PR And The Blogosphere: A Short Guide To Success

As a PR practitioner who spends most of his life in the digital world, I can’t help but notice the mistakes of others in the industry who sometimes give the rest of us a bad name.
 

Ignorance is no excuse, and PR people need to treat bloggers and web publishers with the same respect as they would their print counterparts. If anything, I’d argue they need to treat these people with even more respect, because as time moves forward and deeper niches are drawn out in the media industry, having those key bloggers as allies can be vital for your success.

The PRs world is buzzing about blogs (and has been for quite some time). All the glossy trades have articles talking about campaigns, case studies and statistics; companies and firms are vying for blogger’s attentions, and the interaction and experimentation in the blogosphere is well underway.

New media sounds fresh and exciting (it is), and everyone wants to get involved. It is dangerous, however to dive right into the blogosphere without knowing what you’re getting into. In this space, anything you do can (and usually will) be exposed, so don’t send out anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable published publicly for the entire world to see. If you pitch a blogger, for instance, don’t be surprised to see that he or she has posted your entire pitch (potentially along with your email address) for the world to see.

Realize that most bloggers aren’t blogging for the money. Most keep a blog purely for the passion of their subject matter. And, even the ones who are making money blogging still realize that they could easily lose their audiences they have worked tirelessly to build up over the years if they publish material that isn’t ultra-compelling for their users. Don’t think that just because you have found a popular blog on your client’s subject that it’s going to be easy –just the contrary.

Most (but not all) blogs also skew towards the younger demographic, and many of them are not journalists by trade (although many journalists do keep blogs now too). If they aren’t already fans of the brand, they may be weary of your news, or even of someone just directly reaching out to them altogether. It may be an entirely new experience for them.

Get in the mix
 
The only way you will ever fully comprehend the blogosphere is to jump right in. As I mentioned before, every marketer and PR professional should have a blog. It’s beneficial on so many levels, you will:

• Get perspective on what it’s like to blog
• Understand what motivates bloggers
• Document your professional expertise
• Create a strong personal brand and a standout resume (yes, your blog can act as a resume – one that potentially gives you the edge over someone else)
• Learn a little code
• Have an altogether learning and positive experience and perhaps even make some new friends

If you’re unwilling to take this step, then it may be wiser to leave the blog

outreach to someone else.

Subscribe, read (daily), learn and follow the trends
 
If you desire success online for any degree of time, you have to realize that the web is the fastest changing system ever known to humanity. Trends, flavors, people, topics, music all come and go so fast, you need to really have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening if you’re going to stay ahead of the curve. Some ways to get started:

• Read Digg and Reddit and StumbeUpon
• Subscribe to blogs you want to get on – and read them…even the comments
• Subscribe to Techno//Marketer, Strategic Public Relations, and other marketing / PR blogs (these are just two fantastic samples, there are many – find the ones which speak to you);
• Have Google Alerts setup for the topics of your choice (industries you’re in, your clients, etc.)
• Have Google Alerts setup for your competitors
• Read BoingBoing and other Technorati Top 100 blogs
• Have your own Facebook and MySpace pages
• Mess around with Twitter and other popular web services
• Subscribe to the trade publications (ie, MediaPost, which is actually free)

Ditch the press release…at least for now
There are cases a blogger does want your press release. If you’re Apple, for example and about to release a new, revolutionary product – go ahead and send Engadget your release. It’s compelling for their users. It’s a direct fit, and something their readers are already raving fans of.

But what if you’re a company they haven’t heard of? Yes, you could just send them your press release, but that’s a better chance you’re lost in the shuffle of the thousands of emails they’re getting daily. If you’ve been reading their blog, you probably have a strong sense of what they write on, their tone, what they might cover and what they won’t cover. If you’ve been commenting on their blog (you should be) they may already even know your name.

Opening the doors of communication with a friendly email saying you’ve been enjoying their content is something appreciated, especially if you are in the blogosphere too and can share your content with them. Connect with them, and they may want to help you. Give them something you know their readers want, something that ties into their passion. If you’re passionate about it too (you should be), it will be obvious and it will create a smooth interaction. They may even ask for a press release later on with the full details – permission marketing in full effect.

A tailored approach is desired, and the blogger will appreciate it. Write it in their tone of voice, give them images and video (if you know they’ll want it), let them know this is unique for them, and you really think this would be a great fit. If you’ve been reading their blog, what you’re sending should be.

Tips for pitching bloggers:

• Read their blog daily, subscribe to their feed, comment
• Get creative, give them something they haven’t seen
• Always be prepared to see your pitch verbatim, in public
• Don’t just send your press release unless it’s really on beat, or you know that the blogger runs press releases
• Have compelling images and compelling copy
• Give a popular blogger an exclusive – even before mainstream media. The story, if exciting enough, could end up on the front page of Digg
• Treat them with respect, take your time, and be sure what you’re sending is on beat
• Respond to their comments directly and promptly, as bloggers move onto new things quickly. If you’re not quick, you may lose the story.
• Use services like YouTube to offer video along with your information. It’s an easy, quick way a blogger could embed content to go along with a post.

It’s an exciting space to be in, and with proper time, effort and creativity you can create positive buzz in this space. Bloggers and their readers are some of the most vocal people on the planet, and are clearly setting the trend for culture online. Success here is possible only if you take the time to learn, interact and contribute in ways which make everyone content.




Source: http://thefuturebuzz.com/2008/01/23/pr-and-the-blogosphere-a-short-guide-to-success/

Writing in school used to suck, and now, I want to be an educator

I am in an inspired mood for some apparent reason, and for some reason, I find myself reflecting my educational growth as student. As finals week is approaching quickly, I am alarmed that I would have one year’s worth of my degree. In fact, Monday will be the start of a week long journey of finals, and the birth of vigorous coffee drinking. In reality, I suppose late night, early rising, all-nighters might be an exaggeration to the truth of finals week, but I must say that we might appear to be underneath the pressure of last minute changes to a paper. Whatever the case may be, finals week is surely not the same fashion as a weekly ritual for a college student. What is the meaning for college? I mean, can going to classes, study your ass off, and graciously buzz through a three section test for about four years to say that you are qualified enough to work for a higher paying job? All of these types of questions used to swim in head, but now they do not because I find meaning and purpose in the academic lifestyle. I suppose each person is different, but as for me, I am excited about learning and growing academically. Can the building excitement for education inspire us?
 
What inspires us? How can the college lifestyle allow us to become inspired? I think for the most part, at least for me, inspiration comes from hard work. I love the quote from one of my professor’s door. The quote from Jim Fay, “Building self-respect comes from struggle and achievement, not from being made comfortable.” is truly something I really agree with because I can totally relate to my own struggles and achievements in the academic spectrum. But, in my other personal experiences, I can safely say that I experience various physical and cognitive disabilities that render my work a tidbit harder compared to if I did not experience the firsthand disabilities. With or without disabilities, hard work is hard work that creates self-respect. The first time I attended college, the quote aforementioned was hanging on the professor’s door, and used to think differently about it. I used to think that my self-respect needed to come from my educators and peers, but of course, I think differently about it now. Self-respect needs to come from the inside of us. People get to choice what formulates as hard work. The moment we start setting and achieving harder goals for ourselves is the moment we begin the process of having self-respect. Once we create and build our self-respect, I believe that it could be a harnessing tool to be inspired.

With that said, I am inspired because I have worked hard to be where I am now. With my language mechanics department in part of my cogitative disabilities, I used to agonize over the thought of writing, grammar, punctuation, and writing structures because I failed many, many, many times to the point of giving up. The giving up part started at a young age right after my accident, and I was constantly informed that my brain was damaged. Although, my educators and my parents under no circumstances told me that I would never achieve the normal excellence of a writer, I found other methods of communication to be much easier than to find ways to write properly. Before graduating high school, I maintained only an excellence of third grade writing level, and fifth grade reading level. I hid from my poor language skills through the invention of a word processor. I went to college for the first time to only to have the attitude of a “pricked-up-know-it-all” because I knew a few HTML codes. Short story of that – I flunked college and had to find other way to go about my life. Fast forward five years, and I ended up where I left off.
My first semester back, I enrolled for a developmental English course, where I would learn the very basis of English formality. I took the class very seriously, and allowed my English professors to perform open brain surgery on me. Once in my life, I rewarded myself with small but important steps to becoming a better writer. Once in my life, English writing made sense to me. Once in my life, I understand the importance of academic writing. All of these, “Aha” moments tie into the works of communication, and of course, I seek communication, knowledge, growth, and professionalism on a daily basis.

So how can these experiences make me desire to be become an educator? During of the course of this semester, my peers would come to me for assistance in our technology program courses. I enjoy helping students achieve success, and I always wondered why. I made the realization that the reason why I enjoy it is because I have empathy toward students. In essence, I was that lost student at one time, but today was different; I had one of my peers asked for my advice in a given subject. Can you guess the given subject? Yes! Writing – I felt honored because writing used to my weakest link, and of course, overcoming the struggles to be a lending hand in editing or advices surely gives me inspiration of what I am supposed to become. This post is a reminder for everyone to never ever give up! If you say you can’t or can-You are correct! I tell myself that I want to become an educator, but I have already realized, I am an educator and a student.



Source: http://www.digital-media-blog.com/blogging-bites/writing-in-school-used-to-suck-and-now-i-want-to-be-an-educator.html

11 ways to find your organisation’s go-forward strategy for 2013

News publishers that are open to an innovative, multi-media approach will be in the best position to grow their customer base this year.

Since I left Digital First Media in the third quarter of 2012, I have had the pleasure of working with a number of media companies in a consultative role, helping them define their go-forward strategy. It has been a very positive, eye-opening experience for me.

  I plan on using those lessons learned to help organisations of all sizes in my new role as vice president of interactive services for Affinity Express.
That being said, here are some thoughts to consider as you prepare yourself for 2013 and beyond:

1. The economics of the business are in a constant state of transition. The classified business has retracted to become a small minority of revenue for publishers, and the future of legals and pre-prints are in question now.
Publishers have to be ready to adapt their business to what their audience and advertisers want. I am in no way suggesting print will disappear, as I do not think that will be the case. But it will be a different business. I fear those who are unwilling to adapt may not survive.


2. There are a number of companies taking very innovative steps and trying new things. That is the best, most practical approach; if any one company had figured it out, everyone else would be copying the model.
   
   Seek out these innovators and find out what they are doing and how they are doing it.


3. At the core or your strategy, you have to sell advertisers things they want to buy.
   
   I believe those publishers that are constantly feeding the sales organisation new products and platforms, and are willing to find success through experimentation with a fail-fast mentality, will be the most successful.


4. I typically find the smaller the company, the more fluid and dynamic it can be. The digital agency concept is sweeping the publishing business, but few are fully committed to it.
   
   Companies need to start thinking about what they are today and envision what they will be tomorrow. Then build plans accordingly.
   
   You can’t be everything to everyone nor can you do everything yourself. To quote Jeff Jarvis, “Do what you do best and outsource the rest.”


5. Small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are dedicating a significant part of their overall expense budgets (not just marketing) to building out dynamic solutions and customer acquisition models online.
   
   Those publishers offering Web site design and development, coupled with search engine optimisation, pay-per-click, maps, and social solutions are able to get in front of virtually any business.
   
   And this is what SMBs want to talk about first. You can then layer on additional marketing opportunities across all platforms. But they need this foundation.


6. The more comprehensive the offerings, the better they are for SMBs when it comes to time, price, and relationship. Spreading money across multiple companies doesn’t allow them to properly leverage their total marketing spend to get the best possible pricing.
   
   Plus, publishers that can look to offer more than just one or two platforms will find the relationship with the SMBs will be richer and longer-lasting.


7. Multi-media publishers have the single most important advantage: an established, in-market sales force with existing relationships and a local brand. This above anything else distinguishes them from any pure-play competitor.


8. You have to think in terms of total audience as opposed to individual segments. The reach of a local publisher is greater than it has ever been when you combine print, online, mobile, and social channels.
   
   Offering a collective solution with robust targeting capabilities is a huge opportunity.


9. You need to take action. Stop talking about what you want to do and stop discussing what you can’t do. Focus on what you can and will do.
   
   Hire specialists to work with the existing sales staff who also will cultivate new business on their own. Remove complacency from the current sales organisation and look to serve the market as a whole.
   
   Stop constricting yourself by what you don’t know.


10. You walk a fine line between being aggressive and driving change, and taxing the bandwidth of the local sales organisation.
    
    I think you can fit only so much on one plate, and it takes time for things to really click. Make sure you have proper support functions in place so salespeople can sell.


11. You can build the best solution, create the best marketing material, have the best training, and sell the hell out of it. But if you cannot fulfill it, you will fail.
    
    Be overly prepared to support the sales effort and partner with companies that are strong where you are weak.

I hope, at the very minimum, this sparks conversation within your organisation. You may agree or disagree with the points above, but there should be internal discussion and debate around these topics.




Source: http://www.inma.org/blogs/integrated-advertising-sales/post.cfm/11-ways-to-find-your-organisation-s-go-forward-strategy-for-2013