Social Media 101 Jeremy Pepper, Director of Communications

The Rise of Social Media Blogs – both corporate and news Networks include WIN, Gawker Media, B5 Media Individual blogs having influence Podcasts and Vidcasts – the rise of the online VNR and ANR Social Networks – from MySpace to Facebook to LinkedIn Wikipedia – the knowledge and ignorance of the masses Bookmarking – Delicious, Digg, Sk*rt, Magnolia Y! and Google Groups – still powerful, still influential, still social Message Boards/Newsgroups/Forums – the original social media, with large readership and influence Messaging – from AIM to YIM to Twitter to Pownce

Blogs – both corporate and news

Networks include WIN, Gawker Media, B5 Media

Individual blogs having influence

Podcasts and Vidcasts – the rise of the online VNR and ANR

Social Networks – from MySpace to Facebook to LinkedIn

Wikipedia – the knowledge and ignorance of the masses

Bookmarking – Delicious, Digg, Sk*rt, Magnolia

Y! and Google Groups – still powerful, still influential, still social

Message Boards/Newsgroups/Forums – the original social media, with large readership and influence

Messaging – from AIM to YIM to Twitter to Pownce

Simple, to the point, paragraph Use name Be upfront and honest and simple about the reason you’re emailing Let them know why you are contacting Same with Message Boards Do not SPAM or go into boards Look for admin email address Let them know why they should care Short and to the point How to do Outreach

Simple, to the point, paragraph

Use name

Be upfront and honest and simple about the reason you’re emailing

Let them know why you are contacting

Same with Message Boards

Do not SPAM or go into boards

Look for admin email address

Let them know why they should care

Short and to the point

Social Media is not an end-all, be-all Part of the communications mix Should be treated like another tactic Unlike media, cannot be controlled Unlike media, cannot be harnessed Unlike media, does not honor NDA or embargos Unlike media, bad pitches are mocked & exposed Transparency Hot button issue is full transparency Lack of transparency easily backfires From a PR POV

Social Media is not an end-all, be-all

Part of the communications mix

Should be treated like another tactic

Unlike media, cannot be controlled

Unlike media, cannot be harnessed

Unlike media, does not honor NDA or embargos

Unlike media, bad pitches are mocked & exposed

Transparency

Hot button issue is full transparency

Lack of transparency easily backfires

Best Practices The basic rules of social media outreach Honesty and transparency Be upfront and truthful when working with bloggers, podcasters and other social media outreach It is not about the corporate marketing message It is about sharing information and access Social media outreach needs to be very on point to specific, appropriate bloggers Bloggers have sweet spots and points of interest, and they need to be taken into consideration before any outreach is done Readers can syndicate content easily via RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds

The basic rules of social media outreach

Honesty and transparency

Be upfront and truthful when working with bloggers, podcasters and other social media outreach

It is not about the corporate marketing message

It is about sharing information and access

Social media outreach needs to be very on point to specific, appropriate bloggers

Bloggers have sweet spots and points of interest, and they need to be taken into consideration before any outreach is done

Readers can syndicate content easily via RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds

Rules of Engagement I Become involved in the community Read appropriate blogs and comment with insightful comments Blogs are written in first person, require a full time commitment, and must not be ghost-written The purpose of blogging is to let the personality come through The best blogs are ongoing, interesting and have a distinctive point of view Beyond blogging are the comments with each post Comments are part of the conversation and community Need to be responded to in a timely manner

Become involved in the community

Read appropriate blogs and comment with insightful comments

Blogs are written in first person, require a full time commitment, and must not be ghost-written

The purpose of blogging is to let the personality come through

The best blogs are ongoing, interesting and have a distinctive point of view

Beyond blogging are the comments with each post

Comments are part of the conversation and community

Need to be responded to in a timely manner

Rules of Engagement II Forget what you know about PR Social Media is about relationships and friendships and being human Social Media can be cranky If the pitch is bad, expect to be exposed Bloggers can be overly cynical and critical Avoid “marketing” at all costs Be open, upfront and honest in your pitch Tailor the angle to focus on blogger’s niche Be knowledgeable, timely and succinct Gauge interest, gain permission to send material Always include relevant links for more info Tread very cautiously Be sure what you’re pitching is super-relevant Digital cameras for Photo enthusiasts, food and events for foodie bloggers, political books for activist bloggers, etc.

Forget what you know about PR

Social Media is about relationships and friendships and being human

Social Media can be cranky

If the pitch is bad, expect to be exposed

Bloggers can be overly cynical and critical

Avoid “marketing” at all costs

Be open, upfront and honest in your pitch

Tailor the angle to focus on blogger’s niche

Be knowledgeable, timely and succinct

Gauge interest, gain permission to send material

Always include relevant links for more info

Tread very cautiously

Be sure what you’re pitching is super-relevant

Digital cameras for Photo enthusiasts, food and events for foodie bloggers, political books for activist bloggers, etc.

Rules of Engagement - III Be prepared to be ignored and/or insulted No corporate speak, marketing or overt messaging No press releases as cut-and-paste or attachment Provide links to appropriate material Short and to the point Monitor conversation in real-time Forget about the follow-up call / email Keep expectations realistic It is about engaging the community Two-way dialogue, a conversation Comment only when appropriate – do not comment for comment sake

Be prepared to be ignored and/or insulted

No corporate speak, marketing or overt messaging

No press releases as cut-and-paste or attachment

Provide links to appropriate material

Short and to the point

Monitor conversation in real-time

Forget about the follow-up call / email

Keep expectations realistic

It is about engaging the community

Two-way dialogue, a conversation

Comment only when appropriate – do not comment for comment sake

Message Boards: Two Types Model A Go through the moderators of message boards Be very informal and friendly Offer yourself up as a conduit to the company You are the go-to person to get what they want Offer up information / access / samples Model B Join the message board Be fully transparent - who you are, what you are doing Participate and answer questions in a timely manner ABA - always be available

Model A

Go through the moderators of message boards

Be very informal and friendly

Offer yourself up as a conduit to the company

You are the go-to person to get what they want

Offer up information / access / samples

Model B

Join the message board

Be fully transparent - who you are, what you are doing

Participate and answer questions in a timely manner

ABA - always be available

What’s Next? The growth of Widgets and Virtual Goods Tools for bloggers and Websites – also known as blog bling Can range from video widgets to weather – almost anything you want Desktop or Website widgets – live on the desktop, in Google Deskbar, in Mac OSX, etc Virtual Goods are an offshoot - gifts you can give on any site The growth and convergence of social networks From Bebo to MySpace to Vox to LinkedIn to Facebook to Ning Getting to the community, wherever they are

The growth of Widgets and Virtual Goods

Tools for bloggers and Websites – also known as blog bling

Can range from video widgets to weather – almost anything you want

Desktop or Website widgets – live on the desktop, in Google Deskbar, in Mac OSX, etc

Virtual Goods are an offshoot - gifts you can give on any site

The growth and convergence of social networks

From Bebo to MySpace to Vox to LinkedIn to Facebook to Ning

Getting to the community, wherever they are

Take Aways Blogs are not a fall-back if the traditional press does not bite The press needs to write Bloggers choose to write It is about “community” Moreso than journalism If you are not part of the community, you are an interloper / intruder It is not MR – it is CR Media relations is not social media, it is traditional media Social media is community relations – think of how you work in the community

Blogs are not a fall-back if the traditional press does not bite

The press needs to write

Bloggers choose to write

It is about “community”

Moreso than journalism

If you are not part of the community, you are an interloper / intruder

It is not MR – it is CR

Media relations is not social media, it is traditional media

Social media is community relations – think of how you work in the community