StoryTeller Media & Communications
StoryTeller is a public relations agency specializing in media relations, social media and video production and web video
Social media
Get a Job, the RIGHT job!
We recently offered a job to a young candidate to help with a critical part of our business. This is a job that the young person would grow into and develop, which in plain terms means, what this job is today is not what it’s going to be. We were (and are!) looking for a unique person with very specific skills and experience. Certainly not someone who falls off the proverbial turnip truck. Fortunately, she turned it down.
Brian Solis on Video StoryTelling
Most mornings, I wake up and have my coffee and scour through the myriad of social media articles to find out what new and relevant content that might benefit our clients. It also serves as my daily dose of social media inspiration. Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to hear some first hand inspiration when I attended Jennifer Kane’s ( Kane Consulting) “An Evening with Brian Solis” event. Brian is on the PR circuit of promoting his most recent book, “Engage,” which I can’t wait to read!
Brian spoke so eloquently on topics ranging from community, engagement and trust to understanding the importance of being curators of content with context. He went on to say that all companies are media companies because every company publishes to its customers, its staff, its neighbors, its communities and they need to know how to use all media technologies at its disposal, especially video.
With YouTube positioned as the second most popular Search Engine, second to Google, and over 24 hours of video uploaded every minute, brands have a unique opportunity to put video storytelling into work. Ideally, video is part of your overall content strategy and used when you want to build a connection that may not be made through other mediums.
Brian was gracious enough to share his insights on the importance of having a video strategy. Here is part one of our conversation with Brian Solis.
Catalogers Getting Social
I recently had the opportunity to step back in time to my “old life” for a brief moment while connecting with a group of Direct Marketers. The group was interested in our perspective of social media and how it can benefit the traditional cataloger.
What seems apparent after our meeting, is this is an industry that I would categorize as somewhat “late adopters” in the social media frontier. Understandably, they have spent years refining the art of direct mail and have it down to a pretty concise science but they are having a difficult time connecting the dots to know how social media can really impact their business.
Are You a Thought Leader?
For the record, I’ve always disliked the phrase “thought leader,” mostly because about a year and a half ago, it was another business buzz phrase (ie. 24/7, gitter done, step it up, etc.) that was overused, abused and misused. That said, it always made me wonder, “what IS a ‘thought leader?’”
Removing Barriers for a Better You
We all have them. They keep us from doing what we need to do, from becoming a better business person, employee, father, mother, daughter, son, etc. They are often irrational, aggravating and in some cases draining. I’m talking about barriers in your life. If you’ve been meaning to do something, but just haven’t done it because “something” always gets in your way, you probably know what I’m referring to - it’s that “something.”
Setting Expectations in Life and Work
Parenthood teaches you many things. Some things you expect to learn, like changing a diaper in the back of a car or simply changing a diaper! Then there are things that I’ve learned through raising children that have less to do with bringing up kids than about life itself. They have taught me that most things in relationships revolve around expectations.
Getting Creative With Your Flip Camera
It’s interesting. I had a meeting today with what I hope will become a future StoryTeller client. The subject: online video. It seems to be the topic most gravitated to in our meetings with business’ and organizations today. It appears to be what’s on everyone’s mind. YouTube…specifically. There was a revelation that I had during this meeting. I initially met this future client about (5) months ago, and the discussion albeit very similar (defining what makes a solid video strategy) the method of implementing the strategy was completely different!
Social Media Backlash? Or are we just Getting Smarter?
Remember when you first started tweeting? And how much fun it was talking with other like-minded social media users about the “power of social media?” There was this sense that a new communication technique was here to change the world for the better and that we were all so smart to be a part of it. You know, those of us who “got it” with regards to using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, etc?
Now we’re starting to hear a different story. It’s a story of a social media backlash where users are beginning to drop off the radar. (For more on this perceived backlash, check out this post from AgencyBabylon) So that begs the question, is this the beginning of social media’s end?
That’s hard to imagine, considering that in many ways, social media has already changed the world. From the elections in Iran to Ashton Kutcher battling CNN for followers to the first thing you do in the office every morning, the world is probably a different place thanks to the new world of communication ideology (that being a world where you talk with the people who matter to you, not at them). But let’s face it, the social media love fest is over. Everyone knows about social media, nearly everyone has a profile on at least one of the platforms, plenty of people have made mistakes, others have had success …so the novelty is over. We don’t need to spend our time evangelizing about the benefits of social media anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I still love using Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, YouTube and others …I’m just a little tired of talking about how much I love it (which I think is the backlash Mr. AgencyBabylon is referring to in his post).
So now comes social media 2.0; using the new interactive communication ideology affectively to achieve whatever it is you’re trying to achieve. Which means integrating that ideology into all your communication plans. In the past, it was enough to simply be on Twitter or to post something to YouTube …just make sure you’re out there, because “it’s better than not being out there” was the driving force behind a lot of social and interactive media plans.
We’re past that now. Now is the time to start putting specific plans in place with clear objectives and desired results. Then executing those plans to increase sales, raise awareness, build networks or what ever else it is you’ve been trying to achieve since you started trying to achieve things (long before social media came around). That, in my opinion, is far more exciting than sitting around and tweeting about how much we all love social media.
So is there a social media backlash? I don’t think so. We’re all just getting a little wiser about how to make the most out of something we love so much.
The Couple That Plays Together Stays Together
My wife and I will be married 20 years this year and videos like this are what inspires me as a married adult. Hats off to this wonderful couple who have been married 62 years. Enjoy this wonderful video.
Are You Afraid of Social Media?
Fear is powerful. Think of all the things you do, or don’t do because of fear. It’s certainly a factor for a lot of people who remain on the social media sideline and in some cases I can’t blame them. For example, any business that isn’t doing a great job and knows it, any company that isn’t taking care of their people or customers or any company that generates income by taking advantage of people should be afraid. If I were any of those people or businesses, I would really be fearful of social media because it can ruin me much faster than I would otherwise ruin myself.
That said, if you’re a business that strives to help people, to do the right thing for its employees and customers or if you’re someone who fixes problems as they come up rather than let them fester and turn into issues you probably have quite a bit less to fear in social media.
We all make mistakes and as business owners, we know that our people will also make mistakes. Hopefully they’re not mistakes that kill your business. But if they’re accidental errors, oversights or mishaps that can be addressed and fixed, don’t you don’t you want to know they are going on? After all, whether you’re active in social media or not, if you screw up, people who are in social media can still chew you up and spit you out. It’s just that you’ll never know it’s happening, until they stop coming into your business or calling to place more orders.
When I was kid, I used to be afraid that some day I would end up in jail. Then I realized, I can only go to jail if I do something really bad. I realized that I actually have control over the outcome. So too, do you have a say about your reputation both in the business community and the social media business community. Take care of your reputation and remove some of the fear in your life.
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