The backlash continues…a new book explains why face-to-face contact still matters. The new book is reviewed in an interview with the author on Wall Street Journal online. Ninety percent of consumers still communicate offline. 

(Source: amazon.com)

It’s not just you. Or me. Or General Motors. Social media marketing IS a mess. Love this graphic from Business Insider. Breathe….

Like the sure slide of the Titanic into icy waters with many still on deck, the demise of traditional publishing has been painful - not just for journalist employees, shareholders and readers but for the PR profession. Compared to even just a few years ago, we here at PR Works notice the number of full time staff journalists at trade publications, newspapers and weeklies to be sharply reduced. I often note to clients that our media lists typically will change by at least 25 percent each quarter, with the experienced full timers often replaced with hobbyist bloggers or consultants. 

This year’s Interop press list was no different - at last count, about two-thirds of the list was industry analysts or financial analysts with a few print media journos and some bloggers sprinkled in.

The recent debut of Intel’s I.Q. spotlights a growing trend, I think, to combat the decreasing amount of ink companies can possibly get. I.Q. is the company’s own compilation of news, with a Flipboard-like layout and the ability to share stories. 

Kaspersky Labs has siphoned off a number of writers and analysts for its increasingly visible ThreatPost, which reports on security issues. And coverage of the I.Q. launch notes that many tech giants, including Cisco and Qualcomm, employ a number of writers for their house publications.

It will be interesting to see how this trend evolves. In-house publications certainly are not new, but this new phase represents acknowledgment of the growing desire to not only control the message but the overall content, format and delivery.

It’s Interop time! Tucked away between the shark tank and the casino, thousands of engineers, security staff, sales and marketing folks and us PR types will confab the week of May 6 to see what’s new in connecting us all together. Expected hot topics: the ubiquitous BYOD, security automation (tying it together) and the ever-lingering cloud. Working now to set up some meetings!

Feeding the beast…much like the steam engine that needed a full-time, hard-working fireman to shovel coal constantly, social media requires constant care and feeding. Full disclosure: for sure, this is not a new or original thought. But after a meeting today with a marketing team, I think it bears thinking about.

It takes a few clicks to set up a Twitter or LinkedIn account; likewise for a blog. Generally, somebody on team gets the job of managing these tools as a sideline to their real gig. For the first few months, updates are made regularly. Then…there is a lull. Perhaps the new product is not so new. The person handling the social side is tied up with another project, or leaves, or just is not consistent.  

But without constant feeding and care, the social stuff is like a plant…it wilts, and finally turns brown and dies. 

Moral of the story: think about how much effort you can put into these tools, how they can be fed and what content you have. Everyone has content - if you don’t have a new product every day, talk about industry issues, comment on news stories from your co-opetition, or let followers know about upcoming events, new materials on your site or the like. And reasonably focus your efforts to those that reach your customers.

Ah, the glory of the tech start-up.  To those outside the fragile cocoon, these strange creatures are a glorious mash-up of crazed developers, savvy founders with baby faces, and potential goldmines of stock options. With bowls of Skittles and air hockey.

Inside the cocoon, however, chaos typically reigns. And that can be energizing, fun and result in hard-won market share or even dominance. But how does a start-up get from point A to say, G, and what role does PR have? From the trenches, here are a few observations:

1. What really makes your product/service/idea different? 

2. Why does anyone care? Really?

3. For people who do care, how do you best reach them?

4. How much time and energy can you realistically spend on letting people who care know about what you do?

Don’t discount number four. This often is the biggest issue in managing or driving an effective communications program. Here’s how it usually goes down: the typical tech start-up decides it needs a PR agency. Or its venture partners decide that. They get started with an agency or individual…and realize…it’s a lot of work to generate effective publicity. It takes time to help create pitches. It takes effort to come up with useful data points and supporting info, like customer references or case studies. And someone has to review and approve materials in a timely fashion. Even more importantly, someone has to be responsive to requests for interviews, information, and requests for briefings.

So…the stressed, overworked and under-resourced marketing department decides the agency is not working. Then they “go dark” to save a few bucks. The marketing person leaves, and an enthusiastic new person comes onto the scene, to start the cycle over.

Key learnings: implementing ongoing, effective and consistent PR and communications takes time and effort, every day.

(Source: tribily.com)

Just read a story about Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn founder, in the April 2012 Wired magazine (“The Social Networker”, page 100, Wired April 2012). He noted that LinkedIn, despite the furor and hoopla over Facebook, has 150 million accounts, adds two new members every second and is the “trusted repository” of our professional lives.

We’ve used LinkedIn for years - first as a defacto website and online CV and now as a way to track daily topics of professional interest for the firm and for clients. We have noticed in the last year a significant uptick in membership in groups and activity in those groups. It seems natural and logical that business people head to the site for info on employees, competitors, partners and service providers. For several of our clients, contributing to discussions, feeding Twitter, adding connections and posting news and updates is an integral part of our outbound communications.

One question that comes up is whether companies also use Facebook. Sure, if you are a consumer brand or retailer, consumer-facing nonprofit or educational institution, or similar organization. Facebook makes perfect sense if you can feed it and keep it interesting enough to engage users and convert them from looking at your home page to taking action.

For business-to-business marketing, professional services, and the like, I like LinkedIn right now. This referenced blog here has some great tips for maximizing your LinkedIn presence.

Update March 28, 2012: see post of March 28 with info graphic. It’s possible Facebook is working well for large brands. Will watch developments for my clients.

Ah, the technology trade show. Mecca for some, hell for others. Just back from a very lively RSA Conference that included a standing-room only session in a large ballroom for a client. As IT security issues have escalated, so has the size and scope of this event, which has morphed from a small gathering of crypto geeks to a major computer and IT industry event. Which brings to mind the great debate that rages all year in the conference rooms and hallways of companies large and small: what are we doing at the show next year?

Some companies approach big shows with the full-out approach: a large space on the show floor, lots of flashing light demos, give-aways and perhaps even that anachronism of tech, the booth babe (or dude) enticing harried show-goers into the sacred square of product promotion.

Other companies work quietly behind the scenes with hotel suites set up for demonstrations, sales meetings and briefings with industry analysts and media. Many companies, if they can afford it, offer a hybrid approach.

Then there is the party: the private invitations, the swanky hipster SoMa location, the crush of technical folks scoring free cocktails. The question is, does all this really work? Depends on your objective. Planning for next year?  Think about your resources, what you hope to achieve and what you can execute reasonably well!