Our Blog Has Moved

We have launched our new website which now includes our blog. Please visit offtherailblog.com to view our new location.

#, @, RT? Twitter: Back to Basics

by Aimee Drysdale

I once heard someone say that people you are friends with on Facebook are the people you have once known personally, but don’t really have much in common with, and the people you follow on Twitter are those you don’t know personally but have a lot in common. How can you start interacting and making a connection on the Twittersphere? Many people are still unaware of the benefits of Twitter and how it can help a company or an individual engage with the public. Here are a few basic pointers on how to start doing this:

1. Hashtags #
A great way to get in front of like-minded individuals is to put a #hashtag symbol before a keyword. If you use a hashtag in your tweet, and you have a public account, anyone who does a search for that hashtag can find your tweet. Anything can be made into a hashtag, but there a several common ones that can be found here. As a side note, the location you put a hashtag into your tweet is really up to you. Most people put them at the end of their tweet, but you can also integrate them inside the tweet. This is also a great way to find out what people are saying about your company or industry.
2. @ Replies or “Mentions”
By using the @ symbol or #hashtag in front of a Twitter username to reply to someone or refer to their post, you are basically saying hey, @XYZTwitterUsername, I am paying attention to you! The user below prefaced his RT (which I will go into next) with a comment, which makes this a hybrid tweet. He both mentions @thebecheragency by making the comment “Hilarious!” and RT’s @thebecheragency’s post by saying RT before the username:

In this post, user @WhitleyGaffney mention’s #thebecheragency by using a #hashtag. It is not as easy for the Twitter user to notice these posts, but it is still searchable. Best practice would be to use the @ symbol when mentioning @XYZTwitterUserName in your post.

3. RTs or “Re-Tweets”
If someone posts something interesting on his or her wall, RT their post. This will share it on your wall and will appear to all of your followers. A standard RT does not include additional comments.
4. DM or “Direct Messages”
A direct message is a private, off-the-record message that you can send your followers. Think of it as a short email. The only rules are that the user has to first follow you and the message has to be under 140 characters. One great way to use DMs is to send a short thank-you message to the user when they follow you, or to make connections with them outside of Twitter.

5. Follow Those Who Follow You
Personally, if someone is trying to sell something, speaking in a different language, or is posting vulgar information, I will not follow them back. If for example you are a contractor and another local contractor follows you, follow them back! Twitter is a very powerful networking tool that could potentially lead to strong partnerships and friendships. By following your followers, you can not only monitor the competition, but also re-Tweet relevant information of local and national companies or individuals who are in similar industries.

6. Find and Follow Like-Minded Twitter Users
This is crucial to learning more and engaging within your industry. The best site I have found for this is Twellow. It is very straightforward and allows you to add your username to certain categories. For example, @thebecheragency is listed under 5 categories:

• Marketing + Advertising + Ad Agencies
• Marketing + Advertising
• Marketing
• Marketing + Public Relations
• Information Technology + Software Programming + Web Developer + Web Design

Social media is supposed to be fun! The more you do it, the more familiar it will become. It can seem like a lot if you are first starting out, but really becomes second nature when you dive in. Yes, social media is always changing, but please feel free to give me, or anyone at tba | PR + Advertising a call if you have any questions and if there is anything we can assist with.

D+. The best campaign for a college?

by Chris McAdams

I love this business. It’s fun dabbling in many different industries at once and talking to different people in different ways. And the work we do is subjective and often open to commentary — especially among peers in our industry. I try my best not to comment on what I may think is bad because, more than likely, I’m not a member of the target audience, I don’t know the problem and so forth. But I’ve been watching this one for a while and I just can’t make sense of it.
The problem:
Drake University wanted to showcase the Drake experience, which is a result of the students’ potential and the opportunities that Drake provides.

The solution:













Really? D+? For a university? Again, I just can’t make sense of it.

I’d welcome your thoughts.

Who vs. that. Who knew?

by Thomas Becher, APR

As a former journalist, I’ve always been taught that “who” refers to a person. “That” is for an object. Heck, that’s a grammar lesson from elementary school.

Then why are so many people – I’m talking prominent, educated leaders in business, government and religion, even media talking heads – using “that” to refer to people?

I hear it all the time – on TV and radio, online, at speeches and luncheons. People are saying things like, “I know this person that …” Huh? Did I miss something? Are humans becoming objects? Is our addiction to all things electronic taking over our abilities to speak about humans in, well, human ways?

Who vs. that is not just about the proper use of a pronoun. It’s about how you present yourself in public. Being grammatically correct – and showing it – goes a long way toward building trust, credibility and professionalism.

The lesson? Double-check your words next time you’re speaking in public, even if they sound right. Because someone in the audience is going to notice.

I don’t know where this that-instead-of-who trend started, but please stop. Now. You’re making us humans sound like louts.

Oops...Did I say that?

by Scott Samson

Yes, you did just say that. Your slip-up could use a little cover-up. Too bad! It went viral.

Ten years ago during a media interview, if the interviewee misspoke or was caught “off the record” saying something inappropriate, it was much easier to move forward as if nothing happened. This is not the case anymore, as Carly Fiorini, U.S. Senate candidate from California, can attest. A poor choice during a media interview can quickly go viral and catch the attention of millions of people. As former Chairman and CEO of HP and now a frontrunner in the race for a Senate seat, you would think she would know better to chitchat while sitting in front of a camera. Apparently not!

Check out this video that hit YouTube and other user-generated content sites immediately following the mishap.



The lesson? No matter what you may think or even get told, when in front of media, always stay focused and on message, and be on your best behavior. There is no such thing as “off the record” or “cameras are off." If you want to chit-chat, or talk about anything private, do it in your car, home or private office – certainly not when media is present. The one time you think nobody is listening, trust me, they are. Everyone likes a good YouTube video these days. But have no fear, we all make mistakes and move on. Fiorini certainly did and she is still the frontrunner in the polls ahead of incumbent Barbara Boxer.

I will leave you with this video, which I hope only reiterates my advice – never forget when media is present, stay focused and on message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzgq70kO4Sk
(embedding disabled by request)

The not too distant future of the web

by Christina Knapp

It seems like only yesterday we were surfing the net with our computers. Today more than 10+ thousand people are interacting with the web through their phones or other mobile devices. Where is this mobility taking us? What are websites of the future going to look like?

I imagine we will no longer be accessing the web through a browser on your computer. Instead it will be accessing us through applications and feeds making the "browsing" experience more customized to what you want to see. Our favorite news site will be streaming stories to us based on a few profile questions we answered on setup while also accessing our Facebook profile to update us on premier movies we might like to see. So essentially applications are the websites of the future. It won't be enough to be on the web – you must function free of it, on any device, anywhere.

Your phone will also change to become your method of payment and identification. A UK mobile phone provider is already in the process of making a contactless payment so you can just bump your phone to the payment machine and never have to carry cash or cards again.

Think of the possibilities with implanting your identification into your mobile device, you won't need to be carded anymore in bars with technologies like Foursquare using your GPS location to find out where you are. The bar can be alerted of someone under age as soon as they walk in the door. Since telling everyone where you are is so popular already I am sure no one will notice when tracking your every move is just a daily process for businesses and government alike.

This will also unlock a whole new way to advertise. You can send a coupon straight to someone's phone as soon as they enter the store or maybe even just in the vicinity. Sheetz MTO could then be ordered from your mobile device via the Internet while still in the car. And I am not talking about calling for takeout – that is so 2010.

YouTube spoofs: Ready to take the hit?

By Ariel Clark

This guy doesn’t need an introduction.



Thanks in part to being incredibly clever, beautifully directed and timed, the Old Spice guy and his first commercial, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” has gotten worldwide recognition. It also had plenty of airplay, including a whopping 16 million views on YouTube. And while I am sure you are all familiar with this character, I’d like to introduce you to these two guys.





Personally, I think @ohdoctah was funnier, but the Old Spice kid was so low-tech and earnest that you can’t help but like it. I mean, he made it to Ellen!

I wonder what the effect of the parody is on market share. It can only help, right? The two parody ads got 200,000 views and 500,000 views on YouTube, respectively, along with countless blog mentions and tweets adding to the conversation.

This article in AdAge calls @ohdoctah a “boon” to the company, and while it details the recent market trends in body products, doesn’t discuss whether the parody ultimately hurt or helped the campaign. In its entirety, the latest Old Spice campaign-- which includes the aforementioned television spot, additional commercials, as well as the social media experiment run by Old Spice featuring the Old Spice Guy -- made the Old Spice the number one, most-watched channel on YouTube and increased its site
traffic by 300%.

But what if your idea is turned into something ridiculous? Or worse, is used to deliver a scathing attack on your ad’s approach?

Behold, the Honda “The Cog” ad and the spoof it spawned.





Will these two lanky sportsmen help sell Hondas? Probably not, but I got a kick out of it.

Now observe when a parody is used to deliver a smackdown.

Original:

Spoof #1:

Spoof #2:

Spoof #3:


Ouch.

As part of an agency, it’s my job to deliver engaging, informative and (hopefully) entertaining messages for our clients to broadcast. If these ideas get some recognition and are subsequently spoofed, how can it be tracked, if at all.

Does a happy audience equal happy shareholders? Whatever the analytics for Old Spice say, imitation is certainly one of the greatest forms of flattery. However, if your message hits a nerve with the wrong audience, it could also be hard to look at yourself through their eyes, and their subsequent YouTube response.