As they say, it really is who you know in this world

By Gemma Craven on September 14, 2009

I have always been very wary of the “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” club, remembering the days of loud bragging in the office about who knew whom and what they could do, based on meetings at various members clubs or networking dos. Of course, contacts are at the core of our world, but the PR that works is a two-way relationship based on providing useful, reliable information, contacts or thoughtful insight. It is not a big book of contacts collected simply in the hope of being able to pull in a favor.

However, the times they are a changin’.

Crowdsourcing is becoming a powerful tool for us all. These days, it is acceptable to reach out via social networks, both to people you know and even those you don’t. The online communities around us have become the equivalent of an open source masons club; a group of people who will provide you with information, contacts, feedback and even potential revenue all at the touch of a button. No questions asked. And no exclusive membership required.

Take LinkedIn, for example. Not only has it evolved to become a prime resource for media and analysts, but also for use among those in the PR industry. Network with your peers, join a like-minded group and simply ask a question. I am regularly astounded by the quality of leads and feedback this approach brings, making the online networking world as useful these days as the in-person handshake or business lunch.

And it is not simply the known networkers amongst us that are catching on to this “ask the community” approach. Take the well-publicized Netflix Prize, an open invitation to the community to develop technology to improve the accuracy of predictive algorithms on the Netflix website – albeit with a few millions of dollars in prizes thrown in as an incentive. Or the many years of collaboration among the open source community, known to us in the tech world as a more “geeky” way of sharing information.

So maybe it’s time for me to eat my words, as it is possible to be ethical, reliable and know everyone. Because the back we are all scratching these days is a rather large online one.

Tags: Breakaway Team, Evolution of PR

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As they say, it really is who you know in this world

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