Jan Idelman

In case you’re living under a rock, don’t have a calendar or are immune to all things Hallmark, today is Father’s Day.  Since 1993 when I lost my dear father, I have really disliked this holiday.  He died in April of that year, and the pain was still so fresh in June that I could not even enter a drug store the whole month, because everywhere you looked there were greeting card displays and signs touting Dad’s special day.  That pain of that loss never really goes away, but time does ease it and now I can walk the aisles of my local CVS without crying (at least this month).

Today when I woke Mike LaMonica’s blog was waiting for me.  Now, there’s a great dad.  So are many of my other friends:  Dave Nicholas,  Patrick Barbanes, Kevin Boyd, Matt Horbund .  My brother-in-law Michael Haber, my neighbor David Azzolina.  Way too many to list here. 

But as I read Mike’s take on Father’s Day it occurred to me that I should celebrate the day too.  Rejoice in the fact that my father’s love is still with me, that the valuable lessons he taught me and the precious gifts he gave me can never be taken away.  And you should celebrate too.  If you are lucky enough to have a father who is alive, spend time with him today.  Do something to let him know how much he means to you.  

Thinking back on it, everything my father always told me, warned me about, predicted really did come true.  It’s like that old joke that goes something like:  when I was 20 I couldn’t believe how uninformed my father was.  By the time I reached 30, it was amazing how much he had learned.

Always ahead of his time, my father would have loved Social Media, so blogging about him is the best tribute I can think of.  Heck, it’s only taken17 years for me to come to this conclusion and get around to this post.  Whatever your situation, don’t wait.  Father does know best, and he wouldn’t want you to delay. 

Dad hanging out circa 1990

I knew it was coming. I had stared at my screen in disbelief and re-read the e mail half a dozen times before it started to sink in. I gulped a delicious Genesis Today Resveratrol Juice to support my pounding heart! I was notified several weeks ago that Creative Director Extraordinaire and one of my rolling partners, Brian Lazar, and I, had been selected as finalists in the rockin’ Genesis of a Great Idea Contest. Led by renowned naturopath Dr. Lindsey Duncan to the top Superfoods company in the world is just five miraculous years, Genesis Today wants to super-charge its Social Media presence and was soliciting ideas for a campaign. The field was narrowed to five, to be presented live in Austin, Texas late this month.

As a longtime vegan who lives a holistic lifestyle and a public relations professional with a passion for integrating old-and-new-school promotions, this news had especially significant meaning. But tonight, when I read it in my Tweetstream (you know you’re in deep when Twitter is your ultimate reality check!) and then saw myself in such esteemed company on the company’s website, it came as a shock to the system, albeit a pleasant one. I am a relative newbie to new media. Though I joined Twitter nearly two years ago, I’ve just recently begun to feel part of the community. And what great people my Tweeps are IRL! To toast the occasion, and kick off the New Year healthfully, I began Genesis Today’s prescribed New Year’s cleanse with a refreshing Acai blend.

I’ve been a marketer for years, sent out scores of e mail blasts and worked on dozens of websites, but my own is fresh out-of-the-box, thanks to a hard-working web developer who worked through the holiday weekend with me. I’m just on the cusp of finding my blogging voice–and I must pause here to mention the brilliant musings of fellow finalists Moxie and Mayhem, Scary Mommy, Deb on the Rocks, Girlfriendology and DreamWorthy’s ethical approach in his Twitter Manifesto.

For me to have the opportunity to work with Genesis Today and Dr. Lindsey Duncan, a company and an individual I respect immensely and whose products, philosophies and ethical beliefs, like the power of ancient plant healing and Fair Trade Practices, so cloesly align with my own personal journey would be a blessing of epic proportions. But no matter what happens at the Finals, like all the Mary Tyler Moores who’ve come before me, I’ve already made it after all! Just by being honored as one of the Final Five Fab Idea Generators! So thank you Genesis Today. Thank you Dr. Lindsey. Thank you Collective Bias. Thank you Katja Presnal. Thank you Brian. Thank you Dan. And before this blog post starts sounding like an awards acceptance speech (you’ll never catch me thanking the little people, because I’m one of them), I’ll close by simply saying what a great way to open the door to a new decade! I can’t wait to go to Texas and meet all these wonderful people and learn about this exceptional company firsthand. Until then, somebody pinch me! Or pour me a Genesis Today Goji juice! It’s the happy berry–although I don’t think I could be any happier!

As a public relations practitioner, I am constantly on the look-out for ways to cut through the clutter to garner attention and measurable results for clients.

Start by identifying what’s unique and special about your business/practice/product.  In the case of holistic veterinarian Dr. Carol Falck, the answer is just about everything.

If you’re as fortunate as I am to have extraordinary material to represent, you can move rapidly (and constantly) to the next level:  engaging the media with fresh, relevant and topical stories.

In this instance, ongoing information was being disseminated about the H1N1 Virus, more commonly known as Swine Flu, but very little had been shared about its occurence in pets and the possibility of transmission between humans and their animal companions.

Dr. Falck and I researched the topic immediately (often, expedience is as important to success as relevance) and she developed a protocol of Chinese herbs, essential oils and common sense measures for the natural prevention of the disease in animals, which aligns with the principles of her “alternative” practice.

Armed with credible, valuable information, I was able to accomplish the goal of exposure by contacting a savvy TV news producer who specializes in medical stories and presenting the information to her in a concise (these people are busy, with information flying at them non-stop) and responsible way.  With a keen ability to recognize a newsworthy story when she sees one, she booked a shoot date.

Next, preparations began for the medium–in this case a visual one–with lists and lists of products and equipment to have at the ready when the cameras were rolling (photographer availability and time is at a premium, especially these days), should they be needed.  We also provided an articulate client, knowledgable about holistic practices, who could speak to the subject from a pet-owner’s point-of-view, to give added dimension to the story.

The resulting news shot served many valuable purposes:  informing the public that it is possible for people to transmit the swine flu to pets and not the other way around, that just a very few cases had been reported thus far, so that while there is no need to panic, it is something to be mindful of, and how to boost your pet’s immunity naturally to protect from H1N1 and other diseases.

The ensuing publicity also served Dr. Falck well in terms of promoting her practice in general, and I’m proud to report that she’s busier than ever with new clients who have been introduced to her “whole pet healing”/preventive philosophy.

But don’t take my word for it.  See for yourself:

Oh, and here’s the requisite 5-point How-to-Get-Publicity List that conventional blogging wisdom indicates to coincide with this blog’s title:

1.  Find your “uniquities”.

2.  Translate them into useful and timely story ideas for the media.

3.  Identify the appropriate media resource(s) and formulate a story-worthy “pitch”.

4.  Prepare for the interview/shoot by anticipating needs and achieving ultimate readiness.

5.  Put yourself in the mind of the viewer/reader by rounding out your story with additional points-of-view that reinforce the message.

Every business has a great story to tell.  What is yours and how can you get it out there?

of course, I use a dog wherever possible!

How do you listen?  Used to be the obvious answer:  with your ears.  Today, you listen online with your eyes.  You monitor what’s being said about your brand by keeping a close eye on all the sites you can, and then some.  Read voraciously on all topics social media.  Become the expert on your brand’s interraction with the brave new social media world.

There was a great line on an episode of Mad Men a while back where Don Draper tells a client, “if you don’t like what’s being said, change the converstation.”  Forty-some years later, the job of the communicator is to ENGAGE in the conversation and address areas of concern…or if there is no conversation, get one going.

Social media offers a gaggle of opportunities to do this and there is no one right way.  No one-size-fits-all-cookie-cutter solution.  At a recent all-day social media seminar I attended (been going to a LOT of those), the moderator said that a colleague eagerly asked him:  ”what are you reading–you’re always so in-the-know and well-versed on every topic.”  After a brief pause came the moderator’s one-word answer: “Twitter”.  Interesting.

Social media maven Chris Brogran says to grow bigger ears. Where would you start?

Winners of wine prize at Himmarshee Twineup

It’s a given that social media is rapidly taking its place at the public relations table alongside traditional media. Some say the old is being replaced by the new. But, wait, not so fast. If you sift through your bag of traditional techniques, you’re bound to find many that translate beautfiully into the new social media language.  

Sure you can offer an e-mail, instead of a traditional coupon, tweet out specials and contests.  But how can you build an event using social media?   Here’s a good–and tangible–example of a new way to promote a time-tested favorite: the wine tasting.

Take a restaurant known for its exceptional food and extensive wine list.  Add a Twitter personality who is a popular wine enthusiast to host.  Using the increasingly common Tweet-Up formula, combine the two for a wine-tasting, and differentiate by calling it a #Twineup.   Create an online invitation like Tweetvite.  Promoting the event through Twitter and ask friends to retweet your message. 

Traditional PR (like a guest shot on a morning TV show) doesn’t hurt either–and yields a roomful of happy imbibers.  And while most will tweet right through the event, a few are, inevitably, sans mobile device and have never even used Twitter!

How can you employ successful tactics you have been using for years in tandem with social media?

What if Ted Murphy and Company (Carey, Ashley, to name but a few) gave a party and everybody came? Well, at least hundreds of people came. That’s happening this weekend in Orlando and they are to be congratulated on a conference chock-full of rock star speakers, worthwhile content and great attendees.  Much has already been written about the jam-packed 3-day event where Mickey lives, but before the Tweet-stream ends I just wanted to add my two cents… and they’re more than 140.  And give a few shout-outs to the more memorable (for me) moments and people.

Like everyone on Bus #3 to Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, and especially Craig Murphy, Ted’s brother, (who answered my varied questions on the ride back while hiding his connection to the event and its organizer, remaining polite even while surreptiously taking cell phone calls to plan his Friday morning onstage Ted impersonation), I was rolling in the aisles at the video haunted house winner. The guy was so scared I was expecting the worst, but I’ve seen social media seminars more daunting than those houses!  Then there are my SoFla tweeps and friends IRL @muurayiz and @amandastewart.  The latter got me to ride the biggest, scariest roller coaster I’ve ever been on, just by being her kind and competent self!  You can put your brain on auto-pilot when you hang with Amanda because she is always on top of things!

Speaking of on top of things, it was top of the next morning when Ted opened the show, followed by a steady two-day discourse on all that’s new and true in social media. The panels were well-chosen, the topics on-point, PR Sarah Evans, Brian Clark and Liz Strauss nothing short of awesome and Chris Brogan’s delivery by now is so comedically well-timed he could be doing stand-up in Vegas… or anywhere.

And the parties? Well, to paraphrase Brogan…what happens at IZEAfest stays on Facebook!

Tweet and Re-Tweet

We all know and admire people who have elevated tweeting to an art form.  Finally, for the rest of us, something we can really wrap our heads…and our fingers…around.

In “The Science of Retweeting”, Hubspot viral marketing scientist Dan Zarella has gotten the art of tweeting down to a science, and with great certainty can predict not only what words are most likely to be retweeted, but the best day and time to send out the 140-character missive.  And on today’s brave new social media landscape, where apps change faster than you can download them, there’s some measure of comfort in those measurements.

Zarella studied 5 million tweets and 40 million retweets, more than Ryan Seacrest, Ashton Kutcher, Oprah Winfrey or Kim Kardashian have to comb through, to get his results.  Fast Company’s Dan Mascai has done such a good job of laying it all out with charts and graphs in his Nine Scientifically Proven Ways to Get Retweeted on Twitter post that I’ll just cut to the chase here.

Do use links, but preferably shortened with bit.ly, ow.ly and is.gd.  Tinyurl’s effectiveness is shrinking faster than a Tweetdeck link.

RT @PokenGirl: the Poken Pulse has been launched! http://bit.ly/1ZjRiD Avail for pre-order http://bit.ly/pokenpulse #yagottagetone!

Manners count.  The phrase “Please Retweet” is met with positive results, not spammy disregard.  In fact, you, twitter, please and retweet (in that order) are the four most Re-Tweetable words in the English language.  Or at least the parts of that language that have appeared on Twitter.  The least?  Game, going, haha and–you’re gonna love this one–lol.

And punctuate, please!  Ninetyeight percent of RTs include some form of punctuation.  The colon ranks highest here.  Headline style tweets containing nouns and proper nouns combined with third-person verbs get the fingers flying.  And don’t second that emotion.  Tweets about work, religion, money and media/celebrities get more RT action than negative comments, complaints and references to self.

Best time and day to tweet?  Four PM on Fridays.  Guess weekend-watchers are catching a little early 5 o’clock whistle action…and re-tweeting it!  How would you explain it?

Writing the perfect press release.  We’ve all been there.  Or those of us in PR have been there.  The blank screen.  The blinking cursor.  A new client.  An important product launch.  A major event.  Whatever the case, or occasion, the press release is dress to impress–for the subject and the audience.  The press release backs up the pitch and fronts the request for coverage.  It tells the who, what, when, where and why, hopefully in a compelling enough way to separate it from the thousands of others that fly on the wire every day.  And actually get it read.  At least enough of the way through to say “mission accomplished”.  Juggling the new media format all the while.

Not for the feint of heart, Hubspot has come up with a wonderful, FREE tool, Press Release Grader, that rates your release based on a point system of 100 and breaks it down with percentages of same for form, content, links and relevancy.

And here’s a sample release that, I’m proud to say, recently earned the maximum grade.  Despite the fact that smart Press Release Grader correctly picked up on the fact that one of the hyperlinked URLs was actually redirected, which it does not recommend but was, in this case, prescribed by the client, who, as all publicists know, is always right!

THE VIZCAYANS TO HOST ANNUAL HALLOWEEN BASH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24TH ROCKS HISTORIC MANSION AT VIZCAYA MUSEUM AND GARDENS

Miami, Sept 20– Stately Vizcaya Museum & Gardens , 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, 33129, plays host to heads-of-state, captains of commerce, bridal parties and thousands of daily visitors who delight in touring South Florida’s only nationally accredited landmark. But on one night this year—Saturday, October 24, from 8 pm to midnight– headless waiters, dead Presidents, Musketeers and Brides of Frankenstein, along with 2000 other costumed celebrants will take over the famed mansion and grounds…and with good cause!

That’s when The Vizcayans Young Professionals throw their annual Halloween Bash, unmasking Miami’s Halloween season and the 23rd consecutive fall fundraiser to support the preservation of Vizcaya. The $100 ticket price includes open super-premium bar, music from dual DJs, two dance floors, Halloween costume contest and food court. One hundred percent of proceeds benefit the 501 (c )(3) group, which engages in protecting and preserving the nearly 100-year-old treasure.

Always a sold-out event, the Halloween Happening is a staple on the South Florida social scene, attracting taste-makers from the tri-county area and beyond. Miami networker and Plum TV host Erin Newberg, who will be starring in an upcoming VH1 reality TV series, is Honorary Chair.

This year’s Halloween Sundowner sets another trend—“by going green.” Event Chair and local attorney Karl Klein explains that “by incorporating environmentally friendly practices into the fundraiser, the Vizcayans Young Professionals further align with Vizcaya’s mission of conservancy.”

Partners, including South Florida Lincoln Dealers, Patrón Spirits, Stella Artois Lager, Pyrat Rum, Ultimat Vodka, Red Bull and media supporters like SocialMiami.com contribute to the night’s monster success.

For more information, member discounts and tickets, phone 305-856-4866 or visit www.vizcayahalloween.com.

About Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: Built by famed agricultural industrialist James Deering in 1916, at a then-cost of $25 million, Vizcaya exemplifies the American Renaissance, combining older European cultural values with the social, material, and environmental context of modern Miami. The 50-acre property consists of a main house, featuring 34 decorated rooms that showcase nearly 3,000 art objects and furnishings spanning two millennium, 10 acres of formal gardens, an historic farm village currently in restoration and the estate’s natural areas, including the environmentally sensitive native hardwood hammock, mangroves, and waterfront.

Vizcaya plays a vital role as a diplomatic seat of government for Miami-Dade County, hosting renowned figures, like Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II, President Ronald Regan and King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, and global events like the Summit of the Americas, the signing of the Free Trade Agreement, Art Basel activities and the upcoming International Women’s Conference.

About the Vizcayans: The Vizcayans, Inc. a 501(c)(3) organization formed in the State of Florida, engages in the preservation and advancement of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens as an accredited museum and a National Historic Landmark through financial support, advocacy and other activities. The Vizcayans Corporation is the private sector partner to the public sector Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust and works cooperatively and collaboratively with the Trust to advance the mission of Vizcaya.
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Contact: Jan Idelman
954 294 3777
jidelman@bellsouth.net

Jed devouring his food and attention from his favorite vet, Carol Falck

I could have started blogging yesterday. Or last week. Or last month. Or last year. Or back when Chris Brogan started journaling. But I was too busy toiling away at “traditional” marketing to begin chipping away at it. I did have one of the first live webcams around in the early 90’s, so I think in some way I intuited what was to come.

I could have started cooking at any of those intervals, too, or much sooner actually, because I’ve had a stove a LOT longer than I’ve had a computer. But, except for a brief experimental stint starting at 16, working my way through The Joy of Cooking (or was it the Joy of Sex) Cookbook on my college-freshman boyfriend, I didn’t. Aside from making meatloaf for my beloved father and eventually all meals for my beloved first dog Jojo, when he was sick. Both were extremely receptive audiences who would have appreciated anything I whipped up for them. My good that I didn’t foist my culinary skills on others.

So I can’t help but wonder if it is not some extremely cosmic coincidence/blunder that has my current old dog, Jed, who is sick, scheduled for his TV debut Thursday, in a piece where my holistic veterinarian client and friend, Dr. Carol Falck, demonstrates how she is treating his kidney failure with Traditional Chinese Medicine, including nutritional therapy. Thereby necessitating that I cook something for him. Today.

While at the same time, a very good friend is going way out of his way to show me how to configure my Wordpress.org blog so that I can get on the (blog)roll and start rocking like so many other communications professionals do.

So on virtually (get it?) the same day, I am going to become an active participant in two commonplace, everyday activities that I have heretofore watched from the sidelines: cooking and blogging.
With regards to the former, I won’t really be cooking. I’ll be throwing a bunch of stuff into a crockpot, setting it on low and hoping I don’t set the house on fire. It may be made of Dade County Pine (the house, not the crockpot), but I don’t think it’s really indestructible.

And then there’s the latter. Yeah, I’ve nailed my share of sixty-second radio spots and press releases in my day. When I was president of Fort Lauderdale’s largest civic association I wrote 24 (count ‘em) monthly columns inspiring complete strangers to come up to me on the street and tell me that they were actually reading the VPCA newsletter column for the first time in its 20-year history.

Let's Mix It Up, Let It Simmer and See What Comes Out!

For my dog Jed, I’ll be combining healthful ingredients (can you spell organic chicken at $9.99 a pound?) with a pinch of spices in a pot called a crock in the hopes of making his life a little better.

For my reader(s), if I have any, I’ll be sharing social media information learned, which is hopefully not a crock, and experiences encountered on that vast new frontier, hopefully peppered with some success stories, with the intention of making the lives of fellow social media newbies a little easier… or at least less isolated.

Along the way, I do promise I won’t claim to be an expert on anything… especially cooking, blogging or for that matter any and all matters related to domesticity and social media. Because the former elude me and the latter has proven to be digestible to me in bites and with a lot of help from friends.

I’m a newbie with a huge appetite for learning. So let’s take this journey together, and have some fun along the way. I know one thing for sure. My dogs Jed and Willow are gonna like it!