Nuttin But Buzz

Social media, starting a small music business and influencing the news cycle

Moderator George McQuade talks about creating a buzz via social media at the PRSUMMITLA

Starting a small business, especially a music business can be daunting, but then when you want to brand it or tell the world social media is no longer an option.

Workshop Moderator Tiffany Bradshaw said when you start a business you need to research and target your audiences.

About 50 mostly PR pros, entrepreneurs and multimedia marketers huddled at “PR Chat SummitLA held at the NextSpace in Culver City, CA over the weekend (Nov. 12, 2011) to get the “best practices” in startups and social media.

(l-R) George McQuade, Shaun Saunders Matt Skallerud, Pink Banana Media, Jonathan Handle, The Hollywood Reporter at PRSUMMITLA in Culver City, CA

This writer moderated the Social Media workshop entitled, “How to Marshal & Inform Bloggers, Editors and Content  Producers in the Most Effective Way!” The panelists were: Mekahlo Medina, NBCLA NBC Universal; Jonathan Handel (The Hollywood Reporter) and Matt Skallerud (Pink Banana Media).

Keynote Speaker Serena Ehrlich, AttentionUSA.com at PRSUMMITLA event.

“You need to know the tools of the business,” Keynote Speaker Serena Ehrlich, Attention USA, who spoke on “The Future of Social Media for PR People.”

You need to raise awareness of a product through messaging, engage brand fans on all relevant platforms, drive it through digital components and amplify campaigns through advertising,” Ehrlich suggested several tools and techniques, offering several outside or third party applications to do the trick.

“A lot of people when starting a small business should remember to include the legal and PR side of things,” said  That word from Darren Darnborough, founder and strategic director, stucknetwork with one of the worlds largest databases of promo staff in the industry, filling staff campaigns and finding new business easier for staffing agencies by encouraging brands, PR companies and ad agencies to post tenders for campaigns.

Established in the UK since 2002, Stuck For Staff has now launched in theUS,Australia,New ZealandandSouth Africa.

“Don’t look at how much PR costs as much as the bigger picture,” he told the group. If you get an article in the newspaper and it’s posted Online and goes viral there’s your ROI.”

According to Mashable.com a new study shows half of all adults are signing onto to the social sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin.

“Social media is simply the technology that allows people to share with their friends,” said Serena Ehrlich. “When we are happy with something, we ‘Like it’ or share through a status update on Facebook, we tweet out, we instagram a photo, right?”

 So who owns social media?

“The truth is, social media should be a fundamental part of each division of the company that interfaces with clients, customers, analysts and business partners,” she said. “Never post anything on Facebook unless you have an image or video to go with it, no one will open it or read it.”

Serena Ehrlich, AttentionUSA.com introduces herself at PRSUMMITLA workshop.

Ehrlich contends that to be successful in your startup, PR and small business you need to go across a wide range of functions. She said, it “Involves engagement via messaging (frequently referred to as earned outreach), advertising and production (paid) and the company’s own customer service, website and existing vehicles (owned).

Ehrlich admits it’s not easy, and that social media can take from 60 to 100 hours per month. “This is an art form. And this should not be taken lightly. But messaging campaigns can only take a brand so far,” explained Ehrlich.

Other PR Chat SummitLA LA panelists at the Saturday session included: Tiffany Bradshaw (President, Bradshaw & Co.); Darren Darnborough, (Founder, StuckForStaff); Chris Detert (Founder, American Rebel PR); Zahava Stroud (Founder, iHollywood Forum) and Jiyan Wei (Founder, Build Zoom). 

Tags: American Rebel PR, AttentionUSA, Build Zoom, Business, Darren Darnborough, Facebook, Founder, Google+, iHollywood Forum, Jiyan Wei, Linkedin, MAYO Communications, Mekahlo Medina, NBCLA, PR SUMMIT, Serena Ehrlich, start ups, StuckForStaff. Chris Detert.Founder, Tiffany Bradshaw, Twitter, Zahava Stroud