Are you a follower?

There are many theories that circulate in industry circle over consumer behaviour but of particular interest is one of recent which suggests that people are more likely to buy brands their friends like. And from this, is tracking their social interactions the most effective way to target them accurately?

Let’s face it, if you need it it’s probably out there. The web has become so profoundly social and consumers share increasing amounts of information across various websites, that you can forgive marketers salivating at the power that’s possible.

Now, it would seem, a new sort of US companies have emerged who feel they have finally found a method of tapping into this wealth of data through a process of licensing data from third parties, largely social media sites, and tracing consumers’ social connections in order to target ads towards those most powerfully connected to brand fans (as touched upon in the last blog update).

It’s pretty easy to work out what they can then do. Marketers have begun to let the data tell them who to target, as opposed to past methods of them telling the the data who to target. They have apparently proven that by understanding who’s purchasing and who’s a fan of the brand, people strongly connected to it socially are highly likely to share the same interests, to purchase those same products and have the same gender, income etc. It appears that the social connection could be a very powerful predictor indeed.

However, unlike current ad platforms offered on the likes of Facebook, where companies target individuals based on their profile, social targeting focuses on targeting people based on their friends, not their interests.

Nevertheless, there is a certain amount of skepticism that surrounds this. There are those who feel that 99.9% of what we browse on the web does not fit into any commercial or behavioural category, meaning attempts to scale that inevitably include a load of irrelevant information.

Irrespective of either of these standpoints, what nobody can deny is the fact that online engagement can be extremely beneficial and enlightening for companies who wish to develop or maintain a strong brand culture. Don’t shy away from an online presence, understand and engage with it by developing a well-thought out digital pr strategy for the future.

Success in social media.

You can’t ignore it, it’s mentioned virtually everywhere. So why do companies continue to overlook its importance and not grasp its importance? Well frankly, they just don’t get it.

To understand social media means you can use it to your best advantage so become part of the culture. Increasingly, what’s becoming clear is that brands which are having success in social media have always been in touch with culture.

Popular culture, it’s inclusive and representative of people’s changing interests and quite simply another channel within which popular culture expresses itself. And so, brands that have achieved cultural legacy have been woven into people’s online conversations without having to work hard at it. People appreciate transparency and can see the difference between brands that are forced on them and those that have organically become part of our culture. 

The people are of course as much a part of the cultural legacy as the company itself, as they fuel the brand. Companies aware of this have welcomed this not faught it. Allowing fans to become influencers in the future of the brand through content creation for example, companies can help stimulate this cultural community.

And so, before investing time and money in building your social media strategy through measured digital pr, first ask what your brand cultural legacy is that people connect to and want to be part of? Also, what are the behaviours and motivations of your fans that you can harness through social media?

Click-through rates - oh so important?

Apparently not so much. In fact, they continue to decline in the UK and Europe despite interaction rates continuing to perform well, according to the latest DoubleClick online advertising benchmark report.

But is this such a huge issue? Not really. Whilst this change in users’ behaviour might encourage advertisers to devise new methods of assessing the effectiveness of their campaigns, interaction time among UK web users is above the European average.

This just means that click-through rates (CTRs) are becoming a less relevant measurement tool for the industry. Where once they were a benchmark for measuring success, a rise of Flash and rich media interaction could be deemed as fast becoming an alternative method of engagement.

With a huge growth in such rich and exciting media, it gives the audience a new choice of options in how they interact with companies. Industry insiders explain that a rich media unit can inspire a range of responses from users and therefore not every click in this environment produces a click-through. When a viewer clicks on a rich media unit, a number of outcomes are possible, including exapnding the unit or watching a video.

Some have found that for brand campaigns, click-through rates is often not the key metric, yet it is still important for performance campaigns. So what we’re finding is that a vast amount of time should not be spent stressing about the decreasing rate of click-throughs but instead spent on considering the rich media methods out there that could intice audiences further. Work out what form of digital pr would be best suited to your company and then get to work.

A move in the right direction.

No longer focusing on the more traditional forms of customer communication, Ben & Jerry’s will become one of the first of many big brands to abandon regular email marketing and instead opt for a focus on social media.

Setting a good example, the ice-cream brand fully listened to the feedback it received from customers suggesting the majority of whom would prefer to be contacted on social media sites rather than through emailed monthly newsletters.

Whilst email marketing has long been established as one of the most successful digital marketing channels and remains a standard marketing outlet for most brands, Ben & Jerry’s have made a conscious decision to move away from the established practice.

This savvy move means that with only one email update to customers each year, Facebook and Twitter profiles will make up the main channels used to engaged with customers on a constant basis, both in-house and through its digital PR team.

A strategic move to focus on building relationships with customers, this approach is seen as being best achieved through social media. Developing friendships and relationships is key for them and thus far feedback has been largely positive. As it stands, Ben & Jerry’s UK has a Facebook fan base of over 76,000. So it would seem some are interested in the digital move.

Nevertheless, there are still those who feel that whilst there are persuasive arguments for focusing on social platforms but perhaps mainly for young people who do not use email in the same way as older people do. And so, to cut off a channel that is still used by large numbers seems impulsive and might need further development.

When things get rough..

There seems to be a growing trend of brand savvy customers becoming more wary than ever of insincere corporate apologies issued by emotionless committees, perhaps most recently publicised in the BP crisis, and thanks to social media they’re more able than ever to make your first strike count against you.

Yet, if you simply apply a little humility, making a mistake can actually lead to a better long-term relationship with your customers. 

Of course technical hi-cups occur and many on a daily basis, whether it be a minor hold-up or a colossal setback. And whilst Murphy’s law was a major difficulty in the past for PR teams, industry insiders reveal that a new wave of acceptance may be washing over the public and producing an entirely new way of building a good relationship with your customers , by failing them.

That’s not to say treat them mean keep them keen, far from it. Whilst customers in recent times do have a more evolved sensibility, and thanks to greater general knowledge regarding the nature of branding, slightly more realistic expectations, they nevertheless will not put up with bad service. Ruin their day through arrogance and lies and they will hunt you down on their nearest social network and and bury you under a ton of tweets.

But to own-up and admit you’re at fault is a different story, and one which could be your salvation. People aren’t stupid so don’t treat them that way. If handled in the correct way your mistakes can actually strengthen the relationship you have with your customers.

It does require something which most take for granted, but maybe not so much business: Honesty. Transparency is it, and with it customers will put up with mistakes providing you share with them some key pieces of information.

• You’re doing your best to fix this – constantly explain the progress through email, website, blog, and announce on Twitter. Just don’t wait until it has been resolved.
• Let them know you’ve learned your lesson - explain what went wrong, and what steps have been taken to safeguard against a repeat performance.

So there we have it. To slip up is human and if you respond in a candid manner and work hard to resolve the problem then customers will excuse this blunder, and may even feel more positively about you afterwards.

Of course mistakes happen but to prove you are an open and honest comapny and listen to customer complaints goes a long way. Just make sure you fully appreciate the influential standing of social media spaces through strategic digital pr and how they can be utilised to work in favour of your company when the ‘things’ hit the fan.

How Refreshing.

Coca-Cola has launched a new social media policy, or “social media principles” as they like to call them. Three pages of twenty “down and dirty” principles broken down into three categories.

The first has five principles of what Coca-Cola as a company commit to doing in the social media space; transparency, disclosure, safeguarding their consumers information etc.

The second category surrounds the guidelines and principles for official media spokespeople, and those who wish to be an official media spokeperson have to go through a social media certification class, this time covering then principles, again including such issues as transparency, disclosure and so on.

The third category contains a further five principles for those who are not official spokespeople but general associates of the company, which amount to over 1million. This is when these individuals are not acting on behalf of the company but come across a Facebook post or a Tweet or something in the social media space that either concerns or excites them, and how they should best interact with these conversations.

They say it’s about empowering their ambassadors and associates to be able to communicate but at the same time not giving them a bit too much rope that something goes tragically wrong.

I guess you could see this as rather encouraging to see such a major multinational conglomorate open its eyes and give power to the people but something inside is twinging at me to think otherwise.

Part of me questions whether they are merely playing the system and turning ’social media’ into just another form of ‘corporate media’. The best line may be where it says “always remember who we are (a marketing company)”, not a soft drinks company.  

Perhaps just my cynical side. Maybe I should be truly congratulating Coca-Cola to take this step when other major companies continue to ban Facebook and Twitter in the office. A large corporate organisation integrating social media into their existing principles of communication. Social media is certainly not a new concept or seperate ’thing’ its an evolution of digitally connected communication that all companies at some point will need to address.

It could be said that many will learn by the early adopters and their success or failures but they will gain ground on competitors by taking the lead! Nevertheless it’s never too late to get your foot on the ladder and do this by developing a strategic digital pr.

Positive Coverage.

Not in the case of mobile networks it would seem.

Be transparent and authentic. Be human.

The concept of social media is not new. By nature we social in the way we interact in our daily relationships with friends, family and colleagues. And generally, in those relationships we do not lie or deceive because nine times out of ten you’ll get caught out. And by lying it has a tendency to rub people up the wrong way.

In this way, theis life lesson should surely apply to social media. For those companies who choose to ignore this simple concept of ‘transparency’ therefore run the risk and jeopardise the name of the company or brand. Sure they will go viral but not with the message they were intending.

Social media is an opportunity for companies to represent themselves as real people and build real relationships with their potential customers. It’s an environment of engagement and conversation - a place where brands no longer just talk at their customers, but actually treat them wth respect.

And this won’t be free. Just like any other part of the marketing mix, social media is an investment and to make this successful businesses need a concrete strategy – a strategy that proposes where, when, and how you will spark dialogue with your audience. Like money, these strategies don’t grow on trees; they are the result of in-depth research and and creative brainstorming, both of which takes time.

Creating a strategy that fosters vubrant, organic discussions is a labour of love, foresight and planning. However, implementing that strategy is also an ongoing commitment of time and effort and if you want this done professionally why not consider getting in the pro’s to talk through how they can support your digital pr effectively.

Ok so Wimbledon fever has fizzled and the local tennis courts resume their status as tarmac spaces that seem to always be carpeted in broken glass.

But what can be taken from this year’s instalment of the country’s seasonal sporting darling than just the memory of Nadal pulling out his wedgey?

Well that would be the performance of its website. In light of some industry chat, it does seem it’s not exactly there to impress or excite. Despite the Wimbledon mobile site’s mobile URL being straightforward, it leaves you wondering why there’s no shortcode for those wanting to visit the site after being alerted to its presence on the Wimbledon website.

And whilst the sites features make it easy to use and navigate around, there’s something missing if you are looking for that little bit extra. The content is pretty basic with live scores, schedules and results but nothing too engaging, and nothing unique holding clever mobile user’s attention.

 As well as this, it seems strange that a live sporting event’s website would include an abundance of player information but no video. There is no excuse for this. Embarassingly, unlike The Guardian’s or the BBC’s Wimbledon offerings, there is a complete lack of live text commentary, resulting in an dull and tedious experience.

I guess if you’re looking for the simple things then it hits the spot but that’s as far as it goes. Not sure that a load of text is good enough to cut it though. Some explain this by a misguided placement of budgets not being balanced and all the pennies have gone on smartphone app development, leaving browser versions with a limited experience. This ain’t good enough. If you’re going to develop multi-platform applications, ensure you are maximising the experience for each one.

The goal or should I say match point (lame?) is making the end user happy and stimulated. Engagement is the whole point so why not make this the focus. Businesses often miss this but it should be the main focus in their digital pr strategies. After all, it’s the users that matter isn’t it?

Yet another digital convert.

Coca-Cola is launching a new form of digital presence for juice brand Capri Sun on teen virtual world Habbo.

The partnership between Coca-Cola’s Capri Sun and habbo is set to be cross-promotional including community activity within the virtual world, an ad sales deal worth over £250,000 and on-pack activity on 70m packs.

Capri Sun will have its own branded Capri Sun Summer Theme Park area and a fan  page on Habbo, as well as paid ads throughout the virtual world and editorial content.

In return, the on-pack activity will drive teens to habbo, with one in ten packs winning users special badges for their avatar.

The campaign will also include treasure hunts in which users can win additional virtual goods, along with competitions to win real prizes.

This campaign will stretch for four months and in this time the aim is to raise awareness of the Carpi sun brand among children in the run up to the new school year.

This is the first digital activity Coca Cola has run for the juice brand beyond a campaign site , realising that the company can no longer expect people to come to them but instead go to where people are and make sure they add value when doing so. Indeed, the first time they have used a social network instead of a more traditional approach.

This move is common of many brands of late who are beginning to adopt the view that they can no longer rest on their laurels but go to where their target audience lies through strategic digital pr.

Why the freak out?

The mere mention of the words “social media” gets some businesses in a tizz, but why? Isn’t using the internet to achieve communications objectives second nature to us now? Still, it continues to throw many into a state of wonder, awe, panic, you name it. 

Yet some industry insiders see social media as quite simply the internet and what’s the big fuss about that, everyone’s been using it for years and with that using social media principles for longer than they actually realise.

Without doubt, social media platforms are extrememly beneficial when utilised in the correct way, but remember just that, in the correct way. They are not magic, they are just websites.

But to handle social media in a confident and comfortable manner it’s best to really understand the whole concept. PRs are used to creating stories that get spread by word of mouth, the most basic example is getting an article on the front page in a newspaper that then get talked about. In the digital age, that core principle is still exactly the same; it’s just that your message can spread faster and wider then ever before.

In a similar strand to that of viral marketing that emerged ten years ago, where you could create something and then share it with like-minded individuals to potentially reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of people through the power of email and the web, social media is essentially the next step up.

The basics idea of ’shareability’ is still the same; it’s just that social media has now introduced the element of interaction. I this way, news can spread much faster and links can be shared around the world int eh blink of an eye. The main difference now between the ‘old internet’ and the ‘new internet’ is that now those who are in control of the content are the people, not the originators. It would seem that companies and their communication teams are now simply participants rather than broadcasters.

Times certainly changed. Before social media platforms became the rage, visiting websites and reading or viewing content was as good as it got. And if tehy didn’t like what they saw, well they just moved on didn’t they? Now, however, people can comment on blogs, rate pages, rate videos, write side-wikis, share links, post on chat forums, share photos, become fans, tweet news etc etc. Pretty much what the internet was meant to be all along.

And the main principles behind all this: be transparent, be creative, be helpful and BE THERE. Accept that you cannot control how your output is eventually used, or whether is is used at all. So, when creating strategies, consider how social media can enhance rather than replace your existing PR activity. When creating stories and issuing news think about ’shareability’ and make it easy for people to spread your message through strategic digital pr.

It goes without saying that in-house PR teams must take social media seriously. Media monitoring has to include social media otherwise its just a case of selective hearing. But don’t just rush out and set up company Facebook pages and Twitter accounts before actually researching what is right for your brand. Think about your audience and what their media habits are, same as you would do for print and broadcast.

Also worth noting, treat key influencers almost in the same way as journalists as they are known to have siginificant reach, and this same principle should apply to bloggers and influential social media users. Do your research. Media relations is media relations. PR is still about building relationships and is still about people.

Just make sure your social media activity aligns with your commercial objectives.

Crowd appeal is in.

Crowdsourcing, cutting out the middle man, a direct form of market research and product development, rather than just settle for sterile databases taken from the electoral register. This way the customer or target audience provides the data and ideas for improving the product or service and the messages that are used to promote it.

For example, the communicator asks people to answer questions about a new product launch, and then keeps them on a database for further market testing. Whereas market research is outsourced to the masses.

In fact, everybody’s doing this. From food chains to confectioners, politicians to humanitarian organisations, they are just a few of those using the new phenomenon to improve their communications and marketing plans.

The rise of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, has certainly driven the phenomenon. The ease of communication between chocolate bar makers and broadband providers and their customers means that people can be easily organised and incentivisedto help out the brands they love.

The run-up to the recent general election finally brought crowdsourcing aas a marketing concept into the mainstream. Not enough to just rely on the judgements of professional politicians and economists, Mr Cameron chose to ask those who’s votes he so desperately needed to help develop and therefore support policy. Through this, he called upon the public to help the Tories attack Labour’s final Budget.  

Crowdsourcing is indeed a powerful concept, but one which is not free of pitfalls. Communicators must fully understand the role of crowdsourcing before using the idea as part of their marketing strategy.

The Skittles faux pas is just one example of how companies can get it disasterously wrong. Yet when controlled in the correct manner it can be a strong research and marketing tool for companies.

For example, more effective has been the Walkers Crisps’ ‘Flavour Cup’ which was supported by a televison campaign and an incentive not to come up with silly suggestions as there was £50,000 at stake for the winner. As a result some very tasty and unusual flavours emerged, such as Cajun-flavoured squirrel and Australian BBQ kangaroo. This way customers’ were engaged with the brand and would be more inclined to chose these crisps over other brands and you know there will be a demand as they played a part in their creation. 

In the same light but to a more extreme level, Doritos, the tortilla chip brand, surpasses all others with their idea of running an annual competition for people to create the advertisement for its lucrative Superbowl spot. The rewards including millions of dollars and bragging rights, as well as a record 116 million people tuning in for the advertisement, as achieved this year.

Just a few examples of the co-creation that should be used by marketers to make their products and services the leading player in their markets. By carefully considering your online presence through strong digital pr you can seriously strengthen your brand.

The app scandal.

With the growing awareness of app benefits to business, more and more companies and institutions are jumping on board, including the Government.

However, not one to be free of scandal, it has been revealed that the Government has spent tens of thousands of pounds developing iPhone applications.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed that development costs ranged from £10,000 to £40,000, including a travel advice app from the Foreign Office and a job seeker’s tool.

This information builds upon recent government mess-ups, as just weeks ago it announced it was to conduct a review of all 820 of its websites.

A report by the Central Office of Information revealed that the government spent £94m on website development and running costs and £32m on web staff in 2009-2010.

In fact, the most expensive app was a proposed Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) app that provides “a masterclass for changing your wheel.” This app would cost £40,000 and would also work out fuel mileage, act as a hazard light and track RAC patrols.

By the end of May there were over 53,000 downloads of the Jobcentre Plus app, although critics have asked why someone who can afford both an iPhone and the expensive running costs would need a Jobcentre Plus app.

There are also reports that it will not work with Apple’s new iOS4 which is a little ironic to say the least. I think many would be of the opinion that Government agencies seem to be giving in to the temptation to spend money on fashionable gimmicks at a time when they are proposing, and encouraging others, to cut back on self-indulgent wastes of money.

However, a recent statement by the Cabinet Office has said, “The government recently announced a freeze on all marketing and advertising for this year and this includes iPhone applications.” Tail between their legs?

This is a rather apt example of the danger of jumping on board before really considering whether this suits your business and customers. It makes no sense to invest in such expensive marketing and engagement tools if your target market would be unlikely to adopt this, and in fact contradicts what you are proposing.

It is vital to consider the bigger picture and how new technologies will and will not support your business objectives. To do this consider the message you want to project and in what manner by developing a strong digital pr strategy.

Broadband for all

…for all in Finland that is.

Finland has become the first country in the world to make broadband a legal right for every citizen. That is, from 1 July every Finn will have the right to access a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection and vowed to connect everyone to a 100Mbps connection by 2015.

This is almost laughable when you consider that the UK government has promised a minimum connection of at least 2Mbps to all homes by 2012 but has stopped far short of endorsing this as a legal right.

The Finish deal means that all telecommunications companies will be obliged to provide all residents with broadband lines that can run at a minimum 1Mbps speed.

When interviewed, the Finnish communication minister Suvi Linden explained that they considered the role of the internet in Finns everday lives, realising that the internet is “no longer just for entertainment.”

Interestingly, it is believed that 96% of the population are already online, with just 4,000 to be connected to comply with the law. Whereas in the UK the figure of those using the internet stands at only 73%, and their commitment to providing everyone in the UK wth broadband with a minimum of 2Mbps by 2012 is just that, a commitment rather than a legally binding ruling.

However, on the flip-side, the decision to make broadband a legal right could in fact have implications for countries that plan to take a tough line on illegal file-sharing. For example, Britain and France have expressed that they will terminate or limit the internet connections of people who persistently download music or films for free.

Nevertheless, from a business point of view, it’s time to sit up and realise the potential. With a growing focus on the importance of the internet and the increasing number of users, this is fast becoming THE space in which to engage with your chosen consumers. What is needed, however, is to understand how to go about this without bombarding potential customers with ill-conceived content, and to do this well you have to get your digital pr fighting fit.  

This is quite apparent when considering that a poll conducted for BBC World Service earlier this year found that almost four in five people around the world believed that access to the internet is a fundamental right.

Turning your talents to cross-platform opportunities.

Nevermind a focus on merely traditional medias, follow the steps made by Channel 4 and consider the benefits of creating a wider and stronger base for your brand.

Channel 4 has increasingly centred its focus on online creativity, but not without skepticism by some. The broadcaster has promised that online creativity will not be stifled following the announcement of its pending restructuring which will see the broadcaster’s online and TV editorial  content divisions merge.

However, getting back to it. Channel 4 has commissioned many successful cross-platform initiatives over the years, the latest being live gameshow The Million Pound Drop, which had a successful number of viewers hooked.

It is promising to see powerful broadcasters realise the need to reach out to their audiences rather than merely focusing on platforms. Instead focusing on cross-platform commissioning and how people are consuming content.

With this merge, it is said that digital will be at the centre of the new division, with the focus to become “platform agnostic,” said Matt Locke, acting head of cross-platform commissioning at Channel 4.

The reasoning comes from the idea that live shows, comedy and sport are most suited to cross-platform, yet some argue that by focusing attention on this area of engagement poses a threat to Channel 4’s advantages. It is argued that commissioning interactive content is in stark contrast to commissioning TV, with interactive demanding a much more rounded, user-centred proposition.

It is argued that the importance lies in maintaining that the right people are in the driving seat with regards to commissioning the right stuff. Yet this can be applied to all business when approaching a  launch of online activity. Even in this realm it would seem that the distinction between traditional TV andonline commissioning has already become blurred. Just make sure what you’re doing is thought through and is aimed at what your consumer really wants. Firstly, perfect what your online achievements are to be, and for business this can be done through creating a strong digital pr strategy.

Unilever has well and truly got the digital buzz.

Not one to shy away, Unilever has been using online media to engage with new audiences for its margarine brands.

It is building on its digital work and experience with the Flora brand, which has long used online to promote its healthy benefits, to promote similar products in the FMCG giant’s brand portfolio.

In fact, Flora was one of the first brands in Unilever’s Bestfoods division to advertise on the web, introducing an online campaign back in 2002. From this success, Unilever has hired digital partners to create online campaigns for both the Bertolli and Stork brands, following the work it had carried out online for Flora since it first started working with the brand in 2007.

The online activity in particular, is focused on creating interesting content in order to attract people to an everyday product. The Bertolli campaign will centre on bertollipassions.co.uk, which aims to attract food enthusiasts and position the product as the number one olive oil spread in the UK. It would seem that the centre peice to this is Katie’s Diary by travel writer Katie Bishop, who’s travelling around the Med blogging about the origin of foods and the culture of each country. It’s making my mouth salivate just writing this.

A nice little enticement from their digital pr, visitors can sign up to the email alerts recording the journey and enter competitions. The whole site will be supported by search and a direct mail campaign, as well as using the brand’s existing social network presences.

Further, the online campaign centre’s on its origin and its relationship with baking, and so has a section devoted to bakery recipes, tips for baking and information on the brand’s history. Not only this, but it will also contain video recipe tips from one of the UK’s first celebrity chefs, Margueritte Patten.

They said they wanted to create interest, interest in margarine, and by jo I think they may be on to a winner with the way in which they have combined it with the wider interest of cooking. Tasty delights always attract the masses. Let’s watch and see.

Digital PR here and now.

With the news that British web users are now spending 65% more time online than they did three years ago, online PR has never been more important, report industry specialists.

Such a leap in the amount of time spent online illustrates the need for businesses to have a strong online presence. Businesses have the opportunity to use such trends to their advantage to spread their message to the internet masses in ways previously unknown.

The research, compiled by the UK online measurement company, was based on the online activities of 40,000 internet users. On average, British users spend 22 hours and 15 minutes – almost a full day – on the internet each month.

The way this time is distributed displays a clear shift towards the importance of social media with, on average, 22.7% of this time spent on either social networking sites or blogs. Second to this was email, with 7.2% of time online used.

It would seem that such an onus on the use of social media and blogging illustrates that these are platforms in which businesses must engage with in order to remain relevant and potentially increase revenues.

The change in internet surfing habits highlights that people are now subjected to online advertisements and digital marketing like never before. Thus, businesses need to ensure they maintain a suitable rapport with their consumers, and the internet now provides a clear device in facilitating this achievement.

Now is the time to focus attention on new avenues, starting with perfecting a sharp digital pr strategy to stand shoulder to shoulder with the big boys.

Time to sharpen up and get digitally savvy.

Industry news has just revealed that social networks are becoming more popular than search engines in the UK, according to figures from Experian Hitwise. The analytics firm said traffic to social networks accounted for 11.9% of all UK internet visits during May, while search engines accounted for 11.3%. In fact, Facebook received more than half of the social network visits in the UK (55%), almost triple the number YouTube had. Google remains the most viewed website overall. With Twitter coming third in the most popular social network, ahead of Bebo and MySpace.

This is interesting when you consider the changing face of consumers, and the fact that communication and marketing have increasingly become a ‘pull’ instead of ‘push’ process.

Instead of businesses pushing marketing messages and information, people ‘pull’ information, they stumble upon it, search it, they discover it, and it discovers them.

In practically all stages, the customer can get information about products, companies and so on where and when they want. And it’s not on your corporate website alone. It’s  social networks, search engines, peer reviews, you name it, and you can’t control it (which doesn’t mean you can’t steer and manage it).

All that is requires is to be aware of the changing times and become as digitally-savvy as possible, starting with getting your digital pr strategies ironed out and ready to go.

Why online should be treated as an equal.

It fast becoming a realisation of many companies that online presence should be handled with the same care and expertise as the traditonal media. No longer seen as something of second importance.

NME.com is a nice little example of this. They expect a big increase in its next ABCE figures after changes to the site this year, which won the publisher the AOP award for consumer website last week.

The relaunch of the mag this year saw major changes to its website. The last ABCE figures found NME.com to have 3.4m unique users. In fact, NME rearranged its editorial team making sure that all staff work on both the print title and the website, as well as boosting video and blog content, and launched NME Breakthrough, a community site for bands and new music fans.

David Moynihan, editor of NME.com said, “NME is a very cross-platform brand but it’s still important for us that the magazine remains at the heart of everything we do, be it the TV channel, live shows or online content.”

On top of this, NME will also add to its channels with a mobile app, planned for launch later this year.

It’s not a coincidence the NME won Best Consumer Site at the AOP last week. Their focus on online production is key to their success. Take note. They have been able to grasp the importance of including high quality content in order to satisfy readers and done so with strong and effective digital PR and marketing on board.

Delicious delights go digital.

We are all aware of the strengths both economically and culturally of cookery and recipe books that bookshop retailers and chef, bakers, and cookery novices have had to offer for years but there is also a growing usage of online platforms to share.

The growing emergence of recipe bloggers and cookery platforms has generated huge interest and the increasing number of followers should in fact be utilised and exploited by the food and drinks industry to capture the attention of their target markets.

It is an opportunity for companies to get to know what people are interested in eating and drinking and perhaps engage with them. From this, they should be considering the potential benefits of using different forms of digital pr in this environment.

There has been a resurgence in the get to know your food method of cooking, where people seem to be more willing and excited about experimenting and sharing recipes and dishes.

So these areas of interest and could prove to be a successful method of engagement for businesses, both cost-effectively and more suucessful in learning what their customers are really interested.