Archive for May, 2009

Press Releases, Pitches and Publicity

May 26, 2009 at 3:29 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , ,

news and tipsIn my career, I’ve probably written more than 1,000 press releases. Some were just FYI awareness updates for journalists and/or other relevant stakeholders such as elected officials or community leaders. Most, however, have been structured as calls-to-action for journalists to request interviews or for media organizations to assign reporters to cover an event such as a groundbreaking ceremony, grand opening celebration or some milestone achievement.

To measure the effectiveness of press releases, it’s important to first be clear about your intended outcome. If you want publicity on a bunch of websites, then distributing a press release through a wire service is a great way to go. News wires have syndication services that can get your news posted on several websites.

If, however, you’re aiming for a flood of calls from reporters requesting interviews that generate major metropolitan newspaper headlines and stories on local TV’s 6 o’clock news, then you’re best bet is to do your homework. Find out who covers business, technology, arts or whatever topic that relates to your idea, then pick up the phone and talk to him or her about it. As you end the call, ask for an email address so you can send a well-crafted, brief summary of your pitch. This approach can be far more effective in getting a journalist’s attention.

If you’re out for search engine optimization (SEO), press releases can help improve your rankings, drive traffic to your website and provide more inbound links. The more sites that link to yours, the more valuable search engines consider your content. By far, blogging is what’s going to drive website traffic — especially if you combine it with other SEO strategies.

I believe the most effective, relationship-building strategy for generating publicity over the long-term is just to make it easy for journalists to do their jobs and find you and your products or services. The more relevant information you provide on your website, the better your chances of attracting reporter interest and requests for interviews.

Finally, understand that press releases require preparation. They should be written in a concise, high-quality manner that will entice journalists to read them. Most importantly, they should contain legitimate news. And keep in mind the tie-ins with your online content and SEO.

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Getting Down to Basics (a presentation from OMS Houston)

May 25, 2009 at 12:44 am · Filed under social media ·Tagged

Social Media Fundamentals in the Mix, Danielle Forquignon, Marketing Manager, Open Text

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Tapping online networks to raise funds

May 25, 2009 at 12:32 am · Filed under marketing, public relations, social media ·Tagged , , , , , ,

fundraisingOne of my friends works for a charity that over the years has won supporters for its big annual college scholarship fundraiser event with e-mail blasts, brochures and personal calls to big donors.

But that’s soooo yesterday.

This year, the nonprofit group began posting event information to its new Facebook page. It also is tweeting on Twitter and uploading video to YouTube. Then, of course, the group also blogs and shares photos on Flickr.

The result? My friend (who’s an officer with the group) says registration for this year’s event is nearly triple what it was last year.

That’s the bottom-line promise of “social giving,” which uses online networks to raise awareness and, ultimately, money. Organizations with a cause are “friend-raising” on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and elsewhere to bolster that old-as-money objective: fund-raising.
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Social giving exploits online networks, which offer exponential possibilities for building personal relationships. Once an organization makes a connection to an individual, that person can leverage his or her personal contacts – the old “friends of friends” gone viral. When campaigns also include interactive contests, creative video clips, and real-time information, donating money becomes less of an obligation and more of an experience.
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Everybody saw the success of the Obama campaign — lots of small donations through online networks added up to big bucks for the candidate.  Bo Bothe, president and chief creative officer at BrandExtract, says that nonprofits can replicate that success.
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“In an economy where purse strings are triple-knotted, the strategy has particular appeal,” Bo said as he and I were chatting after he had just finished participating in a panel discussion at the recent Online Marketing Summit in Houston.
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“It’s not a magic cure-all,” Bo remarked. “They’re wonderful tools. It’s just not automatic, that if you’re on social media, your fund-raising is going to go through the roof. Social giving at its best, however, can be the gift that keeps on giving. It has tentacles. You have so many more people you can reach. The status updates and tweets allow nonprofits to have “two-way conversations” with supporters.”
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Clearly, the key is to reach out to people in the right way, establishing and understanding how social media fits into a specific nonprofit group’s goals and mission. While social media offer low-cost marketing options, they shouldn’t drain or distract nonprofits from doing the public good. 
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I think it’s possible for nonprofits to explore the potentials and pitfalls of social networks while working their connections. Post tweets and update Facebook fans about blog posts or public service announcements on YouTube.
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A nonprofit that keeps that kind of cycle going will potentially reach people who might not otherwise be exposed to or engaged in the group’s cause.

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On the path toward APR

May 24, 2009 at 11:53 pm · Filed under public relations

prGetting ahead in public relations is a matter of individual drive, determination and diligence. That’s why I’m so stoked about an email message that I just recevied from Kathy Mulvihill, the manager of accreditation for the Public Relations Society of America. Her message congratulated me on the PRSA’s acceptance of my application to take the examination for APR, accreditation in public relations. YAY!

I believe that all seasoned practitioners should consider earning the APR designation to prove you have successfully demonstrated competency in the knowledge, skills and abilities required to practice public relations effectively in today’s business arena. APR is a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice, and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective, and sound professional judgment.

Any PRSA member in good standing can take on the challenge of earning accreditation. However, it is recommended that candidates have at least five years’ experience in the full-time practice or teaching of public relations and who have earned either a bachelor’s degree in a communication-specific field (e.g., public relations, journalism, mass communication) or have equivalent work experience, which includes public relations principles, public relations writing, public relations campaigns, research, ethics and law and internship (practical experience under supervision).

Once your application is approved, you must schedule a readiness review presentation, which is a face-to-face review by three APRs to determine whether you have a grasp of the knowledge, skills and abilities required to pass the comprehensive examination. That’s after you have completed the Readiness Review Questionnaire, which addresses your organization and position in public relations, your overall experience and an assessment of readiness to pass the computer-based written examination.

It’s best to begin seeking Accreditation when you can commit the time, energies and resources to completing the entire process. The length of time varies based on the individual and the number of applicants in your area. However, once your application is approved, you have one year to complete the readiness review and take the computer-based examination.

The APR designation is “good for life,” as long as you remain a current member of PRSA or other related organization and you complete the battery of maintenance requirements every three years.

For my preparation, I am subscribing to the APR Candidate e-Group, the online discussion forum specifically for accreditation candidates to share ideas and seek advice on topics specific to preparing for the accreditation process. The e-Group provides advice from other candidates regarding their experiences with the readiness review, the computer-based examination, APR study materials, the APR Online Study Course and much more.

Want to join me? Let’s hunker down together for APR! Leave a comment below. Or give me a call on     832-715-8021    , email Felicia.Griffin@yahoo.com. Hit me on www.Twitter.com/FeliciaGriffin1.

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PR is about the conversation

May 24, 2009 at 11:50 pm · Filed under marketing, public relations, social media ·Tagged , , , ,

verbal commI think it’s clear that digital marketing activities are converging the reality of putting the public back into public relations. While traditional media relations is intent on getting to know (hopefully) and pitching journalists and editors, the best success in doing that comes from writing for or sharing information that was interesting to the readers of those publications.

Odds improve when you write the story yourself. Whether the story is the piece of news in the press release or not, for it to go social, it needs to have certain elements built in to appeal to the ultimate audience – your customers or prospective customers. The degree to which it appeals to end users may also determine media pick up – traditional media and new media alike.  But you need to retain the power over facilitating the conversation and testing the viability of the resulting marketing decisions.
 
For you to do this well, it doesn’t mean you create a public idea site. Let’s not confuse tools with intent and process. Some companies may feel comfortable out in the open, others may already have such a strong community of advisers that all they need to do is engage those relationships.
 
So where do you start?
 
1. Start with your product or service.
What do you need to do to make it a valuable use of your customers’ budgets and time? If you feel you need to improve it, but do not know where to begin, open up the communication lines with your customers. This is the same deal as the employee suggestion box. It cannot be just lip service, you’ll need to walk the talk. The main difference between old media and new media is the filter – with new media you have none. That can be really good, or really bad for you. You decide.
 
2. Integrate CRM with social to build long term relationships.
The fundamental shift between your CRM system and the social Web to build relationships is that CRM is really a process where you capture and manage customer information. The social Web allows you to act publicly on that information to benefit your customers as well and you by reflection. If you want to connect with end users, begin by not seeing them as something you can use at will. Broaden that definition to include how they can use your content to become smarter, do their job better, look good with their peers and boss alike, and connect with each other.

3. Educate your company on new media.
Don’t take for granted that just because everyone’s on Facebook they know how to put these tools to good use for business. Set up training classes for your authors and content owners to help them see the possibilities. Do that as part of the media training program you offer. Share information on how you talk about what you do, your stories, what you’ve published in traditional media, what resonates with your audience.

That kind of intelligence allows subject matter experts to build on existing conversations.

Teach people how to write for the Web and you’ll be able to publish more content that is of value to your customer community. It’s the old adage of teaching people how to fish. All those who are in customer-facing jobs should be empowered to assist customers wherever they choose to communicate with you.

4. Listen, test, adjust frequently.
Don’t wait until you have the perfect answer. Start testing small initiatives by integrating them to existing programs and keeping them modest. What you want to do is set up realistic objectives, communicate them to your team, and measure against them.

Keep listening for changes in behavior and adjust your tactics or strategies accordingly. This may feel a bit squeamish for those who are classically trained in marketing. They tend to have very specific ideas of what needs to be done. Yet, gone are the days of perfect mass marketing campaigns.

Today it’s more about micro interactions – personal, relevant, and meaningful exchanges of value. You capture someone’s attention when you stop thinking of them as eyeballs and start thinking in terms of exchange – and connection.

5. Know where your customers are and why they’re there.
You may think that having an ad on Facebook is a good idea, after all many of your customers are there. Before you go ahead and find a new way for them to ignore you or piss them off, do take the time to find out why they’re there, what they do. Digital and online media by its very nature feels more personal. People have come to expect interaction and exchange. Instead of ignoring you, like they did off line when you interrupted them last, they may tell you what they think about your ad and they may tell all their friends, too – on Twitter.

These are ideas you can take and try your own way. They scale, too. Thanks to technology and the social Web, a business any size can be what it wants to be. It kind of puts a whole new meaning to “be all you can be,” doesn’t it?

Have questions or need help? Leave a comment below. Or contact me on         832-715-8021        or www.twitter.com/FeliciaGriffin1.

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Drive business by positioning yourself as a Thought Leader

May 24, 2009 at 11:48 pm · Filed under public relations, social media

thoughtAlmost as though taking a cue from the title of Napoleon Hill’s classic motivational book on success principles Think and Grow Rich, today’s web-savvy business owners and managers are elevating their professional reputations, building the brand equity of their organizations and gaining enhanced customer trust and loyalty – not by selling but by sharing their thoughts and ideas online.

Put away your company hat for a moment and think like one of your buyers. The content that you create will be a solution to those people’s problems and without mentioning your company or its products at all.

For example, say you’re a marketer for nutritional supplements. You might write an e-book or shoot a video about how a healthy diet and regular exercise enhance wellness and lifestyle. Then, promote it on your web site and offer it for free to gyms and personal trainers to put on their sites.

Do you run a catering company? Have a set of web pages or podcasts available on your site addressing topic titles such as “Plan the Perfect Wedding Reception” and “What You Need to Know for the Ideal Dinner Party for 12.” A podcast series like this educates visitors about their problems but does not sell the catering services directly. Instead, the idea here is that people who learn through the caterer’s information are more likely to hire that caterer when the time comes.

Here’s an overview of some forms of thought leadership content.

White Papers
Rooted in governmental policy, white papers have become a common tool for introducing technology innovations and products. A typical search engine query on ‘white paper’ will return millions of results, with many focused on technology-related issues. White papers help key decision makers and influencers justify implementing solutions. The best white papers are not product brochures. A good white paper is written for a business audience, defines a problem, and offers a solution but it does not pitch a particular product or company. White papers are usually free and often have a registration requirement (so the authors can get the names and contact details of people who download it).

e-books
These are a fun and thoughtful way to get useful information to buyers in PDF format. They identify a market problem and supply an answer to the problem. For a hip, cool look, e-books should be presented in landscape rather than portrait format. Leave lots of white space, use interesting graphics and images and write in a light style. E-books can be offered as a free download from your web site – the registration requirement is entirely up to you.

e-mail newsletters
These have been around as long as e-mail, but they still have tremendous value as a way to deliver a regular series of thought leadership content. Instead of advertising your company’s products and services or pitching a percent-off coupon like so many other e-mail newsletters out there, focus on solving your buyers’ problems. The tire manufacturer could do a monthly newsletter on safe driving. The caterer could highlight tips for party planning.

Webinars
These online seminars may include audio, video or PowerPoint slides enhanced with graphic images. They’re great for providing a primer about a specific problem that your product or service can solve. You can feature guests who do not work for your company as your sponsors. Webinars are usually between 30 and 90 minutes long and may be done live (including live question-and-answer sessions) or may be pre-recorded and posted on a site for people to watch whenever they have time.

Wikis
Want to be seen as an important player in a distinct marketplace? You can use wikis to reach the people you want to reach and help them organize content. Your users can, for example, use your wiki to add their own Frequently Asked Questions, and other people can supply the answers, which helps everyone. People love being part of the community, and they really like that a wiki gives them a way to discuss their interests. The personality and culture of your organization play an important role in the decision to start a company-sponsored wiki. The best candidates are those organizations that aren’t afraid of letting people write their opinions. The most important thing, however, is building something that is worth talking about and making it really easy. People don’t want to install all kinds of software; they just want to get typing.

Also consider…

Research and survey reports providing real and statistically significant results that are interesting to your buyers.

Blogs written to convey your passion about a subject with indirect benefits rubbing off on your organization.

Podcasts and vlogs to share your thoughts and ideas in audio and video, respectively.

Web content in the form of true thought leadership gives you the potential to influence many thousands of your buyers in ways that traditional marketing and PR cannot. Understand, though, that you have to give up the command-and-control mentality. This isn’t about “the message.” It’s about being insightful. Stop advertising and get your ideas out there by understanding buyers and telling them the stories that connect with their problems. Participate in the discussions going on instead of trying to shout your message over everyone else.

If you do it well and with authenticity, your thought leadership web content will brand your organization as one to do business with.

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Build Reputations with Comments

May 24, 2009 at 11:42 pm · Filed under social media

online reputationIn this world of social media, I think comments are a lot like graffiti. Comments allow us to freely “tag” our names and show off our writing in public places around the internet. If we get organized and systematic about leaving comments, we can all build strong reputations and generate highly targeted traffic for our sites and content.

When we leave comments on blogs, on Flickr photos or on Digg stories, the authors and content creators will surely notice and perhaps return the favor by clicking through to take a look at our profiles or blogs. It’s like karma: give comments generously and you’re sure to get some back.

Here are a few tips that I’ve followed:

Pick strategic “targets” to comment on
Leaving comments is a direct step towards building relationships and it’s a great way to promote your site. So pick the people and blogs you want recognition and traffic from, and add them to your RSS reader. Make subfolders to keep it all organized and allow you to dish out the right amount of comment love to the right people.

Leave comments in batches
It’s very easy to get distracted while commenting. Make a block of time each week where you can spend an hour or so in your RSS reader leaving comments.

Create a balance of quality and quantity
A brilliant comment on a popular blog can get more retweets and buzz than the article itself. So spend the bulk of your time and brain cells writing quality comments in the places you really want to be seen and respected, and be more quick or casual if the goal is to just let an old friend know you’re still reading his or her stuff.

Add insight or conversation value
While some bloggers really dislike comments like, “Great article!” or think they’re “spammy,” they’re actually better than no comment at all. But at least try to briefly write out why you agree with it.

Don’t be afraid to drop a relevant link
If you have written a substantial, on-topic comment – and you have a blog post or software that is extremely relevant – don’t be afraid to drop a link in your comment. It might get edited out, but if you’re sincere, it will often stand. Don’t waste your time spamming blogs with irrelevant links or automated comments – it will hurt your reputation far more than help it.

The point is that effective commenting is a core social media skill that can make a huge impact on our personal branding and blogging successes. By commenting with consistency and flair, people will soon begin to feel like they know and trust us – and we’ll start to build good reputations.

So let’s step up our social media games. Let’s each leave at least 25 comments a week between now and Memorial Day. See how the comments we leave directly affect people’s responsiveness to us, our blog traffic and comment counts, and the number of new connections and relationships that develop.

If you enjoyed this post, I would be very grateful if you would leave a comment below or subscribe via email or RSS.

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On Twitter? So, “What are YOU doing?”

May 24, 2009 at 11:36 pm · Filed under public relations, social media ·Tagged , , ,

twitterI’d really like to know. Twitter is really fascinating to me as I realize several social networking benefits and anticipate leveraging even greater opportunities from the technology.

So how about you? Do you tweet just for occasional social distraction? Or has Twitter become a tactical business tool for you? What difference has it made for you?

I look forward to your shared thoughts, ideas, concerns and complaints here, for starters. Then, I suppose, we can keep them going …oh, yeah. On Twitter!  http://www.Twitter.com/FeliciaGriffin1

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Public Relations: It can work for you, if you work for it

May 24, 2009 at 11:29 pm · Filed under public relations ·Tagged , , , , ,

10c12230f0508c64I’ve heard it said that a setback is a setup for a comeback. If that’s true, then this steep economic downturn could actually be the start of the next economic boom for those of you starting new small businesses now. You should know that good public relations is within reach and can be vital to your success.

An important point, however – it’s labor intensive. You get out of it what you put into it. Businesses that don’t allocate resources for public relations expertise won’t reap the significant benefits this management element can provide.

Effective PR requires a long-range view. You must consider it an investment for future business growth, not for immediate return.

There’s no magic in knowing what to do and when and how to do it, but a strong public relations program is an operation of finesse that calls for a strategic, carefully timed approach. Techniques vary, but a few underlying principles work for most.

Company Image
Image can determine whether you make a deal, get a client or sell a product. Often, image is the sole reason a company is hired or selected, even though the customer may never say so.

Some firms that do excellent work don’t gain the success that quality merits because they don’t communicate it well. Consistency is the key. Logos, graphics and every representation of the business must have the same look of high quality and success. That includes physical, visual and verbal properties of the business such as signage, lobby, staff, specialty items and even delivery trucks.

Media Relations
From radio, TV and newspapers to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, other social media sites and blogs, all these media demand strong ideas for stories and conversations. Good or bad, people are talking. So seek out your media exposure in a positive way. Develop contacts and strive to become known as the expert or influencer who can be called on for comments, ideas and analyses of issues and trends in your industry.

Employee Relations
Few companies pursue an aggressive campaign to communicate to employees the successes and failures of their operations. Some have considered this a luxury reserved for industry giants. No so.

The tools for an effective campaign on not complicated: Tweets on Twitter, intranet updates, regular meetings, up-to-date bulletin boards, clear and concise paycheck inserts, daily or weekly email notices.

Community Relations
Too many businesses don’t know their neighbors or interact with their community. That’s a big mistake.

A proactive community relations program can develop solid support, not just in businesses around you but in a broader area as well. Charitable work can be the centerpiece of the campaign, but many other activities also work well. Sponsor or host events that are important to the neighborhood, for example. That can strengthen good will and target the audiences you want to reach.

Be proactive on communication
If you have people in your company or on your business team who speak well, they should be out in the community speaking in the name of your company or team. They can talk about the company, its business, charity work, or anything of interest that is even marginally related to the business. You need ambassadors and your best speakers make excellent ones.

External newsletters that are well done are popular and valuable communication tools, promoting such things as company milestones and information about the products and services you offer.

Participation in an industry organization offers benefits, too. While some see peril in mixing with competitors, such participation can be good exposure for you and your company, and can provide valuable information for company operations. It can turn competitors into collaborators or partners for specific projects. Visibility also can make you known as an expert within the industry and a credible source for the traditional and Web 2.0 social media. Industry trade shows and conferences offer another opportunity to display products and skills if those attending include good target audiences for you.

These programs, strategies and tactics can become excellent support tools for your company’s long-term growth and profitability.

Need support to get started? Should your organization wish to obtain the support of the author for speaking or launching a public relations program, contact Felicia Griffin at  832-715-8021 , email Felicia.Griffin@yahoo.com or visit Felicia Griffin on www.LinkedIn.com/in/feliciaconnection.

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