The PR Warrior

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

The A-Z of Australian and NZ PR blogs

Okay rock stars, here it is! A list of PR blogs in Australia and New Zealand, courtesy of Marketing Magazine.

Hat-tip to Kylie Lewis from Slice Media, who put together the bulk of the list.

Kate Kendall, Marketing Magazine's online editor, will endeavour to keep it up-to-date, so if you have any additions, or want to comment directly, click here.

A bit disappointing it's not a bigger list. No doubt there are some blogs missing, but my observation is the Australian public relations industry doesn't seem to have embraced blogging with the same enthusiasm as its counterparts in the US and UK. 

Australia

A

Andy Lark's blog – Andrew Lark

B

Behind Digital PR – a Hill and Knowlton blog

Better Communications Results – Lee Hopkins

Black Watch – Tony Blackie

C

Caffeine blog – Espresso Comms

Clever together - PR explained – Horizon Communications

Corporate Engagement – Trevor Cook on Crikey blogs

CP Communications – Catriona Pollard

Creative Territory – Tracy Jones

Creativity in Public Relations – a Hill and Knowlton blog

D

Dennis Rutzou PR's blog

Dummy Spit – Dr Tom Watson

F

Fresh Chat – Network PR

H

Hill and Knowlton – a collection of blogs

I

In Brands We Trust – David Park and Trevor Young

Influencing the influencers – a Hill and Knowlton blog

I scratch my mind – Renee Creer, New Media Director, Stellar*

In silico – Paul McKeon

J

Just another PR blog – Karalee Evans

Just another 24 hours – Daniel Young

K

Kimberley Lee

L

Louise Convy MediaLexy Klain's blog – Lexy Klain

M

Marketing is Us

Mumbrella – Tim Burrowes

O

On the write track – Roger Christie

P

Porter Novelli Adelaide

PR Disasters.com – Gerry McCusker

PR Lab – Greg Smith

PR Warrior – Trevor Young

Publicity Queen – Sally Romano

Pursuit Communications blog

S

Shoot the messenger – Kinectics Comms

Stand Out! Tips – Candy Tymson

Stellar* blog

Strawberry Communications blog

T

Tale Spin – Lukas Picton

The Communications RoomThe Media Pod – Ross Monaghan

The Perth Files

The Professional Communicators' Coach – Heidi Alexandra Pollard

Trevor Cook

Y

Young PR – Paull Young

New Zealand

Michelle BoagBullet Points – Bullet PR

NZ Voice – Public Relations Institute of New Zealand

Pursuit PR blog

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.

What's Caught the PR Warrior's Eye This Week?

Plenty of stuff for the PR Warrior to get excited about this week. Here's a snapshot:

Twitter Forces PR Pros to Get to the Point (Journalistics Blog)

Jeremy Porter explains the 'love-in' both journalists and PR people are having with Twitter.

The Art of Writing Great Twitter Headlines (Copyblogger)

Still on Twitter, Brian Clark celebrates the "triumphant return of the short headline" and provides some handy hints in doing more with less.

Why All Corporate PR Droids Should be Shot (Stilgherrian)

An enlightening blog post highlighting the scourge of corporate waffle-speak and why those who perpetrate it should be, errr, shot. Guns at dawn anyone?

The Top 50 Australian Writer Blogs (Copywrite)

Jonathan Crossfield has done a sterling effort in listing the best blogs by Australian writers.

A Collection of Social Media Stats for 2009 (Web Strategy)

This was written in January but it's still a good piece - social media guru Jeremy Owyang has collated a range of statistics across Facebook, MySpace, Twitter etc. It's a good 'social media stake in the sand' as at early 2009.

Social Media Hub: New York (Jennifer Van Grove)

If you're interested in what's going on in New York in terms of social media, this is a good read.

The indefatigable Sam Mutimer has created @tweetupmellers, a hook-up for Melbourne-based Tweeps. Their first event was held this week - who attended? Find out here! If you haven't heard of Sam - or met her on Twitter or in the flersh, you will soon!

Fast-track your social media success! Social Media Success Summit '09 (a live online event) looks pretty cool, and features respected presenters such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Ann Handley, Chris Garrett and Melbourne's own Darren Rowse. Check it out!

A client of mine Iggy Pintado has released his first book, Connection Generation. Check it out here.

What Aussies are on Twitter? Check 'em out here.

Susan Boyle - has she created a buzz or what? Is she the biggest YouTube sensation ever? Or what about this - Huffington Post's 'The Untold Susan Boyle Story' .

And last but definitely not least, Servant of Chaos (Gavin Heaton) serves us up some great excellent serious fare (Learning From Successful Blogging) but balances it with this crack-up Cup of Chaos! (See video below)

Enjoy!!

The PR Warrior Loves These Blogs. You Will Too!

What's caught the PR Warrior's eye this week? PLENTY!

There's so much great stuff floating around the moment in the broad arena of public relations, marketing communications, brand reputation, social media and customer engagement.

If you're working in this space and not taking advantage of the plethora of insights, knowledge and ideas that are freely available, let's just say you're missing out big time!

Here are a number of blogs I've been reading of late which are well worth having on your radar, if not in your Google Reader!

• First up we have Mumbrella. This is a staple diet of the PR Warrior. Mumbrella is the blog of Tim Burrowes, former editor of B&T magazine and he's built a strong following in a short space of time. If you're into media and marketing news and views Australian-style, be sure to check out Mumbrella, and/or follow Tim on Twitter (@mumbrella). 

• Duncan Riley's Blogging is Not a Spectator Sport is another local product worth having on your radar. Here he gets stuck into Aussie PR practitioners who don't get the blogosphere.

• Lois Kelly always provides plenty of food for thought on her Foghound blog. Kelly, author of the excellent book Beyond Buzz, is an expert in word of mouth and conversational marketing. A recent post that caught my eye was 'Finding 8 Patterns in Social Media EcoSystems' - according to Kelly: "My conclusion after reading thousands of posts/tweets last week: most marketing and PR content hasn't evolved for a social media world". 

• Olivier Blanchard's Brand Builder Blog is about "building strong brands through passion, innovation, creativity and common sense. In this excellent post ('Grassroots Vs The Volcano'), Blanchard advises marketers not to fall into the 'new marketing vs old marketing' trap. He says: "You can't afford to limit yourself to being a supporter of either one camp of the other".

• Valeria Maltoni writes the popular Conversation Agent blog. Recent posts included Maltoni's 'Top 3 Digital Marketing Tactics for 2009' - by the way, they are microblogging (Twitter), corporate website and contextual advertising - plus 'You're On Twitter, Now What?', in which she looks at the evolution of the popular microblogging platform.

• David Armano's excellent Logic+Emotion blog falls into the 'must-read' category. His latest post ('Battle of the Brands') looks at the emerging trend of people building and managing their reputations online, and the potential downside of this activity as it can relate to your full-time position. He uses as an example Scott Monty, a high-profile social media expert who now works for Ford (see Monty being interviewed by Fox Business below).

  

Links of the Week Jan 26, 2009 >>>

Okay, what has the PR Warrior been up to this week?

Checked out digital influencer aggregator BuzzGain.

Read an old Ross Dawson article - Six Facets of the Future of PR.

Discovered Charlene Li's Social Media Resources wiki - excellent (and growing) repository of information re consultants in the field of social and emerging technologies.

Checked out Nancy Marmolejo's Viva Visibility blog about social networking and online PR.

Enjoyed reading Naomi Dunford's Ittybiz.com, especially in the post promoting her anniversary sale: "It's my anniversary, for God's sake. I don't have time. I should be having sex in a pile of money right now." She cracks me up!

Watched Seth Godin explaining 'remarkable marketing' video via Perry Belcher's blog. Excellent stuff!

Scoured the MarketingMag.com.au blog pages - some good content here for those in the marketing biz.

Discovered Maren Hogan and her interesting (and cleverly-named) blog, Marenated.

Bookmarked in my ever-expanding Delicious page Web Geek's Twitter Mini Guide - a comprehensive list featuring 60+ useful Twitter resources.

Enjoyed watching the controversial viral video trailer for Channel Nine's forthcoming and much-anticipated Underbelly: Tale of Two Cities. BRING IT ON!!

Links of the Week Jan 19, 2009 >>>

This week has been a busy, busy one for the PR Warrior. Checked out a heap of good stuff. Here's a snapshot of what's been on my computer screen in recent days:

9 Ways Twitter Can Help in the Real World (Mashable.com)

Amanda MacArthur provides some real-life examples as to how Twitter can make your life easier.

How Stephen Fry Lost Britain Hundreds of Man-Hours of Work (Marcom Professional)

Vero Pepperrell takes a look at Stephen Fry's unique challenge to celebrate reaching 50,000 Twitter followers - in short, Tweeps were asked to submit tweets containing 50 Ls (you may have to register to be able to read - Marcom Professional features some great stuff if you're into PR, marketing and social media and is well worth having on your must-read list).

Inclusive Language Ratio comparing first Obama presidential address with last from Bush (Web Ink Now)

Fascinating post by David Meerman Scott who analysed the inauguration speeches given by George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and demonstrates the new President's strong use of inclusive language when compared with his predecessor.

The Future of the Internet (Communication in a Web Saturated World)

Jill Kurtz gives a topline overview of a major report by Pew Internet and American Life in which experts and analysts provide us with a glimpse of the future. Includes a link to the report itself. 

Generation G - That would be 'G' for Generosity, Not 'G' for Greed (Trendwatching.com)

Giving is the new taking, and sharing is the new giving. What are the three trend drivers for Generation G? Highly recommended! As Trendwatching.com states: "...in this business climate, can you really afford not to spend some time figuring out how to get a little closer to your customers?".

40 of the Best Twitter Brands and the People Behind Them (Mashable.com)

Jennifer Van Grove has penned a thoughtful, well-researched piece with stacks of up-to-the-minute examples of brands that are 

Other Stuff:

Discovered Jennifer Van Grove.

Followed Groundswell co-author Charlene Li from Forrester Research to her new gig Altimeter Group.

Read Smart Company.com's article on top 20 online trends for a faltering economy.

Attended the Melbourne Social Media Coffee Morning (great gig, now a weekly event - if you live in Melbourne and are into social media, get on down - Fridays, 8 am, Mr Tulk).

Enjoyed reading about Veet's 'Goodbye Bush' press ad-cum-viral success story - and followed the conversation sparked by Mumbrella's post-with-a-long-heading: 'How the Blogosphere Views Naked's Fake Video Episode - and YouTube Viewers Start Posting Their Responses'.

Oh yeah, and the PR Warrior came in at #41 on the Top 129 Australian Marketing Pioneers Blog list, compiled by Julian Cole, with help from cohorts Zac Martin and Peter Wagstaff. Thanks guys!

Links of the Week Jan 12, 2009 >>>

Wanna know what caught the PR Warrior's eye this week? Some good reading (and listening) here:

Ford, Fansites and Firefighting (Ron Amok)

Ron Ploof has written an interesting case study on how the Ford Motor Company used social media to extinguish a PR Fire in Less Than 24 Hours - check it out here.

Twitter Power 150 (A Source of Inspiration)

Armando Alves has created a great list detailing who's who in the Twitter zoo.

The Power of Twitter with Christopher Penn (Six Pixels of Separation)

Great podcast with Mitch Joel interviewing Christopher Penn (co-host of Marketing Over Coffee, also recommended) about his new e-book, The Twitter Power Guide (download a free copy here).

How To Ruin a Great Concept in Three Easy Steps (Bonafide Marketing Genius)

The pictures tell the story. The Genius (aka Marta Kagan)...and if anyone wanted to know 'Where the f*%k' is the Genius, watch the video. Classic!

Other stuff:

Signed up to the blog of Mark Borkowski, UK PR guru and author of the book The Fame Formula.

Got into Shelfari (an online community for book enthusiasts).

Had fun reading Stephen Fry's Twitter stream (observations while he's visiting Sydney).

Reacquainted myself with CC Chapman's new media podcast, Managing The Gray. Recommended.

Links of the Week Jan 5, 2009 >>>

Welcome to 2009! Boy, has the blogosphere been busy over the Xmas-New Year period! Here are some blog posts that got me in this past week:

Social Media Has a Branding Problem (Uneven Distribution)

Nic Hodges contends that social media "will not become relevant in advertising by going solo, it must blur into every single idea we have" - generated  quite a few comments.

12 Ways to Step Into the Spotlight Parts 1 and 2 (The Engaging Brand)

In this podcast, Anna Farmery interviews the delightful Tsufit, who shares her tips on how to build your personal brand in the professional marketplace (Part 2 is here). Anna's podcasts are highly recommended.

Depression Marketing Best Practices (B2B Marketing Confidential)

Andy Hasselwander acquaints us with the story of Benton & Bowles (B&B), a company that started in the Great Depression and thrived; what lessons can companies today learn from B&B?

Our Picks For 10 Industries (Springwise)

Recent business ideas that will provide inspiration and opportunities in 2009 and beyond, compiled by Springwise.com's global network of 8000 trendspotters.

42+ Social Media & Content Marketing Predictions for 2009 (Junta 42)

Junta 42's top bloggers weigh in with their predictions for social media in 2009, including David Meerman Scott, Jason Falls and Scott Monty.

10 Creative Lessons From Bowie in Berlin (Lateral Action)

Mark McGuinness shares lessons culled from reading the book Bowie In Berlin, by Thomas Jerome Seabrook (via Lois Kelly's Bloghound).

Thou Shalt Raise My Online Profile in 2009 - PART ONE

While Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, podcasts, Facebook etc are de rigueur for social media enthusiasts the world over, there are still many, many, many people who are not au fait with such tools (how's that, two French phrases in the opening para - impressed?).

There are myriad reasons for this, but simplistically, you could probably herd them into two camps - those that would like to get involved in social media but (a) don't know how, or are fearful of such a step, or blame a lack of time...and (b) those that really don't care and who simply aren't interested.

Leaving the latter aside, most people are going to benefit in some way, shape or form by actively participating in social media (although it comes down to what you put in will determine ultimately what you will get out of it). 

However, if you're in business or operate in a world where personal brand matters, then raising your online profile is definitely a strategy you should consider, and the good news is there's never been a better time to do just that.

Critical mass has well and truly been achieved across the social media realm generally as many online communities and web platforms go from being 'geek-only' to nibbling at the fringes of mainstream, or indeed, in the case of the likes of Facebook and MySpace, sitting right at the heart of mainstream acceptance.

If you work in marketing and public relations (or the various derivatives thereof), you have no excuse. Put simply, you need to understand the space because that's your job. It's one thing to read books and magazine articles on the subject (highly recommended, by the way), it's another to experience it by way of active participation.

For everyone else - professionals, business owners etc - it's a case of asking yourself a few questions as well as working out your goals and priorities:

• What am I trying to achieve? 
• How much time have I got to devote to social media activity? 
• What are my 'competitors' doing, and how can I differentiate myself from them? 
• What social media platforms are going to work best for me?

Let's get down to practicalities. What's the best way to raise your profile online and in doing so also boost your 'brand reputation'?

My view (below) isn't the only one. It's what works best for me. Some concerted web research will find similar types of articles and blog posts that may offer alternatives. My advice is to look around and experiment a bit before settling into using the platforms and tools that you find the most useful, and then focusing on those.

Try and do too much and all you'll end up doing is diffusing your time and energy and, in all probability, not achieve what you set out to achieve (see previous post - A Great Social Media List But You'd Go Nuts if You Tried Them All).

BLOG

Personally, I think a vibrant, regularly updated and well looked after blog should sit at the heart of your 'brand you' social media effort (along with your website, although some organisations - especially smaller enterprises and one-person shows - now combine the two i.e. their blog doubles up as a website).

However, if you're going to blog, here are a few questions to bear in mind:

• Blogging takes time and effort - will you be able to post regularly (e.g. 1-3 times a week) and, importantly keep it up over the longer term?
• People follow bloggers who write with spirit and conviction - are you passionate and well-versed about the subject/s you'll be writing about, as well as willing to share ideas, thoughts and opinions?

Aside from writing the blog, it's recommended you also commit time to participate in the broader blogosphere i.e. comment on other like-minded blogs, join online professional communities (my blog posts are regularly fed into UK-based Marcomprofessional.com and US-based Socialmediatoday.com, a community that features "The Web's Best Thinkers on Social Media and Web 2.0".

END OF PART ONE (see Part Two Above)