Trevor Young | PR Warrior blog | Where PR meets social media meets content marketing

The Rise, Rise (and Rise) of the Opinion Cycle

Day two of the Public Relations Institute of Australia's PR Directions conference kicked off with an in-your-face presentation by the former senior press secretary to PM Kevin Rudd, Lachlan Harris (pictured).

Harris's presentation - When your communication gets into a spin – the battle of policy vs populism - focused on "the rise and rise and rise of the opinion cycle" and why it has become more important than the news cycle.

Harris has examined the changes in the media over the past five years. His conclusion?

“Opinion happened”

He says: "Opinion has always been a big part of the media but never like it is now."

Harris contends the media industry, which has until recent years been driven by the traditional news cycle, has given way to the cycle of opinion (which includes tweets, blogs, talkback radio etc).

As far as the Australian media industry is concerned, “the apprentice has become the master – opinion reigns supreme”.

This in turn has resulted in "massive fundamental change" to the political landscape.

The rise of opinion is new and it’s fundamentally changing the way politics runs, he says.

News and opinion are intertwined but opinion cycle is "slowly smothering the news cycle".

Tweets, comments, blogs, email, talkback - collectively - are now more important and influential than the news story.

According to Harris, the difference between news and opinion is simple:

News is a flow of information that depends on facts, opinion is a flow of information that depends on argument.

“Opinion is a fundamentally different proposition to news”

 So much of the information we’re exposed to in politics has little to do with facts.

Facts don’t matter, arguments do, he says.

According to Harris, five years ago Kerry O’Brien was the most influential media figure in Australia; today it’s Andrew Bolt (because he has a talent for provoking debate).

WHY IS THE MEDIA OBSESSED WITH OPINION?

“Opinion is cheaper than fact” – it's much easier to fill a page of opinion versus the volume of output required for fact-based reportage which requires a team of journalists.

Opinion is a lot easier to package for readers, listeners and viewers.  If you give an opinion, you can’t be disproved.

“It’s much, much harder to establish fact.”

But there are consequences associated with the rise of opinion: “We have developed a lot more divisive political culture”.

“Hyper-negative, super critical” opinion is coming from the community, says Harris.

This negativity is not just confined to the politicians – sports people and artists etc cop it too.

“Opinion is driving us into a very negative place.

“Stories that divide community opinion don’t get churned and burned in the news cycle but slowly roasted in the opinion cycle.”

Harris outlined several tips for the audience largely made up of PR types:

• “Adjust your radar, look for ‘faultlines’” – whereas you used to assess media opportunities on the facts, you've now got to pick up on ‘faultlines’ … need to understand how your story is going to drive debate…how are people going to react to it emotionally, and how are they going to develop an argument around that?

• If you want to argue for change (not just political), you HAVE to be prepared for negative criticism.

• Stories don’t ever, ever, ever go away - "the wisdom of the crowd is driving these stories on and on and on".

• News judgment is being overwhelmed by the wisdom of the crowd - “We need to adjust our timelines”.

Harris sums up: “The media is now a rougher and tougher game” than ever before.

However, he suggests there may be a swing back to the appreciation of fact-based news. Eventually…

The PR Warrior's View?

A lot of what Harris says makes sense.

But Harris also comes from the hurly-burly of political spin doctoring. Participants in this space are often combative by nature and being reactive to circumstances is a daily occurrence. To them, negativity is very much a fact of life.

There must be something companies and individuals can do to offset the tide of negative opinion rather than merely bunker down through fear? What can be done in a 'positive sense' to (try to) redress the balance? Is everything really that bad out there?

I'm thinking being proactive is key. Always be out there telling your story (not just in times of crisis). Build your brand reputation through open engagement with the people who matter most the success of your business, cause or issue...ongoing. Connect directly with the marketplace rather than relying on the media filter.

Maybe the answer is to mix Lachlan Harris's hard-edged pragmatism and innate understanding of the media with Brian Solis, who kicked off the conference with a superb presentation about engaging with people in today's hyper-connected age.

It would make an interesting combo!

NOTE: My next post will be on Brian Solis's talk.

Challenges, Opportunities and the Future of PR

I recently participated in a series of short films produced by the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) under the banner Broadcast PR.

Below are two of four short videos I featured in. They can be found on the PRIA's blog along with interviews with several other profiled PR practitioners including Ros Weadman and Lelde McCoy.

What are the main challenges and opportunities you balance in your role or that you see in the communications profession today?

 

How do you see the PR industry developing and changing in the future?

 

Links to the original PRIA blog posts:

Part 1 - From journalist to PR professional

Part 2 - Most memorable experiences in the industry

Part 3 - Pushing the boundaries of what PR can achieve

Part 4 - The future of the PR Industry

 

Smart Company Announces its Best 25 Biz Blogs

 
The other day Smart Company announced what it considers to be the 25 best business blogs in Australia.

I'm pleased to say PR Warrior was among those named, as were the efforts of a number of local bloggers whom I admire (and read regularly), including Craig Pearce, Valerie Khoo, Darren Rowse, Steve Sammartino, Gavin Heaton and Ross Dawson.

Four Years of Blogging

I've been blogging consistently for four years (click here to find out what I've learnt in that time) and I can say hand on heart it's been one of the most rewarding things I've done in a creative sense.

Professionally it has helped me to hone my thinking in the PR/marketing/social media space as well as give me a platform from which I can regularly share and discuss with others my thoughts and ideas.

If you're interested in starting a blog that focuses on your business or vocation, I can highly recommend it!

Thanks to everyone who has reads this blog, makes comments or shares links - your ongoing support is much appreciated :)

Read the full article here.

Want more? Listen to what best-selling business author Tom Peters says in this video interview about the importance of blogging in a professional sense.

Four Important Things I Have Learned in Four Years of Blogging

The PR Warrior turned four last month. 

Boiled down, that's over 365 posts (roughly eight a month for four years) and 640+ comments from readers.

When I first started blogging in 2007, it was to experience one of the 'wonders of the new media landscape' in an effort to better understand it and in turn be able to talk with a modicum of expertise with my clients in the PR space about what a blog was, how it worked and whether it was something they needed to worry about.

As it turned out, for me at least, blogging set me on a path that led all the way into the heart of the emerging social web, and I've been fully immersed ever since (which in turn has vastly increased my circle of friends and professional acquaintances).

So I can safely say, hand on heart, blogging has helped change my life in many significant ways.

So what have I learned in four years of blogging?

(i)    Blogging is best learnt by 'getting in the trenches'

I was reading and researching blogs (and the art of blogging) for a couple of years before I created PR Warrior. And you know what? I reckon I learned more in my first 4-6 weeks of writing a blog than I did in all that time researching.

While I think it's very important to do your research and become familiar with the space, nothing beats getting down and dirty in the trenches if you want to learn more about this blogging caper.

While you learn heaps about the technology side of things simply by doing it, for me it was the experience of going through the writing process that really resonated.

The fact you're putting yourself 'out there' on the world wide web for others to pat you on the back or potentially shoot you down in a hail of virtual bullets was a real learning experience but it really does ready you for life on the social web.

The PR Warrior in the blogging trenches

(ii)    Blogging forms an ideal 'base' for your personal brand

Whether you're an individual ('personal brand') or a company wanting to leverage your blog to build credibility and perhaps use as a lead generation tool, think of your blog as the 'beating heart' of your brand.

Most companies (indeed, many individuals nowadays) have their own dedicated website. However, many websites don't often change on a regular basis. A blog on the other hand is (should be) undergoing constant change in the form of fresh content (new posts, videos, podcasts etc) being added regularly.

This is important for a couple of reasons:

One, fresh content gives people a reason to return to your site - by having an opinion, sharing ideas and posing questions you are attracting people to your blog who otherwise wouldn't have a reason to check out your website on an ongoing basis.

Two, search engines love quality new content - if you want to figure in Google searches, then there are worse things you can do than have a vibrant blog presence (a second shopfront for your brand, as it were).

(iii)    Blogging helps you find your 'voice'

I love this gem by Tom Peters:

“My first post was in August of 2004 … no single thing in the last 15 years professionally has been more important to my life than blogging. It has changed my life, it has changed my perspective, it has changed my intellectual outlook, it’s changed my emotional outlook … it’s the best damn marketing tool by an order of magnitude I’ve ever had…and it’s free.”

What I take out of this terrific comment by Peters is the act of blogging can have a dramatic effect on one's outlook on life. It's not the blog per se but the act of thinking things through, forming an opinion about a particular subject and researching a topic with a view to publishing content on your blog.

If you're a subject matter expert, this process is incredibly important.

Sure, you might form those opinions as a matter of course in your work or as a result of following your passion (hobby) but there's nothing quite like pushing the 'Publish' button on your blog to bring clarity in terms of forming and expressing a view that is uniquely 'you'.

The PR Warrior has found his individual voice through blogging

(iv)    Blogging builds credibility and leads to interesting opportunities

It's no surprise that many (most?) avid bloggers are also highly connected on the social web - they're generally active on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ etc which in turn helps them to build their online presence and with it, their credibility in the respective space/s they operate in.

I've run my own consulting business for many years. I also speak professionally and collaborate with others on various projects that are of interest to me. My blog has acted as an efficient means of getting my thoughts out into the community as well as attracting attention to the fact I exist and have the ability to do interesting stuff.

Credibility + visibility = opportunity.

Here's an example of the opportunities that came my way during a recent two-week period. 

• Appeared on Channel Seven's Morning Show to comment on a story relating to Twitter and a court case in the UK.
• Participated in a video series for the PR industry's peak professional body, the PRIA.
• Invited to pitch on three new business leads in my role as a PR consultant.
• Presented at events run for small businesses by two Melbourne councils (and received an invitation for a third speaking engagement).
• Invited to attend a Business Chicks event featuring Sir Richard Branson.
• Received an interview opportunity with a business magazine.

Now I understand these opportunities weren't all directly due to my blog but PR Warrior has formed the backbone of my brand for many years and opportunities in the business world often come down to brand reputation.

It comes back down to having a voice and being prepared to put your opinion out there, to develop some degree of thought leadership by sparking conversation about topics that are of interest to you and that you're passionate about, whether professionally or personally.

Bottom line: it's about becoming involved and blogging is a terrific way to do just that.

FURTHER READING:

• BlogHUB Australia - a sideline PR Warrior project that celebrates and promotes blogging (and bloggers) in Australia.
• Three Years on Twitter, What Have I Learned? (PR Warrior post).

Launched Today: BlogHUB - the Heart of Australia's Blogging Community

Blogging in Australia is on fire!

For years we’ve had growing pockets of blogging enthusiasts keeping the faith; today however, blogging in Australia has exploded from being somewhat of an ‘underground oddity’ into a mainstream phenomenon.

This example from this weekend's Herald Sun: Queens of the Blogosphere.

We have blogs about parenting and family life; marketing, PR, law and business; media and entertainment; art and craft; fashion, design and architecture; health and nutrition, technology, politics … not to mention seemingly hundreds of blogs dedicated to food, drink and lifestyle.

Central point online for bloggers

But, rightly or wrongly, I felt there was a need for a central point online for local bloggers - a site that promoted and celebrated blogging in this country. 

Enter BlogHUB – the heart of Australia’s blogging community - a new blog/website launched today by the PR Warrior!

Check it out here. I would be interested in your feedback, and if you're wanting to get involved, please do let me know :)

BlogHUB is also on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The top 50 marketing blogs in Australia

To mark the launch of its new proprietary tool BlogLevel, PR firm Edelman Australia collated a list of the top 50 marketing blogs in the country.

BlogLevel was developed by Edelman for measuring a blog’s influence, popularity, engagement and trust.

The PR Warrior is chuffed he squeezed into the top 20:)

{Disclosure: I work in a strategic role for Edelman Australia}.

	Blog Name Score	Influence Score	Popularity Score	Engagement Score	Trust Score
1	Digital Buzz Blog	80.8	83.8	82.8	83.8
2	The Inspiration Room	71.2	71.2	65.6	70.1
3	Banner Blog V2	69	67.8	64.5	66.7
4	mUmBRELLA	66.7	66.7	63.3	69
5	Campaign Brief	65.6	65.6	61	66.7
6	Brand DNA	59.9	59.9	54	59.9
7	Servant of Chaos	58.7	61	58.7	61
8	Social Network	57.6	58.7	52.9	56.4
9	Personalize Media	56.4	58.7	55.2	56.4
10	Amnesia blog	56.4	57.6	55.2	57.6
11	B&T	56.4	59.9	52.9	59.9
12	Better Communication	56.4	55.2	49.3	55.2
13	Adspace Pioneers	54	55.2	54	54
14	youngie	54	50.5	52.9	50.5
15	Young PR	54	51.7	46.9	49.3
16	Online Marketing Banter	51.7	54	45.7	50.5
17	Media Hunter	50.5	54	51.7	54
18	Consumer Psychologist	49.3	46.9	38.5	45.7
19	A Digital Perspective	49.3	50.5	45.7	49.3
20	PR Warrior	49.3	49.3	46.9	48.1
21	Trevor Cook	48.1	46.9	34.8	45.7
22	The Whistling Duck	46.9	46.9	42.1	46.9
23	threebillion.com	46.9	49.3	40.9	49.3
24	Way Cool Jnr	46.9	48.1	45.7	46.9
25	Pigs Don’t Fly	45.7	46.9	42.1	45.7
26	MatthewGain.com	45.7	48.1	43.3	45.7
27	Untwisted Vortex	45.7	46.9	42.1	46.9
28	Datarati Actionable Insights	44.5	46.9	42.1	48.1
29	acidlabs	43.3	40.9	32.4	38.5
30	Publicis Digital	43.3	42.1	38.5	40.9
31	Dan Pankraz Vs Youth	42.1	43.3	37.3	43.3
32	Marketing Mag	42.1	43.3	27.5	39.7
33	PR Disasters	42.1	40.9	33.6	39.7
34	Tim Longhurst’s Blog	42.1	40.9	37.3	39.7
35	the gloo.	42.1	42.1	37.3	40.9
36	Tailored Web Services	40.9	40.9	31.2	39.7
37	Get Shouty	40.9	37.3	32.4	36.1
38	Sticky	40.9	45.7	37.3	40.9
39	Marketingeasy	39.7	43.3	39.7	42.1
40	Talking Digital	39.7	37.3	38.5	37.3
41	Arrow Internet Marketing	38.5	40.9	33.6	37.3
42	Frontiering Talk	37.3	37.3	33.6	36.1
43	Who’s in control of your	36.1	34.8	29.9	32.4
44	Shifted Pixels	34.8	32.4	25	28.7
45	Matt Granfield.com	34.8	33.6	31.2	32.4
46	Free Beer	34.8	37.3	32.4	34.8
47	eicolab	33.6	32.4	28.7	33.6
48	AdNews	32.4	38.5	15.1	29.9
49	Dominique Hind’s Coll	32.4	31.2	32.4	32.4
50	Creativity in PR	32.4	31.2	31.2	29.9

To find out how your blog scores, or to see the BlogLevel for other blogs visit www.bloglevel.com.

 

COMING SOON: BlogHUB Australia

A quick heads-up about a sideline project I've been beetling away at over the past few months and which is getting oh-so-close (famous last words!) to fruition.

It's called BlogHUB Australia (web address is www.bloghub.com.au - not live as yet).

I've (somewhat grandiosely) pitched BlogHUB as the heart of Australia’s blogging community.

It will be the online destination not only for Australia’s rapidly growing cadre of passionate bloggers but also for those interested in experiencing what blogs have to offer as well as learning more about the people behind them.

In short it's all about celebrating and promoting blogging in Australia.

Expect a launch announcement in about two weeks' time :)

In the meantime, would love for you to follow BlogHUB on Twitter (@bloghuboz) and/or 'like' us on Facebook.

 

Which Posts Best Typify the PR Warrior Blog?

I was asked the other day which posts I felt typified the PR Warrior blog.

As I trawled the archives, a number of posts stood out more than others - not sure why, maybe I just enjoyed writing them and it showed because they (generally) struck a chord with readers.

Here they are - hope you get as much from reading them as I did writing them :)

• Heartfelt Blog Posts Provide Counterpoint to Hartigan Rant

• 8 Things I'd Do If I Was Starting Out in PR Today

• Marketing and Pancakes

• Three Years on Twitter, What Have I Learned?

• Dear Laura, Here Are Some Answers for Your PR Research Report

• How (and Why) I Squeeze Posterous Into My Day!

• Greetings From LA - Which Brands Get 'It'

The PR Warrior Goes Global (Video Interview)

I caught up with one of Australia's up-and-coming young PR stars Jamie Garantziotis (@JGarant) the other day to record a piece for US-based PublicRelationsTV, an initiative by another emerging young gun, Harrison Kratz.

(What's with all this young PR talent? Hmmm. Maybe the PR Warrior's black balaclava is starting to show a bit of grey?).

Jamie G and I spent some quality time shooting the breeze ("Shooting the fish" - spoken by Mel Gibson in which film rock stars?) about all things PR and social media. The results may well astound you (or not)!

Anyway, here for your instant global gratification is THE interview ... in two parts 'cos I tend to ramble on a bit :)

Check out the Kratzman's PublicRelationsTV YouTube channel here.

I recommend Harrison's interview with Deirdre Breakenridge (part one, part two). Deirdre has written a couple of great books (including 'Putting the Public Back in Public Relations' with Brian Solis) - check it out!

Oh ... if you want to keep up with the PR Warrior's stream of awesomeness (or mawkishness, depends on how you look at it!) - please subscribe via RSS on this blog or, for a broader take on PR Warriordom, you might want to consider liking the Facebook page :)