danleach.co.uk

I get a little bit of stick in the office for being a self-confessed techy but more and more I am finding an array of software, websites, gadgets and tools that allow me to stay one step ahead in the fast-paced world of PR

I thought I would compile a selection of things I kit myself out with to make me a little more PR 2.0:

1. Firefox & add-ons: I took the plunge with Firefox earlier this year and have never looked back. Aside from the speed, stability and usability it provides it also allows you to install add-ons and plug-ins to tailor the software. Pertinent to this post include:

• LinkedIn Companion: Allows me to keep access and my business network at the click of a button (Disclaimer: LinkedIn is an H&K client)
• Foxmarks: Invaluable for working between the office and home. Synchronises your bookmarks across computers so you never have to find that obscure news article you saved during some late night surfing
• Googlepedia: Displays a Wikipedia article next to your Google searches. Excellent resource and time-saver when doing desk research
• Cooliris: Fantastic tool for some one-man creative thinking. Turn your PC into a mood-board in seconds
• TwitterFox: I can’t remember the last time I visited Twitter.com. Tweet and access your feeds from the comfort of your toolbar
• Brief RSS Reader: I know a lot of people like Google Reader but I actually prefer this reader. It’s quick, intuitive and allows me track my 70+ feeds easily

2. Google Alerts: An absolute must for any PR worth their salt. Say goodbye to emails from clients that start, “Did you not see this article?”

3. Factiva Alerts: If you do have access to Factiva you’ll know it provides a useful if not limited service. People tend to overlook its alert service though, which I have found very good. I have it setup to send me an overview email of relevant news articles every morning at 8am. A good indication of what’s on your clients’ agendas that day

4. Mobile Internet / TV: I check the news on a regular basis either through Orange’s WAP site or via Sky News through Orange’s 3G mobile TV service (£5 per month). Increasingly useful as the meetings tot up in my calendar.

5. SpinVox: We all know what it’s like. Leave a 2 hour meeting, turn your phone on…”you have 15 new voicemail messages”. Streamline your voicemail by using SpinVox, a service that turns your voicemails into SMS texts. You’ll no longer be fumbling around for a pen on the 12:05 from Weybridge

6. The Web: Couldn’t really leave it out. But, whilst 99% of it is useless there are some gems in there that every (tech/consumer) PR should have in his or hers bookmarks:

• BBC News Online
• Digg.com
• Mashable!
• Techmeme
• Getty Images
• Wikipedia
• TheWebList.net
• PR Week UK

Follow me, be a geek and amaze your colleagues and clients with your knowledge, speed and creativeness. Just don’t tell anyone that without the web we’d be nothing!

Have I missed any? Let me know!

I sat in on a meeting last week on digital PR with a focus on Twitter to discuss the role that it can (should?) play for our clients.

It struck me throughout the meeting the sense of disbelief there was that companies and brands aren’t actively engaging. This was then followed by the well-publicised PR Week story on FTSE 100 companies not registering Twitter accounts.

Whilst I do think our clients should be engaging in the Twitter movement I also think as PRs it is our role to take the baby steps necessary to encourage this engagement. Forgetting that we tend to be communications early-adopters there is a danger that we go in too strong and make the mistake of presenting a black and white argument (you should be on Twitter, it’s a mistake if you’re not).

The fact of the matter is that the role Twitter has in terms of corporate communications is still unclear and for that reason it is a potential minefield for clients. The service is still incredibly immature and it takes a bold person to take the plunge and gamble brand reputation on a tool that could do more harm than good if not used in the right way.

The first step for clients is to understand what Twitter can be used for and how audiences are using it to discuss their brand, product or service. We should be facilitating that understanding with tools like Twitter Search and HowSociable?, before taking them to the next level of engagement.

Assuming our client’s want to get caught up in Twittermania just because we are is a mistake that could make the long-term argument for adoption even tougher.

PR Week’s Best of the tech blogs…

This week: the transformation of Prices Harry and William from fist-wielding drunks to charity-giving officers. And we’re all freetards apparently…nice!