Robert Beadle's Social Media Marketing Blog

It may seem like everyone is blogging these days.  No matter what industry you are in, there is someone blogging about it.  You may even have your own blog or read them on a regular basis.

However, blogging is NOT for everyone.  Today’s article is intended to help those people weighing the pros and cons of starting a blog themselves.

Reason #1 NOT to blog:
No Time

Even though blogging is basically “free” (no barrier to entry), it does have a significant time cost.  Depending on how often you intend to blog, be it every day, twice a week or once a month, you must account for the amount of time it will take.  In order for blogging to be worth the results, it is important to set a schedule and commit to it.

Reason #2 NOT to blog:
No Focus

One thing that nearly all respected bloggers have in common is that they have a focus or theme to their blog.  For example, my blog focuses on social media marketing and public relations.  Even bloggers who write about a seemingly wide range of topics (i.e. Tim Ferris) are still focused on a unifying theme such as lifestyle design.  Therefore, your blog should have a common thread which ties all your writing together, or you will find yourself without much of an audience.

Reason #3 NOT to blog:
No Distribution Plan

Most successful bloggers are plugged into several social media networks and are therefore able to spread the word of new blog posts easily.  So if you don’t have at least a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account, you will be missing out on substantial opportunities to spread word of your new blogs posts to others.

Reason #4 NOT to blog:
Expecting Instant Gratification

Blogging is something that requires time, effort, patience and lots of experimentation to get off the ground.  If you expect instant gratification and are not willing to put a year or more into it, blogging is not for you.

Blogging can be a very powerful public relations tool, but only for those who are committed and disciplined.  If you have questions about blogging and are wondering if it’s right for your company, please e-mail me at robert@northeastpr.com.

Let’s assume you’ve established an official Facebook page for your company.  You and your marketing interns have been working hard to grow its fan base and engage your customers.  Your team has posted news about your products, social responsibility events, seminars, as well as a homemade staff video recorded on someone’s new Flip video camera.

If you’re like many midsized companies who have jumped into social media, you’re eagerly experimenting with this budding technology.  But have you considered where social media fits into your larger business and public relations strategy?  Furthermore, how will you manage the inherent risks which come with this technology?

The month, the Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org) released official guidance for their members about how companies may create a “social media policy.”  A social media policy is a set of written guidelines that a company develops to provide the terms of correct usage of social media websites and tools.  These guidelines are intended for both employees and customers.  A company’s social media policy should be made public and easily accessible via its website.

Adopting a social media policy is important for several reasons:

• It outlines a company’s strategic goals and lays out a specific plan to tie social media activities directly to those goals.
• It helps prevent misuse of social media.
• It clarifies employee responsibilities with regard to social media use and provides the rules of conduct.
• It ensures a company adheres to a clearly defined code of ethics.
• It sets forth a plan for preventing and managing conflicts, should such instances arise.
• It provides other important protections for a company.

To create a social media policy, your company should consult with a trained public relations professional to guide the process.  An attorney experienced in Internet matters should be consulted before, during and after the process and also should conduct a legal review of the completed guidelines before the document is posted to the company website.

The guidelines should be designed to evolve and be amended over time as technology and social media usage changes.

Your company may also create branding identity guidelines at this time.  Brand consistency is the process of implementing a brand’s visual identity and tone of voice across all customer touch points.  A unique identity is important because it enables a company to be easily recognized, distinguished from other brands and trusted to deliver on its mission.  This is true whether delivering communications via traditional or new forms of media, which is why we strongly recommend establishing brand guidelines simultaneously with the social media policy.

To arrange a free consultation about how you can create a social media policy for your organization, contact me at Robert@NortheastPR.com.

Happy birthday to Northeast Public Relations, Inc., which is celebrating its fifth year in business!

I want to thank everyone who made this milestone possible: our current and past clients, the Public Relations Society of America, our presentation partners which include the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, the Small Business Administration and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, as well as our numerous readers, fans and followers who help us to spread our message every day.

We look forward to the next five years as we continue to branch out and help businesses succeed across the Northeast and beyond!

For many people, it can be a hassle to keep up with all the key blogs in their industry.  And with Twitter growing so quickly, it can seem like an impossible task to stay up-to-date with important discussions in one’s network.

If you are not currently monitoring Twitter for key terms, you may be missing important business opportunities or even customer complaints which you could easily rectify.

I have tried several tools, including TweetDeck, to help manage these Twitter conversations. But so far, my favorite program for monitoring both the blogosphere and Twitter is Google Reader.

Many people don’t realize that RSS readers, such as Google Reader, can be used to monitor Twitter as well as their favorite blogs and news sites.  And since Google Reader is a Web-based program, there is no desktop application to download and install.

Here are several simple steps to set up your monitoring system for blogs and Twitter.

1) Set up a Google account by visiting www.google.com/reader. (If you already have a Google account, you may skip this step.)

2) Once you have an account, bookmark the reader’s page on your browser’s “favorite” links.  You will want to check this site at least once every workday.

3) Search for the blogs you want to follow by looking up experts and authors who interest you.  Once you have found their blogs, click on the RSS icon and you will be taken to a page that asks if you wish to add the feed to your Google Reader.  Click “Add to Google Reader.”

4) Now that you have your blogs set up, it’s time to do the same for Twitter. Go to http://search.twitter.com/.

5) In the Twitter search box, enter your company’s name or the name of one of your brands.  Depending on how popular you are, this search may or may not come up with results, but that doesn’t matter right now.  Even if the search comes up with nothing, you will still want to save this term for monitoring.  At the top right of window, you will see the RSS icon and “Feed for this query.”  Click it and add it to your Reader.

6) Repeat the search in step 5 with your name, the names of your officers, brands and other key terms that people might be searching for in order to find you.

Congratulations!  You are now set up to monitor blogs and Twitter in one place.

Set aside at least 5 minutes a day to check your Google Reader for updates in your field and to monitor discussions people are having about you or your industry.  If something interests you, or you find a question you know how to answer, take some time to respond.  You never know if that person you help could become a customer one day!

For additional information about how set up a social media PR program for your business, contact me at Robert@northeastpr.com to reserve a free consultation.

If you’ve logged into your official business Facebook page lately (you have a business page, right?), you may have noticed a small, but useful real-time metric added below each of your Wall posts.

This new line reveals a post’s “impressions” and “feedback” percentage.

Facebook defines “impressions” as: “Raw number of times this story has been seen on your Wall and in the News Feed of your Fans.”

Facebook defines “feedback” as: “Number of Comments and Likes per impression.”

Why is this useful?  Now you can see, in real time, how well your posts are spreading and getting noticed.  If you take note of the type of posts which spread far and wide, you can place more of your time and energy into repeating these successes and stop spending resources on stories that your fans largely ignore.

To illustrate this point, let’s say a credit union has created a blog article about one of its new loan interest rates and it posts a link to the story on its Facebook page.  This post gets 90 impressions and zero percent feedback.  But a blog article on “10 Holiday Scams to Avoid” gets 300 impressions and 10 percent feedback.  This should tell the credit union to stop wasting its time on self-promotional blog posts and put more investment into educational articles.  Maybe a video on the same topic gets three times as many impressions as a blog article.  Now the credit union has a metric to help it decide where to spend its time and money!

Has this new feature helped you learn anything new about the type of Wall posts you are creating?  If so, let me know in the comments section.

Having trouble getting started with your business Facebook page or need some help coming up with a strategy for your existing page?  Write me at Robert@northeastpr.com to set up a free initial consultation.

When deciding who should be the social media “voice” for your organization, there are many choices.  These choices depend upon several factors, such as your company’s size, mission and resources.

For a very small business, the choice is usually simple and the responsibility for the social media “voice” falls upon the CEO.  But for bigger organizations, the CEO may not have the time to commit to one or more online communities and engage them with full attention.

While an intern might seem like a popular choice for many organizations, is it the correct one?

There are plenty of companies which use interns wisely and effectively in their social media programs.  And there are also some companies that regret putting an intern in charge of such an important responsibility.  To avoid problems, the junior associate must be properly trained and supervised.

Many interns today come with a certain amount of social media skill, particularly with Facebook and Twitter.  But be aware that while interns might know their way around these online communities, they may have little to no awareness of your company’s culture and brand.  Furthermore, they must be trained in the proper way to respond, contribute and interact with these communities so that your company is represented in a professional manner.  You must also determine if the intern will specialize in social media for customer service, marketing, public relations purposes, or all three.

From the first day on the job, junior staff may be well suited for a social media monitoring role.  Monitoring means searching for the company’s name, brands and the names of key personnel among a variety of platforms and then producing reports for the supervisor.  This requires minimal training since the intern will leave any public company responses up to the manager.

Junior staff may be a great help to your social media program, especially when it comes to monitoring online communities.  However, the social media strategy, training and procedures must come from a qualified professional.

I’m sitting here in Starbucks, enjoying a coffee as I write this article.  I’ve set up a Northeast Public Relations “satellite office” at one of the tables and come here several times a week to have some uninterrupted writing time.

I find that getting out of the office is often a good way to increase my productivity and find new inspiration (i.e. caffeine).  I also get the opportunity to network because I sometimes run into people I know while I’m here.

This is all possible because Starbucks recently lifted the restrictions on how long customers can use its Wi-Fi connection and access the Internet.

So if you’re still working in a stuffy office all day long, realize that there’s nothing stopping you from logging some work hours at the local Starbucks.

Here’s my system:

I use an Apple Macbook equipped with Airport (most current laptop computers are Wi-Fi ready).

I subscribe to Apple’s MobileMe software ($99 per year with 60 day free trial), which comes with “Back to My Mac,” among other benefits such as online storage via iDisk and Synch technology.  Back to My Mac allows me to connect securely to my Apple computer at the office and pull up a window from which I may control my office desktop remotely.  So if I want to check my e-mail, I don’t have to download it to my laptop.  I can simply retrieve it and read it via the screen-sharing window as if I were sitting directly in front of my office computer.

I can also share files with my office computer.  For example, if I’m working on a Word Doc, I download it directly to my laptop, make edits to it and then place it back on my office computer.

To enable MobileMe and set up an account, simply open the system preferences in your Mac OS and click on the MobileMe icon.

If you’re using a PC, you cannot use MobileMe, but there are many programs out there that allow one to access an office computer remotely. GoToMyPC.com is one (however, I have not used nor endorse this program.  Check the online reviews and technical specifications to determine if a software package is right for you).

Additionally, I forward my office phone to my cell phone so I do not miss any calls.

So if you’re in a profession where you don’t have to be physically present 100 percent of the time and own a current laptop computer with a remote access program, you’re ready to go. And thanks to a great new unlimited Wi-Fi policy from Starbucks, you have all you need to get your job done, while enjoying some sunshine and great coffee.

(I do not work for or receive any money from the Starbucks Coffee Company.  I just like working in their cafes..)

Let’s do a short public relations checkup on your business.  First, take a quick inventory of your current PR and marketing activities.  These activities may include news releases, your blog, e-books, white papers, research reports, newsletters, sales letters, Web videos, social media marketing, etc.

Of those activities:

1) What portion is dedicated to attracting new business?
2) What portion is dedicated to keeping your current customers happy?

If you answered 50-50, you’re golden!  But what if your answer was 75-25% or even 100-0%?

It is an understandable mistake to focus one’s PR efforts entirely upon the front end of the sales cycle.  After all, as a marketer, it is your job to bring in the business.  But if you are not cultivating your existing customer relationships through your PR program, you might as well be pouring water into a bucket with holes in the bottom.

A customer relations program is an essential element to your overall public relations and marketing plan.  Let’s take an example of a fictitious organization, Atlantis Credit Union, to explain this concept:

Atlantis Credit Union has invested a great deal of resources into its member leads program.  (Credit unions, in contrast to banks, have “members” not “customers.”)  But Atlantis also realizes that its members are its number one asset because if they are thrilled with its programs and services, they will refer the credit union to family and friends.  Therefore, in order to cultivate its member relationships, Atlantis has created a multi-stage “member relationship” program.

1) When members are new, they are given a personalized consultation with a financial management expert.  This expert gives them a package of resources including a short book that describes the various ways to take advantage of their services.  It is not the expert’s job to “up-sell” the member, but to listen and address her specific needs, while helping her make informed money management decisions.

2) Since this new member has a small business, she is invited to join an exclusive Facebook group made up of other Atlantis members who post questions about any topic related to managing a small business.  And since these members are local, they can assist each other with localized recommendations and referrals.  An Atlantis financial expert monitors the discussions and contributes input as needed.  Again, it is not the expert’s job to up-sell, as that would erode trust, not build it.

3) The member has been involved with Atlantis for three months.  She is invited to attend a special member-only seminar about preparing for tax season.

4) Six months later, the member receives a personal phone call from the expert she met upon first joining the credit union.  About a week ago she noticed that there was an error on her statement, but never got around to calling it in.  She brings up her concern with the expert and he fixes it immediately.  She knows Atlantis Credit Union cares about her experience and she is not just a number to them.

There are hundreds of ways you can add value to your customers’ experience.  By showing them not only do you care, but that you are also an advocate for their business, will earn you valuable trust and a potential lifetime of future business and referrals.

Please join me for my next seminar: “Public Relations: Useful Tips for Standing Out in a Tough Economy.”

REGISTER NOW

DATE:
Thursday, June 17, 2010

TIME:
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.

COST:
Free

DESCRIPTION:
When people think about the type of product or service you offer, do they think of you?

As executives, entrepreneurs and sales professionals, we all want be on the top of people’s minds when they need the type of business we offer.  But how do you get there?

It’s 2010.  Getting mentioned in the newspaper simply doesn’t cut it anymore.  But now there is a vast array of new public relations tools that can help put you on the minds of potential customers.  So the next time people need that product or service you offer, they will pick up the phone and call you.

Whether you’re new to public relations or have been doing it for years and would like to know about how new Web tools are changing the way businesses get noticed, then this seminar is for you.

By the end of this free 90 minute seminar you will know how to:

• find out where your buyers live online
• write a news release that’s search engine optimized
• drive traffic to your Web site
• use blogs, e-books and video to showcase your expertise
• develop a content strategy to keep your PR program on track throughout the year

LOCATION:
Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
315 Iron Horse Way, Suite 101,
Providence RI

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Robert Beadle is president of Northeast Public Relations, Inc. (http://www.northeastpr.com) and the 2009 recipient of the Small Business Administration Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for both Rhode Island and all of New England. Robert is also a past-president (2009) of the Southeastern New England chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. To read his blog on Social Media Marketing go to http://www.robertbeadle.com .

To register for this workshop, please complete the REGISTRATION FORM.

This workshop is being co-sponsored by Rhode Island Economic Development’s small business initiative Every Company Counts and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.

Do you have a specific public relations topic in mind about which you would like to learn more information? We will tailor a presentation to the needs and interests of your organization. To request a presentation, send your name, organization and topic request to seminars@northeastpr.com. We will contact you to schedule an appearance.

Please join me for my next workshop: “LinkedIn for Beginners.”

REGISTER NOW

DATE:
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

TIME:
9:00-10:30 a.m.

COST:
Free

DESCRIPTION:
In this free 90 minute workshop, attendees will learn how to use the world’s most popular business networking site, LinkedIn, to make connections and capture opportunities. This workshop is intended for people who are either new to LinkedIn or would like a refresher course on the site’s basic features. The workshop will be taught in a computer lab and attendees will have access to a PC with Internet.

This workshop will cover:

• An overview of the LinkedIn’s layout and features
• Building a 100% complete profile
• Adding and managing contacts
• Managing recommendations
• Finding jobs or recruiting
• How to use groups
• Searching for answers

LOCATION:
Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
315 Iron Horse Way, Suite 101, Providence RI

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Robert Beadle is president of Northeast Public Relations, Inc. (http://www.northeastpr.com) and the 2009 recipient of the Small Business Administration Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for both Rhode Island and all of New England. Robert is also a past-president (2009) of the Southeastern New England chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. To read his blog on Social Media Marketing go to http://www.robertbeadle.com

To register for this workshop, please complete the REGISTRATION FORM.  There are only 24 slots available and registration will close when they are filled.

This workshop is being co-sponsored by Rhode Island Economic Development’s small business initiative Every Company Counts and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you to New Horizons Computer Learning Centers for providing the facility for this workshop. They are located in the same building at RIEDC with the same address.

Do you have a specific public relations topic in mind about which you would like to learn more information? We will tailor a presentation to the needs and interests of your organization. To request a presentation, send your name, organization and topic request to seminars@northeastpr.com. We will contact you to schedule an appearance.