Early on Google urged brands to avoid signing up for individual Google+ profiles with the promise that they were working on special business profiles.

Holy cow!

Unlike Facebook and Twitter that were not created with PR/Marketing folks in mind,  Google+ has the advantage of a late entry to the social media. Social media has proven itself as a powerful communications tool, Google+ can leverage that knowledge as brands rush to connect with stakeholders be it media, consumers or other.

Google+ stands to be the social network that can offer equal opportunity to marketers and public/media relations professionals regardless of industry or B2B/B2C focus.

Spending time with my individual profile, I immediately see three strong ways brands can tap into the power of Google: Sparks, Hangouts and Circles. The fact that Google+ is developing the network with brands in mind, should only make pr/marketing folks tingle with even more anticipation.

Google+ , brands and audiences hookup; Sparks & Hangouts & Circles OH MY!

Sparks
I love my Google+ sparks as much as I loved Twitter lists. However Google+ provides a much slicker (yep slicker) interface to connect with targeted content. For brands, the use of sparks to showcase industry expertise, news and media content, career opportunities or whatever else an organization needs to communicate about seems like a no brainer.

Hangouts
As a former journalist and broadcaster the multimedia beauty of hangouts naturally the jumps out at me with a tremendous amount of potential.

The virtual press conference just became a dream to set up. With targeted circles getting information to media fast, in an interactive and engaging   way couldn’t be easier.
Get immediate, verbal, face to face feedback from consumers or other key external stakeholders.
If you operate in the B2B realm, add value to the community by hosting information sessions, showcase expertise and bring in guests. Just like corporate blogs grow like weeds when you expand your thinking beyond SELL SELL SELL, same too with live video chats.

And that’s just three quick thoughts on hangouts, spend a little time and I’d imagine your mind will run laps around the hangout concept.

Circles
Regardless of communications function, be it marketing or public relations, the ease of segmenting markets or dividing publics is a dream even on an individual account. Google+ provides marketing/public relations folks an easy way to send messages to multiple and diverse publics/markets. I’d go as far to say Google+’s use of circles could be a glimpse into a future where both PR and Marketing work together and have joint ownership of social media. Unlike Twitter and Facebook, message are far harder to target. (P.S. feel free to add me to your circle)

All in all, what do you see being a potential for Google+ in the world of PR and Marketing?  For a cool glimpse at the possible brand pages check out Sean Percival’s creation.

I ventured into Times Square for the first time in my life. The group I was with thrust me into an NYPD cop car and asked the poor on-duty officer to pose for a pic. In horror I exclaimed this isn’t Buckingham Palace! This is the NYPD, they certainly have more important things to do than pose for photo ops with a Canadian born Minnesotan on their first escapade in the Big Apple.

The officer however obliged. Here’s the result:

be yourself, your public will know if you aren't

This chance moment with a more than gracious NYPD officer reminded me of why the social media phenomenon has been so powerful in the world of PR, Communications and Marketing. The lesson she, the officer, reminded me is one we all need frequent reminding of. . .

Be yourself, be a real person. If you try to be anything else your public will notice and go on to the next brand, organization or person. If you’re a brand, give it a persona.

With that, after a long night exploring Times Square, I’m exhausted.

Before I leave, what common reminders do you think we need to be reminded of frequently in using social media daily in communications?

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Ryan

First, we were social

What excites me about this conference  is that it really solidifies, in my Canadian born mind at least, that emerging media’s buzzwords aren’t so focused on social anymore. While the constant expansion of social technology certainly illustrates that social is alive and well, as an emerging media communications professional, I’m learning that none of these “things”  . . . these buzzwords . . . are a one stop shop. Take social media for example, The number of “social media ninja, guru, expert, manager, awesome-doer” job descriptions is on the decline. (Anecdotal of course, on my Delta flight I didn’t have much time for a quick quantitative analysis) Does that mean social is dying? Certainly not, but what has me enthusiastic is a focus on understanding social and it’s role in traditional communications functions, be it journalism, advertising, public relations or marketing. Folks are finally starting to understand it’s not the size of a following that determines social media savvy but rather one’s capacity to immerse their career in new technology.

Now we are mobile

Disclaimer: While I head PR for a tech company that has a heavy interest in mobile, my affinity for the rapid expansion of mobile goes beyond the walls of my office.

What excites me about this conference is it’s not a bunch of folks barking about social media as the new and  emerging media.  As an aside, I despise the term new media, it’s emerging media people and it’s always emerging.

Check out my schedule for Blogworld. A healthy mix of old, middle-of-the-road and bleeding edge media focused sessions.

Here’s three reasons mobile is huge and it’s part of the reason why the “social expert” job description is fading into the null of the mid 2000′s.

• Mobile takes life and connections on the go
• Mobile is intimately engaging and has laser beam focus
• Mobile will pass desktop internet access

Mobile provides social amplification…. be social on-the-go in everything from traditional networks to your dining/shopping/gaming/farting and everything else apps. Mobile makes discussions of the “coming social revolution” blase and irrelevant because it’s beyond critical mass and has implications left and right. Adapt or die.

Mobile’s ability to engage is astounding from entertainment and game apps to utility and lifestyle apps connect us with each other, with brands and with ideas far more than we’ve ever been connected.

Mobile has tremendous potential for brands that wield it wisely (if your in NYC and wanna chat about this more lemme know on Twitter @ryanruud or email ryanruud@me.com).

Finally, it’s old but it stands repeating. Internet and all things digital guru Mary Meeker predicts mobile access to the internet will soon eclipse desktop. Those intimate social  connections will be taking place on a deeper and more frequent level than ever before as a result!

The emerging job description

As communications professionals its our job to stay on top of all these changes, understand and explore ways to implement them and be on the bleeding edge. For me, this technology ramp up has had me salivating for years!

Can’t wait to land and feel like a kid on Christmas morning. The social /mobile / next big thing expert is a thing of the past I whole-heartedly believe. Today an understanding and a passion for it all, the old and new, is necessary. Let’s get our hands dirty!

I’ll blog as much as I can both on my personal blog here in regards to communications and I’ll also post a few notes on mobile specific topics over on the W3i and Smart App Marketing Blog.

You can also follow my thoughts on Twitter @ryanruud.

About to begin my descent so adios folks!

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Ryan

Several scholars and authors have raised concerns over the hyper-conglomeration of American media. Among them and perhaps most recognized is Ben Bagdikian author of the book The New Media Monopoly. Bagdikian writes of the conglomeration effect stating that “the awesome power of the contemporary mass media has in one generation been a major factor in reversing the country’s progressive political, social and economic momentum of the twentieth century.” (pg. 11)

Paul Kivel the author of You Call This a Democracy? writes, passionately, that “the media is not neutral, it reflects a clear ruling class agenda.” (pg. 125) Kivel’s concerns along with Bagdikian’s observations have been topics at the core of significant debate over media conglomeration over the past two decades.

There are volumes of quantitative and anecdotal reports that would suggest that Bagdikian and Kivel are on the right track. But let’s suppose for a moment that the research didn’t exist and we look merely at John Milton’s argument for the freedom of expression. The blind poet used an historic notion, the marketplace of ideas, to argue for a vibrant and diverse public forum on issues, with the “cream” essentially rising to the top, that is the opinions shared most by the public.

With that premise, media ownership in the hands of fewer than half a dozen corporations can’t possibly incubate the necessary debate for the marketplace of ideas to succeed.

What is to become of the American media is unknown, but it would be wise of a prudent citizen to at the very least, acknowledge the dangers of a shrinking pool of media owners.

Lately I, like many of my counterparts tasked with making sense of the social landscape, have been challenged with the demands of developing social media metrics. Blog (check out #27) after blog says 2011 will see honing in of social media metrics. My “goal setting” challenge has been drawn out over the past several weeks. Finally, there is light at the end of the  tunnel after a strenuous and albeit frustrating journey. It got me thinking, yes there is a point that I’m about to circle back to , of my favorite quote from Walt Disney:

Keep Moving Forward

Looking back at 2010 the strides I, and my community of social media lovers tasked with brand building in the social ecosystem, have made has been monumental. For dealing with a medium that changes faster then most of us can blink, we’ve done well. It has proven that stick-to-it-ivness pays off regardless of industry. When confronted with a challenge we have the option of throwing our hands up and walking away *guilty*. 2010 taught me to trudge through. Bring it 2011.

It’s resolution season. We’re all resolving to break off the shell of an old self and emerge , mastering new challenges, taking on greater risk and seeking more balance.

At the top of my resolution list: read more. In the waning months of my formal education, at least until I move beyond an M.S. and pursue my J.D., I’ve resolved to read more of what I want to read.

The first book I finished off also happened to set a great foundation for me going into 2011. Carmine Gallo’s The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs was a natural selection for a lover of all things Mac. I had no idea how easily I would be able to implement the book’s seven principles into my professional and personal life.

1. Do What You Love
2. Put a Dent in the Universe
3. Kick Start Your Brain
4. Sell Dreams, Not Products
5. Say No to a 1,000 Things
6. Create Insanely Great Experiences
7. Master the Message

A fantastic read and a page turner. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to inspire their next decade. The Chinese have animal names for their years. I prefer to channel Steve on applying some sort of label to 2011.

In an address to Stanford University students, Job uttered a phrase that sends volts of inspired electricity through my being, it seems the best way to stage 2011:

2011: “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.”

Do yourself a favor, take a weekend and plow through the book for some great reminders and new discoveries.

I’m the ripe ol’ age of 24. I’ve spent 10 years working professionally in media and I feel after a decade, that I know very little after all these years. I love the constant challenge of adapting in an industry so diverse and so change-oriented. I’ve held positions in broadcast outlets on-air and off in markets from small to number 15. I’ve built and run my own public relations consutlting practice, I’ve counseled executives to students on the use of social media in P.R./Journalism/Marketing, I’ve driven strategic communication for organizations from the ground up delivering robust results and even after all of this I feel like I know so little.

That’s a good thing, it means as a P.R./Media guy I keep looking to sharpen skills. But in recent weeks that nasty lil’ shadow of self doubt has crept in. Here’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned in 2010that, when understood, has empowered me to achieve successes. Acceptance and execution will empower you as well, what is it?

What every P.R./Media Professional Must Know For Success

Trust your instincts, you know more than you think you do.

Too often we communications folks get wrapped up in planning and talking about what we’re going to communicate and how wer’re going to do it then actually doing. We talk about how hard it is to measure and quantify and execute and blah blah blah. The co-founder at my latest gig left me with this nugget that I think ties all of this together and I hope will give you some incentive in 2011, he says:

“Get off the whine (he uses a different word but I think my mom reads this blog so I’m censoring, use your imagination and hi mom!) train and just GO already!”

My sincerest wishes for the very best to you, your agency, your school, your company, and your world in 2011!

- Ry

For one to think that they can develop a strategy that is applicable across settings and objectives in social media is absurd. Additionally, over thinking it and over analyzing it will be the death of your strategy.

Case in point? A diagram and post I saw today on Social Media Today. I’ll be the first to say I like a good diagram. I find this one from Brian Solis and this one from OpinionWatch to be particularly helpful in mapping out a baseline strategy on developing a social community.

A strategy shouldn’t have to be decoded

The major problem with this diagram is I’ve seen pages in medical books make more sense. The consensus is for social media to be successful to an organization, there needs to be organization-wide buy-in in the value. If I submitted this chart with it’s subsequent serious of alpha and numerical steps to any of my former or current employers/clients I’d be asked to leave.  A strategy should make sense and be scalable and not take a series of multi-hour long meetings to gain buy-in.

Don’t overanalyze your social network

Unless you’re the type who goes home at night and ponders every interaction through out the day, there’s no value in over-complicating social interactions. Quite frankly, as a social consumer, I’m offended that there are those who think they can apply some common metric across my interest areas. The key to any successful network is constant monitoring, adapting and value adding.

You can’t just apply a mechanic to your social interaction and walk away. Each network provides unique ways to engage with community where they want to be engaged. You can’t have a cookie cutter approach across all networks, and all interests. Don’t have one network feed another, it may not always make sense. If I see one more hashtag on a Facebook wall followed by, posted by Hootsuite, I might wig out.

The five pillars of social media marketing

All was not lost today in the world of social media however. I stumbled across the 5 Pillars of Social Media Marketing. This , unlike the other chart that looks more like a map to the lost city of Atlantis, provides a good starting point and is scalable project by project.

From the social media battlefield

In 2011 it’s becoming apparent that scalability of social media strategy will become a top priority. While strategy outlined on paper is good, over-complicating it like the chart this post is about is not going to help your efforts. At the end of the day, regardless who you are or what your ultimate goals are, you can’t change the nature of social media and how it works. How it works is simple:

• Listen.
• Engage.
  
• Listen Some more.
• Add Value.
• Still Listening.
• Engaging some more.
• You get the idea.

Here’s to a successful 2011 for your social media endeavors, what are your thoughts on over-strategizing your social media efforts and expecting it to fit into a chart?

#1: Re-evaluate the goal and metric for measuring value
What I like about Ferrazzi’s approach, as opposed to the kind I was taught in my undergrad, is that networking should not be viewed on a “what can you do for me” mentality. If you pursue it for the pay off of a better job, station or income, it almost certainly won’t work. What I’ve found to pay off in dividends beyond a paycheck, is the ability to pay out in insight.
Having diverse opinions and perceptions has helped me navigate through those moments when faced with dilemmas and choices. Perhaps it is the journalist in me, but I value as much knowledge I can attain when making big choices. I’m not necessarily looking for my network to connect me as much as I’m looking for it to inform me, an action I assume my network expects of me in return when necessary.
Too often the pay off on networking is misrepresented, especially to young professionals, myself included. It’s a lesson I needed to learn, although in hindsight it was always occuring, I just never noticed it or the difference.
Now, I engage with people because I appreciate their insight far more than their tangible background or what kind of ‘hook-up’ they can get me. Since changing my perspective, the network has diversified. That’s a good thing.

#2: Digital is good, but it doesn’t end there
All that said, the role social media has played in expanding my context is significant. In 2011 I’m taking those connections made online and expanding them offline. I was inspired by Jeff Esposito’s posts on PR Breakfast Club recently relating to key resolutions for PR folks.

It can make a difference
I know number one is spot on and I’m almost certain of number two. As a check on accountability, I’ll make it a personal goal to revisit and update this blog by the end of Q1 2011. What are your thoughts on the misconceptions of networking? I’d love to hear from you and of course…gain your insight. (insert smile) I refuse to use an emoticon.

Number ten is something I’ve seen on several top ‘whatever’ lists. It reads

The role of the social media strategist will be changing…

Why the pause? I’ve been in my most recent stint as a social media strategist at my latest company for just 3 months. But already the pressure is going beyond the tactical implications of social media. The pressure now is all encompassing, how do we measure its effectiveness and what function does it best serve. Gone is the day of a social media strategist who just “does social.” In the field, the pressure is on to make it meaningful and to define its function.

The PR of Social Media

Let me explain that a bit further. A lot of posts debate over who should run Social Media, Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising, Human Resource etc. A common response is:  all of them. I disagree and  think that’s a cop out. The more time I spend using social media for business, the more I am convinced that it is inherently a Public Relations function. Public Relations professionals are the ones with the skills to extract a diverse amount of value from large publics. Social media at it’s core is building relationships. The textbook definition of public relations, as defined by the Cutlip Center is

the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.

Social media then becomes a tactic of public relations and can support a variety of functions within the business setting beyond public relations, including marketing and human resources.

The biggest mistake I see time and time again is assigning marketing folks to social media functions and expecting them to extract value from personal engagement. That’s what Public Relations does.

Social media strategist expectations. Numero uno, relationship-building

When it comes to change for the social media strategist, my reaction is based in hope. I hope that it becomes understood that public relations needs to be at the core of successful social media efforts. It is by the natural ebb and flow of relationships the rest of the business functions will benefit. Applying the heavy hand of  marketing to engagement and relationship building will simply turn off publics. What are your thoughts, where does social media fit in the business world and who is best equipped to handle it?