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Streamlining your business [and personal] social media strategy

Once you’ve established yourself as a king - or queen! - of content (see our blog for tips on creating content that matters), don’t think your work is done. According to a recent story on Mashable – which we couldn’t agree with more – it’s important to revisit your social business strategy at least quarterly to ensure proper brand alignment. While some of these tips seem to be common sense, we’ve all run into those instances where companies choose not to address commonly asked questions online or, worse yet, create a digital presence and then fail to maintain its consistency or accuracy.

While the suggestions below (courtesy of Josh Peters) are intended for businesses, C.Fox would take it one step further and encourage you to incorporate these into your personal online brand as well.

1. Refine your design. Customize visual elements, such as backgrounds, avatars and profile pictures, to be sure they reflect your brand. Be consistent across profiles and be sure to link to your other profiles whenever possible. The same holds true across personal profiles – use the same profile picture on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and so on in order to represent yourself consistently. When making changes to one of your profiles, think about whether those same changes are relevant to your other profiles.
2. Fill out all important pages. For SEO purposes, the profile, bio and ‘about’ pages are crucial as this is often how search engines pull the meta description that shows up in search results. Additionally, this tends to be the first place people look for more information about a company. Similarly, individuals should think about what they want to be personally known for and be sure to include that information in these pages. When people – such as potential clients or employers – run a search on your name, you want to be sure they are able to easily identify your strengths and interests.
3. Gauge online engagement. With all the effort you’re putting into social media – whether for business or personal purposes – are you getting the return you want? Are people responding to or sharing your posts? Does your network seem to agree with your opinions and find you relevant? If you can’t answer these questions with a resounding YES, it’s time to sit down and rethink your social strategy.
4. Look over internal accounts. From a business perspective, all social media accounts should be tied to a generic company email address – such as social@thecompanyemail.com – to ensure 1) that all employees who to access the accounts are able to do so and 2) that the account isn’t tied to one particular employee who, like in Josh’s story, may leave the company on bad terms and refuse to relinquish access to the accounts. On a more personal note, consolidating all your social media notifications to one email address – particularly to one that is used only for your social media accounts – allows you to get a snapshot of the activity on all your networks in one location and on your own time, rather than being bombarded with notifications on a work or personal account that you use for higher priority items on your to-do list.

PR Strategies for Small Business (Recap from Do Good Summit workshop)

This morning, I presented a workshop on PR strategies for small business during Think Local First’s Do Good Summit — a one-day intensive for business owners and entrepreneurs in the DC area. My session was among many focused on how to build and maintain a sustainable business model, including a morning keynote from DC Central Kitchen’s Robert Egger, and an afternoon session by Busboys and Poets founder Andy Shallal.

For those who attended my session, you know that we crammed in a lot of great information into a 50-minute window. You also know that there was so much more we wanted to cover.  So, I share below a recap of the points we discussed, plus a few more. 

I’d love to continue the conversation with any of the Do Good Summit participants, or other small businesses interested in strategic communications to advance business goals. 

 

Have a read below and reach out directly to me with questions at carrie@cfoxcommunications.com.

 

1. Be Relevant

If you want the media to pay attention to your stories, you need to be able to think outside of your own day-to-day operations.  Just waving your hands over your head and saying “look at me, look at me” isn’t going to make a member of the press come running. But, if you can help a reporter connect dots to a larger trend, and insert yourself as an example of that trend, you’ll be sure to catch some attention.  Be sure, also, to watch the news around your industry, and in your community, and when a moment of opportunity strikes (you see a story relevant to work that you’re doing), then reach out to the reporter, and draw a connection. It might not always result in immediate coverage, but it will most likely result in the start of a conversation. And conversation is always a good thing.

 

2. Find A Buddy

As a business owner, I think of doing good as a way of life. It’s not a handful of small gestures that give back, but it’s what you can do as a company, and as individual employees of a company to affect positive change.  The reality, however, is that many small business owners are strapped for resources, and find it easier to stay focused on the day-to-day needs of running a company vs. the “feel good” efforts of embedding philanthropy into business operations. But that’s far from the truth. We have worked with many small businesses over the years (Bella Bethesda, Fine Art & Artists, and Gelberg Signs, among them) to develop and promote long-term partnerships with nonprofits that don’t just raise visibility for the company, but that directly and positively impact the bottom line. 

Check out this related blog post on finding a buddy from C.Fox managing director Brian Fox: http://cfoxcommunications.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/find-a-buddy.html

 

3. Join The Conversation

To experience the lasting impact of a story— the kind that drives sales and builds customer engagement— you need to ensure that you’re telling your story through multiple channels: your company’ blog or website, social media, newsletter, direct mail, advertising, and of course, the media.  And not just telling your story, but putting a bright spotlight on the need. Companies are making donations every day, and that will only get you so far. But if your executive can be part of the regular conversation around a key issue, and you align your good works with that issue, you can indeed make a bigger impact on solving that issue. Some business owners may wonder, “doesn’t it defeat the purpose of my good works if I’m flaunting them all over town?”  People will give, they will volunteer, they will engage…but only if they know about it first.

 

4. Offer Special Access

If you want members of the media to pay attention to you, think about the “experience” that you can provide to them.  Don’t just invite them to the opening night of a new show, or the launch party for your news restaurant, but instead invite the lead food writer in town to take a tour of the downtown farmer’s market with your executive chef as she prepares for that night’s meal. Members of the media like to get the “inside view”. Reach out to them with a unique perspective on an issue, and the resulting coverage will be much richer and more impactful.

 

5. Know Where To Tell Your Story

I can immediately recall at least three clients over the years who have called with one very specific request: Can you get me on the Today Show? Many times, we’ve done just that, but when the story warrants it. Other times, we counsel our clients to first think about the desired effect of media relations efforts: what does success look like AFTER the news story hits? What do they want to see happen? After we have that conversation, it becomes much clearer on where we go first with our media coverage. Plenty of times, it does make sense to take a national approach, especially if there is the opportunity to comment on a larger, national trend. But for small businesses who have a strong community-focused story, we see great value in taking a hyper-local approach.Engaging local bloggers, reporters and social media influencers to help build a groundswell of buzz and interest in a topic can be parlayed into larger regional or national news.

 

6. Find Your Authentic Voice

The concept of having an authentic voice means two things to me. First, you want to be able to develop unique and creative campaigns to engage the media, your customers and potential customers.  You want to offer up an experience that feels new and different — whether that’s the service you provide, the service, or the promotion of your service. But authentic voice also refers directly to the “voice” of your communications. I often credit Oscar PR Girl, the PR gal for Oscar de la Renta here with her wonderfully authentic voice. She embodies the idea of offering exclusive access by reporting from inside one of the world's most prestigious fashion houses. Through her Tumblr blog, she offers a unique perspective inside the fashion house and has created a large and loyal following in the process.

 

7. Think From The End User’s Perspective

WIIFM?, or “What’s in it for me?”  If you want to develop a strategy that really engages people, and that catches the eyes of press, it’s important to think about the target of your outreach. Consumers are driving business change faster than ever before, and you need to keep up with them. You need to think harder, be smarter, and develop an experience that will engage them.

Check out more soundbites from today’s conversation with the media using the #dogoodsummit hashtag on Twitter. Or, check back on Monday when a stream of the best Twitter highlights will be posted on this blog.

 

Creating Content that Matters

One challenge constantly faced by those of us in the business of creating and disseminating content – whether for clients or ourselves – is how can we be sure the content we pour our hearts and souls into actually matters to anyone other than, well, us? A recent blog post on Fast Company tackled this very problem and offered four key takeaways that every company, regardless of its objectives or industry, should consider when communicating via social media. Below is an abridged version of Crosby Noricks’ tips for becoming a more relevant content creator.

1. Start with what you already have. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Polish the content you already have to make it fresher and more exciting, and then incorporate it into your company’s online persona. Crowdsource ideas from your staff to capture the compelling stories that are already happening.
2. Let the social conversation lead. People are already talking about you online. Listen to what they’re saying and use it as inspiration for the content you create to share back with the world.
3. Abide by your customers’ to-do lists. Your calendar should incorporate not only the dates and events that matter to you, but also those that matter to your customers. Find a way to incorporate your customers and their priorities into your calendar.
4. Make transmedia your best friend. There are a multitude of digital tools and platforms available to companies, many free of charge. Find the combination that makes the most sense for achieving your campaign’s desired goals and use it to connect with your audience in an integrated manner.

New Report Explores Nonprofit Social Network Behavior and Trends

Nonprofit organizations are increasingly using social networks to brand themselves online, connect with new supporters, and raise money according to the 4^th Annual Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report released this month. Compiled using survey feedback from 3,522 nonprofit professionals, the report shows that most organizations (93.3 percent) have a presence on at least one of the top commercial social networks: Facebook, Flickr, FourSquare, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, or Google+.

Several other interesting trends and data were discussed, including the continued growth of nonprofit social network communities and the first set of benchmarks to evaluate the cost and value of each individual who chooses to “like” an organization on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Opportunities for 2013 were also outlined, like amplified fundraising success and revenue-generation on Facebook, and the possible conversion of tweets to donations on Twitter.

We’ve pulled and included below a few key insights. The full report with detailed charts for each survey question is available for download here.

SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS

• Facebook communities grew by 30 percent. Survey respondents accumulated an average of 8,317 members in 2012 compared to 6,376 in 2011.

• Twitter communities grew by 81 percent. Respondents accumulated an average of 3,290 followers in 2012 compared to 1,822 in 2011.

• The average cost of a Facebook “like” is $3.50; a Twitter follower costs $2.05. These self-reported figures provide the first real benchmarks for nonprofit organizations to measure their efforts.

• The average 12-month value of a Facebook supporter is $214.81. This figure accounts for the total revenue received from the supporter over 12 months following acquisition.

• The most common fundraising tactic on Facebook is an ask for an Individual Gift. Of the 46 percent of respondents fundraising on Facebook, 33 percent prioritized Individual Giving (e.g. one-time gifts, memberships, monthly gifts). Event fundraising was the second highest category with 20 percent, Causes was third with 17 percent, and Personal Fundraising (e.g. peer-to-peer fundraising linked to a mission-focused theme rather than a face-to-face event) was fourth with 11 percent.

• Facebook advertising is used primarily to meet non-fundraising goals. The top three uses for Facebook advertising for respondents are Awareness (66 percent), Base-Building (54 percent), and Non-Financial Asks such as recruiting volunteers and signing petitions among other non-financial calls to action (33 percent).

Want to learn more about social media for nonprofit organizations? Check out this recap of a recent Twitter discussion on social media and nonprofit organizations with our President, Carrie Fox.

The Texting Lane and Other April Fool’s Day PR Successes

Earlier this week, a handful of curious lines, accompanied by a fresh set of street signs appeared on the sidewalks near City Hall in Philadelphia to designate part of the pavement as "e-lanes", suitable for chronic texters and digital music aficionados – a perfectly executed April Fool’s Day prank that got Mayor Michael Nutter’s point on sidewalk safety across loud and clear.

Announced on April 1, via a bogus press release and press conference, and accompanied by a “man on the street” video featuring real life reactions to the news, it was perhaps one of the most memorable PR campaigns of the day:  a crazy idea, but one that was believable, which made the Mayor’s message that much stickier.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CkA3-lgiWFE

 

There’s a long history of companies and organizations rolling out new products or services on April 1, only to announce the hoax on the following day. But, the beauty of April Fools’ Day is that it allows the organization behind the prank the ability to test what might actually be a really good idea, with an easy cover in case the idea just flat out flops.

ThinkGeek.com seems to have cornered the market on that exact idea. The online retailer discovered many years ago that April Fool’s Day was an opportunity to test public interest in potential new products. In 2009 they promoted a "Star Wars Tauntaun Sleeping Bag" which soon became available as an actual product. And this year’s big hit was a Personal Soundtrack t-shirt— a shirt with a built-in sound effects player, on sale now for $29.95.

When it comes to big ideas (real or not) the X PRIZE Foundation’s Peter Diamandis says it best. “The day before it’s a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.”  Calculated experimentation has an important place in business, and on April 1, the best ideas are welcomed.

Here are a few other hoaxes worth remembering:

• The Taco Liberty Bell, 1996: http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/taco_liberty_bell

 

• Topeka renames itself Google, KS. http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2010/04/google_renames.html

 

• Burger King’s Left Handed Whopper http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1888721_1888719_1888662,00.html

Have another memorable April Fool’s Day campaign in mind? Share it here, and start brainstorming now for next April 1. Your PR opportunity awaits.

3 Business Days Remain. Get Your it Award Apps In. (and a recap from last week’s conference call)

Last Thursday, we offered it Award applicants an opportunity to hop on the phone with members of the C.Fox team for a 30-minute conference call about the it Award.  Some terrific questions were posed, so we’ve captured just a few of them here for those who are still working on last minute edits to their own applications. Have a read and feel free to reach out to me, Julia Halloran, at julia@cfoxcommunications.com with any outstanding questions leading up to this week’s deadline. Thanks and good luck!

First, someone asked about the requirement to have 10 full-time staff members.

Truth is, we will accept applications from organizations who have less than 10 full-time staff members. However, we do require that the organization has the resources necessary to devote to the it Award, and the smaller the staff, the more strapped for time people tend to be.  If you have 6 full-time staff and 3 or 4 part-time staff, for instance, we’ll still be glad to accept your application.  Just be sure that you’ve got the time to devote to the award process, and execution of the final plan. We want an it Award winner who is as devoted to this process as we will be devoted to them.

 

Another organization asked about testimonials.

We want to hear from an individual who has benefitted from your organization’s work, or seen the power of your work first-hand, but who is not a member of your staff.  It’s important to note here that if you have a wonderful letter that was developed for another grant opportunity, we’re happy to accept a copy of it.  You don’t need to develop something new for this application. Simply show us the best example you have of the impact of your work. If what you have is a video statement, we’ll gladly watch it. Whatever the form, send us your best testimonial!

 

We also received a question about our past it Award winners.

Our 2010 it Award winner was N Street Village and our 2011 it Award winner was the National Center for Victims of Crime.  You can find case studies on our work with each organization at http://cfoxcommunications.com/case_studies.html.

 

January Went to the Dogs

Puppies and kittens usually give most people that feeling of warmth and happiness. Helping those in need also makes people feel good. We love the feeling that animals and serving others gives us so we decided to combine the two for our annual holiday giving campaign. This year we chose to give to the Washington Animal Rescue League’s Project Rescue, a program that offers support to families who find it difficult to care for their pets during these economically trying times.

But simply cutting a check isn’t how we like to do things. We like to dig in, and this year that involved a giant spoon and a pint of Bone Appétit, the custom ice cream flavor we created with Moorenko’s Ice Cream to raise funds for Project Rescue.

Bone Appétit was sold exclusively at Moorenko’s Ice Cream in Silver Spring during the month of January, and every last pint that Moorenko’s packaged was sold- what a success!

We want to extend a big thank you to Susan Soorenko and her team at Moorenkos for letting us take over the shop on January 14 for our Bone Appétit taste test, and to everyone who braved the January cold to give Bone Appétit a try. Check out our flickr account to see if we snagged a picture of you lapping up this delicious treat!

This week, we tallied up the sales from Bone Appétit and matched every dollar two to one, in support of the Washington Animal Rescue League and their wonderful Project Rescue program.

Do You Have What it Takes? (2012 it Award Applications Open Feb 1)

I spend a lot of my time speaking with individuals from nonprofit organizations— across sectors, across geographies, and across organizational levels.  And yet, whether I find myself speaking with a nonprofit executive in California or a communications manager here in Maryland, I tend to hear the same concerns, often focused on a lack of money, a lack of resources, or a lack of mainstream awareness.  Fortunately, those are three areas that we know how to solve for, and it’s that time of year when we get to solve the problem of “lack of money.”

Beginning February 1, C.Fox Communications will begin accepting applications for the 2012 it Award--worth up to $30,000 in pro bono PR services and we hope you'll apply.  The inspired thought Award, or it Award as we call it, is a core part of our agency’s mission, and offers an annual chance for a worthy nonprofit organization to work with our team. 

The it Award is open to any United States-based nonprofit with 10 or more employees and there is no fee to enter. All we ask for is a completed application by February 29, 2012 that explains why your organization should be it.

You can check out details of the award and apply on our website, but I thought it might be useful to share a sneak peek at the questions we ask of our applicants.  Have a look below and if you’re intrigued, please, learn more and apply.  And if the it Award isn’t a fit for you, then pass on the love, and share it with another worthy nonprofit.

There is no shortage of worthy organizations out there- offering critical services, and impacting communities in meaningful ways.  Help us find one that deserves help in sharing their story.  Maybe you'll be it!

 

General Information:

1. Organization name:
2. Street Address:
3. Organization website:
4. Contact name:
5. Contact email:
6. Contact phone number:
7. Has your organization worked with C.Fox Communications before?
8. Where is your organization headquartered?
9. How many employees work for your organization? (minimum of 10 staff members required)
10. Are you a nonprofit organization? (required for eligibility)
11. How did you hear about C.Fox’s call for entries?
12. Is your organization currently, or has it in the past 5 years worked with any other advertising and/or public relations agency?  If so, who and in what capacity)
13. What is your budget for implementing tactics?  (Please note: C.Fox will not cover out-of-pocket costs such as: printing, distributing a press release over the wire, or advertising) Please highlight one of the following: 0-$5,000; $5,001-$10,000; $10,001 and higher
14. Does your organization have a Board of Directors? If so, please list your Board Members' names.
15. Who will be our direct, day-to-day contact with your organization if you win the it Award?  Please provide name(s) and title(s).
16. How many hours per week will the direct, day-to-day contact be available to work with C.Fox on project development and implementation? 1-4 hours per week; 4-8 hours per week; More than 8 hours per week
17. Which of the following services are you interested in receiving? (Highlight all that apply) Strategy; Writing/Messaging; Media Relations; Branding; Social Media; We’re not sure of exactly what we need.

Organization Background

1. In one sentence, describe your organization.
2. What is your organization’s mission?
3. Please describe how your organization lives its mission and fits the C.Fox Communications criteria of “mission-driven” organization – that is, what you do, you do for the good of others.
4. Who are your key publics? (Who are your clients/typical patrons, who are your key stakeholders, target markets?)
5. What is your geographic service area?
6. Do you currently have a marketing, communications, and/or public relations plan for your organization?  If yes, please indicate which of the disciplines have a plan and how often it is updated.
7. Please provide the name and title of your organization’s spokesperson.  
   

it Award Detail Questions

1. Why do you want to work with C.Fox Communications?
2. What do you hope to achieve as the it Award winner?  Be as specific as possible.
3. To help paint the picture of how your organization makes a difference in people’s lives, give an example of a real-life success story that your organization made happen. We’re looking for powerful anecdotes that illustrate your work.
4. Please copy and paste a testimonial about your organization and its work from a beneficiary or non-member of your organization. You may also email it to itaward@cfoxcommunications.com with “Testimonial” and your organization name in the subject line. Video testimonials are also welcome.
5. Why should C.Fox Communications pick your organization to be the it Award recipient?
6. How will you address your communications needs if you don’t win this award?

 

 

Gratitude.

Earlier this week, I received a note from a client with a one word subject line: gratitude.

I can’t remember what I was doing at the time, but I know I stopped to read her email. She was offering her thanks for a recent lunch, but she left me feeling like the thankful one. The word kept circling in my mind for the rest of the day, and I started to think about all that I have to be grateful for, especially at the close of this year.

As we round out our seventh year at C.Fox Communications, I simply want to offer my gratitude for all of the people who made an impact on our agency this year.

2011 was one of significant growth for us—a situation that I very much recognize was not the norm, and I shall never take for granted how special that is. We made some very special hires, worked on some fascinating projects, launched a fellowship program with American University, won some remarkable clients, doubled our office footprint in Silver Spring; set up a second office in D.C. and still awarded over $30,000 in pro bono services.

I owe significant thanks to our clients for letting us play a part in their successes of this past year. I owe thanks to my staff for believing as much as I do that ‘inspired’ work begets good work, and I owe thanks to our friend and colleague Don Foley for joining our team this year—marking one of the most special moments of my professional career.

One of my more favorite Steve Jobs quotes is this one… “The only way to do great work is to love what you do...If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

We love what we do, and we’re pretty sure it shows. So, with my gratitude, thanks for letting us be a part of your story.

Photoshop Basics Part 1: Creating a custom profile image for your Facebook page

Profile images for your Facebook page can be so much more than just a company logo. The profile picture of a Facebook fan page can be maximum 180 by 540 pixels, so get creative with that valuable real estate! Here is part one of a two-part video tutorial on how to use Photoshop to create a custom profile image for your Facebook page. Stay tuned for Part 2!