July's "Tweep in Profile"
In this month's edition of "Tweep in Profile" I am happy to introduce you to - not only a long time "Tweep" I've had the pleasure of following and getting to know - but also a new client - Martin Waxman. Martin is on of the founders of a new public relations firm in town known as energi PR and since no one tells their story better than themselves...meet Martin Waxman.
What do you do?
If you asked me that question a month ago, I would have had a slightly different answer. Today, I am one of the founders and managing partners of a new agency: energi PR, Communications, Digital. We just started up after my firm, Palette PR, merged with Communications MECA. We wanted to create a whole new entity that combines traditional and new PR. I'm excited to be leading and building energi's social media/digital team.
What do you like most about Social Media/Networking sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook?
One of the things I like best about social networks is that we can virtually meet and get to know people, exchange ideas and information, discover little nuggets of personality and learn from folks with similar interests who might live anywhere in the world. We can extend our personal and professional networks well beyond our geographic locations. And when we meet people for the first time, or 'see them' as @TerryFallis says, it takes the relationships we've built to a new level. For example, I knew you online before we met and then we met at a dinner, worked together, etc. I also like how everyone's various connections keep intersecting in surprising and wonderful places!
How do you use it in your daily life - personal and business?
Social media is the intersection of the personal and professional and that's something I like a lot. I'm at a stage in my career and life when I'm happy to have one 'bizpers' identity - martinwaxman - across all my social platforms. And as @mitchjoel writes, a consistent online identity is important to helping establish your credibility and build your network. That said, I think I use social media more in business - my wife and many of my friends aren't that involved yet. I blog about PR, am active on Twitter and LinkedIn. I want to start experimenting with videos more because I believe PR people need to progress beyond words when we tell stories. That's a bit difficult for me because I'm really verbal, but I'm going to try.
What is the biggest thing you've learned so far about Social Media and how have you implemented?
I think my biggest social media learning is just that - all the constant learning we need to do to stay on top of things. We have to keep our minds open to fresh ideas, understand and test new applications and tools; figure out what is and isn't appropriate for our clients and communities; separate content from noise; test the new ways to talk and engage with each other. And we need to analyze, be critical and use our judgment and experience. And just when we think we've got a handle on things, along comes a new development and we have to learn some more. If you're a curious person, and in PR you should be, that's really energizing (and yes, a bit daunting, too).
Where do you see this medium going in terms of your profession?
Blogger and communicator Giovanni Rodriguez said social media is helping PR get back to our roots and our name - public relations - and building and facilitating meaningful relationships. That should be what we're all about. I don't think MSM is going away, so there will always be a part of our profession dedicated to media relations, but I feel there are some amazing opportunities for PR to embrace two-way communications and become content producers and curators. Not everything we do is 'stop the presses' news (if I can use that old expression). But with social media, we can engage communities based on how well the stories resonate with them. And I believe it's an opportunity for the PR community to step up and take a leadership role. But we have to listen and participate. Those are the first steps.
How can people Follow or Friend you?
I've always been a people person so the whole notion social media feels very natural to me. I'm active on twitter, @martinwaxman and on LinkedIn and my blog (though I've been a bit busy with the merger to write as much as I've wanted lately). I usually use Facebook for personal things like connecting with friends I haven't talked to in years but who I want in my life. But I'm open to business-related FB connections, I just won't be as responsive there. You can also reach me by email at energi PR, or even phone or find me at an event. There's nothing like meeting a virtual friend in real life!
(DGI's profile of members of the Twitter, Facebook or other social networking communities is in no way an endorsement of their services and therefore we assume no responsibility for the information provided by them. Consumers need to perform their own due diligence before hiring or seeking advice from anyone relating to their communication needs.)
