September 2009: Social Media 101

OOMPH: Are your clients asking about social media?

JON PACKER: Yes, we’ve gone from clients saying: “my daughter uses Facebook”, to: “we should be doing something - but we don’t know what”.

OOMPH: What do they want to know?

JON: 1. “What is social media?” “Is this something we should be doing?”
2. “How does it fit into our overall marketing mix and how do we budget for it?”
3. “Who is reading this stuff?” Our answer: “A lot more of the people you care about than you realize…”

OOMPH: What do you tell them?

JON: As with any other marketing tool we start by asking “what are you trying to achieve” and “what are you trying to say?” There can be many applications of social media depending on the client’s objectives and program.

The most successful marketing programs are those that integrate a variety of media. Social media is one more tool in the toolbox and has to, at the very least, be a part of the discussion.

OOMPH: What do you need to take into account when introducing social media to clients?

JON: You need to progress gradually, take a few steps, evaluate, and then build up over time. Above all, you need to make sure you don’t get too far from your client’s comfort level – you can’t be too far from where they and their clients are.

OOMPH: Another area unique to social media is the conversational aspect.

JON: We help clients decide on the kind ‘voice’ or ‘tone’ they want to adopt in their interactions. We also explain and prepare them for the fact that social media is a two-way street and they need to be ready to hear what their audience is saying. One great benefit is that you can proactively - and quickly - correct erroneous information.

OOMPH: What other factors need to be addressed when designing a social media program for clients?

JON: Two important issues that are connected are those of responsibility and time management, as some social media programs can be time consuming. Who will handle ongoing interactions on Facebook and LinkedIn? Who will be in charge of Tweeting and blogging? At present, we set the system up and we do the work for clients, but we always want to ensure the integrity of the client conversation.

OOMPH: What percentage of the projects and marketing campaigns you execute now have a social media component?

JON: The percentage is increasing. We did our first campaign 1.5 years ago and we now have multiple programs on the go, with more in the works.

OOMPH: Are clients favouring social media over other tactics?

JON: No, we haven’t found that clients want less or fewer traditional tactics. It’s more that social media is now a part of the mix.

OOMPH: Where does blogging fit in? Are you blogging on behalf of clients?

JON: No, we’re not currently, because blogging needs to be authentic and from the clients true perspective, However, we do Tweet and update Facebook pages for clients, and of course this is an evolving practice area so we are going to continue to see change in how this is done.

OOMPH: What advice do you provide clients who wish to blog?

JON: We tell them they need to designate ‘official’ bloggers, set standards, guidelines and protocols, and provide training. They should also take some time to familiarize themselves with the blogging process.

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OOMPH: Your clients cover a wide range from architectural firms to real estate developers as well as mass market consumer goods. Do you use social media for all or just for certain types of clients and projects?

JON: Although it’s applicable to most types of projects, at the moment we’re using it mainly for certain types of clients, again based on their audience and marketing goals.

OOMPH: Let’s talk about social media and professional firms. If the principal of a law, accounting or engineering firm comes to you because they wish to enhance their profile to support business development or make headway in a new market, what would a campaign look like?

JON: Social media provides professional firms with an opportunity to demonstrate their values and expertise. Firms need to be careful that blogging and other social media interactions do not breach privacy or confidentiality, but it can be a valid forum for public discourse on the issues of the day.

OOMPH: Are you doing regular news releases and social media releases or just one or the other?

JON: We are doing fewer regular releases and more social media releases. The reason is that traditional releases are one block of text with information, whereas with social media releases you can audio, video, graphics and images - a whole array of assets in one place.

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OOMPH: Any other changes in how you conduct your PR campaigns?

JON: Yes, we are now pitching journalists on a more select basis and tailoring our pitches far more than ever before. With all the changes taking place, we are helping our clients rethink what their PR agency does.

As well, we have now appointed a social media account manager. The first thing she’s been doing is creating a ‘Social Media 101’ workshop for clients. This helps us work with clients to help them understand the fast moving worlds of social media communications, to then better identity how it might work for them.

OOMPH: Any other new media tactics or developments you are excited about?

JON: Yes, phone apps! They’re a great marketing and relationship enhancing tool and we’re now developing a variety for several clients. The mobile device has really become the essential communications tool and so we are going to see more communication built around this use. It may not be what PR was but it is certainly a significant part of the future!

Learn more about social media and get step-by-step directions on how to use it by enrolling in "Using Social Media, Blogs, Direct Mail, Public Speaking and PR to Promote Your Firm". Details here

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Idea Workshop represents the new face of media and public relations. Independent, flexible and creative, they go beyond the traditional role of a public relations firm. A boutique agency but with full service capabilities, Idea Workshop pro-actively creates and implements original, detailed programs with a different kind of thinking.

Working closely with a select group of prominent private and public companies, and with a particular strength among the design and creative communities, Idea Workshop undertakes to direct brand profiles, manage reputations, drive new business and support corporate objectives.

Always results driven and passionate in engaging media, the Idea Workshop difference is creative insight and meticulous execution that delivers MORE NEWS.

www.ideaworkshop.com

twitter.com/IdeaWorkshop

New Workshops: Getting a Handle on Your Website

Every time we conduct our popular programs 'Marketing your Firm' and 'Marketing in Tough Economic Times' we are surprised to see how many practitioners and small firms still don't have a website, or have one that is hopelessly out of date. This is a leftover from the days when companies first began setting up their sites, a process that used to be complicated, long-winded, and very expensive with even starter websites costing upwards of $4,000 and $5,000.

Today however, it is possible to get a website up and going for very little money and as quickly as in one afternoon, something many people still don't know. This is why we created 'Getting a Handle on Your Website'. The workshop launched to a sold-out audience on June 23 and was a big hit.

Besides providing an overview of all available website and content management options, the program also covers the most efficient and safest ways to register a domain and choose an e-mail and website host. A bonus chapter covers social media marketing and participants receive a $100 discount off the first year's fee of a Your Web Department website - a 20% reduction.

We're offering a workshop encore on October 14. Details here.

Oomph in the News

DesignEdge is tackling the recession in its September/October issue."Hang On!' includes tips by Oomph President Johanna Hoffmann. Read the story here.