What's ahead for PR? – Congrats to For Immediate Release's 500th Podcast!

I know I have recommended to you on this blog that you listen to the For Immediate Release podcast, hosted by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson. And I still do. It is an excellent podcast that is currently an hour twice a week. I know that sounds like a lot to listen to. But frankly there is that much happening in public relations – or as Shell and Neville put it, at the intersection of communications and technology. Each podcast is packed with information, case studies, resources, reports and data that you can use in your practice. It's excellent free professional development.

So why am I bringing it up again? Well, something special is happening with FIR tomorrow. FIR will be posting its 500th episode. Did you get that? They’ve done this show twice a week 500 times!

Shel and Neville have invited listeners to share what we think they will be reporting on during the next 500 episodes. So I thought I’d share some of my predictions and see what you would add.

1. Shel and Neville will be talking about the use of 3D avatars online across platforms. The 3D virtual web will no longer be limited to special programs like Second Life and gaming programs. It will become part of the natural course of our use of the web. I have confidence in this prediction because Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, when they were on a stage together, predicted this as well.

2. I also think that nanotechnology will be the poking its head into the communication world. I have no idea in what way (if I did I’d be talking to a stockbroker right now). I just think it's going to be something we will paying attention to.

3. And of course, during the next 500 episodes there will be talk about new (misguided) studies showing that the latest communication tool is a “drain on worker productivity.”

What do you think?

Resources for Learning about Podcasting

Here is some information about new resources available about podcasting.

Trafcom News Podcast 79: The Podcaster's Toolkit
Donna Papacosta’s latest podcast episode outlines the “podcaster’s toolkit” in less than 20 minutes. Her web site includes links to all the resources she mentions in the podcast.

Podcasting 101: How to connect with targeted, passionate listeners
Shel Holtz will be leading a 90-minute webinar on podcasting on January 27. An earlier webinar he led is what helped me get IDRA’s Classnotes started. I recommend it. There is a fee of $209, and the session is sponsored by Ragan Communications.

Big Ideas, Small Budget – Podcast Online for Non-Profit Communicators

Roughly a quarter of the registrants at our PRSA luncheon today represent non-profit organizations. Thus, I want to let you know about a podcast that went online a few days ago. Donna Papacosta of Trafalgar Communications held a conference call recently about non-profit communications, particularly related to social media. She has turned that conversation into her latest podcast episode, Big Ideas, Small Budget. (Disclosure: The voice with a drawl is mine.)

This is my 20th year working in the non-profit sector. In that environment, it’s easy to get used to thinking small. Ironically, while big businesses are struggling to understand the social change we are currently going through that limits the effectiveness of one way mass communications, many of us in the non-profit world have long understood the value of dialog directly with stakeholders. This wasn’t because we were ahead of the game or anything. We just couldn’t afford to keep up with the big guys.

But the world is changing. Social media tools open doors to us to communicate more effectively with small budgets. But perhaps this is also our time to step up and provide some leadership by sharing knowledge about building relationships based on trust and mutual listening.