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Treat technology as you would a friend… October 3, 2008

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Social Media, Technology , 2 comments

I have to admit I enjoy it when the online discussion moves from the ethereal norm to something that reflects reality.

The issue of information overload and the use of technology, is something that impacts everyone today.

When we talk about “social media” and how “Web 2.0” will change PR, one of the key issues is how these things are impacting your audience (if at all).  People have limited time, and real lives. We can talk about the online revolution but if people don’t have the time or the energy then it’s a mute discussion.

I think it is very interesting – not to mention incredibly important - to understand how people are dealing with the volume and variety of information they’re dealing with every day.  (That’s why back in August I shared how I use Microsoft OneNote to manage my day – and would love to hear from others on how they are managing theirs… :-) )

Back at the beginning of September, Jeremy Pepper called on people to think long and hard about how they are using technology and to think about how more traditional tools may be even more productive for certain tasks. In fact, he called for people to discard “technology” and use the phone! You can see from the number of comments on the post that this is a subject that is exercising a lot of peoples’ imaginations.

While technology has its place in public relations, we have been over-relying on the tools for so long that the basics of public relations - the relationships and the connectivity with face-to-face meetings and the ability to do good phone - have been lost. It’s the few that can do it, and do it well.

Shel Holtz has responded to Jeremy’s post with a call for balance. In essence, use the right tool for the right job.  Sometimes the phone may be more effective, sometimes e-mail is best. Your job, and your challenge, is to choose the right tool for the right job.

But if each tool is used based on its strengths, then it becomes a matter of thoughtful integration of all the tools, not an artificial abandonment of a tool that has become a vital part of a PR practitioner’s communication mix.

I’m a passionate believer in balance. 

Having an insight into your audience – big or small – and therefore an understanding into what’s the most effective way of reaching and communicating with them  - is your challenge.

Creative uses of Social Media October 2, 2008

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Social Media , 1 comment so far

Creativity is often the elixir for our online activities.  How often are you on the quest to make something “viral”?

Well of course it’s not just PR practitioners and marketers who seek online creativity.

Criminals are often very successful in the creative use of social media – and I’m not talking about phishers or spammers here.

How about this story about a robber in Monroe, Washington who used Craigslist to recruit loads of people to unwittingly act as decoys as he robbed a security truck…

But apparently, the robber had planned ahead. In case anyone was hot on his trail, he had at least a dozen unsuspecting decoys waiting nearby, which he recruited on Craigslist.

An armored car sits outside a Bank of America branch in Monroe, Wash. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008. Police say a man tried to rob the car, then jumped into a creek that led to the Skykomish River.

"I came across the ad that was for a prevailing wage job for $28.50 an hour," said Mike, who saw a Craigslist ad last week looking for workers for a road maintenance project in Monroe.

He said he inquired and was e-mailed back with instructions to meet near the Bank of America in Monroe at 11 a.m. Tuesday. He also was told to wear certain work clothing.

"Yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask… and, if possible, a blue shirt," he said.

Some online marketing agency should snap him up….

Via Boing Boing

Hello World… September 26, 2008

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Public Relations, Public Speaking, Social Media , 2 comments

I’ve been travelling quite a bit recently (and as many people ask, I’m delighted to report that the Heathrow issue didn’t arise this time around so hopefully that chapter is behind me) and the past week has been a little hectic so I haven’t been keeping on top of my RSS feeds…

Reviewing my feeds today the most interesting thing I noticed was that there was a distinct lack of outrage and hyperbole.  What’s going on? :-)

 

Hat tip to Damien.

PR’s Future Demands Leadership Not Rhetoric September 12, 2008

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Public Relations , 8 comments

I am currently re-reading Stuart Ewen’s excellent book "PR! A social history of spin" which provides an incredibly interesting insight into the emergence of modern Public Relations through the twentieth century.

One of the things that strikes me about the incredible transition that took place over that period was the intellectual rigour that was invested in changing how companies (and PR "agents") approached communications, delivering improved, if not always ethical results. :-)

I can’t help but contrast that rigour with the lack of intellectual investment in much of what’s written about the changes taking place in communications today.

In an era when there is arguably a greater transformation underway, many commentators seem to be focused on the latest gadget rather than the impact of how people are now finding and sharing information and connecting with others online. And maybe even more importantly how those changes will be integrated with traditional tools and methods.

The emperor’s new clothes

If you’re a semi-regular reader of blogs you’ll know that the thesis that social media spells the death of traditional media, not to mention the death of range of professions from PR to marketing.

So what is this thesis based on?

Is it based on some insightful statistical analysis? Is it based on a comprehensive set of focus groups or is it even based on experience?

Eh no.

It seems that the complete extent of this thesis is based on (often ill informed) opinion presented as fact.

The irony of conversation and the echo chamber

Many of these soothsayers lecture us on change.

Conversation is now king.  Tools such as the press release are gasping for air.  But it appears to me that when they talk about "conversation" what they actually mean is "conversation with people like me who visit the same sites as me (and probably have the same views as me)" rather than conversation in a real sense with the real world.

While its hard to realise this when you’re sitting in a high ivory tower, the world outside the blogsphere isn’t as simple as many assume.

People still like TV, radio and reading newspapers and magazines.

If we are really serious about understanding the fundamental changes taking place, then we need to talk to people in the mainstream, not the digerati.

When you step away from your keyboard and talk with business people in small, medium or large companies, you may be surprised to discover that Twitter, blogs and social media aren’t at the top of their agenda. Instead they are focused on their job, their family, dealing with information overload, and important issue such as the deteriorating economy. 

There’s too much discussion in the echo chamber, where’s the real discussion, the discussion about how these online tools intersect with the real world?

From a Public Relations perspective that’s what’s interesting, that’s what’s relevant, that’s what matters.

The politicisation of "thought leadership"

I’ve noticed that many new "social media" books are moving away from a factual analysis of what’s actually happening in the real world and instead focus on taking small, isolated, though interesting incidents and presenting them as evidence that the world has changed forever.

Eh. No.

Thanks for insulting our intelligence - and charging us for the pleasure, now that’s an innovative business model.

Of course social media commentators often follow the same model. I read one recently make the argument that higher oil prices was the final death knell for traditional media.

Yes indeed.

Thanks for the value add.

The benefits of online bladder control

Another thing that I don’t think builds the credibility of those involved in the  online debate is the constant flow (’scuse the pun) of "influential commentators" who lose the control of their bodily functions at every new widget, web page, download or button.

If these people are "experts" then surely they should be providing a context, an insightful overview of the new new thing, rather than declaring that something with no track record is going to destroy not only traditional (and established) tools and channels, but whatever was hot last week.

C’mon on folks provide some intellectual value will you?

PR’s Future

Public Relations can be broadly defined as the process of helping people, communities and organisations to communicate effectively with their target audience(s) to inform and educate. It’s about more than media relations, though of course media relations is important, it’s about more than press releases, it’s about more than blogs, or wikis or Twitter.  It’s about great communication.

That communication will take place (or should take place) where you can most effectively reach your audience, whether that’s a blog post, a town hall meeting, a piece of direct mail or a bulletin board.

Life isn’t binary.  There are more than two options.  That’s why the rubbish we see written online again and again about the death of PR is irrelevant.

Of course the Internet is bringing new tools and channels to communications.  Of course there is a need for PR people to understand that "broadcasting" messages is no longer an effective way to reach and inform everyone.

Instead we do have to think about conversations as well as the traditional tools. But then we always have. The key here, gentle reader, is the integration of traditional and online, not the use of one at the exclusion of the other.

Bad can be good

There’s a rise in the "outing" of poor PR pitches. That’s probably not a bad thing.  This blog doesn’t even make the Z-list, but I still get mindless pitches all the time.  I can only imagine the number and quality of pitches more popular sites receive.

Successful PR people will understand the changes taking place quickly.  But there’s always laggards and poor practitioners.  These folks are the ones who are probably today pitching sports stories to a newspaper’s crime correspondent and will in the future be spamming parenting blogs with new agricultural products.

That’s life. It creates a poor image of PR, but there’s nothing you can do about it.  What you can do is make sure that you are thoughtful in how you engage online. 

Focus on your practice.

Leadership

It’s not all bleak, there are a growing number of PR bloggers providing thoughtful commentary on how PR is changing - and how it will change in the future. 

These people base their commentary on examples of what’s happening today.  They focus on how new technologies impact how we communicate and how those same technologies can help us be more effective in the future.

But these people are also usually realistic in understanding that effective PR is PR that is built on an understanding of how to reach and communicate with your audience.  They understand that effective communication demands a blend of offline and online communication.

If PR is to prosper in the future, and I believe it will, then we need leadership, we need people to lead by being realistic, by reflecting the challenges we face such as how we can build a better understanding of our audiences and the tools we’ll use to reach them.

This is not about shiny objects, hyperbole or widgets.  It’s about world class communication, based on insight into your audience and pragmatic investments in the channels that work.

It’s time we took a stand.

Tom’s in Seattle all week

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Personal , 4 comments

I’ll be in Seattle all next week…

PR brain, social media pillars and dealing with online misinformation…. September 7, 2008

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Public Relations, Social Media , add a comment

John Bell has an interesting post and presentation on measuring your social media score.

Pr_brain2

 

Charles Heflin provides ten pillars of social media engagement. [Thanks to Sherrilynne Starkie for the link].

 

Neville Hobson posts about GMs new efforts to address rumours and misinformation circling the internet with "GM facts and fiction".

New PR firm… social media echo chamber… when e-mail goes bad and blog badges.. September 5, 2008

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Blogs, E-mail, Public Relations, Social Media , 4 comments

A big congratulations to Stephen Davies on his brave new venture, he’s set up his own PR firm 3WPR. You can read the announcement here, and Stephen’s blog post on the new venture here. I wish him the very best of luck!

I found myself nodding in agreement with Jonathan Trenn’s editorial on ZDNet: Echo Chamber: Social media strategists are talking to themselves.

So how does this effect social media? It shows that, like Pandora, we’re going to have to learn our way on effectively building relationships with clients, agencies, and other key stakeholders in this unexplored territory. We’re going to have to learn how to dynamically position in the disparate roles we’ll be playing. We’re going to have to find our voices beyond the conversation we have with one another. Otherwise, it won’t be enough.

Hear hear! [Link courtesy of Trevor Cook]

Shel Holtz shares a cautionary tale of how a draft e-mail sent to the wrong people can cause a major crisis.

Todd Defren is offering bloggers some free badges to let PR people know if they’re open to pitching or not.  It’s a nice idea though I fear that it won’t stem the flow of ill-judged PR spam…

Blog scorecards & improving your writing… August 29, 2008

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Blogs, Writing , 1 comment so far

Looking for a way of measuring the success (or not) of your corporate blogging efforts? David Jones is sharing a dashboard template (PDF) from Hill & Knowlton in Canada.

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Kevin Dugan has posted five sources for improving your writing including Word of the Day. 

By the way Dictionary.com offers a Word of the Day e-mail which is worth signing up for.

How do you stay organised?…

Posted by Tom Murphy in : GTD, He would say that, OneNote , 2 comments

With the growing volume of e-mails, meetings, blogs, RSS feeds, tasks, projects, plans, media outlets etc. coupled with balancing work-life balance and your sanity - staying organised and on top of things is a challenge.

I’m always interested in finding out what systems people use to manage the crazy day-to-day requirements of modern living.

I have filed this post under “He would say that”, as my primary tool is Microsoft OneNote.  It’s the centre of my working day and I still keep finding new features and capabilities.

What do you use? How you you stay on top of things? Let me know!

 

Organisation Central

So what do I use OneNote for?

Here are just some of the uses and features that I use….

 

imageEmail Archive: using this button on the Outlook 2007 toolbar I archive all my e-mail in OneNote automatically (including attachments) making it easy to index, search, organise and browse

 

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Meeting Notes: I record, file and archive every meeting so that I can review the notes for actions, next steps and reminders

Bonus: If you record audio of a meeting on your laptop while using OneNote, it automatically time stamps the audio with any notes you make.

 

Project Planning: With OneNote I can pull together files, links, text, pictures and handwritten notes on a single page making it simple to get access to the information you need for a project.

 

Daily Notes: I have a new OneNote page for each day where I record thoughts, events etc.  If a particular item requires a project I can simply create a new linked page in OneNote and get started.

 

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Next Actions: Once I’ve finished a meeting I review my notes and when I spot an action item I can create an Outlook task directly from inside OneNote.  The task then appears in Outlook with an automatic link back to the relevant OneNote page (and you can also create meetings).

 

 

image

 

Capture information: I can insert and attach files, scans, I can print documents into OneNote, I can capture web pages and articles for future reference (and OneNote automatically inserts the local URL).

 

Find everything: OneNote not only offers fast text search, it indexes PDFs and images and integrates with Windows Desktop Search so you can find whatever information you’re looking for, wherever you are on your PC, when you need it.

 

 

Tagging: In addition to fast search you can tag any item in OneNote.  Then at a later date you can run a report that pulls all your tagged items into a single page report.

 

 

 

 

 

OneNote on the go: If you have a Windows Mobile phone, you can take OneNote Mobile wherever you go and automatically add notes to your PC when you get back to the office.  You can also copy pages from OneNote to your phone to take with you on the road.

 

 

 

OneNote Powertools: Finally there’s a whole range of different add-ons for Outlook from utilities that let you import and export HTML pages, to gadgets that let you quickly and easily send a page to your phone. (See link below)

So… how are you staying organised?

 

Other tools I use:

 

OneNote Resources:

For those into David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” approach to work:

 

Note:

[Cross posted on my Microsoft blog]

Social media ebooks, PRs and bloggers

Posted by Tom Murphy in : Blogs, Public Relations, Social Media , 1 comment so far

I was giving a talk to a group of small business owners last night on the topic of social media.  One of the people at the meeting asked for some further reading on the topic and then I happened upon this post from Chris Brogan: 20 free ebooks on Social Media. I haven’t read them mind you :-) but as we all know reading expands the mind… or is reading “dead” along with everything else these days?

Susan Getgood asks why can’t bloggers and PR people just get along. I get along pretty well with myself, but I’m not sure that’s the aim of the post…


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