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Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Facebook's Finer Points
THIS WILL APPEAR IN SCHOOL BOARD MAGAZINE JAN 2012
Facebook’s Finer Points
Using Facebook to connect with your community? Make sure you’ve covered the basics.
By Jennifer Regina
Communication strategies are rapidly evolving and responding to the constant improvements in social media tools. School districts need to adapt and embrace the new marketing and communication tools in order to stay relevant, gain their constituents’ attention and be able to effectively gain attention in today’s high tech world.
If there were any doubt that your school district should be engaging the community via social media, consider these statistics: According to Nielsen State of the Media Report (2011), there are more than 800 million people on Facebook, while social media accounts for 22.5 percent of the time that Americans spend online. Americans spent an estimated 53.5 billion minutes on Facebook this past year, so it is important to gain a part of your community members’ time for your school district.
The first step in developing a comprehensive social media strategy is to decide on the objectives your school district would like to achieve throughout the year. Do you want to use a social media platform to engage, push out information, create dialogue, or educate? Do you want to drive traffic to your district website or use for feedback on upcoming important issues? Twitter and Facebook can be used as additional communication tools in your arsenal to enforce messages, events and news to your community.
Still hesitating? There are many excellent reasons that your district should be using social media as part of your communication strategy. People are already having conversations online about your school. It is important to know what they are saying and be able to respond if there is a negative backlash. Ignoring or pretending that negativity exists will not help your community relationships. Sometimes your own community will help diffuse issues on the social media sites. Crowd sourcing answers will help create dialogue and build trusting relationships. Districts can also use social media to respond to inclement weather conditions, closures and emergencies. Many districts are sending out Tweets for immediate alerts or updates.
Another great use of social media is that is allows you to create a close-knit alumni community that you can rely on for fundraising, support and dialogue. Blogging and YouTube/School Tube can be used to visually tell a story about your district’s accomplishments. Photos and videos offer an emotional connection that resonates on social media sites.
Rules of engagement
There are some basic rules that school districts need to follow to insure a successful social media launch. Foremost, have patience in building your fans and followers as it will grow organically. Make sure that you tell a compelling story as Facebook is a very loud and busy environment. You need to stand out and post content that is value added and engaging. The ultimate goal should be of developing long-term relationships that will lead to excellent two way communication. Districts also need to look to develop online partnerships with local business through Facebook. For example, your local school fundraisers can be cross-promoted on your Facebook partner’s walls as well as your own, leading to viral diffusion of your message. Don’t forget to reach out to radio DJs, local anchors, politicians, celebrities who can also be bearers of your messages and content.
A Facebook Business page
Please make sure that when you create a Facebook page for your district, you are creating a business page and not a personal page. There are many reasons why you need to create a business page. First of all, Facebook could close your page if you are using a personal account for business use. Secondly, a personal page is limited to 5000 friends, while a business page can have unlimited fans. Finally, a business page allows custom tabs, welcome tabs and gives you access to Facebook Insights, which provides weekly page analytics. More about that later.
School districts should have at least a basic Facebook Business page. Each business page is given a vanity URL link to easily communicate the direct link to the page to like. You can use this vanity URL in email blasts and embed your email signature. For example, my vanity URL is www.facebook.com/marketingeverything. I use this link as my email signature and post it on other walls to get new fans. I also share the link with my friends so that they can promote my services. Lastly, I can share this link on flyers or handouts to drive traffic to my Facebook Business Page. A school district could use a URL with the district’s own name in it.
Every Facebook Business Page has an administrator who can make changes and post as the school district. I highly suggest make multiple administrators to ensure that no one person has ultimate control over your page.
Facebook analytics
Facebook Insights provides weekly page analytics that can help page administrators see who is viewing their content, how much engagement is happening and which posts are most viral. The data will help you curate your page and result in a better and more effective use of your social media profiles.
For example, Facebook Insights will tell you the gender, age, and city of residence of viewers who are on your site, as well as their primary language. (The information comes from Facebook users’ own profiles.) You can see the number of “eyeballs” viewing your Facebook page, and tell what time of day people typically view your page. Knowing that people typically read your posts at 8 p.m., not 11 a.m. can help you post fresh information in a timely fashion. You can see which posts are shared most frequently so you know what type of information is important to your Facebook readers. You can also get a sense of how quickly information is disseminated through your page. I frequently use Facebook Insights just to check that clients are hitting the audience they want to reach. I recommend you examine your analytics closely each week.
Your social media policy
Another important consideration is to post a Social Media policy as a tab on your page so that you inform your fans as to what is allowed. You should also train your staff about what can be posted and send home a policy to your students and parents about rules of Facebook engagement. There are many barriers you can create to easily maintain control over your page content. First of all you can set profanity setting to “high” to eliminate any embarrassing posts. Your administrators will also get an immediate email notification when anything is posted (fresh content or comment) to your district’s wall. Anything negative or controversial can be deleted immediately. You will also know who posted the content and can reach out to them to discuss any concerns. Make sure your fans are engaged and don’t be afraid to float questions for feedback. A Facebook LIKE box should be integrated on your website for people to easily find your page. The @ sign with Facebook allows tagging and you can use this in many ways to create engagement. You can tag other partners on your wall with an @ to help promote their content and also ask them as well to tag your district to create live links and direction to your page.
Districts need to reach offline to create effective online partnerships. Cross promote on each other’s Facebook walls. If you do use Twitter, then make sure to connect Twitter to Facebook and have a custom Twitter tab on your profile. Add the district’s vanity Facebook URL to all employees’ email signatures to help drive traffic and also have it added to business cards. Create custom landing pages to offer Welcome Pages and more visually interesting pages. Districts should consider having a superintendent write a blog to educate and inform the community. The blog can also be added directly to the district’s Facebook page to ensure integration. Anytime a new blog post is added, it will automatically be updated to the Facebook page and to your fans’ newsfeed.
There are many app functions that allow districts to further customize their Facebook Pages. For example, one app called Scribd allows districts to upload PDFs, Excel, Word or PowerPoint documents directly to their page. Some schools are using this app to create a library of registration forms available directly on their Facebook Page. The forms can be shared, downloaded or printed.
The option of outsourcing Some additional advice: don’t be afraid to outsource. Companies such as mine are brought it to help setup a social media profile. We also provide training and strategy development. Many districts hire us temporarily to help them get their feet wet and then once the training wheels are off, they use another employee we have trained. There are many consultants who offer such services.
But before you do anything, a school district needs to decide on its objectives for its Facebook page, so you can use social media to integrate and strengthen your overall marketing plan. Tell a compelling story. Social Media provides an exciting opportunity to reach out to your community and engage them in a long term relationship. It is time to “Get Social!”
Jennifer Regina is chief executive officer of The Marketing of Everything, a social network marketing firm, and an adjunct professor of marketing at Rowan University. She can be reached at jenregina@comcast.net.
Facebook’s Finer Points
Using Facebook to connect with your community? Make sure you’ve covered the basics.
By Jennifer Regina
Communication strategies are rapidly evolving and responding to the constant improvements in social media tools. School districts need to adapt and embrace the new marketing and communication tools in order to stay relevant, gain their constituents’ attention and be able to effectively gain attention in today’s high tech world.
If there were any doubt that your school district should be engaging the community via social media, consider these statistics: According to Nielsen State of the Media Report (2011), there are more than 800 million people on Facebook, while social media accounts for 22.5 percent of the time that Americans spend online. Americans spent an estimated 53.5 billion minutes on Facebook this past year, so it is important to gain a part of your community members’ time for your school district.
The first step in developing a comprehensive social media strategy is to decide on the objectives your school district would like to achieve throughout the year. Do you want to use a social media platform to engage, push out information, create dialogue, or educate? Do you want to drive traffic to your district website or use for feedback on upcoming important issues? Twitter and Facebook can be used as additional communication tools in your arsenal to enforce messages, events and news to your community.
Still hesitating? There are many excellent reasons that your district should be using social media as part of your communication strategy. People are already having conversations online about your school. It is important to know what they are saying and be able to respond if there is a negative backlash. Ignoring or pretending that negativity exists will not help your community relationships. Sometimes your own community will help diffuse issues on the social media sites. Crowd sourcing answers will help create dialogue and build trusting relationships. Districts can also use social media to respond to inclement weather conditions, closures and emergencies. Many districts are sending out Tweets for immediate alerts or updates.
Another great use of social media is that is allows you to create a close-knit alumni community that you can rely on for fundraising, support and dialogue. Blogging and YouTube/School Tube can be used to visually tell a story about your district’s accomplishments. Photos and videos offer an emotional connection that resonates on social media sites.
Rules of engagement
There are some basic rules that school districts need to follow to insure a successful social media launch. Foremost, have patience in building your fans and followers as it will grow organically. Make sure that you tell a compelling story as Facebook is a very loud and busy environment. You need to stand out and post content that is value added and engaging. The ultimate goal should be of developing long-term relationships that will lead to excellent two way communication. Districts also need to look to develop online partnerships with local business through Facebook. For example, your local school fundraisers can be cross-promoted on your Facebook partner’s walls as well as your own, leading to viral diffusion of your message. Don’t forget to reach out to radio DJs, local anchors, politicians, celebrities who can also be bearers of your messages and content.
A Facebook Business page
Please make sure that when you create a Facebook page for your district, you are creating a business page and not a personal page. There are many reasons why you need to create a business page. First of all, Facebook could close your page if you are using a personal account for business use. Secondly, a personal page is limited to 5000 friends, while a business page can have unlimited fans. Finally, a business page allows custom tabs, welcome tabs and gives you access to Facebook Insights, which provides weekly page analytics. More about that later.
School districts should have at least a basic Facebook Business page. Each business page is given a vanity URL link to easily communicate the direct link to the page to like. You can use this vanity URL in email blasts and embed your email signature. For example, my vanity URL is www.facebook.com/marketingeverything. I use this link as my email signature and post it on other walls to get new fans. I also share the link with my friends so that they can promote my services. Lastly, I can share this link on flyers or handouts to drive traffic to my Facebook Business Page. A school district could use a URL with the district’s own name in it.
Every Facebook Business Page has an administrator who can make changes and post as the school district. I highly suggest make multiple administrators to ensure that no one person has ultimate control over your page.
Facebook analytics
Facebook Insights provides weekly page analytics that can help page administrators see who is viewing their content, how much engagement is happening and which posts are most viral. The data will help you curate your page and result in a better and more effective use of your social media profiles.
For example, Facebook Insights will tell you the gender, age, and city of residence of viewers who are on your site, as well as their primary language. (The information comes from Facebook users’ own profiles.) You can see the number of “eyeballs” viewing your Facebook page, and tell what time of day people typically view your page. Knowing that people typically read your posts at 8 p.m., not 11 a.m. can help you post fresh information in a timely fashion. You can see which posts are shared most frequently so you know what type of information is important to your Facebook readers. You can also get a sense of how quickly information is disseminated through your page. I frequently use Facebook Insights just to check that clients are hitting the audience they want to reach. I recommend you examine your analytics closely each week.
Your social media policy
Another important consideration is to post a Social Media policy as a tab on your page so that you inform your fans as to what is allowed. You should also train your staff about what can be posted and send home a policy to your students and parents about rules of Facebook engagement. There are many barriers you can create to easily maintain control over your page content. First of all you can set profanity setting to “high” to eliminate any embarrassing posts. Your administrators will also get an immediate email notification when anything is posted (fresh content or comment) to your district’s wall. Anything negative or controversial can be deleted immediately. You will also know who posted the content and can reach out to them to discuss any concerns. Make sure your fans are engaged and don’t be afraid to float questions for feedback. A Facebook LIKE box should be integrated on your website for people to easily find your page. The @ sign with Facebook allows tagging and you can use this in many ways to create engagement. You can tag other partners on your wall with an @ to help promote their content and also ask them as well to tag your district to create live links and direction to your page.
Districts need to reach offline to create effective online partnerships. Cross promote on each other’s Facebook walls. If you do use Twitter, then make sure to connect Twitter to Facebook and have a custom Twitter tab on your profile. Add the district’s vanity Facebook URL to all employees’ email signatures to help drive traffic and also have it added to business cards. Create custom landing pages to offer Welcome Pages and more visually interesting pages. Districts should consider having a superintendent write a blog to educate and inform the community. The blog can also be added directly to the district’s Facebook page to ensure integration. Anytime a new blog post is added, it will automatically be updated to the Facebook page and to your fans’ newsfeed.
There are many app functions that allow districts to further customize their Facebook Pages. For example, one app called Scribd allows districts to upload PDFs, Excel, Word or PowerPoint documents directly to their page. Some schools are using this app to create a library of registration forms available directly on their Facebook Page. The forms can be shared, downloaded or printed.
The option of outsourcing Some additional advice: don’t be afraid to outsource. Companies such as mine are brought it to help setup a social media profile. We also provide training and strategy development. Many districts hire us temporarily to help them get their feet wet and then once the training wheels are off, they use another employee we have trained. There are many consultants who offer such services.
But before you do anything, a school district needs to decide on its objectives for its Facebook page, so you can use social media to integrate and strengthen your overall marketing plan. Tell a compelling story. Social Media provides an exciting opportunity to reach out to your community and engage them in a long term relationship. It is time to “Get Social!”
Jennifer Regina is chief executive officer of The Marketing of Everything, a social network marketing firm, and an adjunct professor of marketing at Rowan University. She can be reached at jenregina@comcast.net.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Tips on Using Social Media During a Natural Disaster
Tips on Using Social Media During a Natural Disaster
August 25, 2011 By News Report
Last week’s earthquake on the East Coast was a preview of what to expect when Hurricane Irene approaches this weekend. Many people could not use their cell phones or land lines and had to rely on Twitter and Facebook to communicate. The immediate transfer of information that social networks provides becomes even more important during a natural disaster.
According to Jennifer Regina, a Rowan University (Glassboro, N.J.) adjunct professor of marketing and CEO of The Marketing of Everything, Washington Township, N.J., “The best thing to do is also have an action plan in place for communicating with your loved ones during a natural disaster.”
She suggests:
Have an agreed-upon plan of communicating. Make sure your family knows if you are going to be tweeting your condition or will be communicating via texting or Facebook.
Make sure you have your communication devices fully charged. Charge your laptop and cell phone to their full capacity every night. Even consider purchasing an extended or backup battery for your devices.
Pay attention to government and news agencies’ social media posts. Subscribe to their posts so they will be sent directly to your phone via text. Many state and local agencies are aggressively using their social media profiles to communicate quickly about disasters. Already hurricane evacuation information is spreading quickly through Twitter.
Establish agreed-upon times for your loved ones to post updates. For example, every hour update your health or the status of your location. Social networks also can be used to warn others of impending disasters. Many in New York City saw tweets from their friends in Washington, D.C. about an earthquake and seconds later felt it themselves. Many people stay glued to social networks to see how others are handling storms that are approaching and gleaning valuable tips.
“This weekend’s hurricane will be another example of how social media networks will help families communicate and governments issue warnings and updates,” Regina said.
August 25, 2011 By News Report
Last week’s earthquake on the East Coast was a preview of what to expect when Hurricane Irene approaches this weekend. Many people could not use their cell phones or land lines and had to rely on Twitter and Facebook to communicate. The immediate transfer of information that social networks provides becomes even more important during a natural disaster.
According to Jennifer Regina, a Rowan University (Glassboro, N.J.) adjunct professor of marketing and CEO of The Marketing of Everything, Washington Township, N.J., “The best thing to do is also have an action plan in place for communicating with your loved ones during a natural disaster.”
She suggests:
Have an agreed-upon plan of communicating. Make sure your family knows if you are going to be tweeting your condition or will be communicating via texting or Facebook.
Make sure you have your communication devices fully charged. Charge your laptop and cell phone to their full capacity every night. Even consider purchasing an extended or backup battery for your devices.
Pay attention to government and news agencies’ social media posts. Subscribe to their posts so they will be sent directly to your phone via text. Many state and local agencies are aggressively using their social media profiles to communicate quickly about disasters. Already hurricane evacuation information is spreading quickly through Twitter.
Establish agreed-upon times for your loved ones to post updates. For example, every hour update your health or the status of your location. Social networks also can be used to warn others of impending disasters. Many in New York City saw tweets from their friends in Washington, D.C. about an earthquake and seconds later felt it themselves. Many people stay glued to social networks to see how others are handling storms that are approaching and gleaning valuable tips.
“This weekend’s hurricane will be another example of how social media networks will help families communicate and governments issue warnings and updates,” Regina said.
Social Media Expert Advises Making Communication Plan Ahead of Irene
Social Media Expert Advises Making Communication Plan Ahead of Irene
August 26, 2011 11:34 AM
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Reporting Karin Phillips
Filed Under
GLASSBORO, N.J. (CBS) -- A local expert says social media will become even more important — perhaps even invaluable — if used properly during the passage of Hurricane Irene.
Rowan University marketing professor Jennifer Regina says Tuesday’s earthquake was just a preview. Many people will have to rely on social media to communicate during Irene, she says.
“Really, the best thing that you need to do right now is come up with an action plan. So start texting or e-mailing your friends and family and decide on how you are going to communicate when you are isolated,” Regina advises.
And, she adds, decide on agreed-upon times for your loved ones to post updates: perhaps update your health and the status of your location hourly.
Hear Karin Phillips’ full interview with Jennifer Regina in this CBS Philly “Specials Place” podcast…
August 26, 2011 11:34 AM
Share this
1Share
No comments
Reporting Karin Phillips
Filed Under
GLASSBORO, N.J. (CBS) -- A local expert says social media will become even more important — perhaps even invaluable — if used properly during the passage of Hurricane Irene.
Rowan University marketing professor Jennifer Regina says Tuesday’s earthquake was just a preview. Many people will have to rely on social media to communicate during Irene, she says.
“Really, the best thing that you need to do right now is come up with an action plan. So start texting or e-mailing your friends and family and decide on how you are going to communicate when you are isolated,” Regina advises.
And, she adds, decide on agreed-upon times for your loved ones to post updates: perhaps update your health and the status of your location hourly.
Hear Karin Phillips’ full interview with Jennifer Regina in this CBS Philly “Specials Place” podcast…
Thursday, June 30, 2011
South Jersey Seniors Using Technology To Stay In Touch
South Jersey seniors using technology to stay in touch
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011, 4:00 AM
By Kristina Pritchett/Gloucester County Times Gloucester County Times
Shirley Gregoris from West Deptford smiles at as she looks at a picture on Facebook, of her granddaughter and great granddaughter. Staff Photo by Tim Hawk/Gloucester County Times
Staying in touch with family members is proving to be easier for most senior citizens in South Jersey.
Grandparents are able to stay connected anywhere in the world by using Facebook, Skype, text messaging and emailing.
“I have a Facebook, a Myspace and a Twitter,” said Joe Ali, a 77-year-old resident of Clementon. “But I mostly use Facebook.”
Ali, who has been on Facebook for about five years, uses the social media website to stay in contact with his four children and 10 grandchildren.
“It’s easier to use these technologies because my one son is always traveling and he can read and then respond to me when he has the time,” Ali said.
Ali and his family are very close and socialize very often, and using the social media site helped link the family together.
“Even though my grandchildren swear I’m a spy for their parents,” Ali joked. “I’d never get them in trouble though.”
The uses of technology allows family members who talked once a week to now have the ability to talk once a day.
Dolores Quenzel, 79, who lived in Woodbury for 65 years and now lives in Astaro, Fla., connects with family everyday through the Internet.
“Facebook is my life line,” Quenzel said. “I get to see things I normally would miss. I get to see prom preparations and eighth grade graduations.”
Quenzel, who has four grandchildren and three children, stays in contact everyday through the website and text messaging.
“My granddaughter and grandson taught me how to text and sometimes we talk more than once a day,” Quenzel said. “It’s great.”
Jennifer Regina, a marketing professor at Rowan University, believes that people go to Facebook for communication because it has an easy learning curve.
“Even senior citizens realize how quick it is to become proficient,” Regina said.
Regina added that Facebook allows them to discover friends, people that they would not be able to find without the website.
“Facebook searches through high schools, colleges and job profiles that make it easy to find people,” Regina said.
Regina said the fastest growing market is 50 plus on Facebook and that the ease of use will continue to make it a great tool to stay connected.
Besides using the social media sites, seniors are looking to email as a way to stay in touch.
Originally from the Vineland area, Mary Lou Freshcoln uses Facebook and emailing to keep in contact with family and friends.
Freshcoln, 78, checks her email and Facebook everyday.
“Sometimes I get up to 50 emails a day, all of which I try to answer,” Freshcoln said.
Frescholn uses the technologies to stay in contact with her six children and 14 grandchildren, and all but one use Facebook.
“I use these things everyday so that I can see how my friends and family are doing. I check up on their health,” Freshcoln said.
Emailing not only has allowed people to stay in touch, but to separate the professional from the personal.
Kathy Smith, a 62-year-old resident of Williamstown, has been using the computer for over 10 years and has accumulated five email accounts.
“I have one for Facebook, one for Myspace, I have a Yahoo account, I have Gmail account and I have a Verizon account,” Smith said.
Smith said the reason behind all the email accounts was to be able to keep everything separated from one another.
“I tried to have different emails for different people. And I added more accounts when we had Comcast then switched to Verizon. So I made the Yahoo account because it was easier than emailing everyone about the Verizon email.”
For a faster way to communicate with family, seniors look to their phones for text messaging.
“Oh I text all the time, I had to go to unlimited otherwise my phone bill would be through the roof,” said June Peterson, a 64-year-old resident of Ocean City.
Peterson finds text messaging a more convenient way to speak to family, friends and co-workers.
“It’s a lot easier to send a text then to call and leave a voicemail. Then you have to hope they listen to the voicemail. With a text message you have a higher chance of them seeing it,” Peterson said.
Peterson has two sons and two granddaughters that she stays in contact with everyday.
“With my sons, I text them everyday, and then when we want to Skype we text a time then we meet up on Skype.”
Peterson said she uses Skype at least once a week to talk to her son in California or to chat with her granddaughters.
Text messaging has allowed people to be more comfortable during a conversation.
Tina Poole Finocchairo, a 59-year-old resident of Swedesboro, would rather send a text message than talk on the phone.
“I’ve always had this natural thing where I’d rather send an email or text. Phone conversations were never really my thing.”
Finocchairo has two children that she constantly texts everyday. She also sends messages to friends and other family members.
“My niece spends a lot of time in the hospital, (so) texting is our primary source of communication,” Finocchairo said. “It’s just more simple this way.”
Regina adds that the trend of social media and the use of technology to communicate is popular due to the fact that there is a higher response rate.
“Senior citizens are always looking for ways to make their lives easier and still allow them to keep in touch with their family and friends,” Regina said.
With generations living further apart, technology has filled the gap to tie families together, Regina said.
“Skype, texting and social media all allow people to keep instantly engaged and updated in lives that otherwise they would be missing out on,” Regina said.
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011, 4:00 AM
By Kristina Pritchett/Gloucester County Times Gloucester County Times
Shirley Gregoris from West Deptford smiles at as she looks at a picture on Facebook, of her granddaughter and great granddaughter. Staff Photo by Tim Hawk/Gloucester County Times
Staying in touch with family members is proving to be easier for most senior citizens in South Jersey.
Grandparents are able to stay connected anywhere in the world by using Facebook, Skype, text messaging and emailing.
“I have a Facebook, a Myspace and a Twitter,” said Joe Ali, a 77-year-old resident of Clementon. “But I mostly use Facebook.”
Ali, who has been on Facebook for about five years, uses the social media website to stay in contact with his four children and 10 grandchildren.
“It’s easier to use these technologies because my one son is always traveling and he can read and then respond to me when he has the time,” Ali said.
Ali and his family are very close and socialize very often, and using the social media site helped link the family together.
“Even though my grandchildren swear I’m a spy for their parents,” Ali joked. “I’d never get them in trouble though.”
The uses of technology allows family members who talked once a week to now have the ability to talk once a day.
Dolores Quenzel, 79, who lived in Woodbury for 65 years and now lives in Astaro, Fla., connects with family everyday through the Internet.
“Facebook is my life line,” Quenzel said. “I get to see things I normally would miss. I get to see prom preparations and eighth grade graduations.”
Quenzel, who has four grandchildren and three children, stays in contact everyday through the website and text messaging.
“My granddaughter and grandson taught me how to text and sometimes we talk more than once a day,” Quenzel said. “It’s great.”
Jennifer Regina, a marketing professor at Rowan University, believes that people go to Facebook for communication because it has an easy learning curve.
“Even senior citizens realize how quick it is to become proficient,” Regina said.
Regina added that Facebook allows them to discover friends, people that they would not be able to find without the website.
“Facebook searches through high schools, colleges and job profiles that make it easy to find people,” Regina said.
Regina said the fastest growing market is 50 plus on Facebook and that the ease of use will continue to make it a great tool to stay connected.
Besides using the social media sites, seniors are looking to email as a way to stay in touch.
Originally from the Vineland area, Mary Lou Freshcoln uses Facebook and emailing to keep in contact with family and friends.
Freshcoln, 78, checks her email and Facebook everyday.
“Sometimes I get up to 50 emails a day, all of which I try to answer,” Freshcoln said.
Frescholn uses the technologies to stay in contact with her six children and 14 grandchildren, and all but one use Facebook.
“I use these things everyday so that I can see how my friends and family are doing. I check up on their health,” Freshcoln said.
Emailing not only has allowed people to stay in touch, but to separate the professional from the personal.
Kathy Smith, a 62-year-old resident of Williamstown, has been using the computer for over 10 years and has accumulated five email accounts.
“I have one for Facebook, one for Myspace, I have a Yahoo account, I have Gmail account and I have a Verizon account,” Smith said.
Smith said the reason behind all the email accounts was to be able to keep everything separated from one another.
“I tried to have different emails for different people. And I added more accounts when we had Comcast then switched to Verizon. So I made the Yahoo account because it was easier than emailing everyone about the Verizon email.”
For a faster way to communicate with family, seniors look to their phones for text messaging.
“Oh I text all the time, I had to go to unlimited otherwise my phone bill would be through the roof,” said June Peterson, a 64-year-old resident of Ocean City.
Peterson finds text messaging a more convenient way to speak to family, friends and co-workers.
“It’s a lot easier to send a text then to call and leave a voicemail. Then you have to hope they listen to the voicemail. With a text message you have a higher chance of them seeing it,” Peterson said.
Peterson has two sons and two granddaughters that she stays in contact with everyday.
“With my sons, I text them everyday, and then when we want to Skype we text a time then we meet up on Skype.”
Peterson said she uses Skype at least once a week to talk to her son in California or to chat with her granddaughters.
Text messaging has allowed people to be more comfortable during a conversation.
Tina Poole Finocchairo, a 59-year-old resident of Swedesboro, would rather send a text message than talk on the phone.
“I’ve always had this natural thing where I’d rather send an email or text. Phone conversations were never really my thing.”
Finocchairo has two children that she constantly texts everyday. She also sends messages to friends and other family members.
“My niece spends a lot of time in the hospital, (so) texting is our primary source of communication,” Finocchairo said. “It’s just more simple this way.”
Regina adds that the trend of social media and the use of technology to communicate is popular due to the fact that there is a higher response rate.
“Senior citizens are always looking for ways to make their lives easier and still allow them to keep in touch with their family and friends,” Regina said.
With generations living further apart, technology has filled the gap to tie families together, Regina said.
“Skype, texting and social media all allow people to keep instantly engaged and updated in lives that otherwise they would be missing out on,” Regina said.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Social Studies Article in SJBiz Magazine
Social Studies
by Jessica Beym
You may be a pro at working a room, but working a chat room requires a whole different skill set. Here’s how to start making social media work for you.
Whether they’re announcing dinner specials, posting recent real estate listings, offering information about new products or answering customer questions, more and more businesses throughout South Jersey are connecting with their clients through social media.
And those who aren’t tuned in to the benefits of Facebook or Twitter need to update their status immediately, says Jennifer Regina, marketing professor at Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business.
“The key part of social media is communication. That’s the ultimate goal,” says Regina, who’s also chief executive of The Marketing of Everything, a social media consulting company.
Businesses that are just starting out can use social sites to build brand awareness, promote their services and products, establish relationships, bill themselves as experts, and share news. Even minimal investments in social media can yield substantial results. Here’s what you need to know to get started on the road to social success.
Select Your Site
Many businesses elect to use some combination of social media sites, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. “Facebook has the biggest user base,” says Howard Yermish, a Burlington County-based Internet strategist and online marketing expert.
“Twitter isn’t for everyone,” he adds, noting that many people don’t understand how to connect with others on the microblogging network. Yermish likens Twitter to the ham radio networks of years past, where amateur users would broadcast messages to each other and tune in for specific conversations. Instead, on Twitter, users add the “#” symbol, known as a hashtag, to categorize a post under a given topic. This enables companies to latch onto trending topics, or even create a conversation surrounding their own business. This can allow the savvy to solicit ideas and opinions to help improve their products and services.
“Once you know how [Twitter] operates, you can do amazing things with it,” Yermish says.
Making Friends
Online contacts can include a mix of current clients and new prospects. If you’re just starting out, it may be helpful to offer incentives for new friends and those who recommend you, Regina says. She suggests business owners offer discounts to users who sign up.
As well, be sure to spread the word within your existing network. “The most important thing to remember when developing a business page is to suggest it to your friends,” Regina says. “Then, you want signage in your store saying, ‘Find us on Facebook.’”
Constant Contact
Once you’ve built up your friend count, it’s vital to keep the posts coming on a regular schedule.
Many companies create a Facebook page and post once a month or so, Regina notes. “That’s not enough,” she warns. “If you’re not in their news feed, they’re not seeing you. You need to be there so they click on your links.”
That’s just what Erin Kelley has been doing at the United Way of Camden County for the past two years on Facebook and Twitter. At least once a day they post something for their followers, whether it’s photos from a live event, links to articles about the United Way or news about upcoming initiatives. “We want to give people information they’re interested in and keep them informed about issues that are important in their lives and the investments they’re making through us,” Kelley says.
As a nonprofit, the United Way would normally need to set aside money for advertising efforts.
By contrast, Facebook is free. “And it’s fun. It’s not a huge e-mail you have to put together. Changing a status or sharing an article is a lot smaller of a job than to prepare a newsletter, and that’s how people want their information these days,” Kelley says. “Talking to my donors needs to happen all day every day, and Facebook is an easy way to do that.”
Building Relationships
The best social media users do more than just promote themselves to online friends; they build relationships. One example is the international gluten-free food company Schar, which is constructing U.S. headquarters in South Jersey. Schar frequently posts recipes for some of their latest products on Facebook.
When they held the groundbreaking for a new manufacturing facility in Pureland Industrial Park in Logan Township, they were quick to upload photos and video of the event. Many of their 5,000 Facebook friends commented back. They were excited to hear the news.
“Through Facebook, we can keep in touch with those customers who do not visit our website on a daily basis,” says Jasper Radeke, marketing communication associate for Schar USA, Inc. Since joining the network in July 2010, Schar has crafted plans to expand its online offerings, including posting videos on healthy gluten-free living ideas and offering advice for people recently diagnosed with celiac disease.
Most importantly, says Yermish, social media marketers need to focus on the quality of their interactions, not just the quantity. Twitter users should engage their followers, rather than limiting posts to promotional content. “To get people engaged, do what you would do at a networking event,” Yermish says. “Talk to people about things they find interesting. Ask questions people might comment on.”
And, be prepared to set aside the time required to respond to their comments and questions—turning the online interaction into a true conversation.
Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 1, Issue 5 (May, 2011
by Jessica Beym
You may be a pro at working a room, but working a chat room requires a whole different skill set. Here’s how to start making social media work for you.
Whether they’re announcing dinner specials, posting recent real estate listings, offering information about new products or answering customer questions, more and more businesses throughout South Jersey are connecting with their clients through social media.
And those who aren’t tuned in to the benefits of Facebook or Twitter need to update their status immediately, says Jennifer Regina, marketing professor at Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business.
“The key part of social media is communication. That’s the ultimate goal,” says Regina, who’s also chief executive of The Marketing of Everything, a social media consulting company.
Businesses that are just starting out can use social sites to build brand awareness, promote their services and products, establish relationships, bill themselves as experts, and share news. Even minimal investments in social media can yield substantial results. Here’s what you need to know to get started on the road to social success.
Select Your Site
Many businesses elect to use some combination of social media sites, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. “Facebook has the biggest user base,” says Howard Yermish, a Burlington County-based Internet strategist and online marketing expert.
“Twitter isn’t for everyone,” he adds, noting that many people don’t understand how to connect with others on the microblogging network. Yermish likens Twitter to the ham radio networks of years past, where amateur users would broadcast messages to each other and tune in for specific conversations. Instead, on Twitter, users add the “#” symbol, known as a hashtag, to categorize a post under a given topic. This enables companies to latch onto trending topics, or even create a conversation surrounding their own business. This can allow the savvy to solicit ideas and opinions to help improve their products and services.
“Once you know how [Twitter] operates, you can do amazing things with it,” Yermish says.
Making Friends
Online contacts can include a mix of current clients and new prospects. If you’re just starting out, it may be helpful to offer incentives for new friends and those who recommend you, Regina says. She suggests business owners offer discounts to users who sign up.
As well, be sure to spread the word within your existing network. “The most important thing to remember when developing a business page is to suggest it to your friends,” Regina says. “Then, you want signage in your store saying, ‘Find us on Facebook.’”
Constant Contact
Once you’ve built up your friend count, it’s vital to keep the posts coming on a regular schedule.
Many companies create a Facebook page and post once a month or so, Regina notes. “That’s not enough,” she warns. “If you’re not in their news feed, they’re not seeing you. You need to be there so they click on your links.”
That’s just what Erin Kelley has been doing at the United Way of Camden County for the past two years on Facebook and Twitter. At least once a day they post something for their followers, whether it’s photos from a live event, links to articles about the United Way or news about upcoming initiatives. “We want to give people information they’re interested in and keep them informed about issues that are important in their lives and the investments they’re making through us,” Kelley says.
As a nonprofit, the United Way would normally need to set aside money for advertising efforts.
By contrast, Facebook is free. “And it’s fun. It’s not a huge e-mail you have to put together. Changing a status or sharing an article is a lot smaller of a job than to prepare a newsletter, and that’s how people want their information these days,” Kelley says. “Talking to my donors needs to happen all day every day, and Facebook is an easy way to do that.”
Building Relationships
The best social media users do more than just promote themselves to online friends; they build relationships. One example is the international gluten-free food company Schar, which is constructing U.S. headquarters in South Jersey. Schar frequently posts recipes for some of their latest products on Facebook.
When they held the groundbreaking for a new manufacturing facility in Pureland Industrial Park in Logan Township, they were quick to upload photos and video of the event. Many of their 5,000 Facebook friends commented back. They were excited to hear the news.
“Through Facebook, we can keep in touch with those customers who do not visit our website on a daily basis,” says Jasper Radeke, marketing communication associate for Schar USA, Inc. Since joining the network in July 2010, Schar has crafted plans to expand its online offerings, including posting videos on healthy gluten-free living ideas and offering advice for people recently diagnosed with celiac disease.
Most importantly, says Yermish, social media marketers need to focus on the quality of their interactions, not just the quantity. Twitter users should engage their followers, rather than limiting posts to promotional content. “To get people engaged, do what you would do at a networking event,” Yermish says. “Talk to people about things they find interesting. Ask questions people might comment on.”
And, be prepared to set aside the time required to respond to their comments and questions—turning the online interaction into a true conversation.
Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 1, Issue 5 (May, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Quotes on Rowan Engineer Professor's New App Pikme
GLASSBORO — Attention all teachers: Ever have trouble remembering a student's name? Find it difficult to get your charges involved in the classroom?
There's an app for that.
Rowan University's Dr. Smitesh Bakrania has invented an iPhone app called Pikme that will help improve the way teachers learn students' names and encourage better student participation.
It all started with a bout of nervousness in 2008 after Bakrania, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, joined the Rowan faculty.
"I was going to have over 35 new faces in my class, and I was worried that I would not be able to remember their names," he recalls. "While preparing for my first course, I came upon the idea for Pikme."
At first, Bakrania saved the names of his students and their photographs on his iPhone. Then he considered what other uses instructors might have for smart phones in the classroom.
Bakrania wanted Pikme to randomly select students to participate in class and get them involved in lectures. And he also wanted a way for professors to grade student input.
Last fall Bakrania enlisted the support of senior mechanical engineering student Ryan Sikorski to help develop the app.
Sikorski, of Blackwood, and a classmate, Mike Goldberg of Voorhees, designed, coded and programmed the app. About three weeks ago, Bakrania says, the app in its final form was submitted to the Apple Store and approved.
"It's exciting that the actual development of the app was done by Rowan students," says Bakrania. "Ryan made it into reality."
Bakrania says once the app is in place a teacher simply shakes the phone, and a student's face will pop up on the screen. After a question is asked and answered (or not answered), the instructor can apply a rating system based on how the student responded.
The app will select each student in the class once, then refresh itself and start over.
"I want my classes to be very interactive; I want everyone to be involved," says Bakrania. "And the app also allows me to get better feedback on how I'm doing -- whether or not I'm reaching the students."
But will the students like Pikme?
"I think everybody would be kind of afraid knowing that they're going to be picked (to answer questions)," said Zachary Toman, an engineering major from Flemington who will be a senior in the fall. "But I feel it could actually help with the classes because it would make sure the students are more prepared.
"And now no one can say the professor is singling them out. It's the app."
Jennifer Regina, an adjunct professor at Rowan, says anything that will get students more active in class is a plus.
It's a huge challenge nowadays for any professor to keep the attention of students.
"And they're scared to participate. But they love technology stuff. So I think for the student this will be a cool way for the professor to try and engage them. It gives the professor a cool factor.
"Also, it's a very organized way of keeping track of students," Regina added. "It will be a great tool for my iPad and I'll be using it in the fall."
The Pikme app is currently free from iTunes for the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
Reach Joe Cooney at (856) 317-7830 or email jcooney@camden.gannett.com
There's an app for that.
Rowan University's Dr. Smitesh Bakrania has invented an iPhone app called Pikme that will help improve the way teachers learn students' names and encourage better student participation.
It all started with a bout of nervousness in 2008 after Bakrania, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, joined the Rowan faculty.
"I was going to have over 35 new faces in my class, and I was worried that I would not be able to remember their names," he recalls. "While preparing for my first course, I came upon the idea for Pikme."
At first, Bakrania saved the names of his students and their photographs on his iPhone. Then he considered what other uses instructors might have for smart phones in the classroom.
Bakrania wanted Pikme to randomly select students to participate in class and get them involved in lectures. And he also wanted a way for professors to grade student input.
Last fall Bakrania enlisted the support of senior mechanical engineering student Ryan Sikorski to help develop the app.
Sikorski, of Blackwood, and a classmate, Mike Goldberg of Voorhees, designed, coded and programmed the app. About three weeks ago, Bakrania says, the app in its final form was submitted to the Apple Store and approved.
"It's exciting that the actual development of the app was done by Rowan students," says Bakrania. "Ryan made it into reality."
Bakrania says once the app is in place a teacher simply shakes the phone, and a student's face will pop up on the screen. After a question is asked and answered (or not answered), the instructor can apply a rating system based on how the student responded.
The app will select each student in the class once, then refresh itself and start over.
"I want my classes to be very interactive; I want everyone to be involved," says Bakrania. "And the app also allows me to get better feedback on how I'm doing -- whether or not I'm reaching the students."
But will the students like Pikme?
"I think everybody would be kind of afraid knowing that they're going to be picked (to answer questions)," said Zachary Toman, an engineering major from Flemington who will be a senior in the fall. "But I feel it could actually help with the classes because it would make sure the students are more prepared.
"And now no one can say the professor is singling them out. It's the app."
Jennifer Regina, an adjunct professor at Rowan, says anything that will get students more active in class is a plus.
It's a huge challenge nowadays for any professor to keep the attention of students.
"And they're scared to participate. But they love technology stuff. So I think for the student this will be a cool way for the professor to try and engage them. It gives the professor a cool factor.
"Also, it's a very organized way of keeping track of students," Regina added. "It will be a great tool for my iPad and I'll be using it in the fall."
The Pikme app is currently free from iTunes for the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
Reach Joe Cooney at (856) 317-7830 or email jcooney@camden.gannett.com
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