Creative Public Relations for a Digital World

The best part about a smartphone, for me, is apps.  Creativity, productivity, entertainment: they fill a variety of roles.  For the latest in app news, check out Mashable’s App round-ups, Top 25 lists, and the recommendations of friends and colleagues. Here are some that I currently can’t live without:

If you enjoy photography, there are plenty of great choices available. Two of the best, and most popular, are Hipstamatic and Instagram. I love the toy-camera appearance of Hipstamatic pictures and use the online Field Guide wiki for new ways to enjoy the program.  Instagram is more of a community affair;  you can follow others for inspiration or just entertainment.  Some of the folks I follow are bbyrd, drewbeck and jamie oliver.

Flipboard is a great way to get news quickly.  If you have five minutes to spare while waiting at an airport check-in line, you can just check out what’s happening.  If you have more time (say, if your flight is delayed!) you can read feature-length articles about a wide variety of subjects, like business, technology or design.  The GUI is very appealing as well, and probably a big chunk of the reason I use Flipboard more than apps from The New York Times or CNN.

For those iPhone users obsessed (like me) with improving your device’s battery life, Boost Magic is very helpful and will let you fine-tune your settings to get the most out of your charge.  This is especially useful when you’re on the road and can’t charge your phone as often as you’d like.

And, if you have cats, Games for Cats is spectacular.  Very simple, and very funny.  Just open the game, put your tablet down on the floor, and watch the antics.  One of my cats scored 600 points this morning!

Finally, AppGrooves is an app that tells you how to find…apps!  Just register, vote on your favorites, and you’ll get suggestions tailored to your taste.  How do you keep your smartphone busy?  List your favorite apps here!

If you are planning to rest and de-stress over this long weekend, why not make it a goal to catch up on all the good entertainment you might have missed working long hours at a busy job like public relations!

Here is our list of media musts to savor and enjoy over the next three days.

TV Go to Netflix or Showtime on Demand, upload the entire season of “Homeland,”  the drama/thriller about a returning American soldier who may not be who he appears and the slightly unstable yet brilliant CIA agent with suspicions. Prepare to be blown away by expert writing, compelling acting and twists and turns that will keep you mesmerized until the last minute. Then, be very patient until the next season begins months from now.

Film If you haven’t seen everything that is nominated for this year’s Academy Awards, time is running out. While not a big blockbuster year, there were some “quiet” films that really resonated. And, yes I am talking about the silent film, “The Artist.” The first fifteen minutes require an adjustment to a film without human voices but the acting, costumes, art direction, dancing and poignant story will grab you and keep you until the last frame. Even if you don’t fall in love with the film, fall in love with the canine co-star.

Books The cornucopia of good reading boggles the mind! If you’re looking to be on the edge of your seat the entire weekend, you won’t be disappointed with Stephen King’s “11/22/63.” For biography lovers, of course read Walter Isaacson’s “Steve Jobs.” Looking to get that extra edge in business?   Why not learn how to grow your career like a Silicon Valley billionaire with LinkedIn Cofounder and Chairman Reid Hoffman’s “The Start up of You.”

Music The Grammys celebrated much of the best of 2011 music from Adele to the Foo Fighters. Why not use this downtime to explore something from each category such as Louis CK’s comedy album, “Hilarious” or Tony Bennett’s “Duets II.”  For a real treat, download the award-winning soundtrack to “Book of Mormon.”

We want to know what you consider the best of the best in recent media memory. Share here!

Rose are red

Violets are blue

It’s Valentine’s Day PR pros

So what should we do?

Our clients are pleased

We’ve checked all our clips

It’s time to focus on us

So here are some tips

They are for you to enjoy

And they are lighthearted

So put down your phone

And PR pros let’s get started

1.  Give someone a hand – help a coworker with a pitch idea or a tough assignment. It might just sweeten their day.

2. Go to your quiet place – follow this website to a serene moment alone.  After resting your mind you will be ready to take on the rest of your tasks.

3. Take a moment and send someone some love – congratulate a colleague on a job well done, send someone you love a text, or let a client know you’re excited about a new product or plan

4. Remember to appreciate yourself this Valentine’s Day because you’re amazing! Grab a coffee, a cookie, or a hot chocolate.  Something sweet! It is Valentine’s Day after all.

This week New York Magazine reported on the “most- and least-critically acclaimed “@#$% People Say” videos on YouTube.  Apparently, the category for things that “girls” say has the highest number of “likes.”

Well, if you’re in the PR industry, I think you might find some of the choice comments made by your clients would earn more “likes,” or at least some curiosity. Here are a few of our favorites:

1.  “So, this will make CNN, right?”

2.  “I love the idea, but it needs something. I’m not sure what, but I’ll know it when I see it.”

3.  “I’m looking for a firm to grow with me.”

4.  “Can you resend that again?”

5.  “I need a press release to drive lots of traffic to the website.”

6.  “Don’t write a program. Just give me an idea of how you’d approach it.”

7.  “Budget? There’s no budget. But for the right idea, we’ll try to find it.”

8.  “I need to double my Facebook followers by next month.”

9.  “Did you tell the reporter we advertise with them?”

10. “Steve Jobs was on the cover of TIME.  Can we get our CEO there?”

And the list goes on and on… What are your favorites?

By now, it’s no surprise that social media is where the action is happening in the PR world.  Clients have Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr pages; they check in on Foursquare at events and often have product demos on YouTube.

While all this social interaction is important, it’s how you use these services that determines how “socially” smart you really are.  Below are few key “must-haves” that every PR practitioner should know for 2012.

Presence – This is crucial!  We all have had that person that we’re so excited to find on Twitter or Facebook only to find that they’re never there.  Nothing is more disappointing than a “tweetless tweeter,” especially if it’s a company or person you admirer.   So make sure you’re seen.  Try to make it a point to use Tumblr a few times a week, post something interesting to your Facebook wall daily, and Tweet several times a day.

Content – Having social platforms is one thing, but maintaining these platforms with interesting content is another.   You want content to be relevant and newsworthy but it can also be educational and fun.  Think about what you’re reading on the internet;  is it worth sharing?  Are you keeping readers, “likers”, and followers engaged? Is it “ahead of the curve” or yesterday’s news? Most importantly, don’t tweet what you haven’t read.

Following/Followers- Presence and content are one thing, but if no one is reading or interacting with what you have to say then your social media isn’t working for you.  The dialogue you’ve started with your content will help keep your followers interested and make them feel like you’re involved and invested in this social platform.  It’s also important that you follow people that you find to be influential in your industry.  We love industry newsmakers and aggregators like PR Newser,  PRDaily.com and publisher Mark Ragan’s twitter @MarkRaganCEO.

Plan – This is last but certainly not least.  What do you hope to gain from your presence, content, and followers?  Build a plan and set goals. Some examples include attracting specific types of followers; engaging Facebook fans on an issue; or attracting commenters or RTs.  Set realistic goals and build a social media plan for yourself or work with your client to help them build their plan.

What are some of your social media “must-haves”?