What Drives the Business? Technology, or a Phone Call?

So far, I have spent a good portion of my career in Information Technology settings. First as a software trainer and customer service specialist, then as an HTML developer and trainer, and more recently as a project manager, I never wanted for anything I needed to improve my technological environment. Software, hardware, training--all were at my fingertips. Technology drove the business, so it was always worth the investment to get me what I needed.

When I went to work for a public relations firm about three years ago, I was faced with technology challenges like I had never faced before. Although the digital revolution is forcing every kind of business to rethink their technical strategy, some industries have more work to do than others. We had trouble getting basic equipment, software, and training expenses had to be approved by the General Manager. Instant Messaging was against corporate policy, and working from home via non-company issued laptop was impossible. Beyond that, there was an inherent anxiety about the digital products we offered within the company itself, which made it very challenging to sell them externally. I was new to public relations, and new to agency work in general, so one of the first things I learned was that technology does not--or has not until very recently--drive the public relations business. The phone call drives the business. Before you can move forward with technology plans, conversations must be had to make sure everyone involved has achieved a universal comfort level with what it is you are trying to accomplish, and whether or not it will ultimately be profitable.

Having lived on both sides of the technology costs coin--the Anything Goes side (IT) and the Who's Paying for it? side (PR)--it seems like a combination of good communication and a well-stocked technology arsenal should be the goal. I have worked on projects in an IT environment when cost didn't even seem to be a consideration, and then the product ended up not marketable because the technology wasn't available to the client. On the PR side, the digital revolution is so demanding, and so expensive in environments that are not working with standard equipment, a bit more liberality with technology spending would have grown the digital business we were building far more efficiently.

SEM is the New Black

I attended a breakfast meeting of the St. Louis Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) last week. The presentation was called "20 Tidbits about Search Engine Marketing" and was presented by the very able and impressive Kelly Kochert of NSI.

As a senior project manager familiar with digital technology, I knew many of the tidbits--not all--and learned enough to consider myself more knowledgeable after the presentation, and probably more dangerous. The thing that impressed me the most, however, was how ravenous people are for SEM information. At my table alone there were bankers and corporate trainers and car rental company representatives--all salivating to hear the secrets of SEM and how to apply them to their online challenges. As I was leaving the meeting I overheard one attendee remark, "I'm ready to hire her."

Regardless of the business, professional role, and technical acumen, it seems that everyone needs SEM. Kelly's presentation is downloadable from the IABC web site.