At Bolt, we believe there are four key components of a successful social networking strategy:

1. Network. Reach out directly to other users in your target markets.
2. Engage. Maintain communication with current followers/fans/connections to foster community and build relationships. Ask questions and offer advice and insight to engage your online communities.
3. Manage/Monitor. Update and manage your accounts daily to grow loyal follower base, interact with online communities to drive awareness, and monitor what users are saying about your brand or business.
4. Inform. Post links and industry-relevant information to position yourself as the industry expert and go-to resource. Inform about trends rather than only self-promote.

If you are looking to boost your Internet presence through social media, just remember NEMI. If social networking is too much of a time commitment to learn or implement, talk to our Bolt team about managing social media to truly maximize exposure for your business.  Although we are based in North County San Diego, we offer reputation management and social media management for organizations nationwide.  Feel free to email me at anne@boltpr.com or connect via Twitter at http://twitter.com/boltbuzz108 if you have any questions about public relations and social media or about Bolt PR services.

We all pitch. We are all tasked with making a case for what we want in life, whether it’s closing a deal, earning a promotion, garnering a referral, landing a deal on that new car, or in our case at Bolt PR, pitching a journalist on why our client warrants a front-page feature.

It’s important to recognize there are two key obstacles that we all face when it comes to pitching: our fear of rejection and the other person’s fear of making a mistake.

Let’s look at this from a practical standpoint: a car buying transaction. Some individuals are afraid to lowball because they don’t want their offer to be rejected or they don’t want to be embarrassed by what they are able or willing to pay. On the flipside, the car salesman likely fears that he will make an offer that, in the end, is even lower than what an individual may have actually been willing to pay for the car.

The key to a successful pitch to get exactly what you want is to (a) get over any fear of rejection. It happens to everyone. At some point, everyone is rejected in some capacity. But what separates successful pitchers from unsuccessful pitchers is the ability to pick ourselves up and go on to our next pitch. Sounds simple, and if you value who you are and what you have to offer, then it really is that simple. And the other key to a successful pitch is (b) the ability to demonstrate to the other person that they are not making a mistake by accepting your pitch. This is the more challenging part of the equation, but if you just put yourself in the other person’s shoes, this is an obstacle that becomes easier to overcome. Prior to any pitch, think of all of the possible reservations your pitch recipient could have and evaluate how you can accurately, ethically and with the utmost confidence diminish their concerns.

Most importantly, go into every pitch with the absolute best intentions. Integrity isn’t just one thing; it’s everything. Know that the most successful pitch is one that creates mutually beneficial relationships.

- Caroline Callaway, caroline@boltpr.com

This week was a week of firsts. As the newest addition to the team at Bolt Public Relations, I experienced my first Bolt staff meeting and now my first attempt at a blog… ever. I have to confess I was a little nervous going into our staff meeting. As a team, our goal was to come up with things that made Bolt stand out as an agency. I was worried how much I would be able to contribute. I have only been here for a short time after all. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the things that I had noticed about Bolt were some of the things the agency values the most.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived at Bolt was how close the team is.  It was interesting to observe Anne and Caroline feed off each other’s energy, and the way they balance each other out when working on projects. They are both equally essential to the success of the team, and will do whatever is required to accomplish the task at hand. The two are not only co-workers, they are close friends. I believe relationships like this are rare in the professional world. It is one of the main characteristics that allows Bolt to stand out as an agency. Bolt maintains the same relationship quality with each of its clients as well.

One thing that caught my attention upon arriving at Bolt was the team’s commitment to the clients it represents. In our meeting, the team members described themselves as brand evangelists. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate term to describe them. When I was first introduced to our clients, I could feel the team’s passion for our work.  They were genuinely excited each time a client’s goals were accomplished and if things didn’t go as planned, they were ready with Plan B. For each client they have a “Fail Proof Plan”. The idea behind the “Fail Proof Plan” is if the original approach isn’t returning the results they expected, the team is prepared with a variety of alternative approaches. This only reaffirmed to me that they are willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their clients’ needs and accomplish their goals.

I am so glad that I have the privilege to work with such a great team. I know this will lead to many new experiences as well as an opportunity to expand my knowledge of the public relations industry. I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish as the Bolt team!

Ashley Margo, ashley@boltpr.com