Blog 22: Blogger Relations 101

BLOG Image Credit: www.ereleases.com

Cultivating relationships with the media and consumers is key for PR practitioners. With social media being increasingly noted for providing timely and legitimate news stories (sometimes breaking stories before mainstream media e.g. news about Michael Jackson), traditional mainstream media have begun relying on Twitter feeds and Blogs as a source of news. So, the PR practitioner of today has to build relationships with yet another influential group – Bloggers.

Some view bloggers as amateurs who threaten professional journalists and make mis-informed attacks, but most recognize the key role that Bloggers play. Bloggers are influencers and connectors; by commenting on a particular topic and sharing bookmarks, they help connect PR Practitioners to a larger audience and help grow an organization’s readership. Bloggers’ opinions matter in the blogsophere – you can’t ignore them or dismiss them – they will post anyway and it is best to address any criticisms. Some PR Practitioners even credit bloggers for helping them build better blogs since greater interaction with bloggers enables practitioners to quickly learn the craft of blog writing.

Pitching news stories to a blogger is somewhat similar to pitching to the media. Here's my pick of top 3 pitching guidelines:

1. Send only relevant stories that relate to the blogger’s area of interest and that would resonate with his/her readership.
2. Send an individualized, personal invitation to the blogger telling him/her why they are the appropriate person to cover the story and why the news story is important.
3. Keep the news story short and concise, making it easy for them to write a blog, comment on the topic or forward a story.

Ultimately, PR practitioners should seek to cultivate long term relationships with bloggers and not just focus on the short term gains of getting a blog published. As a blogger yourself, what are your thoughts about ways to cultivate relationships with fellow bloggers? : )

Blog 21: For Immediate Release: The Social Media Release Vs The Traditional News Release

NEWSFLASH: This past decade has seen a shift in the way PR practitioners communicate with the media. The Social Media Release has completely changed the face of media and public relations.

Among the advocates of the Social Media Release are Tom Foremski, who called for the demolition of the traditional press release, and Todd Defren who is responsible for the first-ever "Social Media Press Release" template. Others include Brian Solis who stated: “The social media release is not a miracle pill to cure the ills of poorly written press releases. It is merely a tool that is most effective when combined with a strategic arsenal of relevant company blog posts, traditional releases, relationships and an emerging category of releases that tell a story.”

The Social Media Release allows PR practitioners to provide the same truthful and factual information as with a traditional press release but goes a step further by making the reporting process easier for journalists. It deconstructs information into sections and with tags making the information more digestible and useful for journalists. Publishing the news release on the web also allows for a one-stop resource for information. But do remember to use relevant key words that appear upfront during search engine results.

This new kid on the block is not just geared towards the journalist but appeals to an entirely new generation of influencers – bloggers, and also enables organizations to reaches consumers directly. Online readers can bookmark and share the content with others.

The Social Media Release is just one way to tell the story and should not replace the traditional news release but complement it. It may also work well when combined with a social media or blogger campaign. So, some feel the traditional press release is OUT and the Social Media Release is IN while others advocate using both. What are your thoughts about this new type of packaging? : )

Blog 20: Web Analytics – How Effective is My Website?

Ever ask yourself these questions: Who is visiting my website? What are they looking at? How long do they stay on my website? Why are they leaving my website?
Answer: It’s time to conduct web analytics.

Web analytics is the measurement and analysis of online data for understanding and optimizing web usage. As PR Practitioners, we can employ a broad range of web analytic tools for measuring indicators like website traffic, the length of time visitors stay on a website, the type of content they click on, and the type of keywords which can give your organization the most return on investment.

There are several free tools available for conducting market research and measuring the success of your website like Google Analytics, GetClicky, 4Q, Woopra, Crazy Egg and Clicktale.

Check out this extensive list of social media monitoring tools and refer to my last blog post for more. Tool selection depends mostly on the kind of data one is looking for - qualitative or quantitative and what one wants to measure – Website Content? Website Traffic? Reasons for visitor drop-out? Bounce rate or the relevancy of home page? In fact, all of these website measurement tools can be applied to blogs and vlogs as well.

I'd like to hear your thoughts: If you have created a website/blog/vlog of your own, what would you be most interested to measure? : )

Blog 19: Measuring the Value of my Blog / Tweet / Video

So you’ve started a corporate blog, regularly tweet and have an active Linked In account. What’s the next step? You want to know who’s subscribed to your blog, what’s the value of your tweet and who is connected to you on Linked In. The key question is: Have you made a difference to your organization using these social media outlets?

This is where social media metrics comes in. As a PR practitioner, it is critical to measure the impact of employing corporate blogs, twitter, Linked In and other social media tools. This gives us an idea of whether our time/resources spent online are indeed worthwhile.

Assessing social media performance is a task that should be done regularly and at intervals, rather than at the end of a campaign or initiative. Regular evaluation helps PR Practitioners stay on track with their overall purpose behind implementing these social media applications.

There are numerous (free) social media measurement tools available such as Twinfluence, Twittercounter, Twitalyzer, Technorati, Google Feedburner and Facebook Lexicon. In an earlier blog, I highlighted this comprehensive list of social media monitoring tools that I found extremely useful.

So what are your thoughts about these tools and how effective do you think they are?

Blog 18: Social Media Monitoring – Who’s saying What, When, Where and Why?

Who’s saying what about your organization, when, where and why?

Social Media Monitoring is all about listening to online conversations about a brand, company, product or an issue. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Blogs or Discussion Forums, the key is to listen. Monitoring tools include Google Blog search, BlogPulse, BoardReader and Board Tracker. Check out this extensive list of Social Media Monitoring Solutions.

So why monitor what your customers are saying about you online? You can enhance your product, uncover potential issues and crises, address misconceptions about your product/brand, and tailor your communication strategy accordingly.

Apple just released its iPad yesterday and already there are numerous customer and expert reviews online. In time, customers are likely to employ diverse social media channels to share their experience with this revolutionary technology. If it isn’t already doing so, Apple needs to start monitoring online conversations about the iPad and gear up to troubleshoot and address potential criticisms.

I’d like to hear your thoughts about social media monitoring. How effective do you think it is and is there potential for growth in this area? : )

Blog 17: Job Hunting? Make the Right Impression Through Your Digital Footprint

Think back to your last job interview. So you were all prepped…Clothes were ironed, research was done, resume was printed and you rehearsed your answers. Great, you were set!

But wait, you forgot one thing… Did you check your digital footprint? If your prospective employer googled you, what would come up? What is your viral potential? Do you stand out from the web crowd? Waters (2010) cites that 3 out of 5 recruiters pursue candidates via social media than the traditional means of recruiting.

So what does this mean for the job applicant of the social media generation? Prospective employers may prefer candidates that are socially savy in a professional way. It’s time to establish your personal brand online. One way to achieve this is to enhance your social media presence. Join Linked In, open a Twitter account, create a blog, get connected on Facebook. But remember to ensure image consistency across these channels to accurately represent your personal brand.

Another way is to create a Visual CV / resume. Online portfolios and Visual CVs allow you to showcase your personal brand and skills in an innovative manner, transforming you from a faceless personality to a dynamic, pro-active individual. Visual CVs can add more value to a candidate than a traditional one-page resume. You can upload work samples, presentations, videos, speeches, articles, websites and podcasts - all in one consolidated place - making it easier for employers to obtain information about you during an online search.

Many job seekers are turning to Visual CVs and employing digital technology to gain an edge over other job applicants. While there may be some potential downsides to a Visual CV - (1) too much personal information on the web (2) possible bias in an employers' decision making process since an applicant’s age, gender, race or disability are visible through photos and videos - there are still many who are embracing this medium. What are your thoughts about the pros and cons of Visual CVs? Are they the next wave of the future? Are traditional paper based CVs moving out? : )