Social Media

As I read a few social media policies from various sites, I learned about the pros and cons of social media usage within a business atmosphere. I think that the issue of ethical and legal implications of social media use in the workplace or in a classroom/educational context is a rising topic among various companies.

1--I think that employees should not be allowed to use company time on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media channels for many reasons. I believe that your personal life is something that should be kept separate from the business world and your profession. If one were to tweet or create a Facebook account on behalf of their company and become a liable representative for them then I think that they should be granted permission to use social media during company time. I think that when employees use social media for their own personal reasons than that is when a barrier should be put up between their personal and professional lives.

2--I think that the policies given by companies involving their social media use within the workplace is not intended to take away their ability for online communication but to steer them in the right direction, professionally. I think that many employers agree that allowing their employees to surf the net and be concerned with their own social media accounts while on company time, is a waste of the time that is given to them to get business tasks done. I think that if social media is needed for a certain company or business proposition then policies can change and permission is granted to those employees that need to use various social media websites while at work.

Twitter

Before the social media assignment for class, I did not have a Twitter account nor did consider even creating one. I thought that Twitter was an interesting form of social media but that it was not for me. Ever since I have created an account, I have tried to tweet everyday. I have found it to be very intriguing and I enjoy learning more about it.

I did not think that I would have found as much value in Twitter as I have since creating an account for class. Personally, I think that it has been a very good source to know what is going on in the world as well as at school. I follow Marquette University on Twitter and various news organizations so I hear about local events going on as well as breaking news stories. I think that people who perceive Twitter to be a useless social media tool are acting naive and do not understand the many purposes that Twitter can be used for as well as the significance that it can have on your knowledge of a particular subject.

I think that my client, Krueger Dental Associates, can expand their age range in clients and their intended audience by using Twitter as another form of social media. I think that if they were to have a Twitter account, they could post about many thing such as upcoming events as well as new products and services that they are offering. I think that this would be an extremely helpful tool because it is an easy way to share information about their practice and it shows clients that they are aware of advanced technology and are willing to update their means of reaching an audience to fit their clients needs. 

I really enjoy following 5 people and organizations on Twitter such as--CNN, The New York Times, Marquette University, shitMUdoesntsay, and PRSA Jobcenter. I would definitely consider following all five after the social media project is completed, for many reasons. I like to follow news sources such as CNN and The New York Times because it is an easy way to remain updated on current events. I think that is also important to follow Marquette University so that I always know what is happening on campus. I think that it is important to add some good humor to your day as well so would continue to follow people that consistently tweet funny things such as shitMUdoesntsay. Lastly, I would continue to follow PRSA Jobcenter because I think that it is important to know information on jobs and current PR events and news especially since it is my intended major. Ultimately, I think that Twitter has been an exceptional form of social media and I have found it to be very interesting. 

Pinterest

Pinterest is a social photo sharing website that allows members to share photos and pins to post on each others boards. In order to become a member of Pinterest, you have to request or receive an invitation from a current user. After about two weeks of processing your request, you are invited to join the Pinterest community. Most members create various different boards to represent their different pins such as "my style", "home and decor", "places I would like to visit", etc.

I am currently an active user of Pinterest and am very satisfied with the website. I think that it is a very creative website that allows its users to express themselves through various images. The boards that I create on Pinterest represent the kind of things that I am interested in and shows others more of my personality than many other social media websites do. I think that Pinterest is an interesting way to promote a company and show the kinds of products and services that clients offer. Most of the photographs posted on Pinterest circulate throughout the website and remain public information for anyone to see. Allowing all members of Pinterest to see what your client offers creates the opportunity for a new audience and market. Overall, I think that Pinterest is an excellent source for PR, marketing, and communication in general.

PR Trend--Content Marketing

As I was researching various social media trends, educational trends, and demographic trends, I found that a common public relations trend was content marketing. Content marketing was discussed in one form or another at almost every website or blog that I visited. The explanation of content marketings effect on the PR community is that in order for one's company or organization to get on top of the professional pyramid, there content needs to be superior. The content published also has to reach different multi-media platforms such as blogs, podcasts, videos, case studies, press released, and on-line articles. Impressive content marketing succeeds others because of the effort put into the creation of these different social platforms. Audiences choose to read information based on the content and credibility of the source. If one has high credibility and there content exceeds others then they will become more well known. Content marketing is the new cornerstone of communication and a public relations trend that is sweeping the industry.