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Facebook Changes: Subscribe, Lists, Ticker and More!

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If you logged on to Facebook this morning then you know the whole layout of the site has been redesigned. We all know that Facebook changes on a regular basis, but this recent update is only the first of many to come according to this article from Mashable, Facebook to Launch “Major” Profile Redesign at f8. f8 is a conference taking place today in San Francisco for developers and innovators who are meeting to discuss Facebook. Parts of the event will be streaming live.

This video explains in simple terms a few of the most recent modifications to the site.

If you are interested in learning more about the subscribe feature, this article Facebook Subscribe Button: What it Means for Each Type of User from Mashable, breaks down the changes and how it may affect users. So whether you’re a Facebook “super user” or a grandmother trying to log on to see photos of your grandkids, the ability to “subscribe,” instead of “friend” may change the way you use Facebook.

Last but not least, earlier this month Facebook made life a lot easier for people creating a Facebook Page. According to AllFacebook.com You No Longer Need 25 Fans to Get a Custom URL. So instead of having a URL like this www.facebook.com/pages/Make-It_Happen-City/207334002619825 which no one can remember, it can become www.facebook.com/MakeItHappenCity even though the page has less than 25 fans.

What do you think of the new Facebook redesign and subscribe feature? Let us know in the comments section.

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

Will You Be In My Circle? Google+ Mashup

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Google +Google+ debuted as a private beta platform on June 28 and only select people received invites to join. Now three weeks later, I finally managed to get a hold of a Google+ invite only to find out that “Google+ About To Hit 10 Million Users” according to Mashable. This number should be taken with a grain of salt however because it is coming from a third party and Google has not verified it.

My limited experience with Google+ has been pretty uneventful because very few people I know are on it therefore my stream is fairly empty. I am still learning how to use the platform and take advantage of all the features it offers. The article Google+: The Complete Guide from Mashable includes screen shots, videos, and just about everything you would need to know to start using Google+.

One aspect I have had the chance to test is the Hangout feature. Hangouts are meant to directly compete with Facebook’s new Skype Video chat, but hangouts are better in my opinion because they allow up to 10 people to be included in the same video chat. As of right now Facebook doesn’t offer this capability. If you want to learn more about the two services read Facebook Video Chat v. Google Hangouts: It’s No Contest from TechCruch. My vote is for hangouts and I can see them playing a big role in Google+’s future.

Do you have a Google+ profile? What do you think of Hangouts or any of the other features? Are you still looking for a Google+ invite? Email me if you want one!

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

Share Buttons: Are They Worth it? Find Out In This Week’s Social Media News

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AddThis

Sharing information online is now easier than ever before because of share buttons. These buttons aren’t just there so you can “like” the picture of your newest baby cousin, but they can also help increase traffic to your website and result in a profit for your company.

This article By The Numbers: How Facebook Says Likes & Social Plugins Help Websites explains why having the ability to share your content through social media is imperative. In case you still need convincing, check out this stat from the article; “The average media site integrated with Facebook has seen a 300% increase in referral traffic.”

Although Facebook and Twitter share buttons dominate online the Google +1 button that debuted in March is starting to make some noise. Last week it started to appear on various websites such as Mashable and the code is now freely accessible to anyone who wants to use it. The article Google’s +1 Button Challenges Facebook’s Like Across the Web explains the impact this new button could have on sharing online.

If after reading about the benefits of share buttons you want to add them to your own website, we recommend AddThis. After registering (for free) you can add just about any social media share button to a website, blog, email newsletter, and more. AddThis is constantly updating and adding new services. For example they’ve already added the Google +1 button to their service. What makes AddThis our share button of choice? It gives analytics for shares, clicks, top services, the ability to track trends, and more.

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

Make Your Resume Stand Out With A QR Code

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Kaitlyn Bigica

Kaitlyn Bigica, Social Media Assistant at GCAI

This week’s Social Media News comes to us from our newest employee, Kaitlyn Bigica. Kaitlyn is a junior journalism major/IT minor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  She is a staff writer for her college daily newspaper and a member of the University Programming Council.  Kaitlyn received her job as Social Media Assistant at Garvey Communication Associates Inc. after including a QR code on her resume. Below is her blog post on how using QR codes on a resume can make it stand out in the crowd from other applicants.

I have recently learned about QR codes and the growing impact they have on social media and communication with consumers. I thought it would be a great idea to put one on my resume to impress prospective employers.

What are QR codes?

QR codes or quick response codes are specific matrix bar codes that can be read by smart phones.  They are similar to bar codes used in retail but hold more data. The code links to a URL, text or other data.

Qr codes are mainly being used by business’s to advertise their products in an interactive way.  They can be found in magazines, newspapers and on the back of business cards. Take a look at Macy’s use of QR codes on the tags of their merchandise.  The code scans to videos of the brand allowing consumers to get fashion tips and advice from the designer.  Read the rest on Kaitlyn’s blog…

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

3 Perspectives On How “Social” Today’s PR Graduates Must Be-Part 1

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Views from The Student, The Pro and The Professor

Obviously, Social Media has transformed Public Relations. Yet, are the PR factories (colleges and universities) cranking out graduates that are prepared to work in, or maybe even lead, this changed industry?  This week’s Social Media News is the first in a three part series that will answer that probing question.  GCAI tapped three people for their perspectives.

The Student: @stjackman
Stephanie Jackman, Intern at GCAI, completing a BA in Communication this year from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY

The Pro : @MFallon
Mary Fallon,  Media Director at GCAI and Isenberg School of Management at UMASS Amherst graduate, Google AdWords Certified, PRSA member for 4 years, has led seminars on SEO and SMO PR at UMASS Amherst

The Professor: @FvrythingPR
Dr. Daradirek Ekachai,  Associate Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI

1) What are the “must have” social media skills a graduating college student needs to standout to PR employers?

The Student:
Being savvy in the realm of social media is no longer an added bonus, but a job requirement for entry-level PR candidates. The skill that will showcase graduating seniors’ expertise in social media is their ability to be engaging on these various platforms.  Mastering the writing technique it takes to be successful on each social media platform is key. Students must be able to use their writing skills to not only write an eye-catching press release, but an engaging tweet and Facebook post.

The Pro:
My top three are: writing ability, responsiveness, and curiosity. Whether a PR professional is writing a 400 word press release or a 140 character tweet, both grammar and writing come into play. When working in the social media world everything is in “real time” and students need to be able to analyze and respond to issues as they arise. Lastly, a willingness to learn is vital.  Students who are curious about social media and are constantly researching new platforms and methods will be the most successful.

The Professor:
Students should not only possess social media skills, but they also should know how to use them strategically, personally and professionally. They need to understand the sociology and psychology of social communication through social networks and know how to apply them in social media tools. They should keep abreast in current and ever-changing new media trends and be informed of latest research reports.

I also believe that they need to practice social media (Facebook and Twitter, mostly) regularly (everyday preferably!). Social media should be second nature to them and they need to know how to create content, engage and maintain their social relationships with their friends and followers.

GCAI Staff Member Gains Google AdWords Certification

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Mary Fallon, media director at Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAI) recently attained Google AdWords Individual Certification. Google AdWords allows advertisers to create text, image, and video ads to run on Google, its partner “search network” and/or its content network sites.

Mary Fallon, media director at Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAI) recently attained Google AdWords Individual Certification. Google AdWords allows advertisers to create text, image, and video ads to run on Google, its partner “search network” and/or its content network sites.

Mary Fallon, media director at Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAI) recently attained Google AdWords Individual Certification.  Fallon passed two exams to gain certification including an advanced-level exam on search advertising covering best practices for managing AdWords campaigns.

Celebrating its 10 year anniversary this year, AdWords continues to be Google’s flagship advertising product.  Google AdWords allows advertisers to create text, image, and video ads to run on Google, its partner “search network” and/or its content network sites.  The advertiser is able to limit spending by setting daily budgets and can specify the geographic location, ranging from local to international distribution.  All of these controls make for an incredibly targeted marketing campaign.

A resident of Springfield, Fallon is a graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing. She is also a guest lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on the subject of SEO and SMO PR.  Fallon is a member of The Valley Press Club, The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and serves on the board of directors for The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts. She also volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County through their Community-Based Mentoring program.

GCAI Appoints Caroline Scannell As Accounts Analyst And Laura Chechette As Public Relations Analyst

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Ms. Scannell manages over $1 million in financial transactions annually ensuring contract compliance, through reconciliation, and arranging for make goods where necessary. A resident of West Springfield, Ms. Scannell will complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance and Accounting from Northeastern University in the spring of 2011, where she has already earned a Certificate of Accounting.  She is also a graduate of the Katharine Gibbs School in Boston, MA, where she earned an Associate Degree in Secretarial Arts with a legal specialization.

Ms. Chechette creates content for Search Engine Optimized (SEO) and Social Media Optimized (SMO) Public Relations efforts. She also supervises over 30 social media platforms that GCAI currently has under management for its clients.  Ms. Chechette is a recognized expert in social media monitoring and measurement platforms having researched, evaluated, and written about most of the top products currently available.

A resident of Longmeadow, Ms. Chechette is a Cum Laude graduate of Stonehill College in Easton, MA where she holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Communications.  After graduation, she completed a year of service with AmeriCorps NCCC where she provided public relations services in support of various projects around the country. Ms. Chechette is an associate member of The Public Relations Society of America and a member of the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts.

Caroline Scannell-Accounts Analyst

Laura Chechette-Public Relations Analyst

Tweetup For Facebook Fan Page Administrators

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As you may already know, GCAI recently held a Tweetup for Facebook Fan Page Administrators. It was a great event and we hope everyone who attended had a great time and was able to learn something new! We had three panelists that were selected due to their outstanding Fan Pages: Tara Tetreault from Jackson & Connor, Kelly Galanis (AKA the Red Headed Diva) from Westfield State College, and Don Anderson from the Cruise Store. Dave Sweeney from Viz-Bang was there to shoot videos of the panelists and other attendees talking about the success they’ve seen with their Fan Pages and the types they like to see. The conversation was extremely engaging as everyone chimed into the discussion.

To thank participants, we handed out some useful prizes. Tom Galanis from Westfield State College and Suzanne Boniface from the Children’s Study Home both won some “Garvey Gear.” Dan Buendo from Reminder Publications, Moira Murphy from Coldwell Banker, and Mary Wiseman from Wiseman Designs were the winners of “Engage!” by Brian Solis. The grand prize winner was Mychal Connolly from Stinky Cakes who won a video shoot with Dave Sweeney and Marty Langford of Viz-Bang. We’re looking forward to seeing it!

Thanks again to everyone that came to the event. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Photo: Don Anderson from the Cruise Store, Kelly Galanis from Westfield State College, Tara Tetreault from Jackson & Connor, and Mychal Connolly from Stinky Cakes

Mary Fallon Chosen as One of BusinessWest’s 40 Under 40

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Pictured left to right are: Mary Fallon, Media Director at Garvey Communication Associates Inc.; Father Jim Brennan, Co-Director of St. Francis Chapel; Ellen Lambert, volunteer; and Amanda Gauthier, Social Media Assistant at Garvey Communication Associates Inc.

Pictured left to right are: Mary Fallon, Media Director at Garvey Communication Associates Inc.; Father Jim Brennan, Co-Director of St. Francis Chapel; Ellen Lambert, volunteer; and Amanda Gauthier, Social Media Assistant at Garvey Communication Associates Inc.

Our own Mary Fallon has been chosen as one of BusinessWest’s 40 Under 40 – the Class of 2010. The panel of judges reviewed over 90 nominations and felt that Mary’s credentials, accomplishments, and contributions to the community made her stand out. Over the past year Mary has been involved in many business and community events. Serving as Media Director at GCAI, Mary manages public relations efforts, coordinates media planning/buying, and supervises social media – just to name a few responsibilities. She has presented on various Social Media topics, most recently at Online Impact 2010. Mary also played a major role in the St. Francis Chapel’s collection of personal care items for the homeless which resulted in the most successful collection to date and is a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Even after all of this, she still finds time to take care of her 3 year old Weimaraner, Riley.

Tweetup For Facebook Fan Page Administrators – April 8th

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Are you a business? Do you have a Facebook Fan Page? You’re not alone! This Tweetup for Facebook Fan Page administrators is a business to business networking and information exchange opportunity – the first in the region! The Viz-Bang boyz will be videotaping tips, tactics, and best practices for later posts. For more information and to RSVP: http://twtvite.com/yenaz1

So please join us on April 8th from 4pm to 6pm!