Make Marketing History: The Top 5 Made-Up Words Of Web 2.0.

I've just come across John Dodd's fine blog Make Marketing History, which has some extremely straightforward and sensible comments on social media and the like. Starting with:

Conversation
It's a metaphor folks. It doesn't mean that your customers want a conversation with you. They generally want a quiet life without unwanted noise from you. They want the ability to interact with you on their terms, they want you to listen and, most crucially, they now have the ability to have a conversation about you when you screw up. Your focus should be on listening and not screwing up rather than having a conversation.

Make Marketing History: The Top 5 Made-Up Words Of Web 2.0.

Danish PR bureaus lack own blogging experience

Danish PR bureau Rescu Kommunikation has just published a survey that shows bureaus here aren't not very active, to say the least. According to Rescu, only seven out of 58 bureaus have a blog or one underway.

As Rescu points out, you don't have to have a blog as an agency, but if you are advising companies on whether to blog or not, then a bit of personal insight might be a good idea.

The reasons given in a follow-up newspaper article were:

• Lack of subjects
• Lack of time
• Not wanting to appear as an opinion former

All fairly reasonable, but to my mind a bit thin.

If you are used to wandering round in the blogosphere (and you should be if you are advising companies) and can't find subjects I'd be worried.

As far as time is concerned, you can use as much or little as you need - just because you can update every 30 secs, doesn't mean you have to.

And finally, if you have a PR bureau that doesn't have an opinion on its profession that can be made public, then I'd go looking for another bureau...

PR self-help in a recession

2007 was a fantastic year for PR and communication companies generally, but fear of coming recession or evening just a cooling of the economic climate in general has meant the businesses who employed them have already started cutting budgets or delaying spending. These budget restrictions often mean that these businesses suddenly find themselves without the qualified help they were used to.

So, faced with the same demands for awareness and results, how should businesses handle DIY PR?

• Make sure you know who you're talking to and why. When your time is limited it is better to spend time with the journalists and others who can really help you. Don't waste time on national dailies if you have a niche product.
• Don't disappear off the map. If the thought of a long drawn-out approval process for a press release is just too enervating, try ringing up journalists and giving them tips instead. Or just drop them an email with links they might find interesting - also about industry issues.
• Be focused. Revisit you company's business objectives and make sure that your communication objectives match them - especially in the short term.

B2B Marketing Online: Business Meets Social Media - eMarketer

I'm busy so I'll just chuck a link out!

B2B Marketing Online: Business Meets Social Media - eMarketer