practical

Tips and information for effective public relations - Winter 2012 

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L&F Public Relations, Inc.
 

In this Issue

PR trends...what's on your radar?
Facebook Timeline. Our new "permanent record"
Measuring Facebook & Twitter ROI

Name Dropping

Here's a sampling of what's going on with our clients and staff: 

 

20 Years & Counting. A big THANK YOU to everyone Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc. has worked with during the past 20 years. Yes, that's right, we're celebrating our 20th anniversary year in 2012. And a big THANK YOU to every one of our staff members through the years as well; you helped us get to this point. Here's to another 20 years of helping our clients achieve success with their public relations efforts.

 

Congratulations! January 14, 2012 marked the one year anniversary for TransCanada's Bison natural gas pipeline going in-service.  L&F coordinated the stakeholder relations on the 300 mile pipeline which traverses Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota.   

 

Burger Fest and the Home of the Hamburger were recently featured in the Mutant All-Beef Road Trip episode of History Channel's, Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy.

 

The US 41 Interstate Conversion project is underway. It will convert US 41, between Green Bay and Milwaukee, from a US Highway to an Interstate with the goal of improving economic development along the corridor.

 

Welcome to our new client! American Transmission Company. L&F will be working with ATC on various stakeholder relations efforts. They are a great group of people helping to keep the lights on and the power flowing throughout the Midwest.

 

The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary welcomed its newest resident, Avani the cougar on December 13th. Avani was found orphaned and severely underweight in Oregon. She was brought to the Sanctuary and, with the staff's care, has been gaining weight and thriving. Avani will be on exhibit off and on at the Woodland building while she learns to adapt to her new home. 

  

Valley Plating & Fabricating, a division of Wisconsin Plastics, Inc. (WPI) has expanded its fabrication operations to an 18,000 square foot facility located in downtown Green Bay.

 

Jet Air, a full service aviation facility in Green Bay, made the news in anticipation of the first playoff game against the Giants. The facility received a big jump in traffic due to the game: http://bit.ly/zK4Py1.

 

It was another busy year for the Problem Gambling Helpline operated by the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling (WCPG). The Helpline received a total of 13,528 calls in 2011. While that total represents a six percent drop from 2010, the call activity remains brisk given the economy and the availability of gambling. Monthly calls to the Helpline last year ranged from a low of 892 in July to a high of 1,342 in January.

 

L&F has joined the AECOM team for the I39/90 corridor project in Dane and Rock counties, Wisconsin.  The project involves planning and ultimately reconstructing approximately 45 miles of the interstate to improve safety and ease congestion.

 

Mark your calendars! EAA's AirVenture 2012 will be held July 23rd - 29th in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This marks the 60th Anniversary of EAA.

Quick Quote


"Don't ever promise more than you can deliver,
but always deliver more than you promise."

~Football Coach,  

Lou Holtz

Radar button

PR trends...what's on your radar?

 

With 2012 underway, you may find yourself reflecting on 2011 and anticipating what the future will bring both professionally and personally. The coming year will be filled with opportunities and challenges across the public relations spectrum and here are five trends to keep in mind. 

  1. Relationships remain critical. PR has always been about creating and enhancing relationships and connections with others. But in the social media world, this also couldn't be more true. Look for new people and organizations to connect with, but don't forget to stay connected with the people who you already have relationships established with.
  2. Crises will continue. Whether a crisis hits the news media or social media channels, crises will continue to occur in 2012. Some will flare up quick and die out just as fast, while others might lag around. In either case, knowing how to handle the situation properly will help mitigate the crisis.
  3. Social media integration. With social media platforms continuing to expand and develop, concentrate your efforts on the channels that offer your organization the greatest ROI and compliment current PR strategies. It might be a Google+ Business page for one organization and a Facebook Fan page for another. Remember to not get overwhelmed. Pick your channels, keep it simple, listen to what others in your industry are saying and engage in the conversation.
  4. Traditional media is not dead. Traditional PR tactics will be enhanced with new and innovative ways for engaging audiences through social media. For instance, you may choose to pitch a reporter via Twitter instead of email. The brief nature of social media makes it the perfect place for reporters to get information quickly.
  5. Continued Improvement. The one thing constant in PR is change. As PR professionals we must embrace change because it is a part of our daily working environment. One of the most important aspects of effectively implementing change is ensuring that everyone involved clearly understand the reasons for the change, the likely impacts, as well as the methods used to create the change and the expected benefits.

The trends are about understanding changes in your target markets, the technology that affect them and the engagement you can create with your audience. Making a plan of action for the remainder of 2012 is key as you tackle the challenges and opportunities head-on.

 

 

Facebook Timeline.
Our new "permanent record"

 

green filing cabinetRemember in grade school or high school, when you were faced with the threat of something going into your "permanent record?" We always wondered who kept those permanent records and how long would they follow us through life. As adults, we laugh about it, but now it looks like your permanent record has become a reality.

 

Facebook's Timeline is very much like a permanent record of your life. Timeline is a new kind of profile; one that literally turns everything you've ever posted on Facebook into a personal history. You should not simply accept whatever Facebook gives you for your Timeline; it can be changed and edited, and you'll want to do that so it reflects who you are right now. Eliminate those college beer party pictures, comments by your ex's, etc. Do you really want future employers or associates to see all of that?

 

There's plenty of help available online to help you sort through the new feature. A couple of stories you might find useful include:

Love it or hate it, the Timeline will be implemented on all Facebook accounts, so now's the time to learn about it and figure out what you want included in your personal history or, should I say, permanent record.

success

Measuring Facebook
& Twitter ROI

 

Like all things in PR and marketing, there is no single, best answer to the question about how to measure the ROI of Facebook and Twitter. However, there are a number of emerging best practices that are worth noting.

 

First and foremost, it's important to understand that measuring social media is not like measuring traditional advertising, marketing and PR. Yes, some of the basic principles are the same, but the measurements are different.

 

It can be easy to get overwhelmed with data (social media tends to provide an abundance of data), which is why you need to be clear as to what your goals are for using social media in the first place. Some baseline research is also advisable. Then you can decide which of the numerous measurements will provide you the best analysis for ROI. You can track visitors, followers, interaction and tone; which are good starting points. You may also want to look at engagement and behavior including things like sharing, retweeting, reach, driving conversation and content. There is no one size fits all measurement, so it may take a little tweaking to gather what's important to you.

 

Finally, to truly understand social media ROI, you also need to measure over a longer period of time, say quarterly or semi-annually. Then you'll have a true picture of the impact of your efforts. You'll be amazed at what you see!