BroadBased Communications | BROADcast Newsletter March 2009
Keeping Tabs on Twitter
If your company is looking for new ways to find or reach customers, we suggest you look into Twitter. It has moved quickly beyond the world of social media-savvy teens and into marketing departments and board rooms.
We use it ourselves, and other companies like Dell, JetBlue, H&R Block, and the Lakeland, Florida, Police Department do as well.
Is Twitter for you? Can you see a use for a medium that builds a family of “followers” to your communications? Boosts your brand? Raises visibility? Read below, and you be the judge.
Why We Tweet
Many companies are using Twitter to stay in touch with customers.
BroadBased uses its Twitter account to support our brand, advise clients and answer questions. We regularly post keyword-rich messages to prospective clients. It’s a distinct advantage that Twitter posts, or “tweets,” come up on Google.
So it becomes an SEO (search engine optimization) tool that can help boost your visibility on the Web. View BroadBased Twitter.
BroadBased members have their own accounts, too. President Jan Korb is a self-confessed“power user” who networks with other marketing and PR professionals via Twitter. View Jan Korb’s Twitter.
Why They Tweet
You don’t have to search far for a “who’s who” list of Twitter users among American businesses. Here’s a short list of names and Twitter applications:
Newell Rubbermaid – Marketers noticed that professional organizers (the people who declutter homes and offices) were blogging, and those bloggers were also on Twitter. They now use Twitter to reach the organizers and cultivate relationships with them.
Dunkin’ Donuts – The company’s public relations department uses Twitter to “listen” to customers. They ask for opinions and feedback from their customers on Twitter, and enjoy the responses in real time.
Dell – Dell tweets notices of new products or new versions of their computer games. They’ve also used Twitter for targeted customer service, and have seen a growing body of users offering to help other Dell users through Twitter. Dell also provides its employees with Twitter and Facebook accounts for company updates.
GM and Kodak – These companies use Twitter to monitor what’s being said about their brands.
JetBlue and H&R Block – These companies and many others use Twitter to boost brand awareness and answer customer questions.
Lakeland, Florida, Police – Just after they sent out the bomb squad, they sent an alert of a possible bomb in a public parking lot on Twitter. Other police departments send tweets on road closings, Amber alerts, suspect descriptions and as a substitute for press releases.
Want to Try Twitter? We Can Help
Contact us for a consultation on use of Twitter and other social networking media. We can explain the different uses and users, review the pros and cons and share some marketing tips.
Picture Your Face on Facebook
Facebook users by age group
(Feb/March 2009)
Users age 40 and above are the fastest growing segment on Facebook.
Picture this scenario: You need a campaign to reach the 20-somethings in your town. You place an ad on Facebook. You also place print and radio ads that run concurrently. The results: through the real-time monitoring on Facebook, you learn that your ad received nearly 1.5 million views and 500 click-throughs to the page you set up for reinforcement, far outperforming print and radio ads.
That’s an actual BroadBased case history. But it’s not just about reaching 20-somethings. Facebook accounts are skyrocketing in other age sectors. And for the first time Facebook is beating MySpace account start-ups in selected groups. If you need the high school crowd, try MySpace. For others, move toward Facebook.
Outdoors and Loving it with Jacksonville Kids
Sean Collins, left, hands out trail mix at the Native Sun table.
Two BroadBased employees recently shared moments in the sun with area children. More than 200 children participated in the latest RALLY Jacksonville! event – Great Outdoor Adventure Tree Festival – as part of Mayor Peyton’s Book Club early literacy program.
During the morning’s activities, Jacksonville Mayor Peyton was present to help with a tree planting. The children heard stories, took nature walks and had their photos taken with Pete the Dog and Chlorophyllis. They returned home armed with gifts of seedlings, birdhouses, and healthy treats.
BroadBased Traffic Manager Joy Jarrell supervised the photo booth, and Web Designer Sean Collins helped serve treats at the Native Sun table.
“Our table was a big success,” said Collins. “All in all, it was a great turnout and a great day.”
BroadBased Communications was the creative team behind RALLY Jacksonville! in the program’s first season. Now, aside from volunteer projects, BroadBased personnel continue to work with RALLY Jacksonville! and its current staff.
“At this point, it’s a labor of love for us,” said Jarrell.
News From the Public Relations Department
Our Public Relations Director, Maria Coppola, was recently named to the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA). As an experienced PR professional with more than 17 years in the media industry, she was also named the Media Relations Chair for the group. Congratulations Maria!
Right now, Maria is busy grabbing headlines in seven counties as interest builds in Northeast Florida’s future. The client, Reality Check First Coast, will bring 300 community leaders together May 21 to brainstorm a blueprint for area growth through 2060. For more information on Reality Check, visit realitycheckfirstcoast.com.
She is also busy managing the media relations for Waste Management as it works with the city to resolve the issue over the future of the Trail Ridge landfill. For more information on the facts, visit keeptrailridge.com.
Some of her other clients include Fifth Third Bank, Children’s Lighthouse Learning Center of Jacksonville and Erica Courtney.
As for FPRA, the local chapter Web site can be found at fpra-jax.org, and the next big event is the 2009 FPRA Image Awards being held Friday, April 3, at MOCA Jacksonville from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Image Awards highlight and recognize the best public relations campaigns in the area.
Kudos to BroadBased Prez Jan Korb
Last month, Jan received the Silver Medal Award from the Jacksonville chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF).
The American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal Award Program was established in 1959 to recognize men and women who have made outstanding contributions to advertising and who have been active in furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern. Annually, AAF member clubs bestow this honor upon outstanding members of the local advertising community.
