Paul Sutton
Oxfordshire, UK
- 48 comments
- 13 likes given
- 41 likes received
Bio not provided
I feel compelled to point out that us Brits do not in any way whatsoever speak like the accent in the Bustle vid. That's all. Thank you and goodnight.
I'd never really thought of things this way until we spoke, Paul. But reading this piece it seems almost inevitable that the successful blogs will be incorporated within 'media empires'. I'm not sure what form that takes exactly or what the implications of that would be for the independent guys (or the content of the blogs that become owned), but it could be that @ginidietrich does become a gazillionaire soon by selling 'ownership' of SpinSucks to a new media corporation of one type or another. I've always liked you Gini... :)
Are platforms like Howwwl the answer? I don't know that either, but I really like what you're doing and think there's a real future for community-based platforms organised around content streams.
[Full disclosure: I've recently been working with Paul and the team at Howwwl]
@ginidietrich In what way, Gini? I know we chatted briefly about platforms like Howwwl and the trends in media consumption that Paul's covered here, but what specifically has got your brain whirring?
Totally agree with everything you say here. I've been pondering this since you asked the question actually, and came to the exact same conclusion. I find relationships upheld purely through Twitter to be a lot more superficial; it's not that people are necessarily more guarded, but that you don't really get to know a lot about a person in brief 140 character soundbites.
Over the last year or two I've been doing the same as you and trying to connect with more people I've met (and like) on Twitter through Facebook (like yourself, for example). I feel that I get to see more of a person's personality in Facebook and get more of a sense of that person. Which is great. I can divide up who sees what content using Lists, and connect more deeply with the people I want to. Twitter's great for what it is - an information resource - but the old adage of "it's all about the conversation" just isn't so true anymore.
In fact, I wrote a post on this exact topic in March 2011 called 'The Cool Kids Play on Twitter But the Masses Play on Facebook': http://futurecomms.co.uk/2011/03/30/the-cool-kids-play-on-twitter-but-the-masses-play-on-facebook/
And finally....FacetwitinterestInsquare+ IS the big thing for 2013. You heard it here first...
Personally, I'd just give you kudos for trying to do it differently. I can understand, when you talk non-retainer and results, some prospects looking at you like you're ever so slightly insane...hell, it's YOU after all, @ginidietrich ;) But then I'd guess at the end of the day that maybe those guys aren't the clients you really want to be working with anyway?? I'm sure there are plenty out there who appreciate the different approach.
I agree with everything you say here, Mrs Catfish. Well OK, to a point (you know I don't do 'full agreement'). I'm fully behind the call for creativity, but in my experience there's sometimes an issue getting that creativity from the Powerpoint it's presented to the client on out into the world. I agree there's a divide when it comes to large and small clients, but I don't think it's got anything to do with budget. It seems to be (as a generalisation) that larger clients are simply more open to more creative, interesting and risky work.
Many SMEs (not all) LOVE the ideas on paper but then baulk when it comes to implementation. So you're contracted because of your creativity and then end up doing run-of-the-mill projects that have far lesser elements of creativity. There are exceptions, obviously, and we're working with one challenger brand at the moment that is getting fully behind some out-there stuff. But I do see it a lot.
And that's REALLY frustrating. I don't necessarily believe that creativity is lacking among PR people (at least the ones I know) and I think it's unfair to tarnish them/us with this. But equally, I don't have an answer as to how to circumvent (is that even a word?!) this issue.
Thoughts??
I totally agree, @magriebler I understand storytelling, you understand storytelling and @ginidietrich (probably :) ) understands storytelling. But the library thing (love that!) illustrates perfectly what I mean. As a term for what we do or what it means in a marketing context, it's BS. Although I may now change my job title from Head of Social Comms to Head of Storytelling just for laughs...
@ginidietrich I think it's the spin thing that I don't like either. Got a half written post of my own on this topic. I recently did a competitor analysis for our agency and discovered that, virtually without exception, agencies (in the UK who I surveyed) refer to storytelling in one method or another. Whether it's website or blog or Twitter or whatever. I don't think clients know what it means (hell, half of the PR industry don't know what it means) and it just smacks of bullshit. We ourselves are working on a different way of expressing this. It might take some time...
Interesting. You're not alone in ditching the term 'PR', although I think there's still a very strong resistance from most agencies to moving away from it. PR is, after all, what they've always done. Where do they sit if they're not a PR agency? And more to the point, prospective clients (at least in the UK) still search for PR agencies, not comms agencies.
That said, I'm totally with you on this. For me, the term 'PR' is now almost derogatory because of the implications of what it means, which you point out eloquently above. It's such a limiting descriptor that, personally speaking, I never use and hate it when my agency does.
But I think the same goes for the term 'storytelling' and the description of what we do as 'telling stories'. As a term, it's meaningless. It has connotations of sitting in a classroom talking to 5 year olds. It's the latest, greatest buzzword. And I don't think it's doing our industry any favours. Or is that just me?
I'm a tad late to the party with this comment (hey, I've had a baby - give me a break!) but I'm somewhat ashamed to say I've never read Groundswell. That said, after reading MITR it went straight to the top of my list. Well, along with Deirdre's latest book and Social Media ROI (which I've had a copy of for 6 months and STILL haven't read). Never seem to have (or make) the time to read books anymore. Maybe I read too many blogs? Hmmm...
I've got to say, Danny, if I was this joker I'd be shitting bricks right about now. I'm not normally one for name and shaming, but in this instance, fuck it. Name...shame...sue...
You and your freaking Pinterest! :) Seriously though, good to see a grounded, common sense and BIG PRINT case study of simple use of analytics to demonstrate ROI. Nice one.
And I so need to start a Twitter list called 'Not Sheep'.
@amysept Complex indeed, and extremely hard work. I find myself waxing and waning between the two all the time. I know where I WANT to be and where I naturally feel comfortable - questioning, probing, challenging. Asking 'why?' as much as my 3 year old daughter. And yet doing so (at least, on an ongoing basis) is isolating and can be lonely. Finding like-minded people on that basis is hard work. As @bellindsay says below, there's a very fine balance.
Loved finding this post. Thanks for writing it!
@wabbitoid Thanks very much. I love the screwdriver analogy and the words "jamming a phillips into the slot won't do". May well be adopting that myself :o) I think that a lot of people pay lip service to social media as tools and will even say so to clients and peers, but when it comes down to it, show them something new and they're all over it like a rash. I genuinely don't believe that many...maybe MOST comms pros actually UNDERSTAND what 'social media is just a tool'really means...
@Anthony_Rodriguez See, now I'm going to have to start arguing just for the sake of it :o)
@HowieSPM @belllindsay @ginidietrich @shonali I feel like I'm in an episode of The Twilight Zone...
@ginidietrich It's not like you to be smug. Oh, hang on... :o)
By the way, I don't understand civil discourse. Had to Google it...
@Sean McGinnis @ginidietrich I was under the impression is was just you and me, Sean...
Thanks @ginidietrich What a totally unexpected but very wonderful surprise. A week before the big FOUR-OH and I've achieved a life-long (ish) ambition with a Spin Sucks #FollowFriday. I can now retire a happy man.
Being your nemesis is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I mean, I know for a stone-cold fact that every single time I go up against you I'm going to lose. But if it creates debate and makes people think, I'll continue to be the fall guy.
Thanks again, Gini. Feeling very humbled right now.