Imagine writing or editing over 1,000 blog posts in a year. Or what about engaging with over 28,000 followers on Twitter. For Duke Professor Mark Anthony Neal, this is not a dream but a reality. In a previous post, Mark outlined why he considered external communications important as a professor. So if you are not sure why you should blog, revert back to that post first! In this follow-up Q and A, …
Why Professors Should Disseminate their Knowledge and Share Opinions to Public Audiences
Professors have a megaphone to the world. There are incredible opportunities for academics to communicate their knowledge with the general public through traditional and social media. While many don’t for various reasons, there are a number of professors who are doing this incredibly well. One such individual is Mark Anthony Neal, an African American studies professor at Duke University and author …
Storytelling from your student and client’s perspective
We’ve all grown accustomed to marketing content in which the organization applauds itself for its innovation and benefits. In a typical university setting, common overused buzzwords that schools highlight on their web sites are cutting-edge research (where did that term come from anyway?), world-class faculty (in other words, anyone that has earned a PhD), and “elite / leading” (in comparison, to …
Why Public Relations Practitioners Need to Be Organizational Educators
In the old days, it was simple for us communicators. Do some media training for just a few of the top spokespeople in the organization and ensure everyone is on message. Then work on coming up with a story, pitch it in the press and receive a positive clip. Finally, send it to a few people and pat yourself on the back. As we know, that’s all changed. The digital communications revolution has …
Why Individuals within Higher Education Need to Read Spin Sucks
Need a reference point for public relations done right? If yes, read the new book Spin Sucks, Communications and Reputation Management in the Digital Age by public relations thought leader Gini Dietrich. For several years, Dietrich has been a respected voice on how public relations / marketing needs to adapt within the new digital communications landscape through her Spin Sucks blog. I had the …
The blogging machine: #FollowFriday Professor 3, Mark Anthony Neal
#FollowFriday Professor is an editorial series focused on professors’ best practice in digital communications. Every Friday, I highlight one academic who is strategically leveraging the power of digital communications. The goal of this feature is that if you are an academic or thought leader looking to establish an online presence, you will be able to draw on this archive and use it as a source …
Using your blog to showcase press coverage: #FollowFriday Professor 2, Bill George
“#FollowFriday Professor” is an editorial series focused on professors’ best practice in digital communications. Every Friday, I highlight one academic who is strategically leveraging the power of digital communications. I do a quick analysis of what he/she is doing well and provide examples of best practice that can be gleaned from the individual highlighted. The goal of this feature is that if …
What bad content marketers and annoying people at social gatherings have in common
You are at a social gathering and don't know many people in attendance. You are looking to engage in an interesting conversation. Finally, it happens - you connect with a new person and start to converse. However, after a few minutes, you feel trapped. The other person - let's call him Joe - begins a rant about his accomplishments, lavish vacations and how his child won the second grade spelling …
Disseminating research through earned and owned media
There is good news and bad news when it comes to academics disseminating research. On the negative side, traditional media relations is tougher than ever. The media industry is going through constant disruption. Print advertising continues to decrease, according to the latest State of the News Media 2013 Report. Many city newspapers that had been around for over 100 years are no longer in …
Communications advice to all the people giving Marissa Mayer communications advice
It has been interesting, entertaining and alarming to see all the criticism coming at Yahoo and CEO Marissa Mayer following the leaked internal announcement from the company's HR director to ban all telecommuting. Numerous "experts" have voiced their dismay at how the communications was handled. Many of us enjoy being pundits and giving our opinion. Here is mine - unless you have inside …
Using social media to choose a college major
Educational training and job placement go hand-in-hand. Sure, there are exceptions, but for the most part those that graduate from college have a better chance of securing employment than those that don’t. And in the United States, there is some troubling news on this front. The Pathways to Prosperity study by the Harvard Graduate School of Education shows that just 56 percent of college students …
Be a thought leader (and hence a continual learner)
If you are a professional, are you taking action to become a thought leader? If you are a student interested in a certain career path, are you communicating your learnings and building your expertise? If not, you should, says Gerard Corbett, chairman and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America. “Everybody has the opportunity to create value,” Gerry told me in a phone interview. “The …
Why do mothers seem to “get” social media better than CEOs?
Trivia – according to Nielsen, one-third of the bloggers in the world are: a) Chief Executive Officers b) Chief Marketing Officers c) Chief Learning Officers d) Moms The correct answer, as the title of this post would indicate, is Moms! There is much that moms can teach the C-Suite about many topics, but for the sake of this post, I will focus on the practice of blogging and social media …