Fantastic, it’s not just me ranting
rant, rant, mad women go home
Was pleased to see technokitten AKA Helen Keegan blogging that when it comes to the tech conference circuit women are invisible. I also tentatively griped about this with regards to a BBC media debate. (And appreciate Mike Butcher responded). I too didn’t want to be perceived as Keegan states, like a “bra-burning feminist” but this is all getting a little ridiculous based on the male to female ratio at non-speaking events in our respective industries.
But, hmm, what do you think of this? A site which names and shames tech conferences with “a ridiculously high percentage of male speakers” [More at this post by Dori Smith]
Really wanted to keep away from this one. It’s the age old argument that talking about it perpetuates it, then people start “pandering” to inferior candidates etc., but this was something I’d noticed all by my very self. I think it would be unfair to my peers and colleagues who astound me every day with the wonderful things they have to say, to avoid writing;
I think they are not getting the soap boxes they deserve.
Media debate: Where have all the women gone?
At the risk of being controversial, I saw Techcrunch live blogging the BBC debate. The picture struck me funny – where have all the women gone?
This isn’t a “why aren’t there more women in tech” question but a much broader question about the new media industry in general; an industry where many women are employed. Are none of them up to debating the issues around whether the BBC should open up their platform.
Am I being unfair?
[Apologies any women who were part of this debate and I haven't picked up on it]
Who’s using social media and are you too shy to share?
When i lived in Italy I visited the Benedictine monastery in Subiaco. It’s built around a cave where St Benedict supposedly lived in solitude for three years fed by a shepherd or monk (I’ve heard both versions) who lowered a basket of food down at intervals. The cave is surprisingly peacefully and, depending on your temperament, kind of appealing.
My positive response to the environment demonstrated that people feel different degrees of being intro- or extroverted and it’s something that crops up in questions when I run social media training sessions: who are ‘these people’ ie bloggers, tweeters, social networkers et al and why do *they* feel so comfortable broadcasting their lives?
I’m not sure I know the answer. At a basic level, once you and your friends start using something like Facebook it becomes more standardised and natural, you find yourself adding more personal updates, posting photos etc.
But honestly I still feel a bit like a social media “observer” using tools like this blog and Twitter to engage with my community from professional more than personal desires. As a pretty private person being publicly online makes me feel exposed and I contemplate deleting my accounts to run away to my Benedict’s cave. (Although I wonder if after 30 mins there I’d discover a compulsion to tweet “sitting in cave waiting for @Romanus to stop by with the food basket”).
Is Ghost Blogging wrong?
I added my 2 cents to this article by Brendan Cooper the other week. It’s been interesting watching the discussion develop and it’s worth checking out to see the range of arguments for and against.
Simon Collister wrote a good response post which is closer to what i think. He also raises a great point that it’s probably a matter of personal perspective as well.
What’s your perspective?
When will I hang up my hammers over the anvil?
I’ve always been aware that specialising in social media is not going to be special forever. But now Steve Rubel has spotted that Web 2.0 jobs are already declining and he says it’ll soon go the way of the blacksmith – once a big job area, now, not so much. (Although if all smithies looked like Russell Crowe I’m sure we’d find more use for them). But I’m personally not as freaked by this assertion as the first time I heard Charles Arthur say social media will kill off the PR.
The point where “everyone will be expected to know how to navigate the online landscape if they want to have a thriving career” as Rubel states,is some time off. There’s still a lot of digital education required and people needed to facilitate that learning, luckily for me. (BTW I also think PR will just evolve as comms specialists in the new digital landscape).
He’s right though in that the next generations of workers are naturally going to be more digitally focused. Read more
Reviving London’s West End: Social media at play?
Having somehow found myself watching ‘I’d do anything’, a TV show which aims to find the next music theatre stars of Oliver, I realised this canny idea to reinvigorate the West End is built on the same principles which have driven new media growth.
While the reality TV star search shows, and recent PR stunt which saw the new Sound of Music lead play a crossover character in TV soap Hollyoaks, weren’t web based or digital ideas they did bring social media elements into play.
Interactivity, creating a deeper audience engagement, and challenging the traditional process to provide a platform for new talent, are key differentiation points for web based media.
TV is still an extremely powerful medium but Lord Lloyd-Webber* has adapted his ability to appeal to popular culture to innovate, from Broadway to broadcast.
*I’m aware ideas like this are usually collaborative rather than solely attributable to an individual but nevertheless think his willingness to even try it shows great understanding of the opps where it might otherwise have been seen as too risky.
Should start-ups invest in PR?
There’s some great lists developing out there with rules for start-ups. I pulled out the points people made about marketing and PR for start-ups, which usually gets bad-mouthed, and decided to give my take.
The lists I looked at:
Jason Calcanis
Mark Cuban
Andy Fox
1) “Really think about if you need that $15,000 a month PR firm. Perhaps you can get a PR consultant to work on 2-3 projects a year for $10-15k each and save 75%. More PR firms are wasted half the year while you build up your product anyway”
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I tend to agree. Unless you’re a large corporate brand with a high comms monitoring and output requirement a freelance consultant can offer you flexibility, be cost-effective, and also have a broader skills base
2) “Blog instead of hiring a PR firm”
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While blogging *can* be a useful communications channel it’s not the be-all and end-all of disseminating information and key messages
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Traditional media are still important and they aren’t all reading blogs
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A good media relations practitioner will introduce you to journalists/writers who wouldn’t normally talk to you
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This is hard to hear, but not all CEOs and wannabe spokespeople are great communicators – a good PR will refine your messages and also keep you abreast of industry conversations you could join
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If you’re new and you don’t have a lot of money though this is a good starting point
3) “NEVER EVER EVER hire a PR firm. A PR firm will call or email people in the publications, shows and websites you already watch, listen to and read. Those people publish their emails. Whenever you consume any information related to your field, get the email of the person publishing it and send them an email introducing yourself and the company. Their job is to find new stuff. They will welcome hearing from the founder instead of some PR flack. Once you establish communications with that person, make yourself available to answer their questions about the industry and be a source for them. If you are smart, they will use you”
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PR isn’t rocket science but media pros are specialists in being tapped in to *all* media
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Not all journalists will take unsolicited email; you may think your company is interesting but they are being bombarded with 100s and 100s of press releases and emails daily – some PRs will fastrack you in their Inbox
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We know the press – we’ll package the info how they want it delivered to them
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Founders are good contacts for press – your PR will intro you and help manage the relationship (do you really want to be dealing with emails which are about regional pricing, release dates and getting review product over there in the next 30mins for a photoshoot?)
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Until a journalist knows you, your company may not spring to mind for every feature. Your [super] PR will watch for these opps and sell you in to them
(Obviously this is what what a good PR or agency will do, like any industry there are people who are great at their jobs and people who aren’t, you have to find a good one)
4) “Crush The Competition: If your startup’s field is crowded or about to explode (read: about to get crowded), make 3-6 month marketing plans, not 3 year marketing plans. Invest a disproportionate amount of resources ($) into that time period. Even if you have three years worth of funding, forget about slow and steady and job security. If you gain enough traction early on any competitor will look like a “me-too” effort by both the public and the business world— even if they were first. Additional funding is given to the startups that make the most progress in the shortest amount of time in relation to their competition, not those that ration their budgets miserly in order to outlive the competition. The company that emerges early on as the <fill in your startup’s business> company will win the race by getting far enough ahead that nobody else can catch up. For startups, perception is reality, the startup making the big strides and taking chances will win every time. Remember that tech magazine Fast Company is called that for a reason”
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A good PR/Marketing agency will fit with your business plan and get you heard in the areas you need to make the most impact at the right times
“Avoid Sponsorships And (Most) “Awareness Marketing”: Any intern or green marketing person will probably want to show you their plan for “branding” “awareness” or “offline” marketing initiatives. After you’ve told them to never, ever show you such a document again ask them a few questions:
Does the guy barfing in the bleachers at a Padres game at Qualcomm Stadium know what Qualcomm Does? No
Do you know what Qualcomm does? No
If Qualcomm made something, remotely related or associated with baseball would it be a good idea to sponsor the stadium? Maybe
Have you in recent times seen a poster, billboard, newspaper, magazine, flier, bench-ad, urinal plasma-tv ad (not sure what those are called) about a website, software or service and had the presence of mind to later check it out while surfing the web? Yes
You little bastard liar :::begin beating this junior team member unmercifully with an item in your office, a keyboard for example::: Jk, don’t do that.
Where is the best place to reach an internet/computer/software user? On their computer? Eureka!”
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Not going to take this one too seriously as I think it’s mainly for comic value. Some sponsorships can be a waste of time for sure but brand exposure is just *one step* as part of a strategic campaign to get your company out there to your audience
If you’re a start-up looking at PR I recommend:
About:
I'm Darika Ahrens and I help brands develop marketing strategies for Social Media. My background is in Public Relations for companies like Orange, Microsoft, Philips, HTC, Yell.com, and Estee Lauder. I've worked with and trained some of the UK's top agencies.