I'm Just Sayin'

I'm Just Sayin'

3 Reasons I Hate Blog Posts that Feature Lists and # Reasons

Dave Siekanowicz - Wednesday, January 25, 2012

See what I did there? Very tongue in cheek (if I do say so myself).

This blog is a combination rant,commentary and airing of grievances all in one. As part of my daily research to keep up-to-date with all things social, digital and PR, I go through a bookmarked list of blogs that feature the latest posts related to said areas of interest. I then check my Twitter lists to see what the important people are Tweeting about. Since Twitter is a great sharing platform I figure any worthwhile stories, blogs and articles will eventually be tweeted.

And I must report that I have noticed an annoying trend. Let me know if you see it:

5 Tips for First Time Managers
5 Ways Social Media is like a Networking Event
5 Facts You Didn't Know About Facebook Edge Rank
7 Reasons Every Job Seeker Should Have a Blog
11 Things That Annoy Journalists and Bloggers

Numbered Lists! The most frequent post titles read like the cover

of a Cosmo Magazine! I don't believe that everything we discuss

and share can be summed up in a list of points or steps. Since when

did everything become so black and white? Especially in the world

of new media! Those "4 Steps to Gaining more Followers on Twitter"

can become passe, annoying and outdated methods a week from now. On the other hand who says it takes 4 steps? Is there no 5th step, is there no way to take it down to 3 steps? Cheeses Murphy- what about those who have a 1 step method that gains them more followers than anyone else (having the name Justin Bieber usually helps with this).

So, what are we to say then? Is it the chicken, or the egg? Have we begun to expect a quick fix via a list of steps and procedure to the problems in the world of professional communications? Or is this step listing method the holy grail, the special sauce, the ancient Mayan paradigm that actually holds the answers to all our communication problems? Maybe numbers just intrigue us in a way words cannot; must be that shiny toy syndrome.

You may notice that I did not actually list 3 reasons as my title suggested- my point being it doesn't matter. It's fun to read said blogs and they are oh-so-easy to Tweet out to our followers, but we must remember that the numbers can change from day to day [correction- they do change day to day]. Just when you thought there are only 11 things that annoy journalists and bloggers you may be surprised to find out you subconsciously posses the hidden "12th thing".

Dave Siekanowicz

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Cutting Through The Clutter Part 3- You're Supposed to be Social... Say Something!

Dave Siekanowicz - Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Happy New Year!

I know, I'm only 4 days late but hey- it's been a while. I should have probably finished this series before the holidays but things just got crazy busy here (crazy is good)and the blog got put on the back burner. But alas! I have returned to finish this mini series: Cutting Through The Clutter. Here's a quick recap of what we discussed in the previous posts:

Of all the social networking sites out there, less than 5% really matter to your business
That 5% of the pie is also important to 95% of your competitors
Your 5% varies on your industry, location and culture- so make sure you get it right
Bottom line: everyone's putting all their eggs into the same basket
The goal: cut through the clutter and rise above your competitors to reach your audience

Today's final addition to your social media tool belt (think of it more as that cool belt Batman had with everything from shark repellant to ninja stars): being social. Now this may sound simple enough, but you'd be surprised how many people completely ignore this step. Once you have your tiny little piece of the social media landscape all set up and running it is crucial that you actually use it to communicate with your audience.

I find that the quiet individuals (the companies that will soon be left in the dust of the social media race) make one of two errors that result in their silence. Firstly, they are afraid to interact with their audience, quickly falling into the category of the faceless corporation. If someone writes a negative comment, don't be afraid to respond. If someone asks a question, especially a tough question, don't ignore it. Fear of taking on posts that may be challenging will usually result into your audience tuning you out. Interaction is key, it is not enough to just talk- you have to be a part of the conversation.

The second type of quiet death (creative eh?) comes as a result of fear to say anything that may draw an opinion. Companies make the mistake of assuming that playing it safe means not recognizing or making comments on anything related to politics, religion, international events, taboo topics, different holidays, important sporting matches or anything too scary, too emotional or too challenging. Everyone else knows what's going on, you might as well say something about it. If there is a major political election you should say something, you don't need to out right endorse a candidate but feel free to remind people to vote, volunteer or just get informed. If a local tragedy happens don't avoid it and write about the weather, instead make an appropriate post or comment that will help your audience remember you're also human- and sometimes life just sucks.

Regardless of what your approach is remember that in social media silence is deadly.

Dave Siekanowicz

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Spidey Senses Foretell New PR in Future

Dave Siekanowicz - Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Today as I was doing my morning blog roll, I came across an interesting line written by Alan Cross (a popular music historian and guru) in a recent post on his Explore Music blog. The post was in regards to the latest reviews of the new Broadway Musical written and scored by Bono & The Edge of U2 fame, entitled "Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark". So far the musical, now dubbed The Most Expensive Broadway Production Ever*, has not been a favourite of the critics. With constant criticism, a poor story line and dangerous stunts that sent several actors to the emergency room, the new Spiderman musical couldn't catch a break.

Despite all the setbacks, the musical opened again to favorable reviews. Much work still needs to be done, but at least it is no longer a complete disaster. Alas I digress, the line which stuck out to me was Cross' final comment in regards to the future of the production "And there is still much work to be done on the PR front. It [Spiderman Musical] needs many weeks of big crowds just to break even".

Regardless of the many technical improvements, the poor PR the production has been plagued by thus far has left some deep scars the public will remember when buying tickets. This is just one of the many illustrations that helps put the weight of brand/image/public reception at level with basics concerns such as quality/product/expense. Without the proper framing, branding and marketing that PR professionals provide, even the greatest product can suffer. All the hard work and investment that goes into production, development and distribution can be time/money wasted if members of the public (future customers & clients) are not properly engaged.

What will happen to the Spiderman Musical in the coming months will either serve as an excellent case study of how much PR can accomplish if implemented properly or an example of how all the re-vamping and TLC’ing in the world can’t help resurrect a show if the PR misses the mark.

Is your PR working for you?

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"You Can't Always Trust Facebook"- Martin Luther King Jr.

Dave Siekanowicz - Thursday, May 05, 2011

It's quite amazing to see the validity-free power Facebook users can experience and exercise on a daily basis as they share, message and post just about everything and anything they want. I can list myself as having attended Harvard, or check in somewhere I'm not with people who aren't with me while updating my status to any ridiculous activity my mind chooses. While this can all be fun and games, the end results can generate some less than credible information (or just pure lies).

A few days ago, following the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden, a popular Martin Luther King Jr. 'quote'* began circulating on Twitter and Facebook, "I mourn the loss of a thousand precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." Sounds nice enough right? The problem: it's made up! It wasn't a malicious invention designed to tarnish the words of Dr. King, but rather a mix up. On Monday a Facebook user named Jessica wrote the aforementioned statement and proceeded to follow it with a quote from Dr. King. A few of her friends liked it so much they decided to repost and retweet it, assuming the entire posting was a quote from the great MLK. Within hours Facebook and Twitter were buzzing with a newly popularized MLK quote.

Of course the people at Atlantic Monthly and The Washington Post noticed that something was off and after some research were able to bring the story forth and set the record straight. Now it's not a terrible mistake, but it is a mistake that reveals the power of Facebook and Twitter. Social media can now help legitimize and spread information at rates faster than any other service. This is why this story is so particularly interesting: it could have only worked with Facebook. The quote would have never been as widely received if it would have been shared using email, Myspace, YouTube, texting or the countless other forms of new media.

The lesson here: situations such as this reveal the unequivocal power and speed with which Facebook and Twitter can spread information and messages. They could very well be the most effective tools you have at your disposal. But the question is, are you using them correctly? Or could you use a helping hand to guarantee improved results?

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#Happy Birthday in the world of @Social Media

Rachael Carswell - Thursday, April 28, 2011

I must credit the inspiration behind this blogpost to our very own Leanne who is celebrating her birthday today: Happy Birthday Leanne!

The impact of the internet of celebrations, rituals and ceremonies is not all that new. It feels like birthday e-cards have been around for at least 15 years and since then not much has improved. That is until social media helped take something as simple as "Happy Birthday" to the next level. Whether you're on a student budget or have money to spend, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube now offer more ways to wish happiness on the day of your friend's birth than ever before.

Sure you have your stereotypical wall post, tweet, video, fan page or private message, and those are all great. But what happens when social media decides to *really take it to the next level? We now live in a world where you don't have to spend money to buy real gifts or cards for your special someone. You now have the option to spend money on a non-existing virtual gift! Yay! Why buy something when you can buy nothing?

Facebook has their own Gift Buying network, where for a few dollars you can send a rose, a puppy or a bunch of balloons in an attempt to extend your warmest wishes. Since then we have seen a rise in third party applications which allow you to buy and send mini virtual dancing clowns, rabbits or whatever you please. But virtual gifts are nothing compare to virtual parties! For a fair price this application will allow you and a few friends to celebrate that special day by chatting, playing games and killing time together in community right on Facebook regardless of your physical location. But what birthday "gift" tops all of these? Well, how about taking out an ad wishing your friend a Happy Birthday? Using Facebook ads you can create an ad of warm wishes and target it towards all your friends and that special birthday celebrator.

Regardless of how you chose to express your birthday wishes there seems to be a divide between the free (I would argue sane*) method of a wall post or tweet and the excessive sending or creating of a virtual 'nothing'. I beg to ask why, but I feel that spending the money is what justifies the gift; it's what reflects your extra effort in wanting to be different and go the extra mile.

Words of wisdom- instead of spending money on a virtual gift why not head over to World Vision and buy the gift of food or medicine to those who desperately need it in the name of your birthday friend. There's an idea that will topple every virtual teddy bear Facebook has to offer*

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SMZ Episode 9

Rachael Carswell - Tuesday, December 07, 2010

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How to break through the social media clutter

Alan McLaren - Sunday, November 21, 2010

I think it all comes down to relevance and engagement. We all have communities that are interested in our stuff. Where we get bogged down is trying to compete with the noise by being present, but not relevant. This means posting content that serves the company and not the "followers". This game is not about selling (at least not obviously).... Its about influencing and engaging the audience that values your expertise.

One other thought is ensuring that you understand how to compete in this space, which is about connecting the dots with all your marketing efforts. Social cannot (generally) exist in a vacuum and when you look at all the communication strategies you currently use and add social, you make them all more effective.

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