The Plenary Panel Weblog

Is blogging the new PR?

One of things that I can guarantee at our session at EuroComm is that, when it comes to blogging, no one will have all the answers.

Sure, some people know more than others, and some shout louder than others, but no one knows everything about this way of communicating that is still in its infancy (and some might argue, rather infantile). That's why the whole concept of four people sitting in front of everyone else imparting our words of wisdom sits a little uneasily with me.

But equally, I guess that's why we have this blog. It is in itself a statement of the new communications world. Like conference speakers, companies are already finding that broadcasting their views of the world to the masses delivers diminishing returns for their business. Like you all, we have an opinion on how things could be done but we'd much rather have a dialogue with you than present you with a collection of thoughts that you can only agree or disagree with.

So here's something to get you started, courtesy of Kathy Sierra. She offers some new, more creative - and possibly more effective - alternatives to the old ways of doing things:

I doubt anyone would agree with all of these (I am duty-bound to disagree with item four!), but I think Kathy has done a great job here. She perfectly encapsulates some of the ways in which communicators need to think if they are to take their organisations forward in what is undoubtedly a very different world.

There are some interesting themes running throughout. Authenticity, co-creation, and inside-out branding are just a few that might resonate with some of us.

So what's stopping us crossing the chasm? What questions do you have? What will make your CEO sit up and listen? As I said, no-one has all the answers, but then again we don't always know what the questions are either.

PR engagement with bloggers

One of the topics that will undoubtedly be part of the panel discussion at EuroComm is that of the influence and role of bloggers in the overall public relations mix. It's a good topic as many in the PR business do ask: How do you engage with bloggers? Are they like journalists? What about monitoring what blogs say?

In a timely article published online yesterday, PR Week gives some good advice to PR professionals on how to engage and work with bloggers. The article includes some excellent quotes from some in the PR profession.

Two examples:

• Sarah Bresee, account executive, OutCast Communications: "I think that a lot of people are afraid of blogs in probably the same way that they were afraid of the internet. You can't ignore it and hope that they're going away. You have to interact with them. You have to work with them. That transparency can be scary, but it can really work out well for your clients."
• Lynann Bradbury, SVP, Waggener Edstrom: "It's critical to read relevant blogs daily - and, whenever possible, on an hourly basis - to understand their slant, tone, and point of view and learn whether there's anything unique that you might be able to add to the discussion. It's not that much different than how you would engage the mainstream media in terms of the homework that you need to do up-front. Being well educated about that blog and what that blogger cares about is critical and is a necessary foundation to lay down before you have a conversation with them."

The only criticism I have of the PR Week article is its headline: "Working with the top echelon of bloggers."  This is not about an 'echelon' or an elite grouping, it's about working with an effective channel. It's about influence (read the Technorati/Edelman "Trust MEdia" report for more on that - PDF, free download).

In any event, if you're in the PR profession and want to gain some insight into what some of your peers believe about blogs and PR, you should read this article. It concludes with some smart advice:

- Do include bloggers in your media strategy
- Do remember that blogs are open forums
- Do treat bloggers with the same respect as journalists

- Don't try to mislead or manipulate with a posting
- Don't pitch or send press releases
- Don't forget to explain the terms of an embargo

Grab this article while you can, though - if you're not a PR Week subscriber, free access to their websites was due to expire at midnight yesterday. The article was still openly accessible this morning.

(Adapted from a post on my blog, heard about via Media Guerrilla.)