News & Opinion

By Robert Brownlie, Associate Account Executive, Bob Gold & Associates   As of 2020, there are approximately 3.78 billion social media users, a number that is expected to reach 4.41 billion by 2025. This includes the 90+% of businesses that also employ some form of a social media strategy. What does this massive volume mean to PR professionals? It is both harder and more rewarding for those who can cut through the noise and be noticed.   As opposed to simply writing content and posting it, social media marketing has become a much more intensive process involving analysis of web statistics and targeted strategies. As anyone who has ever tried to meet the character limit of a Tweet knows, it can seem like your performing laser eye surgery with every word!   But underneath all the different traffic stats and complex tactics, the fundamentals of a campaign will ultimately determine if it is a success or not. Luckily, these essential elements can be boiled down to these basics - monitoring, managing, measuring and monetizing.   Once marketers have mastered a clear action plan incorporating these four principles, social media campaigns can be accomplished successfully. Monitor the social landscape Whether you’re developing a full-fledged campaign or are simply looking for the right hashtags or topic for your CEO’s next op-ed, understanding the trending topics of target personas as well as what competitors are doing on social media is an essential preliminary step. Monitoring conversations also has an added benefit – it enables you to discover new topics that your brand can provide unique insight into.   Manually searching for keywords and scouring different platforms can be a time trap. Instead, once goals are defined, it is useful to adopt a software platform that can track and analyze conversations and provide rapid insights. When using a platform, make sure you understand how to best utilize its search strings and tools to optimize efforts. Manage to achieve defined goals Actions should be guided by (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) SMART goals. After launching a campaign, deft management is essential to achieving these clearly defined goals. It is vital to refine campaigns by tracking what works and does not and reacting to feedback to improve performance. Additionally, social-media managers should not be rushing to post everything manually. Instead, posts and tweets should be scheduled and tracked in a calendar.   It is also important to respond to comments, or a lack of them. This helps stimulate conversations and flush out leads. While software, analytics and strategy are important, ensuring execution is well managed is the key to success in the long run. Measure continuously Social media is spread across many platforms, making it a challenge to track and analyze. Yet, this is an essential element, especially if you are reporting to a chief marketing officer, another executive or even board members.   To make reporting easier, it is good to decide on how you will measure success before a campaign begins, provide a central location for all parties involved to track metrics regularly, and make sure the data tracked tells a compelling story that demonstrates how social media marketing is moving the business forward.   For instance, as there are over 1 billion websites competing for engagement, a main goal when measuring social media will likely be linked to website traffic generation. For this, you should track metrics like post click-through rates in conjunction with methods to monitor how a website is engaging viewers and converting leads. By measuring such traits consistently, you can show higher-ups how sales are being impacted while also learning which strategies are working and not working. Aim to monetize With your measurements helping forge a path forward, you will ultimately want to show how social media marketing is driving revenue growth. If marketers can directly link social media marketing efforts to sales, the value of a campaign becomes immediately noticeable.   To link reporting metrics with bottom line growth, you will want to measure the impact of earned, owned and paid media in relation to overall goals that demonstrate value, like customer retention and service, lead generation, or social presence. Then there are key metrics you should monitor, such as followers, click-throughs, email sign-ups, SEO scores, number of comments, etc.   While there are many metrics to track for social media success, those in charge will likely be chiefly concerned with lead conversion, customer retention and anything that directly ties marketing to revenue growth. Conclusion – pursue success diligently Remember and try to help others realize that social media and much of marketing is not about instant gratification. This is especially true if you’re trying to keep customers engaged and develop a relationship with them.   Instead, those who achieve success follow these four fundamentals diligently and track a variety of different measurements to ensure their efforts are constantly improving and when possible significantly contributing to a brand’s bottom line. Taking such action now will enable a business to better compete in years to come as the billions of already engaged users grow alongside the social media strategies of virtually every business.

The selected leaders are considered the best in their specific fields. WASHINGTON, DC - September 21, 2020 – Clutch, a leading market research firm based in Washington, DC announced the 500 Leader Award winners from California.   While Silicon Valley continues to be a global tech hub, the industry is thriving across the state. Los Angeles holds the spot for the city with the second-highest tech employment(link is external) in the country.   In order to select Leader Award winners, Clutch looks into each company’s industry expertise and ability to deliver. This includes their services offered, social media presence, and brand reputation.   Read through the leaders here.

Bob Gold & Associates has been selected as one of the top Public Relations Agencies in PRNEWS' Agency Elite Top 100 - the only guide dedicated to the most innovative PR & communications firms in the business.   BG&A has launched or grown more than 20 TV sports networks, numerous streaming services, many major cable TV operators, vendors and associations. We've most recently expanded our services and capabilities to offer Online Reputation Management and Bankruptcy & Crisis Communications.   The latter is led by Bob Gold and longtime litigation communications expert, Paul Jacobson of Denver-based SilversJacobson. Additionally, BG&A has expanded the WIN PR Group, which offers technology businesses global reach through a partnership of like-minded, owner-managed agencies.

By Bob Gold, Principal   Tell a Clear Story That Assuages Fears and Provides Hope   There’s no question that filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a difficult challenge. However, with a sound communications strategy executed by a knowledgeable PR agency or comms professional, you can emerge with your brand intact and strong customer and vendor relations, positioning your company to successfully move forward.   First off, bankruptcy communications are done hand in hand with the legal team. It must start there. It is also not unusual for PR pros to have to serve as expert witnesses in the court. Importantly, the legal team needs to trust the PR team and vice versa, because most lawyers believe all communications should be reserved for the court, and PR pros, on the other hand, believe that transparent and clear information will improve outcomes and set the company up for success. However, these two groups must work together smoothly, or both will be fighting a battle that is unnecessary and fruitless.   Secondly, when planning your bankruptcy communications strategy take a deep dive to completely understand the situation from every perspective. Ask questions of the company leadership and understand what led to the bankruptcy, ask more questions, meet with the attorneys and all leadership who are involved in the saving of the company.   Thirdly, know it is crucial that a set of master documents is prepared, and that everyone from attorneys to key staff are in alignment on the key messaging, communications roadmap, and timeline. This is not a situation to be taken lightly. The company is literally in deep litigation with its debtors. Many times, executives take their eye off the business while trying to save the company in court. This must be avoided at all costs. At the end of the day, the PR team’s role is to be reassuring, calm, and suggest the way forward with a strong commitment to ensuring consistent internal and external communications.   Fourth, know that the same communication is not applicable to everyone affected. There are multiple strands to a good bankruptcy communications strategy that includes external information for shareholders, customers, and vendors; internal messaging for staff at all levels and especially those in sales and customer service and, of course, good outreach to relevant trade and business press.   Each audience should be communicated with in a clear and appropriate manner. For instance, customers and vendors should receive direct letters from the CEO and when appropriate informational decks and e-brochures should be initiated to help tell the story.   For employees, especially public facing staff including sales and customer service, documents including FAQs, escalation protocols, and clear policies around social media and emails are imperative. Importantly you need to keep a steady watch on internal communications, so ALL employees are singing from the same hymnal. It is well worth the extra effort to ensure that they are on board with and understand the key messaging.   For news, industry and business media, you’ll want a rollout plan consisting of news releases to be issued on a wire service, executive bylines and briefings for all relevant reporters, and publications when the time is right.   I believe that ALL business is the business of relationships. Rebuilding trust requires having the same resonating message come from at least three separate sources/channels in close timing so that the message “sticks” with intended audiences. One-off messaging is simply and easily forgotten.   Bankruptcy is a process. Because there are many kinds of bankruptcies that all fall under similar codes – most consumers are confused by the term. And while it can be liquidation, in most instances it is the company and organization saying, “we will make new financial decisions and begin a new model to maintain the business.”   Because of COVID-19, we are expecting the largest number of bankruptcies in history, even surpassing the Great Depression. It is also anticipated that numerous municipalities, county, and state governments will face bankruptcy, in addition to non-profits, cultural institutions, and of course for-profit businesses of all sizes. Courts will be overloaded, media will become overwhelmed with news announcements unable to report on any claims under a certain size, and many, many folks will be let down, frustrated and depressed.    The only way forward is for public relations professional to provide important services that allow the company to tell a clear story, assuage fears, and help provide hope in the form of reasonable exit strategies that are easy to understand.

O'Dwyer's has been conducting its PR firm rankings for 49 years. Rankings measure counseling and media contact services, not advertising or production expenses.    See the complete list of Public Relations Agencies here. See all Bob Gold & Associates awards & highlights here.

The companies listed on O'Dwyer's offer tools and support for public relations and marketing professionals striving to get their clients' messages delivered to the public and target audiences. From the best in media relations, crisis communications, content creation, bankruptcy communications and PR by industry you can count on O'Dwyer's listings by specialty.   See complete list here.   See all Bob Gold & Associates awards & highlights here.  

By Bob Gold, Principal   There are reporters and editors whose views are simply critical for technology companies to flourish. Jeff Baumgartner is to cable technology what sugar is to cake. We just need him and his insights or something is just missing? Light Reading is lucky to have him. Here is “Words to Lift By” a poem for Jeff Baumgartner.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4VMYoOkvPk&t=8s For more information regarding our service offering in media & analyst relations, special events & trade shows, and owned and paid media please contact us.

Only O'Dwyer's ranks PR firms by 19 specialties. The firms on this list have broken out their net fees for accounts classified as entertainment PR.   See complete list here.   See all Bob Gold & Associates awards & highlights here.

Lee Goff interviews Bob Gold, principal of Bob Gold & Associates to discuss what makes Bob Gold & Associates unique, the importance of building relationships and why the agency commits to targeted results-driven outcomes in every public relations contract.   See full Q&A @ BluHorn.   BluHorn Media Planning and Buying Software is an affordable, easy-to-use tool that advertising agencies, media buyers/planners, and digital media directors and strategists use to plan media, buy media, analyze media, report media, and reconcile programmatic, digital and traditional media buys.