Social Media Press Releases

I give it two years until I leave Facebook. Not because I don't like its features - in fact, I love being able to store my photos online, creep on my friends, and see what my Aunt is up to. No, I plan on leaving Facebook because of a trend that is already starting to happen.

Last week I got a Facebook invitation from my friend Ryan to purchase tickets for the first Milwaukee Wave game of the 2009-2010 school year, a place where he currently interns at. I don't know about you, but I love when I get unsolicited offers to purchase things or give my demographic information. What should otherwise be considered unethical from a marketing standpoint now seems to be okay because of "Facebook friend" status. All I know is that once my friends all get entry level positions and need to start building data-bases, what is now a once a month occurrence is going to be all the time. There is already a sort of pseudo-pressure to reply to friend's requests online, especially if they are good friends. I just hope that this trend doesn't escalate to the point where Facebook creates awkward online social interaction.

Matching Social Media with Real Life

I was reading this blog by Chris Brogan that I found while on alltop.com looking up PR news. I think he makes a good point when he asks, "Does your social media experience extend to your other points of human contact?"

I'll get back to that point in a second, but first: I was giving a tour for Marquette's Office of Undergraduate Admissions today to a guy from the northern suburbs of Chicago (go figure). He said that one of the reasons that he wanted to check out Marquette University and why he's never even thought to go visit Loyola Chicago is because "Marquette is everywhere. I mean, you guys advertise on Facebook and you're on Twitter and stuff."

The Chris Brogan blog really reminds me about this. Why does Marquette use social media? My answer- because Marquette knows how to use social media and their message on social media matches their in person message. MU's social media is very mission driven and provides news and advertising that relates well to what is happening on campus, as well as advertising to students who very much appreciate hearing about the school through these non-traditional routes.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions prides itself on personal tours and great service. One of the things that we have been doing for three years now is creating Facebook groups for prospective MU students where tour guides answer their questions. I think this is a great way to connect what the office does in real life to what they do on social media.

Networking

I have been trying to find a job. This guy at Harvard hasn't helped my morale.

What ever happened to the American work ethic? I sincerely hope that no one takes this seriously. Through my time at Marquette University I have learned just how far hard work will get you. I don't believe in giving up.

Through my recent efforts to get a job, I've realized just how important networking is. PRSSA and BMA can help out, but my friends in the industry have been telling me to sign up for informational interviews at different communications and Public Relations companies throughout the area.

I think that I have great internships and other related experiences that would help me to stand out above many other potential job candidates, but I'm realizing just how important networking is. I suppose what the Harvard blog is saying is, don't overextend yourself trying to find something that isn't there. If we think outside the typical box and avoid simply sending resume's in, we'll find a job.

I'm not worried...yet.

The End

Twitter Experience

My opinion of Twitter would make me a great Texas Tech football player. Social media makes me feel like personal privacy is becoming less and less a social norm. Constantly bombarded by new ways to connect to others, quiet reflection is a thing of the past unless it is scheduled into my schedule.

I was asked to Twitter for my ADPR3600 class twice a day for two weeks. Talk about difficult- I don't typically go online for things other than homework.

I am not a fan of social media - in fact, I think I may be in the minority of public relations people who think that social media, in its current format, is on its way out. This isn't to say that social media is dying. Au contraire, social media is evolving. Facebook and Twitter are just the start.

Twittering twice a day for two weeks was tough for me. Nonetheless, I did actually learn a lot about Twitter and I enjoyed my experience connecting to what my friends were doing. It was kind of cool to see what people had to say and especially to keep up with my friends who I don't see very often.

Twitter is huge.

Twitter is mainstream.

Twitter is what companies want.

Twitter is still growing.

Twitter connects millions.

Twitter is the new buzz word.

Twitter will ruin us.

At the end of the day, I think Mike Leach has it right. Twitter is for people who want attention. Narcissism at its finest. Welcome to the 21st century, where the comeback player of the year is Narcissus. Ashton Kutcher's self-image depends on how many Twitter followers he has. Call me Socratic (please, I would take it as a compliment), but I prefer to define my self image through reflection.

Class About Me

What’s your full name?
Thomas Jon Klind

Were you named after anyone?
Jon is a family middle name

Do you have a nickname? If yes, what is it?
Nope

What’s your astrological sign?
Scorpio

Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Night Owl

Do you wish on stars?
Not usually

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
No

Do you have tattoos ?
No

What do you do most often when you are bored?
Watch television or read

Donkey or Elephant or Neither?
Elephant

What makes you angry?
Drunk residents

What did you do last night?
RA staff meeting, read about 100 pages for school

What frightens you?
Snakes and zombies

How many keys are on your key ring?
7

What do you do to relax?
Watch television

Do you believe in superstitions?
Zombies. Oh my gosh zombies are the greatest

Have you attended a church or religious event outside of your own?
Yes. I go to eastern orthodox services every once in awhile

Name a foreign language that you know.
Spanish- though not very well

Name three things most people don’t know about you.
I won the WI state free throw competition in 8th grade
I don't recycle
My favorite dinosaur is the ankleosaurus

Family, Pets, & Friends

Do you have any siblings?
I have one sister, Kristyn, who just started her freshman year at St. Norbert College.

Who was your best friend in high school?
Dan

Do/did you have any pets?
I had a dog, Tara. I had a hamster, Hagar. I have a fish, Hercules. Also, I've had hermit crabs.

Cat person or dog person?
Dogs

Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?
My mom

Travel

What states have you been to?
Arizona, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Colorado, Hawaii, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky.

What countries have you been to?
United States, Canada, Dominican Republic

In how many states have you lived?
One

When is the last time did you take a train?
Last summer, I took a train to St. Louis twice.

Food

What do you like to eat for breakfast?
Nothing

What is your favorite food?
Pizza with bacon

What foods do you dislike?
Plain yogurt, cupcakes

What ethnic food do you like and dislike?
I love Thai food and Italian food.

What is your favorite chip flavor?
Tostitos with Guacamole

What is your favorite sandwich?
Italian Night Club from Jimmy Johns

What is your favorite drink?
Scotch on the rocks

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Peach Melba from Kopps

What’s your favorite salad dressing?
Caesar

Plain, buttered or salted popcorn?
Buttered and salted

What’s your favorite pie?
French Silk

What’s your favorite fast food place?
IHOP

Media

Which Harry Potter characters are you?
Hagrid (great beard)

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Gran Torino

What is your favorite TV show?
Sportscenter or Full House

Last book you read.
The Shattered Lantern- Rediscovering a felt presence of God

What picture is on your computer wallpaper?
Pope Benedict

What is your ring tone?
Just a normal phone ring

What are three favorite songs on your iPod?
Led Zeppelin- The Song Remains the Same
The Beatles- Abbey Road Suite
Stevie Ray Vaughan- Texas Flood

Do you have a Facebook page?
Yes

Do you have a Twitter account?
No

Do you have a blog?
yes

Wishes

Where would you retire to?
A lake house about one hour or so outside of Milwaukee

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Rome

Would you ever bungee jump? Skydive?
No and No

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Neon Green

What writing means to me

As a college student, there are plenty of nights (or early mornings) where I wish no one had ever written anything. Wouldn't it just be that much better if we all sat around fires and cooked our most recent wooly mammoth before retiring to a nice damp cave every evening? Then again, nothing quite gets me as excited as breaking open a new chapter of Aquinas come the beginning of a new semester.

I can't understand people who don't like to read. I don't read outside of my coursework on a nightly basis, and I certainly don't think that people should necessarily (I like a good hour of TV just as much as the next person). However, a good writer can touch the soul in such a way that television simply can't. Just think of how much time it takes to read a book and yet we've all suggested to our friends that they read something you've just read. It's such a time commitment that I impose when I do it- yet there is no way I would ask my friends to watch a 6 hour miniseries and then get back to me. There must be something special about reading someone else's thoughts that inspires.

Writing is an investment of the heart, an opening into the mind of the greatest thinkers. To be perfectly honest, thinking about it right now makes me wonder why I have been given such a gift as to even know how. Either way, when it comes down to it, more and more people are taking up writing, I just hope that the quality doesn't become less and less with the advent of blogging taking over traditional journalism.