Time will tell whether or not Google + will be able to make a significant run at Facebook.  In the meantime, take a look at a few of the best improvements Google has made:

All of these updates add up to a much-improved user experience.  And, if Google continues to listen to its users and create the most user-friendly social networking service available, Facebook just might have a worthy competitor.

When used right, it starts engaging discussions. It informs people of the latest developments. It helps businesses compete in this global economy.

When used incorrectly, it’s an incredibly inefficient use of resources. Hundreds, if not thousands of man hours can be wasted on this so-called “free” resource.

In honor of this year’s Social Media Day, see if you’re committing any of the digital “sins” from our list (you may notice it has some similarities to our tips on being your own PR person).

1. Assault

Are you constantly sending out tweets? Is your Facebook wall covered with links, photos, and your latest Foursquare check-ins? Just as much as you dislike being bombed with status updates, your followers do, too. If you’ve found a great link, or have important news to share, prioritize. Pick which updates are most important to your networks, and then create a schedule in which to post them. Unless you’re a newswire or a “broadcaster” who has big social influence in the digital world, hold off on constantly sending posts. Your networks will be more apt to listen to what you have to say if you aren’t constantly doing the talking.

2. Neglect

While you can’t monopolize your networks’ newsfeeds, you can’t disappear from them, either. Remember the quiet kid in class? The few times she raised her hand, the teacher usually didn’t notice because it was such a rarity. That same principle applies. You don’t need to become a social butterfly and initiate every single discussion, but participating to some capacity is key. If people visit your page and notice that it’s bare or outdated, they’ll pass on by without looking back.

Take a page out of Assault’s book and try outlining a schedule of posts if you have trouble talking on the fly.

3. Obscurity

There are lots of cool things on the Internet. However, if you’re trying to build credibility as a marketing genius, posting an abundance of links to funny cat videos won’t help you (no matter how cute they are). People should be able to get a sense of what you’re an authority on when they visit your page, and read your posts. If you’re the CEO at a PR firm who has a love of music, include your interest somewhere in your bio. Share a link to a new song you like, or a concert you’re seeing from time to time, but don’t let that lead the conversation. Your main mission is to showcase how much experience and knowledge you have in your industry. Follow the classic 80/20 dieting rule: adhere to the plan 80% of the time, and indulge 20%.

4. Detachment

Remember how our last example involved a CEO highlighting an interest in music? That’s just one of the many ways you can incorporate a little of your personality into your messages. If you have a sarcastic streak, make your next tweet about SEO witty (if you find a way). It’s easy to hide behind a computer screen and let the web do most of the work, but people want to talk to other people, not robots on auto-pilot. No matter how informative or important your post is, remember to be approachable. More often than not, people are guided by the same principles they follow in real life for befriending someone online.

5. Inconsistency

As you read earlier, social media is great for getting conversations going. While you should be contributing, don’t simply pose a question to your network, and then disregard the responses you get. If someone makes a thoughtful point, respond to it. Re-post it and elaborate on it. Take the topic to a new level. Some of the most valuable information out there is found when people come together to express their points of view. One of the key things to remember is that social media is social; the more people talk about something, the more of an impact it has. The more you perpetuate the discussion and make intelligent contributions, the more respect you’ll command from your audience.

6. Disconnection

Engage in a variety of networks and services, and give people multiple ways to connect with you! You probably wouldn’t shop at a store that only had one type of shirt and one type of pants, right?

You’d rather have a few racks of clothing to browse through to get a better sense of the store. This same idea is true for using social networking sites. The more types of services you use, the better represented you are online. You can use a site like Last.fm to connect over music preferences, while using a bookmarking site like Digg to share your favorite news stories. Your credibility won’t become muddled as long as you remember the specific objective of each service, and post with a purpose.

7. Quantitativeness

It’s not all about the numbers. Sure, to a point you should keep your follower count (and Klout score) in mind, but it shouldn’t be the top source of motivation for your posts. Whether you’re in the PR industry or not, the real motivation for posting should be building relationships with new audiences, and maintaining relationships with old ones. Social media ROI is significant, but only if you weigh qualitative aspects more heavily. It’s easy to “Like” a Facebook page, and it’s just as easy to hide it from sight. You’re still quantifiable as a fan, but qualitatively you’re not actively engaged or listening. See the difference?

Social media is a lot like dating: you don’t want to appear disinterested, but you don’t want to come on too strong, either. If you make calculated moves at the right times, let your personality shine, and focus more on the conversation than the end-result, you’ll build a strong, healthy relationship with your networks.

Have something to say about this post? Tweet us your responses @Zamolution.

The short version? If you’re a government agency, utility company, organization for disaster relief, or news outlet, you need social media. Why? So you can:

• Broadcast information in realtime
• Answer questions from citizens, viewers, or customers about service outages and developments
• Get information from people in a disaster location (pictures, text, video, etc.) about current conditions and actual impacts
• Provide share-optimized information about shelter locations and other relief efforts (i.e. a tweet that has the right amount of characters for mass retweeting)

The Reasoning Behind It

As a Philadelphian, Hurricane Irene’s approach was imminent. While I won’t comment about whether the media sensationalized the storm at all, I will say that social media was an incredibly helpful way for me to get information about what was going on. Since I’m moving apartments in a few weeks, I cancelled my cable, and had no way of turning on The Weather Channel to see what the radar looked like, and the website rendering didn’t give much insight.

Cue Facebook and Twitter.

I found my city’s Office of Emergency Management website, and noticed they had a Twitter handle. I followed it. I then saw other people in my stream who were posting information. Before I knew it, I was getting damage reports, street closures, and a schedule of when the mayor would be addressing the media in a press conference. I saw reposts of pictures that North Carolina residents had shared regarding flooding and damage. I found out that a local news outlet was broadcasting continuous coverage online. If I wasn’t connected via social media, I would have been clueless.

Thankfully, the damage to my part of the city was much less than so many other places Irene touched. However, had it not been for a traffic alert on my city’s social media sites, I wouldn’t have known that two of the major roads I take to work each day were completely underwater. Since Google’s traffic map didn’t so much as make note of the flooding and closures, it was Twitter or bust.

Time To Step Up

So many times, we in the PR/digital creative world focus on how important social media is for exchanging ideas and thoughts with other people across the globe. However, it has a very practical and indisputable place when it comes to emergency situations. Think about it: if you’re without power, you have no Internet connection, no cable television, and likely no phone (let’s be honest: in 2011, not many of us have a corded phone, or an appropriate radio). By mustering up what battery power your smartphone has left to shoot a tweet over to your electric company, you can report an outage. You can inquire about the status. These are avenues social media has created, and they should be maximized.

If you’re an organization who deals with natural disaster and crisis situations, do the following:

• Create a presence on Twitter and Facebook. Keep these accounts active, even when things are not on red alert. This way, people will know this is a maintained source of information.
• Post links to your organization’s social media accounts on your homepage. Many people will be unaware that their city government is social media-savvy otherwise.
• Address followers’ concerns in a crisis situation (and emphasize safety). Your accounts will receive a high volume of activity during a threatening storm or situation, but that’s no excuse to cave under pressure. If you can’t respond to every little request or report, make it a point to address the important ones. If someone wants to know about a tornado warning in their area, tell them about it. Give them additional resources. Let them know you’re listening so they know you’re handling the situation.
• Don’t create unnecessary panic! Judging by the condition of my convenience store’s shelves, I’d say people are quick to jump on the frenzy train and get worked up about any situation. Report the facts, and stick to that. Address concerns concisely and wisely. This is not a time for opinions or unnecessary input. Let other outlets, like local media, cover those angles in depth.
• Create lists with additional resources. We all know about Twitter lists. Are you managing your city’s OEM account? Create a public list that follows the city mayor, local Red Cross, utility companies, and other appropriate resources. People will appreciate knowing where to turn when they need information immediately. Running a Facebook page? Add those organizations to your page’s favorites so they’ll show up on the sidebar. A crisis situation is not the time to compete for “best information broadcasting”. Share information.

Celebrities, brands, and businesses aren’t the only people who need to engage in PR and social media efforts. Now is the time to use things like social media to their full capacities, so we can maintain open channels of communication among ourselves. Power companies and city offices need not be afraid of being social via Internet; if your citizens and customers are your most important priority, reaching your audience when they need you is what matters most.

Twitter

Do:

• Add flair to your  biography by highlighting both personal and professional details. Personally, I’ve had great success including that I’m a PR Director and a cheesesteak enthusiast on my Twitter. It makes me seem like more than a talking head.
• Follow the companies you’re targeting. Staying current on what the companies and their employees are up to via Twitter will make your interview conversation all the more natural; your Twitter feed will deliver talking points to you.
• Network with local professionals in your industry by following and engaging them. Just because John Doe’s company isn’t hiring at the moment doesn’t mean they won’t open up opportunities in the future.
• Post links about industry trends and stories. As a general rule, I only post links to things I’ve personally read. I want to ensure the quality of my feed, and be able to strike up a conversation with my followers.
• Tag your posts with industry hashtags for exposure.

Don’t:

• Be what I call a “tweet monster.” In other words, there is no need to tweet every single movement you’re making throughout the day. Not only will your potential employers find it obnoxious, but it’ll make them wonder how serious and qualified you truly are.
• Post messages after a night out. It’s not abnormal for people to go to the bar on a Friday night, but tweeting broken speech about how many shots you took positions you to be a Jersey Shore cast member, not a professional employee.

Facebook

Do:

• Choose a boss-friendly profile picture. I know plenty of people in my network whose profile pictures would make a recruiter cringe. Don’t be one of them. At the moment, I’m using the same picture across all of my networks for cohesion, but it’s not a requirement. Adding different (but appropriate) shots works just as well.
• Classify people with lists, and be conscious of who you’re sharing with. I have lists on my Facebook based on where I know people from geographically, as well as who is strictly a professional contact. There’s an option under every status you post to customize who can view it, and my recommendation would be to use it. However, treat the Internet like a public place. If you wouldn’t want a boss to see it, keep it to yourself.

Don’t:

• Change your last name to your middle name. Nine times out of ten, employers still find you, and the trick won’t impress them. Plus, most of the people I’ve seen do this forget to change their email addresses. If your Facebook contact information is the same as what you use to send out your resume, you’re not evading any search results.
• Post anything assuming that your privacy settings are so well established that nobody will find it. You never know who your friends know, meaning your updates might not be as private as you think.

LinkedIn

Do:

• Complete your profile by adding your experience, skills, honors, awards, and education. Don’t forget to expand on why you’re such a catch in your biography section. Get a little creative and give recruiters and employers a reason to keep looking.
• Ask for recommendations. There’s nothing better than a candidate whose LinkedIn offers testimonials of stellar performance up front.
• Join regional and industry-related groups. Participate in discussions, and comb them for job opportunities.
• Include a link to your profile in your email signature, inviting users to connect with you.

Don’t:

• Use a personal photo for your userpic. Save the wedding photograph for Facebook, and upload a head shot of just you instead.
• Lie about your experience. People from all sorts of companies are on LinkedIn, and your dishonesty will get caught.

Other considerations:

• Don’t post anything you’d be embarrassed having your boss read on Tumblr.
• Do look into building a website. If you can’t swing it, About.me is a great place to set up some web real estate.
• Do link to your social networking profiles. I always include my Facebook, because I know I have nothing to hide from anyone. Plus, it shows that as a social media professional, I have a presence on a variety of networks.
• Don’t use account names that are left over from high school days. Generation Y, this one’s for us in particular. It’s time to retire “xoMusicBabyox” and get something a little more grown-up.
• Do connect with companies on as many networks as possible – not just Twitter, as mentioned above. Let these companies become familiar with your name (in a good way).
• Don’t give up! Adding a social media presence, or stepping up your current game may not yield instant results. However, it will give you more channels to directly interact with business figures and companies that you hope to work for. The more two-way communication you can generate, the better!

Answering in a timely fashion = caring about potential clients’ needs

We’re all busy. It’s become the standard to respond to emails whenever we “get around to it”, and most of us only check our voice-mails to clear that annoying icon from our phones. If an email finds its way into your inbox, respond after reading it (whenever possible). It doesn’t matter if it’s a potential client requesting services you don’t offer, or a college student hoping to get advice – acknowledging their inquiry will signal to them that there truly is a real person on the other end of the screen. Even if their inquiry is unrelated to something you or your company handles, send a note. Think about the conversation that will stem from your one, polite action. Instead of, “Yeah, I contacted XYZ Company but they never called me back. I’ll check in with those other guys tomorrow,” it would be, “Yeah, XYZ Company wasn’t able to help, but they sent me this really nice email with the name of someone who could.” You’ve formed a relationship with someone by being polite, and when asked about it, they’ll have a positive feeling about you or your company. And don’t be a flake! If you tell someone you need time to form a more thorough response, put it on your calendar and make sure you follow through.

Thanking your audience for broadcasting your message = taking the time to notice their efforts

I think it’s easy to forget in a sea of social that people aren’t typically required to share something they find interesting – they just do. It’s true, the digital culture reinforces this behavior, but at the end of the day it’s a voluntary move. Most of us have HootSuite or TweetDeck open, and have our social networks synced with our shiny smartphones, so it’d be hard to pretend like we don’t notice when someone clicks the “Like” button. If you get a favorable mention, say thank you. Appreciate your audience and their engagement, and they’ll be more likely to do it next time. Back when I thought I’d be a psych major, there was a lot of talk about how positive reinforcement creates behavior patterns. I know from personal experience that after thanking a Twitter user who shared an article I’d written, I gained a new follower, and a new connection.

Responding diplomatically to unfavorable comments = confidently and respectfully holding your ground

Sometimes, the social media sphere can get downright ugly. Any brand that’s been grilled in the spotlight has seen a slew of misinformation disseminate among online followers. It’s not uncommon for that anger or displeasure – whether it’s warranted or not – to spill into a comment, or mention. Instead of getting fired up and defensively trying to combat negative opinions, acknowledge them head-on, but with tact. I remember after Kenneth Cole’s famous #Cairo tweet, the brand immediately hid the brand page’s Facebook from view, and barely responded to the outcry. Was it effective? It ended up making the brand look more guilty, and clueless to boot. There are plenty of approaches you can take that still help salvage relationships with your audience:

• For someone who had a bad experience: Apologize that things went wrong. Offer to comp them in some way, if you can. If not, ask them to give you detailed feedback that you plan on using to better future clients’ experiences.
• For someone who’s responding to a mishap, a la Kenneth Cole: Though most brands won’t agree, more people will respect you if you can admit you made a mistake. If you’re allowed, admit fault and emphasize that you’re working to make it right. People still might not like you, but they can respect honesty.
• For someone simply stating misinformation: Kindly correct them, and begin your response by thanking them for finding you on your blog/Twitter/Facebook/wherever they engaged you. Getting nasty will just reflect poorly on you, so intelligently correct them.

My parents always told me that “a little please and thank you goes a long way.” In today’s cut-throat world, it couldn’t be more true. What could be better PR than a reputation for being polite, friendly, and responsive? Isn’t that a company’s dream? Even edgier companies can throw in a little “thank you” here and there in between witty remarks. The bottom line: try it. You’ll like it. And of course, thanks for reading!

Have something to say about this post? Tweet us your responses @Zamolution.

Visits vs. Visitors

One of the first things you’ll see when you access your site’s Google Analytics is the number of visits it’s had in the last month (the default period of time, which you can adjust by specifying dates on the calendar). It’s important that you know the difference between visits and visitors, because this could be a key factor in your site’s success or failure. Visits simply show how many times the website was pulled up on someone’s device. Visitors, on the other hand, refers to how many people pull up the website on their devices. Let’s say only one person pulls up your website in a month, but that person does so five times. Google Analytics would report that you had one visitor, and five visits. See the difference?

Why it matters: If you have a lot of visits but only from a few visitors, you might not have that broad reach you’re seeking. Likewise, if you have about the same amount of visits as you do visitors, people might not be coming back. We’ll talk more about this when we hit “bounce rate” so stay tuned!

Traffic Sources

Google Analytics gives you a nifty little pie chart that shows how people are reaching your site. There are three categories (though the extremely elusive “Other” category does infrequently show, but it’s usually so small it’s insignificant): direct traffic, referring sites, and search engines. Direct traffic refers to the number of people who type in your URL and then view your site. Referring sites are places that have your site as a link (if you tweet your URL, Twitter will show up as a referring site, for example). Search engines is exactly how it sounds: people are typing in some sort of keyword (or searching you directly) and then clicking onto your site.

Why it matters: Running a blog and seeding entry URLs mostly through social media? You’ll want to pay attention to how many of those are referring sites (and what percentage of traffic they attract) to gauge success. Targeting keywords as part of an SEO campaign? If search engines aren’t a big sliver of that pie, you might want to go back to the Adwords Keyword tool, and redo some research. Is most of your traffic coming directly? Either everybody knows your domain, or nobody knows your domain and the only reason they’ve viewed your site is because they know you personally.

Tip: If you’re running a local campaign (in Philadelphia, for example) paying attention to the map is also important. If you’re targeting PA but your visitors are mostly from CA, it’s back to the drawing boards for you.

The Bounce Rate

You’re probably wondering what a bounce rate even is, right? Basically, it’s the measurement of visitors who view your site and then leave it (or “bounce”) as opposed to checking out other pages. Google Analytics represents this as a percent, so if you have a bounce rate of 45%, that’s the amount of visitors who simply “peace out” before browsing deeper.

Why it matters: It all depends on what your website is, and who you want to attract. If you’re a restaurant whose address is clearly visible from the homepage and you have a high bounce rate, perhaps people are visiting your website just for that piece of information. If business is still booming, you may not need to worry. However, if you’re a small business with a blog and you have a high bounce rate, it’s probable that your visitors don’t even know it exists (or that you haven’t given them a reason to care about it). Use a little qualitative analysis along with the numbers you see to diagnose what the problem is – if there is one.

Designers – This One’s For You!

Finally, your section has arrived! I didn’t forget about you, don’t worry. Hidden in the Visitors section of Google Analytics are several things of interest to you:

1. Browsers: You can see who the key players are so you know which browsers to test as you’re designing. Likewise, if you’re getting a lot of bug reports and most people are using IE, you might be able to zero in on the problem.
2. OS: Sometimes, things look different on a Mac than they do on a Windows-based machine. Google Analytics reports what systems people are browsing from to help you work around this.
3. Screen resolution: Finally, you can see what size the majority of visitors are able to see things in! Now, you can create a design that looks pretty on a 1024 x 768, but still makes sense on a 1280 x 800 screen.
4. Mobile: Google Analytics also shows what mobile devices people are navigating from. Have lots of iPad traffic, but also lots of Flash elements? It might be time to rethink your design based on how people are seeing it.

So, what have we learned? Google Analytics isn’t just for techies and search engine disciples – it’s really useful for the digital marketing and designing crowd. As with anything, the numbers Google spits out require a little thought and analysis to bring them to life. However, they do serve as useful guides when it comes to researching your success, or identifying a place to start. Now that you’re armed and ready, get out there and investigate your site!

The Raw, Standard Results

According to this infographic and this infographic from KISSmetrics, the optimal way to share is by:

• Posting to Twitter at noon, 5PM, and 6PM
• Posting to Twitter midweek, and on weekends
• Sharing information via Facebook on Saturday
• Sharing Facebook information around noon
• Posting to blogs in the mornings
• Posting to blogs on a Monday

Giving Life to the Numbers

After looking at the data for a bit, I began thinking about why noon seemed to be the overall winner for times to post. It hit me: that’s when people start getting into what I call, “lunch mode.” Think about it: you’ve put in a good half-day at work, at home, or at school, and the closer your lunch break gets, the more likely you are to stray from your duties over to your social networks. The same is true for 5PM and 6PM: the end of the work day for a large amount of people is at 5PM, and people are again likely to stray as they’re closing up shop. And 6PM? The standard time many corporate folks are getting home from their commutes.

Twitter vs. Facebook

Now, why would Facebook’s optimal time be Saturday, and Twitter’s optimal time be midweek and weekends? Twitter’s easier to check than Facebook. What I mean by that is, Twitter has one real usage: sharing something in 140 characters or less, whether it be a link, picture, or a simple sentence. Facebook, on the other hand, is more involved and occupies more time. Who’s tagged in that photo? Who just started dating who? Who else commented on that status? Midweek is the time when the Monday’s productivity boost starts to wear off, making a social media distraction all the more likely. Since you can get information on Twitter quicker than you can get it from Facebook, more people can check it during the work day without eating up a lot of time (and let’s be honest: less time = less chance of getting caught in the minds of many). Saturday’s the first day of the weekend for most of us, and that’s when people who don’t have time to check in with Facebook during the work week will want to catch up with their networks. Makes sense, right?

The Blogosphere

When it comes to social sharing, blogs seem to be a different animal entirely. Mornings and Mondays see the most activity out of all the other days and times – but why? Though Twitter and Facebook have become a news outlet for many, blogs are still the “go-to” for information on just about any topic. At the beginning of the week, people want to know what’s going on in the world. What trends are happening in this industry? Who’s saying what about that issue? Reading up on things while you’re still fresh in the morning is normal behavior, so it’s no surprise that the optimal time to post a blog entry appeals to it.

What Does That Mean for You?

These numbers seem to make sense, but that doesn’t mean you need to do everything by the books (or by the infographics, in this case) to raise your impact. If you have some groundbreaking news that would appeal to ER nurses and doctors, and you know their “lunch mode” kicks in at 3AM, tailor your timing accordingly. The same is true if you’re targeting college kids who are active users while they’re in class at 10AM. Maybe busy stay-at-home parents check in with their networks most in the early afternoon, between running errands and picking up the kids – not everyone runs on the same schedule. Another important thing you might want to consider: can your audience scroll through all the updates they’ve missed since their last login, or are they in a time crunch and can only skim things from the top? That answer will be the key to unlock just how important your timing has to be. The advice I always give to people, and what I try to take into consideration with my own efforts is: Think about how you would go about something. When do you find yourself spending the most time on your social networks? What time of day are you most likely to read a blog, click a link from your Facebook newsfeed, or take a look at Twitter? No matter what industry you’re in – or even if you’re not wearing the corporate suit – you can use your own habits as a guide for how other people will behave (unless, of course, you know you’re an outlier; you can get into danger if you think of yourself from the standpoint of being a PR pro versus from the standpoint of being a fourtysomething father of three).

I’ve posted blog entries at night in the middle of the week, and I’ve tweeted things early on a Sunday morning. I’ve also updated Facebook on a Saturday, and tweeted at noon. The timing of social sharing has the same basic root as the rest of the science behind social sharing: consider the reaction you’re looking for, and which audiences you’re going after. Make it work for them, and you’ll see a return on your efforts.

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Problem: Users can post an unlimited amount of reviews from the same IP address.

Why it matters: People with more than one Google account can sway a listing in their chosen direction. One dissatisfied client could pose as 10 dissatisfied clients, impacting the page big time. Likewise, someone trying to intentionally boost rankings could post as 10 satisfied clients.

The fix: Google can place a temporary suspension on an offending IP address, disabling its ability to post reviews for a specified period of time. Repeat offenders would lose their privileges to review completely. Google can also log the IP addresses to set and keep track of specific review limits, but can allow for the appending of a past review. I’ve had nothing but great experiences at Triumph Brewery in Old City, but I don’t feel the need to post about it more than once. Similarly, I absolutely abhorred my last apartment building, but only felt the need to share my horror stories once per site. Most people share their sentiments, and move on. Imposing a “one review per listing” limit wouldn’t detract from the value of the service; it would actually add to it.

Problem: There is no tracking in place to disallow one user account from posting 10 reviews on 10 separate listings every hour.

Why it matters: This accounts for a lot of those scripted comments you stumble across. Though it’s discouraged by Google (and unethical), there are businesses that solicit comments in order to make themselves look better. Does Sally from Philadelphia really know a good roofer in Minneapolis, a helpful car dealer in Seattle, and a posh hair salon in Miami? Unlikely, and it’s even less likely that even if she does, she’ll post reviews for all three places within the same online session.

The fix: Google can set a limit on the number of reviews a certain account is allowed to post within a certain period of time. Couple this with the threat of suspension for abuse from an IP address, and offenders will be severely discouraged. Of course, the truly determined will likely always find a way. However, for companies looking to boost their ratings ASAP, offering better service will be a better time investment than paying some college student in need of extra cash to post scripted reviews.

Problem: There is no Google-created incentive for the community to patrol other reviews.

Why it matters: Google’s a large company, to put it simply. The likelihood that an employee will be hired solely to monitor listings’ reviews is slim, and without any call to action from other users, inappropriate reviews or abuse of the service will be ignored before they’re reported.

The fix: In addition to its guidelines, Google should reward users who take the time to flag suspicious reviews. It’s a well-known fact among digital marketers that people love badges. Take a look at Foursquare or Livestrong’s weight loss tools if you don’t believe me. Those systems reward active users, and Google could do the same to motivate the community. Or, perhaps, it could take a few notes from Klout: users with certain scores can unlock special “perks”. After all, simply posting rules doesn’t mean people will follow them (think about how many times you go over the speed limit).

I’m not trying to insinuate that I have a problem with Google – far from it, actually. What I am saying is that an improved review feature could really help Google stand up next to sites like Yelp! when it comes to community testimonials. Since we’ve helped a few of our clients claim their business listings and maintain them the right way, it’s important to us that other people do the same. Hey, Google could even tie in participation with some sort of something on users’ Google+ profiles. Regardless of how they do it, now is the time. There seems to be a shiny, new or improved service from the search engine giants every week – could something like “Google Reviews” be next?

Have something to say about this post? Tweet us your responses @Zamolution.

Is this actually newsworthy and worth reading?

Don’t release something for the sake of… well, releasing something. While all of us strive to secure consistent, frequent media attention for our companies or clients, nobody is likely to read a page of filler about the new Facebook button on your website. If nothing big is happening and that’s the best you’ve got, dig deeper. Make everyone who might read your release care about what it says. Don’t forget about your media contacts; include why this release is relevant to their audience and publication in your pitch.

Is this following the rules of AP style (or something extremely similar)?

Journalists are busy people. Their respective organizations don’t have time to mark up your releases with red pen and initiate an editing process with you.  The less a journalist has to fix up your press release, the greater the chances are that it’ll go to print. Some news media allows you to take greater liberties than others, but overall your press release should follow an AP style model. If you’re targeting a few outlets specifically, look at a sampling of their articles. Make a note of the word structure, and infuse as much of it as possible into your press release. And please – don’t forget to proofread your copy.

Am I using the right language?

Is your release loaded with buzzwords or industry jargon? Tell me if the following sentence means anything to you: “A dynamic line of CSS was written to creatively display PNG files.” Unless you know that CSS is a coding language, and PNG stands for “portable network graphic”, I’ve completely lost you. What’s more, I threw in two buzzwords: dynamic, and creative. Do either of those tell you anything about how the website is going to look? What makes it dynamic? Why is it so creative? ”An animated scrolling gallery displays each image at its highest resolution, allowing visitors to easily view every photograph.” Now, readers can clearly understand what you’ve done, and can form a positive connection to it.

Will this reach the right people once I send it out?

Each release should have a purpose. In the digital age, simply attaching a release to a mass email of various contacts is far from effective. I mentioned earlier that you should make a convincing pitch to your media contacts. Follow up (but don’t be annoying)! Use newswires (like PRWeb or PRNewswire) to distribute your release online, too. Only aiming for digital targets? Embed links into your copy – it’s a missed opportunity otherwise. Finally, use social media to your advantage by seeding links.

Is this being circulated in a timely manner?

This one’s easy: don’t distribute a release about something that happened last month. It goes without saying that a press release must be written and published in a timely fashion. The only time you should rehash a past event is if your release introduces fresh, breaking news. Stick to having your releases ready within 48 hours of the events they discuss. You might be up late, but that’s why us PR people aren’t paid by the hour!

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If your budget allows, hand out some swag.

People love free stuff. At this year’s Social Media Day Philly event, one company was giving out lip balms. Needless to say, I took one (okay, a few). The lip balm is in my work bag, and I use it every day. What do I see each time I take it out? The company’s name and URL on the side, printed in bright colors. If other people are around me, they see it too. Placing your logo on the side of an everyday object like lip balm (or a pen) allows you to get exposure in a variety of settings. It also invites people to find out, “What is that company?” by doing some of their own investigating.

Be creative with guest nametags.

I love the new trend of writing your Twitter handle on your nametag beneath your name. Why? Attendees will think it’s great for networking, but it’s really great for you as a brand or business, too. It’s hard to get people to sign up for email updates, but being able to glance across the room and make note of guests’ social media accounts makes following up super easy. If you interact with someone, let them know they can follow your Twitter account and shoot you any questions or ideas. You can also send a simple tweet mentioning some of the most engaging guests, and thanking them for attending.

Offer your own Foursquare special.

You know how venues offer deals to loyal customers who frequently check in on Foursquare? Create your own for guests! Work with your budget and find out what special prize or deal you can offer the first 25, 50, 100 people who check into your event (be sure you actually create it on Foursquare). Don’t be hesitant to embrace geo-powered social networking; I receive “pings” from my Foursquare friends in the area, and if I see something interesting, I’ll ask them about it. If an attendee checks into your promotional event, they’re basically announcing it to a network of people who might never have known about it otherwise. That “word of mouth” stuff is big.

Make them “Like” you.

Whether you want to use your own camera, or bribe a poor college art student to do it for you, taking pictures at your event is crucial for maximizing visibility. Posting them on your website is great, but creating a Facebook album and letting guests tag themselves is even better. With a little researching, you can create a landing pad on your Facebook page that requires users to “Like” it before they view it. If people know they appear on the other side, they’ll do it. Plus, you can easily insert photos into a blog post, or submit them to local press.

Say something.

I know, I know… you don’t like public speaking. Unfortunately, if you want your event to be memorable, you’ll have to get over it. Ever wonder why so many “corporate” Twitter accounts (like @mashable) use a face instead of their logo? Research shows that people have more positive feelings towards brands who do it because they seem more personable. It’ll hold true for your event, too. It doesn’t matter that XYZ Company threw an awesome happy hour if nobody knows what XYZ is, or who works there. Get in front of the room, and introduce yourself. Say a little about your company, the reason for hosting the event, and then include something personal. Maybe you have a great company memory, or a funny work story. Get personal. It’s how company & brand relationships are built and maintained.

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