Manage your Message Media Training

Some mind-bending social media stats for your next presentation

I'm just back at my desk this morning after a couple days deliving social media training sessions out of town. Clients have so many questions about this area right now. How to use the tools. What NOT to do (to avoid embarrassing their employers or getting fired). How to protect their privacy. How to integrate social media into their existing communications and marketing efforts.

Anyway, for the latest road trip, I spent some time updating all my social media stats and wanted to share them while they're still (somewhat) current. That's the funny thing - these numbers change on a monthly basis. So while they're fresh, here are some cool social media facts that you might want to use for your next presentation:

LinkedIn:

• Has more than 100 million members in more than 200 countries and territories
• More than 3 million members in Canada
• About 1 million new members join each week
• More than 2 million companies currently have a LinkedIn company page

Flickr:

• Hosts more than 5 billion images
• Members upload more than 3,000 images per minute
• 55.1% of people online worldwide are uploading photos to Flickr

YouTube:

• There are more than 2 billion video views on YouTube every 24 hours
• More than 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute
• If YouTube was Hollywood, there would be enough material to release 60,000 films each week
• If your daughter loves Justin Bieber, blame YouTube, which launched him from his couch in Stratford, Ontario to international superstar in just over 12 months

Twitter:

• It took 3 years, 2 months and 1 day to get to 1 billion tweets. Now, there are a billion tweets every week.
• There were 4,000 tweets per second the night Osama bin Laden was killed.
• There are about 460,000 new accounts created every day.
• Mobile users increased 182% in the past year.
• In January 2008, Twitter had 8 employees. Today, they have more than 400.

Facebook:

• More than 500 million users
• More than 250 million mobile users
• People spend more than 700 billion minutes on Facebook every month
• There are more than 30 billion pieces of content shared each month
• People on Facebook install 20 million applications per day

6 ways to improve Sheen's Korner

Anyone who bothered to check out Charlie Sheen's webcast show 'Sheen's Korner' over the past few nights knows it's virtually unwatchable. I checked it out on night #1 and was impressed to see nearly 100,000 viewers logged on before the show had started. But shortly after it began, the numbers started to dwindle. And fast. And with good reason. The content and production quality were pretty lame.

No matter what you think of Charlie Sheen or his antics of late, the guy has a Twitter audience of two million (and growing) and the attention of the TMZ-loving public. And not that he's in the mood for advice, but here are some quick ways for him to elevate the quality of his online show - and these would apply to any company or individual trying to create and retain an online audience:

1) The first recommendation would be to cancel it altogether. Unless you have something of substance to say, maybe a show isn't for you. Sheen has proven that he can read someone else's scripts. But when it comes to writing his own stuff, the results were less than impressive.

2) Lose the Howard Stern format. After seeing his lively, manic interview on 20/20, I was surprised to see Sheen sitting at a desk with a crew of hangers-on chiming in with updates, sound effects, etc. like the Howard Stern show. In addition to being a blatant rip-off, the format didn't allow him to connect with his audience at all. It quickly became an impediment. He would have been better served to simply talk into the camera, give a tour of his house, etc.

3) Invest in decent sound/lighting. For a guy who makes $2 million per episode (well, until recently), the production quality was pretty shabby. Hell, the 10-year-old Lady Gaga fan had better production quality in her house in Winnipeg. For an online show to succeed, people need to be able to see and hear you. The lighting and sound were awful and could be fixed with a little forethought and a very small investment at Best Buy.

4) Rehearse. When the first episode of Sheen's Korner took to the air, it was clear that he was just winging it. Practice improves performance.

5) Look at the camera. If you're speaking to your online audience, we find it very disconcerting when you're looking off-screen while talking. Connection with viewers broken.

6) Less is more. At one point in the first broadcast, Sheen talked about making the show a nightly broadcast. Bad idea. When you have a bad show, people don't want more of it. The frequency should reflect the amount of quality content. And as we've seen, there hasn't been any yet.

Tweet

AHS CEO loses his high-paying job because of a cookie

That was one expensive cookie...

In November, Alberta Health Services President and CEO Stephen Duckett was leaving an urgent meeting about a crisis in provincial emergency room care when he was approached by a reporter from CTV. While the camera was rolling, the reporter walked alongside Duckett and asked him to respond to criticism from a government health official.

 

Clearly not wanting to be interviewed, the aptly-named Duckett just kept walking...down a flight of stairs, along a sidewalk and across the street. The persistent reporter and camera operator kept pace with Duckett, continuing to ask him to comment. Instead of responding, however, he repeatedly blew them off by saying he was 'interested in eating my cookie'. At one point, he actually waved his cookie (oatmeal-and-raisin in case you were interested) in the reporter's face. By the way, the video has been viewed 300,000 times and counting in the past month.

 

 

To have Alberta's health chief declining a media interview on a hot button topic because he was eating a cookie didn't go over well with the media, the public, or the Alberta Health Services Board. Five days after the incident, Duckett was canned from his position. Board chairman Ken Hughes acknowledged that the cookie incident played a role in the decision to terminate Duckett. "His ability to carry on and conduct his role as chief executive officer was compromised by his current circumstances - one element of which was that incident," said Mr. Hughes. "The board had clear confidence in him up until that point. But the dynamic changed. The atmosphere changed."

 

To make matters worse, Duckett's 'Cookie Incident' generated hundreds of embarrassing headlines across Canada and the U.S., harming his reputation and that of his employer. The incident was even mocked online in videos like this hilarious mash-up of Duckett and the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. 

 

 

The Lesson: While it's an extreme example, the 'Cookie Incident' highlights what we tell people in our media training sessions -- that poor media relations skills can cut careers short. Being ambushed by a confrontational reporter isn't fun. But handled properly, you can emerge with your job, reputation and your organization's messages intact. Duckett would have been better served to address the reporters with a brief statement such as:

 

"This is an important issue. And I can assure you it's one that Alberta Health Services takes very seriously. And while I regret that I'm not in a position to provide you with an official comment on such short notice (I'm actually late getting to another meeting), I'd be happy to speak with you afterward. Here's my card...please call my assistant/communications director and we can schedule an interview for later today. Thank you so much for your understanding."

 

A response like this would have bought Duckett enough time to prepare for the interview, polish his key messages and finish eating his cookie in peace. And even if CTV had aired the footage of him giving this response, he'd still have a job today. Instead, he was became flustered and was ultimately undone by the only prop at his disposal - a cookie. 

 

But don't cry for Stephen Duckett. As part of his termination settlement, he's entitled to about $680,000 in severance pay, courtesy of the taxpayer. 

 

Any way you cut it, that's a lot of dough.

 

Pat Burns, Facebook and the Hockey Hall of Fame

Recently, we told you about the social media campaign we started to get former NHL coach Pat Burns inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010 (Burns has terminal lung cancer). Over the course of a few weeks, more than 70,000 people joined the group, helping to generate extensive media coverage for the cause.

 

The Hall announced their 2010 inductees in late June and to the amazement of many, Burns was not included in this year's class. His omission generated a significant amount of negative media coverage for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Here's a sampling:

The Globe and Mail: What were the Hockey Hall of Fame voters thinking?

Toronto Sun: Hall of Fame could have done something special

New York Post: Former Devils coach Burns stabbed in the plaque

NHL Hot Stove: HHOF says 'Thanks, but no thanks' to Pat Burns

National Post: Opening doors to Hall of shame

ESPN: Hall selection process needs big overhaul

Canoe: Hall passes over Burns

The New Jersey Star-Ledger: Pat burns fails to be elected to Hockey Hall of Fame

Yahoo Sports: In Hall of Fame Class of 2010 roll call, it's all about the absences

Fanhouse: Hall of Fame election committee member acknowledges Burns snub

Inside Halton: Campaign a success despite Burns being overlooked for Hall of Fame

A big thanks goes out to all of the reporters across North America who supported this campaign from its earliest days and who took the HHOF to task for this bewildering error in judgment. I owe each of you a cold beer. Email me if you'd like to collect.

Burns will be inducted some day. But instead of making the speech himself, it will likely be his wife or one of his children. That's a shame. The HHOF missed a great opportunity to do the right thing for one of their own. Here's hoping the former coach is still with us in 2011 when we try again.

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Note: This story is taken from our 'Manage your Message' e-newsletter. To get your own copy sent to your inbox each month, sign up here.

Student journalist schools State Senator

Preparation is the key to success for any media interview - whether you're being interviewed by Peter Mansbridge or the kid next door. Recently, high school student Keith Wagner interviewed Arizona State Senator John Huppenthal. During the interview, the student asked a few basic questions about massive budget cuts to education funding. Huppenthal is clearly caught off guard and appears to know less about his own voting record than the student journalist. After Huppenthal agrees that the cuts are terrible, the student reminds him that he actually voted for a bill that would cut $550 million from education. Huppenthal's body language gets more uncomfortable as the interview progresses. He excuses himself and doesn't return. The interview has been seen more than 340,000 times on YouTube. 

The Lesson: 95% of a successful media interview occurs before the first question. Do your homework, anticipate questions (even the bad ones), Google the reporter's previous work and never underestimate a reporter because of their age or experience level.

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Note: This story is taken from our 'Manage your Message' e-newsletter. To get your own copy sent to your inbox each month, sign up here.

Pat Burns, Facebook and the Hockey Hall of Fame

If oil spills and tainted medicines have you feeling down, here's something a little more uplifting.

 

On March 26, a friend emailed me a news story about former NHL coach Pat Burns. I was shocked by the appearance of the man. Burns, who has terminal lung cancer, looked frail and weak. In his comments to the media, he reflected on his life and admitted he doesn't have much time left. He's just 58 years old.

 

I sent my friend an email saying that it would be great if Pat could be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame while he was still alive (his accomplishments certainly warrant it). My buddy's response? "So how are we going to make this happen?"

 

His challenge got me thinking. Within a few minutes, I had created a Facebook group called 'Let's get Pat Burns into the Hockey Hall of Fame - NOW!'. We use social media to help our clients tell their stories all the time. It seemed like a no-brainer. To help spread the word about the group, we employed a combination of traditional and social media tools, including email, Facebook, Twitter, a few news releases and some old fashioned word of mouth marketing. On day one, we had a few dozen people in the group. On day two, we had 1,500. In less than two weeks, more than 50,000 people had joined. Today, the number is approaching 70,000 members.

 

We started this group because we're hockey fans and because it seemed like the right thing to do. In the process, however, we got to witness what it's like on the inside of a viral social media campaign. In its first two weeks, the group generated more than a million dollars' worth of media coverage, from outlets including: The Montreal Gazette, The Toronto Sun, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Hockey Night in Canada, TSN, the New York Times, NHL.com, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, The Edmonton Sun, The Ottawa Citizen, the Vancouver Province, the FAN 590, AM 640, WEII in Boston, Team 990 in Montreal, the Windsor Star, North Jersey.com, CHCH TV, CBC.ca, CBC Radio Montreal, Coast-to-Coast with Don Cherry and many more. Wayne Gretzky tweeted about it. NHL coaches talked about it on TV. And was fodder for dinnertime conversations around Canada.

 

On Easter Sunday, Pat Burns' son Jason posted a message on the group's page thanking everyone for their support. It turns out their family was aware of the group and was enjoying reading the thousands of messages of encouragement from people around the world for Pat, his career and his life. One of my clients suggested to me that this was the real accomplishment -- not the Hall of Fame, but rather the spontaneous celebration of this man's life that he was able to witness from his computer screen.

 

The Hockey Hall of Fame vote takes place on June 22. That's the day the public will find out if Pat Burns will be inducted into the 2010 class. Here's hoping his health allows him to witness that day. We encourage you to join our group and show your support at www.patburns.ca.

Campaign to get Pat Burns into Hockey Hall of Fame surges past 50,000 members

I started this group a few weeks ago with some friends because it felt like the right thing to do. If you're a hockey fan, a Pat Burns fan, someone who has been touched by cancer, or just a decent human being, please take five seconds to visit www.patburns.ca and join this facebook group. Thanks, WW

Campaign to get Pat Burns into Hockey Hall of Fame surges past 50,000 members

OAKVILLE, ON, April 8 /CNW/ - Less than two weeks after its launch, an online movement to fast-track former NHL coach Pat Burns into the Hockey Hall of Fame has attracted over 50,000 members.

Burns, one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in NHL history, has terminal cancer. In late March, three Oakville, Ontario residents launched a Facebook group called 'Let's Get Pat Burns into the Hockey Hall of Fame - NOW!' The group has attracted more than 50,000 members and has been profiled by media outlets across North America.

"We're sending a message to the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee that we'd like to see Pat Burns on the ballot on April 15 and that the voting and induction processes should be accelerated in light of his illness," said the group's organizers. "This isn't a debate about whether Pat Burns belongs in the Hall of Fame - his accomplishments speak for themselves, and 50,000 hockey fans agree. This is about expediting the process so he and his family can enjoy this great honour while he's still with us. It's about the hockey community seizing a rare and fleeting opportunity to do the right thing for one of their own."

The Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee must submit its nominations for this year's class by April 15.

"The larger our numbers, the louder our voice," said the organizers. "We're asking Canadians to take a few seconds to visit www.patburns.ca and join the group to show their support for getting Pat Burns into the Hockey Hall of Fame now."

Burns won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. He is also the only NHL head coach in history to win the Jack Adams Award (for Coach of the Year) three times. His exceptional coaching career, which included 501 regular season wins, was cut short by a cancer diagnosis in 2004.

To show your support, please visit www.patburns.ca.

For further information: Warren Weeks, (416) 238-6361, warren.weeks@elevenpr.com; John Perenack, (416) 238-2576, perenack@room-40.com

How the TTC mishandled the media in the 'case of the snoozing worker'

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) faced a PR challenge last month after a cellphone picture of a sleeping worker went viral on the Internet.

For the TTC, the embarrassing photo was the latest in a string of public missteps in recent months, including an unpopular fare hike, a token shortage and a major service disruption to the Yonge line after a private contractor cut into a subway tunnel.

The photo struck a chord with the public and sparked a flurry of media coverage. In its handling of the issue, the TTC made some key mistakes that only added fuel to the flames:

Mistake #1: Too Many Spokespeople

The TTC should have had one spokesperson dealing with the media. Instead, there were multiple TTC spokespeople doing interviews (including its chair, chief general manager, director of corporate communications and the head of the union). The result? A dog's breakfast of conflicting messages, the appearance of a disjointed organization and a lack or any perception of accountability.

Lesson:

When dealing with an issue or crisis, use one spokesperson for media interviews. You'll present a cohesive face to the public and you'll have a better chance of controlling the news agenda and avoiding conflicting messages.

Mistake #2: Don't Attack the Customer

At the peak of the media frenzy, TTC union boss Bob Kinnear issued a written statement to the media. Rather than dealing with the issue of workers sleeping on the job, he opted to attack the customers themselves:

"It is very discouraging that the picture-taker and apparently other customers made no attempt to determine if there was anything wrong with this TTC employee. A simple knock on the glass might have determined if the collector was in fact asleep or whether he was unconscious as a result of some medical problem. The reports that passengers were laughing at him as they passed the booth makes this even more disturbing," Kinnear wrote.

Lesson:

Instead of attacking your single-largest source of revenue for an internal problem, take responsibility for the situation, tell the public how you're going to fix it and move forward.

Mistake #3: Don't Turn an Issue into a Crisis

On January 27, the TTC held a press conference to outline its plans to improve the system. To their credit, they had a detailed list of concrete steps they would take to help improve customer service. The problem? The two TTC spokespeople on hand (see Mistake #1) stole their own thunder with negative quotes about the situation.

Chief general manager Gary Webster said, "We've obviously found ourselves in a bit of a crisis when you consider the criticisms we're getting." Memo to the TTC: This is what you say in your internal meetings, not to reporters. The result? Webster gave the media the authority to refer to this issue as a crisis. His quote even ended up influencing the headline in the National Post, which read: Saving the TTC from state of crisis.

Lesson:

Ten minutes of flawlessly delivering your key messages can be wiped out in 10 seconds. While they're interviewing you, reporters are putting your responses into one of three categories: 1) might use it, 2) can't use it, and 3) gotta use it. Webster's quote fell into category #3. If he had refrained from uttering that quote, the story (and headline) likely would have been much more positive for the TTC.

With millions of camera-equipped smart phones roaming the streets, we're going to be seeing a lot more companies dealing with incidents like this. No industry or sector is immune to an embarrassing photo from a dissatisfied customer. But when it's their turn at bat, hopefully these companies will be able to avoid the costly and preventable) mistakes made by the TTC and use the opportunity to forge a stronger relationship with their customers.

Airline screens video of staff in buff

This is a great example of effective PR.

New Zealand's national airline recently launched a new version of its in-flight safety video. Unlike any such airline video before it, however, the crew members in this one are wearing nothing but body paint. The video, "The Bare Essentials of Safety", is shot quite discretely but certainly has a slightly hip, irreverent feel to it. It has also gone viral online, generating millions of views on YouTube in a matter of a few days (1.6 million as of this writing).

This video is effective for two main reasons. First, it encourages passengers to actually watch a video that could help save their lives in the event of a mishap (passengers around the world have been ignoring the in-flight safety video for years). Second, it's generating a ton of free publicity for the airline, helping to raise its profile, increase awareness and ultimately supports its sales and marketing efforts.

Top 40 ways to get noticed online (apart from Twitter)

This is a great compilation of resources for increasing the profile of a person or organization online. I found this at the Taylor Herring PR blog. If your company is looking to raise awareness and grow its online audience, you'll find at least a few ideas to help you tell your stories. And having them all in one place will save you a lot of time and research.

1. Reddit: Upload stories and articles on reddit to drive traffic to your site or blog. Submit items often so that you’ll gain a more loyal following and increase your presence on the site.
2. Digg: Digg has a huge following online because of its optimum usability. Visitors can submit and browse articles in categories like technology, business, entertainment, sports and more.
3. Del.icio.us: Social bookmark your way to better business with sites like del.icio.us, which invite users to organize and publicize interesting items through tagging and networking.
4. StumbleUpon: You’ll open your online presence up to a whole new audience just by adding the StumbleUpon toolbar to your browser and “channel surf[ing] the Web. You’ll “connect with friends and share your discoveries,” as well as “meet people that have similar interests.”
5. Technorati: If you want to increase your blog’s readership, consider registering it with Technorati, a network of blogs and writers that lists top stories in categories like Business, Entertainment and Technology.
6. Ning: After hanging around the same social networks for a while, you may feel inspired to create your own, where you can bring together clients, vendors, customers and co-workers in a confidential, secure corner of the Web. Ning lets users design free social networks that they can share with anyone.
7. Squidoo: According to Squidoo, “everyone’s an expert on something. Share your knowledge!” Share your industry’s secrets by answering questions and designing a profile page to help other members.
8. Furl: Make Furl “your personal Web file” by bookmarking great sites and sharing them with other users by recommending links, commenting on articles and utilizing other fantastic features.
9. Tubearoo: This video network works like other social-bookmarking sites, except that it focuses on uploaded videos. Businesses can create and upload tutorials, commentaries and interviews with industry insiders to promote their own services.
10. WikiHow: Create a how-to guide or tutorial on wikiHow to share your company’s services with the public for free.
11. YouTube: From the fashion industry to Capitol Hill, everyone has a video floating around on YouTube. Shoot a behind-the-scenes video from your company’s latest commercial or event to give customers and clients an idea of what you do each day.
12. Ma.gnolia: Share your favorite sites with friends, colleagues and clients by organizing your bookmarks with Ma.gnolia. Clients will appreciate both your Internet-savviness and your ability to stay current and organized.
13. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a popular networking site where alumni, business associates, recent graduates and other professionals connect online.
14. Ecademy: Ecademy prides itself on “connecting business people” through its online network, blog and message-board chats, as well as its premier BlackStar membership program, which awards exclusive benefits.
15. Ryze: Ryze lets members organize contacts and friends; upcoming events; and even job, real-estate and roommate classifieds.
16. YorZ: This networking site doubles as a job site. Members can post openings for free to attract quality candidates.
17. Xing: An account with networking site Xing can “open doors to thousands of companies.” Use the professional contact manager to organize your new friends and colleagues, and take advantage of the Business Accelerator application to “find experts at the click of a button, market yourself in a professional context [and] open up new sales channels.”
18. Facebook: Facebook is no longer just for college kids who want to post their party pics. Businesses vie for advertising opportunities, event promotion and more on this social-networking site.
19. Care2: Care2 isn’t just a networking community for professionals: It’s touted as “the global network for organizations and people who Care2 make a difference.” If your business is making efforts to go green, let others know by becoming a presence on this site.
20. Gather: This networking community is made up of members who think. Browse categories concerning books, health, money, news and more to ignite discussions on politics, business and entertainment. This will help your company tap into its target audience and find out what they want.
21. MEETin.org: Once you’ve acquired a group of contacts in your city by networking on MEETin.org, organize an event so that you can meet face-to-face.
22. Tribe: Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Chicago have unique online communities on tribe. Users can search for favorite restaurants, events, clubs and more.
23. Ziggs: Ziggs is “organizing and connecting people in a professional way.” Join groups and make contacts through your Ziggs account to increase your company’s presence online and further your own personal career.
24. Plaxo: Join Plaxo to organize your contacts and stay updated with feeds from Digg, Amazon.com, del.icio.us and more.
25. NetParty: If you want to attract young professionals in cities like Boston, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando Fla., create an account with the networking site NetParty. You’ll be able to connect with qualified, up-and-coming professionals online, then meet them at a real-life happy-hour event where you can pass out business cards, pitch new job openings and more.
26. Networking For Professionals: Networking For Professionals is another online community that combines the Internet with special events in the real world. Post photos, videos, résumés and clips on your online profile while you meet new business contacts.
27. Groovy: Web workers will love Pixel Groovy, an open-source site that lets members submit and rate tutorials for Web 2.0, email and online-marketing issues.
28. Mixx: Mixx prides itself on being “your link to the Web content that really matters.” Submit and rate stories, photos and news to drive traffic to your own site. You’ll also meet others with similar interests.
29. Tweako: Gadget-minded computer geeks can network with each other on Tweako, a site that promotes information sharing for the technologically savvy.
30. Small Business Brief: When members post entrepreneur-related articles, a photo and a link to their profile appear, gaining you valuable exposure and legitimacy online.
31. Sphinn: Sphinn is an online forum and networking site for the Internet marketing crowd. Upload articles and guides from your blog to create interest in your own company or connect with other professionals for form new contacts.
32. BuzzFlash.net: This one-stop news resource is great for businesses that want to contribute articles on a variety of subjects, from the environment to politics to health.
33. HubSpot: HubSpot is another news site aimed at connecting business professionals.
34. SEO TAGG: Stay on top of news from the Web marketing and SEO (search-engine optimization) industries by becoming an active member of this online community.
35. Wikipedia: Besides creating your own business reference page on Wikipedia, you can connect with other users on Wikipedia’s Community Portal and at the village pump, where you’ll find conscientious professionals enthusiastic about news, business, research and more.
36. Newsvine: Feature top employees by uploading their articles, studies or other news-related items to this site. A free account will also get you your own column and access to the Newsvine community.
37. 43 Things: This site bills itself as “the world’s most popular online goal setting community.” By publicizing your company’s goals and ambitions, you’ll gain a following of customers, investors and promoters who cheer you on as you achieve success.
38. Wetpaint: If you’re tired of blogs and generic Web sites, create your own wiki with Wetpaint to reach your audience and increase your company’s presence online. You can easily organize articles, contact information, photos and other information to promote your business.
39. Frappr: Embed a Frappr map and guestbook into your company’s Web page so that you can pinpoint exactly how users find your site, discover in real-time what they have to say about your company profile and services, and create an “interactive, fun and engaging” spot for visitors.
40. Yahoo! Answers: Start fielding Yahoo! users’ questions with this social-media Q&A service. Search for questions in your particular areas of expertise by clicking categories like Business & Finance, Health, News & Events and more. If you continue to dole out useful advice and link your answer to your company’s Web page, you’ll quickly gain a new following of curious customers.

Again, props to Taylor Herring PR in the UK.