social media pr

The Kindergarten Approach to Social Media

For anyone entering the minefield that social media can be for the very first time, the excitement and eagerness can soon turn into fear and uncertainty. Fear of not knowing where to start and uncertainty of which social media sites and tools you should be using. Don?t worry, we?ve all been there (and in a way, we?re all still there as well).

Yet like anything new, social media is just another ?stumbling block? to overcome if you haven?t used it before. If you take time to think of all the things you?ve successfully overcome in your life already, you?ll see that social media should be looked at as just another stone to step across. Perhaps the best analogy is to compare social media to your time at kindergarten.

First Day at School

Remember the fear you felt when you first arrived at kindergarten? Unless you were a mini-Rambo, of course, and feared no-one. Yet if you were like me, the fear of feeling alone and not knowing anyone was a difficult one to overcome. All I wanted to do was stay in the car and go home.

The first time dipping my toe in the social media world elicited similar feelings in me. I knew I was meant to be there, but I was thinking it?d be just as easy to not be there. Yet just like that first day at kindergarten, it?s all about taking that first step.

Just like you ended up stepping through the doors to the kindergarten building, so you can step though the barriers to the social media world. All you need to acknowledge is that it is new to you so it will take a little time to feel comfortable – but it will (and does) come.

Stay Out of the Sandpit

Once you got used to the new world that was kindergarten and you started making some friends, life became easier. Yet I recall this one kid that wouldn?t mix with anyone – he stayed in the sandpit at breaks and refused all attempts to make friends. Rightly or wrongly, every other kid thought he was strange because of this.

Don?t be the sandpit kid when it comes to social media. The best way to feel comfortable is to make friends and introduce yourself. Whether it?s via a blog to share your voice or a short exchange of messages on something like Twitter, communicating is key to enjoying the full social media experience.

The result of communicating? Apart from making new friends and opening up your network, people that have been using social media longer than you can help you make informed decisions of which ones will work best for you.

Listen to Teacher

While at kindergarten, one of the strangest things I had to get used to was listening to the teacher. I say strange, because although I had been told that I should listen to my teacher by my parents, it was easier said than done. My line of thought was: ?You?re not my mom – why should I listen to you??

Of course, I soon overcame this way of thinking – especially when my mom banned me from any toys after kindergarten until I started listening to what my teacher was trying to tell me.

In the social media world, there are some excellent teachers that you can learn a lot from. People like Chris Brogan and Jeff Pulver are just two names that spring to mind – yet the knowledge that they and other social media visionaries like them can impart to you is invaluable.

If you need to know anything about social media and the wonderful world it can open up to you, signing up to Chris or Jeff?s blogs isn’t a bad way to start. After all, if you can?t learn from these guys, then maybe social media isn?t for you. And perhaps you may even glean some knowledge from me now and again…

There?s a whole new world waiting out there for you. While it may appear daunting and confusing, just remember – you navigated through kindergarten and beyond. You can navigate through social media as well – just keep an open mind and open ears, and don?t be afraid to speak. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the conversations you hear.

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Interview on Comet Branding Radio and Other News

One of the great things about social media is the people you meet and connect with. From curious newcomers to social media experts and everyone in between, it’s truly a medium for everyone to connect and discuss. Next week I’ll be involved in the discussion side of things when I talk about the social media press release on Comet Branding Radio.

One of the foremost branding and communications firms in North America, Comet Branding combines traditional branding and marketing with social media and all that has to offer. Their radio show has included the likes of Brian Solis, Jennifer Leggio and others and looks at how to build brands using traditional PR, social media, eco-friendly approaches and more.

The founder of Comet Branding, Al Krueger, kindly offered an invitation to discuss the social media press release. I’ll be appearing with Jason Kintzler, founder of Pitch Engine; Todd Defren, Principal of Shift Communications; and Mike Volpe, VP of Marketing at HubSpot. It looks set to be an interesting discussion – I hope you can join us.

In other “special appearance” news, myself and fellow social media advocate Susan Murphy recently collaborated on a guest post at the blog of author and Emmy award-winning former CBS corespondent David Henderson. This came about after our responses to one of David’s posts on social media and its perceived non-effectiveness in business use. It was an enjoyable partnership and my thanks to David for extending the invite – you can read the guest post here.

Finally, I just received confirmation that I will be a blog partner for this years’s Open Web Awards, or Webby’s. Run by the good folks over at Mashable, the Webby’s recognize the major innovations in web technology. There are 26 categories, and nominations run between November 5 to November 18 2008. The actual voting will take place between November 19 and December 15 – make sure you stop by.

I’d like to thank everyone for inviting me to take part in these events and discussions, and I’m looking forward to hearing and sharing the views of some of my peers and contemporaries.

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Social Media, Press Releases and Where PR Fits In

As someone in PR who embraces social media, the social media press release – or social media news release, depending on who you talk to – is something that interests me greatly. It’s certainly nothing new as far as PR goes, having first been introduced in 2006 by the good folk at Shift Communications via their PR-Sqared blog. Yet despite the two year lead time, the social media press release still hasn’t taken off in any major way.

One of the main reasons (in my opinion) is that there is too much conflicting information about the format, which leaves potential users unsure whether or not it offers any benefits. Which is a shame, since used properly the social media press release can be a vital part of any promotional campaign.

What is the Social Media Press Release?

At its heart, the format is simply a new spin on the more traditional press release. The main difference is how it uses the burgeoning social media networks and applications. Compared to a “static” press release, a social media one offers:

Video and images
Audio
RSS feeds
Social network sharing options to the likes of Friendfeed, Technorati, Twitter and more

Because of these types of features, social media press releases offer a much easier way for news to be digested through online feeds. This includes bloggers, who are becoming an ever more important source of breaking news – something that the PR and news industries need to accept more readily.

By interacting with a larger online audience (including bloggers), the chances of a news story being picked up by a large and targeted audience are increased. And for anyone still unsure about the power of bloggers, just look at the Associated Press debacle from a few months back, or the very recent BackUp Shotgun Rack controversy. So why the slow acceptance of the new release format?

Using Social Media and PR Effectively

One of the biggest reasons for the (currently) low uptake of the social media press release is that both businesses and PR professionals don’t understand the synergy between the new and existing press release formats.

With social media being such a buzz word, many companies are making the mistake that all they need is an online presence coupled with PR and everything will be just fine. PR agencies that have failed (or refused) to understand this new medium properly are also misinforming clients about what a social media PR campaign entails.

A social media press release will not form the one-cap-fits-all pitch of a proper PR campaign. Nor will it act as an easy way to increase your SEO visibility – a common mistake made when it comes to explaining what a social media press release can do.

Instead, this new press release format should be used as an excellent and complementary addition to a PR campaign – one which includes a traditional or search engine optimized press release distributed via online newswires. In effect, it should be used to build or enhance your brand via the tools offered by social media, with a more traditional PR campaign running alongside it.

Let’s Talk!

There’s a great debate going on over at the Hubspot marketing blog regarding the whole social media press release angle, and includes some interesting points of view from both detractors and supporters. These include Todd Defren, who came up with the first social media news release template, as well as Jason Kintzler, founder of Pitch Engine, a new website offering social media newsrooms and the option to create a free social media press release. It’s worth checking out.

Whatever your take is, whether you’re for or against, there’s no doubting that the social media press release offers a new spin for getting news out to relevant parties. While I’m most definitely in the “For” camp, I can also see why there is lingering doubt about its effectiveness. This is where it’s up to the founders and supporters of the format to show just why it can be so effective.

To do this, there needs to be a uniformed message – only then will understanding lead to acceptance. I’m in – anyone else?

Using Social Media to Inspire

There are many different ways that social media can be used. For some people, it’s simply a way of connecting with others. For other people, it’s an effective business tool. On top of that, it can also be a great educational tool for newcomers to the Internet. Personally, I also feel that social media can be used to inspire greatness and knowledge.

A prime example of this was Blog Action Day earlier this month, when thousands of bloggers worldwide wrote about poverty. Not only did this show a combined voice on the desperation of poverty itself, it also proved how social media – when used cohesively – can open up a line of discussion on topics that are so often ignored or swept under the carpet.

Also this month, it’s been National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While millions of people offline have been wearing pink ribbons to signify support, social media users have been showing support in their own ways. Twitter users have turned their profile pictures pink, while MySpace members have pink ribbon themes to offer their support.

Next month sees the annual Movember charity event, which highlights the importance of men’s health and getting regular check-ups. Of particular importance is looking for early signs, and prevention, of prostate cancer.

To support the event, men everywhere are being encouraged to grow moustaches – hence the name Movember (moustaches in November). I’m already getting my Twitter profile picture readied for the month, as are countless other men and women worldwide.

This is where social media is so inspiring to me.

Just making the small effort to change a Twitter profile pic (or any online profile), encouraging people to ask what it’s about, which in turn gets them involved. Strangers blogging about the same topic, offering a unified voice often more powerful than any newspaper or traditional media source.

Social media often gets cynical looks from people who don’t understand it, or who see it as a passing fad that will soon be replaced with the next big thing. While that may indeed happen, until then it offers a unique way for millions of voices to be heard and make a stand. Surely that’s something to applaud?

Why High Profile Bloggers and Social Media Consultants Will Survive the Economic Downturn

There’s been a lot said recently about blogging, and in particular high profile bloggers and social media consultants. A recent article by leading technology blog ReadWriteWeb looked at how much the top bloggers and blogging consultants were earning, while Mich over at Social Media and the CIA broke it down into three easy chunks of average earnings.

What’s interesting about the second piece is that Mich raises the question whether the “consultant bloggers” who make the top tier earnings could soon be extinct, due to the current economic climate. While it’s certainly a valid point, I don’t think there is a worry that outsourced consultants are heading toward extinction.

Many of the most successful companies know the value of an outsourced or freelance consultant, both from a knowledge and cost-effective point of view. Consultants can look at a business’s approach from an unbiased angle and therefore without the blinkered view that someone that’s put sweat and blood into the company would naturally have.

This ensures that any weak points that may have been glossed over can be addressed, in turn strengthening the company and helping it toward future success and growth. Yes, consultancy fees can be high, but the rewards are more than worth it.

Outsourcing also offers a proven way to keep costs down. While there may be the initial cost of hiring the consultant in the first place, this is only for a small amount of time – look at the problem, make suggestions, and move on. Compare this to continuing to make costly errors due to a biased or unqualified approach.

Nowhere is this more true than in the burgeoning social media scene. Businesses are slowly but surely becoming aware that they need a social media presence to keep up with (or stay ahead of) their competitors. Having a poorly thought-out social media strategy can be worse than not having one at all.

This is where social media consultants will continue to succeed and offer a valuable service. The very nature of social media means that today’s buzz can be tomorrow’s roadkill – having someone on your team that understands the medium and works with it is a necessity. Just because Jack in accounts has a Facebook profile does not mean he’s a social media expert.

Of course, social media is maturing and there will be some applications and sites that simply disappear. You could day that once the medium reaches its zenith, there’ll be no more need for the guys who are currently leading the social media consultancy field. However, the strength of leaders in fields is that they can adapt and move with the flow.

When social media reaches its peak – which it is sure to do – there will be a new form of interactive medium for everyone to get to grips with, both personally and professionally. The guys that are heading social media now will more than likely be the guys at the forefront of whatever’s next. This is where their worth will come in, and keep them from becoming extinct.

Nobody wants to see people lose their jobs at any time – unfortunately it’s a sad and simple fact that this will happen in the current climate. The forward-thinking businesses will see that continuing to use an outsourced consultant can help them keep the damage down to a minimum, while advising on how to start the path back to profitability and re-employment.

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