- Be More Social than Media: 5 Strategies for Diversifying Social Media Monitoring
- Social media: Stick with it
- Okay Delta, I hate you a little less today...
- Making the Culture Shift to Social Media: A4ward Social Media Strategy
- Is your organization laying track for social media or lying on the track?
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The Lead
| June 2010
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« May 2010 | Main | July 2010 » Be More Social than Media: 5 Strategies for Diversifying Social Media MonitoringPosted by Michelle (Haschka) Wright on June 30, 2010 at 2:28 PM We talk a lot about listening in social media. Why it's important, how to start a listening process, who should be doing the listening, etc. Those are all important questions. But don't forget to ask one more seemingly simple question: What am I listening for? Company and brand mentions, most certainly. But you shouldn't stop there.
1. Industry trends Look for conversations related to your industry, company growth areas, new products areas or technologies where you're investing. 2. Events Seek out discussions related to events where you're presenting or attending. 3. Research results Keep an eye out for research that's relevant to your company or business unit, especially if it supports the work you're doing. 4. Company content When you appear in a media article, distribute a news release or complete a case study or white paper, look for related conversations where this content may be of interest 5. Questions People often turn to social media to answer their questions, however, questions may not mention your brand specifically, instead they'll probably ask a broad question - looking for a new cable provider, any recommendations? What are the latest developments in business intelligence software? "Social" is the crux of social media, and people want to hear from people. As you broaden the scope of your monitoring program and social media interactions remember that it's important to be approachable, helpful and transparent about your company affiliation. So, what are you listening for? Do any of these "types" stand out as opportunities? What's missing from your list? Photo credit totalAldo Social media: Stick with itPosted by Wayne Carlson on June 28, 2010 at 11:10 AMPersistence can turn good communications ideas into outstanding public relations initiatives. Financial industry communicators from across the country gathered at NASDAQ recently to discuss social media at Ragan Communications' Social Media for Financial Communicators Conference. One resounding theme was recurring: The conviction behind your social media plan is what may define it. Just ask Rhonda Sloan, Associative Director of PR, Web and Online Strategies for American General Life Companies (@americangeneral). After her legal department said "no" to her repeated social media ideas, she spearheaded an effort to create an internal blog using - of all things - Lotus Notes. Its popularity was vital in opening the door for an extremely successful external social media initiative. Richard Brewer-Hey would agree with the premise. Ebay's chief blogger made his employer the first Fortune 500 company to live-blog financial announcements. He believed in its need, and stuck with it through negative internal feedback, developing a groundbreaking set of social media guidelines for corporate disclosure. Steve O'Halloran, Media Relations Lead for ING DIRECT USA knows it too. That's why he helps direct a social media team that addresses its customers via Twitter (@INGDIRECT) and Facebook with striking consistency and care. Whether it's in selling your communications plan up the ladder, or using a social media tool to send important messages to key publics, persistence pays. Okay Delta, I hate you a little less today...Posted by Matt Kucharski on June 27, 2010 at 8:34 PMThough it pains me to say it, I've got to give Delta Airlines credit for an innovative -- and mutually beneficial -- use of customer data. There's a general feeling among former Northwest Airlines frequent flyer customers that they're getting the short end of the jetway after the merger with Delta, and I've not been a big fan of the way Delta handled itself after it dumped Visa for American Express. But earlier this week I saw a glimmer of hope. I fly to Milwaukee regularly to spend time with our long-time great client Rockwell Automation. Being a Platinum member (call it combat pay), I almost always get upgraded, or at least can snare an aisle seat in an exit row. Imagine my surprise when I booked my latest flight -- three weeks in advance -- and couldn't get anything but a middle seat. The plane was packed, and while I was annoyed, I chalked it up to something exciting happening in Milwaukee (don't go there -- too easy -- and that's my hometown so leave it alone). So, the next day I get this email:
While we strive to give our most loyal customers our best seats, unfortunately that's not always possible. To thank you for your flexibility and understanding, we've credited 500 miles to your SkyMiles account. It's just one of the ways we're expressing our appreciation for your loyalty to the SkyMiles program. And we'll continue to take care of you--from booking to baggage claim and everywhere in between. So thanks again. Next time, we hope to see you in First. Imagine that. Delta PROACTIVELY sees that a pretty decent customer got a pretty crappy seat. They contacted me, they apologized, and they made amends. That seems like a pretty good way to build a relationship with your customers, in my book. Now if we can just have a chat about that switch to American Express... Making the Culture Shift to Social Media: A4ward Social Media StrategyPosted by Tony Morse on June 22, 2010 at 3:34 PMPadilla leaders Bob Brin and Tom Jollie presented a webinar today as a follow up to the launch of our A4ward Social Media Strategy process yesterday. Bob and Tom discussed some background and examples as well as the four stages of our process - including the often-missed "Activation" stage that helps ensure organizations are poised for success. If you missed the session, a recording of the webinar is available for archived viewing: The slides are also available via SlideShare: If you'd like to learn more, please contact any of us at Padilla. Is your organization laying track for social media or lying on the track?Posted by Bob Brin on June 22, 2010 at 11:26 AM(Or, a runaway metaphor) Yesterday we launched our strategic process for social media. We've used it for awhile with clients and it really helps a cross-functional team of communications, marketing, IT, HR and legal folks get on the same train. Mostly it's for the people responsible for communications programs. Don't Let Tony Hayward Write Your Social Media PolicyPosted by Matt Kucharski on June 21, 2010 at 5:53 AMTony Hayward, BP's CEO and up until recently spokesperson for spill response, went from oily water to hot water this past week when he was seen cheering on his yacht at a high-brow race back home in the UK. His latest gaffe is a great example of why companies with traditional corporate communications strategies are having a difficult time getting their arms around social media policies. It seems like a good thing to discuss on the day we're launching Padilla's A4ward social media strategy product. Every good company needs to have -- or at least discuss -- the nature of their social media policy, and where the lawyers and conservative corporate communications folks get hung up is on this concept of the spokesperson. Most got their experience in an envrionment where you had your three key messages and your handful of trained spokespeople who were the only ones authorized to speak on behalf of the company. As companies introduce social media policies, that concept gets a little fuzzy, and we've seen it be the main point of contention in the review process. Look at it this way -- there's no policy in BP's manual that says that Tony Hayward couldn't go to a yacht race, but in many people's eyes, this was worse than his "I want my life back" comment to the media and his Joe Friday performance in front of Congress. He may not have been a spokesperson for BP at the time of the race, but he certainly was a representative. And that's the important point -- your social media policy needs to distinguish between being a spokesperson for the company and being a representative of the company. Spokespeople are authorized to speak on behalf of the company on a wide range of issues from financial performance to market position to response during a crisis. Representatives of the company are those individuals who by the simple act of going about their daily routines reflect positively or negatively on a company's reputation. That includes spending time on social media sites. That doesn't mean you can't mention the company or talk about what you do there -- all it means is that as a representative, when you're online, you're wearing a company golf shirt, so act appropriately. And if your company is under seige, stay away from yacht races. Print vs. Electronic - the tradeoffsPosted by Katherine Brozek on June 18, 2010 at 5:23 AM
Five years ago, a contributor to The Lead said in their post, "news is news, and increasingly, communicated in multiple ways through multiple venues and technologies." As prophetic the author was, many of our clients still place a high value on seeing their message in a print publication, despite the many technology and social media advances.
1. Editors are given more flexibility to expand their content and link to additional resources through their web content and electronic newsletters. They feel this is a great service to their readers. What do you think? What are the values you place on the electronic word--or printed word? Where is your highest value? A Gushing Oil Spill and Blathering SpokespersonPosted by Nick Banovetz on June 14, 2010 at 2:30 PMFriday marked Jacques Cousteau's 100th birthday, perhaps a numbing affirmation of the cumulating marine travesties from BP's copious, ongoing oil spill in the Gulf. Everyone from BP CEO Tony Hayward and President Obama to you and me are at their wits' end on how to stop the leak. One can only imagine how "Captain Cousteau" would react to the reckless regard for this environment, and inability to act accordingly to a human-caused disaster. As we near the two-month mark of the spill, how effective are BP and Hayward in managing the crisis and communicating? Hayward is providing our worldwide community mixed messages, and statements that too often contradict third-party scientists and the government. BP's smorgasbord of answers, "on the fly" attempted solutions and perplexing communications have worsened its credibility - and stock price. Last week's Newsweek looks one step further: Considering Hayward's gaffs and lack of leadership, why hasn't he been fired? Could BP's credibility be better off today if it had practiced proactive, accurate and sound public relations? Consider some missteps: • On May 30, among other instances, Hayward contradicted independent scientists and researchers, asserting there were no oil plumes. BP's lack of depth and breadth of the leak demonstrates to media, stakeholders and other constituencies that it doesn't have a handle on the situation. Moreover, Thursday's New York Times reported the U.S. government projects the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf is now double BP estimates. • As reported on The Daily Show on June 10, BP is buying search terms on search engines, resulting in BP-sponsored links appearing as the top results for searches on the oil spill. I give them credit for the offensive play, but also question where social media ethics interject. • Also on June 10, BP issued the following news release: "BP is Not Aware of Any Reason for Share Price Movement." Really? What correlation do BP's substandard communications have on its plummeting stock price? Accidents and the unknown are absolute. Take-aways from the BP oil crisis reminds us to be thorough in communications planning, including crisis communications. It's essential to be honest with stakeholders and the public, to manage one's issues and messaging, and to proactively engage appropriate audiences. Influencer relations in social mediaPosted by Bob Brin on June 10, 2010 at 8:37 AMInfluencer/Analyst/Opinion Leader outreach has always been a part of what we do at Padilla. Here is how we approach it in social media. You will see many similarities to traditional media/opinion-leader relations. Reporters and analysts' pet peeve is "relations" people who don't take the time to get to know them and what they research/write/speak/care about (the relating part of relations). Which leads me to the first bullet . . .
You can't develop a relationship if you aren't listening and it's all about you. Do it right and you'll find yourself inside their circle.The great part is that, if you truly care about the same things, it's almost easy. Crude Crisis - Commercials vs. Customer CommunicationsPosted by Tony Morse on June 4, 2010 at 5:45 AMReputations are built in years but can be destroyed by a single event. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing updates about failures to end the leak in the Gulf of Mexico. The following news story identified what's missing: BP's vision for what the end looks like (and when). When things go wrong - and ideally well before a crisis occurs - companies depend on the advice of Padilla's Crisis Communications Team. Paul Omodt leads that team and offered his perspective in last night's Fox story about the recent BP apology commercial. In short: BP should go directly to customers with messages at the pump and email updates. How do you think BP is communicating about this issue? How does it compare to Toyota's management of the accelerator recall just a few months ago? What do you think BP should do next? |
