Category: Social Media + Influencer Engagement

#CMWorld: Part I

Margot HorganBlog, Marketing, Professional Development, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

Last month, I attended Content Marketing World (CMW), a three-day long conference in Columbus, Ohio, which focused on all of the ideas, hardships, tips, tricks and secret joys of content marketing. Presentations were given by industry leaders such as Sam Sebastian, director of local and B2B markets at Google; and Marcus Sheridan, blogging trailblazer and pool company owner.

Despite my urge to share every last word of knowledge that I gained on my trip, I’ll provide the abridged version. Here is my summary of one-liners of the most interesting parts of my conference:

They ask. You answer. (Golden Rule).

This first tidbit comes from Marcus Sheridan (the most energetic speaker that you will ever see in your life). If content creation is the biggest challenge you face for your blog, think again. Pull your staff together and say, “What are the questions you get asked every day about our work?” Then make a list and write an individual blog post answering every single one of those questions.

Don’t be a content hog, but a digital dandelion!

Words of wisdom from conference speaker, Jay Baer. Don’t just put content on your website, put it everywhere you can so as many people as possible can see it!

Seventy-three percent of all people who read B2B blogs are human. –Tim Washer, Cisco

This is a statistic that I was presented with during a session by Ann Handley titled, “Epic Content That’s True to Your Brand AND Drives Business.” And, yes my friends, it’s true – the majority of people that read blogs are human J So, what does that mean to us? We need to speak human when we write our blogs! Don’t get so caught up in the corporate side of the job, that you forget you are talking one human to another (or hopefully many!)

Mobile will only continue to grow in importance.

According to a presentation by Sam Sebastian, director of local and B2B markets at Google, mobile will continue to make a big impact on the way people shop, buy and consume. Sixty-one percent of all smart phone users call a business after searching it on the web, and 45 percent of all consumers use smart phones for in-store product research.

The whole myth of time doesn’t exist.

Marcus Sheridan tackles another blogging myth here. There is no such thing as, “I don’t have time to blog” because we always have enough time for pay roll. Until we accept blogging as a necessity (like payroll or breathing) we aren’t going anywhere!

Did any of these one-liners stick out to you? We would love to hear your thoughts! Stay tuned for part II of this blog coming soon!

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CNN + Facebook Politics

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

With campaign season gearing up, our intern Emily delved into how social media will change the presidential election — again (a la 2008). Enjoy!

In today’s age of ever-growing digital collaborations, CNN and Facebook are the newest digital duo. The pair has announced a new partnership including a Facebook app that focuses on users’ political stances during the 2012 election.

The partnership will have Facebook monitoring what people are saying about the election, in addition to a much anticipated “I’m voting” Facebook app. According to CNN and Facebook, the app will “enable people who use Facebook to commit to voting and endorse specific candidates and issues. Commitments to vote will be displayed on people’s Facebook timeline, news feed and real-time ticker.”

So what does this mean for the election, users, PR and advertising? For years, analysts have stressed the importance and necessity of young voters. Combing two of the biggest media brands, Facebook and CNN, has the potential to change the outcome of the election. Facebook’s overwhelming popularity with Millennials is astronomical, and research consistently shows that information uploaded to social media sites can influence people within each other’s networks and beyond.

With the possibility of millions of young adults using this app, users will be consequently displaying their voting preferences to a huge network of friends. Friends will now be able to see when and where each person is voting along with their political opinions. Even more so, this information will be compiled for larger surveys that will give the nation and candidates an idea of what constituents are thinking. Insights will provide candidates with crucial information surrounding what they should change about their campaigns. And, most importantly, the chance of a positive influence and calls-to-action for young adults to go vote is definitely a possible effect.

The partnership is also changing the landscape of campaign advertising. By default, a user will become even more of a grassroots advocate for candidates by sharing personal voting preferences with his networks. This unprecedented reach far exceeds the traditional scope of word-of-mouth when conveying political views. It even blows traditional social media reach out of the water. Using this app will let the entire nation know what the Facebook community thinks and changes the democratic system by bringing candidates and voters closer together.

Nonetheless, people have voiced concerns about the continued unpopularity of Facebook apps. However, this is an unprecedented app involving one of the most important elections in history. But, only in the next few months will we be able to see the true potential and popularity of this new campaign. Despite the concerns, there is no question that the partnership has a lot of potential and is leaving many voters eager to participate.

Here’s to hoping that the newest launch will finally have young voters “rocking the vote.”

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What Does A PR Agency Do? Videos for PR

Josephine ButlerAwards, Blog, Case Studies, Furniture PR, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , 1 Comment on What Does A PR Agency Do? Videos for PR

People commonly ask us what a PR agency does. We thought the best way to answer that question would be to share case studies from our work that was recently recognized at the North Carolina chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s (NCPRSA) InSpire Awards. Clairemont won 14 InSpire Awards, and we hope that this “Award Winning Wednesday” blog series will inspire you, too!

Client: Thomasville Furniture, established in 1904 and a leading name in the home furnishings industry.

Objective:  Create a series of videos to showcase Thomasville’s new furniture and upholstery at High Point Market, as well as demonstrate the versatility of the Reinventions collection, a multi-functional collection designed to maximize space in smaller homes, with the following goals:

  • Boost overall interactions on the Thomasville Facebook page, with special emphasis on increasing interactions among 18 to 34-year-olds by 5 percent.
  • Increase the number of likes on the page by 100 percent.

Execution: Commissioned research provided insights on media consumption preferences of Thomasville’s existing customers and younger target consumers. Focus groups revealed that younger consumers often see Thomasville’s furniture as special occasions furnishings, while they seek more of an everyday, comfortable look. Additionally, informal feedback from employees and customers indicated that previously produced videos weren’t necessarily viewed as targeting a younger demographic due to the fact that the on-camera talent didn’t match that desired age group.

To gain fans and keep them engaged, we provided creative content with quality videos focused on the following areas:

An Insider’s View to Furniture Market: The fact that furniture market isn’t open to the public didn’t stop us from sharing the collections that Thomasville debuted at market with its fans. A series of videos featured team members sharing information about new collections. To reinforce the idea that Thomasville’s furniture is so comfortable it makes you want to “kick up your feet,” each person was interviewed relaxing in her favorite vignette in the showroom, as she offered design tips or revealed sources of decorating inspiration. Collectively, these videos received 234,764 impressions.

How-to Videos: A mini-series was produced to showcase Reinventions, a new, multi-functional collection designed for everyday living. These videos demonstrated how to maximize space with the versatility of the collection’s pieces. For example, the Slater Mill Drop-Leaf Table can be folded down to a mere 13-inch deep sofa table or expand to a dining table to accommodate six people – ideal for city apartment living. These videos received a total of 88,055 impressions.

Results: Through our promotional efforts, including these videos, Thomasville’s fan base on Facebook increased from 11,249 to 31,256, approximately a 178 percent increase from 2010. Additionally, we boosted average weekly interactions from 2,964 to 7,571, a 155 percent increase, engaging the target audiences of existing customers and young consumers alike. Specific to the videos, we received nearly 322,819 total impressions, 102 likes and 43 comments, exceeding our goals.

What did you think of this social media case study? Was it helpful? Be sure to check out our last case study featuring the Thomasville Facebook page.

Have questions? Interested in Clairemont’s video production services? Drop us a line!

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To Tweet or Not to Tweet?: A Guide to Twitter Business Etiquette

Josephine ButlerBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , , , ,

As consumers of all things public relations, the Clairemont team can’t seem to get enough of Twitter. From managing our own personal accounts to strategizing for clients, we’re constantly on the social networking site, tweeting away. And when we’re not having conversations on Twitter, we’re researching the latest industry tips and trends, via sites like HubSpot, where we recently stumbled across this gem. Too good not to share, we hope you’ll find these Twitter etiquette for business tips as helpful as we do!

Tip #1: In lieu of time, don’t make it a habit of replying to every single Tweet. You should be replying to two types of tweets on an ongoing basis: questions and negative comments. And it pays off. Did you know that 64 percent of users are more likely to purchase from businesses that answer their questions on Twitter?

Tip #2: Follow back your followers! This way, if your followers end up with a question, they have the opportunity to DM (direct message) you, and you better believe it: this is especially ideal when it’s a complaint!

Tip #3: To allow for more time to monitor content, schedule tweets in advance. And now that you have all this extra time on your hands, have a colleague take a second look — you never know what might come off the wrong way.

With these three tips, you’re well on your way to becoming a Twitter pro! Still need a little help writing, scheduling or creating a strategy surrounding your tweets? Clairemont can help! Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Have more tips to share? Ditto!

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My First 30 Days at a Raleigh PR Agency: Day 28

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Raleigh PR Agency, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , , ,

Although Mike and Ike’s split hit the news back in April, it wasn’t until this weekend that I really saw this nasty breakup play out in public. First, it was the billboards scattered along the sides of highways in Charlotte – a very public display of Ike erasing Mike from his life (and his billboard).

Then, of course, there were the commercials. The news obviously devastated fans, coworkers and celebrities, alike, as the cameras caught their reactions on film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwGsxfkROdo&feature=plcp

On the Facebook, YouTube and Tumblr, the drama continued between the estranged duo as fans begged, “Why?!”

Why? Well, for the ratings, of course – there’s no news there. In public relations, we’re usually working proactively to avoid conflict. Yet, here the candy brand has not only welcomed it, but started it. An uncommon tactic, but not original. Barbie and Ken announced their divorce back in 2004, and the brand Benetton is better known for its extremely controversial ad campaigns than it is for its actual products.

So here’s the question I pose: When does introducing a little bit of drama or controversy become too distracting? For Mike and Ike and Barbie and Ken, I think it’s just the right amount. Create a little bit of a stir about a breakup to generate publicity, but still focus on the actual product. Benetton – aren’t you supposed to be a fashion brand? I hear more about your ad campaigns than I do about your clothing.

In my first 30 days at a Raleigh PR agency, I’ve learned that conflicts and crises are sometimes part of the job. But, when did we start creating controversy in an attempt to do our job better? And, when does the controversy become off-putting to consumers? Ignoring the poorly executed posts and bland YouTube commercials, do you think the idea of Mike and Ike’s breakup is just what the brand needed for some renewed publicity, or is it just plain distracting?

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