Strategic Public Relations

Facebook, Online Privacy & the Bottom Line

Facebook just changed its privacy controls, making it impossible to hide from Facebook Search.

Unfortunately, the bulk of users that are even aware of these changes will probably spend more time complaining about it instead of either learning about the changes or doing something about it.

Learn
According to Mashable,

"The new privacy tools will make it easier for you to pick which of your friends or subscribers can view your personal info, status updates and photos, according to Reuters. It also makes it simpler for you to request that a photograph of yourself be taken down by the uploader." 

There's good news and bad news here. The bad news is that these changes are driven by Facebook's desire to offer better advertising options to brands. Like it or not, brands have always come before users on Facebook. And it's because brands pay for Facebook. But the good news is, while you can't hide from search, you CAN control who sees what content. Facebook is putting the onus of individual user privacy into the hands of the individual - albeit at a granular and incomplete level.

CNET reminds us that I may be a bit Pollyanna in my outlook.

"Facebook has mostly just fostered apathy in the vast majority of its subscribers -- and confusion among those who are paying attention to what Facebook is doing with their activity and the resulting data." 

Facebook is horrible at communicating privacy changes. The apathy and confusion mentioned above plays to Facebook's advantage. And they are user issues of Facebook's own design. I've always learned about changes from users -- never Facebook itself.

Do
Had I written this earlier in the week, I'd have suggested voting via Facebook's community voting process. But there was not enough voter turnout -- the option has been eliminated. Users can still do something about it though. They can either get Medieval on their privacy settings or they can leave Facebook.

I know about 1 billion reasons why most users are more likely to complain than to leave Facebook.

Bottom Line?
No matter how self-entitled the user base may become, Facebook is a free site. We play by their rules. And whether it's Facebook or any other corner of the internet, it's up to individual users to manage their privacy. Facebook makes this clear time and time again. Whenever I get online privacy questions, it's usually from someone that wants to create a private/stealth spot on Facebook. And whenever this happens, I point to my favorite venn diagram (above).

If you don't want someone to see it? Don't put it online.

Guy Kawasaki's Latest on Apple, Google+ & Facebook

In a recent Google+ Hangout** Guy Kawasaki offered up some new perspectives on a number of topics. Here's a quick recap.

Disenchanted with Apple?
It's no surprise Apple was on Guy's list of brands living the principles of enchantment -- being likeable, trustworthy and with quality products. But he also noted Apple lived these principles "up until six weeks ago." Clearly Guy's one of a growing number of critics wondering if it's the beginning of the end for Apple.

Will History Repeat for Google+?
It was also no surprise to hear Guy go long on Google+, but it was very interesting to consider a comparison he made to another underdog platform.

"Google+ makes me better. And the response it's getting reminds me of when the first Mac computers came out. Compared to Microsoft's operating platform, the Mac was better. It was also used by fewer people. Window's operating platform had so much market share, and Mac's were so different, everyone said the products would fail. And while everyone compares its user base to Facebook, don't forget Google's true size. It's integrating Google+ with its other products. It's one of several reasons Google+ isn't going anywhere."

Can Facebook Edgerank & Opt-In Mix?
Guy's take on Edgerank does a great job of summing up an issue thought leaders like Chris Pirillo, and some brands, are having with Facebook's newsfeed algorithm.

"I have 276,000 people subscribing to my updates on Facebook. By subscribing, they've personally opted in to receive my information in their newsfeeds. Facebook is letting math decide which 15 percent of my subscribers receive my posts. The only obvious option Facebook gives me is to promote my posts. It doesn't make sense."

Edgerank has come under fire lately as an unfair approach to monetization -- despite research showing how many users see an average post. In my opinion, applying a broadcast strategy like opt-in to an engagement platform like Facebook is not always a direct correlation.

**HYPE's Bold Fusion 2012
The hangout focused onGuy's upcoming presentation at the upcoming Bold Fusion 2012 event. The hangout and the event are organized by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. I'm one of several bloggers getting free access to the event which will focus on how the art of enchantment can lead to big impact for attendees, their company and their community. Guy is presenting on his book Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds & Actions. I'm looking forward to attending #boldfusion.

Are Brands People, Media or Publishers? Ad Age Misses the Point.

Like any professional industry, social media discussions can become unnecessarily “confrontational.”

The air quotes are to emphasize this confrontation isn’t heated by any means. It’s usually a keyboard-based back and forth that starts when someone makes a point and someone else splits hairs to create a counterpoint.

That’s what happened in the latest Ad Age Digital column, “No, Brands Aren’t People — and Consumers Don’t Want Them to Be.” The article, a response to “Why Brands Look Like People on Facebook,” goes to great lengths to draw a distinction between humans and brands.

For the rest of this article, visit Media is Power. MIP is a new content marketing platform I've been helping build at work . More to come on that test and learn project.

Top Photo Apps Getting Instagram Engagement

Lately I've noticed my more heavily edited pics are getting more likes. To assume that more apps/edits equate to more attention is short-sighted. Format is no substitute for content, and likes aren't the best engagement metric.** But with that said, here are the apps I've used to create my five most-liked photos on Instagram.

1) Camera+  |  Every single picture above was run through Camera+. I use it on nearly every picture I take and Creamy Whip? Zip Dip! relies soley on Camera+. The HDR filter helps light, the sun rising and setting in particular, to really pop.

2) Slow Shutter Cam  |  Slow shutter and stop action apps are amazing niche apps. Initially, I took more with my stop action app, MogoFoto. But spend an evening at a festival or an amusement park and you'll see why Slow Shutter Cam turned Tilt-a-Hurl into my most liked picture.

3) Marble Cam  |  "Sharks with frickin' laser beams..." was taken with MarbleCam, an intersting novelty app that focuses on the center of your image in a whole new way.

4) Picfx  |  Picfx has a lot of fans. One reason is because it can distress photos, creating a whole new look. One Way is a great example of this.

5) Rays  |  Pictures with light sources in them are perfect for the Rays app, which will enhance them. It turned Cloud Porn with Inception Vibe into one of my favorites and one of my most-liked photos.

Bonus Tool  |  Statigram: Statigram makes Instagram pics easier to access, including your own photos. It serves up stats like the image above, and gives you access to several contests and other tools. This article on its various features is worth checking out if you're looking for an easier way to navigate Instagram.

Again, these results are based on content as much as format. So your experience with the above apps may vary. Now that Facebook's purchase of Instagram is final, I'm hoping posts like this one don't become humorous artifacts from " a time before Instagram was folded in to Facebook."

**Defining engagement is a lot like defining influence. The definition varies from person to person. And while I can see how likes are considered engagement, likes are passive enough that I don't think it's the strongest, standalone example of engagement. And unless you're goal is to raise awareness, likes are more of a progress metric compared to a data point measuring overall success.

Strategic Public Relations' Book Giveaway

UPDATE: BOOM! All books are gone. 

UPDATE: With just one book left in the stack, this has been a lot of fun. I assumed readers claiming the books would be scattered geographically. But it's been even more global than I anticipated.

Yes, I will be covering postage to Sweden, Turkey, Italy, the UK, Austrailia, Canada, Iowa, Georgia, Ohio (5), Washington, DC (2) and New York (2).

UPDATE: Only seven books are left. I'll be emailing the other books' new owners shortly. I've highlighted the last seven in yellow and struckthrough the others that are no longer available. Thanks.

After spending Labor Day Weekend purging, I have some books to give away. Some are older than others. But, as you'll see in the list above, they cover social media, public relations, branding, marketing and business topics. All of them are still relevant to one degree or another. If I did a blog post/book report, the list has a link to it. 

In the past, I've passed books along to others. And I've had books sent my way as well. So I felt it best to offer them up to readers instead of recycling or trying to get a few pennies back for them via Half Priced Books. 

Free Books? I'm in. What's Next?
If you want a book, just walk through the form below.

Infographic: At 5, the #Hashtag is One Versatile Character

The Hashtag celebrated its fifth birthday yesterday.

We were inspired to create an infographic capturing how a single character could become "kind of a big deal."

Multiple Media Channels
The hashtag has done more than help Twitter with its paid media strategy. It has expanded past Twitter to  integrate with other sites like Facebook. It has also impacted offline media channels, including TV and print as you see in the picture above.

It's a great reminder that simple can be very powerful.

The infographic reviews the hashtag's history, how it's being used across media channels and also includes tips for brands on how to use them more effectively.

Be sure to check it out. 

Progressive Insurance PR Crisis & Twitter

The image above makes me assume that, while Progressive Insurance may have a social media policy in place, it does not have a crisis plan. Or at least not a crisis plan that considers social media -- Twitter most obviously. 

With nearly a dozen people designated as Progressive Insurance Twitter representatives, there is a single tweet to deal with a controversy first detailed in this post from comedian, Matt Fisher. A controversy that pulls up more than 5,000 hits on Google News as of this post's writing.

Twitter About Face
The image above reflects an updated account. A picture of Progessive's ad spokes-character, Flo, has been replaced by the anonymous logo. And 16 "robo-tweets" attempting to address the controversy have been removed.

The  robo-tweets in question were a single tweet, posted repeatedly by the social media app Twitlonger. This repetition has come under scrutiny and it also has been deleted and replaced with a single, unemotional statement. All of these actions, along with 11 head shots of Progressive's Twitter Team members, simply reinforces the perception that Progressive Insurance does not really care about this issue or, as a result, it's policyholders.

Sharing's Exponentially Powerful Ability to Distribute a Message
By posting his story on Tumblr, it's already been reblogged on Tumblr more than 11,000 times since being posted on Monday...two days ago. But an article from Daily Dot speaks to even more distribution of this news via social sharing.

"And the flames jumped to the other social media platforms, too. Progressive’s Facebook page has been bombarded with links to the aforementioned Tumblr post. But perhaps the single biggest display of backlash has occurred on Twitter. Mr. Fisher’s story caught the attention of several users with a sizeable Twitter following."

A tweet from actor Wil Wheaton had the potential to reach many of his more than 2 million followers. But more telling is the fact that "Wheaton’s tweet was retweeted 2,624 times."

The Daily Dot also points to a tweet from comedian Patton Oswalt that has been retweeted 6,471 times." And he's all but dedicated his twitter stream to slamming Progressive. And "according to Topsy, a social media search engine, Progressive was mentioned 64,255 times" in the 24 hours preceding The Daily Dot's article.

Progressive's New Approach?
I'm not part of Progressive's PR team, legal team or a member of its Twitter Team. So there are a quadrillion facts I don't bring to the following ideas. And anyone else discussing this crisis should also acknowledge the same.

But with the aforementioned distance from the issue, I'd suggest Progressive spend some money around paid media across Twitter and Facebook to start telling their story. And that story had best be more than a statement from Progressive's legal-bot. It's one small point in a littany of things Progressive is probably immersed in as we speak. Or at least it should be. 

As far as integrating social media into a crisis plan, any plan not acknowledging social media is arguably rendered ineffective. In fact, I've been wanting to address how social media impacts a crisis plan for some time now. To oversimplify my take on the matter, I'll simply say that crisis plans need to build structure wherein a defined approach is established that allows teams to quickly assess and react according to the unique circumstances a crisis will bring. It's not as simple as having a phone tree and dark site in place. OK, it never was that simple. More to come on this topic.

 

 

 

Pinterest: 10 Tips for PR People

>> Carlo Pandian approached me with a ready-made guest post. But his pitch was so good that I pitched him on writing about Pinterest instead. PR's ability to drive consumers through the purchase funnel tends to focus on awareness. I like some of his Pinterest tips for PR people as they include tips for generating more than awareness -- while adhering to Pinterest's much-appreciated no direct sales rules.

Don't Forget: The tips below assume YOUR audience is on Pinterest and the tactic of pinning supports broader strategies in your plan.<<



The idea behind Pinterest is to create attractive pin boards on your profile based on your interests, or your products and services if you’re a business. Once you have created your pin boards all you need to do is ‘pin’ relevant images to the right boards and try to raise a following.

Direct Sales Aren’t Allowed
There are strict guidelines you will need to follow. In the terms and conditions it does state that you are not able to use the site for direct sales, but there are plenty of other uses that can lead to more sales.

First and foremost you must receive an invitation to open an account. A quick shout out on Twitter should be enough for someone to lend you a hand if you need it. Check within your own circles first though, with over 10 million users it’s likely you already know someone who can invite you. Failing that you can request an invite directly from Pinterest.

Here 10 tips on how to get on-board and start making use of this popular platform.

1.      Create product specific boards and show images of your goods.  If you offer a service you can still use the images from your blog posts or web pages.  Each image links back to the page you pinned it from, which is why it’s very useful for adding links to your website and bringing in new traffic.  Create new boards for your ranges to keep things organised.

2.      Think outside the box when it comes to marketing.  You cannot directly sell anything but you could use the site to pin special offer coupons, QR codes on your images or attractive images of entire collections to excite the viewer.

3.      Try to cross promote all of your social sites with Pinterest.  Link up your website, Twitter account and Facebook when you create your profile and send your pinned images over to your various sites.  Add your profile pictures and cover photos from Facebook onto a pin board, send pinned pictures directly to your Twitter account and encourage users of all social networks to visit all of your sites individually.

4.      Add the 'Follow me on Pinterest' button to your website next to your other social media buttons so people can follow you with one easy click. 

5.      The ‘Pin It’ button is another essential addition to your website specifically your product pages and your blog.

6.      Conduct market research by reaching out to users and asking for their opinions. Show ideas in the making, products which are being developed and see what the reaction is.

7.      It’s possible to add video content onto Pinterest so if you create your own video marketing remember to add these onto the relevant boards. Remember there is no direct selling, so consider the contents before pinning.

8.      If you have stories or news about your company across the Internet add it to your ‘In the News’ board.

9.      Ask your employees to all create their own pin board on the company profile.  Let their personality show, yet ensure they are aware of the rules first.

10.  As with all social networking you mustn’t be selfish.  Repin, share and comment on the pins and boards of others in order to raise an interest in you.

Related Articles 
Pinterest Best Practices
15 Ways to Use Pinterest for PR 
The 10 Commandmants of Pinterest for Business

Pinterest - The Social Media Darling Of 2012: Infographic by Infographiclabs

 Author
Carlo Pandian is a freelance writer based in London and blogs for Media Recruitment on public relations, marketing and careers. When he’s not online or cycling around town, you can’t get him out of the kitchen for his love of food.

Listen to the Brave Ad World Podcast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor Wiegert's Brave Ad World blog and podcast are great sources to add to your list of go to content.

Awhile back, he invited me to join the Brave Ad World podcast, during which we discuss the latest industry news, and our point of view on what's happening in the social media marketing industry. It's been an honor to participate on his show. And I can tell you that whether or not our schedules align, the podcast's content is always solid. And at usually about 30 minutes or so, it's focused on substance.

In this week's episode, we discuss everything from YouTube's Potential as a News Resource, LinkedIn's Engagement Updates, the Satisfied Google+ User Base, Foursquare's New Local Updates and Highlight's First Major Update Since Launch.

It's available on iTunes as well as your preferred mode of download.  If you have feedback for us, just drop an email to  braveadworld [at] gmail [dot] com.

Context + Relevance = An Important Equation

Aside from a low-grade entertainment value, animated gifs seem bent on little more than triggering seizures and furthering memes. One of the only times I've used them in a post was about a month ago. The motion can distract from the point you're trying to make.

When I saw an animated gif on Instagram, I wanted to post it because it was a good use of the usually abused technology. But the factoids in it focus on Facebook's purchase of Instagram. The topic's been covered and I didn't have anything to add to the discussion.

End Factoid Abuse
Regardless of the content, without context and relevance, my post would have been dancing baloney . The following video is a fun examination of how these factoid storms, without context or direct relevance, just leaves you all wet. It's a factoid mockumentary. It's...it's...well, just watch it.

Rolling Thunder 2.0
Back when 2.0 was dot com, startups were trying to flip their company instead of build it. Startups would issue a steady flow of news releases -- whether or not they had news. We called this rolling thunder. Today we all love a diet of eMarketer factoids, made even tastier with Twitter's 140-character menu, infographic eye candy and a culture where sharing content is more popular than creating it.

"Mr. Dugan, your glass house is ready..."
I'm as guilty of this habit as anyone else. Stats comparing  AOL, Facebook and Draw Something's path to reach 1 million users are not only impressive, they have parallel structure! But they're out of context and don't take into account that Draw Something and Facebook benefitted from the path AOL initially carved out for them, not to mention years of technological evolution.

When we look at any research, our first question should always be: sample? From there, anytime we're trying to make a point or we're putting together anything from a tweet to a powerpoint deck, let's take a deep breath and also ask: context?