BlogKelly Hubbard and I were fortunate enough to attend the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association's (NCRLA's) first annual Taste of North Carolina at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham. Largemouth is working with one of Raleigh's landmark restaurants, and since the restaurant's owner was being honored with an award at the event, we wanted to show our support and network with other attendees in the hospitality industry.
According to the NCRLA, North Carolina's hospitality industry is a $17.5 billion industry. In fact, restaurants and hotels combined are one of North Carolina's largest employers, providing jobs to more than 10 percent of the state's workforce.
While Largemouth's primary focus remains B2B, we do work with retail and consumer clients to drive visibility and preference for their goods and services. At the Taste of North Carolina, Kelly and I sampled North Carolina's finest food, beer, wine and hospitality service, and we were not disappointed!
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My name is JeNaye Johnson and I am a spring intern with Largemouth Communications. This is my first PR internship and I'm looking forward to learning all about the industry and the Largemouth approach. I have prior internship experience in marketing and computer science, and I can't wait to see how all of these areas intersect.
I am a senior at Duke University pursuing a major in psychology and minors in economics and sociology. Outside of class I am on the executive board of the Duke Association for Business-Oriented Women, co-founder of the Women's Housing Option at Duke, and a fourth-year member of the Marching & Pep Band. You can see me on TV from time to time cheering on the men's and women's basketball teams with the band!
When I'm not in class or at basketball games, I'm usually thinking about ways to improve the Web sites that I manage for undergraduate organizations or reading Web magazines and blogs.
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I had the pleasure of hearing Dani Burns speak last week at the Charlotte PRSA Young Professionals luncheon. She shared her valuable insights on building your personal brand and advice on managing your online presence. Dani raised a great point when she spoke about using Google reader to aggregate blog content, using the tool to gather information in one place where it can be read at your convenience. This led me back to something I’ve also been thinking about: the power of learning from the ideas and challenges that my peers are sharing via their blogs, content that I have come to think of as my continuing education.
Whether you prefer Google or another RSS aggregator, e-mail subscriptions or bookmarked links, make the investment in identifying and gathering the insights of some current great minds – a form of higher education that doesn’t require thousands of dollars or a break from full-time employment.
There are far too many fantastic resources to possibly list them all here, but I wanted to share a few of my favorites that are helping me learn to be a better communicator. Each of these blogs has a different approach to a range of topics impacting our daily work in communications. Their authors represent many different vantage points but can all agree on at least one thing: working in communications has never been more exciting, and we all have an opportunity to learn and grow together.
I am always looking for new resources so please share your favorite sites in the comments or on Twitter! @amandala or @largemouthpr
B.L. Ochman’s What’s Next Blog
K.D. Paine’s PR Measurement blog
Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang
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PR pros, have you joined the PR Week Fire Brigade? Paul Armstrong, author of the Don’t Fear the Firehose blog, is directing conversation each week on some of the hottest topics in PR. This week’s topic: Content isn’t king anymore. Free is.
Largemouth was well represented in this week's responses. Our thoughts?
Amanda: You get what you pay for. Free content is important and will always have its place, but quality, trustworthy editorial content is expensive to produce. The ongoing struggle to ensure a fair value exchange between content creator and consumer will continue until we settle on new business models that provide both access and compensation.
Kelly: Content still reigns! Though there are many "free" channels, you must make sure the content you're offering is still high-quality and aligns with your communications and business objectives.
Agree or disagree? Chime in with your own thoughts here.
It's free and easy to join the Fire Brigade! Just send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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Last week I had the pleasure of attending the first-ever nationwide Media Leaders event that took place simultaneously in seven cities: New York, Austin, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and … Raleigh?! Yes, that’s right. I was so proud to see North Carolina’s capital listed among these other major cities. I have happily lived, worked and played in the Raleigh-Durham area for several years now. Over time I have seen our area receive increased recognition across the country as a technology hub with Research Triangle Park and an education center with the many renowned colleges and universities in our midst. I am proud to see Raleigh is being recognized for its active social media scene.
From a public relations perspective, social media is a logical component of a comprehensive communications plan designed to support specific business objectives. We work with our clients to leverage new media channels to share their organization’s story with a rapidly growing audience. The beauty of new media is, well, it’s still very new, and many fields are playing a part in shaping the user-experience of these new communications channels. At Media Leaders Raleigh I met with fellow public relations colleagues as well as people from local advertising, marketing, graphic design, production and IT organizations. I really think we took down Foursquare for a short time with the amount of people checking in at Busy Bee Cafe that night. You can see the wide industry representation yourself by browsing the RSVP list for the Raleigh Media Leaders event.
If I received a dollar for the number of times I heard (or said), “I recognize you from Twitter!” I’d have left the Media Leaders event with heavy pockets. This event, among many other localized social media gatherings like Tweetup and Social Media Breakfast meetings, proves that social media will never take away from the value of in-person interactions and networking. If anything, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare increase the value of these types of gatherings.
If you didn’t get a chance to attend the Media Leaders event, add yourself to the mailing list and catch the next event. You can also view the @phonebooth photos taken during the Raleigh event (keep an eye out for the Wolfpack white board photo). You’ll quickly learn why Raleigh won the “Award for Best Social Media Community”. You can find me @khubbard on Twitter – I hope to say “I recognize you from Twitter!” during the next in-person event.
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As we begin a new year in which the "new" media are still king, it's not surprising that many PR pros spend a lot of time talking about how we need to adjust our communications strategies to accommodate all that has changed. A worthy exercise, to be sure, but sometimes I think it's worthwhile to take a look at what has not changed. In communications the things that have not changed are significant.
For example:
News Values
Even in the "new" media, your audience will expect the information you share to have news value. Here is a refresher on what makes news worthy:
- Impact - the more people affected, the more valuable the story
- Timeliness - recent events rule
- Prominence - people in the public eye are viewed as more newsworthy
- Proximity - closer to "home" is more newsworthy than far away (note: in the new media world, "home" may also refer to your market, business niche or industry.)
- Bizarreness - who doesn't love weird news?
- Conflict - strife sells
- Currency - if you can tie it to current events, it's news
Just because you can communicate like crazy, doesn't mean you should. Filter your content or disappoint your audience.
Human Nature
In general, human beings are social creatures. We seek community. We like to gather and share information. We are curious. Social media have taken off because they enable and empower these human traits. Twitter's popularity may fade one day, but the human appetite for information and interaction has been whetted, and it won't be suppressed.
Future technologies that empower us to share information will become the next generation of "new media." The evolution is unending, but the human need driving it is constant. Recognizing this can mean the difference between capitalizing on trends to enhance communications and blindly chasing fads for the sake of being "current."
The Bottom Line
As much as I love my work, I'm always first in line to question "communication for the sake of communication." Every organization is bottom-line focused, and the goal of public relations should be to support the organization's pursuit of a healthy bottom line. As communicators, we should think first about how our organizations earn revenue and then work backward to develop audiences, strategies and vehicles to support bottom-line goals. The news value that most interests the C-suite is often the one with the dollar sign in front. Make friends with that fact.
As you navigate the exciting possibilities new media bring, remember to take regular inventory of communications basics to keep your company on sound footing.
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For the holidays this year the Largemouth team decided as a group to contribute to the community through donations to the Durham Rescue Mission this holiday season. The Durham Rescue Mission’s goal is to help those in need across all aspects, spiritual, educational, emotional, physical and vocational, to enable them to become fully functioning members of society.
Largemouth collected toiletries, blankets, cleaning supplies and other housekeeping items that the rescue mission is regularly in need of. We probably enjoyed selecting toys to donate the most, knowing the cuddly stuffed animals, toy trucks, games, baby dolls and sports gear would help make several kiddies very happy this Christmas.
Just as the Durham Rescue Mission helps with new beginnings, the New Year brings all of us a definitive fresh start. From all of us at Largemouth, we give thanks to our customers, coworkers and peers for a great year. We send best wishes and look forward to a wonderful 2010! Happy New Year!
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Governor Perdue released a social media policy and tutorial for state government last week via her Facebook page, recognizing that social media is more than just the "next big thing," but an opportunity for government to operate in an environment of transparency and accountability.
We saw social media's potential for political impact during the 2008 presidential race, and I applaud the state for embracing new channels for communicating with constituents. I thought it was interesting to note that one of the state's goals for engaging in social media is to ensure records are properly managed and preserved. Every organization has different needs and, just as the state has, they should clearly define their goals and priorities for social media upfront.
A policy can help answer common questions:
Who are the company's social media "spokespersons"?
What is the company's social media crisis strategy?
How can employees engage as individuals on behalf of the company as a whole?
How will a company monitor the personal interactions of employees?
Each community has its own etiquette and taboos that are important to understand before launching a company presence. Establishing a social media policy will empower employees to engage on behalf of your company and establish boundaries for what is appropriate. Supporting a policy with employee training will help everyone be comfortable and excited about participating and foster a rich community of organizational users.
Photo credit Chascow
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I recently sat in on a social media Webinar by Brian Solis, who is recognized for his thoughts on the convergence of PR, traditional media and social media. Here's what I learned...
Communication is changing every day
So your company has a shiny, new Web site, Facebook page, Twitter profile and a blog and you think that you have Web 2.0 down pat. Unfortunately, now is not the time to relax. Almost everything found on the Internet begins with a search and if you fail to consistently make new content available, you miss the opportunity to be found through those searches. The new semantic Web brings people information based on how they interact with the Internet. Therefore, it is not only important to update information, but also to know the habits of your target public to ensure that your information gets to them.
Social media and traditional media are pals
It is not as though everyone else got on the social media train and traditional media stayed at the station. Although we have experienced significant changes in the way we communicate, most traditional media outlets have realized the value of social media and are extending their reach. Traditional media channels still generally carry more credibility with readers than social media. Social media tactics should be used to complement traditional media outreach, not replace it. Even better, social media gives PR professionals another way to network with traditional reporters and editors.
The marketplace of ideas is increasingly crowded
Solis discussed the Conversation Prism, which is a division of the various social mediums that helps companies determine what channels are relevant for them. Researching your public to determine what they are reading and how they participate in online discussions is critical to reaching them. The sheer volume of information available on the Internet can drown out the most valuable message if it is not sent through the appropriate channel.
This Webinar offered critical information for PR professionals, but I found it helpful on an individual level as well. I know that before every job interview I go on my name is being entered into an online search engine. This Webinar, as well as my entire internship at Largemouth, has really helped me understand how to keep my name relevant and my online presence positive.
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Kelly Hubbard and I recently attended a "Meet the Media Luncheon" hosted by Business Wire. Mary Hecht-Kissell of PR Strategies moderated the panel, and speakers were (l to r):
• Tyler Dukes, Web Producer, News 14 Carolina
• Allan Maurer, Editor, TechJournal South
• Frank Vinluan, Tech/Biotech Writer, Triangle Business Journal
The panel speakers shared best practices on pitching local tech media in light of a shifting media landscape, the poor economy and increasing social media usage.
Advertising Crisis
Vinluan noted that the current print media situation - declining circulation numbers and staff layoffs - is an advertising crisis. Maurer agreed; in fact, he has lost a large amount of advertising over the past year and is expecting to move his publication completely online soon. He said that while digital advertising hasn't really caught on yet, he predicts marketing agencies will be moving seriously into the digital area next year.
What does this mean for the public relations industry? Less ad revenue means fewer resources and fewer opportunities to reach journalists, according to Vinluan. As a one-man-shop, Maurer said he receives about 300-500 e-mails each day, and the majority of them are PR pitches.
Pitching Complex Subjects
Because there are fewer publications and lower staff numbers, pitches and press releases should be clear and concise or the media will ignore them. The panel shared the following tips for pitching tech and biotech news to local media outlets in the Triangle area:
• Target your pitches by researching the publications to find out what they write about. This sounds obvious but, for example, don't send TechJournal South a new product announcement, because the publication does not cover product news.
• Keep leads short. The less information reporters have to sift through, the better.
• Avoid vague words in releases, such as "leading" (unless the company really is the leader), "platform" and "solution." Explain exactly what the product is. Maurer removes these words from releases daily.
• Make sure that information is easy to understand. Maurer wishes writers would make an effort to translate science into understandable English without hyping it up.
• Show impact. Dukes chooses what he covers based on actual real-world impact. He is interested in how the news will affect viewers/readers.
• Be prepared to answer questions. Vinluan often calls media contacts to ask questions and they will immediately try to schedule an interview with the CEO. What he wants is answers first, so that if he does pursue an interview with the CEO he'll have background knowledge and will be prepared to ask more targeted questions in a limited amount of time.
Pitching via Social Media
The panelists agree that pitching through social media can be effective, as long as the interaction is authentic. Get to know local reporters on a personal level and don't send them too many links which could be viewed as spam. Pitching via Twitter is fine; as Maurer said, "If you can sell me a story in 140 characters, I think that's great!"
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Amanda shared an earlier post that described our social media discussion with Laurie Steiner and Andrea Sanchez from the communications team at the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).
During our chat Laurie and Andrea shared IFMA’s overall approach to social media but the way they engaged with their online communities for the organization’s annual trade show was particularly impressive. IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo took place in early October in Orlando, Fla. this year. Laurie and Andrea said that social media is now part of any event plan for IFMA and from our discussion I know they definitely succeeded with incorporating it into the World Workplace plan.
Pre-show Prep
To prepare for World Workplace Laurie and Andrea scheduled social media strategy sessions to determine who would be able to update the content in real-time during the event, what they would need to bring , what type of information they would share, etc. A significant takeaway is that they directly involved the marketing department to make sure they had permission to leverage the social media platforms. It is always important to have internal support and approval.
IFMA has a page on the World Workplace Web site called NETworkplace that links to each social media platform IFMA is associated with: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and SlideShare. In addition to feeding their own content to these platforms, IFMA encouraged World Workplace attendees to share thoughts, photos, links and videos with the members of each social community. It’s a way for people to meet in person and engage online. The content that IFMA posted included conference updates on Twitter, photos of attendees, video clips of people networking, awards program presentations, keynote book signings and many more. They also included the event hashtag “#ww09” on the conference homepage to bolster event-related discussions on Twitter. The hashtag was a huge success considering hundreds of people used it before, during and after the actual event.
Tweet and Greet
A new endeavor that Laurie and Andrea tackled was for IFMA to host a Tweetup during the World Workplace Conference. A Tweetup is a way for Twitter users with common interests to meet and network in person. IFMA’s first one was a success with the help of a great place on the trade show floor, easy-to-read signage and a sponsor that provided food and drinks for attendees. Take a lesson from IFMA and remember, a good location, a sign and refreshments are three of the best preparations to accomplish a great Tweetup within an event. IFMA’s first social gathering attracted about 30 trade show attendees – some of which were familiar with Twitter and others who were curious. It was a great opportunity for Laurie and Andrea to personally address those with questions about social media while building and nurturing their online community.
Keep it Going
The online engagement for a conference does not end once the attendees are on their flights home and the booths are being packed away. If anything, people who attended are going to be more inclined to browse your organization’s Web site and social networking sites to see if they made it in any photos, check out comments and review video highlights. Take a look at IFMA’s Facebook page to see how well Laurie and Andrea share content, not only from World Workplace but also news items and valuable information to keep group members and potential members up-to-date.
Many thanks again to Laurie and Andrea for sharing their social media tips and techniques! If you have any additional Tweetup or tradeshow tips, share them as a comment here or reply to @largemouthpr on Twitter.
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Kelly and I had the opportunity to chat with Laurie Steiner and Andrea Sanchez from the communications team at the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) about their social media efforts. Laurie and Andrea, who wear a PR hat for IFMA and an editorial hat for IFMA's bimonthly publication, the Facility Management Journal, were kind enough to let us pepper them with questions and to share their perspective on how they've integrated social media into their communications strategy.
From managing the social media workflow to tradeshow tweet-ups and the changing role of the press release, we covered a lot of ground, and are excited to share some key lessons learned:
Getting company buy-in
Many organizations still harbor a certain level of discomfort when it comes to social media and the thought of losing "control" of the message. Laurie and Andrea were lucky enough to have an internal champion supporting the association's engagement in social media, but they still faced some initial internal resistance. After investing the time to conduct research to identify which communities would be relevant and how their competitors were engaging, they educated their team on the best opportunities and earned the support of the organization.
Establishing a consistent presence across all platforms
IFMA is actively engaged on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr. When launching their corporate strategy, Laurie and Andrea identified key elements that should be replicated across each social media platform, such as the logo and the "About IFMA" statements. Prior to establishing a corporate presence, some local IFMA chapters had taken the initiative to establish their own social media presence, a spirit that IFMA continues to support. To ensure consistency, each chapter is encouraged to leverage existing IFMA guidelines and messages.
Facility Management Journal and Social Media
We were excited to have the chance to ask Laurie and Andrea about their perspective on social media and the Facility Management Journal. Many PR professionals are experimenting with the best way to interact with their editorial contacts through social media without breaking etiquette.
Laurie and Andrea both have found social media to be a valuable channel for building relationships and finding sources. They have posed questions to their IFMA group on LinkedIn and received a flood of relevant, insightful sources, and have also found sources through Twitter. They are also looking for ways to make the FMJ more interactive, and recently introduced a monthly podcast as a supplement to the publication. It is important to note that these successes have come as a result of building relationships and establishing source credibility by sharing valuable information - not a blanket pitch pushed through social media channels.
In addition to the FMJ, the IFMA team searches for news and information that they can use to update the IFMA home page, and they have partnered with Today's Facility Manager to create FM Alert which is housed in TFM's Facility Blog. The lesson for PR pros? Your editorial contacts are just as interested in leveraging these new channels to share information. Don't forget the importance of finding all the outlets for sharing your news - there are many different ways to engage and raise your voice.
Thoughts so far? We'd love to hear if these experiences match what you've learned, or any questions you may have. You can reach us @largemouthpr or the IFMA team @IFMA. Stay tuned for a second post on all the ways that IFMA leveraged social media at their annual conference, World Workplace!
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While most people were still sleeping off their Halloween sugar comas, I was at the starting line for the City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh on the early morning of Nov. 1. Four hours, 19 minutes and six seconds later, I was at the finish line soaking wet, freezing cold ... and utterly ecstatic. Running my fifth marathon reconfirmed my belief that expending the greatest effort provides the greatest returns. Marathons are a fantastic metaphor for so many things in my life, most prominently, my internship at Largemouth Communications. Here is how the two compare...
Relationships Are Imperative
Running a marathon might be an individual task, but most marathoners will tell you that completing one on your own is a demoralizing task. My parents left their house at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning so that they could see me off, cheer for me along the way and pick up the pieces of me at the end. Imagine trying to make it through 26.2 miles without someone waiting for you at the end. PR practitioners may have specific clients or activities they are responsible for but there are certain deliverables that they may need to ask for support to complete. Pulling in a team to brainstorm, develop a concept and execute it often delivers premium results compared to operating in a silo.
Planning Is Key
If you want to get a marathoner talking, just ask them about their training plan. You will be hard pressed to find a response that does not include specific mileage for each week and the best foods to eat before a long run. Just like in PR, to increase client awareness you identify specific objectives, strategies and goals before implementing a campaign.
Flexibility Required
In the midst of running a marathon or training for one, you might realize that your objectives are not lining up for you to reach your goal. I was excited to finish the first half of the marathon in less than two hours, but soon after, the mud and rain slowed me down. Finishing in less than four hours quickly eluded my grasp. With any solid PR plan there may be factors that arise unexpectedly and you must be prepared to recalculate.
Celebrate Every Victory
Getting to the end of a marathon sometimes isn't as simple as going from zero to 26.2 miles. At mile 18, I couldn't think about finishing another eight miles, so I thought about making it to mile 19. At mile 24, I celebrated making it another hundred feet. In the same way, as a senior at UNC, learning everything to prepare you for the working world can sometimes seem intimidating. It helps to give myself a mental pat on the back for each new accomplishment or PR technique I learn from my courses and internship assignments.
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Architects are fond of the adage: "form follows function." What they mean by this is that a building's design should be driven primarily by its purpose. The same holds true for public relations campaigns. Every public relations effort should be driven by a defined goal - to leverage a trade show presence, to garner publicity for a new product, to improve the sentiment of conversations about your brand, to empower employees to serve as internal ambassadors, etc.
Broken down to its most basic elements, public relations is about ensuring that your target audience receives your message. Now more than ever, it's possible to connect directly with audiences who are interested in what you have to say. Traditional media still play an important role, but savvy communicators increasingly are using new media to connect with (and build relationships with) their target audiences.
Know thy audiences
As you consider the audiences you hope to reach, think broadly. Customers and potential customers obviously figure heavily in the mix. But also think about opinion leaders, industry watchers, bloggers, active social media participants and purchase influencers. All of these are important audiences with a role to play in helping your company generate sales, drive growth and build/manage your reputation. Cast a broad net, and you'll give your message more opportunities to reach interested recipients, wherever they may be.
Tell them what they want to hear... sort of
Rarely is it appropriate to simply blast the same message to each audience. Your audiences are diverse, and your communications strategy should take into account each audience's unique perspective on your company. Are they interested in how your product or service affects their lives? Is their interest in your company tied to broader industry trends? Are they niche followers whose interest will only be piqued with detailed, revelatory information?
Think about what motivates each audience, then give them what they need to be intrigued by what your company has to say.
Make it a special delivery
We're not sure there ever was a day when sending out a press release constituted "public relations," but if there was, it's long gone. Effective public relations depends on outreach to each of your audiences through the channels they turn to most frequently. Certainly that will often include news releases to traditional media. But it will also include email pitches, phone calls, blog posts, tweets, personal meetings, wiki entries and even hand-delivered or mailed packages. Consider every channel available to you and pick the ones that can most effectively deliver your message to your target audiences.
From purchasing managers to polymer scientists, truckers to teachers, your audience is out there. And today you have more tools than ever for reaching out to them. Whether its new media or old school, let creativity and intuition be your guides in delivering a message that will break through the din.
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I recently attended a trade show with one of our clients to leverage its social media presence as a strategic part of its event outreach. In this instance, we wanted to share information about our client’s participation and plans for the event through the company’s Twitter account. The strategy Largemouth PR developed for the show was structured to support the launch of an industry-leading technology, as well as promote several cool features on display at the booth and encourage attendance and share highlights of presentations delivered by two company representatives.
From this process, I decided to pull together a few general tips and considerations when it comes to “live Tweeting” from an organizational perspective during an event:
Build your followers
We all know that Twitter is not just for gaining as many followers as possible—right?! Building, nurturing and communicating with your online Twitter community is an ongoing process, but prior to an event you should consider taking inventory of who is following you—who will be reading your updates?
There are ways to reach existing Tweeples that may be interested in specific event updates, and in turn realize that they are interested in your organization. If you are participating in an event with a booth or as a sponsor, you may have access to a contact database of attendees. If it is an event you have attended before, reach out to your own contact list of past attendees. In no way shape or form should you spam people to insist they follow you. Simply add it to your marketing mix with a link to your account profile and say, “We will be sharing insights from XYZ Conference. Follow us on Twitter to receive updates about the event.”
Who will be Tweeting?
Determine in advance who will actually be posting Tweets during the event. Decide if the updates will come from the company account or from an individual employee’s account. Either way, the person should attend the trade show so he/she is able to contribute in real-time with accurate information.
Internet access
This sounds pretty basic but if you don’t have Internet access, it can derail your whole Twitter update plan. Find out in advance if the expo floor or conference area will have Wi-Fi access. Do you have to purchase it in advance? Will you tote around a laptop or make updates through your mobile phone?
What will you share?
As with any approach to a social media outlet, you want to ensure you are sharing valuable content with your followers. If I were following a company to receive updates about an event and all they did was post things like, “Having a great time at XYZ Conference.” What does that tell me?
Determine what information will be important to share with your particular audience. Inform them about the keynote speaker and share takeaways from different presentations. Tell them information about your new product offering or insights from visitors to the company booth. Post photos during the event using applications such as Twitpic (if you have a Twitter account you already have a Twitpic account). Monitor for responses and reply to questions by following the event hashtag. What is a “hashtag” you ask?
Hashtags
Most tech or social media conferences are Twitter-savvy and determine a hashtag in advance. A hashtag is a way to label or codify your Tweet to make it easily searchable and associate it with a common discussion. If you’re not sure if your event has a hashtag, reach out to the event organizers and ask for it specifically. Who knows, you might even inspire the event team to create one!
Often times the information you share on Twitter during a trade show will be most helpful for those who were unable to attend. However, select conferences will have live Twitter feeds of the event hashtag on display during the show so attendees can see what people or company representatives find interesting. For a great summary and example of using a hashtag for an event, read Mitch Wagner’s post on the InformationWeek Global CIO Blog that summarized his plans to use #iw500 for the InformationWeek 500 Conference. One thing to remember, hashtags are great for real-time discussions but they don’t have a never-ending online shelf life.
These are just a handful of ways to leverage your Twitter account during a trade show or event. I’d love to hear about your personal experiences or suggestions – feel free to share a comment!
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Yesterday the world watched as the harrowing story of one boy, possibly launched thousands of feet in the air in a makeshift balloon, captured the attention of media outlets from CNN to Twitter. Yet today, the boy is happily safe and sound and the height of excitement has diminished. While hot air balloon and weather experts had a brief window in the spotlight, today the focus has moved on. Welcome to the 24-hour news cycle, where news breaks in an instant and may blow over as quickly. How can you prepare to take advantage of this cycle?
The fleeting attention of media and their audiences necessitates a nimble media strategy that makes information and spokespersons readily accessible to take advantage of news when it breaks. Company Web sites are increasingly dynamic channels for sharing information by taking advantage of blogs, video, live chats and more. Take a moment to assess what your site offers: are spokespersons and contact information readily available? Do you offer in-depth information on your areas of expertise? Have you incorporated search engine optimization (SEO) strategy into your site? When a reporter needs to know now, will they find your site, and will they find what they need to know once they are there?
Is your company engaged in social media channels? By creating an established, credible company presence on social media networks, an organization can open up new channels of communication that allow them to monitor conversations in real-time and quickly respond to a crisis or insert themselves into relevant conversations.
When a story breaks, the window of opportunity for any company trying to assert its voice is narrow, with little room for error. Companies that understand what the media wants and needs and how to provide the most relevant and accessible information will work the 24-hour news cycle to their utmost advantage.
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Every organization can utilize the power of public relations - BUT are you actually doing that? Here are "3" simple questions to ask yourself at 3 p.m. today to determine if you efforts are ultimately going to pay off.
1) Are you media prepared?
Take USA Today as an example; you have one minute to deliver your message and create impact. What three things do you want the editor to remember about your business?
2) Who's got your back?
In other words, what influential people and/or business partners do you have groomed to endorse your organization's story? These resources are critical to validate your claims in the market.
3) What's the market chatter?
What positioning strategies have you deployed against your competitors? What story are they telling about you?
Whether building awareness in new channels, strengthening marketing programs or simply reinforcing your brand among select stakeholders - you must be able to answer these questions AT ALL TIMES.
If you don't have answers...we can help.
Have a great Thursday!
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On occasion, our company receives requests from public relations students at area colleges to help them with a class project by answering a list of career-focused questions. Since my three-year Largemouth anniversary was last month (3 years = 3 roses!), I felt qualified to take on the latest request and thought it would be helpful to post my answers in The Megaphone to benefit other students or those considering a career in PR.
1. What's a typical week like?
A typical week in our office is standard hours Monday through Friday, although we occasionally check e-mail evenings and weekends to monitor media coverage and keep projects moving. We always have a steady flow of work, because each month we have specific deliverables for our clients - press releases, newsletters, articles, media pitching, etc. My colleagues will agree that we start each day with long to-do lists, and rarely do we get to all of the items that day. Something usually pops up and we're forced to shift gears while staying mindful of deadlines. You need to be very flexible to be in PR, but the challenging and educational environment makes it enjoyable.
2. Tell me about a project you worked on that you are especially proud of.
My "baby" right now is an internal newsletter for a client. For three years I managed the company's external newsletter, and their happiness with the results coupled with significant growth in the company led them to request an internal newsletter. Currently, in addition to creating an external newsletter each quarter, I work with an internal advisory board made up of employees at the client's company to create eight issues a year for the internal newsletter. We cover company developments and human-interest stories.
3. How important is writing in your career?
I knew going into PR that writing was a huge part of it, which is why I minored in journalism. I use my AP stylebook almost daily when writing press releases, newsletters, company overviews - all the things you learn in your classes. Research and interview skills are also important for the preparation stage of writing.
4. What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in public relations?
1. As with any job, don't be afraid to ask questions. You gain a lot of knowledge with a college degree, but nothing beats learning through doing. Your co-workers and boss are key resources as you gain experience, so don't be afraid to ask for clarification on projects or even discuss their personal experiences in PR.
2. Proofreading is vital. When you're finished writing a material, proofread it yourself AND have a colleague proofread it as well. That second set of eyes is absolutely necessary.
3. Learn as much as you can about your clients' industries. From the agency side, we work on multiple clients simultaneously, so we're constantly in learning mode. To research a client, check out their Web site, any social media outlets in which they participate, competitors, and media coverage of the client, competitors and the industry. The more you know, the more comfortable you are writing for them and speaking to the media on their behalf.
5. What do you do to keep current in the public relations industry?
I visit PR blogs such as PR-Squared, receive HARO e-mails and follow industry leaders and publications on Twitter (@skydiver, @prweekstaff and @badpitch to name a few). I am also an active member of the Raleigh Public Relations Society. While I'm throwing out resources, @heatherhuhman is a good person to follow on Twitter if you're looking for PR internships or jobs.
6. How does technology affect your daily work?
Since most of our clients are technology companies, technology is a big part of my daily work. Regarding PR technology, we use software programs for media list building, distributions, coverage tracking and new business campaigns. For one of our larger clients, we upload all PR activities and media coverage to a special section of the company's internal Web site so the managers and executives have direct visibility of our activities. We also create monthly activity reports for our clients. As Largemouth expands its presence on the social media front, all employees are pitching in to update our blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
7. When your organization is hiring for an entry-level public relations position, what makes a candidate stand out?
Excellent question. First, the candidate's resume needs to be PR-focused. The main things we look for are a degree in PR or a related field and experience through internships, volunteer work or jobs. Also, a well-written cover letter is helpful because it gives us an idea of the candidate's writing style as well as his or her personality. We want a hard-worker who is ready to dive in.
8. What has surprised you the most about working in public relations?
How much public relations is similar to sales. PR professionals should be outstanding at summarizing information and catering it toward the audience. Whether you're "selling" ideas and projects to your client or "selling" your clients' products and services by pitching stories to the media, PR is sales, and you must believe in what you do and do it with complete confidence.
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I can't tell you what the next crisis to affect your company will be, but I can promise you this: there is a crisis out there with your name on it, and you'd better be ready. Be it a traumatic event at your location, a lay-off or a problem with a product or service, crisis will come knocking - and happy is the communicator who feels confident and prepared when it happens.
Confidence comes from having a crisis communications template in place before disaster strikes. Largemouth Communications recently developed a communications training presentation for one of our clients, with the goal of helping human resources and facilities managers at this company feel confidant and prepared to handle media inquiries in a crisis situation. We recommend a simple, three step process to prepare for and manage crises.
Step One: Do Your Homework
Before a crisis occurs, it is essential to identify specific individuals in your company who are authorized to speak to the media. Make sure all employees and anyone who answers the phone know who these individuals are.
It is also useful to outline your approval tree ahead of time. By this we mean the people (executives, attorneys, etc.) who must approve any internal or external communication before it is delivered.
As soon as you become aware of a crisis, immediately get to work gathering the "5 Ws"
What - what happened?
Who - who was affected?
Where - where did the event occur/where do those affected live?
When - when did this happen?
Why/Significance - why did this happen, or what is the significance of this event?
Use this information to craft the appropriate communications to internal and external audiences and route them through your approval process.
Step Two: Manage the Media
An asterisk to this step would read "*to the extent this is possible." You can't control the media, of course. What you can do is manage, to the best of your ability, the flow of information out of your company about the crisis. Here are some key tips:
1. When a reporter calls, find out the nature of their inquiry and their deadline.
2. Respond to reporters promptly, but only after properly preparing and gaining approval of the information you plan to share.
3. If you can't meet the reporter's deadline, be honest. There are few times when having a good rapport with reporters matters more than in a crisis situation.
Step Three: Control the Message
You can't control the reporters you deal with or the stories they write, but you can control your company's message - and you must.
Here's a simple fact: if your statements to the media only include the messages you want to deliver, then you ensure that those messages will be represented in the coverage. Why? Because you've given them nothing else to use. I'm not suggesting you play coy or stonewall - in fact I would strongly advise against these tactics. Craft a statement that gives the media as much information as you responsibly can, and stick to it, even if you have to repeat the same three or four sentences over and over.
Last but certainly not least, show your internal audiences the same respect you show the media. That cuts two ways. First, effective internal communication during a crisis helps mitigate rumors and protect productivity. Second, all your internal communications (or the absence of communication if you make that mistake) can and probably will be shared publicly. When it comes to employee communications in a crisis, it pays to be dogmatic about two things:
1. Make sure they hear it from you first whenever possible.
2. Don't share any information internally that you would not be willing to share with a reporter.
I close with a caution for those who think these guidelines seem so intuitive as to be unnecessary: when the feathers hit the fan and the adrenaline kicks in, you'll be glad to have a simple but well-thought-out crisis communications plan to fall back on. Take the time to get it on paper and get the necessary players on board while the seas are calm. You'll be glad you did.
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This week Largemouth’s President and CEO Brandon Bryce spoke at the Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS) meeting. I am on the board as the hospitality chair and was delighted when the RPRS vice president invited Brandon to speak to our members and guests during the September lunch meeting.
The RPRS mission is to advance the art and science of public relations and to strengthen communication, understanding and cooperation among the diverse individuals, groups and institutions of the society. Its members are made up of PR and communications professionals from across North Carolina who work in various fields either internally, at a firm or as consultants.
Brandon’s presentation “Protecting Brands in a Tough Economy” addressed the current economic climate, the impact of a recession on brands, the evolving communications landscape and best practices to take control of the message. He asked the attendees, “Why protect company reputation in the first place? Shouldn’t a company be concentrating on their balance sheets and budgets during an economic downturn?” The reality is that communication is taking place no matter what the climate, and brand equity needs to be protected. Brand equity can help maintain the confidence of employees, customers and stakeholders and prevent the potential negative feedback loop that often prevents other efforts from operating efficiently.
With dwindling ad revenues, shrinking newsrooms and evolution of news consumption patterns, the communications landscape continues to change. Readers hunt for the news and information they want to read and can learn about breaking news 24 hours a day. These communication changes are impacted by the recession in the sense that there is more competition for share of voice.
Brandon emphasized the need to take control of the message and share the right story with the right audiences during tight times. It is also important to take inventory on the collateral that shares the company message and story. With the various online communities and social outlets available today, companies must actively monitor discussions taking place around their brand. Organizations that commit to reputation management today will ultimately emerge stronger when the economy takes a turn for the better.
RPRS members were actively taking notes during Brandon’s presentation. Since these were PR professionals, one audience member asked Brandon’s perspective on client adoption of social media. Brandon explained that he thought there was always going to be a learning curve, especially as the new media options continue to evolve at a rapid pace—there seems to always be a new application or online community emerging. Clients are usually more inclined to take a closer look at the benefits once presented with research of the online discussions taking place about them, about their competitors and their brand.
We were proud to have Brandon represent Largemouth and share his thoughts in front of many of our local peers and colleagues.
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