Earlier this year, a group of 60 senior-level investor relations officers (IROs) gathered at IR magazine’s invitation-only West Coast Think Tank in Palo Alto, Calif. to discuss pressing issues and trends affecting their profession. Hot topics included equity research challenges, say-on-pay, trends and pitfalls in disclosure, and working with various stakeholder groups.

The first issue in the discussion on disclosure was “The State of Social Media and IR.” Panelist Darin Wolter, Marketwire’s EVP, global sales, asked a question of the audience: “How many of you represent companies that have a social media policy”? Only a very small number of attendees raised their hands. (more…)

At the end of this month, we will be retiring our Social Media Fitness Program.  Otherwise known as SM 10X30, the premise of the program is to help communication professionals, new and experienced, better utilize social media to complement their business strategies.  The program provides useful tools and actionable insights in a condensed 10-day, 30-minutes-a-day format to help you understand and maximize the power of social media.  The program is email-based and can be done at your leisure — you will always have the option of going back to a workout later.  (more…)

Many of you may recall a rather non-traditional, yet wildly popular haiku from Jonathan Schwartz, former CEO of Sun Microsystems, who tweeted his resignation earlier this year.

Brilliant! So, on his coattails and in celebration of National Poetry Month, Marketwire is holding a haiku contest of its own for aspiring poets and social media enthusiasts alike. (more…)

Many people involved in social media feel there is just too much information coming at them.  They feel overwhelmed, and that social media just doesn’t work.  This week, I received a question from an SM 10X30 participant about overexposure and information overload.

As a reminder, all questions are welcome, whether you are new to social media or are someone who is already very familiar. I love to help and chat about social media.  @ me on Twitter and let’s talk!

Q.  What are your suggestions in preventing overexposure and information overload when it comes to using all these social media sites?  Can you recommend a percentage mix of content and conversation to keep your fans and followers interested? (more…)

I’m sure many of you participating in SM 10X30 – Marketwire’s Social Media Fitness Program — have had thoughts of using social media as a source of lead generation. Whether you are new to social media or a grizzly veteran, always be cautious of your mindset when using social media, especially if your main objective is generating leads. You can come off as spam and you will instantly lose credibility.  In this installment of my weekly Q&A for SM 10X30 participants, I answer questions about how to prospect for leads via social media, particularly Twitter and Facebook.

As a reminder, all questions are welcome, whether you are new to social media or already very familiar. I love to help and chat about social media. Check out our SlideShare presentations for exclusive tips.

Q. How do I create a list on Twitter and Facebook? (more…)

After an intense workout session, a recovery period is essential for muscle rejuvenation, inner reflection and whole-body relaxation. If you’re an SM 10X30 participant working hard to complete our social media “workouts,” the same applies to you.

In this weekly series, SM 10X30 fitness trainer and resident social media specialist Nick Shin answers selected questions from program participants, offering tips and insights to help you make the most of your training. (more…)

By way of this quick post, I want to officially welcome everyone who has already signed up for our free Social Media Fitness Program, SM10x30. Within 24 hours of the program’s launch, we had more than 300 people register, and response to the concept of ‘getting fit, fast, with social media’ has been overwhelmingly positive.

Created to help PR, IR and marketing communications professionals to better understand the how’s, why’s, so what’s and what’s-in-it-for-me’s of social media, the daily workouts and program exercises will show you the benefits of getting active in social media, and show you how it can help your business. (more…)