Part One of Two

I read an article in the New York Times, titled “Spinning the Web: P.R. in Silicon Valley.” It got me thinking about how social media is changing the face of PR and how many b2b clients are flying under the radar when it comes to social media.

With new forms of communication popping up everyday, it’s critical for companies to understand how social media can influence them and how it can work with traditional PR to obtain a voice in the marketplace.

Gone are the days of blasting out press releases to a list of reporters and editors and endless smile-and-dialing for an article in your target publication.

Social media is about two-way communication. It’s about connecting with your target audience, listening and engaging in meaningful conversations. Getting people talking about your brand, and providing positive testimonials to others is, in my opinion, just as valuable as getting a hit in a publication. Why? Because messages spread quickly on social media sites, people share information with their connections who then pass it along—your message can potentially reach thousands of people almost instantly. 

I use Twitter to listen to what’s going on in the marketing industry and engage in conversations. But, I also use Twitter when I want advice. Where’s the best place to grab a drink after work? What’s happening this weekend? Where can I find good deals on summer sandals? I get recommendations instantly simply by sending out a Tweet.

So b2b clients, it’s time to stop flying under the social media radar. People are already out there chatting about your brand. Don’t you want to be involved in the conversation?

With e-verything “e” these days, chatting consists of opening an online dialog box or tweeting with tweeple. Gone are the days when one’s phone used to ring off the hook. Today, it seems everyone is off the hook when it comes to verbal communication.

Recently, I found myself explaining the wonderful world of Twitter (in less than 140 characters of course) to a friend and tenured marketing exec who tends to resist technology.

After fervently flapping about fail whales, becoming entangled in a web of widgets and deciding there wasn’t an app to further this discussion; I realized we should have met for drinks, not lunch.

So, I got back to basics to find our common ground—the telephone. For some reason, the age-old technique of picking up the phone for a real-life conversation is now overlooked.

Don’t get me wrong, e-mail is important and often convenient. However, sometimes it can be impersonal and the writer’s tone easily misunderstood. Likewise, some occasions just benefit from real-time, verbal dialogue.

At Canyon Communications, we have a few best practices when it comes to calling vs. e-mailing (principles apply to personal life too). We pick up the phone when e-mail:

• Becomes too verbose
• Contains an idea that could get lost in translation
• Necessitates more than two replies back and forth

Relationship building is a vital part of every business. Don’t forget that creating and maintaining those crucial relationships requires taking advantage of the entire communication spectrum.

What do you think? How often do you pick up the phone these days? What other best practices do you follow? Share your thoughts in the comments.

When it comes to my professional life, I’m a stickler for being on time or better yet early. On the flip side, trying to get out the door with a toddler in tow means I’m late to almost everything in my personal life.

But, I’ve found there are times both personally and professionally when being late has advantages.

Personally, I like to be fashionably late to a party. Your entrance has more impact. You don’t get stuck setting out food, icing down drinks (no offense to you hosts out there, but if I wanted to do this I’d throw my own party). Plus, you don’t have to wait for the fun to start. You show up and it’s all happening.

Professionally, it’s social media. If you think you’re too late for social media, think again. Being tardy to this party is perfectly acceptable and here’s why:

1. You’ve taken the time to listen. We always tell our business-to-business clients, the first step to engaging in social media is to LISTEN. This step never ends. You must always listen. Too many companies make the mistake of jumping into a blog, Twitter, Facebook and the list goes on because “everyone else is doing it.” Wrong reason. Listen first, determine where you can add value and have meaningful conversations, understand the correct use of each tool, and then make your entree to the party.

2. The tools now exist to make social networking effective. For Twitter alone there are hundreds of Twitter tools now available. Many of these tools can help to streamline your social media efforts. A couple of my favorites include Tweetbeep, which is like Google Alerts and sends you an alert whenever one of your set keywords is mentioned, and Twitterfeed, which posts your blogs automatically to Twitter.

3. Social media is accepted and influences decisions. Your customers are online, yes even for b2b. They read blogs, use Google and tweet. Check out the stats from Forrester Research that show 69% of technology decision-makers are using social media for business purposes. The fact is your customers turn online to research best practices and products in their industry; and they actively seek out their peers for advice. Your content needs to be where these conversations are happening, and this means in places beyond your website.

4. You’re in a position to add value to the conversation. About 19% of users are creating content. The rest are just watching, commenting, posting links and retweets. This is your opportunity to bring new content.

You’re friends, fans and followers are awaiting your fashionable entrance. Just because you’re late, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show up.

What do you think? Are there other advantages? Is there an instance where it is too late? I welcome your comments.