Social Media, Kevin Bacon and You

1. Social Media, Kevin Bacon and You April 20, 2012

2. Presentation Agenda • Gain an understanding of what journalists are looking for in a good news story • Applying social media to your marketing mix • And leveraging social media channels to extend the reach of your PR • Crafting a useful PR message and then approaching local or national media with a PR opportunity • Increasing the value of news coverage that your company has already received

3. How do I engage the business media? • Newsrooms are more stressed than ever • There are fewer journalists today and they have more ground to cover • More freelancers, and more contributed articles than ever before • And in the B-2-B world, publications are more specialized than ever • This is an opportunity for you, the specialist • Journalists need to serve their readers • Articles should inform and engage their readers; must be relevant to the audience • Articles should offer demonstrable business value • Problem-and-solution case studies always popular • Ask about receptivity to a “by-lined article submission”

4. Business Prospects Are Still Tough… Consumer confidence is coming back… And restaurant operators are breathing easier as customers gradually return.

5. What Can You Do? • Keep it lean • Make strategic investments • Hope your marketing plan works • Pray for an Obama miracle • And/Or...

6. Do the Hustle – And Be Smart About Social Media • “When marketers were asked how effectively social media is being integrated into their marketing strategy, on a scale of 1 to 7 from worst to best, the mean score was 1.9, down from 2.0 the year before. The conclusion is that marketers are nowhere near closing this integration gap.”Duke University CMO Survey (conducted in 2/12)

7. Seriously? Social Media for Business? Social Media is great for… • A great way to find your doppleganger? • A tool for sharing LOLcats pictures? • A sweet place for a high school reunion? • A twisted plot to make you sound ridiculous (aka “Yesterday I tweeted on Twitter”)

8. More than Just Facebook • Survey of business journalists looking at the influence of social media on stories published via more traditional media channels.

9. The Social Media Universe Source: Brian Solis of PR 2.0

10. The Kevin Bacon Effect • Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon • Why does the game work? Kevin Bacon works. A lot. Seriously. • Why is Kevin Bacon so popular? He gets and gives good work. • SixDegrees.org - $3.8 M in donations to date

11. Bacon Bits • “The business that people do in LA on the social level is amazing. You go to a restaurant, bump into this guy or that guy. The next day you get a call, and they want you in their movie.”

12. Being the Bacon:5 Major Social Media Platforms • LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com • Facebook- www.facebook.com • YouTube - www.youtube.com • Blogs - www.wordpress.com, www.movabletype.com, www.blogger.com • Twitter - www.twitter.com • Pinterest - Not ready for primetime (at least here in the U.S.)

13. Which Social Connection is Right for My Business? • Sometimes even Facebook is not the right place to be • Although, recent Facebook changes are making it more brand-valuable with its new Timeline feature. • And Facebook has SEO linking aspects. • And there are a lot of tools that enable you to manage multiple channels efficiently

14. Which Social Connection is Right for My Business? • It starts with your marketing objectives. Do you want to… • Raise awareness of your brand? • Drive qualified traffic to your website? • Differentiate your position in the market? • Generate leads? • Go where the customers are. • If Facebook doesn’t deliver leads, skip it. • Focus your resources on two or three core platforms and build out from there.

15. LinkedIn: Who’s In Your Six Degrees? • What it isTechnically, “LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals. • LinkedIn has over 150 million members in over 200 countries. • Two new members join LinkedIn per second, and about 60% of all members are outside the U.S. • More than 2 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages • Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members.” Source: LinkedIn Website

16. LinkedIn: Who’s In Your Six Degrees? Tips: Dos, Don’ts, Suggestions • Do create a complete and professional profile, including a quality headshot. • Develop a bio that’s more concise than a typical resume, but just as compelling. • Don’t get too cute or casual. That’s Facebook territory. • Do research and join groups. This is where much of the best networking is done. • Do update your status and take advantage of apps like Slideshare. • Let people know what you’re working on and what you’ve been reading. • Ask your colleagues and friends for professional recommendations. • Add connections, see results.LinkedIn is strictly professional.

17. Bacon Bits • “I was walking up the beach in Willowbridge, the British West Indies on Christmas Eve and saw this guy who I know peripherally. He’s not in the film industry, but in Philadelphia real estate or something like that. He said, `They sent me this script and asked me to invest in it` and told me there was another actor involved. That`s all he said. He told me to take a look at it and let him know if it was a good investment…I got home on January 2nd or 3rd and it was sitting there. I picked it up and read it and… I put it down and knew that it was probably going to be my next movie.”

18. Facebook: More than a Class Reunion Tips: Dos, Don’ts, Suggestions • Learn how to properly use your privacy settings. If you don’t want to put your career on the line, either keep things entirely professional (hard) or tightly control access to your profile. • Don’t accept friend requests lightly. Learn to use the “hide feed” function. • Do use FB to reconnect with old friends, let people know you’re looking for gigs, and to join groups for networking. • Do let your FB friends know you talk about business at LinkedIn. • Do incorporate your Twitter feeds into your FB account. • Even with a more professional FB presence, the tone is far more conversational. A sense of humor is required. Grow your network by participating and being interesting. “Always be closing” does not apply here. At all. If you need a biz cliche, try “dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Play nice. Instant karma is for real in the social media world. No dumb quizzes, no Gang Wars when $ is on the line.

19. Twitter: Dumb Brand Name, Big Impact • What the heck is Twitter?It’s an abbreviated social messaging application, allowing people to send each other short 140 character messages, and share those message across their social network. • While it sounds like the type of application limited only to use by entertainers, sports stars and tech freaks with too much time on their hands, it can be very useful for the right user. Keeping things short and sweet also allows busy people to stay in touch without needing to pen an opus. • Why bother?- Key researchers, writers, media, professionals, recruiters and more are on Twitter, and the format invites easy interaction and low barriers to entry.@FCSI_Global or @fcsiamericas “Establish yourself as an expert in your field on Twitter. It’s important to note that you should not misrepresent yourself. If you’re not a medical doctor, don’t play one on Twitter. As those on Twitter become interested in your content, when employers are looking at you, you’ll have more than just your resume to back up your knowledge and experience.”Sarah Evans, Mashable

20. Twitter: Dumb Brand Name, Big Impact Tips: Dos, Don’ts, Suggestions If it’s available, get your own name. If it’s not, think of what your brand really is - @foodservicedesigner? @restaurantdesigner? Twitter only stinks if you follow lame people. Pick your Twitter friends wisely. Do a little research. Don’t spam and don’t post every five minutes. No one is that interesting. Upload a real, professional looking photo. This one’s not really negotiable. Tweet, follow, comment. You grow your network by participating. It’s 140 characters, but if you want people to pass it along, try 120. Keep it professional. Spelling, grammar still count. Own a space. Is there anyone out there who Tweets about your favorite niche in food service consulting? Companies use Twitter to find consultants for project work. Find them using Twitter Search. Yeah, the name is annoying. Nothing to be done.

21. Bacon Bits • “I think of myself more as a workhorse actor. It will be hot and cold and up and down, but no one will kick me out of the business.”

22. Blogging: Building Your Personal Brand Tips: Dos, Don’ts, Suggestions • The only rule that really matters: Be interesting. To readers and to yourself.Rely on tried and true blogging platforms with built in tools for sharing and optimization. • Don’t be overwhelmed by the idea of writing tons of content. Plan ahead for multiple postings, but short, concise posts on relevant news can be just as compelling. • Blogging can be free, even beautiful, professional looking blogs. • Social media is all about karma. Comment and you will be commented upon. Be courteous and professional and it will pay dividends. If it feels sketchy, don’t do it.

23. YouTube: Video Resumes • Succinct, professional, to the point, and compelling. Not too long, more of a highlight reel. • Pay attention to lighting, keep motion to a minimum • Test your audio levels, invest in a reasonable microphone • Dress as you would in any business meeting • Do several takes, choose the best one • Post files on YouTube, send link to prospects. Keep it customized.

24. Recap – Applying Social Media to Marketing • Social media is proving to be a bust for many small and mid-sized businesses. Why? It’s so easy… • They fail to convert on social media because they are not using it to build brand advocacy, or drive web traffic, or generate leads • They are not integrating their website and social media connections effectively • 74% of marketers found a substantial increase in website traffic with as little as 6 hrs per week invested in social media marketing (source – Social Media Examiner’s 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report) • They are not converting enough leads from social media • 63% of B2B businesses report they were not generating leads from social media (source – Hubspot 2011 study of 3000+ B2B companies) • Because their websites lacked a call to action

25. What do your Calls to Action look like? • Your website should at the very least offer a form that allows you to collect new leads • What are you offering people? • White paper • eBook • Free consultation • Demo • Webinar

26. What if I don’t have a Call to Action? • If you don’t have a call to action, then invite a response • Social connections should seek ways to start discussions • Try to end at least a quarter of your social network posts with questions • Remember that a critic is simply an advocate who hasn’t yet been convinced

27. Turning Your Work into PR Messages • Keep it simple • Case studies need distinctive sections • Situation/Problem, leading to Business Solution, leading to Call To Action (i.e., how to contact us) • A picture STILL tells a thousand words • Include visual examples of your work whenever possible • Print journalists need high resolution images (300 dpi) and online journalists prefer them too • Topics that resonate with media: New hires and promotions, new clients, industry awards, guest speakers, webinars If you want a case study template, ask us

28. Extending Your PR Message • After a press release goes out, you still have work to do • Post a link to your company’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages • Tweet it • Email the link to your media connections • Email it to your prospects and customers (do you have a company newsletter?) • Send it to PWMG so we can also help you get out the word • petew@pwmginc.com • marykay@pwmginc.com • Same rule applies to news articles you appear in…

29. Help Us Help You • Related to your involvement in FCSI-The Americas, we want to know: • What markets do you specialize in? • What work are you confident talking about? • Do you have any case studies that deserve the spotlight? • Have you completed all the information FCSI requests in your member profile? • What publications do you read? • What websites do you get value from?

30. Questions? • Time permitting… • petew@pwmginc.com • marykay@pwmginc.com

31. About the Presenter • Pete Wiltjer, Founder, the Pete Wiltjer Marketing Grouppetew@pwmginc.comLinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/companies/pete-wiltjer-marketing-group-pwmg-Twitter: @pwiltjer • For more than 17 years, Pete Wiltjer has served as a trusted marketing and public relations consultant to a variety of professional services companies and industry organizations, ranging from start-ups to billion-dollar conglomerates. Lately, he has seen many traditional companies seek help in leveraging social media as part of their sales, marketing and communications strategies. • Before forming the Pete Wiltjer Marketing Group, he was as a key member of the B2B practice at the Ruder-Finn Group, one of the world’s largest independent public relations agencies. • He has also managed marketing and communications for PLATINUM technology and a variety of not-for-profit technology industry associations on behalf of the association management firm SmithBucklin. • He began his career as a daily newspaper reporter in Indiana. Wiltjer earned a BA in Communications and Political Science from Valparaiso University. Wiltjer lives in Aurora,IL with his wife, two children and a dog.

32. Appendix • PWMG case study – applying social media to our company’s rebranding effort

33. Rebranding with Social Media • Situation Overview • 12/08: Economy in a tailspin • Companies scaling back marketing plans for 2009 • Idea: why not buy out business partner and rebrand the company?- Brilliant! - Scary!- Insane!

34. Why Do I Care? • Will it be a Gaper’s Delay or an interesting story?- Entrepreneur.com commits to monitoring rebrand with weekly updates- Online complement to Entrepreneur magazine- 7,000 daily visitors seeking advice on how to effectively start, grow and manage their small businesses

35. Telling the Story • Identify key messages for business • Get people to care(Or at least get people to watch) • Develop new logo • Develop online strategy-Build website-Launch blog-Get on Twitter-Refocus Facebook strategy-Update LinkedIn

36. Key Messages • For customers-Remove fear factor • For prospects-Reinforce experience-Explain approach to integrated, multi-channel marketing and communications-Incorporate social media into mix

37. Logo Development • Crowd sourcing test • Experience shows that graphic design process is still the same, except different • Guaranteed to get at least 25 responses • Designers learn about promotional efforts with Entrepreneur.com, flock to project • Drinking from a firehose • Received nearly 300 responses from 87 different designers in under a month

38. Online Strategy • Re-use as much content from old website as possible • Anchor social connections to home page and bio- Pros and cons of transparency- Rethinking social media strategy for business promotion- Figuring out how to use Twitter

39. Online Strategy • Keeping the blog fresh • ‘Old school’ email- To push readers back to website and blog • Analytics help you understand whether people care- Blog reader stats • URL shrinkers- Bit.ly- Bud.url- Tr.im