By Emma Walter

Even though Pinterest has been around nearly two years, it’s the newest social media rage on the block. Since social networks are such a big part of our personal and professional lives, many have been asking if Pinterest is, worth considering for business purposes as well. The answer is, “yes.”

I’m sure you’ve heard that Pinterest is simply women, “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” over items like recipes and wedding ideas. This is partially true and hard to ignore when 75 percent of  users are women, according to Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound. However, many people are finding effective ways to use it for their businesses.

Here are some suggestions and tips for getting started:

Don’t be scared! Take it from us; it’s really just a collection of beautiful bulletin boards, arranged by category and filled with images, which link back to webpages. If organized well, boards can provide your customers with important information not just about your company and its expertise, but also about the industry you’re in and your personal expertise.

Pinterest allows you to share your own content and raise awareness of your brand. For example, blogs and updates to your website can be shared as long as they are optimized for Pinterest (they must have a dominant image on the page). This is a great inbound marketing exercise that can drive relevant traffic to your website. Just don’t abuse it, like with any social network; no one wants to hear you talk about yourself all day.

Is there someone you really would like to have as a client? Connect to them using Pinterest by first following them and then showing them you understand and have read their content by “re-pinning” it. What if your potential clients aren’t on Pinterest yet? With over 3 million estimated page views a month, they probably aren’t far behind, and when they get there you will have already established yourself as a credible source.

It’s simple to use, too. I’m sure you read many articles throughout the day on several different subjects. These can all be pinned, as long as they have a dominant image, using the simple “Pin It” tool you can place in your Bookmark Bar. Set some time each day to explore what others are posting on Pinterest and “re-pin” items that are relative to you and your business or something you think your followers will enjoy. There are a lot of funny and cute things on Pinterest that your followers may get a kick out of and “re-pin,” which could potentially get you more followers. It’s really that simple.

Pinterest is currently one of the top ten social networks on the web, so what are you waiting for? Get your business or organization on Pinterest right away. Establish your organization on the outlet, even if others in your market haven’t done so yet. You can set the pace for your industry, and when you do, don’t forget to follow our boards as well!

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Emma Walter is an account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @emmasreallytall.

By Jeremy Church

I was fortunate to spend six years working and coaching at my high school alma mater, Culver Academies, which also happens to boast one of the top interscholastic ice hockey programs in the country.

As anyone who truly enjoys coaching will tell you, I learned more from my fellow coaches and players than they ever did from me.

After playing competitively at the high school, prep school, junior and college levels for more than 15 years, it was certainly enjoyable to live vicariously through the teams I was privileged enough to coach.

Moreover, it was rewarding to know I played at least some small part in helping them reach their goal of competing at the next level. More than a dozen players (and counting) from my time coaching at Culver (2002-08) went on to Division I college hockey programs and several more have been drafted in the National Hockey League.

The parallels between effective public relations and successful coaching haven’t escaped me, even though being a full-time father has now taken precedence over being a full-time coach.

Borrowing directly from the team guidelines I distributed to players before each season, here are other best practices that also apply to working as a PR practitioner or in corporate communications.

1. No trash talk allowed. In other words, let your work product and professionalism speak for itself. At WordWrite Communications, we do our talking on the scoreboard – which is to say we provide valuable guidance and support for our clients in a manner always consistent with our values. On the ice and in business, winning the right way is more rewarding than simply winning.
2. Play each shift as if it’s your last. Outworking the other team (or your other business competition) makes up for many shortcomings. Outthinking them with new, different and creative ways of doing business – StoryCrafting^TM as a new public relations paradigm, for example – provides an edge much sharper than the typical tactics so many others commoditize. Still, sometimes you can’t control the bounces of the puck or the calls the officials make. Likewise, despite your best effort and counsel based on experience and your clients’ best interest, you can’t always control how clients will react or what they might decide. You can, however, always control the amount of effort you exert.
3. Play under control. As John Wooden often said, “Never mistake activity for achievement.” In other words, skating around full of energy with no regard for your position on the ice or the particular system being used at that moment in the game results in chaos, and usually, goals against. Similarly, public relations activity simply for the sake of racking up billable hours does nothing strategic for your clients and won’t help either party reach mutually agreed upon goals. Understand your clients and their markets, and develop a tailored PR strategy that helps them tell their story, with a capital “S.”
4. Place the team above yourself. Support your teammates and encourage them. We all succeed or we all fail. The same philosophy holds true in an agency. My success depends on the success of my colleagues and vice versa. At WordWrite, each of us is an accomplished professional who brings different strengths and experiences. We’re given the opportunity to stretch and grow into new roles, while exercising the PR muscles we’ve fully developed thus far. Successfully putting each individual together in a well-orchestrated effort yields far greater returns for our firm and our clients.

Do you have certain philosophies and experiences outside your profession that have influenced the way you manage or lead your organization? Please share them with us. If you’re curious to see the entire list of team guidelines I designed at Culver, click here to download them.

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Jeremy Church is an account supervisor for WordWrite Communications.

He can be reached at jeremy.church@wordwritepr.com and on Twitter@churchjeremy.

By Hollie Geitner

In Part 2 of my series, “You’ve Got Big News to Share: Now What?,” I’ve included some additional ideas for getting exposure—ones you may have considered and perhaps ones you may have overlooked.  Depending on your announcement, you might use all of the ideas I’ve provided or simply choose one and work to achieve that goal.

Utilize social media

The rate at which news spreads on social media is quite fascinating. That is if you have the right followers, fans and customers who know you use social media. It isn’t so much about quantity anymore, but about the quality of those you interact with. Do customers come to your Facebook page to share their experience with you and do they “like” or share your posts? If so, then you are doing a great job and likely have a good audience for sharing your news.

The same goes with Twitter and YouTube. People must first know you are there and they have to engage with you. If they don’t, you may not want to rely on social media alone to spread your news and instead work on building your fan and follower base. It is a process, but one that is well worth it. Some ways you can use Twitter:

• Create a hashtag for your news. This is when you see the # symbol before words or phrases. Users are then able to categorize their news or messages using hashtags. When someone clicks on it, it brings up all of the other messages on Twitter using the same hashtag. Using a hashtag helps get a particular topic “trending” which means a lot of people are using it.
• If you follow reporters who cover your industry, you might want to include them in a tweet about your news to let them know about it. This means you put @reportername in your message so it will show up in their mentions. Try using Muckrack.com to find reporters on Twitter. It’s a well-organized website that allows you to search for reporters in many national media outlets.

The Opinion Pages

If your business deals with an issue heavily reported in the news, consider looking for ways to tie in the work you are doing to the stories already out there. Do you have a service that can help people make informed decisions about their finances or health care? You might want to write a letter to the editor commenting on an article about one of those topics. Perhaps you agree with the stance the reporter took or a person quoted. In a concisely written letter, you can commend the reporter on a well-done piece and provide your own take on the situation, thus giving you credibility and getting your name out there.

Or, maybe you have a very strong opinion about something happening in the news and you need more space. An opinion editorial might be a better option for you. Newspapers generally provide guidelines for submitting these types of letters and if you follow those and your issue is timely, you have a pretty good chance of being published. Remember, the opinion pages in the newspaper are one of the most read pages and it’s a great place to be if you are looking for exposure.

Focused pitching

While the traditional press release and “spray and pray” (sending releases to a mass distribution list) method still works occasionally, it may not give you the bang you are looking for. At WordWrite, we believe targeted pitching to those reporters who have an interest in what you do is more effective.

Remember, media relations is a two-way street. You want to get some exposure for what you are doing and reporters are looking for sources and more creative angles for stories. So, help them out by really thinking through what makes you and your business unique. Can your story tie into an article a reporter has already written? Maybe you can provide another angle that hasn’t been considered yet.

It is especially helpful if you know the reporters who cover your industry. Do you follow them on social media and read their articles on a regular basis? Try to build a relationship with them that is not simply one-sided. Compliment them when they’ve done a great piece and be sure not to expect anything in return. Re-tweet their articles or like what they’ve posted on Facebook. This shows them you aren’t in for just self-promotion but are generally interested in what they are writing about.

One great feature article in your daily paper has greater impact than a few blurbs in multiple publications. For one, you get to share more of your story through an interview with a reporter and maybe even contribute a photo or two. Second, many TV news stations rely on the daily papers for their news sources, so you may have opportunities for follow-up media once the story has been published.

The same goes for national media and what we call “media influencers.” These are the outlets other media follow and use as their sources—ones like the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.  Media relations works best when you’ve spent time building relationships with reporters so that when you have news to share they are more willing to listen to you.

In today’s world there are many ways to share a story, and using a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t necessarily the best way to get exposure. What are some unique ways you’ve garnered coverage for your business? Share them with us. Reinventing the wheel is never the best use of time, so let’s share our success stories (and even failures) in the hopes others can benefit and come up with their own unique twist.

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Hollie Geitner is vice president, Client Services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG

By Hollie Geitner

There is big news happening for your company. It’s good news and you’re wondering how you should get the word out to the media. Sure, you know a press release might do the trick and it might get you an article in the local paper, but this news seems to be bigger than that.  So, what are your options? In this two-part series, I’ll outline some ideas that have worked for me over the years—starting with hosting a press conference.

Host a press conference

Hosting a “presser” (as many media outlets call it) is one way to get the word out to a crowd of not only journalists and media but also to your important stakeholders, customers and others. It elevates your news to a new level. A few weeks ago we worked with our client, Kennametal, to host a press conference in Washington, D.C. We chose to hold it at the National Press Club, because that is where the news happens every day. But, you can hold a press event just about anywhere as long as it pertains to your news objective. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to host a press conference.

1. 1. Make sure your news is indeed newsworthy. Is it a first for your company or industry? Is it groundbreaking? Does it have wide appeal for a variety of audiences? Does it tie in with a national news event? Are you sharing brand new information? Are there others in your industry that can also speak in support of your news? If your answer is “yes” to most of these questions, you likely have a story that is worthy of sharing via a presser.
2. Be aware that coordinating a press conference takes time and attention to detail. You are essentially planning an event. You want to find the right location to host it—preferably a place that ties into what your news is about. If you are announcing the opening of a new office, host it outside in front of the building and consider a camera visual that ties into your business. If it’s a bank, maybe you show the brand new, state-of-the-art safe and take reporters on a tour. Perhaps your building has a unique historic feature that has been preserved in the renovation. Show that and talk about how preserving the integrity of the historic building is important to your business and your role in the community.
3. Timing is key. Don’t plan your event on a Monday or Friday if you can help it. Also, try to work around news schedules. Late morning is usually a great time because reporters are out on assignment to capture stories for the noon and evening news. And, most important, be brief. A presser should be about 30 minutes max.

For additional tips on hosting a press conference, click here.

Partner with another organization

You might be wondering why I would suggest this when it may take some of the focus off of your business, but trust me on this one. Sometimes partnering with another organization who shares the same view as you or who can support what you are trying to say will make your news that much more newsworthy. Why, you may ask? Because now it appears as legitimate news and not a self-serving promotional story.  It sounds harsh but sometimes that is how reporters think. Too many times of being bamboozled by a PR person caring only about the credit the organization gets and not the actual news story has made them cynical.  So, be different. Demonstrate to them that you care about the quality of the content just as much as getting the exposure.

Another reason partnering with someone else makes sense is because you elevate the newsworthiness and expand the reach. Reporters who follow both organizations will be interested. Consider issuing a joint news release or hosting a joint news announcement via a press conference.

The second in this two-part series will focus on more creative (and even basic) ways you can share your news. Sometimes thinking outside of the box is the best approach and other times, it’s more effective to just get back to basics. That’s the fun part about being in public relations and working at WordWrite Communications—our jobs are always fun and interesting because we don’t use the exact approach for every client. We tailor our plan to what will be the best for our client. That is what makes us different and why I love doing what I do.

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Hollie Geitner is vice president, Client Services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG

By Jason Snyder

The weeks-long firestorm surrounding Penn State University amid child sexual abuse charges against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky has largely been contained. The respite is unlikely to last long, however. Consider a story written by the Associated Press’ Mark Scolforo and published on Wednesday, Jan. 4. It offers not only a glimpse into the university’s crisis communications efforts but also a jaded view of organized, strategic communications. In providing such insight, the story also offers a cautionary tale for those at the center of such crises.

Although I think PSU made several public relations missteps in reacting to the tragedy, the magnitude of the crisis, regardless of the strength or existence of a crisis communications plan, makes effective communications very challenging. Penn State’s “scrambling response,” as it was described by AP, was in some ways avoidable, yet in some ways understandable, too.

Looking at the situation from a purely crisis communications standpoint (all the while acknowledging the horrific tragedy alleged by so many innocent, vulnerable people), PSU smartly engaged its public relations teams to ensure its messages were aligned. The purpose of such an exercise is to ensure that athletic department leaders and other university officials were consistent and on the same page when talking to the public through the media. The left hand has to know what the right hand is doing at all times, especially in crisis. If that doesn’t happen, the public immediately assumes someone, somewhere is lying.

Penn State also wisely developed talking points for university officials to use when talking with donors. This is an essential step. Even in our personal lives, when we’re under stress it’s difficult to stay focused. These kinds of tools make sure the focus is in the right place and that the public is getting the information it needs. In today’s ever-evolving world of social media, Penn State correctly monitored and assessed how frequently the issue was being discussed through blogs, tweets, news stories, Facebook postings and YouTube videos. This is important because the new public square in American life is in cyberspace – in these speedy, often rumor-filled social media channels.

These are basic, but essential steps that organizations in crisis may overlook, especially large organizations reeling from such damning accusations.

Although Scolforo, the AP reporter, infers such tactics are questionable by using incendiary phrases (“internal memos obtained by The Associated Press”; “scrambling response less than two weeks after … Sandusky was arrested on child molestation charges”; “close monitoring of widespread publicity surrounding the scandal”), the fact is this: as long as the aligned messages and talking points are true and authentic, a coordinated communications effort to mitigate reputation damage is not only smart, it’s essential. (Whether that effort was effective is a topic for another blog.)

What’s questionable is PSU President Rodney Erickson’s detailed documentation of these efforts in memos distributed to the 47-member board of trustees. His public relations team must counsel him about what he puts in writing, especially when making assertions that positive feedback received following two network television interviews “is another indication that we are taking control of the narrative of our story.” With all due respect, Penn State had absolutely no control of this story. And two network interviews during a time when the facts of the story were still coming out is hardly enough evidence to say even a chapter of this story is complete.

At WordWrite, our experience shows that comprehensive crisis communications planning is essential. No organization is exempt from a crisis, and thus, we believe no organization should ever engage its stakeholders without preparation, especially in a crisis. We also encourage our clients to proactively and authentically tell their stories through fluent storytellers (i.e., business leaders who are the face of the organization), even in times of crisis. But in the heat of the moment, when things are moving a mile a minute, leaders also have to be cautious about what they say and how they say it, even when that communication is meant for internal audiences only. In this day of heightened transparency, it’s imperative to heed the counsel of an adviser who has the experience and forethought to identify all the right considerations.

With all of that said, what do you think about this particular piece of the PSU child molestation story? Do you agree with me that, judging by this AP report, media generally has a jaded view of crisis communications strategy and tactics? Does it look negatively upon such strategy? Again, looking at it from a pure communications standpoint, what do you think about the university’s approach to aligning messages and developing talking points? Was it smart? Would you do things differently?

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Jason Snyder is a  senior vice president for WordWrite Communications.

By Hollie Geitner

Another year has passed and I’m left wondering, “Where did all that time go?” The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. As I was thinking about the many highlights of my past year—both personal and professional, I realized how much social media has played a part in both. It dawned on me just how much I use it and how much time I spend doing so.  Might that be why my time flies so fast? You be the judge.

In the spirit of year-end lists, I’ll share with you my top five reasons for using social media (for me, it’s mostly Facebook and Twitter):

1. To Remember Birthdays: Lord knows, without Facebook, there is absolutely no way in you-know-what I would actually remember the birthdays of my dozens (yes, many DOZENS) of cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws, let alone the hundreds of friends whom I never even spoke to in real life or haven’t seen since 1993. But, somehow, it feels good to post a nice little “Have a wonderful Birthday!” on the walls of my family and “friends.”  I know, it’s one post of many on their wall, but it’s that three seconds of thought that counts, right?
2. To Find Things to Do: Not only have I learned of some great professional events and PR webinars from Twitter, I’ve also found out about some fun events and places in my city. I’ve attended craft fairs I wouldn’t have known about otherwise; ordered tickets to a show from links posted on Twitter; purchased sale items from a store or online because it was posted on Facebook and checked out many business Facebook pages for store hours, menus and other important information. I even sent a tweet to a restaurant I only knew about because of Twitter asking if they were “family-friendly.” Their immediate response lead to us going there—more than once. It is now one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh. (Hi, @Bocktown!) Hard to believe I used to flip through the big ‘ole Yellow Pages for store information, relied on advertisements in the newspaper for upcoming sales or flyers posted at my workplace for details about professional seminars.  I’m not saying the old way is bad, I just don’t pay as much attention to those methods anymore.  For a business to cast a wider net and to engage in meaningful relationships with its audience or customers, it is imperative they have a presence in social media. After all, it beats paying for an ad in the Yellow Pages, doesn’t it? (By the way, anyone know of a place that recycles those books? I have about 10 I’ve never even opened.)
3. To Stay on Top of the News:  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to update my husband on a sports score (note: I don’t watch sports) simply by checking Twitter. We’ve changed a travel route because of a tweet posted by a TV news traffic reporter about an accident or unusual backup. And, like many of you, I’ve learned sad news because it was instantly posted on Facebook or Twitter—like the untimely deaths of Steve Jobs, Clarence Clemons and Amy Winehouse. The news of Osama Bin Laden’s capture and death was almost instantly confirmed by White House staffers who quickly set in motion a plan for President Obama to address the nation. I think it’s safe to say that never before in our nation’s history has news broken so quickly from so far way. I still love my newspapers but for breaking news, I rely on Twitter.
4. To Get Advice: Remember when you would call a friend to get their opinion on an outfit or a new book to read? Now, I can simply pose a question on Facebook or Twitter and get a wide variety of opinions. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but it’s quicker than playing phone tag with a friend. This summer, I asked my Twitter followers what I should rename my Twitter handle since I was leaving my job at the time. It was because of their creative advice and feedback that I settled on @JustHollieG. I’m happy with it—and not sure I would have come up with it on my own.
5. To Broaden My Universe: I have met many wonderful people through Twitter and I know for a fact that our paths would not have crossed otherwise. But, because of Twitter and Facebook, I’ve also found the universe to be much smaller than I thought. People I never imagined would know each other (because they are from different eras of my life) surprisingly are connected on Facebook. How many times have you seen that happen? Where the childhood friend from your old neighborhood is a mutual friend of a coworker or business colleague, several hours and many years removed from your childhood home? It really is strange but kind of cool, too.

Honestly, I could list 100 reasons why I use social media, but to keep this list manageable, I have shared five. Tell me why you use social media and please, feel free to share funny stories too. Happy holidays and best wishes for a prosperous, interesting and social-media-filled New Year!

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Hollie Geitner is vice president, Client Services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG

By Jeremy Church

Self-motivation is the stimulation behind many of history’s most inspiring success stories, yet more than a few others were driven by naysayers – doubters who focus on what might seem out of reach.

We ran into this type of cynic when we recently set out to pitch one of our clients as an authority to top-level financial media in New York City, the nation’s financial media capital.

During early stages of planning, we reached out to a peer firm in New York to gauge if we might need local “boots on the ground” to assist us.

We were told in no uncertain terms, “You can’t do it. No one will meet with your guy.” We’ve had lots of national media success for clients before so this response was puzzling.

Well if delivering for our client weren’t motivation enough, such an out-of-hand dismissal was. The challenge was clear; the gauntlet thrown down.

We already had the key ingredients in place for success: a highly credentialed client and a great angle.

Peers and industry experts regard our client as an authority, backed by an unblemished reputation throughout his 40 years of counseling investors.

The angle wasn’t difficult to determine either. Recent polls indicate 70 percent of Americans viewed Wall Street negatively, so we sought to position our client as a source who could provide a “view from Main Street.”

The next step was to identify appropriate media outlets and build relationships with relevant editors and reporters. We settled on individuals at 11 New York-based TV networks, newspapers and magazines.

From there, our account team –former journalists with more than 50 years of combined journalism experience – crafted the story pitch, which concisely focused on the client’s experience, industry recognition, previous media appearances and other points of distinction.

The results? Six of 11 people responded, including four interested in meeting with our client.

Yet the work was only beginning.

We needed to coordinate dates, times and places. Certain details weren’t final until the day before the trip, so we had to account for a fluid event-planning component even after we had a few media bites on the line.

We also had to be quick on our feet after we arrived. National media don’t have time to waste, and schedules change in a New York minute (pardon the cliché). One of our appointments canceled lunch 45 minutes before our meeting and told us he’d have only 15 minutes to speak. The day was only half over, so I called a different journalist who had shown early interest but never confirmed.  I convinced her to meet us that afternoon.

By days end, we had seen a staff writer for SmartMoney and The Wall Street Journal, editors from Money and Forbes, respectively, and a program host at Fox Business Network.

Exhausting and exhilarating, the trip was an unqualified success. So if a PR firm says you can’t get in front of the big boys if you’re not from New York or Los Angeles, we’re here to tell you we’ve done it and will be doing it again for others who want to share their stories with the preeminent media in their fields.

New York awaits, and as its unofficial spokesman Frank Sinatra sang, “Start spreading the news . . . ”

Please click here to download the WordWrite Communications team’s “Six tips for generating national media interest for your business.”

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Jeremy Church is an account supervisor for WordWrite Communications.

He can be reached at jeremy.church@wordwritepr.com and on Twitter@churchjeremy.

By Emma Walter

I recently made the decision to pack up my belongings and move from my hometown of Slippery Rock, Pa. to downtown Pittsburgh. Although moving to Pittsburgh was a logical choice (the long commute was taking its toll) and it fit with the trends of millennials (it is common for us to move into cities), it was still one of the biggest decisions I have ever had to make. We make decisions that will impact our personal and professional lives every day. I discovered many parallels between the choices I made regarding my move downtown and the evaluations I make as Assistant Account Executive at WordWrite Communications.

First, understand your situation. When WordWrite announced it would be moving the office location from Wexford to downtown, I realized that if I wanted to keep any sanity at all, I was going to have to move closer to Pittsburgh. The first step public relations professionals take when they start working on a new client project is to construct a situation analysis that helps them learn more about the prospective company and how they can best provide service for the company, assuming the partnership is an appropriate one for both parties.

Next, weigh your options. By researching and selecting logical options that best fit your situation, you can take a lot of stress off your shoulders. I had to consider where in Pittsburgh I wanted to live, as well as what type of apartment I wanted to occupy.  Cost, safety, space and proximity to the WordWrite offices were also factors. With public relations, after we complete the situation analysis, we need to provide options that address the needs of the potential client; specifically identifying the tactics we feel would help the organization reach its goals within a formal proposal.

Now it’s time to make a choice. I’ve never been good at making choices, but after I performed the proper amount of research, this one was easier than I expected it to be. I knew I wanted to be Downtown and wake up to amazing views of what I think is one of the most beautiful cities in America. At WordWrite, a collaborative discussion and a review of the proposed plan of action lead to a verdict – does the potential new client want to hire us or does it want to look elsewhere for its needs?

After those calculations have been made, it’s time to make it happen. I worked through all the paperwork, patiently waited two months for my move in date, and with the help of my family and friends I moved in by the middle of October. In the public relations world, this would be akin to taking the leap and cementing the relationship between client and agency.  You’ve done your due diligence, you’ve agreed upon the evaluation of the situation and steps to be taken, and agreed upon what constitutes a successful partnership. Now, it’s time to sign on the dotted line.

Finally, we always need to have continuous evaluation and measurement of our choices, so we can improve on the process and eliminate any mistakes moving forward. Did we make the right choice? Did we do it as efficiently as possible? What changes would we make the next time around? These are all considerations we make on a daily basis when making a decision. For a client, we always need to revisit the proposals and make sure we are providing the return on investment we outlined at the beginning of the engagement. Did we meet the goals and objectives? If so, did we do it in the most effective way possible? If not, what can we do better next time?

I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made, and I’m starting to believe it was one of my best. By paying careful attention to each of the steps outlined above, my choice was clear. The next time you are making an important decision, be sure to spend the necessary time to determine and evaluate the proper stages in the process and then follow them to your new home – whether that place is where you literally put your head down at night or where you feel best about addressing your public relations needs.

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Emma Walter is an assistant account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @emmasreallytall.

By Emma Walter

There are numerous social media tools available for business owners and public relations professionals. Most have similar features, and each must find a way to set themselves apart in the competitive world of social media tools. While Crowdbooster, a recent addition to the social media world, has similarities of other social media tools, it has many unique features that can be very valuable to your social media plan. Here are some reasons why you should consider using Crowdbooster.

Top Retweeters

Crowdbooster features a simple user interface with colorful charts and graphs that are easy to use and pleasing to the eye. One benefit is the ability to see who retweets your information and what impressions they generated. This helps you learn who the influencers of your brand are and how many people each of those influencers reach. Crowdbooster doesn’t just count regular retweets it also looks for RT and Via tweets, to give you the most accurate count.

List of Influential Followers

It is important to follow and engage with influencers who follow and communicate with your brand. Often, we are too busy focusing on the actual conversation of our social media plan, and monitoring our followers is an afterthought.  Crowdbooster helps by alerting you when an influencer has followed your brand. Influencers are suggested based on interest, keywords and follower ratio.

Crowdbooster Recommendation

When working on a social media plan you want to find the best time to send updates. Consider when your followers are most active to be sure to get the broadest reach. Crowdbooster analyzes your Twitter stream to see when your followers are most engaged. It then recommends times when you should schedule or post your updates.

These three features can help take your social media plan to the next level. Yes, with a little elbow grease you could figure each of these out on your own, but if there is a free tool out there to make it easier, why wouldn’t you use it? I suggest giving Crowdbooster a try if you aren’t using it yet. When you first sign up it will look just like your typical social media tool, but give it a week or so to collect data and it will start to “wow” you like it has me. Let us know your thoughts after you test it out. If you are using it already, how has it helped you enhance your social media plan?

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Emma Walter is an assistant account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @emmasreallytall.

By Hollie Geitner

Two recent events that I watched unfold via Twitter are the basis for this blog post.  Good thing for social media, because I wouldn’t have known about these occurrences otherwise, which is exactly my point.

Without giving away names (blogs or Twitter handles) and to protect the “not-so-innocent,” I’ll keep it general, but you’ll get the point of this shortly.

The first incident involves a blogger (actually both involve bloggers—I’m sensing a theme here). The blogger went to a store to research some of the new inventory, which had been hyped by the corporate office and publicized via traditional media and perhaps some advertising. This blogger had intentions of taking some pictures and promoting, via his blog, the great selection of this new item at the store.  Seems like a nice thing to do. Free advertising—what business wouldn’t want that?

That’s where it gets interesting. This blogger was rudely told by a store manager not to take pictures with a cell phone—not because it was store policy but because this manager “said so.” Naturally, the blogger was quite upset, especially because his intentions had been good and noble. So, what did he do after leaving the store? You guessed it…blogged. But, this blogger didn’t just write a blog, he tweeted about his experience immediately—before even reaching his car—and to hundreds of followers who had the same level of interest in the item the store was promoting. The followers rallied around the blogger and swore to never set foot in the store. And, because the door to shame was already open, they ranted about other things they didn’t like at the store. Staff rudeness was a common theme. Not good news for that store or its products.

The next story is similar but instead of a store, the target was a restaurant. This particular blogger asked for some alterations to the dishes on the menu because of severe food allergies. Instead of taking the few extra steps to accommodate the requests, the chef (yes, the chef!), made a rude remark to the customer about the restaurant not being a “make-your-own-kind of place.” And you can guess what transpired from there. It started with some tweets and elevated to an open letter to the restaurant posted on the customer’s blog, of course, which was also tweeted—and retweeted and retweeted.  Not only did the blogger share this negative experience, she praised other restaurants who had previously accommodated her requests and planned to only patronize those establishments from that point forward. What a great way to hand over a customer on a silver platter to your competitor.

You see, bloggers don’t wear ID badges or “press passes” everywhere they go. You won’t know who they are or where they are, but trust me, they are EVERYWHERE. If you don’t know one, you surely know someone who reads blogs, comments on them or shares them.  Social media is changing the rules of customer service. Businesses—be it a store, restaurant or manufacturer of widgets—should understand that customers are everywhere and any one of those customers has the ability to spread his or her opinion about you far and wide—and fast. There isn’t time to make your mistake right before it’s been splashed all over a blog or retweeted 10 times to many thousands (or millions) of people.

Aside from this, business owners and managers need to make sure employees know store policies, be trained to communicate them and understand that every comment and action, whether positive or negative, can be shared instantly via social media. If your business uses QR codes, make sure your employees understand that it’s okay for customers to use a cell phone to take a picture of a product. Encourage it. You might get some free advertising out of it.

It’s no longer buyer beware, but business beware. In today’s society, not only are customers always right, they have more avenues than ever – as well as almost unlimited reach – to communicate when a company gets it wrong.

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Hollie Geitner is vice president, Client Services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG