Brand Masterstroke - Branding | Marketing Startegy for Business - adeolakayode.com http://adeolakayode.com Branding | Marketing for Business Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:54:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 5 things your BlackBerry Broadcast Messages say about you http://adeolakayode.com/2012/02/5-things-your-blackberry-broadcast-messages-say-about-you/ http://adeolakayode.com/2012/02/5-things-your-blackberry-broadcast-messages-say-about-you/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:28:20 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=601 Though RIM’s BlackBerry might be taking a hit across the US, its Social and Instant Messaging feature has become a darling in Africa. Especially where paying for airtime is expensive, the BB Messenger feature has been a major feature being used by the addicts and loyal cliques of BlackBerry users to create their own social media community. With about 2.4 million BlackBerry users across a country like Nigeria where the BlackBerry became a veritable tool for citizen mobilization during the occupy protests, the BlackBerry broadcast feature allows you to send bulk messages to all your BBM contacts (or the ones you select, if you know how to use it). But you know where I’am getting at don’t you? The impact and implications of those messages/images  you send/share on your personal brand and reputation.

The kind of messages you send has a lot of influence on your personal brand and affects the  perception of others about you.

I have come up with 5 things that these broadcast message reflect.

  1. It reflects your intelligence

This is the most prominent of all issues. Have you had to apologise for sending an insanely stupid message? e.g. ‘send this message to update your BB Messenger’, or having to retract a message you sent and later realised it actually happened a year ago?. Do people realise you cannot have additional smileys by sending broadcast messages?  Have you forwarded details of a stolen American vehicle to your Nigerian contacts (lol)?

Your broadcast of a message means you endorse, have thought through and agree with the details of the message. Do you do that? If  you don’t, people will either think you are incredibly stupid or plainly ignorant.

2.   It exposes your values

Messages, pictures, images, jokes especially sexually explicit ones reveal a lot more about you than you think. Have people sent you private messages about a broadcast you sent, telling you they didn’t believe you could have such amessage?

Your messages have a lot of influence in shaping people’s perception about your value system, belief and character. Can you share the message/jokes in a room full of people? If you don’t want to be quoted, then don’t share it.

3.   It projects your image/reputation

If you want to build your credibility/reputation, use your broadcast feature to genuinely add value to the lives of your contacts – the same goes for the opposite. The strength of your reputation is affected by your updates and messages. People use it to promote what they do and the services they offer. Some people use their picture profiles as exhibition platforms for their products and services and they have made money from it.

What are you doing with yours?

4.   It affects your credibility

If you’re always having to retract your messages, apologize over unverified reports and information; it depreciates your credibility. After a while your credibility will always be double-checked and your messages may not even deserve a reading. I once recieved a broadcast of a job vacancy for a bank but the email address of the HR is for another bank? lolz

Your social media profiles are an extension of your personality.

5. If your name is not authentic/ it may have no brand value

This is especially for people who keep changing names. Please how will people find you if they need you? Except I want to be mischevious, no one will want to keep changing costumes at a Haloween party. If you had advertised/promoted a product someone wants but had changed your name from ‘Harry’ to ’34ui cheeks’ or ‘cr8ive’ to ‘Titi’ , what happens? While changing names/nicknames/brand may not be bad in itself, we cannot deny it deprecistes the strength of your brand.

So before you send that message, use the traffic light rule;

i.            Stop! (stop and read)

ii.            Check your right and left (well the message content – the broadcast feature has no ‘undo’ feature)

iii.            Cross – (send)

A lot of these messages can look very urgent and convincing, while its okay if some slip through the cracks,

Please #BroadcastResponsibly

Do you have experiences share? What do you think? Let’s hear you!

TGIF

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2012/02/5-things-your-blackberry-broadcast-messages-say-about-you/feed/ 2 6 Reasons why Businesses should pay attention to #OccupyNigeria http://adeolakayode.com/2012/01/6-reasons-why-businesses-should-pay-attention-to-occupynigeria/ http://adeolakayode.com/2012/01/6-reasons-why-businesses-should-pay-attention-to-occupynigeria/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:52:21 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=578

‘A Negative brand equity is a death sentence’; the Goodluck Jonathan Government should have been listening to Mark Ritson. More rightly put, it can lead to suicide. The #OccupyNigeria train hit Nigeria like a thunderstorm bringing to bear what Nigeria’s foremost humanright’s lawyer, Femi Falana calls Nigeria’s most powerfully organised protest. The #OccupyNigeria protests, which is the simultaneous response of the Nigerian people against arbitrary increase in fuel pump price and #Governmentwaste, is a similitude of the Egyptian and Tunisian protests but named after ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests. It has been a “deregulated protest” spanning Nigeria’s major Cities, Embassies and High Commissions around the world.
What trend is the #occupynigeria depicting for brands?

1. The other edge of Social Media Marketing has been officially activated

With so much talk about social media marketing and its impact to reaching out to social customers, little attention has been given to social media advocacy.If your business/boss has not been taking social media serious, the impact of social media advocacy will jolt you into action. There is no doubt that the ongoing social media revolution will have an enormous impact not only on the way consumers and brands communicate with each other but also the impact of consumer-consumer communication. For this reason, social media engagement and relationship management strategies are no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘must have’ for marketers.
But marketing via social media channels is not as simple as it is through other channels because of its two-edged effects:
a. Consumers can publicise negative experiences and ideas very widely in a matter of minutes;
b. They can also publicise positive experiences and ideas very widely in a matter of minutes.

The impact of social media as a rallying platform for #occupynigeria cannot be over emphasised. The announcement of the venue of the Lagos rally which cascadingly gathered close to 2 million people in its third day was announced though social media platforms (Blackberry, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other instant messaging platforms).
The ‘unlike President Jonathan day’ (featured on CNN) and ‘the most cursed president’ (ranked on Google) campaign was widely impressive with CNN and Google helping to hype its veracity. With the tools to quickly rally people around a cause readily available, its time to watch it!
The days of poor customer service and treating clients/customers like thrash are counting.

2. Never Violate Trust – It’s the Currency of Brands not Prices

Brand Equity (the strength of a brand) is derived from the goodwill and recognition a brand has garnered over time as a result of fufilling its brand promise. This translates into higher sales volume and profit margins against competing brands. This is the reason why some brands command high patronage even if they charge premium for their products – it is the intangible asset of all promotional efforts.
In an unprecedented manner, the docile and unconcerned Nigerian populace have been jolted alive – thanks to access to information. The total breakdown of trust between the Nigerian people who ‘massively’ voted for the Jonathan Government can be attributed to the widely spread information available on Government’s spending habits, budgetary allocation and money politicking among its high ranking officials.
It is an important lesson to learn that you cannot gain equity by increasing product cost before improving its funtional attributes.

3. Be Ready to Cope with Impersonation

Especially if your business has no officially identified presence in the digital and social media space, or your boss is one who thinks Blackberry is a popular fruit; you now need to prepare for uncertainties, impersonations, rumors and ‘company leaks’.
Some organisations had spent considerable time and enegy refuting claims that they ”ordered people to resume or face sack” during the Nationwide strike declared during the #OccupyNigeria protests. Brands with extensive and original Twitter and Facebook pages quickly responded while traditional businesses looked for avenues to calm misconceptions. The official Twitter handle and Facebook page of the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala came alive in response to claims that she had threatened to resign from office if Nigerians eventually win the battle of the reversal.
Brands now have to think of ways to guide employees’s social relationships, have a policy and chief responsibility officer in preparation for crisis, and consistently stamp their voice online to crowd out impersonating pages and conflicting handles.

4. Social Media can no longer be left to that junior staff

Brands now know they need more than the ability to read and write to assign social media engagement to anyone. Whether to outsource to a social media agency or assign an employee to handle the platforms. The Social Media Manager is not necessarily for the Senior Manager; the appointment into this position requires a new way of thought. It is important to appoint someone with a natural flair for meandering and communicating through different platforms; someone with tact, intelligent, temprate and intelligent enough to engage a wide and varied number of issues and tempraments.
Improper handling of these platforms can backfire and the ripple effects cannot be directly measured until it impacts on the bottomline. The story of how a Fan Page moderator became intolerant when people began to complain on its Facebook about the use of non-renewable palm oil in their production is already a global case study on how not to speak on Facebook.

5. Listening to these Social Media ‘rants’ is now critical

Citizen’s blog posts , comments, social media and Blacberry discussion trends . . it is no more enough to hear about them, it’s time to listen. The emotional and connectedness between brands and their teeming customers can quickly translate into hate and social media mass action if you are not listening early enough and reponding appropriately.
Sustaining Brand equity is a valuable asset which companies invest huge amounts of money to develop; social media listening is now an avenue to maintain and sustain that social reputation.
The web is awash with various tools to help brands listen and respnd appropriately. Brand equity refers to the intangible value that accrues to a company as a result of its successful efforts to establish a strong brand

6. Despite its uncertainties; there lies the power to raise a tribe

SApart for an avenue to execute a highly targetted online marketing campaign; social media is established as a veritable tool for building brand loyalty.
The best way is to think of it as a party. The same wisdom that applies to any social situation also works with social media: Just be yourself and talk to people. Anyone following your brand is also following his or her family members, friends and colleagues. If your brand fits in with a customer’s personal social network, there is great potential for that person to build an emotional attachment and loyalty for your brand the same way they would for a friend. And when a customer thinks of you as a friend, you have a loyal customer.

There is no doubt that the ongoing and fast-developing social media revolution is having an enormous impact not only on the way consumers can communicate with other consumers, but also on the ways in which consumers and brands communicate with each other. For this reason, social media engagement and relationship management strategies are no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘must have’ for marketers.

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2012/01/6-reasons-why-businesses-should-pay-attention-to-occupynigeria/feed/ 1 Complete guide to Social Media Marketing for Start ups http://adeolakayode.com/2012/01/complete-guide-to-social-media-marketing-for-start-ups/ http://adeolakayode.com/2012/01/complete-guide-to-social-media-marketing-for-start-ups/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:10:07 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=571 With the international surge in the number of startups coming into different traditional industries to cause positive disruptions, Social Media has played a powerful role. This therefore goes to imply that a killer social media strategy is the key to success. If your new enterprise is targeted at traditional media consumers it is important to do a target audience profile to determine the veracity.

However, if you’re looking at taking a huge chunk of the youth market and emerging young professionals, then you need to take a shot at using social media strategy to jump start your business.

Startups are not that easy, they are lean, they are hungry for success and they need to catch up with clients and keep a close eye on their industry. Many more internet startups are dying faster than traditional businesses and it is important to get to know what had been consistent thnigs that the few successful one did.

This infographic by some great guys at Udemy helps to summarise how social media can be used by startups to get off the ground.

by Column Five Media via

 

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2012/01/complete-guide-to-social-media-marketing-for-start-ups/feed/ 0 [infograph] Building your brand in the age of social media http://adeolakayode.com/2011/12/infograph-building-your-brand-in-the-age-of-social-media/ http://adeolakayode.com/2011/12/infograph-building-your-brand-in-the-age-of-social-media/#comments Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:37:00 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=567 Branding is certainly undergoing its evolution and people and brands

need to understand the synamics of promoting brands.

Here is a brautiful infograph to inform your brand promotion  strategies

based on researh by aytm (Ask Your Target Market). Enjoy

 

Branding and Social Media Statistics – How People Are Interacting With Brands Online
Source: AYTM Market Research

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2011/12/infograph-building-your-brand-in-the-age-of-social-media/feed/ 0 7 ways Digital Media has transformed Public Relations http://adeolakayode.com/2011/12/7-ways-digital-media-has-transformed-public-relations/ http://adeolakayode.com/2011/12/7-ways-digital-media-has-transformed-public-relations/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:33:27 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=561 Digital Media is definitely a wild card affecting many brands. Social media in particular
has become an epidemic that is transforming every business and economic sector.
The impact of these new technologies and systems throw up new challenges and opens
up opportunities to professionals and others who know how to take advantage of the new                                               methods and tools. An obvious example is the evolution of self-taught computer and web                                                                                                                                 designers, developers and programmers which threw up new challenges to College-trained
computer graduates. Also is the impact online job sites has redefined the practice of human                                                                                           resources in terms of publicity and recruitment. As with every new technology, it has become a
game changer for Public Relations practice.

1. The Public is Back!

Yes, the public relations is no more about what you can do improve
communication with your target audience and stakeholders alone, you need to pay
attention to how the publics can now influence your organisation and its
interests. Stakeholders are now more empowered to respond to organisations’ decisions,
policies and people in a record time and in a massive way.

The multiplicity of communication platforms has also thrown lots of
challenges in the way of the reputation manager. Having a customer’s article
about poor service showing up in Google search results before your
organisations’ website is guaranteed to make you lose customers. Online
Reputation Management, Social Media Engagement, Search Engine Optimisation and
Marketing skills are the new competence levels and it is the business of a
public relations manager to be abreast of consumer touch-points and the various
ways in which consumers can provide feedback on organisations products and
services.

 2. The Rise of New Influencers

Trust agents used to be opinion leaders, community heads, monarchs and brand                                                                                                     ambassadors – but not anymore. Across industries and sectors, new influencers are rising and
it has little to do with their educational or professional certifications.
People in your industry with huge social media followers have become powerful
influencers and those with the knowledge of marketing and promotions are fast
turning themselves into marketing and advertising professionals.  A
quick example is the rise of Nollywood Love, an online YouTube channel that
streams Nigerian films online. The organization and its founder have become big
players and influencers within the industry and he didn’t start by showing up
for auditions. With the democratization of information, everyone has become a
potential publisher and the owner of big media houses are paying attention.                                                                                                                                The major lesson is this; today everyone has the power to influence the perception                                                                                                                   of your brand.

3.  Time is no longer money

If you still quote ‘time is money’, it has become an old fashioned
assumption. Really time now costs you more – it is influence, authority,
authenticity, originality and all the leverage that huge amount of money may
never buy back. Letting news about your organisation or client travel faster
that you can respond will cost you more than you think. In our 24/7
customer-centric world, social media has increased the potential for negative
outcry to gain visibility faster than your brands’ media efforts. The challenge
of the PR professional is to be well-informed, methodical, think fast and be
proactive about every public relations issue that affects your organisation’s
reputation.

4. Researchers are Smiling

The speed of information sharing is faster than ever before and PR professionals
have access to a wealth of content that can be shared with consumers seeking
solutions to a problem. Creating a simple keyword based search on Twitter and
Facebook can connect companies with people at exactly the right time to serve as a helpful
resource. By engaging proactively, PR teams can create new opportunities to
create a favorable brand impression that can lead to the beginning of a potential
business relationship.

Social media has also positively influenced the long standing dynamics of the PR-Journalist                                                                                         practice. Journalists seek information from online sources and PR professionals have also                                                                                             benefited from the added access to available channels. Account planners and researchers can                                                                                               also use digital polls management platforms to conduct their research and analyse results.

5. Digital Reputation Management

Since people are going online to find out about brands and product, it is
only natural that brand managers will be concerned about their online
reputation. They will demand that their Public Relation Consultants expand
their level of competence online and to ensure that traditional communication
channels are extended into online communities.

Rankings of negative comments, opinions and perceptions of your brand (or
product) in search engines now become important to your business.

The business of the reputation manager is now more complex, dynamic and
evolving – the time to rest on the oars can’t be now.

6. Conversation is the new Communication

The word ‘mutual understanding’ a consistent  feature of the definition of Public
Relations? Social
media  has added more tools and re-structured the strategy
and execution of successful two-way communication.

Two-way conversation. PR pros can no be information peddlers that puch information into the
media and sit back and expect to succeed. you can be assured that your PR press release will                                                                                              be answered quickly and in a personal manner, faster that all the time you took in developing it.

Timely, two-way communication is the “new normal.” Listening, engagement and thought
leadership are now three areas that PR pros manage.

7. Analytics, Methods and Tools

PR pros need to understand and use emerging social media tools.
Analytic tools can help track return on investment, including direct costs of staff time spent                                                                                                using the tools, social media marketing efforts and measurement of the traffic it drives to a                                                                                            company’s website.

Social media tools is already becoming the main interphase between
journalist s, PR professionals and the publics. There are many tools onlinen to
help achieve this.

 

It is the business of PR professional not to get lost in
this season of digital disruptions.

It’s time to step up to the game!

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2011/12/7-ways-digital-media-has-transformed-public-relations/feed/ 1 How to make your website mobile friendly – 11 digital platforms http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-to-make-your-website-mobile-friendly-11-digital-platforms/ http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-to-make-your-website-mobile-friendly-11-digital-platforms/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:37:21 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=548 With Google’s revealation about the huge number of people searching for information
and brands via mobile phones; They announced the era of all things mobile, making it
clear that the future of the web is mobile.

Imagine the number of people visiting your website are seeing it on a screen that takes up just a few inches.Will your readers feel cramped or have to work hard to navigate your site or read your content? Are you ready?

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-to-make-your-website-mobile-friendly-11-digital-platforms/feed/ 0 How small businesses are using social media [Infographic] http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-small-businesses-are-using-social-media-infographic/ http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-small-businesses-are-using-social-media-infographic/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:46:14 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=534 It wasn’t that long ago that incorporating an Internet presence was optional for brands and businesses. Now it’s virtually impossible for a business to compete today without paying at least some attention to the internet space. This impact has been more significant with small businesses.

Billions of small businesses have mastered the power of connecting with customers and colleagues electronically.

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-small-businesses-are-using-social-media-infographic/feed/ 0 How to use YouTube to promote your brand http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-to-use-youtube-to-promote-your-brand/ http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-to-use-youtube-to-promote-your-brand/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:36:43 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-to-use-youtube-to-promote-your-brand/ YouTube for businessThe realization that YouTube is the 2nd most popular search engine in the world has since shifted it from the silly ‘watch-me-videos’ status into one of the popular brand marketing platforms in the world. People love watching videos; YouTube and mobile technology has given them the power to do so. It’s time you need to seize the initiative – for your business.

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2011/11/how-to-use-youtube-to-promote-your-brand/feed/ 0 Steve Jobs is dead; 10 Golden lessons from an iconic brand http://adeolakayode.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-is-dead-10-golden-lessons-from-an-iconic-brand/ http://adeolakayode.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-is-dead-10-golden-lessons-from-an-iconic-brand/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:24:04 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=521 steve jobs

Apple has lost its creative and visionary leader Steve Jobs. Even if you never knew him he has influenced humanity. His brilliance approached in develop Apple brand of products remain the keystone of Apple’s success story. It is still hard to imagine Apple without him.

]]> http://adeolakayode.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-is-dead-10-golden-lessons-from-an-iconic-brand/feed/ 0 Top 50 PR and Social Media websites you need to look up http://adeolakayode.com/2011/09/top-50-pr-and-social-media-websites-you-need-to-look-up/ http://adeolakayode.com/2011/09/top-50-pr-and-social-media-websites-you-need-to-look-up/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 06:11:40 +0000 deola http://adeolakayode.com/?p=512 PR and Social Media

Social media in particular has become an epidemic that is transforming every business and economic sector. The impact of these new technologies and systems throw up new challenges and opens up opportunities to most professional especially  Public Relations professionals and those who are in the business of promoting brands on the Internet. For people and individuals seeking resources and websites, I have decided to post this comprehensive list provides by Bschool, an online resource for business professionals on interesting websites and posts on Social Media and PR.

 

  1. PR Daily: Provides the latest PR news stories through this great tech-focused blog. Recommended post: “Report: PR pro is the second-most stressful job.”
  2. PR Newser: If you’d like to see what other companies are putting out in press releases, this site is the place to do it. Recommended post: “The Ten Myths of Creating Web Content.”
  3. Prnewspros: Check out this blog to find news geared especially towards those who are trying to build a career in the PR field. Recommended post: “Your PR Career: What Your College Coursework Doesn’t Teach You About Succeeding in the Workplace.”
  4. PRSay: The Public Relations Society of America maintains this blog, chock full of the latest news and views on everything PR-related. Recommended post: “The Nine Lives Of Public Relations?“
  5. PR News: From advising you on how to make business calls to providing the latest news on business, this PR blog has it all. Recommended post: “PR News’ Going Green: Outstanding Green Business Practices.”
  6. Everything PR: Follow the public relations field as a whole when you read this blog and learn a bit more about global news and pop culture that can help your business. Recommended post: “100 Media Monitoring Tools for PR.”
  7. PR Fuel: This blog will teach you about the power of a press release and offers up some ideas on how to get the most out of online press release sites. Recommended post: “30 PR Experts You Should Follow on Twitter.”

For PR Pros

These blogs will help to educate you on things you’ll need to know to get ahead as a professional working in the field of public relations.

  1. Wired PR Works: Barbara Rozgonyi offers her expertise on getting your business noticed, finding new clients and building a better business community here. Recommended post: “3 YouTube and Video Marketing Tricks You Should Not Miss.”
  2. ComPRehension: Explore the field of PR with some experts in the Public Relations Society of America through this blog. Recommended post: “Annual Grunig Lecture: Remembering The “Relationship” In PR.”
  3. Strategic Public Relations: Learn a bit more about public relations strategies both online and off from this blog. Recommended post: “Starbucks’ In-Store Wifi Leveraged Into Branded Media Network.”
  4. The Publicity Hound’s Blog: Looking for some publicity for your company or clients? Then check out this blog for some tips, tricks and tools that can help you get all eyes on your business. Recommended post: “9 ways to spy on your competitors online.”
  5. 6 A.M.: This PR firm shares their business strategy and some great PR pointers, a great read for anyone interested in establishing their own business or trying to get ahead in their field. Recommended post: “A Word to the Wise.”
  6. POP! PR Jots: Jeremy Pepper, the author of this blog, works in PR and communications. Through this site, he shares his own commentary on the biz and offers some great insights to newbies and seasoned vets alike. Recommended post: “PR Pitching and Blacklists.”
  7. A PR Guy’s Musings: Stuart Bruce’s blog touches on a wide range of PR topics, from social media to business basics to politics. Recommended post: “Public relations is about reputation, not SEO.”
  8. The Flack: Through this blog written by Peter Himler, you’ll be able to learn how PR impacts fields like politics, pop culture, business, entertainment and more. Recommended post: “Long Live PR (and the Press Release Too).”
  9. National Public Relations Examiner: Valerie Merahn Simon, Senior Vice President at BurrellesLuce media monitoring and measurement, maintains this blog that is the perfect place to learn about some of the biggest issues in PR today. Recommended post: “What are the major differences between B2B and B2C social marketing?“
  10. Murphy’s Law: Blogger and PR guy Tom Murphy shares his thoughts on a wide range of topics related to PR, social media and CSR on this site. Recommended post: “PR + CSR = Just Good Business.”
  11. Valley PR Blog: This blog from a PR firm is maintained by several experts in the field who comment on topics like social media, marketing, the world of PR and current events. Recommended post: “The REALITY of publicity.”
  12. PR at Sunrise: From working with difficult clients to navigating the strange new world of social media, you’ll find a wealth of advice for PR pros here. Recommended post: “Top 10 Signs You Are The Official Social Media Nerd Of Your Company.”

Communication

Whether it’s with clients or with the general public, there’s no doubt that communication is a key component of public relations. These blogs will give you an idea of how to improve your communication skills and be a savvier PR pro.

  1. SteDavies: This PR blog is a great resource for professionals hoping to learn a bit more about the role of communications in PR and find some fun and engaging articles about everything from business to finance. Recommended post: “10 Trends of 20-Somethings.”
  2. PR Communications: Learn more about marketing, social media and the internet on this blog from marketer John Cass. Recommended post: “Corporate Blogs in the Fortune 500.”
  3. Public Relations Matters: Dr. Barbara B. Nixon posts to this blog about a number of public relations and communications issues. Recommended post: “Five Ways to Keep Current in Public Relations News & Trends.”

New Media Marketing and PR

These blogs are focused on using the latest technology to get the word out about brands, campaigns and businesses.

  1. A Shel of My Former Self: Focused on communication and technology, this blog by Shel Holtz is a great read for any PR expert looking to take their business digital. Recommended post: “Business-produced content could fill the sharable-content gap created by paywalls.”
  2. The Future Buzz: Find commentary on media, marketing and PR from Adam Singer on this blog. Recommended post: “19 Reasons You Should Blog And Not Just Tweet.”
  3. aimClear: This blog offers up some great articles that can help you promote your brand or business through search engine optimization. Recommended post: “Blog Optimization, Post Title SEO & Deadeye Targeting.”
  4. 360 Days in Our Circle: With several contributing bloggers in the PR business, this blog offers some multifaceted insights into PR in the digital age. Recommended post: “Email and Social Media- A Match Made in Marketing Heaven?“
  5. ProPR: CEO of firms Thornley Fallis and 76Design Joseph Thornley writes this blog. Check it out to learn more about building strong client relationships, implementing creative designs and latching onto the power of the internet for PR. Recommended post: “Six keys to success in social media.”
  6. What’s Next? Blog: B.L. Ochman is an expert on new media marketing, and she shares some of that expertise, as well as her commentary, though this blog. Recommended post: “Five Reasons Why Companies Should Not Block Employee Access to Social Networks.”
  7. Deirdre Breakenridge: From using Facebook to cyberbranding, Deirdre Breakenridge shares her thoughts on all things PR 2.0 on this blog. Recommended post: “PR 2.0 Sharing With Your Competition.”
  8. Diva Marketing Blog: Get some tips and tools for better marketing your brand, especially using digital media, on this site. Recommended post: “RSS Beyond Blogs.”
  9. Media Culpa: These Swedish bloggers follow media and public relations on their site, posting about topics like Twitter, blogging, branding and much more. Recommended post: “Flickr reaches 5 billion photos.”

Social Media

Social media plays a huge role in most businesses marketing and PR work these days. Learn more about how you can better implement it in your own work through these blogs.

  1. PRSarah Evans: For advice and information on getting your business rolling with social networking and online media, check out this site. Recommended post: “STUDY: The Future of Content.”
  2. Dave Fleet: This blog, by PR professional Dave Fleet, discusses communications, PR and social media. Recommended Post: “57 Social Media Policy Examples and Resouces.”
  3. PR Squared: Learn more about social media and marketing from blogger and public relations expert Todd Defren on this site. Recommended post: “Facebook Marketing: Success Factors.”
  4. Danny Brown: Need some help understanding what role social media and online marketing should play in your business? This expert may be able to help. Recommended post: “52 Cool Facts About Social Media.”
  5. Chris Abraham: Chris Abraham, the president and COO of a social media marketing firm, shares his insights into using online tools for business promotion here. Recommended post: “Best Practices of Social Media Marketing.”
  6. The Proactive Report: Help your business stay ahead of the curve by reading this blog written by Sally Falkow. It focuses on social media, but also contains general advice about online PR. Recommended post: “Are Your Customers Too Old for Social Media — Not a Chance!“
  7. Fresh Influence: Learn more about social media and word of mouth marketing from this 360 Digital Influence blog. Recommended post: “10 Stunning (And Useful) Stats About Twitter.”
  8. Convince and Convert: Here, Jay Baer shares information on using social media and online content in PR marketing. Recommended post: “Develop a Social Media Strategy in 7 Steps.”
  9. prTini: If you’ve got an interest in better utilizing social media to promote your business or product, give this blog by Heather Whaling a read. Recommended post: “The 5 Cs of Blogger Relations.”
  10. Peter Shankman: Social media entrepreneur and consultant Peter Shankman offers some business advice on using social media to its fullest on this blog– much of which can be quite useful to PR professionals. Recommended post: “Is your social media expert really an expert?“
  11. Communications Conversations: Get a leg up in the social media marketing world by reading some of the tips Arik Hanson has to offer here. Recommended post: “5 LinkedIn groups for PR pros.”

Niche

From tracking your stats to learning from the mistakes of others, these blogs focus on some niche areas of PR.

  1. Brian Solis: Want to learn more about new media and how it’s affecting those who use it? This blog from research firm professional Brian Solis is a must-read. Recommended post: “The Rise of Social Commerce.”
  2. Young PR: PR isn’t just for businesses. Learn a great deal about using social media, technology and marketing to help a non-profit through this blog. Recommended post: “PdF Audio: Using Social Media for Non-Profit Fundraising.”
  3. SpinSucks: PR has a bad reputation for being manipulative and dishonest. This blogger shares some ways that PR professionals can get out of this mindset as well as posting about topics like social media, communications, advertising and more. Recommended post: “Five Signs A Social Media Star’s Reputation Is Spin.”
  4. Bad Pitch Blog: Read this blog to see bad PR pitches get called out and to learn what you shouldn’t do in your own work. Recommended post: “PR People: Stop Being Bad at Stuff and Read This.”
  5. PR Measurement Blog: Learn how to more effectively monitor the impact of your online marketing, public relations, internal communications and more with the help of this blog. Recommended post: “The originial HITS = How Idiots Track Success Speech.”
  6. Spinning Around: This blog is a fun place to see some creative marketing campaigns for other brands. You may just be inspired to come up with your own. Recommended post: “The UK’s Top Marketing Weblogs.”
  7. PR Disasters.com: Want to see some PR campaigns gone wrong and big PR snafus? This blog is the place to do it. Whether they make you laugh or cringe, you’ll get an idea of what not to do while you’re on the job. Recommended post: “Five lessons from Nestle’s Facebook PR disaster.”
  8. Personal PR: While you’re sure to find some great PR tips here, this blog also offers up some ideas on how to be more productive and get ahead in your career. Recommended post: “27 Secrets to Linking LIke a Master Networker.”

 

 

 

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