What’s this, you ask? Well, Community Manager Appreciation Day (CMAD) was created back in 2010 by Jeremiah Owyang to celebrate the tireless efforts of community managers around the world. Community managers spend their day acting as a bridge between their company or brand and the world at large. At any given time you can find a community manager acting as the PR, marketing, sales, customer service and voice of a brand all at the same time. Today is the day we give them thanks.

Does your company have a community manager? Have you had a great experience from a brand thanks to their community manager? Today’s their day, so thank them for the wonderful job that they’re doing. Presents aren’t required (although I’m sure they also wouldn’t be turned away), but your thanks and appreciation is welcome.

Now, when I said that presents aren’t required, I meant it, but we have two for all the community managers out there anyways.

First, we have the ebook “A Collection Of Community Management Advice.” We teamed up with TheCommunityManager.com and issued an open survey of seven questions to community managers around the world. We got some great responses and put them together for anyone that’s interested in learning what it takes to be a successful community manager. Inside, you can find advice from community managers from EventBrite, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Syracuse University, Edelman, The Community Roundtable, The U.S. Department of State and more.

You can click here to download and keep A Collection Of Community Management Advice.

Our second present is also packed with useful advice for community managers, but comes in the form of a video. We had a few friends at New Media Expo a few weeks ago answer a couple of community management questions. We asked some social media professionals “What makes a great community manager?” and who some of their favourite community managers were. Check out their answers:

So to all those community managers out there making their companies better 24/7, we say thank you!

Angelica Moreno, who has managed the well-known household brands Becel, Hellmann’s and Sensodyne, takes us through the 4Ps of marketing – the first in a series looking at how to correctly market your product.

Karen Geier, the co-founder of Shyndyg.com and  a digital marketing executive, walks us through the steps to establishing your brand’s identity.

Enjoy!

2012-06-28 12.04 Stop calling journalists. Get them to call you! 10 PR musts for business owners. from Marketwire on Vimeo.

Robert Garrova, one of our Los Angeles editors, shows us how to write a headline that’s fun, eye-catching and, yes, SEO-friendly.

With everyone from experienced journalists to high school kids getting a deluge of news and information from feeds and email on their PCs, tablets, and even smartphones, the modern press release has to grab attention more than ever. But with massive amounts of information lighting up the web and flooding journalists’ inboxes, how do you get your press release to permeate the first layer and sink in its roots? A well written and strategized headline always helps. Here are five tips:

Keep the Context

While “Clothing Company Has New Eco-Friendly Line” may seem like a headline ready for publication in a fashion blog or the style section, you have to remember it hasn’t actually gotten there yet. Broad, general headlines like the above usually tend to get lost in the background. Uber-busy journalists are the ones who pick up your release and expand the reach of your content, and they are much more likely to spend time reading a release that gets right to the point of who, what, where, …well, you know. So, always keep the company name in your headline. Here’s a great one: American Giant Launches Line of Polo Shirts

The exception to always having the company name in the headline? Since a features press release is usually more for content marketing and will oftentimes serve as the unaltered, finished story that appears in search engines, news feeds and social media sites, the headline of a features release can be distributed without a company name and read a bit more vaguely. But features releases are a whole different blog post.

An effective headline should always reflect the content present in the rest of the press release too. When you write your headline, ask yourself: of the main news points that I am covering, which one would I tell my best friend about first?

Make It Active

In order to draw readers in, headlines should always incorporate active verbs. News never sleeps, so you want to keep your headline free of the past tense. For example: “Introduces” instead of “Introduced” / “Announces” rather than “Announced”

Keep It Real

It’s true the digital headline has to catch impatient eyes, but exclamatory headlines never get a good reaction from journalists and bloggers. Bold type yellow journalism headlines of old may have kept newspapers visible from across the street and helped them sell, but journalists and other readers of the modern press release aren’t interested in sensationalist headlines. Dropping the exclamation point and keeping your headline grounded will get it the serious attention it deserves.

If you find that your release has something truly bold to announce, maybe a surprising survey finding, an unbelievable statistic, or a scientific breakthrough, most readers will immediately ask: “Says who?” In this case, attributing statements right from the beginning — in the headline — will keep your announcement credible.

Is It Social?

If you do want your press release shared across the social web, take into consideration how easily journalists — and anyone else for that matter — can expand it across their network. A concise headline will help your content gain exposure in an atmosphere where attention spans are sometimes short. Putting the source or company name and SEO keywords in the headline will also increase its visibility and searchability across search engines and social media sites. Try to keep your headline under 140 characters to ensure readers can tweet it.

Have a Lot to Say?

If 140 characters just aren’t enough, expand on your main points in a subheadline. But remember to only use one subheadline, as search engines and most websites usually drop the second or third subheadlines.

Writing a headline that sticks in an age of information overload definitely requires more than just larger font. But if you use a little strategy when writing your headline, you can push your release to the top of its subject matter and journalists’ to-do lists. What’s more, the same search engines that make a daunting amount of information available will become a useful tool for getting your story found. We hope the tips above help you get started.

Things to consider when distributing news internationally

As recently as five years ago, many companies shuddered at the thought of distributing their company news to international markets. After all, who outside of their own region would be interested in their products, and how could the company ever afford to translate text and distribute copy to these markets?

Advancements in networking technology, as well as the increase of internet access to international communities, have significantly opened up the lines of global communication. Today, companies can now create copy, translate it in dozens of languages, and distribute it all over the world, in less than 24 hours, and at costs that won’t break the bank. Companies who do distribute news internationally often find they are:

-          reaching more potential customers;

-          increasing their placement on international search engines; and

-          growing their reputation as a global brand.

If your own organization or client is considering the idea of sending news out to global audiences, here are five questions to consider:

1. Which international markets are you looking to tap into, or, where are the stakeholders you’d like to reach?
2. Which markets or countries contain a good percentage of your client base?
3. Which languages are supported by your products?
4. What is your budget for international outreach?
5. And, ultimately, what are your organization’s ultimate communication goals on a global level?

Once you’ve addressed these five things, it will be much easier to determine if international news distribution is right for you, and if so, what you should do about it.

Previous:

News Release Basics: Part One

News Release Basics: Part Two

Should I include photos and/or video in my news release?

by Mitch Schneider

In a word, YES! Absolutely…

Embedding a photo and/or video is a great way to make your announcement more dynamic, as well as increase the chance an editor will pick-up and publish your release. There’s also solid Search Engine Optimization (SEO) value in including multimedia in your release, since multimedia assets are often indexed on search engines along with the text of your announcement.

Why does including a photo increase pick-up? Newspapers, trade publications and online outlets no longer have the headcount and bodies they once were free to employ. More and more media members are wearing multiple hats these days, and their responsibilities not only include researching and writing, but editing, gathering sources, and producing multimedia content. The more assets you can provide a reporter (i.e. text in a release, photos, video, quotes), the less work that reporter has to do and the more likely she or he will publish part or all of your company news (assuming it’s relevant to the outlet).

This even includes company logos, and most providers of newswire services allow their clients to embed company logos at no additional cost.

The best types of images to include in a release are:

-Product shots (or screen shots if the product is software or an app)

-A head shot of the executive or VIP mentioned in the release

-Data charts or graphs

-Shots of awards or recognition

-Shots of celebrities

The best types of videos to include are:

-Product demos

-Executive commentary

-Description of a program or campaign

-Ads or promos

-Animations

When is the best time to distribute a news release?

by Mitch Schneider

Try to avoid Mondays, Fridays and weekends when sending out your news announcements. Mondays tend to have the highest volume of press releases, so your release may get lost in the Monday swell. As for Fridays and weekends, most journalists and media members take two of these three days off, so there’s a good chance your release won’t cross the path of a reporter (and even a consumer) on that day.

As for time of day, most news releases are sent out right on the hour (i.e. 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., etc.). Because of this, I recommend distributing your company news off the hour, like 7:55 a.m., or 9:15 a.m. This makes your release stand out a bit more from the crowd.

If you’re targeting U.S. media, you’re better off sending news in the morning hours of Eastern Standard Time (EST), since most journalists, media members and consumers are free to consume news during these morning hours, and not in the afternoon when they’re either working or on deadline.

The ideal days and times to send out news are Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, anytime between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. EST, OFF the hour.

The same principles hold true for international distribution, EXCEPT keep in mind the time difference of where you are distributing your news release. For example, if you’re in New York City, and you’d like to distribute a release to London media, be sure to note London is five hours ahead of NYC. As a result, you’ll want to set your release time somewhere between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. EST.

Next week: The best multimedia for your releases 

Gus Fosarolli, Marketwire Ambassador. (Photo courtesy of Gus)

Marketwire recently announced its new Internal Brand Ambassador, Gus Fosarolli. Gus has been with Marketwire for 12 years, starting in the Rapidcast division and moving to the Editorial department.

As Ambassador, Gus will be the man to bring you the behind-the-scenes activities of Marketwire. He’ll introduce you to the people behind Marketwire  but before he can do that, we have to introduce him. We asked Gus a few questions about whether he had to complete a quest before he got his new role. Here’s Gus in his own words: 

Why did you want to be the Marketwire ambassador?

There are many personal reasons why I wanted the Marketwire ambassador position. It’s a great opportunity to get to meet more fantastic people throughout the company and to let those that are new to Marketwire to see just how much fun we can have. Though we are all spread out through many cities, countries and continents, we are all Marketwire and we make the company. It truly is a great feeling and I wanted to be a part of that process.

What were the criteria? Did you have to walk through fire or find the one ring?

When the position was announced, I started getting emails from employees across the company asking me if I was going to apply for the position. I was surprised that I had so many encouraging me that I had no choice but to apply. There was always a fear that I wouldn’t get it and after some small setbacks,  to finally be asked to take on the role and truly make it my own is that one ring! Even today I’m still getting some emails of congratulations and I feel so blessed.

Favourite superhero? Why?

I have several favourite superheroes, but the one that stands out for me is the Green Lantern. Not only does he wear my favourite colour he can fly and is truly only limited to his own imagination and that is inspiring.

As the Marketwire ambassador, have you designed a costume and a theme song? Is there a sidekick?

Gus Fosarolli with his sidekick Junior and Cyd, the African Grey parrot (Photo courtesy of Gus)

No one told me I’d get a costume, does my camera bag count? I’m just hoping to be me and let the Marketwire colours shine through. I don’t have a theme song picked out, but maybe you can help me choose one. I haven’t thought of a sidekick yet though my Miniature Schnauzer Junior might want that position.

Weapon aka camera/phone of choice?

I’m a Canon boy and have been for all my life. Currently shoot with a Canon T1i for all my personal photography. For my day to day photography I use my trusted iPhone with a selection of photo apps ranging from Instagram, Hipstamatic, Snapseed and iPhoto which help me document my own life.

What are you hoping to accomplish during your reign?

I have so many ideas racing through my head on what I want to accomplish this year. From meeting as many people within the company, to making our intranet the first stop everyone goes to in the morning to retrieve their latest Marketwire news.  I also have few decrees I’m working on and will make them Marketwire Law.

How are you going to celebrate Marketwire culture?

I just want people to have fun and share their stories. We have so many offices that are spread out and I want everyone to feel welcomed and not afraid to show us who you are from time to time.

Gus can be found everywhere. He’s on Twitter @gusf, Facebook, Google+, Flickr and he blogs at gusfosarolli.com. Go say hi and congratulations!

Jeff and Mark gave business bloggers a host of great ideas to improve their blogging success at our recent webinar: “The Changing World of Business Blogging: How to Make Your Blog Pay Off in 2012.” Registrants also received our new 30-page social media white paper “7 Expert Perspectives on Using Social Media to Move the Business Needle in 2012.” (Get your complimentary copy by clicking on the icon above.)

Here are ten tips to help you better your business blogging:

Blog Tip #1: Consider why someone would want to read your blog.   Before blogging another word, remind yourself of your organization’s unique perspective. Why should someone add your blog to his or her reading habits? Think about what that “someone” might be interested in talking about today. Competition for online attention is fierce; make sure your blog has unique appeal.

Blog Tip #2: Don’t forget to have fun.  Your blog should be more fun than your website. Create content with a personable voice. Consider including images, videos, polls and contests. Invite user submissions. And don’t take yourself too seriously. Let your personality show through.

Blog Tip #3: Turn your blog into a social-sharing content hub.  Push great blog content beyond your corporate site to social sharing sites such as Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Facebook and LinkedIn. Today’s successful blogs are not standalone entities but are part of the social media spectrum.

Blog Tip #4: Make sure your blog is easy to find.  Search engines need to know who you are, so keep your blog tied to your company’s website. You are not myblog.blogster.com or myblog.com. You are either mycompany.com/blog or blog.mycompany.com. And make sure that it’s easy to navigate between your blog and your home page.

Blog Tip #5: Spark a conversation.  A good post results in dialog. Make sure that you always give readers something worth responding to and include a “call to respond” at the end of the post. And incorporate comment fields. Reader comments inspire content ideas, get people involved and nurture relationships. They’re often what turns interested readers into customers and strengthens existing customer relationships.

Blog Tip #6: Attend to looks and accuracy, but matchy-matchy… not so much.  Go out of your way to make your blog readable and well-designed. Don’t use walls of copy; break it up into bite-sized chunks instead. Use graphics, charts and photos and don’t forget comment design. Ensure correct grammar and spelling – errors lower your credibility. Finally, reflect your company’s branding, but try not to match your website too perfectly. 

Blog Tip #7: Keep the idea fountain flowing.  Nothing’s more of a turn-off than a blog that hasn’t been updated for months. You lose readers and miss out on search engines’ ongoing quest for fresh content. For ideas, monitor what’s being discussed on social networks and subscribe to content aggregators. Another idea: solicit ideas from people representing all functional areas and levels of your organization.

Blog Tip #8: Put on your thinking cap – titles matter. Often blog post titles are after-thoughts. But you should give them at least as much thought as you do your post. The main reason is SEO. Search engines index keywords, so your title should reflect your blog’s content. In addition, a captivating blog post title captures the spotlight, shows your personality and gets people involved.

Blog Tip #9: Give your internal processes a tune-up.  Is your organization able to consistently publish on-target content? Find out what frequency means to your audiences and determine how their needs change over time. Create an editorial calendar that spells out what and how often you should publish, who writes the posts, who edits and approves them, who answers comments and who monitors posts for out-of-date content.

Blog Tip #10: Toot your own horn.  You devote a lot of time and effort to creating interesting posts, but if no one reads them, your work is for nothing. Social media offers many options for spreading the word. Depending on your audience you may choose Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit (for more technical types) or Pinterest (if your content is image-based). Emailed newsletters are also an effective way to alert folks to blog posts of interest.

Related posts:

• 3 ways to get started with content marketing
• How to use earned media to boost your brand
• Ask the Expert: 5 great tips on how to create content and conversations, courtesy of Rebecca Lieb

You can watch the full video by clicking here, or on the embedded video below:

Read our Sysomos case studies and discover how we help some of the world’s leading brands, from The Canadian Red Cross to BBC.com, use social media monitoring and analytics to strengthen their brands, build better relationships with their customers and drive revenue.