By Danny Sullivan
Since writing my last post about social networking and PR, I have learned about recent social networking tie-ins involving two of the world’s leading business publications, Fast Company and Business Week.
Fast Company kicked things off earlier this month, with company president, Edward Sussman, stating that it was “the first major media website to tackle the following problem: Can a business publication blend journalism and online community to create something better than either by itself?”
And then there was this week’s news that Business Week is partnering up with LinkedIn, the popular networking site for business professionals.
Both deals show a keen interest on the part of major media to broaden their horizons to include social networking. Great to see this kind of positive response from the top tier of the media sector.
By Danny Sullivan
Supported by the recent news of AOL’s acquisition of popular social networking site Bebo for $850 million, it is clear that the phenomenon continues to be considered an influential and valuable market segment.
And there is little doubt that social networking represents a significant new marketing channel for consumer-oriented products companies. Indeed, there are already many strategies and approaches out there advising on just such a topic, and viral marketing has never been so popular as a result.
But what does it mean for the B2B sector? Are social networking strategies an important PR component for companies selling enterprise software solutions or new server technology?
Well, we’re probably not talking Facebook or Bebo here. As far as I’m aware, these sites don’t yet host large groups of CIOs swapping tales of ROI and disaster recovery strategies.
But social networking extends beyond the realm of those well-known sites, and there are networks catering to members holding virtually every job description known to humankind.
Still, although such networks do present opportunities for PR professionals, any strategy to target them should be carefully considered. You can’t join a networking group and then start spamming everyone with your news releases… well, I suppose you can, but you won’t be in the group for very long!
A consumer product company will seek to generate excitement and interest for its products among social networkers in its target demographic, and a B2B vendor must seek to do the same. And in doing so to a (usually) well-educated and (almost always) sceptical audience, the approach and method must be well thought out.
As with contributions to conventional media outlets, companies seeking to influence such networks must present value to the audience and should not embark on blatant pitches for business. Providing relevant, interesting and thought provoking content is key.
Social networking is all about sharing – and this philosophy must be upheld by those seeking to take advantage of it.
By Francis Moran
Self-described recidivist entrepreneur Misha Nossik says too many Ottawa technology entrepreneurs who succeed hit the beach and retire instead of hanging around to help nurture the next generation. Speaking at The Ottawa Network’s Start-up Drop-in yesterday evening, Nossik said the rest of the tech community should shun these guys.
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By inmedia
Earlier this week, Brodeur announced new findings on how blogs are influencing traditional journalists. According to Jerry Johnson, head of strategic planning at Brodeur, “While only a small percentage of journalists feel that blogs are helpful in generating sources or exclusives, they do see blogs as particularly useful in helping them better understand the context of a story, a new story angle, or a new story idea. It appears that reporters are using blogs more for ethnographic research than they are for investigative research.”
Here are some highlights from the ongoing research project by Brodeur in conjunction with Marketwire:
- The majority of journalists said blogs were having a significant impact on news reporting in all areas tested – except news quality: The biggest impact of blogs is in the speed and availability of news. Over half also said that blogs were having a significant impact on the “tone” (61.8%) and “editorial direction” (51.1%) of news reporting.
- Blogs are a regular source for journalists: Over three-quarters of reporters see blogs as helpful in giving them story ideas, story angles and insight into the tone of an issue.
- Nearly 70% of all reporters check a blog list on a regular basis: Over one in five (20.9%) reporters said they spend over an hour per day reading blogs. Nearly three in five (57.1%) reporters said they read blogs at least two to three times a week.
- Journalists are increasingly active participants in the blogosphere: One in four reporters (27.7%) have their own blogs and nearly one in five (16.3%) have their own social networking page.
- About half of reporters (47.5%) say they are “lurkers” – reading blogs but rarely commenting.
By Jill Pyle
Over the past few days, news of Om Malik’s heart attack has been spreading throughout the blogosphere. Inspired by the story, the New York Times published a piece about blogging as a source of stress.
I have to agree, blogging can be stressful. During the weeks when deadlines are looming and inspiration is lacking, it can be a challenge to come up with unique ideas. I can’t imagine how stressful it must be to have to write several unique posts per day and worry about being the first to break news.
Let this be a warning to all of us. Bloggers, take care of yourselves. Readers, don’t be shy. Your comments and recognition make it all worth it.
