As promised, I said I would offer some tips on how I use Twitter for business. I am addicted to Twitter and love the concept of micro-blogging (saying something in 140 characters or less). It really helps me refine what I do as a publicist.
Here are some of the ways I use Twitter for business:
I have live Twitter feeds running in each of our blogs and on my MySpace and Facebook pages in order to have more fresh content.
I use Twitter for following and monitoring the media in the hopes of picking up some inside info that the general public would not be privy to.
I am trying to build my community of followers by searching for specific niches of people, following people I am interested in and then waiting to see how many follow me. I have found this method works better then a spray and pray method of following thousands of people and ¼ of them may end up following me. I think there is something to be said for Twitterers who have more people following them then they are following or if the numbers are relatively close.
In regards to http://www.themomentrepreneur.blogspot.com/, I recently posted a query about mom entrepreneurs balancing work and home through news channels and on Twitter. I received 400 responses in 48 hours.
In a recent Publicist Panel (listen to the podcast) we hosted, with three very talented publicists, one of the questions asked of our panelists was "what are some metrics that can be used to apply a value to PR that is received?"
As our panelists explained, PR is very intangible, which means it can be difficult to measure. Authors and entrepreneurs commit to PR in order to create awareness and increase their personal brand recognition with target markets. So how do you measure PR ROI?
Top-of-mind awareness (TOMA) is one way of measuring how well your name and brand ranks in the minds of your target markets. How well do your target markets recognize your brand? A measure of how often your name, book title, product, service or company name is searched online can give you a sense if you are gaining TOMA.
Try this simple, fun experiment. Visit Google Fight (not affiliated with Google) and enter two different search terms. This website will give you a reading of each terms popularity by giving a number for how many times the term has been searched. For instance, I like to use the name of my company, Bisson Barcelona, with one of my competitor's company's names. Occasionally I will use my name, Traci Bisson and my company name to get a sense of what brand is searched for more. My name is searched over 70,000 times more then my company name. Try this exercise prior to your PR campaign and then again at six and 12 month intervals. This is one of many tangible measures of a PR campaign.
I was recently interviewed by a writer for Business Vision a magazine for KeyBank customers. The writer was interested in learning why I created a technology plan, when, what it looks like, and how it has helped my company.
According to TechSoup, a technology plan is the single most important ingredient to effectively using technology in your organization. They suggest creating a plan to help you think through your priorities in order to use technology in a way that directly furthers your mission.
The team at Bisson Barcelona has been developing their tech plan for over a year. The process has consisted of researching the Internet and collecting links. Each link is then filed under a category (i.e. podcasting, blogging, video, wikis, etc.). The files are given a description and tagged as technology we have learned about, tried, evaluated or hope to try in the near future.
Many of the technologies we are currently experimenting with include social networking, micro-blogging, webcasts, wikis, Google Gadgets and AdSense, forums, RSS feeds, virtual book tours and podcasting just to name a few.
The ongoing process of developing a tech plan has allowed us to maintain a cutting-edge feeling to our service offering. Our new website scheduled to launch in 1-2 months will incorporate many of the technologies we anticipate using, including streaming media and video, a comprehensive search feature for the media to locate experts for stories, a live customer service chat box and an “interactive” video intro.
Our tech plan will continue to be developed over the next several months as we further our mission of keeping our fingers on the pulse of what is happening in the literary and business industries.
I found a helpful blog post on "5 Great Reasons to Start a Blog" that I felt might be useful for people struggling with the idea of starting a blog. Dedication is needed as well as a time commitment in order to maximize opportunities generated through blogs.
So many people tell me they don't need a blog right after they ask me what a blog is. I find it interesting that someone can dismiss the need for a blog so easily without a complete understanding of what a blog does or can do.
Our goal is to help educate and inform the blog intolerant as well as those who have a genuine interest in what this social tool can do for them and their product/service.
Check out our upcoming seminars, teleseminars and clinics on blogging and social marketing in order to learn more about this revolution and to determine if it is the right step for you.
I was surfing YouTube.com and came across Jeff Crilley's tip on marketing through blogs. Bisson Barcelona along with Spiral Media is hosting blogging clinics beginning April 2008. Jeff offers some great stats on the number of people using and reading blogs. If you do not have a blog or if you are not maximizing exposure of your blog, then you need to check out our blogging clinics taking place in Barrington, New Hampshire. Visit http://www.bissonbarcelona.com/ for all the details.
E-mail interviews are on the rise for busy reporters
With several stories to write each day — each containing upwards of five sources — more and more journalists are turning to the e-mail interview to collect experts' thoughts in an accurate and effective manner.
For some, the concept of being able to take your time and provide thoughtful responses to a reporter's questions is appealing, but for others who find writing a daunting task, it can be a scary proposition. At Bisson Barcelona, we have some clients who feel as though they can provide more thorough, spur of the moment responses or that their personalities translate better via a phone interview, and that is OK.
Oftentimes, respectfully requesting a phone or in-person interview with a reporter will be well-received and he or she will be happy to oblige. That being said, however, you always want to be as accommodating as possible when dealing with the media and, if you refuse to do an e-mail interview with a busy writer at a high-end publication, you might just lose that opportunity. Remember, reporters were not put on this earth to help you promote your name, product or service. If you want the publicity, you need to help them.
I personally think e-mail interviews are the best thing since sliced bread. As a former newspaper reporter and editor, I fell into conducting e-mail interviews as a result of working with town and government officials who had been burned by reporters in the past and wanted documentation of the information they gave me. This can be a huge plus for experts in controversial industries or situations.
I soon learned that I didn't mind sending a few questions to sources, only to have them respond by a deadline I proposed. I didn't have to spend time interviewing them or transcribing my notes and, when it came time to write the story, I could fill in the blanks easily with a quick cut and paste. I always knew the information was accurate and if I had follow-up questions, a quick phone call resolved them.
So, the next time a reporter asks you to respond to some questions by e-mail, gladly accept.
Here are a few tips to help you be a great e-mail interviewee:
Copy and paste your questions into a Word document so you have the luxury of saving your responses, spell checking and formatting them.
Provide a description or bio of your expertise and company at the top of the document, along with your Web site and any additional contact information the writer might need. This does three things: ensures that you are being sourced correctly, gives your company and Web site a plug, and provides contact information in the event that the reporter needs to ask questions.
Draft detailed, lengthy responses. Remember, the purpose of an interview is to provide a reporter with information that she or he can use in a story. If you provide one-word answers or one-liners, you are doing both yourself and the reporter a disservice. Be as thorough as possible — you might even spark the reporter's interest in another story idea.
Use complete sentences. Think about how this information might be quoted and recognize that providing lead-in details with regard to the question at hand will help the reporter use your quotes, as well as help the reader understand what you are saying.
Spell check. Also have a friend or colleague read your responses. If you misspell a word or use incorrect grammar, some reporters will help you out and make the change. However, they are technically not supposed to edit a quote and some will choose to leave it as is.
Make deadline. Just because a reporter has put the interview in your hands, that doesn't mean you can deliver the goods when you please. Be respectful of the media's time, or they'll move on to the next expert.
Barrington, NH — Starting on April 8 and running for four sessions, Bisson Barcelona will be offering hands-on instructional clinics for building blogs and RSS feeds.
The clinics, which will continue on April 15, April 29 and May 1, will be taught by Ben Adams, owner of Spiral Media. They will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Barrington Middle School in Barrington, NH.
Each clinic will offer participants the opportunity to build a blog using Blogger, or a blogsite using the WordPress publishing platform, as well as an integrated RSS feed that will allow attendees to publicize their blog or blogsite throughout the online community.
Adams, an online promotion and search marketing expert, will explain blogs and RSS feeds in simple, layman terms. Participants will be taken through the process of building their own blogs and RSS feeds, and will be taught how to integrate the two facets to gain subscribers.
Bisson Barcelona is an independent, high-visibility public relations firm located in Barrington, NH. The company specializes in publicity and image management services for authors and entrepreneurs.
Each clinic is $125 per person and seating is limited to 24 participants per clinic. For more information, please contact Traci Bisson at (603) 664-5776 or visit our website.
Traci Bisson: I have always loved to write since grade school. About five years ago, I decided to get serious about writing. I joined a writer’s group at a local bookstore and started querying magazines with article ideas. I received several local writing opportunities for newspapers and magazines. With a portfolio of samples, I pitched a national magazine a few years later and received an ongoing paid opportunity.
MQW: You are a member of the networking site www.bookmarket.ning.com. Are there other networking sites to which you belong?
Traci Bisson: Networking online is quickly becoming an entrepreneur’s best friend. I have found that LinkedIn and FastPitchNetworking are also great sites to belong to.
Traci Bisson: Our website was created to help educate and inform prospects and clients about what we do and offer. In addition, we have established a podcast library of interviews with experts offering tips and advice on many topics. Our experts and professionals page also serves as a resource for media seeking sources for stories.
MQW: What does you blog specialize in on your web site?
Traci Bisson: Our blog is another resource where we offer tips, advice and any useful information we find that would help authors and entrepreneurs increase their understanding of how to work with the media.
MQW: You have over 12 years of marketing experience. What advice can you give new writers?
Traci Bisson: Write because you love the craft. Don’t write because you feel it will make you rich. If you want writing to be more then a hobby, develop your image as a writer and the opportunities will come.
MQW: You have a long list of media exposure. Is it sometimes difficult to get the media to recognize an author and his/her expertise? What advice can you give to help other writers not get discouraged?
Traci Bisson: Yes, at times it can be difficult to get the media’s attention. The best advice I can give writers is to make sure they understand the publication or radio show or TV program they are pitching. This will ensure their information is relevant to what the media is looking for. Don’t assume you will be on Oprah just because you have written a book. Create a plan of attack for working your way up to large national media coverage. If you have no media experience, start with your local newspapers and community access TV stations. This will give you the experience you need to work up to regional and national media. Create an online media room for your website and highlight your media success. This builds credibility for the larger media you seek.
MQW: How does your newsletter help other writers and what type of information does it contain?
Traci Bisson: Our newsletter has proven to be a useful resource for authors and writers. We have been sending this via email to our database for over two years. The newsletter contains publicity tips and advice from our publicists. We also send updates on upcoming seminars, teleseminars and new products and services. It helps writers by providing information and articles about the literary industry.
Developing your personal image in the industry is crucial to your long-term success. Whether you are a writer, published author, entrepreneur or other professional, starting early ensures recognition of your accomplishments. This in turn helps you build credibility in your respective industry, and creates awareness of your products and/or services.
Name: Traci Bisson Location: Barrington, New Hampshire, United States
Traci Bisson is President and Senior Publicist of Bisson Barcelona. She has over 12 years experience in marketing
and public relations, and has worked with individuals and companies in all stages of growth.
Traci earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Hampshire.
Traci is a popular blogger who supports other mom entrepreneurs through her online support group and blog,
The Mom Entrepreneur. She also advocates for family life in the state of NH through her blog, Kids in NH, which
highlights the reasons why families with young children should consider making New Hampshire their home. As a
creative employer, Traci has been recognized by many publications, including the National Federation of Independent
Business (NFIB), The Oregonian and the Associated Press, for her innovative employee benefits package. In 2008, she
was voted a Top 10 Boss by Women’s Business Boston Journal.
