There is NO Such Thing as Over Communicating

The world of marketing and PR in particular is very interesting to say the least.  Having worked in these fields for longer than I want to admit, because it will give away my age, I can tell you I have pretty much seen and heard it all.  

Naturally people tend to think of PR people as Spin Doctors and they would be..well..mostly right.  However, I would argue that is not always the case.  In my role as the head of PR in a few organizations, I always wanted to tell the truth, be timely and be truly transparent.  This does not always go over well. However, it is my belief that the truth will come out and being the one to tell the story first sets the tone and builds trust. 

Perhaps my favourite story though has got to be one CEO that told me we were "over communicating."  Unfortunately I am not making that up.  I have to say that I was rendered speechless.  Over communicating?  Seriously?  People cite communication problems all the time and never once in my entire career have I heard someone say it was because a person or organization was "over communicating."  In fact, case studies, best practices and real life accounts of well..everything speak about the need to communicate constantly and that there is no such thing as over communicating.  Sadly that organization still suffers from that belief. 

In fact, articles like Creating the Best Workplace on Earth  as presented by Harvard Business Review advocate the need for constant communication stating: "We maintain, though, that executives should err on the side of transparency far more than their instincts suggest.  Particularly today, when trust levels among both employees and customers are so low and background noise is so high, organizations must work very hard to communicate what's going on if they are to be heard and believed."  

While PR practitioners can advise, we don't create magic.  So, the best bet is to remain true to your professional values and follow the Communicators' Checklist as noted above.  What would you add to this list?

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 5 Social  Media Mistakes to Avoid

Getting into social media is easier than ever with the numerous available networks.  What people sometime miss, is the basics however.  The basics will help you showcase your skills, personality and build your network.  So, let's get started:

1.  Failing to use a photo or avatar for your profile - Best practice suggests that you use a photo that will enable someone to recognize you.  Failing to use a photo or using the default image provided, will result in people not following you. 

Contestants at the recent Dreamforce being social! Photo courtesy of me!

2.  Not completing your bio - Remember we are in a social environment.  People want to know who you are.  You want to know who people are.  Showcase your expertise and your personality by completing your bio.  Just be sure to remember your audience and write for that audience.

3.  Having too many networks - You want to be out there so you sign up for three maybe four different networks.  As it turns out, it is a lot more work than you thought.  As a result, you are really only maintaining two.  Take it slow.  Start with one, then add another.  If that isn't enough add another, but wait before adding any more.  Make sure that you understand the volume of work that it takes to manage your profiles.  Rather than add another, you might decide that an existing network is not right for you.  Opting out is better than not maintaining.

4.  Not writing professionally - let's face it, people make assessments based on how we speak and how we write.  Be sure to write professionally in your network.

5.  Failing to be human.  Social media is about being social.  It is about being human - remember that you are human.  You make mistakes and it is ok as long as you learn from those mistakes.  Share what you learn with others.

These are five of the most common social media mistakes.  Check back next time as I cover more social media mistakes to avoid.  If you have some that you would to discuss, please chime in.