20 Years From Now--Where Will Jenna Marbles Be?

As most of my friends know, I am a head-over-heels Jenna Marbles fan. I really love her videos and I follow her social media (Twitter handle @Jenna_Marbles) religiously. She is definitely one of a kind. Her fame is based primarily on her YouTube videos and her vulgar personality (which I am cool with--for now). 

However, after watching one of her videos where she basically rattled off the "f" word the entire segment, I was kind of turned off by her and began to think. Although she has a lot going for her right now, such as her body, looks, humor, and social media following--what is going to happen to her when she is older and not as appealing? 

Her fame is basically based off of her vulgar personality (like I said before). Most employers obviously wouldn't go for that--so is she just going to make videos and write humorous tweets the rest of her life? I suppose she could go into being a comedian, but for now, what happens if she runs out of video ideas? 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Jenna Marbles...I just don't know how successful she will be 20 years down the road in this "career." 

Here are some tweets I just saw on my newsfeed: 

Jenna Mourey/Marbles ‏@Jenna_Marbles

It's like a secret poop-off contest in my house. F****** poop dude. Real poop. Poop.

Jenna Mourey/Marbles ‏@Jenna_Marbles

If I could make sweet buttsex with all of you individually as a thank you I would, but alas, that is gross.

Jenna Mourey/Marbles ‏@Jenna_Marbles

What's the difference between marbles and Kermit? Nothing. They both think it's f******* cool to poop in the house. #differentsizedpoops

Where do you guys think she will be in 20 years????? 

My Last Fall Semester At Ohio Northern

As finals week approaches, it is just now hitting me that this is my final fall semester ever. I don't know whether I am excited or sad about this realization. This semester has definitely been one that I won't forget. I learned a lot about myself and the people around me and I have definitely become a stronger and better person this semester. 

What I learned this semester:

1. Life is too short--don't always take things so seriously. There will be times for seriousness and times for fun! I am going to start taking advantage of both.

2. Your true friends will stick by you in sticky and inconvenient situations. I have been through a lot this past semester and I have truly learned who my real friends are.

3. Procrastination is not your friend. This "term" is like a bad relationship. It will stress you out, make you worry, and always bring out your worst work (most of the time--sometimes you get lucky).

4. Drama should only be viewed on soap operas. I realized all of that drama I thought was "so important" last year doesn't mean anything now. Who cares if the girl down the hallway got the same haircut as you?

5. A degree is very important. In the past, I have taken school a lot less seriously than I maybe should have. Yes, I believed it was important but I never really thought about how truly important it is and will be for my future. DEGREES GET JOBS!

6. Strength comes to those who believe in it. I knew I had to tough out this semester at Ohio Northern, no matter how scared or upset I was about my current situation. When I first came this semester, I was afraid people would judge me and talk about me--but none of that really matters in the grand scheme of things. I just keep going along!

7. I'm not a child anymore--I am going to be a mommy. I always dreamed of having kids one day, just not this soon. I have learned that it is time for me to step up and take responsibility because in two months--I will be responsible for another life. Pretty intense stuff!

8. If you work hard, you won't regret anything. If you work hard at a project and you end up getting a B or a C, it is not the end of the world. Trying your best should always be good enough.

9. Family is important and should be cherished. I always remind myself how great of a family I have and how much support I get from them on a daily basis.

10. Always think before you speak! (Self-explanatory I think)


Needless to say, this has been a semester of lessons and new experiences. I can't wait for my last semester--which should be even more of an experience!

Enjoy your college experience, it goes by way too fast!

My First Official Professional Site

Hey everyone!

This past week, my social media class was asked to create our own online professional and personal sites. We had to create a site that fit our personality as well as showed off our abilities and skills as public relations professionals.

My site has the following pages:

1. Home page: This page introduces the audience to who I am and some of my skills. 

2. Meet Ashley: This page focuses on my background and what organizations I am involved in. 

3. Resume: This page covers my work experience, leadership positions, and accomplishments 

4. Portfolio: This page showcases some of the work I have done in the past and my capabilities as a PR professional 

5. Contact Me: This page gives my audience a chance to contact me with any questions or inquiries they may have!

Please take the time to check out my page and tell me what you think! 

You can find my site here : http://a-mauder.wix.com/ashmauder

I'm A Committed Christmas Twitter Follower

I am not joking when I say that I am obsessed with Christmas and the holidays. In the last week, I began following Christmas Twitter accounts because they make me so happy and excited for Christmas. Every time I go on my Twitter feed, I am bound to find something about Christmas on it and it makes me so extremely giddy. 

If you are interested in following any Christmas Twitter accounts, here are some really great ones: 

1. Christmas Movies! @iChristmasMovie

2. Arthur Christmas: @ArthurChristmas 

3. Santa Claus: @santa_claus 

4. Christmas Countdown: @ChristmasCount

5. Buddy The Elf: @BuddyTheeeElf 


These Twitter accounts really crack me up and it's a great way to bring in the holiday season! Speaking of which, I haven't even gone Christmas shopping yet...and I really should. 

Follow these Christmas accounts to get some Christmas cheer into your Twitter feed! I know you all have Twitter on your phones, and I've given you the handles. They are just a follow click away! 


If you find any more Twitter Christmas accounts (worth following), can someone please let me know? I am all about Christmas...

As soon as Christmas is over though, I am unfollowing the accounts because there is no need to follow the Christmas accounts all year around...it makes Christmas less special.

Go Christmas! 

Courtesy of Fruity Lashes.com 

Christmas Time Is Coming

Is everyone else as excited for Christmas as me? I keep listening to my Christmas Pandora station because I am absolutely pumped for the holidays this year! 

Christmas lights are my favorite 

Things I have made a habit of doing:

1. Listening to Christmas Pandora all the time
2. Drawing elves and presents in my notes during class (while paying attention of course)
3. Looking up Christmas movies on Netflix
4. Taking long ways home back to my apartment in Ada or home in Toledo; just to look at the Christmas lights people have already put up
5. I've made my Christmas wish list 
6. Made Christmas cards just because and they are currently addressed to NO ONE (Note: if you would like one, let me know!)
7. Made two batches of Christmas cookies already! 
8. Mapped out my entire Christmas break plans
9. Picked out my outfits for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (red and green obviously) 
10. Now, I am writing a blog post about my love for Christmas time 


If you couldn't tell by the list of things I have began to do in light of Christmas, I am completely obsessed with this time of year. I love how cheerful everyone is and how excited they all get for the holidays. It makes me super happy!

Cookies, cookies, and more cookies 

After Black Friday shopping, everyone gets really crazy about Christmas. I have been to New York City around Christmas time and that has to be one of my favorite cities to be in during that time of year. The huge Christmas tree downtown and the lights everyone just makes me so giddy inside. 

This is technically the last Christmas I will have before Kolton is born and brought into this world. My Papa says he can't wait for Kolton's first Christmas because he will actually have an excuse to get a train to run around the Christmas tree so Kolton can play with it. 

Yep, folks...I'll be a mommy next Christmas. I won't be getting all the presents anymore, instead, I will be playing my role as Santa Claus (even though he won't really know who that is yet). 

I am nervous but I can't wait! 

Enjoy the holidays everyone!

What Does PR Mean To You?

Melissa and I worked on a video that was aimed for prospective students looking at Ohio Northern's public relations program. 

The theme of our video is "What Does PR Really Mean." We asked the students of Ohio Northern from all different majors and backgrounds--and then asked a few public relations students what it ACTUALLY means. 

We also focused on the different unique aspects of our program here at Ohio Northern.

We touched on the following:

1. Our mentor program through PRSSA 

2. Our awesome PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) Chapter at ONU

3. National events we get to attend as public relations students

4. The internship opportunities we get through our program (they are endless really!)

5. The hands-on experience we get through our student-run firm, True North PR


We also had a student, Lauren Tennet, talk about why public relations is important. 


Melissa and I's goal was to have a fun video that prospective students could relate to and understand. Our message was to get them to understand the basics of public relations and what our program here at Ohio Northern has to offer. 


Hope you enjoy the video! 

Come to Ohio Northern University and find out what PR really means! 

A Different Thanksgiving This Year

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving this year!! I know I did. This year was a little different for me because it was the first year I spent with my almost-new family. I went to the Zimmerman family Thanksgiving and I actually had a lot of fun. 

It was a day full of football, apple pie and pumpkin pie, and games. It is the one day you don't have to feel bad about eating everything in sight (although, most days I do that anyways now). 

Not only was it different spending the day with the Zimmerman family, but this year was different because I am 28 weeks pregnant and a lot of things in my life have changed. 

But I'm thankful. 

Things I am thankful for: 

1. Going to a great school like Ohio Northern University
2. A great family (both the Zimmerman family and mine) 
3. Support from friends here at school
4. Support from my professors 
5. My wonderful unborn baby (who I love oh so much) 
6. My fiance, Nick
7. My roommates here at school
8. My health


Although I am thankful for many more things, these things are very important to me because they make me who I am and I am so blessed to have everything that I do. 

My awesome friends 

This year has been a year of big decisions and I think I have made the right ones (in most cases). I wouldn't change anything for the world. 

The most important thing this year was finding out I was pregnant. It hasn't been easy and it has definitely been hard at times, but I am thankful for Kolton Nicholas Zimmerman- due in February 2013. I am now currently at week 28 and that is pretty scary but exciting! With Christmas break around the corner, I feel like it will go by fast. 

Baby Kolton's little hand over his face

I put up a few pictures of the things I am thankful for. Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Days and your holidays! 

My best friend and my fiance, Nick 

28 weeks pregnant 

Before Your Crisis: Ask Yourself These 8 Questions

While skimming through blogs I follow and reading about the latest public relations topics, I came across an article called, "8 Questions To Help You Prepare Your Company For A Social Media Crisis."

The article talked about the red flags companies and organizations should be aware of and the importance of a social media crisis plan. This article couldn't be more right! It is very important to have a plan for different kinds of crisis, although we can't always prepare for everything, we can sure try.

I found the following questions to be very helpful and important for a social media crisis situation (however, I changed them a little according to my understanding of them):

1. Define what a social media crisis is. What does it mean to your company or organization? 
2. What are the red flags to look for when your company is under a social media attack?
3. How are you currently monitoring for attacks, 24/7, for targeted key words, and those "red flags"?
4. What risks are involved with the social media/online marketing strategies your company/organization uses?
5. How should you respond to each risk/scenario? 
6. Who, within your organization, is assigned to respond to negative comments and/or potential risks online?
7. What is the current sentiment about your brand online?
8. What do your customers and fans expect of you in a crisis and are you prepared to meet those expectations? 

I think these questions are very important when you are thinking of your brand and how you handle your online communication/marketing. 

After reading the article, I thought of some of my previous public relations experiences and how all of these questions tie into each crisis in public relations--but since social media is on the rise, ESPECIALLY that. 

What do you guys think of these questions? Do you think they are helpful?

You can find the article I read here! 

The Wedding Frenzy Begins

Well folks, Nick and I officially picked the date for our wedding this upcoming year. We will be getting hitched on August 31, 2013! As many of you know, I am expecting a baby in Februrary, hopefully graduating in May, and then oh boy, a BIG wedding in August. I can't wait! This is a pretty exciting year for me and I am so glad I get to share it with my family and friends. 

The venue we picked for our wedding is my church, Elliston Trinity U.C.C. 

Trinity U.C.C. 

Our wedding reception will be at Sunrise Banquet Hall in Millbury, Ohio! 

Sunrise Banquet Hall 

Outside of Sunrise Banquet Hall 

We went to a wedding reception at the Sunrise Banquet Hall this past weekend and absolutely fell in love with it. I am pretty excited to get started on wedding planning although I am a little nervous too. 

I am pretty set on having this color at my wedding: 

Maroon Red 

Like I said, I am pretty excited to start planning. This is one of the biggest days of my life and I want to make it absolutely perfect!

Measurement Is Not NOT An Option

Last week, our class went over more of Katie Paine's book that we have been covering for a while--and one topic we talked about (which seems to come up weekly) was measurement. 

One piece of advice that I found funny and very true was "Measurement is not not an option." Although the wording could probably be better for that, I think this is quite the quote for social media. 

Measurement is so very important when it comes to social media because you need to measure how successful you are reaching your target audiences as well as engagement with others (are we making progress?). 

Metrics was something we discussed briefly and I think this is one of the most important things to focus on when measuring your success in social media. 

For those who don't know what metrics are, they monitor what kind of traffic you are attracting and how often. 

Examples of metrics: 

1. Google Analytics

2. Dashboards (Blogs will sometimes have dashboards and options where you can actually track how many views you get on any given day and how successful the time of posting is each day) 

3. SocialMention: Free tool that can help you find where brands are mentioning your company, blog, or social media 

Those are just three out of many that you could do to measure how often people are going to your given site. 

However, metrics isn't just the only form of measurement...

You have to check

• ROI (Return on Investment) 
• Conversation mentions 
• Target audiences you attract

Again, measurement is never NOT an option--so always be sure to measure how successful your site or company is doing with social media. Also, don't forget that you need to set goals so you can hit them by measuring what you need to do to hit maybe a certain number of views or attract a specific audience. 

So go ahead and check out the measurements on your blog! How are you doing? 

#RIP Hashtags--How Do These Get Started?

Has anyone else ever noticed these #RIP hashtags on Twitter that pop up at random times? I never used to notice them until I saw "#RIPSnooki" trending. My first reaction was, "SERIOUSLY?" I had to check into it right away, so I clicked on the trend and was absolutely appalled by what I saw. 

It's true folks, social media seems to be its own social media assassin. 

Twitter has fatally popular trends

I read several tweets claiming all sorts of things: 

#RIPSnooki, she died in Hurriance Sandy....#sosad

Snooki died giving birth #RIPSnooki #RIPLorenzo

Jersey Shore cancelled because Snooki passed #RIPSnooki #RIPJerseyShore

#RIPSnooki can't believe Snooki is gone...such a terrible accident

Snooki shouldn't have bought that big truck..#RIPSnooki

These are just a few I found online...and I was in complete shock. I then googled if she had actually passed away and it surprised me even more that there were several articles and results popping up claiming "social media is a celebrity assassin." 

No, Snook didn't actually die. Several hashtags have been created that have claimed multiple stars such as Justin Bieber, Morgan Freeman, and Mel Gibson have passed away and the tweets are crazy and explicit. 

I know social media has its ups and downs, but this is seriously one of the craziest things I have ever seen. Why do people make up deaths of celebrities? And how do they get so many people to retweet and use their #RIP hashtags?! 

I am at a loss for words right now. Social media is a way to channel news, and it obviously channels false news as well. Just be sure to check out these hashtags...I honestly am appalled by them. 

What do you guys think of these #RIP hashtags? Let me know your thoughts! 

My Phone Is A Stranger Magnet

The last few days have definitely got me wondering if someone has an eerily similar number to mine. I have had two different conversations with two completely random numbers thinking I am someone named, Marcia. Unless people are gathering across the nation to prank me, I really don't know how to properly handle these kind of text messages. You are probably wondering what I am talking about...

I don't want to just say, "Wrong number." I think I could have way more fun with these messages than that! 

Saturday Conversation

(502) Area Code: Kentucky

502-***-****: Apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living? Answer honestly this time ;) 

(10 minutes later)

Me: I go to school, eat lots of food, and watch a lot of Investigation Discovery shows. But thanks for the compliment. 

502-***-****: What? 

Me: You asked me what I did for a living other than being sexy and I told you. 

502-***-*****: ...this isn't Marcia is it? 


After that, I decided not to respond. I really wish I would have now because I could have had a great conversation going. 

Tuesday Conversation

(707) Area Code: California 

707-***-****: Hey, what's up?

(No response)

707-***-****: I already talked to ya but I'll be voting at that time, so I can't go. Sorry gurl! 

Me: I'm sorry, I feel rude. Who is this? 

707-***-****: Kasey? 

Me: Kasey who? I don't think I know a Kasey.

707-***-****: OH STOP IT! You know exactly who this is. 

(No response) 

15 minutes later...

707-***-****: Yeah, this is the wrong number. Sorry, I thought you were a friend of mine. Got the number mixed up. 

Wednesday Conversation 

I have to admit Wednesday's conversation was by far the longest one I held, mainly because I was trying to tell this Jared character that I was not Marcia (if that is who he thought I was). He never really gave me a clear indication that that was who he was trying to reach. This man/boy was very vague. Our conversation took a turn at the end though; a turn I completely did NOT want to take. 

(330) Area Code: Ohio (at least it's in the same state this time) 

330-***-****: Yo, what you doing? 

Me: I am at work. Who is this? 

330-***-****: Jared... 

Me: Jared who?

330-***-****: Jared *****, the only one you know? 

Me: I don't know you, I think you have the wrong number. 

330-***-****: No i don't. I just txted u eariler and u responded. 

Me: ?? If you are trying to reach a Marcia, we have similiar phone numbers and this is not hers. 

330-***-****: i c. 

(No response) 

330-***-****: Y u answer when I text u then? 

Me: I said I was working and then asked who you were. 

330-***-****: Wut is your name then? 

Me: Dolores. 

330-***-****: o i c 

-End of conversation (that day)-

Today's Conversation 

This just happened while I was at work. My phone buzzed in my bag and I was expecting a text from a friend. Much to my surprise, it was my new-found friend Jared! (I had to write a blog post now!) 

330-***-**** (Jared): Yo

Me: Still not Marcia. 

330-***-****: I kno. I want 2 know who u r. 

Me: Dolores. 

330-***-****: i kno. Last name? 

Me: (after googling) Farder  (Note: I didn't want to be too graphic) 

330-***-****: r u on Fb? 

Me: No. I'm a little too old for Fb. 

330-***-****: how old r u 

Me: 67 

(No response) 


I think this last conversation has to top all of the others. I am just shocked a stranger who I don't even know tried getting to know me and asked me for my first and last name. I feel like a predator was in my midst! That's why technology is scary...

I am not sure how my phone became so popular. I used to just get texts from close friends and not more than maybe four conversations a day, but now my phone is getting hit up from all over the nation! 

No, I don't have my number on my Facebook or any other social media outlet. That would be just silly! However, someone is either pranking me all the time or has almost the same number as me. Whoever this other person is, they need to learn how to give out their number correctly. I'm sorry I don't know you Kasey and I am not Marcia. Girl, give your number out the right way (don't use my number as a rejection hotline)!

I will admit though, it's been great entertainment for me! 

Who is this? How did you get my number? 

Community Relationships--How My Internship Helped Me

In Katie Paine's book, Measure What Matters, I think Chapter 9 stuck out to me with the six steps to measuring relationships with communities.

The six steps were as follows: 

1. Agree upon solid measurable goals tied to bottom line
2. Define publics
3. Who or what are the benchmarks
4. Set audience priorities 
5. Choose measurable tools
6. Analyze data 


When I read these steps, they instantly reminded me of my library internship I had the summer of my junior year of college. I was set to help with a summer-long weekly community event. The event was a series of outdoor yard concerts called, "The Brown Bag Series". They had numerous artists and genres for the event as well as food stands for people to enjoy.

The first meeting I sat in on, the first question my boss asked was, "Who are we trying to target in this series?"

Parents and children of the community were the main target we were trying to reach. We had to figure out a way to reach out to the community--and I think we did in many ways.

How we mapped out our event: 

Step 1: We agreed upon the goals we were trying to reach. We wanted to get publicity for the event to parents, children, and day cares to get more children involved since that was the music we were generally playing. 

Step 2: Our publics = children, parents, and older patrons (we eventually discussed that older patrons enjoyed the series as well) 

Step 3: We focused on how where the location of the concerts would be that would get the most attendees and how we would change plans in case of a weather change. Primarily, we focused on what needed to happen to make sure the concert went on no matter what. 

Step 4: We discussed ways to measure our performance for the series--we set up a survey that patrons could take after attending (primarily parents). We also tried to get a good head count each time to track how many attended week-to-week. 



I think the six steps are tied into the four steps we focused on during our Brown Bag concert series. The library always tried to tie in the community with their events, so I believe I had a great experience creating relationships with community members while advertising for this event.

Social Media's "Knucklehead Of The Year"

As many people know, Hurricane Sandy struck our East Coast last week pretty hard. States suffered power outages, horrible weather, and damage. While checking out updates on the conditions of Hurricane Sandy, I kept reading about this infamous "fake account" called, @ComfortablySmug. 

Apparently, this Twitter account began circulating fake images and completely false reports about New York City's standing during the hurricane. 

This image can be found on CNN.com

Some tweets I read are as follows: 

• BREAKING:Soon we will all be dead, and you will wonder why you spent time typing out 140 char messages instead of calling your mother who loves you
• BREAKING: Governor Cuomo is trapped in Manhattan. Has been taken to a secure shelter
• BREAKING: Coney Island Hopstial Is On Fire http://t.co/Kr3LoPjq

These are only a few tweets @ComfortablySmug tweeted that was sent out and retweeted by thousands of users. The account eventually gained a following of over 6,800 users--some from across the world. Not only did this account create panic in many users across the world, but it also created a lot of attention I don't think the user intended on having originally. 

Want to know the kicker of this whole thing? 

It was just reported that Shashank Tripathi is the author of the tweets and account. Who is Shashank Tripathi? Well, he is campaign manager of Christopher R. Wight, the Republican candidate for the U.S. House from New York's 12th Congressional District for this year's election (ouch). After this report was released, the account immediately sent a tweet issuing an apology to New York citizens. 

Courtesy of BBC news 

I went back and checked the account today and it is still up, but hasn't tweeted anything since the apology--and of course, I had to figure out what happened to Mr. Tripathi...

He resigned! Of course he did, what did I expect to happen? 

I knew social media could ruin careers if used incorrectly, but it still baffles me that an "anonymous" Twitter account could cause so much chaos. Not only that, but it amazes me that nothing on social media is technically "anonymous" anymore. 

I think it is completely crazy and baffling at the same time! 

What do you guys think of anonymous Twitter accounts? 

Sleeping = Optional

The last couple of weeks have been full of good news and bad news. Today, I am a 24 weeks and a couple of days (not much long until 25!) of my pregnancy. I am glad I have hit this mark, but I am not so glad that I am dealing with things I haven't had to deal with before. 

I went to the doctor today because lately I haven't been getting any sleep at night whatsoever. If I had to estimate the number of hours I have gotten sleep this week, it would be about 3.5 to 4 hours a night roughly. I know it can't just be me that has experienced this, but it is very frustrating when I am trying to be a full-time college student, hold a job, and stay healthy at the same time. 

When I asked my doctor what I could do to help this out, he joked with me and said, "Didn't you know? When you are pregnant and have a baby, sleeping is only optional..." 

This will be me

I literally froze when he said that. I think he noticed my panic because he instantly followed up with tricks I could try to get sleep. He knows I refuse to take any kind of medication other than prenatal vitamins, so he knew not to mention that! 

Here are some ways I am going to try to sleep through ONE night: 

1. Drink more water during the day
2. Reduce stress and anxiety 
3. Watch when and how much I eat 
4. Lay on the left side of my body to keep blood circulation going 
5. Buy a pregnancy pillow 

I think I am going to buy a pregnancy pillow first, because I already try to do half the things on this list. I have read plenty reviews so it better be worth it. 

This is the pregnancy pillow I want

I guess I never really believed in all of the "problems" that could occur during pregnancy. For the first trimester, although I got sick from time to time, I felt fine for the most part. But now I know better. I am trying to go with the flow, but I give pros to all women who are going or have gone through pregnancy--it's pretty tough sometimes! 

At this point, if you have read this and you have any other suggestions that I could try, let me know. I am ready to try almost anything to get a decent amount of sleep at night. 


In light of my situation, my aunt sent me a quote she thought would soothe me: 

"Everyone should have kids. They are the greatest joy in the world. But they are also terrorists. You'll realize this as soon as they are born, and they start using sleep deprivation to break you."

Now, I really can't wait...

8 Ways To Conduct Successful Social Media

This week my social media class discussed Chapters 5 and 6 of Measure What Matters by Katie Paine. I felt like I learned a lot in these chapters that would apply to my current National Editor-in-Chief position for Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). 

One topic I found very interesting was how to conduct social media successfully. I think the top 8 steps I read about are some of the most crucial steps to take when launching a blog or some other type of social media outlet. 
 

 Here are 8 ways to ensure successful social media:

 1. Find the content. Find hosts of free monitoring services so you can keep track of what's in the news and what is going on. 

2. Determine the type of conversation take place. Quantifying the % of conversations that fall into each category.

3. Determine the visibility of your brand. Determine where in the post/video/conversation your organization was mentioned -Dominance vs. Prominence.

4. Determine who was quoted in item. If conducting a thought leadership program, tracking presence or absence of thought leaders is critical. 

5. Determine the sentiment and/or presence or absence of recommendations. Check the Sentiment (tone) Net Promoter Score to see if consumers are recommending your brand. Typical tones that are recognized are positive/negative/balanced/neutral.

6. Determine what, if any, messages were communicated. Categorize your discussion of your messages.

7. Determine positioning on key issue or battles. Good analysis will pull out recurring themes, complains, and messages

 
8. Quantifying the authority of writer or poster. Use Twitalyzer and Technorati to do this. 

Courtesy of Thought Pick

 

Out of all these steps, I found #5 to be the most fascinating. I never really thought there would be that many different tone categories for social media--I always thought it was as clear as the colors, black and white. These tone categories give a little gray area though--with positive, negative, balanced, and neutral. I feel as though giving a social media account a "neutral" presence would be hard to measure. I would rather have a positive or negative social media account so I knew what exactly to fix--neutral seems to "gray area" for me. 

Other than that, I completely agree with every step. I am trying to practice all of these steps to ensure the blog I run for PRSSA is credible as well as highly trafficked. 

I will take these steps with me everywhere!

Seven Titles Gone With One Delete

As most of you may already know, three days ago, October 22, Lance Armstrong was stripped of all seven of his Tour de France titles. From what I read, the U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA) report said Armstrong and his previous teams used steroids; blood booster EPO and blood transfusions. The report also included statements given by 11 of Armstrong's former teammates who all testified against Armstrong. 

Lance Armstrong 

I have been following this story for a while now and once I read this I instantly thought, "I need to blog about this...but how can I from a social media aspect?" After doing some research, I found my answer. 

I began researching different stories about Lance Armstrong's social media accounts, and I found that as of late Monday night, Armstrong's bio on all of his social media accounts, which included his seven Tour de France titles. 

On Monday, his Twitter account read as such: 

"Father of 5 amazing kids, 7-time Tour de France winner, full time cancer fighter, part time triathlete."

On Tuesday, it read like this: 

"Raising my five kids. Fighting Cancer. Swim, bike, run and golf whenever I can." 

His description change on Twitter isn't the only action his Twitter has been getting. On October 17th, Armstrong announced to his followers that he was stepping down as chairman of the Livestrong cancer-awareness charity he created. 

But wait...I am not done yet. 

As of Monday morning (when I last looked at his page), he had over 3,800,000 followers. Today, he only has 3,791,718 and the number seems to go down every time I look at his profile. 

Not only did his reputation take a huge hit, his Twitter account seems to be getting hit hard too.


My take on the issue:

Was what Lance Armstrong did wrong? Of course it was wrong and he should have gotten stripped of his titles. However, I don't think we should look at Armstrong negatively just because of this. He fought Stage 3 cancer and I still consider him a hero regardless. 



What do you think of this scandal? Share your thoughts with me! 


You can find Lance Armstrong's Twitter here! 

Tour de France medals 

The Pumpkin Lady

Boo! 

With Halloween drawing very near, I have been on a total Halloween frenzy! I have made pumpkin cookies, eaten spider-sprinkle donuts, and visited over three pumpkin patches. I think it is safe to say that I am on a definitely a little bit of a Halloween nut. 

The other day, I decided I was going to carve a pumpkin all by myself. You may laugh and ask yourself, "what do you mean all by yourself?" I am not joking when I say I have never actually carved a pumpkin completely by myself before. I have always had someone help me (or do most of it). When I was little, I loved the look of pumpkins but I didn't really like the gooey mess inside of them. Now, I am obsessed with the gooey mess and I wish I could carve pumpkins all day every day. 

After carving this pumpkin, I decided to go online and search for more pumpkin carving designs--and boy, I found some I am going to try! I found a website called, "The Pumpkin Lady", and I already bookmarked it to my Internet so it will always pop up whenever I get on. 

Out of the many pumpkin designs, these are the ones I am trying this weekend at my grandparents' house (which means off to another pumpkin patch!). 

1. Numbskull Pattern 

2. Boo Crew Pattern

3. Hallowords Pattern 

These are my top three favorite categories of patterns that I plan on completing this weekend. Does anyone want me to carve a pumpkin for them? I am seriously good at it! 

If you are curious as to what these patterns actually mean, you can visit the Pumpkin Lady website! 

Pumpkins (the one on the left is my creation)