Last week, I wrote about the evolution of online customer engagement over the past decade. I advocated that your customer – not your website – needs to be at the center of your online marketing strategy.

Most companies embrace this principle and believe they adhere to it. But time and again, I see two very basic – but extremely costly – mistakes being made.

Mistake 1: Not knowing enough about your customers’ online lives

Sure, it seems that “everybody” is online today. And maybe they are, but for vastly different reasons. Before you spend the time, effort and money with a full-scale online blitz, do some research. Assuming you know a fair bit about who your customers actually are (many companies don’t, but that’s a topic for another post), you then need to make sure you understand their online lives. There is a wealth of information from the likes of comScore, Nielsen, Pew Internet and Simmons about what different demographic and psychographic groups are doing online.

Things like gender, age, family size, profession and household income can have a dramatic impact on how many of your customers are online, what they are doing (researching products and services, shopping, looking for jobs, looking for coupons, socializing, etc.) and what types of media they prefer to consume (written, video, audio, photo).

Oh, and as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, the internet is all about rapid change, so be sure to confirm or adjust your learnings regularly (at least once / year).

Mistake 2: No knowing what your customers want from your brand

What are there biggest problems / questions / needs? How can you best meet them? Do they want information? Entertainment? Access? Deals?

Don’t assume you know. Ask.

Already have a Facebook fan page or Twitter account? Poll your fans and followers. Have an email database? Survey them.

Don’t worry that you are “bothering” them. If you are truly interested in providing more value, your customers and prospects will appreciate it. (Of course, depending on how much info you are asking for, a little incentive for responding can’t hurt!)

The proliferation of – and hype around – cheap and easy online marketing tools creates an almost irresistible urge for companies to “just do it”. And I certainly advocate for a “ready-fire-aim” approach in many cases. But it’s worth first knowing where the target is.

The PR industry has changed rapidly in the past 10 years. On one hand, technology has made our lives easier by providing us with instant access to information and new forms of communication. On the other hand, it makes your head spin.

On any given day, I’m monitoring several print pubs, and dozens of websites and blogs. I’m answering two phones and a Skype line, texting, writing blog posts, checking two email accounts, responding to instant messages, following LinkedIn group strings, and Tweeting and Facebooking from several accounts. This doesn’t even account for all the client calls and team meetings, and all the work that has to get done.

So, how do you avoid the drinking-from-a-fire-hose mentality and leave at the end of the day feeling as though you have been productive, efficient and effective?

For me, there have been two key behavioral/thought process changes that have helped curtail the madness (which I secretly adore, by the way).

The first is all about focus. Shut it down, turn it off, ignore it, and focus on the task at hand. My colleague, Julie Sellew, said it best in a recent post about monotasking. I highly recommend that you refer back to her piece, but in short, it’s about not trying to be everything to everyone, all of the time.

I’ve always taken great pride in my ability to multitask. I’m certain that the word “multitasking” was in the resume that helped me get this job … and every gig before it. Staying cool under pressure is one thing, but finishing the projects you start can be extremely challenging when information is coming at you from every direction. Focus on one project and complete it before you let something else grab your attention. It sounds easy enough, right?

I’ve also changed the way that I think about every task at hand. One of the biggest challenges PR pros have now is that with all these new communication channels comes the need to communicate through them on a regular basis. We’re writing press releases, pitches, blog posts, newsletters, Web and brochure copy, speaker abstracts, articles, and anything else that a client might need.

The key is to avoid reinventing the wheel every time you need to come with that new content. Think of blog posts as pitch topics, and use excerpts of bylined articles as newsletter articles. It’s about cross-utilizing some or all of the content that we create and ensuring that we make the most of the insights that our clients share with us. So, rather than thinking of every task or assignment as a siloed project, I try to think, “What else can I do with this?”

All of this is about working smarter. It can be tough to slow down and think about what you are doing and how you are doing it when the pace quickens, but in the end, it can save you a lot of time – and make life a little easier.

Now, about that email …

Is someone doing PR for PR? This week, Advertising Age reported that the public relations industry fared well compared with other industries in a national survey gauging opinion of the professions. AdAge said, “In a Gallop poll this month that asked adults whether their overall view of various sectors is negative or positive, the ‘advertising and public relations industry’ fared better than those other businesses. One-third of respondents voiced a positive view of the advertising/pr industry (6 percent ‘very’, 27 percent ‘somewhat.’)”

To that we say, bravo! It appears that we as an industry are not only positively managing our client’s reputations, but also our own. Sometimes it’s difficult to hold our heads up high in the face of those who see us as no more than corporate shills or, even worse, one of the “friends of the Kardashians.” But every day we see evidence of the positive impact PR can have on a company’s sales and profile. CEO and WSJ blogger Jennifer Walzer, who formally voiced her opinion of not seeing the need for a PR firm, just today announced that she has changed her mind and even went as far as hiring a firm for her business. Heck, even the great state of Arizona realizes PR could help improve its image.

We hope this upward trend for our industry continues!

How often have you heard something along the lines of “We’ll have to get PR to create a story around this.”? This line of thinking doesn’t sit well with me. (And don’t even get me started on “spin” – ugh.)

Is PR about story-telling? Absolutely.

But it is NOT about making stories up. It is about finding (really good) stories that exist within a company and sharing them in ways that are compelling and valuable to the readers (and yes, to the company, too!). I call it story mining. Like a diamond in the rough, the stories are already there, but they need to be searched out, dug up and cleaned off a bit.

This process can START with what the company sells (be it a hard good, services or content), but should also include things like causes, points of view, advice, personalities and more.

Often the best stories are hidden gems that people don’t necessarily think of as being part of the PR program, so you have to dig a little deeper than you may be used to. (OK, I’ll drop the whole mining analogy now…) Here are a few of the best ways I’ve found to do this.

Find out what stories the people that matter most to you want to hear!

Conduct an audit of customers, partners, the media, etc. Ask for input via your Facebook fan page. Conduct an online survey to your prospect list. While this step often feels intrusive, my experience is that, generally, people at a minimum don’t mind helping out and often are thrilled that you are taking such an interest in what matters to them

Conduct internal Q & A sessions

Select a group of the smartest / longest standing / most interesting / most controversial people within the company and conduct one-on-one interviews using a prepared (but not rigid) set of questions, almost as if you were interviewing the person as a member of the media would. (NOTE: this is not the same as media training, since the focus is on getting at great content, not honing interview techniques)

Participate in more discussions and meetings

OK, full disclosure, I think most meetings are crap (more on that in future posts). BUT they are also a / the primary means of communicating vital information within a company. Too often, if drafting a press release isn’t the next step coming out of a meeting, PR is not at the table. And there are TONS of missed PR opportunities because of this. For example, rather than relying on the biz dev folks to identify when a potentially interesting industry trend story pops up during a partner meeting, PR should strive to be involved in the meeting itself

Each of these techniques needs honing, based on every organization’s unique dynamics. And yes, some will be a waste of time. But the potential payoff from telling real, valuable stories that engage your stakeholders is huge. (I’m sure Woodward and Bernstein “wasted” a lot of time, too!)

What other techniques do you use to find great stories to tell?

Three years and three months ago, my father died. My dad was a wonderful man who could wax philosophical and dream big ideas, but who found deep and lasting joy in his practical, everyday life. On this past father’s day, while giving due attention to my loving husband and the father of our three children, I took time to consider all the gifts my father gave me – some intentionally, others by example.

One of those many gifts was a kernel of wisdom that’s been relevant to life in general, my days at work, and my career in PR specifically. I remember I was in high school and made some smart-ass remark about “the way things are” – in that “I know everything” voice which sixteen year olds wield with such mastery. My dad looked at me, the way only he could (nobody has ever silenced me faster, with only a look, than my father) – and he said very quietly: “Patty, one thing I’ve noticed in this world is that it’s terribly easy to be cynical.”

Now, the thing about my dad was that he typically just doled out an unfinished nugget of wisdom, and left you to figure out the rest of it. Maybe it was his training as a college professor – some leftover, distant relation to the Socratic Method he favored – or perhaps it was simply his trust in the intellectual rigor of his offspring, but he never felt it necessary to connect all the dots for me. Either way, his simple sentence fundamentally shifted something in me; made me pause to consider that cynicism may make you sound smart, worldly and sophisticated – but (and here’s the half that I figured out for myself…) it usually isn’t the best way to find a resolution to a problem, or to gain real intelligence, or to live a productive life.

It is easy to be cynical. There’s a lot of crazy in this world, and it’s much easier – and sometimes more fun – to sit back and find something snarky to say than to dig in with purpose and passion, and try to make it a better, less crazy place. But the truth is, if everybody is sitting back and being cynical, nobody is getting anything done.

And that’s especially true when you work in PR. As good PR professionals, it’s absolutely necessary and healthy to ask questions, to poke holes, and to be investigative, curious and sometimes even skeptical about claims that our clients’ products, services and people are the (insert superlative here) in the market. And after almost 20 years in the profession, believe me when I say that I’ve heard a few things (think Internet bubble) that would justify a cynical attitude about “breakthrough technology” or “extraordinary value.”

But the fact is that finding our clients’ right, good and true stories also requires us to remain above cynicism, to have a positive and productive perspective on asking questions, and to maintain a certain sense of wonder for the ingenuity that creates products and services that people and businesses need. And I think one of the many joys of our profession is finding that true and good story, and telling it to the world: ultimately helping people who are looking for a solution to find it – helping our clients articulate exactly the right message for their audience.

Thanks, Dad. In the most important ways, you’re still with me, every day.

Last week I accompanied a client at the MIT CIO Symposium event in Cambridge, MA. The event drew more than 800 participants from the high-tech industry as well as 50 relevant journalists. Everyone who has attended these types of events in the past understands that it can be difficult to schedule face time because participants have their own agenda. Luckily with some persistence, the client was able to meet with a handful of key journalists that can really make a difference with upcoming product launches and overall company exposure.

Why I am sharing this? Because I’d almost forgotten how important real conversations, in real time, in real rooms, can be. I was reminded that nothing can take the place of  face-to-face meetings.  With all of today’s methods of communicating (email, facebook, twitter, etc.), in-person meetings are the key ingredient in establishing relationships and an essential part of being productive. Since we’re all distracted by emails, texting and tweeting, sitting down with new and old faces, in my opinion, is more important now than ever before in this tech-driven society.  To have my client meet with the writers who cover their industry and to have the journalists understand my client’s business model is essential to their PR program. It was also so refreshing as a PR person to sit in a room and actually listen -no typing, no reading, no tweeting. 

After spending the entire day with my client, I too had a deeper sense of who they were, how they operate and who they are as individuals -  all of which will make me more productive in working on their PR campaign and a key  component in building a long-term relationship. Time well spent.

(And for readers wondering if any media opportunities were secured during these meetings, the answer is yes. All five meetings will be result in some ink).

Had a wonderful time reading this in-depth piece on Gawker’s automotive site, Jalopnik.

http://jalopnik.com/5531311/the-real-history-of-john-dillinger-and-henry-ford

Not only is this a fantastic story told quite well, its one of those excellent reminders that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In this case, PR guys at one of America’s fastest growing companies are working hard to publicize a dynamite user endorsement. The fact that its 1934 and the endorsement is from the world’s best known criminal shouldn’t really come as much of a shock. Neither should the fact that PR pros still desperately look for that impact user reference whether its coming from a small business owner or a notorious bank robber (though I’m thinking the seal of approval from a modern day bank robber, say Bernie Madoff, wouldn’t move a lot of product right now.)

I love the scenario: Henry Ford receives a note from Dillinger that’s pure gold. Its not a particularly well-written note and its an insult to a huge portion of the Ford customer base, but still…celebrity endorsement! So the PR pros take over, “smooth out” some of the language (or in this case forge an entirely new document) and start spreading the word. Hey – is it really any different than repackaging a really great, but hastily-typed message board post for a press release? Sometimes you need to iron out the rough patches! Besides, nobody likes sounding foolish in print — I’m sure Dillinger appreciated the spelling corrections!

Now that I’ve got my tongue fully entrenched in my cheek, I can say that I do appreciate that we’re not quite so easily sold on the celebrity endorsement in the PR world. Then, as now, companies are presented with opportunities to appropriate the image and attitude of someone they think matches their own. And in the advertising world, this generally works wonders (except of course when it doesn’t — am I right Tiger?)

But in PR, particularly in high-tech, its the average consumer that’s awarded celebrity status. While I certainly wouldn’t mind finding out that Tom Brady is a regular user of a client’s products, it’s often more critical to me that the guy next door, a representative of the REAL consumer base, sing its praises. It may not have sizzle or an air of cool edginess, but its real, its honest and it doesn’t require FBI fingerprinting.

It usually goes one of two ways…

The room is full, comfortable folks milling about, armed with cocktails and smiles, exchanging business cards, swapping stories. But you’re not feeling it. You’d like nothing more than to shy away, go home and hide out in your PJs.

Or:

There’s energy in the air – you hear it in the rise and fall of voices and feel it in every handshake. You hit the crowd, a mingling machine! The only problem is that your purse isn’t big enough to hold the pile of business cards you collected from all the wonderful people you met.

As PR professionals we all know that whether nerve-wracking or delightful, networking events are important to attend as face to face interactions are often invaluable. Networking events give us a chance to step away from the computer and have real conversations where we’ll learn something new, hear a great story, or maybe identify a new business prospect. Recently, here at Matter, we had a professional development session where we discussed ideas on how to approach networking opportunities and how to make the best of them.  It was a great reminder of what PR is all about…building meaningful relationships. With that in mind, it’s hard waiting for the next networking event!

Here are a few tips that I found most useful.

1)      Have a plan: You’ll make the best use of your time if you have a goal in mind, and it will help you feel less nervous, if you are so inclined. Do a little research beforehand; find out who is planning to attend and think about who you’d like to meet and why. That way you won’t be left roaming around trying to think of ways to break into a group or start a conversation.

2)      Do be curious: Shyness is easy to overcome when you are genuinely (and that’s the most important part!) interested in people. To break the ice, encourage others to talk about themselves. Listen, and be sure to ask open ended questions that inspire conversation.

3)      But don’t be too aggressive: While exchanging business cards is appropriate, carrying a fistful of promotional material is not. Always start with casual conversation before broaching the subject of business.

Do you have any networking tips to share? Please comment with your ideas!

As PR pros we are always careful how we speak to reporters, clients, even our mothers. We choose our words carefully, making sure to provide the most factual yet vivacious descriptions possible. Of course there is a fine line between “emphasis” and “exaggeration,” and it’s a line that exists for photojournalists just as it does for us PR folk.  We can all remember varying cases where edited images have appeared in the media, but one recent occurrence has caused me to question where exactly the line falls for photojournalists.

A recent post on the Toronto Star’s website lays out the situation best, but the short version is an amateur photographer captured an incredible image of the Icelandic volcano in its smoke billowing glory, a truly amazing picture. A local reporter got hold of the picture and before issuing the image to a wire service, he used a technique called tone mapping to boost the contrast in the image, the result being some color shifting and increased color saturation in the image.  In its tweaked state, the image was distributed over the wire, only to be followed by a heavy typeset ADVISORY, which provided the newly discovered original image and an apology for the misleading photo.

As you can see above, the tweaked version looks different than what the photographer originally saw, but we’re not talking about a John Kerry-Jane Fonda composite job or Great Whites chasing helicopters here.  My question is, does this type of tone mapping constitute deception, or did the Icelandic editor simply take a lot of creative license with his visual representation of the scene?

From my own experience tone mapping images, I immediately recognize the technique (especially when keen-eyed photo editors point it out first). So I know that the scene is accurate, but I just can’t trust the colors I’m seeing here. I think it’s this basic understanding of the technique that makes the situation less troublesome to me, but I can see why folks were upset and felt misled, a little.

So, where do you fall along the continuum of this debate? Is it outright fraud or just a troublesome product of modern technology?

By the way, if you live in Iceland, I wouldn’t eat anything grown on that farm for a little while!

Oh, the great flood of 2010. Friends and family from around the country reached out asking if we needed help, if we were evacuating. Over at my house, we didn’t get a drip of water in the basement. At my grandparents’ house it was another story. They live in a raised ranch in Warwick, Rhode Island – just 20 minutes away from me and their first floor was destroyed when the Pawtuxet River flooded and sent more than four feet of water in their house. Once the water receded my family spent the weekend trying to recover whatever personal property we could. It didn’t amount to much but I spent hours taking soaked photos from frames and albums hoping to save them; including a picture of my gramma as a baby.

So what’s this have to do with PR? Well, I found myself thinking about all the photos and memorabilia I have at home, mainly from my college and high school days, that sit in albums and boxes completely vulnerable to Mother Nature’s whim. I really need to digitize and back those memories up….and write a pitch about that.

When I came back to work on Monday after the cleanup, I typed up a quick pitch and shared with my team who reminded me that while I was ready to jump on this opportunity, perhaps I should consider that folks are still recovering and I should be more sensitive. People lost their homes and possessions, roads were destroyed. So I thought on it a bit and decided that while backing up your photos and videos may not be the most important take away from the disaster, it’s important nonetheless and people will want to know about services available to them. (I hope to see that translate into some great coverage very soon.) Days later, my sister, who recently transplanted herself to Southern California, found herself running for a doorway during her first earthquake. That pitch is getting a lot of mileage lately…

Experiences in times of disaster vary from person-to-person and as long as the pitch is written with respect and in the proper context, it’s not only appropriate but it’s out of obligation to our clients that we get the information out there in a timely fashion.

So what do you think? Is there ever an appropriate time or way to “capitalize” on natural disaster? I’d love to hear your stories!