Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Start thinking about your IMAGE!

Local Image Awards 2016:
Think strategically!


Even though the deadline for Local Image entries is three months away, your local Image team is preparing for the 2016 Local Image Awards. And so should you!
 Look at your work product and think about its potential for being submitted for a Local Image Award. As you plan or participate in projects from January 2015 through the competition deadline of March 4, 2016, try to determine if it will meet the Image standards. Also, study the Image Award categories - maybe the special event didn’t meet all the objectives you set, but the speech you wrote for the CEO to give during the event exceeded expectations and changed the attitude of the audience. Be smart - always look at all the elements of a campaign and try to find the perfect fit. Also, entries this year will be submitted electronically, so collect and organize your support materials digitally, which will make it much easier to prepare and submit your entry in March.
If you have never entered before, need a little bit of guidance or a nudge, then you might just need an Image Buddy! Your Local Image Committee has seasoned “Image Experts” who will be there to offer encouragement and advice on how to submit an award-winning entry. We can give you one-on-one help with a trusted and knowledgeable “buddy” – so you will feel more comfortable about asking questions and make entering Local Image a little less daunting.
 
If you have any questions about the Image entry process or Image Buddy program, please contact Vicki Moreland at vbmoreland@flylcpa.com or 239-590-4502.

 

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Who is at the keyboard?

Nearly two-thirds of American adults (65%) use social networking sites, up from 7% when Pew Research Center began systematically tracking social media usage in 2005. Pew Research reports have documented in great detail how the rise of social media has affected such things as work, politics and political deliberation, communications patterns around the globe, as well as the way people get and share information about health, civic life, news consumption, communities, teenage life, parenting, dating and even people’s level of stress.

Social Networking Use Has Shot Up in Past Decade

 
 
Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.
Pew Research Center
A special analysis of 27 national surveys of Americans across the past decade documents this substantial spread of technology throughout the population, although the overall number of users of social networking sites has leveled off since 2013.1 At the same time, there continues to be growth in social media usage among some groups that were not among the earliest adopters, including older Americans.
The figures reported here are for social media usage among all adults, not just among those Americans who are internet users. In many previous Pew Research reports, the share of social media users has been reported as the proportion of internet users who had adopted such sites, rather than the full adult population, which continues to include a relatively small share (currently 15%) who still remain offline. In this report, a broader picture of the American landscape is presented, and so the figures are based on the entire adult population.
Across demographic groups, a number of trends emerge in this analysis of social media usage:
  • Age differences: Seniors make strides – Young adults (ages 18 to 29) are the most likely to use social media – fully 90% do. Still, usage among those 65 and older has more than tripled since 2010 when 11% used social media. Today, 35% of all those 65 and older report using social media, compared with just 2% in 2005.
  • Gender differences: Women and men use social media at similar rates – Women were more likely than men to use social networking sites for a number of years, although since 2014 these differences have been modest. Today, 68% of all women use social media, compared with 62% of all men.
  • Socio-economic differences: Those with higher education levels and household income lead the way – Over the past decade, it has consistently been the case that those in higher-income households were more likely to use social media. More than half (56%) of those living in the lowest-income households now use social media, though growth has leveled off in the past few years. Turning to educational attainment, a similar pattern is observed. Those with at least some college experience have been consistently more likely than those with a high school degree or less to use social media over the past decade. 2013 was the first year that more than half of those with a high school diploma or less used social media.
  • Racial and ethnic similarities: There are not notable differences by racial or ethnic group: 65% of whites, 65% of Hispanics and 56% of African-Americans use social media today.
  • Community differences: More than half of rural residents now use social media – Those who live in rural areas are less likely than those in suburban and urban communities to use social media, a pattern consistent over the past decade. Today, 58% of rural residents, 68% of suburban residents, and 64% of urban residents use social media.
What follows is an overview of changes over time in social media by various demographic groups. A full archive of Pew Research Center reports on different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn as well as about social media usage on mobile devices in general can be found at: http://www.pewinternet.org/topics/social-networking/.

Social Media Usage by Age: Ubiquitous Among Youngest Adults, Notable Among Older Adults


Age is strongly correlated with social media usage: Those ages 18 to 29 have always been the most likely users of social media by a considerable margin. Today, 90% of young adults use social media, compared with 12% in 2005, a 78-percentage point increase. At the same time, there has been a 69-point bump among those ages 30-49, from 8% in 2005 to 77% today.

Young Adults Still Are the Most Likely to Use Social Media

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.
Pew Research Center
While usage among young adults started to leveled off as early as 2010, since then there has been a surge in usership among those 65 and older. In 2005, 2% of seniors used social media, compared with 35% today.

Social Media Usage by Gender: A Shifting Balance Over Time, With Parity Today

In 2005, 8% of men and 6% of women used social media.

Women and Men Use Social Networking Sites at Comparable Rates

 
Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.
Pew Research Center

Starting in 2009, women started using social media at slightly higher rates than men, although this balance has shrunk yet again in recent years. Today, 68% of women and 62% of men report social media usage, a difference that is not statistically significant.

Social Media Usage by Educational Attainment: Those With Higher Education Levels More Likely to be Social Media Users

Those who have attended at least some college are more likely than those with a high school diploma or less to use social media, a trend that has been consistent since 2005. In that year, 4% of those with a high school diploma or less used social media, along with 8% of those who attended some college and 12% of college graduates.

Those With Lower Levels of Education Are Less Likely to Use Social Media

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.
Pew Research Center
Currently adoption rates for social media stand at 76% for those with college or graduate degrees, 70% of those with some college education and 54% for those who have a high school diploma or less.
At the same time, the share of those with a high school diploma or less who use social media has grown more than tenfold over the past decade.

Social Media Usage by Household Income: Those Living in Affluent Households More Likely to Be Social Media Users

There were modest differences by household income when Pew Research first began measuring social media usage in 2005: 4% of those living in households earning less than $30,000 used social media, compared with 12% of those living in household earning $75,000 or more.

Those in Higher Income Households Lead the Way

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.
Pew Research Center
Those differences have persisted even as each group has seen dramatic growth in usage.
Today, 78% of those living in the highest-income households use social media, compared with 56% of those in the lowest-income households – a 22-point difference.

Social Media Usage by Race/Ethnicity: Consistent Similarities

When it comes to race and ethnicity, trends in social media adoption are defined by similarities, not differences. Whites, African-Americans and Hispanics have broadly adopted social media at the same brisk pace.

Racial Differences Not Very Evident as Social Media Usage Has Grown

Created with Highcharts 4.1.4Among all American adults, % who use social networking sites, byracial/ethnic groupAmong all American adults, % who use social networking sites, by racial/ethnic groupWhite, non-HispanicBlack, non-HispanicHispanic20062008201020122014020406080
Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.
Pew Research Center
In 2005, 6% of African-Americans, 7% of whites and 10% of Hispanics used social networking sites. Today, those figures stand at 56% of African-Americans and 65% of both whites and Hispanics.

Social Media Usage by Community Type: More Than Half of Rural Residents Now Use Social Media

Adults who live in rural communities have historically been the least likely to use social media. In 2005, 5% of rural residents, 7% of suburban residents and 9% of urban residents reported social media usage. Today, 58% of rural residents, 68% of suburban residents and 64% of urban residents use social media.

Rural Citizens Have Consistently Lagged Behind

Created with Highcharts 4.1.4Among all American adults, % who use social networking sites, by communitytypeAmong all American adults, % who use social networking sites, by community typeUrbanSuburbanRural200620082010201220140204060802011Rural: 43
Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.
Pew Research Center
  1. The data reported here result from a general question about whether people use social networking sites of any kind, rather than an aggregation of individual site usage. No data is available from 2007.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Dear Santa: What I want happens in August ...

 
When writing your Christmas wish list for Santa this month, consider asking the big fella for a trip to the FPRA annual conference in August. It’s never too early to start planning, and you should take advantage of being on Santa’s nice list while you can!
Thinking back on my trip to conference earlier this year, I’m reminded of the many benefits. Tops on the list, of course, are all the fantastic educational sessions with tremendous speakers. I’m always inspired and find it amazing how many great ideas you can think up just by getting away from the office. Conference also is a great time to network with fellow PR practitioners from around the state. You never know when you might need to collaborate with Sunshine State counterparts or pick their brains when you’re stumped with a PR challenge. If you’re fortunate to be recognized for a Golden Image award, conference is even more fun, but if it’s not your year, you’ll be motivated just hearing about the best PR campaigns in the state.
Annual conference also is a great opportunity to build stronger bonds among the PR professionals from within our chapter, too. We tend to sit together by day and enjoy dinner and refreshments together by night. Yep, everyone knows just where the Southwest Florida chapter is sitting because we’re awfully spirited! Besides the fact that it’s a lot of fun, the relationships you build at conference can only be maximized when we all head back home. Southwest Florida’s still like a small town and we all work together in one way or another.
Last, with six years as our chapter’s accreditation chair, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say my favorite part of annual conference is the recognition of the new APRs and CPRCs! What better way to re-charge your professional development battery than by applauding our profession’s most distinguished members? You might just leave conference with plans to add some initials after your own name!
 
-- Kara Winton APR, CPRC
 

Monday, November 16, 2015

Global perspectives from Cindy Banyai ... and other meeting news


At the Nov. 3 lunch meeting, members heard Cindy Banyai, an expert on international aid, community improvement, fundraising and sustainability talk about what types of images appear in the media and how the emotional reactions they provoke affects viewers’ willingness to contribute money and time to a cause. Mainly, she cautioned against “poverty porn,” or depictions of people to be helped by a fundraiser as helpless and pathetic victims.

Words also can push cause marketing into the realm of poverty porn. More effective in garnering response and more respectful to those in need are words like challenge, opportunity, aspires to, living with, affected by and change; need, problem and victim are examples of “deficit thinking” and are best avoided.

Banyai also pointed out that a change was taking place in the way younger people want to give money or time. Rather than just “checking a box” for money to be deducted from paychecks or sent to a particular organization and not hearing about it again, millennials want to see directly how their donations are helping.
                                     Tim Engstrom and Monica Dean concentrate.

In other meeting business:

·         Kate Gooderham, APR, CPRC, Vice President for Professional Development, recognized four new APRs who received certification this year. They each receive a pin and a check for reimbursement of part of the testing fee.

·         Lisa Davonzo of the Special Projects Committee announced details for the Merry Mixer, Dec. 3, 5:30 to 8 pm at Six Bends Harley-Davidson in south Fort Myers at Daniels Parkway and I-75. The cost is $20 for members, $25 nonmembers, $15 for students. Members can sponsor nonmembers at $20 each.

·         Members were reminded to renew by Dec. 31. All who had already renewed were entered into a drawing for a basket of prizes. Winner was Lisa Rizzio.

·         Guests included two people from Hope for Haiti, five from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation and one from Greenfield Advertising Group.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Social Media Corner October 2015

A recent article on socialmediaexaminer.com titled “5 Psychology Tips to Improve Your Social Media Posts” explains how styling your content to reach your audience on an emotional level will help improve engagement. The five psychology tips they recommend are:
 

  1. Images Speak to Viewers: Images are generally the first thing people see in a social media post, so choosing an image that conveys what your post is saying is essential. Remember to use an image that stands out and relates to your target audience.
  2. Color Communicates: Select a color or colors that you will consistently use on your social media posts to represent your company. The colors should stand out and speak to your fans.   
  3. Words Trigger Action: Research different trigger words to see which ones speak to your audience on an emotional level. Use those words to begin your description. Here is a great list of 50 trigger words and phrases: http://www.copyblogger.com/trigger-words/
  4. Emotion Connects: Every social media post evokes an emotion, so take advantage of this and share things that are fun and happy to get the most engagement.
  5. Conversation Engages: This is not anything new; people want to be social on social media so communicating with your audience will connect you on an emotional level. Ask your fans a question or have them share their opinion about a recent project or event. Respond back to their answers and keep it light and friendly.    
Before you create your next post, keep each of these tips in mind. These are very simple steps to help produce positive, emotional content which will help improve your connection with your audience and, in turn, your social media engagement.
 

November Guest Speaker- Dr. Cindy Banyai

Dr. Cindy Banyai, a nationally recognized expert in community development and civic engagement with a passion for communications that preserve dignity and humanity, is the featured speaker at the November 3, 2015 membership luncheon of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association.
Dr. Banyai will relate to her projects in Japan and the Philippines and her work in Southwest Florida as she describes strategies for identifying and avoiding “poverty porn.” This genre of communications can result in gratuitous characterizations of misfortune that oversimplify complex social problems and dehumanize the people involved, sometimes impeding long-term solutions to their circumstances.
She will illustrate how to identify poverty porn and demonstrate the power of words in storytelling with dignity, using images that promote humanity, and crafting messages without “deficit thinking.”
Dr. Banyai is the Principal Consultant at Banyai Evaluation & Consulting, LLC. She studied International Relations and Psychology at Michigan State University, and received her Master’s and Ph.D. from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan where her research focused on community development, public administration, evaluation, and governance. She is also serves as adjunct faculty at FGCU’s Department of Public Affairs. She was recently awarded the 2015 Donald Littrell New Professional award by the Community Development Society, in conjunction for her work with the Southwest Florida Community Foundation.
Founded in 1938, the Florida Public Relations Association is the oldest public relations association in the United States. The Southwest Florida chapter is dedicated to programs and activities that enhance the success of public relations professionals in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades Counties, including professional development and certification.
 

Renew your membership and WIN!

Have you renewed your FPRA Membership?


It’s renewal time! By this time you should have received your renewal for membership dues and we encourage you to renew by October 31. If you renew your membership by the October 31 deadline you will receive an entry to our GRAND prize package containing some amazing items including a 2 night stay at Diamond Head resort, restaurant gift cards and exclusive wine not sold in the U.S.! Renewing your membership is important to continue member-only savings and opportunities, communication and networking tools- like our member-exclusive statewide contact list, the FPRA job bank and free media guide.

In getting the word out about FPRA and the many benefits of being a member, we are also putting out a Chapter Challenge to our existing members! Take this time to encourage your fellow PR pros to join our chapter and experience the valued services that FPRA has to offer. Some of these benefits include professional development, networking, professional recognition, professional accreditation, job banks and leadership opportunities. FPRA is dedicated to assisting public relations practitioners to enhance the public relations profession and gain knowledge and skills for career advancement.

We also have a limited number of membership scholarships for those who may be holding off on renewing due to the cost. To qualify, please submit a 2-3 paragraph summary outlining your financial need, involvement in the chapter and how participation in FPRA will benefit our chapter and your professional career. Submissions may be made to Jessica Potts, President-Elect/Membership Chair: jpotts@cbhcfl.org.  For further information Jessica can be reached at 941-347-6407.  To renew or join online please visit fpra.org.