Social Media: Tips and tools for integrating Social Media into PR Campaigns

Michelle Catin is the Digital and Social Media Manager of rbb Public Relations.
You can follow her on twitter:  @mimi2point0

What we know of social media is just the tip of the iceberg-- there's so much more to come.

• In 2008, Internet passed newspapers at a source of national and international news.  
• In 2007, Social Networking sites became more visited than porn sites.
• We should all use Facebook for business "If you're not on Facebook, you're not on the internet."
• Every second, a new member joins LinkedIn.
• Twitter use increased 1000% in February 2009.
• YouTube:  100,000,000 videos are viewed per day.
• Anyone can be a reporter on "Wikipedia."

When Maurice Jarre passed away, a student penned a fictitious quiote on the Maurice Jarre's wikipedia entry.  This quote was repeated in numerous newspapers and media outlets-- even though it was factually incorrect.  The media is using the internet for their research... just like the rest of us.
(read more about it here)


Social Media is "Not a fad-- but a fundamental shift in the PR industry.'

The Fundamentals of Public Relations can and should also be used in Social Media!
Research
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation

Research:
Listen.  Set up Google alerts, social media alerts utilizing socialmention.  Research the topics being discussed, the sentiment of these posts, the outlets being used to discuss your business, etc.
Other tracking sites:

• radian6
• converseon
• biz360
• trackur
  
• Use services like Tweetdeck to monitor your twitter mentions.

Survey your audience.  Find out how they're communicating about you.

Strategic Planning: Walk, don't run.  If you build it, they won't come.  You can't expect people to just find you.

• Build a foundation. Use familiy and friends to be your followers
• Use existing assets to promote your social media channels.  Use signature file, website, etc. to promote
• Establish critical mass
• Don't expect results overnight.  Social media is a commitment that requires a full-time commitment.

Implementation:  How to use different social media campaigns in your planning:

• Use Facebook for community events.  Create a virtual invitation.  When people say yes, it will show up on their profile.
• Use ustream to upload video of any event with your iphone. (other phones may be compatable)  You can also upload from your computer.
• Use Flickr to link photos to relevant keywords, which is ideal for Search Engine Optimization.
• Use cross-platform applications (example, set up your Flickr to automatically post to Facebook)
• Use press release distribution services to create links, SEO for your website/organization.  (She does not reccomend the expensive pay services... she beileves that their releases don't live as long on the internet as other services.  She prefers pressreleasepoint.com)
• Use Twitter to build relationships with reporters.  Find them using tweepsearch, which searches twitter bios.

Evaluating: An important process that we sometimes dismiss.  How do you show results?
Measure results using socialmention, bit.ly (which measures clicks to shortened links)
YouTube and Facebook all provide "insights" for measurements

Question:  How do you convince a client that they need to be involved in social media?
1) Measuring their current mentions in social media platforms to determine their online reputation.

2) Looking to see what their competitors are doing.
3) If they're afraid of losing control... they should know that they never really had control to begin with.

Question:  How does Google's recent search algorithm change my web approach?
Yes... they use "real-time" search now, which means that more social media, particularly Twitter, are indexed.  Recent mentions will put you higher in search results.

Question: How do you determine what keywords are most relevant for people looking for you?

Google Keyword tool.  You type in  bunch of phrases, Google generates a list of similar phrases, and tells you which ones are most used.


Question:  How can you take advantage of hashtags and trending topics on Twitter?
Use existing hashtags or keywords (or make up your own) whenever relevant.  She does not know of a tool which tracks the popularity of particular hashtags.  Yes, a lot of hashtags are spam... but they can also be a great tool.

Question:  What is your crisis plan for if your twitter account is hacked?
You can work with Twitter to repair situations like this. She recommends changing facebook and twitter passwords every month.

Question: How easy is it to get things like that repaired at Twitter.  Do they have "Operators standing by?"
You can leave them a message on the twitter forums, but it will take a long time to resolve.  You can also send a public tweet to twitter's administrators. 

Deep dive into blogging with Chris Griffith

Google Bonita Springs, Florida, and one of the first sites to pop up is http://www.lifeinbonitasprings.com/, a blog by Chris Griffith, a realtor with Keller Williams Elite Realty in Bonita Springs. Also known as Twitterzilla where she tweets about daily life in Bonita Springs, Chris is an avid user of all tools social to promote the community she loves first, and sell real estate, second.

While there are currently some 200 million blogs, many still fear blogging and are unsure what it can do for their business.

So – starting with the basics. Still not sure what blogging is? In simple terms - it’s a basic Web site that allows you to publish content and contact information. It’s an inexpensive means of marketing and unlike employees – a blog is working for you 24/7!

Ready to start? Chris recommends new bloggers use one of three free programs:

Wordpress
Typepad
Blogger

For more sophisticated bloggers, Chris recommends Windows Live Writer. A one-stop shop for building and maintaining blogs.

Not a do-it-yourselfer? You can always hire a professional to help you set up your blog, manage your blog and promote it through other social networking sites.

If you’re just getting started, these tools are risk free, easy to use and can get you up and running fast. However, Chris cautions, you need to decide what you’re going to blog about first.

Blogs become your “public” voice so think about your personal brand and how you want to be known. People become involved with you via your blog because they feel they know you and can engage with you. It’s personal – it’s social - and it’s all about building relationships.

Two types of blogging personalities initially emerge:

- Freezers: Not sure what to write about/immediate writer’s block
- Prolific writers: Rewriting War and Peace with every blog

The challenge is to find what’s right for you and use your own voice to share your information/point of view/etc.

Wondering what to Blog about? Focus on your customers and share:

- What we believe our customers need to know
- What they want to know
- What they are searching for
- Show our authority on a specific subject

Get personal! Showcase fun, “behind the scenes” stories and anecdotes. This is social media after all!

Need a few more pointers about blogging?

• Start with writing about what you know!

• Stay current with what’s happening socially, culturally and in business. Key posts off current events.

• Running out of ideas? Think green and recycle information such as emails, reports, forms, videos, pictures.

• To expand your reach stalk the search terms your followers used to find you.

• Sweet talk Google and she’ll come to you – in other words – know the right words to optimize your search in Google!

Yes! I have a Blog – now what?

Promote your Blog! Integrate your Blog with other social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Flickr.

Enhance your content by adding photos and videos. “A picture is worth a 1000 words – a video – a million!" (Credit to OnePersonToo).

And a few final thoughts when blogging:

• Be yourself
• Be polite
• Be cautious about photos your post
• Always remember – blogging is a marathon, not a sprint!

Utilizing YouTube for Community Engagement: Michelle K. Gardner

From her official bio: Michelle K. Gardner, John Scott Daily Florida Institute of Government (IOG) at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Utilizing YouTube for Community Engagement. Michelle K. Gardner lives on the World Wide Web. Michelle has a background in management, but her passions are for all things online. Through the IOG, Michelle is able to conduct direct research on how local governments engage their citizens, particularly through technology. Not content with her MS degree in management, Michelle is currently enrolled in the Texts and Technology PhD program at UCF. Primarily focusing on how we are using digital media tools and the World Wide Web. As a wife, mother, full time employee and PhD student, Michelle is grateful the World Wide Web is available 24/7!

And she's a self described "true geek." Love it! Her day-to-day work involves teaching people in government and non-profits how to engage citizens with social media tools. You Tube has been widely known for its entertainment purposes, not to mention "viral" videos, but there are ways to harness it for engaging your communities, measure results, and other business purposes.

YouTube is the leader in online video and the premier destination to watch and share original videos world wide through a Web experience.

YouTube is a part of our cultural change – no matter what your industry, social media resources are a new way that our culture is sharing and receiving information. This format can have a huge impact on your brand and company perceptions.

Benefits of YouTube:
• 24/7 availability
• Dynamic content (not “text on a page”) that is engaging
• Multi-viewer video (many people can watch it at the same time without hold-ups)
• Doesn’t eat up your server space, no paying for storage

YouTube is a great source for research! YouTube features about 40 percent user-generated content, including “vlogs” or video blogs, that you can watch to tap into ideas and opinions people are sharing. YouTube can also be highly useful in motivating a group of citizens by arming them with knowledge, and interesting, easy-to-share material.

A fun video example for your viewing pleasure:
“Forever” wedding dance down the aisle

This video spread like wild fire, prompting magazine articles, TV spoofs (on "The Office") and guest appearances. the song the "dance down the aisle" to is Chris Brown’s 2008 hit "Forever." With the viral spread of this homemade video posted to YouTube, Brown's song made a come back on the charts in July 2009.

As an intentional business example: This is UCF is a 1:42 video that serves as a commercial through YouTube and simple video technology. They have their own “channel” and people can see all your available content. To create your account, or channel, you only need your name password and basic settings, and voila! Easy right?

Creating content and getting started

All you need is a camera, tri-pod, video editing software, staff for video content…but you could even use videos shot from your mobile phone or device! You don’t have to spend a lot of money to incorporate these tools; it just takes a little learning or an extra hand. Getting extra staff to help out can be as easy as getting interns from local colleges or even engaged citizens or volunteers. Some of them may even have the video tools you need to get started.

Practical tips:
• HD video is great, but it ideally suited for less than 10 minute-long videos.
• Creative Commons, copywright licensing for social media content that ensures people get credit for the content they are sharing.
• As a side note in general about all things social media: Clarity of thought is important. You should know why are getting involved and have policies in place.
• Keep your logo on your video the whole time near the bottom of the screen (called a “bug” in the broadcasting world).
• Promote by sharing the link everywhere: company Web site, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Use Google Analytics to track your results.

And a final video piece from You Tube: Phil’s Phirst Philm

You can follow Michelle on Twitter at @oneperson2.

FPRA SWFL February 2010 Program: Building the Bridge Between You and Your Boss or Client

Art Stevens, APR, Fellow PRSA


Learn how to influence your company’s leadership or your client to commit to tested and sound PR practices. A former top twenty public relations agency owner will share his insights and experience on how to transpose yourself into an "agency" whether you work inside the organization or for an actual a public relations agency at the February FPRA meeting on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre's Cafe Cabaret. Networking and buffet lunch begins at 11:15 a.m. Reserve your seat on our Web site now.

This art of influence will be presented by Art Stevens, APR, Fellow PRSA, managing partner of StevensGouldPincus, a merger and management consulting firm to the PR and communications industries. He was co-founder, chairman and CEO of LobsenszStevens, one of the top twenty independent public relations firms in the country up to the time of its acquisition by Publicis Groupe in 2000.

Ever since he was named public relations director of Prentice-Hall Inc. at the age of 25, Art Stevens has contributed substantially to the public relations field. His background in corporate, financial, product, educational, marketing and political public relations has earned him lifetime achievement awards by his peers.

He is a PR industry leader, Fellow of PRSA, author, award-winning writer and is listed in Who’s Who in America. He has been published in Harvard Business Review and a long-standing contributing editor to the Public Relations Quarterly.

Mr. Stevens has served as instructor of public relations and management case studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University and has lectured at the New School, New York University and many other colleges and associations.

Mr. Stevens is a self-proclaimed snowbird alternating between his homes in Sanibel, Florida, and Somerset, New Jersey.

Special Thanks to Shell Point Retirement Community for sponsoring our February meeting!

Have you registered for the meeting yet?

Annual Conference Update: Think Business, Think Pleasure

For the Florida Public Relations Association's Annual Conference, "The Big Picture: Bringing Public Relations Strategy and Leadership Into Focus,"

Think Business, Think Pleasure

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: August 8 – 11, 2010 at the beautiful Naples Grande in Naples, Fla.
RESERVE YOUR HOTEL ROOM NOW: Only $125 per night! Reservation link is up at www.fpra.org
REGISTER NOW: Registration forms are ready! Take care of it now and relax! Go to www.fpra.org to download your registration form.

Attending Annual Conference is always a good bet on both the professional development side and from the angle of personal enjoyment!



Practicing what we preach, research before tactics, FPRA has a link to an Annual Conference survey (emailed to all members on Tuesday, January 19). Please click through and let them know your thoughts!

For the price conscious concerns (I’m sure we all think of these a bit more these days), the Naples Grande has just reduced their room rate to FPRA Annual Conference attendees! The cost per night has dropped from $149 to $125 per night. Even if you already booked your rooms, the hotel will honor these new rates. Just be sure to let them know you’re with FPRA, and you’re in! This is a real bargain on their rooms, by the way. The Annual Conference committee continues to keep costs in mind, looking for ways to further enhance the value of attending this year.

To help emphasize the value for our members (and those holding the budget strings), please continue to send in your testimonials about how the annual conference has benefited you and your employer, please e-mail it to wwacker (at) rtix (dot) com.

Social Media Cafe Schedule Announced

9:00 - 9:30 Registration

9:30 - 9:45 Morning session begins - Opening remarks

9:45 - 10:45 Michelle K. Gardner, UCF,
Utilizing You Tube for Citizen Engagement

10:45 – 11:45 Chris Griffith, Lifeinbonita.com
Understanding Blogs

11:45 Lunch Registration

12:15 Lunch and Meeting – President, Kathleen Taylor, APR

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch Speaker
Michelle Catin, RBB PR
Integrating Social Media into PR Campaigns

1:30 - 1:45 15 Minute Break
1:45 - 3:00 Butch Ward,Poynter, Social Media Ethics

Registration will close at end of business Friday, Jan. 15. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from this great line-up! For more information, visit: www.fpraswfl.org.

Registration is Open for the Social Media Cafe

That's right! We are shaking things up and heading downtown as we serve-up the Third Course of the Social Media Cafe Series. We invite you to join on on Friday, January 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Royal Palm Yacht Club, 2360 West First St., Fort Myers as we examine the trends, tricks and tips to successfully navigate the social media arena.

This lecture-style seminar will provide attendees a specialized look at incorporating social media with other Web 2.0 technologies with presentations from:

• Butch Ward, Managing Director and a member of the faculty of The Poynter Institute,Ethics in Social Media. As a 27-year journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Baltimore News-American, Butch served stints as managing editor at both newspapers. Before joining Poynter, he spent three years being covered by journalists as a spokesperson for Independence Blue Cross, the largest health insurer in Southeastern Pennsylvania. He leads seminars in leadership, editing and writing, and has taught for the Committee of Concerned Journalists and for APME NewsTrain. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Butch helped journalists explore more effective ways to cover national elections for their local audiences.

• Michelle K. Gardner, John Scott Daily Florida Institute of Government (IOG) at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Utilizing YouTube for Community Engagement. Michelle K. Gardner lives on the World Wide Web. Michelle has a background in management, but her passions are for all things online. Through the IOG, Michelle is able to conduct direct research on how local governments engage their citizens, particularly through technology. Not content with her MS degree in management, Michelle is currently enrolled in the Texts and Technology PhD program at UCF. Primarily focusing on how we are using digital media tools and the World Wide Web. As a wife, mother, full time employee and PhD student, Michelle is grateful the World Wide Web is available 24/7!

• Chris Griffith - Realtor, www.LifeinBonitaSprings.com, An In-depth Look at Blogging. Chris Griffith is a real estate agent with Keller Williams Elite Realty in Bonita Springs, Florida. She has been licensed and selling real estate for nine years in the state of Florida. Outside of selling real estate, Chris writes a real estate column for the Naples Daily News, Bonita Bannera and a community blog-site: www.LifeinBonitaSprings.com. Chris also teaches tecnology, social networking and blogging for real estate agents. Her social networking knowledge took her to the National Association of Realtors Midyear Conference in May 2008.
  
  
• And More!

Registration and Networking begins at 9 a.m. with presentations beginning at 9:30 a.m. The cost for a full day registration is $25 for students, $35 for members and $50 for non-members. Members and guests must register on www.fpraswfl.org no later than Friday, January 15. Seats are limited. No shows will be billed.