Social Honeycomb

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin Won Project Runway

Twitter has been abuzz with “Little Known Facts” about McCain’s running mate Sarah Palin.  I’ve been cracking up all night, and wanted to share my proudest achievement of the week:

PR 2.0, 101

As of a few weeks ago, I’ve been given the task of explaining how social media plays a growing role in our jobs during training sessions for new SHIFTers.  I came up with a one-page document that outlines a few different resources and tips relevant to the evolving practice of social media and blogger relations within the industry, and I think it actually gives a really good overview that’s helpful to my colleagues.

But… I figured, why not reach out and see if any PR pros or people approached by PR pros out there have nuggets of wisdom to share.  With improving understanding and ongoing education in mind, what would you want to make sure your new hire had on a PR 2.0 one-pager?  Maybe it’s an example of what not to do, or a tip on how to leverage LinkedIn.  Maybe it’s a blog tracking tool, or what you consider the simplest RSS feed reader for newbies.

I think it would be cool to compile a list of quotes from people who can share advice, encouragement, examples or opinions that I’ll then pass on to the SHIFTers and my Social Honeycomb readers.  I’m sure I’ll dig up some gems from PR Squared, PR 2.0 and various other PR/marketing/communications blogs, but I figured I’d open the door and invite you to chime in here.

Your 2 cents.  Spill it.

Your Engagement Needs a Goal

Back in January, I wrote a post discussing the various meanings of the word “engagement” on the heels of my two good friends, Jenna and Thomas, making the choice to get hitched. It’s time for the follow-up post, because I’m sitting here near Westons Mills, NY, getting ready to attend their wedding this afternoon.

So, what’s important to note here is that engagement, a word we hear so often, is not an end in itself. (Duh.) Engagement for engagement’s sake is useless unless there’s a goal and you move toward it. Here, this engagement involved my friends both moving toward the goal of being husband and wife, and here they are today ready to exchange vows.

In many cases when we hear about being engaged online, the love story comes from having a goal in mind and not mindlessly participating just to say you were there. Maybe your goal is to obtain information. Maybe it’s to contribute something meaningful. Maybe it’s to help someone and in the process make some money. Maybe it’s to build strong brand awareness. It could be anything, I guess. The times when people and organizations get involved and engaged online that work come when they’re not just taking up space or “doing this social media thing” because it’s shiny, but because it’s a meaningful way to reach a goal.

Now, a two-part call to action:

1) Have you seen instances where people or companies (most likely it’s companies) are trying new media tools, saying they’re engaged but really not actively working toward anything? Do you feel that your “engagement” on the Web is goal-oriented?

2) Do you have a message for Jenna and Thomas? Leave a comment for them and I’ll make sure they see your congratulations and warm wishes. [I'm sure I'll have pictures up in a few days!]

From Tin Foil Phonographs to iPods…

Earlier, Greg told me he had some sort of old-fashioned phonograph contraption, which got me thinking about how we listen to and have listened to music. I’ve grown so accustomed to my iPod and iPhone playing music at my command, on-the-go, in high quality and with great choice, that it’s now hard to imagine a world where that wasn’t possible.

I remember having a CD walkman and a CD player, which at the time seemed so cool because you could choose songs without waiting, even if the machines skipped sometimes. And before that, I think I recall a cassette walkman, on which I would play mixtapes I had recorded off the radio, pausing, rewinding and fast-forwarding the songs I loved when I was 10. Before that, I have vague memories of an old radio my dad kept in his workshop in the basement, where he would play classic rock while he built adirondack chairs and American Girl doll furniture. I had seen a few record albums in the basement, tucked away here and there–Billy Joel, maybe Earth, Wind and Fire–but I don’t know that I’d ever heard music play from a record player. (Greg showed me one once while we were walking around in NYC, but it was in the window of a store that was closed–so, no music.) Long before I was born, jukeboxes were installed at the Wonderbar Restaurant, owned by my godmother’s family in Worcester, Mass. When I worked there all through high school, the music was always playing–Sinatra crooning away as hungry families ate Italian.

I never really thought about music players dating before that. But this timeline from Steven E. Schoenherr (that unfortunately only takes us through 2005) gives a detailed history of how people jammed out to their tunes all the way back to the first recording of a human voice on a tin foil phonograph in 1877. Now we can share music online, start our own Internet radio stations, discuss the meaning of lyrics with people all over the world with the click of a button–hard to believe it all started with a clunky phonograph in the 19th century.

What’s interesting too, is that I associate certain songs and artists with certain music players. When you think about it, technology can drive our music memories. Do you have songs or albums that you think of in the context of the technology you use or used to listen to them? And how far back do you remember? Growing up, did you ever imagine that we’d carry music around in our pockets, listen to it from our mobile phones, never hear a skip or have to fast forward to the song we really wanted? I didn’t. Thomas Edison probably didn’t. Did you?

Amanda Gravel is not Amanda Chapel

I just want to take a minute to clarify something that I only recently came to discover.  Some people have been confusing me–Amanda GRAVEL–with Amanda CHAPEL.  I really don’t know much about what’s going on behind the Strumpette panties Twitter avatar, but that definitely isn’t me.  I’m a real person, as many will attest.  Just figured I’d mention that in case there was still any confusion.

My Last 24 Hours Ruled

My life is pretty great overall, but the past 24 hours have been quite stellar.  Let’s discuss:

1. SummerMash Boston: Boston had been looking forward to this hot party for months, and last night it was finally here.  Pete and the gang showed us a good time at the Roxy on Tremont St., with drinks, food, music, photos, networking, hugs, high-fives and prizes keeping the night going strong.  Oh, did I mention prizes?  Yeah.  That.  Last night I put one SHIFT business card into the running for a pass to SXSW–and I won!  It was funny, because I had been saying that I never win things, and then Karen Hartline called my name.  Totally wild.  I’m thrilled.  Thank you to Mashable for a great night out and for handing out such a sweet prize.
2. Move-in Date: September 1 is the absolute worst day in Boston every year.  Thousands of students are moving back, young adults who’ve graduated but still live here are switching places, roommates are shuffling around… it’s just awful.  And that’s my move-in date.  But wait–my awesome realtor told me that the people in my new place are moving out 6 days early, so I don’t have to move on the darkest day in Beantown.  FTW!
3. Positive Feedback: Today I’ve just been feeling like my work has been appreciated, that people are saying thank you, and that my efforts in various endeavors haven’t gone unnoticed.  It’s a good feeling.  And please, let’s take it one step further, outside of my little life–tell someone in your life that you appreciate what they do for you, or say thank you where you otherwise wouldn’t.  It means a lot to hear it, sometimes more than you may expect.
4. SYTYCD: The finale performance show is tonight, it’s awesome, and I love it.

Photo by Gradon Tripp