Starbucks hit social media gold


In the season of giving, Starbucks rolled up their tech sleeves along with (RED) to create a  global sing-along as a part of their continuing efforts to help fight AIDS in Africa. The project is Starbucks Love Project.



At 1:30 pm GMT on December 7th, people from 156 countries joined in the sing-along. You can see the video edited together on the Starbucks site, Starbucks Love Project, YouTube, even their Facebook fan page, which has a caption that reads 'One moment. One song. 156 countries.'

From accross oceans, tribes, languages, cultures, ages and more, people came together to sing one song of love for all to hear, 'Love is all you need.'

This is a project that wouldn't have been possible years ago, and with the assistance of social media, this has become an amazing tool to create AIDS awareness along with brand awareness for (RED) and Starbucks. I can't help but think of how this is such a phenomenal example of how technology can be used for extraordinary things. Starbucks and (RED) didn't just create a montage of clips of people singing. They gathered people from corners of the world, had them huddle around their webcams and sing together. It's a brilliant and unprecedented event, giving us one voice. Taking a Beatles hit 'All you need is love' and running with the event.

I think they not only excelled in the use of the new media, but busted through a roof. Starbucks and (RED) gave consumers what they wanted during the holiday season. This 4 minute video is something that can't help but bring a smile to faces in such an uncertain time. While places are facing political unrest, economic uncertainty and more, people are stopping and sining about love.

Is this really just a video?

'Computer People'

Last Friday someone told me 'I'm not sure if we have a website, I'm not a computer person.' I know that some people don't use computers, but really? Isn't a website as vital as having a phone number to call? If I need a number, contact, organization or event information I head to the web.

Am I ridiculous for thinking that people that are in customer support positions need to have some computer skills? I currently work in a customer support field and computer skills are not only 'highly recommended' but a requirement.

I went on to speak with my grandmother, she emails, gchats and likes to 'google' movie reviews. When she was trying to get a job through a temp agency, they made it manatory to have basic computer skills. She was actually offended that someone said that they didn't know anything about a website or computers.

When it comes to culture, has this just become an assumption? In the skills section of my resume, I almost feel like posting 'Microsoft OS proficiency' is like saying 'I can read'. Why would I put that?

My Social Media & Relationships

Recently I flew to the east coast to attend a close friend's wedding. It was small, beautiful and very intimate. I realized that my college friends and I spent no time 'catching up'. I've been told numerous times that when you are back with people you haven't seen in a while, it can be hard. However, we were never really apart.

For my various circles, it's become acceptable to touch base through social media.

Social Relationships

Between Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Google Features, email and more, it's nearly impossible not to stay in contact with friends and family from a distance. During the brief weekend on the east coast we already knew who was working where, how the projects were going, how my friend was now dating a new woman. Where did we get all this information? Facebook statuses, email, texts and- once every blue moon- a new YouTube video.

Professional
I've noticed that some of my past teachers, mentors and professors keep track of my professional edeavors through my Linkedin page. This has actually expanded my relationships with these people beyond former supervisors, club advisors and classroom walls. This has been a great way to rekindle and enhance relationships by opening professional doors.

Family 
While my parents aren't very active online, at least not on my networks, I am able to touch base with cousins, aunts, uncles and brothers. All of the cousins went to school all over the U.S. and I have a married brother in Asia, so this makes social media, specifically social networks, a great way to keep track of my family. Sometimes my parents and relatives are shocked when I know about an engagement. However, my mom now just says 'I know, it's on facebook isn't it?'

Conclusion
I know that people criticize social media for it not being a real relationship tools, but they are wonderful for maintaining and enhancing already established relationships and building community.

My relationships on social media are personal, professional and family oriented. What are your relationships online?

Is Social Media a fad?

Take a look at this video and tell me what you think. As a member of Generation Y, I'm left inspired and energized.

140 characters or less please

Why micro-blogging is changing the way we communicate electronically

Writing is evolving. Today we have blogs, micro-blogs, bullets, HTML and texting, all ways to communicate a message. Most of these require and/or suggest fewer characters, leaving you to be creative, clean and straightforward. This changes the game, for some.

In the areas of client and customer messaging, less is more. Tell them what they need to know, now. Not in four, well bodied paragraphs. This is why tools like Twitter and status updates have become great for short blurbs on what is going on in your business world.

Tools like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn are ways that people can see what you are working on in real time. Posting a twitter update on your client's project can be a great way to give them a shout out and a quick update. Keep it brief and let them know it's getting done and they are on your mind. Leave the details and relevant facts for in depth webpages and report summaries.

Now, just post the update relevant to your audience, if you have more to say, use hyperlinks. A friend of mine is a retired AP journalist and said that hyperlinks are electronic footnotes. In some cases, they can really get your audience connected to new sources, like blogs of people you follow and admire.

Micro-blogging also requires stellar, concise and clear customer service. There are many small, medium and large businesses that have started to have customer service reps monitor micro-blogging sites for their customers. Google is even responding to questions that weren't initially directed at them.

How has the 140 characters or less mentality changed the way you communicate in business, school, or even with friends and family?

The Digital Divide

With the continuing influence of 'digital literacy' in academics and the job market, executives are gathering to address the issue.

The NY Times Bits had a great article about how there is the possibility that the gap between digital literacy and the ones with little or no access might be obsolete after a period of time. How/why? Because that's the way the market works...

According to the article: Google’s founders, Sergey Brin said that 'connecting to Internet will eventually be like electricity: easy and cheap.'

Read the article

Evolution of the publishing industry

If you are in content distribution, you might be reevaluating how you will be distributing the content moving forward, if you haven't already.

Newspapers are struggling with online distribution, publishers and authors alike.

Seth Godin has still been able to have best selling books through some interesting and purposeful online ventures, with little cost. Godin is a social media professional with practical and successful experience promoting and distributing his content online.

This video, from blip.tv , gives you the insight to Godin's success in the publishing field.

Social media- what is it & why should I participate?

These two words hold much power. They can make people uneasy, skeptical, excited and even a little queasy. Some ignore them as much as possible. However, social media is here, and is as much part of our culture as the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.

But what is social media?

Dan Evans is the author of Social Media Marketing: An Hour A Day, and Read This Dot Com both of which focus on social media in business.

Evans defines social media in his book as '...a natural, genuine conversation between people about something of mutual interest, a conversation built on the thoughts and experiences of the participants. It's about sharing and arriving at a collective point, often for the purpose of making a better or more-informed choice.'

So, this online born phenomenon isn't as scary after all? It's about learning what you are looking for and what you need.

For instance, if you are looking to keep track of your friend's blogs, your granddaughter's articles from her graduate work and your co-worker's website updates, facebook might not be as helpful, unless they directly post every item and update they make. So, you have a few options instead of facebooking everything. Why not try Google Reader?

Google Reader, can connect you to people through your Google Account. You can share items you like, make comments and allow others to see what you are reading. Thus, creating your own network. Who says social media has to be all sheep throwing and YouTube videos?

Participating in social media gives you the opportunity to expand your world, or bring it in closer, depending on the groups and context.

So how do you figure out what you need? Well, ask yourself some questions:

1. What is my main issue with business/communication today?

2. What are people saying about my business/product/ or industry?

3. How am I relating to my current customers/family/friends?

4. How am I recruiting vendors, customers and employees?

For questions 3 & 4, really ask yourself: How is that working for me? Is it giving me the desired results?

If you seem to be disconnected and/or not experiencing your desired results, then social media might be able to help in some areas.

You can follow my on Twitter: kristina_e

gmail (feel free to gchat me when I'm not busy): kristinaeproctor at gmail dot com

I follow some pretty awesome professionals on twitter, feel free to join the conversation.

Miley Cyrus says aidos to Twitter

That's right, she's leaving the micro blogging site. Cyrus has nearly 2 million followers- or did.

In the rapping video released on YouTube on October 9th, Cyrus stated a few reasons for quiting the site. Mostly it seems to be that she 'started living for moments and living for people' and she's sick of it all.

She's trying to give herself some privacy by announcing on YouTube that she's leaving twitter, admitting that she did get a little obsessed with following Britney.

Watch the rap here:


Congrats Miley, I'm happy that you found an noninvasive way to communicate with your fans about leaving twitter.

As Chris Matyszczyk from CNET said 'I know that you, together with the Twitter hierarchy, will cling on to the fact that one of the world's other great rappers, Kevin Federline, appears to still have a Twitter account'.

The Office's most anticipated episode is influenced

The Office, a popular 30-minute NBC show that airs on Thursdays, had two of the main characters, finally tie the knot. This one hour special is a prime example of how social media can impact entertainment.

**If you are a fan, and haven't watched the episode, don't read below- spoiler alert! **

In the wedding episode, Jim & Pam leave right before the ceremony to be married by a ship's captain in Niagara Falls. They happily return to the church to have the customary ceremony, but the wedding party has another idea. Their characters are 'surprised' to see the wedding party dancing down the isle like the popular wedding video that circulated this past fall:




The Office's interpretation:




This is a prime example of how social media comes full circle. Without this video, what would of happened in this episode? I think it really shows how people's creativity can have a direct influence over today's entertainment. This of course wouldn't of been possible without the technology of YouTube.

One question: is this copyright infringement?

Reverse mentors - Gen Y can help!

What is a reverse mentor? Well, they can be those younger, tech savvy, scary, unappreciative Yers. Or, they can be the ones that teach you how to extend yourself using technology.

A reverse mentor can help you 'reignite your flame' or even introduce you to new tools, according to David Spinks, author of Spinks Blog. Having trouble understanding how Yers keep up with all the blog and website updates? Ask how Google Reader works. Wondering what they use for balancing their expense accounts? Ask.

If millennials can bring you into their online mix, it only extends their networks and gives them an opportunity to share knowledge. This camaraderie is what millennials desire and crave.

Read more

Part 1: Millennials on the job hunt- resources

Google ‘job boards’ and you will probably get roughly 191,000,000 results. The first of which are Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com, both have a plethora of job postings and resumes. Where does a millennial begin?

Without a doubt, Gen Yers have grown up learning how to market themselves online, appropriately or not. Because of this, they turn to what they know, online research, for perspective employers...

Read More

Libraries...

If you are in any sector of education, you know that past rooms with tables and dusty books are not completely a thing of the past, but seem like they are getting there. Millennials are constantly looking for new and up-to-date services that provide information. While companies online and off are trying to keep up, libraries are growing on the struggling list.

Disconnects Between Library Cultureand Millennial Generation Values:

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0640.pdf

By the Book: Technology Helps North Carolina School Close the Reading Gap
By Bridget McCrea07/30/09

Kathy Schwabe knows that there's a standard assessment that most American schools use to keep tabs on their students' reading progress, but that didn't stop this Title I teacher from exploring a newer, more promising option a few years ago.

"It was sort of a fluke," recalled Schwabe, a reading teacher at Speas Elementary School in Winston-Salem, NC. "We didn't have enough first grade teachers, and until new ones were hired we needed a better way to monitor the children's progress."


Read More:
http://thejournal.com/articles/2009/07/30/by-the-book-technology-helps-north-carolina-school-close-the-reading-gap.aspx

Needed: Millennial Generation Social Network Educators

Professionals are confessing & politicians post their secret location; some even hold weapons and tweet. These adults are all the ones that are typically giving minors advice on how to behave, be safe and responsible on the internet. But, who is protecting these innocent adults?

Social networking is as common as television, perhaps, even more.
Adults, parents and safety groups have been adamant about internet safety since they figured out how their babies are susceptible to predators. Many sites discuss safety precautions that can be taken to prevent internet fraud, assault and overall embarrassment for children, tweens & teens. However, who’s protecting the grown-ups?

Today we have congressman, celebrities and business executives having direct access to tools like Twitter. In the past, the celebrity's marketing assistants might update and maintain these various social networking sites; I’m beginning to think those are nice filters. Instead, we have politicians tweeting about their arrival in Iraq and governors updating statuses with weapons in their hands, thanks Governor Schwarzenegger (watch the video: http://twitvid.io/abv1). When will they learn?

I think the college students, graduate assistants and high school kids of America need to sit CEOs and politicians down and have a come to Jesus meeting. Hey, we can all do it over Skype or Gmail, they have video chat now.

For this post, I Googled 'internet safety' and rendered 109 million results. However, only one out of the first ten hits allegedly addressed internet safety for 'all ages'. The site, wiredsafety.org, has various topics, but most are geared toward teens, tweens, children and parents for online safety. This is proof that we have not provided equal assistance to one particular demographic. They need education too.

This is what our world has come to. We need to provide adequate education to the middle aged. Why can’t this be put into the stimulus plan for education? Internet etiquette/safety. I remember learning about how to write a cover letter and resume. Why can’t we teach parents and grandparents that putting all caps in an email is comparable to yelling?

Sample:CALL!

To me, that says, emergency. Call now. Not the case, Grandma got new glasses. Oh, I just left a meeting… Let me go tell my boss.

We can teach them practical soft skills for internet use. Will they all listen? Probably not, we didn't. But that never stopped them, and it shouldn't stop us.

o, I propose that everyonn the ose meals growing up, and of course brought us into this world.