Exitlog | Leaving Impressions

PR needs to pay attention to Twitter. Social media has (is having) an impact on business and brand communications. What the value of this coverage is still up for debate… but there are a lot of people betting on the outcome.

Regardless of your opinion evidence shows that customers are looking to social media for insight and offers. For brands and businesses this is a growing opportunity. The more a topic trends the greater the impact it has on buzz and search results. Social media and search have become an important of tracking coverage success – an online column inches measure.

From O2 (o2ukofficial) responding to unhappy, wannabe iPhone 3G S upgraders to Dell in the US (DellOutlet) pushing refurbished PCs Twitter is has become a part of the customer communication mix.

PR companies are having to help manage this channel, often writing the 140 character editorial. This role we’ve been calling the Social Media Press Officer – a title that is good for buzzwording clients. This role can be an absorbing one. With the frequency of tweets responding on Twitter can take up a significant amount of time.

Nevertheless the Social Media Press Officer role (hold your breath army of recruitment consultants) is a transitional one. Once newspapers work out how they are going to make money from their content online the importance of social media will lessen. As with blogging, the excitement of early adopters and enthusiasts will give way as the professionals move in. You only have to look at The Guardian and BBC websites to see how blogging as been formalised, controlled and now virtually just another form of editorial.

So where does that leave PR and social media? Dating, for the time being. The relationship won’t last, at least not under the terms we’ve seeing now. Until the media matures and the newspapers change tact as PR professionals we’re going to have to get stuck in and start pimping coverage on Twitter.

Originally published on Creative Boom Manchester, 3 November 2009

Integrating your services into a client’s website can be a headache that can threaten your relationship. But integration needn’t be a deal-breaker…

A client has agreed to use your software on their website, they’ve signed the contract and paid. For many businesses this is the hard part over, but really the successful integration of your product, service or web application onto a client’s website is the toughest part of the job.

A good web agency will work attentively with its client from sales pitch through to after-sales service. Businesses selling laptops to boilers do it and customers expect it – it is important the customers understand, know how to use and feel reassured about their new kit. That is not to say expectations are the same.

Every client is unique: they each want the integration to happen in a different way. They’ll expect it to happen with minimal impact on their day-to-day business or brand, and will be look for evidence or acknowledgement of this provision before they even commit to you. For example, if your product is a CMS, the client will expect you to build it into the website with no noticeable changes to the appearance of their site. If you’ve developed a new shopping trolley or checkout service, then they’ll certainly want it integrating without losing any sales. They like the look of their car, we’re only here to upgrade the engine. Nothing else.

Many developers fall short in their ability to respond to a client’s specific needs, and this often comes back to haunt them when a client is unhappy – not because the software is lacking, but because the delivery has interfered with their business. Your new, best-of-breed web application is struggling to compete with inferior competitors simply because the integration process isn’t intuitive.

This is where after-sales service is important, though its nature will depend on the type of software you’ve produced and how you sell it to customers. Whether you’ve developed a jQuery widget, full-blown Adobe AIR application or a new php framework, incorporating a feedback channel for customers to let you know what they think allows you to address issues which you might not have encountered during beta testing.

The client will expect integration to have minimal
impact on their business.

For a more labour-intensive product, a dedicated integration team can work with your clients on their websites should be a serious consideration. Happy customers should never be overrated. Particularly when stitching a CMS or shopping cart system into a client’s existing site, the process requires accurate communication between your business and the customer to work through the technicalities of integration.

The depth of experience of the customer can vary considerably. Some clients know exactly what to do with the new tools, while an equal number will have no idea at all. The latter can really test your patience as you try to over explain – read dumb down ndash; the integration process. Don’t forget that the customer’s patience will also be tested for the same reason, and tempers can quickly shorten. You must be ready to quickly soothe and alleviate problems. A customer at the end of their tether, ready to throw your contract (and invoice) out of the window, benefits no one.

Third party relationships can also be difficult. Those other suppliers who serve the client can also be an important part of the after-sales and integration experience. For example, your new e-commerce check-out system might have require input or communication with the client’s stock management service or CMS provider. Their participation might be the measure and ultimate test of success for the integration process. Poorly managed communication between a parties can reflect badly on everyone, usually with you suffering for the worse. Mutual and professional co-operation can often impact the process positively: it may even earn you new business through referrals from the other agency.

The process has to be easy, co-ordinated and effective. Successful software integration needs:

Good communication is vital; it will enable you to address problems and make an ongoing process out of refining the service you provide.

Originally published in .net magazine, September 2009