Jun 12 2008

Buzz Meter: Plurk

June 12, 2008 – 9:30 am

plurk0 I decided to try Plurk since my colleague and friend, Geoff Livingston, recommended it to me. The micro-blogging site chronicles your thoughts and activities and presents them in a time-line fashion. Although very similar to the infamous Twitter – and maybe even better than Twitter – Plurk offers a variety of perks like emoticons and a choice of pre-set verbs for your instant messaging. You can also share YouTube videos and pictures from various sites, including PhotoBucket and Flickr.

Cool features of Plurk include Karma points and cliques. The points represent how actively you’re using Plurk. The more points you accumulate, the closer you are to achieving Plurk Nirvana. Additionally, some aspects of your profile, such as your profile name and your profile title can only be filled out only after you accrue a certain number of Karma points. The cliques are exactly what it means. People are able to categorize their friends into groups like co-workers, best-friends or even to a fantasy basketball league.

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Buzz Meter Ranking: 3 out of 4 Buzz Bees

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Positive: Plurk offers an abundance of fun tools all in one site and also allows instant ‘plurking’ to your cell phone. It is a good alternate to Twitter.

Negative: Even though Plurk appears to be fun, it can be confusing at first. You would really need to take some time and read the little blurb it presents after signing up. And because of the variety of features, Plurk can be a lot of work especially when you just want to play. Finding your friends is a challenge as well. The search engine only allows you to use other social networking and email sites to invite friends. One other downside is when you receive messages; they do not necessarily mean they are messages for you. The messages are simply peoples’ responses to you and your friends’ plurks.

Conclusion: Even though there are few kinks, and people are even negatively commenting about it on Twitter, Plurk takes micro-blogging to the next level. The amount of tools that it offers provides an open door for more social interacting, especially with sharing videos and photos.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Marinel Mones | Posted in Digital Marketing | Comments (5)

Full Disclosure Necessary

June 12, 2008 – 5:47 am

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A recent APCO Worldwide and Council of Public Relations Firms study demonstrated that 48 percent of bloggers think it is OK to get paid to blog and not disclose it (found in an old copy of PR Week). It just blew me away that so many bloggers could fail to see the implications, especially at this late date in the blogosphere (image by Joe Schlabotnik).

If you are getting paid to blog and you don’t disclose it, then you have no credit. If you get busted, all credibility is gone. You are a pay per poster, and your readers won’t care. Smart bloggers get this.

There’s not much difference between a pay per poster and a sock puppet. Someone with a fake handle schilling for a client. Ethics cut both ways.

Bloggers are not journalists, and this particular failure to understand such implications is another example why. Amateurs don’t understand what makes pros better, including integrity.

Of course, paid bloggers shouldn’t necessarily be punished for it either, they aren’t trying to be journalists. They are bloggers, just less credible ones! But if they want to be credible then full disclosure is necessary.

Ironically, 96 percent of PR people adamantly insisted that full disclosure be given in such situations. How do you like them apples, PR industry haters?

Geoff Livingston’s normal Friday post ran today as The Buzz Bin will livecast BlogPotomac tomorrow through ooVoo.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Comments (4)
Jun 11 2008

What’s In Your Widget?

June 11, 2008 – 10:25 am

widgets Widgets are certainly not a new topic, but are appearing to gain new traction in mainstream media and blogs over the past six months.

Widgets are brand gateways that are rapidly becoming a popular way to market online. A widget is a self-contained piece of code that you can move anywhere on your blog or website, usually found in the sidebar. Widgets include push buttons, selection lists, radio buttons, sliders, scroll bars, text boxes, etc.

There are two sides to every story though, and widgets aren’t immune to that. BusinessWeek featured a CEO Guide to Widgets that included a point-counterpoint series that brought up some great ideas about the benefits and criticisms of widgets. According to "Why Widgets Don’t Work":

Widgets can be a useful extension of your brand, but only if included in a broader portfolio of Internet outreach. Widgets, blogs, online video, public relations, and microsites are all ways to extend your reach online. But you can’t rely on a single application, especially since there are now more than 14,000 competing widgets on Facebook alone.

However, consider the positive future in store for online advertisers who utilize widgets. Web users are tired of online banner ads. Click-through rates are decreasing, and widgets offer a new way to establish a brand relationship while also providing a service. According to "Widgets: The Future of Online Ads":

Right in that little box, without switching sites, users should be able to browse products, customize orders, and eventually make a purchase. Instead of simply trying to build brand awareness, marketers now have the ability to reach out to customers with useful features to enhance their personalized pages on social networks.

So what is a smart marketer to do?

Widgets can offer a cool and more widely accepted alternative to online banner and click-through advertisements. Some people think they are a great and welcome addition to their web experience, others find them annoying and unnecessary.

What do you think?

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Larissa Fair | Posted in Digital Marketing | Comments (4)
Jun 10 2008

The Method: Playing the Part of PR

June 10, 2008 – 11:12 am

We can learn a lot from method acting when it comes to communicating a message and engaging an audience. You have to get into the subject matter in order to play to part.

frontlinerSlipping into “The Peeler,” the outer layer of the Frontliner CBRN suit, is one way to learn the literal ins and outs of protective gear for first responders. Every stitch, each waterproof, fire retardant, durable detail, is crafted to keep men and women safe in high-risk situations (e.g. chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear – CBRN).

A subject matter expert I am not. More dedicated to spreading the word about Remploy Frontline’s breakthroughs in CBRN protection: yes I am. Even if the XL-size of this particular suit isn’t very flattering.

Donning the gear, trying the product, and testing the experience will ground your message in reality and commit you to the subject. Become the character, and more proficiently execute the scene.

How do you start to wrap your mind around marketing new-to-you products in unchartered territory?

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Qui Diaz | Posted in PR Industry Trends | Comments (0)

Goodness Gracious, Great Blogs of Fire!

June 10, 2008 – 9:37 am

2008blogsoffire3 Kat French of Social Media Explorer takes a deeper look at social media and its role in society. Is social media really just the 2008 version of Solitaire? In this intriguing post, Kat argues there is more to social media than zoning out. In particular, she says that social media provides an outlet for engaging with an industry’s top minds, receive quick honest feedback on ideas, and increase social support and networks – both online and off.

An interesting post by Mark Brownlow provides useful hints on the right questions to ask when conducting email marketing on Email Marketing Reports. This post makes up Part 6 of an ongoing and worthwhile look at what “distinguishes a smart email marketer from a bulk email marketer.” Mark provides good ideas to consider before using email as a promotional tool. For example, the right question is not, “how do I stay off blacklists? Rather, it’s, “how do I ensure my emails are recognized and valued by recipients?” It’s not, “Is email dying?” It’s, “How do I adapt my email marketing strategy to new user habits?”

NowSourcing’s Mark O’Neill gives his in-depth perspective on Plurk. Mark, who still has a strong bond with Twitter, mentions advantages of the new social network exemplifying Plurk’s ability to play YouTube videos directly in the timeline. On the other hand, there is some “stress” when receiving new updates from multiple people on Plurk. Generally, however, he suggests that social media enthusiasts will enjoy this new application.

Are you curious about social media’s role in politics and campaigning? Take a look at Mike Chapman’s post on Everydotconnects. This is a great view into how public relations and journalism in the political arena are changing in the age of social media. Mike examines the likes of Drudge Report and The Huffington Post, and their techniques and role in political outcomes. The most important factor, Mike says, is that transparency and authenticity at all times pays off.

Debbie Weil of BlogWrite for CEOs and emcee for BlogPotomac had an informative interview with BlogPotomac Speaker Jeremy Pepper of POP! PR Jots. Their conversation provides a quick preview of Jeremy’s session and his ideas on social media tools, strategies, principles, its future and more. BlogPotomac is this Friday, June 13th at The States Theater in Falls Church, Virginia.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Mike Nelson | Posted in Digital Marketing | Comments (0)
Jun 9 2008

Social Media Beefs Up Resumes

June 9, 2008 – 10:08 am

The economy continues to lose jobs with unemployment rising to 5.5 percent. As with all downturns, we are starting to see layoffs and marketing department cuts. But regardless of the impact on traditional media and marketing, new media seems to continue to thrive. Demand for social media savvy communicators remains high.

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This is important because with oil prices rising, a certain administration change, we are likely to see unemployment continue to rise. Communicators that want to survive the forthcoming economic turbulence can beef up their resumes with bonafide social media experience (image: Cisco Virtual World Career Fair by Text 100).

While social media in many ways represents just another tactical tool set, the ability to execute intelligently is hard to find. I receive two-three calls or inquiries a day from folks looking to hire social media savvy people. It’s usually a low to mid-tier hire.

Here are some thoughts for PR and marketing folks that want to beef up their social media resume:

1) Highlight past experiences as much as possible. If your company doesn’t let you engage in social media, highlight your personal blog and social network accounts.  I’ve hired several people based on personal social  media involvement as this still provides a leg up over the generalist who has no experience whatsoever.

2) When you talk social media, don’t just chat up blogs or conversations. There is much more to offer companies, particularly from a relationship building standpoint. Be able to discuss how these tools can impact a company’s integrated marketing communications plan.

3) Be very aware of your personal Google search results. You can’t talk the talk without the walk.  Make sure your discussion and commentary are in line with reality.

4) While social media may be the milk that brings the cat, be careful not to become a specialist — unless this is really what you love.  In general, tactical masters can only rise to great career prominence in large companies or agencies, and the reality is that most companies are not that big. The rise up the ladder lies in general marketing or communications strategy with mastery of several tactics.

5) Be able to cite examples from other successful social media efforts besides your own. Remember this is new stuff for many people, so being able to highlight any success is a plus.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in PR Industry Trends | Comments (11)
Jun 6 2008

Local, Mobile and Social: What Needs to Happen

June 6, 2008 – 2:06 am

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Livingston Communications Client and FindWhere CEO Jaap Groot and I co-authored a manifesto for mobile and location-based social networks outlining eight requirements for a successful mobile endeavor. Early reactions here and here. The reality is that social networks like BrightKite, Loopt, and Livecontacts represent steps in the right direction, they don’t work well.

Before I get called a flat out schill on this, I co-authored GSM Superphones, wrote an analyst report on the diffusion of wireless Internet services for the now defunct Strategis Group and was a former wireless telecom reporter. In addition, I have written a book on social media, Now Is Gone.

I feel like a lot of the problem occurs because folks are approaching this converging social network form from either a web only standpoint or a mobile basis. Here’s the main gist of the manifesto:

The true local, mobile and social breakthrough requires a completely converged product that will be so intuitive and robust that community members won’t have to wrestle with such a service. Instead, it will be so easy and fun, online community members will clamor to be a part of the craze. They will actively engage, and voluntarily spread the word about their experiences, in hopes that their friends will join them online. The winning service will be so compelling that it will be viral.

What’s it going to take to make this homerun combination happen? Ironically, the early successes have already revealed that it will take the right combination of mobile, local and social assets. To succeed, mobile social networking needs to embrace eight fundamental qualities:

1. Provide a base offering free of charge. Today’s social network user does not tolerate paid-for services.
2. Work on a wide selection of phones.
3. Offer an intelligent, simple user interface for accessing information.
4. Use GPS rather than force users to manually enter their location every time.
5. Integrate intelligently into existing social networks rather than further inundate people with a new one.
6. Allow users to share and use their location data in as many ways as possible.
7. Enable individuals to set various levels of privacy control for personal security.
8. Monetize in an intelligent, non-intrusive way

The full manifesto goes into each of these eight reasons in depth.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Comments (3)
Jun 5 2008

Shel Holtz Talks About the Evolving PR Community

June 5, 2008 – 3:35 am

Last June we had the great pleasure of interviewing Shel Holtz for the Buzz Bin (and the book Now Is Gone). Here’s the original introduction…

I usually like to write an introduction for our interviewees. Shel Holtz doesn’t need one. We’re honored to have him on the Bin.

One year later, we are pleased to run one of our final two interviews from this year’s SNCR, a brief chat with Shel Holtz. In this two minute video, Shel talks about how the online PR community has changed over the past 20 years, tips for the newbie and his next book.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in PR Industry Trends | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)
Jun 4 2008

The Real Problem with PR

June 4, 2008 – 11:41 am

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Image by b.roscorla.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in PR Industry Trends | Comments (2)

Taking New York by Storm

June 4, 2008 – 9:42 am

yellow-thumb In addition to tomorrow’s Social Media Club DC chat and book signing featuring Brian Solis and I (c’mon out, DC!), Brian and I will be doing another book signing as part of the Tech Set event this Saturday night in New York City.

The DC event will be held at the Barnes and Noble in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington. The New York event will be held at The Hotel Gansevoort, NYC – ROOFTOP BAR (Plunge) in the Meat Packing District). You can register for the DC event here and the New York event here on Facebook.

For those of you unfamiliar with Now Is Gone, here are some recent reviews from:

  • Ariel on the CyberPR Blog
  • Leo Bottary on Client Service Insights
  • David Berkowitz from Inside the Marketer’s Studio
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