Good knowledge spewed by Seth Godin on his blog about “staying busy” with online marketing/social networking vs. actually accomplishing objectives and making a difference for your business.
Godin writes, “For big brands and marketers with significant budgets, the internet represents a loss of leverage. Money doesn’t buy you as much attention, and you have to work much, much harder for every eyeball.”
“For individuals, the internet represents an increase in leverage. One person with a blog or a lot of followers or friends can reach more people, more quickly, than ever before.”
Which leads me to this:
Yesterday’s example of a tech industry PR vet getting burned at the stake for a boorish but comical (hug or slug, C’mon that’s just funny!) email response to TechCrunch.com editor Michael Arrington showed how quickly a reputation can be sullied from something as simple as a single email. Many people had no idea who Lois Whitman was two days ago yet she has been negatively labeled to a far more expansive audience of consumers based on this single correspondence. She even issued an apology.
Am I playing defense? Hells no! Personally, I prefer a pseudo-comical, hyperbolizing brown-noser approach to building relationships. However, the lesson to be learned here is: Don’t write something to a relative stranger that you wouldn’t want several million other people to read as well.
Editor’s Note: Pedialyte and Vodka are an excellent comfort when you are home with a sick kid.
~Nick
Stumble It!
March 11, 2009 at 11:30 am |
[...] or poorly written pitches and press releases. Hell, I even fanned the flames a bit when one of my fellow flaks was condemned for a cheeky exchange. While I agree public humiliation is often the best way to teach a lesson, [...]