The growing importance of content marketing is clear; small businesses that post unique and relevant blogs, videos, press releases and social media on the Internet can gain significant competitive advantage in their industries. Increased web visibility, more visitors to websites, improved SEO rankings and brand recognition as a thought leader are just some of the benefits realized from effective content marketing campaigns.

As a public relations professional, I know the value of compelling content that's designed to work in tandem with targeted marketing campaigns. I also know the effort it takes to develop such content; it takes planning, creativity, discipline, focus and time to produce a continual stream of content that captures customers' attention, draws them to your website and keeps them engaged.

So when I run across content filled with typos and grammar mistakes, I absolutely cringe. Why spend an hour (or two, or three) writing a blog and then not even bother to run it through spellcheck, or have a colleague review it for errors?

Content that contains errors ruins the writer's credibility. Case in point: in his latest blog Duane Forrester, Sr. Product Manager for Bing, went on record to praise and recognize the value of good content, but also to warn of the perils of typos and grammar mistakes. "It's patently obvious… when you encounter a typo, or a sentence just doesn’t read correctly… Most times we simple scan past it and keep reading, but in some cases, it’s a show stopper."

Notice the error? In the last sentence the word "simple" should be "simply." Earlier in the article, Forrester conceded that many companies that produce content have a form of editorial process, but even so, spelling and grammar errors manage to slip past. Apparently that includes even his organization.

But credibility is just one reason to ensure that your company's content deserves more than a cursory review. What was worth noting in Forrester's article was a tidbit he shared about search engine algorithms.  Now your customers are not the only ones who will notice typos; the search engines are paying attention too.

Forrester explains that Bing's algorithms are designed to rank content with errors lower than that of content without errors. "Just as you’re judging others’ writing, so the engines judge yours. If you struggle to get past typos, why would an engine show a page of content with errors higher in the rankings when other pages of error free content exist to serve the searcher,” he says.  “Like it or not, we’re judged by the quality of the results we show. So we are constantly watching the quality of the content we see.”

If your company is making the effort to produce content, establishing a fail proof editorial review process is critical. We are all human and all make mistakes. Even on our best days, a misspelled word can slip through our fingers and be missed by tired eyes. Use spellcheck, double-check your grammar and have a trusted colleague review everything you write. If you've just spent hours writing a blog or press release, take a break so you can view it with fresh eyes and a rested brain before posting. Doesn't your best effort deserve a chance to shine?

Content marketing and exposure are becoming increasingly important in digital marketing and today’s race for eyeballs. In the automotive space, there are many companies that do great jobs marketing and optimizing exposure for dealerships through websites, search engine optimization, social media marketing, pay per click ads, newsletters and more. While these companies do an effective job for their clients, many neglect to market themselves in the dealer space, despite knowing how important it is.

Most vendors have public relations professionals – whether in-house or through an agency – handling press releases, media exposure, product launches and messaging. However, one of the most underutilized services that many PR professionals offer today is assistance in generating exposure through content marketing. The transference of content marketing towards public relations has been occurring for quite some time now. It’s a natural marriage as who better understands your message, products, and audience than your public relations firm? It’s not enough anymore to simply issue press releases. Companies must position themselves as thought leaders in their industry through well-written content targeted to their audiences.

This helps to ensure an integrated and cohesive online personality for your company across all channels, offers brand protection and guarantees delivery of a positive message. Just like social media, a great content marketing initiative involves not only creating helpful articles, but also joining conversations and establishing yourself in the online community in which the content is being published. Having employees and staff write content is a great start, but I think it would be even better to see more key executives of companies sharing the many years of wisdom in their fields directly with their audiences.

Vendors have a wealth of knowledge to offer car dealers and dealers appreciate the sharing of that knowledge. Interaction between a key executive and a dealer is much more powerful than the simple act of creating content. We all know that this industry is built on relationships. With so many vendors seeking to gain a dealer’s attention, it’s very difficult to do so directly. However, integrating yourself into an automotive community and helping dealers overcome challenges that they may be having is one way to connect with dealers without continually trying to be heard over all the solicitous noise overwhelming dealers.

Consider contacting your public relations firm when designing or implementing a content marketing strategy. Our job is to help your company rise above that noise and gain the exposure you seek. By involving your public relations firm in your content marketing, you can better safeguard your brand while maintaining a consistent positive message being delivered to your audience. 

Target’s massive data breach, which caused an estimated 40 million credit and debit cards to be compromised during the holiday period, will end up costing them more than just headaches. Target first became aware of the breach a week prior to announcing the breach to the public. This slow response time imperiled consumers.

I was personally affected by this breach in that I patronize a store that is located next to a Target. It is therefore extremely convenient for me to run into Target and pick up any household items I may need. Needless to say, I was among the 40 million potential victims of the hackers who may, or may not, have had personal information exposed. What was interesting to watch, however, was how differently companies reacted to this breach.

Target was extremely slow in announcing this breach. A week is a long time for hackers to take this data, create new cards and go on a holiday shopping spree. They’ve admitted that the hackers were able to gain access to actual PIN numbers for debit card information during the breach that is estimated to have lasted from November 27 (Black Friday) until December 15. The Department of Justice has opened an investigation as well. Many consumers are upset that Target took its time revealing the breach. As of December 27, there were at least 40 lawsuits filed by consumers.

In my opinion, Target’s management of the crisis was poorly handled. Other than creating a website explaining what people can do and offering some free credit reporting services, they have been underwhelming in their efforts to assist consumer security. They did, however, create a “shopping day” in which all Target customers received a 10% discount. Certainly someone who just had their credit card information stolen from a retailer would think twice about shopping at that same retailer, even with the 10% discount.

In contrast, however, my credit card company Chase, was quick to respond in efforts to protect and educate me. They offered extended hours and had their branches open on Sunday to help immediately replace cards and to further assist those affected. They informed me of the breach and automatically reduced daily spending and cash withdrawal limits in efforts to minimize potential damage hat could occur.  While this was certainly inconvenient, it was proactive and reinforced my trust, and opinion, of Chase. 

Target’s data breach is considered to be the second largest data breach in U.S. history, according to CBS News. The negative publicity and opinion this retailer has earned will undoubtedly haunt them for years to come. Their handling of the situation – from discovering, to disclosure, to assistance – was certainly insufficient when the scope of the incident is considered. I know that they have lost the trust of many consumers.

Now, to add icing on the cake, Target is reporting problems activating gift cards that were sold during this time period.

Target is going to have a steep hill to climb to regain consumer confidence and trust. Transparency and taking responsibility are extremely important in crisis management… and Target failed in both areas. 

A lot of people have the misconception that a public relations firm simply deals with the media while churning out press releases. While this may have been closer to the truth in the past, the digital age has greatly transformed the opportunities available to gain exposure for clients. Great PR firms have capitalized on these opportunities to further increase exposure for their client’s products, services and brands.

A public relations firm of today will not only help its clients generate exposure through traditional media, but also ensure that the client creates a digital personality for the company itself and key executives. This digital presence is built through strategic content, social media, crisis control and consulting. In addition, the PR agency will pay attention to what’s being said about a company and its products, and assist in developing strategies that will either reinforce positive buzz, or address negative responses by the public.

Many auto dealerships see the necessity in these actions and some have hired multiple companies to handle them, from outsourced social media services to content writers and reputation management companies. Vendors to these dealerships, however, have been slow to adopt many of these services. Some businesses try to take these challenging tasks on themselves – and some succeed. Sometimes, however, it’s more effective for a company that doesn’t specialize in any of these areas to focus on what they’re good at and let another company help them. Just like the old saying goes “A lawyer representing himself has a fool for a client,” it’s difficult to stay objective and avoid selling in content and responses. Whether you’re the owner of a company, its president or an employee, just as in a dealership or any business, emotions can get involved which prevent effective interactions with either the media or public.

Another challenge a business faces by outsourcing tasks to multiple companies is that there typically isn’t a coordinated strategy. Many automotive vendors have been consolidating services in an effort to provide a single solution to their customers. This offers the dealership the convenience of dealing with a single vendor for all of technology needs. And while there are plenty of companies that offer content writing, social media and reputation management services, few integrate these offerings with public relations activity. Many businesses simply don’t connect the dots when thinking of public relations being tied to these other services. If you think about it, however, a public relations firm knowledgeable in these activities is ideal.

When a crisis comes along via social media or on a review site, your outsourced social media and/or reputation management company may be your first line of defense. The most effective strategy would include upper management consulting with its public relations firm who can help behind the scenes by advising management on effective responses designed to mitigate damages and how best to preserve the customer relationship.

Instead of only calling the fire department when the fire gets out of control, consider having a full-time firefighter living with you. Your valuables will be much safer and the firefighter is better equipped to identify a fire. They can respond faster and have the knowledge and equipment to put the fire out faster and in a more effective manner.

The folks over at DiGiorno Pizza seem to have given someone their Twitter password and said, “Go for it!” They are engaging people in the Twitter-verse in ways that would make many companies cringe. I’m fairly certain that football fans are in their target demographic so it makes complete sense that they are engaging football fans – both real and fantasy. However, they aren’t just talking to them about stats or complimenting great performances. They seem to have an affinity for trash talking. Here are a few examples:

They aren’t satisfied with just football fans, however. Recently, NBC attempted a live performance of The Sound of Music. Guess who was there watching, and tweeting, right along with fans. Yes, DiGiorno Pizza was participating and, in the same manner as their football tweets, was having a grand old time.

Companies protect their brand with passion. There have been more social media mistakes, errors, and insensitive tweets sent by social media marketers that, in many cases, social media content must go through a gamut of approvers before ever seeing the light of day. That fear doesn’t appear to be shared by DiGiorno, however. Unless the social media person had an approver standing over his or her shoulder watching the Sound of Music Live and approving content on the spot, someone was winging it.. and winging it well.

The brand’s social media activity has generated buzz from their football antics by the LA Times with their article “Who knew? Digiono pizza is a smack-talking, possibly drunk wiseguy on Twitter.” During the Sound of Music Live, their Twitter account slowly began trending from East Coast to West Coast starting in New York, then Chicago, Brooklyn, Austin…and on.

The amusing tweets captured the attention of Twitter users all across the country with reactions like this:

Their Sound of Music Live activity (piggybacking on the hashtag used by the show) again captured the attention of the LA Times as well as The Hollywood Reporter, Buzzfeed, Adweek, Mashable, Bloomberg Businessweek, NPR, The Today Show… in fact, Google returns almost 10 million search results for the search phrase “digiorno pizza tweet sound of music”.

Sometimes it pays to be a risk-taker. Whether or not your company image and personality is in harmony with this kind of social media chaos is entirely up to you. All I know is that last Thursday, the hills may have been alive with the Sound of Music but Twitter was alive with pizza.

Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year. People start lining up for sales hours and sometimes days in advance for an opportunity to purchase a television or other hot holiday item and save money. For many, it’s the thrill of the hunt. However, it’s estimated that consumers will spend half of their holiday budget on this single day this year. While everyone is looking to save money, car dealers have historically found it difficult to draw people away from Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target or, more recently, away from their computers as online retailers get more aggressive. Retailers have even begun to open on Thanksgiving Day itself in an attempt to one-up competitors and grab a larger percentage of the pie.

Unlike holidays such as Labor Day and Memorial Day, Black Friday is typically not known for being one of the best days of the year to buy a vehicle, despite many dealerships advertising deep discounts. According to Automotive News, one dealer in Houston has succeeded in turning Black Friday into an event. In what can only be considered a public relations all-you-can-eat buffet, Sterling McCall Toyota has taken an idea directly from the 2004 movie “Slasher” to generate crowds of people lining up as early as 5 a.m., as well as local news coverage. Started in 2008, their “Slicer Sale” offers “three vehicles… priced at $1, $10 and under $1,000 and 50 below $10,000.” According to the article, they sell up to 40 percent of their used car inventory that day, in addition to enjoying a 30 percent increase in new-vehicle sales.

Manufacturers are beginning to create programs designed to increase traffic at their franchises with special savings on Black Friday. GM is currently promoting its “GM Supplier Pricing“ special which is voluntary for their dealers.  This manufacturer-sponsored program could very well help increase traffic at dealerships and set a precedent that other OEMs may start to adopt. 

For many consumers, Black Friday is more than just about savings. It’s also about the thrill of the hunt. Being able to grab one of the five deeply discounted televisions at Best Buy or one of the holiday’s hottest gifts is worth the price of admission. The admission price typically includes long hours spent waiting in lines. You’d think that someone in the market for a vehicle would see the value in saving thousands of dollars on their new vehicle acquisition over the $50 (and time lost) to secure that television. However, historically, that’s just not been the case.

Group 1 (the organization that owns Sterling McCall) sees this as an “advertising and promotion” opportunity and it has certainly paid off for them. “Think about what three cars might cost and factor into what a TV ad or mass media would cost” said Group 1’s vice president of manufacturer relations and public affairs, Pete DeLongchamp.  I think there is also great public relations value in that it helps increase awareness of the dealership in the local community, and creates an event that generates buzz the entire year.

On this hyper-competitive shopping day, Sterling McCall Toyota, has managed to compete with all of the other retailers vying for consumers’ shopping dollars and create an event that generates buzz and excitement in their community – something that doesn’t happen very often with car dealerships. Their clever marketing has allowed them to generate massive traffic on the biggest shopping day of the year and has also gained exposure for the dealership that money just can’t buy. 

In business, you are what you are perceived to be.  Your customers not only have their own opinions of your business, but they can also influence other potential customers. How you actually run your business is certainly important. Just as important, however, is how customers that have never stepped foot in your business perceive you. Before they ever step foot into your business, many consumers will research it online. Every single website that contains feedback from other consumers about your business will help shape their perception. Every review they read; Every comment on your Facebook page; What people are saying about you on Twitter; All of these will contribute to form a business profile for these new customers.

Most businesses nowadays understand the importance of monitoring comments and reviews for problems. Some will outsource this monitoring. Some will do it themselves. Regardless of who does it, if it’s not done properly, you can do more damage than if you had done nothing. As a public relations expert, my job is to gain exposure for companies. I can issue press releases and white papers until I’m blue in the face. However, all of that can be undone by improper communications between the business and its customers.

I don’t believe that any consumer expects a business to be perfect. What they do expect, however, is for someone to care when something goes wrong and to assist them in fixing the problem. Many times, consumers lash out with a negative review, tweet or Facebook comment simply out of frustration. Most of these upset customers can be diffused if the situation is handled properly. And a proper and appropriate handling will also show potential customers that you care and are paying attention.

Here are a few simple guidelines that you should take to effectively communicate with, and diffuse, angry customers online.

1. It’s not personal – Whether you’re the owner of the business or an employee, it’s very easy to take negative reviews and comments personally. If you get angry reading the comment, don’t respond immediately. Calm down and think before you act. This is important as replying in anger or inappropriately can actually hurt you more than had you never responded. If you think it will take awhile for you to be able to respond calmly, have someone else in management take over, especially in instances where you may be specifically named and criticized. You want an impartial person who can objectively assess the situation and take decisive and prompt action.
2. Respond promptly – In most cases, you want to be in a position and have the tools you need to monitor and respond to consumers as quickly as possible. Except for the situation I mentioned previously where the comment involved you personally or made you angry, you should make every effort to respond fast. There’s nothing more impressive to a customer, whether they are saying positive or negative things about you, then having a swift response.
3. Stay positive publicly – Every time you respond online, you add another piece to your online personality. Always respond positively, let the customer know you are listening, and offer your assistance in helping fix the problem.
4. Take the conversation private – Once you’ve responded to the customer and offered assistance, move the conversation to private, whether that’s via private messaging, telephone or in person. The public doesn’t need to see every detail of what went wrong. Nor do they need to see the discourse between you and the angry customer. The important part here is that you are making an effort. Most customers will give you an opportunity to correct the problem.

By following these 4 basic guidelines, you’ll find that you’ll minimize any damage to your online “personality” that you could create yourself.  In addition, you will leave a trail of breadcrumbs throughout the web in which people can see that, while you may not be perfect, you care about your customers and are willing to make an effort to fix any issues that arise.

And that speaks volumes. 

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.

Businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of having an online presence in social networks. Consumers have come to expect it and, whether you’re there or not, they will have conversations about you. Every year sees a higher percentage of consumers turning to business’ social media accounts for a variety of reasons including praise, complaints and support. Simply having the accounts and posting content is insufficient. Consumers expect responses. Not only do they expect responses, but also they expect them fairly quickly. When no response comes, many consumers interpret that in the same way they would if you didn’t answer your phone.

Many small businesses, however, don’t have the knowledge, experience or time to effectively communicate with customers via the various social networks. They therefore look to partner with a company that can assist them in this effort. 

Here are a few things to consider when choosing a partner.

1. Find a partner that has the ability to adapt to your voice as well as deliver your message in a consistent manner. Many providers offer canned content that is irrelevant to your business or industry. Ask for examples of their work through active social media accounts that they manage for current clients. You’ll want to look at whether there is a consistent voice that matches the company’s, the types of content being posted and whether or not their audience is engaging with that content. Are they interacting with their audience when asked questions or are they simply posting content? Is the content being posted for them unique for each client or being re-used across multiple clients? How current is the content?

2. Remember when choosing a partner that you are effectively giving a third-party control of your brand in those spaces.  They are controlling your brand and speaking on your behalf. There is no difference between speaking to your customer on the phone or communicating via Twitter or on your Facebook page. A company doing proper social media will be engaging with your customers. If they aren’t, they are simply providing content marketing. You should pay attention not only to whether they are responding but how they are. What are they saying? Is this something you’d say to a customer on the phone?

3. Another thing you should be looking for is if the company itself is outsourcing their social media. Just as consumers can tell that they are speaking to a call center when they call a company’s customer support line, they can also spot when the same is occurring via social media. Some companies use branded apps to post content and even custom URL shorteners. There should be no branding on any of your social media accounts other than your own. Having a customer realize that they aren’t really talking to you defeats the purpose of having an online presence. In fact, it can actually do more damage to your business than having no social media presence whatsoever.

By taking the time to examine real examples of live social media clients being handled by a potential partner, you’ll be able to more effectively select one that is right for you. Companies that practice effective social media through relevant content and engage your customers will almost always be more expensive than companies that simply post content for you. However, your customers will not only appreciate it, they will begin to develop a connection with your business that will result in higher levels of customer loyalty and retention. 

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.