How to add podcast power to your communication arsenal

What does it take to achieve podcast glory?

As with all other communication formats, the glory’s in the story, but getting an effective work-related podcast off the ground requires more than scintillating content. To start, you’ll need equipment. You’ll also need a plan. These questions are crucial:

• Who is your target audience? Do you want to reach all your colleagues, or just a certain group?
• What types of formats and segments do you plan on recording?
• What sorts of content will you cover?
• How will you promote your podcast—internally and externally?
• If it’s strictly an internal podcast, how do you plan to secure leaders’ buy-in?
• What kind of ROI do you anticipate, and which metrics will you prioritize?

Creating a new podcast is no small commitment. For some, the best podcast strategy might be to appear on more-established programs.

Tom Schwab, CEO of Interview Valet, touts the notion of pursuing guest podcast appearances. He advises:

Starting a podcast for work—either external or internal—can be a powerful way to communicate, but it's a commitment. Anyone who says doing a podcast is easy has either never done one or never done it well.

Often you can get much better return on investment being a guest on other established shows.

Schwab emphasizes that guests must merely "perform," whereas the podcast host handles the recording, editing and promotion. There’s also the potential of reaching a larger audience.

[RELATED: Submit your internal podcast, campaign or publication to Ragan's 2017 Employee Communications Awards.]

Schwab points to data presented in the 2017 State of Podcast Interviews Study—which surveyed more than 10,000 podcasters, guests and marketers—and showed that podcast interviews yielded the “highest ROI of any marketing channel.” (Facebook ads and email marketing ranked second and third, respectively.)

Go for podcast launch

For those dead set on creating their own podcast, Alessandra Colaci, founder of Influence Buzz, says you should treat your podcast launch like a TV show. She advises:

The key when you first launch a podcast is to start building awareness before your first episode. You can use teasers about the launch date, and also include images of upcoming guests. Reach out to potential promotional partners to see if they can help you spread word about the podcast.

Production and audio quality are important, but they should not be a hindrance to getting started. Shows often evolve over time in terms of the quality and the format. Investing in a decent starter microphone can be as little as $50.

One of the most underused promotional methods of podcasts is to treat it like a TV show. Take a cue from how companies like Netflix promote upcoming season premieres and episodes. They use clips, get fan reactions, and make bite-sized content pieces from each episode. With your podcast, create similar content such as videos that are animated text from a quotable moment, graphics that highlight the topic, or an image with a review from a listener.

Whitney Jennings, host and editor of Stern Strategy Group’s “Minds Worth Meeting” podcast, suggests the following tips to get your show off the ground:

• Assemble a “pod squad” of people with varied strengths and expertise. You’ll need someone with expertise in IT to set up the hardware, a marketing person to design the format and messaging of the show, and a PR pro to help promote it.
• Use high-quality equipment to record your voices. I recommend a Yeti microphone, pop-filter and headphones. We use Skype to connect with remote guests, and we use Audacity to record and edit.
• When you’re trying to get co-worker buy-in, seek their input for things like logo design and intro sounds.
• Seek guests you have access to. We tapped into our own clients with niche expertise as guests. Prior to interviewing, we researched trending and relevant topics for discussion and tested the equipment. (We work in an office, not a soundproof room, so we minimized sound by letting colleagues know there was a recording session in progress.)
• When it comes to editing your sessions, teach everyone on your pod squad how to use the software. Podcasts are not a one man/woman show, and it could be the difference between launching the show in one month versus three.
• Invest in Ian Robinson’s Udemy podcasting course.

‘Don’t chase the shiny object’

Shel Holtz, who wrote the book on podcasting, shares this advice for those keen on developing a work-related podcast:

Just like you’d unveil any other initiative, you have to undertake a marketing campaign. Is it going to be just one more channel? What’s in it for them?

Before launching anything, Holtz suggests crystalizing what you hope to accomplish:

Is your goal to get them to adopt new behavior? What’s the purpose? Is it strictly entertaining, or feature-oriented? Is it to reinforce your values? Do you want to offer how-tos? Is it for convincing people, or a vehicle to organizational changes? Is it for news or to supplement company news?

If you’re not sure where to start, Holtz offers a few beacons. Try interviewing interesting, gregarious people in the company. Let them tell their stories and share about the work they do.

Holtz points to Pepsi, which aired podcast episodes featuring executives candidly answering employee-submitted questions. Holtz referenced Quaker Oats, as well, which used podcasts to inform employees in the lead-up to the launch of its “30-day Oatmeal Challenge” campaign. Quaker Oats aired an interview with their chief nutritionist to reinforce the science underpinning the initiative.

Podcast format and content is another key issue. What should you talk about? Holtz says “fast-paced news roundups” are a reliable option. As for time, he recommends shooting for a sweet spot of 10–12 minutes—possibly even shorter. Don’t ask too much of employees.

However, the world is your audio oyster here. Give the people what they want. You can use your program to explain upcoming marketing and advertising campaigns. It can be a platform to convey company benefits, announce staff events, discuss industry trends—or just be an uplifting forum to boost morale. Whatever you do, just make sure you nail down a core purpose. As Holtz says:

Don’t just chase the shiny object; use podcasting when it serves you. Then promote it.

Here are more podcast tips from Holtz:

• Hosting and distribution can be a challenge. You can either pay for an account or host it on a server and pay data costs. Libsyn.com is designed to host podcast files.
• Make sure your files are optimized for mobile.
• For internal marketing, use whatever channels you have access to. If you have digital signage, use that. If you have an intranet, use prime real estate for podcast promotion. Link to the podcast in your newsletter.
• When you launch the podcast, view it as a marketing campaign. How do you market your new benefits or intranet? Build excitement and awareness.
• Try to tell stories that reinforce your company culture and values. Talk about employees doing interesting things.
• What kills engagement is when leaders don’t walk the talk they tout. Try to get company leaders to participate in the podcast and show a more human side.
• Audio quality is crucial. Invest in a good microphone. If you’re interviewing in the field, you need something sturdy. Audacity is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
• Your audio files should be MP3s. All files should have relevant tags.
• Consider building a simple podcast website to house and explain your work.
• To build your case for podcast investment, Edison research shows the worth of podcasting.
• Podcasting is gaining in popularity. It’s a chance to reach employees you’re not reaching now. Holtz says: “Podcasting is intimate; it’s a one-to-one connection.”
• Podcasting is a low-cost investment, compared with video.
• To gauge whether a podcast is worthwhile, you must measure metrics. Find out how many people are listening to it. Don’t expect too much, though. Holtz says: “Podcasts won’t be the primary communication channel, but if you’re getting 20 to 30 percent listening, that’s compelling stuff. Ask: Do people take action? Does it change opinions and behaviors? Find out if people are doing something because of listening.”

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The most cost-effective way to grow as a communicator in 2017

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6 ways to shape your hospital’s brand through stories

There’s been a lot of discussion about the importance of story in business. But decades of research has shown that not just any narrative will do. It’s personally engaging narratives that have the power. Here’s how to bring the power of story into your social media mix and firmly plant your brand’s values into your readers’ memory.

Human minds rely on story to understand and remember

Quickly: Pick a favorite scene from the movie, “Star Wars.” No matter how long it’s been since you’ve seen it, I’m sure you can remember at least a dozen details—who the characters were in the scene, what they were wearing, what they were doing. Maybe even colors or sounds.

That’s an example of the power of personally-engaging stories. After generating more than 800 scientific studies across 15 disciplines, researchers all agree that stories are the most effective way to communicate facts and concepts—and to anchor those concepts into memory.

Not just any story will do

In terms of comprehension and recall, research keeps showing us that when we “see” and “hear” and “sense” what we read in a story, that “experience” represents reality in our minds far better than the most impressive numbers or bar charts ever could.

That’s why not just any narrative with a beginning, middle, and end will work. It’s personally engaging stories that have the real power. When readers can imagine themselves experiencing the story, that’s when their minds anchor the story into memory.

How to use social media to convey your brand—and make it stick

1. Gather ‘happy ending’ stories. Coach employees to share and listen to stories whenever they’re communicating with patients. Then, turn those encounters into brief patient stories that illustrate your brand’s values. For example, stories of how you’ve welcomed patients, or managed patients’ belongings—any story that ends up with things going well for the patient.

2. Use your stories to create patient-story-based blogs. Set a goal to post one story a week. Within the content, include a Twitter hyperlink or a sidebar that says, “Tweet This.”

3. Create a Pinterest pinboard with patient pictures and stories. The great thing about Pinterest is that the “main character” in the story is the real star. Your organization seems to take a back seat, but your values shine through.

[FREE DOWNLOAD: How to manage online patient feedback and brand reputation]

4. Tweet each story’s headline or key message, then link followers to its blog or pinboard. If a story is ongoing, be sure to keep everyone posted.

5. If a patient posts a complaint on your Facebook page, don’t avoid it—use it! This could actually be a great opportunity to support your brand. Use this as the beginning of a story your followers can witness as it unfolds. Do whatever you can—as soon as you can—to turn that conflict into a story with a happy ending.

6. Create an internal “Facebook” site where employees can share inspiring stories about their experiences with patients. Sharing patient successes goes a long way to deepen internal branding for your employees. That means they’re more likely to live the brand when dealing with your patients.

Share personally engaging stories with your readers and help them feel for themselves what your brand is really about.

Previously published material.

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SOMA by SDAE on Cambie

SOMA by SDAE is a new development at West 62nd Ave & Cambie, centrally located to connect to the airport, downtown, UBC and more. Surrounded by beautiful parks, trails, and minutes away from shopping and entertainment. SOMA offers 32 residential 1-3 bedroom units. SOMA’s striking contemporary architecture has been designed to complement its natural surroundings. Abundant landscaping around the exterior provides privacy at ground level, while Soma’s rooftop gardens bring the natural beauty of the surrounding area to your home.

 

 

The post SOMA by SDAE on Cambie appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Snapchat’s new design separates out branded content

Brand managers may need to rethink how they use Snapchat.

On Wednesday, the social media app announced a redesign of its platform, calling it the “new Snapchat”:

Introducing the new Snapchat!!https://t.co/2gwVskpY1M

— Snapchat (@Snapchat) November 29, 2017

The biggest change is that the platform separated branded and influencer content from friends’ snaps. In a blog post, Snapchat wrote:

Until now, social media has always mixed photos and videos from your friends with content from publishers and creators. While blurring the lines between professional content creators and your friends has been an interesting Internet experiment, it has also produced some strange side-effects (like fake news) and made us feel like we have to perform for our friends rather than just express ourselves.

The new Snapchat separates the social from the media. This means that the Chats and Stories from your friends are on the left side of Snapchat, and the Stories from publishers, creators, and the community are on the right.

“It’s not a drastic overhaul in the design of the app, but more a structural change on how Snap views the content its users and publishing partners produce,” Quartz reported.

“Your friends aren’t content—they’re relationships,” said Evan Spiegel, Snap’s co-founder and chief executive:

[RELATED: Craft messages that resonate with internal and external audiences and moves them to act.]

Though Snapchat now separates promotional content from conversations with your contacts, that doesn’t mean that users won’t be served promotional material. The redesign includes both users’ subscriptions as well as curated stories selected for each user.

Snapchat wrote:

The new Discover page to the right of the camera includes Stories from publishers, creators, and the community. Your subscriptions live at the top, followed by other Stories you might be interested in watching. Over time, Discover will become uniquely personalized for you. While the Stories on Discover are personalized algorithmically, our curators review and approve everything that gets promoted on the page. We believe that this balance of human review and machine personalization provides the best content experience on mobile.

Snapchat’s redesign is another attempt to distance itself from the way other platforms (such as Facebook) offer up content to users.

Quartz reported:

The new structure seems like a positive move. It’s sort of solidifying the app, which turned down $3 billion from Facebook in 2013, as the “anti-Facebook.” Facebook has muddled the line between content, news about friends, and pure internet garbage to the point where it’s become nearly impossible for the average user to know what’s important, or even true— on purpose.

The move is meant to strengthen the platform’s sinking revenues and slow growth.

Slate reported:

The past year has been rocky for the company, which seems to be gunning for a comeback with this redesign. Apart from lagging user growth—daily users grew just 2.9 percent in the third quarter, the slowest rate since the company began reporting it—Snapchat also faces looming competition from Facebook and Instagram, both of which recently introduced their own versions of stories. Current trading prices for shares for the company have also dropped 20 percent below their initial offering.

Bloomberg’s Shira Ovide wrote that having both chats and video diaries organized by users’ closest connections instead of chronologically could make the app more useful for regular users.

However, Ovide argues that the new design doesn’t address the platform’s growth issue:

Here's the rub, though. The changes Snapchat described potentially make the app more appealing to people who already use Snapchat regularly. I'm not sure it does much to make Snapchat alluring to people who don't use it or find it intimidating to try. And that was exactly what Snapchat said it wanted to do. Snapchat said a big goal for 2018 was increasing the number of users. It's not clear the company has tackled the biggest barriers for Snapchat newcomers.

Worse, Snapchat doesn't try to explain how this app redesign will make Snapchat easier to use for more people. Or rather, it explains its strategy in a rather disingenuous way.

What this means for brands

Ovide wrote that it’s a slap in the face to Snapchat’s advertising partners, as well:

Many of those companies have devoted millions of dollars to making TV-like shows or articles tailored to Snapchat. Some of their efforts have been inventive ways to deliver information or entertainment in fresh forms, and Snapchat has created an inviting place for those professional purveyors to thrive.

But those Snapchat partners are likely drawing the short stick now.

Separating branded content doesn’t just hurt the organizations that partner with the platform.

Ovide wrote:

A big chunk of Snapchat's revenue also comes from advertisements that appear in this professional media programming. That means the redesign could dent Snapchat's finances, too.

The new design doesn’t signal the end of PR and marketing efforts on Snapchat, though.

Instead, brand managers will have to adjust to the app’s changes and find new ways to connect with their target audiences—including experimenting with new paid ads and features, as well as creating content that entices younger viewers.

Quartz reported:

… Separating out content and messaging, especially with Snapchat planning to open up Discover to more creators, could mean more places to show more ads to users. Snap recently introduced a new “Sponsored” advertising slot in the Discover section, which essentially acts like Snapchat story from an advertiser, and it’s entirely possible that the company will use the redesign to push more ads between stories and messages between friends.

Mashable’s Kerry Flynn wrote that Snapchat’s new “smart filters,” which use image recognition technology to offer filter options whenever users take or upload a photo, could signal where the platform is leading advertisers:

Filters not only provide Snapchat users with an easy way to decorate snaps sent to their friends and to their Stories, but they also generate revenue for the company. Brands can pay to sponsor filters, which can be activated based on a user's location or available to a subset of users based on interests.

These contextual filters could serve as ads in the future. Snap filed a patent for an advertising system that used object recognition to serve relevant filters back in 2015. That patent was published by the U.S. patent office last July.

Snapchat certainly wants brand managers to look at the redesign as a new beginning. In an op-ed on Axios that accompanied the company’s announcement, Spiegel wrote:

We are separating the social from the media, and taking an important step forward towards strengthening our relationships with our friends and our relationships with the media.

What do you think of the redesign, PR Daily readers? How might this affect your Snapchat strategy?

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Living Lagom in Sweden: An Interview With Lola Akerstrom

Back in 2006, during my first trip around the world, I met a Swedish girl. We traveled together for a bit and the following year I went to visit her in Sweden. Though that relationship didn’t last, my love for Sweden did and, in subsequent years, I learned Swedish and even tried to move to Sweden. I love everything Swedish. And so does my friend Lola. Lola and I met back in 2008 when travel blogging was in its infancy. Unlike me, she’s had success in making a life in Sweden, where she now lives with her husband and son. She’s one of the favorite people in the industry and I love the imagery in her writing and the beauty in her photography.

In her new book, Lagom, she discusses life in Sweden and Swedish culture. Today, I jealously interview her about life there.

Nomadic Matt: Tell everyone a bit about yourself.
Lola: I’m a Nigerian-born, US-educated, Sweden-based writer and photographer focusing mostly on exploring culture through food, tradition, and lifestyles. My photography is represented by National Geographic Creative, and I was recently awarded the prestigious 2018 Travel Photographer of the Year Bill Muster Award from the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).

I actually took a nontraditional path to this new life, as I worked as a web programmer and GIS system architect for 12+ years before the full career shift into the travel media industry.

I’ve always been fascinated by the nuances of culture: what makes us different and what our similarities are. And so this curiosity and acknowledgement really underpins pretty much all my work as a travel writer and photographer.

How did you end up in Sweden?
I met my husband in 2006 while living in the US. After logging thousands upon thousands of air miles, as well as temporary stints in Stockholm, I officially moved over in 2009. It really was an intercultural, interracial, and intercontinental union in many ways. We now have two kids, so Sweden will be home for a while for many reasons, the prime one being that it’s pretty darn perfect for families.

How do you find life in Sweden? Good? Bad?
Life in Sweden is what you make of it, and that’s why I also wrote this book — as a handy cultural guide that can help you integrate and deeply understand Swedish culture and its nuances. Having lived in both Nigeria and the US for extended periods of time, I appreciate living here with a young family. Overall, the quality of life is fantastic in terms of stress levels. There is enough time to dedicate to the family, as well as generous benefits, which we all contribute to through our taxes.

What’s your least favorite part about living in Sweden?
I often say Sweden is the most open society run by the most private people, and I explain why in the book. Sweden does have its dark sides, and I always say the main difference is this: I can be like Oprah Winfrey if I want to as a black woman in the US, despite all the racial tensions. In Sweden, while you’ll be left in a small corner to live your happy life, trying to be a CEO or magnate like Oprah is a gargantuan task. There are people who still don’t get called for job interviews because of the names on their résumés. So overall, while I love living here, no society is perfect, and Sweden has a lot of integration issues it needs to work out.

Why did you write this book?
So, the Swedish word lagom has recently emerged as the lifestyle trend of 2017 and of course, publishers are jumping on it with different lifestyle books — from recipes to interior decor.

But I needed to put a book out there that was beyond cinnamon bun recipes, because lagom is not a word that is warmly embraced or even liked by many Swedes themselves for various reasons, including the fact the ethos has over time morphed to denote average, boring, and middle-of-the-road. I detail all this in the book, as well as explain why lagom itself is inherently a good ideal as opposed to jante, which is the negative parasitic ethos that attaches itself to lagom and brings the negativity. But it is the key to understanding the Swedish mindset.

I have been living in Sweden for eight years, and writing about the country and its culture for even longer. I am also married to a Swede and have a unique vantage point of observing the culture both objectively and subjectively. So I explain lagom in a way that a foreigner fully gets it, as well as holding up a mirror to Swedes so they see how lagom is expressed in interactions with other people. It can be very difficult to write about something that’s very intrinsic to you in a way that others can fully understand without coming off as patronizing and condescending.

It really governs the Swedish psyche, and individual bubbles of lagom are definitely changing and morphing with each passing generation.

I needed to write a well-balanced cultural book that could still stand once the Scandi-trends wave washed over.

What does lagom mean and why is it important?
On the surface, lagom is often described as “not too little, not too much, just right,” but it’s a lot more nuanced than that and lies closer to “optimal.” It is the key to unlocking the Swedish psyche and governs almost all aspects of life and culture in the country.

It also transforms its meaning in different contexts — from “less is more” in terms of décor and “moderation” in terms of food to “harmony and balance” in terms of society and “mindfulness” in terms of well-being.

If one were to boil down the true essence of lagom to its very core, it means striving for the ultimate balance in life that, when applied to all aspects of one’s existence, can help guide you toward operating at your most natural, effortless state.

The state and measurement of lagom mean different things to different folks. My satisfaction may vary from yours, but we can both be satisfied. Lagom represents the ultimate sweet spot or golden mean in your own life, and more importantly, it encourages you to fully operate within that sweet spot that’s just right for you.

For travelers to Sweden, how can they detect lagom at work or play?
Many people often describe Swedes (in Sweden, not outside of Sweden) as reserved, inaccessible, and maybe even cold and flippant, but it’s often just lagom’s mindfulness at play. Locals will give you your space and ensure you’re not inconvenienced by their presence. So, Swedes naturally keep their distance from a place of mindfulness, not because they don’t want to be around you. (Outside of Sweden, they are quick to ditch lagom in social settings.)

At work, lagom is always looking for the best solution, so there’s a lot of planning, lots of meetings, lots of consensus, lots of teamwork, you get the gist… to make sure they arrive at the optimal, lagom solution to all problems.

For example: Many foreigners working or doing business in Sweden often lament the amount of time Swedes put into upfront planning and preparation. Agendas are triple-checked, and several meetings are called to plan every single item on said agendas. Plans can take months to put in place before moving to the next step of implementing each item on those plans.

For a culture that prides itself on efficiency, it could seem these inherent acts of zealous planning are counterproductive, and they can be seen as wasting time and resources. However, because lagom craves balance by trimming excess around its edges, it requires adequate planning. “Adequate” is measured by whatever it takes to prune irrelevance, regardless of how long it takes.

To be efficient means to perform and function in the most optimal manner possible with the least waste of time, resources, and energy. This very definition of efficiency mirrors the core of lagom.

So lagom says it is perfectly OK to spend as much time as needed to prepare ourselves and strongly develop our plans, because that’s the only way we can guarantee efficiency.

For travelers who would like to date a Swede, how can understanding lagom help them?
Swedes don’t naturally divulge information or overshare, so sometimes it can be hard to even gauge or assess what’s going on in a relationship. And it’s not a culture that overly gesticulates with hands or uses flattering words, so knowing if a Swede is interested in you can be denoted by their unusually prolonged eye contact.

So, when out on a date, always have follow-up questions to keep the conversation going and to avoid your date awkwardly ending at “yes or no” answers. Because they will do so, in an effort not to overshare without being asked.

For someone going on a date expecting to be lavishly wined and dined, Swedes are generally conditioned to split their bills, to always repay favors, and to not be duty-bound to anyone, especially financially, by keeping that scale balanced. So this can come as a nasty surprise at the end of the night if you haven’t discussed it before the waiter brings out the menu.

And if you’re in relationship with a Swede and have issues or questions, just ask straight out because Swedes are very direct. And be prepared for those direct answers!

Why are people so fascinated with Sweden?
I think a lot of the fascination comes from the quality of life and just how progressive the society is. Another more superficial angle has to do with physicality — from people and landscapes to interior décor and architecture. I mean, the city of Stockholm itself is absolutely stunning, and it spreads across 14 islands, which you can view from some nice vantage points in town. Sweden consistently ranks in the top 10 happiest countries, so there are clearly things Sweden is getting right.

What’s the one thing you want people to take away from your book?
Lagom is a mindset that fundamentally battles stress. Having too much or too little causes stress, so lagom tries to find its balance between both with the optimal solution by reducing excess. Not perfection, but the best solution.

Think of it as a scale that always needs to be balanced. Too much or too little tips the scale sharply to one side or the other, so lagom balances itself (“just right”) by trimming excess and getting rid of all sources of stress within our control — from material things to relationships that drain us.

Lola A. Åkerström is an award-winning writer, speaker, and photographer with National Geographic Creative. She regularly contributes to high profile publications such as AFAR, the BBC, The Guardian, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, and National Geographic Traveler. Lola is also the editor of Slow Travel Stockholm, an online magazine dedicated to exploring Sweden’s capital city in depth. She lives in Stockholm and blogs at Geotraveler’s Niche.

You can pick up a copy of her book on Amazon. (It’s really interesting and I highly recommend it!)

The post Living Lagom in Sweden: An Interview With Lola Akerstrom appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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How and why to make your blog interactive

Imagine a blog post that is just pages and pages of text.

Would you voluntarily read that blog post till the very end? Not likely.

Today, the information revolution has led to exploding exponential content creation. Readers have multiple sources to get information from and without appealing content, writers may quickly find themselves losing readership.

Research suggests that interactive blog posts which contain visually stimulating, interactive content can increase readership and social media sharing by a factor of 40.

Here are five interactive content types you can include in your blog to keep your readers coming back for more:

1. Animate the inanimate.

Nothing spices up a blog better than videos. In fact, studies show that websites experience an 86 percent conversion rate just by incorporating videos in their posts.

It isn’t just videos, either; podcasts do a better job when it comes to increasing blog readership. Embed a podcast containing the audio to your post and watch as readers—and non-readers—visit your blog for information.

[RELATED: Join us at IBM Watson Health in Boston for the Intranet Best Practices Conference.]

This tactic works especially well in “how-to” blogs where readers seek specific directions that are easy to understand and implement.

2. Use custom-created graphics.

Most freely available pictures and GIFs on the internet are overused and have hardly any impact on reader engagement. Why not create your own graphics to engage your readers?

Tools like Canva and Piktochart let users create their very own images, GIFs and infographics. There are also content curation tools which allow you to create your own graphics with ease. With hundreds of designs and templates to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choices.

If you create your own graphics, remember to use contrasting colors to bring your core message into focus.

3. Quiz your readers.

In 2013, The New York Times' most popular piece wasn’t an article; it was a quiz.

The news website saw millions of people frequenting its site to try their hand at the quiz entitled “How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk". It took the website a whopping 11 days to find an article that beat this level of reader engagement.

Quizzes make for dynamite interactive content. They provide nuggets of information packaged in highly entertaining and interesting ways. Include a short quiz in your blog and watch as your readership explode.

4. Incorporate social media into your posts.

The best way to get your readers to interact with you is to guide them to share your posts. From “Tweet This” links to “Share This On Facebook” messages, you have many ways of incorporating social media into your blogs.

Twitter has a great link generator which helps users create a personalized link that helps publishers share messages easily. Just type in your message in the text box, click on the “Generate link” option and wait for your custom Twitter link to appear.

This technique only works if you create content that is worthy of being shared. You could add backlinks to interesting studies, statistics and quizzes to make your content more authoritative and interesting.

5. Add ratings and comments plugins.

One of the easiest ways to interact with your readers is to add features for user to rate or comment directly on your site. Websites like FileHippo allow users to download plugins for free. You can also look for free WordPress plugins to download and use on your blog.

Having a rating star or a comment button encourages viewers to interact with your content and can spark a conversation that lasts beyond your initial post release.

How do you drive interaction on your content blogs or websites, PR Daily readers?

Nisha Prakash is a blogger specializing in social media marketing and content management .

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Meet the RE Tech Founder: Simon Davis of Nimbus Maps

In our latest real estate tech entrepreneur interview, we’re speaking with the co-founder and CEO of Nimbus Maps, Simon Davis.

Without further ado…

What do you do?

I am the CEO of Nimbus® Maps, which is in effect a dedicated property search engine for real estate professionals allowing them access to information on 99% of the properties in the UK and then we have mapped it all, using Google Maps of course.

What problem does your product/service solve?

The mind-numbing process of having to find quite simply the most basic information on a property you are working on whether as a broker, buyer, seller, valuer or other professional. For every professional working in the real estate industry, you have to look for the same information, over and over again, on every property we look at, and we look at a lot, every day! It was sheer madness that you couldn’t access all this information, much of it free, from a single source. So, we created it!

What are you most excited about right now?

The massive adoption by our industry of our products, making it all worth it. We wanted to share in the intellectual property we have had created for us by some very bright minds at Warwick Uni. and our current adoption rate is over 40 companies a day which we are overjoyed about. It gives us a buzz to know so many professionals are benefitting from all our hard work.

What’s next for you?

We have some really exciting data linkages which we have managed to create through using the latest machine learning techniques from the guys at the university. This will enable our customers to instantly see relationships between properties, their owners, occupiers and their representatives, which will completely open up the industry to everyone working in it. This will be a big wake up to an industry which otherwise has been slow to adopt technology, certainly compared to other industries.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

Mental health, both in the workplace and people’s personal lives. I am particularly concerned about peoples’ ability to cope with the stresses induced by being given so much information to digest on a daily, hourly basis via all the communication channels we are all tied into. The difficulty of “switching off” these days with all the electronic devices we are almost permanently connected to is a serious issue for us all, and not going away. Look at the issues affecting children being bullied through social media at all hours – there is no escape. I love technology, clearly, but I am genuinely concerned about our ability to deal with it all and the consequences this is going to have on us in the long term as we create more data.

Thanks to Simon for sharing his story. If you’d like to connect, find him on LinkedIn here.

We’re constantly looking for great real estate tech entrepreneurs to feature. If that’s you, please read this post — then drop me a line (drew @ geekestatelabs dot com).

The post Meet the RE Tech Founder: Simon Davis of Nimbus Maps appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

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Will Lauer’s swift firing and his own apology douse the PR firestorm?

The urgency to respond to sexual harassment allegations is growing, not fading.

NBC fired longtime host and TV personality Matt Lauer following a claim of sexual harassment by an employee. The accusations seemed shocking and credible enough to prompt the network to act quickly, and Lauer’s removal was announced Wednesday, live on air by co-host Savannah Guthrie.

A day later, Lauer has apologized.

The Daily Beast wrote:

In a statement read on the air at the top of the program by Lauer’s shaken co-host, Savannah Guthrie, [NBC News Chairman Andy] Lack said the abrupt termination was prompted by a “detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer.”

The bombshell announcement—a week after CBS This Morning co-host Charlie Rose was removed from his anchor chair, and had his eponymous PBS and Bloomberg Media show canceled, because of sexual-harassment complaints published by The Washington Post—came amid weeks-long rumors that unnamed outlets were preparing to run an investigation about allegations of Lauer’s workplace misconduct.

The speed of the firing was remarkable to some at NBC.

The Daily Beast continued:

“This happened so quickly,” the insider told the Post. “She didn’t go to the media, she made a complaint to NBC’s human resources, and her evidence was so compelling that Matt was fired on Tuesday night. The victim says she has evidence that this has also happened to other women, but so far we don’t have evidence of that.”

The removal preempted the release of a news report that had been in the works for weeks, both at The New York Times and Variety, and it allowed NBC to get out in front of a highly unflattering story.

CNN reported:

Lauer's sudden ouster came as a shock to viewers -- but not as a complete surprise to his "Today" show colleagues. They knew that Variety and other news outlets were investigating Lauer's off-camera conduct.

One of those outlets, The New York Times, was in touch with an accuser who then met with NBC lawyers and human resources officials on Monday evening.

The accuser's attorney, Ari Wilkenfeld, said it was a three-hour-long meeting.

"My client detailed egregious acts of sexual harassment and misconduct by Mr. Lauer," Wilkenfeld said.

An investigation ensued on Tuesday. A decision was made to terminate his employment on Tuesday evening -- a swift turnaround time.

In its exclusive exposé, Variety spoke with accusers who said that their complaints against Lauer had fallen on deaf ears at the network over the years.

It wrote:

Several women told Variety they complained to executives at the network about Lauer’s behavior, which fell on deaf ears given the lucrative advertising surrounding “Today.” NBC declined to comment. For most of Lauer’s tenure at “Today,” the morning news show was No. 1 in the ratings, and executives were eager to keep him happy.

Variety reported that the speed of Lauer’s firing was due to the backdrop of recent sexual harassment allegations rocking the news media and entertainment industries.

It continued:

Insiders say that NBC was forced to act quickly after this week’s complaint, given the severity of the accusations and the national dialogue around sexual harassment that has ended the careers of Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and other prominent men. Now, against a series of questions about the future of “Today,” a troubling portrait has emerged of Lauer. In front of the camera, for more than two decades, Lauer had positioned himself as America’s squeaky-clean dad. But behind the scenes, Lauer was a different person.

NBC’s quick actions left reporters to put together the timeline around Lauer’s dismissal, including such things as who knew what and when.

CNN reported:

Variety reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister said on Twitter that she had been pursuing "serious sexual harassment allegations against Lauer" for two months.

"NBC was aware" of the reporting, Wagmeister tweeted. "There are multiple women we've spoken to with far-ranging accusations against Lauer. The power of journalism has never been more evident with this cultural change."

Reputation calibration

PR pros were watching Lauer’s dismissal with interest, analyzing how NBC was handling this latest example of a popular face being revealed as responsible for unsavory misconduct.

Hinda Mitchell at Inspire PR group wrote:

NBC stood strong. There’s no question there will be viewer backlash from multiple perspectives: those who feel betrayed by the network that what is perceived to be such swift action was taken (e.g., “innocent till proven guilty”) and those who believe NBC only responded because they wanted to get ahead of likely media investigations.

Although the short-term brand impact will be negative, NBC’s response allows for a path forward, and lays the foundation for the coming days of likely revelations. In so many of these cases, once an initial allegation is announced, other victims come forward. [NBC News Chairman Andrew] Lack’s acknowledgement that they have “reason to believe” this is not an isolated incident prepares for that.

Mitchell also noted that NBC relied on other media personalities to provide a human response, sending Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on air to announce Lauer’s dismissal.

Guthrie and Kotb’s comments at the start of the “Today” Show were authentic and heartfelt. They echoed what many viewers surely are feeling – confusion, concern, sadness, “heartbroken” and more. Their transparency in sharing their feelings will position the audience to join them – rather than to act in opposition to the network.

Further, Guthrie and Kotb made it clear – while their friendship with Lauer is deep, they feel comparable anguish for the victim(s) in the matter and recognized the strength it took to come forward.

[FREE DOWNLOAD: 13 tips for preparing for a crisis]

Lauer voices his ‘sorrow and regret’

Lauer has apologized, putting out a statement that expresses contrition and admits “enough truth” in the allegations.

USA Today posted the full statement from Matt Lauer:

"There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly. Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I’m committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It’s been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace.”

Lauer’s is the latest in a string of apologies as powerful men search for the proper phrasing to address decades of misconduct. Yet certain words are leading the public to disbelieve those statements.

In a poll conducted by Propeller Insights, some phrases cause listeners to doubt speakers who offer statements and apologies for sexual misconduct or other unseemly behavior.

Forty-three percent said that the spokesperson’s failure to remember the details of the incident caused them to doubt the statement, and 31 percent said the words “I swear” pushed them in the wrong direction as well. Even flat-out denial, in a statement such as, “The accusations are untrue,” inspired skepticism in 27 percent of respondents.

Social media response

Some on Twitter rejected Lauer’s apology:

Matt Lauer’s statement is half-hearted at best. Notice all the “I”s. Only half a sentence is given to the victims. He has twisted this into a fashion for feeling sorry for him and gives LITTLE attention to the victims. On behalf of the #metoo movement, apology not accepted. http://pic.twitter.com/RVEUJyDoXv

— Missing in Sight. (@missinginsight) November 30, 2017

Matt Lauer apologized.
Everyone that feels that this is sincere and wipes out all the harm he has done, raise your hands.
.
.
.
.
.
crickets.

— 🌊Longs Peak 14,259'🌊 (@OskarMac2020) November 30, 2017

Hollow words from Matt Lauer. Why didn't he say those words to himself before or after assaulting the women he went after? Is he sorry he got caught?

— Sophie Katherine G. (@ClassicSophie) November 30, 2017

Others are looking at NBC, wondering why network executives didn’t know about Lauer’s conduct sooner, and if they did, why nothing was done earlier.

Matt Lauer's apology, basically: No excuses. I am a serial sexual predator.

Now NBC has some answering to do for why they didn't catch this, or end this, sooner.

— Amber Phillips (@byamberphillips) November 30, 2017

What do you think of NBC’s response and Matt Lauer’s apology, PR Daily readers?

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7 Examples of Successful Press Release Boilerplates

Usually, when the term “boilerplate” is applied to a piece of writing, it’s meant dismissively: “No need to read those terms & conditions you’re signing — it’s just standard boilerplate.” But when it comes to a press release, the company boilerplate is nothing to dismiss.

As much as any of the other press release building blocks — an eye-catching headline, dateline, clear source, specific media contact — a good boilerplate, or “About Us” statement, helps tell a full story to your media and consumer audience. It rounds out the picture of who you are and demonstrates your authority.

Think of your press release like a knock on the door of your readers’ homes. You’re asking for a moment of time in their busy day to announce some important news — and your boilerplate answers the all-important “Who is it?”

But there’s a reason “boilerplate” gets a bad rap. It’s often treated as a box to be checked, a requirement to be fulfilled, instead of the opportunity that it is. If you’ve hooked a reader into your announcement enough that they want to know more about you and your company, then you’re letting them down with a boring, run-of-the-mill “About Us” paragraph.

So keep your readers’ interest with an engaging, informative summary of your company’s mission and accomplishments. For inspiration, see the below examples of company boilerplates that get the job done.

Want more tips on creating a strong, well-structured press release? Check out our “Quick and Easy Guide to Sharing Your Press Release” to brush up on your skills!

1. The Classic

CVS Health: http://prn.to/2y75hQj  

CVS’s company boilerplate hits all the highlights: who they are, why they’re different, what they offer and a website to learn more. But they kick it up a notch, too, by focusing on their value to consumers. More than just a list of brags, this short graph sums up exactly what CVS Health uniquely offers to improve health through services and easy access.

2. The Social Butterfly

AutoNation, Inc.: http://prn.to/2lIiuJn

For the socially-savvy company, with a strong presence on social platforms, you may want to direct readers to your social media channels to find out more info and encourage interested audiences to connect on a more personal level. You put a lot of effort into creating engaging content to share on social – and expand to a wider audience by distributing that great content over the wire – so you’ll want to direct readers to follow/like/favorite you on those channels, so they don’t miss a beat.

NOTE: Keep in mind those social links add to your total link count – and search engines may start to read as “spammy” a piece of content with more than a handful of hyperlinks. If you want to highlight your social pages without adding more to your link count, you can mention but not link to them.

Example – LendingTree: http://prn.to/2z5VZUx

3. Short & Sweet

Live Nation Entertainment: http://prn.to/2gKHwGl

In less than 50 words, Live Nation sums up their purpose, names their brands, and gives readers a place to go to find more information. In true rock star fashion, it’s like they’re winking to their audience: “you know who we are.” And it’s true – Live Nation and their brands are household names, so it’s not necessary to waste words explaining themselves.

4. The Guide

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum: http://prn.to/2mBDxxY

For news about an event or attraction, the best boilerplates provide a map for readers to go find out more “IRL.” The Smithsonian isn’t looking to drive traffic to their website; they’re looking to drive literal traffic to their museum. In that case, readers need to know where, when and how.

5. Data-driven

Farmers Insurance: http://prn.to/2zM11Wi

Farmers Insurance stays true to character by focusing on the numbers. Like a serious insurance adjuster, they look to the data to guide them. If they want readers to consider them the serious player that they are in the insurance space, they’re going to back up that claim with stats on how many customers, policies, employees they have, as well as their financial ranking.

6. The Non-Boilerplate Boilerplate

Popbar: http://prn.to/2gPWkTR 

Like a melty popsicle on a hot summer day, Popbar’s “About Us” section comes at you fast. Rather than announcing “About Popbar,” they work their company summary into the release itself, with a simple, “Popbar is a perfect treat for anyone…” Also staying true to their brand, they keep their boilerplate light and sweet – with fun lingo that celebrates all the ways and places people enjoy their snack. And of course being as Instagram-worthy as they are, they work in their social presence too.

7. The “It’s Not About Me”

General Mills: http://ift.tt/2iqaiwO 

For some types of corporate social responsibility news, no boilerplate is the right choice. This release from General Mills isn’t really about them – it’s about one of their community programs, to amplify and enable female farmers. So General Mills gracefully steps aside in order to highlight these inspiring women.

You can’t go wrong with an informative, engaging boilerplate that connects with your new and existing followers on an authentic level. Decide which type best matches your company’s voice and tone, and your boilerplate will be more than just a throwaway for interested audiences.

 

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3 AP style changes you need to know

Even the most seasoned writing veterans can lose track of the constant AP style updates.

Falling behind can lead to detrimental mistakes, but cracking open a new stylebook can be daunting.

Let 30-year Associated Press veteran Paula Froke show you what you need to know during Ragan’s Learn AP Style Straight from the Source Webinar.

Here are just three of the crucial changes she’ll teach you:

1. How and when to use the singular pronoun “they”

2. Inclusive LBGT/LBGTQ language and how to use it correctly

3. Correct usage of the term “cyberattack”

You’ll also learn updates to gender terminology, the polarizing Oxford comma and addiction terms. Watch from the comfort of your desk on Dec. 5 from 1-2:30 p.m. Central time. You’ll even receive a free on-demand recording of the webinar.

Staying up to date on changes now can help you avoid embarrassing mistakes later. Register today to avoid being caught off guard during your next pitch.

Register here.

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Tips to beef up your campaigns with visuals

If your content doesn’t include visuals, you’re losing a huge chunk of your audience.

Why are visual components so important? People process visuals 60,000 times faster than they process text. Add that most people are visual learners and that color visuals increase readership of a piece of content by 80 percent, and it's no wonder that visuals reign supreme.

Visuals are intrinsically linked with human emotions. Tapping into those emotions is a key part of public relations. Numerous studies have shown the significant effects of images—and even certain colors—on people’s actions and buying decisions.

Now that we’ve considered why visual content is important, here are five ways to be more visually oriented in your PR campaigns:

1. Use more video.

With the prevalence of smartphones, tablets and new technology, making video has never been easier. Shoot short segments from your phone or tablet, and use inexpensive software or apps like Powtoon or Animoto to transform your footage into a professional-quality masterpiece.

[RELATED: Craft messages that resonate with internal and external audiences and moves them to act.]

Consider these ways you can use video to draw in prospects and customers:

• Product demos
• How-to segments and tutorials
• Audience Q&A
• Behind-the-scenes tours
• Case studies

Consider this example from Salesforce. The company’s customer success story comes to life in this case study video. What would have otherwise been just words on a page pulls at our heartstrings with a real customer's voice, professional-quality video graphics and appropriate background music.

Here’s another example from HubSpot. The inbound marketing company shows exactly how to craft a PR campaign with video. The use of fun animation to overlay a real-life video underscores the importance of the key point—that the marketing scene is changing, and companies have to get on board.

2. Include visuals in your pitch.

Journalists are often under a time crunch to produce articles that will speak to their audience on an emotional level. Visuals help them do so. When reporters come across pitches with no visual content, it imposes another duty on them and exacerbates their time crunch.

Whenever you assemble your pitch, think about how to make it more visually accessible. Do you have stats and figures that can be conveyed in a chart or graph? If it’s a product launch, do you have how-to videos that explain your product in an engaging way? Can you create a colorful infographic that summarizes the key points of your pitch?

However you choose to do it, visual content has a vital place within your press release. Journalists have been known to work with companies repeatedly based largely on the visual content they receive.

Rather than simply inundate a journalist with video content, ask for permission as part of your pitch. Simply mention that you have an infographic or whatever your visual element is, and say you'd be happy to share it.

When you do send it, ensure that your visual content is easily accessible. Double-check every downloadable link. Make sure content is sized appropriately to send via email.

IBM excels at this. Not long ago it launched a news release unveiling its first-ever global trade digitization solution. The company's news release not only clearly identified contact information and resources, but it also included the following infographic to underscore the impact of the solution on industry.

3. Create memorable branding.

Every visual you create gives you a branding opportunity.

Visual content is great way to include your brand’s logo and coloring in your message. Every piece of visual content should represent your brand well, no matter where it is posted or who reads it. Consistency across your visual content is vital to successful branding.

Emarketer is a great example of consistent branding, as the research firm uses its charts and graphs to imprint its brand on its audience. Every chart or graph is immediately recognizable with its red and black design.

4. Use colors wisely.

The colors you choose can make the difference between a click-through or a swift departure. Colors also influence purchase decisions.

How can you wield color power successfully? Learn more about the psychology of colors and how they affect your audience.

Choose colors based on what message you want to convey to your audience. For example, green is often associated with competence, reliability and intelligence. Red conveys something exciting, trendy and cool.

Take this logo from Salesforce as an example. Blue connotes sophistication and class.

Consider this logo from Recast Energy, which transforms biomass into green electricity and thermal energy for industrial businesses. Its two-tone green logo plays off the energy field that it operates within, and it highlights its go-green initiatives.

5. Always be honest.

You wouldn’t write a title that had nothing to do with your blog, so why would you post an image that was misleading or misrepresented your topic?

Choose images that align with your written content. Think about what your image portrays at first glance, and if that's not your intended message, change it.

Wendy Marx is president of Marx Communications. A version of this post first appeared on the Marx Communications blog.

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8 Facebook fumbles to avoid

Facebook is a digital minefield—with real-life consequences.

There are innumerable ways to harm your business or brand on Facebook, but an infographic created by ABC Social Solutions highlights eight particularly egregious errors. Here’s are a few snippets of wisdom:

• Don’t spam. Some companies post on social media with all the subtlety and nuance of a “Nigerian prince” who needs your bank information to complete a “lucrative transaction.” Don’t bombard people with shameless plugs and desperate pleas to “like” your page. Facebook is already lousy with spam, scams and shams; don’t add to the noise.
• Don’t over-post. Be judicious with your posting frequency. The infographic warns that posting too much can shrink your “organic reach.” Oversharing can also annoy people into unfollowing you. The graphic recommends creating a new photo album if you have a bunch of pictures to upload.
• Don’t under-post. Don’t let your Facebook page become a deserted ghost town, either. Try scheduling out posts to ensure consistency and to prevent social media neglect. However, don’t post just for the sake of posting. Give your fans a reason to stick around—and keep coming back for more.
• Don’t ignore your fans. No one likes to be ignored. Even if it’s a complaint—especially if it’s a complaint—be attentive and respond. Acknowledge people when they post on your page. If you don’t have a social media manager, delegate this task to someone.
• Don’t post something you wouldn’t want to see. Before publishing content, consider whether it’s something that would pique your interest. If not, don’t post it.

[FREE GUIDE: 6 steps to crafting an internal social media plan]

Are you guilty of any Facebook missteps? See below.

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3 measurement rules you might be ignoring

It’s a safe bet that most of your communications programs take place online—and that they have a lot of numbers associated with them.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data, but if you’re not tracking the right metrics, you could be missing key insights about your efforts.

Are you following these principles recommended by the experts at the Measurement for Communicators Conference?

1. Use an analytics-friendly editorial structure to get more conversions from your content.

2. Present KPIs to senior leaders with visually appealing dashboards and visualizations.

3. Track the right livestreaming metrics to better allocate your budget.

Learn how to do the above and more when you join us at this can’t-miss conference on Feb. 20–21 in San Diego. You’ll hear how Southwest Airlines, Scripps Health, KPMG and more use their data to improve communications and audience engagement.

In just two days, you’ll get the skills you need to add “data analyst” to your job description.

Register here to save $100.

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30 jobs in the PR and marketing world

Last Thursday’s 91^st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade showcased its signature floats, musicians and performances.

Among the festivities, Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and the Legendary Roots Crew rocked the parade with a tribute to Prince on a giant Gibson Les Paul guitar float.

In 1894, Orville Gibson created the first Gibson instrument at a workshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The iconic guitar brand would produce its first electric guitar in 1935.

Over the years, such legendary musicians as B.B. King, Charlie Christian, Les Paul, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Joe Perry have rocked Gibson guitars. Of course, these are only a few of the many famous artists to play the famed instruments.

Celebrating its 120^th anniversary in 2014, Gibson has become known as one of the most innovative brands in music. Though it has cemented itself as an iconic name in the industry, the organization is continually looking to grow its brand.

Think you’re in tune with the latest marketing strategies for driving music business results? Gibson is looking for a chief marketing officer in Nashville.

The organization seeks a veteran communicator with at least 15 years’ experience.

Gibson Brands describes the position:

The CMO will work in conjunction with the CEO and executive team to develop the strategic vision for Gibson Brands; will have primary responsibility for developing and implementing a long-term brand strategy and annual plans that build sales and achieve EBITDA targets. He/she must be comfortable working in an entrepreneurial environment where his/her initiative will have a visible and immediate impact on the business.

The individual's core focus will be to continue to build the infrastructure and capabilities of the marketing organization for each business unit. Through a collaborative, constructive and energetic style, the CMO will provide leadership, management and the vision necessary to ensure that the company has the proper plans, people and other resources in place to grow revenues/profits and to guarantee future market success. The CMO will be responsible for building, leading and directing the global marketing team to achieve the company's goals and objectives.

[RELATED: Craft messages that resonate with internal and external audiences and moves them to act.]

Not the job for you? See what else we have in our weekly professional pickings:

Account executive—SourceCode Communications (New York)

Conference producer—Ragan Communications (Illinois or North Carolina)

SaaS practice group director—ARPR (Georgia)

Director, social media—Public Broadcasting Service (Virginia)

Account manager—MSLGROUP (Canada)

Marketing and public relations internship—NYSL Promotions (New Jersey)

Public relations and community outreach coordinator—Nation United (Washington, D.C.)

Social media content strategist—Bayard Advertising (Colorado)

Account manager, public relations—LaVoieHealthScience (Massachusetts)

Social media engager—LEGO (Japan)

Social media marketing internship—Crafted Hospitality (New York)

Community relations coordinator—Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Virginia)

Account executive—Amazon (Canada)

Public relations intern—Wikimedia Foundation (California)

Account director—ARPR (Georgia)

Social media marketing coordinator—Planet Interactive (Indiana)

PR manager—SunLife (United Kingdom)

Public relations and communications manager—Meet Minneapolis (Minnesota)

Senior social media manager—BCV (Illinois)

Public relations manager—American Academy of Ophthalmology (California)

Account executive—Snap Inc. (Canada)

Social media and content marketer—Rocky Mountain Oils (Utah)

Public relations assistant—Black Frame (New York)

Social media community specialist—The Saxton Group (Texas)

Editorial and media relations coordinator—The Cleveland Orchestra (Ohio)

Social media campaign marketing manager—GoDaddy (Iowa)

Marketing campaign manager—Social Circle (United Kingdom)

Public relations manager—Perrigo Co. (Michigan)

Senior public relations manager—PlayStation (California)

If you have a position you’d like to see highlighted in PR Daily’s weekly jobs post, please email me a link to the listing.

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Report: PR pros excluded from content marketing efforts

Many organizations’ content marketing efforts don’t properly align with their PR strategies.

Version 2.0 Communications recently released a report called, The State of Content & PR – Optimized or Opportunity?, which revealed that more than half of communicators surveyed (52 percent) don’t think their organization maximizes its content marketing efforts.

Half of the survey’s respondents say PR pros are not consulted to promote or amplify content once it’s created—even though 42 percent of communicators believe their organizations could benefit from a “single entity” handling both content creation and amplification.

Communicators are creating several types of content, with blog posts as the most popular (94 percent), followed by videos (70 percent), case studies (62 percent) and infographics (62 percent).

However, no matter what type of content is crafted, most survey respondents (65 percent) say they have a limited or short-sighted strategy—often determined on a piece-by-piece basis.

Having a short-term content strategy can stunt the growth of your reach and distribution, make it hard to measure your success and ultimately make you work harder than you would with a long-term plan.

Having enough resources—including personnel and time—can make a different in content strategy success, too.

Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents from large organizations (those with more than 25 people on the marketing team) say they often see value from their content marketing efforts, compared with 47 percent with teams of five to 14 people, and only 35 percent in organizations with marketing teams of fewer than five people.

Communicators say they maximize their content reach with one of two approaches: dedicating resources to writing and/or designing the pieces (83 percent), or supporting content creation with PR amplification (70 percent). Those that turned to PR help lie at opposite ends of the spectrum—either in large or small organizations:

 

[RELATED: Craft messages that resonate with internal and external audiences and moves them to act.]

So, how can PR pros become more involved in the use of content marketing?

You must be more involved with your marketing counterparts before content is created. The survey reveals that organizations’ content creators consult PR teams on messages 62 percent of the time—and reach out to PR pros about content promotion only half the time.

Given that 75 percent of respondents say content builds brand awareness and 59 percent say it establishes leadership and expertise, PR pros should be prepared to argue for their piece of the content marketing pie.

Katelyn Holbrook, Version 2.0 Communications’ senior vice president, says:

There’s been a lot of talk about how content will change the PR industry, and this survey shows that there’s been less action when it comes to maximizing that opportunity. And it’s unfortunate, because the data demonstrates just how effective content can be at achieving results where PR shines, such as raising brand awareness.

Come armed with data and ideas, and tell your counterparts that your involvement in content decisions can help you grab more media coverage and craft better guest posts—giving them the most bang for their bucks.

Holbrook says:

PR pros need to demand a seat at the content table if they don’t already have one (our research suggests many don’t) and have an active voice in determining the themes and messaging of content, as well as how it gets promoted and amplified. If PR and content teams are operating in silos, neither will do their best work. This can be as simple as holding weekly, cross-departmental meetings to ensure both sides can weigh in on key campaigns, or as robust as creating metrics that monitor and reward collaboration and shared results.

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Why the word ‘so’ ruins an interview

It’s hard to imagine that a two-letter word can cause quite so much anger.

Its use has been described as a ‘linguistic epidemic’ and such has been the recent level of anger from listeners of an influential radio news program about it that the issue this week reached the leader page of The Times.

We are, of course, talking about the use of the word ‘so’ at the start of responses in media interviews.

This is not a new issue, but listener frustration appears to have reached something of a recent fever pitch.

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The Radio 4 program Feedback—a forum for comments, criticism and praise for the BBC’s output—has featured the ‘so’ epidemic in two consecutive episodes, with listeners venting their anger in particular at its use on the Today program.

Robert from Wakefield said: “I have been increasingly irritated over the last couple of years by the increasing use of the word ‘so’ when prefacing a sentence.” Kay from Belfast added: “I don’t think ‘so’ is an appropriate word with which to begin a sentence.”

And Fergus, from Glasgow, went as far as to say: “Every time I hear it, the hair on my neck rises and my teeth bare in a grimace.”

This led The Times to report on the issue under the headline ‘So… Radio 4 listeners start an angry conversation about words’ and highlight that presenter John Humphrys has previously said the word has 'invaded everyday speech like some noxious weed in an untended garden'.

While I’m not convinced hearing the word ‘so’ should invoke quite the physical reaction poor old Fergus reports to suffer, or the fury of Mr. Hurmphrys, there is little doubt the overuse of this two-letter word can be a huge distraction when used excessively in media interviews.

In another media interview, Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick appeared on the Today Programback in April shortly after taking up the role.

She managed to start no less than seven responses with ‘so’.

Not only did it ensure the interview sounded unnatural and over rehearsed, but it also completely distracted from what were otherwise sensible and detailed answers.

Oh dear, Cressida Dick has caught the ‘begin every answer with “so”’ disease. #r4today

— Annette Hardy (@Annette1Hardy) April 18, 2017

Hmm. Cressida Dick has annoying habit of beginning every sentence with "So..." Detracts from otherwise sensible thoughts #r4today

— Mark Gregory (@Gregom10) April 18, 2017

So, don't start sentences with 'so' unless you want to sound like a Muppet. #r4today

— Jacka Garth (@SocialBeastie) April 18, 2017

It looks even worse in print as Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook, proved in an infamous interview with The New York Times, where he managed to use ‘so’ to start four sentences in just one response.

Yet, why do spokespeople appear to like using ‘so’ in media interviews?

There are two main ways it is used. The first is when a spokesperson feels they are about to say something particularly important or detailed – almost like saying “OK, here goes.”

The spokesperson is trying to suggest to the listener that they need to pay particularly close attention. Apart from sounding artificial, it is frequently not backed up with a particularly complex or notable explanation.

Its other main use is as a filler word or verbal crutch while the spokesperson tries to gather their thoughts, like a sort of next generation “erm” or “um.” In this instance, as well as being distracting, it can also demonstrate discomfort with the subject matter or a reporter’s line of questioning.

There are better ways of giving yourself that split second of thinking time while you plan your answer–including a brief moment of silence.

There's a woman on @BBCNews right now starting every sentence with the word "so".SO Ive switched off from what she's saying & switched over

— B A Wise (@BritsAbroadWISE) October 27, 2017

Adam Fisher is the content editor at Media First LLC. A version of this article originally ran on the Media First blog.

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