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.
At Communiqué PR, we have the opportunity to work with companies at all stages of growth. From Facebook to Opscode to Attachmate to The Bravern, our client list has presented us with many opportunities to watch a company evolve and grow. With start-ups, we are often brought in at a time when messaging is constantly shifting, but from our experience, consistency is key with media and customers.
I came across an interesting article in Ragan’s that highlighted “12 moves that will destroy or deteriorate your brand.” The article provides great tips on things to avoid in any stage of a company’s branding. I’ve included a few tips gleaned from the article, as well as examples we’ve seen.
- Have a logo. A big part of a company’s brand recognition is tied to its logo. What comes to mind when you see the golden arches? Obviously, McDonalds. What about the Swoosh? Nike has that locked down. You want your logo to stick in people’s minds, so keep it simple. Think about the simple logos that you remember like Apple and Google. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on the logo, but it should represent your brand and be memorable.
Additionally, it is important to keep the logo consistent. Author Amy McCloskey Tobin points out that it is OK to “refresh” the look of a logo, but don’t change it every year. You miss out on the most important function of a logo — brand recognition.
- Have a clear corporate voice. It is important that an organization has a corporate voice. Determine what type of personality your company wants and make sure to interact with customers in that fashion. For example, Nordstrom is very customer-service oriented. The customer is always right. The employees at Nordstrom are always happy to resolve customer dissatisfaction and that message is carried throughout the company’s story. Once your voice is determined, ensure that all employees are trained accordingly.
- Develop a PR crisis plan. No matter what industry you are in, a PR crisis can occur and it is important to have a plan in place. From employee indiscretion to product malfunction to social media flubs, we’ve seen a vast array of crises. It is important to have the processes in place to protect your brand. Who will respond to the PR disaster? What will the approach be? As an agency, we typically work with organizations to develop a PR plan to prepare for a crisis. For more information on “Key Elements of a Crisis Communication Plan,” check out our previous blog post.
- Keep your website fresh. Just having a website is not enough. A company website needs to be a clean representation of your brand. Chances are most people will use the web to find you. A company should update its website with the most accurate and relevant information. I typically visit a restaurant’s web page before I dine to check out the menu, atmosphere and specials. If the website is outdated or hard to navigate, I usually chose another place.
- Develop a social media voice. Having a social media presence is important and so is having a plan of attack. If you do not represent your company on social media, it is likely that someone else will. Conversations could be happening on Twitter about your brand and you will have no insight or voice in the discussion unless you have an active presence. For more information on “Creating an Authentic Presence on Social Media,” please read our previous blog post.
- Create consistent messaging. It is important for a brand to have consistent messaging surrounding what the company does and any supporting statistics. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page when speaking about the company and will ensure a clear picture is illustrated in the media and to customers. For tips on messaging, read “Five Best Practices Surrounding Messaging Workshops.”
What has helped your organization boost its brand?
Ragan’s PR Daily recently published an article by Daphne Gray-Grant who is a writing and editing coach and author of 8½ Steps to Writing Faster, Better. I thought the article titled, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Writers” was a gem, and completely spot on.
It’s no secret that as a PR professional, exceptional writing skills are a must-have. And by exceptional, I don’t mean that you simply must ensure your writing is clear and clean of grammatical errors and typos. You also have to be creative, efficient and adept at tailoring your message to the appropriate audience.
In Gray-Grant’s 30 years of experience in coaching others to become highly effective writers, she’s found seven traits most commonly found in effective writers. I’ve sprinkled her traits with my own tips that I’ve found incredibly helpful in strengthening my writing.
1. Separate the writing and the editing processes. When you’re writing, just write. As your thoughts and ideas come, jot them down. Don’t worry too much about clarity of thought, the initial quality, flow, etc. Gray-Grant cites writer Cecil Castellucci, who says, “The best flowers are fertilized by crap,” so give yourself permission to write a crummy first draft.
The editing process is your opportunity to reorganize, obsess over word choice and ensure you’re clearly communicating. So, write first, edit later.
2. Focus on the interesting. Effective writers tell a compelling story. Whether you’re an effective writer or an effective speaker, you know it’s important to capture your audience. One of the best ways to do this is by using real-life examples or anecdotes to communicate a theoretical or extremely technical topic. Who doesn’t love a good story?
3. Tap into the power of metaphor. Gray-Grant cites metaphor expert Anne Miller who says, “Metaphors lead to instant understanding.” Enough said.
4. Do adequate research. Research is the foundation of a lot of things, especially writing. How will you know what to say if you’re not sure what you’re talking about? Gray-Grant notes that effective writers understand that good research is all about asking interesting questions—of themselves, of the books, websites and reports they read as well as anyone they interview. The answers to your questions will provide the fodder needed for writing.
5. Learn from the writing of others. As an effective writer, you understand that you’re also a life-long learner. It’s important to continue refining and fine tuning your craft. There’s always more to learn when it comes to writing. One of the most powerful ways to do this is to actively read, read more and read again. The key word here is actively read. Analyze writing techniques, dissect sentence structures, continue to learn all you can about the art and craft of writing.
6. Write in small bursts. This is a valuable tip for me. In my day-to-day, it’s often difficult to find time to sit and focus on writing for more than an hour at a time without being interrupted by immediate client needs, meetings, or the need to check incoming emails and voicemail. I’ve learned that I’m most effective when I have bursts of inspiration that I quickly put on paper and then come back to at a later time. Before I know it, I have the most critical content needed to build my story and merely need to connect my thoughts and edit my work. Although it may seem a bit piecemealed and frazzled at first, exceptional writing is often done a little at a time.
7. Read your work out loud. I know this trait sounds like it’s taking you back to elementary school when your teacher called on you to read aloud. However, as Gray-Grant says, language isn’t just meaning—it’s also music. Whenever I read my work out loud, I almost always come up with a different approach to communicating my point in a way that flows better. Sure, some of my coworkers may think I’m nuts for whispering to myself, but in the end, it leads me to my best work.
Are you an effective writer? What tips and tricks do you have?
Here at Communiqué PR, we are huge fans of LinkedIn. Although not an end-all resource, it is hugely helpful for recruiting, staying up to date with contacts, and maintaining your personal and business’ online brand. LinkedIn is most effective when updated frequently, as it is an easy tool that lets colleagues know what you are up to—and the more accurate and up-to-date, the better. Keeping your profile relevant is essential to cultivating an effective LinkedIn presence.
To this end, LinkedIn has developed LinkedIn Applications, a tool that makes maintaining and updating your profile easier and more streamlined. Despite being incredibly useful, I rarely see my own LinkedIn connections making use of the LinkedIn Applications feature.
So what does LinkedIn Applications do, exactly? According to LinkedIn itself, the feature “enables you to enrich your profile, share and collaborate with your network, and get the key insights that help you be more effective. Applications are added to your homepage and profile enabling you to control who gets access to what information.”
Currently, there 17 LinkedIn applications officially offered through LinkedIn.com. The following list is organized by the industry for which each is best suited.
All industries
- Blog Link by SixApart
Blog Link connects your blog to your LinkedIn profile. You can then display your recent posts from your personal or company blog, letting visitors to your page know about what you’re currently writing.
- WordPress by WordPress
With the WordPress app, you can feature all your WordPress blog posts on your LinkedIn profile. This is the only LinkedIn application I currently use, and when I publish this blog post, it will post directly to my LinkedIn profile! Just like Blog Link, it’s a great feature to keep your profile appearing updated, without a lot of extra work from your end.
- SlideShare Presentations by SlideShare Inc.
Share SlideShare presentations directly through your LinkedIn account. Have a recent project that went well? Want to showcase some of your work in an aesthetically pleasing manner? The SlideShare application could be a great addition to your profile.
- Reading List by Amazon
A great way to enrich your professional profile, this application shares the books you’re reading with other LinkedIn members. For the avid reader, it lets you stay up to date on what others recommend. Looking to stay current when it comes to industry literature? Follow industry thought leaders’ reading lists on Amazon, and get a peek inside from where they’re getting their information!
- E-Bookshelf by FT Press
Less personal than Amazon’s Reading List application, E-Bookshelf lets you look at “essential reading” materials from experts in various fields. The content is catered to your expressed industry and interests on LinkedIn, and you are able to share articles with your connections as you see fit.
- Projects and Teamspaces by Manymoon
Utilize this application to manage projects directly from your LinkedIn profile with other LinkedIn connections. The software is totally free, and allows you to track and share unlimited tasks, projects, documents and Google Apps with your LinkedIn connections.
- My Travel by TripIt, Inc.
Follow where your network is travelling, and see when you are in the same city as other colleagues. This is great for someone on the go. Update your network on where you’re going, and why, and potentially network while you’re on the road!
- Polls by LinkedIn
The Polls application allows you to collect data from your connections on LinkedIn. This may be especially helpful for brand pages, or just for maintaining interaction with your connections.
- Box.net Files by Box.net
The cloud storage giant has created a LinkedIn application that allows you to share content directly with other connections. You can manage files directly from your LinkedIn, and shared current projects with colleagues and connections.
- Events by LinkedIn
This application allows you to search for and publicize professional events. From conferences to local meet ups, the events application helps take LinkedIn networking into the real world.
Real Estate
- Real Estate Pro by Rofo
This application accesses your local real estate and office space market, displaying new property listings and available spaces. Ideal for use by those in the real estate industry, it can feature listings directly on your LinkedIn page, rather than simply a link.
Creative
- Portfolio Display by Behance
An excellent addition for those in the creative world, the Portfolio Display application allows you to feature your portfolio directly on your LinkedIn profile. For creatives, a resume is more about showing rather than telling. The Portfolio Display application can let you do just that, making your LinkedIn a more accurate representation of your body of work.
Tech
- GitHub by LinkedIn
Use this application to showcase your GitHub projects on your LinkedIn profile. Ideal for those in the coding and web development community on LinkedIn, this application allows you to easily display your work.
Law
- Lawyer Ratings by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell
For legal professionals, this is an absolute must. Showcase your Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ and Client Review Ratings™ to establish your credentials on your profile. This application gives a stamp of approval to your LinkedIn profile from an outside, well respected source.
- Legal Updates by JD Supra
Lawyers, you can use this application to upload your own articles and content. Or, simply use the application to stay up to date on legal news that is relevant to your business—and easily share stories with your connections.
If you are looking for a way to enhance your LinkedIn profile, increase your presence on the network, or just take some of the tedium out of updating your profile, LinkedIn Applications may be able to provide a solution that fits your needs.
For more from Communiqué PR on LinkedIn, check out the following blog posts:
- Four Tips to Maximize your LinkedIn Profile by Erica Lieppman
- Best Practices for Company Pages on LinkedIn by Erica Lieppman
- 8 Tips for Managing a LinkedIn Group by Monica Graham
- The Latest in Brand Marketing from LinkedIn by Kari Day
- New Features on LinkedIn for Companies by Katherine Turney
- The Value of LinkedIn vs. Other Social Media Networks by Jennifer Gehrt
And for more on LinkedIn Applications, look at the following resources:
- 5 Must-Have LinkedIn Apps: Pump Up Your Profile from CIO
- 5 Essential LinkedIn Apps for Sales Teams from Mashable
- 5 LinkedIn Apps for Power Networking from Fast Company
- LinkedIn Applications: Your Resume Just Got More Dynamic from ReadWriteWeb
- LinkedIn: Applications from LinkedIn
Do you use LinkedIn Applications? Do you find them useful? Why or why not?
Last night, the Communiqué PR team attended a “back to school” celebration in support of the Rwanda Girls Initiative (RGI), a not-for-profit organization formed with the goal of opening a girls’ secondary school in Rwanda. The school is now open, in its third academic year, and its first class will graduate on October 4, 2013.
We were first introduced to the RGI team in early 2011 when we worked with Co-Founders Suzanne Sinegal McGill and Shalisan Foster to generate awareness in the New York Times, Seattle Times and other news outlets for the February 2011 opening of the Gashora Girls Academy (GGA), an upper-secondary boarding school for 270 girls.
We have been impressed by the founders’ vision for the Academy, their passion for helping others, and the grit and determination they showed with the fundraising, construction and initial opening of the school throughout the process of making RGI’s visions a reality. However, last night we found ourselves even more moved by the GGA girls’ stories, drive and hard work, and ambition to be change agents in the world.
At the sold-out event, two young Rwandan students, Celeste and Witness, from GGA gave speeches about the impact their education will have on them, their communities, their nation and the world. Their first-hand testimonials were moving and inspiring – not to mention courageous as English is a second language, and this is both students’ first time leaving Rwanda.
Celeste and Witness’ dreams and aspirations were incredibly refreshing. Both students had found the power to dream—one aspired to be a pediatric cardiac surgeon, the other a civil engineer and fashion designer. For these girls, however, there is only a small leap between dreaming and doing. Each is actively pursuing the futures they envision for themselves. The success of GGA, exemplified in the stories of Celeste and Witness and the countless tales of academic and personal successes achieved daily on the Academy’s grounds are a testament to the potential available in our world. RGI’s “Back to School” event reminded us how often we take our opportunities for granted, and how instrumental the opportunity of education can be.
Many people in the room were clearly moved and compelled to donate money, and it is a wonderful example of the power of stories in fundraising. RGI is an incredibly well run institution, in both its work in Rwanda and its fundraising efforts at home. The authentic presentation of anecdotal stories and success statistics, the colloquial and familiar conversations with Academy students during a 12-minute video clip on their experiences with RGI, the involvement of the local Seattle community, and the inspiring words of Celeste and Witness helped RGI continue a successful fundraising campaign. We are proud of our involvement with RGI and hope you’ll take a minute to learn more about the organization by visiting its website – http://www.rwandagirlsinitiative.org/.
Photo Credit: PRWeekMany of us in the PR profession know that August is a time to celebrate some of the best and brightest talent in the PR world. Specifically, August marks the time when PRWeek releases its prestigious 40 Under 40 list, which recognizes standout PR professionals from both agency and in-house roles. According to Steve Barrett, editor-in-chief of PRWeek, the people who make this list are a tribute to the breadth, depth and potential of the communications industry and also represent a mature communications environment where PR is increasingly recognized as a desirable and rewarding profession.
So how can you grace the 40 Under 40 list with your presence? Well first, you must be nominated by a colleague or peer who believes you’ve made a long-lasting impression on the industry. But, what does it really take to receive such an honor?
I did a deep dive into the 40 Under 40 rising stars to uncover some common characteristics that the honorees possessed. Here’s what I found:
- Drive: This attribute is a given. You can’t be considered a trailblazer in the PR world without having the gumption. PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 have pushed themselves beyond their comfort zones to engage in important issues facing the world and shift attitudes on things that matter.
- Innovative Thinking: The 40 Under 40 PR pros don’t make the list by maintaining the status quo. They push the envelope. Many of them revamped existing communication programs to exponentially increase media exposure, launched new practices within their agencies, created new ways of measuring and monitoring results or developed programs to better connect with customers.
- Diversity: One size doesn’t fit all for the 40 Under 40. Everyone comes from all avenues in the PR industry. From sports marketing, to public affairs to crisis communication to digital marketing, they all possess a wide variety of skill sets and experience. Most importantly, the 40 Under 40 don’t pigeon hole themselves into a box, rather they’re constantly expanding their knowledge and exploring different ways of communicating.
- Relationship Builders: Whether they are spokespeople for their own company or charged with connecting with stakeholders on behalf of their clients, the 40 Under 40 have mastered a fundamental element of PR — the art of building relationships and connecting with people. The 40 Under 40 are adept at mentoring a team, building strong relationships with media and reaching customers. They are respected leaders who know how to inspire others and get their voices heard.
Do you want to make PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 list one day? Embody these characteristics and you’ll be well on your way!
The success of reaching out to media with a story idea is largely dependent on what you can offer the journalist in terms of a story angle, interviews and visuals. You have to have something newsworthy to share. However, if you are able to tie to an industry trend and offer an interesting perspective, this can increase your chance of coverage.
Recently, we partnered with our client Attachmate to increase its thought leadership on the hot topic of mobility. Currently, the way people work is dramatically impacted by the availability of mobile technology such as laptops, smartphones and tablets. Today’s workforce wants access to materials anytime, anywhere and this can create a challenge for IT. Attachmate’s Verastream offers a solution.
To help folks understand how Attachmate’s Verastream can help, we reached out to media and offered up Verastream Product Manager, Ron Nunan, to speak about this trend and its implications for IT. With this approach, we were able to secure two bylined articles. We’ve included the links below.
- Data Center Journal, “BYOD and the Impact on IT,” August 2012
- Enterprise Systems Journal, “Going Mobile: Introducing Your Mainframe to Modern Tools,” July 30, 2012
Bylined articles present an excellent opportunity to establish credibility and position you as a thought leader. The majority of bylined articles are vendor neutral, but the articles help to draw attention to the company and its products and solutions. For Attachmate, it was a great opportunity for Ron Nunan to be a part of the conversation and raise awareness. This is a win-win for media and companies looking for coverage. The outlet gets content and the business gets visibility. For additional information on why contributed content is good for business, read our blog post, “Three Reasons to Contribute Company-Neutral Editorial.”