Cheryl Snapp Conner has just been featured on this week’s MSPMentor Podcast discussing some of the key PR issues that channel focused companies, and MSPs in particular, should be aware of when engaging Web 2.0. She provides insight in effectively using social networking, corporate blogging, and the best tactics for issuing news.


Take a listen:

The goal of any PR campaign is to secure interviews with media, analysts and bloggers; then follow up by seeing articles come to fruition. Aside from the pre- and live-event interviews, a quintessential component to securing coverage are post-event interviews.


Maintaining an open and immediate line of contact with your PR team can streamlining these interviews–especially since media requests can come without warning.


Every company executive/spokesperson should have their PR team cell phone and office numbers. Programming these numbers into a cell phone/PDA helps to know instantly who is calling.


The media work on very tight deadlines and need to get information as quickly as possible. There are strong and valid reasons a spokesperson should avoid allowing a reporter to call through to their cell line directly. However, there should never be a time, especially during the launch of a new product/service that a company spokesperson didn't answer a call because they didn't recognize their PR person's phone number.

Paul Gillin, a social media journalist, recently posted an article about “Courting Online Influencers.” In it he mentions the differences between a reporter and an influencer. Though it is quite possible for an influencer to be reporter, the opposite doesn’t always have to be true.

Without giving away the punch line of his article, he discusses some key points of interest in understanding an influencer, and therefore striking the “excitement” chord with the perfect pitch.

Click here to read Paul Gillin’s article: Courting Online Influencers

Today's blog entry comes from Paul Gillin's Social Media Report. In his report, he mentions that it is one of the most common questions, and one of the most difficult to answer.

Here’s a little quiz (provided by Paul) you can take to determine if blogging is right for you. Answer appropriately and then total up your score.

Do you want to do it? A blog isn’t a short-term project. Once you start, you need to consistently update your site, at least once per week. The novelty will quickly wear off, so ask yourself whether you have the stamina and a wellspring of ideas to keep you going beyond the first few months.
Yes: 5 points; No: 0 points

Do you have a topic in mind? Ideally, your topic should be expressible in less than a dozen words displayed under your blog title. This isn’t always easy. Some markets (marketing, entertainment and sports, for example) have hundreds or thousands of bloggers. In an environment like that, you need to focus your topic very precisely. Other markets (architecture and construction, for example) are nearly wide open. Pick a theme for your blog and be sure it doesn’t duplicate what’s already being said. The more distinctive your topic, the faster you’ll achieve success.
Yes: 3 points; No: 0 points

Are you passionate about the topic? Good blogs have personality and personality is a product of enthusiasm. That doesn’t mean you need to be a cheerleader; in fact, some very successful blogs are negative in tone. It does mean that your topic should be something that you can talk about for hours, because that’s basically what you'll be doing with your blog.
Yes: 3 points; No: 1 point

Are you knowledgeable about the topic? A public forum isn’t the place to go to school, particularly if you represent a business. It’s important to engage in dialogue and learn something from your readers, but you should also have a point of view backed by expertise and experience that makes you credible.
Yes: 2 points; No: 0 points

Do you communicate well? Some people don’t, and a blog is probably not the right promotional vehicle for them. You don’t necessarily have to be a good writer; many successful bloggers use video and sound to great effect. But you do need to be able to express your thoughts coherently in some form.
Yes: 2 points; No: 1 point

Do you have a thick skin? If you're opinionated enough to sustain a blog, you need to accept the fact that others may differ with you. Assuming you accept comments (and I strongly recommended that you do), be prepared for some pointed response to what you say.
Yes: 2 points; No: 1 point

Scoring:
12 or more points: What are you waiting for?
8 to 12 points: You're on track, but you need more focus or enthusiasm
5 to 8 points: Think hard about whether this is the right vehicle for you
Less than 5 points: Don't bother