Going solo doesn't have to be lonely. Learn to connect online and blog, link or tweet your way to new clients, increased self-promotion and profitable partnerships. Find out how independent practitioners are creating visibility for their expertise, their growing practice and client brands. Kami Watson Huyse, APR (@kamichat) and Kellye Crane (@kellyecrane) share techniques and strategies on how to make social media work for you. You will learn:
• How Twitter and other social media platforms are being used to promote consulting services.
• How other independent practitioners use social media to amplify their client offerings.
• The most effective uses and content suggestions.
• How to successfully integrate social media with your business offerings.
Social Media and Networking Powerful tools + Easy to use = Everyone can create content
It’s about people and connections – just in new formats.
For independents, the segments of our lives already overlap. Social media crosses all boundaries.
You probably already have a Facebook account. Some of you may have other accounts like MySpace. It’s been said, but it bears repeating: It’s important to keep in mind that all of the information on the Web is public and can be discovered.
Many tactics used to promote your PR business will carry over into your client work.
Social Media is tailor-made for PR consultants. You can gain access to influencers and achieve the same level of visibility as the big guys – it l evels the playing field.
Start with the foundation and work your way up.
As independents, one of the goals is to legitimize our businesses – perception is reality. Build a social media hive, with a collection of outposts that tie back to the main hive Mutually beneficial Cross pollinating Social, 2-way
First step. Create your own Web presence in 5 minutes. Well indexed (obviously), can include links to your existing Web site and Outposts as you build them for increased visibility and SEO.
Google profiles provides an excellent benefit for those with easily misspelled names
-Recent changes have made it rank highly on Google- Usually hits first page. Worth joining to gain bio visibility, even with a small number of followers. -Bio characters are limited, so use them wisely. Don’t be so clever that you forget your “elevator pitch” of what you do. -Don’t be shy - upload a photo from the get-go. Use picnik.com to tweak
-Important to learn the mores of Facebook before you need to know them for a client -Can use groups to separate your friends from work colleagues -Use applications like Notes, Networked Blogs for a richer experience -Explain: Groups, Biz Pages, Fan Pages, Groups and Profile
Organize clips for their clients
-Blogging requires time and a commitment to producing content on a regular basis. -It’s a highly effective way to demonstrate your abilities -If you choose not to blog right now, there are alternatives/intermediate steps
Link to others’ content
Home page is the blog, additional pages offer information about services Built on Thesis A blog can replace a Web site, or the two can be merged Go to
-Domain name -Recommend new blogs go with Wordpress
Building on what you’re doing for your own business, your clients will have special considerations
People are talking anyway Influence media Reach stakeholders directly Become findable Closed-environment pass
One-to-one One-to-many Many-to-Many
Making the case to your clients.
Competitive disadvantage: More companies are incorporating social media into their communications arsenal every day. If your competitor does this before you and does it well, they will enjoy a significant bump in perception. Rumors and innuendo: Some of the most harmful attacks a company could encounter include out-of-control rumors and false information. Rumors are much easier to correct when caught early. Being in social networks is a quick way to set the record straight. No platform to respond in crisis : When there is an outcry in social media channels, a pre-existing presence in social networks give you an advantage. Employees talk: With 35% of people that use the Internet saying that they use social networking sites, it is a given that a large percentage of employees have one or more social profiles. Moreover, It is likely that they will occasionally talk about their job. By giving these employees guidelines, companies can harness positive word of mouth, avoid inappropriate comments and have reasonable consequences in place. Opportunities missed: One of the unintended benefits for companies that participate in online social communities and blogs are the opportunities that unexpectedly present themselves. Just by participating, a company sets itself up to be recognized in a positive manner by the community. These are as important to consider as the downsides (negative comments, etc.). Silence can equal guilt: By not being present in social networks, it would take an unacceptable period of time to respond appropriately, causing a company to seem silent when it simply is out of touch. In social networks, response must happen in hours vs. days. Lost search benefit, search engine optimization: Regularly updated information, such as a blog or news site, would help to raise the profile of a company in search engines. And as it has been said, Google is the new corporate homepage. Defined by others: The issues important to a company– and which impact its overall reputation – will be defined by others if you don't take a leadership position. No early warning: Monitoring social media channels often reveals potential problems that could break out into a broader media audience. By not being involved, companies are missing out on this early warning system. No direct channel: Social media provides a means by which you can reach out directly to your stakeholders without having to rely on the media to deliver the message. It is an important part of modern communications planning.
Listening is just as important as talking Interruption vs. permission marketing
Connected or In The Loop: An ability to cater to an heightened customer expectation for a company to listen and respond in real time Nimble: A process in place to incrementally release anticipated information, instead of waiting for everything to be perfect Responsive: The ability to accelerate solutions to customer problems Organized: Tightly integrated internal collaboration to bypass antiquated bureaucracy Accountable: Accountability by internal players to both the business objectives of the company and the needs of the stakeholder
Who is the customer/stakeholder? What is their need? Where are they hanging out online, see tool? How can you meet their needs online? Info, tools, assistance, customer service Why would they choose to interact with the company in social networks?
From Groundswell. Find your audience Technographics Delicious/Enterprise
Interest: How interested are people in [insert name, thing, company] Attitude: What attitudes do people hold about [insert name, thing, company] Analytics Action: What actions, that matter from a business perspective do people take as a result of your campaign.
Insights
-Web 2.0 has created a new group of online influencers - forcing an evolution in the practice of PR. The Social Media News Releases and Newsrooms are an often discussed new tactic. By delivering rich media in an easy-to-use format, you make it easy to cover your client for traditional and non-traditional media alike.