The other day, a friend of mine mentioned how interesting it is that public relations is finding its way into the social media scene. His comment was that, lately, he’s seen a lot of blogging on the marriage of the two concepts. Though seemingly becoming increasingly more popular, as the numerous budding blogs will attest, there is one truth that many seem to be overlooking: PR is the heart of social media.

Perhaps this is obvious to me, considering my experience in the field, but to others it may not seem so blatant. So, let’s break it down a bit. Here are just a few of the truths about social media that also extend to PR:

• The desire to develop and increase awareness about a company, brand, topic, idea, or person
• The willingness to reach out to others, friends, family, or potential and current clients and customers
• The ability to develop and maintain relationships that serve a mutually beneficial purpose
• The careful construction of messages that elicit response and action
• The drive to foster conversation and discussion
• The attempt to learn more about customer needs and desires.

In all elements, PR is the offline tool that drives the same goals as social media does online. It’s only natural that the two become a solid union on the internet, because they are one of the same. With each post, message, blog, advertisement, group, this medium of communication (social media) reminds us of the one truth at the heart of public relations: the people…the public.

(Image source: Bigdayplunge.com)

Yes, it seems unlikely, when you look at this sweet face, but trust me, my gigantic puppy is a monster in his own right. Trying to communicate with him is one of the most difficult and seemingly futile tasks that I encounter on a daily basis. After bringing Bodhi home, we learned that Swissys (short for Swiss Mountain Dogs) are a difficult to train, especially for first-time dog owners, because the breed tends to a mind of its own. Having grown up with dogs, this isn’t as much of problem for me, as it is for my boyfriend, however, who continues to struggle with this daily (he’s not a dog person).

Watching the two is quite comical, and a good lesson, because Chad talks to the monster as though he’s a friend: a rational human being, who relays information in a similar manner, style, and language. Yet, if you’ve ever tried to have a logical, rational conversation with an animal, in your language, you know it’s a lost cause. Basically, you’re coming from two different worlds with two different communication styles and models.

Though I don’t look at my customers in comparison to dogs or animals in any way, watching the two different species trying to communicate in my living room did raise some good points about how we communicate with others. Maybe it’s not always as trying as bridging the lines between man and monster, but there are moments when it seems like the message is just not getting through to the other person. The following are a few points of PR Zen brought to you by my recent experiences with the Bodhi monster, who, by the way, is currently eating my research notes:

• Observe before you can understand – Some of the best dog trainers in the world, before developing their specific techniques, spent an inordinate amount of time studying how the animals communicate with each other. Similarly, taking the time to observe your audience and discover the fine intricacies of their idiosyncratic styles can lay the foundation for open lines of communication. Without them, well, it’s like arguing with Bodhi in our language—a lot of screaming and hollering only to have him continue on as though we’d never said anything.

• Approach with a kind heart and a willingness to learn – Somehow, some way, animals can sense your moods and demeanor. Fear, anger, sadness. It all gets through. Without this openness, you’ll be more closed off to really understanding the other party.

• Position your message from a place of their understanding, not yours – Chad has trouble with Bodes because he tries to talk to him from a place of Chad’s understanding. Once our trainer came in and instructed us about how a dog processes information, we could see how by just doing something so slight as changing our postures resulted in a dramatic change in how Bodhi responds. When you attempt to forge a conversation based on the other person’s perimeters, you’ll discover an amazing thing…real conversation. Real responses. Real results.

• Understand that persistence and patience are not only valuable, they are key – It took a long time to get the monster to leave a treat on the floor without eating it. But we were persistent and patient…well, most of the time. Now, he will leave it 75 percent of the time (hey, we’re still working on it).

Time and time again, new clients will come to me in need of marketing and PR help. More often than not, it’s after spending a ridiculous amount of money on advertising, without ONE response. By shelling out so much cash for an ad in the newspaper, they think leads are guaranteed. As many of us know, this is not so, especially if your company is not branded properly.

After this happening a number of times, I think I’ve figured out the problem: they’re in a rush and feeling anxious to increase their revenue stream. So much so, that they just jump in and try out a few ideas without setting themselves up properly.

One company brought me in to assess their current situation, and after reviewing all their efforts, budget, etc. I suggested we sit down and set up a marketing plan. It didn’t even have to be very time consuming or daunting, just a simple description of their goals and a generalized plan of how to move forward. Nope. The guys just wanted to move forward with some programs as quickly as possible, not taking into account the current economic forecast and their target audience’s psychographics and demographics. Pretty key if you ask me.

I’m a pretty spontaneous person, so I’m not against throwing up a Hail Mary, and seeing what comes of it. But not repeatedly with no vision or direction. Frankly, that’s a bad choice.

As with anything, if you want to achieve a goal, you first have to know what that goal is. Then, you need to outline what tactics are involved to achieve it. Yes, this means writing out each step-by-step detail of what you’re going to do and how. This is crucial because not only does it allow you to measure your steps, but it keeps you on track without feeling overwhelmed. When you’re wearing multiple hats for your business, streamlining your life with processes and defined purpose is key!

And, really, a marketing plan doesn’t have to be all that scary. For some reason, you add the word “plan” to anything and people run, as though it’s an impossible task. Even if you did extensive research, coming up with a viable marketing plan won’t take up all that much of your time. If anything, it will save you time, AND MONEY, by preventing thoughtless actions that amount to an empty wallet and meager clientele list!

Get started today, you won’t regret it!

Whether you’re in the PR industry, a company CEO, or just grinding out a 9 to 5, one thing is for sure: much of your success depends on the ability to communicate effectively. You can’t go into a client meeting, mumble your way through, stare at the floor, and constantly interrupt the other parties and expect to walk out the door in a better situation than when you entered. If anything, you should have just pulled up the covers and rolled over, because at least then you’ve not left the other person with a negative belief about your personal presentation.

Yes, personal presentation, the 24/7 phenomenon, which you control, that directs the different outcomes of your life. Having a degree in communications, I learned that it’s not only what you say, but how you relay this message that determines whether the other party fully receives the intended output. Myriad factors have a way of skewing our perception or diverting our attention, resulting in the true context and content of the dialogue.

Many of my clients are CEOs at prosperous companies, strong, determined men and women, who may have a stellar resume, but lack the real communication skills to lead the organization to a higher potential.

Enter Toastmasters. Or, really, any organization that provides an environment that fosters the growth of leadership and communication skills. I recently attended a meeting of a local chapter and was blown away by the way this very diverse group of people came together to offer encouragement and advice on enhancing one’s speaking abilities.

For those unaware, Toastmasters is an international organization dedicated to teaching members how to springboard their public speaking from shoddy to national speaking events (if that person so chooses to make that effort). My group leader informed me yesterday that as a result of engaging in the program, the organization has received countless messages about participants receiving promotions, winning contests, and improving self-confidence. One woman received four promotions in the span of a year!

Improve your relationships, your career, and your personal presentation by seeking out a group to challenge and assist you in, not only finding the right words, but the right avenue.

During a speech I gave this past weekend on PR secrets and techniques, we touched on the importance of business owners’ participation in the social media stratosphere. As we were discussing the issues with which many people are faced, one attendee brought up a different problem related to this subject. It wasn’t her ignorance or fear about using these platforms, but her inability to step away! More often than not, when she sits down in the morning to log on, hours fly by, and her husband has to send a search party to go in looking for her. The more people I talk to, I learn that many have this issue. There are endless blogs and tips on how to use these sites effectively, yet I’ve not run across too many articles concerning how to walk away in a timely manner. Thus, I thought of the following tips to help pathological users find freedom and a new world beyond their computer. Notice that I’ve kept the tips to a minimum for a reason!

1. Define Your Objective – Before jumping onto Facebook, determine what it is you wish to accomplish. Are you logging on for personal reasons or business? Do you intend simply to respond to your messages and send a few off to your friends or will you also respond or begin a thread on a specific topic? Knowing what you want makes it easy to remove your hand from the mouse once you’ve completed the task.

2. Establish a Schedule – Allotting an amount of time every day, at a specific time, will help you control how much time you spend Twittering. If you are like me and running in 20 different directions at the same time, it’s hard to get anything done without living by a daily planner. Make this tool work for you by picking some free time (what’s that? Haha) and setting half an hour to an hour aside for social media

3. Manage All Your Sites from One Platform – Scan my blog for my article on Flock, but I’ve been using this for a couple weeks now, and it saves me so much time and energy. I love (!) having everything right in front of me all at the same time

4. Set a Timer – Go to the dollar store and pick the loudest most obnoxious timer there, bring it home, and set it for the time you’ve decided in #2. It’s easy to say “Oh, I’ll just stay on for twenty minutes.” But more often than not, twenty minutes turns into thirty then an hour, and then two. The timer will remind you when to remove yourself from MySpace and serve as your source which to direct your resentment…I’m sure all loved ones will be happy to relieve themselves of this role! J (Thanks to Shelby, who suggested this one)

5. Write Down Your Plan and Stick with It – Nothing works better to ensure we follow through with a desired task or goal than to write it down. I have mine on a large Post-It in the back of my daily planner, again the keeper of my life, so I don’t lose it, and I see it every day.

Now, I understand this may be painful at first, but think of all the benefits that will come from it! Your family will revel in all this free time you have, the house won’t look like a tornado stopped by, and your skin will rejoice from being a ghostly white to slightly beige color once you reconnect with the sun. Try this for a month and see how it goes. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much you accomplish without spending days in the social media black hole!

(Image source: samerowdycrowd.wordpress.com)