• Using Social Media to Empower Prospective Customers

    During a time when most of our newsfeeds are filled with duck-face selfies, people airing dirty laundry, and hash tags galore, social media is catching a lot of flack, perhaps deservedly so, for being futile and self-indulgent. That’s part of the fun of it, right? Thankfully, in addition to the abundance of trivial, unfiltered material that social media is infamous for, it is in fact capable of being used to spread some pretty powerful positive messages too.

    I myself being guilty of using social media for less than cerebral purposes, (I’m notorious for unabashedly clicking on videos of epically choreographed wedding reception dance routines on a regular basis), broke customs  last week when I  stumbled upon a video entitled #LikeAGirl,  in my newsfeed.  The video explores how young adults and children, both male and female, interpret the adage “like a girl,” when paired with an action.  The responses of the participants are insightful, and if you’ve got about 3 minutes to spare, I encourage you to click the link below and watch for yourself.

    Watch This

    By releasing this video, Always brand has managed to not only appeal to their target demographic on an emotional level, but also get their name circulated on the internet without mention of a specific product. Pretty ingenious.

    #LikeAGirl is one of many videos out there that is attempting to defy the connotation that femininity is a deficiency and women don’t measure up to men when it comes to physical performance.   While it is entertaining to share videos that are lighthearted and aimed to garner a quick laugh, it is becoming increasingly essential to pass along positive social media messages that aim to educate; videos that teach young adults not to equate self-worth with how many “Likes” a post receives, and destroying the notion that if what we share doesn’t get at least 173 “thumbs-up” from our virtual friends, then something must be wrong with the part of ourselves we’re sharing with them. (Side note: I don’t even know 173 people).

    As someone who has worked in a classroom for over 7 years, earned two degrees and taken countless courses on childhood growth and development, I will tell you first hand that there is no level of education and experience to prepare you for seeing a child’s spirit, broken, the first time someone makes her feel incapable.  Regardless of gender or age, there are countless forces out there telling children (and adults) what our limits are that we’ve grown accustomed to accepting other people’s preconceived notions as our own reality.  I applaud the efforts of individuals and companies who are willing to spend their time and energy to create videos and articles that challenge social stigmas and persuade people to think differently.

    For companies, using social media to empower prospective customers might just be a trend worth participating in.  After all, as consumers we may be more likely to invest in the products of a company that is willing to return the favor and invest in us.

     

     

    Matter

  • A Summer Momentum Guide for PR Agencies

    It’s not so smart to start a debate about which of the seasons is preferred, so let’s agree that summer is terrific. It may not be the “best” of the four in the minds of many, but it is typically a dynamite time of the year. Beyond the opportunity to enjoy the beach or the boat, and to finally shake off the chill from the seemingly endless winter that passed a few short months ago, summer break provides an interruption in the rigorous work calendar. Vacations, long weekends and other sun-centered activities provide a nice change of pace from the regular rhythm of business.

    That being said, it behooves PR professionals to strike the right balance between enjoying the season and simultaneously staying engaged and driving forward. Here are four reasons why it’s important for PR and social media agencies to maintain their positive momentum over the summer months:

    First, consistency is often the foundation for communications success. Depending on the program and the charge at hand, the steady delivery of key messages to key audiences will better establish the entity or organization’s identity. If your team has momentum going into the summer season, it’s smart to find ways to maximize the time when the team is “on” in those months to secure coverage, have engaging social dialogue, and maintain valuable market presence.

    Second, the competition is looking toward the summer break and it presents an opportunity to steal some of their mindshare while they hit a seasonal pause. Writers/editors and bloggers still need to publish meaningful pieces and they are looking for stories that will help make their articles content-rich. As the competition lays on the beach and disconnects, it opens the door for a smart team to step in and provide a solid source of information (and build a relationship that carries into the future).

    Third, and this is specific for agency PR people, summer presents the best opportunity to secure coverage for the fall time-frame (read: long-lead publications), which ultimately will be top-of-mind at the all-important end of the year budget planning season. Hopefully, results are consistent and generated regularly all year long. In any case, however, the top-notch results occurring at the end of the summer and early fall will be front and center as your client starts to plan for the year ahead. It may be the opportunity to demonstrate how a creative strategy can make a positive impact, or how a staffing change on your team was such a smart move. In any case, it’s an opportune time for results to show-up and the ground work for such success happens now.

    And, finally, no matter how high the mercury rises, there’s still plenty to do and you don’t want to miss an important opportunity. Industry events and user conferences will occur, while new products will need to be introduced. And, all of these happenings need to be embraced the right way to ensure programmatic and business success. It may be summer, but there’s still plenty to be done to see that your clients’ communications programs thrive!

    What am I missing? Got any tips you’d add to this list?

    Scott Signore

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  • 3 Ways to Win at Social Media (like the CIA)

    I’d like to congratulate the U.S. Government. You’re winning at public relations right now. No, really. Two well-known and often maligned government agencies have found respective niches to educate and entertain, helping to project a friendlier image to the masses. There’s a few lessons we can all learn from their social media triumphs.

    Let’s start with the CIA. The agency renowned for keeping tight lips about its intelligence gathering and secret keeping efforts turned the spotlight on itself with a tongue-in-cheek announcement that it would be tweeting news and updates in 140 character bursts.

    The CIA wasn’t afraid to poke fun at itself. It was smart: more than 300,000 people Retweeted their first Tweet.

    A slight twist on the iconic spy catch phrase garnered more than 302,000 retweets and over 188,000 favorites. Now the government agency with secret agents operating incognito around the world has more than 712,000 followers watching its every tweet.

    The TSA has been on Instagram for a little over a year now, but Wired.com recently profiled some of the unusual, and even frightening, items that have been confiscated from travelers. It’s both scary and funny to see what people have attempted to smuggle on airplanes. And yes, these are apparently batarangs someone had in their carry-on:

    From bizarre to extremely serious, the TSA uses a mix to send a message on Instagram that security screenings are working.

    Mixed in the assortment of weapons are photos showing the good work of TSA agents (and their K-9 teams – another smart move because, well, dogs are social media gold) and key messaging about important TSA travel initiatives. The overall point being made to the TSA’s 77,000+ followers is crystal clear: those controversial body scanners and ensuing pat downs are making a difference with regards to safety.

    Here’s my three takeaways for what we can all learn from the newfound social savvy of the CIA and TSA.

    1. Pick a channel that fits your message: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, Vine, Snapchap – there seems to be a new social media channel popping up every month, and it can be daunting to try to master each one. Every channel is unique. Instagram, with an exclusive emphasis on photos, is the perfect fit for the TSA to showcase bizarre, confiscated items. (It has a Twitter account too, but with only a quarter of the audience.) Don’t try to conquer every network at once. If you’re just starting out, pick one or two that best suit your needs.
    2. Don’t take yourself too seriously: Mission critical is a cliché tossed around in business all the time, but when it comes to the CIA, its work is truly mission critical to our safety. But that doesn’t stop it from taking an irreverent poke at the pop culture spy vs. spy perception most of us have of its operations. There will be plenty of time to broadcast your company’s core values, key differentiators and repackaged sales collateral. With the need to post up to three times a day depending on the channel, there are also many opportunities to inject personality and pop culture in your brand (within reason, of course.)
    3. Make a commitment: Social media is not one-time deal. Rather, it is a full-time if not 24/7 endeavor. Even though the CIA is already approaching three-quarters of a million followers, not everyone will experience that rapid growth. When it comes to a brand or executive looking to build a following, growth is achieved through a steady stream of content and engagement. If you want to reach an even larger audience, seriously consider tossing a few advertising dollars to support the effort.

    It’s trendy to make jokes about Big Bureaucracy, but in this instance, we should tip our hat to the CIA and the TSA. They’ve provided creative examples of how brands that at first glance have no business being on social media are totally winning at it. (And maybe with this praise, the TSA will let my teams cut to the front of the airport security line the next time we travel to support a client’s trade show efforts or shoot a video.)

    If you want to check out the CIA’s Twitter or the TSA’s Instagram, just click the links. If you enjoy shameless plugs, I’ll plug myself right now with a link to my own Twitter right here. Most importantly, for a great example of the best way to leverage a collection of social media networks, I’d encourage you to check out Matter’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

    OK, we’ll stop asking.

    Do you follow any businesses, organizations or brands that unexpectedly have a sneaky good social media channel? Let us know who it is and why its great in the comments section.

     

     

    Matter

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