On Monday, August 6th, the Connecticut Valley Chapter of PRSA (PRSA-CVC) hosted David Meerman Scott for its annual Summer Social, which was held at the historic Mark Twain House and Museum. The following are among the key highlights of his presentation.
Has the media ever quoted your CEO based on a blog post? Has one of your tweets made its way into a print news story? In a world where engagement is instant and real-time communication reigns supreme, these aren’t just possibilities. They are realities. Just ask David Meerman Scott, marketing strategist, best-selling author and professional speaker.
It’s all about ‘now’
In a world where news is often broken on social media, businesses and nonprofits need to focus on ‘now.’ Unfortunately, fear often stands in the way of seizing real-time opportunities and being able to capitalize on the power of instant engagement. Think of ‘now’ as an opportunity. An opportunity to generate attention and to be among the first to provide information. A tip from David: plan for and react to now.
You are what you publish
Were you the first to publish breaking industry news on a blog? Did you witness an event and live-tweet from the scene? Seizing these opportunities can make you an influencer and a reliable source of timely information for clients, prospects, media and peers. Following this paradigm can also lead to opportunities. If you are a recent college graduate who writes a relevant and credible healthcare blog, and you are seeking a job in that field, your blog can ultimately provide PR value for your personal brand.
Gobbledygook and being human
Superlatives have their place in the world but their value is diminished significantly if everybody is using them. Think about the word ‘innovative.’ If everybody says their product or service is innovative, doesn’t that mean nobody is innovative? The same can be said for overusing jargon. Remember, there doesn’t have to be a difference between being serious and being human. One can still provide valuable information while remaining approachable and engaging. Clever YouTube videos are a great example. In addition to their social value, these videos can be used to support the sales cycle and, if executed well, may garner media attention.
Real-time successes
When it came time for Universal Orlando to unveil The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, they didn’t take a traditional approach. Rather than shouting their news from the rooftops and employing traditional techniques such as advertising and news releases, they quietly shared the news with seven people during a private webcast. Did I happen to mention that those seven people were the seven most influential Harry Potter bloggers? Thanks to out-of-the-box thinking, 30 million people had heard of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in just 24-hours.
Social responses
What happened when musician Dave Carroll of Sons of Maxwell had his guitar broken by United Airlines? He took to YouTube with United Breaks Guitars. A viral sensation (it inspired 50 blog posts in one week and has more than 12 million views to-date), Carroll’s video demonstrates the power of social media. United’s response? They went dark.
What does all of this mean?
Overcoming fear and shifting focus to the ‘now’ can be overwhelming. Where does one start? David recommends taking these four actions:
- – Appoint a real-time officer (Who is in charge of today?)
- – Develop real-time guidelines (How will you react to ‘now’?)
- – Implement real-time systems (What does command central look like?)
- – Develop a real-time mindset
