The Power of Voice Markets are conversations Silence is Fatal

Social Media Strategy Set Goals Listen Find Communities Find Influencers Content Strategy Pick Tools Deliver Content Engage Facilitate Measure

Set Goals

Listen

Find Communities

Find Influencers

Content Strategy

Pick Tools

Deliver Content

Engage

Facilitate

Measure

Engagement Gap The difference between the influence of the Internet in consumer decision making and the amount of spending and effort on the part of corporations, organizations and government agencies in trying to interact with and shape the thinking behind those decisions. Source: CMO Council January 2009

The Engagement Gap What we are seeing is much stronger sensitivity to engage directly with customers and learn more about what shapes, influences and impacts purchasing decisions and intentions to do business. The move to quantify "customer affinity" and increase "customer advocacy" has become a new measure of marketing effectiveness. Source: CMO Council January 2009

Monitoring Conversations Only 16% of US companies are monitoring the online conversations for mentions of their brand. Source: AdAge

What Is Influencing Your Audience Today? Search Engines News Engines Other Websites Blogs Micro blogging Peer Reviews Comments Feeds Podcasts Video Social Networks Social News Sites Tagging

Search Engines

News Engines

Other Websites

Blogs

Micro blogging

Peer Reviews

Comments

Feeds

Podcasts

Video

Social Networks

Social News Sites

Tagging

New Media Relations Strategy Direct to the public Bloggers New online media properties Online Journalists Traditional Journalists News Sites Social News Sites

Online Media Relations Watch Yahoo! News for sites that consistently show up on your keywords Look for sites with a PageRank higher than 4 Contact the reporter or editor Create content for those sites

Bloggers Listen – tap into conversations around your keywords Find bloggers who write about this topic Rank them by influence, authority, traffic

Bloggers Read their blogs Comment appropriately and genuinely What can you bring to the party? Build relationships

Read their blogs

Comment appropriately and genuinely

What can you bring to the party?

Build relationships

Mom Bloggers

Design Blogs

Results Influential design bloggers reviewed the product Influential Mom bloggers reviewed and recommended the product Increased traffic to www.flor.com Over 100 million media impressions, including mainstream media, at a cost of less than 1c per impression

Influential design bloggers reviewed the product

Influential Mom bloggers reviewed and recommended the product

Increased traffic to www.flor.com

Over 100 million media impressions, including mainstream media, at a cost of less than 1c per impression

Publisher creates the RSS file and places it online Internet end-users Other sites and systems Search engines and directories Content consumers subscribe to the feed and retrieve its content whenever they want

Publisher creates the RSS file and places it online Internet end-users Other sites and systems Search engines and directories Content consumers subscribe to the feed and retrieve its content whenever they want

Publisher creates the RSS file and places it online Internet end-users Other sites and systems Search engines and directories Content consumers subscribe to the feed and retrieve its content whenever they want

Publisher creates the RSS file and places it online Internet end-users Other sites and systems Search engines and directories Content consumers subscribe to the feed and retrieve its content whenever they want

Publisher creates the RSS file and places it online Internet end-users Other sites and systems Search engines and directories Content consumers subscribe to the feed and retrieve its content whenever they want

Social Media News Room A social media news room is a section of your site for journalists and/or bloggers Make it easy for them to get and use data about the company, the execs, productions and a contact person Offer social media format – images, video, audio, feeds

A social media news room is a section of your site for journalists and/or bloggers

Make it easy for them to get and use data about the company, the execs, productions and a contact person

Offer social media format – images, video, audio, feeds

News Rooms Have become a primary source of information for working journalists, with nearly 49% reporting visits more frequently than once a week and fully 73% reporting a visit at least once a week .

Suggested Features Social Media Newsroom Management Bios with links to Social Media profiles PR Contacts info (email address, phone numbers, SM profiles) Case studies News coverage Blog coverage Events Calendar. Trade shows, media tours, speaking engagements. Information/ Interview Request Form Traditional Press releases Social Media News Releases Video/podcast pages Images (Flickr feed) News Feeds (RSS) Media downloads Links to make sharing content easy - social bookmarking and social news sites Tag Cloud

Management Bios with links to Social Media profiles

PR Contacts info (email address, phone numbers, SM profiles)

Case studies

News coverage

Blog coverage

Events Calendar. Trade shows, media tours, speaking engagements.

Information/ Interview Request Form

Traditional Press releases

Social Media News Releases

Video/podcast pages

Images (Flickr feed)

News Feeds (RSS)

Media downloads

Links to make sharing content easy - social bookmarking and social news sites

Tag Cloud

Additional Reading Ebooks: Web Sense by Sally Falkow . Effective Internet marketing strategies for entrepreneurs. The Power of Good Content by Sally Falkow. Lean the secrets of how to write for the search engines and keep your visitors coming back for more . www.falkowinc.com

Ebooks:

Web Sense by Sally Falkow . Effective Internet marketing strategies for entrepreneurs.

The Power of Good Content by Sally Falkow. Lean the secrets of how to write for the search engines and keep your visitors coming back for more .

www.falkowinc.com

The Truth about SEO A new book by Rebecca Lieb, Editor of Econsultancy (USA) and previously Chief Editor of ClickZ. Available at Amazon.com

Resources RSS Service: P R E SS feed http://www.press-feed.com/ Expansion Plus Inc http://www.expansionplus.com Our blog: pr o active http://falkow.blogsite.com

http://www.twitter.com/sallyfalkow

digital PR and Social Media Marketing Chris Abraham President and COO [email_address] @chrisabraham Daniel Krueger Director of Client Services [email_address] @d13vk www.abrahamharrison.com www.marketingconversation.com Today's Hash Tag #digiPR

Before We Start: Don't Be Seduced by the Lure of Astroturfing “ You may be attracted to covert online marketing: special ops, black ops, spycraft – “fifth column marketing,” if you will. Don’t be. The blowback that can result from using a false name, a false email (a Yahoo, Google, or Hotmail address created for the campaign and the false name), and a false bio, isn’t worth it. Even though your reputation online is more defined by your contributions to the conversations rather than who you are, the culture of the Internet doesn’t suffer being fooled, duped, or suckered.” If you are ever found out, you are screwed. A Beginner's Guide to Online PR and Marketing

“ Markets are Conversations” “ Through the Internet, the people in your markets are discovering and inventing new ways to converse. They're talking about your business. They're telling one another the truth, in very human voices.” “ These markets are conversations. Their members communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking. Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious, the human voice is unmistakably genuine. It can't be faked.”

“ Through the Internet, the people in your markets are discovering and inventing new ways to converse. They're talking about your business. They're telling one another the truth, in very human voices.”

“ These markets are conversations. Their members communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking. Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious, the human voice is unmistakably genuine. It can't be faked.”

“ But learning to speak in a human voice is not some trick, nor will corporations convince us they are human with lip service about "listening to customers." They will only sound human when they empower real human beings to speak on their behalf.” The Cluetrain Manifesto, 1999, by Chris Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, David Weinberger http://www.cluetrain.com/book/ “ Markets are Conversations”

“ But learning to speak in a human voice is not some trick, nor will corporations convince us they are human with lip service about "listening to customers." They will only sound human when they empower real human beings to speak on their behalf.”

The Cluetrain Manifesto, 1999, by Chris Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, David Weinberger

http://www.cluetrain.com/book/

The Cluetrain Manifesto Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived. Already, companies that speak in the language of the pitch, the dog-and-pony show, are no longer speaking to anyone. Companies can now communicate with their markets directly. If they blow it, it could be their last chance. Companies need to come down from their Ivory Towers and talk to the people with whom they hope to create relationships. Most marketing programs are based on the fear that the market might see what's really going on inside the company.

Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived.

Already, companies that speak in the language of the pitch, the dog-and-pony show, are no longer speaking to anyone.

Companies can now communicate with their markets directly. If they blow it, it could be their last chance.

Companies need to come down from their Ivory Towers and talk to the people with whom they hope to create relationships.

Most marketing programs are based on the fear that the market might see what's really going on inside the company.

The Cluetrain Manifesto To speak with a human voice, companies must share the concerns of their communities. But first, they must belong to a community. Companies that do not belong to a community of discourse will die. Markets do not want to talk to flacks and hucksters. They want to participate in the conversations going on behind the corporate firewall. The inflated self-important jargon you sling around—in the press, at your conferences—what's that got to do with us? You're too busy "doing business" to answer our email? Oh gosh, sorry, gee, we'll come back later. Maybe.

To speak with a human voice, companies must share the concerns of their communities.

But first, they must belong to a community.

Companies that do not belong to a community of discourse will die.

Markets do not want to talk to flacks and hucksters. They want to participate in the conversations going on behind the corporate firewall.

The inflated self-important jargon you sling around—in the press, at your conferences—what's that got to do with us?

You're too busy "doing business" to answer our email? Oh gosh, sorry, gee, we'll come back later. Maybe.

What We Do at Abraham Harrison Online Brand Promotion Practice Blogger Outreach Strategic messaging campaigns to A-list and B-Z-list bloggers Targeted PR-style pitches tailored to social media expectations Plain-talk messaging devoid of any sales or marketing-speak Outsourcing all assets to S ocial M edia N ews R eleases Bloggers produce earned media and so we must earn coverage Poorly-handled campaigns result in Very Bad Things happening Long-term blogger prospecting and cultivation (dossiers, etc) Social Media Community Engagement Engaging conversation where it takes place online Facebook, Twitter, Digg, MySpace, YouTube, Forums, Listservs Widgets, Apps, Fundraising, Profile Management, Groups and Pages creation & management, blogging, and microblogging

Online Brand Promotion Practice

Blogger Outreach

Strategic messaging campaigns to A-list and B-Z-list bloggers

Targeted PR-style pitches tailored to social media expectations

Plain-talk messaging devoid of any sales or marketing-speak

Outsourcing all assets to S ocial M edia N ews R eleases

Bloggers produce earned media and so we must earn coverage

Poorly-handled campaigns result in Very Bad Things happening

Long-term blogger prospecting and cultivation (dossiers, etc)

Social Media Community Engagement

Engaging conversation where it takes place online

Facebook, Twitter, Digg, MySpace, YouTube, Forums, Listservs

Widgets, Apps, Fundraising, Profile Management, Groups and Pages creation & management, blogging, and microblogging

Goals, Expectations, and Audiences What is the goal of the client (what is your goal?) What is your desired outcome (how do you define success?) What sort of gift are you willing to bring to the party Online, generosity is always rewarded and stinginess is always punished Gifts can be emotional, physical, ego-driven, exclusive, sentimental, informational, etc Break this down into target audience(s) Demographic Audience Psychographic Audience Geographic Audience Profile and Celebrity of the Audience Where does the audience “live?” Blogs are often the best earned media Twitter and other microblogging communities Message boards, forums, newsgroups (Usenet) Social networks (Facebook, MySpace, etc) Mailing lists, Listservs YouTube, Qik, Utterz, and other communities

What is the goal of the client (what is your goal?)

What is your desired outcome (how do you define success?)

What sort of gift are you willing to bring to the party

Online, generosity is always rewarded and stinginess is always punished

Gifts can be emotional, physical, ego-driven, exclusive, sentimental, informational, etc

Break this down into target audience(s)

Demographic Audience

Psychographic Audience

Geographic Audience

Profile and Celebrity of the Audience

Where does the audience “live?”

Blogs are often the best earned media

Twitter and other microblogging communities

Message boards, forums, newsgroups (Usenet)

Social networks (Facebook, MySpace, etc)

Mailing lists, Listservs

YouTube, Qik, Utterz, and other communities

Blogger Harvesting and Prospecting Who do you need to reach? Activists, animal lovers, educators, parents, moms, dads, politicos, the faithful, shoppers, travelers, sports fans, marketers, democrats, environmentalists, foodies, greens, Los Angelinos, New Yorkers, college grads, Pennsylvanians, etc… Where do they spend time and doing what? Are they bloggers, on Facebook, Twittering, on YouTube, etc…

Who do you need to reach?

Activists, animal lovers, educators, parents, moms, dads, politicos, the faithful, shoppers, travelers, sports fans, marketers, democrats, environmentalists, foodies, greens, Los Angelinos, New Yorkers, college grads, Pennsylvanians, etc…

Where do they spend time and doing what?

Are they bloggers, on Facebook, Twittering, on YouTube, etc…

Blogger Harvesting and Prospecting 3. Develop lists of blogs and their bloggers Search Google for exactly what you want “Top mommy blogs,” “best green blogs” Leverage blogrolls like you would endnotes Bloglines’ Most Popular Feeds, http://www.bloglines.com/topblogs Technorati Top 100 Blogs, http://technorati.com/pop/blogs Technorati Blog Directory http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/ AllTop http://alltop.com/

3. Develop lists of blogs and their bloggers

Search Google for exactly what you want “Top mommy blogs,” “best green blogs”

Leverage blogrolls like you would endnotes

Bloglines’ Most Popular Feeds, http://www.bloglines.com/topblogs

Technorati Top 100 Blogs, http://technorati.com/pop/blogs

Technorati Blog Directory http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/

AllTop http://alltop.com/

Blogger Contact Information Many blogs have about pages and or offer obfuscated email addresses like cja[at]well[dot]com or embedded in graphics. Sometimes names and emails can be discovered by searching Google for “chris abraham”+email

Many blogs have about pages and or offer obfuscated email addresses like cja[at]well[dot]com or embedded in graphics.

Sometimes names and emails can be discovered by searching Google for “chris abraham”+email

“ Who is” is a fine resource if a blog is hosted on its own domain name, such as chrisabraham.com I recommend: More and more blogs “private register” Private registration hides email addresses. Domain Tools premium offers historical snapshots of registration information, sometimes showing pre-private register emails. Long-story short: if someone goes out of his way to hide his identity or email, let him go, he does not want to be contacted! Blogger Contact Information

“ Who is” is a fine resource if a blog is hosted on its own domain name, such as chrisabraham.com

I recommend:

More and more blogs “private register”

Private registration hides email addresses.

Domain Tools premium offers historical snapshots of registration information, sometimes showing pre-private register emails.

Long-story short: if someone goes out of his way to hide his identity or email, let him go, he does not want to be contacted!

Blogger Contact Information

Topic Universe Example

Example of an Outgoing Message

Example of an Outgoing Message

Example of an Outgoing Message

We have tried many different styles and this is where we are: Short, terse, minimal, highly textual, with a clear message and a clear request Any verbiage that sounds like it is selling or marketing must be removed All assets, graphics, movies, or videos are collected into a “microsite” or “SMNR” Do not include conversion GIFs, hyperlinks, hot emails, images, or attachments Example of an Outgoing Message

We have tried many different styles and this is where we are:

Short, terse, minimal, highly textual, with a clear message and a clear request

Any verbiage that sounds like it is selling or marketing must be removed

All assets, graphics, movies, or videos are collected into a “microsite” or “SMNR”

Do not include conversion GIFs, hyperlinks, hot emails, images, or attachments

Social Media News Release (SMNR) http://banclusterbombs.smnr.us

SMNR For Sharp Electronics http://sharpgreen.smnr.us

SMNR For International Medical Corps http://internationalmedicalcorps.smnr.us

SMNR For Fresh Air Fund http://freshair-newsrelease.com/

SMNR For Snuggle Creme http://www.snugglecreme.com/newsrelease/

The SMNR (Steal this Content) As you might have noticed, our pitches are very spare We offload all content, message, keywords, images, links, and videos onto what is essentially a microsite It is convenient for our clients and handy for our outreaches We can get metrics and not have to change our clients’ websites

As you might have noticed, our pitches are very spare

We offload all content, message, keywords, images, links, and videos onto what is essentially a microsite

It is convenient for our clients and handy for our outreaches

We can get metrics and not have to change our clients’ websites

You’ll get to define message, keyword-density, and even sneak SEO-optimized links in there, even encouraging organic Google-bombing. This allows you to easily keep everything closer to “on message” than you usually can otherwise: SMNRs rock! The SMNR (Steal this Content) To be honest, bloggers are even lazier than journalists. A lot of the time, bloggers steal images and entire tracts of copy, paste it, and then just do a “blockquote” attribution.

Measure Twice, Cut Once Generally, before any outreach, bloggers are combined into a master universe to make sure there are no dupes or doubles. One blogger can have more than one email – check for doubles. Make sure the master universe does not contain A-list or “do not contact” bloggers (check twice).

Generally, before any outreach, bloggers are combined into a master universe to make sure there are no dupes or doubles.

One blogger can have more than one email – check for doubles.

Make sure the master universe does not contain A-list or “do not contact” bloggers (check twice).

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Respond Quickly & With Love At Abraham Harrison, we don’t use autoresponders or let emails wait until morning. When we send out an email outreach, we staff the INBOX almost constantly over the next hours and days If a blogger gets pissed off by a pitch, we have only minutes to respond A personal, immediate, and human response can make the difference between earning a blog post or being forwarded to Bad Pitch Blog When you respond, never lock horns or rise to the bait – people have busy, complex, lives: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" -- Philo of Alexandria Always respond with either support or desperate Mea Maxima Culpa!

At Abraham Harrison, we don’t use autoresponders or let emails wait until morning. When we send out an email outreach, we staff the INBOX almost constantly over the next hours and days

If a blogger gets pissed off by a pitch, we have only minutes to respond

A personal, immediate, and human response can make the difference between earning a blog post or being forwarded to Bad Pitch Blog

When you respond, never lock horns or rise to the bait – people have busy, complex, lives:

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" -- Philo of Alexandria

Always respond with either support or desperate Mea Maxima Culpa!

Respond Quickly & With Love

Tracking Responses & Mentions Be sure to always track who replies. Also, be sure to remove anyone who asks immediately. Finally, if you can’t find their email, ask them if they use another – some people collect all their email into one account, usually a Gmail account, and reply from there.

Be sure to always track who replies.

Also, be sure to remove anyone who asks immediately.

Finally, if you can’t find their email, ask them if they use another – some people collect all their email into one account, usually a Gmail account, and reply from there.

Tracking Responses & Mentions Also, be sure to track all blog mentions as they occur Using Google Alerts and Google BlogSearch is generally good enough Don’t hesitate to ask your bloggers to pop you the link to their post when they say that they will Also, don’t hesitate to hold a blogger accountable for posting if he offers

Also, be sure to track all blog mentions as they occur

Using Google Alerts and Google BlogSearch is generally good enough

Don’t hesitate to ask your bloggers to pop you the link to their post when they say that they will

Also, don’t hesitate to hold a blogger accountable for posting if he offers

Follow-Up Boldly and Proudly

Follow-Up Boldly and Proudly

Follow-Up Boldly and Proudly

Follow-Up Boldly and Proudly If we don’t get a reply from a blogger, we send 3-4 follow-up emails. We assume that email gets lost, blocked, de-prioritized, ignored, missed, or put off until later – and later never comes because folks are just busy. The squeaky wheel does get the grease and we get our biggest successes in response to the second and third email outreaches. We generally allow a week to pass between email follow-ups.

If we don’t get a reply from a blogger, we send 3-4 follow-up emails.

We assume that email gets lost, blocked, de-prioritized, ignored, missed, or put off until later – and later never comes because folks are just busy.

The squeaky wheel does get the grease and we get our biggest successes in response to the second and third email outreaches.

We generally allow a week to pass between email follow-ups.

Proof is in the Pudding

Earned Media Mentions

Earned Media Mentions

Earned Media Mentions

Earned Media Mentions

Metrics & Reporting

Metrics & Reporting These charts represent volume of social media mentions over time The green dots represent our blogger PR outreach Spikes in conversation map perfectly with our digital PR engagement

These charts represent volume of social media mentions over time

The green dots represent our blogger PR outreach

Spikes in conversation map perfectly with our digital PR engagement

Metrics & Reporting This chart compares the same time frame in two different years

This chart compares the same time frame in two different years

Metrics & Reporting This chart breaks online mentions into social media platform

This chart breaks online mentions into social media platform

Thank You For Your Time! Chris Abraham President and COO [email_address] @chrisabraham Daniel Krueger Director of Client Services [email_address] @d13vk Please Continue the Conversation on Twitter by Using Our Delightful Hash Tag #digiPR