Posterous, the all-in-one Social Media package!!

Today I found out about Posterous by chance so I wanted to share with you this new and user friendly platform which can combine all other platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc, and it is really quick to set up and use. The other advantage is that many contributors can be part of it which means that it can be something for an entire company, department or even a family.

But what is it exactly? Posterous is such a simple microblogging platform, it almost makes Tumblr look overly complicated. It was founded in May of this year with about $15,000 in seed capital, but it has already attracted a fair amount of users and has been adding new features at a steady clip. The platform received wide attention when leading social media expert Steve Rubel declared he was moving his blogging activity entirely to Posterous. Posterous is currently free and plans to start selling premium features in the future.

To start using it, users only have to send an email to post AT posterous.com and, within a few minutes, posterous will respond with the address for the new blog.

Setup

Posterous' setup process takes minimalism to the extreme - you don't even have to register. Instead, after sending your first email to post AT posterous.com, you will receive an email with your new blog's address. Those addresses, however, don't always look too pretty.

While this is not necessary, it's probably best to actually create a login at posterous and register an email address with them. Thankfully, once you register your email address and chose your own URL, all your posts will be transferred over to your new one automatically. Registration is dead simple as well - just enter your email address and a password.

Posting to Posterous

When posting to posterous from the site itself, you are presented with a rich text editor, not unlike the editor in Tumblr or Wordpress.

The best way to post to posterous, though, is through email, especially because the web interface can't handle uploads (yet?), while email attachments are handled quite beautifully. Posterous accepts pdf, doc, ppt, jpg, gif, png, and mp3 files.

If you send an mp3 file, posterous will create a flash player for it in the post. If you send more than one photo, posterous will automatically create a gallery for you (see screenshot). This works especially well when sending pictures right out of a photo application like Google's Picasa.

Documents are displayed through Scribd's flash interface.

Posterous can also handle most HTML tags and when sending a YouTube URL, it immediately embeds the video in the post.

Still Needs Some Work...

Posterous has some social networking functions, with user profiles and the ability to follow other users. There is nothing revolutionary here. However, it isn't possible to search for users, making the ability to follow quite a bit less useful. Posterous will recommend you some users to subscribe to, but without the ability to search for your friends or even just for keywords, this part of the application clearly needs a bit more work.

Security

The email interface, while posterous' strongest point in terms of usability, is also its weakest point in terms of security. Email addresses are easily spoofed. While posterous claims that they are able to filter out messages not send by you and will notify you if they suspect a security breach, there is probably a good chance that a nefarious user could send potentially incriminating posts to your blog.

Verdict

Security issues aside, posterous is a very cool new service. The ease of posting to it is going to make it very attractive to even novice users. While most blogging platforms always allowed for posting by email either directly or through a third-party service, few bloggers ever made much use of it, as the email addresses were always cryptic and the process often simply didn't work.

Posterous would also work very well for those who want to send quick updates from their mobile devices. There is, after all, no need to install any apps - simply send an email and be done.

While the microblogging/lifestreaming field is quite crowded, with Pownce, Twitter, Tumblr, Jaiku, and too many others to name, posterous might just be different and simple enough to set itself apart from the rest.

I have not mastered it yet, but let me know what you think about it. Will it be the next Facebook or Twitter?

 

PR insight and tidbits (4)

Proper Networking: secret weapon for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Large, well-funded organizations often invest a great deal of money in public relations programs in an effort to establish a strong identity and presence in the community. Small businesses and entrepreneurs usually have no such luxury. 

It is rare that a small business or entrepreneur has a big PR budget. Instead, they must rely on low-budget, high-impact strategies to achieve their public relations goals. Networking is one secret weapon available to entrepreneurs and small businesspeople who wish to establish a strong presence in the community. 

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you have a vision and passion for your business - or you wouldn't be in business. You are your own best salesperson. You are the best possible ambassador for your company. Networking is the secret weapon which, if properly targeted and utilized, enables you to build a strong community presence for your organization.

Making friends before you need them.

At MPiRe, we have a simple definition of networking: making friends before you need them. We believe that networking is all about one thing: building solid, lasting business relationships with key people.

Key Principles of Networking:

Relationship: Networking is not about making a quick sale; it's about building a trusting business relationship that will stand the test of time. Such relationships are based on trust, and they require you to keep in touch over time.

Two-way street: By definition, a lasting business relationship must be a two-way street. You cannot focus solely on what the other person can give you; you must bring something to the table as well. If a business relationship isn't beneficial for all involved, it won't stand the test of time.

Choose your audiences: As an entrepreneur or small business owner, your time is precious and must be used wisely. That's why it's important that you thoughtfully consider your target audiences before you begin networking. For example, if your target audience is comprised mainly of high-tech companies then a retail merchant’s organization would likely not be the best networking venue for you. If your target audience is centered around manufacturing businesses, high-tech companies are not the ideal place to expend your networking energy. Identify your audiences - then go where they are.

Stay in the Game: Networking is not an overnight cure-all for your sales woes; it is a long-term process that will yield tremendous results over time. Once you choose your audiences and determine where you can best interact with them, be consistently visible. Don't be a fly-by-night who attends one Chamber function, then drops the whole networking idea out of frustration because you haven't achieved immediate results. Be patient, stay in the game and give your networking time to bear fruit.

Be honest and be real: It's important that you not try to put on a show or pretend to be something that you're not. Just be yourself, be honest, and get to know people.

Don’t wing it. In order to be truly successful, there must be a method to your madness. If you shoot from the hip, more often than not you'll miss your target. Develop a networking plan and stick to it.

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you are your best salesperson. If you develop a networking plan and invest the time to get out there and build those key relationships, it will pay great dividends over time. Networking is not a quick-fix - it's a long-term process. Develop your plan, then exercise patience and discipline by giving it time to work.

If you have any questions we, at MPiRe, will be delighted to help you.

Good luck!

Hiring a PR company for your Social Media

There have been a lot of discussions in the blogosphere about the role of PR firms within the world of social media. Some bloggers say that PR firms need to adapt, because bloggers and new media people want to discover news for themselves and not be pitched by PR folks. Others say that PR as a profession is broken, ouch! While others think that there's no reason to go crazy with a PR firm if you build something that people want.

When do PR firms provide value?

1. Do they research? You, as a company, could spend lots time finding the best bloggers who write about your specific niche, but having someone else do this for you would save time, especially if they do it for a living and have access to tools to make it easier and faster. Same thing goes for researching conferences, events, speaking opportunities, awards, etc.

2. Do they provide training? Few people are social media and blogging experts, and if you hire the right PR firm, they can help bring their expertise into the company. Don't let them do everything for you, make them train and educate your marketing team (not just marcom, product people too!) and executives about social media, blogging, how to comment on blogs, how to use Twitter and Facebook, etc.

3. Do they create & publish content? PR folks are experts (or should be!!) at writing, and increasingly audio and video too. Your PR firm can help you figure out how to take your boring company announcement and craft it into an interesting story, even if it is not for a news release, it can be just for your company blog. Your PR firm can also interview employees, customers and others and post videos on your blog or website, etc. They do this stuff all the time (if they're good) and might be able to do it better and faster than you can.

4. Pitching / Relationships - There are some times when a PR firm does have relationships you don't have, and times when that makes sense. A lot of these relationships might be "old media", but old media is still the number 1 media to most companies in Oman. A PR firm brings lots of different clients to the table, and having a relationship with the PR pro might make sense for the writer.

5. Do they monitor? Good PR folks will do a great job of monitoring all the right blogs, social networks and other conversations for relevant information. They then should email you and tell you to respond, comment, or react on your blog as necessary. Even if you have a ton of RSS feeds, alerts and more set up, you might miss some things. This is very important to keep ahead of competition and have all your employees aware of what is happening within your company.

Beyond these points, I also think there is something to be said for the ability for a PR firm to relatively quickly ramp up your capabilities, whereas if you were doing things internally it might take a lot longer to find and train a productive internal person. Don't take this as a glowing recommendation that everyone should go out and hire a PR firm today. But, I also don't think they should be swept under the rug as useless - there is a lot of value a PR firm can provide in the right circumstances for the right client. As always, understand what all your possible tools can do, and then choose the right tools for the job. A PR firm might be one of those tools.

Personal branding Vs Business branding...and the fight for the crumbs…

I came across a poll for students majoring in Communication – 4 out of 84 students are actually using Twitter. They are all on Facebook or at least 90% of them. Twitter is just the fastest growing network these days but maybe it’s generational. Or it’s how we use it but we see Facebook slowly sending MySpace to a shelf and Twitter is thinking about doing the same to Facebook after refusing $500 Million from same. It didn’t take long for Facebook to turn around and let ‘Fan Pages’ (companies, celebrities…) be able to update their ’status’ which Twitter does. Things are certainly heating up… some talk about collision.

Have you heard of MyYearBook.com? Tagged.com? Tumblr.com? Hi5.com? Bebo.com? …no? People have different needs, live in different places and use all those tools for different reasons. Depending on your marketing strategies, using those different platforms will have more or less returns.

We use different networks in our practice so why we use some and not others? But before we have a look at the most fashionable networks, I'd like to say that personal branding and business branding are colliding. Those students are increasingly growing their personal digital footprint on places like Facebook or MySpace. They will soon be working for corporations and companies. How will their personal representation affect your brand? Why bother sending a resume when you can find everyone online? If they are not online, I would be worried for you though.

Social Networks:

- MySpace: Used to be the largest, maybe your brand does not need to be there any longer but that depends if your target market is in the younger age bracket.

- Facebook: Its clean look and super organized way to manage your contacts and relationships has definitely worked wonders. It is driving good to moderate traffic, better in the consumer space. It has grown from 100m to more than 200m in less than 8 months!

- LinkedIn / Plaxo: By nature, they were designed for more professional purposes. I find that Plaxo has been a more open platform in terms of using RSS but the traffic volume coming from LinkedIn is higher. LinkedIn was web-based from the start and definitely has the biggest market share. It also allows you to update your company profile and help link personal identities. I mostly find those networks powerful to find people and be found.

- Twitter: with 1382% of traffic growth last year, it’s still a small network but indeed posing an interesting threat. The main clue here is ‘Conversation’. Engaging in Twitter means that you can engage better with people and customers that you would not encounter otherwise. The big bonus: you can search real time conversations about products or brands… It’s a very powerful brand monitoring tool [Search.Twitter.com] - You can also organically reach people or brands without the limitations of the Facebook fortress.

- Hi5 and Bebo have been growing very fast respectively in UK/Europe for Bebo and Latin America for Hi5 but are still cumbersome platforms to use with limited RSS connectivity. As you can see, Twitter totally passed those networks already.

So what now? Being on all the main social networks as a person or a brand is somewhat necessary but if you need to focus on a few only, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the best bets, at least in North America and Europe.

Google Search is still your best bet for driving ’semantic’ traffic and generating web leads to your company website. SEO (search engine optimization) and CPC (AdSense) campaigns are good methods but you’re limited when it comes down to increasing brand trust.

Blogging remains the best way to increase better qualified leads in your web pipeline.

Finally, remember that YouTube generates more search volume than Yahoo itself! By end of 2009 (just a few days from now) YouTube is expected to pass the 85 billion video streams mark and more than 375 million unique visitors! So if you can invest, make sure to get into video – blogging.

So, which one to use......??????

I’d say there is a media niche for everyone, personal or corporate, young or old, just need to find the right one(s).

Let me know your thoughts and i apologise in advance if some of the figures are not up-to-date.

PR insight and tidbits (3)

Keys to Effective Communications Planning

Proper planning is a fundamental element of an effective communications program. In the absence of solid planning, many of us tend to shoot from the hip when it comes to marketing and communications activities. Without a plan, there is often no method to our madness.

An effective communications plan should accomplish a number of things, including:

1. Clarifying General Goals. What are your overall communications goals? Are they aligned with the goals and objectives outlined in your business plan? Are they aligned with your company's values and culture? The answers to these questions form the foundation of your communications plan.
2. Identifying Target Groups. It is important to know who your target audiences are and to establish specific goals in relation to each one. This means you must know what groups of people impact your organization's success, how each group can potentially impact your organization's success and what makes each audience tick.
3. Developing your message. Once you've identified your audiences and established goals for each audience, you must develop your message or messages. Depending upon your goal for each audience, your message may vary. For example, your message to investors may be focused on your profits and management, while your message to potential referral sources may focus on incentives you offer those who send you new clients.
4. Identifying communication tools. There are a great many communication tools available to every small business -- far too many for any prudent business to use. Your plan should identify those tools which effectively and efficiently reach your desired markets.
5. Anticipate and plan for challenges and crises. This is a key element of your plan. It is critical to anticipate every possible challenge, obstacle or crisis which could stand between you and successful implementation of your plan. Anticipation of such obstacles enables you to plan for these adverse events before they happen.
6. Implementation Timeline. You should develop a step-by-step timeline for the implementation of your plan. This allows you to schedule events and ensure that all marketing activities run smoothly. As an example, imagine that your company is hosting a reception for customers. A thorough timeline would include the date that invitations should be mailed. Further, it should include the date that invitations must be sent to the printer of they are to be mailed on time. A detailed timeline will help ensure that little details don't derail your plan.
7. Budget. You should develop a projected budget which includes all anticipated communications expenses. This will enable you to ensure that you are financially able to commit to marketing activities before investing your marketing money in them.

A well thought out communications plan will help you ensure that your marketing and public relations program is focused on the right goals, that your activities are achieving those goals, and that your marketing $$$$ are being spent wisely.

In closing, I must stress the importance of committing your communications plan to paper. A very useful book I recommend to read is Great Little Book on Universal Laws of Success by Brian Tracy which says that "All successful people think on paper." By committing your plan to paper, you commit yourself to it and increase your chances of success.

Develop your plan, put it in writing, and then make it happen!

If you have any questions we, at MPiRe, will be delighted to help you.

Will Social Media Kill PR?

Social media has clearly emerged as a powerful communication tool on multiple levels. The amount of information collectively generated has unearthed a treasure trove of insight that helps companies with lead generation, customer service, market research, and product development. It’s become such the shiny toy of the marketing world that it’s birthed an entire industry, but should it stay a separate practice or become absorbed into an existing one, if not several? Is Social media, in the long run, going to claim a new distinct discipline to join advertising, marketing and PR?

PR is a multi-pronged business weapon. It has channels of support like event management, market research, media relations, guerilla marketing, or customer relations. Social media is joining that arsenal, bringing a new distribution avenue, the social media channel that serves a function within larger business development and communication efforts. It’s a new channel an entire workforce need to master, which they will in time.

The emergence of the channel of social media has exposed a weak area within public relations. Because PR has long been pigeonholed into focusing on press while the marketing department was the one out connecting directly with consumers, PR professionals (agencies and in-house alike) were suddenly confronted with a direct-response communication channel. But most PR folks don’t grasp (or have nearly enough time to try) the big picture impact of communicating through social media, let alone the right tone and approach to use when doing so.

No. But it is forcing the PR industry to work harder to reinforce its positive role within the business environment. Most savvy PR people I know LOVE the Internet. LOVE social media and the interaction it brings. And it shows. PR programs are expanding rapidly with more comprehensive communication techniques being recommended. Social media will become part of a broader knowledge base of PR and communications and marketing professionals. Whatever those distinctions are these days.

Social media is revolutionary. It will become an extremely important funnel that touches all levels of the business. But it’s going to take smart people who get it to explain it to those that don’t, like the CEOs and those CMOs that just don’t know better. Communications departments are the obvious choice where social media responsibilities would lie, or would it be marketing? Or is it all just headed to being the same thing, serving the same purpose- communication and lead generation.

The interaction with social media channels creates more information to be distilled through the organization for response. Over time, people in every department will access and use social media as part of their job, be it customer service, market research, product development, engineering, promotions, etc.

So What’s Next?

That’s a HUGE question that’s going to take me a little while.