January 7, 2008

What makes u click? It’s all right here.

Check out the full study:

What makes u click?: Best practices in public relations for effectively communicating with opinion leaders of virtual communities
Download isdp_final_project_michelle_dragas.pdf

Presentation slides
Download final_project_presentation_michelle_dragas.pdf

Short and sweet: a handout summarizing the 12 best practices
Download handout.pdf

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January 7, 2008

It’s official, I’m an SU Alum

I presented my capstone project in New York City over the weekend, fulfilling the final requirement for my M.S. in Communications Management from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. It’s been a long six months working on this Web 2.0 research study, and I hope you have found the blog and my research findings useful.

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January 7, 2008

The barrier of information overload

My study findings suggest information overload, or “too much information” is a barrier to communication in the Web 2.0 environment. Public relations practitioners must be aware of this barrier and only share pertinent information with online publics. Online opinion leaders expect to find the information they need quickly. They find it distracting and difficult to read through fluff and unnecessary information.

Also, Web site usability is key when communicating with online opinion leaders. An easy-to-navigate Web site where information can be retrieved efficiently is more effective than e-newsletters because online opinion leaders prefer to search for information on their own terms. Public relations practitioners must keep in mind that online opinion leaders prefer to actively seek information online rather than passively receive it. As practitioners, it’s our job to make sure the information is there and easy to find.

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