Jenna Presenting at Marketing Workshop

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Marketing Matters Series, Part 3: PR in the Digital Age

Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Location: National-Louis University,
122 S. Michigan, Room 5006 – 5th Floor, Chicago
9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Where’s your ready-to-go content? RSS feeds? Is your blog a must-read?
Oh, and you’re keeping an eye on your brand equity, right?

Yes it’s hard work, but keeping your voice heard during difficult times is vital. And with everyone spending more time online today, it’s crucial that your organization maintain a strong presence among stakeholders, customers and prospects where they are congregating.

At this workshop, we’ll explore:

  • The evolution and future of PR
  • Maximizing your PR efforts while saving time and money
  • Digital Strategies for Building your Brand
    • Creating an online presence
    • Search Engine Optimization
    • Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, etc.)
    • Monitoring conversations

You will also participate in a breakout session designed to give you hands on experience in developing a digital PR brand strategy.

Presenter:Jenna Gruhala Oltersdorf, Snackbox Public Relations Principal
Jenna has managed and executed programs for sole proprietorships and multi-billion dollar companies. Her agency experience ranges from a small firm in St. Louis to the largest independently owned PR firm in the world. She has expertise, contacts and strategy to help your business grow.

Jenna’s client experience includes Chinet, Feline Pine, Remi-D, Perlabella, NASCAR, Hardee’s, North Carolina Division of Tourism, Unico, Georgia-Pacific, St. Louis Effort for AIDS, GMAC Real Estate, Agility Recovery Solutions, Heatcraft Refrigeration Products and Levi’s Signature Series, to name a few. She’s a member of the American Marketing Association and the Public Relations Society of America.

Recognized for excellence in public relations, Jenna has received a number of industry awards including Communicators, Summits, Bronze Anvils, Silver Anvils, Platinum PR Awards, Tellys, U.S. International Film Festival Award and a nomination for an Emmy … but it’s not all about a fancy piece of stone and glass, is it?

When she’s not making PR magic for her clients, Jenna enjoys drag racing Corvettes (she’s undefeated), baking cupcakes and reading Augusten Burroughs. You can find her playing Halo 3 under the Xbox Live gamer tag xxxJENNACIDExxx and on Twitter as @JennaSnacks.

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Increasing SEO Through PR

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In today’s world, it’s important to create a communications plan that reaches your target audiences through both traditional and non-traditional methods. Those “non-traditional” methods are quickly becoming the norm, especially as traditional media like newspapers are becoming a dying breed.

PR has the opportunity to generate quite a bit of digital content that is easily searchable and accessible. Examples include:
– News releases and media alerts posted on your company Web site
– Social media (SM) news releases distributed through services like PitchEngine (www.pitchengine.com)
– Letters to the editor posted on the newspaper’s Web site
– Stories included on any media’s Web site
– Online newsrooms (on your company Web site or through services like PitchEngine)
– Company blog
– Company Twitter account
– Company Facebook fan page
– White papers
– Webinars/How-to videos posted on YouTube
– Images relating to your company posted on Flickr
– eNewsletters posted on your Web site

In addition to creating digital content, it’s important to monitor coverage and analyze results. Simple monitoring solutions include Google News Alerts.

The most important take away from this post is that creating SEO-friendly digital content is in the here and now. If your PR program does not include SEO and social media efforts, you’re missing the boat.

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Your Brand: Search Engine Optimization

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So we’re all very well aware that social media is taking over the world. Most have a LinkedIn profile and many are represented on Facebook as well. Oh, and then there’s Plaxo. I’ve been spending a tremendous amount of time on Twitter; even installed Tweet Deck to stay on top of my followers. Then there’s BigSight and Naymz and FastPitch! and … the list continues.

So why do I have umpteen social networking accounts? They improve my search engine optimization (SEO). If I’m at a networking event and someone does a Google search on Jenna + Snackbox, I want them to find me easily.

Am I maintaining all of these networks? No. I do basic maintenance to ensure my contact information is up-to-date. I have four favorites, that seem to have the largest following, that receive most of my attention: LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook and Twitter.

LinkedIn sends me emails when something happens with my account (a connection request, for example). I make it a habit to check in with LinkedIn once a week in an effort to expand my network and be involved in the community.

Plaxo, I love. I visit the site if my contact information changes, but otherwise, the site is on autopilot, automatically updating my Rolodex with changes from those in my network. It takes less than 60 seconds to sign up for the service and it’s such a convenient network.

Facebook began as a personal network, but as more business associates began sending me friend requests, I expanded my audience. This site is a great way to share articles, tips, etc. I’ve even created a Facebook group for Snackbox. I visit Facebook as few as one time per day, or if it’s a slow day, every hour ☺.

Twitter is my new muse. I installed Tweet Deck on my computer and a Twitter application for my iPhone so I can always be dialed in to the dialogue. There is an art to “tweeting,” but I have to tell you: it’s a fantastic way to learn about your industry, the influential people in it, etc.

Of course, any network gives you what you give it. Stay up-to-date on your preferred social networks by reading articles about them, talk with those in your network and in your industry.

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How to Make LinkedIn Work for You

Like most folks in business, I created a LinkedIn profile and began building my connections. In a matter of months, I had hundreds of connections without doing too much work. Now what?

It wasn’t until I had lunch with a good friend, an expert at building client rosters for agencies, that I realized what a useful tool LinkedIn can be.

Step 1: Build your network. Fine past coworkers, clients, etc. As you add new people to your Rolodex, find them on LinkedIn, too.

Step 2: Review your connection’s connections. Say I’m looking for some new clients in the home and garden industry. I’m going to peruse my connections to see if they know any influentials in said industry.

Step 3: Request introductions. It’s simple, really. Just ask your connection to introduce you through LinkedIn. The site allows you to write a personalized not to both you connection and the person with which you want to be introduced.

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Rules of Twitter

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Twitter defined: Micro-blogging. You can say anything on Twitter as long as it’s 140 characters in length.

To get started, how do you tweet? Set up an account on Twitter. Find people with similar interests and begin following them. Listen in on the conversations to get a good feel for how Twitter works.

You can tweet from the Twitter web site, but I’ve found it to be much easier to install a desktop program, like Tweet Deck. It’s always running on my desktop along with my instant messenger program, Adium.

With all forms of social media, it’s important to be seen as a contributor, not a leader. Be authentic and transparent with your audience.

Here are some great Do’s and Don’ts of Twitter from a recent PRNewswire webinar I attended:

Twitter Do’s
– Do listen
– Do be transparent
– Do be a good citizen
– Do contribute value
– Do be authentic
– Do follow people in your industry
– Do join the conversation

Twitter Don’ts
– Don’t be a robot
– Don’t be a broadcaster (meaning: interact with Twitterville. Join in on the conversation)
– Don’t self promote ad nauseum
– Don’t forget a tweet is forever
– Don’t be negative about others
– Don’t forget the value of being human

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Building a Following on Twitter

Twitter value isn’t in how many people are following you – it’s not a popularity contest. Listening and learning via Twitter is the bulk of the value.

Craft a bio that describes your top level interests so others who share those interests can find you easily. And return the favor; follow tweeters who interest you.

Share links to interesting stories and pictures. Always be linking. Be a part of the conversation … talk with tweeple; don’t talk at them.

If you’re regularly engaging, you’ll get the following. Don’t force it … it’ll come naturally. I promise.

Follow me on Twitter @JennaSnacks

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