By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from Cuclis PR's February 2010 PR Tip of the Month e-newsletter.

Roughly a third of the U.S. population, 103 million people, are registered Facebook users. Worldwide, Facebook has 350 million users. Up from 150 million a year ago. Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg, recently told TechCrunch.com that 175 million users log onto Facebook every day. It's predicted that by this summer, half of all Internet users will visit Facebook each month.

Who's on Facebook

Facebook started as a social networking platform for college students. However, today, the largest percentage of Facebook users are 35-54 year olds, at 29%. And the fastest growing segment of Facebook users are people 55+. Although this age group currently makes up just 9.5% of Facebook users, their numbers have grown 922.7% in the last year. Meanwhile, 18-24 year olds currently make up 25.3% of Facebook users and 25-34 year olds comprise 24.8%.

Businesses Create Facebook Pages

Individuals establish themselves on Facebook by creating what are called "profiles." Businesses, nonprofits, and political candidates, instead, create "pages." Individuals on Facebook collect "friends." Businesses collect "fans."
The beauty of Facebook pages, from a technical standpoint, is they have gotten easier to create and maintain. You don't need a webmaster or technical expertise. Just the ability to read and follow simple directions. Facebook has instructions for how to create a page.

The Need to Maintain Your Facebook Page

Even though Facebook is technically easy to use, there's little point in having a page if you don't regularly update its content and provide your fans with a reason to return. Social media is about engagement and relationships. I'll have more on this subject and the benefit of having a Facebook page in next month's PR Tip of the Month.

        

By Gina Cuclis
  

NY Times to Charge for Frequent Access of Its Web Site

The New York Times announced today that it plans to charge frequent readers of its web site starting next year. The Times said readers will get a certain number of articles free each month, then be charged a flat fee for unlimited access. It didn't specify how many free articles a reader would be able to access. I can't help wonder what this may eventually mean for the NY Times Company's other newspapers, particularly the North Bay region's Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Newspapers Need to Make Money to Survive

The question I asked in the heading is being asked in some fashion by every newspaper. The culture of the Internet has lead us to expect online content to be free. But newspapers can't survive by continuing to give all their content away. The professionals who research, write and organize the content need to make a living. Online advertising raises peanuts compared to what newspapers earn from print ads. Classified advertising used to be the bread and butter of newspaper revenue. Craig's List and other online classifieds have cost newspapers that revenue source.

News Still Originates with Traditional Media

PEW's Project for Excellence in Journalism recently published a study showing, even with the proliferation of online news sources, most original news reporting still comes from traditional media: newspapers, radio and television. The study showed "95% of stories with fresh information came from 'old media', and the vast majority of that from newspapers."

If newspapers die, who will do the work in our communities to find out and report what our institutions, businesses and government are doing? There's plenty of people online who will comment and respond to the news. (Yours truly, for example). But it takes traditional journalists to uncover the initial information.

What Would You Do?

If you read a daily newspaper online and don't subscribe to its print version, would you pay to keep accessing its web site? Would you pay if the paper stopped publishing a print edition? I'm interested in reading your response.

        

By Gina Cuclis

Sun Returns to Publishing Print Edition on Thursdays

After experimenting with publishing twice a week, and then publishing once a week on Fridays, the Sonoma Sun marked Thanksgiving day by returning to its roots of publishing its print edition on Thursdays. I think this is a good move that will increase the Sun's readership and better serve the local market.

The tabloid Sonoma Sun launched in 2004 publishing once a week on Thursdays. It offered an alternative voice and information not found in the long established Sonoma Index Tribune. The IT publishes on Tuesdays and Fridays. In 2008, the Sun made the aggressive move of going head to head with the Index Tribune by also publishing twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. At the time, the chatter in the community among advertisers and readers questioned whether this was a good move.

Facing the Realities of the Newspaper Industry

By 2009, as the newspaper industry continued to tumble, it became questionable whether the Sun would keep printing two editions a week. Speculation fueled whether two newspapers could survive in Sonoma Valley. Both papers were scaling back and the Sun laid off several employees.

In March 2009, the Sun returned to being a weekly newspaper. However, instead of returning to its Thursday roots, It continued to compete directly with the Index Tribune, publishing on Fridays. I questioned the wisdom of this in a post on Wired Sonoma.

Sonomans Like Having Two Newspapers

I've lost track of how many times I've heard a Sonoma Valley resident say they like that we have two newspapers. I agree. There's a place for both. I hope by the Sun returning to Thursdays, we'll continue to have both voices. Please leave a comment sharing what you think about Sonoma Valley's newspapers.

        

By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from Cuclis PR's January 4, 2010 issue of PR Tip of the Month.

If you've been reading Cuclis PR's monthly tips or blog for awhile, you know I believe planning is key for an effective PR campaign.

How to write a communications plan is outlined in a previous "PR Tip of the Month." But if the idea of doing that involved a process overwhelms you, I encourage you to at least take a few minutes to write down publicity opportunities for the next 12 months.

Calendaring Prevents Missed Opportunities

Write down each month of the year using whatever method you prefer. Simple paper and pen is fine. Look at each month thinking about your business and marketing plan. Try to identify for each month something you think will happen that could be worthy of writing a press release or making an announcement to your customers. For example, will you be launching a product or service, hiring new employees, receiving a major donation or sponsoring an event? Will this be the year you start an e-newsletter or a Facebook page?

Don't worry if you can't come up with an idea for every month. The point is to get started. Review your calendar every week and fill in new ideas as the year progresses.

Follow the Big Story and Hook to It

The economy will continue to be among the biggest stories of the year. Indications are the news media will be looking for stories that demonstrate economic improvement.

For more ideas about how to be newsworthy, read the "PR Tip of the Month" issue, How to find your news angle.

        

By Gina Cuclis

While this post digresses somewhat from this blog's usual subject matter — public relations and communications in the changing media environment — the post is about communication.

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Announces New Chief Administrative Officer


Sonoma County Supervisors yesterday announced they hired Veronica Ferguson, currently the assistant administrator for Solano County, to become Sonoma County's new CAO. When Ferguson starts her new job Feb. 1, she will be the first woman in the County of Sonoma's history to hold the top management job in county government.

According to a quote by Sonoma County Supervisor Mike Kerns, in today's print edition of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Ferguson is "a consensus builder and a very collaborative person."

Women Changing the Style of County Government

Collaborative is not how most Sonoma County government observers and county employees would describe former Sonoma County CAO Bob Deis. His approach was divisive. He reorganized county government to place more power and control in his office. He was confrontational with county employees and retirees.

Deis resigned in June due to growing discontent among Board members with his performance. It's no secret the two women on the Board, Supervisors Shirlee Zane and Valerie Brown, were particularly unhappy and were a driving force behind his exit.

Prior to January 2009, Supervisor Brown was the only woman on the Board. Supervisor Zane took office after being elected in November 2008 to replace the retiring Tim Smith. Smith was public with his opinion that he thought Deis did a great job.

Better Listening Ahead?

Sonoma County government right now needs management with the communication skills to improve relationships with its employees and the public. Collaboration is a communication style. Good collaborators are good listeners. Good listeners are good communicators. I hope we will see better days ahead for how Sonoma County government operates.

Can't Conclude Without Mentioning Twitter

I found out about the new Sonoma County CAO yesterday afternoon from my Twitter stream. Thanks to this tweet by Supervisor Zane.


If you have an opinion about male versus female management communication style, or the communication style of Sonoma County government, I would appreciate your comment.

        

By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from Cuclis PR's December 2009 issue of PR Tip of the Month.

This is the second of a two part series. Last month's "PR Tip of the Month" described how to use the technique called the bridge. The bridge and the flag are interview devices that enable you to transition youranswer to a question to deliver your key messages.

A Signal to Your Audience

Like waving a flag to get attention, a flag signals to your audience you are about to make a critical point. While this is an effective device, use it sparingly or it loses its impact. Once or twice in most interviews is usually enough.

Examples

"The most important fact for people to know is..."

"The biggest issue in this debate is...

"The critical issue is...

The important thing to remember is...

Sign up for PR Tip of the Month.

        

By Gina Cuclis
Yesterday evening I was captivated by my Search Sonoma panel in TweetDeck, noticing the countless tweets and retweets about the appalling breaking news from Sonoma. The house of a family of four killed Saturday night in a car crash was ransacked Monday night by burglars. It's one of those stories that's so unbelievable, it's major news. Even a  couple "dogs" tweeted the news.Illustrates the "Social" of Social Media

I learned of the upsetting news when I glanced at my TweetDeck and noticed a tweet from a local plumber, which I retweeted. As I continued to look at my Twitter stream, I noticed tweet after tweet expressing disgust. Several different San Francisco Bay Area traditional news sites were cited, including my town's community newspaper, the Sonoma Index-Tribune.
Prior to the digital age, most of us would have learned about this tragic incident from our evening TV news, or from listening to drive time radio. Now, not only do we hear about it sooner, we have a means to instantly share and re-share how we feel about it with the world. Those following the story yesterday on Twitter didn't have to have someone nearby to share their emotions. In years past, those who like to share how they feel would have picked up the phone to call a friend or family member saying, "did you hear the awful news?"

I'm not judging whether this change is good or bad. I'm just noticing it's happening. Even in a small community, where everybody supposedly knows everybody else.

This Morning's Update

News on the Twitter stream today is that police in San Mateo arrested two people who had the Maloney family's stolen car.

If you have thoughts about how people are using Twitter or other social media to share their feelings about major news, please leave a comment.

        

By Gina Cuclis

This post illustrates how the digital age has altered the concept of "public behavior" by elected officials.

Voters don't like to be offended. They expect their local elected officials to behave professionally. Especially in small towns that have a sense of everyone knowing everyone else.

The Lesson from Cotati


Cotati is a small city in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, with roughly 4,000 registered voters. Tuesday those voters ousted one of their city councilman, George Barich, who had been in office less than a year. Barich was elected in November 2008, winning by only five votes. More than 65 percent of those who cast ballots in the special election voted to recall him.

Barich's troubles began shortly after taking office. He used City letterhead without permission to send a personal letter to President Obama criticizing the economic stimulus package. He also used the City's logo, without authorization, on his personal web site. But what really outraged Cotati residents, was when Barich posted a photo of himself in black face with an Afro wig on his web site. (I searched the site. It appears to have been removed.)

Barich is a Republican who had been a long time council critic. Because registered Democrats outnumber Republicans roughly two to one in Cotati, Barich and his allies tried to claim the recall was an assault by liberals. Never mind that he failed to acknowledge how offensive his behavior was. Instead, he posted a black face photo of another individual on his web site.

The political parties did weigh in on the issue, with the Sonoma County Republican Party opposing the recall and the Sonoma County Democratic Party supporting it. However, I believe if the political parties had taken no positions, the election outcome would have been the same.

Do you live in Cotati? I would appreciate your comments.

        

 By Gina Cuclis
                                    
Tiffany Renee is a Petaluma City Councilwoman elected in November 2008. She and I have been following each other on Twitter since early this year. Councilmember Renee started tweeting in Spring 2008 for her campaign.

Why Tweet?

I think Twitter can be an effective communications tool for elected officials and political candidates. It provides a vehicle for two-way communication with constituents. Constituents can get to know the official better. Twitter also provides a way for elected officials to hear from constituents who may not like attending, or can't attend, government meetings.

I asked Councilmember Renee what value she finds in using Twitter. She is also an active Facebook user.

She said: "Both of these networking tools have allowed me to uniquely connect with and meet people. I am unsure how many people I’ve met that are my constituents, but I have over 450 Facebook Friends and nearly 900 Twitter Followers from all over California and the US. Not many are on both networks. I also use LinkedIn, but much less.

"In regards to issues of council agendas, I mostly tweet informative ideas and information that I find useful in my decision-making process. I don’t do much personal reflection on council business. But I do share personal reflections on life to give my network an opportunity to know more about me and to keep it interesting (I hope). I try to write clearly, but that can be difficult in 140 characters. Occasionally I respond to other State or National political decisions like the budget or the health care debate with a bit of humor or color. I enjoy following other politicians that tweet themselves. I find those that are only tweeting for their campaign to be stale."

A sample of Councilmember Renee's tweets shows, as she said, she uses Twitter for her network to know more about her.
           Councilmember Renee also said she feeds her Twitter updates to her campaign website, so that constituents not on Twitter or Facebook can see them.

Doesn't Blog

I'm an advocate of councilmembers blogging. But Councilmember Renee said she doesn't blog, because blogs tend to be opinion based content. She prefers to "remain fairly neutral on decisions until they are made."

Sonoma City Council

I've been trying to convince Sonoma City Councilwoman Laurie Gallian to get involved in the Twittersphere. My husband and I set her up with an account, but she hasn't done anything with it yet. Maybe if enough people follow her, she'll start tweeting. Currently the one other Sonoma councilmember on Twitter, Aug Sebastiani, hasn't tweeted since July 4.

What do you think about local elected officials who tweet? Do you wish those in your town did?

        

By Gina Cuclis

This is republished from PR Tip of the Month. Cuclis PR's newsletter delivered on the first Monday of each month.,

This PR Tip of the Month is the first of two parts. The November and December issues will each describe an interview technique enabling you, when answering a question, to transition to deliver your key messages and move away from sensitive questions.

Bridging

Like a bridge over water that takes you from a point on one side to the other, the bridging technique uses a phrase that takes you from one point in the interview to the point you want to make. Instead of just answering a question and stopping, use a bridge to transition your answer to deliver your key messages. A bridge allows you to move away from a question upon which you don't want to focus.

Examples

"That's an interesting question, but the fact is…"

"That's a good point, but the key issue is…"

"In addition, we have (or we are)…"

"Not only have we accomplished X, but we have…"

In Next Month's Issue

December's PR Tip of the Month will describe the technique called "flagging."

More Media Interview Tips in Cuclis PR's Blog & PR Tip of the Month Newsletters

The Media Interview, Part One: Follow the Boy Scout's Motto

The Media Interview, Part Two: Answering Questions

How to Sound Your Best for a Phone Interview

The Traits of a Good Spokesperson

Can You Get Away with Not Answering Questions

The Myth of Off the Record

Being Seen and Heard: Tips for TV Interviews

Be a Great Guest: Tips for Talk Radio Inteviews

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