Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a crystal ball that could predict the future? Crystal ball or not—you can’t talk about the future of public relations without including social media.

PR really has changed a great deal just during my 17-plus years in the field. I remember working as an intern preparing news releases for distribution via only snail mail and fax (gasp!).

Now, you cannot conduct a successful PR campaign without some aspect of social media unless you want to miss a huge opportunity.

Like anything else, I think the key to remaining viable and successful is continuous improvement and reinventing yourself when necessary.

Nick Sherwin, one of my former management professors, always said, “Adapt to change or die.” Of course he was referring to a company or organization and not speaking literally, but his tagline always stood out to me and is relevant to the social media invasion of recent years.

I think any profession, including PR, must strive to continuously improve or something else better will come along and pass you by.

Author and CEO of Advanced Human Technologies Ross Dawson describes his take on the future of the PR industry (http://rossdawsonblog.com/weblog/archives/2011/09/revisiting-the-future-of-pr.html).

Dawson said, “Those that re-conceive their role and potential impact could well be masters of the universe…The continually emerging opportunities in a world of ever-unfolding public communication are still there to be seized. Let’s see if the PR industry – or others – best take them.”

My vote is for PR, but of course I am biased!

I admit it – I love to get gifts.

I’m sure Emily Post would be disappointed to learn that I’m not one to delicately open birthday or Christmas presents. In fact, each Christmas Eve I try my best to convince my husband that I need to open just one gift – yet year after year my childlike request is outright denied.

Around the holidays, our team enjoys celebrating our clients, colleagues and friends by delivering homemade cookies. It’s always nice to be remembered and we certainly appreciate the goodies that show up at our doorstep too.

Yet with all the gifting that occurs this time of year, acts of service are the lasting gifts that seem to truly matter.

If you’ve ever read Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages you know that “acts of service” is one of the five love languages everyone speaks. The others include quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation and gifts.

Now, keep in mind this book is geared toward marital relationships, but as with all relationships – personal and professional – it’s important to take the time to figure out the type of “language” those around us prefer to speak.

By taking the time to figure out the communication style our colleagues and clients prefer, the better equipped we are as an agency to communicate with them.

Regardless of your own communication style or “language,” I hope you take the time this holiday season to express an act of service for a meaningful organization in your community.

Personally, my first act of service this season will be participating in a blood drive on Saturday, Dec. 17 at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church. Medic Regional Blood Center is hosting a blood drive for a premature baby boy recently born in Knoxville at just under two pounds. Feel free to stop by, but be sure to eat a little something before you go!

After all, that’s what the true spirit (or language) of the season means, right?

“Tis better to give than receive.”

This time of year reminds me of community outreach projects in which I was involved early in my career from adopt-a-family programs, angel trees, filling stockings for a local orphanage to taking gifts to senior homes. I have participated in and helped coordinate a variety of these activities for past employers. But, one incident stands out from the rest.

Honestly, I didn’t fully comprehend the true meaning of these activities until I helped deliver some of these items.

As part of my job responsibilities, I created and distributed a news release outlining some of the community outreach activities that a past employer was doing, including providing enough food for a month (with a traditional holiday meal) along with holiday gifts for more than 1,000 less fortunate families in the area, which was a massive undertaking.

A local TV station in Atlanta was interested in covering this story, but they wanted to go with an employee to deliver these items to humanize the segment. I coordinated this activity, and I also went along for the delivery.

On the way, another employee and I stopped to purchase some candy canes and other goodies to take along as well. Little did we know how important these candy canes would become.

I was shocked at the living conditions and just how little a single mom and her young son (I am guessing he was about five or six years old) had in their small apartment in a housing project in inner-city Atlanta. Someone had given the mom and son a tree for the holidays, but it was not decorated with any lights or ornaments. The little boy tore open the candy canes we brought and joyfully decorated the tree with the candy canes without any prompting.

After all the food and gifts were handed out and placed under the tree, the little boy brought a single flower to the employee who had nominated the family for this community outreach program.

She didn’t personally know this family; she received their name from her church as a family who could use some help. When this little boy gave the flower to my colleague, hugged her and thanked her for all the food and presents (again, without any prompting), there was not a dry eye in the home, including the reporter who was covering the story. All of this was captured in the TV story as well.

This experience humbled me and forever changed me. I now truly understand what it means when people say it is better to give than receive.

The holidays always remind me of this sweet little boy and his mom, and I wonder how they are now—years later. I hope both are doing okay.

I always try to participate in some type of community outreach activity each year, whether it is a food drive at my child’s school, a local toy drive or purchasing items for an angel tree. I try to give something back and make sure my older child is involved as well. I want my children to learn why it is better to give than receive.

Remember, when you have the opportunity to participate in a community outreach activity, there are people on the other end who really need your help!

Social media’s influence on journalism  is growing at a rapid-fire pace. It’s no secret that news organizations are gathering significant amounts of news pieces through social networks and other online communities. The question is, “How far will this go?”

Ken Doctor, author of Newsonomics, claims social networks have become the fastest growing source of traffic referrals for many news sites. Even the 2010 AP Stylebook has a chapter on Social Media Guidelines listed on page 314.

The power of social media as a news source can’t be denied – social media has played a key role in reporting events such as the earthquake in Haiti in January of this year and the 2009 miracle on the Hudson just to name a few.

Living in the heart of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), I can’t help but be surrounded by sportswriters across the southeast using Twitter as a platform to reach their followers (the fan bases of the teams they cover) almost instantly and vice versa. 

Sportswriters and University of Tennessee graduates Wes Rucker, who writes for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, and Travis Haney, who writes for The Post and Courier in Charleston, have gained a considerable following and are often re-tweeted by national sportswriters including ESPN’s Bruce Feldman and SI.com’s Andy Staples.

This is just one of many examples of how journalists, sports journalists in this case, build their “brands” and gain a wider audience to read their material, yet gain valuable news tips due to their connectedness to their communities and fans.

Journalists have more sources, tips and story ideas in the palms of their hands (literally) than ever before. People like Wes and Travis are able to follow the Twitter accounts of players, coaches and colleagues around the nation to gain quick scoops and inform their followers instantly about the latest news, thus giving their readers more information, more often.

It’s a 24/7/365 news world now, and as information seekers, people want to read news and spread it as quickly as possible. Journalists and news organizations have been able to use social networks, especially  Twitter, to reach a broader audience and make themselves more relevant than they once were – all while allowing them to network with colleagues and followers around the world.

How, then, can journalists and news organizations possibly keep up with the changing landscape of social media? Just about anyone with a mobile Internet device can be a self-proclaimed reporter; however, news organizations are more connected to their local community, country and world than ever before.

The rise of social media is changing not only the way we communicate, but news organizations and their team members as well. I look forward to what’s around the corner. I think we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to how social media plays a vital role for newsrooms across the globe – inside and out.

So what does the future hold for journalism and social media? My Magic 8 Ball says, “Ask again later.”

By Joe Bogardus

A New Year looms, full of anticipation and expectations . . . and there is optimism that the overall business environment will continue to improve, albeit slowly.

One trend we are seeing that supports this improving business climate is the ongoing expansion of social media tools. Interactive Springboard, the joint venture between Mary Beth West Consulting and Blue Media Boutique, completed a statewide survey this past summer that reported how social media tools are now considered key elements of the communications mix by marketing / public relations professionals statewide in Tennessee. These practitioners reported that they now regularly include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, etc., as part of their communications programs.

Their survey responses also reflected how their managements and clients are stressing the need to develop and present ROI measures to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of these vehicles. As the use of these tools increases, so will the expectations to confirm their value.

Fortunately, these tools typically offer built-in analytics, which help initially in any program assessment, but more in-depth research activities – similar to those employed with mass media programs – can be brought to bear to help in the analysis of the effectiveness of social media programs.

As with any communications tactic, commitment and consistency of engagement drives long-term reward.

Social media creates and fosters valuable one-to-one customer relationships. By tracking the evolution of these relationships using ongoing research, a business can get a handle on its return on investment.

By Mary Beth West, APR

Our Interactive Springboard team presented a webinar this week to members of the National Association of State Technology Directors, on the topic of social media in crisis planning and response.  

NASTD, whose purpose is “to advance and promote the effective use of information technology and services to improve the operation of state government,” represented a great audience for our message. 

IT professionals can have a significant say in how technology is used for crisis planning, so we appreciated the opportunity to advocate for the strategic use of social media . . . not only to contain and respond to crises but also to prepare for and even help prevent crisis situations at their source.

As we look back, 2010 has been a year of remarkable crisis events, both locally for us in Tennessee (the Nashville floods) and at the global scale (the Gulf oil spill, WikiLeaks, ongoing acts of attempted terrorism, etc.). 

When it comes to trends to watch in 2011 and beyond, effective integration of social media and online communications into crisis plans stands as one of the critical sources of value public relations professionals can and should offer their organizations and clients.

One of the points we made during the NASTD presentation:  Don’t allow the perceived magnitude of a crisis planning endeavor overwhelm you or your team. 

Feeling overwhelmed often leads to doing little or nothing – and then human nature kicks in, with denial (“A crisis can’t really happen to us”), procrastination (“I’ll start that project next year”) and defeatism (“This is way too complicated, so let’s just forget it”) often solidifying inaction, with sometimes tragic results when a true crisis does come along.

Tori Rose on our team made one of many excellent points in the presentation: “If you don’t have a social media presence, then LOTS of conversations ABOUT you are taking place WITHOUT you.” 

And in a crisis, that’s one of the last things you need happening. 

So whether you work for a government agency, a non-profit, or a company, take a look at what social media can offer your crisis plan.  Our team would be delighted to help.

By Ashley Bowen, MBWC Intern

As we all know, social media is the big “to do” now.

Companies all over the world use social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more to increase awareness about their organizations. Tweets are going out every second asking followers to “read this article,” “join our cause,” “use our product,” etc.

Amid the global flurry, however, is everyone really strategically thinking of what the right message is, or are they throwing out whatever comes to mind first? Most importantly, are the messages ethical and following media guidelines that have been long set for traditional media?

One such questionable ethical situation happened just recently when a Washington Post columnist failed to consider the implications of sending a false tweet. Referring to the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has been suspended for six games by the NFL after allegations of misconduct, Mike Wise tweeted “Roethlisberger will get five games, I’m told-” meaning he’ll only have to sit out five games.

This important news quickly spread throughout the Internet, but Wise soon admitted it was a joke and was “part of a misguided attempt to comment on the lowered standards of accuracy for information shared on social media,” according to Andy Alexander from the Washington Post.

One lesson is evident from Wise’s post: he wasn’t thinking about the full ramifications of his message, particularly given the context of his fairly prominent role as a member of the news media.

According to the Society of Professional Journalists, journalists should “test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error; deliberate distortion is never permissible.”

The duty of the journalist and any public relations practitioner is to “seek the truth and report it providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.” Wise now may have followers and the public questioning if his reporting is credible.

To prevent similar situations, companies should consider outlining guidelines for posting to social media websites and via online communications in general. Compiling such a list of standards would help employees know what is acceptable and unacceptable content to post that is associated with their organizations. It could also lead to messages that are more strategic and effective for their audiences. The end result could lead to fewer problems associated with the use of social media.

It’s time to fully embrace social media, but it’s also time to set forth some rules and always be considering the ethical and moral implications of our actions. What we tweet, blog or post could be the catalyst that brings a great deal of attention to ourselves and our organizations.

by Tyra Haag

Each weekday, PRSA Issues and Trends, an online publication of the Public Relations Society of America, reports top industry news related to the field of PR along with current events, professional development opportunities and job resources — just to name a few. 

Since subscribing to this national e-newsletter listserv, I’ve noticed a clear trend—it seems more than 50 percent of the top industry news stories revolve around social media, its impact on the field, controversies surrounding it and best practices.

One such news story led me to Willis Wee’s recent blog post on 30 Social Media Business Case Studies. He compiled 30 business case studies (good and bad) during the past year and how each utilized social media platforms to achieve their goals.

For non-profits, social media platforms have the potential to increase not only brand awareness but also the bottom line if utilized strategically.

How Non-Profits are Using Social Media for Real Results details how non-profit leaders from around the country are using social media to achieve business objectives.

And who would’ve thought the folks at Harvard and Northeastern University would team up and research mood trends experienced throughout the day via Twitter? Researchers from these institutions recently published Pulse of the Nation: U.S. Mood Throughout the Day Inferred from Twitter. Within their site, you’ll find a time lapse video of actual Twitter mood variations, with the happiest tweets occurring during the early morning, late afternoon and weekend hours.

Although several businesses have jumped on the social media bandwagon, it’s important to keep in mind that there’s no such thing as an “easy” button when implementing these platforms. To achieve the most effective social media campaign goals, it takes a clear plan and supporting strategy, so that effort put into utilizing these tools is time well spent—not wasted.

If you have questions related to navigating the waters of online communications, I encourage you to visit Interactive Springboard.

By Mary Beth West, APR

It recent years, it’s not been uncommon for our clients in the governmental space to push back on the idea of using social media and interactive tools as part of recommended communications programs.

The “uncontrolled” aspect or potential of social media is an intimidating prospect for any organization – but much more so for governmental entities that largely exist by highly controlled regulations, processes and procedures.

More and more, though, it seems that managers working in the public sector are utilizing online communications to meet their objectives, particularly when engaging external audiences with very defined information needs.

For the past year, we’ve worked with a government-affiliated sciences program, and have navigated through the parameters of what their organization can and cannot do per federal guidelines.  It has been an interesting learning process for our team.  We’ve also been encouraged and impressed by the level of openness that this client has shown toward exploring interactive options.

Recently, I came across the website of the Federal Web Managers Council, “an interagency group of senior federal government web managers who collaborate to share common challenges, ideas, and best practices, and improve the online delivery of U.S. Government information and services.”

If you work in a government agency, you might want to check it out for ideas and guidance – particularly if your agency is just starting out with a program of using more interactive / two-way communications tools. 

We also welcome your questions if you need more specialized assistance.  Our collaboration as part of Interactive Springboard currently helps diverse clients in the public and private sectors with creating and managing effective online communications.

By Tori Rose, Blue Media Boutique / Interactive Springboard

As Facebook continues to grow, more and more companies are setting up Facebook fan pages in an effort to engage customers, like-minded businesses, influencers, and champions of their brands. These pages give businesses a home on Facebook that allows their content to be shared with fans in the same information stream that pumps out friend updates and links. The trick for many is two-fold: 1) how to keep this audience engaged, and 2) how to continue growing the fan base.

In doing some research, you will find that there are hundreds of “expert” tips out there to follow. But, which ones really work? Our advice—follow in the footsteps of the brands that are doing it well.

DELL – 181,688 fans: Dell features a custom landing page that immediately communicates their brand and the four or five newsworthy items they want to advertise. They also direct fans to other Dell pages on Facebook.

HUBSPOT – 13,731 fans: HubSpot provides content that encourages people to comment. Comments show up in user’s profiles, which in turn are more likely to show up in fans’ information streams, thus extending the brand.

ERNST & YOUNG – 46,816 fans: Ernst & Young uses a Boxes tab to recruit new employees (students) with a variety of content. Information on this page is geared toward one slice of their larger fan base, putting pertinent information at their fingertips. User interface 101.

BEST BUY – 1,151,209 fans: Best Buy uses a series of custom tabs, turning their Facebook presence into a more robust web presence. Each tab promotes a new initiative, special, feature, etc. making the entire experience more immersive and interactive.

COCA-COLA – 7,208,007 fans: Coca-Cola uses its custom “Fan Downloads” tab to offer users online swag (wallpaper, screensavers, emoticons). Great brand extension. They also have a “Live Positively” tab that promotes their national and global outreach, like the Ocean Conservancy effort shown below.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY – 875,058 fans: Harley-Davidson is maximizing its Photo and Video tabs by continually publishing content and encouraging users to do the same. Their 37 photo albums and 78 videos, combined with 13,713 fan photos and 206 fan videos create make for some incredible, shareable content.

SECRET – 445,081 fans: Secret uses interactive games to lure fans closer to their brand. Their “Is He the One?” and “Be In Our Ad” tabs grab attention and then land users on a product page where they can “Buy Now” or “Explore Other Products.” Fun and unique.

Are there other Facebook pages that are connecting with fans in different and innovative ways? Let us know in the comments below.