Tag Archives: social media

How Content Distribution Drives Message Discovery (and Results!)

Posted on March 26, 2013 by | 2 Comments

Like any business, sometimes our own story needs telling.  Earlier this year, we decided that we needed to do some PR for our MultiVu business, which focuses on the production and distribution of multimedia content.   It’s cutting edge stuff, with some truly unique aspects, and it sits right between PR and marketing, and we needed to offer some explanation and raise awareness of these services.

So what did we do?  We did the same thing any of you, our customers, would do.   First, our team brainstormed the messaging.  They outlined the key points we needed to convey from a brand standpoint, and then approached the messaging from the opposite context – the questions our audience often asks has about producing video and other multimedia content, and the various struggles that can complicate these projects.

“The hardest thing to do is to distill what you do into a short-form, engaging video,” noted Bev Yehuda, vice president of web engagement products for MultiVu.  “We had to apply what we tell our clients all the  time regarding developing a video: if you don’t take the time out during the process to determine what your elevator pitch is, you run the risk of creating irrelevant content.”

With the messaging drafted, it was time to determine the medium.   Since this was about MultiVu, we knew we needed to use multimedia messaging.   We wanted to show our expertise (and our personality!) in a fun and friendly way, so we went with an animated approach.

Upping exposure with distribution

Once our animated video was done, we packaged it into a multimedia news release (“MNR”,) which combines a variety of distribution strategies and channels.

mv mnr explainer

Here’s a snapshot of the MNR we created to promote the MultiVu video. Click on the image to see the whole thing.

 

Of course, we could have simply shared the video socially – and we did post it directly to a number of social sharing sites – but the distribution component that is built into an MNR is crucial, for a number of different reasons:

  • Distribution drives discovery, delivering content to relevant audiences across the web – on channels, via news web sites and in industry niches.
  • Discovery seeds social conversation, amplifying your message, and increasing exposure to relevant groups.
  • Social conversations deliver third party credibility that can spur people to take action.
  • Distribution increases the number of digital touch points for your brand, and if your audience values the content, it will gain visibility in search results.  Search engines are informed by user activity and interactions around a piece of content.

How Content Distribution Drives Social Interaction

Prior to the release of the MNR, we shared the video itself on PR Newswire’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages. More than 1,400 of our Facebook fans saw the video, and it was liked by 6 and shared by 3.   It fared better on LinkedIn, where it was seen by 1,983 people, generated 30 click-throughs and 8 shares.  Decent exposure for the two minutes (if that) required to share the video with PR Newswire followers.

mv distribution effect on social

However, if you need proof of how distribution drives social interaction with content, you needn’t look any further than the sharing numbers the MNR generated.  Readers of the MNR shared it with their Facebook friends 196 times (as of this writing.)

Distributed content reaches qualified, interested audiences.  And social shares have a strong viral effect, triggering more shares.

Overall Multimedia News Release Results

The social sharing was just one aspect of the visibility the MNR generated for MultiVu.  Over all, adding distribution paid off for this project, tallying thousands of reads of the press release — and tens of thousands of video views.

mv explainer Multimedia News Release Results

It’s very satisfying for us to put on a “customer” hat and use our own services to promote our messages, and witness first-hand how our networks deliver lasting results and visibility.  And based upon the results of this campaign, you can look for more from these animated characters created by MultiVu – several more videos are in the works!

Want to explore creating your own “explainer” video or learning about how multimedia distribution can increase discovery of your brand’s messages?  We’d love to hear your ideas, and help turn them into reality. Contact us for more information.

sarah avatarAuthor Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media, and is the author of the e-book “Unlocking Social Media for PR.”  Follow her on Twitter at @sarahskerik .

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Not Yesterday’s News: Social Media in the Newsroom

Posted on March 21, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Would you like to know what’s happening around the world, in real-time? Search Twitter for “WTF was that,” says Andy Carvin, senior strategist at NPR’s Social Media Desk. It’s a common question people will tweet in the event of an earthquake, for example.

Andy Carvin (NPR), Ayman Mohyeldin (NBC News), Meredith Artley (CNN Digital) and Jim Frederick (Time International)

Andy Carvin (NPR), Ayman Mohyeldin (NBC News), Meredith Artley (CNN Digital) and Jim Frederick (Time International)

Carvin was on a panel at SXSW which discussed how media organizations are approaching news gathering in a real-time world. Others on the panel included Jim Frederick, Editor, Time International, Meredith Artley, Managing Editor, CNN Digital, and Ayman Mohyeldin, foreign correspondent for NBC News based in Egypt.

Of course you’ll get lots of tweets and lots of twitterers during a natural disaster, but that’s where traditional journalism tactics come into play. Carvin figures out who his trusted sources are and puts them into a Twitter list (brilliant!), then proceeds to collect information and verify. “You end up using a lot more sources,” he said, “and you have to figure out which characters work best in that moment.”

One problem brought up by Frederick which is prevalent during major news events like Hurricane Sandy is all the misinformation and outright lies that can go viral via social media. Think of the fake photos that were being tweeted and posted during Sandy, like sharks swimming in the flooded streets of Manhattan.

Mohyeldin offered that the public has a certain responsibility along with the media, especially when they have the power to instantly feed bad information to hundreds or thousands of people via Twitter and other social networks. “You have choice as a user to decide what you trust and you should be responsible in reposting things.”

And what of the responsibility of governments and others that hold great power in controlling how information gets shared?

“The first couple of days of the Egyptian Revolution cell phone connection was cut off by the government,” said Mohyeldin. But governments have become wise to the power of social media and are now using it to communicate with the masses, and surely to ‘listen.’ “You wonder how the regimes 2.0 will use these tools.”

But back to news organizations, what are the social media tools they see making a splash in how news is reported in the future?

Carvin gave a brilliant answer to this question. “Whatever gives critical mass the opportunity to have a voice.” How true. A tool can only be powerful when it empowers the people. And that’s where the stories come from.

And what about money? “Can news organizations monetize social media?” asked Frederick.

Artley said this is a subject that is frequently brought up. “Social media attracts new audiences and that is value. Also, clients and advertisers want to do business with companies that are doing things in the social space.”

Carvin added that rank and file journalists now have to think about the money side of journalism more and more. They use their personal brands to promote their work and the organizations they work for. They drive traffic.

Does this mean news organizations have a claim on a journalist’s personal social media accounts?

“That was a conversation that happened years ago when Twitter was new,” said Carvin. A personal Twitter account has the value to the brand of helping to drive traffic, but it still belongs to the individual journalist. “Authenticity [offered by personal brands] can pay off dividends.”

“We have a vibrant social media team that projects an experience, what it’s like to be a reporter,” said Mohyeldin. “That is translated into viewership.”

But social media has also given new power to the audience. They have greater awareness and expectations.

“Social has broken new grounds, we now can be exposed if we’re not covering events, conflicts around the world,” said Mohyeldin.

But the most interesting change social media has caused in the newsroom is in how they start their day. They listen to the audience.

“When we meet in the morning, we talk about what people are talking about in social and what is trending,” said Artley. “We also find stories that way which are unique and we wouldn’t have heard about in another way.”

This of course leads us back to how the panel started, with Carvin speaking of using social to learn what is happening in real-time during a major news event. Social as a listening tool seems to have the greatest impact of all for the media.

What impact has social media had on how you do your job?

Victoria Harres is Director of Audience Development at PR Newswire, the main voice behind @PRNewswire, social media lead for @Business4Better and a frequent speaker and writer on social media for business. 

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Content We Love: Travelocity’s Photo Adventure

Posted on March 15, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLove

There is something special about traveling. New places. New food. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that impact you. For me, the beauty is having a camera strapped and ready in my hand. Vacations require photos!

Travelocity’s New Brand Campaign Urges Consumers To ‘Go & Smell the Roses’

When I saw Travelocity’s new campaign, I was instantly wanting to book a vacation.  On the release, Travelocity takes its iconic Roaming Gnome to great heights by having an adventure and capturing it! Laid before my eyes were beautiful images of foreign lands to go hand-in-hand with the message.

#GoSmellTheRoses

cwl gnome

n his latest ad campaign the Travelocity Roaming Gnome is dropped into a scene from the world famous running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. (PRNewsFoto/Travelocity)

Within this release, the different adventures, travels, and trips are not only outlined with an enthused tone throughout, but showcase the travel options with unique photos and a video.

  • Would you buy a house without first seeing it?
  • Would you book a vacation without first scoping out the area?

Images are important!

So what does this mean for press releases?

When telling your story (via a press release), it is imperative to show your audience the full story so they can understand. And given the point that “pictures are worth 1,000 words,” adding images and video will instantly attract viewers.  We are visual people in a visual world.

The icing of the touring cake is the hashtag #GoSmellTheRoses which transports the campaign to social media channels. Not only can you view the video on the release, but you can also see the YouTube channel which hosts a video of the Roaming Gnome in each destination mentioned!

Including your content on multiple channels (and connecting them) presents your message on a wider platform. This introduces your message to an ever bigger audience. It is like learning a greeting in a new language.

Guten Tag, Social Media!

Thank you to Travelocity for taking us places with your multimedia adventures!

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/travelocitys-new-brand-campaign-urges-consumers-to-go–smell-the-roses-196688271.html

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson.

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Content We Love: Social@Ogilvy’s #SocialMediaWin

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLoveImagine an event full of people. Our modern world has supplied social media in their hands and each individual has a story to tell. Now harness that visually– each person is firing photos via social media and all using one unified hashtag to make it searchable…

#DOAUSTIN

Social Media + Press releases!

When I read the headline from Social@Ogilvy, I was instantly stopped in my tracks.  Social@Ogilvy and Chute: Capture, Create and Share with #DOAustin

Not only will social media be utilized at the interactive festival in ATX, but Social@Ogilvy prepared a release to showcase their efforts AND
shared the components!

If your company is using social media for events, for communicating, for interacting, include it in your press releases! It invites your readers to join in the conversations already happening, the pictures already being posted, and the networks already being used!

  • Why include social media?

Social Media is your online community, your networking neighbors.  In short, it is the audience for the message! Social@Ogilvy is taking its instagram interaction and letting it grow into an even bigger movement. The release included not only was the #hashtag, but ways to connect with the company itself through different social channels. (Remember, the bigger the audience, the wider the potential impact!)

What is a #hashtag?

A hashtag is a word or phrase that is searchable on the social media platform. Visible are the “trending topics” of what is being discussed and relevant content pertaining to specific interests can also be found on these channels. In Social@Ogilvy’s case, #DOAUSTIN will be searchable through Instagram and will be streaming the images live throughout the event.

Now that is cool!

So if social media is the audience for your message and your message is searchable (so interested parties can find it)… that is a #SocialMediaWin!

A hearty thanks to Social@Ogilvy for the #SocialMediaWin and the great release!

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/socialogilvy-and-chute-capture-create-and-share-with-doaustin-196083961.html

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson.

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Media News & Moves for March

Posted on March 5, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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MEDIAware, PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department newsletter, features recent media news and job changes in the industry. Here is a sampling of this month’s edition:

Over the past few years Newsweek Global (https://twitter.com/Newsweek) has endured several foundational changes including a 50/50 partnership with The Daily Beast in 2008 and the groundbreaking announcement of plans to go digital late last year. With a new year and a new digital Newsweek and Daily Beast on the horizon Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown (https://twitter.com/TheTinaBeast) unveiled a new name — NewsBeast.

Beginning in March, readers will notice one notable Editor missing from the Vogue (https://twitter.com/voguemagazine) masthead. Managing Editor Laurie Jones announced that February 28th would be her last day with the mag. Before beginning her iconic tenure with Vogue, Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour was hired by Laurie Jones at New York Magazine. Later Wintour brought Jones over to Vogue where she would become Managing Editor.

The International Herald Tribune, the New York Times Company’s 125-year-old Paris-based newspaper is getting a name change. This Fall the paper will be known as The International New York Times. In addition, the brand change will combine forces between the New York Times website and the Tribune’s to create one international news site for the rest of the world outside of New York, You can check out the newspaper here: http://global.nytimes.com and https://twitter.com/iht.

Global pharmaceutical company SCRIP Intelligence (http://www.scripintelligence.com) names Brett Chase US Companies Editor. Chase was previously Deputy Managing Editor for Crain’s Chicago Business, Deputy Business Editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, health industry team Assignment Editor for Bloomberg News and Milwaukee Bureau Chief of the American Banker in Chicago. Contact Brett on Twitter at https://twitter.com/brettchase

A rash of television station re-designs have occurred this past month with three in the South being updated. WTVC-TV in Chattanooga, WXIA-TV in Atlanta and duopoly WDRB-TV/WMYO-TV in Louisville have all recently undergone renovations. WTVC-TV in TN now features a high definition set with LED color changing lights, large back-lit graphics and a 1×4 strip of monitors in the Weather Center With a rear projection screen.NBC affiliate WXIA now includes a new Gannett graphics package. Also, the set has color changing, frosted plexiglas and flat screen monitors including a large freestanding 3′ by 4′ monitor array. While construction on the set of the Louisville stations has just begun, it is scheduled to be expanded by 11,000 sq. ft. The existing facility dates back to 1980 and is too small for the station, which has grown considerably in that time.

Being a field reporter has its dangers. Just ask News 14 Carolina Reporter Caroline Vandergriff. Vandergriff was struck by a car while reporting on a story about severe weather in the area. While reporting from a major intersection in Charlotte where the traffic lights were out due to the storm, two cars collided after one lost control and struck Vandergriff. She was immediately taken via ambulance to the local hospital where she ended up staying for a week. She is back at work now.

Entertainment Weekly announced two veteran Contributors would bid farewell to the Time Inc. magazine. Senior Writer and Film Critic Lisa Schwarzbaum was the first to accept a buyout package earlier this month. Shortly after TV Critic Ken Tucker followed suit. Tucker was a member of the founding staff of the magazine in 1989. According to Adweek, the buyouts are a result of a 6% overall cutback set in place by publisher Time Inc.

WSB-TV in Atlanta is just one of the many companies in Georgia donating to the relief of tornado victims.After a tornado struck down in Bartow and Gordon counties, the ABC affiliate donated $50,000 to the Red Cross to help victims of the tornado, which spawned winds of more than 135mph. The epi-center of the storm was in Adairsville, Ga., where three fatalities were reported.

WKYT-TV in Lexington is adding another newscast to its line-up. The CBS affiliate will now air news 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. This makes two early afternoon newscasts in the market with WLEX-TV of NBC being the other. WKYT-TV’s news will be anchored  by DeAnn Stephens. She was re-hired specifically for the show. She can be emailed at deann.stephens@wkyt.com. Stephens also can be heard on WBUL-FM in the morning. A pioneer in Carolinas television passed away last month.

Reporter Jane Harrington-Smith passed away at the age of 62 from heart failure. Harrington made history as the first black female Reporter/Anchor at Winston-Salem, N.C. station WXII-TV in the turbulent 70s. She also hosted a weekly program called “Shades of Ebony.” She worked there for six years before moving to Indiana. She worked at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, covering such big stories as the Mike Tyson rape trial in 1992. Harrington was a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville and a member of the Black Professional Journalists Association.

Last month, Reporter Ann Mercogliano (http://twitter.com/AnnMercogliano) departed WCBS and sister station WLNY-TV. This month she join joins WPIX-TV (http://pix11.com/) as a freelancer. She will be reporting both mornings and evenings when needed.

Ken Tonning, the President and General Manager at Tampa’s WTSP-TV announced he will retire in July. Before joining the station in 2008, Tonning worked for stations including KUSA-TV in Denver and WXIA-TV in Atlanta where he was the Sales Manager. Beginning his career in 1974, he was credited for altering traditional journalism and pushing the envelope of newscast reporting. http://www.wfla.com/story/21058646/gm-of-st-pete-tv-station-to-retire-in-july

In a strange twist, Orlando’s WKMG-TV hires the son of an Anchor at a competing news station. Justin Warmoth joined WKMG as a News Reporter with the blessing of his father Greg Warmoth who is the Anchor for Orlando’s WFTV-TV. Surely journalism runs in the genes of this family. http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2013/02/wkmg-hires-son-of-wftv-anchor-greg-warmoth.html

The Web Producer at WFOR-TV, Dave Game has passed away. Dave was only 57 and leaves a long legacy in the industry. Game, a veteran journalist, came to WFOR in 1985 where he served as a General Assignment Reporter, Investigative Producer and Reporter. He is accredited with creating one of the first broadcasting websites in South Florida for WFOR. http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/02/06/longtime-cbs-miami-web-producer-dave-game-dies-at-57/

WTVT-TV Channel 13’s Andy Johnson has left the Fox TV station after over three decades with the company. Johnson joined the station in 1979. A native of Tampa as well, the low key retired Meteorologist has not spoken on his plans hereafter. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/content/wtvt-ch-13-forecaster-andy-johnson-leaves-air-today-after-33-years-marking-low-profile-depar

Journalist Mike Guy (http://twitter.com/MrMikeGuy) has stepped down as Editor-in-Chief of The Fix.com. He still regularly contributes to Playboy Magazine and Wenner Medias Men’s Journal. He will also continue to be the Editor-in-Chief of Hopper.com. Thrillist (http://twitter.com/Thrillist)features off-the-beaten-path activities, restaurants and products found around the world. The website is easily accessed by each city; a total of 21 are featured, including New York, London and Miami. The site managers are looking to add more cities to explore in the near future.

London’s Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk) is opening a new Washington, D.C. office and it will be headed by David Martosko (http://www.twitter.com/EditMeDavid). Martosko was the Executive Editor at The Daily Caller. Martosko’s new title will be U.S. Political Editor.

You can view the whole March issue of MEDIAware here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/%20

And all of the Regional Updates here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/March2013UpdatesByRegion.html

You can also follow all of the latest media moves and news from PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PRNmedia

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Blog Notes: Life in LA, Fuel, Marketing & Food Trucks

Posted on March 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

roundup5Blog Notes is a weekly helping of blogs recently reviewed on PR Newswire for Bloggers. Would you like your blog reviewed? Tweet PR Newswire media relations manager Christine Cube at @PRN4Bloggers.

The Daily Truffle is a Los Angeles social diary and has been called “the most knowledgeable blog about life in L.A.,” by the Hollywood Reporter. The site receives more than 100,000 unique visitors monthly and features more than 20 contributors. “The Daily Truffle is known to be the first port of call for anything trending or about to trend in the L.A. tastemaker circuit,” the blog says. The blog speaks frankly about its status: ”The site has no office, no phone number, and doesn’t take meetings. Intel is submitted through upwards of 100 friends of the Truffle, loosely known as “Truffle Hunters.” Read the full review from PR Newswire for Bloggers here.

Fuels America is an initiative to demonstrate the value in having renewable fuel in the fuel supply. According to its blog, renewable fuel is “more important than ever – driving economic growth in communities that need it, improving our nation’s energy security and attracting millions in new technology dollars to invest in America’s future.” Put simply, this blog talks about the benefits of consumers pumping renewable fuel into their cars — it saves money, saves the country money, creates jobs, and protects the environment. Read the full review here.

Danny Brown is a blog geared toward social media marketing. It’s written by Brown, chief technologist with ArCompany and an award-winning marketer and blogger. “This blog talks about everything from social media, PR and marketing to making the most of the various online tools and communities,” the blog says. “It’s aimed at everyone.” Brown continues: ”The blog also looks at how you can combine marketing, PR, customer service and more with social media, and begin to change the way you and your clients or company does business. It offers suggestions, solutions and idea starters for you to take away and use for your own needs.” Read the full review here.

There’s a movement underway in the food industry. We’re talking actual movement here. Food trucks are all the rage in cities across the country. And Mobile Cuisine delivers “every must-read street food, food truck, food cart and food stand story bubbling up across the web.” Today on Mobile Cuisine, you can read about writing a food truck business plan, 5 Street Food Styles Any Food Truck Can Add to Their Menu, and Vote for the 2013 Food Truck Taco of the Year. There’s even an interactive map where you can search street food carts in your area. There also are resources and articles on how to make food trucks safer and more sustainable. Read the full review here.

Christine Cube is a media relations manager with PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her @cpcube.

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Life at the Intersection of Search and Social

Posted on March 2, 2013 by | Leave a comment

When it comes to Twitter, engagement is key, says Peter Greenberger, Twitter’s director of sales in Washington, DC.

“Followers is somewhat of a vanity metric,” Greenberger said Wednesday, during a Social Media Week panel on Life at the Intersection of Search and Social in Washington. “You are who you follow and you are who you tweet.”

For brands, the vehicle for Twitter engagement is simple. Case in point: 50 percent of this year’s Superbowl ads had hashtags, he said.

Greenberger was joined by a couple heavy hitters from the search and social industries – Trevor Madigan, formerly of Facebook and founder of The Vision Lab, and Tripp Donnelly, founder and CEO of RepEquity.

The group discussed how social media is changing search and what this means for one’s social presence.

“Google has always been – at its essence – a social network,” Donnelly said. “We as humans trust what’s on Google Page 1 to the tune of 90 percent. What’s in your social profile? It’s something we need to consider.”

Greenberger agreed, admitting he recently searched for himself on two platforms – Google and Bing. He added that taking care of one’s social profile is critical when people are trying to find you or your company.

“Think like a search engine,” Donnelly said. “You dominate most of your page; people will land on a property that’s controlled by you. That’s important from a marketing side and for reputational reasons as well.”

The future of search and social looks like this: A real-time aspect, especially with regard to Twitter, geocentric and with more customization and relevancy, said Greenberger.

“We’re probably going to see the 50 pages and millions of [search] results going away,” Madigan said, adding that Facebook and your social network likely will come into play, advising and impacting your decisions. “It’ll be more simple.”

Christine Cube is a media relations manager with PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her @cpcube or see what she’s up to @PRN4Bloggers.

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Tips for Surviving & Thriving at SXSW Interactive 2013

Posted on February 28, 2013 by | 3 Comments

sxswiMy colleagues and I are counting the days until we (and tens of thousands of others) descend upon Austin, Texas.   South By Southwest is just around the corner, and while the music and film festivals will make the headlines, for techies and marketers, Interactive is where the real action is at.

Every year at SXSW, I regret my inability to instantly clone myself.  There’s so much to do, see and attend that one can’t possibly do it all.  Over the years, my colleagues and I have devised strategies to get the most out of our time in Austin.  Here’s a collection of our pro tips for wringing every ounce of awesomeness out of SXSWi!

Sessions & networking

Everyone talks about the parties, but for me, the sessions and the networking are why I go to SXSW.  It’s important to plan your schedule, paying attention to session locations.  While Austin’s downtown is compact and walkable,  there isn’t enough time between sessions to make it from the convention center  to an outlying hotel.  My advice – pick a venue for the day and stick to it.

Indisputable proof of the value of analog content at SXSW. Sarah Skerik & Nettie Reynolds take shelter in this picture by Victoria Harres.

Indisputable proof of the value of analog content at SXSW. Sarah Skerik & Nettie Reynolds take shelter in this picture by Victoria Harres.

“Pick two things a day,” says Shelli Whitehurst, CEO of Melbourne, Australia based digital agency Code Name Max.  “Stick to a stream, and be ready for magic to happen.”

That said, flexibility is also important – because SXSW is the land of serendipity.   Some of the most interesting and valuable sessions I’ve attended were happy accidents.  If the session you planned to attend is full, turn on your heel and march into the next session happen across, even if you think it will be of little interest to you.  I bet you’ll be surprised.

“The biggest value of SXSW is the critical mass of smart people,” notes Tom Miale, CEO of the start-up Funnlr. “Because of that mass, it’s also daunting for first timers. Plan ahead to try to meet those twitter followers or virtual friends that you’ve cultivated, but also be flexible and be able to “go with the flow”. If you have a bit of spontaneity and a good attitude, you’ll end up having some great conversations.”

One of the best sessions I attended last year was about the impact of gamer culture. I’m not a gamer. At all. But wow did I learn a lot at this session. Be open minded!

“Make good use of the scheduler ahead of time to create an overstuffed schedule for yourself that you do not have to adhere to,” suggests Vicky Harres, PR Newswire’s director of audience development.  “And keep it real. You’re not going to make it to every fabulous presentation you want to hear. There’s just too much. So mark the ‘absolute gotta see’ and then stay open to opportunities to connect with people and perhaps see a panel on something totally off-topic for you that may end up inspiring some creativity.”

Getting around Austin 4sq

One thing that’s worked well for me and some of my colleagues over the years is driving in from our out-lying hotels, rather than relying upon the notoriously slow-to-appear and often overcrowded SXSW shuttles.  We park in a ramp a few blocks from the action, and are able to come and go as we please.   And doing so allows us to follow the advice of Austin local (and good buddy) Nettie Reynolds, a former journalist and now principal of the custom content house Nettie Ink,  reminds us to get away from the downtown crush and see more of Austin.

“All the east side places rock! Don’t leave them out,” she says. “And the best place in the South for coffee and music is Strange Brew.”

During the conference, despite your best efforts, you will need to travel between venues, and time might be tight.  Happily, Austin offers a unique solution that doesn’t involve you sprinting 10 blocks to your next session.

” Use the pedal cabs. Best way to get around,” notes Tony Uphoff, CEO of Business.com.  “Set your meetings up at Starbucks for easy spotting. Stay away from the vacant lot parties. Don’t fight the chaos. SXSW shouldn’t work but it does. Just go with it.”

Creature comfort & connectivity

“Keep your mobile phone charger with you at all times and a Morphie, PowerStick, or other on-the-go-charger so that you don’t lose access to location based mobile and social media apps,” insists Jenny DeVaughn, Sr. Director, Employment Branding and Social Media at Randstad Sourceright. “Some of the events aren’t announced until last minute and you don’t want to miss out!”

Other things you’ll need at SXSW:

  • Comfortable shoes.  Several pairs.  You’ll be logging miles and miles on your feet, and the days (and nights!) are long.
  • A water bottle.  Staying hydrated is really important!
  • Mints. You’ll be in close quarters.
  • Portable snacks (e.g. granola bars).  Skipping lunch is easy, as you dart from session to session, having great conversations along the way.  Keep the wheels from falling off your wagon by carrying a little pick-me-up in your bag.
  • Business cards, a note pad, and pens.  Even though SXSW is the ultimate digital experience, when you’ve sucked the last of the juice from your array of devices, you won’t be totally dead in the water.  You can still scrawl notes (or your next blog post) on your note pad. And business cards are important too.   Order the cool “Met you at SXSW” freebies from Moo.com (at this point you’ll pay a rush printing charge, but you can pick them up in Austin.  Cool!)

More tips!

In this post, 19 Tips for Getting the Most out of SXSW, we offer some more practical advice for SXSW.  We also love this deck from Dave Delaney of Delaney Digital Marketing Consulting, which echoes our own advice, and adds even more tips:

Are you going to SXSWi?  Tweet me at @sarahskerik and we’ll meet up in person.  And therein is my last pro tip.  SXSW is a great place to meet people you’ve known digitally but have never met in person.  Don’t forget to immerse yourself in the human side of the event!

sarah avatarAuthor Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media, and is the author of the e-book “Unlocking Social Media for PR.”  Follow her on Twitter at @sarahskerik.

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What the Pew Social Media Usage Report Reveals to Communicators

Posted on February 22, 2013 by | 2 Comments

Last week the Pew Internet & American Life Project released its report on social media users for 2012.   The report’s findings detail the social media behaviors of different demographic groups, and provide some important guidance for communicators.

Here are some of the key take-aways for PR and marketing pros:

  • Align content (and calls to action) with your target demographics.  The Pew report reveals some strong differences in social media platform preferences between gender and ethnic groups.   If your brand has a narrow focus, such as a product specifically for African-American women, you’ll want to be sure that your brand has included a well-developed Instagram channel and Twitter presence.  Why?  According to Pew, Instagram users skew toward young adults, African-Americans and urban residents.  Twitter users show similar demographic characteristics.    However, if you want to reach women more broadly, you’ll need to throw Pinterest into the mix, to pick up its white female user population, and Facebook, which is used by women of all races.
  • Visuals, visuals, visuals.  Pinterest and Twitter are neck and neck in terms of user numbers, and Twitter has been around a lot longer.   The near-vertical arc of Pinterest’s growth tells me two things.  First, brands need to be on Pinterest.  Second, visuals need to be the cornerstone of communications, not an accessory.    While the popularity image-centric networks like Pinterest and Instagram is undeniable, it’s also important to note that Twitter and Facebook (Instagram’s parent) have made significant improvements on the display of multimedia content within their primary user experiences.
  • Social media is here to stay.   More than any strong differences in behavior among groups, the Pew report paints a picture of the ubiquity of social media.   Whether you live in an urban or rural setting, whether you have a high school diploma or an advanced degree – you’re almost equally likely to be using a social platform.   The usage statistics are all within a few percentage points of each other, and across the board, usage percentages all exceed 65%.   The one significant difference in user group behavior is age-related.  Younger people are significantly more likely to be using social media than their elders.

Here’s a link to the full Pew State of Social Media Users – 2012 report.  It’s succinct and does a great job of summarizing the data, and is well worth a read.

Once you’ve identified key demographics, your next step is to identify influentials among the group.  Here are some ideas for finding and building relationships with the connected insiders who are so important to successful brands today.

sarah avatarAuthor Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media, and is the author of the e-book “Unlocking Social Media for PR.”  Follow her on Twitter at @sarahskerik.

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Proactive PR: Don’t Let Your Brand Get Hacked!

Posted on February 19, 2013 by | 3 Comments

This week’s hacks of of the Burger King and Jeep Twitter accounts should make PR pros everywhere sweat a little bit.  The good news is that securing your brand’s social presences (and, for that matter your own) isn’t difficult.  And simply put, leaving your brand’s social media accounts vulnerable to hacking is not just poor practice, but it’s inviting unnecessary risk.

The most common passwords in use.  These are also the  very WORST passwords you could use on email and social media accounts.

Sometimes, the best PR strategy is preventing the bad stuff from happening, and practicing good account security definitely falls within that realm.  And by the way – the practices we advocate here for brand passwords also apply to your personal accounts, as well.   Here are some tried and true best practices for securing your social media accounts:

  1.  Don’t use the same password across all accounts.  Doing so may be convenient, but it compounds risk – hackers can exploit multiple accounts once they gain entry to one.  Pro tip: Create a good “base” password and then add a unique extension for each account.
  2. Change passwords frequently – at least once a quarter.
  3. Rigorously avoid using simplistic passwords, such as “password” and “123456.”  Instead, use multi-word clusters or phrases that include using a mix of capitalized letters, numerals and symbols.    Bad grammar makes for better passwords, too.

In addition to ensuring your accounts have strong passwords, it’s also important to remind your teams to be extra careful when it comes to clicking on links shared in emails, blog comments and on social networks.    If it’s too good to be true, don’t click.   No one’s giving away iPads or $1,000 shopping sprees via random messages.   Even if a message comes from a person you trust, you still need to be careful .  Their account could have been compromised, and the links they appear to have sent you could be a trap.

Changing passwords and then reauthorizing all of your computers, apps and mobile devices may be a nuisance, but I’d wager it’s far less aggravating than watching the social media presence you’ve worked so hard to build for your brand fall into the hands of a hacker.

Additional reading:  Password security advice from Microsoft

Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.

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