The PRSA 2012 Digital Impact Conference will be held April 2–3, 2012, in New York City.

We’re looking for online influencers, experts and leaders on the client and agency sides to present strategies, theories, ideas, research and results.

Caryn Marooney, director of product communications at Facebook, is confirmed to keynote, and we’re now accepting speaker proposals until 8 p.m. EST, Dec. 9, 2011.

The Digital Impact Conference is dedicated to profiling the impact of digital technology on the business of communications. We are looking to spotlight projects, programs, organizations and individuals who are effectively leveraging the power of digital to get their message across, increase productivity and manage reputations.

So if you’re ready to share detailed, thoughtful information and concepts (no cream puffs, please) that attendees can put into action immediately, check out the official Call for Presentations and submit to present on one of the following three conference tracks:

Continue reading " PRSA Digital Impact Call for Presentations: Seeking Online Influencers to Share Knowledge and Experience "

Join Steve Radick and Steve Ressler for their online training session, When a Star Leaves: How to Sustain Social Media Efforts Over the Long Term, on Tuesday, March 27, 2012.

I talk a lot about the need to do a better job of integrating social media into the world of higher education. That’s why when my alma mater asked me to speak at their annual Communication Week this year, I jumped at the opportunity. Because these students are already learning the basics of social media in their core communication classes, I didn’t want to do yet another Social Media 101 type presentation. Instead, I wanted to help them understand that even though they may learn what Twitter is, how to use it, and some case studies, there’s nothing like doing it in the real world. That’s why I gave a presentation titled “The 7 Things About Social Media That You’re Not Going to Learn in College.”

Here’s the presentation I gave, with the key takeaways below:

Continue reading " 7 Things About Social Media That College Won’t Teach You "

Contemplating starting your own public relations firm or solo consulting practice? One of the first questions to ask yourself is, “What will I offer to clients?” To set a course for success, select your specialization. Here’s a quick FAQ:

1. Won’t picking a niche limit me?

Not at all. The narrower your niche, the higher the demand for your services. The day of the PR generalist is gone. The greater your expertise in a particular field, the more clients will value you and the less competition you will have. Remember, as you grow your firm, you can always add new niches.

Continue reading " Pick Your Niche Before You Launch Your Firm "

Remember the bulky, boring employee suggestion boxes that used to gather dust in the corridor corners?

Many of them are gone. But thanks to the introduction of new social media tools, the suggestion box concept has been rejuvenated online – enjoying a busy and productive new life on intranets – making idea sharing exciting, conversational, beneficial and rewarding for employees and organizations alike.

The good news is that employee communicators are leading the charge, leveraging digital technologies to make a difference for their organizations, accelerating employee involvement, cultural change and business improvement in ways that didn’t exist a decade ago.

Here’s a glance at two success stories

Continue reading " Social Media Opens New Frontier For Employee Idea Sharing "

Oh, the wondrous things we have! We can access so many new electronic tools, gadgets and mobile applications to make our media relations efforts more productive. However, can email ever replace a face-to-face conversation? Can a Facebook page convey the interplay of emotions at a live news conference? How can 140 characters explain the complexity of health care policy or do it without the cynicism that too often creeps into pithy, short bites?

In order to engage reporters, we should not give up our YouTube channels, LinkedIn accounts or Flickr photos. They all are part of the arsenal that media relations professionals use to help tell clients’ stories. However, I do think it is time to refocus ― social media is a means to the end, and not the end goal itself.

Continue reading " Social Media as Starting Point, Not Focal Point "