Drew B's take on tech PR

Insights into building a megastartup

I've just read this article on the Venture Capital Dispatch blog about the kind of people that are hired and that succeed at successful, young companies, like Facebook and Zappos. It's fascinating, not just to see what makes the company culture tick, but how to hire intelligently to create success more broadly as a business.

I find this a lot in big startups (ie successful startups) both in the PR industry and client-side. Some strong values at the top, then a common culture that runs through everyone, starting from the type of person they are before they get let through the door.

The blog says that at Facebook, they look for "entrepreneurial hackers - people that want to build something new. Just as people go to McKinsey & Co. because they want to go into business, or IBM Corp. to learn sales, or play for the University of Southern California if they want to go to the NFL, Zuckerberg said he wants Facebook to be the best place to learn how to build an Internet business."

At Zappos they look for people who would like to work at the company for life, and they build the company to be the kind of place that would enable that to happen. 

I've asked some successful PR agency bosses what kind of people they hire. It's surprising how many go for 'a certain type' in the same way of the Facebooks and Zappos of this world. And for those looking to build something in a specific vein, interesting insight.

A mini social media manifesto (of sorts) for people in business

I saw an industry speaker post a message to his Twitter stream this morning saying that the slides from his talk at a conference are now available to download online. First thing I thought - why didn't he promote himself in advance more? I would have paid to watch him speak. 

A few weeks ago I was told that a journalist was asked to link to their articles more on their Twitter stream. The journalist said that they did not want to constantly be sending out links to their own stuff all the time, but the person inquiring said they would like to see much more nonetheless. 

It's a common theme I'm seeing more and more. That sharing is good, and people need to use social media personally in a smarter way to get more value out of their networks. The right people to see you speak, the right people reading your article, or simply someone knowing that you're into the same things as them.

Two years ago if you had said on Twitter that you had landed a speaking gig, written an article for a newspaper or bagged a new project at work, people would have berated you for bragging. That time has passed. Now social media is all about sharing.

We follow one another because we want to know what we're all doing. So I'm writing this post now as a request for people to share a bit more, and see how it benefits your social circle.

Write about what you do, what you're going to do and what you've just done. Some people feel funny doing this, either because of modesty or they just think 'why would I want to tell just anybody what I'm up to'. But when I read on someone's blog, Twitter or Foursquare that they are at an event, for example, I often wonder why they didn't say so earlier, as I would have gone too. Or if someone has written an article, make sure it is put up on your blog, your Twitter and whatever else you use that's sensible. You'll get the links, and we get to see it. In the days of information overload, why would you turn your nose up at an opt-in audience?

Golden rule - share lots.

For a small number of social sites (andIi'll add to this over time with more suggestions) I'm suggesting some new tips that I'm starting to do more myself:

Twitter

• Link your other web content to your feed. Use Friendfeed or Twitterfeed if you want to keep it simple. Then plug everything into that and use it as a funnel. Flickr photos, YouTube vids, Upcoming engagements, Delicious links, and so on. Don't boast, just share more. Steve Rubel is good at this
• Say when you're going to an event, or organising one. Mike Butcher is good at this
• Say when you've made an achievment - for me that would be landing a client, getting a project off the ground or hiring a new team member. Andrew Bloch is good at this

 Blogging

• Post shorter and more often. Set up your mobile so that you can send emails to blog that way. For a Blackberry, use the email function (this is what I do). For an iPhone, use an app.
• Write about events you're about to go to, you'll get feedback on opinion, the crown, and maybe set up some better meetings
• Embed, embed, embed. Take photos, video and links from your other social media content and re-use it in your posts
• Consider using Posterous. Some of the blogger bigwigs like Antony Mayfield and Steve Rubel are using it and saying it's ridiculously simple. Simple means easier, and that means more value
• Talk about what you do more! Don't just pen articles about your industry or whatnot. People like to know about you!

Foursquare

• Turn ON pings - make sure you are pinging Twitter with your check-ins. Since using it recently it has started a lot of conversations about interesting stuff. If you have pings off, nobody outside of Foursquare knows anything
• Turn ON email alerts, you can use this instead of push alerts from your phone
• Don't check in everywhere - people will unfriend you
• Add 'shouts' to your check-ins - these will appear like tweets or email updates to your network

Recap of the discussion at Media 140 in London this week

Last weekend I asked you in a blog post right here what I should cover off in my talk at Media 140, which happened Monday this week.

Based on your feedback, I decided to (try to) make the point that most brands don't have a strong culture or personality and that this leads to a social media ecosystem full of fake personality and hence full of fail. 

The discussion was (thank you by the way!) covered by The Guardian, Marketing Week, Brand Republic, and some bloggers like One Man and his Blog and PWCom picked up on it as well.

It was a great discussion too - nice and lively, balanced and all that, and it was great to speak with Gordon McMillan, Candace Kuss, Ruth Mortimer and Richard Baker who I had not met before, and Will McInnes who I had.

Twitter 'costs British economy £1.38bn' - Does the web cost us for using it or cost those that don't?

Today a piece of research has been released showing that social media costs us dearly in time lost adding friends, twittering away and commenting on status updates.

When I first saw the 'news' it reminded of a point made by the veteran CIO JP Rangaswami on the reaction to the telephones on office workers' desks when that technology first made it into the workplace. And most pieces of new technology for that matter. His post from over two years ago is still fresh in my mind on this issue.

The IT supplier that released this research that's out today seems to have done little more than show how out of touch it is with a generation and demographic which simply uses different ways to communicate, for business, personally, and shock horror, for both together when the two mix.

I hope we see a headline soon from a piece of research into the missed revenue from companies that ban staff from using the correct technology to communicate with staff, customers and the public.

Brands are not the personality - people are. Anyone have any opinions before Media140 on Monday?

On Monday I'm popping over to the Media 140 event in London and speak at a session on brands in social media, specifically microblogging. It's the issue most brands we work with are concerned with - how to behave. And certainly the one they would ask people such as those speaking with me on Monday to advise on.

In preparation, I'm working through material supporting my experience on this topic. Here is the question that is put forward in the headline of my session: 

"Do brands need a social media personality to engage with consumers?"

It's a strange thing to say in my opinion. The brand itself is not the thing that engages. People engage. They are trained, messaged and employed by a brand. And the brand has attributes, products, styles and, not all the time but a lot of the time, a personality. 

But in the same way that the CEOs, call centre staff and PR people don't have the same personality toward consumers as the brand, the social media engagement often has to simply suit the media platform, not just be an identikit brand personality.

Personality is personal, and my personal feeling on this debate, based on our experience in this line of work, is that the personality comes from the people and it should always be led by people personally. It's the brand guardians' job to manage messaging, the brand should shine through, but it's not the brand that has the personality. That's when microblogging becomes impersonal and spammy. 

I'm keen to hear peoples thoughts before Monday too.  

New team, new clients and a new addition

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted on to this blog. Reason being that, a little sooner than I expected, events occurred that triggered my paternity leave! A pretty sudden change and a fun two weeks, and I'm relearning fatherhood once again. Back in the saddle today for my first day back and I'm getting used to balancing work with being a father of two as well, which seems to be going well so far.

We have just won two new clients here at 33, a new colleague joined us in the form of the formidable @lauratosney, and so I couldn't have picked a crazier time to disappear for a fortnight. Things all seem to be in one piece on my return though, and I'm getting back into the swing of things.

So here's back to regular service online as well. Excuse the sleep induced typos.

My thoughts on FTC blogger transparency regulation and what it means for Europe

Has it ever wound you up to read a review of a trip, product or service by a blogger when you can see clearly that the blogger was incentivised to write it? Sent on a jolly, or given a gizmo to play with? Most people state clearly when an incentive has led to the review, and most brands a clear in their blogger and social media relations. But many are not.

Last night the news began bubbling through that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released new rules aimed to regulate transparency in the use of testimonials in marketing.

What this means is for bloggers, people on Twitter and Facebook online, if you have been given a product to review, a freebie or a jolly, then you have to say clearly that you were incentivised to write that review.

US media covering the story summarise it in various ways:

"Bloggers who receive payments or free merchandise in exchange for reviewing a product or service must disclose that relationship, the Federal Trade Commission ruled today. New language is being added to the FTC's "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising," which were last updated in 1980."

And:

"The question still remains as to exactly how the new guidelines will be enforced, given the sheer scope of online media--not to mention the millions upon millions of active Twitter and Facebook users."

The BBC covered the story this morning, looking at what the impact might be in the UK soon. Remember, European media law banned 'astroturfing' last May (it's only frowned upon in the US, where as here it's more black and white. So perhaps we will see the FTC guidelines move over the Atlantic some time soon? The BBC's report is worth reading:

Offenders could face eventual fines of up to $11,000 (£6,900) per violation. The updated policy on how advertisers can use endorsements will also apply to celebrities and research firms. Until now, bloggers had not been covered by the guidelines - something which had concerned consumer groups. They had argued that for a long time that the links between some bloggers and companies were not always totally transparent and clear for readers.

How not to pitch PR stories to Monocle

I was listening this morning to the Monocle weekly podcast, a great example of extending a magazine format into digital (alongside its daily email briefing, video and so on). The podcast goes into what's in current and future editions of the mag.

The podcast opened with a particularly entertaining segment this week, as the three editors talk about how they look for stories one week into the month, after the print edition has come out. They talk about the annoyances of how PR people approach them.

Top of editor Tyler Brulee's annoying email pitches from PR people:

- Starting with 'hiya'
- Saying you're 'reaching out' (Brulee says this makes him hit the roof)
- Saying you're 'circling back'
- Ending with a xx (kiss kiss)

My god. I do wonder what kind of people are being let loose on such a publication's senior management.

Five trends for brands connecting with consumers

Reading the blog of Dave Jones just now I saw a review of the IAB Mixx event this week and Steve Rubel's views on the five big trends shaping how brands and consumers interact in the social media age:

1. Media reforestation - media moves from analog to digital
2. Satisfaction guaranteed - PR and customer care blend
3. Less is the new more - friends as news filters
4. Corporate all-stars - passionate employees can connect with customers
5. The power of pull - create content that can be discovered

I think the points are a great overview of the driving factors in our space right now, even if they are americanised a little too much for my liking :)