Good reasons to blog for good PR

I recently attended an intereresting PRIA webinar by Katie Delahaye Paine on PR measurement. She covered measuring blogs, wikis etc. with some interesting insights and facts:

* Reputation are made, destroyed and saved in the blogosphere.
* If you want to measure relationships or registration you need to monitor consumer generated media.
* Blogs need two different tools, one to measure the impact of your own blog. One to measure the impact of others’blogs.

Not all blog are important:
* 31.6 million blogs have been created on services such as BlogSpot, LiveJournal, Xangaand MSN Spaces, with 10 million created in the first quarter of 2005 alone.
* 66.0% of surveyed blogs had not been updated in two months, representing 2.72 million blogs that have been either permanently or temporarily abandoned.
* 1.09 million blogs were one-day wonders, with no postings on subsequent days. The average duration of the remaining 1.63 million abandoned blogs was 126 days (almost four months).

Why bother with blogs?
Bloggersfit the profile of “influentials”.
51% of journalists read Weblogs regularly.
28% of journalists rely on Weblogs for day-to-day reporting.
70% of journalists who read blogs do so for work-related tasks.
33% of journalists say they use blogs as a way of uncovering breaking news or scandals.
43% of journalists use blogs to research and reference facts.
41% of journalists access blogs at least once a week.
55% percent say they read blogs as part of their work duties.

Search Summit – The Australian Search Marketing Conference

Australia’s first search marketing conference of the year is set to raise key issues within the industry as well as provide basic training and advanced strategy and tactics for industry professionals.

Search Summit organiser Barry Smyth said that the Summit’s aim is to have a national conference that embraces the local Australian search industry where online marketers can learn from local and international industry marketing experts.

“The event has been developed for search marketers by search marketers. We understand the issues that are facing our industry today, and at a content and speaker level we know what they are looking to learn and discuss.”

“Search marketers can pick up practical knowledge from leading global experts while participating in business networking with search industry professionals, a rare opportunity in Australia” said Mr Smyth.

Search Summit focuses on a range of hot search topics with over 90 individual presentations on training, tactics and industry issues including:

2007 Search Outlook: Discussing the trends and the future of Search, world renowned Search Engine expert Chris Sherman will be keynoting Search Forecast 2007.

Google Webmasters Central: The team from Google will discuss various coding issues, and their affects within Google’s Search Engine. Topics up for discussion include CSS and hiding, validating code, semantic structure and Industry Influence, as well as a chance to ask any questions that audience members may have.

The sessions I think will be really interesting are:

Day 1 – 13:00 – 14:15  – Copywriting for Search (Training Stream) – Learn the key elements of combining keyword selection, online writing and internal site structure together with Article PR.

Day 2 – 11:15 Web 2.0 & Search (Tactics Stream) – Flash, Ajax, DOM Scripting, Tagging, Blogs and SEO.
14:45 – 16:00  – Social Search (Training Stream) – Get to know how to maximize the power of Social Media sites like Digg etc

There will be 40 speakers from the US, UK and Australia including world-renowned Search Engine expert Chris Sherman, Google’s Search Evangelist Adam Lasnik, Marketing Pilgrim’s Andy Beal, Position Tech’s Detlev Johnson, Bill Hunt from IBM.com + Australia’s Fionn Hyndman from dgmAustralia and Ian Leuchars from 24/7 Real Media.

Event information:
When: March 1 & 2 2007
Where: Luna Park, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point
Cost: $845 Registration: http://www.searchsummit.com.au

Social Media Newsroom template

Following up on the release of the Social Media News Release (SMR) template, SHIFT Communications has created the Social Media Newsroom template. The template is free for all, and enables companies to more holistically communicate with key audiences.

SHIFT principal Todd Defren notes in the presentation on the template that:
• The Web is now “for everyone, by everyone.” Web 2.0 tools like social bookmarks, blogs, etc., have made it easy for people to research, create, publish, share and respond –with each other & with brands.
• Corporations are eager to participate… but are still evolving from a broadcast-oriented, one-to-manyparadigm, towards a model in which they adapt to a new reality: their voice is just one-of-many.
• Companies are accustomed to speaking to people through the filters of traditional communication channels (mainstream media, PR, advertising, direct mail).
• The “Social Media Newsroom” template is intended to get companies thinking about how to present themselves to broader audiences; to motivate greater participation and openness; and potentially boost organic website SEO.
• In part it is also intended to both “microchunk” news content and make most elements “subscribable,” so visitors can readily pick-and-choose, receive-and-share only those content aspects that are relevantto them, as individuals.
• Although “conversation is king,” we recognize that companies exist to make money. It will be important to strike a balance between reaching the masses (i.e., through SEO) and reaching individuals through conversation.

Women in Business Mentor Program

The Women in Business Mentor Program helps up-and-coming women business owners (mentorees) grow their business by linking them with experienced business people (mentors).

I participated in this program early on in my business and it helped be with planning and confidence. Almost 2,000 women have participated in the Program since its inception 12 years ago.

The Program, which encourages co-operative learning between business people, uses mentoring and practical sessions to help women improve their business skills and boost their confidence.  Networking is a key component of the Program.

They are currently looking for Mentorees and Mentors for the six month Mentor program to be held in Sydney, Campbelltown, Chatswood and Newcastle.

Valerie Khoo – How to be a Change-maker

A few posts ago I featured Social Entrepreneur, Valerie Khoo. Valerie is passionate about how individuals and small businesses can make a difference in the world – you don’t have to have big bucks to make an impact.

To spread the social entrepreneur word (and make the world a better place) she is offering a keynote presentation on How to be a Change-maker: 7 ways to make a profound and profitable impact on your life, your business and the world to interested corporate groups and business networks.

If you are interested in a keynote presentation at your corporate conference or network, feel free to call Valerie on (02) 9929 9237 or valerie[at]spindriftmedia.com.au.

Blogging and the Australian CEO

According to the SMH article, Bosses let sleeping blogs lie, Australian chief executives are failing to capitalise on a PR phenomenon: blogging.

General Motors’ is well known, with postings from chief executive Bob Lutz and many other senior executives. Bill Marriott’s blog explores the world of hotels. Federico Minoli of Ducati is into motorbikes. Randy Baseler, Boeing’s vice-president for marketing, does a great job if you like planes.

Some are little more than corporate spin, vetted (or even ghost-written) by the PR people. Even so, their chatty and informal presentation has a softer edge than more conventional marketing.

But their real advantage is in the feedback they generate. Corporate blogging guru Debbie Weil says: “Any attempt by execs at the top of big organisations to think out loud and listen to feedback from employees and others is laudable.”

You’ll look high and low for a web log penned by an Australian captain of industry.

Corporate blogs are an effective way to communicate with and get feedback from customers, prospective customers, the public, employees and business partners. They allow an organisation to respond quickly to negative trends or rumours.

Take a look at www.getup.org.au

www.getup.org.au are doing a great job of viral PR – and using the email to disseminate information. Check them out.

Tired of politicians and believe we are a democracy then take a look at www.getup.org.au. Here’s the idea – hundreds of thousands of Australians working together to hold politicians accountable and affect the issues we care about. Already there are 160,000 of us and our plan is to reach 200,000 as Federal Parliament reconvenes for the year.

GetUp is independent from all political parties, doesn’t receive any big business or government funding, never spams and won’t overload your inbox.

What GetUp does is give you information and opportunities to take action, to unite your voice with other likeminded Australians who are tired of politics as usual and want to steer our country in a new direction.

So the most significant action you can take today isn’t signing a petition or writing your MP – it’s inviting a friend, colleague or Australian living overseas to join GetUp. Our new system makes it easier than ever – just click on the link below: 
www.getup.org.au/campaign/TwoHundredThousandin2007

Take a look at the website..there is no obligation but if you feel its for you then register and tell your friends. Membership is 100% free and open to everyone who cares about Australia’s future, no matter where you live.

Fred Schebesta’s 11 Marketing Secrets Seminar Online Marketing Seminar

Want to learn how to market your business online like the professionals? And unlock the potential of online marketing for your business. ADMA Australian Young Direct Marketer of the Year, Fred Schebesta is running 11 Online Marketing Secrets Seminar to reveal and teach online marketing secrets.

In an increasingly online world, savvy businesses are harnessing the power of online marketing. Many recognise that it is a strategic part of the overall marketing mix, but don’t know where to start and for many it seems just too hard.

Using the power of the web levels the playing field for every business – big or small. Everyone has the chance to attract customers and with this seminar you have the prefect opportunity to learn exactly how to really unlock the potential of the web for your business.

“I would like to share the secrets I have learnt and to teach businesses the secrets to online marketing that I have learnt through trial and error.”

“The online marketing space has really matured and many marketing managers and business owners come to me and ask me to train their staff in online marketing. I have designed this crash course just for this purpose,” says Fred Schebesta.

“Only a company or an executive comfortable with a high level of risk could be content to remain ignorant of dramatic changes taking place in marketing online. Fred’s seminar is just what the doctor ordered for any marketing manager or business owner looking to get a crash course in top notch online marketing,” says Michael Kiely, Chairman of ADMA NSW.

The seminar will cover Fred’s top 11 tips:

1. Improved conversion into database list secrets

2. How to use your email list

3. Secret Search engine marketing tactics

4. How to quickly leverage Customer profiling

5. Landing page secrets to improved conversion

6. 4 secrets to immediately improve your online Credibility

7. Increased effectiveness secrets for your pay per click search marketing

8. Using domain names to your advantage

9. Secret Microsite techniques for 2 bites at the cherry

10. Website statistics secret formula

11. 3 Fred Schebesta secret tactics to increased traffic

Price: $49 if you register before 20 February 2007 ($99 after 20th)When: llam – 2:30pm Wednesday, 28 February 2007 Where: Mitchell Theatre, Sydney Mechanics School of Art, 280 Pitt St, Sydney

More information, registration: www.OnlineMarketingSvdnev.Com.Au/Seminar