Twitter Chat

Online chats have come a long way since the original AOL chat room. Today, creating a Twitter chat can be a very useful and instant way to stay in touch with your audience. These chats can help you measure your audience’s attitude toward a given campaign, cause or product.

Hosting a Twitter chat is as easy as picking a unique hashtag, or “#,” that describes your specific topic and letting your followers know when the conversation will be active. When they search for your hashtag during your designated chat time, they see a live, streaming discussion, which creates a forum. Search Marketing Weekly provides an example of what a search chat looks like with a summary of the most recent #SEOchat.

Make sure you do your research before launching a hashtag. If someone is already using it, your conversation will be cluttered with unrelated messages. Also, make sure your hashtag is unique and not too long. #Usingexcessivelylonghashtags can make it difficult for people to tweet their full thoughts since you’re limited to 140 characters. Check out these popular Twitter chats for marketing and public relations professionals: #smbiz, #brandchat, #socialchat and #commschat.

Facebook Tagging

To make your brand more social, tag your fans and partners in status updates on your Facebook page by using the “@” symbol in your update. This will link to their Facebook page, letting them know you have mentioned them and strengthening relationships. Next time they post about you, they’re more likely to use the “@” symbol themselves. Tagging is a great way to highlight partnerships, promotions, sponsorships and clients or to highlight an article or interview with a specific media outlet.

Facebook posts with tags also are displayed on the person’s or business page’s Wall. You can use up to six @ tags per status update anywhere the publisher (the box where you write posts and updates) appears on Facebook. A blog post on Inside Facebook gives a visual of what @ tagging looks like to a user.

Geotargeted Facebook Status

Let’s say you’ve got a national or international brand, but you still want to provide customized updates to audiences in specific countries/states/cities. Facebook offers geographically targeted status updates that can be shown only to those likers in that specific location. That way, you aren’t cluttering your national page with specific updates about what’s going on in Tulsa, Okla., for example. You can simply enter your localized status update, click on the drop-down box at the bottom right next to the “Share” button (default is usually “Public”), and select “Target by: Location/Language.” You can choose the country, state/province or city. You can also select a different language.

Each social media channel offers a number of ways to connect with targeted audiences, and is really a marketing toolbox of its own. Make sure you are taking full advantage of all the features those platforms have to offer. A little “@” can go a long way.

Aran Coleman

In addition to being the biggest football game of the year, the Super Bowl has also become the biggest game for advertisers. This year, you can expect to see several major advertisers returning to the “big game,” plunking down 3.5 million dollars hoping to become the fodder of water cooler talk the next day. Why not? Isn’t this the real reason people watch? It’s all about the commercials.

But something else happened along the way to the water cooler. With the advent of social media, these ads have a far longer shelf life than the 30 or 60 seconds that appear on television. Now, more than ever, people are not just sitting down with a slice of pizza and cold one. They are sitting with their smartphones and tablets, anxiously waiting to tweet about their favorite ad or post their opinions on Facebook. So many of the ads we now see have gone viral, and those benefiting the most are the advertisers themselves.

In 2011, the ad that took the nation by storm was the Volkswagen Darth Vader commercial. It certainly gave its 6-year-old star Max Page his 15 minutes of fame. The commercial not only went on to be named Adweek’s top commercial of 2011, it continues to flourish on YouTube with nearly 50 million hits. Volkswagen says “thank you,” by the way.

Not only are these social media outlets becoming standard for companies to showcase their brands, they are offering the opportunity for people to become engaged. Brands are taking interaction so far that some are actually offering the public a chance to create the ads. Doritos is once again sponsoring the “Doritos Crash the Super Bowl Ad Contest,” where anybody can create and submit their own commercial with the hopes that it’s chosen to be one of the spots aired during the Super Bowl. The spots are loaded onto the Doritos website, and people vote for their favorite. The winning commercial becomes one of the super elite and will be seen by billions of people. If the commercial takes the top spot on the USA Today Ad Meter or USA Today Facebook Super Bowl Ad, the person who created the commercial will win one million dollars.

So, it’s game on. Advertising has become much more integrated, and advertisers are taking advantage of this ever-growing new media. For the brands themselves, the best part is, we are all eager to play.

Dan Martel is senior vice president and chief creative officer of Saxum, an integrated communications agency in Oklahoma City and Tulsa offering public relations, marketing, advertising and social media services to clients nationwide.

Martel brings experience and proven senior leadership to Saxum’s advertising group, which is one of the fastest-growing segments of the agency business. He will serve on the leadership team and will direct Saxum’s advertising department focusing on the explosive growth of its production and video teams. He will report to Saxum President Debbie Schramm.

“Dan’s 25 years of experience in advertising allows us to take our creative offering to a new level,” said Renzi Stone, Saxum chairman and CEO. “You can’t help but be impressed with Dan’s keen creative vision for clients like ONEOK, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Dept. and the Oklahoma Lottery.”

Martel started his career with the William Cook agency in Jacksonville, Fla. and worked on various projects for Saatchi & Saatchi, J. Walter Thompson and Tracy Locke. He joined Jordan Advertising in 1993 as director of broadcast production and was promoted to associated creative director two years later. In 2006, Martel was named vice president and chief creative director where he oversaw the creative for such clients as ONEOK, Oklahoma Natural Gas, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Dept., Blue Cross & Blue Shield, AAA and Anthony’s.

He has won numerous industry awards including Addy, Telly and Clio awards in addition to a Best Screenplay award for a children’s film called “Lil Buccaneers.” He currently serves as president of the Oklahoma Media Network and sits on the board of directors for the CARE Center and Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma.

“Dan’s experience leading branding and advertising strategies and campaigns for national clients combined with the talents of our creative team has positioned Saxum to provide the highest level of advertising services to Saxum clients,” Schramm said.

Saxum’s advertising department has implemented successful video, brand and Web projects for clients since the firm was founded in 2003. Saxum currently serves as agency of record for all public relations, social media, advertising and marketing services for clients such as First Fidelity Bank, George Kaiser Family Foundation, GlobalHealth, Variety Care and Kimray Inc., to name a few.

About Saxum
Saxum is an integrated communications firm offering strategic communications across all channels with expertise including public relations, marketing, advertising and social media to help clients elevate their brand and reputation. We are a bold, thoughtful and creative partner you can trust. For more information, visit www.saxum.com.

Three tips:

1. Establish an emergency response team (ERT) whose members are representative of important areas of the company and led by someone the CEO trusts implicitly. Set up protocols to access the best information and delineate team roles in the event of activation.

2. Practice makes perfect by conducting mock crisis scenarios that help the ERT think through how they might act in the event of a natural disaster or crisis. Once a quarter should suffice.

3. Feed the beast. In a crisis, information is the currency of survivors. You don’t share, you die. The strategy of communicating with all key stakeholders (employees, media, vendors, elected officials, etc) is solid and necessary – or they will come to their own conclusions by going elsewhere for facts.

Risk exists everywhere, and occasionally it becomes a crisis. Whether risk is in the form of acts of God or Man, we have to be prepared. Set up an ERT, practice and be ready to act when risk boils into crisis.Saxum is an integrated communications firm offering public relations, marketing, creative and social media services to help clients elevate their brand beyond what’s expected and toward what’s possible. We are a strong, talented partner you can trust. www.saxum.com

Renzi Stone

In her new role, Fuller will be responsible for developing and managing strategic communications plans for Saxum clients. Her previous experience includes serving as development director of Monte Cassino School, where she managed the school’s renovation campaign and annual fundraising drives. She was also the community relations and development director for Domestic Violence Intervention Services and handled all media relations and event coordination for 11 area locations. In prior public relations consulting roles, she has provided strategic counsel for clients in corporate, healthcare, arts and humanities and nonprofit sectors.

An avid community servant, Fuller also has provided strategic volunteer leadership in numerous fundraising areas, including major gift cultivation, capital campaign management and grant writing. Fuller served as a member of the board of trustees and the Institutional Advancement Committee for St. Gabriel’s Catholic School in Austin, Texas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Texas at Austin.

As a designer, Brown focuses on designing high-quality creative materials to support branding and promotional strategies for Saxum clients. She previously served as an intern in Saxum’s Tulsa office and as art department intern at Lincoln Christian School in Tulsa. Brown attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned a bachelor’s of fine arts in graphic design.

Saxum has quickly become one of the fastest-growing integrated communications firms in the region, with offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Posting double-digit annual growth from more than 10 to nearly 70 percent each year since its inception in 2003, the firm has been ranked the past two years in the list of the top 100 independent public relations firms in the U.S. by O’Dwyer’s PR Services Report. Saxum was also named to the 2011 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.

The agency has been named to the Metro 50 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Oklahoma City metro area for the past five years and is a member of IPREX, one of the world’s largest public relations networks. Saxum serves clients in Oklahoma and across the country.

Ashley Fuller               

Marisa Brown

Upon closer inspection, consumers may likely find that the green products and services offered by their favorite brand are more about keeping up with the latest trend instead of a natural result of the company’s culture and philosophy. Companies can avoid this disappointment by implementing a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. Whether dealing with a crisis or demonstrating to customers your role as a good corporate citizen, CSR provides specific examples that can counterbalance negative media and provide proactive media opportunities, as well.

There are many ways to define CSR. Overall, CSR doesn’t just focus on one issue, but is more of a holistic approach to business decisions and practices that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

For businesses with complex operations, such as manufacturing, for example, it can be overwhelming to think about revamping operational facilities to align with CSR, especially during a time of economic downturn. Companies trying to stay afloat and prevent employee layoffs may not feel they have the time or resources to dedicate to implementing a meaningful CSR program.

I use the word meaningful because I’m not talking about adding a few more “green” practices to pacify the sales or marketing team. While it is important to be thoughtful about implementing a CSR program, the time invested will reach a broad array of important audiences and may impact areas such as employee morale, community and investor relations, brand reputation and the bottom line. Here are a few things to consider before making a commitment to CSR:

Think beyond being green. CSR success isn’t just about being environmentally friendly. The most successful programs balance economic, social and environmental objectives. These three pillars create a solid foundation for businesses of all types. Often companies are already practicing aspects of CSR, they just aren’t thinking of it that way.

Do the right thing. In an age where news breaks in real-time and disgruntled employees or customers take to social media networks to feel heard, doing the right thing as a business can go a long way – not just for recruiting customers, but also for retaining them in times of crisis. Focusing on CSR issues and solutions often makes good business sense, but more importantly, it’s the right thing to do.

Lead by example. CSR is a great opportunity to show internal and external stakeholders that you are committed to being a responsible corporate citizen. It provides a tangible way to reinforce the importance of sustainable business practices. Depending on what industry you’re in, this may also be an opportunity to set the industry standard when it comes to CSR.

Begin with the end in mind. How are you going to track progress over time and measure success? Both short-term and long-term goals need to be established from the beginning and the metrics must also be in place to accurately benchmark and measure results.

Champion the cause. Like many new initiatives, it’s easy for CSR to fall by the wayside if it doesn’t have a champion. Establish a small committee or designate an employee to spearhead CSR internally. Next, communicate the importance of this task force to each department along with your expectation for them to provide input as needed. For CSR to be successful, it will take collaboration by everyone from HR and operations to communications and legal.

Transparency is key. With any type of measurement, positive results are not guaranteed. This is a risk businesses need to think about before they can truly succeed in CSR. Whether reporting results in an annual CSR report or some other way, reporting accurate results is crucial, even when practices implemented may not have been as successful as planned. If results trend negatively or flat, you can still address why and explain the plan for moving forward in a positive way.

Take action. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers. What’s important is that your company is actively seeking to do and be better. A CSR program doesn’t have to start off being a complete overhaul of business as usual. Small steps can make a big impact over time, but the important thing is to get started.

CSR is a long-term commitment that is not to be taken lightly. There are risks to consider, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges and can transform a company’s performance and culture. When done well, CSR has the power to elevate brands, build consumer trust and positively impact the bottom line. That’s something worth considering.

Lindsay Vidrine

In the business world, speaking confidently in public is a necessary skill for many professions, especially in the nonprofit sector. It is also essential for anyone in a leadership role.

One can soothe public speaking jitters with a little practice, good preparation and help from others. Here are some simple ways to improve your public speaking skills:

• Always prepare. Even the best speakers take time to develop speaking points before a public speech or presentation. Never underestimate the importance of mapping out a speech. An audience can always tell when a speaker is just “winging it.”
• Start small. Volunteer to speak at a work function, a local civic group or rotary club or to a group of students interested in a topic you feel comfortable addressing. You can also join a local toastmasters club.
• A good story/anecdote can go a long way. Keeping an audience engaged is not always easy. A good communicator presents ideas in ways people can relate to. Stories and anecdotes can have a lasting impression on any audience.
• Know your audience. Think about who will be in the audience and tailor your speech so that they will be more receptive to what you say. For example, using old school examples to a group of high school students will not work. Identify what’s relevant to your target audience.
• Limit the scope. We have all sat through a grueling keynote address. It’s important to keep your speech focused and concise. If your speech is longer than 30 minutes, revisit your initial outline, and see if you can make any cuts.
• Conduct a site check. Getting familiar with the venue you’re going to speak at can help make you more comfortable. Stand at the podium and identify key focal points. Directing your visual attention slightly above audience members’ heads can help get you through a speech. Take advantage of the opportunity to stand at a podium and practice your speech before an empty room.
• Say the speech out loud. Repeatedly. Practicing a speech in front of a mirror or a friend can help improve the flow of the presentation.
• Look excited to be there. A good attitude is contagious. If you’re having fun, your audience will more likely enjoy your speech.

For Q&A sessions:

• Repeat questions. Restating an audience member’s question can help buy you time to develop an answer. Repeating a question back can also ensure you understood the question properly and that the audience heard the question.
• Take your time. Don’t be afraid to pause and think about the question before providing an answer.
• Speak in sound bites. Always provide clear and concise answers. If you catch yourself rambling, regroup and provide a direct response.

Developing confidence in your speaking skills takes time. Remember, that even the most seasoned public speakers occasionally get nervous. So, embrace the jitters and know that it will get easier with time and practice.

Houda Elyazgi

Vidrine will be responsible for delivering strategic, integrated communications for Saxum clients. She previously served as director of travel communications and publications for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, where she managed media relations, produced publications, planned events and managed social media for the department. She also worked as a senior account executive in the health care and environmental practice group at Fleishman-Hillard.

A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Vidrine holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in environmental science. She is a board member and public relations committee chair for Sustainable OKC and has received several awards from the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators.

Lackey will be responsible for financial analysis and reporting, as well as short and long-term budget development for Saxum. She comes to Saxum from the Office of the State Auditor and Inspector, where she served as external auditor. She also served as operations manager for Bricktown Media and director of finance for Wichita Thunder Hockey, managing financial activities for the team.

Lackey holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is currently in the process of becoming a certified professional accountant.

Saxum has quickly become one of the fastest-growing integrated communications firms in the region, with offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Posting double-digit annual growth from more than 10 to nearly 70 percent each year since its inception in 2003, the firm has been ranked the past two years in the list of the top 100 independent public relations firms in the U.S. by O’Dwyer’s PR Services Report. Saxum was also named to the 2011 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.

The agency has been named to the Metro 50 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Oklahoma City metro area for the past five years and is a member of IPREX, one of the world’s largest public relations networks. Saxum serves clients in Oklahoma and across the country.

Lindsay Vidrine

Tosha Lackey

He previously served as senior vice president, corporate communications director for Bank of Oklahoma/BOK Financial Corp. in Tulsa, where he provided strategic communications counsel for crisis communications, media relations, internal communications, investor relations, special event planning and special project execution for senior executive leadership. Boudiette also brings more than a decade of public relations agency experience to the firm.

“We are extremely excited to add Jesse to our leadership team,” said Saxum President Debbie Schramm. “With his extensive integrated communications experience, strong management skills and relationships in Tulsa and throughout the region, he will ensure we are providing top quality service to our clients and play an important role in the continued growth of our agency.”

Boudiette has served on the boards of Tulsa Sports Commission, Tulsa Press Club, Public Relations Society of America-Tulsa Chapter, Signature Symphony at Tulsa Community College and Tulsa Run and is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa Class 34. Boudiette has a bachelor’s degree from University of Tulsa.

Saxum has quickly become one of the fastest-growing integrated communications firms in the region, with offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Posting double-digit annual growth from more than 10 to nearly 70 percent each year since its inception in 2003, the firm has been ranked the past two years in the list of the top 100 independent public relations firms in the U.S. by O’Dwyer’s PR Services Report. Saxum was also named to the 2011 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. The agency is a member of IPREX, one of the world’s largest public relations networks. Saxum serves clients in Oklahoma and across the country.

Jesse Boudiette

As account coordinator, Coleman will be integral in the day-to-day communications activities on her accounts, providing support for social media, media relations, strategic communications and event planning for Saxum’s clients.

Coleman previously served as an account executive at Lindsay + Asp Advertising and Public Relations at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Oklahoma, gaining experience in social media strategy, video production and advertising. She also served as press secretary and director of communications for the executive branch of the University of Oklahoma Student Association, where she was responsible for media relations, internal communications and Web design.

She also served as social media director for the Public Relations Student Society of America. Coleman is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in Spanish.

Saxum has quickly become one of the fastest-growing integrated communications firms in the region, with offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Posting double-digit annual growth from more than 10 to nearly 70 percent each year since its inception in 2003, the firm has been ranked the past two years in the list of the top 100 independent public relations firms in the U.S. by O’Dwyer’s PR Services Report. Saxum was also named to the 2011 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.

The agency has been named to the Metro 50 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Oklahoma City metro area for the past five years and is a member of IPREX, one of the world’s largest public relations networks. Saxum serves clients in Oklahoma and across the country.

Aran Coleman