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social media… Dear Facebook, Please Grant Me (and other Page admins) These 5 Functions by Janet Krenn

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To celebrate PRSA New Pros’ new Facebook URL (www.facebook.com/PRSANewPros), I thought I’d revisit the popular topic of managing a Facebook Page for public relations and business.

Previously, I wrote a post called Facebook Group v. Facebook Fan Page–Never build a group page. I got emails from all over the world (no kidding) from folks trying to launch their own Facebook Fan Page for their businesses. Most of these folks were wondering, Have I experienced other problems they were finding? If not, how did I solve them?

Although I’ve been pretty good at answering readers’ emails, I thought, I might as well hammer out a new post (1) to let you know you’re not not alone; these functions really do not exist, and you don’t have to waste your time hunting down an answer–I’ve already wasted enough time for the both of us–(2) in hopes that some Facebook functionality genie will see this article and grant us these five functions.

1. Page admins should have the option to comment as an individual.

I think everyone who has emailed me has asked if I figured out how to comment as Janet on the Fan Pages for which I’m also an admin. Sadly, when admins comment on their wall, they can only do so as a representative of the group. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to comment as Janet on the New Pros Facebook Fan Page, but didn’t because I didn’t want my sometimes snarky attitude to be under the New Pros veil. Facebook, if your listening, make some option so that Admins can comment on the wall as individuals or as the group.

2. Admins should be allowed to edit a wall post for a period of time after its submitted.

The same is true for personal pages, but I’ll tell ya, there’s nothing worse than setting up the link, choosing the thumbnail, typing some copy and then finding you wrote “ther” instead of “the”. LinkedIN has a good model. That platform allows the poster to edit for 15 minutes after hitting submit. Facebook, I know you’re for kids and not for brands, but brands love you! Show the brands a little love and make it a little easier for us to correct typos or bad links without trashing the whole post.

3. Don’t make me choose! Let admins post more than one html bit (photos, links, videos) at the same time.

Facebook, why not? Most of the time, it really doesn’t matter, but consider this: Sometimes you want to link to a page, and the page doesn’t have any good image. So instead of a visually interesting wall post with my Page’s avatar and an interesting little image, my links don’t emit no interesting visual cue. Why can’t I upload a photo from my own computer AND include a link in one wall post?

4. Simplify the event forms.

If you’ve ever tried to schedule an event on your Facebook Fan Page, you know that you have to click through 3 times before you can publish. And each time you click, you have to put in more information. Okay, so this isn’t a functionality issue. It’s just an ease issue. Facebook, please streamline your event forms! Start by eliminating those pesky drop-down menus that do not correctly categorize my event, but you insist that I use.

5. Have updates to the discussion tab appear on the Fan Page wall.

I have no idea why you haven’t included this function. Discussions are like forums, and everyone expects that the front page of a forum will alert with the newest threads and the newest comments. I would love to use the discussions tab, but I’m not going to bother members with an email every time a discussion gets updated. And let’s be honest, without those updates appearing on the wall, I’ll forget about it anyway.

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JANET KRENN administers two Facebook Fan Pages and wonders whether Facebook will ever update some of its functions to make life as a PR and marketer a littler easier. (She is also your 2010 New Pros of PRSA Chair, and the past, 2009, Communication Chair. Follow her on Twitter @JanetKrenn or contact her janetqs(a)gmail.com)

career advice…Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media by Adrienne Bailey

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Social Media; a treasure to many and a monster to a few. I think it is safe to say most everyone in our industry has engaged in social media via one form or another. Without much direction, everyone began posting, linking and tweeting away. Both excellent conversation and even large controversy have been the result of a platform with little-to-no rules.

Here are just a few do’s and don’ts on social media etiquette. I’m sure we each have our own unique experience so feel free to share your rules — I’d love to hear what you have to say.

  • Do personalize your messages, especially when making connections on LinkedIn and Facebook.
  • Don’t flood all outlets with the same content, be sure to provide new content or alter messaging to fit the specific audience. In other words, don’t link all platforms together, Twitter to LinkedIn, Facebook to Twitter, etc.
  • Do mix personal with professional, but be smart about it. Have a personality but be ready to take responsibility for your actions.
  • Don’t be a robot.
  • Do respond to people trying to engage in conversation with you.
  • Don’t try and connect with people on Facebook or LinkedIn you don’t know. Those are more personal platforms and you are better off beginning with the ‘follow’ button on Twitter.
  • Do offer to help people when possible. But don’t always expect something in return.
  • Don’t tell me everything; it adds noise instead of value.
  • Do contribute something more. As contradictory as it sounds, Twitter is a great place to lead and not always follow.
  • And finally, don’t ever auto DM or spam.

What social media etiquette rules do you live by?

Adrienne Bailey is an account executive in the public relations division Young & Laramore.

pr strategy… Facebook Group v. Fan Pages–Never build a group page by Janet Krenn

New Professionals PR Blog Leave a comment

Go to any professional development seminar and the first thing you’ll hear is, “You can’t ignore social media. Get your company on Facebook.”

Yes do, but for pete’s sake, never build a Facebook Group Page! If you’re looking to build a Facebook presence for your company, use a Fan Page. Looking to build a presence for an association–Fan Page. Facebook presence for your church group or club–Fan Page.

If your company, association, or club is already using a Facebook Group Page, kill it and relaunch as a Facebook Fan Page. That’s what your New Pros Section did this week, and although only time will tell how well it meets our members’ needs, I’m betting the additional functionality will make us better connected than our previous page. In case you’re ever charged with building a Facebook presence, I thought I’d share with you some of the improved functions that only a Facebook Fan Page can provide–Oh, and if you haven’t already, Become a Fan of New Pros!

Fan Pages Send Updates to Members’ Homepages

How well would you keep up with your friends on Facebook if their updates never made it to your homepage? I bet not very well, and unfortunately, no part of a Facebook Group Page will make it to your members’ homepages. Events, wall postings, and discussions will all go unheeded unless you send your members a message. It takes away from time you could be spending developing new and better content. Fan Pages work just like Personal Pages. If you update events, the wall, or any other part of the Fan Page, it will make its way to your fan’s homepage. This means you can save the “message members” function for big announcements that need a little extra attention.

Fan Pages Can Receive RSS Feeds

When you’re working on a multi-layered social media campaign, you could be looking at 4 different networking sites and let’s face it–you need to streamline. A Facebook Fan Page can receive an RSS feed and automatically post new content to your wall as it becomes available. This could be a great tool for promoting a blog or another on-going effort, without having to manually update your Facebook Page everytime.

Fan Pages Allow Apps

Okay, confession time, in the previous paragraph when I said Fan Pages can receive RSS, I was referring specifically to the “Notes” application. But your app options don’t stop there on a Facebook Fan Page. Any box, application, or function you can put on a Personal Page, you can put on a Fan Page. Or if you have the budget, you can higher a developer to build a unique app to spruce up your page and build that coveted brand identity.

Fan Pages Help You Integrate Facebook to Other Online Venues

You may have noticed that in the sidebar of this blog, we have a new Facebook widgit. When you launch a Fan Page, you get the code for this nifty little box. You can add the code to your website, your blog, anywhere that runs javascript, and it visitors to your other online venues can become your Facebook fan just like that!

Fan Pages are User-Friendly

Your wall is the most important part of any Facebook page, but only the Fan Page keeps the wall at the top of the page, where it belongs. Group Pages bury the most frequently updated parts of the page: Discussions are under layers of static text, the wall ends up at the bottom of the page, and events are tucked away in a sidebar. If you want the newest information you post to show at the top of your Facebook page, you need a Fan Page.

Fan Pages Have Analytics

If you need to show your higher ups, or yourself, that your Facebook efforts are successful, know that only Fan Pages provide analytics. A few simple clicks and you can check out fan demographics, page visits, multimedia views and more. You can even export your data into an excel file or a comma separated variables list.

Fan Pages Have It All

Okay, not really! But I’ve found the functionality of a Fan Page to be shockingly superior to that of a Group Page. If you’re considering building a Facebook presence for your group, go for the Fan Page and never look back!

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JANET KRENN is the Communications Co-Chair of the New Pros Section. She wants you to know that the opinions expressed in this post are that of her own, and should not be assumed to be the opinions of PRSA or the New Pros Section, although she suspects that they hate Facebook Group Pages as much as she does. Oh, and Janet’s always looking for new contributors to the New Pros Blog. Email janetqs(a)gmail.com if you’re interested in contributing.

pr strategy… The Dangers of Social Media Marketing by Travis K. Kircher

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I spent four years working as an assignment editor for a local TV station. We covered a host of fatal accidents, homicides, house fires, etc. One of the first things we did when we got word of a fatality, whether the death was a tragic accident or the result of foul play, was hit Facebook and MySpace up to see if they had an account. If they were young, chances were they did. And chances were, it was an open account. That is, any member of the public could access it.

I can remember one instance in particular when we were covering a fatal accident involving a young person. As soon as we got the identification from the coroner I ran his name, and, sure enough, there was his profile page, his smiling face beaming eerily from the computer screen. Already his friends had gotten word of the tragedy and were posting memorial messages on his wall. It became standard practice for the media to show those photos and read these messages on the air.

When people stop to think that they might wake up one day to see the contents of their MySpace or Facebook pages as a topic for discussion on the morning news, many of them bristle. Isn’t that a little below the belt? After all, what business does the media have delving into people’s private lives?

This is the lesson all of us must learn: As long as your profile page is open to the public, IT IS NOT YOUR PRIVATE LIFE. When an agitated husband writes, “I hate my wife!” on his evening status update, it’s no different than purchasing ad space on a 250’ x 500’ digital sign in Times Square and announcing it to the world.

The media will investigate anything in the public record, and an open Facebook account IS public record. And it may not just be the media thumbing through your MySpace photos. Prospective employers, loan officers, ex-girlfriends, sexual predators, your boss, and Osama bin Laden could all be checking you out.

Like individuals, businesses can often be careless about their social media accounts. When setting up a MySpace or Facebook page, it is critical for marketers and public relations professionals to keep the following tips in mind:

  • Keep business and pleasure separate on social media. A business owner who already has a personal account under his name should not use that same account for business purposes. Clients don’t want to hear you “shoot the breeze.” They want to see professionalism and expertise. Keep one account for fun, and the other for business.
  • Double-check the privacy settings on your social media accounts. Facebook and MySpace give you the option of making your accounts public or private. It’s a no brainer that any high level executives with personal accounts should have them set to “private.” Business pages will likely be public.
  • Be aware of potential exposure to litigation. Don’t post any content to your Facebook page without first determining whether you have the legal right to do so. Posting images of minors may pose a problem if you don’t have parent’s permission.
  • Monitor your social media networks. One of the most dangerous things a business can do is open a social media account and then forget it is there. Entire conversations may have taken place and accusations may have been leveled against your company without your knowledge. Take an active, aggressive, and vigilant approach to the way you handle your account, and be quick to nip any problems in the bud before they explode into a PR nightmare.
  • Don’t post anything to social media you wouldn’t say to Larry King. You have no idea who is accessing your account. Even if it’s closed to the public, one of your friends could save images from your page and e-mail them to others. Anything posted on a social media account should be run through the PR office first. You should also be aware that once it’s up, it’s permanent. You may take it down, but that doesn’t mean someone hasn’t already seen it, saved it,and distributed it to others.

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TRAVIS K. KIRCHER is an independent copywriter and founder of WriteNow Creative Services, which does indeed have a Facebook account (feel free to join.) He can be reached at tkircher@writenowcs.com.

social media case study… Using Facebook to Execute the Quick PR Campaign by Janet Krenn

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When California Tortilla won Best Burrito in Washington, DC by Washingtonian Magazine, the California Tortilla marketing team wanted to develop a promotion to get the word out by the beginning of July–and by the way, they only had a couple of weeks to develop, launch, and close said promotion.

To meet their time crunched goal, they turned to social media.

California Tortilla, a Maryland based Mexican food franchise, already had a solid footing in social media. Their Facebook page has more than 3,000 fans, and their Twitter page (caltort) has about 1,800 followers. California Tortilla also has a strong email list, called TacoTalk.

“[Social media] was a good fit for this campaign,” said Stacey Kane, Marketing Director at California Burrito, who notes that the franchise frequently uses social media to run promotions such as coupon give-aways and others. “Our customers are very vocal, and so social media is a good extension, a good way to interact.”

To spread the word about their new “Best Burrito in DC” victory, the company decided on a radio script writing contest. On the California Tortilla Facebook Fan Page (July22), the wall read:

“You know how California Tortilla won Best Burrito in Washingtonian Magazine?? Well we did…and we want to run some radio but we have no budget to pay anyone to write the copy. So we decided we wanted our fans to do it for us. Write a thirty or fifteen second spot saying why we deserved the award and the winner gets $1000 and free burritos for a year…”

In fact, California Tortilla relied nearly exclusively on social media to promote the campaign. But it’s not as if they snubbed traditional media. “We put out traditional PR, but it seemed to only get picked up by the trades, not local media,” said Kane.

Once the contest opened, fans had only 5 days to submit their radio scripts. California Tortilla received nearly 100 entires.

“The entries weren’t just written scripts. Several people actually submitted produced radio pieces,” said Kane.

Kane said she was shocked at the “shear amount of time and passion that people put into [their entries]. The contest closed on July 7th, and by July 8th, people we’re emailing to ask whether we picked a winner.”

They hadn’t. Instead, the company sent all the participants a goody bag of coupons and other swag to tide them over while waiting for the winner to be announced. California Tortilla plans to announce the winner within the next week, when the company launches its new website.

Although Kane said her group did not pick a metric by which to measure the campaigns success, she felt it was a hit. Not only did they get a large response quickly, “The campaign did generate a lot of buzz, and this was reflected in increased sales,” Kane said.

What does Kane recommend for other companies considering launching a similar contest via social media?

  1. “In regard to social media campaigns, stay true to your brand.”
  2. “Make stuff clear and easy for fans to execute.”
  3. “Do what you promise to do; make clear cut rules, and stick to them.”

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JANET A. KRENN is Communication Co-Chair of the New Professionals Section of PRSA. If you’re a member of the New Professionals Section, and you’d like to contribute to the New Pros’ blog, email her at janetqs(at)gmail dot com