaild profile information on LinkedIn. This information validates their company status with LinkedIn.
Two of the representatives are much more active in posting than the other representatives. Adam Nash and Steve Ganz responded to user comments the most and were very responsive, useful and respectful in their commentary and solutions.
There are no company reps on Get Satisfaction for Facebook
Hear them roar
Some typical problems and questions from LinkedIn users include:
- LinkedIn does not differentiate real company advisors from those claiming to have affiliations with the company
- How to manage the display order of work experience
- One user had difficulty inviting colleagues to his profile
The company reps responded by first apologizing for the problem, giving a rationale and then offering a solution. Several of Ganz’s comments have been marked with a star to denote that either a user has found the suggestions useful or that the company says the suggestions solve the problem.
Typically, the questions possed in the Facebook, Get Satisfaction forum discuss problems regarding disabled accounts. There are no solutions, only a list of reasons why some users have had their accounts disabled. These users are generally very angry and frustrated!
Analysis of Get Satisfaction
The idea behind Get Satisfaction is a useful one. Typically, when users go online to write about a product, it is generally to write about something negative.
Get Satisfaction provides a useful forum for consumers to connect with producers for mutual benefit. The consumers get their voices heard and get solutions to their problems. Meanwhile, producers can enhance their customer satisfaction while getting valuable consumer feedback.
In terms of usability, the design is fairly logical. Your login name is in the upper right corner, the most important information is at the top of the page, and the page is divided into logical sections.
However, the company listings are not user-friendly. It would be much easier if there was an option to sort the companies alphabetically or to search companies by industry. All of the company categorizations do not follow the same logical order, making company searches difficult and time-consuming.
Some site features were more visible than others. The “About” page link stands out in a box, yet the “Contact Us” page is hidden in the “About” page. For usability, all standard site features, such as the “About” and “Contact Us”, should be visible on the main page.
Get Satisfaction provides tremendous opportunities for online PR. First, it provides a channel through which angry consumers can have their voices heard. Instead of voicing their dissatisfaction in several forums (blogs, discussion groups and other social networks), these users can form communities on Get Satisfaction. Users can benefit from the solutions given by corporate representatives that have already been posted.
Second, corporate representatives can use the Get Satisfaction site to monitor negative messages online and respond accordingly. This can be useful in issues and crisis management. Get Satisfaction demonstrates a shift in online PR tactics. Rather than reactive PR online, the Get Satisfaction site can be used for professionals to be more proactive in online PR strategies.
Will vlogs become social media mainstream?
Source: Creative Commons
Web 2.0 is all about online conversations. Two-way communication at its best!
Now that webcams are increasingly built-in to new laptops and personal computers, new services such as Seesmic add user-generated video into the conversation. Although video comments (vlogs) add a new and different element to web 2.0, I am somewhat skeptical whether it will be adopted by everyday users (such as myself).
I am not trying to say that it is not valuable, or that vlogging has not been successfully incorporated into web 2.0. Instead, I would like to argue that there are certain qualities inherent in vlogs that create boundaries to its widepsread, mainstream adoption.
When you write on a blog or on a social networking site, you have the ability to create intelligent content by writing well and taking time to think about what you write. With video comments, your thoughts can be much harder to articulate in an intelligent way. You are speaking off the top of your head, and viewers can be influenced by your looks and voice.
Video also adds a much more personal component to web 2.0. With video, everyone will know if you look all dishevelled while you’re at home. Video also pratically invites complete strangers to see the inside of your home.
The concept is something that definitely takes some getting used to, as well as a bunch of courage.
The idea around this kind of technology is nothing new either. Video telephones were available as early as the 1970s, but they proved unsucessful. People did not want to have to make themselves look good to pick up the phone. Is vlogging much different with what we are prepared to allow people to see when we’re at home?
Although I do have a web cam – but it hasn’t been hooked up to my computer in over a year – I don’t think that I’ll be hooking it up to give vlogging a try soon. Call me a critic, but the concept is somewhat intimidating.
07.16.08
Online creativity and democracy
The above video showing Larry Lessig’s Ted Talk is incredibly insightful for the field of modern business communications. It clearly demonstrates how business is trying to regulate the Internet. Lessig’s points about new technologies, law and appropriation are key to understanding current issues about online creativity and democracy.
First, Lessig talks about user-generated content and how new technologies change the ways in which we engage with media. He speaks about how we have evolved from a read-write culture to a read-only culture. Online technologies have given us the autonomy to become creators of content once more and brought our society back to the read-write culture.
This brings up the age-old debate of new vs. old media. Whenever a new technology is introduced, pundits cry out that the old technologies will die and traditional ways of interaction will die as well. The Internet, although it has revolutionized business and culture, will not spell the death of “old” media. We will not stop reading books simply because we can read them online.
This debate reminds me of a course that I took in university that dealt with communications technologies of the 1800s. We discussed the introduction of the telephone, and how some people believed that we would stop talking to each other face-to-face in favour of staying at home and talking on the telephone. Seems ridiculous? Compare this fear of social reclusivity to modern debates of the effects of the Internet on social interaction. Some feared that the new form of social connections created through the Internet would reduce our sense of contact to the “real” world.
Lessig also discusses how legal issues that attempt to govern online content are not following common sense. Copyright law threatens how we create content online. We constantly break the law by willingly downloading and using copyrighted content. This is not necessarily the best practice, but it is widely practiced. There are certainly many gray areas, and it can be hard to figure out what is right and what is wrong.
It is not right to take something that someone has created – without changing it – and call it your own. However, it is within your right to take an idea or something that has already been created - change it – and call it your own.
Academia, music, fashion and innovation are all based on this notion of appropriation.
Academic essays are built upon the ideas of others. Musicians remix old sounds and songs to create new songs. Fashion designers appropriate and re-vamp styles from previous decades. Engineers and scientists construct new technologies by building upon the innovations of others.
Today, however, big business works to crack down on illegal downloading and appropriation all over the Internet. For instance, YouTube uses a filtering technology that can determine whether a video is using copyrighted music so that it can be removed from the web. By building upon what others have created, user-generated videos are new ways of exchanging ideas and entertainment
If business holds the power to determine whether appropriate content is acceptable or not – then how is the Internet going to remain a democratic sphere for reading and writing content? How are new ideas going to be heard if they are not allowed to stem from the idea of another?
07.03.08
Online Reputation Best Practices
With social media, how you build and manage your professional reputation has become increasingly important. It’s no longer sufficient to build a credible and respectable image by demonstrating an impressive portfolio of work. Online reputations can be built and then damaged just as dramatically and easily. It takes effort to build a reputation, but it takes very little to destroy that reputation.
Here are some key points to remember for building and managing a professional reputation:
1. Develop your brand
Before I explain further, don’t shy away from the word “brand.” This is not an exercise in marketing where you need a creative team to figure out who you are and how you should be branded. What I mean by “develop your brand”, is that you should try to figure out what defines you as a person, and what sets you apart from others. What is your background and what are your interests? What is your industry and what are your strengths? What is the number one thing that your peers would say about you?
Now, can you say all of this in a couple of sentences?
When you figure out the answers to these questions, you should have a good idea of your brand, and so be able to build your reputation.
2. Understand your private vs. public sphere
Some social media networks are obviously more professional than others. LinkedIn is designed for professional networking allowing users to post a resume-like profile. On the other end of the spectrum, Facebook is primarily a social utility.
It’s important to remember that no matter what social networking site you use, whatever you post becomes a document that is available for anyone and everyone to see. Employers, colleagues and pretty much anybody that you would want to impress can dig up what you post online. So, in terms of reputation management, be aware of the public nature of the internet. Confusing your private offline life in a social media site could potentially be detrimental to your reputation.
3. Make use of the privacy settings that are available
If you insist on using Facebook for private use, don’t share your private business with the business world! Take the time to go through the settings and choose what you would like to keep to yourself, show only your friends or make available for all to see. A client or potential employer would be pretty disappointed to see photos of you passed out with a wine bottle. Really, nobody wants to see that! Change the settings so that you have control over the information you are allowing others to see.
4. Speling and gramer misstakes aint profeshional
Poor grammar and spelling is the bad breath of writing. It’s a turn-off. So whip out the Listerine and clean up your writing by editing your copy. Readers who catch poor editing will ignore what you write and focus on your mistake. Simple grammar and spelling mistakes will detract from your message. Good grammar and spelling equals a good first impression.
5. Be creative
Use your right brain and come up with something creative. There is a wealth of information on the Internet. There is also a wealth of opinions in the blogosphere. So use your creativity to make your content stand out and be interesting to read. A creative headline, lead or topic grabs readers and enhances your reputation as someone who is intelligent and unique.
6. Keep it relevant and intelligent
If you are using a social media site for a particular professional purpose, then it’s important to keep your information relevant. This is not to say that you should not write about what interests you, exactly the opposite actually! What is relevant is what interests you and defines your brand. In other words, find a focus and keep your content relevant to that focus.
7. Use RSS feeds to know what people are saying about you
There are several tools online that allow you to keep up-to-date with new information. You can use tools like Google Alerts and Technorati to be aware of what is being written about you. This way, you can engage in online conversations and create connections. These tools also allow you to correct misinformation and in so doing, manage your reputation. Without these tools, keeping track of what is being written about you would be much more difficult and time-consuming.
8. Don’t be mean
In the world of Web 2.0, you can’t control what others are going to say. At some point, you may encounter someone who is directing mean comments at you. People have the right to their own opinions and they need to be acknowledged. If someone chooses to be belligerent or rude that is their choice. You will end up saving face by refusing to add fuel to the fire.
9. Back up your information – link!
You are more likely to be considered a credible source online if you link to where you received information from. If your information is deemed to be credible, then more people will link to your site. This will increase your network and could even bump up your name on search engine listings. The more you link to your sources and have people link to you, the stronger your online presence and reputation will be.
10. Social bookmarking
Using social bookmarking sites such as Del.icio.us can also help to increase your visibility and enhance your online reputation. By adding your delicious links to your blog and expanding your Del.icio.us network, others will be able to note what you bookmark. This allows others to determine whether they find what you bookmark interesting and informative.
06.05.08
How my mom got kicked out of Curves
A new gym has popped up in Toronto. Curves is an international women’s fitness franchise that has grown exponentially in the past 13 years.
For the past two and a half years, my mom has reached outstanding fitness goals. She has lost a lot of weight (I won’t reveal the number to be fair) and several inches off her waist. She has altered her lifestyle and become very health conscious.
So when the gym that she started her fitness transformation at closed, she was heartbroken. She joined Curves hoping that she would find similar services and satisfaction. What she ultimately found was poor customer service and terrible PR.
Problem #1
In 2005 my mom approached Curves as a potential gym. She asked them about how much it would cost to join. A staff member replied, “We have a two for one deal right now.”
“Well, what does that mean?” my mother asked. “How much does it cost?”
“We’ll tell you how much it costs when you join,” the employee replied.
With that, they lost my mom’s business and she did not join for another two and a half years.
Problem #2
Healthy eating goes hand-in-hand with fitness. One without the other is counterproductive. The Curves website cites,
When my mom finally did join Curves, my mom asked an employee about their nutrition information. The employee replied, “You have to refer 3 friends to the gym to get that.” My mom was furious, firmly believing that her health goals shouldn’t be impacted by how many new customers she brings. The employee replied, “If you don’t want to refer anybody, the nutrition guide will be 120 dollars then.”
My mom was not impressed.
Problem #3
Some locations have a new system called CurvesSmart, It forces you to swipe a key card at each weight machine. It monitors what muscles you use and how hard you’re working: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
One day, the machine suddenly bumped my mom from intermediate to beginner. Wondering what had prompted the drop, my mom asked a Curves employee. The employee replied, “Well that’s just how it works.”
Let’s just say that at this point my mom was REALLY not impressed. She asked to speak to the manager, but this was apparently not possible.
“The manager is too busy, ” said the employee. “She has plenty of franchises.”
My mom asked when she could speak with her since she had experienced terrible customer service since day one.
“You need to stop yelling Miss,” said the employee.
“But I’m not yelling,” replied my mom.
“You have a bad attitude,” said the employee. “You should probably leave!”
“If I leave I am no longer paying for my membership!” said my mom.
“Too bad, you’ve signed a contract,” said the employee.
With that, my mom stormed out of the gym never to return again. I saw her come home in a burst of tears and frustration. I told her to look on the website to find local contact information so she could voice her complaint. The ONLY information to be found about Curves’s international office locations was for the headquarters in Texas! There were no office locations nor contact information for ALL OF CANADA on the website.
Apparently this organization has no concept of:
- the notion of corporate transparency
- how build and maintain relationships
- “the customer is always right”
- PUBLIC RELATIONS!
Ultimately, after a strongly worded letter that was air-mailed to Texas, Curves relented and agreed to cancel the remainder of her contract (upon my mom’s request). They also refunded ten dollars (to a maximum of 50 dollars) for each month that remained in her contract. There were ten months left.
Regardless, it seems as if Curves has expanded its franchise so fast, that it has left the customer behind. I wonder, what other public relations initiatives could Curves have done to avoid this situation?
So, that is how my mom got kicked out of Curves.
06.03.08
Entry-level PR and “Entitlement Generation”
Labelled the Entitlement Generation, there is an expectation that youth today want all the benefits of a high paying job without having to do the leg work. However, it is not fair to judge the entire generation based upon this assumption. There are several students out there who are willing to begin at the bottom and work their way to the top.
The above statements are very general, ignoring what it takes to enter the job force today.
Salary Expectations:
As a college PR student, I have no “shockingly high expectations for salary” for my first entry-level job. I understand that I will most likely be earning approximately $30-35K per annum. Any less, and it becomes extremely difficult to get by financially in Toronto.
Let’s face it, I just want to make enough so that I don’t have to live out my twenties at my parent’s house.
Furthermore, after four years of an undergraduate university course and one year taking a post graduate course, I will have paid approximately $25K in tuition alone. Add books, rent at university, and other living expenses…Is it really a surprise that young professionals hope for a higher salary?
Instant Gratification
While there are some people out there who do expect to get a lot for doing little, this hardly describes a common perception for my entire generation.
Gratification is not instant, it’s actually more drawn out. It takes at least five years of education to get a job that you could get out of high school twenty years ago. While it seems like young professionals want instant gratification, it’s more a sense of non-gratification frustration. Resumes go down black holes on the internet, never to be heard from again. You can’t get a job without experience, and few employers will give you experience.
Grunt Work
When I begin my internship and start an entry-level job, I will have no illusions of grandure. I want to work hard to show my employer that I can produce results, but I am not above photocopying and stuffing envelopes. Media monitoring is something that most interns do, it may be boring, but it is an essential part of the media relations process.
It would be wrong to say that there aren’t young people out there who do feel that they are entitled to high wages, instant gratification and no grunt work in their first job.
In class a couple of weeks ago we listened to presentations of the PR students who are currently interning at various organizations. Several interns spoke about media monitoring as if it was a menial job, as if they were entitled to more responsibility. Face it, interns do the grunt work. If the interns don’t do it, then who will?
So, not everyone is part of this Entitlement Generation. Criticize individual sense of entitlement, not the perceived ideologies of an entire generation.
