The release below is in regards to a little credit union side project I dreamed up with a friend.

Greensboro, NC (April 26, 2010) – In an effort to create a tool that highlights credit unions that are using Twitter well, and to provide a source of inspiration for content, credit union marketers Ryan Shell and James Robert Lay have created CUonTwitter.com.

“It’s great to see what has come of a little brainstorm I had one afternoon,” said Ryan Shell, marketing communications supervisor for Truliant Federal Credit Union. “I wanted to create a site that highlighted credit unions taking part in the conversation – not just pushing out promotional information, which is something I’ve seen a lot of. CUonTwitter.com will provide real times examples of credit unions that are using Twitter well.”

The site allows visitors to watch and learn from the movements leading credit unions on Twitter and how they are building relationships through real conversations with members. In addition, there is a Twitter Resources section that provides education articles related to the social networking site.

“When Ryan approached me about partnering on this site I jumped at the opportunity,” said James Robert Lay, CEO and Grower of Relationships at PTP NEW MEDIA. “Part of what we strive to do at PTP is educate the credit union industry on how to build relationships with new media and CUonTwitter.com is a perfect fit. We’ll likely expand the site over time, but at the launch we’re highlighting five credit unions that we think are effectively using twitter: Truliant, Bellco, Public Service, UTFCU and A+.”

Visit CUonTwitter.com to see what some of the top credit unions on Twitter are talking about.”

There are many things about PR that I love, but there’s one thing that always seems to stand out… and that’s creating stories.

I’m not talking about the ones that simply fall in your lap. I’m talking about the times that the well has run dry and the “easy” stories are no where to be found.

More so, I’m talking about when you stop, look around and have that “ah ha” moment and realize you just thought of a story that might not have seen the light of day had you not thought of it.

And while coming up with these “ah ha” stories is great, seeing them on TV or in print is even better.

A good example of one of these stories is the overdraft story seen below that ran on the local NBC affiliate that featured my employer.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised on Friday when reading an article from netbanker.com. The article in question was titled “Citibank Launches a Blog at New.Citi.com” and was about the launch of the megabanks new blog.

From the article,

“To my surprise, new.citi.com is an online microsite aimed at sharing the things Citi is doing to bring itself back from the brink. And it’s being told in blog format. It started in February with seven posts on Feb. 1. There was no activity for two weeks, but since then the bank has posted 15 new entries, about 2.5 per week, a good pace.

The content is good. For example, yesterday they wrote about their no-overdraft philosophy on debit cards, a policy they’ve always adhered to. The bank even linked to Ron Lieber’s NY Times Your Money column, “Overdraft Protection. Why Bother?“, just like a real blog.”

The surprise came when I got to the end of the article and read,

“Note: For an even better example, check out Truliant Federal Credit Union’s superb new blog. The CU has an internal team that’s been doing five relevant posts per week since Jan 27.”

As you may (or may not) know, the credit union referenced is my employer and the blog was part of the social media strategy that I put together. It’s really nice to be recognized as an “even better example,” especially when you compare available resources.

Actually, strike that last statement.

This should be a great example that even though budgets aren’t equal, you still have the opportunity to use social media tools that can rival heavily funded projects. A little imagination and planning can go a long way.

Bob Buckley, a reporter for the local Fox  affiliate asked me to take part in a segment he was doing about Facebook. His focus was addiction and the various ways people use the popular social networking site.

Bob and I are friends on Facebook and he frequently sees the updates I do throughout the day, which is how this came about. Take a moment to watch the segment below.

My hometown of Greensboro, NC is currently vying to be the recipient of Google’s new ultra-high speed broadband network.

From Google,

“Google is planning to launch an experiment that we hope will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We’ll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.

From now until March 26th, we’re asking interested municipalities to provide us with information about their communities through a Request for information (RFI), which we’ll use to determine where to build our network.”

The City of Greensboro held a public meeting last night that gave residents the chance to come and give their opinion on the project – primarily about why we need Google, why Google needs us and what could be done with the network.

I attended the meeting and tossed out the idea of creating a municipal Wi-Fi network that would provide revenue for community based projects. My reasoning for suggesting an idea of this nature was to highlight the need to come up with a point of differentiation – something that will help Greensboro stand out from the crowd.

The local Fox 8 station covered the event last night and I managed to make it into the segment at the very end. Give it a watch and listen to what members of the community had to say about our need for Google’s ultra-high speed broadband network.

From the CU Chat Up Blog,

“Is your credit union on Facebook? Has your credit union thought about starting a Facebook page? Well, you should tune in to this week’s CU Chat Up at 2 pm CT. We will be discussing how credit unions can effectively use Facebook to reach their members.

Ryan Shell from Truliant FCU will be on the show to discuss how they have set up their Facebook page (Is it a fan page? a profile? a group? All so confusing, right?) and were able to  get over 4000 people to follow them on Facebook in less than a week. And, that’s not all, they also were getting member feedback! Good and….the dreaded bad. How did they handle this feedback?”

This post is a bit off topic and has to with my community involvement in Greensboro, NC.

One of the other sites that I run is GreensboroPolitics.com – a site that focuses primarily on the political happenings in Greensboro. I recently wrote a post that discussed a very neglected intersection in Greensboro and also showcased a video I made to create awareness around the issue.

Yesterday, WXII, the local NBC affiliate called me about the video and wanted to do a story on the issue. It just so happened that after several months of neglect the City of Greensboro just so happened to be fixing the road (finally!) yesterday as well.

Take a moment and watch the news segment below (Click video player) that stemmed from my YouTube video. Oh, and to be clear, this wasn’t just a pothole or two… it was massive.

]]> http://www.ryanshell.com/wxii-interview-about-leeeugene-intersection-neglect/feed/ 0 http://www.ryanshell.com/ryan-shell-quoted-in-news-record-social-media-article/ http://www.ryanshell.com/ryan-shell-quoted-in-news-record-social-media-article/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:47:39 +0000 Ryan Shell http://ryanshell.com/?p=972

Photo Credit: Greensboro News & Record

From the Greensboro News & Record,

“GREENSBORO — As constant updates from social networking sites such as Twitter become a routine part of the day, it’s not just kids and cubicle dwellers who are harnessing the power of social media. Local governments and their departments are joining in, so far with mixed results.

“We started the Twitter account about 18 months ago,” said Jim Collins, communications manager for the city of Greensboro. “So far, we’ve been using it for putting up things of citywide import, announcements, trying to get people to participate in public meetings.”

The free Web site Twitter, at twitter.com, allows people to communicate in short bursts of 140 characters, which can include links to other sites. Users “follow” other Twitter feeds to receive information and network with each other to gain “followers” of their own.

Signing up is free at the Twitter home page. All that’s needed is a valid e-mail address. The service can be used from a computer or mobile phone with Web or text capabilities.

Many social media fans say using Twitter to simply post announcements is not taking full advantage of the medium.

Ryan Shell, a Greensboro blogger and marketing communications specialist, said the biggest mistake organizations make with Twitter is forgetting that it’s supposed to be a conversation.

“It’s better if it’s not all one way, just pushing information at people with no give and take, no interaction,” Shell said. “Look at the city of Greensboro on Twitter. They have 1,260 followers. That’s way more than me — more than most people. But they’re only following five people. That’s not a conversation, and it doesn’t interest people.”

Shell’s run for City Council this year was heavy on new media, with video updates to his campaign blog and updates for his more than 600 Facebook friends and more than 750 followers on Twitter.

Shell lost his council bid, but his reputation for online organizing has led some to seek him out for advice on connecting people online. Governments would do well to look at how successful individuals and groups use Twitter rather than trying to adapt Twitter to continue the way their bureaucracy communicates, he said.” Click here to continue reading the article.

In my hometown of Greensboro, NC, 99 Blocks is a publication that has a focus on all things “downtown.” In this weeks edition they did a short profile story on me and I thought I’d share it with you. Click here to give it a quick read.

This is in regards to a new initiative I launched today.

“Greensboro, N.C. (March 16, 2009) – Crime.  It doesn’t discriminate and it happens in all parts of the city.  For years, residents of Greensboro have been proactively taking part in community watches and looking out for the area in which they live.  Unfortunately, even the most active watch typically stops once you get to the end of a neighborhood, and a new one might start somewhere down the road leaving a gap in the communication process.  Ryan Shell, a community activist, is launching the Greensboro Community Watch (GCW) in an effort to bridge this gap and to create a channel for critical information to be shared amongst residents.

“I’ve headed up the Southside Community Watch for just over a year now, and have had the opportunity to see how neighbors can successfully work together to reduce criminal activity,” said Shell.  “The one gaping hole that I’ve noticed is that a line of communication between the various watches is virtually nonexistent.  There is a clear opportunity to take our fight against crime one step further, and I believe the Greensboro Community Watch is that answer.”

Initially, Shell is urging neighborhood leaders and current community watch leaders to sign up for the program. To get started, simply visit GreensboroCommunityWatch.com and complete the short registration process.  Once individuals are signed up they will receive a welcome message that further explains how the process works, more importantly, how to report incidents happening in their respective neighborhood.

“I will distribute weekly emails, or as needed, to residents alerting them of trends that are being seen around the city,” said Shell.  “Crime tends to go in waves and if we can get ahead of those waves then a real difference could be made.”

The GCW will also have District Captains that will be very similar to that of typical community watch Block Captains.  Individuals interested in being a District Captain should contact Shell via the GCW Web site.

“This is a great form of community policing,” said Tim Bellamy, Greensboro’s chief of police.  “We can track down criminals all day, but the key to reducing crime is the preventative measures that can be put in place.  The concept of the Greensboro Community Watch will create awareness of what is happening all across the city and bridge gaps between young and old, rich and poor.”

To be clear, the Greensboro Community Watch does not intend to, and will not replace current community watches; it will simply be a resource that connects watches all throughout the city.”

GCW TV Coverage