This past Thursday, I was able to join the Central OH PRSA for a luncheon with special guest speaker Brian Solis. For those who don’t know who Brian is, check out his blogs at PR 2.0 as well as bub.licio.us. Brian discussed the role that social media is currently playing and will continue to play in the future of public relations. Some take-away points I got from Brian’s talk:
- “Experience” in social media for PR is not merely owning a Twitter account or a Facebook fan page; it’s taking the influence you develop from these media and relating it to your employer, clients, etc.
- You are the brand you represent.
- Influence is taking the ability you have to inspire action and being able to measure it.
- Don’t fall prey to “bandwagon marketing” – you don’t have to be everywhere, just where your target audience is.
- Believability and trustworthiness are what govern social media.
I’m thankful I was able to attend this luncheon and meet Brian. In taking my own advice, I made sure to introduce myself to Brian following his presentation and we talked briefly about his @micropr and new @microjobs projects. (stay tuned this week for a post on these!) I handed him one of my cards and he looked at it and said “Oh I know who you are!” – referring to my @researchgoddess Twitter name – which made me smile. It was a real pleasure to have met Brian and I hope he heads back this way again soon.
Following the luncheon I was able to grab a few quick moments with some PR students who also attended the luncheon. Students from Ohio University, Ohio Dominican University, and Ohio Northern University came to the luncheon – some made about a 2 hour drive to attend. I always enjoy talking with students who understand the importance of taking advantage of opportunities like this and make the effort to attend the events. I saw them being proactive about introducing themselves to some of the other PR professionals in the room – good networking.
Thank you to the Central OH PRSA for putting on this luncheon! I look forward to attending future events. This coming Wednesday will be my own very first opportunity to serve my local chapter, the Cincinnati PRSA, at our networking happy hour at BlackFinn. I’ve been asked to speak about the importance of networking in this economy. If you’re in Cincinnati on Wednesday, I hope you will come by!
