PR doesn’t understand the internet

PRs, I love you, but you still don’t understand the internet. I don’t mean in the way that my mum doesn’t understand the internet, but basic stuff like Google.

A few years ago we worked with a national newspaper to get a write up on a client, this included that all important link from the publication’s website to the client’s website. Links are good right? Between patting ourselves on the back I called the client

Me: “We got [national newspaper] to write about you and they linked to your site!”

Client: “Meh. Yeah we only got about two traffic referrals from the article so big whoop. BTW I just spoke to our SEO agency, could you instead get us coverage from [other major news site] and [another niche site]?”

After smashing the phone in frustration while dying a little inside hanging up I decided to call my client’s Search agency. SEO is considered as evil, if not more so, than PR. I didn’t know what to expect but here’s how it went…

Me: “We do PR for CLIENT and I need to know what you need us to know”

SEO: “Wow! Thanks for calling! It’s so great to hear from a client’s PR agency. You guys do great work which is very valuable to us.”

The internet: Revolutionary but not evolutionary

I’m sorry -  Great work? Valuable? The SEO agency went further than stroking our egos. They sent over a list of the top sites, ranked in order of importance, where it was important for our client to be mentioned or linked from. They also sent us a list of keywords we should be including in all campaign activity and offered to check over press releases and make sure they were optimised.

Basically they’d handed me an online media target list, tweaked our messaging, and profiled our target audience in some detail. And they weren’t just being nice [Incidentally they were nice but were mainly giving me the info to support their work].

That’s when I realised that for all my lofty ideals about social media and communities, influencers and engagement; I didn’t really know how the internet really worked, yet I was trying to harness it for clients.

At the heart of this point is Search, but also the ways people use the web to collate and share information once they’ve found it, and online purchasing processes where E-Commerce is in place.

Nothing illustrated more to me recently that PRs still don’t get important concepts like Search more than a recent PR week debate around SMNRs [SMRs. Worth they paper they're printed on?]

Some PRs were talking about SMNRs as if they were just a paper press release on the internet. Many looked at it with an old PR mentality without considering how they might be part of a wider online marketing mix. Of the six opinions captured, and a host of comments, only a few showed an understanding of how an optimized and online release might fit with new PR methodology (Adam Zand, Ian McKee, Mark O’Toole, Ann Krauss – you stood out to me).

Yeah, yeah, I’m no expert but I have tried to broaden my knowledge of the web and internet marketing over the years.

What I know now can still only fill the back of  a napkin but here it is:

1. When PR and SEO aligns they maximise each other’s value
2. PR actually creates content (great for Organic vs. Paid Search) which is beneficial online over time -  not just the duration of an Adwords campaign
3. The internet is tracking lots of useful stuff, go find and use that data
4. Social media activity can work with online sales [Just don't use it as the only yard-stick. More to come on measurement]
5. Most social features aren’t just ‘nice to have’ web add-ons but powerful tools which serve important functions
6. Knowing how to do even a basic Boolean Search has to be learnt I’m afraid
7. There’s usually a tool, service, or application that can make your job easier. Example: Nobody has to read 50 blog posts a day, use an RSS reader people! (I’m not joking it still kills me how many PRs don’t know about this) Paid or free,  9 times out of 10 there is a tool you could be using – and where there isn’t, well, you might have identified a potential revenue stream by creating it and reselling to others

Who could fix this?

1. Agencies: Invest in extensive internal education. Don’t stop there, create partnerships with specialist service providers who complement your expertise
2. In-house: Internally, make sure you’re working with your web team. Externally, connect relevant agencies to work together

SOLUTION? Gone are the days of keeping everyone in their boxes. If we’re going to benefit from everything the internet has to offer, we have to use everything the internet has to offer.

Crib notes:

• At a minimum PR and SEO should be working together
• The data’s out there somewhere. Find it and use it
• The web’s  a wonderful place, your PR team’s knowledge should reflect that
• You can’t do it all on your own: use good tools and work with good people

Image: ChrisL_AK

Well, that’s what I always tell PRs when I run training sessions. Why? Because I find it impossible to explain to twitter newbies exactly how and when it *might* be OK to do so. But am I too hardline?

Maybe.

I mean when I run training sessions most people are new to Twitter full stop, forget the marketing applications (ick) of the service. But could PRs have an authentic and relevant conversation about a client on Twitter? Hmmm…

Willing to accept I am not the Social Media equivalent of a Delphi Priestess I instead asked some of my on- and offline writing contacts to “B*tch about the Twitter Pitch”. Over to them……

The majority said:
“Not at all” or “Not unless I know you”“

However some pointed out that if you know eachother, you already know how they prefer to be pitched, and would have their email/phone contacts to do so.

Of those who were fine with it (and I’m not listing their names to avoid them getting inundated) they advised:

• DM’s preferable
• Further to the above, ONE DM ONLY, preferably with a link to further info
• Once you’ve said it,  then leave it with them, don’t pester
• Relevancy is still important! Don’t just pitch them because they have a lot of followers…
• Works best if you can see they’re online and having a relevant conversation, otherwise email would be better

In general Twitter feels quite personal to people, they would prefer for you not to try and start a “business” conversation with them unless they open themselves up to it, for example with a request for information via Twitter.

Oh, and most said the personal nature of Twitter went double for Facebook. So don’t switch your pitch to there.

Good luck out there.

Having friends helps

The Groove Armada and Bacardi partnership announced last year was significant and heralded a new era of commercial partnerships with content creators, not just for the music industry. So is their first digital output, a music distribution platform called Bliveshare, going to set the world on fire?

Well, I see a number of challenges:

• It’s “another music sharing platform”
• Last.fm…
• Heavily reliant on sharing i.e. recruiting friends
• Sharing mechanic is simplified but not neccessarily easy to action (you have a bespoke URL you email/blog/add to your facebook profile)
• Online sharing & recommendations is about interacting with people of shared interests, not just sharing with people you already know
• You have to keep on giving to keep getting
• It doesn’t grab interest immediately as you have to wait for other people to take action (either my friends hate me or they are fed up with me sending them invites to stuff)

But it’s got some things going for it:

• Groove Armada
• Groove Armada’s fans
• If it works and attracts the kind of interest needed to make it a success then the potential is huge

I really want this partnership to succeed and good use of Social Media will be critical in my view. I couldn’t find many online reviews of the service – what do other people think of it?

Check out this useful video from RealWire (formerly webitpr, I love the new name). Perfect intro to Social Media and word-of-mouth, I’ll be including in training sessions for newbies definitely. 

Alpacas. The new LOL cats?

Kerry has started a meme to share resolutions for social media and digital blah in 2009. Ordinarily I probably just wouldn’t do it but then that’s already…

…My 1st Resolution: Enjoy doing more of the fun stuff on the web and less o’ the work side

My 2nd Resolution: Give up explaining why I use Twitter to non-users. Like with everything else just try it yourself and decide

My 3rd Resolution: Bother to show my friends more of the cool/useful stuff on the web. This will help with my 1st Resolution

My 4th Resolution: Express my opinion more even if it’s *shock horror* a tad negative. As a PR you can get a little paranoid that a) you are creating a problem for another PR b) will never work in this town again

My 5th Resolution: Trim out people in my communities who are unpleasant about PRs. Yes, we make mistakes but there should still be space for people to mess up without all this stoopid ‘naming and shaming’. Personal attacks on, quite often, junior people just starting out in their careers and following instructions, are rubbish. This includes PRs who are quick to cannibalise each other.

Could I suggest we spend 2009 victimising call centre support staff instead? Let’s face it everyone gets fed up with customer service, we’ll never find out their real names and we might  get some vouchers from ranting.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In line with 1st Resolution going to tag some non-marketers to see what they’re planning. Over to you Jess, Stuart, Steve, Leila and Ferdy

Sharing is caring

Something I like about working  in this industry is that PR & Marketing agencies, who traditionally are a tad competitive and protective about IP, suddenly get great at sharing knowledge when it comes to social media.

The concept Wikinomics explains the business benefits of mass collaboration and if you’re one of the agencies still not open to the idea of sharing anything at all, then read it.  Here’s a round-up of some of my favourite resources on the web. In the spirit of sharing what’s your favourites?

• Nixon McInnes eBooks: Currently  7 chapters in their series “A marketers guide to Social Media”

• iCrossing eBooks: 2006′s “What is Social Media” is still relevant for newbies and they recently added “Brands in Networks”

• Fallon Brainfood: Planners from the award winning agency have a monthly lunch and the fruits of their thinking have been shared; from live tweeting, to video and slidecasts

• SEO Chicks’ “How to lists”: Not just Search tips

• PNeo introduction to Online PR: Every single post full of “how to” and “what is” explanatory goodness

• Immediate Future Social Media Glossary: Even if you know your “above the fold” to your “XML“  you might still want to point colleagues and clients here to brush up

• e-consultancy: Not an agency but my ultimate go-to destination for useful information

• TED: Again, not an agency, but worth mentioning. The inspiring talks covering technology, entertainment and design are of interest for anyone in business or education

I’d also like to include a couple of my clients who have created some useful resources themselves.

FRUKT, the music and branding experts, recently began a series of talks called the ‘FRUKT Sessions’. The slidecasts from their 2nd event are here and I’d love to hear your feedback.

Don’t forget Attentio’s free blog topic trend tool, Trendpedia, and they now have a series of whitepapers about social media and industry specific trends.

The clever folks at Ogilvy have set up a YouTube channel with videos advising on brand utilisation of social media.

It’s only two weeks young but they already have interviews with Google and other digital experts in the Asia Pacific region.

Nice to see they get the community side of YouTube, favouriting a slightly odd “social media addiction rap” vid as well.

[Via Andrew Pascoe]

Some brands just aren’t ready, and may not have the corporate cultural, to really do something different. This particularly applies in the social media space where not every brand is ready to engage. The most important thing is to fit the strategy to the client’s need. Each campaign should be tailored.

And my top tip for clients? Treat your agency as an extension of your team – work with them in an open, positive and constructive way and they’ll go the extra mile.

[Via Shiny Red]