Changing expectations: Mobile devices are shifting information preferences

Google Glass, photo courtesy Wikipedia.org

There is little doubt that the proliferation and variety of mobile devices is influencing the ways in which people seek and consume information.

The trends and behaviors are becoming so obvious that major media organizations like the New York Times are customizing their content based on the type of device that is used to access the information. We’re not talking about simply making content accessible across platforms, but rather altering and customizing the content itself to fit the prevalent media consumption behaviors of each type of mobile device.

For example, the Ottawa Citizen this week announced that it would publish unique content on four different media platforms – news print, online, tablet and smartphone.

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Social Media Security and the Transportation Communicator

© Sedmak | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

I received an interesting question last month from a transportation communications professional trying to convince her organization to invest time and energy in social media. Yes, even in 2014 there are organizations that are still unsure of whether connecting with customers in the social space is the right strategy.

The question from the transportation pro was simple enough. Her directors were concerned about security for the organization’s network and IT infrastructure.

“One issue that keeps resurfacing is security. The idea is using social media will offer up chances for our system to be hacked, confidential and employee information to be stolen, etc.”

Brrr! Audio, video social media tools help Maryland’s SHA share the latest road information

It’s cold out there and the Maryland State Highway Administration — like most highway and transportation agencies around the country — has plenty of tips and suggestions to help people travel safely during difficult weather events. But it is where and how SHA is posting its information that is rather interesting.

Maryland’s highway agency is using a combination of SoundCloud, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to tightly integrate its safety messaging.

Linkedin: Quite possibly the most overlooked social media tool

Social media as an accepted stand-alone public relations practice remains just a few years old, but for some reason I still find it easy to think that there is little new under the sun.

After all, if we break apart social media into their functional pieces the actual act of sharing information today is not much different from it was when the young PR industry was ruled by guys who walked newspaper newsrooms drumming up interest in their clients’ news.

Five (Communication) Things I Want for the Holidays

As we move toward the season of celebration, the calendar brings us to the point at which it is natural to take stock in the year and to anticipate the coming year.

The Talking Transportation blog is now a year old. During that time the blog posts have ranged far and wide across the communications spectrum, discussing messaging, tactics and tools in the context of the transportation industry. What you will not find in the blog posts is a political agenda or mode favorites (at least not intentionally). My desire is for this blog to be a place for transportation professionals to pick up insights and perhaps share their thoughts if they are moved to do so.

Wasting time on the company dime? Build a social strategy for internal audiences

How much time to do you spend on Facebook? How about Twitter?

As a communications professional, probably quite a bit of time. According to Facebook’s IPO filing earlier this year, the average Facebook user spends more than 12 minutes a day using its site. That does not include time spent using Facebook’s mobile apps.

According to ComScore, Americans are spending hours and hours every month on social media sites like Pinterest (1 hour and 17 minutes), Twitter (36 minutes), LinkedIn (17 minutes) and even poor Google Plus (6 minutes).

While we talk a lot as communicators about what that means to our external marketing efforts, time spent on social media is becoming a serious issue for transportation agencies concerned about how their employees are spending their days. Are they wasting time on social media, or are they being more efficient?

Learning and Growing: What are you doing to stay fresh and current?

There is an aspect to communications work that is always evolving. We talk about it often here on this blog, that technology influences behavior and societal expectations for how transportation agencies can, and should, share information with its stakeholders and customers.

Keeping up with it all is hard work. From public participation to public information, communication and outreach best practices are evolving so rapidly that it is unreasonable for any one person to be considered the premiere expert on all of it.