The use of weblogs in public relations and communication management euroblog2006

1. The use of weblogs in public relations and communication management www.euroblog2006.org Vilnius, August 26 2006 Philip Young, University of Sunderland, UK

2. Why should I listen? • Markets are conversations • We are seeing the end of ‘command and control’ model of PR

3. Overview • What are weblogs and social software? • Results of EuroBlog2006 • Familiarity with Weblogs • Monitoring of Weblogs / Usage of Weblogs • Guidelines for Blogging • Implementing Weblogs: Limitations and Opportunities • Implications for HE PROs • Opportunities and challenges • Internal and external

4. The impact of new media

5. What do new media users do?

6. What is social software? • Weblogs (blogs) • My Space, SkyBlogs etc • Podcasting • Download Mp3s/ soundfiles • Wikis • Collaborative working • Picture sharing • FlickR etc • Video sharing • YouTube, Google etc

7. How many bloggers are there? • On July 31, 2006, Technorati tracked its 50 millionth blog.

8. What is a blog? • Two-dimensional • Reverse chronological order • Topical and Newsworthy • Links + comments • Aggregation • Networking (conversations) • Search engine visibility • RSS + newsreaders • Speed of messages

9. Weblogs: a simple definition 1. reverse chronological order 2. expressive personal style 3. links to other blogs (trackback) 4. comments

10. Who is blogging? • About me: people who write about their daily lives for micro-audience of friends and family (online diaries) • Focused interests (niche/ hobbyists): use blogs to communicate with fellow enthusiasts/ with shared experience. Amateurs and recreational • Campaigning: political blogs, pressure group, protests

11. Who is blogging? • Networking/ Education/ Development: to debate professional subjects with fellow practitioners • Personal marketing: to promote expertise to clients, employers and others who can influence their careers or businesses. • Commercial: to promote goods and services; can include employee blogs / blogs that encourage customer participation

12. Characteristics • Informal style • Spontaneous • Media rich • Sound • Pictures • Videos

13. Same technology - works worldwide 1. reverse chronological order 2. expressive personal style 3. links to other blogs (trackback) 4. comments

14. What is RSS? • RSS = Really Simple Syndication • Software checks RSS feeds and lets you read any new articles that have been added to them • Many versions - some use a browser, and some of which are downloadable applications

15. Rich Site Summary - Real Simple Syndication 2. automatic download of new articles without visiting website 1. Subscribe feed 3. full article with text, links and comments

16. Are you listening? • Two types of conversation • The messages that you want to put out …

17. Do you want to listen? • The conversation that is happening around your university … whether you like it or not!

18. Results of the first European Survey onWeblogs in Public Relations and Communication Management www.euroblog2006.org Philip Young, University of Sunderland, UKAnsgar Zerfaß, University of Leipzig, GermanySwaran Sandhu, University of Lucerne, S witzerland

19. Aim of the survey • to understand the spread, implementation and usage of weblogs in public relations and communication management in Europe • familiarity with weblogs • usage/monitoring of weblogs • guidelines for weblogs • implementation of weblogs

20. Euroblog 2006: Background Information • Duration: November 1st until December 16th 2005 • Participants: 587 PR professionals from 33 European countries • Method: self-recruiting online questionnaire with 25 items • Sampling: national contact points across Europe for distribution/dissemination of survey, self-recruiting snowball • Statistics: SPSS analysis for univariate frequencies • Financing: none: pro bono work by lead researchers and national research partners • Support/Affiliation: initiated and endorsed by Euprera

21. Key Statistics / Demographics

22. About the participants • 587 PR professionals from 33 European countries • 71% under 40 years old • 52% male, 47% female • 48% with academic degree in public relations/communication management • 39% are in senior management position(CEO, Senior Manager with budget/personnel responsibility) • 59% work in communication departments (profit/not-for-profit companies) • 81% in departments with up to 10 persons

23. Familiarity with Weblogs

24. Familiarity and usage of weblogs How familiar are you with weblogs? How often do you use weblogs? • 2/3 of the respondents are familiar with weblogs • 68% either write or read weblogs • but only a third (36%) uses them weekly in the media/no active part reading/commenting of weblogs writing/contributing regularly,running own weblog n = 587

25. Monitoring of Weblogs

26. Monitoring and RSS Feeds n = 587

27. Monitoring and RSS Feeds experts all participants n = 587

28. What weblogs are monitored? n = 587 (all participants) n = 122 (experts)multiple answers possible

29. What weblogs are monitored? experts all participants n = 587 (all participants) n = 122 (experts)multiple answers possible

30. Summary: Usage and Monitoring • Clear split between expert users / all participants • Knowledge of medium weblog increases the willingness to monitor / engage in the blogosphere • Expert users use tools provided by the blogosphere (RSS feeds) to monitor their environment, mostly weblogs in their own vicinity.

31. Usage of Weblogs /Guidelines for Blogging

32. Usage of weblogs in organizations Do you have a weblog in your organization? ..what kind? n = 113

33. Authors of Weblogs / Guidelines Who runs the Weblog? Do you have guidelines for blogging? n = 113

34. Implementing Weblogs:Limitations and Opportunities

35. Plans to implement weblogs • 42% of the respondents without a weblog are planning to implement a weblog within a year • 32% do not plan to implement a weblog n = 428

36. Factors for not implementing weblogs n = 587, multiple answers possible

37. Factors limiting the use of weblogs more limiting index scale: 1= most limiting, 5 least limiting

38. Factors limiting the use of weblogs more limiting index scale: 1= most limiting, 5 least limiting

39. Greatest opportunities for weblogs more important index scale: 1= greatest opportunity, 5 = not important

40. How does this affect you?

41. Implications for HE • Potentially powerful promotional tool • Internal as well as external • Monitoring Conversations • Good and Bad • CONTROL • You can’t! • INFLUENCE • You should/ must

42. How do people find out about you? • Search engines • Reputation forged in stars • Visibility • Credibility

43. Should you blog? • Be strategic • What are you trying to achieve? • Who should blog?

44. Engaging with the Blogosphere • Guidelines for staff • Guidelines for students • Who can say what to whom? • When? • With what purpose?

45. About EuroBlog 2006

46. About Euroblog 2006 and Euprera • Euroblog 2006 is the first pan-European survey to provide a comprehensive overview how communication professionals are using weblogs and for what purpose. • The initiative is supported by EUPRERA, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association, a community of researchers from universities and institutions from more than 30 countries. ➔ www.euroblog2006.org➔ www.euprera.org

47. Lead Researchers / Contact Persons • Philip Young, M.A.University of Sunderland, United Kingdomphilip.young@sunderland.ac.uk • Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, Dipl.-Kfm., Dr. rer. pol. habil.University of Leipzig, Germanymail@zerfass.de • Swaran Sandhu, Dipl. rer. com., M. Sc. University of Lucern, Switzerland (from 09/2006)swaran.sandhu@gmx.net