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Kick-Start 2009
december 2008 * the new media insider * fletcher prince |
Greetings!
Hello, and Happy Holidays!
What a year! Are you ready for 2009? Well, we have just what the doctor ordered: a social media prescription that will maximize your organization's online visibility.
We hope to see you at Fletcher Prince's Holiday Open House, Wednesday, December 17.
Here's to a happy and prosperous 2009! |
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What's New at Fletcher Prince Congratulations to Katie Donohue
who is graduating from James Madison University this month with an
undergraduate degree in design. After completing an internship with Fletcher Prince this past summer, Katie freelances for us and is looking for a
full-time graphic design position. Say hi to Katie at our Holiday Open House, and please pass on any job leads!
 Fletcher Prince public relations specialist Kristen Powers became a member of the Public Relations Society of America this month. She represented Fletcher Prince at the Crate and Barrel Holiday Shopping Fundraiser for Doorways for Women and Families.  Ross Putman is returning from his first semester of graduate school to
create more videos for Fletcher Prince during the holiday break. Ross also manages to blog and video edit for us while in Los Angeles! Look for him at the Holiday Open House.  You'll see Samantha Maslaney at Washington Women in Public Relations' Holiday Party on December 15 at Gordon-Biersch. The former marketing intern is completing her senior year at Longwood University, and is a paid blogger for Fletcher Prince's "Creative Marketing and PR Tips." Samantha will be working with us over the holiday break.  Mary Fletcher Jones gave a presentation on blogging at the Government Video Expo at the Washington Convention Center. She joined fellow DC Podcaster Alliance members Richard Harrington, Ray Ortega, Michael Tolosa and David McAlary of the DC Podcasters Alliance.
 David Hyson, Mary, and Kristen attended the Holiday Luncheon for the Independent Public Relations Alliance at Maggiano's at Tysons Corner. David and other attendees contributed more than $1,000 for the Child Services Protection Fund. The whole crew will be devoting some of their time and energy this month to promoting the art of Craig Kraft, a neon light sculptor, with whom David also works as an artist and craftsman. In the works: a mini-series of YouTube videos highlighting the technique and artistry of the light sculptures. |
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Your Social Media Prescription
As we wrap up the year, I'm going to do something really unusual. I'm going to give you a "social media prescription" that anyone with a business or nonprofit organization can use to develop an online presence in 2009. This is a general strategy that can be adapted and revised, depending on your needs.
If this all sounds like a lot of work, it is! If you don't have the staffing or time to invest in your online marketing efforts, please outsource this important effort to your friends at Fletcher Prince.- DAILY: MONITOR IT. Monitor your online presence using Yahoo and Google alerts. Then, when you or your company is mentioned online, you will be able to track the activity, and respond, if needed.
- DAILY: TWEET IT. Create a profile for your company on Twitter. If you
wish to establish a Twitter presence, microblog once or twice a day (creating short updates no more than 140 characters long). This should take you about 15 minutes, maximum. Anything more than two tweets a day is over-kill, and may turn off your followers. Alternatively, just post occasional tweets and
track your company mentions, so you may respond to them. But don't
post about what you are really doing, and don't post rants, unless it is work-related. Instead, share links to blog posts and articles, and interesting company news, such as new clients, awards, and staff hires. You can monitor tweets about you and your business by visiting http://search.twitter.com.
- THREE TIMES A WEEK: BLOG IT. Blogging is the most important social media activity you can undertake, since it improves the SEO for your website. Blog on a schedule: three times a week, once a week, or once a month. If you don't have the time or inclination, it is worthwhile for your business to pay someone to blog for you. Be sure to register your blog on Feedburner. You'll get an easy-to-embed version of your blog that you can include on your website. Embed the "subscribe by email" button on your blog and website to make it easy for subscribers to get timely updates.
- WEEKLY: FRIEND IT. Create a page for your business or nonprofit organization on Facebook and update it
with news. Upload photos and information about your company, but resist the temptation to indulge in too many apps or revealing overly-personal information, your company backgrounder. Extra points:
create a MySpace page. A time-saver: mash your blog, LinkedIn account, Flickr photos, Twitter posts, and
YouTube videos to your Facebook page.
- WEEKLY: OPINE ABOUT IT. Respond to one post on an industry-related blog (trade magazine, association, newspaper article, etc.), sharing your name and company website address. Also, once a month, survey the questions on Yahoo Answers and LinkedIn
that relate to your industry or mission and write one to three brief and informative answers. You can link to you web page, if that is
relevant, but take care not to be overly promotional. The value you add to these online forums is your subject matter expertise; let that speak for you.
- MONTHLY: LINK IT. Create a profile for yourself on LinkedIn and have everyone in your company create a profile on LinkedIn. Collect testimonials from your colleagues and friends to be posted on LinkedIn. Microblog on LinkedIn about once a month: just to say what you are doing.
- AS NEEDED, BUT AT LEAST MONTHLY: SNAP IT. Create a Flickr page (photo sharing site). Upload photos of yourself, your staff, your company, and your events. Tag all photos with one-word keywords, or tag company names, employee names, and multi-word phrases within quotation marks.
- MONTHLY: FILM IT. Create a YouTube channel with your logo in your brand colors and design. Create an introductory video of less than 1-1/2 minutes. Repurpose any existing video you may have that is truly interesting and informative into five-minute video clips. Don't post commercials or promotions unless they are quite funny or outstandingly creative. Tag all videos with one-word keywords. Daily Motion and Flickr are also good places to post your video. Posting one video per month would be right for most companies and organizations. Embed the videos on your blog, your website, and on social media sites.
- MONTHLY or QUARTERLY: EMAIL IT. If you publish a company newsletter or send out press releases, create HTML versions for your website and for your email list. Contacting your list by email once a month or four times a year is fine; weekly or daily is too frequent. Resist the temptation to email your customers or constituents more than twice a month, and space it out every two weeks.
- MONTHLY (or WEEKLY for the truly dedicated) PODCAST IT. If you publish a podcast, do not restrict it to a listing on Apple's iTunes, which is not highly searchable. Place it on other directories, as well. Our podcast appears on more than 50 directories. Posting a ten-minute audio or video podcast about once a month is a reasonable goal.
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Your Marketing Budget for 2009
 Are you stumped about how much you should spend on public relations, advertising, trade shows, direct mail, websites, and online marketing?
Are you just not sure what your marketing projects should cost?
Is allocating your budget a big headache?
Guess what? We have a budget prescription, too. Your friends at Fletcher Prince can create and customize a practical marketing budget for your nonprofit organization or small business.
Start 2009 on the right foot with a marketing plan and budget. This modest investment will save you time and money in the new year. Call Fletcher Prince today to schedule an affordable consultation. (703) 582-2580
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Thanks for forwarding this email newsletter to people who will enjoy it, and best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful holiday season.
Sincerely,
David Hyson, Mary Fletcher Jones, and Kristen Powers
Fletcher Prince
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Contact Us
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 You're Invited
Please join us for a Holiday Open House Wednesday, December 17 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM Fletcher Prince 2867 Rosemary Lane, Falls Church, VA 22042 RSVP (703) 582-2580
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Fletcher Prince is a proud Sponsor of Washington Woman in Public Relations.
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Recession-Busters!
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Dilemma: Your company is cutting staff and costs. But you still have a mission to fulfill, or sales goals to meet. And plenty of competition. So now, you're more overworked than ever.
Solution: Outsource your graphic design, website design, advertising, email marketing, and copywriting work to Fletcher Prince. We offer quality results at affordable rates, and we never charge a retainer.
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