Social Honeycomb

Amanda’s Vay-Stay-Cay in a Tag Cloud

I was on vay-stay-cay for the past week, and it was just lovely and perfect and sweet. Thanks for asking.

Because you’re so darn cute, I’m going to cut you a break. In lieu of blogging about every little thing that happened last week, I’ll just share a Wordle tag cloud that highlights what went down from 10/25 – 11/2. If you need more though, and you’re my friend on Facebook or one of Greg’s contacts on Flickr, you can check out our photos–I’d say they’re worth a click or two. Even if it’s just for the dopey captions.

Back to reality, folks.

 Update: Also, LOVE.

SM4SC & U

This week, my dear friend Rebecca Corliss told me a bit about Social Media for Social Change (SM4SC), and what the new organization is up to. I think it’s great.

SM4SC is an online grassroots movement started by Boston’s Gradon Tripp to rally social media participants and influencers in support of a common cause. We’re all using new media and marketing tools to talk about brands, products, services, business… The focus here is on social change and helping people.

Gradon and the group tell a pretty inspiring story: “SM4SC is powered by the influence that individual people have within their own online communities to work together and make something happen. We’re utilizing the communal nature of the Internet, which can cause a YouTube video or blog post to reach millions, to raise money for crucially important charities and help fix real-world problems.” Pretty refreshing stuff, don’t you think?

The group is hosting its first fundraiser event on October 10 to benefit Jane Doe, Inc. It looks like there are a few tickets left, so move fast if you want to attend.

How will you help?

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!]

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

TotSpot and InternshipRatings.com at Web Inno 18

I was gabbing a lot at Web Inno last night, so I didn’t have too much time to take video. Luckily, I did manage to capture Michael from TotSpot and the Lauren/Stephanie dynamic duo of InternshipRatings.com with the Flip.

TotSpot is a scrapbook-like social site that allows parents to safely share all things “my cute kids” with friends and family. I obviously only got a really brief overview, but the site seems cute and certainly of interest to new and eternally excited parents. Thinking back to some of the choice photos from my early teen years, I’m thinking my parents would totally use this site to blackmail me… But oh, how I would get them back. Check the footage:

InternshipRatings.com wasn’t presenting at the event, but I’ve really enjoyed seeing Lauren Grunstein and Stephanie Gurtman, two Boston University students, take an idea and run with it over the past year. I met these two at last year’s PodCamp Boston 2 and since then they’ve launched their site and are seeing a fantastic level of participation from students across the country. The premise is that students go on this site and rate/tell all about their internship experiences at various companies across various industries. The site also serves as an advice hub for students curious about internships and career paths. Take a look:

This post can also be found on SHIFT’s blog http://snackablepr.com. (And yes, it’s important to know what people’s favorite snacks are.)

How I Felt About Web Inno 18

This is so video diary-esque, but I wanted to say loud and proud that I had a fantastic time at Web Inno 18 and definitely plan to attend more of these events. As I say in the video (which is long-winded and in which I think I say “psyched” about 17.4 times), I just love the energy around emerging businesses and startups in this space and I had a blast seeing it all in action tonight. Special thanks to my rockin’ client 211(me) for letting me loiter at their table and help explain their personalized mobile mashup service to interested passersby.

Web Innovators Group, you are teh cool.

[UPDATE: Allen Stern has alerted me that beyond saying "psyched" too much, I also say "you know" roughly 10,934 times in this video. Thanks for the heads up, Allen. This is why I don't make many videos...]

See You at (Social Media) Breakfast!

If you’re in Boston, I hope you’re going to SMB8 in the morning. I love me a good Social Media Breakfast. Will I see you there?

Mornings are tough. I might make this face at you.

The Newest Bostonian

Many of you know my lovely friend Alexa Scordato. Today I just wanted to express my excitement that she’s officially a Bostonian! Welcome home, Alexa. <3

Alexa with her Boston roomie and awakener of media Maria Thurrell

(Photo by Chris “Uncle” Brogan)

Video Pearls of Wisdom from the Pub Club Panel

I managed to capture a video at the end of the Pub Club “Buzz Word: New Media” panel on Wednesday night, and I wanted to share it with my readers. Brian Reich set it up, asking the panelists what PR pros should read or sign up for as a final word of advice. The speakers took the prompt in different directions, and I think there’s some good insight here.

Adam Ritchie thinks you should compare your company’s blog to industry leaders’ blogs and take a look at what’s missing or where you can learn from best practice examples.

Mike Volpe thinks that beyond reading something or signing up for something, every company should blog. He thinks if your company can’t blog, there’s something wrong because you should always have something interesting to share.

Patrick Richardson recommends that PR pros use the Internet as the marketing research tool it is. As he said, your customers are out there, opting in to conversations about your brand. His advice is that using RSS feeds is a great way to listen to these conversations and learn about your consumers.

Mark McClennan feels that too many companies are mute, but that the bigger challenge at this point is too many companies are also “blind and deaf.” There are effective, free ways to listen to and learn from all the things people are saying about your clients online. He also highlights that there are tons of PR pros sharing insight and information on the Web, and it’s important not to overlook these conversations as well. His parting words: You gotta listen and you gotta see.

Also, I won a copy of Brian Reich’s Media Rules. Share in my glee!

Five Plugged-in Dudes Get Fired Up About New Media at Pub Club

Before I headed over to the Publicity Club of New England’s “Buzz Word: New Media” panel tonight, I thought to myself, “When are we going to be able to stop calling this stuff ‘new’ and what kind of marketing/communications world would we live in that could allow that to happen?” Since you’re reading my blog right now, you’re probably at least somewhat technologically inclined, making you about 17 gazillion light years ahead of the average anyone. We tech/media geeks forget that too easily. I’m sure all the panelists would agree that we have considerable work to do before all this “new” stuff becomes widely adopted and understood. That said, I think moderator Brian Reich (EchoDitto and author of Media Rules) and panelists Adam Ritchie (Adam Ritchie Brand Direction), Mike Volpe (HubSpot), Patrick Richardson (Schneider Associates) and Mark McLennan (Schwartz Communications) gave their audience a push in the right direction.

One of the gems that stood out to me (besides the chocolate-covered raisins in my dinner package, mmm) was the discussion around being “on message.” Mike really hit the nail on the head as he explained that there’s simply no such thing as the crafted, corporate message working anymore and that “the message” is what people are saying, regardless of what you put in a PR plan or what your client’s legal team approves. I really liked that Mike took this idea one step further to say, “If you don’t like what people are saying, YOU have to change something. You have to change what YOU’RE doing if you don’t like what people have decided the message is.” I’m a firm believer in this concept, and it pains me when I hear stories about clients pulling their hair out over “this” vs. “that” word choices and ignoring what’s really being said about them on the Web. You don’t own your message, so listen to the people who are creating it and respond and collaborate accordingly.

Another key takeaway from the night was the discussion that social media tools and tactics aren’t always right for every client or in every situation. As much as we get excited about this stuff and see the value in bringing it to light for our clients, there’s no merit in rolling out a Facebook campaign or a YouTube contest if it doesn’t make sense for the goals you’re trying to achieve. The panelists mentioned that while Facebook might work for getting in front of college students, some almost-100 percentage of students also look to and trust their university papers for news. And let’s be real–no one is hosting an event with panelists getting fired up about how awesome newspapers are and fresh ways to use this sweet PR tool, but it’s good to remember that a little traditional/new mix-n-match can be the magic potion for meeting client objectives and achieving success.

Each of the panelists also stressed the importance of practicing what you preach by being engaged yourself. I really liked what Mark said about “social media finally enabling PR people to do what we’ve been WANTING to do for 100 years.” We have countless tools and opportunities to connect with people, learn new things and share interesting content, so why are so few people taking advantage?

In the car ride home after the event, Pamela Seiple, Mary Sullivan and I got to talking about the connection between online and offline interaction. In my opinion, the Web has given us a digital reflection of how social relationships exist in real life already, which makes the transitions from online to offline remarkably fluid. Brian alluded to a PR team in crisis mode taking angry bloggers offline to talk about issues as possibly revealing a flaw or failure of new media. I have to respectfully disagree. (Or honestly, maybe I just missed the point? Brian’s a soft-spoken guy.) I think taking plugged-in people offline is just an extension of the way they’re able to socialize online, and vice versa. And when bloggers and tweeple congregate offline, they’re most likely still texting, updating Twitter, sending emails–still connected to their online interactions. The fluidity of online-offline social interaction is pretty sexy if you ask me. Engage me online, engage me offline and let’s talk about online when we’re IRL and real life when we’re online.

And let’s remember: most people who are participating in this social media and social networking stuff are into the idea of engagement. These people generally want to connect, so if PR people are passing up opportunities to form relationships with the people who are driving “the conversation” on the Web (and offline!) about brands, products, public figures, whatever–they’re pretty insane.

All in all, I feel like a lot of my values and ideas about social media and its marcom uses were brought to the surface and that the overall excitement in the room tonight was promising. Every day we’re takin’ this thing closer to the future.

What do you think, boys and girls?