Back on the wagon

I realize that no one is reading my blog, which makes this activity seem somewhat ridiculous. I do feel, however, that there is a pretty good chance I will become famous very soon and then millions of people will be searching for any insight to my complex psyche... so I might as well throw 'em a bone.

Whatever. Basically, this blogging stuff is hard. I barely have time to workout and eat regularly, let alone contribute to a meaningful blog with any sort of consistency... but I've got to start somewhere.

So what's on my mind these days? Social media and what that means for PR people...

So here's my take. My job is to communicate on behalf of my clients with their intended audience/s. So if said audience is using social media, then said clients should be there...right?

Well, it's not as simple as that. You know what it feels like when you're shopping and an annoying sales person gets in your face to try and "help" you? Well, that's how I feel about today's marketers bombarding Facebook, MySpace and anything else they can get their grubby little fingers on.

The beauty of PR has always been its word-of-mouth factor. I think we can help clients navigate the online space to replicate that authenticity of face-to-face communication or editorial coverage - but with a little bit of savvy and finesse people! What's with all the crappy social ads and profile pages (did you see the hair loss ad on Facebook recently?) People just don't get it, and the brands that try too hard end up looking stupid and losing face with their intended audience.

So I guess I'm starting to feel like my purpose in life is to help brands maintain their online dignity... it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.