Event Recap: Measuring Buzz

On Thursday, SpeakerBox threw yet another well-attended and well-received event. The Tower Club is always a nice choice for locale – and the view of DC and the greater northern Virginia landscape reminded me of the larger industrial world we PR folks are playing in. The “buzz” we create for our clients needs to resonate at a deeper level than to CSOs through SC Magazine for example, but through word of mouth, referrals and experience sharing. As technology propels us to a new level, in some ways we are challenged to keep the old with the new. The panelists participating in this event all drew on their marketing experiences to enlighten us with new ways to bridge the divide – create the buzz for (our) clients and (your) companies using the fundamentals of traditional PR tactics with the innovation of new applications and a different way of thinking of message distribution.

Larger questions answered in this panel discussion were how to build buzz, how to measure it, how to apply critical analytics such as: has the buzz turned into increased sales, and how to move buzz from mind share to business results. The 80 attendees from across sectors – government, university professors, technology, to name a few – were provided with a deeper understanding of tools and applications such as widgets, Google Trends, Radian6 and Shared Voice, and how and why to apply them to marketing initiatives – to make sure we are meeting our audiences - - - where they are.

I learned a few new things – such as in June of this year, 581 million Internet users worldwide were on social networks. One panelist used this point to urge us all to leverage social networks to our full advantage when making efforts to get our messages “out there.” He mentioned social networking sites like Facebook representing the need to connect and share on a more personal level, and he even went so far to say, “as we move to Web 2.0, sharing is the motor oil for the Internet.” If you aren’t leveraging these social network sites for your business today, start making some plans to do so!

These progressive elements of marketing were then tied back to basic fundamentals of PR: focus on the problem, not the product; bring the right dialogue to the right people; decision makers often rely on unexpected sources for information and referrals – so ask customers and prospects who is influential to them; and possibly most important: meet your audience where they are, recognize their struggles and understand their point of view. And in the words of panelist Myra Norton, “Examine how marketing and PR tactics are tied to lead generation and customer loyalty (as a means for measuring success).” She adds, “However you are measuring business value, measure marketing value in the same way.”

One panelist confidently declared he “believes in the spirit of shameless self promotion.” His point was one I agree with wholeheartedly – that the art of creating the buzz you want is to support it with a skillfully mastered plan for delivering your messages, not only to the right audiences, but in a way that will be well received. In other words, the success of shameless self promotion entitles you to be tenacious and confident, but demands you be intuitive and tactful. We can apply this generational PR tactic with the progression of technology tools to enhance our successes.

Social media and analytic tools are clearly the drivers for PR and marketing campaigns. However, the heart of all PR programs remains steadfast and constant. Know your audience, their challenges, their needs, their influencers. Deliver your message creatively, in a way that will resonate with your audience. Be personable, open, real and respectful. Know and understand your client’s business – or your business’ drivers – and believe in the message you represent.

Thanks panelists for a great discussion!

-Danica Low