The Megaphone

What do Lincoln and Hickenlooper have in common with SE2?

2012-01-25T14:45:00.019-07:00

In Governor Hickenlooper's State of the State address earlier this month, he used a quote from Abraham Lincoln:

“With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.”

That statement has been on SE2’s website for years (see the rotating quotes on the bottom of the page) because we feel that it so clearly describes the service we provide for our clients. We help build and shape public sentiment.

It may sound underhanded and manipulative, but it’s true. And, luckily, we get to do it for clients about whose issues we’re passionate (we may be spin doctors, but at least we’re spinning good stuff!)

You may think that if you have a great idea or you’re doing great work, that’s enough. But without effectively communicating, your ideas and your work can’t go very far. If people have never heard of you, they aren’t going to contribute to your cause, buy your product or vote for your proposal.

It’s obvious what the Lincoln quote means for a ballot issue campaign or other public policy initiative – if you don’t get more than 50 percent of the vote, it doesn’t matter how great your proposal is. But the point is relevant for any industry, any organization, even any individual.

A recent New York Times article profiled the woman tasked with repairing Bank of America’s reputation. The “image officer,” Anne M. Finucane, wisely pointed out that communications can’t solve everything: “In order to repair reputation,” she said, “you have to repair the issues that underlie that.” But without good communications, no one will know that the underlying problems have been fixed.

Good communications can support your objectives and bad communications (or no communication) can undercut everything else you do. Hickenlooper wisely understands that if he wants to be a successful governor, he needs to understand what the public cares about and he needs the public to support whatever goals he has. The only way he can accomplish that is through effective communications.

Romney is Hispanic. If he wants to be.

2012-01-10T08:45:00.016-07:00

My two-year-old daughter and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney have something in common: They both are Americans whose fathers where born in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

NBC’s Rock Center aired yesterday a story on Romney’s family ancestry in Mexico. I happen to know the town featured in the story; its high school had a great basketball team that I played against a few times.

Romney’s father and grandfather are Mexicans based on where they were born. It sounds funny, but about 125 years ago his relatives were immigrants to Mexico.

This takes us to today’s perhaps ludicrous question (you might think the answer is obvious):

Does this mean that Mitt Romney is Hispanic or Latino?

Per a 1976 Act of Congress, there are two approaches to define Hispanic or Latino:

• An ethnic group that traces its roots to 20 Spanish-speaking nations from Latin America and Spain itself (but not Portugal or Portuguese-speaking Brazil).

• A simpler approach. Anyone who says they are. And nobody who says they aren't.

If we would go for the first approach, Romney would be Latino, for the same reason as my daughter: his father is from a Spanish-speaking country. But if we go for the second approach, the answer would be a firm no. The U.S. Census uses this approach and I am almost certain that Romney didn’t check the box “Hispanic” in the 2010 census questionnaire.

However, there are many white people who do, like “white Mexican“comedian Louis C.K.

But this leads us to a further comment on diversity and identity within Hispanics. Hispanic or Latino is considered an ethnicity, not a race. A person can be Hispanic and black, white, Asian, Indian, or a mix of any races. In the 2010 census more than 53 percent of Hispanics selected white as their race. There is an interesting CNN story on how Hispanics contributed to 74 percent of the growth of the white population in the last decade.

It’s true that there are some common patterns that define a Hispanic or Latino, such cultural differences, language, preferences, and most importantly, identity. But it’s true as well that there is a great diversity within Hispanics that you need to aware of if you want to effectively communicate with them. Such diversity includes language, of course, but that’s not the only factor. With more Hispanics online, more bilingual Latinos, and different levels of acculturation and integration, reaching out to this group that represents 20 percent of Colorado’s population requires a comprehensive strategy that can capture all factors.

And speaking of roots to Chihuahua, did you know that the majority of Mexican Americans living in Colorado trace their roots, like me, to this Mexican state?

Hispanic media are interested in your stories

2012-01-03T09:00:00.008-07:00

Hispanic news outlets are interested in your stories. And they want to get more stories.

But before reaching out to Hispanic media, please consider the following recommendations:

1. Translate communications materials, such press releases. This is not because they don’t speak English (they do, and well), but it increases your chances of coverage by making their job easier. Bilingual reporters have told me they want information in Spanish since they don’t have the time to translate. Besides, by doing you the translation, you are in control of the quality of the content in Spanish. My recommendation is to send information in both languages, considering that some Latino newspapers are bilingual.

2. Designate and prepare a spokesperson to address media en español. Again, they can understand you perfectly well and chat with you in English. But for the news story, specifically for TV and radio, they need that sound bite in Spanish. To accomplish this, you want a credible representative for your organization who can explain and expand on your issue or story by communicating your message properly. If that person isn’t available on staff, an experienced communications consultant who is fluent in Spanish can fill that role. But remember: It’s not enough that the staffer or consultant speaks Spanish if he or she isn’t an experienced communicator. You wouldn’t hand off your English-language spokesperson duties to just anyone, so don’t take that approach when communicating in Spanish.

3. Don’t assume your story won’t be of “Hispanic interest.” Spanish-language media outlets, just like English-language ones, select news stories based on a variety of criteria. So, let them decide if they will pick it up your story or not, but don’t come to your own conclusion without even trying to pitch stories at all. You could be pleasantly surprised about what they decide to cover. SE2 recently helped publicly unveil a fleet of new plug-in hybrid trucks for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, including one that was driven by Gov. John Hickenlooper. There was no special Hispanic angle but we translated the press release and I was available to serve as a Spanish-language spokesperson. The announcement was featured as one of the main stories on Telemundo’s newscast at both 5:30 and 10 p.m. (also known as 9News en español, as it broadcasts from the 9News newsroom)

Finally, just in case you were wondering why you need to reach out to the Hispanic population, here are few reasons:
One in five Coloradans, or about 1 million people, are Hispanic. According to Pew Hispanic, close to 80 percent of them speak some Spanish. By not including Spanish media, your message could be missing a substantial portion of Colorado’s population.

In the Denver area, three TV stations offer Spanish newscasts and websites. There are also eight bilingual or Spanish-only newspapers with different levels of local coverage, and at least four local Spanish radio shows include news- or information on community issues.

SE2 rejects spin, embraces candor in holiday letter, t-shirts

2011-12-20T13:43:00.022-07:00

SE2 has taken its commitment to transparency to a radical new level with the Colorado-based communications firm’s latest holiday letter and gifts.

SE2 left the “track changes” visible in its holiday letter to give recipients a window into the process of smoothing out the rough edges of reality.

For example, it shows that the original text “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” was replaced with “SE2 enters 2012 stronger than ever.”

And “A terrible employment market meant that no one was able to find a better job” became “SE2 grew to 14 loyal employees.”

SE2 also produced for select friends of the firm a t-shirt that drops all pretenses of being anything more than typical corporate swag. In fact, “swag” is spelled out in large letters on the front, with the following definition on the back: “Acronym for ‘stuff we all get.’ The obligatory corporate gift with a logo plastered on it. ‘I was excited when our consultant gave us a holiday gift but it turned out to be just the usual swag.’”

And, yes, the T-shirt includes SE2’s logo.

(Click to expand)

SE2 also produced a second t-shirt with the word “Trending.” That doesn’t really have anything to do with transparency, but the staff found it entertaining.

SE2 is a full-service mass communications firm focused on public policy, issues and social marketing.

Click the link below to expand
(page one | page two)

Why sharing your email list is bad.

2011-12-05T09:00:00.001-07:00

We get a lot of questions about email list sharing etiquette. The most common question is,"Can I share my email list with partner organizations?"

Our answer –99 percent of the time– is a definitive no. Here’s why:

Sharing your list probably breaks the privacy policy you’ve created.

When people subscribed to your organization’s email list you probably told them in the fine print (i.e. your terms of service) that the organization would not share any information collected from website users with third-parties. Sharing any information, especially personal information (e.g. an email address) that your clients, customers, members and supporters have trusted you with is a direct violation of the very privacy rules you’ve created.

Which leads to the second reason…

Sharing your list makes your organization appear untrustworthy.

Your organization should be committed to protecting any information that a customer shares. Even if not explicitly stated, customers assume that you will protect their information. Sharing that information with third-parties is a direct violation of that trust.

The price you pay for breaking that trust extends far beyond what a customer thinks about your email program.

Customers will start to wonder what else your organization does behind their back with their private information. Clearly, this is not what you want your customers to think about your organization.

Additionally, if email service providers (e.g. MailChimp, Vertical Response) find out that you’ve shared your list, or worse yet, emailed a list of people who have not explicitly indicated that they want emails from the organization, they will flag your account and the account that owns the list as spammers. Once you are flagged as a spammer, none of the emails you send, or that the organization you’ve shared a list with sends, will never ever make it to the customer’s inbox again.

And if that isn’t enough…

Sharing your list annoys people.

Think about your personal experience with unsolicited email, like when you wonder how a company you’ve never heard of got into your inbox. Does it annoy you? Yes. Do you open it? No. So why risk annoying your customers with an email that they’re probably not going to open anyway?

Here’s what you can do instead...

If a partner organization wants to use your list, or if you want to borrow another organization’s email list, you have some options:

Ask the organization whose list you want to use to send an email on your behalf. They can send a dedicated email asking their customers to check out whatever it is you’re trying to “sell.” Or, better yet, they can incorporate a callout about your organization into an email that they’re already planning to send out. That callout can encourage their subscribers to check out your organization and become a subscriber themselves. This approach builds trust among consumers for both the sending organization and the partnering organization.
Send an email to your customers with a callout about the organization that wants to use your list. In this case, you should try to incorporate their callout into an email that you are already planning to send (e.g. monthly e-newsletter) and that’s full of relevant content that the subscriber is expecting to see. An email that’s sent from your program, that’s all about another organization could still be considered spam. Tying partner content into your regular email communications will certainly make it appear less spammy and help ensure that your readers know you have their best interest in mind.

Have you shared you're email list with disastrous results? Share your story below. (We won't judge! Everyone makes mistakes.)

The countdown to the holidays begins for nonprofits

2011-11-29T13:23:00.004-07:00

Is your nonprofit organization positioned to take advantage of the holiday giving season? Here are some quick, easy-to-implement tactics that you can use to maximize end-of-year giving:

The medium matters.
Think about how your audience likes to receive information. Older people might like to receive your end-of-year “ask” via mail while younger people might prefer digital media (i.e. email, social media). Allowing your audience to engage with the campaign through the channel they prefer improves your odds of success. For example, an email ask with a link to an online donation form isn’t the best way to encourage donations from seniors (who tend to be more skittish about sharing credit card information online). Save that for younger people who are very comfortable with e-commerce.

The message matters.
You’ve probably heard us say it before: Message is everything. Compelling, thoughtful messages are key. Talk about the impact a donation makes for the community you serve. Don’t get bogged down in process, which doesn’t give people that warm, fuzzy feeling that gets them to open their wallet. Show how the money benefits people. If you can, tell specific stories.

The timing matters.
Remember, the end of the year is a busy time for everyone. This year, consider testing the timing of your ask. Instead of blasting it out to the entire supporter database at the same time, pull a randomized list from your database and send them the ask after the New Year. Then, compare the number and value of donations made in each campaign. While it defies convention, some nonprofits report that they have more success collecting donations after the New Year, when people are less inundated with gift buying, baking, and thinking of ways to get out of their spouse’s company Christmas party. You might just find that a New Year ask is actually more effective.

This year, commit to trying something different with your holiday fundraising campaign.

Have you tried any of these tactics before? Which ones worked best for you? Share your successes (or other ideas for great holiday campaigns) in the comments below!

Hop on this emotional roller coaster

2011-11-15T18:30:00.012-07:00

It is just another ordinary Tuesday at SE2. You know the kind: staff meeting is starting late, no lunch in sight, most of us are staring at our iPhones attempting to squeeze in a few more precious moments of work. Although the players are the same and the location hasn’t changed, we know almost immediately that something is different.

Susan (a sly smile plastered on her face) starts the meeting with a special announcement about rewarding our hard work. This instantly strikes me as promising – we have been working really hard after all.

Suddenly, Eric Anderson rounds the corner with a giant box from Amazon. Inside the box there are 11 festively wrapped boxes. "11 boxes? How convenient,” I think to myself. "There are 11 staffers here at SE2."

After a brief speech about technology, presentations to clients, etc., our minds are wondering: Is it possible that they contain the iPads we’ve spent the last six months lobbying for?

Soon, a rectangular box is in front of me. After a brief countdown, we simultaneously rip into the goods.

My heart is filled with sarcasm, sadness and a little anger the moment I uncover my gift. These are no iPads. These aren’t even generic electronic tablet notebooks. At this point, I know that even Palm Pilots would be an upgrade from these “magnetic drawing boards.” (The brand name of these devices is Etch-A-Sketch. That’s right, they didn’t even buy us the real magnetic drawing boards.)

The situation only grows worse when Anderson proceeds to demonstrate how to use the “magnetic drawing boards.”

With that, a thick cloud of disappointment fills the room. We quickly move into the usual meeting agenda and spend the next full hour discussing SE2 business.

Throughout this time, I’m on a roller coaster of emotions. I simply don't know what to expect next. First, it was anticipation, and then it was disappointment. Now, all I feel is sadness. I silently drown my sorrows in a cupcake as the meeting draws to an end.

Just when we think it’s over, a series of bags appears on the table.

Susan’s sly smile returns. The cloud of disappointment begins to lift. Hope is restored.

Thank you SE2 for the awesome iPads! (Safe to say we are officially the coolest firm in town.)

POTUS waved at me

2011-10-26T14:44:00.004-06:00

Today, President Obama is in Colorado for the second time in four weeks, this time to discuss solutions to the mounting college debt problem. (Since we’re all friends here, let’s be frank: he can’t win in 2012 without us.) As a result, the streets downtown are closed and unusually deserted. On top of that, the first snow of the season fell last night, which only added to the quietness of the scene.

I tell you all of this because it’s important context for what I’m about to tell you next.

A few hours ago, President Obama waved at me.

It all started with a client breakfast meeting downtown.. Our client selected a restaurant in Hotel Teatro, which is located across the street from the hotel where President Obama slept last night. A few minutes into the meeting, we noticed a string of identical white vans lining up just outside the window. Someone suggested they might be the press vans that precede the President’s entourage.

Sensing that we might be in the right place at the right time, we paused the meeting and stepped outside. As the limos approached, I started waving half-heartedly unsure of who I might be waving at. The next thing I knew, there he was: looking right at me and waving back. Those ears! That smile!

In the rush of it all, my client and I grabbed hands and started jumping up and down and waving dramatically. Barak Obama chuckled. At us.

Here’s a photo that Sarah snapped to commemorate the occasion.

That’s right folks, President Obama was inside that very limousine. Safe to say, this morning was the best breakfast meeting I’ve had in a while.

SE2 Salmon Watch 2011

2011-10-25T11:15:00.004-06:00

Trust us, the anticipation is killing us. SE2 is eagerly awaiting the arrival of one Eric Sondermann’s freshly-caught salmon. Just when we thought we couldn’t wait any longer, a FedEx truck was upon us. Was it the salmon we were waiting for or just a delivery to the house next door? (Remember, this fish is perishable!)

Orvis for life.

SE2 holds a carnival in honor of Susan’s 10 year anniversary

2011-09-22T16:01:00.010-06:00

Principal Susan Morrisey recently celebrated 10 years at SE2. The SE2 Party Planning Committee thought this sounded like the perfect opportunity to throw a surprise party! Not just any surprise party would do for the occasion so we decided to make it a carnival... a Susan Carnival!

Our goal was for our Susan Carnival to be the embodiment of one of our new favorite words: Janky, which, according to Urban Dictionary, means, "of inferior quality; old and dilapidated; refers almost exclusively to inanimate material objects, not to people."

This required that we have a janky mini-bar, janky games and the jankiest of prizes. It was awesome.

Take a spin through the photo gallery below to see how it all went down. Or, watch the highlight reel.

Photo Gallery:

Video Highlight Reel:

Wish Susan a happy anniversary in the comments below!

Posted by: Megaphone Man

Inspired.

2011-09-21T16:16:00.004-06:00

About six weeks ago I was tipped back in a shampoo bowl (you know, the super uncomfortable, porcelain ones they have at your favorite salon) getting my hair washed and racking my brain about how SE2 could create a break-through video that had more impact than your run-of-the-mill nonprofit piece. I needed something that would illustrate a sense of urgency and need, pull heart strings and serve as a compelling reason to support one of Denver’s more worthy organizations – The Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation (where SE2 Principal Eric Sondermann serves as a Board member).

My impromptu brainstorming took me back to an event I attended in April – the inaugural TedX Mile High gathering. It was here that I saw a host of inspiring speakers who, among other things, helped me to shake off some of the mental cobwebs I had lurking around after 12 weeks of maternity leave. The presenter who left the biggest impression was a social-worker-by-day, slam-poet-by-night, West Denver native who talked about how he helps kids navigate the justice system. I remembered the pace of his narrative, his message of hope and perseverance, and the standing ovation he received from the crowd. But above all else, I remember how he made me care again about kids who I might have otherwise written off.

Fast forward to last night where my SE2 colleagues and I sat at the annual I Have a Dream fundraiser watching four minutes of what is probably some of our best video work to date – thanks to the talents of poet Bobby LeFebre, videographer Chris Shinn and a host of other project partners who came together to help us make Livin’ The Dream.

This video officially kicks off a pro bono creative campaign SE2 has donated in an effort to bring more attention to and clarity around the inspiring work that I Have a Dream does. We’re calling it The Edge Initiative. As it is unveiled this fall, our hope is that people will come to realize the precarious place in which “Dreamers” tend to find themselves – both on the brink of bigger and better things, but also too damn close to falling prey to issues like violence, drugs, hunger and crime. Through digital storytelling, The Edge Initiative will offer a realistic look at the lives of these kids. They are children who often face realities that the rest of us don’t know and can’t begin to understand…realities that come from living in poverty. I hope you’ll stay tuned.

Livin' The Dream from SE2 on Vimeo.

SE2'S GONE MAD!!!!

2011-09-15T15:46:00.013-06:00

UPDATED 9/19/11:

We're excited to announce the winner of the SE2's Gone Mad contest... and the winner is...

Ms. Olivia Gallegos!

Congrats, Olivia. You've won the $25 Starbucks gift card.

------------------------

That's right... SE2 has gone mad. We've transformed into our Mad Men alter egos.

Can you figure out who is who based on our Mad Men looks?

If you can name everyone, you can win a $25 gift card from Starbucks.
Here's how to win:

Review our photos below.
Write down a name for each of the numbered photos.
When you think you've got the right answers, email them to Brandon [at] PublicPersuasion.com
Submit your answer by the end of the day Friday (9/16).
We'll announce the winner on Monday, 9/19. If we get more than one correct answer, we'll randomly select the winner.

And now for our Mad Men alter ego photos (click to expand):

Here's a hint: Even if you don't know us that well, you can figure out who is who by looking through our website... although a few of us might require some extra searching on the web.

Posted by: Brandon Zelasko

The Definitive Guide to Selecting the Right Kind of Facebook Page

2011-09-02T15:12:00.009-06:00

I must get asked at least once a day what type of page an organization should create for itself on Facebook. So, I've decided to settle it once and for all with this definitive guide to picking the right type of Facebook page.

Click to Enlarge.

I know it doesn't cover all of the nuances of picking the right type of page, but I'd bet if you follow this guide you'd be right 98 percent of the time.

Do you like it? Share it, please!

Posted by: Brandon Zelasko

Translations: Humans vs. machines

2011-08-18T09:39:00.006-06:00

Recently, people have asked me about online automatic translation programs, such as those offered by Google or Bing. Are they good, or good enough, when trying to produce materials for a Spanish-speaking audience?

It would be easy for me to just answer, “No. Computers aren’t ready to replace humans in this area.” But let’s allow these automatic translation programs to speak for themselves.

We could take an English document or website and translate it with one of these programs into Spanish but that wouldn’t be very edifying for people who aren’t fluent in Spanish.

But what would happen if we did the opposite, taking text in Spanish and translating it into English?

I did my small and unscientific experiment with a news story from Noticieros Televisa, a well-known newscast from Mexico. The story was about Delta Airlines buying stakes of Aeromexico.

The headline is translated by Google this way: “Delta Air Lines acquire shares of Aeromexico,” which makes sense, although it probably wouldn’t be the preferred choice of a news editor. But Bing translates it more à la Yoda from Star Wars: “It will acquire Delta Air Lines shares of Aeroméxico.”

Both programs do a relatively decent job of translating the first paragraph of the story. But the second paragraph becomes more interesting.

The original story in Spanish says that the merger of both companies will generate between 800 and 1,000 new jobs. But the Google translation says that the merger will generate 800,000 new jobs! And Bing’s translation doesn’t make much sense, saying it “will generate between 800-thousand jobs.”

Another common slipup by these programs is last names. The translation to Spanish of the recent appointment of two Denver cabinet members is a good example.

The two appointees are Adrienne Benavidez and Scott Field. Benavidez will serve as Manager of General Services, but the Google translation added a new task to her title, manager of general services and of “field Scott.” Based on the translation, Field lent his first and last name to Benavidez’s title.

Some websites include an alert disclosing that the online translations won’t be accurate, acknowledging that is common to find imperfections in the translation. As you can see from our little experiment, services such these, although noble and offered with good intentions, provide only a halfway service.

When it comes to translations, not to mention transcreations, the human touch makes all the difference.

Are one in five Coloradans missing your message?

2011-08-17T22:00:00.003-06:00

Be honest. Is your organization really communicating effectively with Hispanics?

We get it. You may not have the resources on staff, or you already have too much on your plate. But if you aren’t trying, that could present a big problem. Here’s why:

Message sent does not equal message received.
More than one in five Coloradans are Hispanic, according to the latest U.S. Census figures. And more than three-quarters of Denver Hispanics speak at least some Spanish at home, Nielsen reports.

How are you communicating to a fifth of our population? If it’s not in Spanish, a sizeable percentage of the audience may not even get the message, let alone take some action based on it.

Lost in translation.
And don’t think for a second that translation solves the problem. Abraham Morales, SE2’s newest hire (and our first on-staff multicultural expert), has something to say about that: “Standard translation misses the nuance and meanings of words. To have a message that truly suits your intent and resonates with this audience, you need to transcreate.”

Transcreation basically means customizing your communications for each target audience. Transcreation ensures that the communication matches its intended audience in every aspect: the message, style, images, emotions and its cultural context. If you aren’t transcreating, you aren’t effectively communicating with your target audience.

“Communication works for those who work at it.” (John Powell)
Chances are you’ve been on the receiving end of communications produced in mangled English by non-native speakers who are clearly out of their element. Now imagine the shoe is on the foot – your communications are being twisted and battered as they are converted into Spanish (and, worst of all, you don’t even know it).

Abraham hails from Mexico (the vast majority of Hispanics in Colorado trace their roots back to that nation) and he knows the language and culture like only a native can. He’s worked in communications on both sides of the border, spending the last decade in Colorado. Learn more about Abraham. Have questions about how and where to start the transcreation process? Contact him directly at Abraham@publicpersuasion.com or 303-892-9100 ext.29.

Website of the Month, compliments of SE2

2011-08-11T10:46:00.005-06:00

The world of online communications is hard to keep up with. Just 15 years ago, few organizations had websites, let alone email lists. But today, many of our clients come to us for help in the online realm. Should we be tweeting? Do we really need a blog? What’s the next big social media trend?

Regardless of how fledgling or robust your online communications strategy is, one thing is certain: your organization needs a great website. Websites should serve as the hub of all the other online activity that you engage in. Even if your company was an early adopter and one of the few organizations with a website 15 years ago, there’s a good chance that you have since rebuilt it at least twice.

In the fall of 2009, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) came to us with the idea to create an online toolkit to help Colorado employers meet their employees’ child care needs. After considering their goals, budget and timeline, we recommended working with SiteKreator, a web-based company that builds sites based on templates to save time and money. SE2 managed the website development process, engaged a designer to develop a unique brand (logo, color palette) for the toolkit, and collaborated with EPIC to develop the content.

This month, SiteKreator is featuring the EPIC Employer Toolkit as its website of the month. SiteKreator can be a good option for clients when site functionality can adapt to a template so that resources are freed up to hire a graphic designer to customize the look and feel. We recently used SiteKreator again to create an online annual report for a client that previously printed a large hard copy report. The online version is more interactive, visually appealing and-- most importantly--user friendly. For EPIC, the result is the best of both worlds: we were able to build a functional and easy -to-use site that doesn’t compromise on visual appeal. Check it out!

A Decade!

2011-08-03T10:44:00.011-06:00

Amy Guttmann, SE2's creative director, has just hit her ten year milestone at our firm!

A decade of dedication, innovation, amusement, success and evolution. Amy has been a part of the team since the beginning and has played a key role in our firm’s growth and success. To celebrate this huge milestone, we asked employees, vendors, and friends to share their favorite memories from Amy’s ten years at SE2. Enjoy!

Outstanding Indeed.

2011-07-26T16:59:00.003-06:00

I’ve known for quite some time that Illana Poley is exceptional. Be it her ability to think on her feet, her infectious laugh, or her knack for numbers, Illana has never ceased to amaze me. All at once she can be both the smartest girl in the room as well as the one making your cheeks ache from her dry but potent sense of humor. To me, it is that duality which makes Illana almost magnetic. People are simply drawn to her.

So it came as no surprise when the Denver Business Journal recently took note of Illana and named her one of their 2011 Outstanding Women in Business nominees. As SE2’s Director of Policy and Research, Illana establishes the foundations on which a majority of our firm’s more complex (and, frankly, more interesting) projects are built. She oversees our research efforts, whether quantitative or qualitative, large or small, and also plays a central role in developing the communications strategies around our clients’ various policy issues. She helps them to connect with their own constituencies in ways that are both meaningful and effective.

“Illana is one of the smartest people I know,” said SE2 President Susan Morrisey. “She has a great ability to foresee challenges and also opportunities for our clients and develop pathways to address even the most challenging policy issues.”

Of course outside of the office, Illana is just as impressive. I didn’t have to look far to find people willing to gush about her down-to-earth, loving personality along with other characteristics they find to be extraordinary.

When asked about what makes her daughter outstanding, Janet Poley said, “I guess my first reaction is what mother wouldn’t think her daughter is ‘outstanding’? And I am no different. Illana truly is outstandingly honest, humble, straightforward, articulate and (most precious to me) always willing to share her life with me. She knows what matters most in life and makes time for her husband, daughter and all of us who need her and love her.”

Illana’s husband, Mike Baksa, said, “No matter what kind of day you are having – good or bad – talking to Illana always leaves you feeling better about yourself.” Their 15-month-old daughter Penelope (or P-Dizzy as we like to call her at SE2) incidentally is not actually talking just yet but added, “I could not have asked for a better life or a better mom. I love her.”

On August 23rd, I hope to be in the crowd cheering for my friend at the DBJ’s luncheon honoring the outstanding nominees. I’ll be there representing all the people who think Illana is fantastic – whether they spend time with her analyzing the latest poll results or learning how to walk.

In the words of one of our most profound medical professionals, Dr. Suess, "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"

Hispanic growth in Colorado and what it means to you

2011-07-26T15:31:00.004-06:00

Over the last decade, Colorado has experienced a 41 percent increase in its Hispanic population. According to the 2010 Census, Hispanics now represent over 20 percent of the 5 million people living in the state. And much of this growing population is young: One in 10 Latinos is less than five years of age, compared to one in 20 non-Hispanic whites. A census analysis shows that, in fact, the white population is aging while the young Hispanic population is projected to continue growing.

This got me thinking: What impact does this have on the way our clients communicate with their stakeholders? For them, it is more important than ever that they think about targeting the Hispanic population with the strategies, tactics and messages that resonate most with them.

Projections and new data analysis will continue to demonstrate how the U.S. is going to look in the next 20 or 40 years. I also wonder what the country will be like when my young daughter graduates from college in 2022. People talk about future trends and the future face of America, but they tend to forget the present reality. This country is already changing and will continue transforming over the next several decades.

School districts, municipalities, state and federal government, nonprofit organizations and businesses are already witnessing this dramatic transformation. That’s why it’s important that organizations start reaching out to the one million Hispanics in Colorado now.

If you want to communicate to a broad audience, your strategy will now need to incorporate an intentional, and not accidental, comprehensive approach that reflects the reality we are living in. This starts with considering the following:

What does this audience value?
What are their current attitudes and behaviors?
Is translating materials enough or do we need to transcreate materials? (And, what does that even mean?)
Can we use the same traditional outlets to reach them or do we need to find new ways?

A strong message is the foundation of everything we do at SE2 – and we’re all aware that the message must be customized for a Spanish-speaking audience and it should be delivered in different ways, as well.

How are you communicating with the Hispanic population? Send us your thoughts or questions.

Author: Abraham Morales

Do I really need a social media policy?

2011-07-22T08:00:00.002-06:00

Well, how many ways can I say this…. yes, si, oui, ja, sim, ken, jes, hai, ndiyo, haan and na'am.

YES, you need a social media policy. Frankly, I am shocked by how many organizations don’t already have one.

“Why do we need one?”

Here's why:You need to protect your organization from the unintentional (and sometimes intentional) stupid things your employees do.

Employees need to understand that what happens in the online world can have huge implications on what happens in the real world. A social media policy does this.

You need a policy because:

It educates your employees on what social media is.
It provides clear expectations for how your employees can/should use it.
It details what happens when employees cross the line.

The guidelines explain the employees’ roles and how to behave online. The creation of the policy provides you clarity. The result is well worth the effort.

“How do we write one?”

Here’s a secret: Developing a social media policy isn’t rocket science. It should be very straightforward, and it should include the following:

State the organizations’ goals and objectives for using social media.
State employee roles and expectations.
State how you expect employees to be authentic and transparent in their online communications.
State how employees need to treat copyrights and fair use on other people’s content.
State how they can/will protect confidential and proprietary information.
State the repercussions for failing to adhere to the policy.
State everything in clear, easy to understand terms.

Make sure that when you are developing the policy you include representatives from across the organization. This specifically should include the human resources and legal teams, if you have them.

Legal is especially important to have present because they will be able to tell you the scope of the advocacy work that you can do through social media (if you are a non-profit) and how much archiving is required (if you work for the government). Obviously, this needs to be part of your social media plan.

Links to get more help:

Below, I’ve included links to social media policies/guidelines that I like and that have been noted throughout industry publications as great examples. Next to each I’ve told you why I like it.

Intel - good because it uses simple, easy-to-understand language that everyone within the organization can understand regardless of how much (or little) they know about social media.(Read its policy here.)

Coca-Cola - I like that this policy aligns with the company’s core values and that it’s been distilled to ten components – making it much easier to remember. I also like that employees are required to go through a social media training program before they are permitted to represent the organization. (Read its policy here)

American Institute of Architects - I like that this organization includes messaging about why this social media policy is important and what it means to employees. (Read its policy here)

If you’d like additional examples of social media policies across industries, visit the online database of Social Media Governance.

Does your organization have a social media policy? Tell us in the comments below.

Sailing Aboard the Communications Ark

2011-07-18T15:54:00.004-06:00

The phenomenal amount of rain we had in Denver last week got me thinking: If the world flooded, what kinds of communications tools should we save to support its repopulation, once the waters receded?

(Apparently that’s what you think about the morning after you go to see Georges Bizet’s Carmen…at an outdoor amphitheater…during a monsoon.)

But seriously: We've all thought about what is most vital to save in our personal lives. Usually it’s the photo albums, or perhaps a family heirloom.

But what are the most fundamental tools you would put on the communications Ark – if not two-by-two, at least on their own?

Unfortunately, many organizations overlook essential strategic tools, instead pursuing a range of disconnected tactics.

However, it is critical for organizations to spend the time developing some fundamental information. Doing so helps to ensure a clear platform from which to communicate and engender buy-in from a variety of internal stakeholders in the process. These are the building blocks to effective communications.

So, here are my top picks for Ark-worthy communications resources:

Key messages. This is not your mission statement, and it’s not a tagline. Your messages should consist of a broad framework of key claims, supported by evidence and illustrated with real-life examples. They need to articulate who you are, what you do and why it matters to your audiences – helping to connect the dots between what you do and what they value.
A list of key contacts and supporters. It takes time to build an internal list of stakeholders and audience members, but it is well worth the effort. (And yes…you DO need their email addresses.)
A definition of your key audiences. No, the general public is not your audience. Your audience should consist of specific groups of individuals you need to educate and move to action to achieve your strategic objectives. Often that includes individuals both inside and outside of your organization, from a variety of industries and disciplines and with a range of involvement in your issues.
Stories. As we’ve said in many media trainings, no one ever cried over a pie chart. Take the time to identify and develop a bank of stories that help to put a face on your issues. You can use them for media pitches, in newsletters and annual reports, and in presentations.
A good Prezi. (Sorry, PowerPoint…no room on the Ark for you.)
Infographics. My colleagues at SE2 make fun of my tendency to use the term to describe a range of visual tools. (See Edward R. Tufte’s seminal book The Visual Display of Quantitative Information for some real examples of data-driven infographics as well as Brandon’s post on how to use infographics in social media.) However, the point is that it is essential to illustrate complex information in a visually compelling way – whether it is data to support your issue or a process that connects what you do to the broader impact that has on your community.
A plan. Sounds simple enough, right? But it’s a step that organizations often overlook. Take the time to articulate what you are trying to achieve (Advance public policy? Raise more money?), who you need to influence (Legislators? Donors?) and how you will communicate with them to do that (Direct mail? Presentations? A new website?).

This list may not be exhaustive, but it’s a start. With these basics, you could (once the waters receded) begin again to communicate with your key audiences, ensuring the regeneration of your message and your movement.

Give me your feedback:

What other communications tools do YOU think should be on the Ark? (If we can come up with three more, we’ll have a Top 10 List!)
Once the waters recede, what new issues do you think will emerge? (Here’s one to get you started: Promoting the benefits of mold abatement in water-logged mountain bike seats.)

Added bonus:

There’s a rafting company called Noah’s Ark in Buena Vista, CO. Who knew?

Author: Susan Morrisey

One thing you didn’t know about…SE2 Associate Jill Hamilton

2011-07-11T08:00:00.004-06:00

We knew that Jill was from Kentucky but we didn’t know that she was borderline Kentucky royalty. As the pictured certificate shows, Jill was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel in August of 2007 by Gov. Ernie Fletcher (who lost his re-election bid that year after a pesky indictment and ensuing political controversy).

But before that defeat, Gov. Ernie Fletcher conferred upon the “Honorable Jill Gibson Hamilton” (apparently, the word “honorable” is used fairly loosely in that state) all the “rights privileges and responsibilities” that come with her commission as a Kentucky Colonel.

This raises three pressing questions?

What is a Kentucky Colonel?
Is there a uniform?
Was Colonel Sanders, the legendary founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, a Kentucky Colonel?

Let’s address these in order.

The Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels has provided this helpful description (we are not making this up): “Many people think of the Kentucky Colonels as a group of people that enjoys the good life, has an enviable social calendar and, during Kentucky Derby week, consumes mint juleps as if they were iced tea. Well, that’s us!” (Jill refused to provide any photos of her wearing a really big hat.)

But it adds, “Being a Kentucky Colonel is much more than having an impressive certificate to hang on the wall.” (Are you reading this, Jill?)

Regarding the uniform, we were quite impressed with this historical depiction (below). Our first question, of course, was what product this guy used to get his hair to stand up like that.
Sadly, Jill has not yet joined the ranks of Famous Colonels. Despite this glaring omission, however, it is an otherwise impressive list that includes Betty White, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jeff Foxworthy, three Judds, Pope John Paul II and – of course – Harland “Colonel” Sanders.

We promise to treat you more respectfully in the future, Jill (so long as you keep serving us the mint juleps).

Author: Eric Anderson

Stuff I learned at school

2011-07-08T07:45:00.004-06:00

This past week marked my second foray into guest teaching at the University of Denver. The course is all about integrating social media into organizational communications and marketing. (I was invited to participate by the professor of the class, and a friend of SE2, Lora Louise Broady.)

What I LOVE about teaching the class are the questions that I get asked by the students. I LOVE that I am learning just as much as they are. I LOVE that they challenge me and force me to think about something in a new way.

There were a couple of questions in particular that I was asked and that I thought our Megaphone readers might also find interesting.

Below are a few of the questions I received from students, accompanied by response back to them. (Disclaimer: you will not receive any course credits for reading this).

Question: Google announced its Google +1 Initiative. To me it looks very similar to the Facebook “Like” button. What in your opinion will be the impact of this new service on social media marketing?

My answer: Research has shown that Facebook users don't exactly care for the "Like" button. When asked why they felt this way they often commented that it was more or less a wishy-washy, half-hearted thing that others do to make their friends feel good, but that ultimately it was just lazy and not contributing to the value of the conversation. Essentially, Facebook users said they could take it or leave it.

I don't think that's the point of Google’s +1 button.

I suspect (and this is my educated guess) that Google created the +1 button to improve search engine rankings. Why I think this: because the +1 button allows people to validate Google’s search algorithm. Google takes all of these analytical metrics and mixes them together to essentially guess at how relevant a webpage is to the search you’ve conducted. The +1 is the human element that Google “computer” can’t replicate. It’s a gimmick – Google markets it as a “social” feature but they’re secretly just recruiting you to improve their search engine rankings.
(Learn all you need to know about Google’s +1 Initiative here)

Here was another one that got me thinking…

Question: I’ve always heard that with every good thing, there is a bad thing that accompanies it. I think that social news can be a good thing – when the truth is told. But, since it is hard (if not impossible) to regulate this, I wonder how exactly one may address “false” social news that is circulating about his/her company. I have to admit that this scares me a bit. It just seems that it would be hard to have a good enough crisis communications plan in place to combat the various potential threats that social media could present and how this may affect a company’s reputation. Are there certain steps that you might recommend in such a case?

My Answer: I hear this a lot in the work that I do. Organizations are so sacred about negative conversations taking place that they won’t even consider using social media. But, the fact of the matter is that these conversations are taking place and ignoring them doesn’t mean that they disappear. It just makes things worse.

Here is how I recommend you address false information on the web:

#1 – While you do need a crisis communications plan that includes social media, you really need a reputation management plan. The reputation plan should include actively monitoring what people are saying about your organization in the online space as well as monitoring the broader issue/product arena in which your organization operates. Only then will you have a true understanding of the scope of misinformation being shared across the web. You don’t want to have a knee-jerk reaction or overreact to a handful of negative posts. A reputation management plan that leverages multiple online tactics (including social media) puts these comments in a broader context. It also manages your organization’s online presence so that you don’t ever have to bust out the crisis communication plan.

(Side note: The plan should include a social media monitoring tool in addition to something like Google Alerts, as well as SEO strategy that pushes those negative conversations down the organic search rankings.)

#2 – Don’t be so afraid of negative comments. In my experience they are rare, and most have a great deal of truth. Social media has forced organizations to recognize their flaws. Now you need to start talking to people about how the organization is addressing them. That’s reputation management.

When it comes to over-the-top fabrications, your community is going to jump in and correct others’ misinformation. I’ve worked with some pretty big consumer brands - brands that had lots of haters - and often we never needed to do anything when someone went on the attack. We would just sit back and let the community fix the problem for us. They would do all of the reputation management on our behalf. (Remember, almost every organization has a whole lot more brand lovers than brand haters.) Rarely did we need to jump in and fix it ourselves.

Now, get out your blue book and a No. 2 pencil. It’s time for that pop quiz…

Have a question for me? Post it in the comments below.

A story about why telling stories is important

2011-06-24T11:15:00.007-06:00

At SE2, we're always driving home the point that stories are the most powerful way to deliver messages. While stories help in all kinds of communications, they are critical in the world of public issues because the problems that our clients are tackling -- healthcare, hunger, smoking regulations -- are complex and technical (and possibly even boring to the average person). Good storytelling overcomes these barriers and helps people connect with your issues.

When I came across this great example of why stories are so important and how to tell a good one, I just had to share.

An American scientist... brought a bunch of students into his lab and told them about a youth (Somalian, maybe?) who had suffered through the horrors of war. The story was graphic and tragic, and when the scientist asked for donations to help support this youth, he received an average of $8.10 from every student who attended.

Later, the scientist called in another group of students and told them a much more elaborate and accurate description of the plight of Somalian (?) youth. This report was very factual and detailed and presented a much bigger problem -- not just the story of one young man, but the tale of a generation. You might be forgiven for expecting that when the scientist requested donations for such a cause he would receive much more money per student. But, no, the "macro" story generated donations of only 55 cents per person...

If cash-poor students can give $8.10 versus 55 cents, based on the power of a story alone, that tells you something about the importance of being personal, specific and detailed.

I pulled this example from an e-newsletter for writers authored by Daphne Gray-Grant. She is retelling the story from a talk she heard by Jonah Lehrer, author of How We Decide. In his talk, Lehrer also offered some thoughts on why stories are so powerful:

Stories have been meaningful to humans since before we were literate. We are hardwired to respond to the natural tension in stories and to engage in the "beginning, middle and end" structure of them.

Stories entertain and empower readers in a way that statistics and facts simply don't. Stories help move people to action.

People remember facts told in the context of a story better than in any other way.

Daphne Grey allowed me to reprint a portion of her newsletter (thanks Daphne!) in exchange for sharing this information with you: Daphne Gray-Grant is a writing and editing coach and the author of the popular book 8½ Steps to Writing Faster, Better. She offers a brief and free weekly newsletter on her website. Subscribe by going to the Publication Coach.

Why website analytics are important

2011-05-20T08:00:00.002-06:00

When it comes to planning for the future, every organization relies on research and data. However, many organizations forget how important research and data are to defining the success of their online presence.

Web analytics tracking is the key to effective online decision making.

Web analytics are more than just data for data’s sake. They are a foundation of information on which strategic company decisions are built.

Organizations use this data, and the insights which come from it, to determine what is attainable by evaluating past successes and failures. Analytics also help organizations identify trends – not only in terms of online performance, but how offline marketing and communications strategies drive action, conversion and engagement online.

Web analytics provide tons of information to the organization about how its web presence is advancing organizational and communication goals. This data may include: how many unique visitors are coming to the website and from where, how many pages people view, what keywords people are using in search engines to find the organization’s website (you might be surprised to find that the words people use to talk about your organization aren’t the words you’d use), what content visitors gravitate to, and how the website drives conversions (e.g. email sign-ups, donations).

Without this data, organizations are not able to effectively manage their online presence. Everything is a guess, and they have no way to track how effective their online marketing is at advancing organizational goals.

For monthly, quarterly or yearly planning, web analytics turn data into actionable recommendations about your organization’s online presence.

Adding website analytics is super easy. Even a basic implementation can shed a huge amount of light on what is happening online.

Looking to take the next step? Here are some options you might want to consider:

Google Analytics – Totally free and requires adding only a tiny snippet of code to all of the pages of your website. This will provide meaningful data on website usage and external factors that drive website visits.
Quantcast – This tool is also free, requires only a small snippet of code to be added to each page of your website but, unlike Google Analytics, Quantcast provides demographic information about your website visitors (gender, age, income).
Crazy Egg – For those of you who are familiar with website analytics but want to take it to the next level, this tool adds heat mapping (which shows where a user's eyes are drawn first on a page), click tracking and campaign management.

How do you use website analytics? Tell us below.

Municipalities getting “social”

2011-05-02T08:00:00.003-06:00

Last week I had the pleasure of presenting to the Colorado Municipal League. The topic of the presentation was “What’s new in social media: Social media adoption by municipalities.”

In the presentation, I take the audience on a road trip across the country to see examples of what small and large municipalities are doing to engage citizens and more effectively manage municipal issues.

We wrap up the presentation by exploring ideas for making it work in your community and we look at the future of social media adoption by municipalities.

Government and social media cml presentation

View more presentations from se2_team.

Still growing!

2011-04-21T11:40:00.002-06:00

SE2 is pleased to announce that we’ve added nine organizations to our ever expanding client list. Read more about our new clients here.

SE2 job announcement

2011-04-20T09:52:00.003-06:00

SE2, a leading Colorado-based mass communications firm focused on public issues, policy and social marketing, continues to grow and is seeking to hire an associate to help us expand our outreach to the Latino community. An absolute requirement for this position is the ability to speak and write fluently in both Spanish and English, as well as to translate English into Spanish.

We believe in helping employees grow within our firm and are glad to consider early- to mid-career candidates. The main attributes that lead to success at SE2 are strong writing skills, critical thinking, an interest in public policy, attention to detail, and the ability to keep a number of balls in the air. We anticipate that the successful candidate will possess all of the skills related to our core business as well as this multicultural capability and will work with a variety of our clients, not just those who need help reaching the Latino community.

Interested candidates should send a resume, a letter of interest, and writing samples in Spanish and/or English to se2jobs@publicpersuasion.com.
Any questions also should be directed to that email address. No phone calls please. We will consider candidates who don’t live in this area but are interested in relocating.

We are in hiring mode now. We will sort through resumes as we receive them and will continue to accept them until the position is filled. For more information about SE2, please visit www.publicpersuasion.com.

60 seconds with Illana Poley

2011-04-14T11:08:00.009-06:00

I'm rather busy in my role as SE2's mascot but I managed to find a minute (literally) to learn more about Illana Poley, who was recently promoted to Director of Policy and Research.

Megaphone Man (MM): What’s your favorite thing about research?

Illana Poley (IP): The charts and graphs. We do a lot of writing around here – full sentence, paragraph-style writing. Research is often presented in more graphical form, so it’s a good change of pace. And the more time you spend with research, the more you learn – it’s like pulling away the layers of an onion.

MM: Yum, onions! But isn’t research really expensive?

IP: Just like with all our work, the cost of research can range from very affordable to more comprehensive (and more expensive). Looking through existing data or even digging through past news stories counts as “research” and it can be very low cost – but still valuable to developing strong communications strategies.

MM: So, how did you get to be so smart?

IP: I just like to spend time with data to find new and different ways to understand public issues. The real question is, why can’t I sing and dance on stage?

MM: I can do the Jersey Fist Pump! Thanks for the 60 seconds, Illana. Now get back to work.

IP: It was my honor, Megaphone Man.

-------------------------------
More about Illana:
-------------------------------
Illana joined SE2 in 2005. In her new role as Director of Policy and Research, Illana oversees SE2’s qualitative and quantitative public opinion research practice, as well as development of long-term strategies to address significant public policy challenges such as education and fiscal reform.

Prior to joining SE2, Illana was the research director for the statewide Referendum C campaign and spent five years at the Colorado State Auditor's Office, conducting program evaluations and legislative audits.

Learn even more about Illana here.

We are so cultured

2011-03-18T14:06:00.003-06:00

This morning I read an interesting blog post from the New York Times about what makes a hospital great. Given that we work a great deal in health care, I was particularly interested in understanding what helps build a good reputation in the health care industry. What I learned was not only surprising, but also applicable to industries across the board.

So, what makes a great hospital?

According to Pauline W. Chen, M.D., who authored the post, one of the biggest factors is organizational culture. Dr. Chen points to a study that was released earlier this week that revealed a link between positive patient outcomes and investment in the culture of the organization itself. The results of the report show that high performing hospitals had clear organization values and goals as well as high levels of involvement of senior management, communication and coordination among groups.

As I was learning about the large role that culture plays in building a good reputation, it dawned on me that the concept likely reaches far beyond hospitals into a number of other industries (including communications and public relations).

Office culture isn’t something we take lightly here at SE2. It’s something that we (dare I say, smartly) invest time and energy into building and take great pride in. And I believe that the investment pays off, just as it does for hospitals.

When SE2 staffers were polled about our office culture, responses ran the gamut from, “sad” and “hungry – literally and figuratively,” to “that question makes me uncomfortable.” That just goes to show what a sarcastic, hilarious and downright brilliant bunch we have working at SE2.

In all honesty, SE2 has built an organization that values teamwork and balances old fashioned hard work with fun. The culture at SE2 breeds an office full of creativity, innovative storytelling and problem solving, which comes through in all our work.

What about your company’s culture makes it successful?

Start thinking like a television network

2011-03-17T09:48:00.005-06:00

Everyone wants to know what the secret sauce is for building an awesome online presence. The secret sauce is this: start thinking like a television network.

Think of everything you do online – email marketing, social media, website, online advertising, etc. – as your own little television network. Why? Because people want to go to your online platforms for the same reason they go to TV channels: education and entertainment.

Imagine this… suppose you were running your own network and you had the choice to either run the same television show in a loop for three months (option one) or run different shows every hour (option two), which would you choose? The answer seems obvious, right? But why?

It’s obvious because you know that if you chose option one you’d be in serious trouble. Eventually everyone is going to tune out, and once they find a new network they’re not coming back.

Of course, you’d pick the second option because you know deep down inside (or perhaps it’s just obvious) that it’s the content that keeps people engaged.

But why then, if the importance of creating lots of content that engages and entertains the audience is obvious, do organizations overlook that? Why do they put so much effort into establishing a presence on many platforms and never produce content that’s worth paying attention to? Why do they make such little effort to generate content?

Many will blame it on one thing – time – but let me ask you this: If the president of ABC came onscreen and told you, “I’m sorry but we’re really just too busy right now to show you something new, so instead we’re going to replay the 2011 Oscars in a loop for the next month… please bear with us until we find some more time,” what would you do? Answer: [CHANNEL CLICKS] “Time for NBC!”

And, if this isn’t good enough reason, I can literally think of a dozen more:

Good content leads to great audience engagement.
Good content helps people market your organization for you.
Good content isn’t as hard to create as you might think.
Good content helps an organization’s search engine rankings.
Good content helps to demonstrate that your organization is a thought leader.
Good content leads to additional media coverage.
Great content inspires people to take action.
Great content makes people want to learn more.
Great content energizes your audience.
Great content isn’t hard to create. (Did I already say that?)
Amazing content tells a story that brings your organization to life.
Amazing content isn’t that hard to create (…you get the point).

It’s not an option to ignore content.

You would also be mistaken in thinking you just need to be slightly more entertaining than the competitor network. Remember, there are other networks out there that want your audience’s attention. Not only do you need to produce good content, but you need to produce content that rivals every other “network” out there.

Listen, I am ~~asking~~ ~~begging~~ pleading for you to entertain me. So is your audience. We want to hear what you have to say but you have to start talking, sharing and creating. We’re giving you another chance. I’ve even promised you something in return (see #1-#12 above).

So here is the takeaway: Content creation isn’t optional.

Now where is that remote?

Trend alert: The Internet is here to stay

2011-03-14T17:15:00.013-06:00

That’s right folks. It looks like this whole internet thing is finally catching on.

A few weeks ago I made a presentation to the Pikes Peak chapter of the Public Relations Society of Americ a about engaging audiences online. The group that attended my presentation was a savvy bunch representing some great and important causes.

Here are a few quick highlights from our conversation that day. You can click through the full presentation below for more.

• Message is still everything. Just because the internet opens up new frontiers for audience engagement doesn’t mean you can skip out on the fundamentals of public persuasion.

• Determine who your online audiences are and incorporate them into your communications planning. There’s a good chance that in addition to opening up new ways for you to communicate with existing audiences, the advent of online communication also means that you can communicate with audiences that you didn’t have access to before.

• Perhaps the best thing about online engagement is the ability to measure success. Newspapers have been around for centuries so we have a sophisticated and trusted way of measuring the success of traditional PR—counting impressions, assigning dollar values to earned media placements, etc. While social media has only exploded this decade, the analytics tools that are available today are the just tip of the iceberg when it comes to measurement.

Tools for Online Engagement: Pikes Peak PRSA

The Impact Report

2011-03-11T16:35:00.010-07:00

When I first walked in the door at SE2 in January, I was introduced to one of my first clients, the Denver Preschool Program (DPP). At the time, they were in the middle of finalizing their 2010 Annual Report and sending it out to their supporters. In the course of talking with DPP and gaining a better understanding for what they were looking for in the Annual Report design, we quickly realized we had a bit of a challenge on our hands.

The Denver Preschool Program provides quality early childhood education to all Denver kids through tuition credits and quality improvement grants for preschool provider. DPP is a very human, emotional program that deals with young children, yet the Annual Report was very numbers-driven.

How do we design a report that reflects of DPP’s primary mission, while at the same time shows the responsible use of tax-payer money?

We worked with our Interim Creative Director Joel Hill to come up with something that achieved all our objectives. He created a young and fun report that reflects the nature of the Denver Preschool Program but also looks professional and displays all the numbers and figures necessary to show its success.

Joel also did a great job of incorporating the DPP logo (below) throughout the document to tie the Annual Report to the DPP “look” reflected in its letterhead and logo.

Take a look at DPP’s 2010 Annual Report.

Health Care or Health Scare?

2011-03-02T14:20:00.005-07:00

Laura Giocomo and I just turned a presentation we made to the Colorado Healthcare Communicators called "Health care or health scare?" into a guest column for the Health Policy Solutions website. In it, we address public opinions on federal health care reform, including widespread misconceptions about what elements the new law actually contains.

While our piece was intended to point out that there are opportunities for health-related organizations to better inform the public, it certainly begged the question of who or what is responsible for the current level of confusion.

Denver Post Staff Writer Michael Booth, who has extensively covered this issue, commented, "The print media and some responsible broadcast outlets, including public radio, have dedicated deep resources to covering federal and state health care reform, in neutral, fact-based fashion. There are some legitimate cases where you can blame media inattention for public ignorance – in the case of health care reform, it’s much more accurate to blame public ignorance on either public inattention, or attention to willfully irresponsible media such as Fox News."

That's certainly a valid perspective and highlights an ongoing challenge: Informing the public requires not only producing quality content but finding to ways to encourage the public consume it. There have been some creative efforts to make this dry subject somewhat more digestable but, as the polling we highlighted demonstrates, they appear to have had limited impact so far.

Creative Capture

2011-02-21T11:40:00.010-07:00

FLOURISH.
The creative department at SE2 is made up of a duo, but has recently flourished. With the recent (newborn) addition to Amy Guttmann’s family, SE2 has received a (not newborn) interim creative director for the time Amy spends being a brand new mom. We are excited for all of our new additions and know that our “extended duo” will continue to produce innovative, effective work to share with all of you.

FOCUS.
SE2 staff work day and night to focus on moving public opinion. On the creative side, we submerge ourselves in key messages in order to communicate to the masses, regardless of the medium (print, direct mail, television, radio, online, outdoor). From concept to production and placement, SE2 delivers a full range of advertising services to our clients.

SUCCESS.
We have succeeded in producing some of the best work to-date, for clients like The Mayor Project, The Colorado Trust, Hunger Free Colorado, CIVHC, and Think About It Colorado.

The Mayor Project was a successful campaign that passed Initiative 300 in Colorado Springs this past November. Check out the work we produced – direct mail and television.
For its 25th Anniversary, The Colorado Trust had SE2 produce six videos featuring grantees from around Colorado. The videos speak for themselves. See “Partnering to Strengthen Colorado’s Health Care Workforce”.
Since websites are a must in this day and age, we create sites that matter by engaging the audience. Check out our clients Hunger Free Colorado (HFC), Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) and Think About It Colorado (TAIC).

EXPRESS.
As many of you may know, SE2 will be doing pro-bono work for the Colorado “I Have a Dream”® Foundation throughout the year. This is a chance for us to express and grow our creative presence. Our holiday card has buzzed around Denver, containing a snapshot of what is yet to come. Check in throughout the year to see what we are up to!

And the winner is...

2011-02-11T18:15:00.004-07:00

Jill Hamilton, with the caption “They’re, like, so immature.”

We’d also like to give a shout-out to two entries we received. They were both stand-out submissions, but unfortunately came in after the deadline.

The ever-hilarious Brian Kurz submitted, “While years later no one could quite remember who first made the suggestion, it was Penelope who set the wheels of world domination in motion.”

And Hilary Dunning, who, notably, is not related to any of the babies and does not work at SE2, submitted, “Why do I always have to be the designated driver??”

Hilarious submissions all around. Thank you for all of the entries, and enjoy your latte, Jill!

Caption, anyone?

2011-02-10T13:40:00.006-07:00

They're, like, so immature.

While most of us are hard at work here at the office, a few of the littlest members of the SE2 family have been enjoying themselves far away from 770 Sherman Street.

These three aren’t verbal yet so it’s hard to know exactly what they’re thinking. But we’re guessing that a few of our readers might have some great ideas. And everyone knows that SE2 loves a good story.

So we’re rolling out our first “caption contest.” The best entry by 6pm today gets a free latte (or similar espresso-ish drink of your choice.) Send your submissions to Illana@PublicPersuasion.com. (While she may be especially loyal to one of those photo subjects, she promises to be completely impartial in her judgment – though all decisions are final!)

Why I Heart Email Marketing

2011-02-09T16:40:00.005-07:00

Email marketing isn’t glamorous, it’s not the shiny new “it thing,” and it frankly isn’t very dynamic. To make an analogy, email marketing is like Barbra Streisand – still going strong and still kickin’ butt after all this time – not the Ke$ha.

But just because it’s been around a long time doesn’t mean it won't work. Its exactly opposite. It is still around because it does work.

Says who?
A recent Ad Effectiveness Survey commissioned by Forbes Media revealed that email and e-newsletter marketing are considered the second-most effective tool for generating conversions, just behind SEO.

It’s not a secret that email marketing works. Many industry professionals recognize the power of email marketing and still bank on it when it comes to driving online conversions. A December 2009 survey of email marketers by Silverpop found that "four out of 10 marketers reported that their email budgets in 2010 would increase, and nearly half (said their budgets would stay the same.”

Why focus my attention on email marketing?
The data makes a pretty persuasive argument for the power of email marketing. If that isn’t enough of an argument consider this.

What is the one thing that all of us Internet users have in common? Give up? The answer… an email address. Some of us might even have five or six. Not me of course. We may not all be on Twitter, or watch online video, or search, but we all have an email address that we check regularly. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for each of these, but in terms of reaching the most people with the least amount of effort, email is the way to go.

It’s actually estimated that 85% of us have at least one email address (the other 15% is mostly people that don’t have regular Internet access). It’s a safe bet then that all of your stakeholders have email (unless you have a large Latino base, in which case you should look into SMS)… but I digress.

If you have a robust, highly segmented email database email marketing is one of the single best ways to reach your audience online. It allows you to target your database with contextual messaging that is more likely to cause them convert. It’s a lot of fun to A/B test messaging through email marketing. And, my favorite part, you empower your database to grow your list for you through social sharing.

Ok, now you have my attention. So, how do I grow my email database?
There are literally dozens of effective ways to grow your email list. Here are a few of my favorite:

Make it easy for people visiting your website to sign-up. Have strong, benefits-focused call to actions on the most highly trafficked pages of your website. Tell people what benefit they get by joining. They know you get their email address. They want to know that they are going to get from you in return.
Allow people to sign-up via a form. Don’t make people click to another site to submit their email address. You’re instantly going to lose tons of emails this way. There is no good excuse for not putting the sign-up form right on your website.
Send a welcome email encouraging people to share your email with their friends. Many email service providers (e.g. Constant Contact, Mail Chimp) have added tools that allow their customers (you) to enable social sharing of emails by your subscribers. People on your list can forward the email to their friends, or even share it to their social media profiles. This is a great way to encourage your list to market your email program for you.
Run email acquisition contests. In my previous life we ran a contest where we asked our email subscribers to invite their friends to join the email program. The more people that joined the list, the more chances they had to win a prize at the end. In total we added THOUSANDS of new email address. Sure, there are drawbacks to this approach but if you have an email address and a persuasive message, there’s a good chance you can hook ‘em. Heck, these email addresses are going to be a whole lot better than a purchased list (which you should never use!)
Collect emails where the people are. If you are holding an event, collect email addresses. If people are willing to turn out for your event they are surely committed enough to share their email address with you. SMS (i.e. text messaging) is an easy and efficient way for people at your events to sign-up for your emails without actually having to be a computer to do it.

Now that I have a good list, what do I do with it?

Well, that’s for another day and another blog post.

So what are you waiting for? Start building your email list!

Questions/comments? Post 'em below.

...and CIVHC's website makes two!

2011-02-08T12:22:00.006-07:00

This must be some kind of record for SE2... we launched two websites in one week! (The first website was covered in our previous post.)

We worked with our friends over at Data, Inc. to plan, design and build out CIVHC's (Center for Improving Value in Health Care) new website.

Our focus was to create a website with advanced features and functions that can grow and expand as their organizations does. We also focused on creating a website that is social media friendly.

Blog posts and articles can be easily shared by website viewers, and CIVHC's subject matter experts have a platform to share what they know on CIVHC's new Voices on Value Blog. Partner organizations can even grab CIVHC badges to post on their websites. Pretty cool stuff. (Want one for yourself? Grab one here)

Check out images of their new website below, or explore it for yourself here.

About CIVHC:

CIHVC is a public-private entity created to identify and advance initiatives across Colorado that enhance consumers' health care experiences, contain costs and improve the health of Coloradans by creating an efficient, high quality and transparent health care system.

SE2's newest work

2011-02-07T11:20:00.010-07:00

SE2 is proud to announce our newest website launch for our client Hunger Free Colorado.

From inception to completion, we put this website up in less than one week. It goes to show that when you put a bunch of passionate, hard working people in a room, pretty awesome things can get done in a very short amount of time.

We also launched their brand new Facebook Fan page and their Twitter feed. Friend 'em or follow 'em, won't you?

Last, and certainly not least, we secured a week long special feature with Channel 7 news called, "Staying Healthy: Making Colorado Hunger Free." Those stories will be airing all week long, Monday - Friday at 5:50am, 6:45am and 4:45pm.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

About Hunger Free Colorado:

Hunger Free Colorado (HFC) is the only statewide anti-hunger advocacy organization in Colorado. Created in 2009, HFC works with a wide range of stakeholders including food banks, anti-hunger and health advocacy organizations, state and local government officials and Colorado policymakers to address problems in the publicly funded food delivery system, promote initiatives aimed at helping children and families in need, and increase understanding of the impact of hunger on Colorado.

SE2 Climbs Our Mount Everest

2011-01-13T10:51:00.007-07:00

Reading through the dead tree editions of The Denver Post, you will see that every section has been colonized by advertisements. But, for as long as the Denver Post has existed, there’s been one section off limits to advertisers.

The editorial pages have always been unavailable to those looking to pay to get their message out. The editorial pages were like the peak of Mount Everest before 1953 - full of possibilities but out of reach.

That was until yesterday.

Wednesday, Jan. 12, marked the first time ever that an advertiser placed its footprint upon this new frontier... and SE2 made it happen.

Is comparing buying a newspaper ad to summiting the world’s tallest peak a little … well, presumptuous?

Not to nerds like us.

Why are the editorial pages so important to us?

Because policy nerds like us read it and we thought the novelty of an ad in this section would get noticed.

How did we accomplish this unprecedented feat?

We asked.

Or more specifically, our trusted ad buying Sherpas at Inline Media asked on behalf of our client, Think About It Colorado, a public awareness campaign designed to spark a statewide conversation about patient safety and to drive reform in this critical area.

And we wanted an ad that was worthy of this unprecedented placement. Our creative team, led by Interim Creative Director Joel Hill, rose to the occasion, with a concept that was both clever and very much on message.

It worked. Combined with online and cable TV advertisements, The Post ad created a significant spike in visits to ThinkAboutItColorado.org and new people have signed up to support the education campaign.

- The First Denver Post Op-ed Ad!

UPDATE 1/14/10: Since we posted this item yesterday, the story has been picked up by Michael Roberts at Westword, Jim Romenesko’s Poynter blog (the top national site for journalism news), and Jeremy Story’s Denver PR Blog. Apparently, the dead tree editions of newspapers are still of interest to at least a few of us out there.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

The Royal SE2 Staff

2011-01-07T13:28:00.014-07:00

In celebration of the April wedding of HRH Prince William and his lovely fiancée Kate Middleton (soon to be HRH), we have been feeling quite royal and celebratory. In preparation for this monumental event on the 29th of April, we feel it is necessary that SE2 begins to embrace our royal roots.

Please remember to greet us appropriately and refer to the staff by their royal name at all times. It is customary when greeting royalty that men bow at the neck, whilst women do a small curtsy.

Two New Little Additions to the SE2 Family!

2010-12-29T12:20:00.005-07:00

We’re so happy to announce that the extended SE2 family has grown by two!

Sarah Kurz and her husband Brian, and Amy Guttmann and her husband John all became new parents within two days of each other.

Amy and John welcomed their son, Asher James Guttmann, on Christmas night! Asher weighed 6lbs, 13oz and measured 20" at birth.

BABY GUTTMANN

Sarah and Brian welcomed their daughter, Emerson Blanche Kurz, just two days later. Emerson weighed 6lbs, 12oz and was 20” at birth.

BABY KURZ

The SE2 employees were pleased to see that both babies were equally matched in both height and weight. This will make for an evenly stacked match come SE2’s first annual baby race! That’s right… in just a few months from now we’ll race both Asher and Emerson drag race style down the main hall in the office – with the babies playing the role of the race car. Two lanes. One little winner. Which baby will come out on top?

Congrats Sarah, Brian, Amy and John on the new addition to your families! We couldn't be more happy for you!

If You Give a Mouse Some Content...

2010-12-17T17:01:00.011-07:00

There’s no captive audience online. The captive audience is long dead. There are literally billions of choices on what someone can view online and I assure you they don’t want to be viewing lame content -- not with so many other choices out there. They’ll either ignore it or go elsewhere.

Those billions of choices aren’t just your direct competitors either. You are competing with YouTube videos, blogs like perezhilton.com or peopleofwalmart.com (love it!), news websites and online games. You compete with all of them for your audience’s attention.

We are publishers.

So what are we to do as marketers/public relations professionals/advertisers? The answer is… publish.

Does your organization think of itself as a publisher? Think of how much content your organization publishes. I believe that it is much more than you’d suspect; a whitepaper, a blog post, an email newsletter, a pamphlet, a Facebook status update, an article, a story, a podcast… I could go on forever. That is all content that we publish.

As publishers our goal must be to deliver valuable information to “customers” so that over time, they see the value of our content and reward us with their loyalty and support. It’s a reciprocal relationship. We give something to our customers and they give something back to us -- it could be an email newsletter sign-up, a “like” or a monetary donation.

This need to deliverable valuable and interesting content to your audience has created a whole new branch on the tree of marketing. This new branch is called content strategy or content marketing (I use them interchangeably), which I define as the practice of creating and disseminating content to enhance organizational goals and inform action.

Content matters.

Marketers have caught on. A recent study performed just this year by Junta42, an agency that focuses on content marketing, conducted a survey and found that of the 300 organizations that participated in the study:

spend 33% of their total marketing budget (up 11% from 2008) on content marketing;
smaller organizations spend 2x that of larger organizations on content marketing;
and 60% of organizations plan to increase their content marketing this year.

This demonstrates to me that content is just too important, and provides too many benefits, to be ignored. When done right, content strategy reinforces your branding and messaging, educates your audience, drives traffic, conversions and action, and increases your share of voice online.

Get it going.

Because content strategy as a practice is relatively new, many organizations still don’t know how to get it going. Here’s my six step process for establishing your content strategy:

Step One - Audit. In the first step you want to figure out where you stand in terms of your content strategy and where your competitors stand. When you think about that, don’t necessarily think of it just in terms of strategies and tactics. What about organizational buy-in. Do your superiors have enough information to make an informed decision that allows you to spend money on content strategy?
Step Two – Plan. So now that you know where you stand you can figure out where you want to go. What are the organizational goals? How do you reinforce them with your content strategy? Where do your stakeholders engage with you online? The answers to these questions should strongly influence the direction of your content strategy. By answering these questions you should be able to establish the framework of your content strategy strategic plan.
Step Three – Spec. Now you need to start thinking through the logistics. Who is going to own this content strategy within your organization? Do you need a content strategist or will you tap your subject matter experts to generate and disseminate this content? Where is this content going to live and what are the limitations of this platform? For example, if you decide that YouTube videos are one of the tactics you’ll employ as part of your content strategy, you are going to need to know the parameters of that platform (e.g. file size, file type)
Step Four – Create. Now you are at the point of really having a strategy so this is the point where you’ll want to start collecting content that supports your strategy. In some cases this might be content that has already been produced that simply needs to be re-purposed. In other instances you may need to create this content from scratch. At the heart of this process needs to lay the “Why?” Why have you selected this content and is it relevant to the audience? If you can’t confidently provide an answer to the “Why?” than it shouldn't be part of your content.
Step Five – Market. At this point you are ready to being marketing the content. You do that by integrating across multiple channels or by tapping the relationships that you have already established in the digital space and asking them to share your content. As an example, what if you produced a whitepaper that pointed people to your blog to read more articles and commentary that deal with the issue. Or, if you produce a print brochure why not turn it into a digital brochure with interactive features and post it to a campaign landing page. That’s integration.
Step Six – Measure. Finally, measure the success of your strategy. Use analytics to see what is working and what is not. Analytics will also help you identify new audiences. Pay attention to what your online audience is talking about and use that to help tailor your content strategy.

Closing thoughts.

Before you venture into content marketing there are a few final items you should consider.

Don’t forget to communicate. You cannot expect to have a strong content strategy if people are working in silos. The owner of your content strategy needs to work with subject matter experts, your research team, your communications team, etc. to source great content.

It is also necessary to add sizzle by taking risks. Be provocative – it encourages conversation, debate and sharing. It also makes the content sticky (meaning that people come back again and again to check it out.)

Finally, I will leave you with this… content marketing is like the mouse in the children's book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. If you consistently produce good content that your viewers enjoy and engage with you will start to build a habit with them. They will come to expect good content from you and they will want more – just like how the mouse wanted a cookie, then milk, then a napkin...

Do your organization engage in content strategy? Share your experience in the comments below.

Ch ch ch ch changes

2010-12-14T10:12:00.009-07:00

If you’re looking for a gift for someone on your list who likes to read, I’ve got a suggestion for you. While authors (and brothers) Chip and Dan Heath proved their relevance in their first New York Times bestseller Made to Stick—a book about why and how only the best ideas survive—their second book is about something we help our clients do all the time: ignite change.

Rocky relationship? Dysfunctional workplace? Public opinion not on your side? Let’s face it: change is hard. There are some Myers-Briggs types that will resist change with every ounce of energy they have. Others embrace it. But neither type of personality necessarily understands how to bring about change in others.

The book is called Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. (You can read the whole first chapter here.)

Of course, change is not only hard, it’s complex too. The Heath brothers understand something we have to convince y'all of all the time: creating change is not as simple as presenting a logically sound case; it involves overcoming the attitudes, emotions, motivations and fears of your audience.

Throughout the book, Chip and Dan use a simple metaphor about an elephant and its rider (BTW, did you hear that there was an elephant in Nicole Richie’s wedding over the weekend?) to help dispel key misconceptions about change:

Our emotional side is an Elephant and our rational side is its Rider. Perched atop the Elephant, the Rider holds the reigns and seems to be the leader. But the Rider’s control is precarious because the rider is so small relative to the Elephant. Anytime the six-ton Elephant and the Rider disagree about which direction to go, the Rider is going to lose.

The bottom line is this: successful changes share a common pattern and by learning that pattern, you can begin to create the kind of change you’re longing for.

I liked that the authors made their points through a combination of research and storytelling (and thereby backed up the entire premise of the book!) Reading it sparked tons of new ideas about how I could tap into the change efforts I’m currently working on with my clients at SE2.

So whether your gift recipient is a volunteer at a local nonprofit, serves on a board of directors, or is leading a change effort at work, he/she can certainly benefit from this easy read that will shed new insights on the psychology behind change and how to harness the pattern of successful change for their own efforts.

Merry merry!

P.S. I'd like to thank David Bowie for inspiring the title of this post.

Tips: Fundraising in Social Media Land

2010-11-30T15:19:00.021-07:00

Today I had the pleasure of speaking to the University of Denver’s Executive Leadership Program on the topic of fundraising via social media. I left the presentation thinking that many of our blog readers might find this content interesting too. So, I decided that perhaps I would post the key highlights from the presentation here on our blog.

My thesis for the presentation was that social media has its place in fundraising, but that it is better to think of fundraising as the cheese on the social media hamburger. And, just like cheese, it adds additional flavor and enhances that meaty bit at the bottom.

So you may want to know why I don’t see social media as the greatest fundraising tool. But before I get to that, let me preface this by saying that I am well aware of organizations doing great things around fundraising in the social media space. However, they’re the outliers.

A few key statistics to support my thesis (taken from Non-profit Social Benchmark Report, 2010):

Only 3.5 percent of organizations have raised over $10,000 via social media fundraising campaigns.
The average amount raised via a social media fundraising campaign is $1,000.

Not such a rosy outlook, huh? So what can an organization do to raise funds via social media?

One. Build Fundraising Asks Into Your Content Strategy.
Many organizations are too afraid to ask their social media followers to make a contribution to the organization. I get it. It takes a lot of work to build a social media following and the last thing that you want to do is turn people off by asking them to donate to your cause, but that doesn’t mean you are not entitled to make the ask.

I’d propose that you want the ask to be a soft-sell. Don’t get pushy. Don’t be obnoxious about it. A once a month “please donate” message is acceptable, and I assure you it won’t turn off your followers. The trick is making the pitch while still providing content that is valuable to your followers.

Your ask should be clever. Let’s pretend you work at an organization that feeds the hungry. What about posting a photo with a pile of food and an accompanying question like, “How much do you think this costs to buy this much food?” Have your fans guess. Then reveal the answer with the ask, “This is $25 worth of food. Think how much food we can serve if we could raise $25 from everyone! Donate Now (with URL to donation page).” That’s a fun and entertaining approach that engages the audience.

Two. Ask your followers to share.
The power of social media fundraising is not how many people you can blast your message to, it’s how effectively you can get your supporters to share your ask with their friends.

Make it easy for them. The best example I have seen worked something like this… I made a donation. On the page that confirmed my donation was a sharing feature that allowed me to share with my friends that I just bought $25 worth of food for a family. This appeased my selfish side of course (all my friends got to see what I great person I was) but it also posted an update that included a link to the organization with accompanying message asking my friends to make a donation as well. It was very easy for me – just one click – and very effective at spreading the message.

Three. Don’t be afraid to try a gimmick.
Before I talk about the gimmick, please understand that the gimmick is a one-time play. Every fundraising campaign can’t include a gimmick.

I absolutely love what the Wooly Mammoth Theatre Company did (see their case study here). What I loved about it was:

It was very simple and required a minimal investment of time
It was funny… I thought the “prove our Director wrong” focus was refreshingly different
They leveraged the power of sharing (as evidenced by the fact that the Washington, D.C. based theatre company secured donates from 23 different states.)

People want to have fun and be entertained in the social media space. The gimmick appeals to both desires.

So that is what you can do to fold fundraising into your social media strategy. Will you receive millions of dollars worth of donations? Unlikely. But, with a fairly minimal effort and a focused approach your fundraising campaign can surely be ROI positive.

That’s not to say those three tactics alone will lead to fundraising success in the social media space. You have to be prepared to face the biggest challenge of them all, and it’s got an unofficial name, slacktivism.

Changing your profile picture on Facebook to be a green box or posting the “I like it on ____” status update are both examples of slacktivism. The first example was used to show your support of the Green Revolution during the elections in Iran. The second was a campaign that was designed raise awareness for breast cancer awareness month.

Slacktivism is a portmanteau formed out of the words slacker and activism. The word describes "feel-good" measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little or no practical effect other than to make the person doing it feel satisfaction. The acts also tend to require little personal effort from the slacktivist.

The problem is that people feel they are doing something good for the organization by doing these things – and in a roundabout way I suppose they are by raising awareness. However, if they really wanted to make a difference they would be supporting the organization financially or by donating their time.

You have to get past people’s slacktivist tendencies. How you do that is going to take some trial and error. No one has a panacea. I don't proclaim to have the answer for you. I am sharing this with you so that you understand why it is that your fans and followers are willing to “like” something or “share” something but not actually donate. If you can find a way to overcome those slacktivist tendencies you’re well on your way to fundraising success in the social media space.

So there it is. I know it’s a bit of a bummer. Don’t be discouraged. You can have a solid social media fundraising campaign but you must first have realistic expectations. Try employing the tactics I suggest above to increase your odds of success. Finally, find a way to make your followers realize that you need support beyond a click of the “like” button.

Remember, fundraising in the social media space can and does work… so long as you remember that your fundraising is just the cheese on your social media hamburger.

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

SE2 election pool results after much anticipation and suspense

2010-11-08T15:51:00.002-07:00

In a contest that featured entries from politicos, business elites, reporters, and other Colorado movers and shakers, the SE2 election pool came down to a near photo finish, with Tim Jackson, President of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, capturing first place over SE2’s Illana Poley. Third place went to Alicia Caldwell of the Denver Post, with Eric Sondermann and Eric Anderson of SE2 rounding out the bottom of the top five.

When asked about his fifth place finish, Eric Anderson held up five fingers, looking for some high-five love. But when left hanging, Anderson looked skyward and quickly stated that “God gave us five fingers for a reason. If we were meant to hold up one finger for a victory, he would have given us only one finger.” There’s nothing like a little divine spin to rationalize failure.

Congratulations to Tim Jackson, whose election pool picks excelled through the SE2 judging panel’s rigorous scoring standards and earned him the grand pool prize of $105 in foldin’ money. And as for Eric Sondermann’s dream of one day finishing ahead of Illana Poley, there’s always next cycle…

Election week is always a tough one at the office

2010-11-05T15:25:00.009-06:00

Election week is always a tough one! Lots of work to get campaigns to the finish line. Long hours. Blood. Sweat. Tears.

Sometimes, it's just too much for some members of the extended SE2 team (see exhibit A & exhibit B below).

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Have a great weekend everyone! Rest up... and don't forget to "fall back" an hour Sunday morning!

Another successful ballot initiative

2010-11-04T10:29:00.002-06:00

At SE2, we don’t merely dislike losing, we hate losing. Whether it be our favorite sports teams, a family game of Scrabble or a client campaign, we simply can’t stand the thought of giving someone else the win. Some call it competitive, we call it committed.

So this election season we’re celebrating a victory by an 18-point margin for the Mayor Project, a ballot proposal in Colorado Springs to change the structure of city government. This was anything but a sure thing when we started working on it eight months ago. Similar proposals in Pueblo and Aurora in recent years have been resoundingly defeated, as was a measure in Wheat Ridge this fall. And in a year when only one out of nine statewide ballot issues passed, it was not easy to get voters to say “yes” to anything.

But thanks to an outstanding team and a whole lot of hard work, Initiative 300 was passed by Colorado Springs voters 59-41. SE2 provided overall strategic direction to the effort and, in concert with our outstanding partners Robin Bond and Joel Hill, we produced all of the campaign’s radio and television spots, as well as the direct mail and print pieces. From an elementary school class to comparing household detergents, we found simple ways to highlight the benefits of our proposal. We created commercials and materials that stood out from the overwhelming glut of negative campaign ads this election season.

We were privileged to work on this project with an incredibly strong team, including Bryon Allen, Rachel Beck, Patrick Davis, Sarah Jack, Helen Upton and campaign manager Kevin Walker. And the campaign was spearheaded by David and Chris Jenkins, two outstanding corporate citizens in Colorado Springs committed to improving their city. It is always exciting to work with smart and effective folks, and the Mayor Project gave us that opportunity in spades.

Our sincere thanks go out to everyone who worked on this important effort!

Link Potpourri – Version 2.0

2010-10-29T14:03:00.004-06:00

We’re definitely not a selfish bunch. We love to share. No stapler, tape dispenser or even lunch (see: “What’s that You Ate?”) is off limits. If someone needs it, we share it. But, our sharing doesn’t end there. No. No. No.

We love to share our knowledge too.

So this week we gave everyone a chance to share their unique interests with you.

Here we go!

Which Test Won – This is a blog and a weekly email about split-testing email layouts and web page designs. The homepage and email shows you two versions of a webpage/email and asks you to vote which one you think gets more clicks-throughs, leads to more donations, email opt-ins, etc. I think this would be great for our clients because I’m not aware of anyone that is doing split testing and I consider it a “best practice.” I used to do this all the time at the nonprofit I worked for before SE2. (Courtesy of Jill Hamilton)
The weekly email from The Publication Coach (opt in here) – This is a great weekly email for writers. It always takes less than 3 minutes to read and is filled with tips about writing faster, better. Plus, Daphne Grey, the mind behind the tips, never sends out other emails. (Courtesy of Jill Hamilton)
A good friend of the firm, Tim Jackson, President of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, approaches social media with the same highly caffeinated energy that he brings to all his endeavors. New car dealers have embraced digital strategies and Tim serves as a social media maven for the industry. (The fact that he has 5,284 tweets gives one a sense of the passion he brings to that platform.) Follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook. (Courtesy of Eric Anderson)
Does your organization have a compelling story to tell? Do you want to connect with your supporters, volunteers, and donors but don't have the funds to launch expensive outreach campaigns? Apply for Google’s brand spanking new Non-Profit YouTube program. If accepted you’ll receive premium branding capabilities and the option to drive fundraising through a Google Checkout "Donate" button. (Courtesy of Brandon)
I think that sometimes it’s good to take your mind off of work and let your mind wander a bit (after all, there’s a gazillion research studies proving it), so I recommend www.zefrank.com. I spend HOURS on this site every day playing little interactive games, creating things and watching cool videos. Good thing I sit in the back corner where no one can see my computer screen! If only the head honchos knew! (Courtesy of yours truly, Megaphone Man)

So there you have it! Have any thoughts, opinions or recommendations? Share them in the comments below.

Pretty Much the Most Fun Staff Lunch Ever!

2010-10-21T22:50:00.007-06:00

Yesterday was our once-monthly staff lunch. I think at most workplaces the words “staff lunch” sound like an absolute bore-fest but that’s certainly not the case here at SE2. In fact, yesterday’s staff lunch was almost certainly the most fun staff lunch in the history of staff lunches.  

It’s always nice to see what other members of the SE2 team are working on and so our lunch started with a showcase of recent work from our Creative department.

The creative team shared recent video work we did for the Colorado Trust. We created videos showing accomplishments of the many remarkable people, organizations and communities The Colorado Trust has worked with towards their goal of improving the health and well-being of Coloradans. Check out one example of our work over at The Colorado Trust’s website:

The creative showcase wrapped up and we moved on to something that all of 770 Sherman street has been talking about for weeks – announcing the winner of the Get Your Blog On contest. The contest title pretty much sums up what the contest was about.

We wanted the team to “get their blog on.” SE2 employees were asked to write and submit a blog post to this very blog you’re reading right now. At the end of the entry period we’d ask our faithful online audience to pick the winner. The winner, in addition to receiving a $25 gift card to Starbucks, also won the title of Top Dog Blog.

So at yesterday’s lunch we announced the winners of the contest… but this wasn’t just any awards ceremony. Oh no. That’s not how we roll at SE2! Instead, our staff lunch transformed into the 2010 Top Dog Blog Award Ceremony. Watch the video of our hilarious awards ceremony below to see who the winners were: 

Finally, we came to the main event (which everyone at SE2 knew about with the exception of Eric Anderson). It was the presentation of a tribute video that we produced called Death of a Murse - A Tribute to Eric Anderson's Man Bag.

Ok, so before I show you the video I guess you need a little background…

Eric Anderson has a very tragic murse (Murse = Man + Purse) that he brings with him to very important client meetings. (Perhaps some of you have seen it.) He gets all dressed up, looking quite dapper, and then just before he walks out the door he throws on this sloppy, old and tired bag.

Yesterday the inevitable happened. The murse died.   

Our lunch wrapped by us playing our video tribute to Eric Anderson’s man bag. (Disclaimer: we are not responsible for injured cheeks or stomachs muscles as the result of laughing uncontrollably at this video):

So there it is. A brief summary of what will certainly go down in history as the best staff lunch ever.   

Share your thoughts about our staff lunch in the comments section below!

Putting The "Fun" In The Fundamentals Of Government

2010-10-15T13:25:00.004-06:00

In college, I was a poli sci major with a concentration on political theory. Political theory meant that I spent most of my time learning about systems of government. We read Nietzsche, Marx, Plato and the Federalist Papers and had philosophical debates about which theories would work best. I loved it.

But I know that most people find systems of government to be a pretty boring topic. For that reason, it’s especially important that our client, the Mayor Project, find simple, engaging and attention-grabbing ways to talk about why they want to change the system of government in Colorado Springs. SE2 helped them do that in the television ads that we created for them (in partnership with our colleagues at Robin Bond Media).

The main point we want to convey in our ads is that, although city government structure can be pretty complex, the need to change it in Colorado Springs is obvious. Having a full-time, elected mayor (instead of appointed city manager with all the power) will empower voters, increase accountability of the city’s leaders, and attract better candidates for the city of Colorado Springs.
Check out our ads:

Smarter Than A Fifth Grader

Man On The Street

In an election season full of name-calling, mud-slinging and negative campaign ads, we think that ours stand out in a way that’s fun and memorable. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Finally, if you’re a Colorado Springs voter who supports the Mayor Project, be sure to fan us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and vote yes on Initiative 300!

Rad lunch, not sad lunch - SE2 goes to the movies.

2010-10-08T15:16:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, some of the staff at SE2 took a cue from Facebook staffers by taking a long lunch and going out on the town to see the film, The Social Network.

While we didn’t learn the technical ins and outs of Facebook’s creation, we did learn a lot about personal relationships and their role in the launch of Facebook. And after all, isn’t relationship status what Facebook is all about?

After examining what makes Mark Zuckerburg tick, I returned to the office only to find that earlier this week a University of Colorado Denver business school student released a study on the interesting process of “unfriending” someone on Facebook – talk about perfect timing.

Among the top reasons for throwing away a perfectly good Facebook friendship are:

1. Frequent and boring posts on topics that no one really cares about.
2. Posts about controversial topics like politics or religion.
3. Posting inappropriate or offensive information.
4. If you are local social media expert Brandon Zelasko and you refuse to friend your awesome coworkers. (Note: Reason number four was not officially included in the UCD study.)

So, if you’re looking to win a Facebook popularity contest, it sounds like you need to be engaging, interesting and relevant. On top of that, try to keep the inappropriate comments to a minimum.

Need more information on how to properly friend and unfriend? Why just ask Emily Post. Social media has become such big business that even Ms. Post has included an entry about “online friending etiquette.”

So remember, mind your Ps and Qs or you too may face the dreaded unfriend.

Link Potpourri: Digital Communications

2010-10-08T09:18:00.005-06:00

Whenever I meet people and tell them what I do I always get asked the question, “Where do you find all this information?” Or I get asked, “How do you know about this?” It’s not because I am psychic… although there was that one time… no, I’ll save that for another blog… it’s because I have a good list of resources.

It’s taken a lot of time to cultivate a list of trusted resources that I go to for news, opinion and research on digital communications strategy. Here’s an excerpt from my Little Black Book of digital communications strategy:

www.mashable.com – pretty much everyone knows about Mashable, but if you don’t, you should. I don’t think there is any other digital media related news and opinion website as good as Mashable. They’ve really got their fingers on the pulse of what is happening in the world of digital communications and marketing.

www.socialmediaexaminer.com – so the website design is a little kid-friendly looking. Ignore that. This site has great content about social media strategy that’s written in an easily approachable and digestible format. I would advise against signing up for their newsletter though!

http://nonprofit.alltop.com/ - Alltop aggregates news stories from all across the web. I pay particular attention to the social media and non-profit pages. I find that Alltop shares pretty good content and does a great job of siphoning out the junk. I like this site because it saves me TONS of time. Instead of having to go to each site and dig around to find the content I am interested in I just go here and ta-da, there's the content I am looking for!

www.emarketer.com – I don’t think there is any more valuable digital research website than eMarketer. If you need a stat about pretty much anything in the digital media space, eMarketer has it.

www.socialmediatoday.com – the Web’s best thinkers in the social media space hang out here. The content is written for people who know social media strategy and the digital space more than the average Joe. Nevertheless I think anybody could find useful nuggets of information in any article. I love the content they post through their Facebook page – it’s the best of the best. I’d recommend you follow them there.

http://nearbytweets.com/ - ok, so this is a little niche but it’s a lot of fun. I like seeing what is trending and what people are talking about on Twitter in my area.

http://www.insidefacebook.com/ - this one is a little niche too but I have yet to find a better site that chronicles that changes that Facebook makes to the site, and how those changes will impact your social media strategy.

www.hunch.com – this is my new favorite website. Hunch creates an Internet that is tailored to me. It’s essentially a recommendation engine for anything and everything that I might be interested in. And I can tell you this, it’s a little freaky how accurate it is in predicting what I might like.

… and finally …

www.gawker.com – This website isn’t really digital media focused, but if you like to keep your finger on the pulse of what is interesting, this site has it. I find that fairly regularly Gawker posts content and commentary about an issue before some of the bigger news media outlets do. Plus, there is a fair amount of clever humor scattered throughout.

So there you have it - or at least part of it. I can’t give away all of my secrets! There will be more Link Potpourri posts to come!

Check out the sites and if you have others that you like, share your favorites in the comments below!

For she's a jolly good fella!

2010-10-01T08:13:00.006-06:00

Since 2004, Sarah Kurz, now a principal at SE2, has provided outstanding services to her clients, helping guide many campaigns to victory in the ballot box or at the Capitol. She’s also established herself as an expert in communications for the health care and education fields.

But this year is proving to be her best year yet. In 2010, Sarah is celebrating:

Her alma matter, Duke, wining the NCAA basketball national championship

Joining the board of directors at The New America School, a system of publicly funded charter high schools

News that she and her husband are expecting their first baby in December 2010

And last, but not least… Last night, Sarah was honored by ColoradoBiz Magazine as one of Colorado’s Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals. We first announced this news about a month ago on this blog. But last night we took some time to celebrate with Sarah by attending the GenXYZ event where each of the award recipients was nominated.

Sarah and her husband, Brian, at the GenXYZ celebration on September 30th.

We couldn’t be more proud of her. In addition to her professional accomplishments, we appreciate Sarah’s leadership, intelligence and sense of humor and leadership in our office. She puts her logical mind to work by helping streamline our processes to increase productivity, leads clients to success and still makes time to encourage and invest in new associates to help them succeed.

Cheers to more great things ahead!

Career Advice for Barbie

2010-09-24T14:25:00.007-06:00

Barbie holds an important position at SE2. Specifically, she is stuck to the outside of the women’s room to signify that it’s not the men’s room (which has Ken doll).

This is not just any Barbie – this is the original Barbie, or at least she looks like one.

The women in the office have created a subtle system for signifying that the bathroom is occupied, leaving one of Barbie’s legs pointed out at a 90-degree angle. Occasionally, the occupant who raised Barbie’s leg forgets to put it down after she exits the lavatory. After a couple of hours, the other women in the office start looking very uncomfortable.

My seven-year-old daughter, Charlotte, provides replacement parts from her Barbie collection when needed. When the SE2 Barbie lost her shoes, Charlotte provided not-so-original blue sparkly high-heeled shoes. And when we concluded that the original Ken’s snug bathing suit could get us (or at least him) arrested for obscenity in several states, Charlotte donated a more modest pair of swim trunks.

Of course, Barbie holds an important place in American culture, too. (Recently, I met a woman named Barbie. Unfortunately, I then referred to her as Bambi and that was awkward.)

I was concerned, however, when I heard that Barbie’s newest career path is journalism.

Talk about bad timing.

Journalist Barbie? That’s like announcing blacksmith Barbie. It was a noble career but the emphasis is on “was.”

Newspapers are announcing layoffs and closures seemingly on a daily basis and the University of Colorado is considering closing its journalism school.

And it doesn’t even matter that this Barbie is a TV news anchor, not a print reporter. While the TV news industry does far less public handwringing than newspapers, it’s gone through the same wrenching budget cutting.

The typical TV news reporter of today fits the so-called “20, 20, 20 rule” – 20 year olds working 20 hours a day for $20,000 a year. And, as “backpack reporters,” they’re likely to be lugging their own equipment, which tends to tough in Barbie’s high heels, and standing on the side of a snowy highway at 5 a.m.

Now, if Mattel were thinking, they’d create PR flack Barbie. The PR industry is growing and it’s a profession where women thrive, holding about 70% of the jobs. (At SE2, men are an even smaller minority.) And – if our office is any guide – they wear really nice shoes.

What's That You Ate?

2010-09-24T12:43:00.003-06:00

As I struggle to digest a package of instant macaroni-and-cheese – and with it, nearly half of my recommended daily allowance of sodium – I feel moved to connect with others who have experienced the same dreary reality I’ve just faced for the third day this week.

Chances are, you’ve been there.

I’m sure it happens in work places across America, when client deadlines, draft documents waiting to be finalized and a boatload of unread emails keep you at your desk over the lunch hour. When hunger has reduced your mental bandwidth to zero and you can’t remember the name of the person at the desk next to you, but you have just enough clarity to make your way back to the office kitchen.

At SE2, we call it Sad Lunch.

Like, “I can’t go with you guys. I have to have Sad Lunch.”

Sad Lunch typically consists of some combination of the following: a handful of almonds; 1-2 string cheese sticks; instant oatmeal, if we have it; Fig Newtons; some dried apricots/cherries/prunes; and a couple of Twizzlers. (Because I typically feel deprived both before and after this random collection, I also grab a handful of peanut M&Ms for good measure.)

When you put it all together, it doesn’t add up to a meal. It’s really a Sad Lunch.

I shouldn’t complain.

At SE2, we’re luckier than most. We have organic fruit delivered weekly. Our refrigerator is stocked with juice and milk, cheese and yogurt. Sometimes we even have cans of soup, and there are a few micro-brews in the fridge for Friday afternoon gatherings in the Liquid Lounge (currently doubling as a nursery for one staffer’s 5-month old baby).

But invariably, the day we dread is here. The fruit is gone, there’s no soup, the milk smells not-quite-right. (And, at 1:30 on a work day, a beer just doesn’t seem appropriate.)

So, while our colleagues go off to sit on a patio having a nice meal and repartee, we resort to Sad Lunch.

Again, I shouldn’t complain. I’ve seen worse.

I once worked for a nonprofit whose Board didn’t consider coffee an acceptable overhead expense. Our “kitchen” was a mini-fridge sandwiched between the copy machine and a dolly. In the “kitchen” you were likely to find a few packets of saltines (free); a doggie bag holding the remains of last Tuesday’s lunch; one Tupperware with unidentifiable contents; and a handful of creamers (also free) to put into our own coffee, if we remembered to bring it.

When I desperately needed a break from my desk, I could walk 30 feet to the “kitchen,” grab a saltine and gaze upon posters from the Colorado Department of Labor, telling me what to do if I was injured or harassed in the workplace. (This was unlikely, since our office was 400 square feet and there were only two employees – both of us female.)

That was about as sad as it gets. Next to that, Sad Lunch at SE2 is like a Las Vegas buffet.

Nevertheless, I often feel – well, sad, when having Sad Lunch. It’s like I am the last person on earth, like I have no friends, like the world is going on without me.

So, when you are having Sad Lunch, just know that others are out there suffering right along with you.

Sad Lunchers, Unite!

Questions for discussion:

Do you ever have Sad Lunch? If you do, what does your Sad Lunch typically consist of?

Infographics - The Key to Getting Your Online Audience to Read Your Content

2010-09-19T12:35:00.008-06:00

Your organization has something important to say but a lot of data or explanation is needed to illustrate the issue. This data, when written out, will make for never-ending, scrolling web pages full of text. While a lot of text-based content is great for a research paper it isn’t so great for the web.

“Why?”, because online audiences don’t read.

It’s a well-known rule that when writing content for an online audience that that content has to be concise and easy to scan with the eye. But for some topics it’s nearly impossible to communicate so concisely.

So how do we solve the problem? One of my favorite solutions is the infographic.

What is an infographic? Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, are easily scanned and are highly engaging.

Why use an infographic instead of text? As previously mentioned, online audiences just don’t read blocks of text and if your blocks of text are trying to communicate something important, that’s a problem. That should be reason enough. But beyond that, infographics are more likely to be shared across the web. That matters because not only does it bring more attention to your cause – increasing your online share of voice – but it also has HUGE search engine optimization (SEO) benefits.

How do you create an infographic that will get noticed?

Make your data work for you. Any organization will have tons of data. Put it to work by creating an infographic that highlights interesting trends or findings that the general public wouldn’t ever be able to glean from the data.
Give it a snappy headline. Grab that user’s attention!
Promote your infographic. Post it on your social profiles. Ask your audience to share it. Also use it for outreaching to bloggers or other online media. Trust me, it will get noticed.
Don’t forget to put out a press release. Send out a press release about the news.

…And now two of my recent favorites:

Social Media & Dinner Parties - Why the two aren't so different

2010-09-03T16:00:00.008-06:00

We need to start thinking about how we measure social media success. It’s not all about the number of fans. Here’s a scenario I’d like you to consider…

You’re throwing a dinner party at your place and you’re putting together your guest list. You have a choice to invite 100 strangers or 10 friends. Certainly from the outside, 100 strangers at your house would make your neighbors think you’re awfully popular, but inside the party is going to be pretty awkward.. While 10 friends may not impress your neighbors, I’ll guarantee that there will be more engaging conversation going on, and your guests are going to have a better time at your dinner party.

So, your social media communities are like a dinner party - it’s not all about the numbers.

Too often companies and organizations are overly concerned with their fan count, but as my example illustrates, 10 fans that engage and communicate with you are worth a lot more than having a huge community of unengaged, unresponsive fans.

You can’t learn anything from a huge community of unengaged fans. They’re certainly not going to advocate on your behalf. They’re not going to take a desired action. They’re definitely not going to be there for you when you need them. Bottom line is you are wasting time and energy trying to get these fans to engage with you, and what’s worse, a lot of time and effort was wasted getting them to become your friends in the first place.

So how do you find the kind of fans you want to have and how do you measure the success of your efforts?

Well, how do you make friends in your daily life? It isn’t so different online.

Make friends where you hang out most. Online this means your website. Your website is your main presence online and it’s only natural that you’ll find most of your friends there. (I mean, they’re already on your website so they must be relatively interested in you already.) Add callouts across your website advertising your presence in the social media space. Let the tools that Facebook, Twitter and the like work for you. Prominently adding a Twitter feed, Facebook Fan box, or “Share” feature to your website is all it really takes.
Encourage your friends to introduce you to their friends. Your friends can be your biggest advocates. Think about it in the real world. Your guard is down when an old friend introduces you to someone new. You are naturally going to be more trusting because after all, if this new person is friends with your friend they must be a pretty decent human being. It works the same way in the online world – use it to your advantage. Let your existing friends introduce you to new friends. Make it easy for them – give your friends sponsored content that they can share with their friends. Your friend’s friends will naturally find you. Then everyone can be friends!
Make friends who share similar interests. It is also perfectly acceptable to find other places online where people like you hang out. As a real world example, I like art, so I find places where artsy people are and hang out there. Online this means finding blogs, microblogs or other online communities where people like you hang out. Make introductions and start to get to know them. (Just don’t come on too strong Just as in the real world, coming on too strong just makes you look desperate…)

And what about tracking success? I’d argue that it’s most important to pay attention to the number of engagements – comments, shares, interactions, clicks, etc. – relative to your number of friends/fans/followers/etc. That’s it. It’s that easy.

So there is it. Stop worrying about the number of friends you have and start making friends that really count!

One! Two! Three!

2010-09-02T09:48:00.008-06:00

Everyone, meet the three newest members of our staff, Brandon Zelasko, Amy Steinhoff and Maggie McEntee. Brandon, Amy and Maggie, meet everyone. As you can see they are a playful group and fit right in!

The three of them combined add some serious talent to our staff. As an Associate, Brandon brings to SE2 expertise in online marketing strategies and tactics, from social media to website design and optimization to online advertising and communication strategies. Amy, also an Associate, brings to SE2 a passion for politics and policy. With a background in Colorado and Western issues, Amy offers clients strong research skills and an eye for framing and messaging public issues. Last but not least, Maggie, the newest member of our Creative Department, is our new Production Assistant and Traffic Coordinator. Maggie brings to SE2 a background in visual arts and marketing combined with organizational skills and attention to detail. Maggie’s keen eye, creative interests and experience are a great addition to our creative team.

Anyway you look at - even if looking through pretend glasses made with your hands - we hit the jackpot! Stop on by to meet the new crew and socialize with the “old” crew, too. We always have beverages and peanut M&Ms to share!

Sarah Kurz nominated for ColoradoBiz magazine's Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in Colorado!

2010-09-01T13:14:00.001-06:00

ColoradoBiz has selected their Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in Colorado. Of the 150 nominations submitted, one of our very own, Sarah Kurz, made the list. She is among the 25 finalists and she will go on to possibly be named one of the Top 5!

SE2 couldn't be more proud and excited for Sarah. We congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.

We'll find out on September 30th - along with all those nominated - who makes the Top 5!

Congrats Sarah!

You can learn more about the award and the announcement event here.

I fought the law and the law won

2010-08-10T16:33:00.005-06:00

Every day at SE2 is filled with valuable lessons. Whether studying the AP Stylebook, discussing campaign strategy or researching a public issue, I’m constantly soaking up new and precious knowledge. For example, I recently learned about inexpensive, quick and easy video options for clients. I’ve also picked up exciting knowledge about using social media to market your personal brand. And today, my boss taught me an important lesson about parking tickets.

A wise man once said, “there’s no need to pay out of town parking tickets.” That, it turns out, is not so wise.

So thank you, Eric Sondermann, for taking advantage of the teaching moment that occurred this morning. You’ve connected us with the following valuable lessons:

Parking tickets, in general, are easily avoided by paying for parking in advance.
If you do receive a ticket, it’s a good idea to pay it.
It is a bad idea to avoid paying parking tickets that you have received, even if they are outside the city you reside in.
If you choose to fight the law (some call this, “sticking it to the man”) there is a fairly good chance you’ll lose.
And finally, all it takes is a few quarters to avoid the wheel clamp (A.K.A. the Denver - or in this case, Colorado Springs - boot).

Lance Armstrong Whizzes Past SE2!

2010-08-04T15:09:00.005-06:00

Earlier today, Governor Bill Ritter and legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong announced Colorado's return to elite cycling with the Quiznos Pro Challenge before an audience of nearly 1,000 local cyclists. Then they all went for a ride and passed the SE2 office!

I put my newly acquired Flip video skills to work to capture the moment Lance passed by as Laura Giocomo described the scene.

SE2 Still Accpting Applications for Production and Traffic Assistant

2010-08-03T13:13:00.010-06:00

While the application period has ended for the associate opportunity, we've extended the Production & Traffic Assistant application period through Wednesday, August 4, 2010.

Think you or someone you know might be interested? Check out the job description below.

Job Description for Production and Traffic Assistant

This is a new position at SE2. The Production Assistant will work under the direction of SE2’s Creative Director and in partnership with other staff members on all creative projects. This person will be responsible for monitoring the traffic flow of projects, developing and monitoring production budgets, meeting various production deadlines, and working with various vendors and subcontractors.

Three job skills are paramount: 1) A demonstrated attention to detail and ability to juggle multiple tasks. 2) Some background and demonstrated interest in creative services and production management. 3) Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Also, as a firm focused on public issues and social marketing, we seek someone who understands and is attracted to this niche.

This is an entry level position. The salary range is between $28K-$33K, depending on experience.

If you wish to apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to
SE2jobs@PublicPersuasion.com by Wednesday, August 4, 2010. No phone calls please.

SE2 to Hire for Two Positions

2010-07-01T16:25:00.007-06:00

In an era when many communications firms are downsizing, SE2 continues to grow. As a matter of fact, we're looking to fill two positions. Interested? Read on...and if it sounds like a good fit, we hope to hear from you.

Associate

An SE2 Associate is expected to carry a substantial workload involving a number of client projects. This person will be part of project teams also including SE2 Principals and Senior Associates – but will be largely responsible for staying on top of day-to-day project details. Accordingly, a strong attention to detail along with the ability to keep a number of balls in the air is necessary. Though this can be an early-career position, optimal candidates will bring a demonstrated aptitude for messaging and mass communications, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a strong interest in public policy. For this particular position, we are also seeking someone with demonstrated skills as a quick, first-rate writer. We are also looking for a specific background in social media (not just using Facebook, but significant blogging experience and an awareness of emerging social media trends).

If you wish to apply for this position, please send a cover letter, resume and writing samples to SE2jobs@PublicPersuasion.com by July 9, 2010. No phone calls please.

Production and Traffic Assistant

This is a new position at SE2. The Production Assistant will work under the direction of SE2’s Creative Director and in partnership with other staff members on all creative projects. This person will be responsible for monitoring the traffic flow of projects, developing and monitoring production budgets, meeting various production deadlines, and working with various vendors and subcontractors.

Three job skills are paramount: 1) A demonstrated attention to detail and ability to juggle multiple tasks. 2) Some background and demonstrated interest in creative services and production management. 3) Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Also, as a firm focused on public issues and social marketing, we seek someone who understands and is attracted to this niche.

If you wish to apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to
SE2jobs@PublicPersuasion.com by July 9, 2010. No phone calls please.

Denver's New Zoning Code Takes the Cake

2010-06-28T16:04:00.009-06:00

Remarkable. That’s the word that comes to mind to describe the Denver City Council’s 13-0 approval of a wholesale revision of the zoning code that governs development across the entire city and county. On June 22, Mayor Hickenlooper made the new zoning code official after more than five years of planning and public input. It replaces a flawed code that was more than a half a century old.

It’s hard to fathom the amount of work that led to this accomplishment. The Denver Department of Community Planning and Development (CPD) zoning code team members put vacations and their personal lives on hold for this massive undertaking, logging tens of thousands of hours poring over maps, attending many dozens of meetings, and addressing the myriad of issues that arose. The CPD staffers toiled largely in obscurity – except for this Westword cartoon (which no doubt made them yearn for obscurity). For all their work they got a sense of accomplishment and a sugar rush, courtesy of a cake we delivered last week. (Denver’s Director of Strategic Marketing Steve Sander and Director of Legislative Services R.D. Sewald also played key staff roles but, alas, they didn’t even get any cake.)

Also deserving of praise are the volunteer participants in the process, including members of the Zoning Code Task Force, co-chaired by Diane Barrett and Stephen Kaplan. We learned a lot about public service from these intensely committed community leaders. And the City Council could teach Congress a thing or two about how to solve complex challenges. “Government that is non-partisan, close to the people works best. Monday night's 13-zip vote is proof,” wrote Zoning Code Task Force member Susan Barnes-Gelt in The Denver Post.

SE2 drafted and helped implement a communications plan for The New Zoning Code that included an interactive website created with our frequent partners at rabble+rouser. NewCodeDenver.org functioned as a virtual meeting place for Denver residents interested in learning about the plan, submitting questions and feedback, finding public meetings, and following the effort’s progress. While 4,580 people attended the well-attended community meetings, almost seven times that many people visited the website. By lowering barriers to participation, NewCodeDenver.org helped CPD provide a transparent and accessible process that led to widespread public acceptance.

Communications Arts named NewCodeDenver.org the webpick of the day, stating that “this visually compelling, content-rich site uses animation and video blogging to communicate how changes to regulations will affect the community.”

We are thrilled to have been part of the process to get the word out about what The New Code will mean to Denver.

Congratulations, Denver!

Colorado Nonprofit Taking Care of Kids' Basic Needs

2010-06-16T16:05:00.002-06:00

With the arrival of summer, many of us are thinking about places and opportunities to spend time with friends and family. However, many Coloradans still worry about the basics – jobs, housing and making sure their kids have enough to eat.

When people think about hunger, it’s not something they typically picture right in their own back yard. But it’s here: from the cities along Colorado’s Front Range to the towns of the Western Slope and even in the food-producing regions of our state.

One of SE2’s newest clients is working to change that.

Hunger Free Colorado (HFC) is working to feed an even greater number of Colorado kids this summer. An expanded number of Summer Food Service Program sites are open throughout Colorado this year, prompted by concerns about an increase in nutritional deficiencies and hunger among children during the summer months. The effort follows recent studies showing that only eight percent of Colorado children who qualify for food assistance at school participate in the Summer Food Service Program.

“Many Colorado children who receive free or reduced-price lunches at school are at risk of poor nutrition or missing meals when school lets out for summer,” says HFC Executive Director Kathy Underhill.

Thanks to efforts by Hunger Free Colorado and its community partners, children and teens can receive a free, nutritionally balanced lunch daily, often at sites near their homes. There are no registration or income requirements necessary to qualify, and many sites also offer day camps or activities for kids.

A complete listing of sites throughout Colorado can be found at http://www.summerfoodcolorado.org/ or by calling 877-93-HUNGER.

At SE2, we’re thankful that we continue to have opportunities to contribute to issues that really matter to our state.

Using Social Media to Market Your Individual Brand

2010-05-21T12:12:00.006-06:00

Last month, I had the pleasure of speaking at Congressman Perlmutter's Job Hunter's Boot Camp on a panel discussing how technology has opened up new job opportunities in various fields. Not only did I get to learn about all the ways green industry and development as well as health IT have opened up the job market from my fellow panelists, I got to talk about my experiences paving the way for new ventures and opportunities in social media. Whether or not many people realize it, social media is no longer a job reserved for college interns - many smart organizations are catching on to the fact that internet and mobile technologies make up the new landscape for communications.

I also touched on the many tools available on the web to help job seekers raise their profile and market their individual brands as industry professionals. Here are a few tips I passed along:

Today’s Job-Seeking Landscape

Social media broadens exposure between potential employers and professionals working or specializing in the same arena, adding to the pressure to stand out among the crowd and continue to deepen connections via social media.

Most jobs openings are unposted – one study noted that 80 percent of jobs are filled through networking; many hiring managers seek out candidates among their networks before opening positions to the public; this makes professional networking and the idea of the personal brand more salient than ever.

Tip 1: Become a Resource on your Industry to Enhance Credibility

Don’t make it all about you. Use Twitter, Facebook or a Blog to share insights that are unique to your perspective and your experience. Try to attain a status as a resource on your niche BEFORE using social media to seek jobs.

Link all social media outlets to ensure your valuable insights reach ALL connections – you never know who might know someone who is hiring or is in need of resources that you can supply.

All social media outlets have ways of creating smaller circles of like-minded users. Twitter has lists and hashtags, Facebook has groups and pages, blog and other user-generated online media link to other like-minded outlets. Start participating and adding your unique insights to enhance your credibility as a resource for your industry.

BOTTOM LINE: Make a contribution before you start asking for favors.

Tip 2: Start Narrow, Focused and In-Depth when Seeking Connections

Instead of frantically searching for a wide base of industry professionals remotely related to your skills and flooding them with spam, narrow your focus initially to a few people who have an immediate connection to your skill set. Then focus on enhancing the relationship; connect with them on social media outlets, check their blog – and comment! – send them links they would find interesting.

Start with the people you know – use LinkedIn to check the connections shared between you and your friends and colleagues. Leverage the personal relationships you already have to connect to industry professionals.

If there is a company or organization you know you would love to work for but you don’t share any mutual connections with any staff, find a mutual interest or reference some recent work or social media content this person shared.

Tip 3: Connect Social Media Efforts with On-the-Ground Events and Meetings

Once a social media connection has been deepened, schedule an in-person meeting with an industry professional you’d like to get to know better. It doesn’t matter if they are currently hiring or not; appeal to their expertise and experience and let them know you’d like to learn more about the industry and share insights.

Many online communities will post on-the-ground events; make an effort to attend these events, and be sure to gather names, business cards, etc. Follow up by connecting with these people on social media outlets.

BOTTOM LINE: While industry professionals have many social contacts, an in-person meeting will not only put a face to your Twitter handle, it will develop a more personal connection and help you remain at the front of the person’s mind.

Tip 4: Add Creativity to your Social Media Content to Market your Personal Brand

For a recent hiring for a social media marketer at Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma Valley, CA, the hiring committee opened up the applications process on their website. They not only requested the usual cover letter, resume and three references, but they also requested applicants submit a three-minute video which they would upload on YouTube and then embed in their online application. Not only did the winery become flooded with applicants, candidates got to produce a video to showcase their creative talents and increase their personal mark on their application materials. Use social media to tell industry leaders what is unique about you.

Tell your story using social media outlets. Don’t just make it all about your professional pursuits, make your social media platforms human by sharing personal anecdotes and experiences that will offer a more compelling view of you as a whole package.

From using social networking tools like Facebook and LinkedIn to find and strengthen industry connections, to developing a blog or even sharing bite-sized insights on microblogs like Twitter to share one's field expertise, social media provides a wealth of resources to market oneself as a valuable professional asset.

The Excesses of PowerPoint

2010-04-29T18:19:00.004-06:00

In our field as in others, few days go by without creating or using a Power Point. It is ubiquitous. And occasionally it is over-the-top. For an example of that, check out this article from the New York Times as to a PowerPoint diagram purporting to illustrate American strategy in Afghanistan. Looking at it, it is amazing that we haven't yet successfully wrapped up that foreign adventure.

"Did You Know"

2010-04-27T11:52:00.005-06:00

This is an amazing video (and a breathless one) that was shown recently by Sony at their executive conference. It speaks to technology on steroids, the exponential growth of knowledge, and the challenge facing all of us to stay current and keep up (and cope without going crazy). Check it out here: