The Top 5 Smart Communications Practices Companies Need to Implement Right Now

This is the final chapter of the Steve Farnsworth created 4/4/4 blog series – today’s topic is The Top 5 Smart Communications Practices Companies Need to Implement Right Now.

Preparing to write this post, I gave lots of thought to the new and emerging communications practices that organizations could implement such as use of video, multimedia, SEO and social media etc., but at the end of the day I decided that the ‘must implement’ communications practices needs to include some of the basics that are too often over-looked.

What Role Should A Communications Agency Play In A Client’s Social Media Program?

Part three in the four part 4/4/4 Four Communications Issues. Four Perspectives. Four Weeks blog series brings us to – What Role Should A Communications Agency Play In A Client’s Social Media Program?

Honestly, this topic could be career suicide for a PR agency flack that believes social media content needs to be driven by internal resources. This could also be seen as very self-serving for an agency type claiming that an outside resource brings an independent perspective that is required in social media.

To Stay Relevant How Do Communications Professionals Need To Evolve?

Part two the four part 4/4/4 blog series in which Steve Farnsworth, Lou Hoffman, Todd Defren and I (with open invite to all other communications bloggers) each blog on the same topic. This week’s topic is: to stay relevant how do communications professionals need to evolve?

Without checking birth certificates, I’m going to guess that Steve, Lou, Todd and I are of a similar enough age where we all have some experience with pre-Twitter technology such as copy and fax machines, hard copy press kits, clip books put together with scissors and tape, and museum quality pieces such as the big green Bacon’s Media Guide.

The point is that until recently, evolving for a communications professional was mostly about adopting new technology. The previous technology advances – email, online directories etc. – leveled the playing field. We all learned how to use them without any significant competitive advantage being gained.

Is Ghost Blogging Ethical?

This post is the first of the 4 Communications Issues. 4 Perspectives. 4 Weeks. Blog Series. The brainchild of Steve Farnsworth. Every Wednesday for the next four weeks Steve, Lou Hoffman, Todd Defren and I will blog about the same topic. This week’s topic – is ghost blogging ethical?

So, I need to start with a little full disclosure to explain my perspective on this topic. When I first started my PR blog (for a number of well-intentioned reasons) I did so under a pseudonym….actually, pseudonym makes it sound too noble, let’s just say I blogged under a fake name.

For several months, I blogged and tweeted as Tony Mackey. After hypocritically posting about the horror of ghost blogging and other ethical topics, I decided that it was time to come clean. See The First Day of the Rest of My Blog or Tony Mackey – Unmasked. It wasn’t exactly ghost blogging because Tony Mackey was just a made up name, but the experience helped to shape my option on ghost blogging.

Next up – 4/4/4 Blog Series

I better clean this place up…company is coming.

While I appreciate my loyal reader or two, I can’t help but think that this blog may be seen by a few extra folks over the next month.

Starting on Wednesday and continuing for the next four weeks, I’ll be taking part in Steve Farnsworth’s brainchild 4/4/4 – Four Communications Issues. Four Perspective. Four Weeks. Blog Series.

This blogging series includes Steve Farnsworth, Lou Hoffman, Todd Defren and…well, me. Not to seem overly self-deprecating,  but don’t worry, I know I’m that ‘one of these things isn’t like the other.’

Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to PR, I’m confident in my ability and I don’t feel that I need to take a back seat to anyone. But, public personality, self promotion (not in a bad way), professional PR blogging and tweeting chops. Okay, I’ll be in the third row seat if anyone is looking for me.