PR 2.0, what the heck is it?

Thanks for the post! Agreed that CONTENT trumps STYLE on any type of release, and also agreed that video was an omission… It will be covered in rev 2. Since this was intended as a basic primer, we did not want to overwhelm the uninitiated but video/vlogging has risen in prominence enough that it ought to have been in there this go-round.
Thanks again!

I think that the primer is a great resource tool. I actually printed it off and gave it to my boss to look over and see what he thought. I am currently interning for a marine dealership doing their marketing, pr and advertising functions. The great thing about this internship is that it is going to become my full-time job upon graduation (in only 12 days)!

The thing about my job is that it is not a mainstream PR corporation. This is a family-ran business that is looking to spread its wings. The company was just taken over by the owner’s son. He is a go-getter with big dreams for his company. We were just a three marina dealership that has grown to seven and looking for expansion.

The great thing about PR 2.0 Essentials is that it will show him where we can go communication wise to help set ourselves apart from other dealerships. The thing that I have found in my research is that even the biggest marinas are lacking in their communication styles. I am hoping that after he sits down to read this, we can come up with which communication style he and I think would work best for us. Some of it is elementary, but for those who have never heard about some of these tools it is a great place to start. I am looking forward to what we can accomplish in the future.

Hey I thought this site is a great overview and basic introduction to “pr 2.0″. I wish we had this when my style & design class first began because it would have been a great intro for the course we were about to begin. I would suggest adding some of the tools that are essential to learn to get into this new phase of pr. Some examples are audacity, in design, photoshop, skype, and some others that we need to learn before entering this profession.

I believe that the PR 2.0 Essential guide is a great start for those who are more or less “techonologically illiterate.” I feel that I can say that because I was in the same boat a few months ago. I had heard of these tools, but did not want to ask exactly what they were. I agree with Shelby, this guide would have been extremely helpful in preparing for our Style and Design class. As a student, it can be somewhat overwhelming to see and hear the many uses of all of the great PR tools that are available today.
I also believe it is certainly important to remember that content is the most important tool we could ever have. I worry that we focus too much on these convenient tools that we lose focus of what PR is really about. The “tech-terms” can sometimes intimidate others and keep people disinterested in what we are doing. I think that those at SHIFT who created this site should be commended on bringing all of this information down to the simplest level to catch everyone up on what they’ve been missing. I believe this is a step in the right direction, even though I’m not crazy about the PR 2.0 term.

I couldn’t agree more with Annah Grace and Shelby. As a fellow student in their Style and Design class, I felt lost at certain times when I really didn’t have a full grasp of the terms and tools that we were using. With this guide no available for students to use, I think there would be a huge benefit for them. After reading the previous posts I do find that I also agree about not being so wild about the PR 2.0. term. It might just be a little too much but that is simply my opinion. I would also consider adding a few more tools such as indesign and photoshop as those were used quite frequently in my class and for those who have never worked with those programs, it can be very overwhelming.

Andrea, excellent post. Truth is that most PR and new media professionals automatically jump to the offensive when discussing PR2.0 simply because of the “2.0″ part of it. Truth is that PR has gone through some of its most dramatic changes in the last 10 years, than it has in the last 100. Therefore, I believe there is tremendous credence to adding 2.0 to the name.

In my opinion, PR 2.0 is all about the web and new online technology that is enabling a new world of PR - things like press releases that are search engine optimized, RSS feeds, company blogs, social media, blogger relations, etc. PR 1.0 however, isn’t out of the picture. I believe this is still a critical (if not the most critical - as of now) portion of any PR campaign….solid press releases, media/analyst relations (keyword relationships). I’m actually writing an article that discusses 2.0 practices and I will post it shortly.

I guess the the summary is, that PR 2.0 isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a real movement within the industry. Although a friend of mine recently said that we should just call it “Social Media.” More to come…

PR 2.0 is a tremendous resource, but it just that: a resource. These are tools that make the job that PR practitioners do easier and more convenient. The work is still the same and the work ethic should still be the same. I agree with the thought that in the technological world we live in now, style is becoming too much the focus and content is being left in the dust. I am happy I was introduced to this at the start of my style and design class because it will be a great resource. These are tools that I feel like I will use in my future and I will hold an impressive array of knowledge in these areas.

I think that PR 2.0 is a wonderful tool for the changing world of public relations. There is always going room for improvement. Dealing with public relations problems maybe the same but there are always going to be new ways to approach the problem. For this generation of PR practitioners most everything is done electronically. PR 2.0 is a great resource to help the new generation of practitioners do their job better. I am glad I have been introduced to it this early before I start my PR career.

I think PR 2.0 is a wonderful new technology tool that has been introduced to us! I had not heard of it until this semester and I think it could bring a lot of use to our department and jobs of public relations. It is a way to better our day to day resources and a way that people will better themselves at what they are doing. There are always new tools and resources being introduced to us, I wonder what we will use in the next ten years. It is exciting to see what we will have in the future and to look back and see what and how this has benefitted us in our careers and personal lives. These new tools not only make it a great way to communicate with each other, it is so fun! People, (like me) get excited and want to learn more about cool, new ways to do things.

PR 2.0 sounds like a great resource. After reading about it, I am very tempted to get a copy for myself so that I can have some of this useful information at my disposal. This information will be a review for many of the professionals that are already utilizing social media technology, but for those who aren’t (students especially), PR 2.0 can be an invaluable resource. Making a resource like PR 2.0 will extend certain aspects of the changing PR world to organizations and companies who would not have typically decided on a social media type solution for one of their problems.

The PR guide 2.0 sounds like something all PR professionals should read into. If you don’t keep yourself current with what is new in the business you will more than likely be left behind. Skeptics of PR 2.0 remind me of the same skeptics of the internet when it first came onto the market. I am sure those that blasted the internet then are biting their tongues now. I couldn’t think of anything that they left of the guide, it seems like he covered all the bases to me, but I also do not know that much about 2.0. It is a good thing I am still in school learning how to use these resources. Being in Roberts class really opens up my eyes of how social media really is taking off, and being in TWO of his classes, I hope that it will put me way ahead of the curve when I get out.

The great part about the basics is that it truly breaks down each resource and tells you why they are important to the client. Simply saying that it’s great and giving a definition will not convince people that social media are the way to go. In the beginning stages, you’re still trying to win people over if, in fact, these web tools would benefit them. Shift made a great decision to include this, but I believe they could have gone a little bit more in depth for this subject.

It’s great that they gave tons of links to gain more knowledge, especially in the area of blogging. Encouraging people to truly research before throwing yourself, your client, or your company out there is important. How many times have you seen a blog fall apart or back fire for a company because someone didn’t do the background research?

These methods aren’t for everyone to use, and the basics don’t try to force these on anyone. Shift has made certain to include reasons not to try blogging, im, etc.

All in all, fantastically researched with applicable links.

The PR 2.0 Guide sounds interesting and definately useful. I’m very new to the world of PR and any guide that can upgrade my knowledge of social media has to be worth checking out.

I had heard of things like blogging, and social media networking, but never knew exactly what they were until I joined some of Robert French’s classes at Auburn. My point being, not everyone knows what this stuff is, and there are a lot of people who should. Isn’t this an easy way for people to read up on things that are affecting the world in such a tremendous way?

Hey Andrea! I am a PR major at Auburn University, and Robert French is my professor. I noticed in this blog that you talked about social media press releases. This past week in class Robert explained to our class how to do a social media press release. Our class has created a website called theloveliestvillage.org, and it contains stories about different events, people, and organizations on Auburn’s campus. Each story contains pictures and audio as well. I must say that I am still a little bit confused about the concept of a social media press release, but I was glad to read that you think these press releases can be quite useful. Tonight I have to work on my first social media press release about Rick Murray who is with Edelman. Robert did tell our class that social media press releases are a brand new part of social media so I’m excited to be experiencing this new idea.

Hey everyone! I know I haven’t responded to all of your comments, but I’ve read them all — I get e-mail alerts Anyway, for what it’s worth, you’re all very lucky to have Robert teaching you these skills, and I wish I’d have had that advantage when I was school. And Rachel, good luck on your social media press release!

I think PR 2.0 Essentials is a great resource for those new to the blogosphere. Other than the lack of attention of vlogs and other video resources, I think the only thing missing is a section on blogging ethics. I realize we are all still new at this and still figuring it all out, but at least a presentation of some of the ethical dilemmas blogs present might help companies better decide how to use or not to use a new blog. While blogs can be a great tool for 2-way conversation, they can also be used incorrectly to manipulate and deceive audiences. Companies need to know the power that the blogosphere holds and how disastrous it can be when trust is abused.