The Advantages to Relationships

            In the book “Measure What Matters” author Katie Delahaye Paine talks about measuring and why it matters; hence the title. Today’s topic is relationships. You may say “Haley what does measuring have to do with relationships?” On page 6 Ms. Paine addresses just that.

            Relationships are more than a quantified number. When asked most businesses say that their customers and/or employees matter to them, and they would be partially correct. What matters about those customers and employees should be the relationship established between the business and the public.

            Paine specifically says “good relationships lead to profits.” Well if that is the case why don’t more businesses establish good relationships? Sometimes because they do not measure properly on why and how their relationships are not succeeding and what could be made better. What content could be published to relate to employees more, what can be said to the public that will make them loyal energizers, or what statistics or mission statements should be more widely known to establish stakeholders and investors? All of these factors can be measured and once analyzed should lead to more profits and loyalty.

            Poor relationships leads to high legal fees, turnover rates, fewer sales, and customer loyalty; ultimately just a disadvantage across the board.

            Measure what matters. Relationships are what matter.

 

White Toast, No Butter

Did you read this story because of my headline?

If not, well then I did not do a very good job of a headline and thank you for reading anyway. If so I did an aspect of my job right. I lured you in. Not in a way meant to trick you, but I wanted you to show interest and headlines are essential for peaking interest. Headlines are the first bit of content someone reads about whatever was posted. Therefore, headlines should not be dry, deceiving or irrelevant.

           Prdaily.com wrote a post about headlines today which sparked my interest in this topic. Headlines seem small since they are just a few words, and besides what really matters is the content posted in the article right? However, how many times have you looked past an article because the title did not compel you? I have done that many times. It could have been an earth-shattering, wonderful article but I skimmed past it because the headline did not catch my eye.

PRdaily takes it a step further and asks the question “what will attract Google?” I had not thought of this fact but it makes a lot of sense. A headline is a major factor in what people search. To get better search engine optimism (SEO) then a relevant, catchy headline is a must.

When I think of catchy headlines I think of a saying one of my best friends who is a singer always says when someone’s singing is dull she says it’s “white toast, no butter.” As in it is extremely dry and uninteresting. I think this can go for headlines too.

Don't be white toast and no butter

 

"Friends" Making Its New Home on Netflix

Have you heard? “Friends” is coming to Netflix!

            If any of you are as crazy about the 1990s television show “Friends” as I am this is wonderful news. If you do not have Netflix now get it before January 1, 2015 because that is the month that all 10 seasons, 236 episodes, of “Friends” will make its debut according to Huffpost T.V. The best part: no commercials! It will be like a second Christmas.  

 Since the show is on Netflix, all the episodes are in one place so we do not have to watch the random episodes on programmed television or buy all ten seasons in a box set, which I have seen for $137.00 or more. Netflix offers plans from $5.00 to $17.00 per month and you get more shows and movies than just “Friends”.

            Thank you Netflix for increasing our love of “Friends” and our binge television watching, because I for one will be a couch potato enjoying a lot of pizza while watching the comedic antics of Joey, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, and Ross.

If you have never watched “Friends” then I give you my condolences and beseech you to get Netflix and watch it next year. It will be well worth the hours spent watching all 236 episodes.

 

Setting A Good Example

Last night I went on to PR Newswire’s blog because it is good at updating content and staying relevant with information. Then I noticed there is a link to a special website specifically for bloggers. How neat! I clicked through and made it to the home page and as I was looked through the website design I noticed a lot of aspects from the three different books I have read this semester especially in “Share This”.

There were links going back to the PR Newswire  blogger website, it promoted the Twitter account and the blog (of course because the website is geared toward bloggers). This must enhance click-through rates and get different kinds of content seen more often and thoroughly.

The second aspect I enjoyed was that the website was not all about the field of public relations. The line under the heading was “Tools to help your blog thrive”, and I think that the decision to just put tools on the website to help bloggers was a good idea because not everyone just blogs about public relations. So, PR Newswire has a blog list on its blog website that lists an array of different kinds of blog topics that are popular that the company’s bloggers have viewed and decided to share. The blogging website also has a list that lists recent or new press releases. I thought this was genius. Bloggers can come to them first when news breaks in real-time (doesn’t that sound familiar from “Real-Time Marketing and PR”). This can also help the company’s SEO because once people get the website popular the more tags, the more sharing and commenting and the more hits on Google.

This all comes from good, updated content that is relevant to the community the website is trying to reach. Good work PR Newswire.

"Tell Us How We Did!".....How Many Times Have We Heard That?

In Chapter 11 of the “Real-time Marketing and PR” book I have referenced in the past week or so, author David Meerman Scott brings up a good point about how to reach customers to ask about feedback on a product. He brings up how a hotel asked him to take time to fill out a survey. To me this doesn’t sound uncommon. As consumers you and I are bombarded with surveys on receipts, emails, websites and various other mediums. Do any of us take the time to fill them out?

Scott says this technique is ill-advised because in all communication sent to the customer a business should think about how it benefits the customer instead of being self-centered. Even though communication like these email surveys are peppered with words like “we humbly ask you to…” or “we would deeply appreciate…” this is not the right way to ask for feedback. As Scott said on page 116, these methods can appear lazy.

I do not have the right answer to ask for optimal feedback techniques however so it is easy to see how businesses can fall short of praise in this aspect. However, Scott brings up the “sophisticated” email system a luxury hotel and spa in California that focuses on a prestay program of emails to hotel guests starting when they book a reservation with confirmation emails. Further than that, the hotel sends itineraries and other relevant offers specific to guests up until the time their stay rolls around. The emails are specific to guest’s additions to their schedules. So if you buy a round of golf you won’t get an email two days later asking if you’re interested in a round of golf during your stay.

Now I like discounts and offers as much of the next customer, but I do not want you to continually spam my inbox for three months until I get to your spa. I know my itinerary and I do not expect a major corporation to have to update me about my schedule. Other people might like this but I think this technique would drive me crazy.

When it comes to customer communication I think there is definite boundaries between lazy, optimal communication and spamming that companies need to straddle.

Halloween in Walt Disney World

With Halloween coming up I am having a crisis on what costume to wear this year. Last year I did not have this problem because I was in Disney World in Orlando, Florida over Halloween and it was amazing! If there is one place that knows how to do Halloween it is  Walt Disney World.

I have been to Disney World twice now in my life: once when I was eight and last year when I was eighteen. Let me tell you, I love Disney World so much more as an adult than as a child.

Back to Halloween though; I think it was the best time to go because the fall weather in Florida is perfect, and the park was not near as crowded as it is in the summer or in December around Christmas time.

The factor I liked most about Halloween Disney style was the Halloween party the park puts on at the Magic Kingdom all season long. It was called Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and it was fun for all ages. The party included a parade with appearances from the Disney villains, the ghouls and ghosts from the Haunted Mansion and of course all the favorite characters like Mickey and Minnie dressed up in their costumes. Plus there is a mind-blowing light and firework show over Cinderella’s Castle once the parade is over to top the night off.

Disney is magical any time of year, but it was the best over Halloween and has something festive to offer people of all ages. That being said, this nostalgia will not help me pick out my costume this year. Any fun ideas anyone would like to share with me?

Disney villains making an appearance.

Learning from the PRos

While searching through the Web today I came across an article on the SHIFT Communication blog that I had to blog about. It was an article was called “What Beyoncé can Teach Us about PR& Marketing” and is was about how Beyoncé uses well-crafted public relations techniques in her daily career, and there are two I would like to explore specifically.

            One of these is risks. Beyoncé takes risks that usually have amazing payoffs. Now, she also has gained a wonderful following that helps move these risks into success but that is not what I want to focus on. Risks can be a wonderful surprise for not just loyal customers but every public. Risks can create good buzz and circulation of a product. Metaphorical asterisk should be put into place here though because risk does not mean jump off the deep end with no planning or goal in mind. A well planned risk could mean a lot of good buzz.

            The other point I would like to point out from the article was how Beyoncé handles rumors or bad buzz. We learn sometimes it is better not to comment on some of the rumors because it is more pain than it is worth. Now, in an all-out crisis of course make a statement (and make it in real-time; see  my last blog post for more about that). Beyoncé will nudge the public back onto the right track without making formal statements about subjects that are not quite so critical. For example, the post talks about in the midst of small rumors about marital trouble Beyoncé posted pictures of her husband and daughter on a recent family vacation just to assure everyone that everything was fine; and without coming out and being obvious about it. I think that is a wonderful way to handle buzz that is starting to spiral.

Real-Time Speed, but with Accuracy

          I have talked about specific crises a few times on this blog but they are so interesting I want to talk about them again. I have frequently asked myself about what I would do if a major crisis comes up when I have a professional job in the PR world because crisis is a pretty serious term and the business you work for is now looking at you (and your fellow PR practitioners) to fix the situation.

            In Chapter 7 of “Real-Time Marketing & PR”, as I mentioned two posts ago, directly talks about crisis communication and how it does not have to be as intimidating if you know generally what to do.

            This first point the chapter makes, and what I think is most important, is being honest and fully transparent. Author David Meerman Scott says on page 78 if the company is transparent, even in a negative story, the people will give credit that you “fessed up.” He goes on to say if people think a company is hiding something people will assume the worst is yet to come and become even angrier.

            Now with this transparency respond in real-time of course, do not make the company’s first comment five days after news breaks, but I think it is stupid to be so rushed the comment doesn’t make sense or makes the company look even worse. For example, the book gives the Eurostar train delays. Eurostar trains broke down in 2009 in the underground tunnel that is 50 kilometers long causing major delays, and I am sure huge anxiety for those trapped in a tunnel underneath tons of water and earth. In the wake of this Eurostar was in complete silence, no word of help or maintenance work was released from the company.

            When they finally said something it was laced with confusion and no real help or sincere apology. Scott says the released statement was first that trains were running, but then two hour later they retracted that statement and said “trains (are) not running at all, maybe tomorrow. It’s a state of chaos.”

            Now how thought out was that statement? Your company is in a state of crisis and that is all you could muster?

            In crisis situations I agree that a statement needs to be made transparently and in real-time, however, I do not think we should sacrifice speed for accuracy because if a statement is poorly thought out, like the one Eurostar did, it makes you like incapable, unprofessional and clueless. On top of all of that now you have to come up with a statement that covers the previous comment and the initial crisis which just fuels the fire and the headlines.

Dancing With the Ada Stars #ONUHC14

          As all of you ONU students, alumni and Ada community members know last weekend was Homecoming. For Homecoming weekend I live Tweeted from the Freed Performing Arts Center as I watched "Dancing with the Ada Stars." The Utah Ballroom Dance Company goes around to towns promoting the show "Dancing with the (your hometown name here) Stars" as a live version of the hit television show "Dancing with the Stars."

         I was enjoyed the performance but I did not get to tweet as much as I would have like to about it because the ushers scolded me for having my cell phone out. The performance was a good community activity though that included dancing by citizens of Ada and the ONU dance students as well as the professionals and was a fun time had by all in the midst of Homecoming 2014.

Two and a Half Cups of Flour and a Pinch of Embarressment

          Just to give you all a nice glimpse into my life as an awkward individual I have a story that you may find humorous. Two weeks ago my boyfriend and I decided we wanted to make some cookie dough because who doesn’t want to just pig out on raw cookie dough right? Regardless of the threats my mother has given me about Salmonella we broke out the chocolate chips.

            We are going along and did not want to make the whole batch so we halved the recipe. Well I added two eggs instead of one…oops. Minor set back, so we went back and made a full batch and agreed to bake the dough we did not eat.

            It gets time to add the flour and after we do so the dough does not look as stiff as it should normally. So, being the impromptu and amazing bakers we are, we just added more flour; but it still tasted really sweet and was not stiff enough so we threw caution to the wind and threw it out to make another batch from scratch.

            Time to add flour to the second batch and the dough turns out the same exact way: too sweet and runny. I could not for the life of me understand what was happening; I have made cookies a billion times! I add more flour but it just seems to get sweeter and runnier the more flour I added. The second time as I reach the measuring cup in the plastic bag to pull out some more flour something possesses me to look at the white powdery substance and after looking at it for probably a long time I tasted it.

            My boyfriend’s family puts their sugars and flour into plastic gallon bags. So I came to find out I was adding powdered sugar instead of flour the whole entire time. After these endeavors we felt so defeated we went and got Blizzards at Dairy Queen.

            Epic fail.

Money Can't Buy a Following

The new book for my PR class is called “Real-Time Marketing and PR” by David Meerman Scott. It is about how the business world is changing from mass media and big business to a mass chat room that holds conversations about billions of different companies, tools, trades, pitches, case studies, screw-ups and products all at once.

This creation of fast and meaningful information and relationship building now requires fast and agile communication everywhere by businesses as Scott has said throughout the first five chapters. On page 22 Scott says “Breaking news on company sites and blogs is an important real-time technique because it gives your greatest supporters first access to the information.” What does this mean? Energizing! This real-time technique means to get the information out to be read, tweeted, emailed and liked by the loyal customers who follow the company and can attest to how wonderful it is. So let customers energize in the moment and let them know the company is  listening to their promotions and appreciate their feedback.

Like Taco Bell. Taco Bell is one of the best example  of energizers in this real-time environment. I follow Taco Bell on Twitter (@TacoBell), and it is constantly tweeting new products and deals and responding to, or re-tweeting,  its energizers’ love and satisfaction.

 Money cannot buy a following. Taco Bell understands energizers are loyal customers that help build product love and credibility.  To get that energy level, real-time conversations and postings on multiple platforms like company websites, blogs and Twitter feeds are what builds the relationships companies should seek.

Thinking Outside the Inbox

            Last week at the PRSSA meeting Mr. Pete Grasso came in to speak with us about pitches and I would like to focus on what he said about how to get in touch with people. Mr. Grasso said to sometimes pick up the phone and create a relationship with future buyers, publics or whoever it may be; people do not want to only be contacted by email. To become memorable different approaches to communication is needed.

Sometimes emailing is not always the correct approach and this is not just for pitching ideas this goes for any communication.

            It is easy for the business world to hide behind a screen, tailor our words just right and send something in an email, but emailing is not always the best way to contact someone whether it is a client, a co-worker or a boss.

            Marijane Funess, an article writer for prdaily.com, also echoes this statement with an article titled “Before you hit ‘send’: Should you call or text instead?” Funess explores telephone, texting, social media, emailing and face-to-face conversation and list when the best time for each of these communication tools to take place.  

            Her list is very helpful because she attests to the fact that important information sometimes needs to be said in person or that to catch a journalist’s eye retweet a few of their articles; communication does not always have to exist inside an inbox.

            Emailing is a good tool but not the only good tool.