Social Media - PR's Great Opportunity

This is my first blog. I've been avoiding this posting for several weeks and my reasons are good. What if I don't have anything meaningful to say? Or what if I violate "the rules"? This whole world of social media is scary stuff when you've hit your fourth decade and you feel sandwiched between what feels comfortable, and what you need to know.

To help remedy my deficiency, I decided to participate in an after-work presentation called Social Media - PR's Great Opportunity, sponsored by my local chapter of IABC. The speaker was Joe Thornley, a guy from a PR company in Ottawa called Thornley Fallis. After defining social media, he introduced us to his Social Media Presence on his blog, Twitter, Del.icio.us, Dopplr, Flickr, youTube, Tumblr and of course, Facebook. The introduction to these sites was interesting at best, but how much of my time were they really worth?

As Thornley began to demonstrate how people have applied these tools to inform, convey or persuade, an internal "urgency alarm" sounded inside. Here are some examples:

• Michael Geist, a columnist from Ottawa mobilized a Facebook Group of 40,000 people and thwarted the introduction of a copyright bill that could have been a sell-out to US and lobbyist demands.
• Eager to find the latest stats on the number of active blogs and posts on the web each day, Thornley posted a question on Twitter and within minutes received the information he was looking for.
• One-third of all Canadians now have a Facebook account. Using their advertising feature, I can instantly target people within my demographic to promote my company's training programs.
• del.icio.us is my favorite tool, and the one I use most. (My handle is seedgirl). When I need information I use the search feature and "connect" with people who have similar interests. I seem to find a lot of research quickly, and I get information that I don't find with google. It also allows me to sort bookmarks so I can access information quickly. Thornley - the PR Guy - made a credible connection with a Globe & Mail writer using this tool.
  

We had the vision for what Social Media could do, but how do you get started, and what are the risks? The first thing to remember - this is a medium about trust, transparency, authenticity and generosity. If you fake it, you'll be found out.

And the risks? By putting your thoughts out there, you are inviting input and you need to be open to public criticism - not everyone is going to agree with you. (Gulp.) You will make mistakes and people will know what you do, and where to find you.

I encourage you to see Joe Thornley speak if the opportunity presents itself. The value I gained in less than an hour was not so much the information, but the courage to act, and write a posting for this blog. Now it's your turn. Respond and then consider becoming a contributing author.

Social Media Resources:

Books - Cluetrain Manifesto, Naked Conversations and The New Rules of Marketing and PR.

Hear Joe Thornley's colleagues speak at the Social Media Summit Canada.

For a powerpoint copy of Thornley's presentation, feel free to email me at crenner (at) juiceinc (dot) com.

Crista Renner was at Mount Saint Vincent from 1986-1988. Currently she resides in Guelph, Ontario where she is a founding partner of Juice Inc., a consulting company that works with organizations to energize employees through more effective conversations.

If you are interested in being a contributing author to this blog, please leave a comment and we will be in touch!

MSVU Toronto Public Relations Grads - Job Posting

You might be interested:


Sobeys
Director of Corporate Communications
Senior Level
Part Time Permanent Staff Position

Job Description
Sobeys has an exceptional opportunity for a Director of Corporate Communications within the National Communications & Corporate Affairs Department. With exposure to the CEO, this role provides critical internal communications support to the organization in addition to providing external public relations counsel and support for select Company-wide initiatives. The breakdown between internal and external responsibilities would be approximately 70/30.As a key member of the Company’s Communications team, the successful candidate will:• Work with senior leadership, including the CEO, providing communications counsel and lead the development and execution of national internal communications strategies to support the Company's business strategy• Provide change management communications counsel and support to the organization to help advance the Company’s business strategy • Manage multiple communication projects from development to implementation• Put processes in place to evaluate communication effectiveness and manage the feedback process• Ensure timely and accurate administration and content development of internal and external web-based communication tools.• Develop and/or edit written documents and presentations to support the Company's goals and objectives including content and coordination of newsletters, brochures, manuals, web site and other internal communications• Work with the Company’s regional communications teams to advance programs and communications that are national in scope

Location
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Qualifications
• Track record of progressively senior strategic corporate communications/public affairs experience, particularly as it relates to implementing innovative communication programs designed for internal / employee audiences• Proven ability to deliver over the course of 8 or more years of relevant work experience• Ability to counsel and support executive leadership up to and including the CEO• Ability to think and act strategically, while playing a hands-on role in the development of communication tools/materials• Familiarity with the news media• Exceptional writing, editing, proofing and researching skills• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills• Detail-oriented• Excellent organizational, time management and project management skills• Ability to build partnerships, set and manage priorities and meet deadlines, all within a multi-tasking environment• Ability to deal with diverse groups of people with diplomacy and tact• Experience with electronic media, particularly web publishing an asset• Bilingualism an asset• Previous communications in a retail-oriented environment an assetInterested candidates are encouraged to apply online by following clicking here
Contact Information for Position
Contact:
Nicole FougereSobeys1680 Tech AveMississauga ON L4W 5S9E-Mail: nicole.fougere@sobeys.comWeb-Site: http://sobeys.cvmanager.com/careers/home.asp?region=nt&lang=e&call=viewjob&jobid=2422

Listing to be posted until: 12/14/2007


If you are interested in being a contributing author to this blog, please leave a comment and we will be in touch!