Public Relations Strategery

At least that’s what Chris Brogan said this week at the Society for New Communications Research NewComm Forum. I have to admit that I was a little scared about what he was to going to suggest next.

I had flown out to San Francisco to give a presentation on Government 2.0 at the same conference that Chris was presenting at, and he was one of the reasons that I was really excited about attending.  I’ve been to conferences where he’s spoken before and really like his informal, tell-it-how-it-is style.

So, when Chris began his presentation, I knew that I wanted to get his take on this whole Government 2.0 meme.  Here in the DC area, we’ve got a lot of “goverati,” carpetbaggers, yellow journalists as well as plenty of behind-the-scenes people who are actually making Government 2.0 happen.  It’s sometimes hard to get out of the echo chamber.  The reason I like conferences like the NewComm Forum is precisely because I’m usually one of the few Government 2.0 folks there.  I get an opportunity to meet and interact with some of the top minds in the broader social media world and get their perspectives on what’s working and what’s not in Government 2.0.

Video Set-up: I asked Chris for his thoughts on this whole concept of Government 2.0 and what he’d like to see it become.  His first response (that I wasn’t able to get on tape) was “why isn’t the IRS on Twitter helping me do my taxes?  I want to be able to go to @IRS and ask them questions about how to fill out their forms.”  He then finished his answer with the following:

What I find refreshing about Chris’ thoughts on Government 2.0 is that he concentrates not on the tools themselves, but on being helpful, on customer service.  He advocates for asynchronous communications and for engaging with the community when and where they are, rather than trying to get more comments or web traffic.

He realizes that Government 2.0 isn’t about the tools.  It isn’t about the Whitehouse getting on Twitter, it isn’t about the GSA making friends with YouTube, and it isn’t about barcamps.  These things are fantastic, all they are a means to the end.  What really matters is that people can now ask a question of the EPA at 11:00 at night and get a response back within an hour.  Or that people can now talk directly to their Congressman.  Or that local bloggers in other nations can now provide their readership with accurate information because they’re embedded directly with the Department of State’s traveling press corps.

So yeah, I agree with Chris that the government should always keep the end goal of being helpful to the public in mind.  If that means getting every Government agency department and agency tweeting, that’s ok by me, as long as they’re doing it to be helpful and not to check a box, or to market themselves, or to help someone leave behind some sort of legacy.

Use social media but remember why you’re using it.

I haven’t done as much as I should to publicize this event, but PLEASE look into attending the 5th Annual New Communications Forum in San Francisco later this month on April 27th – 29th.  I’ll be giving a presentation that is based on the one that I gave at Government 2.0 Camp a few weeks back.  If that isn’t reason enough for you to attend, how about this – register now and use the discount code “SNCRFRIEND,” and you’ll save $100 off the registration fee and you can participate in the entire three-day conference for just $695.

Over these three days, you’ll hear from social media luminaries from across the country including an opening keynote conversation with Charles Best, founder, DonorsChoose.org, as well as speakers like:

• ME!
• Chris Brogan
• Geoff Livingston
• Laura Fitton
• Paul Gillin
• Shel Holtz
• Shel Israel
• Alan Kelly
• JD Lasica
• Charlene Li
• Amy Muller
• Jeremiah Owyang
• Joseph Thornley
• And many others…

The full program agenda is available at:
http://newcommforum.com/2009/?page_id=2

The NewComm Forum is a focused conference specifically designed to teach communications professionals the strategy and tactics to effectively utilize the power of social media and new communications tools and trends.  This year’s conference will also be co-located with the Inbound Marketing Summit.  For all you Government 2.0 folks reading this, this is a good opportunity to get out of the DC bubble of Government 2.0 and learn from what private industry has been doing for years in this space.  Just because they’re not in the public sector doesn’t mean you won’t learn a ton of useful strategies and tactics – spend a day talking with some of the people speaking at NewComm and I guarantee you’re head with be spinning with new ideas!

So, for $695, you get to go to San Francisco, hear from some of the top minds in social media, talk with them too (they’re nice people), have a few (or more) drinks at the View Lounge courtesy of dna13, and perhaps most importantly, network with other people who are interested in social media.

So what are you waiting for?  Join me in San Francisco in two weeks – I’d love to meet you while I’m out there!

UPDATE: Presentation is now available via SlideShare.

[slideshare id=1354425&doc=newcommforum09government2-0radick-090427190855-phpapp01]

Last Wednesday, I moderated a panel discussion on Government 2.0 for the Social Media Club, DC Chapter, where I had the opportunity to speak with, and more importantly, learn from, some of the people most responsible for that phrase – Government 2.0. I’m not even speaking of just the panelists – it seemed like virtually every attendee could have been one of the “experts” on the panel (and probably have been at some point).

Social Media Club DC Government 2.0 Panel

Panelists included:

• Chris Dorobek, Federal News Radio co-anchor, The Daily Debrief with Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris (http://dorobekinsider.com/)
• Mark Drapeau, Associate Research Fellow, National Defense University and Mashable Blogger
  
• Steve Field, Media Relations Manager, Ground Systems at BAE Systems and author of the D-Ring Blog

As I began the discussion, focusing first on the definition of Government 2.0, and then diving into some of the unique challenges the government faces, I noticed something about the three panelists and the 100 or so people in the audience.  This was a gathering of people interested in Government 2.0 and how this concept is fundamentally changing the way our government operates and the audience wasn’t filled with Chief Technology Officers, Chief Information Officers, Directors, or Secretaries – it was filled with scientists, contractors, members of the media, webmasters,and start-ups.

That’s when it really hit home for me, that the present and future of social media within the government doesn’t lie with whom President Obama’s CTO will be, or what memos and directives the Obama administration will issue.

Social media is driven by the person, not the position.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a GS-7 working on a government website, a concerned citizen, or a Chief Technology Officer – social media isn’t about the title, it’s about the person.  It’s about the person who has seen the potential of social media to make a change for the better and who has done something about it.  It’s about the guy who convinces his administrator to do a press conference on Twitter.  It’s about the group of people who self-organize a Government 2.0 Barcamp.  It’s about the IT specialist who starts an entire social network dedicated to Government 2.0 in his spare time.

Speculating about Obama’s CTO or the impact this Administration will have on Government 2.0 is fun, but if you really want an idea of the future of social media and government, stop looking at the titles that follow the name, and focus instead on the person behind the name.  Some of the most exciting things happening in Government 2.0 have their roots not in corner offices, but from cubicles, personal laptops, happy hours, and networking events.

*Photo courtesy of Mark Drapeau

One of the things that I truly enjoy doing is public speaking, especially when it’s on a topic that I’m really passionate about.  Right now, social media is that topic and I’m excited to have the opportunity to go out and speak to others about it.  On my “Speaking” page, I’ll try to post my upcoming speaking events and selected past presentations.  Per my social media resolution #5, I’ll also be posting more of often about the various events, conferences, and meet-ups I’ll be attending in hopes of meeting more of my virtual contacts in person.

Over the next few weeks, there are two events coming up where I will be speaking, and I hope that I’ll have the opportunity to meet you at one of them.  Let me know if you’ll also be attending so that we can connect.

On January 14th, I’ll be moderating a Government 2.0 panel discussion at the next Social Media Club of DC meeting.  I’m really excited to be involved with this event because not only do the panel participants include some of the DC-area’s top Government 2.0 insiders – Chris Dorobek, Steve Field and Mark Drapeau – but they’re also people I know and respect.  We’ll discuss the overall government strategy and what the potential roadmap for 2009 looks like, how government agencies and contractors have collaborated so far, what works and what doesn’t, how to harness the collective intelligence of people to contribute to government, and what’s next in the relationship between social media and government.   If you’re interested in attending, make sure you RSVP!

The very next day, on January 15th, I’ll be giving a presentation at the Tech Council of Maryland’s “Power Networking Tips, Trends, and Techniques workshop.  I’ll be giving a presentation on how social media has changed traditional networking practices, how tools like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can be used to supplement face-to-face interaction, and how to get started using these tools.  I’m looking forward to this presentation as I don’t know any of the other presenters and will be speaking to an audience that I haven’t traditionally done much work with. If you’re interested in attending this presentation, make sure you register first!

I’ve also got a few other opportunities that I’m working on and will be posting those as they come to fruition.  Leave me a comment if you’ll be attending either of the above events and would like to connect.