The Dawning of Social Media

The Financial Times article, “Extreme Teenagers” by Susie Boyt, got me thinking about the origin of social media and how it has evolved.

I started recognizing the wave of social media when I was entering my freshmen year at the University of Oregon. My friend mentioned that she was using an application called “Facebook” to meet people before she moved into the dorms. This socializing-made-easy helped her build relationships with people she wouldn’t have known by simply meeting other coeds face-to-face.

Fast forward only three years and you’ll find many colleges and universities incorporating social media tools into the curriculum. As a public relations major and part of Generation Y, I learned about the importance of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogs in my advanced public relations writing course. I never would have thought that social media tools would be so crucial to my education and career!

Social media tools are currently used by public relations practitioners but have always been used by young people. As a result, members of Generation Y are becoming PR machines who will have a major impact in the business world. Executives will now look to younger team members for advice and an understanding of social media. Watch out, there’s a new sheriff (generation) in town!

- Sarah Essary

White House prepares for Chief of Technology

Barack Obama’s historic entrance into the Oval Office marks a first in many ways for our nation including the addition of a Chief of Technology position in the White House. Obama and Biden pledged a new technology plan for our nation during their campaign and now that promise will become a reality.

The Chief of Technology position was created to further propel the government into the 21st century. The Chief of Technology will help the government utilize technology to establish more effective communication with Americans, while helping the government become more transparent to its citizens.

For the first time in history, a vast network of electronic communication tools were used to campaign to the American people in a presidential race. Tools such as text messaging, blogs, Twitter, MySpace and Facebook allowed candidates to connect with people on a new level. Understanding and participating in the electronic age of grassroots marketing has become an invaluable asset to not only companies and individuals, but government, too. This new era of communication is changing the way people interact and share information on a global level.

It is interesting to see how the government, along with business, is beginning to utilize new communication tools to connect with people. I think the addition of the Chief of Technology position will prove to be a valuable asset for the government by helping to create a new connection and understanding with the American people.

-Heidi Gill

Cash is King

A few weeks ago, Bob Frause, founder of Frause, shared his entrepreneurial experience and explained the elements of launching a business at “Marketing Monday,” held by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Much to his surprise, many of us Frausers attended.

With over 30 years of experience, Bob Frause stressed the importance of networking. “Contacts are more important than money,” explained Bob. Starting Frause in a one-room office with a donated computer, Bob used his networking skills to grow the agency into a full-spectrum communications firm with over 70 clients and 23 employees in two states.

Bob attributes his success to having a “cash is king” attitude. He believes that utilizing cash rather than credit will benefit the growth of a small business in the long-run. Bob explains that he has never had to use credit against his business and that Frause has never experienced a decline in annual revenue.

It was so exciting to learn the history of Frause and how to start a business! I hope to start my own business one day and will always remember Bob Frause’s wise words.

- Sarah Essary

Frause makes top 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies

This past week, Frause received word that it had made the top 100 Fastest- Growing Private Companies list in the Puget Sound Business Journal. This is the first time Frause has made the list. The Puget Sound Business Journal is a weekly publication that provides articles and information for the business world in the greater Seattle area.

In order to qualify for the award, each company must achieve year-over-year growth for three years running and have recorded revenue of at least $500,000 in 2005. If a company meets the criteria and is interested in participating, a representative from the company is required to submit revenues for the past three years. Then an independent accounting firm reviews and verifies the figures.

As an intern, I am excited and proud to be working at a firm that is still managing to be successful and grow in a struggling economy. After being at Frause for about a month and a half, I am able to see how an immense amount of hard work can pay off. Several of my coworkers spend long hours in the office and devote a great deal of energy to every detail for their clients. It is encouraging to see their hard work and dedication pay off and that they are recognized for it.

As my college graduation approaches, and with the tumultuous economy in the forefront of my mind, I find it is easy to become discouraged about future employment. Many of the conversations with my peers and professors center around the difficulties college grads have trying to obtain entry-level positions at jobs across the board. With these hard times, some companies lack the funds for entry-level positions.

While these are challenging times, economically, I am hopeful and excited about my future employment. After working at Frause, I have strong faith that hard work and dedication will pay off – even during this historic moment in our economy.

-Heidi Gill

Social Media: Part Deux

To continue our conversation on social media, it is important to understand the options. Most social media tools can be helpful to organizations if used correctly.

“Marketing via Facebook or any another social network needs to be done strategically, using a proper marketing plan. So many people have destroyed their businesses because they abused these networks,” explains Hillel Porath, founder and developer of Iyazam.com.

The most popular social media tools for organizations include:

Blogs
Blogs enable an organization to easily communicate and engage in conversation with their publics at any time. Currently, blogs are one of the most popular social media tools. Sites like Wordpress and Blogger offer organizations the tools to create their own blog quickly and easily.

Twitter
This is one of my favorite social media tools! Twitter is a great way to create a community and to quickly spread information by word of mouth. The site is designed for users to follow companies and individuals as they post short announcements throughout the day about news and discussion topics.

Once a Twitter profile is established and connections are built, the next step is to send out “tweets.” Tweets are 140-character postings that are read by whoever is following your Twitter profile. It is best to mix tweets with organic conversation and organization information. Make sure not to spam or over-tweet because this will turn people away.

Check out my Twitter page: www.twitter.com/ConsumingPR

Facebook and MySpace
Both Facebook and MySpace are social networking sites that allow people and groups to create personalized profiles, which allow for an online community. Organizations can use these tools to post announcements and communicate to their key audiences by responding to comments and questions.

Podcasts
A podcast is audio content, similar to a short radio segment, used to raise awareness about an organization or issue. This social media tool can be posted on a Web site and accessed with an mp3 player for people to easily access the information wherever they may be.

Once you establish a place for conversation between the organization and the audience, it is necessary to frequently update the site. Users will have an expectation for new content once a rhythm is established.

- Sarah Essary

Is it time to jump on the bandwagon?

This image is credited to trevormauch.com

Personally, I feel that many people in my generation fully get the importance of social media. Not only do the majority of us partake in it, we also understand it. In my journalism classes this past year, we were required to start a blog, set up a Twitter account and join LinkedIn. For an entire term, we followed our classmates and various practitioners in the blogosphere. By the end of the term, we were regular social media junkies.

Entering into the working world, interns are all faced with a seasoned generation of practitioners, some of who understand and partake in social media, while others do not. Over the next two weeks, Sarah and I will be writing a two-part series on social media. I will be explaining the importance of it, while Sarah will be explaining the implementation of social media tools.

Part I: The importance of social media
Why should companies blog? Well, there are several reasons. For starters, blogging is a great way to establish positive connections and communicate with your clients and community. Blogging is also a great way to speak out about a company’s, products or actions if they are brought into question by the media or other individuals.

Blogs come in all shapes and forms and can be written by anyone. Individuals often create a blog in order to share their views and opinions with others. Corporate CEOs often author blogs in order to connect and communicate with clients and the community. Newspapers, such as The New York Times, have multiple blogs on their homepage on a wide range of topics and interests. Blogs provide a great outlet for information on a variety of topics from new menu announcements at local restaurants to the unveiling of the latest new technology. Through blogs we are able to hear and share opinions and news with multiple audiences on a global scale.

Another useful social media tool that has become increasingly popular is Twitter. Twitter is a free microblogging tool that allows people to post short updates of up to 140 characters online. Once a profile is created, individuals and/or companies are able to go online and “tweet” about “what they are doing.” These tweets are a way to update friends, clients and coworkers with real-time information. Twitter can be used as part of a communications plan to help reinforce branding, update clients or even attract new traffic to your company’s homepage or blog. Some of the largest companies like Travel Channel, and The New York Times, or well known people like Jeff Jarvis or Barack Obama have Twitter accounts and blogs for people to follow.

Many large companies choose to participate in social media, but just like traditional communication tools, not all social media tools are for every organization. Regardless, it is important for every company to begin to educate themselves on the variety of social media and know the options.

Make sure you check back next week for Sarah’s post on the implementation of social media tools.

-Heidi Gill

Frause Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Saddle up with Frause as we ride in with 10 years of service! On Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008, Frause celebrated its 10th anniversary with a party at Herban Feast at Sodo Park in Seattle.

The night was full of mouth-watering appetizers and delicious drinks to accompany the Town & Country theme. Cowboy hats and penny loafers were the go-to fashion statement for the evening. Everyone had a wonderful time chatting with clients and good friends who helped us reach this important milestone.

Toward the middle of the evening, Bob Frause took the stage to thank clients and employees for an amazing 10 years of business. He also announced his plan to continue lead Frause for an additional 10 years.

Bob presented two awards: one to Duraflame for being the longest Frause private client, and another to King County as the longest Frause public client. Wrapping up the speeches was a video presentation or, more appropriately, a “roast” of BOB, which caused laughter to fill the building.

-Sarah Essary

Faced with geographic challenges

Image courtesy of TriMet

People always made it sound so magical to move to a new, thriving city and become lost in the streets. Well, in my case I took the term “lost” quite literally. When my first day at Frause approached, I searched on Google Maps to find the best route to work. Having learned that I live only 1.3 miles away from the office, I felt quite confident in my public transportation abilities, and to my surprise, the first day went flawlessly!

On my second day at Frause, I now considered myself to be a transportation guru. I climbed up onto the bus confident that the 20 minutes I gave myself to travel the 1.3 miles to work would provide me with plenty of time to grab a Starbucks then stroll in a few minutes early. Needless to say, I ended up on the wrong side of the river! After a nice two-mile trek in my stilettos, my aching feet and I entered the office 45 minutes late and out of breath! Luckily, my co-workers at Frause were understanding of my mishap with the public transportation system. However, I am proud to say that I have found a successful public transit route that takes me to and from work in about 15 minutes!

Before receiving the opportunity to intern at Frause, I had the privilege to intern at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Oregon. While at Sacred Heart I worked as the communication liaison from the hospital’s IT division to the public affairs department. Before working at the hospital, I was the March of Dimes Southern Oregon Division’s Special Events Intern. Here I was in charge of the logistics in five counties for the annual March for Babies. Alongside my community director, I helped raise $112,000 for premature babies.

I am very excited to have this opportunity to intern at Frause. Not only do I find my coworkers to be a pleasure, but I also strongly agree with Bob Frause’s code of ethics. I think honesty, loyalty and integrity are undervalued in our society, and I am proud to work at a place that values these virtues so highly. I am excited to spend these next few months blogging about my Frause endeavors, while learning all I can about the world of PR!

Heidi Gill

Anchors Away!

After the culmination of my college career, I’m honored and excited to be working for Frause. Little did I know the office had been without an intern for three weeks! Nathan Hambley, account supervisor, compares the absence to a ship without bearing. I’m sure happy to be of help and keep the team afloat!

Senior year was a blast but I have to admit, I couldn’t wait to get back to the Emerald City. During my college career at the University of Oregon, I took advantage of every opportunity at the School of Journalism through involvement in Allen Hall Public Relations, DuckU News and the Public Relations Student Society of America. As a PRSSA member, the practice of ethical behavior is of utmost importance and it is a privilege to work alongside Bob Frause, the chairman of the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards.

It is important to be well-rounded in the field of public relations and to understand all forms of media. Blogs are a medium that continues to evolve in the public relations field, providing companies an opportunity to show transparency and quickly communicate. They also serve as outlets for personal expression and ways to exchange new ideas. I, too, have a blog, Consuming PR, where I write about fashion and consumer brands.

With that, I’m pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the Frause blog!

-Sarah Essary

Farewell, Frause!

As my internship at Frause’ Portland office draws to a close, I’d like to take a minute to reflect on the experience I’ve had here. Ultimately, I moved to Portland in search of something new. Having lived in Wisconsin my entire life, I was urged by friends and relatives to explore a new part of the country. And while the transition from the Midwest to the West Coast proved difficult at times, those who I work with at Frause have done an incredible job of making me feel at home.

Keeping past internships in mind, I came into my first day of work at Frause prepared to make copies and brew coffee. Imagine my surprise, when I was immediately asked to take part in conference calls and participate in client projects. Countless media lists, press releases and follow up-calls later, I have learned about the world of public relations first-hand, which is experience that will certainly benefit me in the future. I have been lucky enough to have worked with Krista Hildebrand and Matt Smedley, who have guided me in honing my skills as a writer and as a communicator. Because of their mentorship and constant encouragement, I am confident that I have acquired the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a successful career in public relations.

I am beyond grateful to everyone at Frause for allowing me to work in such a creative and dynamic environment – I’ve enjoyed every minute of it! And a special thank you to Krista and Matt for offering a Portland newbie their guidance and friendship, I’ll miss you both.

As for me, I’m headed back to chilly Wisconsin with plenty of trips in the works to visit the West Coast and my friends at Frause.
-Dana