Top 5 lessons PRs can learn from True Blood

Sadly, another True Blood season is coming to an end.  Let’s take a look at some of the lessons that PRs can learn from this vampire TV series.  As it turns out, there are a lot of tips that digital-age PRs need to keep in mind both for their campaigns and day-to-day interactions.

1. Someone knows who and where you are at all times
Just as Sookie Stackhouse found out, there is always someone who knows where you are.  Make a wrong move, and a vampire will come running.  PRs are in the same situation.  With so many social media channels, they are now having to maintain different types of contacts.  If you have a Twitter channel and you say something negative about a brand, that may come back to bite you.

2.  Wolves and vampires need to learn how to get along
Just like how wolves and vampires can’t seem to get along, PRs and journalists sometimes can’t seem to be polar opposites.  In reality, both PRs and journalists need to communicate using mutually beneficial means.  PRs need to create more targeted messaging and journalists need to be more receptive to new ideas and business models.

3.  Dividing your attention between one vampire or another
Unfortunately, not all of are Sookie, and we aren’t given the choice of an Eric Northman or Bill Compton, but sometimes you need to pick one.  If you’re launching a PR campaign, you can’t focus on all of your contacts – only the most relevant ones.  Sometimes you have to split your attention to a few select people, picking an Eric or a Bill to give all you attention.  It’s a hard choice.

4.  Be careful what you say, someone is listening
Sookie can hear everyone’s thoughts – a useful skill, but it has its drawbacks.  Social media is similar.  As a PR pro, your social channels are no longer your own, they belong to your brand, and someone is always watching.

5.  Fairies, vampires, panthers and shape shifters in social media
Like True Blood characters seem to constantly surprise you – it seems that every episode there is a need breed of people – previously under the radar people may be the exact relationships that you should be building.  At first glance, a seemingly obscure blogger may have thousands of followers on Twitter and may write guest posts for major publications.  PRs should do their research on their contacts before they label them as a blogger instead of a tech columnist, for example.

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