Today marks the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day, a day set-aside for citizens of the world to take a moment and think about important topics such as global warming, ozone depletion, & our own interaction with the planet.  These are some weighty issues to say the least, especially as we seek to preserve the Earth for future generations.  So, for those of us in the field of PR & Marketing, as we go about our daily activities today, there are any number of ways that we can contribute to help on these fronts.

Specifically, as communicators we can each play a vital role in Earth Day in a number of ways:

1)   We can use our skills to showcase what our clients are doing for the environment: Use this as a story angle to help your clients get more press, showcase the efforts that they make locally to improving the environment & being a good corporate citizen; while earning points with their target audiences.

2)   Make our own businesses Green: There are a range of things that we can do in our own offices to help with the environment.  From maintaining a paperless office, to using recycled materials, adopting new energy efficient equipment, turning off our computers at night, & sorting our trash into recycle bins.  While each of these are small modifications, together they can add up to help make a difference in the overall well-being of the environment.

3)   Introduce Green communications tactics: By using new tools that allow you to communicate online, you can tell your story directly to target audiences with rich audio & video content through tools such as Podcasts and Webcasts.  These tactics can help to reduce the number of trips spokespeople or executives need to make, in the process reducing carbon emissions, & reaching broader audiences with your message.

Of course, there are many ways to go Green, do you have other tips for folks in PR & Marketing to consider adding to the list?  Just go ahead and share your ideas in the comments section below!

As communicators we manage and implement new strategies that best fit our goals and as marketing and communications have gone through various cycles we’ve adapted our strategies to deal with the latest tactics.  Whether that means having a daylong conference, doing a media tour, producing a tri-fold brochure, or taking a weighty campaign and making it make sense in a one-minute radio or television spot.  Regardless of the medium, it’s our job to tell the story and leverage new communications platforms to find ways through which we can deliver our messages.  With that in mind, I thought I’d take a look at the latest communications tool, which of course has been getting a lot of attention, Twitter.

While I realize that many organizations have already started thinking about and integrating Twitter into their communications campaigns, there are many that have yet to fully delve in.  So, for those that are still leery let me share a few quick ideas about how Twitter can be beneficial for your next program.  First off, the basic premise of Twitter is to share with essentially the World, what you are doing, or thinking, in 140 characters.  Now, I know your first reaction might be that it seems like we have finally reached that point where we’re boiling everything down to the lowest common denominator, and you’re probably wondering how can 140 characters help me communicate about my campaign.

Well, I would argue that upon a closer look and once you’ve taken some time to explore the Twitterverse you may actually realize it is filled with potential and be of a different school of thought.  I know, you’re thinking exactly how that could be, well Twitter allows you to give your campaign and active avenue through, which you can reach your target market and engage them in an open dialogue.  Perhaps, best of all, Twitter opens the doors to having a conversation with audiences that are located anywhere and about any topic.

So, how can you benefit by integrating Twitter into your next communications campaign?  Here are a few ideas, you will be able to:

• Develop an on-going dialogue about your campaign; sharing new information and keeping your brand in front of your audiences.
• Share message points with diverse and geographically dispersed audiences.
• Take an active voice in helping to answer questions in real-time.
• Monitor feedback and control your own message.

Beyond these key points, by utilizing Twitter you’ll be able to engage in a virtual dialogue, which will help hammer home your message.  Further, being active on Twitter will help you establish new relationships, strengthen existing ones, and perhaps most importantly share knowledge and information with new contacts who may even be potential clients.

So, think about it 140 Characters really is more powerful than you would have initially thought, right?  Tweet me @jasoncohen