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