Tue 20 Dec 2011 |
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2012 Social Media Watch List |
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In the midst of all new technology and social media platforms being created these days, I want to briefly reflect on this year’s social media trends and how they will affect the marketing and PR realm in 2012.
Tumblr: While many organizations have opted to use the standard Blogger or Word Press to blog, I think Tumblr will begin to rise in professional use. With Tumblr, you can upload ANYTHING (photos, videos, links) to the site from any device, and whatever is uploaded can be built-in to your blog post whereas with Word Press, it costs money annually to plant videos in specific posts. Visual integration is a must, and this tool provides every opportunity to embed your media.
Google+: Since June, Google+ has been a hot topic and with good reason. Google+ allows users to have a profile, upload photos and update statuses similar to Facebook, but offers other options too. Users can send out messages to specific groups of people called “circles,” identified by the user and can initiate “hangouts,” where groups of up to ten Google+ users can video chat together (but anyone on the web can join the hangout…but that’s a different blog post) among other differences. In October 2011, the service reached 40 million users (although, it’s unclear how many are active) and in November launched Google+ pages for businesses. Many organizations are still getting their feet wet with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, three big players in social media, so this puts Google+ on the backburner for companies, since it’s still testing out successful marketing strategies. The service can be great for reaching out to groups e.g. tradeshow exhibitors via hangouts or producing webinars, and an easier way to group clients participating in different programs. Google+ is giving Facebook a run for its money, just at a slower rate, and I think organizations will realize how valuable and user-friendly the tool is in 2012 once their target audiences buy in.
Pinterest: If you haven’t used Pinterest yet, proceed with caution, because once you start browsing the constantly updated and attractive photo pins on Pinterest, you won’t be able to stop. This addicting website allows users to “pin” items found on the Internet to their personal boards, and users can follow their friends or users who have similar interests and browse their pins as well as pins placed in pre-set categories. It’s currently a haven for craft and retail products, weddings and home décor- and I think (and hope) the intimate and personal setting will keep it that way and not overturn it with advertisements. With associations and marketers, I imagine it could be a place where event professionals take note of unique giveaways or exhibit designs, and even get speaker ideas. It is a great place to share and find a creative spark, and I imagine more people catching on this upcoming year.
And there you have it, my 2012 watch list; what’s on yours?
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Wed 19 Oct 2011 |
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Keeping Up with the Right Contacts |
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| As we all know, the media industry is constantly changing. In online, print and broadcast, there are countless mergers, position switches, shifts from print to online, new websites, and the unfortunate end of publications every single day. To some, these changes can be easily pushed aside, but for us PR folks, it means much more, especially in terms of media contact lists.
The right public relations or marketing firm knows updating media contacts lists is just as important as creating targeted media contact lists in the first place- it’s not a set it and forget it job. Contact lists created manually and lists kept in online databases must be checked and double checked (even if you get automatic updates!) for the above issues, but also to see if any new publications have been created. We update our lists every time we receive an alert, even if we’re not actively using the list at the moment, so that we’re ready.
Your PR team also should be well-versed in fully understanding who to send materials to and the outlet to which they are sending.
-In print media, there is a difference between managing, assistant, executive, and assignment editors, publishers, etc.
-In the broadcast realm, news directors, producers, promotions directors, etc, are not exactly the same.
These differences are also connected to the type and infrastructure of the publication, number of employees, and can vary from publication to publication. Your PR firm should be aware of these differences and apply them to daily public relations tasks.
In addition to official titles, there are usually categories and also a biography that includes current columns or what they write about exactly. For example, politics is a vague term, so doing a few more minutes of research upfront by browsing through the publication and looking at past articles can only help your public relations efforts in the long run.
One last thing, let’s not forget about quality vs. quantity. Be wary of firms that promise the world- working personal relationships at credible media outlets leads to more successful promotion than getting a release plastered on websites that pick up everything. It’s not about the most contacts, it’s about the right contacts.
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Mon 26 Sep 2011 |
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Red Rover, Red Rover...it’s Time to Make your Tradeshow Exhibit Booth Over! |
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 Achieving your new or revived exhibit booth is like playing a good-old game of red rover; brainstorming new ideas to get ahead of the other “team,” standing out as the strongest on the playing field, connecting towards one common goal (stopping others from breaking through the chain, of course), deciding on a solid approach and then hoping to break into the “chain” of potential clients to return to your own team, unscathed.
Over time the most well thought out booth themes run one direction and booth activities sprint in the other. If your chain is breaking or you can’t get through the other side; your booth might be in a bit of a rut.
It’s time to get out of a tradeshow booth rut and back into the game, and draw a big crowd while you’re at it:
- Don’t forget the basics
It’s easy to forget the mission and goals of your company in the heat of the moment. Revisit the foundation of your company’s values and core beliefs to make sure it aligns with the potential booth theme direction you’re headed in.
- Key players must connect
All the key players in your booth- graphics, printed collateral, videos, activities, etc, must all connect. These elements must all relate to the products or services being sold and also the basics--company mission and goals. Remember, you are delivering a message and it should be consistent throughout.
- Warm-up and practice are part of the game too
In addition to connecting all in-booth collateral, remember attendees will get the first glimpse of your booth in pre-show emails, direct mail and advertising if you have chosen to do so. You want to make it easy for attendees to tie all pre-show marketing and PR aspects together, so they will know what your company is all about when they approach your booth.
- Show you’ve got heart
As frequent tradeshow attendees, very often we see the same booth activities; iPad/iPod giveaways, etc. It’s always refreshing to see exhibitors who get a little personal and display their passions through their companies. How about tying your booth into your corporate giving plan?
At a recent tradeshow, we worked with our client on creating a booth theme that was for a good cause. We held numerous in-booth activities where the company would give a specific donation to a selected charity based on the amount of attendees that participated in each event. This theme lined up with the company’s community service goals and easily related to their products and services.
This idea drew traffic to the booth and raised awareness for a deserving cause. Attendees were happy to stop at booth events to make a positive impact on the community. Most participants wanted to learn more about the exhibitor that was helping to make a difference and exhibitor sales, as well as the charity, benefited.
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