Is it All About the Benjamins? (and Other PR Blog Jots)

Lessons from PodCamp Boston
Six Pixels of Separation
During a terrific weekend at PodCamp Boston 2 (I will be posting extensively about it on my various blogs myself in the coming days), blogger and podcaster Mitch Joel reflected on the future of the un-conference. He questions those who’ve expressed concern over the corporate sponsorship of PodCamp, pointing to the multitude of interesting and informative sessions presented free-of-charge by some great speakers as a result of those corporate sponsors. The idea of money hung in the air throughout the conference as participants wondered about the future monetization of social media, podcasting in particular. The monetization issue was a major topic of discussion and debate, and one with no easy answers. “Podcasting (for most people, including me) is a hobby. It's not clear where the money is (or if there ever will be any). It is clear that those who are Podcasting are quickly being acknowledged as recognized authorities. That Podcasting is a great Marketing channel to start relationships, to start helping people by clarifying ideas, and a great way to get your name out there to a select group.”

Causing PR Crisis from Real Life Crisis
Common Sense PR
The foolishness on display from whomever was in charge of FEMA’s wildfires presser (that they scheduled at the last minute and ingeniously decided to populate with their own communications staffers when invited reporters couldn’t make it) is the buzz of certain parts of the blogosphere today, with PR blogs no exception. Eric Eggerston makes the obvious point that lying is bad, but also makes the better point that if you decide to lie (which…just don’t), at least be good at it! He points out that harder you have to work to make it seem like you’re not lying, the more obvious your lie probably is. “I can just imagine the discussion happening at FEMA. ‘We want to look like incompetent boobs. Postponing until the media can get here might make us look competent. Let’s destroy any remaining shred of credibility we have by having staffers throw softball questions at Our Glorious Spokesperson, and sending out the video feed. As long as reporters and the public are mentally incompetent, we can pull this off!’”

Mmmm, Grammar, Mmm..
Copyblogger
In my continuing push to plug grammar and writing blogs in a space generally reserved for thoughts on public relations and marketing, I heartily applaud this rundown of common blogging punctuation mistakes (Mistake’s? No!) from David Sccoco. While we all (hopefully) grasp (though sometimes I wonder) the basics of grammar, spelling, and good writing, punctuation can be trickier. Comma splices, misused apostrophes and hyphens, overabundant punctuation marks and other mistakes can be just as damaging to your credibility as a spelling error. This post is a must-read, and based on the 48 (and counting) comments, I’m not alone in loving it. “When the comma is used to separate independent clauses, there must be a conjunction connecting them. If the conjunction is not there, we have a comma splice. You can fix this mistake by using a period instead of the comma, or by adding a coordinating conjunction.”

Blogsuits?
Marketing Conversations
The only thing surprising about the recent story regarding lawsuits over postings on blogs or message boards is that there haven’t been more of them. The blogosphere’s freewheeling, self-governing atmosphere lends itself easily to attacks on others, and when others feel attacked, they will often respond, sometimes legally (one of the suitors of the “Washingtonienne” famously sued the blogger after she posted about their affair on her site). Kevin Donlan examines the corporate implications of the legal issues surrounding blogging, with tips from a First Amendment lawyer on how to avoid getting into hot water. Some of them seem a bit strident, but it never hurts to remember to use common sense and good judgment when blogging. “The Internet is allowing more and more people to exercise their First Amendment rights, and companies and individuals alike are recognizing this and fighting back in the courtroom over what can and cannot be said over the net. Lawyers have had to become much more internet savvy over the years, but as they have, a great deal of business has been generated from internet related cases. As we move into the future of blogging, look for alot more “high-profile” blog related cases to arise…”