I’ve never thought of myself as a “senior,” per se, but after 20-plus years in the PR business, I finally have that descriptor on my business card. What that basically means is I’ve done a lot of things a lot of different ways – for a long time.
But the times, they are a-changin’. The influence of Web/PR 2.0 is dramatically changing the way I – as well as my clients and editor friends -- do business. It’s exciting as well as challenging because I learn something new every day.
When I’m not working at Godfrey, I love spending time with my wife and almost-grown kids. (The latter certainly make me feel “senior.”) I enjoy traveling, listening to rock music, playing golf and watching sports. Is it just my imagination or is the Social Media landscape expanding faster than global warming on the Arctic’s polar ice cap? On the publishing side of Social Media, we’ve got key players such as Wikipedia and Digg. On the sharing front, it’s Web sites like YouTube and Flickr. In the social networking arena, the heavy hitters are Facebook and LinkedIn. And don’t forget Twitter, which has taken blogging – in this case, microblogging – to a whole new level. At this stage of the game, B2B marketers probably feel like they need a scorecard to keep track of all the Social Media players, their positions, strengths and weaknesses. The question is, which player is paying its dues right now in the minor leagues, poised to make a dramatic leap to the big leagues? I don’t have that answer, but I do know one thing: Social Media is here to stay. And here’s Ah, yes, the joys of summer! Warm weather has finally arrived in the Northeast. It’s hard to believe that the calendar year is almost halfway gone. For the past year, Godfrey has been educating and counseling clients about the “new wave” in public relations – Convergent PR. If you’re not familiar with the term, here’s a brief definition: It’s a blending, or convergence, of traditional PR tactics (e.g., press releases, press kits and trade show support) with new social media PR techniques (e.g., blogs, podcasts, videocasts and social media press releases). Some of our clients jumped on the Convergent PR bandwagon right away. (We’re thrilled.) Others are still trying to understand how Convergent PR works and how it can complement their “hyperintegrated” marketing communications programs. (In this respect, we see ourselves as educators and advisors.) Of course, Godfrey isn’t the only entity that sees a convergence of traditional (print) media and social (online) media.
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Now is a perfect time for marketers to take stock of their business-to-business programs. After all, the economy is starting to rebound and certain sectors are once again showing signs of life. But the big question is, when will we finally turn the corner? I’m placing my bets on the first quarter of 2010. (Nothing scientific here; just a “gut” feeling.)
In anticipation of a turnaround, marketers should take a step back and put their b-to-b programs under the microscope. Here’s some advice:
1. Revisit your goals and objectives. Is your b-to-b program in line with the goals and objectives of your business? If not, it’s time to make some adjustments.
2. Assess your priorities.
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I’ve always felt that, in business and in life, honesty truly is the best policy. Whether you’re right or wrong, be honest with yourself and your constituents, take responsibility and be authentic.
The slick vs. authentic dilemma recently came to light while I was working on a couple of Godfrey podcasts. The first one covered Convergent PR – the blending of traditional business-to-business PR tactics with the new, social media PR tactics (one of which, coincidentally, is podcasts).
The podcast team asked itself, How slick, how professional do we want this podcast to be? Should we write a
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