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I wouldn;t dream of aimlessly sending out a press release and expecting a journalist to write word for word what I have sent them, and I would expect a fierce backlash if i went onto Twitter and told every body my client's 3 key messages over and over and over again.
The old school of PR is already dead, the problem is that now and then it still twitches and nobody has given it the final blow to the head. As countless people have said, PR is not Public Relations, it's Personal Relations.
Overloading a user-group of professionals with too many options causes more damage from my experience.
I also don't agree with being everywhere. Companies need to be very strategic and tactical where they are. Being half-present on 15 social sites isn't nearly as actionable as being heavily involved in 2. The Obama campaign is actually a very good case example of limiting yourself to specific demographics clusters and action sites. Edelmen released a PDF recently you can find here http://123socialmedia.com/2009/01/23/social-med... that covers a good strategic plan for social media.
Thanks for the coverage – couple of points. With a community of members as large as PRSA, we like to make our decisions based upon facts and research. Last year, we conducted a broad member survey of our members, and the message was clear: (1) Members want additional ways to exchange ideas and voice their opinions, and (2) they find blogs just as valuable, if not more so, than LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter or texting. The research simply supports what we all know – with the fragmentation of communications channels, we’re all having to communicate in many overlapping ways. Interestingly, what our research also told us was that old school, face-to-face meetings are still highly preferred over digital bits for many communication purposes. We’ve got that covered – but yes - another, more highly visible blog would address what we heard directly from our members.
I’m not sure how you inferred that we are trying to “own” the conversation, for that’s simply not true. As you indicated in your post, we already are active across a number of social media platforms – all of which defy control - and this is simply one more.
Finally, you did catch us on one thing – there was a typo, which we ourselves caught and corrected pretty quickly. However, that’s a great example of why PRSA, and social media, work so well – there’s strength that can come from many hands and eyes working for the same purpose. We appreciate those kinds of comments, too, on the rare occasion when they are needed, and offer similar support to others (for example, you might want to check on the typo in your posting on the fourth bullet, “woulnd’t” and check the use of “its” and some of the comma placement - hope that is helpful!)
Bill Murray
PRSA
Unlike many corporate blogs: this one doesn't have an editor watching my every article. At the dismay of most communication professionals these are mostly written in a speaking style to the fluent social media mindset. I rarely go back and alter it: but seeing as so many PR pros read this one I may need to appease the demand.
I can understand having a blog to centralize some communication around. I disagree with whoever did your research on building a blog. As you said, you have a membership that utilizes many traditional communication methods. As the PRSA you have too many communication channels and are overloading your bandwidth and losing your audience with confusion.
I think there are some valid steps being made by the PRSA in other channels. Some of my dismay in writing this article was that the PRSA had made some significant ground in creating a substantial user base in Facebook and Linkedin but didn't strategically tie those into this blog effort.
The second main reason I brought this up is something that I feel is critical to the PR professional:
My Post on Jan 22nd @ 6:12 PM
Response date of PRSA = Jan 27 @ 3:10 PM
Delay: 4 days, 21 hours.
In the "speed of thought" communication economy, industry professionals are no longer gifted with the luxury of four days of turn-around time. In this instance I believe a quick response (within a day) probably would have curbed the viral spread of this article that finally brought it back to the PRSA's doorstep.
I am hoping that membership organizations across several industries begin to examine the ramifications of not being actively and constantly involved in the conversation.
I hope to see more of you online Bill. As a leader of such a large organization your leadership and applied understanding in the convergence of PR and social media communication is critical to thousands of professionals. You have a big wave of change to guide the community through.
I once got asked why I don't have PRSA membership. I offered two replies. One, I'm in Canada - there's a different board.
Two, I've said for a long time that the PR industry needs to be regulated by a board with proper powers and sanctions for bad practices and poor agencies. The PRSA (and many like it) may be able to throw a member out for not adhering to its Code of Ethics, but it doesn't stop that person from starting again. Diminished power and influence is no better than none at all (imo).
And is it just me, or is that link STILL messed up to the PRSay? www. indeed... ;-)
But, alas, a Jan. 28 blog post [http://prsay.prsa.org/] by the chair/CEO starts with a cliché in the head and sprinkles more throughout (an industry thought leader, set benchmarks, initiative moving forward, unique external perspectives, advocacy project, focused platfom, important constituencies)
. . . as if to prove last-century language is a terrible thing to waste.
Or perhaps to confirm Barry's clear-sighted, well-aimed shots.
I've posted this suggestion on the blog as comment:
--> Let a Digital Gen staffer read your stuff before hitting send so PR pros look and sound as good as we are.
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Perhaps I should throw my name in for a PRSA adviser role. I can be the social media baliwick who acts "like an American bull in a Chinese PR Shop"
The old-school dialogue can remain in some communication.... but wouldn't it be great if a majority of PR professionals could actually figure out how to make an impacting statement in 140 characters on Twitter?
That would be an amazing 1st step into redefining a clear communication style that is embraced by the online audience.
A true master of communication can define entire ideas using simple and precise words.