What Does A Journalist Need? from AHA Creative on Vimeo.
In today’s AHA Flip Cam Friday, Ruth talks about finding out what a journalist that writes about your industry needs from you to do their job effectively.
AHA Flip Cam Friday – March 11, 2011
Should You Get Personal On Facebook?
I have to admit that I have a bit of a split personality when it comes to social media use. On Facebook I have a blend of personal and professional contacts and there are days when that can be a little…different. To say the least.
I have great friends. They are creative, talented and most of them are living life to the fullest. Which means every once in a while, their Facebook posts can be surprising or even a little shocking. Nothing illegal, immoral or unethical – it’s just that they can be a little wild sometimes. They are my friends for a reason – I like them, I love hearing about their lives – especially the ones that live in other places that I don’t get to see often. And their cheekiness delights me.
However, every once in a while, I wonder if any of my clients, professional colleagues or the journalists that are my Facebook friends look at my pals and wonder what the heck is going on – these people are crazy!!!
And then I wonder if my personal “friends” look at some of the postings from others – usually about PR, communication and social media – and wonder if I have a life outside of work. (I have to admit, I wonder that myself sometimes.)
I have been paddling around online for quite some time (since I was director of communications at Vancouver Film School and the New Media Program was launched in 1990). When Facebook arrived on the scene, I embraced it and jumped right in without much of a strategy about how to manage my personal and professional worlds. On Facebook, to quote George Costanza of Seinfeld fame, my worlds collide.
When we started AHA, we wanted to create a company that was authentic, that represented who we are – and that includes our crew. What we do as communicators creates a special connection with our clients and colleagues. It gets personal – even when it’s business focused. Having said that, even if the only friends I had on Facebook were from my personal life, there is information I just wouldn’t share on there. I think more than separating business from personal, what bears thinking about is how much of your life do you want out there on Facebook or Twitter or anywhere online? There is a point where it is just too much information. Some things are best kept for in-person conversations.
What’s The Undertow
A special AHA Flip Cam Friday from Cabo San Lucas from AHA Creative on Vimeo.
In today’s video, Ruth talks about how you need to plan a few steps ahead in social media.
Social Media Etiquette
We are a courteous bunch at the AHA office. “Please,” “thank you,” “if you don’t mind…” those are regular (and appreciated) phrases at our Vancouver PR agency. In everything we do in our personal and professional lives, there is basic etiquette. Then there are ground rules specific to different areas that we practice – social media is one of those areas. It is important to know what is expected of you if you are going to participate in this area.
Social media has its own etiquette and it is important to know what that means prior to participation. We always recommend that our clients spend time online checking things out before jumping in and becoming actively involved. It is important to take the time to understand the culture and the specific environment that is relevant to the organization and its stakeholders.
Chris Brogan recently put up a great blog post on this topic. It lays out what to do and, as importantly, what not to do very clearly. It’s definitely worth a read.
Managing The Approval Process
Getting copy, videos, images, etc. through the approval process is a challenge that every communicator I know has faced. It’s not always easy to get through the approval process, whether you are in-house, at an agency or a freelancer. Quite often, it isn’t about how good the copy is, it’s about the culture of the organization and, at the core of it, about the person who has the power to approve.
Quite often, people don’t understand what the review process is supposed to achieve. From a communicator’s perspective, it’s usually about ensuring that the piece is accurate and authentic. We write for a living and have checks and balances in place (thank goodness for copyeditors and proofreaders!) to make sure the piece is professional, easy to read and clear.