Maintaining Authenticity while Paying for Social Content

If I had one PR superpower, I would choose the power of foresight. Being able to know what big trends were coming down the line in five or even just two years would be immeasurably valuable. With our all-too-common power of hindsight, we now know the value of infographics, video content, social media and photo networks – but, imagine being able to know how big these trends would be for PR before they burst onto the scene.

If you take a snapshot of what the PR industry looks like today, that may literally just last for today. Who knows, tomorrow we may be trying to think of ways to get our clients’ content on Google Glass lenses! The world we live in is constantly evolving and one of the keys to staying on top of this near-constant change is asking questions and engaging in industry discussions.

Why B2B Companies Should Be On SlideShare

SlideShare, the social media network that hosts online presentations, is kind of the unsung hero of the B2B world. Maybe it hasn’t exactly caught fire precisely because so much of the content is B2B-focused.  The truth is that SlideShare is one of the most useful, if not the most useful, social media network for businesses that need to educate prospects about their products and services in a fun, engaging way.

Are Photo Networks Worth Your Time?

While often thought of as another way to broaden a company’s reach, are photo networks like Pinterest and Instagram really worth a business’ time? With 48.7 million users on Pinterest and 100 million users on Instagram, it seems companies may be missing a trick if they don’t work to leverage these popular tools. But, without a clear strategy in place and reasonable expectations, they might not be as successful as they’d like.

April Fools’ Day Tech Pranks

April Fools’ Day marks a long-standing tradition of practical jokes, hoaxes and good, old-fashioned tomfoolery. So, naturally, it’s one of my favorite holidays! With everything from “kick me” signs taped to people’s backs and flour poured into hairdryers, to toothpaste-filled Oreo cookies and Saran Wrap on the toilet seat, April 1st is a day when many are constantly looking over their shoulder … and the tech world is no different! Just try putting a Post-it note over your coworker’s mouse trackball, or pressing Ctrl+Alt+↑on their computer keyboard, and watch them go nuts (note: Ctrl+Alt+↓ is the fix for the second trick).

What’s ‘The Gist’ of it?

Thanks to text messaging and social media sites like Twitter that have reduced much of today’s communication to a mere character count (if not simply a picture), it could be argued that people are growing weary of long-form content and are just looking for the bottom line, leaving them asking, “What’s the gist of it?”

Well, now there’s a site that helps you find just that. Launched today by the creators of Someecards and HappyPlace, The Gist gives a comedic take on the day’s top news in as few words as possible – usually just a sentence or two!

Google Trends Show PR Insights

Google Trends may be one of my new favorite tools. Not only is interesting to see fluctuations in hot topics of the day or things you’re interested in, but it’s great for PR campaign measurement too. Something public relations professionals constantly struggle with is showing ROI on media campaigns, which are often more tangential in nature. But, thanks to tools like Google Analytics, which can (hopefully) show traffic spikes on clients’ websites after major announcements or media pushes, and, now also Google Trends, the task of demonstrating ROI is becoming a bit easier.

Weather Channel Taps Social Media for #Nemo Blizzard

Sandy, Katrina, Irene, Andrew… all memorable names of Hurricanes that have wreaked havoc on U.S. coastlines and mainland in years past, but have you heard of Nemo? In case you’ve been living in a sunny California bubble, Nemo is the first named blizzard that’s predicted to hit the North East by tomorrow afternoon… and hit hard. But when did we start naming blizzards? Even the infamous blizzard of ’78 went unnamed. So, what’s Nemo all about?

The answer is simple: social media.

Is the PR Industry Being Impacted by Rising Brand Journalism Trends?

At the start of every New Year, it seems that each industry sends out a list of top predictions for what’s to come… and PR is no different. There have already been lots of expectations set around 2013 being the year for further social media growth, the rising importance of visual representations, and increased measurement for ROI, to name a few. But, one trend that has caught my eye for 2013 is brand journalism.

The Best of 2012

As 2012 came to a close, the press and media sphere were inundated with a deluge of year-end recaps. Everything from The Most Viral Video Ad Campaigns of 2012 to The Best Tech Quotes of 2012 had people reflecting on another year gone by. But, one of the best recaps I saw came from Google’s Zeitgeist.

A New Social Network You’ll “prollie” Want to Check Out

With more than 200 social networking sites in existence today, it’s safe to say the social sphere is a crowded market. But, with most social network users only maintaining an average of three to five profiles, how can newcomers hope to make their mark on the industry?

Undoubtedly this was one of the questions co-founders and brothers Mike and Red Fabbri asked themselves as they started one of the newest social platforms, prollie.