BrainStorm

It’s been just over a year since I joined BrainGain and began my journey and discovery into the power of social media and Web 2.0. I’ve spent nearly 10 years in agency life leading traditional PR and media relations campaigns for museums and cultural institutions, nonprofits and special events. The rise of social media and the new possibilities in connecting with niche communities has renewed my love and interest in the field of PR. We’re getting back to the soul of what public relations was always meant to be.

I had the pleasure of being one of three presenters on the topic of “Cultivating a Creative Culture Through Social Media” at the outstanding Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills on Tuesday.  Hosted by BrainGain and Issue Media Group, we invited cultural institutions and nonprofits from SE Michigan to learn how new media and social networking provide inexpensive ways to build relationships with potential members, visitors and supporters. 

A few highlights worth repeating:

On Nonprofits & Social Media (Especially in arts/culture)

• You have almost endless new opportunities to connect with niche communities and special interest groups through social media and social networking sites
• You no longer have to depend on a handful of print, TV and radio outlets to be the only medium to share your unique stories
• You have to be willing to transition from a guarded/veiled way of doing business (you know, the joyful and timely process of approving all messages and releases before going public) to a more open and conversational mentality.  This must happen organizational-wide, not just adopted by the PR/Marketing department.

On Adopting Social Media into Your Life/Marketing Mix

• Content is King.  You have to have a compelling and relevant story or POV to share.  Many become enraptured with new technology and mediums.  But success in gaining traction and spreading the word will always depend on whether the story is interesting enough.
• You must participate.  This is not a passive thing.  It can sometimes even feel a little high maintenance.  But isn’t that what it really takes to build good relationships in the real world?

On Blogs

• Many are catching on to social media but don’t know where to begin.  (An upcoming post will offer some entry points.) We’ve heard in so many meetings with new clients, “We want to start a blog” but they have no ideas on what exactly or who will write it.  Free tip: Don’t start a blog unless you 1) decided on one topic that you can offer a unique POV and be a kind of ”expert” on; 2) will be the writer (don’t count on an agency to do this for you.  Authenticity is key); and 3) have time to post 1-3 times a week and respond to comments within 24 hours. 

 Several requests have come in for copies of the presentations.  Ask and you shall receive!

On New Media by Brian Boyle, Publisher of Issue Media Group

On an Intro to PR 2.0 by Nettie Boivin, Media Mix Director, BrainGain

On Using Widgets and Digital Marketing by Lori Laurent Smith, Group Director, Global New Business, Organic Inc. (Please be patient, they take a minute to load)

Thanks again to our hosts at Cranbrook and to all who stopped by and offered up some great questions!

Share This

This entry was posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm and is filed under All About Us. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.