Social Media & SEO

Using social channels to communicate more directly with customers—and prevent any possible PR dust-ups—is just one way that brands and organizations can leverage the holidays to get their essential brand message out.

Chicago-based boutique PR agency Henson Consulting (HC) was tasked with expanding Food Network’s reputation by putting together the first-ever Food Network Concert at famed outdoor Chicago music venue Ravinia.

Halloween is big business. Really big business. The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans spend more than $2 billion on candy alone each year—after all, trick or treating is what the holiday is all about.

On Halloween, we grapple with our fears and anxieties and, for our enjoyment, transpose it by taking on and portraying what scares us ourselves. Still, there’s no enjoyment in being scared at work, especially for communications professionals who often work around delicate topics for sensitive clients.

It’s basic human nature—ingrained in us from birth—to make decisions about strangers the moment we encounter them. It happens whether we like it or not. Knowing what people first notice about you can mean the difference between success and failure.

Effective communication on social media requires proper planning and execution. Here are some basic rules for creating engaging messages.

Whether or not you’re looking to chow down on a chalupa anytime soon, you have to admit that Taco Bell’s social media black out is creative. In a welcomed break with many brands’ social strategies, it’s also not obtrusive or annoying.

For several years after its debut, Facebook was viewed by brands and organizations as a relatively cost-effective way to promote their products and services. Companies could run branded Facebook pages—without necessarily dropping a lot of coin for Facebook advertising—and watch the needle move. Case in point: Hudson & Marshall, which is one of the nation’s top real estate auction companies specializing in bank-owned foreclosure listings.

While their communications are highly regulated financial services companies show a growing penchant for social media channels, with engagement up 76% across all platforms since January.

For all its problems, the Internet is an amazing repository of information. One service that builds on the use of the Web as a place to find answers is Google Helpouts, which allows users to share expertise in real-time via live video on mobile devices or computers.