Digital PR? No Twitter account is like no fax number in the 80’s

Today I scanned through the recent PRWeek mag looking for articles on social media, digital PR etc…stuff that interests me specifically. There was one article where PRWeek pulled together a roundtable discussion with 11 experts in tech PR in San Francisco. I thought, cool, these are exactly the folks I’m interested in following because they share a common interest - digital and tech PR. So I jumped on to Twitter and searched their names to I could begin to follow their expert thoughts on a go forward basis. Unfortunately, of the 11 experts only 1 had a Twitter account and it was a locked account at that.

I bring this example up not to pick on these folks, as I hope they are on the verge of joining the vast tech/digital PR community now on Twitter, but to point out that if you don’t have an active Twitter account and you live in the world of digital, social media, or Tech PR you may be doing yourself a disservice.  Twitter has become so intertwined with social media and digital PR that not having an account is akin to not having a fax number in the 80’s. It’s a contact point that others in the community and increasingly, social media savvy customers, expect to see. In fact, at our firm all of our new business cards going forward now include our Twitter, Gtalk and Linkedin handles.

The same thing holds true for aspiring social media PR types. At the recent New Communications Forum in Santa Clara last week many noticed a large digital divide between those currently using Twitter and those who do not. It was like there was two conferences happening simultaneously - one with a flurry of back-channel discussion and networking activity on Twitter and one, well, rather old school with people taking lots of notes and heading back to their rooms at the end of the sessions.  (In fact, both Chris Brogan and I mentioned something along this topic when Shel Holtz grabbed some audio clips for The Hobson & Holtz Report at NewComm).   The crazy thing is is that the Twitter community is open and it’s free and welcomes all who want to join the discussion. There is no barrier to entry - none. And take it from someone who joined six months ago, the experience has been phenomenal and game changing. No other community is as connected and as important to a tech/social media/digital PR professional as Twitter in my books.

So I encourage anyone who’s currently working in the space or aspires to be an expert in it to join Twitter now.   Start by following folks with similar interests and begin by listening.  Then join in by offering relevant and valued thoughts, sharing about what you find interesting, joining the conversation.

Millions of people just like you are communicating in a community on Twitter right now.  Please, don’t miss out.  See you in Twitterland.

April 28th, 2008 - Posted in social media | | 6 Comments

What Netscape Navigator can teach us about finding social media experts

The current shortage of PR and ad/social media hybrid experts today reminds me of a similar situation back in the late 90’s. Back then another merger of talents was in demand - graphic artist meets computer programmer - or what became the web designer. It played out something like this.

With the explosion of that historic program called Netscape Navigator people started to finally get what opportunities lay in yonder Internet hills (or as they used to say - the World Wide Web.) Pages could be actually interacted with. Designers knew how to put together wonderful print layouts but interactivity, not so much. It was pretty rare to find an amazing programmer (who tended to be more analytical vs. creative) that could appreciate great design and vice versa. Job openings quickly appeared around the globe but for the most part - the talent cupboards were pretty bare.

So where did the talent come from to start off?

Most were self-made, self-taught artists or programmers that took a risk and generally combined a hobby with a job skill. For some this was like a dream come true and they thrived in the new environment. These folks were passionate about their new combined skills and blazed new trails in design and interactivity. For others, it was a stretch either one way or another and while they filled a need they didn’t win any awards for web design. And for those who thought they might like to get into the field but didn’t have either programming or design backgrounds it was tough going at first to find any courses to take. It was also a time when a lot of the tools were just coming on to the market to assist with web design, some with single purposes and pretty first generation, others eventually becoming full-on suites and making it easy for more to enter the field and for the job to be done quickly, with more interactivity and with better design.

Of the talent that did exist they were quickly gobbled up by three different orgs:

• the early adopter corporate brands who were ready to take advantage of the web and got the concept
• the early adopter agencies who recognized the future of the medium as a channel to customers
• the specialty shops that sprouted up and focused only on web and interactive design

Of course there were also those who chose to go it alone and freelance their talents to any of the above.

So, I ask, doesn’t this sound all to familiar?

While still a vast majority of PR and advertising is done via traditional channels, consumers and business clientelle alike are being attracted to the power of social media. It’s the power to interact or converse this time vs. traditional, one-way static message delivery. And the Netscape Navigators of today in social media are the Web 2.o applications and sites making it easy for consumers to grasp and utilize the power of social media to live, play and work.

And where are the social media experts coming from now to fill these new social media PR and social media ad positions? Again, most are self-made, self-taught folks from PR or advertising who love the whole idea of social media and are participating passionately in it in their personal lives. And where are the few that exist today going:

• the early adopter corporate brands who are ready to take advantage of social media and get the concept
• the early adopter agencies who recognize the future of the medium as a channel to communicate with customers
• the specialty shops that are sprouting up and focus only on social media marketing and/or PR

Of course there were also those who chose to go it alone and freelance their talents to any of the above.

Again, we are in the early stages of tools where some are available to do individual tasks while others are evolving into full suites to assist in making the job of working with social media quicker, easier and with the ability to analyze and garner better relationships etc…

Finally we are also in the middle of a hiring crunch. Demand is big for social media experts and most of the self-made folks are already taken. So what is the path to quickly fill these roles? Here are a few ideas and examples of what’s happening now.

• Becoming a self-made, self-taught practitioner is easier than most think - While working with social media requires a bit of an understanding and comfort with “technology” Web 2.0 applications take most of the “scary” right out of it. Its really about just jumping in, learning and experimenting. And since social media is all about conversations and sharing you can join lots of networks where others already in the space are more than happy to help you along. As Jason Falls pointed out at our recent Third Tuesday gathering, “everyone can be a social media expert.”
• Conferences and unconferences are popping up all over the place. Want to meet the rockstars of social media? Pick out a few conferences and hang out with the gang. I’ve found that social media types are some of the friendliest bunch you’ll ever meet. Don’t be shy.
• Some leading-edge universities and colleges are now including the teaching of social media PR and marketing best practices in their curriculum. PR and ad shops are driven a lot by the energy of young minds so hopefully more institutions of higher learning will add courses related to social media sooner rather than later.
• Some early-adopter agencies are taking on the task of training their own staff in a big way. Agencies are partnering up with social media experts and exposing their talent to skills and tools required to give clients what they are now demanding in a big way. This is a great way to kick start the process quickly followed up by staff diving in on their own and joining the social media world at both work and home.
• Corporations are creating positions specifically to listen and engage with clients and potential clients through social media. Many are sourcing talent from within - those who are already personally passionate about social media and have the conversational skills and aptitudes to take on the roles. Other corporations as well as agencies are also opening up and allowing staff to contribute to the firm’s blog. In the era of transparency and openness consumers are applauding the move to do this as much as the opportunity to engage in the brands they love.
• Private seminars and webinars are available more and more to walk people through the ABC’s of engaging in social media. While they can be great ways to get up to speed quickly on best practices attending a course is simply not the be all and end all. Social media PR and marketing requires one to roll up the sleeves eventually and dive right in. It’s like deciding to have kids - you can never make sense of it or pick the perfect time - you just decide one day and you go for it. It’s only after you do this that you look back and say you were so glad you did.

As a reference I found a few great examples of progress happening now to fill the needs of the industry.

- Laura Porto Stockwell tweeted today that she got her Master of Media Studies from The New School with a focus in social media. She also pointed out that Forrester had just released a study on the topic of hiring social media folks. It’s written by Jeremiah Owyang.

- Elizabeth Albrycht mentioned in a tweet that she’s teaching social media at a communications school in Versailles, France

- Chris Nadeau pointed out the Center for Social Media at the School of Communication at American University.

- Nathan Gilliatt tweeted and reminded me of a SMA course at CMU and their Wiki on the topic of research and analysis of social media. Great reference list for those wanting to go deeper on the topic.

- and finally, and while I’ve run across many others, here is an example of a student bravely joining the social media sphere, Laurie Scheniman, a PR student at Centennial College. She’s definitely on the road to becoming one of our industry’s newest social media experts.

March 18th, 2008 - Posted in social media | | 2 Comments

Lines blur when the customer “is” the publisher

I read something the other day and I wish I could remember where.  But it struck me when I did.  Yes, as with some of the most striking things you read, the idea was simple and rather obvious after I read it.  Simply put, customers are cutting out the middleman when it comes to publishing content.  Why jump up and down to see if you can get mainstream media to cover a story you think needs to be covered when you can sit down and publish it yourself.  And go ahead and choose the medium you want as well - audio, video, text or a combo.  And why rely on hope where the few you want to read the story find it in all that mass media - post it where they gather online - go direct.

So what does this mean for a public relations specialist?  Well it means that you and the person down the hall in charge of customer service or “customer relations” are about to become best of friends.  An unhappy customer tweeting or blogging about a less than satisfying customer service experience is equivalent to someone yelling at the top of their lungs about it in a store - customer service manager to the rescue.  But because this same experience happened online and could likely show up in the same RSS reader list as that article from a mainstream publisher its now on the PR manager’s radar too.

So while the Customer Service Manager has always seen the mainstream reporter as just another customer to keep happy (though perhaps even extra happy), the PR manager has traditionally only focused on the media and customer stories that have eventually hit the mainstream media as stories.  There is no question that the PR side faces more change with this new arrangement.  However there are also opportunities for collaboration between the two areas.

- Public relations needs to have more input on the way services and products are delivered (their backgrounds allow them to see where potential issues can form.)

- Customer service needs to react quicker to potential issues that arise on the sales floor (traditional media takes time to pull together a story - customers can blog or tweet from their cell phones instantly.)

What are some other ways both customer service (relations) and public relations can work together?

March 11th, 2008 - Posted in social media | | 5 Comments

Feel the power of disruptive technology

Sometimes we get into the mode of accepting the status quo as well, acceptable. But often it isn’t and deep down we know there has to be something better. Well, a month ago a colleague and I ran into what I would consider something as close to disruptive as you can get. And we found it in all places, the Montreal Airport washroom. How many of you have cursed when you wash your hands and look around for paper towel only to discover it has been displaced by the dreaded wimpy air hand dryer. With so much emphasis on being environmentally friendly these days you’d think we’d be happy. But alas, the old wimpy traditional air hand dryer is just that - wimpy. It barely does anything to dry hands. In fact I think just standing there holding your hands out sans dryer is pretty close to the same in the effectiveness category.

But hark, what goes there in the Montreal Airport. The Xlerator. So powerful is the wind coming out of this puppy that you swear your skin may peel off. But boy does it do the trick. It actually does what it should - it dries your hands as quickly as a paper towel but without the waste.

Something so simple yet so effective. And viral as well. The Xlerator does such an amazing job that in every place I’ve seen it installed strangers are talking to strangers “Wow, that’s amazing.” Kids are telling their parents. Colleagues are joking to colleagues. And it’s just about a hand dryer. Just goes to show that if you invent something purple, it doesn’t matter what the category is, word will spread and the traditional will quickly become passe.

March 11th, 2008 - Posted in viral, Seth Godin | | 3 Comments

Sometimes all the media in the world can’t help you with your snacking

So why do corporations put resources into public relations and marketing? Sometimes it can be for a cause but usually it has one purpose - to help sell something.  And a lot of the time we tend to focus on the sexy new ad spot or the ingenious public relations campaign when we talk about the success of brands. After all, it’s the exciting stuff that, when done right, can capture our attention. And corporations can spend millions upon millions to make sure their brands are top of mind and positioned properly so that when demand strikes we choose their goods. And they spend countless hours laboring over the perfect price to make sure spend and the distribution methods that will see their wares quickly snapped up in the places where we want them.

Frito Lays would be one such company. The vending machine in this post is probably just one of thousands that exist across the world. To be fair to Frito Lays this vending machine is not operated by them but by a local vending machine operator. But they are obviously partners together, part of a sales machine to get tasty snacks in our hands in exchange for our money. This particular machine is located in the Athletics building on the campus of Universite du Moncton in Moncton, New Brunswick. And this past weekend was a weekend both Frito Lays and this vending machine operator only dream of. We were there for an Atlantic provinces indoor track meet. 400 or so people trapped in a building for 5 hours straight. And also while we were there a volleyball game attracting 100 or so folks took place as well.

But here’s the point. The exact configuration and count of the goods in this machine stayed the same all day. Yes, it didn’t matter when I would have taken the picture because nothing would have changed. In fact I probably could return today, a full day later, and the scene would be identical. Why because no matter what I or at least a half a dozen folks (in the brief time I was near the machine to notice) tried to do, this machine did not take any money. No bills, no coins. I even tried my spin-the-coin trick that usually works on picky machines. No dice.

20 brands of products, all an top awareness in our minds, all with positive positioning, all priced relatively where we would want them, sitting there in a spot where we wanted them but behind an impenetrable glass wall - less like products and more like museum pieces.

So the day came and went. Unfortunately, and at no fault of Frito Lay, their products were well preserved but not so for their brand. Damaged, ever so slightly perhaps, not from disappointed customers who tried the products but disappointed customers who never even had a chance to even get a whiff of them. Just goes to remind us that for all of the best laid plans in PR and marketing it can take a little bump in recognizing the value of a dollar that can spoil all of our snacking enjoyment.

January 14th, 2008 - Posted in media snacking, public relations | | 1 Comments

Hi my name is David Alston and I’m a social media addict.

Well it’s the 2nd day of 2008 and like many others I’m considering what I need to change about my life in the year ahead. I’m coming off of a great holiday break which provided lots of time to decompress and spend time with loved ones. Whenever vacation does roll around each year I go through a struggle. And I don’t think I’m alone.

Social media and networking is a wonderful thing. It connects you directly with those sharing similar interests in a way unmatched by anything in the past basically because it has very few geographic and time boundaries. This power to connect with others who share the same passions as you tends to pull you deeper into the hobbies and work you love. However it can come with a price.

Unfortunately no one has invented a clock that adds more time to the standard 24 hour day. For each moment spent inside social media is a moment not spent with family and friends. And it’s so easy to forget this because social media is snacksized and easy to consume. Traditional relationships, spending time playing a game with a child, dinner with your spouse, lending an ear on a call with a friend all are full course meals, if I continue with the analogy. And they are important.

So my number one resolution this year is to find balance - to invest in both social media and traditional family and friends relationships. Social media is not going away and to ignore it or withdraw from it would be akin to becoming a digital hermit. No, I want to have both but not at the expense of the relationships in either one. 2008 is about balance.

January 2nd, 2008 - Posted in media snacking, social media | | 0 Comments

Joining Twitter requires a purpose

Jason Falls is trying to make Twitter relevant to a whole new audience with his new experiment. He’s trying to see if Twitter can be used to build up an audience for one of his clients - Robby Gordon Motorsports

As Jason points out himself he’s not sure if it will work but you can’t know unless you try. For sure, Jason understands one thing about Twitter which will hopefully serve him well for this effort - to join Twitter you generally need a reason.

I had heard of Twitter a number of times in the past. The idea of tweeting about what coffee I just drank or that I was standing in line for a movie ticket seemed like a waste of time. What was the point? I had no context. I couldn’t understand why anyone would bother.

But then one day I had a reason. It was Kami Huyse’s twittering of the PRSA conference that made me finally start to understand the reason to join. I was going to be working at the Radian6 booth during the whole conference. Kami’s tweets could give me insight into what was being covered at the conference sessions. I was hooked.

Jason hopes to do the same with his experiment but with those folks who follow racing. Will he unlock the entire cross-section of North America who follows the sport - hard to say. But he may just pry the door open enough for some of some early adopters or influencers to jump on-board. And if you follow Seth Godin’s teachings on viral marketing then this is a pretty good place to start.

So good luck Jason. We’ll be watching.

November 11th, 2007 - Posted in Jason Falls, Seth Godin, public relations, twitter, social media | | 2 Comments

Why “media snacking” seems so familiar

So I’m driving home tonight and I start to wonder about media snacking. I’m certainly a snacker but why does it just feel so darn familiar. Probably because the term is new and the activity is old. I realize that tweets taste so good because I’ve been media snacking in other ways for many years. Here are a few “old school” ways that I’ve been consuming small bite-sized media nuggets:

Headlines - Yup, I can blast through the local paper in 5 minutes flat each night. Why? Because I generally just snack on the headlines and a sprinkling of subheads and picture tags. I also get a lot of my news from the radio during my commute too so it helps me graze quicker in the paper.

PVR’s - I’ve been using PVR’s for watching the tube since they first appeared. Not completely on topic here but again I can skip through a reality show and consume the bits that seem interesting pretty darn fast. Couch snacking might be another interesting topic for all to discuss sometime because I think the “vegging” state makes us more prone to consuming larger portions (and we wondered where the “couch potato” phrase came from

Website homepages - I checked the stats on a website the other day to get a reading on the number of visitors etc. While there I also was able to learn how long people snacked on the website. For most - in and out in 10-20 seconds. Zip, zip, zip - eyes darting around, maybe a single click on one link for a few seconds and then gone.

The elevator pitch - “So what do you do?” we get asked. We then know the response better be carved down to one simple statement or else. Yes, I realize that most of us are into serving up these snacks rather than feeding on them but we still understand the expectations the snacker/receiver has.

The Far Side comic - When I do decide to check out the funnies on occasion I only look at one - The Far Side. One block, one or two lines, I laugh or I don’t, next page. If I want a laugh then I want to get to it quick. I occasionally look at a 4 block comic but when I do the payoff better be really good in exchange for chewing up my time. And those 4 block ones that go on for weeks like a soap opera - forget about it. Doesn’t anybody actually consume those?

The photo - Yes, that “picture is a thousand words” thing. We all know the best ads, the most powerful editorial photos, etc… can convey an entire story or feeling in a single frame.

The first impression - there is an entire ga-zillion dollar industry built up around making us look the way we want to look for the first impression. We all know how long it takes to size someone up.

So I guess for me, I’ve been “media snacking” for well, a lot longer than I care to say. Twitter, texting, facebook status updates, and email subjects are the newest tasty delicacies for me to enjoy off the shiny social media serving tray. Mmmmmmm.

UPDATED: And check out how the media snacking conversation looks analyzed over the past 14 days on Kami’s blog.

November 1st, 2007 - Posted in media snacking, twitter, social media | | 1 Comments

What are “digital handshakes?”

So in the business world a relationship generally begins with a good, firm handshake. So often many forget, myself included, that to start a digital relationship you should do so with a handshake. Just think about it, how would a new relationship go if you walked up to someone and tried to sell them something (no questions, no hello, just this is what I want you to buy.) Or what if you met someone and the first words literally out of your mouth were about all of the great things you just did.

So with the digital world, should it really be any different? If you are at a party where you don’t know anyone you might browse around first and kindly join different group discussions as a listener. This is your way of discovering the folks you may like to hang with at the party, people with common interests or interests you’d love to learn more about.

Then comes the introduction. The handshake. So what is the digital world’s version of a handshake? Here are a couple I’ve thought of:

- follow on twitter: When you follow someone you also allow them to see who you are at the same time. By following a number of people you are also give people an idea of the types of things you are interested in.

- hello email: Not an email where you want something from the receiver, just a hello to let you know I’m out here and we share a common interest. It should be written in a way that the receiver doesn’t feel obligated to reply.

- complimentary link: A link on your blog that shows you appreciate the content of the other person and would love to promote it to your own readers

- join group on facebook: Join a facebook group moderated by the person you want to meet. If it’s a small enough group they may decide to check your profile.

I’m sure there are others. Anyone care to add a few to this list?

So this got me thinking, what about the digital handshake?

October 29th, 2007 - Posted in public relations, twitter, social media | | 0 Comments

High speed PR

If you are in the PR field and you want to experience the thrill of what it would be like to be the Press Secretary for the White House, join Twitter and tweet an event. Hats off to Kami Huyse as the official tweet correspondent for last week’s PRSA conference in Philly. I was working the booth in the exhibit hall for Radian6 but but I was able to follow her coverage of the event via my Blackberry. While the tweets of various speaker quotes were one thing - boiling it down to a few key words - it was the on-the-fly responses to other folks in the audience as they also tweeted with opinions that impressed me the most.

When there was a tweet based on insufficient context or background, she provided it. When there was a tweet that challenged the speaker’s position, she provided another view to consider. When there was a seemingly positive remark from a tweet on the speaker, she would occasionally amplify it. And doing all of this while paying attention to the speak at hand, not directly attacking any of the others tweeting the event, and monitoring the impact of her tweets on those opinions she was trying to potentially change through new information. And Kami kept her tweets real, meaning she developed real relationships virtually with all those watching and participating in the twitter-stream of the event. In fact, I surprised myself and Kami when we finally did meet in person because I felt like a simply handshake was too cold and a hug for a new friend was more appropriate.

So great job Kami. And for all those out there in PR world who think they are in need of a rush, try twittering an upcoming event you plan to attend or organize. It’s like no other experience, well, unless you are the press secretary for the White House.

October 29th, 2007 - Posted in public relations, twitter | | 1 Comments