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May 6 2015

When You Want to Get the Inside Scoop on #Snapchat, Ask a 20-Year Old

Deirdre Breakenridge Interview, PR 2.0, Public Relations, Social media Instagram, Millennials, PR, snapchat, Snapchatters 0

I belong to Gen X and touch the border of a Baby Boomer. We’re clearly not the demographic using Snapchat. Of course, as a communications professional, it’s my job to learn, understand and be able to help my clients when they ask questions about new social media channels and apps. If you go to the Snapchat website, it says, “Snapchat has always celebrated the way that you and your friends see the world. It’s fun to experience different perspectives through Snaps, Stories and Our Story.”

However, if you really want to get the “inside scoop” on this quickly growing mobile application, just ask a 20-year old. I did this same exercise a few years back to learn the difference between Tumblr and Facebook. I’m lucky to have the 20-somethings in my family and they are always happy to share their insights. As avid Snapchatters, here’s what I learned when I asked two simple questions … What do you like and what don’t you like about Snapchat?

What do you like about Snapchat?

All of my friends have a Snapchat. You can pick people to send your Snaps (multiple people at the same time). It’s the new Instagram. I Snapchat all day long, and I check Instagram occasionally.
I can update people in real time, it’s a great way to communicate. Even when you’re in another country, far away from your friends, you can still feel close, reaching them in a group, all at once.
I use Snapchat because you can post photos and videos and they don’t have to be permanent. You don’t have to put a lot of thought into the pictures you’re posting. For example, Instagram is more like the highlights of your life or the best moments; it’s an archive. But, Snapchat is done within seconds. I consider Snapchat as a part of my daily
I like being able to see events as they take place. There was a whole stream, including Snapchat videos and photos of celebrities, at the Met Gala. It was really cool to see famous personalities through Snapchat, because they appear more like real people. For example, watching Beyonce walk down the red carpet. It’s different when you see in a her Snap. It’s the high-quality photo camera which perpetuates the “above us” feeling.
It’s cool that celebrities are on Snapchat, so you can see what they’re doing, when they post to their Stories. I’ve added a couple of my favorite personalities and I look on their Stories to see what’s going on in their lives.
It’s important to remember that Snapchat is not pre-planned like Instagram and Twitter. You just do it!
What’s cool … if I’m doing something or I see something that reminds me of people, I can Snap it and it lets my friends know that I’m thinking of them. We feel more connected, like when you have an inside joke and no else knows about it.
I also like looking back on my Story for the day, reminiscing about what I did.

What don’t you like about Snapchat?

The “weird” random brand pages. For a while Snapchat felt like an app that wasn’t infiltrated by advertisements (i.e. Cosmopolitan, ESPN, McDonalds). Recently, it feels like an invasion. I just don’t pay attention to these pages.
I don’t really like brands on Snapchat, because it’s about real people. Snapchat encompasses more of a real-life vibe. so a brand being a part of that contradicts why I actually like it.
However, if I were to actively add a brand (by choice) on Snapchat, then I wouldn’t mind seeing an invitation to an event or a promotion on their Story (this only lasts for 24 hours). Just don’t send me anything directly. A Snapchat is like a text and I wouldn’t want brands texting me either.

There you have it, right from the Millennials who use and love Snapchat. So when you’re thinking about Snapchat, think about real people and the real-life vibe. If brands want to fit in, then they have to be human and show how they have something to share on their Story that fits the lifestyle, culture and needs of the 20-somethings, who consider Snapchat a part of their daily lives.

February 12 2015

[Guest Post] Top 5 Tools Agency Owners Must Embrace for the Digital Future

Deirdre Breakenridge Guest Post, Instagram, Public Relations, Social media fiverr, Instagram, nicole rodrigues, nrpr group, rapportive, snapchat, Social networks, tools, unlock to share 1

A Guest Post by Nicole Rodrigues, CEO & Founder, NRPR Group

Anyone else remember when advertising, marketing, and public relations functioned like the dinner plate of a picky nine-year-old? When each of the above occupied its designated plate space with very little to zero overlap. Advertising agencies created ads for multiple outlets, public relations handled media inquiries and proactively sought after coverage, marketing agencies did a variety of things, but generally focused on brand identity and creative attention-garnering activities. Of course, there’s plenty more each did, but you get the gist.

Since the dawn of improved business technology, Internet, blogs and social networking, this once organized triad has morphed from easily separated and definable, into a messy dinner plate where the potatoes definitely touch the peas! So, in a business landscape where an app or life-hack for even the smallest of tasks exists, where does one turn for the newest and smartest marketing and public relation resources?

As a contemporary PR practitioner in the new, digital age, I don’t know where I’d be without the following tools that many advertisers and marketers are already adopting:

1) “Unlock to Share” Plugin

Lets play executive for a second. You’re the founder of a rapidly growing small agency with a respectable, but still emerging web-based presence across standard social media platforms. You’re ready to take the company to the next level, but are unsure how to advance from triple digit likes to real time dialogue. The Unlock to Share Plugin is a simple plugin that “unlocks” additional content for your visitors after they share it across Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. For example, if you own an agency and you have great video content and helpful how-to’s, you can make it so visitors must share a specific post from your site across their social platforms to access your full range of content on your site. This keeps the user engaged and also increases you social media visibility.

2) Instagram

What if I told you that Mark Zuckerberg’s little startup turned eleven years old this month? Although Facebook still reigns as the world’s most popular social networking site, is there anything less cool than having your parents like your gym selfie? However, since being acquired by Facebook for a cool $1 Billion dollars in 2012, Instagram has now morphed into the most preeminent photo and video-sharing app in the world. Maintaining a carefully curated Instagram account allows a business, large or small, to creatively interact with their audience in a way that’s virtually free. You and your clients should be taking advantage of this new, free way to market yourself and interact with media.

3) Fiverr

The best thing about having interns is that they will simply do what you ask for relatively cheap. However, when those interns graduate or move on professionally, you’re often left with too many tasks and not enough help. Introducing Fiverr, an online service catering to creative professionals where outsourcing your most monotonous busy work is only $5 and a click away. Whether the task is online marketing, graphics and design, writing and translation or a simple advertisement, Fiverr is a fast, safe and efficient way to get it done when it needs to get done.

4) SnapChat

Before you gawk at the notion that an app frequented by middle school students can be a useful marketing tool, hear me out. What sets Snapchat apart is the time sensitive nature of its content. Users can personalize the duration for which their pictures are visible. In one to ten seconds, a company can go head-to-head with societies’ ever shrinking attention spans and announce new clients, showcase their sales and distribute promo codes, and ultimately pull back the curtain to give clients and followers a behind the scenes view of your company.

5) Rapportive

A business associate once told me in confidence, “Great networking is like stalking, but instead of hiding in someone’s bushes, you hide behind your computer screen.” While I would never trust this individual with a pair of high-powered binoculars, they do make a very valid point. It often takes time and a lot of energy to find the proper contact info for people you want to network with, until now. Rapportive is a new information consolidating widget that displays a contact’s LinkedIn and Twitter info within your Gmail browser window, saving you time and providing the vital information to get in touch with them on multiple platforms, quickly.

Nicole Rodrigues is the CEO and founder of NRPR Group. She’s a seasoned publicist and social media marketing pro with more than 14 years under her belt. She’s developed and executed strategic campaigns for some of the biggest names in business such as Yahoo!, Dolby, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Playstation, Hulu, M-GO, Toon Hero, Demand Media, MobiTV, and the Oakland Raiders. You can connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

July 24 2012

An 18-Year-Olds Take on #Instagram

Deirdre Breakenridge Interview, Social media Deirdre Breakenridge, Instagram, Millennials, PR 2.0, Social media 0

Having teens in the family, and access to their friends, is one of the greatest ways to obtain first-hand information from the young tech savvy crowd and learn about their behaviors on different social media platforms. While on a recent family vacation, I had a brief conversation with my step-daughter, who is 18 years old. She was talking about posting photos on Instagram. I thought it would be a great opportunity to ask her a few questions about how and why she participates in this community.

Here’s a glimpse of the uncut, somewhat raw conversation:

You’re active on Facebook and Tumblr. Why did you decide to become a member of the Instagram community?

I got my iPhone first, then I was like, “Oh, okay, all my friends use Instagram, so I want to be there too.” You can’t look at people’s pictures unless you have the Instagram app. With Instagram, I can look at my friends’ pics. And, you can “stalk” other people’s pictures too. Like Facebook, you can see what everyone is doing but you don’t have to read status feeds. Instead, you can just see their pictures, which is so much easier.

What types of photos or images do you share the most on Instagram?

I like to look at and share: pictures of my friends (with me), any kind of pretty scenery, artsy looking stuff (because everyone is a photographer), and cute animals. I don’t really share “any” type of photo, but some people do, and they know they have to use their privacy settings.

Do you mostly share and interact with people you know from other social networks or are you meeting new friends?

I only share and interact with people I know from other social networks, or people I just know in general. It’s a lot different than when I’m on Tumblr. I will follow someone I don’t know on Tumblr, but I wouldn’t do this on Instagram.

Are you interacting / sharing / commenting on photos posted by brands. If so, which brands?

I don’t follow brands and really don’t think I want to follow brands. Why would I? What would they post “Selfies?” However, I follow celebrities and musicians on Instagrams.

Why do you and your friends like Instagram? What does it have to offer that’s different than other social media communities?

It’s a way to share your life and what you’re doing. And, it’s also doing something in your life and then going back to look at your memories. You can also easily scroll through your Instagram feed and see what everyone is doing. You don’t have to read captions (you could but I don’t) and you can get a good idea of what everyone up to. Sometimes, I just “stalk” my own Instagram. “See, look at these Fireworks at LBI.” (She shows me her Instagram photo, which was amazing by the way.) The filters are fun too. Depending on the picture, there is wide range of what you can do. You can select and edit your photos, add hashtags and tag people. It’s also connected to Twitter.

Overall, in the eyes of this 18 year old, different social network have different purposes. The photos she’s taking for Instagram are not photos she’s not putting on Facebook. As a matter of fact, here’s her take on posting photos to Facebook: “Now uploading to Facebook is not as cool as it used to be. When people we know post pics to Facebook it’s seems like they are trying to hard! Facebook is to talk to other people and to chat. It’s good for major projects because you can make a group with all of your classmates.” Instagram is where we go to share our photos.