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I started my career in public relations (PR) in 1994, when email and the Web were new to most businesses. I had many adventures in those early days trying to email documents to editors and access painfully slow Web sites. Back then, nobody was really thinking about the possibility of truly leveraging the Internet to enhance PR efforts. Fast forward to today: while technology, bandwidth and behavior have advanced, a majority of PR professionals have not kept up with the times.
For the SEM professionals not well versed in public relations strategies and tactics, here's some quick background to get you up-to-speed. PR is the art and science of persuasion. Fundamentals include development of press releases and direct communication with influencers (i.e. press, analysts and of course the public). To automate communications, many PR professionals develop and maintain News Rooms, which contain press releases, articles, fact sheets and related company information.
For PR professionals not as familiar with the art and science of search engine marketing (SEM), fundamentals include search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) and link development. For more information, please check out our SEM FAQ and SEM glossary. Bottom line, SEM offers companies a cost-effective and highly measurable way to generate awareness, leads and sales. With the essential background out of the way, let ’ s take a trip back to 1998.
After transitioning from a brief career in high tech PR and Web development, I moved over to a full-service agency as the “ online PR consultant. ” I quickly became bored with the ill-defined and misunderstood role and received approval and support to build a team of online marketers within the then traditional agency. At that time, SEO was just starting to gain traction, and PPC was virtually nonexistent. As such, my team spent a majority of its time optimizing client sites, developing relationships with online press and coordinating efforts with traditional PR professionals within the agency.
As early SEM professionals (we called ourselves Internet, online or Web marketers back then), we got little-to-no respect from traditional PR and marketing professionals. When I moved over to a new startup agency in 1999, I challenged our growing PR team to take on the evolving online PR responsibilities my team had previously provided. Needless to say it didn’t go over very well, so I had to take that responsibility back on in 2002, when I decided to dedicate myself to building Anvil Media full-time. Since then, SEO PR has evolved as a catchphrase and PPC has created a juggernaut out of Google. But what of this newfangled phrase, SEM PR?
SEM PR is a holistic view of applying a variety of SEM and PR strategies and tactics to create and control messages to key stakeholders (i.e. customers, employees, investors and partners). The foundation of any good SEM PR campaign is SEO. For more information, visit two helpful articles: The 3Cs of SEO and SEO PR. The second, and lesser-utilized component is paid search. The 4 Es of PPC offers helpful background into setting up and managing a paid search campaign, which can also be a powerful component of any SEM PR program.
The final SEM PR component leverages SEO to mitigate negative search results in target search phrases. Online reputation management incorporates advanced SEO and PPC techniques to push undesirable results out of the top ten. ORM - The New PR offers a helpful overview of this evolving discipline. Anvil builds on these fundamentals to proactively boost visibility while mitigating the possibility of negative listings in target searches. The difference between reactive ORM strategies and proactive SEM PR activities can make or break a company.
SEO PR The fundamentals of SEO PR include press release optimization and distribution. For starters, keyword-loaded press releases should be sent over the wire to ensure proper pickup in new search engines (I recommend BusinessWire). Those same releases should also be posted in the News Room. For bonus points, consider incorporating photos or video content in the distribution (or in the News Room). Automate distribution to target online media and bloggers via RSS or email.
PPC Don’t stop once you’ve submitted the release to search engines and wire services. Incorporate the press release into your paid search program, driving qualified, targeted visitors to the release or related materials in the News Room. Consider linking to positive press coverage, awards or recognition for bonus points.
ORM With the understanding that your brand is owned by the customer and not you, it’s critical to manage your reputation online. I outlined the fundamental on-site and off-site elements of an effective ORM program in an earlier article. In addition to key content on the Web site, as well as syndicated content on other industry sites, be sure to monitor social media sites for comments and opportunities to engage in conversation. Also ensure all positive coverage is visible across all search engines.
Measurement Traditional PR may be the art of persuasion, but SEM PR is the art of the sale. SEM PR is highly measurable, so make sure metrics are incorporated into the program from the beginning. Consider tracking releases/news via unique discount promo code or 800#. At the end of each campaign, measure total press release impressions, visits and associated conversions (trending over time as appropriate).
Ensure maximum visibility and positive brand perception by incorporating the above elements into an integrated SEM PR campaign.
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Your marketing mentor: Pat Harrington, the Managing Principal and Director of Business Development and Marketing at BOORA, possesses an exceptional talent for relating easily with clients, consultants, public figures and staff members alike. He remembers every name, and I admire his ability to make connections between people that they themselves didn't even realize. He is also a deft strategist when tracking leads and evaluating the new project opportunities.
What you like most about being a marketer: The euphoric spell that takes hold in the moments after learning we have scored a big win. It's a delicious sense of accomplishment.
What you like least about being a marketer: Learning that we came in first last, also known as second.
Marketing trend you'd be happy to see gone: The people who stand on the street corners waving 10-foot signs about the latest mattress sale. Am I ever going to suddenly remember that I need to purchase a mattress when I am on my way to the grocery store?
Your favorite tag line: I grew up watching after school TV in the 80s, so I love old commercial taglines. The "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon? ... But of course." tagline (complete with accent) still comes to mind every time I make a sandwich.
If you had to sell marketing as a profession to teenagers what would your message/value statement be? Understanding how to market yourself and your company will significantly support any career trajectory. Comfortable interpersonal and networking skills, solid strategic thinking and confident public speaking abilities are all qualities of good marketers that all company leaders, no matter the profession, also possess.
Newest marketing trend to watch: Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an incredibly powerful tool that architects and engineers are now starting to employ en masse. We are learning how to convey to new clients the ways BIM amplifies the value of projects drawn with this tool.
First choice for a new career and why: A new career for me would channel the skills I enjoy using on a daily basis: writing, editing, researching and analyzing, into a purely creative or adventurous pursuit. So perhaps exploring dive spots around the globe for travel publications?
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Web Strategy Theory to Know Before You Go Forward
If you've not already figured it out, the corporate Web site is becoming less relevant, and web marketing (and support) has spread off your domain and Google results. You also know that prospects trust the opinions of customers (who are "like them") far more than marketers, and Facebook lets these communities of practice assemble: Your brand is decentralized—embrace! (If you don't understand these concepts, it's hard to move forward; so please refer to posts that the above links point to.)
Opportunities: Why Twitter?
A tool embraced by the early adopter, Twitter users can benefit from thought leadership, connection to the influencers, additional message reach, access to mobile communicators, real-time communication, but more importantly, the opportunity to build relationships through conversations. Who is it good for? Media companies, social-media-savvy brands, those who may already have a blogging strategy, those with frequent updates. High-communication individuals may prefer this tool.
Limitations and Challenges: It's not for everyone
Twitter is not for everyone. Here are a few considerations: Due to a high degree of micro information, the user will need to self-parse information. Although there is no formal data, I suspect that the audience and user base consist of early-adopter social media folks and influencers, with an average age of 30-45. Obvious recently received funding, the product infrastructure is still going through growth pains and error messages are common. Twitter is still in its early stages, and its full value has not been realized.
There are other competitors in the space, such as Pownce, released by Kevin Rose of Digg.com, and Zooomr's Zipline. Expect Twitter-like features to emerge in many social networks as a feature.
What you should know
History
Twitter began as an experiment inside of Odeo, Inc. by Noah Glass and Jack Dorsey and debuted March 2006 (see Wikipedia's entry).
Twitter gained traction at the 2007 SXSW interactive festival, where flat panel displays in several places at the convention showed the Twitter activity of attendees. That was a defining moment for Twitter.
What is Twitter
A form of text-based
"MicroMedia"
(coined by Jeremiah Owyang), Twitter is really much like blogging, but on a miniature scale. The character limit is 140, which requires that users simplify their message.
Twitter has social network features, so users can add or remove friends, for example. An considering that leaders like Chris Messina and others are seeking ways to segment groups, more features will come.
Twitter is a next-generation instant-messaging tool; users can blast messages to their network, send private messages, or search. When users publish messages, those are often called "tweets." |
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As a communication platform, Twitter exports data (such as RSS) that can be reused in other interesting ways, such as Twitter maps and other mashups (10 top Twitter apps, or this comprehensive list). The Twitter team has now acquired a design team and has launched "Twitter blocks," which show the network activity of a particular user.
Remember that Twitter, like most blogging, is public: What you say can be used against you as well as for you. See this case in point: Steve Rubel's criticizing his own client and having to retract.
Users
Twitter, till now, has been for the highly engaged, early-adopter, pro-technology user. This is the "influencer" community, meaning they will shape the direction of others. It's highly likely that these users participate in other forms of online publishing and communication, like blogging, Facebook, and mobile activity.
Content
Having in mind the 140-character limit, users are publishing the following types of content:
- Presence information: Users will shout out information related to them, from "eating with Joe" to "heading to the office," or even questions like "has anyone seen the Transformers movie?
- Responses to others: Members within a connected network (they must be friends) can respond to each other using the reply symbol "@"—such as "@Transformers was a great movie."
- URLs: URLs are automatically shortened by the Twitter application. (Tip: Consider 130 characters the limit if publishing a link. The system will then have enough space to convert your URL to a TinyURL.)
Notable Brands
Several brands are using Twitter:
Some publishers use it as an announcement feed, just as Robert Scoble publishes his shared-link feed called Scoble's Link Blog from his Google reader—all automated. And, recently, Marketing Profs launched its own Twitter account.
Advanced Tactics
Event Integration
Savvy brands and individuals are using Twitter to keep virtual and real-life event attendees up to date. It can be used for live streaming, live blogging, or focusing attention on particularly helpful speeches. For example, during the Web 2.0 expo, I was live event-streaming using UStream; I would use Twitter to tell my network who with and where I was, keeping them up to date. Many other uses have not been documented, such as using Twitter for project management and financial alerts.
Pebble Strategy
Recently, I announced my job change on Twitter. I dropped a series of "pebbles" (tweets) explaining my move. Dozens of users responded, "congrats @jowyang," which prompted others in their network to see what I was talking about (they could visit my profile page to see what I said), building more interest. Finally, I linked to the blog post URL of my announcement in Twitter, and I received 91 comments on the first day. For more information, read " Want Waves? Drop a Pebble."
Best Practices
Savvy Twitter users realize that effective communications isn't about just pushing content to readers; they also converse with others and otherwise respond to them. I use this tool as a global chat room, responding to others, building relationships, and listening in. Like blogging, the rule of anti-marketing marketing is required for success: Engage your community.
Unlike traditional forms of advertising and marketing, Twitter is "opt-in," meaning that users choose to "follow" a twitter account, and abuse of their goodwill will result in users' unsubscribing. For the rules of engagement read Brian Oberkirch's " Advanced Twitter: Don't Tweet Like A n00b."
Getting Started
While not for everyone, Twitter is a next-generation communication tool that provides the Web strategist several opportunities to connect with online communities.
Understand Twitter. There's plenty of educational material. Consider watching a video interview by Jennifer Jones with cofounder Biz Stone. Check out Rafe Needleman's (CNET) " Newbie Guide to Twitter," or Twitter's own " Getting Started."
Evaluate whether it's right for your audience: Use the anecdotal demographic information I provided above, or use the search tool for notable individuals within your community and marketplace.
Explore the tool: The best way to learn? Experiment. Try creating a personal account before deploying a brand account.
Publish: Well, what are you waiting for? Try some tweets!
Integrate: Use in conjunction with other tools, providing an "integrated mesh" of cross linking. Use to post announcements, changes.
Advanced: Communicate back with others. This is not just a broadcast tool, it's also a conversation tool; reply back to followers using the "@" symbol, and engage in dialogue.
Advanced: Mashups. There are many uses (known and yet to be discovered) of the tool, as third-party developers continue to create mashups for Twitter. Build your own, or examine others to get creative.
Measure: From the start, consider measuring the impacts of this tool—amount of followers, amount of replies, incoming links, etc. Look at the referral logs for visits to your Web site from Twitter, and use search tools to gain intelligence. Read " Social Media Measurement Strategy" for more information.
About the writer: Jeremiah Owyang is a Web strategist, speaker, and blogger/videoblogger focused on how companies use the Web to connect with customers. He is active on Twitter and can be followed at jowyang; if you follow him, he'll follow you back.
Article source: Marketing Profs
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