the budding relationship

absence makes the heart grow fonder.

So, it’s been many moons since we last spoke, but never fear, the love is still here. Actually, perhaps even more so than before…

In these past few months I’ve allowed myself to be consumed by my new job at XT+M. As any new relationship it started out fun and exciting, and now, I finally find myself getting comfortable with my new mate. Having only just graduated a little while back from Centennial’s CC&PR program, I can’t say enough just how fortunate I feel to have found a job during the economic downturn. The best part: unlike many former relationships where the anticipation to get up, effort to look good, and motivation to keep trying (harder) has died, three months into this one I still feel the urge to stand tall and look pretty, mainly because alas, this is something that actually compliments Me.

Honing my writing and communications skills, XT+M presents a daily challenge. And what good relationship isn’t challenging? Like right now, I’m learning about the world of SEO. Me, the social media virgin taking on the task of researching well, social media. Sounds pretty grown’d up, eh? Well, with a million and one tools out there to get you noticed, it’s quite the savvy trick to know. And in my quest to be a better marketer I stumbled upon a few quick tips on Mashable.com. Not surprisingly, two of the easiest things to do are to Blog and tweet. This got me thinking that although my corporate profile is rising in these areas, I have neglected my personal profile. Inevitably, this has led me back to you dear blog with whom I hope to share more about my new relationship and this social media journey.

Check out…

XT+M bloggin’
XT+M tweeting

navigating the heart-o-sphere

clickin’ and bloggin’…yes, i’m mackin’ it

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to share our wonderful or mortifying dating stories with the rest of the “desperately-seeking so-and-so” planet?

Well, d’uh. Of course we can. What, with all the ways we can connect with people online, of course there’s nothing really stopping us from doing so. Hell, this blog is all the proof we need, with me going on and on about relationships its only inevitable that I’ll be gushing or groaning about my dating life. Whenever that takes off! Alright, personal issues aside, what I found interesting today is that Lavalife, the online dating site that boasts to be Canada’s numero uno hot-spot for singles, does not make the most of the social media networks out there it expand its audience reach. For a website that relys so heavily on audience participation, Lavalife’s own relationship with the web is not far stretching.

I did a quick search and discovered Click by Lavalife. Launched in 2006, the online magazine reports on dating, relationships, sex, life and style among urban singles. It features lifestyle stories, advice columns, pop culture digressions and opinion pieces infused with humor and common sense. While this is all great and entertaining, the best feature of the site is the Click by Lavalife Blog. What’s most interesting about the blog is that the writers, Shawn Conner and Lena Katz blog about stuff outside of dating and relationships. A fresh approach that really makes us believe in the real people behind the site. While they allude to dating in their posts, they offer a more holistic take on the Lavalife scene. I guess this is kinna-sorta like my blog: while I do talk about relationships and dating a lot, the underlying message is about PR, specifically social media.

That being said, I think that Lavalife could benefit from being more engaged with the other tools out there. As much as I cringe when I hear Twitter (I credit this to my lack of understanding about it), I do think that Twitter is a great platform for Lavalife’s communications tactics. Currently, Lavalife is on Twitter with only 30 followers and following 31. This is a shockingly small number considering the dating website attracts over 1.8 million active members! Lavalife could perhaps encourage each of their members to follow them via an emai blast, thereby perpetuating the Twitter revolution for its initiative. Then again, moderators for the Lavalife Twitter account need to be more active with their updates to instigate this kind of response. Nonetheless, there is hope, with a great chance for victory if its done right. I propose that they create #-tags so that followers can keep up to date with their relationship endeveours and matchups. Perhaps, give the rest of us some hope when searching for true love?

Facebook would be a great platform as well and its suprising that when I searched “Lavalife” on the site, I came up empty handed. Maybe I wasn’t lookign hard enough, so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about this.

I guess what Lavalife banks on is the fact that it itself IS a social network and thus, a platform for social media. But as far as its PR tactics are concerned, they’re not picking-up. Based on Lavalife’s demographics and Forresters’ Social Technographics Ladder (STL) we can devise a sort of social media communications plan for Lavalife.

Lavalife’s demographics* indicate that 60% of their members are male, 48% between 35-49 years-old, 81% Caucasian, 44% with a college education.

If we profile this data, we see:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does this mean?

Well, according to the STL this means that the most beneficial way to utilize social media to reach this target audience is through blogs, videos from other users, podcasts, online forums, and customer ratings/ reviews. While Lavalife has taken a bite out of a good chunk of these areas such as blogging, video (members can upload a video of themselves), and podcasts (Click streams its content in this form on its sister-site), I do think that Lavalife would benefit from using other social networking sites to reach a broader audiance and attract potential members. Right now, it seems like its only holding on to what its got (current members) when there are plenty of fish in the sea.

Why these tactics?

Well, again, according to STL, the highest percentage of users are Spectators, the second last rung of the ladder. To get to the tob, Lavalife should encourage their users to particpate more in their existing mediums, while fostering a solid relationship outside of the comfort of thier solid site. Diving into uncharted territory may ignite the flame again.

*US demographics

morals and ethics, say wha?

is she fo reals?! 

Often when you love someone, you spare them from hurt even if that means having to lie to them.

I’m a victim and a perpetrator of this (seemingly) harmless crime. But where do we draw the line?
After all, lies have a tendency to spiral out of control and some even start to take on a certain truth-we start to actually believe in them. Sometimes we get over the deception and other times we don’t. No matter what the outcome, it’s true that we’re just used to being lied to, that every relationship is flawed. And if we understand that our online conversations are filtered, that the lack of actual two-way conversation and certain characteristics of face-to-face communication are missing, then why are we so surprised by people lying to us online?

Take lonelygirl15. YouTubers were captivated by this young girl’s life, as chronicled through her online rants and raves but the fictional status of the show was revealed in Sept. 2006, leaving many followers disappointed. I’m sure most of these fans felt duped and therefore dumb for believing in what appeared to be a day-in-the-life-of type of story. And can you blame them? Surely not. People start to become emotionally invested in the relationships they form online, finding solace and comfort by relating to other people they otherwise wouldn’t have known. So to have the authenticity of these people questioned is really a disppointment.

Not too long ago I found out that someone I had actually started to grow fond of had lied to me about everything. No longer was this person someone I could buy into. That’s why I think when companies turn to social media outlets to further their brand and publicity, they ought to take into consideration how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal. Remember, at the other end of your post there is a watchful eye.

A company that recently came under such scrutiny is Belkin. The global manufacturer of computer hardware, specializing in connectivity devices, was exposed for having an employee posting an offer online – $0.65 for anyone willing to write a positive review of Belkin products on Amazon.com. Several people took up the offer, writing appraisals of products that they hadn’t even used. A PR nightmare, the scam was exposed by a blogger and I’m guessing anyone reading up on Belkin product reviews will take it all with a grain of salt from now on.

I suppose though that’s all we can truly do. Whether we’re reading reviews, chatting with “friends” or watching Vlogs, we need to play the role of self-aware users and bare in mind that the Internet ultimately gives us the power to be whoever we want to be. And as tempting as it may be to give ourselves a new “brand” the price of deception is generally not worth the short term benefits. Unless you’re lonelygirl…

sharing the love

mmm…mmm…del.icio.us!

 

My quest to develop a meaningful relationship has brought me to a new place. A spot where I can standstill and feel comfortable with the things that make me love love love my significant other and share that with the rest of the world.

No, I didn’t find true love on eHarmony, in case that’s what you’re thinking. But I DID fall in love with someTHING online - del.icio.us.

del.ici.ous is a social bookmarking tool that allows me to store, share and discover web bookmarks. What I love about it is that now I can access my favourites from anywhere. No longer am I confined to my VAIO. Also, I have the opportunity to share my bookmarks with other del.icio.us members, thereby showing off my fabulous finds and having others share the love, so-to-speak. So, I’m not the only one who’s been turned-on by this nifty tool. In Sept. 2006, the site boasted 1 million registered users* and by now there are five million users and 150 million bookmarked URLs.**

That’s a lot of groupie love!

Now, this is still a new and fresh relationship for me, but for those who have been involved with “d” since its inception, there are a lot of benefits to boast about.

Application developer and search engine optimizer (SEO) Jason Bartholme breaks them down into short and long term benefits:

If your item is saved with a common “tag” or keyword, then you have the opportunity of being visible on that tag’s “popular” page…When your item is on this page you are second most likely to acquire more saves. The most likely spot would be the home page. – short term
Once your item has been saved by a number of people in del.icio.us, you can expect some long term benefits. Also, those posts receive repeat traffic from people who have saved the item, as well as others who browser their profile and click through to your site. – long term

I frequently read up on my classmates’ blogs and have them all bookmarked on my “d” account.

As well, a friend of mine who hones some pretty talented mixing skills. Justby sharing these with other registered users I have up’d their chances of mass-appeal. I’d say that this is a great way to build your network and claim (minor) fame to your name.

Interestingly, large corporations are benefiting from this “groundswell” approach as well. In 2007, IBM released a report entited “Achieving tangible business benfits with social computing,” to highlight the advent of social media how it’s revolutionizing the business model. Particularly…

…in the workplace, this categorization by tagging enables a colleague to search on these tags, locate experts and “look over their shoulders” at the industry articles, research or blogs that these experts found useful.

For corporations, del.icio.us is a great way to monitor results by tracking who is saying and what is being said about their products or services. From a PR POV, this is great way to also measure results.

The report also notes:

Blogs and social bookmarking capabilities assist their analysts in locating information and the professionals who are researching and writing about a particular industry. Links from shared bookmark lists or from blog entries lead to more detailed business information about that individual, such as contact and position information, work location, and areas of expertise. By including such dynamic professional information as blog entries and shared bookmarks, the system provides a perpetually updated resumé of sorts, enabling managers and others to keep abreast of employees’ latest client engagements and evolving expertise and specialties.

Essentially, a great way to be transparent within and outside of your corporation, which we all know, is important when it comes to social media. Because consumers can rate a company or product, corporations are in a vulnerable state. Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff of Forrester, Inc. explain how to turn this threat into an opportunity in Groundswell, in that companies can now reach a broad audience. 

Looking at it this way, you can see that the roots of groundswell reach way back before MySpace. On ebay you buy from other people instead of a store. Craigslist lets you find a job or a babysitter without searching through newspaper want ads. Linux is an operating system created by engineers working together, rather than depending on a big company like Microsoft. Rotton Tomatoes lets you make moviegoing decisions based on reviews from other regular people. BitTorrent helps people get music from each other without giong to a music store, just as Napster did in 2000.***

Essentially, what we have is an online basket of goodies that users of del.icio.us for example, can use to gain valuable information with regards to almost any given subject on the web. There the ability to browse through tags that have been applied by other users in order to find items that you might find useful.  And, if you find a user with similar interests, you can add them to your network and keep up-to-date their bookmarks. It’s a neat and tidy approach to bookmarking and a great way to keep your relationship continuously growing.

* Sept. 25, 2006: Del.icio.us blog
**Delicious (website); Wikipedia
***Excerpted from Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, Harvard Business Press.

on social media & transparency with Nora Young

Keeping it real!

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, a couple of friends and I had the opportunity to interview the CBC’s Nora Young. We were on assignment for our Online PR class with the intention of creating a podcast on the topic of social media and human interaction or, lack of it.

Nora is the podcast host of Spark, a show that focuses on the way technology affects our lives and the world around us. As well, she blogs about the intersection of technology and modern culture. She’s a self-proclaimed Twitter-fanatic and knows a thing or two about utilizing social media.

So, of course, as a newbie to this whole realm, I found it personally beneficial to have Nora’s POV on the topic of being authentic or as it’s so eloquently said, “keeping it real”…online.

Click HERE to listen to the full podcast.

To download the transcript for this podcast click HERE.

marital bliss for PR and social media?

 

I, PR take thee, Social Media to be my wedded companion.

 

I recently got a job with a company I’d classify as a marketing communications practice and what’s been interesting so far, is noticing just how much of the company’s communications tactics are based upon online strategies. I can’t say I’m surprised though, that when it comes to re-branding, garnering publicity and overall just addressing publics that the Internet plays such an important role in delivering messages.

 

My boss said it best when she spoke about how it isn’t just marketing that’s married to online medium, but rather it’s the entire business model that’s  turned to the Internet for such comfort and a sense of belonging.

 

So, where does PR fit into all of this? As we know it, PR is people-based and relationship-driven and it hardly seems like these connections can be made through a web portal. My avid readers (if even!), know where I stand on the notion of relationships and online “socializing,” but I wonder, if PR is just another business strategy, could it also benefit in the same way marketing does?

 

Well, short answer.

Yes.

I definitely think it can.

 

I think that in a world that’s progressed and continues to do so, so quickly technologically, PR professionals would be foolish not to utilize the power of the Internet to open up the communications channels. Social media can be their best tool to do this.

 

Earlier this week in class we looked at the example of Zappos.com where employees are accessible through Twitter. To me, this gives the brand a face, a way to personalize it so that consumers are not only buying into shoes, they’re buying into the people.

 

My thing is, if they can do it, so can we. We being the PR-pros or in my case, the aspiring pro.  

 

“Public Relations has changed forever. The advent of the Internet changed the way journalists research and found stories. In the old days, a story grew legs only after the papers were published. Today, a story can grow legs in minutes through viral sharing, social media, blogging etc.”- XT+M

 

We have the capacity to reach an audience without borders. No longer are we confined to our desks or the people around us. A news release about famous Torontonian cheese can reach an audience in Calcutta. Instantly, we have global awareness about a hunka-chedda at the corner of Yonge and Sheppard (don’t quote me on this).

 

Still, there is much debate about whether or not social media is, as I have said, advantageous for PR. Many professionals in fact believe that social media is the very thing killing PR. That such a marriage shouldn’t even be legal. High-tech aficionado Kara Swisher address this in her blog post, “Is Social Media Killing Pr? (Or Maybe Vice Versa?)”. She sheds some light about a panel she attended on the topic.

Swisher says it was a “good discussion to a packed audience about what the implications of social media are for the PR business-essentially, fewer press releases and more Twitters!”

 

 

 

There it is. Ugh. The “T” word. I don’t quite understand the pleasure one gets from being Tweeted, but its undeniable that Twitter is the new Facebook, changing the way we interact with each other. Not that I care to know what my classmates are doing every second of the day, but it is interesting to see what fellow industry heavyweights are Tweeting about and how they are utilizing the power of the 30-second rule to get attention. My bad, it’s probably 15-seconds in this case.

 

Christine Perkett of PerkettPR in San Francisco clears up the hype about Twitter quite nicely and how it’s been integrated into her firm:

 

“…having been on Twitter for about two years now, we have learned many valuable lessons that other agencies are just beginning to read about. In addition, every PerkettPR team member is required to be part of the conversations happening in social mediums and each is consistently well trained on best practices across all these mediums, to ensure we put our best foot forward – for our firm and our clients – on all fronts.”

 

But as we know, Twitter, or any other social media platform for that matter is not for everyone. In my experience, however novice it may be, I know enough to know that not all PR campaigns are suited to online media. Sometimes a grassroots approach is the way to go.

 

That being said, I think there is no real answer to the question of whether or not social media belongs in the hands of PR people. It’s a hype that we must recognize, but not a trend that we can all follow. Like skinny jeans.

who am I…online?

Copycats?

 Branding yourself is in the way you speak, the way your carry yourself, your attitudes, your talents, your failures, your strengths. In a nutshell, it’s what makes you unique. And what makes me so, well, Me.

So why is it that I’m having such a hard time figuring it out?

 

I guess being forced to pen it, errm, type it down, is causing me to rethink all those things that I thought truly made me Me. Here, as I sit in a room with others struggling through the same defining process, I wonder how I can articulate all this online. How can I brand myself in a (cyber) world that omits physical interaction? It’s not like by Me writing this you can truly get a sense of who I am. That kind of marketing can only be done person-to-person, where you can judge for yourself if what I’m selling to you is real. Or just plain BS.  

 

That being said, I do know that I am “Google-able.”

I admit, I’ve done it before and it’s been quite the ego-boost to see my published work trekking around on the net. I guess I’d say if anything, that’s what brands me online.

 

Alright, can’t help it. Let’s do it again and see what turns up this time.

Type: Parul Bharadia.

Hit: Search.

 

Interesting. I’ve come across something I hadn’t noticed.

 

Amidst the usual clutter of LinkedIn, Twitter, Classmates and Facebook, the results have produced an unusual suspect. Apparently in 2006, I released a Punjabi CD. Now, this is quite unique, but unfortunately, untrue. I can’t help but allude to my dear pal Jillian here, who articulates the concept of online branding in her blog. As she says, anyone can pose as anyone online. Hell, with the right “branding” I have suddenly become a music distributor. I’m pretty sure I’ve never, ever done this. I did have a stint in South Asian media but releasing a CD wasn’t part of my journalistic deal.

 

Could someone have taken liberty with Me, as a branding mechanism for themselves?

Can this potentially be brand infringement?

 

The lesson I learned here is that if you’re going to brand yourself, online, do your homework. Because there could be a chance that someone’s beat you to it. In which case your best bet is to go the old fashioned way and start off with a firm handshake and a “Hello! My name is…” badge.

 

Maybe some copyright thrown in for good measure.

YouTube me & iTube you. aww!

The perfect man is out there. Cyberspace told me so.

Yesterday my Online PR instructor Jessica McLaughlin devoted the class to YouTube.com and its humble beginnings. Now, I’m not a nerd (denial, denial!) but all that techy stuff was rather interesting. Learning about the logistics behind the site, what went into developing it and how it became such a phenomenon was just plain cool. Now, anyone who has a webcam can be a star in their right mind. Point, click, talk, upload. It’s just that easy.

And what’s quite intriguing is how people can become friends (or foes be the case) over this impersonal-personal approach. Although, I do question the authenticity of a friendship formed over the web. Don’t get me wrong, I lived the ICQ days (yes, c’mon you remember them too) and I did have a few “friends” that I developed a bond with online, but the lack of physical presence made it hard to have any real feelings for any of these people. And over time, none of these “friendships” lasted. That’s why when I learn of people “talking” to each other over the web and in this case, via YouTube videos, I find it a lil unbelievable. To feel so connected with someone you’ve never actually met isn’t something that I can comprehend. I mean, I can’t even fully commit to my eHarmony account and its only been a week or so, because the lack of seeing prevents me from believing. Maybe I’m a cyber cynic? I dunno?

But it’s not just YouTube.

I once knew someone who fell head over heels for a guy she met online. They “dated” for almost a year and she fell in love with him. All the while, they had never met. But, he was her “boyfriend” and she was convinced he was the one and that they’d get married. I’m not sure how the love story ended, but the fact that she had such strong feelings for someone she’d only ever communicated with online was baffling. I wonder how their “dates” were? I know I couldn’t settle for man that didn’t even have the decency to buy me dinner. And what about intimacy? Are nudges cyber-speak for foreplay? I don’t mean to sound patronizing but the concept of being in a relationship with anyone solely through online communication is something I can’t quite comprehend.

I encourage anyone who’s been there done that to correct my ignorance.

web dating

That apple looks mighty tempting.

Perusing through my local supermarket I couldn’t help but notice the abundance of fruity delights. Yes, attractive young men were as ripe as the lovely Gala I’d just purchased, which got me thinking, are grocery stores really the best place to meet men? I mean, I’d never given the idea much thought because frankly, me shopping in my sweats doesn’t exactly scream “hot stuff” but with what I was seeing, I thought it might be time to give this old method a new chance.

The next day, I got done up, hit the aisles and tried to position myself in the eye-line of any given “Mr. PSS” (Possibly Single and Searching). 15 mins into it, with no hope of even a “Do you know where I can find the Hummus?” I decided to call it a day. I thought to myself, there has to be an easier way. And sure enough, the web-world proves that there is.

Yes, I’m talking about online dating my friends.

Now, I know what some of you may be thinking, that that’s only for the desperate and lonely, but I’m willing to put my reservations aside and see what all the fuss is about. After all, social networking online is so common. And waiting for an online match seems to be a lot less humiliating than waiting in aisle 2 at Loblaws. Now, I admit, I gave the Lavalife thing a try; it didn’t really excite me. But maybe its time to give the ordeal another shot.

So, I signed up for eHarmony. After seeing all those too good to be true cutesy couples on TV, I can’t help but wonder if one day I’ll end up like them.

eHarmony says the process is easy and while this is true, let me tell you, it’s nothing short of time consuming. The site puts you through page after page of questions to decipher your personality and what you’re looking for emotionally, spiritually and physically. It took me a solid 25 mins to fill out and I didn’t feel any more in tune with myself than I first started. Let’s hope the eHarm experts can fix that. 

They say that based on the personality test you’re matched with compatible people. Its only been a week and I have 80 potentials lined up, knocking on my eDoor. Then, you can choose who you want to communicate with. The catch? It’ll cost you.

A 12 month membership is  $239.40 which comes to about $20 a month. And unless you’re a paying member, you can’t see profile pictures nor can you communicate with matches. You can, however, send your match an “Icebreaker” like, “Love your smile!” and “Wink!” to express interest. You can also set up a mini questionnaire to learn more about your match and to instigate a conversation, which I think is a great way to start a chat as opposed to Lavalife which immediately allows members to IM one another.

As far as web dating goes, gaining insight into someone else’s personality is always a good thing from my POV. And I like how the site monitors your matches instead of you looking for your ideal mate. eHarmony is kind of like your friend Emma, keen on finding you true love.

day one

This is my first time so let’s start off slow, shall we?

 

Although I’ve always been fascinated, I’ve never felt ready to do it. Blogging always seemed like something the big kids did. Not something that an amateur like me could perform. After all, what did I know about “social media” anyway?

Sure, like anyone else I’ve fooled around with Facebook, I’ve even enjoyed a few Tweets here and there and okay, so, I’m a champ when it comes to mastering MSN convos. But am I really ready to give into Mr. Blog?

I mean, blogging seems like the sort of thing you only do when you’re committed. Am I ready to give up sampling what’s out there in the e-world for a more stable, mature relationship with B?

Hmm…

Well, only time will tell how far we get, but I’m hopeful that if I give this blog my all, it’ll be around long enough for continued satisfaction.