By Amanda Miller Littlejohn |Follow  on Twitter at @amandamogul

Did you miss me talking public relations, social media, online PR and thought leadership on the #PRWebChat last Thursday, June 30? No worries! I finally got my hands on the transcript of the chat. You can take a look at the entire conversation here.

If you’re unfamiliar with #prwebchat, it’s a fantastic weekly chat held each Thursday at 2pm on Twitter. #Prwebchat is hosted by, you guessed it, PRWeb. To join the chat, simply log onto Twitter at 2pm on Thursdays and search the #prwebchat hashtag.

I had so much fun chatting with Stacey Acevero of PRWeb and Vocus, and the wonderful community they have fostered over there. Stacey asked me a number of thought-provoking questions on the role of social media in PR so I’m going to share my answers to three of her questions in this post. Again, you can take a look at all of the Q & A (as well as the community input) on the transcript.

Question 1

Stacey Acevero (@prweb/@sacevero): “Social PR strategist” seems to be a new title. Why have you adopted this title and how has it advanced your PR? #prwebchat

Amanda Miller Littlejohn (@amandamogul) A social PR strategist does everything a PR strategist does with a heightened awareness of the online space #prwebchat

I get my clients out there through traditional #media, but I make sure we’re not “leaving money on the table” #prwebchat

To ensure this we also leverage blogs, Twitter, FB, video etc. #prwebchat

I may get my client a speaking engagement, go, live tweet and grab some video of her speech, to post on the blog afterwards #prwebchat

Or I may use the speech as a teaser for an upcoming event by posting a link to the video in an enewsletter #prwebchat

Another example, we look at ways traditional media outlets are using their digital platforms, and see where the clients fit. #prweb

A great #nonprofit example of this is the partnership @mopwaterpr created with a glossy mag. Case study: http://bit.ly/lhiYpN #prwebchat

Looking at #PR activities in this way, the online environment allows me to react quickly and to reach a wider audience #prwebchat

Plus I’m able to leave a digital trail that positively influences the perception of the client #prwebchat

Because when an event or campaign ends, if there was a lot of online activity, there will be tons of new links #prwebchat

New links back to the client’s site (from MSM, blogs, shared docs, etc.) help the client show up more easily in online search #prwebchat

Question 2

Stacey Acevero: Why is thought leadership important to PR and how can I do it? #prwebchat #PR

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: Thought leadership helps you rise to the top, which is what we’re always trying to do in PR. #prwebchat

Thought leadership differentiates you from your competitors, proving you have the superior product or service. #prwebchat

Small businesses can beat out the competition through thought leadership #prwebchat

Thought leadership shows that you’re a leader, you’re creative, you have your own ideas #prwebchat

You can raise your profile and work towards being a thought leader by writing, speaking or even hosting your own events #prwebchat

To start you should absolutely have your own blog, or at the very least, be extremely active on Twitter #prwebchat

The ultimate thought leadership tool of course is a book. It gives you credibility and a platform for speaking #prwebchat

You can apply to attend industry panels, seminars and conferences to showcase your ideas and share your expertise. #prwebchat

Question 3

Stacey Acevero: If a journalist is searching for your company, what is the first thing they should find? #prwebchat #PR #mediarelations

Amanda Miller Littlejohn: Journalists are searching and may need a soundbyte, boilerplate language or photo at a moment’s notice. Put all of that online #prwebchat

They should find your website, blog, and social streams as well as your online newsroom if you have one #prwebchat

If you’re operating without a website, and you have a small business, you’re at a huge disadvantage. #prwebchat

If you’re a speaker, you should have a great bio posted on your website. #prwebchat

If you work on an issue, a journalist should be able to find opinion pieces you’ve written. #prwebchat

If you have a product, journalists should be able to find photos and video demos. #prwebchat

You want to make it as easy as possible for a journalist to find positive information about you or your company. #prwebchat

Don’t wait to get written up by the #media #prwebchat

You don’t need permission. Start sharing your stories on your own digital real estate (website, blog, Twitter, Facebook page) #prwebchat

Thanks so much for reading.What tips do you have for public relations, social media or thought leadership? What do you think a journalist should find when doing an online search?

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