Filed under: Public Relations | Tags: authentic, communications, PR, PR and yoga
Public relations and the communications industry should take a lesson from yoga. We need more balance, more stretching and most of all, don’t forget to breathe.
Filed under: Social Media | Tags: 2011, audience, Charlotte, communications, PR, research, social media
My initial response. Photo by Corbis.
It happened again. I overheard a seasoned communications professional say, “she’s young, so she gets all that social media stuff.” Seriously? I feel like a broken record – just because we have new communications tools (digital media, new media, social media…) doesn’t mean that basic communications strategy has changed. And it’s about much more than Facebook – what about the fact that there are more than 5 billion people using mobile phones across the globe?
Do you have to be young to embrace new tools? I certainly hope not. (Reminds me of this controversial comment from a Charlotte marketing panel a few months back – really made me feel better to review these comments again!)
I allowed myself 5 minutes of frustration. I boiled in it. But then I realized something – those of us who are “young,” (whether that’s your actual age or your state of mind) and who try to embrace new communication tools actually have the upper hand. So what if only 1 in every 5 new media platforms will eventually become essential to your business? Don’t you want to be the one who “gets” it when it does?
I do.
Filed under: behind the scenes, Public Relations | Tags: authentic, communications, competition, customer appreciation, goals, preparation
image via hellocraft.com
“I dare you to think bigger, to act bigger, and to be bigger. I dare you to think creatively. I dare you to lead and inspire others. I dare you to build character. I dare you to share. And I promise you a richer and more exciting life if you do!”
PR professionals represent their clients 24/7. After a while, we start thinking about our clients 24/7. It’s a very real relationship – you can’t stop representing your client just because it’s the weekend and you want a break.
That’s our job, right?
(Sounds a lot like being a minister’s wife!)
I think that sometimes our client-centric thinking rubs off onto our clients, too. And that isn’t good. It may be the PR pro’s job to focus on the specific organization they represent 100% of the time, but if organizations only talk about themselves, people will stop listening.
If your organization’s goals include growing their database of supporters, becoming a thought leader in their industry or changing people’s minds about an issue, remember that in order to achieve those goals, you rely on other people. We must remind our clients: It’s not all about you.
We need to encourage them to think bigger and to thank bigger.
I’ve always heard that in order to receive holiday cards, you had to send holiday cards. This year, I definitely saw that to be true. It’s the same thing with your company’s fans, followers, supporters and employees. In order to get support, you have to give support. Relationships – all kinds – are built upon mutual support and mutual respect. Why would we expect our organizations to be respected if they don’t show respect to others?
So, PR pros, while your head is filled with questions like, “how I help my client stand out from the competition?” let’s encourage our clients to ask, “how many supporters can I thank today?” or “what organization is doing great things that deserves a shout-out?”
By nurturing your organization’s network now, you can be confident that they will be there for you when it counts.
Filed under: behind the scenes | Tags: communications, media relations, public relations, social media
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. — Maya Angelou
Someone recently asked me about my personal media relations strategy. For me, it’s all about quality vs. quantity. This is one of the areas where I see social media and media relations overlapping. It’s much more about building real relationships, and building a loyal group of fans, than it is about building a huge network of “fans” who don’t really interact with your brand.
Companies like Old Spice and Ford recently took targeted outreach to a new level. Old Spice’s campaign and Ford’s campaign each took a completely personal approach, creating individual video messages for specific influencers.
Those of us who are charged with telling our organization’s story, this year we will be asked: Who are our top 5 influencers? How can we reach them in a completely individualized, personal way that will really resonate? Do you go public, as Old Spice and Ford did, or do you keep it offline? What do you think?
Filed under: my story | Tags: 2010, Charlotte, communications, Goodwill, public relations
During this season of thanks and celebration, I am thrilled to announce that today I am joining an extremely talented team at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont as their newest Public Relations and Promotions Manager.
I look forward to helping tell the story of Goodwill’s commitment to changing lives through the power of work. If what you know about Goodwill stops at donation centers and retail stores, take a moment and click on the link above to read stories of how this organization gives people hope through job training programs and much more.
I am certainly looking forward to sharing with you as I expand my own understanding of how communications – public relations, social media, marketing and speaking – is ever evolving. This blog will continue to be a place to share new ideas about all things communications, so I hope you will keep in touch. Here is to new beginnings, new challenges and a new purpose. Thanks for sharing with me in this great journey!
Filed under: behind the scenes | Tags: audience, authentic, communications, research, social media
“The idea that men are created free and equal is both true and misleading: men are created different; they lose their social freedom and their individual autonomy in seeking to become like each other.”
- David Riesman
(Photo credit here)
Ah, the elusive communications strategy. Frequently also called a PR plan, a social media strategy, or perhaps talking points. Too often, it is just communications with no strategy.
How do you talk about yourself or your business? Do you use advertising, the media, social media outlets, blogs, websites or your own promotional materials? If so, those are all tools that you are using as part of your communications strategy, whether or not you name it that way.
But what I’m troubled by today is not the lack of strategy – it’s the lack of creativity in strategy. There is not a step-by-step guide that can guarantee success in communications. Why? Because everyone is different. As the quote above suggests, if all we are doing is seeking to become like each other (have you ever heard someone in a meeting say “we need to be more like – insert company name here”?), we fail.
Yes, you need a strategy. Preferably an overarching mission, some goals, and then strategies and tactics using different channels that will best connect you to your audience. But it’s not a “paint by numbers” process. Which means it’s not easy.
To communicate well, you have to do some deep digging – researching your audience, that community of people that you care about and want to connect with. Because ultimately, your organization is different than any other, and that is why your customers and stakeholders chose you instead of someone else.
Autonomy is defined as self-governing or independent. To me, communications strategies must be autonomous. Please don’t tell me that we should utilize a specific tactic just because someone else is doing it. Tell me why it would help me connect with my specific community. Why not embrace our differences and stop being followers?
Do you have a communications strategy? Do you follow it? Why or why not?
Filed under: behind the scenes, Uncategorized | Tags: backstage, communications, PR, preparation, public relations, research, social media
From Flickr photostream by Danielle Pearce
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
-William Shakespeare
One of my Twitter acquaintances and a fellow solo PR pro, Shonali, posted an article today that got me thinking: If I can’t communicate to my own friends and family what it is that I do as a “PR” or “communications” expert, how can I expect to communicate well on behalf of my clients?
As a freelance communications professional, it is hard to fit what I do into just one box – it’s PR, writing, editing, strategic thinking, implementing and learning about social media, etc. etc. Generally, these could all fall into the category of “communications.” Hence, my approach to “Backstage Communications.”
However, I also do believe that all of these jobs fit into a larger understanding of public relations. My own definition of PR is very simple: it’s how you communicate your messages to the audiences you care about. As Shonali points out, it’s so much more than just press releases, media relations and publicity. She puts it this way:
It means figuring out
What your story is,
Why it matters
Who you’re trying to tell it to, and
Where, When and How you’re going to do it.
Seems simple, right? Well, so do some recipes. But that doesn’t mean that I end up burning dinner if I don’t plan ahead.
Figuring out the answers to these questions generally requires copious amounts of research, many, many drafts of message development, blood, sweat, tears and finally more research.
Those of us in the communications and PR professions will continue to have to help people understand what we do. (I’m pretty sure my dad still thinks I’m in advertising, despite numerous attempts to explain the difference).
Maybe we are all so focused on delivering the best strategies and exploring the most innovative tactics for our clients that we don’t have time to explain and revise our own job descriptions. And if that means more people will pay attention to my clients instead of my own behind-the-scenes work, that’s ok with me. After all, I’m just setting the stage for my clients to shine!
Filed under: behind the scenes, my story | Tags: 2010, communications, goals, plan, preparation, relaxing, small business
Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
-Chinese Proverb
If you haven’t noticed, I’m taking some time away from the blog this month. I’m working on my to-do list before heading out of town for an end-of-summer vacation.
I got to thinking about taking time off. Why is it sometimes almost more stressful to take time away? You have to do more work before and after a vacation to “make up” for that time lost. But is that time really “lost?”
Taking some time to reflect and rejuvenate yourself (or your business) at least once a year shouldn’t be counted as “lost” time. It should be encouraged! Won’t we all think a little clearer, with a little more bounce in our step, and perhaps even come up with new and different ideas if we take the time and let our minds take a break?
It’s really the same story in business. Every business is in danger of becoming stagnant. When each day is the same as the last, maybe it’s time to step away for a few days, rest and come back to the table refreshed.
So, that’s what I’m going to do this month. I am going to try not to have an agenda other than just work hard and then rest hard. Keep my mind clear, which will inevitably lead to the questions – what am I doing, why am I doing it, and am I happy?
Have you asked yourself those questions lately?
Filed under: behind the scenes | Tags: authentic, Charlotte, communications, customer appreciation, small business, social media
Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.
Today I passed a sign at a residential complex that said “Customer Appreciation Week,” and it got me thinking: why do we have to name specific weeks or days to express our gratitude for our customers, residents, clients or companies? Do you feel like a business really appreciates you if they give you a discount on Customer Appreciation Day?
I appreciate my clients. Business owners appreciate their customers. Why don’t we find more relevant, personal ways to show them that appreciate them? Work hard for them. Get to know them. Pay it forward. Let’s change the way we do customer appreciation.
