As a newcomer to the public relations industry, I have quickly learned that social media tools are not only being used to stay connected with friends, but also to communicate with clients, customers, and journalists. Imagine my surprise when I realized the social media programs I used every day to chat with my friends would actually be helping me do my job.

Today in the PR industry, there are social media tools that keep us constantly connected to our clients, our audience, and fellow PR professionals. The evolution of the internet and the growth of social media have provided such tools that enable us to do what do we better. With that said, the following are my top five PR tools that I am thankful to have access to.
1.      Twitter: Tweets, Re-tweets, and hash tags—just another way our clients are mentioned and their coverage syndicated. Media scanning now includes monitoring these client mentions and re-tweets.  Also, twitter can be used as a way to make a connection with the journalist you are pitching. I use twitter to keep track of what messages my media contact is tweeting to her audience. It creates a personal, connected relationship resulting in a long lasting relationship.

2.      Facebook: Facebook provides the platform to develop our clients brand and to interactively and directly connect with their target audience. Drawing people to your clients’ Facebook page is an integral part of social media campaigns to create brand loyalty. My clients have held contests, sweepstakes, and weekly polls, to attract loyal, active fans. All have been successful and resulted in an increase in Facebook fans.

3.      Blogs: Bloggers are a close-knit community who has become an excellent source for reviews. I’ve been fortunate enough to develop a relationship with a few successful bloggers. They are quick to let their readers know about my client’s news and products.

4.      Smart phones: I am thankful that my smart phone allows me to get updates, receive emails, and use Twitter & Facebook while on the go. Although it may seem like an annoyance to some, smart phones allow PR professionals to have continuous access with their clients and their work.

5.      ProfNets/HAROs: These daily queries are one of the best things that happened to the PR industry. Having a direct line to journalists on a deadline and determining if your client fits their query, not only saves time but can create a perfect coverage opportunity you may have otherwise missed.

Today, as we think about all the things we’re thankful for while celebrating with our family and friends, we shouldn’t forget the tools that help us work in the evolving industry of public relations.

Last week we were very excited at Matter to announce new professional video services for our clients. Many of our recent blog posts have been dedicated to tips for using video and the importance of multimedia in Marketing and PR.

There’s been chatter around Matter on how to put our new service offerings to work. A goal for many clients is to have their videos gain popularity on the internet and ‘go viral.’ The issue is however, you can’t make a viral video – you can make a video. It’s up to viewers to share the content with others quickly enough for it to ‘go viral’.

For some entertainment over the Thanksgiving weekend, I thought we could benefit from the creativity of some of the best brains behind viral videos. I recently read a Social Times article by Megan O’Neill on What Makes OK Go Videos Go Viral Every Time?. This Grammy Award winning band has also been honored for their video greatness by YouTube, MTV and even the Webbys.

Most recently recognized for their genius behind the “Last Leaf” video, O’Neill says their unparalleled originality is one of the biggest factors in OK Go’s success. Then again, who can compete with a video filmed entirely on laser-etched pieces of toast? We can, however, follow in OK Go’s minimalist footsteps. Their first hit was filmed with almost no budget in their own backyard which is something even our own flip-cams can handle.

Finally, O’Neill recognizes what any PR pro can relate to – their ability to promote themselves. Through an official website, MySpace page and Twitter feed they develop unique contests and activities to engage fans. They seem to be pretty successful at pitching The Today Show as well.

So, maybe these videos can spark some inspiration for your next multimedia venture? If OK Go can get my own mother to tell others to “YouTube those guys on treadmills” then it’s probably at least worth giving them a look.

For all the negative publicity Carnival Cruise Lines has been receiving for its recent fire aboard Carnival Splendor, which left passengers stranded offshore for days without power, there are others pieces that are highly positive. Taking a look at the story from all sides, I’d say Carnival handled what some are a calling a “nightmare” in the best possible manner. Here’s how:

In a recent piece in PRWeek explaining how “social media emerged as a key channel for Carnival Cruise Lines in its crisis communications response,” it describes how John Heald, Carnival’s Senior Cruise Director, took to his blog while on the ship to offer updates and recounts of what was taking place. Updates were also communicated on Carnival’s various social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, and carnival-news.com. Using each of these methods not only kept family members of those on board posted on the progress of the ships return, but it provided Carnival the opportunity to accurately relay information to the public.

Traveling isn’t always smooth sailing (pun intended) but to see a crisis like the fire aboard the Splendor handled as it was, I commend Carnival and its PR team. Though not their intent, I imagine there are a few travelers that would perhaps chose them over other cruise lines now for the mere fact that they overcame a huge obstacle and still have happy customers. But of course, as Heald describes below, there will always be those who will be quick to share their less than positive experience. Let’s just hope they don’t drown out the ones who really should be heard.

“There will be those who will say this has been ‘the cruise from hell.’ However, when you see the local news reporter with the huge hair talking to Mr. Angry remember that there are many many many many more who will tell you what they have been telling me and the crew and that is that Carnival as a company have done everything they can and continue to do so to help them through this difficult situation.”

This is an exciting day at Matter (and not just because tonight is our weekly staff basketball game.)

Today we’re officially announcing the addition of professional video capabilities to the PR services we offer our clients.

If you’re online, chances are you watch video, too. (Nearly 85 percent of U.S. Internet users viewed online video last  month.) So you know how important video has become as a way of getting messages across.

Our consumer and high-tech clients know it, too. That’s why we’re excited to begin offering tons of video content – news releases, newsletters, product demonstrations, customer testimonials, newsroom-ready B-roll, viral videos.

We’ve already got several video projects under way. Something tells me we’ll be keeping the new video team awfully busy.

I love Internet Explorer! For years, this wonderful web browser has guided me through cyberspace as I researched term papers, uncovered the latest news stories, and even marked my favorite websites for later use. But the main reason I like Internet Explorer so much is because I’ve never given another web browser a chance – until now.

This morning I came across an article which stated that today marks the six birthday of Firefox. Really? Firefox has been around for six years? As I read about all its capabilities and features, I couldn’t help but wonder if this browser would work better than my beloved Internet Explorer.

 As PR professionals, it is important for us to keep up with the latest and greatest trends. Our clients are constantly turning to us for recommendations on what works and how they can better manage their resources.  Whether it be evaluating the most recent social media tool, discovering the newest industry publication and yes – even evaluating the best web browsers – it is critical as PR professionals to stay stay on top of the game.

 So, will I be downloading Firefox? Yes.

 Do I think Firefox will be easier to use than Internet Explorer? Possibly.

 Will I be professing my love for it during my next blog post? Stay tuned to find out.

When I was learning the journalism ropes for a small town newspaper years ago, one of my editors gave me this bit of advice: If it’s a word that people don’t use in normal conversation, don’t use it in a news article.

It was great advice then because I was learning how to describe complex government issues at a 6^th grade reading level, and it’s still advice I try to follow today.

Of course, I didn’t always follow it. I’m sure while I was writing articles or creating headlines to exactly fit the column width, I used a few of those non-conversational words you see all the time in journalism.

Here’s an example headline: “Council decries mayor’s use of parking revenues.” Have you ever heard anybody use the word “decry” in a conversation? Or how about, “President mulls jobless aid measures.” I don’t think I’ve ever mulled anything in my life, though I have thought about plenty of things.

In PR, just as in journalism, we’re always challenged with using more plain-speaking, conversational words, whether it be in announcements or byline articles.

David Meerman Scott’s “The Gobbledygook Manifesto” is a good resource for tired and overused marketing/PR business jargon that nobody uses in common language.

Here’s a good exercise:  Your car is making a horrifying grinding sound and you take it to the mechanic. Wouldn’t you be frustrated if he/she threw confusing mechanical jargon at you? Would you think he/she was not being straightforward, or possibly condescending?

Imagining that auto mechanic conversation sometimes help in writing and editing. Too much jargon and recycled terminology will bore and sometimes frustrate the reader. Simpler and more conversational is always better.

What do you do to keep your writing more conversational?

Liem Nguyen, Director of Corporate Communications for Compellent Technologies, and the rest of the Compellent Corporate PR team were recently honored by PRSourceCode as a Top Tech Communicator for their exceptional corporate communications skills.

The award was based on the results of a survey of more than 800 journalists and bloggers from IT and business publications, including eWeek, PC World, Wired and SC Magazine. The survey asked contacts to name which companies they enjoy working with most in a PR capacity, taking into consideration responsiveness, knowledge of the industry, outreach methods and more – a huge honor for any PR department. We’re proud that we were able to support the efforts of the Compellent corporate communications team, and congratulate Liem on his win.

Cole Smith, national account director for PRSourceCode says of the winners, “this year’s Top Tech Communicators have really embraced the change, staying on top of the media’s trends, working to adapt with the journalists, and learning how to best match their clients and organizations’ expectations and needs with journalists’ changing realities and methods.”

Recently, I listened in on a webinar outlining some of the top technology communication practices, presented by other winners of the Top Tech Communicator awards. While the focus of the webinar was technology communications, I found that many of their suggestions were applicable to the industry in general.  Additionally, many of these tips were things I see daily at Matter, both from my client contacts and my team members.

Because of the fast pace and constantly changing landscape of the PR industry, I’ve found it’s increasingly important to be constantly reading and learning about new trends – whether it be in social media, tips for pitching reporters or understanding the way people actually receive their news.  In fact, this culture of constantly learning and seeking out information is exactly why the Compellent team won the award, and we strive to achieve this same level of excellence for all our teams. How do you stay up-to-date in the industry?

Today Facebook launched yet another social media tool to help businesses communicate with customers – and in fashion that’s sure to continue success, it’s a free service. Facebook Places looks to boot Foursquare as the top geo-location service by offering four types of location-based deals – that kind of variety already has us excited over here about how we can use it with our clients.

Individual Deals: These include discounts, free products, or other rewards

Friend Deals: If you check in at the same time as a friend, you can claim a joint deal

Loyalty Deals: These deals are for regular, returning customers

Charity Deals: This function allows you to donate to a cause upon check-in.

The downside? The Facebook Places application is only useable on iPhone and Android phones via touch.facebook.com. We’ve already seen some complaints from customers who are left out of special deals due to types of phone used or inability to afford a data plan – for example, this offer from the Gap that will give away 10,000 pairs of new jeans has many customers upset over eligibility.

You can be sure we’ll be looking into this great new functionality for the Facebook pages we manage here at Matter. I think some fun promotions are on the way!

I was talking to a colleague recently about editing each other’s work, specifically, about editing written work. Whether it is a blog post, social media content, a press release or an email, we often ask for our colleagues’ advice before we hit send. All of us understand that often two brains (or more) are indeed better than one. However, when is it time to step away and let someone else’s style shine through? Just because you may have said it or written it differently, doesn’t always mean it is better – quite possibly, it just means that it is different. Equal, though, in its ability to convey a certain message. My colleague came to this realization the other day when he was editing someone’s work. He recognized that he was spending needless time rewriting something that was already great, it just wasn’t how he would write it. This is often a significant realization as you become a manager. You learn to step back a bit and it benefits you, the client and your colleague.  It is one thing to give feedback and advice, it is another to edit something that doesn’t need it.

In PR, we’re often taking content and information and trying to turn it into a story that excites a reporter enough to write about it. It may be different than the original content, the style and voice may have changed, but it’s still a good story and a powerful one. The way I may tell the story is often different than how someone else tells it. We need to remember this when we approach a task. What can we learn by admiring someone else’s style and how can we use that knowledge to shape our own?