The More Things Change...

In my last post, I not only quoted the philosopher Ferris Bueller, I talked about how much things have changed in public relations over the course of the past several years. While it is always important to stay ahead of the technology and communication curve, it is far more important to have a sound base for any PR initiative. These are among the things that have NOT changed in the past several years.

The need to plan. You’ve heard the old saw, “If you don’t know where you are going, then ANY road will get you there!” It was true when I was a young pup in this business, and it remains true today. Planning is essential. Set objectives, outline strategies, assign tactics to those strategies (including all of the new social media platforms), determine what success will look like, and set measurement matrices. A good, sound PR plan is like the score for an orchestra; each instrument knows when and what notes to play, and the end result that emerges is far greater than the sum of its parts.

The necessity of the media. To paraphrase another modern-day philosopher, Mr. T, “I pity the fool who thinks you should disregard traditional media.” In most cases, there is still no better and more credible way to connect to your audience than with traditional media. The New York Times remains the number one most quoted and referenced site on the Internet for a reason. And what people see on television or in the news (even if it they receive it tweeted, emailed or posted on Facebook) is often seen as holding far greater value and gravitas than a piece that originates solely on the net.

Content is still king. I don’t care how many “friends” or “likes” you have on Facebook or followers on Twitter. If you are not delivering solid, relevant, useful content, you will not be able to engage with your audience for long. And speaking of engagement…

You need to engage. Public relations is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public. That takes engagement. And while connecting with various publics is often accomplished in a very different ways today than it was 10 years ago, the end result should be the same: to create and maintain connections. In other words, engage.

Yes, things have absolutely changed for PR agencies and practitioners. We would be among the fools that Mr. T would pity if we were to think or act otherwise. But a solid foundation that starts with a good, sound and well-vetted plan, that employs the strengths of both traditional and social media, that delivers good and useful content and makes and nurtures connections is still the way that excellent PR is practiced today.

Hospitals must embrace social media and let ROI take care of itself | Article | Homepage articles

Here's a great article on hospitals' use of social media from Jenn Riggle. She hita a lot of nails firmly on the head in this.

Hospitals must embrace social media and let ROI take care of itself | Article | Homepage articles

Make Sure You Know Where the Emergency Brake Is

Anyone who knows me, or reads this blog, knows that I am a strong proponent of social media as a big part of the overall marketing mix. As part of an effective communications package, every organization needs to use a combination of social media tools to speak directly with their audience.

Although social media is intended to be somewhat unfiltered, some organizations – particularly hospitals – are governed by laws and privacy issues that can preclude an unfiltered stakeholder engagement. For that reason, it is important to craft and vet a social media response protocol prior to engaging in these new, and operationally-different, media tools.

As part of your social media effort, you need to develop a comprehensive social media policy. This policy will provide needed checks and balances for all of your employees and external stakeholders who could potentially contribute content or comment on any of your company-controlled social media properties. It should also provide guidance on moderating comments and input from the general public.

Your goal should not necessarily be to control and manage the message and tone of social media communication with your various publics. Rather, your goal should be to ensure that the dialogue is fair and adheres to standards that you’ve thought through and pre-set for propriety and privacy.

TAKE THE PLUNGE!

I’ve come to the conclusion that social media scares a lot of people. That is understandable. It’s new. It involves unfamiliar protocols and nomenclature. It seems so easy and natural for 16-year-olds, yet is a different world altogether for those of us who still remember where we were when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.

Nonetheless, social media is here to stay.

So it’s time to take the plunge. Here’s what I recommend: a staged roll-out of social media tools and channels, so that you don’t “bite off more than you can chew.” Start small. Join and use Facebook (really use it; don’t be a bystander or wallflower). See what others in your industry are doing. Become a fan of sites that are delivering the kind of information you wish you were delivering about your company. Your Facebook experience shouldn’t be defined by the number of “friends” you have, but rather by the quality of contacts and experiences you can generate.

Keep a record of the kinds of information and resources you’d like YOUR company’s fan page to deliver. And yes, check out your competitors and what peer companies in different parts of the country (or even the world!) are doing.

And when you are ready, launch your page, keeping in mind it is NOT a website, which can sit fallow for months. Social media IS customer and stakeholder engagement. Be prepared to engage!

Time for Hospitals to Embrace Social Media

It’s time for hospitals to embrace social media.

Interactive online technologies, or “social media,” allow online users to search for and share content, and have become an indispensable tool in today’s communication mix – except, it seems, at smaller community hospitals. Social media sites are firmly entrenched as the primary method for online dialogue and communication for a good deal of the population today, covering people of all ages.

As part of an effective communications package, every organization needs to use a combination of social media tools to speak directly with their audience. Failing to do so risks alienating your patients and your community. Worse, it allows – and perhaps invites – the dialogue about what’s happening within your hospital and its service lines to be driven by outside, often unreliable sources.

Latest estimates show that over 500 hospitals in the U.S. are using some form of social media – and many are using multiple social media tools. If you are a healthcare marketing pro, isn’t it time to get YOUR hospital on board?

The Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media

David Griner, a social media strategist for Luckie & Company in Birmingham, AL, just published what I see as the definitive outline of rules for beginning -- and more importantly -- continuing and profiting from a social media program.

With the very catchy title "The Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media," Griner's article is both fun to read and a real eye-opener. So click on it here and let me (and David!) know what you think!

If Facebook Were a Country...

...It would be the 5th most populous on the globe!

Yes, Facebook just passed the 200 million (!) mark in active users. For those of you who STILL think Facebook is the 21st Century equivalent of passing a note in study hall, it's time you shifted your thinking.

If you are NOT on Facebook, you might want to give it a try.

Reports of the Demise of Conventional Marketing Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Happy New Year!

So I read the other day that some folks are actually saying that the meteoric rise of social media tools has rendered conventional marketing irrelevant.

You gotta be kidding me.

I am a BIG proponent of incorporating social media into almost everyone's marketing mix. And yes, for some products, services or brands, social media should be a cornerstone of their marketing effort.

And there is no question in my mind that social media's importance, its use and its prevalence will increase geometrically as time goes on.

But ask yourself this: Can you really afford to put all of your eggs into the social media basket when (pause for effect here), THE VAST MAJORITY OF CONSUMERS ARE NOT USING ANY TYPE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

Every now and again it's best to stop and take a reality check.

Rules of Engagement

Another note on Social Media...

The first rule of social media seems to be that there are no definitive rules. That said, there are a few things that I think you should keep in mind:

1. Commercial interaction HAS to be done on the public's terms. This is completely different than the way most companies are used to promoting themselves -- obtrusively injecting themselves into your life at all times of the day and night. If you manage a company, a brand or a product, take heed and tread lightly.

2. You don't need to say something that is important every time. But you ought to say things that have some value or merit, if only to allow others a peek inside of you (or your company, product or brand).

3. Remember that written words on this "Internet thing" could very well linger until the end of time as we know it. Choose them wisely.

4. Don't meet (or fight) negativity with negativity.

5. And a corollary rule to #4 - refrain from name calling.

Let me know if you have any insights to add.

You are NOT too old for Facebook

As I see it, you have two choices:

You can bemoan the sorry state of affairs in this modern world, or you can stick your toe in the water first, then slide your entire foot in, get used to the temperature a bit, take a deep breath, and JUMP!

I'm talking about social media in general, and Facebook in particular.

I'll admit that I am no Facebook Einstein. In fact, when my kids saw that I'd signed up and posted a Facebook page about a year ago, they laughed that I only had 10 or so friends in the beginning ("You're not very popular, Dad!").

But the point is, I took the deep breath and jumped.

Has it been a business panacea? Hardly. But I have used it for business, and (to my surprise and pleasure) have reconnected with some old, dear high school friends.

So my advice is, you are not too old. Go ahead, log on and sign up. And be sure to send me a friend request!

Johnson & Johnson's Misstep Shows the Power of Social Media

Social media is here to stay. Need proof? There is no better object lesson than the misstep that Johnson & Johnson just made online that unleashed a torrent of bad blood among the very audience they were trying to court. And that bad blood flowed quickly and deeply among bloggers and Twitter users.

Yes, I'm talking about THAT J&J, one of the biggest, most powerful marketers, and a company known for its social responsibility, and for having a "corporate soul."

J&J posted an ill-advised commercial for its Motrin brand of ibuprofen on its website. The ad was designed to resonate with young moms. Take a look here. You be the judge.

What followed was an overwhelmingly negative flood of angry responses from moms (and others) who felt that the spot was condescending and patronizing. Most of the responders said they'd never buy Motrin again. The threat of a boycott seems very real.

Here's a sample of the reaction:

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Maybe the marketing team was out having a beer after work when that ad was to be approved. Maybe someone was asleep at the switch. Maybe the ad agency was just too clever for their client's good. Who knows?

The important lessons are these:

First: Online media is every bit as important as traditional media. And just because it's "only an online ad" doesn't mean it should be treated with any less importance than an ad for network TV (which would have been market tested and well vetted before it ever saw the light of day).

Second: When you see that you've offended people, even if inadvertently, own up to it immediately, and try to make amends. No excuses. J&J has done that, pulling the ads and posting an apology from Kathy Widmer, Vice President of Marketing, on the Motrin website. Kudos for that. Many other companies would have stonewalled or been paralyzed into inaction.

Third: Online communities are here to stay, and if you can communicate with online communities in a manner that shows you respect and understand them, and most importantly, that you are listening to what they are telling you, you can really help your products to succeed.

As Widmer said in an extended apology, “One bright spot is that we have learned through this process - in particular, the importance of paying close attention to the conversations that are taking place online.”

If you are a marketer, you would also do well to pay attention.

Social Media Mistakes of Five Big Marketers

Wish I could take credit for this one, but I can't. Joseph Jaffe (the English marketing-guru-du jour) hits the nail right on the head. Check out this video from Ad Age.

British Guy Sees the Future of Advertising -- And It's PR!

Ben Hourahine, "Futures Editor" at the mega Leo Burnett ad agency in London put together this snappy presentation where he predicts the "advertising trends of tomorrow."

Call me crazy, but so many of these are things that we lowly PR folk -- you know, those of us who don't have silly, self-important titles like "Futures Editor," and who can make our points without the services of the black turtle neck brigade flashing bizarre pull-out quotes all over the screen -- have been saying for years. Things like "creating swells," which PR has done for decades (albeit without the snappy name), building "community connections," using social media to drive acceptance, and brands taking on a "guardian role."

So, thank you, Ben, for looking into your crystal ball and letting us know that in the future, advertising will be playing catch-up to PR. Perhaps if we PR folk had just said it with multiple camera cuts and that cool British accent.....

Someone is Talking about YOUR Brand

Used to be, in the "good old days," it was pretty easy to keep track of who was saying what about your company or product. Sign up for one of the national clipping services, wait a few weeks for the old women up in Maine to read the papers, cut out the story that you were mentioned in, and -- Voila! -- you had a pretty good idea of where you stood.

Nowadays, with the Internet and the proliferation of blogs, you don't have the luxury of waiting weeks for an envelope chock-full of clips.

The fact is, you probably need to sign up for Google Alerts. Better yet, familiarize yourself with one or more of the social bookmarking sites like del.icio.us

Technorati is currently tracking almost 113 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media. Try a Technorati search -- you may be surprised what you find!

Here's the bottom line: If someone is talking about your brand, it almost necessarily means others are listening. And you need to know what they are saying.

Social Media: It's here. Get used to it

"Social Media," one of the key components of the Web 2.0 revolution, is rapidly gaining strength and momentum, and exhibiting tremendous staying power. Not that it is a be-all/end-all, nor is it replacing the "traditional media," but nowadays if you don't have a strategy for incorporating social media into your marketing communications plan, you are missing a very large, very important and rapidly growing boat.

Just this week, Google's stock price raced through 700, due in large measure to anticipated demand for and use of new social networking applications. And last week, Microsoft handed over $240 million for a 1.6% stake in Facebook -- which works out to a perceived value of $15 billion (yes, that is BILLION with a "B") for Facebook.

The big boys are taking notice, and what they see is a very lucrative "the sky's the limit" market for the continuing surge of social media.

Need more proof? Take a look around at who is blogging these days. Around here at R&J, it's not only the old guy (me), but one of our up-and-coming superstar Account Coordinators, Crystal Decotiis. Take a look at Crystal's blog here.