Let’s Connect: Using Linkedin to get ahead at work - Ajay Jain

What the book is talking about is LinkedIn, an international business networking website, which can make the world of business a much smaller place. Specially with the network that he or she creates. Interestingly, if you are connected on this business networking site the possibilities are just endless like accessing faraway markets, landing dream jobs, raising capital, attracting the best of talent, building corporate brands and more.

The structure is so simply put, even though if someone has not heard about Linkedin and picks up this book, he will surely be able to understand as to what the power of Linkedin can do for him. At first, the author has highlighted as what should go in your profile and what does not work on Linkedin.

The most important part of the book is the “10 ways to get Linkedin to work for you”. Ajay has explained in each of the 10 ways with cases and quotes from individuals who have successfully used the networking site in that particular approach. This is something unique in this book, where the authors has taken the efforts of compiling the user experiences for each of the approaches that he mentions. The 10 ways are:

i Your Ever Expanding Rolodex
ii LinkedIn Answers: A Global Focus Group
iii Networking Plus
iv Branding and Marketing Yourself
v Hiring People
vi Finding a Job You Love
vii Finding Vendors and Service Providers
viii Running Background Checks
ix Entrepreneurs: Get Opinions and Investors
x Selling & Brand Building

Author highlights that the most important aspect that one can leverage Linkedin to gain popularity, to be an expert in his/her field, to gain new business, to build network and many more advantages is using the Linkedin Answers section. There is a whole chapter which highlights as to how one can use this feature. Listening, participation being the key in today’s social media environment. Linked Answers is the platform to be on. This is the best way to build credibility amongst peers and even provide a little threat to the competition, you already know and you are waiting to convert the information to knowledge.

Some observations:

• One thing that surprised me the most that, we as Linkedin users has an limit to inviting to 3000 people to join.
• LIONS -Linkedin Open Networkers - these are networkers who allow anyone to see their email address and are are open to receiving the invites from anyone
• The boxes which highlight and exemplify a point does not come as an intrusion, but highlights the point in discussion
• If you are in growing stage, Linkedin will help - Connecting with trusted individuals, specially for freshers, start ups with people that are powerhouse in their own domains
• Backgrounds check on service providers or even individuals, this will help in establishing one’s online reputation.

After reading the book, i realised that there are so many potential opportunities waiting to be tapped on networking site. So as the author’s suggests, “Do you want to be Linked In or Linked Out? The choice is yours”.

You can catch me on Linkedin

Esha News has started this initiative where each client for each PR agency can have their own webspace and can access provide access to the team and the client. The monitoring agency has started to understand and value of real time delivery clips, specially during a crisis situation, when you need coverage, even before it happens. (Pun Intended).

As a execution person or the Associate, when you have ordered a cd to view the television coverage as to where all they have appeared. You are all excited to showcase your work to your seniors, you know you have done a good job, you want leverage this initiative as a team in front of the client. And what happens, the courier walla has misplaced the CD some where, and you do not know what to do next… sounds familiar.

Esha News has clearly understood the pain points that the PR agency goes through, where the CD does not reach on the designated time or there is late delivery of clips. To see the advantage in better light of this service or as PR professionals how we leverage on this

• With this especially with the instant uploading of clips on a daily basis , we can access it, once the coverage has appeared on television. Don’t know exactly what is the time gap between coverage being on air and the coverage being uploaded and being able to viewed by all.
  
• As multi-city teams, we will be able to access the clips across the cities with no geographical restrictions. Accessing these clips and reports will also not have any time barrier, specially with respect to international assignments. So you share email and let them have a look at the coverage, while you are sleeping.
  
• The client servicing team can download these reports on to their desktop. Download facility adds the icing on the cake, the videos can get attached to the presentation, and have the wow effect. Situation: The review starts with how we achieved, what we achieved, graphs and then videos once they get attached to the presentation, you have the audio-visual presentation, you surely have won the client.
  

• The client servicing team can view clips almost instantly and share it with their clients. Specially at a time of crisis, where information becomes the key and the holder of this information is the king. You exactly know how the media has reacted to the situation. and now you can take the neccessary and pre-defined action.
  

• The team need not worry about the making multiple copies of the clips, since the clips are stored on the server for over 30 days with each PR agency having its own individual webpage and webspace with unique logins for each client.

Let me know, if you find any more advantages of this service. These advantages have been penned down only because "i was there" and faced these issues.

Continuing on the footsteps of the Editor in the blog post, PR agencies in Delhi and NCR were mapped. Click here . Now, created one for Aamchi Mumbai. If you wish to have a certain agency added in the list, please contact any of the India PR Blog authors.

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If you are looking at getting your self involved with the social media marketing. These 7 Cs should come in handy!!

C #1 - Context

First you need to understand the context that you will be dealing with. This could be in the form of any social media platform. But before you start engaging with them, you need to understand who they are and more importantly what is the motivation that is binding them together, socially. Example could be pure passion for technology or Bollywood or even communication that has led one individual to pursue on the path of blogging.

C #2 - Communicate

Intention to communicate - if you do not have a intention, then you might as well. Just do a cut, copy, paste job and spam the comments section of the bloggers. That is it, then your brand is at the wrath and  mercy of the bloggers. Do not try to push your marketing messages across in the social media, it might just do more harm than good.

C #3 - Conversation

You need to have a conversation , with your fellow human beings even online. My belief is that there was a time on the internet when people use to be faceless and anonymous and they use to take full advantage of it. But now these are the same people who have realised that they are not being able to handle multiple personalities. They are the same human beings. Just try to talk to them, even just greet them, they will be friends.

C #4 - Content

What does not work on the Internet is a copy. We need to be the original content providers for what we are trying to engage the Internet users into. If we copy and they find out, then our reputation online is scarred! The other element to the content is that we need to have contextually relevant content or else again, we will be seen as spammers!! The rule is customise your messages according to the motivation of the individuals that make the communities or groups on the various social media platform.

C #5 - Create

One of the complains that have been with clients is that communications consultants are not proactive enough. Here on these multiple channels of social media, they have the endless possibilities to create original content that is being provided to them by their clients and not only prove that they are proactive, but the original content can be used (hint) in combination of text, audio, video, graphical images, animation, pictures to benefit the clients. Don’t want to actually, boost ourselves, but we do not have any form of 30-second barrier, we need not have a limitations in our word length (copy). We have the power to inform, influence and impress with the power of words.

C #6 - Collaborate

All our management gurus have spoken about team building exercises. Here we have a platform not only build, but also to maintain the relationships that have been fostered over each and every social media platform. Technology gives us the opportunity to collaborate and enhance our relationships virtually. Relationships could be built on social platform based common interests and business platforms based on professional experience or expertise that one has.

C #7 - Contacts

Contacts - This may be one of the result that you will achieve in the process of your social media marketing effort. You would enjoy being a part of the wise world where knowledge sharing and problem solving are the things to do (TTDs) on a daily basis. This is the element that builds up the social support that you receive even from the online world, which helps individuals at the need of the hour in taking action at both personal front as well as professional!!

These 7 Cs have been the culmination of observation, experience, and research in the field of social media marketing over the past 10 months. If you have any more Cs or for that matter any element that you can think of that I have missed, just let me know!!

Reading a comment on this blog about a student requesting for guidance… i thought i could share, what could be the ideal scenario that you people can create for yourself.

Know thy client

Once you join in a public relations consultancy, your first job will be to understand what your clients are doing? What is the client’s main business? One tip: read about them on their own website, sometimes even the client forget that information is available online, on their own website. But God help you, if you get a dotcom company to work for, since they keep updating the website on daily basis. You should not forget you role is in client servicing and that will be your major time being spent on.

Also understand the person from the client side; they are no monsters, out there. They have their own reporting structures, inhibitions, ambitions. Try to meet them and match with them, complement his / her work, rather than being nuisance. Before their bosses ask them “what is happening with PR?”; “What are the results?”; What are the initiatives being planned for the forthcoming quarter?” You have already equipped him or her with all these answers.

Know thy client’s industry

You are a novice that is the biggest advantage! Since what ever information is offered to you, you will be able to absorb it like a sponge. Your PR skills will come handy, as to how and when you can use this information. Please keep reading about the industry, best place to start is the newspapers, if you are in entertainment you should be able to recognise the names of all the television, bollywood stars – your guide to this new found knowledge can start with Bombay Times Page 3, HT Café, DNA After Hours; if you are in technology practice, then read Times Trends, DNA Evolutions, HT – Life, Universe and Everything Else – latest tech trends are being spoken here. These are just starters…

Know thy company

At first, need not understand the systems, processes; this will become a way of life, eventually. What you need to understand is the culture of the organization that you are joining. Am I being vague? What you need to understand is what is the ultimate goal of your organization that you have joined? Is it to achieve X number of clients, is to earn X amount money in terms of retainer, is it to do X number of projects? Is it to change the face of the PR industry? One you have clear understanding as to what you organization goals are for the long term. You will understand how you will be able to contribute to their growth and eventually to your own growth and learning.

 Know thy media

As a PR professional, what tends to happen is that you will be asked do you know anybody in this media house. Another tip: do keep in touch with your batchmates specially who have graduated with you and specialized in journalism. They will surely be able to guide you to the right person in the media house.

Don’t forget about public relations

Once you get into the rut of doing work, you end up following your TTDs (Things To Do List) forgetting whole lot of things that you had studied, there a lot of books being written by PR professionals, yes in India too. You should try to read them, there are some really good books at the British Council Library and if you have ever go back to your alma mater, you will be surprised to find some more books, under the Dewey Decimal Classification 659 - which is the designated number for Advertising and Public Relations.

Some qualities are in-born, some you acquire while studying the subject of public relations. The other set of qualities that you should have and keeping building on   

Passion if you can keep the passion for public relations living on within inside you, the you will never feel bogged down or the thought work is killing you… the passion will be so strong that it drive you to work even on early Monday morning. 

Learning – you should try and learn new things. You should be so self-motivated that “I will learn this new thing today”. And if you do it, you will yourself discover the potential that you have it in you.

Modesty – It’s ok if say ‘I don’t know’s, rather giving bullshit and some vague answers and trying convince the person  that you are right. You can always say that, you will get back with answers, they will respect you more. A last fighting scene before Neo goes and saves Morpheus from Matrix – Part I

Neo: Trinity, do you know how to fly the chopper?

Trinity: give me minute

Trinity: (calls) Operator, please upload the soft ware of flying a Helicopter XYZ

Trinity: (turns to Neo)  I know

You guys, don’t need some sci-fi flick to convince on how to fly a chopper, you have Google, Wikipedia. You have all the experts within your own organization who would love to guide and monitor you, if you have the right questions.

Some time back, press releases were perhaps meant only for the journalists. Not so anymore.

Today the consumer is fast becoming the fourth estate. With the increasing influence of social media in our lives, we are now reading/listening and expressing our views using blogs and podcasts, watching videos on YouTube, sharing pictures on Picasa and Flickr and sharing our lives and views with the virtual world through social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook and giving updates through Twitter. Now, if we want to share some information with our friends, we just don’t send them links, we want to share the videos, photographs, audio with each other.

Now if corporates want to target this lot, the traditional plain Jane press releases are a complete no no. We use what is called the Social Media Press Release (SMPR) that enables all these sharing in an interesting manner with ease. Since this not only provides the opportunity to share information in a way our new age consumer wants but at the same time also gives enough opportunity to engage the consumer and the critics in an ongoing dialogue.

One of the companies that use the Social Media Press Release effectively and efficiently is Ford . I particularly liked the “Digital Snippet” concept in this Social Media Press release only because it is like providing information to the blogger the way he/she would like to see, share, and publish through his/her Google reader or Bloglines.

Now how do we create a social media press release? The latest template has been developed recently by Social Media Group. This can be downloaded here.

There is another format developed by Shift Communications that can be downloaded from here. This particular template was simple to understand and easier to information as was briefed in within template limits.

If not for anything else, the Social Media News Release can come very helpful in certain traditional PR practices say for example in creating a video news release. Using the new release format, you can skip the tedious process of having to burn dozens of copies of CDs.

So are you using any social media press releases for your company/clients? What are your experiences? Share them for the community here.

The next level of measuring PR effectiveness is whether the target audience groups received the messages directed to them. Have they they retained and understood the message that was intended too. Walter Lindenmann labels this level as Outgrowths.

This level of success of public relations campaign will depend on immediate reaction that you will receive or you desired to receive from target audience. The best example is getting our event listed in the events and listings section. A press conference would not be a ideal event to be listed in this section. Listing would be recommended for a children’s workshop in a book store. The outgrowth would be the number of participants for the workshop. Event participation would be the measurement tool.

The other forms of Outgrowths are:

Dip stick study: A dip stick study in the form of the recall of the particular brand, corporate or spokesperson vis-a-vis the competition. Which is the top of mind brand recall for the media in a particular industry? It should be the brand that you are working on, if it isn’t then you need to work harder.

Call ins: If there is a particular interview that is being broadcasted on the radio and the floor is open for call-in interviews with the celebrity. The number of callers would be the measured as a success rate.

Contest Entries: If we are promoting a particular contest, the number of contest entries. A corollary to this would be the number of SMS received as votes for the winning contestant - Indian Idol, Nach Baliye.

Focus Groups: A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their attitude towards a product, service, concept or advertisement, immediately after they have been exposed to the messages of the particular element.

The other would be candidates appearing for walk-in interviews after reading the classified section in the newspaper. The number of visitors to the company website increasing after the company has made a new announcement. Case in Point would be the launch of the Tata Nano and the number of visitors to the website that were increased due to the announcement. Another observation was Tata Nano, Tata Motors, $2500 car being the top 25 searched keywords on Google as on January 10, 2008.

My next article will highlight success based on the other measurement techniques under Outcomes!!

(This is the second in the three part series on measuring the success of a Public Relations Campaign)

Tech Tags: pr public+relations india

We as Public Relations or corporate communications professionals are incessantly asked about the ROI (return on investment) on a particular initiative. What I’ve put together below could be a way to answer to that crucial question. We could actually look at it as three different aspects or phases of measuring the success of a particular public relations campaign.

Three levels of measuring public relations effectiveness have been identified by Dr. Walter K. Lindenmann, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at Ketchum Public Relations. He labels the basic level “outputs”, the intermediate level “outgrowths” and the advanced level “outcomes”.

1. Outputs measures message transmission and the initiative response
2. Outgrowths measures message reception with immediate reaction
3. Outcomes measures attitude and behavioral change

Outputs

Outputs of a particular PR campaign will be with respect to the initiative that was undertaken; like that of a press release announcing a product launch being sent out and ‘x+1′ number of publications carrying it. A direct impact of the proposed plan of targeting ‘x’ number of publications. The client is quite satisfied since we send him the scanned copies of clips as well as the detailed status on the achieved media coverage. This is termed as Target Media Reach. Few more ways to measure the output and the success of the campaign are:

Circulation – provide the circulation figures in case of print media. Similarly, providing TRP for television on real time basis and listenership for radio, this is revised on a weekly basis. The possibility of the total potential exposure to the message in the feature or the news article can be hence calculated.

Target Audience Reach – have you targeted the right media to reach your target audience? Case in point would be a cornflakes company targeting parents highlighting the nutritional value. In such a case, it is imperative to include niche magazines like Parenting, Prevention and other vertical publications in our media plan. One challenge here, that could be faced, is that of periodicity of the magazine. We could look at creating and including customized initiatives around the vertical magazines to gain mileage and required publicity. This will surely help in reaching out to the desired target audience with the desired, customized messaging, rather than merely relying on coverage through a press release being sent to them.

Impressions – the number of times an article has appeared in a particular publication should also be calculated. These articles should be checked for all the right messages. Then, these articles then should be multiplied with circulations figures.

Delivery of Message Points – We are in the profession to form the right impression. For that, we need to create the right messages, in the right media and to the right audience. If all the messages that were designated (or desired) to be published, are published, we would be successful in our campaign?

Competitive Analysis – All the above mentioned parameters can be used similarly for the competing brands and evaluated and compared to our brand. From a tactical perspective, this helps in gauging the competitor’s media presence in terms of media type and frequency, which helps us implement our own media plan much more efficiently and effectively.

My next article will highlight success based on the other measurement techniques under Outgrowths and Outcomes!! Let me know if you want to add any other parameter to Outputs.

(This is the first in the three part series on measuring the success of a Public Relations Campaign)

Tech Tags: pr public+relations india

We have learned through experience or through academics that there is basic simple model of communication. Here, you have a sender, who creates the message then you have the receiver who receives the message. There are 5 key elements that define a communication process:

Source – the originator of message, codes the message
Message – a set of signs and symbol
Receiver – the message intended to, decodes the message
Channel – a means of communication or access
Noise – any form of disturbance (physical, psychological) that can disturb the original contents of the message

The above is the Linear Model of Communication which was constructed by Shannon & Weaver, 1949. The communication is successful, only when the receiver gives feedback in a particular form of communication.

Basic models of communication were based on one-to-one (letter writing) or one-to-many (speeches, television broadcast) form of communication. Since then models of communication evolved into something more complex, only because more elements have become prominent like the fact technology giving us an opportunity to talk to one-to-many-to-many-to-one form of communication.

New media networked communication model are:

1. One-to-One Communication
2. One-to-Many Communication
3. Many-to-One Communication
4. One-to-Many-to-Many Communication

Source: IAOCblog
Image Source: IAOCblog

One-to-one communication: bloggers writing on a particular topical subject. This could be a crisis situation being faced by the country internally or externally – Bloggers became very vocal with ISP’s banning particular blogs in July 2006 – that is when the popularity and power of blogs took notice. There is a common cause that people start writing about it and then join in on the conversation and spread the word.

One-to-many communication: Robert Scoble says IE7 is slower than FireFox on some web sites on certain websites. Source. Robert Scoble is a technical evangelist, and author; best known for his popular blog, Scobleizer. If an influencer, like Robert Scoble who would give his views on a brand after research and experiencing the product, it would surely affect the brand. Since there are people who follow him diligently and have heard that they would actually try to be the first one to comment on his blog. Similarly his views on micro-blog called twitter did gain a lot of popularity after he penned down his views on his blog.

Many-to-One Communication: discussions being initiated and participated in multiple platforms on various online forums – movies, characters, actors are being discussed on Bollywood forums - India Forums; new technology and usability of technology being discussed on technology forums; New games, new episodes, new virtual characters being a point of conversation on the different discussion boards of Gamers India. But does all this information being discussed on public platforms reaching the organization? Are the organizations tracking these various conversations about their brand? Doubt it!

One-to-Many-to-Many Communication: This model of communication would be a combination of the new media and their power to influence a potential customer to buy a brand. New Media would include blogs, online forums, reviews, podcasts, micro-blogs, video sharing, photo sharing, online groups, social networking sites, second life and MMORPG.
—

I would like to highlight my observations on the key elements of New Media communication models. These key elements would be more progressive and rapidly developing. These elements would be more flexible to include any new form or a combination of forms of communication. There would still be a sender and a receiver but there focus would lie not on the originator and the recipient but the discussion itself. These elements would be:

Create – creating original messages based on the individual’s personal expertise or experience

Content – content can be in the form of video, audio, pictures, images, graphical representation or plain text

Context – the environment in which the message was created – technology platform provided like that of a blog, online forum, social networking site

Collaborate – real time interactivity in the form of comments or discussion threads. For illustration to improvise a particular product and co-creating a brand – works well with technology based products which are in beta mode

Converse – intention to share, collaborate and looking forward to feedback.