Best practices, according to Wikipedia, reflect "the belief that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc."

The best-read articles in this publication pretty accurately reflect what's important to PR practitioners. And what The Firm Voice does best is showcase a wide variety of essential best practices from America's leading public relations firms

We recently published an all-encompassing best practices resource guide, titled: "Outstanding Best Practices for Public Relations Firms: The 2009 Compendium of Insight and Intelligence" from the most popular articles of The Firm Voice.

This compendium is loaded with lasting usefulness advice, tips and strategies for PR pros — whether they work inside or outside a PR firm. It's a great tool to share with staff and around which to create "learning" modules. If its come up at a PR firm, we've likely covered it in The Firm Voice.

Here are four examples (out of hundreds) of relevant best practices/tips from the book that you can use anytime:

#1.) How PR firms can take the lead on their clients' social media strategy. (3 of the 10 tips provided by Mike Hollywood, Cone)

• Be channel agnostic: A particular campaign may be appropriate for Facebook, a Google gadget or it may work on Twitter—or none of the above. Step back and look at the value of each one of these focuses, but don't be driven by them.
• Don't create content with the intent of being viral: Viral follows quality. Create thoughtful, meaningful, engaging content and focus it on the right audiences and it will catch on virally.
• Don't get distracted by the latest thing: A good strategy doesn't recommend communication vehicles just on the basis of being new….

#2.) Holding onto your job during a recession. (3 of 6 the tips provided by Don Spetner, Korn Ferry)

• Be positive. If you're at work, you need to be the one who is still in early, excited, driven—and all of that. That kind of person doesn't jump to the top of lists for cuts.
• Be flexible. Don't be tied to old job descriptions. Be flexible and open to different ways of working, to slashing your budgets with external contractors or vendors, and to parting with people who aren't great performers but who you like. Just open up to the reality of new demands.
• Put yourself in management's shoes. That really means being budget conscious. The management team is stressed about reducing the workforce and costs. If you proactively go to them with ideas, including compensation reduction, they'll be open to your solutions and it can help you with job security.

#3.) The role and expectations of millennials in the work place. (3 of the 10 recommendations, provided by Aaron Uhrmacher, Text 100)

• Let us work remotely: We can work at Starbucks and even from home. By creating a less structured physical work environment, you can stimulate us, encourage our creativity and teach us how to work smarter. Start with a trial month and evaluate the results. You might be surprised at how well we manage our time when it belongs to us.
• Give us iPhones: Most companies only provide phones to management. If you want us to stay connected, give us the tools to do so. Blackberries are fine, but iPhones are much cooler. And they work on corporate networks.
• Create opportunities for social interaction: If you want us to enjoy where we work, make it a place we want to be. Give us the chance to connect with our co-workers in an environment that promotes social interaction. Host group brainstorming sessions, take us bowling (or to the theater, or paintballing) and remember to celebrate our success outside the confines of the workplace.

#4.) The importance of practicing financial transparency. (3 of 9 best practices, provided by Abby Carr, Bliss PR)

• They don't care how much money you make. It has been my experience that your people do want to know that you take home a decent salary (if you aren't, what do they have to shoot for?), but don't care what it is exactly, or how much of the profits you keep. This is America, and our people are smart enough to know how capitalism works—owners get the profits. If you are squeezing your staff to wring out more profits than you should, well stop already!
• You can keep salary information confidential. There's no more disruptive information than salary information, because there are always a few abnormalities. Don't divulge salary information, and keep it confidential to a very small number of those who need to know. Salary is a contract between the firm and the individual, and you can be clear that sharing this information is against firm policy.
• They want to know. In good times and bad, people want to know if their firm is doing well and if so, how well. They work hard and want to be proud of the success of the enterprise. In bad times, in particular, an absence of information fuels anxiety, which is non-productive. That's what we counsel our clients, and we should keep our own counsel.

Just a taste of what you're missing if you haven't ordered the "Outstanding Best Practices for Public Relations Firms: The 2009 Compendium of Insight and Intelligence"