Public Relations Princess

Create a Website Before Social Networking Sites

Recent research shows that 45% of all small businesses don't have a significant web presence of their own. Business owners are ceding control of their own message, marketing channel and search engine optimization, and letting others grab a part of their brand, without permission. Why would you give that kind of control to another person or an entity? For example, if a local restaurant doesn't have a website, shady web players like Yelp can come in as the first search result, running the risk of anonymous, negative reviews to be the first thing a potential customer might read about the restaurant.

But here's another conunundrum. Many small business owners, in the rush to be relevant in the new social media age, are trying to skip a step by going straight from no web presence to social media greatness. I'm talking them out of it one by one. Here's why.

Websites and blogs are really just content storage for your business. The type of content is only limited to your imagination and server capacity. For a retail business, it's the products you have to sell. For service providers, its a description of the services you provide. Social media sites are much more equipped to broadcast information, but not that great at storing it in any meaningful way. Your website is your story, written your way. It's your opportunity to define your strengths in a compelling way. Don't you want that to be the first thing your potential customers read?

Here are the steps you should follow for your web strategy when starting from scratch.

1. Reserve a unique domain for your website. Keep it as short as possible and memorable. I use the site GoDaddy.com, but there are others out there. If your preferred domain name is taken, add on your city or state to the beginning or end. For example: www.iowaicecreamstore.com.
2. Set up a simple website. I recommend using Wordpress, which is a flexible web platform that is typically used to create blogs. Using Wordpress from the very beginning of your project allows you to easily add a blog or other social content later using plugins. This is not a task for beginners. Get some help if you're not comfortable.
3. Create content and update frequently. Start a news page on the front page of your website, or better yet a blog. The key is to keep the content fresh so that your customers will keep coming back to see what's new. Fresh content is also a key ingredient to allowing search engines to find your site and rank it higher on results pages.
4. Now, you're ready to create a Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn company page. Use the links from your website to direct people to more information on the company site you created.
5. Constantly remind people that you offer information on other mediums. For example, "Find us on Facebook and Twitter," with icons prominently displayed, should be posted to your website and in your print ads.

Keeping the content fresh on a website is another thing to do on your busy list, but it's worth it. Your website will become the best lead generation tool in your arsenal.

 

Nike: Why Are You Paying People to Spam My Blog?

   Over the past few months, I've noticed a trend on my own blog. I'm getting more spam comments, and the comments all seem to be coming from the same companies: Athletic shoes (Nike and Asics), erectile dysfunction pills (Cialis and Viagra) and Coach and Chanel bags.

I made a conscious decision to keep the comments on my blog open and unmoderated. I feel that lowers barriers so that people feel more comfortable commenting, especially for first-time commenters. I've changed my mind after receiving endless spam this week. I've decided to start moderating my comments. It bums me out, because I've always trusted my readers and commentors to do the right thing. Obviously, now, I can't trust everyone.

Here are a few screen shots from my comment moderation page that prove that people are attempting to place links on my blog, despite the fact that I will delete them as soon as possible. I've found out how they find my blog. It's a pretty simple process. First they Googled the phrase: -intext:"Next"-inurl:"typepad" -moderated inurl:"2009/08/"intext:"Post a comment" AND intext:"Comment below or sign in with" AND intext:"baby" (see screen shot). For some reason, that got them to my post on the Associated Press. 

Then, once they scroll through the results, they find your unprotected blog, and leave their stupid little spam comment, ("Victory won’t come to me unless I go to it.") along with a link to their product. What is the purpose, you ask?

Most search engine optimization experts will advise that the more links you can get in and out of your website, the more traffic you'll get.

I know that spammers have no reason to post links that they're not being paid to leave. So back to my original question: Nike, why are you paying people to spam my blog? It looks like your not even paying American spammers to do it. Typical out-sourced business model.

Typepad, I report every spammy post I get. Why aren't you fixing the problem?

I'm going to close the open comments feature on my blog soon, so get in your comments on this post. And if your selling shoes, expensive handbags, or erectile dysfunction products, bug off.

I've left other web properties due to spam problems before. Do AOL.com and MSN.com ring any bells?

I'd love hear from my readers. Do any of you get spammed like this? Does a closed-comment blog turn you off?

 

Tips for New Bloggers

The Internet is littered with good intentions. Energetic new bloggers plow into writing their new blog with gusto. A few months later, they give up, leaving the remnants of a promising blog to languish online, perhaps for years.

There are many reasons bloggers give up after a few months. Some simply lose interest, some run out of things to say, and some simply move on to the next activity that catches their interest.

Here is my best advice for new bloggers:

1. Lower your expectations: It is rare for a blogger to generate much interest after only a few weeks or months of writing. Unless the blogger is already famous (or infamous), or has extraordinary talent, the average blog does not get much traffic or generate comments for a while. I wouldn't even judge the success of your blog for at least a year.
2. Blog regularly to build content: Get into the habit of writing a blog post at three or more times a week. In order to build search engine authority (people searching for terms and finding your blog), it is essential for you to build up a critical mass of content. I've been blogging on this blog for three years now and on a typical day, 50 people read my blog just because they've found an old post through a search.
3. Read and comment on other blogs: To find ideas for your own blog, you most certainly will be reading other blogs. By making comments, you're not only showing fellow bloggers appreciation for what they have written, you're leaving a trail of breadcrumbs right back to your blog. If the comment feature on the blog you're commenting on does not include a URL field, just leave your blog's URL in the comment box itself.
4. Use Twitter and Facebook to share your content. Make a tiny URL with any number of URL shrinking tools and let your fans on both networks know when you've created new content. This technique is the secret weapon of many bloggers, including me, to drive traffic to a blog.
5. Be passionate! The reason many bloggers run out of content is that they are not passionate about their subject matter, or have no focus on what to write about. During the month before your new blog is launched, sit down and think of at least 50 things you could write a blog post about. Add to the list when new ideas pop into your head. Try not to limit yourself to one subject, or keep the subject broad enough that you could easily expand your scope.

My last tip is essential. It's much easier to blog when you have a supportive social media community. Here in Central Iowa, there is a group of people who gather on a regular basis to provide support for people who are new to social media (including blogging) in the community. The group meets at Panera on 6740 University Ave in Clive, Iowa on the first Friday of every month. If you show up around 8, just look for the lively throng of good-looking people! Bring some business cards!

Have you had problems starting or maintaining a blog? Throw your questions my way and I'll try to give you some advice to get you back on track.

How to Choose a Reputable Social Media Consultant: Twelve Essential Questions

Social media is maturing as a marketing discipline and mainstream business owners all over the country are asking for help on how to best implement social media strategies. Some are savvy and have been experimenting in the space for years, most are just waking up to the possibilities and promise.

Social media consultants don't have their own section in the Yellow Pages, on the contrary - even if there was a section - you'll most likely find one using Google or another search engine. How do you choose who is right for you or your company?

First, you have to answer these questions:

1. Do I need individual coaching or coaching for my business or both?
2. Is my company a Business-to-Consumer (B to C) operation? (like a restaurant)
3. Is my company a Business-to-Business (B to B) operation? (like a software wholesaler)
4. What is the budget? (a ballpark estimate is fine)
5. Are there any restrictions to social media success? (a restrictive legal team, an unconvinced CEO or industry precedent) If there is unresolved internal conflict in your company, it could be a deal-breaker, or you might just need some strategic leadership, which a good consultant can provide.

Once you have these basic questions answered, you can begin your search. Once you find a few companies or individuals you'd like to work with, there are some questions that might help you choose someone who is right for your particular situation. Here are the ones I'd start with (and have already been asked of me on numerous occasions).

1. Length of time in the social media space: How long have they been blogging, using Twitter, or helping others create a social media presence?
2. Influence: How many people are following them on these social networks?
3. Reputation: How are they regarded among clients? (ask for references!) Checking their LinkedIn references is another idea.
4. Results: Has anything they've created in the social media space earned results? (ask for case studies or results summaries)
5. Philosophy: What is their philosophy about controversial issues such as "ghost blogging" and astroturfing?
6. Listening Skills: Can the consultant create a customized plan after listening to your specific needs, or do they seem hung up on one aspect of social media based on their own experience level?
7. Company status: Is their business incorporated? Why or why not?
8. Insurance: Does the consultant or company have business liability insurance?
9. Business Partners: Does the company have its own support services (like PR, graphic design and SEO services) or does it partner with other organizations? If "subcontractors" are involved, who are they?
10. Integrity: Does the business have a record of integrity and a spirit of service to the community?
11. Teaching: Are they involved in teaching or spreading knowledge on their blogs or in other settings? Do they participate in seminars for which they are not being paid?
12. Membership in Professional Organizations: Do they belong to their local Social Media Club or another professional organization that can provide them with ongoing educational opportunities?

These are just a few questions to get you started, but don't forget that a gut feeling is worth just as much as a fancy resume or business card. Chemistry is important when working with consultants! They will be entrusted with sensitive information about your business and must have high integrity. Even after your choice is made, don't be afraid to ask questions and challenge their assumptions!

I'd love to hear about your experiences in finding a good social media consultant. Did you run into any obstacles?

I'm Honored to be Ad Maverick's Commenter of the Year

Thanks, Ad Mavs, for all the props and great prizes. You guys make me feel very valued! I will keep commenting and reading in 2010.

Social Media in an Iowa Blizzard

I'm stoked to see that Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge has a new blog. That is awesome news!

Technically, it does not meet my definition of a blog, because it does not accept comments (moderated or otherwise). 

On this blizzardy day in Iowa, lots of peeps and tweeps will be spending the day surfing and commenting on their favorite social media sites. I'm convinced that Patty and her staff are losing out on a significant opportunity to communicate what Governor Culver and Lt. Gov. Judge are doing to keep Iowans safe.

Since Patty is in charge of Homeland Security and natural disasters, it would be wonderful to get a fresh post this morning as soon as the Iowa National Guard was activated. Patty herself, I'm absolutely sure, is in the war room at the Iowa National Guard headquarters as I write this, helping to coordinate emergency response. Will her Blogger blog be updated via mobile device? How cool would it be to get a picture of all those cute National Guard soldiers surrounding our diminutive Lt. Gov?

The part I love about her blog post is that she mentioned that she's not done with her Christmas shopping and her grandkids. This is how I know that Patty really had input into this post. She is a mom and a grandmom first. Very authentic voice.

Lt. Gov. Judge and I have known each other for a long time. Here's my advice for her blog, take it or leave it.

1. Allow moderated comments: This means you (or your staff) will get an email and allow comments to be approved before being posted to the blog. This will ensure that posts stay on topic and not abusive. With an election coming and right-wing nut jobs looking for opportunities to ding the current Gov. and Lt. Gov., this is certainly understandable.
2. Post on days when things are going on, not when you're taking a breather. People will start to check your blog to get the latest word on what you're up to. If you post as an afterthought, that's what the blog will become as well.
3. Link to more Web sites than just your own. In your last post, for example, it would have been cool to link to the IJobs Web site, and a local toy store like Creative Kidstuff.
4. Create some link-love. Patty's blog links to all the usual suspects, but there are tons of other Web properties and social media sites that could use a shout-out. How about the RIO site? There are probably dozens of others.
5. Invite a blogger to come with you sometime. Also, invite bloggers to press briefings and put them on your media advisory lists. The 2008 presidential candidates all had blogger lists and maintained great relationships with us during the caucus season.

I'm so glad the Lt. Governor is experimenting with social media. I'll be checking back often, and can't wait to be the first one to leave a comment.

Checklist for PR Majors: Before You Walk, Check Off Social Media Skills

I've spent a lot of time with students at Drake University, Simpson College, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, UNI and Des Moines Area Community College the past two years. There are many bright students out there, for sure. Unfortunately, the classroom is not the best place to get to know these young people. But strike up a conversation on a social network, and you get a more accurate snapshot of the subjects they're interested in.

It's a paradox then, that these students, who live their lives on Facebook, don't really know much about the value of social networking in a business context, or its value in public relations, or its value in crisis communications. This bridge between the "social" nature of social media and the "media" aspect should be built during college. Once graduated and in the working world, these bright young people may not have the luxury of time to think about these connections again, until they're faced with writing a plan for a client or employer, who will expect them to know.

Unfortunately, most public relations programs still treat social media as an ancillary specialty, much like an appendix. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes it's because the professors don't know enough about social media in the context of a PR career to teach it. Sometimes, old school classes are taking up too much time on the required class list. So, I've come to the conclusion that students need not wait for a formal class to learn about social media. They should check the items off on this list themselves.

1. Learn how to shoot, edit and post video: Buy an inexpensive Flip, or simply use the video function on your point and shoot camera. Look into free editing software such as Microsoft Movie Maker or Apple iMovie. The goal is not to become the next Steven Spielberg, but to just become comfortable with the general process. Post the video to YouTube and tag it.
2. Learn how to record a podcast. With the free microphone that comes with most computers, and a free software program such as Audacity, you can create a simple audio file. Use this opportunity to hone your interviewing skills, which you will need when you become a PR professional.
3. Create and write regularly on a blog: There are many good free blogging platforms out there, such as Typepad and Wordpress. I'd avoid Blogger just because I find it to be limited. Blogging teaches many things and hones writing skills. It also provides lots of practice in posting pictures and videos.
4. Get on Twitter and learn how to use it. Follow your classmates and professors, your university, or anyone from the city you live in. You'll start to build your own following very soon.
5. Collect internships like seashells. If no perfect position presents itself, market yourself as an intern to a local nonprofit and offer your services to get them up and running on social media for six months.
6. Clean up your Facebook page and make it more adult-working-world acceptable. No need to scrub it clean, but use discretion in what pictures of you are tagged with your name.
7. Join LinkedIn and use contacts you make during internships as your first connections.
8. Figure out social media strategy: Write a paper on using social media in the business world and highlight some great case studies. Be sure to make a clear connection between strategy and tactics. Why was social media used? Did it help solve a problem? Did it produce measurable results?
9. Take Internet Marketing. There are lots of old-school digital marketing classes that can teach you about CRM, email marketing and SEO. A lot of what you learn will apply to social media as well.
10. Get involved. There are many opportunities to help your school, your local PRSSA chapter, as well as your community. Show initiative and get out there and do something. Put it on your resume as a volunteer position.

I've noticed a disturbing trend with my students and have heard the tale from fellow professors: Students are so used to being told what to do that they're losing all initiative and curiosity. That is the worst possible trait to carry into a new career. Delve into your creative side and tackle social media while you're in college. No one will be there to tell you how or what to do. And that, in my opinion, is the best part.

Associated Press and Wall Street Journal: Social Media Dummies

The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press are tangentially related. Both are vaunted mainstays of the "mainstream media." Both are respected in journalism circles for providing excellent reporting. Then why are both making such sophomoric mistakes in the emerging media world?

Let's take the case of the Wall Street Journal first. Owned by the same people who drove MySpace into the ground, it's been slow to embrace social media, but now plans on starting its own Linked In competitor? After not even fully practicing social media on their own Linked In page, now the Wall Street Journal wants to reinvent the wheel? Leaves me shaking my head.

WSJ's social media policy also is curious, if not laughable. It's clearly written by lawyers and HR people who have no clue about the social media space. It basically tells everyone how to protect the Wall Street Journal, without even touching upon how to be effective and use the space to the WSJ's advantage. They missed the entire point of social media.

Today, I read that Wall Street Journal reporters are no longer going to honor embargoes unless it is given an exclusive. (For my non-PR readers, an "embargo" is a piece of news that is shared with a news source under the pre-agreed condition that the news source will keep from reporting that information for a set period of time) This is the WSJ's way of taking its ball and going home. It's a very baby-ish way of saying, "We don't think we need to work as hard as everyone else for our stories. If you don't come to us first and give us an exclusive, then we won't print your story at all." Waaaaaa! My guess is they'll end up losing more stories than they gain.

Now, my favorite aging news wire service, the Associated Press. Notice I did not use the AP logo, lest I be sued. They are starting to charge bloggers who use more than five words from their stories! They actually have a chart showing how much they will charge. Last week, a blogger conducted an experiment. He "bought" a Thomas Jefferson quote from the AP (which they have no right to charge for, since it has been in the public domain for centuries). The AP purchase bot wasn't even sophisticated enough to know the difference between the quote and its own material.

According to AP's arcane rules, a blogger cannot even site an AP article and give it full attribution with the post. The ability to comment on material in the news and in online sources already in the public domain is the backbone of social media. By issuing a series of silly assaults on the blogosphere, the AP has instead unleashed a torrent of ridicule upon itself. It should have instead helped bloggers spread its material and helped bloggers properly attribute the material. Most bloggers already do that, but a gentle reminder to offenders would have gone over far better than the campaign of shock and awe that they're running now. The last time I checked, social media people are far less expensive to hire than lawyers.

 

Target Can't Afford a Blogger Relations Specialist? Gimme a Break.

This Target ad, offensive to women as it is on its own, has now sparked a blogger backlash because of Target's obtuse response to the blogosphere. Here is my friend's Peter Himler's take on the whole thing.

In a nutshell, a blogger from the site ShapingYouth inquired about the ad to the media relations team at Target and received this incomprehensible response:

"Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets,” a public relations person wrote to ShapingYouth. “This practice,” the public relations person added, “is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest,” as Target refers to its shoppers.

Actually, just the fact that they responded to the query at all clearly demonstrates that they have the wherewithall to deal with the inquiry. So, Target is trying to tell us that they don't have the manpower to deal with bloggers? Hiring a few blogger relations reps to deal with this disaster would be a good start.

Target CERTAINLY plays in the social media sphere. It has a group on Facebook. But Target has a much bigger problem than tragically misplaced bullseyes on its ads.

Target's problem? It has blown all the good PR its built up in the last 10 years in one fell swoop. Ouch!

The Blogging Time Dilemna: Long and Juicy or Quick and Dirty

If you ask a group of bloggers: "What is better: A long and juicy blog post, full of orignal thought and links to other resources, or a quick and dirty post that only comments on another blog or news article?" You will get as many answers as there are bloggers.

I am a "long and juicy" blogger. I include a lot of original thought and commentary in my posts. But in the long run, my blog traffic numbers tend to suffer because I am not here posting every day.

My mentor and blog coach, Mike Sansone, author of the critically acclaimed and very popular blog Converstations, has his own formula for blogging success, one that I envy, sometimes follow, but mostly just admire. Just reading his archive on blogging strategy is akin to reading the bible on blogging.

The simple key to your personal blogging style depends on your goal for the blog. Do you want to be a super-star with 5,000 daily readers? Do you want a place to promote your business or give your current Web site a rise in Google searches? The answers will give you guidance on how many posts will get you to your readership goal.

I'll give you a glimpse of the types of posts that I recommend to my clients. Ideally, posts should vary from long and juicy, to quick and dirty, with several types in between. Problogger has an excellent post here that details 20 different types of posts and how to effectively mix 'em around in your blog.

Effective time management is essential to the success of a blog and the person writing it. While writing an actual post may take you no more than 20 minutes, you have to block out time for research, commenting on other blogs, linking, identifying your sources, and tagging posts.

My best advice is to be realistic and generous with your time estimate. Then block it out on your calendar like any other obligation. But don't forget to stay relevant to your audience, and for goodness sake, have a little fun now and then.