Would YOU Trust a PR Agency Not Involved in Social Media with YOUR Social Media Programs?

84 thoughts on “Would YOU Trust a PR Agency Not Involved in Social Media with YOUR Social Media Programs?”

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  biber hapı

  June 19, 2022 at 15:21

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  Apologies for not keeping the updates timely – I’ve added info for Levick, Rasky and Capstrat. Thanks for your patience.

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  Marsha Friedman

  March 30, 2022 at 16:39

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  I could not agree more! As a national PR firm, EMSI Public Relations was an early adopter of social media marketing, both for our own promotion, and to offer as a service to clients.

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  PR Firm

  February 3, 2023 at 20:26

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  It would be nice to get an updated version of this post – I am wondering how these agencies might have improved since the blog was first published.

  Twitter also has a great tool for businesses to include the personal accounts within their main account.

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  San Diego Public Relations

  July 29, 2022 at 18:36

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  I don’t necessarily think that people use Social Media in the correct manner – people aren’t going to complete a target action from a social media profile, it is more important for general presence and backlinks.

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  Rebecca Neufeld

  July 6, 2022 at 18:20

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  Hi Cece –

  You make a great point in this post. It’s important for PR firms, or any company for that matter, to practice what they preach. We’re currently developing and designing our new blog! In the meantime, we’ve got tons of employee-driven thought leadership on our website at http://www.blisspr.com/about_us/thought_leadership/blisspr_tl.php.

  Having said that, BlissPR has taken a little bit of a different approach to Twitter. We understand that you searched for a ‘corporate presence’, but what we’ve done is allow our executives to act as individuals to provide thought leadership in industries they consider their areas of interest and expertise while fully identifying themselves as representatives of BlissPR. We hope that you’ll list them in your grid!

  Here are our practitioners to follow on Twitter:

  BlissPR – New York
  Abby Carr @abbycarr
  Angelica Hernandez @anjelicah
  Aven James @avenlea
  Cortney Rhoads @cortneyrhoads
  Dan Brady @dtbrady77
  Elizabeth Sosnow @elizabethsosnow
  Emily Weinman @eweinman
  Erica Michel @EricaMichel
  Gretchen Steinmiller @gsteinmiller
  John Bliss @johnbliss
  John Pappas @johnpappas
  Katherine Kilpatrick @kilpatrickk
  Kelly Davis @kellydavis226
  Karl Banks @KBanks
  Lisa Karel @lisakarel
  Meg Wildrick @megwildrick
  Meghan Lantier @meghanlantier
  Nicole LeBlanc @nicolejleblanc
  Paige Holden @PaigeHolden
  Rachel Gerber @gerbs1363
  Sally Martin @sallyilmartin
  Vanessa Conroy @vanessaconroy
  Vik Dutta @vdutta

  BlissPR – Chicago
  Margy Sweeney @margysweeney
  Dave Miranda @davidmiranda

  Other Locations
  St. Louis, MO: Kellie Sheehan @kshe
  Austin, Texas: Rebecca Neufeld @ratothebec

  We’re all really looking forward to tweeting with you!

  Best,
  Rebecca

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  csalomonlee

  May 11, 2022 at 05:26

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  Apologies for not keeping the updates timely – I’ve added info for Levick, Rasky and Capstrat. Thanks for your patience.

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  Roger Harris

  May 5, 2022 at 16:32

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  You raise some interesting points, and thank you for the mention.

  BTW Capstrat likes to let its voice be heard through its employees. We do not have an official “corporate” Twitter feed (as yet). You can connect with me,
  @rharris, and others:
  @kalbritton
  @cord
  @stevenkeith
  @tarheelevan
  @oombrella

  We look forward to the conversation!

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  Betsy Kelly

  February 25, 2022 at 16:17

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  Hi, This is Betsy Kelly from Rasky Baerlein. Thanks for this great article. We wanted to update you on our firm’s listing. We have a Facebook page at Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications. And we have several employees on Twitter. They include:
  @betsykelly
  @laurenChisolm
  @bethbres13

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your blog.

  Betsy Kelly
  VP – Marketing

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  csalomonlee

  February 25, 2022 at 02:08

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  @claire – thanks for the update, I’ll make the change

  @Dallas thanks for letting me know about your agency. I’ll add your information in my next update.

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  Dallas Lawrence

  February 24, 2022 at 23:29

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  Cece-

  Thanks for taking the time to identify the social media tactics used by top PR agencies!

  Individual tactics like the ones you measured for are important for building brand awareness, but the one factor I think is often overlooked is the need to integrate each of these tactics into an overall digital media strategy that yields measurable results. Just having a twitter account or a blog does not necessarily equal social media savvy. Each tactic must complement the other so that conversations generated on a blog post, Twitter, or YouTube channel can be fully leveraged to support a coordinated messaging program.

  For Levick Strategic Communication, we implemented a social media strategy that prioritizes a cohesive online presence across multiple platforms. For example, our Web site, http://www.levick.com features a link to our blog, http://www.BulletProofBlog.com, and our blog regularly posts thought pieces on crisis communications which we then publicize via several Twitter profiles. Thanks again for the great list and for the pitch for our blog – in addition to the blog presence you referenced please feel free to check out the following Levick profiles not listed on your chart:

  Twitter: @RichardLevick
  President & CEO

  Twitter: @DallasLawrence
  VP Digital Media

  YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/LevickSC

  LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/a3/945

  Thanks,

  Dallas Lawrence, VP of Digital Media
  Levick Strategic Communications

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  Claire Burke

  February 23, 2022 at 20:20

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  I appreciated your post and learning more about how agencies are promoting themselves (and not just their clients) via social media. The comments and responses have been interesting as well. Our efforts thus far have been on behalf of clients and not our agency. We’ll certainly discuss the points that have been made here and weigh the pros and cons of having a corporate presence as well.

  In the meantime, please note that you have an incorrect link associated with our agency name on your list. Our correct web address is provided in my reply.

  Thank you,
  Claire

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  Christine Perkett

  February 20, 2022 at 21:32

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  I hope this isn’t repetitive – I left a comment earlier but it didn’t seem to go through – the ball just keeps spinning ? So here it is again … and thanks for your comment on my post as well.

  The net net is that I said I elaborated on your post in my own blog yesterday (How Important is Social Media in PR: http://bit.ly/I4gne). Do agencies need a corporate presence or is it enough for individuals to have one from which they share both personal and professional information?

  The answer to your question in the headline is simply, “No.” You shouldn’t. But not all clients need or want social media. So not all agencies are involved.

  That being said, although we weren’t on O’Dwyer’s list (we keep revenues private and therefore don’t qualify), we are very active in social media and were just identified as such – and as 1 of just 6 PR firms “top considered” – in Jennifer Leggio’s (@mediaphyter) research survey – which she posted yesterday. We’ve found that our involvement in social media – beyond our work for clients – has led to phenomenal new relationships, engagement, education, opportunities, business development, partnerships and awareness. What agency wouldn’t want that for themselves? Just seems like common sense to me.

  Thank you for your hard work on this list! I look forward to more research in the future.

  Kindly,
  Christine Perkett
  Founder/President, PerkettPR

  http://www.perkettprsuasion.com
  http://www.twitter.com/PerkettPR
  http://www.twitter.com/missusP
  * all other social media channels are linked in the sites above.

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  csalomonlee

  February 20, 2022 at 19:43

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  @Rasmussen – you raise a good point. I thik the nature of “conversation” is different. I go to a corporate brand to hear about the company news, promotion and possibly their perspective on industry events, especially if I’m a customer, reporter, analyst, prospect and/or employee. As for an individual, the “conversation” may still cover these topics, but this puts a “personal” touch to my communication.

  I don’t know if it’s a misuse of the term but maybe different interpretations.

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  Rasmussen

  February 20, 2022 at 19:36

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  @Cese – What might a conversation between you and a Company Logo look like? [ideally]

  Would you ever ask with whom you are speaking?

  Or is this an example of a fundamental misuse of the word “conversation” in our industry?

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  csalomonlee

  February 20, 2022 at 19:30

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  @Ann thanks for taking time to discuss your programs. Please feel free to keep me updated and I will make the appropriate changes here and on the wiki.

  @Rasmussen – I would expect a different conversation from each. And depending on what each said, I would want to interact with both. And in some cases, this can be the same in one. I believe that this applies to any company depending on the goals you’re seeking to achieve.

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  Rasmussen

  February 20, 2022 at 16:05

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  Why should an agency use a corporate Twitter profile at all (as opposed to promoting the activities and networks of trust already constructed through the employees of that company)

  Would you prefer to listen and interact with a person or an agency?

  (Can’t we expect a different kind of conversation from each?)

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  Anne Green

  February 20, 2022 at 15:51

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  This is a very interesting post – as is the dialogue that has followed it! It’s a daunting task to try to catalogue the myriad social / conversation-driven activities of so many agencies. So kudos for taking this on!

  I would note that most of us at CooperKatz are highly-engaged with a whole range of ‘social media’ (for want of a better word) channels. For example, there are lots of us on Twitter. You can follow me at @anneegreen. Additionally, most of us are very active on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social sites – which we use to connect with clients and business partners as well as personal contacts. In terms of a corporate-level Facebook or LinkedIn page for CooperKatz, we have never felt philosophically that this makes a lot of sense for an agency of our size. We tend to put the bulk of our focus relative to key conversations online, etc., on our clients and their industry sectors, influencers and issues. With that said, our Web site is definitely a ‘doctor, heal thyself’ situation – which is why we’re halfway through a major Web site redesign project. That new site will include a group blog platform, to which many folks here are looking forward to contributing. Again, philosophically, we’ve tried to avoid building ‘cults of personality’ around specific individuals, as we want our entire team and the results we have achieved for clients to be our strongest calling card. But we certainly also appreciate the comments above about being ‘present’ and a part of the conversation – particularly those held within our own PR / marketing communities.

  Looking forward to following the further threads here!

  Anne Green
  President / COO
  CooperKatz

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  csalomonlee

  February 20, 2022 at 15:23

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  thanks @ramraider – I agree that this may help agencies to understand how this fits into a larger integrated marketing program.

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  RamRaider

  February 20, 2022 at 10:21

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  I’m not entirely convinced that much of the offerings are actually social. The majority of blogs are little more than web 1.0 articles, not that well written for the medium: lacks sub-heads, too long, too promotional, not discussion…

  LinkedIn is often not much more than a glorified contacts list + CV.

  Corporate use of Twitter is 90% shouting ‘me me me my opinion’ and little real discussion. Yes some get it right (Innocent) most haven’t (Intel).

  I am not sure just having a Twitter account or setting up a Facebook page is immersion in Social Media. There are a few platforms like GetSatisfaction that have strong possibilities.

  Would I trust a PR company to do my social media at all is a good question?

  They would have to understand the whole marketing mix and actively share ideas/content across the whole marketing community for a brand.

  They would have to actively work with the digital agencies, brand agencies, media houses and advertising teams. Only then would the social strategy actually focus on the client rather than a PR empire.

  If PR agencies are to do social media properly they need to work into client marketing teams rather than going their own way within a marketing plan – which is so often the case.

  its not whether they are on Twitter, its whether they work in an integrated manner. Social Media is not that complex – integration is what takes the effort.

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  csalomonlee

  February 20, 2022 at 06:24

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  @tdefren – thanks for your comments. I just wrote a post (http://prmeetsmarketing.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/response_pr_firms_social_media_presence that responds to the comments, provides my perspective regarding Jennifer’s post and the introduction of a public wiki (http://prfirmssocialmedia.pbwiki.com/).

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  Todd Defren

  February 20, 2022 at 05:46

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  I have to agree with Max and Jennifer on his one. Laudable effort but mixed value.

  As just one example: a huge firm like Edelman may be able to lay claim to 500 boggers, but is anybody listening? If a smaller firm has 5 influential bloggers (vs. 500 “meh” bloggers), is that accounted for by your methodology?

  You also can’t alwyas be aware of an agency’s efforts. For example, working hand-in-glove with our client contacts, SHIFT has created and maintains Youtube channels and Facebook pages for some major brands: work that is relevant in terms of your study but which is not readily discoverable.

  And lastly: there’s no accounting here for the quality, depth or success of these agencies’ efforts. In that vein, there seems to be no accounting for a firm’s reputation for effectiveness in this sphere, from clients’ (or the market’s) p.o.v., as Ms. Leggio recently looked at things: http://blogs.zdnet.com/feeds/?p=512 …

  I agree that “use” of Social Media tools is important, but not enough to merit placement on an ordered list like this one.

  Again, a laudable and linkbait-worthy concept, and you ask some good questions here, but I question the methodology’s long-term validity.

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  csalomonlee

  February 20, 2022 at 04:28

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  Email from Jason Mandell of LaunchSquad
  Actually we do have a LinkedIn page as I had thought. All the info for us is here:

  Twitter: @launchsquad

  Blogs (both on home page):
  http://www.exclamationblog.com
  http://www.launchsquad.com/blogs/whatsnew/

  Facebook: LaunchSquad Clients

  LinkedIn: http://tinyurl.com/bp3bwq

  YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/

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  csalomonlee

  February 20, 2022 at 01:29

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  Thanks to everyone for their comments. Based on this feedback, I am planning to create a pbwiki page so agencies can proactively update their listing for BOTH corporate and invidual contributors. This page will include firms that were not on the original and will be in alphabetical order vs the original O’Dwyer’s top 100 indepedent firms from 2007. I hope to have this completed tonight for posting tomorrow (2/20/09) PST.

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  Jason Clarke

  February 20, 2022 at 00:53

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  Great list CeCe. Good to see that Bite has been well represented but, in additional to our well populated corporate blog, BiteMarks, there are a few additional social media channels currently being used or developed.

  We have Bite Communications Facebook page. Admittedly, it’s not as up-to-date as we would like but there are definite plans to do more with it in the coming weeks. In addition, we currently have the following additional Facebook pages:
  – Bite Communications US – HR
  – Bite Communications UK – HR
  – Bite Communications is HIRING!
  – Bite Sweden
  – Bite Alumni

  We have also created Facebook pages to generate interest around Bite-led events in the past, e.g. Bite Communications – Facebook & Ofcom Seminar.

  In addition to Bitepr on Twitter, which has 366 followers today, our friends at Bite Sweden have a separate account and there are a number of other Bite related accounts currently in development.

  Bite has a corporate channel on YouTube and an additional channel to promote its annual consumer technology showcase, PlayBite, in London.

  Bite also has corporate presence on LinkedIn and Flickr.

  Generally, we’re a pretty active bunch on various social media channels but this is a decent overall representation of our corporate presence.

  Thanks again for pulling a really useful list together.

  Jason Clarke
  Vice President, Business Development & Marketing
  Bite Communications

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