Allie’s Blog

Some would say that the technological advances in the 21st century has left our society too dependent, lazy and impersonal.  Up until this year I always believed that to be true.  However, now that I read more about blogs and podcasting my opinions have changed.

Yes, we would rather send a quick e-mail than a handwritten letter and text messaging is the most popular form of communication via cell phones these days, but if you really step back and look at the big picture, there are a lot of advancements that have helped us to personally keep in touch.

Podcasting is one of them.  When a podcast is presented it doesn’t have a repetitive company brand marked all over the pages.  Or a story that sounds as scripted as a robot.  It has real people and real discussions. And even better it allows viewers to gain the information they want at the precise time they want it thus introducing two-way communication.

Let’s not forget about vodcasting, and the intervention of the camera.  This allows people to bring the information to the public.  Whether it be a live church service or highschool football game the video provides the community with information.  In fact the greatest example of use in this new media in the book is about KitchenArts.  The website contains product with a short video segment of how each tool works.

As I read over the previous post I wrote, I began to wonder “what good will a blog do if you can’t get people to read it?”  From reading various advice from professionals, as well as my own personal experience, I’ve concluded that people only want to read what connects and attracts them personally.  You should keep this in mind when starting a blog.

This comment refers back to previous posts when I stated that one of the most important things that David Meerman Scott has taught me is that content is crucial.  He says in this chapter that “pimping your blog” is an effective way to attract an audience.  It’s what keeps them there that really matters.

He also says that although you want to make your blog attractive and burst with your company’s personality, zest and intelligence…the content of the blog must do the same.  I remember reading about buyer persona in Scott’s book and I don’t think there could be a better example of how important it is than this one.

I also found it helpful that Scott mentioned to narrow your audience and try to target a specific public.  In the Kansas Lawyer example, Grant D. Griffiths began a blog specifically for Kansas residents in need of a lawyer.  I also keep referring back to vague memories of high school research papers.  Blogs shouldn’t be exactly like papers but you must be honest and never report information without permission.

The New Rules of Marketing and PR never came as a shock for me.  I saw it coming.  I knew one day that journalists would not be the only audience to read a press release.  I knew that advertising would one day stray from mainstream brands and products to reach every buyer.  I came to accept these new rules the second I heard of the term “Internet.”

What really shocked me was when I began to read about The New Rules of Media Relations.  Sure, I knew media was key to publicizing news.  It wasn’t that idea that surprised me, but rather who we call “media” in this day and age.

The New Rules of Media Relations list a lot of rules about pitching to your bloggers, encouraging personal relationships with reporters and to become the audience and start your own blog.

Along with connecting to your audience by becoming them, blogging is a great way for your ideas to reach the mainstream market.  Buyers, companies and reporters are constantly searching for information via blogs.  You can’t even type in a phrase into Google without at least one blogroll appearing on the links listed.

      Today, online media has become more than just online shopping and an easy way for quick research.  In fact, online media is a lifesaver for public relations.  The internet has more networks than anything.  It’s important to remember to place a news release in the search feed which can connect readers through search engines such as Yahoo! and Google.
        The first place I go to find out information about an upcoming event or recent activity in a company is the internet.  If I can’t find at least two links that take me directly to what I’m looking for, chances are that that business is not trying hard enough to connect with its buyers.

   The word “buyers” reminds of another topic.  I like that Scott recognizes that in this day and age it’s not just journalists that are browsing through news releases.  Buyers from all backgrounds and taste are reading the news release because of its availability.  It’s crucial to make a news release universal and approachable.

          If there’s anything I’ve learned about creating a successful and solid news release, it’s that you should always write it like news…made for ANYONE.  Press releases are a thing of the past because they are no longer just written for the press. 

I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this, but the world as I see it today is impersonal and disconnected. I can’t even get professional customer service for any product I own without first speaking to a machine rather than a human being. Call me crazy, but with technology over ruling our society there must be at least a little desire to gain personal experience from technological advances.
This personal experience is where buyer personas and web content comes in hand. The only way for a website to make a personal connection with its buyers is to first know their needs, wants, dislikes, likes and even personal taste. You want your website to have personality. A good hold on web content and interactive tools on your website often reflects your business strategies making your company look more professional and desirable.
Offering tools that allow for feedback not only builds a relationship with your customers, but also opt for suggestions for a product or marketing strategy. This can also lead to further interest in your products from various customers.
You may be thinking what good does an interactive site do if it doesn’t sell something? The solution is to put content on a website that will take viewers through a sell cycle. Reassurance of product quality, comparing products and prices and benefits about certain products is some basic information that places your buyers in the cycle.

PR Writing can easily be comapred to writing a college English paper. You use “big words” that most normal people don’t understand and throw in some sloppy jargon (”Gobbledygook”) all for the sake of what? To try and impress the professor? Well I’ve got news for you, chances are they’re not buying it. They’d much rather you use familiar words to create a clear and concise message.

Same works with an industry’s buyers. Just look at the customers as your college english professor. Understand what your buyers’ needs are and explain your product. OMIT NEEDLESS GOBBLEDYGOOK.
Blogs can come in handy when it comes to useless gobbledygook. When you gain feedback about your product or the way in which you market your product you can gain insight for improvements.
More than often, customers won’t directly call a PR Practitioner to complain that they can’t understand a press release. However, they will write it in a blog. How do I know this? Because I’ve done it before…several times. Becoming connected in the blogosphere is crucial for your company’s reputation and helps keep marketers constantly in the know. It can also help and industry build an interactive relationship with its buyers.

People like to be heard. When a website can offer opportunities for people to share opinions, it makes for a more effective website.

The NRDC website uses good examples of effective PR called “consumer and community relations.” It allows participation amongst environment activists and those concerned or interested in the future of the environment. Scott explains that buyers who can access information from a website easily are more likely to be interested in the company and its products. This explains why making the content of a website correctly is crucial.

I understand why Scott stresses the importance of content, but I’m confused as to why he does not immediately state that content and style and design of a website should go hand in hand. He does say design is important, but that content is often times overlooked. However, the design of a website is the first thing a buyer sees. Its job is to attract the reader and the content is there to keep the reader interested.

Despite my beliefs, I do like the fact that he describes content as an art rather than a science. It is a way of expressing creativity through writing and organizing. This is a core element of PR. Times are changing and we no longer solely depend on brochures and billboards for advertisement. It is up to website content to inform the public, express the company’s objectives and style and to not sell, but serve the buyer.

      Chapter seven and eight focused a great deal on two things in marketing that attract companies: customers and the term “free.”  In chapter seven Scott talks about online forums and how important they are in a company’s relationship with its consumers.  Consumer relations is one of the most effective marketing tools a company can have, and the fact that its free should be all the more reason to participate in them.
      Customers always feel the need to be informed about things important to them.  This is why I’m glad to see that these past two chapters have focused on forums that enable customers and companies to collaborate feelings and ideas via online.  There can’t be anything wrong with free communication.
      I feel like all I hear is negative things about the internet.  One negative aspect I hear about is the fact that anyone can put information on the internet.  How is this bad thing? I look at this in a good way.  Anyone can have a voice and it gives customers a chance to interact with one another about information concerning the market.
       On page 100, Scott states “any organization has the power to become famous on the Web.”  This quote reminded me of a previous chapter about the band who gained publicity from the Internet.  The Internet can be a powerful tool in controlling the market when used effectively and correctly.

 In chapter 6, Scott states that PR professionals fear what they don’t know and have lost all ability to communicate directly with consumers.  I agree with this in a sense that, with media and technology being leading forms of communication, PR professionals are straying from the old ways of communicating directly.  However, I feel that personal contact is still being stressed as an important means of communication and that PR professionals know this. 
 In my case studies class I’ve learned some important maxims that every PR practitioner should know.  One of them is that personal face-to-face contact is the most effective means of communication.  While I see where Scott is coming from by saying that PR professionals fear the unknown and fear personal communication with consumers, I don’t understand why personal contact with consumers would ever be a problem.  Aren’t we as PR majors being taught that personal contact is crucial to successful PR?
 The context in chapter 7 reminded me of another PR maxim I’ve learned; appeal to an audience self interest is proven effective.  Not only has podcasting changed the music industry, but it has also changed the entertainment industry as a whole.  Everyone likes to be entertained and everyone likes to find new ways to be entertained which is exactly what podcasting has done. 
 People seeking publicity have found easier more effective ways to get their name out there.  One example that Scott mentioned was about struggling bands.  I think it’s a positive step in the media world when an unknown band can find ways to advertise their music without forcing family members and friends to attend each gig at a local bar.

Today we live in a fast-pace world where everyone wants convenience. We’ve become reliant on technology to give us that convenience. In the first four chapters of David Meerman Scott’s book “The New Rules of Marketing & PR” he doesn’t condone this image, he simply states the facts and recognizes it. I agree with Scott’s theory that PR and marketing are changing more than ever and we as a society must learn to adapt.
In chapter two Scott states that “today’s consumers are looking for just the right product or service to satisfy their unique desires at the precise moment they are online.”
Rather than frowning upon the thought that we may have become too dependent on online media, Scott did a great job of listing the positive aspects of “New PR.”
In chapter three Scott states that new media and new PR techniques enable people and companies to create their own success by creating and representing themselves in a way they find important. They can do this by displaying specific messages they want their audience to see or hear. I agree with his views in chapter three when he says that we have the power to control our image because of new PR.
My favorite section throughout the four chapters is the blog section in chapter four. People need to know that blogging is not just something a middle school kids do in their rooms. Scott informs the public that it’s a way of personal and efficient communication and an effective means of getting a message across. I look forward to reading the rest of the book to gain more insight in the PR world.