Anyone seeking publicity through TV or radio can learn a lot from Charles Ramsey, the colorful neighbor who rescued kidnap victim Amanda Berry on Monday, and shared his story in a memorable television interview.

As a media coach, I took note of all the things Ramsey did right, and shared some of them here on Wednesday. But there were some things he could have done better, and these are also great learning opportunities.

For the record, I know he’s not a media professional and this may have been his first TV interview ever. Kudos to him for doing so much so well.  I offer the following tips only because it’s such a great teachable moment.

1. Avoid distractions:  It can be incredibly difficult to focus on an interviewer while standing on a street surrounded by dozens of people, and it proved a challenge for Ramsey. Every time something distracted him, he dropped the thread of his story. As a media guest, you need to do everything you can to avoid distractions. The good news is that should be a lot easier in your circumstances than in Ramsey’s. If you’re doing a radio interview, go to a quiet room and close the door. If you’re on a TV set, avoid looking at all of the moving parts behind the cameras and focus on the host.

2. Know when to stop talking:  Right after the memorable sound byte I mentioned in Wednesday’s post, the reporter tried to end the interview.  Ramsey wasn’t having it, and he continued to riff like a comedian and talk over the reporter.  He could get away with that – he was the day’s top news story!  You can’t.  Don’t try to wedge another sentence or two in at the end because it will make you appear uncooperative and rude. (For the record, as a broadcaster, I would have let Ramsey talk as much as he wanted!)

3. Be prepared for what’s next (good or bad):  Charles Ramsey went viral.  Not just because of his good deed, but because of that WEWS-TV interview.  He was trending on Twitter for the majority of May 7th and was invited to do other interviews on national networks.  That’s great!  For you as a potential media guest, a great interview can lead to more interviews from other outlets.  Be prepared to be busy. Also have an action plan for any negatives that might surface as a result of becoming a household name. Within 24 hours of Ramsey going viral, a news organization published a story about his past criminal record. (Heck, Ramsey never claimed to be a saint and the incident happened years ago. I was glad to see public reaction to the news has been forgiving.)

Thank you Charles Ramsey for an interview that’s as entertaining on the 10^th viewing as the first.  And thank you for acting courageously when you heard a young woman’s screams. We can all learn something from you.

Click Here to read part one.

Let me start with the obvious; I think Charles Ramsey is awesome!

Not only because of his incredible WEWS-TV interview, which quickly went viral, but more important, because he thought outside of himself to help a stranger. He did what he needed to rescue Amanda Berry and the two other women who’d been held captive for a decade at his neighbor’s home on 227 Seymour Ave. in Cleveland.

At EMSI Public Relations, part of my duties as Vice President of Media Operations is to media coach our clients. Having conducted thousands of interviews in my 16-plus-years broadcasting career, I know what makes audiences tune in – and tune out. As soon as I saw the Ramsey interview, I knew why it was getting so much attention on social media.

While we’re not all as naturally entertaining (or brave) as Ramsey, there are some things any person being interviewed for any reason can take away from the now famous WEWS-TV clip:

1. Be a person – I repeat this mantra constantly, whether I’m coaching for radio, television, or social media, as I did in this Computerworld Magazine. Ramsey came across as authentic. Since radio listeners and TV viewers are naturally skeptical of guests at first, beware of acting phony. Be as genuine as possible so that media consumers become comfortable with you.  Then they’ll be more receptive to your message.

2. Be sound byte ready – “I knew something was wrong when a little, pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms,” Ramsey said during the interview. I can’t tell you how many times I heard that phrase on May 7, but it was a lot. Why? Because it was memorable!  Again, not all of us have the natural gift of saying repeatable phrases off the cuff like that, but you can work on creating a quality sound byte in preparation for an interview.  Practice painting a picture with your words relating to your book, product or service as much as you can.  Even better, can you keep it to 140 characters, like a Twitter post?

3. Be passionate – It goes without saying that Ramsey was pumped up after his heroic act because of the enthusiastic way in which he told his story.  It could be argued he was a little over the top, but I think that’s what most of us liked about his interview. During your radio or TV segment – even if it’s at 6 a.m. – your delivery needs to be full of zeal.

Did Ramsey do everything right?

Not quite.

Later this week, three lessons we can learn from his mistakes.

“How can social media make an impact on my business (or brand, or other marketing efforts)?”

This is hands down the question I hear the most as a social media strategist.

Many people know they need to be on social media, but aren’t sure why. As someone who has been “plugged in” since the years of Telnet, I’ve watched with both fascination – and sometimes fright! – the shift in the dynamics of social networking.

Recently, I witnessed two more very real examples of just how much we rely on social media and the major influence that can have on society. A little more than a week after Twitter broke news of the tragic bombings at the Boston Marathon, it briefly became the center of attention again Tuesday with the hacking of the Associated Press’s own Twitter account.

Once a source of distraction, social networks like Twitter and Google+ have increasingly become a place where individuals turn for news and information. Therefore, news outlets including CNN, FOX, MSNBC and the Associated Press use sites such as Twitter to deliver breaking news updates directly to their audiences.

Because so many people are now accustomed to the instantaneous information they see on social media, they tend to react quickly – without checking the facts. The fake tweet that went out early Tuesday, claiming two explosions in the White House had injured President Obama, was quickly retweeted hundreds of times.

In the roughly 10 minutes it took the Associated Press to regain control of its account and discredit the tweet, the Dow Industrial Average dropped more than 140 points.

So, why is this important to you?

From a business perspective, social media can have an equally big impact. It can potentially spread your message to hundreds of thousands of people, giving you visibility that previously could only be attained through traditional mass media.
Inversely, mistakes can be devastating.

Know who you are trusting with your accounts, if you are not up keeping them yourself; it takes only one bad comment to potentially ruin your credibility.

Have a plan of action if something happens. Unfortunately, hacking is a risk commonly associated with social media. The faster you can regain control of the account, the less potential for damage.

Most importantly remember: What you say on social media carries weight no matter who you are. This goes two-fold for industries and individuals who have established or are trying to establish themselves as experts in their respective fields. Make sure that the information being shared is well researched, accurate and meaningful. If in doubt, wait and confirm the source before moving forward.

Like it or not, social media is here to stay. It’s embedded itself into the fabric of our culture and emerged as a living subculture of its own. Now, things get interesting.

Social Media and the internet have made the world a viral institute. With the revolution of smart-phones, tablets, and thousands of niche social media sites, you’re never more than a few clicks away from any information you could possibly need.

Anytime I need to learn a new skill, I head to YouTube for some insightful tutorials. If that doesn’t yield the results I’m after, a good old-fashioned Google search will always shed light on the subject. I’m sure I’m not alone on this; self-educated hobbyists are everywhere. I can’t tell you how many new songs I’ve learned on the guitar by watching someone else play it on a social media site.

For social networks, you have the big four: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. Consider these your box stores. They have almost everything you need – groups for carpet makers, financial experts, car lovers, and so on. But if you’re after meeting and learning from other like-minded individuals, the results can be a bit too broad.

This is where niche social media sites come into play. They’re great for zeroing in on people with a shared, narrow interest. Here’s an example. About 6 months ago, I took up fishing. But not just any type of fishing – kayak fishing. I’m not ashamed to say that I knew little to nothing about mixing the two. I looked for others like me on the big four, but had little luck.

I did one of those handy-dandy Google searches and found a social media niche site called yakangler.com. It’s a community of nearly 2000 registered “yak” fishermen (and women) who collectively have more knowledge on kayak fishing than I could ever need. I now know what tackle to use, paddles to buy, and even what a “kayak sleigh ride” is (imagine Santa being pulled by a 100-pound tarpon). And as an added bonus, I’ve networked with many hobbyists just like me and made a few new friends.

The same niche communities are available for business interests. Sure, you can find like-minded individuals on the big four, but niche sites streamline networking and sharing advice. Some good ones are Bizsugar.com, biznik.com, and referralkey.com but there are more – lots more. Just do one of those handy-dandy Google searches, and I’m sure you’ll hook just what you’re fishing for.

Whether you have a business, professional practice, or you’re an author working with an ad hoc group of friends, family members and professionals, it pays to have a strong, cohesive team.

That’s what we have here at EMSI. But last month, I stumbled upon a surprisingly effective new method of team building: the company fast.

That wasn’t the end result we either sought or expected. Those of us who took the 10-Day Celebrity Transformation Challenge did it for health reasons – to lose weight, to cleanse, to re-calibrate systems sludged up by refined and processed carbohydrates. We accomplished those things and, in the process, became even more tight knit.

What an experience!

It all started back in January when we took on a new client, a California nutritionist with an ‘anabolic fasting’ regime for weight loss and cleansing. I wanted to try his program myself, both to better represent him and because, frankly, I was curious.

For 10 days, I would replace all of my meals with a cocktail of powdered spirulina algae and other dehydrated plant materials mixed with 18 ounces of water. Besides an occasional “flex food,” such as half an apple, that was it. It sounded difficult, but within three days, I felt energized and clear-headed. By Day 6, I realized I hadn’t had one my frequent migraine headaches.

And, honestly, after the first couple days, I didn’t miss food.

I felt so good, I made everyone at EMSI an offer: If you want to try the 10-Day Transformation, I’ll pick up the tab.

Ten said, “I’m in!”

The 10-day fast, http://www.puriumcorp.com/, is a component of Superfoods for Supermodels, a broader dietary program created by nutritionist David Sandoval, author of “The Green Foods Bible.” It’s engineered to maintain high energy and metabolism while cleansing the body of the additives from processed foods.

“By consuming only clean and green nutrient-dense superfoods, slow-burning carbs and highly digestible protein, people lose 5 to 15 pounds on the 10-day program,” David says.

“It’s a way to fast while still consuming the nutrients necessary for prime metabolic function.”

Our team received two big boxes of supplies, including green Power Shake, Herbal Fiber Cleanse capsules, Master Aminos pills and tape measures. Seven started the fast together on a Saturday, agreeing to weigh in, measure and take a photo of themselves beforehand, as David suggests.

On Day 3, a Monday, they were back to work and enthusiastically comparing notes.

“It hasn’t been hard for me,” reported social media campaign manager Jeni Hinojosa, whose husband, Alex, our VP of media operations, also took the challenge. “I didn’t even lick my fingers when I fed the baby.”

Russ Handler, TV campaign manager, had a harder time of it.

“By Sunday night, I was ready to eat the neighbor’s kids,” he grumbled.

But they hung in, mixing their 9 a.m. green shakes together, reminding each other how much better they felt, and sharing ways to “legally” dress up half a cucumber, one of the “flex food” options.

“I think it’s much easier doing this as a group,” Alex said. “Most of the time I feel satisfied but every once in a while, I just want to bite something. It helps to have all these people around who know exactly how I feel.”

Will Candler, our marketing coordinator, agreed.

“You feel like everyone’s your buddy in this.”

By Day 11, with only a couple reports of cheating, the group had lost a total 55.5 pounds

Alex was the big winner, losing 14 pounds or 6.6 percent of his body weight. Executive assistant Marti Carlson dropped 7 pounds — and 10 points off her blood pressure.

In addition, all the cheerleading and strategizing had a noticeable effect on how everyone works together – very collaborative and supportive. And they were even more productive than usual that week, although I can’t say whether it was because they were energized or because they had no meals to plan.

Mastering a tough challenge also boosted morale.

There’s nothing better than seeing your employees, who are like family to me, looking and feeling great.

And, as it turns out, it’s very good for business!

Off for a Power Shake,

Marsha

Not only did this year’s Super Bowl generate a record 24 million Twitter posts (up from last year’s 13.7 million), but the event that spiked an additional record surge happened to be…nothing. For 34 minutes, Super Bowl 47 lost power and millions scrambled for their mobile phones to hurl their two cents into the cyber-universe. Nature abhors a vacuum so even when there’s nothing to comment on, even “nothing” can trend. The biggest winners of the blackout sweepstakes is the Oreo marketing team who pounced on the spontaneous international diversion 10 minutes in by Tweeting a picture of a cookie half in the dark with the words, “You can still dunk in the dark.” Less than 24 hours later the image was shared over 15,000 times. The reach was virtually limitless. Whether or not any of the resulting activity sold any additional boxes of cookies is yet to be determined. But given the fact that a commercial aired at any given time during the Super Bowl cost over $3.5 million and the cost of a Tweet shakes out to be approximately zero, nobody can argue the investment.

Social media is undeniable, unavoidable and as of yet, an inexact science in terms of advertising value. But so is any other medium, and unlike the other marketing avenues, this one continues to grow exponentially with no signs of slowing down. And while a commercial may be 30 seconds and done, the potential ripple effect of a successful post is not only limitless, but also timeless. You may not currently have a social media account. You may even detest the very concept. But you may as well get comfortable with the idea, because it’s not going away. Even if Twitter were to somehow disappear, somebody somewhere would come up with a way to Tweet about it.

I just returned from the 31^st Annual Cocoa Beach Writers’ Conference and I’m pumped about the future of books.

I was a speaker at the event, which is put on by the Space Coast Writers’ Guild in Florida. There were many themes that ran through the weekend, including the fact that — like the radio and print (newspapers, magazines, etc) industries — the book business isn’t dying, it’s just evolving.

Another major theme I heard from literary agents and publishers alike was the need for all authors (fiction and non-fiction) to have a significant social media presence.  Of course we’ve been preaching this for years at EMSI Public Relations, but it was great to hear the gatekeepers to so many aspiring authors’ dreams drive that point home.

Talk about a perfect setup for one of my presentations at the conference:  Market Your Book Using Print & Social Media

During my sessions, I stressed the fact that you must think of social networking just the way you think of old school networking at conferences like the one I attended:

• Interact!
  • Old School Networking:  You walk up to a person in a room, strike up a conversation and, if all goes well, you exchange business cards.
  • Social Networking:  You seek out someone in a LinkedIn group, Google+ community or on a Twitter hashtag (#), strike up a conversation and, if all goes well, you get connected, added to their circle or follow each other.
• Keep in Touch!
  • Old School Networking:  If you exchanged business cards, maybe you’ll email the other person occasionally.  There’s a chance you might call.  But in all reality you probably won’t truly communicate again until you see each other at the next event.
  • Social Networking:  If you are connected online, you’ll get regular status updates from the other person and there’s a high likelihood you’ll comment once or twice a week depending on the subject matter of their social media post.
• Relationships Payoff!
  • Old School Networking:  It might take multiple conferences (and therefore months or years) to have someone feel they know you well enough to take the relationship to the next level and do business with you.  Nothing wrong with that, but what if you could build that relationship faster?
  • Social Networking:  You can!  It is theoretically possible to learn more about someone in one week’s worth of tweets than in two to three passing conference conversations.

Quick story from the conference:  Friday night at the speakers’ mixer I was walking around looking for someone to talk to and I noticed another person doing the exact same thing.  I walked up to her and said, “You’re looking for someone to talk to.  I’m looking for someone to talk to.  So what do you do?”

Turns out Saritza Hernandez is a Senior Agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency, but our initial conversation ranged from talking about our kids to what we do for our clients.  We really hit it off.  With old school networking, we might have chatted a couple more times over the weekend, exchanged cards and everything else outlined above.

But something different happened.  That night I followed her on Twitter (@ePubAgent) and mentioned I’d be attending her seminar (which was great).  Then she followed me back.  All weekend we were tweeting, retweeting and laughing in person when our paths crossed.

By the end of the weekend conference, we’d had so much interaction that I felt I was saying goodbye to a really good friend — who I’d only known for about 46 hours!

Will it lead to business for either one of us?  Who knows?  But I do know I’d recommend her in a heartbeat to any person who asked because I got to know her personally and professionally and came away impressed.  That doesn’t happen often.

So when you think about social media for your business or books don’t get overwhelmed by all the platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, etc and how they work.  Instead, remember that you are simply networking. Like you would in person.

The only difference?  You’re getting to know that person 140 characters at a time!

So … half the office commits to abstaining from food for 10 days and the other half says no way. If this sounds like the makings of a good reality TV show, especially at lunchtime, then you’d be mistaken.

Let me explain.

David Sandoval, (transformationenrollment.com), a client of ours, is a nutritionist for a number of celebrities. When the office got word that he has a healthy method for losing 5 to 15 pounds in 10 days, our interest was piqued. That could make quick work of our New Year’s resolutions!

His program is tailored for celebrities who need to quickly shed pounds for acting roles, awards ceremonies, beauty pageants and the like. The diet, which is loaded with anti-oxidants, also helps his clients maintain the dewy look of youth long after they should be looking like the rest of us.

At our office, six of us started the diet on the same day. We worried the hardest part would be watching (and smelling) as our non-dieting co-workers scarfed their lunchtime chicken nuggets and sandwiches. As it turned out, that wasn’t a problem. David’s green shakes kept us feeling full, and with group fasting, you have a great support system.

That’s not to say it was a piece of cake (chocolate or otherwise). By the night of Day 3, I was having food dreams. By Day 7, I needed a hamburger. So I had one.

Although I strayed a bit, I continue to substitute one meal a day with Sandoval’s healthy shake and amino acids – and we’re well past the 10-day period.

Why would any sane person choose to cut out what are arguably the most enjoyable moments of the day?

• Leadership: Before offering the challenge to others, our company’s founder and CEO Marsha Friedman took the plunge first. Seeing the slimming and revitalizing effects on Marsha gave those of us who were willing that extra vote of confidence. Yes, this can be done, and it will be good for us.
• Going big: For some people, making small inroads toward accomplishing a goal just is not sexy; some of us need an Apollo-style moon mission to get us motivated. Big challenges mean more than little ones, not to mention the fact that they’re terrific PR!
• Health: Simply not eating is not a good health plan. Sandoval’s program includes nutritious shakes, amino acid pills, detox supplements, a fiber shake and condensed cherry syrup that’s packed with vitamins. It also includes small portions of “flex” foods three times a day, including a banana, half an apple, half an avocado or a cucumber. The schedule keeps you busy, and the philosophy behind the diet is that you get the nutrition you need without the avalanche of calories that usually come with it.
• The reset button: Each of us had our individual goals in the challenge. Everyone lost weight – Alex Hinojosa, our Vice President of Media Operations, lost the most with 14 pounds. But we also quit caffeine and alcohol, and the smokers drastically cut their nicotine intake.

As we introduce regular meals into our lives again, I take with me a valued lesson –  the reason I participated in this challenge – temperance. I want to be more aware of my food choices, and to enjoy every bite of healthy living.

I could’ve been the glam Samantha Jones – the PR professional in “Sex and the City.”

There I was in New York City on a whirlwind business trip with our CEO, Marsha Friedman, and our vice president, Alex Hinojosa. We hustled with the natives down wind-whipped sidewalks and hailed speeding Yellow Cabs to meet with current and prospective clients.

Along the way, we passed store windows filled with post-Christmas sale-priced temptations and ate delicious meals at restaurants like The Sea Grill, where the Grilled Label Rouge Heritage chicken was divinely paired with a view of skaters stumbling over the Rockefeller Center ice rink.

I could’ve been the glam Samantha Jones — but I wasn’t. I haven’t been to New York City in decades, so I walked into trashcans while gaping up at tall buildings. And while publicists are known for their fashion and style sense, newspaper journalists definitely are not. My background showed in my circa 1984 mauve London Fog trench, absolutely the wrong color for the Big Apple.

Marsha and Alex either didn’t notice, didn’t care, or were polite enough to look the other way, even as I repeatedly tangled myself in my borrowed scarf. Marsha’s a native New Yorker and Alex has an excellent handle on the city for a guy from Texas. The two showed me all kinds of sights in the gaps between appointments, from tony East 42nd Street to the fun Soho shops to the bright lights of Times Square.

But my biggest surprise came in our meetings with clients and prospective clients, three of which took place where they work.

As a reporter, I’ve always known I’ll get a better story by going to the accident scene, attending the council meeting, or hanging out with the eccentric artist rather than trying to gather details over the phone. I didn’t realize the same applies in PR.

As the creative director for our Florida-based national company, I spend a lot of time getting to know clients via email and phone conversations. I browse their websites, read through their books, and study the lengthy questionnaires we ask them to fill out. Occasionally, they’ll visit our office, preferring to share their stories in person. We love those opportunities.

But it’s an entirely different experience meeting with people where they “live,” so to speak. There’s something about a workspace – the personal photos on a desk, the plaques and framed certificates on the walls – that speaks volumes about what the occupant values. We learn a lot by seeing how people interact with their colleagues, and by taking the time for a genuine conversation, which almost always includes stories about loved ones, hobbies, and past experiences – details too cumbersome to include into work-related emails and text messages.

Wonderful as the digital age has been in expanding our worlds and removing barriers imposed by geography and language, it hasn’t yet replaced sitting down together in someone’s office or home.

Computers haven’t yet replaced face time.

And online marketplaces don’t compare to window-shopping in New York City.

It is with great pride and honor that we’re able to announce that for the 7th consecutive year, EMSI Public Relations reported growth again! Read the whole story here on MSNBC.com