Against the Grain: Keely Pearson

I love blogs. I could get lost in my Google Reader for hours. I discovered some of my favorite entertainment venues, foods and restaurants based on recommendations from bloggers.

Local blogger Emily Beckmann’s energy and positive attitude are contagious, and TheDishOnDesMoines.com is filled with opportunities to get involved and give back to the community. Pete Jones’ “Why Eat at a Chain Wednesday” blog series inspired me to try dozens of local restaurants. Pete and the seven talented contributors at DesMoinesIsNotBoring.com are young professionals who live and work in Des Moines – just like me! Their blog is my go-to guide for dining, entertainment and events happening in the Metro. Kristin Porter from IowaGirlEats.com introduced me to the wonders of Chobani Greek yogurt and her intense treadmill routines helped me survive the treacherous holiday season unscathed. Surely, she would never lead me astray.

I admire bloggers and their ability to build strong online communities. I respect their willingness to let me eavesdrop on the daily happenings in their lives. I admire their commitment to providing valuable content and the time they dedicate to posting on a regular basis. I’m very receptive to events, products and services recommended by bloggers because I can easily relate to them.

If you are opening a new business, hosting an event, introducing a product or launching a service, you should reach out to influential bloggers in your market. The most successful public relations campaigns use a mix of traditional and social tactics. You should share newsworthy information with bloggers just as you would with your local papers, radio stations and television affiliates. Bloggers have an uncanny ability to reach large segments of your target audience, and they have a lot of credibility with their readers. Most bloggers are PR-friendly and they are happy to write about your business, event, product or service, if they think it will benefit their readers.

Here are some tips for incorporating bloggers into your public relations strategy:

• Identify influential bloggers in your community and/or industry.
• Do your research. Read some posts and familiarize yourself with the blogger’s mission before you approach him/her. “Don’t send mass email pitches,” advises Beckmann. “Address each blogger by name and show a personal interest in their blog.”
• Get to know the online community. Read the comments posted on the blog. Identify the blogger’s target audience and make sure it’s similar to yours.
• Make a connection. Take the time to develop a relationship with the blogger. Leave a comment on a post, or engage with him/her on Facebook or Twitter. “Try and build a mutually beneficial relationship with the blogger. It's nice to make a personal connection and engage in two-way conversations,” says Beckmann. “I enjoy blogging because I get to meet new people and learn new things. It's important to me to establish and build relationships in the process.” 
• Be respectful. Bloggers deserve as much courtesy as a traditional journalist. “My advice is to treat a blogger like you would any other media outlet,” says Jones. “But please understand that many of us do this for fun and are not professionals in the industry.” 
• Plan ahead. Most bloggers have full-time jobs and their editorial calendars are planned weeks in advance. Give them adequate notice about your announcement or upcoming event.
• Provide background information. You can send a press release or talking points to share details about your announcement, but most bloggers prefer to write their own posts. Give the author the creative license to tell your story in their own voice.

It’s also important to decide if you’re willing—and determine if your company is legally able—to compensate the blogger for their efforts. Bloggers are required by the FCC to disclose if they were paid or received freebies for their posts, so make sure these transactions comply with your company’s ethical and legal guidelines.

Most bloggers do not expect anything in exchange for the publicity, but Beckmann explains that it’s easier to write about things like events and restaurants, if you’ve experienced them first-hand. Remember that most bloggers write as a hobby and they are doing you a favor, so whenever possible, it’s a nice gesture to help cover their expenses by waiving their ticket fees or giving them a free sample of your product.

Porter sites Blue Bunny as a company that has a great blogger-outreach program. Last summer, they invited her and a handful of other foodies to tour their facility and sample their new products. Then they dedicated a portion of the afternoon to teaching the bloggers how they can grow their online brands and communities, so it was a mutually beneficial experience for the bloggers, their readers and the company. Porter says she appreciates Blue Bunny’s approach because it gives her an “insider’s look” at the company and the chance to test their ice cream without feeling pressured to write product reviews.

So the next time you’re formulating a marketing campaign, include bloggers in your PR plan. You may just create a brand advocate — or find a new subscription for your Google Reader.

It’s hip, it’s trendy and all the cool kids are doing it. Marketers commonly refer to “it” as the power of group buying and several social media sites are capitalizing on its profitability.

The concept has been around for years – you gather a group of people to purchase tickets to an entertainment event, a block of hotel rooms for a wedding reception or company health insurance coverage, and as a result, you all save some money.  

Social media sites like Groupon, Living Social, Travelzoo and Yelp are partnering with local businesses to offer deep discounts to attract new customers and drive sales. After months of anticipation, Groupon officially launched in Des Moines on October 25, 2010. According to an article in the Des Moines Register, there are more than 30,000 people signed up in Des Moines and about 400 more jump on the discount-bandwagon every day.

Here’s the scoop: participating businesses run a one-day deal offering at least a 50 percent discount on their products or services. The business sets a “tipping point” and X number of people must buy-in for the deal to be on. Groupon groupie’s use “social media peer pressure” to promote the deal via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter to encourage others to buy-in.

As an added incentive, each Groupon member has a personal referral link to share with their friends. If someone joins Groupon within 72 hours of clicking on your link, you will receive a $10 referral credit within 24 hours of their first purchase. Users can refer as many people as they’d like and credits do not expire. It’s a win-win situation for both the user, who accumulates referral credits, and the business who reaches a larger audience.

If the “tipping point” is not reached by midnight, the deal is off and no one is charged. Businesses don’t pay Groupon to run a Daily Deal, but they do keep a portion of the revenue if the deal is on.

The company’s website claims Americans have purchased 15,280,111 Groupons and saved more than $660,694,359. The site provides case studies and testimonials from business owners raving that Groupon raised their company’s profile and attracted first-time customers who became loyal clients. The site also states that 97 percent of participating businesses opt to run repeat deals. And based on the specials offered thus far, it appears businesses can dictate their own “fine print,” e.g., black out and expiration dates, only valid within X mile radius of Des Moines and other stipulations.

There are a few things to consider before you sign-up for a Daily Deal:

What’s the profit margin on your product or service? Can you afford to offer a large discount and only keep a portion of the profits?

What’s the appropriate “tipping point” for your Daily Deal? Set realistic sales expectations. The goal is to encourage new customers to test drive your product or service, and the deal is only “on” if enough people buy-in.

Can your inventory and staff accommodate a surge in business? You don’t want the town buzzing about the poor customer service they received or a product that is back-ordered for 6 weeks.

Is this the right time to reach your target audience? The holidays are right around the corner, would your product or service make a good gift? Would it be more beneficial to wait until Valentine’s Day or the kids are on summer vacation? Daily Deals fill up weeks in advance, so act quickly if you want to capitalize on the holiday buying frenzy.

Is the corner office a stickler for measurable results? Then Groupon is a dream come true. When you run a promotion, Groupon provides data detailing how many people were exposed to the deal, how many bought-in and the total revenue generated. As an added bonus, you’ll also be able to track how many people redeemed the deal.

Groupon is a great way to generate buzz about your business, jump start sales and increase foot traffic. But I hate to break it to you Cinderella, the deal expires at midnight. The effect of any one-day promotion is temporary and it’s not a replacement for a strategic marketing campaign. Social media tactics, like Groupon’s Daily Deals, should be integrated into your creative, media, public relations and research efforts to build on the success of a one-day promotion and achieve your long-term marketing goals. 

Last week, I attended the National AgriMarketing (NAMA) conference in Kansas City. The 2010 conference drew a record number of agri-marketing professionals and featured two days of social media, e-mail marketing and branding discussions. Armed with my beloved BlackBerry, Twitter app and the conference hash tag, I was anxious to catch up with old friends, meet new ones and share everything I learned with my Twitter followers.

I was amazed by the number of attendees I recognized by their Twitter avatars and how many conversations began with, “Hey, I know you! I’m @KeyleeP.” As I chatted with tweeps, I jokingly suggested our Twitter handles should be listed on our name tags. But seriously, they should’ve been! How opportunities to make a face-to-face connection with online “friends” did I miss because I didn't recognize them? Most marketers would agree that we're in a relationship business and the ability to network is key to unlocking new opportunities. The beauty of Twitter is that it creates an introduction, a virtual handshake if you will, to make real life connections that can help your business grow.

In addition to its networking perks, Twitter is a great platform to raise awareness about your company and promote your products and services. Some companies are fearful of using social media because they lose control of their messaging. But it’s time for these timid, late-adapters to be brave and log-in. Customers are already talking about your company, products and services and you'd better be monitoring what they're saying. Tweets can spread through the Twitterverse like wild fire and if the messages are negative, you’d better be ready to respond — STAT!

Social media has added a new dynamic to the marketing mix. You must get engaged in the online conversation to connect with your current and potential clients and monitor what they're saying about your brand. You never know who is listening. The next virtual hand you shake may just open the door to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As the most recent addition to the public relations department, I’m relatively new to Trilix and only six months into agency life in general. I dedicated the previous three years of my post-college life to the marketing efforts of a small, not-for-profit organization. The differences between the client side and agency world is extreme – but throw in the for-profit vs. not-for-profit twist and you’ve got a contrast between night and day.

On the client side, I became an expert on the organization’s product and service offerings and I wrote about them all day, every day. Agencies present the unique challenge of writing intelligently about an industry that you may not be familiar with. They say variety is the spice of life and Trilix has given me the opportunity to try my hand in the agricultural, financial lending, auto racing and pork industries. I’m constantly challenged to learn more about our clients and the issues affecting their businesses so I can provide them with valuable messaging and tangible deliverables.

In my previous life, if the boss asked for something, you dropped what you were doing to get it done as soon as possible. No questions asked. Now imagine you have four bosses who all want a task completed in a timely manner. They are all equally valuable and deserving of superior quality work. The project will pass through several hands before it is delivered to the client so your part needs to be completed STAT so it can move to the next department. Which project do you tackle first? Now that’s a conundrum. Agencies teach you to multi-task and balance clients’ needs. They are also fast-paced. My clock-watching days are long gone. In fact, it’s not uncommon to glance at the clock and wonder, where did the day go?!?

Agency life isn’t for everyone, but I believe the team-centric nature of the work creates real friendships between co-workers and a great place to spend the day. Some will argue the grass is always greener on the other side, but I believe you end up exactly where you are meant to be.

Three years ago, a colleague invited me to attend a National AgriMarketing Association (NAMA) meeting. She explained the event would last about an hour and included lunch. Free lunch? I'm in!

When I arrived, I was surprised to see a small conference room filled with local up-and-comers in the Ag industry. I wondered what they knew about the trends and challenges facing the market that I didn't. It turns out, they knew a lot because they met each month to discuss issues and share strategies. Then it dawned on me...I wasn't leading the next generation of marketing professionals, they were. Unacceptable!

Three years ago, I was given the opportunity to get involved and I took it. Sure, monthly meetings give you a great excuse to sneak away from the office for a few hours, but it turns out there are lots of benefits to professional associations. Case in point:

1. Getting involved provides networking opportunities with other professionals who share like interests and face similar challenges on a daily basis. Your peers can be sounding-boards and wonderful sources of inspiration. Your next big idea may come from a quick brainstorming session over lunch.
2. You can raise awareness about your company and generate new business prospects. At the next meeting, introduce yourself to your fellow tablemates. Tell them where you work and prepare a 30-second "elevator speech" about your company. You never know who may need your services. On that note: be a good ambassador for your company.
3. Marketing strategies are always changing and evolving. Pursuing continuing education opportunities is the only way to stay on top of the game. A "Lunch and Learn" has more to offer than a three-course meal. For one hour, you can listen to an expert discuss strategies that helped their business gain market share and reach their target audience. In a tough economy, who can afford to miss that kind of advice?

There are a plethora of professional associations that give you the opportunity to learn from the experts in your industry. Visit the American Advertising Federation, American Marketing Association (AMA), Art Directors Association of Iowa, International Association of Business Communicators, National AgriMarketing Association (NAMA) and Public Relations Society of America Web sites to view upcoming meetings in the Des Moines area. This is your chance to get involved! Will you take it?