PR 20/20 Blog

One Tip to Improve Your Website Effectiveness

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted May 25, 2011 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing
As a HubSpot partner agency, we often use Website Grader when evaluating the marketing effectiveness of prospect and client sites.

Website Grader is a free tool that analyzes search engine data, website structure, approximate traffic and site performance, and then compiles an Internet marketing report based on its findings. Your Grade is from 0 to 100 (just like in school) and compares your site to the millions that Website Grader has analyzed since its debut in 2007.

Patrick Shea at HubSpot gave us a challenge: What’s the ONE best way to improve your Website Grade?

Our answer: Build a Blog Editorial Calendar.

Benefits of a Blog Editorial Calendar

Everybody knows that using a blog to publish informative, buyer-persona focused content on a regular basis can increase indexed pages, organic traffic, inbound links and site engagement levels — and consequently your Website Grade.

Well, in our experience, we’ve found that a blog editorial calendar keeps you committed to creating that content ongoing. By mapping out your topics ahead of time — complete with priority keywords, target buyer personas, publishing dates, associated PR opportunities and more — you can ensure that your blog doesn't fall by the wayside.

Tips to Get Started

Develop the calendar with your buyer personas in mind to guarantee that all content addresses their specific needs. The more relevant and interesting your blog posts are, the more likely they will be shared on social networks and other sites — giving your content legs. This can build inbound links, expose new people to your content and impact search results.

In addition, analyzing keywords and incorporating them into blog topics within your calendar ensures that all your content is optimized, and thus more easily found by searchers.

As an added bonus, we recommend syncing your internal blog editorial calendar with those of your target publications, many of which are published online, to propel PR opportunities. Plan ahead and write a blog post on an upcoming topic, and then use that information to fuel your pitch. Resulting coverage could lead to inbound links and new traffic.

Like all tactics, a blog editorial calendar needs to be part of an integrated inbound marketing campaign. However, it’s a great way to keep your team committed to strategic content production.

What’s your number one tip to improve Website Grade?

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Rise of the Inbound Marketing Agency

By Paul Roetzer | Posted Mar 9, 2011 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing
We are on the cusp of a truly transformational period in the marketing-services industry.

In September 2008, I published “Dawn of the Inbound Marketing Agency” on the PR 20/20 blog. The basic premise of the post was that the inbound marketing revolution, being driven by HubSpot, was going to spawn a more dynamic and innovative marketing-services ecosystem. Tech-savvy, hybrid agencies and professionals would come to disrupt the industry and shift the balance of power.

The successes of services such as crowdSPRING and the HubSpot Marketplace have proven demand for non-traditional solutions, and HubSpot’s historic $32 million Series D round of financing brought Google Ventures, Salesforce.com and Sequoia Capital together on an investment for the first time.

Meanwhile, HubSpot’s expansive VAR program lead database of agencies and consultants demonstrates a captive global audience of providers seeking opportunity and change.

In what Forrester Research has dubbed “The Great Race for Relevance,” traditional and emerging firms are battling for budgets and influence in search, mobile, social, content, analytics, web, public relations and email marketing.

As a result, everything is changing: budget allocations, pricing and service models, communication channels, influencers, measurement methods, tools and platforms, higher education, industry accreditation, career paths and organization charts.

The agencies with the will and vision to adapt and evolve will rise, and emerge as the new leaders, while many traditional PR, advertising, SEO and web development agencies will become obsolete.

Profile of the Inbound Marketing Agency

Inbound marketing is powered by content. In order to grow smarter and faster than the competition (see "How to Build Your Inbound Marketing GamePlan"), organizations must continually publish great content online through blogs, podcasts, videos, optimized press releases, case studies, white papers, eBooks and by-lined articles.

Thus, the advent of the inbound marketing agency. Here’s a profile of what a typical inbound marketing agency will look like [Editor’s Note: These elements have been adapted from the original “Dawn of the Inbound Marketing Agency” post]:
- Staff: Expert copywriters who are trained in authentic on-page and off-page search engine optimization methodology, and function as Internet marketing consultants. All employees/consultants are heavily engaged in social media.
- Services: Content publishing, social media consulting, blogging, search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, mobile marketing, website development, email marketing, lead nurturing and analytics, as well as evolved forms of public relations and brand marketing.
- Pricing: Value-based with wider appeal to the mass market of small businesses. The end to billable hours approaches.
- Results: Inbound marketing firms consistently produce more measurable outcomes, including: inbound links, website traffic, leads and sales.
- Leadership: Most likely founded/lead by Generation X or Generation Y.
- Technology: Extremely tech-savvy. There may even be a crossover into software research and development (either in-house or outsourced).
- Infrastructure: More agile and tolerant to risk than most traditional marketing service firms. Built to be highly scalable in terms of number of clients and employees, geographic markets, and revenue.
- Growth: Dramatically more aggressive growth models due to mass-market appeal. As a result, angel and venture funding of leading firms is a greater probability than with traditional agencies. A wave of mergers and acquisitions of complementary firms — PR, SEO, web developers, email marketing, mobile marketing, etc. — also is probable.
- Market Focus: The industry leaders will have a mass-market focus, and international appeal (the Internet has no borders), but like any emerging industry, there will be plenty of room for smaller agencies to prosper by concentrating on niche market segments and/or services.
What’s Next?

PR 20/20 is working on a series of large-scale initiatives to support marketing service firms seeking to evolve, provide resources to organizations as they integrate inbound marketing strategies, and accelerate change in the industry.

This is an amazing time to be a marketer. As we concluded in the original “Dawn of the Inbound Marketing Agency” post:

“Welcome to the age of inbound marketing. The time is now to get started.”

Resources
- How to Build Your Inbound Marketing GamePlan
- 2011 State of Inbound Marketing Report
Related Blog Posts
About the Author

Paul Roetzer is founder and president of PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. He can be found on Twitter @PaulRoetzer.

Connect with PR 20/20

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Inbound Marketing Training Resources

By Christina Capadona Schmitz | Posted Feb 10, 2011 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing, Resources
It’s showing up in job descriptions throughout the world. No company or consumer is safe from its charms. It’s inbound marketing, and it could be headed straight for you.

If you’re a new grad, seasoned professional or marketing manager, who is suddenly charged with performing “Inbound Marketing” for your employer, department or agency, there’s no need to panic.

There is a wealth of free – yes free – resources to get you started, immerse you in the concept, and prepare you for practical application.

PR 20/20 takes a holistic approach to training, based on our Inbound Marketing GamePlan methodology. Here are some of the cornerstone resources we recommend for our employees. We hope you find them helpful too.

General Inbound Marketing Training
- HubSpot Training
First coined by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, co-founders of HubSpot, inbound marketing refers to permission-based marketing strategies in which consumers choose to learn more about you. HubSpot hosts a number of training programs for inbound marketing, including a certification program and resource center through Inbound Marketing University. HubSpot’s Marketing Resources and HubSpot's Webinar Archive.
- The PR 20/20 Inbound Marketing GamePlan (eBook)
This eBook was published by PR 20/20 in January 2010 to guide marketers through the inbound approach to traditional marketing strategies.
- Mashable’s How-To
Mashable is a recognized source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture.
- American Marketing Association Resource Library
Website and Search Marketing
- Marketer's Guide to Website Redesign (PR 20/20 eBook)
This eBook was published by PR 20/20 in May 2010 to guide marketers through the website redesign and launch process.
- Google AdWords
Google provides a free training materials course for AdWords. You can use the training to take exams ($50 fees) for the Google Certification Program. They also offer free videos and webinars related to AdWords.
- Google Analytics
Google provides a free online course that offers comprehensive training in Google Analytics implementation and data analysis. You can use the training to take the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (IQ) test for $50 as well. They also offer free videos and webinars related to Google Analytics.
- SEOmoz Beginner’s Guide to SEO
The Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an in depth tutorial on how search engines work, and covers the fundamental strategies that make websites search engine friendly.
- Search Engine Land How-To
Search experts from Search Engine Land offer guidance on implementing successful search marketing tactics and techniques, as well as avoiding common mistakes.

Content Marketing and Copywriting
- Writing for Results (PR 20/20 blog post)
PR 20/20 takes a strategic approach to writing, integrating key concepts of inbound marketing and traditional brand strategy, to deliver results. Below is a blog post that outlines this approach and corresponds to a guest post on HubSpot titled “7 Elements of Great Business Content.”
- Content Marketing Institute
Content Marketing Institute, launched in May 2010, serves as a marketing community hub, with daily blog posts and free resources on all things Content Marketing.
- Ragan Writing & Editing and CopyBlogger.com
These are two highly recommended online resources for writing, editing and delivering results.

Social Media
- PR 20/20 Blog: Social Media Posts
PR 20/20 publishes blog posts specific to getting started in social media.
- Social Media Examiner - Getting Started and Mashable.com Social Media Guide
These are two highly recommended online resources for getting started in social media and helping to integrate social media into your inbound marketing activities.

Public Relations
- PRDaily.com
PRDaily.com offers a wealth of news and information from across the globe on public relations and related marketing fields. It also offers a Think Tank and Community page for training, education and timely topics in the field.
- PRSA Free Webinars
The Public Relations Society of America offers free webinars on its website.

The Next Step

When it’s time to take the next step, there are many options for advanced marketing training through paid programs, workshops and conferences. You can also view PR 20/20’s post by Tracy DiMarino for a list of recommended 2011 marketing conferences.

Inbound Marketing training may have a beginning, but it doesn’t have an end. It is always evolving with the changing trends, technologies and platforms. The key is to learn from the sources that are recognized for quality, authority, and relevancy to the concepts, and from the people who have firsthand experience with the successes and challenges of inbound marketing.

At PR 20/20, we are always seeking valuable resources for our team, clients and marketing community. Please share your favorite inbound marketing training programs or educational resources in the comments below.

Further Reading on Inbound Marketing
- Inbound Marketing
Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah
- The New Rules of Marketing & PR 2nd Edition
David Meerman Scott

Christina is assistant vice president and consultant for PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow her on Twitter: @ChristinaCS

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Key Marketing Takeaways: HubSpot HUG Conference

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Oct 13, 2010 | 4 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing
Last week, some of the PR 20/20 team attended the first HubSpot User Group (HUG) conference in Boston to discuss inbound marketing strategies, HubSpot software updates and industry trends. Here, we were able to meet and share ideas with the HubSpot team, as well as other customers and partners.

Interested in what was discussed? Below, I’ve included three key marketing takeaways from the day.

1) Content Marketing: Quality Over Quantity

In the first panel of the day, Chris Brogan, David Meerman Scott, Ann Handley and Dharmesh Shah spoke about the future of inbound marketing. While the whole panel provided an array of helpful information, our main takeaway came from Ann, who stressed the importance of content quality over other factors such as publishing frequency and speed to market.

With the increasing flood of fast food content, it is more important than ever to focus on creating shareable, helpful and engaging content that is crafted for your buyer personas. Your content should address buyer persona needs and pains, and provide resources to help them reach their goals. If achieving this level of quality means that you publish less often, then so be it. Your audiences will appreciate the extra effort.

(Note: Christopher Penn also touched on this topic recently in his blog post, “The Obligation of the Content Creator.”)

From left to right: Dharmesh Shah, Ann Handley, Chris Brogan and David Meerman Scott.

2) Take Time to Convert the MOFU (Middle of the Funnel)

In an engaging presentation filled with lots of “data porn,” [PDF] HubSpotters Karen Rubin and Jeanne Hopkins discussed the importance of nurturing leads throughout the buying cycle. To prove their point, check out some of the key stats shared during the presentation below:
- Of those surveyed by sales lead expert Mac McIntosh, 23% had bought the product or service they were inquiring about within 6 months, while 67% still intended to purchase, but were not yet ready.
- According to Focus, it is only in the last third of the buying process that prospects actually want to engage with a sales representative.
- According to DemandGen Report, nurtured leads produce — on average — a 20% increase in sales opportunities versus non-nurtured leads.
- Companies using lead nurturing have closing rates 300% higher than their competitors that do not stay in touch with qualified leads, according to Forrester Research.
For other helpful lead nurturing tips, download the presentation slides [PDF].

3) Webinars are Easy with the Right Planning

In “Wanna Do a Webinar?” [PDF], Ellie Mirman and Kirsten Knipp of HubSpot provided tips for creating your first webinar, including a Webinar Quick Start Guide Checklist [PDF], outlining related activities and their anticipated timelines.

Coming from seasoned professionals — HubSpot averages 16 webinars per month — the guide is fine tuned with best practices learned from experience, and an all-around great resource for anyone looking to get started. In fact, we originally connected with HubSpot by attending its webinars back in 2007.

Special Thanks

While these are a few of my favorite marketing takeaways, there was plenty more information and resources shared at HUG. Check out Success.HubSpot for the complete archive of presentations.

Also, I’d like to offer a special thanks to HubSpot for hosting, and all the fun and interesting people we met. We had a great time sharing ideas, strategies, laughs and even a couple of drinks. Share your top HUG takeaways in the comments below.

Laurel and Keith from the PR 20/20 team hanging out with some HubSpot customers and partners — from left to right: Sam Coren and Justin Cambria from PullnotPush, and Matt Bertuzzi from The Bridge Group.

Tracy DiMarino is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyDiMarino.

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Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: 3 Key Takeaways

By Dia Dalsky | Posted Aug 24, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing, Marketing
Like many influencers ahead of their time, the Grateful Dead took risks and made sacrifices to pursue their passion and ultimately change the landscape of the music industry. Lucky for us (and them), their struggles paid off and now present an excellent case study that is inciting the rise of a new, niche fan base —today’s marketing professionals.

Since the mid-1960s, the band has abandoned standards in branding, building a business model, communication style, marketing and performances — all of which are examined in Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead by David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan.

The book documents the band’s success in creating a unique brand and encouraging a truly engaging fan experience. Scott and Halligan present simple marketing tactics used by the band, apply them to today’s business world and provide examples of companies that, like the Grateful Dead, have found success in going against “the norm.”

Here are a few marketing takeaways I found particularly insightful:

Create an Original and Innovative Brand

From the beginning, the Grateful Dead built a unique brand that set them apart from their competitors and intrigued fans. They did this by selecting an unusual name, constructing a band of unlikely musicians and creating a business model that defied normal success factors (e.g. achieving platinum record sales). As a result, it was able to establish its own category focused on listening to (rather than defining) its audiences’ needs.

Similarly, Scott and Halligan urge companies to think from a customer standpoint. Forget about the industry norm and ask yourself “What is the most logical way to fill my customers’ needs?” and “What differentiates me from my competitors?” While it’s important to stay in touch with your industry and remain conscious of your competitors, it should never dictate or limit where you take your business.

To champion the brand and connect with your audiences, you need to build a marketing team with diverse talent. Scott and Halligan encourage companies to build teams with a range of skill sets and experiences, including digital citizens, analytical thinkers, content creators and those with industry reach.

Attract and Engage Your Fans

The leading factor behind the Grateful Dead’s success was its die-hard community of Deadheads that supported, listened to and lived for the music. From its beginnings in San Francisco, the band sought to encourage personal connections and open dialogue with fans.

For example, the Grateful Dead placed a direct call-to-action inside the October 1971 live Skull and Roses album, requesting their fans to connect with them:

“DEAD FREAKS UNITE: Who are you? Where are you? How are you? Send us your name and address and we’ll keep you informed. Deadheads, P.O. Box 1065, San Rafael, California 94901.” – pg. 70, Ch. 9: Bring People on an Odessey

The response was overwhelming, receiving 10,257 responses in six months. Within five years, 63,147 Deadheads (in the United States alone) had requested to receive regular mailings from the band. Scott and Halligan relate this permission-based fan connection to a pre-Internet social network.

With this opt-in mailing list, the band was able to know their audience better, deliver fan communications and establish a community for Deadheads. The list also supported a variety of the band’s marketing activities, including ticket sales, which were kept entirely in-house and generated a majority of the band’s income.

Share Your Value Through (Free) Content

Deadheads also benefited from premium, or “fremium,” content, which is also the foundation of inbound marketing today.

By allowing fans to record live performances, permitting entrepreneurial vendors to create band paraphernalia and encouraging the distribution of both, the Grateful Dead removed the usual obstacles for music enthusiasts during the pre-Internet era. This availability of content without barriers makes the Dead’s music and brand “spreadable.”

“The Grateful Dead teaches us that your most passionate fans will pay a premium price for the best quality….The challenge in the upgrade model is to give away something that is considered valuable, and something that people will use regularly and become familiar with. It is the familiarity that grows from regular use…that generates the value and desire for the premium version of the same product or service.” – pg. 122, Ch. 15: Upgrade to Premium

Scott and Halligan have found professional inspiration from a shared interest in the Grateful Dead, the music and the experience they receive from being loyal followers (aka Deadheads). What brands give you inspiration from their marketing mission or core values? What lessons can you draw from them to implement in your own marketing strategy?

For more information

To learn more about individual businesses implementing Grateful Dead marketing tactics, watch How to Market Your Business Like the Most Iconic Band in History, a recent HubSpot webinar hosted by co-authors Scott and Halligan. The webinar showcases innovative companies such as Rue La La, Burton Snowboards and the New Belgium Brewing Company.

Dia Dalsky is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Dia on Twitter @DiaDalsky.

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Photo credits taken from Flickr Creative Commons (in order): Tony the Misfit; ActiveSteve; Jared
Driven by Content Part 1: What is Content Marketing? [VIDEO]

By Christina Capadona-Schmitz | Posted Aug 2, 2010 | 4 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing
Introducing Driven by Content

Driven by Content is PR 20/20’s 5-part beginner's video series on content marketing, and how it connects to an integrated, inbound marketing campaign.

Members of the PR 20/20 team have come together to share the story of what we’ve learned on our journey, in both content marketing for our agency, and through navigating clients in this emerging area.

As PR 20/20’s first agency-wide, self-produced video project, we designed this program as a practical, educational 101 guide, with the additional goal of documenting the content project step-by-step, to empower marketers to take the lead for their organizations. We'll be posting a new video each day the week of Aug. 2-6, as well as a wrap-up post.

Part 1: What is Content Marketing?

Over the past several years, we’ve seen content marketing take on a life of its own, thanks in large part to content marketing evangelist and co-author of “Get Content. Get Customers,” Joe Pulizzi (@JuntaJoe). Based on his experiences in the custom publishing industry, Pulizzi has helped create the category of content marketing through his brand Junta42, and through educating marketers throughout the world on its benefits.

People and organizations are building their brands online through blogs, case studies, custom publications, eBooks, enewsletters, press releases, podcasts, videos, surveys, webinars, white papers and more. And they are doing it by outthinking, not outspending, the competition by harnessing the power of the web and social media to connect audiences with useful, relevant information.

Content marketing is the fuel that drives today’s inbound marketing plans, and feeds off the strength of your brand, website, search marketing, PR and social media strategies. With the flood of content that exists today online, it’s more important than ever to be strategic with your communications, and build the reach to connect with the audiences that matter most to your organization.

Content marketing alone will not generate leads and loyalty, but it can:
- Enable organizations to create more authentic and personal connections, and establish and nurture relationships.
- Enhance positioning and thought leadership, giving organizations the ability to continually separate themselves by telling their unique story and delivering greater value than competitors.
- Build brand awareness, comprehension and loyalty to support both lead acquisition and customer loyalty.
- Directly impact website search engine rankings and traffic.
Navigating the Driven by Content Series

Part 1: PR 20/20 Assistant Vice President Christina Capadona-Schmitz covers “What is Content Marketing?” and why it matters to today’s organizations (3:44).

Part 2: PR 20/20 Inbound Marketing Manager Laurel Miltner discusses online publishing and the idea of content & community, the role of social media in content marketing (8:55).

Part 3: Keith Moehring, who leads PR 20/20's search engine optimization efforts, talks about websites, content management systems, online publishing tools and how SEO can impact content marketing (8:42).

Part 4: PR 20/20 President Paul Roetzer shares the importance of your brand in content marketing, how content marketing is connected to PR and who you should trust to tell your story through content (7:06).

Part 5: PR 20/20 Content Services Manager Christy Barksdale ties it together, in planning your publishing strategy, giving your content legs on the web and furthering your leadership position through content curation (5:43).

Just the Beginning

We plan to launch more videos in the future, and welcome your feedback, as well as topic ideas that you would find useful. Please leave comments here or connect with us on Twitter (@PR2020) to discuss these ideas.

Resources:
- PR 20/20 Content Marketing Blog Posts & What is Content Marketing? (PR 20/20 blog post)
- What is Content Marketing? Junta42 resources page
- To learn more about Content Marketing, visit the PR 20/20 Content Marketing page.
Christina is an assistant vice president and consultant for PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow her on Twitter: @ChristinaCS

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And the Sergey Goes To ... 2010 Inbound Marketing Awards

By Keith Moehring | Posted Mar 8, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing
In honor of the 2010 Oscars, we created our own award ceremony to pay tribute to those Inbound Marketers who have made the biggest contribution to the growth and success of our industry over the past year.

The Inbound Marketing Award, or Sergey, is named after Sergey Brin, one of the two founders of Google. (We contemplated naming it after Larry Page, but “And the Larry goes to” doesn’t have the same ring to it.)

Best Original Screenplay

And the Sergey goes to ... Dharmesh Shah and Brian Halligan for their book, “Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs.” “Inbound Marketing” is an inspiring tale of how an ordinary marketer can transform his or her company’s Website into an awe-inspiring, lead-generating machine. It’s a heroic how-to for any little guy looking to make a big difference.

Runner Up – David Meerman Scott for “The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly, 2nd Edition.”

Best Ensemble or Cast

And the Sergey goes to ... Mike Volpe and Karen Rubin, hosts of HubSpot TV. Every Friday, these two dazzlers of the computer screen deliver all the latest inbound marketing news of the week. In a short amount of time, their show has grown in popularity so much that it now draws A-List guests, including Twitter founder Biz Stone and MC Hammer.

Runner Up – MC Hammer and his back-up dancers for their contribution to the Addams Family movie soundtrack. (The tie in to Inbound Marketing is YouTube. It is a stretch, but we make exceptions here at the Academy for catchy, but forgotten tunes.)

Best Actor/Actress

And the Sergey goes to ... Danny Sullivan and Search Engine Land. Sullivan and his team have received rave reviews for their performance at bringing marketers around the world the most useful tips and information when it comes to search engine optimization.

In addition, they host the Search Marketing Expo (SMX) Conference Series, which brings together the biggest stars in the industry to collaborate and expand upon SEO best practice.

Runner Up – Rand Fishkin and SEOmoz for creating great, useful tools complemented with blog posts full of insightful SEO tips, such as Whiteboard Fridays.

Best Director

And the Sergey goes to ... Bald Matt Cutts. Under his direction, thousands of unknown Websites have become stars, gaining both local and national exposure to millions of potential customers. These sites have been able to seize the spotlight and notoriety amongst their peers. If you haven't already, check out Matt's Google Webmaster Help YouTube Channel.

Runner Up – Matt Cutts with hair. Just as informative, but not as sleek.

Best Picture

And the Sergey goes to ... Google.com. Google gives thousands of unknown, talented businesses the opportunity to share the stage with their top competitors in a way that was not possible 15 years ago.

The "Avatar" (highest grossing film of all time) of Inbound Marketing, this search engine dominated its competition this year, securing a whopping 66.3% of all searches. In addition, what separates Google as a master of its craft is the unique ability to evaluate its own performance.

Google also reaches beyond the computer screen into the political/human rights arena, making a stirring social statement on the suppression of the Chinese government over its people.

Runner Up – Bing.com for their homepage picture usage.

In Memoriam

MySpace.com — The first real dominant player in Social Media, MySpace brought together millions of people regardless of age or location. This true trailblazer paved the way for sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to really give companies the reach they need to effectively communicate with their target audiences. And, while the site would eventually be infiltrated by millions of porn sites, we remember it for the doors it opened. Rest In Peace Tom.

Keith Moehring is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Keith on Twitter @keithmoehring.

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Social Media Transforms Spokesmodels Into Friends

By Christina Capadona-Schmitz | Posted Oct 30, 2009 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Social Media
When finding inspiration for your Halloween costume this year, did you turn to TV commercial breaks (remember that stuff you fast forward through on your DVR)? If so, you might be one of many dressing as "Flo" for Halloween.

Flo, the face of Progressive Insurance, has garnered more than 209,000 Facebook fans, is the topic of multiple fan sites and forum chatter, and the cornerstone photo of the insurance company’s Twitter feed. The Facebook group, "I'm dressing up as Flo for Halloween," had more than 350 members at the time of this post.

Enter the spokesfriends

The advent of social media has enabled brand spokepersons to turn into what I call spokesfriends. By integrating inbound marketing techniques into traditional advertising campaigns, companies are creating personas that people connect with and trust.

While spokesfriends can’t define your product or service, or make it stand out in the market, they can give the personality and connection needed to create buzz.

Historically companies have found successful formulas to relate non-celebrity spokesmodels with audiences, such as the Dunkin’ Donuts Fred the Baker , the Marlboro Man, and the “Where’s the Beef” lady. Whether they are friendly, funny or downright odd, they somehow engage the masses, and likewise become celebrities in their own right.

In today’s social media world, it’s not enough to have a celebrity hype your brand, or leverage the power of a regular Joe, without adding that opportunity for customers to connect with them online.

Giving life to these characters through social networks adds the permission-based marketing element that can bring the brand closer to customers than ever before.

Some current spokesfriends and social media

Flo, the Progressive girl

The PR 20/20 office overlooks Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, the home base of Progressive Insurance. Earlier this year Flo traveled to Cleveland to throw out a first pitch for a Cleveland Indians game and also made the local media circuit. On a radio interview, she shared that people frequently cite her as their reason for switching insurances, and are disappointed when their insurance policies don’t come in the boxes as shown in the fantasy retail shop of the commercials.

Flo is played LA-based actress Stephanie Courtney, who also has roles in TV and is in a comedy troupe, and shared this quote in an October Boston Herald article "Insurance pitchgirl a surprise TV hit," by writer Lauren Beckham Falcone: “I’m glad people aren’t mad at me for interrupting their programs,” she said. “It’s all a very pleasant surprise.”

TGI Friday's Woody

Woody was created as a social media experiment as detailed in the Adweek article "TGIF's Very Friendly Online Promotion" and MarketingTom.com post.

Through media support, Woody achieved a Facebook promotional goal of gaining 500,000 Facebook fans in exchange for a coupon for a free Jack Daniel's burger or chicken sandwich. What was expected over 30 days happened in six days, and TGIF had to quickly respond. The company rewrote the rules of the contest to accommodate for influx of online participants, extending to 1 million fans through page by end of September. There were issues with coupons and getting the free food, but the likable character combined with the offer helped to demonstrate the power of social media.

The Glade Lady

Spokesfriends can sometimes become popular for their more deviant attributes, such as seen in the Glade Lady, a truly desperate housewife. There are several blog posts and social media groups dedicated to Glade Lady’s deceiving ways, tricking her family and friends that she is baking instead of burning scented candles. Take for instance, the 64-member Facebook group, "I think the lady on the Glade commercials is a pathological liar...”

Spokesfriends of the pasts that would've been great in social media
- A Facebook fan page on the Country Crock family: I need to see the faces behind the hands that share the bread spread, and dig deeper into their carb obsession.
- How about a Taster’s Choice soap opera romance played out through Twitter?
- “Where’s the beef” blog tracks the quest of the lady to find a bigger burger, until she’s exposed to the cruelty of a mass production facility, fueling the goal to start her own free range farm. There's a "Where's the Beef" tribute page on Facebook with 175 fans.
A matter of choice

While it’s not reasonable to assume that all companies or brands can employ a spokesfriend to tout their product or service, they serve as a testament that social media gives brands the opportunity to connect in a more meaningful and personal way. Check out Rohit Bargava’s post, “Do You Know Someone Who Loves Your Brand?” He discusses Honda’s "everyone knows someone who loves a Honda” campaign driving more than 133,000 people to access an application through Honda’s Facebook fan page.

We can learn from the extended reach of the spokesfriends to explore how social media, as part of an inbound marketing strategy, can change the way customers connect with your brand.

Do you think it’s better for brands to create spokesfriends and harness power of social media, or leverage the power of celebrities already engaged in social media for extended connection, or forget spokesmodels altogether and simply offer a unique product or servicea and participate in the social communities of your customers?

Capadona-Schmitz is an assistant vice president and consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. She can be found on Twitter @ChristinaCS. It's also worth noting that Halloween is her favorite holiday!
How to Land a Job in PR

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Oct 28, 2009 | 8 Comment(s) | Filed in: Public Relations
Six months ago, I was sitting in a college classroom at Ohio University anxiously awaiting graduation. It was an exciting time, yet also scary and frustrating.

I couldn’t wait to move on with my life and put all my education to the test. But, at the same time, I had no job lined up and like the rest of my classmates, I was facing the grim truth of today’s economy: many companies aren’t hiring and worthwhile PR and marketing jobs are few and far between.

With this reality, I knew I needed to do something different – something that would make me stand out from the rest of the job candidates. So, I came up with my own personal job-search strategy and stuck to it.
- Be present and learn as much as I can.
- Meet people in person and truly interact.
- Create relationships that aren’t based on finding a job, but rather on common interests.
- Participate in conversations about the industry.
- Become visible online.
- Let people really get to know me.
Now, I’m not saying this strategy is golden or perfect, but it worked for me. (I was hired a month before graduation to start work when classes were finished.) And, I think there’s some strength to it.

Instead of sending out millions of resumes and cover letters, scouring job sites and calling HR departments, I devoted my time to building sustainable relationships (with both people who were and were not hiring). In doing so, I hoped that people would notice, remember and contact ME when a job was available.

Think inbound marketing for the job candidate.

To my surprise, this strategy made the job hunt more fun. It turned looking for a job from a headache to a learning experience. And, by focusing my efforts on building relationships, instead of finding a job, I was able to meet many people I otherwise would not have, while gaining valuable insight along the way.

So, here’s my advice to all you job hunters out there from someone who recently went through it herself.

Intern / Volunteer

Experience in the industry is important. Internships and related volunteer positions offer great opportunities to learn and grow. Therefore, accept these roles, even if they aren’t paid. (Yes, I worked an entire summer for free.) Soak in as much information as you can. Ask questions and try new tasks. This is your chance to develop your skills.

Be Well-Rounded

While PR/Marketing experience is a plus, it shouldn’t be the only area you focus your time. Pursue other interests. Groups and clubs can open your eyes to new perspectives and can offer a job candidate a fresh angle to discuss in job interviews. I learned some of my most important life lessons from my volunteer work with Give Kids the World, The Saint Bernard Project and Camp Quality Ohio. Without these experiences, I wouldn’t have the same outlook on perseverance, positive thinking or determination. Take lessons learned from unrelated experiences and apply them to your career goals.

Participate on Social Networking Sites

Get out there and mingle with people online. Learn how to use social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Engage with professionals in the industry. Ask questions and share your perspective. You have something to offer, so let people know.

For starters, clean up your Facebook profile, beef up your LinkedIn page with job descriptions and recommendations and check out the #PRStudChat hashtag on Twitter. Here, professionals and students alike are sharing ideas for landing that first job, as well as informative blog posts and articles.

Read Blogs

Speaking of blogs, read them. Get up-to-date on who’s influential in the industry and what they are talking about. Educate yourself on new trends and you will be one step ahead of other job candidates. Some blogs to get started with are:
Also, consider starting your own blog about a topic you’re passionate about. This isn’t something I did, but it’s a great way for employers to stay connected and get to know you, while providing you with an outlet to show off your writing skills.

Go on Informational Interviews

A great way to show you’re interested in a company and the field, in general, is to request informational interviews. Unlike traditional interviews, informational interviews are held even when a company is not hiring. Their purpose is for the prospective job candidate to ask questions and learn about the company and industry.

Schedule as many of these as you can. There are plenty of industry professionals who would be willing to meet with you. Take advantage of them and get started meeting people. Just remember to send a thank-you note after the interview.

Find Professional Clubs and Organizations

Seek out professional clubs and organizations in the city that you live or want to work. Usually these groups are populated with industry professionals. Join the groups you can and become active. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and ask questions.

For example, Cleveland has a Social Media Club, which is open for anyone to join. Through it, I had access to local people discussing and interested in the same items as me. Check out your local PRSA chapter or American Advertising Federation chapter and see if they offer programs, lectures, etc. that students can attend.

Network

People within the industry are usually the first people to find out about job openings. Therefore, forming ongoing relationships with industry professionals is a great way to know who is hiring. Whether online, at informational interviews or at events, learn how to network effectively.

Be sure to send thank-you letters to everyone who helps you in your search. Remember, that they are busy professionals and they didn’t have to help you. Follow up with contacts after your first meeting. Email them blog posts or articles that they might be interested in from time to time. Keep in mind that in order to form a relationship, it has to be mutually beneficial. Offer value and people won’t mind helping you later.

Be Yourself. Don’t Be Afraid to Let Your Personality Shine.

Most importantly, be yourself. Sure, all of the suggestions above can help, but in the end it’s your personality that’s going to be the deciding factor… so let the world have it. Shine.

What do you think? Job candidates, share with me what’s worked for you in the search. PR professionals, what advice do you have for professionals looking for a job in PR? Post your recommendations in the comments section below.

Tracy DiMarino is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyDiMarino.

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Photo Credit: JimmyWayne
Does Inbound Marketing Really Work?

By Paul Roetzer | Posted Oct 26, 2009 | 13 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing
Inbound marketing is on a roll: A new book. A growing online community with a free university. A skyrocketing startup with a wildly popular blog and a fresh $16 million in Series C funding. Plus jam-packed summits in cities around the country.

So is it a fad, or is it fundamentally changing the way organizations think and market? And, more importantly, does it work?

One PR Firm’s Story

I had my first conversation with Dan Tyre of HubSpot in September 2007, just months after Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah founded an upstart software company based on their belief in what they termed “inbound marketing.”

Dan talked to me about search rankings, blogging, lead intelligence, Website Grades, inbound links and content.

I have to admit that most of it was new to a PR guy who had spent his career in publicity, marketing strategy, branding, communications and sports marketing. But despite my uncertainty, I saw a tremendous opportunity to evolve our agency, and our industry.

It took two more calls with Dan before we signed on with HubSpot, plus another 10 months, and countless conversations with Brian, Dharmesh, Dan and Peter Caputa, before we fully committed and began our transformation into an inbound marketing agency.

The Results

We have worked with dozens of clients to integrate HubSpot and build inbound marketing campaigns. Regardless of the industry — financial, insurance, technology, professional services, software, consumer services, real estate — we have seen consistent success for organizations committed to inbound marketing.

And while we can’t share their analytics, I believe so strongly in the value of inbound marketing, and its importance to businesses and the future of the PR industry, that I figured what better way to prove it than to show you our own results.

Now those closest to me know that I tend to be somewhat guarded when it comes to PR 20/20’s business strategy and data; however, there are times when all of us have to step outside of our comfort zone in order to advance an idea.

So, starting in April 2008, when we fully activated inbound marketing for our own agency development, here’s what has happened:

Our Website Grade has gone from 57 to 87, while the top 156 PR firms in the industry maintain an average Website Grade of 49.

Dramatic increases in traffic, driven almost exclusively by content marketing, search marketing and social media participation.

Site traffic generated through multiple sources, including continued upticks in organic search and social media traffic.

Our blog has seen an increase in subscribers of more than 900%, moved up to a Technorati ranking of 266,049 and been named to the Junta42 Top Content Marketing blogs.

Blog Subscribers

Technorati Rank

Increase in inbound links from less than 100 to more than 5,500.

Most importantly, our revenue growth during this period has outpaced the PR firm industry average by more than an 8-to-1 ratio, according to industry data detailed in PRWeek’s 2009 Agency Business Report.

9 Tips to Make Inbound Marketing Work for Your Business

Based on our experiences, and the analytics of dozens of client campaigns, here are nine tips to help your organization plan and activate an effective inbound marketing campaign:
1. Disrupt the market. Stop relying on PR and advertising to make you appear more interesting. Differentiate your organization from competitors, bring real value to customers and continually innovate.
2. Get educated. Start with the Inbound Marketing University and new Inbound Marketing book by Halligan and Shah, as well as The New Rules of Marketing & PR, a classic by David Meerman Scott.
3. Find the right agency partner that has a proven track record of integrating inbound marketing strategies. Traditional PR firms, SEO companies and ad agencies most likely are not the answer.
4. Get to know your buyer personas and set measurable objectives for your inbound marketing activities.
5. Design and activate a fully integrated inbound marketing strategy focused on six key areas: brand, Website, content marketing, search marketing, social media and public relations. Keep in mind that YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are brands and platforms, not strategies.
  - Brand Marketing: Define the difference and establish your positioning.
  - Web Development: Design, connect and grow.
  - Search Marketing: Get found.
  - Social Media: Monitor, participate and publish.
  - Content Marketing: Publish fresh, relevant and link-worthy content.
  - Public Relations: Build relationships and enhance communications.
6. Practice patience and dedication.
7. Benchmark and measure everything, in particular inbound links, leads and sales.
8. Adapt, execute, evolve and take risks.
9. Be willing to deconstruct your brand and business model to remain relevant, and position yourself where the market is going.
What Do You Think?
- Is inbound marketing a fad?
- Has your organization seen similar success through search marketing, social media, content marketing and PR?
- Are your agencies providing the level of knowledge and support needed to succeed in inbound marketing? Which agencies are most qualified to take the lead (PR, advertising, SEO, interactive)?
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Paul Roetzer is founder and president of PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. He can be found on Twitter @PaulRoetzer

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