Brandi Williams
corporate social responsibility should not be a ...
corporate social responsibility should not be a brand campaign
Brandi Williams
#pr is more than publicity
#pr is more than publicity
Brandi Williams
raynard jackson: quit stirring the pot!

news one recently reported a story on republican strategist raynard jackson. in the story they point out that jackson believes white women are helping black men more than black women. according to news one, jackson cites black women's faithful support of President Obama as the primary basis for his position.

while i think this is a pretty ridiculous barometer, i will have to agree with the underlying message that President Obama needs to do better and we (black women and black America) need to hold him (and all our leaders) accountable for doing better. i am doubtful that we will see him change his ways in relation to the policies that impact us before his term is out (doesn't mean we shouldn't try). our political leaders will not take a stand to help black folk alone. no one wants to be seen as an ally to black America.

Customer loyalty, WNBA, Public relations, LGBT, Marketing
Brandi Williams
no more campaigns

the wnba announced they will launch a campaign specifically targeted for the lbgt community. this news is significant to me for two main reasons:

no more campaigns
Brandi Williams
for the "LUV" of black boys

what can we do to help black men realize they are powerful beyond measure and have everything they need to provide and protect their families?

for the "LUV" of black boys

social networking

Tweet Tweet

I am one of the millions of people around the world who are tweeting, and I love it.  I love it because I get to know people, have conversations with them and see into their world. Sidenote: I am thinking that I should have been an anthropology or sociology major because I LOVE seeing into people's lives...getting to know what makes them tick...learning why they do the things they do.Twitter allows me to do that.

Twitter is not like many of the the other social networking tools where you have to spend a lot of time developing your profile.  Twitter allows you to join and jump in.  Let's take a minute to talk about what Twitter is and then how to use it to reach your goals.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications.
Taken from Wikipdedia

Why is Twitter relevant today?
Everyone from the girl next door to President Barack Obama is using or has used Twitter for everything from keeping in touch with loved ones to promoting a person, product or service. Twitter has several uses, including:

  • Promotion
  • Brand extension
  • Relationship development

How can I use Twitter to help me?
Twitter is a great way to engage and to let people get to know you. One of the biggest faux pas on Twitter is to be someone other than yourself.  Twitter is a social medium that allows people to engage, to converse, to build relationships.  Think about tweeting as if you are having a conversation with someone.  Find interesting people and introduce yourself.  Respond to their posts.  If you like what you see, encourage others to follow them.  CC The PR says it best in her video post on tweeting.

 

The lesson. Twitter is a great tool for engagement and building relationships, brands and your business.  Just make sure you do it the right way.  Here are a few other things to consider:

  • Create your Twitter brand by branding your tweets - Create a brand on Twitter that matches your company, personal or professional (or other) brand.  What can people expect from you on Twitter? What do you want people to know you for on Twitter?  People know  Reverend Run will provide inspirational tweets. You can get computer deals from @DellOutlet, breaking news from @CNNbrk, a good top 10 survey question from @epiphanygirl, and Hollywood gossip (aka follywollyfoolishness) from @necolebitchie and @perezhilton. What will people come to know you for on Twitter?

  • Don't be self-serving -  There is an old saying: "People do business with people they like." I want to get to like you so we can do business.  Allow me to get to know YOU, not just your business.
  • Open up - Twitter is a social medium that allows conversation and engagement. It is a great way to build relationships. Share yourself with your followers. Don't be afraid to share those random thoughts that come into your head...you never know who elsehas the same thoughts.

  • Think relationships, not numbers  - There are two schools of thought on Twitter influence.  Some think you have great influence if you have lots of followers.  Then there are those that think if you tweet great things the followers and influence will come.  I am a believer of the latter.   Twitter at its best is about building quality relationships, not amassing a large quantity of followers.  If you tweet quality the numbers and your influence will follow.  Case and point: We follow Rev Run partly because he is 1/3 of one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time. We continue to tune in each week because he offers us life lessons and inspiration that keeps us moving each and every day.  Think about what you can offer your followers and the universe.  When you get it right, you will know it.  Your followers will increase and so will your influence...and you might gain a friend or a new contract as a result.