Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
Earlier this week I attended a panel discussion called, “Piercing the Clouds: Emerging Opportunities in Cloud Computing” sponsored by the MIT Enterprise Forum. The panel featured cloud computing experts from Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Real Networks to discuss the opportunities, pitfalls and trends surrounding cloud computing.
Cloud computing is defined by Wiktionary as, “Computing in which services and storage are provided over the Internet (or “cloud”) and can include popular Web-based services such as Gmail, Pandora, Facebook and YouTube, virtual server storage solutions such as Amazon Web Services and product development tools such as Google Apps.”
The panel experts agreed that cloud computing is one of the most significant disruptive technologies in recent memory and it is here to stay. In fact, analyst firm Gartner predicts the cloud computing market is, “poised for strong growth through 2014, when worldwide cloud services revenue is projected to reach $148.8 billion.” One of the panel observations I found to be interesting is that the proliferation of mobile computing devices including mobile phones, iPads and e-readers has been one of the key drivers of consumer-driven cloud computing apps. However, the panelists believe that cloud computing will penetrate the enterprise further as the barriers surrounding trust and reliability of accessing content are broken and companies begin to view of cloud computing as a business model rather than a trend.
One thing is clear, cloud computing is not just a trend but represents a significant shift in how we access information and content. We work with several clients in various industries that touch the cloud and it will be interesting to see how this technology will evolve both consumption of content, and business models for organizations.
By now most people on Twitter understand they should not tweet information they would not be willing to say into a microphone. There have been countless examples to illustrate how even if you don’t have a lot of followers, a tweet can reach a broad audience.
In the 1990s people learned valuable lessons about communicating via e-mail with unintended flame mails, attempted humor that was misunderstood, or accidentally hitting reply all when the message was intended for only one person. Social media presents similar challenges.
One specific challenge that has not been widely discusses is considering the perceptions created by a post or tweet. As a PR professional, perhaps I am more focused on perceptions than most. However, I think it is important for people engaging in social media to consider not only what they are communicating, but how that information may be perceived by others. Short messages of 140 characters do not afford an opportunity to provide context and individuals who do not know you may misinterpret your message.
For some people, this may not seem like a big deal or worth further thought. But consider the following:
- A C-level executive posts photos of her high-end vacation to her Facebook profile, which is seen by recently laid off employees, existing employees, customers and partners.
- A social media “expert” only responds to tweets from other “experts.” (See recent blog post from PR Geek Speak “Social Media High School”)
- A professional spokesperson tweets about being away from home *again* while on the road promoting his own book.
In each of these instances, the actual content is not inappropriate, but it could create negative perceptions that are counter to the individuals’ objectives.
We all need to consider how information we share will be received by multiple audiences. It is not enough to ask, “Is this information appropriate for broad dissemination?” Instead, one must think about how people will feel when they see the information being shared. Other questions to consider:
- Are you reinforcing your personal brand?
- What key messages are you delivering?
- How does this align with your personal and professional objectives?
Each tweet and post you share is a reflection of you and your judgment – with the potential for unintended consequences – so make sure you think carefully about each and every Facebook update and tweet.
At Communiqué we often leverage social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, for our clients to reach new and existing customers. While some may believe that social media is only used by a particular age, sex or gender, new research shows that adults over the age of 50 are adopting social media at a significant rate.
A recent study of more than 2,250 Internet users over the age of 18 by the Pew Research Center, adults over the age of 50 are adopting social media more quickly than young adults ages 18-29. Some of the key findings of the study include:
- Forty-two percent of Internet users ages 50 and older now use social media compared to only 22 percent a year ago.
- Between April 2009 and May 2010, Internet users ages 50-64 who said they use a social networking site grew 88 percent and those ages 65 and older grew 100 percent in their use of the sites, compared with a growth rate of just 13 percent for those ages 18-29.
- Twenty percent of adults ages 50-64 say they use a social networking site daily, up from 10 percent a year ago. Thirteen percent of adults ages 65 and older use a social networking site, up from 4 percent last year.
“Young adults continue to be the heaviest users of social media, but their growth pales in comparison with recent gains made by older users,” said Mary Madden, a senior research specialist and author of the report.
While 86 percent of Internet users ages 18-29 say they use social media; it is clear that those older than 50 years of age want to connect with people from their past and present.
“Email is still the primary way that older users maintain contact with friends, families and colleagues, but many older users now rely on social network platforms to help manage their daily communications,” said Madden.
As older adults start to use social networking as a way to keep up with family and reconnect with lost friends, there is an ever increasing opportunity for companies to reach this demographic.
On Wednesday, I was lucky enough to get to attend a talk given by David Plouffe, President Obama’s political campaign manager and author of “The Audacity to Win.” As the visionary genius behind one of the most game-changing political campaigns in the history of this country, I went hoping to gather some tips for running a successful campaign that would translate to the world of marketing and public relations (oh, and also hoping a little of his genius may rub off on me).
David began the talk by providing us with a background on the challenges faced in President Obama’s drive to the White House. Obama had never visited many of the states in the U.S., and he was widely viewed as a political “outsider.” In the early days of the campaign, they weren’t even sure he would make it past the primary. They knew that if they solely worked to gain the support of the current voter base, a defeat was surely in the cards. In order to win, they needed to invigorate a new base of voters and empower them to participate in the political process. And that’s exactly what they did.
They realized that campaigns, political, marketing or otherwise, are a relationship. As such, they are built on trust, communication and the ability to work through crises together. To create this relationship, and in turn build a new voter base, the Obama Campaign decided to involve everyone in the process. They enlisted grassroots organizations, volunteer groups, talked to neighbors and visited anyone who would listen, including Republicans. Most of all, they listened to these people and learned how to reach them on their own terms – on the Internet. What resulted was millions of new voters and a large group of people who truly felt like they were a part of something important. The Obama Campaign was able to generate more than $500 million online with an average donation of a mere $85.
This is where his talk struck a chord in my mind. We’re getting to a point where people’s consumption of information and news is done completely via the Internet. That can be friends sending friends news via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail. Or, it can be a politician sending his platform via e-mail to his constituents. It’s not a secret that people are more skeptical of big news organizations these days, so it’s easy to believe that receiving news from your friends via word-of-mouth is easier to trust. With social media, we have the opportunity to reach millions of consumers without relying on press coverage. Basically, this means that just because your product announcement didn’t get covered in a New York Times’ or Wall Street Journal article, it doesn’t mean it didn’t find its way into the inboxes of 50 million people – via their friends and family.
You may still be asking yourself, “How does this knowledge apply to me and my marketing strategy?” To answer, I simply say take some of the best practices from David Plouffe’s campaign, and apply them to your marketing plans. When you compare a political campaign and a marketing campaign, they are really quite similar – a brand trying to get recognized by a target audience. Don’t be afraid to try tactics that haven’t been done before and don’t forget to utilize the Internet at every moment possible. If you can create a campaign that deeply involves your target audience and inspires them to participate in your movement, you will likely find more success in the long run.
Has anyone out there found a unique way to drive buzz and excitement without using traditional methods such as media tours and press releases? I’d love to hear any inspirational stories that are floating out there.
In June 2010, I wrote about how nonprofit organizations are using social media to achieve their fundraising goals. Today, I want to expand on this topic by sharing an article on Mashable that provides a list of 10 tools that make it easier for people and organizations to raise money. I found this article to be informative and helpful in light of the work Communiqué PR is doing for Seattle Children’s Hospital and other nonprofit organizations.
The tools which made Mashable’s list include:
1. FirstGiving – This is an online donation processing service. The basic account is free, but for $300 you can upgrade to a fully-customizable page for fundraising. The site can be used by nonprofit organizations or individuals wanting to raise money for a U.S. nonprofit.
2. Crowdrise – According to its website, Crowdwise is about volunteering, raising money for charity and having fun while doing it. It enables one to share fundraising campaigns via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.
3. Kickstarter – This site is geared more toward artists, designers, filmmakers, etc. It is a new way to fund and follow creativity.
4. WhatGives – This organization offers a widget that according to Mashable, “you can use on Facebook or on your personal webpage to collect donations for your nonprofit.”
5. Change.org – This is a wonderful site for driving social change. In addition to being able to start a petition, this organization provides news and information about important social issues on a daily basis. It is committed to empowering people to take action.
6. ChipIn – According to Mashable, this is “one of the most popular donation widget tools on the web.” Apparently the ChipIn widget is a fairly simple Flash application that allows you to keep people in the loop on your fundraising activities.
7. Razoo – Razoo states that more than $20 million has been given to thousands of charities. The site has “options for individuals, non-profits, foundations and corporations to raise money for their causes.” In addition, Razoo makes it easy for people to take advantage of corporate matching programs.
8. Convio – This is fundraising software for nonprofit organizations. Its online marketing software suite includes tools for fundraising, advocacy, event fundraising, ecommerce, tribute/memorial sites, web content management, and e-mail marketing.
9. Facebook Causes – These pages on Facebook can be a wonderful way to share information about a nonprofit organization or cause.
10. StayClassy – This organization believes that “nonprofits shouldn’t have to pay thousands of dollars for fundraising software.” It allows charities to manage events, accept online donations and grow awareness leveraging social media.
As soon as I have some first-hand experience working with one or more of these tools, I will develop a follow-up blog post. In the meantime, I hope you’ll take a minute to check out the full article on Mashable, which is one of our favorite resources.
The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press released a new report yesterday about how Americans get news. I was not surprised to see the percentage of Americans that “read a newspaper” and “listened to radio news” declined during the past 10 years. Similarly, the fact that a third of Americans indicated that they “went online for news” was not unexpected.
Clearly, the way Americans access news has changed with the rise of the Internet and platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) highlighted the impact Twitter has had in news consumption in a recent blog post “Like it or not, Twitter is now a news medium.” As stated in that post, we have witnessed how news can break on Twitter (e.g. earthquake in New Zealand) or be used to follow a fast moving story (e.g. gas explosion in San Bruno, California).
However, what I did find interesting is that Americans are spending more time with the news overall. With “digital platforms playing a larger role in news consumption…”, “the average time Americans spend with the news on a given day is as high as it was in the mid-1990s, when audiences for traditional news sources were much larger” as a result.
The report also reveals that the public has an increasingly skeptical view of reporting from the major news organizations. Per the report, “No more than a third says they can believe all or most of the reporting by the major news organizations.”
As PR professionals it is not only important to understand how the public accesses news and what platforms are most popular, but also understand perceptions of the popular news outlets. At Communiqué PR we take an integrated approach with our clients, where we work with bloggers and non-traditional news outlets to establish credibility with target audiences and often, major news outlets can help amplify or broadcast information more broadly. If target audiences don’t find value in a particular news source, that is clearly going to impact who we build media relationships with and the strategies we develop to successfully distribute and elevate news with.
We will continue to monitor behaviors and perceptions to ensure our strategies and tactics take into consideration the realities of American’s preferences.