Tag Archives: authenticity

Sharisax Is Out There

Handbook to guide your success in social media and more effective Public Relations efforts

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Cabo Arch

As both a PR teacher and professional journalist for many years,

I was blown away when I found the perfect new text:

Making News in the Digital Era

by David E. Henderson

If elections were held today for Social Media Expert, David gets my vote. His 2009  narrative/guidebook is perfect for helping learners on all levels understand — and properly apply — Best Communication Practices in this whole new social media world of ours.

Technology is changing our lifestyles on a daily basis . . .

so many would agree that claiming “Expert” status has to be “qualified,” i.e., conditional based on the newest data.

But let’s consider “qualified” in its other sense as well.

If anyone has built the chops to thoroughly discuss the news business, journalism, public relations, and social media marketing, then David Henderson qualifies:

  • Emmy Award–winning CBS News correspondent and public relations executive for dozens of years, David has been online with his blog www.DavidHenderson.com since 2003.

Some of David’s best advice:

  1. Let go of Old Ways and embrace Change.
  2. Present ideas for developing a company’s reputation with communication approaches that underscore transparency, openness, and credibility.
  3. Messages need to focus on audience benefits, not talking about the greatness of an organization.
  4. Avoid jargon and “gobbledygook” and use clear, direct, easy-to-understand language.
  5. Key communication practices: Listening, engaging, story-telling, and always speaking the truth.
  6. Today’s executives must be involved in online strategies that require inspiration, passion, purpose, and focus.
  7. Forego Mission Statements and carefully create a concise and appropriate Positioning Statement.

“Strategic communications in today’s fiercely competitive world mandates clever positioning, understanding audience needs and knowing how to craft timely and meaningful messages that excite people and create results” [p. 23]

My opinion: This is a book that ought to be used both in university public relations/communications courses as well as in the offices of every public relations organization and department.

Further posts from David E. Henderson’s book will feature tips, best practices, and insights on the following topics:

A)     Media relations

B)      CEO blogging

C)      Online newsrooms and other PR 2.0 strategies

Thanks, David, we need this handbook. Lots of PR and business execs don’t know where to start, and your book will surely help them.

Related stories:

David Henderson’s post on what he learned writing the book

My next post on Media Relations

Squidoo lens Discussing Social Media books

Social Media Biz review

Sharisax Is Out There

Convince your boss to GO SOCIAL

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Small steps, but the climb is worth it
Small steps, but the climb is worth it

While it’s true that we are clearly in the “early adopter” stage of Social Media for Business, that does not mean that your gut feeling is wrong:  SOCIAL MEDIA/INTERNET MARKETING is the Way We Will Do Business.

So the sooner your organization hops onboard, the faster you will be able to build the customer-concentric community that will inevitably lead to a more profitable business.

Here are some ideas on how to convince your boss that he’ll learn a whole lot on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook:

Ten Step Program

1. Listen and hear what people think about your company and your industry.

2. Discover that fear of public opinion is unjustified; your community simply wants transparency and authenticity.

3. With thousands of bright minds online, you’ll get lots of ideas and help formulating solutions for problems in your marketplace.

4. Honesty and generosity cost little, but reap Huge Rewards.

5. Garner “brownie points” just for being “out there.”

6. Experimenting is fun, necessary, creative, and guaranteed to produce positive results.

7. Successful companies will all be customer-centric.

8. Prospects will become customers; customers become loyalists; loyalists are your new influencers. You can’t buy that kind of advertising.

9. Get the jump on the competition. Everyone will be “out there”‘ get out sooner.

10. Finally, realize that isolation from your community cannot be a model for profitability.
JUST DO IT!

And for those of you who have DONE IT,  please add to this list of ways to convince the boss.