PR and marketing

I have enjoyed taking photos for a long time. I’ve never had one of those amazing expensive cameras, just the ‘point and click’ kind. I’ve often thought I should carry it around with me because I see photo opportunities everyday and have missed so many because I didn’t have my camera.

When I got my iPhone, I realised I was carrying a camera with me! I started taking photos most days and I am now an avid “iPhoneographer”. Yes that is a word. It’s also called mobile photography. There is a real movement in photography that now involves iPhone photos.

An app called Instagram has really facilitated this movement. It allows you to enhance, add filters and share your photos easily. Over the holidays I spent time exploring the people and ‘language’ of this app. There are IGers (Instagramers) all around the world, with a group in Sydney and Melbourne. You tag your photos so people can easily find the genre i.e. #ocean #clouds.

What’s a photo if it isn’t shared! So you start following people and liking their photos. They follow you back and you can add comments on photos. I have “met” some lovely people and great photographers. It’s another community I’m a member of now.

It’s even gone main stream. The Sydney Morning Herald ran a competition over summer for iPhone photos through Instagram. They requested you upload your photo to Instragram using the hashtag #summerherald and they chose the best to be published in the paper (I jumped for joy when one of my photos was used. Yippee).

When I was in Milford Sound in New Zealand over the holidays I was with people with amazing telephoto lens’ etc, and there I was with my ‘point & click’ camera in one hand and my iPhone in the other. It was quite funny!

Check out my photography blog ‘Life as I see it’ and I’m CatrionaPollard on Instagram if you want to join in the fun.

While we are on the subject of photography, I want to thank Shane D Photo for my gorgeous new professional photos!

Learn how to do your own PR! – My next one day workshop - PR and Media Releases that get Results - is on Thursday 23 February 2012. 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’m speaking at SheInspires on Social Media. Come and learn a step by step guide to social media and how you can use it to increase the profile, credibility and reputation for your business – and yourself. 28 February 2012, 6:00-7:30, The Rocks Sydney. Its $45 and we have a 25% off code – CP02insm – for our friends (which is you!). 

Want to join our team? We are looking for an experienced PR consultant to join our team. Send us your resume if you or anyone you know is interested in working with us. We’d love to hear from you.

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How to follow up with the media

So you’ve sent out a pitch or a media release to journalists and have received no reply. What now? What should you do to find out if the journalist received your email or if they are interested? An essential skill for all PR professionals is to learn how to follow up with the media over the phone.

The best way to follow up with a journalist is by calling them. An appropriate time to follow-up is usually two to three days after the email pitch or release has been sent.

Be very specific about the media pitch or release you sent them. Don’t just say “I sent you a release and wanted to know if you were interested”. 

•  Be polite and speak clearly
  When calling a journalist speak clearly and be very direct and to the point. Try to sound interested and enthusiastic to make the call interesting for the journalist. 
•  Don’t be afraid of journalists
  Don’t be intimidated by journalists, they are people too. If you contact them at a bad time apologise once and move on, apologising more than that can become annoying.
• Choose your questions wisely
  When calling a journalist don’t ask them if they are going to publish the media release. Instead, tell them the date you sent the media release on and what it was regarding. Simply ask if they received the release and if they would like further information or high resolution images. 
•  Be ready to respond to their requests
  You should be ready to supply the journalist with relevant images, additional information, event details or the contact details of your spokesperson. You can also line up interviews for the journalist to make it easier for them to cover your story/client.

Read the full article CP Communications News.
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Google+ Business Pages: What are the advantages?

Every business is different and so needs a different communications strategy. Not all businesses will be suited to the features and benefits that Google+ Business Pages offer, however some advantages of a Google+ Business Page include:

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO):
  SEO is all about using techniques to drive the right people to your website. These include key words, back links and valuable content that will help search engines naturally find your site without paying for ads.
  
  As Google is one of the biggest search engines and therefore ranks Google+ very high in search results, it makes sense that SEO would be the top advantage for owning a Google+ Business Page.
• Google Services:
  By creating a Google+ Page, an organisation has direct access to all other Google services integrated into the system. Such services as Google Maps, search, YouTube, Android, Chrome and Gmail provide even greater exposure for a business. 
•  It helps build connections:
  Google+ pages don’t just interact with other pages; they interact with the entire Google+ world. Businesses can add people to circles, +1 comments and photos, add their own photos, edit their profile, host Hangouts and share things.
• Host hangouts:
  Google+ allows businesses to host their own Hangouts – live video chats with other users. Potentially a business could use these hangouts to have meetings with international clients, have expert discussions with potential clients or stream a live question and answer session. With live streaming businesses have even more of a reason to engage with their target audience.
• Circles:
  Circles are a feature on Google+ and Google+ Pages that allow the profile user to create groups of similar people or businesses. This makes it easier for businesses to send out targeted or tailored messages to each individual group.

Read the full article 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 Marketing Course (Sydney)
Want to learn how to use social media for marketing your business? The Social Media Marketing course will teach you the key principles for using social media successfully and examine best practice examples. This intensive day course will cover the key social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and blogging.
3 February- Sydney, NSW 

Social Media Women
How do you measure reputation on social media? Kate Carruthers, an expert and forecaster in online collaboration, social media and digital integration, will explain the new social recommendation economy and why reputation matters. She will discuss how to make the new social recommendation economy work for you.
7 February- Sydney, NSW

The League of Extraordinary Women volume II
This networking event is for all young up and coming female entrepreneurs to meet like minded females, network in an informal environment and establish new business and personal relationships. You will hear from some of Australia’s leading female entrepreneurs such as Jodie Fox, Telstra Business Woman of the Year 2011.
9 February- Sydney, NSW 

Secrets of success for women in leadership
The Secrets of Success seminar is the first step of The Butterfly Program for Women in Leadership, which is a personal development program designed specifically for women in leadership and those who aspire to leadership roles. This seminar will offer tips on how to overcome obstacles and control thoughts, feelings and actions to get better results.
16 February – Melbourne, Victoria

Accelerate your digital business
Most entrepreneurs and companies do not have a plan to grow their business. AIMIA and VentureOne have created the ‘Accelerate your digital business’ workshop to help you grow your business in 2012. They will discuss how partnerships, joint ventures and investments can accelerate your business.
28 February- Sydney, NSW 

Web editing course
At this one-day course you will learn how to upgrade your web editing and e-copywriting skills. You can participate in discussions, gain hands on experience and work on your own projects with the guidance of an experienced online editor.
27 February- Sydney, NSW

So you’ve sent out a pitch or a media release to journalists and have received no reply. What now? What should you do to find out if the journalist received your email or if they are interested? An essential skill for all PR professionals is to learn how to follow up with the media over the phone.

The best way to follow up with a journalist is by calling them. An appropriate time to follow-up is usually two to three days after the email pitch or release has been sent.

Never wait more than a week to follow up as waiting too long may result in the journalist deleting your email, the story being covered by another person or the story becoming (quite literally) yesterday’s news.

When it comes to following-up journalists the best advice would be to go with your gut instinct – listen to their tone of voice and the way they phrase their answers and make decisions based on that.

However, sometimes that can be a bit hard to do, so here are a few tips you should always take into account when following-up with a journalist.

Be very specific about the media pitch or release you sent them. Don’t just say “I sent you a release and wanted to know if you were interested”.

• Be polite and speak clearly
  When calling a journalist speak clearly and be very direct and to the point. Try to sound interested and enthusiastic to make the call interesting for the journalist.
• Don’t be afraid of journalists
  Don’t be intimidated by journalists, they are people too. If you contact them at a bad time apologise once and move on, apologising more than that can become annoying.
• Choose your questions wisely
  When calling a journalist don’t ask them if they are going to publish the media release. Instead, tell them the date you sent the media release on and what it was regarding. Simply ask if they received the release and if they would like further information or high resolution images.
• Be ready to respond to their requests
  You should be ready to supply the journalist with relevant images, additional information, event details or the contact details of your spokesperson. You can also line up interviews for the journalist to make it easier for them to cover your story/client.

Now that you have the journalist on the phone, how do you react to their responses? One way to calm your nerves and sound more confident on the phone would be to plan out what you want to get across – your pitch or key points.

However, any phone conversation can be unpredictable especially when dealing with a journalist. The best way to tackle any response from a journalist is to be flexible and prepared for anything. You may need to resend the release or answer detailed questions on the spot. More than likely you will need to leave a voice message, so be prepared for that.

Remember after every follow-up to make a note of the outcome to ensure you remember who you have called and who was interested.

The most important thing to remember when conducting a media follow-up is to remain confident and try to provide the most appropriate and interesting information for the journalist. With a little bit of preparation beforehand, you can then hang up the phone feeling like you’ve achieved your goal and maintained a good relationship with the journalist.

* One of Sydney’s most respected PR Agencies
* Work on PR and social media.
* Get noticed in a small team!

The opportunity exists for a PR Consultant ideally with around 3 years PR experience. You will be doing both PR and social media for global and local brands.

Pioneers in PR and social media strategies, we’re one of Sydney’s most respected and innovative boutique PR agencies.

People who work with us describe us as “absolute professionals” who are “always on the lookout for new ideas and points of difference.” We work in a proactive way, so our clients can achieve the exposure that’s right for their business goals. Many have remained loyal for almost ten years.

We’re looking for an PR Consultant who will be a key team member and:
* Manage with PR and social media campaigns
* Manage client relationships
* Be responsible for media liaison and story ideas
* Writing so much more than just boring media releases!

You will have:
- Completed degree qualifications in Public Relations, Journalism, Business Marketing/Advertising, or a related field
- High level of written and verbal communication
- Be flexible, adaptable and ready to learn quickly

In return we can offer you a fun place to work with a team of like-minded professionals plus the creative stimulation that comes from working with one of the most highly regarded names in the business.

We are based in Crows Nest, 5 mins walk from St Leonard's train station and buses.

To find out more about what makes us tick read our blog www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au and read our client testimonials at www.cpcommunications.com.au

Reputation matters- Klout, Kred, and the growth of the social recommendation economy with Kate Carruthers.

How do you measure reputation on social media? It’s so much more than the number of followers you have.

Both Klout and Kred measure influence based on your ability to drive action. The Klout Score uses data from social networks to measure true reach, amplification and network impact. Kred analyses billions of tweets from the last 1,000 days to calculate your Kred. Every interaction you have made in that time is part of your score. It measures Influence and Outreach level.

But are they accurate? Kate will explain the new social recommendation economy and why reputation matters. She will discuss how to make the new social recommendation economy work for you.

About Kate:

Kate Carruthers is an expert and forecaster in online collaboration, social media, digital integration, unified communication, email and search marketing.

With extensive experience in senior executive roles for diverse organisations such as GE, AMP, Westfield and State Government she currently works in business strategy and implementation roles. Kate has also lectured in postgraduate business at Macquarie University and taught TAFE level courses in business and management.

She is Co-Founder of Social Innovation Sydney and was a long standing member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers and is a Senior Member of the Australian Computer Society. She is on the Advisory Board for the　Schools of Computer Science & Software Engineering and Information Systems & Technology at the University of Wollongong.

Kate is currently studying law part time as an external student with Queensland University of Technology.

Twitter: @kcarruthers 
Blog: http://katecarruthers.com/blog/

Please note: This month's Social Media Women is being held on the FIRST Tuesday of the month as the second Tuesday falls on Valentines Day.

A not to be missed event- learn about the new social recommendation economy and why reputation matters.

Register now for our February event at

http://socialmediawomenfebruary.eventbrite.com

Date: Tuesday 7 February 2012 (First week in February)
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue: The Supper Club at the Oxford Hotel,
134 Oxford st, Darlinghurst.

(Enter the Oxford St side of the hotel and walk up the stairs. Metered parking is a few steps away on Bourke St, $1.10 per hour)

 

 

On the weekend I attended the launch of ln Situ, an exhibition featuring traditional sculptural works and contemporary installations in shops along Military Road in Mosman.

The exhibition is billed as “Australia’s newest art trail with over sixty works by Australia’s leading sculptors and installation artists.”

One of my fibre sculptures is featured in the exhibition and when I was listening to the speeches it occurred to me that Mosman Council is using this as a tactic to create community as well as drive visitors to the area.

This year it is part of a bigger event called Festival of Mosman with the tagline as “An unmissable Sydney experience”. Obviously Mosman isn’t Bondi, but Mosman Council is aiming to draw in crowds from outside the area like Sculpture by The Sea. It’s a great idea.

The sculptures are in shops so it’s like taking art to the people, and hoping they shop while they are there!

They using Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to promote the event and build online engagement. When I was installing my sculpture a videographer shot footage for the Youtube channel and was taking photos for the Facebook page.

They have also used an augmented reality program,Layar, which recognises real world objects and display digital AR experiences on top of them using a smartphone.

Its early days for their social media engagement, but it’s good to see a council taking steps to use social media and art to engage their community.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

Outsourcing your social media campaign
So you want to start up a social media campaign for your business but don’t know where to begin? If you decide its best for your business to work with an expert there are a few things you need to think about.

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. 

Read the article on CP Communications News.    

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How to determine your target audience
Your target audience are the individuals, groups and communities that have influence and decision making power over your brands’ products or services. They are the ones you are trying to attract and sell to – they are the people want to communicate with.

The key is to dedicate time to really refine your audience before you start ‘talking’ to them. To clarify your target audiences answer these questions:

• Who needs to hear your message? Who are the people that would be interested in hearing and learning about what you have to offer them?
• Who are the influencers? All target audiences have people who have great influence over their decisions. They can be family members, friends, authoritative figures such as doctors and even the media.
• Who must be moved to action? Who are the targets that actually follow through with the purchase?
• Who has the greatest impact on the business’s outcome? Who are the people who will affect whether you fail or succeed?

Once you have researched and determined your target audience, you can now begin to create strategies, messages and tactics that are tailored to your target audiences needs, wants and values.

Read the 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: Website and Ecommerce: Set- up and beyond - Tips, trends and ideas with Nancy Georges
Websites and Online Stores are essential for EVERY business. Integrating the website to your social media & offline activity is as important as the site itself! Nancy will discuss her own experiences with a wide range of products and services, and will give you the information to get you started and to define the world that we are now operating in.
8 November – Sydney, NSW

Magazine Week
Magazine Week is a full week of events that will bring all segments of the magazine publishing industry together to learn and share the latest information on business and technology trends. Featuring international and local industry experts and case studies, the Magazine Week conference will offer guidance on how to do better business.
9 November - Sydney, NSW

Google Analytics Seminars for Success
Learn Google's own best practices directly from a Google Analytics Certified Trainer. Ensure the accuracy of your website visitor data and learn how to use Google Analytics to measure the performance of your website and online marketing results. The seminar is great for people involved in marketing, advertising, public relations, e-commerce, business development or web management.
9, 10 and 11 November - Melbourne, Vic

ADMA Digital Day
Marketing is evolving more rapidly than ever before as technology empowers customers and marketers across the globe. Digital Day brings you some of the world’s most successful digital marketers from leading brands to help you improve marketing efficiency and effectiveness through deeper insights, enhanced capability and the implementation of new platforms and technologies.
14 November - Melbourne, Vic

Social Media and Communications Summit
The Social Media and Communications Summit brings together Australia's leading social media intelligence, communications, Innovation, generation and trend practitioners to share industry insights with your organisation. Four of Australia's thought leaders on social media and digital communication will power your organisation with a SWOT analysis of your social media strategy.
15 November - Sydney, NSW

The 5 Pillars of Web Engagement Management Revealed
Online Engagement Management is the new idea in web publishing – it’s no longer enough to simply publish material and hope your customer gets the right message. Join Mammoth Media, and web veteran Greg Baxter from Sitecore, for a journey through the new paradigm, and understand the power behind the “connected customer”.
18 November - Brisbane, Qld   

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.

Last month Catriona spoke at an event hosted by the Leichardt and Annandale Business Chamber.

Catriona spoke in front of a small group of local business owners about social media for business. She took them through the basics of what social media is and how it can be used by business owners to interact in various social media spaces, as well as how to create content to expand visibility and online reputation.

Here is what Anitra Morgana, Executive Officer at Leichhardt & Annandale Business Chamber had to say about Catriona’s ‘Social Media for Business’ session:

“Catriona faced a group of small local businesses for many of whom social media was a scary and impenetrable world.

With patience and insight she removed the overwhelm and foreignness that social media can be, creating instead a context whereby the investment of time and resources was seen to be relevant and necessary part of an overall marketing strategy
 
Catriona brought alive some real communication possibilities, lighting up the faces in the room as they saw beyond the unknown and alienating technical jargon.
 
This opened up a room of challenges – but also an ocean of possibilities and opportunities. The room was engrossed. Through offering practical tips and simple steps Catriona left people excited and inspired, with new worlds beckoning and all asking for more.”

Do you want to see you and your business profiled in the media but don’t know where to start?

Have you sent out media releases and received no response?

When you get the right media coverage, your sales can double (or triple), you gain new customers and you can position yourself as a leader in the market place.

However, if you don't know the tactics of a publicity/public relations (PR) strategy or how to write an effective media release, you won’t get the results that will make a difference.

You'll learn the science behind an effective PR strategy including writing media releases that get results, how to approach journalists, how to write articles and case studies for the media as well as clever online tactics.

In one day, you'll discover the secrets to getting good publicity that you can use for your own business.

This seminar covers:
• the elements of a typical PR strategy
• how to determine your target audiences
• how to structure media releases and what you must include
• who you should quote and what they should say
• how to deal with journalists
• online distribution strategies
• contributing articles to publications
• how to approach bloggers as part of your PR strategy

This seminar is ideal for:
• Business owners, coaches, speakers, entrepreneurs who want to promote their business
• Professionals who have been given PR or marketing responsibilities but who may not have had formal training in this area
• People who are relatively new to a public relations role

This seminar covers all the issues you need to consider before you even put pen to paper - or fingers to the keyboard! Once you have these issues covered, you will have a strong framework that will guide how you write the release.

About Catriona Pollard
This seminar is presented by Catriona Pollard, director of CP Communications. Catriona has 18 years experience in developing and managing public relations and marketing programs.

Prior to establishing CP Communications in 2001, Catriona set up the marketing communications department for a leading software company and managed a diverse range of accounts within PR agencies. She also has extensive experience in managing public affairs and marketing in federal and state governments.

Catriona's blog Public Relations Sydney was shortlisted as media & marketing blog of the year 2009. She is a co-founder of Social Media Women, a formal online and in person networking group that encourages and assists women to participate more prominently in social media.

This seminar is held at the Sydney Writers' Centre.

PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
Thursday 15 September 2011 9.00am - 5.00pm
Fee: $495 (includes GST)

Book now! Click here.

Sydney Writers Centre
Ground Floor
55 Lavender Street
Milsons Point NSW 2061