“Today’s PR professional must evolve,” says John Bell of Digital Influence Mapping Project. The new public relations professional must have a broad range of skills, being adept at everything from community management to the best practices of research to a basic understanding of psychology. “Communications professional,” John says, “must master knowledge in a number of areas and a new set of skills inclusive of new personal behaviors.” Take a look at his thought provoking list of necessary knowledge and skills, and offer your thoughts on how to round it out.
The blogosphere is alive with posts about the importance of social media. Public Relations Matters’ Barbara Nixon posts a fantastic slideshow presentation by Marta Z. Kagan. The slideshow explains, with impressive stats, what all the fuss is about. See why Barbara says, “This presentation is clear, fresh and fun!” And why she’ll be sharing it with her public relations and Public Speaking classes. It’s a treat.
On the brandbox blog Amber Naslund recaps a Plurkshop she participated in, and tackles the issue of social media measurement. Find out why social media is justifiable, why measurement is so important, and why it’s so difficult to conduct. This outstanding recap answers the question, “What are you missing if you’re unplugged from the Groundswell?” and makes a tremendous case for social media. Amber also offers David Alston’s list of things in social media that can be measured.
Techipedia’s Tamar Weinberg poses the question “what [are the] essential skills and characteristics of the most efficient and results-driven social media consultants?” to 35 top social media and marketing voices. Tamar concludes that “social media marketers’ contributions to the community should be selfless and should be thought to benefit those who engage within the community.” See what the other 35 social media users have to say, and then offer your own opinion.
Hi Geoff – thanks! That was such a fun and informative session. So when can we talk you into a Plurkshop with us?? I’m so enjoying being a part of these discussions. Social Media is literally enveloping us, and the more we learn from each other, the more valuable it will be to everyone. I enjoyed Tamar’s post too – great to see the diverse views on what social media types can be contributing to their communities. Thanks for a great post!
Thanks so much for the mention of how I’m using Marta Z. Kagan’s “What the F**k is Social Media?” slidedeck. I shared it with my Georgia Southern University public speaking students last Thursday, and it went over quite well. I couldn’t quite bring myself to drop the f-bomb in class, so I splashed a little “BLEEP” banner over the word I was trying to avoid. My students knew about blogs and Facebook, but much less about RSS. (I recommended that they view the Common Craft videos for clear and easy explanations about RSS and more.) I hope that I’ve sparked their interest to learn more about how social media can enrich their personal and professional lives as they transition from college to career.