Networking: The Power of Communication

Today we wanted to go over networking and how important and beneficial networking and communicating can be, not only for PR and media, but for any part of business and life.

You never know who or what is out there or who or what your associates, family, friends, coworkers or casual contacts know or are into, unless you communicate, network and find out.

If you are building a business and have a general plan and overview, by networking with already existing contacts, while also going out and about to meet and make new contacts and associates, you are doubling your chances of finding clients, work, contacts, and a vast range of opportunities and people who could help you in any number of ways.

It is very important to network and communicate openly, and sometimes things can really come together with people and opportunities which can grow and become more contacts and opportunities, and still more and more. Communicate and network the heck out of yourself, your business, skills, interests and opportunities and share this with everyone through your network or networks, and you will be amazed at the number of great things that can and will happen for you, your business and career.

News Announcements - Press Releases, Twitter, Social Media and Social Networking

Making a big splash with your company name and news is important, and a company needs to engage in a comprehensive marketing and branding strategy that includes public relations, media and news announcements.

With the evolving field of public relations, communications and media, as new tools and resources in the areas of social media and social networking such a blogs and corporate blog, Twitter and tweets, and Facebook and LinkedIn status updates, these are wonderful new means of communicating news and are very effective.

Along with the new services offered by social media and social networking is still the long-time and proven, good old fashioned press release and wire services for distribution. Press releases and using distribution services such as Business Wire and PR Web, are highly effective means of pushing your news to target audience and media. The cost is relatively low for local or national distribution, and the using traditional wire services is to this day a highly effective way of announcing news typically with a solid return on the investment.

For news announcements and the distribution of news we recommend utilizing both the social media and traditional media and wire services, as both are very useful and powerful ways of pushing your brand and news out to the public.

Which is Bigger, Better and More Important? Traditional Media or Social Media and Blogs

Over the last year I have been asked by many as to the importance of traditional media compared to social media and social networks.

Which is bigger, better and more important? The answer is... Both.

Some favor one over the other, but the best strategy is to use both to take advantage of every tool and resource available. With some sticking to traditional media, press releases and wire services, and others believing all you need is a Tweet or two and a Facebook post, the truth is those beleiving in only using one or the other are wrong. By using only one or the other you are potentially missing out on audience(s) and market penetration, and this could lead to a lower market share, customer or user base, sales and revenue stream.

With public relations and media what counts most is results. With the new age of social media making big moves in the digital world of today, along with the strength of traditional media, press releases, wire services and good old fashioned distribution, the best strategy really is to use both. Once you have determined company goals and objectives, as you build the marketing and PR plan, implement the tools that will be most beneficial for your client. For each campaign and project you should use a combination of both traditional and social media, using every aspect of PR tools and services online and offline. In some cases you may determine that traditional is more important than social media or vice versa, but with many using both will be the most effective way of meeting goals and increasing market share and revenue. Using all available resources and tools increases the chance of success and quantifiable results.

When it comes to traditional and social media they are all important and should all be included, and by prioritizing the list with main focus given to your top key targets you can take advantage of both traditional and social media. Traditional media includes: print, daily and broadcast such as Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Businessweek, NBC News, etc. Social Media includes: blogs and bloggers, online news, podcasts and use of social media and social networks such as TechCrunch, Mashable, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Digg, and more.

Don't become a creature of habit and ignore either the new or the old traditional ways, as both can be very effective and when it comes to getting results and success, embrace every possible way of meeting your clients goals and objectives.