Celebs on Twitter, PR and bloggers

Woweee - my Twitter is full of celebrity posts. Philip Schofield is live tweeting from the This Morning set, Dave Gorman almost got knocked off his bike....Ashton Kutcher REALLY loves his missus.

At this rate, my Twitter engagement is going to be less about engaging with likeminded techies, and become my daily dose of Heat magazine. Bit of a worry that.

While we're on work, then - after my pal Emily blogged about social media and PR, I've had about three pub-driven conversations arguing the toss about how to influence digital communities - and how companies can engage with bloggers specifically.

Of course, social media experts will tell you that PR companies regularly make idiots of themselves by sending a generic PR pitch to a big list of bloggers and expecting them to write about their client. Well, yes. But that's not exactly surprising is it?

Send a generic PR pitch to a big list of journalists and you'll get the same result. Whether you're doing traditional PR or engaging with bloggers, that's just lazy.

For me, if you're going to influence bloggers, you've got to get in the game. Write your own blog, engage with online communities - and do your research. Pick your blog targets carefully - make sure they're relevant to your client, and your client is relevant to the blogger.

And once you've identified your target blogs, you read them. You comment on other posts, you get interested in what the blogger is saying. You build a relationship with them. Then, IF they're interested in your company, they might write about it.

Right?

(And apologies to Emily for using her post to spur an additional rant/repurposing my original comments - more originality promised in the next post)

That Tommy Reilly's a bit of a looker

Or so the kids say. If you're watching Orange Unsigned Act, and want the chance to see the live final then check out a competition my pal is running http://orangeunsignedact.competition-badges.com/.

Brrrr

God. Frickin' cold, isn't it? Unbearable, I'd say. And yes, cold weather, I blame YOU for my hangover on Sunday morning. As if it was warmer out, I certainly wouldn't have sat in the nice warm pub for seven hours straight.

Pick me!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/12/australia-workandcareers

Best job ever.

Blah blah blah

I suppose, in order to write a decent blog, with interested readers, you've got to have some decent things to say. Actually - I don't suppose, I know. Because I've got nothing decent to say, and this post is boring the arse off me - let alone my four (count em) loyal readers.

Have spent the last day mainly being very annoyed about very arbitrary things. Things, which really - in the midst of a recession - shouldn't be on my mind. However - let's run through them:

1. People who think they can post something profound on a Twitter update. Yup, it's a great tool for keeping up with pals, sharing links and shooting the breeze. But discussing Obama's lack of response to the crisis in Israel. Not in 140 characters you don't.

2. The death of romance. It is MUCH less romantic if someone says 'I luv u' than 'I love you'. Don't use text language for emotional sentiments, gentlemen. Don't even use text.Face to face - or what's wrong with a letter? And flowers, please. (This one isn't from personal experience luckily. My boy is very good).

3. Rory McGrath. Irritating voice - irritating man. Ruins that Grumpy old Men show.

Who's Clive Warren!?

Readers. I ask you...

Check out Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant laughing at Karl Pilkington's pitch for a movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5oAEaEF6e0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz_6vYxw42w&feature=related

Then tell me it's not just a teeny bit similar to the plot of Stephanie (Twilight) Meyer's new book 'Host'. http://www.lovevampires.com/smthehost.html

So - Karl: hidden genius or Stephanie Meyer: slightly rubbish. You decide.

Happy new year - and vampires

Alright readers? Happy New Year to you. As I've discovered there are now definitely four of you, I'd like to wish you all a fun filled, stella fuelled, year of merriment.

So, I'm over my sulk about Christmas being over for another year - and am starting my New Year's resolution to go to the cinema every week, in order to re-affirm my film-buff status. This week was Twilight. Spurred on by Katy (who told me Cedric Diggory - he will always be Cedric to me - is all grown up and is now very fit), I dragged the boy along to settle down for a couple of hours of vampire fun.

It's a bit slow, and there was eye rolling from the boy at all the romantic teen-angst bits - but generally worth a watch. Cedric (Edward) is indeed fit and it left me thinking that vampires are really quite nice and attractive (apart from all the blood sucking stuff).

For those not into teen fiction, the flick is based on Stephanie Meyer's novels, which detail the romance between Bella (human) and Edward (vampire). Through the four book series Bella and Edward go through all of the normal teenage problems (yep, dealing with werewolves and deciding whether or not Bella should become a vampire too). The books are faintly ridiculous and defintiely not going to win any prizes (watch while they scoop awards now) - but hugely enjoyable and kept me entertained throughout the Christmas period.

See Twilight - read the books - but keep going until book four. It ALL kicks off in that one.....