Posts Tagged ‘conversation’
Friday, February 18th, 2011
Valerie Simon
There has been much discussion of late regarding influencers. How do you identify an influencer? How do you measure their value? And how do you talk to people who don’t necessarily understand that influencers aren’t one-size-fits-all? (In fact, Justin Goldsborough, Fleishman-Hillard Kansas City, asked a similar question in a recent post on his blog www.justincaseyouwerewondering.com.)
After hearing Coyne PR’s Dr. Norman Booth, at the PRSA NJ Measurement and Evaluation workshop on Monitoring and Determining ROI for Digital/Social Media, briefly discuss mathematical modeling to help identify influencers and optimize conversation – that evening, I found myself heading over to the Coyne PR website. I found a white paper he authored, Mapping and Leveraging Influencers in Social Media To Shape Corporate Brand Perceptions. The paper reviews a customizable valuation algorithm to identify social media influencers.
In examining the strategy to optimize blogger outreach, I decided to take a deeper dive into Step Three: “Engage and Socialize.” This critical step offers the potential to transition influencers into advocates and even brand evangelists. Likewise, there is room for antagonizing influencers and actually damaging credibility. Booth’s key points under this step, as I understood them, include:
Engagement
- Clearly identify intent
- Topic before relevance
- Ask, don’t tell
- Say “thank you”
Socialize
- Comment on relevant postings
- Follow on Twitter and social aggregators
- Connect on social networking sites
These are excellent points. To them, I would also add “consistency in behavior over time.” The paper concludes, noting, “While the fundamentals of public relations are essentially the same as social media relations, the addition of this new marketing channel allows practitioners to engage with influencers one on one.”
Just as I said in my previous Fresh Ideas post, that no matter how influential a person is reported to be if they aren’t the right one for your campaign or media relations objectives, they’re not going to be able to convince your audience to do what you want. The same applies for relationships.
Public relations, and social media relations, are about relationships. So what if you’ve “engaged” Oprah, if you haven’t established a credible rapport? Creating relationships, building trust and loyalty, is not something you can expect to do with a tweet or comment. And it doesn’t happen overnight. Relationships require ongoing communication (from all parties); social media simply offers you the tools to engage in more frequent and targeted ongoing communication.
Are you using social media to build relationships? What do you think are the essential elements for developing relationships online? Are you using any type of mathematical modeling to help you understand influence and sustain blogger outreach?
Tags: blog, brand, BurrellesLuce, communication, conversation, digital, Dr. Norman Booth, engage, evaluation, Fleishman-Hillard, Fresh Ideas, influencers, Justin Goldsborough, media measurement, Media Relations, monitoring, outreach, PRSA, Public Relations, relationship building, ROI, Social Media, socialize, strategy, Valerie Simon, white paper
Posted in Industry Events, Media Outreach, Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 28th, 2011
Image Source: cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com
First, I want to say I LOVE Piers Morgan on America’s Got Talent and Twitter. His whole “persona” comes across perfectly as a judge and in 140-characters. When I heard he was Larry King’s replacement I harkened back to his appearance on Celebrity Apprentice and thought he would do a great job “handling” the celebrities and wouldn’t be too intimidated to ask the tough questions. I was wrong. Piers doesn’t lack chutzpah, he appears to simply be too narcissistic and has more interest in what he has to say rather than his interviewee.
Piers is a trained reporter and editor. He has the pedigree to replace Larry King; unfortunately he’s just not a good interviewer. Instead of focusing on the interviewee, you can see him anticipating a hole in the conversation so he can make his next comment. Seeing him in action reminded me that the interview can only be as good as the preparation of your interviewee.
Basic Media Interview Tips:
Practice: Successful message development and delivery depends on preparation. Think through how you will respond to tough or hostile questions by developing and practicing clear, honest and appropriate answers.
Conclusions: Prepare and present your conclusion throughout the interview. Just as you wouldn’t bury the lead you can’t “hope” the interviewer will ask you the perfect question.
Avoid Jargon: Instead of using industry jargon speak in simple lay terms.
Key messages: Prepare, understand and practice key messages. Return to key messages as often as possible – Think Bill Clinton not Gary Condit.
Deal with difficult questions: Some questions can’t be given a straight answer, but to avoid the question looks bad too. Bridging and Blocking are very effective assets.
Bridging: Maintain control of the interview with the use of these common bridging phrases -
“Before we leave the subject, let me add that…”
“And the one thing that is important to remember is…”
“While…is important, it is also important to remember…”
“It’s true that…but it is also true that…”
Blocking: Never say “no comment” – it’s an obvious don’t. Instead, simple blocking allows you to focus the conversation. Common blocking phrases:
“I think what you’re really asking is…”
“That’s an interesting question, and to put it in perspective…”
“I don’t have precise details, but what I do know is…”
Never Repeat Negative Questions: Always frame your answer in the positive. Think about sound bites.
Stick to your message: Simple is better. Avoid the expert trap of over-answering. Work on test questions and learn when to stop talking.
Remove distractions: Technology is wonderful, but even the most seasoned interviewee can’t fight the Pavlovian response of the flashing red light or the subtle vibration that a message has arrived to their mobile device.
Relax: Be calm, confident and conversational.
In fairness to Piers, his first guests, Oprah Winfrey and Howard Stern, are arguably two of the best interviewers in the industry. They ask questions, some tough and some embarrassing, and get out of the way so people can answer. They have an inherent ability to relate and create a bond with the interviewee. Really great interviewers are few and far between which makes interview preparation an imperative skill for PR pros.
These tips are the basics. The best “tool” in your public relations toolkit is a video camera. Video magnifies the strengths and weaknesses of your interview skills and allows you to fast-track growth and improvement. Do you have any tips and tricks you use for media training?
Tags: America's Got Talent, Bill Clinton, BurrellesLuce, Celebrity Apprentice, conversation, delivery, development, Fresh Ideas, Gary Condit, Howard Stern, interview, interviewee, key messages, Larry King, lead, Media Relations, media training, message, mobile, Oprah, Piers Morgan, PR, preparation, Public Relations, Technology, tips, video camera
Posted in Broadcast, Career Advice, Media Outreach, Media Relations | No Comments »
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Valerie Simon
Early on in my career I received a phone call from a client who began the conversation with, “Hey Valerie, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine…”
I very much enjoyed and respected this client and was thrilled that he wanted to introduce me to his friend. In my mind I fantasized about his intentions. Perhaps we would all go out for dinner, or maybe he was setting me up on a date… my thoughts were interrupted by the words “director of corporate communications” and “in charge of media monitoring.” My heart began to pound as I realized what was happening. I was getting my first referral!
Today I regularly receive such phone calls, but the thrill has yet to go away. While 
referrals add up to quantitative results of your efforts to build relationships, they also offer bona fide proof that your relationship is one of trust and confidence (Cue Sally Fields, “They like me, they really like me!!!)
In order to earn new business, you’ll need to invest both time and resources and maximize your opportunities in the most efficient manner. Below are 5 steps to help you become more strategic in your relationship building and increase the number of referrals you receive:
1. Perform a SWOT analysis. Identify your own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and then clearly identify the organizations you are targeting. As you consider different prospects and prospect categories, evaluate the customer needs against your analysis. Brad Douglas, vice president of sales and marketing with Shipley Associates, offers some excellent considerations to help you better assess your opportunities for targeting the right customers.
2. Determine the influencers you need to reach. As mentioned in this post from the Harvard Business Review, you may think you know the decision maker, “the one that is described in the RFP or articulated by those who actively participate in the formal decision-making process.” However, there are often key influencers within the organization who carry informal power as it relates to your opportunity. Take the time to uncover and develop those relationships.
3. Utilize ALL of your current relationships. While most organizations have a sales team or business development group, I am a firm believer that everyone in an organization, regardless of title or department, should consider themselves a member of the sales team. If you are proud of your organization and even if you are not (though you may want to ask yourself why are you working there?), it is your responsibility to help your company grow. Communication and collaboration between the sales team and other departments is essential. Beyond your organization, consider your vendors, partners and affiliates, clients, industry contacts, and even personal networks. If you aren’t actively using LinkedIn it is a great place to start organizing and expanding your network.
4. Ask for the referral! It is interesting that many people shy away from asking for a referral when they need/want it. Consider what’s stopping you. Are you afraid of creating an uncomfortable or potentially annoying situation? If yes, then that is good because it means you are thinking about and potentially being considerate of the person you wish to ask. And that is what distinguishes a “pushy salesman” from a friend you want to help. So be professional to and respectful of the person you are asking, their relationship, and their reputation. But don’t let that stop you from asking. After all, if you have real relationships, qualified targets, and a product/service you believe in, the person you’re asking should have no issue referring you and the person you’re introduced to will soon be thanking your friend for making the introduction.
5. Beyond ABC’s… ABH. While I certainly understand and appreciate the need to “Always Be Closing,” my personal philosophy is to “Always Be Helping.” In sales, and perhaps maybe in life, your reputation is everything. So be the person you want to be perceived to be – whether or not it meets an immediate business goal. In this case, that person is one who is helpful and informative and acutely aware of the needs and goals of his/her clients, prospects, colleagues, friends and family. In other words, take every opportunity to add real value and help them achieve their goals.
How are you making the most of one of your most precious resources – your relationship with others? Do you find it easy to ask for referrals and network when needed? What tips would you add to the list? If you are having trouble, what do you think is holding you back? Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.
Tags: affiliates, always be closing, always be helping, Analysis, Brad Douglas, build, BurrellesLuce, business, business development, business goals, Career, client, clients, collaboration, colleagues, communications, company, confidence, contacts, conversation, corporate, customer, decision maker, decision making, efficient, efforts, evaluate, Fresh Ideas, goals, Harvard Business Review, industry, influencers, informal power, informative, intentions, introduction, invest, LinkedIn, marketing, Media Monitoring, needs, opportunity, opportunties, organizations, partners, personal networks, product, prospects, qualified, Quantitative, reach, referrals, relationships, reputation, resources, results, RFP, sales, Sally Fields, service, Shipley Associates, strategic, SWOT, targeting the right customers, targets, Time, tips, trust, Valerie Simon, value, vendors
Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Career Advice, Public Relations | 4 Comments »
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
Lindsay Nichols brings a broad range of public relations expertise to Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, helping clients build relationships with key audiences and influencers and sustaining awareness about their missions. In her nine year career, Lindsay has provided media relations, public affairs, grassroots marketing, crisis communications, and healthcare communications consulting to a variety of organizations focused on a variety of industries, including social purpose, advocacy, corporate, consumer, healthcare and legal.
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From left: Johna Burke, BurrellesLuce; Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times Washington Bureau; Howard Arenstein, CBS Radio News; Doug Stanlin, On Deadline blog, USA Today.
This post first appeared on the @OgilvyPR blog, Social Marketing exCHANGE, June 29, 2010.
I’m clearly a geek, but I’m going to proudly say it: it’s an exciting time to be in media relations.
I started my career in media a decade ago and as the field has changed, the practice of getting key messages in front of target audiences via the media has only gotten more interesting. From crafting the story idea, to hearing the spark ignite for a reporter, to reading or listening or watching the final story unfold – the entire process is exhilarating. Social media has only broadened that landscape for me – I have more choices than ever to spread my clients’ messages and make an impact with the audiences that matter. And while media relations may seem more complex then the days when I used to thumb through a media directory book to find a reporter’s name and beat, in a lot of ways I find it much more strategic and exciting.
This geeky love I have for media relations was recently nourished when I was lucky enough to attend the PR News Media Relations Next Practices Forum as a guest of sponsor BurellesLuce. I got to hear from some of the best talent in the industry across all walks of PR life including corporate veterans Stephanie Anderson of OSRAM SYLVANIA and Ed Markey of Goodyear; consulting mavens Karen Hinton of Hinton Communications and Andrew Gilman of CommCore Consulting Group; and nonprofit leaders Laura Howe of the American National Red Cross and Glen Nowak with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; among others.
And – I can’t but help but show a little pride here – Ogilvy PR had a great client showing: Mark Phillips of the USO and Colleen Wilber of America’s Promise Alliance both had wonderful insights to share. The keynote speaker was former Marriott spokesman and current Senior Director of Communications for Catholic Charities USA, Roger Conner, who shared his PR experiences both humorous and humbling.
The knowledge these speakers imparted was too much to share in detail, but some highlights were:
- Think like a newsroom
- Use social media to collect real-time feedback on the quality, tone and resonance of a conversation – listen constantly
- Let others (volunteers, employees, customers or consumers) tell the story for you
- Don’t script people – just teach them how to use social media tools effectively
- Don’t tell media what the news is – just tell them what you have and how they can use it
- Individuals as influencers are becoming increasingly important – never underestimate your audience
- Say the full message: not just “go online,” but “go online and donate”
- Mobile media is the next frontier in terms of location, platforms, video, social search, virtual collaboration and cloud computing
- Before you spend any resources, make sure audience is there; speak the right language and understand who you’re trying to influence
- Stop trying to control the message – just be part of the conversation
- You must call media on their mistakes – they are working as fast as we are, and mistakes happen; it’s our job to give them the correct information
- Claim as much real estate as you can on a TV screen – provide information for the lower-third/crawl, facts, b-roll, bulleted messages, etc.; have your spokesperson hold a prop
- Your actions must match your words
One of my favorite parts of the forum, the “Media/PR Smackdown,” was a panel of well-respected and much sought-after journalists Howard Arenstein, Correspondent of CBS Radio News and CBS News Radio’s Washington, DC, Bureau Manager; Doug Stanglin, Editor of the “On Deadline” blog at USA Today; and Lynn Sweet, Columnist and Washington Bureau Chief of Chicago Sun-Times. They reinforced the tried and true of the media world – don’t call unless you know the reporter’s beat, you know your pitch fits perfectly with what they cover, you’ve already sent an email, and you have a personal relationship. But they also taught me a thing or two about how journalists have embraced the recent changes to the media relations landscape. Reporters love Twitter. I can’t emphasize that enough. They love it personally, and they love it professionally. Doug Stanglin uses his Twitter as a news aggregator. Reporters also love blogs – their own and others. They no longer have one deadline a day – they have them throughout the day. And they are truly excited about sharing their news on different platforms.
So apparently I’m not the only one geeking out about media relations today.
Above all, the overwhelming message of the forum was loud and clear for me: I am not alone. I heard it from the friends I made at my table and around the room and the speakers who represented so many industries and so many types of PR. We’ve all had great ideas but neither the adequate time nor resources to get the job done well. We’ve all dealt with public crises that we didn’t see coming. We’ve all been met with overworked and under-resourced journalists who can’t (or won’t) hear us out. We’ve all had to deal with leadership who didn’t understand how the media work and expected us to move mountains with only a spoon to start digging. But we all love what we do. We love shaping stories, spreading our clients’ messages, and entering in the public conversation. We all have a passion for getting it right the first time. And we all have a zeal for where media relations has come from – and where it’s going.
And somehow, just knowing that – that I’m not alone – feels good.
You can find more about the forum on Twitter: @mrf.
Tags: @OgilvyPR, advocacy, America's Promise Alliance, American National Red Cross, Andrew Gilman, audience, blog roll, BurrellesLuce, Catholic Charities USA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clients, Cloud Computing, Colleen Wilber, CommCore Consulting Group, consulting, consumer, consumers, conversation, crisis communications, customers, Ed Markey, employees, Fresh Ideas, Glen Nowak, Goodyear, grassroots marketing, healthcare communications, Hinton Communications, how to use social media tools effectively, influencers, Karen Hinton, key audiences, Laura Howe, legal, Lindsay Nichols, listen, location, Mark Phillips, Marriott, media, Media Relations, message, Mobile Media, newsroom, Ogilvy Public Relations, Osram Sylvania, platforms, PR News, PR News Media Relations Next Practices Forum, public affairs, quality, real-time feedback, relationships, resonance, Roger Conner, Social Media, Social Media Marketing exChange, social purpose, social search, spokesperson, Stephanie Anderson, story, sustaining awareness, tone, TV, USO, video, virtual collaboration, volunteers
Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Career Advice, Industry Events, Media Outreach, Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
by Emily Mouyeos*
Influence marketing is beginning to showcase itself as an effective tool in social media strategies. Companies such as Starbucks and Virgin America have partnered with Klout , a startup that measures influence on Twitter, to identify influencing social media users. The criteria used to identify key influencers include more than 25 variables used to measure “true reach,” “amplification probability,” and “network score.” Klout’s website explains that, “The size of the sphere is calculated by measuring True Reach (engaged followers and friends vs. spam bots, dead accounts, etc.). Amplification Probability is the likelihood that messages will generate retweets or spark a conversation. If the user’s engaged followers are highly influential, they’ll have a high Network Score.”
The examples of Starbucks and Virgin America shows how companies are reaching out to find influencers to (in the words of Frank Sinatra) “start spreading the news” or share their valued opinion on a product or service. However, it can be just as important for the company to be the influencer, especially in B-to-B marketing. Being an influencer means you need to create a following (True Reach), have smart and interesting things to say (Amplification Probability) and connect with other shakers and movers (Network Score.)
This article, appearing on The Drum, offers some tips for effective influencer marketing, among them:
- Focus on the Influencer.
- Focus on Transactions.
- Focus on the Story, not the pay-off.
- Measure what counts.
If want to become an influencer then scoring high in these areas will pay off for your sales and retention efforts. If people come to know and like you, they will want to buy from you. Co-founder of influencer marketing company Pursway, Ran Shaul states, “The fundamental marketing challenge today is more strategic than tactical. Numerous studies all draw the same conclusion – the majority of people buy based on the conversation and recommendations of trusted friends, family members, colleagues and, increasingly, online reviewers.”
He then goes on to cite Nielsen’s latest Global Online Consumer Survey, which revealed that out of over 25,000 Internet consumers, from 50 countries, “90 percent of consumers surveyed said they trust recommendations from people they know, while 70 trust consumer opinions posted online.” Incidentally, 70 percent of consumers surveyed also indicated that they “trusted brand websites completely or somewhat.” With 64 percent listing that they trust “brand sponsorships.”
How does this translate to sales and retention efforts? Becoming the influencer (directly or indirectly) gives you direct connection to potential clients who will remember you when they are looking to buy. These types of relationships increase brand awareness and prove you are a trusted advisor through thought leadership. Potential clients plugged into the industry chatter will know who you are and what you are about. Social Media has made it incredibly easy to share information. You no longer have to write a book to be considered an expert or impact the community.
As an example, I loved watching the phenomenal initiative; “Help A PR Pro Out” (HAPPO) impact the PR community. The campaign partnered together “PR Pros” with recent graduates looking for jobs in this tough economy. It may not have been the intent of the co-founders, Arik Hanson, ACH Communications, and Valerie Simon, BurrellesLuce, but they instantly became industry influencers to the young generation of PR professionals. You better believe that the college graduates will look to them for future partnerships and will one day become influencers themselves, not to mention the group of current PR influencers HAPPO was able to group together. I think the HAPPO campaign hit all of the “high scoring” variables used by Klout on the head. They created a strong following of PR pros and college graduates, gave out incredibly valuable information and gathered together the PR industries current and future influencers.
Do you know of any influence marketing campaigns where the influencer is the actual company? What are potential pitfalls to a company striving to be an intentional influencer?
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*Bio: Emily Mouyeos joined the BurrellesLuce account management team with a background in nonprofit communication and development. Her background and current experience with BurrellesLuce allows her to effectively address client needs and consolidate feedback for senior management. To Emily, nothing feels better than helping others achieve their goal, whether it’s professionally or personally. By focusing on client management through the Fresh Ideas blog, she hopes to evaluate new client management trends, as well as provide insight to the pros and cons of current practices. She looks forward to connecting with the readers of Fresh Ideas for new perspectives and dialogue on issues that affect overall success. LinkedIn: Emily Mouyeos Twitter: @BurrellesLuce Facebook: BurrellesLuce
Tags: ACH Communications, advisor, amplification probability, Arik Hanson, b-to-b, brand awareness, brand sponsorships, BurrellesLuce, campaign, Client Services, community, consumer reviews, conversation, economy, Emily Mouyeos, Engagement, Frank Sinatra, Fresh Ideas, Global Online Consumer Survey, HAPPO, Help a PR Pro Out, influence, initiative, Internet, key influencers, Klout, marketing, measure, media measurement, network score, news, Nielsen, opinion, PR, product, Pursway, Ran Shaul, recommendation, rentention efforts, sales, service, Social Media, Starbucks, story, strategic, strategies, tactical, The Drum, thought leadership, transactions, true reach, trust, Valerie Simon, Virgin America, websites
Posted in Client Services, Media Measurement, Media Outreach, Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media | 3 Comments »
