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.
In this rapidly evolving age of information, the way in which media is consumed is constantly changing. Readers’ attention spans are limited and with only 24 hours in a day it makes sense to filter out relevant information from spam — finding the “signal” in the “noise.” Flipboard, an online, magazine-formatted social mobile app, does just that. Users can create “customized” magazines or follow others’, based on industries and topics of interest. Magazine content is also shareable, giving users the option to post to their social media sites or email to friends. Magazines are curated by “flipping” content from anywhere on the web seamlessly into niche-focused flipboards. What makes this app even more successful is the ease of use; with just a swipe of the finger you can access a myriad of content. The combination of personalized content and aesthetic ease make this app a game changer.
To date, over 53 million users have “flipped” through upwards of 6 billion pages a month. And with over 500,000 personalized magazines created, there are flipboards devoted to grilled cheese sandwiches, pre-1998 Porches and 20th-century architecture — nothing is too obscure! For businesses looking to leverage this app and share their own flipboards, there are some best practices to keep in mind.
First, the 80/20 rule. Users are less likely to subscribe to a flipboard that is only dedicated to one brand or message. It’s important, therefore, to have a mix of related content, with 80 percent flipped from across the web and 20 percent dedicated to brand promotion and content. For example, take Levi’s flipboard: The brand has done an excellent job pulling from social media sites and providing a well-rounded magazine dedicated to Levi fashion. As the magazine opens up on its first page there is a post from a Pinterest user on ways to wear a Levi denim shirt next to a photo of Rihanna rocking a pair of 501s. Flip to the next page and there is a Levi’s YouTube video promoting its recent Liberty London line flipped next to a tweet from actress Kate Bosworth, who is wearing a Levi’s jacket. The mixture of brand and user content from across the web makes this flipboard attractive to fashionistas and Levi aficionados.
Levi’s Flipboard.
Social media can play a large role in attracting visitors to your magazine. Flipboard makes it easy by consolidating your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Google + feed into a magazine into which you can then “flip” your brand flipboard posts. Likewise, Flipboard is searchable by hashtags, letting you access and share related content easily. Tweeting your flipboard link will help increase subscribers and your board’s visibility across platforms.
Another example of social media integration into Flipboard is the creation of a magazine based on an event or hashtag. Let’s take the Consumer Electronics Show that happens annually in Las Vegas. The hashtag #CES is easily searchable, and you can create a magazine devoted to housing important social media posts as well as relevant articles from the convention. Subscribing to the CES flipboard will give readers an encompassing view of important events happening as well as consumer insight. The use of these types of filters and organizational tools is shaping the way we consume media.
Finally, it’s important to be transparent about who is curating your board, and include some personal twists. I recently created a flipboard, Discovering Dentistry, for the dental website I publish, and the tag line is, “All things dentistry with a twist of food, technology, and community.” Readers know from the title that this magazine is dedicated to dentistry, but because of my personal interests (food, technology, and community) I find ways the two intersect. For example, I included an article about “Foods For Healthier Teeth” to appeal to my foodie side. Similarly, I “flipped” an article on “The 5 Best Dental Apps” for dentists to use in their offices, because I’m interested in how apps and technology can change the dental industry. It’s this type of media melting pot that makes Flipboard both unique and extremely useful.
Discovering Dentistry Flipboard.
These best practices will get you started on your brand’s flipboard but it’s important to stay relevant and flip content daily. Engage with and subscribe to others’ magazines to build a community and utilize social media to increase your following. Happy flipping!
About the author: Alexis Goodrich is the brand manager at Best Dentist Guide, a free guide that helps in selecting the best professional for your dental needs. Subscribe to her flipboard, Discovering Dentistry or follow her on twitter, @thedentistguide
In this age of rapid technical and social innovation, where “new” is deemed as “best,” and the next big thing is always around the corner, norms in the workplace are evolving at a similarly rapid pace. While much of this innovation has led to improvements in the workplace, some of the ways in which things were done “back in the day” were not broken and required no fixing. In fact, evidence points to how, in some instances, going “old school” may just be the most innovative idea on the table.
In his article, “Old-School Business Practices Worth Bringing Back,” (Harvard Business Review blog; April 11, 2013) John Coleman highlights five mid-20th-century business practices that are worth resurrecting. Below are highlights:
- Dress well. Business culture, particularly in the U.S., has grown increasingly casual over the years, but recent studies have shown a connection between dressing well and professional success. That doesn’t mean we need to spend lots of money or return to the formality of a three-piece suit, “But it might mean trading Dwight Schrute for Don Draper once in a while and aspiring to an occasional concern for aesthetics,” says Coleman.
- Make meetings distraction-free. Active, engaged participation in meetings – whether by phone or in person – is on the decline with distractions from smart devices. Coleman cites a study in which half of all respondents admitted to checking their phones in meetings and suggests that participants are “dumbed down” by distraction. Avoiding distraction from modern devices would enable participants to become more fully engaged and meetings would be more productive. “It can also shorten meeting length,” says Coleman, “as participants push for conclusion when they get bored rather than passing the time playing Angry Birds.”
- Lengthen lunch. While eating lunch at your desk may make sense during particularly busy times or in an effort to get home early for a family commitment, more leisurely lunch breaks might also contribute to your productivity. Coleman cites expert opinion that people who take lunch breaks in general are healthier and more productive. And finding more time to connect with colleagues over a long lunch can strengthen relationships at work, also contributing to greater workplace productivity.
- Be punctual. Back in the day before mobile phones, punctuality was essential because there simply wasn’t a way to let someone know you were running late. With the convenience of modern technology, we often think it’s OK to run late or push back a meeting as long as we text or email in advance to let the other participants know. However, being on time still influences how others view us. It signals to others that we are reliable and we value their time. It can also decrease the costly impact of wasted time. In fact, Coleman cites a study that found staff lateness costs the UK economy £9 billion per year!
- Take a real vacation. Much has been written on the benefits of taking vacations and truly disconnecting from the workplace. Given the ever-present connection provided by smartphones, this might be truer today than it was back in the 1950s. It’s worth stepping back and reminding yourself to safeguard your vacation how and when you can. If done right, the end result should be physical and mental rejuvenation, which can lead to greater productivity upon your return to the workplace.
While these basic ideas make perfect sense to most of us, the implementation is often much harder in the current business climate. At Communiqué PR, we strive to put these old-school principles into practice. If the collective workforce does their part to change themselves and speaks up to create change within their organization, norms can slowly shift. According to Coleman, we may all be happier and more productive as a result.
Our main priority when we work with any client is securing results that help the business achieve its greater objectives as an organization. Helping clients find return on investment (ROI) on their PR expenditure is something we strive to do with every client in our portfolio.
Providing metrics around PR are a helpful way to understand where (and if) a company is getting significant ROI from its PR efforts. However, measuring results in PR can be logistically challenging, as results are often qualitative (i.e., did a recent editorial placement reflect messaging?) rather than quantitative. However, regardless of the nature of PR and communications, we do understand the importance of metrics in evaluating success.
An excellent tool to measure and analyze PR results can be a Share of Voice (SOV). An SOV typically measures a company’s “ownership” of a market or niche (Source: BurrellesLuce). In PR, you might hear this type of analysis referred to as a “share of conversation” or “share of discussion.” An SOV compares your business against competitors to determine how much of the buzz your business is getting, relative to its competitors. To accomplish this, an SOV might compare numbers of press releases, editorial mentions, awards won, speaking opportunities, blog posts, etc.
Although helpful in some cases, an SOV can be time consuming to create. At Communiqué, we recommend considering the following before deciding to create an SOV regularly:
Can you isolate a “universe”?
In order to create an SOV, you’ll need to gather and analyze the same types of metrics for both your business and your competitors’ businesses. To do this effectively, you’ll need to come to agreement internally on a few facets that will make up the “universe” you’re analyzing, whether they be number of press releases, number of editorial mentions, number of times an executive is quoted, etc. For some companies, measuring the number of some of these can be hugely time consuming (e.g., if your company or one of its competitors receives hundreds of editorial mentions every month). Consider this both when determining what elements your company’s SOV will contain, and if the effort of pulling together an SOV is worthwhile.
Do you have competitors that you can reasonably measure your business against?
The more companies you’re drawing statistics from, the more time an SOV will take to develop. Furthermore, some companies you may consider competitive with your businesses’ offering may receive much more media attention. For example, you might consider Microsoft a competitor to your business’ technology. However, in an SOV, Microsoft is not likely to provide a realistic standard for you to measure your business against. In order to realistically assess where your PR efforts are getting your business, you’ll want to compare your business against organizations of a similar size and offering. If you can come to an understanding internally on what these competitors will be, you’ll be better equipped to prepare an SOV.
Measuring results is important in all elements of a business. Although PR can be difficult to measure and analyze, there are ways to do so. One excellent way to understand the results of your PR efforts is measuring your companies “voice” against its competitors in an SOV. While this is a time consuming undertaking, if you answered yes to both of the above criteria, you might consider preparing an SOV to help measure the results and ROI you’re receiving on your PR efforts.
In any relationship, chemistry is important. Consider a first date. Both parties are on their best behavior, trying to figure out if they have a connection. Is it worth pursuing? The woman might try to impress her date by brushing up on her travel knowledge, while the man might try to woo his date by discussing his love of cooking. For anyone who has spent much time in the dating world, finding that right chemistry match can be brutal. There are great dates with an instant connection as well as very, very bad dates.
The same is true in business relationships between employees, clients and vendors. When considering new clients, we often decide whether to take on business based on the level of chemistry between our team and the client. We want to ensure an agreeable match so that no one is led astray or disappointed.
Additionally, when hiring new employees, our firm conducts group interviews to get a sense of whether chemistry exists between the candidate and current employees.
So what can you do to get to the second “date”? We’ve outlined a few steps worth considering to make a good impression and build a solid relationship in the professional world.
- Listen. Whether you are giving a presentation, interviewing a candidate or having coffee with a potential client, make sure you don’t just talk—listen. When you ask questions and listen, people generally feel valued and more connected. If you talk nonstop, it instead gives the impression that you aren’t interested in the other person or their goals.
- Be Human. Chemistry is often determined based on more than just the meeting topic. Connections can be established on a personal level that help form a business relationship. For example, if you share with a prospective client that your kids play soccer and he or she relates, a bond is created. We often are so focused on “wooing” the other person that we forget to let our personality show, a side people often appreciate.
- Be Proactive. It isn’t enough to just have an initial meeting. You need to make an honest effort to keep the relationship alive. Just like a romantic date, you can’t expect the magic to happen immediately after you went to dinner. You have to foster the relationship. For example, if you meet with a prospective client and later come across an article that might be of personal or professional interest to him or her, send it on over. Even in the business world, it makes people feel good to know you are thinking of them.
It would be nice if, when conducting business, you could simply plug your information into a site, find a match based on compatibility and determine whether you have good chemistry, like many dating sites claim to do. But for now, you’ll have to rely on the work you do and the relationships you are able to cultivate.
For additional tips about building relationships and networking, please visit:
- It’s Who You Know 5/23/13
- The Power of Networking: Fostering Relationships and Building Business 7/13/09
At Communiqué PR we work with companies of all sizes, including a wide variety of start-up companies. From start-ups who are bootstrapping their operations to those who have secured multiple rounds of multimillion dollar funding, I admire the spirit of these entrepreneurs and their unrelenting drive to close a gap or solve a problem in the market.
I think that’s why an article in the May 2013 issue of the Harvard Business Review caught my attention. The article, “Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything,” explores the differences between the traditional approach to launching a business and the emerging “lean start-up” method.
In the typical formula for launching a new venture, you write a business plan, seek investors, put together a team, launch the product and drive sales. According to the article, the lean start-up approach “favors experimentation over elaborate planning, customer feedback over intuition, and iterative design over traditional ‘big design up front’ development.” The lean start-up method makes the process of starting a company less risky.
The article also suggests that with the lean start-up concept, operating in “stealth mode” prior to an official launch and orchestrating a big reveal, is rendered obsolete. Rather, companies should focus on releasing minimum viable product because ongoing customer feedback will produce a better end result.
From a PR and communications perspective, there’s something to be said for the impact a well-executed unveiling can have on building awareness. In addition, products that are more fully developed or closer to completion are able to put their best foot forward in the eyes of journalists and customers who may be evaluating those products. However, in today’s fast-paced business climate the race is to be first to market, then to use that position to establish yourself as the best.
Like the entrepreneurs who subscribe to the lean start-up approach, PR/communications pros need to be flexible, nimble and responsive. Tools such as social media, blogs and online-only press release distribution services can help build buzz as products or features are iteratively released. PR pros can also engage in transparent communication with key influencers to ensure that clear expectations for the product are established. This is particularly important with journalists and bloggers who may be reviewing products for their readers.
What do you think of the lean start-up approach? Has it affected your approach to PR?
Every PR professional understands the importance of a good pitch—done well, a pitch is key to securing media coverage for a client. And, as the PR field is changing, so are the channels of communication available for creating effective pitches. For example, nowadays reporters generally welcome pitches via Twitter, an underrated and underused platform for tapping into potential media coverage.
Pitching reporters through Twitter can often be more effective because you reach reporters in real time with an efficient, 140-character message. Moreover, since reporters receive a vast amount of pitches via email, using Twitter allows your pitch to stand out against less noise.
However, bombarding reporters with pitches through Twitter will likely prove ineffectual. Just like in traditional media relations, achieving initial rapport with a journalist is essential to fostering strong media relationships. So how exactly do you go about forming relationships with reporters on Twitter? Samantha McGarry, vice president at PR and social content agency InkHouse, recently offered tips about the subject in a PR Daily article.
I’m compiling McGarry’s four tips below, plus some of my own to set you on your way to forming healthy reporter relationships via Twitter. Starting with McGarry’s:
1. Remember that reporters are people, too.
Just like you, reporters have lives, families and hobbies outside of work about which they often tweet. Converse with them about these interests as you would anyone else. He or she is also a sports fanatic? Great, tweet back with your thoughts on the game or offer a link to a video clip. Humor doesn’t hurt, too; casual jokes or witty tweets relevant to reporters’ interests can go a long way.
2. Understand how your target reporters are using Twitter.
Reporters use social media for different things—and some use it more than others. Is he or she attempting to grow his or her personal brand? Search for news trends? Gather sources, tips and info? Knowing his or her habits will help you gauge how to make your entrance in a welcome way.
3. Be generous with the Twitter love.
Everyone likes a little ego boost, including reporters. Build a foundation for the relationship by spreading the love—compliment their articles or congratulate them on milestones about which they have tweeted. Tweet their stories and re-tweet or favorite their tweets when relevant, making certain to @ mention his or her twitter handle when necessary.
4. Pay attention to timing—it’s everything.
Strategize—follow their tweets to know where they’re at and what they’re up to so you can calculate when is best to make your move. At a news conference? Jump in with that link of yours to an insider’s quote. Tweeting about how great his or her ski trip is? Hold off on any tweet action until he or she is back in town.
And now, some tips I would add:
5. Do your research.
Read about the reporter and the publication(s), as well as some of his or her work. Knowing the way the reporter works as well as the publication’s interests allows you to tailor your tweets to meet them, offering insights that help the reporter while making the connection. Win-win.
6. Lead them to you.
Reporters often use Twitter to find trends. Using appropriate hashtags of industry trends might lead them directly to you and build your presence in a space.
7. Don’t ask for anything.
…at least not until you’ve built the relationship enough to make the plunge. Until then, think through how you’re coming across. Relationships between journalists and PR professionals should be positive –nothing sours that like asking for handouts too early on or with too much force. With this type of behavior, you’ll run the risk of annoying the reporter and putting a permanent damper on the relationship.
8. Avoid being overwhelming.
Favoriting or re-tweeting every single tweet becomes overbearing. Reporters often won’t respond to or even read every tweet you direct their way, but don’t take that as a sign to harass them with tweets until they do. Connect with them just enough to make your presence known in an agreeable way. And, if you have been attempting to break through for some time to no response, move on.
9. Don’t think you have a better relationship than you do.
Avoid crossing boundaries by becoming too personal—use sound judgment, remembering always that the basic function of your relationship is professional. Steer clear of insulting or off-color humor and language altogether. You don’t want to risk offending the reporter because you gauged the relationship to be more mutually understanding than it is. This also includes tweeting at them for opinions on controversial topics—reporters know that expressing certain personal views can affect perception of their reporting, so avoid putting them in that awkward position by sticking to more informal tweets.
10. Make the relationship mutually beneficial.
A basic tenet of any professional partnership. Help reporters by enhancing their copy – tweet back with links or data you think might relate to what they are working on. If they ask for tips, offer them.
11. Express gratitude.
If you do finally make a pitch and the reporter responds, even if it is still a “no,” thank them. Showing your appreciation maintains the relationship, leaving the door open to potentially reach out in the future.
Building relationships with reporters is essential in the field of public relations. Potential gains for clients, as well as for your own influence, are huge if you’re well connected. Twitter offers PR professionals an efficient means to make this connection with journalists and publications.
However, effectively pitching through Twitter requires establishing camaraderie with target journalists. Creating a mutually beneficial relationship is a much more healthy approach to pitching than thoughtlessly bombarding reporters with irrelevant information, hoping that something sticks. Consider using Twitter to build out your relationships with reporters, but keep the above tips in mind to set yourself up for success.