Drill Bits

I’m not sure that I’ve ever really completed any of my New Year’s resolutions, which is why I’m starting this bad boy up before 2010 rolls around.  You see, I love social media.  As in, really, really love it.  I can’t count the number of times that I’ve been called out for spending too much time on Facebook or endlessly tweeting on Twitter, and luckily for me, both of these are now part of my job description.

If you haven’t yet resolved to launch a blog for your business, what are you waiting for? If I had to guess, you’ve probably been busy putting out daily fires and reacting to the incoming, just like the rest of us. Well, even the cobbler ultimately gets around to crafting new shoes, and here at Brandware Public Relations, we’ve finally ramped up our own blog.   Instead of just listening in and commenting on the conversations surrounding our profession, we’re excited to finally lead the discussion every now and then.

So, now that we’re up and running – how about you? Here’s why a blog should be part of your communications program:

1. Blogs can help you sell more stuff. If you’re one of the many people who still question a blog’s value and its ability to help sell products and services, I say, “Just look at Dell.”  In 2008, Dell drove more than $3 million in sales through Twitter alone.  It can be done.

2. Blogs establish your expertise and category leadership.  Your point of view, expressed in a blog, positions your brand as a thought leader for your industry.  This is your chance to tell people that you not only have something to sell, but you have something helpful, important, insightful or challenging to say.

3. Blogs are tangible proof that you care about the customer.  By blogging, you’re sharing your knowledge, discussing ideas, and creating customer assurance that you’ll be there for them when they need you.  Take a look at Mashable.com; it’s a personal favorite of mine for social media news, and it was founded in late 2005.  Fast-forward four years, thousands of posts and even more replies later, and Mashable has more than 2 million fans, and it’s considered the industry’s gold standard for social media information.  Earning that trust is the first and most essential step in building a relationship with consumers, and if you can foster that relationship, they’ll return to you with their business.  Return on business.  That sounds a lot like ROI to me.

4. Blogs are a competitive edge. Hosting a professional blog provides your company with the opportunity to tell customers and prospects exactly what differentiates your product or service from someone else’s.  People are busier than ever before, and online shopping has created the optimal convenience package that consumers need today.  In 2009, online retail sales have seen a growth of 11 percent to $159 billion in the U.S., despite the recession.  Many shoppers won’t even enter your physical establishment (assuming you even have one); they’ll just make the purchase from your digital storefront.  Those who do make the visit are likely to come equipped with better-research through online (though not necessarily well-informed) opinions, and they’ll carry competitive prices with them.    Why not make sure that they read and hear the facts from you, not just from a line of ad copy or someone else’s biased opinion?

5. Blogs rev up SEO. Blogging will drive a higher level of search engine optimization.  What does that mean?  Basically, the more current your website stays with new blog entries and relevant keywords, the higher your website ranks on Google, Bing and Yahoo! search results.  It doesn’t matter how incredible your products and services are if you’re buried on page three; the vast majority  of searches never progress beyond page one.  With a little patience, a little creativity and a little elbow grease, engaging your audience by blogging about what you do and what you know can change that.

So what’s your company’s resolution for 2010?  If you haven’t set one yet, why not consider launching a blog?  Just holler if you need some advice, or even if you’d just like to bounce around a few ideas.  Whether you’re going to be a do-it-yourself blogger or need a few tips on how to expand your entire digital PR and marketing effort, we’re happy to offer up a bit of free advice.  Until then, happy holidays, and have a fantastic end of your 2009.

-Davis Adams

Today, one of our interns interviewed me for a term paper she’s working on.  Most of the questions focused on points of differentiation as well as convergence between media and PR.  We talked a lot about how tools have changed, how user generated content is impacting the business, how the reduction in editorial space and both media and consumer attention spans are changing the game – and how all of this is impacting skill sets for the class of 2010.  Lizzy, who’s getting ready to graduate from UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, is a good interviewer.  She’s also a strategic thinker, a great verbal communicator, a solid writer and a new media whiz.  Even more impressively, she knows how to manage up (which means that all my attempts to skirt deliverables that may impact a deadline she’s committed to are met with gentle but persistent reminders that action is required.)  And that makes her a rare commodity indeed.  Sure, we meet plenty of job candidates who know HTML code and Facebook apps backwards.  Most also bring lots of enthusiasm and they love to chat.  But we find that too many lack some very essential skills that will handicap them in the PR field.  Most troubling is the frequent absence of written and verbal communication skills.  A fair share of these “kids” just can’t seem to craft a compelling sentence.  It’s popular right now to cast generational blame – after all, isn’t the class of 2010 a byproduct of an environment that reduces communications to a click here, a text there?  How can we expect anyone to read verbal and visual cues when their biggest point of social interaction is with a computer screen or a PDA?  As excuses go, good try – but unless your career objective involves a hut and a mountain top, chances are you’ll have to speak with or – horrors! – sit across from a real human being at some point and sell them on an idea.

So, here’s a little dose of tough-love self-help for all you future PR rock stars.  We know there are plenty of brilliant sparks among you – just don’t let these five no-nos derail your quest for a great job.

1. I haz cheezeburgerz isn’t good English. You’re applying for a job where you’re going to communicate for a living (OMG!).  Why is your cover letter rife with typos, missing words and grammatical errors? Why don’t you know the difference between it’s and its? (LOL, #FAIL)
2. Like, really, we thought Valley talk was so Eighties. Hey, you’ve already hijacked our music and fashions so go ahead and use the word “like” once, twice or even more in every sentence during our interview.  And keep talking that way all the way out the door.  Like, later, dude!
3. Turn down the volume! Why is it that you know how to get your point across in a 140-character or less Tweet but it takes paragraphs of run-on sentences to tell us why we should hire you? Thoughts of dazed clients and angry journalists are dancing in our collective heads.
4. TMI. Okay, so you’re charming, quick-witted, play well with others, love this and that, etc.  But really, enough about you, already.  What exactly can you do for us? No experience, you say? No problem.  Why not pick a client we currently represent, do your research and send us a few creative ideas about how you would help get them noticed?
5. Your parents don’t work here. If your folks still fight your battles (ask us about the Mom who called to question a performance evaluation) or otherwise guard you from the evils of the real world, may they soon see the light.  We offer jobs that require attention to detail, accountability, self-motivation, drive and energy.  Don’t leave home without them.

- Elke Martin