My co-worker Teresa Basich recently vlogged about the new direction she wants to take, what her blog means and how she hasn’t disappeared.

A new direction. Change is scary. It always has been.  This blog was initially my outlet into the world of PR, communications and brand building. I had no other way to express my thoughts or emotions. Now, I work for an amazing company where I’ll be able to niche-specific talk about agencies and their role in social, brand-building and strategy on Radian6’s blog. I am able to talk B2B specific in an u30 voice for MarketingProfs Daily Fix.

I started #u30pro with Dave (almost a year ago! )in hopes that we could really tackle issues facing the u30 workforce – while also taping into other professionals outside that age group. That community is a drive that I can’t capture in one sentence, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

In essence? I have lots of outlets, but it’s pretty reflective of my work experience as well. I’ve interned for movie studios. I worked for the most intelligent association in the world, literally. I’ve worked in both small and large agencies.

I’ve just never been able to pinpoint what this blog means to me. And honestly, it’s meant a lot. When I won “Best Up and Coming” in the 2009 PR Blog Awards, I just wanted to continue on the path I set forth.

I’m ready to rock the change. I will be working soon with Andrew Norcross on a blog design that I hope reflects my new direction. New challenges. And a renewed hope in my blog writing on this type of level.

Photo credit: Me, from my trip to Lambeau Field. Expresses the true meaning of teamwork/”circle” mentality.

The PR “Social Media Fun Time Explosion” cycle. We gobble up any and every stat; every blog post from the thought leaders and those in our circle (even if it’s a no-brainer and anyone can write it); base ideals off discussions we have had; research like crazy and then come to our own conclusion.

Wait, back up. WHY are we absorbing every blog post that anyone could have written and saying it’s golden? Pandering to an audience isn’t being brilliant in this space. I’ve noticed a trend where many are now saying, “Hey, I could have written that.” Is the novelty wearing off? We should be presenting unique ideals to clients, not something they can hear just by Googling.

The thing is, C-Suite is starting to question social media value, just as much along the same lines as public relations. It’s very easy to cut external PR. So, how are you going to prove your worth?

Know the Brand

Having been in both corporate PR and on the agency side, it’s very easy to get territorial with every little detail on the corporate side. You are living and breathing that brand everyday. So are agency people – but they also might be living another brand co-currently. The key is to make every client feel as if they are at the top of the list. Send them articles that explain social media trends – and include your own blog posts if you think they are applicable. Many clients will subscribe to your tweets by e-mail and subscribe to your blog. Embrace it and mirror the same ideals you discuss with them.

By showing knowledge and leveraging interest, you are also inviting the client to share with you. From there, you can easily build a relationship that will put them at ease. Reminder: They are putting their brand in your hands on a daily basis when it comes to social media if they choose to use external. Don’t abuse the privilege.

Move Past Engagement

Great. You know how to communicate externally on another platform. One should use engagement as the foundation of traditional principles on a new channel. Social Media isn’t new – it’s how you prove value that can set you apart. Understanding both qualitative worth (which is what PR usually shows) and quantitative worth (yes, the media impressions/value binders are still something that many clients want) in traditional plus the social landscape is imperative. Think of the C-Suite as your demographic and audience. Social media is not a band-aid approach, and you can’t discuss it with them as you would a marketing director. Numbers make sense, and they have to see concrete value. You can spout off all you want, but back up qualitative with reports, articles and research.

I could go on for hours, but let’s open it up: What would you add? Why?

A nugget has stuck with me by my mentor “Don’t be a specialist, you’ll niche yourself. Be awesome at lots of topics, and sell yourself as a hybrid. You’ll always have opportunity.”

I went into this session not knowing what to expect – panels can be a bit tricky, especially when they are limited to 10 minutes a piece. I think the below example did the best at integrating and engaging with the audience, as well as providing information that was not too 101 for my audience.

So who was it?

Deirdre Breakenridge kicked off the panel by stating that she’s in a hybrid role. (THANK YOU.) What does that mean? In PR, a hybrid role is “taking the best of the past, and blending it to make it social.”

The thing is? We should be applying this concept in the workplace. The hybrid model should be all departments working together. Silo’ing yourself isn’t going to help the company brand or actual brands you work for.

DB used an example of a repossession company called the International Recovery Group for her case study of traditional PR/social blend.

They wanted to:

• Raise their profile
• Groups they wanted to talk to and build relationships (talk with lawyer types, but they still have a social community)
• Take their Web site that positioned them as a typical repo company (not low end type reality show – think Dog the Bounty Hunter mentality) and create an actual brand presence and representation

On the third? Why is that? In actuality, they are more high end – take the high end collateral (jets, yachts, helicopters) so they gave them a makeover on the Web site.

With traditional PR tools, they landed in the WSJ. After that piece came out, they got an influx from Fox & Friends, Bloomberg, Today Show among many others.

So, how can we share? How can we make it social?

First: Listen. You can’t just take YouTube videos and post it with the community. Approach your avenues and realize that not everyone is going to respond to the same things, nor is any approach fail-proof. You have to understand and utilize your audience as a resource and sounding board. Hear them out, then provide.

DB also talked about going how brands can go into any community with keywords and search for anything release to the brand.

Then? Plot it on a grid. There is software for this, but this shows the benchmarks met as well as what networks and platforms where your brand can engage.

You can go into any community with key words and search for anything related to the brand.

We then moved into Social Media Optimization  – some of my favorite words.  Catalysts for Conversation, we see what the people are talking about, and start introducing it in the conversation. The influencers are in the community. The thing is? You have to track it. You have to understand where the audience is coming from.

Tracking is extremely important – why bother having conversation if you’re not understanding where it’s going?

So you need to:

• Define your reach
• Measurement – Weekly, plot benchmarks, how many times certain keywords were used and checking out influencers.

Key takeaways from the rest of the panel (much was basic, and it’s nothing new)

• Web site ROI can be: Total visits, unique visitors, new v. returning (interesting to see this as percentages)
• Using a tool such as bit.ly to see what percentage of your Web site traffic comes from Twitter
• ROI = Relationships + Opportunity + Involvement
• Internal v. External Sharing – Internal is blogs, discussion boards, wiki, SM resources, presos given
• External is something such as a jobs widget- people put a widget on FB and can receive jobs alert

On May 3-5, I get to attend MarketingProfs B2B Forum in Boston while live blogging from there. Jam-packed days of interesting sessions, knowledgeable speakers and enough information to make my brain hurt? Yes, please!

I know many wonder why I chose to take Beth Harte and Ann Handley up on their offer to live blog. After all, my client may seem to be primarily B2C, but in truth, B2B also comes into play with their business side v. residential.

Even if that wasn’t the case, I think it’s imperative to not silo yourself and to truly understand B2B principles – even if you’re in a B2C only type enviornment. The thing is? You can always learn from different tactics and objectives to possibly cultivate them in a different environment.

It’s better to be a generalist than it is to be a specific niche marketer/PR/whatever. Educate yourself in all aspects. Ask questions. I spend mass amounts of time reading and bending people’s ears on things that might not seem important now – but might later.

It also improves on blogging. Tired of 101 stuff? Sometimes I wonder if people write it because a.) they are lazy and its easy b.) they don’t try to learn c.) they just don’t get it or d.) all of the above.

Well, that’s dumb. So, here is the thing you’ll get to enjoy, readers: live recaps from what I’m hoping will be valuable information, including an analysis after everything is said and done. What I’m hoping to do? Educate and embark on a journey with you all to have solid conversation related to, and revolving around, B2B.

You can check out the schedule here. If there is something you really want to know about? Leave it in the comments, DM, e-mail, etc. and I’ll go more in-depth on that session. Also debating on whether buying a Flip Cam, so let me know if you think it’s legit to do interviews and such.

Also, many of you have seen me promoting it –> but if you want to go, click on the badge on the right side of the blog and use code ‘BLOG.’ You’ll save some mula.

Image copyright of starfleetyachts.com.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

So tell me, what’s holding you back?

In a field where social media has opened up instant doors to an international knowledge base, I think something holding many of us back is the questioning. We question whether a.) We are smart enough b.) experienced enough c.) or afraid to go against the norm.

Insight can come from all levels of experience – and no one should ever feel shunned because they ask a question or make a suggestion. Listening is the first step. What we should be doing is evolving a natural curiosity and pushing ourselves past the limit. Easier said than done, right?

Don’t View Life as Strategy

Business Model. Strategy. Target Demographic. (Insert Marketing Principle Here.) We live our professional lives by terms and objectives. Don’t let it influence your personal life or your learning style. Being creative is being able to break out from stipulations and outside forces. Define yourself, then seek out other thought. Find your passions. If you try to learn with an open slate, you are exposed to other ideas and trains of thought.

Be an Explorer

Step 1: Be open to new ideas and thought leadership. It could come from those with 10 more years of experience or from a peer. Study charts, read books and devour statistics. The foundation base for knowledge will help you delve into deeper subjects . Sometimes the best ideas come from crappy beginnings.

Step 2: Be willing to admit when you don’t know something. It’s ok to ask questions and press for more information. Form your own conclusions and build upon it. Build relationships with those who will both motivate and challenge you. Opposites attract, especially in mentor/friend type relationships.

Know that You Can Have Magic

It’s easy to feel beaten down. We’ve all been there. Surround yourself only with those that make a difference in your life. Time is an investment, and it’s not worth it to waste on those who could care less. The mistake we often make as public relations professionals is to think that everyone should be listening to us. Choose your audience carefully - there are some that will misconstrue the person you are and tell everyone what they believe. Think of it as people viral marketing – or that old game of telephone.

Be a Genius in Your Own Right

There are so many different levels of genius, it’s incredible. The best teams that work together are the ones that challenge but think cohesively.  We all think differently, and while I might see life in color and a puzzle to discover, you might see black/white and varying principles. It’s ok to think differently. It’s ok to put yourself out there. It’s ok to challenge thought leadership – and if you’re wrong, learn from it. Why do you keep hitting yourself over and over in the head with a hammer when innovation is happening all around you?

“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are and what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.”

Do we let limitations define us? When is it not ok to compromise?