Did Klout get it right? Or just get lucky?

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Rebecca Denison

Recently Klout reached out to me to participate in their new partnership with Nike: Campus Roar. If you know me, you know I live and breathe UNC basketball and college hoops in general. So this is perfect for me, and I am incredibly excited to participate. (Sorry to all my Twitter followers come March, I plan to be obnoxious.)

I’ve received a couple other “exclusive offers” like this from Klout before, but neither were anywhere near relevant to me or my interests. So I had to wonder: did Klout finally get it right this time? Or were they just lucky with me?

If I’m being optimistic, I think they finally got it right and found someone who would be interested in their partnership. If I’m being realistic, I’m afraid they just got lucky.

I will admit, I thought for quite some time before I decided I would participate in Campus Roar at all. Why? To be stubborn. It’s the principle of the thing. Many of my colleagues work their butts off researching online influencers and establishing connections with them. They wouldn’t send out every promotion that crosses their desk to the same list of “influencers.”

Part of me wanted to refuse to participate because I didn’t want to reward bad behavior. But then there was this other part of me that’s been in love with March Madness since I was in elementary school. While I gave in to my love for college basketball, it certainly got me thinking.

I’d love to see the campaign measurements on these things. Do they find its effective to send these promotions to say 1,000 people hoping it will be just the right thing for enough of them? It is as effective as finding 10 or 15 people who would be likely to care?

This of course led to me think about all of the moving pieces that go into each of these promotions and influencer lists.  What combination would make a blanket list effective enough or worthwhile.

There is obviously a difference in the amount of time it takes to find a blanket list vs. a specific and relevant list of influencers. How much time saved is worth it for a blanket list that may not be as relevant?

Each time you send out a generic promotion that may only appeal to 5 or 10% of your blanket list, how many folks unsubscribe to your list or block you? At what point is the list no longer effective? How many people do you have to lose?

And of course, every time you send out a generic promotion to your blanket list, how much is your brand or your company hurt? How much of a fall does your reputation take? Again, at what point is it too much to continue?

I realize I’ve brought up more questions than I’ve answered, but I’m truly curious. I see these types of practices from more than just Klout (just a recent example), and I wonder how these practices are justified.

What do you think? Would you ever use this practice? Why and at what point would it no longer be worth it?

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Top 25 Before I’m 25 – Revisited

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Rebecca Denison

As I reevaluated my goals for the new year and stepped into a slightly different role at work, I remembered my list. I thought it was time to once again revisit this and remind myself my larger goals. I only have one year and  three months to go before I’m 25! Bring it on!

Personal Goals:

  1. Adopt a dog to be the start of my new, grown-up family.
  2. Run a second triathlon, this time with my dad, and walk/run a half-marathon with my two best friends (who I did the first triathlon with).
  3. Make my old friendships a priority by setting up phone and Skype dates with my friends and family who I can’t see on a regular basis. – Not to say that this goal is completed, but I have made several weekly dates with friends, and I feel a lot better about keeping in touch.
  4. Nurture new Chicago friendships and have a Chicago friend family that can be relied on much like my oldest and dearest friends. – Done. And I couldn’t feel better about my new Chicago family.
  5. Volunteer at PAWS Chicago at least once each week and find a way to give back to UNC, too.

Professional Goals:

  1. Improve my understanding of social media channels and how Edelman is using them. – This is one of those goals that will never truly be done, but I do feel as though I have a MUCH better grasp on this and am happy with my learning progress.
  2. Ask questions early and often, and be willing to turn in a project late if it means doing it right the first time around. – I haven’t mastered this by any means, but I have been getting much better at this. I’ve been five minutes late on a deadline to ensure I have time to double check that one last statistic or fact. I’m proud of how far I’ve come on this, but I do need to continue to grow!
  3. Seek out new and different projects where I can help out and learn more about measurement and social media. – While this goal will be one I continue to strive toward, I have recently jumped onto several awesome projects which are already expanding my horizons!
  4. Read and absorb anything and everything about social media measurement in order to broaden my skills and to better help clients. – Again, this is something I’ve committed myself to over the past few months. My Google Reader has expanded, and I’m trying to read more varied sources all the time.
  5. Become the go-to measurement guru in the Edelman Digital Chicago office.

Blog Goals:

  1. Claim my own domain name and begin learning (and using!) HTML coding. –Done.
  2. Write blog posts each week about something that I love or am passionate about.
  3. Become a regular contributor or guest post-er on a group blog or on social media nuts’ blogs. – If you haven’t yet, check out my posts over at PRBreakfastClub.com!
  4. Find a way to keep DR. WHAW? a regular feature without committing to posting it every single day (with my schedule, I can’t seem to make this work every day). –All thanks to my awesome contributors!
  5. Increase reader engagement as marked by number of comments, return readers and Tweets.

Chicago Goals:

  1. Move to an apartment in Lakeview. – DONE! And I love it.
  2. Attend Lollapalooza in the summer.
  3. Try a Chicago-style hot dog and a sandwich from Lucky’s. – Half done! Lucky’s is delicious, I highly recommend.
  4. Take the architectural boat tour.
  5. See the Boston Red Sox play at Wrigley Field (I know this may not even be possible but definitely worth a shot).

Travel Goals:

  1. Visit Washington, D.C., for the first time and do all of the typical touristy things. – So I got to go to D.C. for a conference, but I didn’t get to do ANYTHING touristy. Half-done.
  2. Visit my older sister in Amherst, Massachusetts, and my younger sister at the University of Minnesota. – Another half done. I got to help my baby sister move in for her second year at Minnesota, but still have not made the trek out East!
  3. Visit Austin, Texas, to attend the SXSW conference in 2011 and visit friends.
  4. Visit my mom’s parents in Kentucky and see my cousin wrestle in a state tournament (it will happen, Sean!). – My mom and older sister went with me to see the whole family, and it was so much fun! No wrestling yet, but I’m waiting for it!
  5. Travel to the ACC or NCAA tournament to watch the Tar Heels play their way into history again.

All in all, I think I’m doing pretty well for the halfway mark. It may be time to put some goals up on my board at work so they’re always in my face. How do you stay motivated?

Posted in Growing up, Life as an AAE | Leave a comment

DR. WHAW? – January 28, 2011

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Rebecca Denison

This post was written by Melissa Cafiero.

While there is political unrest in Egypt, it seems a little weird to be providing tips on public relations, news releases, social media and the like. I’ll keep this week’s post short as I urge you to read up on what’s happening across the world.

DR. WHAW? – January 28, 2011

  1. Social media to the rescue: Getting your brand back on track when a crisis breaks by Jay Baer and Amber Naslund – One day, your client or company will likely, and unfortunately, experience a crisis. (Taco Bell, anyone?) This post, an excerpt from the authors’ new book, includes smart tips. You’ll want to bookmark this one.
  2. Stop Whining and Start Teaching by Becky Johns – I take issue with this post. I, too, am a millennial, but think it’s completely asinine for the younger generation to expect the older generation to teach us best practices. We are fully capable of researching and learning more about our industries, jobs, etc. Rather than be a passive participant in your career, be proactive and teach yourself. Of course, there are instances when the more experienced could also help themselves by teaching their mentees/direct reports the right ways, and I think this post does a good job calling those out. But for the most part, you’re going to have to take ownership and seek out the learning opportunities. You’re the only one who truly cares about your career – don’t leave it in the hands of others.
  3. The 6 Essential Steps to Writing a Killer Press Release by Jiyan Wei – Do you know what it takes to write an effective release? Even if you answered yes, you might want to check out this post. So many news releases are copies of the same tired template – make yours stand out.
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DR. WHAW? – January 23, 2010

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Rebecca Denison

This post was written by Melissa Cafiero.

Hey, you. Yeah, you! How was your week? I hope it was productive, went by quickly and that you’re looking forward to a fun weekend. If you’re in the Seattle area, might I recommend the Belgianfest? Perhaps I’ll see you there!

As for now, how about a little bit of what I Didn’t Read While Hard at Work?

DR. WHAW? – January 21, 2011

  1. Research: Fastest-growing companies accelerated social media usage by Mark Schaefer – Some of the research findings, from the Center for Marketing Research, which Schaefer shares is not surprising. Of note, Fortune 500 companies lag a bit behind new, fast-growing ones. I find that newer companies are often much more willing to be creative, do something a little crazy and get a lot of attention for it. What do they have to lose, right? Check out the blog, and comments, for additional research and opinions. What do you think?
  2. How you can attract more retweets: a 10-step guide by Chris Lake – Is it a sign of this article’s effectiveness that it garnered more than 200 retweets so far? This post is a quick read, with tips that are easy to implement and it’s spot on. Go. Read. Now.
  3. The pros and cons of juggling Facebook accounts by Matt Wilson – A lot of people create two Facebook profiles – one for professional contacts and another for personal ones – and this is particularly true for PR pros and communicators. But did you know it’s against Facebook’s Terms of Service? If you’re in violation, Facebook could delete your account(s). And if you’re managing a professional organization’s, a client’s or a company page, you might lose access to the page.
  4. 5 Reasons Copywriters Need to Get Data … Or Get Out of the Business by Adam Singer – Even if you aren’t a copywriter, if you’re in public relations, you’re more than likely drafting some sort of content. Have you ever thought about how effective your collateral is? Do you measure it? Does it mean conversions for your company/client?
  5. Six@Six: Six Tips for Communicating with Potential New Hires Online by Patrick Kerley – As someone who previously managed an intern program, this post was particularly interesting and immediately useful for anyone in a recruitment role. Have you been on the receiving end of this type of communication? Have you been doing the communicating? Why might these tips work?
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DR. WHAW? – January 17, 2011

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Rebecca Denison

This post was written by Melissa Cafiero.

I’m preparing to head out of town on a road trip to Oregon (seven Rogue breweries in two days – totally doable). But before I leave, I wanted to share the most interesting articles I read this week.

And now… what I Didn’t Read While Hard at Work!

DR. WHAW? – January 17, 2011

  1. Happiness is having a job, and the salary doesn’t matter by Tim Ross – A study was done in the UK to measure the country’s happiness, and having a secure job was one of the most popular answers. As we know here in the US, jobs are still proving difficult to find. You, or someone you know, may be looking for employment. Wouldn’t you agree that a steady paycheck impacts your well-being? While this brief article is a little short on statistics (personally, I would love to see more info), it still provides some thoughtful information.
  2. Lessons from an Old Guy by Jim Mitchem – I know people in our generation tend to ignore advice from the older crowds – do we think we know everything?! – but Mitchem’s thoughts are right on point. I was already aware of some of what he says, but the confirmation of my thoughts is comforting. Was there any piece of advice he provided that particularly resonated with you?
  3. ‘Most amazing press release’ sparks amazing buzz for PR pro by Michael Sebastian – Have you heard about the new, “most amazing press release” that was issued recently? If not, it’s embedded in the article. What do you think? Was the resulting attention warranted?
  4. The big Quora question: What’s it good for? by Matt Wilson – I’ve been avoiding Quora for as long as possible, but it’s time I look into it. If you’re looking for a quick read, scroll to the bottom and see, “6 things PR pros should know about Quora.”
  5. Is it OK to fake your tweets? Mark Schaefer – How often do you tweet or retweet an article without reading it? If your friend recommended it, do you think you need to read it, too, or take their word for it that it’s a good article? Check out the comments – there’s a great discussion.
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DR. WHAW? – January 4, 2011

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Rebecca Denison

This post was written by Melissa Cafiero.

I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging over the holidays, and thank goodness Rebecca understood my need to get away and was so supportive!

I hope everyone had a happy holiday season and that it was filled with love and sweet treats (that’s what the holidays are for, right?). Let’s get 2011 started with some thought-provoking, inspirational blogginess!

DR. WHAW? – January 4, 2011

  1. Unclutterer: Best of 2010 by Erin Dolan – If you’re the type to make resolutions at the start of each year, perhaps this 2010 wrap-up post will be of some help to you. At the very least, perhaps it will motivate you to do something!
  2. Coworker Trust – Sometimes It’s Better to Give AND Receive by Eileen Habelow, Ph.D. – In a recent Randstad Work Watch survey,  70 percent of survey-takers said that a supportive and friendly workplace could be attributed to the friendships formed on the job. This article discusses the best ways to cultivate those friendships, learning to trust each other and work together despite differences. How would your 9-5 be different if you didn’t have a colleague-friend?
  3. The Art of Being Simple and the Bicameral Mind by Lauren Fernandez – How much of your life is cluttered up by doing, doing, doing? Isn’t it tiring to be going ALL THE TIME? “As a society, we tend to get so caught up in being better than everyone else that we forget to be humble. We forget to focus on the good, no matter how small it may be. We thrive and want it all, forgetting what is in the present.” So true.
  4. Things Organized Neatly – Sometimes it’s important to make order and sense of the chaos that surrounds us on a daily basis. Perhaps it’s my Penelope tendencies, or maybe I’m just crazy, but checking out this blog when I feel stressed helps calm me. One of the recent photos, of flowers organized by color, was especially beautiful and serene. (When I shared with colleagues that I love this blog, they laughed at me. Supportive laughter, I’m sure.)
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More than a job, more than a worker

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Rebecca Denison

As some of you know, I was in the ER for a good chunk of the day last Wednesday. I was in some pretty serious pain and spent a few hours on an IV. In the end, I walked out at the end of the day in one piece, but it was a rough day to put it mildly.

I’m OK, and I don’t tell you this for sympathy. I simply mean for it to serve as background to one of the most humbling lessons I’ve learned since entering the adult working world, the “real” world: people genuinely do care.

I learned pretty quickly that the people I work with not only care about me because I’m efficient and smart and get the job done. The people I work with care about me as a person, not just as a worker.

Not to suggest that the people I work with at Edelman Digital are generally a heartless bunch; I work with a pretty dynamic group of characters on a daily basis (and I love that). But somewhere among all the deadlines, brainstorming sessions and jokes about tough projects, I started to forget that there was an aspect to many of these folks outside the office.

But when I was sitting in the ER waiting room with one of my closest friends and confidants (who I’m also lucky enough to work with), I got a call on my cell phone from one of bosses. She wasn’t calling to figure out where the heck I’d run off to, and she wasn’t calling to ask me who was going to take care of my work in the absence. All she wanted to tell me was to focus on my health and let her know if there was anything she could do, even if it was just bringing me lunch or sitting with me for a while.

To be honest, that’s not something I expected from her. Not because she’s not human, but because she’s my boss. It seems so silly to say now, but who knew she cared about me as a person, too?

And it is silly. I realize now how ridiculous I was, but it honestly surprised me who genuinely showed support and concern for me. It got me to thinking: I can’t be alone.

So I’m saying it to all you new and young pros: all those big scary VPs and SVPs and EVPs and presidents care about you as more than just an employee. They care about you as a person, and they genuinely want you to do well, both at work and in every other aspect of your life.

I hope you can believe it now; I hope you’ll internalize it. I think we all get so caught up in the new “real” world and all we want to do is succeed. But we forget that we’re all humans at the end of the day, and work isn’t the only aspect of our lives.

My challenge to you is this: care about your coworkers as people. Ask them about their families and their weekends and their health. I know I will as much as I can from now on because goodness knows I’ve learned how much my coworkers care about me.

What are your tips for talking to coworkers? Do you treat your superiors much differently than those at your level?

Posted in Growing up, Life as an AAE | Leave a comment

The structure may change, but the spirit should always remain

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Rebecca Denison

I recently found myself once again in one of my favorite places on this earth: the Student Union at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I could talk your ear off for hours about why I love the Union, but it all comes back to the spirit of Chapel Hill.

It was something I felt six years ago when I first set foot on campus and a big factor which led to me telling my dad he would have to find a way to pay for it because I was going to be a Tar Heel. Whenever I’m in Chapel Hill, I feel an overwhelming sense of being part of something bigger than myself and feeling incredible strength and pride from being part of the Carolina family.

Each and every time I’ve returned to Chapel Hill, something has changed. Something big. Last fall it was the newly built hall for the music and arts students. This year it was the exceedingly small number of faces I recognized on the streets. And the little things have changed, too. My favorite bagel place on campus (and possibly in the world) updated its menu, which is now electronic and interactive.

Slowly but surely UNC is evolving and changing as the world does. The biggest things, though, the most important things, will always be the same. I feel confident when I say the Old Well will never be torn down, and the Bell Tower will continue chiming through the life of the University. And the life, the spirit of Chapel Hill will forever be as Charles Kuralt described it:

“And here we found something in the air, a kind of generosity, a certain tolerance, a disposition toward freedom of action and inquiry that has made of Chapel Hill, for thousands of us, a moral center of the world…”

This only serves as a reminder for me that the most important things in life are often those which do not change. I like to believe that I have grown up in recent years, and I know that I am not the same person that my dad left in Chapel Hill five years ago. But the most important things? The things that make me me? Those will never change, and goodness knows I wouldn’t want them to.

Similarly, will always be certain core values or principles which guide my work life. Whether I’m working on a new business pitch for a large company or a conversation analysis for our smallest client, there are aspects of my work (and my attitude) that remain constant.

We recently explored our personal strengths at work, and I found mine to be absolutely dead on. I didn’t think about it at the time, but these are exactly the things about me which will never change. I’m an achiever, I’m stubborn and I genuinely care about other people.

Have you ever seriously thought about those few qualities about yourself? What has never changed? How has this help guide you to where you are now?

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DR. WHAW? – November 16, 2010

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Rebecca Denison

This post was written by DR. WHAW? contributor Melissa Cafiero.

I hope everyone is having a good, productive week. Did you read anything interesting this week? If not, you’re in the right place.

Here’s what I Didn’t Read While Hard at Work…

DR. WHAW? – November 16, 2010

  1. The Online Community Secret Sauce by Gini Dietrich – There isn’t a secret sauce that’s guaranteed to work, but this post is valuable because it helps narrow down the components that are likely to help you. Is anything missing? Would you agree with the formula?
  2. The 1-Step Plan for Super-Productivity by Jocelyn K. Glei – The focus of this article, the one-step plan for being really productive, is to get up early. I can hear you already thinking, “I’m not a morning person,” but this post includes intriguing information and an easy, step-by-step plan to get started. The most motivating part? “As designer and early riser James Victore said in a recent 99% interview, ‘I get more work done by 9am than most people do in a full day.’”
  3. The Principles Are the Same: Young PR Professionals Still Need to Develop Credibility and Influence by Hugh Burnham – This post provides some good advice, but I think the author focuses too much on the perception that young PR pros don’t know enough and have little to teach others. After reading some of the comments, I’m not alone. But what about you? What do you think?
  4. Six @ Six: Six Tips to Protect Your Personal Brand Online by Patrick Kerley – What could happen if someone impersonated you and destroyed your credibility? Here are some tips to prevent that from happening in the first place. Has this ever happened to you? What would you advise the rest of us do in similar situations?
  5. Playing Tag #NotJustForKids by Lindsey Frey – This is a helpful article which focuses on hashtags: when to use them, why, best practices, etc. Go forth and tweet!
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DR. WHAW? – November 10, 2010

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Rebecca Denison

This post was written by DR. WHAW? contributor Melissa Cafiero.

Can you believe we’re nearly halfway through November? There are limited shopping days left before Christmas and holiday season gift-giving. We’ll say goodbye to the first decade of this millennium. Before you know it, we’ll be looking forward to spring breaks and summer vacations. Overwhelmed yet?!

Take a break for a bit and check out what I Didn’t Read While Hard at Work!

DR. WHAW? – November 10, 2010

  1. Spell-checker busters by Heidi Stevens – After holding a fun and collaborative AP Style and grammar brownbag today with the team, this article caught my grammar-loving eye. It’s a quick read and provides clarification around jibe versus jive, home versus hone and skimp versus scrimp. Have you made these mistakes before?
  2. Stress in America by Rob Stein – Get up early, get ready for work, take care of family needs, head to work, go home, cook dinner, work a little more, go to bed, sleep a handful of hours and start all over again. Sound familiar? This article looks at recent survey findings from the American Psychological Association. The most shocking part for me? “While most parents don’t think their children are strongly affected by their stress, their children report otherwise. Nearly three-quarters of parents say that their stress has only a slight or no impact on their children. But 91 percent of children report they know their parent is stressed.” Yikes! You’re not fooling anyone.
  3. 10 Common Happiness Mistakes by Gretchen Rubin – There are a lot of mistakes on this list of which I am guilty. For example, I have a tendency “To spend too much time, or not enough time, thinking about the past, present, or future.” I don’t always enjoy the here and now because I’m remembering happy times in years past or focusing on the possibilities of tomorrow. Which mistakes do you make?
  4. After Diaper Incident, Alaska Airlines Has A Major PR Debacle On Its Hand by Gus Lubin – Maybe I’m alone in my thinking here, but I think the family is taking this whole issue too far. These are two customers, plus a baby, unhappy about losing their tickets on a flight because of an unforeseeable incident. If the airline rep held the plane, resulting in a delay and causing missed connections, then how many unhappy customers would be complaining? I’d venture to say a lot more than two. Also, I think we’re too quick to jump into a public forum and start throwing stones at businesses who “wrong” us. We see a lot of popular people (bloggers, Twitter celebrities, etc.) using their influence to right wrongs by calling out companies that make mistakes. Sometimes, these result in amazing responses by great companies, but other times it’s just a bunch of nonsense. What would do in this case – as a customer and as the company?
  5. Friday Five (+5) by various authors – I always love a good post roundup. Here are the top five posts on PR Breakfast Club in the last three months.
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