The media circus that accompanies every election is already gathering pace with much posturing from all parties, not to mention an acceleration of ‘PR spin’ – a much used and misused phrase which does little to reflect the real day-to-day work of the public relations industry or, indeed, to enhance its image.  But, I digress – for the first time, the election will see a new, untried communications channel enter the political arena with the plethora of social media networks spawned since the last election in 2005.

Back then, Facebook and MySpace were just for techies and geeks, while Twitter and LinkedIn  hadn’t even been launched!  The digital landscape has changed beyond recognition in the last four years.  Social media networks are now mainstream communications tools and the ability to use them effectively a la Obama, could prove crucial in the UK too.  For example, the recent announcement by The Sun that it would be supporting the Conservative Party was greeted with generalindifference – the national press simply do not wield the power they once did.

There is no doubt that the battle to dominate the blogosphere has already begun, however, the British political parties have a long way to go to approach anything-like the sophistication of the Presidential social media machine.   At the recent CIPR Northern Conference , keynote speaker and blogger Alistair Campbell said that he had emailed Peter Mandelson during the recent party conference to tell him that he was ‘trending on Twitter’ – Mandelson’s response was a large question mark! 

The power of the Twitter phenomenon can be tracked as it evolved from a channel which reported the news in the style of traditional media, into a medium which was breaking world news stories in real time – its role in the Mumbai siege of 2008 marked a turning point in its role and influence.  Since then, its popularity has burgeoned  as it has played host to the world’s largest ‘popularity contest’ with various celebrities vying with the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres and Britney Spears for the No1 spot.

While all of the parties are paying lip service to embracing social media, are any of them actually harnessing its powers?  A quick visit to Twitterholic showed the following interesting stats in our political leaders’ beauty parade:

Gordon Brown ranked 83,381th with 608 followers (March 2009); David Cameron ranked 39,527th with 1,277 followers (Feb 2009); and Nick Clegg ranked 886,320tghwith 24 followers (April 2009)

To put this into context, Barrack Obama is currently running a few places ahead of Oprah Winfrey at No. 6 with 2,612,615 followers!

There is no doubt that the power of social media is moving up the political agenda – who would have believed back in 2005 that the prime minister would use YouTube to address the nation?  Although whether or not this was a wise choice is debatable.

Personally, I feel that the growth of social media is a positive move for the humble voter.  Not only do immediate news channels like Twitter increase transparency, they also give individuals greater influence.  Apparently, PR agency Fishburn Hedges worked with Channel 4 News to use Twitter to extend public participation during the recent round of party conferences.  Their ‘twitter fringe’ or ‘Twinge’ initiative aimed to change the traditional fringe meeting by using the network to encourage wider audience discussion from people outside the meeting.  In this way, social networks are able to act as a conduit for public opinion and discussion which can only be a positive development for the democratic process.

Top 10 Political Blogs

As well as the main parties’ blogs (Labour List, ConservativeHome and LibDem Voice), the following are some of the most useful for would-be pundits:

Iain Dale

Political Betting

Guido Fawkes

London Reconnections

UK Polling Report

John Prescott

Matthew Taylor

Alastair Campbell

Nick Robinson

Paul Waugh

Still, it was an impressive and fundamental breakthrough which paved the way for our now passionate love affair with the internet. A small click for some very clever scientists, a giant plug-in for mankind.

In a relatively short space of time, this beloved piece of technology has wildly altered the way in which we live our lives. Could anyone now cope without it? Go back to relying entirely on posted correspondence, doing research in libraries, ditching our ipods for Discmans and buying our CDs from the spotty teenager at Our Price record store? How did we communicate, nurture friendships, sell, buy, do business? Can anyone actually remember?

I recently found myself living without internet access for a few weeks and had to navigate through what can only be described as a grieving process. Like a break-up. It surprised me just how often I would sit up to go and switch on my computer, hoping to find the answer to a question I’d dreamt up, plan trips I needed to make or search for those shoes I couldn’t find on the high street, before realising that that resource was not available to me.

I felt anxious that I couldn’t get to the hallowed shores of Facebook or the comfort of Hotmail, and frustrated when I needed a phone number right that minute for that restaurant I couldn’t remember the name of. It was like leaving the house without my wallet or mobile phone.

Had I really become so pathetically dependent on it? Or did I just have to accept that I, along with our society, am now simply unable to function as efficiently without it?

I’m glad to report that we’re now back together and very happy we are too. Once again I really do have the world at my fingertips and I can’t imagine it any other way. My social life is enhanced by it. My work depends on it. I can research everything I need to know (almost!) in a few hours, catch up with business news and journalists in an instant and promote my clients to audiences it may otherwise miss.

Indeed, social media mechanisms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have evolved beyond the realm of personal networking to become a fundamental part of our PR campaigns. Communicating through these channels allows businesses to reach out to previously untapped audiences, building profiles and sharing information, whilst keeping track of what others are doing and what tricks they’re missing.

The momentum they have gained is incredible and they are now justifiably seen as key business tools – social media really is the future and has a legitimate place in all communications campaigns in one way or another. It seems like everyone is exploiting it and it’s therefore important for businesses to recognise the opportunities it brings and incorporate social media into marketing strategy.

PR results can be hugely enhanced through digital media, allowing for effective corporate positioning, endorsement and news profiling, reinforcing a brand and building a personality behind it. It’s something that Appeal is taking seriously and we’re committed to meeting this revolution head-on to offer best value for clients. Embrace it and reap the benefits. We can help show you how.

So, the last 40 years has seen the internet evolve into a vast universe of knowledge and opportunity. It has changed the way we work forever, bringing us closer to our customers, helping us to operate and sell harder, faster, better. And this is only the beginning. If life begins at 40 then I, for one, am looking forward to what lies ahead.

Interested? Here are a few Appeal hints, tips and opinions to help you get into the swing of social marketing.

The benefits of Twitter

Making the most of LinkedIn

Facebook – Employers’ friend or foe?

Richard Barker of digital design agency, Harrison Mann, gives some tips about optimising Twitter for business.

Following a discussion with Susan and Paul from Appeal PR about how clients can use social media and its potential benefits, I decided to share some of my thoughts about getting the most from Twitter.

Most people have heard of Twitter and its rise to prominence over the past year or so, although many companies are still unaware of how it can be optimised for business.

Twitter can be used in some of the following ways:

Customer Relations
Using Twitter is all about engaging and creating dialogue with customers. By Tweeting about your products, services, tips and relevant information, you can improve communication and gain invaluable and instant customer feedback, all for a very limited cost - basically, the time it takes to establish and grow your following on Twitter.

It also allows your company to be transparent in terms of your engagement and gives you the ability to respond to feedback before it escalates.  You can improve the perception of your company by responding to messages and create brand ambassadors who spread the word about your company.

In addition, you can also find people who are discussing your brand online using the Twitter search engine. This will then allow you to follow potential customers and engage in an active dialogue with them. By using a person’s specific handle (@harrisonmann for example) you can gain a more personal response to questions and build trust.

Crisis Management
In terms of crisis management, Twitter allows you to keep channels and communication clear, again improving your brand perception and is another tool used to counteract potential problems. You can also use Twitter to post links to your website which will allow you to go into much more detail about a problem and how you are resolving it. Twitter allows you to post real-time updates and then state how you are going to ensure that the problem doesn’t recur.

Corporate Reputation Management
You can also follow people who are talking about your company, your competitors and other related industries. Use Twitter to engage and post relevant information about your industry as much as possible, by becoming a trusted name you will improve your brand image and people will come back for more. If you, as the CEO, are speaking and engaging with customers, then the knowledge that if they have a problem they can speak directly to the head of the company, will do wonders for your brand.

Event Promotion
Brands can use Twitter to promote events and also share context and information during the event, allowing people around the globe to be actively involved. You can also use an event specific handle (@ukwebdesign2010) to drive relevant followers and promote the event further. The use of hashtags to promote the event will allow the Twitter search engines to show your event for the keywords you choose (for the @ukwebdesign2010 event you could use #webdesignevents or #webdesignerevents etc.) Start using hashtags in your tweets, preceding keywords, and also use hashtags.org to find specific keywords related to your brand, event, group, product or service.

Product/Service Promotion
Using Twitter to promote sales, especially if you offer exclusive deals via Twitter, will allow you to actively engage other Tweeters. With a company handle (@harrisonmann) ensure that your Tweets are relevant however, and keep followers up-to-date with specific industry and company news to further strengthen your brand.

It seems that increasing numbers of organisations are viewing the growth of social networking as a negative phenomena with a 20 per cent rise in companies blocking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube etc.  While many executives recognise that social media can help business, the majority are tending to take a reactive approach and limit or ban access, perhaps because of fears about employee productivity, concerns about confidentiality or lack of understanding about how to harness the power of social media to their advantage.   In addition, excessive online social networking in a smaller office can be a drain on bandwidth and increase the risk of viruses.

Social media communication is growing exponentially, yet relatively few marketers have integrated it in their organisation’s communications plans.  At the very least, managers need to be developing employee policies giving guidance about use of social media at work.  Perhaps partly as a result of increased vigilance during these tougher economic times, there have been a growing number of cases where an employee has been dismissed because of misuse of social media.  In order to avoid these extreme situations, it is essential that employers communicate effectively with the workforce and clearly layout what they consider to be acceptable online behaviour both during business hours and also during their free time as this too can have a major impact on employers.

Attracting Young Talent

What’s more, a new survey has shown that companies seeking to attract young workers might want to reconsider prohibiting social networking sites at the office as half of those under 34 say they would choose an employer who gave them access.  With office workers representing the fastest growing demographic on Facebook, employers will need to weigh up the negatives of social networking against the possible loss of new talent before deciding on their corporate social media strategy.

There is no doubt that there are legitimate business uses and networking opportunities, but these must be controlled to ensure a consistent message and protect the corporate brand.  In some cases, particularly in more forward-thinking industries such as IT, employees’ use of Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn is being actively encouraged.  It is seen as a positive move which helps the workforce keep up to date with the latest trends, fosters relationships with other staff and suppliers and promotes engagement with customers. 

We advocate a realistic and productive approach to coping with the rise of Web 2.0 – employers must avoid being too heavy handed and instead come up with compromise solutions in order to take advantage of the opportunities offered by social networking.  From an HR perspective, a well-crafted ‘social media engagement policy’ can clarify expectations on both sides and avoid confrontation.  From a PR perspective, employees’ digital activities can offer countless benefits for a company with the building of online communities producing sales leads, providing competitor intelligence and enhancing professional development.  Don’t be frightened by the danger of losing control as you launch your message into the social media stratosphere; give your team clear guidelines and let them be your online ambassadors.

There can be no doubt that 2009 has been the Year of Twitter – everyone’s doing it from celebrities to  government ministers (not to mention the US President) and there’s even talk of making it part of the national curriculum.  This previously unknown term is now part of our daily vocabulary – although, do be careful not to make a social networking faux pas, the verb is ‘to tweet’ not ‘to twitter’ regardless of the fact that the latter may sometimes seem more appropriate…  If you’re not part of the Twittersphere you are seriously uncool (if not ‘lame’ according to my ten year old son), but what is it all about – is it just the latest teenage fad or does micro blogging have a useful role to play in the world of business?

As a 40-something, I am only too aware that I am a digital migrant rather than a digital native – embracing new technology has not come naturally and the whole concept of social media, sharing my thoughts with people I don’t even know, is anathema to me.  However, with numbers of Twitter users continuing to grow exponentially (Twitter’s US traffic grew from one million in January 2008 to six million a year later), I have had to overcome my innate reluctance and jump on the Tweetdeck. 

Twitter is the latest buzz media technique.  It’s no longer a geeky techie toy, but a mainstream communications tool, so take advantage of it because your competitors will be.  It’s a great way of keeping in touch with what’s going on in your industry – you can use it to listen in to conversations and keep track of the latest issues, or you can take it a step further and start adding your voice to the discussion. 

Brands which are making the most of the social networking opportunity are those which are using it to engage with consumers, the media and other key audiences.  They are creating a dialogue and sharing knowledge rather than overtly using it as a sales technique.  One of the joys of Twitter is the limitation of only 140 characters – it’s quick to scan messages and senders are forced to be concise (a useful discipline for PR consultants targeting busy journalists with news stories!). 

Take a look at Twitter’s new guide for businesses published last week   or read this guide  for some tips on getting started.

 Twitter isn’t complicated to use, that’s one of the keys to its success.  So don’t hold back, jump in the Twitter stream and you’ll be re-tweeting before you know it.  Happy Tweeting!

In those far off days when newspapers were populated by hard drinking hacks and  old Imperial typewriters cluttered the desks of smoke ridden newsrooms the impending arrival of  personal  computers was then but a dream for some and  a nightmare for others.

 My memory of the Daily Telegraph news room in those days of yore was a couple of fax machines clattering relentlessly away, churning out reams of paper from what resembled gigantic toilet rolls.  It was, however, those unremitting faxes which carried major news messages from agencies and correspondents  across the globe, many of  which became the banner headlined stories of the following day.

Gone, however, are the beer and gin sodden hacks, much derided as lunchtime o’boozers, along with their typewriters while the fax is fast becoming a relic of yesteryear.  The e-mail is now the much accepted fact of day-to-day communication in both working and personal life; we may sometimes hate the mass of messages on our screen when returning from holiday but there is a way round that – we take a BlackBerry with us so we can check our emails while lying on some sun drenched beach. 

 Yes, with our BlackBerry we can access our favourite social networking site, usually Facebook, perhaps Twitter, and bring our friends and family up to date with just what we’re doing on holiday and, of course, via our mobile we can send them a pic to show just how good we look in our designer swimwear.   Realistically, to be without our mobile is akin to having lost an all important body part. Let’s be honest about all this, if we’re not signed up to one or other social or business networking site, usually both, then we might be perceived as both socially and professionally inadequate!

 To blog or not to blog?  That is the all important question.   The internet plays an increasingly crucial role in our daily lives and the blog, which started off as something of an ego trip for those who wanted to reveal the minutiae of their often boring lives to anyone who was sad enough to read them, is becoming a professional tool.   Blogs are now seen by the media as offering up disclosures by those in public life, revelations which  often give rise to sensational disclosures on the evening news programmes.  Major national, occasionally international, news stories are ‘broken’ via a blog.  And those who bring us the news, the name of the BBC’s Business Editor Robert Peston comes to mind, are enthusiastic bloggers whose musings are closely followed by those addicted to news and the story behind the news. 

So back to the question!  Embrace it and blog away.

I’ve never been an advocate of using complex terminology, technical speak and marketing buzz words during my career in PR, and have always found that a straight forward and direct approach to business suited me just fine.

But that’s become more difficult as we have all embraced the myriad of new digital and social media over the past year or so that has brought a whole new language straight into mainstream culture.

I have been an avid ‘Facebooker’ for some time, having family spread across the world meant that was the best way to stay involved with people I know everywhere – it made sense for me.

Linkedin has crept through the PR industry and other professional services – especially recruitment – with an undeniable momentum. Last year we started using Facebook fan sites for clients who had ‘follower’ customers – restaurants, bars, websites and hotels particularly see the benefit.

Then came ‘Tweeting’ – and more than ever we have been drawn towards the world of blogging and social media as devices that are relevant for communicating with new publics, and not just for clients targeting ‘Yoof’ groups and geeks.

We have reached the point where social media PR is now relevant to every client, whether B2B or consumer to some degree or other. As an agency we aim to bring our trademark no bull approach to this exciting new opportunity.

Our challenges now are to filter the most relevant media devices for each campaign and client, to explain their relevance and implement them efficiently. That means getting to the bottom of every piece of jargon, every new trend and every facet of social media. If people can understand how this will benefit their business, they will use social media and benefit from it.

As a starting point, I found Darren Rowse A to Z useful.

We are already working with our clients to take the most relevant aspects of the social media mix for their businesses, and sew them together with traditional PR and media relations into a package that makes sense and delivers value.

Our use of digital media can amplify traditional PR results – media coverage – with very little additional effort, and funnel the benefits – sales and enquiries more directly to client businesses.

Just like media relations, this isn’t rocket science, but the devil is most certainly in the detail. We know some very clever specialists and we are learning from them and using the best expertise. Most of our clients want to get the most ‘bang for their buck’ – and by making social marketing relevant for their business – we can deliver that.

The social media and digital revolution is the biggest opportunity to get value for money profile in decades, and we hope to share some of our experiences of making social media relevant to all manner of business, tell you more about what the Appeal team are up to, and hopefully get your views too…