Water Technology - Jan 2012

BUSINESS Effective public relations for dealers and distributors Part two Use new media effectively by tailoring your messages accordingly 28 Water Technology January 2012 ited their website if they have one and see if they have directions or contacts listed Ultimately the people working at traditional media are aware of how their organizations are changing and often they know where your public relations information can be published For example many newspapers now have local calendars of events maintained on their website news pages With just a few clicks of your mouse and a file upload here and there you can create your own events and see them published online immediately Even with this capability you should still send news and press releases to the contact you have made at traditional media The information you send might resonate with them and they can use it for further publication For example perhaps Earth Day is coming up and you want to have a special open house to highlight your products that provide drinking water filtration in place of bottled water a very green solution You include information on how many plastic bottles can be kept from the waste stream and compare the advantages of your products versus alternatives This Last month we discussed the change in media and where the industry is going We also talked about certain types of media including Patch Facebook and YouTube This month we will continue that discussion and focus on another form of media in Twitter and then provide tips on how to effectively use these formats to relay information to customers Twitter You might be familiar with Twitter This program lets you post messages links and photos but in a very small amount of space limited to 140 characters You can make multiple posts each day however each post has the same space limitations How can you use this to get your messages out Since the space is limited it is best to keep your message simple and focused on what your customers and prospects are looking for For example if you live in an area that is generally in the pathway of hurricanes you might consider tweeting helpful tips on how your customers can prepare for hurricane related issues power outages providing water during that time municipal boil water alerts and things of this nature One great value in Twitter is that it allows for real time posts so those who subscribe to your tweets can get immediate information For example if your organization is at a home show you can cross promote your Twitter site to tell visitors to subscribe for important information about when to visit your booth for a surprise presentation first 10 visitors to arrive will receive a free gift such as a logo pen set a T shirt or a filter for a system you are marketing This is an easy way to get subscribers who might be interested in your products and services to opt in for communication with you Consider your messages to be part of your overall public relations program use Twitter to support your organizations brand Your brand is not necessarily just your companys logo or products it is composed of the entirety of what you bring to the market such as your experience your range of services your ability to provide help and assistance your local presence and most especially your role as an expert on local drinking water issues Opportunities with traditional media Despite the decline of traditional media you still may have opportunities with those organizations The key is to find out who covers the areas where your information belongs make contact with them develop a relationship and use them as your conduit to the traditional media to benefit your organization In other words dont just send an e mail to editor@ newspaper com as this is likely to end up in their spam account Rather call the organization and ask to speak with the person in charge of business news releases community events or whatever section of the media you see applies to the press you are working to release You must be familiar with the media have read through the sections vis By Thomas A Burke For more information on this topic go to www watertechonline com and enter keyword s Social media Facebook Twitter media The 5 Ws of Journalism Who Who is the organization What What is it you are doing When When is it happening Where Where will this be located Why Why are you doing this