Positive Ways to Contribute to the World of Social Media

Do you ever log on to your company's Facebook or Twitter and think to yourself, “Hmmm what should I post today?!”  It happens to the best of us.  Yes, even us social media experts find ourselves drawing the occasional blank.  We can refer to it as a “posting block” as opposed to “writer’s block.”  Call it what you will, but drawing a blank is natural especially when we are surrounded by so much content.  It can get hard to decipher what is good material to post on your business social media sites and what is not.  Here are a few suggestions on positive ways to contribute to the world of social media:

(1)  Provide good content: Here at All Points PR we cannot stress the importance of good content enough.  Give your “friends” and “followers” something to talk about at the water cooler the next day.  Make them feel like the authority on a groundbreaking topic and they are your “friend” or “follower” for life.  This does require you to do a little digging when it comes to finding great articles and topics to post, but the payoff is well worth the effort.        

(2)  Active use: The best way to utilize social media is to use it as often as possible.  No, this doesn’t mean you should bombard people with constant posts, but it does mean that you should feel free to share as much as you want.  The more relevant things you post, the more content you are providing, which can help people become interested in you and your business. 

(3)  Share what you find: Share things that you have recently discovered.  You never know, one of your friends or followers may repost your findings and link it straight back to you.

(4)  Feedback: Provide thoughtful comments on posts that are related to your career or business.  Taking an interest in others can become important for generating more business. 

(5)  Build relationships: The goal of social media is to build and maintain relationships with others and this is especially true when it comes to promoting your business.  Leveraging with others is a great way to network. 

            Is your franchise company interested in knowing more about the world of social media? All Points Public Relations, a Chicago-based PR firm focused on working with franchise companies, is experienced in planning, executing and driving powerful results with strategic public relations and social media tactics. 

Using Facebook to Brand your Business

These days we are almost all a part of the social media revolution sweeping the world. No matter who you are, where you are or what you do, almost everyone is connected to one another in some way by social media. This makes social media use a must for business owners. Whether you own a franchise, small business or a powerhouse corporation, harnessing the power of social media gives you the power to make your company or brand even stronger and who doesn’t want that? Facebook is an essential tool that can help you brand your business. 

The first thing you should do is set up a fan page for your business. Some businesses just create a personal profile for their business, but really that’s not what Facebook intended personal pages for. Personal pages should be all about you and not so much about your business (of course you should mention your business on your personal page). Your personal page should link to your fan page though, and the fan page should be all about your business. 

Your fan page should feature plenty of content that will keep your Facebook friends interested. Now this is where branding comes into play on your Facebook. When you are creating your page make sure the content of your page reflects your brand. Perhaps your company’s logo would make a great profile picture, but maybe a professional picture of your staff is better for your office’s vibe. Think about what accurately depicts your business. Keeping things looking cohesive is key. You wouldn’t want your Facebook page looking nothing like your marketing materials. 

Posting is key on Facebook and most social media sites for that matter. What you post speaks volumes about you and your company, so post wisely. Become the voice of authority on your business and inform people about who you are, what you do and be “The Source” on finding new content related to your company. People will add you and keep coming back to your site if you are posting things that they enjoy and find relevant. 

Facebook, and really social media for that matter, is a great tool to help show people what your business is all about. If you want more tips on how to make Facebook a part of your business, contact us.

Facebook: A Decline in Popularity?

When Facebook first came onto the scene, it was the “in” thing for college kids.  It was of course, meant to be used by college students as a way to keep up with classmates.  Over time it has transitioned to one of the most popular social networking sites utilized by way more people than just college students.  In fact nowadays it is common to see people ages 40+ creating pages, staying connected to friends and family. 

Typing in phrases like “Facebook’s popularity declining” or “Facebook’s growth rate” brings you to a plethora of articles about the current state of Facebook.  For the last few years, a multitude of sources have doomed the site claiming it was just a phase (despite how popular it had become) and other social media sites would eventually over throw its popularity- a very similar scenario to what occurred with Myspace.  We’ll revisit that shortly!  So the real question is, is Facebook’s popularity truly in decline? 

Various ratings have concluded that while Facebook is still being utilized, new accounts are being made less frequently, however people are actually spending an extra 15 minutes logged on.  So what does this really tell us?  Not much, especially since other blogs, articles and supposed “social media experts” have claimed that not only are new accounts way down, but people are opting to delete their sites.  On the other hand, some bloggers/experts claim that Facebook is still on top and will only continue rising from here.   The verdict just isn’t quite out yet.

New sites continually crop up and offer users a variety of options as far as capabilities and overall content.  The new sites attract users and users place old sites on the backburner.  Perhaps (here’s where we revisit Myspace) that is what happened with Myspace.  Facebook gave users something new to talk about, so users talked.  Users logged on and use grew, while Myspace accumulated dust.  With the emergence of new sites, this could quite possibly happen to Facebook.  Many people never thought they’d see the day Myspace became extinct, but for the most part, it has. 

There’s always going to be a new kid on the block, so to say.  There will always be new sites offering new features that will sweep onto the scene.  That doesn’t necessarily mean Facebook is terminal.  So long as it can offer users what they want (new features) then there is nothing set in stone saying Facebook’s day is done.  The best thing to do with Facebook or any social media sites is take full advantage of what they offer.  Create groups, build ads, expand on a client base, make that invite, and comment on people’s updates.  Failing to use a site because you’re afraid of its demise just doesn’t cut it—Experts will tell you.  Keep using sites until you feel they don’t work for you or your business at all anymore.  Don’t live in fear of the end of Facebook, use what it can provide today. 

Ask us our thoughts and opinions.  We have plenty of both!  At All Points PR we firmly stand behind social media and what social media’s capabilities for our clients.  

Writing the Perfect Press Release

One of the most important parts of any PR effort is the press release. The press release alerts various media outlets of your company, product or event. The impact a good release can have is major, especially if the release is well-written. Do you want your press release to have a major impact? Try utilizing the following tips.

The headline should grab the attention of the reader- Your press release headline should capture a reader’s attention just like a catchy newspaper headline. The more creative and interesting the headline, the more likely the reader is to read it.

The lead sentence should be concise and answer the 5 W’s- A press release’s lead paragraph needs to sum up all the main points of the story as clearly as possible. The lead sentence should entice the reader and give them all the main information they need to know about the event or story. It should answer the 5 W’s: who, what, where, when and why.

Always abide by proper release format- Following proper format increases the chance that your press release gets read by newspaper reporters and editors. Proper format includes using white paper, black ink, double-spacing, and readable font (preferably Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman). Place the phrase “For Immediate Release” at the top of the page and three number signs at the end of the release signifying the end.

Get the facts straight- There is nothing worse than a release with the wrong information. Make sure to double-check your facts before sending a press release out to publications and the public.

Newsworthy- Want journalists to pick up your story? Then you have to think and write like a journalist. The less altering a journalist needs to do to your release, the better the chance you have at getting your release published.

Include quotes in your release for added credibility- Quotes, such as evidence or statistics from experts, gives stories credibility. Quotes from people directly connected to the story also help support a press release.

Keep it short and sweet- No need to get long-winded with your release, just keep it short and sweet. If you have good writing organizational skills, keeping it short should be easy. Journalists are more likely to read press releases that get straight to the point. Aim to make press releases 300 to 500 words.

Conduct follow-up calls- Conduct a series of follow-up calls to ensure your release has fallen into the right hands. Make sure the journalist you are calling has seen or read your release and be quick to jump in with facts if they have not read your press release or do not remember it. The goal is to keep them interested in your release and make sure you have new facts to provide.

For more tips and tricks on writing catchy press releases, contact us over at All Points PR.

Social Media Crisis? Here's how to handle one

Social media and the accompanying social media marketing that has followed have changed the nature of the crises faced by brands. Beyond the event-based crises which we typically think of, such as a product recall, brands also face far more informational crises. These involve misinformation or negative perceptions spreading about a brand, undermining its value. Social media increase the frequency of this type of crisis, and the speed with which it breaks.

As a brand guardian, you’ve probably set up your listening post to monitor the discussion about your brand, products and industry. You are measuring the impact of the positive message you are communicating. Then boom – out of left field comes a major issue. But when a crisis breaks, what next?

It’s all about PEACE.

Preparation – the best crisis management happens before the issue breaks – knowing what might occur, preventing it if possible, determining the response process and materials. If you haven’t had a chance to do this, move it up the priority list.

Evaluation – establish the facts. Your response needs to be commensurate with the potential impact of the issue. Within a social media landscape, there are plenty of tools to evaluate the impact of negative messages. An inappropriate response can eclipse the crisis itself, so use data, not emotion, to gauge the reaction.

Action – the context should help you decide the action plan. From a communications perspective, this includes decisions about the spokesperson, the content of the response and the channel. Consider whether parties outside the organization can respond on your behalf – that will be more credible.

Control – keep the crisis comms team small, and make sure everyone knows only that team is to comment on the topic to anyone outside the organization. The more people involved, the greater the chance the message gets confused.

Execution – react quickly. You have less time than you think. Delay may compound the problem since it makes it look like you don’t care. Post a holding comment if the issue will take time to research.

Now that we’ve determined that a response is appropriate from the organization, what do we actually say? This can be the hardest part. To answer that question, give All Points PR a call.

Social Media Marketing

Social Media Crisis Communications

Crisis Communications