Information as Currency

I recently watched Episode 10 of Brian Solis' (R)evolution webisode series. The episode featured an interview with Dan Farber of cbsnews.com discussing the future of news.

Please take a minute and check out the video:



I had a total "ah ha moment" at the 4:30 mark in the video. I had never thought about Information as Currency ~ Had you?

I know the SEO mantra of "content in king", but didn't think of that information/content in terms of currency. However, the information you share with your social network carries enormous weight. It shows people what you value, the beliefs you stand for, and how they can identify and engage with you.

As we delve deeper and deeper into the digital age, news outlets have to becoming increasingly aware of information as currency. Farber and CBS understands the importance: "It's all about building relationships and trying to engage. We want to actively participate."

If information is currency ~ how much are you worth to your social media community?

Until next time, whether it's B2B or B2C, it's all Business to Person

Reaching Out to Different

A quick thought...

As a young communications professional I do everything I can to connect, interact, and engage with all kinds of different communications professionals. It is great to network of course, but what I really enjoy is collaborating and sharing ideas. It is so interesting to meet new people who come from different backgrounds, have had different experiences, or are just plain different!

A couple of questions for discussion.

Veteran pros, what is the best way to reach out to you?

Young pros, what do you think are the best ways to reach out to veteran pros?

Interested to hear different thoughts and perspectives from different people!

Until next time, whether it's B2B or B2C it's all Business to Person

Brand U

I was recently given the opportunity to give my first presentation as a communications professional. I spoke to an Electronic PR class at Northern Kentucky University (my alma mater) on the importance of self-branding.

As social media plays an ever-increasing role in the importance of PR, students HAVE to learn to use these tools effectively. I wanted to share a few easy to remember points about Twitter and LinkedIn. These are 2 social networking sites where every PR professional should have an active presence.

Twitter (I'm @Andrew_ShipPR)

• Make sure your profile explains exactly why you're on Twitter ~ "A PR student in _________ looking to develop relationships with PR pros that will help me learn and develop as a communicator"
• Put your LinkedIn web address or personal blog into the "web" section of the profile
• DO NOT protect your tweets ~ That doesn't exactly scream transparency...
• Interact with industry leader's ~ Check out one of my previous posts that goes more in-depth: "Building Relationships with PR Pros through Twitter"
  

LinkedIn

• Pick a vanity URL ~ Ex. http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewshipPR
  
• Have a professional picture
  
• When inviting people to connect, personalize the message ~ It takes less than a minute, it will set you apart, and it will open up communication
• Make sure you fill your profile out to 100% completion ~ Remember the more robust your profile the higher likelihood your profile will come up in search results.

Feel free to check out all the presentation slides ~

The most important thing to remember, above all else, is to be yourself. Nothing can replace The Human Factor.

Do you have any additional suggestions? I would love to hear them ~

Until next time, whether its B2B or B2C, it's all Business to Person

~Andrew

You'll Always Remember Your First (#MediaDay)

I attended the Cincinnati PRSA's annual Media Day today, and in a word ~ AWESOME! Great speakers and thoughtful planning, combined with passionate professionals made for an amazing day of learning.

Instead of writing an entire recap of the event I'd like to use this post to share a few of my favorite quotes from the breakout sessions and panel discussions. The two breakout sessions I attended were "YouTwitFace" and "Build.Promote.Measure."

"Transparency is essential when participating in social media"
~ Chris Bergman

It really frustrates me when people don't get the importance of transparency. It's essential to develop and strengthen quality relationships.

On explaining how to use social media to clients ~ "Where are your people? Go and find them there ~ research before jumping in"
~ Heather Whaling

Important to remember this and help your clients understand this. "Listening #1, Engaging #2" needs to be THE MANTRA for the "social media professional"

"I love how precise your communication has to be with twitter"
~ Chris Bergman

This is one of my favorite parts about Twitter. Thanks to Twitter, I have become a more effective communicator ~ Most of the time you have to get rid of the garnish, and give people the meat

"We encourage employees to be clear, transparent, and honest"
~ Laura Merritt

Once again, love hearing importance of concise, transparent communication ~ With so much clutter out there, it's becoming mandatory

When considering social media channels ~ "Don't think broadcast channels, think engagement channels" ~ "Go deep, not broad"
~ Kevin Dugan

This last quote sums a lot of my feelings on social media ~ Engage (along with Listen) are the two most important words in my vocabulary when it comes to social media

These are some quick hits. Awesome quotes, from industry leaders get me excited about the profession I'm passionate about! I hope they get you fired up as well! If you were at Media Day, and attended the other sessions I'd love to hear some of your favorite quotes!

Thanks again to all the organizers ~ Special shout out to Ashley Walters and Lauren Doyle

This event, and speakers really emphasize, "whether is B2B or B2C, it's all Business to Consumer"

#DigNC

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. This year's Digital Non-Conference ROCKED! During the 8 breakout sessions, 4 keynote speakers, and countless conversations ~ There was a strong central theme:

Consumers want brands/companies to communicate with them individually.

Whether you are a marketer, communicator, PR pro, CEO, CFO, or anything here there or in between get ready for REAL conversations. The barrier is gone, and it is up to us to professional communicators to facilitate that communication.

I'm obviously not inventing the wheel, or saying anything too groundbreaking, but I do think it's important to remind ourselves ~ Real, specialized and targeted communication is what it's all about.

Until next time, whether is B2B or B2C, it's all Business to Person

Virtual or Physical - Commentary on The Social Network

I was fortunate enough to get sneak peak passes to Facebook's unofficial story, The Social Network. I want to preface I will do my best not to spoil the movie; but then again even if you read this a lot of people went and saw Titanic, and thoroughly enjoyed it.


The movie is good, I would definitely recommend it. The movie has a healthy dose of the depositions of the two legal battles Zuckerberg battled in the early years of Facebook. They portray Zuckerberg, as a young arrogant jerk, who doesn't care much about anyone else. (I don't think this is an accurate portrayal, but it does allow for some hilarious one-liners.)

When not in depositions the movie shows how Facebook was created at Harvard, the beginning of the formal company on the east coast, and their eventual move out west to Palo Alto. Through everything there was a very consistent theme ~ Hold onto your ideas

I went into the movie, not knowing what to think. As a PR professional I praise Facebook for allowing companies to interact with interested publics, however as an everyday person I have had an underlying feeling since the rise of Facebook and other social networking sites, many people get comfortable and stagnant in the virtual world.

Whether this is 100% true or not, I feel Zuckerberg created Facebook in reaction to being shunned from Harvard (mainstream) society. Essentially, he created a virtual world that allows a high level of connectivity, without the hassle of the awkwardness that can accompany human communication.



This frightens me. Is Facebook an incredible way for people to make connections and sustain relationships ~ OR ~ Is Facebook a tool people use to guard themselves from rejection? Human connection can be awkward, weird, and even boring, but it can also be all those amazing things that make life incredible.

So I pose this question to you ~ Do you feel more comfortable connecting to people virtually or physically?

Look forward to interacting (Virtually AND Physically)

Until next time, whether it's B2B or B2C it's all Business to Person

What I've Learned in 6 Months

Value the Importance of Meeting New People

The best, absolute best, part about PR and Communications is meeting new people. Always go into meetings with an open mind and a willing attitude. In only 6 months as professional I have met so many awesome people.

Listen, Listen, and Listen Some More

Not only in person, but this is an especially important component of social media.

Ask Questions

People really enjoy talking about themselves, so let them. I promise you'll learn quite a bit. Of course you'll have to deal some conversations you'd rather not now and again, but overall this is a great way to get to know your clients.

What should be added? Would love to hear some great input!

Until next time, remember ~ Whether is B2B or B2C it's all Business to Person

HAPPY for #HAPPO

Thank you for visiting my personal blog/website during #HAPPO.

Why you should hire me:

• I have multiple internship experiences that have prepared me to take the next step in my career.

• I have practical experience writing fresh content in various forms (press releases, articles, blog postings), managing client relations, working with upper-level management, and most forms of social media forms.

• I value the importance of being a student. In the Public Relations field it is vital to always be willing and eager to learn.

I hope you enjoy reading my cover letter below and I encourage you to visit my various links:

LinkedIn Profile

Resume

Writing Sample: Press Release #1

Writing Sample: Press Release #2

Writing Sample: Press Release #3

Writing Sample: Questionnaire Copy

Blog Post #1: What is Public Media?

Blog Post #2: The Human Factor

Blog Post #3: Building Relationships with PR Pro's Through Twitter

Blog Post #4: Information is Addicting

Life is a never-ending, always entertaining journey. While I strongly agree with this, my own journey has given me many interesting experiences. Some good, some bad, however, all have been valuable. The path I have taken in life, both personal and professional, has equipped me with the tools and focus on innovation to become a valued member of your company.

I have always had a self-motivated passion to serve others. This quality was instilled in me from the very beginning through the efforts of my parents. As early as I can remember, I was a member of the “Shipp Puppeteers.” My family would visit lower income areas in the Greater Cincinnati area and put on puppet shows for children and senior citizens. We commonly visited community centers and nursing homes where my father had established relationships with community leaders and business owners. I was able to see how important relationship building was to the success of providing people with happiness. The value of relationship building has always been an important part of my life and has helped me in my professional career.

The true success of any public relations campaign is contingent upon the quality of relationships one builds. At the heart of a business-to-business relationship or business-to-consumer relationship, is the business-to-person relationship. In our day of extreme media, public relations practitioners are able to reach more people on a personal level. Sending messages with quality content to people, not consumers, is the most important aspect of public relations. This is done through the utilization of multiple touch points. Traditional resources, aided by social media tools, are essential to carrying out your mission, value, and goals. Having these touch points are good, but optimizing these outlets is what incurs dramatic change. My experience with the social media specialists at Purple Trout and public relations professionals at PB&J have given me the tools to affect change.

Thanks again for visiting my #HAPPO page,

Andrew D. Shipp

Information is Addicting

Addiction is a word that commonly drums up a negative connotation. It is commonly associated with such words as: alcohol, gambling, drugs and other generally unhealthy behavior. However, in this “Web 2.0” age there is a new addiction: The Addiction to Information. Companies that combine their PR and social media efforts to feed this addiction will create large dividends.

Most companies are beginning to realize how to utilize social media; in that they now understand it’s about being PART of the conversation, not CONTROLLING the conversation. Unfortunately, companies are putting the wrong personnel at the forefront of these highly important touchpoints. It is true younger PR professionals have more experience with social media, but they can also get into a lot more trouble. Matt Singley explains this really well in his blog post “6 Things You Need to Know about Running a Social Media Program: The Channels”.

“Twitter is often the most immediate and intimate touch point with your current and future customers; make sure you put your best and brightest people behind this channel…and pay them well! They can make or break your reputation in just a few key strokes.” ---Matt Singley

How true (not to mention scary) is that. Where companies can begin to capitalize on social media is combining veteran PR professionals with younger Gen Y professionals. Companies need to be willing to commit more personnel hours and talent to their social media efforts. One person can no longer handle one company’s social media efforts. There is simply too much information, and people still want more.

Due to this addiction of information, companies have to be ready and willing to get as much information out there as possible. Do not misunderstand me to mean a company can get by with flooding the market with tons of information. A company has to get high quality content to their publics.

Companies need to use that content and traditional PR efforts to get articles published, segments on radio, and TV spots; but to get the most bang for their buck social media teams need to push traditional media efforts through social media touchpoints.

As we become a culture more and more addicted to information, companies are going to have to understand the importance of producing high quality content. Always remember content is (and always will be) KING!

Building Relationships with PR Pro’s through Twitter

140 characters doesn’t seem like a lot to work with, but vast amounts of information can be found on Twitter. Thanks to the advent of bit.ly, and other web address shrinkers, those 140 characters can take you anywhere. As a young public relations practitioner I am constantly learning in this quickly changing field.

Utilizing Twitter, in a targeted way, can open doors to immense amounts of information. Opening these doors will help build relationships with other PR professionals. Almost all PR pros are social media fanatics (or if they are any good at their job they are). Therefore, Twitter is the best way to reach out to a worldwide network of PR professionals.

You can learn a lot of information by sitting back and following the vast amounts of really smart PR pros out there. However, chances are as someone interested in Public Relations, you are going to want to interact. So how do you get involved? Below I have outlined 3 simple ways I try to interact with PR Pros in the Twitterverse

1. Send a DM (Direct Message) After Every “Follow” -. Don’t just thank them for the follow, you need to engage them. Ask them about something on their Twitter background, or check out their blog and tell them a specific thing you enjoyed reading. This is a great tool b/c you can add some personality and build those ever-important relationships.

2. Send a DM (rather than thank them in a tweet) if you get Retweeted - In the DM I do thank them for the RT, but I go on to ask what they liked about the tweet, or why they retweeted. This gives me good feedback on the effectiveness of my Tweeting. It also helps me understand what people are interested in reading.

3. Retweet, Retweet, and Retweet – However, hitting the RT button and retweeting information doesn’t really help you connect to people. Do your best to personalize the retweet. I understand this can be tough with the 140 character restraints, but adding something of your own helps to engage the person you are retweeting.

This is not the magic formula, as nothing in social media is, but I have had success building relationships in only a short time. Social media is all about involvement, finding your style is what will set you apart. So get out there and start engaging.

Twitter is a constantly evolving and fascinating form of media. It gives young PR pros the ability to interact with proven professionals worldwide. Take advantage of this fast growing form of social media. It has given at least one young PR pro (ME!) some great information on current PR issues and trends.

Please feel free to share what has worked for you. I'm always interested to learn, and look forward to reading some great comments.

The Human Factor

Social media reaches everyone, we all know that. Companies are beginning to understand that social media influences everyone. According to John Jantsch, “It’s becoming clear that social media is no longer marketing’s new thing; it’s marketing in the world we live in today.” People of all ages, races, genders, and economic levels have their own voice.

The quicker companies realize the immense influence of social media, the faster they will grow. Due to the abundance of social media, the "human factor" is now more apparent than ever. Everyone, regardless of income level, has a voice. In the past, only the voice of the wealthy was heard. Stories about the poor were only told by the wealthy. Social media enables everyone a voice regardless of income level. This is unprecedented.

The human factor can no longer be ignored and we will be a better generation because of it. PR practitioners that incorporate social media into their strategy will reach more people in a more personal way.

What is Public Media

Public Media is the combination of two vital resources all companies have to utilize to be competitive in their market: Public Relations and Social Media. Traditional PR has been a staple of any successful company for years, but social media is the relative "new kid on the block". These two working in unison is the best way to reach publics.

Oxford, the word experts, deemed "unfriend" the word of the year in 2009. If this isn’t a sign of the extreme rise of social media, then I don’t know what is. It is an amazing tool to build relationships with people all over the world. Building relationships is at the core of any PR professional's skill set. However, some practitioners don’t fully understand how to use social media effectively to build relationships.

Almost every PR pro has a Facebook profile, Twitter handle, and LinkedIn profile. These are all great, but simply having them does not ensure you will reach, and more importantly, affect people. Social media is all about involvement, so you have to get involved.

This means taking steps to connect to people, not profiles. Sending direct messages via Facebook or Twitter is a great way to connect a profile with a person. Whenever you "friend" someone on any of these social media sites, send a personalized message and introduce yourself. This further reinforces the personal touches that are essential to relationship building.

Unfortunately, all of these social networking devices have given people the ability to interact on a surface level. It doesn’t illicit real human interaction. Public Relations professionals have to add the human element. This is now the best way to reach publics in the personalized manner they want.