Explore, Evaluate and Engage

We’ve already talked about first making sure social media is an appropriate tactic to support your marketing, communications and branding strategies.  Creating a Twitter or Facebook page because it makes you look young and cool is hardly a strategic decision.  As Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0 notes, “the single biggest mistake people make is that they either brand themselves just for the sake of doing it or that they fail to invest time in learning about what’s in their best interests.”  First, you’ll want to explore what people are saying about your brand in the social space, evaluate how open your company is to criticism and whether you have the resources to manage the page, then engage with people in a way that’s transparent and adds value to others.

Consistent Communication

Consistency is king in social media.  Everything from your “About” or “Bio” section to what messages you post should be consistent with other communication, and you should engage on a regular basis (without posting too often).  Multiple personalities from one source don’t work well in social media.  Creating a “social media voice” that provides consistency in style and tone will allow your brand to communicate consistently across various platforms.  It’s important to consult multiple departments of your business (not just marketing) to help create it, too.  The voice should be consistent with your corporate culture, within the legal guidelines of your company and the social media space, and appropriate for the audience you’re trying to reach.

Give a Little, Get a Lot

Don’t just allow fans, friends and followers to talk to you online.  Engage with them in two-way dialogue and allow them to help shape your brand.  If you’re going to be on multiple social media platforms, give people unique content on each.  Once you have a presence, you’ll want to decide how you’ll measure success.  How do you do that?  That we’ll save for another post …

The first two substantial Twitter updates of the year – the Local Trends feature and updated Suggested Users List – may help make your experience on Twitter a little more personal.  Let’s take a look…

The new Local Trends feature allows you to see what conversational trends are popular near you.  As of last week, however, there are currently 15 cities available for users to select.  Dallas, Houston, San Antonio… Three cities from Texas, but no San Diego?  I’m sure America’s Finest City will be one of the next cities added – they can’t ignore our TwitPower for long – but in the meantime, let’s move on to Twitter’s other big change.

Two weeks ago, the Suggested Users List on Twitter was overhauled to recommend tweeters based on categories of interest, instead of just their perceived popularity.  This is a departure from just having a standard list of people users are encouraged to follow, most of whom are talkative celebrities.  Those lucky few celebrities and others on the list got to appear on every new users screen, and most saw astronomical jumps in the number of users subscribing to their tweets (The Guardian went from having 4,000 followers to 66,000 followers in the one month after being put on the list, according to Twitter Counter.)  Needless to say, folks like Scobleizer and myself were surprised we were not on the list, and began to have feelings of jealousy, anger and self-loathing.  After all, Twitter was giving those tweeters an unfair advantage – free advertising – while we were working hard to build a solid base of followers.

For the most part, that’s changed now, although the feature still has room for improvement.  When I looked through the music category, for instance, I still saw an assortment of artists whom I have no interest in following.  Perhaps my eclectic taste in music messed with Twitter’s complex algorithms.  Perhaps I don’t follow enough people.  Either way, the change does make things more organized, which is good news – especially for new users.  Maybe coupling the two new features together, once they’re launched to everyone, will give me local artists, politicians and sports stars I’ll be interested in following.

For marketers, knowing where people are and what they’re interested in can be very helpful, so do these changes signify Twitter getting more marketing-friendly?  I’d say it’s two small steps for the Twitterverse, not a giant leap.

A major fundraising milestone was set this past week, as the American Red Cross Mobile Giving Campaign for Haiti has raised more than $21 million in text-based donations in less than one week. A landmark campaign, not only because of its creative use of America’s growing obsession with text messaging, but also because the organization used its established presence on social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, to kick-off the fundraising effort, which quickly “went viral.”

To help the victims of Haiti's recent earthquake, you can make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross by texting the word “HAITI” to 90999.

As our hyper-connected society becomes more comfortable communicating through devices and social networks than via phone or face-to-face interactions, this social media/technology campaign makes it easy for consumers to become donors by breaking down common barriers to participation. It uses a format that Americans are closely familiar with, and requests a relatively reasonable donation (a comfortable $10 for those still feeling the effects of the recession) without having to pick-up the phone or find an Internet connection.

As NST’s Director of Social Media Teresa Siles mentioned in a News and Smart Talk blog post in July:

“Digital trends expert Steve Rubel has said, “An entire generation is growing up that will never dial a 1-800 number to reach customer care.”

And while Rubel’s comments focused on customer service, the same concept can be applied to picking up a phone, or logging on to a computer to make a donation.

Kudos to the American Red Cross, who despite being a nearly 130 year-old institution, has kept up with America’s changing habits to execute one of the most successful social media fundraising campaigns for a nonprofit organization in recent history. The Red Cross’ success has already spurred some imitators, and is sure to inspire nonprofit fundraisers throughout the country to start incorporating more technology and social media as fundraising tools.

Will it work for every nonprofit organization? No. But it’s a great testament to the power of blending social media and technology, and understanding the barriers to getting your key audiences to take action to help those in need.

The Global Language Monitor recently announced the most used word of 2009. Any guesses on the word? #hint — the word is “Twitter.”

So, what’s all the hoopla about? NST developed a white paper that examines the basics — what it means to “follow” someone, what the heck a retweet (RT) and hashtags are, and what this #followfriday is all about – as well as some more advanced topics, including reasons for your business to join Twitter and things to consider before entering the Twittersphere. Here are some tips for success taken from the paper, but we encourage you to read the full Twitter white paper.

1. Think about what you tweet – Choose your characters wisely (you only have 140), and make sure your tweets tie back to your goal.  Chris Brogan, co-author of “Trust Agents” suggests instead of answering the question, “What are you doing?” answer the question “What has your attention?” This will make sure your tweets entail more than what you are eating for lunch.
2. Listen regularly – Listening is critical. Don’t forget this important step. Listening should be done not only before a Twitter effort, but also on a regular basis.
3. Don’t ignore your bio – Filling out your short Twitter bio is free and easy, but it is also very important. Mat Leonard in the Search Engine Journal says your Twitter bio is actually your meta description, which shows up in search engines. Choose your bio words carefully, and use important key words and phrases in your bio. Also, upload a photo of yourself – people like to know who they are tweeting with online.
4. Have fun, and show it in your Tweets – Speak casually and candidly. No one wants to hear a boring talking head. Leave behind the marketing speak, and show your Twitter personality.
5. Don’t be afraid to retweet – If someone you follow tweets something of interest to you, then retweet it. Twitter is all about sharing. By retweeting someone, you are building a relationship with that person and helping define what your brand on Twitter is all about.
6. Tweet often … but not too often – Managing a Twitter account is a commitment. If you can’t commit, then don’t do it. Most of NST-managed Twitter accounts tweet at least three times a day, and we are constantly monitoring for brand mentions or opportunities for engagement. Remember, no Twitter account is worse than an inactive Twitter account. Conversely, be careful not to over tweet, especially with self-serving messages and links. The last thing you want is to look like a spammer.
7. Get linky – Sharing links is a key part of making yourself valuable on Twitter – and this means linking to content other than you own, when appropriate and when you think it provides value to your followers.
8. Promote your Twitter presence ¬– Put your Twitter handle on your e-mail signature, on your business cards and in other places where you promote your business.
9. Chose your followers – You don’t need to follow everyone who follows you. You should only follow people who are interesting and provide value. If they don’t meet this criteria, unfollow them and remember they will do the same to you, if you don’t remain relevant. Use Twitter search engines like Tweepz.com or Tweepsearch.com, or directories like Twello.com or WeFollow.com to find followers that interest you.
10. Do more than just talk; take action – If fielding customer service issues via Twitter (you may be doing this even if it isn’t your main goal), it is important that the person managing the account has the ability to actually solve customer service issues. Replacing defective products, sending out coupons when appropriate or issuing refunds are a few examples of “taking action” on Twitter.

If you are considering a Twitter account for your business, this paper should help get you thinking, and – of course – we’re here to help. Happy Tweeting!

How you approach journalists and bloggers affects your ability to reach key influencers and achieve a positive, measurable outcome.

This was the focus of the webinar held a couple of weeks ago, How to Pitch Journalists in a New Media World, headed by Brian Solis, (@briansolis) principal of the new media and public relations agency FutureWorks, and David Pogue (@Pogue), tech columnist for the New York Times.  NST recently sat down to discuss the information presented in the webinar and our own pitching tactics.

In the world of new media, Solis and Pogue urged that if PR professionals want to reach consumers through journalists, bloggers and other social media platforms, they need to change the way outreach is done.  Connections and relationships with the media cannot be made unless people in PR understand the needs and interests of the people who they are pitching.

Injecting the mentality of “what’s in it for the reader” into the process of writing releases and pitches is more important than ever.  In order to craft a quality news release, it is important to know what information is newsworthy and why it would be newsworthy to a media outlet’s readers or viewers.  Our staff has long adhered to a writing model developed by our founder, Kerry Tucker, that is used in everything created at NST from news releases, to pitch letters, to press kits. The format is all about presenting information in a compelling way to elicit behavioral change. Through this model, we’re able to meet the needs of readers, and relationships with media can be formed while increasing the likelihood of coverage.

It is important to not only reach out to the traditional media sources in broadcast and print but also to search out the trust agents in new media because many of them reside outside of traditional media outlets.  People now look to bloggers and to Twitter to find their news and get real opinions about products, companies and trends.  Reaching out to the right trust agents means that the right consumers are getting the information.  At NST we have discussed the importance of finding these reporters in the new media world and understanding not just the beat of each reporter or blogger, but what topics interest them.  It is important for PR professionals to do their research and to look at some of the most recent articles or blog posts written by a reporter to truly understand if they would cover their client’s news or what about the news would be of interest to the reporter.  Even if your pitch is newsworthy, it won’t get coverage if it lands in the hands of the wrong reporter or blogger.

Outreach to the new media must not only be targeted, but PR professionals need to use new avenues available in social media, such as Twitter, to pitch the message. By researching the current social media trends, NST can confidently pursue alternative forms of media outreach as well as stay on top of who is the current influential in a given market.  The difficulty, of course, is finding these influentials in the new media world of Twitter, blogs and Facebook.  At NST, we find the trust agents listening to conversations on social media platforms and we often share tips for finding groups and for creating meaningful interactions on these outlets.

Crafting targeted releases, reaching out to appropriate media contacts, and using social media to find trust agents is ultimately how PR professionals can spark interest, join the conversation, create meaningful and long-term relationships with the media, and, most importantly, it’s how PR remains relevant.

The social media fervor is pushing people, brands, government and hosts of others on a frenetic pace to build cult-like followings.  The risk here is witnessing the failure of these purported stakeholder relationships when these followers look behind the curtain and find Oz is a crusty old man spewing nothing but false promises.

History is littered with companies failing to adapt quick enough as consumers and markets change, and not engaging with stakeholders in social media is the next black hole.  Social media, however, is but one means – albeit increasingly powerful and important – of building relationships with your audiences.  It’s another tool in your communication arsenal, and long before you even think of dipping your toe into the pool, re-examining your brand and how it plays out both offline and online is the second most crucial step.

The first is accepting that consumers are in charge and they’re expectations are on the rise.  They demand more choices – in products and services, where they shop and eat, and where they get their information. They engage in conversations about products and issues – hardly paying any attention to the old school, one-way message marketing tactics – and more often than not, those discussions don’t directly include you, me or any other brand.

Couple the power of consumer control with the realization of the dynamics of a changing marketplace with intense global competition, and brand strategies should become a more frequent priority for any company.  But, please, for the love of whomever you pray to, a brand is so much more than a logo or tagline.  A brand is your competitive advantage that differentiates you from your competition.  News flash: It’s how others perceive you, and you can leave it to them to shape your brand or proactively do it yourself.

Think of this about your brand well in advance of spending 30 seconds to create your Twitter account (what’s more, long before executing any marketing tactic, including the news release):

•    A brand must consistently deliver on expectations
•    At the core of a meaningful brand relationship is a compelling story and a memorable product experience that is attractive enough to repeat
•    A brand is more about what people say after you’ve left the room than what you say about yourself

Successful brands reflect character – who you are and what you stand for, and clarifying that character is paramount.  It’s the centerpiece of an authentic and transparent brand proposition.  Following that, look at your vision for success, scrutinize your markets and competitors; then identify your points of differentiation and build your brand proposition that is strategic and salient, authentic, transparent, and credible.

Ready?  Not quite.  Have you taken the time to listen to how your stakeholders perceive your brand now and how, or if, they’ll engage with you in the future?  When you’re ready to get this far, listen to them and, here’s the catch, fix your vulnerabilities – from operations to marketing – dip your toe into the pool and deliver value.

Related posts:

San Diego Social Media Symposium: It’s About Genuine Consumer Experiences

Social Media is About Staying Relevant

Message to Brands: Be Quiet and Listen

Jumping Into Social Media Without Strategy is Preparing for Doom

Social Media 101: Customer Satisfaction is Key

Take Action: 5 Reasons to Provide Customer Service Via Social Media

Considering a Blog? Some Favorite Quotes and an NST White Paper

Why Public Relations Should Drive Social Media

Approximately 25 million Tweets are posted every day and more than 5 billion have been created since Twitter’s launch.  That’s a lot of 140-character sound bytes! And, if you’re following everyone from Justin Timberlake to the local news networks and NBA athletes, how do you dig through the clutter? Twitter founder, Biz Stone, says that the best way to get real value out of Twitter is to follow a small number of people; it was never his intention for people to follow more than 150 to 200 people.

Twitter recently launched a new feature to organize the people you’re following on Twitter by subject or to declare your favorite tweeps. Twitter Lists offer a way for you to bunch together Twitter users into “groups” so that you can follow their latest Tweet streams – from personal groupings of co-workers or family members to industries or interests, like San Diego restaurants or PR specialists.  It’s a great way to find the subject-specific information you’re looking for quickly, without having to weed through pages of irrelevant tweets.

By creating a public list of Twitter users, you’ll enable everyone to visit that list and follow the people on it.  It’s a great outlet to find groups of users who all tweet on the same topic.  This can also cause users to develop a case of “Twitter envy” of users who are more “popular” on Twitter, hence listed more often.  If you don’t want someone to know that you’re following them or simply want to keep the list to yourself, you can create a private list, which only you can view (sneaky!).

News organizations have already jumped on the Twitter Lists bandwagon, realizing it’s a great resource for gathering the news. They are creating staff directories of journalists and listing particular users by subject, such as politics and entertainment.

So, what does this mean for brands and businesses? Many brands have multiple accounts for various divisions, regional locations or products. Twitter Lists allow brands to create one master list, such as @brand/salesstaff and @brand/ourproducts.  Brands can also more closely monitor their competitors through the private list function.  On the reverse, they can create a public list of customers or critics who mention their brand or company often, or a list of industry news resources.  Companies can also promote their branded lists elsewhere, such as on their Web site, blog, marketing materials and e-mail signature. The most useful and followed lists are the ones that are the most specific, so brands should keep this in mind.

Each list is currently limited to 500 people, users may create a maximum of 20 lists and list names can be up to 25 characters.  Social media is always evolving, so these restrictions probably won’t stay in play too long.

For more information on creating Twitter Lists, public vs. private lists and ideas on naming your lists, refer to Mashable’s How-To Guide.