Posts Tagged ‘Utilizing Social Media’

The Changing World (& Responsibilities) of PR

Ashley | Monday, January 18th, 2010 | No Comments »

The Changing World (& Responsibilities) of PRI’ve said it a few times before: the Internet has drastically changed the way professionals and companies alike are performing public relations. The Internet has made it easier to do PR, but it’s also increased the responsibilities that a company has. While it is easier to release information, get in touch with the public, and address crises, there is an increased responsibility because the public knows how easy it is; with that ease comes a sort of expected response. If a crisis is underway, I expect a company to be responsive, available, and accountable because it is so easy to be these things online.

Ways to take advantage of these changes and to be more responsive:
Monitor the web. With free tools like Google Analytics, Alerts, and keyword searches, it’s easier than ever to see what’s being said about you and your company. Know that it is vital to your company’s success that you monitor that talk and that you respond when necessary. As stated above, the ease of replying to someone’s blog or Tweet can work against you if you fail to respond.
Get involved. Things like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc., have greatly changed the vehicles through which a company can get in touch with their customers, bloggers, and the media. Companies are looking to expand their social media reach, and they can do so on their own using the above tools. Blogging, Tweeting, and using tools like Facebook can get you connected; it just takes time.
Keep up-to-date with changes. Smart companies are already using social media and are staying up-to-date with other new tools. Things like Foursquare can be the new frontier for companies to explore. PR and marketing are merging because of the Internet, but there is still so much that can be done through PR that marketing cannot do. For example, a Twitter update can reach thousands of users in an instant, and beyond that, those users can retweet that update to reach even more users. (Click here to learn more about Twitter and what a retweet is.) It is important to monitor the web for what’s being said about your company as well as changes in the online world, your industry, and Internet tools.
Use as many tools as you’re able. The more areas you are present and participating in, the better. Companies can create pages, accounts, and groups in almost all of the larger social networking sites: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. Moreover, you can update information about yourself to sites like Digg, Technorati, and StumbledUpon to increase your content’s reach.
Devote time and resources to social media. Companies that have been surveyed recently about their social media use and future goals have stated that they hope to devote more resources to social media and that they hope to use the tools more since they’ve only since dabbled in the tools’ features. (Click here to read more about their goals and social media use.) Though it may take time, social media is relatively cheap to use; it really depends on how you value you and your company’s time. The benefits of using social media can certainly help to outweigh the costs. (To read about some benefits of using social media, click here.)
Social media is not meant to be just an add-on to your company or a tool that you use sometimes; it is meant to be an extension of your company, helping to define your online identity and presence. Really utilize the opportunities available to you online, and know that the online environment will continue to change, so keep an eye on emerging technologies and trends so that you can stay ahead of the curve.
What are some other ways you utilize the changes online to be a more responsive company?

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Posted in Public Relations

Using Social Media to Position Yourself as a Leader

Ashley | Monday, December 28th, 2009 | No Comments »

Using Social Media to Position Yourself as a Leader Using Social Media to Position Yourself as a Leader

I recently read an article from Mashable on “social media experts”. (You can read it here.) It talked about the ~15,740 social media experts on Twitter. (Amazing!) With that many “experts”, it’s hard to decipher who the actual experts might be.
We can take tips and insights from the plethora of experts and try to implement them ourselves. In order to decide who’s tips to take, it can be wise to look at others advocating for them as well, and to look at the quality and value of the tips they offer.
While I agree that people can in fact be experts, gurus, and specialists, I think it is more credible to hear that from others. Just like with advertising, tooting your own horn doesn’t do much, but to hear about you and to see you advocated by others, you may get a better response from consumers and the media. While you can call yourself an expert and you may get some positive responses from a few customers who believe what you say to be true, most will think of you as another one of the ~16,000 “experts” online. You can help to change their minds by offering value and giving quality tips that they can see work for you and other companies.
Having the value and quality content to offer is only half the battle, though. The other half is getting people to recognize you and to share your content with others. As a company, brand, or individual, you can share you content with others to start the cycle. Try to avoid calling yourself an expert, guru, or even “ninja”, as it is really hard to tell who, in fact, is an expert in a field that is ever changing. Let someone else give you the title, as it is easier to convince others of the expertise given to you by someone other than yourself.
In social media, it is hard to call yourself an expert; the industry is changing every day! Though your tips may be relevant for years to come, the tools, methods, and tactics are ever evolving. So again, try to avoid using the guru or expert title, and let your audience decide that for you. You will need to advertise yourself, but to an extent. Let PR work for you in social media.

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Posted in Public Relations

PR Tips & Tactics | Using Social Media to Connect With Your Target Audience

admin | Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 | 2 Comments »
In order to be most effective and get the greatest reach, a target audience needs to be established. This sort of specification can be done through demographics, which is normally the case. Deciding on a target market/ audience can be tough, but through research (whether primary or secondary), you can usually figure out who is best to target. Some methods used in primary research can include surveys, focus groups, or product tests. Some secondary research can include using demographic research, surveys conducted by other companies, or product reviews online from consumer groups.
Once you have decided your target audience, it is important to learn how to speak to/with them. Are your target audience members on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace? Pay attention to studies and learn where they connect with other people. As a company, connecting with your consumers ought to be a top priority.
According to Pew, 19% of Internet users use Twitter or “another service”, which was vague, but Pew states they wanted it to be left open so that anyone who updates a status somewhere can say “Yes, I use Twitter or another service to update my status or see the updates of others”. Below are some results from a Pew Internet and American Life Project study that shows where people are spending time online:

PR Tips and Tactics Using Social Media+to Connect With Your Target Audience PR Tips & Tactics | Using Social Media to Connect With Your Target Audience

Furthermore, Pew indicates that “Young people flock to Twitter”. Below, see the users divided into age groups and the percentage that use Twitter:

PR Tips & Tactics | Using Social Media to Connect With Your Target Audience

(You can read the rest of the study here.) With that sort of information, you can know whether or not it would be beneficial to launch a PR campaign that utilizes Twitter, though I think in most cases, utilizing Twitter is beneficial. It shows a more personified image of your company, and can create a sense of belonging for consumers when they can connect and talk with you, a company they may have loyalty and love for.
If Twitter’s main users are your target market, do not abuse the potential there. Instead of barraging Twitter’s users with advertisements or product placements, use Twitter as a means of connecting with your consumers rather than a means of advertising. There is something to be said for companies that connect with people when they want to be connected with, instead of interrupting their daily lives with ads and product pushes. Be there as a way for consumers to ask questions. Bear in mind that when a consumer asks a question, they are often looking for an answer, so respond! Also, know that people may follow your twitter account to keep up with company news and updates.
You can also use Twitter or another social media tool as a means for holding a contest. (Just remember to keep your promises if you offer a prize.) You can also hold chats where you can have professionals from your team offer advice, hold a Q&A session, or answer product inquiries. Be there as a source of information, and try to make it valuable.

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Posted in Business

PR & Social Media Tips | Using Twitter’s New Tool

admin | Friday, October 30th, 2009 | No Comments »

PR and Social Media Tips Using Twitter%27s New Tool PR & Social Media Tips | Using Twitters New ToolTwitter has grown rather quickly over the past few years, which is often apparent through their frequent server overloads. However, it seems they’ve taken a progressive step forward and created a new tool for Twitter users: lists. While initially used/tested by a select few, they’ve expanded the testing groups to include more accounts. (I recently created another Twitter account for a different venture, and was automatically given the option to create lists.)

Essentially, lists are a way for you to organize the people you follow into groups (or lists) that will then only contain their tweets. Lists serve as a sort of filter. Say you’d like to only read some gossip and you follow a few celebrity gossip tweeters, you can add them to a list you created and titled “gossip” and read only their tweet timelines. For example, I tried out the feature and created two lists of my own.
twitter tools lists design changes PR & Social Media Tips | Using Twitters New Tool
The image to the left shows the small changes that have come about from the addition of lists. For example, there is a “listed” count next to your followers and following counts. This number indicates lists that you’ve been added to by other users.
Another feature of this tool: you can follow lists that other users have created. This allows you to not have to follow everyone in the list, but still read their tweets. You can add people from the lists to your own list of users that you follow, but you can also opt not to.
Under the search box, you can see the lists you created and lists that you are following. Clicking on these links opens the lists so that you can see the selective tweets from your own or other’s lists.
As Twitter states, lists are “[a] great way to organize the people you follow and discover new and interesting accounts.”
There are a few different options to creating a list. 1) You can create a list by clicking the drop-down menu next to the name of a user you are already following, and choosing “New list”.
creat new twitter lists PR & Social Media Tips | Using Twitters New Tool

2.) Or, create a new list from the homepage (after you sign in). At the top, there is an option to create a new list.
create new list twitter 2 PR & Social Media Tips | Using Twitters New Tool
Once you choose one of these two options, give the list a new name. (As a default, your lists are set to be public, but you can change that to private.) After doing so, go back to the list of people you follow, click the drop-down for managing lists, and your newly added list will appear there. Browse other users’ lists, keep building your own, and play around with the new tool.
While the functionality of lists is still a bit hazy to me, I can definitely see the value of reading tweets from a specific group of people, and see big potential in the ability to find new accounts that I may otherwise never be exposed to, unless I sift through the users others are following.
Sine there seems to be no moderation of the lists just yet, following another person’s list can be an “at-your-own-risk” sort of thing. Also, assuming that the user who grouped and created these lists is accurate in their description of the people within the lists can be a bit of a stretch. But, using your best judgement, you can stumble upon some worthwhile people (and lists) to follow. I find it pretty simple to sift through the not-so-useful (but still entertaining) tweets that I see as a result of following a few people, but still see the value in finding other lists. Being in the beta stages of testing, there are bound to be problems and changes made.

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Posted in Business

5 Ways to Maintain Positive Public Relations

admin | Monday, October 26th, 2009 | No Comments »

5 Tips to Maintain Positive Public Relations 5 Ways to Maintain Positive Public RelationsPublic Relations can help your company in many ways, including saving your company money. Public relations can drastically help a company; before a company needs to use advertising, it can try to generate publicity, use public relations, and getting involved online. Here are 5 tips for getting involved, saving money, and maintaining your company’s PR on your own.

  1. Get the word out yourself. There are a numerous ways to do this: press releases, news releases, Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, etc. Let people know when there is some news to share.
  2. Get involved. For example, get involved in forums (but not only when there is something said about you). Try getting involved when you have something of value that you can add/share with the community. This can help establish you as a real person who isn’t online to only promote a product or service, but also there to help others. Let the people who know about your products get involved too; they ought to be able to answer questions and give feedback. If you feel more comfortable having a OPR professional get involved instead, make sure they talk to the people who know most about the company or area of interest from an outside party. (In addition to getting the right answers to people, ensure that they are not releasing important information, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.)
  3. Stay involved. This simple (though time consuming) act can be the difference between lots sales, bad publicity, or lost customers. Once you’ve done the above and gotten involved, keep it up.
  4. Stay aware. Keep track of things that are said about you and your company online and respond. This can help avoid some crisis that may affect your company simply by responding to a rumor or customer problem. Doing the above can help in this area: when you find something said about you on a forum or a question that you should address, do so. With the credibility your involvement has created from the above steps, your answers or responses may be well accepted and much appreciated from your customers.
  5. Be available. When something like a crisis arises or media has some questions, be responsive and available. Again, this can be the difference between a sale, a lost customer, etc.
If you find that these are too time consuming and something you would rather not risk messing up, look into hiring a PR firm or PR team for your company. While these things are easy to do internally with the help of people from all of the company’s departments, it may be easier to have a core group who gets in touch with the right departments and organizes things for you.
Having a professional company (hiring an outside PR firm in contrast to doing the PR in-house) has it’s perks; they (ought to) know what they’re doing and should have contacts in the media that may help a story get published. Remember to measure and evaluate how they’re doing, and if you’re not happy, don’t be afraid to tell them.
Whichever route you go, it is always best to be genuinely involved as a company. Consumers appreciate a company that actually cares and takes some initiative to respond when consumers have an issue or problem with a product or policy. Be honest, reachable, and responsive.

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Posted in Business

PR & Social Media Tips | Using Twitter

admin | Friday, October 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »

PR and Social Media Tips %7C Using Twitter PR & Social Media Tips | Using TwitterIt may be a bit confusing, and you may be hesitant to use Twitter if you and your company have yet to embrace social media and social networking site, but as mentioned in past posts, there are many reasons why Twitter is a great tool to utilize in your PR and marketing mix.

Here are a few helpful and basic tips to help you make the most of Twitter, including some shortcuts and definitions:
1.) The #hashtag. This tag has a bit of functional use when Tweeting. When there is a topic you’d like to comment on (or an area you think your 140 character saying relates to) and you’d like others to be able to easily find your comment among the many other comments, try using the hashtag. It comes before the term or topic your Tweet comments on. For example, if you were to share this blog post, you might use hashtags like #twittertips, #pr, #marketing, etc. You can make up your own tags, or use others that you’ve seen around.
If you are ever curious as to what a tag means, simply click on the tag. This will open a new page that lists all of the tweets that have used the tag. This may give you an idea of what the tag means. You can also try searching in Google. Some tags that are simple abbreviations are hard to decipher if you don’t already know about the tag, but doing a little digging will usually tell you what it means. Others, like #ifihadamilliondollars, is pretty self-explanatory; these tags may not have much marketing or PR use, but they can be interesting to read and can serve as a break from your normal tweets.
Also, on the Twitter homepage on the right hand side column, there is a section titled “hot topics”. There, Twitter lists the hashtags that are currently being used by many people. These can be an interesting read as well, but the tags usually have to do with current events or topics like #ifihadamilliondollars. Another hashtag that is used a lot is #ff, or #followfriday. Every Friday, people share other people on Twitter that they enjoy following. It serves as a sort of suggestion to other people that follow you that these people are worth checking out. (Others include: #bookmarkmonday, #sharetuesday, #retweetnesday, & #thankyouthursday.)
The moral of the story: hashtags can help others find your tweet if they are looking for related tweets, and it can also help you stay involved in a Twitter chat or topic discussion.
2.) @mentions. To send a Tweet to someone or to talk about someone on Twitter, you use what is called a mention. If you have something you’d like to share with someone specific, but also with other people, put their Twitter user name before your message. Before their name, add the @ symbol. If you were to mention me, you would use: @ashleywirthlin. This allows you to mention me to other people on Twitter or to send me a direct tweet.
3.) RT = Retweet. To retweet something is like to forward an email. You are sharing a tweet that you found to be interesting (for whatever reason) with the people that follow you, as they might not be following the person who initially made the tweet. Retweeting is also a good way to reply to someone, if they ask a question. You can retweet their question and add your answer. This is especially useful when having a Twitter chat session. In order to retweet something, use the @ symbol before the Twitter user’s name. For example, @ashleywirthlin. If I said something along the lines of “Find Some Twitter Tips Here: http://publicrelationsblogger.com”, and you wanted to retweet/share it, you would simply type RT before my Twitter account name, and send the same tweet that I sent earlier. (It’s sort of like citing your source.) “RT @ashleywirthlin: Find Some Twitter Tips Here: http://publicrelationsblogger.com”. It’s pretty simple once you do it a few times. To make it a little more simple, try using an application like TweetDeck that puts a RT together for you.
Try using these tips to network, get in touch with other Twitter users, and share your content as well as other content you find useful.
Any other Twitter tips I missed?

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Posted in Business

Social Media & PR | Utilizing Web 2.0 Tools

admin | Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 | No Comments »

Social Media PR Utilizing Web 2.0 Tools Social Media & PR | Utilizing Web 2.0 ToolsSocial media has a lot to offer to companies and customers. According to Deloitte’s “Tribalization of Business 2009 Study“, however, “[s]urvey results indicate that while enterprises are effectively using online tools to engage with customers, partners, and employees for brand discussion and idea generation, organizations are continuing to struggle with harnessing social media’s full potential.”

While companies may have a hard time using the full potential that social media has to offer, it doesn’t mean that your efforts are not paying off or that using social media is not worth your time. As with many things in business, time is the biggest variable that we cannot control. Instead of dwelling on a lack of results, focus on the ones you’re currently seeing, and try to keep at things. Getting people involved in your social media efforts may take some time, but stick around and you may see some changes.
Some benefits of using social media include (among many others):
  • Increased reach to consumers and future customers
  • Increased word-of-mouth with ever increasing ease for customers to share ideas, reviews, and other comments
  • Less expenditures in contrast to traditional advertising tactics and strategies
  • An increased and more personified identity to your company
  • Easier access to your consumers, and vice versa
When used correctly, social media can drastically change the image of a company or person. It can show an increased interest in consumer well-being, as well as an increased responsiveness to inquires, concerns, and comments.
Lastly, here are a few “Strategic Conclusions” from Deloitte to consider when thinking about your use of social media:
  • To realize the full benefit of social media and online communities, it is imperative that business leaders move beyond viewing them as “bolt-on” to their companies
  • Companies should consider integrating the new information flows associated with communities with those information flows that already exist within their companies
  • To be able to extract true business value from communities, new management strategies and practices will be critical, including redefining the scope and role of alliances as well as the overall boundaries of corporations

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PR Tips | Tools for a Successful Blog

admin | Friday, October 9th, 2009 | No Comments »

PR Tips %7C Tools for a Successful Blog PR Tips | Tools for a Successful BlogThe Public Relations tool belt is ever expanding. PR is no longer just about newspaper ads, magazine articles, and press releases. While blogging has been around for a long time, there is still much to be gained from blogging and being a part of the online community your customers frequent. There are a few ways to get your blog noticed.

Here are a few things I do to help my blog:
1.) I try to post daily. Not only does Google reward sites (and blogs) that post regularly, but readers may be more prone to suggest your blog to others when the content is consistently fresh and mildly interesting. This can help your blog’s overall success. Building readership in the beginning is a step all blogs go through, and though it takes time, keep at it.
2.) Participate in other blogs. This could include commenting on posts (after you’ve actually read them, mind you). Rather than simply posting a two word sentence or congratulatory phrase, like “great post”, think about your comment and if it will add any value to the post. If it won’t, don’t worry about posting. Rather, comment about it on your blog if you found it to be interesting. This is a way to contribute to the blog in your own way, on your own blog. Another means of participating is posting guest articles on other blogs. Most bloggers welcome, or should welcome, guest articles, so long as they are relevant and in-line with the rest of the blog. You should also consider adding guest bloggers to your own. A guest article gives readers a new voice to read, and may also provide your blog with some information you may not have considered posting before. Most guest bloggers will also link to the article they wrote for your blogging, bringing more readers your way.
3.) Use Twitter, Facebook, BusinessExchange, etc., to announce your posts. Though it may seem a little “salesy”, it can bring some traffic to your blog. What’s even better is when someone uses the “TweetThis” feature and shares your blog post with the rest of the world. (With applications like TweetDeck, which can update your MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter accounts at the same time, a “TweetThis” option can really increase your reach.) BusinessExchange is brought to us by Business Week; it is a beta site, but it seems to be a great resource already. You can share your articles there with other members of the site.
4.) Optimize you posts. Though search engine optimization (SEO) can be a difficult thing to master, let alone grasp, it is easy to learn how to add more ‘search engine’ power to your posts. I was referred to a quick, concise overview of SEO. You can find it here.
5.) Offer something of value to your readers. I like to think that readers come here to learn something about public relations, and hopefully they (you) do. I write to be an educational source for people interested in learning more about PR and the PR industry. I also want to offer resources, such as the glossary and blogroll, to add more value to the blog.
6.) Make time and plan ahead. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, your blog will not magically appear overnight, nor will your readership jump to the thousands the first week you start posting; it takes work. Make yourself an action plan after you set yourself some goals. (It’s hard to work towards something if you don’t really know what it is.) Give it time and you should soon see your hard work paying off.
Note that these all require patience, perseverance, and consistency, but they can be done. There are a few more good things to consider when blogging at Robb Sutton’s blog. He lists some of the reasons why other blogs are doing well, and some things you can change to make your blogging career more lucrative, enjoyable, and worthwhile.

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Posted in Business

Public Relations & Twitter: Utilizing Social Media and Networking Sites

admin | Friday, September 18th, 2009 | No Comments »

Public Relations +Twitter Utilizing Social Media and Networking Sites Public Relations & Twitter: Utilizing Social Media and Networking SitesYou may be hesitant to use Twitter. You may not understand its value, or even its use. There was even a study indicating the large percentage (~40%) of useless content present in Twitter. Despite there being so much useless content, Twitter can be rather valuable for business professionals, companies, and individuals looking to network, share ideas, and promote their businesses.

For instance, Twitter is being used by many bloggers to share articles, topics, and other blogs they’ve learned to enjoy. I am able to follow other professionals, read useful articles, and pick up some tips and news from around the web. Twitter even endorses itself for the business industry with an article titled: “Twitter 101 for Business”. There are a few key points in that article that will help me to reiterate my thoughts on Twitter and it’s remaining useful 60%:
  • Twitter is a quick way to share content with others. Your ideas are instantly online for all to see!
  • Twitter writes, “[it] is a communication platform that helps business stay connected to their customers.”
  • In addition to staying in touch with customers, it is a great way to stay in touch with other professionals or businesses in your industry, and is an effective way to share ideas and brainstorm with the aforementioned individuals.
Twitter sums it up pretty well for businesses who use the site: “As a business, you an use it to quickly share information with people interested in your company, gather real-time market intelligence and feedback, and build relationships with customers, partners, and other people who care about your company.”
The most useful and base-line characteristic of Twitter is that it is a great social networking site. With short, 140 character sentences, you can immediately share content, redirect visitors to your site, and suggest other sources of information for those that follow your tweets. Public Relations Blogger has been picked up from time to time by other Tweeters, and has in turn generated some traffic. (Because of my blog being picked up, I am more inclined to link to their blogs or content as well, so networking in this industry (or any) is a crucial component of brand building if you’d like to make some connections.
It’s amazing to think that this website started in 2006 as an experiment. It sure has come a long way since then.

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Marketing for Small Business: Top 5 Social Media Strategies

admin | Saturday, October 6th, 2007 | No Comments »

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Posted in Business

Social Media Tips and Tactics From Jennings PR

admin | Saturday, October 6th, 2007 | No Comments »

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