Category: Uncategorized

Having a social media team today is very relevant to any company, but every company needs to prepare for the worse. Anytime a comment, post, picture could go viral there could be a negative backlash that can be turned into a social media crisis. Companies must manage their platforms 24/7. A crisis could arise from the company’s employee going rogue on Twitter and posting without the approval of the company, a regular post that can later be deemed offensive, and or a person sharing their negative experiences which will hoard other dissatisfied customers to share only their negative experiences as well.

It is essential for any social media team to be prepared with an appropriate crisis plan even before anything negative occurs, the team needs to handle the manner professionally and quickly before the company’s reputation is damaged. It is very important to constantly scan the social media environment perhaps through hashtags and @ tags.

An example of a social media crisis is the DiGiorno’s hashtag “#WhyIStayed”, this hashtag was created for women to share their personal stories of abuse and violent relationships. DiGiorno’s tweeted “WhyIStayed because he had pizza”, this was a tweet which tried to be amusing but it was a tweet of poor taste. Avoid trying to capitalize on real life crises or events. For example CVS Pharmacy tweeted a black and white picture of the NYC Skyline and said “Never Forget” but also added the red and white “CVS Pharmacy” Logo. It is also ideal to avoid any politically motivated tweets because this will cause a controversial outcome.

In addition, another social media challenge is an “exposé”. McDonalds took their nuggets to Twitter and created the hashtag #.

#socialmedia #socialmediacrisis #socialmediamisuse #tweets

Related Articles and Sources:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-handle-social-media-crisis-charles-clarkson

In this blog, I will be discussing my journey at Penn State Abington.

In 2016, I had to make a difficult decision of which college I should attend. I was not sure if I wanted to study abroad, So I applied the American University of Paris. I also applied to Temple University. After careful thinking, I realized that I didn’t want to put myself in debt and be buried in student loans, I decided Penn State Abington will be a great school to first start out and gather experience as a first year student, I told myself I will only go for two years and then transfer. I was happy to be able to save my parents the money which they would have had to pay for a dorm. My first impression of the school was that it was on a beautiful scenic campus. The professor seemed very nice, eager to help and also laid-back. It was a big change coming from high school to college, there is so much freedom. I remember the best moment was after I finished an exam, the class was dismissed. It was very empowering to be able to leave campus in between classes and not have to rely on a parent for calling you out. I first started majoring in Francophone studies which is relating to French culture and language. After this I had change my mind, because there was no high level French courses at the time and I did not want to take elementary French. I went onto my second major change which was to IST, the major seemed very interesting and informative. At first in the 100 level classes we were working on the computer creating presentations and studying computers. And the 200 level classes we started to work on project similar to developing websites and social media pages and blogs. During my second year when I had enrolled in IST 350, I then had the realization that this major is not for me, we were working with Oracle and trying to code, buy these steps I was very confused even though I am very good with technology and computers, I think I like to troubleshoot rather than create and develop. 

In my fourth semester at Abington, I had finally decided on a major which I will for fill for the rest of my two years at Penn State Abington. After taking one class I realize that corporate communications was what I was interested in, I love writing and I loved writing for a business setting. I love learning about corporate social responsibility and how important stakeholders are the companies. Now in 2018, I am just finishing up my fifth semester at Penn State Abington. After the Spring 2019 semester, I will have three years of college completed, I am amazed by how far I’ve come and how much I grew at this school. Penn State Abington has given me so many opportunities to succeed and enrich my future. I am grateful to have spent almost 3 years at this school. Thought I love this school, I wish I could peacefully find a parking spot.

The corporate communications major encompasses many facets of a business like environment.

This semester in internal communications, I have learned about topics related to public relations and how employees properly communicate and cooperate with one another while retaining ethical corporate practices and not withholding their opinion. I have learned about the importance of your own opinion and how it matters of the company and how it could improve future organizational rules, regulations and practices.

In communication research, I have learned about the significance of research communications and research methodologies such as content analysis, quantitative and qualitative research, creating surveys and gathering feedback from peers. This class has strengthened my skills as a researcher. I have completed a literature review of 12 scholarly articles and learned how to connect and compare different results and content.

In corporate communications for social media, I have learned that companies must remain transparent through social media, and quickly respond to any negative feedback, any post can be turned into a crisis which is why content has to be carefully analyzed before posted. Social media is important for any business practice, whether corporate or local. I have learned that companies create social media campaigns to amplify there reach of the audience and raise awareness. Are comments and concerns must be dealt with in a timely manner or else the company will be viewed in a negative manner. I’ve gained insight on social media tools such as HootSuite, which is an all in one platform for managing multiple platforms at once. HootSuite seems like an ideal system for a franchise and or growing business, scheduled posts and bulk posting would allow businesses to post, without spending time every day writing and uploading, rather crafting relevant content ahead of time. I think that it is beneficial to also frequently keep track of all social media networks and to always make posts, any gaps in postings will be seen as inconsistent and might give social stakeholders a bad impression on the company.

#WEARE #PSU @PennState #college #university #highereducation

More about Penn State-

https://abington.psu.edu

https://ist.psu.edu

https://abington.psu.edu/academics/corporate-communication

It has been a long semester and it has finally come to the end. I did not know what to expect from a social media class, but I learned some essential knowledge which will help me succeed in the future either for my internship or my next job opportunity.

As we have learned throughout the entire class, Social Media bears a large impact on a business and they must always be up-to-date on everything. Through social media, you are able to connect with your audience, keep stakeholders informed, entertained, and excited. As a company, social media is there to also give customer support to those consumers who send DM’s or mention the brand’s name, a company is expected to respond in a timely manner. Remember that social media is a two-way street!

One concept I have learned about through the semester is, social listening. In order to develop a strategic campaign, it is necessary to gather data in order to make informed decisions which will form the foundation of the campaign. The two areas involved in the listening process consist of the foundational background and the social landscape. To begin listening you must first identify a keyword or a phrase, the keyword could be a hashtag such as #ILoveApple. Once you are able to find a keyword, your brand should engage with the audience and respond to the post.

I have also learned about the importance of crafting unique content for each platform, while maintaining a similar message and having all platforms align the brand’s image and vision. Specially, the organization cannot post the same advertisement as they did on Twitter and merge it to Snapchat, if the organization wanted a Snapchat advertisement, they must remain creative and perhaps create a Snap Filter or an Interactive Lens. Consumers do not want to be bored with the same content and they will likely filter out your social media postings, thus posts made through Instagram should have a more native feel, it should not stand out as an advertisement so much but rather simply look like a regular Instagram post.

Another important takeaway from this course is, stressing how important a social media campaign is, for example a successful campaign could be Apple’s #shotoniPhone. The campaign must be carefully tracked in order to examine if you are meeting your goals, it also should be timely. The organization is trying to widen their social media base, through gaining new followers or likes. Maybe the page can post a giveaway, and caption it, “Like and tag 2 friends for a chance to win”, this will have people talking about your brand and raise awareness towards your campaign.

Lastly, the Hootsuite platform was a great learning experience. I found the training from Hootsuite Academy to be useful towards my future goal as working for an organization’s social media department as a part of my internship. Hootsuite is an all-in-one social media platform management, and so much more! Through Hootsuite, you are able to browse through several social media websites and search keywords  side by side through the streams feature. Hootsuite also empowers you to schedule posts for a certain date or time, you’re also able to schedule multiple bulk posts for several social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Another essential feature of Hootsuite, is that it  is also available on smartphones, Hootsuite enables you to also connect with your team members instantly and share your projects and insights. You are also able to compose messages through Hootsuite, rather than having to use five or six of the social media platforms, you can just use one! I am very content that through this course, I was able to gain my Hootsuite Certification which will benefit me in future pursuits.

 

#Hootsuite #socialmedia #CC406 #socialstakeholders

 

Sources and Related Article

Kim, C. (2016). Social Media Campaigns Strategies for Public Relations and Marketing (1st ed., pp. 74-75). New York: Taylor and Francis.

https://education.hootsuite.com

https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-listening/

This blog post is about continuing with my story about immigrating to the United States. Merely being here for 3 months and having a horrendous house fire as soon as I got settled. One cultural difference I have noticed about house building in America, is that houses here are made of wood and dry wall and built rather quickly, in Romania houses are all made of cement and brick, walls of each room are not made of dry wall. It is scary to think how fast a house made of wood can collapse. Even the roofs of houses are made with cement tiles, making the houses less prone to fire damage. I am thankful for those who have helped me develop and to the firefighter who were there for my mom and I.

That night on March 27, 2008, I could not fall asleep. Flashbacks came back to me every time I closed my eyes I could see the orange flames roaring and the potent smell of the burnt wood. That day I realized that you could lose everything you had worked for in just a matter of seconds. At this time, I was in 5th grade, needing to enroll at a new elementary school, and after just barely making new friendships, I had to move and start over. Most of the kids loved my accent and asked me to speak Romanian, but some mocked me and made fun of my English. It was extremely frustrating not being able to express how I felt. I finished elementary school, and moved to a different school district again.  In the summer of  7th grade, I had gone back to Bucharest, Romania. I was thrilled, but at the same time disappointed in what life was like there. I traveled all throughout the city and realized that I should not be ashamed of my culture. The city was a beautiful place with fascinating history, architecture, and cuisine. I had been reunited with my family and friends, and they were all surprised in how much I had grown. Coming back to the U.S made me realized that I am lucky to be here and have this life. By 8th grade I had grown out of my accent and spoke just like everyone else, but I was still known as the foreign kid, which I didn’t really mind. Despite this, I had made friends, improved my grades, and started learning French. Everyone always asked me questions about how life was like in Bucharest and where my family is from. I lived most of my life moving around from one school to another. Unfortunately, just after I settled in I had to move again to Lansdale, starting Freshman year at Pennfield Middle School. This was a great new start, and I made friends and got honor roll multiple times. I finally felt proud and accomplished. In 2013, I started my Sophomore year at North Penn High School, and during the fall of 2014, I returned to Bucharest, then again returned to Romania in 2015 to visit my grandmother, which was my last visit there as she has emigrated to the states in order to stay with my mom and I. In 2016, I decided to attend Penn State Abington to continue my education. I have made it all the way to my third year of college and have learned many valuable life lessons. I currently speak three languages, and I am very proud of my achievements and my ability to overcome the difficult events throughout my life. I love living in this country so much and like my mom says “I feel like I was born here in another life”, America has been so welcoming to my family and given us opportunities to evolve.

 

I enjoy driving through Philadelphia as the hint of European architecture reminds me of the buildings in Bucharest. I do not think that I will return to Romania anytime soon, I miss the taste of the pastries and savory treats.

#MovingtotheUS #mystory #part2

 

Related articles:

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire/home-fire-preparedness.html

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire.html

Falling behind almost all companies, Apple Inc. only joined the social network scene in 2016. Apple utilizes several social media networks to promote its products. Apple is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Instagram is the main focus of Apple, showcasing the #ShotoniPhone campaign. The company retains 8.6 million followers through Instagram, 2.34 million on Twitter, and 11 million likes through FaceBook. Through Facebook, Apple posts about the release of the new iPhone XS/XR line-up. Apple has one post only and eight photos. Social media is an aspect which Apple does not hold a strong relationship with. On Twitter, Apple has never tweeted anything, this seems extremely bizarre. Apple is quite active on Instagram, there is a photo/video posted every single day. Apple completely ignores any comment on their social media. Not one reply, comment, retweet. or like by Apple towards its social stakeholders. Apple showcases photos taken by consumers by posting it on their @Apple Instagram page, this is the only social media engagement that Apple is performing.  

As a social strategist, I would seek to discover what our audience values, which keyword or topic captures the needs of the audience. Apple’s social media pages will be facing an omnipresent overhaul, to introduce this to social stakeholders, I will be crafting a key message to inform the current followers that Apple is taking social media one step above. I will be managing employees and allowing them to tweet and share Apple news through Twitter, as it is a blank slate currently. My objectives are to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. We must notice a change in the way Apple handles itself on social media within one month. “Information from social media affects 54% of consumers’ decision processes” (Lovett & Staelin, 2016). Apple needs to closely manage their brand discussions and react to negative comments in a timely manner.

Only 1 advertisement on their page regarding the new iPhone X line and not one reply to any social media stakeholder. Apple needs to engage with customers before they will leave the brand, Apple does not moderate Facebook comments and people are talking about how much more they enjoy their Samsung device.

Apple’s Facebook

Not only is Apple unhelpful on social media, but as well as Apple Genius technicians lying to customers caught on camera.

 

 

#Apple #socialmedia #stakeholders #engagement

Related Articles and Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-has-no-social-media-strategy-2016-12

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681317300290

https://twitter.com/Apple

https://www.instagram.com/apple/?hl=en

https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-engagement/

While there are so many great aspects to social media and smartphones, such as connecting with family, and relatives living abroad, forming friendships with strangers and engaging with friends, social media can have many negative impacts for people.

People literally cannot stop putting down their cell phones, we are on our phones for continuous periods of time being unproductive. People use their phone while with friends, unfortunately while driving, walking, talking, during class time, while at the store. Sadly, we also use our phones while spending time with our significant other. People cannot even enjoy a meal at a restaurant without taking a picture of it and posting it on Snapchat or Instagram.

Smartphones and social media have lessened the enjoyment we receive from face-to-face  conversations.

We feel the need to be constantly checking our phones no matter what we’re doing, we wake up and pretty much the first thing we do is look at notifications.

The smartphone is changing our brain, we expect to get information in seconds and everything to load instantly, we expect there to be an app for everything which is supposed to make everything easier but smartphones make us lazy.  People feel the need to post about their entire life on social media even when it’s small things like just buying a new shirt.

We are so consumed by irrelevant things such as likes, shares, retweets and views. People base their worth by the amount of likes on social media. When something happens in public, the first thing people do is take out their phones and start recording, instead of helping the other person or deescalating whichever situation.

90% of student have said they felt their cellphone vibrate even when it really did not! This is called Phantom Vibration Syndrome. We have become so lazy that simply just Googling something is outdated, we now have artificial intelligence technology such as Siri, Alexa, Google Home to tell us the weather and read us the news. Smartphones and applications were actually designed this way for a reason, to keep us scrolling through and to be always on it. Snapchat has released “Spectacles”, which are smart eyewear that record 10 second video clips and take quick snapshots. We just can not manage to use our phone less and explore the true beauty of the world and nature around us. Each time you scroll or use an app, they get money from advertisements.

The first thing most of us do when we wake up, is check out smartphones. Application developers need to work on ways to make the smartphone less addictive. Instead, companies are hiring “Attention Engineers” who use slot machine like tactics to program.

#phone-addiction #technology #smartphones #Snapchat

Related Articles:

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20160111/phones-phantom-vibration

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-your-smartphone-is-doing-to-your-brain-and-it-isnt-good-2018-3