How Do You Find Your Blog Fodder? Peter Shankman Helps You Act Like A Reporter

I recently attended an invitation only conference or business meeting here in Boulder just last month, and was able to meet a new colleague in the social media marketing area.  This person is doing very cool things and not just in business, but also because he jumps out of perfectly good airplanes!  I am speaking about Peter Shankman.

Peter has been in the public relations industry for a while now and he has done some really cool things, like write a book.  His site describes him perfectly as I remember him from the conference:

…when you harness the power of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and make it work to your advantage.

“PR Week Magazine has described Peter as “redefining the art of networking,” and Investor’s Business Daily has called him “crazy, but effective.”  Peter Shankman is a spectacular example of what happens when you harness the power of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and make it work to your advantage.  An entrepreneur, author, speaker, and ingenious worldwide connector, Peter is recognized nationally and globally for radically new ways of thinking about social media, PR, marketing, advertising, creativity, and just about everything else, as well.”

It is his latest project that has everyone including his competition standing up to take notice.  The phrase that gets the attention for his new project is “Everyone Is An Expert At Something.”  Peter does not lie, as I think I can be an expert in at least two or three things in this world such as procrastination or daydreaming, but his premise is right on the money.  I sell the idea to companies all the time.  There is an expert blogger out there for just about any business.  Go ahead and challenge me.  I can’t think of a business that doesn’t have at least one person that is passionate about it.  The thing that can be a problem is how do they get the information for their blog posts after they run out of their own expertise? 

HARO could be seen as the perfect matchmaker.

One way is to go out and get the information.  Peter’s business allows for that very concept in Help A Reporter Out. HARO, as it is known, is a site that can allow for reporters, journalists and yes in some cases even us lowly bloggers, to get information from experts in any field.  It does one of the things that Peter does so well but on a much larger scale, it puts people together that need each other.  HARO could be seen as the perfect matchmaker.  It’s easy to sign up for the service if you are looking for or are wanting to loan your own expertise.  Take the time, and you may be the next expert quoted in the New York Times, or perhaps even one of your favorite blogs!

[Peter Shankman photo via Shankman.com, Reporter Notebook photo via sskennel]