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.

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 …

Strategy in three bullets:

- Treating stakeholders as one group
- Push the “web-savvy” ones to your website
- Have a “really cool” site all about you

2005 – “Check out our really awesome website!”

Strategy in three bullets:

- Treat stakeholders as one group
- Push and pull them all (everyone is web-savvy now, no?) to your website
- Have a “really, really cool” site mostly about you and a little about them

2010 – “How can I help you?”

Strategy in three bullets:

- Treat stakeholders as individuals
- People (not your website) become the focal point of your online engagement efforts
- Reach a lot of people one-at-a-time by being where they are, giving them what they want, how and when they want it

Soooo…what’s next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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!

Clients call on us to help them do something. Maybe they want media coverage to raise awareness, or to help position them a certain way to a certain audience. Maybe they want awards or speaking opportunities to help differentiate and elevate them in a crowded market. Maybe they want assistance navigating the waters of social media to help them manage their reputation and connect more meaningfully with customers, press and other key constituents. Some of our clients invest in PR because they need help establishing who they are to investors or to make them appealing enough to get acquired. Whatever the reason our clients enlist our services, they’re doing so because they want a partner that will work with them, counsel them and help them do something that will translate into leads, sales or other tangible business results.

In PR, it’s all too rare that the PR team gets to see or hear about those tangible results. It happens, just not as often as we all would like. So when a client is profiled in PR Week for having a creative, successful PR campaign, is quoted saying things like “the campaign was successful beyond our wildest dreams,” and then goes on to detail the web traffic and impact on sales our collective efforts have yielded, it’s incredibly gratifying. Reading the story, we have two things to celebrate: the praise for a campaign we’re proud to be a part of, and the actual results being reported in the first place. Because this is why we do what we do – to help our clients uncover leads, drive sales, grow, establish themselves, leap ahead of their competition. Our objective is not just to execute PR for PR’s sake, but to actually deliver PR support that matters to their business.

It’s nice when things come together.

I’m not writing to condemn the industry’s practices, nor to call the Wall Street Journal irresponsible.  The industry is not out to do anyone harm, and I imagine it’s hard to draw eyeballs to the Wall Street Journal in August.  The story is engaging, and it is better that the general public be aware of these issues.

Not only does the story make sense, but we knew it was coming.  About two years ago the PR team conducted a media training session with ThatCo and we set aside a significant amount of time to cover this issue.  They had the messages – fact-based, reasonable, clear and easy to deliver.  I can say them to myself now.  We also covered when to use them.  This is apparently where the breakdown occurred.

ThatCo’s executive provided the “golden quote” – the one that instantly put miles of distance between a cool, collected executive and an enraged public.  The former client’s words were the first quote in the first story of the series.  Even the industry blogs that have since come out in defense of the client have repeated this quote.  I believe I’ve heard these words come from this client before, verbatim.  I don’t doubt for a second he said them. It’s the context, however, that makes me imagine a giddy reporter (and a reporter not prone to giddiness) stifling a squeal to avoid tipping off the unaware interview subject.

Someone missed a sign.  They followed a path that seemingly led to a glowing review of their mastery in creating value for customers, and forgot to deliver the messages that connect that value to responsible use of their powerful product.

I understand I risk sounding like a spurned partner in saying that if the company still had a PR firm, the spokesperson may have had a briefing sheet in hand that told him this reporter had previously won a Pulitzer for exposing corporate misdeeds.  He might have read the recent article in which that reporter covered a company that knowingly withheld information from customers.  He might have had someone on the line that cued him to step back and provide appropriate context for the reporter’s audience.

That’s water under the bridge, and it doesn’t help the ThatCo now.  But there is a learning opportunity to be had from this experience.  Below are 10 steps companies can take to help them avoid being ThatCo. The one that industry colleagues now look at with equal measures of shame, pity and accusation.  The one that has to explain to family and friends how he isn’t in an evil line of work.  The one that might get the cold shoulder from partners and clients “until this whole thing cools off.”

Before the interview:

1)      Know who you’re talking to. Look up their previous stories. Read their bio. At the very least, if the reporter tells you he or she need to conduct the interview in the next five minutes or the world will end, Google him or her while you’re talking.

2)      Get the context.  If you are discussing something controversial or easily misunderstood, ask the reporter what section the story will run in and who the audience is.  If they say they don’t know, assume it will be the audience least likely to understand.

During the interview:

3)      Hear yourself talk.  Understand how each soundbyte will sound in public.

4)      Ask questions.  Who else is the reporter talking to?  What do they think of the industry? What else are they covering?  Two minutes of seemingly idle chit chat can provide a world of information.

Before the story runs:

5)      Don’t be afraid to follow up.  If you feel you missed the opportunity to strike the right balance, send a note with more information.

After the story runs:

6)      Know how this affects your business.  Do the people who pay your bills already understand this issue?  Are they exposed along with you?  Do you need to defend yourself or take the fall in order to keep business running smoothly?

7)      Deliver the untold story in public.  ThatCo has responded in a blog, but missed the source of the real concern, and further, has yet to deliver the messages that connect value to customers with responsible use of the product.  To its credit, it stepped in the line of fire and offered to respond to any concerned parties.  It would have been better if that response was also public.

8)      Tell the truth, quickly.  This axiom of crisis communications applies to PR crises as well.  Don’t play the victim or pull back from the media or the false perception will sink in further. Use your newfound (if unwelcome) attention to fill the information gap.

9)      Understand this is now public record.  Expect the questions to come up again.  Have your answers on hand.

10)   Sympathize with the outrage. In this case, the company already had ways to accommodate anyone who didn’t approve of the standard industry practices.  They made these accommodations widely available, but until the series ran, most people didn’t take advantage of them.  If your company is not as prepared to respond to an angry audience, open your communications channels.  The only way to battle distrust is with honesty.

My friend, the ex-client, said grimly, ThatCo “finally got its Wall Street Journal story.” It turns out ThatCo got half of its story in the Wall Street Journal.  By demanding — and providing — transparency, it might not happen to you.

Gibbons and his fellow programmer colleagues, frustrated and disillusioned with TPS Reports and the corporate world in general, smash an error-ridden printer to smithereens with a baseball bat. Slater reportedly grabbed two beers, then deployed the airline’s emergency slide and made a dramatic exit on the tarmac.

On Wednesday, a post appeared on the JetBlue’s blog, Blue Tales, titled: “Sometimes the weird news is about us…”

Acknowledging that the company could not comment because the matter was still being investigated and they respected Slater’s privacy, the post closed with the following: “While this episode may feed your inner Office Space, we just want to take this space to recognize our 2,300 fantastic, awesome and professional Inflight Crewmembers for delivering the JetBlue Experience you’ve come to expect of us.”

It was well-handled, with a tone that seemed to acknowledge the inner Peter Gibbons in many workers out there while making a strong statement in support of its airline flight crews  (something many had questioned in the wake of Slater being suspended).

Three points stand out to me:

• In this case, less was more for JetBlue. They could have said more, but I feel like this would have ruined it;
• Conversational and authentic is nearly always the best tone of voice in a company blog post acknowledging negative publicity;
• Instead of regurgitating company mission statements, the post used words like “weird,” and “awesome.” Simple and plainspoken, consistent with the JetBlue’s brand image.

What are your thoughts about the way JetBlue handled this controversy?

Now, I suppose that this shouldn’t really be shocking. But when you’re bombarded daily with news of folding newspapers or budget-cuts at magazines, it’s difficult to remain upbeat about the future of traditional media. Stop for a minute and think about it though – would you knowingly cut out 1/5 of your audience before you even started trying to get a message out? And what about clients whose primary targets include older-generation consumers who might not spend much time reading or put much value in online media?

I know we all go after the Wall Street Journals and Good Housekeepings… but next time you’re thinking of only pitching print with that top-tier circulation number, make sure you remember the 1/5 that still enjoys reading a daily local paper or niche magazine. Understandably, the outlet depends on the message, and for many of our clients the best strategy is both print and online… just don’t forget that well-rounded perspective on your target audience.

Scott’s an avid sailor – next time you visit our Newburyport offices, be sure to check out the gorgeous photo of the Skylge, a classic schooner, by famed photographer (and part of Matter client Lexar’s team) Onne van de Wal– and the steady hand and cool head that has served him so well in that sport has been invaluable to guiding Matter through economic turbulence and smooth waters alike.  He sets the standard for the agency, uniting disparate individuals in a company culture that encourages a winning combination of fresh ideas, diligent research and dogged determination to achieve business-driving results for our clients.  Public relations is by nature a stressful field, but by providing a secure home base, Scott and his executive team at Matter have created a team-oriented environment that provides employees and clients alike with a sense of reassurance, of knowing that each of us has the resources we need to produce extraordinary work.

In addition to leading the Matter team from a business perspective, Scott has led by example in his work with community causes. He’s provided employees with the opportunity to put our PR skills to work for non- and not-for-profit causes including Camp Sunshine (Casco, ME) and the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center (Newburyport, MA).

Hats off to Scott for the well-deserved kudos!

Perhaps it’s fitting I first learned about this newly released research during one of my handful of social media perusals throughout the day. Case and point? Well, maybe not. I don’t track my time online to the minute, but I honestly don’t think the time I spend on social media surpasses the time I spend on email. Not yet at least. I do, however, find myself spending more and more time on Facebook and Twitter, both for personal and professional reasons. For example, I often find Twitter to be the most useful tool for keeping up to speed on what my top media targets are writing about and to interact with them in a casual, non-intrusive way.

Taking into consideration Nielsen’s findings (and that I sometimes notice the reported trends in my own behavior), what does the uptick in online time spent on social media sites mean for our clients? Is it realistic to think PR professionals should be connecting with reporters more often on Twitter? Should we be making sure your clients’ messages are heard loud and clear on Facebook? Or maybe we should make like Old Spice and better utilize online video as a PR tool. After all, as Big Mouth Media pointed out, U.S. Internet users streamed an average of 3.25 hours of online content in June. What do you think?

Numbers and statistics, of course, can sometimes be interpreted in different ways and should not be solely relied on. Rather, PR professionals can use research findings, like this recent set from Nielsen, to help make well-informed, guided decisions when it comes to our own use of social media and steering our clients in the social media direction that makes the most sense for their businesses.