The PR Warrior

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

I'm declaring my love right here, right now, for Posterous. Just sayin'.

While I'm not generally prone to making sweeping statements about 'the next big thing' when it comes to new media, I reckon Posterous has a pretty bright future.

I'm reasonably active on Posterous (interestingly, I didn't really have as slow a start with it as I did with Twitter).

Given I blog regularly here (obviously!), here and here, I tweet quite often and regularly update my LinkedIn page (and to a much lesser extent Facebook) - do I need Posterous in my life right now?

I guess I don't. Not really. But as someone who is constantly immersed in social media as part of their day-to-day gig as a public relations consultant, I signed up with Posterous in the first instance to see what the fuss was all about and to ascertain if the platform had any relevance for my clients (or could be used in my talks or presentations).

And you know what? Now I'm hooked.

Posterous fits neatly between blogging and tweeting. End of story.

Sometimes I have relevant relevant information or stories to share - I've just checked out an interesting video or seen a great photo or image. I could tweet about it but it may get a bit lost in the Twitter stream, and damn it, sometimes 140 characters just isn't enough!

But maybe it's not worth going to the trouble of blogging. 

A-ha! Posterous!

Super-quick to post (just email to Posterous) and voila, within seconds it's online!

I've also set up Posterous so it automatically sends a link of my new post immediately to Twitter, so you get the benefit of additional exposure for your post. It can do likewise with a growing number of social media platforms.

This halfway measure between blog and Twitter makes Posterous a handy addition to the two social media 'bookends'.

The applications for Posterous from a communications perspective are endless.

It is great for events such as conferences where speakers and participants can build on, and bring to life, the content presented - for example, check out Marketing Now.

Or small businesses where people want to promote their brand but don't want the hassle of a blog or the demands of Twitter. 

And perfect for community groups and not-for-profit organisations where you need to get news (and videos and images) out fast in chunks bigger than 140 characters.

Check it out. You might be surprised!

See, I'm not the only one who thinks this way :) ... Damien Basile loves his Posterous as well!
 

Marketing Now Conference Mash-Up

I attended the Marketing Now conference in Melbourne this week. The event was organised by marketing and communications advisor, Siobhan Bulfin.

In true social media form, the conference was comprehensively tweeted (search under the #mktgnow hashtag) and blogged about by a range of participants. Here is the 'official' Posterous stream, courtesy of @Servantofchaos and others.

So for this post, I'm going to add a few bits and pieces that got my attention plus load you up with links - a bit of a mish-mash of stuff for the mind!

Speakers were Simon Young, Gavin Heaton, Laurel Papworth, David Armano, Jim Stewart, Darren Rowse and Stephen Johnson. They were all excellent, and each brought their own unique (and expert) perspective on marketing in today's social media age.

A HUGE hat-tip to the fabulous Yvonne Adele (@IdeasCulture) for the video interviews featured in this post - please check out Yvonne's YouTube channel.

Here are some points from Simon's presentation:

REVOLUTION = "The violent transfer of power and property in the name of an idea"

Meet 'Generation C' - not age-determinant but rather, based on shared digital experiences.

Blogging - the original social media - turns 10 in 2009.

Don't talk 'target audience' - use words like partners, fans, advocates.

LISTEN FIRST: be a consumer of content - then become a creator of content, a curator of content.

"As for the future, your task is not to foresee it but to enable it" - Antoine de Saint Exupery.

Southwest Airlines ---> even the engineers tweet!

Social media monitoring: look at using Google Alerts, Twitter Search and Social Mention.

Why should you listen to online conversations? Ensure relevancy, create leads, build relationships, support advocates, correct misinformation, spot opportunities and problems.

"Social media is not a campaign, it's a commitment" - Scott Monty, Ford.

If you want complete control, your circle of influence will be limited.

"Wake Me When the Data is Over" = good book on corporate story-telling.

Here are some points from Gavin's presentation:

The challenge = to constantly maintain and invigorate our online communities.

Six impacts of social media:

1. industry/subject experts coming under pressure from 'new voices';
2. emergence of new organisations such as Social Media Club;
3. social and legal norms;
4. multiple identities;
5. new forms of language;
6. educators being pressured to prepare students for the new world.

DUNBAR NUMBER = 150 (i.e. the maximum number of people with whom you can have ongoing relationships).

SOCIAL OBJECT = emotional context around which your story can be told.

AUCHTERLONIE EFFECT = the way of understanding the story behind the social object.

Online drives offline!

Share the message but 'own the destination'.

The new B2C = brand-to-community.

You are what you Google!

"Pungent granularity" = REALLY knowing your customers! (Walking a mile in their shoes).

Amplification vs shouting ---> there is a difference!

It's not about influence, it's about trust.

Participation + trust are intertwined.

Trust is the currency of the social web.

Here are some points from David's presentation:

"We're in the network economy" (currency = being connected).

"Get out of the spotlight!" - brand as facilitator (brands can help facilitate online conversations - for example, Best Buy IdeaX and Pampers Village).

Networks are fuelled by people's self-interest, and then tapping in to others...brands can benefit by putting these individuals on a pedestal ('MEconomics).

There is "intrinsic value in participation".

Beware of 'brand sorcery' (gobblygook brand speak).

''Corporate tone deafness' = not listening! A big no-no!

INTERACTIVE MARKETING = human-to-technology interactions; SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING = human-to-human interactions.

Building an online community: seeding, feeding and weeding!

When establishing an online community, be prepared for ALL types:

• legitimate complainers;
• competitors;
• engaged critics;
• flamers ("stirring the pot");
• troublemakers ("taking things to the next level")

Building blocks of a digital experience:

1. Useful (e.g. Craig's List)
2. Usable (e.g. Posterous)
3. Desirable (e.g. Apple)
4. Sustainable (e.g. Twitter)
5. Social (shareable, open, distributed, dynamic, collective).

On The Web, You Are What You Publish!

Leading business book author David Meerman Scott hit Australian shores last week for a whirlwind tour which included a guest spot at Social Media Club Sydney and a Social Media Masterclass in Melbourne.

I attended the masterclass event. WOW! You've got to hand it to anyone who can hold an audience for some 6+ hours as David did, plus socialise with participants for some time after that.

The session pretty much covered the expanse of content from David's two best-selling books - World Wide Rave and The New Rules of Marketing and PR. It was a highly practical session jam-packed with scores of examples and, although I've read a lot of David's work, it was great to immerse in and focus on social media from a PR and marketing perspective for such an intense period of time.

I think the secret to truly understanding social media is being able to 'join the dots'.

Social media is such a disparate beast, full of shiny new tools and tactics that people tend to get hung up on. To be able to see the bigger picture - both from a technological and societal point of view - and then integrate into an existing communications program is when a brand will truly experience the power and simplicity of what social media has to offer.

David dropped plenty of gems during the masterclass, but a couple of points stand out for me:

In order for a brand to gain attention, it can either:

• BUY IT - i.e. traditional advertising
• BEG FOR IT - i.e. media relations and editorial publicity
• BUG PEOPLE FOR IT - i.e. direct methods such as call centre activity.

Or, he says...

"You can earn attention by publishing your way in."

ON THE WEB, YOU ARE WHAT YOU PUBLISH. Make your brand stand out by producing remarkable content so that people come looking for you!

David's trip has been well covered by blogs locally. Here are some links I highly recommend you check out if you want to get a better handle on David and the new rules of marketing and PR:

The Week That Was With David Meerman Scott (by Jennifer Frahm, who organised the tour)

Dear Rupert, I Think I Want to Break Up (excellent piece by Karalee Evans)

The Power of Twitter: How a Tweet Led to a Week in Australia (David Meerman Scott's take)

Also worth checking out is the Twitter back channel populated by prolific tweeps @Karalee_ and @IdeasCulture - some great nuggets of information plus links etc (under the #SMOMMC hashtag).

* PHOTO: a panel was formed to round off the David Meerman Scott Masterclass; from left, David Meerman Scott, Kate Kendall (MarketingMag.com.au), James Duthie (Next Digital), the PR Warrior (parkyoung) and moderator, Gerry McCusker (engageORM).

* PHOTO: the audience listens intently to David Meerman Scott.

Selling Social Media to the CEO

Further to a previous post regarding the Social Media Summit 2009 in Melbourne, I gave a presentation called 'The Role of Social Media in PR...and Selling it to the CEO'. 

The 'role' bit is okay - social media is a natural fit with modern-day public relations (but only if PR practitioners let go of the past and wean themselves off press releases that are polished and spun within an inch of their lives). 

The 'selling' part is the hardest because social media is counter-intuitive to most things a CEO holds dear - control of the message, and control over who disseminates information from the organisation.

Some major companies, like Ford, Dell, Starbucks and Microsoft, have long familiarised themselves with social media and today are considered to be corporate leaders in the space. 

In selling the concept of social media to the powers-that-be, my advice is to start with the positives i.e. Wouldn't it be great...

• ...if we could communicate directly with our consumers and stakeholders?
• ...if people actually listened to and interacted with us? 
• ...if we could build a community of fans or advocates for our organisation?

Well, social media can help you achieve those things, better and faster than ever before, but only if its wholly accepted and encouraged by the head honchos, and the 'open brand' attitude is imbued across the organisation.

Is selling the CEO on social media your job?

If you're the person responsible for trying to get the CEO on board, you need to be 'the full bottle' on the vagaries, nuances, ethics and etiquette of the social web; you need to immerse in the space and get an intuitive feel for what works and what doesn't, as well as fully understand the potential pitfalls and opportunities that exist by 'opening up the brand' on the web.

Put simply, you are kidding yourself if you think you can properly understand social media without fully experiencing it first-hand, and that means jumping in personally and getting your feet wet, preferably before trying to sell it to the boss!

Reading about blogging is all well and good (and recommended), but by starting and maintaining a blog, you will learn very quickly what it's all about.

Reading about Twitter is all well and good (and recommended), but only by setting up a personal account and participating in the Twitterverse will you get a solid grounding in the subtleties of the micro-blogging platform.

You get the drift...

Of course, if taking the positive tack doesn't work with the boss, perhaps try using fear: 

• The new reality is that people are more empowered than ever before (they have a voice and they're prepared to use it).
• Shouting at people (one-way broadcast of messages) doesn't work effectively any more.
• Nor does chest-beating or the use of spin and polished corporate jargon.
• Throwing your message out there and expecting people to listen is fast becoming a waste of time, money and resources.
• Find out if any of your competitors are using social media and then show the boss examples of their activity (this may prick the ego into action!).

It's obvious social media isn't a fad but a fundamental shift in the way people communicate, connect and collaborate - to do nothing will mean your company will be left behind (there's a school of thought that companies have something like 12-18 months' grace to get into social media, experiment and make mistakes...after that period, the public will expect you to be social media ready and engaging with them online...and they will be less accepting of those companies that get it wrong).

And if all else fails...buy the boss a copy of The Cluetrain Manifesto!

RELATED READING:

Social Media Summit 2009: Lack of Control Looms Large in PR's Minds

Fear (by David Meerman Scott)

Heartfelt Blog Posts Provide Counterpoint to Hartigan Rant

I read half a dozen blog posts this week that kind of made a mockery of the broadside News Limited boss John Hartigan recently aimed at the blogging fraternity.

For those unaware of the outburst in question, in a speech to Canberra's National Press Club Hartigan turned on the blogging fraternity, reportedly saying:

"In return for their free content, we pretty much get what we paid for - something of such limited intellectual value as to be barely discernible from massive ignorance".

Naturally, the blogging community bit back.

Respected media commentator Mark Day suggested bloggers' rage at Hartigan's comments showed they were out of touch with reality.

High-profile finance journalist and founder of Business Spectator Alan Kohler countered Hartigan's argument with this sensible piece.

Anyway, back to the blog posts as mentioned in the opening para:

Some of Australia's leading bloggers contributed a post under the theme ManWeek (organised by Reach Out Australia). I think you'll agree they're well-written, insightful, raw and honest accounts.

On Being a Man and Losing a Loved One (Scott Drummond)

The Journey to First-Time Fatherhood (Mark Pollard)

A Little Fluffy (Gavin Heaton)

Becoming a Man: Dealing with Personal Problems (Julian Cole)

Return to Colombia (Jye Smith)

Having a Dad (Matt Moore)

Limited intellectual value Mr Hartigan? I don't think so.

http://www.gapingvoid.com

The point is:

Far from being ignorant, bloggers are often experts in their field and because they write about what they know, the depth of knowledge is often significant and their opinion is valued (whether you agree or not) - and, I might say, the willingness of bloggers to freely share their thoughts and ideas is to be applauded.

Blogging is the 'passion medium' (or, as some people like to call it, the 'enthusiasm medium'). Why? Because bloggers write with passion and enthusiasm - they write because they want to, not because it's a job. In most instances, they don't derive any direct income as a result of their efforts.

So why does Mr Hartigan feel the need to denigrate bloggers? Indeed, why is he even bothering comparing them to professional journalists? They are different mediums with different styles of writing. 

It's like the editor of The Australian recently comparing Twitter to the Herald-Sun - why on earth does he feel the need to do so?

For the record, I'm a trained journalist and a self-confessed media junkie who reads newspapers more than most. I also happen to love social media and all it entails.  

Blogs are part of my daily diet of information (along with other forms of traditional media) - they provide me with the extra dimension of specialised insight and opinion I cannot get from newspapers, radio or television.

A more productive way forward for senior media executives would be to embrace the seismic change that is occurring, engage bloggers and new media mavens in dialogue (rather than putting them off-side with deliberate inflammatory language) and start implementing seriously - as opposed to paying lip service to - the exciting online tools and technological platforms that are taking the world by storm.

FOR A GOOD CROSS-SECTION OF BLOGGING, CHECK OUT AUSTRALIA'S TOP 100 WOMEN BLOGGERS.

For more on the John Hartigan debate:

Mumbrella isn't the Cause of Your Problem, Mr Hartigan

John Hartigan Vs Bloggers *Ding, Ding*

Hartigan on Old and New Media

Heritage Hartigan Attacks Everyday Australian Readers

Australian News Corp Chief Attacks Google, Bloggers

PR Warrior Notches Up Two Years!

Happy birthday to me!

The PR Warrior blog notched up two years this week; to commemorate the momentous occasion I created a #prwarrior2yrs hashtag on Twitter under which I re-released some of my (IMHO) more interesting blog posts written over the journey. 

(For a quick peek at these 'from the vault' posts in the one place, click here).

According to TweetReach, the #prwarrior2yrs 'campaign' (including retweets) generated exposure in excess of 89,000 potential 'impressions', so it was a worthwhile exercise.

It was also a nice coincidence that B&T Magazine released its Top 50 Marketing Blogs 2009 in the same week, with PR Warrior slotting in nicely at #41. Cheers for that!

A special thank you to my regular readers as well as those who drop by occasionally, plus anyone who has left comments on the blog. I look forward to continuing the conversation with you!

* The PR Warrior at 2 years (or thereabouts!)

GUEST POST: A 'Two-Second Guide' to the Future of Newspaper Journalism

THIS IS A GUEST POST BY KATE KENDALL, ONLINE EDITOR FOR MARKETING MAGAZINE.

Kate responded with a comment to the previous PR Warrior post - 'Twitterrific' Time Magazine Shows Up the Australian Newspaper. It contained some insightful comments regarding the future of newspaper journalism, and I felt it appropriate Kate's view was not buried in the comments section but rather given 'centre stage'.

Great post Trev. OK, here is the hack's two-second guide to the future of newspaper journalism. (Well, someone's got to have a hack at it!).

• There is definitely a place for a tangible offering, although not in the current format. It needs to be more portable to cope with the changing consumer behaviour – being out of the home more. This doesn't necessarily mean it has to be digital.  

• Employ community managers across masthead sections and new media specialists – and by specialist, I don't mean promoting the old-school reporter who started with the paper as a cadet at 17! They need to have a fresh and critical eye. If you can get someone who can transcend into the weblebrity sphere, then you have a portion of your traffic sorted. 

• Walled content is a tricky situation to trial since most content is available for free a click away. If you go by the 'content is king', then if something is truly outstanding/remarkable and unique, people will pay. Specialist news sites work well e.g. Crikey and the WSJ. Most would hardly expect to pay for something like News.com.au since it's mainly what I'd call 'stock' content. 

• Complement online content with print. Print crusaders don't have to replicate all of their stories online – sure the breaking news is a must, but longer features could be a print treat – give people a reason to buy it. 

• Hire knowledgeable people – people who can research well. The problem with the bashing of Twitter by old-school outlets is that they don't understand it and haven't done enough to try to. One of the benefits of reading peer-related content online is that I hear from people who don't try to be generalist – they are specialist reporters. Bloggers who actually understand what they are writing about (well most of the time). If a journo has covered local political beats for an eternity and then moves across to a story about Twitter without ever being on the platform, then surely it will turn out to be a compromised report. 

• In my opinion, the people who are keeping the cred up online of papers, are the technology and digital reporters. Often, these evangelists have more followers and online connections than the masthead itself. If you search the following keywords 'Sydney Morning Herald Twitter' into Google, you almost get Asher Moses – the tech reporter - before the actual official account. 

And yes, perhaps News's new MySpace are sites like The Punch? But, I still question the innovation and longevity of the offering. Especially since it is not paying for contributions when it has the capacity to – hardly encouraging sustainable journalism (*currently trying to source the link where I read this*).

Anyway, why didn't they buy something like 'The Bulletin' and use the masthead equity to launch a solid site with a strong and full editorial team? Good on them for getting it up and running though. 

PRIA Missteps with First Episode of PRTV

The Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) has gotten off to a flat-footed start with its new PRTV online video initiative.

Firstly, the idea is a good one. Any professional representative organisation needs to be leading from the front, promoting its industry and sparking debate. Video, along with blogging and podcasts, are the perfect tools for this. 

Unfortunately for the PRIA, its debut episode focusing on online engagement came quickly unstuck.

According to the popular media and marketing blog Mumbrella, one of the PR professionals interviewed for the video - Anthony Tregoning, managing director of FCR - was asked whether he would recommend to any of his clients that they engage in social media "such as blogs, LinkedIn and Facebook".

Tregoning replied: "Basically no. Because they tend to be used by people who are trying to undermine the company."

Not that you'll be able to see the quote in question because the original video featuring Tregoning was quickly removed from YouTube by the PRIA after Tregoning's negative comment was highlighted by Mumbrella's Tim Burrowes.

I saw the Tregoning piece and his comment certainly came across as pretty naive and 'old school'.

The story was posted yesterday at 12.33 pm - within half an hour, the comments started rolling in.

Anti-Social Media Stance

Some chided Mumbrella for taking a negative slant and highlighting Tregoning's seemingly anti-social media stance.

Others, however, were critical of Tregoning:

John Le Fevre wrote that Tregoning's comments showed "a total lack of understanding of the value of social media and the returns that can be gained from engaging with both supporters and detractors".

Con Franzeskos advised Tregoning to read The Cluetrain Manifesto.

By 5.30 pm that day, Tregoning had felt the need to defend himself, which is fair enough. He intimated the comments he made in the video had been taken out of context (his reply is comment #18, about two-thirds down the page).

The PR Warrior's View?

There is a definite need for the PRIA to be producing a regular online video blog (vlog) highlighting the issues facing the public relations industry. 

Putting aside the Tregoning incident for a minute...

The PRIA's PRTV program is very current affairs-ish - a bit too 'polished' for my liking, featuring the obligatory overly-dramatic news-style music; its production could be a lot more energetic and imaginative. 

As it stands, the video cements the industry's close ties to traditional 'broadcast' media and, in my humble opinion, it needs a massive shot of creativity.

The PRIA had a fantastic opportunity to bring in a team of talented contemporary producers to give the show a bit of vigour and edge. Alas, by falling back on 'old school' production techniques, the association has simply reinforced the long-held view within some quarters of the industry that it's old-fashioned and out of touch.

That said, the video is definitely worth a look to get a broad spread of local opinion as to how the PR industry thinks about social media and the new 'digital reality'.

Below is PRTV episode one - the, ahem, re-edited version.

Should You Blog? Take the PR Warrior Test!

In my day-to-day travels when I’m talking to people about blogging, invariably the question will come up – should I, or should I not, blog?

My answer is generally along these lines:

If you have a point of view, a specialisation, a desire to tell your story and share ideas, well yes, if there’s passion there, and a commitment to get involved and join the conversation, then absolutely, go for it!

However, what the world does not need is another blog that contributes little and will end up festering in cyberspace hell. Enough - it’s full already! Maybe the world did need blogs in the beginning in order to to get the trend underway, but the last thing you want to be doing is simply adding to what is an immensely crowded space.

So, with this in mind, I thought I’d whip up a quick and dirty test so ‘would-be’ bloggers could ascertain whether the medium was right for them.

PLEASE NOTE – this quiz is not anchored in any scientific fact whatsoever and is skewed towards business bloggers and those wanting to raise their online brand (as opposed to personal bloggers who tend to write mainly for family and friends).

Take the test – check your score at the bottom!

1. On average, I would read:

__  10+ blogs per week (4 pts)

__  5-9 blogs per week (3 pts)

__  3-5 blogs per week (2 pts)

__  1-2 blogs per week (1 pt)

__  I don’t read blogs (no pts)

2. On average, I would comment on:

__  6+ blogs per week (4 pts)

__  4-5 blogs per week (3 pts)

__  2-3 blogs per week (2 pts)

__  1 blog per week (1 pt)

__  I don’t comment on blogs (no pts)

3. If I did blog, I could commit to:

__  6+ posts per week (4 pts)

__  4-5 posts per week (3 pts)

__  2-3 posts per week (2 pts)

__  1 post per week (1 pt)

__  I’m a commitment-phobe (no pts)

4. Are you in a position to blog?

__  I work for myself & answer to no one, except maybe the taxman (4 pts)

__  I’m the boss (or senior employee) of a small enterprise employing <30 people (3 pts)

__  I’m a passionate employee of an organisation employing between 31-50 people and keen to raise my profile (2 pts)

__  I work in the ‘C Suite’ of a company of a major corporation - or am a rising gun in said organisation – and it has a legal department, a very big one, plus some controlling PR types! (1 pt)

__  I’m a working stiff with minimal attributes, zero passion for sharing of thoughts, stories and ideas, and – if truth be known – little or no specialization or point of view to speak of (no pts)

5. How active are you in the social media space?

__  I’m an active participant on Twitter, LinkedIn and have a Facebook/MySpace account (4 pts)

__  I’m active on two social networks/communities and am keen to join more (3 pts)

__  I have a Facebook/MySpace or LinkedIn account that I use semi-regularly, but that’s about it (2 pts)

__  I have a Facebook/MySpace or LinkedIn account but haven’t looked at it for 3+ months (1 pt)

__  What’s Twitter? I don’t belong to any social networking communities and think the whole scene is over-rated (no pts)

RESULTS:

18-20 points – you’re a social media machine! WTF? Why haven’t you got a blog already?

15-17 points – you’re a ready-made blogger. Get to it dude! NOW!

11-14 points – you’ve got a few social media rough edges but a blog beckons…definitely!

5-10 points – you’ve got a bit of work ahead of you, but don’t give up! Preparation is the key.

0-5 points – ummm, probably best you give blogging a miss. In fact, I’m very surprised you’re actually reading this blog post :)

So there you have it rock stars. 

How did you rate?

Should you be blogging? 

If the answer is 'yes', get on to it TODAY and add your two bobs’ worth to the conversation!

Links of the Week Dec 15, 2008 >>>

Here's what caught my eye this week:

Death to the Embargo (TechCrunch)

Michael Arrington continues to stir the PR pot, this time by announcing that: "From now our new policy is to break every embargo."

The Media is Not Dying (The Flak)

Peter Himler hits back at Twitterer @themediaisdying who relays via 140 character tweets news of mainstream media sackings and closures.

Mission Impossible IV: Tom Cruise Eating Humble Pie for his New Movie (PR Rock & Roll)

Drew Kerr examines Tom Cruise's return to the US Today show (scene of a Cruise blunder some years back) as the movie star seeks to win back goodwill in the lead-up to the release of his new film Valkyrie.

The 4 Stages of the Twitter SeeSaw (Social Media Vision)

Justin Williams looks at Twitter Rockstars, Peoples' Champions, Spam Followers and Snobs.

The Moggies Top Ten (Mediahunter)

Craig Wilson unveils the top 10 nominations for the inaugural Moggie Awards (for the best Australian media and marketing blog post for 2008).

Top 100 Sites for the Year Ahead (The Guardian)

Extensive and diverse list of cool websites and web services that will keep you busy on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

The TTC Does the Right Thing (Matthew Ingram)

Matthew commends the Toronto Transit Commission for getting into the spirit of things with a Toronto rap duo who posted their video "I Get on the TTC" on YouTube (below).