In this episode of PRobecast, Renatta Siewert and Justin Martell join me in talking about Facebook pages for SMBs, Google’s Virtual Wallet Platform, Sony and Drunk Driving apps.

Facebook for small businesses – An article on USA Today talks about the reasons why small businesses should leverage Facebook when promoting their businesses. The article offered some great Q&As to help aide any business wondering what this “like” business is all about and how they can participate.

Google announces their virtual wallet platform – Google is announced near-field communication (NFC) to be added to their Android-based phones, allowing consumers to make payments, redeem coupons and earn loyalty points via their mobile device. Some though are saying not to hold your breath for this technology as Google tends to start small and slowly when it comes to rolling out products.

Sony has been hacked again – First Playstation, now Sony Ericsson’s Canadian version of their online eShop has been hacked – this time by a “Lebanese grey hat hacker” who accessed 2,000 records of customers, and posted almost 1,000 of the records online. While after the hackings, it was originally said to have cost the company $50 million, it is now being said to be costing them $170 million. Can they recoup?

Smartphone apps helping drunk drivers avoid checkpoints – Applications made for the iPhone, RIM and Andoid platforms are designed to alert drivers if there are sobriety checkpoints, then alerting them with alternate routes. Are these apps helping drivers stay off the road by alerting them of these checkpoints or are the making it OK to drive drunk on an alternative route?

Now it’s time for the PRobecast PR Power Ranking – which is when we go around the room and pick the story that we think ranks the highest PR-wise – meaning any aspects of PR could be the reasoning behind the pick. Is it the story itself, good data that was used, what’s getting the most pickup, was it a good PR move the company made, etc.

This week, the article talking about how small businesses can use Facebook to promote their businesses wins. First of all, if you are a small business owner, time is normally not something that you have a lot of. Articles like this that lay out the details clearly can be a huge asset to any small business owner looking to market their business through a new channel. With so many people on Facebook, if they aren’t participating they could be missing out on a big demographic of potential customers. So – jump in! It’s all about trial and error, however articles like this can at least jumpstart marketing efforts.

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Technorati Tags: Drunk Driving, Facebook, Google, Hacking, Small Business Marketing, smartphone applications, Sony, Virtual Wallet

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Last week, I addressed the question “can PR professionals make good journalists?” in response to an article that asked about journalists transitioning into the world of PR. I didn’t spend much time on the original question — spending more time on the topic of “PR people as journalists” — and thought I’d offer some perspective here, because I feel strongly that journalists are a good fit for PR. I certainly hope so — many years ago I worked as a reporter and copyeditor before making the switch. While the media and PR have changed dramatically in recent years, the qualities that worked for journalists then, still work today — perhaps they’re even more compelling. Today more than ever before, PR people need to understand how the media works — deadlines, beats, news cycles, reporting pressures — in order to make the most out of opportunities that are becoming more and more difficult to find. A few months ago, I blogged about the need for PR people to be “24/7 media consumers”, and my early work in journalism got me started early-on as a media junkie — and I’ve never lost interest. And as we talk about often today, PR people increasingly are called upon to help create and place content in media outlets, and the writing skills and perspective a background gained from work as a journalist can be an ideal match for this work. There are many other experiences and strengths that can lead to success as a PR person today, but as I’ve seen from the former journalists and students at journalism at Topaz, background in the media is a valuable contributor for those of us in the evolving world of public relations.

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In this episode of PRobecast, Liz O’Donnell, Renatta Siewert and Justin Martell join me in talking about ‘planking,’ Twitter lawsuits, PR and Ashton joining Two & a Half Men.

Man Dies As a Result ‘Planking’: A new Facebook “craze” in Australia is called planking and a man recently died as a result. Planking is when you (or someone) lies flat on an object and someone takes a picture. This man lied on a balcony and fell to his untimely death. Are people taking social media crazes too far? I think so.

Twitter feed lawsuit: Teenager Adorian Deck is suing business partner, Emerson Spartz, over the twitter account @OMGFacts. @OMGFacts started when Deck was home sick from school. The tweets consist of celebrity gossip and trivia. He partnered with Spartz after realizing how popular his feed was becoming. However, Spartz has basically taken over full control and this lawsuit isn’t really about who owns all the tweets but who owns the rights to this very popular – and potentially lucrative – handle. It just goes to show what a little popularity on twitter can do.

Public Relations = Relations with the Public: An article in PR Week talks about the importance of trust when it comes to corporate relationships and customers. Do you think businesses can do a better job?

Will Ashton Kutcher’s Twitter Following Help Two and a Half Men?: With Ashton Kutcher joining the cast of Two and a Half Men, people are wondering if his Twitter following will help the show out.

Now it’s time for the PRobecast PR Power Ranking – which is when we go around the room and pick the story that we think ranks the highest PR-wise – meaning any aspects of PR could be the reasoning behind the pick. Is it the story itself, good data that was used, what’s getting the most pickup, was it a good PR move the company made, etc.

This week, the story about ‘planking’ wins. People need to stop and realize that some of these ‘trends’ on Facebook or any other social media site are not worth it. Hopefully, this story can bring some awareness to the public that being a ‘trendsetter’ isn’t worth risking you life. It’s not a popularity contest – smarten up!

What do you think?

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Technorati Tags: Adorian Deck, Ashton Kutcher, Charlie Sheen, Emerson Spartz, OMGFacts, Twitter, Two & A Half Men

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