Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Social Media...With a Purpose
In August, I was fortunate enough to go to New York City and see Broadway musical Avenue Q. Avenue Q, a parody of Sesame Street, features a character named Princeton-- a fresh-faced university grad who can't find a job and talks about his need for a "purpose." A large chunk of the musical revolves around Princeton's search for his purpose, as he navigates his way through post-university life.
Bringing this back to PR, I'd like to share an anecdote about needing a purpose. During my final semester at university, I interned with a small business magazine for professional women. As the only intern at the publication, I was given a fair bit of creative freedom and was encouraged to contribute ideas to the magazine, which was only getting ready to launch while I was working there. Of course, being the facebook-savvy university student that I was, I naturally suggested that they broaden their base by entering the social media world. I just figured it was trendy and the thing to do-- I neglected to consider purpose.
My editor was hesitant. She was not too familiar with Facebook, and was weary of penetrating an oversaturated realm popular with those outside of her target niche market. I let her know that in fact, Facebook was now frequently used by older men and women and as such, could be a useful tool in generating publicity, contacts, and networks with other like-minded groups. She agreed, as long as I could convince her with stats and a formal presentation. Nerve-wracking though this was, it paid off, as their Facebook group has allowed them to reach interviewees and experts for future issues as well as inform potential subscribers about the publication.
My point? The editor of this magazine only wanted to use social media if it suited her purpose, which in this case was to expand the scope of a brand-new magazine. She didn't want a blog, a myspace, or flashy ads. I also obviously didn't create a facebook group and invite all my university friends, none of whom would have been in the intended audience-- I had to seek out groups and individuals who I legitimately believed would fit within the target market and would be interested in the magazine. I posted links all over the place, and called for interviews and expert opinions on aritcle topics. Facebook allowed me to reach a broader audience than I ever could have found otherwise, and essentially served as free advertising.
So, my question here is, what are other ways to use social media with a purpose? Are there examples that anyone can share?
Bringing this back to PR, I'd like to share an anecdote about needing a purpose. During my final semester at university, I interned with a small business magazine for professional women. As the only intern at the publication, I was given a fair bit of creative freedom and was encouraged to contribute ideas to the magazine, which was only getting ready to launch while I was working there. Of course, being the facebook-savvy university student that I was, I naturally suggested that they broaden their base by entering the social media world. I just figured it was trendy and the thing to do-- I neglected to consider purpose.
My editor was hesitant. She was not too familiar with Facebook, and was weary of penetrating an oversaturated realm popular with those outside of her target niche market. I let her know that in fact, Facebook was now frequently used by older men and women and as such, could be a useful tool in generating publicity, contacts, and networks with other like-minded groups. She agreed, as long as I could convince her with stats and a formal presentation. Nerve-wracking though this was, it paid off, as their Facebook group has allowed them to reach interviewees and experts for future issues as well as inform potential subscribers about the publication.
My point? The editor of this magazine only wanted to use social media if it suited her purpose, which in this case was to expand the scope of a brand-new magazine. She didn't want a blog, a myspace, or flashy ads. I also obviously didn't create a facebook group and invite all my university friends, none of whom would have been in the intended audience-- I had to seek out groups and individuals who I legitimately believed would fit within the target market and would be interested in the magazine. I posted links all over the place, and called for interviews and expert opinions on aritcle topics. Facebook allowed me to reach a broader audience than I ever could have found otherwise, and essentially served as free advertising.
So, my question here is, what are other ways to use social media with a purpose? Are there examples that anyone can share?
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