5 THINGS EVERY BUSINESS MUST KNOW ABOUT FACEBOOK.
Facebook is the most popular social networking site with 1.9 billion monthly users and 75% of users spending 20 minutes or more on Facebook daily. The platform allows users to post photos, share recommendations, send messages and stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues. Unlike LinkedIn, Facebook’s primary purpose is to serve the user in a social vs. professional setting. But many companies have recognized, particularly in the Business-To-Consumer space, that Facebook can provide valuable marketing tools to reach consumers and their friends. So, before your company sets out to launch a Facebook presence, Fallston Group wants you to “know what you don’t know”! Create a Company Page. Your company page should include your logo as the profile picture and an engaging cover photo. Be sure these images are properly sized and engaging to your target audience. Since dimensions and guidelines tend to change, refer to Fallston Group’s “A Guide to Social Media” for the latest information. Carefully Assign Page Roles. You’ll want to protect your brand by ensuring the people posting as your brand have the proper assignments and training to carry out the task. You can assign Facebook Business Page roles to the employees who have responsibility for communicating with your audience. Add an Appropriate Call-to-Action (CTA) Button. This tool allows you to drive traffic from Facebook to another destination such as your website, a targeted landing page, etc. You’ll want to carefully strategize about the best ways to utilize this feature. Perhaps you simply want to drive traffic to your website – a “Learn More” button will be adequate. But, if you’re trying to promote an event, you may consider changing the background image and creating a CTA like “Sign Up” or “Reserve My Seat” – customized with a landing page for registration. Incorporate Video. When you consider that 85% of the US audience watches videos online and that 1/3 of online activity is spent watching videos, you realize just how important videos are to your company, your brand, engagement with your target audience and ultimately sales! Be sure you have and post video content – and be certain that it’s conveying valuable information! Plan Your Postings. Unless you have someone dedicated to the task, many companies struggle with what to post and how often. Too little can create doubt in the brand, company or products. Too much can cause people to unfollow you. So, strategically plan your postings and content with the help of a social media calendar. Don’t have someone on staff? Contact Fallston Group today! Want to kick off your Facebook presence the right way? Fallston Group has created “A Guide to Social” with quick tips for preparing, posting and promoting your content on social media! Download your free guide today or contact Fallston Group directly.
4 TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR COMPANY’S PRESENCE ON LINKEDIN
Linkedin Presence LinkedIn is the preferred social media platform for businesses, their employees and professionals across a variety of industries who want to connect and network. As a matter of fact, it is the largest professional networking platform. It is also a primary tool for businesses to recruit talent and for job seekers to find openings. Much like a website, it is a place where potential clients and existing customers will follow you. So, it makes perfect sense that any company would want to establish their presence on this vast network. But, before you begin, Fallston Group wants you to know the 4 things you need to know to get started on LinkedIn. Company Page. Make it interesting. Include your company logo, a cover image and content that is SEO-friendly along with images that will help engage visitors. Include keywords in your company description that describe your business, industry, niche offerings and areas of expertise. The more complete your company page and profile, the more likely you are to be found and followed. Banner Image. The banner image is another great way to promote your brand and create engagement. Best practices are to choose an image that has the same branding and elements as your website. Include your URL and main phone number in the banner image; even though they are shown in other places, it will keep them prominent and visible to visitors. Adding a call to action or hashtag can also improve your engagement factor. Publish Platform. The publishing platform on Linkedin is often underutilized. Yet, it provides a great opportunity to position your company as a knowledgeable resource in your industry. It can also be a great lead generator! Content should revolve around company news, thought leadership or innovative ideas for your industry. Start by creating an editorial calendar. Articles can be assigned amongst your team, or an agency like Fallston Group can assist you with content development. Encourage individual employees to share your post through your personal account to gain traffic toward your page. Showcase Pages. Think of these pages as a way to spotlight a business unit, an upcoming event or another initiative. These are stand-alone pages specifically geared towards a targeted audience, so make them stand out with targeted information and visuals! For the company who is just getting their feet wet on LinkedIn, Fallston Group has created “A Guide to Social” with quick tips for preparing, posting and promoting your content on social media! Download your free guide today or contact Fallston Group directly.
Quality Active Shooter Training Save Lives
According to USA Today, last year was the deadliest year for mass shootings in more than a decade. One could even deem 2017 the deadliest year for mass shootings in modern U.S. history: two of our country’s five deadliest mass shootings ever occurred in the span of just 35 days. As the new year approaches, it is essential your company is prepared for the worst – it is not negotiable. Fallston Group believes not all training is equal and real-world experience is what truly matters; this is especially true when it comes to active shooter training. When your organization is searching for active shooter training, take time and vet the instructors who will provide the actual training. Key questions to ask before booking an active shooter training: Are the instructors certified to teach? Specifically, are they certified to teach active shooter response strategies? What body are they certified through? Finally, ask for the bios of the instructors teaching the class. You want the “best in class” to protect your most important asset – your people. If your company is ever sued for liability after an active shooter event occurs on your property, you can be assured the jury will want to know everything about the training you provided. Don’t just put a check in the box by putting your people through the paces with unqualified instructors. Fallston Group’s instructors have been certified nationally through the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) since 2001 in Active Shooter Response, and have taught military, law enforcement and private sector organizations for more than 18 years. Additionally, we have operational experience dealing with real-world active shooter events. Make certain your organization is trained by qualified experts who know how to save lives and provide an important level of defensibility in court – not only is it your responsibility, it is the right thing to do! To learn more, contact Fallston Group at 410.420.2001 or info@fallstongroup.com, download our active shooter training information and visit https://fallstongroup.com/
4 Questions to Ask to Make More Marketing More Effective in 2018
By Kathy Walsh, Director of Marketing I’m a big believer in the tried-and-true when it comes to developing a marketing strategy. You may have heard of the “4 P’s” of marketing—product (or service), pricing, place, promotion—and maybe even the 5th “P” which incorporates positioning. I believe these tenets, established years ago, are still as valuable as ever. After all, without a solid understanding of your value add, where you fit in the competitive marketplace, who your customers are, and points of differentiation, you lack the solid foundation on which to build your marketing efforts. But the tactics you use to execute your strategy are changing at lightning-fast pace. For years, the website chiefmartec.com has created an annual graphic showing the marketing technology (martech) landscape at a glance. Just six years ago, in 2011, there were about 150 martech tools in total. Today, there are more than 5,000. The image below quickly visually depicts just how overwhelming this can be. With all these choices, how do you figure out which tools will best support your marketing strategy? There are some general considerations that will help you decide which types of martech you need to be using for the greatest impact in your marketing efforts. If you can answer the following four questions, you’ll be on your way to building the portfolio of martech tools that is right for your business. Do you know who—and where—your best customers are? This may seem like an obvious answer, but many businesses haven’t spent the time to fully identify who their best customers are. What are their demographics? Where are they geographically? What is it about them that makes them share the same pain point your product or service can solve? If you can’t readily identify these characteristics, it may be more important for you to invest in some data-focused martech that will analyze these types of details, both from external and internal sources. Remember – you need to not just have analytics and measurement tools, but you need to use them regularly to synthesize this data and adjust your marketing efforts accordingly. What matters most to them? In 2018, content continues to be king, but it can’t be one-sided. And while video and multimedia play a more important role than ever before, if the messaging isn’t on point it doesn’t matter what the delivery mechanism is. To truly engage with your audience, you need to understand what makes them tick and tugs at their heart (and purse!) strings. Consider developing a persona of your target customer which reflects the type of person they are – both physically and emotionally. Are they old? Young? Cynical? Activists? Frugal? Philanthropic? Pet-lovers? Coffee-lovers? The more specifically you can describe that target customer, the better you can craft materials that will inform and engage them—and decide on the best channels to share them on, from the internet and social media to billboards, ads or PR. What is the decision-making process they go through to purchase your product or service? Again, this may seem obvious. Perhaps your prospects simply come to your place of business, interact with a salesperson, pay a transaction fee and walk out with your product or service. But what are the steps they take before that happens? Are they researching online? Using what? Review sites like Yelp or Angie’s List? Posting on Facebook to ask for referrals? Typing their need into the Google search bar? And even if they are currently coming in to your business to engage you, is that the most convenient option for them? Are there ways to streamline and simplify the purchasing process to delight them? For instance, prospective customers may—or may not—value a friendly reminder generated by an inbound marketing. Fully knowing this answer will allow you to make the right decisions about sales-focused martech options, as well as advertising and promotional ones. Do you have the infrastructure in place to not just sell, but service your customers? This is a stunningly important question, and one many businesses may fail to consider. Are you prepared for fast, significant growth? If not, you can either scale back marketing efforts or scale up operational capabilities. And what about service? Going back to the sales process, is your obligation to your customer fulfilled once they make that purchase? Probably not—at least not if you want to keep them coming back to you for future needs or to refer you to other prospective customers. There are many martech tools focused on management that can help ensure you have the systems in place to ensure that each an every customer is a satisfied customer and lifelong ambassador for your brand.s Although these questions may seem simple, the answers almost never are. If you need help facilitating the process, or are looking for a partner to help identify the best way to develop or execute your marketing strategy, give me a call at 410.420.2001 or email me at kathy.walsh@fallstongroup.com. I’d love to talk!
Fallston Group Chief Executive Rob Weinhold named 2017 Most Admired CEO by The Daily Record
Baltimore-based Fallston Group, a global reputation agency, is pleased to announce that Rob Weinhold, the firm’s chief executive, has been named one of Maryland’s 2017 Most Admired CEOs by The Daily Record. The Daily Record created the Most Admired CEOs awards program to recognize talented business CEOs and nonprofit executive directors throughout Maryland for their leadership and professionalism. The winners were selected based on professional accomplishments, community service and letters of reference submitted by co-workers, board members and community leaders showing the CEO’s leadership and vision. “To be a Most Admired CEO means that you have gained the respect and admiration of those around you. It means you are making a positive impact on the lives of others,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, publisher of The Daily Record. “Our honorees this year were nominated by co-workers, community organizations and other leaders not just for their professional achievements but because they are truly admired by their peers and employees. The Daily Record is pleased to recognize their leadership in our state and beyond.” After several decades of private and public sector leadership service, Weinhold launched Fallston Group in 2009 to continue his career mission of helping organizations during life’s most critical times. Throughout his career, Weinhold has been recognized for his unique ability to lead by creating vision and building consensus across diverse stakeholder bases, even during the most sensitive of times. He is routinely called upon by members of the national and local news media to provide perspective on crisis leadership, public safety and communications. Weinhold holds a graduate degree (MSM) from The Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business and undergraduate degree from the University of Baltimore. He is nationally published (The Art of Crisis Leadership) and has trained and lectured in a variety of professional and academic settings on the topics of crisis leadership, communications, media relations, and public safety and security. “Receiving recognition as one of Maryland’s most admired CEOs is an unexpected honor and privilege. I was incredibly humbled to learn of the nomination and even more grateful to fully understand the true positive impact we have on our clients, partners and one another, each and every day,” said Weinhold. He adds, “Our team’s foundational mission is to help people during life’s most critical times. This prestigious award, and its supportive submissions, serve as career validation. I am grateful to have been honored among so many innovative, purposeful leaders.” Weinhold was honored in the category of Private Company with 50 or Fewer Employees at the annual Most Admired CEOs award dinner organized by The Daily Record on Thursday, November 9. Additional winners were chosen in the categories of Circle of Leadership, Nonprofit Less Than $10M in Annual Revenue, Nonprofit More Than $10M in Annual Revenue, Private Company with 50 or Fewer Employees, Private Company with 51-149 Employees, Private Company with 150-499 Employees and Private Company with More Than 500 Employees.
Can You Spot Fake News?
By Kathy Walsh, Director of Marketing Recently I attended the Public Relations Society of America’s International Conference in Boston and one of the sessions I attended focused on the topic of fake news. This post highlights some key takeaways shared by co-presenters Lisa Arledge Powell of Ohio-based MediaSource and Robert Mackle, Director of Media Relations for OSU’s Wexner Medical Center—but first, let’s take a look at what “fake news” truly means and why the term has become so popular. Fake news extends far beyond traditional media outlets such as newspapers and television. Today, more people than ever are getting their “news” from social media or social sharing sites where the sources are far harder to identify, verify and control. Fake news can be categorized as the following: Satire that is being misinterpreted as real news. Bait and click headlines that don’t reflect the facts. Legitimate mistakes. Intentionally deceptive content. Understanding each of these categories allow you to be 1) a more informed consumer of news, 2) a better resource to your followers by only sharing legitimate content and 3) more savvy in how you react and respond to any fake news surrounding your company or brand. One example the PRSA session presenters highlighted was a recent fake news story alleging that Budweiser was pulling its NFL sponsorship in light of the National Anthem controversy. Rather than denying the reports, Budweiser recognized an opportunity to engage with its audience and ask them directly whether the company should continue to support the NFL. The company set up a hotline for fans to voice concerns, and ultimately, based on fan feedback, decided to retain its sponsorship deal. Fear of fake news extends beyond the average news consumer – even today’s journalists are concerned. According to public relations and media software company Cision’s 2017 Global Social Journalism Survey, some 51 percent of respondents feel that fake news is a serious problem in their industry. According to Cision, not only are political reporters concerned, nearly half of those in the journalism profession worry about fake news, particularly those covering business and other industries. So, what can YOU do to be prepared to recognize and respond to fake news? Here are quick tips to help spot what’s real and what’s not: Read more than just the headline, which is designed now more than ever to hook you. Increasingly, some journalists are financially incentivized for the number of readers who click through to read the full article. Assess the legitimacy of the source. One simple tool I learned is “domain authority,” which is used to weight websites in search rankings and is tied to the number of inbound links to the site from other websites. You can find domain authority rankings from 1-100 (with 100 indicating the highest authority) on sites like Moz’s Open Site Explorer. By way of perspective, cnbc.com has a rating of 95 while Bloomberg.ma (set up to confuse people into thinking it’s the real Bloomberg site) has a rating of 1 and the excite247.com site shown above has a rating of 14. Keep an eye out for Facebook’s new context button announced earlier in October and being piloted right now. Users will see an ‘i’ button on articles in their News Feed that, when clicked, will reveal a publisher information panel with information on sources and an option to “follow the publisher’s page, view trending or related articles, and see how that article is being shared on the platform itself.” Use sites like Snopes.com to verify the accuracy of certain statistics, news and other facts. Snopes is one of the oldest and most reputable sites for statistical verification and is always a good place to start. Whether your company or brand is the target of fake news or if you don’t become one, feel free to reach out to me to discuss your concerns. I’ll make sure you have a plan in place to protect your reputational equity you’ve worked so hard to build. Your credibility and public trust depends on it! You can reach me at kathy.walsh@fallstongroup.com or by calling Fallston Group at 410.420.2001.
Take a Stand Against Abuse with SARC During Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Our guest blog this week is very special. Do you know what steps to take to report abuse, and the warning signs someone may be involved in an abusive relationship? Holly is an ambassador for SARC, who after years of abuse, began her journey to healing, and is now a beacon of hope for those currently experiencing abuse. Below is her letter to the community: Dear friends, Almost 20 years ago I was a victim of physical, mental, sexual, and financial abuse. The abuse was so bad when I left, I was in a wheelchair with a broken leg and a sprained ankle. With the love of my family, my best friend Amy Wood, and SARC I was able to leave and stay gone. SARC opened my eyes and made me realize none of this was my fault, and that I was a victim of abuse. It took me several years to find myself again. I did, and I am a survivor! I am lucky that through the support of both my friends and family, I have rebuilt my life and am now married to an amazing man and have two beautiful children that I was told I could never have. Through all of this, I have had on very clear very specific dream: to help others stuck in the same horrific situation. My nephew Ethan Brito gave me the most amazing gift, he started a run in my name called Holly’s Hope! This run has allowed me to fulfill my dream to speak out and help others. Words cannot express how much this run means to me, and how much it helps other victims with all proceeds going to SARC. Please join me again this year, on October 14th, as we come together to end abuse. If you are unable to attend the event, please consider becoming a Holly’s Hero through a donation of $100. All Holly’s Heroes will receive a metal to recognize their support to raising awareness about domestic violence. I hope you will join me and everyone at SARC on October 14th as we host the 4th Annual Holly’s Hope 5k Run/1 Mile Walk. Please help spread the word about Holly’s Hope to help me fulfill my dream and help others that may be stuck in the same situation I was once facing. Thank you from all that is within me! Holly If you believe a friend or a loved one is experiencing abuse, you can help by breaking the silence. Call SARC’s 24-hour helpline at 410-836-8430; access the National Dating Abuse Helpline 24/7 at 1-866-331-997 (or text “loveis” to 77054 to reach a peer counselor); and for teens in crisis, call the Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline at 1-800-422-0009.
Employees & Small Business Security
With the alarming evolution of the recent Equifax breach and Tuesday’s shocking announcement that Yahoo’s 2013 data breach impacted every single customer account that existed at the time, identity protection has become a topic of both priority and panic. What can your business do to protect YOUR sensitive data? Our client, national identity protection services leader EZShield, thankfully provides easy to understand advice and solutions in this month’s guest blog. Written by Eugene Bekker in Business Protection Small Business Security: Employee Security Awareness Let’s face it: without the proper employee security awareness and training put in place, your employees won’t be able to recognize and address the risks that are actively targeting your business. Between good password habits, data breaches and business email phishing scams, you have a lot to consider when it comes to your business security. Your employees’ security habits in the office (or lack thereof) can significantly impact your overall business security. Follow us through Part 1 of our Small Business Security series where we discuss three major security risks to your small business, and how your employees can make or break your business’ security. Making or Breaking Your Business Security As a small business owner, protecting your sensitive business, customer and employee information is not always top of mind. But, small businesses are especially unique in terms of security because of their small size. Data Breaches Small business owners are often led by the misconception that their businesses are not targeted in data breaches. However, smaller businesses mean smaller budgets – which in turn, usually means decreased IT security. Contrary to popular belief, 61 percent of data breach victims in 2016 were businesses with under 1,000 employees. The financial losses from small business data breaches – averaging around $665,000 – are enough to put 60 percent of SMBs out of business within 6 months. Employee Impact: The Ponemon Institute found that 48 percent of small business data breaches were caused by employee error. Interestingly enough, nearly 30 percent of employees said data breaches were an “average” priority on their list. Password Security Simply put, weak passwords = weak business security. Emphasizing strong passwords is key when it comes to effective employee security awareness training. LastPass found that 61 percent of us are more likely to share work passwords than personal ones. But sometimes it’s necessary for your employees to share passwords at work in emergencies, through team-sharing accounts, or when delegating work to others. Employee Impact: Unfortunately, 59 percent of small business personnel said they did not have visibility of their employees’ password practices. This is especially concerning because 20 percent of employees are using easily hackable passwords in the office, and 7 percent are using passwords that have been previously compromised in a breach. Phishing Whether it’s to steal business funds, sensitive business, customer or employee data, or to install harmful software onto company devices, phishing emails can impact businesses of all shapes and sizes. Phishing attacks have been on the rise since 2004, significantly increasing 65 percent between 2015 and 2016. Since 2015, more than $3 billion has been lost to business email compromise. Employee impact: Employee security awareness of phishing attacks is so important because 91 percent of hacking attacks started as phishing emails last year. However, 97 percent of people around the world cannot identify a sophisticated phishing email. Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail Every business’ security program will be different simply because every small business is unique. Your business’ security program should appropriately address the information your business handles, and how your employees could potentially impact that information. The PCI Security Standards Council suggests you consider the following eight areas when creating your own business security program: Authentication: Are my employees creating strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication or password manager services? Network Connection: Are my employees using secure Wi-Fi networks and aware of the numerous hacking and IoT vulnerabilities? Access to Devices: Are my employees using business-approved devices in the office? Physical Security: Are my employees physically protecting work-issued devices and sensitive business information, especially while travelling? Data Encryption: Are my employees properly handling encrypted business, customer or employee information? Back Up: Are my employees regularly backing up data so that it can be recovered if it’s ever lost or stolen? Software Installation/Patching: Are my employees regularly updating software with the latest security patches? Basic Security Hygiene: Are my employees considering basic preventative measures they can take – anti-virus programs, firewalls, good email and password habits – to further secure business information? What should I do? Get a head start by using the checklist above to see where your current security program may be lacking. Stay tuned for Part 2 next month where we’ll show you ways to make business security in the office more fun for you and your employees. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of EZShield Inc. alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or entity, including specifically any person or entity affiliated with the distribution or display of this content. Originally published by EZShield on their “Fighting Identity Crimes” blog.
Rachel Barile Joins Fallston Group as Client Relations Coordinator
Rachel Barile Joins Fallston Group as Client Relations Coordinator Agency in growth mode; invests in strategic business development hire Fallston Group, the Baltimore-based, global reputation agency, is pleased to announce the addition of Rachel Barile as client relations coordinator. Barile is a recent graduate from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she studied strategic communications and public relations. Prior to joining Fallston Group full-time, Rachel interned for the strategic marketing and public relations team during the summers of 2016 and 2017. In her new role, she will work with Fallston Group to develop and enhance new and existing client relationships, as well as assist the core vertical of business. “Rachel embodies what every organization needs – a motivated, optimistic person who wants to continually learn, contribute and achieve at the highest levels. A graduating professional of Rachel’s caliber has many opportunities; we are delighted she chose Fallston Group,” says Fallston Group Chief Executive, Rob Weinhold. While studying at Temple University, Barile was a four-year Division I athlete. She was a member of the women’s lacrosse team where she earned both academic and athletic honors, including being named to the IWLCA Division I Academic Honor Roll and the BIG EAST All-Academic Team. A native of Harford County, Maryland, Barile holds a bachelor of arts in communication and media studies with a concentration in public relations. She is a member of the Baltimore Public Relations Council. She currently resides in Maryland. For additional information about Barile or Fallston Group’s services, contact Marketing Communications Manager Andrea Lynn at 410.420.2001 or by email at andrea.lynn@fallstongroup.com.
Let Your True Colors Shine Through
Three years ago, I was introduced to a personality workshop originating from a company called “True Colors® International.” I confess, my initial reaction was to heave an inner sigh at having Cyndi Lauper’s song, “True Colors,” immediately stuck in my head. I was also skeptical. I have taken a number of personality tests and enjoyed them all, but found them difficult to apply to my everyday life…walking away with a list of personality type initials or percentages of categories I fall under in my career path was interesting, but not particularly memorable or applicable. I am happy to say True Colors proved to be a unique experience, so much so that I not only apply the principles I learned on a daily basis, I chose to become a certified facilitator and am now passionate about passing my knowledge onto others. Why is True Colors different? In a nutshell, it goes beyond an assessment – after you learn your own personality color spectrum, you are guided through a variety of fun team-building exercises that give you the tools to implement better communication and interaction in your workplace, and at home. It is also easy to understand; your personality is categorized by blue, green, gold and orange. What is the actual value? True Colors is utilized in many ways, but I categorize workplace application into two groups: organizational culture and leadership guidance. For example, when I previously worked at a high performing nonprofit, I conducted a monthly True Colors workshop at new employee orientation. This practice establishes communication and workplace culture expectations from an employee’s first week on the job, and ingrains the lingo into daily conversation. For example, your company’s “blues” may not get along with your “oranges,” but they will understand why they tend to have disagreements, and how to approach colleagues who think and operate differently at work. I have also taught workshops to groups comprised of executives, managers and supervisors. These leadership workshops include insight on how your employees may view your leadership style, and what tactics to employ to better manage employees based on their personality. I love True Colors because it embraces diversity – each personality color adds value to the workplace, and we all have shades of each color within us. The workshop identifies intrinsic values, motivations, sources of self-esteem, causes of stress, communication and listening styles, social skills, learning styles and much more. This method also has a more than twenty-year history of success with companies such as Ford, Kraft and JC Penney. Have I piqued your interest? Please feel free to contact me at Fallston Group at 410-420-2001, andrea.lynn@fallstongroup.com or request a True Colors workshop event date here.
