Dishing with the Fish

Today I Was a Brand Evangelist for Zappos - Who's Doing this for your Brand?

2011-11-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

Today was our intern's last day at Starfish PR. Lauren completed her 120 hours in record time and her last day snuck up on us to be honest. To celebrate I treated the team to lunch at a nearby cafe.

As we were being seated, a man at the table next to us commented on my shoes. I am wearing Ugg boots today because it's freezing in L.A. (mid 60s.) He asked where I purchased them, to which I replied Zappos. But I didn't stop there.

I added that I believe Zappos has the best pricing on Ugg boots anywhere. The man asked where Zappos was and I said online, a bit shocked that he hadn't heard of it. He immediately dismissed it saying he needed to purchase a pair like them but needed to have them in a day or two. No problem! I told him Zappos delivers next day at no charge!

While he seemed to listen me, I can't be sure he heard me. He turned to his iPad and we went on with lunch.

I was proud to evangelize for Zappos today - it is a great company that continues to exceed my expectations. It made me think about word of mouth in today's world. I was marketing (very enthusiastically) for an online brand, offline. Now I am sharing that experience online in this blog, which I'll continue to share elsewhere (and you too I hope.)

Do you own a business?
Who could be evangelizing for you?
Why should they?
If they are, are you listening?

Something to think about indeed.

PR Strategies for Small Business: Part 2 - Your Most Precious Resource, Time?

2011-04-26T17:52:00.003-07:00

How much time per day/week can you dedicate to PR? Yes, you.

Even if you hire the largest, most expensive PR team in the world you are still going to have to be involved and engaged in the process. It’s your brand and therefore it should always be you leading the way.

To embark on your own PR strategy, you’ll need to carve out some time each day to dedicate to it.

Are you a morning person? Consider going to a local coffee shop and working solo on your business branding for 1 hour every morning. If you already workout in the mornings, perhaps you can incorporate a laptop or tablet into your workout (it works on cardio machines.)

Love to power lunch? Great! Go to lunch alone and get to work. No martini lunches though, at least not until you see results and then I suggest you celebrate your success, often. Cheers!

Is there some task you can cut down on or delegate to someone else? Inbox cleaning can be done less often during the day, for example.

Can you devote any time at the end of your day or at bedtime? I am not suggesting you avoid family time but you may want to put down that novel for a few months and concentrate on growing your business. You’ll be so successful you can take a vacation and read plenty of novels.

So, audit your time and figure out when you can work on your PR strategy and for how long each day. I know entrepreneurs can be very savvy with their time so I look forward to hearing plenty more tips in the comments.

Next up…identifying your resources and putting a strategy together.

Related Posts:
PR Strategies for Small Business: Part 1 - Budget

PR Strategies for Small Business: Part 1 - What is your Budget?

2011-04-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

I meet with potential new clients all the time, most of whom are small business owners and entrepreneurs. I get very excited about the possibility of helping people grow their businesses.

This post was originally going to be a list of things small business owners need to consider before hiring a PR consultant, but I realized after jotting down my notes that it would be way too long. So I'm breaking it up into a series. We'll start with the most important question I ask...Do you have a budget for PR?

You either do or you don't. I suggest you be honest with yourself about what your real budget is for PR before you reach out and begin to interview PR consultants. If you have zero budget, don't waste everyone's time with a meeting when you know you can't hire someone. To you it's a fact finding mission, but to a PR professional it's a time commitment. We prepare by learning all we can about your business before and then we dedicate at least an hour (not counting commute) to meet with you. That's several hours away from our existing workload and obligations to our paying clients. Besides being courteous, you will spare yourself from having to admit you have no budget and you can't hire them.

If you have no budget set aside for PR, ask yourself:

Do I really need to hire someone to do PR right now?
Can I free up any money for PR and how much?
Do I have the ability to start my own PR strategy and if so, how much time can I devote per week to it?
Can I trade my services for those of a PR consultant? Most entrepreneurs have bartered at one time or another.
How can I create a budget for PR in the next 3-6 months?

In many cases, a new client is still in the growing stages of their company and not in need of a PR team just yet. If that's you, try picking up a book on PR and baby step your way into some valuable customer relations. I'd love other PR pros and small business owners to chime in here too. Your input and expertise is always welcome.

I recommend The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott & Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk. (Amazon affiliate links.)

In Part 2 - I will talk about PR Resources.

Related Posts:

Using Video to Promote Your Business

8 Tips to Help Choose a PR Company

PitchEngine for your PR Machine

How to Make it Right When Digital Media Gets it Wrong

2011-04-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Has this ever happened to you? You receive a Google Alert for your business or your client’s business and excitedly click through only to discover the writer got some part of the story wrong. It could be the company name is spelled wrong, a bad link is posted or perhaps the facts are not quite right. It happens fairly often, we are all human after all. So how do you fix it? Start by not panicking. The writer/media outlet prefers to be right as much, if not more than you.

Go through the story, with an extra set of eyes if possible, and be sure to catch all mistakes, check links, spellings, etc. Sometimes they are critical and your relationship with the writer will be key, other times you may want to overlook what is simply a typo if it's not critical It really comes down to how you are perceived in the article, so think like the reader and react accordingly.

Here are some examples:

Context: In the digital, real-time world it’s easy to address major mistakes with writers, but if it’s something you can do on your own with tact and grace, that is an opportunity for you. By leaving a positive, grateful comment, you show the writer how much you appreciate the coverage, while being able to clearly address any misconception that may have been posted. Adding your comment increases the search awareness of this piece about YOU and it adds an additional link to your website or blog, again increasing visibility for YOU. Marketing teams get so caught up in controlling the message but today it’s important to focus on context and your end user experience. Instead of only reading editorial like a marketer, remember to also read it like your customer. What did they get out of it? What can you add to ensure they link through to your website?

Typos: If your company name is incorrect in the piece, you will want to ask the writer to edit right away. (This is a good reminder that you should include misspellings in your Google Alerts.) If she got it right 99% of the time and it is obviously a typo, you can be sure the reader also understands it’s a typo. In a world of social posts and blogging, we have gotten used to a typo here and there. My advice, don’t sweat it. Leave a comment and thank them for the profile.

Links: If the post includes a bad link, this is something you should address quickly. I recommend creating a bit.ly link and sending it in an email to the writer so she can update it, which she will happily do. Once it’s fixed, leave a comment thanking her for the coverage.

It goes without saying that if something posted could have legal ramifications, you should act quickly with advice of legal counsel.

On the flipside: If the article is fantastic, has no errors, and is a glowing reviews of your fabulous brand, react quickly with a thank you note to the writer, a comment on the page expressing gratitude and share, share, share!

Did Motrin Really Fail?

2011-04-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular topics discussed at conferences like Blog World Expo and South by Southwest is campaign failures. And one such failure referenced is Motrin's attempt to market to moms. I won't rehash the campaign because if you're reading this blog you've most likely heard all about it.

I ask you, did Motrin have to fail?

In my opinion the company and its ad agency were given a valuable gift by the social sphere. Yes, they had to pull their campaign and apologize, but I believe there could have been a huge payoff for them as a brand because of this and it all hinged on what they did next.

If my company or a client encountered a similar snafu, I would suggest we enlist the help of the very people effected for a do-over, in this case the mothers out there. The lines of communication were wide open, so why not engage those who were most vocal to be involved in the new marketing efforts? This is the beauty of today's social world, we can converse with each other.

Motrin has involved real people in their campaigns for years, so this would be in line with how they'd been positioning the brand. I am confident that many of the blogging mothers who were upset by Motrin's ad would have appreciated being asked how they would do it better. The ad may have been offensive to them, but there's no disputing a need for pain relief on occasion. I say take a chance to engage them and possibly end up with a powerful endorsement.

And, the fact is we are all still talking about the brand years later. I don't mean to imply that any press is good press, but Motrin could have blazed trails as the brand who blew it, learned from it and then went back out and did it better than anyone because of it. When we bring up the brand Motrin at a conference, we could be talking about how their public fail ultimately led to a huge win. That would be so cool for them, for marketers and mostly consumers.

At least they didn't attach themselves to Charlie Sheen for the quick win, although I do think that would have been funny. Too many clever tie-ins to list.

Related Posts:
Simple Way to Turn Customers into Evangelists, Ask Them
How a Cleaner is Using Social Media Well
Healthy Branding, Who's Running in Your Brand?

SXSW Survival Tips

2011-03-29T17:15:00.001-07:00

I had a blast at SXSW this year and was fortunate to be able to meet a lot of cool folks who were willing to give me some survival tips, on camera! In exchange for their tips, I gave them some packs of EmergenC (and hopefully not my cold.)

Be sure to watch all the way through because the last tip, a hangover cure, is by far the best!

Spreading the Love & Good Health at South By Southwest SXSW

2011-03-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

So here I am in Austin, Texas for arguably the largest gathering of techie/geek/social/marketing gurus of our time. So far I am meeting lots of wonderfully imaginative people and enjoying every moment. The event is South By Southwest (sxsw) and the ongoing joke is that everyone who come here, leaves with the sxsw flu/sars/plague.

So how do you stand out in a group like this? I decided I'd reach out to my twitter following (@ledgedancer) with the offer to give out a packet of EmergenC to anyone I actually get to meet in person. Well, I tweeted that and to my surprise, the lovely folks @Emergen-C offered to provide product for me. Thank you!

I've taken this opportunity to talk to lots of great people and ask them their own sxsw survival tip, which I am video taping and will post as soon as I can edit and upload. Things move very quickly here so I have to keep up.

While I am not a paid spokesperson for Emergen-C, I am a huge fan and so, it seems, are the people I've met here. Everyone I give a happy packet to is totally stoked! I love the enthusiasm. And some have been offering very unique tips for how to enjoy Emergen-C. If you're reading this and you're in Austin for sxsw, please hit me up @ledgedancer and I will hook you up!


SXSW night one, Driskill Hotel, clearly feeling the Love!

Disclaimer: Although, Emergen-C is packed with nutrients, it’s not intended to prevent sickness. But seriously, with all this Kumbaya love and such, wouldn't some extra vitamins be smart?

What I Would do to Attend your Expensive Event

2011-02-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

I run a small, and I mean small, PR company so I don't have a huge budget for conferences. I am not complaining about my company's size, I actually love the ability to be hands-on with each client and the personal freedom to have a life. But, when it comes to attending professional conferences and events, I have to be very selective and price is most certainly a factor.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how I could possibly "work" my way into a conference, such as SXSW or Blog World Expo (on my short list and I do plan to attend) and here's what I came up with...it's a work in progress but would love your thoughts (especially if you have any authority to grant complimentary registrations to industry events.)

Give Tweebates! (Catchy, huh?)
Announce an opportunity to receive a refund on your registration if you are one of 10 (?) super tweeters during the event. Brilliant right? Now I, the attendee, have significant incentive to not only tweet often but to tweet smart during the event. The rewards should be given based on quality, not just quantity, in my opinion. What a win-win!

I won't even list any more because that's my best one. What have you got? Let's do this.

See you at SXSW, Blog World Expo and hopefully some points in between.

A Simple, Effective Way to Turn Customers into Enagelists - Ask Them!

2011-01-27T17:18:00.000-08:00

Halloween Costumes

You know I love good marketing and good food (see my last post) but another thing I really love is costumes! Any chance I get to dress up excites me to no end. Every year for Superbowl, I run (walk is more like it) in my community's Superbowl 10k. There are so many reason to love it, not the least of which is it ends in a beer garden, because they have a costume contest. It also always occurs on or within days of my birthday which is fun.

This year we are running dressed as the Kia Rapping Hamsters and yes we will be building a Kia Soul out of cardboard, thank you very much! So I go online to purchase noses for our hamster look at HalloweenCostumes.com and I am wowed by this etailers marketing savvy, which will explain why this blog is making me money.

When they emailed my receipt, they included an offer to refund me $5 on my order if I have a blog or website and I write about them. Is that not brilliant? How could I pass up another chance to highlight good marketing this week? Thanks HalloweenCostumes.com!

As for our costumes, you'll just have to wait till 2/6/11 to see them.

How to Plan a Big Grand Opening - What Jersey Mike's did Right!

2011-01-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

Because I love good marketing almost as much as good food, I feel compelled to share this great example of a recent sub shop opening.

Jersey Mike's opened a new location in my neighborhood and last week they teamed with a couple of high schools for a great offer - make a donation of at least $1 to receive a free sub. I probably would not have known about it since I don't have any kids, but my friend works at one of the schools involved. Fundraiser, subs? I am in!

The Big Idea: Create long lines out the door so people take notice.

The Risk: Think differently about how you spend your marketing budget. While I am not sure exactly the cost of the food they gave away, I did notice they upsold drinks, chips, soups and salads and if we compared it to traditional advertising like door hangers and a quarter page ad in the local paper I would guess they came out ahead.

The Payoff: Long (I am talking huge) lines out the door for 5 days! Do we need to talk about what that means to them? They've solidified themselves as a community supporter. And...a new business opens big in a busy mall that has established eateries like In-N-Out, Chipotle and Yogurt Land - this was the best possible outcome.

Turkey Sub - so nice I had it twice!

I enjoyed a couple subs myself (when I could get in) and they made me a fan. The subs are delicious and I will be back.

They took a big chance and made a big splash. Fortunately, in my opinion, they have the goods to back up the hype they created, so I predict they will do well. They haven't asked my advice, but I'll offer it anyway. It's time for them to start collecting emails and making sure the early adopters continue to come back. With simple online coupons and special loyalty programs, they should be able grow through word of mouth. And of course they can always call this loyal customer who happens to know a thing or two about marketing. Just sayin'.

Business Relationships Matter to Me Personally

2011-01-18T16:48:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I love my job is because I am a total people person. As a PR pro (or whatever they're calling us these days) I spend most my days and nights communicating. Whether I am emailing a pitch, calling the local TV station, drafting a press release for a client, blogging, tweeting or updating my status, or hosting a weekly PR call, I am making real connections with real people. No matter whom I am talking with in any form, it's all about nurturing a relationship. We all know how important it is to nurture your business contacts, in my case, the media. But it's also extremely important to nurture the client relationship. If they are happy, they will continue to work with me and they will tell others about me.

Ask yourself how good it feels when a client gives you a compliment? Consider returning the favor. For no reason. Just call, text or email them and tell him/her why you enjoy working with them. If you can send a little love their way publicly on Linked In or Twitter, all the better!

Remember the little things...birthdays, anniversaries, their childrens milestones or accomplishments and show that you remember and you care. This is not and should not be fake interest. I am suggesting you take the time to get to know the people you work with so closely.

Be gracious. Acknowledge the trust they have put in you. Send a thank you note when appropriate.

If you truly care about the proper nurturing of your relationship with your client, your client will see that you are someone who treats others kindly and with respect, which is what they expect from someone they hire to represent their brand. Be sure to show them that they made the right decision.

These are just a few examples that show I care for the folks who keep me in a business I love. I'm sure there are plenty more we can share. So please do.

My 5 PR Resolutions for 2011

2011-01-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

I am well aware that there are already a million blog posts written about New Year's resolutions and goals for 2011, but hopefully one more will not hurt!

1. Connect - I plan on reaching out and initiating a conversation with someone from my social networks at least once a week by thanking the person for following me, letting him/her know how much I enjoyed a link he/she posted, or asking a question.

2. Blog more, blog smarter - Angela posted a link on our facebook page that will definitely get me off to a good start with this resolution. 38 Critical Books Every Blogger Needs to Read from Copyblogger lists books on useful topics like making the most of your time and energy, making the most of other people and thinking like a marketer.

3. Learn something new - I have taken StrengthsFinder and know that me number one strength is learner. Not only will learning something new, like Adobe's Creative Suite, make me better at my job, it will also make me happy!

4. Create more content - I plan on tackling this resolution with resolution #2 and by turning high traffic blog posts into social media, or direct to consumer, releases.

5. Start a creative folder - I got this idea from PR Week and absolutely love it because it's like a savings account for publicists. Every time I have an idea, come across a helpful or interesting news item, blog post or advertisement, I am going to file it away in a special place. Then, the next time I'm looking for a little inspiration I'll know just where to find it!

Happy New Year and here's to a great 2011!

More Things Young PR Pros Can do NOW to Help their Job Search

2011-01-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

I first posted my 11 tips for young PR pros a year ago here. Today I've updated the tips and added a few more. Which brings me to one I forgot to include...stay current!

I look forward to hearing your tips and feedback.

1. Start networking now by engaging in online conversations with people who work within the communications field. You may be surprised how willing to help the PR community is!
2. Join Twitter - select a professional handle or one that is creative but conveys your area of expertise yet be sure to reveal your true self in your profile.
3. Join online networks/groups – Already on Facebook and LinkedIn? Join some groups where you can network with likeminded people. Always share ideas and links if you can, it’s about engaging in conversations, not one-sided conversations. Better yet, start your own group and show off your leadership skills!
4. Blog – Blogging is the best way to establish your own voice. Write about what excites you, challenges you and drives you. Use this forum to show people why you’re interesting and always try to add value for your readers. You have no idea how big your voice may become unless you start talking! Read other blogs for ideas for posts and learn from the experts.
5. Google Alerts – create a Google alert for your name, your desired field/industry, and companies you’d like to work with. Use any keywords (like job openings) that make sense.
6. SocialMention.com – this is a great resource for monitoring conversations about you, a company/brand, and to find people to follow.
7. Join HARO - Helpareporter.com is the greatest tool for media professionals and it’s free. Thanks to the hilarious and brilliant Peter Shankman, you receive 3 emails a day filled with media queries. Even in you don’t have a job yet, monitor these queries and see if you can help friends/colleagues get media placement. Great practice and you’ll learn a lot about pitching (the right way) on HARO. Peter is very smart and always willing to help a newbie (and oldbie) so pay attention and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
8. Read other blogs – your Google alerts and HARO will help you find bloggers you enjoy reading & subscribe to their blogs and share what you learn via Twitter, Facebook and your own blog. Also, check their favorite links for other great blogs to read. Did you know you can read all your subscribed blogs on your Kindle?
9. Sign up for online newsletters – when you find bloggers you like, chances are they have newsletters too, so sign up.
10. Read great books – my favorite is New Rules of Marketing & PR (required reading in my office) by David Meerman Scott. Amazon rocks for suggestions, so check out what they recommend & search Twitter for book suggestions.
11. Find a mentor – we are all around and we all love helping others. So when you find someone you admire, reach out to them.
12. Volunteer your service – since you’re available right now, why not offer to help a non-profit or local organization with their public relations? Great practice and you’ll be making a difference.
13. Attend at least one major professional event a year. Money is tight so I suggest you try to find one that requires little to no travel expenses. Some of my favorites are Blog World Expo, South By Southwest, PubCon and local PRSA events. Get out there, be seen and heard!
14. Practice on friends/family. Yes, someone you know needs a new professional bio or press release for their new company. Go help them and start getting real experince.

Excellent Example of using Flip Video to Promote your Business

2010-12-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

I recently began consulting this company SockPrints.com and I want to share a video that owner Hayley Mullin posted today to promote gift ideas. For her first time, she knocked it out of the park in my opinion. It's cute, to the point and really demonstrates why this is a great gift idea. Well done, Hayley!

Flair Cleaners is Using Social Media & Putting the Competition Out to Dry

2010-12-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

It is no surprise that companies like Ford, Dunkin' Donuts and Southwest are using social media and using it well. They have big budgets and departments devoted to taking over the twitosphere.

Smaller companies may see big brands' fancy Facebook applications and cross-platform campaigns and think that they don't have the time, or resources, to be effective. But, this is not true! Social media can be simple and effective. One such small, family-owned and operated company that I recently became aware of and perfectly illustrates this point is Southern California-based, Flair Cleaners.

They are on Twitter and reward their followers weekly with their "Tweet Rewards" drawing. Every Wednesday they do a random prize drawing, selecting one winner from their followers. It appears as if the winner receives a Starbucks gift card, but other prizes could be a discounted service or five dollars donated to the winner's favorite charity - especially since Flair Cleaners actively supports many local schools and non-profits.

Flair Cleaners also has a Facebook page that they are using to take their "Annual Holiday Clothing Drive" to the next level. This year they have selected a few local non-profits and created a special Holiday tab on Facebook where they are all listed. For every 10 lbs of clothing donated to the clothing drive, Flair Cleaners will donate $1, up to $2,500, to the charity that gets the most votes on their Facebook wall. The smart catch is that for your vote to count you must "like" them on Facebook, which will definitely increase their number of likes.

In Flair's case they are using social media to appreciate their customers and improve the communities in which they work and live. This is definitely something other small companies can do. Congrats to Flair for having a real "flair" for using social media!

Jumo

2010-11-30T14:44:00.000-08:00

The launch of Jumo, a new social network for social good, is nestled perfectly in between Thanksgiving and Christmas when people's heart strings and purse strings are closely tied together. A perfect launch date for a site aiming to do the impossible and extend people's charitable behavior beyond the holiday season.

One reason we give during the holidays is because it's easy to. So many opportunities to make a donation, or adopt a family, etc. But it seems that when the holiday toy drives go away, so do our donations. It's that out of sight, out of mind mentality. Jumo is hoping that this will no longer be the case. Because it was created by Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, I am also hoping that it will be just as user-friendly and personalized as the social network that we all know and love.

According to a recent article on Mashable here's some insight into how it will work.

- Users select "Issues" to customize their profiles
- Following an "Issue" allows users to discover organizations/projects that address that issue
- Similar to Facebook, users can "like" organizations/projects
- Organizations/projects can stream all of their social networks onto their page - allowing users to find lots of information in one place.

At Starfish PR we work with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and Deconstruction and ReUse Network, two great non-profits that have the potential to benefit from this. So, I am optimistic that Jumo will help our do-good attitudes stick around longer than Santa's cookies on Christmas Eve!

A Lightbulb Moment for a DC Electrician

2010-11-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

I was just sitting at my computer trying to come up with a new blog topic and I happened to check my Facebook feed and no joke a topic landed in my lap(top)!

I caught the tail end of a chain of posts by a friend who started with "does anyone have an electrician in the DC area?" One of her friends posted Mike Booth and another seconded the motion so she posted "Mike Booth it is." I chimed in "a great day to be Mike Booth" but can't help wondering if Mike even knows how many folks he reached today? And, if he knew, would he thank the 2 folks who recommended him? I certainly would.

If I were Mike, I'd be monitoring my name, my company name and electricians in general, especially in the DC area. Here are some basic ways Mr. Booth could capitalize on this (and I suspect other similar conversations):

Offer specials to the Facebookers who suggested him (holidays? lights? are you with me?)
Start a Facebook page for his company and join in the conversations being had
Set up Google Alerts or check Socialmention.com daily/weekly - monitor what's being said and identify ways to grow business just by being attentive

Once Mike has a presence and a voice out there, he can expand into content like tips, video how-to's and email newsletters. I hope he sees this post and the light bulb goes off. I just think it's cool that someone needed an electrician and asked her friends on Facebook and now some chick 3,000 miles away is blogging about him. Imagine what he could do locally.

I did a quick Google search for Mike so I could link to him but couldn't find him. Sigh.

What's Your Bag, Baby?

2010-11-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended the NeoCon East Expo in Baltimore, MD with my client Bentley Prince Street. They were celebrating their partnership with iconic designer Clodagh, whom I adore and whose Kool-Aid I have completely consumed. She designed our booth, which was gorgeous. Everyone was talking about the amazing chandelier above our booth (made with carpet fibers from her Tucson collection). If you don't have a clue about interior design, like me, you must check out Clodagh's book Your Home Your Sanctuary.

I am no stranger to trade shows, I have done just about everything you can think of at trade shows in my career (yes, even that but please don't remind me.) One constant is that people love a takeaway and at NeoCon, the vehicles for those takeaways were the stars. Some companies did a great job of being noticed, simply by giving away a great bag.

I have to award HON with Best in Show! This bag got your attention for sure. It was large enough, yet simple in it's design and the best feature...a shoulder strap! I noticed they had these babies tucked in a cabinet...you had to work for this one and rightfully so.

Here are the runner's up (I thought the Breast Cancer support bag was a nice touch for an October show):

This is just one humble attendee's opinion, there were many bags there and I am only featuring the bags that were reusable and that stuck out, to me at least. Special thanks to all the exhibitors who allowed me to photograph their bags (and a shout out to those who also gave me one!) See you at NeoCon in Chicago! Will I need to bring an extra bag for all my bags?

What I Learned From The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2010-10-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Number one - arrive early! Our tickets were for the six o'clock taping, but you had to be there hours before that. Her staff is charged with the task of wrangling 300 plus people through security, check-in, filling out surveys, getting everyone across the street, seated and briefed on when to clap, cheer and, of course, shake it.

Doing this two times a day, four times a week, I was expecting them to be frazzled. Far from being frazzled, they were surprisingly fantastic! They were extremely organized, helpful and funny. So, while I went to the show thinking that Ellen would be the star, I walked away thinking her staff was because they really elevated my experience to the next level.

Since social media is really about customer service, brands want to make sure that their designated online communicator(s) gives their audience the Ellen experience. The good news is that it's not rocket science. First off, hire personable people. Then have a strategy and implement it, people can sense when something is being haphazardly thrown together. Yes, even a tweet. Don't be afraid to tweet, blog and facebook with some personality. What's the point of hiring charming people, if you don't let them use it! Make sure that whoever is engaging online with your audience is equipped to handle problems and answer questions.

Finally, celebrate online successes and in Ellen's world there's only one way to do that.... stand up and dance!

Curious about what I thought I would learn? Click here.

What I Plan On Learning From The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2010-10-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be attending a live taping of the Ellen DeGeneres Show and I am hoping I can dance away with a few tips on how to engage an audience. Not because I am planning on becoming a talk show host, but because I think there is something to be learned from how she works a crowd of people.

Unfortunately I work a 9 to 5 and live without TiVo, so I do not tune in to the show as often as I'd like to. But, right off the bat I would describe Ellen as fun, warm and easy to relate to. She is also positive, helpful and shows her appreciation for the audience with fun games and giveaways.

These are all traits and ideas that should be taken into consideration when trying to captivate the attention of customers and other influencers online. So hopefully after tomorrow I'll be able to add the Ellen touch to my next tweet, blog post and YouTube production!

Blog World Expo Day One

2010-10-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Day one at Blog World Expo was more informative than I expected and a lot longer than I had planned. I missed the morning keynote by Scott @unmarketing Stratten, but I was able to attend every other session and keynote, including a closing session with Doug @livestrongCEO Ullman.

I came to the expo solo and while I never worry about making friends, I was a little concerned I might eat all my meals alone. So not the case. These people are so social! If you strike up a conversation, or simply bump into someone accidentally, you've made a new connection, it's awesome. I also ran into some old friends from YSN. Needless to say, my early night was more of an early morning. Thankfully, I don't have a session today until 11 am.

What has been most surprising to me is the number of people here from big brands and fortune 500 companies. It's exciting to know those companies are willing to send their staff to this event. I'm meeting some very smart people who I look forward to brainstorming with for a long time.

For us entrepreneurs who don't have a company to pick up the tab, going to these events is tough. I pretty much only go to SXSW. After attending Blog World, I am sold that this is the best show for the price. I am a Blog World evangelist now!

Here are some books about blogging and social media that I love:
New Rules of Marketing & PR (David Meerman Scott)
Naked Conversations (Scoble/Israel)
Inbound Marketing (Halligan/Shah)

Healthy Branding

2010-10-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

I live at the beach in L.A. and I frequently exercise down on the strand, as do a lot of folks. One thing I love about people watching down there is the branding that is everywhere. I am talking about the clothing worn by people who are walking, jogging, and just drinking coffee on a bench. By far the most popular brand I see is USC Trojans. That figures since even former coach Pete Carroll can be seen down there biking on occasion. But this got me thinking about marketing for this crowd.

The next time you're creating a tshirt or zip up or hat for your brand, consider who and how it will be worn. If they're only going to sleep in it, you're not really accomplishing much awareness. But, if you design a tshirt that is perfect for working out, that could be a definite bonus, especially if your target audience will get a peek at it.

BTW, when I work out, I wear tops and hats with either my favorite teams: Denver Broncos and Anaheim Ducks, or freebies I received from brands during events or in goodie bags, such as Paige Denim. It's not about the brand for me, it's always about the fit and function.

Something to think about...I hope. Maybe?

Meeting of the (Creative) Minds

2010-10-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today I invited a former colleague to spend the day at Starfish HQ. Sadly, she had been laid off by a client of mine recently and she was getting a little stir crazy. I always welcome a fresh new brain to spend the day w/ us so I was quick to invite her.

A fly on the wall would suggest that all we did was chit-chat. But all that chatter was about creative things, like marketing, graphic design, and blogging. Just as I had hoped.

She left my office with a new blog that she's super excited about and who new world of possibilities for her own success. I was left with a burst of creative energy and a desire to create...anything! Not only did I conquer my to-do list after she left, I brought my laptop home and am actually working while watching Monday Night Football. Good times.

I applaud her can-do spirit and look forward to announcing new blog here soon!

Cute Video with Betty White Talking about SNL Experience

2010-09-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted about attending a media event where Betty White was the surprise guest. Fortunately I had my camera with me and was able to capture this great moment on video of Betty talking about SNL and partying with the cast till 3 am! I created this video for me but am sure a lot of folks will enjoy it.

How can you not adore this lady?

Love Getting to Spend the Morning with Creative People & Betty White

2010-09-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today I attended the Doritos "Crash the Superbowl" kick-off event. My former intern is a big-wig-to-be at Ketchum and she was nice enough to invite me. She's great and you can follow her on Twitter @unbelievabeal.

So all I really knew about the event was that some of the genius minds who've created Super Bowl ads would be there to share their creative tips and there would be a special guest. I am always up for a creative transfusion so it seemed like a great opportunity to me. The VP's of Marketing for Doritos and Pepsi Max brands hosted a casual discussion with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners' Jeff Goodby and TBWA\Chiat\Day's Rob Schwartz who offered advice on creating an impactful Super Bowl ad and then the winners of this year's contest came out. Brothers Joe and Dave Herbert were so interesting. I loved hearing them talk about their creative process and give advice to the up and comers in the audience. What really struck me was the research they did. They were thrilled to have won, but they admitted that they did everything they could to find out what kind of ads scored high on the ad meter and they set out to make a commercial that would score high and win. I wish these guys had a blog, I found them on twitter but they are not tweeting much. They are total advertising renegades who plan to kick in the back door of the ad world and I can totally appreciate that! If you guys are reading this, I want to be at that party!

So if that were not enough to justify my being out of the office all morning, then they bring out the one and only Betty White! It was awesome. The woman truly never stops working. I am a huge Mary Tyler Moore fan so this was just so cool...and when they opened up for questions, the audience just wanted the chance to tell her how much we adored her. I was able to tell her how much I love the new "Hot in Cleveland" show. A treat for a dork like me (who tweeted it too.) Betty, if you're reading this...how about I bring my two pomeranians over for a play date soon?

A great event, glad I attended and revved up my right brain.

8 Tips to Help Choose the Right PR Agency - How Does Yours Stack up?

2010-09-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

I am always a little hesitant to read these types of articles because I don't want to "fail" but thankfully I feel we are doing a good job for our clients, at least by the standards in this article. Either way there's always room to improve and I think this is a great article for all of us PR Pros to review (often) so we stay on the right track. And just want to mention how much I enjoy receiving the Ragan newsletter each day - always some great advice and thought provoking articles.

8 tips to help you choose the right PR agency | Article |

My Life as an Intern & Storyteller

2010-09-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

Posted by Savanah Wernick, Starfish PR Summer Intern:

To be labeled an "intern" doesn't indicate much responsibility. When you tell someone you're an intern, the same question stings the conversation every time. "Oh, how nice," they say, "is it paid?" You reply no, they nod, and immediately formulate assumptions that don't give you much credit. She's just there to watch. She'll be the one getting the coffee, walking the dogs.

To be fair, these conclusions aren't completely off the mark. In the setting of a large, multi-level business, it’s easy to imagine those who are not on payroll to get lost in the shuffle. While I'm sure that many internships in these businesses offer valuable exposure to a particular field of work, none can compare to the life of an intern at Starfish PR.

“Essentially, PR is telling the story” Angela said. In just one month I became absorbed in this storytelling. Starfish PR is a small company, consisting of just Angela Moore, Alison Mullin, and myself, the lone intern, but you would never know this by looking at their list of clients and the amount of effort involved. The size of this company actually turned out to be my greatest advantage. There was work that always needed to be done, and both Angela and Alison trusted me with substantial tasks everyday.

The difference between interning at Starfish and any other old office was the impact that the work of an intern could make. Public Relations is bridging the gap between a firm/company/brand and the rest of the world, so everything I did was sent out for EVERYONE to view. I can't lie - this was a really intimidating thought once it took root in my mind. Every Facebook post, tweet, and picture I put up was a rush. Everyone will see this, I'd always tell myself, they'll all criticize it, praise it, tell their friends, print it out and put it on their fridge.

While none of my tweets provoked any form of worldwide phenomenon as I had hoped (yet), I still felt the tremendous satisfaction that comes with executing a crucial step in the success of a business. I was helping, and I couldn't help but feel that my help mattered.

The thrills, of course, did not stop at the computer keyboard. At only one week in, I found myself elbowing my way through a sea of photographers at a Habitat for Humanity build event, fighting amongst the sharp clicks of expensive DSLR cameras with my point-and-shoot to snap a few shots of the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba who were working on one of the homes. The same day I spun around to find Stephanie Pratt from “The Hills” carrying a ladder, and became so focused on capturing this moment for the Habitat Facebook or Flickr that I didn't notice the stampede of photographers charging my way to get a similar shot until Alison saved my life and yanked me out of the way at the very last second. About a week later my acting skills were put to the test as I pretended to purchase a bed in the background of a KTLA Morning News shoot with Gayle Anderson at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Another day I went from taking photographs of UFC fighter Chuck Liddell and members of Music for Relief working on a Habitat house to a DIY Network TV show location with the Deconstruction and ReUse Network. Every day was an adventure, but that would be putting it lightly.

The experience I gained in one summer month is unlike any I have ever had before. I entered into a completely new world of business, and I can confidently say I see myself becoming an inhabitant there in my future. No, I didn't earn a salary. I didn't need one. Starfish gave me knowledge and skills that I didn't know I could posses, and so far it has gone much farther than any paycheck I've ever received.

(Special thanks to Savanah Wernick for giving her time to support our clients so enthusiastically and for reminding us why we love our jobs. Great work, Savanah! We can't wait for school to end so we can have you back!)

Tomorrow - A Day of Building

2010-09-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

This Saturday will be the ninth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. It is one of those days in history where most people can recollect exactly where they were and what they were doing when the planes crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and that field in Pennsylvania.

There was a lot of sadness, grief and fear that day, but also out of that terrible tragedy came so many heroes, as well as so much love, compassion and unity. That is why designating September 11th as the National Day of Remembrance and Service is such a fitting tribute to the survivors, victims and heroes of 9/11. This is because giving your time to help others - often strangers - is loving and compassionate. It also unites all involved from the volunteers to the beneficiaries, strengthening our communities and therefore our country.

Tomorrow I will be commemorating the day by breaking ground on three new homes in the City of Lynwood, with our client Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. Three families realizing the American dream of homeownership is an opportunity that the terrorists tried to take away, but tomorrow's groundbreaking ceremony is proof that they did not succeed.

To build these three homes will take a village. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles will rely on the partner homeowners to contribute 500 hours of sweat, as well as donor and volunteer support. So, tomorrow is the perfect day to commit to building with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, or to making a donation.

I encourage everyone to observe 9/11 by building up. If not building up with us, by building up at a local shelter, or with a random act of kindness. Please do not perpetuate a terrible act by doing another terrible act, like a certain preacher in Florida. Build up, don't tear down.

How Have I Come So Far in Life Being So Afraid?

2010-09-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

I had one of those moms who overreacted and was fearful that everything would harm me, so of course I am afraid of everything, especially the unknown. Most people would never know it because, fortunately, I don't let my fears paralyze me.

I love this blog today from Elena Verlee about Fear. I recently discovered her blog called PR in Your Pajamas and I am a huge fan. Today she posted an article she originally wrote for Working Mother magazine, but it was so impactful to me I just had to post a link to it here.

I can give myself crazy anxiety at times, often when about to do something completely new to me but sometimes right before a client pitch or public speaking. But I always forge ahead and within minutes my anxiety is gone. As a business owner there are lots of things that keep me up at night - cash flow, paying bills, keeping clients happy, bookkeeping, taxes, etc. How about you? What scares you and keeps you up at night? And more importantly how do you overcome it?

Who Are You Talking To?

2010-09-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last night Starfish PR headed inland to Hollywood to hear the stars of multicultural communication speak on a PRSA-LA panel. In a city like Los Angeles this topic is especially relevant.

In fact, panelist Luis Sahagún, director of media and public relations for Farmers Insurance Group, pointed out that the Hispanic market is the fastest growing in the U.S. and if you're company is doing little, or nothing, to reach that market than you are behind the curve.

So, what should you be doing? You can start by educating yourself by visiting sites like newamericamedia.org and pewhispanic.org. If the research and information on these sites is not convincing enough, than maybe some of these statistics from the panelists last night will be.

Eighty-two percent of Asians, Hispanics and African Americans are reached by ethnic media. Why? Because these communities are more likely to trust in-language media than general market media. Proof of this is that while mainstream media is dwindling at an alarming rate, even more alarming is that ethnic media is growing.

If you're still not convinced, it is likely that ROI will do the trick. If your company, or organization, is willing to talk the talk and walk the walk you will be rewarded with phenomenal ROI and brand loyalty. It all boils down to the fact that people appreciate it when you reach out, make an effort and take a risk!

Oh yeah - I also won a gift certificate to Borders! Exciting for the girl who never wins anything!

How Unplugging Recharged Me

2010-09-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

In July, I went on a fabulous tropical vacation with my husband and two other couples. I recently got a global phone, the Blackberry Tour, so I was confident I'd be reachable. I have a fantastic resource in Alison who works with me, so I was never concerned about work or our clients, but we had adopted a new dog only 3 weeks prior to leaving and this was giving me anxiety.

Tiki

Tiki our new dog has some aggression issues and although he's only 4 pounds, he can scare people with his growling. I was truly more concerned that he'd bite someone, or get loose, than any possible work related scenario. But I had my global phone, so anyone could reach me, no matter what, right? Wrong.

I didn't realize I had to actually call Verizon to activate my global service, so about 2 days into my trip I realized I was totally unplugged. EEEK! Well, guess what...being out of touch ROCKED! I let the dog sitters know they could reach me via a friend's telephone number, poured a mimosa with Mango juice and had a great trip!

About a day before we were to return, I admit I started getting antsy about catching up to my hundreds, possibly thousands of emails in my in box, but the most amazing thing happened. For weeks after I got home, I was still happy. So many times we go on vacation and within a day of being back we are stressed out again, that didn't happen! I am so glad I was too lame to stay connected and I am (pretty) sure I'll do it on purpose next time!

Have you unplugged lately, either by accident or by choice? How'd it go?

Wouldn't you unplug here?

Stan Chambers - An L.A. Icon Not an Employee

2010-09-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Stan Chambers

There's been a lot of coverage lately for a beloved L.A. news man and icon named Stan Chambers who is retiring after over 60 years at our local news station KTLA. I grew up with Stan but my experience is only half of his career.

When you read or hear about Stan's amazing career with one station in a major market for this long, you have to assume he loved his job. Then you must wonder, did he even consider it a job? I believe we should all love what we do and I am fortunate enough to do so. But Stan has me thinking a lot lately.

Do you think there was a ever a day that Stan thought his was just a job? From his humble beginnings as a stage hand, don't you just imagine how much he loved going to work? This guy's had it great and from the looks of how L.A. has and continues to celebrate him, his retirement is going to be a whole new adventure!

Do you love what you do? If yes, please share here in our comments. If not, get off your butt and STAN UP!

The Thank You Note

2010-08-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

The thank you note is a written aknowledgement of thanks. It is typically mailed, however it can be hand delivered or attached to a delicious or fragrant gift. The thank you note is a great way to follow up to a meeting, job interview, gift, consulting session, venting session, etc. It is bar none better than any email, tweet or Facebook status update (although all are appreciated, with links of course.)

The thank you note feels great to write and feels even better to receive.

FYI, my address is below:

Starfish PR
1715 Via El Prado #54
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Toot Toot!

2010-08-19T13:23:00.001-07:00

As publicists we're so busy tooting our clients horn, sometimes we forget to toot our own. But, this week it just has to be done. It's only Thursday and we have already had Gayle Anderson from KTLA do a live remote from Habitat for Humanity of Greater L.A.'s new ReStore in the City of Norwalk and Linda Daly, LA Times blogger, tour Bentley Prince Street's mill in the City of Industry.

Of course these media placements would not be possible without wonderful clients. It's not hard to tell your clients' stories when they are doing inspiring things. Who isn't interested in shopping to build more affordable homes for hardworking families, or a carpet manufacturer that is composting and dumpster diving for sustainability?!

Connect with Someone you Admire - it's Easy!

2010-08-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's so easy to connect with people these days. Have a favorite author? You can send her an email easily and you will likely hear back from her too. That's the awesome world we live in now.

I recently sent a quick note to one of my favorite gurus, Chris Brogan, and he very nicely replied, just as he claims he does. I did not do it for any other reason than to let him know how much I enjoy his writing, but it may have been good for me.

One great benefit of connecting is that it can actually improve your own online profile. By leaving comments on blogs or articles, you can link back to your own blog or web page. If you're reading this blog, you probably already know this so... go ahead and leave me a comment why don't ya!

On a blogging roll!

2010-07-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening I attended the "Presidential Perspectives" event at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles hosted by the PRSA-LA and PRSA Western District. The event panelists included Camille Johnston, Director of Communications for First Lady Michelle Obama, Noelia Rodriguez the Press Secretary to First Lady Laura Bush, Sheila Tate the Press Secretary to First Lady Nancy Reagan and David Demarest, the Director of Communications for President George H.W. Bush. Moderator Dan Schnur inquired about life in the West (or East) Wing and asked the panelists to elaborate on their experiences in the political and communications profession.

It was beyond impressive to listen to the successes of these individuals. Noelia Rodriguez was part of the White House staff during the Sept. 11th attacks on the US. She had invaluable insight into Crisis PR. Sheila Tate shared her views and expertise on staying with new media and being up to date on the ever changing world of social media. David Demarest explained the importance of making sure to share the humanity and humility of an individual client or company, and Camille Johnston advocated the importance of having a clear message that every aspect of your work can tie into.

It was inspiring to hear these individuals, who have so much experience, reiterate things that we are constantly practicing at Starfish. It was also a motivator to become more active in the PRSA, because they offer amazing opportunities to continue educating ourselves on our profession.

Great Advice from 60 Experts in Online & Social Media Marketing

2010-07-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

I absolutely loved this ingenious webinar, The Influencer Project! The creator, Sam Rosen of ThoughtLead, gathered 60 second tips from 60 experts on how to increase your online influence.

It was brilliant to listen to and he's posted the MP3 here, as well as a PDF transcript (which is excellent because I could not write down the great tips fast enough.) I strongly urge all PR practitioners to download both and share them with staff and clients.

Some of my faves:

Stop talking about your products & services.
Follow people who are better than you.
Content.
Discover employee rock stars.
Social bling!
Be in other peoples' space.
Shake up your world!

Great work, Sam, I can't wait for the next one!

Turning Your Blog Into A Fundraising Tool

2010-07-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Recently, we were approached by a popular blogger interested in doing a "blogger build day" with our client, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. After I got over how much I loved this idea, I started thinking about how bloggers can use their blogs to fundraise for their favorite charity.

The most obvious way is to place a donate button on the sidebar of your blog that links to a fundraising page for your charity. Depending on the focus of your blog and its following, you could approach companies and offer to do a product review, or company spotlight, in exchange for them making a donation to your charity. Periodically you could do "call to action" posts appealing to your readers to make a donation to your charity in leu of going out to dinner that week. In addition, provide them with valuable information about other ways that they can get involved.

A blog-a-thon would also be a fun way to fundraise. If your blog is profitable you could donate the earnings it brings in during your blog-a-thon to your charity. You could also ask friends, family and colleagues, to sponsor posts. I am also toying with the idea of how it would be possible to make blog comments profitable, but I haven't completely flushed that idea through yet. If you have any ideas to contribute please make my day and comment!

Please Don't Poop in my Hand and Call it Candy!

2010-07-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

It really makes me nuts when I see companies blowing it with their email opt-in customers. You've got my email, yet you never converse with me, all you do is send me what I consider spam. Why not engage with me and find out how you can serve your customers better, perhaps with a survey? Then reward me for taking the time to respond?

Today's example is EZ Lube. We all have to get this service 3-4 times per year. I signed up for their email specials thinking I would actually get some specials. EZ Lube, are you listening? I am giving you my personal info and you sending your email database the same special you offer every human on the planet through direct mail is NOT a special. That's no trade off. Why should I give you my valuable email and personal info so you can just treat me the same as any stranger? Customer loyalty FAIL.

Today I received an email simply telling me their stores are open during the holiday weekend. Big whoop! Why not make it worth my while to have this service done this weekend? If you think it will be slow on Sunday, July 4th, then make it worth my while to come by. All you accmplished w/ today's spam email is having me unsubscribe to your email list.

We must treat our customers and clients like they are special if we wish them to be loyal and provide word of mouth referrals. The same is true for our hard working teams who help us serve our clients. So for that reason, today, Starfish PR will be closing early to get a head start on the long weekend. I wish you all a terrific Independence Day!

Summer Reading Assignment

2010-06-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

It has been a week now since the official start of summer, which means it's time to start thinking about some summer reading. Whether you're planning a road trip, beach trip, camping trip, or staycation - it's not a proper vacation until you have had some time to unwind with a good book. While I am a big fan of "mindless" reading, there is something to be said for adding a book that will teach you something to your list.

So if you're a publicist looking for something to read in between The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang here are some suggestions: If You Have to Cry, Go Outside, Linchpin, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead, Spunk & Bite and The Write Brain Workbook.

Happy summer reading and let me know if I missed a "must read".

I'm No PR Expert, But I did Speak on a PRSSA Panel Last Week

2010-03-03T22:06:00.000-08:00

Last week I was thrilled to be able to participate in a panel for the PRSSA members at Cal State Fullerton. My cousin Charlotte and I participated along with 4 other PR pros to discuss the differences between working in an agency or within a corporation. We all agreed that there is no need to choose between the two and that working for a company you love is the most important factor.

First off I want to thank, and compliment, Christa Keizer of PRSSA at CSF...she was a terrific coordinator, very communicative and she supplied perfect notes, suggestions and talking points leading up the event. Nice work!

What I enjoy about participating in these types of events is the opportunity to help young PR pros gain an understanding of what awaits them, plus it's great practice for me in developing my public speaking skills. The panel was diverse and interesting, which brings me to another thing I enjoy, meeting colleagues and learning from their experiences. We had some very interesting PR pros on the panel, and I think we all enjoyed the experience.

Let's face it, we can't begin to explain what these young pros have in store for them. Experience is the key. If we only knew then what we know now! I truly hope that each of them explores all their options and finds a mentor to help guide them through the uncertainty they are sure to experience. I had no guidance as a young woman, no role model or mentor. I was fortunate to gain valuable experiences and learn from my many mistakes. Also, I was blessed by great role models and mentors later in my life, which led to my starting my own business in my 30s.

One of the students asked us panelists if her age would be a problem for her, she is in career 2.0. Nearly all of us were thrilled to tell her that her age may actually work in her favor, as we all appreciate the value of life experience. Great PR skills combined with confidence and maturity, is a win win win.

Truth be told, I get a bit nervous when I speak in public, but it does go away within a few minutes. I totally dig it though and I cannot wait to do more.

Time Management for Busy Publicists!

2010-02-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

We are so busy and so thankful for all the interesting work we currently have! Being busy is good, but I'm finding that time management is more important than ever. It also helps being a starfish with extra arms! So for my blog post today I thought I'd kill two birds with one one stone; research some good time management advice that will help me maximize my time and share it with you on Dishing with the Fish. Here's what I found;

1. To Do List

If you're not doing this already, you have to! It always feels good getting everything onto paper and feels even better checking things off.

2. Getting Things Done Is As Easy As ABCDE

William Gissen uses this method, which I think is pretty cool. A = major consequence if it is not completed; B = minor consequence if it is not completed; C = no consequences but it would be nice to get done; D = something you can delegate; E = eliminate.

3. Tackle Important Tasks First

Once you get that elephant out of the room it is easier to focus on the smaller things that need to get done.

4. Schedule Your Time

In addition to scheduling meetings, think about scheduling time to work on specific clients, your company blog, be on social networks and clear out that inbox!

5. Take A Breath

Don't forget to take some time to step away from the computer. Even if just for a second!

Wow, I really hope I can take my own advice and please share your best time management tips with us!

My First Home Visit

2010-02-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

It is always enlightening when you see firsthand an aspect of what a client does that you have heard and written about, but never experienced. With our client, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (HFH GLA), this happens a lot because their reach is so extensive. With HFH GLA you can find yourself building alongside Kermit the Frog and Teri Hatcher, or you can find yourself sitting in the kitchen of someone trying to attain the American dream of homeownership. That's where I was yesterday, sitting at the dining room table of Ms. Osorio, a single mother of three who has applied for a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles home.

A very important part of the application process is the home visit. These home visits are conducted by HFH GLA's Family Services Department and can be done in English, or Spanish. It is amazing how much information is covered in about an hour. Everything from the history of Habitat for Humanity, to the applicant's willingness to make a long term commitment to a new neighborhood and participate in publicity, to their ability to make a down payment, etc. After that, the applicant takes our family services representatives on a tour of his/her home, where pictures are taken of anything and everything that is wrong with the home. All of this helps HFH GLA evaluate if the applicant meets their three basic requirements for homeownership, especially the first requirement that the applicant must be living in substandard conditions that relate to overcrowding, dangerous living conditions, structural deficiencies, rodent infestation, etc.

Mrs. Osorio was such a great host to us. Everyone kept saying that her homes was one of the cleanest that they had ever seen. But, her carpet was worn and all four of them have been sleeping in a one bedroom apartment. Three of them sleep in the bedroom and her teenage son sleeps on the couch in the living room.

Family Services has such a tough job. With so many applicants and a limited supply of homes, it is hard to realize that not all deserving families will be selected to partner with HFH GLA . Aside from learning about another aspect of HFH GLA, this home visit also made me want to work harder so that eventually HFH GLA will have the resources to build homes for all qualified families in Los Angeles. Good luck Osorio Family!

Thinking Big. Being Better.

2010-02-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

I was reading Seth Godin's blog the other day & I read 2 words that I cannot stop thinking about:

RADICALLY OVERDELIVER.

It's got a lovely ring to it don't ya think?

Social Media | Email Newletters

2010-02-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Although we at Starfish PR do not currently have an email newsletter of our own, we are definitely big fans of the ABC's (Always Be Communicating) and Constant Contact, which is a great way to always be communicating and delivering news about your business. Newsletters and emails made with Constant Contact look good, are affordable and a snap to make.

A couple days ago, Constant Contact did some email marketing of its own and sent out information on three, local email marketing workshops that are free. In the email they had a twitter link, which I clicked on and once I was in the twitter feed I noticed a link to a blog post, which I clicked on. This lead me to a post by Kelly Flint on how to use social media to create newsletter content.

One of the first tips she gives is to use social media for immediate feedback. In the case that you have too many ideas for content ask your twitter followers which article sounds more interesting, or post a poll on your blog. By following your customers and other industry leaders on twitter you can observe hot topics that you might want to address in your newsletter. Also, if you find yourself getting the same questions all the time on twitter, or your Facebook page, than use your newsletter to answer those frequently asked questions. Get more people to sign up for your newsletter by posting teasers for it on your social networks. For example, tweet that in this month's newsletter there will be a coupon for X, Y and Z with a link to sign up.

Don't forget to also use your newsletter to promote your social networks. Send out a constant contact with links to your most interesting blog posts, or feature customers' tweets in a special section of your newsletter.

Be sure and use all of these tools to always be communicating with customers and colleagues. Please leave a comment if you have something to add!

Social Media IS Customer Service

2010-01-29T13:52:00.001-08:00

Last fall I attended a local PRSA-LA event and Peter Shankman gave the keynote over lunch. If you don't know who Peter is, he started HARO (go here now: Help A Reporter Out & Peter's Blog.)

The most important thing he said in his presentation was the title of this post: Social Media IS Customer Service. I could not agree more and here's my story about being a customer who was served today.

For weeks I have been searching for a pair of Reebok Easy Tone sneakers, because I just know they'll make my butt look awesome. Every day I search online and have yet to find a pair in my size (other than on eBay where the price is jacked up 50%!) I had given up hope of finding a pair in a local store based on my other friends' attempts. And the online stores could not even specify when a pair might become available. I was getting frustrated.

Today I noticed that @Reebok began following me on Twitter (I had recently posted "my kingdom for a pair of Easy Tones" and it was nice to see they were monitoring.) So I decided to tweet them and ask when they might be more available at retail. Long story short, the advised me to try my local Dick's & Lady Footlocker, and in 10 minutes I had a pair on hold in my size, which are now in my trunk and ready for a weekend of serious use! The funniest part was the guys at Dick's Sporting Goods actually congratulated me for finding my size on the way out the door! LOL.

Thanks @Reebok for being so attentive and for the lovely conversation I enjoyed with you today (i.e. customer care.) I will keep you posted as to how "awesome" my behind becomes!

Ten Words You Need To Stop Misspelling

2010-01-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

In PR, we do a lot of writing and I love it! But, sometimes when we do a lot of something we take shortcuts (spell check) and have a tendency to get a little sloppy. One thing PR pros should not get sloppy with is their grammar. I found this hysterical article, "Ten Words You Need To Stop Misspelling," on The Oatmeal. Check out an excerpt below and follow @Oatmeal on twitter because anyone who can make grammar entertaining deserves it!

I Want to Be Remarkable, Don't You?

2010-01-25T11:36:00.001-08:00

In October last year, I joined Mark Ryan for a media day to support the DVD release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. None of us knew the magic we'd experience on that day. The PR rep for Paramount assembled several of the voice actors from the film for a panel at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica. It was simply amazing. You can check out more here.

One of the best things to happen was my meeting Jess Harnell (Ironhide) - a great guy with amazing passion and business savvy. He invited me to experience another unique project he had been working on. Here it is:

We all want to do something remarkable, I think Rock Sugar has done it. Enjoy it, share it and celebrate! Oh and my favorite album tracks include Breakin the Love and Shook Me Like a Prayer!

Getting Schooled In Social Media

2010-01-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

Social media teaches me something new everyday, but I have noticed that teachers are not using this great teaching tool to its full advantage.

I know there are plenty of teachers on social networks, I'm actually friends with my high school Spanish teacher on Facebook, but they seem reluctant to use it as a tool in the classroom. I googled this topic and saw some articles about teachers using twitter to share best practices with other teachers, but there was not much else beyond that. I know that what is stopping a lot of educators is fear. Fear to give their students that much access to them, fear of the administration, fear of parents, fear that students will abuse it, fear that something they post, or tweet can live forever online. There is also the concern that it's a disadvantage to certain students without computer access at home. But, for all the negatives I can see a lot of potential positives.

What if teachers started facebook groups for their classes and made the students/parents join the group the first day of school? They could post assignments, helpful links and videos. Students could also post questions and get help from other students in the class.

What if English teachers made their students follow lit professors and their favorite writers on twitter?

What if creative writing teachers started blogs for their classes and posted the students' best pieces?

What if teachers had students flip video important lectures to post on YouTube before big test days?

What if French teachers used skype to have their students converse with students in France?

Not to mention, a 2.0 classroom would help prepare them for the real world because social media is here to stay!

One Way to Keep Up

2010-01-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a good resource if you're trying to keep up with the ever changing media landscape. Cision Navigator comes to my inbox and allows me to keep up with editorial staff changes in the media world. And, it's free.

Look at Me!!! Taking Time Out for You (& YOUR Brand)

2010-01-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

Remember in the old days (like 10 years ago) when at the end of a busy work day you'd spent so much time on the phone, the last thing you felt like doing was chatting with friends? Well, these days I feel the same way about social media. I spend most of every work day marketing my clients' brands so when it comes to marketing me and my brand, I often fall short.

This week I suggested to my team that we all take 30 minutes (at least) every day to market our personal brands. This is in addition to any brilliant tweets and opportunities we have the rest of the day. Why? Because we have to walk the walk. What we can bring to our clients is our expanded reach and influence. It's critical that we as practitioners be extremely saturated in our medium.

Here are a few tips to get us started & I hope others will add to this list:

Carry a note pad (or at least a pen) at all times and ask friends, family and colleagues to remind you when you start blogging verbally (we all do it) and write it down so you can actually post it later. Keep one by the bed too.
Read the blogs you subscribe to every day. If you're like me you subscribe to a lot of them so try to get to 5-10 each day.
Catch up on your Twitter feed. It will definitely inspire you to get engaged (tweet or retweet.)
Contact 5 people each day with whom you haven't talked lately. Hit them by email, tweet, LinkedIn, Facebook or write them a note (gasp!)
Read a book. There are some amazing authors in our space out there, go read their books. Currently I am loving Linchpin by Seth Godin.
Ask friends/colleagues what they feel your top strengths are, some may surprise you. Once you find out, capitalize on them.
Promote yourself. Discover ways to place links back to your website, blog, flickr or FB page and do this every day.
Blog every day - this one is a big challenge but your post can simply be a photo, link to an article or update on a project or client that inspires you. You can't always be brilliant but consistency will keep you relevant and that's interesting.

Please share any of your thoughts and ideas with us.

Random Things I Loved in 2009

2010-01-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

While sitting at a sushi bar last Wednesday (my last official work day of 2009) I started thinking about all the wonderful things that made my life easier, better or more interesting in 2009, so I jotted them down and here they are in no particular order.

The California Women's Conference. I received a last minute invitation to join the ladies from Habitat for Humanity at the conference and jumped at the chance! I was inspired, moved and I absolutely recommend it for all.
Flip Video. Perhaps the most useful tool I own.
MacBook. I finally became a Mac. To be fair, I was a Mac in the 90s but had been converted to PC by evil corporations. The Mac with my Flip is a winning combo & traveling with a Mac makes you feel like you're in a super cool club.
Interns. This was a year of stellar interns! Not sure if it's the shift in how we do business, or if we just managed to pick all winners, but who cares.
Twitter. You get out of it what you put in. Go now and follow me @LedgeDancer.
Blackberry Tour. I struggled with the iPhone vs Verizon debate all year and finally committed to Verizon and the new Tour. Love it! Pandora in the car rocks.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Went to South of France on a week's notice (for fun) thanks to the amazing folks at the mileage desk.

I told you these were random! What fun things did you love last year? Please share.

Giving Thanks & Gearing up for an Exciting New Year

2009-12-21T14:08:00.000-08:00

I probably sound like a broken record when I talk about how much I love what I do for a living but having my own business and getting paid to be creative is extremely rewarding.

This past year was more than I ever expected. For one thing, the change in public relations and marketing was so great. Gone are the days where we have to beg an overworked journalist to write about our clients, all while trying to explain to the client why the fact that they are in business simply is not news. Now we get to work with the client to tell their story directly to their customers (or potential customers) and when we do it well, the journalists take notice. But frankly, the 100 or so blog posts it may take to get the X Town Gazette metro editor to write about our client, has now boosted SEO and given lots more potential customers reason to take notice, converse with them and share it with their inner circle. These are good times people! Especially for impatient people like me. I love reading about how we did our jobs in "the old days, like 5 years ago."

I am so psyched for 2010 and the new tools we will get to tell these stories and engage with people. Another reason I am excited for the new year is that we have a fantastic new client, Bentley Prince Street. They make beautiful, sustainable carpet but they are so much more. They care about people and they care about how they effect the world. So many stories to tell! We are going to be very busy.

I'd like to thank my amazing fishies who've helped to take great care of our clients this year:

Alison Mullin - you are a pr rock star! Keep taking chances and shout about your success!
Casey Weideman - so much more than an intern (and serial groom) - we are thrilled you'll be staying on with us!
Brynn Utovac - you're a great writer and we are very fortunate to have you!
Dina Joseph - your smile and enthusiasm is fantastic, let it guide you in your career!
Brooke Spiers - follow your dreams and you'll get everything you want out of life!
Ivana Tay - you were instrumental in launching a huge viral campaign for us, thanks for your hard work!

To all of our loyal clients, thank you for trusting us to tell your story and for being such wonderful friends.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS & BRING ON THE NEW YEAR!

"The Cranberry"

2009-12-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

It's cold outside. Step in for a drink, and help families in need.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (HFH GLA) has partnered with the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica for Cause on the Rocks, a monthly campaign in support of different LA based nonprofits. For the month of December, order "The Cranberry" at the Viceroy, and 100% of the proceeds will benefit HFH GLA.

Looking for that last piece for your holiday party that wraps it all together? Having a cocktail party and looking for a signature drink? Try "The Cranberry" at home.

Here's the recipe:
Ice
Vodka
Cranberry Liqueur
Lemon Juice
Simple Syrup

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Giving P.R. Advice to Friends - Where Do You Draw The Line?

2009-12-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

Last night I was enjoying the #JournChat TweetChat, which is not always possible because it starts at 5pm my time and I am usually knee deep in work or watching Monday Night Football. It's a great group of PR pros; journalists; marketing peeps and students - all tweeting and sharing opinions on about 8-10 topics.

One question in particular stayed in my head all day, it was about giving free advice to friends or family about their pr and marketing. More so, how do you draw the line when advice turns to work & they start to take advantage of your time and generosity.

I am perhaps the worst offender, as I am always eager to help, saying Yes when I should be saying No. I commented last night that many times I get some cool barter out of it, like a gym membership and haircut, but I do agree we need boundaries...for their own good as well as ours. When you don't pay for a service, you sometimes don't take it seriously. The more you invest in something, the more credibility and attention you are likely to give it. For example, ever been given a free training session at a gym you just joined? Did you actually go? I have about 5 gift certificates for massages, which I love, yet I never remember to redeem them. (Note to self: call Burke Williams in the morning.)

Here are some thoughts about how to handle it the next time a friend asks for your PR "advice":

Suggest books on PR & Marketing (we all have our bibles of the industry - share your resources.) If they are serious, they'll order.
Send them links to your favorite blogs on the subject of PR and teach them how to find bloggers in their industry. Perhaps your own blog would be a great tool for them.
At least get Dinner first! Kind of kidding. Tell them you'd be happy to share some ideas over a meal sometime, and you'll likely be treated.
Be realistic with them about how much time you can give them, if any, beyond basic guidance.
Host a dinner party and invite all your friends who continue to ask for advice - treat it like a seminar and charge them to attend. You may want to call it a "donation."
Create a Flip video with PR advice. This will kill 2 birds - helping a friend and creating valuable content for your own personal PR.
Barter. Perhaps they provide a service or product that would be worth your time. Ask for it!

This is a short list and I am sure there are some great ideas out there to gracefully handle these types of requests. I have yet to experience awkwardness with this, but I am sure it happens. Would love to hear some stories about your experience and how you handled it. Please comment & share.

Many Thanks

2009-11-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving is a day where we count our blessings, in addition to eating copious amounts of food, I thought I would take some time to list what I am thankful for in my professional life.

So here it goes;

I am thankful for a job where I get to write and think creatively everyday in order to help great people and businesses.

I am thankful for Angela - a great boss, mentor and friend.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to contribute to the important work Habitat for Humanity of Greater L.A. does everyday changing lives through homeownership. Oh yeah, I also love the whole team!

I am thankful to work with the most interesting and talented man alive - Mark Ryan.

I am thankful to help the best florist (and nicest person), Amy Child Marella, share her stunning work with the world.

I am thankful to work with the awesome and passionate people at Deconstruction & ReUse Network on recycling houses.

I am thankful to Clarita and Personal Best for helping me shake it up, down and all-around (and believe me I need a lot of help)!

I am thankful to Team Two Times for always being up to do an early morning interview.

I am thankful for our new client, Bentley Prince Street, and am looking forward to working with a company whose goals and employees just make me feel downright excited.

I am thankful to Flip, Blogger, PitchEngine, HARO, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter and all the bloggers, journalists and media who help me do my job.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The Progress of an Intern in the New Public Relations World

2009-11-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe I've been with Starfish PR for almost two months. I guess time does fly when you're having fun.

My internship started off with a bang, or a nail, I should say. My first day I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. I was handed a shirt and a hard hat and instructed to nail away. We ended the day by putting up the frames of the homes. What a great experience. Angela and I went back to the build site a few weeks later and it was very impressive to see the progress they've made.

The gals at The Fish have been fantastic. I am very lucky to have found such a professional and knowledgeable staff to learn from and be lead in the right direction.

More to learn, so off to it...

Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media & Blogs - Great Book!

2009-11-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

I just read Inbound Marketing by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, the brains behind HubSpot. Great book!!! While I consider myself to already be a digital citizen, it turns out I have much to learn and a responsibility as a PR practitioner to walk the walk in digital media.

I first found out about the book through WebInkNow, a blog by my favorite New Rules thought leader, David Meerman Scott. This is one of those books that will have you making notes as you read it, updating current intiatives mid page and it will become one of your office bibles. It's been added to our Starfish PR mandatory reading list for sure! I suggest it be added to yours...asap.

Oh and while you're waiting for your book to arrive, give your website a quick SEO marketing analysis with HubSpot's Website Grader.

Great Video about Marketing with Legos - Demonstrates Client's Non-Profit Organization Perfectly

2009-11-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

I am so blown away by this video on many levels, not the least of which is the talented young lady who created it. My client, The Deconstruction & ReUse Network, has been working with an extremely talented group of interns, all of whom have trendous passion and plenty of skills. Amy English has been instrumental in building a following for DRN in the social media world. She's done a phenomenal job!

During a brainstorm session with the Bay Area team last month, Erinn Godfrey came up with a great idea to use Legos to demonstrate deconstruction and reuse. This evolved into this fantastic video concept, which Amy brought to life. Enjoy!

In Business You Should Say Thank You - In Your Own Hand

2009-10-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Just want to take a moment to comment on the importance of the hand written "Thank you" note. In a world where we can communicate instantly, don't forget how good it feels to send and receive a good ol' fashioned note.

I received and sent a few in the past couple of weeks and I really value them. If you are meeting with potential new clients, interviewing for a job, securing media placement for a client, or simply having lunch with a colleague, it is a very classy and thoughtful touch to follow up with a hand-written note of thanks.

I am a big fan of text and tweets, but when it comes to relationships, let's not let this act of kindness fall out of style.

The P's of Pitching

2009-10-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone is familiar with that saying, "Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance." Well, for the purpose of this post I am changing that time tested and proven saying to, "Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Pitching."

Lately, I have gotten a couple of emails trying to sell me on a template for the perfect pitch - guaranteed to land you on Oprah, which a lot of publicists know is equivalent to winning the lottery. I'm not really sure how I feel about this. Part of me thinks it's some publicists way of preying on what Susan Tellem calls "Oprahlusion" - a syndrome a lot of entrepreneurs, authors and experts suffer from where they believe good P.R. equals being on Oprah. Another part of me read the Oprah pitch they're pushing and thought it was a pretty good pitch. All of this got me thinking and doing some research on what makes a great pitch. There's a lot of opinions out there, but here are some tips I found to be true and useful and a lot of it boils down to, you guessed it, preparation and planning!

I found the following tips on media bistro - you'll notice their suggestions have to do with personalizing and tailoring your pitch to each journalist/outlet.

- Take the time to find out the name of the person you are pitching.

- Acknowledge the work of the journalist you are pitching. Be specific. Don't just say, "I love your column."

- Don't suck up to the journalist - that just makes you a journalist's pet.

- Avoid fluffy and overly enthusiastic words like awesome.

- If including a press release, do so after your pitch and signature.

Some bonus tips.

- Tie your pitch in with a trend, or timely news story. Great resource for this: journalist express, google news search and google blog search.

- Stories about people always make interesting stories.

What are some tips you have for pitching?

One Less Fish on the Market, Ladies!

2009-10-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

We want to take a moment to congratulate our intern, and friend, Casey and his beautiful bride, Teri, on their wedding this week in Mexico!

Have a great time & we'll see you next week!

Good Things Come To Those That Wait & Participate

2009-10-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

I might be biased, but in this economy I think businesses (especially small businesses) need PR more than ever. Just think, if you can hang in there now and continue to promote your business you will come out much ahead of other companies when the economy turns around. A lot of companies/business owners think that they can do their own PR and sure you can, but will you? You have your day to day business to run, customers to tend to and when it comes down to it you might start those facebook and twitter accounts, but will you ever post anything interesting, or network with any media? Chances are those posts will be few and far between. So, how do you promote your business on a tight budget, you might ask? Some food for thought;

- Choose PR over advertising (unless you can afford to do both well). People usually find out about a product, or business, by googling it, word of mouth, or reading an article. A good PR team can help you produce your own content, which will help with search results. They can network with current and potential customers on social networks to help with word of mouth and keep their eye on media opportunities while establishing you as an expert in your field, so in time the media contacts you. With advertising, unless you have tons of money to consistently throw at your target audience - it's a lot of buck for a little bang.

- Once you have decided on PR, establish a realistic budget and some goals that you would like to accomplish with PR. A good PR team doesn't just get you in a magazine, they help you with social media, newsletters, developing and publishing your own content, identifying opportunities with other organizations in your industry to help increase visibility, etc.

- With a budget and goals in place start researching PR companies that would be good fits. There are plenty of "boutique", "smaller", "renegade" PR companies that don't charge what large agencies do and will encourage you to make them part of your team. The benefits of this are; all parties work on ideas, messaging and content - making your business more authentic and allowing you and your employees to be a part of and learn the process. We at Starfish, often encourage businesses and non-profits with small budgets to let us come in, get the ball rolling and teach the employees so that eventually they can take it over.

- Congratulations! Now, you have found your perfect PR team. After all that hard work, do yourself a favor and commit to at least 6 months. You probably know that your business didn't happen overnight and that the best way to build something is to build it slowly and organically. I'm a self-proclaimed foodie and got my degree in English, so I'll leave you with this simile; PR is like a good crock-pot meal. You put the time in at the beginning putting in all the right ingredients, then let it cook all day and the longer you let it cook the better it gets!

New Book Reccommendation for all Marketing & PR Pros

2009-10-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

I was so excited today to read that David Meerman Scott has another book out (well, sort of!) If you don't already have New Rules of Marketing & PR and World Wide Rave by Scott, and you don't already subscribe to his Web Ink Now blog, you'd better get on that!

Today on his blog, Scott talks about a new book called Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs. Go to the blog, link to Amazon and buy it today (I just did!)

How Can You be Content About your Lack of Content?

2009-10-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

In the last 2 months I've met with about 10 different companies and entrepreneurs who are eager to promote their brand. Each had something very interesting to promote (they'd better or we don't meet with them) and each was very hesitant about jumping in and spending money. We see it all the time where business owners decide they can do what we are offering themselves to save money. What they don't realize is the commitment it takes to do it well.

I read a great article in the New York Times by CEO, Jennifer Walzer, who is successfully creating her own PR simply by joining the conversation and networking. This is what we are always telling our clients. If you don't get in the conversation, opportunities to share your story/news/products/services will simply pass you by. She makes some excellent points about this:

Network, network, network.
If you don’t think you have anything interesting to say, think some more.
Be open and flexible but don’t get involved in anything that will hurt your reputation or muddy your image.
Be easy to work with and respect deadlines.
Try writing your own stories. There are plenty of Web sites and magazines that need content from expert sources and would be happy to have you as a contributor.
Be grateful. Yes, you are helping by allowing a publication to write about you, but the reporter is helping you more. This can be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship.
Finally, celebrate your wins. Tell everyone where and when you’ll be featured or even just mentioned.

Another point I like to make with clients is that we don't have to beg anyone to tell your story, we live in a wonderful world of self-publishing! So to this point I'd like to add one more tip to Ms. Welzer's excellent list:

Content, Content, Content!

Social media is more than just joining Facebook or Twitter or starting a blog. Just because there is a great deal of real estate out there to be had on the web, doesn't mean you should park your car there and then abandon it. If any of this sounds foreign, crazy, exciting, goofy or hard to pull-off, please contact us!

.whateveryouwant meet .com, .org, and .net

2009-10-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

The sky's the limit for new web address endings in the new year! I hadn't heard much about this until recently, so I decided to do a little investigating and found a USA Today article about the subject from back in April. I learned a lot. I learned that the company that oversees all web addresses is called the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers and that last summer they approved one of the biggest changes in domain name history! Supposedly, in 2010 you will be able to apply for any sort of web address ending that you like. Basically it is going to change from .com to .whateveryouwant. The pros - marketing people love it for the branding possibilities. The cons - corporations see it as being rather costly because they will have to buy up a lot of generic and specific domains to make sure they're covered. Plus, the application fee at $125,000 isn't cheap - so think long and hard about what goes after the dot!

Et tu DirecTV? Customer Service - Service = Fail

2009-10-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

For all those who were at my house for football yesterday, here's the post I told you was coming. I have been a DirecTV customer for over 2 years, simply because of the NFL Ticket package. DirecTV is the only provider with NFL Ticket. Additionally, I pay extra for the HD package, lots of movie channels and NFL Super Fan. It's a big bill each month, but we are okay with it.

Yesterday, while watching the Sunday games, the house phone rang and like most people, no one calls us on our home phone, it's almost always telemarketers. For some crazy reason I decided to answer it and take a chance. It turns out to be a sales call from DirecTV! Seriously? It's Sunday, I pay for NFL Ticket, should you not realize I am in the middle of football?

She goes on to ask if I'd be interested in subscribing to their new HD package. Really? I tell her I already have HD, which she should know, but she explains that they have 6 new HD channels I might enjoy. Shouldn't every HD channel, new and old, be included in what I am already paying for in my HD package?

So here's where DirecTV failed. They don't know me. I am so disappointed. Just because they own the NFL market, doesn't mean they should not compete. At least read my account before you call. You would have noticed that the 1st 3 weeks of the NFL season my HD box was not working on my big screen TV and how upset that made me. Read it. Think about it. Think a little bit more. Treat me like you value my business. That's all I ask in return for the thousands of dollars you are getting from me each year. I used to spend that at a sports bar watching the games...and they still email me weekly to show they value my business...think about that.

Vimeo Vs. YouTube

2009-10-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's another classic case of keeping up with the Joneses. Just when I get comfortable navigating our clients' YouTube channels, something better comes along.

My boyfriend recently directed a music video for a band and they launched it on Vimeo. This was my first encounter with this video-based social networking site and, wow, did it make a great first impression. It was like meeting YouTube's hip, polished and intellectual older brother. Hip, because it functions much better than YouTube as a social networking site - it is easy to embed, share, comment and like videos and also has better video quality with HD capability. Polished, because the overall design of the site is sleek and there is no border around the video distracting from the content. Intelligent, because the only videos you can upload are your own, which keeps out the rift raft, making the comments left by other users intelligent and worth reading.

While YouTube is still effective and is in the process of switching to a new channel design (even YouTube's keeping up with the Joneses), I still might have to start dating Vimeo. After all, there's nothing wrong with a little sibling rivalry and dating two brothers!

No Blog? Then link back to your Google Profile!

2009-10-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

After reading David Meerman Scott's, The New Rules to Marketing & PR, I have been inspired to check back regularly on his blog for snazzy PR & Marketing ideas. Some suggestions he offers are just gentle reminders, if you will, to prod me along in doing what I know I should to better promote myself and the wonderful organizations we work with. Other social media and viral marketing strategies, though, I can honestly say I had no idea existed. Today, I stumbled upon another great suggestion of Scott's and wanted to share!

As members of the blogging community, we know the importance of leaving comments on other amazing blogs!

Reason 1) to show our genuine interest in the content
Reason 2) to share in the online community experience of having a content-driven "conversation"
Reason 3) to leave our stamp, if you will, by means of a link back to our own blog- thus driving potential traffic our way and continuing the content-driven "conversation" from our stage

The problem arises when we have a client, for instance, that doesn't have a blog to link back to. How can these people and organizations still benefit from the viral marketing capabilities of participating in the blogosphere? Answer, by creating a Google Profile.

Unlike other blogs, they require no upkeep (once created) and do not require a user to "add you" or create their own account in order to view your profile, such as with Facebook, Linkedin, etc.

To create your own Google Profile, click here.

To view the one I created, in literally 5 minutes, click here.

Note: Having a Google Profile allows you to:

have a profile that will be displayable when someone does a google search of your name or organization
leave a signature with a URL that links to an actual profile
increase web awareness of you or your organization by leaving a virtual "calling card" as Scott referred to it, all over the web! (e.g. leave it on a Yelp or Amazon.com review)

10 Reasons Why Social Media Rocks

2009-10-02T13:08:00.001-07:00

Has social media seen its hay-day or is it continuing to infect viral marketing madness? Here are some pretty amazing statistics just published on Socialnomics Blog, a great resource for those in the PR world, or anyone whose all over getting the word out on whatever is hot:

Over 75% of consumers trust recommendations made to them by friends, compared with only 14% who trust traditional advertisements
34% of online bloggers post their opinions about their favorite or most loathed brands & products
There are over two hundred million blogs currently online
1 out of every 8 couples married in the United States in 2008 met using some sort of social media
It took 13 years for television to reach 50 million users, it took Facebook less than 9 months to double that number
Why television ads are a dying breed: over 90% of TiVo users fast-forward through advertisements
Over 25% of the total number of search results of the world's heaviest hitting brands are generated from links to user-generated content
54% of bloggers post or tweet content daily
The combined number of Twitter followers had by Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres is greater than the population of Ireland!
Social Media sites are more frequented than online porn- interesting . . . maybe we do all really want that 'special, personal connection'

A complete list of all sources used to compile this list of phenomenal social media facts can be found on the socialnomics blog.

For a total visual display, musically enhanced video of these and 27 additional Social Media Statistics, check this out:

And We're Live...Live Tweeting!

2009-10-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

This week our client, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, raised the walls for a new, green neighborhood in Lynwood and also helped Disney launch their, "Give a day, get a Disney day" park promotion for 2010.

It was an exciting day filled with the muppets, celebrities, volunteers wearing hard hats with mouse ears, public officials, news crews and live tweets.

@HabitatLA has over 2,500 followers and as their tweets went out about the day many of their followers started retweeting. @LedgeDancer, my boss, was tweeting to her 800 followers, I was tweeting to my followers, @suzmarques from Good Day L.A. was updating her 5,154 followers, @MousePlanet was pumping up its 1,974 followers, and HFH GLA President @ErinIrish was tweeting and retweeting everyone. Even volunteers like @AshleeCiera and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas found time to tweet in between speeches and erecting walls.

All these tweets and retweets meant that we reached thousands of people instantaneously and generated a buzz that probably drove people to tune into the news to find out more about the promotion. Not only did it help spread information amongst those following the event remotely, but also amongst all of us that were there.

There are not a whole lot of ways to botch live tweeting but google "Tips for live tweeting" and you'll find tons of great resources. Try it for your next event and remember don't wait for someone else to break your news, break it yourself - with a live tweet!

New Intern Casey Hard at Work & Live on TV on His First Day

2009-09-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

I love when potential employees contact me about working here, it's very flattering but also it shows confidence. That is how Alison Mullin came to work here and now, Casey Weideman, our fall intern.

For Casey's first day, we invited him to join us at a live media event with Habitat for Humanity, beginning at 5:30 am. Not only did he show up, he signed up and got to work! We couldn't find him at first and then discovered he'd been putting up the first 2 walls of the day. Here's a short video I took with Casey this morning right before he went back to work.

Pitch Engine for your PR Machine

2009-09-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

I want to start the Jason Kintzler fan club. You see, he is the 31 year old Founder/CEO of Pitch Engine - a platform used to create and archive social media releases that is putting the traditional press release out of style.

A lot of us PR types find ourselves in the profession because we are creative, love writing and communicating. This is why so many of us find the traditional press release boring, for lack of a better word. It is so formulaic; addressing the 5 w's in the first paragraph, a quote in the second paragraph, etc. Most journalists, bloggers and media are the creative type too, which means they probably don't like reading the traditional release as much as you don't like writing it.

Enter the social media release. It is so much fun to create. With options to include videos, pictures, links and logos it is inevitable that you a going to craft a better story. Also, it is a pleasure to write because it's meant to be shareable (and is easy to share) on sites like twitter, facebook, myspace etc. As a result your copy is freer, more upbeat, conversational and informative - afterall, nobody is going to share dry, marketing jargon. The social media release also has a place where people can leave comments, allowing you to have another space to have authentic interactions with your target audience and journalists.

I can go on and on about my newfound love for Pitch Engine; it's free, you can pay a nominal fee to have releases archived to increase SEO, you can create profiles for each of your brands, you can track how many hits you get, excellent customer service - you get the point. Try it out if you haven't already and you'll want to join the Jason Kintzler fan club too.

Through the Looking Glass

2009-09-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Anxious to meet Angela Moore for the first time, I opened the door into the Starfish PR office and was greeted with flying tackles and licking frenzy. No, that was not Angela, but rather, her two adorable dogs Diego and Dusty! I always thought the PR business was about crazily hounding the phones and wearing black suits even in stifling 105 degree weather, but never in a million years would I have expected to be cruising to lunch at the local liquor store in a truck donning Ed Hardy air fresheners. These renegade pr gals sure weren’t conventional, and boy was I in for a treat!

It’s the new age for a lot of things, and public relations ain’t an exception. I’m no stranger to MySpace, YouTube, or Blogger. Heck, I’m quite the Facebook addict (unfortunately). But what I did not realize was the insane magic that social media can work in the pr world. Once Angela and Alison introduced me to Twitter, I’ve been avidly sending out more tweets than a bird about my work with Amy’s Hidden Gardens and more frequently, Mark Ryan from Transformers ROTF. The power of social media is perhaps best reflected in the promotion of Mark Ryan’s “Behold the Glory of Jetfire” contest, where the hits on his videos skyrocketed from 90 to over 80,000 views in just a matter of days! It literally blew me away! I was also very fortunate to join Mark Ryan for lunch at Universal Citywalk during his meet and greet with one of the winners of the Jetfire contest. Yes, I know, I would envy me too.

Although this is actually my first time as an intern, I am blessed that the priceless experience and know-how I’ve gained from Angela and Alison is not only limited to all the technical jumbo. Their deeply-rooted passion for their line of work has rubbed off on me, as well as their enthusiasm for Habitat for Humanity, Deconstruction Network, and Baja Fresh’s fish tacos. These girls put public relations in a new light, with a heavy emphasis on green pr as the new black. Har har, get it? They empower small town girls, like me, to get out there and do work! Nothing beats witnessing a deserving family cry as they are presented with the keys to their new home, courtesy of HFH, or watching Mark Ryan personally deliver a limited edition Transformers watch to awestruck kids. When pr has such a powerful influence on the lives of others, can you really call it just a job?

As all good things must come to a close, so does my last day here aboard the S.S. Starfish. I’ve certainly enjoyed the great company I have in the office, and I have learned far more than can be summarized and shared in a simple blog post. Besides, it wouldn’t do my mentors any justice. And with that, I thank Angela Moore and Alison Mullin for everything they have taught me.
Now that my name has been immortalized in this here post, this is Ivana Tay, former Starfish intern, signing off!

Why I am Flipping out These Days - How Flip Video Has Improved my Business

2009-09-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

We have a wonderful client, whom I adore and consider a good friend, Clarita, who owns a cool, whole life warehouse studio in San Pedro (L.A. area) and who created Mambo Mania workouts. I totally blew her mind last week when I showed up for Mambo class and pulled out my Flip Video to record some of it. Clarita has been gathering footage for over 2 years and none of us know anything about editing so it's taken a very long time to get a finished, polished video up.

Enter me with my orange and white Flip. I took the class and every now and stopped to capture some of it. That was Wednesday night last week (the 7:30 pm class) and by Thursday afternoon, I had edited a short video and this was posted to Claritas Blog:

The result is a decent video that shows her Mambo Mania in action, live for all to see, and now Clarita thinks I'm a genius! This is a must-have for anyone in the PR and marketing fields!

I'm Blogging, So Now What???

2009-09-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

One of our clients writes a blog where she posts regularly and gets a substantial number of unique visitors everyday. So, what's the problem you might ask? Well, she doesn't get a whole lot of people leaving comments. When people meet her in person they often say, "I love your blog, I read it all the time," to which she replies, "thanks...leave a comment!" And I don't blame her, one of the selling points of social media is that it's the new age way of having a good ol' fashioned conversation. But with no one leaving comments, or tweeting back for that matter, you start to feel crazy - like you're just talking to yourself!

So this got me brainstorming and doing a little research on ways to encourage people to leave comments. Here's what I came up with.

1. Invite comments...people like to be told what to do, so try ending your post with a little something like, "Leave a comment, would love to know what you think."

2. Ask questions...when your blog poses a question, people feel compelled to answer. We all know people love to voice their opinions.

3. Reply to comments left...social media is a two way street, like I said before, nobody likes having a conversation with themselves.

4. Have a contest...reward the best comment of the week with a prize, or by featuring it on your blog. Nothing like a little healthy competition to get people moving.

5. Leave comments on other blogs...c'mon that's an easy one. It's good karma.

So, I'm going to take my own advice on #1 and #2 for now. What are some things you do on your blog to get people to leave comments. Leave a comment, I'd love to know what you think.

Clarita Featured in Vital Juice

2009-09-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Love, love, love Clarita! She is a client, friend and my fitness guru! I have been enjoying her classes and videos for over 2 years & have managed to lose and keep off those annoying 10 lbs (are you with me ladies?)

By the way, I did Mambo Mania last night and shot some video, which we'll be posting at Clarita's blog shortly.

Today, Clarita is featured in the L.A. edition of Vital Juice, check it out.

What Are you Doing to Stand Out in the Crowd?

2009-09-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

In my opinion there has been no better time to stand out than now. Thanks to the self publishing opportunities all around us, there is really no reason not to be noticed. I personally blog (a lot), tweet, post on Facebook, share videos, respond to surveys, post news online, and post comments on a daily basis. If you are in this industry or trying to be in it, what are YOU doing to get noticed? I'd love to hear from you about how you are getting yourself out there.

If you Want to Work in Communcations...Please be Sure you can Spell!

2009-08-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine (who is also a PR gal) has been posting her adventures in hiring an assistant on Facebook this week. She's been posting updates about spelling and grammar errors she's finding and her friends have been chiming in, myself included. It's been cracking me up! Funny yes, but if you want to work in the communications field, you may want to be sure you can spell, or at the very least, operate spellcheck.

Here are a few winners:

"Some of my key attributes is my communication skills."
Extent of cover letter is "attached is my resume"
"...seeking position in a fast-paste environment."

One of my favorites ever was a guy who mass emailed his resume to several Craigslist response emails. Classy!

Keep this in mind...we want to hire the person who convinces us, in their first communication, that they are ideal for the job. Think about pitching a potential employer as you would a media outlet for a client...tell us why you solve our problem. Then hit spellcheck of course!

Hurray for Interns!

2009-08-14T14:01:00.001-07:00

Starfish PR could not function without our amazing interns. Each semester we are blessed with a ton of great resumes and I have to be honest, I am more impressed with cover letters. After all, how much PR experience can you have? If you can gain my interest in a cover letter, then I believe you will be able to do this job effectively.

Here are 2 great gals, Dina & Brooke, who were incredible during the winter 09 semester. Both have graduated and both are terrific (email me if you'd like to pursue them for your company.) Their last event with us was Habitat for Humanity's Power Women, Power Tools at Sony Pictures last May. Here they are.

“The Secret Life of Flowers” by Amy Child Marella Has Been Selected As A Finalist In WeddingChannel.com's Bridal Blog Awards

2009-07-15T14:10:00.001-07:00

We at Starfish P.R. are big fans of blogging and we know a great one when we see one. Our client Amy Child Marella's blog, "The Secret Life of Flowers," is one of those great blogs. We are thrilled that it has been selected as a finalist in WeddingChannel.com's Bridal Blog Awards because over 200 blogs were submitted for consideration and Amy's blog is one of the final thirty-two. "The Secret Life of Flowers" is a great read for design inspiration, floral tips and a behind-the-scenes look into the life of a talented florist who truly loves what she does.

Everyone loves a great contest and we love it even more when they make it easy to vote! To support Amy and "The Secret Life of Flowers" just takes a couple clicks and you don't even have to register. Just visit WeddingChannel.com's Bridal Blog Awards and vote "The Secret Life of Flowers" as "Best Wedding Vendor Blog" and "Best Wedding Blog All Finalists". You can vote as many times as you'd like now until July 21st at midnight.

Counting Calories on Twitter

2009-07-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

I just ate at California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) which I love for salads, soups and of course pizza. Today, however, I saw their new menu for the first time and it lists calories by menu item. Shocked is not even close to my reaction, but that is not the reason for this post. I had arrived with the intention of ordering the Original Chopped Salad but once I realized how many calories it contained, I decided to rethink it. Now, for the record, it's less than 500 which is not terribly high for this menu, but it is for me personally.

I thought about a lot of things as I read the menu like, how it could hurt business, how many families would not event notice, how it would possibly wake some people up (like me) and how scary it must be for chain restaurants to comply with this new rule.

My meal ended up being delicious and low-cal: bowl of asparagus soup & sesame-ginger potstickers split by 2. All in about 300 calories.

As we paid the bill and left, Alison noticed that CPK is now on Twitter and my first thought was I hope they realize what they can do with it and use it wisely. I checked them out and they are actually using the avenue for customer service, so bravo! After thinking more about it, I had this idea...why not use Twitter to offer up lower-cal versions of their menu items, like Twitter tips. Example, the BBQ Chicken Salad (very popular) contains nearly 1300 calories for a full size. Tweet out variations of it so it contains fewer calories, like no dressing or half size with no avocado etc. I have worked in a restaurant and I know the staff is great at doctoring up new, healthier versions of things. CPK is a great restaurant and I have been able to work with my local franchises for fundraisers many times, they are very philanthropic. I even attended the wedding of one of the owners son's...awesome wedding btw! But I digress.

CPK has complied, now it's up to us to choose a healthy way to still enjoy their food, I believe it's possible...I would love to see the company utilize social media to achieve this. CPK, if you're listening and would like my help...let's just say -I work for food!

Lakers & Social Media

2009-07-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

I am a L.A. Laker's fan, so this post may be completely biased, but I just have to say I am completely impressed with the organization's social media efforts. Less impressed with a certain Trevor Ariza trade, but nonetheless impressed.

All Lakers' fans know that the last couple of weeks has brought change and to be able to deal with this change we haven't been able to read enough articles, forums, tweets, or listen to enough PMS (Petros & Money). But what I didn't expect was to be seeing videos from Shannon Brown thanking all of the Lakers facebook fans for support, or of Ron Artest sharing a special greeting. It's nice to know while the Lakers won't embrace a new offense - they are embracing social media.

I Think this Internet Thing May be Here to Stay

2009-06-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

I often search Craigslist posts to see who's hiring out there, either to pick up new business or send leads to colleagues, and yesterday's search was very enlightening. For those of us in P.R. we understand how difficult it can be to explain the importance of social media to clients, in fact for most of us social media is no different than all our PR efforts, it's just a term that is used a lot lately.

So I search the marketing/pr/advertising section for "social media" and it was very enlightening...all the posts for social media positions in L.A. were either intern level or part-time. It was as if all these companies still think this dedicated outreach is a fad and not worth investing in. I should not be shocked, but I am baffled. I saw huge PR agencies on there and it made them look really out of touch. Once I thought about it though...I got excited about the intensive work we are doing to learn more and do more with online marketing and communications. Not only because I feel we're more effective but also because it may mean more business for us right now, not later when the rest of them finally catch on.

For anyone out there who still believes PR and Social Media are two different strategies...I am hear to tell that this wacky Internet thing is probably here to stay so you may want to join in the conversations that are being had about you but without you.

Here are 2 great books on the subject: New Rules of PR & Marketing (David Meerman Scott) & Social Media is a Cocktail Party (Jim Tobin.)

Dunkin' Donuts Using Social Media To Generate Dough

2009-06-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

We at Starfish P.R. run on McCafe, but I understand that America runs on Dunkin'. I can see why; they have amazing coffee that doesn't cost you $3.00 a cup and an awesome social media campaign. Which brings me to the big question, why have they all left L.A.?

On the Twitter front, @dunkindonuts is using it as a platform to promote its new "You Kin' Do It" tagline and campaign. The idea behind the new slogan being that in this economy many Americans are working harder, getting paid less and Dunkin' is there to stand by them in these hard times while providing a boost that doesn't bust the budget. To do this Dunkin' Dave-O directs followers to You Tube where they they can watch the official "You Kin' Do It" commerical. A patriotic tune plays in the background while Joe the plumber types, with a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee in hand, find the strength to tackle paper work up to the ceiling, or dig their way out of a snowstorm of blizzard proportions. In addition to this, Dunkin' Dave-O also promotes things like "National Donut Day", "Create Dunkins' Next Donut" contest and TV appearances by Dunkins' Chef Stan, all while injecting his personality into the tweets and giving big, corporate Dunkin' Donuts a relatable voice.

In Facebook land Dunkin' Donuts is generating a buzz (a caffeine buzz that is) for another campaign - the "Keep it Coolatta" daily giveaway. The way it works is that fans post a photo of themselves keepin' it coolatta with any coolatta beverage on the fan page wall, add the #coolattagiveaway hashtag, update their profile with the pic and are automatically entered to win prizes like an iPhone and JetBlue plane tickets (good example of brand partnerships, too!).

The requirement that Fans must upload the coolatta pic to their personal profiles in order to win is a key one. You know how it goes - you are in your office, maybe a little tired, and all of a sudden you see your friend change their profile pic to one of them keepin' it coolatta. You then think to yourself she looks happy, refreshed - I think I want one of those! Imagine that happening millions of times, a genius example of employing social media to influence offline behavior. On top of the coolatta pics and promotions the page is rounded out by polls, videos and other contests.

All in all I think Dunkin' is doing donuts around the competition...plus, all this writing about coolattas makes me want one. Come on Dunkin' we want it, you kin' do it...come back to L.A.!

Town Hall Crier Turns Town Hall Tweeter

2009-05-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Evolution of Town Hall 2.0

I am 24 years old and have never been to a town hall meeting. In fact, I live in a town that was incorporated in 1892 and, sadly, because of my town's lack of reverence for anything historical - I don't think we even have a town hall anymore. Thus my knowledge of town halls does not come from first hand experience, but rather from what I can remember of Ms. Forsythe's American History class taken my junior year of high school.

Back in the olden days town halls served as places to vote, collect taxes, elect officials, debate issues like abolition, make examples out of "bad" citizens (h.s. flashback #2; we all remember Hester Prynne of the Scarlet Letter), dispel rumors and put out fires.

Flash forward to 2009 and there are far too many towns, like my own, with no town hall. So, how does a town, company, organization, celebrity, etc. set the record straight with no town hall? If they have built and maintained an online presence the answer is easy and probably more effective than those old town meetings ever were.

This week one of our clients put their 2.0 community to the test when they were the victim of a goody bag scam. Thanks to their online platform getting the message out was as simple as: 1. Drafting a letter to make the public aware that someone was using their name to scam companies for product 2. Uploading the letter to their website 3. Posting this link on their facebook profiles, blog, as well as, tweeting it to their 1, 440 followers.

The proof is in the interwebs; there may be no town hall, but there is still community and the importance of keeping your community involved and aware is stronger than ever thanks in part to new media.

Blog Talkin'

2009-04-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

It's very exciting when we introduce clients to social media and they really take to it. One such client is FantaSea Yachts in Marina Del Rey. They are really great to work with and very creative, plus they really wanted to be "in the conversation" since day one, but just needed some help. I knew they'd be great bloggers because they are such people pleasers and treat every guest like family - blogging was a natural addition to their business. Considering how busy they all are, I am very impressed how often they are posting (and I didn't even mention the photos and video they are posting!)

You can check them out at the FantaSea Yachts blog - great work team FantaSea!

A Fantasy Formal

2009-04-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Formals can be a special time for any college student. This gives us the opportunity to dress up, put on some killer heels and dance all night long with our closest friends. A few weeks ago was my final college formal and I couldn't have asked for a better setting than sailing through Marina Del Rey on a four story yacht!! I just couldn't believe that my Sorority had pulled off such a great location and one that I dying to be a part of. Being an intern at the amazing Starfish PR, I had heard and seen pictures of the FantaSea Yachts, but being able to enjoy their services first hand was even better than expected.

The location of the formal is always a surprise until the very last moment and I was ecstatic to walk off a yellow school bus stuffed with excited classmates and see the four story FantaSea One charter yacht. As I boarded the yacht I was immediately impressed with the atmosphere and feeling that came along with being on board such a beautiful ship. The setting even made everyone look a bit more glamorous!

Following our glamorous entrance on board the yacht, the eating had commenced and trust me when I say the delicious food was gone in 60 seconds. Nothing can keep a college student from a good meal! Once our stomachs had digested our dinner we were onto the dance floor. After 3 fun hours of dancing (while sailing around the marina!!) our night had to unfortunately come to an end. My friends and I all departed the yacht, took our last minute pictures and were back on the bus heading home. The following Tuesday, I couldn't wait to get to work at Starfish PR and share my personal experience with one of our own Starfish clients.

Since my formal I have used my re-energized excitement for FantaSea Yachts and have made it my mission to inform LMU of this great venue. College Life is filled with activities year round and I am a firm believer that FantaSea would be the perfect setting for just about all of them. I am including my fellow Pi Phis with me by inviting them to join the FantaSea Yacht Facebook fan page and by asking them to share their memories of being on the yacht with everyone online.

Thank you FantaSea Yachts, you have made an even bigger fan out of me and my fellow "sisters" of the LMU Pi-Phis.

No fetchin' coffee here!

2009-04-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I was told to be an intern was to be a servant; hence my hesitations to work for free. That person is probably in some desolate location fetching coffee and stuffing envelopes. Lucky for me, Starfish PR has provided me with much more than I expected. I've been given the opportunity to actually learn a thing or two.

When I started I did not know much about the world of public relations and the little knowledge I did have came from Internet research. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into but I figured "can't knock it till' I try it". So I dove right in and quickly realized that this internship wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Three months later, the bulk of my assignments include research and writing. This is about all that I do going to school full-time, so luckily I am not in totally uncharted territory. I also have the opportunity to work hands on with our clients, which makes it easy to promote them.

One of our clients, Clarita, teaches a class called Mambo Mania. Although I have never done Salsa or Cha Cha, as a former dancer, I appreciate her unique workout that combines traditional Latin dance moves with elements of pilates and yoga. I have been taking her class regularly and not only does it bring back magnificent memories of being on stage, but it has also helped me to regain some of my balance and flexibility. Did I mention that my friends love it too (they even got me on tape doing salsa - still waiting to see it on some website ☺)!

Another client we have, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, will be hosting Power Women Power Tools, an event that I am absolutely thrilled about - sorry guys, the gals will be working the tools this time! There's nothing like giving back to the community and putting a smile on a person's face who really needs it ☺.

In my opinion, interning is immensely different than volunteering. I've volunteered to help others in need quite a bit throughout the years. While the satisfaction of brightening someone's day doing volunteer work is priceless, interning is more like a learning experience that will prove useful for my future career.

I've got a great internship, super cool boss, and have been introduced to the best liquor store food ever (If it weren't for these folks, I wouldn't have thought twice about eating there; they don't have a website but they've got great food)! What more can a girl ask for (next to shoes and a chic purse) ;)

Thoughtful Communications

2009-04-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Why Publicists Should Be Thoughtful.

I recently listened to an archived conference call that Peter Shankman did with some writers from the big guns: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the AP, etc. They opened up their brains for us publicists and shared what makes them tic and what just makes them ticked off.

During the call it became apparent that they all have their preferred methods of conducting business; some like attachments, some don't, some like follow up emails and some don't. While there were differences there was also one overriding similarity, to just be thoughtful and relevant.

One of the writers said that one of the best ways to approach them is without something to pitch. A simple email introducing yourself, your clients and an acknowledgement of what they are writing is always welcomed. This got me thinking that even in this time when everyone is stressed, working more and getting paid less - building a relationship is more important than ever. After the call I was prompted to google more journalists tips and found much of the same.

"It's all about the relationship. The best PR people talk to me before pitching me to see what's new with me and to ask me what's going on. They then tailor ideas to me that no one else is getting. That's how you build trust with us."

- Nancy Wall Hopkins, deputy editor of food and entertaining at Better Homes and Gardens

"Focus on the relationship, not the release...If you reach out and connect with the media member in a non-threatening, pitch-less manner, maintain a level of communications and build a relationship with them over time, they'll listen when you do have something to pitch."

- Jason Falls, communications expert and blogger

"I think relationships are important when trying to get publicity and it's also important that you understand the program and the type of content that we cover."

- Justin Smith, executive producer of the Neil Mitchell Program

Making My Life Easy

2009-04-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

There are some people that just make your job easy. For musicians it might be a good sound technician, for waitresses a quick cook and for us renegade P.R. folk it is people like Pat Genovese, a kindergarten teacher at Notre Dame Academy Elementary.

This week our client, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, participated in the national Act! Speak! Build! Week, where youth ages 5-25 do activities and fundraisers to promote affordable housing. In Los Angeles 33 local schools and youth groups did everything from selling T-shirts to building a playhouse to be auctioned off, but I was most struck by Pat and the work of her kindergarten class.

In honor of Act! Speak! Build! Week Pat incorporated the theme of the week, to make housing a matter of action, into her curriculum. She started by hanging a clothesline around the classroom and hung t-shirts that the students made to draw attention to the need for adequate housing. On Tuesday, she led her kindergartners in a letter writing campaign to our California Senators and President Obama. Thursday, they made "hope" cards for those in need and later that afternoon wrote poems about poverty housing. This week in Math, the kids were learning coins and Pat took the opportunity to explain to them that it takes a lot of work to earn coins, or money, and that you need a lot of coins to have a nice home. Pat also had them use coins to purchase Habitat "building supplies". They ended the week with a visit from Deborah Lewis, Habitat of Greater L.A.'s Program Manager.

Next week is Pat's spring break and she should be relaxing after all of the planning and preparation that it took to do these activities with a room full of five year olds, but she is actually volunteering in the Habitat Home Improvement Store.

Now, how could I not be inspired by Pat and excited to share her work with the media and blogosphere?

Sometimes Consultants Need to Hire Themselves

2009-03-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Shouldn't we always be thinking about our business and it's relevance in the changing landscape? Of course. As a consultant to other businesses, my company is often last on my list and usually remains unfixed if it's not broken.

Currently I am undergoing to some redesigns to the website and creating more relevant content and communications tools. After all, if I am a huge proponent of thoughtful web content and I'm addicted to social media - shouldn't my company's website reflect that? Of course.

In the coming month, the following areas will be improved and updated on the Starfish PR site:

Home Page: The first change you'll see is a new tag line! We are an enthusiastic bunch of communicators and our tag line will definitely express that. We will keep our client news feed and incorporate rich content to the page such as video and photos; real time updates from our twitter and blog sites.
Client Page: We will beef up our client bios and include all their social media sites and pages, to show how they are all utilizing new media to interact with their clients and audience.
New Blog: We will link to our new company blog - where all of us, including our awesome interns, will be posting.
Events: We will all update this section more often with photos and video that will populate to the home page.
Superstars Page: This is going away. We work with some great and talented folks so we plan to give them more ink - over on our blog!
About Us: Will finally add Alison to the team page (you follow her on Twitter too)

It is our hope that these changes will adequately reflect our expertise in the evoloving field of communications, but also our passion for what we do and how much we appreciate our clients.

Perhaps the coolest part of this process has been treating my own business like a client and re-evaluating why our business is successful and which talents to highlight. I am very proud of what I've been able to accomplish since quitting my day job back in 2003. Entrepreneurship is not easy, nor learned, but oh is it sweet!

And speaking of entrepreneurs, I cannot conclude this post without acknowledging my amazing web designer, Jenny Tronson. Most of my clients have used Jenny for years and she truly is the best! Contact her at WebJeneration.

Starfish, Renegades and P.R.?

2009-03-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

What do starfish and renegades have in common? The answer to that is a trademark style of P.R. where we have our "arms" in every medium and are not afraid to move away from convention and set our own course.

These days I am constantly hearing about papers going under here and journalists being laid off there (thanks @themediaisdying) and it becomes more and more apparent that the world of communication is not dying, but definitely spinning in a different direction. So while landing a review or feature in print is still extremely satisfying, it is no less satisfying to read a meaningful comment on a client's blog left by a satisfied customer. Or, to hear that a client had a great conversation with a client via twitter, no third party involved.

Social media forums, like twitter, are like the agoras of ancient Greece where journalists, communication professionals, companies and clients, can all meet and exchange ideas. So, I invite you to join us; please leave a comment on our blog any time, or say hi on twitter.

New Blog - Old Bloggers

2009-03-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

Starfish PR is a small PR company, we are two renegade PR gals and a couple great interns! We all love social media.

We thought we should probably create a blog destination for all of us to share ideas, stories and resources even though we've all been blogging and Tweeting for a while. So we'll try to post interesting posts about what we are doing with our clients plus other tips and thoughts about this fun world of PR! For more enlightenment, you may also follow us on Twitter:

@LedgeDancer
@PR_Ali
@StarfishIntern