The premise is not entirely wrong. In fact, it is accurate in the sense that communication technology has evolved, empowering people to more publicly express their views to the world. This includes sharing stories of delight or displeasure experienced with companies and brands. From “Dell Hell” to “Comcast Must Die” to myriad other outcries for consumer justice, the Internet has given us all a soapbox that is wired to the world, and we are using it to broadcast our stories to friends, family members, and total strangers. As a result of this people now have the capacity to tell stories that may involve your brand.

However, most people are not talking about your brand at all. “What?” you say. “Wait, the marketing nerd is saying that people aren’t talking about brands on social media?” “Has he lost his mind?”

First, most brands do little do encourage people to actually talk about them. They are not edgy enough to be hated, nor incredible enough to be worthy of discussion. Most are just adequate, and people don’t tend to spend time talking about adequate. There are just too many other things to discuss. Yes, if you screw up frequently or are wildly unethical people may voice their displeasure, but generally most are too busy to care about you. The reality is most people have no idea your brand exists.

This brings me to my other thought on why the idea of “people talking about your brand” is slightly off the mark. Even when they mention you, people are not really talking about you. They are talking about themselves. They are the hero of the story, not you or your brand. People are talking about their frustration with the problems they encounter in their lives. They are sharing their joys and triumphs over adversity. They are telling their story, not yours.

If you really want people to talk about you, focus on their story. Practice empathy and put yourself in their shoes. How does your company make their story better? Think about their problems. Understand their hopes and desires. Then, do something that can make their story more interesting, more satisfying, and more remarkable. Smart brands, the ones that understand the power of word of mouth marketing, figure out ways to go beyond adequate, and create meaningful experiences that are worthy of talking about. Your story should be about improving your customers’ stories.

This article by David E. Bowman was originally published in the November issue of DaytonB2B Magazine.

This is of course good for Facebook. More sharing provides both the platform and other users information about the true identity of the person attached to the profile. This surfaces new opportunities for connection, conversation, and of course more data than your brain can imagine without exploding. But is good for Facebook the same as good for the users of Facebook? In this instance I don’t believe it is.

I love it when I am listening to a song that moves me, reading an article that speaks to me, or viewing a real life event that is something of significance. Often, when I feel like something is worth telling other people about, I will post an update or share a link on Facebook with my friends. I’m using the platform to say, “hey I dig this (or despise it) and perhaps you will too.” It is a conscious decision to start a conversation, or at least try to. If I “like” something or share something, I am in some small way providing an endorsement of it. I am sending a signal that checking this out might be a good use of the most precious commodity in the world — time.

Now, on any given day I may check out dozens of songs, view hundreds of articles, read dozens of blog posts, and visit countless places, online and in the real physical world. Most of these things are not truly remarkable. Most are mundane, moderately interesting, or just ok. I don’t share everything because not everything is worth you knowing about. If I am not moved by it, why would I recommend you spend time on it? My evaluation of content, my thought about it, represents a large part of the “friction” that facebook is seeking to remove. With friction, I am consciously sending a signal. Without friction I am simply creating noise.

Consider that the average person on Facebook is connected to approximately 130 people, and turning it up to 11 for every single one of them creates a significant amount of noise, thus making it more challenging to discern the true signals my friends really want me to see, explore, and talk about. Friction has a purpose is conversation.

The beauty of friction is that is can slow things down and even stop them from moving entirely. Content that lacks the ability to overcome friction the friction of personal judgement is not propagated, and content that matters to us helps to add context to our lives. I don’t want to know every song you listened to today, but I do want to know the one that gave you goosebumps and possibly why. That is the makings of a good conversation.

I am frequently wrong about things, and perhaps I am way off on this idea. How can a company like Facebook with so many users be wrong? Surely they know more than I. Perhaps I am clinging to old world views of privacy and human behavior. Maybe I am stuck in a mindset of friction that I am not yet able to overcome. For the time being I will do my best to care about what I share. Now to post this to Facebook so that my friends can talk about it.

THE PREMISE:

Historically, one of  the greatest challenges PR professionals have faced is demonstrating value to the client.  “What am I getting for my money?”  “What is all of this PR actually doing?”  Traditionally PR was stuck with  showing activity — “Here are the releases we sent to the media, and here is what got picked up.”  This is not useless information, but it is limited in terms of it’s ability to gauge real and lasting value.

The hard part with that model was this.  The channels were limited, getting content published was hard, and getting content that was relevant to the intended audience even more difficult.  Most businesses serve niche audiences, not mass audiences.  The content that is appealing to the target niche is rarely appealing to the mass of “normal” people.  Thus to get placement, PR was tasked with creating stories broad stories about a niche topic that appealed to mass media in order to reach that same niche audience.  These stories were challenging to create and hard to place because the means of distribution were scarce.  Content had to be important to the media to be worthy of being pitched and have a chance of getting picked up.  Still important to the media is not the same as important to the audience, and thus it was difficult to determine if placement actually moved the needle.

Good news.  All of that has changed.  Blogging, podcasting, video, photo, social networks have changed the dynamic from scarcity to abundance.  Now a story doesn’t have to appeal to the masses to be press worthy.  It simply needs to be interesting to the niche.   No longer are public relations professionals at the mercy of an external editor or journalist.  PR professionals can guarantee that content is published.  They can help clients to create and publish it directly through blog posts, blogger outreach, podcasts, video, social networks, microblogs,  and various other online channels.  If a story is appropriate for pushing out to a larger audience, it can still be done, but now activity can be measured to much greater degree.  Not only that, PR professionals can measure the response of the intended audience to that content and shape the future direction of the conversation.  Conversations that generate significant traffic are instantly pitch worthy, while content that flounders for attention can be evaluated against the overall position of the company.  This can drive valuable changes to sales and marketing, which are no longer distinctly different from PR.

No more is there a solid wall between PR and journalist.  Often, they are now one in the same with regard to corporate communications.  PR is about telling the right story and the right time to the right audience in order to achieve the right response — and PR professionals are more capable than ever of successfully executing on this task because of blogging, podcasting, video, and social networks.  From managing product launches, maintaining brand integrity, and organizing promotional events, to customer relations, media monitoring and crisis management, these pillars of pr are now empowered to own the channel to the audience.    This is why it is important to understand how these tools work.

Blogging, podcasting, video, and photos are basic building blocks for conversation.  These pieces of content increase activity and can increase engagement on social sites.  They can help a brand to establish thought leadership, refute and address public complaints, and improve organic search performance.  There is no shortage of value that can be delivered through these channels.  Even in an age dominated by discussion of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, Blogs, Podcasts, Video, and Photos are the building blocks of content, which is the foundation of conversation.  The discussions, sharing, liking, ranking, comments, and interactions that take place on social media provide context to the conversation, but content has the ability to start and shape conversation in rich and meaningful ways.  Content is created and then shared on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google Plus and various other networks, serving as the basis for thoughtful discussion.  Approached properly, these tools empower the client to be the publisher, crafting stories that appeal to an existing audience an potentially attract a broader one.

Great blog posts that combine audio, video, and text about a specific topic continue to draw traffic and improve organic search rankings for years.   Real, relevant content sends powerful messages to Google’s algorithms, which are doing their best to mimic your human thinking.   Using content to establish thought leadership, generate awareness and drive sales has the benefit of building upon itself.  Because search engines love recency and relevancy, continuing to publish content on a subject and bringing new and interesting perspectives to the discussion helps you appear in search results, while at the same time adds real value to the people you are trying to engage.  The more people that see and share your content on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, the better the content  performs in search, ideally creating a virtuous cycle of searching, finding, and sharing.  The result is the creation of a reputation, the building of consumer trust, and the generation of highly qualified traffic to your business.

THE PROBLEM:

People are still resistant to write blogs, create podcasts, publish videos, and put original content on the web — in spite of the ease with which it can now be done.  I think much of what continues to hold people back from using these tools is fear.  It is intimidating to know that you have the power to create at your fingertips.  It is natural to assume that something that was once so scare must be complicated.  Fear is not a good excuse for refusing to act when the data shows that the action is wise.  Still, people resist.  My hope in today’s presentation is to help people overcome that fear.

THE PRESENTATION:

The following podcast and video were created at the event itself.  The text above is the basic crux of the first 15 minutes of my presentation.  Then we shift gears.   I shot video at the beginning of the event, which I edited and uploaded quickly to youtube.  Then during the event, I asked Natasha Baker and Shelby Quinlivan to sit down so I could record a podcast with them.  The podcast was short, and I showed people just how simple it was to do.    Finally, I did some quick editing, published the file, and embedded it here in my site.  Voila — Podcast created and published.  Social media magical curtain pulled back.   In less than an hour we created these interactive pieces, that could be used to promote PRSA.  Imagine what would happen if we took 2 hours.  Hopefully seeing how the trick works will encourage people to put the magic to work wherever they may work.

PRSA DAYTON PODCAST: Recorded on my macbook and published during the event.

PRSA DAYTON VIDEO: Recorded on my ipad and published as people came into the event.

THE CONCLUSION:

Blogging, Podcasting, and Video are powerful means of creating content, generating traffic, and starting conversations.   PR professionals these tools can increase accountability and help to demonstrate the importance of the services they provide.  Hopefully  this helps to provide a simple understanding of the importance of these tools and the ease with which they can be used.

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Dear Friends and Family,

This summer I became a cancer survivor.  I was lucky that my cancer was caught very early and did not spread.  I also realized that no one should have to go through cancer.  I know how scary it is when you hear the word cancer which is why I want to help find a cure for cancer.  I am only seven so I can’t really research for cancer cures but I can still help by raising money for the people that do and for the people with cancer.

My hope is to do several walks to raise money for different cancer types this year.  A couple of years ago I did the Dayton Breast Cancer walk and decided that this year it would be my first walking team.  I hope to raise $500 for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.    I would love for all of my friends and family who supported me through my own cancer experience to join me on this walk.  If you can’t do this walk don’t worry you are still on my team!

Here is the event information.
2011 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Saturday October 15th
10 am Dayton Dragons Fifth Third Field

I am registered as a team captain our team name is Ella’s Cancer Crushers .
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY12EastCentral?team_id=992679&pg=team&fr_id=35976

I would love to see you all there!
Ella Bowman aka Ella B

I am happy to report that, with a few days to spare, I have completed the recording of a song — the first one I’ve completed in a long time. It’s called “Too Much?” The song is extremely low-fi, recorded with the aid of my daughter’s karaoke machine microphone, garage band, and my macbook in my basement hideout. Like it or not, I promised to share. The song and the lyrics are below. Click on the link and give a listen. If you like it, feel free to download, copy, and share.

“TOO MUCH?”

Is it too much to ask to love one another?
Is it too much to ask to swallow our pride?
Is it too much to ask you, my sisters and brothers?
Is too much to ask you to open your minds?

Is it too much to ask that we learn how to listen?
Is it too much to ask we consider both sides?
Is it too much to ask for kindness or compassion?
Is it too much to ask you to understand why?

Is it too much to ask, that we look past the surface
Is it too much to ask, that we see what’s inside
Is it too much to ask that we dig a little deeper
Is it too much to ask you to walk in the light?

Is it too little? Is it too late?
Is it our destiny? Is it our fate?
Isn’t there something that you could do
to open your heart and break through?

With one song completed, I’m now on to create something new. It feels great. I hope you enjoy the song. Maybe it will inspire you to create something too. It need not be perfect — certainly this song is proof of that. Realize, it’s not about perfection, it’s about progression. Create something and change yourself in the process.

“Too Much” will be listed with other songs on my Music page. Feel free to listen, download to your ipod, and share. Thanks to Artie Isaac for continuing to teach me the importance of practicing creativity.

Continuously improving our educational system is important, but making teachers the scapegoat for our societal failings is pathetic. Those who engage in such behavior should pause and think about the appropriate role of educators in a global economy.

Standardized testing is just plain stupid. It does nothing to ensure children are well equipped for life in the 21st century. Basing our entire educational system on something of so little value is at best foolish and at worst fatal to our future. Critical thinking, problem solving, and applied creativity are the skills that will be in high demand. Teaching to the test so that everyone is average at everything makes no sense.

I have so much respect for my many friends and family members who have chosen the noble profession of teaching. Thank you for giving a damn about our children. We owe it to you to return the favor.

I have challenged myself as part of the course to get back into making music. My goals are realistic in that I am not planning on quitting my day job, loading up the family in a vw bus, and touring the nation in jump suits. Rather, I am going to focus on one by one completing the many mood Inge and riffs I have compiled over the years and actually creating some fully formed songs. I will try to write them one by one, and ideally complete one a month. Given the time, I’ll try to record them too. First and foremost, I just want to create. It is too important not to.

In doing this, I hope to rekindle my love for writing and playing music. I want to use my talents, modest as they may be, to make something. Will it be great or even any good? Who knows? I guess the point is to just enjoy the moment — the act of creating — and go with it.

Good, bad, or otherwise, I want to thank Artie for continuing to push me down the path of creativity. I am excited to see where it goes next.

The photo was taken in class, as part of an exercise on the importance of perspective. Given the right perspective, you can easily make the equation true. Do you see it?

Looking around the room last night, seeing so many people I know, respect, and admire, reminded me just how lucky I am.

I’m lucky to work in Dayton — the city of my birth. It’s a big city with a small town feel. A place where people truly care about helping each other. A community that I love being a part of.

I’m lucky to have a job I love. Every day at P/O/N I get to work with a great team of people and use my creativity, intellect, and drive to solve interesting new problems for our clients. I am never bored at my job, and I continue to strive to get better at what I do. It feels great to love what I do.

I’m lucky to have a family that supports me day in and day out. We have challenges to overcome, goals to achieve, and dreams to bring to life, and together we are there for each other through it all.

Thank you to the Dayton Business Journal for choosing me as a 40 Under Forty winner and reminding me of the overwhelming good fortune I have had in my career. I will do my best to live up to the honor. Wish me luck!

The platform he created is so impressive to me.  It allows for students to log-in and perform exercises, earn points, and gain instruction when needed.  This simple platform makes education both more accessible and more enjoyable.  For teachers and parents, it has the potential to provide a real time dashboard of what a child is learning, how much time and effort they are putting into education, and when and where help is needed.  I am fascinated by the potential this tool has to help educate human beings.  The instructional videos can enable parents, teachers, and students to work together toward the goal of education — getting everyone more actively involved in the process.

With all of our recent emphasis on standardized tests and our obsession with measuring outcomes, this brilliant platform makes it possible to measure the activity that drives the outcomes.  It is not enough to simply say “we have to make teachers more accountable based on test scores.”  That logic is flawed in so many ways — mostly because it ignores the need for students and parents to take ownership and puts all blame on teachers.  Teachers are overburdened, underpaid, and under appreciated.  Yes, outcomes matter, but they are the result of a system.  This platform can give us better insight into the educational system of each and every student, each and every day.  Where are individual kids struggling?  How much time are they spending on a subject both in and out of the classroom?  What help do they need to learn more?  How do we keep them from getting stuck, falling behind, and losing hope?  The ability to gather data on the day to day process of education allows us to truly focus on where attention is needed.  What a great resource for teachers to be able to use in the classroom.

Another exciting aspect of this platform is that it empowers parents to learn or relearn material along with their children and to be more involved.  This profoundly changes summer vacation.  With a tool like this, parents can help kids to continue learning all year round — even if just an hour a day during June, July and August.  Just keeping kids from forgetting what they learned the year before could radically improve their performance come September when they return to school.

Personally, I am interested in learning more about so many of the topics on the site.  Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics.  Moving forward I plan to spend considerable time exploring the material on the site and expanding my own intellectual capacity.

It is amazing to imagine the potential this platform, and others like it have to spread education around the globe.  The world is getting smarter before our eyes.  We live at the most amazing time in human history.  Like never before the human race has access to knowledge, the capacity to learn, and the ability to change the world.  May we have the wisdom to use it all wisely.

I encourage you to go check out the site along with other emerging sources of education that are available for free on the web.  Go learn something.

The light from a distant star is billions of years old by the time it reaches your eye here on Earth. It is only now that your eye is able to view it. Your present mind interprets its meaning. It may go unnoticed, phased out by city lights or clouds. Or, it may hold a special place in your heart, evoking the memory of a distant place, a deceased relative, a time of joy, or a childhood dream. Something created a billion years ago, suddenly has unexpected and unintended meaning to an unknown recipient. This meaning can influence interaction, conversation, and behavior. This simple light has power. I think art works in the much the same way.

I was not alive when many of my favorite musical compositions, paintings, sculptures, poems and pieces of art were created. I was not there to understand the sociological or psychological factors that may have inspired their creation. I interpret them through my lens — which also changes over time. Art changes its meaning when placed in the context of time and human experience. Art is personal and at the same time social. It is both a variable and a constant. Social media gives us a new ability to quantify that meaning, and to trace its changes through time — on both a personal and sociatal level. Potentially everyone is simultaneously an artist and an art historian, though we may choose different mediums for expression.

I believe art in an age of social media presents amazing possibilities for engagement, interpretation, and creativity. Imagine being able to read what it was like to see the light created on a distant star when it first appeared, following the journey it took to reach your eye and the eyes of others, and then tracking it as it continues forward into the unknown. What insight could you take away from that experience?

As art becomes more interactive, it takes on new meaning. When someone walks through a museum and posts their thoughts on Facebook they seek to start a conversation. They begin with an interpretation. This yields discussion. Discussion then leads to new levels of meaning and understanding. The art has changed as has the person interpreting the art. The conversation becomes an integral part of the art itself. Through time, this creates a virtuous cycle where by humanity is engaged in applying deeper meaning to that which surrounds us — past, present, and future. That which was created at an earlier time, continues to shine a light that may mean something to someone, somewhere, somehow.

Look to the sky. Do you see that distant light? What does it make you feel? Share that feeling with the world. Express it. Create from that which was created long ago and empower others to do the same.

This is a post that I originally authored for my friend Scott Hull’s site Visual Ambassador. Recently, I was thinking about this idea, and decided to share it here too.

Photo “Traveling Stars” courtesy of Dhilung Kirat