A lot of PR firms are stating that they have social media capabilities and can help develop your strategy in this arena. So I thought, how many are actually practicing what they’re preaching?   I decided to see which PR firms were actively participating in social media.

Trust is the critical characteristic in a world that has this ease of access to information and others. Trust is a two way street, why? Those circumstances I trust will become more rare as the corporate culture accepts the reality of Rogers and Jefferson, and the blogging culture who wish to blog about their work accept the responsibility of their role in achieving business objectives. This post was inspired by Jeremiah Owyang on the topic of personal brands within a corporate community. In some ways this is more an issue of individual popularity rather than a personal

Today's prospects have a general lack of trust and they simply don't want to be sold. Sellers can make the biggest impact early on in the buying process, or before it happens by developing relationships with potential clients and becoming a trusted advisor. In this way you will be able to position yourself as a trusted advisor and perhaps even a thought leader. In today's commoditized business climate I think what sets companies apart with a complex sale is how well they build and cultivate relationships. Over the years, I've observed a truth; and this truth will requires

With social media and digital marketing come the challenge of creating trust without the usual face-to-face interactions. Trust is one of those words that business people bandy around like it just happens. But, just what is trust? According The adage of "People buy from people they know and trust" is one used a lot to try and point out that companies need to humanize themselves to relate to their customers. If someone asked you, could you tell them?

What is it that makes me -- and your potential buyers -- trust one company more than another when viewing a website? But, having a clearly-written website also inspires trust with me as it gives me the feeling that you a) know your business and, b) haven't simply repurposed existing content to go on your website. When a company has a good handle on this and presents it well, it makes me trust them because I feel like they understand the market (and the need I've been doing a number of competitive analyses for clients, which means I've been spending a lot of time looking at websites.

There has been quite a bit of discussion from the original post and on a post by Jeremiah Owyang titled “Walking the Talk: Some Agencies and Vendors Demonstrate Social Media Prowess,” . I honestly didn’t think that my initial effort would generate such discussion, which I think provides a lot of fodder for thought.  

Trust is not a new thing in marketing and communications. The most trusted name in news, is the most hackneyed phrase on TV. I believe trusted means you transfer your brain space for figuring stuff out to others, you transfer your emotional defense mechanisms to another entity. Like, I trust this pilot to land this plane, or OK Guy Fieri, I’ll trust this place that’s Time 22:33 One of the most awaited studies in the PR world is the annual Edelman Public Relations Trust Barometer . Apparently, people like you are trusted by you more than institutions

Who and what do we trust? For some context, here's the lead paragraph from a May 2009 Time article by Adam Smith entitled, What Banks Are Still Missing: Trust : "...bankers Throw in Bernard Madoff's massive fraud, and trust right now is as scarce as good credit. According to the Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index, a new quarterly measure of Americans' Very few and not much, it seems. bankers around the world took wild risks that their bosses and regulators failed to stop.

Chris Brogan and Julien Smith have this thing about trust. Their new book Trust Agents is a journey for companies and individuals to determine whether each is worthy of trusting each other. I think it has hit a plateau, it’s a time when we’ll see who trusts and who was just in a quick marketing fling. Time 16:22 After all, all this access to information and opinions makes the world a very uncertain place, and the number one element of fear for companies and individuals is the unknown.

  Without trust, we limit ourselves, our businesses and our world.   So, how's this for ultimate trust ? I see the power of trust in action.The power to defy even the most basic of instincts - self preservation. trust in ourselves, we go bravely into new situations.   Self trust is the fuel that powers us to explore new worlds, test new theories, expand our horizons.  I imagine a few cynics out there see a little dog with a death wish. Others may see proof that curiosity really will kill the cat, er pup.