North to Alaska
In a couple of days, I’ll be heading to what I’ve always thought of one of the most fascinating places on earth: Alaska.
Image: Travis S.’ Flickrstream, Creative Commons
“Alaska?!” you ask.
“Why?!” you sputter, flavoring your morning coffee with a healthy dose of envy, I imagine.
It all began when I met Mary Barber at the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Mary and I had corresponded on Twitter (is it weird to use that word in conjunction with Twitter? I don’t care.) and made a breakfast date to finally meet IRL.
You know what it’s like when you really like someone online and then you meet them in person and you go, “Oh, no…”
Nothing like that.
Mary’s a wonderful person and seasoned PR professional. Since then, we’ve become good friends, chatting often not just on Twitter, but the phone, email and Skype.
Since I love traveling, I’d mentioned to Mary I’d love to come to Alaska… perhaps even to do a presentation to PRSA Alaska on measurement which, you hopefully know by now, is an area of PR I’m committed to.
Next thing I know, I’m booked to speak to PRSA Alaska.
Being energetic, erstwhile and entrepreneurial, Mary did a Skype interview with me on what I plan to share.
In a nutshell: strategy rules, measurement rocks and … um. Oh well, it’s in the video, if you care to take a gander.
Give me a break. I’m 40. I’m allowed a junior moment now and again.
So I head out on Monday for a week, to let Anchorage and Fairbanks take me by storm, which I’m quite looking forward to.
Being supremely organized, Mary and her cohorts have put together quite an itinerary that includes:
- The World Eskimo Indian Olympics opening ceremony, for which I’m told the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company donated tickets
- An Alaska Goldpanners v. Mat Su Miners baseball game, courtesy Flint Hill Resources
- A trip to Santa Claus House in the North Pole (OMG, I’m so excited!)
- A train ride from Fairbanks to Anchorage on the Alaska Railroad, which takes about 12 hours and is supposed to provide breathtakingly beautiful views, courtesy the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and the self-same Alaska Railroad
- Salmon. Lots of salmon.
- Hopefully, moose. No, not to eat, to see. Seriously, what are you thinking?!
It’s ok. I’d be envious too, if I were you.
I promise to take as many photographs as I can to share, if I’m not overwhelmed by just how gorgeous everything and everyone is.
I can’t thank Mary and everyone at PRSA Alaska and the companies who pitched in to make this a trip of a lifetime enough for this incredible opportunity to meet new people and see a part of the world most of us never will.
(Yes, I know that sounds a little like “it’s an honor to be nominated.” Whatever.)
And I hope those who attend my session see that strategy trumps all when it comes to PR, that measurement really isn’t that difficult and AVE is evil, and, er… oh well, whatever the video said the third thing is.
Hey, I said I’m 40.
I’d love to come to your neck of the woods, if you think you’ll get something out of it. Will you let me know?
Filed under Measurement, Public Relations, Speaking | Tags: mary barber, PR measurement, prsa alaska, Speaking, strategic planning | Comments (3)
On Pontification
Quick heads-up: tomorrow I’m doing a Ragan webinar on social media and strategic communication in the “age of now.” (They didn’t say that last bit, I did.)
Friday, I’ll be at the Potomac TechWire Digital Media Conference East, on a Twitter-related panel with luminaries such as Rohit Bhargava and Jodi Gersh (hashtag #dmc10).
Hey, I can try to pontificate with the best of them. I might not beat ‘em at their game, but you can’t knock a girl for trying, can you?
Hope you see you at one – or both!
Image: Inayaili de León, Creative Commons
Filed under Public Relations, Speaking, Twitter | Tags: potomac techwire, ragan, Speaking | Comment (0)Leaving On A Jet Plane
I have a hectic (for me) period of travel and events coming up. Here’s a quick rundown, in case you’re in the area; I’d love to meet IRL.
May 18 (next Tuesday), I’ll be in Jacksonville, Fla., speaking at PRVille 2010 – Top Shelf Social Media, which is being organized by North Florida PRSA.
I don’t know how “top shelf” I am, but I’m looking forward to meeting, hearing and learning from Mary Henige and Ryan Paul Thomson, not to mention catching up with my buddies Bryan Campbell and Bonnie Upright.
As an aside, whenever I hear “top shelf,” I always – always – think of Phoebe aka Lisa Kudrow’s “top drawer” act in “Friends.” What a great show that was. (Season 9, Episode 7).
May 26 I’ll be in Montréal, speaking at WebCom Montréal 2010, along with my Twitter buddy Claude Malaison. Claude and I first “met” a couple of years ago and I’m really excited to see him IRL, as well as, I hope, many others I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting in person.
This is also the first time I’ll be part of a bilingual presentation (guess who won’t be speaking French?).
June 19 is the Women Grow Business Boot Camp, right here in DC. Since we announced it a couple of days ago, registration’s been climbing (W00T!). This is a great opportunity to meet and hear from several dynamic women entrepreneurs, so do sign up quickly if you’d like to attend, since space is limited.
I’ll probably be exhausted by the time all this is over but hey, what’s that compared to meeting and making friends?
Maybe the next time I’ll even get to fly Virgin again.
See you soon, I hope!
Filed under Speaking | Tags: #wgbiz, prville, Speaking, webcom | Comment (1)Moving from “Buzz” to “Business”: Social Commerce Camp DC Is Coming Up
Why bother with PR?
One of the things that yours truly focuses on in her, er my, “day job” is the business use of public relations – or, in other words, why bother with “PR” if it’s not going to impact business indicators? Far too often, I see and hear people assuming the raison d’être of “PR” is to “create buzz.”
I won’t belabor the point here but in a nutshell, it’s not. Effective PR is designed – and implemented – with a view to helping an organization achieve its business objectives. In other words, it really is about managing the relationships between an organization and its “publics,” and thus impacting the bottom line.
Which is why I’m excited to be a part of Social Commerce Camp DC this weekend (Saturday, Feb. 20); a free educational event that is geared towards small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses and are looking for the tools to get them started.
Now, it’s a half-day event so no, you won’t be writing an encyclopedia on small business after attending, but what you should definitely walk away with is an understanding of how to use “social” to jumpstart your business (or kick it into high gear). And yes, PR is a part of that, and that’s what I’ll be focusing on.
Here’s the agenda
- 8 – 9 am: Continental breakfast , registration and networking
- 9 – 9:45 am: Social Media 101 for Small Business, with Shashi Bellamkonda , Social Media Swami, Network Solutions
- 10 – 10:45 am: Creating a Killer Social User Experience with your e-Commerce Site, with Steve Fisher, browncoatsmovie.com
- 10.45 – 11.15 am: Check your Twitter account/ blogging time
- 11:15 am to 12 noon: PR Tips and Best Practices for Small Business – Shonali Burke (me!)
Major props to the sponsors: Mayer Brown, Network Solutions, Kikscore and MyBusinessAssistant.com.
Will I see you there? Remember, it’s free, so come on out. You can register here.
Image: Daniel Broche, Creative Commons
Cross-posted from Women Grow Business, of which I am editor.
Filed under Public Relations, Speaking, Women Grow Business | Tags: ecommerce, effective pr, pr, Public Relations, social commerce, social commerce camp DC, Speaking, Women Grow Business | Comment (1)Speaking Season Begins
I didn’t think this would happen so quickly, but my 2010 speaking “season” has kicked off.
So – here’s where I’ll be over the next few months, adding new dates as we go along. Do let me know if you’ll be anywhere that I am, so that we can say “hello” to each other (and if you can join a webinar or teleseminar, I’ll be delighted).
By the way, if you’re interested in measurement, tomorrow I’m doing a webinar for PRSA Tampa Bay that reprises my turn at PRSA’s 2009 International Conference. You can register until 11 a.m. EST tomorrow, I believe.
Updates will be made to the speaking page on my website, if you want to keep tabs on it. I hope to see you soon… somewhere!
- January 25: a “head of table” at Social Media Club – DC’s inaugural social media breakfast
- January 28: PRSA Tampa Bay, a webinar of “From ROI to KPI” originally presented at PRSA09
- February 4: PRSA teleseminar on the nexus of PR and social media
- March 25: IABC Cleveland
- May 26: WebCom Montréal 2010, Montréal, Canada
- July 21: PRSA Alaska
Image: Tom Raftery, Creative Commons
Filed under Speaking | Tags: Measurement, prsa tampa bay, Speaking | Comment (0)You, Who?
You know how, sometimes, you’re reading a conference line-up, trying to decide whether you’ll attend or not, and you see a name you’ve never seen, or heard, before? Happens to me every now and then. I like to think I know more than a few people in our “biz,” but sometimes I can’t help but go, “You, who?”
Yes, I get excited by events that are being headlined by the rock stars of our industry, or the folks I call the “WHOs.” These are the folks who – at least to me – are the real deal, not just big fish in whichever echo chamber they’ve taken up residence. They have terrific experiences and lessons to share, and it gives me a kick to meet them.
What I’ve started finding lately, though, is that the “whos” are often more exciting to me than the “WHOs.” Because they share new ideas and have fresh voices – the stuff that keeps our profession growing and relevant. And I’d really like to see and hear from more of them.
If there’s one thing you can do for yourself as a communicator and our profession at the same time, it’s to share what you know. Because that’s the only way others will learn, and we can continue to shape the body of knowledge that future generations will draw on. And what good are all those great ideas if you keep them inside yourself?
So if you’re a “who,” here’s my challenge to you: start doing something TODAY that will take you from a “who” to a “WHO.” Get involved with your local IABC or PRSA chapter. Look for and speak at local events. Share your thoughts on Twitter or your blog. Better yet, do both.
If you’re a “WHO,” are you paying it forward? Are you reaching to the “whos” of our world to help them climb the ladder you did so successfully?
Take it from a former “who” not quite a “WHO.” And if you won’t take it from me, take it from Smokie. Don’t be Alice… or the guy who lived next door to her.
Whether “who” or “WHO,” how have you been helped? What tips can you offer those trying to break the thought leadership ceiling? Do share, I’d love to know.
Filed under Communication, Networking, Speaking
| Tags: communications, community, Speaking, Twitter |
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