Photo from: ereleases.com

I attended a meeting on Monday – a convening of 14 co-grantees of The Colorado Trust all working toward the common goal of improving access to health care for Coloradans. During this convening, we shared strategies and tactics, successes and challenges – and discussed ways we could be more effective in our efforts. One of the biggest themes of the day was the importance of storytelling – and how it can make abstract topics (such as health care) concrete and relevant to your audiences.

Now, it may seem fairly basic, but the conversation served to remind and reinforce for me our role as storytellers in PR. It can be easy to get caught up in statistics, survey results, product features and the like – and those are all important pieces of the puzzle. However, when we can engage our audiences through stories that they can relate to – that is when we really hook them.

Back to my access to care example – people’s eyes have a tendency to glaze over a bit when you start to talk to them about health care and health care policy. Goodness knows it’s a complicated and confusing topic – even for people who are close to it. But when you start to talk about the mom who had to choose between diabetes medication for herself and health insurance for her teenage son – the abstract becomes real, and people can see themselves in the issues.

If you don’t naturally have a story – create one! Not in the sense of making up something that isn’t true – but in the sense of using your creativity to intrigue and emotionally connect with customers. One of my favorite GFM examples is an oldie but a goodie. It stems from a project we did several years ago with client Qdoba Mexican Grill called Q-dentity in which people were asked to take a short, fun personality quiz online to determine what their Mexican food preferences said about their personalities. Rolled out around Valentine’s Day, the campaign also revealed which Mexican food personality types were most compatible with one another. The campaign generated tremendous awareness and engagement for the client, achieving its goals of attracting the attention of new customers while building loyalty within Qdoba’s existing customer base.

My colleague Jon Woods recently blogged about a more recent example of using storytelling to connect with customers – Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches. Infinitely more powerful than simply citing the benefits of using Dove, the Real Beauty Sketches spoke on a deep level to women everywhere – resulting in more than 10 million views in just five days!

The best news is, thanks to social media and content marketing, we have more ways now than ever before to get our stories out there to audiences that matter to our clients. So, whether it’s through traditional media outreach or videos, infographics social media, etc. – true and lasting connections with our audiences are only an engaging story away.

In times like these, it’s good to have some simple strategies in your back pocket to keep your social media fresh (think of it as spring cleaning for your platforms). We’ve pulled a few lists of quick tips that will help keep your communities thriving while you manage the hundreds of other happenings in your professional and personal life. And most importantly, we hope you can enjoy some much-needed offline time this Memorial Day weekend!

Strategy

PR Daily: 12 quotations to guide your online strategy
Need a little late-week inspiration for your social media strategy? Check out these smart quotes from leaders across all decades and industries. One of our favorites comes from Charles Leadbeater: “You are what you share.” You can’t argue with that when it comes to social media.

Facebook:

Social Media Examiner: 11 Checks To Ensure Your Facebook Page is Up To Date
It’s exhausting trying to keep up with the constant changes to Facebook. To make sure your page is up to date, use this handy dandy guide of 11 checkpoints that will ensure your profile is optimized to its fullest.

Vine

Mashable: Vine: 12 Ways to Make Your Videos Stand Out
When it comes to Vines (the six second videos that you can create on the Vine mobile app), there are two types of outcomes: really good vines or really bad vines. If you’re looking to integrate these bite-sized videos into your marketing content (which you should!), make sure to review these 12 tips before you start.

Blogging

Social Media Today: 6 Reasons Your Blog Content Won’t Go Viral
Every brand, CMO, and social media manager wants his or her content to go viral – especially blog posts. Yet, few ever experience this phenomenon…and for a good reason. To increase your chances of getting more eyeballs on your blog content, click this link. While some of these tips may seem obvious, we see lots of companies missing these opportunities!

Gadgets

Market Watch: Best Summer Travel Apps for 2013
And finally, if you’re hitting the road this weekend, check out the best summer travel apps for 2013. Personally, we use Wi-Fi Finder constantly to seek out free Internet service wherever we are (must be connected at all times!).

What GFM Blogged About This Week…

Social Media & Mobile Device Habits at GFM

Yes, my iPhone. I didn’t bother with my wallet, ID or anything else. In a fire we now know that I would take my iPhone. Frightening? Maybe, but my husband wasn’t surprised in the least.

So I decided to have some Friday fun with the GFM employees as well and sent out an internal survey to learn a little more about everyone’s social media and mobile device usage habits. Our secrets are exposed below.

We did also ask everyone what social media sites they check before even getting out of bed in the morning. Facebook won with 35.3 percent, however, the majority of our team is able to hold off on posts and tweets until they have at least gotten up to shower. As you can imagine, I am not one of them. Have you seen this clip of Tom on Parks & Recreation when he cannot use his cell phone? That’s me (and Jon Woods and Jim Licko too).

Play along and let us know where you fall on the spectrum! Do you grab your iPhone as soon as your eyes open every morning or have you found a way to shut down from time to time? We’d love to hear from you.

~Alexis Anderson - Self-admitted iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare fanatic

Social Networks for B2B

Search Engine Watch – Which Social Network is Best for B2B Marketing?
We get this question a lot from companies and nonprofits that work in the business-to-business (B2B) space and feel like they’re missing out on social media opportunities. We like the way this article breaks down the pros and cons of multiple platforms as they specifically relate to the B2B world. No surprise, LinkedIn is the clear favorite.

Social Media Strategy

PR Daily – 8 Steps to “Tool Agnostic” Social Media Strategy [INFOGRAPHIC]
Brands are constantly looking for step-by-step methods for approaching social media strategy. The problem is, we know that no two brands are the same, and no two approaches to social media should be the same. This infographic, however, covers many of the “must do’s” in our minds when it comes to setting your company up for success.

Mobile

ReadWrite – The Numbers are Clear: Mobile is Taking Over the World
We’re all guilty of it: coming up with solid social media strategies and tactics, but making a fatal mistake early on in the process – failing to consider mobile. 13% of all Internet traffic comes from mobile devices. Don’t forget to factor in how, and where, your audiences are connecting with you. They’re probably not in front of their computer screen as often as you think.

Google+

The Verge – Google+ Completely Redesigned
If a post is made on Google+ and no one is there to see it, was a post ever made? Many people joke about Google+’s value, but one thing is clear: it has huge potential for your search engine optimization (SEO.) And we like what we’re seeing with the innovative new redesign and features (automatic photo enhancements? Yes, please.)

Vine

Ad Age – Ryan Gosling will Eat His Cereal, but Only if its Cap’N Crunch
We like to include reads about social media news and strategies in this email rather than “viral” sensations. However, in some cases, news and strategy can’t top creativity. How do you make something go viral? There isn’t a blueprint, but it typically starts with an original and creative idea.

What GFM Blogged About This Week…

Yelp Tips Help Business Owners Navigate Review Sites
Maximizing Media Partnerships – How to create effective partnerships

We asked our friends Tiffany Nieslanik, Yelp Regional Director – West, and Frances Grinsfelder, Denver Yelp Community Manager, to provide some of their best tips to help navigate reviews:

Q: What are the top three tips/steps you recommend to a business owner who comes across a negative review of their product/location/service?

A:

1. First, take a deep breath. Negative reviews can feel like a punch in the gut because we care so much about our businesses, but keep in mind that this is a paying customer offering feedback. Take time to cool down before responding to a review.
2. Second, keep it simple by just thanking the customer for their business and the feedback. Be careful with your wording here; it’s best to respond diplomatically and drop any defensive or disingenuous tones.
3. Third, if you can, be specific about addressing concerns or changes made since the review. This step can go a long way toward earning the trust of a customer.

Q: What is the potential impact of one negative review? Should business owners worry about one – or is there a “tipping point” at which you recommend they should become concerned and begin to take action?

A: You should always take any individual perspective with a grain of salt. After all, no one can please all of the people all of the time. What most users are looking for is a pattern (e.g., the bread is always stale, the employees are frequently rude, etc.) and that’s probably a good thing for owners to look for as well so you can address any recurring concerns for the business.

Q: Are all reviews created equal – or can two reviews with the same star rating be interpreted differently depending upon the profile of the reviewer?

A: Because Yelp is also a community-driven site, we have many users that have a full and vibrant profile that offers a snapshot of their interests. We also have users that have a rich history of reviews that offer a glimpse into their likes and dislikes. For those reasons, the profile of the reviewer can play a part in the trust levels of some readers. However, two reviews with the same star rating can be interpreted differently based on the profile of the reader as well because the content of the review can have more of an impact than the individual star ratings for a reader. For example, if I really hate truffles but someone has given a 5-star rave review because of the use of truffles in every dish I probably wouldn’t want to try that restaurant.

Q: What are the top three tips/steps you recommend a business owner whose business is poorly rated take to try to improve their company’s rating?

A:

1. First, get into the conversation. A simple thanks for the feedback goes a long way toward establishing a relationship with a customer, whether their feedback is good, bad, or neutral.
2. Secondly, the reviewers are paying customers offering feedback. If there is a negative trend of something that you can address, consider how you can address the issue to improve the overall experience. And, don’t forget to use public and private messaging to let them know something has changed.
3. Finally, take advantage of all the tools Yelp offers business owners. From free tools such as creating check-in offers and viewing your business trends to paid search advertising, onsite or on mobile, there are a plethora of options to drive more locals to your business each day.

Oftentimes, the story angle that first hooked the media as a partner, such as exclusive interview access or news coverage can eclipse the overall story you may want to share, such as a business growth or economic impact story. Helping reporters to avoid shiny objects and share a more complete picture of your news is the art of maximizing media partnerships.

A few considerations as you pursue media partnerships.

1. Big Picture: Does your news represent the full story or do you need to help reporters connect the dots about how this news reinforces a larger trend? In the case of a merger announcement, is the acquisition the primary focus or could it be considered a proof point of a larger initiative or market opportunity?
2. Local Angle: Have you considered any local or community angles to your news as it’s being announced? For example, if your news is the announcement of a World Cup sporting event, could that information be brought to life with additional details about local athletes who may be eligible to compete?
3. Historic Impact: As you announce your news can you place it in historical context to establish community connections and continuity as part of the story? If your news is about access to new technology in rural communities, could you round out media coverage by providing historical statistics and information about how things were accomplished previously?
4. Visual Storytelling: Exclusive interviews often standalone as news, but incorporating visuals or sharing ideas for reporters to engage photographers or the online video team may help to create a more complete picture of the news. If your news is about a neighborhood rehabilitation project, could you share before and after photos of community landmarks?
5. Youth Perspective: As adults, we may think we know it all, but truth be told, children have a unique perspective that can often uncover the true essence of complex issues much more easily than adults. Consider incorporating insights on your news from kids – this is particularly poignant when you think of elections as children do not have a formal voice, but the outcomes may impact their futures for years to come.

Take the time at the outset of any media partnership to consider your news from these alternate perspectives to ensure you share a complete story that resonates with a wider audience and delivers on your overall communications goals.

Media darling for a day is great – for a week or month is even better!

photo credit: Alfonsina Blyde » via photopin cc

In the world of PR, the discussion has been taking place in client meetings and communications planning sessions for several years. Still, it remains unclear whether the industry has placed its bets on either model just yet.

Peter Thiel, however, has.

The PayPal co-founder and online trendsetter added fuel to that particular fire at a recent press conference when he declared that Twitter will outlast The New York Times. Thiel contended that “Twitter’s roughly 1,000 employees will have jobs a decade from now,” while Times’ journalists should be worried about their jobs because the newspaper “is not guaranteed a future in the digital age.”

Read more about it Ragan’s PR Daily.

Social Media

Buffer: The 7 most interesting social media studies and what to learn from them
This story is a summary of some of the most insightful social media studies to date and what we can take away from their findings. From the shelf life of social media posts, to the best times to post on all platforms, there is a ton of great info within.

Facebook/SEO

Search Engine Land: Optimizing for Facebook Graph Search: SEO Meets Social
Facebook Graph Search continues to slowly roll out to the platform’s users after it was announced in January. While it is not yet clear how big of an effect the functionality will have, this story does a good job of highlighting some ways that brands and marketers can potentially take advantage.

LinkedIn

paidContent: LinkedIn continues its evolution as a media entity with the launch of magazine-style news channels
LinkedIn is making a real push to turn the platform into a bona fide media outlet and in turn professionals are spending more and more time on the platform. If this very valuable segment of the population is a potential target for your brand, it’s likely time to make LinkedIn a part of your content strategy.

Google+

The Verge: Google+ Hangouts updated with live rewind and instant replay
New updates to the Google+ Hangouts functionality make it even easier to create relevant, real-time discussions that can live on forever with automatically created content. There’s no better way to engage with your most passionate brand fans.

Pinterest

Social Media Examiner: How to Use Pinterest Analytics: 6 Metrics Worth Measuring
Pinterest analytics have only been available for a few months, but they give users some great insights into the effectiveness of the platform and the content pinned therein. This story walks through the six metrics to analyze first. If you haven’t already, verify your website and start digging in.

What GFM Blogged About This Week…

What Print’s Slow Transition to Digital Means for PR
How to choose (and work with) a PR firm

Do you have the time or resources to manage, or hire a manager of your communications efforts?

Startup companies have a lot on their plates, and typically with a minimal staff. Functions like managing sales channels, materials/inventory, HR and financials rightfully take up a majority of those resources. But that also means marketing and communications frequently get pushed to the backburner and become an afterthought. The right PR firm, with the right experience and contacts, can be an extension of your internal team, and one that doesn’t require the cost and risk of making a new hire. Additionally, if you’re hiring a firm you’re getting a team of communications pros (in GFM’s case, an extremely experienced team). The power of group thinking is tremendously valuable.

Added bonuses: There are firms that don’t require retainers or monthly minimums, which means you have the luxury of being able to ramp your marketing and communications efforts up or down depending on what is going on organizationally. Ask around to see if the firm you’re considering will use your resources when you need them most.

Does the firm’s staff have the experience, knowledge and ability you’re looking for?

A firm that has solid media contacts is definitely an important consideration, but with the way newsrooms are changing and journalists and influencers are communicating, solid contacts are not the only benefit you gain from a PR firm. The right PR professionals will ask a LOT of questions to best understand your business, industry and audiences/customers (even if they have prior experience in your industry). Then they can uncover the stories and benefits that matter to your audiences and find the strategic channels to deliver those messages (a press release is never the only answer at GFM) – the channels that will actually deliver tangible organizational goals.

Speaking of organizational goals…what are you trying to achieve? 

This is probably the first, and most important question to ask. In the Digital Age we live in, measuring success can be more than confusing. Long gone are the days of measuring PR by impressions or eyeballs. Understanding what you really need (website traffic, media relations, issues management, brand awareness, data visualization, SEO, community connections, etc.) will not only help you choose the right firm that can deliver on those needs, but will also help you avoid paying for results that have little value for your dollar.

Ultimately, if you’re thinking about hiring a PR firm, do your homework. The true experts in the communications industry can provide value for a startup company that goes way beyond a front-page story.

For the world of PR, the figures released Wednesday by the Alliance for Audited Media means that our industry can still try to pitch news outlets with more of a focus on digital editions, but probably with the same limited success.

A couple of points about the ongoing digital shift and what it means to PR:

• Put the term “newspaper clipping services” into the time capsule, along with fax machines and press conferences;

• More news sites will set up pay walls instead of giving away news for free, making it harder to track news subjects and specific reporters;

• Competing sites will figure out how to offer news products free, without the overhead of newsroom, and that will open up more outlets for PR;

• USA Today, long seen as the gold standard for the future of journalism, might need to reinvent how to sell its product;

• PR will continue struggle to show results, primarily quality versus quantity in terms of media results based on number of eyeballs.

Read more at Ragan’s PRDaily.