What’s in a Title? Everything!

March 1st, 2010

If you had told me that one webinar our firm participated in back in August 2008 would lead to a whole new path for our Public Relations firm, I would have said at the time it’s not possible. However, as the months have gone by, and we have tried to incorporate social media into everything we do, the need has become greater to have one person focused on this category.

Whether it’s launching Dunkin’ Donuts South Florida Twitter account back in November and partnering with the Miami Dolphins on a ticket giveaway for this launch, or it’s “driving” the Truly Nolen Mousecar on Facebook, or it’s sharing links on the Tilson PR Facebook and @TilsonPR Twitter accounts that are mutually beneficial to others, we as a firm have been fortunate to have participated in that original webinar that launched all of this interest for us.

Therefore, beginning today, I am excited to announce that our great President Tracy Tilson has entrusted me in a new position. My title – Manager of Social Media!

Why does this excite me? Because I feel it adds a new dimension to what we do here. We already engage in Social Media, and now we’re going to begin focusing on offering current and prospective clients ways to also become engaged in the practice. Through speaking engagements, on-site tutorials and actual social media services, we as a firm will strive to do the best job we can in communicating on behalf of our client and showing prospective clients what we can do for them.

One of my favorite singers, Tom Petty, once said, “The future was wide open…The sky was the limit.” I couldn’t agree more, and as we move onward and upward into this new chapter for our firm, we’ll continue to aim high.

Toby Srebnik, Manager of Social Media (@TilsonPR)

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Set Your Sights On a New Horizon

January 26th, 2010

I recently had the good fortune of partnering on a Social Media Presentation for the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce’s Back to Basics program with Jeff Zbar of ChiefHomeOfficer.com and Erin Glass of Viziun. Jeff set the tone speaking about branding as a whole, while Erin focused on Facebook as a business tool and I focused on how to use Twitter for business.

What I found encouraging about the presentation was that several chamber members approached each of us at the conclusion to ask us follow-up questions. Several even told us how they were planning to go back to their office and explain to their boss WHY they need to be on Facebook and Twitter NOW.

As someone who is very passionate when it comes to Social Media, I’ve always felt if you can explain to a business owner in clear terms why they need to be involved, they will be motivated to do so.

One example of a business that was allowing the conversation to go on without their participation was our friends at Lion County Safari (who is not nor have they ever been a client of ours). Back in June 2009 during a presentation to the Palm Beach County Attractions Association, I was able to visually show LCS what they were missing.

I went to search.twitter.com and typed in Lion County Safari. At the time, there were over 150 tweets about the attraction, and 95 percent of them were positive. LCS’ Director of Marketing and Public Relations Jennifer Berthume, upon seeing this, pulled me aside at the end of my presentation and used my computer to sign up for Twitter that day. Seven months, 559 followers, and 489 tweets later, @LionCountry has become a Twitter fixture and understands the value of connecting with the general public on a daily basis through this medium.

Therefore, my advice would be this: before you get involved, see what others are already saying about you and/or your business. Once you see how the conversation goes on without you, it just made be what you need to motivate you to take on the challenge of a new horizon!

Toby Srebnik,
Senior Account Executive (@TilsonPR)

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Around the World: 365 Days

December 17th, 2009

Travel and tourism is an industry in which there always seems to be activity, making it an exciting world in which I participate! It is a fast paced landscape that changes daily, keeping us PR professionals on our toes…whether it is the H1N1 issue and Mexico travel or the recent percentage numbers of people traveling over the holidays.

While the pace of the industry won’t slow down, the climate of it will change, so in order to keep up and gain targeted results, I try to always keep a goal in mind and a grounded perspective to remain chameleon.

I often ask myself how does the ink I receive impact tourists and their spending and how did my PR efforts change sales or behaviors? How can I raise awareness of my brand’s message and who is my audience? What are their interests – leisure travel, business travel, etc.? What are the most effective outlets and/or tools to sell a great deal while at the same time building and strengthening a relationship with a newspaper’s travel writer?

With 2010 approaching, people are scurrying to make ‘resolutions’ – I’ve already made mine. I’m challenging myself on a daily basis to improve my results and I am planning to continue to learn and grow in this ever changing climate in the world of travel!

Abby Boburka,
Account Executive

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The Family Tightrope

December 2nd, 2009

It’s funny how things change. When I first started in public relations, I wouldn’t think twice about jumping on a plane to travel for an event or client meeting. Now eight years later, a husband and two boys under the age of two, the thrill of being away from home includes work mom jitters.

Working mothers have more than enough to manage on a daily basis when they leave the house to go to work. When travel is a part of their job, the balancing act intensifies and for most of us, the “guilt factor” kicks in.

I learned early in my career that as a PR professional, you need to roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to make it happen…good, bad or ugly. But now, in this time of transition, I’ve learned to roll with the punches and balance work with family.

In the end, I try to keep the guilt in check and remember the reasons that I’m working in the first place…my family.

Jackie Guzman
Manager of Client Services

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I Heart New York…and National TV

November 5th, 2009

This post comes to you as I ride the wave in from another fabulous national television experience that I pitched, booked and executed for a client.  As PR professionals, we know all too well the importance and true value of the product placement.  And to see a client’s product(s) showcased on a national morning show is a PR accomplishment that really takes the cake.

I arrived on set at 3:45 a.m. with a prop stylist we hired (yes, the call times are not glamorous, but the coverage certainly is) with just over two hours to deck out the in-studio set with full Halloween décor.  Pumpkins, witches, lighted trees….ghoulish strings of lights, skeletons and candy galore.  As we decorated and assembled the spooky-themed items, we got to enjoy rolling up our sleeves and really create something from nothing.  We got to see our favorite anchors once again as they made their way to “the couch”, viewed the commercial “bump outs” of our product and heard the anchors thank our client on-air.  All in all, this was another successful PR placement on a national morning show.

The most rewarding part of the experience was the email I received from the producer after the show, thanking us for the “amazing job” we did and how much their entire team enjoyed the décor.  This boils down to one of the fundamentals of PR….relationships, relationships, relationships!  If you build them, they will certainly pay off.

Britt Monroe
Senior Account Executive

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The Old Rules of Engagement

October 21st, 2009

In light of Toby’s “new rules of engagement” post, I’m going to take some time to discuss, well, the old rules of engagement. Although Twitter, Facebook, and a host of other social media mechanisms are valuable business tools, it’s important to remember that old-fashioned communication still matters – and sometimes, can have added impact in a crowded digital world.

Companies that use Twitter and Facebook to enhance (not replace) their customer service efforts have the right idea. And when companies don’t treat customers well in person, on the phone, or via written/electronic communication, it often doesn’t bode well for their social media presence. Case in point: I just checked in on my favorite airline’s Facebook page, and saw comments from a customer alleging that her e-mails to the company have gone unreturned for months.

The old rules are still intact for us, too: it’s easy for a PR professional to conduct virtually all business by e-mail, whether it’s pitching media, negotiating with a vendor or conducting day-to-day dialogue with a client. But picking up the phone provides warmth, engagement and other intangibles that e-mail can’t always express.

At Tilson, we have a stack of notecards – the kind you use for a handwritten letter – and we are encouraged to use them frequently. I’m always impressed when I receive a written note by mail. In fact, receiving a written thank you note from a recent intern candidate assisted in my decision to hire him.

As Tracy wrote on this blog a few days ago, the days of stamping and mailing press releases is long over. But old-fashioned communication isn’t gone here, and it’s the delicate balancing act of new and old that makes communication – from both PR firms and companies – effective.

Amy Bagner, Senior Account Executive

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The New Tools of Engagement

October 13th, 2009

One of the arenas where our firm has become quite active is Social Media.  Whether it’s creating a Facebook persona for the Truly Nolen Mousecar or hosting our own monthly tweet-ups to help business owners learn about what channels like Twitter can do for them, we believe social media is a great additional piece of the overall PR puzzle.

Some of the ways companies can use social media to their advantage include:

  • Developing relationships with their customers in a non-intimidating fashion
  • Posting photos of and “reporting” from a live event as it occurs
  • Listing upcoming events that can be shared with a wide audience
  • Quick distribution of press releases
  • Using customers as a sounding board to help develop company ideas

The number one reason people don’t get involved in social media is because “I just don’t have the time.”  As someone who has been serving on the Social Media Club South Florida Steering Committee since April and who now also serves as the Publicist for Social Media Club Palm Beach County, I’m here to tell you time is on your side!  People can start developing SM relationships in as little as 15-30 minutes a day.  Just remember, like a chamber of commerce membership, you will get out of it whatever you’re willing to invest in terms of time.

The possibilities are endless.  The question is whether you are willing to take the social media plunge.

Toby Srebnik, Senior Account Executive (@TilsonPR)

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Welcome to the Tilson Blog

October 9th, 2009

Welcome to the Tilson Blog. We will continue to bring you glimpses of our lives as public relations practitioners, useful info on the business and pass on news that we think will inspire you to make public relations a part of your marketing mix.

When I started this company years ago, I never imagined that the communication vehicles we use would have evolved the way they have. The days of press releases, hand stamped and mailed – even faxed – seem like another era.  In fact they were.  But the key goal has remained the same – trying to reach the right people at the the right time with the right message.  The other critical element of relationship building with our clients, media and the community – that hasn’t changed.  So, although the tools have evolved at a break neck speed, the premise of why we do what we do hasn’t. it’s easy to feel “behind the curve” with all the new ways to reach just about everyone you would want to. But, at the end of the day it still comes back to knowing your audience, having a useful or interesting message, and being able to communicate.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Tracy Tilson, APR

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