Speaker 2 00:09 Welcome to another episode of social PR secrets. My name is Lisa buyer and I will be your host. Today's guest is Peter Shankman. If you're not familiar with Peter Shankman, definitely follow him on social. Peter is a bestselling author and he also was the one that created HARO help a reporter out which if you're in the public relations industry, if you don't know about her, I would definitely subscribe in this interview. Peter and I discuss his latest book, zombie loyalists using great service to create amazing fans. If you're interested in learning how to turn your current customers into amazing brand ambassadors, listen up. Hi everybody. So I have um, some exciting news to share and a great guest today, Peter Shankman, the author of zombie loyalists is here with us today to introduce our project and to give us a little bit of advice and tips on how to create zombie loyalists. So, Hey Peter, how are you?
Speaker 3 01:11 Well, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 01:13 Good. Well thanks for joining us. I know this is just your latest book out and very, very interesting book on creating customer loyalty. I happen to have many of your books. Here's another one here. Customer service, um, how to sell to the social customer. So tell us, um, what is the connection, this is for the social media management class. So tell us a little bit about your book, how you came about doing this and what you think the connection is between, um, creating the customer zombie loyalists and social media management.
Speaker 3 01:41 You know, the problem with social media today is that everyone's using it as a panacea for everything. Oh, well, if our clients give for customers get mad, it's fine. We'll just, we'll play gate them on social media. Well, the problem is, is that if you're, you know, if you're waiting for the problem to happen and then fixing it on social media, well the problems already happen. You know, New York city has a phenomenal fire department. I know that if my, if my apartment ever catches fire, they'll probably come really quickly and put it out. But I'd just rather my apartment not catch fire in the first place. So, you know, instead of focusing so much on how, um, to placate on social or how to talk on social or tell people you're agreeing on social, if you focus on creating an amazing experience in the first place, um, you don't have to be apologized and in social all the time. And more importantly, you will create an experience that a customer wants to share. And when they share it, they'll go tell the world how awesome you are. You not the one that has to do it. Let's face it. No one believes how great you are if you're the one that has to tell them.
Speaker 2 02:35 Exactly. And I'm sure, um, as the audience has probably experienced good experiences and also bad experiences when it comes to customer service. We've all been victims of it, but it's a whole different world with social media. So social media can really make it or break it,
Speaker 3 02:48 no question about it. It's so true.
Speaker 2 02:50 And you come from a traditional public relations background. I'd really been just a, an icon, um, Maverick and you know, taking public relations to the level, you know, you're always one step ahead. Um, and this book is one example of it. Um, so the project that I gave our students here at university of Florida social media management is to read your book cover to cover and then write a blog post that relates to your book, but also, um, liens on there that they may or may not have had from a customer service standpoint. So the challenge is out to the students to do that. Um, so as we kick that off, um, can we ask you a couple of questions and some tips? Sure. Go for it. So what are some actionable tips that you can share that students could apply? You can apply it today, that might make a difference, whether it's them trying to find a job in social media or their future, maybe they're working as an intern, um, on a social media management front lines. What are some tips that you can, you can share with us that have to do with creating zombie loyalists?
Speaker 3 03:47 I think one of the first things I'd recommend is the concept that, you know, uh, everything you do, um, for the rest of your life will now be, uh, forever online, right? So you want to be aware of everything you're posting, everything you're talking about, you know, just because you were out with friends and drunk is no longer an excuse because when I'm stone cold sober and researching you to hire you or researching whatever, and I see that that's a problem. So, you know, I think the first thing to be aware of is that everything's lives forever online and you need, it's no one else's fault if your brand isn't seen the way you want it to be. It's not Twitter's fault. It's not anyone's fault, it's your fault. So it's really important that you be aware of everything you're saying and everything you're doing online.
Speaker 2 04:40 And how can they do that? What are some things that they can do to make a difference?
Speaker 3 04:43 I follow a simple rule. I'm of the belief that if, if, um, if before I post anything, I simply ask myself, well, this offend or this embarrass would embarrass me for this to be seen by
Speaker 4 05:00 parent
Speaker 3 05:02 a teacher, you know, a boss would be embarrassing for my daughter in a,
Speaker 4 05:09 uh,
Speaker 3 05:10 10 years, you know? And so you just want to be aware of my usual rule is I have to think for more than a half a second. I don't post it. Okay. You want to make sure you want to make sure that, you know, again, everything you do is not your brand. You want to make sure that you're doing the right thing.
Speaker 2 05:26 And what if you're in an internship position and social media management, what are some actionable things that they can be on the lookout for to help, um, attract the, the army, his army loyalists,
Speaker 3 05:39 you know, everyone hates self promotion. Self promotion is kind of like the band Nickelback no one really likes that. But on the flip side, everyone loves help. And if you can figure out a way to, to show, you know, if you're the first thing people think of, if you're the, um, if you're what people think of when they are doing their, um, they're, uh, like, Hey, I need, I need someone to help me do this. Who should I call? You know what I'll call Peter? If you're the top of mind, if you're the first thing people are thinking of, then that's going to benefit them. And they want to be able to see that. They want to know that you're the one doing good things. Um, they'll call you and when they call you, um, you become relevant to them. And the more relevant to them you are, the better chance you have of being seen as that expert.
Speaker 2 06:23 Okay, great. So now let's reverse it. So now the personal brand is the student, or as me or as you, but from, from the student's standpoint, how could you reverse it and how can the student, what can the student do to create, or anybody in a profession do to create their own zombie loyalists to create their own? Um, what can they do from, from the student's standpoint,
Speaker 3 06:43 you know, look, we expect, especially when you're a kid, you know, everyone expects college kids to be, you know, not on the game, uh, uh, uh, screwing around, uh, not taking things seriously. You know, no one says you have to be perfect. All that you can be if you're just one level above crap, you know, people expect people and brands everything not to be their best. If you can just be one level above block, chances are you're going to be better than 99% of people out there. And if you could do that, people will be thrilled with you.
Speaker 2 07:22 Okay, great. Good advice. Um, so you have a lot of hacks at the end of the chapter, the last chapter. What's your favorite hack?
Speaker 3 07:32 I think, again, my favorite and it comes back to a disguising. Self-promotion has help. You know, I'm the first person to say, I tweet all the time, Hey, how can I help you? What can we do? What are you working on? How can I help whatever. And that winds up. Um, people love that. They wind up saying, you know what, that's really nice. I mean, he, he really does. And I do. I honestly do want to help people. And when they see that it's, uh, everyone loves to be, everyone loves the person who's willing to help. And, uh, you know, for, for, for students right now, I would suggest as they go out in the world and get their first job B be the one who, um, who is always willing to do the job that no one else in the company wants to do. I will always hire someone, uh, and, and, and, and um, um,
Speaker 2 08:18 like the one cleaning the brass. Yeah,
Speaker 3 08:19 exactly. Whatever it is, you know, washing the toilets, I will always hire that person who's willing to do that. You know, the second you, um, the second you become, um, uh, entitled, I have a severe problem with you.
Speaker 2 08:36 Yeah, that's a good point. So my favorite hack is the one that's, I think it's the very first one. That's the, about the movie executive. The, that every day spends about, yeah. I love that. That's, you know, can you just,
Speaker 3 08:50 Barry Diller would go into, um, would go into work a half an hour early and he'd called 10 people in his Rolodex just to say hi. He wouldn't try to sell him anything. He'd just say hi. And as that happened, um, uh, people would wind up, uh, calling him back when they needed something and he was the first person they thought of and he turned paramount pictures into a, into a, uh, a, um, a company that was almost bankrupt into like the first billion dollar, um, movie movie studio. So in Hollywood. So just by saying hi, you know, it's amazing how quickly that works.
Speaker 2 09:23 Yeah. When I read that, I mean, today we don't really have the Rolodex, but we have LinkedIn. So I was thinking, you know, one thing students could do is, you know, build their LinkedIn network and maybe every day or a couple of times a week, just reach out to five or 10 people on their LinkedIn network and just say hi and not really ask for anything back.
Speaker 3 09:37 Yep.
Speaker 2 09:39 Okay, great. So Peter, I know that you're busy, you're going to be doing the webinar for precision decks for your book. We're all going to be on it. So just one last question. Any just general advice that you can offer to students? Um, as far as, you know, helping to get their first job or their next job or their first internship? What are, what's some advice when they're entering, whether it's the PR, social media world or just the working world?
Speaker 3 10:01 Just try to have fun. You know, I think too many people don't know how to have a good time doing. People spend all their time, um, uh, you know, not enjoying what they're doing. And it's very, very difficult to, to do your best work if you don't love what you're doing, you know, so you want to make sure that you love what you're doing. And if you don't, I have a great quote from some skydiving friends of mine. Um, they said, uh, what is it? Um, if you can't change the people around you, change the people around you, you know? So basically if you're not in love with what you're doing, you need to figure out something to do that you will be in love with.
Speaker 2 10:46 Love that. Okay. Any last words before we end this one and we'll, we'll move on to your book and your webinar.
Speaker 3 10:53 Life's too short. Just have fun.
Speaker 2 10:55 Okay. Thank you so much Peter, for joining us at the university of Florida social media management class. I really appreciate it and you can follow Peter at at petershankman on Twitter.
Speaker 3 11:03 Yes. On all I heard, I heard it said yesterday, I'm, I, you can find me on all the socials that that term really bothers me, but yes, apparently I'm on all the socials. Is that Peter Shanklin?
Speaker 2 11:12 Well, you should be okay guys. Take care. All right. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this episode of social PR secrets. If you like what you heard, check out the book on Amazon or follow our
[email protected] this episode was sponsored by the buyer group, a social PR agency, striving to keep our balance in the digital world, practicing public relations, social media, and search marketing. While occasionally drinking a glass of wine or two for the best creativity and results. Thank you all for tuning in. If you would like to get a chapter of social PR secrets, go to social PR secrets.com/free.
