The burgeoning social media network offered by Google, Google+, recently rolled out the ability to create a presence for brands and organizations.

As this development gains traction among the public and, by extension, the business community, what does it mean for PR practitioners?

Implementation and Tips

There are a plethora of resources devoted to explaining the intricacies of the technology. Here are some specifics for PR practitioners:

• The impact of Google’s verification system. While there is a verification system within Google+, it appears that Google has delayed wide rollout of that verification. However, waiting for verification may not be advisable, and it can make sense simply to establish an unofficial presence if only to avoid pranks like this one played on Bank of America.

Continue reading " Google+ Brand Pages: Tips for Public Relations Practitioners "

Join the PRSA New Professionals Section and personal branding expert Hajj Flemings for the online training session, “Personal Branding: Develop Yourself as a Thought Leader,” on Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Registration is only $35 for members of the New Professionals Section and for members of PRSSA. 

Do you want to become the next Seth Godin, Steve Jobs, or Daymond Johns? I am going to walk you through some points to help you establish yourself as a thought leader in the era of digital technology. One disclaimer: Having a blog doesn’t make you a thought leader in the same way that having an iPhone will not make you think like Steve Jobs. The context of thought leadership in this article is helping individuals understand how to use digital technology, content curation and branding as a thought leadership strategy.

Continue reading " Five Points to Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader "

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 "

PR people care about search, Chris Brogan, president of Human Business Works, told attendees at yesterday morning’s General Session at the 2011 PRSA International Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Rather than thinking about how to get more people to our websites, or figuring out if we need to have a micro-site or a mobile site, we need to think about the “human digital channel” and interactions. “If you think about all those other things as the shop, then we’re working on how to make a better digital shopkeeper,” Brogan said.

Continue reading " Chris Brogan’s Keynote Presentation from the PRSA 2011 International Conference "