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When he met me recently at a DC Starbucks, James told me how important it is to claim a piece of the social media pie for yourself if you’re a PR person calling yourself a social media strategist/expert (read: start your blog!) Hopefully I’ll be able to get the video footage of that timely interview up this weekend, pending tech support. For now, here’s James:

James S. Walker
Washington, DC
Age: 22
APCO Worldwide
Junior Project Manager, APCO Online
length of time in role: 6 months

Blog: Blog:www.prprescriptions.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jaywalk1
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jswalker

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field?

JW: I discovered PR right around the time I decided to declare a major at George Washington University. I made a call home to check in and mentioned that I was planning to major in Communication. My mother replied: “What kind of job can you get with that major?” I said: “Umm…(scratching head) you know…Communications positions.” At that point, Communication just seemed interesting, but I knew that I would never hear the end of it if I didn’t come up with a good answer, so I went to work.

After reading books, taking career assessments and browsing hundreds of sites, I decided that PR was it. Glad that I figured it out, I called back home and made a compelling case showing how I would get a job in PR. Her response: “So… what exactly will you do?”

Reflecting back on my answer to her then reminds me of the opening for MTV’s The Real World – “You think you know, but you have no idea.” I have worked (internships and full-time) in a number of Communications roles since then, from university relations and special events to CNN’s Crossfire at GW to public affairs and crisis comms shops to a health care communications firm and now a global communications agency.

In my short time in the industry, I’ve worked steps away from James Carville and Donna Brazile, helped prepare for prescription medication product launches, developed materials for patients with chronic pain and diabetes, and proposed social media strategies for tech giants. Each position taught me something new about the industry and myself, allowing me to grow both personally and professionally.

Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about?

JW: I am most excited about the role the PR industry already is and will continue to play in the development, promotion and adoption of social media among businesses and other organizations.

I think the industry is well positioned to not only teach groups how to engage in social media but also to provide communications counsel on how to engage in a way that benefits them and their audiences, the people they serve.

Mopwater: Describe your office and workplace. How many co-workers do you have? Where, how, and how often do you collaborate with them?

JW: I currently work in APCO’s Washington, DC office as a member of APCO Online. The online team in DC is about 15 people strong, but given that APCO is a global agency, we have people all over the world. Officially, I guess you could say that I have close to 600 co-workers.

I mainly interact with people in the DC office, but depending on the projects we are focused on, I may interact with people in 2 or 3 time zones in one day.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day?

JW: I imagine that a typical workday for me is pretty similar to most PR professionals. It involves lots of news in the morning. It’s a mix of cable network news, the Express paper, WashingtonPost.com, NYTimes.com. After that, things get pretty “social” and Twitter takes over as the main source for news.

Once I feel caught up to speed, I can start my general work day. It usually includes the following things:

- online team meetings
- creating email newsletters
- writing web activity reports
- working with designers and developers to create widgets and websites for campaigns
- participating in social media strategy sessions, and
- conducting a great deal of research online, scanning for client/issue-related discussion on a range of topics.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks? Do you love to pitch? Do you dread writing releases?

JW: My favorite PR tasks include coming up with social media strategy, participating in brainstorms and figuring out if and how new tools can work to achieve clients’ goals.

I rarely pitch reporters now, but when I did, I had a love/hate relationship with it. I loved pitching when I had really great information to share, but I hated pitching blindly because of the urgency of the project. I’m at my best when I have time to do some independent research and turn “the pitch” into “my pitch.”

Now when I reach out, it tends to be towards bloggers and I enjoy doing that a great deal.

Mopwater: Describe a recent project where you produced results you were really proud of.

JW: I participated in a new business pitch for a top tier company. When I joined the team, I was tasked with developing and presenting sections on online communication and social media. My ideas were well received and the client shared that they had considered some of things I proposed but were not sure how to proceed. In some ways, it showed a link in our thinking. Given the level of experience and knowledge that they held, it felt great.

Mopwater: What is it like to work in a huge agency that has offices around the world? Do you ever feel like you’re just a number? Are you able to get close to the clients and make them aware of your unique contribution to their projects? If not, does that bother you?

JW: It certainly is interesting working for a global agency, but it has its challenges. The wealth of knowledge shared by co-workers is truly amazing. I can rest assured that if I am not familiar with a specific topic someone in the company is an expert in that area.

The main challenge I’ve encountered thus far is scheduling. It can be difficult to align schedules when you have to do a call with people in New York, London, Brussels and Beijing.

I have never felt like a number. While the company is large, there are a number of smaller teams focused around practice areas (ex. Healthcare, Issues Management, Litigation Communication). One nice thing is that while you do have a focus area, many people work across practice groups. As a result, you meet and work with people from all sorts of career backgrounds.

Mopwater: What’s the work environment like in terms of diversity at APCO?

I think that we are similar to most firms of our size when it comes to diversity. There’s room for improvement, but in order for that to happen, more people from diverse backgrounds need to enter and stay in the field. PR, as an industry, is hurting in this area.

Industry diversity is something that I think about quite a bit, and I have a few ideas about how to improve things. If anyone reading this has resources they would like to share, let’s talk!

Mopwater: What is your favorite thing about working at APCO?

JW: My favorite thing about working at APCO is the interesting work I do everyday. At times, it can be very challenging, but the creative solutions I can join in creating make it worth it.

Mopwater: What do you wish was different about working at APCO?

JW: Probably not what you’re expecting, but I wish I had an office with a window that let in lots of sunlight! That would greatly improve my work experience!

Mopwater: We’ll call our people and see if we can get them to flex on the folks at APCO and get you a window. Do you think you’ll be in this position in 5 years? If not, where do you see yourself?

JW: Will I be at APCO in 5 years? That is likely. Will I be in this position in 5 years? 86 percent sure that that’s a big NO. I’m not even sure my current position existed 5 years ago, so who knows what 5 years of industry development will bring. I’m looking forward to finding out though.

Mopwater: Thanks, James!

But such services have also given any and everyone with an email address access to media contacts. As an advocate of free services, I believe the democratization of media relations is great. But as a former reporter, I know that in the wrong hands, such power can be potentially hazardous.

Dealing with the media requires a certain brand of etiquette, and that may escape an artist or small business doing its own PR.  And that’s completely understandable. That’s why there are professionals that do this sort of thing.

I recently caught up with Jennifer Thomas, a Florida-based travel columnist and editor of an online travel magazine.  She regularly posts queries on HARO.  Should you ever find yourself responding to a posted query, here are 6 tips from Jennifer on how to respond:

1.PITCH ON TOPIC. I know this sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often I receive pitches that have zero to do with my query.

2. ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS POSED IN THE QUERY. Please do not say “I have an expert for you, click here,” or “I wrote about this, visit my blog at X”. I want to hear what you have to say about the query and how you think you or your expert fits in. Do not make me work for it. There are too many people responding to posted queries, so those who actually take time to provide relevant information will likely receive follow up questions or be included in the article.

3.MEET THE DEADLINE. If a deadline is included in the query, please, please, please, respond in a timely fashion.  Just today, I am still receiving pitches responding to a specific query from 6 days ago. The article has already been written. If by chance you or your client fit perfectly into a story, then start off by saying “I know your posted deadline has passed, but I have a great source for you. I’ve included specific content below in case you might still be working on the article. If not, I appreciate you considering this client for any future article opportunities.”

4. PROVIDE THE WEB SITE FOR MORE INFORMATION. You’d be surprised how many pitches I receive, particularly for consumer products, that do not include the Web site. I then have to ask for the Web site, which could be a huge delay if the client contact is not immediately available, or I do a search on my own for the appropriate Web site and it may or may not be the right one the client/source wants me to include.

5. USE CONTACT INFO WISELY. I don’t mind being added to press lists for additional press releases or unsolicited pitches personally. Often this received proactive content might spark a story idea for me. So, bring it on. As a general rule though, only pitch me 2x a month per client unless you have a brand like Oprah.

6. KEEP FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS TO A MINIMUM. If I’m working with you/your client on a story and it is evident that I am including your information, please keep follow up to a minimum. I personally do alert my sources when an article has posted, but that’s not needed…it’s just polite on my behalf. That’s what Google alerts and the pr firm’s searching is for. I ignore the continuous “do you know when it’ll be posted” or “what is your circulation” type questions. Reduce the back and forth please…I am on deadline!!

Paul Duning is the founder of the DC-area’s communications resource Capitol Communicator.  Duning founded CC after he lost a senior communications job during the economic downturn of 2001.  Instead of getting defeated, Duning got busy creating one of the most exciting platforms for communications networking in this region. Read more about Duning’s creative lemons-to-lemonade story of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Mopwater asks: What do you do when you get laid off from your media or PR job?

Answer: Take time to regroup, get creative, and get to work on a completely new endeavor.

Paul Duning, Founder of Capitol Communicator

Prior to starting Capitol Communicator, I   spent 30 months as the merger & acquisition lead for a company consolidating communications-related companies in three markets. During that period, I met with several hundred communications companies across a broad spectrum of disciplines and was instrumental in bringing together 17 companies.

Then came the bust of 2001 and 2002.

My role quickly changed from integrating to re-organizing, which resulted in multiple rounds of difficult layoffs including, in the end, my own.

So I took a bubble-imposed sabbatical and spent the summer traveling with my family. During that time, I was struck with this idea to create a resource for communications professionals.   [I wanted] to bring a community back together that had been terribly fragmented by 911 and the economic downturn that followed.

In early 2004 I met Phil Rabin who, for many years, was co-author of the region’s most respected and longest-running advertising and public relations column. In May 2004, Phil & I launched DC Communicator, an e-mail newsletter, with the sponsorship support of EFX Media, West Glen Communications and Real Magnet. In February 2008 Phil & I launched Capitol Communicator. In a partnership with r2integrated, the Capitol Communicator online community was created using the most current social networking technology available.

Today, Capitol Communicator serves as not only as a community for communicators but as a platform for communications technology exploration.

Duning has had a media diverse career working in production, marketing communications, advertising, media communications and public relations. He started his career as a multi-media producer, designer and photographer, moved into business development and later, management. Duning was an early adopter of multi-media, electronic publishing, digital printing and new media technologies in the 80s and 90s and then was involved in merger and acquisitions for an integrated communications company in the late 90s. In the new millennium, Duning repositioned a traditional video firm into a full-service marketing communications agency and served as COO for a technology-focused public relations firm. He’s a native of Tennessee and graduate of the University of Tennessee with an individualized honors degree in multi-media and business.

Mopwater: What is your name, news organization, current city and beat? What types of stories do you write? How long have you been writing on this topic?

BR: My name is Brian Reich.  I am a blogger and freelance writer.  I post daily/regularly on WeMedia.com, Fast Company Experts, and my own blog – ThinkingAboutMedia.com. I contribute to other publications on a freelance basis.  I live in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  My focus is on media, technology, how political and non-profit organizations use technology to community, and similar.  I have been blogging for 5+ years, and writing about these topics for nearly a decade.  My book, Media Rules!: Mastering Today’s Technology To Connect With And Keep Your Audience, was published in December 2007 by Wiley &Sons.

Mopwater: What kind of stories are you most interested in covering, and in what context?

BR: I am most interested in covering the individuals and organizations who are making substantive contributions to our society and/or facing the most significant challenges because of the changing times.  I write a lot about newspapers and the future of media, about nonprofit organizations, how different communities are using technology/the internet, about the opportunity for political organizations to leverage technology to address social issues, etc. Here’s an example of a recent post.

Mopwater: What’s the best pitch you’ve gotten recently and why?

BR: Honestly, I haven’t gotten any good ones lately.  I’ve been really disappointed by how PR professionals try to pitch me, as a blogger.  I get emails that say ‘Dear blogger’ — when my name is clearly listed on my blog, and everywhere else.  The opening line from a recent pitch read “I know you will be interested in this, so I figured you would want to write about.”  I’m not sure where they got that idea from, the topic (foreign policy) is not something I write regularly about.  No attempt was made to try and develop a relationship with me… it was just a blanket email that included a press release and some other background materials.  I ignored/deleted it.

Mopwater: What’s the easiest way to get ignored by you when pitching?

BR:There are a few things that really bother me: 1) Not doing your homework… it doesn’t take much to run a search on me, read my blog, etc.  If you do, you’ll see what I am interested in, what I write about, who I cover, etc.  If you don’t, then your attempt to pitch a subject on me is likely to be unsuccessful.  2) Not using my name, or treating me with respect.  If we haven’t met, calling me Brian is probably not appropriate — say Mr. Reich — or if you use Brian (which, honestly, I don’t mind) at least acknowledge that we haven’t met, not assume we are already best friends.  3) Dumping a lot of material on me — use your initial email to start a conversation with me, establish a connection.  If I show interest, then you can send along the additional information.

Mopwater: Any other advice for people pitching you?

BR: 1) Remember there is a human being behind every blogger, every writer… we aren’t machines/robots, don’t talk to us that way.  2) If the story you are pitching is boring, isn’t interesting to you pitching, its not going to be interesting to me.  Think long and hard about how to make your pitch interesting so I want to pay attention.  I know PR people are in a tough spot (I have been a PR person myself), they get asked to pitch for clients around things they don’t necessarily believe in.  But that comes across in the pitch and if I sense you are just pitching me, not really passionate about your subject, I”ll tune you right out.

Mopwater: What is your preferred method of contact? Phone, email, your web site, your twitter account, your Facebook?

BR: I don’t have just one – that’s the beauty of today’s communications environment.  I regularly check email, twitter, and Facebook.  I can’t always answer the phone, but I return messages.  My favorite is probably email, because its the easiest to manage and file.  But in the course of a conversation with someone about a subject, for an article or similar, I will probably use all of the ones listed (and more).

To contact me, email brian@echoditto.com, my twitter handle is @brianreich.

Mopwater: Tell us more about you. Who are your favorite journalists? What book are you reading? What are your hobbies and interests outside of journalism? What is your favorite cafe?

BR: I have a few favorite journalists — Adam Nagourney and Virginia Heffernan from the New York Times, Mark Halperin from Time Magazine, Marc Ambinder from the Atlantic Monthly, Chris Anderson from Wired, Roger Angell from the New Yorker, and a whole bunch of independent folks.  I have favorite publications though that I read constantly – Atlantic Monthly, New Yorker, Vanity Fair, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, various regional papers (I grew up in Seattle so I read the Times and PI, I went to Michigan so I read the Free Press from Detroit, etc).  I also listen to NPR a lot, read about 350 blogs, and more.

I’m working on a bunch of books right now, including:

New Rules For the New Economy: 10 Radical Strategies for a Connected World
Barack, Inc
Street Gang  (about Sesame Street)
Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President
And of course my book, Media Rules!

I’m a big sports fan, especially baseball.  I have a 14-month old, so spending a lot of time with him and my wife.

I use Starbucks as my backup office.  I don’t drink coffee, I’m caffeine free – but I like the people watching of Starbucks.

Mopwater: Thanks, Brian. Next week: How To Pitch NPR

Whether you’re a journalist or PR professional, you should be using Pitch Engine. It’s another one of those great 2.0 applications that makes all our lives easier. Pitch Engine allows journalists to browse thousands of social media press releases, and gives publicists the chance to house their SMPRs online for free.  The press releases are easy to link and share on Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, Technorati, etc.  You can even upload photos, video, and audio.

I wanted to try out the service on myself before using it for clients. Check out my social media press release before it expires.

You can imagine my surprise when I opened my e-mail message and  this amazing photograph appeared on my screen.

Kara Bussabarger has one of the coolest PR jobs I’ve ever heard of: she is the public relations manager for a zoo.  When you think about it, zoos have a lot of PR needs; there’s always something going on and they’re always in the news.  I know people in DC were obsessed a couple of years ago with the pandas at the National Zoo.  Seemed like those bears were on the news every day.

Read how Kara’s career path wound its way from criminology to public relations.

Kara Bussabarger

Louisville, Kentucky

Age: 32

Public Relations Manager for the Louisville Zo0 http://www.louisvillezoo.org

Company Size: 150-300 employees, No. 1 non-profit tourist attraction in the Louisville, Kentucky region

What made you get into public relations? I came to public relations through a different course than most. I actually have a degree in criminology and psychology. In that course of study, I would ask a lot of questions to find out the heart of the issue and how to solve the problem. That actually led me to journalism, which intrinsically asks a lot of questions to find the heart of the story. So my background seemed to weave well into where I am today—public relations in a non-profit organization. I like working in the non-profit sector because I am not just working for a bottom line, but also a mission. I feel my work really matters, and there are always wonderful stories to tell.

What do you like best about the field? Being a storyteller. I am a storyteller. But to be a storyteller, you have to have an audience and a story to tell. The degree to which that story grabs and forms a relationship with your audience is the degree to which you are a successful storyteller or not. So to be able to tell these stories, I have to have relationships—with my media contacts and the people on my staff. I couldn’t tell stories without them.

What aspects of the industry are you currently most excited about? I love learning and getting the word out about the Zoo and the great work we do for animals and conservation. So probably the most exciting thing now is the interest in Web 2.0.

Describe a typical work day including your typical work hours. I usually work well more than 40 + a week. There is no typical day, but an example could be: 3:30 a.m. arrive at work for an early morning TV remote, 7 a.m. wrap up the remote, 8 a.m. work on a press release, 9 a.m. answer media calls, 11 a.m. take reporter to interview animal keepers, 10 minute lunch at my desk, 1 p.m. answer e-mails and return calls, 2 p.m. pitch stories to media outlets, 4 p.m. meetings, 5 p.m. leave, and into the night checking my Blackberry …

Describe your office: Do you work from a busy office in the city, do you work mainly from home/a coffee shop? I think I have one of the best offices around—a Zoo! At my office window there are often peacocks strutting by and spreading their feathers and squirrels running and playing. Now if I want to see things more exotic than that, I can travel the world from Africa to the Arctic just by stepping out of my office and taking a stroll around the Zoo. It is a very fun environment to be in.

What types of clients does your company work with and what services do you provide? The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and the State Zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education.

What’s a recent project you worked on that delivered results you’re proud of? What was your role in the project? Interestingly enough, I am spearheading and working on a 50th birthday celebration for Timmy, the oldest male western lowland gorilla in North America. The celebration hasn’t happened yet, but I am already excited about the results of the press release that went out and the media buzz already stirring all across American and on the Internet. I know it will get even more attention the day of. Not only is this a great milestone personally for Timmy, but it speaks to the extraordinary care our animals receive. Louisville Zoo’s award-winning Gorilla Forest is on the forefront of gorilla management and meets the demographic trends of current gorilla populations like geriatric gorillas.

What are your favorite things about working here? The people and animals. Years before I started working at a zoo, I wrote a personal mission statement for my life. It read: “I want to create, edify, motivate and bring about love and fulfillment for all people and animals around me.” I feel that I am doing that at the zoo.

How do you best collaborate with your team (standard board room meetings, conference calls, BaseCamp or other project management tool, etc.) Working at a zoo that covers 134 acres, I have to stay connected to staff and media at all times. My Blackberry is priceless for phone, e-mail and Internet! But nothing is better than face-to-face interaction and some of these meetings can be quite interesting—like meeting with the elephant keepers in the elephant barn!

What do you wish was different at your job? Although I like working in the non-profit field, the pay is not usually comparable like in a corporate setting. So …

Do you see yourself in this job in 5 years? If not, where do you see yourself? I know whatever I am doing it will be something with animals!

Any other pertinent info that would give someone a good feel for your job?

Here are some of the things I do in my position:
· Serve as spokesperson for high-profile organization and one of Kentucky’s top tourist attractions (No. 1 non-profit tourist attraction in the Louisville region) to media and public
· Serve as integral member in organization’s overall strategic planning, brand building and culture initiatives
· Oversee, develop, analyze and implement organization’s public relations strategy, budget and plans, including all media coverage—print, television, radio and web
· Proactively pitch and target new media coverage (local, national and international), as well as develop and nurture existing media relationships
· Act as a casting agent for weekly television segment on ABC
· Host, write, report and produce a monthly local cable television show
· Produce, research and write monthly conservation public radio show segment, including in-depth web component
· Organize, promote and execute press conferences and events
· Design, script and create persuasive copy for speeches, brochures, publications and websites
· Forecast, prepare and manage possible unfavorable issues in the media
· Create and compose press releases, internal Q&As, media alerts, media kits and other business communication
· Provide media training and coaching to integral internal and external team members
· Pitched and secured international television show Animal Atlas to highlight the Zoo for a minimum of three years as well as coverage in Woman’s Day magazine, Sports Illustrated, NationalGeographic.com, Discovery Channel, full-page article in People magazine and much more
· Bestowed the esteemed “Key to the City” from Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson’s Press team for outstanding work
· Awarded the prestigious “Foundation Award” by the Louisville Zoo Board of Directors for “exceptional skill and exemplary work” (was the least tenure person to ever receive the high honor)
· Served as selected representative at Polar Bear International conference in Columbus, Ohio (2007)
· Served as chosen representative for intensive, two-day Joint Information System (JIS)/Joint Information Center (JIC) workshop presented by the Department of Defense for crisis communication

It happened to me a few months ago. One of my clients relies heavily on government funding; about $31 million or so worth of it.  By and large, their programming dollars come mostly from one government agency.  Our city government, like many others around the country, is facing the prospect of furloughs, so millions are getting trimmed from the operating budget.  Naturally, my client’s twice-removed $31 million program ended up on the chopping block.

I knew something was up when I could never reach my  contact directly. When I finally did get her on the phone, she informed me that my invoices were being held up by the funding agency for further review. The funders wanted more details about what I was doing (that hard to define PR work), etc. At the same time, the agency’s financial woes had been leaked to the papers and were all over Internet. I’m no dummy.  I knew where this was going.

My contract, which was actually up for renewal, was put on hold.  One of my specialties is multi-month, multi-year, multi-tier communications and marketing programming, so I couldn’t stop working cold turkey without letting a lot of time and effort go to waste.  Pulling the plug meant that quite a few irons I had in the fire would not only cool, but go cold all together.  A few projects that had stretched out over several months were finally nearing completion. But I was no longer receiving payment, so what was I to do?

I got my answer when a reporter from the Washington Post called me up one afternoon.  I’d pitched my client to her about 8 months before, and had continued to follow up with her every month or so since.  She was calling because she wanted to get my client’s input for a special end-of-year story. Awesome! Just one problem: I technically wasn’t the media contact anymore.

But I refused to let that detail stop me from seeing the process through.   I’d planted the seeds of this coverage so I naturally wanted to take part in the harvest.  So I communicated with the reporter, set up the interview and even prepped my nervous client.  The interview was a success.  My client hit the ball out the park: she gave a great interview, was quoted extensively and came across just as I’d hoped—as her industry’s local expert on this complicated issue.  Everyone at her organization was more than pleased.  And with all of the negative press swirling around the program’s money troubles, receiving this degree of positive coverage was a welcome reprieve.

Then a curious thing happened.  A couple weeks later, I got a proposal from this client to do some consulting for another branch of the organization that wasn’t funded by this city government.   This project wasn’t as lucrative as my original gig, but it also wouldn’t require as much work.  It would tide me over until they got back on their feet.

My client did not have to do this.  I read between the lines.   It was more than apparent that she was finding work for me (and in the process, making more work for herself).  But the unspoken nod to my work ethic was there: she recognized that when push came to shove, I was a professional.  I represented her to the best of my ability with no guarantee of payment. And in the end that professionalism was duly rewarded.

These kinds of situations require that you remain flexible and use your best judgment. Obviously you can’t forego payment every time a client goes through hard times.  But with more and more companies folding or making cuts, the hard times are pretty much guaranteed.  So maybe you should figure out how you will navigate should you find yourself where I did.

Look at the entire situation and ask yourself “Is this a good client?”  If the answer is “Yes,” be flexible.  So I did a little work without guarantee of payment, but in the end it worked out. I was reimbursed and I’m still working with this client. It’s in an abbreviated capacity, but a capacity all the same. And in an economic environment like this one, salvaging the client relationship is sometimes all we can ask.

Miss Ellis is definitely one to watch as she’s only 26, and is already running her own successful shop in Nashville.  This definitely won’t be the last time you see her name.

Aerial M. Ellis

Age: 26

City: Nashville, TN
PR Consultant/Owner
Urbane Imagery

Since 2004

http://www.urbaneimagery.com

http://aerialellis.wordpress.com

Twitter: @AerialEllis

Mopwater: What are your typical work hours?

AE: A typical range of work hours for me could be from 5am until midnight or later. Lately I’ve been attempting to end my day by 10 pm, although that doesn’t always work.

Mopwater: Describe a typical work day.

AE: Honestly, my days can be quite unpredictable but I’ll give it a shot…A typical work day begins by reading tons of emails on my Blackberry. Once I get to a computer, I send and answer more emails and check news clips for client coverage. I check in with clients at some point then respond to any requests from editors, producers and journalists as a result of sending pitches or press releases. Throughout the day, I monitor the execution of any PR campaigns we’re conducting at the time, making sure anything is on schedule and conceptualized creatively. At any given moment, I may get a call from a fellow PR colleague to discuss a project, a returning client needing more help or a prospective client requesting a proposal.Many of my clients and colleagues IM me so we chat about business several times a day.

Mopwater: Describe your office environment: Do you work from a busy office in the city, do you work mainly from home/a coffeeshop? Do you like working this way?

AE: Initially, I worked from home and some of my favorite coffee shops & bookstores. Then a colleague/mentor who was also working from home suggested we move into an office and share the space. I prefer working from an office. While I enjoy the freedom and comfort of working from home, I do like the structure and flexibility an office provides. I feel more comfortable holding meetings in an office instead of at Starbucks or my living room.

Mopwater: How many co-workers/employees do you have? How do you best collaborate with your team (standard board room meetings, conference calls, BaseCamp or other project management tool, etc.)

AE: 1 full-time (me), 1 part-time and 2 interns…We do a lot of team conversations. Everyone knows that can call or email me anytime if they need anything. We chat on Gmail almost everyday because we are not all in the same city or able to meet daily. We also have monthly conference calls where I provide an agenda and we recap all client activity for the month and talk about upcoming assignments.

Mopwater: What types of clients does your company work with and what services do you provide? What’s a recent project you worked where you delivered results you’re proud of?

AE: We service small businesses and non profit organizations by building a foundation for growth through PR/Marketing tactics. Occasionally we work with corporations and other PR firms on entertainment, beauty, fashion and sports related projects.

We represent Sheg Aranmolate, a finalist from the ABC reality show, Oprah’s Big Give, who wrote his first book, iACTUATE:100 Days of Inspiration, loosely based on experiences from the show. We were really proud of the results gained from the publicity campaign for Sheg’s book.

We began with a release party for the book which was a huge success. Then we arranged national appearances, interviews with numerous publications and TV shows and got great book reviews. Sheg is a really good speaker and knows how to engage audiences so we scheduled book signings and speaking engagements before a variety of audiences.

Mopwater: What are your favorite things about what you do?

AE: Great question. My favorite thing about what I do is that there is never a dull moment. Personally, I’ve always been afraid of boredom so this job suites me just fine.  But most importantly, I enjoy leveraging my expertise to help others reach their goals. Seeing the spark in a client’s eye when they read an article about their business that we helped to get placed or when we tell a client their company has been selected for a huge project based on a partnership we forged on their behalf is my absolute favorite thing. It’s very fulfilling.

Mopwater: What do you wish was different at your job?

AE: There’s not much I wish could be different about my job. I do wish, however, that we had a few more interns and staff who were dependable, open to all assignments and meet deadlines. I also wish I could travel with our clients a bit more.

Mopwater: Do you see yourself in this job in 5 years? If not, where do you see yourself?

AE: Absolutely. In five years, I see myself having positioned the company to be among the top 100 PR firms established to take on an impressive list of clients as well as international projects. I also hope to create small specialty firms under one parent company.

Mopwater: Can you offer any other pertinent info that would give someone a good feel for your job?

AE: In PR, writing is king. Good writing skills are key. Not just for grammar or content, but also for style.  I would say that the best way to get a good feel for a PR job is try it before you totally devote your career to it. PR can be very time consuming and jobs in the industry are very competitive.

Research the industry. Learn the details of PR writing and strategies. Discover if there are specific areas of PR you’d like to focus on and whether you’d like to work for yourself, a PR firm or department. Hone your skills and always be prepared to learn new things. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll love it!

Mopwater Follow Up: Since you’re only 26 you’re truly an inspiration to all those who want to be independents in this field. How did you get on this path to success so quickly? Did you do a ton of internships in college? Did you get a great agency job right out of school? I’d like to explain to my readers a little more about how you got your start.

AE: My desire to be a business owner began when I was very young. So when I finally got to college, I attempted to learn as much as I could in the areas of media, entertainment, music and marketing. I interned at a radio station, a record company, an event promotions company and a non-profit organization. I also volunteered for a variety of different projects and events. Although I gained knowledge in all of those areas, I knew I had to develop a niche by identifying what I was truly great at and figuring out how to use those talents to help others as well as make a living.

By my senior year of college, I had proposed a full scale PR campaign to a non-profit organization. Even though they wouldn’t allow me to execute the campaign for them, I used it as a portfolio tool for potential employers and as a launching pad to begin freelance work that would help me build a business shortly thereafter.

With all of my experience and education (bachelors & masters), no one would hire me. NO ONE! I was either overqualified or not a good fit for the position. On an average of applying for about 200 jobs in one year’s time, I probably got around 10 interviews. So at that point, I had to swallow the fear of the unknown and do what I had always dreamed of – become an entrepreneur. I had no money saved, no business plan, no investors – I just did it. I couldn’t find a job so I had nothing to lose. In the meantime, while starting the business, I had lots of people in my corner who believed in me and consistently gave me opportunities including family and close friends. A former professor recommend me for an interim position – Operations Manager for Tennessee State University’s radio station. A sorority sister/mentor aligned me with a job offer that would help strengthen my skills. A local entrepreneur mentored me and allowed me to partner with her on numerous events. And one of my closest friends/colleagues who was building his business at the time gave me leads to potential clients and projects.

I’ve never worked for a firm. But I had to build my own concept of how to run one based on research, facts, resources and pure instinct. With lots of hard work, drive, persistance and prayer, I have been able to do that successfully and I hope to continue.

It’s really tempting to get so excited about the prospect of a new client that you underbid yourself. Not to mention the dynamics of this recession. You might start thinking “Wow, things are really tough right now, and I’m sure they can’t really afford my normal rate. We’re in a recession. Let me lower my fees, so that I can close the deal, just this once…”

But you’re never going to turn a profit if you don’t get paid what you’re worth. And you can’t get paid what you’re worth if you hedge every time someone says they can’t afford you. Furthermore, that will really come back to bite you once this recession is over. Your clients (who didn’t know you were doing them a favor) will think that you’re only worth the peanuts that you charge.

Scenario: You meet with a new client. You absolutely love them. They love you and you’re both giddy about working together. You promise them a proposal/quote for your services and they tell you they’re looking forward to it. You go home, happy and start slaving over the proposal. You painstakingly detail the scope of work and deliverables. You decide how long all of this will take, outline the budget and break down your fees. You submit the proposal and wait.

Then a curious thing happens. You hear nothing. Your phone doesn’t ring, e-mail goes unreturned. Your future client, who was once giddy about working with you has suddenly gone awol. You wonder if they’ve gotten cold feet.

Once you reach them over the phone you find out that while they still would love to work with you, they can’t really afford you, at least not at this time. You quoted them five thousand and they were thinking more like two. You’re disappointed because you think that you won’t be able to work with them. Not true! You can still work with this client, you just have to reconfigure the terms of the relationship first.

And even though your first instinct will be to do so, Don’t Lower Your Fees. I know this sounds counterintuitive. You’re faced with a client who you really want to work with but it seems they can’t afford you. Well they can’t afford all of you, but they can probably afford a piece. You planned to give them 20 hours of your time per week? Cut it down to ten. You budgeted for weekly client meetings? Change that to monthly meetings. Tweak your proposal so that your clients can still get you, just less of you. Lower Your Level of Service, Not Your Fee.

Secondly, Itemize Your Proposal. If you’re not an analytical thinker, this might seem a little tedious and annoying but it’s very useful when you sit back down with the client and try to figure out what can stay and what can go. Make use of outlines and bullets. Break the proposal down by month so that the client can see what you’ll be doing at any given time. If next month is going to be tight budget-wise, your client can automatically look at your list of monthly duties and pick a few things to cut. This way you don’t end up working more hours than you’re billing the client.

Lastly Be Honest. Communicate clearly about what you can and can’t do for a certain dollar amount. Manage expectations so that people realize how much time it really takes to make the magic happen, and then put a dollar amount on your time. Don’t avoid “the talk” just because you think the client will change their mind about hiring you. If you are honest about how much you cost and show willingness to negotiate by changing the scope of work to match their budget, chances are, you’ll get the contract.

At the end of the day, you can’t afford to not get paid what you’re worth. Good clients understand that and are willing to pay for your expertise.

I attended an advance screening of Notorious last night in downtown DC. The movie, about the rise and fall of Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, aka Notorious B.I.G. truly exceeded expectations. This is one of those movies that I would have probably gone to and loved even if I wasn’t already a huge Biggie fan (i.e. Walk the Line-great movie. Johnny Cash? Eh…)

Anyway, the acting in Notorious was first rate, although the “stars” disappointed. Derek Luke showed up and showed out as Diddy (then Puffy) and the little known Jamal Woolard portrayed a lovable and believable Christopher Wallace/B.I.G. However I was surprisingly disappointed by two of the show’s bigger stars: Angela Bassett and Anthony Mackie.

I was surprised by Angela Bassett’s performance as Biggie’s mother: everyone knows Biggie’s mom is West Indian, and Bassett only threw in the accent on occassion. I thought maintaining an accent would have been the easiest way to seem like a believable Mrs. Wallace.

Anthony Mackie also disappointed as TuPac Shakur. TuPac had a very distinct swagger and Mackie just did not capture it. The larger-than-lifeness, the brazen self-assured walk and talk, the sorta hoarse voice, a mix between “I just woke up” and “I lost my voice from yelling”? None of that. If they hadn’t called him by name, I would’ve had to guess who he was (trying to) portray. Disappointing.

But I was oh so impressed by Jamal Woolard who played the starring role. Perfect casting if I’ve ever seen it. He made Biggie a sympathetic and inspiring character. Really communicated that lovable immaturity (did not know that Biggie was only 24 at time of death). Jamal also made Biggie’s charisma and hunger as a new artist/new father come alive. Derek Luke made me like and respect Diddy a lil more-I can appreciate even more his business instincts and savvy. And of course there was the dancing. Love the dancing. “Let’s work!”

I’m not gonna comment on the girl who played Lil’ Kim. I thought she was great, but Kim’s not happy with how she was portrayed and she’d know better than I would, so I’ll leave that alone.

Go see the movie. It won’t disappoint.

The Root is a daily online magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary on today’s news from a variety of black perspectives. The site also hosts an interactive genealogical section to trace one’s ancestry through AfricanDNA.com, a DNA testing site co-founded by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who is also The Root’s Editor-In-Chief. The Root aims to be an unprecedented departure from traditional American journalism, raising the profile of black voices in mainstream media and engaging anyone interested in black culture around the world.

I recently caught up with Root Associate Editor Natalie Hopkinson, formerly of the Washington Post Outlook and Style sections, and co-author of Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip Hop Generation. Here’s How to Pitch Natalie.

The Basics: Natalie Hopkinson, Associate Editor, The Root (www.theroot.com) I assign and edit pieces for this African American interest Web magazine and specialize in cultural essays and multimedia coverage. I started at The Root a week before it launched in January 2008.

What kind of stories/people/companies are you most interested in covering, and in what context? We are African American interest so essays can be pretty much anything under the sun that is of interest to people across the black Diaspora.

What’s the best pitch/query letter/phone call about a story you’ve gotten recently and why? The most recent one that was great was about the cultural-political meaning of the first black Ms. France by a recent college grad who had spent some time there as an exchange student. Also a video series by a comedian.

What are your current “pitching pet peeves”? Too much Obama. Everyone has something to say about him, and we will always have Obama stuff but it gets a little tiring, especially when it is the first piece a new writer is pitching.

What advice can you give writers who are thinking about pitching you? Try to give us stuff that we haven’t heard about. The Ms. France thing I haven’t seen covered much. Also make it unique perspective only you could write about a current topic with enough historical context that will make a 800 word essay both timely and timeless.

What’s your preferred method of contact? My work email is best for the first piece.

Who are your favorite journalists? What book are you reading? What’s your favorite cafe? My favorite journalists. I love Robin Givhan at the Post. No one does cultural criticism better. I also love the New York Times Sunday magazine, always new ideas ahead of the curve and smart. I am reading Patrick French’s new biography of V.S. Naipaul. My favorite cafe is Big Bear Cafe. It is near my house in D.C.

We all know someone in journalism who has lost a job over the past year. Some of us (like myself) started out in journalism, got laid off, and are now working in public relations. Many of my former media contacts are now in-house public relations counsel or are now my competitors on the independent PR scene! So the question becomes, with newsrooms shrinking all over the country, what’s a PR pro to do when her contacts take the buyouts or get laid off?

Bulldog Reporter has an article today that posts some pretty simple tips on what to do when your media contacts move on. It’s pretty standard stuff, but worth reading.  To sum up: get on social media, blog like crazy and make use of twitter to rebuild your media contact list. Read the story here.

Seldomly do I come across game-changers, but this book was definitely one of them. Without going into too much detail (go pick up the book, you won’t regret it) PR 2.0 gave me a ton of great tips that I am already implementing for my clients. For instance, Deirdre writes about how important online newsrooms are for SEO. I’ve improved two online newsrooms just using her suggestions, and I do believe it’s eventually going to make a difference in our search engine rankings.

In PR 2.0, Deirdre also breaks social media, blogging, social media press releases, etc. all the way down and helps you figure out ways to get measurable, affordable results for either yourself or your clients. It’s a must-read, so check out her blog for info about PR 2.0 and her other titles. Let’s get on with the interview…

Deirdre Breakenridge

Age 42

New Jersey

President and Director of Communications for PFS Marketwyse for the past 10 years

Mopwater:What are your typical work hours?

DB:I pretty much work all day and night. A normal day could easily be up to 12 hours. I guess this is typical when you own your own marketing/PR agency. You just never stop. I help my employees with their work during the day and then I do my own work (strategy, writing, new business proposals and reports) at night.

Mopwater: Describe a typical work day.

DB: I get into the office around 8:00 a.m. (that’s after commuting for about an hour and a half). I like to get some “think” work done and prepare for the day before the staff arrives. Usually, mornings are filled with internal staff meetings that include team production meetings, communications meetings and creative brainstorming. I also devote morning hours to operational responsibilities, so that I can work with the accounting office on financial matters or with the project management department. I tend to schedule most of my client meetings in the afternoons whether they are by telephone or in person. I leave the office by 5 p.m. to beat the traffic, but will finish the work day/night at home. It’s no surprise that I’ll still be emailing clients or members of my team long after the normal work day ends, especially if those clients are across the country or in another part of the world.

Mopwater: Describe your office.

DB: I spend four days a week in the office with the staff. We are about 20 minutes outside of New York City, in Northern New Jersey, which is a fairly busy area. I spend every Friday working from home. It’s my favorite day of the week because I feel I can get so much accomplished without interruption. Being in an office is great so that you can interact and brainstorm with colleagues, but there are times that it’s difficult to concentrate. I have an open door policy, so my office door is literally always open. I do feel that you have to be disciplined working at home because there are distractions there too whether it’s the refrigerator or the fact that laundry always needs to get done. But, if you can get into a good routine then you will find the time out of the office is much more productive, not to mention the fact that you want to go back on Monday to see everyone.

Mopwater: What types of clients does your company work with and what services do you provide?

DB:We have a variety of clients in different industries including technology, healthcare, financial, HR, and food manufacturing. Our company is made up of three divisions; Communications/PR, Creative Marketing and Video/Multimedia. Many of the services we provide from PR and advertising to FLASH development and streaming video, help companies to bridge the gap from traditional marketing to new media and Web 2.0. Our clients’ campaigns are customized so that they can interact with the most important influencers, at the right time, to gain maximum exposure and engage in new and innovative ways to build brand loyalty.

I really enjoyed the strategy, planning and launch behind GettingHired.com, a website that helps people with disabilities find jobs. GettingHired is also a social networking platform, so that people with disabilities can interact with peers, service providers and advocacy groups. It’s one of my favorite projects, not only because it’s such a necessary service for the 23 million people who have disabilities, but also because the campaign has traditional elements of advertising, direct mail and PR and bridges over to Web 2.0. We used several successful strategies to interact with new influencers and Web communities (blogging, social networking and social media releases, to name a few).

Mopwater: What are your favorite things about working at PFS?

DB:My favorite things about working at PFS are the people/culture as well as the diverse client base. The culture at PFS is very hands on and proactive. PFS employees take tremendous pride in their work and have been complimented by clients for achieving aggressive deadlines and staying under budget. I also love the diverse client base because you never feel that you are “stuck” in one industry. It keeps your mind fresh. Each employee has the opportunity to learn about a variety of companies and their communication challenges in the market.

Mopwater: How do you best collaborate with your team (standard board room meetings, conference calls, BaseCamp or other project management tool, etc.)?

DB: We have 15 employees in total and I work with all employees in their separate client teams. We collaborate best when we are together in our creative department which is a big open room with comfy chairs surrounded by our computer technology. The atmosphere gets the creative juices flowing when we’re brainstorming. That’s not to say that we don’t have meetings in the conference room. We have our standard production meetings and client meetings in the boardroom setting, and also do a lot of telephone conference calls/Web Ex meetings there for our clients.

Mopwater: What do you wish was different at your job?

DB: I wish I could find the right PR person/Director of Communications to run my communications department and to work with me on strategy/planning for clients. This would allow me to give more focus to my Presidential responsibilities (operations and finance), new business, speaking engagements, interviews, etc.

Mopwater: Do you see yourself in this job in 5 years? If not, where do you see yourself?

DB: Yes, because I own PFS Marketwyse, I do see myself there in five years. However, my role will be more strategy and consultation to clients and less operational. I will also continue with my writing career, and, hopefully, in five years, be on my 8th or 9th book. I have my 4th book, “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations” being published in March 2009. And, I’m in the process of pursuing book #5 with my publisher Financial Times Press.

I think as a communications professional you need to be an excellent communicator (both oral and written), have a lot of energy, be a total “people-person” and enjoy working in teams. As a business owner and President of a company, you need a tough skin, be able to handle stressful situations, and learn the art of negotiations.

New President = New Coverage, New Sections, New Interest in Black Publications

Something told me that Washington, DC newspapers were about to get way more interesting once Barack Obama was sworn in as president. I didn’t even think that black publications and networks would turn their focus to politics, but, duh, the country’s first black president is a big deal to say the least. Black publications are getting officially Obama-fied for 2009, with new reporters covering the White House full-time, new Washington reports, etc. My family had subscriptions to Essence and Ebony back in the ’90s, but cancelled them as the publications grew stagnant to my household. I might actually have to start subscribing to both magazines again…

From Nia-Malika Henderson’s Politico story:

Barack Obama’s election as president is prompting major changes in the nation’s black press, ushering in a series of firsts that editors say will reshape print, Internet, radio and television coverage aimed at African-American audiences.

Essence, the top-selling magazine among black women, will have a full-time White House reporter for the first time. Ebony magazine will add a White House reporter, either full time or as needed. Its sister publication, Jet magazine, will have a weekly two-page Washington report in every issue.

Read the rest of the story here.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had  a great holiday season and are gearing up for a great 2009. As promised, Mopwater is back in full effect today, and as such, I’m launching the much-anticipated “How to Pitch” column.  HTP is going to give you the inside track on how to get yourself or your client covered in print, broadcast and web-based media.

Reporters and editors-are you looking to get more exposure for your work in 2009? Ready to put down the pen (okay, keyboard) for a moment and get on-screen?  Maybe you’ve recently seen your reporter colleagues featured as experts on television news programs, so you’re wondering how you could get on television,too.

To help you get your first television interview, I’ve interviewed  Ferman Patterson, Producer of Reporter’s Roundtable, a public affairs program that airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at noon on Channel 16 in the District of Columbia. Frequent guests include D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Washington Post Reporter Hamil Harris. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the program, here’s a brief synopsis from the DC Office of Cable Television:

Hosted by Denise Rolark Barnes of The Washington Informer, the show tackles the top news items affecting District residents. Viewers will hear issues addressed from every perspective by panelists like Hamil Harris of The Washington Post and Deborah Simmons of The Washington Times. The show takes you beyond the local headlines as these journalists debate what’s in the news and how it will impact DC residents.

I’ve often wondered how reporters/experts get booked on this program as it seems like the guests are pretty much the same whenever I tune in.  According to Patterson, it really depends.

“Sometimes we get leads from reporters or we see a reporter on air and [invite them on],” he says. “Who we choose is based on topic or subject matter.” Recently archived episodes include the same-sex marriage debate, the green revolution and Wall Street vs. Main Street.

Patterson says that RR has a small group of regular reporters that appear on the program often, but he’s open to booking new voices in 2009.  “We’re interested in reporters in print, radio and even bloggers,” he says.

RR is taped once a month, so the month’s programs are generally taped on a single day. Shows are 30 minutes long, but you’ll need to allow for about 15 minutes beforehand for make-up and preliminaries, and 15 minutes after as well. Although the show airs on the local Washington, DC Channel 16, Ferman welcomes both national and local journalists.

To be considered for the show, send Ferman an email stating your specialty and your availability, and he’ll keep your stuff on file should you fit into a future segment.  E-mail your press kit/resume/bio/clips or whatever other promotional material you have  to ferman.patterson@dc.gov and tell him Mopwater sent you. Happy pitching!

Next Week: How To Pitch The Root.

From the job description:

The Brookings Institution seeks to fill a Director of Communications position. The Director of Communications through leadership and counsel, brings the communications perspective to bear on all aspects of the Metropolitan Policy Program, and helps Metro use communications effectively to reach its goals. Working closely with the program’s deputy director and the Brookings Office of Communications, creates aggressive campaign to deliver Metro’s point of view through print, broadcast and new media as well as through other traditional and nontraditional communications tactics, including new media. Creates communications strategies and plans and leads and manages plan’s tactical implementation.

Check out the entire announcement here.

APCO Worldwide, a global communication consulting firm, is seeking an experienced media relations professional with expertise in the areas of litigation and crisis communication to join our team. This position will be responsible for managing projects, designing and executing public relations campaigns, responding to media inquiries, providing clients with media training, and writing and distributing press materials. This position will require extensive travel. Qualified candidates must have a strong track record for media outreach; excellent writing and editing skills; BA/BS degree; knowledge of or experience in the government investigation process; and 6-10 years of journalism or media relations experience.

So if you’re in DC, have great experience, and you’re looking for what sounds like a pretty stressful gig with travel, apply here.

As you may recall in Why Twitter (Part I), I promised to follow up with more ways that you can use Twitter for business.  If you’re a business owner/entrepreneur, artist, celebrity-in-the-making, you need to get on Twitter. Here’s why: Your customers are on Twitter.  Your would-be customers are on twitter. And more than likely, the competition is on Twitter.

Let’s say you sell…uh I don’t know, post-it notes (first thing I saw on my desk, sorry).  So anyway, you’re selling these post-it notes and you set up your Twitter page online.  You’re following a few people and you’ve got your mom, cousin and best friend following you back. But that’s it. You’re thinking “How in the world is this silly page gonna help me sell more post-it notes?” Let me tell you.

Think of your twitter page (facebook page, LinkedIn page) as this business card that just hangs out on the web. How many times have you given your business card to someone and they said “Okay, thanks. I’ll keep you in mind.” You knew right after giving them your card that they weren’t going to phone you the next day wanting to buy from you.  But that was okay. Because at the end of the day you told yourself, “hey if this guy ever needs some post-it notes, he’s probably going to think of me first.”

Which is kinda how it works. You’ve got this page and you’re linking to your blog or web site. You’re learning your way around, you’re amassing a few followers, you’re getting into the threads, you’re contributing to the conversation.  Inevitably, a total stranger will either start following you and click on your web page link, or see your page on someone else’s list of friends, and click on your link. They see your site and think, “Khadidja at the office was just complaining about our post-it guy. I’ll forward her this link: maybe we can start ordering our post-it notes here instead.” Voila.

Sure it’s not gonna translate into a million sales overnight, but as a part of your long-term marketing strategy, you will eventually see results.  Remember:  Increased visibility will eventually foster increased brand awareness, which will inevitably lead to increased market share and higher profitabiltity.  In other words, microblogging  (twitter) = $$$

Next time : What do I tweet about?