By Jessica Vollrath, Vollrath Associates, www.vollrathpr.com
Recently, Peter Shankman, @petershankman, founder of Help A Reporter Out (HARO), the popular resource journalists can use to connect with marketing and PR professionals world-wide, made a visit to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Southeast Wisconsin Chapter’s meeting last month. Shankman is recognized globally for radical new ways of thinking about social media, public relations, marketing, advertising, creativity and customer service.
When in Milwaukee, Shankman discussed how to use new social media tools effectively in the PR toolbox, and why sometimes, not using any of them is a firm’s best bet. Listed below are some of his best marketing and public relations principles:
- Be transparent. It is crucial that after making a mistake, you admit it and actively find a solution to rectify the situation. Transparency leads to accountability. It is also important to note that once the situation has been dealt with, you must move on and look to future endeavors. It is pertinent that you have a plan for both when you falter and succeed.
- Be relevant. It is imperative that the audience is kept in mind. Ask them how they want to receive information. Customers control the direction of your message, so listen to them.
- Brevity is key. The average American 18 to 45-years-old has an attention span of 2.6 seconds. That is 140 characters. Therefore, it is essential that information is brief and relevant.
- Top of mind. Shankman’s final basic principle is to stay top of mind. Keep connecting with people in various ways. Don’t be too forward about making business connections; rather keep in touch with them so that you remain top of mind.
Shankman concluded the meeting with some general thoughts to keep in mind when integrating social media into a public relations strategic plan.
- Social media is a key point-of-contact with customers. Social media is customer service. People respond to products and services on social media, so make sure that you acknowledge and utilize this new emerging form of two-way communication.
- Realize that social media is still evolving – so instead of embracing the brand (as Twitter may not always be prevalent in the future), embrace the concept of quick and far-reaching communication. Look for new areas of involvement. Shankman used the example of the Poken, a social business card technology that allows individuals to connect, share and stay in touch on- and off-line. For more information on the Poken, visit www.poken.com.
- Recognize that revenue will always trump “cool” and new technology. So ensure that you are using social media that is applicable to your business and target audience.
- Even with these new areas of social media increasing the ability to communicate with various audiences, it is still crucial to have strong writing skills and grammar. Shankman was quoted saying “bad writing is killing America.” Writing is a foundation that is everlasting. So when communicating with customers, keep these basic principles in mind.
For more information on HARO, visit www.helpareporter.com or @helpareporter on Twitter.
