Kristi Lee-John

The age-old ‘East Versus West’ debate was a common theme at this year’s SEVC conference in Charlotte, NC.  And quite frankly, I am over it.  Not really a big surprise, I know, but after listening to practically every panel offering some kind of comparison or best practice, quite frankly it got a little old.  I am tired of making excuses or feeling that we don’t measure up. Don’t get me wrong; I respect our fellow entrepreneurs and their accomplishments on the other coast. But it also starts to become a self-fulfilling prophecy after a while.  Of course, if investors continue to focus their investments, resources, connections, etc. in that area then you are going to see more successes.  But look at we have done in the Southeast without that same kind of lavish attention.  Yes, we could use more folks in the “startup pool” that are willing to leave those lifestyle careers at SAS or Cisco but we need the backing of venture firms to create more companies so that when one startup fails there is another one to join.  Do you think Silicon Valley made it there overnight? Why don’t you share some of those resources and let us show you what we can do. 

Need more convincing?  Here are some figures that came out of one of the SEVC panels (my apologies as I can’t remember the source but thinking it was Trevor Kienzle at Correlation Ventures)…I think they speak for themselves:

East versus West (since 2000):

• Returns have been even – both 1.5x on both coasts
• Exit values are 93m on West and 60m on East
• Valuations are 57m on West and 36m on East
• All with lower capital raised on East (25m) and 30m on West

Bottom line: There is more capital efficient behavior on the East Coast

To take the words from some famous folks that worked hard to bridge the gap between east and west: 

You’re all invited back a gain to this locality 

To have a heapin helpin of our hospitality 

Set a spell, Take your shoes off. 

Y’all come back now, y’hear?.

**Beverly Hillbillies Theme Lyrics

I recently attended the Internet Summit here in Raleigh, NC.  It was a great event and I was excited to see the turnout.   These events always re-energize me and serve as a reminder of the great talent and technologies being created here in my own backyard. 

It also gave Shawn, my business partner, and I a great opportunity to talk to fellow entrepreneurs about PR., of course.  I have to admit that we tend to assume that folks understand PR and the many benefits it can bring to an organization.  But after having a conversation with two C-level executives at the Summit, it reminded me that is not always the case.  Some folks actually still think PR = press release.   Perhaps I should direct them to one of my CRO clients that credits PR for a large portion of the millions of dollars in their sales pipeline.  Yes, that’s right.  Millions. Dollars.

Long gone are the days when you only called your PR consultant/agency/department when you had a press release that needed to be issued.  If you are not consistently putting out fresh content with the right messages to the right audiences over the right platforms, you are simply not relevant.  Yes, that’s right.  Not. Relevant. 

So what is the recipe for PR success?  What is helping to drive those millions of dollars to the sales pipeline mentioned above?   While there is not a one size fits all approach, there is a process that should be followed and at Crossroads PR we call it the PR Sales Funnel.  Because let’s face it, if PR is not impacting the bottom-line then why bother?

It all starts with strategy.  Don’t underestimate your PR team by treating them as arms and legs.  Extend an invite to the table.  It is imperative that this team understands the goals of the business so they can tie those goals into their PR strategy.  Make sure you all have an understanding of the competitive landscape and how your company is better, different, first, etc.   Make sure these are clearly articulated in messaging which is reflected in all internal and external communication.

Okay, now think of who at your company can best tell the story or at least has the details of the story in their head.  This should NOT only be about your company, product or service but also about the industry.  These internal (or even external) resources don’t have to be media rock stars but can they provide bullet points that would help your PR person tell that story? If you are going to be relevant then your PR team needs to create fresh content and deliver it consistently over the right platforms.   

Check.  You hopefully now have some type of ‘content calendar’ that can guide your team over the next few weeks (notice I said weeks, not months…fresh content is key).  So, on what platforms do you push this content out?  Is it over a social media outlet or is it an editorial pitch to media or bloggers?  No worries, that’s why you have a team of public relations professionals to figure it out.

The key to being successful with PR, and this process in particular, is to monitor, analyze, report and tweak.  With the many analytical tools available today, it’s easier than ever to figure out what is working and what isn’t – the key is to ACT on that data and make changes quickly.  If done correctly, you should see the result in lead generation and sales.  

If you really want to step it up a notch, make sure that your PR is integrated with your marketing campaigns.  We have had great success in working with marketing partners  - it’s like a well oiled machine.   We provide the content, while our marketing partners (in-house or external) manage email blasts, Pay-per-click campaigns, etc.

Does it work? Let the numbers speak for themselves…here is a sampling of Public Relations ROI we have achieved for our clients:

• 40% of sales attributed to PR and marketing efforts
• 35% of whitepaper downloads are active new business leads
• Solution downloaded one million times (two days after press release and media push)
• Grew open source community to 75,000 members
• Brand related search traffic rose 46% over previous six months
• 50% of top 50 referring site traffic result of PR efforts
• 33% of top 15 referring site traffic result of PR efforts
• Number of visits from search engines rose by 33% over previous six months
• Editorial placement top source in referring site web traffic over a 6-month period
• Video FAQ series had 900+ views on YouTube in three months
• Visitors from social media spent approximately 115% more time on site than other visitors
• LinkedIn is top source for referring site traffic
• Blog posts generated most click-throughs
• Gained over 600 Twitter followers, including industry influencers, analysts and key media

Account Executive or Account Manager – Public Relations 

About Us: Crossroads Public Relations leverages the right mix of public relations, social media and business experience to help clients expand their regional, national and global footprints and reach their target audiences. Crossroads is structured specifically to complement clients with proactive planning, collaborative execution and accountable results. Crossroads Public Relations specializes in building successful public relations programs for B2B technology clients.

 
Crossroads Public Relations is looking for a professional with 4-6 years experience in public 
relations. Agency experience is preferable. Candidates should be eager to join a growing firm with a dynamic learning atmosphere, a fast paced, ever-changing environment and work with clients that are bringing disruptive and new technologies to market. This is a rare opportunity to grow and expand your PR skills at agency that rewards hard work and dedication.
 
About the Position: College degree and 4-6 years of relevant experience are required. Agency experience preferred alongside a strong track record of working with a mix of B2B and B2C clients.  Areas of responsibility will include the development of public relations and social media strategies for our clients.
 
Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Direct client interaction/support/counsel
• Research, identification of and submission for editorial and thought leadership opportunities
• Support for product review programs
• Writing of public relations content
• Direct media and analyst outreach/support
• Strategic direction and execution across accounts/ability to tie PR objectives into business goals.
• Ability to understand target audiences, their pain points, how they prefer receiving information (social media versus traditional), ability to create messages that will resonate with each audience
• Front line engagement on applicable industry news and ability to provide bigger picture concepts for garnering media coverage
• Fully understand nuances of various social media platforms and be able to use them as part of an integrated PR strategy (or not use them….)
• Have a firm understanding of PR metrics, ways to showcase ROI and how to track metrics
• Identify new business opportunities for the agency
• Develop a specialized skill that agency can leverage and highlight as a differentiator – ability to create infographics, SEO, video editing, etc.
• Be advocate for agency internally and externally

Functional/Technical Skills:

• College degree with 4-6 years of experience is a must
• Relevant experience is required. Agency experience is preferred.
• Strong content development skills are a must (writing and editing a variety of content including press releases, media pitches, blog posts, tweets and more)
• Strong, proven social media expertise is required (must share examples of social media campaigns/results)
• Self-motivated with the ability to work well both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability and desire to thrive in a fast-paced environment with a “roll-up the sleeves”
 work ethic.
• Strong organizational skills  

Experience: 4-6 years of public relations or related experience. Agency experience is preferred but not required. Technology and/or healthcare experience is preferred but not required. Social media experience required.

Please send all resumes/inquiries to info@crossroadspr.com

As with any company looking to add public relations to their corporate strategy, one of the primary goals is to increase their visibility with key influencers – customers, investors, media, bloggers, etc. all while keeping a close eye on the bottom line. Since my agency, Crossroads Public Relations, primarily works with early stage technology companies on limited budgets, I know all too well about the “bottom line”.  And as an entrepreneur myself, I understand that every dollar spent needs to be measured and have a positive impact. 

When looking for a PR partner, there are several approaches that one can take, including:

1. Hiring a freelancer for one off projects
2. Hiring an integrated marketing firm to manage all things marketing, including PR
3. Hiring a PR agency that is focused on building relationships with key influencers in your specific industries.

Over the last 15+ years I have had experience in working with each of these approaches and I continue to get asked about the best approach to take, especially from entrepreneurs and my answer is that there is a role for each based on the stage of your company as well as your short and long term goals.  Based on my experience, here is my advice on choosing the solution that works best for you:

1. Freelancer approach:  Freelancers are a great resource for several reasons but mostly because they are flexible and cost-effective – two must have qualities for growth stage companies.  I often recommend and connect some of the very early stage companies that I meet with to these freelancers.  If you can find someone that can do it all – provide the strategy and the execution – then they are a great way to start to get your message out to some of your key influencers. The issue with this approach typically comes to light when they have one of these qualities but not the other OR they simply can no longer support your needs due to bandwidth.  Some questions to ask freelancers before bringing them onboard include:

-        How many clients do they currently support? This will tell you how much time they have to spend on your business and this may not matter if you are asking them to do a simple project.

-        Ask to see some of their writing samples specifying marketing vs. public relations.  Writing for marketing is not the same as writing for PR but that’s another blog post. 

-        How do they manage media, blogger, and analyst relations? How are targets identified? 

If the responses are less than desirable or you simply have outgrown your freelancer, its time to consider next steps…integrated or dedicated?

2. Integrated marketing approach:  Again, integrated firms can be a great resource.  They can design your collateral or website, implement an advertising campaign or issue a press release.  It’s a one-stop shop that is appealing to a lot of folks. This is a great approach if perhaps your primary goal is marketing and not PR.  Most of these agencies started as pure marketing firms and have added PR as a second thought.  Their staff tend to not be PR people and yes folks, PR and Marketing are NOT the same although PR technically falls under the marketing umbrella. Again, there are typically strong writers at these agencies so helping to draft a press release, white paper or blog post might come naturally to them but what kind of communication skills and expertise do they have? Some questions to ask integrated marketing firms IF PR is a priority for your company:

-        What is the breakdown of your staff, marketing vs. PR?

-        Do you have a case study that solely highlights a PR campaign?

-        What is the breakdown between marketing and PR clients?

3. Dedicated public relations approach:  if you are looking for a firm that focuses only on public relations and the industries in which you are selling, then a dedicated agency is the best choice.  A dedicated PR firm typically has a team of strategic public relations professionals that have years of experience in launching companies, products and services to key influencers.  As the definition of PR has continued to evolve (and was actually just redefined) it is important to work with professionals that understand the nuances of how to properly leverage the communication platforms to tell the story in a way that is acceptable and welcomed.  My team consistently educates young entrepreneurs on the importance of consistency in PR.  With so much noise in every industry, you are only as good as your last story and/or pitch and a dedicated PR team is focused on strategically delivering the right message to the right audience to keep your company, product or service in play.  This is more important for younger companies that don’t have an established brand. So when looking for a PR partner someone that has only worked with larger household names might not be the best fit for you.  Some questions you might ask a dedicated PR firm might include:

-        What types of industries do you have experience in (B2B, B2C, technology, retail, non-profit, etc.)

-        How many clients do you have and in what industries?

-        How do I know I will get strategic counsel as well as proper execution?

-        Do you have specific examples that showcase ROI and past successes?

At the end of the day, in order to get the biggest bang for your buck you want to choose a partner that:

-        Knows your audience

-        Is experienced in telling stories like yours to the right influencers

-        Is metrics-driven and will work closely with you to achieve those metrics

-        Knows social media and how to use it to tell your story

-        Can be strategic and execute on that strategy

I am always happy to hear your thoughts so please feel free to share them.  Happy PR’ing everyone!

Interesting read from a venture capital fund, “What Happened to the Future?”.  The report discusses whether or not there are any “real technologies” left or is it all just a bunch of widgets, features and irrelevancies. 

I had mixed feelings after reading the report. Having worked with startups for more than 15 years, I have seen the transition from the network-centric technologies to the Internet/Mobile applications that we rely on today to get everything from the latest news to the latest game for our iPhone.  But I don’t agree that with that transition came any less development of “real technology” rather just more opportunity. 

Just because every entrepreneur isn’t focused on putting humans on the Moon or creating a Ruby-like robot i.e. The Jetsons, doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place for these technologies.  Most of the entrepreneurs that I have met during my career have the capability and drive to change the future in their own way.  Take Facebook for example…Zuckerberg had no idea how his social network would take off and be a platform for movements across the World.  So how do we judge what might seem like an irrelevant technology?

I think the report gets it right when it states, “No entrepreneur, however good, knows precisely how their company’s business model will evolve over time. When investing in a start-up, you invest in people who have the vision and the flexibility to create a success. It therefore makes no sense to destroy the asset you’ve just bought.” 

Kudos to the Founder’s Fund for not removing a single founder from their portfolio companies but working with them to grow a successful and very RELEVANT company.

I have to admit that I never really embraced Facebook.  While it’s great to reconnect with old friends or to post pictures of my two-year old for family and friends, the site could never really hold my attention for very long.   I always chalked it up to not having enough time or just having a really short attention span.

Then there was Pinterest….

All of a sudden I find myself anxiously checking in whenever I have a spare five minutes (which can easily turn into 30) to see what new and exciting pin was added since my last browse session.  It has quickly become an obsession and one that I have mixed feelings about.  I have probably completed five different Pinterest projects around the house over the last two weeks, found inspiration for our office décor and have a growing list of new ideas that I didn’t even know I wanted!  Is this the same obsessive behavior experienced by those Facebook fans that feel the urge to post everything about their day?  Have I finally caught a little bit of this “social media” bug?

At dinner last night, my husband asked me why Pinterest was better than Facebook and it didn’t take very long for me to easily come up with my top 10 reasons so I thought I would share them with you.  Here goes:

1. It’s incredibly ease to use and simple.  My new iPad 2 is the perfect tool for browsing :)
2. It’s visual.  The visual aspect is probably its most addictive feature. For busy career women/moms like myself it’s extremely satisfying to be able to quickly browse through items until I find something of ‘pinterest’ to me.
3. It’s educational.  All this time I thought I simply did not inherit by father’s artistic ability but then Pinterest (or its users) have shown me that we all have it in us – we just didn’t know some of the tricks of the trade.  All of sudden I am Martha Stewart (watch out Molly) – at least in my own mind!
4. It’s wide appeal.  No matter who you are or what you are interested in you can find something on Pinterest.  It’s not just for women to redecorate or find fashion tips – one of its founders was actually an architecture student.  As a matter of fact, an ex-colleague (male) just started following me on Pinterest and his boards are focused on technology and hobbies such as running.
5. It’s more than just ‘friends’.  Pinterest allows you to connect with other folks that share the same interests.  My hairdresser told me today that she was following a much older woman’s boards because they shared the same taste for modern Christmas design – but otherwise would have never connected.
6. It’s social appeal.  Pinterest still allows you to connect and message with friends but rather than simply exchanging messages, I can easily share a new recipe or new cocktail to try on our next girl’s night out.
7. It’s lack of wall posts on useless information.  Do we really care to know every aspect of someone’s day?  Sorry but I don’t.
8. It’s great window-shopping.  Yes I am a woman and I like to shop.  There you go.  This is the best way to window shop without having to leave your couch.
9. It’s multi-tasking at its best.  Where else can you find a great recipe for dinner, a great new way to dress up your dinner table with pine cones, sticks and a hot glue gun AND a project for your two-year old at the same time.
10. It’s just more fun.  Period.

As a PR professional with an agency that is focused on B2B technology, I am trying to figure out how my clients can possibly take advantage of this great new social media phenomenon.   And apparently I am not alone.  The company just raised a whopping $37M in venture capital and is getting covered by some of the heavy hitters among the tech press.  See the latest today from Mashable at http://on.mash.to/ubV9uC.

If you haven’t checked out this whole Pinterest thing then shame on you – send me a note and I’ll shoot you an invitation.  Happy browsing!

We all get caught up in the day-to-day grind and lose sight of the bigger picture of why we do what we do.  Well yesterday I was reminded of why I love my job.  I had the pleasure of meeting with several smart, energetic entrepreneurs who are each changing the world in their own way. 

The Bull City Startup Stampede initiative provides up to 12 startups with free office space and access to a growing roster of successful entrepreneurs that call Durham (or Raleigh!) home.  After a successful spring session, the program is now home to another set of enthusiastic folks that hope to one day be the provider of advice to future Stampede companies.   And from what I saw yesterday, they are well on their way.

As part of the program, Crossroads PR was invited to, once again, provide PR advice that will (hopefully) give them a jumpstart on how to start telling their story to key influencers in their respective markets.

It was a bit of whirlwind! Having not done any speed dating myself, I think I have a good idea of the process – whew!  We had 20 minutes to learn about each company, its value proposition, target markets, etc. and then try to provide them with tailored PR counsel.  I have to say it was pretty awesome. While Crossroads PR is only eight years old, my business partner and I have each been working with entrepreneurs for more than 15 years and you never get tired of the incredible passion that these entrepreneurs exude – it is incredibly contagious.

We met with some AMAZING people yesterday; here a few shout-outs:

            CleanHatch: CleanHatch serves as the premier matchmaker for clean tech and renewable energy projects, leveraging a web-based clearinghouse platform to make it easy for projects to find the capital, developers, and incentives they need to launch quickly and efficiently.

            DiscoverLit: DiscoverLit provides on-the-go readers with an engaging, innovative experience in literature.

            GreenSky Wind Systems: GreenSky Wind Systems delivers innovative, efficient and silent wind turbine solutions for commercial facilities dedicated to our planet.

            iBuzzn: iBuzzn is a software platform designed to disrupt the restaurant industry by introducing a customer focused mobile application that will enhance the overall dining experience.

            MotiveLogic: Constant Coaching is the culture created by the use of High Octane Business Performance Dashboards from MotiveLogic to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity from automobile dealer service departments.

            Sqord: Sqord is a social gaming website where kid users can earn points and rewards through real-world play.

            Zeek: Zeek has digitized the coupon book, providing non-profits, schools, churches, and groups everywhere with a 21st century fundraising solution, all accessible from a smart phone.

And remember, these are these are the future business leaders of our community and they need all the support we can give them. If you are so inclined to be a part of this wonderful initiative, I encourage you to make a pledge of as little as $25 to the Durham Startup Stampede, Run With It program.

A member of my team recently sent me this blog post: “Stop kidding yourself, you’re VERY replaceable”.  My initial reaction was something like “c’mon, I know we tout open communication in our office but geez that’s a little bold!”  After I got past the title and the first paragraph about the conceited jerk, it slowly became apparent why she had sent this particular post.  Afterall, my business partner Shawn and I have been preaching this very concept to the team (and our clients!)… although we never quite used the word “replaceable” J

The point that the blogger is trying to make comes down to this quote from Michael Gerber, “They’re too busy working in their business to work on their business.” 

Given that our primary target is the early stage/entrepreneurial company, we see first hand how getting caught up in the minutia of the daily grind can bring an entire company to a standstill.   A large part of our job in the early stages of any client relationship is convincing the client (a lot of times the owner) to put their trust in us to do our job.  As any entrepreneur or small business owner will tell you, stepping away from the day-to-day operations is very scary.  Just ask us.

After eight years of blood, sweat and tears and working IN our business, it has become increasingly clear that we need to spend more time working ON our business.  Basically, its time to take our own advice! 

The bottom line is that we have built a solid team that in a lot of ways is better and certainly extremely capable of taking this company to the next level.  And Shawn and I have never been more excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for Crossroads PR.  We now have the time to focus on the big picture and I have to say that it has never felt so good to come to work. 

So Shawn…let’s take a big bite of our own dog food because we have just been “replaced!”

I was recently asked when a startup technology company should consider bringing on a PR firm.  Since we do a lot with early stage companies, we often get asked this question so I decided to post my response in a blog post. 

We actually started Crossroads PR after working for several large PR agencies that were unable to properly support startups in their PR initiatives, not just because of cost but because of their inability to be agile as these startups build out their company and/or product strategy.  

There is never a one-size fits all approach in making the determination of whether a company is ready to bring on a PR firm.  While cost may be the primary reason why startups postpone hiring PR agencies it is not the only indicator of whether or not a company is ready for PR, especially in today’s fast-paced, competitive environment.  We often meet with entrepreneurs and while they may not have the funds and /or content to support a full-blown PR campaign, we assess the stage of their product/service as well as their industry and provide them with recommendations on how to garner some initial visibility.   This could mean finding key influencers in your industry and following them on Twitter, posting relevant comments on their blog, etc. Since many of these entrepreneurs are acting as CEO, CFO and CMO, the key to making this a success is to hone in on a couple of key influencers and/or media outlets and follow them on a regular basis.  Obviously your key influencers go above and beyond two to three folks so you’ll want to consider outsourcing PR to manage the entire spectrum of influencers. 

If you are looking to outsource your PR initiatives here are a few indicators that you are ready to hire a PR agency:

1. Ready to launch a new product and/or service offering
2. Need to elevate thought leadership in a competitive market
3. Need to determine a social media plan that will reach your target audience
4. Leverage new customer(s) and/or partner(s) for maximum visibility, even though some may not be willing to use their brand name
5. Have a need to drive sales  (and who doesn’t!)
6. Ready to take your product and/or service to global markets

(Source: crossroadspr.com)

It was nice to see a good turnout at yesterday’s NCTA Annual Meeting & Tech Expo in RTP, NC.   The chatter was positive and lots of talk centered around the increase in job opportunities. One of our partners, Hire Networks, mentioned that business was great and there were lots of opportunities.

Also backing up the positive outlook for 2011 was Michael Smith, Vice President at Gartner Research. His keynote centered on the “2011 IT Outlook”. Here are some key takeaways from his presentation, or at least those that caught my attention!

• 70% of productivity growth in the U.S. comes from IT
• 2009 was the worst year for IT (I know, big surprise!)
• Predictions for 2011 include a 4.5% increase in IT spending
• Top 3 high-growth industries include manufacturing, government and banking
• 56% of companies are using social media with Facebook being the most used platform
• Mobile technologies will be the hottest ticket over the next couple of years with the dominate platforms being Android and Apple

So here’s to a much better year and wishing all of my peers much deserved success.

Oh and if Rick Smith of LocalTechWire is reading this post he won’t be surprised by this next statement but I have to say that its always disappointing to see the low percentage of women vs. men at these events. I know that there are several women in technology here in the Triangle but I would love to see more! Maybe we need more women in technology events….thoughts??