I had the great pleasure of speaking about Social Media at Paciolan’s annual PACnet conference this past week in Newport Beach, CA. The conference brought together Paciolan’s clients from all over the country and Canada to share best practices in the event ticketing industry. Who knew there was so much strategy and methodology surrounding ticket pricing, seating and inventory?!

Most of the attendees were athletic directors and marketing professionals who represented schools like Arizona State University, North Carolina State, University of Colorado and University of Alabama. They gathered to hear the different approaches and products their colleagues are using to get more “butts in seats” at events. The most used phrase I heard throughout the conference was “perceived value of a seat.” If the perception of any given seat in a stadium or venue is high, the dollar value of that seat increases. The goal is to get people clamoring for every seat in the place, including those nose-bleeds most people don’t want to sit in (or purchase because they’re cheap). Pretty intuitive, right?

Besides the fascinating information I learned as an attendee (and the delicious In-N-Out Double Double I consumed), I also heard a lot about how these sporting venues are using (or not using) social media. Most of them have Facebook pages with a handful of fans, but they aren’t using them to full capacity- many have little engagement besides the basic score update or announcement of when the next game is being played. There was a lot of discussion about the possibility of people becoming fans to show their school and alumni spirit, but not necessarily engaging with the content. I quickly came to the conclusion that many of the people managing the social media programs for these schools aren’t giving their fans information to engage with. There is such an opportunity for them to increase an event’s perceived value through social media.

I would’ve liked to spent more time with another Double Double….I mean with each representative to discuss how their social media program could yield better results. I hope to do that in the future. In the meantime, do you follow any sports teams that are doing an exceptional job of interacting through social media?

The short answer is “maybe”. And here’s the long answer….

We’re often asked this question by potential and current clients and we usually tell them that social media isn’t for everyone and having a Facebook Fan Page isn’t for everyone either. People use Facebook as a way to interact with the brands they have an emotional connection to and/or to express their personal interests to their friends.

For example, I’m a fan of Diet Coke, but I don’t make it a point to visit their page to interact with the brand or with other fans. I just like Diet Coke and wanted it to be on my list. I’m also a fan of Scripps Health because I’m a patient and think they are a wonderful health care provider. I often interact with them by answering questions posed to their fans or even posting my own questions. I also love paperclips and appreciate their function, but I’m not going to go out of my way to become a fan let alone post comments on the fan page.

When we advised our client, Vet-Stem, a company that provides stem cell therapy for dogs, to create a Facebook fan page, we were really excited and knew a page focusing on people’s pets and how Vet-Stem has helped them improve their quality of life, would be a success. But, we were not prepared for just how much people wanted to interact with the brand and shocked at how fast we saw results.

Our team set moderate expectations using past experience and industry benchmarks. We created the  fan page with a strategy and compelling content, and when it was complete in January, networked it out within our Bailey Gardiner team. We saw a slight bump in fans, but that was the calm before the storm. Vet-Stem sent an email out to their database which included veterinarians and patients. The email didn’t just include “become our fan”, but told people why we created the page and how we wanted them to interact. We were asking them to share stories about their pets, how Vet-Stem helped and opened it up to questions and comments from dog owners.

Now, Vet-Stem’s Facebook Fan Page has nearly 950 fans and sees several interactions per day on their fan page. Dog owners post pictures of their dogs and write stories about how thankful they are for stem cell therapy. We’ve also use the page to share links to our Arthritis in Dogs blog posts and have seen an increase of click throughs to both the blog and the website. Vet-Stem has also started using their fan page as a way to streamline their customer service protocol and gather testimonials for us to use for traditional public relations pitching.

The point is, if your brand is one that people are passionate about and already has a strong following of brand ambassadors, then a Facebook Fan Page is something you should consider. Remember that interaction and engagement are your two goals for your fan page. Creating a two-way communication with them and making them feel like they are a part of something is key to a successful strategy.

When I read this hilarious post from The Oatmeal, I remembered back to when I decided to major in Communications/Public Relations at San Diego State University. I was informed that I had to pass the GSP (grammar, spelling, punctuation) test (I know I’m dating myself). Each student was only allowed three times to take it and if you didn’t pass, you had to take a semester-long course. It totally freaked me out only because I heard a lot of horror stories from other students.

My head was buried in my AP Stylebook for weeks and I ended up failing. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t really understand how knowing all of this information was going to be useful to me in my career. That’s what spell check was for, people. And, come on. I was a sophomore in college, pledging a sorority (insert joke here) and just wanted to graduate and get a job. This little GSP test wasn’t going to hold me back. I had things to do.

Well, after nearly 10 years of working in this profession, I’d like to go back and tell my college self just how important it is to know the difference between “their”, “they’re” and “there” and “loose” and “lose.” Now, I did end up passing the test the second go at it, but it wasn’t without some help from a study course. And, it is my mission in life to make sure that every intern I come into contact with, any aspiring public relations professional I speak to, or anyone that reads this post, knows that having an AP Stylebook handy at your desk (even it is from 1998) is the most important book you’ll own.

Why is it so important you ask? Well, pressing send on an email to a client or media contact with “How’s the whether in NYC today?”, or “Hope to see you their” in the copy probably isn’t going to score any points, or land my client the feature story in the Wall Street Journal. Even posting a status on your personal Facebook page as, “I definately can’t wait for the weekend.” is almost guaranteed a public call-out from my sarcastic and slightly critical friends.

I’ve listed a few below you should absolutely have memorized. The rest you can use a dictionary and that trusty little thing I like to call my “save me from public humiliation book.”

1. Affect vs. Effect: As written on The Oatmeal- “Most of the time effect is a noun and affect is a verb. If you’re unsure, try substituting a different verb and see if it works.”
2. Don’t start a sentence with a numeral. Spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence, or re-write the sentence so the number appears later. The only time you can use an actual numeral to begin a sentence is when it’s a year.
3. They’re, their and there: Honestly, this is the most commonly misused word I see. They’re is a contraction for “they are.” Their is possessive. There refers to a place.
4. “I before E except after C”: Receive- not recieve, Friend- not freind, Thief- not theif.
5. Finally, if you’re going to get one thing right, it’s “loose” not “lose.” You don’t loose your keys, or your shoelaces aren’t lose.

Bailey Gardiner is on the hunt….AGAIN! We’re looking for a public relations intern who can fill some pretty big shoes, blow our creative minds with enthusiasm, ambition and previous PR skills.

We’re looking for:

• A college junior or senior working on a communications, journalism or English major.
• Ability to work at least 30 hours/week
• Outstanding communications skills (verbal and written)
• Thrive in a fast-paced, energetic, highly creative setting
• Previous PR/media experience is highly preferred
• An enthusiasm for social media – beyond your facebook account – we’re looking for someone who gets it from a marketing perspective and really, really loves it.

Here’s what you’ll get hands-on experience doing:

• Direct media pitching
• Writing media releases and alerts
• Upkeeping digital clipbooks
• Blog and social media correspondence
• Brainstorming
• Research
• Creating and updating media lists
• General account support

And working for us isn’t so bad either. You’ll be working with clients like Tiffany & Co., Electra Bicycle, Del Mar Racetrack and many others. We’d love to pay minimum wage, but can also provide college credit too. The experience is invaluable and we take the time to teach, support, provide you with responsibility all while having a blast.

If you fit the bill, please send your resume, cover letter and references to erika@baileygardiner.com or call (619) 295-8232.

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

By now, everyone knows about the drama surrounding Tiger Woods and his 10, wait, 11, alleged mistresses. Tiger made golf cool to play and be a fan of and his friendly, family-oriented persona made him a likeable celebrity. Will he be able to recover from all the bad publicity and tainted reputation? Will the PGA ever be the same now that it’s star athlete pulled the wool over millions of fans? Only time and a good crisis communications plan will tell.

In an article written for “Everything PR”, the author, Phil Butler, says, “Golf as a gentleman’s sport will surely cease to exist.” Whether you believe that or not, the PGA is definitely involved in a crisis. Their brand is threatened by the allegations against Tiger Woods. The PGA has an opportunity to step up and make a statement- the opposite of what its star didn’t do.

There are a few rules when communicating during a crisis:

1. Plan. Plan for every possible crisis that could be related to your brand BEFORE they happen.

2. Be flexible. A crisis, often times, doesn’t give a heads up. You may have a plan on your shelf, but be prepared to change it and roll with the punches.

3. Solid tactics. As PR professionals, we often look at the bigger picture with objectives and strategies. Sometimes you don’t have time to address those when faced with a crisis. The only objective you should have is to save your brand’s reputation. How you get there and what you do specific to the situation is what’s important.

4. Speed and transparency. Take action quickly and be as transparent as possible. The crisis will only get worse if you try to deceive the public.

5. Engage often and early. Don’t wait until the next day to address the public. The news will spin out of control and it’s our job as PR professionals to control the message. Keep the media up-to-date and set a high standard for your communications.

6. Measure. Measure your messages and how well you controlled those messages. Did your brand recover? How long did it take? What were the unintended outcomes?

By the time you finish reading this post, the number of alleged mistresses Tiger is associated with has probably increased. I really hope the PGA is all over this and comes back stronger and more respected for the actions they take. As for Tiger, I’m not so sure. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.