As the popularity of Facebook continues to grow, business owners are trying to figure out how they can capitalize on the more than 300 million Facebook users. With more than 40 million status updates and ten million users becoming fans of business pages each day, there has to be a market for your company.

As a public relations firm, one of the most frequent questions we are asked about Facebook is this: “Okay, I have a Facebook business page. Now what?” Signing up for and creating a Facebook business page is simple. However, making a meaningful, relevant and useable page for your market is a different process.

Here are a few basic practices that can help your Facebook business page grow in popularity.

Read more at Utah Business Magazine

What is Ozzy Osbourne like in person? Is Lance Armstrong arrogant? What about Michael Jordan, Regis Philbin or George W. Bush?

PilmerPR is helping launch iFollo.com, a new social media community to offer a broader view of what celebrities are really like beyond the screen, camera, and field.

There are more than 100 million celebrity fan Web sites out there, but the majority are created and written by professional editorial staff. Tabloid magazines often cover the same the sensational gossip and incriminating photos as their counterparts. iFollo is unlike anything else available. The Web site bases all of its content on real experiences from real people.

iFollo allows people to do the following:

• Post stories about their celebrity encounters
• Read content generated from the stories of real people and their experiences with celebrities
• Rate celebrities based on looks, smarts, arrogance and more
• Upload photos and video in addition to their celebrity story
• Personalize iFollo by choosing what celebrities they want to follow

The site just launched this morning, and already has dozens of stories. It is also creating buzz across the Internet.

Try it out at www.ifollo.com.

Read more about it at Investor’s Business Daily.

Presentation

Today I present at the UVEF Crunch Lunch in Provo, Utah. We expect a big crowd if its anything like the last one of these I spoke at. I’ll be addressing the revolutionary changes in Public Relations and PR tips for startup success on a budget new businesses can survive. Here are some of the revolutionary social media  facts that are changing the PR business:

24 of 25 of the largest newspapers have falling circulation*

Online news is 2nd most trusted source, #1 is TV***

26% of Internet users utilize Twitter for finding news**

By 2010 Gen Y will be larger than the Baby Boomers market segment. 96% of them use Social Media*

To reach 50 million users it took: radio-38 yrs; TV-13 yrs; Internet-4 yrs.  It took Facebook 9 months to reach 100M users.*

Most companies use Public Relations professionals to manage their Social Media strategy.****

The majority of editors now look at blogs to get story ideas.

John Pilmer presentation on YouTube

*Source: Socialnomics

**Source: TNS and The Conference Board

***Source: Pew Research

****2009 Digital Readiness Report, iPressroom/PRSA

Give us a call for more about the Social Media revolution and how it fits into a strategic public relations plan.

PilmerPR works feverishly to “skill up” staff to meet the demands of Social Media as an important component of a well conceived public relations strategy.  And, if there ever was a moving target, Social Media is it! If you are still a doubting Thomas as to why, watch the following video. Then, give us a call and let us help take your company from “zero to hero” through public relations, including well conceived social media.

Social Media Revolution

Jon Huntsman Jr

Gov Gary Herbert

Public Relations and Politics stick together like syrup on pancakes. Jon Huntsman and Gary Herbert’s PR folks were busy today as their efforts culminated in a regal inauguration event in the Utah State Capitol. A large crowd of thousands jostled for limited seating and strained to hear the words of hope offered by leaders.

As lively public debate swirls today in Washington DC on HB 3200 and its questionable nationalized promise of healthcare for all, Utahns in attendance looked to more local leadership on burning issues related to the economy, jobs, and promises of education for all. Gary Herbert has gone on record saying his top priority would be 1) economic revitalization 2) education. These topics echoed again in today’s ceremony.

Jon Huntsman Jr. recounted the path to prosperity in the state under his leadership, keeping his remarks hopeful and brief. We were reminded that Utah’s economy ranks at the top of the heap of states who’s troubles far surpass those in our state.  On his way to China, Huntsman now looks forward to a larger playing field, wielding influence with the USA’s largest trading partner.

Gov Herbert recounted the record of his predecessor with high praise. The governor expressed his confidence in Utah’s collective innovation as a path to prosperity. He recounted data showing Utah is most likely to emerge early from the current national recession.  #1 Priority – economy and jobs. Herbert praised companies like Utah Valley’s Omniture for leading the way. He emphasized hard work as a key factor for economic growth. #2 Priority – Education, paramount to our future success as we build leaders of tomorrow. Herbert said education paves that road to future prosperity.  The state’s new leader committed to a hands on leadership role for education under his administration.

Libya dedicates more than a third of its national budget on education, striving to compete in the global economy. The nation has the wealthiest citizenry in Africa, but is still trying to close the digital divide after more than two decades of trade embargo that were not lifted until 2004.

Khaled El Hamedi, chairman of ENG Holding Libya, dedicated the last 15 years to closing that divide through training and Certiport’s Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³). On August 1, he was recognized as the Inspiration Award winner after being inducted into the Certiport Champions of Digital Literacy Hall of Fame. He is one of only five people, worldwide, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

His goal is to continue spreading his digital literacy program beyond the borders of his country to the entire continent of Africa. He says:

“My dream is to bring this program to the entire country and even to all of Africa. But for now I would be happy to bring our program to as many people as possible and for them to benefit from these newly acquired and important skills.”

More information:
Khaled El Hamedi’s Bio (PDF)
El Hamedi’s Story: It’s Truly Inspirational (Certiblog)
His acceptance speech at Certiport PATHWAYS 2009 (YouTube)
Interview after receiving the award (YouTube)
Press Release

Alan Ashton & Lt. Gov Gary Herbert address UVEF

Fox News: UVEF Top 25 Under 5

*********

Today, Lt Gov Gary Herbert keynoted a terrific awards program by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF). 160 attendees. 25 top companies under five years of age were honored. Representing $80 million in combined 2008 revenue, the winners created 840 jobs last year. ZAGG, Imagination Learning, and OrangeSoda came in 1, 2, & 3.  Emcee, Rick White, co-founder of rising startup Fusion-io kept the event light with ample humor and insights into the healthy state of entrepreneurism in Utah.

According to soon to be Governor Herbert, 50% of jobs in Utah come from small business.  The Wall Street Journal reported this past month that more than half of the Fortune 500 in 2009 launched in recessions or bear markets. Speakers at the event credited Utah’s relatively resilient economy is due to great startup companies like those honored today.

The Daily Herald honored Alan Ashton, founder of WordPerfect, with a special “Founding Fathers” award for his quarter century of contributing to Utah business and the community.

Media for the event:

YouTube highlights video

Business Wire coverage

Daily Herald coverage

Daily Herald special section on Utah entrepreneurs

Deseret News coverage

Utah Pulse coverage

Wasatch Digital IQ coverage

Fox TV News coverage

For centuries, dictators and tyrants have depended on controlling the information consumed by their citizens. Control the propaganda, control the minds of the people. The printing press revolutionized access to information and history shows that empowered people were the result.

Now, Iran’s unrest demonstrates again that communication and information have the power to change the world. Although the regime with big guns may win this round, the Facebook and Twitter empowered youth of Iran have tasted freedom of the press in the Internet age. Things will change.

Whether you are a world leader seeking to win the hearts of the people or a company seeking to dominate an industry, effective use of social media in a well-orchestrated public relations campaign is just as important today as was the printing press of the past.

What do you think?

Many citizens in Iran are irate because of the re-election of Ahmadinejad. The possibly fraudulent results have caused protests, fights, and deaths. It seems as though nothing can cool the heated situation. The Iranian government has tried to minimize the protests by shutting down journalistic activities.

As Iran enforced tight restrictions on journalists reporting about the election, citizens took the reporting to the social networks. Blogs, Facebook, and especially Twitter have all been ignited with the Iran election fire. The hash tag #IranElection has been a trending topic on Twitter ever since the elections ended in Iran.

Since many journalists have not been allowed in Iran, Twitter has become a real-time reporting tool. Through the use of cell phones and laptops, demonstrators, observers, opponents and proponents have used Twitter as a way to organize and communicate. The State Department recognized the value of Twitter and asked the micro-blogging giant to hold off on their scheduled maintenance to allow people in Iran to communicate. At the rate of more than three tweets per second about the Iran election Twitter is proving to be more than just a trend.

Social media is more than just a trend, more than just a fad. It is incredible to think that through these new tools we can communicate with people across the world and about any thing we want. The question is – how are you using social media?

The Power of Social Media to Change the World

The Pew Research Center released a study last month, about the use of Internet news outlets.

The Internet, which emerged last year as a leading source for campaign news, has now surpassed all other media except television as an outlet for national and international news.

Currently, 40% say they get most of their news about national and international issues from the internet, up from just 24% in September 2007. For the first time in a Pew survey, more people say they rely mostly on the internet for news than cite newspapers (35%). Television continues to be cited most frequently as a main source for national and international news, at 70%.

For young people, however, the Internet now rivals television as a main source of national and international news. Nearly six-in-ten Americans younger than 30 (59%) say they get most of their national and international news online; an identical percentage cites television. In September 2007, twice as many young people said they relied mostly on television for news than mentioned the Internet (68% vs. 34%).

The percentage of people younger than 30 citing television as a main news source has declined from 68% in September 2007 to 59% currently. This mirrors a trend seen earlier this year in campaign news consumption.

The survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Dec. 3-7 among 1,489 adults, finds there has been little change in the individual TV news outlets that people rely on for national and international news.

Contact us to discuss the implications of this massive change for your public relations strategy.