Social Media Resume

St. Edward's University student seeking Communication and or Spanish internship.

Austin, TX--April 23, 2008

QUALIFICATIONS

Computer Skills

• Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, GarageBand, iMovie

Internet and Social Media Skills

• blogging, podcasting skills, web video editing skills

Relevant Courses

• Media Communication, Public Relations, Internet and Social Media for Public Relations

MULTIMEDIA FILES

Podcast: Politics 2.0

Web Video: Hunger Bytes-PR Class Project

CONTACT INFORMATION

Gabriela Sifuentes
St. Edward's University
email: gsifuentes0419@hotmail.com
blog: gabygirlgabs.blogspot.com/

I am currently a student at St. Edward's University pursuing a B.A. in Communication and a B.A. in Spanish. Within my Communication major, my specialization is in Advertising, Public Relations, and Media.

Chief Blogger - - Yeah or Neah?

When corporate blogs came on to the scene, they were all the rave. Today, a couple of years later, it's the chief blogger's position that's causing all of the commotion. Forerunners in the blogosphere like Coca-Cola, Marriott, and Kodak have recently hired chief bloggers; what does this mean for other corporate blogs?

Let's take a step back and look at the numbers so that the need and importance of this position is clearly understood. Today, only 11% of Fortune 500 companies have launched corporate blogs and only a few of the companies that make-up this 11% have an appointed chief blogger. Even though these numbers are small, they are quickly and consistently growing. More importantly, according to Paul Gillin, "The period of 'we've got to do this too' has passed, and now people are evaluating blogs as tools... It's going mainstream because companies are realizing this is a tool that has utility" (Bulik).

This being said, it is not the chief blogging position that is important; what's important is the reason behind and the intended purpose of a company's blog. For instance, Microsoft created and launched a blog in an effort to "humanize the company" and Dell did the same in an effort to "make the company more open" (Bulik). Only after the reason and purpose are clearly identified, can a company debate the importance of having a chief blogger.

Not every corporate blog needs a chief blogger. Therefore, every corporate official should identify its company's needs and meet them accordingly. So instead of fretting over a title, find ways to increase and improve your blog's impact and influence.

Article:

Does Your Company Need a Chief Blogger?

Viral Marketing Video: Hunger Bytes

hunger bytes: pr class project

At the beginning of the semester when I learned that I would have to create a web video, I must admit, I was very intimidated. After a couple of days of brainstorming and several hours of editing and a couple more hours of editing because my computer decided to crash and lose my work--here is my video.

Even though I was limited by my editing skills and time, I think that I was able to convey my point. My video starts with three simple words, "I am an American". This introduction is followed by pictures of food, food, food. Statistics show that Americans consume more than they need and waste more than they should. This is the message I wanted to convey in first few seconds. Half way through the video I inserted the following words, "Maybe it's time to redefine what is means to be an American". These words were followed by pictures of starving humans, mostly children, that can be found all around the world, even in our own country, cities, and neighborhoods. I believe that it is our responsibility to be aware of this situation and to "Be a Part of the Movement and Join the Fight Against Hunger".

check out my video

The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual

As the semester comes to an end, The Cluetrain Manifesto successfully sums up many of the chapters I've read and many of the lessons I've learned. The 95 statements convey the message that the Internet has changed, is changing, and will continue to change the way we generate and share information. It reinforces the notion that control is no longer in the hands of a select few; it is now in the hands of everyone. More specifically, it identifies and describes the different ways the Internet is redefining the relationships that exist between companies and marketers.

The following are my favorite statements:

73. You're invited, but it's our world. Take your shoes off at the door. If you want to barter with us, get down off that camel!

93. We're both inside companies and outside them. The boundaries that separate our conversations look like the Berlin wall today, but they're really just an annoyance. We know they're coming down. We're going to work from both sides to take them down.

Article:

The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual

Are Blogs the Death of Newspapers?

As unbelievable as it may seem, newspapers were once a thriving and money-making source of reliable information. Today, the newspaper industry is struggling to stay alive. In recent years, the industry has experienced budget cuts, bureau closings, buyouts, layoffs, and reductions in page sizes and column inches (Beaubien). Also, it's worth noting that most of the Americans that read the newspaper are 55 and older. While the average age of the American newspaper reader is rising, public trust in newspapers if declining. Are blogs responsible for all of this?

Of course not! When blogs came onto the scene, the newspaper industry had long since been experiencing troublesome times. In part, this is due to the diversification of media outlets. It is true, however, that as the blogosphere delves into the news sphere, the resilience of the newspaper industry will, again, be put to the test.

Since more and more newspapers are making a transition onto the web, at this point, it is a bit unrealistic to suggest that blogs will replace newspapers.

Article:

The coming convergence of newspapers and blogs?

After the Blog and Wiki Came the Scrutiny

Soon after General Motors launched its blog and wiki, it had to address the growing animosity from activists that claim the company is guilty of "greenwashing" and who want to see more done in the renewable fuels sector. In an attempt to voice their side of the story and provide answers, General Motors is "holding a series of online chats" (McKenna).

The scrutiny came after General Motors' officials decided that it was in the company's best interest to remove some of the blog's comments that were posted by Rainforest Action Network, an environmental activist group. In the comments, Rainforest Action Network included pictures of a protest and made a "large number of combative and "unconstructive" comments" (McKenna). It's worth noting that before the comments were removed, Beth Lowry, the company's environmental VP, was asked to address the situation. Unfortunately, Lowry could not, single-handedly, confront the critics and other measures were taking to deal with the situation.

Today, the blog continues to welcome comments. Not surprisingly, however, they are being "monitored" (McKenna).

Article:

GM initiates a dialogue online to answer critics

Social Media and Political Campaigning: John McCain

In an article titled "Republican John McCain: 2008 Presidential Candidates & Online Marketing Strategies", Li Evans took a look at the social media strategies John McCain and his staff are employing this election year. After identifying these strategies, he identified what was being done right, what was being done wrong, and how McCain compares to other candidates in the social media sphere. I will focus on McCain's website, his activity on social networking sites, and his blog. This post will be very similar to the one I titled "Social Media and Political Campaigning: Hillary Clinton".

Website:
McCain's website greets its viewers with a page that has lots of pictures and very little content. This is not a good approach because it turns the process of finding information into a scavenger hunt. There should be a balance between the amount of pictures and the amount of content found on a page. On the plus side, McCain is putting his speeches online and, at this point, he is the only one doing this. Smart move.

Social Networking Sites:
At the beginning of 2008, it seemed as though McCain and his staff were going to fully embrace the potential of the social networking sphere. At the time, McCain was actively promoting the social networking accounts he had created. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm behind this promotion soon fizzled out. Today, if you want to find McCain on a social networking site, you have to go find the account.

Blogging:
When it comes to the blogosphere, McCain is far behind Clinton and Obama. Even though McCain's staff blogs pretty regularly, the blog has been defined as "more of an after thought than a real tool in getting the message out about the campaign" (Evans). On a positive note, in addition to allowing comments and having e-mailing options, the blog has a feature that allows readers to rate blogs. At the moment, no other candidate has incorporated this feature in their blogs.

Overall, McCain has a lot of catching up to do if he was to compete with Obama and Hillary in the social media sphere.

Article:

Republican John McCain: 2008 Presidential Candidates & Online Marketing Strategies