It is summer and hopefully PR professionals are hitting up the beaches and enjoying some travel. I am sure that the cell phone is not far and the laptop is in tow but hey it’s an effort to relax and unplug.
Social media has changed the way that people are traveling and documenting their summer vacations. No longer are tourists spotted only by the cameras hanging around their necks and the maps in hand. They are now using their iPhone for a camera and documenting their entire trip through live tweeting or Facebook check-ins. Facebook recently released a list of the Most Social Landmarks based on this trend. Continue reading →
“Bring out your dead!” “I’m not dead.” “’Ere, he says he’s not dead.” “Yes he is.”
”I’m not.”
-Monty Python and the Holy Grail
How many times have we read about the end of times for Twitter and Facebook? Hundreds? Thousands? What ever the number has been, it’s getting a little exhausting.
The latest version of “social media Taps” was an analyst saying that Facebook would “disappear” in five to eight years. Eric Jackson, the founder of Ironfire Capital said, “…(t)hey are going to disappear in the way that Yahoo has disappeared. Yahoo is still making money. It’s still profitable, still has 13,000 employees working for it. But it’s 10% of the value that it was at the height of 2000. For all intents and purposes, it’s disappeared.” Continue reading →
There’s a large misconception that engagement is the most significant aspect of a Facebook business page. This common message is so far-reaching that most online sources claim that high page engagement will result in increased brand awareness, stronger customer relationships and hopefully, perked profits. While engagement is imperative, it’s not everything. Every marketer and page administrator knows the importance and value of engagement, but few recognize what other components take precedence.
Here are 5 things that are often overlooked, but vastly more important than any Like or comment a page or post could receive. Continue reading →
Over the last year, chatter between brands and agencies continues to circle around the top of the defining and understanding the value of a Facebook fan. There is no direct answer given the multiple of impacts that go into a Facebook brand strategy. Many fans are gained through a combination of organic growth and paid acquisition – in light of GM’s announcement that it will no longer use Facebook ads, will other brands follow suit and change the conversation again on the value of a Facebook fan? Continue reading →
For the most part, I find the PR industry’s trade publications — PRWeek, PRNewser, PRNews, etc. — to be good standard-bearers for effectively covering the ins-and-outs of this diverse and growing industry. Sure, they tend to focus too much on AOR announcements — the old-time stock ticker-tape reports of PR — but they do the job.
So I try to do my best not to critique. Look, reporters and editors have a tough job at those publications. They are reporting on the very people — PR pros — who know how to promote a cause or a person better than anyone. So I imagine there is quite a lot of pushback and calls for fluffier fluff pieces than at your standard trade reporter’s job. Continue reading →
All too often, we see CEOs put their foot in their mouths. Remember Netflix CEO Reed Hastings’ “apology” last year? Or how about former BP CEO Tony Hayward and his “relatively tiny” Gulf oil spill comment? These types of words cannot only stain a chief executive; it can also hurt a company. In the cases above, both Netflix and BP suffered mightily.
These types of instances are very preventable though. One of the things that are often forgotten about in our PR planning is media training. Continue reading →
I’m old enough to remember the days of bringing a Walkman into my bed at night to try and listen to baseball. On the clearest of nights, I could hear the radio home of the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals, and sometimes, the Boston Red Sox from my New Jersey bedroom. However, most times, I’d have to deal with plenty of static and interference.In our social media world today, we have the same issues. While we can “hear” some of the most influential PR/social media/marketing folks, we still need to get through the “static” to actually listen. Why? Our Facebook and Twitter streams are clouded with too much noise and clutter that affects what we take in.
So, how can we better listen and engage our followers? Here are five tips to fine tune your focus on social networks. Continue reading →
In my very first communications class, I was taught the first step of the writing process was to know your audience. Everyone knows that understanding your audience is important, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to revisit the communication basics by celebrating the success of our fellow PR professionals.
The success of a current campaign by the American Mustache Institute, H&R Block and Millions from One is rooted in their deep understanding of their audience. Inspired by a 2010 white paper by tax professor John Yeutter, AMI launched a humorous campaign called the “Million Mustache March.” The campaign revolves around mobilizing mustache aficionados to pressure Congress to pass the STACHE Act (Stimulus To Allow Critical Hair Expenses), a $250 tax deduction for Americans with mustaches, as they make America significantly more attractive. Continue reading →
Do you know the history of your company? Aside from the date it was founded, do you know when the important milestones occurred? If you don’t, use the new Facebook for Timeline feature to find out!
You company has a rich history and your clients (fans in Facebook lingo) most likely don’t know about all those great things you did in the past. This is an opportunity to politely brag about your past accomplishments and reiterate to your customers that you are around for the long haul. Continue reading →
I struggle with ROI in the social sphere,