20-Apr-09 9:00 AM CST

Social Media Specialist Ed Schipul to Present “Uncommon Storytelling” to PRSA Gulfstream Chapter

FORT LAUDERDALE, April 20, 2009 – Social media tools have become essential for public relations professionals, but many still wonder how to get the greatest positive impact from these technologies. Social media and Web marketing specialist Ed Schipul, CEO of Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com) will present, “Uncommon Storytelling: Putting the Relations Back Into Public Relations with Social Media,” at this week’s Public Relations Society of America Gulfstream Chapter luncheon.

Schipul will discuss how to leverage social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube to accelerate PR success. He will also reveal the dos and don’ts of participating in online conversations.

“Virtually every week we see examples of companies that make serious mistakes or miss opportunities because they don’t understand the rules of engagement in the online environment,” said Schipul.

He points to Dominos Pizza as an example of an organization that was slow to embrace social media and paid the price for it. When videos were posted on YouTube showing Dominos employees doing disgusting things with food, Dominos kept a low profile, which hurt the company’s reputation.

“Hoping nobody is going to notice when potentially harmful conversations are happening online is a recipe for disaster,” said Schipul. “The good news is that used strategically, social media can help to create deeper and more meaningful connections between brands and their communities.”

Schipul’s presentation is scheduled for noon, Thursday, April 23, 2009 at JM Family Enterprises in Deerfield Beach. Advance registration is $20 for PRSA members and $30 for non-members. For more information, visit www.prsagulfstream.org.

About Schipul - The Web Marketing Company

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company developed and builds on the Tendenci association management application, which powers more than 400 web sites and over 500,000 interactive users worldwide. Schipul is based in Houston, and provides marketing services on the Internet to more than 300 organizations from a variety of service industries in local, national and international markets. Schipul’s clients include the Houston Zoo, Reliant Park and the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, among many others. Additional information about Schipul is available at www.schipul.com and www.tendenci.com.

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