Not feeling so well?

Google Flu Trends will predict illness before you even know you are sick. I had noticed that when I use my g-mail account, Google was running ads along side my email, with topics similar to my email content. So if Google is going to track the spread of illness based on internet searches, it all makes sense. Big brother is watching and his name is google.

Email: only the facts please

Check out this short video on emails and how they can be misinterpreted. This reinforces the message we heard at annual conference. I've had problems in the past with people who write emails that make lots of people angry. But when talking to the individual in person, his emails were not interpreted correctly. So stick to the facts and when conversations need to be made in person, do it.

Take care of yourself

One of the speakers I heard at the Ag Media Summit last summer was Jackie Ferguson. She writes about work-related topics including diversity, harassment and stress reduction. I subscribe to her stress blog and recommend that all of you take the time to review her posts on destressing at work. I truly believe we will be better, more productive employees if we take care of ourselves, both personally and professionally. We are on the right track here with our wellness initiatives, and are very fortunate that we have a department and an administration that supports us in our quest to be healthier. But it is up to each and every one of you to take care of yourself.

We constantly deal with change (office remodeling is huge). We are still trying to figure out how to work better as a newly formed unit. Our media clients are going through drastic changes in operation. Plus the daily deadlines and work we do that adds to the stressload we each carry.

So take care of yourself. Look for those nuggets that will help you be more productive and focused at work and at home, whether its a quick walk around the block or reading Ferguson's blog. And don't forget to celebrate the small milestones. You'll be glad you did.

So, what do others really think about us?

Are you like me? Do you tell your friends and colleagues about positive and negative experiences you may have had with a particular company? a restaurant? hardware or software? athletic teams? There is software available for monitoring our online conversations. Ryan*MacMillan offered a survey of the 10 leading online conversation monitoring companies. It is worth a look and some time to think about whether or not we should be monitoring what people are saying about K-State Research and Extension or about Kansas or K-State. I do monitor the conversation somewhat, using Google Alerts and Twitter Searches. But as of this time, I'm not doing anything with the information other than forwarding to interested parties every once in a while. Let's have this conversation sometime.

Do you trust a stranger?

Please see this study on the rise of social media and how people are influenced more and more by people they don't know. See this summary on Mashable about the study.

Google maps

I'm learning how to use Google Maps to see how they can be used by Research and Extension staff. These are places I've lived. Enjoy!

Online Video

Forrester Research in a study commissioned by Veoh Network looked at online video and found that 2/3rds of people online watch video each month, with the average viewer watching 56 minutes per week. People watch all kinds of things: news, TV shows and animation. See the blog item by B. Harrison or J. McQuivey's blog. McQuivey talks about engaged viewers, those who watch more than an hour of online video each week. I think the take home message for us is that we need to be providing our content online, and not be concerned about the length or if it was on tv first. Engaged viewers pay more attention to online video than to tv options. People want the information when they can get it. Again, its all about valuing people and giving them the information they need.

Content, so important

I just read an article about how companies really need to develop the content on their web sites. I really believe this. And with that content, do we inform or entertain? This is all about engagement. It's about conversation. It's about creating relevant, compelling and consistent content. And it's about valuing people above all. Let's give them the information they need in the way that is best for them.

NYTimes/Linkedin unite

I find it interesting that Linkedin and the New York Times are using my social networking tools to help me find the articles most relevant to me as a communicator. It begs the question, "how can we (K-State) team up with social networking tools to help our clients find the information they need?" It's all about people and valuing what they need.

Seeking Broader Reach for Social Web Sites - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "As the Web becomes a more social place, media companies are trying to make it easier to share links with friends, add comments to articles and extend users’ online identities."

Lincoln meeting

Several from our unit are attending a sharing meeting with several of our colleagues from Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa and Kansas. Please ask Mary Lou, Nancy, Deb, Steve, Randall or myself what they learned and what ideas they came away with. It's always fun to see what others are doing and learn from their successes or mistakes. It is also good to see their resources (OK, I'm drooling over the HDTV studio and truck here...but also their gator).

Blogging important for today's journalists

Poynter Online - E-Media Tidbits: Please read this item from Amy Gahran of Poynter Online. Amy talks about the why blogs are critical for today's journalists. I agree with her and hope you will all consider blogging about your writing or production work. Our work is important...giving people the whole story, not just the finished product, can help us move ahead with convergence and our online news presence.

And it may be important personally for you. See the relevant word...its there. Read on...

"Journalists at any career stage who hope to keep working and stay relevant (regardless of the fortunes of any or all news organizations) should aspire to be as findable as possible. The easiest way to achieve this is to use your very own blog to build a strong, persistent personal brand."

Presentations made easy

Check out these notes on how to do a presentation. I think Nancy Duarte has some great pointers for people who stand up in front of a crowd and present information. Many of us are required to do this as part of our jobs...let's try and make our presentations informative and interesting for our audience. Hey, if she can help Al Gore, she can probably help all of us.

Sharpen your writing skills

Roy Peter Clark from Poynter Online writes about his seven favorite propaganda detection tools. In times like this (political news, economic turmoil, energy policies) pay attention to these propaganda pitfalls to tighten your writing. Learn about name calling, glittering generalities, transfer, testimonials, plain folks, card stacking and predetermined ends or the band wagon.

Chickens

Thought you would all enjoy this post from the NY Times about free range chickens in New York City.

I'm all a twitter...

I've been thinking about how we at Kansas State can use twitter in a practical way. I'm planning on starting a news feed twitter, where people can subscribe to our twitter feed to find out about news stories we have written or produced. We can also let our followers know what we are working on. If you take a look at my delicious links, I have posted one that shows all the news organizations that are using twitter. If we can help information seekers find the news they need in the social media platforms they are using, that's great. Twitter seems to be an easy, simple platform for us.

This makes me sad...

YouTube Payola: Is Anyone Paying For Views?: "YouTube has always been very clear about the separation of editorial content and sponsored ads on its site: While the site is eager to sell advertising, placements as 'featured' or 'promoted' videos -- incredibly valuable, high-traffic spots on the homepage -- are not for sale.

The 'featured' and 'promoted' videos on the homepage are chosen by editorial criteria, and, in theory, are not influenced by who is spending money to advertise.

Or are they? Advertisers say that 'promoted' videos are routinely negotiated into advertising deals on the site."

News organizations need to hold power brokers accountable

Northwest Progressive Institute Advocate: Rather speaks at the Big Tent's Digg Stage: "Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather just spoke to a filled room upstairs at the Big Tent in Denver about media consolidation and the problem with entrusting huge corporations to responsibly report the news to us.

There have been so many mergers, acquisitions, and buyouts that almost every major news organization belongs to a larger conglomerate which may be in the entertainment business or belong to some other industry that has nothing to do with news, Rather observed."

K-State on YouTube

K-State athletics is now on YouTube. Check it out.

Do we want to be Web 2.0 or Web 1.0?

Event managers think we should be offering events that are more interactive (that would be Web 2.0). I certainly agree. I've checked the ISUE web site today looking for activity at a farm show exhibit in central Iowa. Nothing. As of 1:15 p.m. today, there were no photos posted from this week, no live web cam, no blog, no interactivity online. I helped with initial plans of this year's show before I came to K-State so was interested to see the display in action. 

By the way, if you look at the photos on this site from the setup crew, two of the young adults (on the left in the photo) are mine. Just a proud mama here.

More on twitter

Check out this little twitter video.

Online video

In an interview with Travis Fox of the Washington Post by Al Tompkins of Poynter Online, he outlined how online video can improve journalism. Some of the tidbits I picked up include:

Good storytelling. “What works well in video -- namely characters and emotions -- has universal appeal no matter the story.”

Keeping audience engaged and story length. “We just need to be careful not to apply the same technical standards from any traditional media to new media.” In other words, let the story dictate the length of the video.

Improved technology delivery. “We are becoming a production company that creates work that goes out in many directions like spokes on a wheel -- to your computer, your phone, your TV. And let us not forget, your morning newspaper.”

Go miniman!

Take a few minutes and check out legos web site for the 30th birthday of this creative toy. There is something about interactivity that can help engage people on a web site.

Looking for a car with an internet connection?

Well, it looks like Chrysler is the first car to offer this option. This will be another nice feature for people who take their office with them in their cars or just need to stay connected.

More information on news consumption

This report from Pew has some interesting information on the declining of traditional news sources, the blending of traditional news sources and the internet, and those who look to the web for news. Take a look. By the way, I consider myself an Integrator. What are you? And, I have printed it out...I can't stand to read all those pages online.

18 Tools to Turn Firefox 3 into a Communications Portal

18 Tools to Turn Firefox 3 into a Communications Portal

Posted using ShareThis

Worth looking at...

AP's report on how young people use media. Check it out. I have a printed out version in my office since I can't read a pdf laid out in columns online.

Twitterdom

Many of you may not know that I have a twitter account. At first, I used it for keeping up with my colleagues. From reading their twitters, I would know if they were painting their kitchen, watching a movie, or frustrated with an issue at work. The last few weeks I have been using it in a completely different way...I have signed up to follow social media gurus, PR professionals, and news hounds who twitter. It is amazing the little tidbits of information you can pick up on. Al Tompkins at the Poynter Institute feels that newsrooms should all have twitter pages. I'm considering trying one out here at K-State to see if it will help us get the message out about the stories we are working on.

Check this one out...citizen journalists

Here's a list of citizen journalists sites. Thought you might find it of interest.

Webzines

There is an article in the NYTimes on webzines, magazine type information for the web. The article says, “People still like flipping a page and experiencing great photographs on paper,” said Imran Amed, the publisher of The Business of Fashion, a Web news site. But a Webzine, he said, “can be much more dynamic, change its content faster, create dialogue with a bunch of people passionate about the same topic, and push the envelope in getting them to interact.”

The article goes on to site speed of access and a clubby feeling give Webzines an edge with readers whose need to track down the latest cult jean or downtown boîte borders on compulsion.

The challenge for a Web magazine is to find ways of reaching a target audience. "Most online publishers are self-styled cyberfrontiersmen, struggling to differentiate their sites from the wilderness of chatty blogs, columns and newsletters, few of which have a distinct identity," the article says.

As we move to providing more of our information in a converged format on the web, we also need to be able to differentiate our site from others. We need to pay attention to what Amed says...be dynamic, change content quickly, and dialogue and interact with our clients who are passionate about our information. We have great research-based information. We know our content is good and relevant. We need a distinct identity.

Kansas radio stations online

This is a useful link for finding out what Kansas radio stations are broadcasting throughout the state, and if they have a web presence. It is divided up regionally also....

New Media Research

Here's a report that Kris Boone shared with me today...it has a lot of helpful information about how new media is changing traditional marketing, with the new style "characterized by conversation and community". Note>>>there's that community word again. Social media are changing the way we think about media and influence. The report, "New Media, New influencers and Implications for Public Relations," is from the Society for New Communications Research. The biggest disappointment I have with the report are the typos throughout...I certainly hope new media doesn't mean sloppiness on the part of professionals.

If you don't have time to read the report (I printed it out if you want to borrow it), these are the conclusions:
1. Social media is becoming a core channel for disseminating information.
2. Blogs, online video and social networks are the most popular social media tools (now).
3. The top criteria for determining relevance and influence of blogs or podcasts include quality of content, relevance of the content to the brand, and search engine ranking.
4. The top criteria for evaluation someone's influence in online communities and social networks is participation.
5. About half of communicators are measuring the effects of social media.

There are several case studies. The summary of the case studies is that direct communication (using conversational voice, and supported by real people with an independent interest) can make a huge difference in the way people understand and interact with their brands.

Good example

Here's a great example of how the New York Times has embedded audio over photos on this short piece on wind generators. I could see us doing more of these from some of our field days.

Find News Fast

Al Tomkins gave a wonderful presentation at the Ag Media Summit on helping us break our migratory patterns when looking for news. We all tend to go to the same places...which means we miss some of the good stuff. Check out his notes and try something new.

Working with the Millennials

Jacquelyn Ferguson presented a session on ideas to better motivate and manage millennial colleagues. Her main advice was to know the shared values of the generation...this dictates their behavior. This generation has a strong sense of entitlement as they have been "the stars of their own lives".

The millennials are defined as the wired generation, those born in 1982 and later. Their answer to questions or situations such as, "if you don't get the position you want, ask why until you get an answer, if you don't like your job, or if you don't like your boss, is to leave the job. They will most likely have several careers in their lifetime (note: not jobs, careers).

For their formative years, the millennials grew up with major world changes, soccer and helicopter parents, respect for authority, technology, terrorism and war, significant corruption. They are living an extended adolescence...living at home longer, job sampling, more interested in fun for now, postponing marriage (due to greater college debt, credit card debt, job insecurity, and plan to work for 80 years or more). They have been over parented and over supervised, so are less independent thinkers, risk-takers and creative.

At work, the millennials are comfortable with the older generations, optimistic with a team spirit, and enjoy collaborating. They want meaningful work now. They like variety and change. They have a strong sense of entitlement with unrealistic expectations. They need to be supervised, and need clear goals and structure. They want to be included in decision making. Technology distracts them. They may ignore the chain of command. They need lots of feedback and reinforcement. Need lots of attention. They are not loyal yet. They want a work/play balance. They will become competitive and career minded.

So what are the shared values of this generation? They have optimism, love their parents. They want to do work that has meaning and makes a contribution. They believe in civic duty and patriotism. They are focused on education. they want a stricter moral code. They value hard work. They are very competitive due to their huge numbers (80 million). They value diversity and have no gender or racial expectations. They value cutting-edge technology, inclusion and life-long learning.

So, what matters most to this generation?
A great boss; challenging, meaningful work that impacts the world; collaborative work with committed co-workers; and reaching their financial goals since they can't count on social security.

As managers of this generation, we need to show how their work is relevant and meaningful; tie it to bigger purpose/goal. Throw out gender role expectations. Use mentoring programs with older workers. don't be an overbearing parent/boss...don't be condescendingly correct or yell at them; give constant, specific feedback; criticize carefully; give them lots of attention. Provide them with strong orientation, confront and correct unrealistic expectations. Give structure and clear rules (including technology use and dress code). Engage them on their first day of the job. They may need protection (helicopter parents negotiating for them). Reward them with greater responsibility soon and frequently. Work with them to develop a clear career path. Recruit them where they are (MySpace).

Motivate them with meaningful work; providing them with other bright and talented people, treat them as adults, include them in decision making. Provide life-long training opportunities. Give them challenging work and creative outlets. Provide them with resume-building work, clarify how their job can add to a resume. Provide flexibility in outside interests. And connect their responsibilities to their personal and career goals.

Ag Media Summit--Tompkins

Al Tompkins from Poynter provided tips for storytelling at the Ag Media Summit in Tampa on Sunday. He said we should be more interested in stickiness, how much time visitors are spending on our sites rather than visits or page views. We want those sticky pages to keep people engaged (not clickers).

He said we should make our sites interactive...the web is all about interactivity and engagement. One way to do this is to leverage our digital assets. We don't have to do this all at once...sometimes we can build a site over a period of time...this way you will keep people coming back. See this article on the bridge collapse site from the Minneapolis Star Tribune. We should consider using data that no one else has...what is our biggest digital asset? How can we make it more available and searchable online?

Al also said we need to be storytellers. You remember what you feel longer than what you know...so add the human touch to your stories...conflict, resolution, etc.

If you use a chat site, make sure the threads are active and live...with new content added daily.

You can use more photos and audio on your site...SoundSlides (inexpensive and easy)...just drag photos and add an audio track. Washington Post is doing this...all new digital cameras have panerama software. Why not use this feature when at an event and add an audio file? And the new flip cameras are easy to use and cheap...great way to add video content as well.

People don't have as much loyalty anymore and won't automatically go to your site. The principle motivators to get people to our site include: $, family, safety, health and community (of interest). If these motivators are present, you will get people to your site. The sixth motivator is innate curiosity.

Note that the NY Times has all dynamic text. Click on any word and the definition appears. Amazing, isn't it? In summary, these tips:

Interactive sites are key. Keep your site visitors engaged.

Make a front page promise.

Aggregate and generate. For example, take others people content and put it on your web site. USA Today aggregates sports news. WISC.TV Madison links to all their competitors. However, be careful how much you aggregate so you don't violate copyright laws.

Go raw. Let online users experience news on their own terms. Why not post your unedited interview with a faculty member? If the video you post is useful, you will get viewers. And people do pay attention to quality. Crappy photos, audio and video will not work. Quality matters but people love good raw video. Don't be afraid to let viewers see the raw view.

Leverage our digital assets. What do we have that others are not doing?

Consider microsites, for example "topics" on our websites. for example, see NY Times has content divided into US, World, Technology, etc. Stories show up depending on people's interests. Consider twitter feeds, can update your blog from wherever you are from your phone.

Involve the public. But it better be meaningful. Why don't we have the public/K-state staff send us video to post? As an FYI: new cameras allow magazine quality photos to be captured from video. Right now our biggest problem is space and transmitting these high quality images. Also, be aware of fakes. (Fake tornado footage printed in newspapers).

Tap into Local Passions. What do we have at K-State Research and Extension? Think 4-H, Master Gardeners, Walk Kansas, strong Ag passion.

Map it. Use free mapping software to make our sites/stories more interesting.