Social Media = Cheap?
Media Guerrilla
A question came up at this morning's Social Media Breakfast 8 in Boston regarding the affordability of the various tools the presenters touted. They all pointed out that the tools required to engage in social media are, in fact, generally free of charge. Mike Manuel points out that this is a common misconception that doesn't account for the time and manpower involved. "It's an opinion often held by marketers, communicators, executives, and the like, many of whom have clicked on the pony-tailed chief's 'DIY' blog and the clever, professionally underproduced video on YouTube and the messy, yet oddly functional fan page on Facebook, and because of this, have formed an opinion of what social media marketing is, how it's done, and ultimately what it must cost."

George Carlin (RIP) Gives Writing Advice
Copyblogger
So, perhaps George Carlin has nothing to do with PR or social media, but I couldn't help but include this post with his advice about writing. Some of the best writing advice comes from places you wouldn't expect it. We all know Stephen King is an author, but I'm sure many don't consider his work fine literature. And yet, his "On Writing" is at the top of my list of recommended tomes for writers. Brian Clark includes some Carlin quotes on writing that might actually be helpful to bloggers. "'So if I write something down, some observation--I see something on television that reminds me of something I wanted to say already--the first time I write it, the first time I hear it, it makes an impression. The first time I write it down, it makes a second impression, a deeper path. Every time I look at that piece of paper, until I file it in my file, each time, the path gets a little richer and deeper so that these things are all in there.'"

Are $ Crises Always PR Crises?
Crisisblogger  
Is a financial crisis an issue only for a company and it's investors, or should the crisis communication experts join the fray and help out? Gerald Baron examines Starbucks as a case study, with useful tips on how a crises with a company's stock can be handled the same as any other crisis. "I think Starbucks CEO's Howard Schulz's efforts to rebuild his company's cachet and stock value is one of the most interesting examples out there of crisis management (the other really interesting one being the campaign of course). While we don't normally consider marketing, promotional PR, investor relations and the challenges of the marketplace to fit in the realm of crisis communications, there is no doubt the company is in for a fight of its life and Mr. Schulz's stellar reputation as an innovative business leader and marketing genius is on the line."