Communicators Anonymous

Social Media is NOT a Relationship Shortcut

This is the first of many posts I have been researching and drafting about etiquette, privacy and how we are maintaining our digital mirror (NOT to be confused with the dreaded personal brand).

Online interaction through a variety of social media channels has introduced me to new faces, points of view and opportunities. Twitter is one of many vehicles I can forge new conversations and acquaintances, but I have never treated social media as my sole resource for contact with the human race. Just because I follow someone does not make me their friend. Or because I have an interesting dialog with another person on a blog or Facebook, we are not instantaneous buddies.

However, the friends versus followers debate is an ongoing discussion and not what I intend to focus on in this post…

What I do want to ask is this: When did it become socially acceptable to leave etiquette behind at the proverbial virtual door?

Having instantaneous contact with someone does not exempt you from using the two simplest (yet, hardest to remember) words, please and thank you.

As a community manager, it is obviously my job to interact with people. It is assumed that I should be understanding, sensitive, patient, a good listener and provide exemplary due diligence to service my community. I came into the community manager position through the public relations cone. Contrary to popular belief, this career path was chosen not because I was a “people person,” but enjoyed communications strategy and being out of the lime light.

Please do not misunderstand this post to be a rant or to call out anyone in particular. I am just curious why we treat (myself included) those people who are providing a customer service as if they do not deserve the nurturing offline relationships require. We demand answers be immediate, judge first and ask questions later, then demand their knowledge be given for free. Nowhere in any of the community building or maintenance advice is it addressed how the community should treat a community manager.

So, let’s flip the discussion.

Is netiquette lost? Can it be taught? Is it wrong for an online community manager to request the same respect from others that is being demanded of them?

A Word to the Wise: Advice for SxSWi

It is that time of year again. The hype is here and the majority of the social media fish bowl is about to embark upon the colorful city of Austin, Texas for five days of chit chat and parties. SxSW Interactive begins today. Let the festivities begin, but not without a word to the wise…

While I will not be in attendance (I am both glad of this fact, but disappointed I will not be able to see such a large gathering of my friends and acquaintances in one location), I wanted to share some food for thought to those in Austin for the event. During the times I spent at SxSW in years past, it was not the panels that intrigued me and kept me paying such an exorbitant amount of time and money to return, but the ad hoc conversations with friends and strangers that occurred in the hallways of the convention center or in a rare pocket of semi-quiet in a bar during one of the numerous after hour parties.

I stumbled across an article, The Persistence of Mass Culture, from New York Magazine written by Adam Sternbergh that summed up my thoughts entirely:

“We spend more time talking about what we think we’ll think than what we thought…As it turns out, social media are just that—social. And all our Twitter feeds and Tumblrs need a parade of shared experiences in order to thrive. No wonder we’ve shifted the emphasis from post-event breakdown to pre-event build-up: Analysis (here’s what it is) is finite compared to speculation (what will it be?), which is inexhaustible. Once we experience something en masse—or even as we experience it—we splinter off to our myriad forums to broadcast our personal takes. Then we look quickly toward the next mass event on the horizon, and wonder what everyone will say about that.”

During this conference, everyone will be in such a rush to tweet in real time the flub-ups and judgments throughout the day…panels will be regurgitated in short blog posts…tweets about the social improprieties that occur after hours will be in abundance, but actual analysis of what was said and done will be rare. Please take the time to think beyond what is easy. Share the wisdom you speak of in those ad hoc conversations. Be less concerned about meeting the Who’s Who crowd and reflect upon lessons learned. Think not about the next party, but what you have gained in the present. Please…ask the tough questions and go beyond the talk of 101 and what ifs to what could be and what we have the potential to accomplish. Don’t be all talk while at SxSW…walk the walk.

Blaze Your Own Trail

This morning, I was served breakfast in bed (strawberries sprinkled with dairy-free chocolate) by my husband in celebration of International Women’s Day. I had not heard of or celebrated IWD before 2008 when Leo came into my world. Apparently, in other parts of the world (specifically from Leo’s experience in Brazil) this day is highly celebrated and women given flowers in the streets by strangers. Sounds delightful. Yet, despite never having recognized this day before, I have always been surrounded by friends and family who have made IWD an everyday occurrence for me.

You see, my parents never told me I could not achieve anything. My sister and I were not hampered by boundaries. We could be whatever we dreamed. There was no one who told us it had never been done before and therefore could not be achieved or our dream would be a challenge.

No boundaries.

Last night, while watching the Oscar coverage and monitoring the online stream of chatter about the Hollywood prom night, I noticed several people commenting about the extraordinary win of Kathryn Bigelow as Best Director. Now that Bigelow had won the prestigious award, other women could now tell their daughters this dream was possible. When was it ever impossible?

This February, I was blessed with a second daughter. I will never tell either of my daughters they are hampered by their gender or race. They are individual human beings with equal rights and opportunity. They cannot expect to have doors opened to them based upon their gender, but due to their talents, discipline and dedication. They must blaze their own trails and not depend upon others to open doors that may be closed at present. They are in charge of their own destiny and how they execute their wills. I will encourage my daughters and other women to look to history as inspiration, but never as a limitation for what can and should be done. History is history. Blaze your own trail…live in the present.

Social Media Needs More Good Sportsmanship

This post is a bit overdue. Despite the fact I am a die-hard OU Sooners fan, I broke rank to cheer (first and only time) for Texas in the National Championship Game. Why would I cheer for my team’s #1 rival? Supporting the overall cause and footprint of the Big 12, of course.

I digress…

Several people watched this game. I know who you are…I was watching those tweets. It was a nail biting game and, unfortunately, a bitter end for Texas, especially for Colt McCoy who watched his last game in a Texas uniform from the sideline. This game reminded me of how our OU Sooner team began this season with our star quarterback out of the first game due to injury and dreams for a great season dashed. Despite the hand he was dealt, McCoy handled the loss with such dignity.

In a post-game interview, McCoy said this:

“I love this game. I have a passion for this game. I have done everything I can to contribute to my team. And we made it this far and it is unfortunate I didn’t get to play. I would have given everything I had to be out there with my team, but...Congratulations, Alabama. I love the way our team fought. Gary Gilbert stepped in and played as good as he could play. He did a tremendous job. I always give God the glory. I never question why things happen the way they do. God is in control of my life. An I know, if nothing else, I am standing on the rock.”

McCoy could have shaken his fist and yelled and screamed while blaming one person or another for his misfortune. Yet, he did not.

The majority of us have a passion for this space, the communities we engage and the content we create. There is no question of this. Yet, so many want to lash out and label the level of passion or knowledge each of us possess. Any misstep is an opportunity for blood. Rather than viewing these experiences as lessons we could all learn from, the judgment hammer comes down hard. Often this hammer is slammed from behind the safety of a computer screen and keyboard.

I challenge all of us to reserve such impulse and anonymous judgment. We are all students of this space and of life. We are learning to be better professionals and overall…better people. We aren’t slugging it out like those on the football field, but I know some days I end up as black and blue as those guys that are protected by pads and tossing the pigskin.

How can social media monitoring assist your class study?

Normally, I like to keep my professional voice somewhat separate from my voice here on this blog, but I cannot resist promoting the latest effort by Radian6 (my employer) to help educators and students get hands-on learning with a social media monitoring tool. This morning, Radian6 announced a Higher Ed Trial Program where faculty members (on behalf of an undergraduate class) and graduate students may apply for use of the Radian6 platform for four weeks at no cost.

This is a great opportunity for those educators teaching a campaigns or research class in the Spring 2010 semester. Check out the details on the Radian6 PowerShift blog. Deadline to apply for Session 1 is 28 December.

Birthday Wishes: A Year in Review

This weekend, I spent some time offline contemplating the direction of my personal and professional lives. Have you seen the movie, Julie and Julia? I was sucked into the flick this weekend and it got me thinking about what my driving force would be for the next year. Like Julie (before her cooking experience), I feel a bit lost and the looming depression of my last year in my twenties is a bit overwhelming. I am seeking purpose and direction.

When I began this blog almost four years ago, there were not many public relations professionals in the social media space. The conversation was limited to a close knit group of individuals. Today, the conversation has grown by leaps and bounds and public relations professionals/communicators online are a dime a dozen. In the beginning, I had a purpose and discipline outlined for blogging. I was fleshing out my masters thesis and developing a twelve step program for communicators, as well as, documenting my APR experience. When I completed my thesis, I continued to write about public relations issues and what it meant to be a communicator in the digital age. Now that there are so many of my peers in the space, I am questioning what value I am adding to the overall discussion.

In my previous position as a community manager in the federal government, it was easy to find separation about the topics I wrote about on my personal blog versus the company voice. Now, in my role as community manager for Radian6, I have found such separation is much more difficult because I am addressing many of the same social media issues and communication principles in the Radian6 content that I was addressing on this blog. I do not want to end my time on this blog because I enjoy the discipline and outlet personal blogging has offered. Where does that lead me?

Like Julie, I am cooking up a plan for 2010 to keep me motivated, my mind sharp and my writing disciplined. I am inspired by my dear friend, Geoff Livingston, who has branched out and found his motivation in tackling the social good arena. I am seeking such inspiration where I can leverage and expand my talents while learning from new experiences. So, I am asking you, my readers and friends, what would you like me to sink my teeth into in the coming year?

(Photo courtesy frazzipants.)

“Go Red For Women” Campaign: Powerful Ideas and Integrated Communications at Heart

This Silver Anvil winner captured my heart and was the perfect session to end my PRSA 2009 International Conference experience! Jennifer Pfahler, executive vice president at Edelman, shared how the agency and the American Heart Association pumped up the “Go Red For Women” campaign to increase awareness of heart disease among women.

How did this dynamic team pull on women’s heart strings and get them educated about this silent killer? This communications strategy had to be ownable and repeatable with a national scope able to be activated on a local level.

Objectives

• Generate awareness of heart disease as #1 killer 
• Register check-ups on GoRedForWomen.org
• Raise $180-200 million for research by 2010

Challenges

• Limited budget
• Lofty objectives 
• Multiple stakeholders 
• Minimal staff 
• Close scrutiny

Emotional appeal and rationale were the keys that opened up hearts and women’s minds. With the slogan of “Untold story of the heart,” women who had never had a platform to share their stories of challenge and heartbreak were given a voice.

This 360 degree communications plan included:

• National Rallying Cry – A casting call brought in 900 women vying for six spots on the AHA center stage to share their stories and participate in marketing elements. 
• National Platform – The GoRedForWomen.org location in combination with a plethora of social media outposts gave a platform for all women to share their experiences, strength and hope.
• Grassroots Effort – A strong content strategy included media elements such as the Sperlings Heart Friendly Cities ranking where local AHA efforts could use as news hooks.
• Fundraising Element

The communications team plus the AHA women spokespersons felt as if they were part of something much bigger than their individual selves…and they were!

The campaign resulted in:

• 14 billion media impressions. 
• 96% of women took action after registering on GoRedForWomen.org. 
• 1.4 million women logged in their check-ups on GoRedForWomen.org.
• 65% of women are now aware of heart disease as the #1 killer.

Bigger and better things are in store for this year’s campaign. I can’t wait to see more creative and integrated marketing strategies from them. As for me, I think I will log in to GoRedForWomen.org and choose to live and love for more years to come.

(Cross-posted on the PRSA ComPRehension Blog. Thank you to PRSA for inviting me to the conference to blog.)

Maximizing Social Media Strategies to Your Organization’s Benefit

This session was also a part of the PRSA Conference military track. Once again, I must give a thumbs-up to PRSA for adding these specialized sessions. Not only is this area near and dear to my heart, but if the federal government and military can implement social media strategies in such a regulated environment, this should serve as inspiration for any organization, big or small, to get into the interactive space.

Jack Holt, chief of Emerging Media at the Department of Defense, Defense Media Activity, challenged the audience to reframe their thinking and not be afraid of social media. Strategic communications has always been about planning and relationships. Social media is not any different. Holt painted the picture of social media strategy analogous to the process of making a movie. Before a movie is made, the studio wants a realistic picture of what the movie will produce in revenue and buzz. The effort is justified through backwards planning. This same planning and forethought should be applied to social media strategy and objectives.

Holt quoted the the Cherokee Proverb, “If you listen to the whispers, you won’t hear the screams,” and stressed that listening to your community is key. The Emerging Media Directorate knew loud and clear their messages were not being received. The challenge they faced was how to get published when the story didn’t rise to the level of news. Similar to what other presenters in the military sessions voiced, they decided to do something different and reach a worldwide audience with a neighborhood connection. The team untethered their information, gave snackable media to the people and began incorporating real faces and stories into their communications. Much of today’s Emerging Media coverage is “circular,” meaning it is distributed through many social media outposts.

Lt. Jennifer Cragg outlined examples of their social media communications including DoD Live, Bloggers Roundtable and the Armed with Science project. Check out this Pentagon Channel show, FNG, with a segment listing the Top 10 Stupid Things Done in Social Media. The entire audience got a chuckle out of this segment (begins 19:54)!

Keep a pulse on how the Emerging Media Directorate continues to address the Department of Defense’s need to communicate in an evolving global interactive space. All of us can learn a lesson or two from these social media pioneers.

(Cross-posted on the PRSA ComPRehension Blog. Thank you to PRSA for inviting me to the conference to blog.)

Building Relationships with the Digerati

This PRSA conference session was packed! With good reason. All of us have seen the countless examples of blogger relations gone bad. This panel wanted to set the record straight about how to build mutually beneficial relationships within social media.

The panel consisted of:

• Kami Watson Huyse, APR, principal, My PR Pro
• Matthew Henry, blogger, Childplayx2
• Jason Avant, blogger, Dad Centric
• Fran Stephenson, director, corporate communications, Rackspace

If you want to see the back channel chatter of this session, research #digit.

Key Take-Aways:

1. Bloggers are talent, not journalists – But, that does not mean they should not get the same respect as journalists.
2. Enjoyment, not product reviews, are drive for bloggers – Do not belittle their passion or opinions.
3. Bloggers want PR people to know them before contacting them – This is good ole’ fashioned public relations requiring one to do their homework before making contact and be personal.
4. Maximize opportunities and look across the spectrum – Do not focus all of your efforts on the most popular bloggers and bring those less well known into the fold.
5. Feed their passion - Rather than automatically putting the hammer down on bloggers within your own organization, give them social media training, writing and coaching…even a Flip video 101 tutorial!

Remember, this is about human relationships. Just because the relationship is conducted online does not change the elements of interaction. If your first contact with a blogger is prickly, do not give up. Keep the dialog open. A blogger relations venture is akin to the dating process…you must be willing to do a bit of give and take.

(Cross-posted on the PRSA ComPRehension Blog. Thank you to PRSA for inviting me to the conference to blog.)

What can PR learn from the military about social media?

The session, Social Media: learn from the Armed Forces and Associations how to leverage technology to meet strategic communication goals during a down-sized economy, went beyond social media 101 to give specific examples about how social media strategies were formed and executed. Before I begin to relay the brainy tidbits of this session, I must give a thumbs-up to PRSA for adding a military track to the conference this year. Not only is this area near and dear to my heart, but if the federal government and military can implement social media strategies in such a regulated environment, this should serve as inspiration for any organization, big or small, to get into the interactive space.

Larry Clavette, director of the Air Force Public Affairs Agency, shared the processes the Air Force has put into place to embrace the idea that every airman is a communicator. The Air Force is now accessible through a combination of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. To keep up with the level of activity on all of these social networks, the Air Force created the New and the Air Force Guide and Blog Assessment Chart. Take note of these documents for inspiration on how to socialize the enterprise.

Colonel Rudy Burwell, director of the Army Reserve Communications, began their foray into social media with a question: How can we better tell the story and put a face on the Army Reserves? Integrating social media elements into their traditional coverage gave reservists an outlet for their stories and a faces to the Army Reserve mission. Colonel Burwell shared this great advice on why social media has worked for them – What Works (10 +1):

1. Real speech
2. First person
3. Make fan part of the story
4. Relevance trumps frequency
5. Great photo goes a long way
6. Raw, real and messy video
7. Don’t edit real life
8. Monitor and acknowledge
9. Robust rules of engagement on all platforms
10. Segment if necessary
11. If you are having fun, so will your fans

What really came across in this session, is the power of energy. Military is great for planning and processes, but to embrace and further social media, they had to engage fans on an individual level. Everyone has a story to share.

(Cross-posted on the PRSA ComPRehension Blog. Thank you to PRSA for inviting me to the conference to blog.)