Mike’s Points

While we’re enjoying the upcoming three-day weekend, and the official (says who?) start of summer, let’s not forget why there is a Memorial Day and how it started:

“Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. . . .

While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860’s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. . . .

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.”

For online information about many of our current and past, and familiies of military men and women, check out the great blogs at Milblogging.com.

– Mike

Image from Smoke on the Water blog.

I think it’s safe to say that public relations, advertising and related communication professionals are generally not well trusted. Afterall, aren’t we paid — by clients and/or our employer — to market particular messages that are ultimately intended to sell something?

We’re biased. We have “hidden agendas.”

And, when involved in social media marketing, I guess that’s still true. We do have an agenda.

But, if your audience knows about your agenda — at least who you represent — then it’s a more open conversation in which we can engage our audience. We’re not hiding anything, but rather letting the audience come to their own, respective conclusions and actions, based on information we provide and questions we pose.
And, there’s the rub — and where traditional PR activities and approaches won’t work. We’re not dealing with journalists who naturally have a healthy dose of skepticsm, or clients’ customers who are used to dealing with vendors or various types of sales pitches.

We’re dealing with every-day people who are more often than not on boards, blogs, communities, etc., on their own time. By their own choice. Because of a personal interest.

A more passive, cooperative, and sincere tone are required. Not sincere in that you really, really want exposure and sales for your client. But, sincerity in being transparent.

So, the medium and expectations for a social media marketing program is not typical of the medium and expectations in offline PR and other communications. How we should approach social media marketing is echoed in one of the greatest books ever written: Dale Carneige’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Become genuinely interested in other people: People are most interested in themselves.

Talk in terms of the other person’s interests: Find the interests of others and talk about those things.

Make the other person feel important: People yearn to feel important and appreciated.

The words of Carneige’s book will work in a one-on-one, social gathering — and in a one-on-one, social medium.

– Mike

At least when considering a site’s usability, Web 2.0 characteristics make for a poorly-designed website.

That is according to Jakob Nielsen in a BBC News article (Web 2.0 ‘neglecting good design’).

“Describing Web 2.0 as the ‘latest fashion,’ Mr Nielsen said many sites paying attention to it we’re neglecting some of the principles of good design and usability established over the last decade.

Good practices include making a site easy to use, good search tools, the use of text free of jargon, usability testing and a consideration of design even before the first line of code is written.

Sadly, said Mr Nielsen, the rush to embrace Web 2.0 technology meant that many firms were turning their back on the basics.”

It never hurts to focus on the basics. Sound fundamentals. And, it’s easy to lose “site” of the basics when new tools and trends come around. So, Nielsen’s comments are a good reminder that:

WE ALWAYS NEED TO REACH AND COMMUNICATE WITH OUR AUDIENCES IN WAYS THEY PREFER.

One bit of research I found interesting and not surprising was:

“Research suggests that users of a site split into three groups. One that regularly contributes (about 1%); a second that occasionally contributes (about 9%); and a majority who almost never contribute (90%).”

However — and this may be blasphemous — I do not totally agree with Nielsen on one point:

“Mr Nielsen also questioned championing teenage use of the web as a harbinger of what people will continue to do when they were older.

Although people in their late 30s make very different use of the web to those in their teens, Mr Nielsen expects that when those teenagers grow up the time they spend online will diminish.”

I agree to a point but the tendencies will remain — such as the desire to be technologically-connected — and that information is what we can take from the teens. So, while there will not be a one-on-one correlation in habits and uses, there is still valuable information — tendencies and trends — we can take from the teen and young adult use of technology.

– Mike

(Thanks to Mike Osswald for the pointer to Nielsen’s story.)

Mostly for the agency folks, but can also be applicable for in-house personel:

“A client will always find additional budget for a good idea that addresses its business objectives.”*

Ken Lauerer (president of previous employer)

The thinking is to always be thinking about how to serve and be of value to the client — even if it says it’s out of budget for the FY/CY. If you can develop an idea and plan that will impact sales (or another significant business objective), the client will find the money to implement it.

So, the client ends up winning (improving its business) and the agency ends up winning (additional revenue).

– Mike

*This may not be an exact quote, but it’s pretty close.

In doing research looking for trends, stats, supporting documentation, I’m amazed at how relatively recent information (like from 2004 or 2005) is too old.

The speed of light has nothing on the speed of information.

– Mike

Taking a page from Ike Pigott’s blog, I thought I’d start a Twitter-like (meaning, brief) feature and post neat, interesting, thought-provoking and/or interesting quotes I’ve heard or even uttered.

“The best thing you can do is tell the client bad news as soon as you can.”

Mike Osswald (my direct supervisor/boss)

Granted, that doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it’s a good rule to remember.

– Mike

“Media companies are exerting pressure on YouTube to develop a system to screen material for copyright violations before allowing it on the site. But, regardless of whether courts will require YouTube to implement such a system, it’s becoming clear that the video-sharing site needs to vet claims of infringement better before removing them and suspending user’s accounts.”

From today’s Just an Online Minute from MediaPost.

It echoes loud and clear the music industry’s pressure on Napster to prevent members from sharing MP3 files.

Wonder how YouTube’s fate will differ than what Napster became?

– Mike

“For personal communication, they (Digital Natives) rely on the “wall” in Facebook or send messages within their relatively closed communities of friends. They have a lot to say about what and who they are, but they shut out the outside world and take refuge in an inner sanctum of like-minded young people — some friends, some strangers — who share their passions and interests.

To reach Digital Natives, you have to understand the community and respect it. You need to participate, but in an authentic way.”

Courtesy of MediaPost’s Email Insider today.

Reading/Researching today reminded me just how personal, one-on-one communication is evolving into (it is now, but not as encompassing) — and really should be.

There will always be the mass media of newspapers, TV, radio, etc. — but they continue to be a smaller portion of our communications and marketing outreach. Social media marketing is social. Human. Personal. We as professional communications need to get back to “interpersonal communications” (a big buzz phrase on resumes post college grad, early in my career).

It’s not so much about marketing, but about sharing and providing information and access — in the way recipients want to receive it — and allowing them the opportunity to spread the word, or provide feedback (i.e., product research, trials).

Being naturally nosey and curious, combined with my early journalist education and work, personal, one-on-one communication — and getting to know people — excites me. I love learning, and meeting new people. And, if an employer or client pays me to reach out to people — even if only on an acquaintance level — that’s great.

But, it’ll still be sincere, transparent, honest.

The downside for professional communicators is the time required to research, explore and develop these relationships or connections. It’ll take time. And, we still need to balance the needs of the business, of our work and, most importantly, of our life.

That leads me to believe that social media marketing is definitely a growth employment field.

So, all you social science majors out there and those interested in a true “public relations” career, as the song goes, ya gotta wear shades.

– Mike