Ever wonder what PR metrics really mean?

Gone are the days when the success of PR is measured only by outputs: number of articles published about our company; number of people who were reached by the publications, TV programs and radio shows we appeared in; etc. The problem with these metrics is, we’re never really sure exactly how many people we’ve reached and, more importantly, what effect such exposure has had on consumer behavior.

Even Advertising Value Equivalency or AVE (the cost of editorial coverage if you were to pay for it as advertising space) is far from an accurate measure of exactly what results our PR efforts bring. The only thing you find out with this metric is, you probably spent way less for that exposure through PR than if you had paid for it in advertising.

Pretty impressive, but the next question is, so what?

The integration of social media with traditional media in PR has made measurement much easier. We can now trace exactly how many people clicked on a particular link and, upon getting to our landing page, how many took the action we wanted — whether it’s signing up for an email list or placing an order.

Yet social media measurements aren’t perfect, either. We still can’t capture “more favorable attitudes” or “increased awareness” towards our product or service, for example. That’s because knowledge, awareness, and attitudes don’t always translate into behaviors we can observe and measure objectively.

Given that there is yet no perfect way to measure the impact and effectiveness of PR, we can’t lose sight of the fact that we can at least make PR measurement more meaningful.

That is, we can measure and track those metrics that help us get to know our prospects and customers better, determine what works and what doesn’t, and have a reliable basis to make future PR, marketing and business decisions.

Our Approach to Measuring PR

In my own experience with clients at Cross Border Communication, the key is first understanding the business outcomes you need to produce. Pick that outcome apart into its underlying components.

This exercise can turn something as intangible as “building awareness” into a concrete objective with observable benchmarks, such as increase in social discussions, improvement of search engine ranking, number of downloads of a white paper, proliferation in the use of our hash tag, etc.

Therefore, metrics are meaningful because they support our PR/marketing and business goals. It becomes clear why we’re measuring something, and what the metrics mean in relation to the results or outcomes (vs outputs) we want to accomplish.

Developing some discipline around measuring the metrics that describe our benchmarks and tracking the data over time can give us powerful insights and market intelligence we can use to improve future campaigns. Company executives can also better understand and appreciate the results PR has generated.

How Do You Measure PR?

What have you been doing to measure the effectiveness and success of you company’s PR? How do you feel about the metrics you currently track?

I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below. You can also send me a message via Twitter, or post a comment on our Facebook page.

photo credit: aussiegall

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Now that PR is increasingly becoming “social,” it’s more important than ever to deliver your PR message with the help of images.

Visuals play an essential role in PR storytelling. They can bring your product or brand to life in a way that words, even when crafted by the most talented writer, can never accomplish.

Visuals are immediately comprehensible. You can impart a message with an image much faster than with words.

Images can also transcend language. Think of how the image of a mother cradling her baby evokes similar feelings in different cultures.

With social media as one of your PR tools, it has also become much easier to create, use, and distribute images.

Consider the following visual tools in your PR work:

Photos

Photos are still a great standby. They’re inexpensive to produce and easy to disseminate. For photos of products and special events, invest in a good photographer. It will pay off for years to come.

However, don’t underestimate your and your employees’ ability to create their own photos. Sometimes, an excellent photo opportunity comes up when your official photographer isn’t around. Whip out your smart phone or, if you have the time, your digital camera. A photo that’s relevant is more valuable than one that was shot by a professional.

You can also purchase stock photos from iStock, or use Creative Commons pictures from various sources, including Flickr. Make sure to read the fine print on the commercial use of these images and provide attribution, when it’s required.

Slideshows

Business presentations are another source of visuals that can be used for PR. Consider using online slideshow sharing platforms like Slideshare. Aside from hosting your slideshows, Slideshare lets you and other users embed your slideshows in your blog, website or company Intranet, and share it on social networks.

Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of data, statistics or information. These tend to go viral fast, because they’re visually attractive and compelling. Of course, the topic needs to be one of interest.

Infographics require a considerable investment in research: gathering data, synthesizing them, and choosing which ones to include in the final graphic.

You’ll also need to hire a good artist, one who can capture the essence of the data in visual terms and at the same time stay true to your branding. This article has excellent tips on what makes a good infographic, while this has an excellent list of sites for visual inspiration.

Videos

Videos can be a powerful way to tell your story. Imagine, not only will your audience see what your product looks like. They can watch it in action and see users interact with it. It’s an easy way for your prospects to visualize themselves in the story. Video is the best way to “paint a picture” of your product/service’s benefits.

However, video can also be difficult to produce well. You’ll need the right equipment, people who know how to produce and disseminate videos, and of course, the proper set up to shoot.

That said, audiences nowadays don’t demand broadcast-quality videos as they used to. With the popularity of YouTube, audiences have become accustomed to home-video quality. In fact, amateur videos created by your customers themselves are more powerful testimonials than a sleek video you produce. Watch this if you need more convincing about the power of video.

Jay Baer, author of “The Now Revolution,” says in this video that businesses are now only scratching the surface when it comes to using multimedia for marketing and PR.

If you’re already using social media and content marketing in your PR, think of how you can better leverage the power of visuals — photos, slideshows, infographics and videos — in your overall strategy.

Ideas?

Did reading this post give you ideas for using visuals in your PR? If you’ve been using visuals, what results have you gotten so far? How can you scale up your results?

Post your thoughts in the comments below.

photo credit: JD | Photography

PS: If you want to know more about how to use video to promote your business, I highly recommend Lewis Howes and James Wedmore’s Video Traffic Academy. (Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Lewis Howes and will earn a commission if you purchase through this link. However, I only ever recommend programs I believe in. That said, you should still do your due diligence before buying anything.)

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In this post, you’ll find an excerpt of the fourth and final installment of PR Newswire’s ebook, “Unlocking Social Media for PR.” In case you missed them, you’ll find the earlier parts below:

Part 1: Wetting Your Feet in the Pool of Social Media

Part 2: The Evolved Practice of Journalism and Earned Media Landscape

Part 3: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora & ProfNet Connect: A Deeper Dive

In this part of the book, you will read about Maria Perez’s experience in tweeting as a brand. Author Sarah Skerik then summarizes her top tips for using key social media platforms:  Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You’ll definitely find a few gems you can implement right away.

Here is the table of contents for Part 4 of “Unlocking Social Media for PR”:

Riding the Social Media Journey

The final part (part four) in this eBook series takes a closer look at the social media journey of Maria Perez in her role as the voice of @ProfNet, Maria shares her experiences and lessons learned as she carefully built a brand on Twitter – and mastered the difference between professional and personal tweeting. The eBook concludes with the author’s, Sarah Skerik’s, thoughtful recap and key takeaways from her ongoing journey through social media.

Chapter 11

10 Tips for Tweeting as a Brand……………………………………………………………………………. 4

Closing

Lessons Learned from My Social Network Journey – So Far……………………………. 7

Click here to sign up for this final part of “Unlocking Social Media for PR” — it’s free!

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It’s time for Part 3 of PR Newswire’s ebook, “Unlocking Social Media for PR.”

Here are the links to the previous parts of this series:

Part 1:  Wetting Your Feet in the Pool of Social Media

Part 2:  The Evolved Practice of Journalism and Earned Media Landscape

In Part 3, author Sarah Skerik dives into strategies for using specific social networks for PR: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora, and discussion groups and forums. These chapters contain the nuts-and-bolts of the ebook.

Here’s the table of contents from Part 3 of “Unlocking Social Media for PR”:

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora & ProfNet Connect: A deeper dive

Part three (of four) in this eBook series delves a bit deeper into specific social networks and the different approaches necessary for each. Learn how to cultivate and interact with an audience on Facebook, craft an effective tweet and maximize exposure on Twitter, establish company pages and uncover opportunities on LinkedIn and how to strategically involve yourself in the savvy discussions on Quora and other forums.

Chapter 6
Using Facebook for Public Relations …………………………………………………………………….. 4

Chapter 7
Using Twitter for Public Relations………………………………………………………………………… 9

Chapter 8
Using LinkedIn for Public Relations ………………………………………………………………………. 15

Chapter 9
Using Quora for Public Relations.…………………………………………………………………………. 19

Chapter 10
Discussion Groups and Forums: Virtual Focus Groups for  Wired Communicators ………………………………….. 22

Sign up for Part 3 of “Unlocking Social Media for PR” here.

Next Tuesday, December 27, we’ll take a peek into the fourth and last part of the series. See you then!

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Today we continue our series on “Unlocking Social Media for PR,” an ebook by PR Newswire.

If you missed the first part of the series, click here to read an excerpt from the ebook: the Introduction and table of contents of the ebook’s first part, “Wetting Your Feet in the Pool of Social Media.”

The second part of the ebook is entitled, “The Evolved Practice of Journalism and Earned Media Landscape.” In this installment, you’ll gain insight on how journalists use social media. You’ll also learn about “evolved media,” and why all businesses should strive for that ideal combination.

Below is the table of contents from Part 2 of the ebook:

The evolved practice of journalism and earned media landscape

Part two (of four) in this eBook series explores how social media has trans- formed the face of journalism – from the way information is distributed, shared and consumed to how journalists and bloggers now interact with pr profes- sionals. Gain insight to the growing opportunities to capture earned media in the evolved landscape where paid, owned and earned media are more tightly integrated than ever before.

Chapter 4

How Journalists and Bloggers Use Social Media – and the Opportunities for PR ……… 4

Chapter 5

Earned Media:  When 2+2=7 …………………………………………………………………… 9

Click here to access the rest of “Unlocking Social Media for PR.”

Check back on Thursday, December 22, for an excerpt of part 3 of this ebook, entitled “Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora & ProfNet Connect: A deeper dive.”

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PR Newswire recently released an ebook, “Unlocking Social Media for PR,” which I highly recommend you download, read, study, and implement.

Written for PR professionals who want to better understand and make the most of social media and how social media has impacted PR, it’s also useful for DIY business owners.

Below, you’ll find an excerpt from Part 1 of the ebook. To access the entire document, click here and register.

Introduction

by Jason Keller, Senior Vice President, Products, PR Newswire

So social media is changing the art and science of public relations so fast your head is spinning. It all may be second nature to kids with freshly minted degrees and new agency or corporate jobs. But if you’re a PR professional just a few years older than that, you may be dizzy.

Luckily, this is the eBook for you.

In an inviting and accessible style, author Sarah Skerik illuminates social media’s plentiful impact on PR. She provides insights you can use right away concerning what social media has changed, what’s not changed and how you can use the new social layer to make your PR better – all leveraged from Sarah’s unique vantage point. Sarah is Vice President of Social Media for PR Newswire, and she gets firsthand insight into the social media best practices of PR Newswire’s voluminous global customer base even as she manages our own social media presence. And that customer base is telling us that you simply cannot escape the influence of social media in modern public relations – and, in fact, it’s leading to entirely new kinds of workflows for the PR industry.

We’re opening up a new discussion forum for this eBook on our ProfNet Connect expert community. At the end of each chapter, you’ll find a linked button that will enable you to join the conversation and agree, disagree or expand upon the thoughts you find herein.

PART 1
Wetting your feet in the pool of social media

Part one (of four) in this eBook series guides you as you’re getting your feet wet in the pool of social media. Based on your brand’s or organization’s goals, needs, interests and resources, these initial chapters will help you determine how many networks are suitable and which are most appropriate to communicate with your audiences. You will also read about the experiences and challenges of various PR professionals that are in the process of incorporating social media into their daily workflow and embracing their changing role in public relations.

Chapter 1
PR and Social Media: A Simple Guide to Getting It by Doing It ………………………. 4

Chapter 2
Selecting Social Networks: How Many Are Enough? …………………………………………. 10

Chapter 3
Integrating Social Media into the Daily Practice of PR……………………………………… 14

Click here to download the rest of the documents (requires opt in) and receive more PR tips and advice from PRNewswire.

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With US Thanksgiving having just passed and Christmas around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I have to be grateful for. And when I think about all the things that I’ve been blessed to have (the best of which is my wonderful family), I feel quite happy with my life.

This is probably one of the reasons that I was drawn to Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project. I’m not sure about you, but being happy is something that I continually work at to achieve. I find that happiness is the ultimate paradox: it can be found in the simplest things, but at the same time it can be incredibly hard to find.

In her book, Rubin tests out different happiness theories to see which ones really work and which don’t. It is definitely an amazing read. Rubin has even created a fantastic website that helps you discover your own happiness project and ways to implement it.

One of my clients, Matilda Jane Clothing, believes that happiness is best kept by being given away, so when they decided to do a contest that gives “The Gift of Happiness” you can only imagine how thrilled I was to help spread the love!

Contest Details

I will be giving away a copy of The Happiness Project as well as 3 lovely outfits from Matilda Jane Clothing. That’s one for you (pick one closest to your child’s size or just the one you like the best) and two that you have to share with friends! Please note there will be no requests for styles or sizes, and the clothes are not returnable or exchangeable.

To enter, you only have to do two things:

1. Sign up for Matilda Jane’s newsletter
2. Leave a comment on this post telling me about something that makes you happy (yes, even that first cup of coffee in the morning counts!)

Contest closes on Wednesday, December 7^th. I’ll be choosing the winner via Random.org. Please make sure you check in on December 8 to cheer on the winner!

Good luck everyone and I can’t wait to hear what makes you happy!

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By now there is no doubting the power of Facebook. With over 800 million users and over 50% of those users logging onto Facebook on any given day, it is absolutely necessary for you to have a presence on this social network if you own a business. A Facebook Fan Page is, to simply put it, your business’ website in Facebook form.

There are tons of ways to customize your page to fit your needs (there is a Facebook App for nearly everything), contain all your business information, and target your ideal customer.

Of course, the real challenge will be in trying to get even just 1% of those 800 million possible customers to come across your Facebook page and “Like” you. Once they’ve liked you, you will have a better chance of gaining their interest in your business as your updates will regularly show up on their newsfeed, you’ll be able to message them when you launch new products, engage with them better, and so forth.

Whether you’ve just created your page or you’re stuck on how to get more likes and attract more clients, I’ve compiled a list of 14 ways you can get “Liked” on Facebook:

1. Status tagging
Use the status-tagging feature (putting an @ sign then typing the page or person you want to tag) and tag people you already know in relevant comments and updates on your page. Not only will this be helpful to people in your network, but it could lead people in THEIR network directly to your fan page when they see the tag on their newsfeeds.

2. Your e-mail signature
Add a link to your page in your e-mail signature along with a short sentence like “Love our products? Like us Here!”

3. Connect to your other social network
You can connect your status updates to Twitter and LinkedIn, which will help lead your followers from these networks to your page. As an example, see

4. Your company newsletter
Next time you send out your newsletter, consider adding a link or a widget asking your readers to Like your page.

5. A Fans only contest
While there are certain rules you must abide by to run a contest on Facebook, you can make it so that someone must first Like your page in order to view the contest description, rules, prizes, etc.

6. QR codes IRL
Create a QR code that will take people directly to your Facebook page when they scan it using their smartphones. You can place the code at your reception desk, back of your business card, on a coffee mug…the possibilities are endless!

7. Like box on your website
You can embed a Like box right on your homepage to capture your website visitors.

8. Exclusive Fans only content
Just like with contests, you can entice people to Like your page by offering them exclusive content…once they hit that button of course.

9. Use the Like button in your blog posts
If you have a blog, make sure to add the ability to Like your post. An update will show up on their wall, which can increase the number of eyeballs going to your fan page.

10. Take LOTS of pictures at events
Upload pictures from an event you hosted or attended and tag as many people as you can. Invite people you met to tag themselves on your page. Chances are they may end up Liking you in the process.

11. Turn to your networking groups- online and offline
Reach out to your networking groups and see if they would like to support your fan page. Be sure to return the favor if they have a page as well.

12. Take advantage of video
If you regularly create videos and upload them online, add a watermark with your fan page URL (here’s a site that teaches you how to do this using Windows Movie Maker). Mention in your video, watermark and/or video description that they can leave comments on your page for you as well if they have any questions or feedback.

13. Create content that matters
This goes without saying, but it’s worth mentioning again as a reminder. Good content is king when it comes to getting fans and keeping them interested in your brand.

14. Now, it’s your turn
I know I said I’d give 14, but I’d really love to learn what tips you have for getting Liked on Facebook! What have you tried that worked (or didn’t work)? What kind of results did you see? Leave a comment below or send me a message through Twitter or Facebook!

Photo Credit: Fusible

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You’ve probably heard by now that having a blog is a great way to boost your company’s online visibility and drive traffic to your website. When you blog regularly and post about something other than what you had for lunch, you build a community of fans and followers who will happily return again and again to learn from you and your business.

But do you know how to leverage your blog posts to get your company more media attention?

When you don’t have anything newsworthy to say about your company, your blog may be all you need to get your business some buzz or at the very least, keep you on a journalist’s top of mind.

• Think about the last post you wrote that got a lot of attention from your network. Why did it get so much buzz? Is it because you hit the nail on the head about a problem your industry is facing? Did you write a commentary on a controversial issue that people are on the fence about? Turn that post into a pitch and send it to your media list. In a short introduction, tell the reporter why she should be interested in your post and what other information you could offer if there’s a related story they are working on. Be sure to follow up in a few days with a phone call to that reporter.
• Another way you can use that same post to get more PR is to send it out through your social networks (which I hope you do with all of your posts anyway). You never know who will see your post or pass it on to a friend who just might be a journalist looking for a new story idea.
• Conversely, you could also simply tweet your blog to a journalist. It does save you the effort of having to write a pitch, but there’s also a chance that it won’t be enough to capture the interest of a reporter. A better strategy may be to create an army of adoring journalists by regularly tweeting a reporter and engaging them in conversation while occasionally sending them links to your posts that they would find interesting.

Now it’s your turn. How has your blog helped you with your PR efforts? Leave a comment below or send me a message through Twitter or Facebook!

Photo Credit: Techie Mania

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In these Internet fueled times, nearly everyone has to evolve. The good ol’ press release is no exception. On the web, writing a stagnant press release just doesn’t cut the mustard. Instead, the SEO press release is much more dynamic. Not only does it get the word out, it can also call to action and even help your business in unexpected ways, such as boosting your website’s SEO.

If you’d like to tackle one of these press releases, there are a few ways that an SEO press release differs from a traditional press release:

Research

While most suggest starting with the body of the press release first, I actually think that’s jumping the gun a bit. Why? Because SEO press releases rely heavily on keywords. If you write the press release and then try to “squeeze” the keywords into the body somewhere, it will come off looking deliberate and possibly ridiculous.

Coherence is key. Just because you’re wanting to get your website to rank higher on Google doesn’t mean you can write mediocre copy and expect it to fly. Mainly, because you’re better than that, but secondly because search engines like Google take this into account now. Google wants its users to have a good experience and great copy is the way to achieve that!

So do proper research. Find out what keywords will work best for your company. These words may not be the most popular words, either; a more niche phrase (i.e. a long-tail keyword) could yield better results. But you won’t know until you do the proper research. The Google Keyword Tool is a great resource for such research.

Format

Because the SEO press release is an evolution from the press release, you’re going to have basically the same format. I say basically, though, because there is much you can play with. A press release is usually a set number of words, as low as humanly possible. This is due to the fact that a press release is used by editors to develop stories … and busy editors respond to concision.

But on the Internet, you don’t have to worry about space. You’re only bound by the limits of your imagination. Of course, don’t make it too long, as most web users don’t want to read some epic tome.

Another major difference between a traditional press release and SEO press release is you’re not limited to text – you have access to video, links, pictures, and anything else the Internet provides! So if you don’t want to just have a few boring paragraphs to describe your big news, you don’t have to.

When actually writing the press release, it’s best to keep the keywords you want to use in the back of your mind (and on a handy sheet nearby). This way, you can organically include them in the press release, so as to not appear, well, like a vehicle structured solely to influence search engines. The goal of all SEO is to get your content seen by actual eyeballs, so you want to pique your readers’ interest first and improve Google searches second.

This guest post is by Mickie Kennedy, the founder of eReleases – home of affordable, next generation press release distribution. Mickie also publishes PR Fuel, a PR-centric blog that showcases advice and articles on all things social media, PR publicity, and online marketing.

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