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Creative Concepts Shows How to Find Journalists on Twitter

Before the internet, building a media list included only a few key pieces of information. Now a media list contains social media handles, Facebook pages, web site addresses and much more.

How do you find the Twitter handle for a journalist or group of journalists? There are a few places to look if you are starting out and building a social media profile list for your media contacts.

1. MuckRack – MuckRack is a great starting point for researching journalists on Twitter. It is organized so you can search by beat or media organization. You can also see trending topics and have alerts emailed to you by keyword.

2. Journalist Tweets – JournalistTweets is powered by Cision, a media database company. You can search for journalists by keywords and search by topic.

3. Directories – Twitter directories are another way to locate journalists in your area or industry. Twellow and WeFollow are two examples of a few directories out there.

4. Twitter Lists by Media Site. Some media sites provide their own Twitter lists. For example, NPR has created a Twitter list “NPR People” of their media personalities. NPR also has a NPR Social Media home page that showcases their presence across all social media.

Now that you have begun collecting journalists’ social media information, what’s next? Follow the journalists that are relevant to your industry. Interact with them and join in the conversation. Read their blogs and get to know their personality so you will know the best times to pitch them.

Don’t pitch directly on Twitter – research shows that email still works best. Like any other relationship, you have to build rapport and find out the best way to communicate with them. So let us know, have you been reaching out to the media via your twitter profile?

Image via Mashable

Creative Concepts Shares How to Adapt Your Company’s Blog to Suit Your Audience

Creative Concepts Note: we first published this blog entry in June 2010 and found that the lesson still rings true today so we are reposting it. Let us know your thoughts and questions!

When our client Ouidad first launched their blog, they — and we — thought we knew exactly whom its readership would be: smart, savvy women who take great care of their curls and feel passionate about looking good.

It turns out we were half-right.

Yes, the blog attracted exactly the kind of readers we anticipated. But it also attracted a number of readers we didn’t expect, including teens, men and moms on the go. It also appealed to non-English-speaking readers in search of curly-haired tips, and African-American readers interested in more reliable hair care solutions.

So we adapted.

We helped Ouidad create new blog posts on the subjects their readers asked the most questions about. We broadened the blog’s focus to include tips for men, teens and kids (or, more specifically, their moms). And we regularly included posts written in (or translated into) Spanish, to better accommodate Ouidad’s multilingual audience.

Our lesson?

Good companies support the customers they already know they have; great companies find ways to accommodate the customers they never knew existed.

Do you know who your customers are?

(Are you sure?)

What’s your favorite way to “discover” new customers? Tell us on Twitter.

Creative Concepts Client Day Featuring Ecover

Every month, we are going to feature content that we have created for our clients. Today we are sharing a blog post we wrote for client Ecover about their Green Closet project which is all about keeping your fashion choices and your closet green for the long term. This post included a contribution from our very own Creative Concepts blog contributor Susan Wagner. Enjoy!

Ecover’s Secret About A Green Closet: How You Launder Your Clothes Matters More Than What You Buy. Yes, really!

You want to do the right thing, and you want to look good doing it! That’s what the Green Closet is all about: Ecover knows that buying environmentally sound clothing is important; buying less and caring for your clothes well are just as important if not more so as we mentioned here.

Susan Wagner, fashion blogger from The Working Closet, advises us to take your green closet quotient up a notch by following these tips to a more eco-friendly laundry room:

Skip the Washer. Hand washing uses less water and less electricity. You can hand-wash anything, not just delicates; fill a large sink (kitchen sink is fine) with cold water and Ecover’s Delicate Wash and toss in your tees and shorts. Squeeze garments gently to work water and detergent through; soak for 3-5 minutes. Rinse until water runs clean and gently squeeze dry.

Skip the Dryer. Yep, we know that it’s not always practical to hand-wash — some days, the mountains of laundry demand that you turn on the washing machine. But do the planet — and your clothes — a favor by air or line-drying your laundry. The dryer is the single biggest source of wear and tear for your wardrobe — the motion and heat break down the fabric. Where do you think all that lint comes from? To keep line-dried clothes soft, add Ecover’s Fabric Softener in the wash cycle too!

Skip the Landfill. Ecover in the laundry room means helping save the planet even after the laundry’s done: Ecover’s PlantPlastic bottles are made from sugarcane and are 100% renewable, reusable and recyclable. And if you choose Ecover’s Laundry Liquid (either fragrance-free ZERO or Sunny Day) you’ll use less detergent in each load, which means fewer bottles in the first place. Perfect!

Curate a wardrobe that you love and then care for it with the best possible products and practices – that’s a truly green closet!

And remember we want to hear your green closet tips so please use #greencloset on your tweets, Facebook updates and blog entries so we can all be included in the same eco fashion conversation!

Image by Maegan via flickr.com

Creative Concepts Shares How SEO is Changing And What You Need to Do About It

It’s a nebulous time for search marketers and marketing directors.

Some say SEO is dead or dying; some say Google is well on its way to burying an entire industry at the drop of a hat (or update of an algorithm).

I say, “Bring it on!” and frankly, I’m excited about what’s to come. I firmly believe that it’s not a lost art or a dying industry. Like technology, business, athletics, nature or politics, it is evolving as trends and standards change.

Google’s Panda and Penguin algorithm updates are the catalysts for this change which are pushing websites toward higher quality, increased social interaction and fresher content. Because SEO is my livelihood, I’ve spent quite a lot of time researching how to modify my approach, keep my clients in an upward motion and, basically, explain to people that SEO is not dead, it’s changing.

Here are three takeaways from my research and some action items to get started.

1. Link Building Should Be Exclusively About Quality

In the past, Google rewarded sites that had large numbers of inbound links (formerly seen as “votes” for a site) with higher rankings, but now Google seems to be penalizing websites for this now. Here are some link building best practices.

-Ween your website off link requests to makeshift link directories

-Clean up your link profile by deleting low-quality links. I use SEOMoz‘ Open Site Explorer, and RavenTools’ Link Manager

-Get published on other websites through guest blogging

-Create infographics and blast them out like nobody’s business

-Post engaging comments that display your expertise on industry blogs and forums

The idea is to inject integrity and authenticity into your links. You get the idea. Let us know how making these changes is helping your SEO and join us next month for Part 2 of this series on how SEO is changing.

Mitch Holt
Internet Marketing Coordinator
Creative Concepts SEO partner Volacci

Image via SEO Planter on Flickr

Creative Concepts Takes a Look At Social Media and The London Olympics 2012

As our world becomes more connected through online channels, the London 2012 Olympic Games is on pace to be the first true social media games. This worldwide event involves viewers not only watching sports events unfold with families and friends on TV and in person, but also includes them directly interacting with the network, athletes and other viewers through social channels such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

“At the time of the 2000 Games in Sydney few people had fast Internet connections. In Athens in 2004, not many people had smartphones. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008 there were 100 million people using Facebook but that figure has soared to about 900 million. Twitter was new in 2008 but now has more than 500 million users who send about 400 million tweets daily with sports news regularly broken on the micro-blogging network.” – Study by Atos, an Olympic sponsor which provides the IT operations for the Games.

Before the Opening Ceremonies, reports were coming in about social media buzz for the Olympic opening ceremonies secrets. A hashtag was created by the event producers to #savethesurprise and was flashed on the stadium’s giant screens as tens of thousands of people attended a technical run-through of the opening ceremonies.

Social media is certainly connecting athletes and fans. What about sponsorships and branding? Are more socially active Olympians getting more sponsors?

Then there is the topic of social media guidelines. One Olympian has been dishcharged from the games due to a controversial tweet. The IOC has banned social media use by athletes to promote sponsors. A critic of NBC and the Olympics on Twitter had his account suspended.

In addition to the games and exciting competition, it will be a case study for future games as to how the social media Olympics plays out.

Creative Concepts Shares How Using Instagram Can Help Brands Connect with Customers

I love social media; I was an early adopter of Twitter and I have stuck with Facebook despite all of their changes. I like the way these platforms allow me to connect with people I don’t see or hear from in my everyday life, but even more than that, I like the way they allow me to grow my personal brand and reach my readers.

My favorite social media platform, though, is Instagram, a photo program that can be hooked to Twitter or Facebook. Instagram allows users to take a photo, edit it using built in filters, and post with a short caption — all from a smart phone. If you believe that a picture is worth a thousand words, then Instagram is perfect for you — and your brand.

I snap all sorts of photos with my cell phone, pictures of my kids and my lunch and — most frequently — what I’m wearing. In June I did a “Thirty Days of Getting Dressed” challenge with my readers; each day, I posted a picture of my outfit and tagged it #getdressed; readers could do the same. I was able to track the photos using the hash tag and see who was wearing what. It was a nice way to connect with the community of women who read my blog, and to see their faces (or at least their clothes).

Instagram offers brands a unique way to connect with clients and customers (or, in my case, readers). Because it is a photo-based app, it allows followers to have a glimpse into my life — and in my case, my brand is closely associated with my life. Other more traditional brands, like Kate Spade, use Instagram in the same way, except rather than seeing the person behind the cell phone camera, followers see a carefully crafted vignette of life as a Kate Spade consumer. And while words can be persuasive, pictures are often more so — particularly when we’re talking about fashion and lifestyle brands.

Instagram offers followers an intimate look at a blogger or brand, one that feels inherently personal. My followers see my closet and my kids and my life; it’s an easy way to share what’s new and fun at my house without having to write copy. No matter what size your brand, this kind of immediate, up-close connection with consumers is valuable; you want customers to feel like they are part of your community, and Instagram is a simple way to do that.

Image via Susan Wagner.

Creative Concepts Examines a PR Crisis Communication Plan

In this age of Twitter and smartphones, a business must be prepared to handle a PR crisis in real time with a sound plan. A crisis can hit at any time and having a plan in place ensures that your business is ready to handle any type of crisis.

Delta Airlines is the latest corporation in a crisis. Delta is increasing security and the FBI is investigating since people were injured on flights from Amsterdam to the United States due to needles found in turkey sandwiches.

“There are two kinds of companies: those that have had crisis, and those that will.” - PR Week 1999

Here are a few tips to build a crisis communication plan.

Build a Crisis Communication Team. Appoint members of the crisis communications team and schedule meetings to create the plan. Set tasks for each team member. Meet every few months to review and update the plan as necessary.

Identify the Possible Crises. Gather members of the company to brainstorm and define what types of crises could happen and determine the proper actions to take by the company. What crises have happened in the industry? Has a competitor had a crisis? What did they do right? What did they do wrong? Also note your company’s history and track record so you have a reference point.

Appoint a Media Spokesperson. Designate the media spokesperson for the company for each type of crisis defined. There could be different spokespeople depending on the type of crisis. The spokesperson should have media training and have access to all of the information in real time as the situation develops. The spokesperson needs to be honest, accurate, responsive and compassionate.

Establish a Plan. Once you have a list of possible scenarios, flush out an action plan for each scenario and assign roles and responsibilities for the team and departments. Identify stakeholders that are affected by each situation. How will you collect the information when a crisis occurs? How will you distribute the information to the team?

Communicate through Proper Channels. Establish response strategies for each scenario and audiences affected by the crisis and which team members will handle the communications. Don’t forget your employees are one of your audiences in every situation.

Check the Message Pipeline. Who will create and distribute the response – who is responsible for updating the website, blog, social channels, email distribution, calls/response to media, etc. Will you have internet pages ready to “turn on” in the event of an emergency?

Schedule Test Runs. Set up alarms and check preparedness internally with a few different scenarios.

Being prepared can help a company through even the most difficult situations.

The Public Relations Society of America has started a pilot project in five business schools to teach MBA students how to handle crises and manage corporate reputations.

Image via PR Geek blog

Creative Concepts Shares Ordinary to Extraordinary With Instagram

Okay let’s be honest. Everyone likes things that make them look good. A little confidence boost never hurt anyone…right? Because that’s what Instagram is here for! Apply the Amaro filter, maybe Lo-fi, Inkwell, or Nashville, blur the photo a little bit and you’ve got yourself an “artsy” photo that makes everyone look good. It’s a win-win situation.

There are those who scoff at Instagram, calling it “just another social networking site.” Little do they know what they’re missing out on because it’s so much more. There’s a reason the saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words” is so true and famous. Instagram is communication solely through photo, and that is why it has been so compelling to the masses, including myself. Instagram allows the ordinary individual to become the next Ansel Adams or Annie Lebovitz with the application of a simple filter and a few effects. It becomes as simple as the press of a button to share something beautiful with friends. And perhaps that is the draw that both Facebook and Twitter do not have (well Facebook will I guess as they smartly purchased Instagram awhile ago and will no doubt fold it into Facebook in some cool way in the future). Instagram is the capturing of moments, pictures that are often humorous or poignant but always better than the original. With Instagram, we are all professionals.

Personally, I use Instagram for a variety of things. Mostly I creep around to see what’s going on with the friends and family I follow. A picture gives a lot away—where you are, the people you’re with and what you’re doing. My friends and I take pictures of literally everything from each other, food, sunsets or funny moments. “Instagram it!” has become a favorite phrase among my friends, which goes to show how much we use the app (a.k.a A LOT). There’s no point to Instagram besides taking pictures—it’s pure enjoyment in what other people are sharing without the pressure of 140 characters or all the fuss on Facebook. Yes it’s just another social network but when in doubt about how to share where I am and with whom…I simply “Instagram it!”

Jerelyn Luther
Teen Insights

Instagram photos courtesy Jerelyn Luther

Creative Concepts Discusses The Microsoft Yammer Acquisition

Microsoft’s $1.2 billion acquisition of Yammer on June 25 further confirms that the enterprise space is ready for social networking.

Yammer, a Facebook-like social network for businesses, has built a base of 200,000 customers with 80% of Fortune 100 companies in less than four years. The acquisition gives Microsoft a social enterprise component to integrate into its array of products including the Office suite, Sharepoint, Skype, and Azure.

“Microsoft’s acquisition validates the critical nature of social connectivity as an enterprise capability…” – Tom Kelly, in eWeek.

In the past month, enterprise software vendors such as Oracle and Salesforce.com have also acquired social startups Vitrue and Buddy Media.

“It’s nice to see that Microsoft is finally acknowledging there is a new way to work,” said Timothy Young, vice president of social enterprise at VMware Inc., in WSJ.

As mentioned above and in addition to the Yammer acquisition, Microsoft acquired Skype last year and has been updating its Azure cloud platform, further validating that the company is filling out its cloud offering.

But it’s not just about Microsoft filling in its holes. This move by one of the industry giants marks a fundamental shift in enterprise software.

Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hubspot discusses the transformation in enterprise software that is currently underway.

The consumerization of enterprise software.
Software becomes a cloud-based service, not a product.
The CIO gets crowd-sourced.
Enterprise software goes social.
Business computing goes mobile.

Gone are the days of intranets, wikis, and sales managers instant-messaging sales representatives with answers while they are on the phone with a customer.

The enterprise social space, when integrated with ERP, CRM and other business software, can give businesses the tools they need for real-time customer engagement and employee productivity. In this age where consumers expect an enriched, timely customer experience, businesses who fail to invest in this type of technology will not last.

Has social changed your business? Have you used Skype, Yammer and others to conduct business? Do you think this is an improvement to productivity? We want to hear from you!

Image via Mashable