For a year and a half, I’ve been active in social media as a public relations student, a recent graduate interning at a big firm in a new city, and a young professional getting settled in her new career.  As I grew and changed with each of these roles, so has my presence in social media.  I believe this shift is one many students go through as they get their first jobs, though the results are extremely varied.  Since the majority of my readers are PR students, I wanted to share how my social media activity has changed since I’ve embarked on my career and why it’s okay to experience change.

When I started blogging on PR Interactive, almost 2 years ago, I wanted to enhance my classroom education by analyzing and reporting industry trends.  Back in 2007, the PR trend to discuss was social media.  Most of my posts focused on digital PR campaigns, Twitter, Facebook, and viral videos and how these were influencing public relations students and professionals.  Rarely did I write about traditional PR campaigns.  To create a balance in my extracurricular education, I started following agency blogs and college professors.  This opened my eyes to another benefit of social media: the world of networking.

I began using my blog as a networking tool in addition to supplementing my college education, especially as graduation grew closer and the impending job search became necessary.  Twitter started to grow in popularity back in early 2008, so I created an account and started interacting with professors, students, and professionals from around the country regularly and easily.  My digital network of PR influencers steadily grew via my blog, Brazen Careerist, and Twitter, and it’s no secret that this group of amazing people helped lead me to my outstanding internship and, subsequently, my current positon at NMS.

The last year, as I’ve embraced the title of “young professional” and [reluctantly] let go of  “college student,” has probably seen my most dynamic shift in terms of social media presence.  I don’t blog frequently or consistently, but I still comment on numerous blogs each day to engage in conversations about the PR industry.

Additionally, my Twitter network has grown exponentially to include the bloggers and journalists I frequently work with on behalf of my clients.  Instead of focusing on just PR and social media, it’s imperative that I have an invested interest in the entertainment industry since the majority of my clients fall into this category.  Following entertainment professionals – whether it’s a movie studio or a film critic – on Twitter has allowed me to build better relationships with them and my clients, which as I often say, is the foundation for good PR.  And, of course, my Google reader is now filled with entertainment/film/TV blogs that I frequently comment on, too.

Currently, though I might not be as active on my own blog as I used to be, I’ve found ways to incorporate social media into my daily life outside of what I already do every day at NMS.  All of it provides me with a better understanding of what I do as a PR professional at a digital agency.

I’ve also started using Twitter and blogs to learn more about my personal interests, such as traveling and the hospitality industry.  I recently launched a separate blog,  Take Flight, that allows me to investigate the tourism industry more in-depth, much as I did with PR back in 2007.

Though each of these stages allowed me to use social media differently to benefit my education and career, one aspect remained the same: social media allowed me to dive deeper into my passions while constantly learning about a variety of topics in ways I never thought possible. Communicating with much wiser people, who I might have never had the chance to meet and learn from, impacted my life, career, and knowledge of the online world in a way that will always be the most significant part of my social media presence.

As 2009 grads start their new lives post-college, I hope they  realize it’s okay to change the way they use social media, and that their audiences and network will most likely shift, too, as they become more involved with the type of work they’ll be doing.  As long as social media is providing value and education, there’s still benefit to participating, no matter how often (or not) you use Twitter or write on your blog.

(h/t to Sydney Owen for asking some great questions recently that sparked this post.)

Recently, I’ve found myself wondering if social media marketers (myself included) are missing a massive opportunity when it comes to marketing to Millennial consumers. With the availability of numerous digital tools and our social media culture, it’s become much easier to interact with the 18-24 year-old demographic. Easier, however, does not mean more effective.

This morning Marc Meyer put out this Tweet:

Since I had just read two articles from the Wall Street Journal and MediaPost stating that only 22% of Millenials use Twitter, and of those, only 29% follow companies, I agreed with him.

Then, Marc asked me a thought-provoking question: How would you market to you?

Good question – one that forced me to separate myself from my day job as a marketing professional so I could think like the 23-year-old kid I am.

Below, I’ve listed several ways I’d like to see companies marketing to me.

1. Rely on Word-of-Mouth. With social networking sites, what you say and do can spread rapidly among my peers. If 10 of my friends become a fan of your page on Facebook, it shows up on my homepage and I’m intrigued, and more likely to click through to your page. Facebook makes this easy with its advertising, but if you can find ways to do this on Twitter and other sites, you’ll certainly be helping out your brand.

2. Add value by being relevant. However, don’t expect everything you say to cause a cascade effect on social media platforms. Focus on adding value rather than overloading on content. People my age are really, really good at tuning out what we don’t want to hear. (Just ask our parents.) The best way to ensure we’re listening to your messages is to make them relevant to us. Learn why we’re in a given community, whether it’s Facebook or Twitter or an iPhone app, and speak to us without severely interrupting what we’re doing.

3. Be conversational. When you’re trying to build awareness about your brand to gain customers, don’t use social media as a billboard but as a telephone. Social media should be an interactive tool, and when your consumers speak, listen and respond. In my experience, the most successful Twitter accounts and Facebook fan pages are those that go beyond simple @replies and wall posts. Ask questions, get our feedback, and implement changes. Everyone likes to have their ego stroked, right? Brand consumers, especially Gen Y ones, are no different. What feels better than having a company listen to reasonable, quality recommendations we’ve made?

4. Offer free stuff. We’re just out of college.  Loan payments are becoming a harsh reality.  If you want us to try out your brand, give us some free samples or coupon codes.  Reward us for being loyal customers by launching programs like all those restaurants do. Imagine if your favorite sunscreen or deodorant had Buy 10, The Eleventh Is On Us cards? I know I’d be much more inclined to consistently buy my favorite brand rather than whatever is on sale, which is what I do now.  Plus, if a company could build an entire online community based on the loyalty rewards system, I’d probably check it out to see what other users are saying about new products/sales/coupons/etc.

5. Give back. Millennials are do-gooders, and we pride ourselves on supporting companies that are good, too. If you can leverage a social responsibility campaign into your marketing plan, make sure the right Gen Y demographics are aware of it. Kind actions certainly make advertising words stick better in my mind.

What else can be added to this list? What companies do you think are already doing a great job marketing to Gen Y through social media? What other ideas are there beyond social networking sites?

I recently received this press release from the PRSSA chapter at my alma mater, and found the results interesting enough that I wanted to share with you.  Basically, a research team found out that social media marketing might not be as hard-hitting in the college crowd as we thought.  Granted, the sample size is a bit on the small side, but I do think the concept behind the research is worth noting: many college students only use these sites to interact with their friends, not with companies and brands.  It’s hard for me to imagine this since it’s what I spend the majority of my day doing, but I’m really interested to see what you all have to say after reading the press release:

A recent survey conducted by a research team from the Walter E. Griscti chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America at the University of South Florida reveals that this generation does not understand the business applications of new social media sites like Twitter.

Of the 250 Florida college students surveyed, 99 percent use social networking sites. However, only 15 percent have an account with Twitter and 34 percent have never even heard of the site.Some 58 percent of the students who have Twitter accounts never use the service or rarely log-on.

“There is a stereotype that because students are always plugged in that they understand the strategic uses of social media sites,” said Kelli Burns, professor at the University of South Florida and author of the forthcoming Celeb 2.0: How Social Media Foster our Fascination with Popular Culture. “Businesses have a misconception that students know how to use Twitter; these findings prove otherwise.”

The research team survey results reveal two distinct findings. First, college students are not active Twitter users. More importantly, they are not interested in interacting with brands through social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

A common misconception is that sites like Twitter offer an innovative way for advertisers and companies to interact with the young demographic. However, 75 percent of students say they would be “not at all interested in” or “don’t care about” following brands, companies, or organizations on Twitter.

Many companies assume that social media enables college students to be smarter consumers. Sites like Twitter, social media analysts claim, act as a medium for the new two-way communication between brands and consumers. Given the media chatter about the importance of social networking for corporations, there is a disconnect between the promise of social media and reality.

Results reveal that a mere 6 percent of college students follow companies and only 4 percent follow brands on social media sites. These findings suggest that if corporations and communicators continue to bet on college students using social media sites effectively, they may come up empty handed.

The fact is that college students use social media sites primarily for keeping in touch with friends, not for networking or brand interaction. Until Millennials become less weary of this interaction, the gap between what business professionals expect and what college students actually know will continue to widen.

Do you think this report is accurate? Do brands communicating online miss the mark when attempting to engage with collegiate consumers?

I spent Super Bowl Sunday hard at work in the NMS offices gearing up for the launch of my company’s re-designed website and monitoring online buzz about brands advertised during the game.

As a young professional in the public relations industry, the Super Bowl provides immense insight into consumer marketing and brand monitoring – which is why I was thrilled when one of my co-workers asked me to help with the Super Bowl Social Media Snapshot and working on the launch of our new website.

Getting Involved with the Website Launch

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned since graduating from college is when any of your colleagues ask you if you want to work on a project with them, you enthusiastically and immediately accept. This is what I did last week – and it led to a great opportunity that allowed me to use and develop my PR skills in a new way.

Yesterday, a 14 hour day at the office, allowed me to work on very challenging and rewarding projects that have stretched and improved my PR skill set. Not only did I get to work on the Social Media Snapshot, I also learned how to effectively market a company’s website re-launch.

I had never publicized a website launch before, so it was a great learning experience, especially since company websites are usually the main source of information for consumers and employees, both current and potential. Because of this, both internal and external PR was used.

Navigating the New Site for Highlights

Before the site launched, I spent considerable time browsing it to familiarize myself with all the new changes and how they enhanced the company’s brand and would provide visitors with engaging and necessary information.

Since NMS is a social media marketing company, my team knew we had to highlight the features of our site that showcased our experience in this area. For example, many of our case studies include links to Delicious bookmarks with placements we received. This innovative feature is valuable to our clients and employees. Picking out a few key elements will help draft reader-friendly marketing copy when it comes time to promote the site launch.

Writing the Press Release

Press releases spread the word, and when distributed via newswires they increase SEO results. Writing marketing copy and press releases about websites can be tedious, but every site launch needs them.

To ensure the release included the features on our site we wanted to highlight, but was also reader-friendly, we opted for a short introduction and a bulleted list of the features we wanted to showcase. This included our Flickr gallery, employee profiles, blog with 86 employee contributors, and interactive timeline.

The press release needed to provide readers with comprehensive information about the new site, that will pique their curiosity enough to drive them to the site.

Spreading the Word

If necessary, your company might want you to distribute your press release to the public over various newswires. Here are some free ones: OpenPR.com, PR-USA.net, Free-Press-Release-Center.info, i-newswire.com, PRLog.org and PRZoom.com. PRWeb and PRNewswire are paid services that allow more options for distribution and might be a good fit depending on your company, budget, and the quality of the website’s features and usability.

Pitching journalists and bloggers who cover your industry will help give the launch more publicity, leading to higher traffic and more press for your company.

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Have any of you worked on a site launch before? Is there anything you would add to these areas?

It’s no secret that I’m a social media geek, which is why I had no problem spending Super Bowl Sunday in the NMS office working with my co-workers to compile the 2009 Super Bowl Social Media Snapshot.

The snapshot, a quantitative and qualitative analysis, looked at how consumers used social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Wikipedia, and blogs to discuss not only the game, but also the brands featured in those million dollar commercials everyone keeps talking about – for now.

What I love about social media is that it allows companies to connect with their consumers on a deeply personal level. This is what most of us find fascinating about social media, right?

Unfortunately, most advertisers have not fully embraced this concept yet… which is why the Snapshot revealed that marketers may have missed a huge way to engage and connect with their consumers by not providing long-term relationship development opportunities.

Here are some of the findings I found most interesting:

• In the 24-hour period surrounding the game, there were over 191,000 blog mentions of 41 Super Bowl advertising-related brands, personalities and terms
• During the game itself, there were about 41 Super Bowl advertising-related brands, personalities and terms
• Movie trailers and car companies saw the highest volume of blog mentions; notable performers included Audi, Star Trek, Hyundai and Transformers 2

However, here is where advertisers missed out:

Despite Facebook’s ability to serve as a tool for companies to build lists, much like Obama did by building a database of 13 million, through the group and brand pages, this year’s crop of advertisers failed to leverage the free tools available to compliment and maximize their TV buys.

• The analysis showed minimal discussion on Facebook brand pages regarding spots aired during the game
• Companies were selective in the platforms that they used – most posted their ads on YouTube at some point, some also ran a Twitter account in the character of their ad spot; however, users proliferated on dozens of social media platforms and no one single company successfully activated and realized the potential that was out there
• For a significant number of online community members, social media usage surrounding this year’s game was centered on sharing and documenting their own Super Bowl Sunday experiences, including: preparing snacks for a planned Super Bowl party, watching the game with friends at a local bar and families tailgating in head-to-toe Steelers or Cardinals fan gear

Engaging consumers on a variety of platforms, such as promoting a Facebook fan page community or a highly interactive Twitter account (kudos to the brands that did this!), should have been the rule, not the exception.

The full report can be downloaded in .pdf form here: http://newmediastrategies.net/docs/NMS-Super_Bowl_Snapshot_Report_2-2-09.pdf

Update: The Wall Street Journal ran a story showing how advertisers used Twitter to “keep Super Bowl buzz going.” The brands are: SoBe, H&R Block, E*Trade Financial, and Overstock.com.  Some of these brands have a lot of work to do when it comes to engagement and response, but at least it’s a start.

My friend Mike shared these clips of the Sony Bravia campaign with me. As I watched, I was glowing with pride for my industry. Not only are the ads moving, creative, and original – they also have a clear message. Imagine that.

What struck me the most, though, was the fact that Sony and the creative agency posted behind-the-scenes looks at both ads. I haven’t seen that done much, but it helped drive home the message and made me feel more connected to the brand.

What do you think about this campaign? Did Sony get it right? And, who wants to go play with some bouncy balls??

Paint:

The behind-the-scenes look at the ad:

Bouncy Balls:

Behind-the-scenes:

One of the best parts about being active in the PR blogging community is that I can constantly educate myself on industry trends from some of today’s top practitioners. I have a public relations section in my Google Reader that is an archive of case studies for best and worst practices in both traditional and digital PR.  Recently, I’ve been able to add numerous resources to my collection due to recent PR activities of some well-known brands: Motrin, Papa Johns and Burger King.

MOTRIN

In the past week, my RSS was filled with posts about the Motrin debacle.  As people debated whether the incident was blown out of proportion or a significant misstep in marketing history, I tried to decide what big lessons I could take away from this controversy as a young PR pro.

Audience – The ad clearly targeted moms, and sparked a massive revolution among mommy bloggers who demanded the ad be taken down (which it was and replaced with this message from the VP-Marketing). Although a number of people spoke out in support of the ad saying they didn’t understand why it was seen as offensive, the fact is that a vast majority of the target audience DID find it ignorant and distasteful. As some marketing bloggers have pointed out, focus groups that were done correctly could have helped Motrin prevent this advertising faux pas from escalating the way it did. If Motrin had researched the target audience more clearly, they could have come with a more thoughtful ad that created a positive buzz instead of an overwhelming negative roar.

Conversation is Key– Another lesson learned is that with the explosion of social media in the past few years, marketing professionals have to be aware of this environment – one wrong step can be widely broadcast on Twitter and blogs. Whether working on a traditional or digital marketing campaign, conversations are essential to the campaign’s success. As professionals, we need to learn that relationships are the foundation for good PR and two-way conversations help build these relationships. Motrin and numerous other companies suffered when they talk at their customers and not to them. On the other hand, Motrin’s downfall in this instance occurred when a large group of people started talking to each other on public forums like Twitter, Web sites, and blogs. Conversations – those that companies have with consumers and the ones consumers have with each other – are equally as important for marketers to monitor.

PAPA JOHNS

The client campaign I’m currently working on has me immersed in Facebook pages, so when I noticed Papa Johns advertising a free pizza to encourage people to become fans of its page, I was intrigued. According an AdAge article, the promotion is supposed to coincide with the fact that the night before Thanksgiving is a goldmine for the pizza industry.

Know Your Strengths – Even though the company doesn’t spend as much money on advertising as its competitors, Papa Johns’ vice president of marketing and communications recognized the value in WOM and used Facebook to establish a strong fan base in the weeks leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday.

We have to rely on our fans,” he said. “We have to rely on word of mouth much more than Pizza Hut and Domino’s does just from an ad-spend level.”

Provide a Sense of Community – Another reason why the Facebook fan promotion worked so well for Papa Johns is that the company used a platform that the sole purpose is to build – and eventually maintain – communities. On the site, fans can upload their own photos, vote for their favorite specialty pizza, and post their opinions about the product and campaign on the wall and discussion boards. Although some people complained about the offer being misleading (it’s actually buy-one-get-one-free rather than just a free pie), the wall became a makeshift troubleshooting forum when fans had difficulty receiving the e-mail coupon. One fan advised others to check their spam folders, which helped alleviate some of the negativity surrounding the missing coupons. A campaign that builds a community not only enhances word of mouth marketing, it also provides a legacy network that will last significantly longer than the promotion itself.

BURGER KING

I first got wind of the latest Burger King marketing initiative on my friend’s blog, So Good. It seems that the King has been displacing wallets in various locations around the U.S. When people look inside the wallets, they find cash, BK gift cards, coupons, maps to BK locations, and a message telling them not to worry about returning the wallet to its owner.

Timing Can Be Everything- Although people have pointed out that other companies have launched similar initiatives, what will make Burger King’s so successful is the timing. As one PR blogger pointed out, in our economy’s current state, handouts are extremely well received. The combination of cash and BK gift cards was a nice touch – consumers will think highly of the company that gave them “free money” and will be inclined to visit the stores to use the coupons and gift cards. This tactic will produce more brand loyalty than a traditional advertising campaign, and of course, timing was integral in building this positive reputation because it allowed people to view a brand positively in a time when spending money isn’t on the forefront of their minds.

I made it! Today marks the official one year anniversary of the day I starting tapping my fingers until little thoughts starting pouring out all over my tiny chunk of cyberspace.

Instead of “celebrating” with a “what’s happened as I’ve grown as a blogger and a person” post [that will come next week sometime], I’m going to give a shout out to an amazing project going on in the blogosphere that proves why blogging is an engaging and addictive medium.

Chuck Westbrook, a blogger I’ve admired for some time, wrote a post a couple of weeks ago featuring his “big idea.” The big idea? Helping a community of people find little-known blogs with great content, and fostering this community through forums, comments, and advice.

This week, Chuck introduced us to Zoë Westhof and her blog, Essential Prose. After reading her interview and a few of her posts, I quickly added her to my Google Reader. Not only is Zoe a talented writer, she’s incredibly honest and real – something I’m always looking for when searching for new content to read.

So, celebrate my blogoversary with me by checking out Chuck’s project and Zoe’s blog. You won’t be sorry you did.

I recently wrote about my internship and how positive that experience was in my transition from college life to corporate America. Now, I have completed my first week as a salaried employee in the real world. What’s even better? I’m pretty sure I’ve landed my dream job at New Media Strategies.

So how did I do it? Easy – I built up a personal and a digital network, discovered what I was passionate about, and did a lot of research to find a position that would challenge me and fit my criteria for workplace values.

Okay, so it wasn’t that easy. With our economy in its current state, it’s a difficult process to find a great entry-level job. No matter how many times I rewrote my cover letter and reviewed my résumé, getting interviews at companies was practically impossible without help from my friends and network.

For example, I read about New Media Strategies when I first got to D.C. Since I’m slightly obsessed with this new digital era I wanted to connect with others who shared this passion. I checked out the company’s site NOT to look for a job, but to find people. I discovered the blogs of Leslie Bradshaw and Andre Blackman, so I started following them and a few other NMSers on twitter. I reached out to Leslie telling her how I’d just moved here and was always looking for social media events to go to, and we ended up meeting in person at an event a couple of days later.

As my internship reached an end, I noticed that NMS was hiring. I sent a DM to Leslie saying that she had inspired me with some of her recent work and that I was thinking about applying. She quickly responded and told me to e-mail the head of HR, which I did, and here I am!

Yesterday, I was talking to a close friend of mine who is finishing up her CPA and trying to land a job at a big time accounting firm. She’s very smart, organized, experienced, and has a near perfect GPA. And, it doesn’t hurt that both of her parents are respected accountants. Then, she told me she wanted to get a job without using her parents’ networks. While I understand her desire to get a job on her own without any help, I told her that this was no time to be humble and that she should make use of the people she knows, especially with our the entry-level job market as fragile as it is right now.

What do you think? Did I give her the right advice? How did you get your first job after college?

By the way, be sure to check out my new blogroll with a list of my very talented co-workers’ blogs.

Warning: This post does not have subheads, bullets, or lists. Just good old fashioned prose will fill your RSS feed today, so if you don’t have the time to read full paragraphs, I suggest you save this for later (or cheat the system and mark it as read, if you’d like). While I hope you stick around, I won’t be offended if you leave. We’re a fast-paced culture, and I don’t know about you, but I need a breather. Join me, if you can.

Last night, I had the fantastic opportunity to hang out at the Capital City Brewing Company with some of the brightest bloggers from Gen Y. As many of you know, I am part of the growing BrazenCareerist blogging community – a group blog written by Gen Y professionals – and the guys behind BC, Ryan Healy and Ryan Paugh, hosted a meet up for those in the D.C. area. Besides being a great time, the event also rekindled my passion for writing… which was the whole reason I started blogging back in November.

While sipping a beer and mingling with my new friends, Ryan H. made a joke about how all he seems to blog these days are “5 ways to do this” or “7 ways to do that.” I laughed, and nodded in agreement – my post from yesterday was exactly that.

“But, that’s all people seem to read,” Ryan said.

It’s true. According to my WordPress stats, my most popular posts are my “how to” guides. If a post doesn’t have subheads or lists, I can almost guarantee my readership will be below normal. I stood there thinking about that, when I realized something: I’m not getting paid to blog - I’m doing this for me to help hone my writing skills, to do something I love doing, and to interact with others who might have similar interests.

But the blogging community can be harsh. When I graduated from college and made the move to D.C. to start my first job, I stopped blogging with any sort of regularity. It was a very stressful time for me and blogging was one of the last things on my mind. I knew I was losing readers and fewer people were linking to me or stopping by for a chat in my comments sections. It came to a point where I dreaded looking at my site stats almost as much as my depleting bank account. Both result in unnecessary bouts of high blood pressure.

Slowly, I started blogging again but nothing changed. Visits to my site stayed static, even on days I posted I’d only see a slight jump. Defeated, I’d hang my head over my battered keyboard. Not even a year old, and my blog had already lost its momentum.

I would ask questions on twitter and no one would @reply me. I wrote what I thought were interested or helpful posts, and even asked questions at the end, with little to no response from my once engaging and insightful readers. I started feeling… invisible.

Talk about depressing.

I thought I had blown my chance and that my blog was fading from the tiny radar it was on a couple of months ago. Then, as I talked to the talented bloggers from BC last night, I realized how whiny and narcissistic I was being. I don’t mind if 500 readers turns into 200, and 200 turns into 10 – those are still 10 people I’m connecting to through my writing, something that would be much more difficult to accomplish without social media and blogging. Just look at all the great people I met last night, people I would never know if it hadn’t been for PR Interactive and BC.