Category Archives: Networking
This Week’s Hot Couple: Facebook and Instagram. Will it Last?
by Sarah Hamilton on April 12, 2012 | no comments
in Facebook, Networking
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
Last Monday, Facebook did just that when it purchased Instagram, a free photo sharing application for iPhone and Android. While there are a few theories as to why Facebook made this one billion dollar purchase, most of them stem from the same belief: Facebook feared competition.
Perhaps Facebook wanted to buy Instagram (which has been downloaded more than 30 million times since its 2010 release) before competitors like Google did. This would not only keep Instagram out of rival’s hands, but give Facebook a competitive edge on its applications for mobile and tabloid users.
Some theorists, such as analyst Rob Enderle, suggest Facebook purchased Instagram in order to strengthen itself against rapidly growing Pinterest.
“Instagram is a reasonable competitive hedge against Pinterest. At the heart of both startups is picture indexing, they are just handled differently,” Enderle said.
Facebook co-founder, Mark Zuckerburg, provided a very different reason for the purchase.
“For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family,” he said. “Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.”
Regardless of the reason for Facebook’s one billion dollar purchase, it will be interesting to see what becomes of the new pair… if they last.
According to Yahoo News, numerous Instagram users are outraged at the recent purchase, fearing a privacy breach because Facebook could have access to their uploaded Instagram photos. This led hundreds of Instagram users to delete their accounts.
What do you think about the acquisition? Was it worth it?
Photo Credit: Ambro
How to Rank Higher in the Search Engine of Life
by Scott McIntosh on March 20, 2012 | no comments
in Marketing, Networking
Recently, I’ve just returned from a vacation where I noticed a fun similarity in the way Google ranks website value and how people rank each other’s social value. And as you may already know, our social value can be extremely important in the successful marketing of our business as well as in our overall happiness.
If you didn’t already know, Google ranks websites for its search engine results by backlinks. A backlink is a link from another website back to your website – thus the name backlink. The more popular the other site is that links to you, the more valuable the backlink. It’s a web-based voting system.
But what about in the real world? You come across many different people in your daily routines, some that you know and many that you don’t. This is especially true when you are traveling. Humans are naturally a very social species and derive pleasure from connecting with others. Each person that you engage with throughout your day is an opportunity for a social backlink.
Each person that “likes” you is another vote for you in the greater social network that is our lives. The more votes you get, the higher you move up in the ranks of business and in life. Now I’m not talking about “spamming” everyone you meet with your business card and sales pitch. Please don’t do that. I’m talking about just being a nice person. I’m talking about engaging everyone you meet as you would a friend or loved one. Listen to them. Remember their names. Ask them how their families are and HEAR what they have to say. Empathize with them and respect their differences. Each new person you connect with on a social level throughout your life will not only help you in your business endeavors, they will also provide a greater richness that can only come from increased social connections.
So get out there and build your social backlinks! And if you need help with online backlinks, call us.
The Path to Greatness is Along with Others – Now Go MeetUp!
by Sam Sudano on March 13, 2012 | 3 comments
in Networking, Public Relations, Social Media
A friend of mine and I met up for dinner after work the other night. It was the first warm evening of spring and we were soaking up the last hour of sunlight on the patio at a nearby restaurant. My friend, Jami, commented on how we hadn’t caught up in weeks and wondered what had been keeping me so busy.
As I began chatting about book club meetings and indoor rock climbing, early morning yoga and weekend brunch gatherings, she stared back bewildered.
“Who are you doing all of these things with?” Jami asked. “When did you meet all of these people and where?”
“With my MeetUp groups,” I replied. “Meetup.com is a website that lets you create, find and join social groups.”
Through the website, local communities of people who share the same interest or involvement in a cause coordinate “meet ups” and attend events together. The groups have monthly, often weekly, activities that you can join to make friends, have fun, network, and learn. Last month, my co-workers and I went to happy hour with the MeetUp group PR Flacks for public relations professionals.
“That’s great for you, but I don’t really need to go to MeetUp groups,” Jami interjected. “I have enough friends!”
“Oh, so I guess you don’t really need to network, either?”
Networking – a key factor in almost any industry. She bit her tongue; I had her there.
It’s a common misconception and something I’ve heard frequently while trying to explain the value of MeetUps to friends. MeetUps aren’t just a way to meet people who share your interests or find new hobbies – although these were my main reasons for joining MeetUps when I first moved to Nashville. MeetUps can help you build connections, make new friends, and expand your professional contacts within and beyond your industry.
If you’re a business marketing professional in Nashville, there are all sorts of groups you may be interested in: Business Strategy & Networks; Content Strategies; Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing; and Nashville Area Business Networking, to name a few.
Or, as I mentioned earlier, PR Flacks is a great MeetUp for industry professionals. With more than 250 members, the group describes its MeetUps as a place “to talk shop, share beverages, laugh, learn and meet your fellow public relations and communications peers.”
It’s so easy to sign up for MeetUp and start joining groups and events. In fact, once you start filling up your calendar it can become a little addicting. Have a look around the site and check out the MeetUps in your area. You can sign up for email alerts each time a new event is announced for one of your groups, so you’re always the first to know about events. If you have a great idea for a MeetUp group, you can even start your own. Lovell’s social media strategist, Scott McIntosh, created his group two years ago using the site.
Scott founded NashvilleTech in August 2009 as a way for people interested in internet and technology to come together to share ideas about the technology driving today’s world. Members of the group discuss topics like social media, marketing, graphic design, promotion and business, and other fun web stuff. More than 500 members have joined the group and there have been 24 MeetUps to date.
How else can MeetUp benefit you? The groups are a great way to mix up your normal routine. It’s easy to run with the same crowd week after week, but with MeetUp groups, you meet people from all walks of life, including those who share your passions!
A while back, my co-worker Sarah wrote a post titled “Start Blogging and Share Your Passions” and I think MeetUps are kind of the same thing. Not only are they a great way to share (and even discover) your passions, they are a wonderful way to meet others who share those passions. As the Spanish prose writer Baltasar Gracion once said, “The path to greatness is along with others.”
Now go MeetUp!
Three Noteworthy Social Media Tips
by Sarah Hamilton on February 16, 2012 | no comments
in Networking, Social Media
I recently attended a social networking panel discussion at Belmont University. Sharing their opinions and expertise on social media were panelists Gerry Gorman, CIO of Cat Financial; Bob Hutchins, CEO of BuzzPlant; Clint Smith, CEO of EMMA; and Christi McNeil of the Social and Emerging Media team at Southwest Airlines. While some panelists took a more conservative approach to social networking than others and each company uses social networking in various ways, they each made some great points worth remembering.
1. Social media is different than mass marketing. It is important to remember that individuals are behind the technology you’re using. When using social media, remember to speak to an “audience of one” and focus on the individual.
2. It is dangerously easy to make noise via social media, but difficult to listen. To utilize social media successfully, it is vital you listen and respond to what your audience is saying, both the positive and negative.
3. Each social media channel serves a different purpose, so use them to achieve different objectives. For example, LinkedIn is a great tool for recruiting new employees; Facebook can be used to update organizational news; Yammer is used for collaboration between employees; and, as Christi McNeil pointed out, Twitter is a great way to quickly respond to customer service concerns. Be aware that your company may not need to use each of these social media channels to achieve its objectives.
What social media services does your company use? Do you have any other tips to share?
When Physicians and Patients “Meet Up” Through Social Media
by Rosemary Plorin on December 16, 2011 | no comments
in Healthcare, Networking, Social Media
I recently had the good fortune to speak with a sharp group of lawyers at the Attorney’s Workshop of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). The FSMB, as the name suggests, is comprised of the state agencies that oversee the licensure and regulation of physicians throughout in the United States.
Our discussion centered on social media and the implications of social networking in healthcare. We examined some of the staggering statistics about the prevalence of social media before zeroing in on current social media trends among both healthcare consumers and providers.
Countless reports have been issued on how consumers use the Internet and social media in relation to health and medical interests. And several additional efforts have examined the proliferating use of social media by physicians.
Research released just earlier this fall by QuantiaMD goes a step further by examining the intersection where these two distinct but symbiotic groups meet: in online patient communities.
Just as patient networking sites have proliferated, so have physician online communities such as Sermo and Ozmosis. Quantia reports that 28% of physicians participating in their research utilize physician networking sites for professional use, 18% for personal use.
Even more interesting, however, is how physicians responded when asked, “Would you recommend that a patient participate in an online patient community?” Thirty-eight percent of physician respondents indicated they already have done so, and an additional 40% indicated they “haven’t yet, but would consider.” Though most physicians bemoan the impact of cyberchondria, this telling statistics indicates physicians clearly understand the impact the Internet has on how patients manage their health.
So it’s not surprising that when asked if they were interested in interacting with patients in a secure environment, physicians responded favorably:
- 78% were interested in prescribing patient education resources;
- 72% would monitor patient health and/or behavior;
- 70% would monitor patient drug adherence remotely;
- 68% would give care advice to many patients simultaneously;
- 65% would grow and/or maintain their practice;
- 65% would give patient discount vouchers; and, amazingly,
- 58% indicated they would be interested in diagnosing and/or treating patients.
With these kinds of indicators, it would appear the further intersection of patient- and physician-centric social platforms is not far off.
Will this create a new host of social media marketing opportunities for physicians, hospitals, clinics and other providers? You can bet on it.
Will it usher in a new slew of social media nightmares and provider liability traps? You can bet even more.
But will it improve outcomes or help patients better manage their health? That’s a gamble worth taking.
Blacklisting a reporter: Is it ever ok?
by Rebecca Kirkham on December 1, 2011 | 2 comments
in Media Relations, Networking
The old adage “never pick a fight with someone who buys their ink by the barrel” remains sage advice for anyone working with the media. With the proliferation of online news channels, blogs and social media, this may be more true today than ever before. Today’s commentators aren’t necessarily bound to a journalistic code of ethics and they certainly don’t need ink to write their stories. All the more reason to treat the media – including bloggers and so-called citizen journalists – with equal respect and professional courtesy.
But what about those times you don’t get a fair shake? Maybe you’ve tried working with a reporter only to find your company unfairly portrayed time and again. What do you do when efforts to reach out through one-on-one meetings and carefully crafted responses do nothing to stem the tide of unflattering – even unfair – coverage?
For some, the answer is to sever all ties with the reporter. Though it may sound tempting in the heat of battle, it’s an approach that will undoubtedly backfire. Ignoring calls and emails may bring a twinge of satisfaction, however it goes against the very principles of effective public relations. Not to mention it’s, well, awfully seventh grade…
That’s why I couldn’t help but be drawn to coverage surrounding the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) highly publicized flap with veteran journalist and industry watchdog Jack O’Dwyer. After a long-simmering feud finally boiled over in 2010, O’Dwyer’s criticism of the organization grew stronger and more frequent – leading PRSA to ban him from their October General Assembly meeting. The move drew sharp criticism from many, including the National Press Club, which issued a statement urging the organization to reconsider. PRSA went on the offensive, defending its decision not to tolerate unethical or disruptive behavior from any media representative and actively addressing the issue on industry websites and blogs.
No doubt, there’s way more to this story than we know. However, it shines a light on what is becoming an all-too-common practice in my opinion. While there’s no excuse for disruptive, unprofessional or unethical behavior on the part of the media, today’s increasingly transparent media cycle leaves little room for the “take-my-ball-and-go-home” attitude often adopted by beleaguered companies and CEOs. We expect the media to be fair and balanced. When a reporter’s coverage falls short of that standard – real or perceived – there are better ways to address the situation than crossing them off the list. Take the high road. Or better yet, take out an ad…
What do you think? Is it ever ok to ignore a critical reporter?
How Service Members Stay Connected With Social Media
by Sarah Hamilton on November 10, 2011 | no comments
in Facebook, Networking
As I was thinking about two upcoming holidays, Veteran’s Day on Friday and Thanksgiving in two weeks, I was faced with the question: How do our service members stay connected with their family and loved ones? Many of us are blessed with the opportunity to spend time with those we love around the holidays or at least speak with them on the phone. Unfortunately, many service members based in the United States and overseas don’t have that luxury.
After doing a little research, I discovered our service members often stay in touch with their loved ones through social media in a few unique ways. Just a few years ago, service members relied on emails and hand written snail mail letters to communicate with their loved ones. Social media now allows them to communicate in real time.
It’s no surprise that our service members stay connected through Facebook, but I was unaware of Facebook’s recent launch of the Facebook Stories Project. Facebook not only serves as a platform for users to chat for free, send messages and upload pictures, but it also allows users to share their stories online. There are hundreds of millions of stories on Facebook’s Stories Project page in one of about 30 different story categories. “Military” is one of those categories where service members and their loved ones can share personal stories, tell how Facebook has helped them stay connected, seek advice and share information.
Service members also use online video services such as Skype to communicate with their loved ones. Free services like Skype allow users to see and talk to each other instead of just typing messages. All they need to do is purchase a relatively inexpensive webcam. Seeing and virtually interacting with those you are chatting with is comforting, especially when children can see their parents.
While communicating via social media is instant, handwritten letters and packages are still appreciated by service members.
If you are a service member or have one in your family, how do you communicate with them? What changes in technology and social media would you like to see to make long distance communication more effective?
Lovell Communications Inc. would like to thank all current and former service members for their dedication and service to our country.
5 Tips for Landing Your First PR Job After College
by Robin Embry on November 1, 2011 | 3 comments
in Networking, Public Relations, Social Media
I remember years ago when I graduated from college I was filled with the anticipation of landing my first PR job. I know some of the required skill sets have evolved over the years (i.e. social media, SEO, etc.) but the foundation for being a PR pro has remained fairly consistent. At the very least, a good public relations practitioner has excellent writing skills, the ability to multi-task, a sense of empathy, a respect for urgency and an understanding of how to use business strategy to guide PR tactics and implementation. But what else do you need to impress potential employers?
I routinely reply to emails or return phone calls from college students looking for advice. In an effort to continue to help the “PR pros of the future,” here are five tips to help prepare for your first interview:
1. Apply for Internships
Public relations is different from other college majors because employers expect you to have experience by the time you graduate. College courses provide you with critical knowledge but you also need “real world” exposure. An internship might give you the opportunity to write press releases, build media lists, make media calls, participate in social media strategy sessions or just sit in on senior level strategy meetings.
Internships can also help you decide on a career path. Are you a fit for corporate PR, the not-for-profit world or agency life? And, an internship is the perfect opportunity to start building a portfolio (see tip #2) and reference letters.
Interested in looking for a PR internship? Talk to your professors and let them know you are actively searching and visit the following sites that provide internship listings: PRSSA, internships.com, craigslist and PR Crossing.
2. Build a Portfolio
As I mentioned in tip #1, employers expect you to already have PR experience but you need more than the name of the internship on your resume. You need to show samples of your work. I remember lugging around a heavy portfolio and thumbing through each page with my interviewers. A hard copy portfolio is still an effective way to display work but students now have the opportunity to create an online portfolio. An online portfolio will not only showcase your experience but will also highlight your online, multi-media and design expertise.
3. Be A “Strategic” Online Expert
Today’s student has no choice but to be online savvy. The web is how you communicate, shop, conduct research, etc., and most of us don’t remember how the world functioned before the internet. However, just knowing how to navigate Facebook and Twitter is not enough. It is important to explore and become well-versed in how social media can positively and negatively impact companies and stay current on the businesses that are doing it right. It also impresses employers if you understand search engine optimization (SEO) and ways to maximize it for clients. Every company wants to be ranked at the top of a Google search.
4. Create An Impressive Resume and Cover Letter
A strong resume and cover letter are still vital to the job search process. These two documents are key to getting your foot in the door.
5. Continue to Improve Your Writing Skills
I know you’ve heard this a million times, but it is completely true…good writing skills are critical for a job in PR. If you don’t like to write you might want to shift your career path. I don’t think anyone is ever a “perfect” writer. We can all stand to constantly improve. There are thousands of great online resources that offer useful writing tips. AP Style and Grammar Girl are two of my favorites.
Good luck with your job search. Public relations is a fascinating field, full of challenges and opportunities.
The “Secret Sauce” of Good Media Relations
by Erin Lawley on October 25, 2011 | no comments
in Media Relations, Networking
There are many ingredients that go into effective media relations. Having a good story or a knowledgeable and authoritative source to offer are, of course, two critical components. But responsiveness is the “secret sauce” of good media relations. It’s that key component for securing media coverage and building the kinds of reporter relationships that keep them coming back for more.
Of course, one person’s responsiveness may be another person’s what-the-heck-took-you-so-long, so let me elaborate.
When I was a reporter, my definition of responsive was replying to a reporter’s request as soon as you physically can. That means, if you get an email from a reporter who wants to talk to your CEO or, if you’re a PR pro, one of your clients, you should reply to that reporter as soon as you get the message. Depending on the nature of the reporter’s email, your reply may be one line saying that you’ll check into it and get back to them as soon as you can.
That reply lets the reporter know that you’re aware of their story and you’re trying to help. It’s even better if you can let the reporter know when you’ll get back to them, and it’s better still if you can provide any guidance to the reporter on whether you think you’ll ultimately be able to fulfill that request.
There are two major benefits to this kind of responsiveness:
- If the reporter knows that you may provide the interview or information he needs for his story, he’s less likely to seek out alternative sources. In the case of a positive story, that increases your chances of getting a favorable quote or coverage. In the case of a negative story, it may lessen the chances that the reporter will go digging around for alternative sources that may have inaccurate or unflattering information to share (though it certainly can’t prevent him from doing so).
- The reporter will appreciate your responsiveness and be more likely to come back to you in the future with other story opportunities. I strongly believe in this point based on first hand experience. I was a reporter, my go-to contacts in the public relations world – the first people I emailed or called when I needed a source I couldn’t reach directly – were the ones I knew would get back to me. Even if those people ultimately couldn’t or wouldn’t comment on the story, which happened frequently, I still called them first because I knew I could trust them to communicate quickly.
And if you get a reporter inquiry from a reporter with whom you don’t already have a relationship, pick up the phone and give that reporter a call. Unlike the calls you make to follow up on news releases – the ones where the reporter sounds busy, annoyed or plain confused at who you are – the reporter wants to talk to you. It’s a great way to lay some groundwork for a good relationship. (See our earlier post on the importance of cultivating relationships with reporters). In a few minutes you can find out more information on the kind of story the reporter is planning and the reporter’s deadline. You can let him or her know who you have in mind for the interview and let them know next steps.
It sounds simple because it is. But it’s also the thing that can take your media relations work from adequate to great.
Women Entrepreneurs in Nashville
by Paula Lovell on October 6, 2011 | 1 comment
in Nashville, Networking, Small Business
I had a chance to moderate a panel of some of Nashville’s top women entrepreneurs which you can watch in the video below. There is some great information in this video for anyone in business, especially for those who’ve started their own business or are looking to start a business. Hope you enjoy!
