PR 20/20 Blog

Pinterest: An Introduction for Marketers

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jan 19, 2012 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing
My infatuation with Pinterest, a social bulletin board and image-sharing site, started at my college roommate’s wedding this past September. While she’s always been crafty, she took DIY to a whole new level, creating everything from centerpieces to ceiling drapery. When I asked the secret to her ingenuity, I got a one-word answer—Pinterest.

I was intrigued, and apparently not the only one. In joining the site, I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of my friends (more than just my techie, marketer ones) already had Pinboards—or personal online archives of things they’ve found on the web—and were actively saving and sharing everything from recipes to desired home décor.

The site’s quick rise in popularity among people who aren’t normally early adopters—like my mom for instance—is one of the reasons I think marketers need to pay attention. In fact, TechCrunch reports that site visits grew 40-fold from June to December 2011 to 11 million.

This kind of adoption presents awareness, branding, sales, SEO and customer-loyalty opportunities for marketers. Interested in getting started with Pinterest? Read on for more information and tips.

How it Works

Pinterest lets users save and store interesting things they find on the web onto online Pinboards using a browser add-on. For easy comparison, it’s similar to clipping recipes, wedding ideas, quotes, and other items out of a magazine and posting them on a bulletin board—except it’s all done online. (Note: The great part about this for marketers is that if somebody pins something off your site, you get a followed link, helping with search rankings.)

In addition to creating their own Pinboards, users can follow those of their friends, enabling ideas and products to spread quickly.

Below are screenshots of my Pinboards and activity stream as examples.

Pinboards

Activity Stream

Is Pinterest a Fit for Your Brand?

Pinterest visitors are 58% female, and typically between 25-44 years old. Consumer or B2C brands targeting these demographics are likely the best fit, especially if they relate to the following popularly shared items:
- Clothing and accessories
- Recipes
- Home décor and furniture
- Arts and crafts
- Wedding decorations, flowers, dresses, rings, etc.
- Baby clothes
- Activities and ideas for children
- Hairstyles
- Places to visit
Top brands that have found success on Pinterest include: Whole Foods, Real Simple, Bergdorf Goodman, west elm and the Travel Channel, among others.

That being said, participation is not limited to these types of companies or markets. For instance, nonprofits may find success by telling their story through images, as charity:: water or The National Wildlife Federation are doing. Be creative, and find a compelling way to present your brand’s products/services, values and interests visually.

Pinterest and Marketing

If Pinterest seems like a fit based on your audience, products/services and company goals, then below are some tips and considerations for getting started.

Create Pin-able Content
- Integrate plenty of visual content onto your website and blog. Pinterest is a visual site; attractive or interesting images are usually the ones that get pinned and shared. Pins automatically link back to the image source.
- Add ‘Pin It’ buttons to your site to make it really easy for people to share your content, like Etsy recently did.
Get Active in the Community
- Create a profile on the site. Include a keyword-rich description of your organization, and links to your website and social accounts. Keep your profile public so it appears in search engine results.
- Share things relevant to your target audiences and products/services; however, don’t be overly self-promotional. Be sure to follow Pinterest etiquette.
- When pinning, include keywords within your image descriptions to help your content get found in searches on Pinterest.
- Create multiple Pinboards based on specific topics, rather than placing all your content in one board. Assign a Pinterest category to each Pinboard to help people find them.
- Follow and interact with users by liking, repinning and commenting on things they share.
- Consider launching a contest or giveaway to get your online following excited. For example, Lands’ End Canvas held a “Pin It to Win It” promotion.
Share Your O-pin-ion

How are you using the site? What opportunities do you think exist for marketers? Share your comments below.

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

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Are PR Week's Power 50 Influential Online?

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jul 28, 2011 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media
In July, PR Week published its annual PR Power List (subscription required), recognizing the public relations and corporate communications professionals its staff deems the 50 most powerful in the industry.

These are individuals who have the “ability to produce an effect with one’s actions and to induce third parties to act in response to them.”

2011 PR Power List & Social Media

Social media has transformed the way that we communicate and do business. Therefore, in 2008, we were a bit surprised that none of the Power List influentials were on Twitter, and that in 2010 less than half of them were.

In the past year, however, these industry influentials have made some social strides online, but there is still a ways to go. For example, there are more people actively using Twitter effectively (up 14 percent from 2010), on LinkedIn (up six percent from 2010) and blogging (up 16 percent from 2010).

Note: This year, PR Week increased its list to 50 individuals from 25; therefore, some of these improvements may be the result of a larger sample size.

A breakdown of social activity is below.*
- Nineteen of the Power 50 do not have Twitter profiles. Note: An additional 11 individuals may or may not have a profile; PR 20/20 couldn’t confirm their identities.
- Eleven individuals have Twitter accounts and use them effectively, meaning that they share interesting, relevant information and engage with their followers.
- Nine people have identifiable Twitter accounts, but do not use them as effectively as possible, meaning that they post infrequently, lack a bio or photo, or are overly self promotional.
- Thirty-three individuals have LinkedIn profiles.
- Eighteen contribute to either a corporate or personal blog.
In evaluating social activity, we also discovered a core group of individuals at the lower end of the list who demonstrated effective social media use. In fact, out of the eleven individuals using Twitter effectively, seven of these ranked #44 or below. In addition, nine out of the eleven were new to the list in 2011. This could indicate that social media participation will play a larger role in the future when determining a person’s influence level.

In addition, on the 2011 list, Twitter’s vice president of communications joined executives from Facebook and Google (both of whom were also included on the 2010 list), demonstrating the power of these online giants themselves.

The Role of Social Media in Public Relations

As we explained last year, we’re not questioning whether the non-active individuals are powerful—we know they are.

However, with the steady growth of social networks, and the abundance of industry conversations taking place on these channels, we believe social media is a valid and important channel for sharing opinions and ideas, which will continue to gain influence in the future and enable individuals to achieve power in new ways.

Therefore, the inactives in the Power 50 miss opportunities to share their expertise, learn from others, exchange resources, discuss the future of the industry, and expand the services they offer their clients/companies.

What do you think: Is social media participation important for executives to gain and maintain influence? How do you measure power in the PR industry? Share your thoughts below.

* In July 2011, we conducted name searches on Google, Twitter and LinkedIn of the winners. If you think we missed you, please let us know below in the comments or connect with us on Twitter @pr2020.

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

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Image Credit: Alvaro Felipe
The Voice Uses Social Media to Give a Voice to Its Audience

By Jessica Donlon | Posted Jul 8, 2011 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media
Last week, we watched as the NBC singing competition, The Voice, picked its first winner (spoiler alert!), Javier Colon from Team Adam. While I, and other fans of the new show, watched mostly for personal interest, the marketer in me couldn’t help but notice the way that the show incorporated social media unlike any other show I’ve seen.

Josh Wolford (@joshgwolf) of WebProNews puts The Voice on the “cutting-edge” of social engagement. If you’re not a regular viewer, examples of the show’s social integration include:
- #TheVoice hashtag featured on-screen through performances and other moments throughout the show to encourage conversation. Nicolle Yaaron, The Voice’s supervising producer, said that 70 percent of tweets about the show included #TheVoice hashtag (twice the industry average). During the few episodes I’d tried, it was impossible to keep up with the search column in TweetDeck.
- The show regularly cuts away from the stage to its “social media room,” where its social media and online correspondent, Alison Haislip (@alisonhaislip), keeps tabs on what’s trending via Twitter and asks contestants questions as they’re tweeted in real time.
- A live Twitter news ticker runs across the bottom of the screen at times during the show, specifically during cuts to the social media room.
- Fans can incorporate badges to social avatars, like this “Team Blake” badge featured online.
- The show’s Facebook fan page has more than 300,000 followers after its first season.
- Judges and contestants of the show each have a Facebook page and Twitter account, as well as blog and photo albums hosted on the show’s website, making it possible for fans to personally connect with each rising star. Dia Frampton’s page is an example.
- Judge Christina Aguilera (@TheRealXtina) didn’t have a strong Twitter presence before the show, but through less than 50 tweets she gained nearly 500,000 followers (as of the end of June 2011).
- The show incorporates iTunes, using song purchases as votes. Throughout the season, contestant music topped iTunes charts. At the finale the top two contestants, separated by only a two-percent difference in votes, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 (Dia then Javier, respectively) on iTunes the night before.
- Votes were enabled through multiple platforms and applications, some of which could be integrated with social accounts via APIs.
Social Entertainment — A Growing Trend

The June Technorati Business article by Emma Wells, Why Social Media Is Important to TV, digs into social entertainment — using Twitter, Facebook, and other social media to improve ratings and give viewers a “second screen” through which they can interact more personally with their favorite shows. Other example shows that integrated social or used it to drive ratings cited in the article include the Oscars, the Royal Wedding and the Super Bowl.

The Voice: How a TV Show Became a 24/7 Social Media Conversation, from Mashable’s Lauren Drell, further explains the trend. According to Dell, television started out with scripted shows and sitcoms, moved to the growing trend of reality TV, and now engages viewers even more with real-time social interaction.

Yaaron’s final quote in the article summarized the campaign:

“The story of The Voice is not just an hour or two every week. It lives online all day and all week long, and it will continue all year long. This is a living, breathing entity, it’s not just show-based.”

Great. How Do I Apply This to My Marketing Campaign?

Social media activity is believed to have propelled ratings for The Voice.

While your product or service may not have a television show to go along with it, think if your organization’s experiences with the people it cares most about could be a “living, breathing entity,” as Yaaron describes The Voice.

The main idea is relative: your buyers can use social media to have a voice in your brand’s conversation. Establish, channel and encourage that conversation to extend the experiences they have and make an impact. To make the most of your audience’s time online, try the following:
- Develop a clear hashtag for conversations; establish the community.
- Monitor and engage in the conversation online. The Voice rewarded mentions by connecting questions directly to the contestants live on television. Can you connect your online audience with experts or talent within your organization?
- Give access to inside information. The Voice used contestant blogs, video and images to put content in the hands of its audience. What do you have of value to share, and is it easily available?
- Use multiple channels and strategic partnerships to improve reach and impact. Whether its iTunes and Sprint (used to cast votes on The Voice), or print publications, social networks, call centers or more, give your audience multiple ways to find you and engage in their preferred manner.
The Voice was one example of the evolving trend to link TV (or other shared experiences) with social media. It connects your brand and fosters meaningful relationships with the audiences your organization cares about. Think of the point of sale, and how your brand experience can go beyond it to create an experience for your fans.

Did you watch The Voice or engage online? What did you think?

What other examples of social entertainment have you seen, and what ideas do you have to incorporate into your own marketing campaigns?

Jessica Donlon is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Connect with Jessica on Twitter @JessicaDonlon.

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Image Source: LifeSupercharger
Quora Strategy for Marketers and PR Pros

By Jessica Donlon | Posted Jul 6, 2011 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media
In February, we published the blog post, Quora Strategy: The Incomplete Guide for Beginners. The post offered a basic plan for monitoring, responding and raising your profile among Quora’s ever-growing pool of questions and answers.

Recently at TechCrunch Disrupt, Quora’s founder, Charlie Cheever (@ccheever), gave insight into the company’s business strategy—including how it has worked to attract quality content, how it measures success, and its business plan.

“One of the goals we have for Quora is to have all types of people sharing all types of knowledge. I would imagine a world where I where I could come up with all the things I want to know and find them on Quora.” — Charlie Cheever, Quora

Quora’s Population

Michael Sebastian (@msebastian) of Ragan’s PR Daily shared KISSmetrics’ infographics about Quora’s growth and processes, estimating that between January 2010 and January 2011, Quora’s growth was up 37,000 percent. It’s not surprising that many of the leading answers on Quora come from its early adopters and most active users—many of whom are tech-savvy business influencers.

Bob Brown’s (@alphadoggs) Network World article examines whether Quora is the next social network that IT professionals in particular need to know. The topic of “technology,” for example, has more than 50,000 followers on the network and hundreds of questions.

Quora for Your Clients

Technology is just one example. Search Quora for yours or your client's industry to find relevant topics, follow tags and identify influencers. Unlike many other social networks, Mario Sundar (@mariosundar) argues that Quora isn’t about who you know, but what you know—putting a face on businesses and making Quora a vehicle to share inside knowledge from corporate leadership.

How can we, as marketers and PR professionals, get the most out of Quora for our clients (and ourselves)? Following are a few suggestions:
- Connect with industry bloggers and media. Follow similar topics, their questions and answers, and vote or participate when you can to get on their radars.
- Follow popular topics among your buyer personas, continually tracking their interests so you can adjust your blog’s editorial calendar based on their interests. With the ability to share and post answers to your blog, use Quora to kill two birds with one stone.
- Position company leaders as the experts they are. Encourage them to create profiles, and send relevant questions their way to facilitate participation. Though Quora’s population may not be that of the “big three” social networks, its SEO is strong, which can help get answers in front of those seeking expertise.
- Pre-screen survey questions with Quora, to make adjustments and refine before taking them to the market.
- Gain insight from passionate potential buyers to adjust your messaging, content and sales to their needs.
- Find out directly from media contacts how they want to be pitched. (Like Mashable, for example.)
Just for Fun: Some of Quora’s Best Questions

At TechCrunch Dispurt, Cheever noted some of the most visited questions on Quora, and I’ve compiled a few additional interesting questions below. Like other social networks, Quora grabs a pulse on a variety of topics that people care most about—including business, current events, pop culture and more — such as:

From Cheever:
- What are the best ways to help in the March 11, 2011 Japanese tsunami disaster?
- What's the most epic photo ever taken?
A few more:
Are you active on Quora? What results have you seen from the platform?

Jessica Donlon is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Connect with Jessica on Twitter @JessicaDonlon or Quora.

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Image Source: WingedWolf
LinkedIn Love: Recent Updates and Personal Branding Tips

By Christina Capadona Schmitz | Posted Jun 23, 2011 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media
From its May 2011 IPO, to its expanding user base and features, LinkedIn has received plenty of coverage highlighting its significance in the social media realm.

But what's more important is how it can work for you. It’s much more than a resume site or magical rolodex. With more than two million Corporate Pages, content curation through LinkedIn Today, and new tools and services, it’s a great time to take a fresh look:
- Build your personal or corporate brand.
- Enhance your career building and recruiting.
- Expand your networks.
- Increase your business development and referrals.
- Share and consume valuable content.
- Position yourself as a thought leader and advisor.
- Gain insight and intelligence from other participating members.
- Enhance communications with peer groups and organizations.
For serious professionals, LinkedIn offers serious opportunities for organizations, careers, and staying updated on news, trends and business moves. It’s especially valuable for those that see the benefits of social media, but feel that Facebook and Twitter just don’t mix with their daily work responsibilities.

Useful LinkedIn Articles

LinkedIn: How to up Your Game

From enhancing your profile, to building connections and activating your presence, this article from Dave Reinhardt on The Next Web offers a great guide for maximizing participation on the site.

Why LinkedIn Is The Most Important (And Underutilized) Social Network For Communications Professionals

Chuck Hemann’s crush on LinkedIn is one to admire, and emulate. Check out a wealth of good tips and recommendations from the VP of Digital Analytics for Edelman Digital.

How to use LinkedIn Today to Find Popular Content

From writer Stephanie Sammons on Social Media Examiner: In a sea of business-related content and resources, LinkedIn Today puts your daily news in the context of your professional social network, helping bridge you to what other professionals are reading and sharing.

SlideShare Deepens Ties With LinkedIn

In a PC World article, Juan Carlos Perez discusses SlideShare, which has had a LinkedIn application since 2008, and has added a LinkedIn Share button to all of its presentations, documents and videos.

LinkedIn To Launch Job Application Button

Colleen Taylor reports on GigaOm about LinkedIn’s future plans to launch an “Apply with Linked” button for corporate websites, which would allow job candidates to submit their LinkedIn profiles as resumes.

Does it Work For You?

Personally, my love affair with LinkedIn started a few years back (member since 2006), and I haven’t even scratched the surface of its usage. I’ve always been attracted to the professional angle of social networking, perhaps in the same way I enjoy a shopping spree for office supplies, but I digress.

As a fan, I think LinkedIn can change lives. But I'm interested in your thoughts.
- How often do you visit the site?
- Have you experienced any benefits?
- If you don’t frequent the site or utilize the features, what are your biggest gripes or challenges?
Let’s connect on LinkedIn, and you can also follow PR 20/20.

Christina is vice president of PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. On Twitter: @ChristinaCS

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The Case for Social Media: Sources and Stats

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jun 10, 2011 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media
Social media has transformed the way that people communicate and gather information online. With more than two-thirds of U.S. Internet users regularly using a social network, individuals are more often turning to sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to ask questions, share resources, and research products and services. Consider the following usage statistics for popular social networking sites:
- More than 500 million active Facebook users
- More than 100 million LinkedIn users
- Nearly 200 million registered Twitter users
- 142.7 million Internet users watched online video content from Google Sites (mostly YouTube) in April 2011.
With such high adoption rates, it’s obvious to see that the cost of not participating is high — even if you can’t always calculate an exact ROI from social media activities.

Through active social media participation, your organization can connect with qualified consumers online when they are actively looking for what you offer.

Build Brand Awareness and Preference

Social media is a great tool to strengthen relationships with customers, prospects, partners, employees and job candidates — most of whom are active online. Differentiate your brand and set yourself apart from competitors by sharing industry news, trends and developments (without being overly promotional) relevant to buyer personas.

In doing so, you will establish company representatives as industry experts, and your organization as an industry leader. Similar to content marketing, social media can also help you connect with and appeal to target audiences on an emotional, reciprocal level. This makes your organization more attractive to consumers, because people prefer dealing with other people rather than faceless brands.

Improve Website Strength and Interaction

As your content moves throughout social networks, it can drive inbound links and visits to your site — two important factors in determining its strength.

Also, according to a ForeSee report, “visitors to websites influenced by social media are more loyal and satisfied customers, and they spend more than visitors who were not influenced by social media.”

Boost Search Engine Rankings

Social media must be a part of your search marketing strategy, as social metrics are included in both Google and Bing’s search algorithms. As search engines strive for more relevant results, social media provides real-time elements and enables personalization based on a searchers’ network. One example of this growing integration between search and social is Bing’s deep integration with Facebook Likes.

Another benefit of search and social is that when consumers are exposed to both, their overall click-through rate on the search engine results page increases by 94 percent. This suggests that social media can drive brand awareness, as demonstrated in subsequent search behavior.

For more information on how social media results are integrated into both Google and Bing, see Social Media’s Impact on Search.

Give Your Content Legs

On-page optimization only accounts for a small percentage of a website’s visibility in search engines; and therefore, it can only go so far in spreading your content.

It’s the combination of content and community that really propels your blog posts, eBooks, videos and other self-published resources to be shared online. For example, more than 30 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared each month on Facebook.

Give your content legs by distributing it via social networks. If your content is strategic, buyer-persona focused and informative, others will share it with their networks — exposing it to people you may not have reached otherwise.

Connect with Media and Bloggers

Social media offers another outlet for your organization to forge relationships with key media, bloggers and analysts. According to the 2010 PRWeek/ PR Newswire Media Survey, 43 percent of journalists report having being pitched through social networks in 2010, compared to 31 percent in 2009.

Through social media, you can take a personal approach to publicity, as it lets you connect with media representatives on a deeper level.

For example, by actively monitoring reporters’ Tweets or Facebook shares, you can get to know more about them then just their beats. As a result, you can tailor your pitches to directly relate to their interests in real-time — thus improving your chances for success.

Drive Leads and Sales

A 2009 study from Wetpaint and the Altimeter Group shows that deep engagement with consumers through social media channels correlates to better financial performance. Of the 100 brands evaluated, those with the heaviest social media engagement grew company revenues by 18 percent from July 2008-July 2009, while the least engaged companies saw revenues sink six percent over the same time period.

In addition, 2010 data from Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate suggests that individuals are more likely to buy from brands with which they are friends or followers on social networks. And, according to Unisfair, social media is the number-one emerging channel for lead generation for technology marketers.

Your Thoughts?
- How did you make the case for social media at your organization?
- How has social media helped you reach your objectives?
- What benefits has it brought your business?
Tracy DiMarino is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyDiMarino.

Stay updated: Subscribe to the PR 20/20 blog, check us out on Facebook or follow the team on Twitter.
Make it Personal: Brand Building for PR and Marketing Pros

By Christina Capadona Schmitz | Posted Apr 12, 2011 | 4 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing, Resources
The following is part 1 of the three-part "Make it Personal" Leadership Series for PR and marketing professionals.

On April 3, I had the opportunity to present at the annual Distinguished Leaders Conference for juniors and seniors of Baldwin-Wallace College, a private, liberal arts school in Northeast Ohio (and my alma mater).

While my presentation was tailored to those looking to develop leadership skills as they make the transition from student to professional, we felt that many of the key lessons translate to PR and marketing professionals looking to make their mark, and organizations seeking to attract them as future leaders.

It's All Personal

When a situation becomes challenging, or a difficult decision is being made, many of us will turn to the saying: “it’s just business, nothing personal.” In today’s world, with the lines between professional and personal life blurred, every interaction is a chance to build or destroy a personal brand.

Professionals can shape this perception through online activity, such as blogs, forums, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and other social networks.

From first impressions, to long-term connections, emerging leaders need to take control of their online personal brands, and project the images they want to share with the world, including colleagues, companies and community groups.

Organizations are not looking to just hire a set of skills and achievements; they are looking to hire the real person behind the resume, and their potential to become a leader.

It starts by acknowledging the person you are today, and discovering the steps to take to shape a new future.

The Real You – Personal Branding

Who are you online? Who do you want to be?

Perceptions about you are shaped long before you apply to a job, or show up for an interview. While we know that hiring managers are conducting online searches and viewing social networking profiles as part of the recruiting process, we often look to this as a negative.

Rather, we should focus on the opportunities we have to be our own publisher on behalf of our personal brand, and make sure the search results associated with our name tell the full story and dimensions of our lives (photos, videos, blog posts, who we’re connected with, etc.).

It’s easy to slip into the mentality of not caring what people think, such as when posting personal opinions, unflattering photos and polarizing statements. Or also to believe that people truly don’t care about what you are posting.

But when it comes to the audiences you intend to influence, you need to care about what they think, and consider the things that matter to them.

Social Media for Professionals

To many, especially in younger generations, social media is a personal activity for friends, family and maybe new acquaintances. In fact, of the students in our session at the event, only one had a LinkedIn profile, and of the several Twitter users, none had professional connections.

A transition happens when you start looking at social media in a professional light, and discover the opportunities to leverage your presence.

I related it to students as a 24/7 networking event. When attending a networking night or career fair, you dress the part, speak the language and work to make new connections. The same should be applied when networking online.

Think about things like sharing resources you find interesting and relevant, and adding to the conversations and engaging with others. Your boss may friend you on Facebook, and your uncle may add you as a connection on LinkedIn. Both offer an opportunity to connect on new and different levels that can lead to new opportunities.

If nothing else, make sure to claim yourself on social networks. If you have a longer or common name, make sure your version is professional and recognizable (ex. not a cute nickname, or series of numbers and characters). Include a headshot photo that is a natural representation of you, and add a blend of your professional background and personal interests. This helps to bridge common connections with a variety of people.

Stand Out in The Crowd

Living in a crowded online world, it may seem difficult to rise above others. If you want to stand out for the right reasons, think about the following ways to make your mark:
- Have a presence in social media, and take a strategic, professional approach.
- Demonstrate expertise and collaboration; add to the conversation.
- Build a niche (ex. a blog about studying abroad experiences, personal interests).
- Get a mentor; be a mentor; help extend the reach of your networks.
- Showcase your passions and talents.
And the things to avoid. Don’t:
- Be too self-promotional.
- Overshare (too much information, too private, too often).
- Publicize your interview plans and activities; HR personnel do not look kindly on those that infringe on the privacy of the recruiting process, and it can create awkward situations.
- Be non-human.
- Be offensive (see writer/recruiter Joy Chen’s article about a UCLA Student Case Study on HuffingtonPost.com).
There’s not a secret formula for success. But you have to decide for yourself when the time is right to stop being just a follower of top influencers, and to build a career on your personal strengths and original ideas.

Stay tuned for part 2 - Make it Personal: Opportunities, Interviews and Team Skills

Christina is vice president of PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. On Twitter: @ChristinaCS
Roetzer Teaches Real Estate Pros How to Get Started in Social Media

By Christina Capadona Schmitz | Posted Feb 24, 2011 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Media Room, Press Releases
CLEVELAND — Feb. 24, 2011 — PR 20/20 founder and president, Paul Roetzer, presented “Social Media for Real Estate Agents,” Feb. 23, in Rocky River, Ohio.

More than 55 real estate professionals were in attendance to learn how tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and blogs, can help them build and strengthen relationships, network with industry professionals, increase referrals and generate leads.

“Earning repeat business and gaining referrals remain the top priorities for real estate agents in growing and sustaining their businesses,” said Roetzer. “Social media, when used as a relationship-building tool, is the natural fit for accomplishing these goals.”

Roetzer added, “Social media also enables real estate professionals to differentiate themselves in the market, from sharing valuable content, to developing their online personal brands.”

The energized crowd was highly engaged throughout the presentation, asking questions, sharing experiences and offering unique industry perspectives.

The presentation was a Continuing Education course sponsored by First Federal of Lakewood and co-sponsored by First Federal Title.

To view the slideshow presentation, see Social Media for Real Estate Agents on SlideShare.

About PR 20/20

PR 20/20 is an inbound marketing agency and PR firm specializing in search marketing, social media, content marketing and public relations. Based in Cleveland, PR 20/20’s business model provides access to professional services and consultation, without the prohibitive hourly rates charged by traditional firms. For more information, visit http://www.PR2020.com.
Should You Hide Your Connections on LinkedIn?

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Aug 31, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media
On LinkedIn, you have the option of hiding your Connection list or keeping it public. This leads some people to keep their Connections private for a variety of reasons, including a need for confidentiality, an unwillingness to make introductions and more.

However, one common reason — particularly popular among those in sales — is to protect business contact lists that may contain the names of clients, prospects and partners from competitors. You may think: “I have worked hard to create and nurture this contact list, why would I put it out on the Internet for anyone, including my competitors, to see and potentially use?”

Though these are certainly valid concerns, hiding your Connections on LinkedIn minimizes the opportunities available to you on the platform, and list protection can also be achieved by being strategic about whom you connect with. Below are several reasons why hiding your Connections may not be the best approach on LinkedIn.

One Goal of Social Media is to Create and Maintain Mutually Beneficial Relationships.

The key to being successful on social networks is to “create more value than you capture,” as Tim O’Reilly would say. On LinkedIn, part of being a giving participant involves connecting like-minded individuals through introductions. For this to be possible, your Connection list must be visible to those in your network.

In addition, hiding your Connections can be deemed as “unfriendly” in the community, as some people feel that you are not willing to fully open up, participate and help others. For example, see this LinkedIn Answers discussion on the topic.

Only Your Connections Can View Your Contact List – Not Everyone on LinkedIn.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that only those people you’ve connected with on the site can see your contacts. Since not everyone on LinkedIn has the same access levels to your profile information, you have some control over who can view your contact list without hiding it.

By only connecting with people with whom you have established relationships, you’ll have little reason to worry about your lists being pilfered. If someone you do not trust, like a competitor, wants to connect, simply choose to deny the request, and your list will still be protected. In addition, you can also disconnect with people should you decide you are no longer comfortable with them having access to your Connections.

Hiding Your Connections Does Not Guarantee Complete Protection.

Even if someone chooses to hide his or her Connections, users will still be able to see shared Connections that they have in common via LinkedIn search. Therefore, hiding your Connections does not guarantee they are completely private. If someone really wanted to discover your list, with a little digging, they likely could.

Your Thoughts?

For these reasons, consider keeping your Connections open, but be thoughtful about who you include in your personal network. If you're connecting to add value and nurture relationships, you get the benefits of helping those you trust and respect, without having to worry about who has access to your list of Connections.

However, we welcome your thoughts and experiences. Do you hide your Connections? Why or why not? What fears do you have about keeping your list public? What are the pros and cons of each angle? Please share your comments in the field below.

Image Credit: Chris Runoff

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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How the Cleveland Indians Engage Fans with Social Media

By Tracy DiMarino & Keith Moehring | Posted Aug 12, 2010 | 4 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media
This summer, I was privileged to enjoy a Dollar Dog Day at the Cleveland Indians game in the Tribe Social Deck — the Indians all-new social media section at Progressive Field. Here, I had the opportunity to connect with fellow Clevelanders passionate about sports, their city and, of course, social media.

What I love most about the Tribe Social Deck is how it enhances online relationships by bringing people together face-to-face, and its unique ability to get people excited about, and talking about, the Indians brand.

Following is a Q&A with Rob Campbell, who handles the social media communications for the Cleveland Indians. His primary responsibilities include posting from the @tribetalk Twitter account and managing the Tribe Social Deck.

When did the Cleveland Indians first get started using social media?

The Indians have utilized social media for more than a year in conjunction with Major League Baseball Advanced Media. The club increased its social media presence this season, most notably with the all-new Tribe Social Deck.

Was it difficult to get upper management on board? If so, how did you convince them that it was worth a try?

Management is one of the driving factors in our social media presence, and the Indians social media initiatives received support from the executive level on down.

What did you do before jumping in as far as planning and strategy are concerned?

The Indians organization hired Phoenix-based digital consultants Digital Royalty to establish a baseline of social media best practices, aid in brainstorming and help in monitoring social media chatter surrounding the Indians brand. It was from this relationship with Digital Royalty that the idea for Tribe Social Deck was born.

How did you learn how to use social media for business?

Personally, I’ve learned to use social media for business by establishing and running several different accounts and campaigns for both my current and previous employer and in my free time.

What are your goals in using social media? How do you track or measure its effectiveness?

The Indians social media strategy is multi-faceted. In its current initial stage, we aim to establish a foothold in social media by interacting with fans that have already established themselves in the space. In essence, we want to join the conversation that is already taking place.

The Indians are then taking the conversation a step further with the development of our Tribe Social Deck, where we bring bloggers and social media users together to enjoy an Indians game and network with like-minded individuals. It has been an incredible experience to interact with fans, answer their questions, listen to their feedback and implement positive change if needed.

Can you explain the Tribe Social Deck and how this came about?

The Tribe Social Deck is the physical component of our social media presence. It affords attendees the opportunity to not only watch a game live, but also to network with members of their digital community. Often, it provides attendees the first time to shake hands with someone they had been conversing with for months online. It also allows fans to remain interactive by using the Wi-Fi in the Tribe Social Deck.

Involvement with the Tribe Social Deck initially was by invitation only, but we have launched an online application in conjunction with MLB Advanced Media to allow fans to request games.

The Indians participated in the MLB’s first ever “Twitter Battle” with the Chicago White Sox on May 26. Can you explain this promotion and the results you saw, as well as any other social-media specific promotions the Indians have implemented?

The Mascot Twitter Battle promotion was born out of a mutual partnership between the two clubs and Digital Royalty. The promotion saw the Cleveland Indians become a trending topic worldwide on Twitter.

The organization saw it as a great way to leverage Twitter to generate buzz around our matchup with the White Sox, in addition to helping raise money for cancer research.

For every tweet containing the hashtag #GoTribe, the Indians donated $1 to Stand Up to Cancer (@SU2C), up to $1,000. We fell short in the Twitter Battle with the final tally of 6,481 to 7,349, but were so overwhelmed by the response that we doubled the maximum contribution to the charity.

How many people on your team manage or work with the social media accounts? How do you divvy up tasks effectively?

The Cleveland Indians have continued to enhance our focus on social media as a critical element of the organization’s overall marketing strategy. The club has recently added a member of the PR department who solely focuses on developing social media strategy and working to implement that strategy in collaboration with the input of the PR and Marketing departments.

How do you decide what to share/post?

The PR Department approves the organization’s Twitter posts on varying levels. Day-to-day interaction with the fans is handled on an individual user basis, while overall communication initiatives require a more collaborative approach in terms of messaging and execution.

For more information on why the Cleveland Indians chose to implement the Tribe Social Deck, check out the video with Rob Campbell below, which was shot and edited by Keith Moehring who also had the opportunity to sit in the Tribe Social Deck.

Thanks to Rob Campbell and the Cleveland Indians for sharing their story.

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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