As public relations professionals who regularly get frustrated when others don’t respect our profession, we have a responsibility to help with that education. We need to remember the strategic part of our profession and not always just react/act when someone tells us they need a brochure, to be on the evening news, have an event,  Read more »

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to sit down with a veteran Twin Cities journalist and hear him talk about storytelling techniques. With all the new shiny new tools we all play with each day, it was refreshing to sit down with someone and talk about one skill that will always have a  Read more »

“No respect, no respect.” That was Rodney Dangerfield’s signature line, right? Isn’t that what we hear from bloggers on a daily basis? What’s more concerning is what we hear from PR pros, journalists and the general public: “Why would I read blogs? Only geeks read blogs, and they’re just opinions.” “Bloggers aren’t journalists. They don’t  Read more »

It’s always tough when you attend big events. There are so many interesting people you want to talk to, and you rarely have the time to get around to chat with them all. For those of you who didn’t attend BlogWell last week at General Mills in Golden Valley (FYI: make plans now to attend  Read more »

I had the incredible opportunity to attend BlogWell last week in Minneapolis. A number of brands presented at this terrific event including Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Mayo Clinic and Ford.  And any time Ford shows up at one of these events that means only one thing: Scott Monty will be there. If you haven’t had the privilege  Read more »

Hiring a social media strategist. It’s a process that no one has completely figured out yet. And how could they in such a new–and constantly changing–space? As with any new field, industry or discipline, learning is key and organizations, recruiters and hiring managers will make mistakes along the way. But, we also need to learn.  Read more »

One of the great things about Twitter and social networking tools is the ability to connect folks with common interests. Happens every day online. When I started following Sarah Evans’ Jourchat last winter, I began connecting and sharing with PR pros, bloggers and journalists from Charlotte to Chicago. And I learned a ton. Over the  Read more »

Wanted to loop back briefly on a post I made last week about asking folks to fund my way to BlogWell on Aug. 13 in exchange for a short, boot-camp-type session that could help an organization get smarter about their social media use. I’m pleased to say Bellmont Partners and Rumpza Consulting stepped up and  Read more »

Social media is a great unifying place where students, average people off the street, professionals, and rocket scientists can have an intelligent and innovative conversation about anything – and everything. But what happens when we bring the traditional power hierarchies from real life into social media? You know what I mean and you’ve probably seen  Read more »