Extreme DIY Social Media Media Blogger Relations Training For PR/Ad Agencies
07/02/2010
I really like the beat you cover began one pitch that recently dropped into my inbox.
Seems that PR people think that I am a media outlet. Sort of funny. However, at this juncture in the evolution of social media and blogger relations, sort of sad and frustrating that too many agencies still don't understand the "human side" of "social." All they see is "media."
One could make a case that most marketing and public relations higher education courses don't cover earned media well if at all. One could make a case that social media is new and many people are at the initial stages of learning. One could make a case that blogs appear to be a type of public information and leap to the conclusion that content creators are another type of reporter.
One could come up with a whole bunch of excuses. But Girlfriend, if you don't fix the broken heel of your favorite Jimmy Choos you'll hobble along forever. Or something like that. How do you "social media fix" a PR agency or ad agency? With a little training and a walk in a blogger's stylish shoes.
For now forget the listen to the conversation. Forget the build the relationship first. If you've ever stepped your polished purple toes into the social media waters you've heard that at least a zillion times. Guess you didn't get it.
We're changing Nike's Just Do It into "YOU do it" with Extreme DYI Social Media Blogger Relations Training For Agencies (and anyone else). It's not easy. It does take time. It's based on at least 2 people or 2 teams participating. It's not for the whiners.
If you succeed at the end of the course .. you buy me my next pair of Jimmy Choos. If not I'll buy you a drink when your boss says the famous Donald Trump words - You're Fired!
Extreme DYI Social Media Blogger Relations Training - A Four Week 12 Step Program
Week One - Understanding Social Media
Step 1 Read: Social Media Marketing GPS, my free eBook for an over view of social media. How long can that take to read it was based on 140 character tweets? Follow that with: The Hyper-Social Organization, Naked Conversations, The Digital Handshake The New Rules of Marketing and PR - Second Edition. Look out for Nettie Hartsocks' soon to be released book Kiss Your Publisher Goodbye -- reading her blog is a good idea too.
Weeks Two, Three & Four - A Walk In A Blogger's High Fashion Shoes
Step 2 - Create 2 teams
Step 3 - Read Pulse of the Industry Blogger Relations Series Parts i, ii, iii, iv and v
Step 4 - Read Susan Getgood's Blog with Integrity guidelines
Step 5 - Create a blog on any topic that you can sustain for three weeks. The graphical look and feel must complement your subject. Add at least 10 blogs that write about similar topics to you blog roll.
Step 6 - Write a minimum of 3 well thought out posts per week for the next 3 weeks
Step 7 - Comment on other blogs at a minimum of 3 times per week.
Weeks Three & Four
Step 8 - Pitch A Blogger
Step 9 - Develop a minimum of 4 pitches per week that you will send ONLY to the people who are participating in the Extreme DIY Social Media Blogger Relations Training with you.
Step 10 - For each pitch you receive do one or more of the following actions: a. reply back; b. post to your blog; c. do nothing; e. other .. you decide. Track your actions for each pitch.
Week Four
Step 11 - Provide feedback to your colleagues on their pitches including how you responded and why.
Step 12 - What did you learn? How did you feel about response to your pitches? What will you put into practice in your next blogger relations campaign? Did you color outside the lines .. do more than was suggested? What?
Happy Graduation!
