Reading news articles on the internet has always been something that I have found challenging. I feel more organized when I have something tangible in my hands that I can read. Internet news cannot offer me this. However, after an internet savvy friend (Kiel) told me about Newsvine all of this might change.
Unlike other news sites which only display news stories written by individual sources and/or publications (ex: the Globe and Mail website or cnn.com) Newsvine has combined all of these sources into one user generated megasource.
I found the best part about Newsvine to be that it is easy to navigate. If you are looking for the most popular stories right at the moment they can be found on the homepage. These stories are a selection of articles that other users of Newsvine have read, found relevant and voted on.
As a result, Newsvine is a great public relations tool since it allows you so see at a glance the major issues being discussed right at the moment you click. The first stories you see are the most popular for that day, which isn't always the case with print newspapers.
Another interesting fact about Newsvine is that well known sources such as the Associated Press are mixed in with articles written by the users, known as citizen journalism. It possesses some characteristics associated with collaborative journalism. Newsvine itself asserts no voice. It acts as a social platform for others to voice their opinions.
However, all this being said Newsvine is not perfect. This is particularly true for those of us living in Canada, since it is an American website the news feed is generated by Americans. This results in little mention of issues affecting solely Canada. If there is a Canadian version of Newsvine out there I would like to see it!
For more information on Newsvine check out my video:
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
How to: Create a Facebook Fan Page
Let's face it. Everyone has Facebook. So let's use it to our advantage. Facebook fan pages, unlike profiles or groups, are specifically for supporting and promoting a brand and/or business. So for you PR students out there they are a great (read free) way of getting a brands image out to a wide audience. A good example of a well executed and interactive fan page is Coca Cola.
The best source I found for a basic step by step guide to how to create a fan page was this Youtube video:
Although parts of it are a bit tedious it is the best breakdown for someone who knows relatively little about how to use the internet. If you feel more comfortable with social media you could probably handle a more simplistic tutorial blog.
For those of you who don't find either helpful I made my own instructions!
Step One: Sign into your Facebook account (simple...yet important)
Step Two: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link that says "advertising"
Step Three: At the tool bar at the top of the page you will see the option: advertising, pages, share and connect. Click on pages (you have to pay for the advertising option)
Step Four: Click on "create page"
Step Five: Enter the information for the brand/business that you want to promote on your page
(note: be careful when it comes to naming your page since this is the one thing that you will not be able to edit later) and click "create page"
Step Six: Your page has been created
However, take note, these are just the basics. While this shows you how to create the fan page the most important part is making sure people see it and keep visiting it. There are many techniques outlining how this can be achieved. While the Youtube video goes over this the most helpful source I found was a blog. You can also check out Aislin and Owen's blogs.
Happy Facebooking!
The best source I found for a basic step by step guide to how to create a fan page was this Youtube video:
Although parts of it are a bit tedious it is the best breakdown for someone who knows relatively little about how to use the internet. If you feel more comfortable with social media you could probably handle a more simplistic tutorial blog.
For those of you who don't find either helpful I made my own instructions!
Step One: Sign into your Facebook account (simple...yet important)
Step Two: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link that says "advertising"
Step Three: At the tool bar at the top of the page you will see the option: advertising, pages, share and connect. Click on pages (you have to pay for the advertising option)
Step Four: Click on "create page"
Step Five: Enter the information for the brand/business that you want to promote on your page
(note: be careful when it comes to naming your page since this is the one thing that you will not be able to edit later) and click "create page"
Step Six: Your page has been created
However, take note, these are just the basics. While this shows you how to create the fan page the most important part is making sure people see it and keep visiting it. There are many techniques outlining how this can be achieved. While the Youtube video goes over this the most helpful source I found was a blog. You can also check out Aislin and Owen's blogs.
Happy Facebooking!
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