PR and marketing

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 or use as support for what you are saying.

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.

Whatever you do, try not to waffle. Many people when they get nervous or feel as though there is too much silence will begin to waffle on about things that have no importance or bring no value to the interview.

Always remember that radio journalists will never create silence or ‘dead air’ on radio, so don’t be afraid to use short and to the point sentences – the journalist will more often than not have another question ready as soon as you finish speaking.

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.

This not only shows that you care about your audience, but it also shows you are open to and welcome feedback and others’ opinions. You will also come across much friendlier and more genuine if you treat your audience as individuals rather than a mass of target audiences that you want to get your message out to.

Research the station and the journalist
It is 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.

Similarly, research the journalist who will be interviewing you. If you can find out what their opinions are on the topics they will be interviewing you on. How do they normally interview their guests? Do they ask controversial questions? What type of interviews have they done in the past?

All of this information will help you prepare for your interview and will help in how you deliver your answers and decide what key messages will be most effective.

So you want to start up a social media campaign for your business but don’t know where to begin?

There are many different types of social media from Facebook to Twitter to Foursquare and blogs. Knowing how to use each one, getting the best results and keeping up with your ROI can be a full-time job in itself. Not to mention constantly updating the content that is on topic and interesting.

Experienced social media companies will be able to do the research for you and develop a comprehensive social media strategy.

Another point of difference is social media campaign companies will have experienced writers on staff who can utilise their skills for the different platforms from writing 140 character tweets to 1000 word technical blog posts.

Tips for working with an outsourced company:

Do your research before picking a company. Different companies work within different sectors, such as lifestyle and retail, and can be experts in different fields.

Set targets: Know what you want out of the social media campaign and set realistic targets. This can be a certain amount of engagement, comments on a blog or number of customers taking up an offer from a social media site.

Communicate with the company to make sure you are both on the same page. Social media is an ongoing, daily activity and you want to make sure you both have the same idea when it comes to the message and public persona you want to showcase.

Recently I went off the grid. While I do have hippy tendencies, I don’t mean going solar! I went off the social media grid for a week.

For anyone who knows me, I’m pretty addicted to social media. It’s a part of my everyday life, both professionally and personally. For the week I didn’t tweet, Facebook, blog, LinkedIn or Instagram. I didn’t make a phone call, send or check emails or turn on a computer.

I didn’t take a photo on my phone and instantly share it (a photo is so much better shared don’t you think?). I didn’t even turn on my iPhone!

Did I start twitching nervously wondering if I would miss important conversations? Did I have withdrawals?

No. A very big NO. I loved it. It was great to truly have a break from the world.

Funnily enough, I found myself on an island in Fiji on a yoga retreat, teaching the resort owner how to do social media! They now have an up to date YouTube Channel and a Flickr page. Hilarious. I can’t get away from it, even when I try to!

Speaking this month: I am a panelist on the NSW Government’s Small Business September: PR & Social Media - winning strategies for business success on 16 September. I hope you can join me!

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

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What's the real difference between marketing and PR?
As PR professionals we are often asked how public relations differs from marketing. Here are some useful analogies:

1. Activities/tactics: Marketing generally covers promotional, direct marketing and advertising which seeks to return direct sales; whereas PR is focused on reputation management through generating positive media coverage and stakeholder communication.

2. Target audiences: Marketing aims to reach current and potential customers, whereas public relations is all about maintaining positive relationships with anyone who has an interest in the organisation or brand. This covers a broader audience across customers and media, to employees and shareholders.

3. Two separate goals: The goals for marketing teams are to reach consumers and make them think, believe or do some kind of sales focused action. Essentially it is about selling the product or service. Public relations is about selling the company or brand through positively managing the communication channels between a company and its stakeholders.

4. Legitimacy of messages: Messages delivered through PR channels such as articles, conference speakers or reputable bloggers are subconsciously regarded by consumers as more legitimate than those presented through marketing tactics. Generally, people can clearly recognise that advertising and marketing are driven by a company’s desire to increase sales.

5. Business ROI: Marketing is generally defined as a business investment – paid branding and promotional activities with new customers being the ROI. Whereas PR is classified as free exposure for increasing credibility around a company’s image.

6. Longevity: Marketing is a relatively short term activity, whereas PR reaps its benefits over a longer period of time. While marketing seeks to drive instant, tangible sales success, the benefits of a PR program can be viewed as a long term investment that a company would recognise for future achievements.

Read the full article on the Public Relations Sydney blog.

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How to be a good ghost tweeter
Ghost tweeters are teams or individuals who are outsourced by companies to tweet on their behalf. It sounds like a simple concept, and in many ways it is, but tweeting for a client is very different to tweeting for your own company or for yourself.

If you are considering becoming a ghost tweeter for someone, or if you already are a ghost tweeter, here are some tips on how to make sure you do it well:

Get to know their topics of interest
Your client’s online presence on Twitter relies on consistency, as social media is all about connecting and engaging with a target audience. When tweeting for your client it is crucial you understand the topics that they wish to be tweeting about. Find out how they want to be perceived, research their areas of interest and stick to it.

Learn their language
When it comes to tweeting for your client you’ve got to know how to talk the talk...or tweet the tweet in this case! Learn the language of your clients. Read articles written by them, listen to them speak and take into account what industry they are in and who their target audience is.

Don’t do anything they wouldn’t do
It can be easy to forget at times that you are not tweeting for yourself. Before you reply, comment or re-tweet anything always ask yourself: “Would my client want to be associated with that person, company or comment?”

Although you may find the tweet funny, interesting or re-tweet worthy, your client may not – it may even be damaging to their reputation. From the very beginning you should learn what conversations your client can be engaged in and what conversations to avoid.

Read the full article on CP Communications News.

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Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

Brand engagement in a multi-channel environment
It is more important than ever to understand the customer journey across channels and create a brand strategy for the connected customer. At this forum you will gain advice from retailers who will showcase case studies, and hear research conducted with 100 Australians on their route from search to purchase.
7 September – Sydney

Social media applications for business
This two-day intensive workshop introduces participants to the context of social media use for business, strategies for social media application and a practical introduction to the most common and useful social media tools for business.
7-8 September – Perth

Social Media Women September: Learn how to make your real life presence compliment and match your online presence
Today everyone is, in one way or another, digitally branded. Whether it is through Facebook, Twitter, a blog or LinkedIn, your personality and your brand are online for all to see. Mariette Rups-Donnelly will share with you some tips and techniques to make sure that when you meet your contacts in real life you compliment and match your digital personality.
13 September – Sydney

Future of Digital Publishing
Tablets are promising to breathe new life into the publishing industry, with more than 1.5 million tablet devices estimated to be sold in Australia in 2011. At this half day seminar, speakers from the magazine, news and web publishing sectors will discuss how they are preparing for the future of print and publishing.
21 September – Melbourne

Online Retailer Conference & E-commerce Expo
A four-day conference with guests discussing problem-solving solutions and career networking. Learn how to acquire new customers, optimise retail website performance, boost conversions, foster loyalty, improve marketing ROI and maximise business operations and profits.
26-29 September – Sydney

Yesterday I had corn & quinoa soup for lunch. So what? I hear you ask. About a year or so ago a cafe in Crows Nest called Montagu started following me on Twitter.

As a result of conversations on Twitter I started going there for lunch and having business coffee ‘catch ups’ there. In the last month or so they have started tweeting me what soup they have on.

Why this is special is because I’m vegetarian. So in winter I struggle to find soup in cafes that I can eat (as most vege soups are made with chicken stock).

Now mid morning, if Montagu have a vege friendly soup available for lunch, they tweet it out and include my twitter handle so it comes into my ‘mentions’ section of Twitter. 

I love it! It means I get to eat yummy soup that I know is vege friendly. And how clever of them to use such a creative way to generate business!

Learn how to do your own PR! – My next one day workshop on PR and media releases that get results is on next Thursday (11 August). 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. Sydney Writers’ Centre. Book now!

I hope you enjoy this newsletter.

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Using PR and social media to engage a community
Macquarie University has been running the annual Women, Management and Work Conference for 23 years, with the 2011 conference focusing on Women and Leadership: Ignite your strengths. Leading women spoke about how women can use their unique strengths to become influential leaders.

This year, Macquarie University once again asked CP Communications to run the PR and social media of the event as well as the sponsorship drive. CP Communications drove engagement and registrations by expanding and renewing the online community, in addition to traditional PR strategies.

The focus of our strategy was to use the various issues the conference would cover, to strike a chord with the target audience. We wanted a long lasting campaign that didn’t end when the conference did.

We reignited the conversation in the online community “Women at Work Australia” which included blogging, Tweeting, Facebook and a YouTube channel. We also added a new platform, a LinkedIn group.

CP Communications identified that the media talent were the conference speakers and invited them to be involved in PR. We sent media releases, various pitches and invited the speakers to provide contributed articles, which were pitched into online publications

Yet again we achieved amazing engagement and print and online coverage.

Read how we achieved these results at CP Communications – Success Stories

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YouTube for business - How to create a professional YouTube Channel
We can all be TV stars now by starting a YouTube TV channel. Creating compelling videos helps you engage with your target audience and is a great way to bring exposure to your business and also a way to position yourself as a thought leader or expert in your field.

Here are some tips for creating quality videos:

1. Use a good camera.
   The whole point of a YouTube video is to visually show or demonstrate your product, service or expertise. There is no point in uploading a video onto YouTube that is fuzzy, dull or blurry.
2. Get the lighting right.
   Again the whole point of YouTube is to visually get your message across professionally and that also includes making sure the video looks professionally made. Make sure the lighting is even and that there are no dark shadows.
3. Buy a good microphone.
   There is nothing more frustrating than trying to decipher what someone is saying while watching a video. If you want your messages, tips and advice to be clear investing in a good quality microphone is a good idea. Also, remember to test the sound before doing the whole recording.
4. Aim for one to five minutes.
   Your audience will probably be busy people who have short attention spans. With that in mind your audience will most likely press stop after the two minute mark. If you can, create short two minute videos but if you have to go over be sure to keep within the five minute range.

Read more tips and how to set up your channel on the Public Relations Sydney blog.

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Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

Brand Management 
This one-day master class workshop will equip participants with the core knowledge and skills necessary to successfully and profitably manage a brand. Learn about brand equity, brand research, positioning and managing your brand and brand building. This workshop is designed for marketers and senior managers who have responsibilities over one or more brands within their organisation.
4 August 2011– Brisbane, Queensland

Social Media Women August: Learn about social media's role in the health industry with Heidi Allen of BodyinMind.org
Finding information about health is one of the highest uses of search engines today. Is the information we find reliable? How do we know? Is my doctor using social media? How do I feel about my health information going online? Heidi will help you understand the challenges of implementing a digital and social online strategy in a quickly evolving business ecosystem.
9 August 2011 – Sydney, NSW

Doing Business Online: The Latest Trends and the Legal Risks
The internet and Smartphones are now being used by many for business purposes. During this seminar a panel of expert speakers will present information about the latest trends and techniques being used by businesses. The legal risks of conducting an online business and how business owners can cover themselves will also be discussed.
9 August 2011 – Robina, Queensland

PR and Media Releases That Get Results with Catriona Pollard
Catriona 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.
11 August 2011 – Sydney, NSW

AFR Leadership Conference
The Australian Financial Review Leadership Conference 2011 brings you a fresh look at corporate leadership. At this one day conference learn about how to get the best out of multigenerational workforces, how to be a leader in the aftermath of a crisis and the importance of strategic HR.
16 August 2011 – Sydney, NSW

Integrating Online Services to your Existing Community Engagement Strategy
The explosion of online communications tools offers an enormous and often untapped potential to address a great deal of challenges faced by community engagement practitioners. Topics to be explored include the integration of online strategy with traditional methods of community engagement and examples of effective online strategies.
30 - 31 August 2011 – Melbourne, Victoria

Last week I finally did my 24 hrs for B&T. I’m not sure if you know about this column in B&T magazine but it profiles the day of someone in the marketing industry. It has been on my list of things to do for, well.... a year. It’s been moved from my monthly list of things to do so many times I didn’t even notice it anymore.

Our clients’ PR always comes first, obviously. But one of my New Year resolutions was to make sure we focus on our PR to help the business grow but also to showcase our skills. So one of our clients is...us!

Alison is our consultant, and updates our action plan just as we do for our clients. I’m now the annoying client that never gets back to her! In an attempt to get me to do the 24 hrs column, she even printed out a blank document with ½ hour intervals on it, and a motivational quote at the top to encourage me to do it!

It worked. It’s done now and hopefully will be printed in the next couple of months. She has also booked me in to do more videos for our YouTube channel, which I’m told, I can’t cancel!

We are half way through the year and it might be time to reflect on how you are going with your New Year resolutions. Is it time to update them? Reflect on them? Or even ditch them and create fresh goals?

Speaking this month: I will be speaking at the Leichhardt & Annandale Business Chamber breakfast on 14 July and SheBusiness lunch in Balmain on 28 July. The breakfast is booked out, but there are places available for the lunch. 

WIN a ticket to Macquarie University's Women, Management and Work Conference:
Attend Social Media Women in July to automatically go into the draw to win a ticket worth $2,300 to the Women, Management and Work Conference on 28-29 July 2011 in Sydney. The conference will inspire and inform women who are looking for insights and key tips to develop their leadership skills. Read more at www.lmsf.mq.edu.au/womenandleadership.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

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Why 'how to' articles work
Writing articles is a fantastic way to gain publicity. There are specific types of articles that work well – the ‘how to’ article is one of them but there are specific ways to write them.

‘How to’ articles can not only position you as an industry expert, they can offer topical, helpful and interesting information to readers and are one of the easiest types of articles to write because they have a 'tried and tested' structure that works.

1. Know what you are writing about. When writing a ‘how to’ article make sure you do actually know how to do it. Your information needs to be backed up with real life experience and knowledge.
2. Stay on topic. The article should be objective and written in an informative and entertaining manner, but keep on topic. No editor will want to receive an article that goes off topic or becomes a promotional piece.
3. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Particularly if you are writing a ‘how to’ on something complex. Avoid jargon and write in short, clear sentences, using sub headings, dot points and bolding to communicate key points.
4. Proof read it. Once you are finished, proof read it and then give it to somebody else to read. It is very common for authors of articles to miss mistakes. Allowing another person to read over the article can help. Also, by doing this you can test if your 'how to' article is effective in communicating information to people who are not experts in the area. 

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Should you BranchOut?
Most people who have joined Facebook have ‘friended’ everyone they know from people they went to school with 30 years ago to new friends.

Their pages are filled to bursting with both personal and professional information about themselves and yet, in order to network on a professional basis, you need to use LinkedIn and start that networking process all over again.

At least that’s how it used to be until BranchOut was launched.

The BranchOut application, created in July 2010, is Facebook’s largest professional networking service. In many ways it is quite similar to LinkedIn allowing users to create networks, search for jobs or people at specific companies to relay interest to and seek endorsement from previous clients or employees.

BranchOut seems to have one advantage that LinkedIn doesn’t. It uses your existing Facebook network so your contacts are already there, waiting for you to explore as soon as you create your account.

And while on the topic of learning something new, for all you social media savvy people who feel they are starting to get bored by the already existing list of social media platforms – brace yourselves.

Word is quickly spreading about a new social media platform that is yet to hit our Australian social media shores called Kohort. Users are already able to stake their claim by creating their own user account name; however you can’t enter the site yet.

Mysterious or what!?

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Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

Social Media Women July: START UPS, Tips & Tools for Overcoming the Hurdles with Catherine Eibner
Starting any business can be challenging. Practical advice based on experience helps save time, energy and money and a free program that helps support a start-up is the cherry on the cake! Catherine Eibner will share her tips and advice for entrepreneurs on starting a business.
12 July 2011 – Sydney

Marketing Women Victoria social media event
‘Social media’ is on everyone’s lips and smart phones, but how many people and businesses actually get it right? The interactive session will be led by an impressive group of experts in the social media space: future leader of Haystac’s newly formed digital and social media unit, Kristen Boschma and fellow social media gurus Yvonne Adele, Eloise Zoppos and Trevor Young.
13 July 2011 – Melbourne

Chamber of Women in Business presents Sofia Majewski – director of Speak2us
Develop and strengthen your public speaking skills and become a confident and articulate public speaker with Sofia Majewski, Director of Speak2us. Learn about where and when you speak, who your audience is and how to manage nervousness and anxiety.
13 July 2011 – Canberra

Online Retail: Differentiating Online Businesses
This event, run by AIMIA, will help retail businesses entering the online space clearly understand how to differentiate their online offering and integrate with a multichannel retail business strategy. It features speakers from the e-tail multichannel space.
12 July 2011 – Sydney
14 July 2011 – Melbourne

Macquarie University’s Women, Management and Work Conference
Learn how to become an influential leader at Macquarie University’s 23rd annual Women, Management and Work Conference. This two day conference will inspire and inform women who are looking for insights and key tips to develop their leadership skills. Speakers include CEO of Medicare Lynelle Briggs Board Director of CoSolve, Anna Booth and Director in the Royal Australian Navy Captain Michele Miller.
28-29 July 2011 – 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.
11 August 2011 – Sydney

Most people who have joined Facebook have ‘friended’ everyone they know from people they went to school with 30 years ago to new friends.

Their pages are filled to bursting with both personal and professional information about themselves and yet, in order to network on a professional basis, you need to use LinkedIn and start that networking process all over again.

At least that’s how it used to be until BranchOut was launched.

The BranchOut application, created in July 2010, is Facebook’s largest professional networking service. In many ways it is quite similar to LinkedIn allowing users to create networks, search for jobs or people at specific companies to relay interest to and seek endorsement from previous clients or employees.

BranchOut also allows you to transfer all the information from your LinkedIn account over to your BranchOut account to make the start up process easier.

Although LinkedIn still may be the head honcho when it comes to online professional networking, BranchOut seems have one advantage that LinkedIn doesn’t: BranchOut uses your existing Facebook network meaning your contacts are already there, waiting for you to explore as soon as you create your account.

To a person who already has a pretty savvy LinkedIn account, this feature may not make much difference to you. However, to a person who is new to professional networking, this feature may be the tipping point when it comes to choosing between LinkedIn and BranchOut.

However, regardless of whether you are a LinkedIn professional or a first time rookie, BranchOut is worth a try, if nothing more than to have something professional to do while you’re on Facebook. Learning something new, especially in this fast-paced social media day and age, really can’t hurt.

And while on the topic of learning something new, for all you social media savvy people who feel they are starting to get bored by the already existing list of social media platforms – brace yourselves.

Word is quickly spreading about a new social media platform that is yet to hit our Australian social media shores called Kohort. Users are already able to stake their claim by creating their own user account name; however you can’t enter the site yet.

Mysterious or what!?

A hot topic at the moment seems to be recruitment and social media. This week we advertised a new role at CP Communications and used social media extensively. I was interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald about how small businesses can use social media for recruitment and one of our clients commissioned research on the opportunity for using social media in their recruitment procedures.

For our position, I used the traditional method – advertising on SEEK – but I also had a think about how I could apply social media tactics to recruitment. So I placed the role on our company blog. I wanted potential candidates to go to our website rather than SEEK, so they could see the work we do as well.

I then created a bit.ly URL, which is a shorter URL that can be tracked, I tweeted the position out through my Twitter as well as @CPCPR. I asked close contacts to Direct Message it to their contacts. I placed it on my Facebook page as well as the company’s Facebook page. I also added it to the Job Boards in all of the groups I am a member of on LinkedIn.

Using social media this way means that you are spreading the word exponentially – and for us, hopefully reaching the ideal candidate that also ‘gets’ social media. I will let you know how we go!

Join our team! We are looking for a PR Consultant who will be managing a variety of clients from exciting up and coming companies to blue-chips. You will be working alongside your clients to turn concepts into fully fledged PR campaigns as well as working with a wonderful small team of dedicated, down to earth PR professionals.

Double pass to Starlight Cinema – this is the last week of the fabulous ME Bank Starlight Cinema – Sydney’s North Shore open air cinema. To win a double pass to Black Swan (Thursday) or Love and Other Drugs (Saturday) be the third person to email us!

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.
 
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Why media interviews are more than a friendly chat
A media interview can’t be treated as a casual conversation as whatever you say can be used directly or paraphrased for the article – so you want to make sure you’re in control of what’s coming out of your mouth!

Following these tips will set you up for a successful media interview:

• Prepare your key messages and thoughts before the interview. Hopefully you will have an idea of the angle the journalist wants to take so that you can think about the information they might want, and what you want to say.
• Practise for the interview by thinking about questions that are likely to be asked, and your best possible answers. Wherever possible, convey your key messages through your answers. Practise sentences out loud to hear whether they make sense and aren’t too long. Remember, the journalist will be looking for newsworthiness, so be honest and back up any claims that you make.
• Call the journalist – not the other way around. This way, you will not be caught off-guard. You will be in a quiet place, with your key messages on paper in front of you, and you will not be interrupted by people or the telephone.
• Don’t answer questions if you don’t know the answer. It’s natural to want to be able to answer every question, but there’s nothing wrong with saying ‘I don’t know’.

Read our step-by-step article about how to get the most from a media interview on our CP Communications website.

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Social media - when a silly mistake turns into a PR crisis
Marketing mistakes are nothing new, where companies have missed the mark completely with their campaigns and even insulted their audience in doing so.

However, a silly mistake can be magnified when the marketing platform is a social media site – as Bing Lee discovered during the recent Queensland flood disaster.

When Bing Lee attempted to attract people to its Facebook page by promising to donate more money to the flood appeal depending on how many people ‘liked’ their page – the social media community were outraged.

Anger and disgust can send the online world spinning, with social media users sharing opinions about unacceptable online behaviour that can reach thousands of people within minutes.

Before posting something that could be considered a little controversial, or before trying a new marketing tactic with social media, there are a few steps you should take:

1. Test your theory on a smaller audience.
2. Do some research. A quick Google search of marketing mistakes and social media crises might just give you a snapshot of what has been done before – and what has gone wrong.
3. Don’t neglect your social media strategy plan. Be sure that whatever spontaneous idea you want to try out still fits in with your company’s objectives of what you want to achieve through social media.

Read the entire article on the Public Relations Sydney blog.

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Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

Social Media Women – How to contribute to Wikipedia
Social Media Women’s March event features Suzanne Francis from Collective Action who will teach you how to contribute to Wikipedia. This month is the celebration of the centenary of International Women’s Day and the first anniversary of Social Media Women.
8 March 2011 – Sydney

The Body & Mind Corporate
Macquarie University’s Faculty of Business and Economics and iConneXX are presenting an event about managing health risks for executive women. General practitioner Dr Carole Hungerford, author of Good Health in the 21st Century and Nicola Gates, a registered Clinical Neuropsychologist, are among the expert speakers.
16 March 2011 – Sydney

Advertising, Marketing and Media Summit
Elite Media’s one-day summit in Brisbane will examine the current methods in brand building, such as advertising, marketing, mobile marketing and the future of media. The event will also be held in Sydney and Melbourne later this year.
21 March 2011 – Brisbane

ADMA Social Media Marketing
This short course uses case studies, exercises and a strategy framework to teach you how to use social media in your business. The course is held in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on various dates throughout the year.
23 March 2011 – Brisbane

Corporate Social Media Summit
This summit is aimed at people working in corporate marketing departments and will focus on using social media to generate revenue. It features keynote addresses from companies such as Greenpeace Australia, Telstra and Community Engine.
30-31 March 2011 – Sydney

ad:tech Melbourne
ad:tech is an annual digital and advertising event held in major cities around Australia. It features panel debates and keynote addresses about social media strategy, digital media, mobile marketing and more. Our client Josh Frith of The Dubs will be speaking at this event.
30-31 March 2011 – Melbourne

Over the Christmas holidays I became addicted to two things: Angry Birds and Mad Men. My addiction to Mad Men is continuing. And frankly it has saved me from dreadful summer television.

I managed to kick my Angry Birds habit. Only because I finished them all. Every level. The end was like eating the last M&M in the packet without realising it was the last one. You may have heard me scream.

I did learn one thing. Angry Birds is like PR.

It’s all about strategy
So you have four red birds and one “bomb” black bird. You are faced with a structure made of stone, wood and glass. The laughing pigs are hidden under all of this. How are you possibly going to get them? Just like a PR scenario, doing a mass email out of media releases, or firing off the birds hoping for a direct hit isn’t going to work. Think carefully about it. What is the outcome? How can you best approach it? What is going to have the most impact?

It takes perseverance
You have been on the same level for hours. You have tried every strategy you can think of, “bombing” high, low and right on target. Red birds, egg birds and blue triple birds. Want to give up? No! Take a step away and think about another angle. In PR, one angle (or pitch) may not work, in fact, several may not work. But if you persevere, think laterally, keep going, then you get results - and move to the next level.

Share the joy
My father downloaded Angry Birds on my iPod, his knee surgeon told him about it and I have successfully got many friends addicted. Share the joy! If you love something, or are an expert – share your joy and knowledge. PR tactics are the perfect medium to share your experience and expertise to make other people’s lives better in some way. Even if it’s how to write a better website, or fill in your tax return or tips on parenting. The experience doesn’t have to be monumental; just the act of sharing is enough.

DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY – ME Bank Starlight Cinema is on again at North Sydney Oval! This is a fun, relaxed outdoor cinema screening a mixture of new releases and old favourites. To win a double pass to a film of your choice at ME Bank Starlight Cinema, be the third person to email me!

LEARN HOW TO DO PR – My next one day workshop on PR and media releases that get results is on 17 February. 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. Sydney Writers’ Centre. Book now!

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. 

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Social media and the Queensland floods

Social media has played a big role in the Queensland floods from being a useful source of information for those dealing with the floods first hand to letting people in other areas of Australia know how they can help.

When Queensland Police saw the widespread use of the hashtag #qldfloods on Twitter, they adopted the trend and used it as a primary information source. The Brisbane City Council, the ABC and tens of thousands of people then did the same.

Information about road closures, flood warnings, offers of assistance and ways to donate were all delivered through Twitter and Facebook. Social media became an important communication tool, particularly for people whose power or telephone lines had been cut off by the floods but who still had access to their smart phones.

When social media peaked
How social media was being used was measured and it was found that peak periods of tweeting often coincided with flood peaks, making it a vital news source alongside newspapers, television and radio. The research by the ARC Centre for Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation found that when the flooding reached its peak in Brisbane, up to 1200 tweets every hour were recorded.

In this situation social media proved to be just as essential for providing information as newspapers and television and is a great example of how using social media in conjunction with traditional media means your messages will reach more people and have greater impact.

Read the whole article at Public Relations Sydney blog.

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Is the media release dead?

Media releases are often the first thing that come to mind when discussing public relations. They are a tried and true method, and are often very successful. However there is much more to public relations than the media release.

Next time you start writing a media release, stop and think about what you want to achieve and decide whether a media release is definitely the right way to go.

While media releases are still often used, there are many more ways of building your brand.

• Writing a case study: a case study demonstrates your experience and knowledge by telling people about your company’s projects and achievements. Many magazines feature case studies in every issue, and often these have been pitched in. Case studies can also be used to illustrate a pitch or media release, bringing life to the story you are telling.
• Contributing an article: an article that shares your expert knowledge can be a great story. A great way of doing this is to write a ‘how to’ article that is relevant to the audience of the publication.
• Pitching an idea for a story or interview: a newsworthy topic for an upcoming feature in a publication is often a very successful technique to tell your news, establish yourself as a leader in the field, and strengthen your brand. Just make sure that you have a designated spokesperson for the brand who is comfortable giving interviews.

Read the whole article at CP Communications blog.

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Upcoming events

Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

How to create a powerful LinkedIn profile
Social Media Women’s February event features Karalyn Brown, Director of InterviewIQ who will reveal the possibilities of a well constructed LinkedIn profile. The session will cover how to find jobs and win business using a powerful LinkedIn profile.
8 February 2011

AANA Congress: Window on 2011
The AANA Congress tackles issues facing the advertising, marketing and communications’ industry nationally. A round table of industry leaders will reveal how the economy, marketing, media and consumer spending are shaping up for 2011.
10 February 2011

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.
17 February 2011

Social Innovation BarCamp
A day of free workshops which are described as ‘Unconferences’, where anyone can present on issues that are important to them. Everyone is encouraged to have an open conversation within the workshops. It’s always a great day with very interesting people and topics.
26 February 2011

ad:tech Sydney
Come along to ad:tech, the leading annual event for the digital marketing and advertising community. The two-day event features panel debates and keynote addresses about social media strategy, digital media, mobile marketing and more.
9-10 March 2011

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