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How Does Social Media Effect Traditional Media?
Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo recently proclaimed his “lifer” status with the Spartans after considering a job opportunity with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As Izzo deliberated this life changing decision, the rumor mill was cranking away with reporters tapping sources, staking out near the basketball complex in East Lansing and outside Izzo’s offices. There were even some reporters contacting Izzo’s mother to see if she had any insight into what was going on inside her son’s mind.
Are You a Thought Leader?
For the record, I’ve always disliked the phrase “thought leader,” mostly because about a year and a half ago, it was another business buzz phrase (ie. 24/7, gitter done, step it up, etc.) that was overused, abused and misused. That said, it always made me wonder, “what IS a ‘thought leader?’”
Removing Barriers for Peak Performance
We all have them. They keep us from doing what we need to do, from becoming a better business person, employee, father, mother, daughter, son, etc. They are often irrational, aggravating and in some cases draining. I’m talking about barriers in your life. If you’ve been meaning to do something, but just haven’t done it because “something” always gets in your way, you probably know what I’m referring to – it’s that “something.”
The Key to Happiness: Setting Realistic Expectations
Parenthood teaches you many things. Some things you expect to learn, like changing a diaper in the back of a car or simply changing a diaper! Then there are things that I’ve learned through raising children that have less to do with bringing up kids than about life itself. They have taught me that most things in relationships revolve around expectations.
Honesty is a Key Tenet of Social Media
Social media isn’t really all that hard to understand, yet corporate America has a way of taking something simple, honest and relatively pure and smudging it up with it’s big fat fingers. Here’s my beef: One of the tenets with blogging is hyperlinking to content that is complimentary to your content. The idea is to share good information – pretty simple stuff.
So, growing up in suburban Detroit, I often read the Detroit papers – the News and the Free Press. The other day, while reading an article on my iPhone about my beloved Michigan State Spartans basketball team I noticed some obscure words hyperlinked – words like “comfort.” Thinking this is related content (like, ‘in beating Northern Iowa the Spartans can take comfort…), I clicked on the link only to find a pop-up advertisement for a deodorant. Dumbfounded, I began to click on other hyperlinks in this mobile article only to find more and more pop up ads. This is the type of stuff that will drive people away from social media.
In this age of transparency I find it amusing that so many businesses have a hard time helping people, instead of selling to people. It’s an old mindset that traditional marketers can’t seem to escape. They are trapped in old school thinking, that just does not work in the world of social media.
Quit trying to control the message, stop shouting at your customers and find ways to help people. If you want proof that the old way is the wrong way – next time you go to a party, introduce yourself to a stranger and begin selling your product to them. See what kind of reaction you get and then shoot me a note to let me know how that worked for you.
Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.
The Couple That Plays Together Stays Together
My wife and I will be married 20 years this year and videos like this are what inspires me as a married adult. Hats off to this wonderful couple who have been married 62 years. Enjoy this wonderful video.
Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.
Aperitif Restaurant & Bar Opens in Woodbury
We recently began working with Aperitif Restaurant and Bar in Woodbury, MN handling their public relations. Good news, Woodbury residents and business community – you win. Aperitif is going to be a tremendous addition to your community. Okay, we’re bias, so check it out yourself and see.
Who’s Your Conversation Manager?
Quick, name your organization’s conversation manager.
So, who is it? How long did it take you to name that person? Do you have such a person employed with your group? Do you know what a “conversation manager” is?
If you’re a communications professional with a knack for interactive (social) media then …rejoice! My guess is there will soon be plenty of conversation manager job openings available to you in the near future, because every organization needs someone who spends a good deal of time managing the social media conversations taking place about their organization.
On Twitter, Facebook, via blogs, in videos on YouTube, message boards (and the list goes on) …there are a lot of places available for members of the public to praise and criticize your organization. The good news is, all of that information is out there, free of charge for you to peruse and respond to, which you should almost always do. The only problem is this takes time. Either you have a number of people with not enough to do or you need help. And that help is out there in the form of what some are starting to call conversationalists, individuals who:
A) Have a passion for multiple platforms of social media
Pretty simple. They use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, have a blog, etc.
B) Have a high degree of real-world communication sophistication
We’re looking for emotionally intelligent people here. If their Facebook page is plastered with derogatory language and pictures of the user shotgunning beers, you might want to look to the next applicant.
C) Understand the personality of the organization
If you’re working with a conversation manager who’s not a full-time employee of your organization (a PR firm, for example), you want to make sure that person has taken the time to understand how your organization thinks, a.k.a. what your organization’s personality is. This goes beyond what you sell or provide your members or customers …it’s more about what someone from your organization would be expected to talk about should they run into someone at a coffee shop. In other words, what matters to you personally, beyond your business goals.
So, I’ll ask again, who is your conversation manager?
Pitching the Media: Feeding the Audience
Several years ago U.S. Olympian and World Cup ski racer Bode Miller was at Buck Hill ski area in Burnsville, MN for an autograph signing. Buck Hill is the little bump in the ground that produced world class skiers Kristina Koznick and Lindsey Vonn, by the way. Nonetheless, as an avid skier and fan of the sport I was thrilled to learn, through a PR flack that Miller was going to be in town and available for interviews.