Wednesday, October 5, 2011  |  Grand Hyatt in NYC

9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

What You Need to Know Now About Google+

In just a few weeks after its launch, Google+ accumulated 10 million users, establishing itself as an up-and-coming challenger to Facebook. Though Google+ is still in the testing stage and brand pages have yet to launch, PR professionals need to get up to speed with new social platform’s communication possibilities to maintain their competitive edge. This session provides an in-depth look at all the features Google+ has to offer—from categorizing friends, coworkers and family into “Circles,” to the video chat service “Hangouts” and the newsfeed “Stream.” Find out how users are sharing 1 billion items each day with Google’s +1 button, and how you will eventually be able to engage your stakeholders on the platform.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Set up a personal profile in anticipation of the official launch of brand pages
• Organize clients, colleagues and stakeholders into Circles
• Use Google+ Stream to share content with key stakeholders
• Develop content that engages clients and customers

Romey Louangvilay Social Media Newsengine Manager Euro RSCG Worldwide PR

10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

How to Make Twitter the Ultimate PR Platform

Countless communicators swear by Twitter as the ultimate digital broadcast platform, and this panel will show you how to really speak the language of Twitter and transform yourself into a “must-follow.” Our panel of top tweeters will show you how to find and follow qualified users so you can truly leverage this powerful platform for PR. They will share their state-of-the-twitterverse knowledge and show you how to find the right people to follow, link to useful content that will increase your followers, raise your profile among experienced Twitter users and retweet your followers’ best posts. Learn how Twitter can help manage customer service issues, build a community of brand ambassadors, protect your brand reputation and mitigate a crisis. You will walk away knowing how to demonstrate that you are an expert in the use of Twitter—which means the people you follow will ultimately follow you, and bring friends.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Increase followers by identifying key influencers, retweeting followers’ posts and using relevant hashtags
• Choose content and craft messages that will be retweeted
• Respond to customer service issues and manage your brand’s reputation
• Host and participate in tweet chats to build your following
• Leverage Twitter for contests and promotions
• Integrate content across platforms including Facebook, blogs and your Web site
• Track media professionals and target messages at them
• Interact with industry leaders to build awareness and presence
• Use free or low-cost tools including TweetDeck, HootSuite and The Tweeted Times to monitor your audience

	Corinne Kovalsky Director, Digital & Social Media Raytheon Company
	Dallas Lawrence Chief Global Digital Strategist Burson-Marsteller
	Heidi Sullivan Vice President of Media Research, North America Cision

11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

How to Tap Into LinkedIn’s Expanding User Base for Your PR Efforts

Like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn—which now has more than 100 million members—can be a powerful PR tool to increase brand visibility and build a network of followers. While many PR pros use the site for their personal brand, it is underused for media relations, recruiting new talent and interacting with stakeholders. This session will provide actionable tips to connect with new customers and clients, research market trends, promote new products or events and get media coverage. Our digital leaders will show you how to raise your brand's profile, build your community of followers and link your efforts to the bottom line. Don't let LinkedIn lurk in the background—bring it to the PR forefront.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Build a powerful profile for your brand
• Start and manage a group of fans and followers
• Identify and connect with key influencers
• Participate in LinkedIn Answers to establish thought leadership
• Develop relationships with the media and pitch story ideas
• Survey group members to test new products
• Optimize your profile for search
• Post job openings and recruit new talent

	Krista Canfield Senior Manager  Corporate Communications LinkedIn
	Jim Nichols Vice President - Digital Stern + Associates

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Let's Get Visual: How to Make Video Integral to Your Communications

YouTube is the second-largest search engine behind Google—as a PR pro, you cannot miss this opportunity to reach 175 million users through online video. But attracting eyeballs takes more than creating a YouTube channel. In this session, you’ll learn how to create videos that capture your brand’s story when launching new products, promoting an event or engaging the media. Learn what it takes to create strong content, where—and how often—to post videos, how to optimize video for search and how to grab the viewer’s attention and go viral.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Capture the voice and style of your brand
• Differentiate PR video content from marketing efforts
• Distribute videos across platforms, including your Web site, blogs, Facebook and Twitter
• Use video for crisis response and reputation management
• Determine how much video content you should post and how often to add new content
• Optimize video for YouTube mobile applications
• Engage your customers to contribute video content to your Web site or YouTube channel
• Measure the ROI of your video efforts with YouTube Insights and TubeMogul

	Doug Simon President and CEO DS Simon Productions
	Jared Hendler EVP, Global Director: Digital, Social & Creative, MWW Group

12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m.

What You Need to Know Now About Tumblr

Offering the freedom of a microblog without the 140-character restriction, Tumblr has gained popularity with PR professionals as a communications platform. In this session, learn how this blogging tool can be used to raise brand awareness, share your products and services with new customers and establish thought leadership. Find out how media and brands are posting text, photos, videos and social media content to build communities and brand advocates. After this session, you’ll become the Tumblr expert for your organization with the know-how to use it for your immediate PR goals.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Set up a Tumblr account and design your profile
• Build a network of followers
• Post original content and re-blog followers’ content
• Integrate content with Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms
• Manage your dashboard

Mark Coatney Media Ambassador Tumblr

12:15 - 1:30 p.m.: Luncheon and Keynote Presentation

Network with your peers and make new connections during this luncheon, which will feature a thought-provoking keynote presentation by Perry Hewitt, chief digital officer, Harvard University.

Keynote: Out of the Ivy, Into the Mobile Future—A Master Class in Harvard's Digital Communications  

Is your organization reluctant to embrace social media and relinquish control of its messages? Good news: Even if your organization is 375 years old, there are ways to move forward fast. Perry Hewitt, chief digital officer of Harvard University, has seen what's possible if organizations embrace the talent within their walls to develop digital, social and mobile solutions that meet the needs of their audiences. In her keynote address, Perry talks about how Harvard's communications has rapidly adapted to the digital age and shares tips on how you can lead your organization in embracing new digital platforms.

Perry Hewitt Chief Digital Officer Harvard University

1:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Understanding Influence: How to Identify and Monitor the Right Influencers

With customers turning to online communities for recommendations, product reviews and advice, there’s no denying the power of influence. As a PR professional, it’s vital for you to identify potential advocates to determine who is influencing your market. In this session, you’ll learn tactics to identify your key influencers—including customers, clients, employees and the media—and how to measure their impact on your brand.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Separate the key voices that matter from the digital noise across Twitter and other social networks
• Determine which influencers have topical relevance for your market
• Measure influence versus popularity
• Use tools to find, measure, score and map influencers

Gary Lee CEO mBLAST

1:45 - 2:30 p.m.

SEO Tactics to Lift Your Content to the Top of Search Results

To get your message heard, providing useful content is just the first step. You must become a master at understanding search and how best to optimize your content—including Web sites, press releases, blogs and video—so you can rise to the top of search results. You’ll learn how search trends—including Google’s ever-changing algorithm—have an immediate impact on SEO strategies. Find out why your brand’s Facebook page doesn’t show up in top Google search results and what you can do to improve its ranking. Learn the SEO tactics that will raise your online messages to the top of the charts and how to measure the results of your SEO efforts for senior management.

You’ll learn how to:

• Research keywords to gain visibility and brand awareness
• Understand how ranking works on search engines
• Optimize all PR content, including Web site copy, blogs, press releases, video and still images
• Increase Web traffic with linking techniques from blogs to social networking sites
• Apply SEO tactics to your social media content
• Manage brand reputation by using tactics to move negative coverage further down search results
• Set search strategies for mobile applications
• Measure your SEO efforts to prove its value to senior management

** Plus, you'll receive the PR Essentials: SEO Checklist

	Sally Falkow Social Media Strategist Meritus Media
	Harry Gold CEO & Managing Partner Overdrive Interactive

2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

What You Need to Know Now About Foursquare

With 10 million users, Foursquare has emerged as the go-to geo-location communications tool, beating out competitors like Gowalla and Facebook Places. Initially considered a marketing tool, the platform’s customer service, branding and loyalty components offer PR pros the opportunity to “check in” with new audiences. And Foursquare’s deal with American Express offering rewards to users who “check in” on their mobile devices has only strengthened its position as a serious communications platform. This session dives deep into Foursquare and shows you how to use it to engage customers and raise brand awareness. Learn how to not only get quick results, but also to develop targeted, long-term Foursquare campaigns and loyalty programs.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Incorporate Foursquare into your overall digital PR strategy
• Develop a Foursquare strategy for events, scavenger hunts or educational programs
• Launch a loyalty system to reward repeat customers
• Monitor how users are engaging with your brand

Christian Olsen Vice President, Digital and Social Media Levick Strategic Communications

3:00 - 3:45 p.m.

Prove the Value of Your Digital Efforts to the C-Suite

Having solid metrics is vital to obtaining the support of senior executives and proving PR’s contribution to a company’s business objectives, especially in this age of increasing time investment in social media. This panel of experts will show you how to align your communications objectives with corporate goals and identify key performance indicators. Learn how to measure the role PR plays in driving sales or membership and how to measure non-financial outcomes like brand awareness and reputation. You’ll walk away with a step-by-step guide to defining social media goals and objectives, measure online conversations and communities and which monitoring tools can help you make sense of it all.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Measure the influence of blogs, tweets and likes on your brand
• Monitor sentiment on Twitter, Facebook and other online communities
• Measure the success of your e-mail communications
• Translate metrics into the language of senior management
• Measure the ROI of your video efforts with YouTube Insights and TubeMogul
• Use search analytics to measure relevance and engagement
• Link media coverage to business objectives
• Decide which free and paid tools will work best for your SEO efforts

	Angela Jeffrey, APR Member, IPR Commission on Measurement & Evaluation
	Margot Sinclair Savell Vice President, Measurement and Analytics Weber Shandwick
	Nick Panayi Director, Global Brand & Digital Marketing CSC

3:45 - 4:30 p.m.

How to Use Social Networks to Build Relationships With Media Professionals

In this era of shrinking or vanished newsrooms, media professionals and bloggers need your content and ideas more than ever—but they are also more time-strapped than ever, which makes relationship-building a challenge. Social media can serve as a bridge between PR and the media, and this panel will show you how to see Facebook and Twitter through their eyes and better meet their needs. Our panelists from the print, broadcast and blogging arenas will show you how they use Facebook and Twitter to communicate with PR pros—and will help you cut through the digital clutter and get your messages heard. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn the do’s and don’ts of using social media to engage in two-way conversations with the media.

In this session you’ll learn:

• How the media is using Twitter and Facebook to find story ideas and sources
• How social media has changed media pros' daily routines
• The best ways to use Twitter and Facebook to pitch media pros and bloggers
• How to get the media to follow you on Twitter
• How to develop ongoing relationships with the media through social media platforms
• Determine when to take a conversation from social media to traditional e-mail communications
• Which tactics are likely to result in negative reactions from media pros

	Moderator: Johna Burke Senior Vice President BurrellesLuce
	Daniel Sieberg Host Tech this Out!/ABC News Now
	Leah Ingram Blogger, Home Goes Strong NBC Universal
	Ashley Milne-Tyte Freelance Journalist

4:30 - 5:00 p.m. Networking and Cocktail Reception

Join us for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to cap off a great day of learning and networking. Pick up your certificate, exchange the last round of business cards and mark your day at the Grand Hyatt as a Digital PR leader!