Frustrated by Gooding Jr.’s frosty relationship with the media, Cruise implores, “Help me to help you.” It’s a pivotal moment in the movie for both characters – and it’s one that should be used more in the PR industry.

Although it’s true of many industries, public relations is at a pivotal stage in its history.

New media sources and resources have changed the way PR is handled – and if it hasn’t made your agency change with it, then perhaps questions should be asked why.

So how can you help yourself to help your clients?

Use the Tools Effectively

We continuously hear how great social media is for PR. Yet are clients seeing why social media is so effective?

Try this experiment. The next time you have a promotional campaign, organize a pre-determined Twitter Q+A session between your client and users of that brand. Use a hashtag to keep the conversation separate and set up a Twitter username for that particular discussion.

Let your client see how he or she can immediately engage with their consumer base. They get both positive and constructive criticism in the open, and the customer feels appreciated because their brand is listening. Relationship building like that is priceless and if your client doesn’t get social media’s benefits then, they probably never will.

Encourage Greatness

I’ve met a lot of PR agency bosses (corporate and boutique) that seem to have their head up their asses when it comes to growing their agency. They seem to feel that they’re the only ones that have something of value to say, or offer. Get over yourself.

Some of the brightest voices are being unheard because of the way you think. The industry is changing and new blood is heading the rush. Instead of trying to hold that back, embrace it.

Do you have team meetings? Hand over the floor to a junior executive or intern and see what they have to say. While their ideas might not all be gold, what happens if you discover that one nugget that blows you away so much you wonder why you weren’t doing it in the first place? Greatness is in everyone – allow it to shine and it can only benefit you and your client in the long run.

Share the Accolades

There’s nothing better than seeing a carefully crafted PR campaign come to fruition and be a major success. You’re cock-a-hoop because it shows your agency knows its stuff and your client is over the moon with the resultant interest in his or her company. So why not share the success?

Suggest a fun agency/client get-together where everyone from both companies can get to know each other better away from a corporate environment. Your team feels more involved, and they should – after all, they were an integral part of the success as well, weren’t they? And your client sees you’re appreciative of their involvement in helping your campaign, therefore strengthening the relationship. It’s a win-win.

Change is all around us. Are you keeping up?

photo credit: Jose Téllez

Help Yourself to Help Your Clients originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

This is a guest post from PR professional David Mullen, whose insights into the industry always intrigue me. I read his blog often and ask why many of his suggestions on how PR can evolve aren’t standard practice yet, and I’m delighted he’s sharing his views here today.

You remember those days. You would run straight to your favorite diversion and play with reckless abandon until the bell rang. Or you’d start there and then visit two or three other amusements before heading back inside.

What drove you and others to the merry-go-round or the slides? The thrill? The butterflies in your tummy? Whatever it was, you were there because you genuinely enjoyed yourself. If your friends were there, too, great! If not, it was no big deal. You’d make new friends with kids who shared your love affair for the monkey bars.

Social media is like the playground. It has a ridiculous supply of platforms and applications and tools to enjoy. You gravitate to one or a few of those because they play to your interests and allow you to meet other fine folks who are as passionate about those same things as you are.

This is why a thoughtful communications strategy is imperative for brands to engage with others on the playground. Don’t start a Facebook page because everyone else is doing it. Don’t create a YouTube channel because you read an article in Adweek.

Take a step back from the temptation of knee-jerk reactions, identify the interests you share with your customers, find out where they go to talk about those interests together and contribute meaningfully to the “play” going on there. Participating regularly on a niche message board may reap far more rewards for your brand than an under-used Facebook page among millions.

How do you strategically target where your brand shows up on the playground? As importantly, how do you connect with your customers once you’re there?

• David Mullen is a PR and communications consultant with Mullen (no relation), a full-service marketing agency and an independent brand within the Interpublic Group of Companies. He has worked with brands such as The Home Depot, Coldwell Banker, Intercall and Healthtex. To learn more about David, please visit his Communications Catalyst blog or connect with David on Twitter.

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Social Media is the Playground at Recess originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

- He has to face negativity surrounding his employers and their part in the auto-bailout

- He has to show social media’s worth in an industry not always associated with open minds

- He has to deal with some pretty vociferous opinions thrown his way as the face of a frequently unpopular company

I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve been one of the people that have thrown some of these tough question’s Scott’s way. I’m not a big fan of under-achieving companies being “rewarded” for their failures with a Get Out Of Jail card. Maybe it’s my Scottish upbringing, or my grandad’s socialist side showing a little. But to me, you live or die by your own sword and the auto and bank industries didn’t do that.

Yet that’s an argument for another time.

Anyone inside the social media bubble knows how difficult it can be to not only make your voice heard at times, but to make it respected. So many variants and opinions of what’s right and wrong – although is there actually a right and wrong in social media to begin with? So to use the medium and make it work for you is a skill.

What Scott Monty does goes beyond that.

While his parent company Ford were being publicly flogged for the company’s CEO flying into Washington in a private jet to state his case, news broke of Ford going after an enthusiast site for trademark infringement. With the climate already hostile toward Ford, word soon spread throughout social media sites and networks about Ford bullying “one of their own”.

Instead of ignoring the situation and letting the legal team resolve it, Scott engaged the hostility head on and promised to keep everyone up-to-date with proceedings. This he did from his Twitter account – from latest news from Ford, to conversations with the site in question, to bringing the full story into public view.

The fact that he did this and kept the owners of the website on his side (not to mention gained new fans into the bargain) says a lot about Scott’s value in the social media world. The guy epitomizes all that’s good about this field we play in – transparency, honesty, openness, interaction and trust. And he does this every day of the week.

Of course, people might say that this is what he’s being paid to do, so he should be responding to the public – and that’s true. But how many people can honestly say they’d keep putting themselves in the firing line of such an eager execution squad and remain positive about it? That’s the difference.

Being genuine isn’t always a visible trait in the PR industry – being genuine in an industry where you’re only as good as your last sale is particularly less obvious. Like anyone, I can be a pretty tough taskmaster when it comes to the everyman versus the corporate giant.

People like Scott Monty mean I have one less giant to worry about.

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Why Scott Monty of Ford Motors Has My Respect originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

A conversation with one of my Twitter friends Lizz Harmon raised the question of which public relations-type Twitter users would make an equally good list for people to follow. Sources of great information for both PR professionals and interns alike. So, in no particular order, here is the list of 10 PR People to Follow for anyone interested in PR.

1. Beth Harte. One of the earliest adopters of Web 2.0 and social media benefits, Beth offers an excellent voice in PR and currently teaches public relations, marketing and more at Immaculata University.
2. Todd Defren. The Principal of Shift Communications, Todd is also the founder of the social media press release and an influential voice in Web 2.0 public relations.
3. Lisa Hoffmann. Lisa is the Chief Copywriter at PRstore and is vocal in her support of combining social media, PR and communications.
4. Lizz Harmon. Far from inclusion just because of her suggestion of this list, Lizz would make any PR list on Twitter. President of HarmonTampa Public Relations and another key social media proponent.
5. Dave Fleet. Dave is a Senior Consultant for Thornley Fallis Communications and has an extensive background in PR and communications. Always an interesting conversation.
6. Dana Willhoit. With a background in news journalism and lead press release writer for The Press Release Site, Dana offers an invaluable view from both sides of PR.
7. Joan Stewart. Otherwise known as The Publicity Hound, Joan is one of the foremost voices in PR on Twitter and an excellent source of useful Tweets and opinions.
8. Brian Solis. Principal of FutureWorks PR agency and owner of the industry-respected PR 2.0 blog, Brian is one of the key voices when it comes to social media and PR.
9. Sarah Evans. Director of Communications at Elgin Community College, Sarah has recently begun guest authoring at respected website Mashable.
10. Jason Kintzler. Founder of PitchEngine, a social media newsroom that’s fast becoming one of the go-to resources for social media press releases.

Like any list, this one is by no means exhaustive and I’m sure there are others just as worthy of a place on it. However, as a mix of PR professionals and services for anyone in PR (or interested in it), it’s not a bad starting point, though I’d love to hear who you would have on your list.

Of course, if you feel like following me, please feel free to join me on Twitter.

Ten PR People to Follow on Twitter originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

No, I’m tired of all the “social media gurus” that have suddenly appeared from nowhere. Now I don’t want that to be misconstrued, nor do I want it to sound as if I’m disrespecting anyone – that’s not the intention.

Instead, I’m tired of looking at someone’s Twitter profile, or blog bio or similar, and finding the description “social media guru” or “social media expert”. I’m not saying that they’re not a guru or expert – but is that really for someone to decide by themself? And when did they decide that they are a social media guru or expert?

It probably wouldn’t be so obvious (and therefore so visual to me) if social media wasn’t still such a new medium that everyone is still learning about as we go along. There are so many facets to it, so many different windows that we can look through and see a different view each time, that it’s pretty much impossible to class yourself as a social media guru, or expert.

Even in other mediums or industries, can you really class yourself as an expert or guru?

For example, I own a boutique PR agency that specializes in search engine optimized press releases and social media PR. Yet I wouldn’t say I’m a PR or social media expert. I have expertise in these areas, and I’d like to think that I offer an informative outlook on both as well.

Yet that doesn’t mean I’m a guru or expert.

Social media in particular changes so fast that no-one can keep up with everything that’s happening. Even the guys that could truly be classified as social media gurus would struggle to know all the ins and outs of the latest applications, tools and similar.

And that’s the difference – they don’t proclaim themselves as social media gurus. Take a look at Chris Brogan, or Brian Solis. Both leaders in the field of social media and PR respectively, and sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience with anyone that wishes it. Yet neither of them describe themselves as a guru, or expert. And that’s why I respect and acknowledge them as the most accurate description of “gurus”.

To me, a guru or expert becomes one from people’s views of them. Recommendations to go to a person because of the help and knowledge that will be forthcoming. After all, you wouldn’t recommend your friend to someone whose view you didn’t respect, right? Or who couldn’t offer your friend something valuable?

As I said, I’m not meaning this post to be in any way disrespectful. I just feel that to be known as a guru, you need to prove it. And earn it. Self-classification doesn’t quite count.

So What is a Social Media Guru, Exactly? originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

Yet like anything new, social media is just another “stumbling block” to overcome if you haven’t used it before. If you take time to think of all the things you’ve successfully overcome in your life already, you’ll see that social media should be looked at as just another stone to step across. Perhaps the best analogy is to compare social media to your time at kindergarten.

First Day at School

Remember the fear you felt when you first arrived at kindergarten? Unless you were a mini-Rambo, of course, and feared no-one. Yet if you were like me, the fear of feeling alone and not knowing anyone was a difficult one to overcome. All I wanted to do was stay in the car and go home.

The first time dipping my toe in the social media world elicited similar feelings in me. I knew I was meant to be there, but I was thinking it’d be just as easy to not be there. Yet just like that first day at kindergarten, it’s all about taking that first step.

Just like you ended up stepping through the doors to the kindergarten building, so you can step though the barriers to the social media world. All you need to acknowledge is that it is new to you so it will take a little time to feel comfortable – but it will (and does) come.

Stay Out of the Sandpit

Once you got used to the new world that was kindergarten and you started making some friends, life became easier. Yet I recall this one kid that wouldn’t mix with anyone – he stayed in the sandpit at breaks and refused all attempts to make friends. Rightly or wrongly, every other kid thought he was strange because of this.

Don’t be the sandpit kid when it comes to social media. The best way to feel comfortable is to make friends and introduce yourself. Whether it’s via a blog to share your voice or a short exchange of messages on something like Twitter, communicating is key to enjoying the full social media experience.

The result of communicating? Apart from making new friends and opening up your network, people that have been using social media longer than you can help you make informed decisions of which ones will work best for you.

Listen to Teacher

While at kindergarten, one of the strangest things I had to get used to was listening to the teacher. I say strange, because although I had been told that I should listen to my teacher by my parents, it was easier said than done. My line of thought was: “You’re not my mom – why should I listen to you?”

Of course, I soon overcame this way of thinking – especially when my mom banned me from any toys after kindergarten until I started listening to what my teacher was trying to tell me.

In the social media world, there are some excellent teachers that you can learn a lot from. People like Chris Brogan and Jeff Pulver are just two names that spring to mind – yet the knowledge that they and other social media visionaries like them can impart to you is invaluable.

If you need to know anything about social media and the wonderful world it can open up to you, signing up to Chris or Jeff’s blogs isn’t a bad way to start. After all, if you can’t learn from these guys, then maybe social media isn’t for you. And perhaps you may even glean some knowledge from me now and again…

There’s a whole new world waiting out there for you. While it may appear daunting and confusing, just remember – you navigated through kindergarten and beyond. You can navigate through social media as well – just keep an open mind and open ears, and don’t be afraid to speak. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the conversations you hear.

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The Kindergarten Approach to Social Media originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

One of the foremost branding and communications firms in North America, Comet Branding combines traditional branding and marketing with social media and all that has to offer. Their radio show has included the likes of Brian Solis, Jennifer Leggio and others and looks at how to build brands using traditional PR, social media, eco-friendly approaches and more.

The founder of Comet Branding, Al Krueger, kindly offered an invitation to discuss the social media press release. I’ll be appearing with Jason Kintzler, founder of Pitch Engine; Todd Defren, Principal of Shift Communications; and Mike Volpe, VP of Marketing at HubSpot. It looks set to be an interesting discussion – I hope you can join us.

In other “special appearance” news, myself and fellow social media advocate Susan Murphy recently collaborated on a guest post at the blog of author and Emmy award-winning former CBS corespondent David Henderson. This came about after our responses to one of David’s posts on social media and its perceived non-effectiveness in business use. It was an enjoyable partnership and my thanks to David for extending the invite – you can read the guest post here.

Finally, I just received confirmation that I will be a blog partner for this years’s Open Web Awards, or Webby’s. Run by the good folks over at Mashable, the Webby’s recognize the major innovations in web technology. There are 26 categories, and nominations run between November 5 to November 18 2008. The actual voting will take place between November 19 and December 15 – make sure you stop by.

I’d like to thank everyone for inviting me to take part in these events and discussions, and I’m looking forward to hearing and sharing the views of some of my peers and contemporaries.

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Interview on Comet Branding Radio and Other News originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

One of the main reasons (in my opinion) is that there is too much conflicting information about the format, which leaves potential users unsure whether or not it offers any benefits. Which is a shame, since used properly the social media press release can be a vital part of any promotional campaign.

What is the Social Media Press Release?

At its heart, the format is simply a new spin on the more traditional press release. The main difference is how it uses the burgeoning social media networks and applications. Compared to a “static” press release, a social media one offers:

• Video and images
• Audio
• RSS feeds
• Social network sharing options to the likes of Friendfeed, Technorati, Twitter and more

Because of these types of features, social media press releases offer a much easier way for news to be digested through online feeds. This includes bloggers, who are becoming an ever more important source of breaking news – something that the PR and news industries need to accept more readily.

By interacting with a larger online audience (including bloggers), the chances of a news story being picked up by a large and targeted audience are increased. And for anyone still unsure about the power of bloggers, just look at the Associated Press debacle from a few months back, or the very recent BackUp Shotgun Rack controversy. So why the slow acceptance of the new release format?

Using Social Media and PR Effectively

One of the biggest reasons for the (currently) low uptake of the social media press release is that both businesses and PR professionals don’t understand the synergy between the new and existing press release formats.

With social media being such a buzz word, many companies are making the mistake that all they need is an online presence coupled with PR and everything will be just fine. PR agencies that have failed (or refused) to understand this new medium properly are also misinforming clients about what a social media PR campaign entails.

A social media press release will not form the one-cap-fits-all pitch of a proper PR campaign. Nor will it act as an easy way to increase your SEO visibility – a common mistake made when it comes to explaining what a social media press release can do.

Instead, this new press release format should be used as an excellent and complementary addition to a PR campaign – one which includes a traditional or search engine optimized press release distributed via online newswires. In effect, it should be used to build or enhance your brand via the tools offered by social media, with a more traditional PR campaign running alongside it.

Let’s Talk!

There’s a great debate going on over at the Hubspot marketing blog regarding the whole social media press release angle, and includes some interesting points of view from both detractors and supporters. These include Todd Defren, who came up with the first social media news release template, as well as Jason Kintzler, founder of Pitch Engine, a new website offering social media newsrooms and the option to create a free social media press release. It’s worth checking out.

Whatever your take is, whether you’re for or against, there’s no doubting that the social media press release offers a new spin for getting news out to relevant parties. While I’m most definitely in the “For” camp, I can also see why there is lingering doubt about its effectiveness. This is where it’s up to the founders and supporters of the format to show just why it can be so effective.

To do this, there needs to be a uniformed message – only then will understanding lead to acceptance. I’m in – anyone else?

Social Media, Press Releases and Where PR Fits In originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

A prime example of this was Blog Action Day earlier this month, when thousands of bloggers worldwide wrote about poverty. Not only did this show a combined voice on the desperation of poverty itself, it also proved how social media – when used cohesively – can open up a line of discussion on topics that are so often ignored or swept under the carpet.

Also this month, it’s been National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While millions of people offline have been wearing pink ribbons to signify support, social media users have been showing support in their own ways. Twitter users have turned their profile pictures pink, while MySpace members have pink ribbon themes to offer their support.

Next month sees the annual Movember charity event, which highlights the importance of men’s health and getting regular check-ups. Of particular importance is looking for early signs, and prevention, of prostate cancer.

To support the event, men everywhere are being encouraged to grow moustaches – hence the name Movember (moustaches in November). I’m already getting my Twitter profile picture readied for the month, as are countless other men and women worldwide.

This is where social media is so inspiring to me.

Just making the small effort to change a Twitter profile pic (or any online profile), encouraging people to ask what it’s about, which in turn gets them involved. Strangers blogging about the same topic, offering a unified voice often more powerful than any newspaper or traditional media source.

Social media often gets cynical looks from people who don’t understand it, or who see it as a passing fad that will soon be replaced with the next big thing. While that may indeed happen, until then it offers a unique way for millions of voices to be heard and make a stand. Surely that’s something to applaud?

Using Social Media to Inspire originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.

What’s interesting about the second piece is that Mich raises the question whether the “consultant bloggers” who make the top tier earnings could soon be extinct, due to the current economic climate. While it’s certainly a valid point, I don’t think there is a worry that outsourced consultants are heading toward extinction.

Many of the most successful companies know the value of an outsourced or freelance consultant, both from a knowledge and cost-effective point of view. Consultants can look at a business’s approach from an unbiased angle and therefore without the blinkered view that someone that’s put sweat and blood into the company would naturally have.

This ensures that any weak points that may have been glossed over can be addressed, in turn strengthening the company and helping it toward future success and growth. Yes, consultancy fees can be high, but the rewards are more than worth it.

Outsourcing also offers a proven way to keep costs down. While there may be the initial cost of hiring the consultant in the first place, this is only for a small amount of time – look at the problem, make suggestions, and move on. Compare this to continuing to make costly errors due to a biased or unqualified approach.

Nowhere is this more true than in the burgeoning social media scene. Businesses are slowly but surely becoming aware that they need a social media presence to keep up with (or stay ahead of) their competitors. Having a poorly thought-out social media strategy can be worse than not having one at all.

This is where social media consultants will continue to succeed and offer a valuable service. The very nature of social media means that today’s buzz can be tomorrow’s roadkill – having someone on your team that understands the medium and works with it is a necessity. Just because Jack in accounts has a Facebook profile does not mean he’s a social media expert.

Of course, social media is maturing and there will be some applications and sites that simply disappear. You could day that once the medium reaches its zenith, there’ll be no more need for the guys who are currently leading the social media consultancy field. However, the strength of leaders in fields is that they can adapt and move with the flow.

When social media reaches its peak – which it is sure to do – there will be a new form of interactive medium for everyone to get to grips with, both personally and professionally. The guys that are heading social media now will more than likely be the guys at the forefront of whatever’s next. This is where their worth will come in, and keep them from becoming extinct.

Nobody wants to see people lose their jobs at any time – unfortunately it’s a sad and simple fact that this will happen in the current climate. The forward-thinking businesses will see that continuing to use an outsourced consultant can help them keep the damage down to a minimum, while advising on how to start the path back to profitability and re-employment.

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Why High Profile Bloggers and Social Media Consultants Will Survive the Economic Downturn originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.