Happy Community Manager Appreciation Day!

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!

How do you throw an event that will get the right media to attend and gain valuable coverage for your product or client? It takes a little more than just throwing a party, inviting everyone you know and hoping for the best.

In our webinar we looked at how public relations professionals can get journalists to call them. In this series, we’ll look at how the experts put together an event from deciding who to invite to following up after the event.

This week, we look at the preparation before an event.  Continue reading How to Plan a Successful Event »

From MarkBlevis.com

Mark Blevis analyses the social space using Sysomos’ MAP and Heartbeat tools. He took a look at the Idle  No More movement for the week of January 13-19, part of his monitoring since December 23. Here’s what he has to say:

“Despite a week of continued momentum, media interest and online chatter, and much hype around the National Day of Protest, Idle No More posted a significant drop in online activity between January 13 and 19.”

You can see the full analysis and how Blevis used Sysomos Heartbeat to analyze the data at this link.

Community managers are becoming a big part of most brands’ communication and marketing teams. Over the years we’ve seen this role expand from just a few companies to almost any company that has an online presence. Not that online dealings are the only thing a community manager is charged with, but in today’s online economy, the online aspect does play a huge role.

But don’t let me tell you what a community manager should or shouldn’t be (even though I’ve been doing it for a few years myself). We actually want to know your thoughts on being a community manager.

Today we’re happy to tell you that we’ve teamed up with TheCommunityManager.com in preparation for Community Manager Appreciation Day (which is coming up on January 28th). On Community Manager Appreciation Day (#CMAD) we want to release an ebook on thoughts, tips and advice about being a community manager and we want your help to populate it.

Below is a link to a survey that we’re asking community managers to fill out so we can highlight you and your thoughts on being a great community manager. It’s not long, only about 7 questions, and would greatly help us, TheCommunityManager.com and your fellow community of community managers. So, if you’re a community manager, please take a few mins to fill out the survey.

Even if you’re not a community manager but you know one (maybe a friend, a colleague, a person behind a brand’s Twitter profile that you love talking to) please pass this along to them.

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT

THE COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT SURVEY

Thank you in advance and we’re really looking forward to seeing your responses!

We’ll also be sure to alert you when we release the ebook on Community Manager Appreciation Day.

I had an awful customer service experience recently and while I won’t name the company, it certainly soured me on ever using their products again. It’s hard to believe that in the age of social media when reviews – good and bad – can be posted in seconds, some companies still haven’t invested in customer service.

I’m not the only one. Mark Evans points out how social media can affect a company. (Reposted from the Marketwire Small Business Blog). Continue reading Customer Service in the Age of Social Media »

Everyone wants their press release picked up by journalists and bloggers. You can write a great press release but it may not get picked up. So what can you do to give your release a better chance of catching the media’s eye?

Here are some things you can  and should put in your release: Continue reading How to Make Your News Release Stand Out »

Our latest round-up has some good stuff to help your social media planning and your small business.

Mark Evans asks on the Sysomos blog whether social media equals social sales. He explains that brands aren’t transparent about why they use social media and perhaps it’s time to readjust the return on social investment.  Continue reading Weekly Round-up: Social Media, Social Sales and Infographics »

By Joe Schnaidt, Supervisor, Editorial US West

A company’s first press release is critical, showing what it is and what it does.

To keep your audience engaged, your next release should focus on establishing a more personal dialogue with the reader. How will your service make things more convenient, efficient or effective for the consumer? Does it have specific local relevance? The more novel the solution, the more your offering stands out. Continue reading Making Your Second First Impression a Good One »

By Robert Garrova, Marketwire editor, Los Angeles

Everyone loves a good story.
As people spend an increasing amount of time on the web, it becomes more and more crucial for companies to create their own narrative and not only publish, but promote this narrative in the digital space. An interesting, ever-developing story not only brings customers back to your website but also fosters brand enthusiasts rather than one-time buyers. A well-timed press release — coupled with a blog post, product launch, or email campaign — can proclaim the pivotal points in your company’s story and get both the media and consumers interested. But what developments in your company’s progression are fit for a press release?  Continue reading “Building the story of your company one press release at a time and curating your image online.” »

The year is almost done so let’s take a look back at what you wanted to know from us and a few tips to get you ready for 2013.

How is your technology? Mark Evans takes a look at when to upgrade your hardware. 

He also offers some tips on how to stay savvy with your social media plans.

Speaking of social media savvy, one of the best campaigns run in 2012 was  f the RedBull Stratos space jump with Felix Baumgartner.

How good was it? We used Sysomos’ MAP tool to track the worldwide response.

MAP was also used by Mark Blevis to track the social media buzz around the US Elections.

Also on our greatest hits’ list is our webinar on How to Get Journalists to Call You. Lisa Elia, founder and CEO of Lisa Elia Public Relations took us through tips on how to lay the proper groundwork so journalists and bloggers are motivated to call publicists.

Our top searches included how to write a boilerplate and how to use a boilerplate to tell your company’s story. Many people looked up how to write a press release, how to write a press release for journalists, and how to write a social  media press release.

Enjoy the last four days of 2012!

Google launched its Google+ Communities last week creating another way to connect with people who share the same interests.

It’s pretty easy to use. You search for an interest whether it’s skiing or knitting or Star Trek and join the community. Then you interact with like-minded people. If there isn’t a community, you can create one in less than ten minutes.

So you know what to do if you like Star Trek but Google+ Communities is also a great place to grow your brand. You can set up a community based on your products and invite your brand ambassadors to interact with you, your brand and your product. Continue reading The new Google+ Communities »

This appeared on our Small Business blog but because it’s always relevant (and good) we’re putting it here as well:

By Mark Evans

The year is almost over and it’s time again for end-of-year lists. This one is most interesting for anyone in business, small or large. It’s a round up of social media blunders by big US corporations.

In the 7 Worst Tweets of 2012, Inc. outlines the big mistakes of the year and how they can be fixed.

While the stories are hilarious or worrisome, the solutions are a bit too high-end for a small business. But there are lessons to be learned that you can adapt for your own company. Here’s five ways you can avert social media faux pas: Continue reading What can you learn from social media stumbles? »

By Deborah Baum, Supervisor, Editorial US West

So you work for a great company and you make an awesome product that can do some really cool stuff, what’s your next step? Getting your name and brand out to the public and letting everyone know what it is your company can do, how you do it, and how remarkably well your products and services will fulfill an industry niche. But wait! Before you jump into all the technical specs of how many bits, bytes, downhole drill meters or parts per million, remember the golden rule of all writing: keep it simple. Continue reading Writing your technical press release for every reader »

By Salena Barcenas, Associate Editor, Los Angeles

Writing a press release that is concise, clear and informative can sometimes be a challenge. Toss in numbers and it can be difficult to navigate through percentages, ratios, dollar amounts, profit and loss stats and numerals. Here are some tips to help when including numerous numbers in your release. Continue reading Simple tips for including numbers in your press release »

We received amazing feedback on our last Sysomos Industry Insider which took a look at the fast food industry. Our second Sysomos Industry Insider takes a look at the more than one billion smartphones in use around the world. Continue reading New Sysomos Smartphone Industry Insider »

By Michael Nowlan, CEO, Marketwire

Hundreds of thousands of news releases are distributed by wire services every year and the incidences of security violation or fraudulent releases are very rare. Unfortunately, breaches do occur and that is why we all have extensive processes in place to ensure a level of comfort and security for our clients. Continue reading Safeguarding the News Release Process in an Age of Rapid Information Sharing »

By Despina Maris, Associate Editor, Chicago

It’s really important to think about how your press release will appear months and years after its distribution. You want to continue to appear professional to your clients when your news is no longer fresh, but also to other companies who read the old releases that live forever on the web. Here are some topics to think about when writing your press release: Continue reading Thinking about the future and the life of your press release online »

By Anita Saidi, Senior Editor, Los Angeles

As hard financial times put a strain on many small- to medium-sized businesses, the publicity budgets seem to get smaller and smaller. So how does a small company get the most ‘bang for their buck?’ The answer to this question is not necessarily simple, but there are tools that can be utilized to stamp a company’s Social Media footprint on consumers, without the need for a huge advertising budget. Continue reading Where do social media and PR meet: Writing a social media press release »

The Cross Cultural Study of Leadership in Public Relations and Communication Management was released recently and it was found that the two biggest issues in the field are digital networks and generational divides.

It was conducted by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at The University of Alabama, who surveyed more than 4,500 global PR professionals. Here’s what they found:

PR professionals under the age of 36 ranked issues like “improving professional image and measurement of communication effectiveness much higher than older professionals. Younger and lower-level survey participants also ranked issues of social responsibility, transparency and diverse cultures higher than top leaders.” Continue reading Public Relations experts concerned about social responsibility, communications effectiveness »

This week on the Small Business blog, we’re talking the holidays. Tannette Johnson-Elie takes a look at how to gear up for the holidays.

If you’re not ready for the holidays just yet, entrepreneur Brett Markinson discusses fear can lead to “entrepreneuritis” while Mark Evans takes us through the Cloud and the tools that can help your business.

On the Sysomos blog, Mark Evans shows how Reddit can help you market your product.

Of course, don’t forget to read our MOvember article to see what people are saying about facial fuzz.

Update: Sheldon Levine updates us on the latest MOvember  news.