Archive for June, 2010
By Deanna Ferrari
One of WordWrite’s clients, KIT Solutions, recently attended an annual industry conference, which was a great opportunity to showcase KIT’s services to prospects. As an exhibitor, KIT was able to demonstrate its cloud computing services. KIT’s executives brought a few computers for the demonstrations, but KIT’s president did something that made the process even better. He brought his iPad. This way, Xiaoyan Zhang could show prospects KIT’s services if the computers were occupied, and he had a way to show these services outside of the exhibit area. No opportunities were missed in making connections with the right people at the conference because there was always this useful tool handy that had all the information Xiaoyan needed right at his fingertips.
It is no surprise social media has changed the way business leaders do their jobs. They tweet rather than call and use Facebook pages as an outlet to communicate with their audiences. We still carry laptops and smart phones (at all hours of the day sometimes), but with the iPad, Apple has introduced to what may be a new, perhaps even better tool that might just be essential for the modern business leader.
In business today, a lot of work happens from behind our desks. But sometimes, that desk moves. We could be between meetings at a coffee shop or traveling for a client event. This is where the iPad becomes essential. First, it’s functional. Rather than having a heavy, bulky laptop in our bag, we can carry the lightweight and thin iPad, saving space and a future backache. I’ve also heard good things about its battery life, so even if it’s not fully charged it’s still ready to go. Not to mention, it comes in a variety of size options holding up to 64 GB of storage.
But what about the nitty gritty of why an iPad is essential to business? No, an iPad can’t replace a server farm (now THAT would be “magical,” Apple); but it can be a better replacement for traditional communication methods. My KIT example gives one picture of how business professionals would gain the most out of this tool. Trade shows and conferences are a place to showcase products, services, or make connections. If you’re set up at a booth, that’s one thing – you can open up your laptop. But if you’re moving around, slipping an iPad out of your bag and bringing up a recent announcement from your website to show a prospect is seamless. They could even place an order for your product right there if your iPad picks up a WiFi signal, or it’s equipped with 3G. Also, you can easily update your social networks — there’s no need to carry anything else with you.
Not at a conference? There are endless applications business leaders can use with an iPad. One example from our industry is an app is from PR Newswire, which allows users direct access to breaking news from many of the world’s leading brands and organizations that issue text and multimedia press releases and information over PR Newswire. The app provides a gateway for users to share content via e-mail and social media. According to PR Newswire, its app also “lets users interact with PR Newswire’s @ProfNet and @PRNewswire Twitter feeds, and subscribers of PR Newswire’s expert network, ProfNet, can use the app to access fast-breaking queries from reporters seeking article sources and expert commentary.”
Today’s business pro has to be faster and more savvy than ever. The window to transact business is getting smaller as social media continues to grow, so having a tool that can make the most of instant communication opportunities is essential in changing the game.
Social media tool of the month is a regular feature on the WordWrite Storytelling Blog that appears monthly.
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Deanna Ferrari is a senior account executive for WordWrite Communications
June 30 2010 | Business Growth and Business to Business and Communications and social media | No Comments »
By Jason Snyder
I recently listened to a group of health care public relations professionals discuss their social media efforts. Several organizations they represented had already stepped into the social media realm. Others still had not, which is not surprising considering that only one in six hospitals has a social media presence, according to Ed Bennett, director of Web strategy at the University of Maryland Medical Center, and one of the industry’s experts on social media.
Some concerns about jumping into social media are industry specific. The big one that comes to mind is HIPAA, which was designed to protect patients from disclosure of protected health information. You don’t have to look too far to see serious consequences when patient confidentiality is breached via social media. Other concerns were more typical of organizations approaching social media cautiously: how do I find time to engage in social media given all of my other responsibilities, how do I monitor what others are saying about us, how do I respond to a negative post?
These are all legitimate concerns, but the biggest concern among organizations not participating in the social media conversation is just that: not participating in the conversation. If you are not part of the conversation, someone else may be telling your story. That means you’re missing a golden opportunity to positively engage with your stakeholders. Or, worse, only part of the story is being told and you’re not there to tell your side. You undoubtedly have great stories to tell. This is your opportunity to tell them directly to those who need and want to hear them.
There are several health systems that have built excellent “digital front doors,” which is really what your Internet presence represents. The Cleveland Clinic has a great Facebook page where you can find facts about the organization linking back to the system’s web site, videos that tell patient stories and a wall where potential patients are asking questions of the clinic – and getting timely answers.
The Mayo Clinic uses its Twitter presence to complement other communication efforts it has under way. It promotes its physicians appearances on radio shows, for example, taking questions via tweets. It’s also facilitated chats about health-related topics, again engaging consumers through a question-and-answer format on Twitter.
It does take a commitment to succeed in the social media realm. But you avoid the conversation at your peril. Many of our clients have already taken steps toward building a strong social media presence. We advise those who haven’t that it’s not an all-or-none proposition. What’s right for one may not necessarily be right for all. And it’s not necessary to take a headfirst plunge. There’s nothing wrong with slowly dipping your toe into social media, as long as you’re starting to get wet.
There are resources – free and otherwise – that can support the social media regimen of posting, monitoring and responding. But nothing replaces the human resource. How is your organization balancing the demands of social media? If you’re still not sure about joining the conversation, what are your considerations? Let us know — we’d love to hear your social media experiences.
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Jason Snyder is vice president of WordWrite Communications.
June 18 2010 | Business Growth and Communications and Healthcare and Public Relations and Storytelling and social media | 2 Comments »
By Deanna Ferrari
When it comes to business-to-business public relations, the social space can get a bit tricky. If you have a very specific, niche product or service, it can be a challenge to find a valuable and relevant audience
e and really get that return on your investment of talking to prospects, gaining leads and sealing deals.
If Twitter or Facebook isn’t the right fit because your prospects are not using these social media channels, you may want to consider social bookmarking instead.
Sites like Digg and Delicious may be “old news” on the social front, but they can provide value by leveraging your expertise on certain subjects.
Think of the last time you used Delicious. Was it for saving important links? What if you took it to the next level? If environmental remediation is your forte, bookmark articles about effective or not so effective efforts in the BP Gulf oil crisis. When something timely is happening in the news such as the creation of the fake Twitter ID for British Petroleum, utilize your tags to include “oil spill” and “BP” so you are increasing your own visibility on search engines and people are linking back to you and seeing this expertise.
At WordWrite, one of the things we like to do in social media is share relevant industry news. Those following our Twitter account know we are constantly tweeting about public relations, social media, client news and corporate storytelling, among other topics. We also have a Twitter account specifically for health care since that’s a big part of our practice. On our Facebook page, we share news as well. We also share content we’ve created such as new blog posts and web updates. So what’s the point of sharing all of this relevant news if your prospects aren’t on those sites? Enter social bookmarking.
We have a button right on the homepage of our website that links to our Delicious page. Your prospects may not be on Facebook, but they are online and will most likely check out your website. So when they see those social icons as soon as they enter your site, chances are they will click on them. From there, they will see all that great content you’re sharing – great client work you’ve done, relevant industry news, and most importantly, content you’ve created such as blog posts, which help you market your expertise.
A new practice we’ve begun at WordWrite is that every time we share something online, we make sure to bookmark it on Delicious with appropriate tags. That way, all of that important content is all in one place, and we as an agency are reaffirming our expertise as a PR shop with knowledge of our business, our clients’ businesses, and the social space – something a prospect might want to learn more about.
Social media tool of the month is a regular feature on the WordWrite Storytelling Blog that appears monthly.
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Deanna Ferrari is an account executive for WordWrite Communications
June 02 2010 | Business to Business and social media | No Comments »