Strategic Planning for Social Media

I recently attended a meeting on strategic planning for social media. Instead of a session on the intricacies of Facebook and Twitter, it turned out to be a back-to-basics on how to write a strategic plan.

Now, that might seem like an oxymoron. After all, aren’t social media supposed to be organic in nature? Don’t you destroy the conversation when you introduce an official point of view? Well, as in all things, the answer is yes and no.

So, how can you plan for social media when they are supposedly uncontrollable? How can you influence the conversation and still keep it real? I will take up these questions in a series of 10 articles over the next few months. I plan to look at questions including:

1. Why and when should a business engage in social media?
2. How do you plan your social media?
3. What should your role be as a public relations professional in your client’s social media efforts (or conversely, what should you expect of your public relations professional?
4. Which social media should you use and how should you use them?
5. What are some do’s and don’ts in using social media?
6. Are social media really grassroots communications, or should you take an active role in managing them?
7. Are social media a unique form of communication or just a communications channel?
8. How and why should you respond to positive or negative comments on your social media?
9. How do you measure success in your social media programs?
10. How long will it take for this stuff to help your business?

While I plan to write these articles from a communications point of view, my intention is that these articles will make perfect sense to the business owner who wants to incorporate social media into their marketing. I welcome your comments, so please comment early and often, so that your voice can be heard.

Philadelphia PRSA Elects 2009 Board

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, a professional association, elected its 2009 board.

Jack Horner, president of Jack Horner Communications Inc., Philadelphia, is president.
Michael Gross, president and co-owner of Anne Klein Communications Group, Marlton, is president-elect.

Anne Buchanan, president of Buchanan Public Relations, Ardmore, is vice president.

Sarah Casey, assistant account executive of Maven Communications, Philadelphia, is secretary.

Molly Wilson, account supervisor of Tierney Communications Inc., Philadelphia, is treasurer.
In addition, these directors-at-large were elected:

Barbara Link is a communications consultant at Link Ink, Penn Valley.

Jonathan Morein is director of public relations of the Altus Group, Philadelphia.

Lisa Packer is principal at Robinson Packer & Wannenburg, Wayne.

Jenny Shields is a consultant.

Candace Steele is senior director of product communications at Cephalon Inc., Frazer.

The Power of Sacrifice

What is the value of sacrifice? At a time when everyone is battening down the hatches, is it smart for companies to keep employees, even if it hurts the bottom line? Steve Korman, CEO of Korman Communities, thinks so.

Korman has taken out ads in the Philadelphia Inquirer and New York Times, imploring companies to put the long-term security of his workers ahead of stock-prices. While he acknowledges that companies that must make cuts to say in business may have no choice, However, he asks companies to refrain from making cuts just to improve their stock price.

I have to say that this is a pretty courageous stance. I'm sure that it won't make him many friends among the Pfizers and FedExes of the world (Korman holds stock in these and a number of other Fortune 500 companies). However, I believe that it will have positive PR value for him and his company.

Do you think it's a good PR move? Take a look at the article and decide.

Area executive urges firms: Resist layoffs
By Diane Mastrull

Inquirer Staff Writer
It was during a morning workout on his treadmill early last week that Steven Korman felt inspired to make a public appeal to business leaders:Resist layoffs - even if that means smaller profit or a drop in stock prices. Read article

How Sweet It is - Pairing Wine, Chocolate & PR

Checkout this upcoming event at PRSA Philadelphia

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Join PRSA for a Special Valentine’s Day Event! Join us for a presentation by Philadelphia-based John & Kira’s Chocolates at the Union League of Philadelphia on Wednesday, February 11, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. - part PR success story, part wine and chocolate…what’s not to love? John & Kira’s Chocolates, a company built on food and fun, will introduce us to the brand and discuss how they managed growth brought on by successful media relations. Following a 2002 cover story on Gourmet Magazine, the company instantly grew from a two person shop to one that had 15 on staff in order to produce enough chocolates. Today, their mail-order gourmet chocolates are in demand around the world.

This presentation will be followed by a delicious and informative wine and chocolate pairing.
Bring your Valentine or colleagues interested in this entertaining presentation.

The Union League of Philadelphia140 S. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19102
Business Attire
Event Registration
Member $45.00Non-Member $50.00
Register Now!

The People Have Spoken

A new survey confirms that Americans want, nay, they demand plain English in corporate communications. OK, that's probably not a big surprise to most of you. However, as communicators, how often do we slip into "corporate speak"? More often than we think or are comfortable admitting, I'd gather. 

There is an especially powerful demand for clear language in financial documents. Do you support a law mandating plain English in corporate communications? Take a look at the survey. 

Emerging Principles for Web 2.0 Marketing

As a PR person who is absorbing everything about social media that I can, I recommend this article from PR Tactics. It gives a good overview of how Web 2.0 can fit into your customer relations program.

Emerging principles for Web 2.0 marketing
addthis_pub = 'prsaweb';

Dec.18, 2008
The technological tools of Web 2.0 — blogs, wikis, social-networking sites and other online communities, virtual worlds — offer marketers a remarkable new opportunity to engage consumers. But as The Wall Street Journal reports, most companies are still not well-versed in these new possibilities. With input from 30 executives at the forefront of experimenting with Web 2.0 tools, three college professors have identified a set of emerging principles for marketing.

See full article.