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I’ve been reading the Spin Sucks blog for over four years. Yes, four years, the same amount of time it took me to earn a college degree! A four year commitment may sound like hard work, but it doesn’t feel that way.
It was 2010; I had recently left my first big girl job after college to embark on my next career adventure. I was hired for a brand new position as the social media manager for an association. My purpose was to build the organization’s social media presence and strategy from the ground up, alone. Working in a marketing and communications department of three, I was starving for the opportunity to learn from others in my industry so I could become a better communications professional.
Then, I stumbled upon Spin Sucks.
Reading Spin Sucks every morning was a dose of PR inspiration and just the practical knowledge I needed to continue to take my work and career to the next level. Spin Sucks connected me with a community of other readers, PR professionals and marketing enthusiasts that kept me on my toes and encouraged me to become a better PR professional.
So when Gini Dietrich finally wrote Spin Sucks the book (it was about darn time) I seized the opportunity to be a Spin Sucks Ambassador and review the book prior to its release. Here are a couple of highlights:
- Shareable and Valuable Content Creation. Yes, you can tell your story without sex and extortion. While the industry has shifted, we’re now developing more creative and strategic approaches, outside of just “media relations.” Even more exciting (if you ask me) is that this new media mix has resulted in the ability to better measure results and prove our worth whether it be to our clients or to our CEO if you work in-house. Tying communication results to overall business goals is no longer a nicety.
- Scammers and PR Ethics. Spin Sucks outlines shadowy tactics that are designed to attract attention without earning it – whether it’s keyword stuffing on a website or whisper campaigns attracting media on an untruthful premise. It’s better to tell your story and not cut corners. Particularly when it comes to digital strategy, we need to be up to date on the latest in the industry – what used to be firmly in the developers domain is now the responsibility of the whole PR and marketing team.
- Customers Control Your Brand. This isn’t about whether customers should or shouldn’t control a brand, it’s just a fact of the matter. Your brand needs to match what people think of you internally and externally. You can only make this connection by engaging in an ongoing two-way conversation – and that’s constant, not just when you release a new product. Being open and building trust with your community is the best way to influence the perception of who you are as an organization. So if you’re losing control of your brand…get excited!
Even after being an avid reader of the blog, Spin Sucks the book continued to inspire me. It was easy to read, and I loved that it reminded me of reading Gini’s blog posts, clear, practical and rich in storytelling. I think it’s a must read for any PR, communications or marketing professional and entrepreneurs and business owners.
It’s time for us to show people, PR isn’t about spin. PR is made of bright, caring and passionate individuals with a creative expertise. An expertise that when applied strategically has been known to inspire positive growth and change in businesses, raise awareness and contributions for important causes, bring together communities for a common goal or purpose and empower individuals to take action!