| It seems you can't turn around these days without | | | | everyone we knew to forward it along in the interest |
| hearing how traditional media are in a severe decline. | | | | of promoting pet health. Since its posting, more than |
| Newspapers' readership is declining, radio is battling | | | | 1200 people have watched the video on YouTube |
| iPods and satellite radio for the listener's ear, and digital | | | | alone. |
| video recording has taken the wind out of TV's sails. | | | | Sending Fans to Facebook |
| I personally have been disappointed to see articles I | | | | With Microsoft recently buying a stake in Facebook, |
| have earned for clients in major outlets like the New | | | | valuing it at $15 billion, the current buzz is all about social |
| York Times and Chicago Tribune yield little to no | | | | networking. Millions of people are flocking to sites like |
| response. In the past, such a "hit" would result in | | | | MySpace, LinkedIn and Facebook to interact with |
| countless inquiries that could almost turn a company | | | | friends and business colleagues by sharing photos, |
| around overnight. | | | | videos and information about themselves, as well as |
| So where do you go from here if you want to engage | | | | joining groups, communicating through messages and |
| public relations to help expand awareness of a new | | | | posts and networking. |
| product, initiative, or simply just to maintain your | | | | Gillette came up with a creative contest to engage |
| company's reputation? Where else but the Web? The | | | | Facebook users, which number about 50 million, as part |
| same client who had little feedback from those | | | | of their Gillette Fusion Power GameFace College Tour. |
| national newspaper "hits" actually experienced a huge | | | | Sports fans are directed to go to the [ site where they |
| response to an article posted on | | | | can watch a video of Cleveland Browns quarterback |
| But it's essential that you think creatively, strategically | | | | Brady Quinn offering advice on how to get your |
| and consider your company's message when you | | | | "gameface" on. Fans are then directed to Facebook |
| begin to explore the many tools now available online to | | | | where they can join the Gillette Gameface group to |
| help you spread the word. Below I've outlined four | | | | upload a video or photo sporting their best "gameface." |
| examples of companies who creatively used a Web | | | | Once you join the Facebook group, you can get |
| technology as a public relations tool and saw great | | | | shaving tips, view others' submissions, post your |
| results. | | | | thoughts on the discussion board or "wall" and more. |
| Blogging With a Purpose | | | | The promotion appears to have been a success with |
| Everybody and his brother appears to be blogging | | | | more than 1800 group members on Facebook. |
| these days on everything from their favorite sports | | | | A Little Bit of Everything |
| team to their pet. And many companies are jumping | | | | One of my favorite examples of smart uses of Web |
| on the bandwagon too quickly without a solid strategy | | | | tools to engage an audience is NBC's "The Office" |
| in place to use their blog to reach their target audience. | | | | television show. "The Office" has created lots of |
| Breakaway Adventures, a company who books | | | | dedicated fans who are truly looking for ways to stay |
| walking and cycling tours of Europe, worked with my | | | | involved with the show beyond its regular Thursday |
| public relations firm to create a blog that would engage | | | | night air time. |
| their potential and existing clients and provide them | | | | So NBC created a whopper of a Web site, sporting all |
| with helpful information. | | | | kinds of cool tools that can keep fans busy for |
| Last year, I led a group of journalists on one of the | | | | months. One of the most creative applications is the |
| company's cycling tours to the small island of Gozo, | | | | Dunder Mifflin (the name of the company in "The |
| part of the Malta archipelago, and I suggested that I do | | | | Office") Infinity site, which is a social network where |
| a daily blog detailing my experience and posting photos | | | | you can do all kinds of fun tasks related to the show. |
| of our trip. This allowed potential clients curious about | | | | You can "apply" to be an employee of the company |
| this little-known island to follow my trip live or read it | | | | and get assigned an official position. Then, you can |
| afterward and get a firsthand account of what the trip | | | | perform various jobs, just like the characters do on the |
| was truly like. The blog went much further than a | | | | show, such as developing a local ad campaign, a task |
| typical brochure blurb and presented real-life issues | | | | they completed on a recent episode. According to a |
| and a taste of the culture, while providing them with | | | | recent article on MediaPost, this network now has |
| photos of exactly what they would see. | | | | 100,000 "employees." Not bad. |
| The blog was a success, with several readers | | | | Two of the quirkiest characters are Dwight Schrute |
| following it live and posting comments. To date it has | | | | and Creed, and you can read their deepest thoughts |
| resulted in more than 1200 page views. The idea is for | | | | on the Schrute Space or Creed's Thoughts blogs |
| the company to encourage future travelers to host | | | | regularly updated on the site. |
| similar blogs that will then be archived on their Web site | | | | The show also offers plenty in the way of video, |
| for visitors to read. | | | | allowing visitors to download past episodes, watch |
| A Video for the Dogs | | | | deleted scenes and Webisodes only available online, |
| For a client who wanted to quickly expand awareness | | | | see interviews with the characters and more. They |
| about a new product they had developed, a | | | | also offer a real hodge podge of other nifty activities |
| tooth-brushing kit for dogs, my firm encouraged them | | | | to keep you returning, like chat rooms, silly contests, |
| to produce a video they could post online. Since | | | | virtual office basketball and subscribing to the Scranton |
| brushing a dog's teeth can sound daunting to some, | | | | (the city in Pennsylvania where their fictional office is |
| we recommended they create an instructional video to | | | | located) newsletter and more. |
| walk pet owners through the process and convey the | | | | The same MediaPost article reported that "The |
| message that brushing a pet's teeth can extend its life. | | | | Office" section of the NBC Web site has had more |
| It was important that the video be conversational, | | | | than 800,000 unique users visit to date. I'd say it's a hit. |
| simple and pleasant to watch so it would appeal to a | | | | All of these examples provide great lessons and |
| variety of folks online. The video could also be used | | | | hopefully inspirational ideas for the wide range of |
| for a variety of marketing purposes, such as trade | | | | possibilities you have when marketing yourself on the |
| shows, giveaways to clients and more. | | | | Web. So, don't just blog to blog, post any old video on |
| In addition to posting the video on their Web site, my | | | | the Web, or create a profile on MySpace which you |
| firm also posted it to some 20 free video-sharing sites, | | | | never go to again. Be smart, strategic and innovative, |
| such as YouTube, Yahoo Video and Break.com, and | | | | and you will be rewarded with new and better |
| sent it virally by e-mail, encouraging anyone and | | | | customers. |