The World of PRCA

Comments on Pinterest

Yasmine Horton — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:45:49 +0000

I commented on:

Rob’s blog: http://robertaroberts12.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/un-pinterested/#comment-64

Jordan’s blog: http://jordanmcd.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/pinterest-as-a-pr-prop/#comment-81

All aboard the Pinterest Train! Calling all DIYers, scrapbookers, and alike!

Yasmine Horton — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:32:44 +0000

In an open range filled with what could be considered lifestyle pins from wedding plans to beauty tips, Pinterest has become the driving force for retailers and Pinterest’s traffic is blowing Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn out of the water, according to a study done by Shareholic.com. With a combined percentage of 1.4 referral traffic, Google+, YouTube, and LinkedIn was falling behind while Pinterest was catching up with Twitter with a 3.4 percent increase. A large of the traffic is due to increase in brands incorporating Pinterest into their social media strategies.

Recently, Mashable posted the Top 10 Most-Followed Brands on Pinterest and almost every brand is a geared towards the “darling network of brides-to-be, fashionistas and budding bakers.” What does that say about the value of Pinterest? If you have a target market is comprised of DIYers and those who just appreciate good fine art, you need to board the Pinterest train.

I just boarded the Pinterest train and it makes it so easy for me to link to workouts, DIY projects, and beauty tips. What’s going here is definitely not a fad. Peter Shankman said at the PR Where U R conference last year is that if a social media isn’t generating revenue it can easily die, but I don’t think Pinterest is going anywhere. They have raised 37.5 million in funds.

To be honest, I don’t use it that often. But I will especially since I came across the Mashable’s Can Pinterest Help Your Job Search? Hopefully with the combination LinkedIn and Pinterest, I’ll have an internship in no time. I have introduced my friends to Pinterest and they can’t get enough. I just linked up with most of them through Facebook.

Where do you sit on the pinterest train? First class?

Comments

Yasmine Horton — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:56:26 +0000

This week I commented on

Is it Really Valentine’s Day, Already?

Yasmine Horton — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:52:35 +0000

Last week, I saw the debut of Hallmark’s latest commercial for Valentine’s Day. I must say it was quite moving. I definitely give Hallmarks kudos. After watching the 30 second commercial I was a glass case of emotions until the last few seconds when the girl at the end gives the most unnatural ”tell me you love me, it’s all I want to hear.” I was not convinced and it completely ruined the moment, which makes me wonder am I the only one who feels this way?

After viewing this commercial, I don’t know if it’s going to influence my buying strategy but I do think it will for some. But luckily for me, I won’t have to worry because for the 20th year in a row, I’ll be singing:

Don’t feel bad for me though…

Why? because I’ve saved an estimated $200 to $500 and I’m not even mad. I never have to worry about anyone not using my gift (my one pet peeve about Secret Santa) or them pretending that it was just what they wanted. If someone did surprise me with a gift I would definitely be prepared

If I were a greeting card company or florist company from a public relations standpoint, I wouldn’t forget about the small people. Single people on Valentine’s Day don’t get marketed to and that’s where I would come in. I would take this as an opportunity to market to the single people and let them know that they too can commercialize their love.

Starting a campaign with phrases like “Don’t forget about yourself” or simply “Treat Yourself” would be a great strategy to remind people that Valentine’s Day is a day to show your love and honor to your significant other so why not show yourself some love

Comments for the week of Feb 6

Yasmine Horton — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:55:59 +0000

I commented on Lauren’s blog:

http://laurenjc.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/social-media-in-the-world-of-pr/#comment-136

and

http://bellag1.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/comments-13112/#comment-190

Generation Y’s Weapon of Choice

Yasmine Horton — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:29:24 +0000

Social media has become a tool for companies to communicate with Generation Y. Generation Y in my opinion is a community of people who prefer instant gratification. Social media allows those tools to be right in our back pockets and companies are well aware of that thus the hire people that will open and develop that line of communication. As a product of Generation Y, I have grown to love social media and my public relations classes have shown me a greater outlook on how these simple tools can either make or break your product or service.

Personally, I think social media has changed PR for the good and bad. Good in the sense it has allowed both consumers and businesses of way of communicating. Before consumers felt as if speaking to a CEO was untouchable but now it’s quite easy to tweet them with just a click of a button. For example, when MySpace came about it blew my mind that you were able to add celebrities and they would accept your friend request. However, at the same time I believe that PR professionals forget to obsess over ideas and not tools. I think this is really important idea because it leads to a redundant behavior that makes no profit. I feel like individuals and companies employ this negative aspect when they hire someone to coordinate their social media. The problem is that they think anybody can do and that’s not true to certain extent. Anybody can create events and make updates but it takes a skilled person to be able to create those events and updates simultaneously generating revenue.

image provided by: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/2011/02/social-media-marketing-and.html

Comments of the week (1.30.12)

Yasmine Horton — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:02:05 +0000

I commented on

The Book or the Movie?

Yasmine Horton — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:29:04 +0000

The history of me reading books and watching the movie adaptation isn’t so bright. The first movie adaption I ever watched/read was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I was in the fourth grade and my teacher decided that we should read HP and at the time I thought it was the BEST book ever; I couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately, half way reading through the book it turned into a movie. Now you’re probably wondering why I said unfortunately, I say unfortunately because when my sister and I went to go see the movie I was so upset a how much the movie changed from the book.

The major problem for me when it comes to movie/book adaptation is that the one thing I love about reading is the visual story you create in your head and it seems to get ruined by movie adaptations, time and time again (personally). The beauty of reading is the different adaptations that are created in each reader’s mind and movies take that away from you. Recently, I went to the movies and saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and oh my god it was amazing, but I didn’t read the book, Why? Because I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I knew if I read the book I would be disappointed in some kind of way. Seriously, I would walk into Barnes and Noble and literally run the other way from the The Girl with Dragon Tattoo book stand. I don’t like disappoint as you can tell so it doesn’t matter what comes first the movie or the book. Wait a minute, movies usually don’t turn into books haha but you guys get what I’m saying. I can’t read a book then watch the movie, maybe one day that will all change.

Bucket List!

Yasmine Horton — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:46:14 +0000

Run the Color Run- Its this really cool 5K! At every mile they splash a paint of you and at the end you look like this:

This year they are hosting one in Atlanta but unfortunately I have a conference I will be attending so I can’t make it but hopefully there will be another one next year.

2. Backpack somewhere exotic- I love the outdoors and enjoying nature so this would be pretty awesome. Its really hard for me to choose a place because I’m so indecisive

3.Bike through National Geographic’s 10 Best Bike Trails in the World. I recently just got into biking and its my freedom rider. Since I run too which can be really stressful (especially since I’m training) biking gives me a sense of freedom and allows me to let go of stress.

This is Ken the Schwinn on one of our See Atlanta Adventures

4. Go Hiking in the Rainforest- This would be amazing! I probably wouldn’t return if I did so haha. I love nature and being outdoors and this would be an amazing trip. The only downside to this is I feel like you would have to prepare yourself mentally and physically for this, maybe not the mentally part but definitely physically.

5. Go on a food crawl- It’s like a bar crawl but you eat instead. I blame this on Bethenny Frankel from Housewives of New York. She makes me want to be a foodie.

6. ~~I want to complete a marathon~~- First I have to get through my first half…

Social Media News Release on the Rise

Yasmine Horton — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:15:31 +0000

The last decade or so society has slowly become known as the digital world. Firms are finally recognized this and have jumped on the social media bandwagon. Firms are now able to have a direct line of communication with their audience like never before. However, aspects of public relations, a key aspect in marketing now need to be tinkered in order to keep up with the social media craze. Welcome to the ‘World of Social Media News Release!’

Focusing on a particluar element of public relations, press releases, they have what some have described as dead, useless. However, Social Media News Release has become the solution to the problem. Social Media News Release (SMNR) is online template Public Relations specialist and alike to create press releases based on an online media platform. SMNR generates a press release that allows the media to format for a wide variety essentially the online community. When using SMNR, you are given the option of a ‘traditional’ press release or a DIY template that allows you to add elements such as boiler-plates and quotes. SMNR are great for beginners who are not exactly sure how to write social media press releases. Luckily, there are plenty of generators floating on the big wide web (there are two linked below J). SMNR seem to be the future of press releases being that were living in a digital world. Hellllooo social media! There are advantages and disadvantages to this solution for press releases.

A few advantages of SMNR are navagation links, social media capabilities, searching, conversation, sharing, illustrating through words and multimedia, provide context for complicated stories. SMNR allow you hyperlinks to certain websites and help with inbound links and be able to stay in contact through RSS feeds, twitter, etc. Some disadvantages are lack of intellegence and actually how to perfect a news release, it creates this idea that anyone can do it, which personally I think takes away from those who spent time in school to learn the craft (but isn’t that is how today’s PR is?) and the ability to separate facts from fiction. So when should a PR practitiner use SMNR? SMNR are necessary to target a wide variety therefore a PR practioner should use it when they are trying to reach a large scale.

Heres a few links that provide SMNR:

SMNR example:

http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/shift/24521/

Below is a link to my first SMNR, check it out!

http://prxbuilder.com/link.aspx?p=1677

Synopsis of my SMNR: Its a press release that talks about Georgia Southern University’s first regional PRSSA conference. Its goal was to inform people about the regional conference and its purpose was to get students and business owners to come out and support and gain knowledge about social media.

Tips for SMNR:

Use links- its creates a cycle for the audience(being able to click to different site) and helps with visuals.
Exercise sites like Youtube and Flickr
Tag. It helps with searching
Know your audience
Encourage communication
Don’t forget the essentials of the ‘traditional’ press release

References:

http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/10/why-use-social-media-with-your-press-release/

http://www.realwire.com/servicesSMNR.asp

http://www.slideshare.net/3wpr/social-media-news-release-smnr-presentation