It’s not news that Dell has really stepped up their game when it comes to social media. Not only do they have some great community forums but they have spent a great deal of time and resources listening to their customers in order to make better products.

I was really impressed by Dell’s announcement yesterday, not only of their new line of Latitude notebook computers, but also of their DigitalNomads.com community. It’s a beautiful site with lots of opportunities to contribute content, articles and generally engage as a digital nomad. Of course Dell had a press conference, but they also engaged media and the public by providing updates on Twitter, answering questions as Twitter users asked them and sending links every few minutes. Dell’s chief blogger, Lionel Menchaca, blogged about digitalNomads and the Latitude line of computers at Direct2Dell and photos of the Latitude events went up on Flickr. All this to say that Dell really brought it to this announcement.

Dell wasn’t always this social media saavy. They probably once pumped out dull press releases in an attempt to garner media interest. With this new line of notebook computers, they put real though into a community that engages their consumers directly and that speaks to a group of people who use their products in a very specific way.

Launches of new products/programs/initiatives can no longer rely on simply traditional PR tactics to succeed. They must be multi-faceted, reaching the consumer who will ultimately but the product, media who want to write about it and casual observers who may be future buyers. Smart PR people will think beyond the press release and regular media relations and find ways to truly build public excitement for new products. Way to go Dell!

Oh, there’s a lot of opportunities
If you know when to take them, you know?
There’s a lot of opportunities
If there aren’t, you can make them
Make or break them

Ah, The Pet Shop Boys. They always had a way with words and I think they said it best - there are lots of opportunities if you know when to take them.

I just got back from vacation to learn that while the blogosphere may still be quiet (dog days of summer), some big things have been going down in the world of social media gurus. Maggie Fox’s Social Media Group bought Geoff Livingston’s Livingston Communications this week. That means the consolidation of social media agencies is beginning and kudos to Maggie for picking up a great company. It’s obvious that social media consulting is a going concern as more organizations realize its power and scramble to better understand how it will affect their business.

Maggie’s post on the announcement caught my eye though, particularly when she said "we now have the bandwidth and complete service offerings to happily go toe-to-toe with any traditional agency’s so-called ’social media practice’. SMG is now a force in social media consulting, this much is true, as is the assertion many agencies (particularly PR) say they have social media practices. I say this is an excellent opportunity for PR firms to look at their skill set in this area and examine how they can rise to the challenge.

The question over whether PR people are best suited to engage in social media for their clients or consult is a subject of much debate. See Jason Falls article here and Todd Defren’s thoughts here and be sure to read the comments. I would agree that the basic tenants of social media are PR-like in nature - interacting with people directly, spreading good news, tailoring outreach depending on the blogger/journalist. Does it mean that all PR people will naturally be able to embrace social media and offer great advice on how to take part? No, of course not.

But because many PR people are naturally outgoing and enjoy spreading the word about new products or services, they have an opportunity to learn more, get engaged and build the knowledge. Yes blogging has been around for years, but the social media space in its current iteration is still fairly new and allows for new entrants to join the conversation.

There is nothing like a bit of friendly competition to get PR folks thinking about how they can improve. With all the talent social media experts out there gaining ground, take this opportunity to jump in with both feet.

I did something a little wild and crazy this past weekend. I read a book. An actual, physical book where I could turn the pages without clicking a mouse. It felt good to take the time to really read the words, and not skim or peruse information bites. I spend so much time reading - and skimming - online that I forgot how wonderful it can be to just really lose yourself in a narrative. Not that I don’t love my online reading!

Nicholas Carr’s article in Atlantic Monthly on how the internet is affecting our brains really hit a chord with me. The speed at which we take in information has increased exponentially and when attempting to download that much information into our brains, there is a tendency to browse as opposed to read.

And yes, I know there are books available to read online but there is something to be said for walking away from the computer for a few hours and getting up close and personal with a book. Here are just a few thoughts on why reading books or magazines offline are good for you:

1. Reading a book or article that someone has published will make you a better writer. The language has been edited and re-edited and time has been taken to carefully choose the words. Reading this way improves your vocabulary and gets you thinking about new ways of putting together a  sentence. It will help you become a better blogger, writer or business communicator.

2. Blogs, while I love them, are not always checked for spelling, grammar and flow of language. If you are as passionate about the English language as I am it’s great once in a while to read a really beautiful piece of prose.

3. Concentrating on one piece of writing only, as opposed to hopping from one site or blog to the next, really allows you to think about what you are reading. You can mull it over, consider what it means to you and form opinions.

4. Reading a book or news magazine is like taking a mini vacation from life and work. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, you can take a break and devote your brain solely to your reading while blocking out the millions of messages that usually clutter it.

Read offline once in a while - it’s good for your brain.

Can’t we all just get along? As I read about AP’s actions over the last week I can’t help but think they need some good PR advice. After their attempt to force the popular news blog Drudge Retort to remove items containing quotes from AP articles, they have now retreated, saying they want to "set guidelines" for bloggers. You can read a story on this in the New York Times and the blogosphere is all abuzz about the issue. 

I’m not going to argue the issue of U.S. copyright law and the exemption of fair use. The principle of fair use should allow bloggers the right to use portions of copyrighted material for commentary/criticism. But I do argue that when a news service starts charging $12.50 to publish 5 words from their stories, they have really lost the point. As a news agency made up of newspapers, television and radio stations, all struggling to remain relevant in a web dominated world, you would think AP would realize that having bloggers quote their stories or link to them is the biggest free marketing and PR tool they have at their disposal. 

When bloggers quote AP articles or in fact any content from traditional media outlets, they are spreading the word to a network of contacts that spreads far. AP and its member outlets should be looking for ways to connect with bloggers, to comment and to converse with them about breaking news stories. This will allow their stories to be carried even further and reinforces brands that are diminishing in validity.

Don’t set guidelines arbitrarily, AP - talk to bloggers as real people and discuss how to work in harmony. You’ll reap the benefits from the process and maybe - for now - you can save yourself from irrelevance.

It’s been interesting to see the feedback - most agree that it’s an absolute necessity for PR firms to blog and I agree. But it goes beyond that. How can we as PR practitioners tell our clients how to engage in communities if we aren’t engaged? Just watching the action from the sidelines does not make anyone an expert, and as Joe Thornley points out, engaging takes a lot of work.

Writing a blog is just one of many ways to engage. A good blog contributes to a conversation - whether it be about PR, new media, music or even a few really great television shows.  A PR blog can’t just be inward looking or always championing the cause of clients. It should add value to the community of communicators who wish to make the industry better. To really engage, there needs to be a commitment to regular blogging, reading and commenting on blogs (whether they relate to the PR industry or our clients’ industries), bookmarking content and talking with others on social networks like Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, etc.

I have no idea how to ride a motorcycle, so I wouldn’t pretend to know how if my client asked me to teach them. That would end in a fiery wreck, and fiery wrecks can happen online very easily. Unless you have actively participated in social media you can’t properly advise on the benefits, effects and pitfalls that take place within online communities.

More and more PR people are getting involved in social media so they can give the proper advice. My advice? Get engaged and take the time to do it right. And don’t begin to teach until you’ve learned it yourself.

PR land is an awfully busy place. Deadlines loom, releases and plans pile up and urgent media requests abound. We’re also fitting in reading news sites, blogs and newspapers to stay on top of the news of the day. As we desperately try to fit it all in, much of our writing is dashed off in a hurry. And we certainly don’t enjoy the process.

Many PR folks are generally outgoing and creative and most have some kind of writing background. But much of the writing I read - whether the first draft of a release, a pitch or even an email - seems to lack a certain ‘umph’ and my guess is that the author just wasn’t that into it. Yes some documents simply won’t ever be that exciting, but there is always a way to make it better - shorter sentences, descriptive language, punchy illustrations…

If you began working in PR because you love to write and communicate, you need to reclaim that joy. Writing can be a lifelong pursuit and a real source of enjoyment. Finding the perfect words to express your thoughts and convictions is like mastering a painting or a dance - it takes time and effort but the payoff can be incredible.

If possible, we all need to slow down a bit. Take a moment to think about the words. How they flow. What they really mean. Write with the excitement you would have if you were reading something really catchy, appealing and thought-provoking. Think of the effect it will have on the reader when they see your words.

Writing doesn’t have to be a chore - go back to the writing board and rethink the way you view it.  And having a little fun with it won’t hurt either.

I hate most PR stunts and launch events. They’re expensive, they often don’t speak to the product at hand, the public doesn’t usually understand them and traditional media couldn’t care less. Television upfronts are possibly an exception (my client, CBC, just had theirs last week and CTV had theirs last night) as media still attend in droves to see what’s new on the fall season slate.  But even so - these events no longer get as much positive feedback and why should they? Could we not achieve the same goals by simply talking to media, bloggers and viewers about what’s new and exciting in TV land?

PR practitioners often come under a great deal of pressure from their clients to deliver what some have called "The Big F*ing Idea." You know the one - the big stunt, the huge launch party, a travelling caravan with zoo animals and rock band performances. We get so caught up in finding that magic big idea that we forget about all the little ideas that really matter.

When PR focuses too much on the big splashy idea, the smaller, better roads to communication get ignored. I’d been thinking of this in the wake of the recent upfront events. Seth Godin (whose books you simply must read) posted today on grand openings and just how overrated they are. I couldn’t agree more with his point that money can be better spent on building relationships and conversing.

A great product will sell itself - without the red carpet event or the people in costumes handing out flyers. It’s our job to communicate the benefits to the people who will get the most out of it. Social media opens up numerous doors and ways of reaching communities, allowing many ideas - big, medium and small - to flourish and spread outwards. I would happily support an event that brings bloggers together with the goal of sparking conversation.

Let’s hope the BFI goes MIA, so that we can concentrate on being more effective and creative communicators.

Is there such a thing as the perfect pitch? PR people are constantly thinking of ways to make their pitches more palatable for media and bloggers. We’ve all heard of the elevator pitch - it worked for Melanie Griffiths in Working Girl, but as the web makes our lives ever more immediate, PR people must find ways to sum up their ideas quickly and efficiently.

Social media guru and blogger Stowe Boyd put the challenge out last month to companies (and PR people by extension) to pitch him over Twitter in 140 characters or less. He coined it an ‘escalator’ pitch as it would take 10 seconds or less to explain it. Brian Solis (who has a fantastic post on perfecting the escalator pitch) and Stowe Boyd have now created a thread on Twitter called Micro PR to help train PR folks to interact with media and bloggers using this kind of pitch. Are you up to that challenge?

This evolution of pitching is an important step but it won’t work for every company. Many still struggle to boil down their relevant news into one paragraph, never mind 140 characters.  But while not every pitch will be suitable to the Twitter environment, this is a great exercise for PR people to practice the art of brevity and help their companies boil down their ideas.

In my experience the most successful pitches are created when you imagine you’re telling your best friend why they should watch/buy/check out/attend a product or event. You wouldn’t waste their time with over-exposition and your tone would be conversational.

When you write your pitch, try keeping these tips in mind:

-choose your words carefully - what are the best 1 or 2 adjectives to describe your product/service?

-explain the relevance to the person you are pitching

-offer up the value - what will this product do for the person using it?

-differentiate - what sets this product apart from others like it?

Boil it down, make it snappy and send it off. Media and bloggers will love you, and you can always elaborate later if they grant you the chance. There may be no perfect pitch, but riding the escalator may bring you a little closer.

Many faithful Twitter users are quite frustrated as witnessed by TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington’s recent blog post  - brevity at its best. I still love Twitter, but they need a few lessons in PR. Shel Holtz just blogged on this today, and discussed what PR can do for reputation and what Twitter could have done better. Brian Solis also has a fantastic take on the issue at hand.

It seems that many startup companies - even online ones - lack a sense of self, or a defined personality. Personality is key in today’s world where a company’s reactions, statements and interaction are online immediately for all to see. Reputation is also key to success and a well defined personality - knowing what you stand for - can only serve to build a positive reputation.

Twitter is a social network, or if you prefer to get technical, a micro-blogging social network. Twitter would not be much fun if you only put up your own updates and then read them. It makes connections between people online and provides a social setting to share information, links and updates. But Twitter doesn’t seem to see themselves as a social, and caring kind of person. Instead, as part of their response to the Terms of Service fiasco, called themselves "a communication utility, not a mediator of content". Sounds like the phone company, not the Twitter I know and love.

Maybe Twitter is like a teenager, still trying to figure out who it is, while navigating the difficult waters of being a relatively new service and wanting people to like it. It had better grow up quickly and engage the services of a good communications person.

If only Twitter had just spoken to Ariel Waldman directly, not only as a consumer but as a person. Addressed her concerns and taken a good hard look at their terms of service. Did they necessarily have to change them? No. But when they wrote them, they obviously didn’t have a clear sense of what they stood for and what it would mean to stand up for their users someday. 

Get some personality, Twitter, and show your faithful users that you care about us.

Michael Geist gave an excellent keynote on digital copyright and the rise of digital advocacy. Where once people wrote manifestos on tiny pieces of paper and risked their lives to get their message to others, now the web allows thousands of people to join together quickly and easily under the umbrella of a cause they hold dear.  Michael calls it the "new normal" - Facebook and YouTube advocacy has been going on for some time now with large groups on Facebook organizing cause champions from across the globe in one central online location. Barack Obama’s campaign has gained many advocates who have posted videos at YouTube for thousands more to see. And even protestors are using Twitter to update like-minded people of upcoming protests or political events they should attend. Even governments are waking up to these tools - some offering online town halls to gauge public sentiment or offering e-petitions that can be signed online.

This got me thinking about just how rapidly the web has shifted the balance of power away from the few to the many.  This may sound obvious to say, but there was a time when Presidents, CEOs and bureaucrats sat high atop their perch, only emerging to make statements written for them by PR people and press secretaries.  The web really has brought leaders down to our level and we’re all attempting to do the same thing - communicate with each other.  And some of us need to learn this art more than others.

In a panel entitled "Social Media and the Enterprise", Mesh attendees got to hear from social media experts at Yamaha, GM and Harlequin. Each is attempting to work within their organizations to put a human face to the company they work for. In past company leaders would seldom, if ever, speak directly with their customers. Social media PR gurus now say that’s exactly what they should do. It’s scaring the hell out of many companies but for most businesses, it’s the best thing that could happen to them. Harlequin, for example, has had great success with its Meet the Author and Meet the Editor podcasts, with readers tuning in to hear first-hand from the people making the books they love.

It’s an exciting time when business leaders, politicians, authors and the like talk directly to the people they need to reach. It’s exciting to think that if I had a GM car and I wanted something improved about it, I can go directly to the source. If I want something bettered in my neighbourhood, perhaps (if not today, one day) I can reach my local MP more easily online. But it also puts the onus on companies to make better products and tell their stories more creatively. And that’s what I hope to explore more in this blog…

More thoughts on Mesh to come.