Womenpreneurs

The times have changed, and in this age of Web 2.0 businesses need to adapt to reach potential customers. Social media is an essential part of a business’s PR plan- consumers are “tweeting” and “digging” now, so we must do the same.

Below I’ve listed some of the more popular forms of social media, and ways you can integrate them into your company’s PR strategy.

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com

Twitter is based around a simple concept- people sharing, or “tweeting”, what it is they’re up to at any given moment in 140 characters or less. Though it’s great for personal use and keeping up with the goings on of friends and family, it is a useful tool for businesses too. Companies such as Comcast, Dell, and Southwest Airlines are using twitter to provide customer support and give company updates. Twitter is also handy when it comes to crisis management. Let’s say, for example, your company is late with the launch of a new product line. In addition to sending out a standard press release, you can tweet about the delay to keep customers, buyers, and the media informed.

Sign up is a breeze, and it is one of the easiest social media sites to use and customize, in my opinion.

MySpace – http://www.myspace.com

MySpace is the king of all social networks, and if used properly, is a great way to reach potential clients. When setting up your company’s MySpace page, you can change the look of it to match your website and/or blog, which helps your branding efforts.

Definitely join some of the many helpful business networks, or “groups”, available on MySpace to connect with colleagues, and consider creating a group that highlights your business. One client of mine has a MySpace group they call their “VIP Club”. People who join their MySpace group get exclusive coupon codes and are entered into a monthly drawing open only to “VIP Club” members. This has created loyalty for their brand.

One thing to avoid on MySpace is spamming your friend’s bulletin boards, and automatically accepting everyone who sends a friend request - you must be careful about who you associate your company with. Example: if you sell children’s clothes and “friend” a pornography producer, it will send mixed signals to potential customers. Check out the page of everyone who sends you a friend request thoroughly, and keep your personal and business MySpace pages separate.

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com

Facebook is similar to MySpace, but with a different look and feel. Also, the people who frequent Facebook tend to be in their 20s and 30s.

One useful business tool on Facebook is the ability to create a page for your business. This page has a forum, an area to upload video and photos, and a space to promote events. It is a great way to introduce your business to potential customers, share news with colleagues, and distribute news about upcoming events and product launches.

Facebook also offers inexpensive advertising that you can tailor to your preferred demographic and regional area.

As I mentioned about MySpace, it is key to keep your business and personal Facebook accounts separate, and to scan the pages of people who request to be your friend.

YouTube – http://www.youtube.com

YouTube is a network that allows users to share and distribute videos. Companies can use YouTube as a tool to put a face on their business, which is especially useful for companies that are online-based. Some ideas are to record and post a video about your company’s philosophy, mission, or short bio about the company’s founder. It is best to keep your videos short, to the point, and interesting. Another thing some companies do with YouTube is post tutorials, such as how-to create jewelry, how-to cook, etc. This provides useful information to potential customers and establishes you as an expert in your field.

As with all social media, and media in general, you want to avoid sounding like a sales pitch- people can see right thought it. Instead of posting a video about your terrific new face cream that is 10% off for one week only, post a video about how your face cream is useful for those with dry skin, what ingredients are in it, and the best application method to deliver optimal results. Many people put their products on sale, but you want to answer the question- why do I need to buy it?

Blogging

Just about every company has a blog these days. I recommend that my clients use them, and am nearing the launch date for my company’s own blog. They are most effective when they are used to engage with customers, and share useful information with them; they are a lost cause when they’re just used as a sales pitch.

For example, one of my clients who makes luxury spa items uses her blog to share homemade bath and body recipes and give beauty tips. By giving her audience useful and relevant information, she is able keep them interested in her company’s products and build a loyal customer base.

When you blog, it’s ok to use a conversational writing style, which is what keeps people interested in reading them. Blogging is a great way to introduce new products, share news about tradeshows and events, and can even be integrated into your marketing plan by hosting a blog giveaway featuring your best-selling products. Giveaways are extremely popular, and are a great way to increase traffic to your blog.

There are many free and low-cost blog platforms available, including Blogger (http://www.blogspot.com) and Wordpress (http://www.wordpress.com). Wordpress also offers a version that can be integrated into your website (http://www.wordpress.org), as does Type Pad (http://www.typepad.com).

Social Media Releases

The Social Media Release, or SMR, is a relatively new concept that breaks away from the format of the traditional press or media release. An SMR includes a company’s video footage, audio, images, RSS feeds, and other interactive content. Keep in mind that the SMR is not a replacement for the traditional press release. I find them useful to supplement pitches when following up with editors. It’s always key to have something useful to offer an editor when following up about a pitch, namely photos or video. An SMR is a great way to combine your news release with extra content that editors may find useful when writing a story about your company.

There are templates available for writing an SMR, the first of which was written by Shift Communication’s Todd Defren in 2006. Template version 1.5 was released by Defren in 2008, and you can find it here: http://www.shiftcomm.com/downloads/smr_v1.5.pdf

Since the SMR is a concept that may take some getting used to, FutureWorks Principal Brian Solis wrote a guide that has helpful information about them here: http://www.briansolis.com/2008/02/definitive-guide-to-social-media.html

You certainly do not need to make use of all the tools I’ve listed here-figure out how much time you’d like to dedicate to social media, and choose the methods that best suit your company’s needs. Whether you only have time to tweet once a week, or want to blog daily, social media will definitely boost your PR campaign.

Rhonda Bunton is the founder of Lush & Luxe, a boutique PR firm specializing in the beauty & lifestyle industries, as well as celebrity gifting. She can be reached at rmbunton@gmail.com or through the Lush & Luxe PR website, http://www.lushandluxepr.com .