Meet the new Linkedin…same as the old….

Hot off the presses from Mashable.com, that quintessential source of all things social media, they are redesigning Linkedin.

Crickets….

Okay, maybe not crickets, but from these quarters not an overwhelming “OMG” either.

Far be it from me to bash one of the social media preferred platforms but I’ve never “gotten” Linkedin.  Facebook, of course….Twitter, took me a little while but I saw the light.  Linkedin, not so much.

Other than a glorified rolodex where people can refer people to others, can someone please tell me the broader value of Linkedin.  No, PLEASE TELL ME.  Maybe I’m missing something, maybe I’m missing a lot.  But it just hasn’t grabbed me.  More importantly, I can’t see the broader marketing value for my public relations clients.  Groups are not as intuitive as fan pages or even the new Twitter “lists.”

And for the new design as outlined in the Mashable article or the blog post that it links to?  Meet the new Linkedin, same as the old Linkedin.

Thoughts, comments, referrals

Twitter: To list or not to list

Last night, I found myself tweeting with @e_man, one of the more prolific New York Jets Twitterers, about the recent fortunes (or lack thereof) of our favorite team.  That led me to e_man’s Jets blog which now includes a widget showing the recent Tweets of those he has included on his JetsFans “list.”

So I did what any Jets follower on Twitter who is learning about the pros and cons of the new list function would do.  I Tweeted e_man and asked to be included on his list.  I doubt know if that was good form in the current new world of Twitter lists but I did it anyway.  And e_man added me.  And I felt good.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons the folks at Twitter decided to add the list function, to further interaction between like minds.  The lists are to Twitter, what groups are to Facebook, sort of.  In a world where you want to follow people who people you respect are also following, the act of scouring lists of like-minded people likely will make it easier to increase your universe.  If you’re like me, you will feel honored when others include you on their lists whether you ask them to do that or not.

The truth is I’m still trying to figure this list thing out.  This article from Mashable is helpful if you’re trying to do the same.

Just remember, the second you get too comfy with your favorite social media platform, they change it.

Social media is not a shtick….

We go to many meetings to discuss PR and social media.  They are with both existing and potential clients.  One question that keeps coming up is what do/should we give up if we incorporate social marketing into our marketing scheme.  The question is usually related to limited time or money.  And our answer is…..nothing.

Social marketing is not a trade-off, it is an addition.  It is not a shtick, it is a communications tool just like advertising, direct, PR, online, etc.   If you are doing those things, continue to do them and then add social media and marketing into the mix.

One thing that has struck me recently is the rush for some businesses/organizations to get involved with social media, get ramped up, get engaged for a few months and then stop.  When the next communications push comes along, they then forget to use the social media engine they built as part of that next push.

Please don’t forget to use the social media equity you have built.  It is extremely valuable and not just a one-time shtick.  Like I said before, social media and marketing is a tool that once built should be used again and again.

Blogger vs. Journalist

Thanks to all the folks (all two of them ) who have inquired about my blog and why I haven’t posted for a while.  Just needed a bit of a mental health break to recharge the batteries and get myself going again.

I have been debating the subject of my “return” post and then stumbled on this article from FastCompany.com today.

In a nutshell it uses Technorati’s regular “state of the blogosphere” survey to unearth the latest stats on bloggers, who they are, how much they earn, etc.  All to try the answer the question that we at THP and others in the PR industry are constantly struggling with, “What is the difference between a blogger and a journalist?”

So many people may say, why should I care?  For a PR pro there are many reasons:

- What are the rules of engagement?  Bloggers want to be pitched and treated like journalists no matter what their sphere of influence is.  Do they deserve that right?

- Bloggers can say pretty much whatever they want to say without the normal journalistic “check and balance.”  Who is holding them accountable?

- In some cases, the old media “pay to play” trick (you pay and we will mention or give a favorable review to your client/product) is being used by bloggers.  Is this a good thing?

In the article Kit Eaton takes a swipe at trying to make a distinction between bloggers as those who write online in a self-absorbed manner and about minutiae, and an online journalist as someone who acts more…like…well…a journalist.

As a PR pro my experience with that so far is, if only were it that easy for us to tell the difference.  In many cases, some of those who fall into the category of bloggers as described by Eaton want to be considered in the same breath as say well-known bloggers like environmental blogger/journalist Andy Revkin of the New York Times’ Dot Earth.   Believe me it happens.  I live this new-found reality as a PR person every day.

I wish the line could be drawn that clearly.  Until then we will all struggle with this vague world of online journalism that is still learning to police itself.  It has better do that, before the government (FTC, Supreme Court) feel compelled to step in.

Thoughts?

Social media as the media relations amplifier

So every September we are fortunate enough to help the Heinz Family Foundation release the Heinz Awards.  We have a long-standing relationship with the Foundation and have helped raise the stature of the Awards over the years though national media relations.

This year our media targets were some of the same, The New York Times, USA Today, NPR, etc.  In addition, we focus on the local markets of the recipients, their school and trade affiliations etc.

In the past, our success was primarily judged by the standard media relations measurement stats — impressions.

This year, the game changed dramatically mainly because of the growth of social media in the past year.  Here’s why:

• Much of the media we pitch to with some exceptions have moved from print to online.  The focus of the Awards this year was environmental reporters.  Most of the high-level targets while still writing for print outlets are featured more prominently in blogs where they have more time and space to tell their stories.  Case in point, the stories written by Bryan Walsh of Time.com and Beth Weise of USAToday.com.

 

• The use of Twitter and Facebook by the media themselves to promote their stories.  Once written, most news outlets now post and tweet their stories to their social media audiences.  This is not only the big boys, but the countless trade publication, college and university sites, bloggers, etc. who promote their stories through social media platforms. 

 

• The viral nature of these platforms then go into warp-speed action has friends, colleagues and those who admired the recipients’ work, then re-post and re-tweet the good news to all their friends, fans and followers.  This is where the magic really happens and the news is spread geometrically in ways that media relations folks can only dream about.

 

• Finally in true social media fashion the surprising things happen.  In our case, Chip Giller of Grist, one of the recipients, and his staff produce a short, irreverent video thanking the Heinz Awards folks for the Award.  That video also spreads virally and the magic happens all over again.

 

So the question for the media relations pro is how do you “count” all the success.  Frankly, I’m tempted to count the followers for all the folks who tweeted and re-tweeted in a way similar to counting standard media impressions.  But the social media soul inside of me knows that those numbers would only be scratching the surface.  Other than copying and pasting the tweets into a series of emails for my client to see, it is hard to quantify the total reach.

However for a brand that through the years has struggled to be relevant especially with a younger audience, this level of social media activity is success unto itself.  A week later the Awards are still be promoted and tweeted.

For media relations people these are good problems to have.  We always knew that social media can help amplify media relations success.  For me, this project amplifies how dramatically things have changed in the space of one year,

Would love to hear your thoughts on how to quantify social media “impressions” even beyond the use of services like Radian 6 and SM2.  Thanks.

Reinventing the network morning show

The recent announcement that Diane Sawyer will take Charlie Gibson’s seat on ABC’s “World News Tonight” not only has far reaching implications for the dying art that is network morning news, but also is sending a shutter through the “prime time” world that is morning television.

There was a time where the naming of a second female main anchor of a network nightly newscast would have been unthinkable.  But the real news here is not that Sawyer is joining Couric as one of the big three, but that “Good Morning America” is left with no obvious choice to succeed or as The New York Times reports, replace the heart and soul that Sawyer has provided to the show.

Here is the great opportunity not only for ABC but for the future of news/infotainment on television.  Morning shows today are what evening network newscasts used to be for the “big three.”  They get the most viewers, create the most network brand equity with viewers and they are the shows that provide most viewers with the news of the day/news they can use.  They also are the BIG money makers for the networks.

They also are getting stale in their format and delivery.  As the Times piece points out, ABC now has the chance to “reinvent” the morning show.  I for one urge them to embrace the future and not the past.  They need to take a hard look at incorporating social media platforms as a way to include their viewers in ways even forward media thinkers like CNN and others are not doing.

It is time to engage their viewers in active conversation instead of just talking at them in the morning,  That is reinvention.  Anything else would be a disappointment.

It’s a “CRISIS!” Now what?

In the aftermath of what is becoming a nationally-known story here locally in Richmond, many folks have come up to me over the last day or so both in person and on social media platforms wanting my opinion over the handling of this particular case.

It is never fair for those on the outside of such a situation to comment or criticize.  Instead, let me share some thoughts and some of the “standard” ways we approach things at our office:

• In this new online/social media world it is more important than ever to react and respond quickly.  The news cycles are now compressed with online media now driving competition more than ever before.
• The longer you wait to respond or reveal, the more it looks like you have something to hide.  It is better to react and to “break” the bad news yourself than to be discovered by the media. 
• We’re big fans of the “written statement” first as opposed to making people available for in-person or on-camera interviews.  That way you can control what you do and don’t say.
• If you happen to have a blog, use it.  It is a great place to state your case and get instant feedback.
• More important than anything else, be truthful.  And if appropriate, be apologetic.  They are both obviously very important in the court of public opinion.

I probably missed some things along the way, so please chime in.

How far PR has come…

WARNING:  This is one of those gratuitous, self-promotion posts about the great work everyone has been doing at THP on behalf of our clients.  It does make a general point about our industry, but if you are disgusted by PR firms that talk about themselves, please change the channel.

If late last year anyone told me that we’d be breaking major news for a client primarily through Twitter or that a major recording artist would be re-tweeting our tweets on behalf of a client, I would have gone….”Tweet…wha???”

This week, those events were happening simultaneously and it tells you not only where our business at THP is going but also where I think the business of PR is headed.

For Virginia’s Community Colleges, we hosted an “Evening at Morton’s” (another client, BTW) where they along with other Virginia education heavy hitters announced the expansion of the Virginia Education Wizard from a tool for community colleges to one that will help students from elementary school through college.

Instead of holding a standard news conference and praying the media would show up, we hosted the key players over a steak dinner and broadcast their announcement and conversation over Twitter.  We also shot video, blogged about it and plan on placing this content on other social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.

Given the fact that we already created a built-in audience for #steakchat (the Evening at Morton’s #hashtag) by previously hosting similar online events, there was considerable built-in buzz and audience.  We also promoted the “special edition #steakchat” on Twitter for a day or so before the dinner.  The event was very successful and if not for a Twitter meltdown during the dinner, the audience and interaction would have been even greater.  The client is interested in a possible series of similar events and we are already conspiring.

From Richmond to the small town of Stephenville, TX, where a crowd of 300 people are listening to the latest lullabys

Sidestage of singer/songwriter Jewel, as she entertains in her hometown of Stephenville, TX

from singer/songwriter Jewel.  Stephenville, Jewel’s hometown, has been the focus of a program for Richmond-based Carpenter Co.  The “Sleep Better….Dream Bigger” campaign is designed to drive people to www.sleepbetter.org. 

At its core is a blog called “Stephenville Dreams” focusing on the dreams of a small town and whether big dreams are still achievable in the current day.  The blog, written by G.D. Gearino, and its accompanying promotion on Twitter and Facebook has been overwhelmingly successful in driving that site traffic.  It doesn’t hurt when Jewel http://twitter.com/jeweljk) herself, re-tweets blog posts and the web address consistently even though that was not part of her agreement with Carpenter.

These social media tools where married with classic PR tactics like the concert (culminating thank you event) and a 36-interview satellite media tour with Jewel (Jewel has been tweeting between interviews). 

The point of all this (besides flagrant self promotion?)? 

The lines between PR and social media have become so blurred they are like the lines of a major league baseball batter’s box after about the third inning (for non-baseball fans, the batter’s box lines cease to exist).

This is how far PR has come in the new age of social media.  They have become an intergral part of one another.

And again and perhaps selfishly I think that PR firms are in the best position to take full advantage of this brave new world.  I think these recent examples prove my case.  What do you think?

Facebook acquires FriendFeed. Don’t get too comfy.

A quick post on today’s acquisition of FriendFeed by Facebook.  Here’s a good rundown from Mashable.

It’s another lesson in something that we’ve been preaching to friends and clients.  Don’t get too comfortable with or rely on just one social media platform.  The only thing certain in this world is change and the world of social media is no different.

You need to spread the wealth and do research on a number of platforms and pick the ones — not the one — that are right for you and your business.

Cliche alert:  If you put all your eggs in one basket…..fill in the rest.

Thanks to all…

Despite the urging of some (Jeff Kelley has a slightly warped sense of humor but those of us in Richmond already knew that.  See: Tobacco Avenue), I will not make this post about social media and grieving.

I will however depart from the usual blog subject matter to thank everyone who sent wishes, prayers, condolences and deli platters (it’s a Jewish thing) on the passing of my father.  I know there are likely some who might have been put off by my recent updates on Facebook and Twitter but I can’t tell you how gratified I was by the wishes of relatives and friends, some of whom remembered my dad all the way back to my grammar school days.  It is a direct way to communicate even the worst of news and receive a direct response.

The coming days will not be easy.  For those who have had a similar loss in their lives, I now understand.  For those who haven’t, the best way to explain it is that I feel that I’ve lost my safety net in life.  It was always good to know he was there just in case I faltered.

Finally, thanks to Josh and the folks at THP who thrived while I was out.  I promise not to get in your way in the coming weeks.