Released in May, Social Media Revolution 2 is an update of the original video with new social media & mobile statistics that you will find hard to ignore. Based on the book Socialnomics, author Erik Qualman writes that “we don’t have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well we DO it.” The video also asks if social media is a fad, or the biggest shift since the industrial revolution. Take a few minutes to view the video and tell us what you think at our Facebook page under “discussions.”

Posted in BroadBased, Social Media Planning

You’d like to keep in step with the millions of users of social media, but you’re wondering who you should bring to the dance. BroadBased’s Digital Media Strategist Tonisha Landry-Gaines has some suggestions.

“Regardless of whether your purpose is to manage your brand or reputation, or promote your business or yourself, a few simple principles should guide your choice of a social media partner,” says Gaines.

Her suggestions are to choose a partner:

• Who can demonstrate longevity and experience in the role you seek to fill
• Who wants to be knowledgeable of your business objectives and overall marketing strategy
• Who can clearly explain how social media complements your overall strategy
• Who will train you on implementation
• Who can show results

“Of course, we believe that here at BroadBased we are well qualified to meet those requirements,” said Landry-Gaines. “What sets us apart is that we understand social media is a tool – one of many tools in our arsenal – to support our clients’ business objectives. Social media is not a replacement for, but a complementary component of, a marketing strategy.”

Posted in BroadBased, Capabilities, Social Media Planning

So you’ve convinced the CEO that social media is here to stay and you’ve been given the green light to test a program. Now what? How do you use your internal and external resources most efficiently? Maybe you’re ready to jump in but prefer some guidance before the training wheels come off.

“BroadBased has a protocol to guide you to the right social media channels for your company,” says BroadBased’s Digital Media Strategist Tonisha Landry-Gaines. “Our steps include situation analysis, implementation, content development, customer acquisition, promotion and tracking. And just as with a traditional marketing strategy, there is no cookie-cutter answer that fits every company. Our recommendations are custom.”

Locally, The Blood Alliance is an example of a non-profit organization using social media to stay in touch with its audience. “Twitter and Facebook are just one part of a very comprehensive marketing plan,” says Valerie Collins, COO. “Tonisha has been very helpful in sharing best practices and providing structure and guidance to our team as we grow our efforts.”

Posted in Brand Development, BroadBased, Capabilities, Social Media Planning, Web/Interactive Development

BroadBased Digital to Focus on Web, Application and Social Media Strategies, Implementation

Tonisha Landry-Gaines, Digital Media Strategist

BroadBased Communications, one of Jacksonville, Florida’s leading marketing and public relations firms, has announced it has expanded with the opening of BroadBased Digital. BroadBased Digital develops and implements web, application (app) and social media strategies and tactics.

“We are responding to the market and trends in our industry,” said Jan Korb, BroadBased founder and CEO. “In a truly integrated environment, we are able to offer our clients the most creative, effective and innovative traditional and non-traditional marketing and PR campaigns.”

Tonisha Landry-Gaines has joined the firm to serve as the division’s digital media strategist. Landry-Gaines focuses on digital strategies for mobile application development, website development and social media strategy.

Landry-Gaines has seven years of experience crafting and executing marketing outreach plans for non-profit organizations using events and both traditional and online media as methods of communication. Tonisha also serves as the director of social media for the First Coast Chapter of IABC (International Association of Business Communicators). She is a native of Panama City, Fla., and holds a B.S. in business economics from Florida A&M University and a certificate in instructional design systems.

BroadBased Digital was born out of client and market need for an organized, strategic, research-based approach to website development, social media, online marketing and mobile application development. The division works alongside the marketing and communications experts at BroadBased, including designers, marketers and public relations pros, to complement client campaigns and drive content for digital programs.

Posted in BroadBased, Corporate Communications, Social Media Planning, Web/Interactive Development

Q&A with Jules Allen, CIO

Q: So why are these mobile devices getting so much business mindshare?

A: Look at sales figures from Apple or the domestic cell phone carriers, and you’ll see that these devices are still flying off the shelves. Regular old “dumbphones” are still selling, but the future belongs to the smartphone.

Q: Isn’t developing an app a lot of extra effort?

A: It’s another channel that’s been added to a business toolkit and a revolutionary one at that. Most businesses said the same thing in the early 90’s about the web, and by ‘97 any serious business had been on the web for a couple of years or so. I can’t think of a single business I’ve seen launch in the past five years that hasn’t had a web strategy.

Today we’re seeing the same shift as we saw in the 90’s. It’s not a question of will you get ready for mobile, it’s a question of how soon you can integrate it.

Q: iPhone or Android?

A: Short answer is ‘yes.’ Maybe Blackberry, too. Android devices have just started to outsell iPhones, but iPhones have been around a bit longer. They’re the top two for consumer focus. If you develop for the iPhone, you can also use much of that investment in an iPad app.

Posted in BroadBased, Capabilities, Web/Interactive Development

Traditional News Media and Social Media – they can work hand in hand with marketing and PR

Much has been written lately about how social media is changing business marketing, PR and customer service. It’s also changing the news and media business as more and more social media users are receiving their “news” via Twitter and Facebook.

Traditional media and reporters have embraced social media for breaking news and links to their online stories and websites; it’s even been said that social media is keeping traditional news outlets afloat in this economy.

According to research conducted by Cision and The George Washington University:

Source: Guardian.co.uk

BroadBased’s public relations practice still focuses much of its time on traditional media relations, but we also ensure that clients are giving more life to those traditional media campaigns by using social media where appropriate. This is another tactic for keeping a story “alive” and can also enhance your company’s SEO.

Call Jan or Maria and let us show you how to get the most out of your traditional media relations by expanding your online presence and helping you stretch your media relations efforts’ reach.

Posted in BroadBased, Social Media Planning

• 87% believe the CEO’s reputation is an important part of a company’s reputation.
• 83% of companies will face a crisis that will negatively impact their share price between 20 and 30%, during the next five years.
• 100% of those reading this post have either a personal or corporate reputation to protect.

Source: Marketing Pilgrim

Reputation management is a new term for some, but it’s one that every CEO and marketer should be aware of. With the enormous surge of user-generated content posted online (think blogs, social media and online news comment sections), it’s extremely important to monitor online mentions of your brand, your senior management and even yourself.

BroadBased uses several tactics to build or reinforce strong, positive online reputations for brands and individuals. Through a combination of strategies that employ website, social media and online public relations approaches, we have experienced success creating a positive presence where there was previously none, and reversing a negative one.

“It’s critical for an individual or company to know what is being said about them online,” says Jan Korb, BroadBased’s CEO. “If what you find about yourself or your company in an online search is not to your liking, there is definitely work to be done. Imagine someone performing due diligence on your company, product or service and finding negative mentions or, perhaps worse, NO mentions.”

BroadBased’s strategy revolves around the regular creation of fresh content, a strong link strategy and other optimization tactics. Upon careful and sustained application, this strategy has proven successful in commanding the coveted “page one” positions during online searches, pressing undesirable mentions to later pages.

So keep a close eye on your reputation. You only have one.

Posted in BroadBased, Public/Media Relations

The latest volume in Mayor Peyton’s Book Club series was launched May 17 at a ceremony at the City Hall Atrium. The new book, entitled We Salute Our Military, was introduced and read aloud by Mayor John Peyton to children from the Child Development Centers at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport.

We Salute Our Military is the thirteenth volume in the series. Six years ago, BroadBased Communications was hired to design and produce the RALLY! Jacksonville program’s backpack of learning aids and books for distribution to Duval County four-year-olds as part of the Mayor’s Book Club. Since then, more than 53,000 children have received the popular literacy materials through their schools, early learning centers or via the Jacksonville Public Library system.

The military-themed book was written by Donna Peacock Hanczaryk and Ginger Peacock Preston. Ethan Long continued his tradition of creating lively illustrations to accompany the text, placing the characters in familiar settings in and around Jacksonville.

Upon completion of this latest volume, Mayor John Peyton sent his thanks by letter to BroadBased staff for their long-standing participation in the early childhood reading project: “Your support and generosity over the years have helped to make RALLY! Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Children’s Commission a great success,” he wrote, “and for that I am most appreciative.”

Posted in BroadBased

Our Public Relations Director, Maria Coppola, APR, has an article published in PR News’ Guide to Best Practices in Nonprofit Communications. This first edition special publication is designed to help nonprofits navigate PR, communications and social media. Maria’s 1,000-word article is titled “The Crisis Plan: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Reputation Rehabilitation” and is on page 70 of the book compiled by PR News with content by editors and other PR pros around the country. You can order a copy here, or better yet, call Maria and get her working on your crisis planning team!

Posted in BroadBased

At BroadBased Communications, we believe that a good illustration is one of the most powerful tools we have to convey a concept quickly and compellingly. (That’s one reason why our own website is designed around illustrations.)

We’ve seen one of our clients, Florida Coastal School of Law, embrace illustration to make its biannual alumni magazine a strong and eye-catching marketing tool. “As we meet with our clients at Florida Coastal, we find that close cooperation with the client, the designer and illustrator to create a concept can be an exciting venture and a boost to the overall marketing strategy,” said Karen Kurycki, BroadBased senior art director.

That dedication to the creative power of illustration has paid off for Florida Coastal. The school has won two awards of excellence from The Council for Advancement and Support of Education, District III, for their magazine. District III includes hundreds of colleges, universities and private high schools in the South and Southeast. Florida Coastal received those awards before an audience of 700 conference attendees representing 200 schools.

The school’s 2010 spring edition is yet another example of the allure of illustration, this time, to highlight an environmental theme. Kuryicki worked with illustrators Heather Blanton, Mike Austin and Dan Vasconcellos to create this highly appealing publication.

Posted in BroadBased