Mike Schaffer is an experienced online marketing strategist, publicist, blogger and public speaker. He is currently the Director of Social Media for iostudio, overseeing social media strategy and content for the National Guard.
Schaffer was named among the Top 100 PR Pros to Follow on Twitter by www.conversationagent.com and Top 30 to Follow by www.ereleases.com, and Edelman PR ranked him the #21 Most Influential Publicist on Twitter. His client list spans the retail, sports, restaurant, technology, non-profit, museum and military worlds.
He has recently presented on social media and communications at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Conference, the Social Media Club of DC Sports and Social Media seminar, the National Restaurant Association Marketing Executive Group semi-annual conference and the Maryland Department of Rehabilitation Services annual conference.
Prior to joining iostudio, Schaffer was the Director of Social Media and a Senior Account Executive at Brotman-Winter-Fried Communications, managing public relations, social media, event management and traditional marketing programs for sports, entertainment, restaurant and retail clients, ranging from Mike Tyson to World Wrestling Entertainment to McDonald’s. He also worked with zcomm, overseeing national radio promotions from brands such as Acuvue and M&M’s. Schaffer also spent time at the sports department of Baltimore’s WJZ-TV.
His social media work is heavily influenced by his background in marketing and communications. To him, knowing how to communicate is the biggest key to sustainability social media.
He has been published in PRWeek and www.SpinSucks.com (2010 Reader’s Choice PR Blog of the Year) and he regularly contributes to the popular www.PRBreakfastClub.com. Schaffer is a DC “Champion” of the www.HelpAPRProOut.com organization, matching communications industry job-seekers to employers and is on the 2011 PR and Marketing Committee of the Bobby Mitchell Hall of Fame Golf Tournament.
Schaffer’s award-nominated personal blog, www.TheBuzzbyMikeSchaffer.com, covers social media, public relations, sports and pop culture. It was just named as one of the top 33 PR blogs of 2011 by www.paulrobertspr.com.
He lives in the Washington, DC, area with his gorgeous wife, Marisa, and their beloved children, Hava (human) and Balki (dog). Yes, the dog was named after the “Perfect Strangers” character. Second-choice was to name him after a Fraggle. Seriously.
All views expressed in this forum are solely those of Mike Schaffer and any contributors and do NOT necessarily reflect those of anyone else, including employers, colleagues and pets. Although Mike’s dog tends to agree with him on most topics.
