- PR 20/20

50 Social Sites for Business from InsideCRM

By Paul | Posted Jan 29, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing, Social Media
InsideCRM has delivered an excellent article for business owners and marketing professionals seeking to explore and capitalize on Web 2.0.

50 Social Sites That Every Business Needs a Presence On covers the industry leaders, including Digg, LinkedIn and YouTube, as well as niche sites and upstarts, such as Ning and Sphinn.

I highly recommend bookmarking the article, and spending a few hours browsing to see what these social sites have to offer your business.
How to Generate 1.1 Million Impressions in Four Days

By Paul | Posted Jan 25, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing, Social Media
Simple. Powerful. Inspiring.

Here is a brilliantly executed viral marketing video that has already generated more than 1.1 million views in the four days since it was posted to YouTube:

Unfortunately, the visual and emotional appeal oozing from the video are not carried through on the actual IdeaBlob.com Website, but the strategy behind the video and the creative are marvelous.

So what is IdeaBlob.com? Well, click on the "Inspired by Advanta" tagline under the logo, and you'll see that it's a lead generation tool for a credit card company. While we can't predict if Advanta will actually be able to convert the Ideablobbers into customers, kudos to the marketing team that conceived and executed the launch.
10 Tools to Increase the Impact of a PR Campaign

By Paul | Posted Jan 19, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Public Relations
The most effective strategy to bolster a PR campaign’s success is to do something different, that is, something worth talking about. Think Apple.

However, not every company has the ability (or the R & D budget) to continually innovate and redefine its industry, so below we take a look at a sampling of tools that can position organizations as thought-leaders and capture the attention of mainstream and social media:
1. Authoritative Surveys: Conduct and publish surveys on topics relevant to your industry, and your expertise.
2. Blogs: In this Web 2.0 world, if you’re not blogging, then you’re not an expert. So check out the Corporate Blog Creative Brief, and get started.
3. By-Lined Articles: Find trade magazines and online resources that accept and publish by-lined articles from experts.
4. Newsletters: Share tips and insight with internal and external audiences through print or electronic Newsletters.
5. Online Forums: Contribute to relevant online forums.
6. Podcasts: Podcasts give audiences the ability to listen when they want, where they want and how they want, and they give your organization the opportunity to differentiate from the competition and be further positioned as an innovator and industry leader.
7. Seminars: Host seminars that give customers and prospects the knowledge and tools needed to grow their businesses.
8. Social Networking: Join LinkedIn, build your network and post responses in the new Answers section.
9. Speaking Engagements: Share what you know with trade and professional organizations as a featured speaker or panel member.
10. Webinars: Educate and inform target audiences in a virtual classroom. Webinars offer a convenient and effective venue to conduct interactive presentations and discussions.
Public relations is all about building relationships and communications, and contributing to the discussion. So stop focusing on getting "covered" in the media, and start thinking about how your business can be different, and make a difference.
10 Tips to Conduct Successful Publicity Campaigns

By Paul | Posted Jan 19, 2008 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing, Public Relations
Brands of all sizes have been built, and destroyed, by the media. Print, broadcast and online media outlets have unmatched power to influence behavior and affect change, making publicity an essential part of every marketing budget.

Effective campaigns build strong media relationships, publicize newsworthy information and events, and proactively create news that fits the needs and profiles of target media outlets.

Here are 10 fundamental tips to conduct successful publicity campaigns:
1. Media Database: Every successful campaign starts with a custom media database. Whether you build the list yourself (or through your agency), or use a service such as PR Newswire’s MEDIAtlas, the key is to tailor the list to reach mainstream and social media with information targeted to their beats and interests.
2. Historical Coverage: Review past media coverage to establish a clear understanding of how your brand is perceived and positioned, and ensure you remain connected with media contacts that have covered your organization and your industry.
3. Press Releases: Identify the common news topics that can be publicized through press releases, including: awards, events, executive appearances, new locations and clients, personnel, product innovations and sponsorships. While I’m not a huge fan of the traditional press release, it still has its place when properly targeted. Releases can also be distributed online as a search engine optimization (SEO) tool (either through a corporate site or release distribution service).
4. Feature Story Pitches: Package and promote big news about your organization, special events, industry trends and more with feature story pitches. Ideal for targeting one key TV, radio or print outlet with an exclusive story, feature story pitches often start with a phone call or email to the selected media contact.
5. Editorial Calendars: Identify opportunities to deliver timely information to trade, business and consumer media. Editorial calendars (commonly available on publication Websites) provide detailed outlines of the topics and news that outlets plan to cover throughout the year.
6. Expert Sources: Position your company spokespersons as valuable media resources, assuming that they can offer expertise on topics relevant to your industry or an outlet’s coverage areas.
7. Awards: Garner recognition for your success, innovation, community involvement and leadership through awards.
8. Trends: Consider the trends impacting your industry, how they are being covered in the media and what your organization can contribute to the discussion.
9. Special Sections: Assess the recurring special sections in your target media outlets for editorial opportunities. For example, your local weekly business magazine may have a monthly small business or technology section that would be a great fit.
10. Publicity Calendar: Plan and track press releases, feature story pitches, editorial opportunities and events throughout the year with a publicity calendar. Basic software applications such as Word and Excel work great for maintaining publicity calendars, or for the more tech savvy professionals, consider a project management tool, such as BaseCamp, or even a wiki.
Next up on PR 20/20 Insights, “Tools to Increase the Impact of a PR Campaign” . . .
Survey Says . . . Mainstream Media Increasingly Turns to Blogs

By Paul | Posted Jan 8, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media
Blogs have given individuals and organizations the power to contribute content online and reach audiences on a grand scale, and according to a recent study from communications firm Brodeur, mainstream media (TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc.) is taking note.

“A survey of U.S. journalists by Brodeur, a unit of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC), suggests that blogs are not only having an impact on the speed and availability of news, but also influence the tone and editorial direction of reporting.”

Brodeur’s head of strategic planning, Jerry Johnson, revealed the survey results yesterday during a seminar at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Key Findings:

Blogs are sources.
- More than 75% of journalists surveyed use blogs to find new story ideas or angles, and to better understand the context and tone of issues.
Journalists read blogs on a regular basis.
- More than 20% spend at least one hour per day reading blogs.
- More than 50% read blogs at least 2-3 times per week.
Journalists are becoming more active participants in social media.
- More than 25% of respondents have a blog.
- More than 15% have a social networking page.
Are you a thought-leader, innovator or expert? Then in this Web 2.0 world, you better have a blog!
The Power of Viral Videos

By Paul | Posted Jan 8, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media
Public relations as we know it is rapidly evolving, and organizations caught watching from the sidelines are being left behind.

Innovators and early adopters are taking the risks, and reaping the rewards, of launching social media campaigns. These organizations, seeking more affordable and effective, non-traditional marketing solutions, are turning to online tools such as blogs, podcasts, wikis and videos – and some are having remarkable success.

Take, for example, Blendtec. For the YouTube.com faithful, CEO Tom Dickson (that's him in the lab coat) is a social-media celebrity. But for those of you who aren’t familiar with the “Will It Blend?” video series, it is a case study in the power of viral videos.

In a recent StartupJournal.com article entitled, “Marketing Videos Are A Hit in Their Own Right,” it was reported that as a result of a series of online-only videos featuring Dickson blending items such as, golf balls, EZ Cheese, Transformers, magnets and iPhones (yes, he actually obliterated an iPhone), sales of Blentec’s home blenders sky-rocketed 43% in 2006.

Update: The original article linked in this entry is no longer active. For more information, check out the similar blog post, "Marketing Videos Became a Hit in Their Own Right."

It’s even more impressive when you consider that Blentec didn’t have a marketing department until 2006, and launched the video effort on a $50 budget!

Have you considered how social media is changing your business, and your industry? Maybe it's time that you do.
8 Public Relations Trends to Watch in 2008

By Paul | Posted Jan 5, 2008 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Public Relations, Social Media
EDITOR'S NOTE: An updated version of this post has been published here: 10 Public Relations Trends That Will Change the Industry Forever

The public relations industry is evolving. Technology is redefining the profession, and opening up a world of opportunities for PR agencies to expand services and deliver greater value to clients.

While many traditional PR agencies struggle to find and retain clients, innovative PR agencies are monitoring and driving the trends that will shape the public relations industry for years to come.

Here are some of the top PR trends to watch in 2008:
1. Social Media: This is the most obvious and talked about trend in the public relations industry. PR professionals are communications specialists, and blogs, forums, online video and social networking offer the ability to communicate more affordably and efficiently than ever before.
  
  Plus, social media channels give PR pros unfiltered access to consumer opinions and behavior. The leading PR agencies will find ways to contribute openly and honestly, benefiting both clients and consumers.
2. Online Press Releases & Newsrooms: The purpose of a press release is changing. Releases are now being written with keyword-rich content and distributed with the sole intent of better optimizing sites for search engines. Often times, the optimized press releases aren’t even sent to mainstream media.
  
  As a result, the formatting and functionality of press releases and online newsrooms are evolving to integrate social bookmarking, video, blogs, podcasts and RSS feeds (see “Social Media Releases Gain Ground As PR Tool” to learn more).
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Leading PR agencies will continue to blend Search Engine Optimization (SEO) capabilities with the traditional mix of public relations services. And don’t be surprised if over the next 12-36 months a flurry of merger and acquisition activity emerges among upstart SEO firms and traditional PR agencies.
4. Content Publishing: With the widespread availability of affordable (and sometimes free) online press release and article distribution services, organizations have the ability to generate impressions and leads online through content publishing, in addition to what can be accomplished with mainstream media publicity campaigns.
5. Social Bookmarking: Social bookmarking sites such as Digg, Del.icio.us and Reddit have changed the way PR pros consume and share news. See “Is Social Media More Relevant Than Mainstream Media?” to learn more about how social bookmarking sites are redefining what is relevant and newsworthy to consumers.
6. RSS Feeds: RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds are an incredibly efficient tool to monitor frequently updated online content, such as: blogs, news headlines, forum posts and podcasts. RSS feeds give PR pros the ability to consume and filter enormous amounts of information and news from mainstream and social media sites. Below is a sample RSS feed from the Internet marketing experts at HubSpot.
7. Google News Alerts: Google News Alerts has become an invaluable tool for PR professionals, delivering continuous email updates on clients, competitors and industry trends. It’s free, easy and effective.
  
  Savvy professionals will use Google News Alerts, RSS Feeds and other free online monitoring applications to reduce or eliminate the need for high-price monitoring services that have long been a staple of the public relations industry.
8. Standardized Services & Set Pricing: I may be a bit partial to this one, but based on the phenomenal response and demand we have seen in the market since introducing standardized services and set pricing in November 2005 (check out The 20/20 Standard to learn more), it’s hard to imagine more firms won’t catch on and move away from prohibitive hourly rates.
  
  It will be extremely difficult for many traditional PR firms to evolve, since it requires a dramatic shift in staffing, billing and operations, but it could quickly become the model of choice for PR and marketing upstarts.
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