When I started my social media marketing agency 5 years ago, I did it for a variety of reasons.

• I didn’t have a job. I had just been laid off from the magazine that I worked for when a larger publishing company bought it out. They were in OH, I was in NC, we didn’t know each other, and I was easy to cut.
• I have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to technology.  In early 2000s, I made President’s Club when I was in sales because I was the first to do email blasts.  A few years later, I started the concept of selling Webinars to my advertisers at the magazine.
• I started my blog in 2003 – I was a “mom” blogger before most moms even had email. I was on LinkedIn the first year; I was on Facebook when there were less than 800,000 people and so on.
• I’m BIG on customer service and helping people succeed.
• I’m very social. I like to meet people.

One of the BEST parts of social media is getting to know people. I have met some amazing people that I would never have had the opportunity to meet were it not for social media. I met my friend and mentor, Mark Schaefer because of Twitter.  I don’t know what tweet it was that he saw, but he reached out to me and offered a half hour of his time to “mentor” me. I was floored and giddy all at the same time.  Whether he liked it or not, he had a follower for life.  I wouldn’t meet him in real life for at least another year and that was when he came to be the keynote speaker for me at ConvergeSouth. He came to speak because of our relationship that we had built online.

Meet Whom You Tweet

 You can build amazing relationships with people online but at some point, you REALLY want to meet them in person. To put a face to a Twitter handle or avatar is the best feeling in the world. That’s why I go to conferences.. it’s not to learn (added bonus if I do!) but rather to MEET WHO I TWEET!

 I think it’s so important to find these opportunities to connect in person that I started a group affectionately called the #BWTs.. Broads Who Tweet. My point is getting to meet my online friends makes me happy for days. The energy I get from our  BWT weekends will feed my soul for weeks.  I just love taking those online relationships to the next level.

BWT is a group of tech-savvy women who I had gotten to know over the course of time and we had built such great online relationships that we wanted to get together in person. We have a hoot when we’re together.. we laugh, we support each other and we talk non-stop. After a few lunches, I thought…Hey! Why don’t we go on a retreat! We can get away from the family for a few days, drink copious amounts of coffee and wine and learn from each other.

 And just like that, the #BWT Beach ReTweet was born.

We’ve done two of these retreats, and I’m in the process of planning the third. These relationships began on social media. We’ve carried them into real life and formed real friendships. I know that I can call on any one of these women to help me with something and they will be there in a flash. And they know that they can ask the same of me.  It was because of this group that I joined forces with my friend Adrienne and together we created a new, bigger and better social media agency. It doesn’t get much better than that, friends. 

 You never know where you will find your next friend or your next tribe. Some last, some don’t.  I’m grateful that I have them and all of you. Every chance I get to grow my social media circle, I do it because you never know where it may lead.

About The Author

Kristen Daukas is the Director of Social Media for Atlantic Webworks. When she’s not creating magic for clients, she’s busy trying to keep her sanity as she navigates the water of raising three teen and tween daughters. She also enjoys long walks on the beach in the moonlight with her husband. And she thinks she’s really funny. Come share a tweet  and circle her at Google+!

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The blending of public relations with every aspect of social marketing, search, digital marketing, and plain old marketing has provided new opportunities for older, seasoned professionals to reinvent to keep up with the changes. I know this to be true, as I am one.

Sadly, this very blend may be the demise of PR as we know it.

In a recent conversation with a table of marketers IRL originating from the disciplines of search engine optimization turned digital; PR newbies turning digital; PR veterans turning digital/social marketing; and, old-hat marketers, the chatter surrounded the old vs. new of public relations.

The old teachings of the 4Ps stemming from advertising were unknown amongst the newest professionals. Those with search engine optimization  competency likened public relations to search marketing. In fact, they said “PR is SEM.” Another had no idea that media relations and publicity are public relations just not the entire discipline.

Me? I merely shook my head in awe at the implications for my profession within this conversation. I walked away from that discussion with a sinking feeling for tomorrow. What will PR look like in 20 years? Based on what I heard, methinks the traditional public relations profession’s demise starts now.

The blending of the disciplines is removing every single barrier and silo from core competencies and making everyone look alike. Do young professionals and our sisters in marketing and brothers in SEO understand the value public relations professionals bring to the marketing mix?  Apparently not, and who’s at fault for that?

Off the top of my head, this list below is not inclusive by any stretch, but it’s meant to provide a look at what pure public relations professionals deliver in a traditional sense:

• Media Relations
• Spokesperson Training
• Message Mapping
• Thought Leadership
• Blogger Relations
• Writing
• Industry Analyst Relations
•  Investor Relations/Stakeholder Communications
•  Corporate Communications
•  Internal/Employee Communications
•  Events Planning/Execution
•  Community Outreach

What shook me up from my in-the-flesh conversation was the correlation people made with PR and search engine marketing. That bridge is so far from the truth, and it made my heart stop to hear it.

I’m wondering if folks believe PR peeps are only good for stuffing key words into content to game traffic and organic search?

I am all for reinventing oneself in order to earn more revenue-making opportunities. What I’m not happy about is the future of public relations when those who lack traditional hindsight are teaching new professionals that public relations is search engine optimization is digital marketing.

By Jayme Soulati

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It was a distinct pleasure to watch this young and up-and-comer whip snap event planning logistics into place for the New South Digital Marketing Conference May 17, 2013 in Myrtle Beach.

My guest today in this edition of Soulati Media On The Street is Allie Wallis, account executive with The Brandon Agency, hosts of the show.

As I also had the distinct pleasure of speaking at this show, Blogging Soup to Nuts: Tools, Tales, Tips (you can get the deck right here), I was front and center with Allie’s professionalism, vibrancy, and detail-mindedness.

I hope the Brandon Agency keeps cuffs on her so no one steals her amazing talent.

Here, she offers three tips for event planners managing the show.

I love this interview. #That.Is.All. Big round of applause, Allie!

Interview with Allie Wallis of The Brandon Agency

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Fuel Interactive is a firm so fittingly named by its founder, Stuart Butler (a Brit speaking with an Aussie/Southern twist) who jumped rocket from (yes) rocket science to digital marketing. In this rendition of Soulati Media On The Street, that’s the thing that most intrigued me, and that’s what you get!

Stuart Butler gets big kudos for hosting and planning the New South Digital Marketing Conference in Myrtle Beach May 17, 2013. It was a resounding affair with peeps to bump shoulders with and others to meet for the first time.

See Stuart in action right here…thanks for playing, Stuart!

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This post is going accomplish about four things taken direct from the New South Digital Marketing Conference, May 17, 2013:

Allie Wallis, Eleanor Pierce, Ashley Bruno of The Brandon Agency

1. Kudos to The Brandon Agency, host of New South Digital Marketing Conference

High fives and huge applause to the young professional ladies (Allie Wallis, Eleanor Pierce, Ashley Bruno, and others) who worked logistics and event planning for The Brandon Agency to ensure every minor and major detail for the New South Digital Marketing Conference was crossed and dotted. You made me feel like a Queen; thank you so much!

This event was so well done with no stone unturned. The Brandon Agency should give major rewards to this team and others at Fuel Interactive with Stuart Butler leading the pack. Thanks for a great show, Events Team!

2. Blogging Soup to Nuts: Tales, Tips and Tools Slide Deck

My first solo presentation IRL to a community of my peers was a resounding success. You can download the slides right here. I promised attendees they’d get a copy…sorry I ran out of time toward the end of my presentation!

Thanks to my lovely assistant Rosemary O’Neil of Soulati Media On The Street fame and with Hoop.la, a software vendor in North Carolina. Thanks also go to Adrienne Jandler, President of Atlantic WebWorks, Randy Bowden of Bowden2Bowden Marketing, and Dorien Morin Van Damm of More In Media each who will take on celebrity status soon in Soulati Media On The Street and for their amazing ‘raderie and peanut gallery fame.
 

3. Writing with Verve on the Blogging Journey

Jayme Soulati holds her new book prior to presenting at New South Digital Marketing Conference

With book debut now 48-hours-old, it’s time to get serious about marketing the title. Thanks for all who asked for my autograph, who sat in on my presentation, and who will take a book, read it and pass it along to budding bloggers looking for tips.

My first title (more to come) is now available on Amazon right here.

Credit: Jayme Soulat — Jay Baer presentation in queue at New South Digital Marketing Conference

4. Get Jay Baer’s New Book & A Final Note:

Another conference scored more in-person connections, and ponderings about the state of marketing at large. While we in social media continue to grow and learn and re-invent, there remain new and small businesses overwhelmed with the future of marketing. 

How do we face backward with a rope to tug them along in parallel? That’s the question I’m left with; so many need help and it’s our opportunity and privilege to help businesses grow and take full advantage of social marketing, digital marketing, and big data.

I leave you with that ponderance, and I also leave you with a note to run and pre-order Jay Baer’s new book Youtility. I had the distinct privilege of hearing his keynote, and, ooh-la-lah…Jay Baer has it it out of the park. This latest title of his applies to us all and shows the interconnectivity that social has created with interesting patterns and criss-crosses we’d never know until he points them out.

Order Jay Baer’s new book, Youtility, right here!

Ahhh, it’s so nice to be home! What’s even better is to sit and gel on the content coming out of this fodderiffic conference! See you next year!

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