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Matt Churchill works with Spooks, a division of Edelman Digital. From Watford, Matt studied at Westminster University and is at the digital forefront of PR now. In this interview, learn how you can advance your career in digital PR. Matt writes a social media blog called Seldom Seen Kid, full of insights into digital PR.

1) With your work at Edelman Digital, can you give us an insight into what a typical day for you is like?

It varies from day to day depending on the sort of work we’re doing. One day might include doing conversation analysis to help inform client strategy through the identification of discussion topic trends, but then on another day we might be focussing on the more traditional media relations work where we’re engaging with bloggers. The day will also probably have a meeting or two and maybe a brainstorm as well.
The one consistent job is morning monitoring. We put together reports for clients detailing what conversation there has been that’s relevant to them and what this could mean for their ongoing strategy evolution. It’s a cliché but everyday really is very different!

2) Digital PR is a new field of PR. Do you think social media will continue to grow or is mobile with all the foursquare hype where things are headed?

Mobile and location based networks are just the latest channels for brands to connect with consumers and are currently grouped in to the social media conversation as a result. I don’t think one will significantly grow at a faster rate than the other, as with all these amazing new technologies, they’re constantly evolving and will continue to change the way we communicate.

I’m a big fan of Foursquare because of the possibilities that it brings for consumers to get more value from the brand they want to interact with. Just as Twitter was the big shiny object a year ago, it’s now Foursquare’s turn in the spotlight and I’m really excited by what may come next.

3) You studied journalism at Westminster. What tips can you give journalists who want to work in PR?

My course was one of the first in the UK to have a digital element and at the time we were very lucky to have the Telegraph’s online editor Richard Burton run the module. We looked at writing for the web, building websites in Dreamweaver and creating the right sort of content for an online audience. I believe that an understanding of those three factors are a must for any journalist looking to move in to the digital space, whether they have one month or 20 years worth of experience.

4) Some social media sceptics, say within reason to a degree, that it is not a viable industry for PR. Do you think social media is core to PR or is it just a spice added on top?

Social media seems to me to be the concurrent thread that can tie all the other communications disciplines together and inform the overall brand strategy. It is a wonder to me that a brand cannot have their marketing, advertising, digital and PR agencies all work together in an integrated manner. Whether that is a result of agencies not wanting to share responsibility or brands aren’t sure of the real benefits of social media (it’s not all about blogger engagement!) I’m not sure, it is probably a bit of both. As an industry, I personally feel we’re missing a great opportunity to bring all these elements together consistently and get the best service for clients and the best experience for consumers.

5) For breaking into digital PR, should graduates have blogs, Twitter followers?

I think it’s key to have an understanding and working knowledge of the main types of platform, the communities will all interact differently of course so it’s key to know what makes them tick.
It’s great for graduates to have a presence on Twitter and blog regularly, but they shouldn’t be doing it because they feel they ‘need’ to, they should be doing it because they ‘want’ to.

The number of followers someone has, or the number of people that read their blog doesn’t impress in an interview situation, it’s the quality of the content and an understanding of the different ways that the platforms can be used to help clients and consumers that is really important. I’d like to see more about the person that is coming in, if the person has a decent digital presence, such as being on Twitter or LinkedIn, professional information and experience will be available already.

6) Music is a hobby of yours. Do you think online PR can play an important role in helping to save the music industry, which is of course going through unprecedented change?

Artists can essentially do their own PR at a basic level with the tools and services available but making the next step up to full blown digital campaigns requires expertise that only PRs can give them. Knowledge of the media, both online and offline is something that artists shouldn’t have to concentrate on, in a classic division of labour approach, as they should be working on creating the best possible music they can.

7) If you could look back on your career thus far, what would be the one thing you would do differently (if any)?

To be honest that’s an incredibly tough question! I’ve always tried to do ‘what feels right’ from a progression point of view and I’m lucky that, so far, everything has fallen into place at just the right time when I’ve needed it to.

Photograph courtesy of Matt Churchill.