This document provides an overview of ePR strategies and tactics for public relations. It discusses how the modern communications environment is cluttered with thousands of daily messages. Effective ePR involves using websites, email, social media, and other digital channels to directly reach target audiences with customized content. Specific tactics recommended include building an interactive website, sending targeted emails, using social media outreach, going direct to audiences, and increasing transparency. The document also analyzes common mistakes on school district websites and offers tips on shifting focus to digital storytelling and content provision.

1. What’s your ePR strategy? A Basic Primer for Public Relations 2.0 Nora Carr, APR, Fellow PRSA ncarr@carolina.rr.com 704-492-3204

2. The Context Number of commercial messages per day = 4,000 to 5,000 Number of messages received in the office daily = 204 Number of emails sent annually by businesses = 1.4 trillion Only 54% of Americans read the newspaper one time per week Average TV sound bite = 7 seconds

3. How do we cut through the clutter? And win hearts and minds?

4. PR 2.0 Components Website as primary news and information channel Website as interactive gathering place One-to-one, database-driven email messaging Electronic newsletters highly targeted to specific user groups and needs Smart press releases that target social and online media networks Social media network outreach and empowerment

5. Obama Campaign MyBarackObama.com users Deployed social media networks, including Fac Created 2 million profiles Planned 200,000 events Formed 350,000 volunteer groups Posted 400,000 blogs Raised $30 million on 70,000 personal Web pages

7. ePR strategy for K-12 districts Get there first; reach the people who matter most Bypass traditional gatekeepers Create an overwhelming fire hose of alternative news and info Leverage all resources to build the brand, deliver key messages Support/reinforce relationship building and public engagement Start exploring social media networks now

8. External Communications Can you reach the people who matter most in 30 minutes or less?

13. Creating news value

14. Smart press releases Contact info includes email, IM address, Web site URL Core news facts (bulleted list preferred) Link and RSS feeds to purpose-builtpage in del.icio.us RSS feeds to other news releases High resolution images MP3 files for audio of preapproved quotes or Q&A embedded in release MPV files/digitized video quotes Hyperlinks to previous coverage Tags for del.icio.us, Digg, other social bookmarks for easy sharing, uploading

15. Go Direct Bypass gatekeepers Create channels that take your message directly to your audience Subscription media releases, new Web content, eNewsletters Voice, email broadcasting, podcasts, blogs to targeted groups Combine ePR with community relations and face-to-face tactics View mass media as the icing, not the cake

17. Increase Transparency Get there first Be accessible in good times and in bad Post everything Respond quickly to public record requests Increase public input and involvement Online surveys and pop-ups Email feedback loops Online subscriptions RSS feeds, social media tags

21. Attracting Site Visitors Consumer Reports study Examined 10 categories of web sites Users rated what they found important in judging credibility of the site

22. Common Web mistakes Patricia Swann from Utica College conducted cross-section critiques of school district web sites 66% forgot to include an email address on their home page When emailed, 47% of the schools never responded 58% do not include any “news” or updated information on their home page 50% forget to identify where their school is located 36% choose to focus on school building photos rather than children Under 5% of sites offer any information targeted for journalists

23. NSPRA Award Winners Evaluated the 15 NSPRA Web Site Award winners from 2005 6 of 15 (40%) did not include email contact on their home page 3 of 15(20%) did not include any news or updated content on their home page 3 of 15 (20%) included advertisements and links to commercial web sites unrelated to teaching and instruction 1 of 15(6.6%) never mentioned where they were located

24. Shift Your Focus From instructional TV to news and storytelling From broadcaster to content provider From static Website (online repository) to interactive news channel and service provider From email to e-marketing From print to html From phone calls to mass notification systems From communicating to branding

28. Internal Communications Take care of the inside, first!

36. Questions & Answers Thank you!

37. What’s your ePR strategy? A Basic Primer for Public Relations 2.0 Nora Carr, APR, Fellow PRSA ncarr@carolina.rr.com 704-492-3204