create value by:
Integrating Traditional & Digital PR




Heather Whaling • @prTini
      Geben Communication

Arik Hanson • @arikhanson
        ACH Communications
photo credit: TheCharleston’s Digital
integration opportunities:
Launches
Events
Off-news times
Blogger outreach
Crisis communication
socialize launches
Challenge: Launch a new social media management
tool, targeting key niches (sports, retail, restaurants)

Strategy:
 • Media/blogger outreach
 • Content marketing
 • Social media
Media/blogger outreach:
 • Target tech media & trade pubs in key
   verticals
 • Embargoed product launch
 • NYC media tour
 • Guest posts on visual storytelling, fan
   engagement
 • Data-driven stories
Timely infographics
• Mashable, Yahoo!
  Sports, ESPN.com
• Increased traffic 360%
• 50+ viable leads
• Opened new doors in
  sports vertical
Social Media:
• Visual storytelling
  resource
• Twitter chats
• Target brand
  managers at sports,
  retail, restaurants
Overall Results:
• Customer growth
  exceeded
  expectations
• Accelerated product
  development
• Launched
  #Indy500orBust
  partnership
•   “Traditional” tactics still work
•   Tease launches via social media
•   Create content to amplify a launch
•   Provide suggested tweets/FB
    updates to key advocates
events
Goals:
  • Build a community year-round , activate it leading up to the
     marathon
  • Provide real-time customer service to deliver a better race-
     day experience for athletes & spectators
  • Extend partnerships, especially with Nationwide Children’s
     Hospital
  • Gain insights and feedback through online monitoring and
     digital research
30 Tips, 30 Days
• 8 of the top 10 blog
  pages in 2012 were
  tips
• Blog traffic grew 260%
• 2010 to 2012:
  pageviews tripled
Facebook
Real-Time #PRParty
Virtual Scavenger Hunt:
• Drive traffic to the new website
• Positive reinforcement
• Establish new connections with potential
  marathon runners/walkers
• http://bit.ly/CbusMarathonHunt
tweet & go seek
crowdsource feedback
Results:
Top referral sources:
  • Facebook
  • Facebook Mobile
  • Twitter
Facebook:
  • Engagement: +133%
  • Fans: +42%
  • Customer service doubled
Twitter:
  • Engagement: +59%
  • Followers: +45%
$875,000 raised for
Nationwide Children’s
•   Bridge the digital-physical divide
•   Use social media to build & sustain
    a year-round community
•   Embrace and nurture your biggest
    advocates
•   Build a strong relationship with PR
    partners.
non-news times
Challenge: Generate traditional and digital media
stories that will convince people in the Twin Cities   that
biking/walking is a viable transportation option.

Our plan:
 • Repurpose traditional bylined articles that first
   appeared in mainstream media outlets on
   owned media channels
 • Amplify reach through social advertising
The Process:

1.Write bylined article for mainstream media
outlet
2.Repurpose content for BikeWalkMove.org
3.Post and promote content on Bike Walk Move
Facebook page
4.Create sponsored stories on Facebook to
drive engagement and traffic to
BikeWalkMove.org
generate off-news buzz
Results
•Increased blog traffic by 71% year-over-year
•Grew Facebook community by 1,500% in just
eight months
•Facebook posts promoted via Sponsored
Stories had an average of 109,000 impressions
Challenge: Make what has historically been “dry”
bike/walk count data more compelling to target audience
through a more visual format.

Our plan:
 • Use bike/walk count data to create infographic
 • Pitch to mainstream media outlets and bloggers
 • Use as valuable content on owned and other
   social media channels
 • Use as “art” at in-person events
The Process:

1.Create infographic based on 2011 bike/walk data
2.Pitch infographic as part of larger story to mainstream
media/bloggers
3.Create a blog post on BikeWalkMove.org featuring infographic
and data points
4.Break up infographic and feature individual visuals with
compelling headlines on Facebook
5.Use sponsored stories to drive traffic back to BikeWalkMove.org
6.Pitch infographic to bike/transit bloggers
7.Use infographic at real-life events as “art”
Results
•Infographic post had 1,768 page views on
BikeWalkMove.org
•Infographic post among top-ten most clicked posts
during two-year campaign
•Facebook posts featuring individual infographics
averaged: 68 likes, 10 comments, 16 shares and
83,000 impressions per post (far higher than our
average numbers per post)
newsjacking
Challenge: Build momentum for a company without
focusing on the product

Our plan:
 • Hijack Google Fiber in KC
 • Differentiate from Silicon Valley startups
 • Establish pre-launch credibility
homes for hackers
Challenge: Capitalize on Super Bowl
interest to show platform’s power

Our plan:
 • Determine timely, spreadable content
 • Produce an infographic
 • Targeted pre-pitching (sports, social
   media)
The Social Media Guide to Super Bowl
XLVII
#Nemo
•   Create keyword searches to uncover
    emerging trends
•   Localize national trends. Elevate local
    trends.
•   ABC: Always be collecting (data, that is!)
•   Create Twitter lists to monitor reporters &
    spot timely opportunities.
•   Hijack existing news stories
•   Use “paid” to amplify reach
blogger outreach
Challenge: Drive awareness for Metro Dentalcare clinics
with the key healthcare decision-maker in the family –
Moms – with a limited budget and no real
giveaways/product.


Our plan:
 • Engage “second-tier” mommy bloggers in a campaign
   focused squarely on the health of their children
Two Minutes, Twice a Day for Two Weeks
•Challenged 10 lifestyle bloggers to brush kids’ teeth
for two minutes, twice a day for two weeks
•Metro Dentalcare retweeted, featured posts
•No money was spent on sponsored/paid posts
•Organized St. Paul Saints baseball game as
“reward”—opportunity to meet up/network
Results
•8 blogger posts
•94 comments across blogs
•60 “commitments” from readers
•52,000 impressions (Twitter, blogs,
Facebook)
•4 leads
Challenge: Drive awareness and positive
sentiment for Sleep Number online while          making
better use of existing blogger     relationships

Our plan:
 • Repurpose earned blogger content in           different
   ways across owned and other           Sleep
   Number social channels
 • Look for additional ways to engage            existing
   blogger partners
Sleep Number Blogger Outreach
•Promote review posts via Facebook, Twitter
•Curate posts around certain products on
Beds.com
•Approach bloggers about becoming Sleep
Better Chat (Twitter chat) co-hosts
•Consider using bloggers as media
spokespeople in some cases
•   Bloggers value networking—use
    that to your advantage
•   Paying bloggers isn’t always the
    answer—discover what really
    motivates them.
•   Blogger outreach isn’t over when
    the post goes live. Look for ways
    to keep relationship going!
•   Repurpose blogger content in
    different forms—Facebook,
    Pinterest, blog posts.
crisis communication
A Labor Negotiations Case Study
•Union and COTA couldn’t reach an agreement
•Red White & BOOM
•Massive power outages & extreme heat
•Social goal: Leverage social channels to
  –   Present facts
  –   Respond to questions
  –   Convey empathy
  –   Amplify community need
Preparation
•“Socialize” legal talking points
•Draft key messages, social responses
•Determine tone, aggressiveness &
positioning
•Clarify approval processes
prior to the strike
Facebook
Interaction on 10TV & ABC6 Facebook
Pages



                              

                        




                        
                              
union re-votes, strike ends
COTA Updates
COTA Responds: Customer
Service
Outcome?
Social media accelerated the labor
negotiation process and forced a faster
outcome.
•   If you’re not quick, you’re not relevant
•   Perception is reality
•   People expect near-immediate
    responses
•   Establish approval process BEFORE
    crisis strikes
•   Befriend the legal team
Adding “integrated” value
Be a Know It All
Big agency tactics … solopreneur attention
•Point-of-View Documents
•One daily idea (digital AND traditional)
•Breaking news
Keep clients one step ahead
Solve a client’s biggest problem: No time to
keep up
•Monthly Trend Reports
•Research: What are
  other brands like us
 doing?
•Best practices – social/PR
•Weekly/monthly e-newsletter
questions?
Arik Hanson • @arikhanson                   Heather Whaling • @prTini
      arik@arikhanson.com                   heather@gebencommunication.co
                                              m
                                            subscribe: bit.ly/prTini




                  photo credit: flickr.com/photos/ theilluminated

Solo pr presentation final

  • 1.
    create value by: IntegratingTraditional & Digital PR Heather Whaling • @prTini Geben Communication Arik Hanson • @arikhanson ACH Communications
  • 3.
  • 4.
  • 5.
  • 6.
    Challenge: Launch anew social media management tool, targeting key niches (sports, retail, restaurants) Strategy: • Media/blogger outreach • Content marketing • Social media
  • 7.
    Media/blogger outreach: •Target tech media & trade pubs in key verticals • Embargoed product launch • NYC media tour • Guest posts on visual storytelling, fan engagement • Data-driven stories
  • 8.
    Timely infographics • Mashable,Yahoo! Sports, ESPN.com • Increased traffic 360% • 50+ viable leads • Opened new doors in sports vertical
  • 9.
    Social Media: • Visualstorytelling resource • Twitter chats • Target brand managers at sports, retail, restaurants Overall Results: • Customer growth exceeded expectations • Accelerated product development • Launched #Indy500orBust partnership
  • 10.
    “Traditional” tactics still work • Tease launches via social media • Create content to amplify a launch • Provide suggested tweets/FB updates to key advocates
  • 11.
  • 12.
    Goals: •Build a community year-round , activate it leading up to the marathon • Provide real-time customer service to deliver a better race- day experience for athletes & spectators • Extend partnerships, especially with Nationwide Children’s Hospital • Gain insights and feedback through online monitoring and digital research
  • 13.
    30 Tips, 30Days • 8 of the top 10 blog pages in 2012 were tips • Blog traffic grew 260% • 2010 to 2012: pageviews tripled
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16.
    Virtual Scavenger Hunt: •Drive traffic to the new website • Positive reinforcement • Establish new connections with potential marathon runners/walkers • http://bit.ly/CbusMarathonHunt
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
    Results: Top referral sources: • Facebook • Facebook Mobile • Twitter Facebook: • Engagement: +133% • Fans: +42% • Customer service doubled Twitter: • Engagement: +59% • Followers: +45% $875,000 raised for Nationwide Children’s
  • 20.
    Bridge the digital-physical divide • Use social media to build & sustain a year-round community • Embrace and nurture your biggest advocates • Build a strong relationship with PR partners.
  • 21.
  • 22.
    Challenge: Generate traditionaland digital media stories that will convince people in the Twin Cities that biking/walking is a viable transportation option. Our plan: • Repurpose traditional bylined articles that first appeared in mainstream media outlets on owned media channels • Amplify reach through social advertising
  • 23.
    The Process: 1.Write bylinedarticle for mainstream media outlet 2.Repurpose content for BikeWalkMove.org 3.Post and promote content on Bike Walk Move Facebook page 4.Create sponsored stories on Facebook to drive engagement and traffic to BikeWalkMove.org
  • 24.
  • 25.
    Results •Increased blog trafficby 71% year-over-year •Grew Facebook community by 1,500% in just eight months •Facebook posts promoted via Sponsored Stories had an average of 109,000 impressions
  • 26.
    Challenge: Make whathas historically been “dry” bike/walk count data more compelling to target audience through a more visual format. Our plan: • Use bike/walk count data to create infographic • Pitch to mainstream media outlets and bloggers • Use as valuable content on owned and other social media channels • Use as “art” at in-person events
  • 27.
    The Process: 1.Create infographicbased on 2011 bike/walk data 2.Pitch infographic as part of larger story to mainstream media/bloggers 3.Create a blog post on BikeWalkMove.org featuring infographic and data points 4.Break up infographic and feature individual visuals with compelling headlines on Facebook 5.Use sponsored stories to drive traffic back to BikeWalkMove.org 6.Pitch infographic to bike/transit bloggers 7.Use infographic at real-life events as “art”
  • 29.
    Results •Infographic post had1,768 page views on BikeWalkMove.org •Infographic post among top-ten most clicked posts during two-year campaign •Facebook posts featuring individual infographics averaged: 68 likes, 10 comments, 16 shares and 83,000 impressions per post (far higher than our average numbers per post)
  • 30.
  • 31.
    Challenge: Build momentumfor a company without focusing on the product Our plan: • Hijack Google Fiber in KC • Differentiate from Silicon Valley startups • Establish pre-launch credibility
  • 32.
  • 33.
    Challenge: Capitalize onSuper Bowl interest to show platform’s power Our plan: • Determine timely, spreadable content • Produce an infographic • Targeted pre-pitching (sports, social media)
  • 34.
    The Social MediaGuide to Super Bowl XLVII
  • 35.
  • 36.
    Create keyword searches to uncover emerging trends • Localize national trends. Elevate local trends. • ABC: Always be collecting (data, that is!) • Create Twitter lists to monitor reporters & spot timely opportunities. • Hijack existing news stories • Use “paid” to amplify reach
  • 37.
  • 38.
    Challenge: Drive awarenessfor Metro Dentalcare clinics with the key healthcare decision-maker in the family – Moms – with a limited budget and no real giveaways/product. Our plan: • Engage “second-tier” mommy bloggers in a campaign focused squarely on the health of their children
  • 39.
    Two Minutes, Twicea Day for Two Weeks •Challenged 10 lifestyle bloggers to brush kids’ teeth for two minutes, twice a day for two weeks •Metro Dentalcare retweeted, featured posts •No money was spent on sponsored/paid posts •Organized St. Paul Saints baseball game as “reward”—opportunity to meet up/network
  • 40.
    Results •8 blogger posts •94comments across blogs •60 “commitments” from readers •52,000 impressions (Twitter, blogs, Facebook) •4 leads
  • 42.
    Challenge: Drive awarenessand positive sentiment for Sleep Number online while making better use of existing blogger relationships Our plan: • Repurpose earned blogger content in different ways across owned and other Sleep Number social channels • Look for additional ways to engage existing blogger partners
  • 43.
    Sleep Number BloggerOutreach •Promote review posts via Facebook, Twitter •Curate posts around certain products on Beds.com •Approach bloggers about becoming Sleep Better Chat (Twitter chat) co-hosts •Consider using bloggers as media spokespeople in some cases
  • 45.
    Bloggers value networking—use that to your advantage • Paying bloggers isn’t always the answer—discover what really motivates them. • Blogger outreach isn’t over when the post goes live. Look for ways to keep relationship going! • Repurpose blogger content in different forms—Facebook, Pinterest, blog posts.
  • 46.
  • 47.
    A Labor NegotiationsCase Study •Union and COTA couldn’t reach an agreement •Red White & BOOM •Massive power outages & extreme heat •Social goal: Leverage social channels to – Present facts – Respond to questions – Convey empathy – Amplify community need
  • 48.
    Preparation •“Socialize” legal talkingpoints •Draft key messages, social responses •Determine tone, aggressiveness & positioning •Clarify approval processes
  • 49.
  • 50.
  • 51.
    Interaction on 10TV& ABC6 Facebook Pages    
  • 52.
  • 53.
  • 54.
  • 55.
    Outcome? Social media acceleratedthe labor negotiation process and forced a faster outcome.
  • 56.
    If you’re not quick, you’re not relevant • Perception is reality • People expect near-immediate responses • Establish approval process BEFORE crisis strikes • Befriend the legal team
  • 57.
  • 58.
    Be a KnowIt All Big agency tactics … solopreneur attention •Point-of-View Documents •One daily idea (digital AND traditional) •Breaking news
  • 59.
    Keep clients onestep ahead Solve a client’s biggest problem: No time to keep up •Monthly Trend Reports •Research: What are other brands like us doing? •Best practices – social/PR •Weekly/monthly e-newsletter
  • 60.
    questions? Arik Hanson •@arikhanson Heather Whaling • @prTini arik@arikhanson.com heather@gebencommunication.co m subscribe: bit.ly/prTini photo credit: flickr.com/photos/ theilluminated

Editor's Notes

  • #7 Product, new company, partnership – PR leads launch. Add a layer social communication to reach an even larger audience. With some planning, you, too, can amplify reach by incorporating content marketing and social media.
  • #8 Venueseen: First IG campaigns/monitoring platform. Targeted key pubs – general marketing & niche verticals. Media tour. Data. Traditional PR/media relations.
  • #9 To sustain media coverage, we incorporated content marketing that also showed the power of the platform. Infographics pitched to media and then shared on social media. Generated coverage. More importantly, generated sales leads.
  • #10 Helped them get stated with social media. ID potential customers, existing communities to participate in. This online-offline approach led to fast customer growth and accelerated product development.
  • #11 What can we learn?
  • #13 Columbus Marathon is another client of mine. In this situation, we partner with a traditional solo PR pro in Columbus. She does traditional, we do online. Clean divide that works well, maximizes clients’ resources. From our perspective, we wanted to build community year-round, while using social media to drive registration and improve customer experience. Blog, FB, Twitter and Pinterest.
  • #14 We work closely with the traditional PR person to ID tips, content opportunities. The internal team gets a LOT of questions leading up to race day. We saw an opp to use social to preemptively answer those questions. 30 Tips in 30 days – major driver of traffic and cuts down on email and phone calls.
  • #15 On Facebook, we share a variety of content, giving inside access/first peak at medals, $$ raised. Also, provide real-time updates during the race.
  • #16 While we’re not Oreo, we were able to leverage a real-time impromptu event to further our goals and extend excitement and building relationships. #PRParty: Use social media to fuel and amplify excitement
  • #17 Get creative throughout the year. Partner with the PR/marketing person. We propose strategy and execute online. She manages logistics (collecting prizes, etc) Virtual scavenger hunt:
  • #18 Also a real-world scavenger hunt: tweet and go seek.
  • #19 After the race, we truly want to know what peopl eloved and areas for improvement. This actually led to us adjusting the corral process between last year and this year We can then provide this to the internal team as they’re planning for future events.
  • #20 Because we have such a close partnership and strong relationship with the Marathon staff, we’re truly an extension of their team. Something as intense as event social media won’t work unless you have that trust and close relationship. While we’re really proud of the social media outcomes, we’re most proud to be part of a team that raised nearly a million dollars for the children’s hospital.
  • #21 From our experience, a couple tips:
  • #22 Arik
  • #31 Related to off new times, how can you “hijack” something that’s already in the news? You don’t have to be a big shop to do this. You just have to know what to watch and how to react quickly. I think Solo and boutique firms are sometimes better positioned for “ newsjacking ” because you can move much faster than most larger firms.
  • #32 What’s this look like in practice? Leap2 – app in KC. Not quite ready to focus on product, but wanted to build momentum through PR. KC – first fiber city. LOTS of media coverage. We wanted to use that to introduce Leap2 to the media and tech community.
  • #33 Homes for Hackers – put a face on the concept of fiber accelerating KC’s startup community
  • #34 Similarly, everyone knows the Super Bowl would get a lot of attention. But, how can you tie your brand to it without getting lost in the shuffle? We worked with Marketwire to get in front of the coverage. Created an infographic that IDd the Ravens & 49s biggest fans online, as well as reporters, hashtags to follow during the game. It was a playbook for the Super Bowl
  • #35 Because we created valuable content AHEAD of the big game, we were able to secure placements with media looking for fresh coverage angles – including ESPN and Mashable.
  • #36 How many of you use Twitter lists? That’s an easy way – with little time/effort – to be a resource when/where reporters are looking. AP reporter needed sources re: Nemo. Venueseen provided info around people using Instagram to share their blizzard experience. This was a Sunday afternoon. I just happened to check my “tech reporters” Twitter list and saw this request. Sent info and ended up in the story, which even ran in the WSJ.
  • #37 You don’t need massive resources to insert yourself in timely news opps. Keyword searches, staying on top of trends, always collecting data from clients can help you react quickly and provide a lot of value to clients with minimal effort.
  • #38 Arik
  • #45 NEW-2/6
  • #47 Crisis situations can be draining on resources, especially if you’re a smaller company. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t provide value you clients. Know what you can realistically manage and work with client to streamline processes.
  • #48 COTA – bus system. Strike during massive July 4 th celebration and power outage. By ourselves, could we have handled all the media inquiries and social? Probably not. COTA used their traditional PR firm to manage the media piece and had us spearhead the online communication. That division of responsibilities played to everyone’s strengths, while ensuring nothing would slip through the cracks.
  • #49 We took the talking points legal had approved and tweaked for social – focusing on tone and length. We also clarified the approval process. What did the client want to see? What did they just want us to handle? That eliminted a lot of back-and-forth and made us all more efficient.
  • #51 Lots of questions/concerns on social channels. We rseponded, which at least let people know we’re listening and trying to help through this difficult time
  • #52 Conversations during crisis aren’t limited to your own page. We even responded to questions/comments on local media FB pages. Go where the conversation is taking place.
  • #55 Strike over, but our job was still going. Lots of feedback, customer service opportunities.
  • #56 What ’s the role of social media in all this? If you ask the marketing director at COTA, she’ll tell you that they strongly believe …. They also knew their larger, more traditional PR firm couldn’t be nimble enough to manage social. They needed aggressive, proactive social media – the kind of responsiveness more likely to be found in a smaller firm. As a solo practitioner, or a smaller firm, realize that that’s one of your strengths. Play it up!
  • #57 In a crisis situation, people do expect a near-immediate response. So, if you’re unable to manage that yourself, bring in resources or discuss a plan with your client.
  • #58 Arik