Social Media is One Piece of a Strategic Communications Campaign

There’s a lot of buzz around social media, and that’s great –it’s fun, it’s new, and it’s growing, so it’s interesting to talk about. That said, perspective must be maintained: in survey after survey, social media is one avenue that people use to get information, and not consistently the favored avenue, particularly in business and government. Social media is an important element to include in any communications campaign – but it is just that: one important element among many tools.


Think of it this way: as public relations and communications practitioners, with social media our toolkit has expanded. We still need to think strategically, define our target audience for any campaign, and look carefully – and objectively – at what communications channels that specific audience prefers. What are the communications channels they use on a regular basis, and trust as a source of information? That is what should drive the means used to reach this targeted audience.


The growth of new social media avenues enables us to bring more options to the table, and expand the discussion of approaches for outreach. That’s a great thing. Video and podcasts are playing a more active role, interactive approaches and ideas are discussed and implemented more frequently – and all of this expands our toolkit and our ability to touch our audience. Still, it comes down to fundamentals: if you haven’t thought through your approach strategically, and you’re not keeping your focus on your target, you’ll miss. You might use a lot of social media, but if you’re not talking to your target audience it’s just more noise out there.

Quora – Will it live up to all the hype?

The past couple of months have been full of buzz about Quora, the newest social networking site. According to the site, it’s “a continually improving collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it.” This start-up is a combination of many household-name social media sites, including Yahoo! Answers, Twitter, Digg and Facebook. How long it will last and what its impact will be remains to be seen, but Quora has certainly achieved an impressive launch.

The site was founded by two former Facebook employees and had its public launch in June 2010. Quora intends to build itself into the place to go whenever you have a question. Questions range from those with clear-cut, non-negotiable answers to those that are more open to interpretation. The site aims to grow its database of knowledge until nearly everything that anyone wants to know can be found in the system.

How exactly does the site work? It’s free to sign up, but to get started with an account, you are encouraged to link to either your Facebook or Twitter. This automatically sets you up to follow all your Facebook or Twitter friends who are already connected to Quora at the time you join. Once logged in, you are presented with topics that might interest you, based on the information found in your Facebook or Twitter account. Alternatively, you can select topics of interest if you choose not to link with Facebook or Twitter. There is an easy-to-use search box at the top of the page, where you can either add a new question or search topics. Selecting a topic will take you to that specific page, containing a plethora of questions and answers exclusively on the topic of your choice.

Quora is reminiscent of Twitter in that you can “follow” people and topics. Its comparisons to Digg stem from the fact that you can vote your impression of questions and answers, either up or down, to convey if you find them helpful or not. The Facebook-feel can be attributed to the fact that it is attempting to harness the powers of community – this is the greatest asset of the site by far. Everyone likes to feel that they are a part of something, and Quora has the potential to build upon that. Of course, not every question will be answered, but the quality of answers has proven to be impressive. One example cited numerous times involves a Quora member posing a question about an AOL marketing campaign from the 1990’s. Two of the respondents were AOL founder Steve Case and Jan Brandt, the marketing executive who actually came up with the campaign in question.

Less than a year after opening to the public, coverage of Quora is rapidly expanding. In the past month, it has been written about in GovLoop, Ragan.com, TechCrunch, Time and Federal Computer Week, to name a few. Some of the articles are full of praise, while others bring up concerns and challenges.

The kind of impact Quora could have on the government marketplace has yet to be seen, but there was a great article in Federal Computer Week recently, explaining how a staff member for GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) used Quora to get a feel for public sentiment on using social media for legislation. (http://fcw.com/articles/2011/02/23/rep-eric-cantor-usinig-quora-for-ideas-on-social-media.aspx).

It is far too early to tell if Quora will indeed be the next big thing. It appears to have potential for use in the government marketplace and could change the way you interact with your target audience. This site is one to keep an eye on. Email me at slevine@adviceunlimited.net or call me at 301-924-0330 and let me know if you use Quora, or if there’s another new site you’d like to know more about – we’d love to hear from you, and we’re glad to help you determine what communications tools best help you meet your pr/marketing goals and objectives!

Writing for the Web

We’re revamping our website (I know, it’s time!), and in working on the copy for the new site, I’m reminded of the significant differences in writing for the web vs. print. So in the spirit of providing unlimited advice, I wanted to share some key points to keep in mind when writing for the web:

1.What’s the point? Make your key point upfront – and clearly. Elaborate, explain,
substantiate later.

2. Short and simple: Keep your writing succinct. We all want it fast online.

3. Be bold: Bold is good – it helps to draw the eye, and people can scan and get the meat of
your comments quickly.

4. Casual works: We use the web for business, so our writing is still professional, but a bit of
a conversational tone is fine – and often even appreciated. Know your audience and your
format, and go for a more casual tone when appropriate.

5. Don’t skimp when it matters: This post is consciously short and sweet, but when you
have something important to say, say it. Just keep sentences within the post/article/essay
short, focused and relevant.

6. Respect your reader’s time: This is true always, in all formats. Web readers seem to get
impatient faster, and take action more swiftly – after all, different information is just a click
away.

Advice Unlimited Named One of the Top Businesses in the Country

Advice Unlimited has been selected as one of the “Top Businesses” in the United States by DiversityBusiness.com, one of the nation’s most prestigious and leading business internet portals. Over 750,000 businesses in the United States had the opportunity to participate in the 11th annual "Top Businesses in America" survey.

The naming of Advice Unlimited as one of the top businesses in the country is a huge honor, as the award is the basis of DiversityBusiness.com’s annual “Top Business List,” which is seen by over 15 million people and is used by Fortune 500 companies and large buying organizations to find new business partners.

This list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the United States economy – America’s privately held companies. The list has become the most recognized and respected compilation of companies that truly differentiate themselves in the marketplace in a time when doing so has never been more important.

As a small business, we focus on delivering consistent outstanding results and superior customer service for our clients, and our reputation has grown through that dedication to exceeding expectations. Please contact me at slevine@adviceunlimited.net for more information.

How are contractors adapting their pr/marketing strategy in a tough government market?

As we approach the end of 2010, one thing is certain: it’s been a turbulent year. Amid White House plans to eliminate potentially billions in spending on underperforming technology projects, Secretary Gates’ $100-billion budget cut across the DoD, and talk of increasing insourcing, there was plenty of reason for concern.

How are contractors adapting their marketing strategies – and dollars – for the greatest impact in these changing times?

Advice Unlimited, a small, women-owned strategic communications consulting firm, is conducting an anonymous survey in December to find out. Once our survey is completed, we’ll post the final results in a group discussion for your benefit, to assist in your planning for 2011.

Please share your opinion! Take the brief, 11-question survey yourself, which we’ve made available on Survey Monkey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/contractor2011strategies

Survey entries must be submitted by January 08, 2011 in order to be included.

Social Media Can Help You Communicate Faster in a Disaster

The following article, written by Sandy Levine, recently appeared in Government Security News. View the article here: http://www.gsnmagazine.com/article/21921/social_media_can_help_you_communicate_faster_disas


Do you use social media to communicate with your public? Have you updated your disaster preparedness communications plan to include social media? If not, add that to your priority ‘To Do’ list!

Information about practically everything -- both factual and wildly inaccurate -- now travels around the globe literally in minutes, through new communication tools -- Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, to name a few. In a natural or manmade disaster, if you don’t reach out to the public with the facts quickly, someone else will get there with a rumor -- and as we all know, misinformation can cause havoc, create panic and potentially increase danger to those at risk who we want to protect.

As communication tools change, government communicators have to keep up. This is important always; however, in a disaster, it is critical. How are you going to inform the public about the problem? What tools do you use to make sure they get the crucial instructions they need that could keep them safe? We must not only inform, we must persuade, secure trust, calm, reassure -- and get people to actually follow the procedures we detail -- or lives will be lost. The tools used to reach out in a disaster must integrate today’s communication tools -- you must go where your public is to ensure they get your message. And more and more of your public is online.

A recent national survey from Arbitron and Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2010, (April 23, 2010) provides insight into some of the changes occurring in communication tools in the U.S. According to this survey, the percentage of Americans age 12-and-older who have a profile on one or more social networking Web sites has reached 48 percent of the population in 2010, double the level from two years ago.

The new study reveals that consumer use of social networking sites is not just a youth phenomenon. Personal profile pages are maintained by:

• 78% of teens
• 77% of 18-to-24 year olds
• 65% of 25-to-34 year olds
• 51% of 35-to-44 year olds

The study also shows that 30 percent of Americans age 12-and-older, who have a profile on at least one social networking Web site, use those sites "several times a day," compared with only 18 percent one year ago.

Bill Rose, senior vice president of marketing at Arbitron Inc, said, "The use of social networking sites has expanded beyond younger consumers, with substantial numbers of Americans over the age of 35 now using social media.”

Also, for the first time, more Americans say the Internet is "most essential" to their lives when given a choice along with television, radio and newspapers:

• 42% chose the Internet as "most essential"
• 37% selected television
• 14% chose radio
• 5% said newspapers

While television still leads among those over the age of 45, Internet dominates among younger persons, aged 12-to-44 years old.

The key is to know who your audience is, and to take the time to research what communications tools they use and trust. There are still certain areas where radio is king; other areas where religious centers are going to be the most important communication tool in your arsenal. But, social media cannot be ignored -- especially when speed matters. Integrating the “basics” -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, online postings of press releases, online links with appropriate media -- and making sure processes are in place so that these communication tools get accurate information immediately -- will help ensure your public gets the right information as quickly as possible, minimizing confusion and improving understanding in a difficult situation.

Integrating social media into your communications plan ensures you will reach a broader pool of people faster. The flow of accurate information will go more smoothly, the public will be informed appropriately and efficiently, and answers will be delivered swiftly. It can make the difference between a bad situation and a calamity.

3 case studies in social media experimentation -- Federal Computer Week

Interesting article in FCW this week - if you're looking to integrate innovation into your outreach, we can provide proven techniques to engage your audience and boost interest! Contact me at slevine@adviceunlimited.net to discuss how we can work together to ensure your venture into social networking and other innovative communication tools deliver the results you want!

http://fcw.com/articles/2010/11/08/feat-government-social-networking-experiments.aspx?s=fcwdaily_051110