Meet my new personal assistant
It's Google.
Yep. The Internet behemoth is keeping track of little old me. Not too shabby. You'd think I'd be happy to be chosen for such an honour.
But the thing is, I haven't been plucked from the crowd, it's more a case of not being able to opt out.
Like many of us, I'm a big Google user. I enjoy their products, how well they work and how integrated they are. Because of the company, I learned how to spell and almost understand algorithm. I'm also a fan of their minimalist design aesthetic.
So you wanna quit your job
I often get calls from people looking for work. And I’m happy to help. Over the past few years, I’ve written several posts on how to get a job in PR. You can find them, here, here, here and here.
But one thing that never comes up is the flip side – how to leave a job. That is, how to leave it decently without slamming a door on your way out.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while and now that I don’t have any employees I figured this is as good a time as ever to share my POV.
Inside PR 84: Do you measure up?
This post was originally published on Inside PR 2.84.
This week, we feature another interview from the PRSA International Conference. We talk to our good friend Shonali Burke, author of the Waxing Unlyrical blog, about PR and social media measurement, a subject all PR people should pay attention to because it demonstrates the value of our work and whether or not we’ve achieved our goals.
Are page likes becoming the new media impressions?
It seems that way to me.
This notion first struck me during my recent digital clean-up; unsubscribing, sorting through and deleting various Facebook page 'likes', generally making choices and trying not to focus on so many shiny things. (For anyone who listened to Inside PR 2.82, you'll know that was my 2012 social media resolution.)
Of course we understand that just because we 'like' a brand doesn't necessarily mean we like it. In fact, it could be just the opposite. Say I've been on the receiving end of really bad customer service, I could like a page because at that moment I actually hate the company but liking is the only way I'll be allowed to have my public rant.
Blog turns five…Where did the time go?
I find it hard to believe, but next week is the fifth anniversary of my blog. Over the past 369 posts (chapters?), I've gone from being a neophyte on Blogger to a WordPress pro with a site hosted on my own domain. I've imported and exported, uploaded, commented and moderated and eventually added visuals after eschewing them at first because I felt this blog would be about writing alone and didn't need 'pictures'. As some of you know I used to feel the same about standup comedy and realize the importance of combining words and delivery in order to get your story across.
The great candy cane conspiracy of 2011
The holidays are almost upon us and I don’t want to spoil them for you. But there’s something I must share.
Now I’m not into conspiracy theories (well, maybe a little), but has anyone noticed the shortage of candy canes? I’m not talking about those second-rate peach or root beer flavours. I mean the genuine peppermint kind. The ones that come in several sizes – regular, cigar-width and mini – and are wrapped in the kind of cellophane you can never completely remove.
You know the ones I mean.
Inside PR 2.81: On Google, Twitter and Marketing in the Round
This post was originally published on Inside PR 2.81.
On this week's podcast…
First:
Listener comments responding to our discussion on ‘mean girls in PR’… Thanks to Jessica Suter from The Change PR, Lizanor Barrera and our own producer, Kristine Simpson, who submitted an audio comment (and graciously edited it in). The consensus from everyone is there are a lot of good, honest and ethical women and men working in the profession (and yes, there are a few stinkers, too…).
Double waxy – guest post on Waxing Unlyrical: Don’t snooze through life…
Are you one of those people who hits the snooze button every time the alarm rings? Maybe you take it a step further and are just sleep-walking through life… you know, going through the motions.
It's pretty easy to do, especially when it comes to something like the repetitive nature of work. That is, knowing what works… or thinking we do….
You can read more of my take on the subject on Shonali Burke's blog, Waxing Unlyrical. (Darn, if only I'd thought of that name first… but I do feel at home there…)
Here's a preview:
Stop counting feet, start counting shopping bags
Having grown up in retail, I've always been fascinated by stores, shopping centres, customer service…
But there are times when I walk into a store, glance around and immediately walk out. Something just isn't right. Maybe it's a disconnect between the window display and what's for sale inside. Maybe the staff are obnoxious or too into themselves. Whatever it is, it feels like a promise has been broken and a potential customer (me) is lost for good.
Who are we? A defining moment for PR
Too often the PR profession is defined by what it’s not: as in …not advertising …not marketing …not (just) publicity.
But it doesn’t address the most important issue: WHO WE ARE.
We’ve all experienced it; many people don’t understand what PR does. To some, we’re shadowy figures, pulling strings, spinmeistering, whispering – the darkest side of our industry and the one most often represented in movies because it makes for good drama. And while those things do happen – probably more than they should – it’s a representation of a small part of the profession.
Inside PR 2.78: The plusses of Google+
This was originally published on Inside PR 2.78.
We recorded Inside PR 2.76 on the day Google+ opened its pages to businesses and watched as companies developed their G+ presence in real time.
Now it’s a couple of weeks later, and we thought we’d take a closer look. Gini kicks it off by referencing her blog post on the topic. She calls out Google’s transparency in admitting they helped several companies build their brand pages in advance of the launch. However, she’s noticed some of those organizations haven’t grown their followings or done much posting.
Memories…Facebook turns into the way we were
Facebook wants to become our repository for nostalgia, or as Mark Zuckerberg says, the ‘story of your life’. And soon your Facebook page will resemble the DNA of your past. That is, once you get the new profile and Timeline (mine is above).
But is that where you want your life story written and displayed, all wrapped up in a nice neat package – that changes its wrapping rules all the time? (more…)
Remembrance Day – 11/11/11
Every Remembrance Day, I think of my dad, a WWII veteran and a man with a supreme joy for living. He always shared his wisdom, ideals and opinions (often without being asked), but kept the horror of his war experience to himself. He passed away in 2000, and for me, Remembrance Day is like another Yahrzheit for him – a day to recall and celebrate his life. So today, thinking of him and everything he taught me, I’m going to republish a post I wrote in 2009.
November 11.
When I was growing up in Winnipeg we called Remembrance Day: Poppy Day. And every year when it came around, my Dad would return from work with a poppy on his lapel. Often, he’d bring some home for us and I felt it was both a thrill and an honour to wear one. It connected me with my Dad and by extension with history. It made me feel proud. (more…)
Presenting my social media class 2011
It's that time of year… my McMaster University social media course is in full swing and I want to introduce the class and their blogs.
This is the third time I've taught the course and as before, topics can be anything the students are passionate about. Because the group is from communications and marketing, the writing is strong and you can hear people's voices come through. And because they range in age from recent grads to boomers, you'll find an eclectic array of subjects. (more…)
Inside PR 2.74: On the road with On the Record Online
This post was originally published on Inside PR 2.74.
We’re on the trade show of PRSA International Conference in Orlando talking with Eric Schwartzman – on a special joint episode with On the Record Online and Inside PR.
Like us, Eric also records his podcasts over Skype but prefers face to face interviews when he can. And he’s a veteran, who started in April 2005, just after For Immediate Release and around the same time Terry Fallis and David Jones began Inside PR. (more…)
