Last week, we had a big announcement. We have been appointed as the Hilton Worldwide PR and social media Agency for the Asia Pacific. We are so excited and thrilled at this appointment.
We will be responsible for driving strategic public relations for Hilton Worldwide across Australia, New Zealand and The Pacific, as well as implementing the hotel group’s first social media strategy for the region.
I said to a friend who has known me....forever... “How incredible this fell into my lap, and we got this out of the blue.” She looked at me in disbelieve, and said “Are you kidding me? Out of the blue? Fell into your lap”.
“You are the hardest working person I know. For 10 years you have gone networking rain, hail or shine, you have mastered social media, you have dealt with setbacks, you have pitched to hundreds of potential new clients....” I won’t go on, but you get the picture.
And she is right. I have also stepped into the spotlight, which has been one of the hardest and most challenging things for me to do. I’m not a spotlight kind of person, I’m used to putting other people into the spotlight (it’s what I’m paid to do!).
I’m going to be talking about this at the next Social Media Women: how to own your expertise and shout about it. How to build your profile using PR and social media, and how I have done it. I hope you can join me.
Learn how to do your own PR! – My next one day workshop - PR and Media Releases that get Results - is on Thursday 27 October 2011. Learn how to construct a PR strategy including how to develop media angles, pitches, media releases, articles, case studies and editorials. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives. This event is held at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. Book now!
I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.
How to get the most out of radio
Radio can be a tricky medium when you are preparing for a media interview. Unlike print or television, radio does not have visuals you can use to further emphasise a point. However, radio is an extremely useful and powerful medium and a great way to target key audiences. Here are a few tips on how to prepare and get the most out of a radio interview.
Make the message clear
When taking part in a live or pre-recorded radio interview it is vital that, before the interview deadline, you make sure you understand what you are talking about and how you are going to get your message across in short, simple sentences.
Talk to your audience - not at them
Radio creates the illusion of a one on one private conversation with the audience. It is much more intimate than television or print and therefore you must be careful about how you converse with your audience.
When you speak, pretend you are speaking to a friend rather than a group of people. Tailor your language so you are including the audience in the conversation rather than just blurting out what you have to say.
Research the station and the journalist
It is a great idea to research information about the radio station and journalist who will be interviewing you. Find out who the radio station targets – what are the demographics? Are they an AM station or FM? Talk back or commercial? Does the station have an area of interest e.g. education or lifestyle? Find out everything you can about the station or program before the interview.
Read the full article on CP Communications News.
Blogger outreach - a new way to promote your brand
Blogger outreach is now an essential tactic for PR professionals. With interactive content such as videos and hyperlinks, and niche readerships, blogs have great potential as a PR channel. However, blogger outreach does take strategy and effort.
Blogs are a great medium to promote your brand in many ways. They usually have a dedicated readership, so rather than being seen by many people who are not in your target audience, your brand will be seen by engaged, active readers on a blog.
Bloggers are increasingly being compared to journalists. However, there are different rules of engagement. That’s because of the differences: bloggers are usually part-time while journalists are full time; journalists are professionally trained while bloggers are not and journalists are paid while bloggers usually aren’t.
Because of these differences, PR professionals must treat bloggers as a separate medium. Bloggers want value for their readers, such as exclusive content, images or experiences. They want honest, friendly people with manners. And they want to be treated as the individuals they are – so don’t mass-email bloggers with information that has nothing to do with their blog.
Read about how to pitch to a blogger on the Public Relations Sydney blog.
Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:
Join Catriona at Social Media Women: Stepping into the spotlight using PR and social media - how to build your profile and position yourself as an expert
At this October Social Media Women event, Catriona Pollard will share with you her secrets on how she built up her profile and positioned herself as an expert in her field through the use of PR and social media, and how you can as well.
11 October - Sydney
Effective marketing plans from strategy to tactic
This two-day intensive workshop looks at how marketing strategy can be developed and captured in the marketing plan. It looks at what’s driving the organisation and how to align its resources with the opportunities in the marketing environment.
17-18 October – Brisbane
EMSA 2011
This year Brisbane will be hosting the fifth annual Email Marketing Summit. The theme is 'Innovation and Inspiration' and will provide both new and experienced email marketers with an understanding of email marketing strategies and practices. Some topics to be discussed include: The return of the relationship, breaking through the clutter, and email marketing and social media.
19 October - Brisbane
Marketing twenty-twelve and beyond
Globalisation and fragmentation have created more channels and better targeting, and the digital landscape is recreating itself on a minute-by-minute basis. The Australian Marketing Institute’s 2011 annual conference features a line-up of speakers talking about world-class branding, design, customer acquisition, social trends, media and more.
19-20 October – Sydney
PR and Media Releases That Get Results with Catriona Pollard
Catriona Pollard will teach you how to construct a PR strategy that gets results. By the end of this workshop you will understand how to come up with a media angle, write a pitch, media release, article, case study and editorial. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives.
27 October – Sydney
Comments