Looking for a 3D speaker, trainer, motivator or engine? Call 630.207.7530.

Turn On Wired PR Works via RSS

Posts tagged: Twitter

Happy Doodle or Real Life: Questioning Twitter Boundaries

Posted on January 24, 2009

“I’m calling you because I’m in the happy doodle business. This guy wants to get serious. Maybe you can help him. Here’s his number”

That’s the call I got late one afternoon from a well-regarded PR agency that specializes in happy stories. But, life isn’t always happy, fun or pretty – even though some PR people would like it to be.

It turns out I couldn’t help this guy, either. He had some environmental and legal PR issues that were way beyond our scope. But, I did take the time to talk to him and caution him about the reactions his company might get when they took the story to the press. That was before social media.

When I talk to people about getting started in social media, I tell them to think about layering. If you’re wearing 20 sweaters, how many are you willing to take off before you feel comfortable? Some people are fine in a bathing suit and others will always, always, always stay bundled up.

In social media, the more bundled up you are, the less likely you are to succeed. But, the more open you are, the more open you are to getting rebuked and attacked. “I broke out in a cold sweat when I saw what people were saying about people who sent auto-follow message on twitter. I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong.” a well-meaning and well-respected marketing advisor – who is in no way a spammer – told me.

Now we’re watching the reaction to a twitter update sent by a Ketchum employee about his experience in Memphis. [Disclaimer: Ketchum featured one of our clients in their client’s publication.] How can one tiny update get so much attention?

I feel for the guy. Maybe he shouldn’t have typed what he did, but why not learn from, forgive and forget? Is it time to stop writing social media tabloid posts?

The biggest lesson here is a simple one: never be negative about anything clients might be sensitive about anywhere, especially in a twitter update clients are watching and you’re on your way to their offices to teach them about social media. The tricky part: might be sensitive about . . . sometimes you don’t know until you step in it. 

Do we always have to be nice and happy? How do you set up your social media boundaries?

3 Comments - Posted in Social Media Tagged with:

Affiliate Marketing, Social Media and Red, Red . . .

Posted on January 22, 2009

Red, red wine you make me feel so fine
You keep me rocking all of the time

Don’t know if that’s his theme song, but that’s the background music in Gary Vaynerchuk’s, Affiliate Summit West conference keynote. I watched it live, took notes and pulled out the highlights. Host of Wine Library TV: Gary Vaynerchuk’s daily wine video blog, Gary talks about personal branding, DNA for you and your community.

Highlights from Gary Vanyerchuk’s 2009 Affiliate Summit West Keynote

Social media doesn’t mean business.

Social media IS a way to communication – just like the fax machine or a pencil.

Everybody uses these differently.

Ideal monetizing mix: 1 hour creation to 8 hours interacting 

If you blog or video blog, way too many people are spending to much time on their content.

Content is king, but marketing is queen and the queen runs the household.

Way too many people that focus on putting out great s__. It comes down to the content you’re pumping out and the authenticity. Don’t start over – don’t take second takes. Just produce.

Gary spends 45 minutes to an hour a day max on content and the rest of the time is spent on monetizing with 8-9 hours per day of pure interaction.

Passion + Legacy = Your Brand

A lot of people that do things that don’t look good on their legacy. They do things that they are not proud of, but it gets them clicks and referrals. You got to ask yourself where you’re going.

Do you want to juggle 900 different sites or you do want to create a brand you can sink your teeth into and monetize?

When you build a business around a passion, that’s when you can knock it out of the park. Sink your teeth into what you really want to do. Guess what? We only get to play this game one time – that’s it.

If your business is built on Google, you’re broken. Build Brand Equity Based on Customer Care

When you build brand equity, you can almost never lose it. What happens when Google’s not the player anymore? If you think Twitter is going to be the main place, you’re wrong. Platforms are going to change, it’s how you care about your customers. It’s about how you care about how to take care of your customers. You need to build a business that cares. HARO [Help a Reporter Out, created by Peter Shankman] changed the game.

What happens when you substitute twitter for red, red wine?

Just for fun, here’s what happens when you replace red, red wine with twitter in Bob Marley’s lyrics . . . .

 

Twitter you make me feel so fine
You keep me rocking all of the time
Twitter you make me feel so grand
I feel a million dollars when your just in my hand
Twitter you make me feel so sad
Any time I see you go it make me feel bad
Twitter you make me feel so fine
Monkey pack him rizla pon the sweet dep line
Twitter you give me whole heap of zing
Whole heap of zing mek me do me own thing
Twitter you really know how to love
Your kind of loving like a blessing from above
Twitter I love you right from the start
Right from the start with all of my heart
Twitter in a 80′s style
Twitter in a modern beat style, yeah
Give me little time, help me clear up me mind
Give me little time, help me clear up me mind
Give me twitter because it make me feel fine
Make me feel fine all of the time
Twitter you make me feel so fine
Monkey pack him rizla on the sweet dep line
The line broke, the monkey get choke
Burn bad ganja pon him little rowing boat
Twitter I’m gonna hold on to you
Hold on to you cause I know you love true
Twitter I’m gonna love you till I die
Love you till I die and that’s no lie
Twitter can’t get you out my mind
Where ever you maybe I’ll surely find
I’ll surely find, make no fuss just stick with us.
Give me little time, help me clear up me mind
Give me little time, help me clear up me mind
Give me twitter because it make me feel fine
Mek me feel fine all of the time
Twitter you make me feel so fine
Monkey pack him rizla on the sweet dep line
The line broke, the monkey get choke
Burn bad ganja pon him little rowing boat
Twitter you really know how fi love
Your kind of loving like a blessing from above
Twitter I love you right from the start
Right from the start with all of my heart
Twitter you give me whole heap of zing
Whole heap of zing mek me do me own thing
Twitter in a 80′s style
Twitter in a modern beat style, yeah.

Yeah . . .

 

2 Comments - Posted in Marketing, Social Media Tagged with: ,

Online PR Resources | How to Manage-Monitor Your Reputation

Posted on December 4, 2008

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 :)

Barbararozgonyi-speaker_bigger

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.

Icon-100kb_bigger

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?

 

 

2 Comments - Posted in Online PR, Publicity, Social Media Tagged with:

Biggest Mistakes Internet Marketers Make in Social Media

Posted on December 2, 2008

Is it right to take someone down?

At this moment, an online press release someone distributed about their twitter accomplishments is on Digg. The title isn’t very complimentary.

And while I agree with the assessment that bragging about something isn’t the right way to market – especially if what you’re touting isn’t all that great – I wonder about the reaction.

If I hadn’t met the person in question in person, I might feel differently. But, I have met them and I know lots and lots of other people who know how to make money in Internet marketing, yet sometimes don’t have the skill and finesse it takes to make it in social media. What used to work for them anywhere online, won’t work for them now in social media.

Confession: I am a reformed Internet marketer whose first blog post ever was to push an affiliate product. I spent thousands of dollars on Internet marketing products and seminars in 2006 and early 2007. Then, I found bloggers and converted to a more open social media mindset. Because I’ve been on both sides, if you can call it that, I’m concerned about how the two forces can keep from colliding and learn from each other. After all, there is goodness in both.

I think this brief exchange I had with one of my Internet marketing mentors in 2006 sums up the differences in philosophies:

Internet marketing mentor: “I can’t believe you put your phone number in every email newsletter you send to your list. Aren’t you concerned about being deluged with calls?”

Me: “I would love it if people actually did call and talk to me about what they needed from me.”

What’s Wrong with This Picture? What Internet Marketers Don’t Get About Social Media

Followers Low, Following Minimal

Let’s be straight: this is a numbers game. And although everyone’s quick to say, it’s not about the numbers, it’s about the quality of the relationships, the truth is: comparing numbers is the same as knowing the score. Someone with 23,972 followers has more influence than someone with 332 followers. Do you have to follow people to have a conversation? The people you follow will show in your updates. If you only have a few, then you’ll only see what happens with this group and those who reply to you. Because everyone can see your numbers, it doesn’t matter if you have 150,000 names on your email list.

Valuing the Numbers

Who cares if I’m the top “Chicago Area” person on twitter? I am, but what does that mean to you and me? Seriously, it’s cool to say that and it may impress some people who need to know they’re talking to someone who knows what they’re talking about. But, all it really means is the search term goes to the person who’s most active. Being active on twitter may mean being less productive in other areas of your work and life. And, no I have not made any money from any twitter relationships. Is that something to be proud of? You could argue both sides of that.

Standing Out without Blending In

Social media is a community that belongs to everybody. It’s not a place you can buy, own, rent or sell. Yet, it’s yours for the taking and keeping. You can choose to take a role as a leader, listener or even a lurker. But without others, there is no conversation. Attempting to own the space doesn’t work.  Even on LinkedIn, you go farther when you participate, connect and answer questions.

Pushing Out Rather than Inviting In

Being bullish with one-way marketing is so outdated. Why don’t the people that send out auto-direct messages with links to their promotions get that? Pushing messages won’t work on twitter. People get upset and talk about you – loudly. Gracefully inviting people in is an art that takes time and a personal touch. Staying connected is up to you. If you wait for people to talk to you, you could get very lonely. Joining and jumpstarting conversations is a necessity.

Confining Your Community to Your Corral with no Free Range

In reading some of the comments about this person, it’s surprising to see how many people have no clue about their influence or accomplishments. The same is true of anyone who’s not known outside of their corral. How do Internet marketers get to be known? They promote each other to each other’s lists, they speak at each other’s events and they produce branded information products. But, that’s all within the same system. To spread the word, fans-customers-clients/whatever you call them need a free range to roam and spread the word. So, give it to them. But, first give them the value they can share with others.

What do you think?

0 Comments - Posted in Press Releases, Social Media Tagged with:

Why You Need Year-Round Thanks-giving PR Strategies

Posted on November 26, 2008

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?

 

3 Comments - Posted in Online PR Tagged with: