Recently The Australian's editor wrote Twitter is "the dunny door graffiti of the digital age, adding precisely nothing to the sum of human knowledge".
Interestingly, they printed this statement in the newspaper, yet deleted it in the online version of the article. Scared of the Twitter backlash I wonder.
When I tweeted this comment, it caused quite a storm. It was retweeted and commented on throughout the day.
Some of my favourite twitter responses were:
@bradatslice Journos how d'ya feel? Contributing to "the dunny door graffiti of the digital age..." as described by #TheAustralian
@gavincostello Interesting that all their journos are adding so much graffiti to the dunny door then
@bigyahu now who's calling the kettle black? How's The Australian's circulation doing this year? #outoftoucholdmediaass
@ccrichton I'm willing to bet The Australian's editor has never used Twitter. Typical ignorant comment from opinionated non-user.
Many of the people I follow on Twitter are journalists who share very valuable, thoughtful and interesting information.
In fact, most news outlets have Twitter accounts, as Twitter is a very accepted (and important) way of broadcasting news. Ironically, The Australian also has an account (@australian) with 15,600 followers. I’m guessing they're hoping their followers don’t think their tweets are worth flushing!
SPONSOR ME PLEASE – This month I’m doing the Yoga Aid Challenge which is like a marathon - but Yoga style. A nonstop "Salute to the Sun" sequence taking two hours. The charity I am supporting is dotcommob which helps the children living in Papunya, a remote indigenous community of 300 located in Central Australia. The community has an existing computer centre but no ongoing funding for a supervisor to open the wonderful world of the internet and technology to the children. Please support me by making a donation to this great cause. THANK YOU! Sponsor me here.
SPEAKING – I am speaking at two events this month. Social Media Women: The collision of PR & social media - how you can use it to your advantage and a 1 day workshop: PR and Media Strategy that get Results.
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Embargoes: What are they and when to use them?
We do PR for
Macquarie University’s Faculty of Business and Economics and they conducted the recent research for the much publicised EOWA Australian Census of Women in Leadership. The number of women in management positions is a hot topic at the moment, and when the results were released the media release was placed under a strict embargo. But what does embargo mean and why was this tactic used? Let us explain.
So what is an embargoed release?
An embargoed release is a media release or announcement that is shared with the media in advance of its publishing date. Unlike ‘off the record’ which is never supposed to be published at all, embargoed information is intended to be published. But it is only meant to be published at the time disclosed by the release distributer.
The release shares confidential information with the journalist, but it is shared with the understanding that it is meant to remain confidential until the stated publishing date. This date is stated very clearly at the beginning of the release.
The crucial part to embargoes is the element of trust. By sending your release out with an embargoed release date you are placing a great deal of trust in the media to respect your wishes. However, by doing this you can help form a stronger relationship and earn the respect of the journalist and more often than not they will abide by your embargoed date.
What’s the point?
Embargoes allow you to send your information out to journalists prior to the release date to give them notice of the upcoming news. This allows them to prepare their stories in advance. With increased lead time it gives the journalist time to provide additional insight into the issue that might not otherwise be part of a breaking news story.
When to use them
Very few announcements need to be embargoed. You might consider using an embargo if the announcement is complex and needs demonstrating and explaining or if there are commercial reasons why details can’t be shared gradually over time beforehand, such as competitive pressure.
Read the full article
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What's the deal with foursquare?
Before you dismiss foursquare as just another social media application you couldn’t possibly get your head around, we thought we’d give you a run-down of what it’s all about.
What’s foursquare?
Foursquare is a mobile application for your smartphone that essentially is a ‘social media game’ but can actually be used to help your marketing efforts, especially if you work in retail or hospitality.
The idea is, whenever someone visits a location, like a particular shop or café, they ‘check-in’ to that location. The person, who ‘checks in’ to a certain location the most, becomes the ‘mayor’ of that place.
Why would people use foursquare?
When someone ‘checks in’ to a location they can see if any of their friends have been there before, or are nearby at that time. You can use foursquare to give suggestions like ‘If you’re at X café, try the chocolate milkshakes, they’re amazing.’
It becomes a fun, competitive game to become the ‘mayor’ of the most places possible. This is where businesses are jumping on board and offering incentives for people to come along to try and become the ‘mayor’ of their business.
Options for businesses
Not only can you encourage people to ‘check in’ to become the ‘mayor’ of your business but you may wish to offer deals to people to get them to ‘check in’ more regularly.
For example, the fifth time someone ‘checks in' to your clothes’ shop they get a free scarf with their purchase, or the third time they buy a sandwich from your takeaway shop they get a free drink.
To get things rolling, you may even offer ‘check in’ deals for people the first time they ‘check in’ to your business on foursquare. There are also wildcard specials that your staff need to verify before the user can claim their prize.
You can tailor these offers and start using foursquare to drive customers to your business and foster customer loyalty.
Read the full article
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Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:
ADMA Digital Day 2010
Digital Day will focus on the dynamic and constantly-evolving area of digital marketing. It has been designed for marketing decision-makers, specifically those with an interest in the digital space. The conference will include high-profile speakers from Billabong International, BT Financial Group and Smirnoff.
8 November 2010
The collision of PR & social media - how you can use it to your advantage with Catriona Pollard
Social Media Women’s November event features co-founder Catriona Pollard, director of CP Communications. She will focus on how to combine PR & social media tactics to get your messages to your audiences.
9 November 2010
Email Marketing Summit Australia
EMSA aims to provide a thorough understanding of email marketing strategies and practices. Develop your skills in email marketing to enhance client communications and attain a competitive edge for your business. The one-day event features high-profile speakers from the marketing industry.
11 November 2010
iStrategy 2010
This event is the annual gathering for business, marketing, business development, IT and creative professionals involved in all aspects of online media and strategic management positions. This event will consist of industry-leading keynote speakers, interactive workshop sessions and invaluable panel discussions.
24 - 25 November 2010
PR and Media Strategy that get Results with Catriona Pollard
You'll learn the science behind an effective PR strategy including writing media releases that get results, how to approach journalists, how to write articles and case studies for the media as well as clever online tactics. In one day, you'll discover the secrets to getting good publicity that you can use for your own business.
25 November 2010
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