Has social media killed print?

I checked my postbox tonight, after returning home from IABC’s latest social media event in Brussels, and got that wonderful zing feeling when I saw a small padded envelop waiting for me. I didn’t know what was inside, but it’s always a pleasure to get a parcel in the post.

Ah! Of course, it’s the arrival of my latest wierd photo that I’ve turned into a postcard via NetPrint, an online printer. It’s a developing fad of mine to create printed postcards from my latest favourite digital photo, which I then post to friends and family, instead of buying or using the freebies you find in pubs. Call me sad, but it gives me such a kick to print my own.

Flipping back to the IABC event, someone asked the panelists, “Is print dead?” There was an array of yes, not yet, maybe and never answers from the panelists, which were all valid responses, but I had to smile tonight when admiring my new postcards. “Long Live Print!” Thanks to innovation, free software and new business models, I have found a new avenue to self expression through print which I can post to friends and family. (By the way, I order my stamps online.)

So is print dead? Nah! Its just being challenged by modern alternatives and being forced to undergo a personality change which is good. They said TV would kill radio but it’s come back and is more vibrant than ever and is using social media tools, like iTunes, to reach a wider audience that the radio waves can’t reach. Is the telephone dead…? etc. Please can we stop these kind of questions? Stuff gets phased out when it really becomes irrelevant, like writing with a feather, and that’s good.

View comments on the IABC NING platform

Free ebook by Phil (hyper)Weiss on getting online & staying there

Admittedly I haven’t read it, as a hard copy was placed into my sticky fingers 30 minutes ago, but knowing Phil Weiss, I know your online journey starts here will be excellent. This book will give you a step-by-step guide to getting online. The book is the latest in a series of Hyperthinker ebooks that Phil is writing.

OK that’s it, I’ve gotta run. Hopefully will get back to blogging again soon… I know I know it’s a question of priorities… aarrrhhhh!

Has IABC Brussels finally created an emonster?

On a hazzy Sunday morning early in 2009, Hugh Barton-Smith,came up with the idea of a Web 2 EU event for the IABC Belgian chapter. The idea was to get a few peeps together to discuss the benefits and use of web 2.0 (or has Hugh says web 2) in our European public affairs strategies and political communications.

The first Web 2 EU event in May was excellent but was somewhat dominated by PowerPoints from:

• Charles Crouch, eBusiness Lecturer at Boston University
• Philip Weiss, internet entrepreneur and HyperThinker from ZN
• Me, eCommunications Manager for a pesticide trade association
• Mathew Lowry, the driving force behind the launch of Blogactiv
• Neville Hobson, the UK’s influential blogger and podcaster

All good stuff, but left little time or energy for the audience to ask questions and have a real conversation.

So ZN stepped up and hosted a follow-on event last night to really get a conversation going about how communication professional can get their head around web 2.0 concepts and tools. What works, what doesn’t and to seek answers to the tough questions that colleagues and clients keep asking about Web 2.0. We had a lively discussion but if you missed it, don’t stress, just join the growing IABC Ning community where the networking and discussion just keeps on flowing. Other offline events will follow.

I took a lot of video material at the event of deeply profound comments , but being a part-time airhead, deleted it all except for this passionate introduction by Phil followed by Hugh’s musings on IABC and Ninging it.

IABC online communications event, Web 2 EU, lives on…

Following the event organised by IABC last month on Web2EU, an exciting conversation started and IABC’s Hyperthinker Phil Weiss is hosting a free and informal get-together to pursue the discussion.

Join the conversation: either via the IABC Ning forum or/and by attending the follow-on event on 18 June in Brussels. The original event was interesting but it was kinda’ dominated by a few presenters. Now this follow on event is about having a proper conversation about the whys, the why nots, the oooo’s and the ahhhhh’s of introducing web 2.0 strategies into your political communications activities.

The Web 2 EU conversation will be hosted at:

Le Break de l’Abbaye
Rue St Georges 2A
1050 Ixelles

Starting at 1700 for a couple of hours.

Register now and I’ll look forward to seeing you there http://be-iabc.ning.com/xn/detail/3281770:Event:825

Do you know what people trust?

Phaff! Of course I do. Don’t I? Actually I just took Edelman’s Trust Barometer test (recommended by Mathew Lowry) and I’m way off mark about what and who people just/don’t trust. I recommend you have a go. Tell me how you scored, can’t be as bad as me.

Mashable’s Top 20 YouTube and Video Memes of All Time

Video is king, or so I keep saying. But I do wonder how desperate we must be for online entertainment after checking out the 20 most popular online videos ever.  Is it a case of technology getting ever closer to intuition and intelligence and humans getting ever closer to stu….?

Web 2.0 communications: passion, mindset & commitment

I’ve just listened to a great podcast by Bernie Borges, of Find and Convert. He recently had a chat with Rick Short, Director of Marketing Communications of Indium Corp a specialised B-2-B company. Rick has successfully implemented a social media strategy into his marketing and communications work, with outstanding results.

Bernie asked Rick what kind of advice he would offer to those hesitating to introduce web 2.0 elements to their existing communication plans. Below is a summary of their conversation with a bit of Helen thrown in for good measure.

1. Your heart has to be in it: Don’t be pushed into using social media tools and strategies if you don’t want to, because it just isn’t going to work, you and the results will be miserable. I would add to that, you need to have a mind-shift about yourself, your approach to your job and how your company or federation can contribute to your community before embracing web 2.0 into your activities.

I don’t do LinkedIn, I find it too intrusive.

How do you respond to this without being rude? Well I struggle to control myself, so I end up looking like I’ve just been slapped across the face and then proceed to say nothing for a second or two, as I let this piece of widsom sink in for a while.

I’m changing jobs in a couple of months so naturally I’m keen to find a way of keeping in contact with people I respect and like.  But I don’t want to exhange pieces of cardboard because I have the unenviable talent of losing business cards before a conversation has even come to an end. What I want is their latest contact details, for ever. Plus I would appreciate being able to keep in touch with their work projects as it could spark an idea or future collaboration, so for me LinkedIn (or Plaxo) is the best way to do it effectively.

But I am truly amazed at the amount of business people who don’t wish to participate in these types of professional sites for fear of something terrible happening or are simply unaware they exist at all.

Youtube Insight: free video viewer tracking tool

Check out Angel Aviles McClinton’s recent video on Youtube Insight which gives great stats on viewers, demongraphics, geographics etc of your published Youtube videos.

The Social Media Bible

 Lon Safko’s hard work is coming to fruition. The Social Media Bible will be available from early May 2009 and I recommend you getting a copy. The book is a truly collaborative effort from all the key influencers and shapers of web 2.0. In the research of this book, Lon has published regular audio interviews with the social media thought leaders for free on iTunes. In theory I don’t need to buy the book because I’ve listen to so many of his podcasts, but frankly the interviews were so useful I want to see them again in print in case I missed something and to make a donation to Lon’s work. 

The book and ethos of Lon’s podcasts are aimed at those who are new to web 2.0 and those who want to learn more. If the audio interviews are anything to go by, this book will be a very useful resource for the next 12 – 18 months. You’ll learn how to get to grips with the general philosophy of social media, plus learn about the various tools available and select which ones best suit you or your organisation. Most importantly though, you’ll hear repeatedly about dynamic individuals who took risks and embraced a new way of engaging with their audience, with success.