Deirdre Breakenridge : PR 2.0 Strategies

From personal experience, I’ve always noticed how the account executive and account manager positions at the company are stepping stones. More young college graduates work for PFS Marketwyse approximately six months to a year and then give their resignation. They thank me and my staff for all they learned and move on to their next opportunity. The millennials are a very hard group to engage. I’ve experienced similar situations with my clients who also see the immediate need to engage this next generation work force.

If there’s one thing that we do know about this group, it’s that they live for social media. They are the generation that grew up with computers; they are early adopters and collaborative beings, as evidenced by the many social networking statistics available today. This generation definitely grasps social media applications easily and they expect to communicate in this manner whether it’s with their friends or as a part of their work experience.

When I think about engaging employees, I see that a lot of companies are savvy about using multimedia including Flash, audio, and video to create internal communication campaigns and messages to excite the millennials. However, how many companies are using social media as an engagement tool; to keep the millennials satisfied and collaborating in the workplace. If 8+ hours are spent on the job every day, then the job should mimic and mirror some of your employees’ personal communication behaviors.

An internal social media program will not only engage your employees and keep them interested in what’s going on within your company, but it will also help them to perform better in their work functions. In my last post, I wrote about engaging within, which gives an employee the education to have a voice both internally and externally. But if you take this one step further, the engagement will lead to be more than a temporary investment in your company. Through social media engagement, employees will become committed and join your team as a long term asset.

The saying, “You can’t teach an old dog a new trick” has been around forever. I still hear it all the time, and I challenge that statement. When it comes to the Internet, I think there are a lot of “old dogs” who are definitely willing to learn a few new things. Otherwise, how is it that the boomer population and the 70+ audiences are frequenting the Internet and interacting in ways never done before? Case in point, my Mom is 71 and she sends me videos from YouTube. There’s also my Dad, who is nine years her senior, and is on a wireless laptop, surfing the Net.

If we keep saying and believing the statement, “You can’t teach an old dog a new trick,” then all of us traditional marketing professionals may as well hang up our marketing hats and find new careers. I’ve been in marketing/PR for 20 years, so you may consider me an “old dog.” I didn’t grow up on computers and I even remember my first job I was hand typing letters on a Brother typewriter (that was a scary time).

I think we need to change the phrase to help us be more motivated to move with the times and the advancements in technology. The new saying would go something like this, “You can teach anyone a new trick (regardless of their age) as long as they have the right mindset to accept change.” This is a much more positive statement and supports the fact that many of us traditional PR people are now connecting on Facebook, Plaxo, Twitter and LinkedIn to name a few. I do think that many communications professionals may accept technology at different rates, and through support, education and motivation they will continue to grow and excel in PR 2.0.

One of my first blog posts discussed getting started with social media.  In that blog, I talked about my interview with Phil Gomes of Edelman and how companies are using social news release templates, RSS and blogs to kick-off programs.  However, the more I personally engage in social media and communicate with my “friends” in different web communities, the more I see a critical way of thinking that must be applied before any external social media marketing program should begin .  At this point, I’m not sure that every company using social media tools externally is applying the same knowledge internally to engage their employees.

There’s a big difference between people hearing about social media and those that really understand and engage in social media.  When PR people and marketers are social networking, they take off their marketing hats to become peers who join in the dialogue – instead of simply focusing on the latest tools and trends in developing short term buzz.  But, it even goes beyond the PR and communications department in a company.  Social media allows every person and every department to become a member of the PR team.  It’s very important that the people on the inside of the company understand what and how the brand markets on the outside.  For example, companies including UPS, eBay and Cisco use social media for internal communications to inform employees, and at the same time their employees learn, embrace and use these tools daily.

I think it’s critical for companies to educate their employees about the social media programs and tools that they are using for external marketing programs.  The only way to do this is to actually make the tools and social media applications available within your company.  You may be surprised (through a quick poll or questionnaire of your employees and executives) how very little your internal marketing evangelists know.  But, there’s such an easy fix.  That’s why Cisco has internal TV station where streaming video is always used to inform employees and a “Facebook” type of application lets employees build profiles so that you know more about a person than just a name, title and extension number.

Sure, you can skip the internal education and engagement and go right to social marketing with you external audiences.  However, your own employees are the folks who know the most about your company and its products/services.  With that said, their personal engagement and ability to take social media from an internal platform to the external world will provide your brand with so many more meaningful conversations.  It’s worth it to take the time to educate and engage from within.

I realized yesterday, with a brand new hard copy of my book, PR 2.0 New Media, New Tools, New Audiences, in hand that nothing would ever be the same (and really hasn’t been the same in the field of public relations for many years). As a PR professional, I know that change is thrust upon us and I say, “Bring it on!” Not everyone is like me. I realize that we are all different and embrace change at varying rates. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as we are all open to new things.

Call me crazy but I love change. It’s been my life. From the time I was little and I would try everything from clarinet lessons to horseback riding. In my adult years I’ve experienced immense changes in my life… in marriage, child birth, divorce, remarriage (soon), entrepreneurship, near bankruptcy, business growth, more years of schooling than I ever thought possible, and in my efforts to constantly move at the speed of light. I truly believe that change means growth and leads to strength and monumental accomplishments.

PR 2.0 is a tremendous change and it marks an evolution in PR. But, there’s a great deal of conflict over the moniker. I don’t think we should be hung up on 2.0. The most important part about new communication approaches, such as PR 2.0, is that it leads to great communication and quite frankly, the best PR that you will ever know! The PR industry has been blamed, embarrassed, lost credibility and has been seen as just a necessary evil. I know PR is so much more than this and deserves praise and recognition. PR, when practiced properly, has and will always be the greatest means to reach and capture public attention, and to build strong meaningful, trusting relationships. With the movement of PR 2.0 or new PR, as communications professionals, we have a chance to reinvent our industry and give it back the credibility it deserves.

Wouldn’t it be nice to put the “public” back into Public Relations? Everyone says this but not everyone does it. The answer is yes. The ability to reach people directly and have direct conversations and to provide valuable information and help them make informed decisions is a step in the right directions. No longer will our brands be “talking at” the market or their customers. They will experience great conversations and “talk to or with” markets and customers. Big difference!

Sure, there will always be advertising, direct mail and other types of marketing from the traditional marketing model, but today we have two-way communication, which goes back to what Ivy Lee, one of the founders of PR, believed PR should be. Perhaps, PR has come full circle, almost a Renaissance, in a sense. We are changing and so is our industry. The change will continue so that we can find our way back to the essence of what the PR industry should be….great communication with the public.

I urge you to keep an open mind as you witness the change. And, even more importantly, get involved in the change. Together we will create the path to meaningful, trustworthy and credible PR. I think that would be a monumental accomplishment.

I had a meeting last Thursday with my PR team and one of my clients. Unfortunately, I had to jump out of the meeting a little early to handle a personal matter. When I got back to the office, and after my client had left, I learned that he asked my PR manager about Twitter. He said, “What is this thing called Twitter. I just don’t get why you would want to tell everyone what you are doing.” My PR manager who is not a Twitter user immediately told my client, “You need to speak with Deirdre. She’s always on Twitter. She thinks it’s great.”

My PR manager’s assessment of my use of Twitter was absolutely correct. I really enjoy Twitter and sometimes I think I’m addicted to tweets in Twitter land. Let’s face it, there are far worse addictions. I guess when I first started I was a little hesitant to jump right in and say what I was doing. But, now, it’s the first thing I do every day, even before I have my coffee or check my email.

If you’re not on Twitter or heavily involved in some type of social network, then you’re probably thinking that I’m either a tech geek (which I’m definitely not) or I have no life (well with the amount of time I spend running my business and writing my books for Pearson Education, you may be right). I will sum up my fascination with Twitter and then invite you to try it (but you have to stick with it for a while) before you pass judgment on why people find it enjoyable, valuable, fun, entertaining, etc.

Here’s why I like Twitter and why I can’t wait to tweet and review tweets all day:

• I find myself lost in the abundance of information from the people I follow. I learn a tremendous amount about technology and what are the hottest topics, tools, and news of the day.

• I have met some amazing people. They are all different; I can’t think of two who are the same. If you enjoy meeting people and experiencing everything from happiness and joy to frustration and sometimes sadness through new acquaintances, then Twitter will let you have these first hand interactions.

• I’m a PR person and I want to listen and learn from people. I could read tweets all day because the people are genuine and provide firsthand experience and knowledge that interests me.

• I’ve made some awesome networking contacts. I will continue to grow my networking base.

• Twitter allows me to let everyone know the things that are important to me; everything from my family to my books and my business.

• I feel like I’m a part of a large community that is friendly and rarely has the pretentiousness that you often find in the physical business setting. On Twitter, we are all stripped of our titles and we’re basically all created equal.

• Twitter allows me to release emotions, anxiety, excitement, and happiness quickly and serves as a release mechanism for a stressed out business person; this really helps to get me through the day.

• I never feel alone when I’m on Twitter. In fact the opposite is true. I feel incredibly connected to so many people, especially people who I don’t think I would have ever met without this micro blog.

I know that everyone is different; some people will gravitate to other types of social networking forums rather than a micro blog. Twitter takes some time to get used to, but if you can be yourself and share information openly then you join a community that offers valuable and meaningful communication. My advice is to engage and you too will understand and experience the Twitter fascination.

I have found some of the best information, insight and advice on blogs.  In most cases from new friends, not even the people I’ve known for years.  I’m starting to think that anyone who says blogs are just ranting diaries of meaningless information, simply don’t take the time to really read blogs.  They are not taking the time to find the people who can make a difference in their lives and enjoy the conversations along the way.

That’s only one piece of the blogosphere puzzle.  Through blogs and social networking, you have the incredible ability to meet people.  No, I mean really meet people.  When I first started social networking, I felt a little like a fish out of water.  It took me a really long time to participate on my favorite blogs and let people know what I was thinking.  As a matter of fact, there are still many (and I mean many) blogs that I read and still don’t feel comfortable commenting.  And, then there are my favorites: Brian Solis’ PR 2.0, Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang and Steve Crescenzo’s Corporate Hallucinations.  I also admire Shel Holtz’s blog and Guy Kawasaki’s How to Change the World from a far.  I also really love micro blogging on Twitter (www.twitter.com).   Since my earlier experiences, I have met social networking “friends” in person for coffee and lunches, and have corresponded outside of the blogosphere.

Let me just focus on Twitter for a moment. I never thought that I would encounter the interactions that I’m experiencing on Twitter.  For a micro blog that only allows you to enter 140 characters per post – how do you make friends and meet people?  It just comes with the territory.  Similar to traditional networking, the more information you give about yourself, the more that people are attracted to your personality and want to continue to interact with you on a daily basis.

I’m constantly amazed at the people that I “follow” on Twitter.  They are very intelligent, passionate, funny, and the best part of all, caring.  For instance, I was having a hellish day at work and didn’t even have time to go on Twitter to post what I was doing.  I’m usually on every day, all day.  Things were hectic and frankly explosive at my company.  I had posted an early morning message stating I was excited to go to Rhode Island for the weekend.  Then, for the first time, I went silent for many hours.  When I finally posted again late in the day, one of my followers replied to me, “You were so quiet today, I thought you were already on the interstate…. :)”  It always feels good when someone takes the time to notice…..I really felt like a member of a community.

So what can you find blogging that goes beyond ranting and raving?  I think a great deal.  But, don’t take my word for it, you should find out for yourself.

I know I’m not the only person out there who has a true appreciation for the traditional values of Public Relations. And, at the same time, I have high admiration and believe in the practices of newer social media communication and PR 2.0. It’s easy to see how traditional PR people view the profession and preserve an industry that has done so much good for many businesses and organizations globally. However, as we witness how our markets change right before our eyes, we realize that businesses can’t control communication. We learn to shift our thinking and be flexible; these markets move us to converse directly with customers and other stakeholders in a different way; in a manner that these groups want to receive communication. It’s a transition in PR and even if it’s slow it’s an important one.

So why is there a struggle to accept a natural progression of communication? There’s so much information available that says PR 2.0 and social media applications are the way that we should be communicating in Web communities. In my opinion, I think many traditional PR folks, who have been around for years and serving different industries (perhaps outside of high tech) realize that there are alternative methods to reaching groups beyond the newer direct to consumer methods or blogger relations. For example, they still want to keep their media contacts close. They know the media influences the talk in the blogosphere just as the blogosphere influences the media and how they report their stories. I think issues surface when groups of PR people (from opposite ends of the spectrum) are talking at each other and not talking to each other. When this happens, no one is really listening.

Why do we have to be so black and white? I think there’s a grey area that many people (whether it’s the traditional or futurist) are missing. This grey area, as simplistic as it sounds, can make everyone happy. It takes what we know from the past, using those tactics when appropriate, and also incorporates the best advice and use of social media applications to speak to people directly in their web communities or to converse with influential bloggers who can reach other people for you. I think that whether you are communicating and building relationships whether it’s face-to -face, with the media, bloggers or directly with your customers online, it’s PR. We should all take the best of the profession and work together to educate how all industry sectors can benefit from the experience of both worlds.

I think we can meet in the middle, what do you think?

I woke up yesterday thinking about this topic and it’s still on my mind. The other day, my PR team met to brainstorm on media angles for a client that helps large pharmaceutical companies market one-on-one to doctors to increase the prescribing of brand pharmaceutical products. The subject of social responsibility in marketing surfaced.

Sure, pharma companies need to be socially responsible. They have an obligation to be good corporate citizens. With that said, of course, what immediately comes to mind is the subject of “Going Green.” As companies look for ways to reduce energy costs, one obvious way for pharma would be to reduce the amount of gas used by sales forces trying to reach doctors. There are other ways to target physicians with precision accuracy without the use of fuel. Pharma companies can also show social responsibility in marketing by not wasting a doctor’s time with strategies he doesn’t want and materials he’s not going to read.

My thinking then goes beyond pharmaceuticals to my own marketing company. I asked the question, “Is PFS Marketwyse socially responsible.” In the traditional sense, yes, we are very responsible when it comes to marketing initiatives. We target and limit the amount of materials we send and mostly do marketing through the Web.

But, what about in the social media sense? Is PFS a social media responsible company? I would like to think so. Today I had a conversation with our CEO and creative director. We’re developing a website for a broadcast client who attends NAB each year. The site has to provide information on announcements, presentations, demonstrations, etc. This year we’re pitching the idea of a blog to capture conversations with dealers and product end-users on the client’s site. Our CEO suggested a MyPod proprietary video networking site (which is still in development here at PFS). However, after further explanation, it really wasn’t what the client was trying to achieve with its NAB website. Had we pitched this idea and the client accepted it, then we would not have been acting as a social media responsible company.

I know that there are many occasions when the social media application is so cool, and we think that it would be great to incorporate something that’s the latest and greatest in technology. But I believe, and I know many others will agree, that in order to be social media responsible the application has to make sense for the client and enable them to accomplish their goals. In the case of the MyPod site, goals would not have been successfully accomplished. Many people may have talked about the site, but it would have lacked certain required features and functionality.

So, I leave you with this question, no matter what industry you represent, are you socially responsible in marketing and are you also social media responsible?