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Social Buttons    Measuring What MattersFebruary 3rd, 2012 12:49pm - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
Engagement is not how many "likes" your company has on Facebook. It is a continuum, ranging from click-throughs on the low end to advocacy on the high end, measurement guru K.D. Paine told members of PRSA and Mile High Social Media Club in Colorado. Return on Investment may be efficiency, not sales: finding the relevant people to engage with and building long-term relationships. Another mistake is to select a measurement tool (such as media monitoring) before deciding on the goal. As examples, a metric for reputation/relationships could be a percentage increase in recommendations, while a sales goal might be an increase in qualified leads. Six Steps to Measurement Success 1. Define the "R" in Return on Investment (ROI) 2. Connect the dots between organizational goals and PR programs 3. Establish benchmarks to reach the goal 4. Define the metrics to measure progress 5. Pick a measurement tool 6. Figure out what it means, make changes and measure again. Posted in: PR Measurement, Social MediaView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookBuilding Relationships with BloggersJanuary 18th, 2012 3:19pm
Bloggers differ from traditional journalists in several ways, according to an expert panel at PRSA Colorado. A traditional journalist will "let go" of a bad pitch. But a blogger may share it with their blogger friends, giving the PR person a bad reputation with more than one media outlet. Erica Napolitano, blogger for Red Head Writing; Elaine Ellis, social media and marketing manager for Trada; and Merredith Branscombe, founder of Leap Public Relations; offered these tips for success with bloggers: * Don't pitch first, comment (on the blog), then pitch. * Search Twitter streams and most recent blog posts to discover the blogger's interest, tone and writing style. * Leave something out of the pitch, so they'll want to talk to your clients. * Check their Klout.com score to identify the fields where a blogger has influence. * Niche conferences are also a great place to meet bloggers and begin a relationship. "Understanding SEO is one of the most important things for anyone in social media," advised Elaine Ellis. Posted in: Media Relations, BloggersView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookSeeking Health Information Online vs. OfflineDecember 15th, 2011 3:23pm
What characteristics differentiate those who seek health information online and elsewhere? According to the Pew Research Center, level of education is a major determinant. College graduates are overwhelmingly online (94%) and 89% gather health information there. Of those who have less than a high school education, only 42 percent use the Internet and about two-thirds of those seek health information online. About one in six adults do Not seek health information online. The obvious take-way for those planning health information campaigns is to plan strategies through multiple venues, including online links but also interpersonal contacts and printed communications. Those wishing to reach low-income individuals and those with a less than high school education need to enlist trusted individuals or organizations to get the word out. Churches are often an effective way of reaching members of the African American and Latino communities. Another is to hire promotadoras -- Spanish speaking advocates with credibility in the community -- to deliver the prevention and other healthcare messages. Posted in: Healthcare, Online communications, MarketingView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookWhat are People Doing Online?November 23rd, 2011 2:00pm
Not very many are using Twitter, according to Pew Research. Facebook and Linked In are far more popular. Three fourths of us research product information online and 8 out of 10 seek medical information. This infographic shows how adults are using the Internet for news, shopping, social networking, personal business and finance.
Posted in: Social Media, MarketingView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookEnding Gridlock in DCNovember 11th, 2011 9:24am
A new documentary, Patriocracy, does an effective job of demonstrating why our government is no longer able to function. The filmmaker demonstrates how talk shows frame the news ideologically vs. factually by contrasting the same news story on Fox News and MSNBC, labeling loaded comments as "opinion" onscreen. "People on talk shows are entertainers. They couldn't govern their way out of a paper sack," says former Sen. Alan Simpson, (R-Wyo), cochair of the Deficit Reduction Commission and one of several elected officials interviewed. The most encouraging part of the film describes several organizations that are trying to enfranchise moderates via the Internet. The website Ruck.Us is a forum for like-minded people to come together over an interest in shared issues. Americans Elect is working to eliminate partisan primaries where any candidate would have to win support from a broad swath of voters. Vote411.org, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, gives nonpartisan information by state about registering to vote with links to information about issues and candidates. My favorite was nolabels.org - an organization that is working to hold Congress more accountable by demanding these changes: --Pay for Performance - Congress would not get paid if they don't pass bills -- Longer work week in Washington (more than the typical 3 days) -- Speaker of the House would need votes of 60% of members, not a simple majority, requiring candidates to attract votes from opposing party -- Repealing the technical filibuster in the Senate, where a Senator can block legislation by placing a hold; Senators would actually have to filibuster on the floor for hours to stymie legislation. I attended the screening as a fund-raiser for the Denver League of Women Voters, which cosponsored a panel discussion. I urge readers to seek this movie out when it reaches general distribution. "Let the people know the facts and we will be safe." Thomas Jefferson Posted in: Behavior change, Building public supportView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookMotivatingThose at Risk of Stroke to Take ActionOctober 15th, 2011 4:00pm - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
Behavior change is a process, not an event. Encouraging people to take action often takes repeated exposure and contacts -- particularly if that action relates to health. People flagged at risk of stroke in a community stroke screening are more likely to see a doctor within three months if they get a personalized pep talk via phone, including advice on how to get to a doctor's office, than those who received standard information on risk factors but no motivational help. This study in the July-August 2011 issue of the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases continues to refine work I was involved in during the 1990s as a PR consultant to the National Stroke Association. Behavior change-- especially in health -- can require a five step process: * Creating awareness of a issue * Generating interest to learn more * A triggering event that makes it personally relevant * Follow-up to provide motivation * Action to address the health risk. Getting someone to attend a stroke screening requires the individual to be aware of stroke risk and the event where they can be assessed. The blood pressure and health history checks at a stroke screening make it possible to have a "teachable moment" when a health care professional can say to that person, "you have double the risk of stroke because of your blood pressure." Unfortunately, studies show that even when people in screenings are told they are at high risk of stroke, they rarely go to a doctor for care. We know that fear of acute stroke can be immobilizing. Doctors at the University of Michigan, who conducted the new study, used a brief phone call, known as the Health Belief Model, to offer specific health advice and discuss barriers to seeing a primary care physician. These patients were twice as likely (56%) to visit their primary care physician and discuss stroke screening results as the group that did not get a call (38%). An effective behavior change campaign has multiple steps -- including education, an interpersonal component (if practical) and follow-up to make sure the person has the tools and resources to get the medical help they need. Posted in: Behavior change, HealthcareView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookPitching Entrepreneur MagazineSeptember 30th, 2011 2:28pm - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
Send a concise and compelling pitch via Twitter to land coverage in Entrepreneur magazine or on its website. "I read Twitter more than email," Entrepreneur editor-in-chief Amy Cosper told Mile High Social Media Club this week. The spirit behind Entrepreneur's content is "Innovation and creativity meets the economy and culture." Cosper's criteria for a successful pitch: tell what the story is and who the people are behind the innovation. The magazine uses long-form journalism to lead the way on content branding. But the website, with 6-8 million visitors per month, makes money with sponsorships and online ads. "We're big on experimentation and being playful," Cosper added. As an example, a regular column, "As the Esquire Guy" is adding animation online. Posted in: Media Relations, Social MediaView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookMessaging the London RiotsAugust 12th, 2011 2:59pm
Leave it to the Brits to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The rioting in London might deter tourists to many countries. But the British are mobilizing residents to help out clean up the neighborhoods. And social media is helping out. Using the Twitter handle, @riotcleanup and hashtag #riotcleanup, authorities are encouraging residents to BYOB - Bring Your Own Broom -- to help clean up the mess. Tourism experts say how a government and the community respond to a riot can have greater effect than the crisis itself on a country's long-term attractiveness as a tourist destination. According to theworld.org, residents are helping those cleaning up with tea and cakes, adding a festive atmosphere to their can-do approach. Hail Brittania! Posted in: Crisis Communications, Social MediaView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookChanging Eating BehaviorJuly 8th, 2011 10:21am - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
After many years of using the food pyramid to teach consumers healthy eating tips, the US Department of Agriculture has abandoned this icon. The reason? The content-heavy pyramid was too complicated. Research showed its multiple categories and terminology was too much information for busy parents to absorb.
Focus groups showed confusion about serving size and the use of ounces was not a meaningful measure for people. The pyramid was replaced by My Plate,which shows relative proportions that make clearer that key message that vegetables and fruits should make up a bigger portion of the diet.
My Plate also has a presence in social media and there are interactive tools on its own website: choosemyplate.gov. The evolution of the government's efforts to get Americans to eat a healthy diet illustrates the challenges of changing behavior -- especially since the government must compete with commercial advertising that is regularly encouraging people to eat sweets and carbs. Behavior change is a multi-step process. It includes: * Awareness * Interest * Triggering Event * A commitment to change More than ever, it is challenging to "cut through the clutter" of daily life to get the message out and motivate change. It is clear that successful campaigns employ critical elements: * A Simple Message * Repetition * A call to action * Tools to accomplish that change. ...Posted in: Behavior changeView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookBranding a RevolutionMarch 9th, 2011 11:37am
The cry for freedom is reverberating across the Middle East these days. It began with protests in Tunisia, which was dubbed the Jasmine Revolution by the news media. The protestors quickly adopted this name as the "brand" made an easy short-hand for the media, commentators and the revolutionaries themselves. Tunisia
What components make a brand: in a revolution, a movement, a product? 1. The name must be memorable - generally short and pithy. 2. The name must relate to the product or movement being branded. There must be a connection that rings true for those hearing the brand. 3. The visual part of the brand should create an emotional connection - in colors and imagery-- connecting the left and right sides of the brain. 4. Employees should be schooled in the "brand promise" -- so they can demonstrate the attributes of the brand. No such name has been applied -- or stuck -- in the protests in Egypt, Libya, Yemen and elsewhere. But the stirrings for freedom have been felt in China where citizens have tried to use "jasmine" as code for protest. Indeed, the Chinese government has banned a song about jasmine and intimidated their citizens from even doing a "walk-by" demonstration of support for freedom. Let us hope the jasmine can still bloom in Asia. Posted in: BrandingView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookTips from Editors - PRSA RoundtableFebruary 23rd, 2011 8:13pm - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
Denver area editors and reporters participating in a recent PRSA Colorado media roundtable shared their email addresses, pet peeves and good ideas. Here are some highlights from the day. All editors I visited preferred email contact as it does not interrupt their flow of work. Denver Post lifestyles editor Suzanne Brown said it was okay to send to more than one editor -- but not 10. Attachments in MS Word and PDFs can be delivered. For subject lines: "The more specific the better." Patrick Doyle, a senior editor at 5280, covers skiing, biking and the outdoors. The monthly has its editorial calendar on the website (5280.com) and plans stories 4-6 months out. Their readers are predominantly women, ages 35 to 45 with a 6-figure family income. They like to feature notable Coloradans who are "making a difference in the community." The magazine likes to be a watchdog for the community in terms of crime, politics and government agencies. One story focused on foster care. Boulder Camera editor Ryan Huff covers business and local news in Boulder and Broomfield counties. He covers national trends that play out locally in the weekly Business Plus section. All print news is carried online. Denver Magazine editor Dana Butler says she prefers pitches over a pre-written story or news release. Most of their writers are freelancers. They develop their own sources but also take assignments from Butler. About two-thirds of their readers are women, but they strive to be inclusive with their coverage. Readers tend to eat out more than two times a month. Denver Post social media director Dan Petty (Twitter @DenverPost) says reporters follow sources on Twitter. They also use Twitter activity to monitor what is trending or popular. Petty encourages two-way communication: "Tell us what you want to know." During the Boulder wildfire, readers were asking for information, which helped direct the paper's coverage. The Post has 44,000 Facebook fans, the fourth-highest of any US. newspaper. Some of the Post's Facebook followers have left Colorado and want to stay in touch. Posted in: Media RelationsView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookBehavior Change Through ReframingNovember 8th, 2010 10:00am - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
How to promote energy conservation in the nation's heartland - where people are openly skeptical about climate change? Recast the issue in terms that resonate with your target audience -- including thrift, care of creation and promoting new jobs. The Climate and Energy Project challenged six Kansas towns to reduce energy use in a year-long competition. Some towns achieved as much as a 5% energy reduction, a huge effect in energy conservation where a 1.5 % reduction in energy use is considered a success. On Halloween 2009, children searched for "vampire" electric loads from appliances that draw energy when they appear to be off. A Lutheran church in Lindsborg was inspired to install geothermal heating. And Hutchinson won a contract for a $50 million wind turbine factory. The competition grew out of a dinner table conversation between Wes Jackson, president of the Land Institute, which promotes sustainable agriculture, and his daughter-in-law, according to a New York Times story. Jackson complained that while farmers would suffer from climate change, few would take steps to avoid it. "Don't mention global warning or Al Gore," said Nancy Jackson. She left her job at the University of Kansas to start the Climate and Energy Project with a grant from the Land Institute. She commissioned focus groups of independents and Republicans around Wichita and Kansas City. While they were skeptical of climate change, many were concerned about US dependence on foreign oil and others spoke of changes in nature -- such as birds returning earlier in the spring. Invoking thrift as a value, she recruited leaders in 6 towns to compete to reduce energy. Civic leaders were encouraged to embrace "green jobs" to rescue their communities. She spoke to local ministers and gave them talking points about how Christians are called to be good stewards of creation. The towns were featured in a case study on changing behavior by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Climate and Energy Project has received a grant from the Kansas Energy Office to coordinate a competition among 16 Kansas cities to cut energy use in 2011. Several communications lessons can be drawn from the project's success at motivating behavior change by avoiding divisive buzz words: * Research community attitudes about an issue to identify barriers * Identify values that will motivate others to the desired behavior change * Reframe the issue to reduce resistance to change * Create an event or competition to motivate people to get involved * Recruit leaders as ambassadors to help lead the change * Provide tools, such as talking points, to help recruits carry your message.
To read a case study on this campaign, click here. Posted in: Behavior changeView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookMeasuring PR EffectivenessOctober 13th, 2010 8:06pm - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
The Institute of Public Relations has completed a study where they reject Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) as a measure of Return on Investment for public relations expenditures. Part of their rationale is that advertisers do not look at what they spent on the advertising, but on outcomes. Public relations practitioners have been measuring PR effectiveness on several metrics in recent years. For media relations, some criteria include: * How many of the client's key messages are included * Whether coverage is in a priority publication, online or broadcast outlet reaching target audiences * Whether the story is positive, negative or neutral * The size and scope of the coverage: a brief story; where the client is one one of several mentioned in long story or full feature coverage If the web site address is included, measuring traffic before and after the media campaign is another way of demonstrating effectiveness. The IPR task force recommends comparing media coverage to previous performance, expected outcomes or competitors. Of course, the ideal is to be able to measure whether you have increased awareness, changed attitudes or behaviors or met other specific public relations objectives. Sometimes a transaction can be measured: sales, membership, donations or enrollment. When the objective is attitudes or awareness, the tough part is having budget to conduct pre and post surveys, either through online or phone surveys or focus groups to demonstrate that you have "moved the needle." What are other options? With meetings, you can gather feedback from surveys to gauge reaction to information presented. Over time, this can show changes in attitudes. Feedback can also be gathered through email surveys and online tools like Survey Monkey. Participation in events is another way to evaluate whether stakeholders are engaged. In social media, companies can offer something of value to invite visits to their website, including white papers or offers of a service. It will continue to be a challenge to measure PR effectiveness as a return on investment, especially in times of tight budgets. A copy of the IPR Commission report is here. I invite PR practitioners and other readers to share their successes by posting a comment. Posted in: PR MeasurementView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookBuilding a Successful BusinessOctober 7th, 2010 9:18pm - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
The Boulder Chamber's Espirit Entrepreneur week is an inspiring series of events that is capped by an evening celebrating innovators who have built successful companies. This is my second year to attend and I am struck by what a special place Boulder is for nurturing new businesses. Frasca Food and Wine co-owners sommalier Bobby Stuckey and Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson were honored as Entrepreneurs of Distinction. Stuckey joked that friends in Napa Valley tried to do "an intervention" when he talked of leaving the Bay Area to start a restaurant in Boulder. But Frasca, conceived as a neighborhood restaurant like an Italian "frasca," has thrived. Mackinnon-Patterson was recognized by the Beard Foundation in 2008 as Best Chef in the Southwest. Stuckey is one of 100 in the world to receive a Master Sommelier Diploma. Chamber President Susan Graf said many other communities visit Boulder, wanting to reproduce the environment that has supported so many successful companies. But the combination of community support and the university can't be exported, she said. Common traits I observed in these successful entrepreneurs: *They had a vision of what they wanted to build *They learned their industry and worked hard * They figured out how to get help to make their businesses succeed. "Pick your right partner," advised Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Mark Retzloff, who co-founded Alfalfa's in Boulder and Aurora Organic Dairy. He recognized long-time associates who helped him build successful companies as well as his wife who supported him in the long hours it takes to make a new venture succeed. The importance of giving back was also celebrated. David Cohen and Brad Feld were recognized for supporting new businesses with the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Award. The two founded TechStars, a three month boot camp that offers mentorships and $18,000 in seed funding to promising new entrepreneurs. Only a fraction of those who apply are selected. They help these business owners pitch angel investors and venture capital firms for the funds needed to take their companies to the next level. Congratulations to all the honorees. Their success has translated into many jobs and a thriving business community. Posted in: Business successView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookJuicing the SEO on Your SiteAugust 25th, 2010 3:59pm - Posted By: Peggy Gonder
Searching on the web is becoming more fragmented and personalized. The top search engines are not just Google, Yahoo and Bing; they are joined by Twitter, You Tube and Facebook. Those were some major insights I gained from a webinar by Hubspot gurus sponsored by the American Marketing Assocation. Kipp Bodner of Hubspot proclaimed that SEO rank is "a meaningless metric" because it can vary based on who is searching, where they search and what is happening. As examples, someone seeking a plumber might search Angie's List, not Google. So, what to do? In addition to the obvious advice about blogging to add fresh content to your site, you want to add inbound links. Posting a presentation you've done on Slideshare and linking to your website is an inbound link that adds to your site's authority with search engines. Other tips: 1. Publish more often using multiple venues, including blogs, podcasts, videos, presentations and news releases. 2. Make it easy for site visitors to share your content with buttons to post to Twitter, Facebook, Stumble Upon and del.icio.us. 3. Build a large social following (your reach) with lots of connections on Linked In, Facebook fans, Twitter followers and YouTube viewers. 4. Engage your social following by posting useful content with links. 5. Continue building lots of web pages with keyword-rich content. 6. Promote content to get inbound links. 7. Check the SEO 'juice' of your site at www.websitegrader.com. Hubspot founders have written a book, Inbound Marketing, that is available at Amazon.com. To see a PDF of the presentation, click here. Posted in: Online communicationsView / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook |
The media first started naming revolutions in a similar wave of freedom in 1989 with the fall of the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe. Czechoslavakia was the Velvet Revolution -- as violence was avoided. Then came the Orange Revolution in Ukraine - named for the colors of the opposition.