Online communications is one of the hottest yet least defined areas of public relations today. PR NEWS spoke to two leading online communicators to get answers to some of the
toughest questions PR pros face in shaping online PR strategies: Kay Bransford (KB), Vice President, Marketing, Vocus; and Alisa Fogelman-Beyer (AFB), Senior Managing Director and
Practice Leader, Technology Practice, Hill and Knowlton, Washington, DC.
PRN: Describe the most successful or insightful use of online communications
you have seen in the last year.
KB: I thought the Bush campaign did the best job during the whole "chad-counting"
incident. They were very diligent about updating their Web site with information
on what was going on. I went to both the Gore and Bush sites trying to figure
out what was going on. The day I went looking, Bush had just posted a statement,
while Gore's statement was seven days old.
PRN: What is the top piece of advice you would give to PR pros communicating
with the media via email?
AFB: The tagline of the email needs to have the value proposition in
it: "Interview Oil Execs Today," for example. Don't be cutesy. Give reporters
value up front.
PRN: What new challenges does the Internet pose for crisis communications?
KB: When the crisis hits, people flood to your Web site. If you don't
say anything, people assume the worst. Be prepared and get your statement up
on your home page. The public is going right to the source in many cases and
disintermediating the media. Make sure your Web site addresses all your publics
(employees, community, partners, shareholders) and not just the media.
PRN: When should you not communicate via email?
AFB: When there could be a misunderstanding or it's a crisis situation.
Email is a very stark medium. If you put something in an email, it could come
across very differently [skip the email].
The other big piece of advice is, if you don't want to see something in The Washington Post, don't put it in any email.
PRN: What are the most important items to include among your online
press tools?
KB: Vocus did a survey of 1,000 journalists, and they said the three
most important items are: 1) press releases. It's amazing how many organizations
issue a news release and fail to put it on their Web site - it makes the whole
site look stale; 2) contact information. Most sites don't have information for
the PR contacts on the Web site (or it's too hard to find). Include names and
phone numbers of whom to contact for after-hours information. Deadlines are
24/7 and being able to talk to a person may be the difference between getting
you in the story versus some other company that does [not] provide 24/7 contact
information; 3) an organizational profile. Most of the time, the journalist
could be looking for background on your organization. Provide that. Put up [exec]
bios, copies of articles, as well as past speaking engagements -- all the information
that can help validate your executives as leaders in your industry.
PRN: Viral marketing is another major trend. What are the basic components
of a successful viral marketing message?
AFB: We're paying a lot of attention to it and I think what we're seeing
now is nothing compared to what we're going to see in the future. You want to
create a message you can send to one person and have them send it to at least
ten people. But you also want people to take an action. Use an imbedded link
to a Web site where people can download information or that tells people what
you want them to do.
You can track it very specifically. You can track when people opened it, how long they stayed in it, whether they clicked to download or go to the Web site and what they did on
the site. That's the beauty of online communications.
(Kay Bransford, [email protected], will speak at PR NEWS' Strategic Online Communications Seminar, June 15 in Boston, Mass. Alisa
Fogelman-Beyer, [email protected], will speak at the PR Strategies Forum, September 20-21 in Washington, DC. For more
information or to register, visit http://www.PrandMarketing.com/seminars.)