The Sounding Board

How Journalists Use Social Media

2010-03-09T16:37:00.000-05:00

I just came across a study that was published earlier this year by George Washington University and Cision on journalists’ use of online and social media in 2009 (PDF). It not only asked about the extent that they used it but also their attitudes towards it.

With my last post featuring some highly regarded journalists’ and publishers’ take on what will happen to print media in the future, I thought these results might be interesting to see…

According to the survey, blogs (64%) are the most frequently used social media tool to publish, promote and distribute what journalists write, followed closely by Social Networking sites such as LinkedIn or Facebook (60%) and Microblogging sites such as Twitter (57%).

When it comes to using social media or online sources for research, most journalists – 56% – said social media is important or somewhat important for reporting and producing the stories they wrote. Of the journalists surveyed, 89% use blogs for online story research, 65% use social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and 52% use microblogging services such as Twitter. Also, every participant uses Google as a research tool and 61% of journalists use Wikipedia.

Even though it seems journalists are doing a lot of online research, they are skeptical of what they read. Most journalists responded (84%) that they feel news and information delivered via social media was slightly less or much less reliable than news delivered via traditional media – citing lack of fact-checking, verification or reporting standards as the number one reason for this perception.

** Not to toot our own horns, but even with all of the social and online media research they do, the survey reports that journalists still turn to PR professionals for help with their primary research. Among the benefits they cited:

– Ali Smith

The Deals Keep Coming

2010-03-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

Washington Technology came out with its annual ranking of top M&A deals this week. Despite the downturned economy, the publication reported there were 77 deals in the government contracting community in 2009, down just 11 from 2008. While the number of deals was not fully reflective of the economy, the type of M&A activity highlighted is indicative of the times.

Deloitte’s acquisition of Bearing Point’s government business, named best mid-market deal, was the most direct reflection on the economy. Northrop Gumman’s sale of its TASC unit to private equity firms General Atlantic and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts was named best overall deal. Northorp was forced to sell TASC due to organizational conflicts of interest. Deals like this may grow in the coming years as the administration is taking a strong look at large integrators and conflicts within their numerous operating units. The feature also points out this deal marked the entrance of General Atlantic and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts onto the Washington equity scene, a sign of more deals to come?

Read the full coverage here and let us know what you think about their picks.

-Piper Conrad

K-12 education technology at NAIS

2010-03-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

Bill Carter, myself and Robb Ryerse manning the Budgetext booth

Last week I attended the National Association of Independent Schools Expo with our client Budgetext, who was there promoting its product Studysource, an online bookstore that allows schools and parents greater flexibility when purchasing textbooks. The conference’s theme was, “unleashing your superpowers within” and along with helping teachers and administrators find their super powers during the sessions the expo presented a lot of super companies.

Among the rows of exhibitors I searched out companies that use technology to promote education and, along with Budgetext, I found some interesting companies that were attracting quite a bit of attention.

myself and the BrainHoney team

BrainHoney combines classroom instruction with online learning to create a hybrid environment. They provide an inexpensive way to supplement classroom instruction with online content, offer online courses or a complete virtual school. The platform creates a curriculum map that aligns to state standards. Teachers then add activities that map to the standards to complete the map. As assignments are completed and grades are entered, BrainHoney automatically tracks students’ mastery of the state standards, giving teachers an idea of how kids will do on SOLs before they are given.

Schoology screen shot

Schoology is a course management system for K-12 and higher ed built on a social networking platform designed to help educators, students and parents interact outside the classroom and to incorporate social learning into traditional learning. For teachers, Schoology offers an online place to create assignments, post assignments, collect assignments, converse with students, track attendance, and maintain a gradebook. Students are able to see all upcoming school related events on Schoology, and receive email or text messages to remind them of approaching deadlines as well as chat with each other, share notes and collaborate on group projects. And, parents can view their children’s homework schedules, interact privately with teachers and keep tabs on what student workload will look like week to week.

James Conway at the BrainPOP booth – James is an elementary school teacher who uses BrainPOP in the classroom to engage his students.

BrainPOP creates online supplemental learning videos to be used either in the classroom or at home to reinforce curriculum. Using animated characters, short films and interactive quizzes, BrainPOP engages students to learn in a way they find enjoyable, to ask questions and to form their own ideas. Supporting educators and students, BrainPOP works with Science, Math, Social Studies, English, Technology, Arts & Music, Health, Reading and Writing lessons.

– Ali Smith

E-books: A Content Marketing Gem

2010-02-28T17:47:00.005-05:00

I’ve come across some great e-books recently and it got me thinking about their worth in terms of content marketing. The idea of a downloadable book is genius, really. When done right, they provide readers with rich information, in such a simple and easily available format. I found a blogger who seems to be on the same page I am, and offers his reasoning for why e-books should be incorporated into a businesses’ content marketing strategy.

“E-books can show your strengths” – An e-book is a great tool that allows you to take the time to demonstrate your businesses’ strengths and areas of expertise. Instead of having to flush out your ideas in a couple of paragraphs (such as a blog) or limiting yourself to a couple of pages (like a whitepaper), an e-book gives you plenty of pages to explain your ideas.
“An e-book is a brilliant tool to grow your list of prospects” – It’s almost expected to offer up your contact information when you choose to download something. Assuming you don’t get spammed with sales material down the road, it’s really no big deal. Marketers love this common acceptance – it gives them an easy way to way to build an audience profile and collect pertinent contact information. So use the e-book to your full advantage and collect the information you need for business development.
“E-books are so easy to share” – Like most electronic content, e-books are simple to share across various platforms. From Twitter, to blogs, to Slideshare, you can promote your e-books endlessly. Your clients and prospects are everywhere, so do your best to reach out to them in various outlets. You’ll grow your brand and consequentially increase website visitors. If they liked what they read, they’ll likely visit your website directly for more content.
“E-books can breathe life into blog archives” – A great thing about e-books is that they don’t require you to start from scratch when it comes to topics. Incorporating material from your blog into your e-books is a simple way to get the ball rolling and pages filled. Expand on what you’ve already written, ideally choosing the content that showed positive analytics and reader feedback.
“E-books are a great compliment to your content marketing strategy” – Not everyone offers e-books…consider that your advantage. Blogs, for example, are common and widely expected from any successful business. However, e-books are a different story. They’re more of an added asset, sort of like an unexpected surprise. They catch your eye, and more importantly, interest, when you see them offered. They help set apart companies from their competition and promote thought leadership in a unique way.

I couldn’t agree more with these reasons for investing time and money into e-books. Speaking selfishly as a PR professional, e-books are like a gold mind. They give us the ability to reach out to journalists with an expert source who is “the author of (insert number of) e-books”. It makes the source all that much more credible, allowing journalists to download, read and get a sense of the company’s area of expertise. The more often you put out e-books, the more resourceful you’ll look.

So find the next marketing meeting on your calendar and add an agenda item: e-books. Put the topic on the table and see what you and your team can come up with. You may be surprised at the ideas that come forth – and who knows, you may leave the room with a new action item.

Already providing e-books to your website visitors? Let me know what it has done for your businesses and what your strategies are for content creation, distribution and lead generation.

-Mary Evans

The InfoWorld Scrum – Public Relations and Reputable Sources

2010-02-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

If you’re plugged in to the technology media (and perhaps even if you’re not), you’ve probably heard about the fiasco going down within the IDG family of publications, particularly Computerworld and InfoWorld. It’s kind of a convoluted story to those outside of enterprise tech (although ZDNet’s breakdown is fantastic), but there’s a solid moral here so I’ll break it down via bullet points.

Devil Mountain Software (DMS), a small software company based in Florida, regularly released memory usage benchmarks and other data through their test suite and Windows-monitoring solutions relating to Windows software and operating systems on a regular basis, usually disproving official efficiency and use ratings from Microsoft.
As ZDNet points out, IDG publications, often InfoWorld’s blogger Randall Kennedy and Computerworld’s Gregg Keizer, tended to be first to run with this news. However, DMS information has been used in broader outlets like All Things D and USAToday.com to name a few.
Often quoted or referenced in these articles was DMS’ CTO, Craig Barth. Keizer pointed out that he had spoken with Barth via telephone between 15 and 20 times since 2007.
On Friday, February 19, 2010, after some digging by Keizer, Randall Kennedy admitted via e-mail to him that he and Barth were the same person.
Firestorm ensues.

Needless to say, Gregg Keizer has apologized to his readers for using Craig Barth as a source and Randall Kennedy has been removed from his blogging post at InfoWorld. Computerworld has gone so far as to add a disclaimer at the top of any article referencing DMS or the fictitious Craig Barth. Whether or not the statements from “Craig Barth” or the data from DMS are factual and accurate, what Randall Kennedy did is simply unacceptable – he pretended to be someone he’s not to get in the news.

Here’s how public relations plays into this whole snafu:

The sources any reputable PR firm provides will always be the genuine article. If you get a false source from us, it costs us greatly in terms of reputation and income. It’s a risk 99 percent of agencies won’t take.
We do the vetting on our side. As stated above, it’s in our best interest to get journalists a reputable source from a client, so we do all the vetting before pitching. Good agencies will also have source bios and background ready for the reporter or fact-checker, just to make things easier.
We don’t want to look bad and neither do our clients. This plays into the two above points – our business hinges on our reputation, which in turn is based on how well the agency is regarded in the media. If we are known for providing solid sources, our business grows – if we are infamous for providing barely literate sources that aren’t who we say they are, our firm fails.

Would PR have stopped the Devil Mountain Software debacle from exploding? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing journalists should know that they can rely on is sourcing from a PR firm – our sources are real and we stand by them. At least SpeakerBox does.

--John Terrill

Ask the Influencers: Marissa Levin, CEO Information Experts

2010-02-19T15:14:00.007-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to moderate a panel of woman business owners for the SECAF Women's Forum, and took a personal interview with CEO Marissa Levin, founder of Information Experts, a $10M powerhouse in instructional design/e-learning, human capital and strategic communications for government agencies.

(Marissa and husband Adam Levin at an Information Experts Dinner)

Marissa has ambitious growth plans for 2010 and 2011, and reflected on the risks taken during her journey that she attributes to making her a stronger leader today.

-- Elizabeth Shea
------------------------------------------

I understand that you took some risks early on with your business, but I also have heard you say you are very analytical. How do you enable the two to coexist?

I am someone who has always considered the consequences of my actions, both positive and negative. Every action results in a series of reactions, both bad and good. I am also someone who believes in the universal law of exchange… you get out of something exactly what you put into it. So when I think of risk, I always think of it as a calculated risk. I think, “what will be the worst possible outcome if I go down this path, and is that something I can live with?”

That’s not to say that risk isn’t incredibly stressful. It is. But when you are in the middle of the ocean, you have to keep swimming. Failure is not an option. But when I am faced with a precarious situation or an overwhelming challenge, I try not to get caught up in the emotion of all of it. I try to apply logic to my situation, and focus only on those things that I can control. Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair. You can do it all day long and it won’t get you anywhere. So the goal for me is to be actionable.

I also am someone who embraces growth. A yoga instructor told me many years ago that every stretch is in preparation to go further. And I think life is like that too. Every situation prepares us for the next adventure or next learning opportunity. Even the most painful, devastating events in our lives… situations in which we truly believe we don’t have the strength to overcome… we somehow push through them, and then when we look back, we are able to see why things happened the way they did. I know this doesn’t apply to all situations, but I think my sense of faith, and my commitment to faith also plays a very large role in me being able to handle very difficult situations.

No matter how difficult things get for me, I can still look at my big picture and appreciate the miracles in my life, and know that I am very blessed.

Your business has grown very quickly, particularly in the last several years. What motivates you to strive for the next level?

I have tremendous faith in my business and my employees. I believe that what we do truly makes a difference. The government gets a bad rap very often. But the truth is that there are some incredibly passionate, intelligent, committed people in agencies all across the government and it is an honor to serve them. Also, there is so much opportunity for growth and change, and I am definitely a believer in Yin/Yang… within crisis lies opportunity.

My growth over the last few years is directly related to how much energy and time I need to give to my family. Now that my kids are a bit older, I am able to shift my energy to the business. But for quite a few years, I sacrificed the growth of my business for the development of my children. One needs to have patience to move forward and progress. I’m not in a race… I simply want to give 100% to whatever I am focusing on at the time.

I am very focused on the journey, and not so much on the next level.

(Marissa with her two sons)

Describe your decision-making process when you assess the options around the risks you have taken. What factors do you consider?

I’m definitely at the point where all of my decisions are very strategically focused. I question the link between all of our business decisions – whether it is to attend a conference, join an association, make a hire, or implement a technology - and my strategic objectives. Again, I try not to get caught up in the emotion of the decision. I question whether the decision will ultimately move me toward my goal.

Have you ever second-guessed your decisions made around the path you chose?

I think reflection is all part of the human experience. But I don’t live with regret. I don’t believe in regret. All of the decisions we have made have led us to other experiences and paths that otherwise would not have happened if we didn’t choose them. That’s not to say that I believe I have always made the best decisions. Of course I’ve made bad decisions. But these decisions have provided me invaluable learning opportunities. And I own those decisions 100%. I don’t assign blame for those decisions to anyone else.

My path has certainly been one that a younger version of myself would not have predicted. But it’s been a great journey. I believe I have grown, and experienced, and learned, and shared, more than I ever thought possible for myself. For me, it’s always been about making the most of life, living with intention and passion, and connecting with others. And despite all that I’ve already done, I am convinced that I haven’t even scratched the potential of what I can accomplish, of what I can learn, and what I can share with others. I truly believe my best life is ahead of me.

What would you do differently if you had the chance?

I wouldn’t compare myself to other women business owners who seem to have it all together more than I do.

What personally drives you day-to-day, that we can learn from you?

I am driven by the quest for continuous improvement, and by the desire to help others learn from my successes and failures.

What impact, if any, do you think being a woman-business owner had on your success? And what obstacles, if any, did you face?

I’m very proud to be a woman business owner. I think it drives me to excel. I have faced the typical obstacles that women face: being shut out of traditional men’s networks, questioning of my experience, ability, and credibility, and being told that my emotions get in the way of my ability to be productive.

What personal qualities do you rely upon to be focused in your role as chief executive?

I am very committed to my personal value system. I am very focused on the emotional well-being of my employees. I am an excellent communicator. I strongly rely on my ability to connect with others, to motivate, and to inspire. I am highly analytical, and a strong fact-finder. My decision-making process definitely begins with the end in mind… I am very strategic in my thinking.

What piece of advice can you give others looking to learn from you, or follow in your footsteps?

Define your personal core value system and don’t allow anyone or anything to compromise your commitment to it. Surround yourself with allies who believe in you. Surround yourself with others that can help you and teach you. Remain flexible and adaptable to market shifts. Consider life as one big continuous learning opportunity.

Marissa Levin has received numerous accolades for her role in leadership, including being recognized as a 2009 Washingtonian Technology Titan, a 2010 and 2009 Smart100 CEO by SmartCEO Magazine, a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and Women in Technology's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and a winner of the Washington Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business Award and SmartCEO's Brava Award.

The Future of Print

2010-02-19T11:08:00.003-05:00

What will become of print publications? What can they do to stay relevant in the digital age? Ask the right person and you better be ready to strap on your boxing gloves. Everyone from PR folks and everyday readers to reporters and publishers themselves have an opinion on the matter.

Fortune Magazine asked 10 influencers in media and tech to look into the future and tell us what they see. Here are a few highlights:

Kurt Andersen, novelist and public radio host – “Anything remotely resembling news media is going to continue to migrate online until very little or none of it is produced on dead trees.”

Katharine Weymouth, publisher, the Washington Post, and CEO, Washington Post Media – On charging for online content: “We do not charge for our content on the web and don't have plans to do so. But our content isn't free -- advertisers pay to be in front of our audience.”

Steven Brill, Founder, The American Lawyer, and co-founder, Press+, an online payment system for news sites – “The online version of news and information in many respects is better than the print version. It gets there faster, it's instantly updated, and often there's video. And yet that improved version doesn't command a premium; in fact, it is free.”

What do you see in the future? Weigh in if you’re brave enough…

– Ali Smith

(photo credit: quinn.anya)

Thought Leadership Strategies: Write the Book on It

2010-02-17T09:25:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of catching up with Adam Witty, President of Advantage Media Group to learn more about the surprising facts of publishing a book. A book is the ultimate credibility-builder and demonstrates expertise more clearly than almost any other tactic. It’s a good thing too, because very few people get rich solely because of their work as an author.

Almost 200,000 books are published a year in the U.S., but the average book sells less than 2,000 copies. According to Adam, writing a bestseller as a rookie author is akin to “winning the lottery and getting struck by lightning on the same day.”

The real value in writing a book is the invisible income stream that comes from positioning yourself as an expert – people pay more for an expert, and leads come more easily.

Should you write a book? According to Adam, anyone selling high-ticket products or services should consider it because one new customer would pay for the publishing costs.

So, how much does it cost to publish a book? That depends. With DIY services such as Lulu, the cost comes way down if you’re able to write, edit, lay out, market and design the cover yourself (though many authors budget at least $1,000 to outsource some of the tasks). A hybrid publisher like Advantage Media may charge $10-12K on the low end – or up to 6 figures on the high-end for a year-long marketing program, personalized editor and custom cover design.

And if you’re really interested in making your fortune as an author, here are some of the surprising economics of book sales. An author may earn only $1-$2 for every book sold at Barnes & Noble. Retail stores sell books on consignment; 40% of the books on the shelf are returned after 60-90 days. Many of Advantage Media’s best selling authors sell most of their books themselves after personal appearances or speaking engagements. If the author buys books in bulk for approximately $5 apiece and sells them for $20-$25 each – well, you can do the math.

Clearly, the ROI of book publishing needs to be measured in different ways. It’s not necessarily about selling books but about being an author and standing for something. So, if you have a unique perspective that you think will add to your corporate credibility – write the book on it.

-- Katie Hanusik

The (Non)Art of the Pitch Call

2010-02-16T09:20:00.000-05:00

You’ve heard it from your clients: “Well did you call Reporter X? What did they say about the release?”

And you’ve heard it from your boss: “Give Reporter X a call to see if they have any feedback.”

Despite Twitter, e-mail and texting, picking up the phone is still a key component of the PR profession, but it’s often neglected in favor of “easier” means of communication. And rightly so, some might say – with so many other means of communication, a phone call can almost be seen as intrusive, especially by busy journalists/bloggers who have much better things to do than to take a phone pitch.

If you do plan to do phone follow-up or to otherwise call a specific journalist, here are some guidelines for the PR phone call:

Try to start via email – Do your best to get the conversation started via email. Once the journalist responds to you, either positively or negatively, by electronic means, it gives you more to follow-up with rather than just “Hey, did you get my email?”
Have something new – On that note, never, EVER, call a journalist just to ask if they received your email - 99 percent of the time they read what you sent and they weren’t interested in what you said. Make sure that on the call, you have something new to tell them – a piece of news you held back, a new angle, a new customer that will talk, etc. “Did you get my email AND my direct message” does not count as something new.
Respect their schedule – Try to understand how deadlines work at the journalist’s publication. Are they responsible for filing stories each day? Do they only run a weekly column? How many pieces do they write each week? Calling the journalist at a time that fits their schedule will likely give you more time to talk and they will be more receptive to hear what you have to say.
Don’t expect too much – Getting feedback on something your client considers news is one thing; asking a journalist to sit on the phone for 20 minutes for a comprehensive media audit is asking a bit much. Respect the journalist’s time – ask what you need to ask/say what you need to say, then let them get off the phone.

These are good strategies to remember, but remember – if the journalist isn’t interested in your email, they probably aren’t that interested in what you have to say on the phone either. Say your piece, ask for feedback, and let them get back to work.

--John Terrill

Content Marketing – Who Has Questions?

2010-02-15T17:35:00.001-05:00

As you’ve probably noticed, my fingers have been glued to the pages of “Get Content. Get Customers.” by Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett. I’ve shared a few of what I think are thought provoking chapters and hopefully encouraged brainstorming sessions amongst various marketing teams as a result. Admitting that I’m no expert, but just a PR professional who’s constantly asking questions and looking for advice, I’ve decided I’d like to keep the ball rolling and reach out to Pulizzi with a few questions. But before I do, I want to hear from you. What content marketing best practices are you most curious about? What stumps you and your team, or gives you the most grief? Regardless if you’ve had a chance to read the book yet or not, let me know what you’d like to hear from Pulizzi. I’ll be happy to include your questions/comments in my correspondence with him and report back his response in a Q&A format.

- Mary Evans

Content Marketing – Building Trusted Relationships

2010-01-31T16:36:00.003-05:00

I took a trip to Best Buy this weekend to stock up on some Blu-rays. I figured hunkering down with some movies would be a great way to pass the time during the weekend snowfall. Always spending more time (and money) than necessary inside the store, I can usually count on Best Buy to supply the movies I’m looking for. While this is good news for me, this is probably also music to Best Buy’s ears. (Or maybe their pocketbook?)

It turns out, according to “Get Content. Get Customers.”, that Best Buy has lately been focusing much of its attention on me. Well, not me per se, but loyal, highly targeted customers. According to the case study presented in the book, Best Buy has taken a lot of time to identify their elite customer demographic and in turn, has focused their efforts on keeping them “in the know” and returning to Best Buy stores.

How do they do this? Simple. By creating a publication suited exactly for their consumers’ needs. Best Magazine is a print and online publication that highlights what’s “best” in terms of products, from cameras, to cars to televisions. What’s great about it is that an unfamiliar reader would have no immediate idea of the magazine’s connection to Best Buy. So, while you can read about products and technologies that are sold at Best Buy, readers won’t simultaneously be overwhelmed with their company jargon and “purchase pressure”.

According to Barry Judge, Best Buy’s CMO, it’s critical for the magazine “to build credibility from a trusted perspective by making it clear that there is no obvious way Best Buy will benefit.” In other words, the key is to quietly entice loyal readers to buy something, and then cross your fingers that they will swipe their credit card at your store. Successfully do this a few times, and Best Buy will reinforce their image and keep happy customers coming back for more.

It sounds like such a simple concept, but I can think of countless marketers who haven’t cashed in on this technique. The great thing about it is that it can be used in practically all industries, not just retail. Think about your content offerings, for example. Have you identified your top tier customers, and if so, are you going above and beyond to build trusted relationships with them? Consider their lives and how you can help make their job and decision making responsibilities easier. Where can you step in and help?

Already on top of this idea? Share with us your techniques and how you keep in touch with your audience.

- Mary Evans

Inbound Marketing 101 with HubSpot's Rick Burnes

2010-01-30T08:06:00.012-05:00

Inbound marketing - the term used to describe how companies are using Google, blogs and social media to get found - is becoming an increasingly central focus of the work we do at SpeakerBox. Perhaps obviously, "inbound" marketing is the opposite of "outbound" marketing, where marketers use things like advertising, direct mail, email blasts and cold-calling prospects to reach prospects. If you think of how you personally find information on new products, services and companies, are you more likely to be receptive to material that was pushed to you, or do you rely on search results to gather information? Overwhelmingly, people are relying on the latter.

I sat down with some of my SBX colleagues last week to watch video of Rick Burnes from HubSpot from a talk he gave at an event hosted by Red Shoes PR in Appleton, WI**. Rick gave a great "Inbound Marketing 101" presentation, which I recommend every marketer or communications professional watch.

There's a lot of great stuff in the video, covering SEO, content creation, social media and measurement, but here were a couple of my favorite takeaways:

Marketing has evolved in a way that now helps people. Today's best marketers pull people into their web site as opposed to going out and interrupting people or hitting them over the head with their message.
Inbound marketing is significantly cheaper and more efficient than traditional outbound channels (trade shows, pay-per-click advertising), and results in higher quality leads.
Marketing is about more than bringing people to your web site. Once you get them there, you have to offer more reason to have them stay or return, and which helps convert them to leads and then into customers.
Focus on turning your site into a content library - the longer you are publishing articles / blog posts, the longer you'll have a huge archive of assets which will continue to pull people into your site over time through search.
You can't just focus on one piece of inbound marketing - all of this (SEO, blogs, social media) fits together like an ecosystem, and your business has to become part of that ecosystem.
With SEO, be specific about the words you are trying to rank for.
When it comes to content creation (including blog writing), is quality or quantity best? The answer is BOTH! You need to produce good stuff, but also a lot of it. Write about the content that your customers are thinking about. People want to talk about the issues they are facing, not the software, products or services you are selling.
Think of yourself as a publisher, and create content that will travel across the web and be useful to people. Above all else, be a resource on your industry!
What kind of content should you create? Try everything, and don't be afraid to experiment. Burnes recommends starting with a blog ("ground zero"). Your blog is where all of the content you create other places (podcasts, videos, etc.) should live.
Host your company's blog on your company's domain! Hosting it on a site like Wordpress.com or Blogspot.com doesn't help your site with SEO.
Free HubSpot tool Rick mentioned: website.grader.com

Rick's presentation was full of actionable advice like this. I've embedded both parts of his presentation below, and highly recommend watching both them.

-Stephanie
@stephstad

**Observant Sounding Board readers will catch that this is my 2nd consecutive post with a home state reference. Viva Wisconsin! I'll work on extending the streak...

Capital Business as a Substitute to Daily Business Section

2010-01-29T09:32:00.002-05:00

This week The Washington Post began testing out the possibility of a subscription-based weekly business publication (similar to the Washington Business Journal). Special Post subscribers were treated to an advance copy and asked to fill out a survey on how they like the publication. Results from the poll are likely to be on the negative side since they asked readers to disregard that the articles included in the prototype are “old and out of date.” I guess they are just gauging the interest in a publication of this nature and the design that they have produced, since readers can’t gauge on content.

I agree that there is something missing since the Post did away with its business section but I’m not sure that this weekly publication will fill the void. Although, I’d love to see more coverage of local business since Greater Washington boast some of the nation’s most recession proof areas.

Have you seen Capital Business? At $1.99 per week would you subscribe? We’d like to hear your thoughts on it since it’s you, the reader, who will determine its fate…

––Ali Smith

“I said No!” or at least I tried (with a little help from the Beatles)

2010-01-25T11:54:00.001-05:00

This month my Middle School Marketing group had a discussion on saying “no” to clients. It was an interesting time to have the discussion - the start of a new year and on the heels of financially challenging times, which have impacted all of our companies in one way or another.

The concept of “no” or maybe more often times, getting a client to say “yes” is complex in the marketing/design arena for myriad reasons, so I was thrilled to guest blog about the big points of discussion/takeaways on Viget Labs' marketing blog, Engage - and took some queues from the Beatles in the writing process.

"Yes," "no," "maybe so?" What are your thoughts and strategies here? Would love to hear perspectives from both our communications colleagues and clients on the topic.

- Lisa Throckmorton

As the Words Turn - Looking at the 2009 "Word of the Year" Honorees

2010-01-15T09:15:00.005-05:00

Almost everything we do here at SpeakerBox comes down to words - picking the right word to describe a company or new technology, or generating words (either on our own through various content generation activities, or through through the words of influencers) - which is why I had a keen interest as the various "word of the year" accolades rolled out for 2009.

The 'winners' will likely not shock you, and most are a reflection of the explosion of social networking. From a PR and marketing point of view, these designations are reminders of the trends, moments and evolutions that shaped our respective years, and which will continue to shape the future of communications - including the undeniable ubiquitousness of social media. I thought Zeenat Rasheed said it well on her blog when she reflected that these individual words and lists "provide a candid snapshot of the national consumer psyche and help us hone in on major trends, and force us to reflect on what these changes -- such as the increasing penetration of social media, acceptance of changing technology, and the development of online social mores that differ from in-person communication -- mean for consumers, brands and marketers."

So without further ado, what were 2009's honorees? [Insert drumroll sound here.....]

The New Oxford American Dictionary tells us the word of the year was "unfriend." Sorry, one-time Facebook friends.

The American Dialect Society gave the word of the year nod to "tweet," and the word of the decade honors to "google." Grant Barrett, chair of the American Dialect Society's New Words Committee and editorial director of the online dictionary Wordnik.com explained the decisions:

"Both words are, in the end, products of the Information Age, where every person has the ability to satisfy curiosity and to broadcast to a select following, both via the Internet," Barrett said. "I really thought blog would take the honors in the word of the decade category, but more people google than blog, don't they? Plus, many people thing 'blog' just sounds ugly. Maybe Google's trademark lawyers would have preferred it, anyway."

But, not every dictionary felt compelled to give the honors to a term from the 'Information Age.' Dictionary heavyweight Merriam-Webster named "admonish" as 2009's word of the year based on search volume on the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and its Online Thesaurus.

Webster's New-World says the honor goes to "distracted driving." While Ray LaHood, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation seems happy to see the phrase get additional attention, I can see where plenty of lexicographers might be calling for a recount, since that seems more like two words. In this video, Webster's New World Editor-in-Chief Mike Agnes gives more insight into their selection:

The Global Language Monitor listed "Twitter" and "global warming" as its words of the year and decade, respectively. And following tradition, the "word "czars" at Lake Superior State University "unfriended" 15 words and phrases and declared them "shovel-ready" for inclusion on the university's 35th annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness."

My home state even got in on action when CityDictionary.com named "Sconnie" (anything relating to Wisconsin, or - when capitalized - "Sconnie" can refer to a person from Wisconsin) as its local word of the year. Viva Wisconsin!

What word (or words) would have been on your "word of the year" lists? Any early favorites for 2010?

-Stephanie Wonderlick

(Photo credit: jovike)

The Numbers DO Lie

2010-01-12T00:00:00.004-05:00

In the old days (read: three years ago), we judged the pull and timbre of a given media outlet based on subscribers. The magic number? 100,000. Any publication with over 100,000 readers was obviously doing something right, and clients clambered to get their voices heard in these brand name outlets. What do those numbers mean in the here and now? Not much, if anything.

Blogs, Twitter and other social mediums have essentially made subscriber counts (as we used to think of them) worthless, except when it comes to purely judging the size of a geographic outlet, like Business Journals or local broadcasters. The obvious replacement number is unique Web views – using a service like Compete, you can check out rough estimates of unique hits a site has received over a given year. That should mean something, right? Wrong. Compete only factors in traffic to that given site – it doesn’t effectively track links or content shared via Digg, Twitter, Facebook or any other medium – and it doesn’t give you any sense as to whether or not a new site will explode in traffic next month nor does it factor in digital influence.

With this in mind, you’re faced with a clientele that still thinks along the lines of subscribers. How do you respond?

Everything matters. If a blogger or journalist wants to talk to your client, even if they’re low on your client’s list of important folks, make them do the interview. The more articles your client generates online, the more buzz they’ll receive in general, and pretty soon those big media names will come calling. At worst, it’s twenty minutes out of your CEO’s day. At best, they’re exposing hundreds or thousands of consumers to their product with almost no effort.
In on the ground floor. Maybe Bob’s Super Tech Blog isn’t driving a lot of traffic right now, but what’s the situation going to be like six months from now? Perhaps Bob is poised to join CNET’s blog ring or maybe he is working on a big time syndication deal with the GigaOM Network. Who’s going to get blamed if the blog’s traffic blows up in a month and your client missed their window? You. Take the interview.
Citizen journalists. Quite a few columnists and product reviewers, especially in the consumer technology space, keep low profiles online. Just because your client doesn’t recognize the reviewer’s name doesn’t mean that they aren’t important – maybe they’re a part-time reviewer for Engadget or have a syndicated column that runs in a few dozen mid-market papers across the US. It’s up to you to do your homework to find out who they really are and whom they might be working for.

Public relations shouldn’t be about subscribers any more – it’s about facilitating conversations with the right people to make sure you client gets heard. Pushing the mute button just because an outlet doesn’t APPEAR to have the right number of readers just doesn’t make sense.

--John Terrill

(Photo credit: Stewf)

Twavorites

2009-12-21T12:33:00.002-05:00

So I’m really not a fan of when people make up twitter words like tweeple, twebinar and the one above. But we here at SpeakerBox are pretty addicted to the social media word itself and we’re not the only ones – Twitter has been named the most used word of 2009 – it has crossed that threshold where a product name becomes a verb (ie: Google and Xerox). Earlier this year Time magazine gave us details about how Twitter will change the way we live – in a great article that outlines just why exactly it’s important.

SBXers are hooked and we all use Twitter in different ways and follow different people, so through this series “twavorites” on the Sounding Board, we are going to give you a glimpse into our favorite people to follow, either in general or around specific topics.

To single my self out in starting this series, I use Twitter mostly as a listening post. I have it or cotweet up pretty much all day and check in periodically to see what folks are saying. I’ve found a lot of useful info this way but don’t actually tweet too often, that said my handle is @asmith731 if you want to find me.

So without further ado here are a few of my twavorites:

· @FishbowlDC – I love Fishbowl’s blog and it’s Twitter stream is on the same par. It keeps me updated about local (and national) media news with just enough gossip flair to keep it interesting.

· @dcsportbog – I am impressed by all things Dan Steinberg. I am a huge sports fan and love his Post column/blog, his twitter feed and when he’s on the Junkies. He keeps me up to date, has a biting wit and the same attitude as DC fans – he also regularly makes my fiancée say “how did you know that?”

· @shannonpaul – I found Shannon though a guest blog post on PR Squared. She tweets on topics that keep coming up in our office (ie: assigning value to work). She also tends to post links to articles that I find really interesting on the influence of social media on traditional media and consumers.

Stay tuned – there are more twavorites to come from the SBX team…

- Ali Smith

Out With the Old, In With the New

2009-12-15T18:09:00.003-05:00

Change is inevitable – that’s life. As adults, I think we’ve come to accept that. Or have we? Sometimes we get stuck into the same routines in the office, simply because they’re familiar and frankly, we don’t want to take the time to learn something new. But how about doing something good for your company, something that intends to educate new (and existing) customers and drive business results? That proposition might get your attention and attract you to something new.

What I’m talking about is content marketing. Following up to my last blog post about the book, “Get Content. Get Customers.”, I’ve learned that some marketers are hesitant to shift from traditional marketing strategies to content driven ones. Why? Some because they have already developed proven campaigns that seem to do the job just fine, others don’t have the staff bandwidth and some aren’t measuring their marketing efforts to even know what’s working (yikes!).

But what about the rest of us? Those of us who want to try something new, want to connect with customers more than ever before and who want to jump start their customer pipeline for the new year? According to this book, integrating a content marketing strategy into your company’s DNA is the first point of action. To do this simply and seamlessly, follow the book’s B.E.S.T. framework detailed below.

Behavioral: Everything you communicate with your customers has a purpose. What do you want them to do?

Essential: Deliver information that your best prospects really need to succeed at work or in life.

Strategic: Your content marketing efforts must be an integral part of your overall business strategy.

Targeted: You must target your content precisely so that it is truly relevant to your buyers.

Fast-forward a little bit, and your company has the mindshare and capabilities to roll out a new content marketing campaign. What’s next? According to the book, there are four things to consider when implementing a new content plan:

Determine which organizational goals will be affected by the content program.
Determine the informational needs of the buyer.
Determine what you want your customer to do and why this helps the business.
Determine the product and content mix.

Hopefully these ideas and steps get your blood flowing and brain thinking. Until the next installment, take some time to reflect on your marketing strategies and think about your content offerings. If you’re behind the eight ball, then you might want to ring in the new year with some new strategies. After all, a new year calls for some type of resolution right?

-Mary Evans

Your content is safe with Google?

2009-12-11T15:51:00.002-05:00

For a while now subscription based news outlets have been upset at how easy it is to access their content through Google News searches. While it’s good for us and makes it easier and cheaper to find the content we’re looking for, it is causing real harm to papers that rely on online subscriptions for income. Rupert Murdoch maintains that “quality content is not free” and has gone as far as to call the allowance of free access to this content outright theft.

Now, Google has changed their policies to allow publishers of paid for content to opt out or have more control over the amount of free access “Googlers” have to their websites. Really this option has existed for a while, it was just more complicated to execute. Previously, publishers had to fill out an online form to opt out of Google News, now they can opt out or set controls automatically through a file they download to their site.

Will this option help to save papers and online content providers? We’ll have to wait and see. It is either a positive step forward for sites that depend on the money brought in from online subscriptions or a step backwards (as Arianna Huffington would see it) for old media that needs to “get real.”

- Ali Smith

Keeping an Eye on Augmented Reality

2009-11-30T20:00:00.003-05:00

I had to miss my monthly Middle School Marketing because of business travel, but was interested to read a great blog post by Jen Krupey at Viget Labs on this month's topic: Augmented Reality.

My first hand experience with augmented reality is limited to playing around on consumer clothing sites that allow you to create a virtual model of yourself and try clothing on, but as you will read in Jen's post, the technology is growing in use, so important for marketers to be aware of.

I thought this example from Cisco was particularly cool:

The technology has clear implications for consumer brands, but I can imagine that in short order, we will be impressed by the clever ways that it is being integrated into B-to-B marketing.

Any thoughts on how it might be applicable to you business?

- Lisa Throckmorton

Thankful for Good Content

2009-11-30T18:01:00.003-05:00

It’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and I’ve spent some time today reflecting on my weekend activities. I enjoyed a festive holiday dinner with my family, went to a D.C. museum and gathered the guts to venture out into the shopping scene on Black Friday. Even with all of the hustle and bustle, I found some time to crack open a book that I’ve had my eye on. I started reading “Get Content. Get Customers.”, written by Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett, which describes the content marketing scene and how it has evolved into the influential entity it is today. You may remember Joe from an appearance at a SpeakerBox event earlier this year, where he described the complex definition of content marketing and illustrated how implementing best practices can boost revenue numbers.

Wanting more information on the topic, I figured reading Joe’s book would be a solid way to dig a little deeper. From what I’ve read thus far, it’s pretty clear that transitioning a few bucks from the traditional advertising and marketing budgets into that of dedicated content marketing, is the only way to survive in this content driven world. Defining the term content marketing, the book states, “Content marketing is the art of understanding exactly what your customers need to know and delivering it to them in a relevant and compelling way.” There is no excuse for not interacting with customers anymore – they’re out there waiting to be tapped with information and products that suit their needs and make their lives easier, and it’s up to you to make that happen.

Traditional interruption advertising has become obsolete – if you choose to get in the way of what customers are voluntarily reading, watching or writing about, you’ll likely drive them away. Instead, arm your clientele with the honest information they want, rather than marketing lingo that sticks out like a sore thumb. They’re going to do their own research anyway (via reading forums, researching competitors, consulting with peers, etc.) before calling your sales team anyway, so why not proactively stock them up with the information you want them to have in the way they want to receive it? These days, you can reach your target audience with more than just sponsorships and banner ads. From YouTube, to blogs, to Facebook to Twitter – the outlets are endless! Customers are giving you a chance to speak up and connect with them – take them up on their offer!

So what’s the reason for the number of businesses transitioning from interruption marketing to content marketing? Below are the six ideas that the book points out…maybe you’ll identify yourself within one of these categories.

Change in buyer attitudes toward traditional media and the “credibility” of content.
Traditional media sources can’t be counted on to assist you in reaching your customers.
Shrinking media company budgets reduce content quality.
Selling to your customers is becoming more challenging.
Because technology is both cheap and easy to use, even small companies can deliver great content solutions to a targeted customer base.
High-quality editorial, from a business?

I’ll continue reading and keep you posted on new and interesting ideas that this book presents. In the meantime, let me know what book is on your nightstand and keeps your reading light on.

-Mary Evans

New Place To Get Your Tech News Fix

2009-11-24T13:53:00.002-05:00

Just an FYI to all you news junkies — There is a new website covering the DC tech community –– dcTechSource.

This is great news for our booming local tech community. With all of the changes at The Post and it being a daily paper with broad coverage, tech news seems to get lost in the crowd. Of course there are other outlets that cover tech news locally, there is the PTW, TechBisnow and Washington Business Journal to name a few but there is always room for new players… We could use a go to source for local tech news with a singular focus on in depth coverage of our market.

dcTechSource says they are looking to cover news, events, solution/service roll outs and new clients as well as writing feature stories and conducting CEO interviews. It hasn’t quite been a month yet since their launch but judging by some of the most recent articles dcTechSource could be just what a lot of us in this area are looking for – a tech news source that will fill the void.

Stay tuned – I’m working on getting a Q&A with someone there for his or her take on entering the dc tech market…

--Ali

It’s Not You, It’s What You Said – The Media Interview

2009-11-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

It’s finally happened – you’ve landed a client an interview with their dream publication, whether it’s the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Wired, a high-profile blog or Cat Fancy. The journalist asks a few questions, your client gives the approved responses, pleasantries are exchanged and everyone hangs up. Now it’s a waiting game for the article to run and for your client to shower you with praise.

Just one problem: The article runs, and your client’s not in it. Besides dealing with an angry executive, you need to figure out exactly how your client’s place in the story got monkey-wrenched. There are a myriad of factors outside of your control (the publication’s editorial process, other interviewed sources, breaking news limiting space, etc.), but the odds are your client didn’t say what the journalist needed to hear.

So whose fault is it? Well…it’s yours.

You need to make sure that your client knows what to say to get ink – whether it’s being controversial, being knowledgeable or throwing out such pithy comments that the reporter can’t help but include them in the story.

So what do you tell your client to keep in mind to get ink?

1. The interview isn’t about you, your company or your product.

This is especially true in interviews with top-tier outlets and clients that aren’t in the Fortune 500. While your client may argue that the interview SHOULD be about them, they need to get over it. If they do want that company-specific story, they need to help the reporter NOW with the story at hand. If they prove to be a good source, the reporter will keep coming back, eventually with that company profile piece.

2. Remember bridging and flagging? Don’t.

This is an old school tactic – it may be good for broadcast, radio or live interviews, but it’s detrimental when it comes to print and online pieces. There are few things worse you can do in a high-profile interview than come off sounding over-coached –reporters want genuine answers and information, not sanitized corporate babble. This means going off script, but in a way that’s not going to upset investors and scuttle the company – this is where you, the PR guy, comes in.

3. Be quotable.

Wandering, minutes-long answers filled with industry-specific mumbo-jumbo are effective death sentences on a phone interview. Keep your answers concise, to-the-point and sans technical toroballistics. It makes it easier for the reporter to take notes and increases the chances of your client getting a quote. If your client can distill the gist of his talking points into a single, witty sentence, even better – that’s the stuff of pull-out quotes.

4. Shut up. No, seriously, shut up.

The reporter is the one asking the questions: They’re on a deadline and the last thing they need is your client starting off the interview with a rambling company overview or asking their own questions. To kick things off after introductions, ask the reporter if they want the 30-second overview of the company (that’s a maximum), and that’s it. Let the reporter drive – quality interviewers will give your client some time at the end of the conversation to elaborate or drive home points.

5. Look beyond the executives.

Obviously, the CEO is the person at the company who wants his name in print, but maybe he’s not the best person to speak with a Wired or an InformationWeek. You need to tailor your spokesperson to the task at hand – maybe the CTO, the director of engineering or even a product manager is the best person to speak. It may bruise the CEO’s ego, but you work for the company as a whole, not the CEO – if the interview will just be better with the CTO taking over, then it is what it is.

I’m not guaranteeing ink with these tips, but by following these guidelines, your clients will have more genuine, meaningful conversations with influential reporters and publications. And that, really, is what we aim to do in the first place – create conversations.

--John Terrill

The “Wow” Factor – Consumer vs. BizTech Public Relations

2009-11-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

Last week, I helped SpeakerBox client Cernium debut a new product, Archerfish Solo, to a media-only consumer electronics event: CES Unveiled. While not nearly as intense as International CES, Unveiled really put into perspective the differences between consumer and business technology public relations, particularly where the “wow” factor comes from.

For consumer tech PR, it’s all about the product and the innovation (the “wow” factor) behind it. Differentiation is key in the consumer space, and the chances of a successful PR program are increased dramatically if it can be shown how and why a product is not only different, but also superior to a competitor in the same space.

In June, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the folks at the Max Borges Agency, one of the leading consumer technology PR firms in the country. I got to see how they work, how they interact with their clients and, more importantly, how they go about pitching consumer technology. The emphasis on product was clear at Max Borges just as it was at Unveiled – agency skill notwithstanding, successful consumer tech PR campaigns live and die on the virtues of the product and the product alone.

Contrast this with business technology PR, where there’s not nearly as much differentiation in products. While Company A’s enterprise content management system might have more functionality than Company B’s, the space isn’t nearly as fragmented as, say, Zune versus iPod.

Rather than being the focal point, the product serves to be the conversational backdrop. The “wow” factor needs to come from how company experts are positioned and what they have to say about key industry trends. While the product might make it into the article, the focus is more on proving that company leadership knows what they’re talking about, making them appear knowledgeable to prospective clients.

Both consumer and business technology PR campaigns need the “wow” factor to be successful – where you find this trait is what differs. For consumer tech, it’s in the product. For business technology, it’s in the people.

-- John Terrill

Tap, Tap – Is This Thing On?

2009-11-16T13:21:00.005-05:00

Have you ever come across a website that makes you shake your head and question whether or not you’re getting the information you intended to receive? Unless you’re one of the few who visit one website a week (and I guarantee I could count this number on one hand), the answer is probably yes. We’ve all been in the position where we just can’t find an answer we’re looking for or feel like we’re surfing a website that includes everything but the kitchen sink, or particularly, the information we’re specifically seeking. It got me thinking about the number of websites I’ve visited that just don’t seem to get “it”. What do I mean by “it” exactly? “It” refers to the act of connecting with your audience and giving them what they need. “It” is what keeps visitors on your website and clicking for more.

Depending on your industry, your website can take a million different directions and offer a variety of things. But there are a few “must haves” that marketing pros should implement in their website. If you think this sounds elementary, then think back to the scenario I mentioned above. Chances are, the websites that made you shake your head missed out on one of the most common elements. I have listed below my top pet peeves but there could be elements that make you click the close button yourself. Take a read and let me know – what other aspects keep you reading for more?

1. Can you hear me or should I yell louder? – Listen to your audience. That means do something with both the positive and negative feedback that you collect. If website visitors have a common complaint, then do something about it. Don’t just push HTML codes around and go through the motions of common updates – instead, do your due diligence and make sure you know what your customers are looking for. Whether it’s offering a form for visitors to submit with feedback, posting a survey or conducting a focus group, do something to demonstrate your dedication to your clients. They know what they want, so why not give it to them?

2. Give me choices. – Offer your audience a variety of resources. We’re getting ready to enter 2010 right? Then don’t get stuck on a rut with posting paragraphs of marketing lingo. Step up and offer your content in various outlets – videos, webinars, whitepapers, Facebook and Twitter are great examples. You’re never going to go buy a car without a little bit of research right, so why would you expect someone to call you after only a few minutes on your website? You’ve already gotten people to your website, now keep them there and give them the tools they need to confidentially take the next step – calling you to make a deal.

3. Talk to me…here, there and everywhere. – In today’s world, there’s no excuse for not staying connected. Social media outlets not only push out information as I mentioned above, but it also gives web surfers the ability to talk with you directly. Whether it’s to voice a concern, give feedback or ask a simple question, giving people the ability to voice their comments is invaluable. Let them have their say – they are, of course, the people who keep your doors open.

4. Keep the cobwebs away. – Although social media adds more elements for you to keep on top of, it’s critical that you stay up to date. Don’t let your platforms expire or go static or else you’ll find yourself archived on The Wayback Machine more quickly that you expected. There’s nothing more questionable than when a company’s blog, for example, isn’t regularly updated. Not only does it suggest that your company is behind the times, but it puts a gray cloud over your business. Outdated information implies that you’re not around anymore or that you can’t finish what you start. Your website is the face of your company – don’t paint the wrong impression on it.

5. Know who you are. – It’s ok to keep tabs on your competition, but don’t get caught up in mirroring what they say. Consumers are smarter than you think. Chances are your website won’t be the only one in your field that they’ll visit. If you throw around the same language as the person down the street, you won’t make an impression either way. Avoid this and develop your own character that illustrates the values your company represents.

- Mary Evans