• Should You Hide Your Connections on LinkedIn?

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Aug 31, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media

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  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.

   Subscribe to receive the PR 20/20 blog by email or RSS feed.

• 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

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  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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• Social Media Monitoring Tools Comparison Guide

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Aug 11, 2010 | 11 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media

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  Monitoring social media outlets (i.e. blogs, forums, social networks) and responding to relevant posts is an effective strategy for organizations looking to: understand brand perception from internal and external audiences, connect with buyer personas, increase visibility online, establish thought leadership, provide value to their online communities and become familiar with how target audiences interact online.

  However, due to the vastness of the web, social media monitoring can often be a time-consuming and cumbersome task. Luckily, there are tools available – both free and paid – to help streamline and simplify the listening process.

  This post offers a look at some of the popular social media monitoring tools available, as well as a free comparison-chart PDF download. In the download, you’ll find a side-by-side look at features, pricing and coverage areas for the tools mentioned below to easily determine which is best for your organization based on your business needs, budget and goals.

  Click here to download the free social-media monitoring comparison guide.
  

  Radian6

  Due to its large coverage area, robust analytics and workflow management capabilities, Radian6 is ideal for large companies who need in-depth social media monitoring.

  Features include: Topic Analysis, which breaks each mention down by the words within them; Trending Analysis, which shows how mentions change over time; and Sentiment Rankings, which automatically determines whether a post is positive or negative, among other features. Basically, this software can slice and dice your data however you see fit, making it an awesome tool for identifying trends and opportunities. In addition, its dashboard has a simple interface with in-depth reporting capabilities, and easy-to-read graphs.

  One setback, however, is its hefty cost in comparison to other tools. (Radian6 dashboard pricing starts at $600 per month.)

  ScoutLabs

  While its coverage area is smaller than Radian6 (for example: 12 million blogs compared to 100 million), ScoutLabs offers an effective tool for mid-to-large sized businesses looking to capture the online conversations around their brand and industry. Starting at  $249/month, ScoutLabs users can track real-time metrics for buzz volume, customer sentiment, and competitive share of voice across the web.

  In addition, one feature I really enjoyed was the Quotes application, which pulls social media customer opinions and emotions on your brand. Quotes are categorized into loves, hates, wishes, comparisons, recommendations, issues and caveats.

  HubSpot

  If looking to integrate social media monitoring into an overall inbound marketing campaign, then HubSpot may be the best fit for you. Along with its social media monitoring capabilities, this software offers a wealth of features, including a content management system (CMS), keyword-research tools, website analytics and lead-nurturing functionality.

  Due to HubSpot’s breadth of offerings, its social media analytics and workflow management capabilities aren’t as strong as Radian6 or ScoutLabs (who focus solely on the social aspect). However, the software’s strong point is that it integrates social activity into a larger campaign, instead of compartmentalizing it.

  Note: We're a HubSpot partner agency and use the software for ourselves and a majority of our clients.

  BuzzStream

  What I love about BuzzStream is that it integrates social media monitoring with relationship management (i.e. finding, tracking and prioritizing contacts), making it the perfect platform for companies with a strong media- and blogger-relations focus.

  The Dashboard includes results based on the search queries you are monitoring; however, you can also pull source and author information, helping you easily connect with influencers online who are writing about your company or industry. Conversations with influencers (whether through email, Twitter or blogs) are then managed through an online database, allowing you to efficiently manage relationships.

  Sysomos

  Similar to Radian6 and ScoutLabs, Sysomos is a robust social media platform, offering a wide variety of reporting and workflow capabilities, including sentiment ratings, user activity charts, most-active keywords, influencer ratings, demographics and more. However, the cost may be a hindrance for some organizations. (Plans start at $500/month). For this reason, the platform is likely best for companies with in-depth social media monitoring needs and extensive conversations online surrounding their brand and industry.

  One unique feature of Sysomos is its Facebook Fan Page reporting capabilities. After linking your business page to the platform, you gain access to additional data that complements information found in Facebook Insights, such as details on user activity, automated sentiment analysis and top fans.

  Google Alerts

  Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (i.e. news, blogs, video and web groups) based on your choice of query or topic. They can be sent directly to your inbox or integrated into a Google Reader account, making them an easy and free way for organizations to monitor industry and company keywords.

  They are ideal for smaller organizations with limited budgets and online chatter, or companies who do not need to activate an aggressive monitoring campaign. Downfalls of using Google Alerts for social media monitoring are that they can clog your email inbox and can be time-consuming to check. In addition, there is no way to easily sort, save or share the data, making it easy to miss mentions and hard to perform trend analyses.

  NetVibes/Google Reader

  NetVibes and Google Reader are RSS feed readers where you can create personalized dashboards that pull in your favorite blogs, news sites and social media searches. These free tools are ideal for companies with small budgets or with limited monitoring needs.

  Also, because material is hand picked by the organization, RSS accounts are extremely relevant. The downside being you have to already know where to find the content online (i.e. which blogs to follow, etc.), and will miss any mentions outside of these sites. In addition, feed readers do not have any sorting, analytics, workflow or notification features, making them more time-consuming to monitor compared to other tools.

  Addict-O-Matic

  This free tool auto-populates, pulling content from the top 150-200 blogs, top 15-20 news sites and popular social networking platforms based on your search query. In doing so, it saves you time in that you do not have to find and submit individual RSS feeds. Each keyword is then housed on its own separate URL on the Addict-O-Matic website for future reference.

  In general, it’s a great tool when looking for a quick snapshot of keyword activity across the web to gather a high-level overview, but not ideal for in-depth, or ongoing, monitoring. Drawbacks are similar to RSS feed readers in that there are no sorting, analytics, workflow or notification features. 

  What Next?

  After selecting the appropriate monitoring tool and identifying relevant conversations online, participate. Leave comments on blogs, and answer questions on social sites and forums. Just remember, your responses should be non-promotional and focus on providing value to the community. Through your genuine, active participation, people will begin to view you as an expert resource and thought leader in your industry.

  We welcome you to share your favorite social media monitoring tools 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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• 6-Step Corporate LinkedIn Strategy

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jul 29, 2010 | 11 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media

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  Through active LinkedIn participation, there are tremendous opportunities to improve your company’s reach and influence. In addition, LinkedIn can be an excellent outlet for lead generation.

  Following is a six-step corporate LinkedIn Strategy that contains techniques and recommendations on how your business can effectively leverage LinkedIn to:

  • Build brand awareness.
  • Establish company representatives as industry experts.
  • Connect with prospects, customers, vendor partners and peers.
  • Drive leads and sales.

  The Strategy assumes that your business already has a presence on LinkedIn — including a business profile that is linked to individual employee profiles — and that you are seeking ways to enhance your visibility on the site through ongoing monitoring and increased participation. 

  Step 1: Identify Buyer Personas and Conversations

  In order to achieve the above objectives, it is important to identify the buyer personas with whom your company is looking to connect, and then determine if, and where, they are active on LinkedIn. Do some preliminary LinkedIn Answers and Group searches to see if your target audiences are active on LinkedIn prior to diving in. At this time, flag any relevant conversations or groups to share with your team. Note: It may be helpful to create an Excel document that lists potential groups with descriptions, links and notes to reference later.

  Step 2: Benchmark Current Site Activity

  By benchmarking your LinkedIn presence, you’ll be able to evaluate the success of your campaign on an ongoing basis. Consider tracking data such as referring traffic, employee connections and recommendations, and participation levels (i.e. how often employees are engaging in relevant conversations).

  Step 3: Select Employees to Lead Participation

  Designate a few employees to be internal LinkedIn champions. To be most effective, these individuals should be social-network savvy; knowledgeable about your products, services and brand messaging; and have a desire to engage with target audiences.

  Participants should also have the time availability each week to respond to LinkedIn discussions and questions relating to their areas of expertise. Note: See Step 5 for tips on how to alleviate some of the time commitment required from individuals.
  

  Step 4: Have Employees Optimize Their Profiles

  Encourage your employees to optimize their profiles. Be sure that all individual profiles are completely filled out — including the Summary, Specialties and Job Position sections — with keyword-rich descriptions. Also, include links to Twitter profiles, as well as optimized links to your company website and blog, if applicable. See our blog post “Six Tips for Maximizing Your LinkedIn Profile” for some best practices.

  Step 5: Set Up a Monitoring System

  LinkedIn Answers and Groups provide the most opportunities to connect with prospects, customers, vendor partners and peers. For this reason, it’s important to monitor these sections on a regular basis, and contribute meaningfully to discussions.

  When commenting, it is perfectly acceptable to share relevant blog posts and content pieces your company created. However, aim to be helpful and not overly self-promotional, and abide by group rules. To simplify the monitoring process, and alleviate the time commitment needed for each person, consider:

  • Designating one person to monitor and distribute opportunities to other team members. This saves time since only one person is monitoring instead of multiple. The monitor can then email relevant commenting opportunities to team members based on each individual’s core competencies/expertise.
  • Incorporating LinkedIn Answer searches into your RSS feed readers.
  • Using a social-media monitoring tool, such as HubSpot, Radian6 or ScoutLabs.
  • Having each person choose 3-5 groups that they will receive email updates for, and contribute to, on a regular basis.

  Step 6: Participate & Engage in Conversations

  On an ongoing basis, encourage employees to actively participate in priority groups and respond to relevant LinkedIn Answers queries. In addition, employees should update their LinkedIn statuses often. This increases their visibility on the site by ensuring that they appear more often on their connections’ home page feeds. Note: By integrating your Twitter account with LinkedIn, Tweets that contain #in will automatically be posted to your LinkedIn account.

  Employees should also be encouraged to proactively request connections with business contacts, and to continuously work to nurture those relationships. Some tips include: passing along relevant content via status updates and individual messages, and connecting like-minded individuals when appropriate.

  Your Thoughts?

  In what ways have you leveraged LinkedIn to increase your visibility in the industry, connect with target audiences and generate leads?

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

   Subscribe to receive the PR 20/20 blog by email or RSS feed.

  Photo Credit: Nan Palmero

• Social Media Strategy for Local Retail Franchises

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jun 24, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media

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  When it comes to franchise marketing, each franchise location typically lacks their own unique online presence. This is because online corporate websites and social networking initiatives are usually targeted at a general consumer audience — not any specific geographic area.

  There is an opportunity for franchise owners to increase awareness in their own markets through social networks as a means to:

  • Create an online destination to publish local information, such as promotions, coupons and community involvement activities.
  • Connect with local audiences in a more personal, authentic way.
  • Attract new customers through heightened online awareness.
  • Retain existing clientele through increased communications and local incentives.

  Below I’ve outlined strategies and sample tactics for local retail franchises interested in becoming more active online. I’ve concentrated in particular on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Foursquare because as a general rule these sites pose the most opportunities for local businesses, as they are the most used and fastest growing.
  

  Facebook Strategy

  Franchisees should create a Facebook page for their business to establish a direct outlet for customers to get location-specific information, ask the franchise questions, write reviews and share their experiences with the local brand.

  Sample Facebook Tactics

  • Create and optimize a franchise business page that includes a photo, complete contact information, and information on your business, products and services. Facebook offers a step-by-step guide for setting up your page.
  • Get everyone involved. As a means to increase exposure, encourage employees to set up personal Facebook profiles (if they do not already have them), be active on the franchise’s Facebook page and build relationships with customers.
  • Use the News Feed. Update your profile status often, as this is one way to push information onto the News Feeds of your fans and maximize your visibility on Facebook. Sample status updates may include: links to franchise news coverage and events, information on promotions and coupon codes, and community involvement activities.
  • Monitor page activity and participate in conversations. Be an active participant on your page by answering people’s questions, responding to comments and sharing information.
  • Offer incentives. Examples include choosing a fan of the week at random and sending them a voucher for free products or services, or posting special coupon codes only on Facebook.
  • Use “Notes” to develop blog posts, or launch a blog in Wordpress or Blogger and pull it in to your Facebook page via RSS.

  Twitter Strategy

  Create a Twitter Page for your franchise location to provide an outlet for real-time communication with your local supporters, and establish your franchise as a resource for industry-specific articles and tips, and local news and events.

  Sample Twitter Tactics

  • Create a franchise Twitter page by following Twitter’s step-by-step guide. Be sure to include a photo, link to the corporate website or local Facebook page, and a keyword-rich descriptive bio. Consider uploading a custom background.
  • Build followers and establish a monitoring and participation system that works for you. See our “Twitter Strategy: The Incomplete Guide for Beginners” post for more information.
  • Be an active participant by answering people’s questions, responding to comments and sharing information. Also, connect with, engage and support other local brands on Twitter. By working together you can increase each others’ online brand awareness.
  • Monitor regularly for comments about your franchise, brand and products, and be prepared to address concerns, offer customer service or thank people for praise. Twitter can be a great tool for gathering realtime feedback from customers to enhance your customer service initiatives.
  • Reward your followers. Examples include awarding the followers that help you reach certain milestones on Twitter (i.e. 100th follower, 500th follower, etc.) or posting special coupon codes only on Twitter.

  Yelp Strategy

  Register a Yelp page for your franchise location and use it to share promotional information, coupons and company news with current and prospective customers, as well as to respond to customer reviews.

  Sample Yelp Tactics

  • Unlock your franchise’s Yelp page by following this step-by-step guide.
  • Fill out the business information completely, including business hours, photos, product offerings, contact information and more. Include relevant keywords to increase your chances of getting found.
  • Proactively monitor reviews, and respond to them appropriately.
  • Offer incentives to increase your visibility on Yelp and reward customers. Regularly post offers and coupons.

  Foursquare Strategy

  Create a profile on Foursquare to identify and reward frequent franchise visitors, and to capitalize on mobile marketing trends.

  Sample Foursquare Tactics

  • Add your franchise location as a venue on Foursquare. To do so, register for an account at Foursquare.com. Click on “Add Things” in the menu at the top right, and then click “Add a new venue.” From here, you can add company information such as name, address, phone number and Twitter handle. If your venue already exists, Click on “Are you the manager of this business?” and follow the guide to confirm and create specials.
  • Offer specials. Provide offers to frequent customers of your franchise, as well as those of complementary or nearby businesses. See this Foursquare article on creating and promoting specials.

  What are you doing?

  Diving into social media may seem overwhelming to franchise owners. However, by starting small and mastering each social network one at a time, you can gain confidence, see which outlets work best for you, and tweak your strategy from there.

  For a great example of a local company using social media well, check out the social media success story of Northeastern Ohio’s Heinen's. Though not a franchise, this local grocery store uses social media to expand its customer service, share helpful information and create deeper connections with its customer base. Its story offers a great example for local businesses looking to get started.

  • How have you embraced social media to promote your local retail franchise?
  • What businesses in your area are really great at engaging with their local fan base?

  Image Note: Yes, that’s a picture of me in the Oven Mitt costume back when I used to work at my favorite Arby’s franchise in high school; and no, I’m not embarrassed...

  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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• 3 Reasons PR Professionals Should be Trained in Google AdWords

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jun 16, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Public Relations, Search Marketing

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  Recently, I took the new Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam, the first of two tests required to become a Google AdWords Certified Professional. And, let me tell you, it makes you think.

  The exam tests your knowledge of Google AdWords tools, account management, analytics and ad optimization techniques. Although it focuses particularly on online advertising, we highly recommend it for all PR professionals due to the test’s ability to foster analytical thinking, refine budgeting skills and expand knowledge in how search engines work. These skills are becoming increasingly more important in an evolving industry where there is a growing demand for hybrid professionals.

  In fact, we feel so strongly in its value that we require all PR 20/20 consultants to take and pass the Fundamentals Exam, despite the heavy time commitment involved.

  (The AdWords Learning Center contains 21 lessons for the Fundamentals Exam alone, totaling more than 400 pages of reading. For me, this translated into about 10 hours of serious studying and note taking. Think college finals all over again, and you’ll get the gist.)

  So, as a PR professional, why is it worth investing the time and energy into AdWords training?

  Encourages Analytical Thinking

  PR pros can no longer hide behind impressions and ad equivalency. Being able to demonstrate your success through tangible factors such as search engine rankings, website traffic, inbound links, leads and sales is essential in today’s business environment.

  The Google AdWords Exam forces you to think analytically, translate data into meaningful measurements and adjust strategies based on results. All of these skills are vital for PR pros looking to demonstrate their value to clients and manage successful campaigns.

  Refines Budgeting Skills

  An organization’s return on investment (ROI) using Google AdWords doesn’t necessarily relate to how much the organization spends; its determined by how well their budget is used through keyword and bid selections, targeting and optimization. These factors usually need to be tweaked often based on past performance in order to get the most benefit for your money. 

  This same logic can be applied to the financial aspects of managing any type of campaign. PR pros need to be able to work within a client’s budget - choosing those activities, which will have the largest ROI - while simultaneously being able to determine when a larger budget is needed to achieve desired objectives. They also need to continuously review their current campaigns and budget allocations to determine if their existing financial distribution is optimal, or if funds should be reallocated to better-performing activities.

  Provides a General Understanding of Search Engines

  In his post “7 Benefits of Partnering SEO & PR,” Lee Odden explains why search engine optimization is becoming increasingly more important for PR practitioners looking to reach and influence journalists, and connect with consumers who are actively searching for relevant information online. However, to optimize content for online audiences, PR pros need a sound understanding of search engines and how they function.

  The AdWords training program offers a general overview of Google paid and organic search. It also provides an in-depth lesson on keyword selection. While most information has a paid search focus, the knowledge derived can be applied to organic search as well. Having basic knowledge of how the search engines work can significantly impact the success of press releases and other PR-related content distributed online.

  What Do You Think?

  In an industry that traditionally has offered relatively few options for training or certification, we continuously look for outside accreditations that will showcase our value and expand our skill sets.

  • What tools are you using to enhance your expertise and refine your skills?
  • What courses, certification programs and classes do you recommend for PR pros?
  • How can the lessons from Google AdWords enhance a PR pro's skill set?

  Image Note: My colleague Natalie studying hard for the AdWords exam.

  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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• Social Media for Attorneys

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jun 3, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media

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  Effective networking skills are crucial for attorneys looking to grow their practice. For years, lawyers have been visiting clients, attending trade association meetings, and wining and dining prospects, as a means to sustain clientele and attract new business.

  Now, social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, are opening the door to a new array of networking opportunities that enhance these traditional methods. For example, social networking enables attorneys to:

  • Connect with existing clients in a more personal way.
  • Build stronger personal connections with colleagues and peers.
  • Expand their business development network with prospects.
  • Nurture referral sources.
  • Build their personal brand and profile within the industry.
  • Stay on top of legal industry trends, news and regulations.
  • Monitor client industry news and trends.
  • Learn from industry influentials/thought leaders.

  The following is an overview of why attorneys should be using social media, as well as some best practices for doing so.

  Why Social Media?

  While social media provides a wealth of benefits for attorneys, some key ones are outlined below.

  Benefit #1: Those attorneys that generate new business for their firms are more highly regarded, and thus more likely to be promoted. Social media can enhance your business development opportunities.

  Attracting new business goes back to the importance of networking. The more people who know you and respect you, the more referrals you will receive. These, in turn, lead to more business for your firm, and a more successful career for yourself. In fact, according to LexBlog, “Lawyers in the top 10% of the profession spend a minimum of 3-5 hours each week on practice development,” otherwise known as meeting new people and networking with existing contacts.

  Since more people are interacting online via social sites, you can expand your pool of potential new business opportunities, as well as extend the value of your practice-development initiatives, by connecting and engaging with prospective clients where they are already communicating. By establishing trust with these individuals and building your personal brand, you will remain top of mind, and your connections will be more likely to turn to you when they need an attorney - or when their friend/collegue/family member needs one.

  Benefit #2: Potential clients are talking about legal issues online, enabling you to become a trusted resource by sharing helpful content.

  People are using social networking sites to ask legal questions and recommend attorneys. See the following screenshots from Twitter as examples.

  

  By sharing useful, helpful and relevant information with potential clients online, you can differentiate yourself in the market as a trusted resource. To do this, post articles, answer questions, provide updates on new laws and regulations, and be an active participant.

  However, be careful not to violate any of your state’s professional rules of conduct (see below), and avoid giving legal advice. When communicating with people online, stick to the facts (news, regulations, etc.) and then point people to where they can find more information.

  For some examples of how attorneys are using social media effectively, check out Mashable’s post, “How Lawyers are Using Social Media for Real Results.”

  Benefit #3: Other legal professionals are communicating on these sites, allowing you to connect with peers and learn from each other.

  Networking with peers helps you stay on top of industry trends and legal news, ultimately making you a better practitioner. There are ample opportunities online for attorneys to network with peers. Consider the following statistics:

  • A LinkedIn group search for “attorney” generated 382 groups.
  • On WeFollow.com, a site where Twitter users can designate which topics they are most interested in: 642 people tagged themselves as interested in “attorney," 16 in “attorneys,” 1,463 as “lawyer,” 44 as “lawyers” and 568 as “legal.”
  • There are 6,377 legal professionals listed on LexTweet, a community of legal professionals using Twitter.
  • There are 9,226 lawyer blogs in 74 subcategories, according to Blawgsearch.com.
  • Roughly one-third of the “AmLaw 100” top law firms are on Twitter.
  • In 2009, 86% of attorneys between the ages of 25 and 35, and 66% of those age 46 or older were using social networking sites.

  In addition, establishing yourself as a thought leader and industry expert among your peers can enhance your credibility and visibility in the industry, as well as lead to other opportunities such as speaking engagements, and mentions in blogs and trade publications. As an active participant on these networks, you also won’t fall victim to social-media savvy competitors who could steal potential business away from you just by being present online.

  Best Practices for Attorneys
  

  Below are some best practices to consider as you get started in social media.

  Remain ethical, and stay true to your state’s professional rules of conduct.

  There are special rules that apply specifically to attorneys when it comes to social networking. For example, the “Specialties” section on LinkedIn could pose a risk for attorneys in regard to their State Bar regulations. Therefore, be sure to know how your state handles issues such as attorney advertising, recommendations and ex parte communications, and then adapt your participation accordingly. For a list of items to consider, check out “12 Social Media Ethics Issues for Lawyers,” which provides a very comprehensive overview.

  Overall, just remember that the same rules (such as client confidentiality) apply to social networks as they do to traditional communication platforms.

  Consider joining an industry online community.

  In addition to active participation on general sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, you may find value in niche industry communities where other attorneys are gathering to share information, resources and advice. Communities worth looking into include: Counsel.Net, Legal OnRamp, Martindale Connected and JDSupra.

  Focus your efforts on niche markets and your specialties.

  People are often looking for a specific type of attorney (for example: a tax, bankruptcy or divorce attorney). Therefore, consider your specialities and the client needs relating to those, and then develop relevant, helpful content that speaks directly to those individuals.

  Move communications offline when possible.

  Face-to-face meetings can add additional credibility and personality to your personal brand. Therefore, when possible, meet your online contacts in person. For example, go to lunch, connect at industry events or organize a tweet-up.

  Your Thoughts?

  • How have you used social media to connect with your target audiences and grow your business?
  • What tactics and best practices have resonated the most success?
  • What challenges have you faced online?

  Related Resources

  • The Business of Personal Branding
  • A More Sensible Approach to Facebook
  • How Lawyers Are Using Social Media for Real Results
  • 12 Social Media Ethics Issues for Lawyers

  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: umjanedoan

• Online Corporate-Giving Contests: Tips and Strategies for Nonprofits

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted May 5, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media

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  A growing number of corporations are crowdsourcing the selection of their grant recipients through the use of online contests.  

  While the specifics of each contest vary, most are based on some sort of voting mechanism that enables community members to choose their favorite causes. Recent online-contest examples include:

  • Pepsi Refresh Project — Pepsi is accepting up to 1,000 ideas from its community every month on the topic “how to make a positive impact.” The top 32 ideas (those that receive the most votes) each month are given anywhere from $5,000-$250,000, depending on their final ranking.
  • American Express and TakePart’s Members Challenge — American Express selected 50 nonprofits — 10 in each of the following categories: Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education, Environment & Wildlife, and Health & Wellness — to participate in its Members Challenge. American Express then awarded $200,000 in funding to the charity with the most votes in each category.
  • Chase Community Giving — In January, Facebook users voted for their favorite charities using the Chase Community Giving Facebook application. Out of the more than 500,000 charities nominated by users, the top 100 (those that received the most votes) were awarded grants, ranging from $25,000 to $1 million, depending on their final ranking.

  In this blog post, I’ll outline a few tips for nonprofit organizations interested in online contest participation, as well as some sample strategies and tactics designed to engage communities and drive votes.

  Tips for Online-Contest Success

  As with all fundraising initiatives, online contests demand a nonprofit’s time and resources in order to be successful. Therefore, to increase your return on investment (ROI), be sure to get off on the right foot from the start.

  1. Know What You’re Getting Yourself Into

  The vote-for-me mentality these contests promote has spurred much debate among nonprofits, corporations and the public alike. Supporters see online contests as a way to rally a community, increase brand awareness and raise funds for worthy causes, while opponents warn against deceptive practices, pitting organizations against each other and turning giving into a popularity contest – instead of rewarding the best or most deserving causes. Be sure to consider your thoughts on the implications of online contests prior to jumping in.

  In addition, read the contest rules, research your competition and the corporate sponsor, and evaluate your internal resources and community base. Based on your analysis of these items, determine the following:

  • Are our goals aligned with those of the sponsoring organization? For example, if you organization is an adovocate for the environment, you likely don't want to participate in a contest sponsored by a corporation who engages in practices that go against your mission.
    
  • What is our probability for winning? Does participation make sense from a time and resource perspective?

  2. Develop an Integrated Marketing Plan

  If participating seems like a good fit for your organization, the next step is to develop an integrated marketing plan based on the competition objectives and your target audiences. Blend traditional marketing activities, such as public relations, sales collateral and email marketing, with emerging inbound marketing activities, including: search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, blogging, webinars and content marketing. Then, include strategies, tactics, timelines and budgets for the entire duration of the contest.

  Note: While this plan will likely be tweaked and added to throughout the contest, it’s a good idea to have a clear picture of all planned promotional activities upfront.

  A plan will help you forecast the amount of internal resources needed (i.e. time, money and people), allocate responsibilities among your team and volunteers, and integrate marketing activities. (For example: Is there a large event already planned during the duration of the campaign, such as an annual fundraiser, that can be used as a catalyst for votes?)
  

  3. Make a Commitment to Play Fair

  Don’t let the prize money compromise your values and your organization’s integrity. Follow the contest rules, avoid deceptive practices, and respect your competition.

  4. Start Early

  If you plan to participate in a contest down the road, begin forming relationships with people now! Just because someone is your friend or follower does not mean that you have a relationship. Establish trust with online stakeholders and engage them by sharing useful content, offering advice and answering questions. When the time finally comes to ask for their support, they’ll already know and respect your organization, making them much more likely to take the time to vote.

  Strategies and Tactics

  Below is an overview of potential strategies and corresponding tactics designed to grow stakeholder support, increase cause awareness and drive your community to the desired call to action — voting.

  1. Engage Target Audiences on Social Networks

  Many of the organizations that have done well in online contests are those that had a strong, loyal following of online supporters. Therefore, start interacting on these sites now and building your fanbase. Use social networks to educate people about your cause, and truly demonstrate why your services are needed.

  Remember that individuals on these sites will be more receptive to your requests for support (voting, donating, etc.) if they perceive your organization to be of value. Therefore, focus on building relationships through ongoing interaction and resource sharing. Some tactics to consider prior to, during and after the contest to build your reach and engagement levels on social media platforms include:

  • Build sustainable relationships that extend beyond the length of the online contest by interacting with people and becoming a trusted resource. Don’t just blast your messages on social networking sites and expect people to respond. Instead, be an active participant. Share information about your cause more than information about your organization, and become a helpful resource prior to asking for anything. Send @messages and direct messages (DMs) on Twitter, respond to comments left on your Facebook wall, answer questions on LinkedIn, publish useful content, share interesting articles, offer tips and advice, and more.
  • Incorporate offline activities into your online channels and vice versa. Advertise your social media activity and contest participation through traditional outlets such as annual reports, newsletters and direct mail pieces to increase your base of supporters online. Also, promote your offline events, news coverage and activities on your social network profiles to educate supporters and increase awareness levels.
  • Encourage your loyal supporters to promote your cause, and spread awareness about the competition, through their personal networks. Have employees, volunteers, board members and others who are heavily invested in your mission promote the contest to their families, friends and colleagues. Consider using internal contests or reward systems to encourage them to spread the message, or creating campaign captains who are responsible for recruiting a specific number of votes. Remember that the more people actively promoting your cause and the competition, the broader your reach will be.

  2. Create Compelling Content

  Using content, you can educate audiences about your cause, provide resources to supporters, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your area of expertise. A great example of this is the Invisible Children — the $1 million Chase Community Giving winner — whose blog, videos and photo gallery educate supporters about war-affected children in East Africa, and are compelling enough to encourage a response from those who view them. Some content tactics to consider as part of your online-contest initiatives include:

  • Use a blog, case studies, testimonials, videos, podcasts or other content pieces to educate audiences on your cause, highlight the success of your organization, and the need for your services in the community. Self-published content is a great way to demonstrate the value your organization provides to potential supporters. Therefore, create a mixture of non-promotional educational pieces and promotional case-study type pieces in a variety of formats. Then, promote your content on your website, social networking channels, and, if possible, on the voting page of the corporate-sponsor’s website. 
  • Increase contest awareness through existing content-marketing initiatives, such as newsletters, annual reports and direct mail pieces. For people that opt in to receive updates on your organization, be sure to include an overview of the contest, as well as a voting call to action.

  3. Integrate Public Relations

  Public relations involves more than just media outreach; it’s about establishing relationships and communicating with all of your target audiences, no matter the outlet. Some PR tactics to consider include:

  • Pitch your cause to targeted reporters and bloggers. For example, human interest and success stories may appeal to local and philanthropic publications, and social media influentials may be interested in guest blog posts, blog radio interviews or podcast interviews.
  • Build relationships with potential partners (e.g. local nonprofits, schools, businesses, events) in order to increase organization awareness, and generate support for the contest.
  • Distribute optimized press releases on wire services, featuring competition updates, and related events and partnerships.
  • Organize and plan events (e.g. voting parties) to spark large-scale voting, or integrate voting booths into existing events and fundraisers.

  Your Thoughts?

  By taking an integrated approach to online contests, nonprofits can effectively leverage key stakeholders both on- and offline, as well as establish ongoing relationships that extend beyond the length of the competition.

  • What are your thoughts on online corporate-giving contests? What are the pros and cons?
  • How can nonprofits effectively engage their stakeholders and maximize contest participation levels?
  • What strategies and tactics should be implemented to ensure contest supporters evolve into ongoing supporters?
  • How can nonprofits leverage their existing communities to spread a message?

  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: Theresa Thompson

• Nonprofit Text Message Marketing Campaigns

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Apr 15, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing, Technology

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  “Text ‘Haiti’ to 90999… “

  This simple call to action, which was broadcasted on television, the radio and across social networking sites, helped the American Red Cross raise more than $32-million for Haitian earthquake relief in January. To date, it is the most successful mobile-giving campaign; and therefore, has sparked much interest from other nonprofits looking to emulate the Red Cross’ success.

  With today’s wide adoption of mobile phones — 83% of U.S. adults have cell phones or smart phones and 35% of users have accessed the Internet via their phone — there is a growing opportunity for nonprofit organizations to use short message service (SMS) campaigns (also known as text message campaigns) to gather support and funds for their causes.

  However, prior to doing so, it is important to evaluate both the pros and cons of implementing this type of fundraising, and to consider how a mobile campaign would fit into your overall marketing strategy.

  Convenience Factor

  The main benefit of texting campaigns is that they are convenient and instant for donors. All the donor has to do is send a specific text message to the short code provided (“90999” in the case of the Red Cross). Donations are then charged to the donor’s phone bill.

  Since this can be done while a contributor is on the go and doesn’t require providing a credit card number, it makes donating fast and easy, thus increasing the likelihood that people will contribute.

  As stated in “Has Mobile Giving Reached a Tipping Point?” by Tony Aiello, co-founder and CEO of mGive, a mobile-giving technology company, “The real power of text donations is in its immediacy and its ability to expand the number of people involved in charitable giving.”

  Characteristics of Successful Texting Campaigns

  Despite the benefits, mobile fundraising campaigns can be costly to implement. For example, mGive charges from $399/month-$1,499/month plus successful donation transaction fees to use its platform. (Note: Monthly fees vary based on the number of outgoing messages.) Because of this, nonprofits need to evaluate how much they stand to make, and whether their organization will achieve a significant return on investment with mobile giving, prior to launching a campaign.

  Tied to an Event

  Geoff Livingston (@GeoffLiving), co-founder of Zoetica, a communication agency for nonprofits and socially conscious companies, said, “For texting to be really effective in my opinion, you need an event in time (good or bad), and significant stakeholder base to make it financially viable,” during a Chronicle of Philanthropy live discussion.

  For example, the Red Cross’ campaign centered on the earthquake in Haiti, and the organization had a network of more than 700,000 volunteers, 34,000 employees, 4,000,000 blood donors, 180 national societies and 720 locally supported chapters to rally behind its cause, in addition to a large percentage of the population who were educated about the campaign through advertisements, news media and social networks. Other event-based examples include: Tom Brady and United Way's campaign during the 2008 Super Bowl and Alicia Keys and Keep a Child Alive's campaign during Keys' American Idol Appearance.

  Stakeholder Base

  As for the size of the stakeholder base, Livingston recommended a base of at least 100,000 cold contacts. That way, if the nonprofit has a 1% success ratio at $5-$10, it will roughly cover the costs for one month. For example, 100,000 contacts would result in approximately 1,000 donors, and consequently a minimum of $5,000. Compare this to the typical cost of $3,000 to $10,000 to run the campaign. For smaller organizations, the costs will likely outweigh the benefits.

  It is also important to consider the demographics of the stakeholder base. In the case of the Red Cross campaign, younger people were more likely to contribute via text than older generations — a trend that is likely to span across organizations. By taking a good look at its current donor base, organizations can better determine whether SMS campaigns will appeal to their contributors. 

  Organizational Reach

  A final item to consider is whether the organization has the power and reach necessary to promote the campaign. Consider the following:

  • Does the organization have a community of followers on social networking sites that will help spread the message?
  • Do they have an email or phone list to promote the campaign through?
  • Are there key influentials who are interested in, and willing to, spread the word?
  • Are funds available to advertise the campaign via traditional, online and mobile outlets?

  Common SMS Fundraising Challenges

  Even for organizations that seem to be a good fit for texting campaigns, there are still some challenges to consider, including:

  • Working with third party vendors — According to the Mashable article “5 Real Challenges For Non-Profit Texting Campaigns,” nonprofits cannot simply partner with the cell phone carrier, instead they need to go through third party vendors, who typically have strict regulations when working with them.  Note: Some third party vendors to look into include: mGive, Mobile Giving Foundation, Wireless Foundation and Mobile Commons.
  • Donation restrictions — Due to regulations, individual donations are capped at $5-$10. Because of this, organizations run the risk of limiting someone’s donation, since donors might give more if solicited through other channels, such as direct mail, the Web or email marketing.
  • Mistyped codes — As mobile giving increases in popularity, donors will need to make sure they are typing in the correct keyword and short code; otherwise, the money may not go to the organization it is intended.
  • Length of messages — With a 160 character limit on text messages, organizations need to learn how to be short and concise in their appeal, while still driving people to action.
  • Funds are not immediate — During the Chronicle of Philanthropy live discussion, Wendy Harman (@wharmon), social media manager at the American Red Cross, said that it typically takes 60-90 days for the nonprofit to receive donations through text.

  Marketing Integration

  The final piece to a successful mobile fundraising campaign is integration with other marketing efforts. By including the campaign in an integrated marketing plan, nonprofits can maximize the effectiveness of text-message campaigns, build up their databases of supporters, and increase awareness about their causes.

  Opt-In for More

  One integration element may be to follow donations with a message that asks donors to opt-in to receive text message updates about the organization, connect with the organization on social networks, or sign up for an email newsletter. Establishing a channel for ongoing communication will allow nonprofits to follow-up with donors after the campaign.  Note: Never send unsolicited text messages or emails to people. Only send to those people who have agreed to receive updates.

  During the Chronicle of Philanthropy live discussion, Wendy Harman explained the Red Cross’ follow-up this way: “The American Red Cross can text those who opt in to receive texts from us four times per month. We have used these additional texts to share the impact the donor's donation has had in Haiti and to invite them to follow us on Twitter or sign up for email updates.”

  Link to Existing Campaigns

  Another tactic to consider is linking mobile giving with existing fundraising campaigns. For example, the American Cancer Society may be able to incorporate text message fundraising into its Relay for Life events, or public broadcasting outlets may be able to incorporate it into their annual phonations. Think of those initiatives you already have planned, and whether this added fundraising platform could enhance your efforts.

  Advertise through Established Channels

  Promote your texting campaign through established channels, such as your organization’s email newsletter, annual publications, direct mail pieces and social networks. Use these outlets to spread the message among those people who already have a vested interest in your cause.

  Encourage Supporters to Tell Others

  Consider prompting donors to alert their friends or followers of the campaign through status updates on Facebook or Twitter, or providing tell-a-friend options where donors can send text messages to those people in their address book, asking them to donate as well.

  Your Thoughts on Mobile Giving

  • Which organizations/situations are ideal for mobile giving campaigns?
  • What effect will mobile giving have on future fundraising campaigns?
  • What benefits and challenges are associated with mobile giving?
  • How can mobile giving fit within a larger marketing strategy?

  Special thanks to Geoff Livingston, Wendy Harmon and the Chronicle of Philantrophy for hosting the "Text-Message Fund Raising: What Your Group Needs to Know" live discussion in March, which inspired this post.

  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: isla_yelo

• Applying for Google Grants: A Guide for Nonprofits

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Mar 19, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Search Marketing

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  Google Grants is an in-kind donation program that awards free AdWords advertising to qualified nonprofit organizations, helping them increase awareness, donations and support.
  
  By applying for and maximizing Google Grants, your nonprofit organization can advertise for free in front of an audience who is actively searching for information on your cause.

  Introduction to AdWords Advertising

  Google AdWords lets you bid for keyword search queries related to your cause. When people search on Google using one of your selected keywords, your ad may appear above, or next to, the search results. This enables you to reach an audience who is already interested in your organization’s mission.

  

  Users place bids on which keywords they would like to trigger their ads, called cost-per-click (CPC) bids. AdWords users are charged only for those clicks they receive. Google provides keyword traffic and cost estimates to help you make informed decisions.
  
  Including spaces, ads can contain 25 characters for the title, 70 characters for the ad text and 35 characters for the display URL. On Google, this is displayed on four lines: a title, two lines of ad text (each with 35 characters) and a URL line.

  Grant Application Requirements & Best Practices

  To apply for a Google Grant in the United States, you must have current 501(c)(3) status, as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service.
  
  Restrictions for eligibility include: primarily focusing on selling goods, products or services; requiring membership, having religious content on your Website or serving primarily as a political function.
  
  After checking to make sure that you meet all requirements, fill out the online application as completely as possible. Be sure to clearly convey how Google AdWords can benefit your organization, as well as your understanding of how Google AdWords works. In doing so, the following resources might be helpful:

  • The Google AdWords Learning Center features step-by-step guides and instructional videos on how to manage a PPC campaign.
  • Jacob Wolfsheimer’s article “Google Grants Application Process for Nonprofits” offers best practices for filling out your application.

  Note: The application contains sections on your organization’s goals and target audiences, but also asks for sample AdWords ads and keywords. (Google’s Keyword Tool can be used to help you find and decide upon keywords.)
  
  In addition to your application, Google employees will also review your Website before a grant is awarded. Therefore, be sure to maximize the strength and visibility of your Website by installing and using Google Webmaster Tools and Analytics. These tools will help you diagnose and fix any problems with your Website prior to applying.

  Grants are given on an ongoing basis, but they can take up to four months to process.
  

  Optimizing your Google Grant AdWords Campaign

  Most grantees are awarded a maximum monthly ad spend of $10,000 ($329/day) with a maximum cost per click of $1. However, the monthly budget can be increased to $40,000 per month for successful Google Grant campaigns.
  
  If you’re the lucky recipient of a Google Grant, make sure to put it to the best use possible by employing AdWords best practices. To maximize the impact of your advertising budget, consider the following:

  • Develop an AdWords Strategy to guide the campaign, including goals, target audiences, priority keywords and ad distribution.
  • Select keywords that are highly relevant to your cause and that have high search volumes and low competition. These will provide the most optimal return on investment. 
  • Separate keywords into different ad groups by similar core words.
  • Write targeted ad copy that incorporates targeted keywords and is action-oriented.
  • Create separate landing pages for each ad group to guarantee visitors are taken directly to the information they are interested in. For example, an animal shelter ad about dogs should take you to a landing page featuring only information on dogs, not on dogs and other animals.
  • Include a call to action on the landing page, such as “Donate now” or “Volunteer your time.”
  • Monitor your campaign using information from Google’s analytic tools; then, make changes to improve your ads’ effectiveness. Note: Google’s Conversion Academy offers tips on how to optimize your AdWords ROI with Google Analytics.
  • Log into your account regularly, respond to emails from Google’s team and continuously tweak your campaign. As long as you stay active on AdWords, you can stay in the program. There is no set end date or need to reapply.

  For more tips and tools on using Google AdWords, check out the Google AdWords Learning Center, which I mentioned earlier.

  Your Thoughts?

  • What tips do you have for maximizing a Google AdWords budget?
  • How has Google Grants benefited your organization?
  • What advice would you give to organizations interested in applying for a Google Grant?

  I’d like to thank Natalie Villalobos (@nataliaenvy), community manager at Google, for introducing me to the Google Grants program at SXSW. 

  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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