PR Industry

November 24th, 2010

Technical consultancy for the PR industry

If you work in PR, or marketing, you’ll have noticed your industry becoming increasingly digital over past few years. First came blogging, and then the phenomenon we know as Social Media. The speed at which the Internet drives progress makes it hard for any traditional media company to keep up and ensure they hire the right staff. The advertising industry went through the same growing pains some years before you, and I was in the thick of it.

PR agencies have not historically had much in the way of technical staff; certainly it’s uncommon to find a web development team in-house. Specialist social media agencies have sprung up, and some traditional agencies have opened, or acquired digital arms, but this does not apply to everyone.

You may have a team that is web savvy, and switched on to digital trends, but when it comes to technical execution you probably find yourself out-sourcing fulfilment. You may also find yourself pitching ideas and working out budgets without any technical people to hand.

Surprise, surprise; I can help.

I’ve been a web developer since 1999, professionally. I’ve almost exclusively worked for agencies; from big advertising firms, to small design studios. A lot of this was freelance, so I’ve seen the inside of a lot of companies, and been involved in the technical execution of a lot of campaigns.

Social Media and APIs

I’ve recently begun to specialise in Social Media platform development. This is not so much out of choice, rather than a matter of demand. Many popular channels open their doors to third party integration and app development via APIs; here’s a list of the ones I have experience of.

  • Twitter: I have extensive experience of the Twitter API. More on that…
  • Facebook: I started developing on this platform in 2007, although a lot has changed since then. More on that too…
  • Google: Google offer numerous APIs. I have used the Google Maps JavaScript API extensively. Here’s an example app using Google Maps…
  • YouTube: Technically a part of the Google APIs. I executed custom YouTube integration for adultswim.co.uk
  • Foursquare: I have recreational experience with the Foursquare API. It’s quite limited, but I expect it to improve. In general I have good experience with geolocation implementations.
  • Other: I’ve also used APIs for bit.ly, meetup.com, Eventbrite, Amiando, Eventful, PayPal, SagePay, and more .. Once you’ve used a few, it’s not hard to get to grips with a new one.

Blogging

I am very familiar with WordPress. This site runs on WordPress, and has some custom server technology designed to speed it up and cope with traffic demands. If you want to set up a custom WordPress blog to run on your own servers, I can help with that. If you need to commission a custom plug-in, I can help with that too.

Pre-pitch

If you need some consultancy prior to pitching, I’m happy to come in for a chat and listen to your ideas – maybe even contribute some. I can give you a better idea of whether your idea is physically possible, and whether it’s achievable on your budget. If you need somebody technical to attend a pitch, or client meeting, I can do that too. Unlike the stereotypical nerd, I have excellent social skills and own an iron.

Custom tools

If you want to develop a custom tool for internal use, or even for your own PR, I can help you get it built. Here’s an app built by Lewis PR, Chatterscope. It’s an interesting way to show your peers and clients that you are more than competent in this space.

Did I miss anything?

Oh yes – if you’d like to get in touch, you can tweet at me, @timwhitlock or email me ( tim @ this domain )