To catch some of my recent online activity check out these guest blog posts:

Press Releases for Small Business:

First, a guest post on Melinda Emerson’s Succeed As Your Own Boss blog on press releases: What is a Press Release and How Can a Small Business Use Them? Part 1

Twitter for Business:

An interview of me by Julie Diaz Asper on Gig Coin: How to use Twitter for Business: Expert tips from Cathy Larkin:

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After participating in an on-line event, I was asked for a dream list of what a PR pro would like to find on a Mommy Blogger’s site to coordinate PR/blogger promotions (giveaways, contests, goody bags, expert guest blog posts, quotes for blogs and even virtual blog books tours) – in a paragraph. Not an easy task, so I sent a shorter intro to the ladies from MomItForward (and #GNO or Girls Night Out Tuesdays 7-10 pm MST on www.twitter.com), and have expanded it here on my blog. These techniques can be applied to any specialty type of blog to create win-win situations for your readers and our clients.

What PR Pros Want to Know – The Basics

PR people are hoping to find a match between between our client/company/expert’s product or info and your reader’s interests and needs. With 18 plus years of PR experience, including handling PR for Winterthur Museum’s Licensed Products Division (products inspired by the museum’s collection), I can say I wish blogging was as hot then as it is now, I would have loved to have had you all to reach out to. Marketing & PR tools have changed, but reaching out an connecting one-on-one hasn’t – relationship building is what PR is all about.

The Type of Info a PR Pro Hopes to Find on Your site, Includes:

A good About Us page, telling briefly what you and your site are all about (intro to the site and how it works, who your readers are, what niche do you reach, and who the sites author(s) are). A good PR Info page also tells us more reader demographics along with some site statistics/numbers – see tools below. Also useful are sections on how you like to work: what you will do to publicize the promotion, what you need from us, and note any success stories you’ve had (some of this can also be indicated is on a document that we can request – if your readers don’t need to know the details).

At it’s best PR/blogger promotions - can be win-win situations. Bloggers get cool items to review/use/giveaway (or info/advice/guest post from an expert ), which helps your readers, and builds your brand. PR consultants get exposure for our client/brand and our product/info, and hopefully generate some action from your audience: web traffic, conversation about the product/expert/brand, or product purchases. At it’s worst this process can leave both the PR staffer and/or the blogger frustrated. Communication, beginning with a good About Us and PR/media pages (and/or a promo sheet that can be emailed on request), can go a long way toward creating successful promotions. If mommy bloggers are getting bombarded by off-target PR pitches, you can send them a link to this page, to tell them what type of promos you look for, who your blog reaches, and how to you prefer to work. Ideally, the PR person/company should have similar promotional info on their site, or at least identify a contact name for the person who handles promotions (and info about their needs to send on request).

The Details for Both Sides:

The Ugly PR “Pro” and the “Bad” Blogger

Now we all know of those stereotypes, that sometimes PR types and bloggers get off on wrong foot. A Public Relations staffer will grab a list of mommy bloggers and sent out a pitch to all of them, without ever reading the site to see what their niche is. An we have heard stories of bloggers, grabbing a list of PR folks and doing the same, without finding out what products or experts they cover. This is Social Media after all- on both sides of the isle – let’s be social. Our internal SPAM filter has been hardened again the mass e-mailed request. Take the time to reach out and connect with each other, maybe even before you need to work together. Find out each other’s interests, niche, needs, clients, audiences; then target your requests. ‘Nuf said. Twitter and it’s short message format can be a great tool for this – it’s how I met Carissa and Jyl of #GNO/MomItForward.

The Ideal Information a PR Pro Hopes to Find on your Site Tells us:

• A short but good About Us page including: an Elevator pitch (A couple of good sentences that sum up what your site it all about), Bio/history of you and the site (when did it start, why/how, quirky stories, do you support any charities – keep it brief), how your site works, & who your readers are, (not just moms, but single work-at-home moms, or grandparents caring for their daughters children, moms of infants or teens. This info helps us fit our products/exp[ert to your audience). And contact info, so we can get a hold of you and connect.
• Who your readers are Demographics - specific niche/interests (single moms, grandparents, moms with infants, moms with school-aged children etc; age ranges of the moms. Nice extras would be: marital status, #/ages of kids, income levels, region of the country, do they travel, amount spend online ea. month) Survey & polling tools noted below can help; or ask some info when people sign up for your newsletter.
• Some site statistics/numbers that help. If your numbers are good, you look good; although it is not all about the numbers, I have to admit, they do help. (some of this would be cool for your readers to know - Other info is less useful to them, and might be included on a PR Promo sheet that's available on request).
  • monthly average unique visitors and page views (weekly/daily if relevant or available)
  • amount of repeat or new traffic vs. new traffic
  • are there traffic spikes during times when you do a promotion/ giveaway/expert guest blog post, if so what's the traffic increase.
  • The average number of people who participate in your giveaways /promos
  • the average number of comments that posts generate
  • the number of members if your site is member-based
  • your Google Page Rank
  • any indications of large sites that routinely send you traffic (BlogHer network, Twitter, Digg) or mommy networks you participate in
  • any major or seasonal events you celebrate on your site
  • also any media coverage you have received online, radio/TV or in print.

This Type of Info can be Obtained by Setting up Free Online Tools Like

• survey monkey
• polldaddy
• Google Analytics
• Twitter Counter
• Feedburner RSS reader stats
• Quantcast
• Clicky
• Hubspot Site Grader

Please, don't be intimidated by the list - this is the "Dream List" remember. You may not need everything on this list, (each tool has it's own pros and cons), but by using them, you can help a PR specialist choose to work with your site over someoneelse's. Besides, you'll probably learn quite a bit about your readers and your own site too. If sorting through the tools and info is not your favorite thing, there are plenty of people out there who can help, from sending questions out on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to finding a how to blog, or even working with one of us PR or Tech types ;-)

What Bloggers Can Tell Us & Make it Easier for you:

• how you like to work
• what product types or experts you are looking to feature
• be sure to note any seasonal/holiday or major events you celebrate
• what you will do to publicize the promotion (Facebook, Twitter, social media release?)
• what info/items we need to provide you (links to the product’s page for more info or so readers can purchase it, a product image & requirements, a short blurb about it, or a link to an expert guest-blogger’s bio
• what you can provide us with, if we agree to promote it too (your logo or head shot, a site badge (showing participation in the project), dates/times the promo and any events will run, links to the promo page)

My final note to ask that we work together to find creative ways to track our success; which will be good for both of us. Agree to both monitor our site traffic, monitor product/promo mentions via Google Alerts and other tools, work out special discounts or promo codes to track traffic and other results: product sales, brand awareness or increase in members/comments/site participation.

Thanks to Jyl & Carissa at MomItForward for the opportunity, and to you for reading. There are plenty of folks like me who can help you sort through and find the tools and ideas that meet your needs and those of your readers. Every promotion is different, but the goal is the same – a Win-Win for both Great Bloggers & Classy PR Pros.

Cathy Larkin & Web Savvy PR – Your Public Relations & Social Media Guide – Bringing new media tools to the traditional PR toolkit to expand your brand and build your business. I talk “techtalk,” but translate fluently into “plain English.”

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Related posts:

1. How To Create a Social Media PR Plan
2. New Client Excitement – How to be a Good Social Media Guide
3. How to Make Social Networking Messages Work For Your Readers

My answer comes from a different perspective than others do: To me, it’s really the customer or client who decides who the experts are.  Many call themselves experts these days, especially in the rapidly expanding fields of social media, and online marketing and  PR.

This post was sparked by a comment on Twitter.com (an online social networking website) @B2BSalesTrainer asked – “Who are the social media experts?” Now since Twitter is  a micro-blogging platform – that meant that his post (or message) on the site was limited to 140 characters. He was at a conference, so  I might have taken his question out of context (he may have been asking who are the SM experts at the conference), but it got me thinking anyway.

This is a hot, and sometimes controversial topic. Googling the post title brought up a slew of posts/articles. I’m sending this blog post skipping like a small stone over the surface of a very big pond. I’m exploring my point of view on the subject, and hope you enjoy the scenery – please chime in.

Here’s the thing, there are clear experts out there, people who have been involved in the social media, social networking arena for many years. There are also people who arrived in the field within the last year or so, and there are more arriving every day.

The secondary question you might ask is: and why should I care?

An expert, coach, guide, or consultant , whatever name you choose, can help you navigate and understand this online landscape in ways that will move you forward faster to meet your goals. They will show you, and your organization, how to use these tools in appropriate ways to to best reach your objectives. They can provide an outside perspective and help guide your choices to those that make sense for your business. Help you find balance between the “if I build it they will come” fallacy and the “we have to do it all now” trap.

The term expert is not one I really like; it seems too loaded.  There are good experts out there, but, in reality not all experts are, well expert, in all facets of a field. There are specialists, and generalists and both can be useful.  There are people who know huge amounts of information, but are not experts at sharing that knowledge with others; they can do, but they can’t teach.  There are others who have a knack for picking up things quicker than others, and those who are just good at marketing themselves, but lack substance. There are many who have had a shorter learning curve due to the free information put out the by the early adopters like Chris Brogan and others. There are some who find a trick or two and work them to the hilt. There are good people out there who are giving good advice, that may or may not, work for you; it may be too generic or work for a different type/size of company than yours. And there are also charlatans and people who dole out bad advice in the Web 2.0 arena, just like in any other.  There is a bit of Caveat Emptor – or buyer beware – needed on this frontier where few have gone before.

But here’s where social networking has a strength (which may at first seems like a weakness) – Many of these sites seem to be like a popularity contest when you first look at them. And, in some senses, they are. “So and so has this many friends on Facebook, that many connections on LinkedIn, and  even more followers on Twitter.” What does that mean. At it’s worst or most basic level, it means that they are good at connecting with others. On the other hand, having many connections is often a sign of a good reputation; a specific number of people have agreed that this person is worth connecting with. But don’t forget, there may be someone with great information, who just isn’t quite as into, or good at, conquering all networking sites. Be wary of judging a book by its cover alone. One needs to look inside.

When you look closer, it is about MORE than the numbers. What the customer has to decide is does this person or company give me the information, assistance and counsel that I need, in a way that works for me and move me forward. Beneath the numbers, look at the type of information they are connecting people to, who they are connecting with, and how they are doing it.

• Is it all about tooting their own horn, or do they tell you what others are saying too?
• Do they reach out an help new people learn the ropes, or only talk with other bigwigs?
• Does their style of writing and connecting fit with yours?
• Are they taking a “you have to do it all approach,” or is it customized. Not every business needs to be on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and not necessarily all at once.
• Do they talk in absolutes – “this is the way you do it,” or do they talk about adapting strategies to individual businesses.
• Will they play well with others in your business or network? Do they interact with and engage in conversation with others on the network, or just use a bullhorn?
• If they were at a face to face networking party, would you want to go over and talk with them, and would you want to introduce them to your friend, clients and customers?
• Are they willing to say I don’t know the answer to that question, let me find out and get back to you, or do they bluff their way through?
• Are they active on the sites they are teaching you about?
• Do they have client testimonials, and is there evidence of clients and customers where they participate.
• Look at their background: do they know anything about your field, & are they willing to learn; do they have a hard technology or a software background ; PR or advertising expertise; small business or big business experience; an entrepreneurial or a non-profit work history, or a combination. Each component influences and informs their approach to situations.

This is a newer business model, using online sites and tools to distribute free information to build trust, lay the foundation of a relationship, and find ways to turn “connections,” “friends” and “followers” into customers, clients and business partners. The “rules” are more like guidelines, and they are being rewritten every day.

You may not need an expert, or an expert may be the right fit. You may need several people with experience in different areas, or a jack-of-all-trades. Regardless of their status or numbers, I think you can learn something from each person you interact with out here. I advocate balance - not always taking someone’s word as gospel; what worked for them, may not work for you. Do a gut check, search the web about their idea, ask others in your networks and see what they say, especially when you are unsure about something. But once you have settled on a person, I suggest not second guessing them at every turn, but only when the fit feels wrong.

So I have sent my stone skipping across the water, you can judge if it sank immediately with a  plop, or skipped merrily several times before slipping quietly into the cool depths. If this topic has been done to death, sorry. I find it useful to explore questions that prospective clients might ask, so they can have access to my thinking on ma subject, and have information to decide if I am a good fit for them.

Here are two other articles on the same topic:

http://www.chrisbrogan.com/what-i-want-a-social-media-expert-to-know/

http://www.fanboy.com/2009/01/social-media-experts-rant.html

http://davefleet.com/2009/02/8-questions-to-ask-your-social-media-expert/

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1. How To Create a Social Media PR Plan
2. New Client Excitement – How to be a Good Social Media Guide

with a cup or coffee or tea, on the train on the way into work, or on a lazy Sunday, some prefer to get their news online, in crisp black letters against a bright white background all made of glowing pixels on a screen; others love the calming rustle of the pages as you turn each one, fold it back and move on to the next.  Whatever way you get your news, consider buying an actual hard-copy paper today, to show your support for the idea: that newspapers – in all their forms and flavors, and with both their flaws and their weaknesses – are important to our society.

What would lack of newspaper coverage and in depth reporting have meant during the times of Watergate and Vietnam;or stories brought to light about problems with the Iraq war or healthcare scandals. Newspapers are not always right, by any means, but the free press has brought many important things to light. Check out this article fr more details: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200901u/fate-of-newspaper-journalism.

According  the story below on National Buy a Newspaper Day, many of America’s newspapers are deeply in debt and in danger of closing. As a Public Relations Professional, I have personally seen many of my friends and colleagues at regional newspapers, some whom I have worked with for 15 or more years, get laid off in the last few years. I do not blame the reporters or the editors, and much of the trouble can be laid at the feet of the publishers and especially the larger corporations that have made huge mistakes.   They have been slow to realize and change in the face of competition from online sites such as Craig’s List which gives free classified ads and online job sites where ads cost less to run that at a a newspaper, but have larger reach; ad revenues that have shifted to other online sites, and  the newspapers are finally beginning to realize this and try to catch up. They have been slow to realize that they can use the internet to leverage the reporting and advertising they already have, in different ways. Many newspapers are finally beginning to get it – I just hope it is not too late.

It can be difficult to change the course of a large ship, and it does not happen quickly. And I do not want to play the blame game here. Nor do I mean to make a complex issue simplistic.  I have just noted a few small things that may have been contributing factors. And I hope in the comment section here, you can help to set me straight. Please join the discussion.

http://www.buyanewspaperday.com/ check out this simple site, and if you are a member of Facebook, check out the links to newspaper stories there that tell more of the story than I can here. Join the Facebook fan page as well.

Yes, newspapers have had their bad days, and headlines we wish they had not printed, but they are a part of the fabric of our society. I vote to keep them there by buying a newspaper today.  If you already buy or subcribe to a newpaper, please suggest that a friend do so, or buy gift subscription for a friend. Even if you normally read online, buy a paper today as a symbolic gesture; if you already subscribe, encrage a friend to buy one.  Too many times I ahve seen a favorite store close, and only learned of it after it was to late.  Let’s help make it not too late for newspapers – whether they all eventually move completely into cyberspace or many survive on papper that rustles quietly as you thurn the page, I vote to keep them around.

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Original Twitter.com post: #WebSavvyPRTip 1- To build online brand & extend influence, use same username/ profile 4 all social Media sites http://websavvypr.com 4 more

To build an online audience, expand your brand, and create repeat visitors, try using the same or similar usernames, and similar profile wording for each social media / social networking / social bookmarking site you join. If you already have a long-time presence on several sites, consider ways you can update them to build a more consistent presence; it may also help boost your organic search engine ranking. Work keywords for your area of expertise and interests into your profile.

More detail on Social Branding:

I try and sign up with my first, or my first and last name, followed by my blog/website handle (I sometimes use web handle as a part of either my first or last name). So on Twitter I am CathyWebSavvyPR (It looked too long with Larkin, so I left it off (maybe rightly, maybe wrongly). I noticed someone else doing it on LinkedIn (but just with company name – not personal name), I think it was “The Publicity Hound,” and when she answered a question, her “handle” intrigued me enough to check out her website. I know there are many opinions out there on this already.

You don’t have to use your real name in your username, but don’t forget to add it to your profile. For my online and traditional PR business, I feel it is necessary. Especially since there are a couple of folks out there online with the same first and last name as I have. This will, over time, help folks to distinguish us from each other.

Many folks in the social media landscape are using their full names as their usernames.  This has advantages for building your personal brand, and some disadvantages.  www.chrisbrogan.com for example. Some people with common names may find theirs is already taken, or snagged by a domain reseller, both of which complicate things.

Pros – If your info is good, if you provide value to your readers, your name and authority will grow.

Cons – however, it may take you longer to get established. A username that includes something about what you have to offer (as long as you back it up with good content) can help your influence gow by leaps and bounds.

Cons – if you are one of those planning to build and sell a business – you can’t sell your name – but a website URL and social media handles along with it – that can work. But i is chancey – As we know Social media is based on reputation – that empire you built may cruble after the sale, if the new owners don’t follow though. Result – lots of upset subscribers.

With social networking and bookmarking sites in general, be sure to fill out the part of the profile that includes the link to your blog/website, or to your LinkedIn or Facebook accounts, so if someone likes what they read on whichever social media site you are on, find and check the rest of your info out. Of course some sites only let you use your full name. In that case note your username/handle in your profile write up.  Also use widgets and apps (simple tools sites provide) to link your various networks together.

Social Branding Questions for You:

What about just company names with a logo, no photo and no person’s name on the account. I find I am less inclined to subscribe, follow or friend them – unless they really provide value, or if I already really like the company, and they provide value.  What’s your reaction?

Is the practice of a business name and first name too in your face? or is it a happy medium?

Does this annoy you when you see it done?

Or does it help you:

A) have a clue about what someone does/who they are? Or help clue you in about their expertise?

B) Help you recognize and connect with folks you may have seen on other sites?

Transparency and authenticity are crucial in social media, social networking arena. Don’t hide behind a company, or a profile name.  We all make mistakes, but that one can be a killer. As a PR professional, I always disclose if I an talking about a client.  Sometimes that can be challenging – especially on sites like Twitter.com, where posts are limited to 140 characters and spaces.

Agree or disagree with this – you tell me?

P.S. I’m putting short versions of these on Twitter and expanding on them here on my blog – for the Web Savvy PR Intro go to http://websavvypr.com/cathy-larkin-web-savvy-pr-tips-series/pr-tips/admin/2008/12/

Or check out the conversation on twitter as the series grows – http://search.twitter.com/ Then you’ll have to copy and paste or type in the # sign like so:  #websavvyprtip to see the series and any conversations around the posts on that service, as the series grows.

About Cathy Larkin:

In her Web Savvy PR business, Cathy Larkin acts as a Social Media Guide using her 18 + years of PR experience, combined with an intense study of social media, to assist small businesses, non-profits, authors, bloggers, consltants, and speakers get online and use the tools that are right for them, to help expand their brands, build their businesses and have a blast while doing so. Also check http://www.linkedin.com/in/cathylarkin for more on her background. Check out her short posts on the micro blogging service Twitter too http://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR.

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1. Cathy Larkin Web Savvy PR Tips Series Intro
2. How to Choose a Web Savvy Brand or Domain Name
3. How To Create a Social Media PR Plan

• Your industry/area of expertise
• how established your business is already
• do you want to sell it later
• and what is the central “IT”, the core take away you want your customers to get about your brand.

Branding is a balance of several factors.  How your audience, or current and potential customers, perceive your brand, and what their POV brings to the table is a factor that is becoming more important. Many American big-name brands became household names in the days when there were three TV channels that most of America watched.  Newer household brand names have taken advantage of the new playing field, finding creative ways to reach the audience through the internet and new social media tools.

But how does a small business owner, entrepreneur, or solopreneur go about leveraging the power of the internet? Guy Kawasaki referenced this in a  recent teleseminar for his new book Reality Check, that it is easier now that ever for the little guy. The open source, Web 2.0 tools can make you look as good as the businesses with millions behind them.  I add that, the small business owner might be able to do it better, as he is actually closer to his customer.  The small business can change course and integrate (or discard) new tools faster than the fortune 500′s can.

Back to  the practicalities of selecting a name.  If you are established, of course I hope you registered your company name long ago.  But sometimes a catch phrase or buzz word can work as well, as long as you can own, or live up to it.  A colleague and client of mine, John Reddish, a business consultant for over 30 years named his company name is Advent Management International, Ltd many years ago; his website is www.GetResults.com; his new business succession blog to help small business owners craft exit strategies and sell their companies is www.thesuccessionplanner.com.  In search engines – the name John Reddish leads you to each of his online “outposts.” For social media sites, his website name, which he builds into his tag line on everything he does, will work much better than his company name.  It intrigues you – may make you think, “yes, I want to  Get Results…I think I’ll check him out.” But using his own name, which has some internet cache as he has authored many articles and been quoted in on-line magazines, would also have been a good choice as well.

One advantage for entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, who are creating an new website on blogging platforms like WordPress, your own name can become your brand. One way it can help you, is that when people search for you by name, after meeting you for example, it gives you automatic “Google juice,” that is having a keyword or search term in a website name does still help with search engine rankings; although it is not the complete picture.  It would also become a part of every blog page title, which also helps with rankings as well.  However, you can also set up your blog to include your name in every page title by working with the Permalinks structure of post titles. The down side of using your own name, is unless you are well known, your name is an unknown. To a prospective client or customer, I gives no clues to your business niche, or identity.  It doesn’t help me pick you out from the crowd, unless someone else introduced me to you.

Two other difficulties with using your name as your brand or online identity include:

1) It may already be taken; I waited several years before a domain name re-seller released the .com version of my own name back into the internet names pool. I had to buy it through an auction, but was lucky and it only cost $10.

2) It will take time and work to become known for your name and niche.  It will take time either way, but perhaps more time with just your name, unless you are well-known in your industry, are an author, or the like.

3) If your business lends itself to resale, you should seriously consider not using your name as your website or as your social media handle, for somewhat obvious reasons. If you sell your company, the online branding becomes a part of the business valuation.  Your social media accounts can become part of the deal…if you’ve set them up that way.  This may be controversial, as the social media cityscape is built mainly on the strength of relationships.  I know of one blogger who was recently approached to purchase his domain, site and following for a hamdsome sum.  He turned it down.  It would have seriously hurt his credibility, and he would have had to start building all over again, not from scratch, but from much further down the lane than where his is today.

For my website, blog and new company name, I went with a dynamic phrase that was still available:  WebSavvyPR.com. This proves that there are still some good website names out there; it did take me a while to come up with a combination that I felt worked for me.  I also registered my own name, but have yet to set it up; at this point I will probably do a redirect, or set up a basic page with contact info, which will link to this site.  Also I felt that in the social networking world of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and with the hundreds of new media tools, a dynamic name would give me a hook.  I watched myself read a LinkedIn comment by someone who used their tagline/company name as their handle and I was intrigued enough to click through to her website.  I remembered that lesson. This is not always accepted practice on all sites, you have to learn the culture of each site or be branded a newbie, or a spammer.  My social media handle is CathyWebSavvyPR.  I’m trying to capture the best of both worlds, and keep my brand from feeling like a faceless company.  Although recently I have begun to use my brand without my first name, lest someone else grab it on various sites.

What do you think? Company name, brand/identity/hook, or personal name as brand. There is no perfect solution; and there are pros and cons on all sides of the question.

My post here was sparked by one Chris Brogan wrote today and got me thinking about it in a new way, and I’m headed there to add a comment to his site on one aspect of the question – Customer POV and branding.  I hope this post helps you find the sweet spot for creating your on-line brand identy.

You can find me on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/cathylarkin

on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR (no caps needed, it just makes it easier to read)

or e-mail me at Cathy [dot] Larkin [at] WebSavvyPR [Dot] Com ( to proect against spam) or use my comment form.

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1. How To Create a Social Media PR Plan

My favorite quote of recent days: “The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own.” Benjamin Disraeli

Step One begin to define your social media public relations road map:

• Think about and refine your “it” – your “it” is what You and Your Work are all about – and how it can be used by those in that space: begin to step into and own your “it,” and use it to help others.*
• Define your goals
• Create actionable objectives**
• Draft a plan, even if it is simple, writing it down helps, really it does.
• Learn about the tools, and social networking places; they are easier than you might think, most are free
• Be willing to spend some time each day using the tools and exploring the online spaces
• Be willing to connect in the real world as well.  Combine your online networking with offline networking too.
• Integrate these new tools and ideas into your current PR and marketing plans

*Thanks to John Reddish, www.GetResults.com, my mentor and colleague who has reminded me time an again to return to this idea to help me refine my own plans

**Thanks to Beth Harte for getting me really thinking about this concept in a new way at BarCamp Philly

Then Implement Step Two:

• Find the networks your customers/clients are in
• Learn the to use the tools they are using
• Listen and learn the culture, see how others are connecting
• Be willing to put in a little time. But be consistent. It is a balance – what is called social networking goes on 24/7, and it can be like meeting an octopus – you reach out to shake one hand/tentacle, and 8 others reach out, one after another and can overwhelm you.  Do a little everyday; once a week won’t cut it. Remember Steps one and the first step of step two above.
• Bring something to this 24/7 networking picnic. Don’t just bring Your signature dish; bring the equivalent of a table cloth to brighten up the picnic table; bring a friend and introduce them around; connect the dog walker you just met at the party to the person you know needs those services; bring that magazine article (or link to it’s online counterpart) that made you think of one of your contacts – share it with them and others who may be interested. Be the person that comes early to help set up, or stays after to help clean up, even if you weren’t on the organizing committee. After a while volunteer to join the committee. Remember what it was like to be a newbie, and help other new kids on the block.
• But don’t be the overeager person shaking everyone’s hand, slapping their backs and tooting your own horn all the time; it’s as tiring online as it is in the real world. If you get feedback from folks, and you will (positive and negative) listen, apologize if needed and adjust.
• Just as important, yes listen and learn, but participate, even if that is hard for you. If you are shy in real life, don’t think of the huge party, connect with one person, then the next and let it grow slowly. Ask questions, give answers, connect people and information and be you.
• Also be wary of falling into the “If I build it, they will come” theory. It is a logical fallacy outside of the movies.
• Be authentic; this is huge in the online space. People build trust with those who share information, not just push their own agendas. Social media maven extraordinaire Chris Brogan suggests a ratio of 12:1 – give 12 pieces of info about others for each link to your own info/product/service you mention.  Or at least 6:1.
• Connect with the movers and shakers, when appropriate, and with the everyday folks like yourself. Connect with those in your field and share back and forth with them, but more importantly – reach out and connect with others who need your services.
• Find how your “IT” – what You and your Work are all about – can be used by those in that space, begin to step in and own your “IT,” and use it to help others.

Then implement Step Three Keep Exploring the Social Media Space and Refine your Plans:

As you begin to feel more comfortable in this new environment refine your goals, objectives and plan.  Apply what you have learned, refine as needed and move forward.

And repeat.

You can find me on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/cathylarkin

on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR (no caps needed, it just makes it easier to read)

or e-mail me at Cathy [dot] Larkin [at] WebSavvyPR [Dot] Com

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1. New Client Excitement – How to be a Good Social Media Guide

I just had an initial phone meeting with a prospective new client, and I am excited. It allowed me to articulate several aspects of the PR / social networking niche I am filling: Social media strategist, or Social Media PR, no I like Social Media Guide – I don’t like 1st two over-used phrases, but they can help forma  picture – to me they all mean assisting clients (small business owners, other bloggers, coaches, speakers, solopreneurs and entrepreneurs) with mapping out the right online social media spaces for them, and showing them how to navigate these in an authentic way that will allow them to expand their brand and build their business. I do not want to do it for them, I want to show them how to do it for themselves - I enjoy sharing these new resources with people and watching the light go on when they “Get IT! ”

Many small business people and bloggers know how to do whatever it is they do, and they do it well. What they may not know how to do is how to effectively expand the reach of the brand that they have worked so hard to build, and tell people about it in meaningful, effective ways that get people to take action.  What I do well is connect people to the information, tools, resources and the people they need to both do what they do better, and plug them in to the networks that exist, (from getting coverage in newspapers, magazines radio and TV, to creating a rich online presence through blogging, Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn and more) so that more people know and hear about what they do, and how well they do it.  I can help you connect with a larger, more targeted audience in authentic ways, if you are willing. That’s what I do well. I’m tech savvy, and I speak both Technoese and English, and can translate between the two in a way that does not intimidate those who consider themselves less tech-comfy.

My definition of PR is connecting organizations (businesses; non-profits, museums and public gardens; or individual small business owners and bloggers) to the right audiences: prospective and/or current clients, customers, members, readers). The social media piece of it, is just learning to use new online tools and adapting our approach to be effective in those places. Thanks to Geoff Livingston for asking for that definition at a conference where I formulated the answer.

Many folks can and do choose to explore this new landscape on their own, cool! But others realize that they are too busy enough doing what they do to reinvent the wheel; and they realize that to hit the road and gain traction, they need a colleague who is familiar with these online spaces.  In the social media, social networking sphere, PR professionals are often given little respect.  Sometimes it’s from the bigger social media players who have been in it from the start and learned it all themselves and say – “you don’t need to pay $15,000 a month to learn this.” They are right, you don’t.

Many business people hire accountants, and office staff or virtual assistants, and use coaches and various consultants so that they can focus on what they do well.  Why not a hire a social media guide: someone  who enjoys ferreting out the tools they need (discarding those that are irrelevant), show them how they work, and what are the best practices; and connect them with the right places to use these tools to get results for their business, blog or niche. That’s who I am. My background is not that of a major PR agency pushing a variety of products.  I come from a kinder, gentler public relations background; I have 18 years of experience in traditional PR – I come from a non-profit public garden, museum, attraction background.  I’m used to reaching out to reporters, editors and bloggers and building relationships with those who want the information I am giving them. I do my research; I am used to finding out the right contact at the right publication, then finding the right aspect or angle of the story that makes it new and fresh and gets the, “yes, we’ll consider doing a story.”  I have spent the last two years taking these traditional, old-school PR skills and learning to apply them to this new world.

More to come tomorrow – This post introduces you some of the ways I work in this new social media space, tomorrow I’ll lay out a plan to help you connect.  For some readers it may be talking about familiar topics, for others it may bring a fresh approach.  I look forward to engaging in the conversation with you – We’re all learning as we go along, even the big social media GURU’s, because the landcape is alwasy changing – but I’m still having a blast on the ride!

You can find me on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/cathylarkin

on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR (no caps needed, it just makes it easier to read)

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