Top 5 Reasons B2B PR Practitioners Should Embrace Social Media

Today’s guest post is by Paige Holden of BlissPR. Bliss PR specializes in creating and promoting thought leadership, using a variety of public relations and marketing communications techniques. They help their clients develop points of view, predictions, trend commentary and insights, positioning them as experts in the media and category leaders in their markets.

Top 5 Reasons B2B PR Practitioners Should Embrace Social Media

If you’ve seen any B2B public relations professionals recently, you may want to give them a gift certificate to a spa treatment or at least a pat on the back.  They’re feeling more than a little shell shocked.

I was, too.  Social Media is just beginning to hit B2B PR and our industry is scrambling to find our footing and help our clients. But it’s time to stop stalling and start learning.  Here’s why:

Traditional media is dying. It’s not a secret that traditional media is either dying or going online. This presents a slew of new challenges for public relations practitioners who rely on the media to help communicate clients’ messages. In our firm, we don’t throw splashy events or launch exciting new products. We clarify and refine complex stories for niche audiences. With business publications folding, our small universe is getting smaller and, unless we find new ways to communicate, we won’t be sustainable.

Know the news before it breaks. News breaks faster online than anywhere else. When the plane crashed in the Hudson River, the story was discussed ad nauseum on Twitter before it even hit television. Monitoring breaking news for my experts is a huge part of my job. I find that Twitter, and other networks, keeps me ahead of the media time curve.

Networking online is more efficient. PR is an industry fueled by networking, but who has time to go to out every night? Between Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogs, there is no excuse to be a stranger. Every day I touch base with peers, thought leaders and the media which helps me not only develop stronger relationships, but also become a smarter professional.

Social media belongs in the PR bucket. Public relations professionals have an opportunity to learn it, embrace it and start building services around it before another industry steals it. There has been some debate over which “bucket” social media should fall into, but I adamantly believe public relations should own it. Sure, the implementation is different, and it does get “techy” at times, but social media is first and foremost a communications vehicle. The principles inherent in using social media – creativity, transparency and responsiveness – are the same philosophies that we use in PR every day.

“Tribes” have replaced traditional audiences: As Seth Godin explains in his new book, the online community is actually composed of millions of smaller groups of “tribes” – people who are passionately devoted to their own interests. Whether it’s shoes, personal finance or accounting law, there is a group of people waiting to be found and activated. Understanding how to serve these new communities must be part of every PR professional’s “tool kit.”

Counseling nervous clients. Clients see social media as a PR tool, so they will ask you about it.  Because clients are likely nervous about social media, it’s important to “get” it before you sell it. Unfortunately, market demand for social media has incented people into selling it as a service before they are ready, which is not only dishonest, but it can also yield poor results that will send clients packing. Surely let your clients know that social media is all about testing and learning, but you shouldn’t be mastering the basics on their dime.

What do you think…what’s holding you back from using social media tools? Or do you have some “getting started” lessons you can share with us?

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Is Generation Y Completely Stupid?

There has been some talk lately about my generation (the millenials and generation Y). Is the Internet making us genius or completely incapable of making smart decisions (dumb)?

I do not know where my opinion falls on the subject. I have had contact with brilliant Generation Y minds and also those who are still lacking the personal development needed to be successful in life.

I guess my question is this…

Did radio and TV completely erode the minds of Gen X and the Baby Boomers? Did we see a lack of control when Generation X spent a ton of time watching TV throughout the day?

The Internet has developed a communication platform that enhances the way we learn and communicate.

Generation Y may lack in terms of true research and grammar but we will never lack in connecting the the global environment.

Gone are the days when you could not communicate with the opposite hemisphere. We are living in a global information highway where knowledge is plentiful…

We may just be losing the essentials of old school thought.

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Twitter Enhances Interpersonal Relationships

We have talked at length about the value of combining your offline and online networking. I have always been a believer in the absolute value of social networking sites being the pinnacle of true networking.

I was reading a post at the Winnepeg Sun called The Re-Wired Generation. Although this article was written about the Internet driven Generation Y it had an excerpt from University of Toronto sociology professor, Berry Wellman:

“Far from replacing face to face time and breeding a generation of reclusives, Facebook and Twitter are actually enhancing interpersonal relationships offline…

The Internet is complementing, continuing and maintains relationships,” he said. “It’s letting weaker relationships stay in contact.”

There was a time in the business world where you would meet individuals at networking events and forget them the next day. This “networking for forgetting” has been all but erased if the two people are connected on a social media platform (LinkedIn).

Instead of dismissing social media and using the old forms of communication. Try developing your weaker business or personal relationships using an online model. You may be pleasantly surprised.

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Multnomah County is Kicking Your Butt in Social Media

We are finally getting to the point where government entities are starting to enact social media initiatives. This from Frank Mungeam, staff writer of Kgw in Portland:

“Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler is taking criticism for a new county job that’s just been posted.

The official title is Social Media Coordinator.

The qualified candidate will be paid between $60,000-$70,000 to use social media sites to reach out to the residents of Multnomah County.”

In my opinion this is a brilliant move on behalf of the county. They want to start communicating on a different level with people throughout the county and social media is one way to do this.

There are people in the area that are doubting the validity of the position which is not a complete surprise to me… although disturbing. The members of Mult. County are disturbed with the price tag of the position ($60,000 – $70,000/year). While this is a high price to pay for a social media advocate but sometimes the price is high to adapt to changes in communication.

If you want an example of the best way to look at shifting your paradigm as a business owner.. listen to this:

“I am taking a lot of heat for this, but so did the poor guys who claimed that someday those crazy flying machines would replace the railroads. – Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler”

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The One Way to Be Successful at Social Media

There is an important rule of thumb that many of us “social media consultants” fail to tell our clients. Malcolm Gladwell talked about it in his book Outliers:

“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
— Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers)

One thing we have found with working on social media campaigns for clients is that the CLIENT has to believe in the process in order for it to work. Social media is that one medium that cannot be outsourced fully to any one company. You have to work hard as a company, small business owner or mid-sized CEO, to enact a sucessful social media campaign.

Nothing was ever accomplished without some hard work. If you are wanting to implement a social media strategy for your company… Remember that the internal team (employees) have to give the thumbs up before your external team (clients) truly engage.

Hard work drives revenue and social media is not the exception.

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Something to Brighten Your Saturday

There are certain times in life when you just need a pick me up. Today I needed a pick me up and I found one… in the form of a small child… missing teeth.. and holding a harmonica. Ben is the son of @mssinglemama and is an AWESOME harmonica player. Watch and have a good Saturday.By the way, you should check our her blog at MsSingleMama.com.

What Business Blogging is Missing

I was reading a post by Megan Glover over at the wonderful company Compendium (check them out) called 5 Blogging Goals Every Marketer Should Consider. Her post is excellent but there was one thing missing: the human touch.

Here are the top 5 Blogging Goals Every Marketer Should Consider:

1. Increase organic search traffic.

2. Boost referral traffic to my website.

3. Generate more inbound leads.

4. Increase email and catalog subscriptions.

5. Sell more product.

Now before you go all haywire on me and send hate mail… I do think this list is excellent but there is a part of me that still holds onto the communication goals of every marketer and PR firm:

1. Communication: You should email all commenters and give them a “Thank You” for posting on your blog.

2. Talk About What YOU Do: Your personality needs to shine through no matter what you are selling. Tell stories about helping clients and clients helping each other.

It is really dependent on your strategy and the product you sell but there is always the chance that you will focus TOO much on selling your product or service and alienate the people that could become TRUE evangelists.

If you want to become a thought leader in you industry you need to talk more about What You Do not about your product.

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