I finally picked up Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff.
I’ve only gotten as far as 1/3 of chapter one, but I felt compelled to blog about how great I think this book is for PR students like myself.

When my professor Gary Schlee asked the class to create a personal blogs a couple of students moaned and groaned. They thought it was either a waste of time and energy or because they had absolutely no idea how to even go about doing it or what they would write about. I was one of those students.

After getting my blog up and running my opinion changed. I began to enjoy it. I began to understand the importance of familiarizing myself with all ins and outs of the world of social media.
We don’t work, communicate, learn, shop and share the same way we did a couple of years ago. The number of people who pick up the morning paper is declining, there are more magazines on the stands because readers are choosing a different means of getting their information and television ratings aren’t what they used to be.

Where are all of these readers and viewers?

ONLINE

On the inside sleeve of the book it says:

“Right now, your customers are writing about your products on blogs and recutting your commercials on YouTube. They’re defining you on Wikipedia abd ganging up on you social networking sites like Facebook. These are all elements of a social phenomenon – the groundswell – that has created a permanent shift in the the way the word works.”

Keeping this in mind, PR students should realize what an exciting time it is to be entering the industry. Things are constantly shifting as millions of people across the city, the country and the globe log on and off. I was a bit scared about jumping in and and exploring the social media buffet because I’m no social media pro, but I compared it to swimming – the only way you’ll ever learn how is if you jump in.

So I think the best way to keep up with the current is to read, read and read some more.
Read blogs and read books recommended by PR pros, but I think taking the time to write and reflect about the information you pick up is also important.