The social fundamentals
When my colleague and I lead social media workshops, we start by defining the core value of social media – community building. Whether it is reaching new audiences or becoming better engaged with existing audiences, it’s about getting the right people in the virtual room. Once you have the right people in the virtual room, it’s about messaging – what are you telling people? how are you telling it to them? and, why are you telling it to them?

The messages themselves drive at the core of influence – what is your desired outcome? What are you trying to influence people to say, do or think? Answering these simple questions is the key to defining influence as it relates to your organization.

Influence isn’t a numbers game
Certainly, nobody wants to talk to a sparsely populated room…let alone an empty one. That said, one also doesn’t want to talk exclusively to people who fall outside of their target audience. When thinking about influence and striving to become an influencer, remember that it is more valuable to be highly influential to a small group of people within your target audience than to be slightly influential to a large group of people who aren’t your target audience. If you dedicate time to interacting with this small group and building relationships with them, your dividends will exceed those earned by pushing information out to the wrong people. Sometimes less really is more.

Influence isn’t about quantity
I recently learned my Klout score had fallen by one point. When reviewing the analytics, it became apparent that my score dropped because my volume of tweets had fallen over the past week. While consistent outreach is an important component of a successful communications campaign, one does not instantly become less influential by tweeting twice per day as opposed to three times per day. If you tweet twenty times in one day and not for six months thereafter, well, that’s another story…

Based on the quantity model, one would be more influential by sharing five random headlines they copied and pasted from Google than they would be by carefully choosing and sharing two articles that were relevant to their target audience. Remember, quality always prevails.

As you work to increase your influence, remember to start with the basics – define your objectives, identify your target audiences and make quality a priority. Most importantly, set realistic benchmarks for your outreach efforts and develop a definition of influence that is relevant to your organization.

Danielle M. Cyr
@Danielle Cyr

Westchester’s top social media influencers and bloggers came together to discuss what’s hot in the fast paced world of social media- all while tweeting live from the event at a special blogger hub with live twitter stream! This was the chance to finally put a face to the tweets we’ve all been following in preparation for the big night.

Leading up to the event, Westchester Magazine hosted a special Social Media Competition. With the hashtag, #BOW2011, all were invited to tweet, post, share and buzz about the upcoming party.  Alexandra Oppenheimer was the lucky winner of the evening!

Along with our top bloggers, guests had the opportunity to meet Westchester Magazine Publisher, Ralph A. Martinelli and Christina DeLeon, Miss Westchester 2011.

The night was a huge success and I am already looking forward to next year! In the ever-changing world of social media, who knows what will be in store for the Social Media Tent 2012!!

Special thanks to Kris Ruby of Ruby Media Group (@sparklingruby) for coordinating the evening!

-Kim Sawicki

Co-Communications received Gold Mercury Awards for its work on behalf of 2-1-1 Child Care and the Connecticut Historical Society.

For 2-1-1 Child Care, a free, multilingual resource that helps families across Connecticut find child care arrangements to best meet their needs, Co-Communications received Gold in Not-for-Profit Community Relations.  In 2010, Co-Communications executed a strategic campaign on behalf of the non-profit that increased awareness of its new interactive online support functionality and summer camp placement resources while demonstrating the impact Connecticut’s economy was having on the child care industry and providing parents with tips and resources to navigate the changed landscape.

Co-Communications also received a Gold Mercury Award in Not-for-Profit Reputation/Brand Management for its work on behalf of the Connecticut Historical Society.  Established in 1825, the Connecticut Historical Society (CHS) is a non-profit museum, library, and education center and one of the oldest historical societies in the nation.  In 2010, Co-Communications developed an ongoing campaign that highlighted the programs and exhibits that make CHS an indispensable resource for connecting the present with the past and inspiring a love of history among this and future generations.

“We are honored to have our work recognized by our peers and to be in the company of so many outstanding PR pros and campaigns,” said Jessica Lyon, Vice President, Co-Communications. “Thank you to PRSA for this recognition.”

Awarded annually, PRSA’s Mercury Awards recognize outstanding advertising, marketing and public relations campaigns throughout Connecticut, Westchester County, New York and Western Massachusetts.

About Co-Communications:
Established in 1997, Co-Communications (www.cocommunications.com) provides public relations, direct mail, advertising, e-mail campaigns, special events, and Web site development.  Co-Communications produces award winning campaigns for clients in such industries as real estate, healthcare, finance, and technology.  The Connecticut office of Co-Communications is located at 1027 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT and can be reached at 860-676-4400.

My personal reasons for exploring Pinterest aside, I can’t help but wonder if we can sustain another platform. It’s been deemed a tool for social image bookmarking and one that empowers social curators. And, while there is no denying the visual appeal of an online pinboard that replicates the memory boards that many hang in their homes and offices, are graphics enough to get people excited about a new wave in social bookmarking? The dialogues about Digg, Delicious and Stumpleupon have faded away and I honestly can’t remember the last time I used any of those platforms, personally or professionally.

In Pinterest’s favor are an eye-catching aesthetic and familiar functionality. At first blush, Pinterest seems like a hybrid of Tumblr and Twitter. It’s great for ‘life casting’ and sharing your personal interests with cyber peeps which is how many use Tumblr. You can ‘Repin’ an item of interest from another user’s account, which would seem like the equivalent of reposting and retweeting on Tumblr and Twitter. All of which begs the question, if you have Twitter and Tumblr, do you need/want Pinterest?

Danielle Cyr
@DanielleCyr

Co-Communications received Ad Club of Westchester (ACW) awards in the PR category for the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, Westchester Library System, The GYM in Armonk, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester and Food Bank for Westchester.

Co-Communications picked up four gold ACW awards for The Guiding Eyes for the Blind (33^rd Annual Golf Classic), The GYM in Armonk (Breast Cancer Awareness campaign), Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester (Ongoing campaign), and Food Bank for Westchester (Ongoing campaign).  Silver awards were garnered for the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester (Ongoing campaign) and Westchester Library System (13^th annual African-American Writers & Readers Literary Tea).

This is the second consecutive year that Co-Communications Guiding Eyes for the Blind campaign received recognition. The firm’s 2010 Guiding Eyes campaign received ACW’s “Best of Show.”  The campaign generated more than 300 media results (print, broadcast, online), reaching an audience of over 30 million. Major media included CBS Sunday Morning, ABC, NBC, Sports Net New York, New York Post, The Journal News, USA Today and The Today Show.

“It is an honor to be recognized by our peers for the work we have developed on behalf of all of our clients,” said Stacey Cohen, President, Co-Communications. “Once again this year we find ourselves in good company with a number of other remarkable marketing communications firms in Westchester and Connecticut and feel honored to receive these awards.”

Awarded annually, the Ad Club of Westchester’s Big W awards recognize outstanding advertising, marketing and public relations campaigns throughout Westchester County, New York, New York City and Fairfield County, Connecticut.

About Co-Communications:
Established in 1997, Co-Communications (www.cocommunications.com) provides public relations, direct mail, advertising, e-mail campaigns, special events, and Web site development.  Co-Communications produces award winning campaigns for clients in such industries as real estate, healthcare, finance, and technology.  Co-Communications headquarters’ are located at 332 East Main Street, Mt. Kisco, NY, and be contacted at 914.666.0066. The company’s satellite office is located at 1027 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT and can be reached at 860-676-4400.

As someone who recently cut down on tweeting due to time constraints, I can attest first-hand to the distraction factor. Just the other day I found myself lured by great content, which led me to other great content and, before I knew it, 15-minutes had lapsed and, while I had gained some great insights, I hadn’t accomplished anything. Nothing was checked off the ‘to do’ list. Yet, I had 15-minutes less left in my day to accomplish the tasks at hand.

While there is no doubt that one can learn a lot by observing, listening to, and engaging in social media, it is rather easy to be baited by the new and shiny content that crawls across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like each day. It requires an incredible amount of self restraint to resist the distraction and an even greater amount of time to actively engage in social media and generate a measurable return-on-investment for your own or your client’s brand.

On the other hand, social media is helping business whose revenues have been negatively impacted by the economy to reach new prospective consumers, engage with otherwise unreachable key audiences, and – thanks to LivingSocial and Groupon – promote their brand and sell their wares in a way that has baited many consumers hook, line and sinker. It is giving businesses an opportunity to boost their bottom line, through a no-cost interface, which is exceedingly attractive in a climate where ad budgets have diminished, marketing initiatives has been scaled back and the bottom-line is monitored more closely than it has been in decades.

As for those seeking and obtaining jobs in social media, they are gaining insights in how to engage with consumers. If the platforms rise and fall, they are still learning what content and communication techniques drive consumers to action and rally supporters. If Twitter crashes and micro-blogging comes to pass, it doesn’t mean that communicating with key audiences in 140-characters or less is not an effective method of messaging.

While I have honed in on a mere pittance of the many valuable insights Karabell shares – and some may argue even short-changed the economic impact of his story – just one excerpt of the story demonstrates the impact of social media on how people communicate, how they do business, and how they set their business and themselves apart from their competitors and peers. 

At the end of the day, whether you are a Twitter-holic or a social media skeptic, it all comes down to reach and impact. Who are you talking to and how are they impacting your bottom line?

Danielle Cyr
@DanielleCyr

For those unfamiliar with the little black boxes bursting onto the scene, QR (Quick Response) Codes are scannable through mobile phone apps – NeoReader is on such app – which send people directly to a specific location, such as a custom landing page. These codes have nearly limitless potential, allowing people to view coupons, see special content such as videos, shop a private collection only for QR Code readers, or even review a condensed recap of an earlier business presentation.

While the opportunity to be an early adopter is tempting in and of itself, why should one hop onto the QR Code bandwagon? What value can it bring to your communications campaign?

After-pitch selling
Business proposals are often static documents. You give a dynamic presentation, share your insights with a prospect and leave behind a static proposal. But what if you could build a custom landing page on your website, viewable only to a select audience to provide a recap of the sales pitch, share added proof points and prove your value? Thanks to QR Codes, you can. By scanning the QR Code with a smart phone, key decision makes can reach this private, custom content. It’s another way to get your name in front of key players and be certain they are viewing the information you want them to view, as opposed to whatever content they choose to view on your company’s robust website.

Incentives, incentives, incentives
Looking to show consumers how to use your product in their home? Trying to drive consumers to action? Consider a QR Code campaign. I’ve recently seen retailers putting codes that link to their newest collections in their print ads, putting stickers with QR Codes that link to videos featuring ‘how to’ styling tips for their newest offerings in fitting rooms and putting QR Codes to view their sales, promotions and events on their front windows. While I personally have mixed feelings about whether or not I would click through in a retail setting, the ability of these strategically placed QR Codes to grab people’s attention and get them buzzing is undeniable.

As the implementation of QR Codes continues to gain momentum, consider how these mobile-friendly grids can add value to your communications campaign. Whether you are developing an ad, planning an event, or crafting your message, it’s always about breaking through the clutter. How can you differentiate your business or cause? If there’s a story worth decoding, perhaps a QR Code campaign is right for you.

Danielle Cyr
@DanielleCyr

Westchester County, NY – (March 4, 2011) – The Business Council of Westchester will host an informative panel discussion Meet the Media: Getting Your Story Told on Thursday, March 10, 2011 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Rye Town Hilton, 699 Westchester Ave., Rye Brook, NY. Featuring six of this region’s leading, print, broadcast, and online sources, the panel presentation will kick-off the Mega Mixer Business Expo which continues until 6:00 p.m. The Mega Mixer is the Business Council of Westchester’s signature event and Westchester’s largest business tradeshow, boasting more than 200 exhibitors and 1,500 attendees from various industry sectors. The panel discussion will be moderated by Stacey Cohen, President, Co-Communications, Inc., a full-service marketing communications firm. Stacey has over 20 years experience in media relations having embarked on her career at CBS. She is an active board member of the Business Council of Westchester and currently chairs its Marketing Communications Council. Panel members include:

• Caryn McBride, Executive Editor at Westchester County Business Journal, Fairfield County Business Journal and HV Biz/Westfair Communications
• MaryLynn Mitchum, Sunday Life Editor, The Journal News and Editor in Chief, Rockland Magazine
• Kathleen Ryan O’Connor, Regional Editor, Westchester at Patch.com at AOL
• Janine Rose, News Director/Anchor, News12 Westchester and News 12 Hudson Valley
• Robert Schork, Senior Editor of Westchester Magazine, Executive Editor of 914INC
• Jennifer Vreeland, Editor in Chief at Westchester Health & Life/Wainscot Media

The panel will address the impact of social and digital media on the delivery of news and the ever-changing media landscape. Topics include best practices, tips to get news covered, winning interview strategies and more. Session highlights include a Question & Answer session as well as a “Media Hotseat” whereby a few audience members can share story ideas and be critiqued by the media panelists.

Admission to “Meet the Media: Getting Your Story Told” is complimentary for Mega Mixer exhibitors and attendees, but registration is required. For additional information, please contact Ebony White at The Business Council of Westchester at (914) 948-2110 or ewhite@westchesterny.org or visit www.westchesterny.org.

About the Business Council of Westchester
The county’s largest and most influential business membership organization, The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping businesses market, learn, advocate and grow. In addition, The Business Council of Westchester is actively involved in reviewing federal, state and county legislation and regulations in order to assess the potential impact on the business community and to influence the outcomes through advocacy when the business community’s interests may be affected. It also acts as an information resource for the business community and government leaders at all levels.

Over the past month, Co-Communications team members have presented workshops, conducted training sessions and joined panels throughout Connecticut and Westchester:

• President Stacey Cohen served on Professional Women of Westchester’s Social Media panel and a Lunch with Business Council Experts panel.

• Senior Vice President Mike Dardano conducted a presentation for The Business Council of Westchester on “How to Market Your Booth” for those exhibiting at the upcoming Mega Mixer.

• Senior Vice President Mike Dardano and Account Manager Barbara Wollenberg presented the second part of a marketing workshop series focused on advertising for the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce.

• Vice President Jessica Lyon and Senior Account Manager Danielle Cyr conducted two workshops – Social Media: Using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to Promote Your Cause for The CT Association of Nonprofits and Fairfield County Community Foundation, and Nonprofit Storytelling: Differentiating Your Cause In Print and Online for The CT Association of Nonprofits.

Thank you to all of these wonderful organizations for welcoming our insights!