Posted April 20th, 2012
by Jennifer Hall
Spring has finally sprung, and that means conference season is in full swing. Lucky for me, Social media continues to be a hot topic at most industry events. A few weeks ago, I attended the PRSA Digital Impact Conference in New York City and got a chance to hear how some major brands built their social media programs at their companies. Here are some of my key takeaways:
Your company should have a social media policy. I know, I know- social media is supposed to be fun and free so the word “policy” seems like a 4 letter word. But people like to know their boundaries and having guidelines in place will help make tweeters feel more “official”.
Next up: Training .The executives aren’t the only ones who need it. Now, all employees have publishing power and can become an army of brand ambassadors. In my experience, there is definitely no shortage of people who want to learn about social media. So the challenge is having the right (and enough) resources in place to support your “army”.
While at PRSA, Richard Binhammer from Dell took the stage to explain how strategically leveraging social media can connect your brand to customers. As Dell’s social media and community director, Richard explained how their infamous social media program works. Their training course consists of 4 classes (about 8-10 hours each) which cover Dell’s guiding principles, social media policy and professional vs. personal etiquette. Then Dell employees have an elective option for their final class where they can choose to learn more about a social platform of their choice (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc). Finally, once a Dell employee completes the 4 courses they are dubbed a “Social Media Certified Professional”. Pretty neat, huh? And my favorite part of their program is that they also host exclusive in-house events for the certified tweeters. Seems like a great way to incentivize employees and keep it fun!
Now, Dell has been considered an industry leader for social media since the beginning and we all envy their powerhouse social program. But keep in mind it takes time to get everyone on the band wagon so here are a few pointers to remember along the way.
- Make social media “official”- having a policy or even just basic ground rules can create a solid foundation for your social media programs. Remember, policies aren’t meant to “scare” people away from social; their intention is to help guide your company through the social media journey.
- Educate- let’s face it, social media can be intimidating to newbies so it’s important to host training sessions that demonstrate the value of using social media in a professional world.
- Be collaborative- a successful social media program includes multiple departments and everyone has a role to play. It’s just a matter of defining those roles and fostering a cross functional team.
- Don’t be afraid to fail- this is new territory for everyone, so let yourself experiment and if you fail, learn from it and keep driving on.
- Keep it fun!- after all, it is social media
Do you have helpful tips for pioneering social media at your company? We want to hear them! Be sure to include your pointers in the comment section.
Until next time… Happy Tweeting!
@jennhall00
Social Media Marketing Manager, Dow Jones & Company
Tags: dell, PRSA, Social Media, social media policy, training
Posted in Jennifer Hall, Social Media
Posted April 10th, 2012
by Eva Rohrmann
We’re back in the office and have had a chance to compare notes from PRSA’s Digital Impact conference last week.
- From the session run by Monster: Velocity, or how fast a conversation is growing, is an insightful new measurement.
- Dell has a four-part program for “Social Media Certified Employees,” prepping them to engage in the different channels.
- From the breakout with Sprint: You need to capture your audience in the first 15 seconds when creating a viral video, or really, with anything you do.
- It is not always clear how a corporate communications rep should or could interact with volunteer Wikipedia editors, but a CREWE has risen to tackle the challenge.
- Social media is now a degree at some universities, like Emerson College.
- We’ll keep the Discover. Consume. Share. mantra from Lee Oden’s “Content Marketing and PR” session in mind as we design content programs.
- During our breakout session, “Manage Your Company’s Social IQ,” the whole audience identified Key Elements of Social IQ:
- Walk the talk
- Participate and interact
- Have a number of different people involved at your company
- Offer valuable and relevant content
- Listen to different constituents
- Link engagement to business goals
- Adapt to situation and change if necessary
- And we always like a funny cat video (thanks, Sprint!)
Tags: measurement, PRSA, Public Relations, Social IQ, Social Media, Wikipedia
Posted in Measurement, Public Relations, Social Media
Posted April 4th, 2012
by Eva Rohrmann
At the PRSA Digital Impact conference, Martin Murtland examined how social media can positively or negatively affect a company – perhaps even moving the firm’s stock price. During the session, he looked at three case studies, NetFlix, Costa Concordia & Carnival and Goldman Sachs, to explore how corporate communicators can develop their firm’s “Social IQ” to prepare and then engage when news or an event is picked up and amplified in social media conversations.
Click here for the pdf:
PRSA Digital Impact Murtland Managing Company Social IQ April 2012
Or visit the PRSA web site.
Tags: brand reputation, Carnival, crisis communications, Goldman Sachs, media measurement, PRSA, Public Relations, Social IQ, Social Media
Posted in Disaster Response, Measurement, Public Relations, Social Media
Posted March 29th, 2012
by Eva Rohrmann
Last week, just as we were accelerating our preparations for PRSA’s Digital Impact conference, I received a few media alerts celebrating Twitter’s birthday. Six years! Depending on which project I’m working on it seems like Twitter popped up yesterday – or so long ago that I’m surprised Twitter isn’t flopping onto the couch and sighing, “I’m so bored.”
But six years is plenty of time for Twitter, and its social media relatives, to have had a major affect on every aspect of our lives, from sharing sixth birthday videos to getting news about a stock market decline. At next week’s conference, my colleague Martin Murtland will be looking at the impact of social media on a company’s share price, and how a company can develop its “Social IQ” to be ready to engage in conversations that may affect reputation – or valuation. It should be an interesting session, so we look forward to seeing you this coming Monday.
Did you miss Twitter’s birthday? Check out these pieces from The Wall Street Journal:
Video: Happy Birthday Twitter!
Speakeasy Blog: Happy Birthday Twitter! A Look Back at Some Noteworthy Tweets
Tags: PRSA, Public Relations, Social Media, social networks, Twitter
Posted in Public Relations, Social Media
Posted January 5th, 2011
by jennifer
PR Week recently reported that the job market for PR professionals was rebounding, particularly for senior level positions. This is good news for the profession and job seekers. Looking into the future, what type of skills will senior PR professionals need to succeed in today’s complex communications and business environment?
Martin Murtland, VP and Managing Director, Dow Jones, shared his view with Bulldog Reporter late last month. He sees two skills as being critical: alignment with the business strategy and strong analytical skills. Those with these skills will be “winners” who will drive new metrics designed to measure brand and issues in a much more complicated media landscape.
The article is based on a joint presentation Martin did with Cindy Droog, APR, Senior Public Relations Specialist, at Amway. Their session at PRSA’s International Conference in Washington, DC, looked at new ways to measure brand and reputation, including velocity and advocacy.
Read the Bulldog article and look at both Martin’s and Cindy’s presentations below, and share with us the new metrics you’re discovering.
Diane Thieke is Marketing Director at Dow Jones.
Tags: Amway, brand reputation, Bulldog Reporter, media measurement, PRSA, Public Relations
Posted in Measurement, Public Relations
