User Generated Content - good, bad, ugly

I'm not going to write much, as the comments to this SJMN post speaks for itself - there are some conversations you just can't control - and many of them for the video game industry come from teenage boys.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/02/10/capcom-to-make-ps3s-home-much-cooler/

You Are What You Eat

In case you need another reminder about the sensitivity of social networking, Peter Shankman shares a great example of what NOT to do: http://shankman.com/be-careful-what-you-post/

Top 11 Lamest Blogs

If I created a blog called, The Dullest Blog in the World, and was featured on MSN in an article titled, "Top 11 Lamest Blogs" I think I'd be breaking out the bubbly right about now.

Software Launch as Comic Book

Google has a way of doing things a bit differently than its competitors.

Their minimalistic home page is like a blank canvas compared to the overwhelming barrage of icons displayed at MSN and Yahoo.

So it was no surprise that Google went nontraditional with the product announcement by posting about their new open source browser 'Google Chrome' first on its corporate blog, then in comic book form an hour later.

In this case, Google succeeded. By explaining their new application using a fun, alternative medium, they were able to translate tech-speak with greater ease (the term 'Asynchronous API Development' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue).

Plus, the company was able to present their software engineers in the comic as articulate folks wearing jeans. And cool t-shirts.

Root of All Evil - Bloggers!

It is official the root of all evil are Bloggers. They beat UFC. And even though Lewis Black did not send down this punishment I think all blogers should have to line up and take their turn in the octagon with UFC's elite. So I guess that inlcudes me right now. And I am friends with a UFC fighter and let me tell you he would beat my a*#!!! So Ivan if for some reason you read this please be kind, remember it does not take much to send me to the ground in pain, no need for you to work up a sweat.

But for those of you in our industry watch the episode there are some great lines about the popularity and absurdity of blogging and even twitter.

I have a Twitter stalker

Ok, maybe this can't really be classified as a genuine stalker case. But, today I received an e-mail informing me I was now being followed via Twitter. Normally this would be a fairly normal circumstance and I would think nothing of it. But my newly found Twitter friend is somebody I've never met with or spoken to before in my life.

Naturally I was intrigued as to who this person was and why they selected me as a friend to follow, so I did some research. In addition to me, this person follows people and organizations such as Barack Obama, CNN, Jet Blue and Sky News. I also discovered the person writes a Travel Blog in New York City and is planning a trip to Seattle this weekend.

Seattle? Is this a coincidence? Maybe they just want my opinion on some cool places to visit while in town. But I still ask, "Why me?" I know the person can't be subscribing to my Tweets because I'm a heavy influencer in the Seattle community. I don't think I can be accused as one who contributes thoughtful and meaningful messages. I mean, let's be realistic I only have six followers and my last Tweet was about bowling.

Of course all of the time and effort I've invested researching the person who is following me on Twitter does bring up the question..."Who's the real stalker here?"

Spread the Truth - Political Style

The Barack Obama capmpaign just started a new Web site called Fight the Smears. The purpose is to defend head on any smear attacks that come his way. Usually this is done in one way or another through the main campaign Web site but this one invites and makes it easy for people to spread the word to others. It will be interesting to see how this evolves as the campaign progresses. It will also be interesting to see if the media uses the site when reporting stories about Obama. Sometimes the truth can't always be explained in soundbytes. And sometimes the truth is a matter of perspective. And even sometimes the truth is not popular. Especially in politics. Let's see how this is used.

Do you have blogger's block?

What is cooler than blogging? Blogging about blogging, duh! Or how about blogging about blogging about blogging? I hear it is going to be big in ‘08. Nevermind.

Lore Sjöberg of Wired posted the Secrets of the 7 Basic Blog Posts, so if you are looking for some inspiration for your next Fizzle-Pop post, look no further. Sjöberg suggests that, similar to the theory that there are only 36 (give or take 35) basic story plots that just get reused, all blog postings fall into one or more of the following categories:

1. Be upset!
2. Buy a thing!
3. Animals are cute!
4. People are dumb!
5. Something I like, only different!
6. Weird science!
7. Me, the blogger!

So, if you are engaging with bloggers, might be a good idea to think about how your product/service/idea fits into these kinds of blog posts in order to create something that resonates. On the other hand, this blogger would like to think that humans are a little more creative.

Where does this post fall amongst the seven? Well, I am not exactly sure.

Crap, they're on to us...

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore." - The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus.

Message boards are to gamers what the wretched teaming shore is to the huddled masses. Yearning to breathe free, gamers flood comment sections, forums and messageboards eager to spout their opinion, extrapolate on what they think is newsworthy and generally look for the opportunity to make the next poster feel like absolute s#$! about themselves.

It's a fascinating ecosystem to watch, and one in which I participated in as a voyeur for many years before coming to my job which made it a requirement. Silently watching, scrolling we’ve been tracking what gamers are saying, what industry announcements are significant, and what new ways to say pwned have emerged for years now. Well apparently, they’re on to us.

1UP has an extensive article examining the effects of messageboards on the gaming industry, featuring interviews with developers, journalists and people just like me (except they have more impressive sounding job titles and significantly bigger pay checks). The stories of these individuals range from those who have tried too hard to fit in to the crowd, those who ignore the crowd, and those who love messageboards for exactly what they are. A ridiculous, over-the-top, mind numbing source of fiber and news.

The article asks “Do marketers keep their ear to the ground at NeoGAF and other message boards? Do they track public reaction to their promotional efforts?”

Some PR types admitted to doing exactly that and commented on how it affects their plans.
“At every level, we have people who follow the trends closely and pay attention to what the community takes to and what the community skewers.”
Elizabeth Tobey (community manager, 2K Games)

Others tend to be more cautious:
“We live in an online world where anything we say and do is disseminated on a global scale in an instant. This has revolutionized the way we do marketing and PR. While we are always thinking about our campaigns through a digital, global lens, we do not micromanage our campaigns in reaction to any one online moment.”
Tammy Schachter (senior director of PR, EA Games)

A NeoGAF moderator, one of the prime examples of a vitriolic and fantastic gaming messageboards, noted that his community does not respond well to such efforts, saying “I'd like to think GAFers could smell a rat, but it seems like a good percentage of them can't even smell the ones right under their noses.”

So with such a huge potential of backfiring, questionable analysis of content, and enough bad grammar and hate mongering to make a Klan member feel bashful, what’s the value of a messageboard and how do PR types go about using it? How involved with the conversations should we get, considering how easy it is for a forum moderator to look up your IP address and tell everyone exactly who you work for and the latitude/longitude of where you posted from?

I’ve seen success to a certain extent with “MVP” programs where companies designate particularly level-headed forum posters, and encourage them to actively remain a voice of reason. By providing these individuals with slightly increased access to the company, community members tend to congregate around every post these individuals make. It doesn’t stop more high-strung posters from calling these MVPs corporate shills and digitally spitting in their face, but it at least insures that a larger crowd is seeing some more levelheaded messaging. Other than that, these forums are excellent sources of news and trends. With 1000s of people posting leaked info, screenshots, developer interviews and much more daily, messageboards are like google alerts on steroids.

What do you think?

Oh yeah, and really, go read the 1UP article.

Befriending Top Bloggers

If you were on my team, you would already know of my obsession of reading the WSJ in the morning and then clipping and distributing relevant articles to my team. Not only has this given me various insight to what’s being reported on in the business community, but it has also inspired several of my blog postings. Lucky you!

In today’s WJS, Raymund Flandez breaches the topic of getting your company or thoughts on the radar of your specific industry’s top bloggers. Why bloggers and not top print/broadcast reporters, because peeps are turning to bloggers more and more as the Internet is become even more accessible and easier to navigate. And getting play on a top industry blog could put a small business on the map. Why, just because it can. Live with it.

Back to Raymund’s article, there are a number of ways to attract today’s top bloggers. Outreaching to bloggers is a very risky thing to do, as you instantly become fully exposed to potentially millions of current or potential customers. One must be ready for both positive and negative reviews and/or feedback.

Basic steps to blog outreach:
Research – determine who the influencers are in your industry
Resource to determine top industry bloggers – Alltop.com
Read - read what they are saying and what’s being said
Search tools to search your company or industry – technorati.com, Google, ask.com and blogpulse.com
Relationship – create a relationship with the blogger
Ways to create a relationship – comment on various postings, add useful insight and/or information to the discussion, pitch a blog story that you would find interesting youself
Research – read what bloggers are reading (including looking at their blog roll)
Tools to help you keep updated with online chatter and buzz – Twitter, AideRSS, Google Reader

There are also some things not to do: disrespect the legitimacy of bloggers, bribe with free product (while it works for some – I launched a new beer by sending cases, glasses and lemons to various bloggers with a note on how to pour the beer), sending a pitch without reading their blog. More on what not to do in a later blog.

Enjoy! And remember, take your time, don’t rush - everything you send can be easily cut and pasted into a blog. Mistakes and harsh e-mails make for great posts.

Identifying Top Bloggers

Marshall Kirkpatrick, from ReadWritewWeb, has basically confirmed, in more or less words, what I have been saying for a very long time - Technorati Sucks! For a while there I thought I was going crazy because the site kept making these so called 'improvements' and the service kept getting worse! About 6 months ago I used Technorati to develop all of my blog lists and to do online tracking for our clients - now I look else where.  Check out Marshall's blog posting below where he weighs the pros and cons of several platforms used for identifying top bloggers in any niche. 

I've gone ahead and added these websites to our 'PR Resources' list over to the right - check them out when you get a chance and let us know which ones you find the most helpful for creating your own blog lists!

Click Here to Read the post.

Social Networking Sites From A to Z

Happy Friday! I've updated our PR Blog Roll to include a comprehensive list of the top PR and communications blogs authored by PR professionals covering a range of topics from PR to social media. If I have left anyone out please let me know and I'll be sure to add them in! Which of these blogs do you read on a daily/weekly basis?

I've also been meaning to post this article that a collegue of mine forwarded on to me this week that included this list of Social Networking Websites from A-Z. Enjoy!

Social Networking Websites from A to Z
http://www.cio.com/article/175250/Social_Networking_Websites_from_A_to_Z

Here's an A-to-Z list of professional and personal social networking sites to help you network your way around the world.

A: Advogato—free community dedicated to open-source software development
B: Blogger—popular blogging website (owned by Google)
C: Classmates.com—helps members keep in touch with classmates from school, college and military service
D: del.icio.us—a website dedicated to managing bookmarks through storing, sharing and discovering
E: Ecademy—online networking for business, offline networking events and global networking groups
F: Facebook—site once limited to connecting only college students has expanded to include the general public
G: GuildCafe—community for computer and video game players (funded by IDG Ventures)
H: Hi5—personal global social networking site that focuses on membership of young people
I: IMVU—instant-messenging software using customized 3-D avatars
J: Jobster—social networking intersects with job searching
K: Kwout—a way to quote a part of a webpage as an image with an image map
L: LinkedIn—site dedicated to strengthening your business contacts and professional network
M: MySpace—originally focused on musicians, this general social networking site has mass appeal
N: Nexopia—formerly known as Facebox, this Belgian site is popular among young Europeans
O: Orkut—known for its easy-to-create discussion forums, this is one of the most popular sites in Brazil (owned by Google)
P: Plaxo—online platform that allows auto updates of business address book information
Q: Quotiki—a social quotes site that lets you quickly find and enjoy quotes
R: Ryze—site designed to connect entrepreneurs and other business professionals
S: Second Life—a 3-D virtual world where users can use voice and text chat to socialize, connect and create
T: Twitter—micro-blogging service focused on connecting friends, family and coworkers
U: Utterz—allows users to update their blog via short-message service (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS)
V: Vox—blog platform built with extensive permission settings
W: Windows Live Spaces—(also known as MSN Spaces) this is Microsoft's social networking platform
X: Xing—(formerly known as Open/BC—Open Business Club) displays how each member is connected together, creating an "it's a small world" network for professionals
Y: Yahoo 360—Yahoo's social networking platform
Z: Ziggs—allows users to professionally market themselves online

Blogs Will Be BIG in 08!

Ok that's old news - did you know that blogging has been around for 10 years now? Check out Wired's article here on the original blogger, Jorn Barger. So what have we learned in the past few years that we can carry forward into 2008. Check out the five tips below from the Daily Dog:

1. Do your homework. Identify the top bloggers who are visible in your space. Read their blogs. Make intelligent and useful comments that add value to the conversation. Subscribe to their RSS feed.
2. Do research before you blog. Read the feeds of the bloggers you subscribe to. Set up searches in Yahoo News for key phrases you blog about. Read these feeds every day.
3. Have a point of view. The number one reason people read blogs is to get an opinion. Blog about something you know well and feel passionate about.
4. Write well. While blogs are seen as personal journals your content is out there for all to see. Be interesting. Be controversial. But above all, be readable.
5. Write often. Blogging’s biggest challenge is the time it takes. Anyone can set up a blog in less than five minutes. It takes skill and perserverance to have a blog that becomes influential. Write content that will keep them coming back for more.

Ok beyond blogs what else should we be paying attention to in 2008?

Online Videos and Search Engines.

High-quality video will push Internet TV closer to traditional broadcast TV, and create new opportunities for brand marketers. “It’s no longer a given that the Today Show is the ultimate media prize. One blogger with a niche audience could bring you better results,” writes Godin in his new book Meatball Sundae.

Here are some recent stats from HitWise that show us that search engines are responsible for more News and Media category website traffic than ever before.

- Print News websites received 29.7 percent more traffic from Google in March 2007 than in March 2006
- Broadcast Media sites received 35.9 percent more traffic from Google in the same time period
- News Aggregators and portals were also significant sources of traffic for News and Media websites.

If the new trend in PR is to go straight to the customer then we need to make sure our news is showing up in the top search results for Search Engines like Google. We do this by making sure our news content is using the same keywords that our customers are using and searching for. One site that I really like to use to make sure I've got the right keywords is Wordtracker.

Questions to ask in 2008:
- Do we understand how search affects our news content?
- Why is new Universal or Blended Search results page layout so important?
- How can we improve the search visibility of our news content?
- Are we monitoring what is being said about us online?
- Have we identified the influencers in our space?
- Do we have a blogger relations program in place to reach these influencers?
- Do we understand the dynamics of social news sites?
- Which social news sites would be best for our content?
- Are we planning to use video – and how will we do it?