Tech PR…What Do You Want to Know?

Hi Dave, glad to see you posting again on Marcomblog. Everything you outlined for your presentation sounds great. As a college student, I am interested in the companies that are pioneering this new sector of public relations and continue to pave the way for others. Which businesses are hiring students who are knowledgeable on this topic? I hope this helps you prepare for your lecture- good luck!

Hi Dave,

It is very exciting that tech pr is taking off so successfully, and that I and my fellow students get to be right on the front lines. If you are searching for attention getters, you should really emphasize that not only is tech pr the fastest growing sector, but it is making all other forms of pr obsolete. I believe that about five years from now, the traditional written press release will probably be nonexistent. You should be sure your audience knows that they should make themselves very familiar with tech pr because soon it will be the only pr! Good luck and please let us know how it goes!

Hi Kristina, this is great feedback. Thanks for kicking us off. Of course I’d like to say we’re one of the pioneers moving the field forward, having been around for 17+ years as a boutique firm focused specifically on tech, but enough of the shameless promotion. There are numbers of boutiques just like us as well as most of the large agencies have tech arms. Good point though, I can see dropping some names…anything to help narrow or give context to the job search field for students. After all, it will be me giving business cards out at the end.:)

Hi Amy, you’re right…I’ve said this before on this blog, but I only wish I was part of the initiative you guys are able to participate in here at Marcom Blog. So many of you will be able to bring talent/skills to the table and make immediate and valuable contributions in your first positions because of this exposure. I love your optimism about the future of tech PR too. While I don’t think it will render other fields obsolete, including the traditional press release (it just has staying power)…I’ve made a similar argument in the past when asked about my interest in going into tech. Several years ago I saw how tech was beginning to permeate into other PR practices and recognized the impact it would have, and that was exciting to me…an area that I saw held a lot of potential for growth and entrepeneurism/being a pioneer of sorts. I am thinking about using the EPIC 2015 video though as attention getter to illustrate the evolution in info gathering/communications and how technology and our striving for connectedness is driving all that.

I’m not suprised that Tech PR is one of the fastest growing industries in our country. The way we can communicate with each other is changing everyday, plus the number of people using social media continues to rise at a fast rate. I think what you are planning on talking about is right on. I have never heard of wikis, podcasting, or social media before this semester and I have enjoyed it more than I thought I would. If I were at a conference that is definitely something I would want to learn more about. I’m excited that I have the oppurtunity to be able to learn these new advances before many people get a chance to hear about it.

Hi Adam, thanks for the feedback. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t/don’t see much in the conference agenda (if anything) focused on understanding these new communications channels. So I’ll definitely be sure to address.

So you are saying that high-tech is high-opp, not just for its own explosive, catchy antics, but monetarily as well? That perked my interests. I guess I want to make more money than the average person after I graduate…who am I kidding? Yes I do! What do you mean by high-tech? I know what high-tech means, but what do you mean by high-tech within PR? Do you mean this social media or is there something else in its meaning? It seems like nowadays everything is done electronically and through the internet? What do you expect will happen within the next 10 years? Will everything in PR be electronic or will we eventually resort back to paper and interpersonal communication? I know these are random questions, but this is how my thoughts spilled out of my head.

Hi Patrick, random or not, they’re all worthy questions. I think high-tech is somewhat of a misnomer, but what can I say, it’s the title I was dealt and seems to fit in well with the conference theme. Maybe I’ll do a little wordplay with my preso title and do something like “Trekking Through Tech PR’s Next Techade.” Pretty cheesy, I know. I’m sure I could have fun up front trying to figure out the differences between high-tech and low-tech and the words origins, but to me, it’s all about technology period. So I’ll be focusing mainly on the field of PR that supports technology companies, just like there’s different fields for entertainment, healthcare, and retail. It’s hard to say what will happen over the next 10 years. If I share the EPIC 2015 video, that will definitely get the gears turning regarding what’s possible. One thing that’s for sure, the basic foundation of PR–that’s it’s about relationships–will always remain. Most traditional tactics will remain too (i.e press releases, events, press tours, etc.) complemented by (but not replaced by) advances in the profession and new communications channels (i.e. blogs, podcasts, video, etc.). It’s an area I like to think about, and one that can be exciting in the technology field, because you can be intuitive and bring new ideas to the table and help to advance the cause of the profession. I’m sure we’ll continue to see some integration with marketing efforts (MarCom), the continued need for PR pros to be strategists as well as tacticians, and hopefully a ‘valued’ presence at the C-level table. But those are thoughts to be expanded on for another post.

Dave,
First off, good luck with the presentation. Second, as a new memeber to the PR community, I am baffled by how electronic things are becoming. I would love to be there for your speech and would like to hear you speak about the future. For many people my age, we will be thrown into the PR world in a few shorts years. We are in the middle of a technological movement that we will have the opportunity to be a part of and grow along with. I would also like to see you talk about WHY becoming digital will continute to be the right route. I see how they are all impacting the PR world and how they benefit it, but I sometimes wonder how much better it can get, or how many more lines of communication be become available. Good post and good luck!

This should be a very interesting speech. It seems that the high tech side of PR is just being discovered. Personally I knew very little about social media before this semester. I had no idea what a wiki was! I agree that the technological advances will compliment the traditional forms of PR. It’s great that our communication choices continue to expand.

You said - “Did you know that the technology sector is one of the fastest growing industries in our economy (that’s saying a lot after the dot-com bubble burst)”

This is the most interesting point to me. Society is almost obsessed with new forms of technology! This is pretty incredible considering that dot-com bubble burst you mention. I would have never guessed websites (such as myspace and youtube) would be so successful after the dissolution of the dot-com. The web seems to be building itself back up.

Technology’s influence on the PR world definitely cannot be ignored, especially by college students. Thanks for encouraging us to think about these things!

How long is this presentation? There are so many things to cover!

I think one of the main points should be that Tech PR isn’t just a “division” of public relations anymore. Tech PR encompasses all areas of PR, marketing, and Marcom. Now, it is complementary to everything we do.

I’m a lover of examples, so I would share examples of companies that “get it.” Show how companies are using YouTube and blogs to brand themselves and form relationships with consumers. For people who haven’t heard about blogs, wikis, or podcasting, the terms alone evoke feelings of fear. Often, you have to legitimize these tools through examples for people to see their potential.

EPIC would be a good attention-grabber. It definitely got our attention 2…3 years ago when Robert showed it to us. Even more interesting now after Google’s purchase of YouTube.

There are so many things on which to touch. The main point people need to know is that technology isn’t just for nerds anymore. You have to at least be familiar with it to make it in PR.

Tyler, thanks and I appreciate the thoughts. I think spending some time talking about the WHY will be important, especially from the students’ point of view. I think of some of these shifts as similar to the art of any craftsman; their effectiveness is limited by the tools they have access to, and their understanding of how they’re used. That’s why it’s critical to be plugged in–BE IN THE KNOW–on these new communications channels and how they can complement (not replace) traditional practices. It’s hard to say what other changes will come (again that’s another forward-looking post), but the foundation of the practice will always be the same–it’s about relationships. The onus is on us, students and PR pros alike. If we fail to recognize how technology advances can further our efforts, then we’ll our approach will be considered “old school” and we’ll be trumped by the next generation that will be BRINGING THE KNOW.

Hi Danielle, thanks for your thoughts. Certainly Tech PR has been around for a while now, but there is now a lot more attention on the field because of the growing need for talented individuals that can contribute to the growth of these companies. One thing that a number of you seem to be keying in on is the fact that social media tactics are and will complement traditional practices, and these efforts have really come to fruition in the Tech PR field.

Dave, I agree with Courtney that you have to give examples. When Rick Murray came to talk to our class he said it is important for people to “get it” when it comes to social media and unfortunately there just are not a lot of those people yet. If you give examples it can help create a concrete meaning for people, if they can associate big brands or companies that they are familiar with to using social media it may help them along the way to “getting it”
I think it is important that you are giving this speech in general. Students especially need to understand the gravity of this topic and how important it really is going to be for all of us who are about to be out looking for jobs. This is where the money comes in! If we understand this Tech side of PR then we are going to be the ones getting paid more, and who can argue with that!

Excellent feedback Courtney. You’re right, while “Tech” is it’s own field in PR (and will always be as long as there are tech companies emerging–which seems to be everyday), it’s not just that because it has and will continue to permeate into so many other PR practices. I recognized that years ago when I was choosing what direction I wanted to go and sold myself on the fact that expertise in the Tech field would be of benefit because all things seemed to be going that way, or at least influenced by it. And you’re spot on with emphasizing the importance of examples. Remember this, when you get out there in the real world and start to practice PR…everyone can thump their chest and talk up their technology and why they’re the greatest, but the power is when you can have a third part (especially customers) validate that message for you…in other words, real world applications/examples do the talking.

Thanks Michelle…examples, examples, examples…I’m hearing everyone. It’s the give a fish (talk, talk…) vs. the teach to fish mentality (show, give an example). I can see it now, five minutes of describing what the Tech PR field is like, and then 40 more minutes talking about PR 2.0 and how new communications channels are evolving the practice.:)

I think the most interesting topic in your rough draft is explaining how Tech PR is changing the face of public relations. It’s not just about writing press releases and making media contacts. There’s a ton going on with Tech PR, one of the most interesting things, I think, is the social media press releases. I think journalist will be more willing to research press releases with all the other goodies that you can attach to your press releases, such as podcasts, video and pictures. It makes everything easy and convenient, and who doesn’t love that?

I think the best way to learn about blogging and second life, and all these things that PR Techs are into is by showing. It’s very confusing to be told about blogs, because some of the are complicated. I think stories would also benefit the audience, such as how Tech PR has helped you personally. Josh Hallett visited our class and gave us some very interesting personal stories of how blogging has changed the world of Public Relations.

I would also talk about how blogging needs to be transparent, ie: Walmart. Give examples of how Tech PR can be a dangerous tool if practitioners don’t us it correctly.

It sounds like it’s going to be a very interesting lecture. Wish I could be there and goodluck!

I don’t know if anyone has suggested this already, but in Robert’s class, we used Skype to talk to Lee Hopkins last week from Australia about the new face of PR. He dicussed with us the possiblities of “Second Life” becoming a new interface for business and PR practitioners to get thier messages out to a new audience. I for one had never heard of Second Life, and found it to be pretty interesting. You might want to add that in.

Something good to emphasize would be how “tech pr” is applicable to everyone regardless of what they are representing. Especially in these days, there is someone on the internet would will benefit from your efforts. Companies who have taken this new technology and have run with it would serve as great examples. It seems that not everyone really gets it, so citing some that actually do would benefit everyone. It could also give people ideas on how they can help their clients by using tech pr.

Hey Dave! It’s good to hear from you! So far, what you have listed as general topics to talk about at your conference sound interesting and will appeal to the audience a lot more than the name of the conference- Hi-Tech, High Opportunity..haha. My favorite aspect of PR that I constantly look for more information on (thanks to Robert) is the social media aspect of PR. The aspect of social media that interests me the most is just how much of an impact it actually has on pr today. If the pr pros of today want to keep up with the new generation of pr practitioners, it is going to be a must that they understand blogging, podcasts, wikis and so forth. Many of the pr pros today are not encouraged enough to learn this new information and convert over to it. Stressing the importance of today’s social media on pr would definitely grab their attention. Then you could lead into talking about each aspect of social media and how it contributes to pr. That is how Robert introduced it to us and it has lured us in. Good luck with your project! I know you will do amazing!

Hello Dave.

I think this is such a great post. Being a student, this gives me the chance to learn about Tech PR and what exactly it is. It’s also neat how this is all so new and I can learn about it before a lot of people are exposed to it.

I would recommend spending more time on why techPR is important and why we need high technology PR.

Also, I would love to hear about how techPR is helping companies that engage in it and how it is useful for them.

Good luck on your presentation.

I am so excited that Tech PR is one of the fastest growing industries. It makes all this stuff we are doing in class very worthwhile.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of the evolution of our industry is the fact that things will never be done the same again. Whether it be social media press releases, blogging, or wikis, I think one of the most important things to focus on is the fact that PR as we know it is gone.

I think it would be beneficial to stress the importance of adopting this new evolution in PR and jumping on board before you get left behind. It is much easier to learn in an evolving environment than it is to learn after the evolution has occurred.

I realize I may be a little late at giving my input, I guess I’ve been elsewhere in the blogosphere. So even though I have probably missed out on the conference discussion, I still think it’s important to think about what people want to know about Tech PR.

I have been active in the blogosphere for the past few months and it has taken me just about that same amount of time to grasp the importance of it.

After simply posting a few comments on blogs for class assignments, the whole idea of social media seemed to be way over my head. The idea of social media and its impact on the public relations world was not all that clear to me, and I was searching for it’s meaning in the industry.

The one instance that really shouted “this stuff is really important” was when Google purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion. Video sharing on the internet was something that hardly existed a year ago, and now it’s part of our everyday lives. Seriously, my dad even knew about YouTube and he hardly knows how to send an e-mail.

The social media tools on the internet are giving public relations practitioners a whole new way to spread the word and it really is working.

Therefore, to showcase the importance of Tech PR, I think examples and real life success stories are the best way to go. People can really grasp the subject if they can relate it to their own lives.

Dave, thank you for posting on MarcomBlog and sharing your thoughts with us. I really enjoyed this post because it is something that I have been thinking about.

Dave, I definitely agree with you that it would be to all of our benefits to squeeze every bit of value of all these participatory experiences that we are learning about through you as well as Robert. Good luck speaking at the conference next week. I think you should definitely fill people in on tips about being successful in Tech PR. Since it is a brand new field, many people who are already in the PR field don’t know much about it and could use your expertise advice. It would also be beneficial to talk about all the different kinds of social media practice such as blogs, podcasts, wikis, and videos. It does not surprise me that the technology sector is one of the fastest growing industries in our economy, and it would be beneficial to all people in the field of tech PR to use this time to their advantage.

I know this is a late comment and your presentation has come and gone, but I was browsing the post and other student comments and wondered: Dave, how and why did you get into Tech PR? You said you had worked in other areas before, so what instigated the move to high-tech? Was it a difficult transition to such a technical (pardon the pun) industry? Or have you always been a techie at heart?

This comment is WAY after all other comments, but I had lots of thoughts on it. Through all the classes PR students have taken here at Auburn, we typically look forward to Robert’s class the most just because of the “Tech” side of it. It is new, and practical, and it will be what sets us apart from other PR college graduates. I look forward to learning more about blogs, podcasts, wikis, video, etc because not only does it benifit us but it will help us further our future clients transition into this necessary aspect of PR.

Dave,

I know this comment is a little late, but a couple of questions came to mind after reading this post. After graduating in August, I’m interested in finding a public relations position at a non-profit organization. I’m becoming more interested in the tech side of PR and I hope to learn more about these new technologies. As tech PR becomes more popular, do you think that more non-profit organizations will begin using these tools?

Although some non-profits may have a tighter budget, some social media, specifically blogging is cheap. Do you think that the cost of these technologies keep smaller non-profit organizations from using them?