Stories by Sam Ford

Much of the PR industry’s social media dialogue focuses on a platform-specific approach. However, I’m afraid that—amidst all these Facebook plans, Twitter strategies and Pinterest campaigns—PR executives and communicators have found themselves astray from truly strategic thinking.

Breaking out of these silos is the first step toward more effectively reporting ROI. Embracing more diverse sets of data is the second.

Having poor grammar, misspelled words, sloppy punctuation and excessive jargon and acronyms can damage your credibility—and the credibility of your communications.

The yearlong process of getting Wells Fargo Stories up and running speaks to the challenges that senior communicators working for legacy brands sometimes face when they want to introduce new PR programs, particularly in the digital space.

One of the first things that clients want to know is whether business communicators can show them how to carry themselves in front of the media and fix any glitches that may be getting in the way of delivering the message. But what happens when you turn the tables, and PR managers and directors are the ones who are being interviewed and relaying the message?

In addition to rethinking how (and how often) we monitor for potential issues, how we organize to effectively manage crisis situations must also evolve. Issues management expertise is no longer sufficient to succeed in this environment.

Companies of all stripes are scrambling to recruit, hire and retain social media talent. That encompasses people well versed in content creation, SEO, design, video and several other disciplines that are not in the traditional PR mold.

When the dust of generalizations settles, we’re left with a world where millennials have increasing purchasing clout, and are buying all their stuff through social media. That means that, with a strategic approach to social media management, PR professionals have a great opportunity to cultivate and grow millennials as customers.

For senior PR managers, the NFL scandals (and the league’s bumbling responses) hold several lessons. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is the need to set new standards without concern “for the gate” and strongly communicate those standards to the public.

▶ The Unyielding Power of Perception: Sure, things may look great on paper. But when it comes to how the public views your brand, the perception is out of whack. Case in point: the investment potential