For Immediate Release

CEOs and other senior executives are increasingly expected to nurture a presence on social media—especially LinkedIn, which has seen a 35-percent increase in C-suite professionals in the U.S. over the last five years. These executives are also expected to be authentic in their online engagements, even sharing some details of their personal lives. Professionals also expect their leaders to speak out on pressing societal issues. It’s rare to find an executive who is comfortable displaying vulnerability. That’s where communicators need to step in, helping leaders find the most comfortable way to engage authentically online. Links from this episode: Power and influencers: CEOs on social media Authenticity is the New Trend for CEOs to Forge Stronger Connections, According to the Weber Shandwick Report Why being “real” is the new power play for CEOs The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 28. We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email [email protected]. Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music. You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.   The post FIR #432: The CEO Authenticity Balancing Act appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel dive into PRWeek’s “The Evolution of Influence” report, exploring the dynamic shifts in how public relations professionals exert influence in today’s fast-changing landscape. We break down the seven key themes revealed by the survey, including the growing challenges of decentralization, the increasing importance of AI in PR, and the ever-present threat of fake news and deepfakes. Join us as we unpack these insights and discuss how communicators can stay ahead of the curve in maintaining consumer trust, authenticity, and influence in a digital-first world. Links from this episode New Notified/PRWeek Survey Sheds Light on the Evolving Nature of Influence The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 28. We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email [email protected]. Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music. You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients. The post FIR #431: The Evolution of Influence appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Much of the content in this monthly long-form episode of FIR spotlights rising trends in marketing, including employee influencers, Gen Z’s rising power as influencers, the role of influencers in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and AI’s growing presence in the marketing space. All of this is raising alarms about the need for marketers to be transparent and laser-focused on what matters to their stakeholders. Also in this episode: the dominance of chat podcasts and Dan York’s money-focused Tech Report. The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 28. We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email [email protected]. Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music. You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients. Links from this episode: NotebookLM Drives AI Audio Conversations That Feel Human – NevilleHobson .com Gen Z powers the rise of the corporate influencer Will This Be The First Influencer Election? How to Do Meme Marketing, According to Memelord Jason Levin What is Meme Marketing and How to Use Memes to Boost Brand Voice What is Meme Marketing? Strategy, Benefits and Example Case Study: Learning a lesson in meme marketing with Unstop & Flipkart GRiD Silence, brand: Why McDonald’s meme marketing is a flop Why this meme marketing agency avoids hiring ad agency professionals Chat Podcasts Rule the Market—and Always Will The podcast listening habits of registered voters — Voxtopica How to Embrace Authenticity in a World Craving Transparency Products Labeled ‘AI Powered’ Could Alienate Consumers, Study Finds How Brands Can Embrace Authenticity in a World Craving Transparency Why being “real” is the new power play for CEOs Americans Want Labeling for AI Content Links from Dan York’s Report: Introducing live video in the Substack app Substack is trying to turn its writers into streamers PE & Trademarks WP Engine is banned from WordPress.org The WCUS Closing I Wish We’d Had – Brian Coords WCUS: Freedom Isn’t Free – James Giroux Social Web Foundation Launched — How In Is W3C on Fediverse? – The New Stack  On the Social Web Foundation Launch of the Social Web Foundation The post FIR #430: Influencers, Memes, and AI Boost Marketing Transparency Mandate appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Debunkbot was designed to talk people out of their beliefs in conspiracy theories — and it works. To discuss this remarkable chatbot, we turned to PDF2Audio, which creates an audio podcast discussion (or summary or lecture) from any uploaded PDF. It’s not Google’s NotebookLM, which features a similar capability within a more robust note-keeping tool, nor does it replicate the easy-going, conversational flow that Notebook LM delivers. However, it offers multiple voices, avoiding the sameness of NotebookLM’s outputs. Both tools — though jaw-dropping — have flaws, but given that the technology is just months old, it’s not hard to imagine what it will be capable of in the next few years. Links from this episode: Durably reducing conspiracy theories through dialogues with AI Meet ‘DebunkBot’: Can AI truly combat conspiracy theories? How an AI ‘debunkbot’ can change a conspiracy theorist’s mind NotebookLM NotebookLM Drives AI Audio Conversations That Feel Human (Neville Hobson) Christopher S. Penn’s LinkedIn post on NotebookLM PDF2Audio The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, September 30. We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email [email protected]. Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music. You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients. The post FIR #429: Fake Podcasters Discuss Real Debunkbot appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Edelman, the global PR agency, has vetted the current crop of AI tools, winnowing out those not enterprise-ready, categorizing them, and identifying those that excel at various tasks. Given the dozens (if not more) of new AI tools that appear every day, this can be a big help to overwhelmed communicators who can’t take the time to try out every app that looks potentially useful. Does the report measure up to its promise? Find out in this short midweek episode. Links from this episode: Edelman’s 2024 AI Landscape Report The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, September 30. We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email [email protected]. Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music. You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients. The post FIR #428: Which AI Tool Is Best For What? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.