Proper Social Media Etiquette to Remember in 2014

February 26, 2014 BG&A Staff
Social media can be a powerful tool that people use to express their feelings and to share life experiences with relatives who may not reside locally. The content users share ranges anywhere from...

Good Manners Lay the Foundation for Professional Relationship Building

February 24, 2014 BG&A Staff
Like all jobs, building a relationship with your colleagues is key to a harmonious workplace. In the PR industry some of the most important relationships you will have are with journalists. The foundation of these relationships is built from the etiquette that you present when interacting during each conversation. In an age where social media usage sometimes limits us to a 140 characters we can often forget to be polite. The ability to engage with journalist thru different social media channels does not mean we should start the relationship off on the wrong foot by not being courteous and showing respect. Many relationships start out as a social connection and that should not be any different with a journalist. Doing research on their bio and pieces they have written will give you something to talk about when initiating conversation. Remembering not to get offended if there is not an immediate response to your outreach as journalist have just a hectic schedules as PR professionals. Once a relationship is formed, continue to monitor your new friends activity on social media so you are aware of their current interests. You never know when they may put out a request and you are the one with the right answer. This also keeps your relationship building skills sharp as you become more aware of how you interact with others and the bonds that have been formed. Read the full story here:

Sound PR Advice could prevent an Athletes Downward Spiral

February 21, 2014 BG&A Staff
Anyone who is a fan of professional baseball will agree that the last few years of Alex Rodriguez’s career will always be associated with controversy. The New York Yankees all star has been fighting an uphill battle to over-turn a 2014 season long ban for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Recently A-Rod dropped his lawsuits against the Major League Baseball player’s union and the Yankees, accepting his punishment and potentially ruining his public perception for good. The money that was spent on a high-powered legal team could have been put to use seeking out the advice of experienced public relations professionals. Without this advice A-Rod’s reputation, legacy and personal life have all been damaged. A good PR representative would have told him to make public statements on his own instead of allowing a lawyer to speak for him. Since lawyers with aggressive reputations represented A-Rod, this did not portray him as a relatable guy. Solid public relations advice would have told him to admit his transgressions and stop running from the truth. Finally, some of the best PR advice that could have been given would have been to act humbled by the experience and show that he learned from his errors. If A-Rod would have considered sound public relations guidance from a professional, he would not of been the victim of bad advice and possibly been able to play in the 2014 season. To read the full story click here:  

SEMrush SELECTS BOB GOLD & ASSOCIATES TO LEAD ITS U.S. PR CAMPAIGN

February 20, 2014 BG&A Staff
High Tech-Focused Public Relations Agency Retained By International SEO/SEM company Los Angeles – Feb. 18, 2014 – SEMrush, a leading data provider for competitive and keyword research, today announced it has selected Bob Gold & Associates, a full-service public relations agency, to lead its U.S. communications efforts. SEMrush provides companies and professionals with great amounts of data for search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) and online ad campaigns. Among their unique tools, SEMrush offers organic research to see competitors’ organic positions; advertising research to study competitors’ ads texts; keywords research to find good long-tail keyword and charts which compare various SEO metrics and other unique link building strategies. “We now have a seamless international communications campaign by partnering with the Whiteoaks Consultancy in the U.K. and their affiliate agency, Bob Gold & Associates in the U.S.,” said SEMrush Brand manager, Alexandra Tachalova. “We have a dynamic solution that we believe is filling an important need in the marketplace. With our agency partners we know we will get help in shining a light on our efforts.” “SEMrush offers important tools to speed the business prospects of any company or organization with an online presence with expert advice and practices. In short, this is a breakout company that everyone should know about and experience,“ said Bob Gold, president and owner of Bob Gold & Associates. ### About SEMrush SEMrush provides in-depth knowledge, expertise and data needed to enable businesses to take projects to the next level. Drawing on a vast well of data, easy-to-use SEMrush software gives users unrivalled analysis on SEO and website performance over 22 countries. For more information, visit www.semrush.com. About Bob Gold & Associates Bob Gold & Associates with offices in New York City, Southern California and Chicago provides strategic public relations and marketing services for the communications and high-tech industries.  Founded by Bob Gold in 1997, the agency is dedicated to providing highly-targeted creative services with reasonable fee structures.  Headquartered in Redondo Beach, Calif., Bob Gold & Associates is a co-founder and North American affiliate in the Whiteoaks International Network (WIN), a global tech-focused public relations agency network with 17 offices in 37 countries across five continents.  For more information, visit www.bobgoldpr.com. For more information, contact: Jarone Eitan Ashkenazi, Bob Gold & Associates 310-320-2010 jarone@bobgoldpr.com

Using Twitter to Get the Most Out of Your Events

February 12, 2014 BG&A Staff
Companies are improving their online social media presence by live-tweeting from events they are either hosting or attending. Live-tweets are a way to keep followers informed and give them the opportunity to experience the event without being physically present. As a PR professional there are a few important things to keep in mind when live-tweeting from an event. Use the event hashtag. If there is not a hashtag already created for the event it is ok to make one up. Keeping it short is important to remember when every character counts. The use of hashtags will group all related tweets, enable people to search for content related to the event and shows your followers that you are tweeting about an event, not just putting out random information. Tag speakers and companies in your tweets. Tagging the appropriate attendees brings attention to your company and acknowledges your presence to those who are participating in the event. This will also increase your chances of being retweeted. Engage with other live-tweeters. Use the hashtag search to find other people who are tweeting about the event helps you start a conversation that could turn into potential new followers. Don’t tweet too much. A problem that could be experienced with live-tweeting is over-tweeting. Regular followers could be overwhelmed and not appreciate a barrage of out-of-context tweets. Although there is not a specific number that is too much, it would be a good idea to determine an appropriate number before participating in the event. Take pictures, and incorporate them into your tweets. Tweets with pictures are 94 percent more likely to be retweeted, according to Social News Daily.

NAB Show Unveils First Ten Startups Selected to Participate in 2nd Annual SPROCKIT Program

February 11, 2014 BG&A Staff
Washington, D.C. - NAB Show organizers today announced the first round of startups selected to participate in SPROCKIT 2014. These startup companies will collaborate with and present before influencers and decision-makers in media and entertainment at the 2014 NAB Show, the world's leading convention for professionals who create, manage and distribute entertainment across all media platforms, scheduled for April 5-10 2014 in Las Vegas. Now in its second year, SPROCKIT, a year-round program, will invite up to 30 companies to participate. A committee of industry experts reviewed a competitive pool of companies and selected the participating startups based on their potential to influence the media, entertainment and technology markets. Over the next several weeks, NAB Show will unveil additional selected startups. The first 10 companies are: AudioAir creates captivating entertainment, advertising and engagement for patrons of establishments with TV screens allowing users to listen, watch and interact on their mobile device on or off premise. Cognitive Networks is a provider of real-time services that power Enhanced TV on Smart TVs, enabling viewers to receive increased engagement and interactions with TV content through their Smart TV. ExciteM's self-serve platform enables broadcast stations to create custom interactive mobile and social experiences for their audiences in real-time. theloop is a social marketplace website, allowing individuals and brands to showcase and deliver services, as well as monetize their online content. MAZ is a mobile publishing platform that empowers brands to create better user experiences by transforming their media properties into "mini" social networks. Penthera is a provider of intelligent portable video software solutions for TV networks and content distributors. ShareRocket is a social media ratings and audience solution that helps media companies and broadcasters quantify their social media equity, benchmark against peers and turn that social market intelligence into actionable insights to drive success. Tomorrowish is a social media DVR that syncs and curates a live social media TV experience for viewers where they can participate in real-time conversations about a show whether it's live or after it's already aired. Wayin provides real-time intelligence into how viewers engage with TV programming and gives producers creative freedom to easily display social content within their own broadcast production workflow. WebTuner brings Broadband to television, and with its next generation hardware, innovative content guide, addressable and interactive advertising platform, it creates a unique consumer experience advancing industry growth and creativity.   "SPROCKIT gives up-and-comers an opportunity to work side-by-side with leaders and visionaries to navigate challenges within and find solutions to improve the media and entertainment industry," said Harry Glazer, creator and co-producer of SPROCKIT and founder and CEO of World Series of Start-Ups, LLC. "Every participating startup is a true innovator in their field, and we look forward to announcing the entire 2014 lineup over the coming weeks." SPROCKIT gives entrepreneurs broad exposure and facilitated connections to top executives in media and entertainment, the opportunity to pre-schedule private meetings with industry influencers, and time to present their product or service to potential customers, partners and/or investors at the 2014 NAB Show. Following NAB Show, the year-long program will continue through SPROCKIT Sync, where startups and industry leaders will convene and collaborate on how to bring the most innovative products, services and revenue models to market. Created in partnership with World Series of Startups, LLC and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), SPROCKIT is supported by Springboard Enterprises LLC and New Vantage Group. SPROCKIT partners and corporate members include Angel Capital Association, Convergent Wealth Advisors, Hearst Television, infoDev, SmithGeiger and Univision.

False Product Reviews are Happening More Often than You Know

February 7, 2014 BG&A Staff
When a product or service does not meet basic standards the first place people complain is usually the Internet. But are all of those comments reliable? A recent study by YouGov revealed that 21% of Americans has reviewed a product or service online without ever buying, using or trying that product or service! One would wonder what would possess a person to potentially harm the image of a product they have never used. Could it be kids that just have too much free time on their hands? In a shocking twist the survey revealed that adults are the perpetrators of these false reviews. There is not much of a difference in the gender gap among those who leave these types of unreliable reviews (23% of men versus 17% of women), the group that is most guilty of these negative reviews is parents of children younger than 18 (32%). Now that we have identified who leaves these types of reviews it is important to understand why they are doing these things in the first place. The most common reasons: 19% left a false review because they did not like the manufacturer or service provider 22% did so because they didn't like the idea of the product in question 32% left a fake, potentially-damaging review because they “just felt like it” Manufacturers know that nearly 8 out of 10 Americans check reviews online before purchasing a product or service and that it is important to halt these negative reviews. Some businesses are fighting back by taking legal action against non-customers who leave false reviews. What do you think about this, readers? Have you ever reviewed something without giving it a try first? Let us know, your secret is safe with us. To read the full story by Elizabeth S. Mitchell click here:

Good Writing Skills and Public Relations are a Match Made in Heaven

February 6, 2014 BG&A Staff
People who are just starting a career in public relations industry will tell you that they chose this career path because they are a) social, b) respectful or c) want to interact with celebrities. Although those can be attributes of a PR professional, one of the quickest lessons learned in the real world is that good writing skills are required to advance quickly in this industry. Knowing the latest trick on social media doesn't mean much if you can’t convince anyone of your client’s message. The ability to write effective press releases, pitch letters and editorials, mixed with key people skills, go a long way to ensure success for you and your client. In terms of journalism, the expression of facts, viewpoints and perspectives are truly effective when written so, that the reader can get lost in the content and return to reality upon completion of an article. To read the full story by Evan Peterson click here:

Envivio Software Earns Multiple Accolades As a Leader in Streaming Media

October 8, 2015 Chris Huppertz
Cloud DVR with just-in-time transcoding, media management solution recognized for innovation Envivio (NASDAQ: ENVI), a leading all-software video processing, delivery, and monetization solutions company, is honored to receive awards from throughout the telecommunications industry, acknowledging its prominence in the streaming media ecosystem and the advances represented by its products. “We recognized early on that all-software solutions would be adopted by forward-thinking video providers and we geared our efforts to capture that business. Our strategy has been validated by these wonderful honors,” said Julien Signes, CEO, Envivio. One of Envivio’s latest products, its multi-screen Cloud DVR architecture, earned the highest accolade, five diamonds, from Broadband Technology Report’s Diamond Reviews program. Engineering executives from the top U.S. broadband providers, including Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Suddenlink Communications, Comcast, Charter, and Cox, as well as several expert consultants, were among the third-party judges who placed Envivio Cloud DVR among the top reviewed products. The same software was lauded by TV Technology Europe with one of its “Best of Show” awards at the recent IBC trade show in Amsterdam. A panel of independent judges examined products at the show for stand-outs in design, features, cost efficiency, and performance before singling out the Envivio Cloud DVR software for this high honor. Envivio’s Cloud DVR software solution combines next-generation processing techniques, from Just-in-Time transcoding and efficient software-defined storage with erasure coding, to the use of the latest compression standards, and packaging on the fly. These innovations result in storage reductions at each step for a total storage savings ranging up to 30x. This breakthrough multi-screen solution provides ultimate flexibility and cost-efficiency to video service providers who want to monetize services across all subscriber devices at a fraction of the usual cost. Also at IBC, Broadcast Beat Magazine gave its content delivery product of the year award to Envivio Muse™ Live, a high-quality, any-screen software architecture for live video encoding/transcoding to any device. Muse offers an IP-centric and IT-oriented approach to video transcoding to all standards, including MPEG-2, AVC, and HEVC. Muse Live is ideal for any real-time broadcast application, including IPTV, cable, DTH, Internet, and mobile. Thanks to its leading IP statistical multiplexing, operators can fit more channels within their current bandwidth. Muse also supports advanced services such as ad insertion and content protection for personal devices. As a company, Envivio has also been listed among the “Streaming Media 100 — The Companies That Matter Most in Online Video" for this year by Streaming Media Magazine. Envivio’s innovative software, known for both its video and audio superiority, is used worldwide to encode more than 150,000 live streams annually. The company’s video processing, delivery, and monetization solutions are in use today by seven of the top eight Tier 1 U.S. cable providers; nine of the top 10 broadband providers and eight of the top 10 global mobile providers. Visit www.envivio.com for more information.

Twitter Writer’s Block can be the Hardest Two Sentences of Your Life

February 5, 2014 BG&A Staff
If you work in social media there has definitely come a point where you have gotten stuck composing a tweet. Expressing yourself or a client’s message in a 140 characters may sound easy, but when it comes time to write the message out effectively we could be met with the dreaded writers block. Writing one or two sentences should not wrack our brains or leave us staring at blinking cursor for extended periods of time trying to come up with something to say. Having a structured content calendar and a solid Twitter strategy still can’t prepare you for the unexpected Twitter writer’s block. Coming up with original content on a daily basis can be difficult, but there is a way to turn this situation into a positive: share your frustration with your followers. Compose a tweet that encourages engagement with followers asking them how they handle similar situations when it happens to them. There is high probability that one of them is experiencing something similar to you and bouncing ideas off each other could help break the barrier. Just by admitting that you are stuck and can’t always come up with witty posts helps you connect with and build a more honest and open relationship with followers. There is nothing wrong with showing a crack in your foundation as it will not only take some stress off you, but show your followers you’re not afraid to be a real person. To read the full story by Lauran Dugan click here:  
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- Colleen Nichols, Sr. Director Corporate Marketing, Ooyala