Social Media and the ever-changing face of the Internet

These days, it seems every time you turn on your computer another form of social media has sprung to the front of the class. From MySpace to Twitter, there’s always a new way to express ideas on the Web.

At The Wyche Group, we see a great value in social media, and we continue to sharpen this expertise to ensure our clients remain on the ever-changing cusp of new media. Similar to choosing the most appropriate print publication to reach an audience, communicators now must decide which social media application is most fitting. It is critical to monitor, listen and then decipher which medium aligns with the company’s identity, message and target audience.

While social media as a marketing or networking tool is in its infancy, it’s obvious that it is changing the communication landscape. Before you devise a social media strategy, you’ll need to know your choices. While the options are seemingly endless, we offer a quick briefing below on the top five. Continue to visit The Wyche Group blog to see our social media techniques in action.

Facebook: (Over 175 million registered users) A social networking site which is home to personal profiles, groups, and fan pages. Features of a Facebook profile include a description of your company, unlimited photo albums, videos, “status updates” and a “wall” where “friends” can post public comments. Facebook also allows its user to create a blog on their profile through the use of “notes” or the ability to import a blog to the site from other blogging applications.

Twitter: (6 million registered users, 55 million site visits per month) A social networking and micro-blogging site where user’s have 140 characters or less to tell their followers what they are doing. Twitter posts need to be short, didactic, succinct and witty. If you can’t say all you want in 140 letters, try adding a short link to the post. Companies have used Twitter in numerous, non-intrusive ways, from enhancing customer service to receiving customer feedback.

For more information on who is Tweeting, read Business Week’s article “Tweets from the Chiefs” (http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/09/0908_microblogceo/index.htm). Or check out “Twitter as a brand builder” (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10192490-2.html), for more ideas on how Twitter could help your business.

LinkedIn: (35 million registered users) A business networking site, the user’s profile is essentially their resume. “Connections” should be people the user trusts in business. The site can be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one's contact network. A user can also browse connection’s connections, which could possibly garner an introduction to someone they want to meet. In turn, employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates. The feature LinkedIn Answers allows users to ask questions for the community to answer which provides useful feedback.

MySpace: (Over 110 million registered users) A social networking site with slightly more flair than Facebook. Users can personalize their pages with different backgrounds and music. This site is geared more toward the entertainment industry than other sites, which makes it ideal for music/artist clients.

Professional Blogs- These keep interested parties updated and allow the company to share links, news and other information. A professional blog speaks for the company as a whole.

With all of these choices, keep in mind that if you are creating a company profile all content should be company related and follow company guidelines.

According to Heather Oldani, the Director of US Communications for McDonald’s, one must always remember to keep to these basic guidelines when using social media:

-Be strategic
-Remember that through SM you have access to ongoing positioning
-Use a fun and informal tone
-Don’t take yourself too seriously
-Be transparent to all ideas and criticism
-Take the good with the bad
-Respond quickly and accurately to the bad instead of removing it. This shows confidence in your brand and addresses concerns of your consumers.
-Create alignment between departments
-Use communication tools to craft cohesion within your company

As the Bulldog Reporter states, it’s your responsibility to peel back the layers of each network to observe and eventually interact with the very people you wish to reach. Each network possesses a vibrant culture and ecosystem that is powered by context and connected by influential social graphs.

Further Reading:
“Yes, CEOs should Facebook and Twitter”
http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/11/social-networking-executives-leadership-managing-facebook.html
“Emily Post, Miss Manners and Social Media” http://www.theharteofmarketing.com/2008/10/emily-post-miss-manners-and-social-media.html
“New communications and PR tools offer marketers less costly (and equally effective) alternatives for building brand and product awareness” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29635509/
“Social media will change your business”
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/feb2008/db20080219_908252.htm
“5 examples of social media blunders and what to learn from them”
http://mashable.com/2009/03/08/social-media-blunders/
“Build business on networking sites” http://www.syracuse.com/business/index.ssf?/base/business-14/1236675358212640.xml&coll=1

Announcement Signals Launch of Digital Entertainment Initiative in GA

On Friday, May 5, the Technology Association of Georgia's (TAG) Entertainment Society announced that the "Digitainment" initiative is now underway. The announcement, made by Entertainment Society Chairman Audra Browning at the Gwinnett Technology Council Q109 Meeting, signals the unveiling of a program that will marry five of Georgia's technology sectors in order to reshape and further develop the state's high-tech future.

Perceived to have the highest potential for impact by both current state resources and future technology innovation, these five sectors - film, broadcast, music, interactive gaming, and distribution infrastructure -are the focus of the initiative.

A Digitainment task force, along with the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, has initiated the process by launching a critical piece of the project: the Digitainment White Paper.

The White Paper will provide a strategic overview of the current economic conditions of the state's entertainment infrastructure, leading-edge technologies, strategies and trends that predict the transformation and possible convergence of five industry sectors.

As part of the leadership team spearheading the Digitainment initiative, The Wyche Group will assist the group in identifying challenges and opportunities that will ultimately aid the state in the development of an action plan to economically capitalize on the anticipated transformation and possible convergence of the global digital entertainment industry. Others involved include the State Department of Economic Development and representatives from some of the leading companies involved in entertainment, broadcast, gaming, music, digital content creation and distribution.

"Digitainment may be the digital glue that helps shape Atlanta's high-tech identity."

- Dan Greenfield, TAG Digitainment Team

Quick Bytes:

What is Digitainment? The convergence of digital content creation, distribution and consumption.

What is Digitainment Georgia? An initiative to bring additional economic activity and job opportunities to the city and state, as more companies and individuals come to view Atlanta and Georgia as home to some of the brightest minds and most innovative firms in the Digitainment arena.

How will Digitainment grow in 2010? In 2010, Digitainment Atlanta will launch a proposed multi-day, multi-venue conference slated to bring together individuals and companies active in the newly-defined industry of Digitainment. The conference will both introduce the concept of Digitainment and spotlight Atlanta and Georgia as leading geographies in the core component fields of music, gaming, film, broadcast and digital content distribution.

How will this positively affect our state? Today, Georgia is home to some of the country’s leading brands, promising startups and internationally recognized artists who are shaping the course of the digital entertainment industry. To spur further development, in 2008, Georgia passed legislation intended to make the state a hub for digital gaming and entertainment.
Over the next two years, Digitainment Georgia will do more than build upon this existing foundation. It will serve as a catalyst for innovation and growth by bringing various players together to establish an industry identity and bring new jobs to the state.

Stay tuned for more info about our state's digital future. For more information visit www.DigitainmentWeek.com

Chef Gus Silivos Featured in Delta Sky Magazine!

Chef Gus and two fellow Celebrity Chefs are the face of Pensacola in this month's Delta Sky Magazine. The article, "Turquoise Water, Whisper-Fine Sand..." focuses on the city's beauty, history and abounding entertainment opportunities.

Silivos, along with the four others were named Pensacola's Celebrity Chefs last year in preparation for the city's 450th Anniversary. Last month, the group cooked for King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain (with the Queen complimenting the fish as the best she had ever experienced). Next month, the chefs will continue the celebration at the Pensacola Spanish Food and Wine Festival.

In conjunction with the city's celebration, Skopelos on the Bay is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Learn more at myskopelos.com or CelebratePensacola.com

See the article at: http://www.delta-sky.com/fullmagazine/2009_03/