When it comes to social media, most EU officials, decision-makers and public affairs specialists are uncertain what it actually means, so their dilemma is translated into the question 'Should we use Twitter or Facebook in our online efforts?'.

This is the same as, when building a house, you would ask 'Should I build a kitchen or a bathroom?'. In short: focusing on building blocks instead of the building will not take you far.

The core concept of social media is ...
 

Seth has written a great piece on Six things about deadlines. Though he essentially talks about business, it is worth considering for EPSO job applicants and EU affairs professionals, too.

Enough to look at his chart: when a deadline is announced, the eager ones rush and get it done right away. EPSO candidates sign up, create a profile, validate their applications and presto, it's done! Late risers, on the other hand, risk having a server slowdown, missing the last bus home from work to finalise their application two hours before the clos...

Real marketing is not about the product or service or message you are trying to sell. It is about enlarging the frame and talking about the core idea that your product is part of. What does this mean?

A draft Durex project has done a remarkable job by not talking about their products (condoms) but about the reason why contraception is an issue. Nike does not talk about the shoes, it talks about having fun, doing sports outdoors, being part of the team. If you are the European PhotoVoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), do you talk about the...

The European Parliament launched a banner campaign on various EU online media platforms (EUobserver, EurActiv etc.) where a blue flash banner box with catchy titles such as "massive job-losses", "less economic growth", "sharp budget cuts" lead to the key question: "How does the crisis affect Europe?". The proposed solution? Watch www.europarltv.eu

Sure, let's see what you get if you decide to click through despite this unspellable domain name. Actually, not much. It leads you to the European Parliament TV's "your voice" page where ...

Are you a diplomat representing a South American country in Brussels? Are you a trade association covering renewable energy matters? Are you a lobbyist trying to have DG SANCO issue a positive opinion about a plant fertiliser? Are you an NGO going to great lengths to have the European Parliament condemn an act of racism in an African country? Well, the sad truth is that nobody cares about you.

To be fair, the truth is that everybody cares about you only as much as you offer them something they care about.

What does this mean? If you a...

Has the BP oil spill reached Europe? Is the oil already covering EU institutions' websites? Here is an amazingly smart public affairs environmental campaign where you can check how the oil would affect the virtual world and make your voice heard in the real world!

(Disclaimer: the above screenshot was created with the www.instantoilspill.com website to raise awareness of their resourceful campaign. No harm is made or intended for any public website whatsoever.)