Your PR Architect

A while ago, I chided a PR and social media communications agency for the so-so quality of their promotional videos on YouTube. But, it wasn't all bad. In the video below, Steve, one of their social media gurus, talks about how to create a social media policy. He mentions getting counsel from attorneys, minding government regulations, and taking into account the organization's HR needs. All fine, up to a point. However, he leaves out a few essentials that most organizations need to consider when crafting a social media policy -- and the strategy that goes with it: What's the goal of the organization's social media effort? Do all employees understand that the company's Twitter feed isn't a place to complain about internal policies, or a poor outing by the New York Rangers? What about looking at social media policies other organizations have adopted? What's worked, and what hasn't? ( Applebee's fumble with the storefront pastor  in 2013 leaps t...

PR people know how to tell and sell a story. They know how to persuade. They don't always know how to promote themselves. This week, an agency sent a pitch and a link to their YouTube channel. They offered a series of 90-second clips showcasing their wisdom regarding social media. Here's one: Each of their videos sounded like it was recorded in a restroom. At a fast-food restaurant. Not how I'd want to come across on the web. PR is a business of persuasion. You must persuade clients that you know your topic, know your media targets -- and you know what you're doing. I'm sure these people are smart. But when you post videos with poor audio quality, or don't re-shoot segments in which a speaker makes an obvious on-camera flub, you're not persuading anyone. You're only telling me that you don't attend to the quality of content that's the meat of social media. Truly smart shops recognize that you can't persuade anyone with vid...