pr and social media
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Presented by Kristie Aylett, APR, on June 25, 2009, at the annual PRCA Tool Kit in Mobile, Ala. Workshop is sponsored by the Public Relations Council of Alabama.TRANSCRIPT
Kristie Aylett, APRThe KARD Group PR/Marketing
June 25, 2009
Copyright 2009, The KARD Group
It’s a Different World1999Mass media rulesFaxes, pagers, memos“You’ve got mail” Y2K on horizonAverage 8 hours
online/monthColumbine shooting
2009Mass media in troubleBlackberrys, smart
phonesSearch enginesSocial networkingAverage 75 hours
online/monthIran’s election
Or Is It?Many everyday PR tactics remain effective.
News releasesNewslettersBrochuresSpecial eventsPublications
PR still strives for management role
Complex“Let’s deal with this quietly and hope it goes away.”Instant
No more “magic hour” to issue statement after crisisMiracle on the Hudson (US Airways 1549)
First photo uploaded to Twitter 1 minute after landing Citizen journalism -- amateur video, photos
Ongoing and everywhereAll day, every day, global
Rumors go viral. Truth and good news doesn’t.Customers now complain online vs. calling hotline.
SimplePublic Relations is perfectly suited for a social world,
perhaps more than any other communications discipline.
The outcome of good PR is good relationships.The best PR comes from paying attention to key
publics, engaging them, and learning from them. Four-Step Process of Research, Planning,
Implementation and EvaluationTactics based on strategy. Strategy based on research.
Grunig’s Four Models of PRPress Agentry
PT BarnumCelebrity stunts
Public InformationGovernment agencies, schools
One-Way AsymmetricalPress releases, newsletters, static Web sites
Two-Way SymmetricalFeedback , conversation
Customer RelationshipsOngoing CommunicationDirect Sales
Blendtec’s $50 investment resulted in 43% increase in sales in 2006. Will It Blend?
Dell Outlet has sold more than $3 million in PCs and accessories through Twitter.
Customer Service @ComcastCares on Twitter – I’m sorry. How can I help?
Marketing, Promotion, Contests Tiger Woods YouTube video
Media RelationsConvergence
Print, online, video, photos, blogsNewsroom layoffs
Online newsroomsSocial Media Releases, with links to online contentGoogle News Alerts, automated monitoringHelp A Reporter Out (HARO)
Free 3x daily emails of media queries
Employee RelationshipsBuild community Share knowledge
IntranetsVirtual townhallsE-newslettersWikis
BlogsNot just management
Yammer.com = Twitter-like service for internal comms.
Fund RaisingOnline payment systems simplified fund raisingOrganizations help participants raise money through
individual Web pages, e-newslettersIn 2008, American Cancer Society raised $211,000
in its 4th annual virtual Relay for Life on Second Life.Tyson Foods increases donation to food banks
based on number of comments to its hunger relief blog.
Target let Facebook users vote on how it divided $3 million donation among 10 organizations.
Research ToolsTechnorati.comBlogpulse.com
(Conversation Tracker)
SurveyMonkey.comAlexa.comCompete.com
Social Networking SitesMySpace – 76 million U.S. users, average 4
hrs/monthFacebook –
More than 200 million active users More than 100 million log in daily
Tremendous growth among older users Business pagesAdvertising
LinkedIn – business networking, 36 million strongNing – niche communities
TwitterA free micro-messaging service that limits messages
to 140 charactersTweets can be sent and received via the Web site,
mobile phone, text message, etc. Established March 2006Early adopters include tech, IT, bloggersBreaking news, citizen journalism
EarthquakesMiracle on the Hudson Iran Election
Some StatisticsTwitter usage is spiking1374 % jump in unique visitors in one year
February 2008 = 475,000February 2009 = 7 million
April 2009 – Twitter enters mainstream @aplusk vs. @CNNBRK in race for 1 million followersOprah signs upNew users spike but most remain inactive
What’s Twitter good for?Communicate with key publics
CustomersEmployeesShareholders
Allow customers to communicate easily with youRespond quickly to service issuesReceive feedback on programs, activities
Drive traffic to Web siteBuild reputation by building relationships
Glossary of termsTweet = (n) a message posted to TwitterTo Tweet = (v) to post a message to TwitterFollow = to sign up to receive someone else’s updatesRT = ReTweet, to forward someone else’s tweet to your
own followersDM = Direct Message, a private message sent to
someone who follows your updates. DMs don’t appear on your profile or in public stream.
@username = How to refer to another Tweeter. A reply message begins with @ and the username.
# = Hashtag, a symbol used to simplify monitoring or searching a conversation thread (#Gustav, #prville)
Glossary of termsFavorites – Marking a tweet to preserve it
Your favorites are part of your profileShortening a URL address
Bit.lyTinyurl.comBudurl.com
Auto-DMs = automatic message, perhaps thanking new followers. Often causes negative reaction.
Auto-tweet = automatic updates documenting new Web content, headlines, etc.
Getting startedSign up online at www.twitter.com
Must be linked to an email accountLimited to one account per email
Create a profileAvatar (photo, logo, or other image) that will appear
next to your tweetsBio (brief description of account; becomes metatag)
Protect your account or notTo restrict access to your updates to only users you
approve.
Getting startedFind other users
“Find people” option on main menuwww.search.twitter.comwww.twellow.comwww.wefollow.comwww.nearbytweeps.com or www.localtweeps.com
Review profiles of users who follow the same people you do
Identify hashtag that interests you and find others who follow that conversation
They’re tweeting about youJust got back from USS Alabama battleshipBoys going on motorcycle trip from Little Rock to
PCB, FL in few weeks. Planning stop in Mobile for USS Alabama. Suggestions for other stops?
The Scouts drive to Mobile, Alabama, today and will sleep on the Battleship USS Alabama tonight!
Aboard the USS Alabama. Kids are loving it.Today is "boy's day" in Mobile, Alabama for
grandsons. We are going to visit the battleship USS Alabama in Mobile Bay.
Now it’s up to youIgnore the conversationMonitor itParticipate and engageEmpower your employees, customers, volunteers,
etc. to become true ambassadors.
You cannot control the conversation or stop it.
Next step? Do some research Identify social media users among your employees
Form a committee? Ask target audiences about their use of social media
Which sites do they visit?What would they want to receive from you on that site?
Study sites, applications to find best fitsDevelop social media policy for your organization
Scenario: An employee blogs about workIdentify others in your industry who use social media
What do you like, dislike about their approach?
Kristie Aylett, APRThe KARD Group PR/Marketing
@KrisTK
June 25, 2009
Copyright 2009, The KARD Group