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.
A good quote can be the heart of a compelling article. Good quotes help to tell a story and enhance the credibility of a press release, news story or speech. Words that are crafted well can leave a lasting impact on the world.
Every day I drive by a reader board on my way home from work and every few days there is a new quote that streams across the screen. I find myself looking forward to sneaking a peak at what inspirational message I will have to ponder on my commute home. This is the impact that words can have.
The following are some memorable quotes that have lived on past their delivery:
- “I’ll be back,” California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most famous quote isn’t from his time in office, but from the big screen.
- “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” Defense attorney Johnnie Cochran arguing that a glove used as murder evidence in the O.J. Simpson trial was too small.
- “Just say no,” Nancy Reagan’s anti-drug campaign slogan.
- “Read my lips: no new taxes,” George H.W. Bush, accepting the GOP presidential nomination in New Orleans.
- “In the 21st century, it’s not enough to leave no child behind. We need to help every child get ahead,” Barack Obama, asking Congress to rewrite the decade-old No Child Left Behind law – which requires that public school students be measured by regular testing – by this fall.
It is good to keep in mind those words that have caught our attention, as we create the words that will be used to represent a product, company or person. As a spokesperson you want to ensure that your message is clear, concise, compelling and it doesn’t hurt to be catchy.
Not only do we want to strive to be eloquent and pointed in our speech, but use phrases that will resonate beyond the daily news cycle. For tips on what makes a good story, check out our past blog post, “What Makes a Good Story?”
Recently, Seattle-based TechFlash, a major source of technology news, went through dramatic changes with the departure of Todd Bishop and John Cook, the outlet’s founders and first employees. As avid followers of the media, and fans of TechFlash, we were hungry to know the type of following TechFlash has had. The information we discovered, based on a 2010 online survey, is surprising.
TechFlash, which is owned by the Puget Sound Business Journal, has only been around since 2008, but has a loyal and large following of influential readers. According to the survey, TechFlash has more than 500,000 page views per month, of which 200,000 are unique. Whereas the weekly Puget Sound Business Journal has about 18,500 paid subscribers with a readership of 90,000.
So who is reading TechFlash? It turns out there is a mix of readers from sales, marketing, information technology and engineering. Business size also runs the gamut – 41 percent of the readers are small businesses, 41 percent are large businesses, and 18 percent are medium-size businesses with roughly 50 to 500 employees.
Here are a few other key survey statistics that we found useful:
- 17 percent of the readers make more than $200,000 a year and 65 percent make more than $100,000.
- 40 percent of the readers are from Washington.
- More than 50 percent of the readers are responsible for making final IT purchasing decisions or providing input into these decisions.
- 35 percent of readers are in the 34-44 age bracket.
Unearthing this kind of information about a specific publication can be tremendously important as you think about targeting a particular audience with your next story. It definitely helps ensure that you are achieving your desired result by reaching out to the right publication. We’ll be interested in updated statistics around TechFlash, given the recent changes.
Losing fans, followers or subscribers can leave a painful feeling in the pit of your stomach. Twitter and Facebook don’t offer an explanation for this. Consumers are allowed to “unlike”, unfollow or unsubscribe without reason. This leaves the author or organization asking, why? What did I do? The cliché breakup line “it’s not you, it’s me,” offers us little comfort as we strive to do better.
At Communiqué, we take pride in our blog and work to deliver content that is timely, interesting and relevant to our readers, but we too, have experienced that painful message when we have lost a subscriber. I recently came across an article, “Top Reasons Why Consumers Unsubscribe Via E-Mail, Facebook & Twitter,” on Mashable written by Erica Swallow, which helped put this question into context.
The article gives some great perspective on why readers unsubscribe, “unlike” or unfollow a company. Not surprisingly, most people surveyed unsubscribe because the information is too frequent, irrelevant or boring.
Identifying why people dump brands on social media platforms can help companies understand how to keep them interested. We thought it might be helpful to provide a few key dos and don’ts to follow as you work to develop social media content.
- Don’t over post. The top reason that people gave for “unliking” a brand is the posts were too frequent. Make sure that the content has a purpose. Posting a tweet or blog just to post will not establish credibility with your followers, fans or subscribers. Instead, establish expectations about how frequently you plan to post and then deliver on that commitment. Limit posts to once a day on Facebook and a blog. It is more acceptable to tweet frequently, but make sure you are adding value.
- Deliver creative and compelling content. No matter which platform you are utilizing, developing creative content is essential to maintaining a strong following. By blogging or posting to Facebook and Twitter, you should be offering information that is helpful and valuable to your audience. Many people unsubscribe to marketing emails, Facebook and Twitter because the content is boring and repetitive. Avoid re-posting the same content over and over. A good rule of thumb is 90/10. 90 percent of the time you should be sharing relevant information, 10 percent of the time you can share promotional information about your company or organization.
- Make yourself irreplaceable. One of the top reasons why consumers unsubscribe via email, Facebook and Twitter is because their feed or inbox is too crowded. The only way to beat this is to ensure your content is a must-have. Focus on your target audience and filter all content through that view. Position your brand as a thought leader, speak to trends, and not just brand news. Instead of just posting articles, add context. For example, a roofing company can speak to a growing trend, “Totally agree with this NYT article. We are seeing a significant spike in requests for solar panels. It’s boosting our bottom line!”
Keep in mind that sometimes it is unavoidable to lose a fan, follower or subscriber. However, by keeping these tips top of mind while optimizing content for social media, it will help to make sure that your posts are relevant to the reader.
The field of communication – whether public relations, marketing or journalism – is constantly changing and morphing with the steady flow of emerging technologies. As experts in the field, we must be mindful of the trends and learn to adapt.
This includes becoming savvy with new social media platforms, hip blogs and industry trends, so that we know what is the latest information and where it will be published.
One way to identify changes in the field of communication is to consider how journalism is changing and what that means for communication and PR professionals. Mashable.com recently posted a video from its fifth “NextUp NYC” educational series, which explored the emerging skills of tomorrow’s journalists. A group of panelists touched on the continuing evolution of technology and its effects on the journalism industry, as well as how journalists can better train themselves and improve their skills.
As Technology Reporter Jenna Wortham for The New York Times explains, “The way we read and consume news and everything is totally changing. I mean we get everything from our social networks, our kind of first layer filter and then we rely on institutions and organizations like The New York Times and Mashable to help us filter and tell us what is relevant. There is just so much constantly coming at us.”
The take away from the video is that there is a lot of information available in the world today. The Web is saturated and can be overwhelming. The challenge is trying to figure out how to digest this information as a journalist. For PR and communication professionals, it is essential to understand how much information journalists sift through on a daily basis, and keep that in mind when developing communication plans. We must embrace the different channels of communications and utilize those that are relied on most heavily by journalists, in essence making it as easy as possible for them to find and digest that information.
In addition, the way we consume content is evolving. From tablets such as the iPad to smartphones to laptops, we are more connected than ever before. People are consuming content on the go, with apps that make it easy to access information, which has pushed journalism toward its current direction. Journalists must remain aware and adaptable to these changes. This means that, as PR professionals, we must cast a wider net. Not only do we need to be aware of the many avenues of communication available and utilized by journalists and consumers, but we should be savvy in employing alternative platforms gaining notoriety, such as tumblr and Audioboo. By gaining a better understanding of how the information will be dispersed, we can target journalists in the most appropriate manner.
It is clear that the future of journalism, and communication in general, is digital, and as those in the field adapt more changes will certainly follow in this constantly evolving industry.
Here is the NextUp NYC video, courtesy of Mashable:
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We are excited to announce we are adding to the Communiqué PR team. Currently, we are recruiting for an Account Manager. The complete job description is included below for your consideration. If you are interested in being considered for the position please email your letter of interest and resume to [email protected].
Communiqué Public Relations is a boutique public relations firm focused on providing public relations services to a wide variety of companies. Our goal is to secure results that allow our clients to achieve their toughest business and communication objectives. We are seeking entrepreneurial candidates who want to help our clients create awareness, increase their market share and develop strong media relations programs. The right candidate will thrive on hands-on work with a variety of clients.
Account Manager
Primary Responsibilities
- Manage, maintain and grow client relationships while assuring stakeholders are aligned
- Partner with clients to understand communication and business objectives
- Perform analysis of client objectives and make recommendations based on industry knowledge and trends
- Identify short- and long-term strategic goals for client and translate them into a public relations plan/program
- Define and develop successful communication plans for clients and manage client expectations
- Drive day-to-day client activity by overseeing and performing necessary work, including developing and writing interesting and effective press materials, placing stories, leading press tours, providing counsel to clients, etc.
- Manage account activity to public relations budgets and consistently achieve revenue goals
- Lead client meetings, deliver presentations and facilitate client discussions
- Develop strong working relationships with clients, press, conference organizers and analysts while working to create opportunities for coverage
- Sell public relations to key stakeholders in client company and grow client account
- Provide guidance to and mentor junior staff
- Manage third-party vendors and contractors as needed
Requirements (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)
- Proven ability to write and develop compelling and superb press materials, such as press releases, plans, speeches, and backgrounders
- Excellent communication and organizational skills as well as the ability to prioritize and multi-task in a dynamic, creative, challenging and fast-paced environment
- Ability to establish and maintain effective editor and industry analyst relationships
- Strong understanding of and ability to execute PR plans, strategies and programs based on client objectives
- Knowledge of social media and the ability to identify how it can be leveraged to achieve client objectives and communication strategy
- Familiarity with the Associated Press style guide
- Ability to effectively manage client budgets
- Ability to work effectively independently and collaborate with others in a team environment
- Positive attitude in a deadline-oriented environment
- Strong listening skills and the ability to facilitate meetings and make presentations
- Problem solving skills
- Ability to think creatively and develop new and interesting ideas
Education / Experience
- Bachelor’s degree required in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, English or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in public relations, preferably in an agency setting and/or within an applicable industry. Experience in the high-tech industry preferred.
- Minimum of five years public relations account management and execution experience, including developing communication plans, launch strategies, product positioning, and pitching stories
For further consideration, please apply online at [email protected].
With April Fools’ Day fast approaching, it is a good time to revisit the topic of fake news. While I look forward to Google’s annual tradition of announcing fake features and NPR’s trick segments, it is dangerous territory for PR professionals to disseminate fake news.
If not executed well, an April Fools’ Day stunt can ultimately damage your relationship with the media, your consumers and ultimately your brand. We recapped some April Fools’ Day announcements from years past in a 2009 post, “The Joke Press Release – Is it Appropriate for April Fools’ Day?” and offered some tips to consider if you are going to distribute fake news.
For a successful April Fools’ Day hoax note,
- Timing is critical: “April fool: AbleComm forgets what day it is, retracts Panasonic plasma cellphone release”
- Include some form of disclosure: As Rashmi Sinha, CEO, SlideShare recapped in her “Lessons learned from an April Fool’s prank,” it is important to ensure it is clear to readers/viewers that it is a joke.
- Be careful not to offend: April Fools Day joke goes awry with angry, confused readers
Here are some fun examples from 2010:
“Starbucks Listens to Customer Request for More Sizes” – Last year for April Fools’ Day Starbucks announced two new sizes – Plenta™ (128 fl oz) and Micra™ (2 fl oz) shown in the below photo.
“ProBlogger Acquired by Google” – Interestingly, the idea for this April Fools’ Day fake press release “started with a dream – a real dream where Google actually did buy ProBlogger for a new blogging platform for professional bloggers.” Blogger Darren Rowse recapped the ups and downs of the prank on a follow-up post. As you can see in Darren’s summary, some reporters thought the news was real.
“Today’s vowel outage” – On April 1, 2010, Gmail’s Engineering Director posted a notice for Gmail users stating that “all the vowels are missing. We realize this makes things difficult for all of you who rely on Gmail — whether at home or at work — and we’re incredibly sorry. We take morphological issues like this extremely seriously, so we want to let you all know what happened and what we’re doing about it.”
Later the following updates were posted to the Gmail blog:
“Update (7:30 am): We’ve determined that the letter ‘y’ is not impacted.
Update (3:02 pm): This issue has been resolved.
Update (12:01 am): Also, this issue never happened. Happy April 1st.”
“AceShot XR7000: The Smallest DSLR Camera Ever” – This April Fools’ Day fake product announcement duped at least one viewer for a short time as is stated in the comments, “Great April Fools Day joke. I thought this thing was a real product until you said it was 40lbs and doesn’t actually take pictures (just for those who like the action of taking photos). Hilarious. Guess I’m gonna have to stick with my large Nikon D90.”
What are some of your favorite April Fools’ Day hoaxes? Are you planning to distribute fake news this year?