I'm a web strategist and aspiring know-it-all with a passion for all things digital. I've worked in PR, advertising and not-for profit industries, and now I run a creative agency. These are the things I think about, and am sometimes compelled to write. More...

Crash course on PR & Social Media

Dec 13 2007

I’m putting together a crash course for coworkers on public relations, social media and the media world in general, and I’m looking for some suggestions on content. What are the books, blogs, articles and sites that you would recommend for such a program?

What are the must-reads on the topics of public relations, new media, changing consumption habits, the advertising industry and social media? Give me your suggestions and I’ll post my compiled reading list here in the next couple of weeks.

http://www.propr.ca Joseph Thornley

Hi Ryan,
You’ll find some suggestions at http://tinyurl.com/3afue5.
http://www.propr.ca Joseph Thornley

Oops. That TinyURL doesn’t work. I don’t know why. Here’s the complete link http://www.propr.ca/index.php/2007/joes-social-media-bookshelf/
http://www.ryananderson.ca Ryan

Thanks Joe – that was one of the resources I was already planning on using!
http://flacklife.blogspot.com Bob LeDrew

The Common Craft videos are awesome resources. How much time do you have to deliver the content? If you have a lot, why not take a page from what Chris Brogan did at Podcamp Toronto last year — he hosted a session called “Let’s Make Something.” and a bunch of people just did a podcast right there and then. You could ping him for details.

On podcasting, I’m partial to Leesa Barnes’s Podonomics site.

And remember what Joe’s alter ego Terry always says on IPR: A tool is not a strategy. A tool is not a strategy. A tool is not a strategy.
http://www.drjim.org Dr. James de Jarnette

Public relations is far more than strategies and a technical understanding of the different media platforms available to present your message. It is a deep understanding of human motivation, human development, human emotions with a big nod to psychoneurophysiology and giving the target audience ways to be heard and know that another human being hears them. The combination of having the members of the target audience feel that they have been felt actually changes brain chemistry and is the beginning of attachment relationship. It will not only get the product sold, but build in relationship, that means repeat business.
http://www.ryananderson.ca Ryan Anderson

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I’ve got a great list of resources that I’ll post in the new year. Hopefully, it will be helpful to someone.

Dr. Jim – public relations sounds really confusing. I think I’m going to go back to my job at KMart.