A Modern, Sophisticated Approach
to Improving Conversion
A memory popped up on my Facebook feed today for #PRprochat, a digital PR Twitter chat that I ran for years, in an effort to spread digital skills to the PR professionals looking to expand their skills, and as a tactic to build audience prior to my Above The Noise book release in 2016.
A lifetime ago.
This free Google tool is indispensable for every PR pro
Digital tactics can be intimidating, but there is one essential tool from Google that every PR professional should be familiar with. It generates that amazing sidebar on the right side of a Google search when using a desktop, and the top of a Google search on mobile.
It’s called the knowledge panel.
Why invest in content if nobody sees it?
Because they’re packed with so much valuable knowledge, we’re doing something new with our Twitter chats to give you a fast, easy read. We’re repurposing our favorite tweets –the smartest ones–into a short, simple “Best of #PRprochat” summary.
I deeply believe this book will help you. Why? Because so many business owners–even marketing communications and public relations professionals–are investing time and resources into online marketing that simply doesn’t produce results.
They’re completely lost with zero online visibility. Or, almost worse, they’re visible to the WRONG AUDIENCE.
I’m all about integration and, as a small business owner, making the most of assets that dip into my not-so-bottomless well of time, energy or money. I thought I’d share a little bit of my thinking processes when it comes to repurposing content, in hopes of inspiring you to do the same.
According to a 2015 Brandwatch study, only 46.6% of brands engage with a tagged mention. Even worse, LESS THAN 5% respond to a complaint that isn’t tagged – leaving a whopping 95%+ of brands who allow trust and reputation to erode.
It’s not that they don’t care–most, anyway–I believe they don’t have resources in place to catch (or handle) the mentions, and they don’t realize how damaging neglect can be.
What is a tagged mention versus untagged? A tag is when the person mentioning the brand takes the extra step to link their mention to the brand’s social media page, usually through the use of an @ symbol or hashtag.
Tagging the brand ensures the brand is notified of the mention and, depending on the social media platform and its settings, publishes the mention on the brands social media page. Without the tag to connect the mention to the page or profile, the mention won’t show up in notifications for the page.
Untagged mentions are often deliberate by someone who wants to complain without coming to the attention of the brand, but occasionally a simple mistake by someone who doesn’t know how to link to the brand or doesn’t care whether the brand sees it or not.
As PR pros, we are responsible for awareness and reputation, and it’s a logical leap to monitoring mentions and crisis control. They are intertwined, like laces on your sneaker.
Even if we don’t handle social media for a client, it’s definitely our role to advise them on social listening and its kissing cousin, crisis management. Whether or not they TAKE our advice is an entirely different discussion, but we do need to be making recommendations and flagging gaps. Social listening can be automated through individual platforms and software solutions, but only if you’ve taken time to put that monitoring in place.
Most software solutions handle one or two of these, and I’m unaware of ANY that handle all three. Understand exactly what you are getting with your monitoring before you sign a contract or subscription agreement. Never assume you know!
When you think of the biggest changes in the move from traditional #PR to #DigitalPR, what comes to mind?
I think of HOW FUN our job has become. Challenging, true, but very fun. After decades of media relations and pitching, everything is suddenly changing. Like the first summer monsoon washing away a year’s worth of dust, or a squeeze of fresh lemon bursting on your tongue when you sip water, the industry is becoming infused with new ideas, new influencers and experts, and a deluge of alternatives to grow visibility.
It’s refreshing. It’s wonderful!!
Today’s stronger focus on social media and content marketing is also bridging the gap between digital experts and traditionalists, link builders and content creators, community managers and customer service. That closing gap is creating much of the fresh thinking, because we’re trying to simultaneously accomplish their goals and ours. We’re thinking differently.
It’s also coming from those without a lick of public relations experience who are suddenly writing content and pitching bloggers. New options for brand journalism–publishing your own news and building your own audience instead of relying on media audiences–and blogging has brought PR to everyone’s attention. It’s also brought a wider variety of marketers and entrepreneurs into the fold as newbie PR pros.
PR is suddenly sexy again. Everybody’s interested.
