Archive for October, 2009
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Recently, I was (very!) honored to be included on Valerie Maltoni’s list of 100 PR People Worth Following. Because Valerie is so widely read and clearly well-respected, my Twitter follower count jumped by about 350 – 400 people in the course of three days. I enjoy meeting new people through Twitter and I genuinely try to follow back people who look like they would add value to my experience there. It took several days for me to go through the profiles of each new follow (the only ones I skipped were brands I was not interested in, spambots, etc.). I didn’t necessarily learn anything “new,” but going through so many profiles, there were a few lessons that were really highlighted by this experience. So you want a follow back? Here are my tips: Include your location: I am much more likely to follow you back if you’re in my neck... Continue Reading
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I had the pleasure of being part of a panel on KOPB’s Think Out Loud the morning of October 6. The topic was using social media in local government. A few key points I think came out of the discussion (based on feedback I got from people): Organizations must be deliberate and approach social media thoughtfully and strategically. Be human and be real. If you’re not, people won’t want to interact with you online. If people/orgs appear insincere, consumers will stop reading or following. Social media will not replace traditional channels of outreach and is not a panacea for organizations to connect with their constituents. Social media is a paradigm shift and is about sharing, not about one way information. In preparation for my participation on the panel, I thought about potential topics and made some notes for myself. I covered most of these in my remarks, but I wanted... Continue Reading
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“I’m sorry.” Apologies seem to be a dime-a-dozen lately. Kanye, Serena, LaGarrette, Coach Kelly, LaGarrette again, Rep. Joe “You Lie!” Wilson (R-S. Carolina), Letterman…In fact, do a Google News search for “apologize” and get more than 13,000 results just from the last week. We all make mistakes, bad decisions and yes, sometimes we even simply change our minds. Celebrities, athletes, politicians and business leaders are no different. But when it happens to people in the public eye, the apology can be a very important part of the public relations and communications effort required to move forward. I do not talk about apologies as PR to minimize their importance and suggest that apologies are in any way “spin” or crafted in a way to only appear sincere. In fact, just the opposite. It’s hard to apologize and do so in a way that communicates your sincerity and intent. PR can help... Continue Reading
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