Comments for The PRagmatist

Comment on Wait a Minute, We Are Already In The Content Business by Tom Woolf

Tom Woolf — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:39:26 +0000

Point taken, Marc. I guess over the years I started assuming that the community of readers was always in the mix, since everything we do is so public thanks to the web. The distinction is important, however.

Comment on Wait a Minute, We Are Already In The Content Business by Marc Hausman

Marc Hausman — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:37:32 +0000

You’re absolutely right…kind of.

Tom, my firm — Strategic Communications Group — has made a similar transition from traditional PR services (i.e. release, media relations, analyst communications, etc.) to what I call social media marketing. It’s actually content marketing distributed through multiple channels, including social media.

We still rely primarily on the same skill set as when we executed media campaigns. Yet, I’ve found the difference to be the audiences who hold us accountable.

With PR, it was the client and the influencers. In comparison, it’s now the client, the influencers and the community of readers we attract to our blog sites.

Comment on The Specter Behind the Tweet – Ghost Writing, Authenticity, and Social Media by Is There A Ghost Haunting Twitter? « Brett Levine

Is There A Ghost Haunting Twitter? « Brett Levine — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:08:23 +0000

[...] or well-regarded event, and that reach has the potential to impact them emotionally. I agree with Tom Woolf when he says that authenticity is such an important factor with Twitter. Any deception has the [...]

Comment on The Art of the Interview by Tom Woolf

Tom Woolf — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:41:52 +0000

Hi, Jennifer:

In my business we use analyst quotes as independent experts who are looking for credibility in their own right. If you are going to seek out garden experts for comment: 1) tell them it is for a press release and let them review it in context before you sent it out – good courtesy and keeps you out of trouble later; 2) find experts who are recognized or it won’t do you a lot of good. If you are quoting your local gardener it won’t have as much weight as quoting an author or well-known expert.

If you want to try a different approach, find a gardening expert to comment on the product as an expert, since you are looking for an opinion as market research. When you get the comment, ask if you can quote him or her and then use the comment in press materials.

Good luck.

Comment on The Art of the Interview by Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:25:01 +0000

Hi Tom, Thanks to you and Carol for the very informative post. I have a follow up question: I’m writing a press release for a new garden product and wanted to interview a couple of garden and environmental experts for it. I’ve interviewed sources for articles before but never for a press release specifically. Are experts typically interviewed for marketing materials, and are experts typically as willing to be interviewed for PRs as they are for the more “respectable” article? And, is it standard to tell them up front, “I’m writing a press release for…” just as you’d say “I’m writing an article on…”? Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

Comment on The Art of the Interview by Carol Tice | Make a Living Writing

Carol Tice | Make a Living Writing — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:06:02 +0000

Hi Tom –

Thanks for riffing on my post! Like Eeyore says, thanks for noticin’ me.

Comment on Where is the Internet Going? Roger McNamee Says the Future is in Engagement by Is SEO Migrating from Keywords to Brand Search? | The PRagmatist

Is SEO Migrating from Keywords to Brand Search? | The PRagmatist — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:27:05 +0000

[...] our last blog entry, we highlighted some of Roger McNemee’s predictions for the future, one of which is that [...]

Comment on The Client is Always Right–Well, Sort Of…. by Tom Woolf

Tom Woolf — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:15:29 +0000

Thanks, Marc. I agree and try to practice the same principals, but sometimes shared expectations don’t translate, and the candid dialogue gets lost if you are not talking to decision-makers on a regular basis. It’s all about being perceived as a strategic partner and engaging on that level. Thanks for reading!

Comment on The Client is Always Right–Well, Sort Of…. by Marc Hausman

Marc Hausman — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:49:52 +0000

Interesting read and…”yes”…it takes a lot of confidence to stand up to a client.

At Strategic Communications Group (Strategic), we’ve found a mutually beneficial client relationship to absolutely require two things: 1) shared expectations; and 2) candid ongoing dialogue.

Comment on Recapture the Art of Listening by Stefanie Guzikowski

Stefanie Guzikowski — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:59:15 +0000

Great reminder Tom for all of us to take a step back and a remember the importance of shutting up and just LISTENING. We’d all “hear” so much more that way. Thanks!
Stefanie