Some Non-political tips that us, PR people, can learn from the recent elections

In the article, "Five (Non-Political) Public Relations Lessons from Campaign 2010" written by DeVol, lets us know some tips that we can learn from this years election, even if the people you voted for didn't make it.

1. Nothing is off the record, ever.
Because of technology today, one little slip up of an F-bomb will pop up on youtube, twitter, facebook, or CNN.  Everything anyone says is relative to public scrutiny, so in other words, we need to give our clients media training.  That way, our clients can't do anything stupid.

2. Bloggers are just as important as reporters.
As DeVol says, "Blogging is word of mouth on steroids."  People are more likely to take business advice from a blog that they read on a daily basis than something they only read occasionally.  The biggest blogs get almost 2 MILLION hits a day...I repeat, 2 MILLION hits PER DAY.  That is outrageous!  I mean, bloggers today aren't what people once thought bloggers were, i.e. weirdos in their mom's basement.  They are just as, if not more, important as reporters.

3. Anyone not using social media is getting left behind.
Because social media is a big deal nowadays, politicians use it to promote their campaigns, just as regular people tell you A) who they voted for, B) how you should vote, and C) that they did indeed vote.  If you don't know how to use Twitter, Facebook, or anything else you are being left behind in the dust, because the rest of the world is sojourning on.  If you want to be able to promote yourself or business successfully, you need to know how to use social media, or hire someone that does! Easy as pie.

4.  Personal touches still matter.
Even if you know how to use all of the social media sites, if they're boring, no one will read it or visit it.  DeVol explains that these sites are like an easel and paintbrush, and adding your personal touches to them can make them outstanding and gain more attention.  For inspiration, think of what Bob Ross would do.

5.  Keep your political thoughts off of your social media sites.
No one enjoys the obnoxious campaign commercials we are bombarded with once September comes around, so don't tell everyone who you support.  Why? Because no one REALLY wants your opinion, and why would you want to alienate half of your potential customers?  Your sites should be about your company or organization and the company or organization's mission/value statements... not YOURS.  Ever heard someone ask another person who they voted for and they reply, "I don't need to tell you"?  Well, that's how it should be online too.  We are constantly told, "crazies vote for this person, blah blah blah" and we don't need it from you too.


Overall, I thought that this article was entertaining and great advice.  It's great because we are learning about social media releases and press releases, so having some realistic tips is always a good thing... and I enjoy putting my spin on what the writer said.  I mean, who else would incorporate Bob Ross into a PR blog article?