Social Media Butterfly

Social Media Butterfly 

Last week I attended a reception for this year’s ATHENA leadership award recipient, hosted by IWIL. I was taking photos and a fellow board member referred to me as IWIL’s ‘social media butterfly’. I rather liked it. When I got to thinking about it I realized it was a perfect description for what the person responsible for an organization’s social media should be. 

I attend almost all IWIL events and have also committed to being on both the ATHENA and Symposium committees. Honestly, sometimes I have to attend via conference call (even I can’t be at two places at once), but I feel it’s my duty as the person responsible for keeping our membership informed about our activities, via our social media platforms, which include Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to keep myself in the loop. 

At Gem PR & Media we manage a large number of social media accounts, in fact, much of Chris’ time is taken up posting, boosting and scheduling ads for our clients on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. We pride ourselves on delivering a great return on investment for our clients. So much so that our most recent, large-scale social media project, blew other mediums; TV, radio, and print, out of the water – and best of all we have the stats to back up the claim – because with social media we can actually measure engagement, reach and buying power. 

Back to the social media butterfly comment, for which I am quite proud, it is imperative to immerse ourselves in our clients’ businesses, to absorb all that they have to offer, to have an understanding of their products and services, to gain feedback and testimonials from their clients so that we can portray the very best of their business. 

Whether that’s attending a retirement party, visiting a group that a client is speaking to or creating traditional media (by that I mean TV, radio, and print) opportunities so we can then spread the word via social media too – then that’s what we’ll do. We don’t sit still for one minute. We move from place-to-place seeking out opportunities to create engaging posts for our clients’ target markets. Much like a social (media) butterfly. 

PR & Media Tool Kit for Non-profits

Next month we’ll be teaching our four-part course, PR & Media Toolkit for Non-profits, at Lincoln Land Community College. 
Our tried and tested formula proved extremely popular in spring with some attending just one or two sessions and others the full course. 

Each class is designed to cover the basics, provide clarity when it comes to the subject and shares our top tips for those who need to keep a close eye on their budget. 

The four modules include:

1. Creating a PR & Media Plan – learn how to write your plan, generate ideas and content for your promotional activity. (September 20th)

2. Social Media Secrets: unravel the mystery of social media and learn tips for making the most of your presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. (September 27th)  

3. Write to Promote: develop your understanding and application of the basics of how to write a press release, article, and blog post .(October 4th) 

4. Sponsorships, Crowdfunding, & Events: Learn to identify ways to link with the media and other organizations to lock down sponsorships, launch crowdfunding and plan for fundraising at a grassroots level .(October 11th) 

There’s always time for questions and/or a group discussion. We love to meet new people in and around the Springfield area and have an opportunity to share with them some of our expertise. 

You can sign up for classes, which cost just $19 each, at http://www.llcc.edu/community-education/current-offerings/cew-non-profits/

Millennials

Chris recently prepared a presentation about marketing to millennials for one of the networking groups we attend in Springfield. Here, he explains why, no matter your business, you cannot ignore this generation in your marketing, media or public relations planning. 

Essentially, a millennial is anyone born in 1981 and onwards, according to popular opinion – although some say it goes as far back as those born in 1976. More simply, millennials were the first generation to come of age in the new millennium. 

One of the world’s most famously successful millennials is Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Facebook is a key marketing tool that we use for clients in order to target and engage with their preferred audience. It’s extremely cost effective and measurable – it’s where, not just millennials, but all generations are at. For example, within a 25-mile radius of Springfield, there are more than 46,000 Facebook users over the age of 50. 

Millennials work hard when motivated; they like the opportunity to be  heard, prefer an interesting office environment (at Gem PR & Media HQ we have a range of workspaces from a large table that seats six for collaborative work to sofas and quieter breakout areas – oh and of course, we have a beer fridge). Millennials are decisive and want their leaders/mentors to be the same way. 

Millennials appreciate an environment that rewards creative problem solving: hence our collaborative desk at Gem PR & Media. The open culture that millennials have adopted allows people to move around and solve problems they care about most. For example, sometimes life means it’s difficult to work from the office and we need to stay home for a day or more – we have no problem with that. Happy employees mean happy clients and continuous growth for our business, which also means we have more resources at our disposal to give back to the community. Something else millennials care about – brands that care. 

Did you know, according to Hubspot, 84% of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising? We also spend a great deal of our time researching potential purchases – online mostly – before taking the plunge. We pass on to our peers for advice about products, we read news stories and blogs before committing to a brand. However, once we’ve chosen a brand were vehemently loyal to it. 

The value of columns, blogs and paid for editorial is far greater than the traditional, bog standard ad. So think about your market – 90% of millennials log more than two hours a day on Facebook – and how you want to spend your marketing dollars – or speak to us and we’ll show you how! 

Step Away from the Cut and Paste: How to Avoid Plagiarism

Our resident wordsmith and Account Director, Courtney Enlow Hall, shares her take on one of this week's hottest topics - plagiarism. 

As we bid adieu to the Republican National Convention with a big wave and a stiff drink, there is one major issue we should discuss. I mean, there are lots of issues we should discuss, but only one is especially appropriate for this blog. And that, my friends, is plagiarism.

Plagiarism has been in the news quite a bit lately. And we will leave any and all political opinions or biases out of the conversation, directing all questions or concerns regarding said topic to this meme of Kermit the Frog drinking tea. Be you a professional communicator or a potential First Lady, plagiarism is rampant. But it’s also easy to avoid.

Put it in your own words—not just their words in a different order or swapped out with synonyms.

In high school, we all attempted to master the fine art of the thesaurus. “Rewording” something already published does not simply mean changing “nice” to “kind.” It means you must fully comprehend what you’ve read and explain or restate it in your own way, completely. If you can’t do that (because sometimes you’re tasked with having to explain something you generally don’t understand—I know, I used to have to write about vasectomies) then you’ll want to use this next method.

Cite and quote.

This is the easiest way to ensure the message comes across exactly the way you read it in the first place, because you’re literally sharing what you read in the first place. Limit this to only a couple sentences and inform the reader where those sentences came from with a proper attribution. Don’t simply repost an entire article. If the whole article is what you want to share, well…

Just share the article.

Link your readers to the source itself with a brief introduction. You’ll ensure they get the info the need and save yourself from plagiarism. In fact, I’ll do it right now! The Purdue OWL has some great info on how to avoid plagiarism. Check it out.

Facebook Live

Like any social media platform, Facebook’s goal is to keep users active and engaged. In December, Facebook launched its live video feature for IOS. 
Facebook Live helps extend your audience reach, but won’t necessarily drive a huge amount of traffic to your website – you must encourage people to do so through your page – the contact button is a good way to increase clicks from the platform. 
If you’re going to engage in a Facebook Live campaign make sure you have a strategy and set objectives – there’s nothing worse than random content, which is uninformative and dull. And, there are plenty of examples out there! 
On a positive note, Facebook’s algorithm favors live streaming videos – however, know your audience – think about the time of day you are broadcasting and make it interesting. If you’re struggling to see how you might use Facebook Live effectively here are a few tips: 

1.    Like any online activity, you engage in for marketing purposes if you’re gong to do it, do it well! 
2.    Tell people when you are ‘going live’ – this will encourage your followers to engage with you during your broadcast if they are prepared for it. Write a description of your topic and the purpose of your discussion – what’s great about Facebook Live is that you have an opportunity to engage with your audience as you are broadcasting. 
3.    It goes without saying; make sure you have a good connection! 
4.    Ask your followers to tap on the Follow button on live videos and videos that were live and then opt-in to get notifications the next time you broadcast. 
5.    Acknowledge your commentators by name and respond to their comments. 
6.    If you develop a following and have compelling content broadcast for longer periods of time. 
7.    Be creative! Don’t bore your audience. If you want them to come back your followers need to get something out of it. 
8.    Make sure you mention your business, your services and your web address – this isn’t an advert, but with any form of marketing or PR you have to take the opportunity to promote yourself. 
9.    Facebook, in its Best Practices guide, recommends you broadcast for at least 10 minutes – make sure you have enough content to do so. 
10.    When your live stream is over the video will remain on your page so use the opportunity to repurpose this content by writing a recap post for your blog. You can even edit the video so that it’s a little more polished and ready for use on your website. 

Types of Facebook Live videos you might want to consider: 
•    Question and Answer sessions
•    Take your followers behind the scenes of your organization
•    Breaking news (news means something new, interesting and relevant) 

Remember, whatever you do, make sure you stay on brand, use key messaging and align your Facebook Live strategy and objectives with your business goals. If you’re going to take the time and time is money, to use Facebook Live prepare, promote, and create compelling content. Don’t waste your followers’ time, they are busy people and need to gain something from your post (any post for that matter, live video, photos, text or pre-records). 

Online tools

There are a number of online tools we use at Gem PR & Media almost every day. So, we thought we’d share these with you – especially as most of them are completely free!

Wetransfer.com

One of our favorites. Wetransfer.com allows for the sharing of large files without subscribing to the platform – and it’s free. You simply upload, or drag and drop, your files onto the page, type in the recipients email, add a message if you want, and send. You’ll not only receive an email to confirm that your files have arrived safely, but you’ll also get an email when the recipient has downloaded the files. The only drawback is that the files must be downloaded within a certain time, about a week, however you are sent an email notifying you if the files have not been downloaded about two days before deadline, which is handy because you can remind your recipient to do so. When you’re editing magazines from around the world, like we do at Gem PR & Media, this tool is invaluable.

Toggl.com

At Gem PR & Media we time keep so that we can measure our effectiveness in managing client accounts and track other activity such as admin, or our own PR, for example. Toggl is free and easy to use. You can also add members of the team to your account so you’re all recording to the same timesheets. There’s also an opportunity to download projects, which is extremely helpful for ad-hoc clients.

Canva.com

Canva.com is fantastic for creating images for social media. Now, we have some pretty creative people in our team, such as Courtney who’s a whiz when it comes to Photoshop and video, but I’m better with words so Canva is perfect for me. What I like about Canva is it’s pretty foolproof. You can upload your own images, add text and download to your desktop. The images are even sized for the various social media platforms – which is fabulous!

Facebook.com

An obvious choice right? As a team, we don’t just use Facebook for the promotion and marketing of our clients, we also use messenger to communicate, especially if there’s more than two of us involved in the conversation and we’re working remotely or it’s the evening and we’re watching TV with our cell phones in hand.

Grammarly.com

I was a skeptic, at first, when I came to grammarly.com but now, I wouldn’t be without it. Essentially, Grammarly.com is an automated proofreader – anything I write online is tracked and when there’s a typo or a missing comma grammarly.com suggests a correction. This is great if you’re multi-tasking or in a hurry. I love to get my red pen out and proofread, but when you’re in the middle something and you have to quickly add a post to Facebook, the phone is ringing, and you’re in the supermarket – Grammarly.com has your back! 

E-newsletters

Newsletters are an effective way to get your message out to a captive audience. However, I would highly recommend that you go for an e-newsletter over a traditional one. Cost effectiveness, increasing engagement with your target audience, and the ability to measure the success of your newsletter are major reasons for sending by email.

The key to successful e-newsletters is:

1.     Having a ready-made, captive, database for past, current, and potential clients. Newsletters allow you to remind past clients of your continued existence, developments, and new offerings. It’s always good to keep your current clients/customers updated about your activity and efforts. And, with potential clients, it’s another great marketing tool.

2.     Interesting content is vital. If you’re able to create content that’s not just interesting, but also informative or educational then all the better.

3.     If you say you’re going to send out your e-newsletter monthly, or quarterly, make sure you stick to your timetable. The worst thing you can do is begin sending out great content only to let it fall by the wayside and leave potential clients disappointed – thinking that you’re a flake.

4.     Evaluation. Make sure you are measuring the success of each e-newsletter. Which stories/articles are you getting feedback on? Which links are getting the most clicks? This will inform decisions about how you proceed with your newsletter.

If you’re thinking about devoting your valuable time to creating and sending out e-newsletters you should have a clear idea about success and what that looks like. What I mean by this is set goals. Is it your intention to drive recipients to your social media platforms? Do you want people to visit your website? Or will you have a direct link to a donation page?

Here are my top tips:

1.     Select a single goal for each newsletter – it’s easier to concentrate on one aspect of your marketing campaign and you won’t get bogged down when it comes to content creation.

2.     Align the goals of your e-newsletter with your marketing/PR strategy and objectives.

3.     Generally, the first link in the e-newsletter gets the highest number of clicks.

4.     Don’t bombard people with information. Make stories short and to the point. Use photos and graphics to illustrate, and create, a theme.

Don’t panic when it comes to content. Here are a few ideas:

1.     Use exerts from your blog page.

2.     Create a calendar of forthcoming events.

3.     Include information and updates about new services or products.

4.     Feature employees, interns or volunteers.

5.     Remind your audience of ways to connect with you, for example, links to your social media platforms.

6.     Feature case studies.

7.     Provide client testimonials.

Whatever you do, have fun with it. Create an engaging reminder of your quality offering, while at the same time providing your readers with the advice they will find useful. Start small and grow as you become more confident. Good luck! 

Corporate sponsorships

Corporate sponsorships are a great way to build brand awareness and give back to the community. However, if you’re company is considering engaging in a sponsorship, we recommend to all our clients – in order that they, the event organizers, and whoever is benefiting from the occasion gains from the sponsorship – ensure they ask the following.

What is the target audience for the sponsored event?

It makes sense for a chiropractor to sponsor or organize a 5k run in order to raise funds for a charity that provides health support to USA and overseas communities, but it wouldn’t make sense for him/her to sponsor an eating contest at the Springfield Jaycees Capital City Celebration, for example. An eatery, restaurant or takeout would far better suit the occasion.

Does the audience align with your business objectives?

If you’re objective is to gain brand awareness amongst the general public the sponsoring a large event such as SOHO or the Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair, where you share that responsibility with other businesses may be a way to go – especially if your business is focused on downtown, music, the arts or families. However if you’re a business where your target market isn’t the general public but other businesses, firms or companies in the area you may consider a sponsorship through The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce for example.

Do you want to play and active role in the sponsorship – or simply write a check?

It’s worth considering the role you want to play in your sponsorship agreement. Will you take a hands-on approach, which may involve the clean up of a community garden, which also needs financial support for infrastructure or are you happy to let others dig in? I would almost always recommend to clients that they participate in some shape or form, whether that’s volunteering, being a guest/welcome speaker or playing a key role in overseeing the organization of the event.

What publicity will you and the organization gain?

Let’s admit, not all sponsorships are totally altruistic – neither should they be. With each sponsorship there is an opportunity for all parties to gain momentum towards their cause. Whenever we work with a client who has sponsored an event or organization we first establish what the objectives are for each party and then look to support them with PR and media activity, whether that be a press conference to announce the launch of a new event/fundraiser, social media engagement with the target audience in order to increase registration or TV and radio interviews for both the event organizer and the sponsor.

I would also, always recommend that the sponsors engage in a debrief meeting in order to evaluate the success of the event and/or any improvements which could be made in the future. This is a great way to determine, also, whether this is a collaboration both parties wish to pursue in the future.

The most successful corporate sponsorship relationships are based on an open dialogue between both parties, clear and consistent messaging, a defined set of objects and a solid PR and marketing plan.  

How to ride the social media news wave

According to a new study from the Pew Research Center, 62% of Americans get their news from social media, with Facebook taking the lead in terms of delivery and reach.

Reasons for this are myriad. For starters, social media is vastly quicker than most news outlets. Twitter breaks news at a previously impossible rate, with field reports delivered instantly at major events and incidents. Facebook is a little slower and an aggregation of many different public posts. This is interesting because with Facebook, perception of the news story is filtered almost completely through posting about it rather than the story itself. Take the recent news story about Harambe the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo—reactions to the story became the story. This is all thanks to social media.

Whatever your feelings about news being delivered in the same method as photos of someone’s dinner, you can use this for your business. But, and this is a necessary but, you have to do it right.

 1.    Make sure you know what you’re getting into.

A couple years ago, a hashtag #WhyIStayed started trending on Twitter. DiGiorno saw this and decided to jump in with this fun little tweet.

Example of a brand using a trending topic without understanding the context #Advertising #SocialMedia #WhyIStayed pic.twitter.com/iTSmfaT6Xv

— Scott Paul (@scottfpaul) September 9, 2014

And people were horrified. Because this wasn’t a fun little hashtag. This was a hashtag devoted to domestic violence and abuse. In another equally cringe-worthy incident, Epicurious saw Boston trending on Twitter and posted some New England-friendly recipes. Except—and you see where this is going—this was the day of the Boston Marathon bombing. So, please, read the hashtag before you jump in.

2. Be sensitive.

Don’t do what AT&T did and use 9/11 to sell a phone. Capitalizing on national tragedies can only reflect poorly on you.

3. Stick to something that makes sense for your business or brand.

This isn’t as limiting as you might think. Here’s what’s trending as I write this:

View fullsize

The Pantone hue story could be used by anyone in design—you could talk about how you can make the ugliest color beautiful. A celebrity couple having a baby is always a good starting point for childcare or insurance. If you can naturally tie it to your business, go for it. But don’t try to fit a square peg in a round trending topic. Stick with what you know.

I’d recommend avoiding getting in on anyone dying, or political conversations you don’t necessarily want to start.

Twitter makes this a bit easier. Topics are broader and it can be easier to insert yourself organically into conversations. Some topics trending right now include #ThankfulThursday, #BestAdviceFromMyLawyer, and #Hamilton. Trust me, Hamilton references can work with any topic. How lucky we are to be alive right now.

Get out there in social land and join some conversations. Just make sure you follow these tips to avoid big brand fails. 

Don’t Just Do Facebook Videos—Do Them Well

According to the social media analysts at News Whip, engagement is down across the platform for every kind of Facebook post except for one: video. And it’s not just for easy cooking or the latest Wine About It. According to the Boston Globe, it generated 12 million views through video on social media—something its team could never have imagined hitting on its website.

Why does it work? Well, frankly, it’s less work than reading. When done right, it’s easy and informative. When done right, it’s a boon to your company and what it’s capable of in terms of delivering a message in a timely and interesting way.

When done wrong, however? It’s a massive waste of money and can make you look bad.

But don’t worry. We’re here to help ensure you do this right.

1.     Keep it simple.

According to a recent study, 85% of users watch Facebook videos with the sound off. Consider your viewers—if they’re busy professionals in an office, they’re probably not wanting to draw attention to the work they’re not doing. With that in mind, you’ll want to use text to get your message across rather than or in addition to voiceover. But no one wants to read a novel in a Facebook video. If you’re using voiceover, show only the major bullet points on-screen. Keep the text short and concise—no more than seven to 15 words on screen at a time.

2.     Keep it short.

With that small amount of text on the screen, it would likely take a long time to get every bit of the message you want across or an entire interview. Don’t do that. Frankly, it’s rare that anyone has the attention span to watch a video online for longer than two or three minutes. If you can’t get your message across in that amount of time, break it up into a few shorter videos, or use video in addition to a lengthier blog.

3.     For the love of all that is good and holy make sure your spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.

It does not matter how good and well-produced your video is if the text is poorly written. The fact is, a lot of people think they don’t need writers. Everyone thinks they can do it themselves. And that may well be the case at your company—but you must check, double-check and triple-check that it looks good. If there’s a typo, not only do you discredit yourself as an expert in your topic, but also this is the internet—people are going to comment on it. And who wants their awesome video to turn into a conversation about “your” versus “you’re?”

4.     This isn’t the Blair Witch Project. Don’t bounce the camera around too much.

If you don’t have fancy tools, keep the camera still. You don’t want to make your audience seasick.

5.     You don’t need a big budget.

That said, you don’t need fancy tools at all. I once made a video using an IV stand in place of a tracking dolly. One time I used a rolling golf bag (this worked terribly, I do not recommend it). Try different things and see what works for you. You don’t need expensive lights if you have a nicely lit room. You don’t need a costly boom mic if you buy a $30 lavalier microphone on Amazon.

6.     Landscape. Please do landscape.

People get really annoyed about portrait. Just turn your phone on its side and head off complaints before they happen.

Video is scary if you’ve never done it before. But you don’t have to be a film major to get it done. Smartphones, iMovie, these simple tools make it easy. Practice and see what works and doesn’t. Go forth and have fun!

Hot stuff

We are getting ready to make the final touches to the July/August edition of Springfield’s Own Magazine. One of our last tasks was the Summer themed fashion shoot. We could not have chosen a better day for it, a nice spot, or a more beautiful model. We headed out to Lake Springfield Marina with the beautiful water as our backdrop. 

The ladies from Full Blown Salon worked their magic on our model, Allie, clad in summer dresses and shirts from Itty Bitty Fashion Truck. Kate Spencer of Kate Spencer Photography took gorgeous photos. Choosing just seven, including the front page, is going to be tough. 

It’s a great day, I love collaborating with talented people who are all willing to volunteer their time, put in the work and gain amazing results. Springfield has a wide talent pool and I love to remind people of that in the pages of SO Magazine. 

I can’t wait for everyone to see this edition, which is full of fab stories; from the remarkable Rasha Said of Sensible Innovations, to a travel piece from the Big Easy, a book review by the wonderful Courtney Westlake, author of the blog Blessed by Brenna, and her latest release ‘A Different Beautiful,’ to an interview with the CEO of Sojourn and a look at domestic violence. It’s going to be a great read! 

Lake Springfield Marina

Alyssa Furling from Full Blown Salon starting hair and make up

Heidi Furling of Full Blown Salon doing Allie Fitzgerald's hair and make up.

Heidi Furling of Full Blown Salon Doing Allie Fitzgerald's make up.

Allie with hair and make up finished

Dresses from the Itty Bitty Fashion Truck

Kate Spencer and Allie Fitzgerald braving the shore for the perfect photo.

Allie at Lake Springfield Marina

It's all yellow

We did not "borrow" any flowers from Lake Springfield Marina...

New style

Hanging out on the docks at Lake Springfield Marina

Allie smiling with flowers in her hair.

Final outfit of the shoot.

Writing mistakes you'll never make again

At the weekend, Chris and I presented at the Illinois Jaycees General Assembly. It was standing room only for Chris’ presentation on Facebook, with an emphasis on events planning, sponsorship and promotion. 

I spoke about the less enthralling, but equally important, subject of business writing and focused on writing tips in general. So, I thought I’d share a few tips with you on this week’s blog. 

•    Avoid clichés
•    Something is unique or it isn’t (it cannot be very unique) 
•    Effect versus affect
•    Your versus you’re
•    There, their and they’re
•    It’s versus its
•    If you say literally it means actually or without exaggeration
•    Lose versus loose
•    Weather versus whether
•    Less versus fewer – less refers to bulk amounts while fewer refers to separate items
•    Between versus among – between is used when two are concerned, while among is used when more than two are concerned
•    Installation versus instillation
•    The word irregardless does not exist – the word is regardless
•    Don’t use apostrophes if the word is plural; DVDs, the '80s etc. 
•    To say you feel nauseous is incorrect. You feel nauseated. Nauseous means something is sickening. 
•    Do you need to include ‘that’ – that is a filler word
•    Me versus I – ‘this has been helpful for my colleague and I,’ - this is incorrect. ‘This has been helpful for my colleague and me,’ – this is correct. 
•    Feel versus think – feel means to be emotionally affected by something or to have thorough conviction, whereas think means to reason or examine. 

Award winning entries

As a professional public relations company, with years of experience in gaining positive exposure, we know the importance of recognizing the achievements of our clients. 

This is why, as part of our PR and media plans for each, we work towards gaining clients recognition within their industries, amongst their peers, and for giving back to the communities in which they operate. 

A great way to do this is through the entry of awards, whether that be the Chamber of Commerce in the area, awards given through a media outlet or an industry association or body, which recognizes those that excel in its field. Sometimes the awards we enter, on behalf of clients, are for the entire business and at other times for individuals within the organization. 

The benefit of entering an award comes, not just, from the winning of it, but other PR opportunities, which derive from entering. Although this may sound contradictory, it really isn’t all about winning when it comes to positive exposure and award entries. Clients who are nominated for awards often gain significant recognition in the run up to and during the occasion. Not only will the media participate in spreading the word, but also there is an opportunity for us to PR the nomination through traditional and online content, such as the business’ social media platforms. 

We pride ourselves on an outstanding record when it comes to gaining clients’ recognition for their achievements and making the very most of their nominations and/or wins. There’s no denying it takes skill, knowledge and experience, not everyone can write a winning award entry. This is why we work hard to get to know our clients and their businesses too – it’s all part of our strategic approach to PR, media and marketing and to running successful campaigns, which see our clients’ companies grow and achieve their objectives. 

A professional guide to social media

This month I had the pleasure of presenting my professional guide to social media at the Illinois Women in Leadership luncheon. In order to provide attendees with the information they were seeking, I worked with the program chair to develop an online survey, which went out to the membership in advance of the event. Over 25% of IWIL’s members responded and about half of the women involved in our organization attended the social media presentation. 

The survey revealed that most of us use Facebook, but want to learn more about LinkedIn and Twitter when it comes to promoting our businesses. It also found that 67% of respondents have a social media strategy for their business, which is fantastic. Surprisingly, or not perhaps, only 13% use a social media management platform. 

So, armed with this knowledge, I prepared a presentation that reflected the online activities of our membership. I spoke about the benefits of social media, content creation, my top tips for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the need to set objectives and then manage these through engagement and measuring results. 

So here are a few of the tips that I shared with the ladies at IWIL: 

1 Social media is about quality over quantity when it comes to followers/likes/connections. 

2 These are public profiles, which can be seen by journalists, your employees, donors etc.

3 You must address complaints quickly. Take the conversation offline when necessary. 

4 Limit access to your accounts and change the password regularly. 

5 Content is key; make sure it’s relevant, engaging and informative. 

6 Accompany posts with links, images, videos, and tags. 

7 Do one platform really well then expand.  

8 Create a vanity URL for your business page e.g. facebook.com/gemprmedia and LinkedIn profile linkedin.com/in/gemmalonggemprmedia

9 Images boosted on Facebook must contain less than 25% text. 

10 It is ok to repost the same messages; less than 10% of your followers will see a single post – unless you boost – or have followers that share posts. 

11 On LinkedIn, you can tag users that you are not connected to.

12 You can add posts to your LinkedIn profile. 

13 When tweeting, think about leaving space for people to retweet your @name and add a comment (140 characters max per tweet) 

14 Use #s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; these allow for the identification of topics or trends.

15 75% of users are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow on Twitter 

Gem PR & Media Team Expands

This month we’ve welcomed a new member to the Gem PR & Media team – Courtney Enlow Hall. Courtney is Gem PR & Media’s Account Director, tasked with managing client accounts, developing strategies, content creation and supporting the business’ growth. Courtney, wife to John and mom to Juliane and Jack, has worked in Chicago and Springfield. She has experience in PR and marketing for local healthcare organizations, events and festivals, and nonprofit organizations. She has written for multiple publications and websites, including Vanity Fair and VH1.com. In her spare time Courtney loves cooking, reading and scouring thrift shops for vintage treasures.

What drew us to Courtney is her enthusiasm for change, creativity, and accuracy. She’s also a great people person and the kind of woman we need at our side as we continue to expand.

Welcome to the team Courtney! 

Family first

What a delight it was to spend a few hours with the Westlake family during the Springfield’s Own May/June fashion shoot, which took place at Bunn Gourmet. If you haven’t been there yet – it’s a must! (And they have free WiFi). 

I first met Courtney Westlake last year, she’s an accomplished writer and keen photographer and I wanted to get to know the face behind the blog Blessed by Brenna. 

When she spoke at the Illinois Women in Leadership luncheon in February I, like many in the room were inspired. So, when the time came for us to select a family to photograph for our fashion shoot in the Family/10th-anniversary edition we couldn’t think of anyone better than Courtney, Evan, Brenna, and Connor. 

As always, I leant on Kate Spencer who is a phenomenal photographer to take charge and do what she does best – take fantastic photos. We chose Bunn Gourmet as our location because Bunn is a family run company, which operates internationally, but has remained at its core a Springfield business. We worked with the Itty Bitty Fashion Truck team when it came to Courtney’s outfits, I selected clothing from Macy’s for Evan, Connor and Brenna (I got a little carried away with Brenna’s outfits … so many cute items to dress her in) and we also featured t-shirt designs by Jesus Couture by Paige Plummer one of this year’s Sangamon CEO students. The BJ Grand Salon and Spa girls did an awesome job with Courtney’s hair – as always. A huge thank you to everyone that helped! 

So, don’t miss your next edition of SO featuring Springfield family businesses, 10 Sangamon CEO students, a GREAT fashion shoot and more non-profits in the SO Positive section, which is available on May 15th. 

Meeting Hillary and reflecting on change, challenge and opportunity

Yesterday I met Hillary Clinton. It was brilliant. I was lucky enough to attend the MSNBC town hall at the Old State Capitol because my very talented friend wrote a fantastic piece in support of Hillary, six weeks ago, which was read by two million people. Not only is Courtney Enlow-Hall my friend, an extremely talented writer, but also the latest addition to Gem PR & Media. We are so excited that she will be working with us to continue the strategic and sustained approach we take when it comes to delivering global public relations, social media and marketing services for our clients.

Each year the president at Illinois Women in Leadership chooses a new theme. Our current president, Cheri Plummer, chose challenge, change and opportunity. I mention this because sat there, yesterday, listening to a woman who is likely going to be the next president of the United States of America and the country’s first female president I thought about the challenge, change and opportunity that had lead up to this moment for me.

The challenge of moving from one continent to another, making new friends and building a business.

The change of living in what my niece calls ‘the other world’, where, as Hillary said yesterday, on average 90 people die each day from gun violence and you’ve lived most of your life on a 25-square-mile island, with 60,000 people in the English Channel and it’s safe to leave your front door unlocked; it’s a big change.

When it comes to opportunity for me it’s about leaving my mark by giving back, by using my experience to help those who need it, whether being PR chair for Friends of Memorial, volunteering for Daily Bread through Rotary or working with people like our friend Tony DelGiorno who is running for the State Representative in the 99th district. I am extremely thankful for the opportunities that have come my way over the past 18 months, living in Springfield, Illinois. I do not take for granted the people I have met, those I get to work with and the growth our business is going through.  

Google rankings

According to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, ranking number one in Google’s organic search gets you a 34% click through rate on a non-mobile device. Last week Gem PR & Media reached number one in the Google search for ‘public relations companies in Springfield Illinois’. Not only does this prove that social media makes all the difference when it comes to Google rankings, but it also means we practice what we preach.

I am teaching my Social Media for Non-profits class today at Lincoln Land Community College and this is probably one of my favorite classes because you see the moment attendees realize they can ‘do this’ and get results in order to help their organization meet its goals and benefit the recipients of its services. 

Not only does social media play a major part in Google rankings, but the updating and improving content on your website will make a vast difference. We aim to add a new blog to our website every week and in order to drive our rankings we include key messages, or search terms, within each blog. 

Your ultimate aim should be to appear amongst the three-pack (the big map box with the three businesses highlighted) or at least within the top five, which attracts just over 80% of the traffic. 

We work with several businesses in the US and the UK to improve their Google rankings through continuous updates to websites, the addition of interesting, informative and engaging content and effective social media campaigns – and we’re seeing a return on investment in real time. 

Thank you, not just for engaging with Gem PR & Media online, but also those who continue to entrust us with your business: creating awareness, educating and informing your audience and delivering positive outcomes. 

Lights, camera, and action

TV interviews are a great way to get in front of your target audience, increase brand awareness, educate them and create a call to action. 

Preparation is key to a successful TV interview. It also goes without saying that the more practice you get, the more confident you will feel. So, here are our top tips for TV interviews.  

Know your key messages: what are the messages you want to get across to the audience? Know these inside and out, whilst also being able to provide examples. 

The curve ball: having worked on political campaigns you can always count on a curve ball question. Make sure you have a fail-safe that will allow you to gather your thoughts and provide a cohesive response. If you want to steer the conversation away from the question then redirect.  

Do your research: know the program and the audience.  

Speak with authority: own the interview. If you’ve got the opportunity to get your message across then do it – don’t hold back. Hold your head up, don’t slouch, place your hands on your lap or on the desk in front of you (if you’re standing place you hands to the side, in front or behind you), don’t fidget, lean in (slightly), make eye contact with the journalist/host and speak clearly, slowly and annunciate your words. 

Provide good sound bites: I’ve had clients stand outdoors and do a 20-minute press conference or 30-minute recorded interview for the TV station to then select a seven-second sound bite. If it’s the world’s best sound bite that’s ok. Make sure you are able to respond to a question in one sentence, but allow yourself the opportunity to expand upon the initial answer. 

Visual aids: when you are approached to do an interview offer visual aids, photos or footage. If it’s appropriate you may want to demo your service or product. We recently had a client perform acupuncture on live TV. 

Dress to impress: if you’re representing your business and it’s appropriate to do so wear branded apparel. However, if you’re more comfortable in a suit or smart casual and this reflects your role within the business or your ‘uniform’ that’s perfectly fine too. Don’t wear anything too busy or with a pattern; bold, block colors look better on TV. 

Practice: if you want to practice then there’s no harm in asking someone to run through questions with you ahead of your interview. We work with clients who are well accustomed to live interviews and still like us to run through a few questions with them ahead of time; that’s perfectly fine. 

Good luck … and enjoy. 

Creating a PR plan

As I am writing the curriculum for my four-part PR & Media Tool Kit course at Lincoln Land Community College for non-profits, I thought I’d take a few minutes to talk about the first installment: Creating a PR & Media Plan. 

So … how do you create a PR plan? Well, there’s a formula, which I use pretty much each and every time. Each part of the formula plays an important role. First, analyze the current situation; what PR/marketing and/or interaction have you had with the media to date? Has it been a success or a failure and why? How much money did you spend and what was your ROI? 
Next you need to set objectives: essentially what is your ultimate goal? Some might say it’s simply to increase revenue, but others have a more altruistic approach, they might want to educate their target market or give back to the community. 

Once you’ve set objectives, and here’s my favorite part, you need a strategy. What’s the route to meeting your objectives? The fun stuff! On your way to meeting your objectives, you’ll need to engage in tactics, which I also refer to as ‘activities’. It’s when considering the tactics that you need to know your target market and have a good idea of media opportunities. Tactics may include; award entries, corporate social responsibility or positioning your executive director/face of the organization’ as a thought leader in their field, for example.

Here’s the bit so many forget; evaluation. Have you created a situation where you are simply churning content and throwing it out there for anyone to use or are you strategically directing your message to the target market of your organization and engaging with the people that will help you meet your objectives? The latter tends to work best in my experience. Make sure you measure your ROI and evaluate along the way. 

Finally, the bit people don’t like … the budget. My advice would be to start out with one or two areas and build on these as your PR and marketing budget builds. If you are constantly evaluating the ROI of your plan you can amend the tactics accordingly. My other piece of advice is to do a few things well rather than a lot mediocre. Invest in a good copywriter for your blog, for example, or someone who has a great track record for award entries. The best part about a well-written plan is that it can change with the direction of your organization. 

If you’re interested in attending my PR & Media Tool Kit four-part course, which also includes; social media secrets, writing to promote and sponsorship crowdfunding and events, you can register online at Lincoln Land Community College.