Companies and business owners should not wait until a disaster strikes to prepare employees, specifically social media administrators, on how to use, or not use, social media during a time of crisis.

The way that a company manages their brand image during a national disaster is important. Here are five do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:

1.) Turn off all automated Tweets and review any pre-planned posts.

Maybe your company has a strategic social media plan with posts or tweets that have been pre-determined for weeks. Take a second look at those posts and think about whether or not those messages may come across as insensitive or tactless. You don’t want those messages received by a grieving community.

2.) Don’t make big announcements.

Your announcement most likely will be overlooked while all eyes are on breaking news coverage, and if it isn’t overlooked, you don’t want your new product or “big news” to be forever branded with a time of distress and mourning.

3.) Don’t speculate.

In journalism, it’s crucial to get information to the people. Get it right, and get it first. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen in that order.

Last year as the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, unfolded, in a race to be the first news source with the identity of the person who fatally shot 26 children and staff, reporters falsely identified the shooter. This misinformation brought down a hailstorm of hate and threats of violence on an innocent man.

Not only can things like that ruin a person’s reputation, but it can also ruin a company’s reputation with their clients.

Bottom line: Wait for confirmation before sharing a news story.

4.) Post messages of support. 

Sometimes it’s best to avoid the “negative nancy” frame of mind and post a message of support. Instead of dwelling on the negatives and perpetuating the grief, take stand of support.

5.) Market your product OR address the crisis, but not at the same time.

Whether you are offering condolences or making a pledge to offer financial assistance, make sure that your message is genuine and cannot not be viewed as a means to financial gain. As the Boston Marathon horror unfolded, Epicurious’ provided an example of what NOT to do.

It is an unfortunate reality that, at some point, there will be another tragedy to contend with. Whether it’s a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, it’s best to always be prepared.

If you’re looking for more tricks of the trade, see how esd takes social media to the next level.

The same goes for businesses on Facebook. What may strike one business owner as a witty or fetching post may in all actuality come off to consumers as annoying or even awkward.

Think before you post:

Facebook is a fantastic way to reach your target audience. But when you’re reaching for that audience, be cognizant of how your audience may view what you’re posting.

In the same way it annoys you when your grandmother posts a personal conversation on your Facebook wall, or that friend you barely know posts an uncomfortable photo sans shirt, consumers become frustrated with lazy marketing ploys, mundane polls and bad attempts at shock value.

Instead of trying to shock your audience into noticing your page, engage them with good content, thoughtful insight and well-designed imagery.

We ask ourselves a few questions before posting:

1.)  Is this post relevant? Is it newsworthy and timely?
2.)  Does this post represent what our company stands for?
3.)  Does this post represent how we want to be perceived?
4.)  Is this a good story or insightful information?
5.)  Could this post alienate any of our audience?

If you find yourself wondering if your company might be a guilty offender of annoying Facebook tactics, take a look at the Condescending Corporate Brand Page on Facebook. The “Corporate Bollocks Page” is dedicated to collecting examples of annoying business tactics that may leave a consumer wondering if the small amount of thought a brand put into their Facebook post, might also be a reflection of how they view consumers.

In many ways, using social media sites like Facebook is based on common sense. Sometimes it’s best to type out what you plan on communicating, take some time to read what you wrote, reflect on how the message may be perceived, make necessary changes and post your message with confidence.

1. Step outside the office. What better way to cultivate creativity than to visit a place outside of the office that inspires you? Our design team often visits a local art museum or takes a quick walk around the park. Our public relations team constantly goes on location to better understand the inner workings of media. We try to pull inspiration from the world around us; it just might spark creativity.
2. Let your mind wander. Take one, five or even 10 minutes to just let your mind wander. Our employees can sometimes be found scribbling random thoughts on a piece of paper or doodling on a post-it note to let their creative juices flow. Giving your brain a break might be the perfect solution to your writer’s or designer’s block.
3. Bounce ideas off of one another. If you think you have a creative idea, talk to someone else about it. Each week, we hold a creative meeting to do just that. We allow an open forum for ideas to collaborate and help bring our design, copy or project to the next level. And, hearing the thoughts of fellow employees allows you to see the project from a new perspective.
4. Listen to music. Jam out to your favorite song, band or album. We play music aloud on the speakers in our office and encourage our coworkers to get lost in the music on the road to creative success.
5. Play show and tell. During our weekly creative meetings, we encourage everyone to bring in a project or accomplishment that they are proud to show to the rest of the office. His or her project just might be the inspiration someone else needs.
6. Don’t be afraid to fail. Being creative means taking risks. It might not work out in the end, but failure should not hold you back from being extraordinary. Here at esd, we ALWAYS try to think outside of the box. More often then not, a great idea will form. So, don’t be afraid to speak up, take action or take a chance on being creative. It could produce the creative results you are searching for.

why youtube?

There are hundreds of social networking sites on the Internet, so why should your company choose YouTube?

1. Advertising. YouTube offers companies a wide variety of advertising opportunities, such as advertised suggested videos. These advertisements appear on the right-hand side of the website and look as if they are suggested or recommended videos.  Now more than ever, companies are seeking the stamp of approval from consumers. According to a recent study completed by Forrester Research, 70% of consumers trust a brand that is recommended to them by friends or family. Because of the placement of these advertisements, more YouTube users will be willing to watch the advertisement as they view these advertisements as recommendations from their friend, YouTube. As a result, a company’s marketing message is disseminated to more consumers.
2. Viral videos. Aside from advertising, companies can use their channel to upload and share videos, such as commercials and company videos. Even greater than this is the potential for a video to become viral. Viral videos are the perfect way to expand your company’s online presence immensely. These videos attract thousands, even millions of views and get your company’s name and brand out there.
3. Company videos. Creating a company YouTube channel and investing in YouTube advertising are the perfect excuses to create a company video. These videos give a company, and thus their YouTube channel, personality. YouTube also offers the ability to share these videos via other social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, further dispersing a company’s marketing message.

If used strategically, YouTube has the potential to greatly expand your company’s online presence to increase brand awareness and achieve valuable ROI.

1. Encourages User Engagement. QR codes turn an advertisement into an interactive marketing strategy.  They encourage user engagement and inspire action among consumers.
2. Makes information personal. QR codes provide companies and marketers with the opportunity to make information more personal. Many consumers scan and download information from a QR code because they believe that the information they are accessing is exclusive to them; so, make the information exclusive to them. Consumers are more likely to access information if they believe it is relevant and personal to them than if the information was generic. Encourage QR code usage by providing the consumer with exclusive information or deals. Make their efforts to obtain the information worthwhile.
3. Convenient to the consumer. With a QR code, consumers no longer have to write down information or tear out an advertisement from their favorite magazine. It’s as simple opening up the application on a smart phone, scanning the code and retrieving the information in an instant. QR codes take the guesswork out of having to remember a phone number, promotional code or website address.
4. Achieve measurable results. Analytics and data can be easily obtained from consumers who use a QR code. The results achieved from QR code usage can, in turn, help companies adjust their marketing strategy.

alive and still kicking

The common misconception among consumers today is that QR codes have quickly come and gone. The opposite, however, is true. According to a recent survey of shoppers that owned a smartphone, nearly 44% said they had used a QR code before. More than 69% of those surveyed said they used QR codes for product information, 65% said they used QR codes for promotions and 57% for product pricing.

For companies, this information means that consumers are aware and currently using QR codes; therefore, implementing QR codes into your company’s marketing strategy may help expand the reach of your target audience.

the value of visuals

With the new redesign, Facebook is hoping that a photo is really worth 1,000 words. The new redesign places emphasis on shared graphics and visuals. One of the new options scheduled to become available to users of the social networking site is the ability to view only photos in their newsfeed.

For companies, this also places more importance on graphics and visuals as a way to connect and engage with their target audience. If a user chooses to view only photos on their newsfeed and a company does not regularly post photographs, the company will lose their connection to this particular Facebook user. With this new option, a company can visually captivate their target audience and invite more engagement.

facebook for companies

While it is important to understand the value of visuals in the new Facebook design, it also important to realize that the redesign also places value on visually captivating advertisements for companies. This not only allows a company’s creativity to shine, but it could also mean increased advertising opportunities for companies looking to sell their product or services to the billions of Facebook users.

the future of facebook

Currently, Facebook only allows users to join the waiting list for access to the new redesign. Although it is a work-in-progress, Facebook’s redesign announcement gives companies the opportunity to reevaluate their social media strategy and how they will target their audience via the social networking site in the future to achieve results.

1. 

   The esd Public Relations team managed media relations for SAMMinistries’ Empty Bowls event.

   Think like a journalist. When creating your press releases or requests for coverage, put your journalist cap on. Think about how you would want information to be presented to you or what would capture your attention if you were a journalist and adjust your strategy accordingly. As such, write a press release or pitch a story that would not only interest the media, but the general public.

2. Keep in touch. Continually build your company’s public relations presence by networking and building relationships with the media, local or otherwise. The contacts you procure can come in handy in the future, but don’t forget to keep in touch. Check in with your media contacts periodically to see how they are doing. This shows them that you genuinely care about your professional relationship with them and keeps you on the top of their mind.
3. Think on your feet. Life doesn’t always work out as planned. The same is true for public relations; so, prepare yourself. Always stay a step ahead of the game. It is important to be able to think quickly and be able to react and adapt to any situation that may arise. One way get ahead is to create a back up plan. You never know when this plan might come in handy.
4. Collect your clippings. And, use these clippings as your documentation. Take the time to cut out any news articles that publicize your event and create a running document of links to online coverage. Record televised or radio coverage on CDs. This reassures both your client, and yourself, that your publicity efforts have been successful.
5. Stay social. Integrate social media into your media efforts. By publicizing your event via social networking sites, like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, you are engaging Internet users that would not otherwise be reached via traditional media outlets. Use social media as the extra push to get ahead and achieve results that exceeds expectations.

introducing the new API

Prior to the API launch, all advertisements on Twitter were manually managed via the social networking site and were available in the form of promoted tweets. With the new advertising API, Twitter will be able to provide companies with more advertising purchasing choices to help get their message across to the more than 200 million Twitter users. Currently, Twitter has partnered with five companies to allow companies to purchase advertisements on Twitter through third-party service companies. Such partner companies include Adobe, HootSuite, Salesforce, SHIFT and TBG Digital.

By allowing companies to purchase advertisements through these partners, Twitter is making advertisement purchasing easier for companies. HootSuite, for example, is a social media management site. If a company already utilizes this program to manage their social media accounts, the new Twitter API makes it easier for a company to purchase advertising through this program they are already using. By making advertisement purchasing easier, more and more companies will be more prone to advertise on the social networking site.

the future of Twitter’s API

The future of Twitter’s new advertising API is still unclear as it is still in its Beta stage, however, it does open up new advertising possibilities for companies wishing to begin or continue advertising on the social networking site. These new advertising opportunities will help propel companies forward, disseminating their marketing and advertising messages to millions of Twitter users.

be the solution

To develop whitepapers that effectively find a solution based on your company’s products or services, follow these three easy to remember tips:

1. Find balance. Whitepapers, by nature, vary in length dependent upon the problem and solution set it is exemplifying. Although this is true, it is important to find a balance between a whitepaper that is too long and a whitepaper that is too short. Brief whitepapers may lack necessary information and long whitepapers may cause readers to lose focus; therefore, it is important to adopt a length that contains all of the information needed to facilitate reader’s decisions while keeping them focused throughout.
2. Write to your target audience. Each reader turns to whitepapers to find a solution to a problem. Readers are more likely to take action as a result of information that is geared toward fulfilling their particular wants and needs. By developing multiple whitepapers that are each targeted to a specific audience is more effective then addressing all audiences on the same whitepaper.
3. Stick with the facts. Back up your whitepapers with facts rather than strong opinions. Most business and technical audiences do not respond positively to strong opinions that are unsupported with facts. Providing facts and statistics gathered by your company or from a third party can help reinforce the underlying message of the whitepaper and allow readers to develop their own opinion and conclusion.

By following these three tips, your company’s whitepapers can capture consumers’ attention and encourage them to purchase your products are services as means to finding the perfect solution.

google sheds its skin

People, today, turn to the Internet first to find information on the latest products or services to fit their needs. Each new search algorithm update gives Google the opportunity to shed its skin and start anew, removing spammed websites to make room for non-spammed websites higher up on the search engine rankings. It is also designed to catch any of these spammed websites that were not removed during previous algorithm updates. If your company’s website is not updated regularly or doesn’t provides a welcoming and information-filled experience for any Internet user, the website will be replaced and fall lower in the search engine rankings.

how to survive a panda refresh

To keep your company’s website afloat in the sea of websites of the Internet today, it is important to step up your company’s online and SEO game and follow these four simple rules:

1. Don’t see double. Having duplicate copy on your website is a big no-no. This is because Google will assume that a page that contains duplicate copy is spam or is of a lower quality. This, in turn, affects the entire website and will result in a loss in the website’s search engine ranking.
2. Maintain first-rate material. A website that contains well-written, high-quality material will not only contribute to a better website visitor experience, but will also help boost its SEO rating. The material found on your company’s website should be easy to understand and provide the answers to the questions that millions of Internet users are actively searching for. As a result, more and more Internet users will be compelled to visit your company’s website and, thus, boosting its ranking on Google’s search results.
3. Consider mobile friendly. Just as it is important on your company’s desktop website, SEO plays a significant role in mobile-friendly websites, such as those that implement responsive design. In fact, nearly 61 percent of Internet users will leave a website and return to their search results if the website they are viewing does not meet their needs for quick and easily to find information. Because of this, websites that are not mobile-friendly or that have a high bounce rate will, as a result, move down lower in the search engine rankings.
4. Give your website a checkup.  Just like a consumer visiting the doctor, your company’s website deserves regular maintenance. Regularly maintaining and updating your company’s websites will not only keep your information up-to-date but also allow your company to adjust your website to meet the needs of your target audience.

seo’s significance

A company that is listed lower on a search engine receives less and less visitor traffic and, in turn, less business. By keeping SEO in mind while maintaining a website, companies are avoiding a drop in search engine rankings and seizing the opportunity to cultivate a strong online presence.

SEO is an important concept to not only understand, but also apply, as the shift toward digital marketing grows stronger. If it is applied and executed correctly, SEO  can boost a company’s search engine rankings, mobile and otherwise, and increase valuable ROI.