I was recently interviewed by Alexa Lee of The Daily Universe, Brigham Young University’s student newspaper, for an article she was writing about twentysomethings who are successful at using new media as business ventures. I have provided a sneak peak of the article below. (Please note: This is the last of a three part series –  Read part one and part two.)

What do you recommend for those trying to break into and incorporate web 2.0 and other technologies?

I have three tips that can help both individuals and organizations be successful in adopting these new tools:

First and foremost, don’t try to do everything and be everywhere right away. Start off small, perhaps by setting up a Facebook profile. Once you’ve really mastered one platform add something to your “regime” and then once you have a handle on the two, add another component, and so on.

Be consistent across all platforms. For example, pick one picture to represent you online and use that anywhere you are asked for a picture. Choose one form of your name – don’t go by Billy in one place and William in another. In essence, you are building an online identity. (This is easier for organizations – they should already have a brand identity established.)

Be aware that everything you put on the web can be found, so be on your best behavior at all times. That may seem like common sense, but when we’re typing on a computer and not talking to a person, we forget how much of our online activity is public. There was a recent case where a Ketchum VP insulted his Fedex Client through a Tweet and consequently tarnished his personal reputation as well as that of his firm. (A summary of the incident can be found here.)

Why does new media matter?

We used to have a physical water cooler around which we shared news, caught up on the latest gossip, and provided recommendations. With today’s distributed workforce and the resulting dispersed personal and professional networks, that activity has shifted online and the conversations we have are being facilitated by new media. In order to participate in the conversation, in order to provide your input, in order to raise awareness about you as a person, the organization you represent, or the cause you fight for, you have no choice but to use these new tools.

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. An Interview on New Media (Part One)
2. An Interview on New Media (Part Two)
3. Google to Buy Facebook?

I was recently interviewed by Alexa Lee of The Daily Universe, Brigham Young University’s student newspaper, for an article she was writing about twentysomethings who are successful at using new media as business ventures. I have provided a sneak peak of the article below.

(Please note: This is the second in a three part series – Read part one and come back next week to read two more questions that I was asked along with my answers.)

What do consumers want from new media?

New media has without a doubt shifted the consumer to corporation relationship. Before the emergence and, now, the continuing widespread adoption of new media, consumers were not empowered to speak about their experiences with different companies and their respective brands. Now, everyone is a journalist, a food critic, a photographer… Consumers want to be, as a whole, more active in their relationships with brands. If they don’t like something, they now expect that the company will listen to their complaint and do something about it.

A recent example of this was AT&T’s pricing structure when the new iPhone 3GS was released. AT&T customers thought the proposed prices were unfair and protested – through Twitter and blog posts. In the end, AT&T relented and modified its structure. That sort of interaction would not have been possible in the pre-new media era. (An example of the Twitter petition I referenced can be found here: http://twitition.com/f96aq.)

How is today’s communications environment different from even a year ago?

A year ago, the general public was becoming increasingly more aware that these new online tools existed, but I think the overall consensus was that it was just for the “youngsters”. There are a number of reasons why new media has exploded recently, but I think that the role of President Obama’s campaign in this revolution cannot be underestimated. The campaign did a great job of leveraging these new tools to create a community of active and vocal supporters. The resulting tangible, quantifiable success forced those working in marketing and PR roles to stop and consider integrating new media into their overall strategy.

Before, an online communications strategy most likely included creating content for a website and sending out periodic e-mails to an organization’s customers or constituents. It was very much just a “push strategy”, the thinking being, “we’re putting out the information we want and we think is valuable”. Now, it’s much more of a two-way street. The organizations that are seeing results from new media are those that are actively engaging their supporters – and even their critics.

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. An Interview on New Media (Part One)
2. An Interview on New Media (Part Three)
3. Live Blogging: BlogPotomac

I was recently interviewed by Alexa Lee of The Daily Universe, Brigham Young University’s student newspaper, for an article she was writing about twentysomethings who are successful at using new media as business ventures. I have provided a sneak peak of the article below.

(Please note: This is the first in a three part series – for the next two weeks I’ll post an additional questions that I was asked along with my answers.)

What got you started in new media?

I’ve always been an early adopter of technology and have found the internet to be a powerful place to connect with people in my offline social circle as well as to expand my network by finding people around the world who share the same interests – both personally and professionally. That being said, for me, exploring new media was a natural progression of trying online tools as they emerge. First it was instant messaging, then blogs, RSS feeds, social networks, etc.

Why do you think people use new media, why do you use new media, how do you use new media?

I think that people use new media for all the same reasons people use traditional media. These reasons include staying up-to-date on current events, connecting with friends, all sorts of research, etc. The fundamental concepts are all the same, it’s just that the tools have changed.

I use a variety of online tools to strengthen and to expand my network. Using Facebook and LinkedIn, I stay in touch with classmates, colleagues and other contacts I’ve made along the way. Through Twitter, I discover people with similar interests in my area and around the world and have immediate access to world changing events as they happen. Each site, in its own unique way, enables me to connect with thought leaders to create a community of professionals sharing resources and ideas, and that is truly empowering. Finally, my website serves as my online epicenter where all my online interactions come together. The blog I have there allows me to document my life and share my views.

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. Definitive Social Media Aspect of 2008?
2. An Interview on New Media (Part Three)
3. An Interview on New Media (Part Two)

I’d like to talk about the statement to the left, made by Brian Devine via Twitter yesterday morning. (I should mention that it caught my attention when it was forwarded by Jonathan Rick, who, in case you’re wondering, I met in person first and then connected with online.)

I completely agree with Brain: I do believe that Facebook and other online networks – loosely defined – such as LinkedIn and Google have become the contact management systems du jour.

The problem, and what worries me, is that we, as individuals, had full control of the data in our Rolodexes of yesteryear. We chose when to add, when to remove, when to edit contacts. And that Rolodex was ours to keep, save any unfortunate circumstances (I’m thinking natural disasters here), for as long as we wanted no matter where we went.

Now, we are at the mercy of these companies. For example, I use Google Contacts to stay in touch – by e-mail and phone – to friends, family, colleagues, and former classmates around the world. But let’s say that Google decided one day without warning to stop supporting that feature? I would be left with no numbers or emails addresses for any of my closest contacts. And, at least with Google Contacts, I am able to export all the data I’ve inputed into the system and take it to another provider or save it on my comptuer (or another location) for safekeeping.

Neither Facebook (nor LinkedIn nor MySpace) allow anything of the sort. (It should be noted that Facebook, in its infancy, did have this feature enabled. With its epic growth, however, I think Facebook thought that for privacy reasons, enabling users to exports the contact information of other users they connected to through the site could be dangerous.)

Where does that leave us? What happens if our account were to get hacked or accidentally deleted? I’m sure many of you shudder at the thought of losing all those connections (and pictures and videos and messages and everything else that’s now contained within the site).

When I said this all to Jonathan (in less than 140 characters!), he replied: “Since we all use Facebook voluntarily, if we disagree with the Terms Of Service, then we should stop“. He has a good point. BUT – because that’s where the majority of our contacts are active, we miss out by not participating in the service. So, we’re stuck in between a rock and a hard place since there’s not much we can do, is there?

I can’t offer a solution (other than to reiterate how important backing up and creating copies of such information truly is) but I do continue to hope that in this era of collaboration, Facebook as well as other services can find a balance between user privacy, a competitive advantage and allowing users to own and manipulate their data in a suitable manner.

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Today, I created my own miniature High School reunion.

I searched Facebook for those who had graduated Lexington High School the same year as me. And I sent everyone with whom I was not already connected a Facebook friend request accompanied by a short note.

(As an early adopter, I connected to other LHS alumni when I first joined Facebook, but had since been reactive rather than proactive at connecting to my former classmates.)

I reached out to everyone I could remember from my middle school and high school years, regardless of whether our interactions had been frequent and friendly or casual and distant. Of course, there was part of me that felt like (pardon my colloquialism use) a HUGE TOOL. Would these people remember who I was? (They should – I’m a big deal!) Would they think my request came out of nowhere?

But in some ways, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been out of high school long enough that it’s hard to remember exactly the sort of relationship that I had with each of these people. Any ill-feelings or regrets have nicely faded into a simple nostalgia. Our senior year, my class really came together at a point; we were over the pre-defined cliques and categories that can so dictate high school. And now, these are people that, while they may not know the person I’ve become, will understand my history and where I come from.

And while seeing how everyone’s lives have changed can be entertaining, there was another benefit to having this self-created reunion. As someone completely immersed in Social Media (of which Social Networks are a subcategory), I know the golden rule:

IT’S THE DIVERSITY OF YOUR NETWORK,

NOT THE MASS, THAT DRIVES ITS POWER.

My former classmates have been a valuable untapped part of my network that I am now equipped to leverage in the future. While we were all a fairly homogenous group at one point, it’s now years later and we have relocated for college and then perhaps relocated again for employment… The spider web that comprises our collective contacts has grown in exponential numbers during these prime years. In fact, it probably will never grow at such a rapid rate as we begin to settle down and our lives become increasingly stable.

So by reaching out to even one person from high school who has gone in a completely different direction than me (both literally and figuratively) I’m able to extend my network in a way that’s simply not possible if I just connect to people in my current social circle.

I urge you to think about creating your individual high school reunion. The next time you look to your network for help, you’ll be glad you did.

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. Struggling with Facebook Statuses
2. The future of facebook
3. My-Work-Space?

What is BlogPotomac? BlogPotomac is this year’s premiere social media marketing event for greater Washington DC. Attendees can expect a one-day event with nationally renowned speakers and advanced discussion of best social media marketing practices.

What is live blogging? Live blogging is basically taking notes, photos, or recordings at lectures, conferences, and presentations of what was said and posting it to your blog.

Julie at BlogPotomac

Read my notes from BlogPotomac here:

Aaron Brazell & Amber Naslund – Personal Branding, a Dialogue

• need to have substance behind the “brand” you create
• brand should be bigger than individual person
• you do not build a brand, you earn a brand
• set expectations and boundaries – just because you are out there does not mean that that you always have to be 100% accessible. Ability to go ‘dark’ is reserved.

SCOTT MONTY – Social Media in a Crisis

• Crisis – an opportunity to take a negative and turn it into a positive.
• Best to “not go quiet”. Give people something.
• Ask community to help spread the word
• Lessons learned
  • need to monitor (google alerts, twitter, etc.)
  • respond. be transparent. invite them into the process.
  • ask champions to help.
  • have a digital hub. somehwere you can quickly post updates and refer people.
  • be actively engaged.
• Code of ethics for online communications
  • i will tell the truth
  • i will write deliberately and accurately
  • i will correct mistakes
  • i will not delete post / comments (unless spam, etc)
  • i will stay on topic
  • i will disclose conflicts of interests
• Goal of Ford’s social media strategy: humanize the brand. put faces to blue oval.
• Not every comment and not every post needs a response. Allows the community to answer.
• social media must be accompanied by cultural change. companies don’t monitor your e-mails / phone calls, they must trust that you know what to say online also.

Questions

• How do you handle a crisis like this past week’s AT&T scandal?
  • do whatever you can to keep your existing customers
  • don’t stay silen
  • answer concerns in the way they were brought up (respond to videos with videos, tweets with tweets, etc.)
  • pick 20 most influentials, bring in them, work it out with them.

SHIREEN MITCHELL – Government 2.0/Political Blogging

• Covered DNC and RNC – Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton. Tried to be fair and balanced.
• Riot police would jump out. #jumpoutpolice on twitter. could coordinate with others, warn about where police were.
• RNC – much more police. couldn’t take camera, umbrellas, etc.
• national news didn’t show backdrop. tweeted out to provide full view.
• political twitter group: libertarians (tlot??), conservatives (tcot), progressives (p2, topprog). use hashtags to talk to each other.
• social media allows for smaller voices to be heard – minorities can be heard.
• #pvow – political voices of women

Questions

• What are social media tools (other than Twitter) that people are using to organize?
  • blogging
  • digital petitions
  • mobile messaging to increase attendance at events
  • facebook causes / ning groups
• Reactions to Harvard Twitter study
  • it’s a boys club – “we already knew that didn’t we?’
  • Only 10% of Twitterers actually Tweet – “changed with Ashton / Oprah”. Numbers became unimportant.
    • Men playing numbers game. Women follow others based on quality of tweets.
    • social media does not our societal problems.
• Five years from now, where will Twitter be?
  • Will have a different name
  • just another way to have a conversation – now conversations are open (before, with things like AOL, the conversations were closed)
  • need to let Twitter take its course allow community to determine how to use it. Can’t control it.
• When do you use hashtags to expand community versus to define community?
  • just messaging with hashtags is the wrong way.
  • engage people across groups.

Shel Holtz

SHEL HOLTZ – keynote on Integration Challenges

• legality of blogging
• ownership of social media
  • organization owns its efforts
  • those with passion/expertise should contribute
• ROI
  • choose SOI instead? (sphere of influence) – but we aren’t there yet.
  • need to talk about market share, growth, retaining best practice
  • must talk language of senior leadership
• Regulation
  • pharmaceuticals / financial services
  • DON’T VIOLATE ANY REGULATIONS
• Resources
• idea that companies need only “one voice”

Questions

• Is there a point where you give up and walk away?
• Are there any situations where once voice is good?
  • multiple voices are better than one
  • can speak to different audiences with different needs
• What’s the role of PR when introducing social media to clients?
  • education / facilitation
  • don’t focus on tactics
  • show dynamics of communities / conversations
  • campaigns work if recognize ethos of social media space
• Best practice: have an employee handbook that states company mission. Empower each employee to be front line PR person.
• Are blogs dying?
  • NO. Just fewer uses and and the way we use blogs has changed.
  • Everyone organization should have at least one blog
  • way to get out information faster than press releases

What to do when client thinks they know social media and want to do something completely counter-productive and wrong to social media?

• show examples why this is not the right strategy
• present alternatives
• use your judgement

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. The Social Media Way Of Life
2. An Interview on New Media (Part One)
3. Twitter Tip

I date. I dig Social Media. And I spend a lot of time thinking about both. Because the problem is, like I always say, that in dating and in social media, it’s the blind leading the blind. Well, now, I think it’s time to pin down some answers. And that is what has inspired the latest feature of “The Misadventures of Julie”: Dating 2.0. Each week we’ll tackle a dating situation made sticky by this wired world we live in. I’ll ask for your opinion. I’ll give you mine. It’ll be fun, I promise. And maybe we’ll even set some standards along the way.

Last time we had a lively debate about whether or not it is acceptable to getting a potential date’s phone number off Facebook. This week, a digital dating dilemna straight from a Google search that led some poor soul to “The Misadventures of Julie” only to find I can’t (yet) provide an answer:

Read on to see what I have to say:

Julie’s Take:

To be honest, this is an issue that I’ve struggled with myself. At times, I avoid even giving out MY LAST NAME because of how Google-able I am. Finding my blog and everything I write is a little intense for a potential gentleman caller especially if done by someone who is not in the social media world…

For the general public, here’s my suggestion: wait until after the third date.

Unfortunately, the ability to find out so much about a person in preparation for a date has ruined the fun and changed the way we get to know someone. I am an expert Googler/Facebook searcher but once you’ve found that person’s information, the mystery and intrigue is diminished.

I think there’s a general consensus out there that if you’ve gone on three dates with someone, things are going well and you both see some sort of a potential future with each other. Facebook friending someone after the third date is the perfect amount of time to wait – it expresses a desire to grow the relationship in a new way without seeming too eager – all the while allowing you to get to know the other person where it really matters: offline.

Have a Dating 2.0 question of your own? Submit it here and you may just see it on “The Misadventures of Julie” in the future!

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. Dating 2.0 – Best Medium for Post-Date “Thank You” Message
2. Dating 2.0 – DOs & DON’Ts
3. The future of facebook

I have recently been receiving quite a bit of traffic to this website from those who have specific questions about Facebook functionalities. If YOU are one of those people, I am more than happy to do my best to answer your question. To do so, leave your question in the form of a comment below. Hope this helps!

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I date. I dig Social Media. And I spend a lot of time thinking about both. Because the problem is, like I always say, that in dating and in social media, it’s the blind leading the blind. 

So when two articles came across my desk (well, my computer screen, to be really precise) yesterday about dating in a digital world, I was reassured that I’m not the only one grappling with questions such as Do Technologies Like Facebook, Twitter and Cellphones Affect Dating Compatibility? and Has Facebook has ruined the first date?

Well, now, I think it’s time to pin down some answers. And that is what has inspired the latest feature of “The Misadventures of Julie”: Dating 2.0 – DOs & DON’Ts.

Each week we’ll tackle a dating situation made sticky by this wired world we live in. I’ll ask for your opinion. I’ll give you mine. It’ll be fun, I promise. And maybe we’ll even set some standards along the way.

Without further ado, I give you this week’s digital dating dilemna:

You meet someone. You become Facebook friends. You want to get in touch with this person. You realize that he/she has his/her phone number is posted on his/her profile. Can you call him/her using the phone number found online? Or contact him/her in a different fashion and ask for his/her number that way? What do you think?

Read on to see what I have to say:

Julie’s Take:

I say it’s a “DO”. If a person’s information is available, he/she should be aware of the potential that others will find it.

For example, I have my phone number on my Facebook profile, although only for my friends and those I have met in real life. On the other hand, my address is much more protected and a more select group of people have access to it. 

However, use some common sense and take a second to think about how this person will react to your phone call. Does he/she know who you are? Has he/she expressed an interest in getting to know you better in any way? We may live in a Dating 2.0 world, but Dating 101 remains the same.

Have a Dating 2.0 question of your own? Submit it here and you may just see it on “The Misadventures of Julie” in the future!

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. Dating 2.0 – When To Facebook Someone You Are Dating?
2. Dating 2.0 – Best Medium for Post-Date “Thank You” Message
3. Google to Buy Facebook?

I have recently been receiving quite a bit of traffic to this website from those who have specific questions about Facebook functionalities. If YOU are one of those people, I am more than happy to do my best to answer your question. To do so, simply submit it here.

Common questions about Facebook’s new “subscribe via SMS” feature which I have answered below (scroll down to see all the answers or click on a specific question):

• What is “subscribe via SMS” on Facebook?
• How can I “subscribe via SMS”?
• How do I add “subscribe via SMS” to my Facebook account?
• Why can’t don’t I see “subscribe via SMS” on a friend’s Facebook account?
• Can I change my settings so that Facebook friends can’t “subscribe via SMS” to my updates?
• Can someone tell whether I’ve “subscribed via SMS” to someone’s updates?
• Can I tell who has “subscribed via SMS” to my status updates?
• I have other questions about “subscribe via SMS” that you haven’t answered. Where can I learn more?

What is “subscribe via SMS” on Facebook?

“Subscribe via SMS” is the ability to recieve a friend’s status notifications on your mobile phone through text messages.

How can I “subscribe via SMS”?

Go to the profile page of the person whose status updates you’d like to receive by text message on your mobile phone. Under their profile picture, you will see a list of options. “Subscribe via SMS” should be one of the options. Click on “subscribe via SMS”. It’s that easy!

How do I add “subscribe via SMS” to my Facebook account?

From what I can tell there is no way to add the “subscribe via SMS” to one’s profile. This option is “turned on” by Facebook and should simply appear. Note that you will not see this option if you’re looking at your own profile. I would recommend asking a friend to log-in and go to your profile in order to see if the “Subscribe via SMS” option is present.

Why can’t don’t I see “subscribe via SMS” on a friend’s Facebook account?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but mostly your friend has restricted your access (or perhaps everyone’s access) to their status updates.

Can I change my settings so that Facebook friends can’t “subscribe via SMS” to my updates?

At this point, anyone who is able to see your status updates can choose to subscribe to them. To change who sees your Facebook status updates, go to Facebook’s Profile Privacy page and change the “Status and Links” settings accordingly.

Can someone tell whether I’ve “subscribed via SMS” to someone’s updates?

Currently, there is no way for someone to check whether you have subscribed to their status messages.

Can I tell who has “subscribed via SMS” to my status updates?

Currently, there is no way for you to see who has subscribed to your status messages.

I have other questions about “subscribe via SMS” that you haven’t answered. Where can I learn more?

Simply leave your question in the form of a comment below and I will do my best to help you.