Boardroom Communications’ COO Don Silver longtime Boardroom client Field of Flowers CEO Donn Flipse were featured

in a recent Reuters article about ghost blogging.

Silver commented on the increase in demand for ghost blogging.

“You’ve got to find new platforms to convey your news and messaging,” said Silver, whose South Florida-based public relations firm develops and manages blogs for clients ranging from insurance companies to law and accounting firms to retailers.

Donn Flipse, owner of Field of Flowers, a chain of South Florida floral super stores with locations in Boca Raton, Davie and Kendall, relies on Boardroom to supplement internal posts released under authorship of its fictional nom de plume, Dr. Phil O. Dendron. The character writes about special events taking place at the stores and alerts customers whenever company executives appear in local news.
Silver attributed the rising interest in blogging in part to a decline in opportunities for traditional media coverage and the need to take advantage of the power of social media and search engine marketing.

Why ghost bloggers? Busy executives do not have the time to manage and write frequent blog posts and promote them on social media. Many Florida PR agencies have filled the vacuum and taken over their client’s blogs. How often do you hear, “Where do you find the time to do all of that blogging and social media posts?” Guess who is really doing it?

The article also described a ghost blogger’s job as including a mix of strategic and editorial tasks including: keeping abreast of hot-button issues, developing editorial calendars, penning original posts, as well as enlisting raw copy from a company’s insiders and transforming it into readable text.

visit Reuters.com for full story

By Deborah L. Cohen

(Reuters) – Philip de Souza, founder and president of data security firm Aurora Enterprises, believes in ghosts.

After trying for weeks to persuade his small team of in-house engineers to blog under the company’s fold, de Souza went looking outside for ghost bloggers who could deliver compelling prose on security and related industry issues for his L.A.-based firm.

“Our engineers are dispersed. It’s hard to get them to stop short and sit and blog, although they have a lot of intelligent things to say,” said de Souza, whose 18-year-old business primarily caters to middle-market customers. “We need to be babysat.”

Aurora is not alone. Many small businesses recognize the growing importance of blogging – free-range online commentary that invites response – in the playbook of social media tools used to generate interest from would-be customers.

Limited internal resources, however, call for some to enlist the services of unnamed contractors that can help feed the beast.

“We’re seeing a big increase in demand,” said Don Silver, COO of Boardroom Communications, a Florida-based PR firm that represents a variety of small businesses. He attributes rising interest in blogging in part to a decline in opportunities for traditional media coverage amid newsroom budget cuts.

“You’ve got to find new platforms to convey your news and messaging,” said Silver, whose firm develops blogs for clients ranging from insurance companies to local retailers. “In addition to planned postings, we react to breaking news.”

The ghost blogger’s job can include a mix of strategic and editorial tasks: keeping abreast of hot-button issues, developing editorial calendars, penning original posts, as well as enlisting raw copy from a company’s insiders and transforming it into readable text. Adhering to a strict schedule is a must, said Silver, whose firm is sometimes responsible for all or just component parts of the process.

Field of Flowers, a south Florida chain of three floral stores, relies on Boardroom to supplement internal posts released under authorship of its fictional nom de plume, Dr. Phil O. Dendron. The good doctor writes about special events taking place at the stores and alerts customers whenever company executives appear in local news.

“We thought it would be fun to have a character who is presented as being the person who gives out a lot of information,” said company president Donn Flipse, adding that such a character also makes it easy to present a unified voice from posts created internally and by the agency.

 TALENT FOR HIRE

There is no shortage of scribes ready to take up the anonymous pen for small businesses. In addition to marketing professionals, the ranks include current and former journalists, book authors and a range of others with experience in traditional and new media.

Cynthia MacGregor, an author of more than 50 books under her own name, many on lifestyle topics, advertises her ghost blogging services on Craig’s List. She recently began ghosting on behalf of a small company in the food industry and expects to soon sign a contract with a provider of adult entertainment.

“If someone else gets the credit, that’s okay, I enjoy the process,” said MacGregor, who is based in Palm Springs, Florida. “I respect their right to take full credit and not have me be the shining star.”

Oakland, California-based freelance writer Jessica Swesey said her ghost blogging assignments have grown from her background as a reporter covering the real estate market. She now specializes in the industry, ghosting on behalf of several real estate brokers on hot topics such as the homebuyers’ tax credit. Blog posts require intimate knowledge of a business and its services, she said.

“You want to take on the tone of the company,” said Swesey, who spends significant time up front interviewing company principles about their top-of-mind concerns. “I’ve taken control and offered up ideas,” she said. “They’ve also come to me and said, ‘Hey, this is what we’re thinking.’”

Hiring a ghost blogger doesn’t necessarily mean handing over control. Alternative Reproductive Resources, a Chicago-area firm that has been matching infertile couples with gestational surrogates and egg donors for 18 years, produces its blog, Conception Connections, in close collaboration with its PR agency, Hodge Schindler Integrated Communications.

“It’s very much a team approach,” said Robin von Halle, company founder. “A lot of times we write it and they go over it.”

The blog, whose posts have ranged from “100 questions & answers about infertility” to “Step-by-step: Understanding the surrogacy process”, is responsible for bringing interested clients to ARR’s doors, said von Halle, noting the personal nature of her business is well suited for a medium that targets specialized audiences.

“They’re looking for more information,” said von Halle, whose blog is updated weekly. “It’s very helpful to them.”

When Hewlett Packard’s Chief Executive Mark Hurd was forced to resign, the public – and the HP shareholders – were still left in the dark about the allegations that were leveled by Jodie Fisher.  On some spurious claim of filing false expense reports, Hurd left H-P.   But the real reason, the one not addressed, was that Hurd allegedly sexually harassed Fisher.

Whether he did or did not harass her will never be known for sure – just as any act behind closed doors becomes a case of “he said, she said.”  But the silence of the man – in this case Mark Hurd, did not give the public, his board, or his shareholders any idea of his reaction.

As Smart Money and Wall street Journal reporter James Stewart said, it’s hard to have confidence in the H-P board.  H-P, after going through a PR debacle four years ago, shows it hasn’t learned its lesson.  Speak up, say your piece – defend yourself or admit wrong doing.  But don’t dodge the claim.  The advice is simple – and remains true.  Face the music, H-P.  You may not like the song, but the silence is worse.

Read more — http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748704164904575421533941899838.html

It takes a certain amount of courage to do a live interview.  Even the most seasoned speakers make a gaffe that lives in infamy.  A recent Wall Street Journal article called “Keeping Your Foot Away From Your Mouth” recaps some of the more notable misspoken comments.  Just one slip of the tongue can often remain memorable for years.

The author doesn’t really say how to prevent the mistakes.  That’s what a good public relations counselor can do via media training sessions.    With practice, some dynamic Q and A, and a dash of wariness (some reporters do try to elicit the possible faux pas in the era of ‘gotcha’ journalism!), chances of misspeaking can be minimized.

A good public relations advisor will find out about the interviewer, anticipate questions and risk areas, coach the client, encourage brevity (the less you say, the less likely you are to say something stupid) and keep his or her fingers crossed. With the media, the adage “Think before you speak” couldn’t be truer. Check out the article on Boardroom’s website at http://www.boardroompr.com/news/keeping-your-foot-away-from-your-mouth/

Kim Bolufé, stylist and owner of Bolufé, South Florida’s premier independent fashion house carrying the latest in high-end brand names for men and women, specializing in denim, dresses, shirts and accessories, was recently featured in Monday’s Business section of the Sun Sentinel.

In the Small Business Profile, Kim discussed her passion for fashion and the importance of staying on top of what the celebrities are wearing and staying even closer with her customers.  She also provided her recipe for success in running her three-store operation at Boca Town Center Mall, East Boca’s Mizner Park and at CityPlace in West Palm Beach. 

“In a bad economy, people still want to look good,” said Bolufé. “They’ve got to be smarter about their shopping, so I have to be smarter too.”

Here are some of the lessons she has learned over the past 17 years since she opened her first store:

(1) Select locations with vibrant dining and entertainment traffic.

(2) Be flexible with store hours to take advantage of concerts and special events.
(3) Optimize customer service. Blend the shopping experience with education, patience and respect. Understand the customer’s desire for wanting to be fashionable. A customer’s self-perception drives their buying decisions.

(4) Build a team of skilled workers. Offer them full-time employment to get the employee invested in the success of the business.

(5) Achieving a pattern of consistency and responsiveness creates trust. Bolufé develops and maintains vendor and manufacturer relationships at tradeshows and fashion industry events and strives to gain their respect so they will listen to what her customers want and need.

 (6) Each aspect of your business is important. Don’t allow distractions. Persevere. 
At Boardroom Communications, we share many of the same values as Kim Bolufé in conducting our Florida public relations and integrated marketing agency.  We salute her for her success and perseverance.

Click here to read the article

By Jennifer Clarin, Boardroom Communications

Florida law firm marketers know that marketing a law firm is a skilled task, and all law firms are NOT created equal. What works for one large law firm might not work for a small or solo law firm.  Deborah Hrbek and Jill Miller, each an attorney in a small or solo practice, authored a comprehensive article on this subject for American Lawyer Media, which brings up quite a few relevant issues and suggestions.

The most important point this article makes is, for a small or solo firm, business development is as important as client service—and both must be managed efficiently and effectively for a firm to succeed.  You can’t rely on the business you have to always be there.  You have to be constantly looking toward the next matter and obtaining the next client.  Identify your key markets and go after them, even if you have a steady client flow. The best time to look for business is when you have business – the busy attorney is always more attractive.   When you have a good business flow, you are less ‘desperate’ – and can be more selective, and more successful. 

Both authors are attorneys in New York.  Despite the obvious differences in climate and billing scale, New York has a similar competitive legal environment as South Florida.  They suggest that, in a crowded marketplace, you need to create a brand, stick by the brand—and stand out.  According to Hrbek and Miller, small firms have the unique opportunity to leverage inherent benefits in small firms including personalized service and accessibility. Use these items to your benefit in your branding and have one or two key points of differentiation from your competition. More will clutter your branding attempts.

Finally, they stress the importance of customer service and authenticity. Small firms have to arguably be more accountable and accessible than larger firms, because of the personalized approach. It’s the compelling reason companies use smaller and solo firms, so capitalize on this opportunity to the best of your ability.  Make it the hallmark of your firm. Remember, being smart is what gets you in the door, but how you handle the matter is what keeps you there.

The full article is available at http://bit.ly/c1nSUWl and outlines additional considerations in marketing a solo or small firm practice, that apply equally to New York and South Florida law firm marketing. The key is to find your niche, find your target audience and go for it—all while remembering that business development and client service should always play a large role in the practice.

With the recent unveiling of the iPad , and the iPhone’s upgrade to Version 4, the media and citizen reviewers alike have been coming out of the woodwork to bash the new products on everything from the iPhone’s poor reception due to faulty antennae,  to the company’s product incompatibility and refusal to use the Adobe Flash platform, it’s clear that there has been a backlash against Apple products, as well as the company itself unlike anything ever experienced before by the technology giant. 

In the May 15^th article on CNN Money, “What’s the Bug Up Apple’s @$$” (http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/17/technology/apple/index.htm), public perception is that Apple, and more specifically, the company’s founder, Steve Jobs, used to be somewhat of a “rebel” in a world of stodgy PCs.  Now, according to the article, Apple “has either lost touch with its customer base, or has a bug lodged up its data port”.

From a public relations standpoint, Apple can certainly afford to let the critics and naysayers have their say-the popularity of the products is such that it is unlikely that a few unpopular or less-than-stellar aspects of the products will hardly tarnish the brand.  Apple creates the kind of buzz around a new product’s unveiling that few other companies can match.  Because the online forums on Apple’s homepage are closely monitored, loyal customers can be sure that bugs found in a first or second-generation will be ironed out and that the company is always improving, upgrading and tailoring its products to match existing technologies-for example, it is rumored that a criticism about the lack of a built-in video camera in the iPad will almost certainly be rectified in the next generation’s model. Each time a new product is announced, Steve Jobs appears, like a modern-day messiah, to preach to shareholders and brand enthusiasts alike, live on the web from the company’s headquarters in San Fransisco.  And no one can argue that long lines snaking around Apple stores and customers camping out to be first in line on a new product’s release date are more effective than any advertising or social media campaign could ever be. 

As a professional Florida Public Relations firm, we can see the value in Jobs’ masterful strategy-now that they have found mainstream popularity, Apple just isn’t afraid to offend a few people, step on a few toes and root out the bandwagon-jumpers from the true disciples.  As long as they continue to develop and manufacture cutting-edge technology, no one will hold it against them.

Once a company becomes so successful as to generate the kind of buzz that Apple does, that company is bound to attract more attention, both positive and negative.  In any case, as long as they continue to produce highly sought-after products, it seems Apple mania is here to stay.

Boardroom Communication’s very own Julie Silver Talenfeld, Founder and President, was recently named one of the South Florida Business Leader’s Women Extraordinaires.   She is honored to be held in such high respect and among some of the most successful South Florida Women. 

We at Boardroom would like to thank our loyal clients, friends and fabulous team of  PR and marketing pros for their support over the past 21 years, helping make the agency one of Florida’s largest public relations firms.  Treating people right, giving back to the community and generating impressive media relations and online marketing results is what keeps our clients coming back.

Thank you again.