Capstone Progress

My capstone project is coming together nicely despite the snow conflicting with events and meetings. For the past couple months Dr. Kushin and I have been laying down to foundation of the project by creating the social media plan and setting goals and objectives. On February 3, the first of my campaign started, which was the Game Face Selfie Challenge. Unfortunately it didn’t have the draw I expected it to. I ended up canceling the event. Right now I am in the process on revamping my content calendar by making what I post more personal and engaging. I am also focusing on getting more followers on the Twitter and Instagram. I am planning in March to start my campaign of “I Relay” stories, which highlight the reason each committee member joined Relay For Life. I am excited for this particular campaign. The rest of my work is just preparing for the event in April. It is less than 40 days! I am feeling prepared for presentations on March 17.  

Social Media: New Hybrid

In the article Social media: The new hybrid element of promotion mix, written by W. Glynn Mangold and David J. Faulds, they explore the development of social media and how it has changed how consumers communicate with their customers. The purpose of this article was to provide evidence that organizations should incorporate social media Integrated Marketing Communication strategy, to compare and contrast the traditional communication methods, and methods marketing manager can shape the consumer-to-consumer conversations. 

  

   Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is the guiding principle organizations follow to communicate with their target markets. It attempts to coordinate and control the various elements of the promotional mix (advertising, personal selling, public relations, publicity, direct marketing, and sales promotion) to produce a unified customer focused message. 

  

   Social media has impacted IMC because it encompasses many forums, which not only allows consumers to communicate with companies, but consumers to directly communicate with other consumers. The study found Internet has become a mass media vehicle for consumer-sponsored communications. Consumers are turning away from traditional sources such as radio and magazines. Social media is also perceived as more trustworthy because of consumer's ability to communicate directly.  

I found this article very intriguing. I because I think egaging with your consumers should be company's top priority. It is also important, because if you aren't engaging you aren't maintaining positive relationships. 

Social Media & Nonprofis

Social media helps us stay connected all over. It aslo has powers to spread ideas and inspire people all over the world. Social media can spread ideas of hope, change, happiness, and equality. That is why it is a great tool for nonprofits to utilize. 

In the study conducted by Lindley Curtis, Carrie Edwards, Kristen L. Fraser, Sheryl Gudelsky, Jenny Holmquist,
Kristin Thornton, and Kaye D. Sweetser about the Adoption of Social for Public Relations by Nonprofit Organizations, researchers surveyed public relations practioner to find out how they are adopting social media tools and if they view them as credible. The Unified Theroy of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was employed to examine the practitioners' use of social media and investigated their familiarity with social media, their level of participation in communication technologies, their behaviors concerning new media communication outlets, and their tendencies to adopt these tools. 

The study found women consider social media to be beneficial, whereas men exhibit more confidence in activel utilizing social media. Organizations with specified public relations departments were more likely to adopt social media. There was also positive correlations between UTAUT factors and credibility indicated a greater likelihood to adopt social media. The results of this study indicatcat that social media tools are benefical methods of communication in the public relations field. 

I chose this article to research more for research into the type of career I plan to have. I feel it benefits me to understand how nonprofits are adopting social media tools for their businesses and nonprofits. 

Viral Content

In the study done by Jonah Berger and Katherine L. Milkman What Makes Content Go Viral, they researched why certain online content is more viral than others. They found through collecting data from New York Times articles published over a 3 month period, positive content is more viral than negative. They also found the relationship between emotion and social transmission is more complex. Virality is driven by physiological arousal, which is a state of mobilization. Content that evokes high-arousal positive (awe) or negative (anger or anxiety) emotions is more viral. Content that is more deactivating such as sadness is less viral. The study is important because it helps marketers and PR professional create more effective social media campaigns. 

Based this study, a connection can be made the "opinion leaders" Laserfeld refers to in his study of two-step flow, are mostly sharing positive content. I would even conclude the negative emotions like anger which were found to be highly viral could also be positive. I believe in most cases the sharing of content that is negative isn't meant to create negativity, but instead to ignite justice for all. 

It personally helps me, so I am able to understand not only what I should be posting but how to write the content. Being apart of Relay For Life is a amazing experience, because it is are creating hope for people who are in need. I didn't understand the impact until I join the committee and started researching American Cancer Society and Relay. It is important to create a positive and uplifting message not only for the students who are attending, but for the survivors and caregivers. They need to know that we believe they can carry on too. 

Cancer having a negative tone anyway, I don't want the content I'm posting in the page to be depressing. Therefore it is important to post content that is inspiring and motivational, but create a positive outlook for the more negative stories. 

Two-Step Flow Theroy

The theory I am exploring is the theory of two-step flow. This theory was introduced by Paul Lazarsfeld. It focused on the decision making process during a presidental election campaign. Theory states that information travels in two steps. First from individuals, who are opinion leaders and pay attention to mass media. They recieve the message and then pass it to individuals who are close to the opinion leader. 

Photo Soruce: Communicationtheroy.org

Social media has allowed media to spread their message even further. When the theory was first introduced in 1944, the main media channels and sources of information were radio and newspaper. The article says most of the connections a person had were family, friends, and co-workers . Social media platforms like Twitter have changed that. Most people have at least 100 followers, some are friends, classmates, co-workers, but others are people who have similar interests to them. For example, my followers are made up of people with interest in public relations and social media, who I have never met, but they influence what information I see. Social media has changed the relationship of the opinion leaders and individual. It just isn't a interpersonal connectional anymore. 

Another aspect that has changed is who the opinion leaders are. The theory suggested the opinion leader is someone who pays close attention to media and then pass it along. Therefore I could be an opinion leader and most of my friends would be considered one as well. I stay updated on current events via the news, Twitter, and Facebook. A majority of the time I share it either on Facebook or by retweet and sometimes by word of mouth. The opinion leader is no larger someone who was in high social standing. 

This applies to my campaign for Relay, because in order for people to participate in any fundraiser they need to feel like that are making a difference. Social media gives people that gratifaction. By sharing a post or updating their status, they are in control of the message and who sees it. They are the leader. This is especially important for people invovled with Relay, because there was once a time cancer was a taboo and no one talked about it. As times as progress the message is everywhere and social media plays an important role. 

Statment of Intent

For my Capstone project I will be implenting a public relations campaign for the Relay for Life event here at Shepherd. Matt Kushin will be my director. 

 I am currently serving as publicty chair on the Relay for Life planning committee. It is my job to help advertise all events using various media channels. I chose Relay because my ideal career is working with nonprofit agencies as their communications manager, create events and social medai campiagns for that organization. This allows me to apply my skills to a real world experience.

My goals are to increase engagement of students on Shepherd's campus. We have numerous campus clubs and organizations who participate, but I want to see more students outside of those groups actively participating, which could involve doing Zumba, walking a lap on the track, or buying a cookie. With the use of social media tools I want to spread awareness of the importance of not only our event, but Relay for Life events nationwide. 

I am focusing on Relay's Facebook and Twitter page. In the past they have not been very active and I would like to change that through more motivational and educational content, while also creating social media plans such as "Game Face Selfie" to be held the month of February. 

For the project I intend to do an audience analysis, internal communication audit, and an external communication analysis. I will determine who my content is aimed to and research what communication SU Relay has used in the past, an look at how other nonprofits marketing their events. Then using that information and established objectives, stageties, and tactics I will create a content calendar. 

I am really excited to showcase all I've learned for a cause that is dear to my heart. 

Shepherdstown - True Magic of WV

As children we read stories or watch movies about mythical worlds like Narnia, Wonderland, and Hogwarts. For many us we wished they were real. Sadly, I have never ventured into my closet and found another dimension, but I do live in a magical town...Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Now, Shepherdstown isn't magical in the same sense of Harry Potter, but it is fascinating place to live. Sometimes I swear I have fallen down the rabbit hole and landed in another world. Come to Shepherdstown, a whole new world packed into one tiny little town, full of culture, history, and beautiful scenery.

Are you looking for a lively cultural experience? Come to Shepherdstown

History, beautiful scenery, and delicious food. Shepherdstown the place to live.