readings in social media and pr for 4th october 2011

"Let's shoot some strangers!" is the battle cry in paintball. Here i am on the left looking determined, Stephanie is next and Monica is on the right. Our friend Sabrina was using her skills to blend in!

Here is what I am reading today:

• the iPad: the military’s secret weapon!

“Picture yourself as a young Marine who’s just been sent to Haiti after an earthquake. There is horror everywhere. Fifty survivors crowd around you, asking for food and water, and you’d love to help them. But in the chaos you don’t know where caches of supplies have been delivered.

So you do exactly what you’ve been trained to to: you whip out your smartphone.”

• the marines and their social media handbook

The American military has become very proactive on social media. Sometimes because , I think, the enemy has done the same.

• infographic on the iPhone

“In a scant few hours now, we’ll dive into chapter five in one of the most compelling stories of our digital-dominated era: The Life And Times of the iPhone. So for those of you who haven’t been paying attention, and even those of you who have (hands up if you remember the ROKR iTunes phone), here’s a recap — courtesy of Thinglink, a startup that makes interactive photos and ads.

Hover over the infographic to reveal pictures, videos and links from iPhone history. (The launch date of each phone is at the top of its screen.) Take note of the chips used in each iteration, and find out more about the real genius behind the iPhone’s design. Wax nostalgic in the comments about your favorite moments. And get ready for a whole new chapter Tuesday morning, whether it’s the iPhone 5, the 4S or both.”

• Brands and social media

“People use social media for a wide variety of reasons – catch up with old friends, make new connections and so on. But when it comes what they use social media for regarding a given brand or product or service, most people use social media to see what other people are saying about these very same brands, products or services. 

Back in August I wrote a post called Why Marketers Need To Pay Attention To Online Reviews in which I revealed a survey finding that showed that 80% of online customers change their mind about making a purchase after reading negative online reviews. I also explained in that post why a negative review can have a positive impact. It really can. Trust me. Read the post and you’ll see what I mean.”

• how to write a good facebook post

“What you see in your Facebook newsfeed isn’t magic; it’s controlled by a very important algorithm called EdgeRank. Facebook wants users to be engaged, so EdgeRank is a critical aspect of their business. The EdgeRank factors are:”