I have never been an Early Adopter.  I’m far too hesitant and analytical to jump into the water with both feet.  So, when SHIFT began engaging in social media for PR practices, I have to admit I wasn’t ready to join along.  My thought was, “if reporters are already annoyed by my phone calls and emails, why use even more forums to bore-ass them?”

But then, reporters I had developed relationships asked me to pitch them via IM.  And more reporters asked me to DM then on Twitter or comment on Facebook.  What?!  You want me to infiltrate your personal space and send you client information?  Me?  A lowly PR flack?

So, I stuck a toe in….I created a Facebook account.  I never pitched anyone, but the first step was just establishing a presence.  I started to become “friends” with reporters who used to be mere voices on the other end of the phone.  I could see their faces, their interests, what sports teams they routed for (Go Eagles!).  They became—well—more human, and it made me pitch more like a human. 

Then, I got involved with Twitter.  I was a silent observer.  I watched overhead as users peppered the screen with ruminations, family anecdotes, what they ate for lunch.  So, I joined in.  I tweeted “So much to learn; so little time.”  It was true.  It still is.  

Last week, I attended a Social Media Breakfast sponsored by SHIFT.  Attendees included social media gurus such as Chris Brogan, Chris Penn, Laura Fitton, Stever Robbins and Steve Garfield.  I learned how social media can be used as a recruiting tool and how your social and social media worlds can effectively collide (if you want it to), and how you can be a work-only participant (since more employers are researching your Web presence).  Most importantly, I saw how the social media realm can really connect people and how much knowledge can be exchanged over a tiny message board.    

Social media isn’t something you can read about, study, and become and instant expert.  You need to actively participate in this world every day.  Otherwise, you’re just an imposter…or a creep silently watching overhead.  As such, seasoned bloggers, new reporters, PR pros and social media students are going to have some slip ups.  We’re going to DM someone when they prefer to be IMd.  We’re going to spell something wrong or hit “Update” too many times.  There are so many tools at our fingertips now and we’re still testing the waters…it’ll take a while to get it perfect.  But keep participating.  Before long, I will officially have jumped in the water with both feet, completely soaked in Wikis, Tweets and Diggs.   

Posted by Danielle Mancano at 04:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Agency life can sometimes be tough (to say the least.)   It’s fast paced, deadline oriented, time sensitive, and no matter how good you are things can always go astray.  Perhaps you have a client that just can’t be pleased, perhaps you have a number of briefings secured – but none result in coverage, or maybe you have a day where you are just relentlessly turned down by reporters.  These things are going to happen.  As the old saying goes, “life comes at you hard,”  and, let’s face it, you wouldn’t be human unless at some point you wondered if PR was really for you.  So if you’re asking yourself that question, how do you ensure that you don’t lose that lovin’ feeling?

For some people the cure is a new challenge and opportunity.  But for me, that’s only a temporary fix.  The opportunity to try a new task can be fulfilling and fun, but does it cure the doubt?  Eventually the same issues mentioned above can creep back during a hellish week and you’re back to asking yourself questions.  And your answer to why you are in the agency should never be Zach Mayo’s famous line “Cuz I got no where else to go!” Instead, stop and think, take a deep breath and ask yourself – what brought you to PR?  What was is that made you passionate about the business?  When you have that answer, go do that.  Give yourself that refresher and re-energize yourself.

For me there are many aspects of this job that I love, but here is a recent example that comes to mind. I was having a rough week ( no worries folk, not enough of a bad week to switch careers) and found myself looking for some rays of sunshine.  For me, I love telling a story and talking through different angles with reporters.   I recently tried a “Hail Mary” pitch to a reporter I’ve worked with in the past.  By that I don’t mean it was a bad pitch, it was just a long shot that this reporter would bite.  The information was good, it fell in his coverage area, but based on my experience with him, didn’t think it would fit personality-wise.  However, I went for it and locked down a meeting.  The exact exchange was “you know, I’m not sure if there is a story here – but you’ve proved me wrong on that before.  Let’s set something up.”   I’m not embarrassed to admit I did a very ugly, uncoordinated victory dance across the entire office.  Clearly, the loving feeling was still with me.

What keeps you in game?

Posted by Matt Trocchio at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When I told my editor I was quitting the newspaper industry a year ago (happy one year to me!), she didn’t ask why. It’s not that she didn’t care, she just knew. She knew that living in California with a small circulation newspaper reporter salary would keep me on a college student diet – yup, that’s Top Ramen and $0.99 Mac ‘n’ Cheese, baby – well after receiving my English degree.

She knew that going into PR was a job that I needed to explore to test out my passion for journalism – on the other side. I’ve worked at a major metropolitan newspaper and community newspapers, all of which were fun, challenging times. But as I saw more and more papers lay off their long-time employees and less papers hiring editorial positions, I knew I had to make a decision. Either bite the bullet or dodge it.

Take a look at job postings for newspaper positions in California. For a college degree and news hound writing skills, a paper will gladly provide an annual salary of a whopping $25,000. I decided to dodge that bullet.

This is where you’d call me the cop out, right? I got the PR flack comments from colleagues but I was determined to do one thing when I went into the world of the dark side – never stop thinking like a journalist.

Yet, somehow I did at first. As with many junior staff in PR, we all question why we’re doing what we’re doing sometimes. We get lost in formatting excel sheets, making sure fonts are correct on agendas and creating grueling Power Point presos. For the first couple of weeks, I was angry for quitting my job that allowed me to experiment with and write about all types of topics, issues and people – covering education, the county’s homeless population and interviewing cocky, over-the-top celebs, like Diddy.

I started thinking back at the old job and PR sure looked pretty gloomy. But I rode it out and realized that if you just wait, learn and prove that you can do more than the basics, your managers and teammates will take a stab at seeing how you do with getting your hands dirty. I decided to stop trying to figure out what PR pros do and started to think like a journalist again.

It’s not always peachy keen on this side but the longer I stick with it, the light doesn’t seem so dim. With more pitch time and client facing work, I’ve found the excitement of getting positive responses from reporters and cheering about the pats on the back from clients. I guess it was all worth sitting in the dark in the beginning.

So remind me… how many PR pros does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Posted by Stephanie Jucar at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The recent departure of a colleague, friend, and awesome team member has inspired me to share my thoughts on the importance of teamwork. (Disclaimer: She’s only leaving because the visa expired; otherwise we wouldn’t have let her go without a fight!) Day in and day out we are here to serve our clients, meet demands and exceed expectations – not just for one client but for multiple. So how do I get it all done? I don’t, my TEAM does.

We spend eight hours a day, five days a week confined to the walls of our office pitching, strategizing, brainstorming and keeping things moving and shaking. I have to admit, weeks go by where I don’t see some of my closest friends or speak to family members. However, I seem to know what’s going on in my colleagues’ lives – sometimes a little too much. But hey, if it wasn’t for them I’m not sure how I’d keep my sanity.

When it comes down to it, you really have to enjoy the people you work with because it makes a world of difference. The late nights spent planning product launches and press tours doesn’t seem so bad when you’re sharing a few beers and laughing through the work.

How do you know when you’ve been lucky enough to land on the perfect team?  It’s when you’ve learned to respect your team members, value their opinions, have open communication, support their ideas and have their back at all times. And at the end of the day, you’re willing to do whatever it takes to help them get the job done. It’s then a domino effect; they’ll help you out when you need it the most. Now, if you are the type of person that wants to take all the credit for completing projects or for the awesome media hits, PR isn’t the profession for you. It’s all about the group effort and sharing the glory. 

So, here is to my team and the extended SF team. You are one of the biggest reasons I enjoy coming to work everyday – thank you for keeping the job fun.  

PS –Wawi, you’ve always been the perfect definition of a team member. You WILL be missed!

Posted by Devan Fearman at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

There has been quite a bit of buzz in the past few days about some rogue advertisements popping up on Twitter.  It is a bit comical actually.  Almost like a game of “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” very few people have actually seen the purported advertisements.  Despite this, rumors abound that Twitter is conducting an experiment on including ads as part of its service.

What astounds me is the uproar this potential move has caused in the Twitter community.  Overwhelmingly, the sentiment is that inserting ads into the Twitter stream would be a violation of the spirit of the service and degrade the user experience.  In fact, a poll on Tech Crunch currently shows that the people in favor of keeping Twitter ad free greatly out number those that don’t mind the addition of a few ads.

Here’s the thing though, the same Twitter diehards that are up in arms over a few ads are the same people that will be lost when Twitter burns through all of its cash.  Folks, Twitter took on $5.4 million in funding—not nearly enough cash to operate for an extended period of time (granted its founder has very deep pockets.)  Are we really surprised, if this is true, that Twitter is exploring its options on how to monetize on its loyal following?  Even if it isn’t true this time around, it will happen.  So let’s dispense of all the nonsense and embrace the fact that Twitter has to make money if it hopes to have any longevity.

Posted by Chris Iafolla at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Seems to me that it all came together too cleanly.  A rumor of a shirt buried in cement followed by a quick search that leads to its discovery with cameras everywhere....hmm suspect.   Now, don’t get me wrong – as a Red Sox fan I very much believe that someone would do this.  Trust me, I’ll never be the guy to tell a lie and say “a Red Sox fan wouldn’t do that.”  In fact, there is very little we wouldn’t do.  However, the way this all came together made me think that it was, in fact, a very clever way to create a buzz around the new Yankee Stadium.  With so many fans in NY heart broken to see the history rich stadium go, what better way to “kick off” a new stadium than to create the story of an attempted curse.

Now, I could just be paranoid.  We in Boston have a bad wrap with marketing stunts gone wrong.   

What do you think?

Posted by Matt Trocchio at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Targeting mothers in marketing campaigns is not a new concept. Mothers hold great influence over their families’ lifestyles and purchasing decisions, and once trust and dependability are established, they will go a long way for your brand. The "soccer mom" so heavily targeted a few years ago is now blogging, which has allowed her to connect more easily and vocally with other moms, and start communities online that mirror those she has offline, but with further reach.

AdAge conducted a survey and found more than 30 million moms read up to five blogs on a daily basis. More than half of those readers post comments to their favorite blogs. What’s more, BlogHer found 62 percent of blog readers make purchases based on the recommendations of the bloggers they read, and 56 percent recommend products to friends online (read A Mommy Story’s recent post).

So, it’s no surprise that marketers and public relations professionals have waged giant campaigns aimed at mommy bloggers (for lack of a better term). A favorable product review on a widely-read mommy blog can generate incredible results. But, before you go to your client or boss with a full-out, mommy-targeted PR campaign, please be mindful of your communication tactics. You should not pitch a mommy blogger as though you were pitching a parenting magazine five years ago. I’ve seen what can happen when a PR rep’s communication is haphazard in the mommy blogosphere—and it’s not pretty.

Marketers, PR reps, business executives, journalists and bloggers are all trying to figure out their roles within the social media realm. Things are evolving, moving, exploding so quickly that it’s hard to know what’s truly right or wrong anymore. While, I wouldn’t dare say I’ve got it all figured out, I’d love to share what I do know when involving mommy bloggers in your PR campaign.

1.      Don’t use “spin” on a mommy blogger (or any blogger for that matter). Think of how you would speak to your mom or your aunt over Thanksgiving dinner. You wouldn’t try to con them into reviewing your product or speaking with your client, would you? (I sure hope not) Be open. Be honest. Speak to them, not at them. They’re moms for crying out loud!

2.      Don’t underestimate their intelligence. These mommy bloggers are some of the smartest, most business savvy people in the world—and they know more about social media (blogging, Twitter, etc.) than any CEO I’ve ever met. Don’t treat them as simple stay-at-home moms who don’t know the nuances of the “real world.” Read the stats above. They know their stuff and their influence is boundless.  

3.      Read their blogs. These women put it all out there. They tell readers when their children make first steps, when they are fighting with their husbands and don’t know what to do, when they are so tired from raising six kids they could just collapse, and when they found a new solution to ease the pain of their teething infants. If they are being so personal, so should you. A stock pitch launched like a cannonball to 100 bloggers is insulting. Address them by name, prove you are reading their blogs, know which blogs they link to, and what their interests are.

4.      If you mess up, own it. It all ties back to the openness and honesty lesson. No one can get it right 100% of the time. If there’s a misstep, personally apologize for it—“personally” being the operative word here. Do not write a standard email, with no name in the salutation, and no heart behind the apology. If possible, there really should be no email at all. Pick up the phone! In a nutshell, be human.

I also received some amazing PR tips and tricks from blogger Jane Porricelli, co-founder of Pinks & Blues. Jane receives about a billion pitches a day and really knows her s*&@#. According to Jane:   

First of all, pay attention to details! Make sure you've got the right name of the person to whom you're writing. I can't tell you how many times companies have addressed email pitches to me (Jane), but have called me "Jen." Or have addressed my sister as "Andrea" instead of Audrey. Or have addressed my mom as "Shannon" instead of Sharon.

Another detail you want to get absolutely correct - the name of a person's company/business/site. My company is Pinks & Blues. So don't call it "Pink & Blue!" Also, it may seem minor to some people, but the "&" sign is what we use in our company name, so when people address us as "Pinks and Blues" I immediately think that they don't really pay attention to details; they're more interested in getting as many PR pitches out as possible.

Make sure that the pitch you're making is relevant to the person you're pitching. We run contests/giveaways on our site, but they are giveaways that WE are running. I can't tell you how many emails I get from people asking us to announce their contests/giveaways on our blog. Just as we don't ask/expect other sites to publicize our contests/giveaways, it's not something we do on our site, either. If you'd just take a quick look around our site first, you'd see that. My point here is that you really should just take the time to get familiar with a company/business/site before you pitch. It goes a long way.

Press releases are fine, but don't just send a random press release without an introduction. If someone doesn't even take the time to say, "Hey, Jane. I've just recently come across your site/have been following your site for a while/am signed up for your daily email and love it (note: a little flattery goes a long way ;) ) and I thought that I'd contact you about XYZ..." then, again, it kind of comes across as, "I don't really care about establishing a working relationship with you. I'm just trying to fill a pitch quota."

If a pitch is coming in from someone at a PR firm that represents different brands, I really appreciate a polite query before being inundated with product pitches. First of all, tell me how you came across my name/company so I have a point of reference other than "I Googled 'product review sites' and your name cam up." Tell me up front about the brands/companies you represent and make sure that they are relevant to the types of reviews I do. And ask me if I would mind getting pitched. Just sending me an email saying, "Hi, take a look at these brands/products/sites that I represent and tell me what you think."  In other words, don't ask me to do your job!

(Ain’t she a smarty!)

P.S. I’ll be at the BlogHer Conference in San Francisco this July. Hope to meet some of you there!

Posted by Danielle Mancano at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)