Pan-Mass Challenge Update: So What’s New?

March 15, 2010 – 10:59 am

It has been a while since I posted here about my efforts as a participant in the Pan-Mass Challenge, an annual two-day ride to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. These pre-spring weeks can be tough, in that it is not yet warm enough or light enough for me to get outside on the bike for training, and we are still almost five months away from the event–it seems so far away! Yet there are some interesting bits going on:

• Fundraising is on pace with last year, which always amazes me. A huge thank you to those who have sponsored already. We are at $845 out of our initial goal of $4,200, and it would be wonderful to reach $1,500 by the end of March. Can we do it? Can you please help? To sponsor me, please go to my PMC page at http://pmc.org/DH0159.

• I really like the look of this year’s logo. It’s great that the PMC goes for a different visual style each year

• Training – I am not one of those hardy souls that bikes in the cold and dark of winter mornings; staying in cycling shape in New England takes a concerted effort. Last year, friends got me into spin classes, and that made a different. I have kept them up this winter, and feel ready to go. Of course, this being March, I am itching to get out on the road- soon.

• Another aspect of training that made a big difference last year was riding regularly in a group. I rode more, and we pushed each other.  I’m looking forward to the start of the “5:37 Club” rides.

• As always, though, the most important people are you- the people who support me, whether you sponsor me financially or not. Of course, if you would like to sponsor my ride to beat cancer, you can do so at http://pmc.org/DH0159. Thank you!

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Social Media Top 5: Verdict on SXSW, Twitter Influencers Tell All, 5 Reasons to Stop Blocking

March 13, 2010 – 6:50 pm

SXSW: Geek Spring Break or Great Business Opportunity?

I debated whether or not writing something about SXSW Interactive was even relevant for me, but then realized a lot of the people that read this blog are at the conference as I write this. The most-asked question about SXSWi is, is it “Geek Spring Break,” or as Christopher S. Penn puts it, the “single best opportunity to ruin your personal brand,” or is it a valuable business prospecting and networking opportunity? Too many good friends insist on the latter, while the people who make it the former are probably wasting their (or their employers’, or clients’) money and time. The best representation is probably this snide column from Paul Carr of TechCrunch, who looks down on SXSW and its attendees while also panning to lead a session there.

As I see it, the choice is yours, Mr/Ms Attendee. What do you think?

How to Find Out How the Pros Use Twitter

Ask them. Leave it to an original thinker like Justin Kownacki to come up with a new method for discovering information. I might try that more often. What is most interesting from the answers to the questions Justin asked to a number of Twitter power users (myself included, which is why I’m trying not to use the word “influencers” he does) is that it gives a little insight s to why having a lot of Twitter followers is (mostly) a good thing. We see so many schemes advertised to build up a Twitter following, but not enough about how to use it. As for me, it’s great to have a greater potential of touchpoints thanks to an expanded Twitter network, and the meaningful relationships that come out of this network, while a very small percentage, come in greater number as a result.

Blogs Over Twitter for Content? You Don’t Say?

Actually, venture capitalist David Hornik says it. I agree that one of Twitter’s best primary uses is as a way to point out more substantive content, not merely as content itself. And while blogs may be better search engine fodder than Tweets, as Hornik points out, I wouldn’t go so far to dismiss Twitter as search engine bait. I speak as someone whose Twitter page ranks sixth on Google for a very common word (as of this writing), and has been as high as second. As we have seen, Twitter has only been showing up more as search engines add more “real-time features, making prolific Tweeting a very important part of an overall search dominance plan.

Will There be a Concerted Move to Get Companies to Stop Blocking Social Networks?

I don’t know, but B.L. Ochman has another in her fine series of social media lists, “Five Reasons Why Companies Should Not Block Employee Access to Social Networks. Read the whole post here, but the five reasons listed briefly are:

1. Resistance is futile.
2. Don’t assume people won’t find other ways to waste time.
3. Social networks actually can make workers more productive.
4. You’ll miss great ideas.
5. Employees are much more trustworthy than companies think.

The fears that B.L. tries to push back on here are actually understandable, but the last point is key: trust. A little trust brings back goo returns- or may be a better way to flush out rotten employees who abuse the privilege of access (let’s be real, it’s not really a right, is it?), who might be otherwise skating by on less visible poor work and behaviors.

Worth mentioning here is the effort is the StopBlocking.org site, a longer-range effort to outlined the case for remove barriers to social media use in the workplace, spearheaded by Shel Holtz.

For Immediate Release, Here I Come

Speaking of Shel Holtz, I will be co-hosting the communications/PR/social media/etc. podcast “For Immediate Release” with Shel, taking over for an absent Neville Hobson, on Thursday, March 18. This is the granddaddy of all PR podcasts, one that has inspired so many others (including “PRobecast” during my Topaz Partners days).  To say I am looking forward to this is an understatement.

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I would like to continue publishing audio blog posts, as I used to do with Utterli. Audioboo, paired with Posterous, represents a chance to do that easily once again, and in even better quality. here’s to more audio!

March 11, 2010 – 5:41 pm

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A Rock in the Pond (You’re Gonna Get Ripples)

March 8, 2010 – 8:01 pm

While putting together some points regarding corporate use of social media, the phrase “giving a s***” entered my head, rather than the social media bromides so many of us throw into documents. As I often do, I threw out my unusable phrase in case I entertained anyone, and it turns out several wanted to jump in with suggestions. The results, while some were tongue in cheek, were interesting. I didn’t intend to get answers, but sometimes you just do; or, you throw a rock in the pond, you’re gonna get ripples. (this Twitter search result reads newest result down to oldest):

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Social Media Top 5: Redefining Nice Guys, Facebook URL Fad, and the Social Media Playlist

March 6, 2010 – 9:12 pm

Facebook URLs in Ads- The ”New Way” or Fad?

Edelman’s Steve Rubel points out the emerging trend of companies adding Facebook fan page URLS to their advertising, and raises the question, are the  on-domain URLS dying in terms of advertising. Steve seems to doubt it, and I definitely do. Facebook remains hot and may be for a long time to come, but the hunger for more control– moving campaigns, even those extending to Facebook, back to the main Web domain, will likely re-emerge fairly quickly.

It will be interesting to see how these Facebook URL ad campaigns work out though.

Marketers Don’t Want to Hear Buzzwords (“Social Media”), but They Do Want to Invest in Them.

Courtesy of Andy Beal’s Marketing Pilgrim, I saw that a poll by the Marketing Executives’ Network showed more than half of marketers are sick of buzzwords like “Social Media,” “Twitter”a nd “Social Networking,” but nearly 75% intend to invest more in it. While that makes for a fun, possibly ironic juxtaposition (in fact, Andy’s punchline is that the thing these buzzword-hating marketers want most out of social media is — ROI!), I see it more as people straining (in a good way) to see the business value as they seek to make these investments, rather than making knee-jerk responses to popular new-marketing-speak. Am I a killjoy in thinking this? Does that make sense to you? Feel free to comment and take this further.

Reconsidering your “Social Media Playlist”

When I look for material to comment on and make me think, I wonder if I am just spinning tires by reading the “usual suspects” of social media blogging. Amy Mengel has wrestled with a similar question, and decided to redesign her reading around a smaller number of “big picture” and “trend” resources. I don’t think I’ll go the same way, but it does make me think there is a solution to “social media blog burnout.”

My approach may point in a different direction– I find more diverse reading material in the Shared Items (in Google Reader) of my friends, many of whom are these so-called social media bloggers. Yes, use the hard work these people do in their own reading to lessen my dependence on their own blogs. Brilliant. Keep sharing, folks.

What Really Makes Us Stupider? Google? Hmm?

This opinion piece in my local paper on Google and stupidity, and however you want to frame it, illustrates two things for me.

First, that headline writers need to be eliminated or reeducated somehow. In this case, “Google is Making Us More Stupider” led me to think it would be a tirade against how those interwebs are making us dumb, but it was instead a tongue-in0cheek (but too subtle) jab at the people who conclude such things. How many great stories for PR clients have been ruined by a “clever” headline that subverts the story?

Second, it shows that people perhaps are not being fooled by the idiocy that posits that the Internet is making us dumb. Stupid is stupid. We don’t need Google’s help.

Nice Guys Finish Last… Because They Stop to EAT YOUR LUNCH- YEEEAAAHHH!

Peter Shankman makes a great case for “nice guys.” The idea that you have to be a jerk to be strong pervades a a lot of industries and companies, and it is good to see people come out on the other side.

In a dozen years in public relations, I have seen too many people fall sucker to the belief that being loud and obnoxious (I guess you can still be “nice” in that case) is the only way to succeed. Of course, if you are obnoxious AND good, I’ll take it (to a point).

Now, about that phrase “Nice guys finish last.” Let’s replace that last word, shall we?

Nice guys finish:

• what a**holes started
• what others can’t
• with the help of the friends they made
• _________ (your idea here)

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Social Media Top 5: Links for my Friends

February 28, 2010 – 11:21 pm

I, among many others, get sick of the same people talking about the same things, linking to each other’s posts, and generally turning the echo chamber into an eardrum-ripping feedback loop.

However…

However, at the same time that doesn’t mean don’t link to your friends if their content strikes your fancy and you find it worthy of commentary. To wit:

Christopher Penn on Why Your Personal Brand Sucks

I like Chris because he has a no-BS attitude and eschews the rosy optimism that some of us portray  in the social media business. “Sucky” personal brands, says Chris, are the ones that try to “clone” others in their space.

So here I am, linking to his post.

Actually, I think about this a lot. There is no point in emulating others and what they say. I’d rather take the good stuff and just use it in my work (thanks!).  So, if I don’t do three brilliant ocial media-type blog posts in a week (hey, I was busy), I don’t worry. Read Chris Brogan or someone.

On the other hand, I don’t fuss if I’m not sure a post is up to snuff. I post it that’s me, and you’ll tell me if my stuff stinks.

Peter Kim on What Happened to Liveblogging?

This is exactly what I meant by the “not sure” post. Hasn’t the idea of liveblogging being replaced by “live-Tweeting” been played out for a while? The thing is, this transformation occurred afresh to Peter at a recent show– and it’s an entirely honest and (still) current topic. Worthy of commentary.

And yes, live-Tweeting and other media have made liveblogging obsolete, it seems. It’s a question of platform, not the activity itself.

Chris Brogan Says Stop Talking About Yourself

I say, ignore him, that’s silly. The thing is, Chris has a great point that is better stated as “be generous.” But I wouldn’t frame it the way Chris did. We need to talk about ourselves (or our own businesses). That’s our only legitimate point of view (even journalists must admit this applies to them in a way).

When I raise money to fight cancer (at http://bit.ly/PMC2010, by the way), I frame it selfishly– my bike ride, my goals, my experiences- that’s what I know. When I talk about my work- social media- I can only discuss what I have done or learned.

Talk about yourself. Serve others.

Scott Monty on SeaWorld’s Crisis Response

Why try to be some “social media expert” about something like the PR/social media issues around the recent SeaWorld tragedy, when someone like Scott Monty has already done all the work? Plus, in his role at Ford, he could easily be sitting in the same position the SeaWorld folks are in now. It’s his job. Read the post, and think what might happen when, heaven forbid, something happens with Ford products

Let’s Go All the Way and Link to Myself

I’m glad to say that the MEdia Bullseye Radio Roundtable is back in production, and three episodes in, I have joined the rotating group of co-hosts with regular host Jen Zingsheim, speaking with Kelly Crane about ABC News, Twitter ads, and firing clients. Have a listen at the site, or:

Click here to listen directly.

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Social Media Top 5: Olympic Chaos, Making Mistakes, and Losing Your %&*#

February 21, 2010 – 10:36 pm

It’s not about quantity, but the gold you can get from the chaos you create.

I joked during the Olympics that some of the duller (to me) sports could be “crossed up.” That is, have four or more athletes compete at once to create excitement, as in the snowboard cross and the ski cross events.

The excitement, of course, is in the chaos presented by the prospect of putting all these top athletes in a high-speed course at once, and the risk of collisions, wipeouts and controversy (of course, add short-track speedskating to the list).

Do… social media? We talk all the time about numbers and whether they matter. I have always been for having bigger networks rather than smaller, and these sports illustrate why. When you pile up the numbers, the chance of getting something interesting appears (forget increases- it appears, as in made possible where it wasn’t before). Think of this as a long-winded way of endorsing the idea of the “serendipity engine” that Chris Brogan likes to talk about. So, open the floodgates and invite the chaos– just have a plan on how to score the winners.

How can a social media “expert” make such a mistake?

David Meerman Scott, a very knowledgeable PR and social media person, “Re-Tweeted” the above-referenced promotion for the PRWeb service without checking for legitimacy. Does that make him any less knowledgeable? To the contrary, I think it should show that any company thinking about getting into social media should not be afraid of mistakes. We will all make them. There is too much going on, and mistakes will happen, we will get past them and move on (hopefully learning from it, or, in David’s case, even blogging about the lessons learned).

Twitter Phishing– Got Phished?

The recent Twitter phishing scam– in which people are tricked into giving logging into an ersatz Twitter application, which then takes over a user’s account, sending inane or even obscene direct messages, propagating the virus (or whatever it is) is not a new problem. But, it’s a fresh one. Got phished? Change your password immediately, and let people know you got hacked/phished/virused. Don’t worry about looking like a naive social media newbie (see previous item).

Single Point of Failure, Exhibit E

I say “exhibit E” because surely this is not the first or last. Free services for you blog an social networking come and go, but counting on any of them is a shaky proposition. One of my favorite PR/Marketing podcasts, “For Immediate Release,” was using the Sprout widget for embedding the podcast feed on blogs and sites (including letting anyone grab the code and put it on their site). Now, the service is going away (*cough* “sunsetting), leaving previous users in the lurch, while Sprout concentrates on growing its business with an enterprise product. Should I feel bad for FIR’s Shel and Neville? A little, but more to the point, it’s a lesson that any of these services we rely on could go away and affect our content and networks. I went through this with Utterli, which I used to use heavily on this blog, but I have been warned the service is in danger of disappearing, so have eased off it.

What to do? Build your own tools and host them, be redundant and back up everything multiple times so you can replace it, or design your content to be disposable. Whatever works for you (guess what I prefer).

Vimeo adding mobile support

As a premium account holder, I just think it’s cool that Vimeo is now transcoding content for mobile viewing. Before, I would have to upload a video onto YouTube as well (not a bad idea anyway) just so I could view it on my phone. Now I don’t have to, though as I just hinted I still might at times. But for private videos? One and done for Vimeo now (and yes, the originals are backed up).

Posted in social media | 3 Comments »

Help a PR Pro Out Day: Profiles in HAPPO (Boston)

February 19, 2010 – 11:00 am

It has been fun being involved with Help a PR Pro Out Day, and now the day, February 19, is upon us. Be on the lookout for the “#happo” hash tag on Twitter (and the #happobo tag for Boston) particularly between 11 am and 3 pm ET, as well as a number of blog posts like this one. Also, here in Boston we are holding an informal HAPPO networking lunch, with space and pizza generously provided by CHEN PR.

The purpose of HAPPO is to connect job-seeking PR professionals with potential employers, and to that end I have let some Boston-area participants take some space here with brief profiles. Also, employers that are hiring have provided me with links to their openings (please scroll to the bottom to see the employers).

If anyone, employer or PR pro, wants to connect and hasn’t done so directly, I am certainly happy to help. I can be reached at doughaslam (at) gmail (dot) com, or on Twitter at “DougH.” If you are a PR Pro or employer who would like to add your name to this group, just jump in in comments. I’ll also add any employers who jump in over the course of the day; and again, don’t forget the Twitter stream!

*I should note that there are some PR pros who do not wish to be so public for various reasons, but are still looking for opportunities and have stories every bit as good as the ones outlined here.

HAPPO PR Pros:

Amy Bernstein

http://www.linkedin.com/in/amyebernstein

Amy is an energetic young professional who hopes to “hit the ground running” when she finds a full-time job in Public Relations and Marketing. She is results-oriented and has held several positions in the PR arena where she can show proven results. Amy’s biggest desire when she finds a new position is to learn and absorb as much as she can. She is interested in working for an agency or a private company where she can learn from the best.

Bonus– Amy has her own HAPPO blog post here.

Kristin Grages

www.linkedin.com/in/kristingrages

Diverse experience, singular dedication.  With my depth of agency experience, I have the background to handle the varied needs of clients from any vertical market.  As a former in-house marketer, I know what the client needs and how to manage and exceed their expectations. These has taught me one thing, PR is there to grow business, to boost sales and to increase positive experiences with our clients’ businesses. A team player with a unique perspective.  As the goalie for my hockey team I have learned that you can’t win a game by yourself but you can lose it all on your own.  Being a team player means trusting the people around you and ensuring they have put their trust in the right person as well.  Whether it is training junior staff in best practices or merely setting a good example with my own hard work, I strive to create an environment of positive productivity. A multitasker with an organizational system all her own.  Managing up to eight accounts during my agency days, and a multimillion dollar company’s entire marketing and pr strategy during my in-house days, I learned very quickly to prioritize and be flexible.  Concise recordkeeping and deadline management were critical to my sanity and workload.  Just as important was the ability to put both of those aside when something changed.  Whether it was a service malfunction or a CEO’s whim to submit for an opportunity she passed on months ago, flexibility is just as crucial as prioritization when it comes to successful PR.

(Note: Kristin is a former colleague of mine at Topaz Partners)

Jenna Glynn

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennaglynn

Junior at Boston University majoring in Public Relations. Currently spending the Spring 2010 semester in Los Angeles “studying abroad” and interning. Open to all aspects of PR though mostly drawn to consumer PR, brand building and corporate public relations.Loves to tweet, blog and Facebook. Eternal Boston sports fan! What I’m looking for: Summer internship (preferably paid) in Boston area. Willing and eager to get my hands into anything PR and soak up as much experience as possible before graduating in Spring 2011.

Cassie Goldstein

http://joninathelittledove.blogspot.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiegoldstein

I am a senior at Indiana University majoring in journalism with a minor in political science. My concentration in my degree is public relations. Although I have been living in Bloomington for the past four years, I originally hail from Newton, MA just outside of Boston. I am eager to get back to city life! I am a passionate dancer, sushi lover (I am travelling to Japan in March with an International Public Relations Course), big sister and friend. For after graduation I am seeking an entry-level position or internship in public relations. I have a particular interest in the corporate, consumer and healthcare sectors. I would like to be heavily invested in social media outreach as well.

Nelly Liu

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nellyliu.

I am a recent grad from Boston University with an MS in Public Relations and am a native Chinese speaker. I am looking for job opportunities in social media/Asian relations/communication strategy consulting/integrated marketing/PR in the Greater-Boston area.

Expert in Asian Relations Grew up in Shanghai, China, I have excellent communicational skills in English, Mandarin and Shanghainese. I am extremely familiar with the Asian culture and have huge networks in China. Those qualities have helped my previous employer establish the first proprietary panel of mainland China luxury consumers to analyze the attitudes and consumer habits of Chinese luxury buyers and develop business strategies for luxury companies. I want to continue being the liaison between China/Asia and the US. I can help international corporations/agencies that have Chinese clients/are interested in the China market/want to boost its business in China.

Passionate about Social Media I believe that social media is more than simply using Twitter, Facebook or Youtube. The true power of social media is in using those tools to engage in conversations with a target group to help a company meet its business goals. I have worked on a variety of social media projects including social media strategy development, viral video/Web site content production, a white paper on crisis communication in social media, social media campaign design and management, and the planning and management of an online video contest.

Positive Attitude Towards Work I am a fast-learner and always bring to the team my energy and enthusiasm. I am not afraid of taking risks or seeking new challenges, and I always do what it takes to make my project succeed. Never never give up!

Chet Murray

http://www.linkedin.com/in/chetmurray

Having been laid off from my prior agency due to the turbulent economy, I am excited for what lies ahead in my career.  I am a seasoned PR pro with multiple years of experience representing a vast array of clients in technology and financial services.  Working at Nicoll Public Relations for more than two years, I was responsible for developing strategic media relations campaigns for upper echelon consumer electronic manufacturers.  I spent considerable time crafting carefully targeted pitches for varying media outlets from the New York Times to WWE Magazine to influential bloggers.  I had the pleasure of planning and executing trade shows including the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. Eaton Vance Corp., a mutual funds firm, is where I started in PR.  As a member of the corporate communications team, I was responsible for drafting press releases, fact sheets, articles, media advisories and other documents on behalf of the company.  I also contributed content for the monthly newsletter and participated with other forms of cross-company communications. I am looking to build upon my experience and utilize my skills with either an innovative agency or a company that is striving to enhance its communications team.  My consistent work ethic with a proven ability to get results will be an asset for my next employer.

Summer Walker

http://www.linkedin.com/in/summerwalker

Looking for: AE position at a Boston-area agency As a Senior Account Executive at a full-service public relations agency, I’ve spent the last four years monitoring industry trends, writing press releases, pitching media, and developing talking points, key messages and media lists. I believe truly effective PR is born out of thorough research. Whether it be for marketing plans or RFPs, analyzing industry trends or building blogger relationships, I specialize in producing quality research that helps exceed my client’s PR goals. I have worked with clients in a variety of industries from non-profit to hospitality. I have won Awards of Distinction and Judges Awards in both local and state level Florida Public Relations Association’s Image Award competitions. In 2007, I was honored with the Jefferson Award for Public Service for work with BETA Center, a Central Florida non-profit.

EMPLOYERS

The following employers have explicitly told me they are keeping an eye on HAPPO and have openings. I’m sure (I know) there are more!)

CHEN PR

Careers link: http://www.chenpr.com/careers.htm

Cone Communications

Careers link: http://www.coneinc.com/careers/index.php

Manning Selvage and Lee

Careers link: http://www.facebook.com/mslboston?v=feed&story_fbid=303891977229&ref=mf

HAPPO shouldn’t end on HAPPO Day. build your networks to last!

Posted in Public Relations | 7 Comments »

Posting directly to WordPress from mobile

February 17, 2010 – 6:26 pm

Wow, I think I like this Mark mobile Android app for posting to WordPress. I shall experiment more, though.

UPDATE: Gotta watch the autocorrect spelling on my phone– has a mind of its won sometimes, though it is mostly helpful

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Beatrice Family Update– House Will be Saved

February 17, 2010 – 12:31 pm

Thanks to the many folks who sent their best wishes, and even contributed to the Beatrice Family Fund this past fall and winter. Great news- the Newton Tab has reported that the Fund’s efforts have been successful, and that the Beatice family will be able to keep their house. This is an incredible story of a community rallying around a man who gave so much to it, and the family he left behind when he passed away last October.

Read more at the Newton Tab.

Posted in Newton | 1 Comment »