CG Communications

Know your worth

What do you have to offer an organization?

As professionals in the business of PR and communications…if we can’t promote ourselves, we have no business being in the field.

Companies expect us to build reputations, create awareness and get out key messages. When was the last time you thought about those important elements when it comes to brand you?

I cannot stress the importance of self promotion…in a modest way of course. As communications professionals we need to learn how to create awareness and value for what we do. We are the educators, ambassadors and voices of an organization. Believe me, its easier to sell a product than its is an idea or an image. I know, I’ve done both.

We are there in the forefront fighting public backlash, extinguishing company crises, promoting product launches, devising strategies and above all communicating with the public. Keep in mind the ability to communicate effectively is a gift and skill that not everyone has.

A student’s guide to Web 2.0 best practices

Social media has become the topic of conversation amongst many emerging PR professionals. Filling the minds of those preparing for the career road ahead are questions like “is social media the future of PR?”

Many veterans in the field will agree the face of PR has already changed significantly due to the various tools offered on the web. Still there are those who prefer to use more traditional PR tactics and communications tools. Regardless of where you stand on the subject, we need to recognize both the positive and negative impact the Internet and its plethora of tools can have on our organization or our clients.

As an emerging corporate communications and public relations professional, I would like to recommend some best practices to consider when using Web 2.0 tools for PR.

Know who’s talking about you

The Internet knows no boundaries. Everyone is a critic, so you can be sure there is one talking about your organization. It’s important for any organization to know where they are on the web at all times.

Be aware of what people are publishing about your company, cause or product. Positive or negative, you need to know what’s being posted. Monitoring Internet content is as easy as setting up a Google Alert . Straightforward and effortless, alerts allow you to navigate through the clutter to find what matters most to your organization.

In this highly competitive world, your organization should be aware of its on-line presence and reputation.

Manage your on-line image

Consistency is key when promoting your organization or yourself on-line. It’s critical to ensure the messages you send out to the world through the Internet, are the ones you want everyone to receive.

For example, if the CEO of your organization decides to create a personal Facebook profile displaying content that contradicts the organization values, it reflects poorly on the organization. The same principal applies to social networking tools such as Twitter and LinkedIn . If you have a professional image to uphold, be consistent throughout the various social networking sites. Strategic thinking must be applied when posting information on-line, both personally and professionally.

Make a personal connection

Consider the impact a live person could have on your on-line customers. The Internet is no longer a one-dimensional method of communication. With the introduction of vlogging and video streaming sites like Youtube , Ustream and Seesmic , companies now have the ability to connect with their audiences in a more intimate way. Tools such as these allow companies to communicate as if a representative was right there with the client. They add the power of body language and human interaction to an otherwise isolated mode of communication.

Consider responding to customer’s questions and concerns via a video blog post instead of the more traditional e-mail. Discovering innovative ways to connect with your audience will help build lasting relationships.

Provide the information they need

Creating social bookmarks is a great way to stay connected to your audience and establish communities. Posting information relevant to your organization and its audiences is also a great way to build a strong following and credible reputation. Through sites like Delicious , your organization can provide links to articles and research that support its initiatives and values.

Don’t play hide and seek

In today’s busy world no one has the time to search for your organization. Make sure your company information is easy to find and planted where it needs to be. Research consumer sites and on-line forums significant to your organization and industry like Get Satisfaction and post links to your website if you choose not to participate.

Equally important is ensuring your organization’s website has updated contact information and an easy to find “profile” page. You audience has a short attention span when it comes to searching the web so educate them on who you are and how to contact you in the most direct way possible. They’ll appreciate the user-friendly features of your site.

I hope these tips have been helpful in your quest for PR information. If you take anything away from this post I would like it to be this:

Remember…PR is about building relationships. The Internet is merely another tool to accomplish that goal.

www.getsatisfaction.com can satisfy consumers

The website www.getsatisfaction.com clearly has its pros and cons and they vary depending on how participating organizations decide to use the site.

Monitoring a few companies over a period of one week provided good insight to the potential benefit the site could offer companies who actively participate. The organizations I monitored were Google, O’Reilly Media and HP. All three companies had sufficient consumer activity, but they differed in employee replies and availability.

I found the more employees a company had online participating in discussions with consumers, the better the response was after the initial problem was posted. This was the case with O’Reilly Media that had 36 employees available to address concerns. The opposite was apparent with Google, only having three reps and a lot of unanswered consumer questions and concern. HP was a similar to Google with only three company representatives and a lot of consumer complaint about its products.

As mentioned above there are certainly pros and cons to this site, but the cons could be turned into pros if the companies put forth more effort to monitor and reply to negative feed back, questions and concerns. The biggest downfall of the site or any site like this is by neglecting to respond to consumers to complain about products or services, you allow the problem to escalate and spread like a virus. The pros I believe outweigh the cons. If properly monitored and with the right representatives, a company’s reply can be quite powerful. This service provides consumers with an additional outlet to voice concern and reach out for assistance. Even if representatives can’t help every time, they can guide consumers to the company’s customer service department and or another outlet.

Overall the site was user friendly. It was simple to sign in and start browsing through companies. Using images of company logos helps users identify the company’s they may not know by name alone. It also makes them stand out more.

The site was simple to navigate through and providing a search bar at the top of the page helps users find relevant company information. Also the subject headlines and descriptions beside the companies showing latest ideas or problems was a great tool. Clicking on the company logo would then bring you to a list of all related discussions was easy to get to. This is important for users, especially those who are not use to computers.

The way the site flowed made sense to me. It was straightforward and basic, easy for most consumers to use. What I found difficult was locating information about company representatives. There was not much in regards to profiles or qualifications.

This type of site would be extremely beneficial in the PR role. If used properly it can create a path of communication from company to consumer that would build relationships, confidence and loyalty. It is also valuable because a company can monitor and confront issues surrounding its products or services that could potentially cause problems with its publics.