Rebekah\’s interview with Michael Hauser

Rebekah\’s interview with Suzanne Hanna

In a final presentation, it will be difficult with the 10-15 minutes allotted to fully cover everything I’ve learned.  I’d like to divide it into two sections: an initial section covering things I’ve learned that I think are mind-blowing and fascinating; and a second section of things I am still learning and need to learn more about.

Section One:  Things That Blow my Mind

• David Meerman Scott.  His book “New Rules of Marketing and PR” makes so much sense!  In his book, he is great at explaining this new world of digital dialogue that is changing the way we do everything.
• Blogging.  It’s not just a journal of my random thoughts.  It is a powerful tool for communicating and opening up dialogue.
• PR.com – online PR distribution websites are changing the way we distribute information as PR professionals.  Want to get your information out there?  Make it keyword-heavy and post it online.  If you are smart and do it right, online PR can be easier.
  

  PR.com is easy to use for digital marketing

• Google.  I love Google!  I had a gmail account and subscribed to Google alerts, but had no idea how many useful tools Google offers.  There are so many of them, but I especially love Google Reader because of it’s ability to compile all my pertinent information in one place.
• RSS Feeds are another incredible tool I learned about, having no prior experience with them.  Now I not only understand what they are, I subscribe to blogs, podcasts, and news sites.
• Twitter.  To be honest, I didn’t see the value of Twitter until I opened an account for this course.  It was the same as a status update on Facebook, right?  No, there’s so much more to it!  If I had a Blackberry or iPhone, I’d be much more addicted to it, but it’s great to have so much information from people you are “following” in one place and so easily accessible.
• Search Engine Optimization: No doubt this category is one of the most important.  Writing for optimal find-ability is way more important than I previously thought.  This means writing my press releases, online materials, and designing websites with web searchers in mind.  It’s got to be easy to find, and user-friendly.

Things I Need to Learn More About

• Podcasting.  While I’m trying my hand at it for this class, I’m certainly no expert yet.  There’s so much to do with this, and I want to learn more about it.  Since beginning this class, I’ve begun to subscribe to various podcasts, and will try my hand at recording a few (yikes!), even for this final presentation.
• Google AdWords.  I tried setting up Google adwords for my blog for assignment # 3 and was completely frustrated.  I couldn’t get anything to turn up!  But I’m sure if I kept trying and funneled a little more budget dollars into my Google Ad campaign, it would show some results.
  

  My Google Ad Keywords

Currently I’m reading “Presentation Zen” and putting together some ideas for a final presentation podcast.  This will be a very stressful week preparing for the final presentation!!

It’s a pretty established fact now that I’m a fan of David Meerman Scott’s work.  So I am more than happy to learn online PR by promoting him and his work.  Writing the press release wasn’t too difficult:

David Meerman Scott’s book, “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” is required reading for Michigan State University’s new course in digital PR and Marketing, but the students don’t seem to mind. Michigan State University’s department of Communication Arts and Sciences launched this new pilot course entitled “New Media Driver’s License” in the spring 2009 semester to “license” advertising and public relations students in new media.

The book is a challenge to old public relations and marketing practices, and advocates for fresh ideas for public relations and marketing professionals. “New” rules include working with blogs and social media to communicate with a target audience, and optimizing websites for end user ease-of-use.

“The students really enjoyed reading the book,” says professor Derek Mehraban, CEO of Ingenex Digital Marketing. “David Meerman Scott’s fresh ideas are not difficult to understand, and the material is very easy to apply.”

The New Media Driver’s License course covers many new media topics as a thorough introduction to digital marketing and public relations. Students in the 15-week course learn the basics of social media marketing, search engine optimization, and blogging. Students learn hands-on by creating their own blog, and being encouraged to join online discussion through blogging and social media tools such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

For more information on David Meerman Scott’s book, “The New Rules of Marketing and PR,” visit www.davidmeermanscott.com.

But the most interesting and difficult part was making the online submissions of the press release.  I utilized PR.com and 1888pressrelease.com for the submissions.  I attempted to use Newswire Today, but my account could not be verified in time to post anything before this assignment is due…either way it was a GREAT learning experience.  Links to the press release I wrote are not visible as of yet, either, but when they are, they should be here.

PR.com is easy to use for digital marketing

After I was done submitting press releases, it was time for Delicious and Digg.  I submitted bookmarks to David Meerman Scott’s website, blog, and wiki, and found that many others had done the same.

Adding David Meerman Scott's Info to Del.i.cious

Truly, though, what impresses me most about David Meerman’s Scott is his fresh thinking.  He has a pulse on what PR and Marketing professionals must do to remain in step with the direction business and commerce are going – digital, online media.

If you haven’t read his book, you can’t have mine – you’ll have to go get your own!  And you’d better hurry – before he comes out with an updated version…

One of the reasons performing arts marketing and PR employees find it so incredibly difficult to keep up with the amount of new media out there is taking the time to invest in it.  We have no time, and believe me, I know it.

Sure, we’ve got a million things to do – we’re already doing the job of two or three people.  But something’s got to give if you’re going to get relevant.  And that’s what we’ve got to do to stay alive.

New Media Can Help Spread our Message

It’s a scary world out there now, especially if you’re in the arts.  Maybe you just lost funding from the state.  Maybe you lost corporate funding.  Maybe you even lost staff members.  But there is no better time than now to invest in something that is going to keep your organization in the minds and hearts of the very people who are going to be your biggest advocates – and they may not even know it yet.

How to learn what you need to know

Michigan State University has a great new class covering many times of new and social media called the “New Media Driver’s License.”  This class is the best thing you can do for yourself if you’re a non-profit marketer.  It is a hands-on way to get a thorough introduction to the buzzwords you’ve heard, or even read about: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.  These are important, and you’re going to need to know about them!  The rules are changing.

“Old Rules” vs. “New Rules”

A few weeks ago I met a marketing professional for another local non-profit arts organization.  I recommended to her the book “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” by David Meerman Scott.  She replied, “The New Rules?  What ‘new’ rules?  I just learned about the ‘old’ rules!”   She was intrigued by the class and is planning on registering for it.  She knew she needed to learn more, but didn’t quite know how.  This was her opportunity, and it can be yours!

New Media Driver’s License Certified

There is no higher recommendation than I can give for the New Media Driver’s License class.  Even if you feel like it may be overwhelming, don’t rule yourself out.  Give it a try!  You will be surprised at how simple everything seems when professor Derek Mehraban explains it. 

Check out the Facebook group or the NMDL blog. 

How to Apply for a New Media Driver’s License

Driver's License! (Only this one will be for New Media!)

Did you know that you can also check out the class as a “lifelong learning” student at MSU?  Lifelong learning students don’t pay the matriculation fees that other MSU students pay, and the class is even offered in Novi, close enough to most Metro Detroiters.

You can even apply online!  Click here to apply for the lifelong learning program.

As always, feel free to comment me if you have any questions at all.  The New Media Driver’s License Class has changed my life!

It seems like nowadays, we are bombarded with websites – so many that don’t make sense – and usually to find a website, we Google it. So because of this, it is essential that our website and the information it contains, is easy to find.

I will list a group of helpful tools at the end of this blog, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Your title tags should accurately describe the content on the page.
2. Use brief titles. Long and unnecessarily descriptive titles don’t help.
3. Create a page “meta tag.” This gives Google and other search engines a better description of what the page is about.
4. Make your URLs friendlier. Cryptic URLs with long strings of numbers are intimidating and hard to remember. They usually get cut off by people posting them, too.
5. Make your website easier to navigate. Search engines look for text in links, so a photo is probably not a good idea to use for a link.

Google has a great document entitled “Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.” Click here to go to a Google webmaster blog with the link to the PDF document.  Also, for a very basic overview of why search engine optimization is important, and a few things to think about, read this introduction by Derek Mehraban. 

If you really want to dig in and get help, Google Webmaster Central has some great tools that will help you get the bugs out of your website and make it more find-able.  SEOMoz free tools are also great for getting a free analysis of where you can clean up your site.

In my experiment with Google Webmaster tools, I used the “site status wizard” to find out if this blog was being indexed by Google.  I had a little trouble, though, since this is a WordPress site and I can’t really create pages.  Either way, it was a worthwhile learning experience!

For performing arts organizations, being found on the web is crucial.  Today, many people look at the website as not only just an informational tool, but a way to submit feedback, sample your product, and make important decisions.  In economic crises such as these, it is more important now than ever that you are as easy to find as a physical building as you are on the web.

The Detroit Opera House website

In my time at the Detroit Symphony about three years ago, I learned of all their incredible effort to make an online presence in the social media sphere.  They had a Myspace page.  They were podcasting.  I loved it!  They were really making strides in the right direction, even though the tools they were using were completely unknown to most of their loyal subscribers, and many current arts patrons.  But is there potential for future arts patrons in the Facebook-ers and Tweeters?

In my New Media Driver’s License Class, we not only use Facebook as a social networking tool, we utilize LinkedIn (already had an account there) and Twitter.  Twitter was something a bit confusing and a little foreign to me when I heard about it.  And, it’s something I thought you could already do on Facebook with a status update, so what is the point?

The point, is that it’s concise.  It’s simple.  And it allows you to share much with very little effort and gather much with very little time.  A colleague of mine recently sent me an article about Twitter by Zappos CEO and how it can be used for business.  And, even, how it can make you a better person for it.  That, I don’t believe.  But I do think it can be helpful for performing arts organizations.

Why?  It’s simple.  Share a link.  Share a video.  Don’t overload with content.  People want to know what goes on behind the scenes at the opera, the symphony, the ballet.  Share snippets for those who don’t have time to read the blog.  And if you get them hooked with the tweet, then maybe you can get them to visit your blog, your website, to buy tickets…

So, consider adding “Tweet” and “Twitter” to your vernacular.  And follow me, if you’d like: http://twitter.com/rebekahrjohnson

My New Twitter Account!

I rarely feel the need to make notes when reading a book, but this one made me grab a notebook and take notes!

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned so far in the first section of the book:

• Build relationships with customers by giving them the info they want
• Make your website easy to navigate, and deliver useful content at the moment a buyer needs it.  Do these things and your patrons will love you – and you’ll be considered an expert at knowing what your patrons want!
• Read other blogs and comment on them to build relationships with bloggers and reporters
• Good online content makes you a trusted resource and calls people to buy, subscribe, apply, or donate to your cause!

Throughout the book, he also mentions several times that PR people should create news releases for consumers.  What a novel concept!  Specifically, he describes news releases for holidays, releases that are funny, educational, catchy and newsy.  This made me analyze the way I write my own releases, prompted me to pull back the template and look at the style and format I use.   Could a consumer use this?

More good stuff to come!

My Google Ad Keywords

In the performing arts industry, a full page ad in the New York Times Sunday arts section is the “holy grail” of advertising.  Back in the day, it meant legitimacy for your performance, and it usually ensured success for a new Broadway play or Alvin Ailey dance work.

However, with budgets and salaries being cut, it is more important now than ever to make marketing dollars work hard for the performing arts.  My venture into Google AdWords this week was an eye-opening look at refining your Google search-ability and making search engines work for your nonprofit.

While I was a bit confused initially by the keywords (how many are there?? What words/phrases should I use?), Google keyword research tool will even search your website and search for keywords for you.  It will even tell you which is more likely to be searched.  (Side note: I think part of my initial confusion was also trying not to charge hundreds to my credit card while working testing out the program!)

If your budget is small, Google will only allow your ad to be searched up to a certain level, for really low rates (only $50!).   I think every non-profit marketing budget should include Google AdWords as an effective marketing tool for the new media way of the future!  Want to reach potential donors?  Ticket buyers?  Interested persons?  Purchase the keywords and make your marketing dollars effective!  Even see what people are searching for to refine your campaign.

Google will even let you monitor how many clicks each keyword receives.  It’s easy to see how many people have seen your ad and responded to it, as opposed to many traditional forms of marketing that make it difficult to measure how many impressions the ad has received and how many responses you receive from it.

A lot, actually.  His campaign was historic.  On many levels.

Courtney, a blogger on “Internet Marketing and Public Relations for the Arts” tells us about what we as performing arts marketers and PR professionals can learn from the success of Barack Obama’s fundraising campaign. Props, Courtney, for addressing this timely topic!

Everyone knows that Obama’s campaign was no small feat – raising almost 1 billion dollars through small individual donations.  In this case, many small donations made a lot of difference.

What can we learn as a non-profit organization?

Here are a few:

1. As non-profits, we can no longer depend on large donations from corporate sponsors or wealthy donors.  Although these methods worked fine in the past for raising capital, corporate profits are in the toilet and many wealthy donors are clenching their wallets at the sights of Wall Street’s downturn, as many depend on their stocks for financial survival.
2. We can no longer underestimate the $10 donation.  Not only should we encourage them, we should ask for more of them.  Are the arts important to you?Then $10 is a lot more reasonable than $10,000.
3. As marketers, we should be aware of the psuedo-connectivity Obama made with each and every donor.  Most small donations were made online, after which a donor would receive a “Thank You” from the presidential candidate himself.  How personal and touching (in a very fake way!).  But it not only makes donors feel appreciated, they feel like they are a part of changing history, “re-making” America.  And that’s some change they can believe in.
4. No more excuses about our websites and web content.  I think it’s time for non-profits to save their money and invest in a useful, easy-to-navigate website.  It should provide the information users need, and most importantly – it should be EASY to donate to your symphony, your opera company, your theater.  And maybe, just maybe – we can provide a sense of interactivity.  Videos, ways to provide feedback – these are all important.

New media as a fundraising tool may be new to the non-profit arts community, but learning from Obama’s campaign is a good starting point to begin the discussion, take a page from his planbook, and make changes that will make performing arts organizations competitive in the future.

Barack Obama's Campaign Shattered Records