C-Notes: strategic communication

Friday, May 3, 2013

Tailoring Social Media Presence

Book Review Blog/ ‘Likeable Social Media’ by Dave Kerpen

Tailoring Social Media Presence

By Amy Baker

Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Awesome on Facebook (and Other Social Networks).

By Dave Kerpen

272 pages

McGraw-Hill

Hardcopy: $12.98-18-$21.20

Paperback: $8.75-$13.50

Image provided by the BlogSpot website.

Social Media is the new black. Within the past few years, social media has gained remarkable amounts of popularity not only as a fleeting fad, but also as a lasting necessity that fits all shapes and sizes. Whether we would like to admit it or not, social media has became as mainstream as the pair of black slacks hanging in our closet and doesn’t seem to be going out of style anytime soon. In this light, it is crucial for those engaging with social media to understand when, why and how to appropriately structure social media content so that our ‘classic black slacks’ reflect a more presentable style than just an ill-fitted pair of pants.

Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen provides readers with the key to creating a successful presence on social media: ‘be likable.’ The book is divided into 18 different chapters, each one detailing a different strategy that guides users in their quest for likability. In summary, Kerpen’s insights reveal the secrets of the rapidly changing communication method including: actively engaging with social media audiences, appearing open and transparent, building brand identity harnessing the audience’s attention and encouraging the spread of information. Overall, Likable Social Media outlines the process of how to effectively use digital communication as a means of keeping people talking about you in our information heavy world of technology. Likable Social Media is not limited to being likable on social media, it transcends the importance of having a likable business. Kerpen explains the likability of a business as an ultimately force drive its success.

Image provided by DaveKerpen.com

Kerpen begins Likable Social Media by sharing an experience in which social media was utilized as an outlet to dispense his thoughts and frustrations regarding the services of a hotel in Las Vegas. Resulting from this, a competing hotel acknowledged his contribution in the digital forum, later having an effect on his view and company loyalty. Throughout the book Kerpen supplies examples that help readers better understand the strategies provided and their potential affects. The author’s light-hearted humor, in combination with the book’s smooth flow from one strategy to the next guides readers easily from cover to cover as they explore digital marketing techniques. Likable Social Media is best compared to a colorful ‘how-to’ book that dispenses useful, tactical information while splashing the pages with vibrant, personal stories.

Social media guru, Dave Kerpen, is cofounder and CEO of the global, award-winning firm, Likeable Media. The firm stresses the social media and word-of-mouth techniques discussed in the book and has landed a spot as one of the 500 fastest growing privately owned businesses in 2011 and 2012. Also in 2012, Kerpen was declared the Most Social Inc. 500 CEO by ceo.com. Snagging a best seller title from the New York Times, Likable Social Media, reinforces Dave Kerpen’s reputation as a strategic social media expert.

Overall, I found the book beneficial, but room for improvement exists. First and foremost, the world of strategic communications is in constant fluctuation and rapid advances in technology require that these strategies be constantly updated. Although Likable Social Media was published within the last five years, many things have changed since then and I think that more up-to-date strategies regarding newer advances would be more relevant. From this, I also critique the extremely focused emphasis on Facebook. Although Facebook serves as the most widely used social media outlet, other applications are quickly gaining popularity and ought to be given more attention in establishing likable social media. That being said, I still advise others to read the book because it does offer substantial information and useful tactics. For more information watch Kerpen explain successful strategies of social media in this video.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Do Public Relations Practitioners Still Practice the Dark Art?

Book Title: Dark Art: The Changing Face of Public Relations

Author: Tim Burt

Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Elliott & Thompson Limited

Price: $19.95

Do Public Relations Practitioners Still Practice the Dark Art?

By Morgan McMullen

http://amzn.to/13QYkti

The BP oil spill of 2008 changed the world of public relations, as everyone knew it. The first major public relations crisis of the digital age showed how big of an impact Facebook, camera phones, and the Internet could make in a crisis situation. Tim Burt talks about how this event changed the public relations world and how companies started planning for the digital impact of a crisis scenario.

Burt currently runs a public relations and communication firm in the UK, StockWell Group. Before starting StockWell, Burt worked at Brunswick Group for five years working with international communications. Before this Burt worked for the Financial Times for 21 years in various positions, most recently being a media editor. With years of strategic communication experience, Burt has become an expert in the field of public relations crisis management.

The Dark Art is a book for people just entering the public relations field. This book gives multiple examples of crisis events that took place during the digital age and how companies handled them poorly. It gives specific details of CEO that were let go from companies because of the situation. Dark Art gives advice on preparing for crisis situations as a public relations professional and being ready for a crisis.

Any new comer to the public relations field would find this book very beneficial for a brief history on public relations failures. Most of the companies mentioned in the book had reputations completely ruined by the media within days of the crisis taking place. This helps professionals see the impact that the media and digital world has on every aspect of a company.

When you read the title of the book you are expecting deep dark secrets from the public relations world that only a top management person would know. The book does reveal many public relations failures, most of which however, were very publicized. This book is a very good read for any entry-level public relations professional but anyone who is established in the public relations field would find this read unbeneficial.

This book is highly recommended for anyone entering the public relations field for the first time. The guidelines and tips provided would be beneficial to anyone who is new to the field. Most professionals would agree to the tips and guidelines Burt has laid out.

This book was very informational for entry-level public relations professional. The information provided helps set guidelines for clients and provided good insight on what works and what does not. This book is beneficial to anyone interested in strategic communication and was a wonderful, quick read.

However, Burt began his career as a journalist and merged into the world of public relations in 2005. With his proved writing skills it makes one wonder, are the dark arts still being practiced?

Tim Burt, Author of The Dark Art