7 Hot Technology Trends for 2012

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The thing I like least about prediction stories is the lack of accountability. Controversial, whack-job predictions drive page views, but few of them pan out. Moreover, the writers who make crazy predication are rarely called on to account for their lunacy. Few of us every hunt around for last year’s stories to see whether or [...]

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What PR can learn from Network World’s 2011 top feature stories

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We freelance writers live strange lives. I write regularly for a few publications, Network World being one of them, yet despite the fact that I am a regular contributor I don’t have a ton of insight into the inner workings of that magazine. Which tech trends generate the most interest?  What types of stories – [...]

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7 Hot Mobile Trends 2012

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2011 was a crazy year for mobile technology. iPads took the world by storm. Smartphones steadily replaced (and are starting to displace) feature phones. Carrier IQ put us all on notice that mobile privacy could be a major problem in the coming years, and RIM finally opened up BES to other mobile OSes, which is [...]

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Putting the “social” back in Twitter: How to start a dialogue and stop broadcasting

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At the Mashable Media Summit held in New York a few weeks ago, New York Times television and digital media reporter Brian Stelter shared his insight on connecting with his audience: “We benefit when we listen, but we benefit even more when we respond.” Stelter practices what he preaches. Stelter’s Twitter feed reflects a trend [...]

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Facebook for Business . . . a Skeptic Starts to Come Around

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For someone who writes often about social media, and who occasionally advises companies about how to roll social media into their content marketing efforts, I have a confession that may surprise you: I don’t have much of a business presence on Facebook. In fact, until recently, I was against it. After all, there’s a perfectly [...]

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Bridging the Digital Talent Gap

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Yesterday in the New York Times, Tanzina Vega wrote about the trouble advertising companies are having as they try to keep up with technology. The gist of the story is that ad agencies need more talent that focuses on quantitative measurements, whereas they are currently loaded with qualitative talent. As Quantcast, Alexa, Amazon, Google and [...]

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Highlights from CTIA San Diego

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Back in the dotcom era, I edited high-tech insider investment newsletters and hit a trade show or conference every month or six weeks. I got burned out on them quickly. It was both a good time for shows, since the media parties were insanely over the top, and a bad time, since there was so little substance beneath all of the hype.
Now that I am going more often, I’ve realized that attendance gives me a better sense of the technologies I cover, a sharper view of trends just over the horizon, and most importantly, a deeper connection [...]

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Struggling with Client Expectations

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Are your clients driving you crazy? Do they have unrealistic expectations? Do they inspire in you the desire to brawl like a soccer hooligan? Or in my case, a hockey hooligan?

If so, you’re not alone. Not even close. Nearly 85% of you who have taken my PR Survey report that your biggest headache in client relations is: “Dealing with their unrealistic expectations (i.e., expecting front-page coverage in the Wall Street Journal for an unknown startup).”

If so, you’re not alone. Not even close. [...]

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What I’ve Learned from My PR Outreach

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I’ve been traveling a great deal the past couple of weeks, and along the way I’ve been trying to meet PR pros who’ve signed up for my Story Source Database. The highlight of this trip was a few days in Boston, where I had the chance to meet with Schwartz MSL, MediaPR and March Communications.

I was asked a number of smart, insightful, thought-provoking questions, and I learned a great deal myself. One thing I’ve learned from talking with many of you the past few weeks is that journalists are making your jobs harder than they need to be. [...]

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PR: Missed Opportunities

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The majority of end users that PR reps pitch me are attached to existing case studies, but I’d estimate that as many as 25 or 30 percent are not. If your client’s particular end user is in that minority, it’s the perfect time to lock down a case study…

Marketing research consistently shows that case studies are a critical step in the sales process. If your client doesn’t have good ones, or, worse, doesn’t have any at all, they’re going to have a tough time competing. [...]

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