A Version of this article first appeared on BlackEnterprise.com

The week or two before the New Year, I found myself listening to the Miles Davis station on Pandora, channeling my creative energies  and charting my course for another year. One day while sitting at my desk in “brand planning” mode, I came across a great book I read earlier this year. Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks Webinars (and More) that Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (Wiley, 2010) is a treasure trove of ideas for how you can create content, recycle content and “feed the content beast.”

As I flipped through the pages and saw my own notes scribbled in the margins, I thought of how seldom business owners take this strategic approach. One of the things I’ve noticed when working with solopreneurs, small business clients and even non-profit organizations is the overwhelmingly ad hoc approach to creating content for the  web. I get it: small business owners are short on time and short on staff. We wear so many hats that it’s easy to forget the importance of planning. But planning is the best way that you stay on message and continually reinforce your brand.

Here are a few simple ways to approach your branding and social media

Think Thematically. What’s your brand theme for  this year? My theme is leverage-I’m leveraging all the work I’ve done up to this point to get to the next level. Everything I do will in some way drive this point home. If you really want to go crazy and plan for great content, give each month a theme.

Think Daily. What brand-enforcing content can you create every day? You may love Twitter like I do, so updating your status daily (or even hourly) is no problem for you. But what if your audience is not on Twitter? You can always apply the same approach to LinkedIn or Facebook.  Love taking photos from your life or to show off your business? Share a photo each day on Instagram. The point is to do something you already enjoy. Make it fun and don’t overwhelm yourself.

Think Weekly. Every week is a new opportunity for you to supply your audience and potential customers with relevant information that, when done right, will lead them back to you. If you aren’t blogging, this is definitely the year you should start!  But what should you write/blog about? I personally love meaty, how-to information that helps me solve problems. I create that kind of content and I look for that kind of content from others. What do you love to find on the web? Inspirational content? Funny content? Chances are, you will enjoy creating what you already love to consume online.

Think Monthly. If you’re in business, you probably publish a monthly newsletter. But are you recycling content from your blog posts or Twitter updates? Does your business host customer appreciation events? Maybe you should. Present much? Get some extra mileage out of those Powerpoint presentation slides, and share them to Slideshare and/or Scribd, creating a monthly presentation share.

Think Quarterly. If your audience can only get it 4 times each year, chances are, they’ll pay attention! What’s going on each quarter in your industry? You could publish a report on quarterly trends or a quarterly ebook with your latest case studies.  I love a good quarterly networking event. Last year, I started the networking organization ColorComm: Women of Color in Communications with my friend Lauren Wesley Wilson. We started in May and hosted an invitation-only networking luncheon each quarter following that one in Washington, DC. You could create a similar event to connect industry leaders in your town.

Think Semi-Annually and Annually. What special event can you create once or twice a year?  Does your organization coordinate a conference or annual meeting? Do you have an annual sale? Capture the content and create lots of info nuggets from it-tweets, blog posts, videos, etc.

You hopefully have already snagged your copy of my free BrandCal Creator that will help you outline content direction. If you haven’t, you can get your free copy  here.

Wanna know how others are planning? Check out what a foundation communications director had to say about the BrandCal Creator:

I discovered the Brandcal Creator when Amanda tweeted a link to it. I downloaded it immediately because I was in the process of creating a 2012 communications calendar for Washington Area Women’s Foundation and was looking for ways to organize all of my thoughts. The Brandcal Creator helped me focus and inspired me to come up with some new ideas. The most useful feature was the second page, which asked me to break down the content I was committed to providing daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually. It’s only January, but I’m already thinking about the content we need to be producing by the end of 2012, and I have a place to put my ideas for projects that I won’t be able to get to for months. After filling out the third page, which asked for monthly themes, I posted a calendar in my office with this month’s theme at the top, along with some ideas for blog posts. The Women’s Foundation staff really liked the calendar and was inspired to sign up to write their own blog posts. I think that having a theme really helped them come up with ideas for topics they’d like to write about. Their posts will not only drive traffic to the Foundation’s blog and raise awareness about the issues we’re working on – this is also an opportunity for them to share their hard work and unparalleled expertise with our community. The Brandcal Creator was so helpful that I felt a little guilty downloading it for free – but it’s for a wonderful cause!

-Mariah Craven, Communications Director Washington Area Women’s Foundation

Let me know in the comments – how have you approached brand planning and strategy for your business?

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board that allows users to share images/links they find interesting or inspiring. Once shared, these images become “Pins” that can be placed on thematic “Boards” that users can customize for any topic. Once something is pinned, it can then be “repinned” by other Pinterest users.

So what?

In addition to “humanizing” brands (the buzz term these days) by letting customers know what you’re into, what you like, etc. – there’s serious potential to drive sales here. If you are selling tech products,  apparel or even food – getting images of your products pinned and repinned can literally drive customers to your door step. At the very least pinterest will drive traffic to your web site  where customers can proceed to place an order or make a reservation.

Get your pins in front of the right audience or an influential pinner, and you may see your products flying off the shelf.

Check out monetate’s great infographic that shows you 10 important facts about Pinterest.

Quickly – 5 Reasons to Use Pinterest:

1. Promote a lifestyle

2. Focus Group

3. Crowdsource

4. Run contests

5. Inspire your team.

I sense that these 5 reasons are only scratching the surface of Pinterest’s potential. How are you using it?

See Also: Pinterest – More than Retail

Shameless plug – Follow me on Pinterest @amandamogul :)

A version of this article orginally appeared on BlackEnterprise.com.

For many business owners, becoming more active on social media was a business resolution you made for 2012. You know how to approach your social media content and how to use social media to attract new customers. But once you are active on different social media sites, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the online mentions of your brand, and managing your online presence can become overwhelming. Worse yet, you may be missing opportunities if you’re not measuring social media effectively.

I reached out to four social media professionals who manage social media for clients around the world. Here are some of their favorite tools to manage, monitor and streamline social media.

James S. Walker (@JayWalk1)

Manager, APCO Online and Founder The Social Diverse Project http://sociallydiverse.posterous.com

“Hootsuite is a Twitter based solution I love. Its capabilities have expanded over the last few years, but I have been able to manage personal and client Twitter accounts from this platform without issue. A big plus is the ability to schedule tweets. When I’m on the go and working across timezones, the ability to share information  (when I want to share it) regardless of my location is priceless,” Walker says.

“Manage Flitter can be an important tool for those of you who know exactly who you are targeting, Once you start to build a base of users, it takes work to maintain a connection with everyone, and you might lose a few followers along the way. Manage Flitter will help you get a sense of light and heavy users (in terms of Twitter activity) and it will also let you know who among the group of people you are following is not following you in return. You may have provided great value to a follower at one point, but now, they’ve lost interest. Using this too, you can see who you might need to reach out and touch directly to build their interest again.

“TweetStats is an oldie but a goodie. This Twitter analytics site pulls up several charts to help you understand the network of any given user. The section most interesting to me from a business perspective is when a user tweets during the day. If you have a few targets on Twitter and are able to view their data via TweetStats, you can see when it’s the best time to get your message on their screen. ”

Meredith Leigh Moore (@Meredith_MCD)

Director, External Relations and Brand Outreach for McDonalds Corporation

“I’ve used Cotweet and Radian 6 as part of our official McDonald’s Twitter team,” says Moore. “There are pros and cons to both, but the ability to analyze a user’s influence on the public and history with your organization is a crucial benefit for both. The feeds for both are easy to understand and are good for a business with multiple administrators behind the scenes to make it seamless for the audience.”

Michael Street (@StreetForce1)

Account Supervisor, MS&L Group

“Bit.ly is for measuring clicks and various other analytics from your social media campaigns,” says Street. “This is a free tool that I use on a regular basis for my clients. More recently I used this for tracking clicks, top referring sites, and other metrics for live streaming a concert in New Orleans.

“EdgeRank Checker helps you learn when is the best time to post content to your Facebook page and what content is working the best for you and what’s not. The cost is free for limited stats and $15 for more robust metrics and analysis. I use this tool to monitor engagement across all the accounts that I manage for various clients.

“Hashtracking allows you to measure the impact of your twitter campaign my measuring the activity, retweets, and impressions related to your campaign’s hashtag. This is a free tool to use and I’ve used this for various clients/campaigns such as Belvedere Vodka’s World Aids Day campaign.”

Lesly Simmons (@LeslySimmons)

Founder & Strategist, Digital District Group http://www.digitaldistrictgroup.com

“Google Analytics is the way to go for those needing more advanced tracking over their social content,” says Simmons.  ”Most people only know how to use it for website monitoring, but there are really rich social monitoring tools built in that can tell you how your content is spreading across the web via social media. It takes more time to understand how they work, but if you’re looking for robust reporting, this is the way to go. And it’s free!

“Google Alerts is the easiest way I’ve found to get regular updates without constant searching if you’re tracking a specific topic. Enter your keywords and the results come to via email, either in daily digest form or as they appear. This is perfect for events with a specific name to see the conversation

“Google Reader is still the easiest and best way to find, follow and engage with blogs (which are not going away any time soon). Google Reader now integrates with Google+, so shared posts appear there, which may require additional monitoring for people not already active in the space. For keeping up with blogs I still haven’t found an eaiser solution.I’m clearly big on Google! I’ve been testing a lot of newer tools in recent months, and haven’t found anything that tops these at an affordable price point. I’ve actually recommended getting rid of some of the pricier tools for larger clients, and really harnessing the power of these, with some success. All of these are available on mobile as well as desktop formats, which is huge for me if I’m on the road and need to access or update something quickly.

“Evernote is a general productivity tool, but its a perfect repository for ideas related to blog posts. I create notes with any kind of content, from a photo to a URL on any computer or device and have them sync seamlessly. When I am ready to use the information, I just fire up Evernote wherever I’m working and all the information I’ve shared appears without me needing to track it down or remember where I saved something.”

Happy New Year!

It’s been a busy few weeks around here with the holidays and two small children in the house. I managed to stay awake last night to see the ball drop at midnight. After a couple of glasses of champagne, I will admit that I was asleep shortly there after.  But before eventually succumbing to sleep, I got to thinking about the year that just passed.

2011 was not without its ups and its downs. The economy hit my clients hard and they had less money to spend on their public relations, marketing and social media. There were a few really slow, scary months. But a funny thing happened, during the slow times. I kept providing useful, relevant content to my audience. And you know what happened? Things eventually picked up. I got an opportunity, then a bigger one, and then an even bigger one.

One day this past summer, I was sitting in the grass near the Georgetown waterfront when I got a phone call from an advertising agency owner.  She was in her office, looking over an RFP to create a social media plan for a major government agency. “When I got this in my inbox, I immediately thought of you,” she said.

Now, I don’t physically see her often; maybe once or twice each year. “I always get the most useful social media information from you,” she said. “I knew exactly who this RFP was for, even before I finished reading it. I knew you were the person they were looking for.”

By staying there in the background, pumping relevant information into her newsfeed and being useful, I stayed top of mind.

If you’re building a personal brand, how are you staying top of mind? You already know how important it is to create content. But are you creating content that truly builds your brand, every time?  Is your blog reinforcing your personal brand? Are your tweets, status updates and even instagram photos doing the same? If not, it’s time to get your content and your brand in alignment.  Since we have a big shiny brand New Year sprawled out before us,  let’s strike while the iron is hot!

I put together this BrandCal Creation tool for you to help you plan. Print it out, fill it in, and put it some place you can see it and refer back to it all year long. You can grab your free tool here.

Until next time,

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 Continue Reading

How Online Search, SEO and Social Media Have Changed the Face of Public Relations

By Amanda Miller Littlejohn | Follow on Twitter @amandamogul

Back when I was a newspaper reporter, whenever I got word of a new story, I immediately headed to Google. I wanted to find out all that I could on my potential story subjects.  And if I didn’t do my due diligence prior to editorial meetings with my editors and other reporters, I’d look like a jerk when I couldn’t answer basic questions about why the story was newsworthy.

If a company, organization or person pitched me and they had no online presence, they were already at a disadvantage, ESPECIALLY if they had competitors who were better optimizing the online space.

That was about five years ago, so imagine how things have changed. I lost my newspaper job when the paper downsized, and since then I’ve watched as newspaper colleagues have born the brunt of a shifting industry; they’re working longer, harder, posting incessantly and struggling to keep pace with the 24-hour news cycle.

Tweets are now taken as short-hand quotes; a cursory Google search and email interview may be the only interaction a journalist has with the subject before the story goes live. So, a question. If a journalist is searching for your company, what are they going to find?

As a DC-based public relations professional, I find myself on the other side, making sure my clients are going hard on the offensive by populating the web with content they want to share. Through publishing blog posts, tweets, videos, status updates, white papers, surveys and other pieces of content, I make sure my clients get to tell their stories first.

I recently attended the Vocus Users Conference in downtown Baltimore and got a chance to talk briefly with Lee Odden of TopRank Marketing-the industry leader in online marketing and SEO matters. Lee was gracious enough to answer the question of how online search and social media have changed the face of PR. Please forgive my iPad production-it was my first time using the iPad to shoot a video interview.

Just who is using social media for college admissions? Looks like it’s not just HR managers who are perusing social media profiles. Admissions directors check candidates out on Facebook, too. But not to worry. According to Kaplan, 62% of admissions officers reported that social media profiles helped applicants get accepted, instead of hurt their chances.

Filling out grad school applications? Go ahead and send the admissions director a friend request on Linkedin. But before you do, just make sure your profile puts your very best foot forward and is completely up to date.

Courtesy of: Schools.com

Thanks for reading. If you want more social media tips and tools delivered to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter. You can follow me on Twitter @amandmogul. Toodles!

I live online. Most people live in houses or apartments. I live in this alternate media driven universe. When the information is flowing, particularly information on media, journalism, public relations, storytelling-nothing matters. After observing that I hadn’t eaten a meal all day and was glued to one screen or the other, my husband once asked me if I simply drank coffee and ate Internet .

In my daily life, I often talk in terms of hashtags and DMs and it’s easy to forget that not everyone exists or works in this digital world, or uses the online tools everyday in their work.

I recently sat on a panel of journalists who were talking to the community non-profit and small businesses owners of Philadelphia. The topic was digital journalism and social media. I was in a room where the majority of people in the audience were NOT on Twitter. Whoa.

But after I stopped to think about it, maybe I’m the weirdo. Because everyone doesn’t live online. Everyone doesn’t eat Internet. So it’s understandable that some people are still wondering why Twitter is valuable. ( However I think the way journalists are covering events in Egypt should answer how critical these tools are ).

Saturday’s panel inspired me to  put together this guide for social media beginners. Media Access: Essential Online Tools for Small Businesses and Non-Profits is a free reference tool: a curated list of the most essential social media tools non-profits and small businesses should be using. For many of you this information is second nature. But remember that there are a lot of people out there who are  just getting to know the tools we depend on and take delight in every day. Hence the name (and theme of the workshop that inspired this document) Media Access. Please share this information with the community non-profit leaders and small business owners in your network.

Need help managing it all? Try Social Media Management Tool – Sprout Social

Want more valuable tips like these? Order your copy of the Mopwater Manual.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn is a writer, public relations consultant and media strategist in Washington, DC. Follow her on Twitter or offer her new workshop ideas on Facebook.

According to the Mobile Future Year in Review, location rose with Foursquare clocking 5 million check-ins in 2010 versus only 200,000 in 2009.

But influential tweeps have noted that geo-location is, frankly, played out.

As Jim Long tweeted over the weekend, geo-location has lost its luster for him.

As Jim mentions in this tweet, Brightkite just killed its check-in function. And as he tweets, “the shine is fading on the whole location thing…”

As I mentioned a few months ago, I found my favorite coffeeshop via Foursquare. And whenever I go to a new city, I still browse Foursquare search for coffee recommendations, scouring the tips left by people I trust. But in terms of checking in, I don’t do so nearly as much anymore.

I don’t check in to win.

I generally check in to a.) remember where I’ve been just in case I want to go back or b.) let my network know about a place that has a minimal social presence.

Now this isn’t to say that geo-location isn’t important to me. It is. I think it is amazing to be able to find out where friends are going, what they think of the places they’re frequenting–especially in other cities.  And I counsel non-profit organizations who don’t see the point of Foursquare to definitely use it for meet-ups and conferences. Geo-location is not just for storefronts.

But my use of Foursquare is much more utilitarian now. I’m not really playing games. I’m not even that interested in deals. I just want to know what’s near me, and what my social network has to say about the place. Sometimes (not always) it’s also nice to know that a friend is  nearby so that we can link up. But honestly, I could care less about winning anything, even badges or mayorships.

What about you? Is check-in dead?

This video from Mobile Future sums up the year in mobile quite nicely. Last year, 300 million apps were downloaded, but in 2010 the number of apps downloaded jumped to 5 BILLION. These are almost incomprehensible numbers, but they surely tell us that mobile is the now of the web. Got some content? Selling a product? Want to reach consumers? Apparently, a website isn’t enough. It’s time for an app.

Another interesting nugget: According to the Mobile Future Year in Review, the iPhone was the most popular camera used to upload photos to Flickr. How huge is this considering the iPhone’s main functionality is not its camera? It’s not called, after all an iCamera. And it doesn’t even have a flash.

Apple owned 4 of the 10 Technology Trends on Twitter. The iPad, which was released in April, was the number one Tech Trending Topic on Twitter in 2010. And the number 6 overall worldwide trending topic on Twitter this year.

The Mopwater signature event Twitch! Public Relations in the Age of Social Media is once again upon us! To be held next Thursday, November 11, 2010 from 6:30pm-8:30pm, this Twitch will feature a mix of local (DC) and national journalists and editors.

About Twitch: [Twitter + Pitch = Twitch!] Social media have revolutionized both the way reporters gather news and the way public relations professionals must interact with the news media. Twitch! will discuss how journalists are using social media to discover stories, find sources, and keep their audiences informed. Our panel will include Washington, DC journalists from the print, online and broadcast media industries for a fun, informative session.

Register Now

Use the hashtag #twitchdc on Twitter

Yanick Rice Lamb is the Associate Publisher and Editorial Director for Heart and Soul Magazine, the nation’s premiere magazine for African-American women’s health and wellness issues. An editorial veteran, Yanick’s editorial positions have included Editor-At-Large for Essence Magazine, Editor-in-Chief for BET Weekend and Assistant Style Editor for the New York Times. @yrlamb

Holly E. Thomas is a feature writer for the Washington Post Magazine, where she covers the local creative scene, interior design and DC’s fascinating cultural underbelly. She has covered fashion, shopping and beauty for the Post for the past five years, penning a weekly shopping column, reviewing beauty products, photographing stylish folks on the street and hosting weekly live discussions on the Washington Post website. @washpostfashion/@hollyt81

Sarah Godfrey is a music and entertainment writer for TBD.com. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Washington City Paper, Spin, Rolling Stone and the Da Capo Press “Best Music Writing” series. She lives in Washington, D.C. @sarahgodfrey

Kate Michael truly knows DC. She was crowned Miss District of Columbia in 2006 and now produces The District Dish. Known in social media circles as “K Street Kate” Kate’s in-the-know city savvy has been picked up by NBC who hired Kate as a contributor for NBC Niteside. Kate also contributes to Let’s Talk Live DC on News Channel 8. @kstreetkate

Lifestyle and travel writer Johnica Reed has racked up over 300,000 miles in the past two years jaunting from Africa to Asia to every continent in between. Covering restaurants, upscale hotels and spas all over the world, she writes for Black Atlas, CuisineNoir, Centric, Huffington Post and Essence.com. @johnicareed

The moderator is yours truly. Amanda Miller Littlejohn is the founder of Mopwater Social Public Relations and the creative visionary and writer behind the Twitch! Public Relations in the Age of Social Media event series and the popular Mopwater PR + Media Notes blog. A frequent speaker and writer on industry topics, Amanda is an idea oven and brand problem solver working at the intersection of public relations, journalism, marketing and social media. A former journalist turned PR innovator, Amanda leverages blogs, Twitter, Facebook and video campaigns to build buzz online and off. @amandamogul

Margie Newman @MargieNewman Founder, DC Flacks Communications Manager at PEW Blogger at FlackRabbit.com My Literal Homegirl (we’re both from Nashville!)

Kelly Ferraro @KellyLFerraro Co-Founder and Editor, WelcomeOmDC Digital Strategist for OgilvyPR Recovering Lawyer

Candice Nicole Mackel @CandiceNicolePR

Owner of CNPR
Entertainment Publicist
Co-Creator of the PoweR Connection

If you’re planning a conference, workshop, webinar or any event where knowledge will be shared, please use a hashtag. Even if you’re not into Twitter. Even if your organization isn’t into Twitter. Use a hashtag anyway in the event that one of your attendees wants to live-tweet your conference, seminar, workshop, webinar or speech and share  your wayward genius with the world.

Here are my tips for using Twitter for your next event.

1. Search the hashtag (Twitter search) and make sure no one else is using it. There’s nothing worse than announcing your official hashtag only to have one of your more savvy event attendees point out that the hashtag is already in use. How embarrassing.

2. Register the hashtag. It’s not really yours unless you register it, and you can’t get a transcript of the tweets after the event is over unless you register it. Use wthashtag.com

3. Every time you mention the event, mention the hashtag. Every. Single. Time. Mention the tag in your web pages, blog posts, press releases, postcards, flyers, posters, direct mail, e-blasts, digital signage, banners…you get the idea. Think of the hashtag as just another bit of contact information for your event attendees, like the web address or phone number. Think “they won’t be able to get there if they don’t have this hashtag…”

4. Mention the hashtag as early as you can. If you get an early start to your marketing, get an early start to the mentioning of your tag. People will start to wonder what it’s about so they’ll start searching it to find out who else is using it and what it’s about. If you start using the tag before the event as opposed to the day of the event, you’ll have a better chance of getting more people to sign up for the event. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a hashtag take over my timeline and wonder to myself “why didn’t I know about this…Had I known about it, I would have been there.” So as soon as you start mentioning the event, mention the hashtag. Get it out there.

5. Include the hashtag in media guidelines. If news were to break at your event, a reporter in attendance would be able to at least tweet something  on the hashtag before following up with a more detailed story later. Plus, the media don’t want to have to search for crucial details like keynote speaker names, why would you make them dig for the event hashtag?

6. After the event, provide a transcript of  all hashtag activity. Post it on your organization’s blog or send out the link in your post-event newsletter recap. It’s a nice touch.

Need help managing it all? Try Social Media Management Tool – Sprout Social

Want more valuable tips like these? Order your copy of the Mopwater Manual.

Charlene Li, who has been named as a woman to watch by Ad Age, is a digital thought leader and the author of the best-selling book Groundswell and the newly released Open Leadership. When talking social media messaging strategy, she advises clients to “be out of control”  and once they lose this control (particularly on social media platforms) she coaches them on how to get comfortable again in the new media environment.

This morning, she spoke to a group of journalists at the PRSA conference after her keynote. Here are just a few of her thoughts on social media and the future of media.

Need help managing your social accounts? Try Social Media Management Tool – Sprout Social

Becoming a PR influencer-yesterday’s session with Deirdre Breakenridge, Geoff Livingston, Mark Drapeau and Sarah Evans was one of the best sessions that I’ve attended at the PRSA conference. There,  Sarah Evans shared her thoughts on becoming a PR influencer, her journey to starting the #journchat community, Commentz, the concept of “servant leadership” and the Sevans network.

Maybe it was her heels, but she seems really tall in person!

Fun fact: PRSarahEvans was Sarah’s AIM handle, and she chose PRSarahEvans because SarahEvans was taken.

Author Deirdre Breakenridge, Geoff Livingston, Sarah Evans, and Mark Drapeau will be presenting tomorrow on the panel Become a PR Influencer to Drive Business Value at the PRSA International Conference in Washington, DC. I caught up with Deirdre today, check out what she has to say about tomorrow’s panel:

Next week the District of Columbia will be crawling (more than usual) with communications professionals, publicists, crisis comm experts and the like as that New York-based Public Relations Society of America brings its International Conference to Washington, DC.

Clearly I am excited to attend the PRSA International conference this year. For one, it’s in my city, so no traveling. AND I still get to make it home post-sessions to tuck my kids into bed. For two, it’s chock full of friends, mentors, and others whom I admire. I am excited about sessions by fellow DC PR pros Andy Gilman of CommCore (celebrating 25 years in business this year), James Walker of PR Prescriptions, Heathere Evans Keenan, Robert Udowitz and Ms. Measurement herself, Shonali Burke. And for three, I will be attending the conference on behalf of Mopwater PR + Media Notes, covering the confernece as an official blogger.

In addition to my DC locals, I will be able to hear presentations by my friend and mentor Deirdre Breakenridge, and the always informative Lee Odden of Top Rank. The last time I heard both of these two phenoms speak was at the Vocus Conference in June, which was also (lucky for me) right here in DC.

I’m not saying I won’t travel for a conference, but when the conference comes to your doorstep, what could be better?

Here are  my must attend panels and sessions. Clearly I won’t be able to attend them all, since several are occurring during the same time slot.

Beyond Solo Consulting: How to Effectively Build an Work with Project Teams, Subcontractors and Staff

Location: Monroe

Jamie F. Meredith, chief executive officer, The Meredith Group, Inc.
Katie Coates Ageson, APR, president, PR Projects
Heathere Keenan-Evans, APR, founder, Keenan PR, Inc.

Download Proceedings

How do you seek, secure and develop successful business partnerships with other local or regional independent practitioners? How do you take your practice beyond your four walls? A panel of successful independent practitioners examines best practices for an effective business model using project partners, subcontractors and support staff. Walk away with tips on business expectations, mistakes to avoid, how to find good partners and how to work together.

Framing Messages to Drive PR and Client Communications Goals

Location: Columbia Hall 3 & 4

Andrew Gilman, chief executive officer, CommCore Consulting Group

Crafting clear, direct messages is more important than ever in today’s increasingly complex world. This messaging workshop defines how to frame a message, a common tactic in the Washington political world. Learn the “Haiku” messaging approach to media communications, crisis response and important public presentations. By combining facts, data, and visual, memorable information, you will craft clear messages that resonate immediately and appropriately with each medium and audience in real time.

Socially Diverse: Engaging with Diverse Communities Online

Location: Columbia Hall 10

James Walker, editor, PR Prescriptions

Download Proceedings

Embark on a journey through social media — both the blogosphere and social networks. Explore the findings of the presenter’s six-month journey through social media, during which he engaged with active members from several online communities. Gain understanding of how to identify, analyze and engage with active participants of diverse communities and social interactions, and also learn how to create a social media home base from which all online activities can operate. Find out how to create a sustained online presence, and continue to develop relationships. The knowledge and insight gained from this session will prove invaluable as you move through the process of brainstorming, pitching and execution.

Advance Your SEO Skills With Social Media Optimization

Location: Columbia Hall 3 & 4

Lee Odden, chief executive officer, TopRank Marketing

Social media and search engine optimization (SEO) present the most significant opportunity for public relations and communications professionals to master the search and social Web. In this information-packed workshop, learn essential skills for planning social SEO in order to increase reach and engagement. Practical tactics for optimizing blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will be discussed. Also, learn about free and low-cost social SEO tools that will help you implement and measure success.

Everyone’s a Journalist: Beyond the Beat

Location: Georgetown East

Johna Burke, senior vice president, marketing, BurrellesLuce

The fast-changing media landscape is simultaneously creating challenges and opportunities for public relations professionals. One of the most profound changes is a reconfiguration of the journalistic ranks — while the number of journalists at traditional outlets shrinks, the journalism “community” grows. Thus, PR practitioners must identify the most relevant influencers in both traditional and social media. Gain useful tips and tools, understand the importance of nano-technology and learn best practices for managing evolving media relations.

Strategic PR for the Travel/Hospitality Industry

Location: Monroe

Craig Rexroad, president, BLAZE PR
Karen Gee McAuley, executive vice president, BLAZE PR

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As the hospitality industry continues to face a recession and consumer expectations are still demanding, success is no easy feat. By identifying a client’s business objectives and barriers, public relations professionals can lay the strategic groundwork for excellent representation in the hospitality industry. Discover strategies that get consumers to continue to spend. Also, learn how to develop opportunities and tactics that make a client’s business objectives attainable, even when their dollar is down.

Hosted by the Travel and Tourism Section.

Become a PR Influencer to Drive Business Value

Location: Jefferson

Deirdre Breakenridge, president, executive director of communications, Mango! Creative Juice
Mark Drapeau, Ph.D., director of innovative social engagement, U.S. Public Sector Division in Washington, D.C. Microsoft
Sarah Evans, founder, SevanStrategy
Geoff Livingston, co-founder and CMO, Zoetica

With changing media landscapes, shifting consumer behavior and rapidly advancing technology, the role of public relations influencer, who drives business value, is critical. To facilitate strategic communications and engage with the public to drive brand value, today’s PR influencers go beyond the role of communications facilitators, and into the realm of listeners, conversationalists, market experts, sociologists, Web marketers and customer service representatives. This panel of PR influencers discusses this new role and its responsibilities, and how PR professionals are taking the lead in their organizations and social communities. Learn how to become a part of the conversations that lead to best practices in managing reputations and increasing brand awareness. Also, gain insight into how to build strong relationships, and convert friends and followers into loyal customers.

Measurement in the “Age of Now”: A Common Sense Guide to the Business of PR

Location: Monroe

Shonali Burke, ABC, principal, Shonali Burke Consulting

The explosion of social media has shined a new light on the measurability of our profession. However, many practitioners still put far too much emphasis on the tracking and measuring of outputs, not outcomes. In this session, you will receive an overview of how measurement has and has not changed, and the most practical way to tackle it. Learn how to identify what key performance indicators (KPIs) are, and how to connect your efforts to your organization’s KPIs. Also, learn how to measure successfully on a budget.

Building C-Suite Trust Through News and Social Media Monitoring ROI

Location: Cabinet

Jeff Trexel, chief executive officer, Infoition News Services
Linda Odorisio, vice president, U.S. Communications, CGI Group

Savvy public relations executives earn C-suite trust by spending dollars on actions that boast a clear return on investment (ROI) and align with business objectives. Join session presenters for an interactive dialogue on news and social media monitoring ROI. Launch points are data collected from five Fortune 500 corporations and a best practices case study showing what is working inside a multi-billion dollar corporation. Learn how to earn C-suite trust, or risk being ignored.

How to Do a “Really Goode Job” of Creating Brand Awareness

Location: Monroe

Caroline Shaw, senior vice president, communications, Jackson Family Wines
Adam Beaugh, director of social media, Jackson Family Wines

When Murphy-Goode Winery suffered from low brand awareness and sluggish distribution, it reached out to the burgeoning millennial generation — wine consumers between ages 21 and 31. The “Really Goode Job” campaign was initiated, inviting the public to apply online for a job as a highly paid winery expert, charged with reporting on “the wine country lifestyle” via social media. Gain an inside look at the makings of this unprecedented brand-awareness campaign.

Using Social Media for New Business: How One Agency Increases Revenues and Profits, Despite a Down Economy

Location: Monroe

Indra Gardiner, chief operations officer, Bailey Gardiner

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How do you get consistent referrals and an active new business pipeline, even in a down economy? Hear how one agency treated itself like a client with aggressive branding, community outreach, public relations and a social media program. View examples of how to layer online and offline efforts for maximum exposure. Walk away with actionable programs and recommendations to increase visibility, grow a new business program and use social media for new business development.

The New Global Order: Gain Insight Into Key Drivers on the Global Business Front

Location: Lincoln East

Paul Taaffe, chairman and chief executive officer, Hill & Knowlton

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The rise of Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs) and sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) has implications for brands, community brands and country-of-origin brands. Explore changes the global business landscape has undergone in the past several years. Learn about the rising influence of the Eastern and Southern regions of the world, and connect the changes to the world of communications. You will outline the top five 2011 predictions for this new global order and gain insight into key drivers on the global business front that can be applied to clients or companies.

The New Rules of Media Relations: Pitch Overworked Journalists and PR-Averse Bloggers, and Come Out Unscathed

Location: Georgetown East

Michael Smart, national news director, Brigham Young University

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As bloggers are developing a reputation for impatience, with an aversion to public relations pitches, how do you earn credibility-boosting coverage in key outlets? Come ready to work and learn techniques that build relationships with journalists, rather than annoy them. Receive four specific templates for e-mail subject lines that work, and learn the correct way to pitch by phone. Uncover six ways to frame your otherwise routine information into newsworthy stories, as well as the key differences between pitching traditional journalists and bloggers. Also, explore new ways to measure pitching success.

The Word-of-Mouth Confessional: Lessons Learned in Creating Brand Movements

Location: Jefferson East

Geno Church, word-of-mouth inspiration officer, Brains on Fire

“Generate buzz.” “Go viral.” “Tweets and fans.” While these phrases are commonplace within the marketing stratosphere, many organizations still struggle with how to incorporate these tactics into a results-driven strategy that truly connects a community of brand ambassadors. Get a revealing look at results and methodology behind case studies from successful word-of-mouth movements, including the new Best Buy Musical Instruments (MI), the Colonial Williamsburg programs and the award-winning Fiskars Brands “Fiskateers.” Learn how to identify your own brand story and connect with a community of true brand ambassadors. Discover the difference between passion conversations and product conversations.