How can we get the message?

Guest post by Kellye Crane

Anyone who follows social media is likely familiar with the classic proclamation that “there’s no market for messages,” popularized by the Cluetrain Manifesto nearly a decade ago. As a result, in many circles the term “key message” has a dirty ring to it. While this anti-message stance is not new , it continues as a common refrain because, let’s face it, many professionals are only now tuning into to the new reality.

But for those in PR and marketing, this maxim can be a source of confusion. An organization has characteristics and values, which have to be expressed to be understood. To communicate, you must communicate something. Isn’t that “something” a message?

Though some might argue against messages of any kind, Phil Gomes recently hit on an important and illuminating point: “having a ‘message’ is fine, it's ‘messaging’ that sucks.” As PR pros, this is a key distinction and one that makes sense.

While a “message” can be expressed conversationally, and does not have to be rehearsed or contrived, the “messaging” we’re familiar with has a different connotation. Messaging typically involves using the same words, regurgitated the same way, regardless of the question or setting (think of politicians, who hang onto their talking points with white knuckles like a kid onto a security blanket).

In fact, the no-message movement comes from a good place: the need to inject humanity into our communications. It’s a call to organizations to eliminate corporate-speak gobbledygook, and just be real.

So let’s be clear: a message is not an indecipherable string of words you believe makes your organization sound smart. Communicating in situation-appropriate natural language is a requirement. But as Kami (one of our industry’s true experts in messages) has said herself, this doesn’t mean an organization needs to completely “wing it.” An organization can have messages, but they should be adaptable, genuine and have a human voice.

The objections to messaging also arise from a central plea to organizations to pay attention and participate, real-time, in their communities’ conversations. Unfortunately, many marketers are now hopping onto social networks and neglect to listen first – they dive right in, shoving their traditional buzzwords at anyone and everyone. Listening is an important part of today’s message development process. So are conversations and community, since an organization is no longer in control of its overall message (if it ever was).

For this reason, the days of developing an all-inclusive messaging matrix of “things we're allowed to say” and routing it through every decision maker in the company, including legal, are over (or they should be). Today’s messages need to be flexible guidelines that lend themselves to interacting in a two-way dialogue – not communications handcuffs.

Why It Matters

The difference between “messages” and “messaging” may sound like matter of simple semantics, but it’s my contention that this issue is one of the key barriers preventing organizations from embracing social media. A world without messages makes no sense to many of those in the position to green light major social media initiatives.

To these reluctant stakeholders, rather than advocate the end of messages altogether, it could be helpful explain the transformation in less foreign terms. Offering them this simple change in point of view could be the tipping point – taking us from blank stares to buy-in.

What do you think? Do you believe there’s a place for messages today?

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Kellye Crane is an award-winning communicator with more than 17 years of experience in strategic public relations and marketing communications. Having founded Crane Communications, LLC in 1995, her blog, Solo PR Pro is a resource for those working as independent PR and MarCom consultants — and those who’d like to be.

PR, Sweat the Small Stuff

Guest post by Shonali Burke, ABC

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

It’s a mantra we’ve heard for ages. Not just self-help gurus, but women’s magazines (yes, I do read my Good Housekeeping), life coaches, work coaches … everyone will tell you to not worry about the minutiae of life as a way to deal with our increasingly complex world. And it is certainly a way to get past the moment and focus on what really matters.

But it seems to me that good PR practitioners do sweat the small stuff.

Today, the term “PR” invariably conjures up visions of flashy promotions, “ink” and one of my favorite words-to-dread, “buzz.” Let’s remember, though, that public relations is really the practice of building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its “publics.”

Who makes up those publics? People. And people care about the small stuff.

It’s the reason between 5,000 and 10,000 new accounts are being opened on Twitter every day. Sunday’s “Twitter kindness party” was a top trending topic that evening; people thanking people for small, every day kindnesses, most of whom have probably never met in the “real world.”

It’s the reason smart brands like Zappos and Comcast are deeply invested in social media. They build, and in some cases, mend, relationships that increase the goodwill for their organizations.

I’m not asking you to ignore the fundamentals of PR planning, or the variety of tactics you can deploy—in fact, I think a well-constructed plan is critical to getting your efforts off the ground. But if your plan doesn’t get to the heart of the small stuff, my guess is that it’ll fall short of your goals. Wouldn’t that be a colossal waste of time?

Figure out the small stuff your publics—your people—care about. And you’ll be on your way to good PR.

Shonali Burke, ABC, is an accredited, award-winning communication consultant based in the Washington, D.C., area. She blogs at Waxing UnLyrical.

Stinging bees leave scars

Guest post by Lauren Vargas

Kami has some incredibly talented ladies lined up to guest post for the next couple of weeks. So talented, I must admit, that writing the first guest post is a a bit intimidating. I asked my significant other (also a fan of Kami's blog) what topic I should address. His response was, "my favorite posts by Kami are those where she comes up with something 'simple' and gives importance to it." Right on.

"Whoever is out of patience is out of possession of his soul. Men must not turn into bees who kill themselves in stinging others." -Jonathan Swift

Lately, I have felt the echo chamber has turned into killer bees or jackals feeding off the blood and weakness of others. (I won't reference the commentary I am reminded of because that would just give more glory to those people where none is deserved.) Of course, there are those that are trying to see the glass as half full. Such posts cheer me up on a rough day.

No, I am not advocating all hold hands and sing kumbaya nor am I writing a post requesting world peace like some beauty contestant. I am just pleading with my peers...take a minute to quiet your mind before you speak. Acting impulsively with hostility will only come back to haunt you. Everything here is permanent and people have long memories. You will regret acting with impatience when it comes time you need the help of the offended person. And there will come such a time.

We coach our clients to be careful of what is said and done to protect reputation. Why are we not keeping closer watch on our own reputations? Being in the communications industry, you are "on" 24/7. Have you ever considered that the impulse to say something unkind comes from your own guilt and unease? It is tough to look in the mirror, I know, but it is better to pause and be social than unsocial.

(Photo courtesy siskokid.)

Lauren Vargas, Community Relations Manger at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) and principal of 12Comm Public Relations, is based in Dallas, Texas. She is a well known public relations blogger and speaker who has developed an expertise in integrating social media tools into marketing and business strategy.

When a Typo Is the Difference Between Life and Death?

 

Confession:

I am a terrible typist."

 

Those that trade IMs with me know this fact.

When I was in high school I had the opportunity to take a typing class. You know, a real typing class on one of those old fashioned typewriters.

I declined.

For some reason I thought I would end up being a secretary if I learned how to type and I DIDN'T want to be a secretary at any cost.

I could have never foreseen the computer revolution or the fact that I would spend every day of my life typing.

In my second year of college I joined the student newspaper where I taught myself how to type (albeit badly) and to use a computer, design software and even PINE, which was the precursor to texting. I spent the next 10 years of my career carefully editing my own writing and eventually even became the editor of a BtoB magazine and numerous newsletters.

I can't tell you how excited when I started authoring a blog to read that minor typos would not be held against you, that they made you real to your readership, etc.

When a typo really counts

However, today I read an article in the local paper that made me think once again about the importance of carefully reviewing your work to avoid unintended consequences.

In this case, a young man is still in the hospital with a police bullet in his liver because of a typo.

Seriously.

The police officer ran his license plate with ONE number typed incorrectly and the car came back as stolen. A series of events led to the young man being shot by a policeman in his own yard.

I suspect that no one will ever be able to tell this guy that typos don't matter.

And even though they might not always be this life threatening, typos and usage errors can often change the meaning of communication completely.

What do you think? Are you worried about how you come across and what you communicate in social media forums like blogs and Twitter?

Credits: The lovely Typewriter was photographed by César Astudillo

How to Become a Superstar: Give Your Knowledge Away

I have always disliked the phrase “self made man” because in my experience I have never met one. Ever. We have this vision of a Galt-esque intellectual warrior who single handedly drives to success. And while this archetype may exist, they don’t achieve this success without innumerable amounts of assistance from people. - Ed Schipul

If we are completely honest with ourselves we will readily admit that we need others to succeed.

Success is a funny thing, it requires hard work to be sure, but it also depends on a certain number of people buying in to the idea that your ideas, products, services, etc., are worth the price.

Personal success requires others to believe in you in some way. And if we look around, we will also admit that there were others than mentored us, either formally or informally, that have made a difference for us in some way.

I have had countless mentors in my life and career, but more recently my mentors in social media and communication have been people like Katie Paine, Shel Israel, and Shel Holtz. There also have been countless colleagues who have sharpened my thinking and challenged me to be better at what I do.

And some have urged me to make an effort (or die trying) to live up to their expectations by accepting me as a mentor.

And certainly, one way I have tried to fulfill that role is by churning out meaningful and useful content here. I hope more than a few of you have found it useful.

Here is why I think we ALL need to take up both the role of mentor and mentee. I asked my network at Twitter to give their ideas as well and I link to all of them in the credits of this post.

Why You Need a Mentor

• A good mentor tells you the truth rather than what you want to hear - challenging and inspiring at once
• They inspire you to grow beyond what you would have attempted on your own
• A mentor empowers you to make decisions with conviction, they help to eliminate doubt
• They help open doors for you that would otherwise be closed
• They can run interference for you through bureaucracies and office politics
• They are excellent at helping you to negotiate a career change

Why You Need to Be a Mentor

• There is a thrill in passing along wisdom to someone who is actually listening to you
• It helps you to learn new things and reinforce what you already know
• It is the right thing to do, people helped you and now it's your turn to do the same - pay it forward
• Mentees often become partners and can eventually being your biggest booster
• As @mikeashworth so aptly pointed out, "mentoring optimises human capital and contributes to social capital"
• It teaches you about yourself and promotes personal growth
• It helps you to leave a legacy, we are all expendable, but your thoughts and ideas can live on through others
• The joy of seeing someone you have invested in succeed

Now the challenge: Will you write a post if you have a blog about your mentors and why they matter? I will link to them here if you Twitter me the link @kamichat or send them via e-mail at kamichat [at] yahoo dot com.

Other articles that relate to mentorship:

• Mentoring in Connected World, interview with Shel Israel, Lauren Vargas
• Let's Count Our Blessings and Thank Our Mentors, Bill Sledzik
• Communication students need mentors; you can be one, Shel Holtz
• Volunteer to be a mentor or sign up to find a mentor, The Creative Career
• The Importance of Community, Howard Kang
• Live Like You Were Dying - Stacy Westfall, submitted by @DevotionL
• Mentors, by @JenX67

Credits:

The following people helped me to flesh out these ideas and some of the words are their own. Thanks to my great Twitter tribe.

@mikeashworth, @wendyatl, @radinfo, @lornali, @Natalie_Joy, @mokshjuneja, @gracerodriguez, @jtnt, @morate, @vedo, @leewhite, @Tojosan

Photo by Elb the Prof

Social Media Trends for 2009: And My 2008 Predictions Revisited For Accuracy

 

Every year in January I take a look forward to determine what the landscape will be for the coming year. I do this because as a communicator my business demands it. But I also take a look back at what I thought would happen for the year that has just past to see how well I did predicting what would happen.

Many other great minds have given their predictions for 2009, but Jeremiah Owyang also graded himself and Forrester on their 2008 predictions. In response, my friend Bryan Person asked a legitimate question, "Now, who else is willing to follow suit?"

I'll take you up on that Bryan.

2008 Predictions Grade Card

TREND 1 - Social Network Fatigue: Early adopters of social networks will begin to tire of all of the demands on their attention and will scale down to one or two properties.  Companies will spring up to aggregate their attention to one place. The one to do it elegantly will become the new darling. Grade: B+

• Analysis: I do think that the early adopters are feeling fatigued, but a fresh new crowd has come in to revitalize social networks. The area that many early adopters have scaled back on is blogging and reading blogs. Others have stepped back from Twitter and other channels. FriendFeed has tried to aggregate the stream in one place, but is still really picking up speed and hasn't reached its full potential.
• 2009 Prediction: I think that this balance between social networks will continue to rage. With more open standards and the ability to take your social profile with you, I think that aggregation will continue to be the holy grail. I also think that people will start to rethink the blog as a multimedia platform to aggregate their own content and will invest more time. That's my plan anyway.

TREND 2 - Consolidation: Somewhat in response to the above trend, and in order to scoop the most eyeballs for advertising, social media and Internet properties will aggregate and consolidate. Grade: B+

• Analysis: Okay, I got this one right. The reason I only give myself a B+ on this is because the reason for many of these moves is not so much acquisition and it was utter failure in a tanking economy. I didn't see the depth of that problem until mid-2008. Many services have bought, like Pownce for instance, and have been liquidated. Of course, Google has bought a whole host of companies over the past year and added them to their portfolio of services.
• 2009 Prediction: This year will see many more Web 2.0 companies exiting the field or consolidating, but it will also see the strengthening of the bigger players. By the third quarter, baring more wars or financial collapse, we should see some improvement for the health of social networks. I hope I am right about this one.

TREND 3 - E-mail will continue its slide in popularity: While we won't give it up (we are addicted after all) e-mail spam will get worse, and moreover, spam will begin to creep into our social networks, re: Unsolicited direct messages in Twitter, etc. Grade A

• Analysis: E-mail is the essential productivity tool that everyone hates.
• 2009 Prediction: Services that help you manage your e-mail overload, like Jared Goralnick's AwayFind, should become more popular this year.

TREND 4 - The Third Screen: Despite its great promise, mobile technology is still in its infancy.  The release of the iPhone might spur the competition to innovate. Grade A

• Analysis: The need to have a computer with you has GREATLY diminished this year. I don't have an iPhone, but my Blackberry Curve keeps me in the loop nicely. The iPhone was a game changer and all of the brands are innovating.
• 2009 Prediction: This area will only continue to grow as demand grows for people to be able to do EVERYTHING on one device.

TREND 5: The User-Generated Rise of Viral Video: Public relations professionals had better get some skills in video.  We will be called upon to understand this aspect of social media campaigns.  This trend has not played out, with HD and other high-quality video delivered via the Internet to continue. Heck, AT&T's whole strategy is wrapped around this. Grade A+

• Analysis: Video continues to be important and should be a part of considerations when communicating something visual. Qik, UStream and other formats have made live video even more important.
• 2009 Prediction: Real-time video will continue to play a huge role, especially as more mobile devices deliver it seamlessly. Those who have some skill will stand out.

TREND 6: The Birth Pains of the 3D Internet: Tech companies will continue to quietly innovate in this area, but mainstream companies won't adopt until they see a clear benefit.  For 2008, 3D Internet will continue to cool its heels. Grade B

• Analysis: I would say that the 3D Internet has cooled its heels this year, as in ice age.
• 2009 Prediction: Still, I think that elements of it will eventually be a big part of the the Internet experience. But with the current economic climate, not in 2009.

TREND 7: The Misuse and Abuse of Social Media Channels: I only see this as a growth area.  It's depressing if you think about it. Grade A+

• Analysis: Twitter spam, Fake DMs to hijack Twitter accounts, Malware sent by "friends" on  Facebook - need I go on?
• 2009 Prediction: None, it's too depressing.

TREND 8: The Rise of a Real Discussion about the Future of the Press Release, Finally: This year is already off to a bang with the Social Media Group releasing their version of the SMNR called Digital Snippets.  There has already been a lot of heated debate, which was almost completely absent in 2007.  I predict that the format will continue to evolve this year, and companies will use it when they see a clear business use. Grade C

• Analysis: The SMNR was used this year for sure, but I think as a topic it has lost its appeal. The key is having micro content, SEO and links.

Some other predictions for 2009

• Social Media services will become commodities: With many companies jumping in to offer social media services, there will be a premium on strategy over tactical execution of social media programs.
• Measurement will be key: Clients and bosses will want to know, "Where's  the beef?"

My Predictions Posts From Previous Years:

• 2007 Social Media Trends and Predictions
• 2008 Social Media Trends and Predictions and analysis

Five Essential Skills for Communicators to Survive and Thrive in 2009

 

If you work in the field of public relations or marketing, you already know how the landscape has changed over the past few years.

The rules are changing and the venues by which we communicate with important stakeholders have shifted and morphed.  One only needs to read the headlines to see that mainstream media is in financial trouble, along with the rest of the economy.

With corporate bailouts and scandals that outrival those of the past (Bernard Madoff anyone?) it is tempting to take a gloomy outlook of the coming year.  However, I think that this is the year that communicators should look to sharpen their skills. Those that do will have an advantage over others.

1. ADAPT AND BE FLEXIBLE 

One of the most important skills a communicator can have is the ability to adapt. People will continue to change the ways in which they reach out to companies. For instance, in 2007 most people didn't think of Twitter as a valid customer service channel. But now big companies like Dell, Comcast and Network Solutions (among others) are using it every day to reach out to customers. With social networking thriving, look for public relations to be a customer service channel. Also, don't expect the social networking tool de jour to be the holy grail. Look for where your customers are, be it a forum, blog, social network, virtual world, or yet to be determined place - and follow them there.

2. BE A VORACIOUS LEARNER

I always like to think of myself as a graduate student. Even though I have practiced public relations for 15 years, I still have a lot to learn every day. What drew me to the profession in the first place is that it is different every day and the strategies and tactics I employ today are certainly not the same as they were 15 years ago. To be an effective communicator, one must reinvent themselves every day.  Read smart people, learn by building on the history of communication, study the economy and be well rounded. Recruit a mentor that you respect to spend an hour a month chatting with you, and pay it back by mentoring someone else. This year is the year to do more of those things as the landscape shifts yet again. Use the uncertainty to your advantage to grow.

3. LISTEN MORE THAN YOU TALK

This goes with the point above about learning. There are so many tools (paid and free) out there that allow us to listen more closely to people who will make or break our organizations and companies over the next few years. There is really no excuse for not using these tools to do just that. I learned from Barbara Nixon on Twitter that there is even an International Association of Listening - imagine that. The more that you listen, the more you learn what might be the hot button issues for stakeholders, and the faster you will be able to address them.

4. GIVE GENEROUSLY

During a recession it is tempting to pull in from giving and save money. However, giving does not always have to be expensive. In fact, online it is even easier to give by sharing credit, linking to ideas that you like, mentoring someone, or just taking a genuine interest in people. Also, as you may have heard from the talking heads, now is the time to invest in stuff.  Why? Because investing now has more value than investing in good times.  It is a concept that Doc Searls, one of the Godfathers of the social web, calls The Generous Web, and it applies to public relations. So, invest strategically in people that matter most to your company and you will get a bigger dividend when the economy swings up again.  They will remember that you stood by them in the bad times.

5. SHARPEN YOUR FUNDAMENTALS

It is more important than ever to sharpen your fundamental skills as a communicator. Learn how to deliver salient public relations strategy rather than being mired down in delivering the day-to-day tactical things our jobs require (press releases, pitching, newsletters, etc.). If you work in public relations, you should think about getting your accreditation. The bad rap of the public relations industry was not created overnight and will not be cleaned up overnight either, it will take more practitioners that have a strong ethical underpinning and that follow a code of ethics.

Credits: A special thanks to Chuck Cureau, Mike Sommermeyer, Barbara Nixon, Abagail Harrison, Richie Escovedo, and Andy McGinnis, who all helped shape some of my thoughts in this post.

Photo by Emily Madeline