By Emily Collins, account manager
Lavish parties, high-profile celebrities, an outdoor zip line – the city of Indianapolis is transforming in front of our eyes and I, for one, couldn’t be more excited. I look forward to enjoying the ultimate fan experience in Indy and want to be able to share that with others, both in Indy and around the country. So how do all of the fans come together to do this? They buzzfunnel.me!
What better way to introduce one of our newest account coordinators, Tim Coxey, than by using one of his favorite pastimes: Twitter! Here’s a little bit about Tim, 140 characters at a time.
#Wisconsin born, Northern #IN raised, #Indy resident, #Eastcoast enthusiast. I absolutely love eating here every year: http://www.auntcarriesri.com/
Spent 4 yrs @uindy. Participated on @UIndyCPB #speechteam @UIndyTopDog @UIndyPRSSA and @UIndyMinute. BS in Communication, minor in Poli Sci.
My interest in govt communication led me to intern @Indianasos #FF to #teamoutreach @melanie_woods @burtonjeremy and of course @ToddRokita
By Jackie Koumpouras, account associate
Do thank your new followers personally. People decide to follow for a reason; they think your tweets are interesting. Manners shouldn’t stop at your computer screen.By Susan Matthews, APR, principal
I recently returned from the annual IPREX meeting in Washington, D.C., where I enjoyed the collegiality of our partners from around the world and picked up plenty of good information along the way. IPREX is an international network of independent public relations and communications agencies, so meetings always offer great discussions about creative ideas on how to run our companies.
During the D.C. meeting, we also heard from several presenters ranging from a Reuters deputy bureau chief to a social media pro to a political columnist. Below are some interesting data points and insights. (more…)
By Kathleen Szot, account manager
“Information overload” is the subject of a recent article in The Telegraph, a UK newspaper. The article discusses the findings of a USC research team that set forth to amass all forms of media stored and sent in the world – from movies and books to e-mails and text messages.
The study concluded that in 1986 the average person received roughly 40 newspapers’ worth of information each day; in 2007, this figure leapt to 174.
For those of us who are active participants in the digital age of smartphones and social media, “overload” may be an understatement. How do our minds process it all? Reading with 
purpose and filtering information for significance becomes critical.
Reading with purpose is particularly relevant for one aspect of client service in which I engage on a daily basis: media monitoring. We scan print, online, TV and radio media for content with relevance to our client’s products, brand and industry. On any given day, our team receives hundreds of articles via search engines that seek out specific key words.
Searching for key words is a good place to start, but I’ve learned that developing your own filters is important in preventing information overload. Here is what I look for when reading for work or pleasure: (more…)
By Jackie Koumpouras, account associate
As a member of Borshoff’s social media team, I try to stay up to speed on the latest and greatest offered on social networks. Recently I downloaded the newest edition of TweetDeck and was informed that I had the chance to break the microblogging barrier by going over the 140 character limit. “Hmm…” I thought. As much as I like the idea of being clear and concise in tweets, TweetDeck now encourages me to forget all that. Introducing Deck.ly.
Sometimes it’s hard to say everything you want in a short space. Deck.ly allows you to complete that thought. The Twitter Team at Borshoff wasn’t too sure if we should embrace or reject the new benefit. So we decided to see what it has to offer and/or what issues we would run in to. (more…)
By Linda Jackson, APR, senior account director
Mark Suster, an expert I follow on Twitter, recently posted a blog about how startups can best use PR firms, which got my attention because I’m passionate about both PR and startup companies. Most of his advice was spot on, especially from the entrepreneur’s perspective. Relationships are the hinge on which all things work. Not only is it necessary to develop relationships with journalists whom you hope will cover your new venture, but also develop relationships with the person promoting your company on your behalf, whether that person is in-house or an extension of your team. (more…)
By Jackie Koumpouras, account associate
2010 marked my first year as a full-time professional at Borshoff. I learned something new every day, developed my communications and business skills, and discovered personal and professional strengths—as well as areas of improvement.
With a year under my belt and 2011 upon us, I know exactly what my 5 PR resolutions are for the new year: (more…)
By Linda Jackson, APR, account director
Short bursts of news are gaining traction, especially in the Twitter realm. The Journalistics blog recently ranked the top 25 newspapers by Twitter followers. At the top of the list is The New York Times, with 2,668,948 Twitter followers – nearly three times the daily circulation of 950,000 readers.
Other publications aren’t showing quite the same gains over circulation as The New York Times, but the number of Twitter followers is growing. While true journalism is still important to people, we see a trend toward quick hits of news.
Top 5 newspapers, by Twitter followers
(For the complete list, see the Journalistics blog.)
By Susan Matthews, APR, principal
All you tweeters out there probably know that your Twitter homepage has sponsored definitions that link to Twitter-related services. Sometimes the names of these sponsors are rather clever, building a new, focused lexicon – or should we say twexicon?
In the spirit of the ever-growing World of Tweetisms, I’d like to suggest a few of my own:
But I beg to differ. We now have another tool in our communications tool box. And while there’s a lot of babble and boring information filling the Twitter waves, this new social media tool gives us a chance to make new connections, access focused information, and instantly communicate with those who choose to follow us.
Plus, we are in total control of whom we follow and who we allow to follow us. So if you don’t want to engage, or if you simply don’t care – then it’s probably time to twign-off. For the rest of you, I’ll see you on Twitter.
Have your own favorite Twitter words? Share them here or @borshoff.
- Follow @Susan_Matthews if you’re interested in just a few tweets a day, generally relating to branding and communications.
Posts