Swiss Army Knives by Victorinox have a pretty loyal following (and if you’ve ever used a genuine one you know why).  Their primary Facebook page has some 30,000 Likers (and pretty good engagement as well I’d note).

What’s interesting given all of this is how they’ve fallen down re: their Twitter account. I won’t even address the number of followers (I’m not sure when they launched), but here’s what I’ve got a problem with – they’re trying to get to 3,000 followers with a contest rewarding the “first 3 to hit our goal” with prizes.  Prizes work – no doubt about it – but this type of contest – where you can see where you are in the reward process would actually slow down getting followers.  If you saw there were 2990 followers and wanted to win, you wouldn’t begin to follow – you’d sit and wait until people unaware of the contest started following the brand.

At present there’ve been fewer than 20 followers in the last 24 hours…during a contest…of a global, well established and loved brand.

On the other hand, had the contest be structured along the lines of “all of our followers will get a discount code for 10% off a purchase when we hit 3000 followers” not only would people begin to follow, they’d tell their friends to speed the process along. Further, in the long run it would be a bigger financial win for them as well – eventually those people will buy something and even if all 3000 use their 10% coupon it still means they’re buying directly from the company (and not a distributor/retailer who would take a cut).

Now the good.  This one is R-Rated, so fair warning.

The “Transparency of the Week” award goes to K-Y Intense Effect (special thanks to Isaac Pigott for picking up on this one).  Like any good site it features product details, information from doctors, etc.  But front and center – literally in this case (it’s the first thing you see) – are compiled reviews.  Not testimonials – reviews – both good and bad (and in this case there happens to be a lot of bad).

Why’s this a win?  Simple – while it may not create sales what it does do is ensure anyone who sees the site and buys the product is not underwhelmed.  It eliminates buyer’s remorse.  Assuming they know feedback on the product isn’t great and a majority of the folks won’t like it (but it’s still not worthwhile to pull from the shelves) which would you rather – a consumer who avoided a ‘bad’ product because of the company’s full disclosure or a consumer who felt tricked and would question trusting the brand again?  That it’s K-Y and are the de facto brand in this space certainly doesn’t hurt either – they can rest on their laurels and enjoy the satisfaction of creating a new product while keeping their core business and reputations intact, even if the product itself wasn’t a smash (or squishy) hit.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

One thing he said is that bloggers know other bloggers. I guess I never really thought about it but of course they do. The challenge is breaking into that group. There are many similarities between bloggers and the cool group in high school.

 • Bloggers hold the power to say what products are cool and not. Bloggers have the following and the network to start trends that could take your brand to the next level.

• Bloggers make you nervous to talk to them. You know you get butterflies in your stomach when you hit send on an email to a blogger. There is that fear of being publically ridiculed on social media that is just like in the cafeteria in high school.

• Bloggers are party animals. The cool group in high school was always at the party to see and be seen. Bloggers are influential because they put themselves out there. They participate in a variety of social networks to be seen. Be there too if you want to be included.

• Bloggers radiate cool. Try to be cool by association by engaging with them on their blog, twitter, and Facebook. Maybe if you are soaking up the coolness, they will be more interested in what your pitch is.

• Bloggers need to be different to be noticed. The cool group was not cool because they were like everyone else. In high school they were edgy and you could definitely pick them out hallway. PR pros need to have a different pitch and request to stand out in the oodles of email a blogger receives.

PR pros must learn how to not only coexist with the cool group, but work together. Although high school is only four years, bloggers are here to stay.

If you were cool in high school then dust off those skills, but if you were not here is your chance to re-write that chapter in your career.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

Here’s a (not so) little secret, though. When you log onto Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc., your information is out there. You signed up for a Gmail account or to have a Twitter profile, you understood there was a risk. So why so many complaints about your privacy being infringed upon? Because we all need something to take issue with nowadays.

Let’s be perfectly honest, if we were all so worried about our privacy, we wouldn’t be sharing photos of what shoes or suits we like on Pinterest, we wouldn’t let people know that we were “in a relationship with so and so” on Facebook, and we certainly wouldn’t let everyone know we just purchased a venti java chip at Starbucks via Foursquare.

Privacy is something we like to throw around like we still value it. Sure, I don’t want people to know my bank account statements or medical history. But, I’ve chosen to be on social networks and if you are reading this, so did you.

Remember the uproar over Facebook’s privacy changes? Yup, it didn’t last too long. Here’s what Google had to say in an email they sent to users over the weekend:

Dear Google user,

We’re getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that’s a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.

We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.

Pretty simple, right?

The bottom line here is that we have chosen to live our lives online now. If you don’t agree with the changes to Google, Facebook, or whatever social network adjusts their policies, shut down your profile. It’s that easy. However, I’m thinking you’ll continue to go on posting updates and photos just like everyone else.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

You’re doing Twitter wrong for clients if you:

• Suggest they can use any hashtag they want: It may be actively used by another group – this is particularly true if you’re intending to use an acronym.
• Hint that they should hijack a conversation: This is unfortunately very easy to do – find a regular conversation and provide comments parallel with the discussion at hand but not actually be engaged in the conversation.
• Use hashtags that are too long: All the participants will be limited to 140 characters, don’t eat up too many of those with the hashtag (submitted by Paige Holden, on twitter here, here, and here).
• Using a company name exclusively: Unless you’re a major brand that everyone will recognize.  And even then it becomes too easy for a simple mention or customer complaint to get inserted into the chat (also submitted by Paige).
• Using confusing or obtuse hashtags: Hashtags should give some indication of what the chat is about. It certainly helps with brand/ topic recognition (submitted by Mikinzie Stuart)
• Along the same lines – using an acronym that has multiple meaning: For example remember ‘PR’ isn’t just public relation, but also Puerto Rico. Guess how many things ADA, AMA, and APA stand for (also submitted by Mikinzie)?
• Tell them you’ll register the hashtag: There is no legitimate hashtag registration process.  There are a few ‘registries’ that sprung up for organizational purposes, but no one owns a tag and so are effectively completely meaningless.
• Suggest they use a hashtag to get an audience without researching it: For example, even if they’re a tech startup in NYC, the #NYC hashtag tends to be used by anyone referencing the city, not necessarily the completely appropriate audience, find something better.

So do tell loyal readers – what’s the worst of the worst you’ve seen when it comes to this?

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

Welcome back to PRBC.  We hope you had a fantastic holiday and are ready to hit the ground running.

The kind folks over at PRNewswire / ProfNet have asked me to participate in their regular #ConnectChat Twitter chat today (Jan. 3) at 3p-4:30p Eastern time.  Full details can be found here. 

Hope to see you there.

~N

At issue is the inability for Facebook users to have control over who sees their private information (name, picture, city, gender, friends, etc.) and who doesn’t. Twitter has also been a Target of the FTC, and settled a similar case back in June of 2010 for failing to safeguard user information.  

The FTC investigation centered on Facebook and Twitter’s inability to obtain user approval before changes in the way personal data is shared, which is why they put pressure on the social behemoths to tighten their data security belt with their investigations.

When was the last time that you typed in personal information to a Web site without either reading their policies (if one exists) or understanding their consequences if loosely defined? Do you know what your rights are when it comes to social portals sharing your personal information or making it public to advertisers, marketers, or sales departments? I’d venture to guess that most people don’t know what their rights are or understand the amount of money that these groups will offer to know more about you and your consumer habits.

The Information Age is big business for data miners and companies will stop at nothing to better customize ads that reach their target demographics. As society increasingly becomes more fragmented in our consumer tastes, beliefs and habits, (Seth Godin’s book “We Are All Weird should help explain that point better than I) the control of personal information in the social media digital age is sure to become a hot button issue, at least one that all of us as consumers should be concerned about. Privacy is a growing concern globally as more and more people share personal information without a clear understanding if it really is safe.

Ever since the beginning of the social media explosion there has been growing concern about how user data was stored and shared. Cases like these are stark reminders of just how much of an impact a single Facebook posting can have when information falls into the wrong hands. Facebook also saw a tremendous outcry from privacy advocates over their facial recognition photo tagging software upgrade this year which purportedly opens the door to identity theft by allowing tagging without a user’s consent if they haven’t upgraded their privacy settings.

The fact is that Twitter, Facebook and other large social media data repositories should be held accountable for their actions and assume a higher level of responsibility to protect our personal data. The FTC’s recent settlement is a reminder that the fight for access and protection to personal information will be staunchly fought by privacy advocates and social media titans for years to come. Don’t forget that a lion’s share of Facebook’s revenues comes from those with profiles, which includes me and probably you. Big money.

Will 2012 be the year that we see privacy legislation pass in large measures to appease consumers/ voters heading to the polls in November? What other social media sites are not protecting our personal information from companies seeking to obtain it? Just how bad is the problem anyway? How will biometric platforms like facial recognition be used to identify us even if we don’t wish to be found and what impact will this have on our privacy rights? Many more questions need to be answered so pay attention to the unfolding issue because its sure to get increased attention as more and more people use social media on a regular basis.

FYI – Click on this link from the FTC if you are interested in reviewing the proper steps to store and dispose of consumer personal information.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

It’s still out there.  The dreaded auto-dm.  As long as the scourge exists we shall continue to post our “best” finds in our five-year never-ending mission to explore strange new worlds make this a better SM world… (and in case you need ‘em – part I and part II).

• “Thanks for following me! I wish you a lot of pleasure when reading my tweets…” – This one was user submitted, with the comment, “I feel like I need to shower.”  I do believe that covers it.
• Thank you for following us. Please LIKE us on Facebook too. [link] – Sadly, this one was from a PR agency.  Do I really need to go into why this…sucks?
  
• Hi, nice to meet you. What’s your favourite book? – This one’s interesting in that it attempts to be personable…yet is obviously personable to everyone who gets it.  I do enjoy books, but never mention as much in my bio or elsewhere so basically this boils down to a socially awkward auto-dm.
• Hi,Thanks for following.LIKE our Facebook page,get insights about wisdom of crowds. [link] – LIKE I’ll totally rely on this data presented this way.  I got a bridge to sell, wanna buy?
• Thanks for following me. If you want to make money on Twitter check this out: [link] – And this was from someone trying to sell SEO services.  Ummm…
• [Username], Powered by @[CorpUsername] with tweets mostly written by @[RealPersonUsername] – I’m all for full disclosure of corporate accounts, but that kind of info should really be in a bio…not in an auto-dm.  Know what should be in an auto-dm?  (Psst, it’s a trick question).
• Hi there, thanks for the follow. You can find out more about me at [link] – Not horrible…but they hadn’t tweeted for over a month – if I wanted to know more about you, perhaps use this platform…
• Thank you for joining this conversation on business communications, careers, universities and aid to the world. [FirstName] – And here I thought I just followed a guy.  Who knew I was doing all that? Go me!

• Want a job when you graduate? Use your PR skills & put a plan together.

• Research and know the company you’re applying to. Go to their website and study the job requirements.

• PR and marketing professionals need to be open, transparent, and honest.

That last bullet was the one thing I wanted to make sure was driven home. The faster we all learn in PR, marketing, and social media that being honest and open in our communications is important, the easier it will be to do the job right.

Sound like a broken record? Well, unfortunately this is something that needs to be hammered home time and time again. Let’s take BlackBerry and Former NY Rep. Anthony Weiner for example. One is a huge smartphone company; the other was a respected elected official.

BlackBerry has been dealing with PR issues for the last year. The PlayBook was supposed to ship in early 2011. It didn’t. Research in Motion (makers of the BlackBerry) made excuses. What should they have done? Be honest. Tell your stakeholders, fans, and customers that you want to make a great product. They failed to do that. Now, the PlayBook is a joke.

In Weiner’s case, he created his own PR fail. He denied that he sent lewd photos to a follower over Twitter in late May. Then, he sat down during a TV interview and said he couldn’t say “with certitude” that he sent the pic. By mid-June, he finally admitted that he sent the pics and resigned. If he had just been truthful from the start, the end result may have been different.

The teachable moment for both new and experienced pros here is that we can never think for a moment that it is ok to hide the truth. If you are part of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), you adhere to the Code of Ethics. Once you are labeled as dishonest, it’s pretty hard for anyone – a fellow pro or the media – to trust you again.

Don’t let your career reach that point.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

When someone engages with your content, they assess the action in the context of the person’s own activity. Klout is using three metrics in its “PeopleRank” algorithm: how many people you influence, how much you influence them, and how influential those people are.I’m still not sold on the measuring of influence with an algorithm. But, there are folks out there that do use Klout to prove how influential a person is. In announcing the adjustments, Klout said:

A majority of users will see their Scores stay the same or go up but some users will see a drop. In fact, some of our Scores here at the Klout HQ will drop — our goal is accuracy above all else. We believe our users will be pleased with the improvements we’ve made.

Scores dropped as much as 20 points in some cases. And, no, users were not pleased. I did a scan of the Twittersphere and people were pretty ticked off. Need more proof? Over 1,000 comments in Klout’s blog announcement backed Twitter users complaints.

I’ve said this on occasion in Twitter chats and in speaking engagements: A Klout score does NOT accurately portray influence or who is influential.  In a guest post I did for Jeff Esposito’s blog in August on Klout (and the new Klout Perks), I said:

Klout has come under fire though as making influence a popularity contest. And with influencers now getting rewarded for their scores, it in many ways backs that angle up.

Imagine you’ve pitched a client on using Klout scores as a way to show who is influential. Now someone that seemed to have influence, has a score of 47 instead of 67. You’ll have some explaining to do in a client meeting for sure.

Gauging influence must come from listening and then engaging. I don’t believe for a second you can put a score on it.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

It’s just not happening much anymore. And, as we all know, if something is hot in marketing, we’ll talk it up endlessly, analyze its benefits and potential downfalls and examine every little nook and cranny of what makes something the current/next big thing.

And yet none of that is happening around Twitter. At least not on the scale it was six months ago, and certainly not on the scale of Facebook.

Ahh, Facebook. Maybe that is what it is. The 800-million-pound Gorilla has taken over our collective interests. After years of trying, Facebook finally seems to be getting its act together in terms of having a viable marketing and advertising platform for brands.

Meanwhile, according to an excellent New York magazine article, “Will Twitter Become Profitable?,” the collective wisdom and leadership of the Fail Whale are still trying to figure out whether it is wise to show new users a blank screen when they sign up or flood them with the fire hose that is a normal Twitter stream.

Decisions, decisions.

The problem, for Twitter, is two-fold:

• It is still relatively young. (Though, if we’re being honest, it’s now a 5-year-old company valued — perhaps optimistically — at $10 billion. That’s not exactly young in Silicon Valley terms.)
• It has been riddled with the great-problem-to-have syndrome that has afflicted so many fast-rising companies: its rapid growth has hampered progress in other key areas. Namely, making money and developing a viable advertising platform for businesses to make money based off its success.

The second problem is the more fundamental issue. If Twitter is to continue growing and capturing marketers’ attention, it must find a way to develop a feasible advertising platform that meets both consumers’ and marketers’ interests and needs. That’s not easy. It now seems as though Twitter will either figure this out for itself or the market will do so for it, through user attrition and continuing declines in brand and marketer interest.

Already, we are seeing a bit of the latter taking place. As Business Insider pointed out recently, Twitter’s active user base ranges between 50 million and 100 million worldwide, despite the company once claiming it was approaching 200 million active users.

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo summed up the company’s problems as it pertains to being a viable marketing platform for brands when he told New York magazine that “There’s this big gap, no doubt about it, between awareness of Twitter and engaged on Twitter.” While a huge number of people know of Twitter, the company struggles to maintain their interest after that initial “Hey, I’m trying out Twitter. What should I say” tweet from a new user. And that means the company struggles to demonstrate to marketers why they should pour their clients money further into its nascent ad platform.

No doubt, there are numerous case studies (Dell, JetBlue, etc.) that demonstrate sales and marketing success from Twitter. And, of course, Twitter remains one of the best real-time news dissemination and crisis-response platforms for brands.

But for every success, I get the sense more and more brands are becoming disillusioned by a platform that requires a significant chunk of time and resources to populate but has yet to return equitable marketing benefits to businesses.

For Twitter to meet brands’ and marketers’ ultimate dreams of being a viable marketing platform, the time is now for it to mature. Marketers have been patiently waiting, but how much longer can we hold out hope before Facebook truly dominates our digital marketing strategies?

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had