Social Media for PR Pros Working with Reporters

A friend and local public relations professional sent me a Facebook message asking my opinion on a couple of questions she was considering for a newsletter article she was writing about social media, public relations and working with reporters.

She asked:

1. How have relationships changed between reporters and public relations professionals over the last decade?

2. What tips would you offer to a public relations professional to interact with reporters and build a trusted relationship?

Here's my response:

In this age of social media, public relations professionals have more authority – and responsibility – than ever before. This includes their relationships with news reporters and other media professionals, who they now outnumber.

With smaller newsrooms and tighter deadlines, reporters are even more reliant on public relations professionals to provide quick and accurate details about breaking news events or background information for longer-term stories. Reporters are working at breakneck speed these days to post stories online, so making immediate contact with knowledgeable, responsive PR pros is essential. Where once there existed a more clearly separate reporter-source relationship, today it’s all about collaboration.

Just as journalists are feeling more pressed to deliver, public relations professionals are under increasing pressure to stay “ahead of the story,” whether responding to an incident involving their company or setting the news agenda. And with extensive social media networks and information distribution channels of their own, they no longer have to rely solely on the news media to “get the word out.”

Meanwhile, customers as well as news and information consumers no longer have to depend on the media to find out what’s going on. Here’s where the job of public relations professionals becomes most critical, and must be most transparent. Customers want the facts and they want them now. They are savvy enough to recognize spin. And with their own social media networks, they will punish businesses and public relations professionals who mess with them. Who can afford having a Facebook campaign launched against them?!

With this in mind, here are some tips for public relations professionals looking to build a stronger relationship with the media:

1. Take full advantage of all the social media tools out there – Facebook, Facebook fan pages, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, Google maps, Flickr, Web sites, podcasts, wikis … and don’t forget old standbys such as e-mail.
2. Make reporters part of your personal and professional networks: become Facebook friends, invite people to become Facebook “fans” and Twitter followers.
3. Dedicate time every day to updating and maintaining your social media presence, making your media contacts aware of important business and industry news and articles, along with bloggers, Web sites and other “insider” resources they can use to inform readers.
4. Don’t neglect old-fashioned face time and telephone calls. Take advantage of informal “meetups” and other opportunities to connect outside of typical business “transactions.”
5. Be ever proactive, anticipating news and be ready to take immediate action.

What’s changed over the past decade? Building and maintaining a strong relationship with media professionals remains as important as ever. What’s changed primarily are the tools available, and the speed at which you are expected to respond.

A really good resource is the book “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust” by Chris Brogan and Julian Smith. In addition to Chris Brogan, I’ve listed several other good marketing/public relations blogs in the “New Media” and “Eye on Marketing” sections of this blog (look to the right).

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(Photo credit: "News Reporter" by Truthout.org, courtesy of Flickr/Creating Commons)

Some More Social Media Links

Here is a pair of interesting social media pieces:

• "A Satirical Take on Social Media in 2009," a snappy slidecast by Rob Cottingham passed along by Reportr.net
• "Five Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private!) on Facebook" in the New York Times. (Sure it's from September, but good advice is always timely...)

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Facebook "Fan" Sites Drive News Views

Ben McConnell put it this way: "Facebook fan pages are the future."

He was talking specifically about marketing, networking, serving customers. I'm thinking, "Facebook fan pages are the future ... of media?"

What gets me thinking about this is the fact that the college newspaper I advise, The Commuter, attracted more than a hundred fans in less than a week. The students were surprised, having no idea that many people might care what the newspaper says or does online. What's most surprising is how fast the number of fans can expand. Naturally, you'd assume that it's because you're giving them something interesting and engaging to read and interactive with.

And that's the key. They can interact. Facebook makes it easy to "like" what you see, comment or interact with others who share your interests.

As McConnell notes:

Facebook fan pages are the future for three reasons: They're free, easy to create and build a nearly instantaneous pathway to evangelists, prospects or the curious.

When fans interact with a fan page on Facebook, that interaction is sent through the fan's news feed, which goes to all their friends, practically daring a chunk of them to see what the page is about.

Compared to Twitter, Facebook fan pages rule. You're not limited by Twitter's 140-character posts, plus it's far easier for fan page members to preview a photo, video or weblink than what Twitter offers.

The Commuter staff made a renewed commitment this summer to more fully integrate social networking into their news delivery mix, along with "thinking Web-first" in covering news and making it available ASAP to their readers and "fans."

It seems to be paying off.

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VentureBeat Explores Changes at Facebook

A new story in VentureBeat looks behind the scenes at Facebook and recent decisions by its chief, Mark Zuckerberg. The article by Matt Marshall considers whether all the leadership changes at Facebook reflect chaos or a maturing enterprise (and a maturing 25-year-old billionaire CEO).

Among the juicier nuggets:

If you look closely enough at Facebook, for all the chaos that still reigns at the company amid the frantic product launches, there is emerging a paradoxical appreciation for order and process. The company’s new digs exemplify this: Zuckerberg has placed his desk at the geometric center of the new building — located at the shortest walking distance form any point in the building.

and

Despite the signs of Zuckerberg’s personal development, insiders say he has always displayed qualities that make him a leader. He is relentlessly competitive. Last month, he and other engineers challenged each other to do 5,000 pushups in a week. Zuckerberg vowed he could do it, but others doubted him, placing 30-to-1 odds against it. ... Zuckerberg insisted the goal was easily attainable. He took regular breaks throughout the day to do 10-15 pushups, even if he was in the middle of a meeting with visitors. He completed the 5,000.

Recently I had a chance to read "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook - A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal" by Ben Mezrich. It echoes many of the observations in the VentureBeat article, especially Zuckerberg's unpredictable yet mercurial nature. Although less insightful than I had hoped (lack of access to Zuckerberg being the primary shortcoming) it's a fast read and interesting enough to recommend to students in my Media & Society class.

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Facebook, Twitter Revolution? NOT!

In this interesting TED talk, journalist Evgeny Morozov goes against the grain, suggesting that social networks don't necessary promote freedom and democracy, but in fact are a tool used by dictators and repressive regimes to solidify their power.

Morozov points to the Twitter "revolution" in Iran, for example, and notes that social networks made it easier for the government to keep tabs on the opposition rather than empowering Iranians to overthrow the ruling party.

"The KGB used to torture to get this information," he says at one point, "now it's all online."

It's an interesting point of view that deserves some consideration amid all the hoopla over social networking and it's role in social change.

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p.s. If you read this blog, you already know how much a fan I am of TED - Technology, Education, Design. See why by checking out the new list of video topics at TED.com.

Am I an Annoying Facebooker?

I post useful, interesting information on Facebook and should keep doing what I'm doing, according to a CNN.com quiz on using the social networking site. Yea for me.

Brandon Griggs has some fun identifying "The 12 Most Annoying Types of Facebookers" in his CNN report, which includes a somewhat interesting video discussion of social networking and the aforementioned quiz.

Sadly, I think I have some "Town Crier" tendencies and occasionally become the "Self-Promoter." At least I'm not the "Sympathy-Baiter," and my friend count disqualifies me as a "Friend-Padder."

As Griggs notes:

Sure, Facebook can be a great tool for keeping up with folks who are important to you. Take the status update, the 160-character message that users post in response to the question, "What's on your mind?" An artful, witty or newsy status update is a pleasure -- a real-time, tiny window into a friend's life. But far more posts read like navel-gazing diary entries, or worse, spam.

Now that I have a name for the "Maddening Obscurist" and can effectively avoid the "Chronic Inviter," I vow to be better in not so harshly judging the "Bad Grammarian."

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p.s. Thanks, Lydia, for alerting me to this CNN item by way of Facebook, and providing fodder for a long-overdue blog update.

(Photo credit: "Facebook" by Scott Beale/Laughing Squid courtesy of Flickr.com)

Facebook Alert: When Social Networking Becomes Criminal

We're all well aware that employers use Facebook to screen job applicants and that divorce lawyers love what they can dig up on the social networking site. But what about more evil uses of this routine -- though powerful -- medium.

An opinion piece on NPR.org described how Iranian agents are using Facebook to track those who may disagree with the government, along with all their friends. It's pretty frightening.

As Evgeny Morozov notes:

"... It means that the Iranian authorities are paying very close attention to what's going on Facebook and Twitter (which, in my opinion, also explains why they decided not to take those web-sites down entirely - they are useful tools of intelligence gathering).

Second, it means, as far as authorities are concerned, our online and offline identities are closely tied and we have to be fully prepared to be quizzed about any online trace that we have left."

It's unsettling to think that forwarding messages or supporting others involved in causes may land somebody in the gulag -- or worse!

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(Photo credit: "tyranny" by rachaelvoorhees, courtesy of Flickr.com)

The Twouble with Twitter

Today in Media & Society we explored social networking. Students agreed that Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace can be great tools for staying in touch with friends, planning activities, publicizing events and making business and professional contacts.

Of course, they have their downsides as well, especially the incredible "time suck" that "just keeping in touch" can become. As part of our discussion, we enjoyed this parody of Twitter users on Current-SuperNews.

We got off to a happy start with "The Twitter Song" and the older ones among us, myself included, took heart that we are the fastest-growing demographic on Facebook. Yea for us!

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Nerd World: Facebook Is for Old Fogies

I suspected months ago that I was too old for Facebook. Not anymore! Old fogies have taken over the social networking site! That's according to Lev Grossman in his "Technoculture" blog on Time.com.

(I'll give LBCC journalism student Rick Casillas credit for dubbing Time.com "Nerd World" on his evolving site -- Mediocre Gatsby's Wild Publishing Party. Check it out.)

Anyway, Grossman delivers 10 reasons why Facebook is for old fogies, including:

4. Facebook isn't just a social network; it's a business network. And unlike, say, college students, we actually have jobs. What's the point of networking with people who can't hire you? Not that we'd want to work with anyone your age anyway.

or

10. We're not cool, and we don't care. There was a time when it was cool to be on Facebook. That time has passed. Facebook now has 150 million members, and its fastest-growing demographic is 30 and up. At this point, it's way cooler not to be on Facebook. We've ruined it for good, just like we ruined Twilight and skateboarding.

Watch out those of you under 30, we've got Twitter in our sights...
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CNN, Facebook and the Techno-Inauguration

It was fascinating Tuesday to watch the day-long live video stream of the inauguration by CNN.com, accompanied by the continuous flow of Facebook reactions from around the world.

The Facebook world wished our new president well, along with sharing their feelings of pride for our nation. Mixed into the fast-flow of reactions were the inane along with the innocuous, even comments on Michelle's footwear when she and President Obama ditched their limo to stride among the masses.

How fitting for the President who mastered social networking in his quest for the White House to be the focus of the largest social networking event ever. As many stated Tuesday, praise to technology, which gave a truer sense of the spectacle of it all, especially for those of us thousands of miles away.

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Trendspotting: Facebook Fun, and MySpace too

This week the Media and Society class at LBCC is exploring the Internet and new technologies, including the explosion of social networking. Most of the students in the class have Facebook accounts and know the lowdown on MySpace. They're beginning to pick up on Twitter...

Anyway, one of the students recalled this terrific February 2006 clip from "The Daily Show," featuring Demetri Martin's "Trendspotting" report on social networking. Thanks, Luke, for the tip.

Enjoy.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Trendspotting

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Social Networking 101

So you've started your own blog, you're on Facebook and you're building your connections on LinkedIn. Now what?

If your goal is to "build your brand" or that of a group to which you belong, Mike Fruchter has provided an excellent checklist of all you can do to become a player in the world of social networking. In "35 Tips for Getting Started with Social Media" he provides a checklist full of great reminders, such as No. 31:

"Be omnipresent on all the networks. I should be able to find out about your latest happenings, and or statuses if I am browsing your Facebook profile, Linked profile, Twitter or FriendFeed stream."

And for those less adventurous than others, Mike offers this encouragement in tip No. 21:

"Don't knock it until you tried it at least once. Be open to trying new multimedia applications that enable self promotion, audience engagement, brand retention and participation. Experiment with podcasting, creating video, slide shows, or creating and posting any type of original user generated content."

I gotta go, I've overlooked some items on the list...

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"Am I too Old for Facebook?" Find out in this blog post from September.

(Photo credit: "Thoughtful" by adrenalin, courtesy of flickr.com)