Back to basics - create a communications plan!

Have you ever found yourself wondering if the development of a communications plan is absolutely necessary? It can certainly be a daunting task, but a strategic plan that includes solid tactics provides a sound road map for you and your communications team. It is a must-have document that defines the structure for how you will work towards your goals and provides validation that the initiatives you plan to execute map back to your overall strategy.

Recently, I have found myself working with multiple clients to develop PR and social media plans. To start the process, we like to conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of current communications initiatives, followed by a discussion around PR goals and strategy, and then we can best determine the tactics to reach the agreed-upon goals. Everything from traditional and non-traditional media relations, to an SEO campaign and message development, to corporate social responsibility can be included in your plan, but if there is one tip of advice I can give you… be sure one of your tactics is to develop/revisit your crisis communication plan and incorporate new mediums, like social media. I think we can all learn a few lessons from the recent Pampers and BP Oil issues!

Once your plan is finalized, it is important that you measure your success and evaluate results quarterly, annually, at year-end, etc. It’s important to remember that good communications plans are living documents—no one should continue down a tactical path that upon following an evaluation, no longer aligns with the overarching goals or current landscape of your industry.

I would encourage all PR practitioners to use the month of June as a reminder to check in on your strategic plans. Whether you are a one-person communications team or a team of five, take a couple of hours to evaluate your plan. If you don’t have a communications plan, take a leap of faith and develop one!

To help get you started, below are eight steps that I like to follow when creating a plan. Remember, it can be overwhelming to pull a plan together, but once you have it, you will be thrilled to have your “communications guidebook.”

~ Jen Wills

Eight steps to consider when developing your strategic communications plan:

1. Conduct a SWOT analysis of your current communications initiatives

2. Define your overall communications/PR goals and objectives

3. Determine your key audiences – current and future

4. Develop two to four PR strategies

5. Define your internal and external communications tactics – including traditional and non-traditional media

6. Determine your budget

7. Set metrics. Include methods in your plan that you can use to measure and evaluate results.

8. Evaluate, redefine and re-align with goals

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.

WEEKLY SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCE: Mashable.com

Today we're starting a new weekly series where we'll highlight a great social media resource. Some may be for everyone and some may be more appropriate for a specific audience or industry, but we're hoping that all of them will provide value! To start off this series, I'm going to highlight my all-time favorite social media Web site: www.mashable.com. Mashable is a fabulous blog that bills itself as the premier social media guide. Mashable offers countless the latest social media news, how-to guides and great posts about using social media to build your brand online. Their writers also have a knack for explaining things that might be a bit confusing for a social media rookie.

For those of you who follow GFM on Facebook or Twitter, you may have already noticed that I have fondness for posting links to Mashable articles. Here are just a few of my recent favorites:

Top 20 Ways to Share a Great Blog Post

Five Elements of a Successful Facebook Fan Page

How to Survive the New, New Facebook

How to Organize a Successful Tweetup

How to Take Control of Your Google Search Results

You can read more on www.mashable.com or you can fan them on Facebook.

P.S. If you aren't following GFM on Facebook or Twitter, please take a minute to fan/follow us!

As the popularity of newspapers declines...

Yesterday’s blog post on Reuters Blogs is depressing for those of us who love to read the newspaper. According to a report by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, only 33 percent of respondents would miss reading their local newspaper a lot if were no longer available. I know plenty of people in Denver who miss their Rocky Mountain News!

Fortunately, people do still appear to want their local news; they are just not getting if from the newspaper. According to the report, “When it comes to local news, more people say they get that news from local television stations than any other source. About two-thirds (68%) say they regularly get local news from television reports or television station websites, 48% say they regularly get news from local newspapers in print or online, 34% say they get local news regularly from radio and 31% say they get their local news, more generally, from the internet.”

I know I risk sounding like a broken record, but studies like this show time and again why it’s so important to have a strategic, integrated public relations strategy that combines both traditional and non-traditional tactics and includes an online presence. The clients we’re lucky enough to work with at GroundFloor Media understand that, and it is fun and refreshing to continually come up with unique and innovative campaigns with them.

Storytelling...

GroundFloor Media’s senior public relations counselors often tell our clients that a press release is not the answer. Gone are the days of distributing a news release and garnering a ton of media coverage. Companies have to find ways to authentically engage with their consumers – media coverage can be an effective part of that mix but it is no longer the end-all-be-all answer. Seth Godin’s blog post today really explains that theory.

Here’s an expert: “A publicity firm will tell you stories of how they got a client ink. A PR firm will talk about storytelling and being remarkable and spreading the word. They might even suggest you don't bother getting ink or issuing press releases.”

It’s definitely worth a read.

~Ramonna

The State of the Media (and therefore, our profession)

I know I’m not catching anyone by surprise when I say that traditional media as we know it is in trouble. I follow “themediaisdying” on Twitter and am reminded of this sad fact every day. Now, with the Rocky Mountain News up for sale and its future uncertain, the fact is hitting home even harder than usual. As public relations professionals, this is changing our daily lives and the fundamental ways we do business. Gone are the days of beat reporters with column inches waiting to be filled with news about their beat – even good news. Nowadays it can take several calls to various contacts in the newsroom to determine who might be around that day and MIGHT have time to cover your story – if it’s a REALLY big story. I’m not complaining because that creates more work for PR practitioners; I truly feel for my friends in the media who have so little time and so few opportunities left to cover the things they are passionate about in meaningful ways.

As PR professionals, we must stay on the forefront of these changes, maintain strong relationships with the reporters who are lucky enough to be left out there, and shift our thinking toward new media and new ways to reach the consumers we need to reach. Whether that’s through blogs, microsites, special events or cause-inspired campaigns, now more than ever is the time to think out of the box, be creative, flexible and – most of all – strategic. It’s a challenging time in our industry, but there are some great opportunities out there to do things in new ways and really make an impact. Good luck!

It Takes a Team to Blog

Many of GroundFloor Media's clients either have a blog or are ready to dip their toes in the blogging waters. We consistently explain to clients that maintaining a blog is similar to maintaining an editorial calendar for a newspaper or your internal newsletter. It takes a team of people to keep a blog relevant, interesting and up-to-date. Seth Godin's blog post, "Death of a personal blog?" makes some great points along those same lines. I hope you enjoy it... http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!
~Ramonna

Small Businesses and Social Networks

When people find out that we have a social media practice at GroundFloor Media, their first question almost always concerns social networking. Should I be using social networks to market my business? If so, which ones? And once I'm on a social network, how do I use it to attract new customers?

All good questions and a recent Forbes.com article offers some good advice for small business owners who are pondering taking the social networking plunge.

Be sure to check out the slide show on how to build your social network too.

Creative Campaigns That Actually Work

I think its safe to say that the majority of GFMers are suckers for super creative, out-of-the-box, thank-god-I'm-not-one-of-the-models marketing and PR campaigns. We love reading about them, we love brainstorming for them, we love executing them and we love pushing our clients out of their comfort zones. Of course, we do have one big caveat... the campaigns have to actually work. Unleashing street teams in clown costumes might sound creative (This is just an example. We never did a campaign involving clowns. Ever.), but it doesn't mean squat if it doesn't meet your overall program objectives.

Through the years, I've had the opportunity to witness and participate in many such campaigns. (You can read about one of my personal favorites during the launch of Coors Light's Cold Activated Bottle here.) Yesterday I stumbled across another one by Chik-Fil-A. If you missed it on your calendar, last Friday was Cow Appreciation Day at Chik-Fil-A restaurants across the country. The one-day promotion, an extension of its popular "Eat Mor Chikin" campaign, promised free meals to anyone who showed up a Chik-Fil-A restaurant wearing a cow costume. Apparently, the results were great and allowed Chik-Fil-A to capture many great snapshots of their customers in full moo regalia. MediaPost has a great write-up on the campaign here.

What about you? Do you have any favorite creative campaigns that actually delivered results? I'd love to hear about them!

Customer Service at its Finest

I love Seth Godin's blog, and his recent post about customer service is definitely worth sharing.

Enjoy...

When you least expect it.

I sent in a t-shirt order to Customlink a few weeks ago. Three days later, I got a note from someone named Lori that said, "Hi Seth,I noticed that you have designed shirts that appear to be for a charity event. If that’s the case, CustomInk would love to make a small donation to your team or to the charity itself on your behalf. Please let me know if your order is for one of these events. If you would like us to pitch in and support your cause, please include information about your charity event, a link if you have one or the organization’s name if there is no link to a team web page."

That's it. No policy, no standard operating procedure, no promise in advance. Just plain generosity.
It turns out that Customink does this as a matter of course, regardless of whether the customer has a blog or not. They don't do it as an inducement, they just do it.

Formula: The value of a perk is inversely related to the expectation of that perk.

Have a great Independence Day!

~Ramonna

HARO Happy Hour

Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting the illustrious Peter Shankman in person. He was kind enough to host a public relations gathering Saturday night while he was in Denver. I’m happy to report that Peter is as witty as his e-mails suggest, and he is a genuinely nice person. The Denver-ites had a lovely time playing pool and sipping cocktails at the Wynkoop Brewing Company. If you’re on Facebook, you can check out the photos at http://tinyurl.com/6ekdlz. While you’re there, you can become a fan of HARO (Help a Reporter Out), too! All of the PR folks I know rave about the leads they get from this free service from Peter.
~Ramonna

Digital media and marketing... the love affair continues

According to a recent survey by PRWeek and MS&L Marketing, the use of digital and social media in marketing campaigns is on the rise. Now, unless you've been living under a rock for the last five years (or doing PR for a really old-school type company), this information shouldn't surprise you in the least. In fact, it's kind of like me telling you that kids' desire for pizza is on the rise. However, if you dig a little deeper into the results (which PRWeek does here along with some great case studies), you might find yourself raising an eyebrow or at least feeling vindicated. For example:

Of the survey respondents, 75.4% expect spending for digital/online initiatives to increase, compared to 42.5% for direct marketing spend, 36.5% for PR budgets, and 32.5% for ad budgets.

Check out the ad and PR numbers. Interesting, no? Mark Hass, CEO of MS&L, attributes the percentages to the kind of interaction or conversation that marketers are having nowadays with their customers. [Note: I'm paraphrasing here.] Imagine advertising being a monologue and traditional PR being a dialogue. More and more marketers are realizing that digital media enables them to engage in a multi-logue with their target audience. Totally makes sense to me.

Here's another interesting tidbit from the survey:

When asked which disciplines would be most likely to be cut if forced to do so because of economic conditions, digital was the least likely with only 11.1% of respondents noting that they'd cut budgets for those initiatives. Advertising was the most likely to be cut (58.3%), followed by point-of-sale marketing (55.6%), direct marketing (41.3%), and PR (35.3%).

PRWeek attributes these figures to the flexibility digital media offers marketers - especially in a shaky economic environment. Gone are the days of a six-month media buy that requires up-front payment. Digital media enables marketers to make changes on the fly and gather specific metrics.

The bottomline? The love affair between digital media and marketing still seems pretty steamy.

Check out the full article and download a copy of the report here.

Tomatoes Create Headlines

As PR practitioners, we are always reminding our clients about the need for a crisis communications plan. No matter the industry – healthcare, technology, restaurant or education – you can never predict when a crisis will hit, or what the crisis will be. On June 4, in a move to ensure the health and safety of its customers, GroundFloor Media client Qdoba Mexican Grill pulled raw tomatoes from its menu in response to a reported salmonella outbreak among certain varieties of tomatoes.

Kudos to Qdoba for jumping on this issue before it became a media headliner! Together with the client, GroundFloor Media had time to help craft messaging and developed signage surrounding the preventative measure – and sure enough, the phones started ringing. Thanks to a fantastic partnership with our client and a willingness to drop everything and walk in lock-step, not only have we navigated a sea of nationwide media inquiries, the combined GroundFloor Media/Qdoba team actually maintained a sense of humor and, dare I say, is comfortably prepared to tackle the next crisis that comes our way.

If you’re contemplating adding a crisis communications plan to your “PR toolbox”, keep in mind these basic principles:

1. Develop your key message(s) and stick to them
2. Respond to the media as quickly as possible, but take time to gather the facts before answering
3. Follow through on commitments to answer additional questions the media may have
4. Utilize your corporate Web site to disseminate information to key audiences

Generational Guessing?

As marketers, most of us understand the importance of identifying our target audiences BEFORE we actually begin our marketing campaigns. Ideally, these types of discovery sessions should take place before you even think about a campaign idea or strategy since the message or tactic can vary greatly depending on the audience. However, I'll be the first to admit that sometimes it can be a little tricky to actually narrow down your target demographic(s) - especially when so many demographics seem to overlap. Baby Boomers, Seniors, Generation X, Generation Y, Millennials... the list is endless.

This week, Ad Age's Kenneth Gronbach has a great primer on the top six U.S. generational markets and ideas for targeting them. If you're about to begin a audience discovery session (or even if you're in the midst of one), I'd highly recommend this article as a good place to start.

Is your target audience using social media?

Most marketers I speak to are really excited by the prospect of using social media to create brand awareness or publicize a new product. The inherent viral nature that social media offers companies makes it impossible not to be excited, however, it's also important to know WHO you're hoping to reach with social media before you start tossing budget dollars at Facebook.

There is a great article in AdAge today that asks "Is your consumer using social media?". While this may seem like a natural question for marketers who are thinking about executing a social media campaign, you'd be surprised by how many neglect to ask themselves (or their marketing/PR firm) that simple question from the get-go. After all, if you're marketing the latest version of the Jitterbug phone (a cell phone designed specifically for seniors; my Nana loves hers), perhaps a Twitter campaign isn't the best use of your budget, right?

So if you have a few minutes, I'd encourage you to read AdAge's article. The author includes profiles of specific demographics (i.e. divorcees, stay-at-home moms, first-time home buyers, etc.) and how much they actually use social media. While your target audience may not be included in their list, don't be dismayed. Just take this as a friendly reminder to do a little of your own social media due diligence before you take that leap into social media marketing.

Social Media for Non-Profits

Attention all non-profits... If you've ever wondered how you can harness the power of social media to help promote your cause, increase membership or aid fundraising, I highly recommend this article in yesterday's Chicago Tribune. The author, Wailin Wong, offers some great case studies that might get your own social media minds a-churning.

Good Crisis Communications Article for Other Adrenaline Junkies

I’ve earned the reputation as GroundFloor Media’s “crisis communications queen,” and I take that as a compliment. I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and I do enjoy guiding clients through challenging situations ~ although I don’t wish such challenging situations on anyone.

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review highlights some good reminders for those of us who deal with crisis communications on regular basis. From communicating sincerely, right away and from the top to communicating with your customers wherever they are, the article touches on things we’ve all probably learned in the past, but that we may forget in the heat of the crisis.

I hope you enjoy the article:
http://conversationstarter.hbsp.com/2008/04/american_airlines_communicatio.html

~Ramonna

Advice on "Punk Marketing"

GroundFloor Media has the honor of working with Qdoba Mexican Grill as their public relations agency of record, and Carissa and I had the opportunity to attend Qdoba’s annual “Mind Meld” marketing meetings in Phoenix last week. The biggest “industry trend” tackled during the conference was non-traditional marketing, and attendees were asked to read the book “Punk Marketing” by Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons in advance. Richard and Mark were also the guest speakers on the first day of the Mind Meld.

I found “Punk Marketing” to be an interesting read. My favorite part is that the authors give you permission – even encourage you – to read the book in whatever order most interests you (not from front to back). I was able to skip around and pull out the pieces most relevant to me, which was very helpful. A couple of things stuck out that I’d like to share.

First, the stats on page 134 about consumer distrust of marketing are staggering. The authors share that “less than a quarter of consumers think companies tell the truth when they market” and that only “10 percent think advertising practitioners are honest.” This points us to what the authors surmise and what Seth Godin continually shares: marketing efforts must be honest. Messages and claims must be truthful. As a PR practitioner, I’m fortunate that GroundFloor Media is based on the principle of partnering with clients who have great stories to tell. Being honest is easy for me. I wish the same for my colleagues in the industry because it sure makes the job rewarding!

The other tidbit I’d like to share from “Punk Marketing” isn’t brain surgery, but it’s an “ah ha” that I think we all need to be reminded of in this busy, multi-task-driven society in which we live. As the authors aptly note, in age when we’re all connected through mobile phones and BlackBerries and e-mail and social networks, “no one is communicating anymore.” They provide some very simple, valid tips on page nine that I think we could all benefit from. My three favorites are:-#3 “During dinner, just sit there. Put down the device and pay attention to the person you’re with…”-#7 “If you’re asked a question, put everything down! Give undivided attention…”and-#4 “Do yourself a favor and don’t prove yourself a bad speller…” (those who know me will not be surprised that this one landed on my list)

If you’re looking for a good read, I can recommend “Punk Marketing,” and if you only have limited time to read, like most of us, I recommend starting with the tips on page nine. And for my fellow PR practitioners, I’d then skip to chapter nine. The rest is up to you.

~Ramonna

Thinking about launching a corporate blog?

If you've been pondering the idea of launching a corporate blog, you should check out a great article on Ad Age's Web site today: http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=126326.

According to the article, just more than 11% of Fortune 500 companies have corporate blogs and only a handful have a designated chief blogger. The number of corporate blogs has risen slowly and steadily since the end of 2005, when 4% had any kind of blog.

Here at GFM, we've been working with a number of clients on developing a corporate blog strategy. While consistency and transparency still reign supreme in our opinion, this article makes a good point about fleshing out your reasoning for blogging (e.g. humanize the company) before the blogging begins.

PR and software development may have more in common than you might think...

As one of GFM's "technology specialists" and a self-proclaimed nerd, I take a lot of pleasure in sharing my technology-related loves with my fellow GFMers. While they may not always share my passion for the latest Web 2.0 technology or sympathize with me when I'm trying to kick my Twitter habit, they're always open to learning more and willing to try new things. It's one of the things I love about working at GFM.

A few months ago, GFM began working with Rally Software, a provider of on-demand Agile software lifecycle management solutions. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Agile development practices, it's a type of software engineering that promotes development iterations throughout the life-cycle of the project. In other words, it makes better software faster in a more people-centric way. There are numerous principles, methodologies and processes behind Agile, but one of the more well known is the daily scrum or daily stand-up. Stand-ups are short team meetings (team members stand in order to keep the meetings short - usually under 15 minutes) where each member shares their work commitments for that day, schedule updates and identifies any obstacles that might prevent them from reaching their daily goals. The goal of the stand-up is to foster team building and - for lack of better words - get things done quicker.

Having worked with multiple software companies through the years, I've been exposed to Agile on a number of different levels. (If you've ever noticed a wall full of insanely organized post-it notes while walking through a cube farm, chances are you have too.) However, my recent tenure with Rally, where every team - including the marketing team - does stand-ups, has been my first experience of being able to actually participate in daily stand-ups. And I have to confess, I've become a big fan. It's like making yourself publicly accountable for your daily to-do list while also hearing about all the cool things your other team members are working on. After most stand-ups I walk back to my computer thinking "I'm up-to-speed, I'm committed for the day... and it's only 9:15." Love it.

After witnessing the virtues of stand-ups first hand, Laura and Ramonna had the brilliant idea to replace our bi-monthly staff meeting with our own semi-weekly stand-ups at GFM. Yes, we're a PR firm, but it's a good idea and who ever said that software developers had the monopoly on good ideas? We're calling them the :19 @ 9 and we're starting them next week.

I'm very excited to share my fondness for stand-ups with my GFM friends and for them to have their own Agile experience. I'll keep you posted on our stand-up success!