Couple leaves $100 tip for bad service to thank overwhelmed waiter


When Makenzie Schultz and her husband, Steven, sat down to a sushi dinner in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for their sixth anniversary, they were looking to have a special night out. But things didn't go as smoothly as they'd hoped.

First, they waited 20 minutes for water. Then, they waited 40 minutes for an appetizer. And then they waited an hour for their entrees. So, what did they do?

They left their server a $100 tip, and a note that read, "We've both been in your shoes. Paying it forward."

Schultz posted a photo of the receipt to her Facebook page on Sept. 27, and it went viral—racking up over 1.3 million likes (and counting) and mentions in blogs such as Eater.

She says she and her husband, who met while working as servers in a restaurant eight years ago, just wanted to do something to show they understood what it was like to be in their waiter's position.

"No matter how much you apologize to tables, there are going to be people rolling their eyes," she told TODAY.com, of life as a server on a night when nothing goes right. "Throughout the dinner we were like, 'We've been in his position.'"

Rather than posting an angry review online or blasting the restaurant on Facebook, Schultz and her husband decided to take a negative situation and make it positive, recognizing that "he probably isn't going to get tips."

So Schultz wrote the note and the two left before their server could see the tip he probably was not expecting to receive.

"This definitely was not the largest tip there ever was," Schultz said. "We thought it could make his night a little bit easier."

Schultz said she posted the image on Facebook for family and friends, and never expected it to go viral. She and her husband wanted to keep the name of the venue anonymous, but TODAY.com was able to confirm the authenticity of the receipt with the restaurant itself.

"This is more about being kind and being generous," Schultz said. "We just wanted him to know that we've been in his shoes."

"I'm just sharing this as a friendly reminder to think of the entire situation, before you judge," her Facebook caption concludes. "And always always always remember where you came from."

--By Jordan Melendrez, TODAY.com/money.
See more Money News from The TODAY Show at our Facebook andTwitter.

I was intrigued by this new trend in luxury travel - made me think more about exploring innovative yet appropriate luxury alliances for my clients. Wilna 

Luxury travel trends: airlines' luxury brand partnerships. In their efforts to lure business- and first-class passengers, airlines are partnering with luxury brands to revive the glamour of flying.
By Lola Pedro

Fabergé jewellery for sale on selected VistaJet flights Photo: Fabergé

Budget flights have made holidays accessible to many, but at the other end of the spectrum collaborations between airlines and luxury brands are gaining ground as a way to ensure luxury travel experiences remain a coveted status symbol. By integrating and flaunting the expertise of other luxury brands that align with their overall identity, airlines are providing the very best travel experience possible or, at the very least, boosting their own brand calibre and consolidating their reputation as purveyors of quality.

Today’s discerning premium travellers appreciate collaborations that address their travel needs or are exciting enough to catalyze patronage, especially when the brands feel appropriately matched. Positioning itself as a brand that likes to ‘challenge the status quo and stand out from the crowd’, Virgin Atlantic’s synergy with Vivienne Westwood is so apparent that it is almost unsurprising that the airline recently announced that the British fashion label is to design all its staff uniforms.

Consumers are readily embracing these new brand clusters. In the case of luxury travel, flights are an ideal platform to showcase and offer the best of other brands’ products. Limiting these perks to premium cabins and making these branded offerings exclusive also provide the flyer with a compelling story that continues long after the flight has landed.

Here are some recent examples of how airlines have been teaming up with other brands, combining the best from multiple worlds and delivering exceptional products and experiences to their premium passengers:


Exclusive Fabergé jewellery only available on VisaJet flights

• March 2013 saw Fabergé launch a collaborative project, Egg Miles, with private-jet charter firm VistaJet. As part of the project, the jewellery brand commissioned British artist Ian Davenport to create a special design based on Fabergé’s tradition and heritage for the tail of VistaJet planes. Over a three-week period, a range of limited-edition, egg-shaped Fabergé pendants were also available to passengers on board VistaJet flights, priced from $7,900 (£5,000).
  

Michelin-starred chef designs menu for Air France 

• From February 2013, Air France business-class fliers have been served dishes designed by Michelin-starred chef Michel Roth. The eight-month promotion will allow passengers to choose from six main dishes, with menu options changing twice each month. The gourmet menu is available on all long-haul flights from Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris.
  

Delta partners with Westin Hotels on in-flight amenities

• In February 2013, Delta announced a partnership with Westin Hotels to provide business-class passengers with in-flight amenities. The hospitality brand will create special ‘Heavenly Bed’ blankets and pillows, which will be available on transcontinental US flights. Passengers with journeys of over 12 hours will also be offered Heavenly Bed lumbar pillows during their flight.
  

Marimekko and Finnair unveil design collaboration

• In 2012, Finnish design brand Marimekko announced a partnership with national airline Finnair. All of the airline’s planes will feature a specially designed collection of textiles and tableware, and two long-haul aircraft will feature Marimekko-designed livery. During the three-year collaboration, an exclusive selection of Marimekko products will be available to purchase in-flight and at the Finnair Plus Shop.
  

Twinings creates specialist blend tea for British Airways

• In February 2013, English tea brand Twinings launched British Airways Signature Blend, a specialist-blend tea bag commissioned by the airline. The tea blend is available to passengers on all BA flights, however premium cabin passengers can exclusively enjoy the Whole Leaf Silky Pyramids range, which includes specialty teas such as Red Berry Fool, Jasmine Pearls, Mint Humbug and Honeycomb Camomile.
  

Dr. Hauschka skincare treatments launched in Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse spas

• Virgin Atlantic recently announced its partnership with luxury natural beauty brand Dr. Hauschka. From August 2013, premium passengers travelling through Virgin Clubhouses in selected UK airports can experience a holistic range of treatments from Dr. Hauschka-trained therapists. Travel-sized products, including balms, scents and essential oils will also be available for purchase in the Clubhouse Spa shop.
  

Designer uniforms, branded holistic spas and Michelin-starred haute cuisine menus are just the beginning. Soon we will see luxury travel companies reaching even further out of their industry, potentially partnering with more obscure brands and investigating what these more experimental collaborations can offer them and their customers.

Lola Pedro is a senior industry analyst at London-based trend firmtrendwatching.com. One of the world's leading trend firms, it monitors and reports on emerging consumer trends, insights and innovations. You can follow its latest reports on Twitter @trendwatching.


Article from Telegraph UK  :

Are the images you publish for your lodge aligned with what your guests are posting on Pinterest? If not - you have a problem....Wilna 

It’s All About Image: Instagram, Pinterest, and Hotels
By Alan Young

Instagram and Pinterest are fundamentally about creating image. Or better put, helping people imagine. Where they've been, where they're going, where they want to go, how they'll feel when they get there. They are seemingly perfect spaces for hotels to communicate experiences, yet many hotels overlook creating a real strategy for the "image" sites and end up falling flat.

It's understandable. These social sites haven't historically had the pull of Facebook and Twitter, but that's changing. According to Pew Research, Pinterest caught up with Twitter in 2012 for percentage of users, and Instagram is only a couple of points behind Pinterest.

Today, I suggest that if you haven't already, take a nice long look at Instagram and Pinterest. See how they overlap and how they are different. 

What does this have to do with reputation management, you might ask. A couple of things. First, it's worth looking at what your guests' photos are saying about you. It could be a different picture than you're get from their written feedback, or perhaps it's a visual reflection of exactly what's being said.

Second, the image you're putting out there online should be in harmony with what your guests are saying about you and the photos they are posting. If there's discord, it will not only be noticed, but it will surely be pointed out. So think about that when you're choosing photos to post. Are your photoshopped images serving you? Is your hotel much much less new in reality than it appears in your images? Be sure your images are truly reflective of your property.

One final note, if you're still struggling to respond to TripAdvisor feedback or barely staying afloat on Facebook, shelve Instagram and Pinterest strategies. We've all only got so many resources.

Source: TrustYou 

Staggering figures, shows the luxury market is alive and flourishing! - Wilna 

Ultra-Luxury Segment Is Projected to Keep Soaring 
By Russ Alan Prince

The sales of ultra-luxury services and goods are booming. This trend is likely to continue because the number of exceptionally wealthy individuals is increasing arithmetically. More telling is that their levels of wealth are magnifying at an even greater rate.

In Paris, The Suite Shangri-la at Shangri-la Hotel goes for $26,400 per night. Slightly less expensive is the Royal Suite at Hotel Plaza Athenee, which only costs $26,234 per night. Meanwhile, the Presidential Suite 541 at Raffles Royal Monceau is available for $26,183 per night, while the Four Seasons Hotel George V Penthouse goes for $25,760 per night.

The strong demand for the highest quality hotel rooms is a clear indication of the appeal of extreme luxury. According to Stacy Small, President of Elite Travel International, "As our clients' net worth increases, so too does their desire to reward their hard work with ultra-luxury travel experiences, often in private-yet-posh settings with their extended family and friends. We are seeing a continued increase in demand for multi-room, high-dollar suites as well as spacious villas."

It's not just high-end travel that is pointing to the breathtaking future of ultra-luxury; it's the array of extraordinarily high caliber products being purchased. Let's consider some of the finest timepieces in the world. A watch from Romain Gauthier runs $176,925 while Richard Milles' RM 036 Tourbilillon G-Sensor Jean Todt Limited Edition costs $490,000. A little more expensive is the Audemars Piguet Grand Complication Royal Oak Offshore costing $710,000 in titanium, and $756,000 in rose gold. A little higher up the scale we have Greubel Forseys' Art Piece 1 going for $1,650,000 and The Grand Complication by A. Lange & Sohne at $2,452,710.

"High five figure watch sales are growing, and so are watches in the high six figures into the low seven figures," notes John Simonian, founder and CEO of Westime, "There are several factors driving the demand. People who are watch customers now have more disposable income. In some cases, clients view the purchase of very expensive watches as a good investment today."

"Last year the combined wealth of ultra-high-net-worth families increased by $566 billion, enough to buy every Swiss made watch exported for the next 28 years or every luxury hotel room and suite at every luxury hotel and resort in the world for the next decade," explains Douglas Gollan, Editor-in-Chief and Group President of Elite Traveler Media Group, "Their population is projected to increase by 50% in the next decade. The ability of luxury companies to provide more products and services to these consumers is only limited by how much effort they put into it. There is a lot of demand, but there is even more untapped demand."

Without question, the future of ultra-luxury is extremely bright. And, it's only going to become brighter.

Source: Forbes 

This was definitely one of the best ever social media campaigns! I just wish it was ME that thought of it! - Wilna 

How Travel Destinations Are Embracing Social
By Frederic Gonzalo

Back in 2009, the folks at Tourism Australia came up with was is still today considered one of the best contest ever held on the web, social media or anywhere else, for that matter: by submitting a video for why you should be chosen, this gave you automatic entry in a contest where the winner could work a complete year, all expenses paid, as caretaker for a remote, paradise-like island off the coast of Queensland, on the Grand Barrier Reef. The outcome? More than 14,000 video applications across key international markets, including the UK, USA, Europe, Japan and China, among others. Moreover, while the campaign is said to have cost US$1.2M, it garnered an estimated US$100M in international press coverage, with stories published in Time magazine, BBC documentaries, CNN stories and a lot of buzz in various travel blogs, forums and social networks. 


TOURISM AUSTRALIA GETS SOCIAL
Fast-forward four years later, and one can quickly see how fast things have evolved in the social media sphere, in particular within the tourism & hospitality vertical. There are close to 200 airlines active on Twitter, almost 100% of hotel brands have a Facebook page while an increasing proportion of destinations are investing time and efforts on Pinterest and Instagram, two tools that did not even exist back in 2009. So when Tourism Australia recently announced the comeback of their famous contest, some wondered: why bring this back?

For one thing, this time around there isn't just one job for grabs, but six. And more importantly, this contest is the fuel and content for a dynamic and complex online brand structure that Tourism Australia has been weaving. In essence, the folks at Tourism Australia understand that, as great and savvy as their marketing staff can be with social media, the real power to propel the destination's brand resides with travelers, whether domestic or foreign, and citizens sharing experiences about everyday life in the land of Oz. Their vision is captured in this presentation, where they explain how Australia will become the most talked about travel destination in the world. Lofty ambition? Sure, and they may just pull it off, having already the biggest fan base on Facebook (8 million), Google+ and Instagram.

LETTING GO OF THE BRAND
In order for a travel destination to successfully achieve this vision, it must first come to accept that it no longer controls the brand - did it ever, in fact? (Profound and so important to realize - Wilna). Thus, it's not so much "letting go" of the brand but rather acting as an MC, or the conductor of a symphonic orchestra, where the destination plays the guide, steering travelers towards online resources and discussion forums where information is readily accessible and credible, partly because of social proof and peer recognition.

This is also the direction taken by the folks at Tourism Montreal, in Canada. Back in 2009, they realized how important online marketing and communications had become, so they shifted almost all of their marketing dollars towards online initiatives, including a critically acclaimed experiential website, a content-rich blog and a dynamic approach on various social networks. Yet, in early 2012 they came to a similar realization as Tourism Australia: they needed the help of others to cut through the ever-increasing noise and really propel the Montreal brand to levels beyond the reach of media buy alone. They are presently in the midst of a series of fundamental, organizational changes that will be deployed to three key groups.

1. First, ongoing training is provided to all 80 employees, partly to enable them to manage a dynamic presence on various social networks, thus having more brand ambassadors active on various platforms. But also to integrate social media as part of the organizational culture, generating leads, answering customer queries or participating in community discussions.
   
   
2. Second, a strategy is being put in place to ensure Tourism Montreal's 800 members (hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc.) have the tools in place to better understand and manage their presence on key social media. Training will be given and tools provided, such as a practical guide with do's and dont's, along with strategic considerations.
   
   
3. Last but not least, the vision by 2014 is to have local citizens partake in the social discussions, including domestic and foreign travelers alike.
   
   

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT DOING SOCIAL. IT'S ABOUT BEING SOCIAL.
As Jay Baer famously said it, "companies that get it are those who are social, not those who do social" and this is the level where travel destinations and tourism suppliers will need to take it next. So when Tourism Australia executes its social vision, it goes so far as asking telecoms, hotel chains and other travel suppliers to work hand-in-hand in order to provide free wifi across the country. Why? To save travellers money while at destination? Perhaps, but the true reason is to enable travellers to use their mobile devices and access their favorite social media in order to share their experiences! As Tourism Australia's general manager, Nick Baker, told the Sydney Morning Herald"Holidays are all about living in the moment".

Other destinations have begun offering content-rich initiatives, while some even handed over their twitter account to local folks, such as @Sweden and@ThisIsVT. Who will be next to follow and truly embrace social, putting the brand's discussion and perception in the hands and voices of the traveller and customer?

About Frederic Gonzalo
Frederic Gonzalo is a marketing & communications expert and speaker with 18 years expertise in the travel and hospitality industry. Consulting since early 2012, he provides strategic planning, social media & mobile development counseling to destinations, small and medium businesses alike. Visit his blog atwww.fredericgonzalo.com, reach him atfrederic@gonzomarketing.biz or say hello next time you are in Quebec City, Canada, where he lives!

A Beginner's Guide to Pinterest for Restaurants and Hotels
By Martin Kubler

Pinterest, the online pin-board, turned out to be one of the rising stars of the 2012 social media landscape and is, perhaps, proof that - very often - the simple ideas are the best.

We all have pin-boards in our offices and homes, which we'll stick things on we'd like to remember or want to keep - Pinterest takes this concept online and lets you build ‘virtual' pin-boards. The advantages are obvious: You'll never run out of pins or pin-board space, and you can share your boards with friends.

In January 2012, Pinterest had 11.7 million users and became the fastest website in history to exceed the 10 million users mark. In August last year, Pinterest recorded just under 25 million monthly visitors and was said to refer more business to companies' websites than Facebook or Twitter.

Initially, Pinterest only offered accounts for individuals, but a little while ago, they started offering business accounts and suddenly things got a lot more interesting for companies.

Hotels and restaurants should be particularly interested in getting to know Pinterest better, because some of the website's most popular categories are closely related to our industries, such as food and drink, holidays, or travel.

So how do you get started on Pinterest? Begin by going to business.pinterest.com and setting up a new account or converting your existing account into a business account.

Make sure you'll link your account to your hotel's or restaurant's Twitter account, so you can share your pins on this popular service, too. Once you are all set up and your Pinterest business profile is fully completed, you can create your first boards.

I usually start off with a board about a hotel's rooms and suites or about its bars and restaurants. You can upload pictures directly to your Pinterest boards or you can enter the url of pictures you want to pin if they are already available online.

Pinterest allows you a generous 500 characters to describe each pin and you should make the most of this, because every time somebody shares your pin ("re-pinning"), the text you entered to describe the pin gets shared with it.

You can (and should!) include links in your descriptions, e.g. to your restaurant's Facebook page or your hotel's blog or website.

Popular pinsWhat else can you pin? The most popular pins tend to be of the "I wish I was here" or "I want to do that, too" variety, i.e. pins that evoke emotions and inspire other Pinterest users to share them on their pin-boards. Food photography makes great content for a Pinterest board, as do shots of your beach or local attractions.

You can also create a Pinterest board for your current special offers and promotions - it's a neat way to keep it all in one place and users can follow your board and will get notified every time you upload a new pin.

There's more… continue reading the full article "A Beginner's Guide to Pinterest for Restaurants and Hotels" on Skift.com

Love it or hate it TripAdvisor influences buying decisions of your guests, but it is good to know that most readers are also decerning. Wilna

TripAdvisor Users Will Not Book a Hotel That Has No Reviews.



TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of an independent study  that underscores how essential online traveler reviews have become for hotel bookings. The commissioned report, conducted by PhoCusWright® on behalf of TripAdvisor, reveals more than half (53 percent) of respondents state that they will not book a hotel that does not have any reviews on the site, and 87 percent of users agree that TripAdvisor hotel reviews "help me feel more confident in my decisions."

Of those polled, 98 percent of respondents have found TripAdvisor hotel reviews to be accurate of the actual experience, and 95 percent of users state that they would recommend TripAdvisor hotel reviews to others.

The survey also reveals some interesting findings about why travelers write reviews, how they use them when planning a trip and the impact management responses have on their perceptions of properties.

Travelers Stay PositiveThe survey debunks a common misconception that travelers primarily write reviews to complain about bad guest experiences. In fact, sharing positive experiences is their main motivation:

• 74% state that they write reviews because they want to share a good experience with other travelers
• 78% state that they write reviews because they feel good about sharing useful information with other travelers

Most Ignore Extreme CommentsAccording to the survey, travelers are a savvy and discerning bunch, as they take reviewers' track records into account when picking a hotel and generally ignore extreme comments:

• 71% of users state that they like to see basic information (i.e., number of reviews written) about contributors as they browse through reviews
• 67% of users state that, when available, they look at traveler-submitted photos to help them make hotel choices
• 59% of users state that when reading reviews, they ignore extreme comments
• Only 5% of users state that they focus more on negative reviews to check for hotels and avoid potential pitfalls

Responsive Hotels Attract More BusinessThe survey finds that travelers expect hotel management to be actively responding to their reviews, and those who do stand to generate more business:

• 57% of users agree that seeing hotel management responses to reviews generally "makes me more likely to book it (versus a comparable hotel that didn't respond to travelers)"
• 84% of users agree that an appropriate management response to a bad review "improves my impression of the hotel"
• 78% of users agree that seeing a hotel management response to reviews "makes me believe that it cares more about its guests"
• 64% of users agree that an aggressive/defensive management response to a bad review "makes me less likely to book that hotel"

"The findings of the TripAdvisor survey reveal that, to thrive, hoteliers must actively encourage their guests to share their candid experiences online and also respond to their reviews when they do," said Stephen Kaufer, president and CEO, TripAdvisor. "Otherwise, more than half of travelers may either ignore the property or pick a more responsive one."

The Gangnam video is a legend! Oh to be able to create a viral campaign like that... it started me thinking on  what would be needed. Here are some tips I found.  Wilna 

How to Make Your Video Go Gangnam Viral
Carla Turchetti

A catchy little video of a rapper singing a song, mostly in Korean, while performing a dance that resembles a horse gallop was uploaded to YouTube in July. It been viewed on YouTube nearly 600 million times since then. 

That video is Gangnam Style and to say it’s gone viral is an understatement. Gangnam Style is a phenomenon.

So how do you create a video that catches on and spreads like wildfire? 

“The bad news is there is no formula for making a video go viral or else everyone would be doing it,” says Toni Nelson of Nelson Photographers. “The good news is that small businesses can make a video with the potential to go viral.”

Here are five viral marketing ideas to get you on your way.

1. Be yourself. ”Own it,” says Michael Flanigan, co-founder ofExpressionary, a company that makes personalized gift books. “Whatever you are, or whatever your personality, own it and let the camera see it,” Flanigan says.

With every look at the camera it is clear PSY, the Korean rapper, owns his song, his dance and his video.

2. Get creative. When you are brainstorming viral marketing ideas, don’t stop at the ordinary.

“Showcase your product in a surreal way by making a video that goes above and beyond your benefits,” says Stephen Murphy, founder of Get Busy Media. “The point of the video isn’t to be realistic, but instead to create curiosity while highlighting your product or service,” Murphy says.

Your video should also have a purpose, and it can’t be pedestrian.

“People like to be entertained, and if your video can accomplish that then you are well on your way,” says Nelson. “That doesn’t mean that you have to have flying animals. Instead, a well thought-out and executed script will go a long way.”

3. Make it unique. Another viral marketing idea is to showcase something that is unique.

“Viral oftentimes shows or tells something someone has never heard before,” says Ben Cober, Director of Business Development and Research for PGAV Destinations, a company that consults and designs zoos, museums, aquariums and theme parks. 

“Whether this is an amazing human trick, an amazing animal trick, a cause that’s barely been talked about or really unique special effects, it must be unique to spread,” says Cober.

4. Be funny … or not. Does your viral marketing idea have to be funny to be successful? Maybe or maybe not.

“People share topics that they find funny,” says Murphy with Get Busy Media. “This is one of the most commonly used tactics in commercials, like the Super Bowl, and an excellent way to get your product out there.”

But Flanigan, with Expressionary, disagrees.”It doesn’t have to be funny,” Flanigan says. “Funny is good if it has a purpose or a message.”

Cober, with PGAV Destinations, says it’s more about emotion.”Viral videos are either hilarious or deeply troubling,” Cober says. “An emotion must be stirred in the viewer either to think something is so funny, or so horrible, that they can’t resist sharing it with someone else.”

5. Get noticed. YouTube is filled with plenty of good videos. But the ones that go viral are the ones that have been noticed.

“You have to get it in the hands of the influencers,” says Flanigan. “If you don’t let influential people online see it, or know about it, then it’s not going to go viral.

Gangnam Style caught the attention of celebrities like Katy Perry, Tom Cruise and Josh Groban, who mentioned it on Twitter. When you make that next video, try incorporating some viral marketing ideas. Own the concept, get creative, make it unique, add some emotion and work hard to get the final product shared. Make it your style while thinking “Gangnam Style.”


Carla Turchetti is a veteran print and broadcast journalist who likes to break a topic down and keep her copy tight. That’s why this bio is so brief! Carla blogs via Contently.com. 

24 tips to humanize your brand
By Brian Conlin 

Don't be a marketing zombie.


Zombies lumber mindlessly toward their target to feed an insatiable appetite for live flesh. Marketing zombies hurl mindless tweets and emails around to feed an insatiable appetite for a quick sale.

In zombie movies, survivors tend to bypass, rather than engage, hordes of zombies because contact has little upside. Likewise, a marketing zombie's target audience will skirt those torrents of impersonal messages that provide no value.

You can't afford to be a marketing zombie—and the good news is that you don't have to be. You have a skill that no zombie has: the ability to be human and build relationships.

Here are 24 tips from top marketing sites for humanizing your brand and turning the tables on the zombies.

Social media:

• Respond to comments on Twitter with employee accounts as opposed to the company's branded account. (Vocus)
• Make social media interaction more personal by calling a follower by his/her first name and avoiding jargon. (Vocus)
• Respond to commenters through an alternative Facebook page that has the picture and name of the employee responding. (AskAaronLee)
• Host Twitter chats for people in the industry to make connections and let your personality shine. (Convince&Convert)
• Strive to include a video or image to supplement text in one of every three social media posts. (Forbes)
• Ask for and give recommendations on LinkedIn. (Successful Blog)·Admit mistakes, apologize, and offer a solution promptly and publicly. (Mashable)

Email:

• Link email and Facebook efforts to alert people of viral deals and new content that's too big to email. (Vocus)
  
• Segment email lists to aim specific messages to the appropriate portion of a target audience. (Business2Community )
  
• Make emails sharable by including social media buttons and the brand's handles. (CTSmithIII)
  
• Test email delivery times to find what best fits the recipients' schedules by analyzing open, click, and conversion rates. (Brafton)
  

Pitching media:

• Build relationships with industry reporters by commenting on articles and connecting on social media. (Vocus)
  
• Learn the reporters' style by reading their work and following them on social media. (Vocus)
  
• Pitch story ideas by sending free products and creating a compelling story. (Vocus)
  
• Allow reporters to connect emotionally with the story by offering ideas for art to accompany it. (Sterling Kilgore)
  

Search engine optimization:

• Write appealing headlines and copy without worrying forcing in keywords. (Vocus)
• Create a Google+ account to share content and increase SEO. (Vocus)
• Boost a brand's "about us" page with video, stories, and information about awards it has won. (Technorati)
• Use personal relationships to create more backlinks to a website. (SEOpedia)
  

Content marketing:

• Gain consumers' trust by having the brand's CEO post to social media and interact with followers. (Vocus)
• Create an emotional connection by publishing case studies that tell a story. (PRWeb)
  
• Reach out to other bloggers and offer to host a guest post or write a guest post for them. (SEOmoz)
  
• Give behind-the-scenes access to show customers how the business operates or to highlight star employees. (Mashable)
  
• Inject humor into content to make it more enjoyable and personal. (MarketingProfs )
  

Brian Conlin is a copywriter at Vocus. A version of this article first appeared on the Vocus blog.

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