Since Facebook unveiled Timeline in late March, there have been thousands of posts and articles written about the new look and feel. And, many focused specifically on how brands can best take advantage of the new layout to create a better branded experience on Facebook.

But, little has been discussed about Facebook tabs. And, they’re just as important as they were before Timeline–yet they’re often not nearly as discussed as the bigger Timeline changes.

So, I thought we’d take a look at how 8 big (mostly) brands are using Facebook tabs to drive business, awareness and a deeper level of engagement with fans on their Facebook pages.

Drive sales through e-cards–Starbucks

This Starbucks tab allows fans to send a Starbucks card eGift on Facebook. What does that mean, exactly? The tab lets users directly post a virtual gift card on a friend’s wall with just a few clicks. Obviously, that helps spur awareness for the coffee giant. But, it also helps them drive sales as someone who receives a $5 gift card may typically purchase more than $5 worth of coffee/bakery goodies in the store. The tab’s also a nice with for fans because it allows you to manage your Starbucks cards right online–a feature which is becoming increasingly popular with customers.

Interact with fans through polling–ABC News

This tab allows ABC News Facebook fans to vote in the latest ABC News poll. Nearly 4,000 people voted in the Mother’s Day poll last weekend. The goal is clear–to spur engagement with “fans” on Facebook. They not only hope fans take the poll, but that they share it on their walls with a simple click. Previous polls are also available to review, and results are frequently used in newscasts given folks incentive to vote.

Build real-time Twitter chats into the Facebook experience–Target

Target hosts a series of Twitter chats on a regular basis with such celebrities as Julie Andrews and Sabrina Soto, just recently. Since many of Target’s fans don’t live on Twitter, the retail giant decided to host and archive these Twitter chats on their Facebook page using this slick “Cover it Live” tool within this tab. The idea? Capitalize on the 12 million-plus Facebook fans Target has acquired. (Note: A client of mine, Sleep Number, also does this well).

 Another customer service channel–Delta

Delta Airlines places a lot of weight on its customer service. And why shouldn’t they? They’re an airline carrier, after all. Customer service is the name of the game. And Delta is taking that dead seriously online. And, this Facebook tab is just part of the big picture. In addition to a 1-800 number and Twitter handle, the tab also gives customers the opportunity to lodge concerns or complaints right on Facebook through a simple form.

Give customers opportunities to see and chat with brand reps–Toyota

Toyota uses a variety of tabs on its Facebook page. But, this one’s a bit different. It showcased a panel discussion from the NY Auto Show recently featuring Toyota representatives talking about the new Toyota Avalon. The Livestream broadcast adds depth to the Facebook experience and also gives fans a chance to chat live with reps from Toyota (and other customers) right on the tab. The video is a bit long (40-plus minutes), but the panel discussion goes into detail about the design behind the new car, which may interest big fans of the car manufacturer.

Address customer concerns–Tom’s of Maine

Tom’s of Maine is a company that cares deeply about the environment and sustainability. And, its customers do, too. But, when it was bought by corporate giant Colgate-Palmolive, you can guess customers probably got a little skittish. So, Tom’s now addresses those concerns on its Facebook page with a lengthy FAQ tab. The tab gives them one page to point to where they can address all sorts of issues and concerns including what ingredients the company puts in its products and satisfaction guarantees.

Give customers input on product design–Threadless

Granted its not the best tab in the world in terms of straight user experience (I want to see all the t-shirt designs and be able to vote on them seamlessly), but the Threadless strategy here makes sense. Engage its biggest fans (as it routinely does) on Facebook by giving them input into which t-shirts get printed through voting. Threadless has made its name by inviting input from its fans on its site (i.e., voting), but now you can do the same thing on Facebook.

Recognize your biggest brand advocates–Clarisonic

Clarisonic is taking advantage of the now popular “Fan of the Month” trend on Facebook with its tab here. This represents a nice way to engage fans by casting the spotlight on them for a month. In addition, the “FOTM” gets a Clarisonic system as a courtesy and a link to their profile page on the tab. The tab also spurs even more discussion by featuring a poll question with each FOTM. This month it’s a question around product colors–answers Clarisonic can use to tweak product strategy down the road.

8 ways big brands use Facebook tabs to drive business is a post from: Communications Conversations

About a week ago, I shared a quick rant on Twitter that basically said: “I’m tired of baseless pitches from SEO experts, social media ‘gurus’ and other online companies that have absolutely no relevance to my blog.” No more than two minutes later, I had a thoughtful note from Hannah DeMilta suggesting a guest post for my blog that actually made sense. Imagine that. Hannah hit on my passion for helping others (HAPPO) and she wanted to share her story about how she found work abroad after college (in Sydney, Australia, no less!). Below is her story.

It wasn’t long ago I was stressing over final exams, finishing the last quarter of my PR degree at Otterbein College. To be honest, it felt like a tough time to be graduating. Instead of feeling like you were finishing school and being presented a world of opportunities, graduation was something to delay or fear. I had also given myself another challenge. Not only did I want to graduate and land a killer job with an awesome company, I wanted to do this on the other side of the world and move to Sydney, Australia. There are a few lessons I learned in my job search abroad.

Start making connections early

I started my job search abroad more than a year before I ever got the offer and moved. It was casual in the beginning, but still networking nonetheless. I used my free time to follow Aussies on Twitter, learn who the local influencers were and start reading up Australian blogs. I also made more personal connections with some Sydney-siders. My friend Roger (now working over at Ogilvy Social here in Sydney) was one of the first people to help steer me in the right direction. He co-organizes a meet-up called PRINKS for those in PR, digital, social media and such. I wrote a guest post for the PRINKS blog and followed the hashtag before I ever moved to Sydney and attended my first PRINKS meet-up in person. Use relevant networks such as HAPPO to find professionals in your field. We have so many opportunities to connect in this digital job search age.

Do your homework

Often I get emails from students asking about how they can live and work abroad. I love sharing my personal experience and some advice, but it quickly becomes apparent who has does their homework and who hasn’t. If you can’t name off at least one company you’re interested in working for or know what type of visa you might need to consider – then you’re probably not very serious about making that move abroad. People will help you out along the way, but don’t expect everything to be handed to you. Also, consider the fact that your experience in landing a job abroad might be different path than others. You need to be prepared. My expat friends who work in digital and PR have taken all sorts of journeys to end up here in Sydney. Our stories are certainly not the same.

Maintain a positive mindset

In 2006 approximately only 20% of Americans owned a passport. This has now shifted to closer to 37% since the changes made for travel between Canada and Mexico, but still quite low. I never realised how little Americans actually travel internally, until I left myself and began to see my own country from an outside perspective.  I think the first challenge most soon-to-be-grads face when looking to move abroad for work is that they aren’t taught to consider it as a real possibility. When I was a senior, not many people were encouraging me to leave the country. It was difficult to find mentors who had made a similar move. It took me awhile to change my own mindset and come to believe in myself and reaching my goal. You’ll need to believe that it’s possible in order to make it there.

Hannah DeMilta is originally from Cleveland, Ohio but now lives in beautiful Sydney Australia. She works in digital marketing, specializing in blogger and influencer outreach. She is Curator of The Fetch Sydney – a guide to what’s happening across business, digital and creative locally. Follow her blog at hannahdemilta.com or say “hello” on Twitter @HannahDeMilta – she loves talking with students who want to make the move to live and work abroad. 

How to find a job abroad in PR after college is a post from: Communications Conversations

I posed the following question to friends on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ yesterday: Is hugging OK in the workplace?

The response?

See for yourself.

As you can see, the results don’t exactly point one way or another, with the bulk of the people basically saying “it depends.”

This is a situation everyone faces in the workplace–and one I often struggle with. You see, I’m not a hugger. I’m a Norweigan. We don’t hug. We barely look each other in the eye. We talk about the weather. We drink coffee and eat pastries. We don’t hug. Although I do hug my kids all the time, I’ve probably hugged my parents a handful of times as an adult. I rarely hug other family members. As well as friends. So, in a professional setting, I almost never go that route.

It’s not because I don’t want to–I like the hug. It’s just not part of my makeup. I usually just stick with the handshake.

Unless, that is, if I know the other person is a hugger. Then, I will always oblige.

I don’t say this to make my current friends and clients feel awkward (I can already sense the conversations coming now). I only say this as an admission of sorts–and to see how others feel about this topic.

Then there’s my friend Jen Wilbur, solo PR pro in San Diego. She had an interesting quote yesterday: “Huggers thrive in an agency environment.” The implication: Agency people are bigger huggers than corporate PR people.

But, that simple statement spurred a number of questions for me:

* Are agency folks really more giving with their hugs than their buttoned-up corporate counterparts?

* Is the agency environment a breeding ground for huggers?

* If you join an agency as a non-hugger, will you then be transformed into an uber-hugger who doles out hugs at the drop of a hat?

* Have agencies embraced this role? Are they encouraging this hugging behavior as a selling point to attract other huggers in the industry?

Note: My tongue was firmly planted in my cheek with those statements above, but I would really love to hear your thoughts about hugging in the workplace. Share in the comments.

Are agency people bigger huggers than corporate types? is a post from: Communications Conversations

Have you realized there’s been an awful lot of movement in the social media ranks of late? Come to think of it, over the last year there’s been a lot of movement. A lot of firms are still hiring, too. That’ll probably continue to climb in the months ahead.

But, it got me thinking about the last four years. Why four? Because that’s really when social became a big-time marketing player in terms of jobs.

I remember in Feb. 2009 when Valerie Simon and I started HAPPO along with 20 PR bloggers from across the country. So many of our colleagues were looking for work–that was the impetus behind HAPPO. Today? Many of those people are thriving. Many have even made dramatic shifts to senior-level jobs. Point is, for our industry, the market’s been up the last few years. And, if you have the right skills, the market has been dramatically up.

I thought I’d break down what I’ve seen in the last four years in terms of the periods of time and what’s happened during that time.

Thought leadership: 2008-2009

I realize social existed far before 2007, but let’s be honest. That’s when it really started to explode. And with it, the “A-listers” and their blogs and personalities online. This is where folks like Brogan, Solis and Shankman really built up their “personal brands” online. And, a host of other folks who might not be thought of as “A-listers”, but people who’ve certainly made a name for themselves. Why did they excel? Because they weren’t afraid to stick their necks out and share opinions during a time when a lot of people were still testing the waters. Keep in mind, at this time, a lot of people were still doubting the marketing power of social media–again, these thought leaders were the ones paving the way for all of us now. We really shouldn’t forget that.

Examples:

David Armano (from principal at Dachis Group to EVP at Edelman; fantastic visual thinking/blogger)

Jason Falls (from VP at Doe Anderson to CEO of Social Media Explorer; one of the leading pragmatic voices in social media)

Todd Defren (Principal at SHIFT; one of the first PR bloggers)

First social jobs: 2009-2010

After a couple years of dabbling, you saw more companies starting to hire legitimate social media leaders and roles. Think Ford. Think Dell. Think Best Buy. Social became serious during this period–even if just a few companies were committing.

Examples:

Scott Monty (Ford)

Paula Berg (Southwest Airlines)

Lee Aase (Mayo Clinic)

Tectonic shifts: 2010-2011

In the last couple years, we’ve seen lots of movement in the social media industry. Think of all the people who have changed jobs in the last two years. Tons of agency people. Heck, my friend Chuck Hemann has worked for three different agencies in the last three years–and now he’s back with WCG, the agency he started with a few years ago (where he has a killer role). Just four years ago, he was an account supervisor with a small firm in Cleveland. Now, he’s one of the more in-demand analytics guys on the market. Or, consider Amber Naslund. She was working with a professional services firm four years ago–and before that working in philanthropy. Then, due to her extraordinary personality, communications skills and analytical mind, she secured a job at Radian6, where she seemed to excel (I only say “seemed” because I have not worked directly with Amber–I’m certain she actually did excel). But, just this past year, she decided to start her own company with partner, Matt Ridings (SideraWorks). Those are just two examples of the many changes we’ve saw in the last two years.

Examples:

Chuck Hemann (Dix & Eaton, Olgilvy, Edelman, and WCG in the last three years)

Matt Dickman (Fleishman Hillard, Weber Shandwick)

Christopher Barger (General Motors, Voce)

Dust settling: 2012

I think we’re starting to see people settling into roles now. Will they be in those roles forever? Not a chance. But, we may see them stay longer than they did a year ago. Why? Because organizations are getting smarter about how they build teams–and the people are getting smarter in which agencies and organizations they want to work for. Three years ago, this was a bit of a mess. Now, the scene is starting to crystallize.

Examples:

Greg Swan (Vice President-Digital Strategy, Weber Shandwick; tenure: 6 years)

LaSandra Brill (Senior Manager-Global Social Media, Cisco; tenure: 6 years)

Alex Tan (Director-Digital, Golin Harris, tenure: 5 years)

What’s next?

Who knows what the future holds for our industry. Will the bubble burst? Some tend to think so. Or, will momentum continue and will social skills continue to be in demand? Only time will tell…

Note: Photo courtesy of Rakka via FlickR Creative Commons.

The social media job scene: How the last four years have played out is a post from: Communications Conversations

A couple weeks ago, a potential client and asked if I’d be interested in leading a training session for the corporate communications team around “digital PR” with a mix of presentations and hands-on sessions. Right up my alley. I love the education side of our business–teaching is in my blood, as my Mom was a schoolteacher of some 30-plus years (and I see a potential route for me in teaching at the college level at some point–we’ll see about that .

But, then I got to thinking–what would an all-day workshop around digital PR include? What would the topics be? What areas would I choose to focus on?

Here’s where I landed:

Basic concepts of digital PR

What are the key concepts to success when it comes to digital PR? Depends on your goals, right? But, there are some universal concepts that really apply across the board.

Blogger outreach

Blogger outreach continues to be a topic many PR pros struggle with. How do I know? I’ve seen the pitches. Heck, I’ve RECEIVED the pitches. And they’re horrible. They’re out of left field. Without sugar-coating it anymore than I can, they’re unacceptable. We need to get better here. We’d talk about how to build a list. How to approach bloggers–and how that’s different than working with the media. And, how to maintain those relationships–without “breaking the bank.” And finally, how to measure success when it comes to blogger outreach. Big area of focus here.

Content marketing

Normally, I’d call this “blog marketing” but it’s really morphed into content marketing since PR people are increasingly the folks companies are turning to for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram (for starters) content, too. Why? Because we’re the writers of the organization. The storytellers. But, how do you tell a story in 140 characters? How do you do it via a Tumblr blog that’s typically more visual? What about telling a story through your iPhone at events? All would play into this topic.

Social Media News Release

Kinda felt like this needed it’s own category–even though it’s really just a tactic. How do you create a Social Media News Release (SMNR)? What are the critical elements? Which tools are best? How do you measure success? Why do I need to use a SMNR? All would be discussed here.

Crisis communications

I’m not the foremost expert on crisis communications when it comes to the online media. But, what I can tell you is that the concepts aren’t that much different from traditional crisis communication, which I am familiar with. The online media just speeds things up. Sure, there are differences–big ones, in some cases. But, for the most part, a session around this topic would involve talking about your traditional plan and discussing how the online media (social, Web, etc.) would fit in and how to resource that effectively in times of need.

Supplementing media outreach

In this session, we’d talk about how to supplement your traditional media outreach (via phone, email, etc.) with social outreach and relationship development–because there’s a lot of opportunity here. With tools like Twitter and Facebook, you can get to know reporters and editors a bit better than in the past. Heck, just follow a journalist on these channels for a week or two and you’ll glean a number of nuggets you can use in a pitch. We’d discuss potential strategies here as well as the tools of the trade. And, what’s appropriate and what’s not–ethics would be a big part of this discussion.

So, those are the top six areas that came to mind for me. What about you? If you were putting together an all-day digital PR workshop–what would you include?

Note: I didn’t write this post to crowdsource my job (in fact, we already have the agenda in place). Merely interested in what others think about this topic.

Note: Photo courtesy of James Clay via FlickR Creative Commons.

6 “must-have” elements to a “digital PR” workshop is a post from: Communications Conversations

Go ahead, re-read that press release you just wrote. I’m willing to bet I’m going to find one of the following phrases in it:

Leverage

Paradigm

Synergy

Do those sound like words we use in everyday conversations? No. Do they even sound like words you use in the workplace? Not really–from time to time maybe.

So, why do the folks of corporate American write like this? (Keep in mind, I’m not immune here–I’ve worked for plenty of organizations where I’ve written materials with these words and phrases included)

I’m not really sure. I think it’s a combination of corporate leaders wanting to portray a professional voice–and very risk-averse cultures.

But, the problem isn’t the “why”, it’s the “what do we do about it.”

Weren’t we taught to “write like we speak” back in high school and college? Why does that fly out the window when we start writing on a company’s behalf?

And think about the people we’re writing for: customers, media and other key “stakeholders” (see, I slipped right there!). Do those people use the kinds of words you’re using in your release or marketing materials? Do they talk like that?

Chances are, the answer is no.

But, why not ask them?

Here’s a radical idea. Next time you write a release–write two.

Write one in the typical corporate voice you would normally.

And, write the second in a more human voice. A more conversational voice. Write like you speak.

Then, post both to your corporate blog (if you have one) and ask your readers (hopefully a mix of customers, employees and shareholders) what they prefer. After all, isn’t the heart of writing to communicate effectively with your reader? You can’t do that if you’re using so many corporate buzzwords that the meaning of your messages is watered down or miscommunicated completely.

Gauntlet thrown down. Who’s up to the challenge?

Is corporate America killing our PR writers? is a post from: Communications Conversations

Earlier this week, I sat down to see what all the fuss was about and watched the pilot of “The Pitch.” If you haven’t heard of it, “The Pitch” is a show/series on AMC that features two agencies (for each show) battling it out to win a new account. Agency folks will certainly relate to the pressure and emotions seen in the show. It’s pretty insider-baseball (at least the first show was), but I kinda liked it. After all, who doesn’t like laughing at advertising people? (I kid, I kid)

In all seriousness, the show was pretty good. I’m curious to see what other agencies they feature in the episodes that start on Monday, April 30 on AMC (and hopefully soon after on Netflix, since I don’t have DISH anymore).

As I watched the show, I did have a few thoughts and reactions from a PR pro’s perspective. I should note I don’t have a big agency background. I’ve worked for a couple agencies in my day, but they were both smaller–and they were shorter stints (both inside two years). So, I’m probably not the guy with the best perspective on this topic–but I certainly have an opinion

Here are my thoughts–in no particular order:

Advertising…still all about the “creative”

As an industry, advertising has always been about the creative. And, that came through loud and clear in the pilot. In fact, I don’t think they featured even one account person in the whole pitch (and the president of the firm was merely a side character). It was all about the creative directors, copywriters and art directors. After all, that’s what agencies sell–ideas, right? Personally, I thought there was a bit too much focus on the “creative”–and not enough on the strategy piece (much like PR, that’s not helping the advertising industry). But that will probably change in future episodes.

Captured the intensity of the pitch process

Again, disclaimer: I’m not a career agency guy, so I’m probably not the authority on this, but I’ve been through a number of pitches on the consultant side and I thought the show captured that intensity and pressure fairly well. Your fuse gets shorter as you get closer the pitch. You say and do things you don’t normally do–given the pressure (we saw that in the pilot). That should, and I’m sure will be, a big part of future episodes since that’s where the emotion of TV kicks in.

No risk–no reward

In the pilot, you could tell who was going to win the pitch. McKinney (the Durham, N.C. agency) was tinkering around with this rap idea. A copywriter had discovered a guy on YouTube that was rapping about breakfast. They decided to bring him in to write a rap about Subway. It killed at the pitch. Then, they took it a step further and brought in the the rapper to perform, live at the pitch. Knocked it out of the park. Huge risk though, right? What if the guy stumbled? What if he didn’t show up? Lots of “what ifs”? But, in the end, they took the risk. And it paid off. They won the business. The lesson? Big rewards sometimes require big risks. Don’t be afraid to take one.

A lack of business strategy/thinking

The client in the pilot, Subway, did everything but call this out in the actual pitch sessions. It was obviously absent from the discussions during the pitch. Where was the business strategy? The agencies simply sat down and went right into “the creative.” Cool, but I’m guessing the CMO of Subway probably wanted to hear how it tied back to their larger marketing strategy. Now, maybe they edited that piece out (actually, pretty likely). After all, that’s not too sexy. But, I thought it was worth noting. Also, business strategy/results didn’t come up too much in the pre-pitch discussions on the agency side either. As Bill Simmons says, “worth noting.”

Did you see the pilot? What did you think? Looking forward to the new episodes next Monday?

The Pitch: A review of the new AMC show (pilot) from a PR perspective is a post from: Communications Conversations

I was asked to be a part of a University of Minnesota PRSSA event last week. Speed dating for PR folks. It was pretty cool actually. They had six PR pros who sat at different tables and they asked the students to switch tables every 7-8 minutes. The idea, of course, was for the students to ask questions and seek advice from the pros in a more relaxes, non-threatening setting.

I don’t know about the other pros, but I loved it. I’m the guy who would have loved speed dating if it had been available when I was younger (don’t worry–my wife knows this; in fact, she feels the same way!). I shared advice. Tips. Thoughts. But, I dropped one line that I think pretty much scared the bejesus out of a few students.

Half of you will be working at Burger King in three years.

Wait, what?

Yeah, I said that. And I meant it. Not really sure if it’s true (but, according to reports today, it’s actually right on), but the concept I was trying to get across is simple. To get into–and survive–in this business, it’s all about survival of the fittest. And, an insane drive to be the best (and by the way, I don’t mean to impune Burger King here–just trying to illustrate a point).

I see it every day in my business partners. In my clients. In my colleagues.

Those who win in PR are incredibly driven. They HAVE to work in PR. It’s not a job for them. It’s a way of life. There is a difference.

And, I see it in a lot of students these days. Kids just going through the motions. Kids who talk about a rough job market. Kids who talk about taking time off after graduation. Kids who just “want a job.”

Then you meet students like Morgan Hay-Chapman. She’s on schedule to be the next president of the MN Daily (a 30-hour-a-week job). She’s the social media intern at the ALS Association. She’s the philanthropy director for the U of M PRSSA chapter. She’s had internships with the Guthrie Theater and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Oh, and she’s also taking a full course load at the University of Minnesota. Oh, and she’s only a junior.

These are the kind of kids who get jobs. These are the kids who HAVE to work in PR. Anything less is unacceptable.

Want to work in this business? Adopt that mindset. You NEED to work in PR. This industry isn’t for people with weak stomachs.

Remember, those classmates you’re graduating with? They might be your friends now. But in a few months when you graduate, they’ll be your mortal enemies. You’ll be competing head-to-head against them for jobs. And, while we all want the best for our friends, we also want to win, right?

So, in three years, where will you be? Working in this great industry? Or, flipping burgers for a fast food chain? Make sure you’re doing everything you possibly can to remain the right side of that 50 percent mark.

Students: One way you can ensure you remain in the *right* 50 percent? Internships! And, during our next HAPPO Chat on Thursday, April 26 from 2-3 ET we’ll discuss how to rock your internship this summer! Just follow along and participate by using the #happo hash tag.

Note: Photo courtesy of Tek F via FlickR Creative Commons. 

Why half of all PR students will be working at Burger King in 3 years is a post from: Communications Conversations

I was rather late to the party, but I finally got around to watching all five seasons of Friday Night Lights earlier this month. Not sure what took me so long. Friends Jeff Shelman and Ryan Mathre had been recommending it for some time. But, I once I clipped the cable cord, Netflix became my new best friend. And, I started rifling through FNL episodes.

The fantastic show had me hooked from the get-go. Great writing. Decent acting (not great, but passable). And, tremendous plot lines (especially in the final season). Without a doubt one of my favorite shows of the last five years on television.

But, like most smart shows on TV, this one came to a sudden end. It makes sense, actually. I mean how long can they reasonably produce a show where the characters move on almost every year (seniors graduate, then we don’t hear from them again–college isn’t nearly as interesting as Dillon, Texas after all

One of the best parts of the show was the characters–I’m sure most would agree with that. You had the stud quarterback (Jason Street and later Matt Saracen and Vince Howard). You had the gorgeous cheerleader–Layla Garrity. You had the beautiful, under-achieving girl–Tyra Collette (my favorite, by the way). You had the geek–Landry Clarke. You had the guy who drank too much, who also got all the ladies (Tim Riggins). If you went to high school, you could identify with at least one character on this show.

But, I also found these characters could teach us a thing or two about PR. Yes, I just made that connection. And yes, Minka Kelly can teach you something about PR. Let me prove it to you.

Jason Street

What he can teach us about PR: Be ready for curveballs

Life was cruel to Jason Street in the first season of FNL. He was paralyzed. His girlfriend cheated on him. With his best friend. But, dealt that brutal hand, Street perservered. In fact, he ended up thriving by the end of the show (full-time agent working in NYC). In PR, we’re constantly dealt curveballs in our work. A client who changes direction at the last minute. A reporter who ends up not running the story you pitched. Whatever the case, it pays to be ready for these curveballs–and to create a plan B on the fly. Worked for Jason Street–it can work for you.

Eric Taylor

What he can teach us about PR: Inspire teams by your actions AND words

I can’t remember how many times I choked up listening to Eric Taylor’s speeches on FNL. He was probably my favorite character. I can identify because I played for a few coaches like Taylor when I was younger. But, his words (and delivery) hit me. Heck, they motivated me and I was sitting on a couch watching the show. Remember that your words and actions make a difference each day–with your clients, your colleagues and your managers. You have the power to inspire each and every day.

Tami Taylor

What she can teach us about PR: Support your teammates

There’s a common phrase in the coaching world: Behind each great coach is a great wife. Or, something like that. The point? No great coach succeeds without a doting wife who’s supporting him through it all. And, that’s exactly what we saw in FNL. Tami Taylor supported her husband through all the crap he dealt with–changing teams, getting fired, being recruited when he didn’t want to be. You name it. In the workplace, supporting your teammates is kinda table stakes. Yet, we don’t always see it, do we? Instead, we see back-stabbing. Information hoarding. Bullying. Don’t be that guy. Be the guy who stands shoulder-to-shoulder with his teammates. Be that guy who’s  your colleague’s biggest fan. It’ll pay off down the road–and you’ll feel a whole helluva a lot better about yourself.

Matt Saracen

What he can teach us about PR: Don’t be afraid to follow your dream

Matt Saracen was probably one of the characters who changed the most during the course of the show. From back-up QB, to QB1 to state champ to college student in Chicago to the guy who married Julie Taylor. But, he only got to Chicago (and proposing to Julie) by following his dream–art. In your career, you’re undoubtedly going to run into people who tell you that you can’t achieve your dream–for a variety of reasons. Don’t listen to them. Hear them out–and respectfully disagree. And, then use their doubt to motivate you to achieve your dream. Don’t ever stop chasing your dream. Ever.

Landry Clarke

What he can teach us about PR: Stick to your moral compass

Remember the series of episodes where Landry hit the guy who was attacking Tyra and ended up inadvertantly killing him? He was so guilt-ridden. His morals and ethics were getting the best of him. Things turned out OK for Landry in the end, but what about you? How’s your moral compass? Because in the world of PR, ethics are everything. Do you disclose client relationships when sharing on Facebook and Twitter? What about conflict of interest situations? Issues with fellow employees and managers? How have you handled those in the past? With a strong moral compass–and a general want to do the right thing–you’ll usually be just fine.

Tyra Collette

What she can teach us about PR: Believe in yourself, and your gut

Besides being the cutest character (by far! but, only with the blonde hair , Tyra was also mired in mediocrity and troubles for most of the seasons she appeared on the show. That was, until she ran into Landry and Tami Taylor. Ever since, she started to believe in herself and her life was never the same. In PR, much like other facets of life, confidence is everything. With it, you’re invincable. Able to conquer the world. Without it, you start second-guessing everything. Nothing feels right. But, at the heart of that confidence is a firm belief in your abilities. Some days, you’re going to get your butt handed to you. And it’s not going to feel very good. But, if you continue to believe in yourself, those days will be easier to handle as time goes on. Stay true to yourself–and what you believe.

Vince Howard

What he can teach us about PR: Play like you always have “two strikes” against you

Loved the quote he had in season 5. It was something like: “I’ve had two strikes against me my entire life.” The point? That he played with a carefree, nothing-to-lose spirit that only someone who’s had the deck stacked against him could. Adopt that mentality. Work like you’ve got two strikes against you. Work (and play) like you have nothing to lose. You’ll feel looser. You’ll work more effectively. And, most importantly, you’ll give it everything you’ve got. Every day.

Luke Cafferty

What he can teach us about PR: Always show respect

Did you ever notice Luke always addressed every adult in FNL with a “yessir” or “yes ma’am?” It’s true. Luke was the most polite character on the show. And you know what? That’s a lost character trait of late. You so rarely hear people addressed as “sir” or “ma’am.” The bigger lessons here is to show respect–not only for those who might be your senior, but also to colleagues your same age and younger. Age shouldn’t really matter. Respect should.

Tim Riggins

What he can teach us about PR: Don’t party the night before a game–or pitch

How many times did we see Tim Riggins hungover at practice? Virtually all the time, right? I mean the guy almost always had a beer in his hand when he wasn’t on the field. And, many times, it impacted his performance on the field. Don’t let that be you, in the professional sense. Stay away from the drinks the night before a pitch–chances are, you won’t perform as well. In general, you need to be on your A-game for client meetings and pitches (just like the games Riggins was playing in)–so a good night’s rest, instead of a case of beer, is a better recipe for success.

Any FNL fans out there? What PR lessons did you take away from the characters on the show?

What the characters of Friday Night Lights can teach us all about PR is a post from: Communications Conversations

“Why should I hire this consultant to build/manage my Facebook page–he can’t even run his own Facebook page.”

We’ve all heard the argument by now. If you can’t do it yourself, how are you going to tell your clients how to do it?

It’s been a common thread among social media-types the last few years. And, at some times, I’ve actually bought into it a bit.

But now, I’m here to tell you it’s a load of crap.

Which is a little odd, to be honest. Because, I’m the guy who comes in and says “you should value my advice because I’ve done this and that.” I don’t actually say it exactly like that, but I pride myself on being a consultant who practices what he preaches, so to speak.

But, I’m here to say those who preach but don’t necessarily practice aren’t incompetent. Not in all cases.

Why?

Let me paint two pictures for you.

First, think about your typical digital, advertising or PR agency. They’re busy with work–after all, it’s still a billable business model, right? They’re focused on meeting client needs. And, delivering new business. The last thing on their radar is their Web site. Or, their social profiles. Sure, these are part of the new business work, but what if the new business pipeline is full? Just because the agency isn’t participating online–does that make the agency incompetent?

Now, think about your typical VP in an agency or corporate environment. What’s their day like? They’re stuck in meetings for 80 percent of it. The remaining 20 percent is probably spent with their teams, managing their inbox and cranking out a little work, right? Remember, some of these people have lives and families outside of work, too. So, how in the heck do they have time to be sharing 15 posts on Twitter a day. Or, re-pinning content on Pinterest? I’ll answer that for you–they don’t. They’re spending most of their day doing their jobs–and some of that may involve coaching clients (internal or external) about social media. Since they’re not on Twitter all day, does that make them incapable of giving clients advice? Nope–not at all. You know what it does make them? In demand.

Let’s take a step back for a moment. The bottom line is this: Just because an agency doesn’t have a Facebook page with multiple tabs or a Pinterest page with 16 boards or an Instagram profile with 1,000 followers doesn’t mean they can’t consult on the topic/issue. It’s almost ridiculous to think that.

Instead of focusing your time and effort on what the agency is doing on their own social profiles, what you SHOULD do is your due diligence. I’ve got a few tips:

Look for senior-level experience

Really look into the agency’s experience. Do they have real experience with social, or is their experience amount to a bunch of junior-level associates doing all the work? Look at the senior level folks. Dig into their LinkedIn profiles. Even though you might work day-to-day with the junior or mid-level folks, it’s the senior-level counselors you’re going to rely on in times of great need.

Look for results

Do they just help brands “build” Facebook pages (I would think we’re past this stage by now, but who knows?), or are they helping clients realize REAL business results through social channels? I’m talking clicks, leads and actual business.

Look for *some* social proof points

They don’t have to be on EVERY network, but I think you need to see *some* proof that they “get” social themselves through their personal or agency interactions online. If the agency has NO profile online, then yeah, that’s a bit of a red flag. Just look for enough to make you feel comfortable.

What do you think? Is the “you can’t teach social media unless you participate in social media” myth busted? I’d love to hear what you think…

Note: Image courtesy of Paula Marttila via FlickR Creative Commons.

Why the whole “you can’t teach social media unless you participate in social media” myth is busted is a post from: Communications Conversations