Engage in PR

prim·er (/ˈprɪmər or)–noun
1. an elementary book for teaching children to read.
2. any book of elementary principles.

The life of a communications professional looking for their next great opportunity means that I also get to pursue many activities for which I did not have time during the past few months. Jogging, cooking and reading being the three primary avocations which I have been able to accomplish this week. Being that time is on my side for at least the next few days I thought it would be beneficial for me to review with you one of these accomplishments. Since running with me is painfully slow & sweaty and cooking is difficult to do together over a T1 line I’m going to provide some thoughts on my reading.

The first book, as you may have guessed from my opening, is “Now Is Gone: A Primer on New Media for Executives and Entrepreneurs” by Geoff Livingston (with Brian Solis). Geoff was wonderful enough to send me a copy of the book when it first came out last fall and I immediately jumped in and got to page 93 before life stepped in the way and I unfortunately ended up shelving all reading…until this week!

There have been some really great reviews of the book and I’m quite certain that mine would hardly add much to those. Instead I found myself reading the book as I waited in the lobby or coffee shop for another meeting to begin, thusly I was using the book during these interviews. Some people probably thought I was getting royalties as I discussed what I had just read out on the comfy leather chair. This has been particularly true with corporations who know they need to face the dawning of ‘new media’ but have reservations (rightfully so) and just want some education. During one meeting I actually quoted from the book, feeling a bit like a preacher:

“Without trust there is little hope of success.”

Geoff writes these words on page 60 when talking to folks about Step 6 for preparing to be ‘new media ready’. Step 6 is “Ethics and Transparency” and serves as an example of why this book is a great resource. When educating people on the different actions they must take and how to prepare to engage with communities it is often best to spell these out in simple to follow form.

The book not only takes the reader through the detailed steps of what new media entails and what to be prepared for, but Geoff describes how to properly establish a blogging strategy, interact with social networks and even pitching new media outlets. As I read the book for the second time this week it felt familiar, perhaps because many of the folks who contributed their thoughts to the book are people I now communicate with, but also because much of what I’m trying to accomplish in my next position will encompass these strategies and tactics.

Chapter 6 however provides me with my favorite referencing information, not because it is the shortest chapter, nor because I actually made the footnotes, but simply because it gets to the reason I believe in social media:

“Ultimately, conversation marketing in social media needs to produce results. You can achieve the results you want by engaging communities on their own terms with principle-based approaches. Remember: Corporations and organizations will be rewarded for being good members of the community.”

If I were truly a book critic I’m sure I could pontificate about some areas of the book that needed help or rubbish like that, but I’m just a member of the community Geoff is trying to reach with this book. Rereading “Now Is Gone” during this interesting week in my life helped me to focus on what I am looking for, ask the right questions and at times make me look smarter than I am.

–Kyle Flaherty

P.S. Check out the bottom of page 54 where Geoff mentions the social media prowess of three Presidential campaigns. At the time there were probably 10-12 viable candidates on the march, but Geoff mentions MyMcCain, Obama and Clinton…coincidence that these are the three left standing?