Ariel Hyatt, founder of Ariel Publicity in New York City, threw out the traditional publicity rule book and went "digital" with her venture Cyber PR foreseeing the impact the advent of the internet and social media would have on public relations long before her peers. Ariel's Cyber PR process marks the intersection of social media with engaged behavior, PR, and online marketing. Her efforts to realize the public relations potential of social media while scaling her business resulted in innovation. Ariel developed her web-based platform, Cyber PR, to automate much of the traditional PR process and maximize client placement with new media makers. Ariel didn't just provide the platform; she made it her mission to educate artists on how to take advantage of the digital world. Her signature system Music Success in Nine Weeks is the cornerstone of her mission. Her message is so compelling that she has been invited to speak at festivals and conferences in twelve countries, including SXSW, MIDEM (France), CMJ, ASCAP's I Create Music, Canadian Music Week, APRA's Song Summit (Sydney), You Are In Control (Reykjavik), The ECMAs, and Grammy Camp. Ariel also hosts a widely popular video and newsletter series, Sound Advice, offering information about the emerging music business for musicians and music entrepreneurs. In the Fall of 2011, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) a globally recognized leader in the world of music business schools debuted an official Cyber PR class based on the principals used in Ariel's day-to-day business and in Music Success in Nine Weeks. She and her staff led students in a rigorous Cyber PR accreditation process that included hands on experience working on active Cyber PR Campaigns. Just released in its third edition, with a forward by Derek Sivers, Music Success in Nine Weekscan easily be deemed the "what to do next" bible for both new and established artists. It provides the missing manual for musicians trying to make sense of social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, and teaches them how to make profitable businesses. With her candid workbook style, it feels like you are sitting down with Ariel, scribbling your own ideas all over the book's pages. Each book comes with a lifetime membership to join her online forum: Ariel's Cyber PR Mastermind where readers get support from fellow readers, and from Ariel and her staff. The hands-on guide and support provides structure to what often feels like chaos. "I am guiding musicians to take off their artists' hats for a nine weeks and put on their business hats," says Ariel. Her tactics have actualized exponential success for her most proactive readers by giving them a solid business strategy. Her tools and approach are so meaningful in today's digital music marketing landscape that her firm is expanding globally. At MIDEM 2012, Cyber PR will announce their first international licensing partnership in France. Later this year, Ariel plans to expand into other international markets where popular music is consumed and marketed via social networks.
