These are valid concerns. Certainly none of us is looking for more things to add to our crowded “To Do” lists. On the other hand, in today’s global marketplace, with its growing reliance on the social web, understanding how to use new social media is imperative. As Adam Singer, of The Future Buzz, states ”…a vital part of being a modern public relations professional includes testing, tinkering and experimenting with new communications technologies. Google+ is no different, and web savvy communicators should try to be among the first to dive in and get familiar with all the features when released.” And what better way to understand than to jump in and learn by doing?

Here are five reasons it makes sense to sit down, create your Google Plus profile and learn how to use it. Today.

Credibility: today’s marketing and public relations professionals are expected to know how to use the major social networks so that we are able to develop and implement effective online strategies for clients and employers.
Experience: your firsthand exploration will help you understand how (or whether) this network will benefit your clients or employer.
Relationships: the business of marketing and public relations is based on building and maintaining strong positive relationships. Google Plus makes it easy to meet and develop relationships with industry leaders from all over the world.
Traffic and Search Engine Rankings: Google Plus is already driving quality traffic to websites and helping to improve search engine rankings.
Ubiquity: the Google Plus of today is a project still in beta form. But tomorrow? While time will tell, it is most likely that Google Plus will be everywhere and inescapable, as Mike Elgan, of The CMO Site.com states. Content will be easily marked public and immediately converted into searchable, indexed webpages.

So how do you start? For the moment, Google Plus is still an invitation only social network and you must have a gmail address. Invitations can be found all over the web right now or you can email info at allenmireles dot com and we will send you one.

Interested in learning more? Join us for PRSA’s monthly meeting this Friday. We will be covering the nuts and bolts of using Google Plus and will provide invitations so attendees can jump in and get started right after the meeting.

The September 16 meeting will be held at the Toledo Club, located at 14th and Madison streets in downtown Toledo. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch at noon, and the meeting immediately following lunch. Cost is $15 for members, $25 for guests and $10 for students. Reservations are due by noon on Wednesday, Sept. 14.  Please RSVP to Kari Bucher at 419-867-8792 or klbmomof4 at sbcglobal dot net to reserve your seat.

So is it worth your time? Yes. While it’s too soon to tell where Google Plus is heading, especially in its application for business communications, the signs point to the emergence of a vibrant and strong new social network. Remember that the Google Plus of tomorrow will very likely be very different and very much more powerful than the Google Plus we see today.

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]]> http://allenmireles.com/blog/google-plus-for-marketing-and-pr-pros-worth-your-time/feed/ 18 http://allenmireles.com/blog/this-am-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-am-2 http://allenmireles.com/blog/this-am-2/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:41:23 +0000 Allen Mireles http://allenmireles.com/?p=123

Early morning thoughts about social media marketing, PR and strong coffee…

Monday, March 30, 2009. This A.M. started as a study in contrast. My first email was from a friend and colleague who is critical of my passion for social media and declared herself “not interested in all that social media stuff”. This is the same person who wonders why she is struggling to attract new clients.

In the next moment, as I read my Facebook messages, I learned of a new shareable media database available for Twitter users. This free resource allows you to follow and sort media by beat, location, name or media outlet. MediaOnTwitter is populated by Twitter users, vetted by editors and FREE to the entire community. Developed by Sara Evans (@prsarahevans) and partners (known on Twitter as @skydiver, @melissahourigan and @edunigan), the MediaOnTwitter wiki can only help the public relations community by making it easy to follow and communicate with journalists using Twitter. Great example of innovation in our industry—one that will benefit all of us.

Next I stumbled upon a blog post written by Jennifer Willbur, a PR pro some 10 years younger than I, who cautions her colleagues not to become “PR Geezers”, saying the time to learn to use social media effectively is now. She makes the point that her reader may be comfortably employed right now by a company who is considering social media involvement but not making it a priority. How long will it be, she wonders, before the competition gains traction using social media marketing? Where will her reader be then? She closes by reminding us that none of us can afford complacency or fear of the new and unknown. Things are different now, which means WE have to be different. If we don’t make learning social media a priority right now, we’re going to be left behind.

I agree with her.

So where do you stand? Are you interested in learning about social media for your business? Wondering what that even means? Wondering where to start?

Start by attending the first Social Media Breakfast Toledo, which will give you an overview of social media and social media marketing and offer you a chance to network with other business people. The event is scheduled for April 3rd from 7:30-9:30 AM at the Elks Lodge 53 on Holland-Sylvania Rd in Toledo. Tickets are $10 (payable by cash at the door) and advance registration is required because seating is limited. Register online here.

We hope to see you there. We hope you make learning about social media a priority for your business too.

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