Helping Clients Take Ownership for Social Media

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We manage many social media account for our clients, but that doesn’t mean their social media presence is entirely out of their hands. We’ve found it’s important to engage clients in social media activity. It seems simple, but can have a huge effect on the quality of your client’s social media presence.

Often, fans view brand posts as robotic and have trouble identifying that a real person is actually posting. Having the “voice” of a client is vital in running engaging social media accounts and lends a personal feel. Below are ideas and tips for getting clients involved, helping them feel more comfortable with posting and what we’re currently doing to get our clients involved.

Getting Clients Involved in Social Media

Let’s face it: posting the same content can get stale! No one will be interested in boring robotic content. Keep your audience interested about what you’re posting.  You can’t always do that unless you have the help of your clients, who are the experts in their field. Get your clients excited about social media and help them feel comfortable.

  • Ask clients to provide photos of events, employees, every day life around the office, etc. Visuals are an effective and easy way to get clients involved and get consumers interested.
  • Suggest shooting a 30-60 second video each month directly on the Facebook wall. No need for a fancy camera. Facebook allows you to record videos directly on your Facebook wall, and you can use built-in computer camera or a smartphone camera. Videos can drive traffic to your client’s site.
  • Suggest clients provide trivia/poll questions related to their brand to engage consumers.
  • Get clients to dive into the conversation. For example, if another brand posts an interesting article, have the client participate in the conversation. It’s crucial not to hide behind your own page and just post your own content all the time. Be active!

How to Make Clients Comfortable with Posting/Sharing Content:

  • Create sample posts and share with clients.
  • Create possible responses for conversations they can partake in.
  • Show them how other, similar brands are engaging.

What We’re Currently Doing to Engage our Clients:

We’ve seen first-hand the benefits of client involvement in social media. Below are some ways our clients are getting involved.

  • Each week or every other week, our clients provide a quick tip for people working in their industry, which helps to build engagement.
  • With some posts, we include a photo of the employee who provides the content. This way there’s a face associated with a post.
  • With the launch of the new Facebook Timeline on March 30, we’ve been asking some of our clients to send old photos, documents, etc. to build Timeline. It’s an easy way to get clients excited and it’s a great way to tell the story of a brand through photos.

Consumers gravitate towards original content that clearly reflects what they value in a brand — not just automated updates from a third party. Lastly, don’t forget to take a deep breath and relax! Social media should be a fun interactive place for both clients and customers.

Where I am in June

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It’s June and that means I start my annual trek crisscrossing the United States for our long-time client AMSkier Insurance. AMSkier insures children’s camps (in fact, they are the largest direct insurer of camps in the country). Company president Henry Skier came up with a novel idea a couple decades ago – offer a 24-hour crisis management services to the camps they insure. And that’s where I come in, handling crises when they arise at camps in the summer months. But that’s not why I travel in June.

Several years ago, Henry asked me to fill in and do some of the staff safety training during orientation. Hmm… other than war stories from the crises I’ve managed, what did I know about training staff? Not much. But with the lure of trips to places like Malibu and Carmel Valley, and training by my colleague and friend Norm Friedman, I reluctantly agreed. I found myself in front of hundreds of counselors discussing sexual abuse and other tough topics. Frankly, I was terrified. But I was well received and reluctantly agreed to do a few other camps the next year.

Then something happened. As I discussed how to handle disclosures of abuse to a group of counselors in Chattanooga, a young woman stood up and told her fellow counselors that this very advice I had given the year before had helped her help a little girl who had been abused at home. That was the epiphany. Sure, this was not my specialty and certainly not my comfort zone. But these workshops were helping keep kids safe.

So now I’m 30,000 feet in the air en route to Texas, followed by California, Palm Desert, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and more. I’m still not in my comfort zone, still terrified and still hate flying. But each year I agree. I just can’t get that image from Chattanooga out of my mind.

Sony’s Hacking Response: The Good, the Bad, the Vague

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As you have probably heard, Sony has revealed that their customer databases have been hacked twice in the past month, potentially affecting users of their PlayStation Network, Qriocity and Sony Online Entertainment products. Not only have legions of gamers been dealing with a blackout of services that they pay for and fear that their credit card information may have been stolen – but Sony failed to inform them of this massive cyber attack for a week.

According to news reports, Sony learned that they had been hacked on April 19th, took down PlayStation Network service on the 20th, and told customers seven days later, on the 27th. Sony maintains that they were unaware of the breadth of the attack until much later, but I’m not sure that is a good reason for their failure to inform customers more quickly.

Sony gamers, internet security experts, and the odd politician are angry that Sony waited so long. From a PR perspective, the outlook is equally troubling. Sony had an opportunity to take control of the situation and keep this group of highly engaged customers as happy as possible considering the circumstances. Instead, they have turned a challenging situation into a major image problem.

However, I do think some of the lambasting from the press is unwarranted. Sony could have provided more information up front, but they have made great use of the PlayStation blog to consistently communicate with their customers, including lengthy customer Q&As. Of course, the content of that communication could have been better early on.

What do you think? Could Sony have communicated better about this security breach?

Becoming Mobile and Social – Reflections from the IMCA Creative Forum

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Finding really valuable take-aways from industry conferences can be a challenge. I went into the IMCA Creative Forum in Atlanta on Feb. 21 with a vested interest (full disclosure: I am on the IMCA board), but also some anticipation to learn more about everything from mobile marketing to social media integration.

Jon Beber of BilltoMobile opened the forum with insight into the incredible impact mobile marketing will have on our lives and the strategies of marketing and communications pros – smart phones, not computers, will drive everyday life and “PC analytics will not work with smart phones.” Mobile marketing needs to be part of the integrated communications mix.

James Wisdom, Director of New Media at Aflac, was a great follow-up with “The Power of Authenticity.” In this context, he discussed Aflac’s response to customer services issues raised on Facebook and their use of the Facebook Causes app: “If social media is talking about a cause, people are okay getting hammered about it.” More information I could use.

John Coombe of Liberty Mutual built on those ideas, describing their success with the Liberty Responsibility Project. He explained how this helped Liberty overcome consumer distrust about insurance and raised brand awareness 50 percent. They engaged customers in a dialogue and celebrated their customers’ responsibility – engaging over 10 million unique visitors. He also pointed out that 67% of agents are engaged in social media. That’s a tidbit that will help.

These are all great ideas and tidbits of information, but how do I sell these to my clients who may be timid or help them pitch their forward-thinking communications ideas to management? No worry – it was Sam Harrison up next with great tools for pitching ideas, all built on that great David Olgivy quote: “Management cannot be expected to recognize a good idea until its presented to them by a good salesperson.” And he added 5 ideas for pitching ideas to management, emphasizing that “passion is a transfer of enthusiasm.”

After lunch, Tom Pytel of Allied World showed how his in-house creative team breaks through the marketing boredom and never lets budget limit creativity. Innovating collateral is not specifically relevant to my work, but it was inspiring to all of us who may be tempted to succumb to mediocrity.

And finally Howard Yermish (he claims to be the only one by that name) on “Internet Marketing, Creativity and Stravinsky.” He captured my interest with: “If you think you can control the flow of information from point A to point B, the Internet will kill you,” and kept on with an inspiring, hour-long presentation on unlocking our creativity using lessons from composers. We then broke into groups to put the theories to the test.

As you can probably tell, I walked away from the Creative Forum bursting with new ideas, my left and right brain feeling some connection. Not only did I gain practical information on mobile marketing and more, but I was inspired to push our clients with bolder ideas – and I have better tools to sell them on these ideas.

Camps and Crises: Lessons for 2011

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About this time of year, every year, I have to ask question that nobody wants to think about: what disasters could shut down a summer children’s camp?

This is the time of year when I begin speaking to the children’s camp community about managing and preparing for emergencies and crises in the coming season. I’m beginning the 2011 season with a presentation at the American Camp Association National Conference, which kicked off Tuesday in San Diego.

As you can imagine, there are certain concerns camps must be prepared for every year, like potential camper injuries. However, it’s already clear that 2011 may offer particular challenges for camps:

  • Food allergies: Has it seemed like more and more kids are coming to camp reporting food allergies? It turns out that food allergies truly are on the rise on the rise in the U.S.
  • Extreme weather: On the East Coast, we’ve been experiencing one intense winter. Experts are predicting that extreme weather may continue to be a problem this year. Unusual weather around the world is already affecting global food prices.
  • Infectious disease: With increasingly numbers of children not being vaccinated, we’re seeing an increased potential for outbreaks of childhood diseases that Americans haven’t encountered in decades, like measles and mumps. Plus, pertussis made an unfortunate comeback in 2010.

Of course, some of these concerns may seem like distant possibilities, but H1N1 took camps by surprise in 2009 and no one really knows when or how an emergency will emerge. That’s what makes it so important to prepare for every eventuality with a well thought out emergency response plan. And beyond the logistical considerations of emergency response, camps must also consider communications.

Believe it or not, camps can learn a great deal about effective communications by paying attention to corporate PR blunders. Toyota failed to communicate quickly and effectively about their massive 2010 recalls, sacrificing its reputation (see my earlier post on this). In the wake of the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP’s reputation took an even bigger hit because of their ineffective front man and misguided attempt to spin the situation.

Americans angry about the oil spill also took to Twitter and Facebook in droves, with one critic going as far as to create a Twitter account that satirized BP’s corporate PR. Social media and the rise in internet news sources are also relevant to a camp director in times of crisis. This is making it more important than ever to communicate quickly and effectively over a variety of media, even for camps.

What do you think camps should be prepared for in 2011?

(Are you at the ACA conference? You can attend my session on Thursday, February 11 at 10 AM, in Aqua 311.)

Reflections on My H1N1 Presentation

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The American Camp Association’s National Conference has become a regular speaking engagement for me, and I was in Denver on Feb. 17 for the 2010 conference to present “Swine in ’09 – Lessons Learned That Will Help in 2010. Children’s camps, schools, travel programs and other who serve children were, in some cases, severely affected by the H1N1 virus during the summer 2009.

Last summer, working with a top infectious disease physician and infection control nurse, I provided crisis management consulting services for many of these programs. Recently, my client for which I provide these services, AMSkier Insurance, conducted a survey of camp experiences with the virus. Based on those results and my experience during the 2009 season, I gave a 75-minute talk.

As an aside and pat on my back, at last year’s conference in Orlando, I presented my usual topic of “Crisis Planning and Response,” and listed about eight possible “emergencies” camp directors could face in 2009. On the list was “influenza pandemic.” How about that!

Back to the point. During my session in Denver, which drew camp directors from Turkey and Russia, as well as the U.S. and Canada, I discussed seven lessons learned from the 2009 season. Some were obvious, like better disinfection and hand washing, and some technical, like identifying symptoms, quick isolation, treatment and working with  the Department of Health.

But the top issue that many camps cited in being able to effectively control an infectious disease like H1N1 was communications. Those who communicated proactively and effectively with their camp families, communities, health officials and, in some cases, the media, were not only able to better control the spread of the virus, but they built good will in the process.

In a crisis, communication is king. You hear that Tiger and Toyota?

Social Media for B2B – Manage Those Expectations

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When I walk into meeting with B2B clients and suggest social media strategies, I seem to be evoking similar responses: A curious interest in exploring it, but a healthy skepticism of what benefit it will bring them. It would be stupid to ignore that feedback.

The truth is that while we are engaged with social media on many levels, introducing and sometimes managing efforts for clients, it’s still very tough giving B2B companies tangible reasons to spend time and money. This challenge, along with their reluctance to dedicate internal resources, have led me to a few conclusions, which I am very open to suggestions about:

  • Social media strategies for many B2B operations will have little or no results for some time. It takes time to get connected on LinkedIn and gain followers on Twitter, so while there may be some business opportunities that arise, they will be few at first.
  • It’s okay to introduce social media strategies to B2B companies, but stick to LinkedIn and Twitter, and limit the budget and expectations. If you are expecting someone to allocate marketing budget dollars, they will expect results, and we all know that measurement is tough at best.
  • Some PR/ad/marketing agencies are pushing social media analysis or strategies to clients just to make a buck. Those agencies will lose credibility long-term.

There are opportunities with B2B social media strategies, but best to take small steps and set realistic expectations.

Insurance Agency Stats Illustrate Need for B2B Social Media Adoption

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My PR agency works with insurance carriers, MGAs, wholesale brokers and other insurance entities that need to reach agents and brokers to be successful. So when I read a recent article (http://bit.ly/6sBxSO) reporting that less than a quarter of insurance agents and brokers use social media, I was reminded of why it can be a challenge to convince our clients – and any business-to-business company – to implement social media strategies.

Some think it will be a waste of time and resources. Others wonder just how it can help their business. And many just don’t understand it and are reluctant to dedicate time and effort to get up to speed. But to such reluctance, I would cite another statistic from the same magazine article – 20 percent of agents and brokers are considering using social media in 2010.

The plain fact is that social media/networking will continue to grow so it should be part of the marketing and communications strategies for any B2B company. It can supplement your print advertising and email blasts – both of which are declining in effectiveness, by the way. And on the PR side, you probably send press releases, write articles for trade magazines and attend events to network, exhibit or speak. Social media is another tool at your disposal.

Here are a couple of examples:

Social media can help with networking. For example, LinkedIn is an easy, natural way to network. It’s all about relationships and social networking is another way to build and maintain relationships.  One marketing pro I know got a new account the same day he set up his LinkedIn account.

Social media is a great way to connect with your audience and share your insights and expertise. If you are in the insurance industry, for example, Twitter is a way to share information that agents and brokers find helpful in doing business. Don’t try to sell yourself. Use the same reasoning as if you were speaking at an industry event or writing an article for one of the trade magazines. Speak about issues of interest to agents and brokers.

Remember, approach social media like any marketing decision – start with a strategy and turn to experts. Your PR and/or ad agency are a logical choice, but there are also Internet marketing firms that specialize in this. Or read up on it first and do it yourself. It is very easy.

Just don’t let news about slow adoption rates slow you down. Whatever your business, as more and more people adopt social media strategies, you want to be there.

Predictions, Wishes and Thoughts on 2010

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As we look ahead to 2010, how can public relations help a business grow? It is an interesting time as PR agencies and departments have slimmed down and limped through the recession. We’re now looking forward to an economic recovery and the massive changes that social media has made in how we do business.

With that in mind, here are five predictions, wishes and thoughts on how public relations will look in 2010.

  1. Social media will further blur lines between PR and marketing, as advertising agencies, PR agencies, brand consultancies and other marketing agencies all recommend and implement social media strategies. As a result, we may see in-house PR departments combine with marketing functions and their job responsibilities may become broader. More PR agencies may merge with ad agencies or form strategic partnerships with digital experts. Lines will keep blurring.
  2. As social media grows as part of public relations strategies, the focus will be on measuring return on investment. By 2009, most PR pros had jumped in with both feet, so 2010 will be the year to understand the impact of social media on sales, brands and image. I think PR pros will have to answer those questions or there will be backlash from company leaders who want to see ROI.
  3. Relationships will still matter. Relationships give PR pros the best chance of success in the industries where they have expertise. Online networking is a great way to broaden existing and develop new relationships, but lets not forget the personal (phone calls, meetings) relationships we have developed, cultivated and maintained for years. They still work.
  4. PR will grow in importance as the economy recovers. Just as consumers are being more careful with where they spend their dollars, businesses will look for the most cost-effective way to communicate their brand, improve their image and reach their audiences. PR is cost effective and I can see it taking budget dollars once spent on advertising. But the dollars will only go to those PR agencies and in-house staff who are industry experts, can adapt to new communications realities (social media) and demonstrate ROI.
  5. I saved the obvious for last: Social media will continue to be an increasingly important part of public relations. As tired as I am with seeing and hearing “social media” in every article, presentation, plan and conversation. PR pros need to keep learning and finding way to use it more effectively.

Happy New Year.

The Logo That Appeared Out of Nowhere

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When you’re a small public relations agency trying to promote yourself, often you just take what you can get. And that’s what we did with our identity, web site and invisible self-promotion. I’ll admit it, it’s been tough over the last 15 years to find the budget or time to do what we preach to our clients.

Then our strategic partnership with Bailey Brand Consulting (www.baileygp.com) set them to work on giving our 10-year-old (yes, it looked it) website a facelift. We sent the copy and “assets.” They sent a site map and we approved it. And then I get an email one day from my old friend Reg Pierce. Attached was a logo. Our new logo and something I never asked for or expected.

By juxtaposing a speech bubble with the letter “K,” Bailey combined two simple elements to create a mark that captured the essence of what we do. So I did what any small PR agency would do when their logo is redesigned by a branding heavyweight like Bailey – I approved it with no changes. It became the anchor on the new website, which also is great (www.kimballpr.com) and even scored a Silver when Bailey submitted it to the Creativity Awards (http://www.creativityawards.com/past_competition.html/winners39/CAA39 winners.pdf).

We have great clients, we get them results and now we have an identity that speaks to who we are.