Holy #%&$!! We’re totally screwed!!
Social Media Marketing in Tough Times

Yup. Times are Tough.

2 Choices

2 Choices <ul><li>Get tough! Get
smart! Get loud! </li></ul><ul><li>Market your way through the downturn </li></ul><ul><li>Why would you cut the resources that ensure your brand remains front & center? </li></ul>

<ul><li>“ Brands that increase (marketing)
during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.” </li></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Marketing Your Way Through a Recession </li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Published: March 3, 2008 </li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul>

<ul><li>Nail your Sales and Marketing
message. </li></ul><ul><li>Pound your competitors’ shortcomings. </li></ul><ul><ul><li>They’re hurting and they will be quiet. Take the offensive. </li></ul></ul><ul><li>In a downturn, aggressive PR and Communications strategy is key. </li></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Doug Leone, Sequoia Capital </li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Mandatory CEO All-Hands Meeting , Sand Hill Road </li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Oct. 9, 2008 </li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul>

Remember the Basics <ul><li>You don’t
need to reach EVERYBODY </li></ul><ul><li>You just need to reach the people who will buy your stuff </li></ul>

How Do Buyers Find You?

How Do Buyers Find You?
Oh yeah, and: And:

<ul><li>content </li></ul>What Impacts “Findability?”

<ul><li>content </li></ul>“ Findability” is

TIME is Expensive

What to Do? <ul><li>Focus on
impact! </li></ul><ul><li>What do you kill? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>S EM (PPC) – Good SEO is cheaper, more effective </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>A dvertising – it’s expensive; it’s hit-or-miss </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>L ayers – cut internal staff </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>E vents – box-up the booth; visibility = speeches </li></ul></ul>

What to Do? <ul><li>Where do
you double-down? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Content creation – thought leadership + findability </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>SEO – findability </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Listening – responsiveness scores points; identifies red flags early on </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>PR – thought leadership + promotion (read: findability) + responsiveness </li></ul></ul>

Social Media = Virtuous Cycle

Whaddaya Mean by “Content Creation?”
<ul><li>TODAY </li></ul><ul><li>We got the CEO a speaking gig! </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Media advisory! </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Bylined article! </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Proactive pitches! </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>On-the-floor interviews! </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Go home! </li></ul></ul><ul><li>TOMORROW </li></ul><ul><li>We got the CEO a speaking gig! </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Let’s send a camera crew along </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Interview her on the way to the event </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Podcast from a conference room </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Document hallway chatter </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Film or livestream the speech </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Share content all along the way </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Twitpic & Utterz from the floor </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>#tag, tweet & liveblog the process </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Monitor response; interact with users </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Do “the traditional PR stuff” too </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Content creates ongoing “exposure opportunities” … empowers your communities … boosts SEO … </li></ul>

“ But My Prospects Don’t
Tweet!” <ul><li>Chances are, most of your buyers don’t tweet, utter, flick, or ‘tube! </li></ul><ul><li>Don’t matter. Not a lick. </li></ul>’ s SOCIAL MEDIA

mmmm … !!!

What About PR? <ul><li>PR is
totally $%#@’ing necessary </li></ul><ul><ul><li>For the FTE cost of 1 senior PR pro, agencies will give you 5! - strategists, tacticians, writers, etc. </li></ul></ul><ul><li>PR provides 3 rd party validation </li></ul><ul><ul><li>MSM is influential </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Most buyers still prefer a MSM write-up to a blog post ( CREDIBILITY ) </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Most MSM sites have better PageRanks than blogs ( FINDABILITY ) </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Agencies have long-standing relationships across the mediasphere, via several clients ( RESULTS ) </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Industry Awards! Speaking Opportunities! Social Content Distribution! Oh my! </li></ul></ul>

“ Dude, I Need a
Checklist” <ul><li>DO </li></ul><ul><li>Listen </li></ul><ul><li>Blog </li></ul><ul><li>Hire a PR firm </li></ul><ul><li>Focus on SEO </li></ul><ul><li>Create & publish relevant content </li></ul><ul><li>Distribute content in places where buyers can be found </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Trust good SEO to do the rest </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Measure </li></ul><ul><li>DON’T </li></ul><ul><li>Advertise </li></ul><ul><li>Pay-per-click </li></ul><ul><li>Attend events </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Unless you’ll be a speaker </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Protect your fiefdom </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Outsource vs. Hire </li></ul></ul><ul><li>And, Don’t Panic! </li></ul>

<ul><li>Todd Defren </li></ul><ul><li>SHIFT Communications </li></ul><ul><li>[email_address]
</li></ul><ul><li>617-779-1853 </li></ul><ul><li>www.shiftcomm.com (web) </li></ul><ul><li>www.pr-squared.com (blog) </li></ul><ul><li>twitter.com/tdefren (twitter) </li></ul>Now What? <ul><li>I’ve got more ideas… </li></ul><ul><li>Contact me: </li></ul>C’mon, they only gave me 10 minutes!