About WheretoBegin.ca
When a friend suggested that I use my last name in the title of my new blog, I wasn’t convinced that I should. The only other time that I had used my name that way was to set a birth date for my stray dog Autumn by adding “ ’s birthday” to the calendar on the date that Fall starts.
After thinking about it for a while “where to begin” popped in my head because I kept hearing how intimidated people are with social media. While this blog is for public relations practitioners who want to use more social media in their activities, anyone with an interest in social media should get something from it because it’s about everyday stuff.
Using “Begin” was also fitting because my whole life whenever someone saw my family name spelled out, they’ve never pronounced it like the English word “begin” (the preferable pronunciation pour moi should you not speak French). In fact, when I pronounce it in English, I’m almost always asked to spell it out. Great analogy for social media: it’s human nature to make things more complicated than they are.
While there’s technology involved and some etiquette, social media is really just about conversations. If you’re not afraid to talk to people, you shouldn’t be afraid to get involved in social media.
In the documentary Art & Copy, you see Hal Riney’s story of how he created a commercial for stuffy traditional Crocker Bank in 1970. The Carpenters’ song “We’ve only just begun” was written for the spot. It was to attract a much younger clientele to the bank, but when the commercial was more successful than they ever imagined, new clients came in droves. That’s when the bank decided, they didn’t want to to change. Most PR people will come across the same roadblock in incorporating social media in their workplaces. You’ll always feel like you’re just beginning, but perseverance is key if you ever want to effect change.
I currently work in corporate communications for a PR agency in Toronto and have been an active member of the Canadian Public Relations Society since 1999. My career-life before Toronto was in Edmonton where I worked in PR for about a dozen years or so for associations and a post-secondary institution doing communications and government relations work.
In 2010, I completed an MA in Communications and Technology and my Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). Now, I’m trying to make public relations more about the public. I enjoy getting feedback, so drop me a line.
Twitter: @dibegin
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dibegin
Hi Diane, I have no way of contacting you, since leaving Facebook... I only have your NAIT email.
Please send me a note from your active email. I have a couple of interesting questions for you! Hope you're well!
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