#journchat LIVE
Monday, August 17, 2009
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. CST
7:30 – 10:00 p.m. EST
The mission of #journchat has always been to improve the relationships between public relations professionals, journalists and bloggers. Together we’ve created a safe environment to explore each industry and ultimately how social media is influencing all of us.
The goal of #journchat LIVE is to have simultaneous live events occurring at the same time around the United States (and elsewhere if time zones permit). We’ve spent more than seven months sharing our thoughts and opinions online. While this format may not change, it was suggested that we incorporate a face-to-face event.
@prsarahevans created this weekly chat and this is from her email to me. I was urged to take control and be the #journchat Champion for Detroit. So far I have emailed and through some of my connections received positive feedback on the situation and a warning.
I am new to Public Relations field but I do believe in collaborative learning and I have found my way around the digital landscape and am very active in the community. I am active in PRSA Technology but still need to get into the game and call people to interview them.
I have never been a leader. Normally, I would rather sit behind the sidelines and then add to the conversation. I am conquering my fear of leading, doing something positive for Detroit, and am going to try and do it maybe with out a laptop. Which is going to be hard because a Tweetchat screen would be great on a screen so people can see the syndication.
As I have said before this is going to be a challenge. I haven’t worked in the industry really long and I am trying to bring everyone together . I have included radio as well. I believe they are in this with us and maybe if they are on Twitter they can chime in too. They are losing jobs at a frequency close to that of the newspapers and DJs are being replaced by voice tracks and MP3 files. People are turning to their Ipods instead of the radio.
This should be an interesting thing if everyone shows up and is involved in the conversation.
Can you give me suggestions on how to make this a great event? What do you suggest for a first time event planner? HELP!!
This has been awhile in the making and I haven’t sat down and wrote down my thoughts on the entire issue. I am writing this because I am apart of it to a certain extent. I do have access to the digital world but I am FAR from being mobile and I do not see me having access to anything really super mobile (i.e. a smart phone or a laptop in the near future) unless I get a full time job.
My computer I am working on is a hand me down and with some love from 2 friends. I was finally able to resurrect this from death. The hard drive was really about to die. So unless I got a new one it was liable to crash.
It really hasn’t bothered me until I started going to digital conferences, having a Razr instead of the 3G network, and basically NOT being mobile. I wrote about this briefly when I attended Start up Weekend and couldn’t really be useful because I lacked the laptop to do the work.
I have gotten by and really enjoy working in the digital space. I grew up in a lower middle class home and even after college I wasn’t able to secure a position just yet. With out a laptop you feel like you are out of the loop of the entire Wi-fi and everything else mobile.
The world is going mobile and I would like to go with it. Though I know the Digital Divide isn’t really all about me not having access to mobile communication devices I believe there is a small portion of our economy which can not afford to be mobile.
I am working 2 jobs, trying to land a full time position, and trying to do the right things and NOT complain. I know I am NOT a part of the BIG Digital Divide but I also do not have an HD television or anything really techie so I feel I may be a small portion of this population which is somewhat divided.
Does this make sense? What do you think? What are your thoughts on the Digital Divide? Was this something from the late 1990s?
The Stanley Cup could be won tonight and 5-6000 or more people will NOT be making the trip to Joe Louis arena to see the Cup be won at Joe Louis Arena. This is terrible for many reasons.
I had never been to a Joe Vision before last year when they won the Cup in six and I was working section 221 or so. This is a big disaster for NBC for multiple reasons. I am an usher at the Arena, passionate fan, and well love the business of sports. Consider me, as a small bridge builder between what the fan wants and needs and what my passion is.
The arena staffs are looking for one last chance to work. This brings them money and access to merchandise. I would NOT have bought as much Red Wings stuff as I did last year had I NOT had access to the merchandise. The team wins and the league wins by having this.
When you have happy fans coming into the City for a game. This brings money into the City which may not have been there had they not had Joe Vision. They also are die hard fans so with this the merchandise sales will go up with the instant access to the Red Wings stuff. The team gets the money back on paying for the arena staff and the fans get merchandise too. Plus, charities win by having the extra day of an event.
NBC’s stance on NOT having a viewing party for fans is ridiculous. They act like they are the Kings of the castle. Well their castle looks to be made out of sand. They do not play the entire NHL season and they cut in for the Finals and think they are able to man handle everyone.
This is NOT only terrible PR but it is terrible for the fans they have. NHL isn’t the NFL. They don’t have a huge audience but they have dedicated regional fans who are being alienated.
How does this work for the NHL? How does the sport grow when it has a shotty tv deal. They are barely represented on ESPN Sportscenter and on SportingNews Radio.
Versus which is a station no one can find. Let’s everyone see the games and they allowed Mellon Arena to play the games. They have a different production contract then NBC which is ratings based. People are going to party and when push comes to shove the die hard fans which are being alienated at this point. Fans are not going to turn on NBC when they have an option to turn on CBC. The Canadian Broadcasting Company is better then NBC could ever be.
CBC is king in Detroit. They have a better production staff and they know what they are doing. The announcers know what they are doing and who the players are.
NBC can’t grow the sport until they have an announcing team which actually knows players names and numbers. This is something which is easily done by studying the media guide before you go on the air. They constantly screw things up.
This is the BIGGEST PR disaster and show of greed which really hurts and shows a true sign of arrogance. Needless to say, in business, your product the only person who cares about it is YOU. At the end of the day, would you rather have two cities that love and adore you and are passionate about the game or two major cities which don’t want anything to do with you and would rather turn you off?
I would take the the first choice. To grow a game you have to be serious about it. With out a serious effort the NHL will be ranked lower then horse racing or tennis.
People may not think or relate to creating an opportunity through a blog comment. If you are in the New Media sector you know this is part of your arsenal in creating a growing brand. But what does this have to do with your job search and how can it help?
Through Kevin Donlin’s Blog, on his website, The simple job search. I wound up meeting him in Detroit, getting interviewed for a podcast about how I got my New Media internship with LLS and then he referred me to a reporter at the Christian Science Monitor. Though she did not use my interview in her newspaper. It was a chance I would not have had, had I not commented in the first place.
Through his website, he noted another person named A. Harrison Barnes. He is a great writer and has really useful stuff. But his blogs are way too long and if it were up to me, and I had a chance to really talk to him about it, I would really shorten them. They average about 1000 or more words and by the end you probably have to take a break or two. They are just way too long. But I digress. I connected to him on Facebook because I had been the only one commenting.
This led to a possible job opportunity. He liked my blog and things but things just weren’t going to work out between us. As much as I liked the opportunity it just wasn’t a great fit.
The moral of the story is in a down economy there are different ways to find a job. Plus, you need to know your worth, don’t sound desperate and to not take the first opportunity which comes around. You could wind up working in a place which you hate and you could be miserable. When you stick to your passion and you find a way to combine it to make an income. Then you probably won’t ever want to leave work.
Today I am posting about my new internship opportunity with the great folks at FWIX (Feeds with in the Mix ) This is a great opportunity for me to get my foot in the door with a start up company. I participated in Start up Weekend Detroit and I know how hard it is to start a company from scratch. So this is providing me insight and input into the creation of this website as well as any questions or concerns I may have
FWIX is a blog aggregator. So it takes all the best news stories and blogs and puts it on the homepage. This is great because it is a mix of blogs and sometimes actual news stories. To do this, Fwix pulls from thousands of sources like Yelp, Twitter, local newspapers, Zvents and now, TicketStumbler.
Ticketstumblr added to Fwix.
To make things simple. I am writing about how to use FWIX because sometimes there is some confusion. This technology is ever changing and evolving so I asked for them to create neighborhoods. Since they would like to be your local news stand. I contributed to the neighborhood idea. So you can add me to your neighborhood or visit my page for more clarity then hit add neighbor.
You are probably wondering why you would want to comment twice? They have a badge which you can add to your blog similar to the one I have on mine. So this drives traffic to your blog and if it is chosen that day to be on the homepage you will get more traffic. I am asking the same thing but I think they just want you to add more spice to a centrally located page.
Since there are different users on FWIX then necessarily who your audience is. You can get more traffic to your blog this way. Plus, who wants to hear all the doom and gloom. When you create your own content and their isn’t doom and gloom people in Detroit can see a different side of things. Which maybe would have been missed.
I encourage everyone to participate. It is a young company with lots of goals and they even have an Iphone app. Who doesn’t love an Iphone app? Well other than the people like myself who don’t have a smart phone?
This app is cool because it will be able to tell you where the HOT SPOTS are in the city you are in. Who wouldn’t want to know where to avoid if you don’t want to deal with crowds or if you want to be in the heart of the city where the cool stuff is going on. They also have a Blackberry one in the works. Regional news feeds come to your phone! How cool is that?
Iphone app shot!
So do you think this cool? Do you think this is different from what you have seen before? Could you help me to spread the word on this technology? They are ever changing and if you can help with any ideas where I might be missing then you can just let me know. They were also featured in Techcrunch and this is what is in Crunchbase!
I prefer to be the leader of change instead of waiting for something to happen! What do you think? If you are looking for Detroit, scroll down and it is in the bottom right corner to click on Detroit.
Let’s work together to show everyone Detroit is doing good things together! Let’s collaborate and discuss issues which are important to us! Let’s make this great! New beginnings is what everyone is looking for and with this fresh out look let’s create something positive.
On Saturday I presented this to about 150 people at St. Anastasia in Troy for a Re – Employment seminar put on by Matthew Karrandja. His goal was to give financial planning, social media training, and some resume advice to the community. He is planning on having a faith based network.
He also has a website which he is hoping to promote. I am going to be a part of his content team. We are looking to keep the good talent in MI and not move. Everyone has heard of the brain drain and a lot of professionals are moving out of MI.
We need good news and this is going to be a platform to help people in transition. I met Matt through a Linked In connection, then we went to lunch for a meeting and I thought I couldn’t help him since Trialon is automotive employment and here I am a social networking person. Turns out this was actually a great fit! He has been a great asset and full of great advice.
I am a student of Kevin Donlin and I met David Perry his partner through Linked In. This is where I have practiced the lessons in which I am sharing and if you need ideas I suggest you follow them on Twitter, add them on Facebook and Linked IN. They are really smart people. What is on this presentation is only a touch of what they teach. I combine it with the power of your online presence.
Let’s get everyone working together and make a difference in MI!
On April 21, 2009 I took Kevin Donlin’s method and put it into action with this presentation. His method is always to start working before it is needed to show your expertise and to solve a problem before they know they have one. I met Kevin later that day at the MSU Alumni sponsored event “How to find a job in tough times.”
I was supposed to be at a NHLTweetup but I did not want to go because Kevin’s method has helped me. Early in my social media endeavors I commented on a blog post after I downloaded and dissected one of his white papers called “The Simple Job Search Manifesto” from the http://www.thesimplejobsearch.com and I have been convinced ever since. This was a connection which brought me to my first podcast, then featured in a newspaper column in MN, and then that day I was interviewed about Social Media in the Christian Science Monitor which is located in Boston, MA. I am happy to have met and to know him and even when I don’t think he is paying attention on Facebook he is thinking about me.
I used this when I was kind of confused to what kind of meeting I would be having with Hunch Free. We had an informational interview already over the phone a few days ago and I was really interested in how to sell a Social Media strategy to a Community College. This is just to enhance a campaign which is already being used and is just my ideas in action. I am not sure if they can be used in the campaign.
Our meeting was triggered by a change in status on his Linked IN profile because I was looking for ideas on how to create my own. Am I going to do this or pursue other ideas I really do not know. In the meantime, I am actively networking and meeting people.
Hunch Free
So I brought with me this plan to showcase my skills. Jimmy Gwizdala was impressed and wasn’t really sure what to think. I had emailed this presentation first because I was not sure if he was going to be bringing his laptop or not and then I also put it on a disc. So he had a traveling copy if he connects with someone he can pass this on.
I wasn’t offered a job but I was offered an opportunity to freelance. I am NOT going to take it and I need to find a niche so I can charge something. I am still passionately looking for a FULL TIME position but I want to keep learning in the process and this is a great way to do so!
Great Opportunities happen when you create them!
You can decide your own destiny you just need to have the desire to do what you want! I am kind of scared but I know this is a great opportunity to gain some experience. Looks like I am NOT going to take that opportunity I still need a plan for my business if I am going to start one.
Have you freelanced? Started your own biz? What are your suggestions?
May 30, 2009 Join LLS at the Leukemia Ball! Please contact Norb Promo: Norb.Promo@lls.org
I thought I would pay homage to my former employer The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Norb Promo. I learned a lot when I was there and had great opportunities to gain some valuable experience.
Through this experience I also found the great things we might have lost about Detroit. Detroit was beautiful in the 1950s and the city was a happening place. I hope we find this again. I hope you enjoy a trip down memory lane with these photos.
If you would like to be a part of the Leukemia Ball email Norb at Norb.Promo@lls.org or call him at (248) 581-3903.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis Photo Exhibit
Detroit 1950s pic donated by Motor City Virtual Library at Wayne State University
Boy of the Year
Top photo donated by Motor City Virtual Library at Wayne State University, Bottom donated by GM
Donated by Motor City Virtual Library at Wayne State University
I hope you are excited about the good the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is doing and would like to learn more. Please Contact Norb I am sure he would love to hear from you.
I am young professional and I have been graduated from EMU since August 2008. I have never really cared about having a laptop I have a desk top and I was happy. Until Startup Weekend Detroit I never realized just how important two things can be. A laptop or netbook are essential to business today.
I am hard core note taker with a notebook and I am rethinking my paper calander for organization. With out Internet service you can not research and it is even harder to create a social marketing platform.
I am active in the social space and I believe in creating opportunities but with out technology you can not participate and this makes life complicated. My team leader, even though I was frustrated, still considered me part of the team. I was kind of shocked but he let me participate.
With out a smart phone like an iphone I can not even help my friend Henry Balanon by purchasing his Iphone applications like the Toastmasters Timer for speeches! I never realized just how important an Iphone can be. With out a laptop I could have participated by using an Iphone.
Over the years, I have never been much on the technology side. Last year was the first time I burned a CD. Through networking, I now believe you can not truly participate unless you have the tools to allow you to excel. The problem is the cost.
I do not have the money to obtain these things right now. I am young in my career and I am working part time jobs that play minimum wage which often conflicts with networking times.
I am an optimist and I believe things will. I am not buying into what the so called experts are saying. I believe in creating your own life and only you can make changes. I am hoping change comes soon.
Their have been multiple blogs about how to Twitter. You have just signed up because it is all the rage and you think it could benefit your brand or your business. You sign on and then you get confused. Where do I go from here?
Classic examples of confusion include signing on and then posting once and then disappearing never to be found again? This does nothing for building your reputation or for being apart of a community.
What are the benefits of being on Twitter? You can build relationships, share ideas, and create something bigger then you could on your own.
Here is what everyone wants to know. How do I use this once I get there and sign up.
Think of Twitter as your favorite talk radio station. You have callers that call in… these are your @ messages. @ messages are used to talk to a single person over the network. Everyone can read them and you can use them to build your community based on interests, if you are looking for a job, or to re tweet or (RT) something. When the talk show host is talking, he/she is talking to the masses all at the same time. This is why I am using this comparison.
When you Direct Message someone that is like taking a phone call off the air. You just want the message to between the sender and the receiver. Everything is limited to 140 characters this feature is also sent to your mobile phone if you have your account set to mobile.
To build a community you need a few things and the best way to build a great network is by participating. By replying to @ messages and DMs and not by participating in Auto DMs but by being authentic you build a community. By Re tweeting (copying a message w/senders name and @in front of it) you build up your network and pass on valuable information that you feel should be passed on and shared.
Another way to build your network is to participate in a few chats. A few popular ones include #journchat and the NEW #blogchat. You use # hash tag when you want to have something searched and this becomes a chat. This is where everyone can read your posts if they are in your network or not. If you are in the journalism realm Monday nights at 8 CST #journchat hosted by Sarah Evans (@prsarahevans) is a great way to share ideas. To search you go to the main page or go to http://search.twitter.com/ and type in a keyword or phrase.
With all of these features you are probably confused. There are a few applications to make your life easier. www.tweetchat.com is a great way to handle the chats. You don’t have to refresh anything and you can set the delay time to refresh your screen. I discovered this last Sunday and I love it.
Twitter.com does not refresh. You miss a lot of things once you get the hang of Twitter by using it. If you want to look up your new followers and check things of that nature it is ok. You should really use these two cool apps depending on your memory space. By downloading Adobe Air and then either using www.tweetdeck.com or www.twhirl.com depending on what you are looking they will make your life easier.
If you wind up with a lot of followers and want to keep up with the people in your field then I suggest tweetdeck. The downfall is that it eats up about a 1.5 G of memory. So be prepared for that when it hits your computer. Twirl is better if you are using multiple accounts. You can post on all of them at the same time.
I hope this makes Twitter a bit easier to understand.
You can follow me @jfavreau. Thank you for reading. I hope this helps you in your future Tweets!
