Nonprofit Organizations and Social Media

Posted on May 17, 2012 by DoubleDimond PR

Nonprofit organizations are lagging in the use of social media for outreach to their constituents, according to a recent survey by software and service company Sage, covered in an article in this week’s PR News.

Almost two-thirds of respondents in the study said they don’t use any digital tools to manage social media programs. Not surprisingly, more than half of the respondents weren’t happy with their social media efforts.

Since social media marketing would seem to be made for nonprofit organizations and their communications programs, this is an unfortunate situation. But from my point of view as someone who has handled public relations for many nonprofit organizations – large and small – there is no mystery as to why this is happening.

While there are many large nonprofit organizations, there are also many more than have limited budgets and operate with a small, multi-tasking administrative staff whose work lives are stretched pretty thin. Very few charities have an in-house public relations person – let alone a communications staff.

Outsourcing these activities is the answer for these organizations, but they often opt for pro bono work by an outside agency, where necessity dictates their taking a back seat to paying clients.

To be effective, social media marketing takes strategic planning, time and dedication.

It can be a vicious circle: nonprofit organizations who don’t communicate with their publics on a regular basis miss out on fundraising opportunities, and lack of fundraising opportunities keeps them from adequately funding their communications programs.

Nonprofit organizations that eventually become financially stable have one thing in common: they have leaders who think big and look to the future. they invest in a public relations program – and in today’s world, that program includes social media.

Post by Margot Dimond

Is that all we can expect? Or did we choose the wrong PR firm?

Posted on May 8, 2012 by DoubleDimond PR

As the owner of a professional services firm, I decided late last year that we needed to do a better job of promoting our services. I know other firms similar to ours that receive quite a bit of attention in the media, and they seem to be expanding at a faster pace than we are, so it definitely seemed like the thing to do. We interviewed several firms – small, medium and large – and chose the largest firm because it seemed to have the most to offer. They touted their contacts at The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and gave us every indication that we would be featured in those national newspapers. Unfortunately, after six months our total media coverage has been a small feature in a local business publication. We are very disappointed and have decided to end our public relations program entirely. Is this a common occurrence? Why did this happen?

In answer to your direct question: This is not a common occurrence, but it does happen all too often. Unfortunately, it usually happens to business owners who have never before used any type of public relations service. If your knowledge of public relations and what it can accomplish comes from what you see on television or in the movies, you may think that PR people can pick up the phone and news people will come running. If only it were that easy!

It is rare that a small firm or a startup gets covered in major national newspapers, and for a public relations firm to dangle that idea in front of you was very misleading. If, in fact, they promised you editorial coverage, they are in violation of the requirement to “accurately define what public relations activities can accomplish,” as listed in the code of ethics of the Public Relations Society of America, the professional membership organization for PR professionals.

Rather than giving up on having a public relations program, why not think about what you really want to gain from it? You seem to want to expand your business. By that, do you mean simply to have more clients? Or do you have a specific type of client that you would like to work with? Once you have determined the type of client you want to reach, you will need to have your PR firm work with you to design the right kinds of messages and media outlets to effectively reach them. At that point, you should expect to see some kind of Action Plan with tactics, activities and timetables.

Your public relations program – whether undertaken internally or by an outside firm – should be viewed as an ongoing enterprise. It’s all about reputation building and reputation maintenance, and that takes time.

Should you hire an outside firm, or go the DIY route? Here are a some guidelines.

Posted by Margot Dimond

If it sounds like it’s too good to be true….

Posted on April 30, 2012 by DoubleDimond PR

Picture this: You have a relatively new business – one that has received some positive publicity. But nothing has prepared you for a call from a television production company that wants to feature you on a national television show. Wow – What luck!

You haven’t heard of this program, but the producer drops the name of a famous broadcaster and indicates that he or she is affiliated with the program. You are impressed. The producer sets up an interview day and time for you because they have to see if you are a “good fit” for the program. During the interview, you are told that you will be responsible for paying $20,000 in production fees to produce your feature story. Apparently, being a “good fit” means being willing to pay.

This month, one of our clients received two of these calls. Our client refers all calls from the news media to our office, and we check out the media outlets and reporters with which we are unfamiliar to see if they are legitimate and, if so, what kind of stories they do.

These callers gave us pause. For one thing, they didn’t want to talk to the public relations person; they only wanted to talk to the CEO. That’s a red flag. Most reporters or producers do not object to having their interview requests screened by a public relations person.

Second, in each case, the “producer” said he wanted to interview the CEO to see if the company would qualify for their program. This is nonsense. By the time reporters call for an interview, they already are interested in doing a story.

After investigating, we discovered that these programs were “pay for play” schemes. Pay for Play in the media has been around for quite some time, but never promoted in such an underhanded way. Many magazines – especially trade magazines – will tell you upfront that if you buy an ad you can get editorial space as well. The same goes for infomercials – those paid-for time slots that promote products in a talk show setting. But only in the past few years have we seen this type of deceptive approach.

How do you tell Pay for Play from the real thing? You should immediately get off the phone if:

1. You have never heard of the program, while the person on the phone is insisting it’s a big deal. If you’ve never heard of it, it either doesn’t exist or isn’t worth your time.

2. The person calling wants to interview the business owner or top executive to see if they “qualify” or are a “good fit” for their program.

3. The caller is insistent about talking only to the business owner or top executive.

Posted by Margot Dimond

In Your Expert Opinion: Contributing Articles for Publication

Posted on April 20, 2012 by DoubleDimond PR

If your business provides a professional service, your marketing plan will no doubt revolve around showcasing your firm’s expertise. One of the best ways to do this is by writing an article that is published in an influential business or trade publication. When your article is published, you can make reprints to use for marketing purposes. Recognition as an expert by the media enhances your credibility.

Not everyone is successful in getting these articles published, however. Doing so requires more than just knowledge of the subject matter; it requires a basic understanding of what the editors of these publications are looking for.

Here are five simple rules that will help you get published:

1. Check out the publication and the type of articles it publishes. Who reads the publication? Are the articles technical or general in nature? How many articles by outside contributors are published in each issue? Are the articles mostly opinion, or are they factual reporting of research findings? How long are the articles?

2. Write about something specific. This is not the time to share every bit of expertise you have accumulated over the years. Stick to one topic, and save additional topics for other articles.

3. Organize your article for an easy read. The traditional advice for speech writing applies here as well: Tell them what you plan to say; say it; tell them what you’ve said.

4. Use conversational language. Even people in your field won’t want to read an article full of technical jargon. Keep it readable.

5. Don’t promote your company in the article. Doing so will guarantee rejection of your article. Remember that you are writing to contribute valuable information or to share a point-of-view on current events. You and your company will be mentioned at the end of the article.

Posted by Margot Dimond

Starting a Social Media Marketing Program for a Small Business

Posted on April 17, 2012 by DoubleDimond PR

You own a small business – maybe a retail shop or a professional services firm – and you keep hearing that social media marketing is the way to go to get and keep customers. But you don’t know where to start. With so many new social networking sites, it can be confusing.

Don’t give up! Social media marketing was made for businesses like yours – businesses that want to connect with potential customers, engage them in a dialogue and build the kind of relationship that leads to long-term business success.

The important thing to remember is that, like any other public relations or marketing venture, you cannot dabble. You have to commit for the long-term. And it may be best to designate one person or an outside agency to manage your program because, if done correctly, managing social media sites will take many hours per week.

That said, you definitely need to get on board. But which sites should you start with? Let’s keep it simple and start with these three:

Facebook. According to American gangster mythology, when asked by a reporter why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton replied, “because that’s where the money is.” Well, Facebook is where the people are. It’s the top social site for referral traffic. You can’t afford not to be on it if you are trying to reach potential customers. But just having a Facebook page won’t get you anywhere. You need to have a “call to action,” an opportunity to share, post photos and videos, and ask and answer questions. Make your current and future customers feel as if they are a part of your business.

Twitter. Got a sale coming up? Have a special two-for-one pricing on meals or drinks? Want to share a great tip on filing taxes? Hear of a new trend? Tweet all of the above – and more – in 140 characters or less. Also, you can tweet relevant and interesting articles, start a poll, re-tweet customer comments, and on and on. The important thing is to have an ongoing conversation with your customers.

Company Blog. Your blog isn’t really a social networking site, but it is your voice to the world. How is it promoting your brand? Do you post regularly, or do visitors see outdated information there? Are you linking back to your social networking sites and website, or does it just sit there – like an orphan?

Writing a blog is a real commitment, and it can become a chore, especially if you aren’t comfortable writing. You can invite subscribers to post as well, but don’t count on that. The important point here is that if you can’t keep it current by yourself, hire someone who can.

Posted by Margot Dimond

New Takes on Social Media Users

Posted on April 10, 2012 by DoubleDimond PR

A couple of interesting news items on social media came across my desk today. One was an article in a business journal about a social media contest the publication is sponsoring. It noted that of the 32 entries it had received to-date, 28 were from small businesses. Very few of the larger companies the writer contacted for the article were actively pursuing social media. Of those who did, most reported using it to communicate with employees or existing customers.

This has been our experience as well. Social media is a boon for smaller businesses, for whom traditional advertising and marketing can be cost-prohibitive. It’s an inexpensive way to reach potential customers quickly and efficiently and, in many cases, it can lead to rapid increases in sales and profits. It also works well for larger companies that sell directly to consumers.

For large business-to-business firms, social media is less likely to produce immediate results. The hierarchical structure of most large companies can make them less flexible when it comes to communicating, and flexibility is the hallmark of social media messaging.

The second piece of news is a report on Facebook fan pages in PR Daily. Apparently, brand promotion through Facebook is a dud with millennials – those cherished consumers born between 1980 and 2000. According to a recent survey of college students, while 86 percent of millennials visit Facebook every day, only 1 percent visit a brand page daily. If they are fans on Facebook, it’s usually for an organization they are personally involved with, such as a nonprofit organization or a sorority. This seems to be yet another example of social media tools being used to communicate with people who already know you.

Posted by Margot Dimond

Are PowerPoints Passé?

Posted on March 29, 2012 by DoubleDimond PR

As is the case with any public relations firm, we have done our share of preparing PowerPoint presentations. Although many of our clients prefer using a PowerPoint to going PowerPoint-less, we believe it has become an overused tool, one that is actually more of a crutch than an aid.

We do realize that there are benefits to PowerPoint presentations:

PowerPoints are simple to use and offer a quick way to organize your thoughts and turn them into an effective presentation.
PowerPoints emphasize the key parts of your presentation, making it easier for someone to catch the critical points, especially if you are presenting a highly detailed study, report or survey.
PowerPoints offer countless design templates that can add value to your speech while keeping the attention of your audience.

But there are drawbacks as well:

Instead of a visual aid for the speaker, the speaker becomes an audio aid for the slides.
It’s easy to become dependent on a PowerPoint illustration when you could actually find a more creative and interesting way to make a point by forming a mental picture using words.
To be sincere and authentic, you can’t appear to be too scripted. But with a PowerPoint presentation, you often can’t avoid looking scripted.

That said, we recently saw one of the most entertaining presentations in a long time given by a local leadership trainer. Thinking back, we remember she used a PowerPoint, but we really didn’t even think about the presence of it until now. The point being : A good presenter is a good presenter, whether he or she uses a PowerPoint or not.

On the flip side, what if the Gettysburg Address had been delivered with the aid of a PowerPoint? Check out this PowerPoint presentation of the Gettysburg Address, developed by Peter Norvig, Director of Search Quality at Google, to imagine what Abe Lincoln might have done if he had used PPT rather than the power of oratory at Gettysburg.

If you plan on doing a PowerPoint presentation, you can find some good tips in this article by Brad Phillips in PR Daily.

Posted by Lisa Dimond Vasquez, principal, DoubleDimond Public Relations, LLC.

PR People: The Film Version

Posted on March 16, 2012 by DoubleDimond PR

I’m a sucker for classic movies, and the other night I was watching one of my favorites - The Sweet Smell of Success. It’s a 1957 melodrama with actors Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis really chewing the proverbial scenery. The dialogue is priceless. Who can resist lines like these?

Press Agent: “If I’m gonna go out on a limb for you, you gotta know what’s involved!”

Columnist: “My right hand hasn’t seen my left hand in thirty years.”

As enjoyable as the movie is, I do have a problem with the character Curtis plays. Sidney Falco is a totally amoral press agent who is supposed to represent the world of public relations. He’s portrayed as sleazy, opportunistic, and without any real skill other than for ruining other people’s reputations. The only positive thing you can say about him is that he works hard – at whatever it is he is doing. Same for studio publicist Matt Libby, played by Jack Carson in the 1954 version of A Star is Born. He’s cynical and jaded, but he works very hard to save an egotistical star’s career.

I wish I could say that the portrayal of PR people got better over the years, but from Jack Lemmon’s alcoholic Joe Clay in The Days of Wine and Roses to Kim Cattrall’s party-girl Samantha Jones in Sex and the City, I don’t recognize my profession of 30+ years in any of these portrayals. Where are the strategy meetings? Who is doing the writing? There must be someone writing something, somewhere – an action plan, news release, speech, newsletter, website, blog, anything? And how about all of those hours on the phone? These characters are on the phone all right, but that’s the extent of their work, it seems. What do they do all day?

The stereotypes are clear, if somewhat different for men and women. With few exceptions, public relations is portrayed as a stress-filled, down-and-dirty field for men and a fun-filled life of party-planning for women.

Most of the public relations people I know are ethical, professional and hard-working. Well, let’s face it: there’s no drama there!

Posted by Margot Dimond

Ask a PR Expert

Targeting your audience with public relations, marketing and social media

Is that all we can expect? Or did we choose the wrong PR firm?

If it sounds like it’s too good to be true….

In Your Expert Opinion: Contributing Articles for Publication

Are PowerPoints Passé?

PR People: The Film Version