Crisis Media Do’s and Don’ts

Paying for crisis media training is kind of like buying homeowners insurance. It’s critical that you have it, but you hate paying for it because the odds of something bad happening are pretty small. Yet, in the event the unforeseen becomes a reality, you must have it. Crisis training is similar. No business owner or leader expects to have a crisis, in fact, most operate on a day to day basis without any sort of training whatsoever. For the most part, this is seemingly a good way to go - until you have a crisis!

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Tags: crisis media training, crisis media training mn, media relations, Minneapolis, public relations, Twin Cities

Redefining public relations

How the role of public relations has changed

Public relations professionals are known for their communication skills. However, when asked to communicate what it is a public relations professional actually does, many (including myself) come up short. How do you succinctly describe a job that encompasses everything from media relations to social media to collateral material creation to event planning to marketing? Even the textbook definition of public relations leaves something to be desired:

Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.

This has been the formal definition since 1982. But how can we expect anything from 1982 be relevant in today’s ever-changing communication world? Needless to say, the Public Relation Society of America’s (PRSA) campaign to redefine PR is long overdue.

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Tags: inbound marketing, PR, PR agency, public relations, social media, Video Production

Is There A Right Way To Do Social Media?

Is there a right way to “do” social media? I suppose it’s no different than asking whether there’s a right way to “do” conversation and the answer is, probably not. However, there are socially acceptable ways to have a conversation just as there are socially acceptable ways to engage in social media. So then, it is also true that there are those in social media who are socially inept just as there are people who are socially inept in face to face situations.

The socially awkward, or inept, people online show themselves in many ways, you see them all the time in places like Facebook. They are the people whose self-promoting posts are always about themselves or they’ll relentlessly comment on your posts or conversations only to talk about themselves. If you’re wondering if you’re socially inept or awkward in social media -as a brand or as yourself take this litmus test:

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Tags: best practices on Facebook, Facebook, friends, public relations, social media, social media awkwardness

A Social Media Mistake: A Case Study of Online Customer Service

Social Media Misstep: A Case Study

In this relatively new age of social media marketing, so many businesses are finding their way. Some have catapulted their businesses into overnight successes, while others are plodding along trying to figure things out and then there are those who are still on the sideline. Nevertheless, it seems daily there are new case studies of both social media best practices and worst practices.

Recently, here in Minnesota, those of us in the PR and social media space witnessed a faux pas that reminded us of the power of online marketing. A Minneapolis-based, family owned, liquor and cheese shop, ran into a buzz saw of online public opinion that left customers irate and the company stuck on mute. This store, which claims to be the largest of its kind in the midwest, has been a one-stop shop destination for the biggest selections of wines, cheeses and beer.

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Tags: Beer, cheese shop, customer service, Facebook, Gary Vaynerchuk, liquor, Minneapolis, Minnesota, PR, public relations, social media, The Thank You Economy, Twitter, Wine Library TV

Take Time to Develop Social Media

We live in an interesting time, on many levels. One aspect about our society today is our need for immediate gratification. Whether it’s purchasing material items, relationships or results in work - we want it and we want it now, or else!

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Tags: clear expectations, communications strategy, public relations, social media

Third Party Endorsements: Beyond Mainstream Media

Third party endorsements.  Our clients love third party endorsements, especially when that “third” party is the media.  For years, that’s what PR professionals have gone after - the coveted third party endorsement. Morning news? Great.  Daily paper? Fantastic.  Evening news? Wonderful.  Oprah?  Oprah? Somebody get me the paper bag and hand fan, I’m feeling dizzy.  I should say right now, I value all of the above as meaningful results for the hard work of our team.  But with the growing use and understanding of social media the best third party endorsements are not necessarily from the news media.

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Tags: ebay, google, media relations, public relations, social media, third party endorsement, Twitter

StoryTeller Media & Communications adds Heidi Ruen to Their Team

This is how I got to know Heidi Ruen:

Ed:  Hey, I’ve got a roll cue and out.

Heidi:  Go ahead.

Ed:  Roll cue to VO is:  ”something went horribly wrong.”

Heidi:  Roll cue to SOT?

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Tags: Heidi Ruen, public relations, storyteller media and communications, video content, WCCO-TV