Navigating the Social Media Frontier

Social media is the buzz word in PR and marketing circles these days. You can feel awfully left out and lonely if you're not talking blogs, Facebook, wikkis, RSS, Twitter and all the other new digital applications.

In our workshops we always recommend organisations seriously consider using social media to reach their audiences. But then we add three common sense caveats:

• The people you need to reach must use that media .... using social media just to be cool will waste a lot of communications effort.
• You must be prepared to engage in, not control, the conversation with your audience. And organisations locked into top down, command and control communications suddenly start to sweat when they realise the new media is about a philosophy of participation as much as it is about technology.
• And finally when in Rome do what the Romans do. You need to communicate like others folks in the social media zone ... and they don't use corporate speak and words like vision, mission statement and outcomes. When you bring organisational language into a social media conversation you look like the man wearing a suit and tie on a summer beach. Uncomfortable and silly.

At this stage social media is new and no-one knows where it is heading. But sticking to some common sense principles will help most of us navigate this pioneer territory.

Telling the Climate Change Story

The environmental alarm clock just went off and it's five minutes to midnight.

On Friday 4 July Professor Ross Garnaut released his 537 page report about global climate change and its impact on Australia. It pulls no punches. Early economic modeling shows that unless we take action now, by 2100:

• Around 4.8 per cent will be wiped off Australia’s projected GDP.
• Projected household consumption will drop by 5.4 per cent.
• Real wages will decline by 7.8 per cent.
  

If we sit on our hands now the quality of life for our kids, grandkids and other Australians will be considerably worse than our current lifestyles.

The report poses special challenges for Australia's communicators. As the nation's story tellers, from this point onwards, more of us are likely to be called upon to use our communications skills to:

• Help the man and woman in the street make sense of the claims and counter claims on what should be done in the next few years and beyond.
• Help people understand their role in finding solutions. (This year's Earth Hour is a good example of telling people how they can become involved).
• Explain simply the complexities of the tough measures Australia must take to mitigate against the effects of climate change.
• Accurately communicate the impacts of these measures on whole industries, whole communities right down to individuals.

If the tobacco industry is an example, some in the PR community may be called upon by clients and others to fight rearguard actions to preserve sectional interests. They may be asked to sow doubt and confusion by communicating that change is unnecessary or the adjustment is too harsh. Mnay more may be tasked to green wash their organisations ie to promote token changes done more for good PR than sustainable posterity.

As a group I hope Australia's communicators put the global and national interest ahead of client and organisational self interest.

When Saying 'Sorry' can be the Best Communications

The media coverage of Federal MP Belinda Neal has been intense in recent weeks.

You'll recall Labor Parliamentarian Ms Neal and her partner, former NSW Minister John Della Bosca had a run-in with staff at a Central Coast nightspot. Heated words were exchanged and Ms Neal and her partner were subsequently accused of overbearing and bullying conduct.

The matter has turned into a mini-media storm putting both the Prime Minister and the NSW Premier on the defensive over the behaviour of their colleagues. Both Neal and her partner have gone to ground - maybe on party orders - and are saying nothing.

In the very early days of the affair the two may have been better advised to follow the crisis communications mantra of "fess up and dress up". If so the the story may have ended in two days rather than drag on for two weeks.

When public figures find themselves in an unfavourable public spotlight -and they have done the wrong thing - often the best course of action is to admit the lapse in judgement, tell the community how they will rectify the situation and move on quickly. In this case perhaps an early apology from Ms Neal to the staff involved was in order.

In these situations saying nothing or trying to stonewall leads to continuing public and media speculation and, when you don't talk others will fill the communications void for you.

The guidelines in this video for dealing with the media in a crisis, could have saved a lot of angst for all parties in the past two weeks.

Did the Traditional Media Release Just Die?

Is the traditional media release dying?

It could well be because most media releases don't succeed despite all the hours of love and attention that goes into them. Most are full of corporate speak and look more like policy platforms rather than documents designed to attract attention.

How long are cash strapped, time poor organisations going to tolerate this poor return on their PR investment?

The social media release may be the next generation way of sharing information with the media and others. It is an on-line document drawing together text,video,audio,images, quotes and in-depth information.

There's not much information about this new tool but this video shows the new format. (You'll need to excuse the blatant advertising by the three UK lads promoting their services).

Communicators Can't Risk the Fate of Middle Age Monks

A recent international report shows PR agencies around the world enjoyed boom times in 2007, clocking up their best ever financial performances.

It’s all symptomatic of the rise and rise of communicators who are increasingly critical in the fortunes of governments, political parties, businesses, not for profits and just about every other type of other organization.

They may not know how it works, but managers at all levels now instinctively recognize the value of PR. And the more astute ones understand that without good PR, corporate or personal reputations can be end up in the trash.

Apart from (long overdue) management recognition, the boom times are also here because communicators now have more tools than ever to connect with customers, clients and citizens. Web2.0 technologies have given us the chance to engage with the people we need to reach, without going through traditional gatekeepers or self appointed mediators.

Despite all the hype no-one really knows where the world of on-line communications is heading. Just when we come to grips with one application, others spring up. Which means communicators are entering pioneer territory and the way ahead is likely to be uncharted, unfamiliar and often uncomfortable.

I hope we take a key lesson from the 1990s when the Internet really began to emerge. Then, most PR areas didn’t understand it, so almost by default, it became the property of the IT department. The “techos” quickly captured the new technology and from that point on people, who knew little about communicating, owned history’s most powerful communications tool.

In today’s organisations communicators must understand, use and promote the use of Web 2.0 or risk the fate of the monks in the Middle Ages. Then monks in cloistered monasteries labored for years to produce Europe’s manuscripts. In 1440 when German inventor Johannes Gutenberg invented his wooden printing press, a generation of monks likely looked at each other and said “this printing press won’t work… can’t understand it… not for us”.

Fast forward to today. Many printing presses … few monks!

50 Top Australian Marketing Blogs

The top 50 list of Australian marketing blogs has just been published and shows Aussie marketers are an innovative, free thinking lot.

Check out the list here.

Career Building Step #1 Get People to Pay Attention

Lately we have run into some fairly dispirited communicators frustrated by their senior management's lack of attention to their ideas. I sympathize.

I know how trying it can be to get people to recognise the value of your media or marketing suggestions. Worse still is when they readily adopt the same ideas from a consultant "earning big bucks", treat them like heavenly revelations and implement them.

So how can you get your boss to recognise the value of what you're suggesting?

• Sometimes it's sad but true. The communicators "selling the organisation, don't sell themselves". So don't just be tolerated- be valued. Continually talk up the value your communications brings.
• When you submit your annual budget are you asking people to commit to an act of blind faith? Forecast the results and benefits you plan to deliver.
• Most professional PR and marketing services run on a billable time basis. Clearly show how you spend your time and how your investment of effort brings results.
• It's easy to typecast communicators as left brain, artsy types far removed from the real world. Learn to speak the language of management - outcomes and objectives, deliverables, targets, milestones, prospects and sales.
• Managers are busy people. They want to see things at a glance. Use graphs, graphics and tables to visually present information.
• Benchmark with the best. Ask senior management which organizations they admire and then find out why those organisations communicate effectively. If in fact they do things better, learn from them. When you introduce new ideas tell those on the top floor, where these fresh insights come from and how others have made them work.
• Measure everything you can lay your hands on. Measuring your communications is the only way to show progress. (Check out Angela Sinickas' free resources on communications measurement).
• Report early ... report often. Regularly send one page reports upstairs about what you are doing. Don't write a history book so keep reporting short, sharp and concise. Finish each report with a "where to next" section in dot point form.
• When things succeed, collect and circulate testimonials to profile your achievements.
• "Comma jockeys and font fiends" talk tactics. Top communicators talk strategy. Continually remind people who they are trying to reach, what they are trying to say, the results they are trying to achieve and how your proposals will get them there.

Sometimes convincing people within your organisation can be tougher than convincing your external audiences. But taking the time to engage management can be a career building step.

Value or Vanity in Selecting Media

When running campaigns, sometimes clients insist in seeing their issue reported in a particular magazine or newspaper. This type of "top down" direction is great because it can really focus your media efforts.

But the big "but" is does that publication reach the target audience? Or is not merely reflecting the CEO's personal preferences. In other words landing a story in a particualr publication might be more about vanity than real value.

If your goal is to simply reach the largest number of Australians, the recent Roy Morgan Readership Survey for the year ending March 2008, is a good guide to where to direct your media relations efforts.

Right now the top three newspapers by circulation in Australia are:

• The Sunday Telegraph (NSW)
• The Sunday Herald Sun (VIC)
• The Sunday Mail (QLD)

And the top three magazines by readership are:

• Australian Women's Weekly
• Woman's day
• New Idea

Whether your media efforts are dictated by volume or vanity, don't forget that media coverage is valuable only if it helps you reach the people you need to talk to.

Roy Morgan figures as reported in the 30 May 2008 edition of AdNews

What Makes a Great Brand

This past week we ran a workshop for one of the most successful community sector organisations in Canberra. The CEO and 35 of her staff spent the day actively exploring ways to move their already dynamic organisation to the next level of performance.

As part of strategizing the future, we asked people to identify organisations they most admired. What made them stand out? And how could they embed the qualities that made others successful, into their own organisation?

The team turned up a list of around 15 organisations they most admired. It was truly an eclectic mix, ranging from the Salvation Army to McDonalds to a popular home decorations magazine.

The group's dicussion identified four factors that make a brand succeed over the long term. An organisation must:

• Have a consistent purpose and recognisable benefits.
• Deliver those benefits day in, day out.
• Continually reinvent itself as customer and community circumstances change.
• Constantly communicate - to staff, customers and all the other organisations that shape its environment.

Each week thousands of words are written about branding. Yet we think this team of 35 passionate community workers provided one of clearest explanations we have seen about what a brand must do, to move from good to great.

Link Your Story to National News

Linking your issue, cause or concern to this week's headline news is one way of attracting media attention. After all your organisation might be able to offer a journalist another perspective on what people are already talking about.

But short of turning into a mega media junkie, how do you find out what's making news?

Each week Australian company, Media Monitors, shows graphs with the top five domestic, international, business, sports and talkback stories. They count the number of times a story has been mentioned across print, radio and television which is a good indication of what's hot and what's not.

So the next time you think about approaching the media check their media index to see where your story might fit.

Consulting Communities

The construction of New Zealand’s first toll highway due to open in 2009 has generated a significant community relations program. The consultation effort is providing information to residents along a seven mile route in the Auckland area.

How the highway construction has been communicated might hold lessons for others involved in infrastructure and environmental projects. These lessons include:

• Community consultations often stop once a project gets the green light. But community relations - telling people what is happening and accommodating their concerns - really finishes when the project finishes and all the teething problems are resolved.
• It’s the communicator’s job to identify communications risks and opportunities to project management. He or she must be at the table with engineers, planners and others from the start so community issues get the same attention as legal and other considerations.
• Everyone working on the project – from the top boss to the plant operator – has to be briefed and buy into the community relations plan. Careless actions at any level can alienate a community and prejudice a project.
• The communicator should work on the premise that you can never give people too much information when a project is likely to impact on their environment or quality of life.
• Provide enough communications channels so everyone affected by the project receives information. Accurate, coordinated and timely information is the lifeblood of these channels.

The days of the old style town hall meeting as a communications channel could well be over. People are often too busy to gather in large groups to hear about a project. And besides, vocal critics can hijack public meetings to the exclusion of others genuinely wanting to find out what's happening and to air their concerns. Other types of meetings include:

• Neighbours meeting in someone’s home for very localized briefings.
• Inviting people to drop by the project office for regular updates.
• Offering telephone briefings at convenient times.
• Offering to speak to established local groups at their meetings.
• Staffing displays in shopping centres or other high traffic areas.
• Community kiosks where people can drop in to see what is happening.
• Working with residents' panels that include critics as well as supporters.
• Special websites or webpages.
• Email to deliver tailored information to particular groups.
• Project-specific blogs where people can comment.
• Holding site inspections when projects hit milestones.
• A regular project newsletter.
• Localized letterbox drops.
• A 24/7 toll free number so people can talk to someone who can speak authoritatively.
• Passing information through local media.
  

Critics might say all this is just too expensive. But in the long run a genuine approach to consultations might be far cheaper than facing legal or political challenges from disaffected communities who feel they have been neglected.

Social Media to Reach Ratepayers

At the recent Local Government Public Relations Association Conference, Deakin University lecturer Ross Monaghan offered insights into how Australian councils can use social media to reach residents.

Monaghan argued social media provided local governments with valuable, yet largely unexploited, communication opportunities given it:

• Is fast and cost effective (around $5000 should get an organisation set up to produce video, blogs, podcasts, wikis and other media)
• Allows councils to directly engage people 24/7 in a more appealing way than plain text communications
• Is becoming increasingly important as more people move on-line

But Monaghan pointed out it will not be all plain sailing for councils:

• Many CEOs did not support or understand social media and some feared using it meant "losing control" of their information. As if they ever had control once information left council chambers.
• PR staff sometimes lack skills to make best use of the new tools
• IT departments are often not supportive
• Access and equity issues come into play when not everyone has computers

He recommended local governments watch what others are doing in the social media space, experiment and gradually integrate the new media into their outreach efforts.

Are Newspapers Dying?

Predictions about the death of newspapers are premature according to Peter Christopher, Editor in Chief of Fairfax Community Newspapers in New South Wales.

Speaking at the recent Local Government Public Relations Association Conference in Sydney, Christopher put up a spirited defence of the role community newspapers play in Australia.

He argued that as economies become more globalised, communities are becoming “hyper-local”. Increasingly Australians are reaching out through community newspapers, events and even hyper- local blogs to connect with and understand the immediate world around us.

So the nature of news has not changed: we still want information on local events and issues. But the way that news is being delivered is certainly changing and the pace of distributing news has moved newspapers from marathon to sprint mode. This means the demand for content is insatiable and as Christopher colourfully put it, “the beast needs feeding”.

The practice for Australian newspapers to integrate print and on-line and use text, video and photography to cover important issues, is now firmly established. We are noticing this more and more and in one recent project we spent more time with on-line editors from major newspapers than with journalists working on print stories.

The pace of delivery and the demand for newspapers to have multi-media platforms will continue to grow. According to the 2008 edition of the Newsroom Barometer, an annual survey of more than 700 editors and senior news executives from 120 countries:

• 86% believe integrated print and online newsrooms will become the norm


• 83% believe journalists will be expected to be able to produce content for all media within five years


• 44% believe on-line will be the most common platform for reading news in the future, compared with 41% last year. 31% cited print (down from 35% last year), 12% mobile and 7% e-paper


• 35% said training journalists in new media was the number one priority for investing in editorial quality

The implication for communicators is clear.

The journalist's job is getting tougher and that means ours will too. To maximize the chances of getting our issues and causes published, we must be ready to package up and present journalists with video, stills images and audio opportunities before they even ask.

Planning an Event

Recently we came across the NSW Government Event Starter Guide.

It might be a good reference tool for planning your next event.

Word Of Mouth Marketing: Slow to Catch on in Australia

Everyone wants people talking positively about their product, program, issue or cause.

Yet amazingly few Australian organisations deliberately set out to include word of mouth marketing in their communications mix.

That’s surprising. Because word of mouth – receiving information from a trusted source – is the strongest form of marketing. We are more inclined to listen to family, friends or workmates when they urge us to do something, rather than be influenced by glossy brochures, slick advertising or sophisticated sales techniques.

Given the cynicism surrounding mass media and high powered advertising, there is renewed interest in word of mouth marketing which, let’s face it, has been around since caveman days.

We are now seeing an upsurge of interest in the US with the notable example being the work of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. But there does not seem to be as much buzz on word of mouth in Australia – apart from discussions on social media which too often focus on technology and forget the people using it. A 2005 PRIA article by Jonathan Carson lamented this situation and frankly I don't see much has changed since then.

Which is a shame because the effectiveness of a successful word of mouth marketing program lies in its simplicity. Word of mouth works when there are three fundamental elements present:

• A good product or service. People will only pass on information about a product or service to others if they have confidence in it. Word of mouth will reward good behaviour with referrals but will always punish poor performance.

• People who can help spread your word. Sometimes called key influencers, connectors or champions, these are people who will share your information with others in their networks - if they are convinced of the integrity of your offer. Key steps in this type of marketing are identifying these key influencers, getting them on board, giving them pass on tools that make it easy for them to spread your information and then acknowledging their efforts when they help your cause.

• Simple information. Word of mouth needs simple but memorable stories to succeed in conversation networks. Complex or bureaucratic language may look good on paper but it’s unlikely to work when people are sharing information face to face.

Word of mouth marketing is credible, cheap and fast which makes it an attractive option for big and small organisations. But marketers and others need to plan for it rather than just wishing for it.

Social Media Updates

We recently came across three good articles on who’s using social media and how:

• Stats on the growing power of social media
• How non-profits are using social networking to raise money and awareness
• Being strategic with social media

7 Media Lessons from ANZAC Day 2008

ANZAC Day is the biggest and best known event in Australia and media interest in the Day is understandably intense.

This year we were privileged to help the Australian War Memorial with media relations for its ANZAC Day program.

With thanks to the Memorial's communication team, here are 7 media tips from that experience:

• Even though an event is well known, it pays to work within specific campaign themes. This makes it easier to manage information, source images and video and identify spokespeople.

• Media relations efforts must tie-in with other marketing, sponsorship and internal communications plans. This ensures media impacts contribute to the broader goals of an organisation.

• Blogs can be a source of stories for journalists. Information on the War Memorial's blogs were picked up and carried into mainstream media for ANZAC Day and other campaigns. Links in media releases to blogs, wikis and on-line video (such as YouTube) can be valuable in guiding journalists to additional information.

• We may live in a global economy but the media still want local stories. Newspapers and radio stations are always looking for local (human interest) perspectives on national issues. The first question journalists often ask is what's the local angle?

• Approach TV producers prepared to talk in terms of images. Work with TV crews to provide the best visual opportunities and spokespersons. See this Channel Seven example.

• Maintain a media database so you can quickly see the details of journalists and details of interviews that have been set up. In a busy campaign this helps to keep track of who to call and what's happening day by day. And when the campaign finishes it can provide good evaluation data.

• Australian media have been reporting ANZAC Day for 92 years. Media outlets will want to report a continuing event differently each year. (See this ABC Radio's story on war time rationing). The key to continuing good media relations year after year, is to remain flexible and work with journalists to help them provide valuable information for their listeners, readers and viewers.

Tupperware goes digital

Remember the Tupperware party? The direct marketing experience that introduced millions of households to the iconic plastic containers used for food storage.

The concept was brilliantly simple. Invite a housewife to host a party for her friends, and at the same time present the latest range of Tupperware products for inspection. Everyone was a winner. The hostess received prizes for her efforts. Friends got the opportunity to see the latest in kitchenware and the company put its products directly in front of customers in a relaxed, social atmosphere.

Now a US company is running a new version of these parties for corporate clients. House Party invites people across the USA to host parties for their families, friends and workmates, at which Ford Motor Company, Hersheys, the History Channel and others put their latest offerings directly to prospective customers.

The company’s Gerber baby food video shows how on-line technology is bringing Tupperware’s proven experiential and word of mouth marketing model into the digital age.

Who do you trust?

When it comes to news who do you trust?

The March 2008 edition of Tactics, the Public Relations Society of America newspaper, reports that research in 2007 by PR agency, Golin Harris, shows word of mouth and personal experience are the most trusted sources of information for many Americans.

And that mainstream media scores “lower in terms of accuracy, truthfulness and honesty than dedicated on-line media channels".

The article suggests this shift in trust from mass media to personal and on-line experiences means communicators should:

• Look for opportunities to provide direct experiences to audiences.
• Seek to create memorable moments that cause people to talk.
• Reach out to engage 'key influencers' - people willing to share information in their social and other networks.
• Use a variety of communications platforms and experiences rather than just relying on traditional mass media.

Research consistently shows word of mouth is free, credible and fast. That makes it the most powerful marketing channel an organization can use. That's why not for profit groups and others with limited marketing budgets should consider factoring word of mouth into their next marketing or PR plan.

Sponsorship and Not for Profits

Since 2003 we have run marketing workshops for 107 not for profit organisations.

A common question is "how can we get sponsorship for our event, issue or cause?" This question was certainly top of mind when we recently shared marketing tips with community groups in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.

Before you seek sponsorships people must have a basic understanding of your cause and know about your organisation.

That comes down to marketing and PR. Before people will support you they need to know who you are and what you stand for.

Once that's achieved you can begin a dialogue with companies, government agencies and others who can provide support.

Some resources to get your sponsorship efforts off to a good start are:

• The Tasmanian Government's sponsorship guidelines
• Landcare NSW sponsorship guidelines
• Our Community's sponsorship page
• Power Sponsorship's free stuff

Should I share my event?

When you start out planning an event you can either be a solo sailor or a clever collaborator.

Solo sailors are event organisers who want complete control over how their event will unfold. They assume total responsibility for all aspects of planning, financing, marketing and promotions. They are responsible for absolutely everything and shape their event precisely to meet the needs of their own organisation.

Being responsible for everything has its merits but it also has downsides. When you work alone you can only bring a finite amount of resources into event planning and management. And you are completely responsible for generating an audience - the people who will attend - and getting media coverage before, during and after the event.

Another option is to see if you can share your event.

So scan the horizon to see who else you can work with. Be continually on the look out for opportunities to jointly plan and manage your next event. And if conditions are right, seriously consider merging your activity with another.

But be aware that sharing means you limit the control you have over processes, proceedings, timings and outcomes of what you plan.

Factors to consider before deciding to join in with others are:

• does the other organisation share a similar values?
• is there a demonstrable reason for us to work with them?
• can they give us access to resources, media coverage etc we might struggle to attract?
• will a joint undertaking allow us to get our message to more people?
• can we agree on roles, responsibilities and financial arrangements?
• is there potential controversy in working with a third party?

My experience is that collaborative arrangements do take longer to establish, but sharing energy and effort can take your event further and faster than sailing alone.

The power of events

Last year we helped Cricket Australia and the Australia Department of Immigration and Citizenship to stage Australia’s biggest cricket game.

Nearly 150 000 people in over 900 locations across the country showed support for the Australian values of a ‘fair go” and respect for others by playing cricket on the same day. Four weeks later, we helped the Australian War Memorial with ANZAC Day (25 April) – the event that reminds us of Australia's defining national moment, the landing of Australian forces at Gallipoli in 1915.

Both occasions reminded me of the sheer power of events to capture people’s attention. This digital age may allow us to connect with anyone anywhere, but there remains something very, very special about an event where you actually meet others face to face.

That's why events remains the classic opportunity to gather people together in one place to:

• raise awareness of your cause, issue, service or product
• inspire people and generate action
• showcase your organisation
• recognise your own or industry achievements
• generate revenue
• introduce new faces or ways of doing things or
• attract new members or supporters

There is no doubt that Web 2.0 technology is great for sharing information. But events still remain among the best channels for persuasion as long as people like to share face to face experiences.

Budgeting for your next event

Most of us are creative types and find finances boring.

But when it comes to events, the budget is the one thing you simply must get right. If you are in a not for profit organisation two things are certain this year.

• Firstly some time this year you will run an event. That’s what not for profits do: to keep in touch, attract attention or promote their cause. Your next event could be a humble cake stall at the local shops, a national conference or perhaps a gala fund raising ball.
• The other certainty is you will not have enough money for your next event. While most of us have champagne aspirations when it comes to events, in the not for profit world we generally work with six pack budgets.

Financing events is such a critical undertaking for not for profits. Get it right and you are a hero. Get it wrong and you may well have over-spent yourself out of a job.So before any meaningful event planning starts, you must nail down the fundamental question: how will this event be paid for?

Not for profits don't have much money so every penny needs to be wisely spent especially when it comes to events. So remember: no matter how good your event is it will never be a success if it breaks the bank.

Social media and not for profits

Trevor Cook and Lee Hopkins are two Australian pioneers in the emerging world of social media. I have previously shared a speaking platform with Trevor and he really knows his stuff. Lee is a prominent podcaster.

Trevor and Lee have just released the third edition of their Social Media Report, which provides an excellent overview of the new Web2.0 tools and how to use them.

It is a good document for not for profit organisations to learn more about social media.

Click here to download their 53 page report.