Fighting the cookie temptation…

While reading The Denver Post on Saturday, I came across an article titled “Save me… ideas for doing more with less.” (In case you missed it, it was featured in the "In & Out" section; click here to read the story). At first glance I was thrilled to see our client, The Children’s Hospital, included in the article, yet as I read the hospital’s tips to “keep the vacation lazies at bay,” I realized I needed to take note of one particular tip...

I must admit that I love holiday cookies. My family and I bake cookies - sugar cookies, fudge, thumb prints, toffee and spritz - the day after Thanksgiving. During the holidays, I leave a plate of cookies on the counter for our family and friends to nibble on. As I read this article and was gently reminded about the severity of child obesity (the rate of severe obesity among U.S. children and teenagers more than tripled over the past three decades, according to a study in the journal Academic Pediatrics), I decided it was time to put the plate of cookies away.

As you enjoy the last few days of 2009, take the advice of the experts at The Children’s Hospital. Challenge yourself to be active – go skiing or snowshoeing; enjoy a walk or run; or build a snowman.

On another Denver Post-related note, I finally met “In & Out” editor Elana Ashanti Jefferson. While we have worked together to tell our clients’ stories over the years, we have never met face-to-face. It was a delight to finally sit down over a cup of coffee and hear more about her editorial interests. She works from a three- to four- week editorial deadline, so keep that in mind when pitching her!

~ Jennifer

New Year's Resolutions - like it or not, it's that time of year!

Since this may be GroundFloor Media’s final blog post of 2009 (we’re all attempting to take next week off for some R&R), it seems like the perfect time to discuss that dreaded topic. You know the one… New Year’s resolutions. It’s hard to escape the chatter about those pesky resolutions. I’m sure many of the folks in our profession are “type A” personalities, perfectionists, even borderline obsessive, if you will. So setting goals seems natural to us. Why would we possibly need resolutions?

If you do decide to succumb to peer pressure and declare your New Year’s resolutions in 2010, I have come across some helpful tips that I thought you might appreciate. My favorite, and one that I’ve been practicing with mild success this week, is to never have more than seven items on your daily to do list. I’m ballparking it here – but I would venture to guess that my ongoing to do list typically has 25 items on it. And I’ve found that none of them get done because there are so many to tackle. By pulling five to seven of them off of that ongoing list to a daily “must do” list, I’ve actually been checking things off the list.

Aside from my endless to do list, the other bane of my existence is that “unread mail” indicator in my email inbox. I found a great blog about “inbox zero” last year, and I made it a goal of mine – only to find that my inbox will never be at zero unread emails. I learned to live with “inbox 100” and then “inbox 200” – and then I started getting hives, so I pulled out the “inbox zero” tips and re-read them. Here are a few that you may find helpful. I did.
-Use “rules” and create filters to automatically move certain types of emails into folders. Emails this works well for include your Google Alerts, “friend” requests and news/offers/coupons from retailers that you want to hear from (but maybe not right now).
-Schedule time for emails and respond during those scheduled times rather than living in your email inbox all day long. You’ve got other things to do!
-Use your delete key. Determine if you’re really ever going to respond to that email, and if not, just delete it. Especially if it’s more than a few weeks old. Answer it now or delete it. You can do it!

I hope you found at least one of these tips useful, if not for setting your New Year’s resolutions, then hopefully for getting some sanity back into your life on a regular basis. I wish you health and happiness (and inbox zero) in the New Year.

~Ramonna

Get a jump start to the New Year with goal setting

If you’re like me, you are probably wondering how it is already the middle of December. And you might be asking yourself, did I accomplish everything I set out to do this year? After becoming a new parent in 2008 and all the hectic things that come along with parenthood, my family decided to tackle 2009 by setting goals, much like we do for our clients at GroundFloor Media in order to stay on track.

As John Lennon once said, “"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” We certainly found this to be true, but by staying on top of our goals and being flexible throughout the year, we managed to achieve some of our goals and readjust when necessary.

At GroundFloor Media, setting measurable goals at the onset of any communications campaign is vitally important. For us, these measurable communications objectives (qualitative and quantitative) must be tied to measurable business objectives; this allows us to ensure the tactics and strategies implemented continually map back to the overarching goals. There are times we have to refine our clients’ objectives in the middle of the project or campaign – maybe a client’s competitor launched a similar product, a new social media network emerged or the organization’s business goals were revised – to ensure we consistently deliver ROI.

While it may be easier to review and evaluate your organization’s business and communications objectives, I would strongly encourage you to run through a similar exercise in your personal life. People say goal setting encourages responsibility, achievement, decision making, personal growth and prioritization. Based on this, I think it would be an effective way for you to jump start the New Year.

~ Jennifer Wills

Staying Sane During the Holidays

If you’re anything like me, juggling work and life on a normal day can be a challenge, but throw in the special ingredient of the holidays and you’re suddenly juggling a handful of howler monkeys! In a meeting with some fellow board members from Colorado Youth at Risk (CYAR) the other day, I said to my colleagues (one an investment banker, another a marketing professional, and the other the executive director of CYAR), “I think maybe it’s just PR people who have such crazy lives…” They all laughed at me and said, “Welcome to the real world – it’s all of us!”

The American Psychological Association (APA) says that 75 percent of American adults report moderate to high levels of stress. As well, in its most recent Stress in America Survey the APA discovered that financial concerns are the leading source of stress for 71 percent of Americans this holiday season. A national study by SleepBetter.org found that 11 percent of households without children say holiday stressors cause them to lose sleep, while 27 percent of parents indicate that this is the case.

Judging by the fact that I made holiday cookies all day Sunday, but wrote this blog post late at night – I suppose I’m part of the 11 percent for whom the holidays bring great joy and a bit of stress all at the same time… So what to do about it – PR professional or not? I found some great tips – as well as some insight regarding what the heck causes all this holiday stress – from About.com:

• Set your priorities: for example, pick a few favorite activities and really enjoy them – skip the rest.
• Cut corners: for example, send cards only to those you regularly communicate with, and don’t feel the need for a personal note/letter in each one.
• Change your expectations for togetherness: be aware of your limitations and set limits.
• Set a schedule: put your plans on paper (or, if you're like me, on your BlackBerry).
• Breathe: take some time for deep breaths, maybe meditation or yoga… breathe in the serenity!

So, as the holidays bear down upon us, I will be following the advice above and trying to simplify. While work and, certainly, my clients take a high priority in my daily life, I’ll also remember to take time to breathe, set priorities and know my limits, and not feel bad about not being able to make every holiday party or sign a personal note on every holiday card. I wish you the same serenity and a very happy holiday season!
- Carissa

Supporting Your Local Businesses

As we head into the holiday season, I thought it might be appropriate to talk about food, retail and supporting local businesses. We know that over the next six weeks the treats will amass at the office -- from chocolate to cakes to gift baskets full of cheese and crackers and more. None of this is bad – in moderation – mind you, it is just that time of year. Where these treats and miscellaneous gifts are coming from is another matter. I learned about a new campaign to support local businesses that just so happens to kick off this week -- Buy Local Week runs from Nov. 30 – Dec. 6 (www.coloradolocalfirst.com).

Last year Coloradans spent $12.7 billion during the holidays, which represents a huge portion of cash for retailers. Money spent at locally owned businesses recirculates at least three times more in our community, which means where you spend your money does matter. Check out Colorado Local First online directory, a project of the nonprofit business group The Mile High Business Alliance (http://www.milehighbiz.org). Use this directory to find locally-owned businesses near you and leave reviews for your favorite local businesses. The directory lists more than 400,000 Colorado-based businesses, but they’re still improving the data. You can help by submitting a new listing for a business you love. Or, if you own a Colorado business, find out how to get your business listed for free. And check out the neighborhood guides, Local Flavor Guides™, that are full color, easy-to-carry brochures that feature one-of-a-kind Denver businesses in neighborhoods like East Colfax, Uptown, Old South Gaylord, Old South Pearl, Santa Fe Arts District, SoBo, and Lower Highlands.

I also have to tout Downtown Boulder. Since I sit on the Downtown Boulder, Inc. board it would be a crime to not mention that 85 percent of more than 300 retail and service businesses are locally owned and operated. (http://www.boulderdowntown.com/) My favorite new find is the Savory Spice Shop with fresh seasonings, herbs and spice blends. Check out the Downtown Boulder gift guide filled with ideas that won’t break your bank.

When you are out and about and looking for a good meal be sure to check out these Colorado-based restaurants: Qdoba Mexican Grill, Marcos Pizza and Snooze.

This holiday season, I encourage you to shop and dine out locally. A shift of just 10 percent of your purchases toward local retailers translates into more people are getting a paycheck, paying their rent, and getting what they need from other local businesses.

Social Media: Let the Legal Team Speak

Ramonna and I recently attended the bi-annual meeting for the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) in New York City. PRGN has a pretty incredible global membership base of leading independent public relations agencies in 80 markets and we were invited to join as the only Colorado-based agency this past April. The majority of the three-day conference was spent sharing best practices and hearing from expert panelists that the NY-based member agencies, CooperKatz , JMC Marketing Communications and PR and Adam Friedman Associates brought together. In addition, there was a very provocative presentation on "Social Media and the Law" that was offered by Gary Kibel of Davis & Gilbert LLP www.dglaw.com that left us continuing to think about how many legal implications are popping up surrounding social media. As agency owners and practitioners, we must remain mindful of our responsibilities regarding the new media programs we create and implement.

We all know to be especially sensitive when marketing to kids under the age of 13 in traditional campaigns, however this sensitivity is further heightened by new social media programs. In addition, while the FTC has already come out with new “affiliate marketing/testimonial” guidelines, we will most likely see a change in a requirement that company-sponsored social media sites offer full disclosure and affiliate social media sites will most likely to have to disclose that they have been paid for their testimonials. As PR professionals, it should go without saying that if we are being compensated to talk about someone’s product, then we need to disclose it during the outreach.

The legal implication list is endless, but in the midst of planning and research, it is becoming increasingly vital to continue to educate your staff and teams about the changing legal issues that affect online and offline PR campaigns. Education is always the first line of defense and will help us all avoid legal problems, know when to raise the red flags and ask questions and keep current on the new court cases that are decided everyday. The increased use of Facebook and Twitter and other social media vehicles are creating new questions that we must be prepared to address.

We are always mindful of the intellectual property issues that PR firms confront, but how many of us stop and work with legal teams prior to creating a viral campaign? It could make the difference between a successful campaign and a lawsuit. I would personally rather celebrate a fabulous campaign.

I look forward to a few more lively debates when we all reconvene in Brussels in April. Until then, here’s to putting a strong legal team behind every solid PR campaign.

Our Industry is Changing - Part 2

GroundFloor Media’s most recent blog post outlined five of our top 10 takeaways from the PR News Digital PR Next Practices Summit. From SEO to social media content, here is Part 2, which highlights the biggest takeaways we’d like to share. If you missed the first part of this post click here.

6) Know what constitutes an online crisis. Do you respond to a New York Times reporter who is tearing your company apart on her blog? And how is that different when “CatLover77” does the same? Should your response be made in a public setting or via direct message? And what do you do when the next “I hate this product” Facebook page or United Breaks Guitars-type video is about your company? Your company needs a response plan, and the person or people in charge of your social media communications need to know the protocol. GroundFloor Media frequently works with our clients to prepare social media response plans for a wide variety of crisis situations, as well as to develop social media response criteria and guidelines so you’re ready when “that” post hits the Internet.

7) It is vital to understand how search engine optimization works and to always consider it when posting content. This isn’t just regarding your Website, either. Press releases, blog posts, tweets, Flickr photos -- they should all be titled, tagged and written with search engines and the end user in mind. If I’m uploading a video as a response to an unfavorable blog post, how do I make sure my video is listed as “related content” to the blog post? Before you finalize your content ask yourself, “Who do I want to see this, how will they phrase what they’re searching for and what can I do to tie my content to those terms?”

8) E-mail is becoming less and less relevant. At the risk of sounding nostalgic, remember the days when e-mail used to make you more productive? For many people, email is now utilized as a formal form of communication, almost the way snail mail was 10 years ago. In fact, Boston College recently stopped issuing e-mail addresses to incoming freshmen. If you really want to get someone’s attention you’ll text, tweet or message them on Facebook for a speedy response. Think about that concept, its implications on your communications strategy and where people are spending their time online.

9) Social media is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s should not be just a tactic, campaign or something you “dip your toe into,” but rather, social media should be a part of your overarching, integrated communications strategy. Treat it as such by making an investment in the proper resources and setting up long-term analytics that make sense for your communications goals. Social media probably won’t garner immediate results, but brand recognition and loyalty have never been immediate.

10) Content is still king. You can do your homework on your audiences, create a presence on every relevant social media platform and make sure your accounts are all optimized for search -- but if you’re not producing content that your audience cares about, none of it will matter. Social media should be a conversation. Imagine being at a cocktail party and a stranger talking your ear off for 15 minutes about what they do for a living, and then finding you three more times throughout the night to have the same, one-sided conversation. Don’t be “that guy” with your social media content. Engage people and participate in fulfilling conversations.

The good news is that the platforms and tactics may be changing in our industry, but the tried and true communications principles still apply: be open, be honest, make calculated decisions and bring useful information to specific audiences. Oh, and be sure to give GroundFloor Media a call if you need help with any of your social media needs!
- Jim

Our Industry is Changing

I recently had the opportunity to attend PR News’ Digital PR Next Practices Summit and interact with a variety of communications professionals while discussing the changing face of communications and social media. The conference included a very good mix of case studies, successful tactics, information on new platforms and “what’s next,” crisis communications using social media and great overarching conversations about communications strategy. The amount of information shared at the Summit was indicative of how quickly our industry continues to change and reinvent itself, so I thought I’d break it down into the top 10 key takeaways from the conference. Here are the first five to ponder:

1) You can’t afford to sit on the sidelines when it comes to social media. Julie Crabill from Shift Communications said it best, “Your brand has already been hijacked and you have two options: join the conversation or do nothing and let others control it.” As we tell our GroundFloor Media clients, people are talking about your company or product whether you want them to or not, and unfortunately you have no control over it. The biggest risk regarding social media is to not participate at all.

2) Join the conversation, but be tactful about it. Start by listening to what people are currently saying online so that you have a good idea of what you’re up against, where there are opportunities and where threats exist. It is the same concept as doing your homework on a reporter before pitching her/him. We encourage all of our clients to “listen” first, and GroundFloor Media conducts a Digital Snapshot™ to do so.

3) Speaking of your brand being hijacked: Google Side Wiki is a new application (currently in beta) that allows you to see all online mentions of a corporation in a browser toolbar while you are visiting their Website. For instance, if I am visiting GroundFloor Media’s site and have Side Wiki running, a real-time listing of all “GroundFloor Media” mentions will be posted in a toolbar (TweetDeck-style) to the left of the browser. It doesn’t work on all sites yet, but you get the idea. Very helpful for consumers or reporters who are researching a company/product, and a game-changer for companies who don’t know what is being said about them, especially in a crisis situation.

4) How do you know Social Media is here to stay? How about some stats:
- Social media users are 83% more likely to be brand loyal than non-users

- The Internet is the most trusted source for information-more than TV and radio combined

- 64% of all news outlets are using video online, including 72% of newspaper Websites

- 95% of news outlets are using video from third-party sources (i.e., citizen journalists)

- 70% of the 118 million bloggers in the U.S. have college degrees and 30% of them list their blog as their fulltime job

- Years to reach 50 million users: radio (38 years), television (13 years), Internet (4 years), iPod (3 years), Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months, iPhone applications hit one billion in nine months

- The #2 largest search engine in the world is YouTube

5) You need a social media policy. Is it okay for Sally from Accounts Receivable to publically list you as her employer when she is sharing her strong political opinions on Twitter? And that little “accident” at the office where no one got hurt is now funny in hindsight, but the photos are very interesting to the reporter who is working on a workplace safety investigative piece. Your employees are using social media. It’s best to set the ground rules (conservative or liberal, pardon the pun) sooner rather than later. Some of GroundFloor Media’s clients are more suited for basic guidelines while others request our services to develop policies that outline very specific scenarios. No matter which end of the spectrum you fall within, it’s imperative to state your social media policies and make sure employees are aware of them.

Speaking of ground rules, it’s always a good idea to keep blog posts concise for your readers. With that in mind, check back soon for the second half of our ten findings from the Summit.

- Jim

Corporations and Nonprofits – A Match Made in Heaven?

Corporations and Nonprofits – A Match Made in Heaven?

When I first left the nonprofit sector, I wondered how I’d feel knowing I went from “doing good” every day to working for companies whose goal was to make money rather than give it away. GroundFloor Media founder Laura Love reminded me that when you find the right for-profit company, it’s possible to give back twice as much through one well-orchestrated program as you might raise in a whole year in a nonprofit role.

In this difficult economic year, it’s no surprise to learn that 38 percent of companies are cutting their cash giving. The encouraging side of the story, however, is that amidst the scaling back on cash donations, 54 percent of the more than 750 business executives surveyed in the recent Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and Hitachi Foundation study said that corporate-citizenship activities are even more important during bad economic times than good.

Since joining the GFM team, I’ve found Laura’s advice to stand true, and I’ve been fortunate to work with companies who, no matter how challenging the economy, have made it a priority to give back to the community through park cleanup programs, collection of DVDs for the troops, donations of volunteer time and money to local high schools, and, in the case of Qdoba Mexican Grill, donations of food, time and money to Starlight Children’s Foundation – the restaurant’s national charity partner.

Just today, Qdoba announced the winner of its inaugural Qmmunity program, which launched in early October and ran through Nov. 1 in an effort to collect inspiring stories of everyday people doing amazing things to better their communities. The Top 5 nominees (determined by votes by visitors to the site) were reviewed by a panel of judges, and Emily DuBois was selected as the most outstanding Qmmunity star. Qdoba is giving $5,000 to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America on behalf of Emily, and will dedicate a Starlight Fun Center in Emily’s name to a hospital of her choosing. In addition, Qdoba committed to giving $25,000 to Starlight in recognition of actions taken by community members who visited the site (e.g., voting for a nominee, tweeting or posting to Facebook to campaign for a nominee, etc.).

According to the 2009 Edelman goodpurpose™ Consumer Study, 83 percent of people are willing to change their consumption habits if it can help make the world a better place to live. I know that I’ve done this – purchasing a lunch bag because a portion of the funds went to breast cancer research; asking for a specific iPod for my birthday a few years ago because its sale benefited AIDS research; and comparing items at the grocery store, looking for the ones whose manufacturers advertise their giving practices on the packaging. Especially in these hard times, I feel great about being able to give back AND get something in return, usually something I was going to buy anyway.

At the end of the day, although working in the nonprofit sector was rewarding and something I truly hope to do again in my career, what Laura told me my first day on the job at GFM holds true – you CAN do good every day, and companies that give back on behalf of their consumers make it even easier than I ever imagined! I’m honored to work with one of these companies – Qdoba Mexican Grill – and look forward to helping them further their giving efforts!

- Carissa

Hyperlocal sites are catching on

Clearly the media landscape is changing as traditional vehicles like newspapers, which a handful of publishers filed earlier this year for Chapter 11 including the Tribune Co. and the Sun-Times Media Group, are reeling from a significantly declining advertising revenues. In turn, this has opened the door for hyperlocal sites – which allows news and information to be delivered down to the city and neighborhood level – and it is quickly emerging as the reincarnation of media.

Last week, GroundFloor Media announced that we have been retained by Examiner.com. Launched in April 2008, Examiner.com has grown more than 200 percent since the beginning of this year and now has more than 21,000 Examiners in 177 major markets across the United States and Canada providing in-depth local news and information to consumers hungry for hyperlocal information.

Interestingly, many still argue the hyperlocal model isn’t viable, as advertisers have yet to flock to hyperlocal sites. According to Borrell Associates, the online local-advertising market is projected to grow 5.4% in 2009 to $13.3 billion. I tell you, it is just a matter of time before businesses make the shift from traditional offline, local venues like the Yellow Pages to hyperlocal sites like Examiner.com, as hyperlocal sites deliver a highly targeted and interactive audience.

Need proof that this trend is catching on? In late August, National Public Radio aired a story about how Nike and other shoe manufacturers are focusing more on hyperlocal marketing activities rather than big, expensive national marketing campaigns. Read about it here.

While companies look to creative ways to partner with the hyperlocal sites, from a traditional PR perspective, many of my cohorts, myself included, have worked, and will continue to work, with Examiners (Examiner.com’s expert writers) to tell our clients’ stories. It’s refreshing that we now have the opportunity to share why hyperlocal content is here to stay and the unique marketing and PR opportunities it will offer. I am excited to be on this account team and to work with the team at Examiner.com to create greater brand awareness and help them achieve their aggressive expansion plans.

~ Jennifer

Do good. Do well.

One of my favorite concepts is “doing well by doing good.” So it’s inspiring to me to see that cause-related marketing appears to be thriving despite the tough economy we’ve all experienced this year (check out this AdAge article for more on this).

It makes sense. Americans are much more likely to purchase brands that support causes. We feel good about working for companies that support charitable causes. We want to do our part – no matter how large or how small – to make our world a better place. Cause-related marketing makes this possible.

And… companies who undertake cause-marketing programs tend to see the financial benefits, as well. This study by Cone validated that cause-related marketing can drive consumer choice. So why NOT embrace cause marketing? You can do well by doing good.

You don’t have to take on a full-blown cause-marketing program, however, to make a difference. I’m proud that GroundFloor Media embraces Tennyson Center for Children as our pro bono client and that beyond our PR work for Tennyson Center our team members commit personal time to brighten the lives of the children served by Tennyson Center. Whether it’s taking the kids bowling, decorating Christmas trees with them, purchasing holiday gifts and school clothes, or painting the bedrooms in their cottages, GroundFloor Media team members volunteer countless hours at Tennyson Center and a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout our communities. This holiday season, we are encouraging all of our clients, partners and employees to give back by participating in Tennyson Center’s Operation Santa program. This program allows for families in need to have a Christmas that they wouldn’t normally experience. My family adopts families each year, and for less than $400, we provide families in need with gifts from their wish list. If you are interested in helping through Operation Santa, please let me know.

It feels great to support charitable organizations, and we all get back so much more than we ever give. I encourage you to spend a few hours as the holiday season approaches to share your talent, encouragement and/or energy with someone or some organization in need. If you need some thought starters in Denver, start with United Way or Metro Volunteers. I promise you won’t regret it!

~Ramonna

Does your business need a social media policy?

Yesterday I was having a breakfast meeting with a friend who owns several popular restaurants in Colorado. Even in this down economy, his company continues to grow and his staff continues to multiply. After several cups of coffee, a glance at the Yelp sticker on the front door, and some banter about the importance of social media conversations, I asked if they had social media guidelines in place for their employees. He said that they didn’t but was shocked that they had never even thought of it. I assured him that he really shouldn’t feel like he was behind. Yes, large organizations such as Intel, IBM, The New York Times, SAP and the US Coast Guard all have them in place. But should small businesses jump on the proverbial bandwagon and do a little social media preventative damage control? I can’t say ‘yes’ fast enough.

A recent proofpoint study shows that almost 20% of companies disciplined a staff member for violating blog or message boards and nearly 10% terminated employees for these actions.

But how can you discipline employees if they don’t understand what you expect from them in this wild world of Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and SMS? According to the Deloitte LLP 2009 Ethics & Workplace Survey, only 17% of companies have programs in place to monitor and mitigate the potential reputational risks related to the use of social networks.

As a business owner and entrepreneur, I join the ranks of those who understand the importance of providing all employees a handbook. Hey, we even update it several times a year with memos that our team members sign. With social media playing such a prevalent role in our day-to-day activity at GroundFloor Media, we would be remiss to assume that our employees didn’t have access to the same type of guidelines and resources that we provide them in an offline environment. You then have to step out of the way and trust that they will do the right thing.

I spoke at an HR-related event in Boulder County a few weeks ago and we discussed the importance of creating a set of social media guidelines for business of all sizes. One participant disagreed with the idea of providing these guidelines, as her company didn’t allow access to social media sites. I asked her if their employees identified themselves as employees of that company on their personal social networking sites that they worked on “after hours.” She agreed that most identified their company as their place of work. Enough said.

Consider the legal implications you could face for NOT putting social media guidelines in place. I promise it is a lot easier to have the discussions knowing their is something to actually look at on paper while talking about an inappropriate blog post or Tweet with your employees.

Here are a few helpful social media policies that can at least get you thinking about the types of guidelines that will be important to your company.

• Dell Online Communication Policy
• Intel Social Media Guidelines
• IBM Social Computing Guidelines
• Cisco Internet Postings Policy
• Wells Fargo Community Guidelines
• BBC Guidance Personal Use of Social Networking and Other Third Party Websites
• DePaul University Social Media Guidelines

Mashable has a great article on whether or not your company should even have a social media policy. It is worth the quick read.

GroundFloor Media put our social media guidelines into place this year, and we have helped many other companies do the same. It is not an overwhelming endeavor and it is one that I strongly encourage you to consider sinking your teeth into yet in 2009. And grab a cup of coffee while you are at it. It makes it all go by a bit faster.

~ Laura

Loved the LEX Trip!

Now that I’ve recovered from the LEX trip to Minneapolis, the bronchitis I brought home from the Twin Cities, and two more out-of-town trips, I have to take a moment to thank the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation (DMCLF) staff who made the LEX trip happen.

What is LEX, you might ask? It is an amazing opportunity coordinated each year by the DMCLF during which select leaders from the Denver community are escorted on a three- or four-day excursion to a strategically chosen city where best practices are studied and friendships are forged. LEX stands for Leadership Exchange trip, and the recent trip was cause for celebration, as it was the 20^th anniversary of the annual LEX trip.

Having organized and attended hundreds of large-scale events during my career, I was impressed every step of the way with how the DMCLF staff paid attention to even the smallest of details. From the luggage tags that kept all of our luggage together so it arrived magically at our hotel, to the pocket briefing book that became our bible over the three days, to the lost-and-found items that appeared each morning after an evening full of activities, they planned for everything and made it appear seamless. As we all know, in reality, they were herding 150+ Type-A cats at any given time over a 58-hour period. I’m sure you can appreciate how challenging that can be!

So, thanks to Denise King, Anna Loewen, Christy Newhof and Allison Tolson, along with Toi Jones and Jean Kavanaugh, for making the trip such a success. And thanks to the senior staff of the Chamber and the Foundation – Robert Blankenship, Tom Clark, Karen Kruse, Maureen McDonald and Tamra Ward – for your participation and enthusiasm throughout the trip.

If you’re not familiar with the DMCLF and the fantastic programs they offer, check them out online. I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in Leadership Denver, where I learned a great deal about our community and formed lifelong friendships. Obviously I am now hooked on the above-mentioned LEX trip, where I learned even more about what it takes to make our community great and met and spent quality time with leaders from a variety of sectors – United Way, Metro Denver Sports Commission, Western Union Foundation and Young American Center for Financial Education from the nonprofit sector; Comcast, Xcel Energy and Qwest from the public sector; the Public Education & Business Coalition, Denver Public Schools Foundation and University of Denver Colorado from the education sector; and my colleagues from creative agencies, Linhart Public Relations, Johnston Wells, Pure Brand, Xcelente Marketing and GBSM -- who I hope to cross paths with countless times throughout our careers in Denver. I encourage you to check out the DMCLF and get involved. You’ll receive back tenfold what you put into these programs.

~Ramonna

There is much to be learned about social media from the Healthcare industry

I recently attended the Mayo-Ragan Healthcare and Social Media Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. More than 100 internal and external communications specialists and public relations agency representatives from the Mayo Clinic to Kaiser Permanente to Methodist University Hospital to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston were in attendance.

We were all eager to share and learn best practices from one other (as well as cheer on Green Bay, or was it Minnesota, during Monday Night Football). Generally speaking, the healthcare industry has been slow to adopt social media due to the trepidation around HIPAA. However, it was evident at this summit that there are numerous opportunities on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Yammer, FlickR, YouTube, Sermo, etc. for hospitals and health-related organizations to engage in this marketing medium and develop a powerful online community for its patients and physicians.

While there were many interesting statistics related to the healthcare industry presented, such as 7.3% of hospitals are engaged in social media and only 30% of companies have a social media policy, what really hit home for me, is that strong case studies and best practices from one industry can be directly applied to another and prove quite successful. Take Operation Smile’s social media model – which, when it found out that its supporters were online, engaged and ready to take action – the nonprofit worked to empower its online supporters to create new smiles for children around the world. Other industries have similar constituents (maybe your “donors” are your college students or physicians at your hospital). Find your social media audience and then work to acquire and cultivate them to become advocates of your brand, to volunteer or donate.

At GroundFloor Media, we officially launched our social media platform in late 2007, although we have been using blogs and online media since 2004 with a variety of campaigns. We have worked with clients in numerous industries including America On the Move, Westwood College, The Children’s Hospital, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Morton’s The Steakhouse, BNSF Railway and Qdoba Mexican Grill in varying degrees to evolve and/or develop their social media programs. Earlier this year, I became a member of GFsM, or GroundFloor Social Media team. We specialize in finding strategic and innovative ways for our clients to engage in social media and set them apart from their competitors. We meet weekly and discuss new trends, social networks, case studies, etc. to ensure we stay on top of these ever changing medium.

Our GFsM team agrees, if you are looking to dip your toe in social media, we say go for it! Start small. Find one social media network to activate and then follow the key influencers in your industry and in social media. Do it as “you” for a coupe weeks and then launch your company’s platform. Talk with your key audiences and engage in the conversation. And as my friend at Operation Smile shared, social media ROI isn’t Return On Investment, but rather Relationships, Opportunities, Involvement. Go ahead, engage and if you get stuck along the way, please call us – we’ll talk you through it.

Oh and one more thing, purchase a Flip Video. You won’t regret it and it can only enhance your social media activities. Start developing your own videos and post them to YouTube, Facebook and your Web site.

I extend a big thanks to Mayo Clinic and Ragan Communications for hosting a wonderful summit and securing excellent spokespeople!

Natural Food Trends: Cocoa Flavanols, Superfoods, Gluten-free products and Packaging

I am a self-admitted chocolate addict, one of many in the office. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, you name it, I’ll eat it…in moderation of course, most of the time. As a consumer of all things chocolate, I also enjoy watching food and beverage trends as part of our food and beverage practice so when I saw a recent announcement that the International Congress of Nutrition brought together experts to present evidence that cocoa flavanols have health benefits, I knew they were on to something. Like, did you know that cocoa is actually a fruit? A fruit! That means technically we are allowed to have 2-3 servings per day, right? But wait there’s more. Cocoa is not only a fruit but a “super fruit, packed with unique active plant compounds called flavanols, linked to healthy circulation.” Go ahead, read more about it. It will make that next Dove bar seem harmless:

Cocoa Research Finds a Place in the Global Health Dialogue <http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS17664+07-Oct-2009+PRN20091007>

How do you top good news that involves chocolate? Here are a few trends uncovered at the Natural Products Expo East/Organic Products last month in Boston identified by editors and experts from New Hope Natural Media, publisher of Natural Foods Merchandiser, Delicious Living, Functional Ingredients and Nutrition Business Journal:

• Hot new ingredients include coconut oil, lavender, maqui, agave nectar and ancient ingredients such as salba grain


• Superfood producers continue on their quest for even higher levels of antioxidants, omegas and other functional benefits; probiotics are being featured in drinks, powders, yogurts, cereals and bars


• Gluten-free products were found outside of the baked goods aisle; low-calorie and low-sugar products are strong, especially in beverages


• Dairy-free and nut allergy avoidance are hot topics, as is transparency of sourcing and a commitment to social and eco-responsibility across many product categories


• Value products are being introduced in response to tightened budgets; packaging trends include mini-sizing, portion control and squeeze-packs or pouches, especially for kids

I look forward to seeing more products in the coming months with cocoa flavanols, but don’t recommend having these in mini-sized, portion control pouches. Bring on the superfoods. You'll find me in line at the new Sprouts Farmers Market in Boulder.

Colorado Fall Home Show had a Great First Run!

Attendees left the show “seeing green”

The first-ever Colorado Fall Home Show took place this month at the Colorado Convention Center offering more than 6,000 visitors a variety of ways to renovate, remodel and renew their homes. But what interested attendees the most was the variety of companies emphasizing sustainable living products and services. Walking the floor of the show, it was obvious to see that if you apply yourself, you can incorporate green living products into every inch of your home!

In addition to the 300 exhibitors, two demonstration theaters were busy with experts showing do-it-yourself ways to bring sustainability and energy efficiency into your home, as well as eye catching interior design and remodeling tips. The cooking demonstrations (and samples) were a special treat!

Similar to the Annual Colorado Garden & Home Show, a percentage of the proceeds generated at the Colorado Fall Home Show will further extend grants and scholarships for Colorado’s horticulture industry. CGS has awarded a record breaking amount of more than $500,000 in horticulture grant projects and scholarships for 2008 - 2009 including grants to more than 40 organizations and seven substantial scholarships including a four year, full-ride scholarship.

We are looking forward to the Colorado Garden and Home Show in Denver on February 13-20, 2010.

Social Media Tip: Twellow.com

Twellow is a handy resource if you’re looking for Twitterers who are based in specific locations or interested in specific topics. Unlike Twitter’s search function or Tweetscan, Twellow searches people’s Twitter profile description and location info, not their actual tweets. Twellow search results lists the number of followers for each match and you can start following them directly from the results.

Here is an example search I did on Seattle and food.

Social media marketing... are you really connecting?

Social media has enabled brands to expand their reach beyond a simple Web site or advertisement to reach customers on their own turf and in new, more personal ways. However, many marketers still balk about putting resources behind these efforts because they're unsure if customers will actually respond and/or if they do respond, will they respond positively? While nobody has a crystal ball, we often to point to case studies to help convince wary marketers. In addition to case studies, eMarketer just released a new report called “Marketing on Social Networks: Branding, Buying and Beyond." According to this report:

52% of social network users had become a fan or follower of a company or brand, while 46% had said something good about a brand or company on a social networking Website—double the percentage who had said something negative (23%).

CEOs and Social Media: Zappos.com

I've always been a big fan of online shoe retailer Zappos.com (and not just because they always have my favorite pair of strappy three-inch heels available when everyone else seems to be out of them). During the past couple years Zappos.com has emerged as one of the shining examples of how a large company can successfully utilize social media to drive sales and increase customer engagement and service. In a world where many C-level execs haven't even looked at Twitter, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has redefined (or perhaps defined) how C-level executives should use social media to connect directly with their customers and employees. He has over a million followers on Twitter, his blog posts consistently get reposted and retweeted thousands of times a day and oh yeah, he's the CEO of a company that Amazon just purchased for almost a billion dollars. Amazing.

Obviously, not every CEO has the bandwidth and passion to follow in Tony's footsteps, but his commitment to social media has consistently pushed his company to the top of the customer service charts. His example is one to strive for, even if it seems unattainable.

You can read more about Tony here.

I Love Living in America Because...

The 4th of July. Wow. 2009 is officially 50% behind us, and America is officially about to celebrate with a day off, fireworks and picnics with their families and friends. My seven-year-old daughter just asked me what the 4th of July actually celebrated. So, I dusted off my 6th grade America History lesson and let her know that tomorrow, back in 1776, members of Congress ALL agreed to adopt the Declaration of Independence, which basically said the colonies (try explaining that one to a 2nd grader) were going to be separate from Great Britain. This Constitution still provides the legal roadmap for America and contains the coolest phrase around -- “all Men are created equal.” Of course, she immediately asked why girls weren’t equal, but I thought I would save this one for another rainy day in Denver.

What I didn’t remember is that Philadelphians marked the first anniversary of American independence with a spontaneous celebration, but Independence Day only became a true American celebration after the War of 1812. How’s that for a little history lesson before noon? Not bad for a PR gal…

The Gov Gab Blog Team always does a nice job in their daily blog updates and I found today’s post to be especially relevant (and the first time I have seen the word “rigamarole” used in a blog post, which I greatly appreciate).
Take a minute and finish the thought, “I love living in America because….” In the meantime, take a minute and read their blog post. You can also sign up to receive daily emails from their site.

http://blog.usa.gov/roller

I Love Living in America Because...
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0500
There are things that we all wish were better with our country. Like you, I think I pay too much in taxes (I have yet to meet a person who thinks he doesn't pay enough). I get monumentally annoyed and disgusted when our political leaders get caught doing unethical things. I get frustrated with the red tape and the rigamarole that seems to accompany some of my interactions with the government, and I get angry when I hear my tax dollars are occasionally wasted on stupidity.

It would be easy to sit and gripe all day about our government, but tomorrow is July 4th, a day we celebrate all that is good with our country. Our founding fathers risked their lives to declare their independence. They created this country on some basic principles that hopefully we all believe in even today. Throughout our history people have served and sacrificed for our country to advance the ideas of freedom of speech, equality, and representation. These are rights that many people in other countries don't have or are struggling to obtain.

There are many reasons for all of us to be proud of our country. I would like to see us all set aside the sniping and griping for this one day and think about why we appreciate living in the United States. Please express your heart-felt birthday wishes by sending in a comment. How would you finish this thought, “I love living in America because...”

I will get us started: “I love living in America because I work for a government that allows me to write blogs that are totally my own (complete with embarrassing stories and quirky details). I have the freedom to express criticisms about my government and no one calls me a traitor, slaps handcuffs on me, or throws me in jail for doing so.”

From all of us at GroundFloor Media, Happy 4th. Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

How Iran May Legitimize Twitter…

Has anyone been reading the posts from Iran on Twitter? The two people on the ground (@iran09 and @persiankiwi ) seem to be accomplishing what traditional communication channels have not been able to muster. Here is a link to the disturbing photos http://twitpic.com/photos/madyar and an excerpt from MSNBC (thanks @RushtonM).

"With traditional reporting silenced and e-mail and many Web sites shut down by the government, much of the information from Tehran was coming through social media Internet services like Twitter.com and Facebook.com, which can be accessed through mobile devices and cell phone networks.

Twitter postponed a scheduled blackout for maintenance Tuesday so as not to silence the protesters after the U.S. State Department lobbied it to keep its service running during the unrest, a State Department official said. The official said the United States wanted to highlight “Twitter’s role as an important means of communication — not with us — but horizontally in Iran.”

Messages from people claiming to be eyewitnesses to the violence were flowing into Twitter at the rate of hundreds a minute. Posts would flood in, only to slow to a trickle for a minute or two as Iranian censors sought to stanch the flow of information. Then posts would resume in a torrent as users found ways around the censorship."

Don't forget the strategy!

One of the first questions I often get when people find out about our GFsM program is "Can you build me a Facebook page?" This is akin to "My teenage daughter said we should be start a blog. Can you help?" or "Can you Twitter for me?".

Can you spot the pattern? Yep, they're all tactics. For some reason, social media often seems to lend itself to a tactical approach, rather than a strategical one...at least initially. My theory for this is because so many people view social media as simply a bunch of tactics. Facebook Pages, Twitter contests, YouTube Channels... they're all basically tactics and that's also how most people are introduced to social media.

When I get the inevitable question asking me if we can perform a specific social media tactic, I try to caution folks to take a step back, a deep breath and ask yourself some questions. Are your customers using social media? Where are social conversations about your company or your industry taking place? What are your goals for executing a social media program? In other words... what is your strategy?! We all need a reminder some time.

As a side note... One of my fave PR bloggers, Todd Defren, recently blogged a theory that the economic crisis leads many marketers to focus more on tactics and less on strategy - perhaps another reason why we've recently shoved strategy to the backburner.

Keeping Good Company

It’s great to see nine U.S. members of the Public Relations Global Network in the latest O’Dwyer’s Rankings of Top 169 Independent PR Firms. As #109 on the list, GroundFloor Media is proud to be affiliated with these great agencies and relieved to know that we can rely on each and every one of them should any of our clients have a specific need in any of their respective niches or geographic markets.

Congrats to the following:
67. CooperKatz & Co., New York
70. DVL, Nashville
75. L.C. Williams & Associates, Chicago
91. Xenophon Strategies, Washington, D.C.
102. The Castle Group, Boston
109. GroundFloor Media, Denver
140. VPE Public Relations, Los Angeles
149. Landis Communications, Inc., San Francisco
157. Buchanan PR, Philadelphia

PR and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

As the worlds of public relations and Internet marketing continue to merge in ways never seen before, we often find ourselves working closely with complementary agencies to help our clients further their message in the world of online PR. Our friends, the online advertising experts, at The Booyah Agency work side-by-side with us on many of our client campaigns and they have put together a post that I thought was worth sharing.

Online PR is Public Relations & SEO Working Together
You finally got your website full of great optimized content and persuasive calls to actions, interactive maps, interesting blog posts, and other hot Internet technologies – now what? The most important part of optimizing your website actually happens off the page – where links and mentions of your website and company play a vital role in how popular and important your website will become.

Quality one-way links from websites related to yours is the key to top rankings on the search engines. You need to develop strategies to ‘win’ these links. Obtaining these links is not easy, but winning targeted links with important keywords in mind are proven to produce results. When pursuing one-way links, keep in mind that every website is run by a person, or a group of people, meaning that you not only need to target websites but also ‘convince’ real people to add a link to their site. This makes good public relations and link building a natural fit when combined to form an Online Public Relations campaign.

There are several key reasons why Online PR can be effective for SEO:

1. Press releases can be easily optimized and targeted to specific keywords using the Heading, Subheading and About Us section of the press release.
2. News stories stay online and can still be read for months after the event.
3. Online press releases can increase traffic and provide link popularity.
4. There are dozens of good free online PR sites and several quality newswire services.

For high quality one-way links, the paid PR services provide more opportunity for keyword rich links and often provide a greater distribution for your story. While you don’t have to use the paid PR services for every online Press Release, it can be well worth the fee (often under $100) for your important online Press Releases.

Mashable: Prop 8 Decision Protesters Use Wikis and Facebook to Organize

Social media is a great medium to quickly gather together supporters for a specific issue or cause, but a lot of causes don't know where or how to start.

Yesterday Mashable's Ben Parr did a great post about how Prop 8 protesters are using social media to organize and raise awareness about their cause. If you're one of those folks who aren't sure where or how to use social media to get the word about about your cause, be sure to read this post.

Live from Boulder Social Media Workshop...

I've decided to kick off the holiday weekend with a little live blogging from a social media hotspot in Boulder! This morning a number of us GFMers are participating in a social media workshop (Social Media and PR in the Digital Age) put on by the Boulder Chamber and the Small Business Development Center. Our own Laura Love is currently moderating a panel with TechStar's Andrew Hyde, The Camera's Kevin Kaufman, Filtrbox's Ari Newman and ColoradoBiz's Mike Cote discussing the changing social media and PR landscape. While I feel like I've attended hundreds of these discussions it's amazing that the content is ALWAYS different. Twitter seems to be the hottest discussion topic right now and how companies can use to get their news out and learn what people are saying about their businesses.

Other interesting insight and advice from the social media junkie panel:

• Be sure to start off your social media program by listening! What is the social media universe saying about you and your company now?
• Find the social media channel that makes you excited to participate and get involved in that channel. If you like it, you're more likely to do it more often.
• Show your personality!
• Be honest, authentic and transparent.
• Check out what your competitors and others in your industry are doing on social media. It's a great way to get ideas!
• Check out Twitter in Plain English video - a great explanation about what is Twitter.
• Demographics for social media channels are all across the board. Twitter seems to skew older than Facebook and Facebook skews older than MySpace.
• It's more important to have good your content rather than just frequent content.
• Handheld video is a great way to add an extra punch to your social media campaign. It doesn't have to be professionally shot video.
• Top pitfalls to avoid: don't pretend to be something you're not; be sure to take advantage of the tracking tools available; remember you're having conversations in a permanent, public archive - think twice before you post; be conversational, not a corporate robot
• Take a few deep breaths and have two people review your response before responding to an angry post.
• Social media is a skill set that is essential for all marketers and PR pros today.
• Check out LinkedIn for B2B companies.

Last words of advice:

• Kevin: be brave and curious and explore
• Ari: Don't get focused on the tool; social media is bigger than a single tool
• Andrew: Google is your home page. Have a personal blog and a company blog.
• Mike: Get ready.

Bringing home the gold (and silver)!

Last night was the 2009 PRSA Colorado Awards celebration. This year's event was a little different than recent years (kudos to CSU PR students for a super creative auction and to Andrew Hudson and Bruce Goldberg for adding their unique humor to the emcee honors), but the purpose was still the same - recognizing amazing PR campaigns and the people who execute them.

At GroundFloor Media, we were honored for five our clients' campaigns to be selected as Gold and Silver Pick winners. Here's a snapshot of the awards breakdown:

Gold Picks
2009 Events and Observances (7 days or fewer) – Association/Nonprofit Organizations
"The Children’s Hospital Makes 111 Miracles Happen"
GroundFloor Media and the Children’s Hospital

2009 Media Relations – Associations/Nonprofit Organizations
"Celebrating 20 Years of Financial Education"
GroundFloor Media and Young Americans Center for Financial Education

Silver Picks
2009 Reputation/Brand Management – Business
Qdoba Builds Brand Through Creative Q-dentity Profiles and Taste Bud Politics
GroundFloor Media and Qdoba Mexican Grill

2009 Media Relations – Business-to-Business
CH2M Hill Sheds Light on Solar in 25 American Cities
GroundFloor Media and CH2M Hill

2009 Blogger Campaign
Leveraging the Influence of Top Consumers Technology Bloggers to Launch Fuser.com GroundFloor Media and Fuser

Our heartfelt congratulations to our clients and to every one of last night's winners. We feel very blessed to work in a city that is home to so many smart and creative PR professionals.

You can read a full list of winners here.

Social Media and Swine Flu

Over the past few weeks the story of the H1N1 virus (aka: swine flu) has taken over the media. You can't tune into the local news, national news, even log onto the Internet or walk down the street and say hi to your neighbors without being inundated with messages about signs, symptoms and statistics about this emerging health issue. It can be overwhelming and, to be honest, a little scary at times.

Here in Colorado, the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) has done a great job leveraging social media to offer Coloradans news about the virus in bite-sized, consumer-friendly messages that has made the H1N1 virus a lot easier to understand and, quite frankly, a little less scary. On a Web page specifically dedicated to the H1N1 virus, Colorado residents can sign up for free e-mail updates each time the page's information about H1N1 is updated. The page also provides links to the information about H1N1 translated into a variety of languages including Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic, to name just a few. CDPHE has also provided links to practical and informative videos and podcasts such as "How To Wash Your Hands" and "H1N1 Flu Preparedness."

GroundFloor Media was honored to work with CDPHE on one of its first social media programs through the What If Colorado? campaign - and we're thrilled to see that the foundation built during that campaign is still in place.

Tweets for a Cause... and More

Around here, we tend to think the tweet craze is pretty interesting and can be used not only to tweet about your life and your company, but also to help out a good cause. In fact, this month is Child Abuse Prevention Month and we are working on a Twitter campaign with Noble Energy and Tennyson Center for Children www.childabuse.org. If we can get 1,000 followers on @TennysonCenter by the end of today, Noble will give Tennyson Center $5,000. Friends and colleagues have been rock stars about promoting it. A big thanks to @ahjobslist and @mhsmc for their help. We are now at 600 members and we will get there before the end of the month. We also used Twitter to help promote the launch of Impact 105, a new group of young (and young at heart) professionals that are coming together to advocate and donate (time and money) to fighting child abuse. Our kick-off event was on Wednesday, April 22 at Max Gill & Grill in Wash Park. Many of the attendees asked, “So what’s next?” I am encouraging everyone to go to www.childabuse.org/impact105.html and sign up to become a founding member of Impact 105. For $105 a year (tax-deductible), you will not only be invited to attend our quarterly networking events, but most importantly you will help us shape legislative policy around child abuse prevention and provide basic services for the children of Tennyson Center.

If you are interested in doing more, please send me a tweet at @llovek and I will make sure you are informed of the opportunities available to you. That may include joining us for a wine tasting event at Morton’s, adopting a child for the dress-a-child program, participating in Operation Santa (where you can adopt a family for the holidays) or Stuff the Bus (gathering school supplies for Tennyson Center kids), hosting a table at the 32nd Annual Denver Dinner or playing in the summer golf tournament. There are also opportunities for individuals and companies to develop a custom giving plan and/or volunteer their expertise in the world of marketing, fundraising or special events. The giving opportunities are endless. I just need to know your level of interest.

Businesses are using Twitter as a brand builder, a customer service center and a promotional arm. There is a great article on Elance on doing business with 140 letters or less http://www.elance.com/p/blog/2009/03/elancers_more_business_with_140_letters_or_less.html?rid=1HN94
After all of the Twitter craze, I figure there is nothing about my life that now can’t be summed up in under 140 letters or less. This is going to make the holiday cards a lot less painful this year.

Expanding Our Reach through PRGN

As one of the three newest members of the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), I’m proud to be a part of such a fantastic international public relations “family.” This past weekend, GroundFloor Media attained membership, along with CooperKatz out of New York and The Harrell Group in Dallas. For those of you who are not familiar with the network, PRGN is an international organization of leading independent, owner-operated public relations agencies working together to serve client needs with local knowledge and global reach. It is an invitation-only network with 40 member agencies and more than 50 offices worldwide based in the United States, Central and South America, Europe, Canada, Pacific Rim, South Asia and the Caribbean.

What does that mean for GroundFloor Media? It expands our reach not only in key specialty areas – including Hispanic marketing and investor relations – but also in key geographic areas – including Los Angeles; New York; Washington, D.C.; Brussels; Melbourne; and Singapore. Our partner agencies in PRGN are ready, willing and able to provide expertise and hands-on assistance when needed.

The two days of meetings were filled with professional development, including the hot topic of social media. It was very fulfilling to learn from and share with colleagues from around the globe, and I look forward to continued opportunities to do so! There are two meetings each year, with committee work feverishly taking place in between.

You can see Tweets from the recent meetings in Sao Paulo by checking out #PRGN or visit the PRGN group on Facebook.

Need a New Accessory but You’re on a Budget? Old Poker Chip, a Little Glue and a Few Beads Will Do

I have become an avid fan of Cathie Filian, host of Creative Juice, DIY Network. She is in town for the Colorado Women’s Expo this weekend in Denver. Not only did she call me late last evening to confirm her arrival and excitement for a 6:20 a.m. segment on KUSA Ch. 9, but she met me 10 minutes early this morning. Cathie then impressed the Ch. 9 team with her re-crafted jewelry by demonstrating how to transform bits of scrapbook paper and game pieces in to fun jewelry accessories.

Yes, you too can use an old poker chip to create an amazing necklace. This is so easy that even I could make it. My favorites were the rings made out of scrabble pieces and necklaces from dominos. Time to dig through that bin of magazines in your corner to clip cool patterns for jewelry fronts.

Here’s a look: http://www.9news.com/life/programming/shows/weekends/
Feeling crafty? Want more tips? Check out Cathie’s blog: http://cathiefilian.blogspot.com/
The 2009 Colorado Women’s Expo features celebrity speakers on fitness, fashion, finance, cooking, design and crafting. Join us today from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or Sunday, April 26 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Colorado Convention Center.

For more information about the show, please visit www.ColoradoWomenShow.com

APRil is APR Month!

For many professions, some form of graduate education is key to getting ahead. When you're in college studying public relations, however, professors really drill into your head that experience is what counts. Looking back, I think the professors were absolutely right, experience makes all the difference in public relations, particularly at an agency like GroundFloor Media where we don't specialize in any one area but instead apply our skills across the spectrum for our clients.

That said, public relations professionals can benefit from brushing up on their skills and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) offers the perfect opportunity through a program called APR. APR is a voluntary certification program for public relations professionals. APRs demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice by advancing through a readiness review process (an in-person "interview" of sorts) and then taking a computer-based APR examination that tests your knowledge of the profession, it's history, and various tactics and strategies. PRSA has cleverly dubbed April as APR month...

I received my APR several years ago and I'm so glad that I went through the process! It felt like I was reaffirming the solid foundation of my college education, not to mention that I've met great people along the way and now feel more connected to the public relations profession than ever. If you live in Colorado and have an interest in pursuing your APR, contact me for more information about an APR event being held on Tuesday, April 21 at Morton's The Steakhouse in downtown Denver. We're going to bring together current and aspiring APRs to discuss the APR process and next steps for those who are ready to embark on this exciting adventure!

Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, APR is definitely a path to consider as you further your career in public relations. Hope to see you on Tuesday!

SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCE: Did you just say Google?

When I first got into social media (~2 1/2 years ago) there weren't a lot of tutorials available. I read TechCrunch and other tech blogs and even attended a "new media conference", but to be honest, there wasn't much that really outlined tactics. So like a lot of my social media peers, I learned about social media by doing it.... and with a little help from my friend Google. Surprised? You shouldn't be. In fact, Google is still one of my fave social media resources today. Let me explain just a few great ways that Google can help you get a handle on social media.

Google Search: Let's start with the basics. Yes, the basic search page on www.google.com. Want to know how to embed a video into a blog post? Google it. Looking for a way to connect your tweets to your Facebook status? Google it. I'll bet you $5 that you'll find an answer to your question (and maybe even a video tutorial) within the first page of search results. I still do this at least once a week when I get a social media question that I can't answer off the top of my head.

Google Alerts: To PR and marketing folks, Google alerts are like air. We need them to function and do our jobs properly that's because a big part of our job is knowing what people are saying about clients and their industries. However, for those of you outside of our PR bubble, you may not be familar with this handy little service. Just set up your own Google search keywords (web, news, blog, etc.) and Google will "alert" you via e-mail with your results either once a day or as they happen.

Google RSS Reader: If you haven't discovered RSS feeds yet, you need to. RSS feeds are a great way to stay current on the latest news from your fave blogs or news outlets. By setting up Google's free RSS reader, you can aggregate all you RSS feeds and folder them by categories. If you find yourself pressed for time and unable to check out your fave blogs everyday, you'll love this. Trust me.

Google Trends: Not sure what keywords to base your social media campaign on? Check out Google Trends. You can compare multiple search terms over variable times, correlate specific dates with online news and even compare search term geographically. Super handy.

Still want more? Click here.

Enjoy! (And no, I do not do PR for Google.)

Federal government employees gaining much-needed access to social media sites in order to do their jobs

It's a pretty common challenge these days: social media is on the rise, it's a great marketing tool when used properly, but many communications professionals cannot access social media sites from work. I recently came across this news on ReadWriteWeb.com about federal government employees accessing social media sites from work for professional purposes. This seems like a good first step for our friends from the metro-Denver-area government agencies who attended GroundFloor Media’s Social Media 101 training last week…

Government employees can now access social media sites
Despite widespread adoption of social media by private companies, most government employees could not access the social Web from work—until last week. After nine months of negotiations, government agencies can now officially use YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo and blip.tv thanks to special service agreements that meet federal terms and conditions. The Government Services Administration, which negotiated the service agreements, is currently working on similar deals with Facebook and MySpace. Twitter’s service agreement is already in line with federal requirements.