The managers of social media sites are trying to get people to become fans of their pages or follow their Twitter accounts.
Once people start following Twitter and become fans of Facebook sites, the next goal is to get those users to read the content -- not just skim the content, but read and retain it.
That is a very difficult task. Some companies and organizations are using prizes to lure in users to "like" statuses or to comment on event pages. Other companies make competitions to see who can which users gain the most friends in the shortest time.
How "social" is social media though? Yes, everyone follows favorite people and looks at favorite pages, but how will companies get audiences to comment or respond, to get involved and feel attached to a company or organization.
The future of social media is unknown. Will there be regulation of social media or will social media continue to grow to be a bigger part of society?
Apple's Steve Jobs appears to unveil iPad 2 despite being on medical leave
Apple's CEO Steve Jobs surprised the public with his appeared at the debut of the iPad 2 on Wednesday. Jobs has been on medical leave since mid-January due to his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Some people say it was not good timing for him to make an appearance since it took some of the attention away from the new product and put it on assessing his health. But others think it boosted company morale and increased customers' confidence in the product since he is the revered face of the company.
What do you think? If you were in charge of Apple's public relations, would you have encouraged or discouraged Jobs' appearance?
The Oscars Win with Great PR
The Oscars are here again. On Sunday night, millions of viewers will sit on their couch and watch the glamor and prestige of the 83rd annual Academy Awards. The ceremony is the oldest media award ceremony and is televised in over 200 countries. Last year’s show had 41.62 million viewers. The Oscars have been called by some as one of the best examples of good public relations ever. How does the Academy do it?
One of the reasons that the Oscars is so prestigious is because it was the first. The first Academy Awards was held in 1929 as a way to make movies more popular as a leisure activity. The Oscars encouraged people to go to the movies and movies encouraged people to watch the Oscars. The ceremony was the best and first formal movie award ceremony and being the first is what gives the Oscars so much prestige.
And prestige is what gives the Oscars so many opportunities to capitalize on good public relations. All year round, movies advertise on the box as “nominated for an Academy Award” or “Winner of Best Picture.” Actors are constantly referred to as “Best Actress winner” or “Best Actress nominee.” Press for the Oscars occurs months before the actual event, building up anticipation for the ceremony held in February. In addition, red carpet before shows build up the anticipation for viewers even greater. Countdowns to the Oscars occur for months before the show on television stations, on websites, etc. And the shows never seem to disappoint, leaving viewers coming back year after year and maintaining some of the best public relations of any award ceremony on television.
One of the reasons that the Oscars is so prestigious is because it was the first. The first Academy Awards was held in 1929 as a way to make movies more popular as a leisure activity. The Oscars encouraged people to go to the movies and movies encouraged people to watch the Oscars. The ceremony was the best and first formal movie award ceremony and being the first is what gives the Oscars so much prestige.
And prestige is what gives the Oscars so many opportunities to capitalize on good public relations. All year round, movies advertise on the box as “nominated for an Academy Award” or “Winner of Best Picture.” Actors are constantly referred to as “Best Actress winner” or “Best Actress nominee.” Press for the Oscars occurs months before the actual event, building up anticipation for the ceremony held in February. In addition, red carpet before shows build up the anticipation for viewers even greater. Countdowns to the Oscars occur for months before the show on television stations, on websites, etc. And the shows never seem to disappoint, leaving viewers coming back year after year and maintaining some of the best public relations of any award ceremony on television.
Social media causes a worldwide revolution!
It's no surprise that social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter are popular worldwide. But who would have guessed they could cause a revolution and ultimately lead to the downfall of a president?
Well, just that happened in Egypt! Facebook groups promoting the early protests in Cairo gained popularity among hundreds of thousands of people. Facebook and Twitter were ultimately blocked by the government, but those experiencing the action found ways around this.
Journalists in Egypt posted as often as they could as the protests unfolded. The world watched, 140 characters at a time, as the protests turned violent.
Just over two weeks after the protests began, President Mubarak stepped down. Social media played a huge role in these events in Egypt, which shows just how powerful our words on Facebook can be.
Remember: every little character counts!
Here's a video that was posted on YouTube as the violent protests took place:
Well, just that happened in Egypt! Facebook groups promoting the early protests in Cairo gained popularity among hundreds of thousands of people. Facebook and Twitter were ultimately blocked by the government, but those experiencing the action found ways around this.
Journalists in Egypt posted as often as they could as the protests unfolded. The world watched, 140 characters at a time, as the protests turned violent.
Just over two weeks after the protests began, President Mubarak stepped down. Social media played a huge role in these events in Egypt, which shows just how powerful our words on Facebook can be.
Remember: every little character counts!
Here's a video that was posted on YouTube as the violent protests took place:
Job Market Looking Up
According to Simply Hired's U.S. Employment Trends Report for December 2010, the job market is improving. The top five hiring companies, nationwide are Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, HCA, Advance Auto Parts and the U.S. Air Force.
There is a 69.9 percent year-over-year increase since 2009 in terms of job openings nationwide. Retail and finance jobs continue to grow with a 37.3 percent growth.
This is a positive sign for those of us who will be graduating in the next couple of years. We can only hope that the market will continue to go up from here.
If you want to look at more specific information, visit the Simply Hired website for more information.
There is a 69.9 percent year-over-year increase since 2009 in terms of job openings nationwide. Retail and finance jobs continue to grow with a 37.3 percent growth.
This is a positive sign for those of us who will be graduating in the next couple of years. We can only hope that the market will continue to go up from here.
If you want to look at more specific information, visit the Simply Hired website for more information.