There’s a certain philosophy to social media, and I’m always searching for a good summary/explanation for those clients who are new to the concept, or who have to justify their efforts to a doubtful management team.

A recent presentation by social media strategist Lon Safko in Phoenix was very helpful in that regard.   Sponsored by Growth Nation, the event brought together an interesting collection of people who all wanted to learn more about how to apply social media in their businesses. 

Following is a summary of Lon’s major points from the presentation, which can be found on his website at www.lonsafko.com.   The only disagreement I had with the presentation was his contention that social media should not reside in public relations because PR people tend to pontificate. Public relations constantly gets a bad rap, and I admit, a lot of times it is justified. But the point I made to the crowd and will make on this blog is that you need to make sure your PR person/agency/consultant understands the difference between publicity and public relations. True public relations is not one way, but two-way, and represents the kind of relationship building and dialogue that is at the heart of social media. I am a strong proponent of making sure that social media includes team members from multiple departments, but resides primarily in the PR department.

Approaching social media takes time and effort, he says. You need to know what your brand is and who your market is and what your message is and have a plan. Honesty is wildly successful in social media. Customers are expecting you to be there and if your competition is there and you’re not, you’re at a severe disadvantage. But, there has to be a reason to have a blog or a Facebook, and strategy is the most important thing.

The value of social networks is that they lead to trust, which leads to sales. You can’t push your message out anymore, you have to hear what your customers are saying. You can use social media for insights to market to your prospects. And to make sure your target audiences are aware of it, you need to put your twitter and Facebook page information everywhere, from letterhead and business cards to websites. He asked the attendees how many people had their twitter address on their business cards, and only three or four of us raised our hands.

Time is valuable, and customers want to know “what’s in it for me.” Give them value. Give them content. They like it when they come away with a “I didn’t know that” feeling.  He mentioned Gary Vaynerchuk as an example, and if you haven’t read Gary’s book “Crush It,” I recommend it. It will show you how he compared the return from several different traditional marketing approaches, such as billboards and direct mail, versus twitter. You can’t read that book and not come away realizing that the rules have changed.

It was interesting to hear Lon talk about using the social network Second Life for meeting up with people. I am on Second Life, and I have an avatar, but I have not used it. Part of the challenge for me is having to use voice software to give commands. If you use Second Life actively, I would love to hear from you.

Having a blog positions you as an industry leader if it has good content. People learn to trust your opinion and that positions you with the competition. All you need to do is blog one time a week with something you’ve learned about your industry. The head of J.W. Marriott, Bill Marriott, sees blogging as an opportunity to hear correctly what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong, so they can change it.

Lon recommended something he called “trademark sucking.”  In essence, you use what’s happening in the news, such as the recent JetBlue incident, and discuss that in your blog . Of course, you have to have a legitimate valid angle with it or people will realize you’re just trying to hop on the SEO train. 

He really stressed looking at mobile social networking. As he pointed out, most countries don’t have iPads, PCs or broadband, but they do have cell phones. Mobile phones are prevalent everywhere.  The rules of engagement have changed and you no longer control your message — your customers do, and you need to go to where they are.

He laid out a strategy for approaching social media. It really takes understanding the shift in power. Your customers are having conversations about you with or without you, so you are no longer in control of the message the way you were with traditional marketing vehicles. When you participate, however, you build trust. A website just pushes our rhetoric, but on tools like Facebook people give their honest opinion and this has more value.

Websites are becoming irrelevant. It’s the peer-to-peer communication that is driving your message. People just don’t believe website testimonials anymore. If you don’t provide a platform for your customer to have conversations, they’ll take it somewhere else. You need to be sincere, authentic, and transparent.

He’s working on a new book, Word of Mouth at the Speed of Light. The book that pushed him into social networking prominence was The Social Media Bible, which truly turned out to be a bible in size and reference capability for those new to social media.

He urged the audience to look hard at their customer demographics and the total expenses over the past year that they have undertaken. You really need to understand where the value is. You can divide the total expenses by the number of customers you gain, and that will give you the cost per customer. The act of creating a plan is actually more important than the end result, because it really helps to look at what you’re doing right and wrong.

The philosophy behind social media is it’s not about selling. You’re giving people something of value. Think about what you’re passionate about, and that is your key. People read tweets, for example, because you’re passionate about something. People want content and immediacy, not polish.

This may be hard for some marketing people to hear, but Lon says to look at what you’re doing, and if that doesn’t work, stop it. Put that time or resource into social media. You have the responsibility to monitor your brand and engage, and customers expect it.

If you haven’t seen Lon present, you should make a point to go see him, because unlike many so-called social media experts, his presentation is clear, full of good videos to break up the pacing, and energetic.  

Photo courtesy of Laird Brown Photography

Facebook has passed the 500 million user mark, and if ranked as a country, would now be larger than the U.S.! 

Internet marketing pro Jeff Bullas recently made 5 predictions about the future of Facebook, including this observation:

#2. Portals and Websites for Businesses

I have seen companies that have actually started using Facebook instead of their website as the first digital online Gateway for customers and online visitors. This has been facilitated by vanity and user URL’s that provide a more search engine and user friendly web address. This is dangerous because you don’t own the channel, you are only renting on Facebook’s terms but this will not deter some companies and I think that this may continue to grow and you may find Facebook encouraging this by adding more features and functionality that are business focused.

Jeff is right – you are only renting space when you create a portal on Facebook. If this enables companies to engage more with their customers, however, I believe this is a good thing. More and more people are gravitating to Facebook rather than to company websites and using Facebook as a one-stop platform in which to engage. 

Yes, you run the risk of depending on Facebook and being left high and dry if anything goes wrong with the service. But there is great value in engaging with customers where they want to be. It’s similar to the number of Arizonans who have property in Mexico, where they can only lease the land for 99 years – they can never own it.  

If you’d like to engage with me on Facebook, check out the Press Releases are not a PR Strategy page.  I post updates on how press releases are being used and abused in PR 2.0, and seek feedback from fans in order to gather info for the next edition of the book.  I’ll also be sponsoring a press release contest and book giveaway soon.

Photo credit:   Ross2085, Creative Commons License

Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent

There are many definitions of “voice” in social media.  Here’s mine – the consistent, reliable, authentic and predictable persona that comes across in your blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, and other social networking tools.  Of those 4 traits, authenticity is the most important.    I am still grappling with that “voice” in my blogs.   I’ve found it for www.valleyprblog.com, where I’ve been blogging for several years ; I’m still working on it for this blog, which will be a year old this August.  

I find it helpful to visit some of my favorite bloggers to check in and be inspired.   Like the predictability of a brand, reading their posts reminds me of what they’ve accomplished in the “voice” of their blog.  Here are a few of my favorites:

http://www.repmanblog.com/

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

http://blog.stealthmode.com/

Of these 3, I’ve met Steve Cody and Francine Hardaway – haven’t met Nathan Bransford yet, but he strikes me as someone who’d be great to have coffee with.  Who are your favorite bloggers?

Remember when all you had to claim in the 90s was just a website in your company or product name?   Now there’s a rush to claim your identity on as many social networks as possible – a landgrab on the Internet.

You can do it all yourself manually, or use a service I just learned about called claim.io.   In about a week for a one-time fee ranging from $129 – $329, they’ll register your name on anywhere from 100-300 different social media networks, saving you the time and hassle.   They also have collected data on which are the most popular and current networks, so you don’t have to hunt and peck.  

For those of you who are intent on crushing it a la Gary Vaynerchuk, this could be a good way to cut to the chase.   You should protect your name if you want brand protection, search engine visibility, and brand exposure.  

If you can’t decide whether to register your product or your personal name, Sara Czyzewicz says they are “very responsive” to any questions or feedback users may have before making a Claim.io purchase. Usually it’s clear whether to use your personal or name brand – business owners or marketing teams will generally use the company name they are representing, for example. Those whose brand is mostly recognized by their personal name, however (for example Gary Vaynerchuck), will register that.

For more info, visit http://www.claim.io   They are headquartered in Providence, RI.

Thanks very much to Kagem Tibaijuka for posting these 7 social media tips from me at her site for new PR graduates, vox-popPRcareers.

Economic Futurist Joan Foltz

Those of us who attended Joan Foltz’ presentation at the Arizona Book Publishing Association luncheon yesterday left the meeting somewhat more encouraged than when we arrived, as the hot button in publishing today is what effect ebooks will have on our beloved traditional, physical book. Her talk was entitled, “What’s Up/Down with the Publishing Industry.”  She was the perfect speaker for this topic, as she has a master’s degree in futures studies, is an “economic futurist,” and is in the process herself of putting out two books. She looks at industries and analyzes their cycles and what is changing the behavior and structures of those systems.  You can find out more about her background and newsletter at www.edgyeconomics.com.   

What’s our pulse now? 

We are now in a state of “disequilibrium,” according to Joan, where we are trying to determine which is fad, and which is permanent change. Destruction is scary, she said, and some people will be knocked out, but it also represents new opportunity. 

The short story — – there will be both physical book and electronic publishing for at least 50 years. As an author or publisher, determining which format in which to produce your book will depend on what your target customers want, and what the giant bookstore Barnes & Noble does. She advised that we keep an eye on B&N as a bellwether as they address this challenge. 

It was comforting to hear that she felt, based on her analysis, there will be a combination of print and electronic for a long time. She contrasted books against sound (music) and movies, saying that the book is a product, a testament to our accomplishments. Even more than that, it’s an art form. It represents connection and environment. We find comfortin being surrounded by books, and eat, sleep, and even hang out in the bathroom with them.     This emotive factor of physical books cannot be translated to e-books. The physical book makes a statement, and personalizes spaces. It invites people in. 

Barnes & Noble is important because what they determine on the profitability of different formats will determine the evolution of those book formats. The ebook has disrupted the chain. Like other technology inventions, it will morph into the phone or computer and will not be a separate device.   Joan even predicted that it will be given away for free – just as cell phones are given away when people sign up for service. 

Publishers will see a split between books that have physical attraction and books that have current, timely information. There is a lot of emphasis placed on the purchase point, and this will affect textbooks. You will be able to download just the chapters that you need.  Also, the producers of content are changing, and Amazon won’t be our leader anymore. Distribution and producer will merge. 

The competition we will see will be companies that are not in the traditional publishing industry. New players from outside the industries, like Kinko’s/Fed Ex will appear, since they have so many local stores. There will be a consolidation in the industry and a lot of players will be knocked out. 

So how do we plan for the future? Watch the publishers that cater to the babies and youth, she said. Watch the big publishers — this will form the future. Teens, for example, want a lot of interaction. Interestingly, however, she mentions studies that teenagers who are saturated with technology early on are often no longer keeping up – they’re tired of it. It’s a saturation point and things have come full cycle. Unlike some futurists who predict that we will go completely into a virtual world, Joan does not believe or predict this. She feels there is embedded in us a physical attachment to books, and to the physical connection that we get in bookstores. She mentioned that there is an explosion in store pickup, where instead of having a book sent to us that we found online, we go to the bookstore to pick it up. She pointed to Apple as an example of how they changed the whole computer buying experience for the retail store. There are real connections there. 

Publishing will really be marketing as we move forward. The interactivity in the websites will be extreme. If you’re good at that, she says you can be a big player in your area. 

Forces 

Multiple factors will affect the future of book publishing. In addition to watching what aging boomers are doing in their retirement years, she advised we keep an eye on the next boomers and watch them and what they adopt. The big publishers and their search for profitability will shape the future. Tech companies will infiltrate and will squeeze authors’ royalties because they have a different model of profitability. The dumbing down of society will be a huge factor, too, as we are becoming lazier and lazier. We are increasingly relying on visualization because it’s fed to us — there’s no cognitive translation effort. 

For authors, the future means more publishing options and larger readerships. It also means a different kind of writing, as crafting copy for the printed physical form is different from crafting electronic copy. She referenced a presentation I heard last week hosted by Business Wire (see my post here) in which the Arizona Republic Social Media Editor, Chad Graham, informed us that the reporters now have to write two versions of their stories, one for print and one for online. 

The keys for publishers are to make sure they 1) provide top service for their clients, 2) pay attention to the need for speed, 3) focus on marketing, and 4) recognize potential. She cited the example that Arizona author Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, sent her manuscript to dozens of publishers before landing a successful contract.  Those publishers who didn’t recognize her potential must be kicking themselves now.    Focus on what readers are looking for, she said, and what they want is a good story. 

I was riveted during the entire presentation, because her predictions validated the research I personally conducted in 1982-1984 as part of my master’s thesis on the viability of electronic formats as an alternative medium for book publishing, which you can read about (if you’re a book wonk, like me) in my January 27th post here.   The ability of a book to stand as an art form and as a comfortable environment may be what ensures its success through future generations, even if those generations grew up from the beginning with electronic exposure. As I write this, I am facing a wall in my office lined with beautiful books.  I used to think my attachment to books would perhaps die with my generation, but based on Joan’s analysis, this attachment is embedded in us at a deep level.  I find that immensely encouraging. 

Social Media 

Joan ended the presentation by talking about social media, and I must confess that this is where I somewhat politely disagree with her analysis. She referenced the saturation in the cycle of social media, particularly Twitter, saying that companies feel it isn’t productive for them.  Small business owners don’t have the time to dedicate to social media. She’s certainly right on about that prevalent attitude.   In fact, in the most recent Phoenix Business Journal (March 26), Reporter Chris Cassachia interviewed several local business owners who have opted to “shun the social media bandwagon.” 

It was at this point that my Twitter friend in the audience, @firefighterjoy, asked Joan what she felt was the future of social media, and Joan said she didn’t know, admitting that she didn’t use social media extensively.  This is where I digress from Joan’s analysis of the role of social media in the future. Those of you who know me know I am on Twitter and Facebook quite a bit, in addition to blogging here and for Valley PR Blog, so yes, I’m eating my own dog food.   I am constantly scanning twitter for 1) Information on current events  2) Information on factors that will affect public relations’ best practices going forward  3) Just in time information on specials or deals related to topics that are interesting or hobbies of mine (for example, I follow @dunkindonuts and @redsox_bb !) and 4) occasionally promoting my book, “Press Releases Are Not a PR Strategy,” to my followers.   When a business owner says he or she doesn’t have time to waste on social media, that immediately raises the radar in my head that they don’t understand it, and more likely than not haven’t learned that there are invaluable tools such as Tweetdeck that filter out the information most pertinent to their business and provide an easy interface into the Internet.  Or perhaps they haven’t been on it long enough to find the many incredible people there are online to follow – I learn something new every day from them, and I’ve gained exposure and credibility as an author and PR consultant.  It’s an excellent branding tool.

Experts like my friend Katie Paine have spent their lives measuring communications and in the last few years, measuring social media as well.  Read her wonderful post, “How’s all that tweetey changey stuff working out?”   The data is out there and the books are out there as well – Now is Gone by Geoff Livingston and Brian Solis, The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breckenridge, and Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk.   You can’t read these books and not come away with a clear picture of how social media will play an immense role in who survives and who doesn’t.  As Brian points out in his book, blogs (and social media in general) “are more than ranting diaries — a common misperception and underestimation, yet a popular assessment of anything written online by a citizen.” 

Anyway, these beautiful books are all part of the comfortable environment I’ve set up in my home office – no (April) foolin’.  Thanks for allaying my fears, Joan! :)

You can find helpful social media analysis at www.briansolis.com

Conventional wisdom in social media these days is that you should:

1) Know which demographic you’re going after

 2) Know which problem you are solving for them, and

3) Know where to reach them

Brian Solis, who writes about all things PR 2.0, has compiled some useful charts and statistics that can help you with #3 – determining which social media vehicle to use, based on the age demographic you are trying to reach.

Here are a few statistics from his latest post:

Facebook - 25% of users are 45-54 with the 35-44 group at just 20% (61% are 35 or older)

LinkedIn – less than 30% are 35-44, 20% are 45-54 and more than 15% are 55-64

MySpace – Over 30% of all users are under 17 and slightly less than 20% are 45-54

Twitter – More than 25% of users are 35-44, trailed by the 45-54 group at less than 20% (65% of all users are over the age of 35)

Interesting that the majority of Twitter users are over 35….I’m working with a college-age intern now and she confesses she has a twitter account but doesn’t use it.   She is, however, a regular Facebook user.

Farrell Kramer

Our guest blogger today is Farrell Kramer, founder and president of the PR firm Farrell Kramer Communications. We first met a couple of years ago when he conducted a podcast about my book, Press Releases are not a PR Strategy.  He has been podcasting for himself and for clients since early 2006. You can find him on Twitter as @farrellkramer.

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The explosion in Twitter and Facebook by communicators of all types has created a desperate need for compelling content.  In today’s world, you’re only as exciting as your last tweet or status update.  But a steady diet of retweets and promotional items can put your audience to sleep.

Podcasting solves this problem beautifully.

In addition to creating a great subscription-based audio channel, podcasts provide wonderful content for Twitter, Facebook and any other social network where you can post links.  Companies can discuss new products, services and provide valuable industry news and insights.  Customers can get to know companies on a human level, as audio interviews provide a level of one-to-one intimacy few other channels can match.

Then, there’s the cost.  Podcasting is a bargain.  Audio podcasting is far less expensive than video, for example, as recording requires only a computer and headset. Audio editing can be accomplished with free software like Audacity or readily available programs such as Apple’s GarageBand.  Want to do interviews?  Sign up for a free Skype account.

Of course, you can get more advanced in terms of equipment and software — offering up audio quality that rivals FM radio shows.  But even then, the cost is relatively small and the potential payoff large.  With traditional media outlets shrinking away at a terrifying pace, organizations looking to do effective PR will need to create and promote their own content if they want to stay in the game.  

 Podcasting and social networking make a great pair.  Think about it the next time you’re struggling to come up with your next 140-character update.

Sheila Koefkorn, President of KEO Marketing

At the recent #SMAZ conference in Phoenix, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel of experts that included Sheila Kloefkorn.   She is president of KEO Marketing, a firm in Phoenix, Arizona that provides online marketing strategy and execution, including SEO, search engine marketing and social media.   Her clients are in the U.S. and more than 100 countries around the world.

I asked her for some SEO tips for this coming year.   Above all, she says, focus first on the content and the message, and don’t get so wrapped around the axle thinking about the social media vehicle.

“You’ve probably heard it said that there is nothing certain but change. Well that is certainly true of Search Engine Optimization and Social Media in 2010. Google is launching a new architecture for the back end of its search engine, code named Google Caffeine, in early Q1. While the details are kept private by Google, we do know that the algorithm, or mathematical formula, of how Google determines first page ranking for search queries, will favor ‘new, fresh, relevant content.’

This is great news if you have a content strategy that is focused on frequently updated useful information and if you are leveraging social media to get that word out and develop community.

Facebook news feeds on public company and fan pages, twitter streams and LinkedIn status updates are indexed by Google, Bing and some other engines in what is nearing real time. Blog posts are frequently showing up in search results within minutes and hours of being posted.  Product reviews and comments on local search listings and sites like Yelp and Merchant Circle are also showing up quickly.

Today, effective search engine optimization and social media means having a content and engagement strategy that includes not only your website but all of the sites where your customers and prospects hang out online.

If you listen, you are authentic and helpful, and make your content compelling and easy to consume, you will reap dividends in both B2C and B2B marketing in 2010.”

You can’t meet Peter Kertz without feeling some of his enthusiasm about his invention, The Sonic Seal. It’s a waterproof cover for electric toothbrushes, and he has been using social media successfully to get the word out.

•  - Tell me a little bit about how you got the idea for sonic seal?

That clean feel of a Sonicare toothbrush has been a staple in my everyday routine, just like 10’s of millions of others around the world. One morning I was using my beloved Sonicare and noticed a very peculiar taste in my mouth. Peeking down my nose to the handle of the brush I noticed a brownish liquid coming out from under the replacement head. Immediately unscrewing the head, I saw a mess of bacteria and mold inside and it had been leaking into my mouth. The Sonic Seal waterproof cover was born.

- How do you explain the product, as part of your ‘elevator speech’?

I have noticed in conversation that most electric toothbrush users have an issue with keeping their brushes clean. It never fails. I’ll ask someone if they have a Sonicare toothbrush and their eyes light up when they hear about The Sonic Seal. We have designed an ultra thin silicone cover that seals those nooks and crannies on your Sonicare toothbrush, preventing water and brushed-away plaque from getting inside your handle. No more mess! If you’re lucky enough to catch me on an elevator…I’ll end up giving you one for free. I just love to see how happy people get over a tiny piece of silicone.

- You didn’t go the traditional route to promote it, you leverage social media. What tools in particular did you find helpful?

I discovered the networking power of facebook. The more fans The Sonic Seal had, the better our sales numbers were. When we had just 40 fans, I counted up the number of “friends” they had. The total number of their friends was over 15,000. That is power. Each time someone becomes a facebook fan of The Sonic Seal, their friends will read that and we get the much needed exposure. I can’t count the number of friends our 400 fans have now, but I can count the extra 3 or 4 orders a day.  It seems as though people like free things. To garner more fans, The Sonic Seal has giveaway contests. Currently up for grabs is a free round-trip Southwest airline ticket.   http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sonic-Seal/218552108437?ref=ts  The purpose of our contests is to have fun and at the same time inform thousands of people about The Sonic Seal. It’s also fun for our fans to enter a contest which they have a real shot at winning.

- How did you start with the social media interaction, and when did you know that it was really going to be helpful?

I tried advertising with post cards, website ads and other print media. It was simply too costly for a small business whose product sells for under $10. I started using social media purely because I could control the cost. I started off with a facebook ad and $4,000 in sales later…I was hooked. The Sonic Seal does not pay for advertising anymore.

- Tell me a little bit more about your “day job” with Fox 10.

I work in the Special Projects department in which photography and editing are my main gigs. I like to think of my job as learning the “Cliff Notes” of life. I get to report a wide variety of topics and learn a little bit about each one. My interactions with marketing professionals and the photography skills acquired have helped me in designing The Sonic Seal website. A big cost saver if you can design one yourself.

- Did you read any books along the way to help you come up with your strategy? Were there any seminars you attended that were helpful? How did you familiarize yourself with all the social media tools?

That is the beauty about the internet, it’s all right there for the learning. Youtube is an excellent source for tutorials. It’s like a free college course for Dreamweaver, photoshop, fireworks, html setup and many more ideas you will need to start your business.

- What’s next in the future?

One day soon you will see our product in Walmart and Target. The applications have been sent and we are crossing our fingers.