Thumbs up

Earlier this week, I was surprised to see that my friend Patrick Fortner had endorsed me on LinkedIn. It took him the click of a mouse—less than a second—to show that he was a fan of my work. In much the same vein, I’ve had colleagues and co-workers write letters (now emails) of recommendation, make phone calls, or otherwise advocate on my behalf. In these small ways, they build my brand, sanctioning who I am and the methods by which I do it.

 

These minor gestures carry a big weight. We trust people we know, and value their opinions, so when they express approval, it holds a lot of sway. It’s enough to influence hiring decisions, change votes, alter buying decisions, and make us question our choices.

 

As PR and marketing professionals, it’s easy to forget that we can capture and direct some of this same power. No matter the organization, there are hundreds—perhaps thousands—of people who like the products or services it provides and are willing to tell their friends. It’s what social media expert Ted Rubin calls a Return on Relationship. They might need a little nudge from time to time, but the potential is there.  

 

For example, I blogged two weeks ago about the positive public relations my alma mater’s football team is generating for the school. At the center of that buzz is an unassuming kid named Johnny Manziel, a phenomenal athlete who is likely, next week, to become the first freshman player to win the Heisman Trophy.  

 

While the national sports media is generating a lot of the excitement, the power of one amazing quarterback to elevate the Texas A&M brand is also being bolstered by alumni and fans who have a stake in the game. We already had a positive feeling about the product (Texas A&M University). Now we’ve been shown a clear and easy path to advocate for it (by simply saying nice things about a nice Texas kid). And we’ve got the numbers to make an impact: with 333,308 “Former Students”—the A&M name for alumni, whether or not they received a degree—we’re a sizeable group of potential promoters.

 

Like any good mar/comm department, A&M has made it easy for supporters to become cheerleaders. They’ve developed a dedicated website, complete with a fun and flashy video that can be shared at the click of a button. They regularly share stories from ESPN, The Sporting News, Associated Press, and other major media, encouraging us to “share on Facebook and other social media.” Which we do. And they involve us at every key moment, like invitations watch press conferences online via streaming video feeds. In other words, they make us part of the team.

 

These efforts do two things simultaneously: first, the Heisman campaign gives the alumni a splashy and cool way to talk about something we love. Yes, it’s about football—but it’s also an opportunity to say “Look at us! Oh, and while you’re here…did you know we’re a member of the Association of American Universities because of our research and that we’re nationally ranked in number of academic programs?”

 

Second, it bolsters brand loyalty from within. While we’re out there cheerleading for our favorite school, we’re reinforcing our own positive feelings about the organization. Long after the football season has ended, we’ll favorably respond to requests for donations, political advocacy on behalf of the university, and other endorsements.

 

Of course, you don’t get donors or lifelong customers overnight. But building brand advocates can start very small—literally small, in fact. For instance, you can get a “mini buy-in” by asking people for the most basic show of support. Think about the yellow plastic “Livestrong” bracelets. More than 80 million of them have been sold (at just $1 each) since 2004. If you have one on your wrist and see it every day, how much more likely are you to respond to the Foundation’s fundraising mailer? The same holds true for a pink ribbon or a political candidate’s bumper sticker. It’s asking for an almost insignificant commitment, but one that can yield dividends for the organization in the long term. Why? Because it’s the beginning of a relationship that you can cultivate and grow over time. It forms a connection—one that must be nurtured, certainly, but a starting point nonetheless.

 

If you’re thinking this sounds like added work for the communications team, you’re probably right. Conversely, though, it’s a force multiplier: you’ve extended your staff from one or two PR people to a potentially unlimited team (that also works for free). Worth a little extra effort, I’d say.

 

As for me, I’m happy to endorse friends, tout projects, and tweet about nonprofit causes on your behalf. But—and here’s the key to most brand advocacy—you’ll have to ask. I’ve got a lot on my to-do list these days, and need a gentle nudge. Except when it comes to Aggie football, of course. Have I mentioned Johnny Manziel should win the Heisman?

More go for less dough

My friends are all talking—and by talking, I mean posting statuses and links—about a new Dallas restaurant called Dough. It’s a pizza place at Preston and Forest that is, according to all accounts, really yummy and really popular. Just like nearby Liberty Burger at Forest and Inwood, Dough is building a pretty good business around modern “word of mouth” promotion. People have a positive experience at Dough and tell their friends. We all show up and eat. Then we tell our friends, too. The restaurant has spent almost no funds on paid advertising, getting—in the words of an old gas station sign—“more go for less dough.”

 

Brand advocacy like this is, and always has been, at the heart of public relations. In fact, all we’re really trying to do as PR people is to get others to talk (positively) about our company or service. In this sense, we’ve worked with traditional media to advocate on our behalf and—as digital interaction becomes more and more prominent—we now try to get “citizen journalists” to do the same.

It’s a process that goes beyond simply name recognition or a catchy tagline. The things that gives a brand longevity and power are all the intangible elements that make up an experience with that entity. PR is about working to create and reinforce that experience.

While there are countless tactics which can contribute to the development of brand advocates, three key concepts rise to the top:

1.       Engage

Put simply, you need to have a two-way conversation with your audience members. Think of the last few lectures and presentations you’ve attended. Think about your favorite talk show. The most interesting—Oprah Winfrey or Ellen DeGeneres—were those in which the speaker asked questions of the audience and actively responded to the answers. Even if most of the audience (including you) just listened, they probably felt more of a connection to the presenter and her content because she made an effort to engage.

 

Modern media works the same way. We don’t want information dumped on us; we want to have an interactive experience. And the research backs it up. According to an article on consumer-brand identification in the current issue of International Journal of Research in Marketing, there is a “strong causal relationship” between drivers like “warmth” and “memorable experiences” and a consumer’s brand loyalty. We want to strive to make those connections at every available touchpoint.

2.       Ask

Once we’ve established a positive relationship, we shouldn’t wait for our new friends to endorse us. We need to actively ask them to do so. Dan Zarrella, author of The Social Media Marketing Book, says that tweets containing the phrase “please retweet” are FOUR TIMES more likely to be shared. It’s a simple but deliberate call to action that turns your followers into advocates—and it’s a highly effective tactic on personal media channels like Facebook, where people trust the recommendations of their friends and acquaintances.

Don’t have that many followers? Try influencing your audience’s influencers, says Bill Kula, Director of External Comms at Verizon. Identify the top voices in your industry, whether they be bloggers, industry journalists, columnists at key publications or simply individuals who carry a lot of clout. Then engage with them on driving conversation around who you are and what you do.

3.       Recognize

Finally, as my mother (and Dale Carnegie) always said, make people feel important, no matter who they are. Acknowledge their contribution to the conversation. Show respect for them and their opinions. Feature their ideas, even if it’s just a simple retweet or customer quote. Making a big deal—or even a little deal—out of one person’s mention will encourage others to follow suit. Pretty soon you’ll have a whole bunch of people saying nice things about you.

And, in the end, isn’t that really what public relations is all about?

Just puck it.

As the National Hockey League lockout closes out its first full week, many professional players are in talks to sign with European leagues for the 2012-13 season. Perhaps they’re thinking of hockey legend Wayne Gretsky’s observation: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player skates to where the puck is going to be.” Though they’ll get monthly escrow checks equal to about 8% of their salary throughout the negotiations, players who don’t earn the multi-million dollar salaries see the puck—in this case, the paycheck—to be skimming elsewhere. They’re simply trying to get in front of it.

It’s a good communications strategy as well, especially when it comes to social media. We’re chasing a very elusive target audience across the very slippery surface of multiple media. Good players are skating very near the puck, but always just a bit behind. The really great players are moving to where the puck is going to be, anticipating their target’s next pivot and being in place when that audience arrives.

Of course, this is about as easy as blocking a 100-mile-an-hour slapshot. Consumers of information now have thousands of choices, each one requiring different content, maintenance, and follow up. Even if you figure out the best platform for today’s audience and message, you have to figure out who your audience WILL BE next year or next decade. It takes “skating to the puck” to a whole new level.

For example, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, commonly known as the VA, is starting to focus its communications efforts on an entirely different audience. The image that many of us have of veterans is an older population: World War II veterans are now in their 90s and Korea and Vietnam veterans are collecting Social Security. But nearly 20% of veterans are under age 45 and this audience of nearly 5 million users expects digital access and social interaction.  

In response, the VA is a dynamic participant in social media on Facebook and Twitter, with “nearly 640,000 friends and followers,” according to VA online comms director Brandon Friedman. The agency also actively advocates on behalf of veterans-only online communities like the Community of Veterans, which boosts more than 23,000 members. Though the VA communciations team admits they’ve only just begun to explore interactive options, they're working to get ahead of where their target audience is going, not just chasing after them.

The approach to doing this well is the same as an athlete might take. Practice. Watch those who do it well. Practice some more. Look for tips and techniques and advice. Practice again. And while we may not ever be a Gretsky-level of elite player, we might get better at hitting our goals.