Apr 22
Love0

Agencies: You Can’t Fake it Till you Make it in Social Media – 3 Tests to Try

By Media, Public Relations, Social Media

Public relations and marketing agencies have been trying to take a slice of the social media pie for about five years now. Grow it or hire it, are the two options for incorporating new capabilities into agencies. Growing it means extensive training and support for existing team members. Firms have had limited success with this, since agencies often find it difficult to create a structure of accountability, forcing employees to get with the social program.

Forcing PR people (or old school marketers) into social media engagement just plain doesn’t work. Everyone I’ve known who is engaged in social media and who also has it as an element of their career does it because they love it. And because they love it, they do it well. They spend the time necessary to teach themselves and continue learning (which social media, by nature, necessitates).

Agencies who are claiming to “do” social media or offer digital communications as a practice area to clients think they can do this with limited personal experience in the social web. They’re trying, in my opinion, to “fake it till they make it” and in social media, that just doesn’t work. Having worked with several firms in my time, I know that immersing yourself in a client’s business, that learning on the fly and applying communications knowledge to the industry is how agencies work. It does work for PR practices, crisis work, media relations and a ton of other communications work — much of which is done behind the scenes and white-labeled with client brands and spokespeople.

As soon as a practitioner claims to offer social media counsel to clients, however, a quick look at that person’s digital footprint tells a very fast and accurate story. Do three things to test out anyone seeking work in the social media arena:

  1. Google them. What do you find? Do they have a Google profile? Is the content you find from them? Is it what you think they’d want you to find?
  2. Read their blog. What’s that you say? They don’t have a blog? Ditch them. If they “contribute” to a collaborative blog, check them out personally — how much of the content on a firm blog is theirs? 10 percent? 20? How many posts in a year?
  3. Check their Klout.com score. It’s not a perfect measurement system, but it will give you an overview of the outreach and impact your social media consultant has to offer on your business’s behalf.

 

Apr 21
Love0

10 Reasons to Get Your Social Media Shizzle Together

By Social Media

No, I do not typically use the word “shizzle” but I just found out that I have a ticket to see Snoop Dogg on Monday and suddenly it is exactly the right word to use.

It is brought to my attention now and again that some people still do not get that having a social strategy in place is important; that those engaged in marketing, communications or public relations on behalf of an agency or a business don’t see that there’s potential for a social component in nearly every kind of business that exists.

Keep your mind on your money and your money on your mind with these 10 reasons to get your social media on:

  1. Get over the snazziness of social media; it’s about building relationships. Social platforms just make it easier and there’s really no reason not to take advantage of that. If you don’t you’re missing the boat.
  2. Do you want to the last one to the party? That answer (unless it’s an actual party) is always no.
  3. Without a strategy, you’re probably wasting lots of time. Get a plan in place with measurable goals so you’ll know if you’re being successful.
  4. Your customers expect you to know what you’re doing with your business. Show them you do.
  5. Accessibility is the new normal in customer service and demand. If customers can’t find you where they already are (i.e., Facebook) they’ll move on to someone who is there.
  6. If you’re not there, you can’t be easily found. Everyone uses search to find new providers; if you’re on multiple platforms and using social media well, potential customers will find you.
  7. The generation of people in their twenties and thirties don’t want to do business with a company that doesn’t have a strong online presence; the generation older doesn’t want to do business with a brand that has a bad reputation. Make sure you’re managing both.
  8. It’s the least expensive way to attract the right people to your brand.
  9. It’s the fastest, most effective way to get your message shared.
  10. You’re probably already doing most of the work or producing content needed; you’re halfway there — reap the benefits of taking it all the way.

Fo’ shizzle.

 

 

Apr 20
Love0

Barnes Jewish Hospital: Using Social Media to Build Relationships and Community

By Social Media

There’s a lot to be proud of in St. Louis, the town I called home for more than 17 years. Barnes-Jewish Hospital, part of the system where I had my own two children, is one. Barnes-Jewish is the largest hospital in the state of Missouri. It’s a teaching hospital (which is why an audience of about 10 watched me deliver my son) and is affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine.

Barnes-Jewish is also the hospital where my brother-in-law died in 2000, as the result of a medication error that caused him to go into cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment for cancer. As a result of that, my mother-in-law and father-in-law have dedicated time, care and emotion, sharing their story and working with the hospital’s patient safety and quality committee to help the hospital continually improve patient care.

Thus, my personal perspective on the hospital’s manner of working with patients and their families has been up close. The culture of caring and commitment, even in times of crisis has never failed to impress me. When my family was going through what was truly hell on earth, the relationship with the hospital held up; and eleven years later is still strong.

I cannot share what I started to write about in this post without covering that very personal territory. When I sat down to write, I simply wanted to honor Barnes-Jewish for it’s blog Touching Base. I’ve been following the hospital’s blog since its beginning and have been consistently impressed with the content and the commitment to its mission of “building relationships and a community through sharing.”

The blog has a whole page dedicated to sharing guidelines, posting very publicly the expectations for employee interaction in social media platforms. The hospital’s mission, vision and values are plainly stated and the regularly updated content consistently provides interesting and valuable health information while also giving a behind-the-scenes look at hospital life.

Coincidentally, blogger and social media specialist for the hospital Kristin Hall is a friend and someone I attended Lindenwood University with (back in the Dark Ages before blogs existed). I’d say this even if Kristin wasn’t a friend; she’s really excellent at her job. Watching the way she has created content on behalf of the hospital and continued to stay on message and mission has truly impressed me. As a result of her efforts, Barnes-Jewish is one of few nationwide examples of hospitals using social media in a really effective, meaningful way.

Hospitals and health care organizations would do well to pay attention to not only the way Barnes-Jewish uses social media, but the way they develop and maintain relationships, the way they continue to interact with patients and patients’ families over time and the value they provide to the community, overall. There’s much to be learned from following the example of those doing this work well.

 

 

Apr 19
Love0

Three Cups of Tea Author Greg Mortenson’s Authenticity Called into Question

By Social Media

Author and nonprofit founder Greg Mortenson’s authenticity is being questioned by that grandaddy of all lie busters, 60 Minutes. What gives the truth-hunt even stronger legs is that Jon Krakauer, author and mountaineer, is leading the investigation. At first I thought, why does Krakauer have it out for Mortenson; it’s simple. Krakauer was one of the first donors, giving $75,000 to Mortenson’s foundation to build schools in Pakistan. Now questions are being raised not only about the authenticity of Mortenson’s stories (timelines, exaggerations, misleading statements and flat out lies are all alleged) but also the financial practices of Mortenson’s foundation.

The whole story is reminiscent of the scandal that blew up over James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces in 2006. Frey, whose work is now called a semi-fictional memoir, and who never had a nonprofit foundation or the kind of reputation Mortenson boasts, became a figurehead for the controversy and discussion of what constitutes a memoir — and at what point does a work need to be termed fiction?

What I find annoying about how this story is progressing is Mortenson’s initial response, published by Outside Magazine. Mortenson is very quickly calling out his ghostwriter; foisting the blame for inconsistencies in his own publication on the person who helped him write it and get it published.

As someone who works in public relations, who has ghostwritten many client pieces, relying on interviews and notes to pull together stories recounted by others, I’m concerned about what fallout this might cause for this ghostwriter and others. It’s a fair view that not everyone with a story is a writer and there’s nothing wrong with getting help to get a story well-written and more likely to be read.

Authenticity is a huge hot button for me; it’s particularly become important in the culture of social media in which communities do not stand for falsification of self, for “faking it” online or in print. We want the real deal, and when someone breaks that authenticity code, the ramifications can be devastating.

It is curious, then, that some companies are comfortable outsourcing their Twitter presence, the total of their online content, relying on an agency or other outside representative to ghostwrite their brand and beliefs. This, I think, is a risky business, not only because of what Mortenson’s writer is going through, but from Mortenson’s perspective, if he truly relinquished so much control of his own work to have published what amounts to fiction presented as truth, then he may very well have destroyed his career and his reputation.

It’s sad that someone who likely set out to do a lot of good may end up destroying what good he’s done.

Krakauer’s essay Three Cups of Deceit is available for free download today.

Apr 15
Love0

Facebook Business Page Boot Camp

By Communications

The last few weeks have had me teaching members of the business community in workshops and internal meetings how to use social media and specifically social networking as a method of building business relationships.

What has emerged most frequently is a demand for education and help with creating Facebook pages for business — and then, a plan and assistance with what to do with the page once it exists.

This need has led me to develop Facebook Business Boot Camp, a workshop for businesses who are new to Facebook, who need to learn about the platform and marketing uses from the ground up. Facebook has very specific guidelines for how businesses can offer promotions, run contests and communicate with fans. It’s important to understand these, and be in compliance as well as taking advantage of the potential to reach millions with your message on a site that attracts users for hours every week.

The first workshop will be May 5, 9am to 11am in Charlottesville.

Register today!