8 Rules for Pimping Your PR -- Part Deux

Last time, we used the metaphor of 'pimping your ride,' or gussying up a wreck, to describe how social media can help build out and dress up a PR and marketing program. Hopefully, your PR plan isn't currently a shambles, but let's face it. With today's research and information gathering being done over the Internet, any plan that doesn't take full advantage of blogging, chat groups, forums, networking platforms, etc., might as well be sitting on blocks in the driveway. Here are five more rules for the social media highway:

Rule of the Road #5 – Communicate your strategy internally.

Keep your team informed about what you expect from them. They should be reminded that even when they are on their own, home computers and converse online using social networking platforms, they still represent the company. This may rankle some of us here, in the land of the free. But, you wouldn’t think much of an employee who behaved inappropriately in public. You can explain that the virtual world calls for a similar sense of decorum to the physical.

Rule of the Road #6 – Plan for who will say what, when and to whom.

Wha’…? Companies will want to plan for responses to questions, requests, negative/positive comments and complaints. Different spokespeople may be required on different occasions. For example, if a customer writes a searing accusation about your corporation’s product or service, you’ll want a senior-level staff person to respond. Predetermining a response and solution to these eventualities will pay off, big time, when you can sweep in with a ready answer within minutes after receiving their input.

On the other hand, for the more routine exchanges that occur when using online resources for conversations with customers, make sure your company’s representative is articulate, well-informed and empowered to address minor complaints, whenever necessary.

Then, give your spokesperson a plan to carry out your program. It may be that they are expected to write a blog each week, enter a Facebook item daily and Twitter twice a day, for example.

Rule of the Road #7 – Be a thought leader.

Thought leaders who can be looked to for content that is of consistently high value are the bloggers, tweeters and Facebook pals I follow. So do your customers. So be a thought leader. Educate, entertain and engage. Make that your mantra. If your company is a resort developer, please, please, please don’t post blog entries that chirp about your low-cost vacation getaway special! You may get lucky and someone surfing the net to find a bargain such as yours might accidentally stumble over you. But your true objective should be to build a following of loyal supporters. Owners, vacationers, families – the kind of customers you want visiting your resort will be more likely to rely on a familiar resource with which they are already connected, when planning their vacation.

Rule of the Road #8 – Evaluate and measure results after you tweak your PR/marketing plan.

Every time you carry out a campaign or make a significant change in your messaging or strategy, you want to know if it’s making a difference. Sometimes the results can take a while, particularly as you are developing a following. You probably are already set up to monitor whether or not you are getting traffic to your Web site, ink from online and print news sources and how many times the phone rings. Watch these areas to see if a campaign causes a bump. Also, sites such as www.newscactus.com can post your news and watch for track-back traffic. As with any marketing and PR campaign, test and then review results. Then analyze what’s working and do more of that. Easily said; not so easily executed. But, such is life.

Remember, whatever forward motion you take, you’re going to be better off than before. So, hop in the driver’s seat and get going!

Reprinted, courtesy The Trades Publishing Company, July 2009