Shape of Things

Sometimes the hardest thing is just getting started.  Objections are easy to come by, and big change seems insurmountable.

Maybe like the multiphobic Bob Wiley (Bill Murray) in the movie “What About Bob,” you should consider taking baby steps.  Here are five you can take to get involved with social media and lay the groundwork for establishing a community around your products and services.

1. Establish or participate in LinkedIn groups that share information about your industry. Initiate intelligent discussions and add constructive commentary on others’ discussion topics to solidify your credentials and expertise.  Provide special free offers that are valuable to group participants and provide an ancillary benefit of promoting your product or service. But, whatever you do, don’t pander.

2. Participate in forums.  Provide information and initiate discussion on topics related to your company’s products or services.

3. Get on twitter to monitor discussion about your company and the industry it serves, and to develop followers to whom you can provide information and perspectives.

4. Start a blog on your web site and contribute to it regularly — at least twice a month, but preferably once a week. If you don’t know how to do it, bring in a journalist to help you. Topics: technical information on your products or services, profiles of customers, industry perspectives or opinions, surveys, open-ended inquiries of readers, guest blogs by partners, video tutorials, research results — there are tons of resources within your company waiting to be harvested.

5. Take the information that you regularly use for press releases, case studies, white papers, and support documents and consolidate it into a permission-based e-newsletter.  Add surveys or forums to encourage interaction with readers. Six times a year is a good frequency. This will set up a direct link to your customers for sharing information and collecting feedback. Remember that the information has to be valuable to and welcomed by recipients.

These five steps will begin establishing a conversation with customers and potential customers, creating a sharing relationship rather than a vendor dictatorship. The ultimate goal is to begin establishing a community around your products and services — more on that soon.

I’m in ample, though fairly silent, company when I say that my greatest regrets have come from fear and complacency — the dual killers of ambition.

Afraid of appearing foolish, being ridiculed, called stupid or naive.  Then justifying my inaction and certifying it with complacency.

For everyone who feels this way about new forms of marketing, PR and communications, it’s not too late to catch up according to Seth Godin. My nomination for the best place to start is by reading Inbound Marketing, the new book by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah. 

I’ve heard Dharmesh speak twice at the Business of Software conferences, and he walks the walk. I knew this book would be practical and well-written, but didn’t anticipate how inspiring it would be (although I’m not giving up my newspapers as the authors suggest).

I’ll spare you a full review, as I wouldn’t have much to add to the excellent one by Neil Davidson on the Business of Software blog.

If you are bound by fear or complacency regarding new forms of marketing, PR and communications, this is where you shrug off those shackles.

Ever hear of Bill Simmons? I hadn’t until last week when I saw that his The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy was number one on the New York Times non-fiction bestseller’s list. 

Simmons’ success in traditional publishing stems from his millions of followers on espn.com, where he made his name as The Sports Guy. The appeal is that he’s like any other sports fan, except perhaps a bit more obsessed and a better writer and self-marketer.

Simmons doesn’t write in-depth analysis, go on the road with a team, do psychological profiles, or any of the other things great sports writers have done in the past. He’s not a reporter; he’s a fan. He taps into the common obsessions of fans. Who’s the best basketball center, Wilt or Russell? What football player do you hate the most? He’s fueled by lists, emotions, biases and statistics– just like every other fan.

Like it or not, this is where communications is going — think of twitter, Facebook, YouTube and blogs.  The majority don’t want an authoritative voice; they want someone like them, or at least, someone like the best vision of themself.

What does this mean to the PR person, the marketer, the publisher, the corporate communicator?

It means you have to stop making proclamations from on high and communicate from the trenches.

You have to speak with your customer’s voice, in terms he or she can relate to.

You have to bring customers’ stories to the forefront of your communications.

You have to establish an ongoing dialog with customers and help make them part of a community.

You have to forego marketing generalities and get into the nitty gritty of your customers’ everyday jobs. 

You have to elevate conversational approaches and downgrade pronouncements.

In short, you likely have to change everything you’ve been doing for the last couple of decades. 

Future posts will deal with how corporate communications and marketing can be revamped to get in synch with how customers want to be engaged. This isn’t theory anymore; it’s a mandate. In the words of David Bowie, “This ain’t rock and roll, this is genocide.”

There’s not much cause to be aggravated at the beach on a beautiful day.  But, there we were returning from an idyllic walk and I was fuming at the horrible quality of writing in the slick beach magazine.

My wife, a writer, had enough.  “I don’t want to hear any more about this.  I can sum up why this happens in two words: ‘good enough’.”

Yes, all the happy, non-specific adjectives, the indirect sentences, the lack of any humanity in an article about a small town we know has an interesting history and funny, articulate people, it all came down to that: It’s good enough.  Good enough to get real estate, restaurant and curio shop advertising.  Good enough for people to thumb through while awaiting fried seafood.

The same could be said for most corporate communication.  Most organizations settle for good enough without recognizing what a disservice it is to them, their customers and partners.

The thing with “good enough” is that it invariably has an expiration date. Search engines were good enough until Google; MP3 players before the iPoD; city magazines before The New Yorker; broiled fish before sushi.

The fact that good enough suffices for the vast majority of organizations sets up major opportunities for those who want to go beyond the average.  Just a little extra can pay big dividends in how your company is perceived, the amount of trust it receives, and the leeway customers are willing to give if you make a mistake.

Here are eight things you can do to move beyond good enough in your communications.

1. Speak in the language of your customers in all of your communications.

2. Communicate with customers in ways that help them become better; be supportive, absorbing, humorous, perspicacious, technically strong and/or sympathetic.

3. Write and publish case studies that make customers the center of attention.

4. Build solid relationships with editors and writers and deliver good material on deadline.

5. Listen to customers whenever possible – at trade shows, conferences and other events – and reflect their joy, fears and pride in your communication.

6. Support or set up community sites that provide useful information for customers and a forum for sharing experiences and answers to problems.

7. Don’t drink the company kool-aid; look at everything with a critical eye and avoid any whiff of propaganda.

8. Hire proven professionals to write and edit for you; don’t leave your story in the hands of amateurs.

These are just eight out of hundreds of ways, big and small, to transcend good enough.  What are some of yours?

I thought it would die a pleasant death, like interest in Paris Hilton after she became a good girl, but it’s not: Authentic is still embedded in the minds of the American business world, especially among PR and marketing people.

The way authentic is being practiced reminds me of a Mad magazine cartoon from the late 60s. A guy’s walking down the street while kids snicker, “What a schmuck!”  Guy gets home, looks himself in the mirror and says “People think I’m a schmuck because I dress like a schmuck.” In the final frame, he’s walking down the street dressed for success like Hugh Hefner (tweed jacket with elbow patches, ascot and pipe) while kids snicker in the background, “What a schmuck!”

What authenticity ain’t

Authenticity isn’t about dressing yourself in new clothes or describing yourself as authentic.  It’s not saying “honestly” or “truly” in your press releases and speeches.  And it’s definitely not posting a picture of your CEO on the website wearing distressed jeans and a retro t-shirt or pursuing his or her rock-climbing hobby.

What it is

Authentic is what someone else feels instinctively about your organization.  What your customers say because all of your dealings with them are embedded with integrity. What the media says because you’re honest and upfront with them. What employees say because they are valued and treated fairly.

If you are doing the above, your company will automatically benefit from word of mouth. But, if you want to extend that, here’s five ways you can ensure authenticity in your communications.

1. Remove adjectives and cliches from your marketing and PR materials, unless you are quoting third parties such as customers and/or analysts.

2. Use clear prose and illustrations to help customers, partners and media understand what you do — don’t hide behind bloated corporate speak.

3. Communicate openly with your customers and employees; take what they suggest, consider it, act on it and thank them for the input.

4. Care about the community of people who use your products and services; provide programs and forums that help them improve professionally and personally.

5. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Show a sense of humor in your communications whenever appropriate.

No amount of rhetoric can buy authentic. If your organization’s values are not strong, no matter what you say, you won’t be able to hide the inner schmuck.

Before Twitter, there were even shorter blasts of pithy language, where plangent puns, juxtaposition, jaunty wordplay and irony stretched their splendid feathers daily.

They were called headlines.  Sadly, they are becoming a lost art amid bland, search-engine-optimized titles affixed like a shabby gimme-cap above press releases and case studies.

Fortunately, we still have some examples of the art used to entice, delight and amuse.

Heads of the class

Give thanks that the New York Post continues to wave the flag.  The Post, of course, penned perhaps the greatest tabloid headline: “Headless Body Found in Topless Bar.” In the past couple of years, Post headlines have branded the womanizing Alex Rodriguez as “Stray Rod” and blared this message after a humiliating Yankee loss on a Mexican holiday: “Stinko de Mayo.”

In a more serious vein, the Wall Street Journal holds sway daily with an array of headlines that draw a curious reader into the story like a barker in front of a circus tent.  Wow, I never knew I’d be interested in yak farming!  WSJ can put on the jester’s cap at times, too, as when it topped its story about petty jealousy among male British writers toward Martin Amis with this tickler: “British Writers Suffering from Amis Envy.”

Why heads matter

OK, so fun is fun, but what do great headlines have to do with the humble press release, case story or blog posting?

Just as in a newspaper, technical publication or web site, the headline makes the difference in who reads a piece and who doesn’t. Take a look at Business Wire or PR Newswire.  Is there a headline in any of those press releases that makes you want to read it?

Now, I know what you’re saying: “We can’t do what news outlets do.  We have requirements, such as getting the company’s name and/or keywords in the headline.”  Yes, these are real challenges, but they shouldn’t make you settle for the mundane. You don’t have to be Oscar Wilde: If you can’t make the headline entertaining, or the subject matter won’t support it, strive for clean, clear and concise.

Here are some examples from my vaults.

This one pulled out a user quote to add life to a new product announcement:

Red Gate’s new ANTS Memory Profiler 5:
“freaking sweet” to find memory leaks in minutes

Here’s another for a press release on software used to make 56-foot-tall models of soccer players:

Geomagic makes soccer players
larger than life in Zurich train station

If you can’t fit the differentiating information into a two-deck headline, opt for the big kicker head followed by a detailed headline:

The City Tap opens in Pittsboro

Amp builder, ex-bookseller and sculptor combine comfort
of neighborhood bar with eclectic mix of art, sound, food & drink

It’s your business

None of the above headlines is a classic, but they are different enough from the bland labels that sit atop most stories – just enough to attract an editor or to pull in readers that might otherwise pass over this material.  And, ultimately, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing – getting people to pay attention. It’s not a sideline or an ancillary goal; it’s a requirement.  Every time out, we need to remember that the story starts from the top.

When it comes to PR, most companies fall into one of two categories: protect or serve.

The protect companies tend to regard most media as adversaries, or at least as a necessary annoyance. These companies have a lot of secrets, sometimes real, sometimes imagined. Access to top company officers is about as likely as sitting down for a chat with Kim Jong-il.

The serve companies welcome almost any and all comers. They want to tell their stories. Their default attitude toward media is trust, unless they have good reason to be suspicious. Their leaders are open and accessible.

I’ve worked almost exclusively with serve companies, and readily admit not understanding the reasoning behind some of the protect companies. If they have the proper training, why wouldn’t you want your top people in front of the media? Aren’t they the most passionate at telling the company’s story, the ones who live it every day?

In technical companies, why not train your top engineers to deal with the media and use them as your spokespersons? If your customers are engineers, won’t they respond better to someone with a similar background than to a marketing weenie?

I know that there are repercussions when an executive says the wrong thing. But, unless it’s really heinous (and you’re in a bad situation if you work with people who’ll say heinous things), most gaffes can be corrected, and an honest apology goes a long way.

Don’t know about you, but I trust the company that speaks to me more than the one that doesn’t.

Marketing and PR people say a lot of stuff that they don’t really believe. Or, that they’ve convinced themselves is true. And when it gets into the public’s hands, it invariably rings false.

How often do you see a press release or marketing piece that describes a technology product as “robust,” “intuitive,” “flexible,” or “setting a new paradigm?” Or a corporate announcement larded with exec-speak that obscures any meaning and annoys the average person?

Here’s a little exercise the next time you’re working on a press release, marketing brochure or corporate speech: Make believe you’re talking to your most cynical friend. The friend who brings you thudding to earth when you get too grandiose or preachy. The friend who has no compunction about telling you that you’re full of it.  Now write something that this friend can swallow and digest — possibly even enjoy.

You have little to lose but your pretension.

It’s late Friday afternoon and you’re thinking about the weekend.  The phone rings and it’s a reporter from the local newspaper with an unexpected question about your company’s financial status.

No matter how well-prepared you think you are, there’s always the chance of this kind of phone call. Here are a few guidelines to help you through a media call, whether it’s positive or negative.

• You don’t have to answer the question on the spot. If you aren’t prepared, tell the reporter you’ll call him or her back. That way you have time to formulate a complete answer.
• Don’t leave the reporter hanging; if you cannot help right away, provide updates and let him or her know you are working on answers.
• If you feel that you are not qualified to answer the question, find the person in your company who is and coach him or her on a good answer as quickly as possible. Be sure to sit in on the interview so that you can handle any follow-up questions.
• If you will be the one answering the question, be sure you have met with the experts at your company and formulate three or four talking points before calling the reporter back. One question always leads to another, so be sure to stick to these points.
• If the question is one that you cannot answer, never say “no comment.” This sounds as if you are trying to hide something. Reporters tend to respond better if you simply say, “I can’t answer that question at this time, but I will be sure to contact you if or when I am able.”

Most of all, be helpful. Don’t succumb to pressure or sow the seeds of an adversarial relationship.

With all the buzz about social media, it’s sometimes forgotten that the traditional story placement in a trade, business or local publication is an incredibly valuable asset. Here are tips on getting stories in print or pixels.

You’ve written the press release, taking pains to quantify the benefits of the product or service in easily understood terms.  You’ve documented the significance of your announcement with quotes from analysts, customers or other third-party sources.  The story is free of puffery and bombast.  In short, you have news.

Or, perhaps you’ve written a great application story, one that concentrates on a unique process or technology being applied in innovative ways.  You have a valuable asset, but now you need to leverage it.

You have a good targeted press list, and perhaps you’ve added some vertical-market publications or technology editors from general-interest outlets that might be interested in the story.  You’ve sent it out to your mail list and perhaps to a wire service.  Now, you need to secure coverage.  Here are key things to keep in mind: 

• Prioritize follow-up according to those publications that are most important to your client. Using Bacon’s or other media-listing services, determine whether it is best to follow up by phone, e-mail or fax.
• Determine how to position the story, review questions and answers, and make certain that you understand the key elements of the story and/or announcement. Be prepared to answer questions and speak naturally about the product and/or story.
• Coordinate timing of follow-up to coincide as much as possible with the publication’s deadline date and when it is best to submit stories, and the best time of day, week or month to contact the editor/writer.
• Make sure you are reaching the proper editor/writer and targeting your presentation to the proper section of the publication.
• Plot out your presentation so you are emphasizing newsworthy aspects as concisely as possible. Write out a script or keep notes handy if necessary, but try to sound natural. Make sure your follow-up provides information of value: an offer of images, a fresh perspective, an opinion not offered in the original story, an update on the original information.
• Be pleasantly persistent if your news item or story is rejected without any reason given. Ask the editor or writer: “Can you tell me why this isn’t considered a significant story?” Present your case based on knowledge of the publication’s past coverage, and why the story is important to the publication’s readers and the industry. Be polite, but firm. If the answer is still no, try to end the conversation on a positive note: “I’m sorry you don’t see the story the same way we do, but I appreciate the time you’ve taken to explain your decision. It should help us to prepare future stories that are more relevant to you.”
• Establish a personal rapport with your press contacts as much as possible. Compliment them on a story that you think was well done. Follow their work, and not just when it involves a client. Thank them for getting a client’s story right or positioning it prominently, saying something like “I thought your treatment of the story reflected its importance to the industry,” or “I thought you honed in on the most important aspects of [our client’s] new product.” If your press contact shares personal information, take note of it and ask about it in the future. Provide your contacts with editorial leads, especially if they are not related to a client. Let them know you are paying attention to what they are doing. Be more than another voice on the phone asking for something.
• Be an advocate for your clients. Be enthusiastic. Let editors know you are disappointed if coverage doesn’t appear. Let editors/writers know how important their publication is to your client and state the client’s case forcefully when necessary.
• If a story idea is turned down, appeal to a higher authority if it can be done tactfully and without undercutting a regular contact. This action should be taken especially if your contact says something like, “My editor doesn’t think this is an appropriate story.” Your reply should be: “I’d like the opportunity to present it to him/her personally. If it is still rejected, at least I’ll know exactly why and it could help me in the future.”
• If your story doesn’t get the coverage you expect the first time around, try repositioning it a couple of months later. Do a shorter version. Emphasize another aspect of the story. See if you can get an update that might make it more newsworthy.
• After a placement is confirmed verbally or by e-mail, check the issue of the publication in which it is scheduled to appear. Call immediately if the coverage does not appear. Don’t place blame, but stress the importance of the coverage to the client, reiterate why the story is important, and push for coverage in the next issue. Inform the client of your actions and the results immediately.
• Conduct a web search after the release goes out and report initial results to the client. Also conduct a search before preparing a clipping report.

Getting good media placements for your clients is the result of having a good story to tell, developing long-term relationships and mutual respect between you and your media contacts, offering deep knowledge of your clients and their technologies, and being gently persistent.