Today was super fun! I launched the inaugural #PrimeTimePRchat on Twitter today. It was awesome! Not only for the good content and ideas but because it affirmed my belief in the field of public relations.
As a practitioner who has often been in the humbling and uncomfortable position of searching for employment, I started asking questions, which led to a conversation about being an experienced, Director-level professional and the issues we face. The chat came about as a group of us were discussing on Twitter about the fact that I am “overqualified” for many #PR jobs. I jokingly called myself PR Old Lady. The conversation focused on the fact that as senior or very experienced practitioners, we see a lot of #PRfails due to inexperience. Several of my favorite Twitter friends jumped in on the conversation and voila, a chat was born.
I will track the conversations here and keep you posted on my thoughts, learning, and experiences navigating the upper echelon of the communications world. Thanks for being here and visit me on Twitter to add your comments or to send me your ideas.
As with any new project or event, there’s always that moment of panic when you think no one is going to show up. My goal was to set the tone and to provide a comfortable spot for experienced professionals to discuss important issues facing our industry. The small but mighty group did not disappoint! We covered the expected skills of senior practitioners, ethics, and the benefits of recruiting or engaging very experienced employees. Much of what I brought to the chat was based on an article I read recently that had a phrase that I can’t get over: The Leadership Drought. We talk about leadership all day long in communications, but what if we are running dry in that department?
Click through to review the conversation {link in bio} and I would love to hear your thoughts.
Still relevant after all this time because we seem to have them at least weekly, if not daily!
How to Avoid a Social Media Public Relations Crisis {Link in BIO}
How is this possible when we have a very precise and dependable body of knowledge that tells us what to do in a crisis, and more importantly, how to avoid a crisis. This is PR 101 and I bet even your intern can tell you how to fix a social media snafu. Except, it keeps happening.
Read my blog for the full story, but I can tell you quickly how to avoid a scandal and keep your company out of the news.
As we watch (often finding it both humorous and horrific) we begin to see the patterns around the actions that lead to these massive PR failures. Companies that have been socially skewered seem to have fallen into or away from one of The Five Faults:
1. Rules and Regulations
2. Data and Technology
3. Social Exuberance
4. Sexism and Lack of Diversity
5. Celebrity Style (CEO and otherwise)
I would love to hear your thoughts! {Link in BIO}
#PR #PublicRelations #CrisisCommunication
Why Media Relations Isn't Enough For Effective PR
By Beth Monaghan | Forbes [edited]
For a long time, PR was synonymous with media relations, with some analyst relations, awards and speaking engagements on the side if you were really comprehensive. But media relations was the reason companies hired PR firms.
Why did media relations always come first? It was the most effective way to build awareness and credibility, and it still is. The catch is that the lifecycle of a news story is not what it once was. There’s been a 106% increase in news stories in the last 10 years and there are no signs of this slowing down.
People are inundated with polarizing information, and its impact has caused them to tune out and shut down. Brand trust is at stake and can be lost with a single tweet.
With all of this playing in the noisy background, earned, owned and paid media continue to blur, making it even harder for average consumers to distinguish real news from clickbait headlines.
The job of PR today is the same as it’s always been: build mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their audiences. However, the intent is redefining the marketing funnel. The buyer’s journey is now more of a constellation: a scattered series of moments or touch points.
So how do we make PR more effective? We move beyond the idea that media relations alone will drive leads. We need to make content more discoverable.
Traditional PR activities like media relations won’t succeed without integrating them with visual design, paid amplification, influencer support, SEO best practices and other digital marketing tactics.
This is the only way to create a meaningful and measurable program.
This shift has put increased pressure on PR programs to drive traffic, leads and sales similar to marketing campaigns. While certainly possible, it requires a shift in mindset and approach in order to design and execute campaigns that cut through the clutter and have measurable impacts.
10 LinkedIn Tips (You've Probably Never Heard Of) From 10 Different Experts
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adriandayton/2019/05/15/10-linkedin-tips-youve-probably-never-heard-of-from-10-different-experts/#27d64e02625a
Golf has Tiger Woods, basketball has Lebron James, and tennis has Roger Federer, but when it comes to the master of LinkedIn, there is not one single superstar that stands out.
Here are tips from 10 experts, including me! My advice, and this may seem obvious, but it has to be said: LinkedIn users need to be keenly aware of the difference between Facebook and LinkedIn.
Treating them the same may give your peers and professional contacts pause. Personal rants, family photos, and the like are rarely embraced on LinkedIn. (1) Beat the LinkedIn Algorithm
(2) Change Your "Connect" Button to "Follow"
(3) Make Sure Your Profile Image Doesn't Block Any of Your Background Info
(4) Request Recommendations
(5) Meaningful Engagement Over Likes
(6) Post Unique or Unusual Content
(7) Seek to Understand First
(8) Pull Key Stats and Figures from Shares to Post in Comments
(9) Treat LinkedIn Differently than Facebook
(10) If you are Barry Manilow, Go All-In on Being Barry Manilow
Top 6 Things that should NEVER Happen on LinkedIn:
1. Sending a connection request when your picture & bio are not visible.
2. Sending a connection request, and once accepted, adding the person to your email list.
3. Sending a connection request, then when the person accepts and asks you a question about your business/industry, never responding.
4. Sending a connection request and immediately following up with a sales pitch once accepted.
5. Sending a connection request and then asking the person for a date, telling them they’re attractive, or anything remotely flirtatious.
6. Never think that LinkedIn is just like Facebook.
A LinkedIn connection is simply that. It is not an invite for a sales presentation or a request for more information. It is not a friendly gesture or personal connection, but a business decision. Using the platform incorrectly undermines your credibility and future potential. Yes be friendly and responsive. Yes talk about what you do professionally. Yes be friendly. However, you must value your connections and communicate wisely or you will lose them.
#linkedin #business #communication #networking
The Myth of the Golden #PR Rolodex is an ongoing conversation in my industry and I cannot believe the myth still exists, especially with all the changes in media and recent layoffs. The idea of this a shimmering, glossy desktop model, I imagine, bursting with key contacts at every major media outlet in the world, organized alphabetically, of course, is simply not true.
I guess the myth has been sustained because non-PR folks want to believe like I continue to want to believe in Santa, that there is a magical quality to PR or at least a silver bullet that explains success.
The dream is that if you hire the person with the right contacts, they can guarantee media results. They have The Golden Rolodex & all they have to do is call up their friends at any number of media companies and your organization will appear in the news outlets of choice.
But it doesn't work that way. Pitching media is based on relationships, but those relationships are built on PR people providing relevant information, at the right time, to the right journalist. The idea that the journalist who loved my story idea 5 years ago will continue to write about everything I send their way into perpetuity is ridiculous.
Yes, connecting with lots of smart journalists is very useful to the PR professional. But more importantly, knowing how to find the right journalist, at the right time, is critical. I do not have to be friends with someone, or even have an existing relationship with them, if my story idea is targeted, timely, and relevant.
Blame Google, blame computers, blame Santa, however it happened, it just is not reasonable to assume that a long-amassed list of contacts will be useful, if even relevant. And frankly, reusing media lists is one of my top No-Nos for PR professionals. Every pitch should be crafted fresh. Offering a client a stale list is like offering my dinner guest a stale wine. Oh, but I opened it last month and it was so fresh and relevant then!
I would love to tell you all about it! Read the full post to learn all the details. {Link in BIO}
#PR #PublicRelations #Media #MediaRelations
Nothing is more challenging & exciting in a life than starting your own business. But with one great idea comes great responsibility.
The basic rule to succeed in any business is to have enough knowledge about it in order to hit the ground running. The right information can make your path toward success comparatively easy. So, how do you start out right and beat your competitors? Well, for starters, it is imperative to have a plan, complete with goals and a clearly defined vision.
In this era, the internet provides you with a variety of tools that will help your business in gaining popularity, engage with customers and build relationships.
This is where digital marketing comes into play. As the CEO of Dilly Digital, a successful marketing agency, says "digital marketing serves as a business strategy that allows you to advertise your business on the internet without burning too much money compared to more traditional marketing techniques. In a world where devices connect to each other more than humans, digital marketing provides you the benefit of being able to use these devices as tools for promoting your products and services." 5 Digital Marketing Tips For Startups via Forbes:
1. Create Evergreen Content
2. Run A Giveaway
3. Utilize Popups
4. Increase Your Visibility
5. Be Data-Driven
