For companies with essential products and services, Twitter and Facebook are manageable places to launch a social media campaign. The first question to ask when starting a social media campaign is – what do I want to accomplish?

For example, an online drug store Little Twig decided they wanted to raise brand awareness and increase sales. That’s a logical goal for almost any business. Brittany Nelson, Marketing and Sales Coordinator at Little Twig, said,  “The first step was to create our Facebook and Twitter profiles and then send out an email marketing letter to all of our contacts requesting that they become our fans or followers.”

In talking to Bruce Burke at iPayStation, a provider for international mobile top-up, bill pay, prepaid and money transfer, he said that social media provides the most cost-efficient channel for marketing.  Burke tweets about top-up promotions, network launches, and prepaid industry trends. Burke helps friends by retweeting their posts, meaning he passes the message on, a smart way to collect more followers. This is known as “reciprocal following:” “You follow me and I’ll follow you.”

Here are Burke’s five tips on how to talk the social media language:

• Product Information – Old news is new to many. We take much of what we sell for granted but a tried and true offering can be news to your customers. Remind them of your products.
• Promotions – Announce the specials you are running. Once is not enough. Twitter the special every few hours during the day and continue throughout the week before the special expires.
• Contests – have people sign up for prizes and drawings. By getting people to sign up, you are engaging your customer and building loyalty.
• Industry News – provide information on changes, new laws, industry market reports, and trends. Customers look to suppliers for information. You can become a resource.
• Insights – share your views on subjects pertinent to the business.

Facebook Me, Follow Me on Twitter

Facebook fan pages are created as a business platform to post information and news, and even to sell products. But first, register on Facebook.com with an email address and password, then complete the profile portion. Search for friends, family and business acquaintances to build your Facebook community. You can write on walls, share news and comment on updates. Click what you “like.”

It’s time to create fan pages. Look for “ads and pages” on the left hand side of the Facebook home page. If it is not shown, click on “more” and it will come up. Ads and pages will take you to Facebook Fan Page where you can follow the prompts to set up your pages with pictures, logos, and ads. It’s all up to you to create the pages.

Now here comes the tricky part about Fan Page; in fact, this is the tough part of online marketing. You have to build an audience for the product. You need to drive traffic to the fan pages, in much the same way that you drive traffic to your corporate website. It’s all about engaging contacts and building links to pull in visitors and customers. “Until you acquire a band of followers and friends, it is like talking to yourself,” said Burke.

Engage fans by asking them to suggest features they like in your products. Offer special giveaways and post contests.  Little Twig announced a birthday club and asked people to share their favorite birthday theme to win a gift certificate.

To start tweeting, sign up on Twitter.com and post a profile. Register your top-of-mind brand name that you want build upon. Post updates several times a day writing no more than 140 characters. Promote a new product or service, post a link to a blog, a news article or a website.

To chat with someone on Twitter, use the @ symbol before someone’s Twitter name. This makes their username a link to their profile so other people can follow the “conversation.”

We live in an exciting era of communication. Social media is bringing the planet together and enabling social and political changes. As business owners and managers, as well as citizens, we have to keep up with the times. Learn as much as you can about using social media as a marketing tool or assign someone to be in charge of  integrating social media into your marketing program.

Develop a plan and stick to it. Remember that out-of-the-box thinking can set your company apart from its competition. If properly implemented, social media efforts can produce results in the form of sales and capital.

Benefits of Bylines

A bylined article establishes credibility with a target audience. It showcases the author as an authority in a field. In doing so, the article brings attention to the prominence and strength of the company and sets it apart from competitors.

When professionals “author” an article, they are able to demonstrate their expertise to industry peers and colleagues, and the general public who follow that industry. For instance, a real estate broker that is expert in marketing properties could create and place articles about: What to Tell Your Clients about Listing a Property or How to Increase the Curb Appeal of Your House.

Placing Your Article

The next step is placing the article. Think about what industry publications you read and that your competitors might read.  Identify target publications in which you want to be visible. Finding trade publications is easy because they are usually well known in your profession. Otherwise, they are listed in media outlet sources, such as PR NewsWire, BusinessWire and Bacon’s.

Industry or trade publications are looking for well-written bylined articles authored by experts in the field.  Two important tips to start are: (1) Find out the writing guidelines by going to the magazine’s website or by calling or emailing one of the editors; and (2) Check for media calendars at each publication. Note the featured topics for each month of the year.

Some examples of bylined articles are as follows:

• A real estate lawyer writes about zoning reviews, citing a specific project as an example.
• A civil engineer contributes an article about a feasibility study for a new tunnel in an urban area.
• A dermatologist writes about a new procedure in skin treatment.
• A family therapist authors an article about counseling techniques.

Organizing the Effort

1. Talk to your public relations representative about getting an article in a trade publication.
2. Be familiar with the magazine so you understand the format and the writing style.
3. Request a Media Calendar or locate one on the website — this will tell you the topics the editor is looking for and the issue date/month.
4. Request Writing Guidelines — length of the article, style, and focus.
5. Pitch a Story Idea that fits the publication — call or email the editor several months in advance of the target date.
6. Be sure of the deadline for submission.

Submit the article on time and if allowed, include contact details and a web address at the bottom of the article. After the story is published, obtain reprints to use in your corporate album, hand out at trade shows, and send to stakeholders. Use the reprint in your press kit. Obtain electronic versions for online posting.

Bylined articles are quite impressive for show and tell in the office waiting room and at trade shows. Are you ready to get started on your first article? The rewards of becoming an influencer in your industry are enormous. And once you become familiar with the process, you will be writing articles on a regular basis. You may even end up on television with your own talk show.

The press release is the single most important means of communication between a company or entrepreneur and their public audiences. Even in the digital age of cell phones and social media, the press release is the most basic tool to tell your most current story. It encapsulates facts and pertinent information in an organized way and it is distributed to target media where you might want to be seen.

There are always good reasons for companies, professionals, and entrepreneurs to  issue press releases. Here are some examples of times when you should spread the word through the press release:

• Project engagements – an engineering firm is awarded the contract to design a new bridge
• New developments – a real estate developer is building a residential community or skyscraper
• Milestones – a corporation is celebrating its 25^th anniversary or relocating its headquarters
• Executive promotions – a business names a new president or sales director
• Financial and sales reports – quarterly earnings report or annual financial statement; market reports
• Special events – contests, celebrations, cross-promotions, christening of a boat
• Studies or survey results – use survey results and statistics as a lead into the press release
• Trends – a consumer or business trend can be the basis of a press release

Writing a Press Release and Distributing it

1. A well-written press release has a lead that engages the interested party. Start by including who, what, where, when, why and how in the first paragraph.
2. Relate the news to current trends, studies and surveys, and holidays. Make the information timely.
3. Send the press release to target audiences: reporters that cover your industry; clients and shareholders; vendors and partners; and others that follow your company.
4. Send the press release to publications that are interested in your type of business. Read the magazine or newspaper first to find the name of the editor or reporter that covers your industry.
5. Distribute the press release through an online distribution service, some of which are free. Suggested distribution services are PRNewsWire and BusinessWire.
6. Send the press release to your email list that you have personally developed. Add a personal note.
7. Post the release on the News page of your website. Post the release on your blog.
8. Mail printed copies of the release to select targets, with a brief personal note, “Thought you might be interested.”
9. Add a link on your Facebook fan page.

Editors are looking for well-written, timely press releases. Sometimes, a press release can end up as an article in a publication. That’s good public relations.

We are dedicated writers who help companies communicate with their customers. We are good listeners and want to learn about your products and services. We use an integrated approach to get the word out, because business today demands an integrated marketing strategy, combining offline and online promotion and publicity.

We leave no stone unturned to create quality content.  Facebook, Twitter, trade publications, daily newspapers — we create and deliver clear and concise messages that speak to your target audiences. No matter what industry you are in, whether you are an entrepreneur, doctor or lawyer, telecom carrier, healthcare provider, or structural engineer, we can develop the right content to boost your credibility and sales.

Based on the premise that writers and designers work best in tribes, we formed Scribe Tribe, based in New York and South Florida.

Business gets easier when you have good writers on your team. How can we help your company tell its story?

Arlene Hauben

Tel: 305-206-4488