See & Be PR

The social media wars: which platform is right for you?

Aug 282011

An illustration of a business man thinking of which social media platform to approach

Discussions about online media and marketing have taken on a familiar tune lately; you’ll be talking about Facebook when all of a sudden someone mentions Twitter. That launches into a debate about the best way to retweet – classical vs. traditional (it’s traditional by the way) and then all of a sudden we’re starting on Google+.

With all this talk of social media, some of the less savvy might find themselves at a loss. I’ve talked about 5 tips to consider before launching your website, but now that you’ve done that, how do you go about generating exposure online? Which channel should you choose?

Don’t go in blindly, ‘you say potato’ and I say social media are not the same, and since lately social media has been all the rave when it comes to business, it’s time to take a closer look at which you should be using and why.

Which social media platform should you use?

Now before answering your question, I need to start by asking you some questions: ‘Why do you want to pursue social media?’ And, ‘Where is your target audience?’ Continue reading »

Public Relations vs. Advertising – Battle of the Marketing Heavyweights

Public Relations No Responses »

Aug 222011

The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR By Al Ries and Laura Ries

When I first decided to join the world of Public Relations, all I really knew was that I wanted to get into an industry that was both interactive and would let me be somewhat creative – at that point, both PR and advertising fit the bill. Arguably, client servicing in both arenas is fairly similar – one of my colleagues, who has had the pleasure of working in both industries, summed it up pretty well when he said, “It’s like being a butcher. You’re using the same tools; the difference is the type of meat you’re carving up!” – but I was swayed towards PR, and so far so good.

However, I have always been intrigued by this marketing dichotomy, which is probably what made me gravitate towards ‘The Fall of Advertising & the Rise of PR’ by Al Ries & Laura Ries when I was looking for an interesting industry read. The book was recommended to me a few months ago and admittedly it took me a while to get round to actually reading it, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.The father-daughter duo explore the weaknesses of the advertising industry while highlighting the ways in which PR can fill the void by referencing a number of marketing strategies deployed by large and small enterprises to illustrate their points. Here are a few key observations which stood out for me: Continue reading »

Location-Based Social Networking. Is it the Next Big Thing?

Public Relations, Social Media No Responses »

Aug 172011

Connecting people – more than ever before, because now there’s a way to locate you and broadcast your location to everybody else. Cool, creepy or somewhere in between, I was a little shocked at first but it’s not as weird as it sounds. The more you find out about the advantages and the reasons why your location might interest somebody else (other than to psycho stalk you), the more you will come to understand why this is the next big thing for business.

To be honest, when I started my research I knew little more than the word, ‘Foursquare’, but that’s where – thank you again Google, I started my search. Here are my initial questions and the answers I came up with.

So what exactly is it?
According to this site, which sums it up like a book for Dummies, ‘Location-based social networks are those that use GPS features to locate you and that let you broadcast your location and other content from your mobile device.’ It’s a play of the ‘3 R’s’: reaching the right person, in the right place and at the right time. Continue reading »

From college to career: how to own it.

Public Relations No Responses »

Aug 152011

Fresh out of college? Then you’re just like me – you’ve spent the last 22 years in a classroom soaking up information. You had papers that were due in 2 months, and tests scheduled 3 weeks in advance. Sometimes you sat together in groups to make cardboard presentations about how you would save the world by recycling, but then you all got to leave at 3:00 pm, even if your work wasn’t done, and they called it homework.

Suddenly it’s the big test, time to put the wings and flying lessons to use and leave the nest – enter the real world, because everybody has to start somewhere. There are no extensions; your deadline is today, or by the latest, tomorrow. Every day is a test, and while it won’t be written and graded, everything you do, down to the way you wear your hair, will be under scrutiny. Continue reading »

Client of the Century? SHOTGUN!

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Aug 102011

Passion, it’s where you wake up excited and eager and are still going after dark. Chemistry, it’s that relationship between two people where things just click and everything is in perfect sync.

Why are passion and chemistry so important in PR? Think of it this way. How do you convince people to believe if you don’t believe? How do you interact with those you can’t really relate to?

While things will rarely fall perfectly into place – because relationships and people aren’t perfect, there are those special sometimes when the stars seem to be in your favour. I love watching and I love playing sports, so when a sports related client came knocking on our door I was the one jumping over my colleagues’ heads shouting ‘Shotgun!’. Continue reading »

How to run an effective PR campaign

Media, Public Relations No Responses »

Aug 082011

Moving to Dubai and joining my first PR company, my manager was throwing me left and right working with various different accounts, saying that this was the only way I would come to understand the basics of communication and strategy. At the time I may have been at a loss, but as with most seasoned professionals, he had a point, and he made sure I found it out on my own: In order to manage an effective campaign, you need to realise that no two accounts will ever be the same but that by knowing the basics you can tackle any situation.

So what are some of the basics?

To each his own
Like I said before, no account will ever be exactly like another. That is why it is important to know each client’s goals and approach. Find out what they hope to achieve from PR, and make sure that what you give them is an asset not a burden to the company. Continue reading »

Different but cool – I’ll take my leads inbound

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Aug 032011

Let’s talk about lessons my mom taught me growing up. She always said my problem was running after the cool ones and changing to become part of the popular crowd. Someone would proclaim ‘I love blue’ and the very next day I was wearing a new blue top, another would not stop singing songs from an alternative band, and there I was buying the CDs (although I was secretly partial to ‘N Sync, but never could or would admit it). Trying to stand out wasn’t getting me anywhere (since I was actually becoming more and more like everybody else) and it sure did cost my poor mom a lot!

The ‘Aha’ moment came when I changed high schools after moving to the Middle East; all of a sudden I was different and interesting and people started wanting to know what I was interested in. My point? Getting attention doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money, and knowing how to target the right individuals with the right message, by being your own ‘cool’ self, is what will ultimately make you popular. I love being me, I love being funny and I love ‘N Sync (yes, I can finally admit it). Continue reading »

Then and Now – PR for the Ages

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Aug 012011

Have you ever wondered what Alexander Graham Bell would think of smartphones, or what Henry Ford would feel about riding in a Lamborghini?

Taking a moment to look back, it’s no secret that our name draws inspiration from the father of modern PR, Edward Bernays, who proposed that employing the power of news, and even propaganda, was integral to business communication. Bernays believed in the ‘mass distribution of ideas’, and this was way back in the early 20th century. What would he think of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube today? I think he might say, ‘Finally! Now we can really get things going!’

So here’s an ode to the father of spin, taking a look at his ideas and how they apply to PR today.

‘Mass distribution of ideas’
Bernays’ ‘mass distribution of ideas’ is just another way of ‘going viral’. Today, you can’t take a step without bumping into a ‘tweet’, a ‘poke’ or watching a viral video. That is, of course, because social media has taken over our lives, or more accurately, framed our very existence within a virtual environment, bounded by urls, hash tags and status updates. Seeing the value of social media, more businesses are trying to integrate PR into the existing portals, taking advantage of the highly connected communities that make it up. The truth is social media and PR are a match made in heaven. Continue reading »