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Reports that Facebook’s self-service ad-buying tool may have been used by Russian agents during the 2016 election—as well as allowed anti-Semitic groups to target like-minded individuals—has damaged the brand’s reputation and raised questions about federal regulation of social media ads. The revelations have also raised questions about transparency, integrity and crisis management. When should a company withhold information it knows will damage its brand, and for how long?

How can you engage a community of thousands from across the world while making them a part of your live events? For Erin Flior, senior director of digital communications at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, live streaming has emerged as a key way to create community and encourage participation for those who can’t be onsite, allowing them to contribute their thoughts and questions in real time.

Users logging on to Facebook today will notice a new television-shaped icon gracing the platform as the social media giant unveiled its latest video feature, dubbed Watch. The feature looks to do battle with YouTube for advertising dollars as it offers brand communicators a new platform for evangelizing branded content. Marketers from B2C organizations now have a new front to drive engagement with billions of users on the world’s largest social network, and for B2B marketers, Watch may offer the ability to engage more specialized, targeted audiences.

Did you experience a sudden and sharp sense of FOMO last week? Then you should’ve been in San Francisco with PR News. An all-star lineup of speakers presented on topics ranging from SEO and Google Analytics to influencer marketing and Snapchat at the Big 4 Social Media Conference and Google for Communicators Boot Camp held at the San Francisco Grand Hyatt Aug. 9-10. Here’s a wrap-up of the two-day event, which showcased compelling video, top-notch speakers and networking opportunities galore.

Reality checked in with me recently when a few parents on my son’s rowing team, knowing my affiliation with PR News, asked me to write the press releases for the club. Sure, it’ll be easy,… Continued

Communicators know that paid Facebook ads are a requirement, not a luxury. But that doesn’t mean your brand will be buried unless you spend like Coca-Cola. Even a small budget can have a big impact, but you need to start with specific goals, said Michael Lamp, senior vice president of social and digital media at Hunter Public Relations, at PR News’ Facebook Boot Camp July 20 in New York.

Imagine this: attendees at a conference are flocking to a table filled with greeting cards where they can choose among “thank you,” “happy birthday” and “congratulations” greetings, write something nice (hopefully), lick the envelope and… Continued

Social media exposes many ironies, including the possibility that we are less social because of social media. Remember the days when we used our phone for talking, not typing? And when a friend was someone… Continued

The competition for attention on Facebook is intense, and seems to grow more heated every day. Just because somebody is following your brand on the site doesn’t mean they’ll automatically engage with your content. Yet, one of the most common mistakes content marketers make on Facebook is in focusing too much on lead generation and not enough on building a community and offering content of real value, says Chad Berndtson, director of content marketing and social media at B2B cyber security firm Palo Alto Networks.

Rarely do I mess with cookies, except to eat them. But an experience over the last two weeks with a furniture retailer had me clearing the cookies from my computer. So annoyed was I by… Continued