Trending on Twitter – Why we are obsessed with random nonsense!

In recent times on Twitter we have been subjected to #capslockday and trending topics including:

#reason2haveguybestfriend (Because they will tell you that you are tweeting rubbish?)

#sorryimlatebut (I was busy tweeting about the weather?)

#summerplans (To get a life and stop tweeting about what I eat for breakfast?)

Now as a marketer, these types of post do not help me promote the serious benefits of Twitter to my clients. I have won business through someone tweeting their desire for a marketing agency and found a supplier when I needed one within minutes… but most of the time, #Idontunderstandwhy certain topics trend and what drives people to write the nonsense they do.

Is it any wonder that businesses are reticent about putting posts on Twitter.. people have been fired because of Tweets posted and companies have lost clients for inappropriate behaviour online.

To make sure you are not one of them, here is our Twitter checklist for success:

· Have a social media strategy. Monitor what your company are saying as a whole and if you want extra protection… make sure that you put a note on staff Twitter profiles stating they are their own views rather than that of the company.

· Think about what you want to get out of Twitter and what to post… there is no point talking about Justin Bieber or football if you sell soap, focus is key and keep posts relevant.

· Tweet other people … just posting tweets on your own profile will not get you the interaction you need. Actively follow people you want to interact with, see what interests them and build an online rapport.

· Use # Hashtags, RT and @ to gain maximum coverage for your tweets.

· Don’t post negative things about your clients… airing public laundry is not always the best way to resolve your issues and can lead to lawsuits, negativity and most of all can damage your reputation.

The benefits of Twitter when used properly still outweigh the bad points.. you can win new business, find suppliers and build your network but only if you know what you are doing.. .and don’t post things about your boss!

If you want to Tweet me your thoughts on today’s trending topics you can get me on Twitter @marian_at_whale / #getagriponwhatyoutweetpeople !

Brand Development

I was recently at an old stately home in Hampshire and in their kitchen were a variety of old branded food items from times gone by.

I couldn’t help but notice this one for Cadbury’s and see how the brand itself is still recognisable over 50 years on!

Any good brand should stand the test of time, being developed and refreshed to remain contemporary whilst remaining recognisable. If you think your brand could use a refresh.. give Marian a call on 0161 236 5395.

How to write good PR content for Business to Business industries.

Here at the whalepod we are passionate about creating great content which will engage with B2B audiences and will inform and entice them towards our clients products/services. Although all pieces of PR tend to follow the same rules of content; there is a different focus applied to B2B than B2C PR articles.

For any B2B company knowledge & information is key. B2B decisions are made through a different thought process than B2C they work on the basis of getting to know all the keys facts to help them make a decision on whether a product/service is for them. Whereas consumers make snappier decisions on whether the offer is right or whether it is supported by their favourite celebrity.

Businesses will want proof that a product/service works before investing their time or money into it. This is an important factor to consider when writing PR as you need to think about whether you are providing the reader with all the information that they feel is relevant. You need to ensure content has substance that engages with, informs and influences your audience, but at the same time keeps both your audience and of course your clients satisfied.

You need to understand the industry and its audience. Most B2B companies are serious about what they do and will not appreciate mistakes when it comes to knowledge within their trade. Make sure you check all spelling of people’s names, places, products and technical references. Who will want to do business with someone who can’t get the basics right?

It is also important to provide comment and opinion but to make sure that it is based on fact. The last thing you need is someone commenting back that they disagree with your comment; which is something we see happening within trade press.

But also let’s not forget that just like B2C you’ve got to make it interesting. Try and think of different topics to write your PR on. It is great to showcase recent projects you have completed but why not think of other ways that you can showcase your business through interesting feature pieces on subject matters that will engage with the reader and show them that you have influence within their trade.

Top 10 tips for PR

Kat Johnson from Aedas spoke at CIMCIG – “How to get the best from PR”

1) Choose an angle

2) Write news worthy content

3) Write in a style journalists like

4) Know your subject – research relevant literature

5) Send releases ready to print

6) Write releases in advance – time sensitive

7) “On/Off record” – Treat everything you say as “on the record”

8) Respect deadlines

9) Build relationships

10) Follow up with a thank you

We share our views on PR

PR - Marian Arnold, Account Manager for Whale Marketing, tells us her views on PR.

1) What does PR mean to you?

For me working in B2B, PR is all about raising a company’s profile and making sure the brand is promoted in a positive light. It is about projecting corporate image and ensuring you protect a company at the same time.

2) Is social media hindering or helping PR?

Personally I believe it is helping more than hindering. Nowadays news is out quicker, information and press releases are more than ever time sensitive and being able to react quickly is key.

As with everything, there is a downside, the problem is that as with good news, negative news spreads just as quickly.

PR is also about managing any crisis situations and being a step ahead. Having an open and honest policy showing transparency from the start is the best way to win over your audience as people are much wiser to spin than they used to be.

3) Can you create something news worthy out of nothing?

Good PR is about finding an angle. A good agency will be able to find interesting information and create news worthy content from limited material, even generating entire news campaigns from scratch.

4) What is your best tip?

Write something relevant to the audience and tailor your content not only to the audience but the publication itself. Ask editors what they need to fill their magazines, get forward features lists and plan meticulously. Building relationships with key media at the early stages will stand you in good stead.

5) How can businesses benefit from PR?

It is vital for any company to have a public presence and speak to their target audience through trade and local press. You have to be current and talk about issues relevant to your sector, ensuring you stay at the forefront of people’s minds because if you don’t, your competition will!

6) Good PR/ Bad PR

Everyone knows the bad example of BP. The way they handled the crisis was too little, too late. Twitter was used against the brand when fake accounts were created thus creating negative news for the brand. http://twitter.com/#!/bpglobalpr

A good example of PR was Radio 1’s Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave whose record attempt raised more than £2.4m for Comic Relief.

Taking part in an attempt to break the record for the ‘longest ever radio show’, Chris and Dave remained on the airwaves of Radio 1 for an impressive 50 hours- officially marking their broadcast as The Guinness World Record for longest ever radio show by a team.

PR comes in many guises but generally, you are trying to get people on your side, to know, like and trust you and more importantly, to buy into your product or service.

How-do Media Press release

Whale and Media 1 bring in new faces

Thursday, 06 January 2011

Some staff moves within the region today, as Manchester’s Whale Marketing brings in two fresh account managers and Richard Weston joins Media 1 Productions of Bollington as the firm’s new client relationship manager. B2B property marketing specialist Whale has swollen its ranks with the signings of Marian Arnold and Valerie Castan to oversee a client base that includes names of the order of Peel Holdings, FBE, Chep and Beva. Meanwhile Media 1 has recruited Richard Weston from The Manufacturing Institute, where he was responsible for running conferences and workshops on behalf of the Manufacturing Advisory Service. Agency MD Steve Bindley said his new recruit “brings a wealth of experience in corporate event management” to the business and is “a seasoned marketing professional.” Media 1 delivers conferences and events for clients in the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, financial services, automotive and government sectors. www.whalemarketing.co.uk www.media1productions.co.uk

Whale Marketing and Brazen PR tackles classic Monopoly game

Whale Marketing new create the graphics and signage for Brazen PR to launch Monopoly's new game Revolution in swanky London...