Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’
Thursday, January 10th, 2013
Today Show Interview
This blog is not about world peace. This is about the Today Show’s interview with an Alabama beauty queen. She is dating the quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide, the champions of college football. She attracted instant fame and tens of thousands of new Twitter followers after a sports announcer during the championship game praised her beauty while she watched from the stands. Executives may dread hearing this, but they can learn from the beauty queen’s appearance on the Today Show:
She smiled a lot.
She slightly nodded her head, acknowledging the initial question. (Don’t nod your head when you disagree with the premise of the question.)
She didn’t wear anything distracting.
She appeared real and personable.
She told a story.
She fluctuated her voice.
She handled his toughest question well.
She bridged well to a key message that we should focus our attention on the team not her.
The background included an Alabama football helmet, but the backdrop was subtle and not full of distracting items.
Yes, she looked off camera a few times, but who am I to critique her? Many people obviously think her body language is beautiful.
Tags: alabama crimson tide, alabama football, beauty queen, body language, college football, executives, interview, media, media training, msnbc, nbc, PR, Twitter, video
Posted in Media Training | No Comments »
Monday, December 3rd, 2012
My mom repeated her social media blasphemy.
“Twitter is a waste of time,” said told me several times.
I don’t spend as much time anymore on Twitter. People started annoying me especially as the presidential election approached. But I continue to believe Twitter is a useful tool for businesses to share their knowledge and establish a place in their industry. This argument hasn’t persuaded mom to stop saying, “Twitter is a waste of time.” She focuses on the silly statements people post to Twitter.
But current events, both domestically and internationally, remind me of Twitter’s reach.
“In Gaza Conflict, Fighting With Weapons and Postings on Twitter,” read The New York Times headline Nov. 22.
I read about Twitter again in The New York Times in an article about conflict in Egypt: “Mohamed ElBaradei, an opposition leader and former United Nations diplomat, sent a Twitter message that the draft constitution “undermines basic freedoms and violates universal values.”
Facebook followed:
The New York Times: “On Mr. Netanyahu’s Facebook page, Gila Glickerman, the mother of a combat soldier, thanked the prime minister for bringing her son home, while Shai Solomon wrote, ‘You’ve just lost a vote at the ballot box.’”
Next, a Times article about Syria: “The protest took place despite more than two days of Internet failures that slowed the spread of the call for action. Called the “Strike of Pride,” it was announced on Facebook and other social media sites beginning a week ago, as well as by activists who dropped leaflets and spray-painted the news on walls.”
I’m not sure Skype is social media in the true sense, but Syria coverage included Skype. Again, The New York Times: “For months, rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad have used Skype, a peer-to-peer Internet communication system, to organize and talk to outside news organizations and activists.”
Domestically, President Obama and The White House Tweeted so often about issues related to the fiscal cliff, the hashtag “#My2K” trended nationally. Five days later, The White House Tweeted, “Hey guys, this is barack. ready to answer your questions on fiscal cliff & #my2k. Let’s get started. – bo.” Moments after someone suggested to me the President was not Tweeting himself, we saw a picture of the President apparently Tweeting. I tried to take part in the conversation, too.
These examples are simply reminders that social media continues to play a significant role in communication at the highest levels of war and politics across the world. For every silly example of people posting on social media about what they ate for lunch, there is an example of Twitter’s true influence.
And if leaders of countries and those involved in combat continue to acknowledge the reach of social media, so can a small business down the street.
What do you think mom?
Tags: AZ, Facebook, gaza conflict, media, mr netanyahu, new york times, politics, PR, president obama, skype, small business, Social Media, The New York Times, Tweet, Twitter
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
Thursday, November 8th, 2012
“RT @APCampaign: ELECTION WATCH: At a polling station in the swing state of North Carolina, opinions differ” (Excellent insight!)
Inside Edition reported on actors who have played presidents.
MSNBC pointed out jazz was playing in the background at Romney headquarters.
MSNBC reported Virginia buys the most pick-up trucks.
MSNBC pointed out there always seems to be a Montgomery County somewhere.
NBC News discussed a trade industry article indicating money from campaign ads allowed local TV stations to buy weather centers and hire reporters.
Tags: AZ, campaign ads, election night, election night coverage, jazz, local tv, local tv stations, montgomery county, msnbc, nbc news, North Carolina, pick up trucks, polling station, PR, presidents, reporter, reporters, Romney, state of north carolina, TV station, Twitter
Posted in Media Relations | No Comments »
Thursday, October 25th, 2012
While working in TV news, I once started a Twitter debate with a PR pro after I Tweeted adding the words “For Immediate Release” on pitches to reporters is unnecessary. The conversation inspired the PR pro to write a blog on the topic. I still don’t understand why PR pros add those words or other phrases such as “Media Advisory.”
- Even if you don’t write “media advisory,” no one is going to mistake your news release as an advisory from the U.S. Coast Guard or the National Weather Service.
- If you’re married to the words “media advisory,” save the phrase for straight forward, nuts and bolts news releases that accomplish little more than share information. Send such pitches to the newsroom’s assignment desk, which can forward the story to the correct reporter.
- Consider this: Have journalists ever told you they accidentally deleted your pitch because you didn’t properly label it with “media advisory”?
- Whether you write “For Immediate Release” or not, reporters assume if you send it, they can use it immediately.
- Just because a college professor or some PR agency taught you to write “Media Advisory” or “For Immediate Release” doesn’t make it meaningful or right.
- Those two phrases at the top of a pitch often gave me a heads up I was about to read something coming out of Boringville.
- If you write “For Immediate Release,” I assume you still type “www” before URLs and get your oil changed every 3000 miles.
- One final thought: PR has changed since 1980.
Tags: assignment desk, Communications, journalist, journalists, media, media advisory, news release, news releases, newsroom, PR, PR pro, PR pros, reporter, reporters, tv news, Twitter
Posted in Media Relations, Public Relations | No Comments »
Thursday, October 18th, 2012
In business, the little things matter. The following businesses did the little things for us that made a big impression in regards to good public relations:
Mastro’s Ocean Club called to ensure we enjoyed our dinner the night before. Could your business make similar follow-up phone calls?
Anthropologie took the extra step when packaging a gift card.
AAA Auto Repair did a bunch of little things right. Two visits. Two great experiences.
Discount Tire employees open doors for customers and offer them water.
Wendy’s provided quick service and food came with coupons and information on new breakfast hours.
Modcloth shows how businesses can make customers part of the creative process. Modcloth shows important Twitter handles on left side of Twitter page.
Tags: aaa auto, auto repair, discount tire, mastro's, modcloth, ocean club, PR, press, Public Relations, Twitter
Posted in Public Relations | No Comments »
Thursday, October 4th, 2012
After the first presidential debate, some people complained voters and experts often award candidates points for style instead of substance. Well, duh!
I try to keep up with important issues as best as possible. But I couldn’t keep track of all the details or supposed details Obama and Romney exchanged. Am I expected to fully understand Frank-Dodd and realize how the campaigns offer different definitions of a small business? I’m not Encyclopedia Brown.
Mix in voters scrambling to fit in meetings and family time into a 24-hour day and you can’t expect many Americans to always know when a candidate is twisting the facts.
In an ideal world, reading would be everyone’s favorite pastime, people would check out full stories instead of simply headlines and water fountains would also offer chocolate milk.
We may not like it, but style, good looks and how you deliver your words play a key role in success. That’s why some scholars wonder if Abe Lincoln, in today’s world, could get himself elected.
So don’t feel disappointed when the other candidate comes out swinging and treats the debate moderator like a college intern who can be ignored. If substance mattered more, more TV reporters would be ugly, more people on Twitter would compliment broadcast journalists on their stories rather than their shoes and sound bites would be a whole lot longer.
Yes, in the end, substance matters most. So if you want candidates who support the views important to your everyday lives, ensure those politicians wrap their details in style. Because what you consider to be rude and testy might be viewed as passion by others.
Tags: abe lincoln, America, broadcast journalist, broadcast journalists, campaigns, Communications, debate moderator, first presidential debate, media, media training, obama, politicians, PR, presidential debate, press, small business, sound bites, tv reporter, tv reporters, Twitter
Posted in Media Relations | No Comments »
Monday, September 3rd, 2012
This is my brother. He is an actor. You expect actors to always have on hand a cool head shot that makes them look like a stud. That makes sense.
So someone re-tweeted a college journalist who was preparing to cover a story. The reporter’s black and white profile picture caught my eye. My goodness! Is she trying to get a scoop or seduce people?
A news anchor once told me one of the advantages of working in a TV newsroom is your co-workers often are beautiful people. Some of my friends who are not in the business often discuss the “hot” reporters in town. I’ve always argued I would attract many more Twitter followers if I were a super attractive woman.
Beauty is part of the TV newsroom. A former manager told me when she was in college, she never imagined one day calling reporters into her office and explaining how their look or clothing was inappropriate for air. And sadly, some viewers cross the line. HR must help some reporters handle uncomfortable letters in the mail from people who we might label stalkers. Social media makes the scene even dicier. TV anchors have told me about some of the messages people send them. I worked with one reporter who attracted so much attention in public, her photographer often played the role of bouncer or security guard.
Both male and female journalists should rise above this. You can post pictures of yourself appearing pleasant, professional and pretty without the come hither look. Men can do the same without portraying themselves as some dude at a bar about to deliver a really cheesy pick-up line. You might be hot stuff, but don’t try so hard to prove it. A woman searching to land a job in a bigger market once emailed me her work, asking about job openings. The video included several head and body shots. I wondered if she was targeting this version specifically to middle-aged male news directors who didn’t care about the words coming out of her mouth. I’ve seen college interns walk into the newsroom wearing clothing that implied they mistakingly thought the station was broadcasting from the beach.
Don’t deny it. TV news doesn’t show us too many ugly faces. Beauty alone lands some people jobs and that applies to both men and women. I doubt a news director would acknowledge all this, but let’s keep it real. It just so happens beautiful people make great broadcast journalists? All I’m saying to our news babes and our news studs is if you want people to respect you for the way you gather facts and not just your face, then respect yourself. Don’t paint a picture that journalism was the back-up plan to acting or modeling.
Tags: broadcast journalist, broadcast journalists, Communications, journalism, media, Media Relations, news, news anchor, news director, news directors, newsroom, PR, reporter, reporters, Social Media, tv anchor, tv anchors, tv news, tv newsroom, Twitter, video
Posted in Media Relations | No Comments »
Thursday, August 16th, 2012
I was born and raised in Miami and was a Dolphins season ticket holder. I’ve rooted for them since sitting in my Grandpa’s house in the early 1980s and watching their classic overtime, playoff loss to the San Diego Chargers.
So I’ve been discussing a lot recently the events surrounding former Dolphins wide receiver Chad Johnson, formerly known as Chad Ochocinco. Chad was arrested after a domestic incident involving his wife. The Dolphins then ended his contract with the team. HBO’s Hard Knocks, a football documentary-style show following the Dolphins during this season’s training camp, aired video of the meeting when the head coach notified Chad he would no longer be a part of the team. The coach says his decision was not based alone on the incident with his wife. The coach considered other factors.
This episode raises questions about more than football. Public Relations: Are sports teams cracking down on what they perceive as unprofessional behavior? Media Relations: How transparent was the Dolphins coach about his decision when addressing the media? Employee Communications: How did the coach (boss) handle his one-on-one meeting with Chad Johnson (employee)? Social Media: What about the debate of those applauding the Dolphins versus those feeling the team should have waited for more facts abut the case to surface?
Via Twitter, I asked a Dolphins reporter, columnist and blogger for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about the Dolphins releasing Chad Johnson after being arrested. My question: “Do u think some veteran players are too willing to forgive in order to win?”
His response: ”Locker room is a brotherhood. Chad was family.”
I asked fans around the league how they think the Dolphins handled the Chad Johnson situation. All these fans are in the communications industry or current or former members of the media.
Patriots fan: ”I’m fine with this. In no other workplace would this even be a question.”
Jets fan: ”Maybe a bit quick to release him. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? However, I’m glad that teams are getting fed up with these millionaire athletes acting like children. They need to learn that their actions have consequences.”
Bills fan: ”They never should of brought him in in the first place.”
Bears fan: ”If he had caught 85 passes last year instead of 15, would he have been cut?”
Bears fan: “The guy has never been arrested before right? No history of this? If he is exonerated, did the Dolphins jump the gun?”
Bears fan: “Obviously I don’t know the details, but if it is true, totally appropriate. If you send Vick away for violence against dogs, should have less tolerance for violence against women.”
Cardinals fan: ”I think it would be a whole different ballgame, pardon the pun, if we were talking about 1st string Johnson 5 years ago, not OchoCinco of today.”
Lions fan: ”I think he’s used up any goodwill he had … if he had any. Good move.”
Tags: Communications, communications consultant, communications industry, employee communication, employee communications, hbo, media, Media Relations, miami dolphins, PR, Public Relations, reporter, Social Media, South Florida, sun sentinel, Twitter
Posted in Internal Communications, Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media | No Comments »
Saturday, August 4th, 2012
This time of year, I often see Tweets and TV commercials hailing the new football season as if it is an annual religious experience. Many fans simply appreciate the Xs and Os of the game, while others fool themselves into believing their favorite cast of characters will find the perfect combination to reach the Super Bowl. Most fanatics, even in early August, can devise a calculation of what-ifs that convince them a Super Bowl run is realistic. How silly this is considering even when last season’s NFL playoffs began, I heard few people pick the Giants as the obvious team to hoist the trophy.
I once was a football fool until I grew up. I am a former Miami Dolphins season ticket holder, a fan in their corner the last 30 seasons. (That’s me in high school, not to be confused with my dog Molly, an obvious fan.) And I say with disappointment that eight victories this season will pleasantly surprise me. A football fool would instead argue that players in their mid-30s will recapture past glory or a rookie quarterback will grab lightning. But chances are the Hollywood underdog story will not unfold on the field.
I still approach football with excitement because fans find interest in even a mediocre product. But the days of 
passing a stack of money over to Sunday Ticket are over. For me, Twitter notifications from South Florida sports writers are an economically responsible way of following my favorite team. I still haven’t persuaded myself to buy a ticket to watch the Dolphins in their visit here in the desert. I enjoyed attending their last trip to Arizona, but my end-zone seats left me spending most the game attempting to determine the line of scrimmage.
But I really fear for my friend the Bears fan. After his team traded for our Pro Bowl wide receiver, he legitimately believes his team has put the pieces in place for another Super Bowl shuffle. For his sake, I hope he’s right considering the Cubs, which he insists will be good soon. But countless other teams also potentially have pieces in place and their fans also are texting about a clear path to the promised land.
So all hail football season! For most of you, the season will shockingly end in disappointment. Enjoy the honeymoon of disillusion. There’s nothing wrong with living a football fairy tale. But don’t hate me for learning my lesson. I’ve come to understand enjoying the game is as much about the personalities and the story lines than it is about winning. My Sundays won’t glue me to a TV set, but my phone will be all-abuzz will bings and dings of updates. Call this my virtual reality. And if the Fins eek out more than eight wins, I’ll try to be the first to Tweet it.
Tags: Arizona, Communications, cubs, dolphins, Hollywood, media, miami dolphins, nfl playoffs, PR, Social Media, South Florida, south florida sports, super bowl, super bowl shuffle, Tweet, Tweets, Twitter
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
Several services offer to schedule your social media updates at times people are most likely to see them. This intrigues many businesses who worry their followers are missing important content.
I’ve tried several of these services. Some social media experts praise them often. Scheduling content for the following day has its benefits when you won’t have time to post in real time. But can a website actually provide me precise insight on the best times to Tweet?
People study this like a science and you can sign up for webinars to learn the secrets. However, many of the experts explaining the benefits of scheduling social media are in the social media industry. Don’t they benefit by convincing businesses that social media is not an exercise in randomness?
One service recommended I Tweet at times that most people, if they had to guess, would select anyway. The times were when most people get to work, eat lunch and start preparing to head home. Loren tried the same service, which provided her times similar to mine. Do our followers behave so similarly?
Another service indicated I should Tweet during normal business hours on weekdays. Is that truly insightful? The same service indicated what time of day I receive the most replies to my Tweets. But don’t I significantly determine when followers reply by when I Tweet to them?
Another site scheduled all my Tweets within a few hours of each other. For example, if I scheduled the Tweets late in the evening, the site scheduled all my Tweets within a few hours the next morning. Is this optimized Tweeting?
Maybe I don’t appreciate and fully understand algorithms. Maybe I don’t fully understand how these sites work, although I typically try them out after someone writes how easy they are for people to use.
Then there’s common sense. I don’t check Facebook and Twitter the same time every day. I doubt anyone could find a social media trend on me. I think the times I’m logged on are random.
It makes sense many people may check Facebook and Twitter at lunch. But if everyone posts at lunch, what are the chances followers will cut through the crap and click on your links? Is lunch really an optimized time?
I don’t doubt smart people have devised algorithms. But I’m not convinced the algorithms are telling us much more than we can figure out on our own with a pencil and paper. To me, strategically scheduling social media presents too many shades of grey.
But I’m not a curmudgeon. I’m opened minded and willing to continue to try websites with super insight. It’s unfair for people to miss our amazing blogs. I would love to know when most of my followers are checking their smart phones while ignoring their friends and family. We won’t stop believin’.
Tags: AZ, Communications, Facebook, media, media experts, PR, Scottsdale, Social Media, Tweet, Tweets, Twitter
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
