PR Agency, CP Communications has been appointed the public relations account for the Gov 2.0 Taskforce in a competitive tender.

CP Communications will be responsible for promoting the availability of the draft Taskforce report for public comment, promoting the key issues underpinning the draft recommendations and managing the media and stakeholders.

Director of CP Communications, Catriona Pollard said: “We are thrilled to win the account and are looking forward to promoting the Taskforce report.”

“Sadly boutique agencies such as CP Communications are often over looked for larger and well known accounts. In this case they looked at our experience rather than our size. With our expertise in web 2.0, government and technology we were the perfect fit,” said Ms Pollard.

The Taskforce will be releasing a report on options on how to increase the openness of government through making public sector information more widely available to promote transparency, innovation and value adding to government information, and encouraging online engagement. 

-ends-

About CP Communications
Established 2001, CP Communications has a strong B2B background, working with digital and technology accounts as well as recruitment, HR and aged care. Director, Catriona Pollard was been listed as one of the top 100 PR people worldwide worth following on Twitter. 

I made the mistake of walking into a Lululemon store on the weekend. Why was it a mistake? I bought another yoga/gym top. I really do have enough tops to wear to yoga but it was purple, and I didn’t have a purple one. But now I do. 

For those of you that don’t know Lululemon, it’s one of the fastest growing apparel companies in the world, selling premium priced, yoga inspired clothes. I love their gear, but I love their marketing approach even more.

Lululemon has created a very successful retail brand by using grassroots marketing techniques. They have achieved phenomenal growth without any traditional advertising — no television commercials, no radio ads, no national newspaper campaigns. 

Lululemon has largely relied on word of mouth. It generates buzz by supplying free clothing to yoga teachers, fitness instructors, and the like, and encouraging these "ambassadors" to spread the word. The ambassadors get free publicity on the website. 

And of course, Lululemon are masters of social media. Store managers are funded to run their own local marketing initiatives. When I was in the store I signed up for a free weekly running class with a personal trainer. 

And now I am giving them PR. Love it!

Want to sponsor me to do something crazy? I am going to attempt to do 108 sun salutes in the Yoga Aid Challenge raising money for Football United which assists recently arrived refugee children and their families who have experienced devastating life situations. Please donate. 

Hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. 

Director, Catriona Pollard is going to attempt to do 108 sun salutes in the Yoga Aid Challenge raising money for Football United which assists recently arrived refugee children and their families who have experienced devastating life situations. It would be great if you could support her by donating. Click to donate. 

Recently I did a presentation at the networking group LetsDoBiz on social media. A friend of mine nearly fell over when she read about it on Twitter. You see, I make everyone else do presentations, but I don’t do them. They scare the bejesus out of me.

In one of the numerous conversations I have had with people about public speaking we realised it’s the whole centre of attention thing. You either love it or hate it. I am on the hate it side, but am now dipping my toes into the spotlight, and doing it in a way that suits me (i.e. baby steps).

The reason I encourage everyone to participate in speaking opportunities is that they offer a cost effective way of reaching a captive, and quite often a large and influential audience. They increase the brand awareness of your business and provide a platform for you to be a credible industry expert.

You can get some some tips on how to public speak by watching the experts! There is a great conference coming up discussing the future of journalism in the social media age. The Media140 conference is on 5-6 November in Sydney. As a reader of this newsletter you receive 20% discount on tickets, enter the CP140 code when registering.

I am organising a brunch to support breast cancer research at Aqua Dining at Milson’s Point on Tuesday 27 October, 9:30-11:30. It will be a champagne brunch including fruit, pastries & hot breakfast and a fashion show. Aqua Dining donates 100% of the cost of the breakfast to breast cancer research and we make a tax deductable donation of $80. Let me know if you are interested – it’s a great combination: champagne & supporting a good cause!

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

Maximise the power of public speaking

It is a well known fact that the fear of public speaking ranks higher than the fear of death. This means most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy at a funeral! However public speaking doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience; in fact when done right, it can often be the most effective form of communication.

It is so powerful we build speaking opportunities into our clients PR strategies. Here are some useful tips for effective presentations.

Practice practice practice
If you are a nervous public speaker as most people are, the best way to overcome nerves is to practice your speech over and over. Practice in front of family and friends, the bedroom mirror – wherever.

Know the audience and the venue
Before your presentation find out who the audience will be and how much knowledge they will have on your topic so you can pitch it at the right level. It is essential that you tailor the presentation to the bulk of the audience and understand what makes them tick and what drives them. 

Clients can share your story
Often co-presenting with a client, or using case studies or anecdotes will help reinforce your story and build credibility. Your clients have a unique perspective that is often more convincing and ‘real’ compared to your story.  

Go to our Public Relations Sydney blog to read more presentation tips including get to the point, use efficient body language and don’t read the whole time.

Writing a great media release

One of the highest key word searches on our website and blog is “how to write media release”, so we thought we would share with you how to write a great release.

Developing and distributing a media release is one of the most effective methods of telling your story to the media.

A media release can contain information such as the work your business is doing, a new product release, the signing of a new contract or commenting on industry issues and trends.

The main rule is that all releases have to be newsworthy. If a release isn’t newsworthy, then it simply won’t get picked up. What makes items newsworthy differs greatly from one publication to the next or even from one section to the next. News is something new, up-to-the minute and of interest to the readers.

Following are some guidelines for good press releases:

• The lead paragraph is the most important and should provide a ‘hook’ for the journalist. It should contain who, what, when, where, why, and how.
• Write in the inverted pyramid style. After the lead paragraph, each remaining paragraph should be less important than the one preceding it. That way the editor can trim your release from the bottom. 
• Write in short sentences, short paragraphs and keep the information simple and to the point. Try to keep the release to one page.
• If you read an article in the paper, you will see they always include quotes. So you should give them the quotes to use. Attribute them to a particular person in the organisation and ensure they are newsworthy. 
• A good press release has no typographical or grammatical errors. 
• Head the release with “Media Release” and date it clearly. 
• Use a catchy headline. 
• At the end of the release add contact details so the editor can easily contact you for an interview.

Go to our resources section of our website to see a media release template.

Top 7 social media tips

In a really clever PR strategy, one of our Twitter friends, AJ Kulatunga (@ICT_GURU) has launched 31 Days of Technology. Linking it with the Northern Territory’s October Business Month, they are giving away a free technology tip everyday for 31 days in their blog and Twitter.

We asked him to give us his top seven social media tips.

• Use what works for you. If you’re not a fan of Facebook use a blog or Twitter instead. Mix and match the tools to suit your availability and personality.
• Make personal comments but remember everything you do represents the “face” of your business online.
• Social media involves giving and receiving, so make sure you help out others by promoting their ideas. 
• You’re in business so measure the results of your tools against your marketing strategy to see what works and what needs tweaking e.g. TweetReach
• Social media can be used for training as well. Popular “how-to” clips on You Tube can be fantastic staff training tools.
  Some tools to try are WordPress(blogging), Digg (articles) and Twitter (conversations with people).
• Check out GoogleWave – when it comes out it will change the way you think about communication online.

  Click here to sign up to receive the CP Communications newsletter directly in your inbox. 

When I set up CP Communications I had no idea about networking.

I had never needed to network in my corporate and government jobs. It didn’t really cross my mind. At the start of my business I was lucky enough to pick up a few big clients so I didn’t really think about networking then either.

When I decided I wanted to grow my business what did I do? I started to network. It seemed an obvious place to start to build business contacts. I dedicated two nights (or lunches) a week to networking and got used to walking into a room full of strangers which I initally found very daunting! Networking is still a big part of my PR & marketing strategy.

I believe that networking has helped me build a successful business. Along the way I have made some very dear friends, worked with fantastic clients and met some really interesting people. 

This week I was so thrilled to be listed as one of the top 100 PR people worldwide worth following on Twitter.  It listed PR people who participate and contribute to their Twitter page, share valuable information, and contribute to the profession. The article, consisting mainly of US PR director’s, featured only three Australians including @IdeasCulture, @trevoryoung and @catrionapollard. Follow me on Twitter at @CatrionaPollard or http://twitter.com/catrionapollard  

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

Does networking really work?

From specific association networks to broad business groups, there are many opportunities for SME owners to network. But does networking actually work?

In my experience, the answer is a huge YES. However it isn’t enough to just turn up to a few events. And it isn’t just about flicking your business card around and getting new clients either.

Building your professional networking will take time before you start seeing measurable results consistently flowing into your business.

You can never have too many contacts
Networking isn’t just about acquiring new business; it is about surrounding yourself with a support network for your life in general. I have never met anyone who said they have too many contacts!

Without networking running a business can be an isolating and stressful experience. Networking provides insight into the business community, an avenue to learn about different types of businesses, and an opportunity to share your experiences.

A cost effective alternative
Networking can also be the most cost effective way of reaching hundreds of potential clients, which is particularly worthwhile for SMEs with tight marketing budgets.

While costs of attending lunches or events can add up, it is powerful advertising when you connect with people on a personal level. In fact, so powerful, we build it into all of our client’s PR strategies.

Read more about networking, including how to take control, networking for business development, joining an industry specific network, commitment and how to become a successful networker on our Public Relations Sydney blog.

Making a good first impression

We recently met with a new business starting up. They have a great business idea, are really enthusiastic and are spending heaps of time building networks and developing new business leads. They are set to fly.

At the “business card exchange” moment in the meeting, they said they didn’t have a card. I asked what their web address was so I could go away and read more about them and they said they didn’t have a website yet (they are in the business of websites!). I asked them what their rates were. You guessed it. They haven’t figured out their rates.

So they are spending heaps of time in business development, but no time in developing the image and marketing for the business. From a marketing & PR perspective, that is just crazy.

We have a few media opportunities that would suit them perfectly, but there is no point in getting media coverage if readers can’t go to a website to get further information – even contact information if they want to buy from them.

The tip is: don’t get bogged down in the details and getting it perfect the first time. Understand that your business image will change over time, as will your rates etc.

Key things to do when setting up a business (from a marketing perspective):
• Get a business card
• Upload a website (or start with a blog if you don’t have the funds for a website yet)
• Work out your products or level of service
• Develop your rates/charges
• Put together information on your business and product that you can leave behind at the meeting or email after the meeting.

Don’t bother with business development unless you can come across professionally - especially if you are establishing your business. A good first impression is essential.

Save time by using RSS feeds

Do you start your morning by visiting numerous websites to find the latest information and updates? Do you find it annoying trying to remember lots of different log in names, user names and passwords? RSS feeds can help you eliminate this time consuming process.

So what is RSS anyway?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. In its simplest form RSS can be described as a list of a web site's new or updated content. It is a format for delivering regularly changing web content straight to your email inbox.

RSS was originally developed to allow news services to syndicate their content by displaying headlines, links and article summaries on other web sites.

What is the point?
The main purpose of an RSS is to manage the organisation and collection of information from the internet. RSS is a time management tool for businesses and people who regularly use the web. It allows you to stay updated by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in.

You save time by eliminating the need to visit each site individually. There is also the added bonus of ensuring your privacy, as you do not need to sign up to each individual site’s newsletter.

How do I start?
To start receiving RSS feeds you need an RSS aggregator, more commonly referred to as a ‘reader.’

There are a lot to choose from, some popular feed readers include AmphetaDesk (Windows, Linux, Mac), FeedReader (Windows), and NewsGator (Windows - integrates with Outlook). There are also a number of web-based feed readers available including My Yahoo, Bloglines and Google Reader. 

Once you have decided which Feed Reader is best for you it is a matter of finding sites that offer an RSS service. On most sites you can easily see if RSS is offered by the inclusion of icons with the acronyms RSS, XML or RDF.

To add the feed to your reader simply follow the instructions provided for your chosen RSS reader. It will automatically keep track of your feeds and let you know when they are updated, saving a lot of precious time.

Click here to sign up to receive the CP Communications newsletter directly in your inbox. 

This is a great opportunity to broaden your experience, be involved in all facets of PR and work within a small team where your results are noticed and appreciated!

• Develop your PR skills
• Successful & dynamic PR agency
• Be a valued member of a small team
• Work on a range of interesting clients

This is an ideal opportunity for a PR Consultant who is looking to do some really interesting work with a variety of clients.

We are looking for a talented PR Consultant to work full time in our dynamic boutique agency based in Crows Nest. You will never get bored working with range of interesting clients.

You will be doing public relations and marketing work including:

* Develop PR strategies
* Media liaison – generating awareness about a client’s work on a national and regional level through effective quality press coverage
* Generate story ideas and opportunities for media coverage
* Follow up media enquiries and coordinate interviews
* Develop online PR campaigns
* Write articles, stories for newsletters, brochures, advertising, websites etc

If you think you fit this role please email us your resume plus a covering letter.

Read about CP Communications at www.cpcommunications.com.au or our blog at www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au

I am in the business of communicating – that’s what I do all day, every day. I do it for myself, my business and my clients. I do it online, offline, on the phone, sitting down, standing up. But what would happen if I couldn’t do it?

I have just come back from a holiday where I was incommunicado with the outside world. Prior to going I was worried about my addiction to Twitter, my crackberry and my laptop. Addiction? What addiction. It was heaven. Maybe you should try it some time. I can certainly recommend it.

While I was away Marketing Magazine very kindly profiled me if you want to take a read.

What makes a great website?

What are the essential traits of a great web site? After you visit a site and you browse through it for a while, what makes you stay? Great design helps. Amazing graphics are eye catching. But the fundamental trait that makes a website work is the content.

The content or copy of your website is critical. This is where you hold the attention of your audience. Your word choice and grammar are critical. Misspellings and poor grammar are a quick turn off. If your content isn’t easy to read people will go to other sites to get information and buy.

Copy writing is often one of those jobs that people think they can do themselves but probably shouldn’t. We often help clients with their web copy to assist them in the creation of a professionally written website.

Tips on writing effective website copy:

Keep it short
While choosing the right words is important, keeping them to a minimum is equally important. The length of your copy online should be about half that of the print version. Re-work your original, including succinct sentences and short paragraphs. Dot points are often a great way to achieve this.

Chose your words carefully
Try to avoid words that are too descriptive, colloquial or flowery. Descriptive words often don’t tell readers much and are a waste of words.

Understand your audience and write for them. Just because you have a well versed vocabulary doesn’t mean your audience does. At the same time by choosing colloquial language you often dumb down your website and limit credibility.

Read more tips on writing effective website copy.

Media monitoring with Google Alerts

Most businesses don’t have the budgets to pay a media monitoring service to track their coverage in the media. They would prefer to use the budget to generate coverage rather than track it!

We encourage our clients to use Google Alerts which are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, blogs etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.

We have one for each client name and spokesperson so we can track their coverage. Obviously this only applies to coverage that has been posted online so don’t rely on this to track coverage in trade publications.

Some other handy uses of Google Alerts include:
• monitoring a developing news story
• keeping current on a competitor or industry
• tracking stories in other blogs
• tracking stories/topics in your industries

To create a Google Alert:
Go to www.google.com/alerts
Fill in the ‘form’ by adding your search terms. The Type dropdown let’s you choose from News, Blogs, Web, Google Groups, and Comprehensive. The Comprehensive option will search all options - which is what we use.
Select how often you wish to receive the alerts - once a day, as-it-happens, or once a week.
Hit Create Alert and you’ll start receiving emails with your alerts!

Creating online authenticity

Social media is all about authenticity, Rohit Bhargava, of Ogilvy USA explained at a recent Frocomm event. Here are a few topics he discussed in his presentation.

Media is circular
News is no longer just generated by journalists. With the help of social media, media has evolved to become a circular process. Individuals are looking to the media for stories, but at the same time, the media is looking online for stories and trends.

Unlock the passion of accidental spokespeople
One of the most noticeable effects of social media is the emergence of the ‘accidental spokesperson’. This concept is that employees or customers of organisations are fast becoming accidental key voices or spokespeople.

Speak with a human voice
Social media is providing organisations with the chance to humanise and authenticate their organisation. With the emergence of blogs and sites such as Twitter, businesses have been given the opportunity to bring their organisation alive by delivering a vivid personality through a spokesperson such as the CEO.

Faceless doesn’t work anymore
Consumers are no longer OK with being put on hold or talking to recorded messages. They want to talk to a real person and get a personal reply to their individual questions. Social media is allowing organisations to do this.

Virtual trust trumps all
Current research has shown that consumers are starting to trust online reviews over recommendations from their friends and company produced product information. This highlights just how important online reviews are for your organisation.

Read the full article on our Public Relations Sydney blog.

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