Yesterday was the first day of summer and it’s already been a hot one. It was only five months ago that the East Coast was covered in 20+ inches of snow and now some people are craving the white stuff again. Summer heat can be relentless. Even simple tasks, like going to the grocery store, can make you sweat.

As you find relief from the heat in your comfortably air conditioned home or office, you should seriously consider taking part in a few of these activities. The five tasks I’ve highlighted below will keep you cool and productive while everyone else manages to get through another scorching day.

1. Upgrade to WordPress 3.0 – The newest version of the WordPress blogging platform is finally available and word on the street says that it’s awesome. We haven’t had the chance to upgrade our Folk Media backend yet but we’ll get there. Check out more information about WordPress 3.0 from the official WordPress site. If you’re new to the WordPress world and want an all-in-one guide for your learning pleasure, check out Aaron Brazell’s WordPress Bible.

2. Track BP and their failures – I feel bad for always knocking BP but they really aren’t doing anything to help themselves. Well, their lack of action is your gain. Using hashtags and Twitter keywords, you can track their ineptitude real-time. How awesome is that? Some things to look for on Twitter would be #BP #oilspill #GulfCoast or (my favorite) #BPFail. Honestly, there is a lot to learn from the oil spill and BP’s lack of response.

3. Create a Facebook fan page – Everyone is on Facebook now and even with the new privacy controversies, Facebook is still growing. If you haven’t considered making a Facebook fan page, I would seriously recommend making it one of your top priorities. Having a fan page on Facebook can increase your business exposure and it can re-educate current clients and customers.

4. Keep tabs on your favorite sports stars – Since summer is a time where baseball is in full swing and football is gearing up, you might want to follow a few of your favorite sports stars on Twitter. WeFollow has a comprehensive list of players who use Twitter. Check them out if you want to cool off with your favorite players this summer.

5. Update your LinkedIn profile – Even though it’s nice to often update you LinkedIn profile, we forget. Since it’s summer time and you likely have some vacation planned or are shipping the kids off for a weekend at grandma and grandpa’s, you might have some little extra time to sit down and update your qualifications. Don’t forget to recommend a few people; those are critical in the eyes of potential employers.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by bodgie

It’s quite apparent that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been the focus of the United States for the past few months. Animal rights activists are concerned about the ecological impact of the spill and the stock market hasn’t been in the best shape since the messy disaster, either. As expected, though, getting the most attention is BP, the company whose line burst on April 20, 2010.

You would think that during a time when everyone is focusing on your pipeline and your failed recovery efforts, that a company with quite a large stake in the oil market would want to make matters easier for themselves.  Much like the Exxon Valdez oil spill, it’s going to take quite some time to clean up and restore the Gulf Coast to some sense or normalcy.

So, why isn’t BP letting everyone know that they’re sorry? Why does the government feel they need to step in to hold BP accountable for cleanup efforts and restoration costs?

And, my biggest question – why hasn’t BP launch a major social media campaign to try to clean up this huge PR mess they’ve made. For every gallon of oil that seeps into the Gulf, it gets that much harder for BP to come out of this thing alive and on top. From the looks of it, it’s going to take them a long time to come clean and head in the right direction.

The Past Holds the Future

I’m not a big fan of the whole “history repeats itself” mentality because I believe we all have choices in life and we can make sure history does not repeat itself. However, when it comes to social media campaigns, I think that the past holds the fortune of the future because in my mind, if it’s worked once, it’ll work again.

Let’s rewind a few months ago to the devastating Haiti earthquake. As soon as the disaster struck, social media campaigns by the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and tons of other organizations were springing up. Millions and millions of people were touched by the stories that were told and the gripping images that were shown on the news each night, leading to quite a hefty amount of donations to help victims recover.

Action was taken quickly and goals were pursued relentlessly. Lives were changed and rearranged. Giving abounded and millions of people across the world felt the pain of Haitians. All of this was because of a major push in social media? You bet.

Although the disasters are quite a bit different, the same core concepts apply to BP and the oil spill.

1. Action needs to be taken – now!
2. People need to be touched emotionally
3. Misconceptions and judgments need to be cast aside and the facts need to emerge.
4. No matter how much it hurts, a no holds barred pursuit of positive PR needs to happen.

The Learning Factor

Just like the Haiti disaster, there are a ton of things that you and I can learn from the BP oil spill. I think Justin Kownacki (@JustinKownacki) said it best yesterday when he tweeted, “Aspiring PR pros could save a bundle by quitting school, subscribing to the #BP hashtag & then doing the exact opposite.”

It’s the truth – if you want to see how to do things the right way, look at the example BP is setting and do the opposite. Don’t follow in their footsteps.

I think the most powerful lesson we can learn from this situation is that when your dignity is on the line, make sure that you do everything possible to restore hope in your brand. Customers won’t be buying from BP for a long time because of the company’s lack of response to this situation. BP can’t sit around and hope it gets better. The company is losing its reputation with its oil and they should be doing something about it.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Greenpeace USA 2010