What’s the Buzz about Social Media?

The KBuzz

What began as a social means to connect friends and family over the Internet has  sparked the attention of businesses that want in on the phenomenon that is social  media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Friendster have taken the world by storm, and  businesses don’t want to be left behind.  The Kbuzz, a local social media and word-of-  mouth marketing firm, is helping businesses create an online presence on popular  social media sites. As a supplement to their website, the KBuzz has a daily blog that  offers tips to businesses and ordinary people alike that are interested in new ways to use  social media to their advantage.

I’ve been following the blog since a friend of mine joined the company and shared her  weekly blog posts with me. I love it because each day a KBuzz employee posts commentary or findings around current and relevant social media news. I’ve learned a few things from the blog, including how certain government officials use social media as a means to communicate with their communities. Check out the article here.  They also recently posted this great article about comedian Betty White being selected to host Saturday Night Live on May 8, 2010 all because of a Facebook fan group petition. The post really highlights the strength and reach of social media. Another interesting article found here profiles a number of schools that use social media in the classroom.

As the usage of this popular online tool expands, it’s no wonder companies are interested in getting involved. Many have Twitter accounts or Facebook fan pages and reward their “followers” or “friends” with special deals and insider information. Here is another post from today that explains why people connect with brands on social networks.

As a blog follower I enjoy the content and writing styles of the contributors, however I would love to see more use of multimedia. It would be great to see additional short videos beyond their “Watch Me Wednesday” segments and even some photo slide shows if applicable. Another comparable social media website I occasionally follow is Mashable, which is another great resource for all things social media. Though a bit overwhelming at times, Mashable’s ability to publish new articles ever few minutes does offer some great information. Check out both of these sites and let me know what you think!

Optimism in an evolving journalism world

There is hope in the future of journalism. Amid the panic and complaints of publications going under and people crying it’s the end of newspapers, this Columbia School of Journalism professor and dean says we should be optimistic.

Sree Sreenivasan spoke to a group of Northeastern University students tonight about the ways modern practicing and aspiring journalists can roll with the punches the Internet has thrown. With the declining readership newspapers and magazines are suffering, for students like us at Northeastern, people wonder, “why would you enter a dying industry?”

So Sree asked us just that.

One student answered it perfectly by noting that the constant need for news will never go away – we will always want and need to know what’s going on around us, but the way we receive that news is, and has been, changing before our eyes. A few years down the road we may not grab the paper off our front steps in the morning or swing by a local convenience store to read the day’s headlines. But our industry is not dying. It’s evolving.

Sree referred us to a Mashable blog post by a student of his about the top 8 “must-have skills” for tomorrow’s journalist for a dose of survival advice. Among the eight amendments, Sree notes being entreprenurial and business savvy as crucial, as well as being open-minded, and multi-skilled.

“Don’t be the kind of person who is a one-trick-pony,” Sree said.

With many publications cutting budgets and therefore cutting staff, more are looking to hire one or two people with a variety of skills (writing, editing, photo, HTML…) rather than one person specializing in individual areas.

Another important trait needed in tomorrow’s journalism world is being a Pointer. Sree described a Pointer as being someone who is able to point to other people’s work and talk about it with his or her own words. Traditional journalism style tells us to point to our own work and elaborate, but with the rise of blogs and social media, we are immersed in a world of pointing to and sharing information with others.

“If you can be a good Pointer, you will be successful and people will follow you, and that’s important,” Sree said.

Among the endless platforms for journalists to showcase work to their followers, Sree highlighted some popular websites.

Blog Talk Radio is a site where you can host your own radio show, LiveStream allows you to host your own TV show online, and UStream and Twitcam similarly allow you to broadcast yourself to the world.

Some websites he advises journalists “add to their media diet” to stay current on the ever-changing media trends are: Mashable, MuckRack (alternative to Twitter – the site sorts through Tweets to give you only journalism-related info), ReadWriteWeb, LifeHacker, PaidContent, and Romenesko (from Poynter.com).

Armed with the knowledge of what’s happening in today and tomorrow’s journalism is a vital key to success. Being able to use that knowledge is the other ingredient to expand on this success.

Social media websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are essential means to do just this. Sree recommends journalists use Facebook not only as a socializing tool, but as a way to stay current on the goings-on of those around us. He suggests creating “lists” to separate groups so you know where to look for certain information, and so you’re able to filter certain personal information you want/don’t want to share with particular people. For example, he advises Facebook users to create separate lists with enhanced privacy settings for our “creepy cousins,” who we don’t want scouring our profiles for weekend party pictures.

Sound advice.

The key to these sites such as Facebook, Sree emphasizes, is listening. To be a good journalist, listening is a critical trait. With an expansive network of “friends” connected to you on these sites, you have a giant pool of potential sources. Simply observing trends, conversations, and events can lead to a host of story ideas, all at the click of a button.

One final thought Sree left us pondering before ending his lecture, was the journalist’s ability to transcend digital interaction. As the world becomes increasingly dependent on email, social networking websites, texting and other forms of secondary contact, we lose human attention. Journalists have the ability to observe the world and “grab a sliver of human attention, the resource that we’re losing over time,” Sree said.

As long as there are stories to be told, journalists will find a way to tell them. Whether or not newspapers will be around to carry those headlines, content will still reach the audiences that demand them in some form or another.

Earthquake Tragedy Connects People via Social Media

As more bodies are recovered from the rubble and medical aids from around the world rush in to treat injured Haitians, the ebb and flow of Tweets crying for help and sending prayers has been consistent.

“I guess the only way I can help Haiti is by creating awareness,” said kuto101 in a Tweet this morning. Kuto101, among hundreds of other Twitter users have used the social networking platform to encourage donations and to link viewers to up-to-the-minute information available online. The site is especially being used to rally people around the world to help one of the poorest countries recover from the devastating 7.0 earthquake that shook the nation on Tuesday.

A Cnn.com article today said, “With few phone calls going through in the Caribbean nation in the aftermath of Tuesday’s 7.0-magnitude quake, people were driven to texting, social networking sites and other online communication.”

Twitter feeds can been seen with users begging for loved ones in Haiti during the disaster to confirm if they are alive or if others know of their whereabouts. Countless users are also promoting links to donation websites. Last night, as I watched feeds pour in with “Help Haiti” as a key word, I came across this one I found particularly amusing but motivating: Only1EricaMena: “If your ass can call into #American Idol then you can text “Yele” to 501501/”Haiti” to 90999.”

I thought to myself, how true?! I will sheepishly admit that I had American Idol on in the background as I surfed the web for earthquake updates.

Then I texted “Yele” to 501501.

While I’ve always been somewhat annoyed at the way many people use Twitter (i.e. “I’m eating a banana now” – who the hell cares!??!), this is an instance where I find great value in the social networking site. Some person from some part of the world who I wouldn’t know from a hole in the wall somehow convinced me it was worth it to donate my $5 to help others in need…all because I saw his/her Tweet.

That is powerful!

There have been several other tweets and retweets promoting the ways you can text to donate or visit websites. Yele is the website hip-hop artist and Haiti-native, Wyclef Jean, created as a support system for Haitians. Since the earthquake hit, the site is focusing solely on relief efforts and providing real-time information about the disaster. The site enables people to donate online or through text.

Another widely spreading hub for donations is the Red Cross via texting to 90999.

Tracytuttle re-tweets @britishredcross: “We have now raised 1 million for the #Haiti Earthquake, thanks to all our supporters!” Here’s the link where people can donate. On the American Red Cross Twitter page, they have pledged to raise $10 million to the relief efforts.

Aside from the small donations people from around the world are contributing as I write this, big name celebrities are stepping in to contribute in a big way. Lance Armstrong has posted on Twitter and been retweeted over 600 times to link to his Livestrong blog donating 250,000 to Haitian relief efforts. This site, similar to countless others formed since word of the tragedy spread, also enables site visitors to unite donating money.

According to an LaTimes blog entry, celebrities all over the world are donating to relief efforts and using Twitter to encourage followers to do the same. Alyssa Milano and Christina Applegate are aggressively tweeting updates and donation requests to their followers, while MC Hammer spreads the news and Rainn Wilson sends prayers on Twitter.

News organizations have been linking into sites posted on Twitter and updates are traveling at unfathomable speeds. Cnn has an iReport link on their site that connects people to others they’re looking to reach. Horrific and at times disturbingly graphic pictures are posted by iReport visitors with “discretion advised” labels.

A New York Times blog, The Lede, linked to an NPR interview today from Melinda Miles, who runs the air group Working Together for Haiti, who is encouraging people to continue donating to expedite these relief efforts.  She told NPR she has been getting calls from Americans longing to help, but she emphasizes the best way to do so is through donations. The need for volunteers will come once much of the chaos has been organized into different relief groups with particular focus areas.

In such a tragic time where an estimated count of over 100,000 people may have lost their lives, we’ve seen a tremendous outpouring of those wanting to help. We’ve also seen people publicizing how grateful they are to be alive. Here’s a tweet from last night I thought was particularly poignant: Mizzomark: “I’m going to bed very grateful for what I have…Because as the Haiti quake shows us all…Life can change fast”