Posts tagged ‘Communications’
Six Steps to Social Media Greatness
It’s no secret that social media can help build your company’s brand – whether your business is consumer-driven or B2B – and building positive brand awareness helps drive revenue. But, social media isn’t like a machine that you can simply
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start and put on auto-pilot. It takes time, focus and dedication to smoothly and effectively run the engine of social media. So before you jump head first into creating a corporate Twitter feed, check out our Six Steps to Social Media Greatness:
- Be consistent. Update your Facebook page, blog and Twitter feeds often or you’ll lose followers. It’s not enough to simply create a page and then leave it dormant; doing so could actually harm your brand more than help it.
- Remember that social media is 24/7 – be prepared to tweet, respond to comments and post Facebook updates at night and on weekends.
- Always pay attention and always listen before engaging; social media is about interacting, not broadcasting.
- Be creative if you want to get noticed and keep people engaged. Add videos, contests, surveys or microsites. For example, Samsung’s Esteban Contreras and his team created a tab on their Facebook page to incorporate their mobile website, which helped engage customers.
- Remember the 4 E’s*
- Engage
- Educate
- Excite
- Evangelize
6. Respond to negative comments, don’t ignore them. To effectively engage people posting negative comments about your brand, create separate forums that will help to drive these people away from your fan pages.
Finally, keep in mind that mobile is the next big thing. Companies that aren’t already doing so should start thinking about a mobile strategy and how they can leverage mobile capabilities to engage with customers. More on that in an upcoming post…
*The “Four E’s” were developed by Jeff Hayzlett of The Hayzlett Group.
By Melissa Baratta, Managing Director
Google+ – Does it really matter?
This week I attended an IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) event on a topic that seems to have everyone buzzing…Google+. The panel was led by three social media gurus – Esteban Contreras from Samsung, David Stark from IBM and Jeff Hayzlett from The Hayzlett Group.
Google calls Google+ a social networking “project” that will rival Facebook. It’s still in beta and has about 25 million users so far. While everyone at the event agreed that Google+ has reach and importance and is influencing the other major social networks (case in point, Twitter and Facebook are both making significant changes to their platforms), the question remains whether Google+ will actually be a winner. Why? First, Twitter and Facebook had far more users after three months than Google+ currently does. Second, each social network has a particular purpose, and we still aren’t sure where Google+ fits or whether it will be relevant. There are a few reasons for this:
- Google+ is straddling everything from business to personal – what is the value add that doesn’t already exist on Twitter or Facebook?
- Users have a strong comfort level with established platforms, but not with Google+
- Three’s a crowd. How many platforms can you really put effort into? Look what happened at Netflix when many of their customers became annoyed by having to register for two services that were once combined. Similarly, when do social media users experience social overload?
That said, Google is a formidable player and some are projecting Google+ to be the second largest social network by next year. Thus, panelists said that companies do need to be ready to join as soon as Google launches company pages. How do you prepare for a new platform? The panelists had a few good tips, which can actually be applied to any social media platform:
- Remember that social networking is a means to an end; don’t participate just for the sake of participating.
- Think about your strategy – and simply deciding to participate is NOT a strategy.
- Determine your goals and rules for participation. What’s your governance structure?
- Base your strategy on what kind of value Google+ will drive for your brand.
- Be prepared to truly engage with people, far more than you do on Facebook and Twitter.
- Decide which platforms are most important to you. Not every company has the resources to dominate every platform.
- Decide whether Google+ is an offensive or defensive tool for your brand.
- Determine your metrics for ROI!
- Remember that simply counting fans, followers and circles isn’t effective.
- Yes, be aware of those “shallow” metrics, but also monitor what the platform is doing for your brand. Having tons of users in your circle doesn’t matter if you’re not really engaging and it’s not helping you meet your brand goals. There is currently no cut and dry way to measure this, but each company should regularly evaluate their social media practices in comparison with how quickly they are reaching their brand goals – as Esteban Contreras said, social media should help build your brand, and building your brand should help drive sales.
- Think about both short-term and long-term objectives.
One of the most interesting comments from the night was, “Be prepared to get it wrong.” You won’t always have a plan for everything that happens in social media, especially with a new platform, so plan for the unexpected and be prepared to think on your feet.
- Melissa Baratta, Managing Director
The Basics of Crisis Communications – Part Four, Top Ten List
Managing an issue or crisis effectively is key to managing your brand’s reputation. Many companies are ill-prepared for crises and manage them poorly when they arise, but by sticking to a few simple best practices, you can ensure you’re prepared to weather any storm and keep your brand’s reputation intact.
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Crisis Management Top 10 List
10. Have a crisis plan in place. The exercise of writing the plan is at least as important as the plan itself since it forces people to think about likely scenarios that could turn into crises.
9. Identify potential crisis scenarios and transform them into ‘issues’ that are managed over time.
8. Make long-term deposits into a “good will bank” so that, in the event of a crisis, you can make withdrawals and ideally never have a negative balance of good will.
7. During a bona fide crisis, stay in front of the story. Live by this mantra: “Tell it first and tell it fast.”
6. Remember that the Internet shortens timeframes and provides global reach. Use the Internet to your advantage to manage issues and crises.
5. Never forget that in a crisis, your employees are the most important audience.
- Establish excellent relations in advance of any crisis
- Inform them about the crisis—instill confidence in management
- Equip them with key messages to take to the community
- Ask for their support in a call to action
- Hold personal, regular, interactive meetings
4. Use third party experts to tell your story during a crisis.
3. Use the principles of Risk Communication.
2. Use media/presentation training during a crisis and rehearse before speaking with the media or any groups. Avoid hiding from the media.
And most importantly…
1. When communicating with your stakeholders:
- Show empathy (Be human)
- Tell the truth (Be factual – minimize speculation)
- Tell it fast (Be timely)
- David Kalson, CEO, specializes in energy, environment and crisis/issues management.
The Basics of Crisis Communications – Part Three, Social Media
Part Twoof this series outlined the steps for creating a standard crisis response plan, but what about handling social media? The internet is creating a whole new avenue for generating crises. Rumors spread faster online; like-minded opponents can be organized quickly by using social platforms; and reporters can base stories on any number of digital developments.
Source: IdaConcpts
You’ve likely heard of many internet-generated crises already:
- Domino’s Pizza employees posted a YouTube video of them ostensibly contaminating food.
- Whole Foods former CEO used a pseudonym to post on the Yahoo Finance message boards to decrease a competitor’s stock price.
- A CNN citizen reporter posted that Steve Jobs had a heart attack, causing Apple’s stock to dip.
- A blogger frustrated with trying to cancel his AOL service recorded his phone call with the rep, which spread like wildfire online.
But at what point do online discussions indicate an actual problem? Do a few negative tweets equal a crisis? To answer these questions, it’s important to consider developing “tipping points” for each social media platform. Each organization will have its own unique determination of what constitutes a tipping point. Examples include:
- Blogs: How much “authority” the blog has, rated by Technorati and others.
- Twitter: How many followers the user has or how many retweets a negative tweet receives.
- YouTube: How quickly a video is viewed, how many people have viewed the video, or how many comments a video has received.
- Facebook: How many comments a page or post receives, or how many members an opposition group recruits.
- Websites: How many unique visitors a website gets per month.
Once you’ve determined you have an issue on your hands, what next? Below are the six steps to consider:
1. Prepare beforehand
- Institute guidelines and a response team, and monitor social media diligently
- Establish a visible social media presence so you’re engaging regularly and are prepared to launch responses when necessary
2. Respond quickly and personally
- The sooner you respond, the sooner you can regain control of the conversation
- Respond with tailored, thoughtful replies as an individual, not a faceless corporation
3. Isolate comments
- Contain negative comments in one place, whether a separate tab or microsite, to maintain a positive image elsewhere
4. Provide facts in a calm manner and apologize as needed
- Offer detailed information and direct users to facts and resources
- Change the tone of conversation from responding to negative attacks to a two-way dialogue
5. Take advantage of multimedia
- Photos and videos allow you to enhance content and build engagement
6. Follow through with promises
- Continue addressing concerns and turning the negative attention into positive momentum
Internet discussions progress quickly and can be volatile, but following these guidelines will help you gain control of the situation and redirect it.
- David Kalson, CEO, specializes in energy, environment and crisis/issues management.
The Basics of Crisis Communications – Part Two
As noted in Part One of this series, developing a crisis response plan and testing it regularly is crucial for nearly all businesses and organizations. In fact, the process of developing the plan is as valuable as the plan itself. The reason is that the process forces managers to identify company vulnerabilities that could lead to crises, and very often these vulnerabilities can be mitigated or eliminated as the plan is being developed. There are a number of factors to consider when developing the plan, such as:
1. Including the proper steps:
- 1: Empower employees to detect crises and potential crises and notify their managers
- 2: Train managers to determine the nature of the incident with a process to report, if warranted, the incident to Crisis Team Liaison
- 3: Assemble Crisis Response and Communications Team
- 4: Crisis Response and Comms. Team categorizes the seriousness of the incident so response is commensurate the degree of seriousness
- 5: Crisis Response and Comms. Team takes appropriate operational and communications actions, tracks progress and makes continual adjustments
2. Identifying your audiences:
- Customers – existing and potential
- Partners
- Policy/Elected Officials/Regulators
- Affiliate Organizations
- Media – traditional and new
- Environmental Community
- Vendors/Suppliers
- Investors
- Employees
3. Understanding and using the principles of Risk Communication – identifying factors for each scenario that may increase outrage among your audiences, such as**:
- Perceived effects are not observable
- Extent of effects is unknown to victims
- Delayed effect
- New or less studied risk
- Risk controlled by others
- Risk unfairly distributed (not equitable)
- Risk impossible for an individual to mitigate
- Risk capable of creating multiple victims in single place
4. Incorporating tactics to reduce outrage:
- Listen – people are calmer when they’re listened to
- Cede some control, perhaps through community advisory panels or a hotline
- Use the right words and comparisons to communicate risk
- Find common ground and focus on the valid complaints
- Educate through trusted third parties
- Be human – empathize
Crisis preparedness also includes making regular deposits into the “good will bank.” If you regularly and visibly contribute to the communities where you operate and invest in your stakeholders – employees, customers, communities, media and government officials – they may be much more understanding if and when a crisis occurs.
Up next – how the Internet and social media are creating a whole new avenue for generating (and managing) crises.
** See Peter Sandman’s work on outrage factors: http://www.psandman.com/index-OM.htm
- David Kalson, CEO, specializes in energy, environment and crisis/issues management.
The Basics of Crisis Communications – A Four Part Series
Business crises are all over the news, and commentary is abundant on how they’re being handled – even years later. Take the coverage of the recent News Corp. crisis or the Air France crash in 2009, for example. Unfortunately m
any businesses are not adequately prepared when a crisis hits and are criticized for the way they manage it. By preparing for potential crises well in advance, however, you can ensure that your business stays on track if one occurs.
Implementing a crisis response plan – and testing it regularly through simulation exercises – is key to being prepared. Effective crisis plans:
- Are simple – a basic checklist is helpful.
- Include a crisis team and spokesperson(s) from both operational and communications sides with up-to-date contact info and backups for each.
- Identify plausible crisis scenarios and plan for them, with defined objectives, pre-written documents and messaging for each.
- Have pre-approved “boilerplate” documents.
- Have third-party supporters that can be relied on to help carry messages.
- Are tested often (once or twice a year).
Up next, all the components to consider when developing the crisis plan.
- David Kalson, CEO, specializes in energy, environment and crisis/issues management.
Generating U.S. Exposure for International Organizations
North America represents the largest market for revenue for many international companies. For some organizations, there comes a time when direct customer marketing may not be enough to maintain the growth they’ve seen. When an international organization reaches this phase, strategic PR efforts can help build brand awareness in the North American market.
But this isn’t an easy task. Given the recent recession and stagnant job growth, the public is wary of “foreign” companies capitalizing on the U.S. market. Additionally, the press is both hesitant and often unavailable to commit the time to learn about unfamiliar organizations.
However, there are several steps an organization can take to improve its chances for exposure in North America:
- Reference Customers with Brand Recognition
Leveraging your client’s customers or partners is an effective way to garner media attention, particularly if those brands have significant recognition in North America. If customers cannot be mentioned in the press, the client can reference them under embargo during interviews, thereby providing credibility and a better understanding of their services.
- Show Investment in the Region
Given the state of job growth in the U.S., the media is interested in international organizations investing money and creating jobs in the region. Positioning the company as a job maker rather than a taker will facilitate better traction in the press.
- Develop Unbiased Case Studies or Research Material
The media environment in North America is very different than that of Europe and Asia. Any materials contributed to U.S. press should be non-commercial and non-promotional. Materials should address timely industry trends or challenges relevant to the organization.
- Leverage International Press
With the proliferation of digital media, many international stories are picked up in North America. Organizations can leverage their international media contacts to drive press exposure, which, in turn, can be utilized by the North American PR team to drive media and brand recognition.
- Take Your Time
Gaining traction in the press can take time, particularly if the organization has little or no brand presence in North America. The key is to develop a reasonable timeframe to cultivate long-term relationships and opportunities with reporters. It’s not about short-term hits , but about leveraging the contacts you establish to paint a comprehensive picture of the organization and its progress in North America over time.
What other tips do you have for international organizations seeking to increase their media exposure in North America?
By Josh Waller, Ricochet Technology Team
Influencing the Influencers: The importance of third party advocacy
Strategic communications are most effective when the message is delivered by someone else. This system of causal influence is the driving force behind partnering with third party advocacy groups to build awareness around an important issue.
Developing messages and media training your spokespersons to deliver them is certainly effective, but when a third party advocacy group corroborates your company’s stance on an issue and disseminates your messages to target stakeholder groups, it lends invaluable credibility to your organization.
For example, one of our clients recently partnered with CancerCare, a nonprofit organization that provides support services for anyone affected by cancer, to raise awareness about advances in the treatment of rare cancers. By partnering with a respected third party advocacy group on this issue, the client was able to gain credibility among the physician and patient communities, provide educational materials without infringing on regulatory issues, and deliver information that may not otherwise have resonated. With this model, we were able to leverage CancerCare’s resources and reputation to build awareness about a disease that was of major significance to our client. In turn, CancerCare obtained valuable resources to provide educational sessions and materials to their members, in fulfillment of their mission.
There are several steps to consider when developing advocacy partnerships:
- Recognize the issue – Select one or more issues that are significant to your organization.
- Identify possible partners – Based on the scope of the issues you seek to address, identify a third party with relevant background and experience.
- Research! – Once you’ve developed a list of possible partners, conduct an extensive investigation to learn of any existing or past partnerships the organization may have which may be a conflict of interest or may overshadow a partnership with your company. Also consider any negative elements that may affect the organization’s media presence.
- Reach out – Contact the third parties to determine interest and feasibility of partnerships. Remember that building partnerships takes time, so develop them early. For example, third party relationships can be of critical importance during a crisis, but establishing them beforehand allows the third party expert to speak on your company’s behalf without the perceived biases associated with company-issued statements.
There are lots of examples of successful – and perhaps not so successful – third party partnerships out there. Can you think of any? What made them a success or failure?
By Mia Scott and Melissa Hurley, Ricochet Healthcare Team
Todd’s Media Relations Do’s and Don’ts – Part Three
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As Part Two of this series noted, building a targeted media list is arguably the most important step in launching a media relations campaign. That said, it’s great pitching that gets you over the finish line. The pitch can mean the difference between a quick success – and a happy client – or a week of frustrating outreach with little to show for your time and effort. Below are a few tried and true tips for reaching out to reporters.
Step Three: Pitching
- Write nuanced pitches based on the research you’ve conducted, and reference reporters’ recent stories. Writing a good pitch can be time consuming, but it makes all the difference.
- Know when to call vs. email. Generally a phone call works best, but if you’ve worked with a reporter before and know he doesn’t have time for a call, send an email instead.
- Be respectful of deadlines. If you know reporters are likely on deadline on a Friday afternoon, call on Monday instead. Always ask if they have time to speak before you launch into your pitch.
- Never spam reporters or BCC multiple reporters on the same email. Reporters recognize spam when they see it. As noted in #1, pitches should be customized to individual reporters based on their work.
- Do not pitch multiple reporters at the same outlet at the same time! If several reporters at an outlet are appropriate for a pitch, rank them in order of importance based on their articles; if the first reporter declines, move to the next person on the list.
- Keep meticulous notes on the reporters you speak with. As you study reporters, it’s important to track their work and their beats from quarter-to-quarter. This is crucial to maintaining relationships with reporters, particularly as the media landscape changes.
If you take the time to craft pitches tailored to individual reporters, it will be remembered. Even if a reporter isn’t interested, often he or she will at least respond. Either way, you’ve started building a relationship; although you never want to rely solely on reporter relationships, chances are when you put the time in to appeal directly to the reporter, he or she will remember and respond to your call or email the next time you reach out.
Todd’s Media Relations Do’s and Don’ts – Part Two
In Part One of this series, we shared some tips on how to lay a good framework for a campaign. The second and most important step is building a great media list. Armed with a good list and in-depth knowledge of the reporters, you can contact journalists who are most likely to be interested in the story and discuss the details that will be most attractive to him/her. This step will differentiate you from all the other publicists pitching the reporters, and will lead to much greater success.
Step Two: Building the List
- Don’t use reporter-targeting databases to build media lists! Many of today’s PR pros use these tools irresponsibly. While these databases are helpful for obtaining contact information, they are not effective in identifying reporters for media lists.
- Branch out. Google, Lexus, Factiva, Amazon, news aggregation sites and blogs are useful places to find publications or articles you might have missed or can only access through a subscription. This is the stage to get creative.
- Analyze your target publications; start reading articles and noting reporters who have written relevant stories. Never include an editor who doesn’t contribute articles.
- Don’t rely on relationships with reporters. Having a relationship with a journalist may get him to answer your call or read your email, but if the pitch has nothing to do with his beat, you’re wasting your time – and potentially damaging your relationship.
- Remember that reporters change beats. Never pull stories from a daily or weekly publication if they’re older than three months, or stories older than six months from a monthly publication. The one exception to this rule is when you can follow the evolution of a reporter’s interest over time; you can note this sustained interest in your pitch, which shows the reporter that you have studied his work and know what he’s interested in.
- Study the reporters you plan to pitch. If you study the reporters and their work, you can craft customized, targeted pitches. Make sure you understand their perspectives on the topic; you don’t want to pitch an investigative reporter!
Remember it’s okay to only pitch a handful of reporters – it’s better to pitch 10 targeted reporters than spam 100 irrelevant reporters.
Up next, how to pitch like a pro.
