Micropersuasion.com is the blog of Steve Rubel. His blog is currently ranked #101 on Technorati. He has been the senior vice-president of Edelman’s me2revolution practice and has 15 years experience in the field of marketing. Edelman is the largest independent, global public relations firm in the world.

Steve has played an important role in the world of blogging. At Edelman he is charged with “helping to identify, test, incubate and champion new forms of communications that get people talking across new platforms and channels.” One of these forms of communication is blogging. He has helped many big name companies (Wal-Mart for one) use blogs as a way to increase visibility both in the digital world and brick-and-mortar scenarios.

#1

jemmille.com: You have become quite the blogging expert. Your move to Edelman was for the sole purpose of teaching them and their clients to use blogs more effectively. How did you become such an authority in this arena?

Steve Rubel: Although I first became well known as an expert on blogging, my move to Edelman is about much much more.

The public relations business is undergoing tremdous change. To help Edelman keep ahead of the curve, the firm set up a specialized group called me2revolution. Our charter is to develop new products, processes and best practices that support the teams. In addition, it’s to evangelize and educate clients and teams on how to effectively utilize new media in PR. Blogs are one tent pole, but there’s more. The tools and channels are dynamic, but the underlying trends are evergreen. People will use technology to communicate. Therefore PR is always going to be changing. Further, the world is recognizing that PR can lead in the marketing mix.

#2

jemmille.com: I noticed you are a Twitter user. I have certain feelings towards Twitter that I have disclosed on my site, but I was wondering – What is your take on this new phenomenon?

Steve Rubel: I find Twitter extremely interesting. In particular, the conversations are incredibly fast paced. The integration with quick tools like SMS and IM make this go, as does the 160-character format. It’s just what a time-starved world needs. It remains to be seen if Twitter is a fad or something bigger. The landscape is filled with sites that were supposed to be the next big thing. I like to focus on the trend – mobile.

#3

jemmille.com: Can you give the jemmille.com readers a taste of what is coming up next in the blogsphere? Are there any new trends or “must have” tech that you see on the blogging horizon?

Steve Rubel: The blogosphere is maturing. It’s out of beta. So, I am looking out on the horizon. One of the things I am most excited about is Open TV. For years only the big media could afford to create content for television. The distribution costs were (and still largely are) too high. However, millions of people are going to add one or more set-top boxes. These will pipe in content from off the Internet and not just from the pros. I am already watching 720p podcasts from off the Internet on my Apple TV. I also rent movies on on my Xbox 360. (Xbox is a client). Magical things will happen when people realize they can get on TV without going on American Idol. We need more users first, then the content will be there.

#4

jemmille.com: In a 2004 article by the New York Times, it was said “Agencies with blogs , though, are in a minority. For many, particularly the large networks, the potential risks still outweigh the benefits.” How has this changed since the publication of this article and how much of that change was a direct result of your work?

Steve Rubel: A lot has changed. Agencies realized that to be maintain their visibility online they need to participate in blogs and other new media channels and as actively and as credibly as possible. They also need to do good work there. Many ad agencies today are now joining the dialogue. I don’t think it had anything to do with me, though. It was more about a sweeping social change.

#5

jemmille.com: What’s next for Steve Rubel?

Steve Rubel: My dream is that public relations becomes the lead discipline that marketers turn to in the mix. This means that PR in the future will incorporate what it looks like now but go even broader. Digital is going to flatten the marketing landscape in our favor. The biz is moving that way and Edelman is leading the charge, but we have a long way to go. That’s what keeps me working pretty much around the clock. I may soon add a video podcast and I am talking to publishers about a book. For more, read this column.

Filed under: 5 Questions With...