Whoooosh!

That's the noise of me blowing the dust off this blog!! Hello there! It's been a while, huh? Well, thanks to Dr. Burns' Social Media class I'm taking for grad school, this blog will see some real action! And now, for the action ....

What's the worst punishment you can think of for a human being? According to Shirky in his book, "Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations,"it's solitary confinement. I know, you might have been thinking death by monkeys or some sort of water torture but it's really quite simple. Humans are social creatures. A lot of tasks we take on might seem like individual tasks but we work with one another to get things done. We actively seek out others who think, act and believe like we do. Since the dawn of time, this has been true.

So it's really no surprise that we've come to embrace social media the way we have. What easier way to connect with one another than using technology? There are no meetings to attend or RSVPs to make, just log on and communicate, 24/7/365/from anywhere on the globe (with Internet access, of course!)

A good definition of social media comes from Boyd and Ellison's 2007 article, Social Network Sites: Definition, History and Scholarship:

"We define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site."

You might think that social network sites came into existence very recently, but that's not the case. Thirteen years ago, in 1997, SixDegrees.com emerged as the first. Although profiles (such as on dating sites), friend lists and instant messaging already existed, this site was the first to put them all in one place (Boyd and Ellison). What happened to SixDegrees? Well, according to Boyd and Ellison, it "failed to become a sustainable business" and closed in 2000. Some said that it was just before its time.

I think back to that time and we still had telephone cords running up and down our hallways and everyone used AOL. It's no wonder it didn't catch on. We were all "newbies" to the internet and really didn't know where to look for such a thing!

And now that we've figured it out and have spawned such giants as Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and other social network sites, the next logical step comes from the advertising world -- how can we use these groups to sell more products! According to Pete Cashmore of Mashable.com in the Social Marketing Playbook, Brands are becoming our "friends" and therefore, they need to become good at storytelling. This is what gives the Brand a voice very much like any other person you might talk to, and is necessary for success.

You might notice a lot of ads on tv now integrating their facebook page or even directing viewers to the page. Just when you thought social media would replace traditional media, this is not the case. Just like when TV came out and radio shivered in its boots, there's plenty of room for social media. As Jeff Pulver of Pulver.com points out in the Social Marketing Playbook, "Old Media and New Media need each other, and have for a long time...When Old Media and New Media become catalysts for each other, amazing things can and will happen."

Shirky says in his book, "When we change the way we communicate, we change society." Nothing could be closer to the truth. We are living it right now. Email, cell phones, smart phones, Internet tv, social networking sites, instant messaging, text messaging ... they are definitely changing the way we communicate. Society, look out!

I love Facebook Fan Pages ... And here's Why:

As a PR Consultant, I "sell" social media management and SEO Content packages to companies. In most cases, they look at me like I have two heads and proclaim, "Why would I want a Facebook fan page?" Seriously, imagine this same conversation about 10 years ago but replace Facebook fan page with website. Same people.

But here's why I encourage Facebook Fan Pages and why I push companies to get on board:

1 - Ego. Gosh darn, it feels good to see people hit the "like" button and become a fan of your page! It's like running for class president and getting all the votes! It feels good! If not for any other reason, have a fan page just to walk around saying, "They like me! They really like me!"

2 - Customer Feedback. Want to ask your customers/prospects what they think of something? Don't have time/money/staff to do a statistical survey or focus group? Oh, I'd say you could have a pretty good indicator in about 2 hours on Facebook. Yesterday, the TV show Glee asked its fans what they thought of the previous night's episode. In about 2 hours, there were over 1000 responses. Some loved it, some hated it. Some thought it was just ok. Some thought it was the best episode ever. But here's the key, they all said WHY. You can't beat that for instant feedback.

3 - Awareness. I have a client that holds regular electronics recycling collection events. I know this. Yet, it wasn't until I saw their post about their collection the coming weekend that I went around collecting my electronics and made a plan to attend the event. Yeah, I could have thought about it and checked their website but I didn't. People are lazy. If you put it out there to remind them and it's less work for them, they're happy (note: I'm not saying I'm lazy, right?)

4 - It's FREE! Hello, I said FREE! If I told you I had this great publication that literally hundreds of thousands of people read EVERY DAY, several times a day and you could find people directly interested in your product or service -- no matter what that is -- you'd beg me to let you PAY to be in it. But no, this is a freebie, friends. Take advantage of 400% growth every 6 months. GET ON BOARD! It's FREE!

5 - Foward-thinking. Maybe you say that your audience isn't social media saavy. Maybe you think they'll never join a fan page. Think about this. The FASTEST growing segment on Facebook is the 35+ market. The younger generation is already online. They expect to find everyone and everything on social media. And if they don't, they forget about you pretty darn quick. Prep for the future generation. You gotta be in it to win it.

And that's just my top 5. There's no reason WHY you shouldn't be online. If you say "Oh, I'll do it as soon as I have someone to manage it." Then you need to hire me. I'll write your social media plan and execute it, building your fan base and interacting with your audience. But if you don't, that's ok. Your competition will.

The Importance of Customer Relations

Slick ads and fancy press kits mean NOTHING if the person you're dealing with doesn't have a clue. Sadly, I'm about to break up with PetSmart today over that very problem. Here's what happened:

Me: Hi, I'm calling to confirm my dog's hair cut today. I can't remember what time. I think it's 2:30, 3 or 3:30 pm today.

PetSmart: OK, what's your last name?

Me: Luongo - L-U-O-N-G-O.

PetSmart: L-O-N, what?

Me: No, L- U - O - N - G - O

PetSmart: What's the dog's name?

Me: Trooper.

PetSmart: Pinker?

Me: No, Trooper. I think the appointment is sometime around 2:30 or 3 pm today.

PetSmart: Hold on.

<10 minutes of hold music>

PetSmart: Ms. Luongo? Has your dog been here before?

Me: Yes, many times. I think I called on Thursday to set up this appointment. I'm sure it's in the afternoon.

PetSmart: What kind of dog is he?

Me: Havanese.

PetSmart: I'm looking at the entire week and I can't find him. I see a Tanner but that's a collie.

Me: Can you look in his records to see if they noted the appointment time there?

PetSmart: That's just it, I can't find a record for him ever being here. How do you spell your last name again?

Me: L-U-O ... N-G-O.

PetSmart: I'm just not finding anything that even looks Chinese here.

Me: WHAT? CHINESE?

PetSmart: Or Japanese, whatever.

Me: Um, my dog is a HAVANESE. It's a breed of dog. My name is Italian, if that's what you're guessing.

PetSmart: Oh, here it is. 3:30pm today.

Me: Really? REALLY? Thanks so much.

Friends, it doesn't end there. I get a voice mail a few minutes later.

PetSmart: Ms. Luongo, I show that Trooper's rabies expired last year. Please call me back. The phone number is ... (voice in background telling the number)...

Now, I know his shots are up to date so I call the vet and confirm. Yep, sure enough, he's all up to date. So, I call back.

Me: Yes, I'm returning your call about Trooper's shots. He's all up to date. Doesn't expire until May 22nd.

PetSmart: Oh, really? OK. Just bring the paperwork with you.

Me: Well, PetSmart always just calls the vet and confirms and they said that if you wanted to confirm you could call.

PetSmart: Ok, what's the phone number?

Me: Really? Is this your first day or something?

PetSmart: (pause) um, no.

Me: Wow, ok here's the number.

IN the 3 years I've had this bundle of fur, I've never once had to bring in anything from my vet. They have ALWAYS called and confirmed any questions directly with the vet. Also, his records ARE up to date because I just had him in there not too long ago for boarding. I'm sure of it. I'm not sure what this rocket scientist of a clerk thought she was reading but it wasn't anything about my dog. The Chinese, Japanese Whatever dog breed.

So, here's the point. Make your fancy ads and hire your big gun PR and Ad agencies. Make your stores pretty and have some fun with social media but please, don't hire idiots. Spend some time getting everyone -- even the brand new person in the dog grooming salon -- on board with corporate policies, philosophies and messaging. This experience today couldn't have been more of a trainwreck and in the hour that it has happened, I've put it on Facebook, Twitter and now this blog. You can bet, I'll tell at least 5 friends today at some point too.

Poor PetSmart. One person, one clueless person who was allowed to answer the phone, is giving them all the negative publicity they just don't want. Sad part is, when I tell my friends, they'll inevitably share a story of their own. To think, all of this could have been avoided simply by TRAINING this person. Take a lesson from PetSmart's mistake. Make sure everyone in your company lives and breathes your mission, goals and messaging. If not, they're not worth having on your team.

Are Blogs a PR Tool?

I got a new computer last week and transferred all of my files to the new computer. I was a bit surprised to see that I had 14 GIGS of email. What?? Who the heck saves that much email? I'm afraid I do. I'm an admitted Email Pack Rat.

So I started cleaning it out by going into those vague folders that you put stuff you want to read "later." Guess what? If 5 years pass by and you still haven't read it, it's not only old, it's OBSOLETE! Yes, friends, I have email going back to 2004 in my email archives. Surely, it'll come in handy someday, right?

So what caught my eye was an email titled, "Could Blogs Be a PR Tool?" I had to laugh out loud! What the heck year was this written? Turns out, 2005. My how much has changed in just five short years! But if you're still wondering, the answer is a resounding YES! Blogs are an EXCELLENT PR Tool! Here's five reasons why:

1) Journalists search the web for information. They find your blog, or blogs written about your company/product/service, and they have more information than a press kit can possibly cover at 2 a.m., the morning of a deadline.

2) People search the web before they buy. More than 85% of all purchases -- personal and business -- begin with a search on the web. Sure, your website could be found and browsed but a blog gives you a chance to address many different topics in one forum, giving people more information in one place.

3) Blogs build keywords. OK so this might not be a true PR tactic but PR is assuming the role of SEO content builder. The more keywords, the better you rank. So write away and build that content!

4) Blogs create a forum. If you don't create a place for your consumers to voice their concerns, complaints or praise, they'll find a place to do so and it'll be harder for you to find it and address it. A lot of complaints are simply poor information but end up on sites like "BIGGESTSCAM.COM" or something similar. Don't tarnish your name with bad PR like that -- blogs give people a chance to interact with you.

5) Blogs give your company/product/service a personality and a step into the social media age. No longer are we operating on the traditional PR model of Business-Message-Journalist-Media-Consumer. In fact, it's all completely jumbled. It's now Consumer-Message-Business. The Consumer owns the message. Businesses and the media strive to keep up with what is on top of the consumers mind.

So yes, 2005, Blogs are a PR tool and if you're not blogging by now, then I should tell you that 2005 called and wants their press kit back. (LOL!) If you don't know how the best way to implement this PR tool, give me a call.

Are you getting ready for 2010?

If you're not, what are you waiting for? It'll be here sooner than you think and you want to get out of the gate on January 2nd running at full steam! What should you be doing? Here's a good list:

1 - Customer surveys and reviews. Now is the perfect time to ask your customers what they think of you, your product/service, etc. Let them give you a review. Also, use this time to ask them questions about how you can market better. For example, what publications do they read; where do they get info on the product/service you're selling; are they online and if so, where... etc.

2 - Marketing results review. Yeah, remember those goals you set last year? Well, how'd you do? Did you meet them? Exceed them? Fall short? Here's a chance to analyze what worked and what didn't and WHY. It's also a chance to oust projects that aren't measured, or make them measurable. In other words, if you always send a newsletter twice a year but never ask for any response, you need to find out if the effort is worth the return. Could time/money/staff be better spent in other areas? If you don't know the results of a project, it could get killed.

3 - Investigate the market. With this economy, things are changing every day. What are your competitors doing? What are the trends in the industry? How have the players and offerings changed? What is the consumer demanding of the industry? What's the forecast for the industry? What can you do to become/stay a leader?

4 - Making a plan. After you've completed steps 1-3, it's time to start finding out where to invest your time and money to keep the pipeline filled. This inevitably involves more research but this time into publications, reporters' beats, trade shows, associations, speaking opportunities, editorial calendars, etc. etc! This will take the bulk of your time but hopefully, you will have gotten some good clues by talking to your customers and investigating your industry and competitors.

5 - Create a timeline and budget. Make sure you don't just come up with a lot of great ideas but that you also put it into a schedule that makes sense financially and resource-wise. You can't do all of it in January, nor would it make sense to do so. Plan it out and make sure that you put regular evaluations into your schedule. There's no sense executing three direct mail programs if the first one failed miserably.

If you aren't jumping on this now, you really won't be ready, come January. There are way too many distractions in your daily work life as it is and the next two months are ripe with holidays and vacations. Just remember, if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.... maybe.

More on Branding....

Continuing on my last post, branding is not so much about your company name or your logo, it's all about POSITIONING. In other words, you want to be known for something. What is it?

How do you determine your positioning? Ask yourself (your company leaders, board, etc) a few key questions:
• Who are we
• What do we provide
• What do we do that our competitors don't
• If we want our customers to remember one thing about us, it is.....
• What do we hope to become, and what do we need to get there

The answers to these questions can help you determine how you want to present yourself to your audiences. The ultimate goal is to find a unique niche for your company and build your entire platform around it, leaving yourself in a stand-alone position from your competitors.

Once you've come up with your positioning, write 5-7 brand promises that define this position. Use these statements, verbatim if possible, in all press releases, interviews, client interactions, printed materials, websites, sales materials, etc. You get the picture. Consistency is KING when it comes to branding.

Remember, a good brand isn't built over night. Spend some time working on your interior messages, brand your company with your employees first, then blow your own horn and tell the world.

What's in a name?

I just got an email from a salesman at a very respected vendor in our industry. The salesman, apparently, goes by the name Bobby. His message was brief, "Jan, do you have time to talk about our product and what it can do for you at Alliance Communications....Sincerely, Bobby." You know what, Bobby? I just can't take you seriously. If you think your mom will let you, could you use "Bob" just for the sake of business purposes?

Maybe I'm being harsh on ol' Bobby. Maybe he's one of 17 Bob Somethings that works at this particular company and doesn't want to be confused with one of the other Bobs. Or, maybe he's 12 and got this job because he was the lowest bidder. It doesn't matter. It screams "I'm Not Serious About This."

Which brings me to my thought for the day -- what's in a name anyway. Well, when it comes to your business, here's a few rules to keep in mind:

1. Keep it simple. You want your business name to be something that is memorable and easy to pronounce. While 'Je ne sais pas' is eloquent (ok, it's "I don't know" in French), it's not all that easy to remember (unless it's ALL you remember from French class like me), and it's not all that easy to pronounce if you're reading it for the first time. Think of some great brands -- General Motors, AT&T, Apple, Betty Crocker, Staples -- I could go on and on. They are simple, easy to remember, easy to pronounce.

2. Unique, memorable. Just because you are a pool cleaning service, your name doesn't have to be Joey's Pool Cleaning Service. Go a little wild while keeping the first rule in mind. How about Aquatic Pool Cleaning, Aqua Pools; Crystal Clear Pool Cleaning, etc. At the same time, let's forget the Red this and the Blue that. It's so dot com. Think about what you want to convey to your prospect. Example -- inexpensive might equate to Budget Car Rental; Exclusive might equate to Premier Limousine; Your service area might equate to Southwest Airlines. Get it?

3. Say what you do. If you sell widgets, be the widget company. If you walk dogs, be the dog walking company. It doesn't have to be your entire name but make it so people know what you do. Example: Geico Insurance -- um, it's insurance. Payless Shoes -- they sell shoes.

Is it too late if you already have a name? Nope -- you can always add a tag line. If you've been known as ABC2 for 20 years, now you could say ABC2, Insurance for Business since 1990. Or a slogan, The Asset Protector (haha - I wouldn't really do that but it was funny at the time of writing this!)

I've ranted enough all because of Bobby in my email box. I'll continue this thought in tomorrow's post and talk about the logo and branding.

Do you really think Dunkin' Donuts has the best coffee?

I'm not a coffee drinker so maybe I'm not an authority but let's go ahead and take up the debate -- is Dunkin' Donuts coffee really the best coffee? Or, did Dunkin' Donuts create an image, a brand, as THE best coffee? Did they see a market of coffee drinkers who would pay $5 for a 50¢ cup of coffee and then offered the same experience to this audience at a mere $2.50? Do you think that's what got coffee drinkers to flock to the donut shop and declare its brew the best?

Branding has a lot of power. It'll make you open your wallet -- wide -- and it'll make you go out of your way to insist on that brand. So, how do you do it?

First think you have to do is KNOW WHO YOU ARE. Dunkin' Donuts took a look at their SWOT and you know what they found? No one buys donuts much past noon on any given day. So maybe they added sandwiches and ice cream to their stores. Hmmm... still just moving the regulars around the clock, not really driving in new customers. Then, imagine in their strengths, they noticed that hey, our coffee's not all that bad. Perhaps under opportunities, they said, wow, coffee drinkers are spending millions at boutique and franchise coffee shops. We could do that!

But instead of jumping into the pot with perhaps a cheaper latte, they said, let's tell people that we have the best coffee. Not cheaper, not better. The best.

So who are you? What is it you do better than your competitors? Why should someone go out of their way to buy from you and you only?

While the economy RIGHT NOW dictates lower price is the winner, is this a winning strategy for you, long term?

Base your BRAND on tangible differences, not just price. What is it about your company, your brand, that makes you the better choice for whatever it is your sell?

Spend some time creating your BRANDING PROMISES. This should be 5-7 statements about your company, product or service that sums up everything you do. These branding promises then dictate every ad, tweet, post, email, presentation, RFP, etc. You must live these branding promises and so must every employee, from the intern to the president.

Do you want to be the best in your industry? Maybe you already are. Now it's time to tell someone.

Public Relations is more than just a press release

If you're delving into the world of public relations, it's not all about a press release every few weeks. PR is a whole lot more. It's about branding, image, a personality. Did you see the movie, "Hancock"? It's about a superhero (Will Smith) who's a cranky, unlovable drunk. He happens to save a PR professional (Jason Bateman) who then decides to help Hancock's image.

You watch the flick and sure enough, after a press conference, carefully executed events and a costume change, Hancock's approval with the public changes dramatically. The whole time, I never once saw a press release go out....

Sure, things in movies never happen that way in real life but you have to admit, it has some merit. Think about the way things APPEAR to the public. Think about what you can do to change/enhance/improve your IMAGE in the eyes of your publics. What do you want them to see?

My son started middle school this year and for the first time since Kindergarten, had to interact with kids he didn't know. One day, on the walk to the bus stop, I mentioned to him that he should be saying hello to all the kids at the bus stop. He said, why, they aren't in my class or even my grade. My response was: someday, someone's going to ask one of these kids if they know you simply because you live in the same neighborhood. You want them to say, "Oh yeah! He lives in my neighborhood; nice kid. Always says 'hi'."

THAT is public relations ... Think about it. It doesn't start and end with a press release ... it all starts with a smile and a hello.

Putting the Public back in Public Relations....

So I'm leaving the grocery store and the clerk hands me my receipt, to which I reply, "Thank you." She says, "You're welcome."

Now, from a preschool point of view, this is an accurate display of properly executed manners. Someone says thank you, and someone says you're welcome. It's polite.

But as I'm walking out, pushing $100 of groceries to my car, I can't help but think SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THANKING ME! I mean, I could have spent that $100 in restaurants over the next week... I could've shopped at a different store... I could've spent just $10... But I spent $100 on merchandise purchased in that store. I made the choice to do so and in turn, provided that store with a sale that further keeps that very clerk employed!

My point is this: In today's tough economy, everyone is competing for the same dollar. Wouldn't it simply make sense if someone chose to give you one of their dollars, that the least you could do is say THANK YOU?

I point this out because as marketers, we spend so much time focusing on reaching our customers and finding new customers that we so often FORGET our current customer. We're all still human beings and every transaction is still personal. Put Customer Service into your next PR plan and let PR start at home.