Blogger Relations

Once again, I am finding Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge's book Putting the Public Back in Public Relations more and more intriguing, helpful and eye-opening.

Chapter 7 discusses blogger relations and the importance blogging has begun to play in the world of public relations.  Public relations is no longer about attacking audiences with messages and pitches.  It's transformed into the development of loyal, trusting and beneficial relationships between practitioners and people, which include individuals and groups from all different ages, interests, cultures, values and the list goes on and on.

Blogging, which is only one source the Internet has to offer, has become one of the most practical, beneficial, communicative tools online that allows you to "get personal" with those with whom you're communicating.  Blogging has closed one door to the old one-to-many way of communicating: a way that made PR practitioners deaf to the feelings of everyone else out there, and has opened a new door that allows feedback, reciprocation of information and, most important of all, a true way to connect with, learn about and get to know the people who are interested in what you, as a PR professional, have to say and offer.

With this wonderful advance in technology, it seems like the perfect opportunity to grab hold and take advantage of the situation at hand.  Upcoming PR people have the chance to transform old ways of thinking, planning and executing to a more personal level, and the advent of blogging is here to help.

One thing mentioned in the book was Chris Anderson's blog on PR spammers.  

Anyone with e-mail understands Anderson's frustration with excessive amounts of spam, pitches, news releases and unimportant messages that continue to flood inboxes.  Almost everyone can relate to that on a human level.

However, this seems to be the absolute worst way to fix the problem, when in fact the intentional 'fix,' I would guess, has only created more problems.

We all get annoyed with certain situations, but to handle it in this way, listing hundreds of professionals and their e-mails, especially on a professional platform, seems completely backwards.  Why not rise above those you're annoyed with and approach them in a more favorable way?

Also, on page 104, Solis and Breakenridge recommend sending "positive feedback to those who do it right."  This is a wonderful idea.  Reinforce the connections and behaviors of the people with whom you're happy, those who you perceive as ethical and those whose relationships you truly admire and appreciate.

Overall, blogging, whether used positively or negatively, is definitely a tool that allows connections to be made on a much more personal level.  Take advantage of these opportunities and continue to push PR in a more communicative, reciprocal and "striving to get to know people" direction.

Skills and Attributes for New Public Relations Professionals

Dave Fleet's blog post 14 Key Skills & Attributes for New Public Relations Professionals was extremely eye opening and incredibly relevant to not only our research class, but also the stage we are in now as PR majors with changes in technology happening faster than ever.
This article really reminded me of the first few chapters in the Solis book, particularly with the emphasis on this current transition between more traditional tools, skills and strategies and the newer methods that have presented themselves recently with the advent of online opportunities.
I appreciate that even though Fleet's focus is on the newer attributes he recommends for PR hopefuls, he still encourages knowledge of and practice with the older methodologies. I feel, no matter how technologically advanced our world becomes, writing will always be one of the most vital skills to have. Just as with writing, communication skills will never stop being important, and being attentive to details will continue to show readers your reliability as a source, as well as the degree of commitment you hold to your work.
I found it very interesting to read over his recommendations for 'newer' PR. I think the most common devices on the internet today (and by most common, I mean what most people are most familiar with) are the online social networking tools such as Facebook and Linkedin. I feel they're so famous because of the mass use they get (specifically Facebook) from not only people in the PR and journalism fields, but also, just the everyday person.
I, too, fall in line with the millions, perhaps even billions, of others around the globe who have Facebook accounts. And my entrance into the Facebook world wasn't inspired by college, classes, PR or even the consideration that Facebook could possibly affect (either negatively or postively) my job outlook in the future. It was influenced by the fact that my friends were doing it, it seemed 'cool' and fun, and I wanted to stay in contact with people after graduating high school.
Now, being able to recognize Facebook as so much more than a fun hobby and cool tool to update my friends on how amazing this episode of The Office is, I've already gained a much better understanding of what it can provide for me in the future.
But beyond Facebook and my recent practice with blogging, I need work--and a lot of it. Fleet mentions the importance of coding with HTML and PHP. He also stresses his belief that knowledge of search engine optimization is key information to have. This opens my eyes to the heavy reality that I need to start learning and using these tools now. And I can't simply test the waters with my feet, but rather dive head first in the deep end, submerging myself in every opportunity I can while I still have the chance. I'm still in college. This is the perfect time. Within a year, I'll be graduated and out in the 'real world' when knowledge of these things will really count and my expertise in them could make or break my prospect of a job offer.