Measuring a Company’s SM Impact

Posted on by ccolem27

When companies are actively tracking and interpreting their content upon their social media sites it can give them the opportunity to see what content is being generated among their consumers and feedback. One of the best ways for a company to be an active member in measuring their social media impact and value is through listening. Through  a company listening to its consumers the company has access to understand what is being said about not only the brand itself but their products and what their consumers thoughts and opinions are. “Listening to and monitoring social media-driven conversations allows a company to gather data, enabling it to create metric-driven and define action items” (Luttrell 201). However, when a company begins to track and interpret their social media impacts it’s not just adding up the amount of likes, retweets, shares, or pins. Components within a companies social media site or campaign can be measured and used through frameworks, equations and four-step models.

Through the use of equations a company can measure their impact within their social media sites. The use of the equations a company can calculate a variety of different components; user lifetime, impression values, and social media expenditures. When calculating social media expenditures companies can use the following formula.

(Expenditures (E)=hard costs +cost/time spent +sunk cost)

Even though a company has a stellar social media sites or campaigns it is still important for companies to measure their social media impacts. If a company isn’t looking at their impact or listening to their consumers then how will a company know if they are being effective or not. When a campaign or social media sites impact is unclear than how would a company know how well they were or weren’t doing. Overall, when a company takes the time to listen and measure their impact their final outcome has the potential to be better than other companies who don’t.

http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-measure-impact-your-social-media-efforts

Social Touch via Social Media Today

 

 

#WhyIStarbucked

Posted on by ccolem27

“Everyday companies fail at social media for numerous reasons; the most common of these is that they simply do not understand the premise behind social media” (Luttrell 21). Over the past several weeks of taking this course I have witnessed numerous companies that are horrible at using social media, and several that just grab the bull by the horns and are awesome at almost every social media platform they use.

I have never been someone who loved coffee, and I don’t understand the Pumpkin Spice Latte craze. However through understanding and reading the course material I have gained a higher gratification for Starbucks. Starbucks is a company that promotes themselves through the promotion of others. On Starbucks social media pages they effectively use the 80/20 rule, where 80 percent is about their fans and other coffee related topics and the other 20 percent is about themselves and their brand. It’s not only that Starbucks shows a variety of pictures and videos on its social media sites, Starbucks also replies to the consumers that have comments or questions about Starbucks’s post.

https://www.facebook.com/Starbucks/photos/a.10150362709023057.369892.22092443056/10152796482943057/?type=1&theater

Starbucks Cups via Starbucks Facebook

 

Starbucks draws in their consumer base with the ability to give them more than just a regular picture of a Pumpkin Spice Latte or the Starbucks logo. Starbucks uses their social media sites as a way for consumers to use the hash tag #HowWeMet on Instagram and show where and how they meet others while at Starbucks, thus humanizing Starbucks brands by showcasing their consumers. Lastly, another great thing that Starbucks does on every social media site is cross-promotion. While looking at Starbucks’s social media sites each site had the same Starbucks’s logo as the profile picture and some of the sites even generated some of the same posts, pictures, etc.

As I stated above, I am was not really crazy about Starbucks before taking this class and with learning about the amazing ways Starbucks uses their social media to market things other than themselves the more I have fallen in love with Starbucks branding techniques. However, in the past few weeks I have gained more love and interest in Starbucks after they released their first LGBTQ commercial featuring two drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race. The commercial shows how two people can bond over a cup of Starbucks. I love this commercial not only because it features Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano but that even within this commercial Starbucks uses the 80/20 rule. The consumer only sees the Starbucks logo a few times and the commercial is featured about coffee in a nontraditional way.

Overall, there are companies that effectively use social media and others that don’t. However there is hope for the ineffective companies to become better at using social media. It is crazy to think that in our world social media is prevalent everywhere and that companies are still continuously bad at using social media. But companies that effectively use social media they’re leading the pack by being involved in social media it gives their consumers a chance to be one within the company. And with companies using different forms of social media and expanding to different audiences they can expand their consumer base through their social media.
Like me. Someone who hates coffee and everything about it but is now interested in the work Starbucks is doing because they reached out to my interest base. Ineffective companies should take note to this to better themselves.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=672317982816715&set=t.1030504674&type=3&theater

Bianca Del Rio and I via My Facebook

And I think Bianca Del Rio and I look pretty cute together:)

Works Cited:

Luttrell, Regina. “The Evolution of Social Media.” Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect. N.p.: Rowman & Littlefield, n.d. 21+. Print.

Crisis Management, Brands and Consumers oh My!

Posted on by ccolem27

http://www.johngrimesconsultancy.co.uk/crisis-management

Crisis Management via John Grimes Consultancy

In the world of social media it is easy for consumers to tell brands or organizations exactly what they feel is wrong with them, depending on these circumstances this can create a crisis situations. Whether or not a brand or organization understands how to deal with a crisis situation is key. “The reputation of a brand can easily be tarnished in mere moments because an active public now has the ability to take a stance, make a statement, and judge that brand based on how the company chooses to address (or not address) the crisis at hand” (Luttrell 159). Looking at this, it is critical for a brand or organization to respond to a crisis when one occurs; because once something is on social media it is then shared, liked, or re-tweeted and among consumers becoming more prevalent and effecting others. Taking a look at this there are five stages of crisis management a brand or organization needs to think about when preparing and dealing with a crisis.

The five important stages of crisis management are prepare in advance, isolate the origin, evaluate the impact, mitigate the crisis, and learn from the crisis. When preparing for a crisis in advance is to prepare a plan, trying to plan for every potential crisis that could happen within a brand would be impossible however, creating a plan can help with the brands crisis along the way. A brands crisis plan should include people on the crisis management team, messages that the brand wants to give about the crisis, objectives for resolving the crisis and procedures on how to deal with the crisis. By brands discovering where the source of crisis is and what social media sites are having the most impact it is easier for the brand to isolate the origin of crisis. After discovering from who and where the crisis has emerged the brand or organization can then be aware of the level of impact the crisis caused. When a brand or organization responds to a crisis in a timely and appropriate matter the brand has a better chance of restraining the crisis. When crisis occurs it gives brands or organizations a chance to grow and be better prepared for crisis in the future; with that being said brands or organizations should hold precrisis meeting to determine how they acted during the crisis and what they should do better for the future.

http://www.buchananpr.com/2013/02/social-media-helpful-or-hindering-in-a-crisis

Social Media helpful or Hindering in a Crisis via Buchanan PR

Whether a brand is starting out or have been around for a long time dealing with crisis and handling the crisis is something every brand needs to understand what to do. Being able to effectively talk with consumers on social media sites when crisis occurs allows brands to be insightful into consumers lives. Looking at this, consumers let brands and organizations into our personal lives and when crisis occurs it is easy for consumers to be hurt and have opinions about the brands that matter to them, taking this into consideration when brands deal with crisis they should take their consumers feelings into action and deal with the crisis accordingly.

Works Cited:

Luttrell, Regina. “Crisis Management on the Social Sphere.” Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect. N.p.: Rowman & Littlefield, n.d. 157-173. Print.

YouTubers and Brands

Posted on by ccolem27

While discussing the various forms of social media used it is easy to forget about YouTube and various other forms of video social media. “According to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research, video is worth 1.8 million words” (Luttrell 141). Looking at this one single person can deliver an impactful message in the span of a three minute video. YouTube is a social media site owned by Google, where individuals can create videos to upload and share with their subscribers. The videos on YouTube can span from a variety of subjects whether it be makeup tutorials, fail videos, or how to fold a shirt; the variety of videos are endless. When YouTubers create and share their videos they can create an audience and connect with people who have similar views as themselves. Through looking at this, brands can promote their products through famous YouTubers by having them do giveaways to promote a new product or line in the brand. By making YouTube channels themselves or promoting products on famous YouTubers channels is an effective way for brands to use YouTube. However, YouTube is also a way for famous YouTubers to describe to their followers about scandals happening with famous brands.

When the Ray Rice controversy was happening and many people of social media cites were bashing the NFL and Rice’s wife for staying with him; I found one YouTuber to be very comical and just about this particular topic. The YouTuber I am referring about is Megan McKay, she is from Canada and joined YouTube in 2009. Megan’s videos tend to deal with topics that are surfacing around social media. As stated above, Megan made a video about the Ray Rice scandal, the Hobby Lobby gay rights, Urban Outfitters Kent State sweatshirt, and many other controversial topics. By being one of Megan’s subscribers I see her input on these various controversies and also base my opinion on the matter from hers. When YouTubers add their input about a certain brand or controveries following a brand it is easy for their subscribers to feel similar to that YouTuber. I know when watching Megan’s Ray Rice Inspired Makeup Tutorial; I found her message within the video to be compelling and supported her claims against abuse. It also made me want to learn more about the Ray Rice controversy and everything affiliated with this scandal.

 

https://33.media.tumblr.com/2c069421c9cc3177976c2967543e93d5/tumblr_nc1s8iq2Sk1r83d7lo1_500.gif

Ray Rice Makeup Tutorial GIF via Megan’s Tumbler

With more and more social media platforms becoming popular over one another it is important for brands to remember about YouTube. YouTube is a way for consumers to look at their favorite YouTubers for advice and knowledge about a certain product or person. YouTubers can also be a way for brands to expand their consumer base by allowing YouTubers the ability to share and host giveaways of special products or hold special offers. However, brands also need to be careful because with the ability of sharing information about certain brands or products YouTubers can also hinder brands on YouTube. Overall, looking at the impact that YouTube has on brands and how YouTubers can also have an impact on a brand in making their consumer base larger. It is amazing thinking about how one video can reach a mass audience through the ability of sharing and social media.

Picture via my YouTube account

YouTubers I’m subscribed to. Picture via my YouTube account

Sources:  Luttrell, Regina. “Status: “It’s Complicated”” Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect..p.: n.p.,n.d. 141. Print.

Orange is the New Brand?

Posted on by ccolem27

As stated by Dr. Luttrell, from Social Media, “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Looking at this statement I feel it is crazy realize that how brands and organizations try to market their products take time and have a theory behind them. Just looking around, whether it be in the classroom, work, or among friends there are brands all around us. As a consumer when I want to learn more about a specific product I look at the reviews and trust what others say about a specific product. Now consumers don’t even have to buy a product to know if it works well or not. Because of this when I feel passionate about a specific item, brand or organization I feel the need to express my opinions to others to get them to like them as well. “Users of social media invite you into their lives once they feel they have been courted” (pg. 53). In regards to this statement when I like a particular item or brand I “like” the Facebook page so I can receive immediate updates on their new products and receive offers on various things. One of my favorite brands that does an amazing job on connecting their audience with the brand is Orange is the New Black.

The Orange in the New Black craze started roughly over a year ago, with the first season released on Netflix on July 11, 2013. Orange is the New Black is a Netflix original series that is based on Piper Kerman’s memoir “Orange is the New Black; My Year in a Woman’s Prison”. For me my love for Orange is the New Black started a little under a year ago, with many others that instantly fell in love with the shows characters, drama and bringing a real person’s prison experience to life.

#OITNB https://plus.google.com/u/0/+OITNB/posts

#OITNB via Orange is the New Black Google+ Profile https://plus.google.com/u/0/+OITNB/posts

Orange is the New Black is more than just a Netflix original series it is a brand that is becoming more and more popular as they produce more seasons. With audiences falling in love with Orange is the New Black, we can look at how they use social media to effectively promote their brand. Orange is the New Black has an official hashtag, #OITNB, that is also displayed in their profile picture on various platforms of social media. Orange is the New Black also created a campaign based off the popular movie Mean Girls, the campaign is titled on Wednesday’s we wear Orange. The Orange is the New Black social media sites asks audiences to take a picture of them wearing orange and share it on their social media websites, with the official hash tag, thus creating community within the viewers of the show. By seeing everyone who is wearing orange on Wednesday’s you can think either two things that they also watch Orange is the New Black and are going along with the campaign or they just like the color orange. Not only does Netflix and the Orange is the New Black brand keep their audience interested but the characters within the series and the actors who play them have social media as well. Which helps to expand the brand and get the audiences wanting to learn more about them and what they are doing while not filming the show. By doing this, Orange is the New Black offers audiences to have Q and A’s on their social media platforms with the characters so the audience can out reach with questions they have to the cast. Orange is the New Black also uses a variety of memes, which are tweeted, liked and shared across a variety of audiences social media platforms, furthering the knowledge of the brand and expanding the brands consumers.

 

"On Wednesday's we wear Orange."

“On Wednesday’s we wear Orange.”

Through brands and organizations reaching out and seeing what network base their consumers are on it is easy for them to get their message across without the consumers seeing the brands logo and products posted all over their social medias. By sharing information about a certain brand or organization and inviting them into our lives it is easy for the consumer to acknowledge a brand and if they have a positive experience relay that information to others. In a world were social media is becoming more abundant it is important for brands and organizations to remember to make themselves known in our lives without over stepping their boundaries.

 

Sources:  Luttrell, Regina. “Status: “It’s Complicated”” Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect..p.: n.p.,n.d. 52-53. Print.

 

 

 

Public Relations Four Building Blocks-week 3o

Posted on by ccolem27

Social media is evolving and quickly becoming an important aspect of our everyday lives; through social media we see what others are doing, visiting, and eating. Social media provides insight into others lives and let them in ours. Because of this, public relation practitioners are using social media to build relationships between an organization or company and the public. There are four key elements that public relations practitioners use, each element being different and can be used alone. However, a public relation practitioner strives to use and interrelate all the four key elements on a day to day basis.

When further examining these four quadrants I discovered that each of the four quadrants can make an impact by themselves however, when using all four quadrants together is when a public relations practitioner can achieve the highest form of success. Each quadrant is different and focuses on one main point; the quadrants are media, community, business, and government. By using different aspects of the four quadrants a public relation practitioner helps to build relationships between an organization and the public; and having good communication between public relation practitioners and the public is essential in our social media driven society. Through aspects of each four quadrant and being able to interconnect an organization and its public, a public relations practitioner is able to understand an organization’s big picture.

When I finished reading, I realized that when preparing to become a NSOA this fall that the orientation staff used some of the quadrants. As I am further understanding the quadrants, I have realized that the orientation staff used the media and the community quadrants, media being the main focus. Through social media the orientation staff kept us NSOA’s updated on certain events and important dates during the summer. The orientation staff also established hash tags for the NSOA’s to use to tweet about training events and share with one another how each event went. Media was the main quadrant that the orientation staff used it wasn’t the only quadrant being used, but community as well. The orientation staff wanted us NSOA’s to be plunged into the beautiful waters of Ypsilanti by trying local restaurants and volunteering with certain organizations. Through experiencing the community around us and volunteering us NSOA’s were able to provide our New Students with opportunities and knowledge not only about local restaurants but ways to volunteer in the Ypsilanti community.

Sydney and I excited to meet our New Students/via Facebook

With social media changing the way that organizations connect with the public, it is easy to forget that through social media organizations can connect with people from all across the world. And when creating and establishing a good image it is important to keep all four quadrants together because together they cause an organization the most success. By reading this chapter, I am beginning to understand what goes into creating social media for an organization and that there are important aspects that come into play when creating it. With social media evolving and everyone becoming more tech savvy it seems only fair that organizations are using social media to connect with the public.

Photo Provided by: latinlink.com