Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
Every PR professional has had days when your inbox feels more like a tennis-ball cannon firing a seemingly endless stream of requests marked “Urgent!” With each ping, you become a little more frazzled. On busy days like these, it can be tough to see the big picture and determine what to tackle first. However, taking the time to prioritize will help you stay focused on your clients’ objectives and ultimately accomplish more.
Below are four tips to help successfully manage your workload and hit your deadlines when it feels like every client urgently needs something.
Take Time to Plan: When things are busy, it’s tempting to start working on the first tasks in your inbox so you can start checking things off right away. But before you jump in, take a few minutes to get organized. Make a list of everything that needs to get done, without worrying about the order or number of tasks. Then highlight everything that must get done that day, and consider how long each task will take. Do you have enough time to get all the high-importance items done? If not, work with your team members to determine whom you can delegate to in order to get it all done.
Stay Focused on Tier One Tasks: Once you’ve identified your top priorities for the day, stay focused on those items. Of course, new urgent requests could come your way and cause your top priorities to shift. Uncertainty and change is a given in public relations. The important thing is to stay focused on tier one tasks before tackling tier two tasks by negotiating deadlines when possible. For example, if a coworker asks you to proofread a blog post, ask them if it works to deliver your edits the following day instead.
Acknowledge Emails: Email is the most popular form of communication in business because it’s convenient, fast and less intrusive than a phone call. However, in today’s digitally connected culture most people expect quick responses to their emails, and if a client sends a request, waiting a couple hours to respond won’t cut it. This becomes problematic because it distracts you from the task at hand – if you’re on deadline for a press release draft and receive three client-related emails, it becomes overwhelming. In order to stay focused, take a minute to respond to each email so the sender knows you’re working on it, flag it so you remember to come back to it, and get back to what you were doing.
Plan Ahead: Once you’ve met your urgent deadlines and things calm down, look ahead and start planning for upcoming projects. Get things done ahead of schedule whenever possible to make time for urgent ad-hoc requests. Or, if you have a big project deadline approaching, block time on your calendar to give yourself uninterrupted time to work on it.
In client services, the only certainty is that nothing is certain. Priorities shift and last-minute requests happen, but if you know how to prioritize your work you’ll be able to stay focused and accomplish great work for your clients.
In an increasingly digital world, social media is fast becoming one of the easiest and cheapest ways for a company to create, develop and its brand. In PR we work with multiple social media platforms to announce company news, stay up to date on business trends and connect with industry leaders. One of the great things about social media is that different platforms have different benefits and opportunities for companies. I recently came across an article on Ragan’s PR Daily that shared an infographic from Tracx that revealed which demographic groups are using different social media platforms and what makes each platform attractive or unattractive. As you consider which platforms your company wants to utilize, here are a couple of facts to consider:
Certain platforms are predominantly used by women, while others are predominantly used by men:
LinkedIn, Youtube and Reddit are predominantly used by males, while Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram are predominantly used by females. This distinction will be especially important for companies that have products geared toward one or the other and allow companies to tailor ads for specific platforms based on their goals.
Each platform is unique in its potential benefits or drawbacks:
- Facebook: Most Popular
- Youtube: Better than TV
- Instagram: Fastest Growing
- Twitter: Most Oversaturated
- Pinterest: Most Evergreen
- LinkedIn: Professions and B2B
- Reddit: User Moderated Mayhem
Each title gives a small insight into the impact the platform could have when embedded in your social media plan. Want to reach the most people? Facebook. What to keep up with a younger generation? Instagram. Want to choose a platform that will stay relevant? Pinterest.
There are 2.8 billion people on social media, and many are on multiple platforms:
Some 52 percent of social media users are on two or more sites. This means that multiple platforms can help you reach your target markets. It is a good idea to look at each platform’s top demographics individually and choose a mix that will give consumers the most visibility of your company.
For more information about who is on which platforms and what they are using it for, check out the full here.
With April Fools’ Day fast approaching, we want to provide some guidance to PR and marketing professionals before pulling the trigger on any planned pranks. Below we have listed past blog posts we developed that share tips to consider when planning an April Fools’ Day spoof announcement. These posts share best practices for evaluating whether a joke press release or fake news is appropriate. We’ve also included a link to a post from the AP on whether the correct way to write the holiday is April Fool’s Day or April Fools’ Day.
We’ve included some fun examples of past April Fools’ Day announcements.
- The Joke Press Release – Is it Appropriate for April Fools’ Day?
- Planning an April Fools’ Day Spoof Announcement? Think it Through …
- Fake Announcement for April Fools’ Day – Be Wary
- Don’t Be Fooled on April 1
- Public Relations, April Fools’ Day, and Fake News
- AP Style Guidance on how to punctuate the April Fools’ Day
We look forward to seeing the April Fools’ Day fun tomorrow. Please comment and share the April Fools’ Day announcements and fake news you find most effective, compelling and memorable.
As PR professionals, we often find ourselves explaining the importance of an online newsroom to the companies and organizations with whom we work. Newsrooms are a great way to highlight earned coverage and offer another medium to build thought leadership and share company updates and milestones. They serve a variety of audiences, including current and potential clients. However, another important and often forgotten newsroom audience is journalists.
A recent survey conducted by The TEKGROUP, an internet software and services company, collected responses from thousands of journalists to shed some light on their relationships with newsrooms and help us understand how to build out a newsroom that meets their needs. Below I’ve outlined the three biggest takeaways from the survey results: the value newsrooms provide to journalists, what journalists expect to see in a newsroom, and how social media ties complement a newsroom.
Newsroom Value
The study revealed that of the journalists surveyed, 95 percent said a newsroom was important. It’s no surprise that journalists value newsrooms, considering 50 percent stated that they are visiting an organization’s online newsroom once a week and 30 percent stated that they are visiting a newsroom every day.
Also, these visits are not limited to large companies’ newsrooms, as 83 percent of journalists are looking at the newsrooms of both small and large companies. Clearly, journalists are looking for an easy way to access everything they need to know about a specific company in a centralized hub. Many publications have been forced to cut back staffing, leaving most journalists pushed for time. Making it easy for them to find the information they need to craft a story may increase the likelihood that they’ll write. It also positions the company as a valuable resource of information.
Desired Content
Now that we’ve established newsrooms as a source of information that journalists frequently rely on, what should a newsroom include? The survey found that journalists expect to see breaking news, featured stories, images, product information, executive bios, PR contact information and videos. More than 80 percent of journalists stated that each of these items was important to them. An online newsroom is a library of information, resources and content that informs visitors about the specific organization. These items give the journalists the background information they need to develop a story, insight into what has already been written and the other media elements they will need to accompany their story.
Social Media’s Role
According to the survey results, 86 percent of journalists think it is important to access a page within an online newsroom that links to all of an organization’s social media handles. Social handles are also a wealth of information, and typically share more than just company-related news. They often provide insight into industry news a company takes interest in, what customers are reaching out to a brand about, and the brand’s personality and voice. It pays to make it easy for journalists to access this extended portion of the company’s newsroom.
Online newsrooms may not be the top priority for some companies, but they are an excellent and desired resource for journalists. If a company is focused on securing editorial coverage, appealing to 95 percent of journalists with a well-built online newsroom is definitely a strategy that should not be ignored.
For more tips about online newsrooms check out these blogs:
Recently, we’ve been preparing announcements for several of our clients attending upcoming industry trade shows. In fact, we’ve developed and executed strategies to support attendance at conferences across different industries all around the country, including ProMat 2017 in Chicago, ShopTalk in Las Vegas and Enterprise Connect in Orlando. As we’ve been knee-deep in planning, we thought it would be helpful to share a few tips to help fellow PR pros stay organized in preparation for distributing news at industry trade shows and events. Below are four tactics to consider in order to achieve desired results at trade conferences.
Press release timing
Determining when a press release should cross the wire can be a highly debated topic. While some prefer to announce news before the event and others the day-of, distributing the press release boils down to your objectives. Determining your objectives for sharing the news is the best way to answer questions around wire distribution timing. For example, if securing original editorial coverage is your objective, you’ll need to determine when you’d like to see the coverage hit. If the release is scheduled to cross the wire the same day as you’d like to see coverage, it is very unlikely that a reporter will be able to turn around an original piece in one workday.
A solution to this strategy is conducting embargoed outreach prior to the press release crossing the wire. By having reporters agree to an embargo and providing them with the opportunity to view the press release a week or two before its release date, they are able to conduct interviews, write and post the article in conjunction with your ideal press release publish date
It is also important to check if a conference have established guideless around when companies in attendance can make their announcements. Confirming your strategy aligns with the conference’s rules will mitigate any surprises or crisis situations at the event.
Content and approvals
Another important factor to consider when press release planning is the content in your release, a factor that will also play a role in determining when the release will cross the wire. For example, if you are announcing a new partnership or a new product that relies on another companies’ technology/service, securing approval from all parties involved becomes a top priority. Check-in with the company and their PR team to determine their objectives, desired news cycle and approval procedures. If distributing a joint press release is something they are interested in, nailing down these three factors is crucial.
Alternately, if the company would prefer to keep the releases separate, understanding their objectives and outreach strategy becomes even more imperative. Consider for example if two separate PR firms are pitching the same journalists about the same announcement, slightly highlighting one company over the other. It is very likely that the reporter will be unhappy with the duplication of outreach efforts and the lack of communication and coordination among the PR team. Now consider if one firm pitches the journalist a week before the other firm – is it likely this reporter will write two articles? The answer is no and communicating with partners involved helps set expectations and eliminate conflict of interests.
Onsite briefings
If scheduling in-person meetings at a show is of interest, you’ll want to confirm that your company has media trained executive(s) in attendance. In addition to determining the executive, you’ll also want to have an understanding of the key points that he or she will be able to speak about relating to the company, announcement, industry and show. This information will help your team develop a compelling pitch that entices journalists and provides them with a clear understanding of what they and their readers will get from this meeting.
Organization is chief when it comes to scheduling conference briefings after you’ve secured the attending press list from the event coordinators, vet the list to determine which outlets align will your clients’ objectives and will result in a valuable meeting. (Note that depending on the event, availability of the attending press list may be limited to only exhibitors or speakers. Read up on the event’s media page to determine its procedures.)
Outreach timing
Determining the timing of media outreach to schedule onsite briefings relies on the size of the show, number of companies that typically announce news at the show, and the number of contacts on the attending press list. If the size of the attending list is not in alignment with the number of companies that are attending, you’ll want to be even more organized on strategy to ensure that outreach will be meaningful and drive the intended results for your client. Conducting outreach three to four weeks out of the show start date is a smart best practice to ensure that journalists have not filled up their event schedules.
As you begin to accrue onsite meetings, keep a detailed and up-to-date calendar with visibility to your client to ensure you do not overbook executives or schedule meetings too close in timing and far apart in location. As the event draws near, be sure to check in with the journalists and your client to confirm the meeting time, location and topics of discussion. If your announcement’s timing or content has changed, be sure to communicate with the reporter to ensure they receive equal or additional value from the meeting as promised from the initial pitch.
During and post-show support
While at the event, it’s important to make yourself available and provide your client with all the resources necessary to be successful. If you’ve covered the four factors mentioned above, you’ve properly prepared your client. With that said, attending shows, regardless of the participant’s level of involvement, can be hectic and requires added time and energy. It’s up to you to ensure they feel their experience is valuable. For example, after your client has participated in a briefing, reach out to the journalist as appropriate. Executing this tactic, along with tracking coverage and providing outreach recaps are sure to successfully wrap-up PR support for any industry event.
Interested in attending an event but not sure where to start? Please reach out to us or check out other blog posts around trade show planning:
Vetting Speaking Opportunities at Industry Events
Quick Tips on How to Prepare for Any Public Speaking Event
Of all of the different types of PR materials we get to develop for our clients – ranging from press releases, media pitches, FAQs, byline articles and more – my all-time favorite is customer case studies. There’s excitement and enthusiasm behind case studies that are all-too often lacking in other types of PR content. For one, case studies typically involve a success story of some sort – a crisis that was mitigated smoothly, for example, or a customer who saw results that far exceeded his/her expectations. The fact is, people tend to be happy about case studies and that makes them downright fun to write.
Not only do you get to hear from your clients about a “win” they had with a customer, you often get to interview their customer or end-user to get their perspective. For those of us with journalism backgrounds – and that’s a good portion of PR professionals – this gives us an opportunity to put together some probing questions and “think like a reporter” in order to write a compelling and interesting story about your client and their work.
But here’s the thing to remember.
It’s easy to get excited about a case study and the enthusiasm that your clients and their customer are feeling in the moment. But as a strategic advisor, it’s also key to think critically about the case study and the entire process that goes along with its creation. It’s your job as a PR professional to make sure that your clients (and their customer) are telling a story that will resonate with their target audiences, including the media. For example:
Ask your client the tough questions. The first step when developing a case study is typically to speak with your clients and gather information about their customer and the story you’ll be developing. It’s important to come up with a list of questions in advance so that there are shared expectations about what you’ll be asking, and what level of detail you’ll need from the conversation. It’s important that the questions cover the basics – what was the problem or situation your client needed to address? How did they do that? What were the results that were generated?
It’s also important to ask the questions that go a step further, in order to gain broader perspective and context. These are more investigative in nature, pushing your clients to provide more details and specifics about the work, and results, they secured with their customer:
- What was your top challenge with this deployment?
- What surprised you most about this customer (or their results)?
- What’s one thing you would do differently if given the opportunity?
- What kind of metrics/results did you expect your client would see, and how did the actual results vary?
Be able to confidently answer “why is this case study newsworthy?” This seems like an easy question to answer on the surface – it matters because your clients got fantastic results and their customers are happy, right? That’s true, but when thinking like a reporter, you can’t lose sight of the bigger perspective and the impact to the larger audience. Just as reporters need to examine the common elements that make a story newsworthy, PR professionals should do the same when it comes to a case study:
- What’s the impact? Does this deployment affect a small audience of beta testers, for example, or an audience of millions worldwide?
- Is there a conflict to share? Was this a fiercely competitive battle to win the customer’s business? What set your client apart from the pack?
- Is there a surprise element readers might not be expecting? Not all case studies have an unexpected twist to them, but if there’s anything quirky, unusual or downright bizarre that’s worth sharing, you can bet people will want to read it.
- How can I create a human interest angle? In journalism, human interest stories help to make news and feature stories relatable – they talk about the human condition and make readers connect with the topic (i.e., your client and their customer). Is there a broader story beyond the “nuts and bolts” of the deployment where you can talk about an advocate for your client that helped secure the deal and bring it to life?
I hope this offers some practical guidelines for how to approach case studies and get the most out of your conversations with your clients and their customers. Critical thinking is the foundation for providing good client counsel and producing solid, credible written materials for them. What other questions have you asked your clients when developing a success story or case study for them? Tell us here!