http://blog.onlinefire.co.uk/

uSocial media and politics: power to the people?

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0000

—Andrew Boyers

The General Election is unlikely to be dominated by social media, as it was in the 2008 American presidential election. It will, however, be the first in this country to be influenced by its presence. One only has point to Barack Obama’s success to see the benefits of using social media as a grassroots support tool. While millions of dollars were raised and on-the-ground activists united behind Obama, I did not detect much political discourse permeating through the official channels of his social media platforms. Arguably, the opposite is the case in the UK - little political online activity in this country is aimed at recruitment and fundraising. There are, however, a number of politicians and commentators who seek to communicate with voters and influence the political agenda through social media - @kerrymp, @torybear, and @campbellclaret, to name just three.

Indeed, both the major party leaders, David Cameron and Gordon Brown, have sought to harness social media with their own viral video efforts – Webcameron and the Number 10 YouTube channel – with debatable degrees of success.

It’s fair to say that politics and social media in the UK is still the preserve of a comparatively small group of people either inside the Westminster bubble itself, or those with a strong interest in what’s going on in the corridors of power.

However, discourse within that small group is having an impact on a wider scale – and much of that conversation is generated through social media. For example, many people will have seen the numerous parodies of the David Cameron ‘We can’t go on like this’ Tory posters generated by @mydavidcameron and documented in the wider press.

Even at this early stage of electioneering, political capital has been gained and lost by the major parties’ presence on social media and other users’ reactions to the parties.

This is only likely to intensify as the number of people interacting with politics via the Internet increases. Moving forward, social media avenues such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube will be vital to engaging with the electorate as a whole and in particular youth voters, a highly apathetic generation, according to a Guardian article.

So while we probably won’t see Gordon and David ditching their despatch boxes any time soon, it’s certainly worth noting that their stance and success are going to be increasingly influenced by online activity, starting with this year’s election.

This is the latest from our production team. We made this cheeky...

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:35:44 +0000

This is the latest from our production team. We made this cheeky little Paddy’s Day video for our sister agency, Eulogy!

How to Make a Baby Guinness on Vimeo (via Vimeo)

Opinion: #SaveBBC6Music?

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:44:41 +0000

—Rik Salmon

One of the biggest stories dominating the media over the past week has been the BBC Strategy Review and Director General Mark Thompson’s decision to shut down BBC 6 Music. For a nation of licence fee payers, it’s inevitable that any change to the structure of the BBC is greeted with a tide of reaction. While we are all entitled to voice our opinion, should we have any say in the way the BBC is actually run?

The BBC is one of Britain’s greatest remaining institutions, and is rightly respected the world over. But due to the unique way it is funded, it is faced with the impossible task of pleasing everybody all of the time. Many have viewed Thompson’s announcement as a pre-emptive measure in the face of the possible election of a Conservative government which, according to many, will continue to kowtow to Rupert Murdoch in exchange for the support of News International.

With Murdoch effectively dictating Conservative media policy for his own ends, the heat on the BBC could become almost unbearable in the wake of a Cameron government. Yes, there is without doubt a debate to be had about the way our licence fee is spent. But that debate should be led by the public, and not triggered by the demands of a commercial rival.

6 Music may cater to an audience of ‘only’ 700,000, but when it costs just £6m a year to run ( a mere 2% of the BBC’s total radio output) compared to the £100m that the terminally dire BBC Three haemorrhages, you have to wonder if it’s being held up as something of a sacrificial lamb. Is £6m really that much to the BBC in the overall scheme of things?

As you would expect of an audience of DAB listeners, fans of 6 Music have utilised social media to launch a campaign to save the station. With the high-profile support of megastars like David Bowie, Radiohead and Lily Allen, not to mention a U-turn from Tory culture spokesman Ed Vaizey, hopefully the BBC Trust will see sense and block Thompson’s proposals. Otherwise, we’re left with Fearne Cotton as BBC radio’s voice of alternative music. And how depressing is that?

Has the 3D World Gone Crazy?

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000

—Katie Bawler

For a majority of consumers, 3D has always been about film, but a recent series of media developments have thrust into the mainstream. Whether it be sport, television or even the first-ever 3D catwalk at the Burberry’s London Fashion Week show, I think we can safely say that nothing is off-limits from being ‘three-dimensionalised’.

Without question, the success of Avatar has had a huge impact, so much so that I wonder how long it might have taken the phenomenon to catch on if it wasn’t for the 3D James Cameron epic. Could we still be fumbling around with dodgy old novelty glasses with the lenses cut out and replaced with cheap blue and red cellophane? Probably not, but I don’t think that would be miles from the truth. For the general public, Avatar made 3D cool.

But the million-dollar question is where the technology will take us. The explosion of excitement around 3D makes it seem like anything is possible. Who knows, with the pace of technology in ten years’ time, 2D viewing might be as archaic as the gramophone. It’s even been mooted that 3D contact lenses could be the norm.

All this seems very exciting. But at the same time, I have to wonder if there’s going to be a bit of a backlash. How much do we really want to see a close-up of a sweaty rugby player as he grapples with four other guys in the scrum, or a malnourished model limping towards us on her way down the catwalk?

Whatever your opinion, 3D is upon us and this time it would seem well and truly here to stay.

A breakdown of the blogosphere

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:20:00 +0000

—Melanie

I came across this over at my favourite coolhunting spot, The Presurfer. It’s a breakdown of the blogosphere today.

It’s certainly not an Earth-shattering representation, but it’s a very clever way to visualise it. Thumbs up to Intac for some brilliant linkbait.

Linkbait Generator

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:20:00 +0000

Linkbait Generator:

Super cool little work distraction that generates attention-grabbing headlines for blog posts.

Our favourite so far?

‘5 amazing things you probably didn’t know about exotic dancers’

NME’s new model retains army of readers

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000

—Andrew

The ABC figures released this week paint a familiar picture for the music press: year on year, music titles are facing a brick wall as prominent as Pink Floyd’s; their readership being squeezed like Jools Holland on a bad day.

Weekly titles NME and Kerrang! announced falls in circulation of more than 20 per cent, while monthly titles MOJO and Q also posted circulation decreases, albeit on a smaller scale. It poses the question – what must a music publication do to survive?

NME, for example, has evolved and diversified to fit the needs that today’s tech-savvy reader demands. Far from its humble beginnings as a grassroots newspaper nearly 60 years ago, the magazine is now part of a multi-faceted music brand which includes its own TV and radio stations, concerts, awards, merchandise and a website that boasts 3.5 million unique users a month.

The print publication of NME - while still arguably the most iconic aspect of the brand - has simply become just one part of a much bigger remit. Those who interact with NME now do so across multiple platforms, engaging in content that moves far beyond the page.

In establishing a multi-platform offering, NME has not only safeguarded its brand, but enhanced it, too. The brand offers a much more tangible experience: for example, you can read the review of the new Marina and the Diamonds record in the magazine, listen to it on NME Radio, read her interview on the website and watch her live on the NME tour.

There’s a lesson to be learned here in the ongoing debate surrounding newspapers’ attempts to safeguard their existence. In creating a coherent brand across various platforms of which the print magazine is just one part, NME has negated the risk of readers flocking to other publications to consume their music content by effectively creating a ‘one-stop shop’.

The ABC figures may paint a picture that NME will forever struggle to replicate its readership figures of the halcyon days of the 70s and 80s. Then, the magazine regularly shifted a quarter of a million copies a week, compared to just 38,486 now. The truth may be closer to the fact that its readers, like the NME brand, are simply evolving in the way they consume music content.

Could you go a year without reading a newspaper?

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:14:00 +0000

—Katie Bawler

Talk has been rife in the media world about the waning importance of print media and whether it is due to have the final nail banged into its coffin. In his blog, the COMMS corner, Adam Vincenzini is undertaking a substantial experiment to put to the test accusations of digital media cannibalising print media.

On January 1^st he embarked on a quest to go one year without buying or reading a print newspaper to see how it would affect his role as a PR consultant.

So far, he is discovering a lot - particularly about the ways he consumes digital media. There is flexibility in digital news that allows him to choose which articles he reads, depending on his interests. He’s also become more aware of the rapidity with which he receives news throughout the day by following the Sky News breaking news Twitter feed.

I agree that taking in news digitally allows for immediate consumption. For example, when I get into work in the morning, I scroll my Digsby Twitter feed to get a steer on the stories that are due to be breaking later in the day.

But no matter what, I’ll always enjoy reading the paper. For me, the difference is that I’ll purvey a newspaper leisurely over my bowl of cereal. I look at newspapers almost as magazines now. I use them as leisure material, whereas I log on to actually read the news.

This is personal consumption, though. Professionally, I still can’t beat the feeling of seeing my coverage in the newspaper – it feels more real. The sense of achievement is higher, and it’s something tangible that I can show friends and family. Maybe I hold print coverage in high esteem because I am quite new to social media. But having been encouraged to engage with online communities in my final year at university, I expect this to change.

I like print, I prefer it as I would Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range to Sainsbury’s own brand, but do I really need it? I imagine not. Good luck to Adam with his ‘no newspapers’ challenge.

Location Matters

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:22:00 +0000

—Charley

In 2009 we saw the rise of user-friendly location-based services (LBS), but in 2010 location-sharing is set to come into its own.

This year, PRs who are in the know will be actively exploring the opportunities that GPS-aware services can offer, devising new and creative ways to capture consumer attention in a far more tailored and targeted way than ever before.

Last year saw the emergence of LBS and social community integration. South African social network The Grid launched Mobikasi, a 24-episode, location-based documentary about youth culture in Soweto. Content was geo-tagged to the location where it was shot, enabling viewers to explore Sowetan culture by travelling through a mobile street map and watching video clips. This marriage of LBS and crowd-sourcing was hailed as the next generation of mobile social media.

In fact, the recent explosion of mobile applications has brought the advent of location-based app integration. Layar is a great example of this new trend. Winner of the Vodafone Mobile Startup Challenge in September 2009, the Layar browsing application is a mix of location-based technology and augmented reality. Combining a handset’s camera and GPS functionality, the mobile application overlays information relevant to digitally tagged real-world locations or items - from coffee shops to museums.

The advancement of LBS can be seen with the growing popularity of companies such as Foursquare and Gowalla, which enable consumers to tag and share content quickly and easily within social communities. The technology not only enriches existing core services, but also creates a more dynamic and compelling consumer offering.

The delivery of highly personalised brand messages, in the most relevant and creative way possible is the keystone of social media PR and the development of LBS looks set to raise the bar in 2010.

Can PRs do SEO?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:38:00 +0000

—Charley

SEO PR or ‘Search Engine Optimisation Public Relations’ is a term which has been banded around for a number of years, but it is only recently that the PR industry has adopted the practice in earnest.

This is mainly because there’s been a lot of controversy over who should own SEO, but fundamentally, SEO and PR go hand in hand. They work together to dramatically enhance a brand’s online presence and positively influence search.

Specifically, the aim of SEO PR is to increase brand visibility and conversation when consumers search for your products or services. After all, the first few pages of Google should return only the most relevant and positive news, reviews and commentary. You want your brand to be at the top of that list.

Link building is another important area where SEO and PR work together. Incoming quality links are a vital part of success on Google, and the value of these links to a company website cannot be underestimated.

Brands have relationships with a plethora of organisations, and PRs spend much of their time helping to promote and nurture these relationships. To successfully build your brand position on Google, it is essential to encourage relevant and high-ranking sites to link to you. This is where SEO PR again plays a pivotal role.

Whatever you believe about the debate - PR and SEO are working towards the same end goal; to achieve positive brand exposure to future potential customers.

How to be a blogger (even when you're really really busy)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:12:12 +0000

—Melanie

Whenever people ask me about blogging or social media, they usually say something condescending like, ‘Oh, good for you. I just don’t know how in the world you have time for that… I’m just soooo busy.’

It’s a fair point. Being a blogger does take some effort, but the way that I look at it, the benefits far outweigh any negatives. The way to do it is to find the right balance between your personal and professional life.

I currently have two blogs: one about social media and PR, and one about food and restaurants in London. They’re opposite ends of the spectrum, but they have both helped me in ways I couldn’t have imagined back at the beginning.

My PR and social media site, Fake Plastic Noodles, is the first blog I started, and tends to lean more toward the professional side. I did so because I wanted to find a job in London, wanted to make connections and really establish myself in the UK PR industry. Incidentally, it worked. I firmly believe that a huge reason I’m here right now is because of my blog. This is because many agencies and clients understand that while everyone in PR is talking the social media talk, not all of them can walk the walk. If you interview for a PR position or pitch to prospective clients who you know understand the online space, you need to prove it. Twitter is fabulous for establishing an online presence too, but blogging really helps you expound on your ideas.

My food blog on the other hand is something I do simply for intrinsic value. I finally started om nom London this past summer after months of questioning whether or not I’d have time to start a whole new site.

It’s proved to be the right decision. It keeps me sane to just write about things that *I* like to do. I was a keen food photographer already, so food blogging just seemed a perfect fit. Plus, it’s nice to write about something that’s not my job. Shocking, I know.

I won’t lie, sometimes it’s tough to devote enough time to both, but having a system in place of what I want to post about and when is how I’ve been able to juggle it all. Being a blogger is something that is part of my life that I’m not sure I’d ever want to give up. No matter what, I’ll make time.

Top Twitter tools to make life a little easier

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:56:00 +0000

With hundreds of Twitter tools readily available and many more launching on a daily basis, it can be quite a daunting task to work out which are worth signing up for - and which aren’t.

So, Onlinefire thought we’d let you know about six Twitter tools we really like and why…

Bit.ly - shorten, share and track links

Fast surpassing TinyURL, Bit.ly is an intelligent link shortening service which lets you share content quickly and easily. But that’s not all it does. Bit.ly tracks traffic information in real-time and can tell you where your link is being shared and how many people are clicking on it. Very useful stuff if you want to measure and evaluate the impact of your tweets.

Even handier than that, Bit.ly highlights top trends relating to your links, which means that you can access useful nuggets of information, such as the five hottest web pages related to your interest topic, or which social networks are sharing links to your web page on any given day.

HootSuite – Twitter management

HootSuite lets you manage all your Twitter profiles in one place. It’s a godsend if you’re trying to keep on top of multiple tweets. Another useful option is the pre-schedule tweet button, letting you stager your messages throughout the day.

HootSuite tracks user engagement by summarising your link statistics and individual tweet stats, letting you see at a glance which tweets have generated the most interest within the Twitter community. It also tells you who your top referrers are and where they are in the world.

Trendsmap – real-time local Twitter trends

We all know about Twitter Trending Topics, the global system which highlights Twitter trends, but what about Twitter users in your area - what do they care about?

Trendsmap allows you to drill down and find out exactly that, by mapping trends at a local level. Understanding what local Twitter users are talking about means you can tailor your messages to ensure they are both timely and relevant.

Digsby – the ‘Twittteractive’ desktop application

Digsby is a wonderful tool for incorporating Twitter into your everyday life. Once you have downloaded the programme, you’re able to update, reply, ReTweet or direct message straight from your desktop.

Your Twitter stream is updated in unassuming pop-up windows and archived in a button on your toolbar. So you can keep track of what’s going on without ever having to visit the site.

Brizzly – The dashboard of all dashboards

Brizzly is a brand new web dashboard for Twitter that makes organising Twitter lists, trends and DMs a breeze.

It includes real-time update alerts for @replies and DMs, and includes a ‘mute’ option that allows you to prioritise who you want to see in your Twitter stream and who you don’t. Clever.

TwitPic & BubbleTweet – Add photos and video to your Twitter profile

TwitPic allows you to post pictures to your Twitter stream and alert your readers automatically and in ‘real-time’. It integrates seamlessly with your Twitter profile and you are updated when anyone comments on your photo.

BubbleTweet is a lovely invention which gives your Twitter profile that personal touch. Making Twitter even more interactive, you can add an introduction video in the form of a bubble which pops up and plays when a new user visits your profile page.

A fine way to regulate endorsements

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:27:34 +0100

—From Melanie

The US has announced a crackdown on product endorsements. For years, we’ve all been used to seeing celebs and models hawking everything from car insurance to beauty products, but surprisingly this ruling isn’t limited to Iggy Pop or Sarah Jessica Parker – it includes bloggers too.

The new rules say that anyone endorsing a product must give full disclosure about what he or she received – if anything – in compensation for the endorsement or else face fines up to $11,000 (£6,910).

Oddly enough, an attorney for several advertising groups in the States said this ruling is the ‘worst fears of businesses come true’. That seems a bit of an overreaction to me. It won’t be a surprise to people that celebs are paid to endorse products (or even lie about them), and most bloggers I know already do disclose the terms in which they’re either endorsing or reviewing a product, i.e. So-and-so asked me to review, I wasn’t paid for this post, etc.

I’m curious to hear what other bloggers think, but my hunch is that we spend so much time trying to prove that we haven’t sold out that this ruling (should it ever make its way across the pond) won’t change very much at all.

Next Generation Talent is back for 2009

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:50:00 +0100

Hola everyone!

We’re knee-deep in a few amazing campaigns at the moment (which explains the absence), including this little gem: Next Generation Talent.

If it sounds familiar that’s probably because we kicked off the 2008 inaugural competition back in November.

(If you need a refresher, NGT is an initiative by Panasonic to foster more interest in the creative industries. The programme offers students a chance to win an ad spot on national television, a two-week work experience placement with one of Panasonic’s creative agencies and a full portfolio review for creating a sample video ad for the Panasonic Viera home hub television.)

This year, though, it’s bigger and better than ever. Panasonic and Young Creative Network have just wrapped up a tour around the UK with 10 partner Universities to get more students involved, we’ve created a fun video, as well as released a bit of research on student career aspirations concerning the creative industries.

If you know any Univeristy students, who would like to get involved, give us a ping on Twitter @nextgentalent. We’d be happy to help.

And of course, don’t forget to pass on our pride and joy:

From a Young PR's perspective...

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:02:00 +0100

—From Anne

Since joining the wonderful world of PR I have noticed that many companies only focus on the traditional methods of PR. I’m amazed how, even now, there are so many who haven’t joined the online PR bandwagon.

Looking at the way the media has reacted to online in general -blogs and social networks, etc. I don’t think there has ever been a more important time for people like me (who are just entering the industry) to get involved in a PR environment that caters for online. There are so many ways to create online buzz through all the different forms of social media. I’m new to this and was amazed to find this HUGE digital world that existed online. I mean, don’t get me wrong it’s important to understand traditional PR but the media’s fascination with online has proved that it is vital for young PRs to get out there and learn about influential websites, blogs, forums, social networks, online communities to make the most of their campaign.

This channel is definitely the future and will only continue to grow and grow and seeing as we are the next generation it is essential that we adapt and learn the skills needed to progress in this area.

Why online PR taken so long to arrive...

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:21:00 +0000

—From Graham

Where was online PR when ‘online marketing’ was coined? Where was it when online advertising arrived on the scene?

E-mail marketing quickly became the digital equivalent to direct mail. Banner ads instantly imitated print display ads. PPC has grown to become very similar in principle to traditional classified ads.

Over the past 15 years or so, every traditional form of marketing and advertising has one-by-one developed an online equivalent.

But all the while, PR has quietly stood in the wings, watching bemused at this new spangled Interweb.

It has taken the steroid shot that is social media to suddenly awaken the realisation: “PR too has an online equivalent!!”

But what lies in the past, lies in the past.

The important thing now is that this realisation has in no uncertain terms spread far and wide. People now increasingly understand the important role for PR in engaging people online.

For me, the most exciting thing is looking ahead to the future. Where is this all leading?

Experience at onlinefire highlights to me that we are headed to a very interesting place. The tools and tactics available to online PR agencies are vast and varied. Never before has there been such scope for creativity.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I plan to cover off the various tools we use as part of our campaigns, and the ways they can be used to engage and excite people online. Watch this page!

Graham Lee featured in Netimperative for social media product development

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:18:39 +0000

—From Melanie

Never one to hold back from shameless self-promotion, I wanted to pass on this piece that Graham wrote for Netimperative on how social media should be used for product development.

If you have any thoughts or comments on it, please feel free to contribute to the conversation!

—Graham Lee

Social media has made real steps of late to becoming more integrated into marketing activity. But there is still one area where we have not even begun to realise the potential presented by consumer-generated media: product development.

For years, product development groups have been conducted behind closed doors or with carefully selected focus groups - but as other disciplines of marketing have advanced, product development seems remarkably stagnant.

There are a few reasons for this:

Awareness - Even though most agencies have some degree of digital capability, there is still a general lack of understanding of all the different ways social media can be used to a marketer’s advantage.

Control - Many companies still exhibit an unwillingness to let go of even the smallest amount of control. The idea of opening up product development to online influencers falsely implies that all power is lost.

Trust – For the uninitiated, there is a lack of trust that comes with working online – together with the general understanding that information spreads quickly online. For companies interested in keeping product information tight-lipped, this can be a nerve-wracking thought.

But like most misconceptions of social media, the points above are nothing to worry about. In fact, the benefits of incorporating social media into product development far outweigh any negatives.

A new perspective – So much of today’s information is shared online – to shut off involvement with the online community when developing your product is tantamount to crossing the road wearing a blindfold. If you’re not engaging online, you could be excluding as much as 96 per cent of online UK population who make purchases over the Internet – the largest percentage of online shoppers and sharers in the world, according to a Pew survey last year.

Nip it in the bud - Engaging influential social media commentators in product focus groups offers a way of involving vocal taste makers early on in product inception. Since these are the people who will be talking about you online, it only makes sense to engage them from the beginning.

Future Advocates - There is also the dual benefit of relationships being built that continue on when the product is released. If an influential blogger has been personally involved in the product conception stage, they are far more likely to view it positively and report online accordingly. The social media commentators themselves become loyal advocates for the product or service

Forward Planning - Incorporating social media movers and shakers can help develop future marketing campaigns.

At onlinefire, we recently completed a campaign for Panasonic called the Next Generation Talent competition, which asked UK students to design the next ad for the Panasonic Viera Home Hub television.

The student-submitted entries were judged by a social media panel of tech, advertising and marketing bloggers. Based on the feedback given and a public vote, the winning ad was shown yesterday on Channel 4 and has paved the way for a new Next Generation Talent competition to take place this year.

The social media panel themselves became strong advocates for Next Generation Talent and Panasonic, reporting on the initiative in-depth. This resulted in over 10 pieces of coverage, including a 6-page spread that would have never been seen without prior involvement in the planning stages of the competition.

Social media-based focus groups will never and should never replace 100 percent traditional controlled focus groups, but marketers need to realise that to fully understand their audiences, they have to know how those audiences interact online. Working with bloggers and social media gurus helps give an insight into the early-adopting public who quite often make or break products in theses fast-moving times. To ignore them not only cuts off invaluable insight, but hinders the inevitable benefits of positive word-of-mouth and buzz you should be receiving.

Who is Anne Fuller?

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:43:15 +0000

Name:
Anne Fuller

Hometown:
Essex!! (and proud!!)

Favourite PR campaign you’ve worked on:
Panasonic - ‘Next Generation Talent’. This was the first proper online campaign I worked on J We engaged the social media circuit by bringing in a select panel of influential bloggers and online journalists to judge the entries before turning the final vote out to the public

Favourite PR campaign you wished you had worked on:

The PR campaign for Boris Johnson’s Mayoral Election!! What a legend :)

Top 5 songs of all time:

Anything by Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson and most funky house music

Absolute classics:

Pussycat Dolls – Buttons
Kings of Leon - Manhattan
Boyz II Men – End of the Road
Robin S – Show Me Love

Where else you can be found online:

Twitter
Facebook

Most embarrassing drunken moment:
One bank holiday Monday I landed at 6am after being on holiday in Malaysia. I was very jetlagged! I had work the next day, and didn’t want to sleep so I thought it would be a good idea to lunch with friends in Canary Wharf…big mistake…got very VERY drunk on a bottle of wine (if that). I ran away from my friends and set off a fire alarm. Next thing they knew, the shopping centre and surrounding area were being evacuated. The best bit is…I don’t remember a thing!

—From Melanie Even though we’re an online PR agency,...

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:51:43 +0000

—From Melanie

Even though we’re an online PR agency, sometimes you just need a break! I think I’m going to try Analogue Sunday next week. Will let everyone know how it goes!

blogtastic:

I am gonna try to do this! Except if I have freelance work to do I might have to type on the computer.

Via everyanything : oneshouldreadeverything: cutewithoutthee

Tips for Starting a Successful Corporate Blog

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:05:37 +0000

Last week, our very own Melanie was featured in UTalkMarketing’s How-to Guide for her Top 10 Tips on How to Start a Successful Corporate Blog. we’ve done the service of reproducing it here on the onlinefire blog, because - hey- what’s the harm in spreading the word a little bit more?

——

Kicking off a corporate blog can be a daunting task when you don’t know where to start. As pressure builds to set yourself apart from your competitors, companies are increasingly turning to social media to exhibit their thought-leadership and boost their internet presence. But how to begin?

1. Have something to say

If you’re considering starting a blog for your company, ask yourself if you really have anything to say. Don’t feel pressured to start a blog because everyone says you have to. Make sure you come up with a clear communications strategy before launching and ask yourself some key questions. What do I hope to accomplish? Will I have enough material that’s of interest? Will I have enough story ideas to update regularly?

2. Look at examples of success

Corporate blogs have been started in every conceivable sector all over the world, so there are plenty of examples to sort through. In fact, it’s largely recognised that having a blog is an absolutely essential business communication tool in this day and age.

This means that there are plenty of success stories out there, but I urge you to do a little test on your own. Read the next corporate blog you come across in your industry. Is it interesting? Boring? Take notes of what you like and what you don’t and model yours accordingly. You want to make sure that your blog is engaging enough that people are going to want to come back.

3. Don’t use your company blog as a sales tactic

One of the most common mistakes for company’s blog is to use their blogs as a sales platform. A blog is a communications tool, not a pitch. Sure you can use the blog to let people know what’s going on with the company, but if you want to win over readers you have to talk with them, not at them. When watching TV, how many people do you know that only watch commercials and walk away when the programme comes on?

4. Don’t lie

It’s pretty straightforward! Your readers are clever and they will find out. You don’t want to jeopardise the integrity of your company, so just don’t do it!

5. Be open

This is a hard one for companies to get used to as old business models often focused on a ‘keep your cards close to your chest’ mentality. You can’t exercise your thought-leadership unless you’re able to give a few tips of the trade. No one’s asking you to spill internal secrets, but people do want to know what you think. Focus on company insights, trends and opinion formers. If you should ever have to deal with a crisis control situation, a blog is the perfect tool to address any issues or put fears to rest.

6. Encourage Conversation

Blogging is a two-way street and you have to be prepared to talk with your readers instead of just at them. Better yet, encourage conversation amongst your readers. Ask for feedback, invite challenge and don’t be offended if someone disagrees with you.

7. Go outside of your blog to engage

The best way to build traffic to your blog and site is to get out there and interact with other people in your industry. When you read and comment on other people’s sites, your name is attached to your blog’s URL. It creates exposure and lets other people know you’re there. If you don’t make any noise, no one will know you’re there.

8. Monitor proactively

Whether blogging or not, you should be monitoring for mentions of your company and staff online. If you haven’t already, set up Google alerts that will e-mail you every time your company is mentioned online. Do the same for your CEO and other senior management. People talk online and you need to know what they’re saying – both good and bad.

9. Join Twitter

You’ve probably heard this no less than 100 times in the past month, but if you haven’t done it yet, there’s no better time. Increasingly, conversations are taking place on Twitter before they explode onto the blogosphere. More so, it’s a fantastic way to interact with businesses, your blog readers, potential customers (again, no sales pitches) and the movers and shakers of the social media world.

10. Know when to get involved

It’s inevitable that when you start listening to people’s conversations online, you will hear some nice and not-so-nice things. However, it’s important to remember that while you can never control the negative things people say online, you can attempt to influence or change their opinions for the better.

If someone is spouting off hateful, untrue or severely damaging vitriol about your company, you should highly consider getting involved in the conversation through your blog or through direct correspondence (just remember that anything you write privately can still find it’s way into the public domain). Don’t be defensive, don’t be whiney – just be honest and open. Acknowledge the negativity and what you’re going to do about it.