Our webinar on How to Maintain Control of Your Brand Online with Jacques Hart, CEO of Roar Media, was packed with valuable information on how to best position your brand online to optimize your visibility. You can watch the webinar or download the slide deck for lots of great tips that will help you create a comprehensive marketing strategy that will elevate your brand online. In the meantime, here are some key takeaways you can start incorporating now.

The times are a-changing

Time was when consumers made purchasing decisions based on a stimulus from a marketer. The internet has changed this traditional model of marketing and consumers are now engaging in pre-shopping behavior by leveraging reviews and product information from third-party sites. This “zero moment of truth” (ZMOT) is a consumer decision driver and brands must not only be present, but communicating their value when consumers seek information from ZMOT sources including:

• Organic search engines
• Brand owned websites
• Retailer websites
• Crowd sourced product review sites
• Social media

Put your best foot forward

It’s likely that the people you want to reach are already participating in third-party sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor and Glassdoor either as contributors or visitors seeking information. You can leverage these sites by building out your profile by enhancing it with:

• Detailed descriptions
• Illustrative photos
• Entertaining or informative videos
• Customer testimonials

Many third-party sites offer reputation management tools to help brands understand and engage in online conversations.

One size doesn’t fit all

That old saying “you can’t please all of the people all of the time” may be more clear on social media than anywhere else.  When your brand is called out for providing a poor experience, avoid a cookie-cutter, template-based response.  Instead:

• Assess the situation
• Understand the reviewer and their issue
• Create a customized, appropriate response if applicable

Rule the jungle

Brands need to take a strategic, integrated approach to their marketing in order to deliver the strongest and most optimized online message possible.  By focusing on the areas listed below, companies can build effective digital programs that reach prospects multiple times, across multiple channels, over extended periods of time:

• Establish a culture of content curation
• Build an effective website
• Embrace social media
• Go mobile
• Maximize search visibility and findability
• Manage online reputation
• Utilize an email distribution system
• Leverage behavioral targeting
• Build a business intelligence dashboard

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Search engine savvy content publishers, online review sites and social media platforms could be leveraging your brand to divert traffic from your site and increase their online profile. What steps can you take to maintain control of your brand message and experience online?

In this complimentary webinar, Jacques Hart, co-founder and CEO of Roar Media, will discuss strategies you can incorporate into your digital PR and marketing plans that optimize the visibility of your brand online. Register now to find out what you need to do to ensure the most prominent story being told about your brand is the one you have curated. You’ll learn:

• How to monitor your brand and prevent it from being hijacked
• Strategies and tactics that content publishers and social media platforms use to take over your brand
• Tips to strengthen your brand online so you’re the one driving the brand experience
• How to manage your online reputation and crisis communications

Have a question for Jacques? Leave a comment and we’ll pass it along for consideration during our webinar. Pre-submitted and live questions will be answered throughout the webinar.

Unable to attend the live webinar? Register and you will receive access to the on-demand version, available after the live event and viewable at your convenience.

Adding video to your PR program is a great way to tell your story and these days, it’s easier than ever. You can even use your mobile device to start capturing your story right now. But before you hit record, download this best practices guide to learn which multimedia tools can be most valuable for your PR program and how often you should be communicating.  The guide also includes:

• Which communication activities should be in your annual plan
• Which formats to use and how frequently you should be communicating
• 6 multimedia best practices

1. @rwang0: Ray Wang writes about enterprise software on his blog A Software Insider’s Point of View. His insight into cloud computing and research has been quoted in the Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg, and other media outlets. Wang is the CEO and principal analyst at research and advisory firm Constellation Research Inc. He was a founding partner at Altimeter Group and previously worked at Forrester Research.

Tweets: 83,213 | Followers: 30,632 | MMI Rank: 289 | Stars: 5

2. @CloudExpo: Online media company SYS-CON Media publishes magazines, e-newsletters and breaking news on Internet technology. As an authority on i-technology, they help spread knowledge by organizing trade shows, conferences and educational programs including CloudExpo. Their Twitter feed provides updates on upcoming events and industry news.

Tweets: 37,064 | Followers: 56,594 | MMI Rank: 806 | Stars: 5

3. @Beaker: Cloud computing expert Christofer Hoff has over 20 years of experience in the field. On his blog Rational Survivability, Hoff writes about cloud computing, innovation and risk management. Now a senior director and security architect at Juniper Networks, he previously worked at Cisco Systems and Unisys.

Tweets: 73,360 | Followers: 11,183 | MMI Rank: 942 | Stars: 5

4. @sramana: Silicon Valley entrepreneur and strategy consultant Sramana Mitra is also founder of the One Million by One Million initiative, an educational, business development and incubator program. Mitra writes the blog Sramana Mitra On Strategy, is author of the Entrepreneur Journeys book series and has also written for Forbes.

Tweets: 123,591 | Followers: 7,658 | MMI Rank: 1,181 | Stars: 5

5. @benkepes: Ben Kepes is a technology evangelist, investor, advisor, as well as founder and principal of Diversity Ltd. In addition, he writes on cloud computing and has been published on ReadWriteWeb, GigaOm, The Guardian, and other publications. Kepes has also often been included in lists of the most influential technology thinkers.

Tweets: 49,498 | Followers: 10,386 | MMI Rank: 1,285 | Stars: 5

6. @krishnan: Krishnan Subramanian is a principal analyst at Rishidot Research LLC, an analyst firm specializing in technology, industry trends, and the convergence of cloud computing, social, mobile and big data. Previously, Subramanian served as editor at Cloudave.com, a managing partner at Oficiana India, and a lead analyst at Diversity Ltd.

Tweets: 42,547 | Followers: 7,096 | MMI Rank: 2,045 | Stars: 5

7. @DuncanYB: Duncan Epping is principal architect at VMWare, where he focuses on vCloud/vSphere architecture and integration. He has been designing and developing infrastructures and deployment best practices for over 10 years. He writes the VMWare/Virtualiztion blog Yellow-Bricks.com and has co-authored a number of books on the subject.

Tweets: 34,909 | Followers: 8,514 | MMI Rank: 2,255 | Stars: 5

8. @hightechdad: With over 15 years of experience in technology, Michael Sheehan is the ‘HighTechDad’. Sheehan blogs about technology, hardware and software reviews, fix-its, how-to’s, and more. He is also the technology evangelist for GoGrid, a Cloud Computing Infrastructure Provider.

Tweets: 31,421 | Followers: 8,574 | MMI Rank: 2,578 | Stars: 5

9. @mkrigsman: Michael Krigsman is CEO of consulting and research firm Asuret, an international authority on IT success, social business transformation, and related CIO issues. He has authored numerous pieces on enterprise software, cloud, CRM, ERP, and operation alignment. Krigsman has been cited in leading blogs, newspapers, trade publications, and other media. He has also written on social business for The Wall Street Journal CIO blog.

Tweets: 25,794 | Followers: 13,407 | MMI Rank: 2,683 | Stars: 5

10. @ImSoSarah: As principal and CEO of Sarah White & Associates LLC, Sarah White provides best practices and information to corporate human resource teams. In her 10 years as an industry executive, analyst and market strategy advisor, White’s work has been featured on NBC News, and in US World Report, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal.

Tweets: 24,521 | Followers: 9,453 | MMI Rank: 3,829 | Stars: 5

* Number of tweets and followers are based on data collected on the date the article was writing.

** If you are a MyMediaInfo or Thomson ONE Public Relations client with access to the social media module, you can recreate this list using the easy steps below.

1. Click on the Social Media Module. On this page, under the ‘Twitter’ column, click on ‘Beats/Focus’. In the pop-up box that appears, enter ‘cloud computing’ and click on ‘Go’.

2. Now, select the sub-level beat ‘Cloud Computing’ under the top-level beat ‘Information Technology’, and click ‘OK’.

3. You will see the number of results displayed. Click on “Get Results” to view the list. To rearrange the list in a descending order of MMI rank, click on the column called “Rank”. Remember, the smaller the number, the more influential the Twitter handle.

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Great storytelling is the most effective way to connect emotionally with someone and sell your ideas (or products and services). But many marketers continue to speak only in buzzwords and bullet points, and fail to humanize their communications. As a result, their brands struggle to develop deep connections and forge lasting relationships with their audience.

Our virtual workshop, Building Relationships with Influencers Who Can Help Tell Your Story, featuring Heather Whaling, President of Geben Communications, provided a number of great tips and takeaways for public relations professionals.  If you were unable to join the live webinar or would like to watch it again, it’s available on demand.  You can also download the pre-workshop checklist and workshop slide deck as reference guides.  In the meantime, here are five things you need to know to effectively build relationships with influencers.

Awareness vs. Advocacy

When compiling your list of influencers, segment your list into those who can help build awareness versus those who will be brand advocates.  Influencers with large followings are more often helpful in building awareness for your brand. Their popularity means they are likely bombarded by requests to advocate for a brand so they are typically very selective.  Leverage them as awareness generators and focus on building relationships with influencers who may have more modest followings but already love and advocate for your brand.  Give these influencers tools they can use to become brand ambassadors for your product.

Make It Easy

Remember there is a nuanced difference between influencer relations and media relations. While press releases work well when pitching to the media, bloggers are looking for a customized pitch. Also, you should make it easy for them to share with their community by creating compelling and easily shared content:

• Craft a tweet specifically for them to use
• Create a video they can share
• Provide an exclusive infographic or data

Don’t Forget the 5 C’s

By following the 5 C’s of building relationships with influencers, you’ll be on your way to making successful connections that will help get your story told.

• Cultivate your relationships
• Collaborate to develop mutually beneficial relationships
• Content must be solid and worthwhile
• Community is most important to influencers
• Communicate clearly and succinctly

Go the Extra Mile

Turning online connections into offline relationships is an important part of building relationships with influencers.  Go the extra mile- send handwritten notes, schedule video chats or phone calls, and plan in-person meet-ups to solidify your connection.

Understand If Your Strategy Is Working

To measure the return on your efforts, select key performance indicators and set benchmarks that you can measure against. Some great metrics to use are:

• Share of voice online
• Inbound links
• Number and quality of relationships
• Sentiment

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Experienced PR and marketing professionals know that while having a great story is important, you need to reach the right people to get the story told. Building strong relationships with key influencers is now integral to the success of your campaign.

Heather Whaling, President of Geben Communication and expert on the influence of social media on PR, will lead this online and interactive 1-hour workshop. Register to learn practical ways to foster authentic relationships with influencers so you can:

• Identify the right influencers in your industry and build your network
• Navigate the process of building mutually beneficial relationships
• Effectively communicate your pitch so your story gets told

Pre-Workshop Checklist & Questions – After completing your registration, visit the “Downloads” tab to download the pre-workshop checklist. Also submit your questions prior to the live event from the “Questions” tab. Pre-submitted and live questions will be answered throughout the workshop.

Register now for this complimentary virtual workshop.

Unable to attend the live workshop? Register and you will receive access to the on-demand version, available after the live event and viewable at your convenience.

Visit our website to access all of our PR and Marketing best practices webinars.

We’ve compiled the Top 10 Movie Experts on Twitter so you can follow all of the winners and losers, fashion hits and misses, and expert opinions and analysis.  Don’t forget your bucket of popcorn!

1. @HollywoodLife: Filled with updates on everything entertainment, Hollywood Life is a destination for movie and premiere news, award ceremony information, Hollywood gossip, and star fashion.  The @HollywoodLife Twitter feed delivers the latest celebrity news, gossip and style trends.

1. Digital Media: With digital books and apps for just about everything gaining in popularity, digital media is here to stay.  But what will it do in 2013?  GigaOm writers tell us What we’ll see in 2013 in digital media as they share their thoughts on Twitter, apps and the disappearing print newspaper.

2. Social Media: Social media seems to undergo big changes every year with the introduction of a new network or the next great sharing platform.  Predicting what’s in store for next year is a tough job but Chad Pollitt thinks he knows what’s coming.  He talks about the death of social media experts and why we’ll be paying attention to the ‘inbounder’ in his Introducing The Inbounder, RIP Social Media Experts – 2013 Predictions list.

3. Public Relations: As an industry, PR is not only figuring out how to best handle social media, but also which company department owns the channel.  Will 2013 be the year that PR, marketing and other stakeholders fight to the finish? Find out what Sandra Fathi of Ragan.com is predicting in her list of 6 PR and social media predictions for 2013.

4. Mobile: We used to think of mobile as referring just to cellular phones but it has taken on a whole new meaning with introduction of iPads and other tablets. And if you think you know what’s coming in the New Year, you just might be surprised. Read the Top Mobile Predictions for 2013 from CNET and find out what’s ahead for Apple, Google and the Kindle.

5. Health Care: Annually a hot topic, health care will certainly be center stage in 2013 across the globe.  Brian Buntz shares predictions on everything from how austerity measures will impact the European medical device market to the effect Obamacare will have in the US in his list of The Top 10 Medtech Predictions for 2013.

6. Technology: If you are a loyal follower of the technology industry, you’ll likely be very interested to read Technology Predictions for 2013 by Chris Ciaccia of The Street.  He’s got some good news for Apple fans that are looking for the next big thing and some interesting predictions around Twitter and Zynga.

7. Economy: It’s top of mind for people across the globe and according to Nariman Behravesh, Chief Economist at IHS Global Insight, the economy still has some recovering to do.  The Top 10 Economic Predictions for 2013 point to some bright spots with recovery in a number of markets, but the global economy still has a ways to go.

8. Food: What we’re eating and drinking has become front and center as Instagram and Twitter have become mainstream. So, what’s in store for our palettes in 2013?   Phil Lempert, an expert on food and supermarket trends, brings us his Top 10 Food Trend Predictions for 2013, where proteins take the stage and on-package claims become easier to understand.

9. Oscars: If you’re a movie buff, you’re probably already thinking about the Oscars and which of your favorite films are going to make the cut.  Check your picks against the list of potential nominees from IndieWire’s Peter Knegt and start preparing the popcorn if you find yourself with some catching up to do!

10. Britain: According to a survey of 2,012 Brits, the European Union is going to get at least one country smaller in the next year. The Daily Mail’s list of The British Public’s Predictions for 2013 covers everything from employment and interest rates to the weather and entertainment. A number of last year’s predictions came to pass so don’t be surprised if it turns out that Andy Murray wins Wimbledon again.