So what is PR?

I think the dictionary would tell us something like PR is efforts or promotions creating good will towards a product or company.  

I'd tweak that a little and say that effective PR spreads the story of a brand or product.

Up until recently, this was done primarily through traditional media.  Here's how it worked:

1. People in the media were looking for content for their TV shows, newspapers and magazines.  
2. PR professionals had stories about their companies they wanted to spread.
3. So, PR professionals spent their time developing trusted relationships with people inside traditional media and becaming a good source for content (think press releases).  

But this isn't working the way it used to (just ask any PR professional). I think the main reason it stopped working is that consumers have moved their trust from traditional media to social media (their friends).  

This means that if you're in PR and you want have a job in a few years you'd better understand that the new PR is about engaging directly with consumers rather than through the intermediary of traditional media.

Your customers are speaking to you.  Are you listening?

So you want to get a book deal?

Because of my work helping some of the bestselling authors in the world with their social media strategy a lot of prospective authors ask me if I have any advice for them.

The most important thing to understand is that more than ever publishers are looking for authors who have an existing tribe or platform in place.

Here are five things every prospective author should do if they want to get published:

1. Listen
   A good social media strategy starts in the same place as a good marriage...with listening. Start by using Google Alerts to receive notifications when anyone mentions your name or topics in your area of expertise (you can graduate to more advanced tools like Scout Labs later).  Find out who the thought leaders and influencers in your field are and follow them closely.
2. Engage
   Take part in the conversations that are already happening.  If you're listening (see step #1 above) you'll have plenty of opportunities to leave comments on blogs and become a regular contributor to the larger conversation that's taking place.  DON'T use this as an opportunity for self promotion.  Instead, add value to the conversation.  Over time this would build your reputation as a valuable contributor.
3. Blog
   This seems like it should go without saying, but it's amazing how many authors and prospective authors aren't blogging.  There are lots of good reasons to be blogging.  First and foremost, it'll make you a better writer.  As importantly, it provides a "home base" for your fans to gather, follow your writing and connect with each other.  This isn't a post about how to write a blog, but one piece of advice, engage in the comments like it's a conversation with your biggest fans...because it is.
4. Connect with fans on a Facebook Fan Page
   Why facebook?    Because this is where everyone is.  Of course, if you're not on facebook yet, start as a regular user before you launch your fan page.  Think about it this way, if I'm a publisher and I'm choosing between one person who has a few hundred friends on facebook and another person who has thousands of fans, who am I more likely to publish?
5. Twitter
   If your not on twitter yet, start with Michael Hyatt's excellent Getting Started Guide.  I won't try to explain it here.  But trust me.  Give it 30 days and you'll understand.

Bonus: Chris Brogan and Gary Vaynerchuck both landed great book deals last year in part because they followed this strategy and built loyal online tribes.  They share exactly how they did this in their books, Trust Agents and Crush It.  If you want to really understand how this works they're both must reads.

What else should authors be doing to engage their tribes?

Some memories are created by accident.

We spent this Christmas in a motel in Lawton, Oklahoma.  Not because that was the plan, but because an ice storm trapped us while we were out on a quick Christmas Eve trip.  No gifts, no stockings, not even a tooth brush.  Our kids will remember it forever because it was so different.

Memories can also be created by design. 

When they take your picture as you board the cruise ship they're telling you this will be an experience you'll want to remember for a lifetime.  And you do. 

What are you doing to create memories?

Here's to a memory filled 2010.

1. Sharing and interaction.  I like reading blogs on my kindle, but I don’t because I can’t easily share what I’m reading.  One of the main reasons I read blogs is to find great content to share with others.  There’s no easy way to do this on my kindle.  So I often wait and use my laptop for my daily reading.  I’m confident Apple’s device will make it easy for me to tweet a link to something I want to share.
2. Email.  A device the size of the kindle and I can’t do email.
3. Touch screen.  Every time I hand my kindle to someone to look at they try to use the screen like an iPhone screen.
4. Color.  Pictures anyone?
5. Multimedia.  My kindle is 3 times the size of my iPhone and I can’t watch a movie on it.
6. The kindle is functional (sort of), Apple’s device will be sexy.
7. The app store.  A device just for reading books?  That would be like having an iPhone and only using it for making phone calls.
8. Enhanced content.  I think this is going to be a game changer.  Embed video in a book.  Finally.
9. Social interaction.  While Amazon has completely ignored Seth’s suggestions. I’m guessing Apple will embrace them without even reading them. 
10. You.  Apple’s customers will be passionate evangelists.

Whether you’re creating a real estate brochure, building a web site or decorating a restaurant effective design is crucial.

I’m not talking about the kind of design that wins awards from other designers...but the kind that actually works.

Effective design should do one thing...remind people of the right things.

When you’re scanning your email you recognize spam before you read it.  Why?  Because it reminds you of spam.

When the Obama campaign decided it wanted to be historic, they didn’t run around saying, “This campaign is historic.”  They started borrowing elements from historic documents and using them in their design.  And subconsciously millions of Americans started thinking, “This campaign is historic”.

And it’s not just about look and feel.  In our Colorado mountain town we had a new restaurant open that couldn’t figure out who they were.  They always had classical music playing, used linen table cloths but they served ketchup in the little packets.  It just didn’t fit.  They had no idea what they were trying to remind people of and they lasted less than three months.

It doesn’t cost any more to have effective design than ineffective design. The important part is to figure out what it is you’re trying to remind people of and go do that. 

Someone told me about a humorous exchange between a British ship in distress and the German coast guard.  I doubt its true, but it went something like this:

British ship: “Mayday...Mayday...We are sinking”

German Coast Guard: “Halo.  This is the German coast guard, what are you sinking about?”

Miscommunications can happen.  But the important thing is that the coast guard was listening.  Many companies aren’t even listening to customers that are trying to talk to them.

Do a twitter search for @bose and you’ll see customers trying to engage the company on twitter.  And what do they get in response.  Silence.

Twitter and facebook are the new dial tone. Your customers expect you to be there.

Saying you weren’t listening is not an acceptable excuse.

Update: Turns out there's a really funny video version of the joke here. (Thanks @jgrubbs)

Seth is right.

Amazon purchased Zappos for all the right reasons. But, as the saying goes, the path to hell is paved with good intentions.

The key issue here is one of culture.  As I experienced first-hand during the Zappos Insights Live Event last week, Zappos has an incredible culture.  A culture built on creating happiness for employees, vendors and, of course, customers.

Amazon on the other hand, not so much.   They offer low prices and great selection, but that's it.

Luckily for them, Amazon usually does such a good job with their web site and order fulfillment that it's seldom necessary for them to actually engage with their customers.  In fact, they do the opposite of Zappos, and go out of their way to avoid direct contact with their customers. If you do get through to their customer service you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who can actually help you (or in my experience, speak English).  This is the exact opposite of Zappos, whose 400+ Twittering employees love engaging with customers.  In fact, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh personally engages with customers all the time.  Jeff Bezos on the other hand... 

The real question is when the dust settles who will influence whom regarding customer service?  Will Amazon learn from the Zappos model and offer top-level customer service to its customers? Or will Zappos slowly slip towards providing Amazonian customer service from now on?  Customer engagement is the new marketing and this is where the real culture clash between Zappos and Amazon is going to play out.  May the best customer service provider (Zappos) win….

I know Tony.  He's an incredible leader.  Even though big companies have historically chewed up and spat out those they acquire, I think if anyone can make this work it's Tony and his team.

And while we're on the subject, if you haven’t done a Zappos tour yet, get to Vegas quick and take one.  I promise it'll change the way you think about business. 

Many of you know that I've spent the last six months participating in Seth Godin's Alternative MBA Program.  It's been an incredible experience; one that has changed the way I think and the course of my life – I have met fantastic people, worked on fascinating projects, contributed to a great blog, and most of all, learned from a master.  I'm incredibly grateful to Seth for the opportunity.

For me, this picture epitomizes the SAMBA experience.  Seth, soaking wet after a brief swim in the Hudson, doesn’t miss a beat, and continues, paddle in hand, teaching us life and business lessons.  Not reading to us from a textbook, but rather sharing from his own experiences while creating experiences for us.

Nothing about SAMBA has been conventional. From the interview process to the limited edition MacLeod diplomas, Seth made sure this was nothing like a traditional MBA.  For starters, we spent as much time working on actual businesses as we did talking about business. We learned that the ability to execute on an idea is much more valuable than just coming up with an idea.  We learned how to fight the resistance and how to be brave.

And, Seth showed us by his actions what it means to live a truly generous life.

So, Clay, Susan, Al, Rebecca, Alex, Ishita, Allan, Emily and of course Seth, thank you!  This has been amazing. Each of you have a special place in my heart and a place to stay in Colorado if you ever want to come skiing.

Thank you, Seth, for turning the MBA experience on its head. I, along with the rest of SAMBA 2009, am eternally grateful.

Illic est haud refragatio - SAMBA 2009

It takes two things to have tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.

When you gather people together with a shared passion and give them the tools to communicate - amazing things will happen. People are incredibly inventive and you'll be surprised and delighted by what occurs when you just give people a way to connect.

Having this framework in place makes it much easier to know what to do when a new social network appears.

(Disclosure: PeopleBrowsr and Dan Miller are my clients)

Meanwhile on twitter, YouTube and Flickr, the revolution is being reported, not by the media, but by the people involved.  And the world is watching it unfold, tweet by tweet, picture by picture, video by video.

Seems Gil Scott-Heron was right when he said, "The revolution will not be televised"...little did he know it would be on twitter.

Photo Credit