SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTORY
Welcome to the PR Nonsense Social Media Directory. This page provides information on the latest forms of social media that are beneficial for high-tech public relations. With the ever increasing popularity of social media, this is a useful resource to keep you up to date on what’s what.
Check out the PR Nonsense Social Media Tool Academy to find links to useful articles and resources on social media trends, tips, and technologies.
Have another social media to add to the directory? Leave a comment or email news@marchpr.com.
BLOGS
A blog (short for “weblog”) is a type of website, which consists of regular entries called “posts.” Posts are often organized chronologically and can be grouped by topic using tags. Tags allow users to categorize posts according to a specific keyword. Blogs can be used to publish and share news, commentary, videos, or just about any other form of content that the author desires. Blogs can be used internally to enhance the communication and culture in an organization, or they can be used externally for marketing, branding, and public relations. PR firms often reach out to bloggers to get coverage for clients or increase their customers’ exposure, but the easiest way is to create your own blog, or create a blog on behalf of your client and have the client, or PR firm, generate the content. There are many blog providers, including WordPress, Google’s Blogger, and HubSpot.
TWITTER
Twitter is a free social networking/micro-blogging website that allows users to send out 140 character “tweets” to a network of followers. These short messages can include hyperlinks to other web pages, commentary on the author’s activities, or news. Twitter has become a powerful grass-roots marketing and public relations tool. PR firms can help companies manage their accounts to distribute news, product information, industry insights, and other content to the public.
LINKEDIN
Professional networking is important to every company, in every industry. On LinkedIn, users can enhance their networking potential by creating a profile featuring their contact details, resume, and professional accomplishments. Users can link to other professionals, friends, and business contacts to create an online network that facilitates fast, friendly communication. LinkedIn is an easy way for PR firms to help their clients stay connected with journalists or analysts they have briefed, become known in the industry by answering forum questions, and keep their network updated on their company information.
YOUTUBE
YouTube is the premier source for watching and sharing online videos. Users can simply upload video clips with their personal account, create a channel, and share their video content with the world. Embedding YouTube videos into other web locations (including blogs) is simple, giving users an almost unlimited ability to spread their video content around the Internet without using their own storage space. The growing popularity of video marketing is a great way for PR firms to make use of as many different mediums as possible to increase exposure for their clients, especially clients that have a product for which a live demo is useful.
FACEBOOK
Facebook is a social networking website that connects users with friends, relatives, coworkers, and those who live and work around them. Users send “friend requests” to others in order to share their personal profiles, which can include anything from contact details and photos to lists of favorite movies and artwork. Facebook allows companies to provide information about products and events in a fun, informal environment. Being able to generate a group of followers and send regular company updates provides another outlet for PR firms to reach a large audience.
DELICIOUS
The social bookmarking service, Delicious, allows users to tag, save, and manage web pages from a centralized source. Instead of saving bookmarks on different computers at different locations, Delicious users can simply log in to their accounts and work with all of their bookmarks at once. Subscriptions and network features help users keep track of other Delicious users and tags that are of interest to them. Long gone are the days when PR agencies maintained clipping books for clients, but keeping track of coverage is still just as important and Delicious provides a great outlet for just that.
FLICKR
FlickR is an application devoted to the display and management of media content. Members can share and organize photographs and videos on a simple interface, using tags, editing tools, and privacy controls to craft the perfect public or private media gallery. For clients interested in promoting a new product with professional images, FlickR is a useful venue easily maintained by PR firms and shared with interested media, product reviewers, and customer prospects.
