David Unleashed

I downloaded Gmail’s mobile application for my Blackberry yesterday. I think I like this email client better than the one bundled with the Blackberry. I haven’t gotten it to buzz when there is new email, but it is really a nice interface.

Makes me wonder what Google could do if they developed an operating system. What would that look like? Probably end up looking like Mac OS X. Nevermind…

Now for something different. I am blogging from my blackberry, wireless courtesy of Cingular. I am sitting here waiting for the plane to board and just witnessed three customers turned away from the shake stand because they only accept cash.

The manager told them that the should use the ATM at gate E6. None did. When nobody was around I approached the manager (no sense being confrontational in front of the pax.). Anyway I told him that he should eliminate the friction and accept plastic.

His response? We are a low volume store and cannot afford the cc fees. Well duh! You just turned away 3 willing customers.

Do what is right for your customer first. Profits follow.

David

If you read my blog last month you will see how aggravated I get by these “social media bullies” that think a video camera or laptop computer entitles them to unrestrained access to content. Deny that access and the best they can do is to ridicule. No honest debate or discussion.

Today I was invited to speak at an event hosted by the Dallas bureau of Business Wire, a PRWeb partner. Giovanni apparently did not like it too much when he was not permitted to video tape the event. Well as it turns out, I think this was the correct decision by Business Wire. Not because I am camera shy. (I hope to be at the launch of the SMC Dallas Chapter tonight, so Giovanni bring your camera. Look for me–my name is McInnis without the G.)

Here is why I think it was the right decision.

1. This was a closed event. Business Wire plans on hosting this event across the country as an exclusive introduction to SEO and social media to their client base and prospects. The entire event loses its exclusivity if it is rolled out in a video cast. Giovanni was invited as a guest, not as a video blogger to cover the event.

2. People paid to be at this event and took time out of their day to attend. Have you had any luck video casting from SES, Adtech or Pubcon? I don’t think so. I have attended all of these events and at most you see bloggers in session. Podcasting and video casting is generally restricted to private interviews. Giovanni never asked me for an interview directly, podcast or otherwise. I had the rest of the afternoon left and would have been happy to sit down with him.

3. The event would have not made a great vidcast anyway as the AV folks installed faulty equipment and we had no sound in the room. Again, not Business Wire’s fault.

4. Pick content that is of value to your audience. Giovanni, the event was a very basic introduction designed to provide a 30,000 foot view and get PR people thinking about new opportunities. If I were you I would focus on stuff that provides more value to your audience.

5. Businesses have the right to exist within the confines of our legal system. They also have a need to generate income and yes, profits. Who do you think pays your bills? Let businesses do what they do so that you can continue to enjoy the privileges you have as part of this system. As a side note, “transparency”, at least as defined by the eSocialists of the Cluetrain and their lemmings, is a dying concept.

Finally, to circle around to my earlier comment, ownership of a video camera does not entitle anyone to come in and video tape an event. What ever happened to the “living room” rule? You know the concept, behave in the blogoshpere as you would like to be treated in your own living room.

Giovanni, if I come to your house as an invited guest with a video camera do I have an automatic right to video tape anything? I guess at least you asked and respected the wishes of the hostess; although I understand that you were given the opportunity to blog about the event. Good on you there. But to then go out and pout about it on your blog? Not so cool.

I could go on but I have to do some work before SMC tonight. Capitalism. Gotta love it.

David Meerman Scott gets it. He understands that press releases are now much more than fodder for journalists. They have become a very effective direct-to-consumer communication medium.

You already know that your customers are turning to the Internet as a source of news and information. By pushing your press releases directly to the Web through channels like PRWeb not only do you have full control of the message and bypass the media filter but you also gain the opportunity to amplify your word-of-mouth marketing efforts.

I had the pleasure to work with David to revise and update his successful ebook, “The New Rules of PR” for 2007. The premise behind David’s book supports what we have been touting for years; Make sure that your press release is highly visible and findable to your existing and potential customers. To that end I have contributed a number of Newsmarketer Tips and a section on new trends in social media distribution. So even if you read last year’s edition you should pick up a copy of the revised 2007 edition.

About the Newsmarketer Tips in this edition of the ebook: You may notice that the Newsmaker Tips have been labeled Newsmarketer Tips. The idea of Newmarketer came to me as I thought about our new function. We are marketers of news. The New Rules of PR is about this convergence of PR and Marketing.

Read today’s press release for additional information.

Al Castle is a source of constant entertainment and wisdom. Don’t take my word for it. Make you way over to his blog Unthreaded.

At any rate, the other day I asked him for a way to include the MyBlogLog statistics widget that would be more permanent. I very much dislike having to modify the themes to move my scripts around every time I decide to change themes.

This is what he came up with as a birthday gift for me (I am now 37). I am sharing my present with you. Enjoy. Thanks a bunch Al.

http://castle.prweblogs.com/wp-content/plugins/mybloglog-0.1.tgz

Install.

cd path/wp-content/plugins/
tar -xzvf mybloglog-0.1.tgz
vim mybloglog/mybloglog.php
[ Edit the file to include your mybloglog tracking code.]Login to your blog -> Activate the mybloglog plugin

Thanks Al.