• 10 Reasons Why Working in PR Rocks

    10 Reasons Why Working in PR Rocks

    Today I came across an article on 10 reasons why working in PR is tough. The author, Andrew Worob, was careful enough to include a disclaimer that (of course) many other professions are much more challenging, and he just wanted to have a little fun and acknowledge the many reasons we PR pros often end our days collapsing onto a couch or bar stool, grateful to have survived another day.

    That said, I agreed with most of the reasons he listed – the demands, sporadic schedules, and pressures of not just doing the job, but doing it well, can seem quite overwhelming at times. But my experience has been that the rewards are just as astounding. So with that, I give you my 10 reasons why working in PR rocks: (more…)

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  • Is there a “plus” side to using Google+ for your brand?

    It’s nearly impossible to execute a PR or marketing campaign without getting involved with social media at some level.

    The benefits of exuding your brand’s personality on Facebook and Twitter, and interacting with consumers in a fun, pithy manner far outweigh the drawbacks of opening yourself up to public criticism. The problem is that social media can take on a life of its own and accounts can grow to require a lot of time and attention. In some cases, if resources are scarce, brands are forced to reevaluate their audiences and focus their time and energy on one channel over another. (more…)

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  • Limitless Optimism, Boundless Creativity, and Better Work Habits (Inspired by Pants with Toilets)

    Last week, my adorable seven-year-old son Owen came bursting up out of the playroom, leaving his best friend with a paused game of Wii Mario Kart so that he could use the bathroom. He sprinted to the bathroom, did his business, and came back through kitchen in a blur, then paused at the top of the stairs before heading back down. He looked thoughtfully at me as he adjusted the twisted waistband on his shorts and asked: “Mom, why haven’t they invented pants with a toilet in them?” I laughed and said that he should invent them, but that plumbing was likely to be a big design challenge. He smiled with his big brown eyes and without another word, dashed away, back to playing. (more…)

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  • The Elusive Big Idea: Let me think about that and get back to you.

     

    Last week I read an article in The New York Times called, “The Elusive Big Idea.” (more…)

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  • Disconnect from your mobile phone, reconnect with life

    A recent national survey commissioned by TeleNav examined Americans’ attachment to mobile phones and the results showed that we are willing to give up many joys in life over our beloved mobile devices. So just how attached to mobile phones have we become? (more…)

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  • How to blog like a lobster dealer

    My favorite blog isn’t a newspaper site. It’s a blog by a lobster dealer who started working on the docks when he was 9 years old. Good Morning Gloucester gives a daily snapshot of life in Gloucester, Mass., the nation’s oldest fishing harbor. It’s hugely popular, with 22,000 to 30,000 page views per day.

    The main reason Good Morning Gloucester connects with readers around the world is because it’s so real. The language is how real people talk and the people on the blog come across as real, likable people with interesting stories. There are lessons there for those of us who communicate for a living. Use simple, clear language. Be likable. Tell a good story.

    My friend Joey Ciaramitaro is the lobster dealer behind Good Morning Gloucester. We interviewed him for ideas on ways to engage readers, build an audience and create, as he would say, “a blog that doesn’t suck.” Here are his tips.

    What do you think? Which tips did we miss?

    Matter

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  • 5 Twitter Tips for PR Pros

    5 Twitter Tips for PR Pros

    Though resistant at first, over the past few years I and the rest of the folks at Matter have come to embrace Twitter as an incredibly useful, powerful – and sometimes even fun – vehicle for connecting and communicating. Some of us would even go so far as to say we love Twitter now. Along the way, I’ve learned to keep the following tips in mind, which definitely apply to my fellow PR professionals:

    1. Follow and engage with relevant media. Doing so will keep you on your toes and in the loop. I can’t even count the number of times me or my colleagues have scored an interview opportunity, a competitive advantage, or saved ourselves from an ill-timed phone call simply by paying attention to what the people we pitch are tweeting at any given moment.
    2. Follow your peers. It takes a village to stay on top of the latest news, statistics, resources and “uh oh” moments happening in the wacky world where PR, marketing and social media intersect. Following and engaging with other PR professionals helps all of us pick up on things we should be paying attention to and doing…and helps us avoid the same mistakes others are making, as well.
    3. Keep at it. Sure, we’ve all let ourselves lapse from time to time. But if your last tweet was “Trying to figure out how to use the Twitter” back in January 2009, chances are your clients and colleagues aren’t exactly going to see you as the most credible and knowledgeable expert on social media and communications trends.
    4. Show personality, not poor judgment. Sharing emotions, pop culture tidbits and slice of life observations are a great way to build a following, demonstrate authenticity, and actually enjoy tweeting. But on the web, there is no real “delete” button, since just about everything is captured and cached and seen by someone the second it goes out. So if you’re tweeting in the heat of the moment, step away and take a deep breath before you hit send. If you’re commenting on politics or considering an update that some would consider TMI…all the more reason to truly stop and think before you tweet.
    5. Don’t drink and tweet. It’s never as cute or witty as you thought it was when you sober up. Trust me.

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  • Overlooking the obvious.

    As a seasoned PR practitioner with more that 15+ years of experience, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of mismanaged media opportunities. Most recently I volunteered at a fundraising event that was attended by Dr. Jill Biden, the Vice President’s wife, and other prominent political figures. I knew these personalities would attract both local and national media and potentially further expose the goodness of the cause. (more…)

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  • Good news (maybe) for print media

    AdAge recently published some interesting stats about how affluent Americans consume media, and the results seem to show a strong interest for “traditional” media formats (giving hope to those of us who’d like to see print media survive and thrive). (more…)

    Erik Arvidson

  • Okay, So Maybe Change Isn’t Such a Bad Thing!

    Since the beginning of time, I have feared change. I love knowing exactly what to expect and when to expect it. For example, today at lunch, I knew there would be a ham and cheese sandwich waiting for me in the fridge, the same sandwich that has satisfied my hunger pains since pre-school.  I also know that when I get home, my television shows will be airing the same time they do every week on the same channel. (more…)

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