Put a Face to Your Voice!

We know that with its high level of source-receiver engagement, the most effective and persuasive type of two-way communication is interpersonal communication such as one-on-one communication or small group meetings. So why don’t we use it more often? Technology could be an answer. Of course technology has its perks, with one being the convenience of being able to pick up the phone or send an e-mail to reach someone.

Cone Public Relations, located in Boston, MA, stresses that while you can be successful in communicating over via phone or email, there is still nothing like face-to-face communication specifically in media relations, where one must establish a strong relationship with the media, a strong influencer of public opinion.

Account Executive at Cone PR, Jennifer Newberg, provides a few approaches to restore face-to-face communication in media relations:

Deskside Tours: when a brand representative travels to the offices of several outlets a day. Reporters find these convenient because they don’t need to leave their offices and feel comfortable to you in their own atmosphere.

Editor Events: when editors gather in one location to hear an announcement. This format slightly limits one-on-one interaction but still allows brand representatives to speak to a variety of people in one location.

Lunch meetings are always encouraged when a brand wants to create a deep relationship with a reporter or if the reporter is a new contact and the brand wants to build a personal relationship.

Lastly, Newberg reminds us all that for face-to-face meetings it’s important to have any available press materials, key message points, and background information on the reporter including his or her recent stories on hand. In addition, developing a sample Q&A anticipating any questions the reporter may have will definitely be helpful. Always keep in mind the type of media you are trying to reach. If its a high-level business media, a CEO or senior level executive should be part of the meetings. If its a lifestyle editor, an industry expert could be valuable. If the reporter is in high demand, you need to be creative in your meetings or events!

Top 10 Twitter SEO Tips

Google web search engine is the dominant search engine in the United States. I am not surprised that Google processes over one billion search requests per day as “Google it!” is a phrase I easily use at least twice a day. Google indexes billions of Web pages, so that users can search for the information they desire through the use of keywords. As social media has grown to become a source of information, Google also offers real-time search capabilities, indexing Tweets and other real-time data. With individual tweets appearing in Google search results, it is important to understand how to use Twitter to your advantage and optimize your Twitter presence in search engine results.

By following the following ten Twitter tips, you, your company or brand can build up more prominent links in high places on the engines:

1. Choose a good handle: Choose a handle (also known as username) that’s relevant but easy to tweet and remember, This handle also becomes part of your Twitter URL such as twitter.com/yourbrand which creates a static address for future search indexing and helps usability for other cross-channel promotions.

2. Select an account name wisely: Your name is what appears next to your profile, which can be different than your handle/URL. You obviously want an account name that promotes yourself, your company or your brand. You should also consider which variation of you brand name has the most search frequency every month.

3. Make your bio: Optimize your Twitter page’s “Bio” line so it includes the most important, mission-critical phrases for your brand. Take advantage of all 160 characters! Your bio is consistently indexed so its contents are what provide your Twitter page with its core relevance.

4. Spread the word: Try to build the link reputation of your Twitter web address by offering visibility to your site visitors and help drive your Twitter URL to pop up in search engines. For example, you can integrate your Twitter URL into your website by placing a call to action on the site for your customers to follow you on Twitter. You could also integrate your Twitter URL within your site’s Global Footer, which appears at the bottom of every page of your site.

5. Remember your URL: In Twitter account settings, make sure to add your website’s URL or to promote your presence on another social platform. This is a great way to drive traffic back to your destination of choice.

6. Select initial characters wisely: The “lead-in” of each tweet appears to be important for SEO as it will determine what appears in the tweet’s title tag when it shows up as a search result on Google. Approximately 42 characters are factored into each tweet’s title tag, including the account name, as well as the initial characters of each tweet. Your full tweet and all its characters are still being indexed by major engines.

 

 

 

 

7. Write keyword rich tweets: Whenever possible, begin your tweet with keywords or phrases to theme each message. Take advantage of any active lingo or buzz words to capitalize on timely searches on those terms. Think carefully about which word choices will best convey your message and also allow you to leverage the real-time and long-term index relevance across the engines.

8. Mind your re-tweet ability: Make sure your tweet’s character limits allow for optimal “retweetability.” If you want a message to become viral on Twitter, it’s ideal to keep it under 120 characters so your followers can easily add RT with @YourHandle in front of the tweet. The exact number is different from everyone as it depends on the number of characters needed for someone to include the phrase “RT @yourname” in their re-tweet.

9. Provide link love: Insert back links to redirect users back to your content. Twitter has proven to be a significant traffic driver for bloggers and others using the space to share links. If you do share links, use one of the many URL shorteners available such as TinyURL and Bit.ly. Bit.ly tracks click-throughs for the specific links you share on the platform and has the power to track links in aggregate. For example, if multiple Bit.ly URLs were created and shared by separate users, all leading back to the same URL, the service can track and report click-throughs for all of them in aggregate. Bit.ly also tracks clicks over time, so you can see when people are clicking your links most.

10.Always give them what they want: When using the above link shorteners, make sure the redirection sends users directly to the information and doesn’t leave them fishing around for information. Digital age users want to get to the details as quickly and easily as possible!

I have adopted these 10 Twitter SEO tips from Mike Dobbs, the group director of SEO at 360i, a digital marketing agency that drives results for premier brands. The agency recently released the Social Marketing Playbook, a guide for brands. You can follow 360i on Twitter.

College job market improving?

Careerbuilder’s Annual Job Forecast has found that the overall job market for 2010 college graduates, like myself, will remain highly competitive, but is thankfully showing signs of improvement! One-in-five employers who are hiring recent college graduates said they will hire more than they did last year. Even better? Sixteen percent also reported they will offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2009, a five percent improvement from last year’s survey! The National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2010 Spring Update also reported that employers expect to hire 5.3 percent more new college graduates in 2009-10 than they did in 2008-09. Not a big change, but a glimpse of hope and motivation for us college graduates in this challenging job market!

While employers said that experience is one of the most influential factors in their decisions to hire a recent college graduate, they also point out the following other attributes for those who may not have a lot of work experience on their resume:

• Be flexible, some college graduates need to be open minded in their job search and look outside of their immediate major.
• Come into the interview with a great level of enthusiasm and prepared and knowledgeable about company, with good ideas and be sure to ask good questions!
• Apply your educational background or draw a connection from experiences in community involvement or campus activities to the job.
• To help your résumé go to the top of the pile, incorporate keywords from the employer’s job posting into your résumé and cover letter as they relate to your skills and experience.

To all recent college graduates, there IS a job out there for you so don’t give up and Good luck! 🙂

College job market improving, hiring up 5.3 percent for Class of 2010

Posted using ShareThis

Under Construction!

Keep checking back for updates on PR, fashion, Hollywood gossip, and all the things I love most!