Haha this is just like Christmas Eve with everyone shopping last minute. You make a good point about being creative instead of just buying the closest card and teddy bear at the store.

http://iamkhrys91.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/valentines-day/#comment-8

It’s funny that your best gift was a call from your grandmother. I also like what you said if you got a bad gift. I wouldn’t say anything either…that’s like refusing a Christmas or birthday gift. Rude!

I think that the best way to celebrate a day like this is to just spend time with your significant other.  Really, that’s all anyone should want, right?  Flowers die after a few days, so why spend $50 on them?  I guess I never really understood that concept.  But hey, whatever floats your boat.

I’d say if it’s a big deal to someone, take him or her out to dinner.  Make it romantic with candles if you want.  That way you get to spend time together and have a great tasting meal while doing so.

From a public relations standpoint, I would say that persuading the public to buy from my company for their Valentine’s Day items should start with emphasizing the importance of romance.  That’s what the day is supposed to be about, so I would emphasize that buying our chocolates or flowers would make their day all the better.  I would also bring out the idea of togetherness during that day and sharing the experience with loved ones.  That would give people the warm and fuzzies when they view or think about our product.  In this plan, assume that I am targeting an older audience.  Typically kids don’t buy chocolates and flowers for classmates.

I like that you compared small city businesses to big city businesses. I didn’t think of that. Good point, and very true.

Julianna- http://rabeler.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/whats-a-tweeter/#comment-85

Do I think that social media has changed the PR world?  Let’s face it- social media has taken over the world period.  It is everywhere.  There is no escaping it.  We all use it and most of us- if not all- cannot visualize our lives without it.  Social media has most definitely taken its toll on the PR world.  PR is all about communication and building relationships, so how on earth could one not utilize this great opportunity to communicate with anyone and everyone at any time from any place?

Creating an online presence allows companies or individuals to express whatever they feel necessary to the public.  These publics can even be carefully selected due to the privacy options on each social media site.  Especially for the clients that wish to communicate with the younger age demographic, creating social media pages that are catered to these individuals is genius.  Nowadays, if someone has a question for a company, he or she can go online and send a tweet, comment, message, etc. and assuming the company is effectively using social media, this individual will receive an immediate response.  On the other hand, if someone were to have a problem with a company, he or she could do the same thing and receive a response and potential solutions to the problem.

There are, however, downfalls to the use of social media in the PR field.  Practitioners that have no clue what they are doing can easily screw up a company with just one key stroke.  The point of social media is to effectively communicate with the public, so simply shooting out emails or posts about random crap nobody cares about does nothing but deter people from the client’s page.  There must be an incentive for someone to visit your page and furthermore, utilize it.  Along with that, communicating with those who attempt to connect with the client via social media is extremely important.  In fact, it is absolutely necessary in order to effectively employ social media.  PR practitioners should realize this fact, so having a public relations background would greatly benefit the client.

Image from: http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/social-media/yet-another-social-media-failure/

You have a good point when you say that to better understand the movie, you must read the book first. Perhaps I would do so if I really enjoyed reading. 

http://km04662.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/book-to-movie-here-we-go/#comment-30

It’s funny that you gave up on reading the Harry Potter books once the movies came out. My sister constantly complains about the differences from the books to the movies, so I guess we have it made by not reading the books!

It is very rare that I go to a theater as well.  Not that I don’t like seeing new movies; I just refuse to pay twelve dollars to sit in a crowded, freezing room for two hours.  The Redbox is more my style…or the dollar theater back home.  So with that said, I guess I am more likely to watch the movie before reading the book, even though I will probably see the movie months after everyone else.

I have read parts of the Harry Potter books (until I fell asleep) and I would say that those are my favorite movie adaptations just because the books drone on and on and the movies cut a lot out, yes, but they are much more to the point.  I mean, come on…two-inch thick books that are made into movies have to cut stuff out.  Sadly a lot of the current books to film stories are about mythical creatures and paranormal activities.  I am more likely to watch movies about such things because books just do not give the same effect in my opinion.

“That run sounds awesome! I’ve never heard of it, but that would be something to tell your grandchildren about! I love the outdoors, too. Going somewhere exotic would be fabulous!”

Ryan- http://ryanmatherly.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/my-bucket-list-2/#comment-107

“Buying a house is on my list too. Basically we had the same things except for the skydiving thing. I don’t mind heights as long as I’m standing on something. But according to my brother and aunt, if you want to do it, there is no greater feeling!”

Also, I think it would be fabulous to own my own house before I die (as I’m listening to the 24/7 obnoxious banging in the apartment above me).  Owning a house would for sure have its challenges- if something breaks, I can’t blame it on anyone else!  So, I guess I should include that I wish to die very comfortable with a fat bank account.  Money, or the lack there of, has been an ongoing issue for me, so being financially stable would definitely be something I’d throw in this bucket.

As stated in another blog from PR writing, I want to meet a chimpanzee because they are my favorite!  Also, I cannot forget to restate the fact that Channing Tatum makes my bucket list…yes, we will be married before I die.  Hmm…and now that I have gained a whole additional year of maturity, I would like to add Mr. Ian Somerhalder to the mix.  He will be next if Mr. Tatum gets the boot.

I have been snorkeling in the Bahamas before, and it was incredible!  So, I want to take it up a notch and learn to scuba dive.  This would entail that I get over my fear of coral reef cuts…ick!  I love the water, though…and while I’m at it, I’ll add my wish to have a family to share this experience with…some day.

Image from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/finalshilling.356/the_debate__charter_vs._public_schools_in_nyc

A Social Media Press Release is a press release designed for the online web.  In order to be successful in writing for the web, professionals must write in a way that attracts all types of audiences.  ”It is also designed with the community nature of the online world in mind so it can be shared and commented on in social bookmarking, microblogging and social networking communities” (http://www.realwire.com/servicesSMNR.asp).

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a SMNR?

Some advantages of a SMNR are information is sent out to the public much faster than other forms of news media.  Professionals use more creativity in their writing, which is an advantage because audiences can view these releases at any time and creative writing attracts a wider range of people.  Also, by using the internet, professionals can provide links to related stories, photos, and/or videos to give more and better information on each topic.

A disadvantage of a SMNR is that because it is online and so accessible to the public, it can be hard to decipher a real release from a fake one.  I have seen many “news releases” that were written by someone not affiliated with what the story was about.  Spelling and grammar errors are big clues to determining which stories are fake.

When should a PR practitioner consider using a SMNR?

PR practitioners should use a SMNR anytime they want to release information immediately.  An entire release with multiple links and photos can be sent out to the world by just one click.  After a big incident, good or bad, it would be a good idea to release something on the web.  An example that I remember is when we had to write on the discussion board in class about an airline that had major issues with their planes.  The company immediately sent out multiple news releases giving updates on any and all information regarding the airline’s status.  Then, on the other side, if a company is in the process of releasing a new product, providing many releases about this product with links that would better inform the consumer would be a good idea.  Because of the wide audience reach, social media news releases can be used for almost anything.

Links to create a SMNR

http://pressitt.com/

http://www.pitchengine.com/

Links to already published SMNR

http://blogit.realwire.com/bluegfx-Showcases-Latest-3D-Modelling-and-Animation-Technology-at-bluegfxexpo

http://blogit.realwire.com/KidsCos-Boo-Me-2-teams-up-with-Blue

Link to my SNMR

http://www.prxbuilder.com/link.aspx?p=1559

This release is about a fundraiser held by Georgia Southern’s  Habitat got Humanity chapter.  The purpose of this release is to promote the event and ultimately get as many people in the community involved to raise the goal amount of money.  The targeted audience is anyone in the community that can swing a sledgehammer.  Kids, teens, and parents could all participate and donate to a good cause.  The majority of people who usually show up, however, are high school to college aged.  Maybe by posting an online news release, more individuals will know about the event and show up.

Tips for SMNR creation

1) Provide hyperlinks to relevant pages.

2) Make the readers aware of the story’s relevance to them in the beginning.

3) Make the release shorter than you would a printed release.  Readers need to get the information in the quickest way possible.

4) Write in more of a conversational way.  Readers will be more attracted.

5) Speak in a language that a wider range of people can understand.  Stay away from big words that only corporate America would understand.

http://iamkhrys.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/spring-2011-over-already/#comment-75

School was pretty demanding this semester…but I honestly feel like you had it worse than me. And now I know to avoid that Law class at all costs! 

James

http://g8buck.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/finally-the-end/#comment-40

Wow! Congrats on finding your birth mom! I am still so jealous that you are graduating…but you have to help me plan a vacation with your tourism degree.