This is a big week for me. In the next week or so I'm going to see Bruce Springsteen live. Twice. In the past I might have fallen victim to the same "crutch" that other blogger sometimes depend on. I'll admit to it, I've also done it in the past. That's taking something you are doing or are passionate about and stretching that into a blog post about three or five or seven lessons you can learn from that person or thing. At first it…
Read MoreRecently a Chick-fil-A executive made a statement that caused a bit of a stir in the media and, especially, online. Yesterday, Gizmodo reported that Chick-fil-A (or someone representing them) created fake Facebook accounts (complete with stock photo profile photos) just to defend the company online. Chick-fil-A denies this charge, but it brings up a very important piece of advice for companies trying to navigate the digital landscape: Do not make fake accounts. It’s awfully tempting for companies that see criticism online to want to jump…
Read MoreIt could have been the "level" of the people in the room since it was billed as a professional development session. It could have been the amount of attention, time and effort people are spending on social media these days. It could have been a lot of factors coming together at once. But I came away extremely impressed with the group at spoke to and with at PRSARVA's professional development event last Friday. Here are the presentation slides for all who want to take a…
Read MoreIt wasn't an easy call to make, especially at 6 in the morning. I had to call Jennifer Pounders and tell her "you know that PRSARVA professional development session that I'm supposed to be leading in a hour? Well, THAT's not going to happen…" She handled the curve ball with her usual grace and proceeded to call all the folks who had registered. Thanks, Jen. Long story short, I found out after a doctors visit that I had walking pneumonia and it was probably a…
Read MoreOK, here we go. Time for your daily dose of blasphemy on this Thursday. Hold on to your hats but this is something that's been bothering me for a while especially as a personally stand one foot in each bucket. Are we spending too much time focusing on social media when good old-fashioned public and media relations still works just fine? Before you say Jon, we can and should do both, I will quickly agree with you but add that maybe we should prioritize the…
Read MoreJon's 1.5 is dead. It was time. It's not like I was running out of things to say but the original reason for the blog and the number of voices needed to tell that continuing story has evolved. A lot has happened in the world of PR, social and digital in the three years of Jon's 1.5 and a lot has happened at Hodges during that time. The initial journal that the blog was started to chronicle is over. Think of the difference as the…
Read MoreAs a public service (as promised) and also because we're really swell, here's the official Hodges Digital "cheatsheet" for Facebook Timeline for Brands. This six-page PDF gives you more than enough information to be "dangerous" as you navigate next week's official change to Timeline. It includes advice, shortcuts and key points that everyone should know. Click here to download the HDS Timeline Cheatsheet Please feel free to download, share, spread the gospel, etc.
Read MoreDon't be nervous. Change is good. That should be the Facebook brand statement. Just when you get used to things, the mother of all social media platforms changes things up. No change in recent history has given more marketing folks heartburn as the coming change of Facebook Brands Pages to the Facebook Timeline format. The change is official in just a few days (March 30) and Jim Belosic does a great job of helping marketing folks face this reality in this blog post on PR…
Read MoreIf you are a Facebook marketer like me, today is like Christmas (or for me Chanukah) in February. Because Facebook Timeline for Brands is here and we have a month before it kicks in for good, whether we're ready or not. At first blush (here's the THP page) it is pretty much what we expected with: The new cover photo offering great promotional opportunities The ability to highlight stories for greater impact The ability to minimize or totally edit past posts to tell your story…
Read MoreJust a quick reminder about the first #PRRVACHAT on Twitter this Wednesday night at 8pm on Twitter. Some of the discussion topics will include: Komen and the long-term PR damage. What is the true PR value of Super Bowl advertising? Are we seeing a shift away from Facebook to Twitter and other social platforms especially by younger users? The chat will last an hour and is a great way to discuss these topics and network online. Each topic will be discussed for about ten minutes…
Read MoreSome quick hitters for a Tuesday: We (Britt Farrah @saidlikefarrah) and I started our second semester teaching social media at VCU yesterday some interesting observations from questions we asked our predominantly PR majors… Most of them preferred Twitter over Facebook and other social media platforms. In the couple of years that I've been asking college students this question, this is the first time ever that they selected Twitter. In fact, this is the first time that most of the class even was "on" Twitter. Maybe…
Read MoreTime to get on my PR/social media soup box and proclaim from on high: IF YOU ARE A BRAND, COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION AND NOT MAKING IT EASY FOR FOLKS TO SHOW YOUR "COLORS" THROUGH THEIR TIMELINE COVER THEN SHAME ON YOU! So what do I mean when I say "show your colors?" My current example (below) comes from my own timeline which is now sporting art work supplied by my fellow Springsteen fans promoting his new album coming out in March. Think of the "cover"…
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