Ragan Communications has announced a new benchmark survey in partnership with George Washington University College of Professional Studies that will be a first of its kind national research project to examine the state of government communication in the United States. We need feedback from communicators  who work in federal, state and local government, as well as communications professionals who engage with the government on behalf of private companies and nonprofit associations.

If that’s you, please take a few minutes to fill out the survey by October. 14. 

Preliminary findings of the survey will be announced at Ragan’s Communications Week, Nov. 1-7. The final report will be released by the end of the year.

“The study will yield strategic insights that will empower practitioners in government and the private sector to improve their communication and enhance public trust in their messaging,” said Lawrence J. Parnell, an associate professor and director of the Strategic Public Relations master’s program at GW’s Graduate School of Political Management.

Researchers will conduct hundreds of interviews with communications professionals in the public and private sectors, using contact lists provided by all the partner organizations involved in the project.=

The research findings will also help inform the programming and editorial coverage Ragan provides to its public affairs community via PR Daily, Ragan.com and the annual Public Affairs & Speechwriting Conference held in the Spring.

Thank you for sharing your insight and expertise with the broader communications community.

The post Government communicators needed: Ragan, GWU team up for new survey appeared first on PR Daily.

Amazon recently announced pay increases for U.S. front-line workers to more than $19 an hour and a benefit called Anytime Pay that allows workers to collect their pay at any point during the month.

“Continuing to invest in pay, providing easy access to earned wages at any time during the month, and offering great benefits and career advancement opportunities are all part of our long-term efforts to be the best employer in the world.” said John Felton, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations.

Amazon shared stories from workers about its new Anytime Pay benefit, as well as its existing College Choice program, which pays for associates’ tuition.

[RELATED: Submit your nominations for our Top Women in Comms Awards by Oct. 21!]

“I used Anytime Pay recently to pay for an unexpected vet bill when my cat got sick. It’s easy to use, super quick and gives me extra flexibility and freedom with my finances,” said Brittany Midgley, an employee at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Bondurant, Iowa. “Programs like these demonstrate that we’re valued and that Amazon is committed to our success.”

“I’m proud to be the first person to get a degree in my family thanks to the Career Choice program,” said Julio Martinez, an employee at Amazon’s data center in Hermiston, Oregon. “Career Choice allowed me to attend school without the additional stress of the cost because Amazon covered everything.”

What it means: Amazon’s use of employee testimonials helps share the message to its employees and the public of how its benefits programs help workers. There is an increased demand for workers with Amazon’s sales, and it appears that the wage increase is designed to help keep its existing workers and attract new ones. This move could lead other similar employers to raise their wages as well.

Twitter testing its edited tweets feature

Like it or not, the world of editable tweets is getting closer.

Twitter publicly shared its first edited tweet last week.

“Hello this is a test to make sure the edit button works, we’ll let you know how it goes, ” the tweet said.

Below it, you can see the time when the tweet was last edited, and if you click on that portion of the tweet, you’ll see the original tweet which, in this instance, was just a shorter version of the sentence edited version.

Twitter has said users will only be able to edit tweets for 30 minutes after its first posting and can only edit the tweet “a few times.”

What it means: It’s a lesson for communicators on how to do product rollout. By doing public tests, Twitter is building anticipation for the product, while getting feedback on what works and what doesn’t during tests. It also offers a sense of transparency on how the process is working.

LinkedIn offers new features for brand pages

LinkedIn is offering several new features on its brand pages to help increase engagement.

First, the company is offering several colorful post templates.

Second, LinkedIn is offering stickers to give links a more visual look.

Finally, LinkedIn will give page administrators the ability to pin comments underneath posts.

What it means: LinkedIn is following other social networks in offering additional opportunities for brands. The templates and link stickers will enhance the look of the posts and drive clickthrough, always a huge goal. The pinned comments are designed to spark more focused engagement and to highlight top fans and comments with the most engagement to the top of the reply chain. These are all helpful tools for communicators.

Study: Reviews, recommendations drive customer buying choices

A new report says reviews and recommendations drove 73% of responders to make purchases.

The report is from study of 1,001 British customers is from IMRG, the UK’s eCommerce association, and StoryStream.

“This research shows us that, for brands looking to grow the share of revenue generated through eCommerce, authentic content is an indispensable ingredient to successful online sales growth,” said StoryStream Head of Marketing Matthew Sykes.

The study also spotlighted the growth of live video shopping.

In the study, 57% of respondents said that Live Video Shopping would increase their likelihood of purchasing a product and 62% of respondents said that they would like to see more Live Video Shopping streams from brands they follow online.

The report also reiterated brands’ understanding that the perceived authenticity and trustworthiness of a brand are major factors to consumers when choosing what to buy online.

What it means: Brand content is important, but original content from your audience talking about your brand’s product or service is best. User reviews and recommendations are powerful tools to share your brand’s story.

Chris Pugh is a staff writer for PR Daily. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Send story ideas to ChrisP@Ragan.com.

The post How edited tweets will look, Amazon’s worker testimonials and more appeared first on PR Daily.

You know the weather is bad when your local Waffle House closes.

The restaurant chain is known for rarely closing – even during natural disasters.

But not even scattered, smothered and covered hashbrowns can stand up to Hurricane Ian.

Waffle House officials said 35 locations are closed across the state as of Wednesday morning.

“We do have closures in mandatory evacuation zones and locations within low-lying areas that are subject to severe flooding,” Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss told USA TODAY.

Waffle House closures are noted by FEMA, who watches the “Waffle House Index.” The informal system was created by a former director of the agency after a run of hurricanes in 2004.

All @WaffleHouse restaurants are open 24/7. That's why @FEMA created the "Waffle House Index" to determine severity of storms. If a @WaffleHouse location closes, the storm is really bad! #Florence pic.twitter.com/0yu0tC29Sj

— Mark Friedlander (@markfri09) September 12, 2018

FEMA said that the test is useful to determining how the community is doing after a storm.

“The Waffle House test just doesn’t tell us how quickly a business might rebound – it also tells how the larger community is faring,” a FEMA blog post said. “The sooner restaurants, grocery and corner stores or banks can reopen, the sooner local economies will start generating revenue again – signaling a strong recovery for that community.”

What it means: Brands dream about a celebrity referencing their brand online. Waffle House has a federal agency who uses their branding for helping judging the power of a storm and monitors their company decisions on determining how cities they serve are bouncing back. We haven’t seen recent social media posts from Waffle House about their FEMA connection during Hurricane Ian, but it’s a powerful story to tell about how their brand is impacting the community.

Why videos get removed from TikTok

TikTok said in its quarterly transparency report released Wednesday that it removed 113 million videos between April and June this year due to policy violations.

About 44 percent of videos were taken down due to violations concerning minor safety, TikTok said. The report indicated that other violations included illegal activities and regulated goods, as well as adult nudity and sexual activities.

The company said 48 million videos in the last quarter have been removed by the platform’s automated systems, many before users reported them to TikTok.

“Leveraging machine learning has been especially impactful when it comes to our countering harmful misinformation,” the report reads. “We expanded our capacity to iterate rapidly on our systems given the fast changing nature of misinformation, especially during a crisis or event (e.g. the war in Ukraine or an election).”

What it means: TikTok’s proactive moves are a sign that the social network is taking online safety seriously. Cleaning out inappropriate videos will improve user experience and continue to draw general audiences to TikTok. And that’s a good sign for communicators who have found success with TikTok.

Facebook testing subscriber posts

Facebook is testing post options which could provide a new revenue source for brands.

The social network is looking at subscriber-first posts which would allow brands and other content creators to offer posts to subscribers first for 24 hours, 48 hours or a week.

Meta has teased ways of making its sites more appealing to creators and brands, including more related content suggestions through Instagram and additional tools for Facebook page owners to expand the reach of their brand.

What it means: Subscriber posts on Facebook could be an absolute home run for brands, who can make special offers and exclusive content to their customers, while also providing a new revenue source.

Why the SEC is looking at the original MoviePass

MoviePass is back in business, but some of its original founders are in court.

The business offers a monthly subscription service to watch movies in theatres and originally offered unlimited movies for $9.95 per month, but dropped the unlimited part after losing money and ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2020. The business formerly offered unlimited movie theater viewings for $9.95 each month. After unsurprisingly losing money, they dropped the “unlimited” but still filed for bankruptcy in 2020.

The SEC recently filed a complaint against former MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe and Ted Farnsworth, the former CEO of parent company Helios and Matheson Analytics , claiming they lied about how it planned to be profitable and used “fraudulent tactics to prevent MoviePass’s heavy users from using the [unlimited subscription service].”

The claim is disputed by Chris Bond, a spokesman for Farnsworth.

“The complaint concerns matters subject to an investigation that the company and other news outlets publicly disclosed nearly three years ago, and Mr. Farnsworth’s legal team will maintain the challenge to this complaint. Mr. Farnsworth continues to maintain that he has always acted in good faith in the best interests of his companies and shareholders.”

The new version of MoviePass is being beta tested in Chicago, Kansas City and Dallas with no unlimited viewing.

What it means: The initial version of MoviePass seemed doomed from the start, because of inconsistent communications messages from the company. Now they’re stuck explaining those communications in court. It’s a reminder to work closely with the legal department before there’s a crisis to offer clear and legally sound messaging.

Chris Pugh is a staff writer for PR Daily. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Send story ideas to ChrisP@Ragan.com.

The post The Waffle House Index, why TikTok removed 113M videos and more appeared first on PR Daily.

Netflix’s week was a series of unfortunate events. They announced they’d lost subscribers, would be canceling many programs and, finally, that they’d laid off staffers with Tudum, their brand journalism arm launched just seven months prior.

At least 10 contractors and staffers, many women and/or people of color, were laid off April 29 and given two weeks of severance less than a year after being aggressively recruited by the streaming giant with six-figure salaries, according to a slew of stories reporting on the changes.

“Our fan website Tudum is an important priority for the company,” the company said

Whatever Tudum’s actual fate will be, there are lessons that savvy communicators should learn as they consider their own brand journalism efforts. According to Ragan’s Communications Benchmark Report 2022, pros expect to see this sector continue to grow in the coming year. Whether you’re considering your existing efforts or looking at standing up a new initiative, keep these items in mind to avoid some of Tudum’s mistakes.

1. Make sure everyone understands the purpose.

According to The Daily Beast, the project was launched with a set of promises to staffers that seem, from the outside, too good to be true.

Although Tudum launched as part of Netflix’s massive marketing division with the goal of promoting the company’s titles, writers were promised editorial freedom — as well as dream working conditions like astronomical pay and no story or traffic quotas. “I was just like, man, it’s like we’re being treated like magazine writers from 50 years ago,” another source recalled.

Yet, Netflix corporate and Tudum’s journalists seemingly had different ideas about what “editorial freedom” meant. Staffers complained they weren’t permitted to write critically about Netflix shows, The Daily Beast reported. And NPR says that mentions of films not in Netflix’s collection were deleted from the site.

Indeed, while it seemed many staffers expected to continue doing more traditional journalism, the launch video for Tudum from December reveals plans for a site that allowed you to “discover more about your Netflix favorites.” The ad’s focus on a search bar where “users” type in questions about Netflix shows indicates an initiative more focused around SEO and branded content than deep dives into culture and themes.

And indeed, if you look at Tudum today, that’s what you’ll find.

Whatever staffers were told in the hiring process, it appears there was a disconnect that was never corrected. As one staffer told NPR, “They started tightening up little by little. And then just it became clear. It’s a content marketing job, essentially. That would have been fine if from the get-go they made that clear.”

And as The Daily Beast reported:

Writers and editors previously told they could write about anything they want allegedly found themselves assigned to arbitrary beats like crime and science fiction. And suddenly everyone’s work had to be “title-focused,” one source said — whereas originally, teams like culture and trends had been encouraged to focus on meatier work that went beyond straightforward promo.

Hiring former journalists is a good way to ensure quality content on your site. However, journalists must understand that the world of branded content isn’t the same as traditional reporting and that no matter what’s promised, they will have to serve the needs of the organization first and foremost. Likewise, companies shouldn’t tell job candidates what they want to hear to get them to sign on the dotted line. Clear expectations serve everyone in the long run.

Most important, work must be tied to measurable goals that feed the company’s goals – Tudum workers say they never had firm metrics to hit – and everyone must be on the same page about what those are.

2. Give teams the resources to succeed.

Everyone agrees that Netflix built a talented team for its venture and paid them well. However, that doesn’t mean they had all the resources they needed to succeed. From The Daily Beast:

It didn’t seem great, for instance, that no one at the top apparently thought to have a Twitter account for Tudum ready at launch — or, really, to promote Tudum and its content at all. The content management system couldn’t embed trailers or tweets, and the site launched without author pages or an archive. How did Netflix, a company with a small army of engineers at its disposal who specialize in keeping eyeballs on screens, think this would work?

Any successful brand journalism venture needs a CMS that fits their needs (and embedding tweets and playing video should be standard), as well as promotion. Content for content’s sake doesn’t serve your audience or your bottom line.

But perhaps the biggest resource that Netflix withheld from Tudum was time. Most staffers reported being hired just seven months ago; the social media launch announcement came less than six months ago. That isn’t enough time to let a new publication find its footing, voice and audience.

Granted, Netflix’s business woes threw it some curveballs that were likely unexpected. Still, even with a clear vision and goals, most branded journalism initiatives won’t bear fruit in less than a year. Make sure you’re in this for the long haul.

3. Diverse hiring isn’t laudable if the jobs aren’t real.

Netflix hired an incredibly diverse team to run Tudum, including a Black woman as its head. However, that also means that they’ve now laid off a diverse team without giving the initiative a true chance to succeed, in many cases drawing those staffers away from other jobs and prompting cross-country moves.

The Daily Beast reported:

By making such hires, Netflix built cachet for both itself and this new editorial arm — and by putting them first in line out the door as the company’s stock plummets, the streamer has made clear how little it actually valued their work.

“I feel that we were led astray and that we were taken advantage of because we were mostly a team of color, mostly women,” one of the former staffers said.

While most companies are rightfully emphasizing DE&I in hiring, they must also look at how they treat those people, and how others will perceive mass layoffs of a predominately diverse group. Hiring for diversity can’t just be a PR move completed in a branch of your company that seems easy to cut later. It must permeate the entire organization. And if mass cuts are required in a heavily diverse department, think hard about what your messaging will be.

The bottom line: If you’re going to do brand journalism, commit to it with strong goals, a long timeline and a clear value proposition to those you hire.

The post What you can learn from Netflix’s brand journalism layoffs appeared first on PR Daily.

In public relations, a lot of focus and glory goes to national and international news outlets. But local news remains the lifeblood of communities, and a key way to share hyper-local messages with engaged audiences.

After seven years working at the Indianapolis Star as a social media producer, content creator, digital strategist and editor, I’ve met plenty of media relations folks. Here are some of the things I wish PR professionals knew about life in a local newsroom—along with some tips from journalists in other newsrooms.

1. Local newsrooms are a lot smaller than they used to be.

Sometimes I’d look through the Indianapolis Star’s archives and be amazed at how many journalists used to cover the city. From a whole squadron of statehouse reporters to an honest-to-goodness architecture critic, newsrooms used to be a lot bigger.

They’re getting smaller all the time.

Since 2008, all newsrooms have shrunk by 26%, according to Pew Research. The coronavirus pandemic further hastened that pain with layoffs, consolidations and shuttered newsrooms.

At the same time, the PR industry has exploded. A 2019 study found that there were about six PR pros for every one journalist. That means there are more communications pros vying for the attention of fewer and fewer journalists.

The bottom line for you as a PR professional is that it might not matter how great your pitch is if there isn’t anyone left to cover it.

2. Journalists at local outlets only care about their geographic areas.

Unlike national newspapers or TV outlets, local media only cares about what’s, well, local. At the Indianapolis Star, we had a core coverage area of counties that touch Indianapolis, with an expanded interest in the whole state of Indiana if it was a really good story. But if it was one mile outside of Indiana’s borders, forget it. No interest — unless it impacted Indiana in a real way.

Some coverage areas are much smaller. “My definition of ‘local’ is different than the PR pros who email me,” Jared Jernagan with the Greencastle Banner-Graphic tweeted. “If it doesn’t fall within the 382 square miles of Putnam County, Ind., or involve a current or former resident, I’m probably not printing that story.”

This can be an opportunity for brands to get stories of intense local interest in front of the right audiences. After all, everyone loves a story about a local resident who made good. But it means you’re probably wasting your time pitching a general trend story to a local outlet, unless you can offer up a local example.

3. Journos get a lot of email.

Everyone gets too many emails, sure. But it isn’t uncommon for journalists to get hundreds in a day. One study found 46% of journalists receive at least 11 pitches a day, with some receiving more than 100. That can cause frustration when many of the pitches are off base.

Jon Murray, an enterprise reporter with the Denver Post, tweeted that perhaps 10% of pitches he receives are relevant to him. “Those whose pitches miss the mark most also seem most likely to ‘follow up,’” Murray wrote. “Which gums up our inboxes even more.”

If you ever wonder why a local journalist isn’t responding to your “just following up!” nudge, remember that their inbox is overflowing, and you’ve just added to the unending pile.

4. Every outlet has metrics to hit.

While many newsrooms have moved past chasing clicks at any cost, you might be surprised at how much newsrooms rely on metrics to make decisions about what they cover and how they cover it.

Pageviews are still a factor. They show how interested the audience typically is in a topic. After all, who wants to write something no one reads? If something doesn’t tend to get much interest, we’ll probably pass on covering it unless it serves a news purpose that uplifts the community.

Many newspapers and digital startups are also moving from advertising-supported models toward a subscription-based future, which means newsrooms are also looking at what kinds of stories inspire people to fork over money to read them. Journalists aren’t rejecting you to be mean. They just know when a topic isn’t of interest to their readers.

None of this is to discourage you from pitching local news. There are valuable, engaged audiences that can be reached with targeted messages. Just remember to treat those pitches as seriously as something you’d send to national media.

And of course, support your local media outlet with a subscription or donation. Help keep the news alive and prevent news deserts

The post What journalists at local outlets wish PR pros knew about their jobs appeared first on PR Daily.

This article originally ran in 2019 and is part of our annual countdown of the most-viewed stories from PR Daily.

Public speaking can be terrifying, especially if you are a shy person.

However, being that shouldn’t stop you from becoming an outstanding presenter. The world is filled with successful speakers and entertainers who tend to clam up in large public settings.

The key is to expand themselves and open up to the possibility of spending at least part of their time in a gregarious state. It might not feel comfortable at first, but it is a crucial step for anyone who wants to be a more effective communicator.

Here are some tips to help reserved speakers give solid presentations:

1. Prepare like an athlete.

Before every presentation make sure to warm up your body and mind. You could try some stretching or yoga exercises or go for a brisk walk. It is helpful to get all the tension out of your body first, and then focus your mind on the outcome you want to achieve.

Once you have relaxed, start thinking thoughts as though your desired outcome has been achieved, such as “I loved being with this audience!” or “My presentation was a great success!” This will switch your mind from fear to certainty that you can achieve the result you want and approach the presentation with confidence.

2. Visualize the outcome you want.

Visualizing success before it happens is something that athletes and performers have used for years. Stay focused on your desired outcome and imagine in vivid detail the presentation going incredibly well. See the audience engaging with and appreciating your presentation.

Feel the positive emotions associated with your great success and start feeling good about the presentation before it happens. This is a powerful way to interrupt any fear or doubt and make you feel empowered before you present.

3. Breathe away tension.

Most people enter “fight or flight” mode when they get nervous. As a presenter this will make it virtually impossible to perform at your best.

One the simplest ways to get out of this state is to take a clearing breath. This will ease the mind, increase confidence and lower your heart rate and blood pressure. There are many ways to do this, such as the “6-2-7” method, which involves inhaling through your nose for 6 seconds, holding it for 2 seconds and exhaling for 7 seconds. It is important that the exhale is longer than the inhale to calm and relax your body and mind.

4. Create a power move.

Some of the best performers in the world use a power move before stepping in front of an audience to put them in an optimum state for success. Tony Robbins pounds his chest and uses some dynamic movements to get him prepared backstage. Tiger Woods shakes his fist and yells “Yes!” Find a power move that you can use as a fast and effective way to create a quick and dynamic change.

5. Write an identity statement.

Change your identity into a more confident and extroverted version of yourself by creating a powerful identity statement that consists of the strength that you want to have and what you want to accomplish.

It could be something like this: “I love giving presentations. I always find a way to connect with and influence every audience I speak to!”

Create your own identity statement and start using it right away.

6. Turn these tricks into a routine.

Use the tools and strategies above to create a routine for yourself before every presentation. Using these emotional and mental preparation techniques in a routine can help you achieve spectacular results.

Tom McCarthy is the founder of the Fire Up Training System.

(Image via)

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in May of 2018.

The post 6 tips to help shy speakers make strong presentations appeared first on PR Daily.

This article originally ran in 2019 and is part of our annual countdown of the most-viewed stories from PR Daily.

Everyone appears to be ‘humbled”—but most people are misusing the word.

The same goes for other terms that crop up in presentations and remarks from spokespeople, undermining the intended message. Here are some words and phrases you should weed out of your interviews and speeches:

‘Humbled’

Sports stars, politicians and film stars appear particularly fond of the term. Just last week Canadian Soccer President Steve Reed said the organization was “very humbled” to win the bid to host the World Cup in 2026 alongside USA and Mexico, which is odd because the word can be taken to mean embarrassed and defeated.

[RELATED: Join us March 19-21 for Ragan’s Social Media Conference at Walt Disney World]

What he meant was “honored” because he was describing something that his organization surely feels proud about. Losing that World Cup bid, on the other hand, would have potentially been a humbling experience.

Mr Rees is far from being alone in his misuse of this word. Hilary Clinton once said in a speech that she was “very proud and very humbled,” which is pretty much impossible at the same time.

Recently, the Labor party’s Janet Daby told reporters she felt ‘humbled and delighted’ to win the Lewisham Easy by-election—the word you are looking for Janet is ‘honoured’.

There are two theories about this misuse of vocabulary: Either a spokesperson has heard others say it in interviews and thought that it sounded good without really understanding the meaning, or some—particularly the rich and famous—want to be seen as being humble.

If media spokespeople are going to use this overused word, they should at least use it in the right context.

‘Passionate’

This is very similar to spokespeople saying how “excited” they are .

It sounds scripted, like a press release is just being read aloud, and it also sounds false if the issue they are discussing is bland or dry.

Do you believe it when a spokesperson says, “We are passionate about customer service?”

You audience wants to see someone who is passionate—but that passion should come through from the way he or she discusses a subject and the examples used to support the overall message. Show; don’t tell.

Talk of passion is probably best left to the bedroom.

‘Pleased to announce’

This is another one of those expressions found in bad press releases which sometimes makes their way into media interviews.

Again, there is the issue of the word making the interview sound scripted—but it is also completely pointless. It is fair to assume that if an organization is issuing a press release or giving interviews about a new service or product, they are pleased to be making that announcement. The audience doesn’t need it spelled out.

News outlets aren’t going to use quotes of spokespeople saying how pleased they are to make an announcement. They will use quotes that show why and how what you are announcing should matter to their audience.

‘Reach out’

Unless you are a member of the Four Tops, there is absolutely no reason to utter the phrase “reach out.”

It is an example of the horrible boardroom language which all too often finds its way into media interviews. A quick Google search will show that spokespeople who use this phrase are widely derided, yet it continues to be used. Fortunately, the English language offers some much better alternatives, such as “contact” and “appeal.”

‘Leveraging our synergies’

If you thought that the words “leveraging” and “synergy” were painful, imagine the horror of combining them together in one sentence.

Is it possible to leverage synergies? Does it mean anything at all? If people can’t follow what a spokesperson is saying they will switch off and the opportunity a media interview presents will be lost.

‘That’s a great question’

If this phrase is used sparingly, it can be an effective way for a spokesperson to buy themselves a little thinking time before responding to a difficult question.

However, when it is used repeatedly it can become one of those distractions, a bit like starting every response with “so,” which can irritate audiences.

What phrases would you add to the list, PR Daily readers?

Adam Fisher is the content editor for Media First, a media and communications training firm. A version of this article originally appeared on the Media First blog.

(Image via)

The post Words and phrases PR spokespeople should avoid appeared first on PR Daily.

Honest feedback is essential for a PR team.

To ensure your messaging is hitting home with its intended audience—and to avoid potential costly missteps—your team must be able to take criticism.

Writers must be willing to rework ill-advised phrases. Videographers must sometimes cut beloved clips. Leaders must be willing to change tactics.

However, your criticism might fall on deaf ears if it isn’t delivered gently.

This infographic from Get VOIP shares the essential elements of effective constructive criticism.

Key insights include:

• Fifty-one percent of millennials expect regular and detailed feedback.
• Thirty-five percent of employees leave because of mishandled critique.
• Forty-three percent of employees cite lack of recognition as a reason to quit.

Learn about the best tactics for reinforcing good workplace habits by reading the rest of this handy guide.

The post Infographic: How to give and receive criticism appeared first on PR Daily.

Public relations professionals likely know about major PR publications such as PR Daily, PRNews and O’Dwyer’s, as well PRSA publications like PRsay.

However, some of the most thought-provoking commentary and helpful advice comes from PR professionals who publish their own blogs. Some of these PR veterans are independent consultants. Some have built their own agencies. Some focus on specific topics like technology or PR measurement. Some cover a wider range of PR-related subjects, including current events or general business topics, depending on what strikes the writer’s fancy.

Many of the blogs are well known and highly influential. Others may be less well known but offer provocative content.

Most PR and marketing professionals have their personal list of favorite industry blogs and online publications. The following is a list of favorite PR blogs, in no particular order. Feel free to keep this list as a resource to regularly revisit these blogs. You might also consider putting them in your browser’s favorites bar. (You also might include the Glean.info blog in your bookmarks.)

Leading PR blogs

The Flack—written by PR veteran Peter Himler, founding principal of Flatiron Communications LLC.

ImPRessions—published by Dorothy Crenshaw, founder of Crenshaw Communications.

Ishmael’s Corner—created by Lou Hoffman, CEO of The Hoffman Agency.

The Shift Blog—written by account executives and other personnel at Shift Communications.

Spin Sucks—founded by Arment Dietrich CEO Gini Dietrich, who continues to write the bulk of the articles.

Waxing Unlyrical—created by Shonali Burke, the force behind Shonali Burke Consulting Inc. The blog offers posts by Burke as well as contributors and a strong dose of articles on PR measurement.

Katie Paine’s Measurement Blog—from Katie Paine, PR measurement expert and CEO of Paine Publishing. The blog includes articles on measurement and other communications topics. Paine also offers The Measurement Advisor, a subscription-based publication covering measurement of PR, social media and corporate communications.

Scott Monty—a corporate communications veteran who calls himself a “recovering Fortune 10 executive,” Monty covers PR, marketing, technology and other topics on his website. He also publishes The Full Monty, a terrific weekly e-newsletter with a communications technology, social media and marketing bent.

Talking Points (formerly Communications Conversations)—run by Arik C. Hanson, principal of ACH Communications. Hanson also co-produces a Talking Points podcast with Kevin Hunt, manager, corporate communications content and channels at General Mills.

PR Couture—bills itself as a resource for fashion and lifestyle communicators, but its blog offers a wealth of information on career advancement, tips for PR agencies, influencer marketing and other general PR areas.

PR and communications pros can also sign up for the Daily PR Brief, an e-mail newsletter that rounds up the best PR-related articles of the day.

There are also worthwhile Paper.li newsletters. Some are:

The PR Measurement Daily—GleanTeam

Tech PR Talk—Dave Costello

The Shel Holtz Daily—Shel Holtz

The Social Media Measurement Daily—Puglisi Consulting

If you work in public relations, you might benefit by visiting these leading industry blogs regularly. The blogs cover the latest industry news and trends, and offer valuable tips on improving PR results. Perhaps more importantly, they offer insights and perspectives from industry insiders.

Please add your suggestions of worthwhile PR and marketing blogs in the comments section.

A version of this post first appeared on the Glean.info blog.

(Image via)

This article first appeared on PR Daily in  December of 2018.

The post 10 essential PR blogs to read appeared first on PR Daily.

Two is the new five.

When people ask what will happen in the next five years, chances are that whatever it is will happen in just two.

A colleague said that at a recent seminar, and it really captures the chaotic pace of change we all must now endure. Our day-to-day work is fast and intense, and we must account for a dizzying array of new strategies, platforms and technological wonders.

It often makes me wonder: When we went to the office 20 years ago, what did we do all day? I think we spent a little more time on the fundamentals of PR, which, if we can pause long enough to take a breath, look like this:

1. Audience identification

Any effective communication program must begin by identifying the target audience. This is all-inclusive research that factors in the wants, needs and behavioral triggers of a population segment. The imperative here is to focus on what the audience needs—not what a business or brand wants to say.

2. Clearly defined positioning

Whether a business has defined its positioning or not, every brand has one. Three department stores provide a clear way to view positioning—think about the differences between Walmart, Target and Nordstrom. Each occupies a unique position in the market, and, more importantly, our expectation of the experience we will have in those stores.

It is more challenging in B2B marketing, but characteristics like speed, scale, reliability and customer experience all contribute. Positioning is what you are and what people believe you are. In technology, the classic comparison of Salesforce to Oracle is an iconic example. Salesforce positioned itself as the antidote to software as it brought predictable pricing and short-circuited premise software implementations.

3. Messaging

Messaging is the intersection of audience identification and positioning. PR needs messages to do one important thing: Resonate. The path to finding messages that resonate begins with answering these questions:

• What do people think about your business or brand today?
• What do you want people to think?
• What messages can you send that facilitate how you want to be perceived?

4. Message distribution

Message distribution is medium of conveyance—it’s how you get a message to an identified audience. It used to be we had three choices:

• Rent a medium with advertising
• Earn coverage in a medium by being useful
• Earn word-of-mouth with guerrilla marketing

Today, we have both more options within those traditional choices and more options in general. The lower costs of publishing means that we can build our own medium. That is the essence of content marketing, and why PR and content marketing work best when working together.

5. Feedback and measurement

After the first four steps of these PR fundamentals, evaluation is required.

Traditionally, it was challenging to link a message to an outcome, but that has changed considerably as information became digitalized. Now we can measure such factors as web traffic acquisition and behavior with accuracy.

That feedback loop happens at far greater speeds today—you can put a message in the market and understand pretty quickly if it’s resonating. Indeed, for many in PR, that’s a big part of the reason why two feels like the new five.

Frank Strong is founder of Sword and the Script Media. A version of this post first appeared on Sword and the Script.

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This article first appeared on PR Daily in November of 2018.

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Its influence is simply too large to ignore.

With a global usership in the billions, social media has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

While it has touched just about every industry under the sun in some capacity, it has had a huge—and arguably more pointed—impact on the public relations industry.

From changing the way people consume their news to contributing to the rise of the citizen journalist, social media has forced PR pros and reporters to adapt or perish.

Here are five key ways social media has impacted the PR industry and why it’s essential for all professional communicators to get on board.

1. The lifespan of a news story is shorter—but its reach is astronomical.

Social media is immediate and noisy. How noisy? Roughly 6,000 tweets are shared per second on Twitter. That’s just one of many social networks.

While that makes social media a highly effective tool for communicating breaking news coverage, it also means the lifespan of a news story is much shorter than it used to be. This means that journalists are constantly searching for the next big thing and PR pros must keep up.

However, even though the lifespan of a story may be shorter, social media has the power to broadcast a story farther than ever before. Thanks to social sharing, an article in a small local publication in the middle of the country may go viral online, spreading globally and becoming the next big story.

2. Crisis communications has become even more crucial.

As if PR pros needed another thing keeping them awake at night, social media has provided a whole new way for brands to mess up big time in front of their audience if they aren’t careful.

Beyond scheduling media interviews and pitching stories, PR professionals are now responsible for managing brand voice and protecting the organization’s online reputation via the publication and promotion of additional content, community engagement, media monitoring and measurement.

Failure to monitor social media for brand mentions and have a plan in place for responding to customer feedback (both good and bad) could mean a missed opportunity at best (like the Red Lobster-Beyonce faux pas from early 2016) or a full-scale crisis at worst (United Airlines).

3. PR pros have increased access to journalists.

Social media helps PR pros get closer than ever to reporters. By following a journalist on social media, PR pros can learn about a reporter’s tone of voice, opinions on relevant topics and recent work.

However, this doesn’t mean you should drop all other responsibilities and spend 40 hours a week sifting through Twitter. Instead use a tool like Muck Rack to find publications and journalists that meet your criteria and get instantly connected with their recent tweets and social media profiles.

A word of caution: While social media can be a great place to research reporters and make connections, it’s not a good idea to tweet or direct message your pitch directly toa reporter unless their bio explicitly indicates to do so.

4. PR pros find themselves in the customer-service trenches.

Social media interactions happen in real time.

This means that social media users expect an immediate response from brands when they have a concern, complaint or question.

Although the primary responsibility for most PR pros is still to secure media placements for their client or company, they’ve had to become much more customer-focused.

Building your brand community on social media is now just as important as snagging that interview for your CEO; depending on your industry, it might be even more influential than traditional media coverage.

5. Social media has introduced a new PR phenomenon: influencers.

Social media hasn’t just provided an outlet for professionally-trained journalists to share breaking news; it’s also brought about a new type of citizen journalist: the influencer.

From a beauty vlogger with 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube to a travel blogger with 175k followers on Instagram, influencers are considered one of the best ways to attract new customers to a brand.

Consider the fact that 71 percent of American consumers say they are more likely to make a purchase based on a social mediareference. That is real power.

More than ever, these social media influencers with high follower counts could mean big opportunities for PR professionals and the brands they represent.

What other ways has social media changed the public relations industry, PR Daily readers?

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in November of 2017.

Jessica Lawlor is the features editor for the Muck Rack blog and handles PR and social media for Muck Rack. A version of this article originally appeared on Muck Rack, a service that enables you to find journalists to pitch, build media lists, get press alerts and create coverage reports with social media data.

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The role of a PR professional has expanded into so many areas—digital, social media, marketing—that it’s hard to know what skills are required to do this multifaceted and wide-ranging job.

I recently caught up with PR consultant Michael Smart who shared four essential skills—two old and two new—that all PR pros must have to succeed today.

How many can you check off your list?

Timeless skills

1. The ability to write a simple declarative sentence will never become outdated.

To advance ideas and pitch stories, it is critical that you hone your writing skills.

Clarity and brevity are key when reaching out to journalists. Does the lightbulb go on when they read your prose? Can they understand exactly what you’re trying to convey and why it’s important? Will they care?

Many journalists get 400 emails a day, so to pierce the noise you must make your case with a few well-worded sentences. Reporters are writers and particularly critical of the prose they receive. If it’s grammatically incorrect, unconvincing or inaccurate, your credibility as a professional will be questioned.

2. Always identify and understand your key audiences.

While every PR pro dreams of a placement in The New York Times or Wall Street Journal, the readers of those venerated publications may not actually be the audience for your message.

Before devising a media list or strategy, it’s critical to identify who you need to reach — who will buy your product or service? How old are they, where do they live and what are they reading, watching and consuming? Once you have a clear picture of your audience, you can decide which media outlets are worth targeting and design your pitches accordingly.

Two essential new skills

1. Match your content to your intended platform.

The days of penning a press release and sending it to 200 reporters are over. With the proliferation of online outlets and social media influencers, you will need to reshape the same story for each platform.

Though a news service may still be interested in seeing a press release or a new research study, an online outlet may prefer a video of the professor in the lab showing how he works and explaining his key findings. You could alternatively do an Instagram story highlighting a day in the life of a scientist.

It’s important to pick which outlets reach your target audience and then put forth the effort to create content that will play well on the specific medium.

You also need to be flexible and savvy enough to adapt your outreach to the individual habits of the reporter or influencer. Know who wants an email at 7 a.m. and know who only reads Twitter notifications. It’s a lot more work, but the results from personalizing both your pitch and method of outreach will be worthwhile.

2. Be willing to abandon old structures—and break the rules.

AP style still has its place but because pitching today is so individual, the way you write for a Buzzfeed pitch cannot possibly follow those guidelines. If you can adapt your style to the outlet’s style and show that you understand what they do and what their audience is all about, you’ll be more likely to catch their attention.

Bonus tip

In the past, you would never follow up with a reporter more than twice. Be prepared to follow your instinct, not an antiquated rule.

If you’ve done your homework, crafted a well-written pitch that’s right up the alley of the reporter in terms of topics of interest, then keep following up until you get an answer. Chances are he or she may not even have seen it. Now that people can call, text, email or tweet at a reporter, there just aren’t enough hours in the day for them to go through all their messages and do their job. If you can follow up in a respectful fashion and include more useful information, you can try to reach out again and still get a hit.

The PR industry has changed drastically and you’ll need to use both old and new skills to succeed today. To quote Michael Smart, “If you spend 80 percent of your time on the 20 percent of your list that are most influential to your audience, you’ll be successful.”

Ellie Schlam is a PR pro with experience in nonprofit, health and education, currently Executive Director of Communications and Marketing at Touro College and University System. ” A version of this article originally appeared on Muck Rack, a service that enables you to find journalists to pitch, build media lists, get press alerts and create coverage reports with social media data.

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This article originally appeared on PR Daily in September of 2018.

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Web traffic is the heartbeat of any website or other digital property.

You can always pay for traffic, and PPC (or paid search) is an excellent way to reach your potential customers. However, if you want your web marketing efforts to achieve long-term success with a relatively small upfront investment, organic traffic is also crucial.

Search engine optimization (SEO) has the greatest influence on organic traffic, generated when users type a search term in Google and click on your organic listing in the search results (SERPs). Most people never scroll past the first or second page of results, which is why marketers covet top spots.

Here are 15 SEO tips to increase organic traffic to your website:

1. Write for your audience.

Identify your audience’s problem or need and deliver content that helps lead them to a solution or answers common questions. Also, remember that your audience may not refer to products or subjects in the same way as your organization.

For example, if you reference smart homes as “connected homes,” but your audience is more likely to search for “smart home technology” versus “connected home technology,” you will have more success incorporating smart home language into your content.

Keyword research is essential to determine how people phrase their searches, and you should always write content to respond to those searches.

2. Create an editorial calendar—but be flexible.

Depending on how often you publish, you may want to plan topics for an entire quarter or more. However, leave room in your plan to shuffle article order as needed or add topics to capitalize on industry trends or user searches.

3. Jump on industry trends and timely topics.

Think about industry or seasonal trends that may incite your audience to seek out relevant information online and create content to support those searches.

4. Develop evergreen content.

Content that can drive traffic to your site over an extended time is the bedrock of a successful SEO strategy. However, this doesn’t equal a one-and-done approach. Freshness is key, particularly if you’re in a competitive industry, so make sure to balance evergreen content with more timely topics.

5. Be unique.

Don’t simply regurgitate content that already exists elsewhere. If you want to grow organic traffic to your site, you have to offer a unique or different solution to a question or problem.

6. Be better.

If people are looking for information on a particular subject, you likely aren’t the first company to publish relevant content. Peruse any sites that have already published and consider what they do well and where they have room to improve. What can you offer that they don’t already provide? What can you add to the conversation?

7. Conduct advanced keyword research—and have realistic expectations.

Choose keywords you can rank for, not just those with the highest volume. Is your audience interested in niche topics that are underserved or lightly covered?

8. Include keywords in your title, headlines, subheads and bold copy.

Google scans content much the same way humans scan content. Make it easy for search engines to determine what your content is about by including relevant keywords in places that are easy to spot. If it makes sense, you may also want to consider putting keywords at beginning of your headlines.

9. Build relationships with subject matter experts and industry influencers.

When you invest the time to partner with true subject matter experts, your content will be higher quality and more useful to your audience.

You may want to rely on a mix of experts within and outside your organization. The former can help further your organization’s profile as an authority, while the latter can cast a wider net and help get your content to people you may not already reach.

10. Have a link building strategy.

This is a two-way street. Selectively linking to other trustworthy sites can encourage links back to your site.

Internal link building gets less attention but is also an important step. Lots of orphaned blog posts don’t receive traffic as they age, because the site has no links guiding visitors from one evergreen content post to the next. Your mission is to keep people engaged and on your website by feeding them more relevant content instead of dead ends.

11. Use back-end features such as title tags and meta descriptions.

Your content should always include title tags (which appear on SERPs as the clickable headline) and meta descriptions (which summarize the content on a page).

12. Don’t forget image file names and alt tags.

Search engines can’t see images, but many people still forget to assign image file names and alt tags—which are crucial for helping search engines understand what the images—and the pages where those images live—are about.

13. Avoid careless technical errors.

Never move your website or delete a blog post without doing your due diligence on the back end. A few simple and necessary steps, such as creating 301 redirects, can help you avoid a damaging rash of broken links.

14. Provide a great user experience.

Search engines are amazing, but they still can’t consume and understand content the same way humans can. Instead, they monitor the way humans interact with websites to infer the quality of those sites — and reward the sites that perform better on these metrics with higher search rankings. If your site provides a poor user experience or doesn’t have a mobile-friendly design, its potential for organic growth will suffer.

15. Remember that there are no shortcuts or secret formulas.

Content marketing can pay huge dividends, but it won’t happen overnight. Proceed with the understanding that you’re unlikely to close the sale the first time a person lands on your site—and treat SEO and organic traffic growth as an open-ended goal.

Laura King Edwards is the content lead at Wray Ward, a full-service PR agency. A version of this article originally appeared on the Wray Ward blog .

This article originally ran on PR Daily in September of 2018.

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You’re looking to kick-start your career in marketing—as are thousands of others—so you must find a way to stand out.

Set yourself apart by earning marketing certificates to show real-world, concrete experience and skill. When a résumé lists certain marketing certifications, recruiters are more likely to believe the applicant has the tenacity to keep learning and to better themselves.

Here are five marketing certifications that will grab a recruiter’s attention:

1. Facebook Blueprint

While Google invests in smart home technology and self-driving cars, Facebook is devoting developer energy into its advertising space. Plus, the platform is continually etching out fractional improvements in their machine learning algorithms.

With this devotion comes problems. Facebook takes risks and often gets it wrong. The platform can be buggy, and the sheer amount of data it collects causes it to be front and center with security concerns. However, Facebook has stepped up to the challenge of the new General Data Protection Regulation and continues to be a vital tool for marketers.

The Facebook Blueprint Certification isn’t the most exciting learning experience you’ll ever complete, but because it’s connected to such a ubiquitous platform, it’s essential.

2. Google AdWords

Using Google for ad purposes makes the most sense, especially because the platform owns over 70 percent of the search market share.

Additionally, the Google display campaigns reach 80 percent of internet users worldwide. Understanding Google is a key competitive edge in today’s marketplace, and the company is likely to grow (and grow in the advertising space, too).

The AdWords Certification itself is well-developed. The course is full of new content, is well-written, and quick to complete.

3. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is arguably the most valuable tool you can learn as a marketer. It connects the art and science of customer behavior in a way that pinpoints next action steps.

Additionally, almost every client you’ll meet has Google Analytics installed and expects to benefit from it. Learning analytics is tough and technical, and that’s why it’s so valuable.

The Google Analytics Certification will help you go from basic optimization of ad accounts to CMO-level understanding of business strategy.

4. HubSpot Inbound

The super-intelligent customer relationship management tool, HubSpot, has a free inbound marketing certification course that’s great if you’re looking to achieve tangible results in organic marketing.

Organic marketing is a more subjective, less analytical discipline, so most people think they can teach themselves. However, HubSpot Inbound provides tips and insights to help use unpaid channels to generate valuable traffic and conversions.

It guides you through the nuances of social media strategy, email marketing, building a landing page and blogging.

5. Excel for marketers

Excel is a vital skill for marketers.

Almost every material you create or encounter as a marketer—your analysis, strategy, marketing plans–will filter through the prism of a database tool like Excel or Google Sheets.

Not learning how to effectively use the program will put you at a distinct disadvantage.

Instead of learning a particular platform, like Facebook, you can get many forms of Excel training that add organization and logic to your marketing. Ladder delivers a course on Excel for marketers, but there are others such as Udemy or Lynda.

Whatever certification you choose, it’s important to get a grip on Excel so you can start making smart, data-driven decisions.

Michael Taylor is co-founder and COO at Ladder.io, a growth technology and services company. A version of this article first appeared on the Spin Sucks blog.

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This article originally appeared on PR Daily in August of 2018.

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Memes have become an integral part of online communication.

Even if you’re not sure exactly what a meme is, you’ve probably seen dozens of them on your social media channels today alone. They are a huge part of internet culture, and an increasing number of brand managers are recognizing the potential of using memes as a marketing tool.

Meme marketing is a fun, spontaneous way to harness the power of social media.

What is a meme?

Far before the invention of the internet, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term “meme” in 1976 to describe a cultural idea that circulates and grows in popularity. In fact, memes originally represented the idea of “going viral” within a biological system. Doesn’t that sound familiar?

Ideas like Christianity and democracy were once memes. Now the internet produces memes like “Kermit Sipping Tea” and “The Harlem Shake.” Since the average person reportedly spends nearly two hours on social media every day, it makes sense for brands to incorporate memes into their marketing strategy.

Internet culture is largely centered on organic, absurdist humor. It can be a buzzkill to see a sponsored ad on your social media feed. Some brands recognize this discrepancy and adapt their strategies accordingly.

This means changing over ads into messaging that is tailored for the social media landscape. Memes can give your brand an authentic voice while showcasing your company culture.

Luxury brand Gucci made waves with this take on a popular Arthur meme:

How do I start making memes?

These text-enhanced images can be a powerful tool to expose your brand to a larger audience, but they are also easy to get wrong. Using an outdated meme or misinterpreting the meaning behind a meme can make your brand look out of touch. You might get some rude comments in response—or worse, no engagement whatsoever.

Think about these tips next time you put together a meme:

1. Consider what types of memes will resonate with your target market.

Memes are age-specific. If your brand targets millennials, memes are a safe bet. If you want to project a high-brow image for an older audience, perhaps they are not the best fit.

2. Make sure you have the license to use an image.

If you use an image in your meme that you did not personally create, double-check that using the image won’t result in legal trouble.

3. Meme culture moves at a breakneck pace .

A meme can complete its entire life cycle within 24 hours. If you’re inspired by a current meme do not hesitate to create your own iteration. Tomorrow might be too late!

4. Stay true to your brand voice .

Don’t get so caught up in trying to create a viral meme that you sacrifice your brand’s personality. Social media success is dependent on the consistency of your brand’s tone.

Here’s a simple formula to get you started: A relatable idea + an applicable image/video + a personal twist from your brand = your meme.

Simply take a common scenario, such as loving pizza or binge-watching Netflix, add an image from your archives or from pop culture and put a business-related spin on it—and you’ve created your meme.

Make-up brand Glossier posted this relatable meme to promote their Black Friday sale:

Most importantly, have fun with your memes!

Above all, they are meant to be a lighthearted form of internet communication. Don’t be discouraged if your first few memes flop. Take time to experiment and find out what works best for your brand. When used correctly, memes can be an incredible asset to your marketing strategy.

How do you use memes to talk to your audience, PR Daily readers?

Sarah Metoxen is a publicist with Three Girls Media, a personalized PR and content marketing agency. A version of this article originally appeared on the Three Girls Media blog.

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in July of 2018.

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Every quarter to six months, PR pros work with clients to create a new strategy for the following quarter or remainder of the year.

This should include a review of the company’s goals to ensure the program is supportive, trends/topics the client should continue to own, what worked and what hasn’t during the program and new metrics to measure success.

If you’ve been working in the PR business long enough, the PR planning process can become rather formulaic, especially if you’ve worked with the client over a long period of time. Company goals can often remain the same and a radical change in topics and trends is atypical.

Sometimes a team, conditioned to hear “no” from the client on certain tactics or ideas, leaves out recommendations that truly should be discussed throughout the year.

If you aren’t vigilant, strategy and tactics blend together, and all PR plans start to look alike. It’s crucial that senior team members—vice presidents and directors—push the client (and team) to create a PR plan that is unique.

Client goals might be the same, but once you review company performance against those goals, you can start to see where PR is needed most. Perhaps there has been less traction in a specific vertical, a new competitor is on the scene that has been winning more proofs of concept, a new sales director has been hired to grow a certain region of the company or a particular product has failed to meet sales goals.

Armed with this information, the team should:

1. Dig into data.

Any good PR plan should be data-driven.

It’s ok to have a good “feeling” that a story or tactic will bear fruit (that’s the art and experience we all bring to the table), but it’s essential that PR pros back up gut feelings by looking at data.

2. Analyze new topics.

Use analysis tools to review all the relevant coverage or social media conversations over the past year. Are there topics that are resonating within the industry? Where is the white space—areas where the client can dominate because no one else is talking about it yet)? Are there topics that the client wants to own that are clearly decreasing in popularity?

3. Check on competitors.

Ensure the competition isn’t gaining ground by reviewing their earned, paid and owned results. What publications have driven the most traffic back to competitors’ websites? What topics are competitors dominating (through their own content and earned media)? Have the competitors changed the keywords they are placing ads against? How much are they spending on everything?

4. Take advantage of influencers.

Use influencer engagement and conference content to learn more about the current state of the industry. What are the themes discussed the most during a conference on social media? What influencers are getting the most traction (i.e. the influencers we need to reach)? Are there publications and story themes being shared virally? While you’re at it, analyze and visualize conference agendas using IBM Watson and Tableau to map the topics that the conference thinks attendees care about.

5. Review content .

Learn more about engagement by analyzing client content.

Which pieces of the client’s content has been shared the most on social media? This will help determine the topics that are resonating. Which content and topics are getting the most clicks when marketed through owned and paid channels?

6. Take a step back.

If you were going to pitch this client as a prospect, what would you tell him or her about their current PR program? What would you do differently and what suggestions would you make? This exercise can push teams beyond “the usual” and removes frustrations that can fester after a client continuously declines opportunities.

7. Be ready to convince.

Pushing clients beyond a comfort zone requires a smart strategy, solid arguments and data-driven recommendations. For clients that are used to the status quo during the planning process, it’s paramount that the team is ready to show the data and evidence that backs the new recommendations.

When PR programs enter into the execution phase, there is often less time, ability and tolerance to reset and try new ideas. While any good PR program should be nimble and change with real-time information like breaking news or company fluctuations, the best time to really push the envelope and think differently is during the planning process

How are you pushing for new ideas in your planning sessions, PR Daily readers?

Amanda Munroe is the Vice President for Shift Communications. A version of this article originally appeared on the Shift Communications blog.

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in July of 2018.

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Snapchat and Instagram Stories have quickly changed social media publishing and digital storytelling.

Top publishers and even staid news organizations are now harnessing the power of snackable, ephemeral content. It’s not for everyone, but Snapchat and Instagram Stories can delight your audience and help you reach younger readers.

Instagram Stories versus Snapchat Stories

On Instagram, Stories tend to use one punchy sentence or quotation per screenshot. The Instagram Stories visuals tend to go one of three ways:

• They’re very simple and aesthetically pleasing.
• They’re loud and eye-catching.
• They’re focused in on an eye-grabbing person or snapshot that’s going to resonate with the viewer or create a “thumb-stopping moment.”

On Snapchat, some of the above trends hold. However, the visuals of Snapchat Stories tend to be a bit more complex, including more animations and professionally shot videos. Snapchat Stories also tend to be wordier than Instagram Stories. On Snapchat, you’ll often see paragraphs of text.

Here are 10 more takeaways, tactics and trends gleaned from analyzing top Snapchat and Instagram publishers:

1. Spotlight hot stories.

Some publishers used Stories to direct followers to a particular “story of the day” or to inform readers about breaking news.

Publishers such as Bustle, LADbible, Bloomberg and TechCrunch use this method to highlight a timely story and encourage followers to swipe up for more.

CNN, NowThis, The Guardian and other news publishers are using Stories to provide quick snippets of breaking news or current events.

2. Put followers in someone else’s shoes.

Snapchat and Instagram Stories are well suited to telling personal, individual stories. Publishers are maximizing this intimacy by using quotes directly from interview subjects, which helps establish an emotional connection.

3. Humanize the storyteller or the outlet.

Several publishers are using Stories to give a voice to their own journalists and creators.

We see this with outlets covering serious topics (see CNN above) and those who publish lighter content, such as The Dodo and Barstool Sports.

This sort of behind-the-scenes access can build trust with followers and establish meaningful connections.

4. Provide inside peeks with celebrities and public figures.

Who doesn’t like a little insider access? Publishers are using Stories to give followers a glimpse into the personal lives of celebrities, athletes or other prominent industry figures.

It’s OK if you lack access to Ryan Gosling or Jennifer Lawrence. Vogue, for example, creates Stories featuring designers at fashion shows to appeal to apparel aficionados.

5. Offer behind-the-scenes access to events.

Snapchat and Instagram Stories are ideal for event reporting.

For example, Quartz took its followers to CES, Teen Vogue showed off its own summit, and The Dodo created Stories at “The Best Dog Day Ever.”

6. Build community.

Publishers are using Stories to create more dialogue and interaction with followers. BuzzFeed gamifies content and quizzes on Snapchat and Instagram, which gets users excited to participate and share results.

Bleacher Report uses an Instagram Stories feature to ask users to rate the uniforms of soccer teams, which can spark heated discussion.

GQ’s Instagram Stories offer fashion advice and ask users’ thoughts on different looks.

Regardless of your subject matter, it’s about reaching your audience with exactly what they’re passionate about.

7. Provide deeper context.

Stories also enable publishers to find more detail to expound upon articles. For example, Curbed’s Stories take followers deeper into its real estate posts.

We’ve also seen publishers such as Teen Vogue create in-depth, behind-the-scenes Stories of print pieces.

8. Satisfy curiosity, or teach something new.

Many publishers use Snapchat and Instagram to pique followers’ curiosity with punchy teasers or irresistible headlines. The example below from So Yummy reveals “secrets from employees” at McDonald’s. Then it delivers the goods.

Quartz, Teen Vogue, Gizmodo, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal all use this tactic quite well, and The Washington Post uses Stories to break down complex issues.

9. Inspire followers with actionable content.

Regardless of your beat, highly visual inspirational content is pure gold.

The Snapchat Story below from Harper’s Bazaar is all about inspiring followers to try a new hairstyle.

10. Launch branded content.

Stories offer a nice vehicle for sponsored content.

For example, here’s a natural content fit with UNILAD. The brand, New Amsterdam Vodka, is featured as a prop in a humorous video, which is on par for the publisher.

High Snobiety, a fashion publisher, uses this tactic as well.

There are a variety of tactics worth exploring via Snapchat and Instagram Stories. It comes back to knowing your audience and the value of the content you’re creating for them.

Gabriele Boland is communication manager at NewsWhip. A version of this post first appeared on the NewsWhip blog.

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in July of 2018.

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Inspiration doesn’t come from staring at a blank page.

Communicators and marketers are under immense pressure to come up with new and interesting content on a regular basis, often about old and dull topics. Where can a content creator to turn for inspiration?

When a walk around the block doesn’t get the gears turning, here are a few online places where storytellers, content producers and communicators can find a creative spark:

1. Mashable’s infographics Pinterest board

This is a curated page of excellent infographics. What do most people wear in their Tinder profile? What is the type of content that millennials love the most? The concepts alone are excellent inspiration for creative infographics that you can replicate yourself.

2. Twitter advanced search

See what other people in your shoes are posting about a certain hashtag, word or phrase. See what you were talking about a year ago, or five. Throwback Thursday, anyone? Here’s an example of how Hootsuite creatively used old content by highlighting popular brands’ first tweets (Of special note is Nike.com’s shoutout to their agency).

3. YTRoulette

YouTube roulette is exactly what it sounds like: a tool that selects a random YouTube video and plays it for you.

It isn’t curated, though you can enter a general topic like “public relations” if you’d like something slightly less random, so you get more of a variety than the mix tailored to your profile—and could potentially inspire an idea for your next video or post.

A word of caution, however: Use it at your own risk. You know how people are on the internet.

4. The Wayback Machine

This internet archive is like a time machine for websites. What was your corporate website like in the early 2000s? What is the first recorded instance of nytimes.com (along with the laughably naïve headline “Europe Betting on Self-Regulation to Control the Internet”)? A glimpse of the past can be your ticket to a well-received piece of content.

Provide insight on how the world has changed or point to lessons from the early internet and include examples from this handy tool.

5. Random Wikipedia article

We got Litchwark on our first try, which led to a deep-dive into Alfred Litchwark’s career directing and managing public relations for the Hamburg art museum. Sometimes a click hole is just a click hole, but sometimes it can inspire a great post.

6. Spurious correlation

A writing teacher once told me that a good way to start a new poem is to find two disparate topics and find a way to connect them.

Spurious correlation identifies trends that seem to be correlated, but are, in fact, not. What does the divorce rate in Maine have to do with per capita margarine consumption? A bad interpretation of statistics would suggest a correlation. What story can you tell from trends in your own organization?

Where do you go for inspiration, PR Daily readers?

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in July of 2018.

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Every business seeks to be more data-driven these days.

Being able to back up your statements and decision making with cold hard statistics is a great way to build trust between your brand and your customer base.

However, a brand story cannot be built on data alone. A brand is more than numbers; it is made up of feelings, experiences and relationships.

Unfortunately, a business that prides itself on storytelling and communication may feel threatened by the influx of data-driven PR and marketing methods that leave little room for creativity.

However, this opinion is not only wrong, it’s contradictory to a strong PR strategy. Data supports storytelling by bringing credibility to your PR message.

Here’s how to add data to your storytelling:

1. Look for patterns in customer reviews.

In general, people do not trust what businesses say about themselves. According to Edelman’s trust report, 48 percent of consumers do not believe the messages that businesses offer, especially when it comes to paid media.

However, people do believe other people. Eighty-five percent of online shoppers rate customer reviews as reliable as a recommendation from a trusted friend, making customer feedback an important tool for PR pros.

If the majority of your reviews are positive, then you can turn those messages into a percentage. For example:

“88 percent of our customers report a ‘positive experience.'”

“Nine out of ten satisfied customers would recommend us to a friend or colleague.”

Of course, gathering this kind of positive data is easier for some brands than others, especially if you have no system in place for gathering and analyzing reviews. Tools like Trustpilot can be of great assistance.

Not only does this tool encourage customers to leave genuine reviews by offering a simple feedback platform, it can help your brand identify common themes in customer responses. It also compiles the data points from customer reviews into analytical reports.

Source

2. Identify segment-specific pain points.

Chances are that your customers are already organized by specific segments to help your PR team get into the minds of the consumer. This strategy enables brands to get a clearer picture of their audience by transforming them into “personalities” rather than just generalizations.

These segments can also help to identify certain pain points that your customers face to support data-driven storytelling. In addition to looking at reviews, the best way to do this is by listening to what your customers have to say with social listening and media monitoring software. By observing the conversations each segment is having about your brand, product, or industry, you can easily identify top concerns, objections and talking points.

3. Analyze content overlap with influencers.

Influencers can be the best storytellers of all—and they are without a doubt an essential piece to the PR puzzle in today’s market. However, making data-driven partnering decisions can be more complex than just finding the influencers that some of your customers may be interested in.

The best way to judge whether or not an influencer will reach relevant audiences is by looking at their content, rather than their followers. More important, look for the overlaps where their messaging and vision matches yours. The topics they focus on and their niche authority is far easier to identify, and it can prove whether or not a partnership with your brand will be a relevant fit.

Tools like Cision’s influencer platform can help you narrow down the possibilities and segment influencer accounts into their clearest niches. From there, you can get a better sense of the type of content they share and see whether it is thought-leadership driven or brand-focused.

Simply stating a message is not enough. With consumers’ continuously losing trust in the media and businesses, you must be able to back up your statements and choices with objective facts.

Taral Patel is a digital marketer at E2M Solutions Inc with a focus on creating high-quality content and strong content marketing strategy that helps businesses to improve their overall online presence. A version of this article originally appeared on the Cision blog.

This article originally appeaed on PR Daily in July of 2018.

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This article originally appeared on PR Daily in June of 2018.

The rise of social media influencers is undeniable.

Yet, what’s up with this surge in brands linking up with micro-influencers?

The rise in micro-influencers is interesting to note because it seems these scrappy, relatable personalities are beginning to capture the attention of brands big and small—and are driving results.

In fact, once Instagram followers exceed the magic 10,000 mark, engagement starts to flatten out. (Sorry, Selena Gomez.)

Is the hype deserved?

Not only are micro-influencers more accessible from a price standpoint (top influencer Bella Thorne said she gets $65,000 per post), they can drive higher engagement than influencers with wider audiences.

In addition to social media actions, they’re driving purchase decisions. A whopping 82 percent of consumers are more likely to take recommendations from micro-influencers than the general population.

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This is largely because they’re an involved part of their community. With a smaller pool of fans, it’s easier for them to create individual relationships and regularly respond to comments. Accordingly, this makes their communities feel special and valued.

Just as people are more apt to value advice from a friend, micro-influencers feel like friends to their followers and are therefore more influential.

Also, many micro-influencers are laser-focused on the authenticity of their feeds. They won’t promote a product or service they don’t love, or at least haven’t tried. Fans appreciate their candor and respond in kind.

Erin Good, a food and fitness influencer with 17,000 Instagram followers, said: “I turn down collaborations that aren’t consistent with who I am. You’ll never see me post about beer because I don’t like it. I stay true to myself, and my fans appreciate that I keep it real and honest.”

Are micro-influencers a fit for you?

Once considered the cheaper option for brand budgets, micro-influencers are now taking a role in marketing for brands such as Coca-Cola and Google.

A recent study found nearly 46 percent of major brands are finding it more valuable to work with micro-influencers versus those with 500,000 or more followers. That means it’s getting tougher to grab the attention of micro-influencers.

How can your brand best work with micro-influencers?

Here are a few tips:

1. Prove you care and do your research.

Because many micro-influencers don’t work through an agency or publicist, it takes time to find the right people and create real, lasting relationships. Search branded or relevant hashtags, and use identification services such as BuzzSumo, Klear or NinjaOutreach.

2. Provide a detailed ask.

Why do you think your brand is a perfect fit? What is your budget? How many posts over what period are you looking for? What do you envision for messaging and content? What are your goals?

3. Ask questions.

What is the demographic makeup of their fan base? How much engagement per post, sponsored and unsponsored, do they typically receive (likes, comments, clicks)? What has their most successful brand partnership been?

4. Take it slow.

Because micro-influencers value authenticity, consider starting the relationship by taking a few small steps. Send products for them to try before agreeing to post anything. If they love it, try out one to two paid posts. If it’s a fit, resonates with their audience and is meeting your goals, it’s time to start making long-term plans.

5. Involve them.

Instead of passing along a list of needs, bring influencers inside the circle. Ask for honest feedback and let them help make decisions. Consider outsourcing feedback and decisions from their fans.

6. Let them be creative.

Influencers know their audience. You know your brand. Be specific about your goals and expectations while giving them plenty of leeway for creativity. It will ultimately win over their fans and your CEO.

Potential pitfalls

Working with micro-influencers can have a downside (or two).

As exposed in recent months, many influencers have fallen into the practice of purchasing fake followers.

Do some research to make sure the influencer’s content quality, consistency, and engagement are at a level you’re comfortable with.

Working with micro-influencers can also take more legwork on your end. Because many do this as a side hustle and represent themselves, you must have a compelling pitch ready and a list of your specific needs.

Madison Bessinger, a food influencer with 20,000 Instagram followers and a website devoted to restaurant recommendations, gave this advice:

I have learned it is important to clarify expectations prior to doing a promotion. Will it be paid? If so, how much and can we get it in writing? Does this require a post on my Instagram account? If so, how many posts? What aspect of the restaurant do you want me to highlight? What’s the story/message you’d like to tell? It helps to make sure the engagement is successful for both parties involved.

Anne is a communications strategist located in Minneapolis and can be reached at anne@hotmustardpr.com. A version of this article originally appeared on the Spin Sucks blog .

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This article originally appeared on PR Daily in June of 2018.

With 175 million monthly active users, there’s no denying the popularity of Pinterest.

Not only does it have one of the most active followings among the big social media networks, it’s also unique in its purpose.

Rather than connecting with friends and family, Pinterest users are actively searching for communications from brands. They’re looking for ideas and products—everything from recipes to home decor to pet grooming tips to travel itineraries—and bookmarking them on their personal Pinterest boards.

This “pinning” behavior also gives content on the platform a much longer shelf life. The average life of a pin is seven months or more, compared to Twitter’sseven minutes.

So how do you use Pinterest for your PR efforts? Here six ways:

1. Share your story visually.

Pinterest, like Instagram, is a visual storytelling platform, and PR pros, at their core, are storytellers.

Through photos, infographics and videos, you can visually share your story, allowing you to better connect with your audience and further your reach as other users pin your content.

2. Share the stories of others.

Not only are you able to put out your own messages on Pinterest, it also offers you the opportunity to see what your audience is talking about, as it relates to your industry.

Research brand and industry keywords on the platform and “re-pin” user-generated content to your own Pinterest boards.

You never know where your next story may come from, and Pinterest is full of new ideas.

3. Pin industry news.

Pinterest provides a great outlet for sharing information about events and trends happening in your industry.

You can even invite others to contribute to your board, providing a great way to crowdsource content and get access to resources you may need later without having to do all of the research yourself.

4. Pin media clips.

In Muck Rack’s 2018 journalist survey, 63 percent of journalists in the U.S. and 68 percent of journalists worldwide track how many times their stories are shared on social media.

Pinning news articles, blog posts and TV clips about your business or client is a great way to increase the reach of the story, which serves the dual purpose of highlighting the great things other outlets are saying about you, while also helping out the journalist who wrote or recorded it.

5. Add the “Pin It” button to your website.

You’re doing a great job of sharing content from your website and news articles on Pinterest, but don’t let your efforts stop there.

Make it simple for other users and journalists to pin your content by adding the “Pin It” button to your website or blog. This tool allows users to quickly add your content to their own Pinterest boards with just the click of a button.

6. Create an idea board.

Did you just attend a conference and hear lots of great advice from industry leaders? Or maybe you read an article that gave you a great story idea for your client or company to use in the future.

Pinterest offers a great way to track, save and refer back to these ideas so you can use them at a later date.

Pin that article or take a photo of that presentation and save it to a Pinterest board with your own notes attached and never forget another stroke of brilliance again just because it hit you at an inopportune time.

As Pinterest usership continues to grow and an even greater number of online searches take place on the platform, it will continue to be an important tactic in any well-rounded PR strategy.

How do you use Pinterest, PR Daily readers?

Jessica Lawlor is the features editor for the Muck Rack blog and handles PR and social media for Muck Rack. A version of this article originally appeared on Muck Rack, a service that enables you to find journalists to pitch, build media lists, get press alerts and create coverage reports with social media data.

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This article originally ran on PR Daily in May of 2018.

The PR profession is growing.

Public relations is projected to be one of the top 10 occupations by 2022, and there are plenty of career options. PR pros can work for a corporation, an agency, a non-profit, a startup or a small business. They can specialize in a variety of areas, including influencer marketing, crisis communications, media relations and thought leadership.

Going solo as a public relations pro seems to be an increasingly popular choice. It sounds so appealing to choose your clients, choose your hours or work from wherever you want. However, there are a few steps you should take before you hang out that shingle.

Here are seven suggestions:

1. Line up potential clients.

In advance of quitting your day job, be thinking—and talking—to those who may be interested in using your services. Certainly, use discretion, but it doesn’t hurt to start putting the word out to those you trust that you’ll be striking out on your own soon.

2. Never stop networking.

Per the tip above, you should be in networking mode everywhere you go. This is good advice even if you intend to keep your day job, because you never know when you might meet someone who can help you in some way—or that you might be able to help.

When you meet someone new that you want to keep in touch with, add them to your LinkedIn network. Look for opportunities to connect with them again. Keep in touch by occasionally dropping them a note or inviting them to coffee or to join you at an event.

Your network is one of your most valuable assets as a solo PR pro (it’s a referral-based business), so always be building and maintaining it.

3. Get some agency experience.

Working at an agency gives you an idea of how client service works and helps you understand what systems you need to have in place to successfully work with multiple clients. You learn procedures like reporting and billing.

Maybe as importantly, you meet a lot of other folks in PR. This turned out to be a huge boost to my solo business. Not only did the agency I worked for hire me back as a contractor, but to this day, I still hear from those public relations pros I worked with. They’ve been a constant source of client referrals and new business opportunities over the years.

4. Work on your branding.

If you’re going out on your own as a PR consultant, you need a website. And beyond that, you need a social media presence.

Get those established before day one. You can always tweak them as you go, but be sure to have something there for potential clients to view.

5. Get your administrative house in order.

You need business cards. You need a bank account. You need software for accounting and invoicing. You need an accountant who specializes in self-employed professionals (and maybe one who knows about home office deductions, if you plan to work at home).

You may need to do things like pay quarterly taxes, and you need to understand how to plan for that. Get referrals and find someone to help you get set up.

6. Make sure your workspace is ready.

You should consider where you’ll be working. A home office is the easiest option for many, but co-working spaces are popular, too. Of course, you’ll need a computer, and you may need access to a media database (those aren’t cheap).

Make sure to think through all the things you may need to have in place when you start.

7. Manage your mindset.

Anytime you change jobs, you should think through how you’ll cope in the early days. Change can be difficult, even if it’s change you proactively pursued.

Remember that you want to be in this for the long haul, so prepare yourself to ride out a few bumps in the road. Give it at least six months to a year to even out. In the long run, that’s a brief amount of time to devote to a career choice that could lead to many fulfilling years.

Granted, self-employment isn’t for everyone, but you may want to give it a little time to know for sure before giving up on your dream.

Those are just a few of the things you’ll want to do before going it alone. If you plan ahead, you should be able to launch your public relations consultancy with fewer, “Oh, no,” moments.

Just keep in mind that once you work for yourself, you may never want to go back to working for someone else.

Michelle Garrett is a PR consultant and writer at Garrett Public Relations. Follow her on Twitter @PRisUs or connect with her on LinkedIn. A version of this article originally appeared on Muck Rack, a service that enables you to find journalists to pitch, build media lists, get press alerts and create coverage reports with social media data.

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This post originally appeared on PR Daily in June of 2018.

Writing isn’t easy.

Whether it’s marketing, academic or technical copy, or you’re simply trying to think of what to scribble on a co-worker’s birthday card, writing can be arduous work—more so on some days than others.

Communicators don’t want their results or standards to slip simply because they’re having an off day. Even when you feel profoundly unmotivated, avoid these five shoddy practices.

1. You don’t consider your audience.

In corporate communications, “writing for your audience” often takes a back seat to the demands of executives or colleagues. Your boss might want to include 500 words of background information in a blog post, but that doesn’t mean readers want to read it.

Remember, your audience is not your boss, but rather the “end user” of what you’ve written. Think about that audience before you start writing. Let go of what you want to say and focus on what your audience wants to know.

2. You skip the “why.”

Whether you’re telling customers about a price increase, employees about changes in company policy or encouraging people to stop texting while driving, leading with the “why” helps everyone understand the purpose of your message up front.

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For example, the sentence “Due to recent security concerns, all employees must now wear their name badges while in the building” is more clear and effective than simply stating “All employees must now wear their name badges in the building.”

3. You bury the lede.

Burying the lede is the failure to mention the most urgent or interesting elements of a story in the first few paragraphs. It means your copy fails to highlight the most important or actionable items at the beginning of the message.

Readers have little time to digest your message. Too much information can cause readers to tune out. Yet, many clients and executives insist on putting background or irrelevant information front and center.

Background information and statistics can be included in the message, but link to that information or list it under the headings “Background” or “Quick Facts” in later paragraphs.

4. You lean on “crutch” phrases.

“Crutch” phrases are often used when a writer is not sure how to start a sentence or how to connect two sentences.

For example:

“As many of you are already aware, happy hour starts at 2:30.”

The phrase “as many of you are already aware” doesn’t add anything to the sentence. It can be removed, allowing you to jump straight into the sentence. “Happy hour starts at 2:30.”

Unnecessary phrases add to the noise readers are trying to filter out.

5. You regurgitate the words everyone uses.

Some words are used so frequently, they become invisible. Think about the word “disaster.”

It’s been tossed around so haphazardly that no one pays attention to it. If everything is described as a disaster, then nothing is a disaster.

English is a versatile language, and we have a wealth of synonyms available. Use a thesaurus or keyword search tools to find alternative terms. Avoid terms such as amazing, epic, cool, exciting, unique, and significant. However, always look up new words before using them or risk missing the mark.

What other lazy writing habits have you seen, PR Daily readers?

A medical writer in Austin, Texas, Laura Hale Brockway is a regular contributor to PR Daily . Read more of her posts on writing and editing at impertinentremarks.com.

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This article originally appeared  on PR Daily in June of 2018.

For a PR professional, keeping track of your media relationships takes time and careful consideration—and a steady flow of compelling story ideas.

If you’ve got a pitch that’s new and exciting and begging to be told, you’re set. But if your pitch is the PR equivalent of one of those annoying sales calls we all loathe, you’ve got a challenge.

Try pretending you’re on the receiving end and ask yourself, “Would I be interested in this story?” If you would, pitch it. If not, make it better. Remember, it’s not only your job to make the story compelling, but more importantly, you should strive to make the reporter’s job as easy and seamless as possible, resulting in a story or coverage that makes your client happy.

In addition to pitching news-worthy stories, the key to media relations rests within the larger realm of human relations: being professional, courteous, reliable and respectful. Successful media relations flows from the relationships you create, nurture and maintain.

Consider these six guidelines to strengthen your bonds with journalists:

1. Know the what, why and who of your pitch.

Before you get started, do your homework. Learn as much as you can about the topic and its significance. Make sure you’ve properly profiled your client as a subject-matter expert.

No need to become the world’s greatest expert, but at least aim for conversational knowledge. Get to know the reporter’s area of interest—their beat—and become ultra-familiar with their writing and style. Craft your message to fit that style.

2. Aim for a long-term relationship rather than a quick media pitch.

Let them know they can come to you for more than this one idea. Put together a short list of relevant experts and topics to be considered for future stories. Take the time to explain your client’s relevance to their beat.

3. Show a genuine interest in their work.

Everyone likes to receive praise, especially reporters and editors. Send periodic emails to let them how much you enjoyed what they wrote and how much you learned.

Regularly share their stories on social media outlets to show that you are helping to expand their reach and get their work in front of a larger audience. This will also help them to become more familiar with you as a PR professional and increase the likelihood that they open your emails when they come through.

4. Earn a reputation for pitching worthy stories.

Sure-fire themes for news stories have scarcely changed since the dawn of the printing press. Look for stories that tell gripping tales of surprise, relevance, scandal, hypocrisy, wrongdoing, outrage, conflict—and these days the latest in tech innovation.

5. Be persistent, but not annoying.

Don’t follow up too often or too soon. Send one follow up message after a week, and maybe a second if the story is still relevant.

Do not give the reporter a reason to think you are annoying/burdensome. When calling a reporter, always ask whether it’s a good time to talk. When you do get a reporter’s attention, be succinct and don’t over complicate your pitch.

6. Never overpromise.

If you tell an editor, writer or producer that you’ll get back to them, do so. If you promise to send an editor an article or background information that features your client by a certain deadline, do it. If you can’t make a deadline, be ready to explain why and don’t make excuses. Just provide the goods.

Shannon Falotico is a communications specialist at Circa Interactive, a digital marketing agency specializing in higher education.

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This article originally appeared on PR Daily in June of 2018.

We’ve heard it before.

In a radio or TV interview, a spokesperson starts off by telling everyone how “excited” they are.

If they are not excited, they are “delighted.” Sometimes they are not content with telling everyone once about their exhilaration; they feel the need to share this information multiple times.

This obsession with excitement (genuine or feigned) is saturating the marketing world—and spokespeople should knock it off.

Here are four important reasons:

1. Nobody cares.

It may sound harsh, but the public does not really care how excited a spokesperson is to be launching a new product or opening a new building.

People want to know what the announcement means for themselves or, if they are not directly impacted, what it means for other people.

You may have heard the expression “show don’t tell.” What a spokesperson should be trying to do is show the audience why their announcement is relevant, important and worth knowing.

Tell the audience something that will make them sit-up and listen and display their own enthusiasm through their body language and the energy of their delivery.

2. It sounds contrived.

The best interviews sound like a conversation, and spokespeople should try to use the same language they would use if they were talking to a friend or family member.

If you were talking to a friend you wouldn’t feel compelled to constantly tell them about your levels of excitement. So, don’t do it in your press interview.

3. It can feel scripted.

Another significant issue with spokespeople telling everyone how “excited” they are is that it can make interviews sound scripted.

Of course, spokespeople should be prepared for media interviews, but if it begins to sound like they are reading out the press release or crib sheet, then interest is going to be quickly lost.

4. It can be memorable (for the wrong reasons).

It is a bit like those spokespeople who opt to start every response with “so.” When a spokesperson does something unnatural or irritating like that, it tends to stick in the audience’s memory and distract from the intended message.

One example was an interview about Facebook’s new London office, at the end of last year, on Radio 4. The interviewee was determined to constantly bring the interviews back to how pleased she was. It led to some awkward exchanges where questions were seemingly ignored or used simply to talk about her exhilaration.

#r4today @BBCr4today Facebook’s technology gets better all the time. That software sounded like a real person at times.

— WiseMan999 (@grump999) December 4, 2017

Why is this Facebook woman on #r4today so ‘excited’ about everything?

— SSHughes (@sshughes) December 4, 2017

Hi, I’m from Facebook and incredibly excited to pitch you the smiling face of late neoliberal dystopia #r4today

— Jonathan Schofield (@schofeld) December 4, 2017

Another interview in a similar vein was BlackBerry boss Stephen Bates’ appearance on BBC Breakfast a few years ago. No matter what he was asked, he was only prepared to talk about how excited he was about a new product launch.

Steph McGovern : You must admit though that it has been a tough few years for you. You’ve seen your market share fall from nearly 90 per cent at its peak in 2008. What went wrong?

Bates : I’m always excited to be part of this industry. This is a really exciting industry to be in and we are on the verge of a major change towards mobile computing, and we think BlackBerry 10 is going to power us through the next 10 years.

The “excited” problem is not just consigned to media interviews.

It’s an even larger issue in press releases where it seems almost mandatory to include some contrived quotes from a CEO, director or senior leader tell us how thrilled they are to be announcing something—which often in reality is pretty dull.

Not only do these quotes show a lack of imagination, but they are also unlikely to be used. If your press release does manage to get the attention of a journalist, that same artificial language invariably finds itself into broadcast interviews.

Ultimately, more people spend more valuable time telling people how excited they are, instead of the message you had intended.

What other words do you want to see dropped from media interviews, PR Daily readers?

Adam Fisher is the content editor for Media First, a media and communications training firm with over 30 years of experience. A version of this article originally appeared on the Media First blog.

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