Are you in Dell hell? You are not alone!

Do blogs have any influence in the real world? Say it with me now—yes! Several case studies have shown that bloggers can strongly influence those around them.

Jeff Jarvis wrote a blog entitled “Dell lies. Dell sucks” where he complains about Dell’s inability to fix his laptop in his home. Soon, this particular thread had hundreds of hits and comments from other unsatisfied Dell customers searching for online help. I am sure many of you have reached equal frustration when attempting to fix a broken computer. Case in point: Last week, my computer completely crashed. I tried the online help option and the obnoxious woman on the other end named Gretchen proceeded to give me instructions on how to take my computer apart. Take my computer apart? Are you serious?

One might ask why bloggers are so influential. MarketSentinel conducted a case study on Jarvis’ blog and says, “part of the impact of blogs is to do with something which one might call: the “my story” phenomenon. If I am reporting on something that has happened to me I am the most authoritative source.” Jarvis’ blog became one of the top Google search results for certain search terms and other bloggers began citing “Dell lies. Dell sucks.” TechBlog even had a story dedicated to an update on Jarvis and his troubles with Dell. Jarvis’ supporters and other angry customers wanted to know if there was hope for them in “dell hell.”

In response to Jarvis’ blog and many more upset customers, Dell took steps to improve customer service (they even implemented a blog!) and to prevent this from happening again. To corporations—you should never underestimate the power of a blogger. They may hold the future of your company in their hands.

Check out these links on Jarvis' Dell rant.

Dear Mr.Dell

Dell: In the Bloghouse

Your information- for everyone to see.

I was just reading articles about Facebook and its attempt to make it easier for users to completely close their accounts, instead of just deactivating them. After much criticism, they are now allowing users to close accounts and not keep personal information stored on the server. I, for some reason, find this hard to believe. Your personal information is never fully erased from the internet and which is why, with tools such as Facebook and MySpace you are strongly encouraged to be mindful when creating your profiles. Computers should now come with a label saying: "Users beware- nothing you do is really private."



I use the computer for everything from online banking to social networking and it disturbs me to think how readily available our information is to anyone. Some tech-savvy person could come along and find out everything about me. Even though this is a FACT, I still continue to use the computer every single day. It's hard for me to think of what a day would be like without it. Sad I know.

This is simply a random thought of mine. It is scary to me to think about how much you can find out about a person by the simple click of a button. Any thoughts?

Go on and get your 15-minutes of fame!

On February 13, 2008, CNN officially launched iReport after buying the domain from Rick Schwartz for $750,000 in January (DomainWire). This is CNN’s attempt to bring iReport to YOU and make it easier for users (iReporters) to post videos on what they deem newsworthy. Users are able to post raw footage of events or news stories and are even given the opportunity to have their videos aired on CNN. With this new video technology, iReport users can watch news stories they might not have seen otherwise (since local news is more selective). This new website has been coined the “YouTube for news.”

Internet websites are becoming increasingly user-friendly. With websites such as YouTube, Current.com and iReport, “normal, everyday people” are getting airtime. These websites are giving individuals exposure to the general public and in some instances, they can even build a fan base and achieve celebrity status. Want to know who the next star TV anchor is? Keep checking back to iReport to find out.

Websites such as this post a problem. How credible is their information? One would think since it is affiliated with CNN, it is extremely credible and informative. However, since the site is free, anyone can sign up. I understand CNN’s reasoning for creating this site, but I wouldn’t get my information from it. Can I trust it? Or is someone going to create a false “breaking news” story that generates undeserved buzz across the country?

New websites and technology are developed everyday that enable people to connect and communicate in a unique way. Whether it is online video classified ads, such as RealPeopleRealStuff, or online virtual worlds, the ways people communicate with one another are rapidly changing.

Make sure you stay up-to-date on available communication technologies. Up until a month ago, I thought I was pretty "in-the-know", but I was wrong. Now I know I have a lot of brushing up to do on what's hot in the world of communication.

Get IN With The Media

Throughout my CCPA coursework and internships, it has been stressed numerous times how essential it is to build strong relationships with the media. Not only does this allow you (the PR professional) to get ink for your client, it gives you a consistent reliable source of information.

Tip 1: Don’t ignore the freelance writers! Nettie Hartsock wrote a blog in which she discussed their importance. Many of the largest magazines have freelance writers and they are always looking for story ideas (Nettie Hartsock). This is a way to get your foot in the door with one aspect of the media!

Tip 2: Maintain contact. Blog-writer, Liz Strauss, whose mission with her blog is to give advice and show you how to “connect[ing] people and ideas to make business irresistible” (Liz Strauss). She says visit them at least once a year, however, if possible, I would suggest more. You don’t have to spend hours together, a 30 minute lunch meeting is enough (a phone call would do also).

Tip 3: Comfort is key. Joe Mindo, writer of the sPRingboard blog, notes “the more comfortable a writer feels with you, the more likely he or she will utilize you as a resource.” He says to always be courteous and respectful and stresses the latter, maintain contact (sPRingboard).

Tip 4: Make sure your pitch and topic is newsworthy and relevant to the area the media covers. On Tuesday, Victor Godinez of the Dallas Morning News, talked to one of my other CCPA classes about this very topic—except from the opposite side of the spectrum. As a journalist, he said you must know who you are sending your information to and don’t send them press releases and pitches for sports if they are technology writers. Once you become a dependable source, that journalist is more likely to pick up your pitches.

Tip 5: Be persistent. Jeff Crilley gives a great example of how persistence can pay off in one of free PR tip videos posted on YouTube (Jeff Crilley).



Check back soon for more PR insights...

Are we TOO accessible?

I found myself pondering this a few days ago. Today, we have the ability of knowing what someone is doing at any given point throughout the day. We can thank the creators of text messaging and cell phones that are Instant Messenger and e-mail capable for this. Don't get me wrong, I am a frequent user of the latter and couldn't imagine what it would be like without them. However, do they make communication way too easy and take away from your concentration at work or school? I think so. With the simple click of a few buttons, I can communicate with anyone numerous times throughout the day-- no matter how busy I am. I have tried to ignore my cell phone while in class, but it just doesn't work because I am constantly wondering if I have a new text message or e-mail.

Just a little something to think about...