The up-side of Twitter

The is so much you can do with Twitter, however many people do not utilize it as much as they could and should. According to Chris Brogan there are many ways you can use twitter, Brogan mentions 50 ways.

Helping direct attention to good things was among the top ideas listed. When working in business you need to generate buzz, and hopefully this is good buzz. As a PR person you want to be a part of conversations going on, especially about the companies your involved with. Twitter is perfect for this very thing.

A lot of people in business don't realize there, are alot of people involved with twitter, alot! This means associates of yours will be reading about your company and the good things that go with it. For non-profit groups this is perfect. They don't have to pay a thing, and they can get there messages out there for everyone to read.

Another great resource of twitter is is breaks news faster then others. Which, lets face it, PR people need to know what is going on. We are there to be involved with news and know it and know people's opinion about it.

News is always going on, and what is more perfect then a source that feeds the news to you almost instantly. This is especially good if you are wondering what is going on in a certain conference you couldn't attend, and the attendees are twittering away about the topics.

Twitter can be a little different. The name alone is enough to throw someone off, but don't worry twitter is safe. Not everyone is trying to spam you. Twitter is a great resource that more PR people need to utilize.

Women and Spirituality Conference

Vandana Shiva, author and founder of Navdanya, a Indian-based movement, will be the keynote speaker at this years, "Women and Spirituality Conference."

Shiva will discuss, "The Gendered Politics of Food." The conference held Oct.31 brings 1,000 people to Mankato State University every year.

Over 100 additional workshops will be discussesd "through, discovery, interaction, ritual, and celebrations," a university-issued statement says.

Some of Shiva's books inlcude, "Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply" and " Monocultures of the Mind: Perspectives on Biodiversity and Biotechnology."

Described by Time magazine as an "evironmental hero", Shiva has recieved the Alternative Nobel Prize and Earth Day International Award.

The conference will also be discussing topics like, "Nurturing Spirit by embracing Inner Awareness in the Public School Setting" and "Finding the Balance of Masculine and Feminine Power: Astrological Keys for Healing Mother Earth and Ourselves."

Shiva's keynote address will be at 11 a.m. in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom and registration is required. Registration can be aquired at sbs.mnsu.edu/women along with a full list of workshop and session information.

Keepin' it Real

It is always nice to read a book that gives good advice. Advice that you can use in your career is especially helpful. But it really adds something when you know the author of this book is fully real and not just full of crap. After writing a blog about blogger relations, in comment to Brian Solis' and Deirdre Breakenridge's book Solis commented on my blog which really given me a good impression and made the book even better. For someone to take time out of there day like Solis it really shows that he practices what he preaches. He is the real deal, and it would be nice if more PR people follow.

PR 2.0 and Web 2.0: A perfect fit

According to Solis and Breakenridge, online conversations and the discovery, creation and sharing of content is the foundation for Web 2.0, social media and New PR. It isn't about PR people leading a conversation by controlling or directing it, but two-way communication. Chapter 3 really stressed the fact that PR don't personalize messages to fit the individual, but send out mass messages. The book goes on to say "it's all about humanizing not just the process of receiving info, but also the process of sending it." The blog wrote by Chris Anderson entiled "Sorry PR people you're blocked" expressed concern about PR people. Why do we think that someone is going to read a mass news release that isn't probably going to interest them in the first place. Quantity is not important, quality is. We must start actual learning about the people we are writing to and knowing what they want to read, and what would interest there readers. Don't think of the people you're writing to as a thing, think of them as an actual person (because they are) that could potentially be insulted at something you write to them. With PR 2.0 and Web 2.0 collaborating, we really need to be aware of what is going on. The web enables anyone to be a journalist which means you can get the best insight into your product. There are posts and articles going up on the web around the clock and you need to be involved as much as possible.

Bloggers: The New "Audience"

Now that PR 2.0 is the norm, PR professionals need to get a handle on blogger relations. Bloggers are now journalists and no longer passively sit in the background collecting information about products. They have a voice and they aren't afraid to use it! These bloggers are buyers of your product, possibly disgruntled employees or people who have an opinion about it. PR people really need to know how to deal with these blogs and the comments they are getting. When a blogger leaves a comment the appropriate action would be to thank them and go on with your day. Don't get into arguments, that isn't our job. PR people are hear to listen and learn from these bloggers. After reading Brian Solis' blog about blogger relations, it is evident that blogger relations is a must. The blog mentioned something about a PR professional named Jonathon who thought it was crazy to try to tailor every news release for the specific blogs your sending it to. How rude!! If you are sending something to someone's blog, you should have at least read their blog and known what it is about. It is very cocky to think that bloggers need to fit you in, not you to fit your news release for their blog. Deirdre Breakenridge has actual steps to blogger relations. If you aren't sure where or how to begin a blogger relations program, her blog is very helpful in determining what needs to be done. Blogger relations are so important because believe it or not blogs can make or break your product.

Key attributes needed for PR

According to Dave Fleet there are 14 key attributes, old and new that a PR professional must have in order to succeed in this field. The old attributes include: writing, communication skills, attention to detail, media relations, proactiveness and work ethic. The new attributes include:
blogging, microblogging, social networking tools, SEO, coding, RSS, blogger relations, and social media ethics.
The old attributes are something I do well. OF those, writing, communication skills and work ethic are the ones I do best. If you cannot communicate well, mayhem can start. Writing is something you will do everyday whether it be news releases or blogging, you are always putting your thoughts into words. I have always felt strongly about having a good work ethic. If you have this then you can accomplish anything.
The new attributes are a work in progress for me. The new attributes I feel strongest about are blogging, social networking tools and social media ethics. Blogging is something I recently started but have come to really enjoy. You can get your opinion out there without having to spend any kind of money. Social networking is very important. By having blogs, twitter and facebook, it really gives you an edge on the competition. You can be connected through so many people by just having a couple accounts. Social media ethics is something I think every citizen journalist needs to think about when they are writing something that will be put on the internet. Everyone needs some sort of ethics and the internet is no different. People must be accountable for what they write.

Solis & Breakenridge Book Ch.2

When reading this second chapter, I kept coming back to relationships and communication which are intertwined. Ivy Lee had it right when he said,"PR is a two-way street." PR lost focus over the years and became something it was not meant to be. There needs to be converstations and interaction for real PR to take place. We are there to facilatate this dialogue between the company and public. According to Solis and Breakenridge the new model of PR is "PR-Traditional Media-Customers: PR-New Influencers-Customers: PR-Customers: Customers-PR." There has to be a full circle made where actual talking is taking place. PR people are not here to put spin, hype, or have special messages. We are here to help understand what it is the public wants. Now that PR is moving into a new stage called "PR 2.0" we really need to have a grasp on what people want.
Because there is so much new technology out there, people are getting their opinions out there and making them known. With wikis, blogs, and chat rooms, the traditional news release is losing a lot of steam. Citizen journalism is now a norm, and PR people need to take advantage of this and read what the public is saying.
According to Solis and Breakenridge there are four differences between traditional PR VS. New PR; News Releases VS. Engaging with Communities, Spin VS. Relevance, Speaking in Messages VS. Genuine Conversations related to the subject matter of peers, Wire Services VS. Social Conversation Tools and Networks.