Make the Noise

One definition of “Relationship” is: A particular type of connection existing between people related to or having dealings with each other.
To be effective in publicity, one must first have a relationship with the person they are trying to reach. To be a successful publicist we must do more than just maintain connections with a handful of a key contacts: the age of citizen journalism has taken over.  Now we are faced with developing, following and managing relationships with hundreds of individuals from around the world.
In order to keep track of this unprecedented amount of data, we can leverage the technology that has made social media possible, using new services like Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo! Pipes, and MySpace in combination with older, more established channels like instant messaging and email.  The combination allows us to build and maintain two-way relationships with more people than would ever have been manageable before.
In this new era where publicists and writers follow each other, we can reach our audience more quickly than ever, but also with a stronger personal connection by keeping our relationships fresh and interesting.  It is this personal connection that brings life and excitement to the blogosphere.  It is this connection that makes social media such a powerful force in the daily lives of today’s consumers. And it is this connection that will forever change the face of public relations.