It’s So “Tweet” To Be On Twitter

I will admit, I was very hazardous about joining Twitter. I just got an account last week (@hollonmckay) even though a lot of my friends have been tweeting for years. I’m not really sure why I didn’t immediately jump on the Twitter train, but better late than never right?

Last night in class, I gave a presentation on Twitter and discovered many facts about the company through my research. The more articles I read, the more I was convinced how helpful and fun Twitter can be. Just see what founder Jack Dorsey had to say about Twitter in this short, 44 second clip from YouTube.

I learned that even though Twitter is only four years old, it already is in the top 12 most visited sites in the world according to the Alexa Web Information Company. Approximately 50 million tweets are posted in a single day, all simply answering the question, “What are you doing?”

This question has caught on with other social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Since the birth of Twitter in 2006, MySpace and Facebook have also incorporated the “status” section to their sites. The need for knowing this virtual omnipresence has become increasingly popular.

Twitter is a wonderful way for friends, colleagues and classmates to know what you are doing, but it is also a great tool to know what’s going on in our world. Politics, special interests, entertainment, music, food, travel and anything else you can imagine can all be followed through Twitter. People are looking to Twitter to find out the latest news and reports from around the world. It is a quick way to get the headlines and know a little about any topic. Since you can only make your tweet 140 characters, it enables people to be concise, creative and witty with their writing.

Twitter has also been a successful tool in helping businesses (especially smaller ones) promote and advertise. Promotions, discounts, special events and giveaways all can be tweeted about in a matter of seconds.

Twitter is even showing up in the classrooms as a teaching tool and a way for students to learn from their peers and professors through tweets. Dr. Monica Rankin, a history professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, demonstrates with her classroom Twitter experiment.

So, I’ve mentioned how Twitter is a good way to stay connected to friends, promote your business and educate the minds of students. Now, I leave you with another video on tips that demonstrate how you can achieve the most from your Twitter account. If you don’t already have a Twitter account, I encourage you to get one. Trust me, I was a skeptic too, but Twitter really is another great social networking tool.

Top Twitter Tools and Tips

Anything You Can Do, My Smartphone Can Do Better!

Love you Mashable.com

We really do rely on our phones…just take a look.

Isn’t it crazy that we live in a world where we can have access to just about anything with a touch of a button? A world where we can look up anything we can imagine be it may the weather, the nearest grocery store or the latest trends in fashion. Smartphones have revolutionized how we communicate with each other and our efficiency in day-to-day tasks. You can use it as an organizer, an e-mail device or cell phone. The sky is the limit when it comes to possibilities.

For example, are you indecisive about where to eat dinner? No worries, the iPhone 3G app called UrbanSpoon will decide for you. The app is extremely simple. You open it, it detects your location then you shake your iPhone. This causes a series of sliders to spin around like a slot machine until they land with a recommendation on where to go. If you do not like the selection it chose, simply shake it again. It tells you the price, the phone number and what other people thought of the restaurant. Pretty cool huh? I thought so too.

Here is the UrbanSpoon App Demo Video

There are so many more apps and features these smartphones come with. Smartphones are not just iPhones, others include the BlackBerry, Droid and the Palm Pre and Pixi. The iPhone was the best-selling cellphone in the United States last year, but these other phones are pretty awesome as well.

I stumbled upon an article recently that really caught my attention. It said that business professionals cannot live without two things: smartphones and sex. Yes, you read correctly. I love the website Mashable.com, and while browsing came across this article. Here are the highlights, but click here for the complete story. 

Smartphones and intimate relationships tied at 40% for the number one thing respondents can’t live without.

79% of respondents use their smartphones to conduct most business calls, versus an office phone or home phone.

34% use a smartphone more than a computer for business.

7% even said they don’t take their laptops with them when they travel for business if they have a smartphone.

48% of respondents said that at least two-thirds of their phone communication is via smartphone.

So, you see…we are hooked. We rely on our phones for more than just making a call these days. We are connecting on more personal and deeper levels with the help of our phones. We are able to be more efficient and accomplish more than ever thought of before. The sky is the limit. And remember, anything you can do and think of, the smartphone can do better!

I leave you with the evolution of the mobile phone…enjoy!

 

 

A Few Of My Favorite Things…

If everyday’s a Hollonday, then I figure you might need to know a little about me aside from my explanation for creating this blog. I am from a small town with approximately a population of 500 and no red lights. I loved growing up surrounded by trees, creeks, ponds, fishing, and the great outdoors. My brother and I had tons of pets and spent our childhood enjoying nature. I would not have traded for life in the big city for all the money in the world. It was perfect for me and my family. I would however, like to live somewhere close to a big city. Now that I’m older, I like being around the excitement, the lights, the museums, festivals, music, shopping and eateries that city life offers. The ideal living situation would be to live approximately 15 minutes from a big city on several acres of land with a big wrap around porch and oak trees. Ahhhh….just thinking about makes my heart smile!

Here are a few things about me:

Favorite Color: Pink

Favorite Book (thus far): The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Favorite Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (I adore Audrey Hepburn)

Dream Job: Anchorwoman on The Today Show or entertainment correspondent on E! News

Hobbies/Interests: Dance (especially ballet), singing (It’s hard for me to sing in public due to nerves, but I am pretty good in my car!), reading, running and exercising (it’s my escape from the world), baking, being at the beach, I recently learned to ski and I enjoyed that very much, shopping, going to the movies, coffee shops and traveling

Me, my grandmother and my mother at a tea at the Alabama Governor’s Mansion

My Dad, Mom, me and my brother celebrating Christmas at my uncle’s home.

So…there’s a glimpse into knowing a few of my favorite things. I love my family, friends and living life to the fullest.

Please Don’t Let the Press Release Die

Social news releases are fairly new to the PR world. For ages, PR practitioners have sent press releases to journalists and other media specialists with ideas and material that seemed newsworthy and interesting. I have always liked the concept of a press release. It seems very old school, and I would like to think I’m a very old school kind of person. Don’t get me wrong, I am loving learning about social media, but the idea of someone pulling out the company stationary, sipping a Starbucks and crafting the perfect message to send to his/her friends at the local news station is rather sweet. I believe press releases build bonds and relationships that have begun to fade with each new technological advancement. I know I am getting a little off subject, but think about it…how many times do you pick up the phone to text someone instead of call? Or, if you need to tell your co-worker something important, you send an email instead of visiting them in the adjacent cubicle? Please don’t think I’m pointing a finger (I am very guilty of this), but our relationships with people are diminishing and our field (public RELATIONS) is losing its sparkle.

Ok…I’m off that soapbox and on to discuss this new form of press release. From the research I’ve gathered on the topic, SNR (also called social media releases) have been around approximately four years. This form of release is done online and you you able to share information to many people in a matter of minutes. You can add audio, video and contextual tags that will allow you distribute content over all social networks.

This concept sounds tech-savvy and intriguing, but like me, some are a little skeptical. Ben Ayers, a senior publicist for ITV in the UK, said, “Anecdotally, there are mixed views from journalists, ranging from ‘Ooh aren’t you high tech’ to ‘I prefer a good old press release,’” Ayers also said, “Overall, the response has been fairly muted. The release has definitely resulted in more online coverage, which was the aim. It has also given us a certain amount of kudos internally and externally for embracing new ways of distributing information, which again is a good thing.” Click here to be linked to the entire article where I got this information from Ayers. The article entitled, “The Social Press Release: Multimedia, Two-Way, Direct to the Public,”  by Mark Glaser also has sample SNR’s for you to see and other professional opinions on the subject. I found the article enjoyable and informative.

To sum up, personally I like the old-fashion press release but like Ayers, give kudos for opening up another way to distribute information.

As a bonus, I would like for you to watch this YouTube video. I probably should have added to my post last week on YouTube, but it will make your jaw drop. Hopefully, this will allow you to put into perspective just how big social media is becoming. Enjoy and God bless!

I present to you…the social media revolution!

YouTube: Broadcast Yourself

A few weeks ago, I saw my friend Abigail curl her hair using her Chi straightener. I wouldn’t believe it either (curling one’s hair using a straightener) had I not seen it with my own eyes. So, the other day I too wanted to try curling my hair with my straightener and recreate what I saw Abigail doing. Can you guess where I turned to learn this concept? Yep…YouTube.

YouTube has become a major part in social media since its birth in 2005. From class last week, I learned that approximately 200,000 videos are uploaded to YouTube EVERYDAY!

YouTube is free and a way for you to broadcast yourself by uploading a video onto the Internet. There is a video for everything, whether you are trying to learn how to curl your hair using a straightener (like me) or seeing the latest music video, YouTube is your one-stop shop.

I like YouTube because it categorizes videos. There is an entertainment section, how-to & style, sports, most popular, most viewed, and music. I have found myself staying up extra late at night just browsing YouTube videos. It can be very addicting!

Charlie bit my finger has catapulted into YouTube’s top three most viewed. It is well on its way to having more than 200,000,000 views!

I cannot tell you how excited I am about this movie! I remember going to the midnight showing of SATC with two girlfriends and fell in love all over again with Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. Hurry up May 28!

And then there are some YouTube disasters. Doglover199709 has taken Rihanna’s song “Disturbia” to whole new heights.

Ladies and gentlemen, see for yourself what “Disturbia” really means…

In conclusion, YouTube is a great way to market yourself or something you love for free. It’s easy, fast and a great advertising tool. So the next time you need to learn how to curl your hair, watch a movie trailer to an upcoming film or dance to the beat of Lady Gaga or Rihanna, visit YouTube and you will find what you are looking for.

 

 

 

Podcasting

Well, it is week seven and we have learned one more interesting thing about social media. Last week, we had a guest speaker come and share with us the scoop about podcasting. Dr. Youngblood works in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Auburn University and is an expert in the field of social media.

I was familiar with the term podcast, but did not know how to go about creating one or how to get started. So today, I would like to share with you a little history on podcasting, how to get started and tips for creating your own.

Dictionary.com defines podcast as a ” Web-based audio broadcast via an RSS feed that is accessed by subscription over the Internet.” When I think of podcasts, I immediately think of NPR (National Public Radio). There are many episodes to choose from to entertain and inform you. Click here for a quick link to NPR’s podcasts. For all you ESPN and sports lovers, Mike and Mike in the Morning also has podcasts of their show available at ESPNRadio.com.

So, you now know what a podcast is, but you may be asking yourself how to get started. Look no further. Dr. Youngblood introduced my class to an easy podcast hosting Web site called PodBean.com. It is FREE to use and allows you to add and publish your own podcast. I experimented by publishing a song onto my PodBean account. I am a fan of classical music (and no, that does not make me a geek) and wanted to share a song that you will recognize even if you aren’t a lover of the Golden Age music. Please click the link below and it will take you to my PodBean homepage where you can listen to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor.

Podbean.com Best Podcast Hosting Audio Video Blog Hosting!

Say you have created a PodBean account and want to publish you own podcast and not just a song you like. Dr. Youngblood gave us several tips that I would like to share. I hope to create my own podcast in the near future so be on the lookout.

Tip #1: Write a script. Unless you have a partner to bounce content back and forth to, it’s wise to already have something on paper. You will seem more professional if what you say is clear, direct and thought out.

Tip #2: Choose a unique angle. Selecting a topic to talk about is the easy but can be boring. A twist on the same old subject adds intrigue and will attract more listeners.

Tip #3: Remember to cater to the client/audience. Focusing on what they need and want will have them coming back for more.

From what I’ve learned this past week, podcasts are enjoyable and offer a new way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. I encourage you to try it if you have never done so before, and I hope my tips and thoughts will come in handy.

Forum Should Not Rhyme With Boredom

This week’s topic is forums. Now…don’t go jumping out of your seat just yet, they are actually pretty cool and very useful. I must admit, I wasn’t too fond of the subject, but after hearing a really interesting presentation on them last Thursday, I have begun to swing in the other direction and give them some credit. As a side plug-great job Terri and Sherrie!

So, you may be wondering what exactly a forum is and its purpose. Well I have the answer! According to the delightful Webster’s dictionary, a forum is “a public assembly, lecture or program involving audience panel or discussion.” There is a forum about everything! And I do mean everything, from politics to fashion; there is always a topic that people want to talk about via the Internet. A forum is a great tool for discussing a subject with many people at one time. I remember in undergrad having to log into a forum to talk about that day’s topic. The whole class was instructed to log in at a specific time and jabber about what we did or didn’t like about an article we read the previous week. I would give you more details if I could remember, but sadly that was a few years ago and the topic has fled from my brain. All I remember is that I was amazed by how 25 students could be in separate locations but still feel united. We came together and shared our ideas, thoughts and opinions on a specific read. The power of technology never ceases to astound me!

Forums are also a neat way to get feedback on products as well; so many organizations will have forums to get consumer insight. Sports fans start forums to chat about recent recruits or how the future season is looking like. There are endless possibilities to forums and overall a really good way to get the server and client in two-way communication. I encourage you to try a forum if you never have before. It’s not scary and you may actually learn something new about a topic you are interested in. Or, you may provide someone else with great insight and brighten his/her day! Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Socially Awesome!

Social media is a huge part of my daily life. My love affair with it began at a very early age. I remember booting up my parent’s old DELL (you know the kind I’m talking about–big, bulky, beautifully antique) and listening to the forgotten ballad of dial-up. After I completed my homework, I could get on the computer and chat with my friends from school. Oh, how I miss the AIM days! I still to this day do not know how I kept 14+ conversations going at one time! My ninth grade typing class was by far the most beneficial class I took in high school. Without it, I do not think my social media skills would be good (thank you Mrs. Fetner!).

Social media has come a long way since the days of dial-up and AIM. We are now introduced to outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube and many more. Not only can we chat with our friends, but also, we can tag videos, post pictures of recent travels or last night’s fun excursion, or advertise ourselves and get famous from it. Aspiring comedians, musicians, actors, and artists have all tried YouTube to get their feet in the famous door. Political campaigns are now going to Facebook as a way of communicating when events and rallies are held. You name it (better yet, just think of it) and there is a YouTube video out there about it.

Our obsession with social media is growing every year. According to a story from Fox 11 News entitled, How Much Time are We Spending On Social Media?, the average person (out of 10 countries polled) spent roughly five and a half hours in the month of December 2009, on social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace. That is 82 percent higher than the previous year. Americans had that number beat. In December alone, the average American spent six hours and 24 minutes on Facebook. Not quite as bad as our Australian friends, who spent six hours and 52 minutes on Facebook in the month of December.

Personally, I have tried to get off Facebook numerous times, but something always pulls me back in. I am not sure if it’s my deep desire to stay connected to friends, or if I think I might be missing out or ridiculed for not having an account. Regardless, I’m hooked and plan on staying logged in for as long as I can. I recently joined Linkedin which I am eager to start exploring. It is more of a professional networking system which I hope will help me in my quest for a job post graduation.

So you see, social media is socially awesome. Whether or not you are as excited as I am about it, you can at least appreciate the many bonuses we get because of it. How else are you going to get all your friend’s numbers after losing your phone? Or addresses if you are engaged? Or planning a high school reunion and need to see when everyone is available? The answer…social media!

Have a great day!

It’s Really This Simple

Really Simple Syndication allows content from one site to be republished (syndicated) by another. As the name implies, RSS is incredibly simple and becoming increasingly popular by offering Web users a free (who doesn’t love that word?) and easy way to promote a site. With RSS, there is no need to advertise or create a sharing-type partnership.

I found a YouTube video that might be helpful to those who still are not quite sure what RSS is and how to start using it. The video is short and will give you a basic rundown of what to do. Check it out…

An article was just written about a week ago on Switched claiming that RSS is the Web’s most underutilized time saver. Along with the YouTube video, this article is another way to learn more about RSS, how you can use and why it’s worth it.

ReadWriteWeb published an article titled, “Top 10 RSS & Syndication Technologies of 2009,” which included powerhouses such as Facebook, Twitter and Postrank. I found the article interesting and even found a new app to add to my phone because of the article. I am definitely getting the Breaking News Online app to get the latest in news around the world.

I hope this post has been somewhat helpful in discovering the really simple solution to view Web content. I hope you will find the video helpful and the articles interesting and start letting the Web come to you!

It’s a Bloggy World Out There

Hello again friends!

Last week, our Social Media class assignment was to write about our dreams. This week, we are given the opportunity to share with you our thoughts about blogs. The word blog has always been a funny word to me. I cannot remember exactly when my brain became familiar with this term, but I often give a little chuckle every time I hear or say the word. Go ahead…say it. See what I mean?

In Social Media today, blogs reign at the top. Everyone nowadays is doing it and it appears that just about anyone can. Blogs are an easy (and very inexpensive) way to share your thoughts, ideas, talents and abilities with the rest of the cyber world. You can create a blog to document anything you imagine. The sky is the limit!

So, maybe you are thinking it’s time you got a blog. First, check out WordPress.

WordPress is easy to navigate and offers tons of themes, fonts, widgets and so much more to help you design your perfect blog. Another blog-maker I like is Blogger. Google powers it so you know it’s going to be great! Check those out and hopefully you will be blogging in no time!
Now, I would like to share with you some blogs I really enjoy reading. Two friends of mine, who are music gurus, have taken time to create a powerful blog for all interested in great music. Definitely check out their blog and follow it. You will not be disappointed I promise! Their blog name comes from a song by the man himself, Bob Dylan, entitled You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere. Click the link and become a follower today!

Last week, I became a recent lover of The Bride’s Cafe, when I saw my friend Cassie featured in it. Since, I find myself coming back to it because it is charming and fresh mixed with a little quirky. I have no plans of tying the knot anytime soon, but I just love the site. I especially love the pictures of the different weddings. If you are a bride-to-be, this site will offer many ideas for your perfect day. And if you are like me, you will appreciate seeing and reading about everyone else’s happily ever after day.

Remember, it’s a bloggy world out there, so set up your blog today and start sharing your talents.

Have a great day!