PR in the 21 st Century Stacy Armijo Vice President Pierpont Communications

A little about me Not your typical online evangelist Live in the most exciting time this century Believe there are lots of new opportunities Also believe the fundamentals still apply

Not your typical online evangelist

Live in the most exciting time this century

Believe there are lots of new opportunities

Also believe the fundamentals still apply

…Because you can, doesn’t mean you should. …Because you’re intimidated, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. I Believe That…

…Because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

…Because you’re intimidated, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

Where we are Proliferation of media outlets Barriers to entry almost eliminated “Citizen Media”

Proliferation of media outlets

Barriers to entry almost eliminated

“Citizen Media”

Now everyone is an expert… … So who really is?

The good news More outlets = More, broader coverage Specialized outlets = Better targeting More interaction (can) = Stronger brands Cheap, cheap, cheap!

More outlets = More, broader coverage

Specialized outlets = Better targeting

More interaction (can) = Stronger brands

Cheap, cheap, cheap!

The bad news Fast news = Fewer controls, less accuracy Many outlets = More work for us Bad news travels faster than ever Credibility difficult to determine Less control than ever

Fast news = Fewer controls, less accuracy

Many outlets = More work for us

Bad news travels faster than ever

Credibility difficult to determine

Less control than ever

In defense of “MSM” “ Barriers” serve a purpose “ In print” and “on air” still powerful MSM as primary source Traditional media far from dead, but changing rapidly

“ Barriers” serve

a purpose

“ In print” and “on air”

still powerful

MSM as primary source

Traditional media far from dead, but changing rapidly

Focus on the fundamentals.

What’s the objective? Think twice if it’s because… Your competitor has a MySpace page. All of your Web developer’s friends are doing it. Your CEO’s neighbor has a blog, so he wants one too.

Think twice if it’s because…

Your competitor has a MySpace page.

All of your Web developer’s friends are doing it.

Your CEO’s neighbor has a blog, so he wants one too.

What’s the objective? Dig deeper if it’s because you want to… Drive sales leads Supplement expert positioning efforts Cultivate your online reputation Extend the reach of other communications Enhance employee recruiting efforts … using online tools.

Dig deeper if it’s because you want to…

Drive sales leads

Supplement expert positioning efforts

Cultivate your online reputation

Extend the reach of other communications

Enhance employee recruiting efforts

… using online tools.

If you passed the first test Ask yourself a few questions… Is the Internet your primary source for sales leads / employees? Does your product or service inspire “fandom”? Does your organization like to experiment, take risks?

Ask yourself a few questions…

Is the Internet your primary source for sales leads / employees?

Does your product or service inspire “fandom”?

Does your organization like to experiment, take risks?

If you passed the first test Alternatively… Do you operate in a highly regulated or litigious industry? Are you ready to endure severe public criticism? Do you have the resources (time, writers, techno junkies) to jump in?

Alternatively…

Do you operate in a highly regulated or litigious industry?

Are you ready to endure severe public criticism?

Do you have the resources (time, writers, techno junkies) to jump in?

PR Tools of the 21 st Century

Web Site 21 st Century storefront Introducing the organization Educating your audience Leveraging other tactics Driving leads Accurate positioning Technical security Critical in today’s business environment Good for: Risks: Benefits:

21 st Century storefront

Introducing the organization

Educating your audience

Leveraging other tactics

Driving leads

Accurate positioning

Technical security

Critical in today’s business environment

Media Relations Reaching out to news media to generate coverage of your organization. Educating your audience Positioning you as an expert Awareness / Credibility for your organization Story is in the reporter’s hands You could be bumped anytime Third-party credibility Longer lifespan More editorial controls More cost-effective than advertising Good for: Risks: Benefits:

Reaching out to news media to generate coverage of your organization.

Educating your audience

Positioning you as an expert

Awareness / Credibility for your organization

Story is in the reporter’s hands

You could be bumped anytime

Third-party credibility

Longer lifespan

More editorial controls

More cost-effective than advertising

Search Engine Optimization Technical strategies for achieving a high ranking for your Web site on search engines. Lead generation Online reputation management “ Write your own Google page” Changing rapidly Requires constant attention Find a trusted partner Very targeted audience Can be inexpensive Good for: Risks: Benefits:

Technical strategies for achieving a high ranking for your Web site on search engines.

Lead generation

Online reputation management

“ Write your own Google page”

Changing rapidly

Requires constant attention

Find a trusted partner

Very targeted audience

Can be inexpensive

Pay Per Click Advertising Paid search results guaranteed to appear when users type specified terms into search engines. Lead generation Boosting organic search rankings Changing rapidly Click fraud Find a trusted partner Very targeted audience Pay only for what you receive Good for: Risks: Benefits:

Paid search results guaranteed to appear when users type specified terms into search engines.

Lead generation

Boosting organic search rankings

Changing rapidly

Click fraud

Find a trusted partner

Very targeted audience

Pay only for what you receive

Blogs A regularly updated journal published on the Web. Lead generation Search engine rankings Expert positioning Compelling copy is time-intensive “ Comments” can become divisive; expose readers to negative views No editorial controls Targeted audience Catalogues your expertise Interactive Inexpensive Good for: Risks: Benefits:

A regularly updated journal published on the Web.

Lead generation

Search engine rankings

Expert positioning

Compelling copy is time-intensive

“ Comments” can become divisive; expose readers to negative views

No editorial controls

Targeted audience

Catalogues your expertise

Interactive

Inexpensive

Videos / Photos Marketing your organization through videos and photos, using online sharing services such as YouTube and Flickr. Extending the reach of your events and presentations Employee morale, Recruiting Branding Legal considerations of videos / photos published Shows personality of your company Can use it to supplement blogs, Web sites Can be used to educate Good for: Risks: Benefits:

Marketing your organization through videos and photos, using online sharing services such as YouTube and Flickr.

Extending the reach of your events and presentations

Employee morale, Recruiting

Branding

Legal considerations of videos / photos published

Shows personality of your company

Can use it to supplement blogs, Web sites

Can be used to educate

Podcasts Audio recordings posted online for downloading onto computers, MP3 players and PDAs. Educating your audience Expert positioning Entertainment High quality can be expensive Catalogues your expertise Applicable to a mobile audience Good for: Risks: Benefits:

Audio recordings posted online for downloading onto computers, MP3 players and PDAs.

Educating your audience

Expert positioning

Entertainment

High quality can be expensive

Catalogues your expertise

Applicable to a mobile audience

Social Networking Online communities for users with similar interests such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter. Consumer products Social causes Career / Business development (LinkedIn) Access to personal info “ Comments” can become divisive; expose readers to negative views Updating is time-intensive Broad reach Fosters “fans” Interactive Inexpensive Good for: Risks: Benefits:

Online communities for users with similar interests such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Consumer products

Social causes

Career / Business development (LinkedIn)

Access to personal info

“ Comments” can become divisive; expose readers to negative views

Updating is time-intensive

Broad reach

Fosters “fans”

Interactive

Inexpensive

Traditional Tools Community Relations Event Marketing Direct Mail Email Advertising

Community Relations

Event Marketing

Direct Mail

Email

Advertising

Overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start?

Get the lay of the land Online monitoring RSS feeds track blogs, social media Google Reader, Pluck, MSN, Yahoo!, others Who’s the real expert? Technorati – View “authority” and Top 100 list Digg – Today’s most popular blog posts, videos, etc. Tracking it all del.icio.us – Social networking bookmark site

Online monitoring

RSS feeds track blogs, social media

Google Reader, Pluck, MSN, Yahoo!, others

Who’s the real expert?

Technorati – View “authority” and Top 100 list

Digg – Today’s most popular blog posts, videos, etc.

Tracking it all

del.icio.us – Social networking bookmark site

What’s it all mean? You’ve got some choices to make. Ask yourself those questions. Do you have some time on your hands (or money to pay someone else)? Where does it fit in your overall marketing strategy? Remember, it’s all gravy.

You’ve got some choices to make.

Ask yourself those questions.

Do you have some time on your hands (or money to pay someone else)?

Where does it fit in your overall marketing strategy?

Remember, it’s all gravy.

Stacy Armijo Vice President Pierpont Communications 512-448-4950 [email_address] www.piercom.com View these slides at: www.slideshare.com