Add More Buzz to Your Business
With Social Media & Public Relations
Heather Mosley, EVP
PerkettPR

Who Are We?

“Social media has merely exposed a weakness in PR that has always been there. PR
leaders need to change the way they are training their people …it’s being
done….agencies, such as PerkettPR, get it.”
– Jennifer Leggio, ZDNet
“I was very interested to read a blog post by one online-savvy PR firm
about a presentation they gave on More Effective PR Through Social
Media. … I like what PerkettPR said about using social media.”
– Esther Schindler, CIO Editor

Why are you here?
a) I had nothing better to do today
b) I want to learn more about PR and
social media and how to apply it to my
business goals
c) I heard there was going to be food
d) All of the above
Pssst….The correct answer is “b”

First Things First
What is Public Relations?

It’s communicating with your audiences
 Tell a story through the media (press, bloggers)
 Announce a new offering
 Educate your audiences
 Respond to customer concerns
 Celebrate milestones
 Hold special events

Why Do We Do It?

To Increase Awareness and Drive Sales
 Awareness = engagement
 Engagement = trust
 Trust = belief
 Belief = possibilities
 Possibilities = purchases
 Purchases = customers
 Customers = ….
Well more money so you can keep doing what you love!

How do I do PR on Shoestring
Budget?

Public Relations 101 Tactics
 Content: Website, blog, literature, mailing lists
 Announcements/Press Releases
 Free wire services;
PitchEngine.com, FreePressRelease.com, PR.com, etc.
 Media Outreach
 Local reporters, trade magazines, vendors you support, national trends
 Newsletters
 Promotions, email address collections, POS surveys
 Events
 Store openings, re-openings, cause marketing efforts, local
charity events, employee events, special receptions

Social Media’s Impact on PR
Practices?

Talking With
Not At

Why Do We Use It?

Building relationships – old vs. new

It’s simple
 We’re “Just People” …with a story to tell
– Just like our Journalist counterparts are just people with a story to write
 Use the skills you’ve always had, and the new tools available
to share some of yourself and your business
• Get involved in the community….and tell your story
• Everyone’s a publisher!

Why are we doing this?
 Develop relationships with influencers
 Build additional online brand awareness
 Increase your company’s reach/opportunities
 Share vast expertise and knowledge
 Be seen and be heard

Where Do You Start?

YOU – personally
are likely on

Celebrate your Fans
Join Groups
Share links
Build your Network

Your updates are fed
to your contacts
Receive links to
important events
Receive news from
important influencers

Promote
Promote Events
Company
Promote
Clients

ROI: Networking
Invite
stakeholders
Post News
Post Videos

ROI: Media Coverage
• Saw Facebook update from reporter writing feature story on client’s competitor.
• Quickly contacted and offered additional sources; secured an interview for client
that day.
• Client was prominently included in story they would have otherwise been left out of.
USA Today
Email Professionals Help Get the Word Out
By, Jefferson Graham

Supportive Content

Thought Leadership

What Now?
Create a professional fan page or group
•
Keep updates consistent
•
Cross-post content (blog, video, URLs, etc.)
•
Ask friends, partners, customers to join
•
Be smart – it is not an open invitation to pitch
•
media

Show Thought Leadership
Research
Build your Network

Notifications from contacts
Updates from group members
Profile Updates

Linkedin Groups
Group members receive automatic updates =
invitations to share knowledge

Linkedin Answers
New Partners, Customers
Recommendations
Networking
Responding to reporters

Linkedin Answers

Linkedin for
Business
Share news
Direct feedback from contacts

Linkedin
Answers
Point to questions/
Recommend Answers

Linkedin Answers
New Business
Recommending spokesperson
Networking
Responding to reporters

Example:
Commenting to assist

Linkedin
Answers
Make them an
EXPERT

What Now?
Create Linkedin account or become more active
•
Complete your profile
•
Use the status feature
•
Join interesting/valuable groups
•
Monitor updates/group updates
•
Be the expert – post/respond/share in Answers
•

Follow
Engage
Interest
Market

What do people really “tweet” about?
Source: @Audreytan

What is the value of Twitter?

Capture/share significant events as they happen

Track and share news as it is happening…sometimes
BEFORE major news outlets

Brands on Twitter: thought leadership

Brands on Twitter: listening/responding

Brands on Twitter: adding value/sharing
information

Individuals on Twitter: building personal brand

Jump on Immediate Opportunities

ROI: Media Coverage
• Saw@ProfNet seeking sources by noon same day.
• Responded to writer
• Client’s inclusion in the article later that same day
CNBC
Last-Minute Gifts for Her … and for Him
By Cindy Perman

ROI: Thought Leadership

ROI: Business Development

ROI: Local News

What Now?
Jump right in!
Create profile including picture and bio
Gather your followers
Start following us – we will follow you back! @PerkettPR
Check out who your followers are following
Search by keyword (Twitter search)
Before following, read user’s streams to determine:
If they are active
Value of their content

What Now?
 Just tweet!
 Address people in your posts to start
relationships - @ DM & RT them
 Ask questions/answer questions
 Be patient – 3 month rule
 Follow proper Twitter etiquette

Top 5 reasons others might not follow you
– it’s nothing personal
1. You don’t have a bio or
picture
2. You don’t have any updates
3. You have a lot of updates but
are just talking to yourself
4. You are following 2000
people and only 50 are
following you
5. All talk; no conversation

Thought leadership
Comment
Engage
Learn

Don’t have time to blog?

How to find blogs?
 Search Sites for Finding Blogs appropriate to
comment on:
Key words: Restaurants, Wine, Golf, B&B, Bay
Area, etc.
 Google Blogs www.blogsearch.google.com
 Technorati www.technorati.com
 IceRocket www.icerocket.com/
 SocialScan www.socialscan.com/
 Bloglines www.bloglines.com

Why comment on blogs?
 Develop relationships with influencers and
communities within your industry
 Become a trusted, credible source of information
 Shares your vast expertise and knowledge
 Develop relationships with influencers
 See and Be Seen

Conversation Do’s & Don’ts
Do
• Be honest, transparent and authentic
• Provide ideas & advice around subjects you are knowledgeable about
• Refer people to additional information
Don’t
• Add “me too” responses
• Be a salesperson or a promoter
• Don’t bash the competition
• Ask to trade links

To Post or not to Post
Decide When
to Participate

Commenting to join the conversation

Bad examples of commenting:
Self-promotion/Defensive
Self-promotion
Defensive

Next steps
What Now?
• Start reading/lurking period
• Pay attention to tone/comments
• Look for topics of interest and expertise
• Jump in
• Watch for follow up comments

Final Thoughts

Defend Your Brand
Top Tier – Set up profiles, actively monitor for relevant content, drive traffic from your blog, etc.:
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Flickr
FriendFeed
LinkedIn
SlideShare
StumbleUpon
Twitter
Technorati (“claim” your blog at minimum)
YouTube (along with other video distribution platforms: Vimeo, Viddler, Revver, Yahoo video, etc.)
DocStoc
Scribd
Second Tier – Set up branded profiles and use as warranted:
Digg
Windows Live spaces
Yahoo Groups
Google Groups
Source: PPR and Lotame

Have Fun!
Be Smart
Be Genuine
Ask Questions
PerkettPR Twitter:
Heather Mosley @PerkettPR
heather@perkettpr.com @MosleyPPR
Ph: 415-384-0113