More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the expo, a face-to-face marketing opportunity that can be extremely valuable to entrepreneurs and other small business operations.
The chamber has arranged a special seminar this year on social media. Curt Mercadante, principal of Merc Strategy Group, LLC, will present “The Press Release is Dead: Using New Communications Tools to Build Your Business, Non-Profit or Campaign.” From Twitter to Facebook to blogs, social media is being touted as the new tool for marketing to consumers who are increasingly online and mobile.
I’m excited for the address, and honored that the Hilton Head Chamber has invited me to present at this great event.
The Chicago Tribune today highlighted the online efforts (which we coordinated) of our client Jason Plummer, who won the Republican nomination for Illinois Lt. Governor earlier this week. The Tribune article sites Jason as:
“part of a ‘new breed of Republican politics’ — a young, energetic politician who tapped into social networking and worked hard throughout the state.”
Jason made the e-campaign an important part of his campaign, including building one of the largest Republican voter email networks in the state, and a large and active following on Facebook. It is interesting to note that Jason won the campaign by approximately 4,700 votes — and had about 4,700 supporters on Facebook.
Congratulations to Jason Plummer, the winner of the 2010 Republican Primary for the office of Illinois Lt. Governor.
Jason made a strong commitment to building his campaign’s strategic online program, and we were honored to help him build a strong, statewide online grassroots network that was a strong component of his winning effort.
Over a three-month period, our firm helped the Plummer campaign build one of, if not the largest, statewide Republican voter email networks, as well as one of the strongest “social networking” outreach efforts in Illinois.
We also were honored to work on the gubernatorial campaign of former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan. Jim came up short in a closely-contested Republican Primary, but we were proud of the work we did for his campaign — and honored to work for a great man and a dedicated public servant.
This is Part III in a series of answers I provided to the Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce in advance of my keynote address at their February Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. You can view Part One here and Part Two here. Following is my answer to the question, “How techno-savvy does one have to be to start a “social media” program?
The greatest thing about modern media tools is that you don’t have to be tech-savvy at all. Today’s tools are turnkey. To use Facebook or Twitter, all you need to know how to do is write concisely, and fill in a blank.
There is plenty of blogging software out there that allows you to choose from ready-made templates so you can start blogging in a matter of minutes. Modern email distribution software allows you to upload your contacts and start sending well-designed emails to your customers in no time.
I would argue that today’s customers’ thirst for compelling, regular content makes basic writing and communication skills more important than “tech” skills.
One thing we stress with our clients is that it’s not about the “tech” it’s about the content. The tech is the megaphone — but the message is all about you. And if you can’t deliver a message, the best megaphone in the world isn’t going to help.
This is Part II of a series of answers I provided to the Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce in advance of my keynote address at their February Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. You can view Part One here. Following is my answer to the question, “How much time or resources does a strong “social media” presence require?
I get the time and resources question a lot — and it’s a question I love to answer.
In terms of resources, social media can be free … or, if you’re willing to spend money, it can be nearly free.
I’m pleased to be the newest member of the Merc Strategy Group Team — and to building successful communications campaigns for our clients using a comprehensive array of modern media tools.
As someone who has worked in the world of “traditional media relations” over the past decade, I’ve been able to see firsthand how the climate has changed.
What happen to the good ol’ days (2006!) — when all we had to do was pitch reporters at newspapers and other so-called “mainstream media.”
In 2010, successful communications efforts require a much broader content effort and media push. These days, the term “public relations” has taken on new meaning, as modern tools do allow us to better communicate directly with … well, the public.
On Feburary 18, 2010, I will be the keynote speaker at the Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, delivering a presentation, entitled, “The Press Release is Dead: Using New Communications Tools to Build Your Business, Non-Profit or Campaign.” As part of the pre-promotion of this event, the Chamber asked me to participate in a brief Q&A that they’re sending to their members. Over the next week, we’ll share my responses to this Q&A, the first of which is below to the question: “How would you define ‘new’ or ’social’ media?”
I actually don’t believe in using those terms, because I think there’s no such thing as “social media” — it’s all just media. Read More »
Over the past few years, a handful of political candidates have utilized online “money bombs” to raise significant sums of money for their campaigns.
The first high-profile money bomb occurred for 2008 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul, who used the tactic to raise millions of dollars online for his insurgent campaign on a single day.
These high-profile (and, I might add, rare) case studies show the potential of successful online fundraising — but they also leave many candidates hungry to use their e-campaigns at ATM machines and wondering why their money bombs aren’t working. From our perspective, in the wake of these newsworthy successes, we get a flood of requests from our political clients to spearhead “money bombs” for their campagins.
We are big believers in utilizing modern communications tools are story-telling devices. While these tools are merely the efficient means to deliver the stories — the key is and always will be the quality of the stories.
On that note, we were proud this week to launch a new Web site — TheJimRyanIKnow.com — for one of our clients, Illinois gubernatorial candidate and former two-time Attorney General Jim Ryan.
As many of you know, Jim not only was a former Attorney General, he is also a two-time cancer survivor who, along with his family, has weathered significant personal and professional challenges. Please read his bio here.
He has handled these challenges with grace. Whether it is through his fight with cancer, his work to help the less fortunate, or his time spent on the faculty at Benedictine University, Jim has served as an inspiration and touched the lives of countless people and families across Illinois.
TheJimRyanIKnow.com is a place where the people who know Jim best can tell their stories. We invite you to visit the site and watch the stories. Below is one of these stories told by Jason Wildge, one of Jim’s students at Benedictine University:
