I’m really excited to be presenting at my first ever Public Relations Society of America [PRSA] meeting.

Thanks to Diane Short for being such a professional and easy to work with program chair. If you’re in the Chicago area, I’d love to see you there! Here’s the program announcement.

January 12, 2010 PRSA Suburban Chicagoland Social Media Releases: the “Swiss Army knife” of Public Relations

Barbara Rozgonyi will show you how to craft and pump up your press releases for maximum impact.

You’ve ...]]>

I’m really excited to be presenting at my first ever Public Relations Society of America [PRSA] meeting.

Thanks to Diane Short for being such a professional and easy to work with program chair. If you’re in the Chicago area, I’d love to see you there! Here’s the program announcement.

January 12, 2010
PRSA Suburban Chicagoland
Social Media Releases: the “Swiss Army knife” of Public Relations

Barbara Rozgonyi will show you how to craft and pump up your press releases for maximum impact.

You’ve leave this program with the following:
# Search Engine Optmization: Find out how to attract more focused attention with keywords and links

# Socialization: Learn how to transition traditional releases into a shareable and multi-media social release format

# Distribution: Discover free and paid distribution services that help you target newsmakers, customers and communities

Presenter(s)
Barbara Rozgonyi, Founder, CoryWest Media, LLC
CoryWest Media, LLC, is a strategic social, public relations and marketing consultancy based in Chicago’s western suburbs. The creator of the Marketing Transformations Process and The Accelerated Marketing Plan, Barbara blends her experience as a storyteller, sales trainer, entrepreneur, marketing consultant and social media maven into lively, dynamic programs that get results for clients, live audiences and students. In August 2009, Ragan Communications tapped Barbara’s talent to develop “twitter 101” and “twitter and PR” programs for their Social Media Boot Camp.

Program details
Date: January 12, 2010
Time: Networking at 6:00 PM, Dinner at 6:30 PM, Program Follows
Location: Sheraton Suites, 121 Northwest Point Blvd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Cost: $30.00 for PRSA members $40.00 for non-members $25.00 for PRSSA students

Registration Deadline: 12:00 PM January 11, 2010

Online PR Social Media Releases Program Registration

Have a question or need help with online social media releases? Let’s talk in the comment box or call me at 630.207.7530.

When Marc asked me to review his new product: Online PR Made ...]]> In this picture, I’m smiling at an authentic Chicago Italian beef joint with Marc Harty. We met for the first time a few years ago when I won a contest to be Marc’s guest at an Internet marketing seminar. We’re both Illinois grads, we both like Italian beef and we both have a passion for helping people get their news out and rank higher in the search engines.

When Marc asked me to review his new product: Online PR Made Easy, I downloaded the files with a critical eye. After all, I teach online public relations and my company provides these types of services for clients.

Online PR Made Easy Overview
Current Price: $97.00, set to increase, includes 25% lifetime PRWeb.com discount
Ratio of Value to Investment: High
Recommended for: beginners and anyone who wants to save research time – Marc’s done most of it for you, including running down specialty distribution services and ranking free or low-cost distribution resources.

Critical Review of Online PR Made Easy from an Experienced Perspective

What could Marc say that I didn’t know already? [Disclosure: Marc gave me a complimentary review copy, but did not require a review or payment. The links to the product in this post are all affiliate links. I will receive a commission if you buy this product using my affiliate URL. If you do, let me know and I'll send you a copy of my Ultimate PR Secrets interview with Marc Harty, a $49 value, for free.]

Pre-product: Marc went all the way to England to get video for the “London Chronicles” pre-launch blog promo portion of the product launch. While I don’t think a trip across the pond adds to the value of the product, it’s interesting to watch Marc on camera. He’s an engaging storyteller and if you haven’t been to England, you’ll enjoy the scenery. Plus, it shows the level of commitment and detail Marc puts into not only promoting, but producing and presenting, his products.

You won’t have to guess what you get when you order this one. Although Marc’s already upgraded the product since I reviewed the launch version, here are a few modules I liked that stand out:

Insta-Coaching Step by Step Online PR Video Tutorials Demonstrate How-to
Press Release Success
Newswire Selection
Press Release Distribution
Metrics & Tracking

Optimized Templates: The 20-Minute Press Release Fills in the Blanks
New Product Template
Event Template
Expert Authority Template

Ultimate Newswire Directory Sorts out Distribution Options
lntroduction
Directory Tour
Specialty Newswires
Specialty Newswire Tour
Geo Targeted Newswires
Geo Targeting Exercise
Social Media Newswires

Online PR Made Easy Process Maps Chart Out Checkpoint Systems
OPME process maps, or flowcharts, include:
1) Press Release Creation
2) Press Release Distribution
3) Press Release Metrics and Tracking
Clearly laid out, these flowcharts help with planning and tracking.

There are a few areas I would build on, but given that this is more of an introductory package that even more advanced users can learn from, I think it’s definitely worth $97.00 [price subject to increase]. Maybe you have the money, but do you have the time? Marc’s done such a thorough job with video, special reports and templates that you’ll want to study the course to make sure everything sinks in. The good news is once you own the course, you can keep studying. If you’re pressed for time or you’re not good at do-it-yourself communications projects, this may not be the product for you. But, if you’re willing to learn, you’ll get fill in the blank templates, video tutorials, insider tips and shortcuts that will save you more than $97.00 [price subject to increase].

My Online PR Made Easy Review on Marc’s Site . . .

When Marc Harty asked me to review his new product: Online PR Made Easy, I opened the files with a critical eye. After all, I teach online public relations and my company provides these types of services for clients. What else could I learn? Having learned some valuable tips when I interviewed Marc for Ultimate PR Secrets, I looked forward to finding out.

With detailed process maps, tutorials and templates, publicity seekers at all levels will find it easy to write and send optimized press releases. Considering that many companies often invest $200 on distribution alone, Online PR Made Easy is a well-priced investment in better online PR performance.

Check out Online PR Made Easy at http://budurl.com/easyonlinepr

Have a question about how online PR can dramatically improve your visibility and search results? Let’s talk in the comment box or call me at 630.207.7530.

Wired PR Works!
Barbara Rozgonyi

Rather than print out pages of handouts, I’m posting my Digital PR workshop materials here for the world to enjoy.

First, we’ll talk about how to become your own publicist using the PR P-R-I-M-E-R

Next, we’ll go over the Digital PR=Publicity Repositioned presentation.

Then, we’ll cover essential elements of online and social media press releases.

And, we’ll cover some real-life success stories. Have to join us in person to see those, but ...]]>

Rather than print out pages of handouts, I’m posting my Digital PR workshop materials here for the world to enjoy.

First, we’ll talk about how to become your own publicist using the PR P-R-I-M-E-R

Next, we’ll go over the Digital PR=Publicity Repositioned presentation.

Then, we’ll cover essential elements of online and social media press releases.

And, we’ll cover some real-life success stories. Have to join us in person to see those, but here are some videos to inspire and inform.

Disclosure: image provided by shutterstock.com

Have you tried do-it-yourself online PR? What lessons would you share?

Coming up on October 30 in Lombard, Illinois . . . here’s a press release about an event that’s expected to draw over 500 people and 50 exhibitors. Need a business to business social networking or social media marketing strategies speaker? We released new about the expo via PRWeb.

Social Media Talks Buzz Up Lombard Chamber Business EXPO

Lombard, Illinois October 16, 2009 — Successful businesses know that one of the best places to network is a chamber of commerce business EXPO. ...]]>

Coming up on October 30 in Lombard, Illinois . . . here’s a press release about an event that’s expected to draw over 500 people and 50 exhibitors. Need a business to business social networking or social media marketing strategies speaker? We released new about the expo via PRWeb.

Social Media Talks Buzz Up Lombard Chamber Business EXPO

Lombard, Illinois October 16, 2009 — Successful businesses know that one of the best places to network is a chamber of commerce business EXPO. Even better? Add in presentations on how to build up social media buzz and then attend a networking reception. Thanks to the Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, businesses can do all three at the 13th Annual Expo at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois. Social Media keynote speaker Barbara Rozgony of CoryWest Media, LLC – online at http:wiredPRworks.com – a virtual PR, social media and marketing consultancy will present three 20-minute social networking presentations: Facebook: Your Business or Your Life; Twitter 101: How to Tweet: Not for Birds, But for Business; and LinkedIn: 5 Power Strategies to Stand Out and Be Sought Out.

The “Wired PR Works” presentation is being sponsored by Chamber Gold Member Premier Payment Systems provider of Merchant Card Services. For more information visit: http://lombardchamber.com or call 630.637.5040.

Yvonne Invergo, Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry executive director, says exhibitors represent a wide variety of business sectors including banking, finance, insurance, marketing, computer, healthcare, senior living, education, publications, recreation, government and more. A social networking reception, at Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., follows the EXPO.

Sponsored by Premier Payment Systems, Barbara Rozgonyi’s social media keynote presentations will cover:

Facebook: Your Business or Your Life? | at noon
How to have it both ways and become friends with people you can do business with
Learn how to harmonize your business, life and branding into a unified, cohesive presence that compliments your business – and your life!

Twitter 101: How to Tweet: Not for Birds, but for Business | at 1:00 p.m.
How to fly into twitter and attract a flock of loyal followers and customers
Birds tweet, but should you? Find out if twitter is a time-waster or a tool worth turning on and powering up. Discover how to leverage twitter to attract prospects, connect with customers, personalize branding and respond to everyone, including the media.

LinkedIn: 5 Power Strategies to Stand Out and Be Sought Out | at 2:00 p.m.
Becoming an authority on LinkedIn is easier than you think. In this session, take a look at the top five strategies authorities use to get attention and claim their space on LinkedIn: profiles, recommendations, answers, company sites and networks.

About Premier Payment Systems, specializing in merchant accounts for credit card processing
Premier delivers a personalized hands-on approach to businesses that are looking for competitive merchant solutions. Managed by an expert team with a collective 50 plus years experience in the bankcard industry, Premier’s leadership’s extensive background in risk management, leadership and sales management drives the company’s service and its vision. Premier’s diverse client portfolio consists of thousands of businesses, some of whom process as little as $60,000 annually in credit card charges while others process in excess of $100 million annually. Headquartered in Chicago’s western suburbs, Premier’s client base includes internet, retail, wholesale, mail order, phone orders and home-based businesses. Partnerships and alliances with the most well respected financial institutions in the world include First Data, named by Inc as the #1 Fastest Growing Business in Financial Services Industry 2008. For more information, visit http://ppsbankcard.com.

###

Disclosure: Thanks to Premier Payment Systems for sponsoring my presentation and the event promotions.

Are you attracting all the traffic you want?

Does your intent match your results?

Every website needs a review now and then. In this article by Barbara Rozgonyi, you’ll discover 20 tactics you can use to revitalize your website.

Originally published in October 2007, this post suggests 20 ways to attract more targeted traffic by refreshing your site. I wrote it while I was updating my company’s site. Now that I’m considering consolidating this blog with that ...]]> Does your website need refreshing?

Are you attracting all the traffic you want?

Does your intent match your results?

Every website needs a review now and then. In this article by Barbara Rozgonyi, you’ll discover 20 tactics you can use to revitalize your website.

Originally published in October 2007, this post suggests 20 ways to attract more targeted traffic by refreshing your site. I wrote it while I was updating my company’s site. Now that I’m considering consolidating this blog with that site, I’m rethinking what I wrote. What would you add? Do you agree with these suggestions?

Online PR Web Blog Redesign Checklist

1. Study your current results to find out where visitors come from and how they find you

2. Weed out pages that don’t draw traffic – why list them if they don’t work

3. Slim down to the basics of who, what, when, where and why and answer all of the important questions right away

4. Write for your reader, not yourself, to draw them in and warm them up

5. Print out the pages, then highlight all the references to we and us and circle all the references from the customer’s perspective that say you [Hint: you want mostly all circles and very few highlights]. Talk more about “you” than “we” or “us.”

6. Add an opt-in form to gather customer data with a box for name and email address and then communicate on a consistent

7. Set up each page to be a mini-site that promotes one thing and one thing only, but integrates seamlessly within the whole

8. Page titles: pick up on keywords and title every page differently; think of the title as a browser headline

9. File names: separate words with an underscore when you save and be sure to list every keyword or phrase that’s relevant to your reader

10. Navigation: be consistent with links to every major page in the site from the central navigation bar

11. Review: ask clients, friends and colleagues for their feedback from a variety of browsers – what looks good on Internet Explorer may be mushed on Mozilla

12. Audio/Video: consider recording either audio or video to upload onto your home page so that your prospects can get to know you right away

13. Testimonials: add comments from customers about their experience with you – let them tell your story – video and audio testimonials are the best

14. Ecommerce: position credit card and approved logos where the reader can find them easily to let them know they can make a secure purchase and not worry about credit card fraud

15. Privacy: link to your privacy policy to assure your readers that you value their privacy and will not share their customer information with anyone, ever

16. Photo: place a professional photo on your site to show your prospects that there is a real person who cares about doing business with them

17. Bio: write a personal bio that talks about how you serve your customers and include a few personal notes to give it personality

18. Contact: set up a contact form to give prospects a way to reach you without calling

19. Phone Number: listing your phone number, in addition to or in place of email, gives customers and prospects confidence that they can contact your right away if they need to

20. Redirect: buy URLs that relate to each mini-site within your main site and then redirect the domain to that site to brand the page and identify the service or product in more depth for your prospects and customers

21. and beyond . . . thanks for adding your suggestions in the comment box

Microsoft’s getting lots of attention [Small Businesses to PPC: Drop Dead] for its survey that finds 70% of small business owners would rather do their own taxes than manage a PPC [pay per click ad words] campaign.

We don’t do our clients’ taxes, but we do manage their marketing strategies, create online PR campaigns and help them prioritize their advertising spending.

We tell them to never purchase a PPC program until we talk to them about it first.

Why? Well ...]]>

Microsoft’s getting lots of attention [Small Businesses to PPC: Drop Dead] for its survey that finds 70% of small business owners would rather do their own taxes than manage a PPC [pay per click ad words] campaign.

We don’t do our clients’ taxes, but we do manage their marketing strategies, create online PR campaigns and help them prioritize their advertising spending.

We tell them to never purchase a PPC program until we talk to them about it first.

Why? Well . . . PPC is complicated to explain, to implement and to keep going. Yet, you have to keep going. Thinking of jumping in? Here’s a . . . 

PPC Preliminary Checklist

Purpose – why are you doing this?

For most small businesses, the answer is leads.

Goal – how will you know when you’re successful?

Do you need 1 or 100 clicks a week? The better your ad, your landing page and your offer, the lower number of clicks you’ll need.

How much are you willing to spend – for how long?

Think about this one carefully. If you want to play around and test, go ahead, but limit your investment to an amount you’re willing to spend.

Do your prospects click on ads?

Like most marketing tactics, it’s best to be where your customers are.

Is your industry overly competitive?

For keywords like “credit” you can expect to pay thousands of dollars to get traffic.

Will you design a landing page for every keyword?

To convert traffic, you’ll need a custom landing page. Sending ad traffic to a home page with no way to collect data or take action is like losing the lead before you get it.

Who will manage your campaign?

If you have money and the zeal to attack this task, then study with a master like Perry Marshall. If you outsource your campaign, ask to see comparable results from similar businesses. Make sure the contract has a cancellation and a competition clause you’re comfortable with.

When will it end?

Ideally, you will continue to run AdWords, but some campaigns may be cancelled as keywords change and costs increase. 

How Online PR [Public Relations, Press Releases, Page Rank] Stacks Up Against Pay Per Click Advertising

PR people like to tout the benefits of public relations over advertising. To us, it makes sense to maximize your budget by optimizing your efforts. Here’s how we think online PR outperforms pay per click advertising . . . and no, this is not apples to apples. We know that. But, we also know that online PR is one of the most under-utilized search marketing and community building strategies. Have you tried online PR? How about PPC?

Interested in test-driving an online PR campaign?

Advanced Link Building from the Chicago ...]]> Twitter transcripts for this session follow. As always, the updates are as exactly as posted with no changes – and they are in reverse order. So, start at the bottom and read from the top. This is one in series of articles. Browse my Chicago Search Engine Strategies 2008 category for the complete collection. Visit Search Engine Strategies’ blog for total conference coverage. Here’s the session description from the program guide . . .

Advanced Link Building from the Chicago Search Engine Strategies 2008 Program Guide 
How far is too far in optimizing your internal link structure? If you operate a network of sites, can natural interlinking be perceived as link spam? How should you handle affiliate links? Advanced linking issues like these and more will be explored during this session. This session is designed for experienced marketers. Beginners should only attend if they’ve gone through the Link Building Basics session earlier in the day.

• Moderator:
  PJ Fusco, Natural Search Director, Netconcepts
• Speakers:
  Michael Gray, President, Atlas Web Service
  Wil Reynolds, Founder, SEER Interactive
  Chris Boggs, Manager, SEO, Brulant, Inc., recently acquired by Rosetta

Advanced Link Building Twitter Transcript by Barbara Rozgonyi for Wired PR Works

wiredprworks: .edu links-every university has student pages, every student has access, get an intern, might put a link to your co/client #ses

wiredprworks: .edu links actually become conversions, especially with discounts for profs #ses

wiredprworks: aim for regional .gov, typically involved with you giving something back #ses, show up a meeting, take notes and post to blog for links

wiredprworks: .edu lists contests-client in an industry get them in there as a sponsor, had a lot of success, build curriculum to class @davesnyder #ses

wiredprworks: to get .edu links, go to local college department, offer to speak or sponsor, then give them your link for their site #ses

wiredprworks: dmoz still what uses as a Google defacto directory, submit it once and let it go, content builds links #ses 
 
wiredprworks: directories: does it rank for its own term, search industry+directory to find them, submit to better ones first #ses

wiredprworks: paid links: check referrer’s logs to see if they’re sending traffic #ses

wiredprworks: affiliate links should come straight through, even better without an affiliate id could create a duplicate content problem for yourself #ses

wiredprworks: try to stay within your PR [page rank] neighborhood, understand your industry #ses

wiredprworks: bookmarking your own stuff on delicious can turn you into a commercial account #ses

wiredprworks: watch out for hacking and encrypted text with links in sidebars or footers – visible or invisible #ses

wiredprworks: link injection- not good, some plugins carry a hidden trojan that inserts links into blogroll, check your blogroll #ses

wiredprworks: black hat-questionable strategies to link building by @graywolf #ses

wiredprworks: @wilreynolds squeezes in more delicious tips: find “librarians” in towns, subscribe to tags, use MechanicalTurk to rank sites #ses

wiredprworks: tag sites in delicious to profile sites and then order sites in terms of most link value based on Alexa, Technorati, etc. #ses

wiredprworks: ways to get links: write a testimonial, sponsor a large charity, search for ways to give in-kind donations #ses

wiredprworks: seo company doing PR outreach for links [now, there's a new concept!] #ses 

wiredprworks: ask tons of questions to find out what people are talking about to find pockets and opps for links #ses

wiredprworks: @ltrosien ‘s twitter grader profile up on screen, helped speaker plan trips to Chicago, use twitter grader to find out more #ses

wiredprworks: twitter bi-weekly contest for free AC unit, created by @adamm based on twitter search, works for anything that fixes people’s problems #ses

wiredprworks: next speaker, Wil Reynolds from SEER, link buying should be evaluated based on ability to assess risk, #ses

wiredprworks: @boggles – thanks for the remediation linking tips #ses

wiredprworks: Google webmaster tools go to links, to pages with external links, look at 404 pages and try to reclaim links #ses

wiredprworks: http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com to get inbound links to your site, look for external links to entire site #ses

wiredprworks: Advanced Link-building #ses remediation tactics for inbound links: free yahoo site explorer, Google Webmaster, WeBuildPages

The way people see you online is not all up to you. Your reputation is in the eye of your reader.

While you have some control over where you show up and how you position yourself, [trust me on this] you really want people to have an opinion about who you are and what you do. Hopefully, a good opinion, but even constructive criticism is welcome when it leads to a higher ...]]> It’s priceless. And it’s yours. However . . .

The way people see you online is not all up to you. Your reputation is in the eye of your reader.

While you have some control over where you show up and how you position yourself, [trust me on this] you really want people to have an opinion about who you are and what you do. Hopefully, a good opinion, but even constructive criticism is welcome when it leads to a higher level of service. In fact, it’s essential.

But, so is being responsive. If people are out there talking about you and what you could do better, you better be there to run and go do it. Hiding out and being oblivious only serves to keep the counter-culture spreading. That’s why you have to listen, be vigilant and responsive.

And, it’s not just people you have to watch out for. Try this one on: search engines. This may be a no-brainer for some, but for others it’s a revelation.

To see what others had to say about online reputation management, I sent out this twitter update:

working on a blog post about managing online pr – reputation, any links, tips, ideas welcome

wiredprworks

Thanks to Dave Taylor [check out Dave’s blogs Ask Dave Taylor – Free Tech Support, Intuitive – Strategic Leadership for the 21st Century and Attachment Parenting] for sending this reply:

@wiredprworks my tip: give up the illusion of control and think about leading through cookie crumbs and rewards for good behavior.

DaveTaylor

Give up the illusion of control

Let’s talk about losing control. Because you don’t have it. Not anymore. There is absolutely no way you can close off commentary about anything. If people want to talk about it/you, they will. And, they’ll help you out like Dave helped me when I live-tweeted the wrong twitter ID for @skydiver. Or, when he checked in to question a stat a speaker quoted. You are your community and they are you. Got it?

Glenn Raines suggested that people read B.L. Ochman’s What’s Next blog, a suggestion I second.

Finally, someone asked that I let them know when I would launch a reputation management blog. Well, I don’t have any plans to do that, but I did enjoy rounding up this list and would like to explore the topic in more depth. What would you like to know about online reputation management?

12 Online PR, Search Engine, Social Media and Reputation Management Resources

1. MarketingProfs says trust is the most important measurement of all
2. Brendan Cooper tells you how to own your google page
3. Compare reputations of the 60 most visible companies using the Harris Reputation Quotient[sm]
4. Brands and Reputation says the answer about how to best measure reputation is this: use a measure of reputation that designed to best assess your reputation with the stakeholder in question.
5. Three fundamental concepts to master when dealing with search engine reputation management: Monitor, Optimize and Engage from Top Rank Blog.
6. Ducttape Marketing supplies an online reputation management toolbox.
7. Marketing Pilgrim suggests using the best web content to fill up the first page of Google results, including getting a website with your name and starting a blog.
8. Business Week answers the question: Do reputation management services work and how much do they cost?
9. Top Rank Blog’s online reputation pr seo guide suggests you buy “yourbrandsucks.com” before somebody else does and give guidance on how to monitor and listen to dissenters.
10. Marketing Pilgrim’s online reputation monitoring beginners’ guide includes helpful shortcuts for online reputation management.
11. Lifehacker offers tips on how to get the most search juice from your Flickr (photo sharing), YouTube (video sharing), Digg (social news), Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia), Facebook (community) and Twitter (micro-blogging) profiles.
12. Wired PR Works online reputation management category houses a collection of articles

What do you think?

How do you manage your online reputation? Do you have goals in place?

Citigate Dewe Rogerson surveyed more than 100 marketing professionals in the UK and Ireland in October 2008 to come up with these findings:

· Over 50% of marketing pros allocate under 5% of budgets to digital PR

· Over 65% of marketing pros in the UK and Ireland believe online-digital PR will be integrated into corporate communications by 2012.

· Biggest barriers ...]]> A recently released survey from Citigate Dewe Rogerson suggests that online PR needs to be explored further. [First spotted on DirectTrafficMedia.]

Citigate Dewe Rogerson surveyed more than 100 marketing professionals in the UK and Ireland in October 2008 to come up with these findings:

· Over 50% of marketing pros allocate under 5% of budgets to digital PR

· Over 65% of marketing pros in the UK and Ireland believe online-digital PR will be integrated into corporate communications by 2012.

· Biggest barriers to adoption: budget-48%, skills-40% and understanding business benefits-31%

· Over 50% tried some online PR, including search engine optimization ad pay per click

· More than half of marketing professionals devote less than 5% of PR budgets to digital activity

Phil Szomszor, head of digital at Citigate Dewe Rogerson, said: “It’s encouraging that online PR is firmly on the radar of marketing departments, with many committed to spending more as a proportion of their PR budget in 2009. But we urge companies to consider areas that will deliver greater reputation management value than SEO and e-newsletters, such as buzz monitoring, blogger relations and, where appropriate, social network engagement and producing company blogs. Companies can learn a great deal from those brands that are already blazing a trail with online PR, including the need to measure results, involve a wider range of disciplines, secure senior management buy-in and use a wider range of tools and channels.”

How do you think the US compares?

Being thank-full is a mindset for me that I don’t practice as much as I should. Yet, when I reach out and thank people, it opens the ...]]> When I first published this post on November 20, 2007, the world was a different place – for me and my business. Wired PR Works, at this URL, was only about eight weeks old, I wasn’t on twitter and social media was something I read about, not interacted with. It’s time for an update.

Being thank-full is a mindset for me that I don’t practice as much as I should. Yet, when I reach out and thank people, it opens the door to a better relationship. For example, when people follow me on twitter, I check their profile and their site for interesting connections. Then, I send them a direct message that mentions details. Personalization is key. A blanket thanks to everyone isn’t as effective and may actually turn off the relationship at the outset. Who wants to break up before they start connecting?

Yes, it takes more time to write or type a thank you note. I think you’ll be surprised at how the quality of your communications directly impacts relationships. If you want to get to know someone, how do you make time to make the effort?

And now, here’s the original article . . .

When you thank someone, you recognize them for the goodness they bring to your business or your life. When you publicly thank partners, vendors, employees – and of course, clients, your create publicity opportunities for both sides.

Start at the first point of contact

One dreary day I strolled into a splashy gift store. After spending 20 minutes looking around, I walked out empty-handed. On my way out the door, the cashier said, “Have a nice day!” – the only words she said the entire time I was there. Is it any wonder the store was out of business a few months later?

Let your prospects know – right away – you’re glad they are there. Bloggers can add a static page or a link to a blog post with a welcome message and a reader’s guide. Want to reach local journalists? A phone call, email or comment on their blog might start out with, “Thanks for the story you did on time management. Here’s how you helped me.” Online PR is a little different. You can’t “welcome” search engine spiders, but you can link to a welcoming landing page from your news release.

Keep affirming the relationship

When my hard drive crashed last week, the repair center called to give me a replacement price. I picked it up and didn’t check the receipt until a few days later when I saw they charged me for installation, but not the part. Back at the store, the associate took my card and talked about the repair center contact in front of me, but they didn’t thank me for buying the hard drive. They were too caught up in their own conversation to notice the customer on the other side of the counter.

Always, always, always email or call with a thank you to someone who mentions or refers your business. Use Google Alerts to track where your name shows up. Bloggers can email people who post a valuable comment and show thanks with links. While there’s no need to send a formal thank you note for a Facebook gift app like a cute penguin, you can acknowledge the giver with a quick thank your reply or reciprocate and send them a gift. Online PR continues from the news release to a landing page to an order page to a – you guessed it – thank you page where you can offer additional products [in addition to thanks].

Be Thank-full at Thanksgiving

Stand out from your competition by showing you care with a personalized message to everyone that contributes to your success. This is the time to think big and write a personal note to authors, bloggers, company presidents and yes, your mom for the good things in your life. You know you wouldn’t be who you are today without them.

What about you? What or who are you thankful for this year?