Measuring Social Media?

I was forwarded a very interesting article this week by Gill. In it, Liana Evans of Search Engine Watch discussed “What is your ‘R’ for ROI in Social Media?”

Evans brings up an interesting problem, one which we as a B2B specialist agency are undoubtedly going to face when forming social media strategies for our clients…

If not for sales, then why do it?

“…defining the "return" on a social media activity doesn't always have to be a direct sale. It's actually very rare…This is why it's a difficult to sell senior leadership on the idea that attempting to tie your direct return to a sale will prove that social media works…”

When trying to explain the value of social media, you can’t fall back on “because everyone else is doing it” – that’s the wrong reason to do anything, as many of you will remember from the delightful cliff and jump cliché many of our parents treated us to.

You can’t even try “because social media just isn’t going to go away”. No, it isn’t and businesses need to be aware of that – however it doesn’t mean you have to do everything, tackle every network, set up fifty profiles. Not every social medium is right for every business.

My personal go-to analogy is as follows. Imagine…

A young couple are enjoying a Staropramen (other premium lagers are available) and a dry white wine in their local. Unannounced and uninvited, a salesman draws up a chair. They tolerate him for the first few seconds as he’s told them an amazing and slightly inappropriate joke, but after that he becomes tiresome. They’re not interested in any of his wares and, moreover, they’re in the pub. They’re trying to relax and are not looking, not buying. Cue a friendly yet firm "sod off, mate."

Social media is that local boozer, café or park bench. That young couple are your customers – you are that salesman. If that’s not how you’d behave in the real world (and it isn't, hopefully), why do it online?

Now picture the same young couple, same bar. You’re the salesman, and you’ve been listening to their conversation for a good few minutes. You know what they’re drinking, you know she prefers salted while he likes a dry roasted, you know what they do, where they holiday, what they drive. You have an idea of their aspirations and hobbies. Now you can go in with your killer joke, and strike up a friendly conversation instead of giving them the sales pitch. When mutual trust has been built up, and this may take a fair few sessions in the Newt and Cucumber, you might mention a product of yours – with no hard sell and no obligation on their part. Even if they don’t buy, you remain friends.

What have you gained – what’s your “return”? A friend, a receptive ear, a good reputation. Reputation. The cornerstone of PR which has somehow been lost online. You might have made a sale, you might not, but you’re engaging with your audiences.

Putting this into a social media scenario, your “friends” might forward your details to someone they know who does want your product. They might post your killer joke and funny clip to Facebook, ensuring more hits and aiding SEO. They’re helping get your name out there.

“…those can all be measured as a "return." …increase the number of subscribers to your blog, get people to your website to take a quiz of some sort… get people to participate in a contest that raises brand awareness. All of these can be measured…”

Work for us

After recently welcoming two new additions to our creative team, it’s time for us to expand our marketing division too!

We’re looking for a Client Communications Manager to cover everything from marketing, branding, events, digital and internal comms for a major international B2B client – one of our biggest. A working knowledge of French will give you an advantage.

If you’re embarking on a new career in marketing communications after graduating, we have an opportunity for you too. Our team is in need of a Client Communications Administrator, to support our account handlers on clients in a variety of sectors and pitch in on projects from advertising production to brand development.

More information on these posts, including how to apply, can be found on our website.

We’d love to hear from you – please get in touch and find out what’s it like working behind the orange front door…

Wyatt raises £870 for Acorns...

…but with your help we could still reach £1,000!

The conditions were perfect last Saturday night for the Acorns Midnight Walk– warm and clear with a slight and welcome breeze – as our eight intrepid volunteers traversed the city of Birmingham taking in well-known landmarks from the Jewellery Quarter to Victoria Square.

Gill set the pace to take an early lead but as everyone settled into their rhythms the pack was split with Nuala and Louise coming home in 1 hour 48 minutes and the chase group of Gill, Nicola, Emily, Lisa, Sarah and sister Michelle finishing in dead-on two hours to the dulcet tones of R Kelly’s “The World’s Greatest”. Prizes were awarded to the best dressed participants – sadly a late suggestion for a Wyatt ‘Spice Girls’ theme was vetoed although the ‘Wizard of Oz’ group were certainly worthy winners!

We were truly moved by the sight of so many women walking in memory of their own children – a sombre and timely reminder of just how sorely this charity is needed in the region and how much it means to those it has helped.

It’s never too late to lend some support to Acorns, who offer nursing care and support to children with life-limiting and life threatening conditions. Our secure JustGiving page is still open for donations and you can find out more about Acorns by visiting their website. Huge thanks to all those who have generously donated already.

Sore legs aside the general consensus was that we’d all happily do it again – roll on 2010!

The Lost Art of Conversation

A lot of PR agencies sell themselves on their proactivity, editor contacts and the fact that they do not just simply undertake the ‘blanket’ issue of press releases. But as times goes on, my own dealings with journalists – mainly trade press editors and freelance writers – are forcing me to question how many agencies are actually true to their word - says Luke Bull, PR Account Director.

When I first started in PR 15 years ago, we didn’t have e-mail. The only way to contact an editor was to write them a letter (a bit formal, even then, if you just wanted a chat about the magazine and what they were seeking for a particular feature) or pick up the phone.

And so I did pick up the phone, and it actually started to work. Because I could communicate to editors – far more effectively – why my client was the best person to speak to on a particular issue and why they should take a day out of their hard-pressed schedules to come and visit my client and see for themselves how wonderful they were.

A visit invariably results in a major feature article written by the journalist (no work for me, and a delighted client), a major feature article that I have to write (a bit more work for me, but then I came into PR because I like writing and the result’s the same as far as the client is concerned) and usually the prospect of more opportunities down the line. One meeting I arranged earlier this year resulted in requests for four separate feature articles from a busy editor who wasn’t allowed freelance support but still had a sizeable publication to fill each month. Need I say more?

Put simply, one face-to-face meeting with a journalist does more than a thousand e-mails ever could. And if you throw in lunch, you’ve made a friend for life.

Of course, if I’m dealing with several clients with an interest in that publication, they get the benefit too. Because from what many journalists tell me, I’m among a minority of PR people who make the effort to speak to them direct rather than just stuffing their inbox with stories which might or might not be relevant. Amazing, really, given that we’re supposed to be professional communicators.

The results

Nowadays, the phone rarely leaves my ear. I spend up to a day a week on the phone to journalists trying to drum up opportunities, and it’s without doubt the most effective time I spend. They don’t all come off, but I’ve still never been tempted to hide behind e-mail just because one editor tells me that a particular feature isn’t covering an issue my client can comment on. Ultimately, it’s a selling job, and if one editor isn’t interested in something then it’s just a case of moving on to the next one who might be.

Even now I pick up the phone to journalists who I met perhaps once more than a decade ago and they still remember me – usually for the right reasons. And as a result they are far more receptive to whatever it is I’m trying to get them to buy into this time.

But I question how many of them would do so if I’d never taken the time to call them or meet them in the first place.

We're heroes for Villa

After our recent appointment by Aston Villa FC to transform and redevelop its junior members club JV-Life, our redesigned club mascots have made their home debut against Fulham – plus one new addition!

Aston Villa felt it was time to revamp their junior membership programme with the aim of appealing to a broader audience across the city of Birmingham. So, we developed a concept around the positioning ‘Where Heroes Are Made’, which encapsulates the idea that in this club children can become something special and achieve great things. From beating mates in an online game to charting football skills development, JV-Life is a fun and inclusive place where normal kids turn into heroes.

To bring this idea to life, we redesigned long term club mascots Hercules and Bella to ensure they embodied the new superhero personality of ‘JV-Life’ with their own unique superpowers and a new third mascot character, cheeky scamp Chip, was introduced.

Ravinder Masih from Aston Villa FC, pictured above with Wyatt's Mario Morby and the Mascots, said: “We’re extremely pleased with the new positioning of JV-Life and the terrific transformation of Hercules and Bella as well as the new surprise addition of Chip. The Mascots made a triumphant return to Villa Park at the recent home game against Fulham and were well received by all fans.”

To complete the redesign, we oversaw the development of various communications initiatives from the brand logo to animated character footage, and also redesigned the Trinity Road Family Area with giant murals of the new characters.

Limber up for creative brainstorming

Snap! Crackle! Pop!

We all want great ideas to fizz into our minds on cue. But let's face it: you're not always going to be blessed with mental effervescence. The next creative epiphany may not come bubbling into your head just when you feel you need it most.

Whether it's Monday morning, Wednesday afternoon, or Friday lunchtime - there's no good or bad time to gather round with your colleagues and blitz your brains for the next big idea. The important thing is to be ready, to be mentally open.

There are few things more irksome than having a bout of creative lethargy during a brainstorm. I say a few things - there are probably millions. It’s still irritating, nevertheless. So, the question is: how do you make sure you’re ready to fire off a string of technicolour gems quicker than your colleague can scribble them down on the flip chart?

Brain lunges!

Simples.

Your brain is like an athlete – it needs regular exercise to stay in peak condition. Therefore, to continue the analogy, before your brain engages on a record-breaking sprint for ideas, it needs to limber up. Otherwise, you may find yourself slow from the blocks, off the pace and, dare I say it, pulling a metaphorical muscle.

As all good boy scouts say – be prepared. Making careful preparation is akin to putting your brain through a trial run. Have a good look into your subject at least the day before. Then, while you sleep, your brain will try to solve all those problems you were unable to during your waking hours. The following morning, your brain will have come up with some of the answers – often without you even realising it. That’s the reason why you get some of your best ideas while you’re in the shower or eating toast. (Or is that just me? Crumbs!)

picture - bobpitch.com

If you ever watch an athletics tournament on the telly – or any sporting event for that matter – you’ll see the athletes stretching and twisting, touching their toes and wiggling their arms around. That’s exactly what your brain needs to do. Have a mental stretch. Get rid of all those psychological aches and pains. What I like to do – and you may or may not wish to follow my lead on this – is read the paper.

Not much help, you might think. Actually, you don’t want the news. Or the sport. Or the personal ads. At the back of the Metro and in the middle pages of some of the papers, you’ll find all the cartoons and puzzles. Rather than indulging in some navel-gazing, reading your horoscopes – have a look across the page and see if you can find the brain teasers. Dingbats is a great starter but simple quizzes and riddles can get your brain thinking off on a tangent and, crucially, away from work for five minutes before the real competition begins.

picture - sciencebuddies.org
Take five minutes before your brainstorm to do some brain lunges and you might be surprised at how quick off the mark you are.

Combining your trial runs with some brain lunges will work. You might not turn into Usain Bolt overnight but you may start to win a few races and perhaps a few gold stars along the way.

We're walking for Acorns!

At midnight on Saturday 19th September, as you climb into bed, spare a thought for six of our ladies. For, as your night is ending, theirs will be just beginning as they embark upon the 10km Acorns Midnight Walk.

Pounding the pavements of Birmingham are Louise, Nicola, Gill, Lisa, Sarah and Nuala in support of Midlands-based children’s charity Acorns – Wyatt’s chosen charity.

The ladies-only Midnight Walk begins with an 11.30pm warm-up at Millennium Point and the course will take in Brum’s most famous city centre landmarks including the Bullring and Brindleyplace before returning to the start/finish line within (hopefully!) around two hours.

Nuala (left) and Louise show off their official Midnight Walk t-shirts

In their own words…Acorns Children's Hospice has been offering nursing care and support to children who have life limiting and life threatening conditions, and their families, living in the West Midlands for 21 years. Acorns offers specialist nursing care, psychosocial support, complementary therapies, end-of-life care and bereavement support, at its three children’s hospices located in Selly Oak, Walsall and Worcester, and through its Community Team.

Our training so far has consisted of…well, not a great deal, but it’s the fundraising that counts! Each walker has their own individual sponsor form, but we’ve also created a secure JustGiving page which we hope you’ll take a look at and consider sponsoring our girls. Or for more information on the walk and the charity, visit the official Acorns Midnight Walk website.

It costs £7million each year to keep the Acorns hospices operating. The charity is hoping the walk will raise £30,000 in sponsorship so please support us and this local and very worthy cause if you can.

Full report plus pictures coming on Monday 21st!

Two new recruits!

We’re pleased to announce that, over the summer, we’ve been able to expand our creative operations by appointing two new recruits!

Sarah Poole (left) and Emily Shaw

Emily Shaw is our new Junior Art Director who graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. While there, she received a commendation from the prestigious D&AD student awards for her integrated advertising campaign. Emily then spent four years as creative at Golley Slater where her role involved directing and contributing to the design and development of brands such as Heart FM, Marston’s Inn and Taverns, the Army and Sandwell Council which was awarded a Gold PRide Award.

Creative Artworker, Sarah Poole joins us from McCann Erickson, and brings with her over eight years experience working on creative executions for a wide range of household names, including Alliance & Leicester, Harley Davidson and the Open University. Having graduated from Solihull College in 2001 with a HND in Graphic Design, Sarah was keen to take on a new challenge.

Emily has already been tasked with refreshing the Wyatt brand image which we’ll be launching in the not-too-distant future.

We’re delighted to have two such strong additions to the creative team, and Sarah and Emily will no doubt continue the Wyatt tradition of providing clients with innovative, creative and successful communication campaigns.

In the meantime, both ladies are in training for the sponsored Acorns Midnight Walk on Saturday 19th September along with five colleagues from PR, marketing and central services. Further information coming soon!