We live in a time-shifted world. RSS feeds deliver news to us. DVRs allow us to watch our favorite television shows when whenever we choose. We can listen to audio programs on the go thanks to podcasts. Today’s consumers expect to have access to content when they want it … where they want it.

Businesses need to understand and adjust to this new way of living. (Don’t believe us? Failure to adapt to a time-shifted world contributed to the newspaper industry’s recent struggles.) This isn’t just an operations or management issue. PR/marketing folks need to put their “time-shifting” hats on as well.

• Customer service can’t be a 9-5 task if it really is the new PR. In a time-shifted world, people expect access to good customer service all the time – at their convenience … not yours. That means having an employee monitor and respond to the company’s Twitter account after hours, making “live chat” available even after the close of business, offering extended call center hours. These may not sound ultra-innovative — but your customers will notice, and appreciate, the extra effort.
• Press conferences don’t happen nearly as frequently as they used to; however they’re not extinct. Even so, reporters have less time to attend events — press conferences or otherwise. If you’re a PR professional, are you giving reporters the tools to get the information on their terms — or are you making their job more difficult? (And, for the record, just e-mailing a press release with a post-event photo doesn’t cut it.) Provide reporters with audio or video to incorporate into their reports. Create a Flickr page with high-res photos. Livestream events and post relevant clips online.
• How often are desk-side meetings taking place nowadays? Hardly at all – unless you have a very high-profile client or a major news story. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your CEO in front of the reporter. More and more interviews are happening via e-mail — even with major, national newspapers. Know why? Because the reporter can review the answers when they have time. With that in mind, why not conduct “mock interviews” and distribute the responses to targeted media? You know what questions a reporter will ask, so ask them. (But, don’t just serve up “softballs” and provide a reporter with fluffy answers. They’ll ignore you.) Go the extra step and provide the files in a format that can be viewed or listened to on an mp3 player. The idea is simple: Give them the information without requiring them to conduct a time-intensive interview.
• Much has been written about the diminishing ROI of traditional advertising. But, it’s not dead … not by a longshot. That said, advertisers need to adjust. A recent study found that 85% of respondents (~1,000 people) used their DVR to skip at least three-quarters of all commercials. If you’re producing commercials that only communicate verbally – your message isn’t being heard. Smarter commercials get the message across even while being fast forwarded. (One example: Apple’s Macbook commercials.) 

How is “time shifting” impacting your business? And, what innovative ideas can you offer to thrive in this new paradigm?

Peter Shankman, founder of HARO – Help a Reporter Out, a service connecting journalists with sources – talks about Twitter and how it can help businesses. This social network is Peter’s sounding board and immediate focus group. Plus, it totally changes customer service. 

What can Twitter do for you?

Also, Costa DeVault would like to congratulate Peter on HARO’s first anniversary. Here’s to an even bigger and better year!

We’ve had a little time to process last week’s Ragan/PRSA Social Media for Communicators conference, and things we heard are already starting to fall into place. Just a few hours back in the office, and the opportunity to apply what we learned is making what was conceptual real.

We have been in the “online brand” business for more than ten years – counseling clients on best practices and staying current on new tools and trends. But the impact that social networking and the demand for consumer engagement online has propelled this evolution forward dramatically in the last few years.

Enter a conference where these principles are more than accepted – but examined as the future of communication … and things can get overwhelming quickly.

The first and most important take-away from the conference: Strategy drives tools. It seems like a simple concept, but when new social media sites and new tools are being introduced every day, there’s a tendency to want to try them all. But, first it’s back to basics: Consider your audiences, objectives and resources before you do anything.

Work out the tough stuff, and understanding concepts like Web 2.0 – or even Web 3.0 – becomes more manageable. Incorporating – or passing on – tools like Ning, Yammer, Flickr, Twitter, Qik, Facebook etc. is much easier to do when you have a strategy.

The first speaker of the conference, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, put it all into perspective. Here you have a company that took in $1.6 million in revenue in 2000, $8.6 million in 2001 and is on pace to top $1 billion for the first time this year. Zappos is widely recognized as a leader online and in social networking initiatives, but when Tony addressed the conference, he encouraged us to focus on the basics – corporate culture, good customer service and “delivering happiness.”

With all the changes that are taking place in communication, it’s easy to get lost in the details. It’s critical to understand the tools, but making the choices that take care of your customers is what really matters.

Photo Credit: Larry Tomlinson

This week, we’re attending the Ragan/PRSA Social Media for Communicators conference in Las Vegas. Sessions include discussions about podcasting, creating online communities, social media on a budget and crisis communication in a Web 2.0 world. Plus, presentations from Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos), Peter Shankman (founder of HARO) and Josh Bernoff (president of Forrester research). After the event, we’ll post a recap to the blog; however, if you want to know what’s going on in real time, click here for my live tweets or here for the whole stream of updates from everyone in attendance.

Also, if you have questions about social media, leave them in the comments, and we’ll do our best to find the answers for you.

Photo: Flem007_UK

If you’re a PR person working for a sales-driven organization (and aren’t most organizations nowadays tied to sales?), have you ever stopped to think about how your work fits into the sales cycle?

At its core, selling is reliant on personal and non-personal communication to convince prospects to take a specific action. The sales team will rely on personal phone calls, visits and emails – as well as direct mail, newsletters, e-marketing … and many other marketing tools.

But, where does PR come into play? Certainly, it’s part of the prospect education process — which takes place during the earliest stages of the sales cycle. However, PR’s role doesn’t just end there. Here are three overlooked ways to align PR with the sales efforts:

1. In-sync messaging. As a PR person, you need to be in constant contact with the sales team so you understand what they’re hearing “on the ground.” What messages are resonating with prospects? Then, align your story pitches appropriately. It goes without saying that the economy is the hot issue right now. How does your product or service save money, increase efficiencies or maximize resources?
2. Smart community relations. The sales team has identified the next hot prospect … but is struggling to get a meeting with the right person. If you’re taking a strategic approach to your company’s community relations, you might be able to help. Research the prospect’s involvement in causes, organizations, events, boards and committees. Is there an opportunity for your company to also be involved or supportive? That might just be enough to get on the prospect’s radar.
3. Professional online networking. By now, you’ve hopefully bought into the importance of networking online. However, unless your sales team is full of early adapters or tech-savvy folks, they may not understand the value of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or other professional networking tools As a PR person, you should help them figure out how to navigate social media and leverage online networks to boost sales. For starters, are they actively participating in LinkedIn discussions? Have they asessed connections available through their network?

As PR people, we become that much more valuable to a company if we can demonstrate how our efforts are tied to the bottom line. What do you think — how else can we enhance (and accelerate) the sales cycle?