So why does Twitter have such a bad reputation? The simple answer is that those who do not get behind the tool truly don’t understand its use and power. The other answers lie in the excuses reasons that people have recently told me as to why they do not like Twitter:

• “I don’t care about the delicious bagel you’re eating for breakfast.” Really? You have no interest in hearing about the best place in San Diego to get a bagel? Fair enough. Then skip over those 140 characters and focus on all of the other relevant content that’s accessible to you in real time right this second.
• “I don’t want everyone to know where I am at every second of the day.” Ok, then don’t tweet about where you are every second of the day. Tweet about what you want, when you want.
• “Who actually has time to ‘tweet’ all day?” (Insert sarcastic tone on the word ‘tweet’ – it’s my segue way to the next bullet point anyway). Use applications. Take a look at Hootsuite (my personal favorite) or SocialOomph. Or read one of our recent Bolt PR blogs about social media applications. And by the way, you don’t have to tweet every second of the day to be connected. You just have to be on Twitter and connect. There’s a difference.
• “How can I take something called ‘Twitter’ seriously for my business?” I don’t have an answer for you other than millions of other people (105+ million registered users, in fact) find the name satisfactory enough that they’re engaging online right now… including some of your customers and prospects. It’s the name and it’s not going to change anytime soon, so get on it or get left behind.

And there you have my Friday musings. I’d love to hear your reasons for loving Twitter, or other reasons you’ve heard why some people do not. Just leave your comments below. I look forward to tweeting with you soon!

Please feel free to leave a comment or email us with any questions.

Here is a list of five questions to help determine if PR is a fit for you:

• Are you able to think on your feet?  From media phone calls and press conferences, to brainstorm meetings and client interaction, PR pros must always be prepared with an articulate answer (even if it is “let me find out and get right back to you”).
• Are you a good writer? Yes, PR involves more than speaking. Written communication skills are essential.  Every email, blog, press release, tweet, etc. is expected to be flawless.
• Are you tenacious? To secure top media coverage, you must not be afraid to pick up the phone and quickly communicate your client’s story to someone you have never met and may not even want to speak with you. A good public relations pro usually sees this as a challenge to be met.
• Are you creative and strategic? These go hand-in-hand in PR campaigns.  The ideas are only as good as the execution and results.
• Are you in-the-know?  From social scenes and business openings, to new technology and world news, it is great to have a pulse on happenings and always be looking for exposure opportunities.

This list is in no way considered conclusive, but these are just a few characteristics that most successful PR pros possess.  And if a career is a good fit, then I believe you’ll enjoy what you do so much more. Think you’ve got what it takes and answered yes to the questions above? We are looking for interns, so blow us away by sending your cover letter and resume to resume@boltpr.com.

From meeting Twitter friends in real life (IRL) and making new ones, to walking the red carpet and posing for the cameras, the Bolt PR team had a blast at the #InfluenceSD Awards Show on Wednesday night.  Thank you to all who voted for us to win Agency of the Year; we are proud to announce that we were named Best Agency in San Diego for our use of new media. 

After a very full work day – to do lists don’t pause for paparazzi – we checked into the Keating Hotel (highly recommended!) for “hair and makeup”.  All dolled up, the Bolt ladies arrived at Anthology and checked in on Foursquare.  Chatting with best in community winner, Michelle Guerin of DiscoverSD, and Blog of the Year finalist “Adventures of a Military Family of 8”, we were unsure what to expect once we walked in the VIP doors. 

Inside the gorgeous venue, we found a table with Brad and Stephen, New Brew Thursday, bloggers and Blog of the Year finalists.  Then Krys Justice set the tempo for the evening with his performance and the show began…

Here are the winners: 

Check out the view from stage. The audience looked gorgeous, so I couldn’t help but capture the moment with a TwitPic as we accepted our award: http://ow.ly/i/10i4 

I must admit that I don’t envy the judges and their task of choosing the winners because all of the finalists were certainly new media champions. The good news is that all of the finalists will be moving on to nationals. #InfluenceSD co-founder Melanie Gordon announced the launch of the awards show in cities across the country in conjunction with a national show.

On behalf of the Bolt PR team, thank you so much to @melgordon and @sdmatt for  recognizing new media achievements in San Diego by creating such a fabulous awards program and show, and thanks to the judges for taking on the task of selecting the winners from such a impressive group of finalists! We were honored to be a part of it all!

Bolt PR is honored to be a nominee in the Best Agency of the Year and would love your vote! Go to http://influencesd.slinkset.com/categories/76953-agency-of-the-year and vote by clicking on the arrow next to our icon/avatar.

Vote for Bolt PR

What awaits them on the other side is the search to prove self worth within a work force that has seen drastic drops in employment. Nevertheless, even in this economic turmoil, work force productivity is increasing. So the question is, how is productivity developed by employees?

Productivity, as defined by the US Department of Labor, is the relationship between real output and the labor time involved in its production. Milwaukee Public Radio notes that people actually work harder during economic challenges due to employees feeling a sense of purpose and believing their hard work can help their employer stay afloat.  In 2009, labor productivity increased at 6.6% the annual rate, the largest increase since 2003; however, as a direct result, labor unit costs plummeted by 5.9%, proving the theory that tough times equal tough competition.

So how do you enhance personal productivity? Below I’ve listed my recommended best practices:

• Become engaged: Engaged employees are passionate about the workplace, going above and beyond to help the business succeed.
• Think outside the box: Show your value and separate yourself from your peers. Companies thirst for new ideas.
• Log hours: Note the amount of time spent on each project. This is a simple way to track productivity.
• Ask for feedback: You do not have to wait for quarterly or annual reviews to be given for constructive criticism. Feedback is useful in stopping quick-forming bad habits, as well as indicating a proactive approach to career performance.

It has been said that history has a tendency to repeat itself. There was the Depression and now this economic recession. Yet, perhaps the reason Generation Y has taken longer to enter the workforce is because they are the ones destined to save it.

By: Jesse Garner, jesse (at) boltpr (dot) com

The key to credible, revenue-generating awareness for start-ups and small businesses across the board is PR that incorporates Twitter and other online social media with media relations.  I believe the heart of public relations involves a third party endorsement and others telling your story for you.  Traditionally, this has been editorial coverage through TV and print.  Now, however, the storytellers can be a number of media – including Twitter.  With Twitter and Facebook becoming so popular among marketers, many small business owners are ready to throw their marketing and pr budgets to the wind and hop on the social media bandwagon for some free publicity.  Sure, Twitter users will tell your story for you, but only if they are familiar with you and trust you (unless you offer something incredibly funny and outrageous, in which case, people will share for the entertainment value).  So before you ditch PR, know that a good PR team will capitalize on media coverage via traditional media relations and social networking to build your credibility and foster interaction that prompts the creation of brand/business evangelists.
For more on how to integrate social media with your PR efforts, see previous blog entry, “5 Ways to Integrate Social Media with Public Relations.”

Founded in January 2007, Bolt provides organizations with revenue-generating exposure, credibility and attention in the marketplace. Bolt taps into every possible medium, including print, Internet, broadcast and mobile, to connect organizations with their target audiences. For more information about our agency, please visit http://www.boltpr.com.

Internship Requirements:

·         A current San Diego college student – communications, public relations or journalism major preferred

·         College credit documentation - internship is offered for credit only

·         Ability to work at least 10 hours/week

·         A strong desire and willingness to learn

·         Excellent writing and verbal skills

·         Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

·         A solid understanding of PR functions and deliverables

Responsibilities Include:

·         News writing and editing

·         Editorial tracking

·         Assistance with editorial inquiries

·         News monitoring

·         Assistance with event planning and execution

·         Media, market and competitive research

If you want to gain invaluable insight into the PR industry, while having a ton of fun, we encourage you to apply. Just send a cover letter and resume to resume@boltpr.com. But please, no phone calls or faxes.

Many businesses hire college grads as Twinterns because they believe younger generations are the most familiar with social media. This might be true, but most college students have only used social media for personal reasons, not for business. Gini Dietrich, a Chicago PR manager, said it best when she spoke to bigmoney.com about this issue, “You’re putting your brand and reputation in the hands of someone who has no experience.” The main problem with Pizza Hut’s approach is that it’s allowing a Twintern to speak for its brand, but it’s not monitoring her posts. This is a PR nightmare waiting to happen.

 London home-furnishing retailer Habitat provides a good example of what can happen when Twintern’s post are unmonitored. Habitat has recently been battling an onslaught of bad press after its Twintern included ‘hashtags’ containing popular search terms for the protests in Iran in the company’s tweets. This means that when people on Twitter searched for information on the protests, Habitat’s ads showed up instead. Yes tweets can be deleted, but in a medium that operates in real time, there is no telling how many people will see (and retweet) a tweet before it is deleted. The damage can be done the minute the tweet is posted.

Don’t get me wrong, social media is a fantastic way to connect to consumers and other business professionals, as long as it is managed correctly. Starbucks recently hired one of their baristas to act as the voice for its Twitter account. I like this approach for many reasons.

·         Maintains a consistent voice for the Twitter account (not changing every three months when new interns take over)

·         Ensures better brand representation by utilizing someone who has been trusted to be the face of the brand in the past and by someone who truly understands the brand

·         Leverages the barista’s understanding of  customers’ wants/expectations because he or she has experience interacting with them on a daily basis

·         Utilizes the barista’s experience dealing with consumer complaints because he or she has been trained how to respond appropriately

·         Frees up executives

What do you think about the Twintern craze? Follow Bolt on Twitter @boltbuzz108. But be forewarned, you

won’t find any Twinterns there.

By: Ashley Margo, ashley@boltpr.com

[Excuse while I press pause.]  Sure, there are some ways to get a spike in traffic to your Website.  Why is this important?  Social networking is a great way to build your credibility, increase awareness and get found in searches because you are producing more content, which all lead to more traffic to your site.  And the visitors will be more qualified leads that are familiar with what you offer. Then, if your Website is good, and you know how to convert leads into sales, you can Twitter your way to the bank.  Unfortunately, this is unlikely to happen overnight.  It takes time and consistency (I am tempted to use a garden metaphor – like how you have to sow the seeds, water, hoe and weed, then it will sprout and grow into a giving tree – but I’ll spare you the cheese and save myself from being labeled as cliché).

[Ok, un-pause.]  This is not the first time someone has asked me about how to increase website traffic; in fact, I am often asking the same question and testing new ideas.  While there is not a one-size-fits-all answer, here are a few strategies we implement at Bolt that consistently produce results for our clients:

1. Blogging and micro-blogging.  The search engine crawlers are more likely to find you when update content on your Website.  A company blog not only keep your content fresh, it also allows your customers or prospects to get to know you.  Pair the blog with Twitter (a micro-blog) to let others know about your blog by posting links to it.  Just make sure you utilize Twitter to engage with others and share helpful information to establish your credibility.  Each tweet is searchable; so incorporate your key words in tweets to be found by your target audience.
2. Public Relations.  The more articles and blogs that mention your business’ name, the more likely it is that you will be found.  Plus editorial coverage lends third party credibility.  People are more likely to believe someone else saying how great you are, than when you toot your own horn.  Through Twitter, you can let your followers know about the article.  If you are a brand new business, launching a new product, or relatively unknown, public relations is the solution to credible exposure.
3. E-zines, wikis, Squidoo. By publishing your own content that is informative and of some value to your audience, you can be a respected resource.  Sharing your knowledge ultimately helps sell your business.  Good previews always make me want to pay the $12 to see the whole movie.  Readers will want to click on your Website to find out more.  Also, the more content you produce, increases the amount of positive information available online about you.
4. YouTube.  Video is highly searchable and more entertaining than an article (depending on the quality and content).  If you are targeting Generation Y or anyone with Y-like tendencies, YouTube videos are a must.  The site, now owned by Google, is the go-to search engine for many.  Need ideas for videos? Interview your customers (testimonials), give a quick tip (portrays expertise) or do a virtual tour of your company and let employees say their favorite parts of their jobs (show positive work environment).

There are, of course, many other ways to bolster Website visitors (I’ve discussed a few in previous posts), but these are four strategies that I have experience implementing and feel confident recommending.  If you are hungry for more information or want to share your best practices, feel free to leave a comment here, send me an email to anne@boltpr.com, or tweet me @boltbuzz108.