Getting your executives on board with social media is one thing, but getting them to actively participate is entirely another. But take heart – it can be done (it’s easier than it sounds), and it doesn’t even require a slide deck! 

I can’t even remember how long this LinkedIn feature has existed.  Does anyone else find it hard to remember pre-Twitter days? Regardless, the secret of CXO social media adoption is introducing the LinkedIn status update Twitter integration.

For psychographic fiends, it may be helpful to appeal to the inherent narcissism of C-level executives by approaching the effort as “gaining recognition for the impressive volume of industry-specific, relevant content they voraciously consume in running your successful business and/or serving your clients”.

From the default LinkedIn Overview screen visible upon sign-in, the steps are simple.

1. Enter brief comments – or perhaps even better – a provoking question related to the content.
2. Utilize the “Attach a link” text link to display the field in which to paste the business article link and “Attach”
3. Share

A more advanced method would take the LinkedIn Social Share process above and add simple enhancements such as: 

• Optimize your introductory comments in the 140 characters – which are all that will display in the Twitter feed
• Include any Twitter hash tag references (or @references) as valuable in optimizing search value of post
• Use a trackable URL shortener such as bit.ly
• Select the image you feel most engaging from the options auto-pulled when linking asset.  In my example there were 8 choices!

• Choose where the update is displayed by selecting from “Visible to” options of anyone, connections or specific groups. This makes great sense for professionals who engage in numerous vertical markets and seek to maximize value to their connections by preserving relevance of posts.

Demonstrating success is where the fun begins.  First, literally show them proof that their post populated their Twitter feed (which you – or your digital friend in the agency probably established on their behalf). 

Ta-da!  It worked…even capturing my capitalization error as proof of automation (I couldn’t miss that 2xs – really).

Next, show them real proof.  I know you are using metrics to track your social media engagements, so use this as an opportunity to show the lifecycle of their own LinkedIn Status Update and tie it to dollars and cents wherever feasible.

At a minimum:

• Track Comments and Likes on the CXO’s LinkedIn Profile
• Track RTs of pass through tweet
• Track Replies to tweet  and/or DMs
• Review link analytics from URL shortener used

Do your company executives participate in Social Media?  LinkedIn membership among Fortune 500 is 100% so Twitter can’t be far behind now, right?

So whoever had two months in the “how long will it take for the transplanted Canadian to write a blog post about hockey” wins; see our Digital Guru (TM pending) Dara to collect your prize.

The National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers last month unveiled the most controversial marketing effort (even worse than this) the team has seen in its 30+ year tenure – the Oilers Octane, a 24-member cheerleading squad. Detractors have called the idea behind the Octane unseemly, unnecessary (and the worst yet) “un-Canadian”; the concept of an off-ice cheer team spawned online petitions and Facebook protest pages (where you could presumably “unlike” the concept) and thousands of opinion-based column inches about how people go to hockey games to watch hockey, not to ogle cheerleaders.

In the planning phase up to the launch of the Octane, the Oilers knew some hockey purists were going to be horrified by the idea of Oiler cheerleaders. Despite the fact that 19 other NHL teams already have cheerleaders, the Oilers are the first Canadian-based team, which is always a tricky proposition north of the 49^th parallel; when it comes to the NHL in Canada, first doesn’t always equal innovation, it often equals selling out.

And it’s not like the Oilers need the Octane to draw fans – the teams is closing in on 300 consecutive sell-outs, a feat considering the team plays in the second-oldest (behind Madison Square Garden) and most-cramped arena in the league. The team’s empire also expands beyond the NHL, as they also own an American Hockey League team, a Western Hockey League team and a Golden League independent baseball team. The Oilers are not hurting for brand awareness.

So why then? Why risk alienating fans for the sake of cheerleaders? And what’s the tie-in to B2B marcomm? Brand ambassadors.

By establishing the Octane, the Oilers have launched a network of 20 new brand ambassadors that can represent the team at a variety of local events ranging from ribbon-cuttings to school visits, spreading the Oilers’ corporate messages (and season ticket purchase plans) on behalf of the team. These new ambassadors take some pressure off of the player requests the team deals with on a daily basis, and reduces the number of events the Oilers simply are unable to send representatives to. The team has already sold Octane calendars, with all proceeds supporting the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, so there’s another ancillary benefit. They’re expanding The Oilers’ business reach relatively inexpensively, and offering a subsidiary service (cheerleading, natch) to the team.

The Octane may be cheerleaders by definition, but they were designed to be much more than that, and the end result was more than worth the potential run-off and fan disappointment. Each of the cheerleader’s bios speaks to their enjoyment of hockey, and their passion for the Oilers, furthering the team’s position as a part of Edmonton’s very fabric. And they’re doing all of this while wearing three-inch knee-high white go-go boots – brand ambassadors at their best.

Does your organization employ brand ambassadors as effectively as the Oilers?

All of your employees can be your brand ambassadors provided they’re equipped with the right information, and an internal communication culture that instills a common belief in the company (go-go boots doesn’t hurt, either). The key is communication; ideally, transparent, two-way communication. By letting your team in on the plan, they become an army that can speak on your organization’s behalf, helping to spread the (corporate) word and serving to convert the world (or at least let them know what you do).

Is internal communication as important as marketing? Can brand ambassadors serve to spread the word for your company? Is this blog post just a blatant attempt to write about hockey, or worse, cheerleaders? And how can Canyon help you convert your brand ambassadors?

Happy 2011!  I find myself again writing the first blog contribution to the B2B Fishbowl in the new year. Did you take my challenge last year? It’s ok if you didn’t, but seize 2011 as your opportunity to define, or redefine yourself, or more appropriately for this blog, any brand associated with your company, and its products and services. When done right, the process can be relatively painless, and the outcome will give you good reason to celebrate, which is the real topic of this post.

While you look to ramp up following your week-long holiday hiatus, my challenge for you this year is to plan reasons to celebrate all year long.

How many times have you been part of a marketing initiative or project that seems to get off track even before it leaves the proverbial station? The excitement at the beginning is electric, but before long, delayed deadlines, too little budget and office politics deflate everyone’s passion for achieving the set objective. Eventually you come to the end, and everyone is just relieved to be done. It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity. Do you want to spend the next twelve months at work this way?

The fact is, business is about people. People have personalities and opinions, and not always ones that agree. I’m not naïve to think that the challenges of business are unavoidable; however, you can be better about understanding and anticipating the challenges that will be encountered, and plan ahead on how you will deal with it.

In B2B marketing, it pays to plan. At Canyon, we emphasize planning because it creates a clear path that can be followed. If direction is clear and everyone’s expectations are managed appropriately, your road to marketing success is sure to be less bumpy. You can then focus your energy on the achievements your team will work so hard to attain. And, since marketing is never an isolated event, you can celebrate every planned milestone that carries you forward to the next step of your ongoing marketing program.

 So take some time at the onset of 2011 to figure out what marketing path you will follow.

• Do you have new products or services to launch?
• Do you need more personality behind your brand?
• Are there leads you generated in 2010 that are still sitting in a dusty heap inside your CRM?
• Are you finally going to delve into Social Media?

If you haven’t already, spend the next couple of weeks planning the steps that will enable you to take your marketing objectives head on. Build consensus and agreement with your team about where you’re going, and start moving.

In the end, you won’t be celebrating a job well done, but the gratification of where your plan has taken you, with plenty of enthusiasm about where you will go next.

Every year I look forward to reading Fineman PR’s list of the biggest PR blunders of the year. This year’s list was no disappointment. The list proved to be informative, thought provoking and a good reminder of some PR basics. Below are some of my key takeaways.

• Media training is critical. It’s so important that your company spokespeople know how to confidently speak to media, deliver key messages directly, develop effective sound bites and respond to media questions. And no, falling silent and walking away, like Craigslist founder Craig Newmark did during his interview with CNN, is not an effective strategy.
• Social media can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Customers now have instant access to outlets that allow them to document experiences—good or bad. Social media sites can greatly affect the public’s perception of your company. Additionally, analyzing and monitoring social media sites and quickly and genuinely responding to complaints or concerns can salvage customer relationships. Alaska Airlines learned this the hard way. One of its former customers created a now defunct blog titled “Alaska Airlines Hates Families” after a horrendous travel experience.
• Don’t pass the buck. Finding yourself in a crisis is unfortunate. However, the way you react to that crisis can make or break your company’s reputation. Just ask BP. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was tragic. The way BP reacted to the oil spill was even worse. CEO Tony Hayward continually downplayed the image and even issued sound bites including, “It wasn’t our accident” and “I just want my life back” (sounds like he could benefit from quality media training). Later, replacement CEO Bob Dudley accused media and competing oil companies of rushing to a judgment regarding BP’s “crisis response.” Basically, BP did everything it could to blame other parties for its disaster. In my opinion, because of the way BP reacted to the oil spill, its reputation is permanently tarnished.

Ultimately, these PR blunders show us that:

• Media training is essential
• Nothing is truly transparent
• You can’t spin your way out of a crisis or a disagreement with a customer
• Crisis communications is critical
• Having a solid PR partner by your side is important

Looking for a solid PR partner? Give Canyon a call; we’ll make sure you never make this list.