?>?> 2009 April

PR 101: Articles Win Over Ads to Get Consumers to Act Study Says

April 24, 2009 By

What is the best way to get consumers to visit your website and follow your brand? The answer–not advertising but public relations efforts resulting in articles mentioning your brand.

eMarketing reports this week in “Brand Mentions Preferred Over Ads” that according to ARAnet, based on polling by Opinion Research Corporation:

Compared with banner ads, pop-up ads, e-mail offers and sponsored links, articles that include brand information were most likely to lead US Internet users to read-and act. When it comes to getting someone to read or take action after viewing content, it turns out PR related functions – namely, placing your client in a story – are more effective than online advertising tactics.

Headline News
Creative Commons License photo credit: christopher.woo

The eMarketing article quotes ARAnet president Scott Severson:

“A key finding for marketers is that younger audiences respond to information that reaches them in the form of articles. More than two-thirds of the respondents between 18 and 34 said they conduct Internet searches for products or services they read about in online articles either very frequently or somewhat frequently.”

How about you? Do you react to company pitches more often through advertising or by articles?

Filed Under: marketing, public relations Tagged With: , , , ,

The Social Reef from Jeremiah Owyang

April 23, 2009 By

Social Reef: An Industry Perspective

Filed Under: social media Tagged With: , , ,

Top Environmental, Green, and Clean Tech Must Read Publications: In Honor of Earth Day

April 22, 2009 By

Today is the 39th annual celebration of Earth Day. Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson and is intended as a day to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment.

P1010464
Creative Commons License photo credit: stu_spivack

In honor of Earth Day, I am releasing the answers today of the following two questions I recently posed to three of my LinkedIn groups:

What are the three most critical environmental, green, and clean tech publications that you read each week and why? What reporters get this space?

Based on the LinkedIn responses, the top publications are:

Treehugger

Mother Nature Network

Digg-Environment

Yahoo! Green

The Huffington Post Green

Solar Daily

Solar Buzz

Greentech Media

Solar Plaza

Photon International

Gunther Portfolio

Bloomberg Environment

Technology Review

NY Times Dot Earth Blog

Clean The Official JRSE Blog

Clean Edge

Clean Tech Blog

Cleantechnica

Grist

Natural Resources Defense Council

EarthPortal

The Week

VB/Research’s CleanTech & Renewable Energy weekly pipeline report

New Energy Finance

Renewable Energy World

New York Times Green Inc. Blog

Clean Techies

Got 2 Be Green

Three reporters were cited by the respondents as getting this space and they are: Matt Wald and Andrew Revkin of the New York Times and Mike Casey of AP. I also received a great deal of input and insight from Jeff Kart, an environmental reporter and blogger for the Bay City Times.

Any other outlets or reporters that should be on the list?

Filed Under: public relations, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How to Construct an Elevator Pitch Online? Try the Harvard Business School Elevator Pitch Builder

April 21, 2009 By

When was the last time you had to describe yourself and what you do in order to get something you wanted? Were you successful? Do you know the key ingredients of a successful elevator pitch?

According to the Harvard Business School, “You have one minute to explain yourself, your business, your goals, and your passions. Your audience knows none of these. Are you prepared? Can you present your vision smoothly, enticing them to want to know more?”

Man on the Mound
Creative Commons License photo credit: Matt McGee

To make it even easier to craft your pitch, the Harvard Business School has an online tool that explains the mechanics behind the pitch and then steps you through creating your own pitch–even suggesting key words for you to use. Once you are done, the Harvard Business School Pitch Builder will  then analyze your completed pitch. Try it out here.

Filed Under: How to, marketing, public relations, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Food for Thought: Did You Know

April 20, 2009 By

Filed Under: social media, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Ashton Kutcher Gets Social Media — Do You?

April 19, 2009 By

By now– unless you have been living under a rock for the last week without any Internet connection and have taken an oath against listening to any news—you have heard about how Ashton Kutcher challenged CNN to see who could get to one million followers first on Twitter. Kutcher won. But maybe his challenge means we all won.

On Friday, April 17, 2009 after winning his challenge, Kutcher told Oprah that he believes that “We’re at a place now with social media where a single person’s voice can be as powerful as an entire news network — that is the power of the social web.”

He went on to say that as a celebrity his life “somewhat on display anyway, and not always by choice… so instead of them publishing pictures and videos I don’t like, I can publish pictures and video of myself… that I’m happy with. If there’s some sort of fallacy that’s out in some magazine or that some blogger has written about, you can respond to it, and you can actually respond to it in a genuine way, directly with your fans.”

In an article for The Huffington Post titled “Changing the Face of Media: Kutcher vs CNN” Andrew Cherwenka, vice president of business development at trapeze.com wrote:

Kutcher gets new media. His livecast during the race – a continuous live video stream over the internet – was an engaged conversation. He read followers’ tweets on air, asked questions, and actively engaged his audience using Twitter. He linked us to YouTube clips and his chosen charity, www.malarianomore.org. He advanced his next cause, fighting human trafficking.

At the end of the day, Kutcher has been able to raise almost one million dollars for Malaria No More and maybe he also showed the power of social media to the non-believers out there. What do you think?

Filed Under: public relations, social media, twitter Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Quiksilver CEO Bob McKnight to Speak at UC Irvine

April 19, 2009 By

Quiksilver CEO Bob McKnight will be speaking on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 6:30 pm at the UC Irvine Student Center. Registration for this event is free and can be done online at http://quiksilver-info.eventbrite.com/. The deadline to register is May 15, 2009.

vaunt trim
Creative Commons License photo credit: guff vaughan

Robert B. McKnight, Jr. co-founded Quiksilver in 1976 and served as the company’s president from 1979 through July 1991. In August 1991, McKnight was appointed Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. He was re-appointed President In February 2008.

Under his watch, Quiksilver has grown from a startup to a worldwide corporation with revenues of $2.4 billion. The company designs, produces and distributes branded apparel, winter sports equipment, footwear, accessories and related products that are sold in specialty and department stores in over 90 countries.

McKnight will be speaking as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series for UC Irvine’s FEMBA Program. A networking reception will follow McKnight’s presentation.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Backing up your Tweets

April 18, 2009 By


Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

Filed Under: How to, social media, twitter Tagged With: ,

YouTube Sensation Susan Boyle; Power of Social Media

April 18, 2009 By

One week ago today Susan Boyle was an unknown 47 year old woman from Scotland. Today she is a world wide household name whose YouTube singing clip from Britain’s Got Talent has been viewed nearly 50 million times. How did this happen?

We love you just as you are
Creative Commons License photo credit: Gilberto Viciedo

According to Ian Young of BBC News:

“It is the story of a talent unearthed, but that does not fully explain why she has become such a sensation.

Boyle has shattered prejudices about the connection between age, appearance and talent. She has proved that you don’t have to be young and glamorous to be talented, and recognised as such.

The YouTube millions have cheered on the underdog, and seen in her the possibilities for their own hopes and dreams.”

The power of talent, dreams, word of mouth, and YouTube.

Filed Under: social media Tagged With: , , , ,

Should Your Company be Tweeting

April 7, 2009 By

Last month it did seem that no matter where you went or whatever news channel you watched, the conversation was all about Twitter. According to Compete, a stat tracking service, the conversation was really about Twitter. From February to March, Twitter grew 76.8% and now reaches more than 14 million Americans monthly. My social network
Creative Commons License photo credit: luc legay

But is Twitter the right place for your company? It all depends. What are your reasons for joining Twitter? Does your company already have an online presence? Will you have to have each tweet approved by legal and or by Marketing? If so, Twitter is probably not the place for your company.

In Advertising Age today B.L. Ochman wrote the  “Top 10 Reasons Your Company Probably shouldn’t Tweet.”

Here are my four favorite reasons from the article on why your company shouldn’t tweet:

You plan to use Twitter for nothing but broadcasting headlines or deals. People follow people they find interesting. Followers are earned on Twitter. Be interesting, make only every 10th tweet about you, and you’ll gain and keep a following. If all your tweets are a one-way street: Block!

You think all that matters on Twitter is getting a lot of people to follow you. Quality trumps quantity.

You want to protect your updates. If people have to ask permission to see what you’re posting on Twitter, you’re defeating the purpose, which is conversation.

You think you can just jump in and start tweeting. Listen first. Monitor what’s being said about your brand, your industry, your products. Then join the conversation and become part of the community. Then your occasional marketing messages will be accepted, or at least tolerated because you also add value to the community.

Beautifully put B.L.

Anyone else?

Filed Under: marketing Tagged With: ,