By Shawna Hassett, Duffy & Shanley
How many times have you heard it? "2010 is the year of social media." It's just February and I feel like that expression is so terribly dated. Yes, social media is certainly amping up - clients, companies - they are all trying to figure out how to play in the social media space. It's our job as PR professionals to be sure we are ahead of the curve in order to provide counsel to our clients or management. But when there is SO much information out there - and NEW information is being created at an alarming rate, how do we maintain our positions of "authority?" Learning... constant learning is key.
That's why Duffy & Shanley found it so important to sponsor the three part social media series by the Pub Club. And, although the panels were excellent, a three-part series is just the tip of the iceberg - we have so much more to learn. The panel last night focused on social media case studies from five professionals - agencies and in-house teams were both represented. A big thank you to our moderator, Dan Abdinoor, Senior Software Engineer at HubSpot, and our participants: Stacey Howe, Digital Brand Manager at New Balance; Marc Goodman, Director of Public Relations at Comcast; David Woodrow, SVP of Sales & Partner Services, Gather; Meagan Ellis, Senior Social Account Manager at Kel & Partners; and Jennifer Jewett, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications at Kaspersky Lab Americas.
I find case studies are always an excellent way to learn. Sure, we live and die by "best practices," but the case studies that were presented last night gave us all five examples of successful programs - best practices brought to life. While each example was certainly different, there were at least two common threads: authenticity and courage.
A genuine voice is so incredibly important because consumers (or your audience) want to feel it is really YOU (the company, the brand) behind that voice. What's the point of consumer engagement if you aren't really even engaged? And I say courage because it is SCARY to embark on these new ventures in social media - both for the company or brand and for the PR team. When PR professionals are so accustomed to controlling a message, it can seem wild to allow just about anyone to comment or chime in. But each participant last night helped to dispel those fears, reiterating that those conversations are happening ANYWAY. Why not be a part of it? This is the question we are challenged to ask clients and management teams.
So again, a big thank you to all the participants and all the Pub Club members who took the time to attend. And, for those who attended the event, remember to give a shout out to @Kaspersky today for that special prize Jennifer promised (Thanks, Jennifer!).
Also remember... you can join the Pub Club Now for only $99. If you attended last night's panel, we'll also refund the extra $30 you paid as a non-member for the program. That's like joining for the year for just $69! But hurry - this deal only lasts until Feb. 28th.
