The challenge many businesses face is personalizing themselves to their customers. Businesses try and accomplish this through many methods. They create unique commercials, ad campaigns and other marketing. They can hire a public relations firm to assist them in gaining exposure via various methods. They can also employ many services that help them better connect with their customers and make it easier for their customers to connect with them. Many businesses, however, neglect to utilize one of the most important things they could be doing: community involvement.

Community involvement can help separate you from your competition. People appreciate and notice when businesses integrate themselves into the community. There are many ways to accomplish this ranging from self-initiated and administered charitable activities to small things that appeal to wide audiences. The people in your community are the exact people you want paying attention to you. If that attention is based on your involvement and efforts towards a cause they love, they will return the favor by patronizing your dealership.

Here are a few ways that you can involve yourself in your community that are effective, and some may even drive traffic to your dealership.

1. Have a Test-Drive-athon: Offer to donate $25 to a charity for every test drive that a customer takes. Movie tickets and gift cards work great but they won’t engender the widespread good feelings you’ll receive from your community, especially if the charity you choose is local. You’ll benefit not only by increased traffic – hold it over a weekend – but also from people in the community who hear about the promotion. Planned correctly, most charities will even assist you in promoting the event.
2. Sponsor animals at your local shelter: There’s nobody more passionate than animal lovers. In many cases, pets become an extension of family and are treated like children… and there are a lot of animal lovers out there. Arrange with your local shelter to cover the adoption fees of a few animals per month. The animal shelter will appreciate it as most employees are also animal lovers and nobody wants to euthanize animals. Chances are they’ll also promote the sponsorship via social media and in their normal marketing. Locals will come out of nowhere to thank you on your social media accounts. I’ve seen brand new Facebook pages literally acquire hundreds of new fans in the space of a week from this activity. People left comments such as “I’m definitely buying my next vehicle there.” And “I will refer everyone I know to your dealership. You are doing a great thing. Thank you.” This cost the dealership about $100 per month and they didn’t have to do anything. Of course this also makes great marketing, social media and customer communication content for your dealership to use as well.
3. Get involved in local events: Find out what’s going on in your community and make sure to get involved. It doesn’t matter what the event is… car show, craft fair or farmer’s market. Don’t be there to sell, however. Just be there. Hand out balloons and popcorn to kids or free water to attendees. Maybe there’s a parade going on. Offer to drive some vehicles in the parade. Contact your local high school and get involved in their homecoming games driving their royal prospects around the track. There are infinite possibilities to gain exposure through goodwill. You just have to look for them.
4. Sponsor local little league teams or school clubs: There are so many different children organizations that need your help staying afloat. High school clubs need funding to survive, which is why fundraising is extremely important. Let them hold a car wash on your property or just offer to sponsor an event for them. Their parents and the school will be appreciative and think of you when it comes time to buy a vehicle. Little league baseball teams are also a great way to gain goodwill and exposure. Many leagues will even imprint your logo on their jerseys. Another great organization to consider would be your local Boy or Girl Scout troops.

These are just a few of many ways that you can integrate yourself into your community. You’ll gain exposure for the dealership, increased opportunities to meet people and network, referrals from people that appreciate the support and business from people sympathetic to the cause you assisted.  You can also feel good about giving back to your community and doing something worthwhile.

In most of these examples, you’ll also have the charity organization itself promoting your dealership. You’ll have great content for marketing, provide valuable content for press releases and generate buzz around your dealership. You’ll also gain a community full of appreciative people.

You know the old saying “People buy from people they like.” Become the business that people like and you’ll be that much closer to increasing sales.

In the business world, and in public relations, it’s not uncommon for customers to vent on social media networks when they encounter problems and feel the business is not interested in assisting them with a solution. The most famous example of a disgruntled customer is the gentleman who had his guitar broken by United Airlines, then wrote a song and uploaded a music video about the incident to YouTube. So far this has been watched over 13 million times. While it’s certainly an extreme example of exposure for a customer complaint, it’s far from out of the ordinary. Consumers are slowly discovering that taking to social networks garners results, as companies monitor them more carefully.

Recently, a customer took social media venting to a new level when he tweeted about British Airways losing his father’s luggage. This man decided, however, to pay Twitter to promote the tweet at a cost of $1,000. Typically, the extent to which negative PR is possible is dependent on either the outrageousness of the incident or the size and attentiveness of the person’s networks. This new strategy, however, negates those factors. You don’t have to be a business to promote a tweet, publish a Facebook ad or promote a post. Given the right emotional state and available resources, someone that typically may not have the social reach to cause any major damage, now has a way to ensure that their complaints are viewed by a wide audience.

While it may seem as if airlines take the brunt of these attacks, car dealerships certainly experience online complaints through social networks and review sites. In most instances it’s due to the fact that consumers don’t believe that their problems will get resolved. While not all of them have merit, consumers tend to support each other. Only in rare instances do consumers take a stand on the side of the business.

Many experts advise that businesses participate on social networks with rich and engaging content in order to nurture their audience, gain brand exposure and offer another venue to communicate with their customers, and vice versa. Another important facet of having a social media presence is online reputation management. If you aren’t participating in social networks, chances are that you are also not monitoring them. Not only do consumers – especially social media users – expect businesses to have presences on social media channels; but they also expect to be answered when they ask questions or have grievances. In fact, 60 percent of consumers expect a response from a brand on social media, according to an article on ClickZ. In addition, 42 percent of consumers who complain not only expect a response, but they expect one within 60 minutes, according to social media expert, Jay Baer.

Social media has expanded from the avenue of communication it conveniently offered between a person’s family and friends, into one which includes consumer to business communication. It has become an extension of your customer service department. Failing to monitor and respond to consumers is similar in their minds to not answering your business’ phone.

If your business hasn’t joined social media networks and you aren’t monitoring and communicating with your customers, you not only run the risk of missing out on negative conversations that could have been resolved,  but you also take the chance that customers perceive your business as uncaring.

Not unlike an ostrich with its head in the sand, the world of social media never rests and is always happening, whether you see it or not.

In the business world, and in public relations, it’s not uncommon for customers to vent on social media networks when they encounter problems and feel the business is not interested in assisting them with a solution. The most famous example of a disgruntled customer is the gentleman who had his guitar broken by United Airlines, then wrote a song and uploaded a music video about the incident to YouTube. So far this has been watched over 13 million times. While it’s certainly an extreme example of exposure for a customer complaint, it’s far from out of the ordinary. Consumers are slowly discovering that taking to social networks garners results, as companies monitor them more carefully.

Recently, a customer took social media venting to a new level when he tweeted about British Airways losing his father’s luggage. This man decided, however, to pay Twitter to promote the tweet at a cost of $1,000. Typically, the extent to which negative PR is possible is dependent on either the outrageousness of the incident or the size and attentiveness of the person’s networks. This new strategy, however, negates those factors. You don’t have to be a business to promote a tweet, publish a Facebook ad or promote a post. Given the right emotional state and available resources, someone that typically may not have the social reach to cause any major damage, now has a way to ensure that their complaints are viewed by a wide audience.

While it may seem as if airlines take the brunt of these attacks, car dealerships certainly experience online complaints through social networks and review sites. In most instances it’s due to the fact that consumers don’t believe that their problems will get resolved. While not all of them have merit, consumers tend to support each other. Only in rare instances do consumers take a stand on the side of the business.

Many experts advise that businesses participate on social networks with rich and engaging content in order to nurture their audience, gain brand exposure and offer another venue to communicate with their customers, and vice versa. Another important facet of having a social media presence is online reputation management. If you aren’t participating in social networks, chances are that you are also not monitoring them. Not only do consumers – especially social media users – expect businesses to have presences on social media channels; but they also expect to be answered when they ask questions or have grievances. In fact, 60 percent of consumers expect a response from a brand on social media, according to an article on ClickZ. In addition, 42 percent of consumers who complain not only expect a response, but they expect one within 60 minutes, according to social media expert, Jay Baer.

Social media has expanded from the avenue of communication it conveniently offered between a person’s family and friends, into one which includes consumer to business communication. It has become an extension of your customer service department. Failing to monitor and respond to consumers is similar in their minds to not answering your business’ phone.

If your business hasn’t joined social media networks and you aren’t monitoring and communicating with your customers, you not only run the risk of missing out on negative conversations that could have been resolved,  but you also take the chance that customers perceive your business as uncaring.

Not unlike an ostrich with its head in the sand, the world of social media never rests and is always happening, whether you see it or not.

Content. That word scares a lot of dealerships. They’re told they need it from every vendor, at every conference and in every article. They need it for SEO, for blogs, social media, and their website. Advertisements? No problem. They have tons of cars and know what is a good deal in their market. They have ad agencies designing the ads and helping to assemble them. Content, however, is a mystery. They don’t know where it is or how to get it.

Content isn’t a mystery. Content, in fact, is easier to get than all the intricate details you need for an advertisement. It’s not the Loch Ness Monster. You don’t have to find it. It finds you.

So where is it? Content is in life.

Your lives, and dealership, are filled with all the content you could ever need. Your employees all have stories. Your dealership creates them everyday. Your customers contribute to it. Your community is filled with it. Your manufacturer creates it for you.

If you’re struggling with finding content, here are four places to start:

1. Employees – All of your employees have a wealth of content. They all come from different places and their lives have taken all of them down different paths. Your employees are your dealership. Only they can give your dealership a personality and experience that sets you apart from your competitors. Without them, your dealership is just another place where someone could buy a car. Tap into your employees’ lives. Find out what makes them unique, how they got into the car business, what they like to do and why. Then tell the world. Your employees will appreciate the recognition; you’ll begin differentiating yourself from other car dealers and have great content to share.
2. Customers – Your customer like to hear stories about your customers. Does that make sense? Some of the most engaging content on social media from dealerships is pictures of other customers taking delivery of cars. I’m certainly not saying you should limit content to this type. Your customers also have different stories and, if asked right, some will be willing to share them. Ask them if you can interview them. Why did they choose your dealership? Why did they choose your brand or a particular car? How was their experience? You will also have customers who give you content without you asking. Those would be reviews left for your dealership on various review sites. Not only does this reinforce to potential customers that your dealership is a good place to do business, it also provides great content for all your needs; whether that’s on a blog, in a newsletter or on a social media site.
3. Manufacturer – Your manufacturer provides content constantly. They send information about new models, various trim levels and new features. They pump out commercials, how-to videos, announcements and images. Look at their YouTube channel and you’ll find content. Their website is also filled with content which is not limited to vehicle information. You’ll see how they’re interacting with their audience and if their involved in charity work. All of this is great content to share with your customers. It instills value and creates brand loyalty.
4. Community – Your dealership is part of your community just as your community is part of your dealership. Get involved in events and charities. Find opportunities to give back to your community. You could hold a food drive, participate in car shows or help local school organizations with fundraisers. Even if you don’t get involved financially, you can support these efforts using the power of your marketing that already exists. If you give back to your community, they will give back to you.
5. Google – It may sound obvious but many people overlook the power of Google to provide content. I guarantee you that you’ll find new and relevant content on a daily basis. There are articles written about your brand, car reviews, spy shots, cool or funny pictures that you can share that are never ending. Do a Google search daily for news, blogs and images. Limit the search to results from the last 24 hours. You’ll always find something. If it interests you, it’ll interest your audience.

Don’t get intimidated by content. Publishing content will benefit you by creating an online presence for your dealership. It will also transform your dealership from a place that sells cars, to a place that people want to do business with.

Content. That word scares a lot of dealerships. They’re told they need it from every vendor, at every conference and in every article. They need it for SEO, for blogs, social media, and their website. Advertisements? No problem. They have tons of cars and know what is a good deal in their market. They have ad agencies designing the ads and helping to assemble them. Content, however, is a mystery. They don’t know where it is or how to get it.

Content isn’t a mystery. Content, in fact, is easier to get than all the intricate details you need for an advertisement. It’s not the Loch Ness Monster. You don’t have to find it. It finds you.

So where is it? Content is in life.

Your lives, and dealership, are filled with all the content you could ever need. Your employees all have stories. Your dealership creates them everyday. Your customers contribute to it. Your community is filled with it. Your manufacturer creates it for you.

If you’re struggling with finding content, here are four places to start:

1. Employees – All of your employees have a wealth of content. They all come from different places and their lives have taken all of them down different paths. Your employees are your dealership. Only they can give your dealership a personality and experience that sets you apart from your competitors. Without them, your dealership is just another place where someone could buy a car. Tap into your employees’ lives. Find out what makes them unique, how they got into the car business, what they like to do and why. Then tell the world. Your employees will appreciate the recognition; you’ll begin differentiating yourself from other car dealers and have great content to share.
2. Customers – Your customer like to hear stories about your customers. Does that make sense? Some of the most engaging content on social media from dealerships is pictures of other customers taking delivery of cars. I’m certainly not saying you should limit content to this type. Your customers also have different stories and, if asked right, some will be willing to share them. Ask them if you can interview them. Why did they choose your dealership? Why did they choose your brand or a particular car? How was their experience? You will also have customers who give you content without you asking. Those would be reviews left for your dealership on various review sites. Not only does this reinforce to potential customers that your dealership is a good place to do business, it also provides great content for all your needs; whether that’s on a blog, in a newsletter or on a social media site.
3. Manufacturer – Your manufacturer provides content constantly. They send information about new models, various trim levels and new features. They pump out commercials, how-to videos, announcements and images. Look at their YouTube channel and you’ll find content. Their website is also filled with content which is not limited to vehicle information. You’ll see how they’re interacting with their audience and if their involved in charity work. All of this is great content to share with your customers. It instills value and creates brand loyalty.
4. Community – Your dealership is part of your community just as your community is part of your dealership. Get involved in events and charities. Find opportunities to give back to your community. You could hold a food drive, participate in car shows or help local school organizations with fundraisers. Even if you don’t get involved financially, you can support these efforts using the power of your marketing that already exists. If you give back to your community, they will give back to you.
5. Google – It may sound obvious but many people overlook the power of Google to provide content. I guarantee you that you’ll find new and relevant content on a daily basis. There are articles written about your brand, car reviews, spy shots, cool or funny pictures that you can share that are never ending. Do a Google search daily for news, blogs and images. Limit the search to results from the last 24 hours. You’ll always find something. If it interests you, it’ll interest your audience.

Don’t get intimidated by content. Publishing content will benefit you by creating an online presence for your dealership. It will also transform your dealership from a place that sells cars, to a place that people want to do business with.

About a month ago, Time Warner Cable blacked out CBS in several major markets including Los Angeles, New York and Dallas, because of a dispute with CBS over pricing for retransmission fees. Both sides, of course, point fingers at the other with CBS saying that Time Warner Cable is not willing to pay fair value for their content. While Time Warner Cable is screaming that they’re overcharging. Similar to a parental dispute, caught in this mix are the children; Time Warner Cable & CBS customers. Customers have actually sued Time Warner Cable stating that Time Warner is depriving them of content they want, while still charging them full subscription rates. As Time Warner scrambles to appease its customers through replacement programming and… wait for it… free antennas, CBS is sitting back watching the millions of people being deprived of their content.

You know you’re in a bad spot when you’re a cable provider charging a premium to deliver content to people and have to offer them antennas to watch the content. Antennas which they could have used to get the content for free to begin with… on their own… without you. That would be like a bottled water company telling you to drink from the kitchen sink.

Regardless of the outcome, there are some lessons to be learned from both of them.

Content is king. Bottom line. CBS has the product that Time Warner’s customers are paying them to deliver. They’re the newspaper not giving the news out to the paperboy. Customers aren’t blaming CBS for the lack of content. They’re blaming Time Warner. The fact is that great content has tons of benefits for a business. Content… no… GOOD content provides everything from SEO value, social media and exposure, to blog traffic and press attention. In this case, Time Warner may have started with the upper hand since many shows are off for the season. So, the content that consumers were missing wasn’t as valued. That’s slowly changing as popular TV show season premieres and the NFL football season gets closer to beginning. I expect Time Warner customers will get more irate and vocal when they’re not able to watch their Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants playing football or get their weekly Homeland fix on Showtime. Even Wall Street is betting on CBS as “CBS shareholders have become richer while TWC shareholders have become poorer”, according to a Forbes article.

Our economy is based on supply and demand. In this case, CBS has the supply and it’s in demand. We can all safely predict that the reinstatement of CBS content on Time Warner cable is all but guaranteed. CBS will have more incentive to compromise as the loss of substantial advertising revenue from football and primetime broadcast shows increase. Time Warner will be increasingly under the gun to provide that programming to its customers.

In the end, I believe Time Warner will ultimately bear the brunt of the consumer back lash since they are not delivering the promised content. CBS just needs to sit back and listen to the applause once their content is restored.  

About a month ago, Time Warner Cable blacked out CBS in several major markets including Los Angeles, New York and Dallas, because of a dispute with CBS over pricing for retransmission fees. Both sides, of course, point fingers at the other with CBS saying that Time Warner Cable is not willing to pay fair value for their content. While Time Warner Cable is screaming that they’re overcharging. Similar to a parental dispute, caught in this mix are the children; Time Warner Cable & CBS customers. Customers have actually sued Time Warner Cable stating that Time Warner is depriving them of content they want, while still charging them full subscription rates. As Time Warner scrambles to appease its customers through replacement programming and… wait for it… free antennas, CBS is sitting back watching the millions of people being deprived of their content.

You know you’re in a bad spot when you’re a cable provider charging a premium to deliver content to people and have to offer them antennas to watch the content. Antennas which they could have used to get the content for free to begin with… on their own… without you. That would be like a bottled water company telling you to drink from the kitchen sink.

Regardless of the outcome, there are some lessons to be learned from both of them.

Content is king. Bottom line. CBS has the product that Time Warner’s customers are paying them to deliver. They’re the newspaper not giving the news out to the paperboy. Customers aren’t blaming CBS for the lack of content. They’re blaming Time Warner. The fact is that great content has tons of benefits for a business. Content… no… GOOD content provides everything from SEO value, social media and exposure, to blog traffic and press attention. In this case, Time Warner may have started with the upper hand since many shows are off for the season. So, the content that consumers were missing wasn’t as valued. That’s slowly changing as popular TV show season premieres and the NFL football season gets closer to beginning. I expect Time Warner customers will get more irate and vocal when they’re not able to watch their Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants playing football or get their weekly Homeland fix on Showtime. Even Wall Street is betting on CBS as “CBS shareholders have become richer while TWC shareholders have become poorer”, according to a Forbes article.

Our economy is based on supply and demand. In this case, CBS has the supply and it’s in demand. We can all safely predict that the reinstatement of CBS content on Time Warner cable is all but guaranteed. CBS will have more incentive to compromise as the loss of substantial advertising revenue from football and primetime broadcast shows increase. Time Warner will be increasingly under the gun to provide that programming to its customers.

In the end, I believe Time Warner will ultimately bear the brunt of the consumer back lash since they are not delivering the promised content. CBS just needs to sit back and listen to the applause once their content is restored.  

Press releases are a great way to promote and disseminate information about your company.  I’ve written many articles on how to write and optimize press releases to increase the chance of being discovered amongst the hundred or thousands published every day. Most of the major press release services offer premium add-ons that will deliver your release to countless journalists and industry professionals. The only problem is they receive so many that there’s a very good chance yours won’t get the attention it deserves.

While these press release distribution services such as PRWEB should absolutely be used, especially the ones that are good for SEO purposes, social media can be used to boost the effectiveness of any press release. Social media has the ability to not only distribute and promote your press release to a more relevant audience; but to also target people and organizations you believe will be more interested. In addition, using social media to promote your press releases gives your networks the opportunity to assist you in the distribution.

There are 5 key networks that can assist you in promoting your press releases: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest.

Facebook has many opportunities to get a press release distributed to those that are most likely to have interest in the subject. Many PR agencies and companies already post their press releases on their business pages. But what many professionals neglect is to post their press releases on their personal profiles as well. Many people have networks on Facebook that include a large number of members from their industries.  These personal profiles aren’t fighting Facebook’s algorithm as much for exposure to their network’s newsfeeds as business pages are.

Take advantage of Promoted Posts on your business page to give press releases a boost into extended networks. In addition, with the introduction of hashtags by Facebook, you should be including some industry relevant hashtags to further increase the opportunities of being discovered by relevant people. Make sure you don’t simply post the headline of your press release when sharing. The headline will appear when you include the link so you have the ability to share an interesting quote or fact from within the body of the release while still showing the headline.

As far as Twitter is concerned, many press release services offer the ability to immediately tweet on publication. However, as in all marketing, you need to tweet your press release multiple times and on multiple days. Research and know what hashtags are relevant and active in the appropriate industry as well. Try and mix your messages so that the tweets aren’t all duplicates. As with Facebook, utilize not only the headline, but also interesting and relevant points within the body of the press release itself.  

LinkedIn is also a valuable resource for press releases. In addition to posting your personal profile, you should have a company page you can use to post your press releases. Also, research and identify relevant groups you can join. Make sure the groups are not only industry relevant but also include media resources.

Google+, while not nearly as active as the aforementioned networks, is an excellent way to gain some SEO benefits via gaining +1s. On Google+, a +1 is similar to a “like” on Facebook. Google interprets them as identifiers of relevant content for search engine result purposes. Just like with all social networks, make sure to share on not only your business profiles, but your personal profiles as well.

Last, but certainly not least, is Pinterest. Pinterest is a valuable way to get some additional exposure to your release. By including relevant images with your press release (as I wrote about in this recent article), you can optimize your release by following a few simple rules. First, make sure your image file’s name, the board’s name and description includes relevant keywords to optimize the chances that your content will be discovered and potentially re-pinned (shared).

In all of these postings, don’t be afraid to ask for action on the part of the audience. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a share, retweet, or +1. In fact, studies show that posts with requests get shared exponentially more than posts with no call to action.

By utilizing these social media networks and techniques I’ve outlined, you greatly increase the exposure of the press release and reduce the chances of it getting lost in all the noise. The easier you make it for relevant people to discover your message, the better the results will be.

Press releases are a great way to promote and disseminate information about your company.  I’ve written many articles on how to write and optimize press releases to increase the chance of being discovered amongst the hundred or thousands published every day. Most of the major press release services offer premium add-ons that will deliver your release to countless journalists and industry professionals. The only problem is they receive so many that there’s a very good chance yours won’t get the attention it deserves.

While these press release distribution services such as PRWEB should absolutely be used, especially the ones that are good for SEO purposes, social media can be used to boost the effectiveness of any press release. Social media has the ability to not only distribute and promote your press release to a more relevant audience; but to also target people and organizations you believe will be more interested. In addition, using social media to promote your press releases gives your networks the opportunity to assist you in the distribution.

There are 5 key networks that can assist you in promoting your press releases: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest.

Facebook has many opportunities to get a press release distributed to those that are most likely to have interest in the subject. Many PR agencies and companies already post their press releases on their business pages. But what many professionals neglect is to post their press releases on their personal profiles as well. Many people have networks on Facebook that include a large number of members from their industries.  These personal profiles aren’t fighting Facebook’s algorithm as much for exposure to their network’s newsfeeds as business pages are.

Take advantage of Promoted Posts on your business page to give press releases a boost into extended networks. In addition, with the introduction of hashtags by Facebook, you should be including some industry relevant hashtags to further increase the opportunities of being discovered by relevant people. Make sure you don’t simply post the headline of your press release when sharing. The headline will appear when you include the link so you have the ability to share an interesting quote or fact from within the body of the release while still showing the headline.

As far as Twitter is concerned, many press release services offer the ability to immediately tweet on publication. However, as in all marketing, you need to tweet your press release multiple times and on multiple days. Research and know what hashtags are relevant and active in the appropriate industry as well. Try and mix your messages so that the tweets aren’t all duplicates. As with Facebook, utilize not only the headline, but also interesting and relevant points within the body of the press release itself.  

LinkedIn is also a valuable resource for press releases. In addition to posting your personal profile, you should have a company page you can use to post your press releases. Also, research and identify relevant groups you can join. Make sure the groups are not only industry relevant but also include media resources.

Google+, while not nearly as active as the aforementioned networks, is an excellent way to gain some SEO benefits via gaining +1s. On Google+, a +1 is similar to a “like” on Facebook. Google interprets them as identifiers of relevant content for search engine result purposes. Just like with all social networks, make sure to share on not only your business profiles, but your personal profiles as well.

Last, but certainly not least, is Pinterest. Pinterest is a valuable way to get some additional exposure to your release. By including relevant images with your press release (as I wrote about in this recent article), you can optimize your release by following a few simple rules. First, make sure your image file’s name, the board’s name and description includes relevant keywords to optimize the chances that your content will be discovered and potentially re-pinned (shared).

In all of these postings, don’t be afraid to ask for action on the part of the audience. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a share, retweet, or +1. In fact, studies show that posts with requests get shared exponentially more than posts with no call to action.

By utilizing these social media networks and techniques I’ve outlined, you greatly increase the exposure of the press release and reduce the chances of it getting lost in all the noise. The easier you make it for relevant people to discover your message, the better the results will be.

In my last article, I discussed what a Public Relations firm does. One of those tasks, which I hope you never need but is important to understand, is crisis management. Not every company is going to go off the deep end like Amy’s Baking Company, or something worse. BUT, most companies will experience crisis of varying degrees throughout their business’s lives. So, whether you use a Public Relations firm or not, I thought this article might be useful in guiding you towards successfully handling and minimizing any damage.

Create a Plan Before Taking Action!

This is extremely important as many companies react without considering the ramifications of those actions. Assemble all your management staff and analyze the situation. Decide just how damaging the crisis could be and make sure, before anyone leaves, that there is a plan in place and everyone knows it. If you have a Public Relations firm, make sure that they are involved and help guide you. Ensure that everyone knows the official response, but choose one person to be the spokesperson for this crisis and stick with it. Just like the game of telephone, the more people you have answering questions, the more likely it will be that things get changed. After this initial management meeting, hold a company-wide meeting and mandate that nobody is to speak about this to any media, or address it in any way. Let them know who the spokesperson is and tell them to refer any questions to that person.

Discover the Problem

Make sure you identify the true problem, not just the reason for the crisis. Identify where it began, what went wrong and why.

Take Action – Fast!

In today’s world of social media, news can, and will, spread like wildfire. Be prepared to act fast. The longer you take to act, the more oxygen you allow to fuel the fire. Reassure the public that you are aware of the problem and are addressing it. Make sure that you are accurate and honest in your response and the information included. If you’re not, people will find out and you’ll only make matters worse. Your statement should also be brief. There’s no need to elaborate or write a thesis. Say what needs to be said but do it as concisely as possible.

Do Not Neglect Online Activity

Make sure that you are monitoring every social media channel, blogs and any media coverage regarding the crisis. Make sure that your statement is heard on all of them. There are many free tools available that will monitor the Internet for your company’s name and other relevant keywords that you can use to assist you with this. Overall, you should always be doing this; but it’s especially important during a crisis situation.

Hopefully, you’ll never face a crisis that warrants this type of attention. That being said, even the smallest of issues, in the hands of the wrong person, can be blown out of proportion. For example, something may have happened to a customer, or a friend of a customer that you may consider small, or may not even be aware of. However, this customer is extremely upset and feels the need to make this known. This customer could ,have the knowledge and ability to spread the story, and it can damage your reputation above and beyond any negative online review ever could. People can be extremely vigilant and ruthless in their quest for “justice”.​

I hope that the tips provided above are helpful.  The most important lesson to learn is to be prepared and to react analytically with a cool head and well formed plan.