Now that the dust has settled from the whirlwind that was Edelman Digital Bootcamp, I’m finally getting a chance to pause and write up my own thoughts from the event.

First of all, I’m blown away by the work done by the UGA campaigns class that headed up the planning of this event! Lead by UGA grad student, Connie Braesch, this team of 13 students put in many long hours over the course of 46 days to plan and execute an event that typically would have taken months to pull together. But who needs months when you’ve got Kaye Sweetser leading the charge?? Not us! So thanks to the students for doing a phenomenal job with the event (learn more about them and what roles they play here), and thanks to Kaye for making the arrangements to have this event be the “client” for her campaigns class for the semester. Would this have all come together otherwise? Nope. Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s 5:00 p.m. What did we learn today?

• Blogger relations: Personally address issues. Be familiar with the technology and the terminology.

• Google never forgets.

• If you work hard and do your research you can do a lot of stuff with digital media.

• New and fresh content is key to keeping your consumers engaged.

• A user-writable Web site is inherently profound.

• Technology is not a solution in itself. It takes people to implement ideas.

Phil Gomes believes that the language of the boardroom “does not work very well in Online communities.” In fact, he thinks of these Online communities as cocktail parties. Here’s what he’s looking for in an employee:

Knowing the fine line between the boardroom talk and the living room talk. Confused? Check out Ask a Ninja…

Here’s some other things he (and other employers) want to see:

• Having a basic understanding of social media concepts and technology
• Intellectual curiosity
• Up-managing skills
• An examined, omnivorous media consumption life

Anagrams of Public Relations spell a lot of things - most notably, SOCIAL BLUEPRINT. (Much better than some others.)

Just be sure that your social blueprint is in line with your social media use. Combined, they can be POWERFUL tools!

The nuggets to take away from today’s whirlwind conference include:

Ethically and effectively using Online tools (from the students’ perspectives)-

1. Transparency is key. This is more than just a buzz word. “If there is a rule for writing Online… transparency is the key rule of thumb”–Erin Caldwell
2. FREE, FREE, FREE. If you do your research, you can do a lot of Online stuff for free!
3. Updates are key. Audiences want NEW content to experience and work with
4. Put yourself in the client’s shoes
5. Personally address and UNDERSTAND how to use the Online tools. This will allow you to enhance your research and Online practices.

From Edelman’s perspective:

1. Teamwork was evolving throughout the day
2. Cool ideas abound!
3. It’s DIFFICULT to find people in the industry with the skill set to understand and effectively use Online tools. Those who are in the know are EMPOWERED!

Is e-mail too 90’s?

No, it’s still in the game. It’s a way to connect people with content. Also, it can drive people to action. E-mail can be the stimulus for grassroots action. Viral word of mouth can be a powerful tool.

• Blog content is syndicated by RSS, but not everyone has an RSS feed. An e-mail notification of a blog post is not out of the question.

• Avoid sending e-mail out on a list more that three times a month though. Over messaging will get tuned out very quickly.

• Use HTML formatting to customize your message and create a connection between you message and the content you are linking to.”Yay E-mail” says Steve.

Coupons on your cell phone, paying for products with your cell phone, you can even take a picture of food with your phone and get an approximate calorie count.

Yes, this is really happening. The U.S.  is slower in the mobile race than Asia, but we’re trying to catch up.

Swift Mob: This is a free service that can take your company or personal Web site and make it available for mobile phones. It is free because they put a small ad on your site. The ability for people to reach your content on the go can be a powerful tool. There are also pay services in this department.

Why use video?  YouTube is free and cameras are cheap, so why not?

Well, maybe its not that simple. It takes a little bit of money to produce a corporate video, but often it is worth the dime. Video has the potential to make an interesting story even more interesting.

Companies like Dove have great success with viral video. Dove’s “Self-Esteem Fund” campaign videos have generated over 4 million hits. Platforms like YouTube also allow viewers to leave comments. Each comment provides insight into consumer’s perception of the brand. There’s some free research for you right there.

Interactive games are all the rage. Are they for your client?

First and foremost, make sure your content lends itself to a games. One client wanted to develop a game for their tax accounting firm. No one would want to play that game.

Secondly, consider the type of a game you want to develop. Is it informational, serious, funny, etc.? Is that tone in step with your brand?

Caution: Interactive games are expensive to do right, even when they are outsourced ($5,000-$50,000). Also, they can take time. Sometimes up to a year to develop.

Read the rest of this entry »

The blog as a social media press release: The blog is a powerful tool for consumer engagement. Companies like Wal-Mart are using blogs to communicate important information via their blogs. Some of the biggest technology news of the year was first released on a blog.

Earlier this year, Wal Mart announced they would no longer be carrying HD DVDs in their stores. This news effectively brought about the death of HD DVD as a format. Was this breaking news announced through a traditional press release? No, Wal-Mart announced it on their blog.

More and more companies are finding blogs as a way to strengthen relationships with their consumers, shareholders, vendors, partners, etc. A company blog provides an immediate way to release pertinent information to the public. What’s more, each blog post is another page on the companies Web site. Many people also link to blog posts they find helpful. These are two key factors in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Meaning, a given companies web site will show up higher when key words are searched in Google. And as we all know, that’s huge.