The Power of Social Media

Social Media is a powerful tool. It is helping bring people together in both times of happiness and sadness. A recent example of social media’s power is the Facebook page created by Jacob Kimerer, 17, from Edmonds Woodway High School called “In the Memory of The Lakewood Officers.” The page mourns the death of the four Lakewood officers that were tragically shot and killed at Forza coffee shop on Sunday, November 29, 2009.

The day following the tragedy, I continuously monitored the Facebook page and read the Seattle Times article about Jacob. I thought it would be interesting to hear directly from Jacob about what drove him to create the page and his views on social media and its effect on the people who use it.

When I interviewed Jacob on December 3 the page had over 162,000 members, and it has grown steadily since then. As of this blog post, there are 262,953 members. Equipped with over 1,600 photos, 1,400 links, 13 videos and 10 events, the page is a rich information resource center that gives Northwest residents as well as distant family and friends the opportunity to interact, share and grieve together.

Below is the short conversation I had with Jacob.

Do you think social media will help law enforcement officers with their jobs in the future?
“Social media could very well help law enforcement with their jobs. Officers need to start using social media now so they can post new information online rather than just through e-mails.”

What other social media experience do you have? What other sites do you use besides Facebook?
“I just use Facebook right now. I stay away from Twitter because it seems like more work than having a Facebook page. I like Facebook because you can do more than just status updates.

Was creating the Facebook page your idea? Did you think it would be this successful?
“The Facebook page was my idea. I never thought it was going to be this popular. I’m amazed on how big it has grown in such little time."

There are a few other groups that are similar to yours but they don’t have as many members. Why do you think yours has been the most popular?
“I must have just started my page first, or targeted it to the right people. The page is so popular because people need a place where they can share stories, grieve and show their support for the fallen officers and their families and friends. The page allows people to come together."

The page’s success is phenomenal and what Jacob did was a great thing. His page gives everyone connected with this tragedy an outlet to express their feelings and show support for the families affected. If you haven’t become a fan of the Facebook page please do so by going here or searching for it on Facebook. I’m sure we will be seeing much more from Jacob in the social media realm in the future.

Creating Currents: Surfing the Waves of Change

My highlight of the season was attending the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) National Conference. The five-day annual event was held November 6-10 in sunny San Diego, Calif. – home of the gas lamp district and the ever-famous San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park.

This year’s conference was hosted by the PRSSA chapter at California State University Fullerton, the PRSSA 2009 National Committee (made up of seven PRSSA members from across the nation), and the PRSA San Diego chapter. Over 1,000 students and PRSSA members from across the U.S. were present at the event, as well as one student from the PRSSA chapter at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (U.A.D.E.).

The conference is designed to prepare public relations students for a successful career. It offers chapter development sessions presented by fellow PRSSA members in different schools across the country, leadership sessions for chapter board members and members interested in future leadership roles, and numerous professional development sessions where students have the opportunity to hear from and network with successful PR professionals.

Below are a few of my favorite sessions.

“View from the Top: How Young Talent Can Stand Out” Ron Cult, Partner, Director, North America Corporate Practice at Ketchum Kevin Saghy, Account Executive at Ketchum

Ron and Kevin talked with numerous junior PR and senior PR professionals all over the U.S. and asked questions related to success in the workplace and their own personal experiences. It was a unique presentation that was relevant to all members in attendance.

“Diving into Diversity” Sonia Sroka, APR, Vice Present, Hispanic Marketing at Porter Novelli Travis Parman, APR, Director, Public Relations, GMAC Financial Services and Ally Bank

Sonia and Travis talked about their work specializing in Hispanic and LGBT communities and the importance of correctly reaching out to different diversity segments.

Three important things (“The Three Ins”) to do when targeting diversity groups:

1. In-culture: Research the particular culture and its values

2. In-language: Understand the language – it’s not about translation but “transcreation”
3. In-person: Establish a personal relationship with people in the diversity segment

Sonia and Travis left conference attendees with these wise words: “Exclusion is always dangerous,” and “Great minds DON’T think alike.”

The most valuable experience at the conference this year was meeting with members from the Puget Sound PRSA chapter. Students from the Washington State chapter, Central Washington University chapter and those of us from the University of Washington chapter met with local Puget Sound PR pros who were also attending the conference. The event, a casual meet-and-greet over appetizers, was a great way to meet professionals in our area and share conference stories.
* Check out the photo of Bob and me.

This year’s conference was a huge success. I met some influential PR pros, gained more PRSSA contacts/twitter followers and momentarily escaped from the western Washington rain. Next year’s national conference is in Washington, D.C. I wish I could go again!

-Amy Graham