Wikipedia and Online PR

In protest of the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), US bills proposing to repress foreign websites that infringe on copyright (thus, Wikipedia and others believe, "infringes free expression"), Wikipedia has shut down for the day. Clicking a Wikipedia entry or searching for something on the home page will bring you to this message:

"Learn More" 

The purpose of this "blackout" is to inform the public about SOPA and PIPA and to galvanize the public to let the representatives of the bills know what they think.

If you click "Learn More," you will read about the huge discourse and awareness about the bills shared to the representatives, on social media, etc., (See: #SOPA on Twitter) and the impact the bills may have, if passed.

This inconveniences web users who in turn, learn about SOPA and PIPA and then, it seems, speak out against it, which is kind of cool. It's also a wise move for Wikipedia, I think, because they are proving that they understand the impact disabling information sharing can have. It's also a good PR move for the online encyclopedia because it is showing the public that it strongly values the freedom and openness of the internet.

Do you think the Wikipedia blackout and online pressure from the public will influence the United States House of Representatives and the Senate's decision on the bill?

What Your Automated Direct Message on Twitter Tells Me

Almost every day, I get Direct Messages on Twitter from people/businesses I've recently followed, asking (or telling me) to check out their site. I can tell that these messages are almost ALWAYS automated because of how generic they are. It would only make sense to send these generic messages manually if you were going to put my name in there. But of course that would be too much work.

How Has Your Site Become a Star on Social Bookmarking Sites?

So, you've started a blog. You sign up for social bookmarking sites Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious, Reddit and maybe even more and start linking your posts to these, commenting on others' posts and adding friends to your networks. But whenever you log in to these sites to see how many "views" you are getting or "Diggs" or whatever, you keep seeing that you have either zero or only one. And when you look at your site's traffic analytics, you see you are getting virtually none from social bookmarking sites. What are you doing wrong?

GreenHeroes: My Latest Adventure!

A Toronto shark fin ban? It looks like it's going to happen! Check out this blog post I wrote for GreenHeroes, an online web channel and TVO television series that tells the stories of people who were spurred on to help make changes in the environment. Our GreenHeroes include Jane Goodall, David Suzuki, Sarah Harmer, Rob Stewart and many more!

I've been working with the team at GreenHeroes on their social media and communications for about a month now and I love it! I love that I get to raise awareness about such important work and show people how they can get involved.

Please follow GreenHeroes on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for news on our GreenHeroes and information on how you can get involved in their causes. We'd love your comments on what we post and we will respond.

Kate Plus 8 and Children's Privacy

You may have already heard the glorious news....

Kate Plus 8 has been cancelled.

The show seemed to start the reality show trend of putting children's personal lives on television. You might be asking: what's wrong with that?

Well, for starters, I'd never want my mom to share her vast home video collection of me and my silly antics with the world. I would have probably been okay with that when I was a kid. Because I didn't know any better. These kids are far too young to understand what it means to have your personal life public and so aren't mature enough to make the decision to be on tv or not -- if they were even given the choice.

It has generally become trendy and very acceptable to divulge personal aspects of children's lives thanks to social media, specifically mommy blogging. I have been appalled by the information and photographs people publish on the internet of their children. Tales of diarrhea in public (actually in one Jon and Kate episode, the kids were sick and the cameras followed Kate around as she collected their soiled clothes and linens), pictures of scarred, bloated faces after surgery... I understand that motherhood is tough and social media provides a network to vent and read, but does that trump your child's right to privacy?

Now on Facebook!

You can now Like Beyond Passing Time on Facebook! Join for conversation on blogging and social media, more links to great music and nostalgia, revisits to the Beyond Passing Time archives and the opportunity to meet ME! Yes, ME!

Feel free to share links to your own blogs on the Beyond Passing Time Facebook Page, specific entries preferably, so we can talk about them. It's great exposure for your blog. We can discuss methods for increasing traffic: what works and what doesn't. I hope to see you there!

And if you haven't yet heard, I'm on Twitter!

Social Media Opportunities in Healthcare

Tonight I watched a live stream of Health Care Social Media Canada's Tweet Up, a panel discussion by health communicators about the opportunities in implementing social media in healthcare.

As some of you may know, I use social media very often in my personal life and I am passionate about social health issues, but I am also starting to use social media as I begin my career in health communications as an intern for the Association of Ontario Health Centres.

I love what social media can do to engage patients, not just with a hospital or a community health centre, but with other patients and with their communities. It's a great way to share information and concerns, but also a great way for healthcare centres to stay attuned to the needs of the communities.

And I am enjoying this idea of healthcare social media as a patient as well. I want to know what kind of research a hospital is doing; I want to connect with other patients who have the same issues I do.

But it doesn't just happen. The attitude that "If we build it (a Twitter page), they will come" just doesn't work. What I'm most interested right now is learning how to engage people and build followers. That can be hard for an organization, I think, because there isn't necessarily the time or money to effectively operate a Twitter account. Also, I think another obstacle is that an organization Tweeting doesn't necessarily have a face. People like to talk to other PEOPLE. And it has to be interactive with @mentions and relevant, valuable link sharing.

I keep asking myself: do community members want to add hospitals and community health centres to Twitter? Do they want to "chat" with them? More importantly, do the patients and staff who could most benefit from healthcare interaction on Twitter actually even use social media? And how can we encourage people to get accounts and use them?

Raise Awareness about How Twitter Raises Awareness

As a post-grad Public Relations student passionate about social health issues, I have produced most of my communications plans, news releases, blog posts, presentations, Tweets, etc. about why not-for-profits and other organizations are important and how they can improve their awareness and fundraising initiatives. Most of these assignments required research to understand what the organizations' needs were.

So I started checking out the Twitter profiles of organizations I wanted to write about. Organizations I have been personally involved with, or just really admire. I was shocked to find out that many of them have fewer followers than I do and they just don't Tweet much, or Tweet enough.

In my Online Public Relations class, I learned that organizations can reach huge numbers of people by effectively using social media. This means Tweeting often about relevant topics and to promote events and other great things. It means Tweeting in a way that will help people realize that there is a person behind the Twitter account who they can interact with. It means checking out what's trending and what those you are following need and are interested in.

Think about how young people communicate: the internet! Social media! By not Tweeting effectively, these organizations are likely not reaching this audience effectively -- perhaps not even online at all, or at all PERIOD. Young people can really benefit from these organizations.

I do not blame these organizations, though. I know they aren't lazy. I know they really care about young people. I learned in my Online Public Relations course that Twitter takes a lot of time and manpower to really reach people. You have to Tweet often to ensure you are seen and to encourage people to follow you. You have to Follow people and Tweet information that reflects your brand and values. This requires research.

Those of you who use Twitter probably know that you can spend a whole day just reading things on Twitter, searching for interesting people whose interests you share to follow. If you're an organization, you'll probably have to spend even more time doing this to make sure that you're reaching the right people effectively. The words you use and the links you share in Tweets have to reflect what you're all about. They have to interest and motivate people. This is why so many organizations have a communications member who works solely on social media.

With all of the work and small number of staff these organizations have, especially in the communications department, it's no wonder operating Twitter is likely low on their lists of tasks. Maybe it just doesn't seem like a priority.

Well, I think it IS a priority. Twitter isn't just for narcissists like me, celebrities and news organizations. Twitter is about engaging people. What better place to promote a fundraiser? To share a story that addresses stigma or a research breakthrough? To reach citizens you can help or powerful people who can help your cause?

I propose a campaign to raise awareness about great organizations on Twitter. Add me to Twitter (@cartooninperson), @mention me and a great organization and Tweet about how it could benefit from a higher Twitter profile and why its work matters to you. By @mentioning these organizations, we'll also show them that Twitter matters; we care about their cause and we value what they do for us. Twitter is a powerful tool for an organization to measure its impact. I'll Retweet the Tweets you send me that I believe in. You can do the same. @mention organizations to your friends. Let's start a revolution!

Tweet This

I just read this brief article that suggests Twits are "overTweeting" and it got me thinking: do people really Tweet instead of communicating with those they are with in person?

Tweeting does seem to distract me from living in the moment. I may have spent more time in front of my computer screen than in front of the television when I watched the Superbowl and the Oscars. I was Tweeting and reading Tweets. I watched these shows looking for things to Tweet about and wondering what others would Tweet. The constant feed of live Oscar and Superbowl Tweets in my feed let me know others were doing the same. And that's just the people I was following.

So, I can see how Twitter distracts people, but I'm not sure that it's always unhealthy behaviour. It was therapeutic to see clever Tweets about the terrible Black Eyed Peas performance. It made me feel less alone: others hated it too. Please don't think I seek comfort from Twits. I do have friends. I let my family know how I felt too. I always do.

I don't substitute Tweeting for real conversation. And I don't consider Tweets, even @cartooninperson Tweets, real conversation because they are often so one sided. A conversation never lasts for more than a few Tweets and it shouldn't. Who wants to look at your feed if it's loaded with your Tweets to other people that probably only make sense to the people you're directing your Tweet to? I only @ message people if the message is something that will make sense to others, something that could be Retweeted because it's clever and others know what I mean.

I wonder if companies using Twitter for online public relations can promote their company effectively while Tweeting effectively. To do this effectively, I think, companies would have to also Tweet about other things besides their company to really connect with people. Check out Starbucks' Twitter. The company @ Tweets to other Twits, but the Starbucks only seems to be @ Tweeting to respond to customer service type questions. I want to know why anyone would want to ask customer service questions through Twitter. I can see Tweeting to Starbucks about how amazing their marble hot chocolate is, though. Delicious!

Now maybe Starbucks will Tweet this blog entry. I'm going to @Starbucks them to find out. That would be amazing, as they have over a million followers!

Do you think Twitter is an effective tool for companies to reach their fans? Which, if any, companies do you follow on Twitter and why?

Twitter for Market Research?

According to many Tweets, right now, White Chicks is on television in Toronto. Yes, White Chicks is trending on Twitter. It's obvious from the Tweets that the people Tweeting about it have seen it before and love it:

xMrsCrosbyx Tweets "Just watched White Chicks for the 847278573 time in a row...never get tired of this haha #funniestmovieever."

emilym179 Tweets "Definitely watched White Chicks! Forgot how funny it was :P"

Then there are some Tweets blatantly including "White Chicks" to be found through searches of what's trending:

Weirdnesstcz0 Tweets, "COOOLx7 -_Twitter n Google cooperate to develop a brand new SearchEngine - http://bit.ly/fOcmQI === Mubarak #egypt White Chicks"

Yep, just when you thought you'd seen it all, Mubarak and White Chicks were mentioned in the same Tweet, even though Mubarak and White Chicks have nothing to do with the topic of the Tweet: Twitter and Google's new search engine.

These Tweets and others can be used to track how many people have seen White Chicks more than once and how many people love it. It's a content analysis, really. Obviously, it's not terribly accurate research because, like our friend Weirdnesstcz0, many people on Twitter may be writing about White Chicks to gain greater exposure on Twitter and not everyone who loves White Chicks will have Twitter accounts or be Tweeting that the film is on television and that they love it. Still, it is valuable research for television networks to see what is popular, to know that they should air it again. Also, other television networks could monitor trends on Twitter to get ideas about what films they should air.

Now, you're probably thinking that they could get all of this information by evaluating their ratings. True, but by looking at what else "White Chicks" Twits have Tweeted about, networks can assemble pyschographic and demographic research. You can learn a lot by looking at what people Tweet about. You can learn if they're students, what they like to watch on television, who they follow, etc.

Content analysis is often great market research because it is conducted after the fact and is unobtrusive, meaning the researchers aren't influencing the behaviour of their subjects or affecting the results of their research. Plus, it's obviously much cheaper and faster to conduct research by evaluating Tweets because there are no surveys or polls to conduct and information comes out in real time. The information comes straight to the researchers without them even having to prompt it.

Of course, researchers can also search for things in Twitter to see if people are already interested in something the researchers will share with a television network or whoever else is conducting the market research. If a network has launched a Twitter campaign, it can search certain keywords in Twitter to see if they've created a buzz around a topic. Then they just have to look at ratings, sales, etc. to see if that buzz has created results.



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