The State of Michigan Really Likes Social Media

Did you know there is a Facebook Fan Page for Mackinac Historic Parks or that the Michigan Grape and Wine Council regularly tweets about great local wines?  In fact, the Michigan government Web site lists 26 Facebook pages, 21 Twitter accounts and 14 YouTube channels maintained by the state on its “Social Networking (Web 2.0)” page.

While many of us have already heard about the Pure Michigan social media success story, it seems the entire Michigan government social media program is attracting a few eyeballs.  The multiple Twitter accounts have more than 28,000 combined followers and the 14 YouTube channels have generated more than 41,000 views.

When digging a little deeper, it looks like each outpost employs a different engagement strategy.  Many of the sites are merely acting as extensions of their Web counterparts and rebroadcasting information.  There are only a few channels that are actively interacting with fans and followers. While creating a dialogue isn’t always an essential part of a social media strategy, I think two-way conversations are playing an increasingly important role in the government 2.0 movement.

Overall, I’m glad to see that the Michigan government is experimenting and giving average citizens newfound access to lawmakers and important state programs.  Mark this down as another “local” social media experiment that you should keep your eye on.

Your turn.

What do you think of Michigan’s social media strategy?  Are you fan?  What are they doing well?  Where could they improve?

Filed under: Michigan, blogs, community, marketing, social media, social networking, twitter , Facebook, Government 2.0, Michigan, social media, State of Michigan, twitter, Web 2.0, YouTube

Working the Social Media Campaign Trail with Pete Hoekstra

Ever since elementary school, part of me wanted to be involved in politics.  Last week, I got my first taste of what it was like to be on an official campaign trail.

Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra retained Identity Marketing & Public Relations in early March to help launch his campaign to be the next Governor of Michigan.  While our work was primarily focused on connecting Pete with members of the press and raising awareness of his announcement, I was given the chance to help fine-tune his social media strategy.

Lucky for me, I wasn’t starting from scratch.  Prior to my involvement, the Hoekstra team understood the importance of possessing a strong digital presence and was incredibly active on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and on many other niche communities. Additionally, Pete had already succeeded in building an impressive community of 6,000 followers on Twitter and nearly 4,000 friends on Facebook.

If you think about it, social media has made quite the impact on the political arena.  It has presented politicians with a number of new channels for informing and interacting with constituents.  Members of congress now share their reactions to speeches and debates in real time.  For us citizens, this means the men and women who represent us in Washington are now more accessible than ever.

When I finally got the chance to get my hands dirty, I found a lot of similarities in the tactics used for building corporate social media strategies, with measurable short-term and long-term goals guiding our efforts.  However, since we were talking about social and economic issues instead of products and services, we needed to tread lightly.

Our initial strategy sessions involved discussing how to set our social media “tone” early, ensure transparency, quickly influence reactionary conversations, thank die-hard supporters and engage skeptics.  You know… the good stuff.

However, the big X-factor in our strategy planning was that our team would be mobile for nearly the entire day.  Yep. We had ourselves a caravan.

After my day-long, 450-mile road trip, with stops all over Michigan including Detroit, Fraser, Southfield, Royal Oak, Lansing and Holland, I took away a few pointers when it comes to working social media on the road.  Don’t think of these squarely as suggestions for those in politics. These might help with major corporate announcements and activities where traveling and updating on the fly is necessary.

1. Ensure that your communities are accessible from mobile devices and can quickly be viewed and updated.  Facebook Mobile, Twitter Mobile, etc. were incredibly helpful when looking at community reactions to recently posted videos, pictures and status updates.
2. Have multiple phones available if traditional media relations is playing a big role in your announcement and designate one device for interviews.  The others should have access to email and keyword/conversation alerts (Google/Twitter).
3. Plan out stops at locations that offer WiFi so content can be quickly uploaded.  It also helps to check with your event locations and ask if you can use their network for a short period of time while on site.
4. Purchase an AirCard or mobile device tethering plan for the duration of the event.  I used a Verizon USB card and having full Internet access on my laptop at all times was totally worth it.
5. If you are in charge of distributing content and managing updates, don’t get stuck driving. Lull moments in the car are the perfect time for uploading photos and short videos, as well as ensuring every item is keyword/SEO friendly.  You lose those precious minutes if you are behind the wheel.

Those are some of my suggestions.  What are your tips?  If you had to run a social media program from the road, or have already done so, what other recommendations would you add to the list?

Bonus: Pete’s team put together this great video from the announcement day.  You can see me with my Flip at 3:29.

(Disclaimer: I’m still learning about Pete Hoekstra and his campaign platform.  Just because I’m working for him doesn’t mean he has my vote.  When it comes to our next Governor, I’m still very much undecided.)

Filed under: Michigan, blogs, detroit, marketing, public relations, social media, social networking, twitter , Facebook, Flickr, Identity Marketing & Public Relations, Michigan Governor, Michigan Governor Race, Pete Hoekstra, Politics, social media, Social Media on the Road, Social Networks, Strategy, twitter, YouTube

What I Wish I Would Have Known

As of this month, I have officially been with my agency for two years.  Having entered the field fresh out of college and with no real experience, I cannot help but think of all the valuable knowledge I have picked up over the past 24 months. I truly cherish every bit of it.

While learning on the go has definitely been an amazing (and sometimes challenging) experience, there are things I wish I would have known prior to getting my start in PR.  For instance, changing the focus of my undergraduate studies from communication and political science to PR would have been a big help (I did want to be a lawyer till about two weeks before graduation… obviously, that worked out).   However, I am thinking of more practical, or perhaps philosophical, advice that would have made me better prepared for the world I was about to enter.

If I had a nuclear-powered Delorean, here is the advice I would share with my former newbie self before I got started.  Maybe those of you looking to break into PR can learn something.

(1) You need to become a master storyteller

Being captivating and informative is now your job.  It will help you craft bulletproof pitches and develop copy that will raise eyebrows.  If you need a creative outlet, consider blogging.

(2) Relationships are priority number one

Every chance you get to attend a networking session or meet a reporter face-to-face, try and make it happen.  The ability to create, maintain and (eventually) leverage relationships, especially with the media, is crucial to your success.

(3) SEO is now your friend

Learn everything you can about tagging, keyword density and all the magical components that help optimize content and make it easier to find.  Your clients will thank you later.

(4) Read anything and everything available

There are so many intelligent people out there full of amazing thoughts and opinions about the PR industry.  Your RSS reader should basically be bursting at the seems.

(5) Learn whatever you can from those who have been in the trenches before getting behind a desk

Reach out to those who already know the ropes and can give you advice.  Offer to take a PR pro to lunch or out for a cup of coffee.  Ask them questions about what they do and why they do it.  You will be glad you did.  (Todd Defren over at PR Squared has a great post on this subject.)

(6) Perfect your elevator pitch

Know how to sell yourself, your capabilities and your agency/company to everyone you meet.  Even if they are not a potential client, they just might know someone who could use your help.

(7) Build a personal advisory board

Create a network of trusted peers and mentors both online and offline.  When you have a problem, a tough decision to make or a new idea you want to explore, you’ll often ask these people for their opinion.

(8) Understand that this business is more than just event planning and press releases

If you want an edge, learn about the “business” of doing business.  Explore discussions on finance, management, sales, accounting and other core functions of business operations.  Why does this matter?  Understanding those elements, and how they coexist with PR and marketing communications, will make you more valuable to your clients and your company.

If you had a time machine, what pearls of wisdom would you share with your rookie self before starting your career?

(image courtesy of 96dpi)

Filed under: blogs, business, career, graduate school, marketing, public relations , advice, blogs, business, business relationships, career, marketing, media, public relations, rookie, social media

Detroit Tweeps – @hajjflemings Edition

I’ve been hanging out with Personal Brand Strategist Hajj Flemings a lot lately. We have been working on a project together for the past few months (Brand Camp 2009 – it is going to rock your socks off) and have spent a lot of time at Caribou Coffee in downtown Royal Oak.

During our last meeting over good tea, great coffee and awesome conversation, we discussed his role as a personal brand strategist, what he believes are some common misconceptions about the region and why Detroit’s social media culture is one of the best in the country. Check it out.

Here are places you can connect with Hajj:
Twitter
Blog
LinkedIn

Filed under: blogs, detroit, social media, social networking , Brand Camp, branding, detroit tweeps, Hajj Flemings

Could a Movie Montage Create a Social Media Expert?

One of my favorite martial arts movies, Bloodsport, aired last night on Vs.  While the movie is by no means an Oscar contender, it does contain one of the coolest movie montages ever.  Jean-Claude Van Damme needs to be trained in the super-deadly arts in time for a secret full-contact tournament.  As a result, he must learn from his master how to do the splits, catch fish with his bare hands and set the table blindfolded… all in a reasonable time frame.

See for yourself (fast forward to 1:52 to skip the back story):

Awesome.

Montages became increasingly popular in movies throughout the ’80s and into the early ’90s. They were the perfect vehicle for moving the plot forward and turning the protagonist into an expert (boxer, fighter, ghostbuster, etc.), usually in less than ten minutes. If you needed to become good at something really quickly or reach your prime condition for a big showdown, a montage was your answer. It was also the opportune moment for playing a new single from a popular artist.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could apply montages to our professional and personal lives? I would love to learn everything about marketing in seven minutes, all to the beat of an awesome ’80s soundtrack. Maybe some Duran Duran? A short time later, I’m the next Seth Godin and ready to “take on my biggest challenge yet.”

But what about a montage for social media? If we could learn everything we needed to know about listening, engagement, conversations and communities in just a few minutes, could we all become “experts?” Or is there more to it than that?

You betcha. The real thought leaders possess traits that simply can’t be taught. Those who continue to inspire me are not just smart and perceptive, but passionate and helpful. We like them not just as experts, but as normal people. We trust them. That, unfortunately, isn’t something you can pick up from a montage… even with a catchy tune in the background.

Just for fun: some of my favorite movie montages

Rocky IV

The Karate Kid

Scarface

And who can forget – the Montage song from Team America: World Police

Filed under: blogs, business, marketing, movies, social media , curiosity, movies

Blogging Basics From Business School

Since Forrester recently announced that the majority of corporate blogs suck in eyes of consumers, it’s pretty amazing to think that even with all the available knowledge and advice on blogging shared by marketers, PR professionals and Web strategists, businesses still don’t get it.

However, having recently finished my first graduate-level marketing class this past semester, I saw a tiny ray of hope contained in my textbook: advice on blogging is slowly infiltrating traditional business school discussions and influencing future decision makers.

While most of the blogging concepts mentioned were extremely broad and incredibly consumer focused (sorry B2B firms, not your time yet), the fact they at least made an appearance was comforting.  Even though I initially expected an entire chapter devoted to social media (note: in my dreams), I had to settle for a little section about blogging under the title “Etiquette Tips for Marketing Professionals.”   Here is a short excerpt.

All companies have Web sites, and a growing number also operate corporate blogs.  Usually written by trusted employees to present a human face to customers, company blogs can serve as useful forums for touting new products, squashing rumors and fielding customer complaints.  But bloggers who write about their companies unofficially, in personal blogs, should be careful about what they say.  Indiscretion has cost more than one outspoken employee a job.  Here are some guidelines for bloggers, especially those who want to write about their workplace, boss or colleagues.

1. Think before you write, and don’t post anything you wouldn’t want to see in the newspaper.
2. Check your facts before you post.
3. Make sure you don’t confuse free speech with irresponsible speech.
4. Ask yourself whether your readers really need to know the content of your post.
5. Don’t post when you’re angry.  You’ll say things you may regret.
6. Don’t respond to reader comments when you’re angry, and never say something you wouldn’t say in person.
7. Never name names.  Even if you use pseudonyms, supporting detail can identify the people you write about, as it did in the case of at least one fired blogger.
8. Avoid pranks and hoaxes; they will misfire.
9. Don’t make the mistake of thinking a negative blog about your firm or industry will help your career.  It won’t.
10. Accept that if what you write is negative or controversial, you won’t remain anonymous for long.

It’s not great… but it’s a start.

I think number five can be debated.  Readers want more than just useful information when reading corporate blogs; they want a blogger with passion.  And sometimes when you really love what you do, you get angry.  As long as you’re not conflicting with number three, and posts are constructive versus direct attacks, you should be ok when it comes to taking a stance or voicing an opinion.

When it comes to number seven, I think that falls back to number one.  Don’t post what you wouldn’t want public.  Are you seeing a whole checks and balances trend here?

For the next edition, here are a few basic thoughts I would include:

• Corporate messaging doesn’t have a place in blogging.  Adopt a conversational tone when posting items.
• Focus on creating content that helps your customers, not selling them products.
• Don’t rehash press releases or company announcements.  Produce original content.  That’s what brings readers back.
• Be genuine.  Consumers aren’t expecting to hear all your secrets.  They just don’t want to read “half-truths.”

Maybe this is the ideal method to “catch em’ while they’re young” and persuade future executives to view social media programs (like blogs) as viable communications tools?  I look at it this way: even if they’re not running the program, they could be the one who has the final say on the creation a corporate blog or the direction of the content.

If you could give a few pointers to a future executive who might just be managing a corporate blog in a few years, what would it be?  What basic advice would you give to help them create a blog that doesn’t suck?

photo courtesy of mpclemens

Filed under: blogs, business, graduate school, marketing, social media , marketing, graduate school, blogs, social media, business, corporate blogs