I’m back! — Sorry I didn’t leave a note…

No one likes to feel neglected. So I apologize to the marginally existent Steele Headed audience for my lack of postings the last few months. But amongst a busy school semester and working, I haven’t totally ignored social media.

It’s no secret that I’m (overly) active on my Twitter page, and spend a bit of time on Facebook.  Since my last Steele Headed post, I also started up a Posterous page, played around with blip.fm, transitioned from imeem to myspace and — of course — spent countless hours enjoying music from Pandora. Other SM activities can be seen at Delicious — which accounts for about 1% of my total “listening.”

But the majority of my SM energy for the last few months has gone into a blog I co-wrote with fellow PRKent classmate, Amanda Hayes. BuddingHeadsPR focuses on issues in PR/Marketing with a special focus on SM and issues faced by young pros. The blog took a debate-style format, and I’m NOT embarrassed to say that BHPR’s very first post beat my record for most views in a day, proving that either:

1) I’m not that interesting by myself

OR

2) Everyone loves a good argument.

I encourage you to check out a few of the posts and leave a comment letting us know who’s side you would take. Though our debates generally had some overlap, we found it was a useful exercise to approach controversial topics from two distinct perspectives and try to “meet in the middle.”

As a side note, Amanda graduated cum laude from Kent State University’s honors college this month with a 3.7 GPA in the PRKent program. A two-time officer of the Kent PRSSA chapter, Amanda has nearly two years corporate PR experience, completing internships with two notable Northeast Ohio companies.

I’ve always admitted that Amanda is much smarter than I, but now that we’re both on the job market, I may be saying this a bit more quietly.

I’m only kidding about being quiet of course

Where’s Twitter going? NO WHERE!

In the land of SM, everyone seems to be looking for the next big thing. Be it the latest mobile application, music sharing site, or off-color mash-up, new toys are appearing in our SM playground everyday. And for those of us trying to utilize these tools to help our organizations or clients build revenue, we need to know which sites are passing fads and which sites are here to stay.

That being said, I’m here to make an official stance on the Twitter debate. Here’s some words from folks on either side of the Tw-ence:

- Twitter’s a Fad – w/ stats to prove it (Wilson Research Strategies)

- Twitter stats nearly half-baked (New Media Strategies)

So what do I think?

I think Twitter is here to stay.

Or to steal a line from Boondock Saints: Where’s Twitter Going? NO WHERE! (profanity warning on link).

And why do I think this? I’m taking my friends’ word for it. I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out first.

Like many others in the SM realm, I realize I’m an early-adopter of new technology tools and don’t expect them all to pan out. But recently, more and more of my friends, colleagues and classmates have been opening Twitter accounts.

And these aren’t PR/Marketing folks or tech-crazed junkies. These are, for the most part, Average Joes — well, Average Joes from Generation Y. A quote from my roommate sums it up pretty well:

“I signed up for Twitter today — I figured it was about time. I tried to wait it out as long as possible, but I knew I’d eventually join. Everyone’s doing it.”

Well, okay. Not everyone is on Twitter. Nor will they be, but I remember this same phenomena among my peers when Facebook started to gain popularity in 2004-05 — except this time people are drawn to a network where they can connect with the likes of Shaq & Kim Kardashian.

To clarify, I realize Twitter has no where near the clout Facebook has. But it was less than four years ago when people were claiming that MySpace was the premier networking site and Facebook would never live up.

But I’m just speculating. What’re your thoughts? Is Twitter here to stay? Is it something you use now? Does it have perpetual value for you? Will Twitter ever reach Facebook-like membership?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

My “It’s 2009, and I don’t have a Smartphone” moment

I think it came some time between seeing this:

this:

and this:

I had my moment. The “I’m in the PR field. It’s 2009. And I don’t have a mobile Internet. WTH, am I thinking?” moment.

Truth-be-told, I resisted even the idea of being connected via mobile Web for almost two-years. Eventually I caved, if only, for convenience. I’m not sure when exactly it happened, but it definitely can be attributed to my SM use (read: addiction), and the feeling of necessity.

I admit it: sometimes I feel like I “just have to check my Facebook/Twitter/blogs.”

Between keeping up with my friends on Facebook and FriendZ on Twitter (more on the *Z in this post), I found myself jumping from laptop to desktop and back throughout the day just to keep up with what was going on. And for what? So I wouldn’t be tethered to the online world through a three-inch screen?

What I’ve found in my first few days after joining the BlackBerry Club, is that the three-inch screen is liberating. No longer am I chained to the desk, running to my different computers throughout the day checking for @mentions or tagged pictures. I’m able to live my life AND stay connected.

Though my girlfriend may argue that I’m slightly distracted at times (and more into my online life than my real life), I feel like my BB has given me the balance I’ve been missing. But, then again,  maybe that’s just a mis-self-perception.

I am wondering about other people’s habits though. When do you shut your mobile device off or leave it at home? What are the drawbacks of being available 24/7 for you? The advantages?

Hit me up here. Don’t worry, I’ll see the comments coming in almost instantly.

chained image courtesy of singleinla.today.com

It’s a Press Release, not an Advertisement.

One of the first lessons I learned in the PR field was that I’d have to stick up for myself.  In the business, we treat writing as both an art and a science. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.

I take care in crafting my press releases thinking about all the audiences involved, while others see the medium as just another way to push out messages.

As part of my effort to reason with marketing and technical professionals, I’ve found that sticking to my guns (education & experience), as well as appealing to logic can be a successful way of proving that my way is the right way (<– the blog isn’t called “Steele Headed” for nothing, folks.)

Here’s an excerpt of an email I sent recently explaining my point of view on press releases:

My overall goal for a press release is to gain publicity for a product or XYZ corp. as a company, while positioning us as experts in an industry or niche.

To increase the probability of publication and increase the potential audience size, this means appealing to reporters/editors of trade magazines, taking care to present newsworthy information that is of interest to their readers. Sometimes this means simplifying more technical aspects of the information so it’s quick and easy to understand, as well as leaving out self-promotional phrases.

Here’s another way to think about it: In order for our messages to reach our customers, distributors and end-users, we first need to appeal to the gate-keepers in the media. This means giving them only the critical information they need in a format that’s easy to read and comprehend. If they’re interested, then they’ll contact us and ask for more.

Ultimately we want readers of the trade publications to visit our website and buy our products, but we need to appeal to trade publication reporters/editors first to ensure we get the exposure.

I sent this note after the fifth round of repetitive edits and included specific justifications for specific changes I made (or didn’t make). It seemed to work, but I’m still waiting on a response.

Have you come across the same situation? How’d you handle it?

image courtesy of perspectiveim.com

Everyone needs to unplug, sometimes

With numerous stories in the mainstream media (MSM) covering the recent “disappearance,” of South Carolina Governor, Mark Sanford, I felt the need to chime in to support* a fellow woodsman.

The story made its way into the national spotlight after those close to Sanford (including office aides and his wife) were unable to contact him or confirm his whereabouts for four full days. Coverage of the story ran rampant in the MSM Monday evening and early Tuesday morning partially due to the recent controversy surrounding Sanford’s decision to reject $700 million from the federal stimulus bill.

During the day Tuesday, reports came out saying that Sanford had been hiking on the Appalachian Trail. He was reported to have left Thursday evening without making his plans known and turned off his cell phone before heading into the woods.

If it were up to me, I’d give this guy a pass. With my experience, I understand the importance of unplugging in order to recharge. There’s a certain Thoreau-vian aspect to Sanford’s “vacation” that I can also appreciate. A short excerpt for folks who are unfamiliar:

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life… I wanted to live so sturdily and so Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life… to drive life into a corner to know it by experience and be able to give an account of it in my next excursion.” — Thoreau, Henry David

Me living deliberately

What poor Gov. Sanford failed to realize, is that we’re in the 2st century, and the ability to be constantly connected is an expectation — especially if you’re a high ranking government official.

*While I support Sanford’s decision to retreat for a few days for peace of mind, I think he would’ve benefited from letting his security team (and wife) know where he was headed (not to mention the taxpayers who pay his salary).

The PR lesson in this is one of transparency, based in openness and honesty. While not everyone (including those in the MSM) will understand the need to retreat to the wilderness, Sanford could’ve saved himself a lot of bad press simply by saying he was taking a vacation.

What do you think? Are Sanford’s actions acceptable? Understandable? Share your thoughts in the comments below…

***UPDATE***

As it turns out, Gov. Sanford was actually in Argentina for six days, NOT on the Appalachian trial.

Argentina, Appalachia, what’s the difference, right?

I’d blame this on a miscued text and chalk it up to T9, but I don’t think that’s the case.Plus, Sanford left his cell phone behind triggering this whole mess in the first place.

As this story develops and Sanford has to answer to questions of where he’s been and why, it further enforces the point that TRANSPARENCY from the beginning could’ve helped the Governor avoid this whole mess — that is, of course, if his actions are reputable.