The Race for 2008 is uncovering an excellent case study in using social media in SEO public relations campaigns.  Political campaigns use advertising, public relations and marketing tactics to garner support across the nation.  This year, every candidate has utilized social media as part of a coordinated campaign.   And although the candidates spend millions of dollars, some of these tactics can be recreated by a small business hoping to reach their target audience through social media.

Here are just a few examples:

CNN joined with YouTube to broadcast presidential debates, reaching a whole new generation of voters who frequent YouTube but may not have otherwise gotten involved in the early race for the White House.  This format was specifically chosen to appeal to younger voters and early results show the younger generation is heading to the polls in droves.

From Mitt Romney to Hillary Clinton, many of the presidential candidates started a blog.  This format allows them to be more personal, post pictures and provide short insights into life on the campaign trail.

MySpace launched a U.S. political campaign site, and each candidate participated by creating a MySpace page.  John McCain’s MySpace page boasts 44,822 “friends,” or individuals who have chosen to read and participate on his page.

Barack Obama’s campaign recently announced they raised an impressive $32 million in January.  But a staggering portion of that money was raised online – $28 million.

Last week I moderated a UVEF panel discussion on “Online Viral Marketing & Public Relations in Web 2.0 Time.” I was fortunate to bring some of the brightest marketing minds in Utah to the table for a large crowd at the Novell campus in Provo.

NextPage VP of Marketing Cydni Tetro shared some compelling statistics on consumer online buying behavior. She challenged entrepreneurs to ask some tough questions before developing Internet strategies. What’s the market? What’s the objective? She spoke about the power of podcasts and other media to “create conversations” and meet the demand for interactive customer experience. She mentioned an incredible story about how a social media speech given in Europe by noted blogger Robert Scoble  appeared online around the world in five minutes. Dave Bascom, president and CEO of SEO.com, told attendees customers now communicate across the world to gain product/service information. Getting in front of people when they are looking for accurate information is critical. Dave shared tips on how to improve Internet Search Engine Rankings for products and services. Serial entrepreneur Paul Allen shared his excitement about social networking’s access to millions of potential users cost effectively. He said there are 26 social networks with over 10 million users.  Paul founded World Vital Records (Family Link). Family Link launched a Facebook Platform application called “We’re Related” and recruited one million users in 29 days. George Wright, VP of Sales and Marketing for Blendtec shared his thoughts on how he has attracted 70 million viewers of their “Will It Blend” online viral marketing campaign on You Tube. Listen…

Web 2.0 media, social media, viral media, podcasting, blogging are all rapidly becoming familiar to savvy marketers and PR professionals. As part of a well thought out customized PR package these outlets coupled with effective SEO PR are vital to business success. Some time back Jack Herrington published an extensive list of ideas for becoming better podcasters. I’ve summarized what I feel are the best of the best suggestions for your perusal.  

Prepare, But Don’t Script  - Preparation is the key to a great podcast. Good podcasters prepare some level of notes for the show in advance to remind them of the topics they want to cover and specific information about each topic. Let’s face it, putting on a pair of headphones and listening to your own voice as you record a podcast is not something that comes naturally to most people. The more you can do to eliminate the uncertainty and stress, the better. I recommend against completely scripting your podcast. A personal podcast having a script that you follow completely will end up sounding stiff. The one exception is audio theatre, where a script is essential because it’s an on-air play that requires choreography between the players. 

Reduce Noise – The world is a lot noisier than we realize. The brain filters out a lot of the noise to allow you to concentrate on the more important sounds. Microphones have no such filter, and you will find that your recordings will have a very accurate rendering (and annoying) of the noise in your environment. Environmental noise is the most common form of noise in recordings. This noise usually comes from air conditioners, fans, fluorescent lighting, and refrigerators. Power off as much as you can. If that doesn’t do it, you can try recording in a closet with lots of clothes.  

Slow Down and Relax – Talking too quickly is a very common mistake. If your podcasting routine is to practice your podcast a couple of times before recording it for release, then you need to watch your pacing. As you get more comfortable with the content, you may find yourself speeding up your pace and you will need to keep an eye on that as you record. Give yourself enough time to slow down and to try enough times to get the podcast to where you want it. 

Detail, Detail, Detail - Audio is a uniquely intimate medium. You are talking directly to each person and they are experiencing your podcast on an individual level. Television is a passive medium; the images and sounds are presented to you as a package. You just sit back and watch. Audio, on the other hand, is an active medium. As you hear a story you create an image in your head of what the speaker is talking about. This is called the theatre of the mind. To draw the listener into the story requires detail. It’s a blue house. It smells like cinnamon bread from the scented candles. It’s an old house and the floorboards squeak. As you read this you are painting an image in your mind; the same types of images that your listeners paint as they hear your show. It’s the details that create an engaging show.

BusinessWire recently passed on a note from Google – press release headlines should be kept under 22 words.

Many practices can help you gain headway on this leading search-engine, but there are no guarantees. So keep the headline brief to increase your Google juice.

Here are some recent release headlines for PilmerPR clients – all of them found Google success.

3DVO Launches 3D Modeling Service for Online Retailers

AdvancedMD Joins Physician Organization Market Providing Advanced Solution for Clinical and Financial Operations

Certiport to Enhance Digital Literacy & Scholastic Readiness of College Students

Seastone Chosen as Peanuts Licensee for Gift Card Packaging

PilmerPR always considers Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and we offer services to optimize your news. Here are some other great SEO tips, including using keywords, keeping your news fresh, and publishing press releases on your own website.

The PilmerPR team has spent a lot of time learning about social media, which is now an essential new tool for all of us as business and PR professionals.  As we all know, Internet use is off the charts, and taking advantage of this medium is now a basic part of reaching target markets. 

Some new data came out recently from the Online Publishers Association, revealing that Internet users are spending 47 percent of their time online reading content, and another 33 percent for communication.  Social media blends both of these activities – offering both original content in the form of blogs or online news sites and a communication vehicle through sites such as MySpace and Facebook. 

Companies are hearing over and over again that social media are integral to a comprehensive marketing and PR campaign.  But while reading this Computerworld story we have to remember to be careful when we use social media sites for marketing or public relations – because not every endeavor will be met enthusiastically by social media users. 

Computerworld reported on the backlash Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has received for creating a “Roommate Style Match” group on Facebook.  Wal-Mart likely created the group to utilize the enormous popularity of Facebook to reach their target customers. 

Unfortunately, some users don’t appreciate being targeted with corporate advertising or public relations when they visit their favorite social media site.  One post on Wal-Mart’s Facebook group said, “Facebook should take the number of negative comments on this page as a note that we don’t support this company for its use of a space for social networking. This space is for people talking to other people. Facebook, get your priorities straight.” 

PR professionals agree, as demonstrated in this PRWeek story.  Social media is a force to be reckoned with, and it should be included in every good campaign.  Just don’t forget to do your research, and truly join the online conversation, instead of trying to force it.

News Flash – a recent report by private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson found that communications spending increased 6.8% in 2006 to a record $885.2 billion, outpacing GDP growth for the fourth time in five years. 

Even more interesting, as summarized in InformationWeek, the report predicts that if current trends continue, Internet advertising is expected to pass up newspaper as the largest advertising medium by 2011.

PilmerPR has shared opinions on new media versus traditional media.  And while I don’t think traditional media will be replaced, as PR professionals we have to step up and take advantage of the power and importance new media has today.  PilmerPR is helping clients take advantage of new media opportunities to reach their target audiences, such as blogs, online publications, and social networking sites.

For instance, Seastone is joining the blogging world by commenting on blogs with relevant topics (Seastone manufactures innovative gift card packaging) and seeking out unique blog mentions of the company.

Regarding the report, James Rutherford, EVP and Managing Director at Veronis Suhler Stevenson, said, “We expect these shifts to continue over the next five years, as time and place shifting accelerate while consumers and businesses utilize more digital media alternatives, strengthening the new media pull model at the expense of the traditional media push model.”

So what is the best strategy?  A little push and a little pull.  Go after new media, but don’t forget traditional media for a comprehensive PR campaign.

John Diaz, business editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, recently spoke with a group of PR professionals, including me. While most experts are a bit gloomy about the future of print publications as they fight it out with more nimble Internet publications, John is optimistic about the future of newspapers. He did admit, much evidence indicates the decline of the “world as we knew it”.  John quoted stats indicating a 2.6 percent decline in newspaper circulation industry wide in just the past six months. Advertising is falling and now may be purchased on the once sacred front page. The San Franciso Chronicle itself is preparing to layoff 100 workers. http://francesdinkelspiel.blogspot.com/   

Opinion pagers are at the biggest risk of getting the axe as the advent of blogs and online instant media offers no shortage of opinion and the conversation is no longer just one way, but two-way with readers demanding to talk back. 

There is however room for optimism for print media as they retain some important advantages over online: 

• Investigative reporting

• Getting out of the basement and actually talking to people

• Discipline of content

• Credibility

• Trusted source

The newspaper’s role is changing as readers want to talk back – demanding dialog.  Online readers require quick response, no longer satisfied reading the newspaper’s response in tomorrow’s edition. John thinks newspapers will successfully navigate revolutionary changes and will survive as a “trusted source.” 

John’s paper has adapted to using blogs and other online resources for story ideas and sources and public feedback.  http://www.sfgate.com/community/blogs/