One of the new sites that my friend Aaron Sachs shared with the Social Media class (ADV 490) at the University of Tennessee is called paper.li, which allows you to create your own virtual daily paper through your Twitter or Facebook feeds. I have decided to use my Twitter feeds to create my own virtual paper titled “The Crisis & Social Media Daily.”
The reason that I decided on this name is for the most part – most of the followers I have on my Twitter account (@kfreberg) are public relations professionals, students, organizations, businesses, and practitioners that work in social media, public relations, or crisis communications. From the Mashable to TechCrunch to some of the leading PR professionals in the field (Brian Solis, Deidre Breakenridge, Jeremiah Owyang, etc) – it is a one stop shop of Twitter users focused on discussing key areas in communications and business. You can also follow other papers based on a specific topic or even hashtag – which can be very interesting and useful for research and monitoring current trends and issues.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpVOnhDD-Q0[/youtube]
What I really like about this new site is that it allows the user to generate and feed content to their followers, share information that is relevant and specific to topics of interest, as well as help establish your personal brand as a source of information. This tool can be used strategically in forming your own social media online reputation in a unique and fabulous way. Other ways that having a virtual paper can enhance your online reputation includes:
- Establishing yourself as a source of information and expertise in social media: People are looking for individuals and businesses that are not only knowledgeable and cutting edge with current issues and trends in particular areas in the industry, but they are also interested in having individuals that are willing and able to share their information and insights with the online community. This can be done with the new virtual paper site for a specific company as well as an individual in establishing credibility and trustworthiness as a source for social media updates and information.
- Managing relationships through social media: Sharing articles, videos, pictures, and other digital forms of information with others allows you to engage and interact with others online, and this can be done through this site by having people subscribe and follow this list and articles shared in this paper.
- Having information about particular area or industry in a one-stop shop – articles, links, videos, pictures, and more!. If people only want to get an overview of some of the current information and trends that are happening right now in a particular industry (PR or Crisis Communications) or area (Social Media) – this virtual paper site allows people to do that. It allows people to go to one site, search for information that is specific to a particular section of the paper (ex. Business, PR , Entertainment, Social Media, etc) and get what they need quickly.
- Use as a tool to monitor and listen to user-generated conversations and sharing of information from Twitter and Facebook: I would have to consider that this site is similar to the application for the iPad called Flipboard – it allows the user to follow information that is specific towards their social media community as well as see what are some of the current issues and discussions emerging online through hashtags and categories. This is going to be another useful tool for PR professionals and researchers to monitor and be aware of for their companies and businesses.
In summary, I do believe that every PR professional or business that wants establish itself and separate from the rest of the crowd has to make sure that they are on the traditional social media outlets that are appropriate for their audiences (ex. Twitter, Facebook, blogs, LinkedIn, etc) – however, it is key to make sure that you have a few profiles and sites that do separate yourself from the rest of the crowd. Paper.li does that for those that want to be viewed as a source of information and expertise in social media – or any particular industry or area of interest. I have to thank Aaron again for keeping everyone in the Social Media class at Tennessee up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends in social media – thank you Aaron for being a great resource to everyone as well sharing your insights and expertise!
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
0 Comments