A Guide to Facebook Business Pages

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By Kristina Houck, Research and Online Content Specialist

With 901 million monthly active users, Facebook is a perfect place for businesses to connect with customers. So if you have a business and don’t yet have a Facebook business page, what are you waiting for?

During last week’s So Cal Business Networking and Internet Marketing Expo in Del Mar, speakers encouraged business owners to utilize Facebook and other social media platforms to grow their businesses. It was a great reminder to me that, despite Facebook’s immense popularity, many businesses have not embraced this platform for connecting with customers.

I’ll recap some of the basic essentials presented for establishing your business presence on Facebook, as well as some tips from our team. (If you already have a business page on Facebook, skip ahead for the tips from (W)right On!)

1. Create a business page

It’s important to not use your personal page to promote your business. After all, it’s against Facebook’s terms and conditions. Create a page just for your business and utilize Facebook, as well as third-party applications, to brand it as your own.

2. Brand your page

Create a custom URL to easily promote your business on Facebook. Use a cover image and profile image that best represents your company. If you don’t have a good photo, take one! The (W)right On team recently took new group pictures that will be unveiled on our page soon. You can further customize your page by selecting custom images for the tabs you created (not for default tabs such as Likes and Photos).

3. Provide useful content

Useful and entertaining content will increase interaction on your page, and interaction is essential on Facebook. Facebook’s default settings sort newsfeeds by top stories. Therefore, your page will be more visible if other users like and share your content. Post a variety of status updates, including photos, videos, links and questions to increase participation. You can also host giveaways and contests, but be sure to adhere to Facebook’s promotion guidelines. It’s also important to show your company’s personality. (W)right On, for example, often posts pictures of frog figurines as our President Julie Wright loves frogs! Our client Tri-City Hospital Foundation shares photos of volunteers giving back to the community.

4. Get “likes”

Drive people to your page. Do this by inviting your personal Facebook friends to ‘like’ your page and informing others about your page by using icons and social plugins on your blog and website. Also include a link to your page in your email signature. If you have a Twitter account, share the link to your page with your followers.

5. Set aside time for Facebook

If you’re worried about the amount of time managing a business page takes, don’t be. Set aside 20-30 minutes a day to post on your page and engage with your fans. As you gain more fans, you might want to increase the amount of time you devote to your page so you can properly monitor comments. You can save time by importing your blog posts on Facebook using a third-party app. You can also schedule some status updates by using social media management systems like HootSuite. But I recommend you also post manually as some sources say manual posts increase engagement. Basically you want to let your fans know you’re actively on your page and reading what they say by interacting with them!

If you’ve already established a business page, you’re well aware of its recent makeover when Facebook upgraded all business pages to the new timeline design on March 30. While some were wary of the changes, (W)right On has found the new design provides businesses with several benefits. Here are a few of our tips for making the most of your business page and Facebook’s new layout:

1. Use the admin panel and insights

The new admin panel is very user-friendly. You can now open your admin panel directly on your page instead of navigating to another page. Click on “Insights” to analyze your page’s user growth and engagement. Use this information to better understand what content your fans respond to.  

2. Highlight and pin posts

While your page has a two-column layout, you can highlight a post and expand it to widescreen. To do so, hover over the content and click on the star. You can also pin a post to the top of the page for as long as a week. To do so, hover over the content, click on the pencil and choose “pin to top.”

3. Learn what people are saying

Fan comments used to get lost on the old layout. Now, fan posts to your page or mentions of your page appear at the top of the right-hand column. This is a great way to easily read what others are saying about your business. With that said, you can also choose to hide this box in your admin settings.

4. Check private messages

Users can now send private messages. Fans could only comment on business pages before the switch to timeline. Be sure to regularly check your messages and respond to your fans.

5. Have fun

While you may create a business page to gain more customers, don’t think of Facebook as work. Have fun engaging with fans and potential customers!

Have more questions about Facebook business pages? Contact the (W)right On team for all your social media needs!

PR: One Part Legwork, One Part Arm-Twisting and a Dash of Brilliance

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By Julie Wright, President

Albert Einstein quipped that genius is one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration. My formula for PR genius is very similar; however, it includes equal parts sweat and influence. Or, as I like to put it: one part legwork, one part arm-twisting and a dash of brilliance.

With advertising or direct mail, you can control who sees your message, where they see it and when. You can apply metrics to gauge how many times an ad needs to run before the target really notices it, or how many thousands of recipients need to receive an offer before the desired number take action.

But PR pros are in the business of ‘earning’ media coverage and generating positive word of mouth. Let’s just say that a lot of things have to align in the time and space continuum to achieve PR success. Therefore, we sweat the details, probably more so than most other marketing specialties!

Whether the campaign bombs or soars in the end will come down to how well all of our messaging, storytelling, pitching and spokespeople worked to influence the opinions and actions of others.

And here’s another old saw: “you can control everything but the weather and other people.”

Our creativity (that dash of brilliance) can set our client’s message apart and ensure a compelling story that captures attention and generates interest.

But we can’t be truly successful unless we sufficiently influence the client to endorse our approach, the campaign spokesperson to adopt the right messages and get the story across, the targeted reporters to cover it and, ultimately, the readers or viewers who must connect with the content in a way that changes their perceptions or prompts an action.

When we get the formula right and our ideas, effort and influence come together, the return on investment is tremendous with people often amplifying our client’s message through shares, likes, Tweets and yet more media coverage, invitations to speak and positive word of mouth.

With so much riding on our ability to influence other people’s behaviors and actions, what are some of the ways we work to influence our clients, campaign spokespeople, media and our target audiences?

Communicate with Clients

Clients may be the toughest to influence. Start by clarifying their objectives for the campaign or project. What would they consider ‘success’? Next, manage their expectations. They need to know what it will take to achieve their idea of success with a timeline, budget and strategies. Keep clients informed of project status – they should never have to come to you for an update. If you’ve managed expectations, are moving ahead with the project in a manner consistent with the expectations you set for the client and are proactively communicating with them, you are building a platform of trust. And, ultimately, you can only influence your client if you have their trust.

Understand the Role of a Spokesperson

Campaign spokespeople need to be provided with messaging that is short, easy to recall and relevant. When everyone agrees to the key messages in advance, all press materials, interviews and presentations can flow efficiently and consistently from that point forward. For inexperienced spokespeople, media training and ongoing coaching and feedback helps them improve. For members of the agency team that do not have experience in a spokesperson role or as media having interviewed numerous spokespeople to know what’s effective and what’s not, it’s recommended they seek out volunteer opportunities either by joining a nonprofit’s committee or freelancing for news outlets. Expert spokespeople like scientists or technologists, who are unable to speak in layman’s terms, pose a unique challenge. Pre-interview them and ask “what does that mean?” every time they use jargon, and when they make a point ask “why is that important to people?” Eventually, they’ll start telling their story in a manner that’s accessible to people outside of the lab. There are many resources where you can study and read about media interview and presentation best practices.

Get to Know the Media

Knowing how reporters work, what kinds of stories they’ve covered in the past (hint: read their stuff) and plan to cover in the future (hint: ask them), and how to be responsive and accurate in fulfilling any of their requests for information, will go a long way to building your influence with this group. Knowing your client’s business sufficiently well so that you can answer background questions reporters might need answered before they’ll commit to a story is also essential. In today’s electronic era, also know how to write a short email subject line that contains the pitch’s news hook. Be able to set up your client’s story in one sentence and back it up with a few key details. And use hyperlinks rather than long scrolling messages.   

The subject of influencing these three groups – clients, spokespeople and reporters – are blog posts in their own right, but the tips offered here should help. Ultimately, influencing target audiences is as close to a three-word definition of the entire public relations profession as you’re ever going to get, so I would need to write a book to expand on that topic. And I’m too busy sweating, arm-twisting and thinking about client projects for that!

Bad Cover Letters Need Not Apply

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By Elyse Charlesworth, Account Coordinator

When applying for a job in the communications field, or any professional job for that matter, what sets you apart from the rest of the bunch? While a referral is definitely helpful, a cover letter can make or break your chances of getting a call for the initial interview.

Our team here at (W)right On sees many cover letters, from the flawless and well-organized to the ambiguous and typo-riddled. Superior writing is the bread and butter of the communications industry, which is why an exceptional cover letter is key to landing an interview. Here are some general tips for crafting a compelling cover letter.

1. Know who’s who.

Do everything possible to find out the name and title of the person you are writing to. Look on the company’s website and social media site(s) for clues. If all else fails pick up the phone to inquire.

2. Don’t duplicate your resume.

Your cover letter should complement, not duplicate your resume. It should also be no more than one page. Think of the cover letter as the finishing touch to your resume and application.

3. Understand the position you’re applying for.

You should know what the company you’re applying for does before writing the cover letter, but be sure to also research what’s expected of the position. By understanding your would-be responsibilities, you can craft an effective cover letter. Sell yourself by highlighting relevant experiences and qualifications that illustrate why you are an exceptional candidate and capable of achieving the types of outcomes the company strives for.

4. Spelling and grammar errors are not acceptable!

If you’re aiming to demonstrate to potential employers that your attention to detail will prevent you from making silly mistakes, don’t rely on your computer’s spell check. Be sure to also proof your cover letter with your own eyes for spelling and grammar errors, pass along to someone else with a good eye for editing and then read it again. You should proof your submission at least three times before hitting the send button. 

5. Don’t be afraid to search.

If you’re not sure where to begin, Google is your friend. Search for examples of outstanding cover letters within your industry to help you get started. Structural guidance can go a long way towards crafting a great cover letter.

These five tips won’t guarantee an interview for your dream job, but they will ensure you aren’t denied before your resume is even seen. Good luck with drafting your cover letter and happy job hunting!

How to Make the Most of Editorial Calendars

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By Kristina Houck, Research and Online Content Specialist

Most reporters receive dozens – if not hundreds – of press releases and story pitches every day. So how do you get your release noticed? Send it when you know a reporter is seeking stories on a related subject. That’s how editorial calendars can help.

Editorial calendars are a great tool for public relations professionals to use to learn what types of stories media outlets publish and when. Editorial calendars outline the major editorial features that are planned for upcoming magazine and newspaper issues. If used correctly, they can help PR pros increase their chances of coverage.

It’s important to note that not all publications issue editorial calendars. But the ones that do are free and easy to obtain. Many publications have PDF versions of their calendars that can be downloaded from their websites. Editorial calendars are often found in the “advertise with us” section and included in media kits geared toward advertising and marketing professionals. If you don’t find the editorial calendar you’re looking for online, contact an editor at the publication to request one.

Once you obtain an editorial calendar, review it to decide when you should pitch your story idea. Look for issues that will feature topics related to those in your press release or pitch.

Ensure your pitch is truly relevant. Don’t pitch a publication just because your news is slightly related to the topics in the upcoming issue.

Also be sure to pitch with the publication’s deadlines in mind. Knowing the publication’s deadlines is one of the benefits of using editorial calendars, so remember to plan ahead! Pitch at least three to four weeks in advance for weekly publications and three to four months out for monthly publications.

Lastly, pitch your story to the appropriate person at the publication. Even if you pitch relevant news for a specific issue ahead of time, your release can be overlooked if you send it to the wrong contact. If you are unable to determine which editor or reporter to pitch to, contact the media outlet and ask to be directed to the appropriate contact for your story.

So for quick review, here are three tips when using editorial calendars to pitch:

1. Pitch relevant news

Use editorial calendars to learn when publications plan to publish topics related to your story.

2. Be aware of deadlines

Plan to pitch at least three to four weeks in advance for weekly publications and three to four months out for monthly publications.

3. Contact the appropriate person

Determine which editor or reporter would cover your story.

Happy pitching!

PR Executive Ranks No. 70 in Top 200 Jobs List

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By Kristina Houck, Research and Online Content Specialist

Where would you rank public relations jobs among other professions? CareerCast.com recently listed the top 200 jobs in 2012 and ranked public relations executive at No. 70.

The CareerCast.com team gathered data and scored jobs in five key categories: physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook. The team added the scores to determine the rankings.

CareerCast.com scored PR executive at 855.00 with an income of $92,156.00. Although the stress levels for PR executives are high, the hiring outlook appears strong, which contributed to the profession’s decent ranking in the report. PR executives also have good work environments, according to the report. Last year, CareerCast.com ranked PR executive at No. 113.

As for the best job of 2012, software engineer ranked first with an overall score of 176.00 and an income of $88,142.00. Conversely, lumberjack ranked last with an overall score of 1776.00 and an income of $32,114.00.

See the 10 best and 10 worst jobs of 2012 below. Read the full article here.

The 10 Best Jobs of 2012

1. Software Engineer

2. Actuary

3. Human Resources Manager

4. Dental Hygienist

5. Financial Planner

6. Audiologist

7. Occupational Therapist

8. Online Advertising Manager

9. Computer Systems Analyst

10. Mathematician

The 10 Worst Jobs of 2012

190. Shoe Maker/Repairer

191. Broadcaster

192. Butcher

193. Dishwasher

194. Meter Reader

195. Waiter/Waitress

196. Reporter (Newspaper)

197. Oil Rig Worker

198. Enlisted Military Soldier

199. Dairy Farmer

200. Lumberjack

10 Dos and Don’ts for #PR Tweeters

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By Kristina Houck, Research and Online Content Specialist

Twitter is a must-use tool for people in the public relations industry. In 140 characters or less, you can share the inner workings of your agency, promote your clients’ messages, connect with reporters, network with others in the field and more. But make sure to think before you tweet. Here are 10 Twitter dos and don’ts so you can make the most of your tweets.

DO:

1. Tweet interesting information

The best way to gain followers and engage your audience on Twitter is to post interesting and useful content. Before you hit “tweet,” ask yourself if you would care about your message if you were a follower.

2. Engage fellow Twitter users

Social media gives you an opportunity to engage others, so engage! Ask open-ended questions, answer questions and give shoutouts to users who interact with you.

3. Respond timely

Respond to others in a timely manner when you are answering questions or engaged in a conversation on Twitter. Other users won’t interact with you if you don’t use proper Twitter etiquette.

4. Monitor keywords

Monitor keywords to find others to follow and interact with on Twitter. Monitoring keywords is also a great way to be aware of what others are saying about your agency and clients.

5. Have fun

Although Twitter is a great tool for work purposes, don’t think of tweeting as a chore. Have fun!

DON'T:

1. Tweet too much

You can lose followers by tweeting too much, so don’t spam them with constant tweets. Remember to only tweet interesting and relevant information.

2. Overuse hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to help others find information and encourage engagement, but don’t overuse them. #Using #too #many #hashtags #will #annoy #your #followers.

3. Use all 140 characters

A retweet is the highest form of compliment on Twitter. However, if you use all 140 characters, other users won’t be able to easily retweet your content. Make sure to leave space for “RT @yourname.”

4. Share too much

Although your tweets should show your personality, don’t be too personal on Twitter. Consider what is and isn’t appropriate to share with others.

5. Use poor grammar or spelling

Having a 140 character limit is no excuse for using multiple abbreviations. Don’t text your followers. Instead, represent your agency and your clients by maintaining a professional image and showing you can write well even when writing concisely.