Social Media

There is a great article on Inc.com that focuses on writing a social media release. It has some great points in it and it’s worth a read.

We don’t recommend social media releases for all clients or every project, but there are times when it provides added value. It’s important to think about a social media release strategically. Don’t let your excitement in doing something that has some “cool” elements push you to develop one when you don’t need to. And, on the other side, make sure you focus on the message that you want to put forward and don’t get caught up in the technology and what can be done. Do what should be done.

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There is a very interesting article on Poynter Online that talks about the trend for journalists to set up in coffee shops throughout the communities that they cover. It is worth a read.

As anyone who knows me or reads this blog, knows we believe in the value of the online communication. It’s a reality in the world of communications and the public has embraced it. It is a big part of how your story gets told these days. However, we also believe strongly in connecting in “real life” too. It’s easy to hide behind your computer screen and pull information and facts and have what feels like full conversations online. The fact is, face-to-face is equally – and in many cases – more important. In my opinion, human connection will never be replaced by technology, now matter how quick, how interactive, and how three-dimensional.

Our Vancouver PR agency recently came onboard with a new client that has a big community spread over two large physical locations. While we have done extensive research online in our planning for this client, we have also taken the time and gone to both locations to spend time and get a feel for the culture and community. I have sat in the coffee shops and chatted with people, walked through the halls, and sat in on meetings and sessions to learn what makes the people that support this organization tick, what inspires them, frustrates them, and engages them. For our work with AHA clients, it’s always a blend of online and “real world.”

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As many of you may know, we are big fans of the use of Flip Video camera at our Vancouver PR agency. Each Friday, we produce an AHA Flip Cam Friday video that is a quick snippet of information, news and PR tips and hints.

I wanted to show you another example of a great use of a Flip Cam. Ben Daughtery of Heartland Health has a video series entitled How’s It Ben Going? (Get it – Ben…Been). It is a rough and tumble video, no production value to speak of, but it’s working for this healthcare communicator.

I do have to warn you that it does take a bit to remove yourself from our expectation of highly produced corporate video, but the fact is, this is the way the world is moving. Have a look and when you have finished watching the video – ask yourself if this is something you might be able to do in your organization. I know for several of our clients, the Flip Cam video has become an incredible asset for sharing information and for asking for feedback.

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AHA - VideoAlison Provost has a great piece on imediaconnection.com about video. Video has become an important tool to a communicator. At AHA, we have long been fans of video. Good video. Video with solid editorial content. Video that provides compelling content to the viewer.

AHA Take

While Alison’s entire article is interesting, you could just skip to page three and read about branded editorial content. In my opinion, that is where the value lies.

I have to admit that when I hear someone say they are going to create a viral video – I am skeptical. You can’t create a viral video. You can create a good video and pray that it goes viral, but you don’t control “viral.” And from what I have seen, creating a video with the objective of making it viral fails more than it succeeds. Producing an engaging, entertaining and interesting video that will appeal to your community has a much better chance of being shared.

At our Vancouver PR agency, we have our regular AHA Flip Cam Friday. That has been very well received. We are also working more and more with clients on creating a range of videos, from those made in-house using Flip cameras to working with videographers to create more news-like videos that showcase a story. For both internal and external communications, a Flip camera video is a powerful, yet simple tool. It can show a snapshot of your organization from the perception of your senior executive or from the reception. It can be a series of short clips or one longer video (not too long though). People like to watch videos, but they need to be engaging and entertaining. They can’t just be an infomercial about your organization. They need to be visually stimulating and to be interesting to the person watching.

We see a huge opportunity with video now and in the future. What about you? Are you using video or are you planning to?

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PR-squared.com has an excellent series about social media. Today, the collaborative effort looks at the top five communications experiments to consider. It’s worth a read.

AHA Take…

One of the challenges of social media is that there is always something new and it seems like, no matter what you are doing, there is always something you aren’t and either wish you were or you’re asked by your CEO why you aren’t!

For most organizations, stepping into social media creates a shift in culture and that needs to be acknowledged. When we work with clients, we often recommend taking small steps forward – starting out small and building on successes. This approach makes moving into or expanding social media communications outreach feel more realistic, more “doable” in the busy day-to-day lives of our clients.

Having said that, we also talk a lot about video at our Vancouver PR agency these days. Video is an important and growing tool for a communicator. It doesn’t have to be a big production, slick corporate type video. Short video clips taken with a Flip Camera can create a strong interaction and can really engage your stakeholders.

Think about it, what could video do to showcase the personality, the quality, and the people behind your brand?

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