Why

I'm often asked why I named my company Bastille Marketing and why a fleur-de-lis logo. There are several reasons that made sense that I would like to share with you here.
1. My birthday is July 14. This is the French National Independence day - much like July 4 in the US.
2. France's Independence Day is known as 'Bastille' Day, based on a historical event known as the Storming of the Bastille. (Hence the tag line 'Storming the Marketing Establishment.')
3. The Storming of the Bastille is credited with the launch of the French Revolution, much like the US Boston Tea Party.
3. The Bastille was a French prison which Wikipedia defines as "a fortress-prison in Paris which had often held people jailed on the basis of lettres de cachet, arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed."
4. As further stated on the Wikipedia entry on Bastille Day, "The storming of the Bastille was more important as a rallying point and symbolic act of rebellion than a practical act of defiance."
5. The fleur-de-lis (or fleur-de-lys) is a symbolic icon of France, often represented on the French coat of arms, although it traces its history back to medieval times. It is also on many other European coats' of arms, illustrating its power and presence throughout time.
6. As a Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity member*, the fleur-de-lis is our official symbol, sometimes represented by the Iris flower.
* Note: Kappa was establish in 1870, well before the terminology "sorority" was in use. Thus, we are a women's fraternity and one of the oldest Greek-letter organizations in America.

For all of these points, there were so many 'coincidental' intersections of these visual and factual representations within my life, that it seemed natural to me to incorporate both Bastille Day and the fleur-de-lis into my latest (ad) venture, Bastille Marketing.

In my perspective, these symbols define the nature of social media, which challenges the way traditional marketing practices and tactics have always been conducted and implemented. Social media embraces both your loyal customers AND those vocal detractors, giving you and your business an opportunity to interact and engage with your potential audience.

A How-To Primer for Social Media PR Crisis Management

Many companies unexpectedly find themselves launched into the world of social media and its tremendous impact because of a crisis situation.  What's a company to do when this happens?  Especially one that has no previous experience in social media? Its a tough call as any response can shape public perception about the company or brand for years to come.

This post aims to be a how-to primer for managing a crisis situation whether or not you have the budget to hire a big firm to shuttle you through the crunch time.  It may require some work upfront, but it will be well worth it in the long run.

Step One: Have a good crisis management firm specializing in social media on retainer or ready to mobilize as soon as something breaks. Be sure that they truly specialize in Social Media and have a track record to prove it. Most PR firms say they do 'Social Media', some even say they specialize in it, but when push-comes-to-shove in a crisis situation, unless that company possesses the following traits you may find your company in not only an online crisis situation, but also involved in a traditional PR debacle as well - either way, you are now worse off than before because you didn't have the right council in the first place.

Any company you employ to assist should: 

1. Understand the nuances of social media crisis management versus traditional PR crisis management,
2. Have the online 'street cred' to back up that claim,
3. Have the built-in network of online influencers (bloggers, etc) that they have long-standing pre-existing relationships with, and
4. Have previous experience in successfully guiding major companies/brands through crisis situations online.

But, let's say you don't have the budget to hire a firm that specializes in online WOM and PR crisis managment. What do you do next?

 
Step Two: Assemble a team of trusted employees who are willing to work round the clock (it won't be for long - just a few days at most) and take the following actions:

 1. Assess the situation online by harnessing the tools that are publicly available, focusing on a few key areas:
Google Search - traditional SEO - how high is your issue ranking in Google when an average consumer enters your company name
The Blogosphere - leverage the blog search engines using a variety of terms to find out: what is being said, who is saying it and how influential they are

• Google Blogs
• Technorati
• Who's Talkin'

Traditional Media Coverage - use RSS feeds to the online publications of both mainstream and industry media - don't forget to monitor the blogs on these sites!
Twitter - use search.twitter.com for key search terms and hashtags related to both your company name and the issue at hand
RSS Feeds - can be vital in obtaining large amounts of crucial information; if you don't know how to use Google Reader or another feed reader - learn immediately. It will be too late to try to learn it once you are already involved in a crisis situation when every second counts.

• From the blogs of influencers
• From key Google serach terms
• From media outlets
• From Twitter influencers who are covering the topic or issue

2. Monitor these sources constantly to see what and how the situation is developing - don't forget to watch the 'attacker's' website or blog as well. They may change their tune or consumers may react negatively and post it on their site.

• Trend the volume of response and the type of consumer reaction over time - is it growing or waning, is it supportive or negative; how is this changing over time?
• Identify what your target audience's reaction is. This will determine your response. Remember: your response validates that there is an issue and may further perpetuate a negative situation.

Now that I have this info, what do I do with it? How to respond if at all:

• If consumers are silent on the situation, continue to monitor but don't respond publicly. Assess the need to respond on an ongoing basis - hourly, twice daily, daily, etc.
• If consumers are demanding a response, be sure that the initial upswell of outrage has passed and that the issue is, in fact, continuing. The online audience is fickle - if something more interesting breaks in the news (ie. a celebrity death; war breaking out, etc), they may abandon your issue to move on to something more 'important.'
• When responding, be sure to
• Really listen and determine what consumers want - do they just want an apology, and acknowldegment or do they demand change? Be sure to address these things in your response.
  
• DO NOT RESPOND too quickly, too thoroughly, in too much of a 'corporate' tone or via a press release posted on your website (as the sole response mechanism). These tactics are typically not well-received in the social media landscape.

Questions?  Please post 'em here and I'll answer them!

Note:  This piece was originally developed as a contribution to a Mashable article.  Read it here!

50 Best Websites of 2009, according to TIME Mag

While there are some winners and losers in this list in my opinion, I do think what is most interesting is WHO is publishing the list - TIME MAGAZINE.  A publication of the old guard, commenting on the new media world.  Funny.  Although, I have to say that I think I don't entirely trust their judgment.  What do they really know about the online space and therefore, what entitles them to make judgment calls about what are the BEST sites of 2009.  Its worth sharing regardless, but I have to say, I'll wait for WIRED's list to come out before I through my endorsement to a list like this.  Social Media Snob? You betcha!

The full list is linked below, but some notable sites from the "Top 50" are:
Craiglook
Property Shark
RedFin
Internet Archive
Drop.io


Full List - 50 Best Websites 2009 - TIME

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CEO Blogging: Bill Marriott on Leadership

One thing that I see frequently as a social media consultant is the fear of blogging - of putting yourself or your brand out there for criticism.  What happens if people attack you??  Its a hard thing to realize that by putting yourself in the public eye - you open the dialogue - both with critics and fans. 

But what's to fear about a critic?  So they tell you about something they don't like about you.  Great!  Now you have chance to fix it for them - turning a cranky critic into a loyal, happy customer who'll likely sing your praises to everyone they meet - instead of complaining about something behind your back.  And, what else works about this?  You get to do it all on your blog - where you can control the message & response; and its documented for all to see that you DO LISTEN to your consumers and ACT on their concerns.  That is good stuff.

More than likely you will get some fans on your blog voicing why they like you or your brand.  Even better - free, unsolicited testimonials from happy consumers.  You can't pay for that!  And, again, its out there for any blog reader to see. 

You can also tap into your blog readership base and include them in decisions.  Asking them questions is like a quick, free focus group.  It makes them feel special and as if they have an impact on corporate decision making - this creates engagement and loyalty.  Isn't that what we all want?  Loyal customers?

I want to share a fantastic example of a CEO blog that is doing it right!  Bill Marriott has been writing a blog since January of 2007 called "Marriott on the Move."  I'm pretty impressed with it - you should read his latest post. 

There are several things about this post that I would like to point out as examples of how to do it right:
1. Make it timely and personal.  It's important for a corporate blogger to let the audience know that there is a face behind the brand.  And, to keep the blog content fresh and relevant.  A good rule of thumb is to post no less than once a week.  If you can't post this often, than maybe a blog is not the best medium for you to use to promote yourself or your business.  But, if Bill Marriott can find the time, so can you!
2. Be a storyteller.  Bill Marriott recounts the time spent with his grandson at the Marine Barracks in DC and at the home of the Marine Corps Commandant.  He deftly twists this personal journey into an insightful tale  about the management philosophy of Marriott, all while continuing to engage his readers.
3. Share and teach.  Mr. Marriott talks about MBWA or Management By Wandering Around.  This is an important management technique.  It keeps the C-level execs in touch with both the day-to-day managers and the customers.  It allows them to learn things that may have taken years to filter up to the top - if at all - and certainly well after a problem has become a crisis.  It also encourages open dialogue between employees and the executives, as well as the customers - just like the blog does!
3. Ask for input from your customers.  Mr. Marriott concludes his post by asking for input from Marriott customers, saying "I really want to hear from our people." 
4. Make your customers part of the team.  The final line of this blog post, "I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move." is a seemingly simple sign-off, but what he is really doing is letting his customers know that they are not only part of his team, but they share responsibility in keeping the Marriott brand of gold-star status.  This encourages interaction on the blog - consumers feel that they should comment and provide feedback and they do.
5. Do not moderate the comments section.  Another scary tactic to those new to the blogosphere, but if you choose to only post the comments you like or want people to see, you eliminate opportunities.  These opportunities relate back to what I said earlier in this post.  You have a chance to learn what's not working and fix it - right in front of everyone.  Additionally, when comments are moderated showing only the "good" ones - people catch on quickly and react negatively.  Its somewhat of a limitation on the freedom of speech, but more importantly it negates any credibility that your blog may have earned.  It takes the blog from that personal bird's eye view into the brand to a marketing propaganda piece.  With that said, I do encourage moderating blog comments for spam or profanity.  Be sure to have a comment policy clearly visible on your blog about what is an acceptable comment and what is not.

What do you like best about Mr. Marriott's blog?

Shame on FOXNEWS! Are you jealous of Twitter or just living under a rock?

Hacker Attack Silences Twitter Users - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com
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In reading my news feeds today, I came across this FoxNews report about Twitter being hacked and taken down at 9am this morning.  What struck me was not the crisis of the mighty micro-blog being taken down by hackers or that the problem seemed to also permeate Facebook; it was the utter lack of understanding of the importance of Twitter being inaccessible by the author.  How trivial s/he made the outage of a site that has changed the face of real-time reporting (Iran election violence news, anyone remember that??) sound. 

Here is a direct quote from the article "For Twitter users, the outage meant no tweeting about lunch plans, the weather or the fact that Twitter is down." 
Apparently this antiquated old school media reporter has never spent any real time on Twitter to know that there is a lot more going on that the sharing of lunch plans. 

Here is what I have to say to this no-name, byline-less, out of touch AP reporter, "Hey pal, maybe this is the reason new media is close to putting you out of business?  Try catching up - its 2009, you know."

A Model for Social Media: HARO - ClickZ

Sean Carton from ClickZ did a great article about one of my FAVORITE social media services, Help A Reporter Out aka HARO, Peter Shankman's genius idea of connecting reporters with subject matter experts & PR people.  I personally have been quoted a couple of times in leading media vehicles from leads I found in HARO.  The most recent example of this is when my social media crisis communications strategy was detailed on Mashable.

This is a good read and I highly recommend that you sign up for HARO. If you are a client of mine, you (via me) read this three times a day religiously!

A Model for Social Media: HARO - ClickZ
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Sometimes a really cool emerging marketing tool isn't a technology at all. It's just a great idea about how to use technology in a new (and incredibly easy-to-use) way. HARO is one of the coolest marketing tools around and it's no further away than your inbox. Oh, and did I mention that it's free?
"HARO" stands for "Help a Reporter Out." The brainchild of "CEO, entrepreneur, adventurist" Peter Shankman exists for one mission: to link reporters to sources and sources to reporters.
HARO started out the way lots of great ideas get started: to make life easier for the inventor. Shankman describes himself as "a spectacular example of what happens when you harness the power of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and make it work to your advantage."
From the looks of his accomplishments, he's not too far off the mark. He's an astounding networker, tireless blogger, busy PR pro, and seemingly never sleeps.
Through his work, he's gotten to know lots of reporters and lots of reporters have gotten to know him. Always ready to help them out, Shankman started getting swamped with requests for sources from his journalist friends. Also always ready to take advantage of technology, Shankman deflected those requests to a Facebook group he created to link reporters and sources together.
Unfortunately, Facebook caps group e-mails around 1,200 people, forcing Shankman to move his service off Facebook and onto the Web. Good move. The "little list" Shankman started now includes 25,000 reporters (including regular inquiries from "The Wall Street Journal" and "The New York Times") and 80,000 subscribers.
The concept is amazingly simple. "Sources" (a business, agency, expert, etc.) simply fill out a four-line form here to receive daily digests (usually two to three) of story queries. Journalists need to fill out a slightly longer form with information about who they are, what publication they write for, what kind of person is needed, etc. After submitting, the inquiry is added to the list the next time it's published.
If you think this sounds a little like a service called ProfNet, that's because it accomplishes pretty much the same thing (connecting reporters with sources), but in a much more streamlined, open, and (more importantly!) free way. Actually, Shankman had a bit of a run in with ProfNet early on. "Profnet threatened to sue me because I was copying what they were doing -- Reporters were sending me the same queries they were sending Profnet, and we were BOTH posting them," Shankman said in a follow up e-mail.
Even though Shankman contends that ProfNet had no legal basis its threat, he still switched gears. He decided he could do better if he used a social-media model that's a lot more open. And he has: ad sales on the list now top $1 million annually and the service is growing like crazy.
The most interesting thing about HARO isn't that it's an incredible way to connect with reporters about your (or your clients') business -- though that's pretty cool. What's really amazing is HARO represents an incredible example of the strategic use of social media in a business context. If social media is really just technology that facilitates conversations, then HARO is one incredible conversation starter!
If you look at the characteristics of HARO, you'll see a model for using social media that can be extended to just about all businesses:

• Have a clear and common purpose. HARO connects reporters to sources. That's it.
  
  
• Provide value. HARO is successful because it provides a valuable service to all subscribers. Reporters get sources they need. Businesses get exposure. Everyone's happy.
  
  
• Be friendly. HARO is published as a digest a few times a day. It's incredibly well-indexed and uses in-line links so users can jump between reading the inquiry headline index and the actual index themselves. HARO doesn't spam, doesn't load a bunch of annoying ads, and always comes sporting a subject line that makes it easy to auto-filter.
  
  
• Keep it simple. Signing up for HARO takes about 20 seconds. Scanning the inquiry headlines in the e-mails you receive doesn't take much longer. In addition, HARO doesn't try to be a "community" for reporters and PR folks; doesn't include video, audio, or pictures; and requires nothing more than a simple e-mail client that could run on everything from a cellphone to a netbook to your computer.
  
  
• Be open. HARO doesn't make you jump through hoops to join or post a query.
  
  
• Make connections. HARO is social media distilled to its simplest form: connecting people who need each other together and facilitating their conversation through introduction.

If you're thinking about social media as an emerging marketing tool, it's important that you take a look at HARO. It uses technology that's been around literally for decades but uses it in a way that reflects the purest essence of the value of social media. Like services such as Craigslist, it's a game-changer that changes the game by staying true to its roots, staying focused, and providing something that people need cheaper, faster, and better than its predecessors.