May 12
Love0

7 Ways to Get More Likes on your Facebook Page

By Communications


  1. Invest in targeted Facebook ads for a defined period of time (consider it a test — if it works, great!)
  2. Use a third party app to host a contest or promotion. Be aware that there are very specific rules and regulations concerning contests or promotions on Facebook. Follow them. Facebook Promotions: What you need to know is an excellent post on this topic.
  3. Share your blog posts on the page, then share the page on your profile so you reach your audience of fans as well as friends.
  4. Provide value for your fans at least 3x a week.  View insights to see what updates have impact.
  5. “Like” a bunch of other pages.
  6. Tag others in your updates on the page.
  7. Host a blog festival and invite people to share their domains on your page.

You might also like 5 Actions to Take on Your Facebook Business Page Right Now.

What innovative ideas have you used to gain more “likes” on your Facebook page?

May 11
Love0

“Coal Cares” Crisis: What Peabody Energy Should Do Now

By Crisis Communications, Media, Public Relations, Social Media

Today’s news includes the story of a hoax launched as an attack on coal company Peabody Energy. In short, an activist group calling itself Coal is Killing Kids developed a false campaign including a news release, a Coal Cares website and a Twitter account. The campaign positions itself as a Peabody Energy sponsored initiative (it’s not) to provide free inhalers and discounts for asthma medication for children living within 200 miles of a coal plant.

Close reading of the content on the site quickly reveals the true intent of the site’s creators. From the site:

Coal Cares™ is a brand-new initiative from Peabody Energy, the world’s largest private-sector coal company, to reach out to American youngsters with asthma and to help them keep their heads high in the face of those who would treat them with less than full dignity. For kids who have no choice but to use an inhaler, Coal Cares™ lets them inhale with pride.

Yikes. Peabody Energy should be in full crisis communication mode, prepared to react to this action. The company, however, seems to be under the impression that a social media-based initiative can be fought with traditional public relations. They’ve released a statement, and placed it on their website. The story has been picked up by CNN and Wired Science; CNN noted that “A Peabody Energy spokeswoman did not immediately return a call or an e-mail from CNN” and Wired Science mentions the company’s “immediate response” with the aforementioned statement released to the media.

Unfortunately, Peabody does not seem prepared to react and respond appropriately, using digital communications to combat a digital communications-based attack. Here are six things the company should do right now.

  1. Launch a website with a blog (I’d say launch a blog on their current site but it’s clear the Peabody Energy website needs a complete overhaul and there just isn’t time for that). The blog will provide a platform for the company to respond to questions and publish content correcting the misinformation the company says is being shared by the Coal Cares campaign.
  2. Appoint an active, visible spokesperson who will be accessible and is authorized to engage with the media and the public to address questions quickly.
  3. Create and post videos of the Peabody Energy team talking about the company’s efforts to run a safe and clean coal operation.
  4. Mobilize the coal community (employees, partners, political allies) and enlist their support in “liking” a multi-platform campaign and content designed to share positive stories about the company.
  5. Offer Vic Svec, the leadership team member with a Twitter account, counsel and coaching to leverage the effectiveness of that account and the ability to use Twitter to engage and share content that casts Peabody in a more positive light.
  6. Begin today working with the leadership team to help them understand the culture of transparency, the power of the social web and how they can use it in their own interests, and developing a social strategy that can be executed by members of the Peabody community so future attacks won’t have quite the same effect.

Coal is a difficult industry to defend, but it is not indefensible, nor is it an industry we can do without. Peabody deserves the chance to set the record straight and to have the tools to do so in the same platforms as their detractors. One thing social media makes available to all of us is a level playing field; you just need to know the rules of the game.

May 11
Love0

Social Media was Made for Weather Reporting: How the Newsplex CBS-19 Weather Team Rocks Twitter

By Communications

A couple of guys I consider good friends watch the weather in Central Virginia and make sure everyone knows it. Brantley Ussery and Travis Koshko lead the meteorology pack in social media and on TV (in my opinion — also, in full disclosure, I worked with the Newsplex a few years ago to help develop a social media plan and provided some training). The Klout score the team has earned is a respectable 47 — but what’s great about it is how the team engages with the local audience, sharing behind the scenes glimpses (tweeting about music and sometimes bacon!) as well as being there to support the community when weather turns dangerous or unpredictable.

Here’s proof of the impact the meteorology team of the Newsplex has in the community. The following is a great promotional spot the station created following a bout of thunderstorms and tornado warnings. I love the way comments from the Twitter and Facebook community are featured throughout the spot. It demonstrates that the Newsplex understands the relationship between on-air talent and viewers who are also online blends back and forth seamlessly and simultaneously.

Here’s the spot — what do you think?



May 10
Love0

5 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Twitter for Fundraising, Brand Awareness and Public Relations

By Public Relations, Social Media

I’ve had a soft spot in my heart for nonprofits my whole life. At an early age I tagged along, helping my parents volunteer at a JDRF camp for kids. I continued involvement in volunteering as an adult, serving on boards, raising funds and contributing to dozens of nonprofit organizations over the years.

I’m honored, today, to be available to people representing nonprofits at a national conference focusing on social media in Washington, D.C. Today is the Social Media Summit of the Center for Nonprofit Success. I’ll be talking specifically about Twitter and nonprofits in an intermediate session of the day-long conference; then for three hours I’ll be available for one-on-one mentoring sessions for conference attendees to learn more. It promises to be both an exhilarating and exhausting day!

So while I’m busy conducting some in-person time, I’m sharing here five ways nonprofits can use Twitter — and some of what I’ll be discussing in the session tomorrow.

  1. Establish a consistent, responsive presence for the organization, monitoring and interacting with followers interested in what the nonprofit has to share in tweets.
  2. Following other nonprofits to learn about what is trending, happening and being shared via Twitter.
  3. Find interesting content to read via links being shared (and pass them on by re-tweeting).
  4. Share links to information about your organization, to interest funders and future donors in the real stories behind your nonprofit.
  5. Provide regular tweets with timely news about your nonprofit and the community it serves.

We’ll also be talking about some of our favorite Twitter tools at today’s workshop. Come visit our Facebook page to find out what they are!

May 09
Love0

Tears at the Office: Missing Amber Morris

By Uncategorized

Amber MorrisI awoke this morning and learned, via Facebook, that a friend and former colleague at Standing Partnership passed away over the weekend. It’s not the ideal way to learn of the death of a friend, but with the way news travels and the speed of social platforms, it’s become more common to find out from Facebook first. Yes, it was sudden and unexpected and it is not an understatement to say that there are many people in St. Louis and Orlando, Fla. and elsewhere reeling from the shock.

Amber Morris was a fellow vice president at Standing, where I worked with her for more than five years. I remember when I interviewed with Amber for the job at Standing thinking how impressive she was and how pretty. (I also remember noticing her tiny diamond nose ring and thinking she must be the rebel of the office!)

I learned from Amber and loved being part of a team that included her. I watched her very capably tackle and manage big clients and dive into social media with a personal blog to help her learn from the inside out, what she could to inform clients about blogging and social networks. I liked to think of Amber as one of my “blog spawn” — yet another person I pushed into launching and enjoying the blogging life. Her posts about cooking and crafts are inspirational, but as a long-distance coworker, I especially liked learning about the animals Amber fostered (and sometimes adopted). The best, however, was learning about Amber finding the love of her life in Shane, someone she waited a long time to find. It was so good to know she’d found so much happiness with him.

Not only did I work with Amber, but her mom, Sharon, worked with us as well. Sharon isn’t just Amber’s mom, she’s been kind of the office mom. I am always delighted and cheered to hear her voice answer the phone when I call the St. Louis office. My heart just aches for Amber’s parents, her boyfriend Shane, and all of our colleagues and friends at Standing. I can’t imagine how they will endure the silence from Amber’s office and the hole left in the team, that empty chair at the table. I wish that I could be there now to give whatever comfort I could possibly impart. If you knew Amber, or any of my teammates at Standing, keep them all in your thoughts and prayers today and in the coming weeks. (If you’d like to leave a note of condolence for the team, you can do so at https://www.facebook.com/standingpartnership )

I find it ironic that one of Amber’s last blog posts for Standing Partnership was called Tears at the Office — and was about communications work done in the interest of unwanted pets. Amber was a total softie when it came to puppies and kittens. In fact, one of my first thoughts on learning of her death was how much her pets will miss her, as well. There are sure to be tears in the office today.

To readers of this blog — I’m sorry for the dramatic departure from the usual content, but sometimes life overtakes work and in these cases, there’s nothing to be done but honor the moment and share what’s foremost on my mind.