Media Bullseye

While social media engagement is a significant portion of many PR pro's jobs, Tom Murphy makes the excellent point that many have plenty of other responsibilities to keep them busy. So is it really the quantity of their engagement (or the number of people they "follow back" on Twitter), or the quality? Also: raise your Twitter profile, communications plan advice, and the evolution of pitching.

Sure, newspapers are allegedly a dying breed. But there is much to learn from traditional journalism that just might give your blog a boost. My favorite tip? Learn to edit yourself. Also in today's Jots: what would you give up to get something back? And how to get over blogophobia.

They may not know it, but even those consumers who never read a blog, explore a social network or pay attention to social media are still feeling its influence. Kami Huyse explains how. Also: How to stop procrastinating and write, how to spruce up Twitter, and social voyeurism.

Suffering from a dearth of comments on your blog? Neville Hobson offers up some solutions. Also: Ten deadly sins, the secret power of typos (shudder), and the inevitable Prince Harry Backlash.

Remember Pop-Up Video? just try to tell me that you wouldn't participate if a similar feature were available through twitter, in which your friends comments automatically popped up on the program you were currently watching together. Also: YouIntern.com and defining PR.

Dave Fleet argues that many social media terms are becoming jargon - used by people who often have no idea what they mean, but who want to sound smart in front of others. He thinks it's time for us to cut the jargon out of our writing and nerd it down a little.

In today's Jots: Brian Solis reviews the latest social media and networking site, Twitxr. Sarah Wurrey complains about the strain of keeping up with all these new toys. Also: 8 steps to avoid TMI in blogging, and George Costanza can help your marketing.

In Today's Jots: some terrific tricks and shortcuts for using Twitter efficiently, more tips on writing effectively (as I continue to struggle to do just that), and a question: What makes a good social media marketing campaign?

In today's Jots: insistence upon instance may do more damage to your reputation than accepting guilt, according to crisis blogger Gerald Baron. Also: the need for clear writing, in the case of the PR bloggers' clique.

I came back from vacation with a broken right hand. For a communicator, this presented a particularly bleak problem: considering I spend the vast majority of my time at work either writing or editing other people's writing, how was I going to continue as my hand healed?