The truth is I know I’m not alone. Most PR and social media gurus are glued to their smartphones. In our industry, you have to be. There are a few applications that make my job as a PR Coordinator easier, so I thought I’d share with you. After all, they are applications that any businessman or woman would find beneficial.

1. LinkedIn: It’s safe to say that LinkedIn’s app is the best professional networking app on the market. It not only notifies you when you have a new friend request from a professional connection but it also pushes the top news to your phone. Another added perk, it will send you an email every Monday with the top news in your industry.
2. Pulse: I love this application! It’s a news aggregator, which means that I get access to all of my favorite publications’ latest articles in one place. I can read articles from TIME, Slate and Self all in one place. It’s a nice app to have when you want to catch up on the news without going to ten different websites. Stay on top of your clients’ industry by adding publications relevant to their trade.
3. Dropbox: Never worry about losing a file again! Dropbox is a must-have file sharing service which makes it easy for busy business people to sync files across multiple computers, tablets and devices. This is a must-have app for traveling PR professionals who need to stay on top of their work while they’re away from the office. The app allows you to download important documents like presentations or reports from the home office without having to open a laptop. Need to proof a release before it hits the Wire? Dropbox it and share it with your co-workers! They can make changes and send it back to you.
4. Evernote: If you’re like me, you attend a lot of meetings and take a lot of notes. If you don’t have Evernote yet you’re missing out. In fact, I think it’s one of the most innovative apps on the market. It is able to transcribe anything from an ink note to snapshots of whiteboards. Did I also mention it can do food labels, screenshots of websites and digital images? It’s like have a transcribing secretary that works at the speed of light and is always organized! Hip-hip hooray for this impressive app!
5. LexusNexis: Search, browse and email LexisNexis information to expand your productivity and find new media contacts from the palm of your hand? Yes, I think so! Find important documents and information about your clients from this massive database while on the go.

These are just a few of my favorite applications. Leave us a comment about which ones you use most often!

In email marketing, there are several things you can test to gain insight on what type of content is the most consumable for the people in your database. Testing different subject lines, distribution times and personalization through the use of dynamic content and then analyzing engagement results from open rates to clickthrough rates (CTRs) can help marketers fine-tune their email efforts and increase the likelihood of customer action. We’ll use ourselves as an example. Once a month we distribute a blog roundup via email (that may be how some of you got here today). Last month, we tested three different subject lines and what we learned was staggering! The subject line style we’d been consistently using each month tested to have the lowest open rate and CTR while the subject line with the second highest open rate tripled the number of clicks through to our blog. (Thanks for reading, guys, BTW!) Check out the full results below:

1. Subject Line 1: The Five – M/C/C’s Blog Recap – April 2012 (Open Rate 5.21%; CTR 0.47%)
2. Subject Line 2: Mad Men’s Draper Needs PR Advice (Open Rate 7.46%; CTR 1.28%)
3. Subject Line 3: What SXSW and Hunger Games Share (Open Rate 9.36%; CTR 0.61%)

What this tells us is that while Subject Line 3 enticed the most people to open our email, the content in it wasn’t as relevant to what they thought they’d get because the CTR is lower. And here’s where we get back to why it’s so important for people with different marketing specialties to share this kind of information with each other. Editorial content at many organizations is produced by PR people from idea generation to publication. By getting these two groups talking, the content developers can use the insights from the email to guide them in the direction of producing more of what their audience likes and less of what they’re not interested in. And like any good PR practitioner knows, communication is a two-way street.

For example, social media practitioners have far deeper and better insight into the behaviors and preferences of their core audience than can be collected via email; however these behavioral insights can be effectively applied to email marketing strategy with great success. If you think about it, this makes perfect sense as both mediums strive to keep a brand top-of-mind among people who have opted in. Jay Baer, a noted frequent social media keynote speaker points out some of the similarities in their metrics:

• Email subscribes = Facebook likes
• Email unsubscribes = Facebook unsbscribes
• Email opens = Facebook impressions
• Email clicks = Facebook feedback
• Email forwards = Facebook shares

With this knowledge, email time of day testing can help the social media team optimize Facebook posts or Pinterest day of week testing can give email marketers a good idea of when people are most likely to be engaging with content online.

So start talking. What brands’ emails do you find yourself paying closer attention to and why?

In November 2011, Ron Johnson joined Frisco-based retailer JC Penney as Chairman and CEO. Following an SEO disaster online and facing a tough market against competitors like Macy’s and Target (another company on Johnson’s resume) and trying to find a way to reach today’s shopper in a challenging economy, Johnson was brought in to innovate and revitalize the company’s rich 100-year history.

Innovating is not something Johnson is unfamiliar with; in fact, he may even be famous for it. He has roots that tie back to bringing the original designer concept we all know and love so well to Target with the Michael Graves collection in 1998. Later he joined Steve Jobs at Apple and gave us the very first Apple Store, the Genius Bar and One to One.

Together with a new President, Target’s former CMO, he’s hoping to transform the JC Penney brand into its own iconic experience. The first phase of that process began earlier this year with a new pricing strategy leaning away from promotions to focus on fair-and-square simplicity and a full-on marketing campaign blitz that included well-integrated elements from advertising, public relations and social media disciplines plus a beloved new spokeswoman. But with sales still not picking up, many have been wondering, “What’s the next step? What’s the bigger plan?” At a recent Management Briefing Series put on by Ernst & Young at Southern Methodist University, Johnson shared his inspiration with a packed house.

According to Johnson, companies don’t always move forward; and in order to do so they must pause, reflect and make a change. Some of his advice was to rethink everything you do in order to win at everything, and the only way to win at everything is through innovation. So, where do you begin?

Johnson says innovation is born through imagination, so that’s probably a good place to start. One of the thoughts that shaped the Apple Store as we now know it was initially,

What if we were faster than the drycleaner at repairing high tech?

Ah ha! That’s where the rethinking part comes in. And in marketing, the rethinking and reflecting revolves around six Ps:

1. Personality
2. Price
3. Promotion
4. Product
5. Presentation
6. Place

Since JC Penney rebranded, we’ve seen an overhaul of the first three Ps leaving product, presentation and place as the last channels for innovation. Based upon Johnson’s history at Target and especially at Apple, those are three areas in which consumers’ spending and loyalty habits indicate Johnson has perfect pitch.

What do you think about the new JC Penney?

Oh, Zuck. You’re far too kind.  But, why did you really?

Because a social network’s utility is derived from the people belonging to it and the virility of the network to grow and spread at a fast, sustainable pace, in today’s social media landscape, buying social startups in whatever form, has become the rationale for many big-money purchases.

While most entrepreneurs can only hope to one day replace or even compete with the larger tech giants, recently,  small teams of smart, dedicated people – like those at Instagram – are creating significant momentum and innovation in niche areas that are attracting millions of users in early stages and piquing the interest of larger companies.

The end result is companies like Facebook taking advantage of this current social media frenzy and filling in gaps in its current strategy. It further displays a shift in favor of startups that can do all the work innovate and help diversify the portfolio of existing social platforms.

Think about it. When Google bought YouTube for $1.6 billion in November 2006, the video-sharing service had zero revenue, but was already one the biggest online video-sharing sites boasting more than 100 million daily video views. While Google hasn’t revealed whether the online site is profitable in its own rights, YouTube sports tons of online ads and remains the biggest video-sharing online site by a landslide.

Truth be told, not even a small percentage of startups can boast a user base like YouTube or Instagram, and not every entrepreneur is as lucky savvy as Zuckerburg  but there’s just enough room for  platforms to find their unique fit in the bigger social picture.

And, now is the best time ever to get into the game.

However, with the fierce competition, startups will have to make a mark by strategizing ways to grow their user base and making a name for themselves – like these simple, but effective, strategies taken by some of today’s social media giants.

Start small and exclusive

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is making a comeback! The First-Lady-turned-world-leader went viral a few weeks ago when two of her fans, Adam Smith and Stacy Lambe, created a Tumblr account called “Texts from Hillary.” Modeled after what the secretary might say in text messages to other politicians, the Tumblr account shows photos of the secretary of state wearing giant sunglasses, checking her BlackBerry and looking as if she’s ready to ice somebody with her glare. The meme was an instant hit; making headlines and earning the creators a trip to the White House to meet the secretary.

As a political nerd and PR practitioner, I was excited to see a politician join forces with the social media world! While “Texts from Hillary” was created by two loyal fans, most politicians’ social media accounts are run by their campaign team. Before you roll your eyes and call it another outlet for politicians to offer empty promises, consider this: politicians are viewed by the public as elitist and out-of-touch with Americans, and social media offers them a way to change this image. Social sites are popular outlets that the public uses to voice their opinions and engage with their friends. It’s also become a place where brands share their messaging and build relationships with fans. So, politicians finally borrowed a page from brands’ social media playbooks and sought to engage with voters in the same way.

In an age when persuading voters to vote is difficult enough, this new approach to social media is giving politicians the much-needed “cool factor.” Plus, it’s humanizing some of the world’s most exclusive leaders and thinkers. In fact, the secretary of state isn’t the only one who is benefitting from her recent social media popularity. The Washington Post published a story about Senator Paul Ryan’s presence on Tumblr. His Tumblr, conveniently called, “Hey Girl It’s Paul Ryan” is modeled after the famous fan-run Ryan Gosling Tumblr account, “Hey Girl.” His site, which is run by his campaign team, tackles “the issues” using memes, creative photos and witty lines.

From Tumblr to Pinterest, political leaders are changing politics as we know it by capitalizing on social media’s popularity. For example, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s wife, Ann Romney began using Pinterest a few months ago to share personal photos of her family and special memories from the campaign trail. First Lady Michelle Obama pulled a similar move when she joined Twitter earlier this year. Both women have the right approach to social media. Although they have a team who manages their accounts, both engage with voters on a frequent basis, often signing their original content with their initials.

For those who are still skeptical about politicians and social media, I offer one final point. There’s an old, saying that voters vote for the candidate they are most likely to have a beer with. While you may not want to have a beer with Michelle Obama or Ann Romney, I bet either you or the leading lady in your life would be elated if she had the opportunity to gab with one of the politician’s wives over a cup of coffee and a slice of homemade apple pie (what’s more American than that?!). At the end of the day, social media is providing the public a medium for which to engage with politicians. Voters sense the “let’s grab a beer” intimacy with politicians who have a strong presence on social media.

So next time you’re online surfing one of the many social media sites take a look at some of the politicians’ pages. They, just like brands, figured that social media is an incremental part of their marketing strategy. After all, when word-of-mouth is the biggest endorsement any candidate could receive; social media is one party they can’t afford to miss.

Last month five of us from M/C/C joined 24,564 other people for the annual Interactive portion of Austin’s most famed festival. As a veteran this time, I thought I’d know exactly what to expect, how to best plan my sessions, route myself through downtown, navigate the throng of people in the Austin Convention Center, seek out the best foods as the least crowded places and maintain my Vitamin C levels. I was prepared to reenter the arena for the Quarter Quell. I should have known when I arrived in an unusually cold, wet Austin that something would be different this year and I’d be thrown off my game.

Instead I wasn’t struck with that realization until the first morning of conference sessions. The team and I had already managed to overcome a series of game challenges including a shuttle bus that never showed, a series of parking garages with minimum height requirements our beast of a car could not meet, and a sudden torrential downpour that was unleashed the moment we finally did find parking and stepped out of the vehicle. We didn’t encounter any Tracker Jackers or Jabberjays, but it was a harrowing morning none-the-less. Despite all this, I had successfully run four blocks through the rain to arrive at my destination five minutes before my first class was supposed to start. Soaking wet and I’d have to sit on the floor, but I had made it! As I began to walk into the conference hall I was caught off-guard by a voice asking to scan my SXSW badge.

“What’s that you say? You need to scan me?”

I was perplexed but complied and continued on with my day of learning, being scanned at each entrance. The more I thought about it, I wasn’t really surprised. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is incredibly useful and cost-effective in a variety of situations, and it makes sense that it would be employed at an interactive conference that caters to emerging tech aficionados. In fact, I wondered why it hadn’t been in use sooner and was excited to think about all the cool ways that the Gamemakers were probably going to use the information they were collecting by tracking me to enhance my conference experience. For the next few days I happily presented myself for scanning.

Except the conference came and went, the sun finally came back out and I returned to Dallas from Austin having seen no cool use of RFID except to authenticate me when I entered a session. According the event’s website, the SXSW Gamemakers hope the expanded use of RFID technology improved my experience. They cite examples of how the program provides real-time information on scan counts and crowd flow, and believe me – with almost 25,000 people milling about in interactive sessions alone that is a much-needed application. But if the event planners don’t want to turn into the Capitol, then all I’m saying is that the information they’re collecting about me should help me out, too. For example, they know what sessions I attended and am interested in, so how great would it be if they sent me the presentations from those sessions after the event? I mean, they’ve already mined the data so now let’s use it for good.

What applications of RFID technology do you think would benefit both conference organizers and conference attendees?

Don Draper, the star of the hit television series Mad Men, has a famous line that he often uses to clarify what exactly he does– “I don’t sell advertising. I sell products.” While his debonair and misunderstood character has many flaws, crafting memorable creative concepts certainly isn’t one of them. In fact, Draper has landed numerous accounts because of a killer pitch. But while his killer pitches land clients, they’re also slowly killing the public’s perception of the PR industry.

In fact, Mad Men has a lot of influence on the way public relations and advertising is relayed to the public. Thanks to the media, the public has been led to believe that PR people work to cover up the truth, control spin (think Komen crisis) or create it, design ads and down martinis with clients (think Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce). These assumptions have cast a negative and dark shadow on the industry. So, despite my love obsession for Mad Men, I’m insisting Don Draper move over while I share the truth about what PR folks really do.

If you recall in December I blogged about the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) quest to update the definition of public relations. I’m proud to say that after much debate, PRSA leadership has finally decided on a new one!

“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

With the new definition, PRSA was able to capture the essence of the industry and its practices without getting caught addressing each and every task. It’s important to remember that although strategy may shift and outlets may change, PR professionals will always be responsible for a set of core actions, most of which include communicating a message with the public. If Don Draper were a PR man he might even say, “I don’t sell communications, I sell brands.” In order to do this, public relations professionals handle many job tasks.

1. Trusted Council: PR professionals are often well versed in a variety of topics. In fact, they have to be! As corporate boards and CEOs demand real-time answers and subsequent solutions for dealing with dirty laundry, PR people are often the go-to person for problem solving and crisis communication.
2. Research and Implementation: PR people research facts, figures and statistics in order to create a positive and successful communication strategy. From the strategy stage, public relations people push plans through to implementation. Finally, as trusted council, public relations professionals study the effectiveness of a PR campaign or communications strategy and report the facts and findings to the proper people. This sometimes means delivering bad news.
3. Internal Communication: PR professionals engage employees with each other by building bridges between departments, the “higher-ups,” and stockholders. Building trust is a big part of internal communication.
4. Media Relations: This might seem like an obvious job function, but it is easily misunderstood. Yes, public relations professionals coordinate interviews and bylines (and often write them), but they also work hard to strengthen a company or organization’s relationship as an industry thought leader with the media. In return they gain the public’s trust and support.
5. Community Relations: Just as important as media relations, community relations is a vital part of a business or organization’s communication efforts. Companies who encounter crisis situations fair much better if they have a strong relationship with the community. This relationship is possible because of PR people.
6. Crisis Communication and Issue Management: Remember BP’s oil spill in the Gulf? Or most recently the pink slime issue with beef providers? Both of these crises were handled by public relations professionals. The best PR professionals know that complete honesty and a forthcoming nature earn the public’s respect and trust. Some do this better than others.
7. Publicity and Special Events: Party! Where? Calm down, Don Draper! PR professionals have everything covered. From stockholder meetings to press conferences, PR folks gather the media, community members and important leaders inside and outside of their organization for special events. This also means writing speeches, compiling bullet points and coordinating last minute details.

Of course, public relations is an expansive field. My list of tasks could go on and on and on… but, in true Draper fashion, I have a lunch appointment.

Mad Men aires on AMC on Sunday nights at 10 p.m./ 9 p.m. CST.

Whether it was a poster in ancient Rome advertising a gladiator match or it’s a tweet announcing a new snack food, there’s a reason it was or is there. People don’t communicate for their own sake—it’s a two-way street. Someone on the other end has to take the message and do something with it.

For marketers today, that’s the easy part. It’s a daunting task choosing who to talk to, what to say to them and how to say it. There are new platforms emerging every day, each with its own set of adopters. Throwing a poster up in the town center just isn’t an option anymore.

Still, our primary goal is to move our audience to action. And if done well, the result will be the emergence of brand ambassadors.

Of course, there are countless forms this could take, but in essence, it is when a consumer takes brand loyalty or preference into his or her own hands and encourages others to follow suit.

For an alcohol brand, it may be a bar patron asking the bartender to consider carrying a specific label. A nonprofit may ask its donors to encourage friends to contribute to its cause.

In order to be useful for marketers though, we’ve got to plan ahead. Sure, if we send the message out, it will most likely get passed along to a portion of its original audience. But if we are to get anything out of it, we need to set objectives beforehand to really capitalize on the power of brand advocates.

Social media has brought countless responsibilities to marketers, but the good news is that it has made brand advocacy faster and easier than we could’ve ever hoped for. When a Facebook fan Likes a post or photo on a brand’s Timeline, that user’s friends can see that they Liked it. Furthermore, when Web surfers read a story on a magazine’s website, one click will share that content with their social networks.

This has sparked a frenzy of tweet-it-and-see-how-far-it-goes campaigns based entirely on the considerations that a) the message is agreeable, b) the user is asked to share it and c) sharing is simple, and it’s been working.

It wasn’t long before brands and users alike realized that if they add “Like this post if you agree” or “retweet” to content, followers and fans will do it, adding a whole new dimension to messaging.

Now, clicking the “Like” on a post just isn’t enough. Sure, there’s still some value there, but users are becoming more and more aware of their networks’ visibility into their activity. Now, in order to turn the new generation of socially savvy users into brand advocates, we have to meet them on their own terms.

The addition of a “Share” option to nearly every Facebook component introduced a new, more robust avenue for users to spread a message. It’s more direct and more effective, and we can expect to see more of these features incorporated across the Web.

So in order to turn the new socially active consumer into a digital brand advocate, these are a few considerations to look at before you start posting:

Up the Engagement Level
Who wants to share lackluster content? The more components there are to a message, the better. That’s not to say a Facebook post should be a paragraph, but adding a photo, video or link to it for support adds depth without clouding it up. Plus, it’s pretty.

Create Content
You’re promoting a brand. There is a very visual component to that, so take advantage of it. Invest in photography and videos specific to your brand, rather than scouring the Web for secondhand content. If they’ve seen it before, they’re not likely to share it again.

Consider Your Audience’s Audience
If you want a message to spread, it’s got to be something your fans’ friends want to see too. Test out a few different types of messages and add some content specifically for your fans’ networks. Without the knowledge of this secondary network’s metrics, this may require some trial and error, but it shouldn’t be hard to pinpoint what’s moving and what’s not.

Anyone?

Well, good thing we stopped by Recycle Revolution’s latest event to learn fun facts about everything green and environmentally-friendly! Here are  the dirty details.

This past weekend, M/C/C’s ‘Giving you the Biz’ contest winner, Recycle Revolution, held its first annual Deep Green Revolution event which aimed to educate local North Dallas citizens on the best practices for successful, eco-friendly living. The locally-owned and -operated, totally cool recycling company’s community-wide green round-up event celebrated the sustainability programs it’s helping companies implement in North Texas and marked the official introduction of Recycle Revolution’s Deep Ellum location.

TAGGED: Local artist, Harmony Witte, created this custom mural for RR's newest facility.

In the past year, the Deep Ellum community has experienced significant growth and as more local businesses and restaurants continue to open in the area, education plays a huge factor in maintaining  the area’s sustainability practices. The ecological and economic benefits of recycling-and waste diversion, in general, are well documented, but good recycling practices can benefit our local community, too.

Through collection or drop-off, Recycle Revolution accepts  a wide variety of materials, from the usual suspects – like your old book reports, moving boxes, beer bottles, Disney VHS collection and other paper, plastic, aluminum, cardboard, glass products –  to the not-so-usual materials – like e-waste, batteries, light bulbs, Styrofoam and carpet.

With support from The Dallas Zoo, Deep Ellum Community Association (DECA), The Deep Ellum Urban Gardens and The Deep Ellum Brewing Company, The Deep Green Revolution showed Dallasites the ins and outs of green waste management including  where to find safe places to drop off recyclables or what how VHS tapes are really sent off to electronic heaven.

M/C/C loves recycling!

A few lucky guests also had the opportunity to support DECA and Deep Ellum Urban Gardens by participating in a gift card raffle. The raffle featured gift cards, ranging from small to large amounts, redeemable at Dallas-area restaurants and stores.

Keep reading to see more pictures from the event! While you’re at it, feel to visit www.recyclerevolutiondallas.com or Recycle Revolution’s Facebook or Twitter pages for more information on the great work they’re doing throughout the Dallas community. Go green!

As it turns out, the format takes on many of the visual components of Timeline for users, so last month, we saw many smaller marketers throw up a Cover Photo and call it a day. For us agencies, on the other hand, the process was a little bit more thought provoking, which led to a certain amount of industry ridicule calling agencies “slow to adopt,” and so forth. Ouch.

Now, here I am to tell you that, in this case, slow and steady most definitely won the race. In fact, your favorite people on earth here at M/C/C have not only launched a baller Timeline concept for ourselves, but spent the few weeks that Facebook allowed us working on five of our social media clients’ Timelines as well. So take a look:

For a company like Chuck E. Cheese’s, the memories it creates each day are just as important as its long, rich history. That’s why we chose to take this opportunity to focus on the fans who send us photos of their trips, celebrations and birthday parties every day. After all, Chuck E. is on Facebook to connect with fans, so why should his Timeline be any different?
Check it out

Our team doesn’t usually manage the day-to-day on Facebook for client CPS HR Consulting, but we were happy to lend a helping hand in telling this company’s brand story through Timeline. For this client, we chose to focus on its proven expertise in HR consulting for the public sector. Milestones outline the company’s history and successes over the years.
Check it out

Our client FairLease is nothing like you would expect a car dealership and financing company to be like, so why should its Timeline be? With a major focus on people, rather than the bottom line, milestones illustrate the happiness that comes with the FairLease experience. In fact, the only pictures of cars you’ll see are the ones that happy customers send in!
Check it out

With auctions across the nation every month, Hudson and Marshall uses its Facebook presence to connect with hundreds of localized markets. So in order to maintain a strong brand and message across all events and materials, the company’s Timeline illustrates the company’s market leadership in a very consistent way.
Check it out

Privacy is often considered a thing of the past, what with social network users handing out phone numbers, birthdates and photos. But for Privus Mobile, privacy is very much an ongoing issue. That’s why the smartphone app developer’s Timeline takes a look at the evolution of privacy throughout history…only more interesting.
Check it out

And the pièce de résistance—M/C/C’s very own Timeline.

If you’re not familiar with our Creative Capers or our monthly comic strip, then you’ve probably been wondering what that void in your life is. If you are, then the hole in your heart filled with comic goodness is totally gonna overflow when you see our Timeline.

Follow the 25-year story of M/C/C from its humble birth on Mike Crawford’s kitchen table to the powerhouse it is today. Then, Like our page so you don’t miss out on any more of the black-and-white goodness.

As a matter of fact, you should probably Like all these Timelines because, let’s face it, our clients are awesome and you’re probably super jealous anyway.

Let us know which one’s your favorite and share your own Timeline concepts with us in the comments, too!