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

Boardroom Communications COO Donald Silver was a panelist at this past week’s Gold Coast PR Council meeting that focused on the PR lessons learned from the BP oil spill crisis.  He was invited to address South Florida public relations professionals from PR agencies and in-house corporate communications departments because of his expertise and experience in crisis communications.

Silver spoke from the PR agency perspective about the widely publicized Gulf of Mexico catastrophe, which is unfortunately still impacting the region today.  He offered a balanced analysis and critique of the company’s crisis communications and management track-record and also offered recommendations on what they could have done better.   The panel, which included the Sun-Sentinel’s Marcia Pounds, Visit Florida PR Manager, Kenneth Morgan, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Media Relations Director, Jessica Taylor and Moderator and Gold Coast PR Council President Gary Schweikhart,  was in agreement that in the very beginning, BP made the right choice of putting former BP CEO Tony Hayward at forefront of the crisis, but that he ultimately was not the best choice as day-to-day spokesperson.

Silver pointed out that although Hayward did the best job he could on combating the ordeal, other specialized experts should have been brought into play when it came to interviews, such as local, regional and international scientists, engineers and biologists.  He also made the argument that because this incident was such so large in scope and lasted for several months, that no matter what BP said or did, the perception was that the    company was doing a poor job.   Although BP acted as quickly as they could with hiring 20,000 workers and experts to cap the well, stop the leak and protect the Gulf and shorelines in five different states,  public and media perception were still negative.  That’s why the company instituted the much maligned multi-million dollar print and TV public affairs campaign.

A Q&A session followed the panel discussion and included additional critique and comments.  All and all, the program was very informative and thought provoking, something we have grown to appreciate from other high-quality Gold Coast PR Council programs in the past.

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.”

Boardroom Communications is pleased to announce that it has been named the public relations/ marketing sponsor of the Legal Marketing Association Southeast Chapter’s mini-conference, being held at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale on August 27, 2010. This is a great opportunity for South Florida legal marketers and lawyers interested in law firm marketing, branding, public relations, social media and new business development to come together and learn new strategies, share ideas and network.

Subjects being covered include business development in a recovering economy, defining value in legal marketing and developing a tag line. The role of law firm marketing has evolved significantly over the past few years, and in order for firms to be successful, they must constantly refine and redevelop their marketing strategies. This conference will present new concepts in legal marketing and strategies on how to implement them within law firms.

Boardroom Communications has been involved in the South Florida, Tampa and Orlando City Groups of the Legal Marketing Association for more than a decade and recommend the organization to Florida’s law firm marketers, attorney marketing partners, legal administrators and consultants involved in the industry. Boardroom Account Director Jennifer Clarin is the current co-chair of the South Florida City Group, COO Don Silver is a past Chair and Executive Vice President Todd Templin is also involved in the Tampa City Group.

To register, visit http://www.lmasemini-conference.org/Tours/FtLauderdale. Hope to see you there!

It’s no secret that aggressive marketing is critical to driving new business to hospitals in the South Florida market. One need only drive down I-95 or the Florida Turnpike and count the number of billboards advertising a service line or ER wait times, not to mention the TV ads, health fairs and lecture series. One cost effective method of getting your message across is the use of public relations, or getting third party endorsement to promote your service lines and staff.

Some hospitals implement a strategy that incorporates PR into their overall marketing plan, while others with smaller budgets, may rely primarily on public relations to get their message out. The question is whether it should be kept in house, outsourced, or a combination of both. A lot of that depends on staffing, budgets and philosophy.

A hospital would partner with a PR agency for various reasons. In some cases, it’s to support the marketing director who doesn’t have the time or expertise to handle the public relations function. In other circumstances, a hospital might have good PR capabilities, but requires extra manpower to execute a specific campaign or temporary help focusing on a short-term campaign.

PR agencies can provide a lot of value. Fees can range from as low as $3,000 per month for several hours of work in that time frame. If an agency is doing its job, it should be able to generate news coverage that is up to three or four times the value of what they are getting paid. And for that fee, you can expect to have a team of people working on your account, all with their own unique media contacts and experiences that generate results.

If you are debating whether to bring a seasoned communications expert in-house or go outside, consider this. It would likely cost you much more for a full-time salary and benefits than what you would pay annually for an outside consultant. Another point to be made is that a firm concentrates on doing nothing but delivering positive media coverage, whereas a full-time employee may get diverted to other pressing tasks, thus taking their attention away from doing the very job he or she was hired for.

Outside PR consultants can also bring value by reviewing your marketing efforts with an independent eye and offering a fresh perspective. Because PR firms represent clients in various industries they generally have more contacts than in-house communications folks, and thereby are able to spread your messages to broader audiences. In addition, many firms offer crisis communications consulting in addition to traditional media relations work, which could prove invaluable if you ever find yourself thrust into a media crisis.

Another area consultants are bringing value is in the social media arena. Many in-house staff don’t possess the knowledge, patience or time to take advantage of this influential communication tool, so partnering with someone who has the expertise and manpower to pull it off can prove to be very effective.

Before hiring a PR consultant, you should first figure out what your PR goals are and then set reasonable expectations. Each hospital is different when it comes to setting performance metrics. Some base the value on how much new business might be generated while others are more concerned with building an image and reputation in the community. Whatever your specific communications goals are, an outside consultant can be a valuable and cost-effective solution in helping you get to where you want and deserve to be.

Todd Templin, Executive Vice President of Boardroom Communications, can be reached at (954) 370-8999 or ttemplin@boardroompr.com.

Most law firm marketers are all too familiar with the following scenario—attorneys want to have an online presence and to find out how to use social media such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to enhance their online reputation, but when it comes to having them review and edit their bio, it’s like pulling teeth. They are so concerned with the allure and credibility that social media offers that they forget some of the basics. In reality, attorney bios are as essential to an online reputation as most social media sites.

On a law firm web site, attorney bios are arguably the most visited pages by both current and potential clients, referring attorneys and media. An up-to-date and engaging bio is, and should, be viewed as a vital marketing tool—one that can be used as the launching point for other online reputation endeavors. Once an attorney has a thorough bio for marketing purposes, there are many practical applications beyond the law firm web site.

With a compelling bio, attorneys can then link back to the firm web site on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook knowing that the information is accurate and reflects their work positively. Furthermore, attorneys can create multiple bios to position them as experts in different practice areas using the general bio as a starting point.

In addition, many attorney ranking organizations, such as Best Lawyers in America, Florida SuperLawyers and ChambersUSA, require the most robust and up-to-date bios for their web sites and even use these bios when determining rankings.

The attorney bio is a basic tool of marketing that can reap multiple rewards. Once attorneys take ownership of their bio, online reputation management can truly begin.

The Legal Marketing Association Southeast Chapter has scheduled one of its mini-conferences at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale on August 27, 2010. This is a great opportunity for South Florida legal marketers and lawyers interested in law firm marketing, branding, public relations, social media and new business development to come together and learn new strategies, share ideas and network.

Subjects being covered include business development in a recovering economy, defining value in legal marketing and developing a tag line. The role of law firm marketing has evolved significantly over the past few years, and in order for firms to be successful, they must constantly refine and redevelop their marketing strategies. This conference will present new concepts in legal marketing and strategies on how to implement them within law firms.

Boardroom Communications has been involved in the South Florida, Tampa and Orlando City Groups of the Legal Marketing Association for more than a decade and recommend the organization to Florida’s law firm marketers, attorney marketing partners, legal administrators and consultants involved in the industry. Boardroom Account Director Jennifer Clarin is the current co-chair of the South Florida City Group, COO Don Silver is a past Chair and Executive Vice President Todd Templin is also involved in the Tampa City Group.

To register, visit http://www.lmasemini-conference.org/Tours/FtLauderdale. Hope to see you there!

How to Integrate Social

Media into Your Firm’s

Marketing Strategy

by Julie Talenfeld

President, Boardroom Communications

Law firms find themselves in a much different marketplace than they did just a few years ago. Competition is keen. Rival firms seem to be exploiting every angle, network and connection.

 Add to this new marketing landscape the arrival of social media, and firms are challenged with integrating social media into existing marketing programs. Professional services firms today increasingly are relying on Websites, blogs and social media to help communicate their brand principles, key marketing messaging, and overall firm strengths. Social media, in combination with traditional marketing / publicity outreach, can heighten the firm’s profile, strengthen its outreach, and establish a solid and memorable brand among its target audience.

 Below are some of the social media elements professional services firms are using effectively…

 Weblogs or ‘Blogs’. Law firms that capitalize on Weblogs or “Blogs” heighten their online brand awareness, which can help establish the firm or its principals as leaders in the field. As a point of definition, blogs are content written and posted to the site on a recurring basis. This can be content written specifically for the blog, or content “repurposed” for the blog, like speeches, press releases, articles or other written material. Blogs accomplish several goals. First, blogs establish the firm’s and/or practitioners’ expertise and authority in a given practice area(s). Second, blogs heighten a site’s use of keywords and search terms, which raises its profile among search engines and consumers.

 Social Media / Networking. By creating LinkedIn, a Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter feed or other social media services, the firm increases the “touch points” that reach its audience, heightens its presence across the Internet, and improves search results.

 Audio / Video Posting. A firm also can audio or audio / video record blog posts (as well as speeches or other presentations) for posting to the site, iTunes or YouTube as Podcasts, video broadcasts or other searchable social media.

 An experienced internal social media marketing expert or the right marketing firm can make the difference. The goal would be to supply a continuous stream of strong, keyword-rich, search-engine optimized content targeted specifically to the firm’s audience. Working in a collaborative environment, blogs are written and posted, fed to customized LinkedIn accounts, Facebook Fan Pages and Twitter feeds, and then spread virally to peers and prospects across the Web.

 What is newsworthy in the social media space? The same content found in traditional media. Every time the firm or an attorney earns a legal victory or achieves a professional milestone or award, the news is transmitted from consumer, business and trade media and reposted to the blog, social media and other online media services and destinations. The result: The news is distributed across all media – “traditional,” Web and social media – with each improving the overall impact and reach of the other.

 Julie Talenfeld is the founder and President of Boardroom Communications Inc., a South Florida-based public relations, marketing and social media firm with offices in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando.

Below is a post from Verbatim written by Joyce K. Smiley of JKS & Company  that discusses the basics of what it takes for law firms and lawyers to build their books of business.

Basically, gaining market share is dependent on satisfying your existing clients.  In Florida, attorneys and firms are finding it more and more challenging to find new clients with the back-drop of one of the worst recessions in Florida’s history.  There is no question that Florida had a one-year head start on the rest of the country with the summer, 2007 residential real estate meltdown.

I was speaking with a Miami lawyer last week at the Florida Bar Convention and he concurred that he is now seeing more and more competitors at business and charitable events.  “What are we going to do, sell life insurance to one another,” he asked?

That’s the point, 80% of new client referrals will come from existing clients and contacts.  Therefore, wouldn’t it be advisable to get an accurate fix on how you and your law firm are perceived by current clients first?    

  What You Need to Know to Gain Market Share 

“When they want our work, we have their complete attention,” said Elliott Miller, director of legal affairs of Denver-based Pendum LLC (www.pendum.com). “Once they have our work, they tend to rest on their laurels. Don’t take advantage,” Miller said of law firms, when he was on a panel of in-house counsel speaking to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association in May.Most marketing and business development professionals will spend time this summer exploring potential strategies to grow their firms’ market share next year, to prepare their 2011 budget requests. To grow market share, your clients must view your firm as the best value compared to your competitors, certainly not as one that has lost interest in them.  

Strategic Client Interviews are a cost-effective way to give your firm the advantage it needs to grasp onto more market share. These interviews reveal:  

• what clients want from your firm
• what problems you must address to strengthen and expand your client relationships
• how to enhance your relationships to keep clients loyal to your firm
• clients’ perceptions of your firm in the legal marketplace
• the opportunities that could increase your firm’s business with its clients  

In response to the question “What do general counsel want from outside counsel?” Miller summed up: “It’s very simple. Legal expertise is the bare minimum. We want outside counsel who also respect our budgets, deadlines and communication styles. We want outside counsel who know our businesses. We want outside counsel, in short, who define their success as our success.”

The world of social is media is growing in size and complexity. How can you best make it work for you?

Boardroom Communications develops and executes social media strategies for its clients From what we have learned, we think these are important rules to follow:

1. Decide what you want from social media: information, product awareness, customer feedback, news media coverage? Some combination of the above? You will not know where to look or where to share your information online until you have a goal.
2. Post online where your customers are. If they spend their time on MySpace listening to bands, build a page for your audio messages. If they browse Photobucket or Flickr for photos, make sure your pictures are there, too.
3. Value quality over quantity. Facebook says it has more than 400 million members. Yes, but how many of them are your customers or potential customers? If you sell swimsuits, you may want to spend your time and money promoting your company on social sites for fashion and travel.
4. Value your time, too. You do not have to read every news story, blog post and comment. Filter content so that you get the best information in the shortest period of time.
5. Network through Facebook and Linkedin. You will find your customers – and your competition – there. These social media make it easier to learn what people are thinking and talking about.
6. Increase your presence through LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media. It’s easy to connect the RSS feed from your blog to your LinkedIn profile. The more places your appear, the most active you are in reaching customers.
7. Subscribe to RSS feeds. It’s easy through Gmail and other Web services. You’ll receive constant updates about what people and companies that influence your business are saying and doing. Their comments can be grist for your blog posts, Tweets and Facebook updates.
8. Schedule your Tweets so that you do not forget them. With interruptions from phone calls and e-mails, it’s easy to overlook your Twitter account. And don’t forget to comment on other people’s Tweets. Show that you pay attention.
9. Work efficiently. Online services such as TwitterFeed, HootSuite and Ping.fm allow you to post updates across multiple sites with one (or even no) clicks. TubeMogul.com will post videos across multiple sites with one upload.
10. Don’t censor the conversation. Social media give customers control over what it said about your business and brand. Take the criticism with the compliments and learn from both.