#Fail: Social Media #PR Disasters - recap

(Cross-posted from the Next Communications blog)

Thanks to Stephanie Scott and Corey Lark for sharing their 10 Lessons from Social Media PR Disasters for the June Ft. Worth PRSA luncheon: (Get their presentation slide deck.)

1. You are not in a vacuum
2. Err on the side of caution; Respond swiftly
3. Be prudent; Accept responsibility
4. Update your tactics
5. Context matters
6. If you apologize, mean it
7. Mocking your customers = bad
8. Be transparent
9. Manage your social media presence (or someone may manage it for you)
10. Sometimes you are the problem

Below is a recap built on Storify from last week's Fort Worth PRSA luncheon. Aside: This was the first time for me to use Storify. (Way cool tool.)

Fort Worth Media Panel - Learn from the Locals

The first program of the year did not disappoint.

Those hoping to get insight from the Fort Worth 2011 Media Panel heard from editors about imminent publication changes, social media trends, and tips plus preferences for the local PR professional-journalist working relationship.

Below are highlights from each speaker:

Maricar Estrella, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Social Media Editor:

• The Star-Telegram is placing more emphasis on the key role social media plays in news production with the creation of her position last year.
• Mari shared examples of how Facebook or Twitter postings have led to breaking news, albeit, after a thorough journalistic follow-up.
• Mari also shared that she is a blogger on the mom2momdfw.com site.
• When sending photos or other attachments, be aware that there’s a 10mb size limit.
• The following addresses help those wishing to connect with the paper through social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/fwstar; Twitter: @startelegram; @dfwsuperbowl @maricare (use hashtag #sbst to tweet your Super Bowl experience; best tweet will be featured); Gowalla Super Bowl Trip: http://gowalla.com/trips/27156; FourSquare: @maricar estrella
• Email Mari at: maricar@star-telegram.com

Robert Francis, Fort Worth Business Press Editor

• Robert let everyone know to watch for changes soon on the Business Press website.
• There’s a new owner and perhaps you’ve heard of him before: Rich Connor.
• Be sure to sign up for Business Press e-mail alerts, which offer local, breaking business news.
• Keep in mind their weekly deadlines. No need to send notices for events happening after publication.
• Email Robert at: rfrancis@bizpress.net
  

Lois Norder, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Managing Editor

• While newspaper print circulation numbers have gone down, the paper is more widely read – even globally – than ever before.
• Consider always copying the newsroom (newsroom@star-telegram.com) when sending a release or story idea. Chances are that the reporter who used to cover your beat topic has changed positions.
• Stay away from attachments for news delivery when possible – editors like the convenience of cutting and pasting pertinent facts from an email text vs. a PDF.
• Email Lois at: lnorder@star-telegram.com
• BONUS: For those who didn’t get the handout from Lois Norder, she was kind enough to share that information for us to post here. Thanks Lois!

How to get your press release noticed by the Star-Telegram:

1. Put the local angle in the subject line. We look for those that highlight local people or places or issues.
2. Contact the right people. That’s plural, because we have a family of publications, including community newspapers, magazines such as Panache and Indulge and our websites. Call to ask who covers a topic if you haven’t touched base in a while. Be sure to also copy your release to newsroom@star-telegram.com. Except for breaking news, we prefer information via email.
3. Include a contact name, phone number, and address. We require that for photos and story assignments. 
4. Make sure we can cut and paste key details. Don’t use read-only pdfs or other web-based forms that will only pick up an entire block of information. 
5. Time your release. Friday is too late to send information on long-planned weekend events. A month in advance is too soon, except for the biggest events when we want to save a date. For breaking news, send the release immediately and follow up.

Key contacts:

Newsroom@star-telegram.com — For all press releases

lnorder@star-telegram.com — Lois Norder, managing editor for news

cxwilliams@star-telegram.com — Celeste Williams, managing editor for sports and features

cmallette@star-telegram.com — Catherine Mallette, features editor

jfuquay@star-telegram.com — Jim Fuquay, business editor

etrainor@star-telegram.com — Gene Trainor, editor for Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake weekly

amurray@kellercitizen.com — Alice Murray, editor of the Keller Citizen

nmatocha@thetimesregister.com — Nancy Matocha, editor for Roanoke, Westlake, Trophy Club and Haslet weekly

arogers@mansfieldnewsmirror.com — Amanda Rogers, editor of the Mansfield News-Mirror

mbaker@star-telegram.com — Max Baker, editor of the Arlington Citizen-Journal

lwinter@weatherford.com — Lance Winter, editor of the Weatherford Telegram

Grow your social media measurement skills

President's Column: Tom Burke, APR, Greater Fort Worth PRSA
(This post appeared in the May 2010 issue of the eChaser)

It’s continual learning for me at IBM. Every day. It’s that way when you’re on a team of 400,000 people helping to build a smarter planet and 399,999 of those people are smarter than you!

Thankfully, in today’s intensely competitive and dynamic global marketplace, IBM continues to invest in employee development. Through various avenues, the company provides resources necessary to grow your skills, gain new experiences and build a high-impact career. A career differentiated by expertise. In fact, IBM’s achievements in learning and development recently earned Fortune magazine recognition as the No. 1 company for leaders.

This focus on skills and career development is also true of the Public Relations Society of America. Professional development is one of the most cherished benefits of PRSA membership. At Greater Fort Worth PRSA we continually strive to exceed this expectation of our members through relevant monthly programs and engaging events.

One of our most exciting professional development meetings is set for Wednesday, May 19, at Colonial Country Club. Katie Delahaye Paine, CEO and founder of KDPaine & Partners and author of “Measuring Public Relationships: The Data-Driven Communicator’s Guide to Success,” will lead a three-hour morning workshop focusing on key elements of engagement, including quantitative, qualitative and new relationship metrics. Over lunch she will review measurement principles and how they apply to the new, wild world of social media. It promises to be four hours of exceptional expertise building that you won’t want to miss.

In this crazy world we live in, it is more true than ever that if you’re not learning and growing, you are slowly fading away. And that doesn’t sound like too much fun, does it?

(Photo credit: Sarah Scissors)

Making the News: The Rise of the Crowd

On Tuesday, September 15, GFW PRSA members Tracy Syler-Jones and Richie Escovedo provided a session for the chapter's Education Special Interest Group.

Making the News: The Rise of the Crowd

Tracy Syler-Jones (@TracySJ) - Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communication at TCU
Richie Escovedo (@vedo) - Media and Communication Development at Mansfield ISD

Today's supercharged communication world presents numerous challenges for communicators. In the recent past, one could rely on traditional media to pass along news and information that could reach, and hopefully, influence the masses.

However, a shrinking number of reporters means communicators must learn how to effectively utilize, integrate and manage social networking and new media tools to remain visible and connected with key audiences. Learn more about the role the crowd plays in pushing your message along and how to tap into that energy.

Additional links promised to attendees:

• Social Media Guidelines for Schools
• Social Media Policies
  

@The Forefront: Successfully Navigating Social Media - Slideshows

Thank you to all of the attendees of the chapter's May 13, 2009 Professional Development Workshop -@ TheForefront: Successfully Navigating Social Media

As PR professionals, strategy underscores all our methodologies, so why would social media be any different? If you’ve been waiting to take the social media plunge, now’s the perfect opportunity to learn the nuts and bolts, best practices, strategy, planning and measurement.

Below are the presentation slideshows from the day:

@TheForefront: Successfully Navigating Social Media

View more presentations from Beth Harte.

The Nuts and Bolts of Twitter (updated)

View more presentations from Richie Escovedo.

The GFW PRSA professional development workshop was led by Beth Harte (@bethharte), Twitter maven and marketing and communications professional, with help from our own Richie Escovedo (@vedo) and Terry Morawski (@morate).

Plus, a post-workshop interview with Beth Harte:

Related posts

• Are We Missing the Next Big Thing Because of Our Twitter Obsession?
• Social media’s dirty little secret
• The Social Web is more valuable to PR than Social Media Tools

Fort Worth PRSA and Social Media Club DFW welcome Beth Harte

It is with great pleasure that we welcome friend and social media maven, Beth Harte, to Dallas/Fort Worth. Beth will be in the metro as a guest of Greater Fort Worth chapter PRSA and will be speaking at the May professional development workshop and luncheon, Wednesday, May 13.

Graciously, Beth is game for a tweet-up on May 12! Come join us!

Where: Sherlock's Pub in Arlington; 254 Lincoln Square Center

When: 6:30-8:30pm

Please RSVP for the tweet-up via Facebook or in the comments on Lauren Vargas' event post.
(Note: a tweet-up is just another name for meet-up for those non-Twitter types.)

Don't forget to also RSVP for Greater Fort Worth Professional Development Day and Luncheon.

Everyone’s doing it: Facebook and Twitter, that is. Does that mean it’s right for you? As PR professionals, strategy underscores all our methodologies, so why would social media be any different? If you’ve been waiting to take the social media plunge, now’s the perfect opportunity to learn the nuts and bolts, best practices, strategy, how to get started and how to do it well. And, if you’re already involved, we’ll help you learn how to do it better, more effectively and efficiently.

These topics and more will be center stage at the May 13th GFW PRSA professional development workshop to be led by Beth Harte (@bethharte), Twitter maven and marketing and communications professional, with help from our own Richie Escovedo (@vedo) and Terry Morawski (@morate).

Following the morning workshop, after we’ve learned who, what, where, when and why of social media, we’ll learn how to measure our efforts during a social media ROI seminar.

About Harte Marketing & Communications | Harte Marketing & Communications, located in the Philadelphia suburbs, specializes in marketing, communications and social media programs–from strategic planning to execution of branding, public relations, analyst relations, product marketing, international marketing, lead generation (direct mail, e-mail marketing), Web site management and SEO/SEM.
www.theharteofmarketing.com

About Beth Harte | As principal of Harte Marketing & Communications, Beth offers nearly 15 years of experience in strategic planning, branding, public relations, analyst relations, product marketing, international marketing, business development, lead generation (direct mail, e-mail marketing), Web site management, SEO/SEM-in short, all things marketing and communications. And she’s applied that experience for a range of companies-from startups and SMBs to mid-market and Fortune 500 companies. When Beth began her marketing and communications career, companies barely had e-mail. Having experienced Web 1.0 first hand, she also enjoyed the mad dash toward integrated marketing communications and SEO/SEM. Today, she enjoys the challenge of helping clients use marketing, communications and social media to take their marketing–and their businesses–to the next level of customer engagement.

In addition to running Harte Marketing & Communications, Beth speaks at industry conferences and event and serves as adjunct professor at Immaculata University where she’s taught Marketing in a Global Economy, Marketing Principles and Practices, Introduction to Public Relations, Writing for Public Relations & Social Media and Issues in E-Commerce. Beth will also be teaching Community, Government and Global Relations and Writing for PR & Social Media in the new Master’s in Applied Communication program.

A firm believer in “walking the walk to talk the talk,” Beth shares tips, opinions and observations on her blog, The Harte of Marketing. She also writes for Marketing Profs’ Daily Fix Blog and Search Engine Guide. Beth holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Chestnut Hill College and a Master of Science in International Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University.

Using Wikis In Marketing And Media Relations

This is cross-posted from PRSA member Kay Colley's Community blog. It is her presentation from the Best of the Southwest Communicators Conference last weekend. The conference was put on by the Texas Public Relations Association and PRSA Southwest District.

Wikis are really good tools to create community. Far better than blogs because they offer a more open environment and an egalitarian approach to participation. Check out this SlideShare presentation and let me know if you agree.

Using Wikis In Marketing And Media Relations

View more presentations from Kay Colley.

Go to Kay Colley's presentation wiki.

The Nuts and Bolts of Twitter Presentation

This is cross-posted from the Next Communications blog:

Here is the Twitter presentation for the Best of the Southwest Communicators Conference. The conference was put on by the Texas Public Relations Association and PRSA Southwest District.

As promised to the attendees, here is the presentation:The Nuts and Bolts of Twitter

View more presentations from Richie Escovedo. (tags: twitter social)

The session went well. Unfortunately, we got a little side tracked a few times and the timing was a little off. I hope the attendees take a moment or two and check out the final few slides. Thanks go to my partner in crime and co-presenter, Terry Morawski. I would also like to extend a special thanks to our volunteer from the session (@mayday08) who set up her profile live for the group to see.

Let me know what you think especially if you were able to attend the session.

Peter Shankman to talk social media at 2009 BEST OF SOUTHWEST Communicators Conference

Do You REALLY Know How To Use Social Media?

Founder of HARO and The Geek Factory to Discuss Social Networking at the 2009 BEST OF THE SOUTHWEST Communicators Conference Presented by TPRA and PRSA Southwest District

You know Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, but do you REALLY KNOW how to use them?

Peter Shankman, founder of the wildly successful Help A Reporter Out (HARO) and CEO of The Geek Factory Inc., a boutique marketing and pr strategy firm located in New York City, will discuss the technology that is changing the PR and marketing communications industries as we know them during his Friday keynote address, Feb. 27, at the 2009 BEST OF THE SOUTHWEST Communicators Conference Presented by TPRA and PRSA Southwest District

PR Week Magazine says Shankman is “redefining the art of networking,” and Investor’s Business Daily has called him “crazy, but effective.”

Here is your chance to find out how one of the leaders in social media is continually pushing the boundaries of technology personally and professionally, and how you and your business can do it, too.

The joint conference of the TPRA and PRSA Southwest District will feature two days of speakers, workshops, professional development and networking opportunities as well as the "A League of Our Own" Silver Spur / Best of Texas awards banquet. The event is Feb. 28-March 1 at the John Q. Hammons Embassy Suites – Dallas/Frisco Hotel, Convention Center & Spa (www.embassysuitesfrisco.com).

More details and registration information on the Southwest's biggest PR and Marketing event of 2009 is available at http://tpra.org/.

Social Media: Under Construction

On Wednesday, July 9, Terry Morawski and I collaborated on a social media presentation for the Greater Fort Worth chapter of PRSA:



Additional presentation options: .pdf, .ppt, slideshare

POST starts with "P"

This post first appeared on the nextcommunication blog on June 16, 2008.

I am reading Groundswell by Forrester Research's Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. This book is easily one of the most intriguing professional books I've read in a while. According to Li and Bernoff the groundswell is:

A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations.

While I don't particularly care for the name they chose to describe the social media phenomenon, I do appreciate the terrific insight and research they've provided.

One graphical representation from the book helps explain the Social Technographics® Profile in the form of a Ladder to represent consumers' social computing behavior categorized by participation.



The social participation rungs in the ladder are (from bottom to top): Inactives, Spectators, Joiners, Collectors, Critics, and Creators with explanations of each. The authors provide various samples of profiles to help drive home the point that different people come to you and your company or organization at very different levels of social media participation.

The POST Method

There are implications for business in assessing participation, especially when one applies the POST method for a social media strategy:

1. Assess the social activities of your People;


2. Decide what Objectives you want to accomplish;


3. Plan your Strategy for changes in customer relations; then


4. Decide on the suitable Technology or technologies to meet your goals.

I was struck by something so simple, but could have serious implications for those interested in social media if forgotten:
The POST method starts with "P" for People.

People Matter

If you don't have your people, (audience, stakeholders, customers, community, or any other term you use) your social media strategy will be much harder to effectively implement and accurately assess.

To often Communication/PR practitioners are presented with the challenge of adding a social media to their communication efforts and they jump straight to the latest and greatest social media technology with buzz.

I am all for jumping in and experimenting with social media mainly because you are more credible if you've experienced the various forms of social media. This holds true even if you outsource.

However, I caution (from experience) that your community participation assessment should come first.

If the biggest sin in social media is inaction, then I think the biggest mistake is not knowing your people.

The changing landscape of Public Relations

This post first appeared on the nextcommunication blog on May 9, 2008

I am proud to be a public relations professional. Some outside people might scoff at the idea of being in PR. They (like many people I would guess) have an antiquated idea of public relations.

There is a great song by Jimmy Buffet, Public Relations off of the Don't Stop The Carnival album about Norman Paperman, a Broadway press agent who is in need of an awakening:

Up every morning, out every evening
Hustling for headlines, that's what I do
Table at Sardi's, grappling for gossip
Working the press for a mention or two
I never acted like some nervous rookie
Right form the start I was hot as a cookie
I was a numero uno
What a debut

Chorus:
Public Relations, Public Relations
Boozing and schmoozing, that's what I do
PR's my vocation
And I'm a sensation
Public relations

Such hullabaloo

...

Chorus:
Public Relations, Public Relations
Ego inflation, that's what I do
Isn't it wonderful, isn't it fabulou
Public Relations, such hullabaloo

While humorous, the song's lyrics say what many people may think about PR.

We should not forget the bread and butter of our craft (especially in media relations). However, with the changing communication landscape PR professionals need to be better equipped at integrating social media.

So what does it mean to practice PR? According to the "bible" of public relations, Cutlip, Center and Broom's definition:

Public relations is a management function that seeks to identify, build, and maintain mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and all of the publics on whom its success or failure depends."

Mutually beneficial relationships

Relationships should be nurtured and grown over time. As a PR professional, I need to seek out and adapt to ways of reaching my organization's community.

I like the idea of getting rid of the word "users" and replacing it with "guests".

I agree that we need to be more efficient.

I think Jason Falls is on to something when he asks "Can Advertising Truly Be Social?"

And even though he specifically targets agencies, Todd Defren's post Five Thoughts on the Future of Public Relations should get the rest of us thinking.

I once read the following:

Don't confuse revolutionary change with evolutionary change.

In this case, the evolutionary change must come from the PR practitioner. Keep up or get left behind.