What Instagram’s Newest Change Means for Communicators

By Sarah Larson

Instagram this week announced a major change that expands its video capabilities and marks another milestone in the continuing shift toward visual communication.

On March 29, the social network said that it would expand the allowed length of videos posted to the site to 60 seconds. That quadruples the time from the app’s current cap of 15 seconds.

The new video capabilities are being tested with small groups of users (New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was one of them) and are expected to be rolled out to all users “in the coming months,” according to Instagram.

The move is driven by one simple factor: popularity.

“In the last six months, the time people spent watching video increased by more than 40 percent,” Instagram said in its announcement.

What does this change mean for professional communicators? Several things.

First, of course, it means more time to tell your story. Whether you’re promoting a fundraising event, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your company at work, or announcing a new initiative, having more time gives you more opportunity to shine.

Just because your videos can be longer, however, doesn’t mean they should be. Strong editing will remain key to success. Though digital marketers still love to debate the “ideal” average length for online video, nearly all agree that viewership and engagement decrease as running times increase.

It also doesn’t mean that writing is irrelevant. In fact, powerful writing is vital to the creation of a powerful video. Tight voiceover scripts that choose just the right word and thoughtful onscreen text that reinforces key messages are just as important as the wide shots and graphics. (Some argue that writing is actually the most important skill for broadcast.)

If it weren’t already clear to organizations that their communications strategies should include video, this move by the world’s most popular platform for sharing still photography should erase any remaining doubts.

How are you incorporating visual storytelling elements into your marketing and public relations plans? Share your experience in the comments.

Digital Footprint Can Damage Job Seekers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Furia Rubel Marketing and Public Relations President and CEO Gina F. Rubel was recently interviewed for a digital dirt article published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The article explores how those seeking job opportunities need to be keenly aware of their digital footprint. More specifically, Gina shares how she utilizes social media as part of her staff hiring research and strategy.

To read the full article, go to Digital Footprint Can Damage Job Seekers.

Giving Thanks All Year Long

Posted by Gina F. Rubel, Esq.

I received about 15 e-cards and two print cards saying thank you and wishing me and the Furia Rubel team a Happy Thanksgiving. All of this started me thinking – what is the corporate Thanksgiving all about? When you say thank you to your clients and customers and others that you do business or communicate with, do you really mean it or are you trying to beat the holiday rush with your message to stand out. Are you letting them know what you are thankful for? And do you say thank you all along the corporate trail?


Of the 15 e-cards I received this week, very few were personalized and many said “Thank You and by the way, check out our website…..” Is that how we say thank you today? I am a full believer in electronic messages – but the “thanks” are lost when they’re followed with a marketing message.


Of the two printed cards I received, one included a personal message starting with “Dear …”, including a handwritten message and a John Hancock. Of course, that card was my favorite. The other was a stock, unbranded, mass-printed card which include my name on the outside of the envelope. Without being too specific, thank you, Joanne for your lovely personalized note and branded Thanksgiving card. Your card stood out.


There are so many opportunities in the business cycle to give thanks. Here are just a few key touch points when you can thank your clients, customers and other target audiences professionally and with integrity:


- Immediately following the first meeting or correspondence
- When a prospect becomes a client
- After an in-person meeting
- When someone responds to a request in a timely manner
- At the end of each client matter or project
- When someone refers you business, connects you with another or sends you a testimonial
- When you’ve closed a piece of business that was referred, thank the referrer again
- Randomly throughout the year – just because


I’m sure there are many more times in the business cycle that we can say thank you. Feel free to add to this list by leaving a comment.


And yes, THANK YOU, for reading our blog. We enjoy sharing thoughts and information with those who are interested and truly appreciate the time you take to read and respond to us.

LinkedIn Simplifies The Job Application Process

Posted by Leah Ludwig

LinkedIn is one of my favorite professional-focused social networking sites. At Furia Rubel, we regularly encourage our colleagues, clients, friends and family members to jump onboard and join the business-minded conversation. It is a great tool for professional networking, and now this social networking site has taken its offerings to a new level.


This week LinkedIn announced that it will be launching a Web plug-in that allows employers to add a one-click “Apply with LinkedIn” button to their job postings. The goal is to make the job application process as simple as a click. To see how it all works, go to Apply with LinkedIn or watch the YouTube video demonstration below.







What I think is really unique about this new feature is that “Apply with LinkedIn” allows applicants to adjust their profile information to suit the position to which they are applying before they submit the job application. After they submit, the confirmation screen displays people in the applicant's LinkedIn network who work at the company, allowing them to connect or ask for a referral.


Some of the first companies to debut the “Apply with LinkedIn” button on their company websites (besides LinkedIn) include Netflix, TripIt, Photobucket and many others. LinkedIn is also working with the top applicant tracking systems to help them match the best candidates to the right jobs.


This feature is a win-win for employers and job seekers.


From the employer's perspective, adding this plug-in to one’s company website can be easily managed. The LinkedIn interface can be utilized to create the application and can also be custom-branded. The employer can then manage submissions efficiently and use several applicant tracking systems to help match candidates to appropriate positions.


Job seekers also benefit from this LinkedIn feature. Using LinkedIn as the primary point of contact in a job application helps to make maintaining one’s profile more manageable. No longer is there a need to maintain several versions of one’s resume or to worry about email attachments and file formats making it through the email sphere to the appropriate contact.


I give the new application two thumbs up and look forward to watching it take flight. If you are a company looking to bring on new employees, perhaps this is a good tool for you to explore.

I Remain, Very Sincerely Yours - The Legal Intelligencer Blog

Gina Rubel examines the various ways people communicate through email in a recent post on the Legal Intelligencer blog. She focuses on the typical closings or valedictions that business professionals use frequently when communicating via email. To read more, go to the blog post: I Remain, Very Sincerely Yours.

Photo Courtesy of: stopsilence.com

Epic Fail Mama Grizzlies! Banished Word List 2011

Posted by Amanda Walsh

The American people FAIL to REFUDIATE VIRAL and EPIC A-HA MOMENTs when we FACEBOOK and GOOGLE the BACK STORY of our BFFs for the WOW FACTOR. Just MAN UP MAMA GRIZZLIES.  LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST. I'M JUST SAYIN'!!

We just wanted to make sure you were paying attention. Buzz word overload? Have no fear, if you think these words are overused and abused, you are not alone. Today, we are highlighting Lake Superior State University's 2011 List of Banished Words. Some of the top choices for banished words were "epic", "viral", and "fail".

Improve the way you communicate and give us all a break by checking out the list here. What are your top choices for words that should be blacklisted?

Photo credit:  http://rcayao.com

New Google Features Help PR Pros Keep Up With Growing Trends

Posted by Amanda Walsh

The Furia Rubel team wants to share some news about interesting search tools from Google with ThePRLawyer audience.

Google Realtime search allows you to look for results in Google as they are happening. The search compiles results from Twitter, Facebook, blog posts, and websites to give you real time content that is live and continuously updated. The user can also specify the location of where the news is coming from. For example, the keyword “Obama” can be narrowed down to view only the keywords produced from a specific city or state. Many times you can find breaking news before major news outlets have the opportunity to release them. This is a great marketing tool for any brand or business that wants to stay on top of breaking news or crisis communications.

Another feature from Google is the new YouTube Channel, the Google beat, which brings updates of the latest weekly trends in Google searches within the U.S. The video, formatted in a news-style way give a rundown of the latest search trends. For example, this week “Hurricane Earl” and “Paris Hilton” were two huge search terms.

These two new features from the search giant raise some interesting food for thought - Is Google trying to compete with Twitter in the department of trending topics? The popular micro-blogging service presents real-time updates of news from around the world and can be narrowed down by keyword.

It seems lately that Google is moving in the Twitter-based, newsfeed direction with their recent feature rollouts. The Google beat, YouTube channel, also brought to my attention other tools that Google offers such as Google Trends, Hot Trends, and Google Insights for Search. The Year-end Zeitgeist feature is the most interesting to me because it provides a snapshot of the year in search trends. All of these provide the user the ability to check out what is hot right now or what have been the top search trends over an entire year.

As technology and features from Google continue to grow, we continue to build archives of our culture. With an archive reaching back to 2001, anyone can see the gaining and declining trends of that year.

Again, searching trends and these new features from Google can be very useful for professionals in the marketing and public relations industry to keep an eye on the changing trends across the country.

(Photo credit: Google.com)

Old Spice Campaign - Viral Success Or Failure?

Posted by Amanda Walsh

Just about everyone has heard about the Old Spice videos that became wildly popular on the Internet recently. If you haven’t, let me bring you up to speed.

Old Spice launched the advertising campaign called, “Smell like a man, man,” which included TV ads and Youtube videos that some are calling the most successful viral campaign ever. Coupling the videos with a Twitter account and persona, actor and ex football player, Isaiah Mustafa starred as the Old Spice man who amazed viewers with his smooth voice and clever retorts. The spot was a hit, drawing more than 13 million views on YouTube according to a NYtimes.com article.

To continue promotion of the ads, a team of writers and editors searched Twitter for responses to the Old Spice Man Twitter account. Later they filmed personalized video responses to Tweets including ones to celebrities and political figures. About 185 response videos were posted for the Old Spice guy, which furthered the sensation. One unusual request asked for the Old Spice man to propose to Twitter user Johannes S. Beals’ girlfriend. Shortly after the request was made, a video starring the Old Spice man was created. The happy ending was complete when Beals followed up with a tweet, “She said yes!”

Old Spice hit the mark with a funny, unique and dynamic ad campaign. They successfully reached out to consumers and built relationships with their audience, but here’s the real kicker- they listened and responded.

Always room for improvement

There were, however, critics Old Spice’s campaign; namely those who pointed to sales reports that indicated that sales were down seven percent. According to an article on brandchannel.com though, sales reports came out before the campaign hit its peak success.

I believe the real downfall, if any, of the campaign was that it came to an end. The Old Spice man tweeted, “Well friends, like all great things this too must end.” This is the first rule of getting started on social media, if you commit you need to continue. I don’t know how many times I have followed a brand and was genuinely excited to communicate, only to find that a few months later the account has gone stagnant. Last year Skittles temporarily turned their homepage into a stream of real-time comments from customers who referenced Skittles, only to abandon the revolutionary campaign as quickly as it started. Whether it is a Facebook page, a Twitter account or blog, the important thing is not only to get started but to continue producing quality content and building relationships.

I did hear rumors that Old Spice has another campaign in the works. I’ll be sure to keep you posted!

(photo credit: zootpatrol.com)

Web 2.0 for CEOs

Posted by Katie Noonan

President Obama is the first president in the PDA age to keep his trusty BlackBerry by his side. During the campaign, he and his staff were known for their ability to leverage social media to garner support and recruit volunteers. I would argue that it was this ability coupled with his eloquent rhetoric that really won him the election.

He has continued to leverage both his oratorical skill and Web 2.0 savvy during the first month of his presidency. The administration continues to send out frequent E-mails informing Americans of decisions he’s made, but more importantly, asking to hear their personal stories. Even whitehouse.gov, the administration’s Web site, has received a shake-up, featuring a blog, videos and an rss feed. It now has the look and feel of his campaign page, which was inspired by social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

I share all of this as an example of a solid communications strategy in the Web 2.0 age. President Obama is a CEO, so to speak, so why shouldn’t other CEOs employ similar tactics to better communicate with their employees and the public? Consider setting up weekly e-mail blasts to communicate news, and as you do so, encourage employees to share their feedback with you. Honest two-way communication is what employees really need and want from management right now as the economy and their job security are uncertain.

Placing a Web 2.0 spin on your Web site by adding video, blogs, and rss feed, or borrowing from social networking site layouts to make your company’s Web site more current, is an effective way to communicate with both internal and external audiences and stay relevant in the Web 2.0 age.

Like the president, CEOs are now becoming increasingly more responsible and accountable to the public as they begin to take taxpayer money to bail themselves out. Open communication on the public’s terms, through the vehicles with which they are most comfortable and familiar, will undoubtedly lead to some good PR.

Ragan's Public Service Announcement on "G.O.D. Disorder"

Posted by Katie Noonan

Here is a great video from Ragan on what they call "Grammar Obsessive Disorder." Definitely worth checking out if you want a laugh.

It is worth mentioning though, that good grammar is essential in PR. A press release replete with grammatical errors will get tossed by members of the media and thus, your story will never be told. Poor grammar makes you appear unprofessional, uneducated or simply lazy. As a rule of thumb, PR practitioners should always consult the AP Stylebook whenever they issue a press release to the media.

Grammar gets a little tricky though in the Internet age, especially as the media makes the move to the Internet. For example, according to the AP Stylebook the proper term is "Web site," yet "web site" is more commonly used in search engine search terms. That means that it's important to tailor your message differently depending on your targeted audience. When posting a press release to issue on your Web site, it's more important to use terms that "Googlers" would be likely to search rather than those mandated by the AP Stylebook. However, when submitting news to an online news site, still use AP Stylebook guidelines.

Jeff Stahler's Comic - Moderately Confused

Jeff Stahler's Moderately Confused: Analog to Digital: Priceless

Three Words PR Professionals Need to Avoid

Posted by Amanda Walsh

Certain words have become so ingrained in the PR industry that many professionals may find it hard to choose other word options. Drew Kerr, president and founder of the New York City-based public relations consultancy, Four Corners Communications, Inc., has put out a call to all PR professionals to eliminate the overused words "excited," "thrilled," and "honored" from their press releases.

During the past 60 days, Kerr searched Google News and found over 500 examples of "we are excited to be" in press releases about company executives! I agree with Kerr when he advises that a press release should talk about the benefits of the specific deal for all the parties involved, instead of simply saying how "excited" the CEO is to begin a new relationship. And, when writing about a newly-hired employee, be specific in their talents and skills that they are bringing to the company instead of simply stating, "thrilled."

Let's all get out our thesauruses and brainstorm other ways to describe new partnership deals or employee promotions! To read more about Kerr's thoughts, please go here.

How to Successfully Write for the Web Site Audience

Posted by Amanda Walsh

I have blogged before about effective writing when it comes to public relations, but this is a new interesting article from Rick Sloboda at Cision's The Navigator, called "Web Writing Tactics That Convert." Rick is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus. PR professionals write for many audiences, one of them being visitors to the company Web site. Some special tips from Rick and me are below to help you successfully deliver your message via the Web.

Accurate and concise writing is needed for successful Web site copy. Many consumers browsing the Internet don't read every word on a Web page. Readers simply skim the page for the information they need. Be sure to write in a way that will allow them to easily spot your main message.

Don't bury your message with jargon or clichés. Unlike other forms of communication, online writing does not benefit from the use of clichés. Many times clichés are not able to cross cultural lines and by using them you may be unintentionally limiting your message to a specific country or culture. Remember the audience that you are writing for or those who will most likely visit your Web site. Tailor your message accordingly.

Change your frame of mind. Craft your message with the idea of "you-driven" communication versus "we-driven." Online consumers don't want to know what benefits their business will bring your company, but instead are looking for ways that your company will benefit them.

Provide Testimonials. Testimonials are a great asset to have when developing your Web site. They build credibility for your Web site through third-party praise. Testimonials can be obtained by conducting brief interviews with past or present clients. Be sure to be specific with full names of customers, company names and appropriate links.

Don't Forget the Call to Action! This is the most important part of Web site copy. Tell your audience what you would like them to do! The entire effort of crafting a message will be lost if you don't give your consumers an outlet to act on the information they have just received.

Constantly Tweak and Revise. Monitoring Web site traffic and sales goals and numbers are a great ways to analyze the results of your Web copy.

Ways of Creating Community through Social Media and Online Presence

Posted by Amanda Walsh

I found some really interesting blogs from this list of the 50 Most Influential Women in Social Media from Ron Hudson. Many of these women have great things to share about social media, marketing and public relations. One blog stood out to me because it talked about the ability to create a community in the social media world. Liz Strauss wrote about her Italian grandmother's way of welcoming visitors despite her lack of knowledge of the English language. I can relate to this communication barrier as I continue to learn the Spanish language here in Madrid.

Liz´s grandmother owned a small saloon in Illinois and despite only knowing Italian, she made every visitor feel welcomed and want to return. She had a way of creating a community and connecting with others.

In many ways the following attributes that Liz noticed in her grandmother can be used to help foster a warm and friendly online, social community. Social media brings us all together, with our differences and our varied languages, and provides common ground to stand on.

* Welcome. Liz´s grandmother always smiled at every visitor that came through the saloon doors. In the same way, companies should create Web pages that are user-friendly and maintain an online presence that encourages communication with stakeholders and customers.

* Smile! It says so much without using any words. It is easy to convey happiness and joy through a simple smile. A smile takes such little effort but shows so much! Again, putting customers at ease by creating a blog or twitter account where people feel comfortable giving their opinion.

* See. She paid special attention to each individual she encountered. Despite not fully understanding, she was able to convey her interest by showing she was paying attention. This is also important for companies because once customers give feedback it is important to follow up and address their specific needs or concerns.

* Listen! If you don't have the appropriate words, take the time to listen as best you can. Often you will make the speaker feel so good by just giving them an ear.

* Laugh! It is important to remember this concept when communicating. We are all humans and yes we make mistakes. Liz´s grandmother would often laugh when faltering to find a specific word or meaning. Keep trying until you are understood. A company can use this principle by addressing mistakes quickly and honestly.

This post spoke to me because not only does it apply to real life when not knowing a special language or custom, but these principles can also be applied to social media by using the central idea of connecting people. This can be done by fostering welcoming, friendly environments or taking the time out to listen to a customer's concerns and then following up with them.

I want to leave the readers of ThePRLawyer with this quote from Liz that I feel sums up the article perfectly,

¨My grandmother wasn't afraid to build a bridge on the language she didn't know because she trusted herself to connect in other ways. We can build a bridge to the folks who don't know social media by taking a clue and some cues from things she did. Where are you seeing great examples of hospitality and bridge building in our Internet culture? What can we do to help them grow?”

Tweeting Your Way to Better Customer Relations

From Katie Noonan - An excellent post last week on Oglivy’s 360° Digital Influence blog by Kaitlyn Wilkins offered some great tips for companies using Twitter as a part of their public relations campaigns.

Wilkins interviewed Ginevra Whalen, TypePad’s Community Manager, who handles @sixapart, the company’s Twitter account. According to Whalen, “Web 2.0 technologies allow customers to get superior service without even having to seek it out…but only if [companies] take full advantage of them.”

Whalen uses Twitter to keep tabs on customers’ concerns, frustrations, and general feelings on their products, by following those users and responding to their feedback via e-mail or direct message. This approach allows Whalen and the rest of the TypePad team to reach out to individual customers as well as gauge customers’ overall satisfaction with their products. So far this approach has been met with a great deal of enthusiasm from customers “tweeting” about TypePad’s various products.

Whalen’s best advice for companies just starting out on Twitter is to show personality by not limiting “tweets” to press releases, or company news. According to Whalen, it’s important to show a human side to the company. She recommends “tweeting” about birthdays, events and other fun goings-on. It could mean the difference between appearing genuine and engaged in customer relations, or trying to bombard the Twitter community with shameless company plugs.

Has Social Media Caused People to Be Less Social in Person?

Posted by: Amanda Walsh

I came across a great post the other day on PRNewsOnline by Courtney Barnes, Editor of PR News. She posed a thoughtful question to those in the blogosphere: "Have social media sites made people less friendly in person and friendlier online?" Ms. Barnes described a recent experience at a religious function where the audience was encouraged to break the ice by introducing themselves for two minutes. The results varied. Some people seemed very uncomfortable, as if wishing the two minutes would be over soon, while others couldn't stop talking! Perhaps the façade of a computer and keyboard helps shy people "come out of their shells" while outgoing, friendly people may not participate as much in online conversations?

I have recognized, especially with peers or those of Generation Y, a problem of common misspellings and an overall lack of effective writing skills. Perhaps this is caused by texting and or using shorthand online language. However, I had not considered the implications of social media on face-to-face communication.

For me, social media is an easy outlet of expression, but I don't think it makes me any less friendly in person. My situation is a bit unique however; I am blogging from Madrid, Spain where I am a novice at the Spanish language and a foreigner displaced from my country and culture. Naturally, I enjoy blogging and joining in verbal conversation in my native language. Although I like to consider myself an intelligent communicator in English, my Spanish skills are still a work in progress. When conversing in Spanish, I rely heavily on nonverbal signals, like using my hands or making facial expressions to explain my words. Online and/or written text at times can lose its meaning without the cues such as tone of voice or facial expressions.

On the other hand, my time in Spain has made me realize the importance of effective verbal communication and the social errors that come with uttering the wrong word in person. An insightful comment from Kristie Vento at Marketing That Performs, reacting to Ms. Barnes’ post, touches on the idea that people do not utilize their 'delete' buttons as effectively as they should. At times, that may be a reason for less friendly person-to-person communications.

Social media plays a big role in my life and I will continue to use many sites such as Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with friends and family as well as to stay abreast of news.

Tips for Young Professionals on the Transition from College to the Cubicle

As a young professional, I’m always curious to hear guidance from employers and professionals in the industry. The article, What Graduates Aren’t Learning about Marketing at University, was interesting to me as it provides insight into what skills and qualities I should be focusing on at this point in my career. Angela Morsa, a fellow Temple University alumna and President of Active Integrated Marketing, wrote this article as a recap of her speech at the 30th Annual American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference on the topic of Success Strategies for Your Marketing Career.

While attending Temple University, I was very active in Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Through this organization I attended seminars and networking events on a regular basis. Because of my own motivation to be involved, I was exposed to helpful hints that many other students may not have known.

Morsa clearly points out that other college students are still not hearing crucial professional advice. Prior to presenting to the Generation Y students at the AMA Conference, Morsa consulted with a variety of employers on what advice they would give to students looking to join the work force.

These are some of the tips that Morsa passed along to her audience:

• Good communication and writing skills are still the most important ability to be competitive in today’s world. Morsa warns students not to compromise good grammar and writing skills by relying on text and instant messaging shorthand. “LOL U R Too Cool” is not acceptable communication.
• Today e-mail is an established vehicle of communication across many industries. E-mail should not be the primary tool students use to foster new relationships. Individual communication like face-to-face contact has become rare and telephone communication is taking a back seat to e-mail correspondence. Personal contact should be used when necessary to build those invaluable relationships.
• Find a mentor. Early in your career you should be learning as much as you can from those that have come before you. Make an effort to be a “sponge” if you will and soak in valuable advice and learn from the mistakes of others. Reach out to those you admire, be involved in student organizations, and go to networking events. Maybe…even pick up the phone!
• Clean up your online presence! This seems to have become a mantra among professionals and teachers today. I know they constantly told us this at Temple but many students still do not heed this crucial advice. Employers can and will find you online and use this information to judge you and your abilities.
• Work toward becoming an expert. Find your niche and hone into that specialty. It is a crucial skill to have in today’s society that will set you apart.

And these two tips stood out most to me.

• Don’t be afraid to take risks and learn from your mistakes. Be honest about your capabilities. Don’t promise what you can not deliver.
• Travel the world. With new technology growing every minute, the world truly has become connected on many different levels.
  
  I am taking her advice and traveling to Madrid, Spain for nine months. Stay tuned for more details on my North American Language and Culture Assistant experience in Spain!

Viral Communications: Blogging, Rofo and HARO

Dean Guadagni of Domus Consulting Group; Inner Architect Media in San Rafael, CA share’s my cousin, Peter Furia’s YouTube video for Rofo.com



Guadagni shares how Peter pitched him to blog about this video including some great background information on Peter. Well done.

In my opinion, viral marketing MUST be included in your communications plan if your company has a Web presence. Not all viral marketing should include stunts, pranks and spoofs – especially for the more conservative B2B folks. But when done right, the return on your viral investment will far surpass traditional advertising.

Another great resource for viral communications is Peter Shankman’s book, Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work and Why Your Company Needs Them. Peter also launched Help A Reporter (http://www.helpareporter.com/) which connects journalists with the sources they require using a social media platform. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) is already over 12,000 members and growing, and has a growing stable of national journalists using the service on a daily basis. I know tons of people in the public relations industry who subscribe. You should too.

Social Media Implications for PR

At a recent PRSA Digital Impact Conference, New York Times columnist David Carr spoke about the implications that social media tools hold for journalism and public relations. In his conclusion, Carr offered PR professionals a few helpful tips to use when working with journalists.

1. Don’t ask “Did you get my e-mail?” “Don’t have your junior deputy call and ask if I got your e-mail as another way to make contact,” Carr said. “Yes — these are all very reliable technologies — I did.” If he didn’t respond, he simply isn’t interested in the story.

2. Don’t send blast e-mails. A single personalized e-mail will be far more effective than hundreds of generic messages, Carr said, especially since it takes minimal effort to rework an individualized release for print. “We’re not lazy so much as incredibly busy,” he said. “If someone gift wraps something and hands it to you — ‘This is only for you’ — chances are you’re going to take it.”

3. Only pitch legitimate news. When telling your boss that the information they want you to pitch is not newsworthy, they may reason that making the phone call can’t hurt. “Yes, it can,” Carr said. “I’m going to think you’re a twit.” PR professionals need to educate those they work for about what should be pitched to reporters. “Don’t try to manage me,” he said. “Manage them.”

For the past 25 years, Carr has been writing about media as it intersects with business, culture and government. We found this information priceless and thought we should share it.

There is no denying social media has altered the rules and tactics of marketing and communication strategies worldwide. Katy Thorbahn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Philadelphia office of Avenue A Razorfish, believes that a “major shift is occurring - the rise of social media is creating a new form of marketing altogether, called Social Influence Marketing (SIM).”

In the May/June issue of AD NEWS, Thorbahn explains in her Think Social Influence Marketing article that it is about employing social media as part of the entire lifecycle of a marketing campaign, even beyond the campaign.

Here are some of Thorbahn’s “must know” details on social media development:

• Social Influence Marketing is the third dimension of marketing: SIM requires new strategies, rules and tactics; and in the long run will harbor a stronger affect on purchasing behavior than direct response and brand marketing.
• Advertising on your consumer’s terms: SIM is also about engaging with consumers on their terms – where they want to and in a language and format of their choosing. By doing so, it will allow companies to participate in the online conversations.
• Social networks matter more than websites: Consumers are continuing to spend most of their time on social networks. Companies need to crate a strategic development plan to integrate a new website, product or marketing campaign with key social networks.
• Engagement metrics come to the forefront: Much of the web’s success as a marketing platform is driven by its ability to capture strong metrics. New measurement models and corresponding tools will be needed to track whether Social Influence Marketing is having a stronger effect on the purchasing cycle than brand marketing or direct response.
• SIM can broaden consumer influence: SIM is going to affect how organizations innovate, develop ideas, recruit, measure performance and interact with all their constituents (customers, employees, partners, shareholders, etc.) because only by changing the organizations from the inside out, will companies be authentic when talking to the outside world.

For more of Thorbahn’s “must know” details on social media development, go to her article, Think Social Influence Marketing.