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Your Turn: What Can We Do Better in Public Relations?

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Jeremiah Owyang’s recent Tweet about a question he was asked during a briefing – “What can we do better?” – made me think this is a question we should be asking the industry more often. Of course, we have regular discussions with our clients about what we, as an agency, can be doing better. But as rumors of the PR industry dying continue (by the way, that’s been tossed around for years now), we thought we’d ask you, readers. PR isn’t dying – rather, it’s changing. But change is good – and we want to hear your thoughts on how PR should evolve and improve.

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It seems there are a lot of opinions out there about what PR is doing wrong or failing at, but very often these complaints are hollow – there aren’t specifics around what companies would like to see more of other than “media coverage.” So how can we as an industry improve? What do you think PR professionals could do better or differently? If you’ve got an opinion on the subject, here’s what we’d love to hear from you:

– What do you think PR professionals most need to improve or change? (We’d love to hear perspective from journalists, business owners, CMOs and VPs, branding and social media experts, etc.)

– In what areas would you like to see improvement? Media relations? Social media? Messaging? Strategy? Crisis Communications? Pitches? Writing? Thought leadership? Other?

– What is PR doing right these days?

– If you work with a PR agency, have they delivered what they promised when you hired them?

We’d love for you to leave your comments here or, if you’ve got a lot to say but want to keep it private, feel free to email me at chris[at]perkettpr.com or fill out our online questionnaire. If interest is high, we’ll gather and analyze the feedback and share some additional insights on how we think PR can improve the problem areas. In any event, let’s stop saying PR is dying. Let’s talk about how it’s evolving.

Thank you in advance!

Valuable Content, Not Numbers, is What Really Matters in Social Media for Business

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This morning I received a promotional email from a company that began with this line, “With over 1,700 followers on Twitter, [Company] is fast becoming a top industry resource…”

That statement fires me up for a few reasons:

1) Why do 1700 followers on Twitter make you an industry resource?

2) Who are the 1700 followers and why do you equate them with credibility of your organization (or to me) if you haven’t put them into context?

3) This was from a PR resource company and screams “bad pitch” to me – something the PR industry continues to suffer from.

Where is the context? Proof points? Value explanation?

This is the biggest issue I see right now in social media efforts from businesses: too much fluff and not enough valuable content. This email landed on the heels of a video I watched on Friday that raised hairs on my neck. It was a home-produced video commercial for a “service” (read: a set of video instructions) to help you “build your Twitter followers with no effort at all! Fully automated!” (I so vehemently disagree with its purpose that I can’t even bring myself to link to it here.)

Look, we’re all aware that there’s a certain level of narcissism to social media. We share every little thing we do, say or feel with near-strangers via microblogging, video, Facebook and more. We compare follower numbers, TwitPic everything we can, and debate over whether or not to employ a Guy Kawasaki-like Twitter strategy or not. Follower numbers do matter to a lot of people.

And while a large following can work for good causes – take Ashton Kutcher and CNN raising $$ to fight Malaria in their battle to reach 1M users – it’s not quite the same when you’re promoting a product or service. In other words, using social media for business has got to employ a smarter strategy. It’s easy to be viewed as genuine when raising money for a good cause. Building a genuine reputation when promoting your business takes a bit more effort.

That effort includes understanding social media – not just touting your use of it because it’s a hot buzz word or trend. Don’t mislead your prospects or customers by equating your “followers” on Twitter (or elsewhere) with value – unless you’ve done your homework and can explain how those numbers add value. I have over 10,000 followers on Twitter today but I wouldn’t tout those numbers as the value in a new business pitch. Rather, I would tout that I know how to identify and communicate with the specific followers within that number that would matter to the prospect. Or, that I know how to help build, grow and maintain a focused and valuable network for my clients (as I’ve done for myself and for others). My fashion industry friends are not going to matter to my VoIP or healthcare clients. My parenting discussions won’t relate to non-parenting Twitter pals. My marathon community doesn’t matter to my PR colleagues (well, not the ones who aren’t runners anyway). You get the point.

I am fully aware that the exciting opportunity in social media is to expand your network in ways never before possible. I agree that there are unprecedented opportunities for promoting and connecting. But people who are turning social media – especially Twitter – into a massive infomercial are missing the point. Even if you get 25,000 followers to your Twitter stream, if you don’t offer meaningful value to them, they aren’t going to stay, or buy your product, or read your blog. Say you’re Tweeting about mountain climbing gear and 75% of your followers are musicians who live in New York City. That means an even smaller percentage of those 25,000 followers are likely to be relevant customers. And that brings me back to touting your follower numbers alone as value. The value is in the content and the relationship (and how these relate to your ultimate goals), not the numbers.

The more popular social media becomes – like Twitter, for example – the more choosy I am becoming about who I’m connecting with – and the more I am learning about how to maintain value for different audiences. I want value out of these relationships – both work and personal value – and I’m finding that many of my friends are discovering this as well. I want to help my clients participate in social media intelligently – in a way that will bring value to their organization as well as their customers.

The booming popularity of social media has changed the focus – for those who truly get it – from building a large network to building a valuable network. I’ve got various examples to share on how to do this – but that’s another blog post.

What do you think?

Uncertainty Equals Opportunity for New Leaders

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With the frightening economy, massive layoffs and a new focus on personal branding, employers need to work harder than ever to keep employees motivated and working together. Leading teams in a time when uncertainty abounds is not an easy task.

Yesterday in our staff meeting, I shared this sentiment – we’ll continue to be successful by working closely together and showcasing our ability to not only survive, but to thrive. I am also adamant that just because we’re being vigilant about smart spending, we don’t have to put a hold on growth. I don’t only expect our agency to continue to innovate and grow, I insist upon it.

You may be thinking, “Growth?! Who is trying to grow during a time like this?” But let me explain.

When I say growth I don’t always, or only, mean in the physical or financial sense. I mean in the sense of continuing to challenge each other and our clients, push our creative limits and bring new possibilities to the table. Growth of our ideas and improvement in the way we run our agency is something that should never stop. This can be applied to personal career growth as well. Down economies often spawn a new generation of businesses founded by unemployed but tenacious entrepreneurs – or open up new possibilities within your company when vacancies need to be filled. Step up and show your strength to deliver results and lead your colleagues when times are tough – I guarantee this is a time when those who shine, shine bright.

On that note, I have been so impressed with the results from the staff here at PerkettPR, and the loyalty and faith that they have shown in each other and in me, that I had to shout out to them today. We elect and honor a monthly MVP and choosing just one yesterday was hard to do! Times are certainly uncertain, but with a strong and intelligent staff that continues to turn out amazing ideas, valuable insights and a darn good sense of humor, I couldn’t feel better about our future.

How about you? How are you embracing these times as an opportunity to stand out as a resilient leader either at your company or on your own? We’d love to hear your inspirational stories, ideas and comments.

Leading in a Downturn

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While in New York this week, I had the privilege of sitting down with some other small business owners to discuss the challenges of running a business in this economic downturn. Everyone knows the challenges of balancing income vs. expenses, long term projections, etc. A new challenge for many leaders is not only how to stay motivated themselves, but how to keep staff motivated during such difficult economic times.

Amid layoffs, pay cuts, cost discipline changes and tumultuous financial markets, maintaining a positive attitude can be challenging. Business leaders are tasked with the additional burden of assuring staff, partners and clients that things will be fine. But in an environment like today’s, that’s one sentiment that’s difficult to promise.

While you can’t always make guarantees to people when they ask for one, you can strive to be as open and honest as possible about challenges, solutions and potential changes. However, the truth is, employees aren’t always capable of understanding the decision path no matter how much information you provide. So how do you keep employees (who are often times facing heavier work loads than ever due to colleagues being laid off) motivated and positive? It’s certainly not an easy task.

Business owners are faced with making tough decisions – and managing the consequences of such decisions. Laying employees off is never an enjoyable task and is often viewed – no matter how delicately considered and addressed – as a personal attack. Employees get angry and, in today’s instant Internet age, their anger is often publicly displayed in places like Facebook statuses and Twitter updates.

So what is a business owner to do? A few recommendations include:

– Talk. Sounds obvious but it’s amazing how many C-level executives I’ve met that leave such delicate and important conversations to email.

– Be honest. Honesty doesn’t mean you have to share every nitty gritty detail but it does mean that you are up front about decision making – how and why you’ve taken a certain direction or may have to.

– Be aggressive. As a business leader, you are charged with taking care of the people who work for you. If customers are paying late, clients are taking advantage of staff or angry ex-employees are spreading false rumors, know when to take action and how to do so professionally.

– Be persistent. In times like these, many people tend to want to curl up in a corner and shut their eyes until all the craziness goes away. As a leader you need to make sure you are addressing concerns with employees, even if they don’t want to talk about them – help ease their minds even if they aren’t capable of expressing their fears.

– Be courageous. It takes guts to lead a business during a downturn. Ignore your detractors, don’t fret over unprofessional competitors or angry ex-employees. Keep your head up, maintain your integrity and march forward with your principles in tact. Not everyone can comprehend or ever understand the enormous responsibilities – and tough decisions – you face as a business owner.

– Keep moving. Show customers, partners, colleagues, staff and the industry that you are tenacious by continuing to grow, to innovate and to take intelligent risks. By doing so you will no doubt inspire and encourage those around you – and your business will not only survive, but thrive.

What have you done to maintain motivation or how has your employer exemplified leadership during these tough times? I asked this question earlier this morning on Twitter and received a couple of replies, below. I’ll share more as they come in but we’d love to hear from you, too.

Thanks for a Great Year at PerkettPR

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With the close of 2008, I wanted to take this time to thank everyone who has contributed to a great year for PerkettPR. From our clients and partners to the very supportive community we’ve engaged with through social networks like Twitter, we have received an amazing amount of support and recognition this year. Our network has extended farther than ever before and we’ve learned so much from the relationships we’ve been fortunate enough to establish.

PerkettPR and Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV

PerkettPR - Christine Major, Lisa Dilg, Stephanie Trussell, Michele Campbell and Christine Perkett - with Gary Vaynerchuk of Winelibrary TV

I’d also like to thank our firm’s employees – both past and present. The people who come to work for us are what make this company the respected and successful entity that it’s become. Our staff is an eclectic and strong mix of accomplished individuals. At work, they amaze me every day with the creative ideas they come up with for clients and the value that they deliver as a result. Outside of work, their tenacity – in achieving both personal goals and overcoming life’s obstacles – continually inspires me. I feel very fortunate to have met them all.

PerkettPR at The New Marketing Summit, October 2008

Christine Perkett, Claire Spina-Russell, Stephanie Trussell and Mariana Pinner at The New Marketing Summit, October 2008

We’ve had comedians, jewelry designers and marathon runners on staff. Multiple cancer survivors, musicians who sing in bands and hard working moms and dads. A deejay, die cast car collector and world traveler. Together, they’ve all helped our clients make their mark on the world. Individually, they’ve left an imprint of one sort or another on our company and on me.

The American Business Awards, June 2008, New York City

Christine Perkett, Christine Major and Johanna Cappello at The American Business Awards, June 2008, NYC

As we move into another New Year, the world remains nervous around our economic outlook and relationships are more important than ever. I am confident that PerkettPR will continue to grow and prosper with the support of the tech and business community, loyal clients and whip-smart staff. If you are reading this blog you are to thank as well. We appreciate your insights, involvement and feedback.

May 2009 bring prosperity and successes we’ve all yet to imagine. Happy New Year!

Heather Mosley and Jeff Glasson - Boston TweetUp

Heather Mosley and Jeff Glasson - Boston TweetUp

Seesmic 1st Anniversary Party, San Francisco, September 2008

Greg Wind, Heather Mosley and Crystal Macaulay at Seesmic's 1st Anniversary Party, San Francisco, September 2008