Calysto Communications Launches Social Media Marketing Practice.

Global public relations firm offers a full range of social media services, including social media audits/competitive audits, objective-setting and ROI for social media

ATLANTA -- Is your company taking full advantage of the social media phenomenon? Do you know what is already being said about your company online? How far ahead of you are your competitors with their social media strategies? These are some of the questions that global public relations firm Calysto Communications is asking companies in the communications-technology industry today. Calysto recently launched a new social media marketing practice for companies in the broadcasting, telecommunications and wireless industries.

"An effective social media campaign can have a huge impact on the publicity your brand receives and its success - for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer organizations," said Laura Borgstede, CEO of Calysto Communications. "With social media, we can create a storm of interest in a story, bring customers to you and help build your brand and sales. As PR professionals, we know how to not only do the research, but also analyze and make strategic recommendations on social media programs."

The social networking phenomenon is exploding. According to Forrester Research, three in four of U.S. adults who are online now use social media tools to connect with each other, compared to just 56 percent in 2007. And the marketing research firm Netpop estimates that social networking has grown 93 percent since 2006.

As people try to sift through the vast array of news around them, they are moving away from placing their trust solely in "traditional media" and are migrating toward content created by online communities such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, digg, the blogosphere, and more.

Businesses across the globe are beginning to recognize the importance of harnessing this trend as part of their marketing efforts. In fact, 44 percent of Inc. 500 companies now rank social media as "very important" to their business strategy, compared to only 26 percent in 2007, according a study by The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research.

But many companies are still unsure how to effectively use social media to promote their products and services, and that's where Calysto can help. Calysto has already helped its existing clients implement strategies that allow them to take advantage of the social media phenomenon.

For instance, Calysto has used advanced analytical tools to analyze clients' web sites and other communications - including press releases, company backgrounders, bylined articles and many other marketing materials that get posted on the Internet -- to identify which keywords are attracting traffic and which keywords are not.

Calysto has identified the top blogging sites for several clients and has developed a strategy to get their products noticed by this group. And Calysto has helped one client develop a podcast series that it posted both on its web site and on social media platforms such as YouTube.

Calysto has also recently ramped up its own social media marketing activities. For instance, it recently launched its own blog (http://blog.calysto.com) that discusses trends, editor/analyst moves around the industry and trade shows in the telecommunications, wireless and broadcasting industries. This blog goes a step beyond the company's popular PRVibes[TM] newsletter.

"According a recent survey of 1,086 professionals by Enquiro, 85% of potential business-to-business buyers agree that online research is important in their purchasing decisions," said Borgstede. "That's why having a strategic approach to social media can directly boost a company's bottom line. Even using the wrong words in your press releases can result in your company name being absent when potential buyers do search online. And that can cost you sales."

With the launch of its new social media marketing practice, Calysto is now extending its social media services to make them available even to companies that are not clients of Calysto's existing public relations business.

To make it affordable for businesses in the broadcasting, telecommunications, and wireless industries to "get their feet wet" in the world of social media, Calysto has developed a phased budget program. Companies can start with a baseline program that costs as little as $500 - $1,000 and includes:

1) An analysis of the company's PR-related search engine optimization (SEO)/keyword strategy;

2) the creation of a blogging strategy, including a "media" list of the top bloggers that your company cannot afford to ignore;

3) and development of a social networking strategy for your marketing department.

Companies can then build on their social media success by adding additional program elements such as: the development of an SEO optimized online media kit; a more in-depth SEO analysis of the Web site and other materials; the development of an RSS syndication strategy; a microblogging strategy for sites such as Twitter; as well as many, many additional programs.

To find out more about the social media phenomenon and how your company can use it to sell products and strengthen its brand, you can download

a copy of Calysto's free white paper, "The Changing Role of Marketing and PR in the New Age of Social Media" by visiting http://www.calysto.com/survey.html.

About Calysto Communications

Founded in 1999, Calysto Communications (www.calysto.com) is a global public relations and social media marketing firm focused solely on the specialized needs of the technology industry in the broadcasting, telecommunications, and wireless sectors. We provide a full suite of services to emerging and established business-to-business and business-to-consumer organizations. Unlike general technology PR firms, Calysto leverages its deep industry knowledge and intimate relationships with market influencers to deliver unmatched industry mindshare, analyst coverage and media publicity to our clients. Our all-senior management team uses a strategy-driven approach proven to help Calysto clients drive sales, create value for shareholders, move toward liquidity or raise overall awareness. Calysto also publishes a free e-newsletter, PR Vibes(TM) (www.prvibes.com), which provides industry players with insight into media and analyst moves around the industry; industry events and tradeshows; and trends in marketing and public relations.