Social Media Jargon – Creating Confusion in the Workplace Daily

Sometimes I yearn for the days of St. Mark’s High School, where my mind was slightly more agile and getting an A on a psychology/philosophy/history/science test meant creating a list of important terms for each lesson and looking up their definition in the textbook’s glossary.  My oldest sister Theresa currently has the highest level of education of my immediate family (Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Washington University of St. Louis) and would swear her life by flashcards.  No offense to them, but such subjects have been in existence for at least a few hundred years and certain theories, definitions, and jargon are the norm of their field – you are sure to lose an argument if you disagree a term actually means something else.  However, myself and everyone else in the field of digital marketing and social media would agree that with such a new field of “study” (speaking of Twitter that launched in 2007 and Facebook in 2004) less than 10 years old, figuring out exactly what the proper jargon is leads to more confusion in the workplace on a daily basis.

Where is my mind? While on the commute #1

The following queries are things I have been thinking/wondering about today.  If you can answer any, leave it in the comments section.

Can you really trust a recommendation?  I have been through Yelp a couple of times the past few weeks looking for restaurants.  Ratings for one place can vary from 2 to 4 stars.  A friend can rave about somewhere, but on Yelp the ratings are only 3 stars.  Can you trust these random reviews from people of varying taste and preferences?  Everyone talks about how the ability to share tips and reviews on Foursquare, Yelp, etc. is a great attribute of social media.  However, when there are so many reviews out there by an infinite amount of people, is it best that I just go by my gut and try something despite it’s 3.5 rating – since you never know?  How can marketers/business owners ensure that when reviews are made about their product, other consumers will take them seriously? What process do you go through about making a choice of where to dine/shop/buy?

Where does social media fall into the mix of public relations, marketing, and advertising?  If the discussion of how to measure and price pr efforts has never been solved, will we figure it out with social media?  Will there be a norm in ten years?  Or will some other “media” be introduced we aren’t even aware of?  What about this business with artificial intelligence and singularity?  Will we sit on the couch all day and “think” messages to one another?

In other parts of the world besides NYC, does it make sense to buy a pitcher of margaritas for $45? (The Frying Pan) Is the view and the fact you are on a boat worth it?  I, and I am sure more of you, have had a beer on a boat fo free.

Has music become better, worse, or more advanced and involved?  Do only “advanced” people understand today’s music?  Should “hype” bands driven by clever marketing be compared to bands that have gained fame from fan support alone? Are they two different, incomparable sections?  Apples and oranges?  Apples are good for your health, but oranges are delicious for some people, and deadly to those who don’t like citrus.  Is manufactured and marketed music “the apple” and indie/underground/hype machine music “the orange”?

Isn’t success in the eye of the beholder? If some one sets certain goals for their career and they meet them, can anyone else say that they are not successful?  Are you expected to have certain behaviors based on your industry (marketing, medical, legal) or based on location (NYC, San Francisco, Bumble Arkansas)?  Do you measure your own success based on your goals or what people expect from you based on some norm?

Why is it so difficult to find clothing to fit your 5’8″ normal body in a world that manufactures affordable clothing for some one who is 5’4″?  Did women deal with this twenty years ago?  Did more women know how to tailor their own clothing?  Should I find a tailor?  I always felt only male big shots on Wall Street went to a tailor.

How long can I still B A PYT? 4 eva?

Thank you for reading this.  Good-bye.  You’re swell.  Enjoy the last week of summer.

Beach House \”Walk in the Park\”

Secrets to Start a Successful Career – Take Unreasonable Risks

Oh hi there.
Yes, we have a lot of catching up to do.

First of all, and most important, this lil lady is employed! After interning for less than two months, I am now a Social Marketing Coordinator for 360i, a digital marketing agency whose company culture is compared to Google, Facebook, and Twitter.  MediaPost picked up one of 360i’s most recent blog post about the 10 reasons why employees love working at 360i.  Check out the link yourself, but I will confirm that yes, the first reason listed is true: we do have a Tweeting Bar and yes, you can make a pit stop.

All cheesiness aside, I couldn’t be happier.  I love the work I’m doing and enjoy coming to work every day.

I credit my success in snagging a job (an almost impossible feat for all the entry-seeking college graduates) to three decisions I made in the past three months.

1. Moving to New York City after graduation despite not having a job, and no real plans other than to NOT go home after graduation.

Steph (The Big Brown Bag), Hanna, and I literally spent the last weekend of May finding an affordable apartment in a decent area, applying, and moving in.  No, we do not live in the nicest of areas in Brooklyn, and yes, we have had our fair share of “fun” experiences with the G, but for having little money and time, we lucked out.

2. Realizing that working at a cafe is not going to pay the rent and deciding to search for paid internships at 1 am on Craigslist.

I KNOW – you must be extra careful about applying to anything on Craigslist.  It got to a point where I was not making very much money and frankly felt dissapointed in myself with not having the sparkly career other people talk about.  I thought “ugh! Eff this, I have more than enough experience.  I can definitely get a paid internship.”  It was perfect timing – one of the internships I applied to was at 360i.  I received an email a few hours later, went in to interview, and started the following week.

3. Even though my internship was at the ideal agency, I knew it was important to keep looking and applying for other full time jobs.

I talked this over with multiple people about whether it was ethical to apply to jobs when I was barely at 360i for two months.  However – You never know what opportunity may come your way, and as my friend Emily always said, interviews can lead to more networking.  I was leaving work early to go in for one interview and had to let my supervisors know.  Enough word spread around and by the end of the week I knew 360i would provide a great deal of opportunity for me, and BOOM – I have a job there – and trust me, nothing has changed much so far, I’m just as busy as ever.

There are no free tickets when it comes to being successful.  It doesn’t really matter where you intern, who you know, and what school you went to.  What it boils down to is this – all experience is meant to teach you is knowing which risks are worth taking and trusting your gut- while having good timing.

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BTW – did you know I am a Savvy Lady that will Inspire You?

I Was There – “Who’s Your Mayor?” – What To Think Of Foursquare

Last night I attended 501 Tech NYC‘s event “Who’s Your Mayor?” (Exploring Nonprofits + Foursquare) with Emily. Naveen Selvadurai, Co-Founder of Foursquare, explained some of the reasoning behind the initial idea of Foursquare. Here are some of the key points I took away:

What To Think Of Foursquare

• Foursquare was inspired by the habit of people who live in cities like NYC with a plethora of venues, restaurants, cafes, and bars, but always go to their favorite spots.
• We should think of Foursquare as an excuse to break habit and explore new places.
• Foursquare turns daily life into a game.
• Foursquare is an example on how software can change people’s behaviors.
• A toddler in the online world, Foursquare is only 18 months old – but already has over 80 million check-in points.
• Foursquare can be used as a “diary” of your personal life i.e. check in at gym, check in at bar for friend’s birthday, etc.

Shelley Bernstein, Chief of Technology for the Brooklyn Museum, also presented how they utilized Foursquare to drive visitors by rewarding their “Mayors” and regular visitors with badges and free memberships (Brooklyn Museum is suggested donation btw).  It’s pretty amazing how they incorporated Foursquare on their Community Page and definitely deserves a look.

Final Takeaway – I finally joined Foursquare and will make it my mission to be a major for the Brooklyn Museum.

The Art of Social Media

Internet Week 2010 is half over but I can already say that the $10 for the HQ pass, $25 for admission to the Art of Social Media, and doing most of it without Internet in my apartment, it is well worth it.

The Art of Social Media was held on Tuesday June 8th at The Art Directors Club in collaboration with The Social Media Society, featuring paintings by Matt Held inspired by Facebook Profile pics, The Nudes of Chatroulette by Justin Gignac, a rowdy and rambunctious Stumblebum Brass Band, electric violinist Michael Schulman (you have seen him shredding in the subways), and a whole room full of characters somewhat involved with the Internet.

Yes, he is singing “I want to f*** you in the a$$.”  And yes, my mom reads this.

I’m on standby

David Binkowski, SVP of Word of Mouth Marketing for MS & L Worldwide, spoke at Hofstra University’s Monroe lecture hall tonight as part of a special speaker event series. The event was organized by HAMA and PRSSA as a way to educate students about not only to acknowledge social media, but how to utilize it to further their careers.

For myself, every point that Binkowski made only validated what I have been wondering all week: “where am I actually going with all this?” I have been programed since birth to follow the right path: to be in these clubs, to read about this, to learn about this, basically following what others have recommended. As I was sitting at Rubenstein today, staring at the same master circulation list, it dawned on me: for the first time, there is no set path to follow. I have to carve out my own way, but somehow I can’t limit myself to following just one passion.

I felt I could relate to Binkowski when he said he enjoyed working and that there is great value in investing in yourself. Therefore, ladies and gentleman, solves the query I have had for years: that while I feel like my time in college isn’t spent doing typical “college activities”, the things I do invest my time and energy in will pay off in the end. As Binkowski said “everyone has 24 hours a day” and it’s up to the individual to use those 24 hours to their advantage.

I also appreciate the point he made that with all the good that social media does, it “can’t replace face-to-face”. The way I see it, I’m both the introvert and extrovert. I find myself in “thinking spells” and would rather absorb and observe. I’m shy initially when approaching people for the first time; I prefer sharing information with others by communicating through writing/print/online (however you would like to view it). The Midwestern Mentality I find in myself (must I always remind everyone my parents were born and raised in SD?) is overly friendly, outgoing, personable, kind, and would bend over backwards for people. There is a way to balance both and cover all forms of networking.

After much teasing, I no longer bring my terrible Staples-printed, business card monstrosities to networking events. I had to resort to writing my info on a piece of pink paper from my Lisa Frank notebook to give to Binkowski. An internship at MS & L this summer would be ideal; I need to be pushed to learn more and invest in learning more skill sets. Hopefully it all works out. Hopefully he doesn’t think less of me that my twitter username was written on a piece of pink paper. Binkowski said generation y has nothing to lose and therefore we can take more risks. I took the risk of coming off as a 12 year old girl.

i’m gonna make it through this year if kills me

I stayed up until 3am typing up a backgrounder with Q’s and A’s for HMWC. I woke up around 6:30, got dressed, grabbed coffee, rubbed the crust out of my eyes and walk to the station. It’s pouring today, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I have stellar rain attire.

I definitely went above and beyond. It was only a five minute interview, which is still generous since they plan out their show well in advance and this was last minute. I was flustered since in my head I was thinking why am I really here? What is the point to all this? Does anyone even LISTEN to WRHU at 8 am on a Friday looking for PR work? I guess it is all for the experience, and I think I could be great at media relations and acting as a spokesperson due to my unfailing wit and eccentric attire. I didn’t get photos or a recording, but I’ll probably write about on the PRestige blog and try to sound a little cheerier.

I need to run to class but quickly…

new blogs i have become attached to: Hipster Runoff and Techcrunch

On Gawker there is a bit about how Al Gore’s network wants to let viewers have the opportunity to Twitter Obama during the debate. Seriously? Am I worthy? Does Obama deserve better than this?

"french is the language that turns dirt into romance" stephen king

last thursday – first airwave show for the fall at WRHU. was very very VERY rusty. played obnoxious electronica mostly. greg sat in for my last hour and we took cute mic breaks together. he played black sabbath for me during Aggressive Edge, the slot he dj’s for right after mine.

—- earlier that day Amy Goodman spoke as part of the Educate ’08 series. mind blowingly insightful about the role of media in today’s society

last friday – finished watching “Hero” in Chinese Literature. consumed 1/2 triple lindy burrito from Moe’s afterward, then played hostess that night

last saturday – Hofstra’s homecoming. pamela and i got breakfast at 10 am, then wondered why we got up that early for a 1 pm game. we bitched and moaned until after half time and left. consumed other 1/2 of Moe’s burrito. wandered about that night looking for a place to socialize. got to drive a bmw home.

past sunday – work, burrito from Chipotle. was not productive. asleep by 9:30pm. madmen was a repeat

yesterday (monday) – became deathly ill overnight. tylenol allergy medication + kleenex + 1.5 cartons of minute maid orange juice. watched gossip girl, finally got interested after 1.5 seasons

today – feeling better. proceeded with classes. it’s 11:27 pm and i still haven’t read the paper.
dammit

i wish i had something exciting to share, but currently my attention is focused entirely on french notecards.

i had an urge to listen to Rilo Kiley’s “Always” from Take-Offs and Landings and could NOT find it on youtube, nor with any google search. i’ve procrastinated enough from studying for french so i must abandon my search. if some one is feeling generous….

i should have office hours. professors and RA’s alike are required to have them; I should be required to get them. Just my reading routine repeated periodically throughout the day (order of importance and most likelihood to actually be read) includes:
e-mail
facebook
ny times (online, sometimes physical paper)
pitchfork
google reader (includes twitter search of jack cafferty and rick sanchez, jack cafferty’s blog, gawker, and random art blog)
this blog
links on this blog
twitter
search for new and interesting sites
look up areas of interest

i feel i forget the big picture. or sometimes show signs that i am not entirely sure what place i am at nor what age i am. in one day, i will talk about meetings, clients, research, and reading up on the news, and do all that while eating 5 chocolate chip poptarts and dreaming about my sailor moon halloween costume

perez is not my homeboy

i didn’t think this would happen
but in response to a week’s worth of information overload about how technology is constantly changing and how we need to keep up with it…somehow I, a somewhat non-technological, incapable traditionalist, have made a blog.

because when I think of blogs, I think of Perez Hilton…I hope to not go down that road…

Steve Rubel from Edelman Group spoke at Hofstra University last Wednesday to inform PR and Journalism majors alike about new media and how basically it is an unstoppable force we cannot control, but can utilize for our own benefit.

it scares me to imagine a future where people are more isolated than they already are and real personal contact is limited. I was reassured when Rubel stated that in order to reach consumers, business organizations must create relationships with their consumers. A collaboration between customers and businesses will generate the most success overall.

But still, I have always preferred interacting with people one on one and researching information independently. However, I realized that I must be more humble and come to the understanding that you have to keep up with what is already happening. My personal quest to bring about a society that values art, literature, music, and culture is not going to be successful until I adopt the habits and skills as my fellow consumers and peers. Which includes learning to appreciate blogs and those who read them.

On a personal level, my brain is fried. I spent about three hours in Calkins studio painting while listening to the new Devotchka album (thanks maggie), then I had to find the motivation to make this silly thing while waiting for my infinite amount of clothing to be washed. I’m going to attempt the crazy idea to sleep for three hours – the supposedly perfect amount in order to not be a zombie the next day. Which means if I sleep for three hours now…I’ll be up before the sun still.

Tomorrow morning is more painting, reading Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais before class, and attempting once again to actually read the paper on a Monday.