PR and marketing

Measuring the value of social media with Tracey Brown

With growing numbers of Australian businesses using social media, the need to measure the effectiveness of social media activity is becoming increasingly important.

Surprisingly, many businesses do not measure the effectiveness of their social media activity, or they’re unsure what to measure or where to start.

Tracey will discuss the importance of measuring social media activity by looking into how success can be defined and measured using simple tools.

She will explain how to get the most out of your social media measurement tools, how to measure the success of a social media campaign and what the future holds for social media measurement.

About Tracey:
Tracey Brown has worked in online for over 15 years, from Westpac eBusiness, to co-founding Tipping Point in Sydney, before moving to London as Head of Digital for Schroders. She also held a global online CRM role for Vodafone Group.

Now back in Sydney, Tracey co-founded eMarketingConnected in December 2010.

Her breadth of experience ranges from online strategy, strategic email marketing, social media strategy, benchmarking and optimisation strategies, to user experience definition and content strategy.

Tracey has delivered workshops and training programmes in USA, Asia, Sth Africa, UK & Europe. She also conducts events and workshops for clients and members.

Tracey’s company eMarketingConnected has recently produced a comprehensive report on the social media activities of Australia’s 500 largest organisations, ‘How the Largest Australian brands use Social Media’. The company has also produced other reports such as ‘Why The Largest Australian Retailers Are Losing The Online Battle’ and ‘How Are Australian Brands Using Facebook’.

Twitter: @traceybrown74

Please note: This month's Social Media Women is being held on the FIRST Tuesday of the month as the second Tuesday falls too close to Easter.

A not to be missed event - learn about the importance of measuring your social media activity by using simply tools.

LUCKY DOOR PRIZE - You could win a corporate headshot session from Polly Street valued at $385! This includes: 30 to 45 Minutes on location photo session, an online preview gallery to select your favourite shots, 3 Edited and retouched high res image files.

Register now for our April event at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1933221317

Date: Tuesday 3 April 2012 (First week in April)
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue: The Supper Club at the Oxford Hotel,
134 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.
(Enter the Oxford St side of the hotel and walk up the stairs. Metered parking is a few steps away on Bourke St, $1.10 per hour)

Meet amazing women as well as discussing the ever changing world of social media.

On Sunday I went to an event that kicked off a week of celebrating International Women’s Day called the F word with Germaine Greer and Naomi Wolf. These women shared their views on feminism in the global context, as well as what it means in today’s society.

Both women have formidable intellects and raised really interesting and valuable issues. Some of which I agreed with, and others I didn’t.

I was very aware of the privilege of sitting and hearing them.

As Germaine said, “In some countries feminism is a matter of life and death” quoting a situation where a woman was killed because she wore lipstick.

As an educated woman living in the western world, I do have choices. Many choices. I realised it’s how I act on those choices that makes the difference.

One of the comments made by both women got me thinking. Germaine said “I’m going to get in trouble for saying this but I’m going to say it anyway”. That’s what people love about her (and why others hate her).

On International Women’s Day this Thursday 8th March 2012 maybe it’s time for all of us to 'say something anyway'! Maybe it’s time to act in a courageous way that will help the women around you, or women in the global community.

There are so many events to celebrate International Women’s Day. Here is a list of events you might be interested in.

Join me:
International Women Day: I'm a panelist for Women as Entrepreneurs event WE WIN, Women Empowering Women In Need. It’s an awareness and charity event, a celebration of the successes of women with a focus on enabling change for women as entrepreneurs, both here and in the third world. Special price tickets for our friends $45, register here using "CPComm".

Step into the spotlight with PR and social media: Join me on 28 March 2012 at the Women’s Network Australia’s lunch where I’ll be talking about Stepping Into the Spotlight Using PR and Social Media – both from a business and personal perspective. Register here.

Learn how to do your own PR: My next one day workshop – PR and Media Releases that get Results – is on 30th March 2012. Learn how to construct a PR strategy including how to develop media angles, pitches, media releases, articles, case studies and editorials. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives. This event is held at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. Register here.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

________________________________________
How to create a media list
Do you want to generate publicity for your business with a media release? Then you need to create a media list and start pitching your release to the right journalists.

A media list documents the key media contacts in your industry that would be interested in your media release. These contacts can include journalists, producers, bloggers, freelancers and editors.

A media list allows you to create a targeted approach to the distribution of your information. By targeting the right journalists you can gain coverage in the publications that your target audience views. This means that the right audience will see your media release at the right time.

Here are some steps to creating a media list.

1. Find your audience: The purpose of a media list is to gain coverage in publications that your target audience uses or views. This means that you need to write a list of all the publications, blogs and TV programs that appeal to your target audience.
2. Identify contacts: Once you have a list of publications you now need to identify the appropriate contact person to send your information to. Usually the most appropriate contact is the reporter or editor who covers the topic in your media release. You can find their email address or phone number on their publication’s website or call the publication directly. Try to avoid sending your media release to the email address for general enquires or “editor@” because it usually will not reach the right contact person in that publication.
3. Create a Database: Organise your media list into a database such as excel document, with separate columns for the name of the publication, the contact person, their job title, email address and phone number.
4. Categorise your list: You should categorise your list into different sections for each media outlet. For example you could create a section for all your newspaper contacts and another section for all your magazine contacts.
5. Update your list regularly: Media professionals often change their career or areas of expertise, which means you should constantly update your media list. Remember to update your list if your contact person changes or if you find new contacts.

Read the full article here.
________________________________________
Why your business should start pinning on Pinterest
Have you heard the saying a picture paints a thousand words? Well your business can do just that on Pinterest.

Pinterest is a new social media site where you can create online bulletin boards and ‘pin’ your favourite images to it.

You can create a variety of bulletin boards in any category imaginable. Your followers can then view your images, like them, add a comment and re-pin them to their own boards. Each image represents a link to its original website, which makes sharing images and websites easy.

It isn’t a broadcast mechanism and doesn’t encourage product pushing, so you need to be creative and take a different approach to Twitter and Facebook.

The images on Pinterest can quickly convey their messages to the audience with just a glance, instead of users reading through long lists of text on Twitter and Facebook.

There are also a number of sharing options. Each image can be shared on Facebook and Twitter, you can embed it so the pin can be shared on blogs and external sites (which is great for link building) and the URL can be shared via email.

Read how Pinterest can benefit your business on our Public Relations Sydney blog.
________________________________________
Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

International Women’s Day: Reception, Expo, Lunch and Seminar
Celebrate International Women’s Day and hear the success stories of three inspirational women. During the expo a wide range of businesses and women’s organisation will showcase their community work. You then have the opportunity to network with other like-minded women during the included lunch.
8 March – Rockingham, WA

Strike a Pose for International Women’s Day
Get involved in a professional flashmob to promote the global recognition of International Women’s Day! The event will be held at 2pm at Martin Place in Sydney where participants will strike 10 pre-prepared poses over 5 minutes. You will be given the poses weeks in advance and anyone can participate.
8 March – Sydney, NSW

Women Empowering Women In Need
WE WIN, Women Empowering Women In Need, a celebration of International Women’s Day, presented by Women as Entrepreneurs. This is an awareness event – a celebration of successes of women with a focus on enabling change for women as entrepreneurs, both here and in the third world. Speakers include Catriona Pollard, Angela Vithoulkas, Orsi Parkany, Lisa Messenger, Kim McGuinness, Nicole Kersh, Hannah Schwartz and Maria Padisetti.
8 March – Sydney, NSW

Social Media Women
Online presence, e-commerce and social media are now necessary in every retailer’s marketing strategy. At this networking event Nancy Georges, “the Retail Miss Fix-it”, will give you the information to get you started in e-commerce and social media to increase your online presence.
13 March – Sydney, NSW 

Start your own business
This free seminar will provide you with the information you need to start your own business. You will learn about the legal and insurance requirements, the different options for a business structure and learn about what it takes to run a successful business. You will be given resources and a checklist to help you start your own business.
14 March – Newcastle, NSW

Creating successful social media strategy+ crisis management, measurement and evaluation (B2C)
This two day workshop will show you how to evaluate your social media activity using the latest social media monitoring, measuring and evaluating practices. Learn how to manage your own social media campaigns and gain actual ROI results. Learn how to prepare for social media crisis situations.
15 – 16 March – Brisbane, QLD

You are invited to attend WE WIN, a celebration of International Women’s Day presented by Women as Entrepreneurs (WomenAsEntrepreneurs.com.au).

This is an awareness event - a celebration of successes of women with a focus on enabling change for women as entrepreneurs, both here and in the third world. Profit will go towards empowering women living in poverty in developing countries.

We would like to extend our offer to you to join us for drinks and light refreshments for our event. Both the ladies and the gentlemen are welcome to attend WE WIN, so feel free to bring your partner along!

In addition to the generosity of the speakers, our sponsors have arranged to put together a gift bag for all attendees to ensure that they can take a little bit of the WE WIN event home with them.

MC: Angela Vithoulkas - CEO VIVO Cafe Group / CEO Eagle Waves Radio( @AngBizMix)

Date: Thursday 8 March 2012
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: Level 20, 2 Market Street, Sydney
Price: Early bird $45 or General admission $65

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

1) Orsi Parkanyi - Women As Entrepreneurs

2) Hannah Schwartz - Ninefold

3) Maria Padisetti - Digital Armour and RedHands non-profit Topic: empowerment of women entrepreneurs in developing countries.

PANEL DISCUSSION

1) Catriona Pollard - CP Communications and Social Media Women ( @CatrionaPollard)

2) Kim McGuinness - Network Central and The Businesswomen’s Breakfast Series( @kimmcguinness)

3) Nicole Kersh - 4Cabling( @4Cabling)

4) Lisa Messenger - The Messenger Group @LisaMessenger)

Twitter handle: @We_Sydney / event Twitter# is #WE_WIN

Note that $10 flat rate evening parking is available on Kent street from 5pm.

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Orsi Parkanyi
Women As Entrepreneurs

Event sponsor: ninefold
Partners: The Messenger Group - Table of Plenty - Show Pony Fashion
Contributors: Jess Murray - Beni Creative - Garnet Mae

Register here.

Website & Ecommerce - Set-up and beyond: tips, trends and ideas with Nancy Georges "The Retail Miss Fix-it"

Most Australian households now have the internet, which means Australian retailers have an easy path into their customers’ homes.

Online presence, e-commerce and social media are now necessary in every retailer’s marketing strategy. Websites and online stores are no longer optional extras – they are a vital necessity.

Technology is driving business more than ever. Nancy will give you the information to get you started in the world that we are now operating in.

Websites and online stores are essential for EVERY business. There are so many options and decisions to be made, which makes it harder to get started. Once you have the cart, you need to ensure it is future proof.

Your online store needs to be an extension of your existing fabulous customer service, so what questions do you need to ask yourself? Shopping cart format sorted? What about the payment gateways and options available to you? What is the best one for your needs? Integrating your website into your social media & offline activity? (which is as important as the site itself!) - what are the "do's & don'ts"?

Nancy will discuss her own experiences with a wide range of products and services.

About Nancy Georges:
Nancy, "The Retail Miss Fix-it", is a Retail Strategist and owner of Magnolia Solutions, offering retail marketing consultancy, strategy and solutions.

She has over 20 years industry experience; in-store management, customer service, product development, manufacturing, wholesaling and marketing. Evolving from a wholesaling business - Paper Magnolia - she moved to marketing support & consulting.

She has built her own websites and online stores, as well as publishing her first printed book and e-book. Her knowledge and references are all from her own first hand experiences.

Working with retailers, wholesalers, brands & manufacturers to navigate the ‘new world’; Nancy strategically integrates and implements sound retail practices with websites, e-commerce and social media. Nancy is one of the Social Media Women founders.

Nancy contributes insightful retail and marketing articles to trade magazines and websites, and is often asked to provide comment for newspapers and radio.

Nancy has just released her new book “7 Powerful Ways to Boost Retail Profits in Any Economic Climate” to help retailers identify the foundation they need to ensure a profitable retail store and business in today’s economic climate. Retailers need the information and support so that they can adapt and navigate the new retail climate.

Nancy is a speaker at industry conferences and events as well as holding seminars focused on retail and the transition actions needed to navigate the ‘new world’.

Follow her on Twitter: @NancyGeorges

A not to be missed event - learn the ins and outs of websites, online stores and offline integration.

Register now for our March event here.

Date: Tuesday 13 March 2012
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue: The Supper Club at the Oxford Hotel,
134 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.
(Enter the Oxford St side of the hotel and walk up the stairs. Metered parking is a few steps away on Bourke St, $1.10 per hour)

I have enjoyed taking photos for a long time. I’ve never had one of those amazing expensive cameras, just the ‘point and click’ kind. I’ve often thought I should carry it around with me because I see photo opportunities everyday and have missed so many because I didn’t have my camera.

When I got my iPhone, I realised I was carrying a camera with me! I started taking photos most days and I am now an avid “iPhoneographer”. Yes that is a word. It’s also called mobile photography. There is a real movement in photography that now involves iPhone photos.

An app called Instagram has really facilitated this movement. It allows you to enhance, add filters and share your photos easily. Over the holidays I spent time exploring the people and ‘language’ of this app. There are IGers (Instagramers) all around the world, with a group in Sydney and Melbourne. You tag your photos so people can easily find the genre i.e. #ocean #clouds.

What’s a photo if it isn’t shared! So you start following people and liking their photos. They follow you back and you can add comments on photos. I have “met” some lovely people and great photographers. It’s another community I’m a member of now.

It’s even gone main stream. The Sydney Morning Herald ran a competition over summer for iPhone photos through Instagram. They requested you upload your photo to Instragram using the hashtag #summerherald and they chose the best to be published in the paper (I jumped for joy when one of my photos was used. Yippee).

When I was in Milford Sound in New Zealand over the holidays I was with people with amazing telephoto lens’ etc, and there I was with my ‘point & click’ camera in one hand and my iPhone in the other. It was quite funny!

Check out my photography blog ‘Life as I see it’ and I’m CatrionaPollard on Instagram if you want to join in the fun.

While we are on the subject of photography, I want to thank Shane D Photo for my gorgeous new professional photos!

Learn how to do your own PR! – My next one day workshop - PR and Media Releases that get Results - is on Thursday 23 February 2012. Learn how to construct a PR strategy including how to develop media angles, pitches, media releases, articles, case studies and editorials. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives. This event is held at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. Book now!

I’m speaking at SheInspires on Social Media. Come and learn a step by step guide to social media and how you can use it to increase the profile, credibility and reputation for your business – and yourself. 28 February 2012, 6:00-7:30, The Rocks Sydney. Its $45 and we have a 25% off code – CP02insm – for our friends (which is you!). 

Want to join our team? We are looking for an experienced PR consultant to join our team. Send us your resume if you or anyone you know is interested in working with us. We’d love to hear from you.

________________________________________
How to follow up with the media

So you’ve sent out a pitch or a media release to journalists and have received no reply. What now? What should you do to find out if the journalist received your email or if they are interested? An essential skill for all PR professionals is to learn how to follow up with the media over the phone.

The best way to follow up with a journalist is by calling them. An appropriate time to follow-up is usually two to three days after the email pitch or release has been sent.

Be very specific about the media pitch or release you sent them. Don’t just say “I sent you a release and wanted to know if you were interested”. 

•  Be polite and speak clearly
  When calling a journalist speak clearly and be very direct and to the point. Try to sound interested and enthusiastic to make the call interesting for the journalist. 
•  Don’t be afraid of journalists
  Don’t be intimidated by journalists, they are people too. If you contact them at a bad time apologise once and move on, apologising more than that can become annoying.
• Choose your questions wisely
  When calling a journalist don’t ask them if they are going to publish the media release. Instead, tell them the date you sent the media release on and what it was regarding. Simply ask if they received the release and if they would like further information or high resolution images. 
•  Be ready to respond to their requests
  You should be ready to supply the journalist with relevant images, additional information, event details or the contact details of your spokesperson. You can also line up interviews for the journalist to make it easier for them to cover your story/client.

Read the full article CP Communications News.
________________________________________

Google+ Business Pages: What are the advantages?

Every business is different and so needs a different communications strategy. Not all businesses will be suited to the features and benefits that Google+ Business Pages offer, however some advantages of a Google+ Business Page include:

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO):
  SEO is all about using techniques to drive the right people to your website. These include key words, back links and valuable content that will help search engines naturally find your site without paying for ads.
  
  As Google is one of the biggest search engines and therefore ranks Google+ very high in search results, it makes sense that SEO would be the top advantage for owning a Google+ Business Page.
• Google Services:
  By creating a Google+ Page, an organisation has direct access to all other Google services integrated into the system. Such services as Google Maps, search, YouTube, Android, Chrome and Gmail provide even greater exposure for a business. 
•  It helps build connections:
  Google+ pages don’t just interact with other pages; they interact with the entire Google+ world. Businesses can add people to circles, +1 comments and photos, add their own photos, edit their profile, host Hangouts and share things.
• Host hangouts:
  Google+ allows businesses to host their own Hangouts – live video chats with other users. Potentially a business could use these hangouts to have meetings with international clients, have expert discussions with potential clients or stream a live question and answer session. With live streaming businesses have even more of a reason to engage with their target audience.
• Circles:
  Circles are a feature on Google+ and Google+ Pages that allow the profile user to create groups of similar people or businesses. This makes it easier for businesses to send out targeted or tailored messages to each individual group.

Read the full article Public Relations Sydney blog.
________________________________________
Upcoming events

Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in: 

Social Media Marketing Course (Sydney)
Want to learn how to use social media for marketing your business? The Social Media Marketing course will teach you the key principles for using social media successfully and examine best practice examples. This intensive day course will cover the key social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and blogging.
3 February- Sydney, NSW 

Social Media Women
How do you measure reputation on social media? Kate Carruthers, an expert and forecaster in online collaboration, social media and digital integration, will explain the new social recommendation economy and why reputation matters. She will discuss how to make the new social recommendation economy work for you.
7 February- Sydney, NSW

The League of Extraordinary Women volume II
This networking event is for all young up and coming female entrepreneurs to meet like minded females, network in an informal environment and establish new business and personal relationships. You will hear from some of Australia’s leading female entrepreneurs such as Jodie Fox, Telstra Business Woman of the Year 2011.
9 February- Sydney, NSW 

Secrets of success for women in leadership
The Secrets of Success seminar is the first step of The Butterfly Program for Women in Leadership, which is a personal development program designed specifically for women in leadership and those who aspire to leadership roles. This seminar will offer tips on how to overcome obstacles and control thoughts, feelings and actions to get better results.
16 February – Melbourne, Victoria

Accelerate your digital business
Most entrepreneurs and companies do not have a plan to grow their business. AIMIA and VentureOne have created the ‘Accelerate your digital business’ workshop to help you grow your business in 2012. They will discuss how partnerships, joint ventures and investments can accelerate your business.
28 February- Sydney, NSW 

Web editing course
At this one-day course you will learn how to upgrade your web editing and e-copywriting skills. You can participate in discussions, gain hands on experience and work on your own projects with the guidance of an experienced online editor.
27 February- Sydney, NSW

Reputation matters- Klout, Kred, and the growth of the social recommendation economy with Kate Carruthers.

How do you measure reputation on social media? It’s so much more than the number of followers you have.

Both Klout and Kred measure influence based on your ability to drive action. The Klout Score uses data from social networks to measure true reach, amplification and network impact. Kred analyses billions of tweets from the last 1,000 days to calculate your Kred. Every interaction you have made in that time is part of your score. It measures Influence and Outreach level.

But are they accurate? Kate will explain the new social recommendation economy and why reputation matters. She will discuss how to make the new social recommendation economy work for you.

About Kate:

Kate Carruthers is an expert and forecaster in online collaboration, social media, digital integration, unified communication, email and search marketing.

With extensive experience in senior executive roles for diverse organisations such as GE, AMP, Westfield and State Government she currently works in business strategy and implementation roles. Kate has also lectured in postgraduate business at Macquarie University and taught TAFE level courses in business and management.

She is Co-Founder of Social Innovation Sydney and was a long standing member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers and is a Senior Member of the Australian Computer Society. She is on the Advisory Board for the　Schools of Computer Science & Software Engineering and Information Systems & Technology at the University of Wollongong.

Kate is currently studying law part time as an external student with Queensland University of Technology.

Twitter: @kcarruthers 
Blog: http://katecarruthers.com/blog/

Please note: This month's Social Media Women is being held on the FIRST Tuesday of the month as the second Tuesday falls on Valentines Day.

A not to be missed event- learn about the new social recommendation economy and why reputation matters.

Register now for our February event at

http://socialmediawomenfebruary.eventbrite.com

Date: Tuesday 7 February 2012 (First week in February)
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue: The Supper Club at the Oxford Hotel,
134 Oxford st, Darlinghurst.

(Enter the Oxford St side of the hotel and walk up the stairs. Metered parking is a few steps away on Bourke St, $1.10 per hour)

 

 

Christmas is on its way and Social Media Women are celebrating the end of another fantastic year filled with a range of amazing speakers who have contributed to the success of Social Media Women.

As a thank you to everyone who has attended and contributed to our Social Media Women events we would like to invite you to help us to celebrate its success on the last Social Media Women night for 2011.

Feel free to join us anytime from 7pm on the 13th December at The Oxford Street Hotel. We would love to see you there!

Register now for our December event at http://socialmediawomendecember.eventbrite.com

Date:    Tuesday 13 December 2011

Time:    7:00pm-8:30pm

Venue:  The Supper Club at the Oxford Hotel, 134 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (Enter the Oxford St side of the hotel and walk up the stairs. Metered parking is a few steps away on Bourke St, $1.10 per hour)

Meet amazing women as well as discussing the ever changing world of social media.

The open discussion about social media is one of the best parts of the event. So bring your social media questions for the group to answer.

We often think about using PR and social media to build a company’s profile – and that it only benefits the company as a whole.
 
But what about your profile and your reputation?
 
If you work within a company, or run your own business, you can use PR and social media tactics to build your reputation and increase your profile. It will enhance your chances of landing a position on a board, help with your next career move or assist in sales for your business.
 
Often as women, we think we have to be amazing experts to even talk or write about a topic. But the more you accept that you are an expert, the more everybody else will accept it too.
 
So, it’s time to step into the spotlight. It’s time you acknowledge your experience and do what women do so well – share it!
 
At this October Social Media Women event, Catriona Pollard will share with you her secrets on how she built up her profile and positioned herself as an expert in her field through the use of PR and social media, and how you can as well.
 
About Catriona Pollard:
Catriona Pollard is an expert in public relations and social media with more than 18 years experience in developing and managing PR and marketing programs.
 
Catriona is the Director and owner of CP Communications, a public relations and social media agency and is a co-founder of Social Media Women.
 
Catriona was one of the early adopters of social media in the Australian PR industry and is an advocate of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogs.
 
She writes the popular blog Public Relations Sydney that led to her being labelled as a leading public relations blogger. Catriona is also listed as one of the top 100 PR people worldwide to follow on Twitter.
 
Catriona is regularly approached by the media to provide expert comment on public relations and social media and teaches a course she designed called PR and media releases that get results at the Sydney Writers’ Centre.

A not to be missed event - learn how build your profile and increase your reputation through the use of PR and social media.

Register now for our October event at http://socialmediawomen.eventbrite.com