Broadcasting the Office

Does your office have a YouTube page? What about a Twitter account? Facebook Fan page? 

For all of the Public Relations and Advertising firms out there telling clients to "get online" and "use social media", many aren't as good at practicing what they preach. In my humble opinion, an agency who urges their client to "be online", yet doesn't even stick a toe into the deep end of social media, is like a dentist with bad breath. 

Luckily, I've been fortunate to work for two companies who "get it". That's rare because it's difficult for a company to find their online identity. If you're working somewhere that hasn't even tried yet, I'd recommend suggesting it. You'll get kudos for thinking outside the box and, in the long run, having a presence in social media can turn into a revenue builder when done correctly. It may take a while, though, because finding a balance between sharing too much and not enough information is difficult. 

Here are my very broad suggestions for what companies can do to break the social media ice:

1) Find out if any of your employees are online and what mediums they find most useful. If they are avid Twitterers (tweeters, if you will) then entering the Twittersphere will be easy with their guidance.

2) Don't join every social network. Not all of them are relevant to your industry and some are just plain weird. For a PR and advertising firm, I recommend joining Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to start.

Why those three? 

• Well, Twitter is simple to learn and even simpler to maintain. All you do is enter 140 characters worth of industry advice, client news and/ or employee acheivements. You can follow competitors, freelancers, reporters and industry leaders to share ideas and spread the company name. 
  
• YouTube gives your company an instant channel for broadcast clippings and clever videos. While having a YouTube channel may not bring in loads of new business, I guarantee the next great person you interview is Googling your company's name and, if you have some cool content on YouTube for them to view, you just got another check in your "pro" column.
• A Facebook page for your company allows employees, past and present, to connect and share. If you create a "fan page" with your work, your clients will be impressed by your online presence and "know how". Because Facebook advertising and PR targeting is effective and still rather new, a Facebook page illustrates that your company is a pioneer and can lead future clients and employees to the social media realm.

3) Monitor Monitor Monitor! Remember that social media is a conversation. So if you're posting content, people can post replies. Be sure to monitor what people are saying about your company and reply when relevant. Never delete negative feedback and alway encourage and thank those who offer positive feedback. 

Finally, here are some examples of the social media practices my current and past employers have created...

Susan Davis International has a Facebook group, a YouTube page and a Twitter Account. Before I came on staff they won the honor of being one of the Top Six Small PR Firms in the Nation by PRNews. This video was produced as a result and is now posted on YouTube (and below)

"A Day in the Life at Susan Davis International"

Seventh Point Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations gave me my first job. They were 

very open to my social media ideas, though when I was there we only implemented them 

for clients. I'm glad to see that they're online presence has grown and I think they're doing 

great. I was just invited to be a fan of Seventh Point on Facebook and they have a bunch of 

videos on YouTube, including this video which shows the preparations for their Annual Client 

and Staff "Santa Night". This event is huge and their clients love it. Basically, their Courier 

dresses up as Santa and the Art Department decorates the office to look like a different 

Winter Wonderland each year.

Check it out...