Reputation Management

1. Reputation Management A Closer Look At Blogs Nan@redboots.com Nan@redboots.com

2. Some of our clients have serious issues… global warming, pollution, genetically modified foods, equal pay, labor rights, corporate misconduct, predatory lending, medical malpractice reform, death penalty reform, right to die, gay marriage, abortion, illegal immigration, stem cell research, school choice, foster care reform, child poverty, wilderness protection, energy policy, biotechnology, youth voting, public health, Iraq war, privacy rights, AIDS, social security, animal born disease, civil rights, separation of church and state, community development, affordable housing, youth violence, teen pregnancy, homelessness, microenterprise development, higher education reform, disaster relief, poverty relief, family planning, violence against women, racial profiling, welfare reform, campaign finance reform… Nan@redboots.com

3. Reputation Management: A Closer Look at Blogs • Blog Basics • Why Blogs are important in Reputation Management • Monitoring Blogs • Effective Engagement in the Blogosphere Nan@redboots.com

4. Blog Basics 1 new Blog per second Technotati tracks 35.3 million Blogs (April 2006) 39% of Internet Users (57 million American Adults) report reading Blogs Sources: EMarketer, Business of Blogging 2006; Pew Internet & American Life, 2006 Blogging Survey; Technorati 2006 Nan@redboots.com

5. Blog Basics • 77% think Blogs are a good way to get information about a company or product • 33% of Journalists say they use Blogs to uncover breaking news or scandals • Blogs account for 26% of SE rankings on Fortune 500 Company/Brand names • Blogs appeared in News Search SERPS on 7 of the top 10 Fortune 100 companies; Feb 2006 • Bloggers most trusted source of information about companies/products: OTHER BLOGGERS (62.8%) Sources: ComScore, BBC Report, Euro RSGC Magnet Survey, Jupiter Media, RB Search on Google News Feb 23rd, 2006; Emarketer, Business of Blogging 2006 Nan@redboots.com

6. Blogs and Consumer Generated Media 44% of Internet users create content, but how much of that is Blogs? Google Groups/UseNet Blogs Discussion Boards/Forums/Opinion & Review Sites Note: This data is several months old; does not include other forms of social media. Latest numbers show only 8% create Blogs. Sources: Pew Internet & American Life 2005; Intelliseek, 2005 Nan@redboots.com

7. If Blogs aren’t the biggest source of Consumer Generated Media, why are they so important? Nan@redboots.com

8. Search Engines give Blogs an inflated “Share of Voice” Nan@redboots.com

9. Blogs are highly visible across multiple Search channels Nan@redboots.com

10. Blogs dominate SERPs on“Brand + [negative keyword]” searches • Citing norms • Linking • Tagging • Fast Indexing • …8 of 10 top listings on “Dell Hell” Nan@redboots.com

11. Blogs are the source of long term, consistent voices Nan@redboots.com

12. Jeff Jarvis & Dell Hell: July 2005 - ??? Nan@redboots.com

13. Bloggers can develop a following quickly (and unexpectedly) Nan@redboots.com

14. 6 of the top 10 Blogs were either not around last year or were not in top 100… Nan@redboots.com

15. Bloggers create CGM across multiple channels Nan@redboots.com

16. Dave: So many CGM opportunities, so little time • Dave: • 2 Blogs • 1 Family Genealogy Site • 42 reviews (books, movies) • 2 comments on Volokh Conspiracy (indexed by search engines); led to one original post on VK Nan@redboots.com

17. And not just any CGM…Bloggers are highly engaged in social interaction technology, which is strongly viraland visible on search engines Nan@redboots.com

18. Bloggers and Social Interaction • 44% of Bloggers have taken existing content (video, audio, images, etc.), remixed it and shared online; • 77% of Bloggers have authored original, non-text content (video, audio, etc.) and shared online; • Bloggers report that My Space is the #2 most preferred Blogging platform (LiveJournal is #1); • So what? Nan@redboots.com

19. Bloggers are powerful viral agents for content that is ALREADY powerfully viral… 67% of links to recent Mel Gibson videos are Bloggers Nan@redboots.com

20. Chevy Tahoe Example • Spring 2006: Chevy launches “The Apprentice” – online contest to create the best TV commercial for the Chevy Tahoe • Environmental groups seize the opportunity; ask members and supporters to create protest commercials Nan@redboots.com

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23. Fearing that Chevy will remove the protest ads, creators post them on You Tube Bloggers light the viral fire Nan@redboots.com

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27. Journalists follow Blogs Nan@redboots.com

28. Euro RSCG Magnet Survey • 51% of journalists use Blogs regularly • 70% for work-related tasks • 53% to find story ideas • 43% to research and reference facts • 36% to find sources • 33% to uncover breaking news or scandals Nan@redboots.com

29. Ok, I get it. What am I supposed to do about it? Nan@redboots.com

30. Step 1: Listen/Monitor Nan@redboots.com

31. Monitor what Bloggers are saying to stay in front of developing problems! Influence of Speaker Demographics Mentions/Speakers Citation Trends Nan@redboots.com

32. Monitoring what is visible in Search Engines Monitor Rankings/Changes in Rankings On: General Negative: Company + problems Company + criticisms Company + product reviews Company + lies Company + sucks Issue Negative: Walmart + sex discrimination Walmart + pollution Walmart + environment Walmart + morning after pill Activist Organization Terminology Walmart Protest Walmart “Take Action” Activist Organizations/Names Greenpeace + Monsanto CEO/Key Staff Names Product Feature Attributes Acura Lexus Reliability Pampers safety Nan@redboots.com

33. Step 2: Get Over It – Take a deep breath and Engage.If you engage effectively, there may be fewer voices to “drown out” or push down in the rankings • 50% of Bloggers write about companies once per week • Only 21% report regular contact from companies they write about; most in the form of unsolicited press releases • 48% say they are NEVER contacted by companies • Only 2% say they don’t want contact Sources: Emarketer Business of Blogging, 2006; Edelman/Technorati Survey Nan@redboots.com

34. Develop a trust-based relationship with Bloggers 50% of negative word of mouth stems from a feeling of injustice! • Communicate (Talk AND Listen) regularly – the good, the bad, the mistakes • Don’t develop a reputation for shilling, spamming, or participating in any unethical marketing practices! • Don’t sugar coat, don’t misquote or misrepresent a Blogger’s opinion • Develop a response protocol for negative coverage! Dell, You Just Don’t Get It (BL Ochman) “Two posts on Dell one to one Blog have noted that they think I am very pleased and satisfied that someone from Dell called me to say they wanted to resolve the Dell technical support issues I’ve had… …So Dell, stop saying that I am thrilled with these phone calls. Because, like your blog, they are nothing but a PR Ploy…” Nan@redboots.com

35. **Consider** Creating Blog(s) • Don’t do it without a clear vision; • Don’t use the Blog for spin (Dell); • Be prepared for negative comments, negative reviews, etc. and RESPOND • Content strategy should focus on what interests the customer, not on the marketing message you are trying to drill into the customer’s head. Interesting examples: www.Nirol.com/us/blog www.fordoutfront.com Nan@redboots.com

36. Engage Bloggers for feedback • Bloggers are early adopters; consider allowing them to preview your new product or service or to review it; • Don’t be afraid of negative coverage! If there is a problem and you fix it, you will get kudos, positive coverage and perhaps a big fan Nan@redboots.com

37. Turn happy customers into Bloggers Nan@redboots.com

38. Encourage customer evangelists to Blog Nan@redboots.com

39. Final Thought The best marketing won’t fix bad products, bad customer service, bad business practices, etc. “You can put lipstick on a hog and call it Monique…it’s still just a pig.” Ann Richards, Former Governor of Texas Nan@redboots.com