PR Communications and Social Media

How to Manage Online Reviews & Recommendations

Fri, 31 May 2013 12:30:00 GMT

Is your online reputation where it should be? What do your customers see when they search for your name? Would you like to know what to do when your business receives a bad review?

I will be teaching at UH Manoa Outreach College on Saturday, August 10th starting at 9am. In three hours I will teach you what you need to know.

Your Online Reputation Matters! Learn how to use TripAdvisor & Yelp to increase referrals to your business.

You’ll learn the most effective ways to ask for customer reviews and how to use editorial content and special offers to enhance your listing. We’ll go over free and paid listings, ninja marketing tips for improving your scores, discuss the importance of getting to know Hawaii’s top destination experts and how to follow the important Rules of Engagement.

When: Saturday, August 10, 2013

Where: UH Manoa, 2500 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822

Time: 9am to Noon

Room: Krauss Hall 12

Registration: $50

About Your Instructor: Laura Kinoshita is an award-winning social media strategist with 15 years experience in marketing and public relations. In 2012 she won the PRSA Koa Anvil Award for a campaign that generated more than 20 genuine 5-star customer reviews and a 10% increase in bookings in less than six months. Laura has successfully worked with retail shopping centers and restaurants to turn digital communities into real-world customers. She was voted as one of Hawaii's Top 15 most influential people on social media at the 2012 Social Media Awards.

Need Distance Learning?

Leave a comment below and I will tell you about your distance learning options. Or message me on Twitter @lkinoshita.

Honolulu PD Named Among Most Social Friendly Police Departments in the Nation

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:50:00 GMT

Social media is an invaluable tool when it comes to policing and the Honolulu Police Department has just been ranked as one of the top departments in the nation.

An independent assessment by MPHProgramsList.com ranked HPD 13 out of 50 in a list of "Most Social Media Friendly Police Departments"

The recognition comes after a survey of 600 citizens found that 70% had a Facebook profile and said they wanted to receive updates from the Honolulu Police Department.

Kinoshita Communications is an award-winning, public relations and social media strategy firm, led by Laura K. Kinoshita, a 20-year veteran of public relations and 12-year resident of the Hawaiian Islands.

Prior to working with Honolulu Police Department, Kinoshita Communications provided an overview of social media in law enforcement for the Hawaii State Law Enforcement Officers Association (HSLEOA) in 2011:

Social Media in Law Enforcement from LKinoshita

The Honolulu Police Department hired Kinoshita Communications LLC following a competitive bidding process for online community engagement services several months later.

Multiple meetings then took place with HPD division heads, internal stakeholders and community residents to ensure a research-based approach in developing an online community engagement strategy.

The Honolulu Police Department was recently featured in a television newscast following the successful use of social media during a partial evacuation of Waikiki resulting from a suspicious package left at a popular shopping center:

Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

In working with the Honolulu Police Department, Kinoshita Communications helped the department kick off its first year as a Virtual Unit and provided training in the following areas:

Understanding Social Media and Its Impact on Culture
Developing a Social Media Policy for Law Enforcement
Impacts of Social Media in Law Enforcement: Protecting Officer and Career Safety while Serving the Public
Mitigating Risks of Social Media: Safety Measures and Privacy
Duties of a Social Media Liaison
Fundamentals of Twitter for Law Enforcement
Facebook Fundamentals
Advanced Strategies for Facebook
Time-Saving Tools
Setting Goals: Measurement and Analytics
Live Web Introductions to Fellow Officers Using Social Media

Case studies, research and ongoing consulting helped extend and reinforce the training curriculum.

Benefits of Social Media in Law Enforcement:

Thousands of citizens now receive HPD Twitter alerts or updates in their Facebook timeline. Posts consist of public safety concerns and requests from the public to help solve crimes, as well as other policing information.

Tips received via social media have helped the police identify eight suspects and have directly led to citizen arrests. Road hazards, evacuation routes and warnings about suspicious activities also help keep the community informed and safe.

Online sites like Facebook and Twitter are dramatically expanding the department's reach, allowing for faster problem solving, better investigation of crimes and stronger community relationships.

To learn what social media can do for your organization, contact us today.

Best Ways to Stay Safe on Social Media

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:40:00 GMT

Today's post comes from Craig Robinson. A freelance writer from Qwaya.com – a Facebook ad management tool and helps advertisers organize their campaigns.

It’s not a threat that crosses the mind of the average, social media businessperson, but your information is at great risk any time you log onto the Internet. There are always hackers out there looking to steal your personal information, and even if they’re not going to access your monetary accounts, they can still do a lot of damage to your overall brand.

Nobody wants to deal with online hacking, especially on social media, but it’s a fact of Internet life that we all have to face. So if you’re a company using a site like Facebook, you have to take steps to ensure your safety.

Staying safe is about learning a two-tier system: Things that you need to be aware of, and safe practices to adopt for your business dealings.

Tips for Your Social Media Safety: Awareness

1: Suspicious Links

Does that link you just received look a bit suspicious? Is it structured like “w/.ci.491/” or in another unrecognizable format? There’s a difference between shortened links you’ll see with sites like Twitter and malware links sent by hackers. But hackers can also stuff malware inside of legit-looking links, so “suspicious” in this context means to be aware of who it’s from as well.

2: Random Friends

As noted above, who the link is coming from is important. Not every “friend” you have on Facebook is actually a friend. Some are spam or troll accounts just looking to leverage you into clicking a link. Beware of anything sent to you from anyone you don’t know.

3: Private Messages

A private message seems a lot more personal than a random post with a random link. But does that mean you should trust it? Hackers are banking on the fact that you’ll view a PM as nonthreatening. Beware of the PMs!

4: Posts

A malware link or another virus might not be aimed at you directly. It could be aimed at a general audience and accessed through someone’s wall posts. If you haven’t got the picture yet, be very cautious about what you’re clicking. Even something you think is an image or a video link could be malware.

5: Apps

Hackers go to great lengths to get your personal information. Hiding malware like key loggers in applications is a popular tactic used on Facebook. Everyone’s looking for cool apps, but make sure you trust the source.

Good Practices to Adopt

1: Secrecy

Using social media for your business advertising doesn’t require you to give over personal details to people. Make sure no one else knows your personal information, such as account emails, your full name, etc. More often than not, passwords are deduced from the information you give rather than being hacked through malware.

2: The Shell Game

When you think of a shell game, you think of picking the shell you think the object is under only to find that it’s not there. Well, this is what you want to use as social networking security with things like email accounts. Keep your social account emails hidden and use other email addresses to correspond with people.

3: Real-Time Measures

You need some real-time protection to stay safe online, such as real-time scanning systems, notifications, privacy protection, and other pieces of software that act as a strong barrier when something slips past you.

4: Awareness

Try to stay informed on the many different ways hackers are penetrating accounts. There’s something new coming down the pike consistently, and what works as defense today may fail tomorrow if you’re not aware of the new tool or tactics used.

5: Ignoring Things

You must learn to ignore things when you’re operating online and especially via social media. While it’s true that most social advertising tips preach the importance of engaging your audience, that doesn’t mean to go around clicking the links people send you. It doesn’t mean to answer every PM. You have to ignore some things that seem suspect. It’s not your duty to open links and files or follow others to a destination.

State of Social Media Marketing in 2013

Fri, 10 May 2013 22:04:00 GMT

My friend Larry Levensen at Sigma Web Marketing wrote a nice write up about the State of Inbound Marketing, based on research compiled by HubSpot. He provided 10 Take-Aways. Among them:

Sixty percent of companies will execute inbound marketing strategies in 2013.
Marketers allocate 34% of their overall budgets to inbound tactics – 11% more than they dedicate to outbound strategies, like banners, direct mail, and more.
This year, 48% of marketers plan to increase their inbound marketing spending – the third year in a row that inbound budgets are increasing at a near 50% pace.

If you're in the process of implementing an online marketing campaign that includes a strong, well-optimized website, a comprehensive SEO strategy to improve your website rankings, social integration, online customer service, attention and response to online customer reviews -- then you're well on your way to succeeding at inbound marketing. Congratulations!

But if you haven't claimed your profile on Google Places, or you're inattentive to what your customers are saying about you on Yelp, or you don't know how your TripAdvisor ratings are affecting your reputation, then watch out. I'll be teaching a class about how to manage your online reviews and recommendations on Sat. August 10th.

As Larry explains, relationship marketing is not just about learning how to use a set of tools, its about having a strategic and cohesive marketing strategy well aligned to your business goals. "To see real results, you need to deeply commit to the model and optimize continually," he explains.

That's never been more true. And, it's never been as easy to connect with your customers and prospects. Don't let the opportunity pass you by.

Read the State of Inbound Marketing Report 2013 (No Opt-In Required) and Larry's Summary of 10 Take-Aways

Is Facebook's New Graph Search Engine a Danger to Google?

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:20:00 GMT

Facebook announced the launch of a new smart discovery engine that, for now, will focus on four areas: people, photos, places and interests.

It uses the power of your own network to give you highly personalized results for your search queries. Results will be ranked according to your friends and friends friends interactions.

Does this mean the end to Google, LinkedIn, Yelp, Foursquare and the rest?

I asked Robert Scoble if I could share his thoughts here, and he agreed. The following is from the discussion on Quora:

Q: Is Facebook's new Graph Search Engine a danger to Google, LinkedIn, Yelp & Foursquare?

Robert Scoble (studies tech for Rackspace): It is a threat, but only in the long-term if the others don't react quickly. I've used the new search engine quite a bit. Yes, it is disruptive to many of those competitors.

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I study how others use Facebook and have built several lists, including these:

495 tech journalists and bloggers: https://www.facebook.com/lists/1...
574 startup investors: https://www.facebook.com/lists/1...
2,426 startups: https://www.facebook.com/lists/1...
904 entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/lists/1...
947 tech executives: https://www.facebook.com/lists/1...

But to more directly answer the question.

Let's say you want to find a Mexican Restaurant near you. Where do you go?

Google? Sure. You coud search for "Mexican Restaurants in half moon bay ca" like this: Page on Google.com

You get a list of stuff, some of which have reviews, some of which are noisy intermediaries (http://business.intuit.com directory shows up, for instance). But which one is REALLY good. Which ones do the locals like? Which ones have your friends liked?

Heck, on the Google Result is a restaurant that's been closed for months (brianna's). Google isn't good at cleaning out old stuff (Fourquare, Foodspotting, Yelp, are much better at this).

Now, go do the same search on Facebook with the new Graph Search. You'll see just how many people have checked in at each place (good indication of popularity and frequency), how many people like it (good indication of brand resonance and impulse to come back), and how many of your friends like it. Along with other details. Far more useful.

Notice Brianna's is on Facebook too. I reported that, lets see if it gets removed quickly.

Let's try this on Yelp.

I like Yelp because of the reviews and because of the detail. Also its search is optimized for finding different kinds of Mexican Restaurants.

But what's missing from Yelp? Friends! The reviews are from people you don't know, and it's very hard to figure out who the reviewers are because Yelp doesn't force real names or a real identity system.

Which will happen first? Yelp gets real names and real people, er, friends of yours, or Facebook gets the detail and search quality that Yelp has? I bet on Facebook getting there first.

Onto Foursquare:

I like Foursquare for its "explore" feature on mobile phones and also for the tips that people leave on places. But the others clearly have more data. That said, this view doesn't really show Foursquare's advantages well, which are really in the tips for each restaurant (I find they are easier to use and more accurate than your average Yelp review).

Here's the tips for Tres Amigos, my favorite Mexican place in town:

Can Facebook match the tips today?

Nope, but it could within short order just because of the number of people who use Facebook and who write about each place.

I know you didn't bring it up, but let's look at Foodspotting.

Here you can see photos of food, which is really awesome. You also get lots of Facebook-style likes and interactions on the pictures. Do they get disrupted by Facebook's search? No. They offer something that Facebook can't match. Yet. Photos of food taken by real people.

Now, let's look at LinkedIn.

What is LinkedIn really good at? Finding people in business. Some for hiring. Some to help with a project. Etc. etc.

So, here's a search about Twitter on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is really good at this.

Let's do a similar search over on Facebook using the new Graph Search:

Shoot me, but the Facebook one looks warmer because I can see who connects us.

But lets go further. Let's look at Twitter employees who like programming. That's hard to do on LinkedIn because there isn't a common "like" system over on LinkedIn:

So, conclusions:

Yes. Facebook has done something disruptive. As it gets better it will take value away from the other places that people do searching for things.

Some limitations with Graph Search today:

No mobile client yet.
No content searching yet. (No searches like "who on Facebook liked xxxxxxxxx Quora post").
Very few Facebook members have it yet (and it'll be rolled out "slowly" according to Facebook execs, which means it might be months before all Facebook members have access to it).
You can't yet use lists in your searches and lots of other searches you will try might not work because Facebook hasn't hooked up the datatypes yet. As Facebook says so far this is really designed for a small number of use cases: searches for location, people, interests, etc. If you want to search for other stuff it'll use Bing for the results.

If I were working at one of the other companies I'd be spending a lot of time thinking about how we would counter the threat of a Facebook search/discovery system. The others have time, but not much.

Will it dent any of the other's profits or such short term? No. This is a long-term threat. But that doesn't mean it's any less disruptive or dangerous.

PR/Communication Trends: Social Media Marketing Matures

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:45:00 GMT

PR/Communications professionals: Social media marketing is having a profound impact on corporate communications, and traditional methods of marketing and public relations are in decline. It's important to retool your skillset in response.

A marketing survey of 972 professionals familiar with their business’ marketing strategy found that social media marketing channels are maintaining their low-cost advantage. These types of "inbound marketing-dominated organizations," which design marketing programs around their ideal customer prospect, reported a cost-per-lead 61% lower than outbound marketing-dominated organizations, which rely on print or display advertising, direct mail or events.

The lower cost-per-lead finding is remarkably consistent from year to year. Over the past three years studies have showed strikingly similar results. Inbound marketing-centric organizations experienced a 60% and 62% lower cost per lead respectively over the last several years.

For those that question the value of Facebook marketing--akin to those who pondered email marketing in the 90s--the trend for social media marketing is clear. Consumer brands need to be where their customer is. Facebook is the modern equivalent of main street. It's the digital gathering ground. So, companies need to start interesting conversations and show great customer service, as well as genuine concern for their customers. Never has one-to-one relationship marketing been so accessible for advertisers. Marketers can get to know their customers by looking through the profile pages of their fans. See a TV show your fans like? Start a conversation around it, or join a tweet chat. Show how your brand fits into your customer's lifestyle.

Because social media marketing is increasingly affecting the ways consumers make buying decisions, most companies are either maintaining or increasing their online marketing budgets. When asked about the reason for increasing budgets, nearly hald say the reason is due to “past success."

As a result, marketers are allocating more of their lead generation budgets to social media and company blogs.

Companies that rely on their website for new business leads say they are attributing more of their budget to regular and frequent website content, primarily in the form of blog posts. Corporate blogs are an effective way to publish fresh, new pages on topics that are timely and of high interest to ideal customer prospects. Previous studies have found a strong correlation between the number of blog pages on a company's website, and the number of leads that company generates each month.

Blogs had the highest instance of being reported as “below average cost.” 52% of companies who blog indicated leads from this channel were “below average cost.” Trade shows, direct mail, and telemarketing were most frequently ranked as more expensive.

The average budget spent on company blogs and social media, acccording to HubSpot, increased from 9% in 2009 to 21% in 2012. Much of that growth was attributed to social media. In 2010, blogs represented 7% and social media was 8% of total marketing budget; in 2012, they were 8% and 13%, accordingly.

Because social media marketing is so measurable, it's common for marketers to try to make direct connections between their social media marketing efforts and sales. But here is where many mistakes are made. Social media influences many aspects of the purchase process, but it is not well used as a direct selling tool. Here is where social media becomes more aligned with the marketing and public relations department, rather than the sales department.

Social media marketing is about building and reinforcing relationships with customers and prospects. It's also about reinforcing the positive feelings your existing customers have, and perhaps serving as an additional customer service channel. Social media can help new prospects find out about your products and services, but it is most effective when your existing customers share their testimonials and positive experiences with other users. It's difficult for marketers to get away from this "top down" messaging state of mind, but in fact, the most successful marketers in 2013 will be those that facilitate and make possible the peer-to-peer or customer-to-customer interaction. That's where the real change will come from.

You Suck at PowerPoint (Now Here's How to Fix It)

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:00:00 GMT

For more than 22 years PR/Communication executives have relied on Microsoft PowerPoint. It's installed on more than 1 billion computers and an estimated 350 presentations are given each second somewhere in the world.

But PowerPoint slides confuse more than they help. Diagrams are confusing and there's way much information on each slide. Choices of font styles, colors and formatting are selected by people who have no formal graphic arts training.

Jesse Desjardine, head of social at Tourism Australia is trying to fix bad PowerPoint presentations, one slide at a time. He shared the following tips to improve your next presentation on SlideShare.com.

Jesse's tips also support the conclusions of a May 2012 study in the journal Technical Communication which found 36% of presentation prep time is consumed by managing graphics and animation features of slide show software. Instead, that time should be better used by developing a story around your presentation, or creatively finding ways to engage the audience. (Thielsch & Perabo, 2012)

If your slides are more text than visuals, you may have a "slidument," a document in the form of a presentation slide-deck that is neither suitable as a presentation nor as a take-home document. Instead, use one of the creative templates inside your word processing program and start filling in the information there. Leave your presenatations slides for connecting to your audience on a personal level only. Share a story, and use your visuals to support your main points.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also be interested in: Death to PowerPoint! by Bob Parks of Business Week.

Write a comment below, or connect with Laura on Google+

Essential Technical Skills for Marketers

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:35:00 GMT

Marketers who can write HTML code or use PivotTables in Excel are the most desirable and valuable. But really. How many marketers do you know who can do these things? Not a lot.

So an effort is underway to help PR communication professionals and marketers get the technical skills they need. Flip through the slides below to understand why web design, copyrighting, forecasting, statistics, databases, SQL and SEO are essential skills. There are also embedded links where marketers can learn more about these areas.

Technical Marketing from Jamie Steven

For business owners, consider where your business is today and what your goals are for the next five years. Do you have the resources you need to keep your business competitive in the digital economy? Is a mobile strategy part of your marketing plan?

Help is available through hybrid marketing, advertising, web and SEO firms that specialize in providing technical marketing services to small business.

Connecting your web, advertising, online marketing, analytics and customer relationship management (CRM) software into one platform has the power to radically transform your organization and help you get more value from your marketing and sales efforts.

We provide custom marketing assessments to help business owners get a clear picture of where their cost savings could be greatest. We also provide monthly articles to help leverage the power of websites, get more visibility through search, boost conversions and generate sales. Just click on the button below to get these articles delivered straight to your inbox.

12 Great Facebook Ad Examples

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:52:00 GMT

Here are 12 examples of remarkable Facebook ads to give you an edge on your next Facebook advertising campaign.

Facebook works differently than Google Adwords or other search-based PPC campaigns. Facebook is social advertising, not search advertising. Search advertising reaches people when they are looking for a specific solution to their problem. The difference is people use Facebook to connect with other people. Your advertising has to resonate with social cues.

Let me give you an example:

Chili's Grill & Bar designed this ad to evoke memories of fun times with friends. If you've been at Chili's, drinking margaritas and enjoying large entrees, chances are good that you were enjoying good times wirh friends.

The ad features the iconic chili pepper, then uses a "series of yeses" to mentally attract your mind to Liking the page. You like frosty margaritas? Yes! You liike bold entrees? Yes! You like tasty appetizers? Yes! After three "yeses" your mind is much more apt to agree to the call-to-action," Now it's time to like our page." Wow. How can I resist?

People will have a much stronger affinity towards liking this page because their mind is flooded with positive thoughts triggered by Margaritas and delicious food. Notice that over 1,631,824 people have "liked" this ad? Impressive.

Now here's one from Drugstore.com. But notice they don't promote their own store location. Instead, they promote a highly popular product on sale inside the store--Burt's Bees.

Burt's Bees has a loyal and raving fan base. They love to talk about Burt's Bees on social media. By featuring a brand people are passionate about, Drugstore.com is able to get several hundred thousand Likes to it's business page.

Researching the products your fans love can be a powerful way to drive attention and Likes to your page. It also helps if those product-lovers tend to be affluent and digitally savvy, like the fans of Burt's Bees. Ask yourself, what products or images is your organization associated with, and could one of those images be a compelling way to drive Likes to your page?

This next ad is for a consultant who helps women "become more successful with men." You would never stumble across this website on your own. But the headline is a question most women ask themselves at least once. This ad promises "the truth about men" and what to do if you're dating someone who isn't "emotionally available." Most people won't look for the name of the website behind the ad, but they should.

Think of McDonald's and chances are good you're not thinking of fresh, wholesome nutritous food farmed sustainably from American farmers. McDonalds, the pioneer of fast food and the $1 menu, is responding to consumer preferences for healthier food and sustainable farming practices. Alternatives like Chipotle, Subway and Panera Bread have taken some of McDonald's market share.

It's hard to run away from the Golden Arches, but McDonalds tries a different spin with this ad. I've tried McDonald's tasty salads and fresh apples. It's just extremely hard to order these while enveloped with the smell of burgers and french fries. Not impossible. But very, very, difficult.

Another popular Facebook advertising technique is to run a contest that supports the lifestyle of your most loyal fans.

Here, Subway invites people to "nominate a friend" to be a Subway "High School Hero." This campaign supports local high schools, making the campaign locally relevant to all entrants. It associates the brand with sports, supporting Subway's healthy living lifestyle brand. By encouraing people to nominate friends, this campaign fits well inside the environment of Facebook.

What's better than supporting your local high school athlete? How about donating books to Kindergarten classrooms? Here, LeapFrog offers an irresistable offer: Like thier Page and they'll donate a book to a Kindergarten classroom. How can you not give the gift of reading to a child?

Consider ways your organization can give something of tremendous value back to those who Like your page. The average Facebook user only connects with 5 or 6 brands, so how are you going to rise above the competition and make your page better than all the others?

Come up with offers and gifts (like "reading") that could also be beneficial to your organization. In Leapfrog's case, large numbers of impressionable young students will get to experience a free trial of Tag interactive books. And Leapfrog will also get valuable contact information. Maybe that's a fair trade.

Sometimes your offer might just have to be a major discount. Fab.com is offering a 70% discount. It's hard to ignore a 70% discount.

For discounts to work, you should start at 50% savings. The lifetime value of each new customer you earn will more than make up for the discount.

But don't give away anything for free, as using the word "free" reduces overall marketing effectiveness. Instead of "free," offer something for $1.

As more advertisers move over to Facebook, the competition for attention will get more fierce. Many frequent Facebook users now "tune out" the Facebook ads on the right. The more "fun" and "social" your ad is, the more successful your campaign will be.

Here, the makers of Frosted Mini-Wheats have created a "Mom Homeroom" with content designed just for parents. This ad offers a real reason to Like the page -- a digital community of like-minded parents. This type of "Lifestyle Branding" is essential for advertisers. Consumers don't want to be sold to, they want to have fun and connect with people who are like them.

Let's not forget the power of cuteness. Dogs are one of the most effective images you can use to grab attention for your ad. Want more attention? Use a cute puppy. Babies are another. Or attractive models. Anytime you see puppies or babies (or girls) you know the ad firm was desperate to get your attention. Another great image is chocolate. Use images that are strongly associated with intense positive feelings.

What does a Chihuahua have to do with medical billing? Doesn't matter. Notice that this ad also used location targeting in the text. You can design ads that target specific demographic groups. It takes more time to set up, but significantly boosts performance.

Remember to offer something of specific value. It's not enough to just ask for a Like. This ad uses a cute, attention-grabbing cartoon with clear, specific benefits. The question, "Know These 3 Tips" also uses the element of curiosity to pique interest. People love getting answers to questions. Just asking a question gets people to want the answer. Giving them that answer in exchange for a Like is like scratching their back.

Here's another example of how to use curiosity in your campaign: "Are your skills on point?" Well, gosh, I don't know. Well here's this marketing pop-quiz to help me find out.

One word of caution: Don't use ALL CAPS in your headline. Caps are harder to read and don't perform well.

Know the power of images. Here, an advertiser gets you to imagine a private villa, personalized service, privleged access against a tropical paradise setting with an infinity pool. "Win a beach getaway." Imagine how many people sitting at their computers secretly wish to escape to a setting such as this.

There you have it! My 12 most favorite examples of Facebook ads. If you'd like to learn more about Facebook advertising, including what you can do to avoid "ad blindness" in your target market, then contact me to have me set up your Facebook advertising campaign.

And tell me, do you plan to advertise on Facebook sometime in the next 6 months? Tell me why (or why nott) in the comments section below.

Social Media Primer

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:30:00 GMT

If you're curious about getting started on social media, or where the trends are headed to these days, here is a Social Media Primer provided by my trusted colleague and friend, Tara Coomans:

It includes examples of small businesses using social media and will help give you ideas for your own business.

If you think you're just "not ready" for social media, consider this:

People who follow brands on social media are much more likely to buy from that brand in the future
The average lifetime value of customers who follow online brands is higher than those who don't

Soon, the social media waters will be swarmed with businesess competing for customer's attention. The time to move into this space is now.

You may also be interested in our 25-page guide with step-by-step instructions for how to incorporate Facebook & Twitter into your marketing strategy. Just click on the button below:

Don't wait too long -- business owners and PR Communication practitioners only have about 36 months to claim the space, according to the experts.

In about 3 years the social channels will become so cluttered with advertising, marketers will have to turn to the "next hot thing" (cloud-based customer relationship management).

We are in the midst of a social revolution! More than 70% of Fortune 500 businesses are using social computing in their business. Now is the time to connect with customers, listen to their stories, improve customer interactions, innovate your business, share your best stuff, collaborate with colleagues and move your industry and business forward in the process. How has social media changed your business? Tell me what you're seeing in the comments below.

Inbound 2012: Gary Vaynerchuck on Why He Really Loves Social Media

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 23:05:00 GMT

The trend is clear: the majority of people these days are spending more of their time on social media. But the keynote speaker at Inbound 2012 didn't mince words:

“The only reason I love social media is because it sells shit," Gary Vaynerchuck, the best-selling social media author said.

Gary underscored his passion and a short clip of his keynote address is presented below. Warning: it contains strong language.

Gary Vaynerchuk at Inbound 2012 from Laura Kinoshita on Vimeo.

Gary estimates marketers have less than 36 months to get people's attention through social media. "When marketers come in, people leave," he reminded the audience. Facebook may have peaked with their IPO.

That means it’s time to start moving towards the “next big thing.” The rise of peer-to-peer recommendations will naturally drive businesses to focus on building better customer experiences.

Companies like SalesForce.com and HubSpot are building software that will better help your customer service and sales team to deliver outstanding service. Look at what Nimble has in store for you.

For now, Gary Vaynerchuck encourages businesses to get ready. This isn’t a fad. We are only at the very early beginnings stages of a complete change in the way our culture and society shares and consumes information. Don't get left behind, he warns. Start adapting.

PR Communications Jobs in Hawaii

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 02:28:00 GMT

One of the most common questions I get is about PR Communication jobs in Hawaii. The Public Relations Society of America, Hawaii Chapter, hosts a job board. This site is regularly updated and provide an excellent source of information. It's free for members to publish job postings. Click on the image below to see the current list of offerings:

Don't forget to also visit the websites of your most-desired employers. Most organizations posts jobs on their own website before publishing them in the newspaper.

Before applying for that job, do a Google search for your name to see if search results are what you want your employer to see.

Remove any controversial images from Facebook, as "cybervetting" is becoming increasingly popular among hiring departments. Check your privacy settings to ensure you're only sharing information with appropriate audiences.

Some practical advice for social media is to use the the "4-Way Test" before publishing any content:

1. Is it true?

2. Is it beneficial to all concerned?

3. Does it build good will and friendships?

4. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Only hit the "Publish" button if you can answer YES to each question. Following this guideline will help keep your social profile clean during your PR Communications job search. Parents, share this tip with your kids today!

Why Your Company Needs a Culture of Inbound Marketing

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:16:00 GMT

While in Rome, do as the Romans. So I’m sitting at the Starbucks on Boylston Street in Boston, within walking distance of MIT, Harvard University and surrounded by college kids on a sunny, summer day. Today’s the last day of HubSpot’s Inbound12 conference, of which 2,800 marketers and agencies attended.

What is Inbound Marketing?

Inbound Marketing is basically HubSpot’s interpretation of “Social Media Marketing.” By “interpretation” I mean the phrase “Social Media Marketing” had already become saturated when HubSpot really started to take off in the market.

HubSpot needed a marketing message, one that would brand their company in a unique way, while enabling them to also track the results of marketing investments. Today, any search for “Inbound Marketing” can be directly tied back to a seed the HubSpot marketing team planted somewhere along the way.

In practical terms, “Inbound Marketing” means the same thing as “Content Marketing” or “Social Media Marketing for Business.” It’s based on the finding that technology, smartphones and mobile devices have made mass market advertising irrelevant to the current generation, and to really capture the hearts and minds of customers, you’re going to need to interact directly with them on a 1:1 basis. It’s about having conversations that interest your customers, not because they bought something from you, but because they are looking for an authentic, personal and grounded experience.

The focus of the Inbound12 conference was helping companies gain a competitive advantage through intelligently using the information their customers are putting in front of them every day. HubSpot’s Inbound12 conference was also about the power that comes to an organization when all available customer data lives on a single, integrated platform, and can speak to the business development, service and sales team in real time. It’s about making 1+1=3, which was the theme of the conference.

How to Create a True Culture of Inbound Marketing

“People are sick and tired of programs,” exclaimed Marcus Sheridan, president of The Sales Lion. To do Inbound Marketing well, the entire organizational culture needs to be aligned from the ground floor to its principals. “What’s the difference between a program and a culture?” He asked. “A program comes and goes, but a culture is forever.”

This important point led into a session about how an entire organization needs to work together to create an culture of Inbound Marketing. When you think about it, this isn't anything radically new. Business advisors have been telling companies they need a coherent, customer-focused culture for years. But now that digital media is making service and customer experiences more transparent, it's becoming more urgent that we do this now.

An organization has to connect the “why” to every single employee so they know in concrete terms how their specific job function connects to the ultimate customer experience. At a minimum, every single employee at your organization (and yes, every single one) must be able to answer the following questions about inbound marketing:

What it is (inbound marketing)
What a blog is
How Google and search works
How consumers shop and research online
How inbound marketing and content affects the entire company
How inbound marketing affects each employee individually
The difference a single blog article can make

Results

Once a company holds a full-day Inbound Marketing session, the overall impact of their web, search and traffic generating efforts goes way up:

With every employee on board, each person better understands how their personal contribution makes an impact. The results are a dramatic compounding of positive returns. As the slide above shows, the results are immediate. A side effect is organizations generally see better customer service, also.

Your inbound marketing consultant will help provide the structure and format for this workshop, then can work with you afterwards to help keep employees engaged. They can provide templates, create an editorial calendar and format the blog articles. Sometimes they'll even write the first and last paragraph, which is generally all that someone needs to get the creative juices flowing. Employees just need to write down the answers to the questions they get every day.

Once employees are engaged, organizations see rapid increases in traffic, leads and sales. Marcus shared a few slides from his own direct experience, which is also verified by hundreds of customer case studies at HubSpot.

The "Inbound Marketing Summit" is the first step in taking Inbound Marketing from a "program" to a full cultural shift within an organization. It requires upper management to buy in and will have every employee working from the same page.

Not every company is ready for the fundamental cultural shift of Inbound Marketing. But as I will explain in my next few posts, the ones that do will be at a tremendous competitive advantage.

95% of Small Businesses Use Email Marketing to Attract New Customers

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:42:00 GMT

Two-way communication provides real-time market intelligence to owners and nearly instant ability to get the word out to your best customers.

This Small Business Marketing Infographic is provided courtesy of BOLT small business insurance. If you'd like us to work with Infographic World to create and promote an infographic for your business to use in social media, contact us here.
Via: Bolt Insurance

Join Social Media Club in North Hawaii for Google Analytics Program

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:07:00 GMT

Since it began offering public meetings almost four years ago on O‘ahu, Social Media Club Hawaii (SMCHI) has shared their events via live video stream. The streaming events have helped connect social media, PR Communications and marketing professionals working on the outer islands.

Now, to take things to the "next level," I will be hosting a small get-together in Waimea where we can all watch the next Live Stream event, Monday, August 20th from 5:30-7:30pm.

We will be meeting at Conference & Tea Room in Waimea, upstairs in the green "Moon Center" building, above Lava Rock Realty, 65-1298 Kawaihae Road, across the street from Red Water Cafe.

You're welcome to bring food and drinks, but please don't feel obligated to do so. I'll probably pick up a pūpū plate or some poke if a few people register. We can snack and socialize from 5:30 to 6 and the program will start at 6 pm.

Speaking of registration -- please let me know if you plan to attend! Use the registration form below to sign up. That way, I can estimate what size pūpū plate to bring and what, if any, beverages I might want to throw into a cooler. Also, you'll get a reminder the day before with a map to the venue and any last-minute updates if you officially register.

August 20, 5:30-7:30 pm: Understanding Google Analytics

The O‘ahu event will feature three expert presenters showing how to best use Google Analytics on their blogs, including getting social stats. Here, on Hawaii Island, we will watch the live video and have our own Big Island-centric networking and discussion group. There will be a live demo of Google Analytics, and a discussion about the following:

Which stats help your business the most?
Insight about your traffic sources, keywords, time on site, unique visitors, and what these all mean
What "bounce rate" is and why it's important
How to look at social media numbers
Setting up goals & tracking E-Commerce
Q & A Session

If you're a Google Analytics expert living on the Big Island, please come and add your own mana‘o to this event. For example, Brent Norris is one of the top Google Analytics experts in the state, and if he comes he'll have a lot to add. I'm probably going to add my two cents as well. There are many other highly qualified experts living here. The more we get to know each other, the more we can refer business to each other. You can see who the current Google Analytics speakers are here at the SMCHI website.

If this sounds like fun, just scroll down below and choose Hawaii Island Attendee @ Tea Room in Waimea. This event is complementary, thanks to a sponsorship from Kinoshita Communications, specializing in helping businesses use website tools to turn website visitors into new business leads and sales.

Event management for Understanding Google Analytics powered by Eventbrite

Waimea Conference & Tea Room 65-1298 Kawaihae Road, Upstairs
For details and information, call Laura at (808) 447-0072.
Want to follow along on Twitter? Use hashtags #FBISM and #SMCHI

(We'll be in the green building on the left, upstairs. Click the image above for Google Map)

If you'd like to sponsor food or room rental in the future and have your logo featured on the SMCHI website and newsletter, let me know here.

PR Campaign Wins Prestigious PRSA Award for Integrated Communications

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Public relations practitioner Laura Kinoshita, principal of Kinoshita Communications, was presented with the prestigious Koa Anvil Award Thursday night at the 29^th Annual awards ceremony hosted by the Public Relations Society of America Hawaii Chapter.

The award for Integrated Communications was for the Bite Me Sportfishing campaign. The campaign helped increase new customers, improved search engine rankings, reduced costs for pay-per-click advertising, raised awareness of the Fish Market Bar & Grill and generated more conversations online about Bite Me Sportfishing as a top sportfishing, dining and travel destination site.

Today, the Bite Me Sportfishing website is a better lead generation and sales tool, attracting more customers to each business unit.

The campaign also improved the value of the “Bite Me” brand by improving ratings on travel review sites. In addition, the business owners now have valuable customer and business intelligence.

“Most businesses can’t attribute a dollar of sales to their social media efforts, but we know our business is growing because of it,” said Deneen Wargo, co-owner of Bite Me Sportfishing. “As a result of Kinoshita Communications’ efforts, we now generate more new business leads and sales through our website than we did one year ago.”

Components of the Bite Me Sportfishing campaign included:

Reputation management on TripAdvisor and Yelp
Pay-per-click advertising on Google
Corporate blog setup, training and management
Website search engine optimization
Facebook training and management
Customized Twitter page consistent with branding
Foursquare setup and management
Email template design and sign-up forms
Custom landing pages and offers
Online Content Strategy with 12-Month Editorial Calendar
Inbound Link Building and Referral Traffic
Closed-Loop Customer Analytics

Campaign metrics showed an increase in sales across all business lines. Campaign activities generated a 145% increase in website traffic and 2-3 additional new charter bookings each month. Website optimization saved an average of $697 in monthly pay-per-click spending. TripAdvisor reviews improved two full stars, with 20 new five-star reviews generated in just six months.

The Koa Anvil Awards celebrate the “Four Rings of Excellence” for which entries are judged: research, planning, execution and evaluation. According to the PRSA Hawaii Chapter, it is the competition “to develop better plans, use creativity to produce better results, increase professional skill to produce the best public relations programs and tools that keep the professional motivated and moving forward.

The 2012 Koa Anvil Award for Integrated Communications is the second award bestowed to Kinoshita Communications this season. The PR communications firm also earned an International Hermes Award for Social Media for The Shops at Mauna Lani on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island. That campaign helped bridge the digital divide between the online shopping center’s Facebook fans and Twitter followers by using lead nurturing, custom landing pages and email offers that converted online fans to in-store traffic and sales.

How to Respond to a PR Communications Crisis

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 03:14:00 GMT

Leaders of the world:
You can not keep a secret

I'm serious.

You're going to look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong.

But I'm not wrong.

You're going to try to convince me you have absolute control over your organization.

You don't have control.

I get it.

You come from a generation of leaders that were from the 80s when maybe -- sometimes -- information could be successfully withheld from the public's eye. You may have even withheld information from your most innermost circle. You may even be hiding information from your wife.

Good for you.

But you can't hide information from me.

Why?

Because information is everywhere, instantaneously shared around the world via networks you can't control. You don't know what information is out there, and you don't know who has it.

The truth always gets out.

When faced with a PR Communications crisis there is a standard 4-step response:

1. Assess the situation

2. Apologize

3. Correct the problem

4. Make restitution

Like the five stages of grief all four steps must happen -- sometimes concurrently.

1. Assess the Situation

First, does a crisis really exist? Yes, I know you found a blog article that contains lies and defamation. But is it hurting sales? Does anyone read the blog?

When you respond to a situation you can make a situation worse. Case in point -- the business who has lawyer send a "cease and desist" order to a blogger that has just published photos of safety violations for a popular tourist attraction. The blogger laughs and shares the letter with his readership. Folks comment. Traffic goes up. Within 24 hours, any search for the attraction turns up the defamatory accusations. Sales suffer. On the Internet, the more attention you bring to something, the more popular and viral it becomes.

If your phone's not ringing with angry customers, or if sales remain strong, you might not be in a crisis. Consider a muted response.

On the other hand, if you do have a crisis on your hands, then the first thing you need to do is communicate. Still don't know the facts? Then explain what you're doing to get the facts and tell reporters when you're next update will be (preferably within four hours, depending on the nature of the emergency).

Why?

Because the public abhors a vacuum, and if you don't provide your side of the story, someone else will. That takes control of the message (and the situation) out of your hands and into someone elses. You want to be the primary source of information. Your job is to build trust and credibility. In the first moments of a crisis, the only thing you have is open and transparent communication.

2. Apologize

"But I've done nothing wrong." Oh, yes you have. Otherwise, you wouldn't have a crisis on your hands. "But it was our vendor's fault." Doesn't matter. Apologize. The sooner you apologize, the sooner you can get on with the business of repairing your reputation.

So many times I've seen CEOs drag out this part of the process. It's painful to watch. Attorneys get involved and tell their client to just keep quiet. That's disasterous for your reputation. I've seen leaders in denial, honestly believing what they did was right. Please, do yourself a favor and just apologize -- as honestly and authentically as you can. Come to terms with the fact that you are in a crisis.

Remember: the responsibility for your reputation is yours alone. Your lawyers don't give a hoot about your reputation, that's not what they get paid for. If you want to go back to business as normal one day, you're going to need your reputation intact. Listen to all the advice you'll get and make an informed decision. Give the advice you get from your attorney equal weight to the advice you'll get from your PR communications counsel.

3. Correct the problem

Do I really have to say this? You'd be amazed at the number of leaders who honestly believe they can go back to doing business as usual. Don't do that. Either legislators will come after you or activist groups will get together or the trust you break with customers will never return. "We've broken no laws." Just because it's legal does not make it right. And trust me, it's only a matter of time before what you're doing will become illegal -- eventually.

Is what you're doing the right thing to do? Is it fair to all concerned? Do you have your employees best interests in mind? Do you have the community's best interests in mind? Are you being honest about your practices and behaviors?

Don't make assumptions about "what the community wants." Ask them. And when they tell you what they want, listen and respond appropriately. Dont ignore the precious feedback you've been given. You might not get it twice.

4. Make restitution

This is another area where I see leaders try to delay the inevitable. There has never been a real crisis that didn't end in some form of apology payment or educational program. Oh sure, sometimes you'll see an "educational fund" be established, or a healthy donation to a worthy charity that both sides support, but make no mistake about it -- payments will occur.

Foolish and stubborn leaders might insist they can overcome serious opposition without making some sort of payment. But they're wrong. Distrust and negativity will persist until this happens. It can't be avoided. Penalties must occur. Sure, the money might go to support a mutually beneficial charity, educational campaign, or to victim families, but true healing can only occur once the community feels justice has been done.

Prepare for Your Crisis Now

Begin with identifying your crisis communications team and spokespersons. Your best spokesperson may not be the CEO. Qualified spokespeople must be able to think clearly under enormous amounts of stress, sometimes for several days (or weeks) at a time.

In a national crisis event, your spokesperson might go several days without sleep. Call a full-service marketing firm to your aid at the moment you learn of your crisis and get the resources and support you'll need during the first 12 hours.

If you haven't prepared your notification systems and processes, do that now. Identify how information is going to be gathered and shared, by whom and when. Often the CEO and VP of Marketing will be connected at the hip during the first few hours of a crisis. Timliness is key. Cancel the weekend plans! Nothing is more important than your repuation.

Did you just think of a phone tree? Think instant messaging instead. Crisis consultant Johnathan Bernstein recommends technology that can automatically contact all key stakesholders in a time of crisis, as well as other important crisis functions.

Anticipate your crisis. Every business is at risk for some type of employee violence, crime or accident that results in loss of life. But what types of crisis situations are unique to your location or industry? Product safety? Contamination? Customer data? Industrial chemicals?

Set time aside now for in-depth crisis planning, and include cybersecurity in your plans. Make this crisis planning off-limits to all interuptions so you can complete your crisis plan in a timely manner. It may feel odd to block off time and talk about events that might not occur. But whether it's an earthquake, bomb threat or unforseen accident, there will be a crisis that affects your company. And when that happens, you don't want to be standing in your office wondering what to do. You'll be at work resolving the issue.

Can Your Small Business Survive an Emergency?

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 23:21:00 GMT

I just got back from an emergency trip to visit my 97-year-old Aunt. Last year at this time I would have had enormous difficulty taking a sudden trip to California for three days, but with proper planning over the past 12 months I was able to pull it off with very little disruption to my business.

You can't do the same things and expect different results

It used to be when I got sick, my business suffered. Or sometimes family and friends would call with an unexpected visit. Last summer, several friends came to visit. I desperately wanted to reconnect. However, I was in the middle of a major Wordpress installation and did not have the support systems or staff to manage even a few days off. So I resolved to change everything about my business.

Build Your Team

At some point your business is going to need to survive without you. Better to plan for that day today rather than in the midst of an emergency in the future. Start with hiring the best people you can find, and then pay them what they are worth! They will provide you with more intangible value for your business than what a salary can provide, so treat them well and watch your business grow.

I changed my small business by building a highly trusted network of marketing communication professionals, not just in the state of Hawaii, but in the mainland U.S. as well. I now work with highly qualified full-service marketing professionals on the east and west coast. This team is helping me manage work (and new business opportunities) across multiple time zones.

I also rely on collaborative, web-based software so all clients and team members have access to me and each other in the rare times where I need to travel.

Web-based tools

As a small business owner, consider how you can take advantage of new systems and processes. A centralized accounting system will enable you (and your accountant) to enter expenses and pull financial reports from anywhere in the world.

I use Internet tethering on iPhone to access the Internet from anywhere. This keeps my business mobile. I admit, there have been more than a few times where I have caught up on paperwork, reviewed reports and updated client notes while sitting at a playground.

Getting web-based project tools also lets you be more effective at achieving your goals. The platforms I use the most are Basecamp by 37 Signals and Freshbooks. I also use Microsoft Outlook Web Access, Wordpress, AT&T's Office@Hand and HubSpot to make everything in my PR Communications firm run smoothly.

Lifestyle

It's never too late to start a healthy eating and lifestyle regimen. Not too long ago I was in a doctor's office talking about feeling tired. The doctor said it was nothing out of the ordinary considering I had an active five-year-old and a full-time business. But I found I could boost my metabolism, and thus my energy, if I ate healthy and exercised. My new routine has worked wonders. I try to run three times a week and eat more high fiber, nutrient-rich foods, like grains, quinoa, cheese, tofu, broccoli and fish. I have had to wake up extra early to get in the extra exercise, but it has put my body on "West Coast time" and helped me work better with East Coast partners.

Unexpected things happen

I can’t tell you what crisis will affect your business in the next six months, I just know that one will. It’s the law of science and statistics. So start preparing today. In my next article I will talk about what a business can do to prepare for a public relations crisis and those events and behaviors that damage an organization's reputation.

In the meantime, if you'd like to start preparing your business now -- or maybe get help setting up some of these systems for your business -- I have a few consulting spots available. You can also ask me a question or leave me your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Kinoshita Communications Wins International Hermes Creative Award

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 04:12:00 GMT

Turning website traffic into retail sales has earned Kinoshita Communications LLC an international Hermes Creative Award, the PR Communications agency announced today.

The award was based on the evaluation of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals’ judges and recognizes outstanding achievement in traditional and emerging media.

Kinoshita Communications LLC was hired by The Shops at Mauna Lani for a six-month campaign to increase shopping center traffic and retail sales. Objectives were to raise visibility on mobile devices, get more impact from social media efforts, increase website traffic and get better rankings for top keyword phrases (SEO).

The PR Communications agency designed, implemented and managed an integrated cross-platform campaign that included Facebook and Google advertising, pay-per-click (PPC), location-based offers, outreach to travel sites and custom web applications that seamlessly integrated with Facebook, Twitter and Constant Contact.

Results

In less than six months, the campaign generated an 83% increase in social media traffic. The shopping center’s website rose to the #3, #4 and #6 positions for important Google keyword search phrases, including “Big Island Shopping Center.” Referral traffic increased, including traffic from TripAdvisor, which increased 44 percent. Overall, new business leads and shopping center traffic increased as a direct result from campaign efforts.

“We’re very proud of this work which continues to produce positive results for The Shops at Mauna Lani,” said Laura K. Kinoshita, president of Kinoshita Communications. “An investment in a company’s website pays dividends for years to come. We faced a rigorous schedule and produced outstanding results. Our campaign metrics far exceeded industry standards and I think the judges recognized that fact when they bestowed this award.”

The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition comprising more than 4,700 entries from the United States, Canada and several other countries. It is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, an international organization consisting of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production and freelance professionals. AMCP judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. Winners were selected from 179 categories grouped under advertising, publications, marketing/branding, integrated marketing, public relations/communications, electronic media and pro bono. About nineteen percent won the Gold Award, the honor which was granted to Kinoshita Communications. A list of winners is available at http://www.hermesawards.com/winners-search.

You can download the case study, "Driving In-Store Traffic with Social Media and Content Marketing" here:

Get the 25-page workbook that provides instructions on some of the methodology used during the campaign here:

How to Integrate Facebook into Your PR Communications Strategy

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 02:36:00 GMT

Today I launched a brand-new eBook called, "Practical Tips for Reinventing Your Business with Social Media."

It provides step-by-step instructions for how to integrate Twitter and Facebook into your PR Communications marketing strategy.

UPDATE JULY 6: I've finished the process of "glamorizing" the look and feel and am now offering this 25-page guide to you below.

You'll get:

10 ways to increase engagement on Facebook
4 tips for building your influence on Twitter
How to find people who WANT to engage with your brand
Why you need social media in your business (even if you're just a small business)
And much more!

Let me know in the Comments section what your biggest marketing challenge is, and what you might like to get out of your social media efforts in the future.

And, if you know someone whose business could benefit from social media, please share this page with them. Thank you!

Practical Tips for Reinventing Your Business with Social Media

Social Listening & Engagement Gives Advantages to Small Businesses

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:18:00 GMT

Last week I had the chance to watch a presentationby Jon Ferrara, founder and CEO of Nimble. Jon is a top expert in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Nimble is a new company he founded that helps businesses improve their "Social Relationships." Businesses that use Nimble are usually able to develop stronger, more profitable relationships with their best customers over time.

There are two reasons marketing agencies and salespeople should watch this video:

Social listening and social engagement are the two most important concepts small business owners must master if they are to be successful in businesss during the next five years.
It's the best product demo I've seen in years. The pacing, presentation and content are top-notch. Jon is a CEO you can learn from.

Fast forward through the first five minutes, which are general housekeeping notes from HubSpot, which hosted the webinar. The presentation is geared toward marketing agencies, but will be useful for any business owner interested in developing better sales and marketing relationships.

By using social connections in new and better ways, business owners will be able to discover innovation, service and product improvements. That offers the potential of even the smallest business owners to compete against large and established brands. In other words, Brains, creativity, passion, commitment and stamina will be the marketing currency of the future.

To provide some context, in the last five years several major brands have moved into my rural area: Target, Sports Authority, Office Max, Petco, Macaroni Grill and more. Mom-and-pop retailers can not compete directly with these brands on product selection or price, but they CAN compete on innovation and customer service.

Unfortunately, I think many small business owners are not aware of the cultural and social changes taking place around them. They are not aware of how quickly society and culture are changing around them, or, more to the point, how that is going to affect their business in the next five years.

Sure, they've noticed more smartphones. They know people are searching Yelp! and TripAdvisor. But they haven't thought about how they can make their business stronger or better because it. I developed The Mobile Marketing Workbook as one way to help start thinking about these things in new ways.

Jon's introduction to Nimble shows customer relationship management in a socially connected world, and the Mobile Marketing Workbook is one way business owners can find their strategic competitive advantage.

Let me know how you are using social media to discover innovation or improve customer service by posting a Comment below.

Social Media is Reinventing How Business is Done

Fri, 18 May 2012 21:13:00 GMT

USA Today looked at the impact social media is having on businesses across America yesterday. Facebook's IPO has people thinking and talking about social media more than ever, but now companies must ask themselves how to use social tools internally to best take advantage of the breadth of real-time information available to them, their sales executives and their managers.

Two out of three large companies surveyed by McKinsey & Co. said they were using "Web 2.0" tools like social networks and blogs. Almost all (90%) had reported measurable benefits. As with my own research, most businesses reported moderate benefits, such as better visibility and brand exposure. But for those that applied rigorous businesses processes, a number of businesses surveyed could point to new business leads and sales. Being able to track a lead from initial/first contact, through the purchase process, to the final lead or sale is difficult.

Many businesses use a "last point of contact attribute" for social media, which is a mistake. Attributing a sale to the last touch point doesn't accurately reflect the positive impact social media had on that customer. Social media is often used as one of the very first customer touch-points, so efforts to measure social media's impact on new business sales has to take that into account. I wrote about this in "How to Justify Your Investment in Social Media Marketing."

The good news, accordingto McKinsey & Co., is that "heavy use of social tools has a statistically significant correlation to profitability." But Michael Chui, senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, admits it's early: A very small percentage of large companies (less than 3%) are using social media in three key business areas — reaching customers, connecting employees and coordinating with suppliers, McKinsey said.

We've heard how businesses can use social media to "listen to customers," (as if they weren't doing that before!) But Web 2.0 is about organizing information in ways that makes innovation possible.

Chris Laping, senior vice president for business transformation at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, sees the connection between connecting with customers on emotional levels and direct benefits for the company he works for. "When people see things, they feel things. And when they feel things, they change," he told USA Today.

Practical Tips for High Quality Public Relations

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:00:00 GMT

"Back in the day when you needed to fax and courier press releases (i.e. it was a significant cost), you thought twice before issuing material. You also had no choice but to get on the phone and pitch. You developed what is known as 'relationships', and 'a clue.'"

So begins a great article by Roger Hislop at BizCommunity.com, who recommends banning the use of email by account executives until they demonstrate the skills and ability to use email effectively. He characterizes "effectively" as being useful and convenient for the journalist, a person with whom the AE has built a relationship with in advance. "A bad telephone pitch is a learning experience." Boy, isn't that the truth!

He also agrees with banning media databases. Any journalist worth their salt figured out how to exclude their contact information back in the 90s. What's left over is a bunch of contacts who are just going to delete your press release. I've always favored finding reporters I respect and admire, clipping their articles (I keep 6 month's worth at a time), then building my database with tender loving care. Time consuming? You betcha. But boy oh boy does it work! If I can't refer back to a specific article a journalist wrote without showing how my client is relevant to their readers, then I just won't make contact.

BuzzStream makes this process easier than ever, and if you're a digital marketer working in media relations, you have to check it out! You can keep track of your contacts, copy relevant articles directly from websites, and integrate social media profiles like Twitter and LinkedIn. Social media makes sending relevant information easier than ever.

You know how much I detest AVEs, which Roger say can mask a bad PR program. Make sure your campaign passes the "sniff test." I like to categorize my coverage into "Tiers." Tier 1 coverage is headline and photo where your client is the primary focus. Tier 2 is your client has at least a paragraph or more about their product or service. Tier 3 articles are those in which your client is mentioned, but the overall focus of the article is something else, and brand recall is expected to be low, if anything. Tier 4 coverage are those clips in which your client only gets a one line mention. Do you know how many "Tier 4" level clips get categorized as AVEs by PR firms? Instead, clients need to measure the quality of their media coverage -- what percentage of Tier 3 and Tier 4 coverage is changing into Tier 1 and Tier 2? That's how you can measure the effectiveness of your PR media relations campaign, in my opinion.

Read "Six Ways Agency Owners Can Do Better PR" here: http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/18/71458.html

2012 West Hawaii Social Media Survey

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:57:00 GMT

Take the West Hawaii Social Media Survey now!

Your input is needed! I'm researching how businesses in West Hawaii use social media. This is the only survey of its kind, now in its third year. You can find out how social media trends compare to those elsewhere. Every response counts! Help me get the word out! Here's an update you can copy & paste:

“I just took the West Hawaii #smsurvey and got entered to win a $50 Visa Cash card! You can too: http://conta.cc/lkinoshita via @lkinoshita“

Click Here to take the survey now

How to Understand Social Media Metrics

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:36:00 GMT

Many people get lost in what the various metrics mean for their business, and that's okay. Not everyone can be a marketing and measurement expert!

Don Bartholomew helps make it easier. He's known as "the Metrics Man" and he published an article called, "Three Fundamentals of Great Social Media Measurement. In it, he explains the importance of tracking key metrics and key performance indicators (KPI) but also makes the point that developing "actionable insights" are even more important (emphasis is mine):

"Insights may be defined as synthesizing and interpreting data to provide actionable information and knowledge that informs strategic decisions.

Too many social media measurement programs take a social-centric, rather than a business-centric, approach to insights. They often feature insights and recommendations that are tactical in nature – the best time of day or how many times to tweet, or what type of content seems to be most successful.

Ideally, insights and recommendations in social measurement reports would be operating one level above this, informing strategic decisions about how social programs and conversations are impacting, or could impact, the business."

Don goes on to explain the difference between "Channel Specific Metrics" and "Business Outcome Metrics." Like the company in the midst of a new product launch. The metrics that matter aren't how many "Likes" or "Retweets" obtained in a month (Channel Metrics), but instead what types of features the customers liked most, and reasons why they bought or recommeded the product (Business Outcomes).

That means more interpretation and analysis from a strategic business perspective. An experienced marketing professional will understand that quickly getting to 10,000 "Likes" on a Facebook page won't do anything for a business if those people never come back. Or that a sudden surge of bargain-hunting shoppers might not help a new business if the store owner didn't properly set up a lead capture or follow-up campaign once the promotion ended.

Actionable insights include:

Identifying which competitors are performing better than you and why
Recommending new initiatives that will overcome existing marketing barriers
Specific reasons why some offers perform better than others so that future offers may be optimized for best performance
Phased approach to implementation, recognizing larger macro-economic forces which may be affecting your business (seasonality, for example)

A junior level staffer who keeps track of Klout scores and Twitter followers won't be able to extract the same value out of the social media campaign as an experienced marketer. That's because she won't have the personal experience or business acumen to understand the "whys" or "hows" their work is connecting to business outcomes.

Similarly, companies need to give their outside consultants access to sales and customer data so they can conduct closed-loop-analysis. All too often consultants set up systems that "hand off" leads or customer relationships to a business, never to hear what happened to those relationships or how much the sale was worth. As a result, they can never truly know what worked, and what didn't.

Give your social media manager the resources and authority they need to quickly turn a social media trend into a competitive advantage for your company.

Make sure your metrics system is set up to deliver insights that help your business create innovative products and services.

Start with the end in mind. Consider what your business needs most from social media. What does success look like? Be specific. Look at your entire business, not just the metrics of your social media platform. Take it a step further. Create your own tools and systems. Want to see what a metrics system looks like?

Download Social Metrics Examples

Want to see how this actually works? Click here to get 7 charts of social media metrics. You'll see actionable business insights from online and social media efforts. Get instant access now.

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PR Communications and Social Media

How to Manage Online Reviews & Recommendations

Honolulu PD Named Among Most Social Friendly Police Departments in the Nation

Benefits of Social Media in Law Enforcement:

Best Ways to Stay Safe on Social Media

Tips for Your Social Media Safety: Awareness

1: Suspicious Links

2: Random Friends

3: Private Messages

4: Posts

5: Apps

Good Practices to Adopt

1: Secrecy

2: The Shell Game

3: Real-Time Measures

4: Awareness

5: Ignoring Things

State of Social Media Marketing in 2013

Is Facebook's New Graph Search Engine a Danger to Google?

Q: Is Facebook's new Graph Search Engine a danger to Google, LinkedIn, Yelp & Foursquare?

But to more directly answer the question. Let's say you want to find a Mexican Restaurant near you. Where do you go?

Let's try this on Yelp.

Onto Foursquare:

Now, let's look at LinkedIn.

So, conclusions:

PR/Communication Trends: Social Media Marketing Matures

You Suck at PowerPoint (Now Here's How to Fix It)

Essential Technical Skills for Marketers

12 Great Facebook Ad Examples

Social Media Primer

Inbound 2012: Gary Vaynerchuck on Why He Really Loves Social Media

PR Communications Jobs in Hawaii

Why Your Company Needs a Culture of Inbound Marketing

What is Inbound Marketing?

How to Create a True Culture of Inbound Marketing

Results

95% of Small Businesses Use Email Marketing to Attract New Customers

Join Social Media Club in North Hawaii for Google Analytics Program

August 20, 5:30-7:30 pm: Understanding Google Analytics

PR Campaign Wins Prestigious PRSA Award for Integrated Communications

Components of the Bite Me Sportfishing campaign included:

How to Respond to a PR Communications Crisis

Leaders of the world: You can not keep a secret

I get it.

When faced with a PR Communications crisis there is a standard 4-step response:

1. Assess the Situation

2. Apologize

3. Correct the problem

4. Make restitution

Prepare for Your Crisis Now

Can Your Small Business Survive an Emergency?

You can't do the same things and expect different results

Build Your Team

Web-based tools

Lifestyle

Unexpected things happen

Kinoshita Communications Wins International Hermes Creative Award

Results

How to Integrate Facebook into Your PR Communications Strategy

You'll get:

Practical Tips for Reinventing Your Business with Social Media

Social Listening & Engagement Gives Advantages to Small Businesses

Social Media is Reinventing How Business is Done

Practical Tips for High Quality Public Relations

2012 West Hawaii Social Media Survey

Take the West Hawaii Social Media Survey now!

How to Understand Social Media Metrics

Actionable insights include:

Download Social Metrics Examples

But to more directly answer the question.

Let's say you want to find a Mexican Restaurant near you. Where do you go?

Leaders of the world:
You can not keep a secret