PR and marketing

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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Recently The Australian's editor wrote Twitter is "the dunny door graffiti of the digital age, adding precisely nothing to the sum of human knowledge".

Interestingly, they printed this statement in the newspaper, yet deleted it in the online version of the article. Scared of the Twitter backlash I wonder.

When I tweeted this comment, it caused quite a storm. It was retweeted and commented on throughout the day.

Some of my favourite twitter responses were:
@bradatslice Journos how d'ya feel? Contributing to "the dunny door graffiti of the digital age..." as described by #TheAustralian
@gavincostello Interesting that all their journos are adding so much graffiti to the dunny door then
@bigyahu now who's calling the kettle black? How's The Australian's circulation doing this year? #outoftoucholdmediaass
@ccrichton I'm willing to bet The Australian's editor has never used Twitter. Typical ignorant comment from opinionated non-user.

Many of the people I follow on Twitter are journalists who share very valuable, thoughtful and interesting information.

In fact, most news outlets have Twitter accounts, as Twitter is a very accepted (and important) way of broadcasting news. Ironically, The Australian also has an account (@australian) with 15,600 followers. I’m guessing they're hoping their followers don’t think their tweets are worth flushing!

SPONSOR ME PLEASE – This month I’m doing the Yoga Aid Challenge which is like a marathon - but Yoga style. A nonstop "Salute to the Sun" sequence taking two hours. The charity I am supporting is dotcommob which helps the children living in Papunya, a remote indigenous community of 300 located in Central Australia. The community has an existing computer centre but no ongoing funding for a supervisor to open the wonderful world of the internet and technology to the children. Please support me by making a donation to this great cause. THANK YOU! Sponsor me here.

SPEAKING – I am speaking at two events this month. Social Media Women: The collision of PR & social media - how you can use it to your advantage and a 1 day workshop: PR and Media Strategy that get Results.

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Embargoes: What are they and when to use them?

 
So what is an embargoed release?
An embargoed release is a media release or announcement that is shared with the media in advance of its publishing date. Unlike ‘off the record’ which is never supposed to be published at all, embargoed information is intended to be published. But it is only meant to be published at the time disclosed by the release distributer.

The release shares confidential information with the journalist, but it is shared with the understanding that it is meant to remain confidential until the stated publishing date. This date is stated very clearly at the beginning of the release.

The crucial part to embargoes is the element of trust. By sending your release out with an embargoed release date you are placing a great deal of trust in the media to respect your wishes. However, by doing this you can help form a stronger relationship and earn the respect of the journalist and more often than not they will abide by your embargoed date. 

What’s the point?
Embargoes allow you to send your information out to journalists prior to the release date to give them notice of the upcoming news. This allows them to prepare their stories in advance. With increased lead time it gives the journalist time to provide additional insight into the issue that might not otherwise be part of a breaking news story.

When to use them
Very few announcements need to be embargoed. You might consider using an embargo if the announcement is complex and needs demonstrating and explaining or if there are commercial reasons why details can’t be shared gradually over time beforehand, such as competitive pressure.

Read the full article
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What's the deal with foursquare?

Before you dismiss foursquare as just another social media application you couldn’t possibly get your head around, we thought we’d give you a run-down of what it’s all about.
 
What’s foursquare?
Foursquare is a mobile application for your smartphone that essentially is a ‘social media game’ but can actually be used to help your marketing efforts, especially if you work in retail or hospitality.
 
The idea is, whenever someone visits a location, like a particular shop or café, they ‘check-in’ to that location. The person, who ‘checks in’ to a certain location the most, becomes the ‘mayor’ of that place.

Why would people use foursquare?
When someone ‘checks in’ to a location they can see if any of their friends have been there before, or are nearby at that time. You can use foursquare to give suggestions like ‘If you’re at X café, try the chocolate milkshakes, they’re amazing.’

It becomes a fun, competitive game to become the ‘mayor’ of the most places possible.  This is where businesses are jumping on board and offering incentives for people to come along to try and become the ‘mayor’ of their business.

Options for businesses
Not only can you encourage people to ‘check in’ to become the ‘mayor’ of your business but you may wish to offer deals to people to get them to ‘check in’ more regularly.

For example, the fifth time someone ‘checks in' to your clothes’ shop they get a free scarf with their purchase, or the third time they buy a sandwich from your takeaway shop they get a free drink.

To get things rolling, you may even offer ‘check in’ deals for people the first time they ‘check in’ to your business on foursquare. There are also wildcard specials that your staff need to verify before the user can claim their prize.

You can tailor these offers and start using foursquare to drive customers to your business and foster customer loyalty.

Read the full article
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Upcoming events

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

ADMA Digital Day 2010
Digital Day will focus on the dynamic and constantly-evolving area of digital marketing. It has been designed for marketing decision-makers, specifically those with an interest in the digital space. The conference will include high-profile speakers from Billabong International, BT Financial Group and Smirnoff.
8 November 2010

The collision of PR & social media - how you can use it to your advantage with Catriona Pollard
Social Media Women’s November event features co-founder Catriona Pollard, director of CP Communications. She will focus on how to combine PR & social media tactics to get your messages to your audiences.
9 November 2010

Email Marketing Summit Australia
EMSA aims to provide a thorough understanding of email marketing strategies and practices. Develop your skills in email marketing to enhance client communications and attain a competitive edge for your business. The one-day event features high-profile speakers from the marketing industry.
11 November 2010

iStrategy 2010
This event is the annual gathering for business, marketing, business development, IT and creative professionals involved in all aspects of online media and strategic management positions. This event will consist of industry-leading keynote speakers, interactive workshop sessions and invaluable panel discussions.
24 - 25 November 2010

PR and Media Strategy that get Results with Catriona Pollard
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.
25 November 2010

As part of Social Media Women, a group I co-founded, I was given the opportunity to participate in Plan Australia’s GirlsFund campaign, ‘Because I am a Girl’. It’s a campaign that is using social media by tapping into communities as well as the powerful mediums of Twitter, Facebook and blogging.

‘Because I am a Girl’ is Plan’s global campaign designed to fight gender inequality, promote girls’ rights and lift millions of girls out of poverty. The tagline is “Now is the time to invest in girls”.

Tapping into the already powerful online communities such as Social Media Women and Australian Women Online, they have reached hundreds of thousands of women by engaging “Coalition” members.

These include famous Australian women as well as women in the business and social media communities. They are sharing the information through their networks, and are involved because it provides a way of contributing.

I have also had the honour of being included in the TV ad – which is so thrilling (and has been watched on YouTube over 1000 times). This is being run as community service announcement this month.

What I really like about this campaign is that it isn’t just about raising money, it’s about educating people about the issue using real advocates. It’s also designed to engage with women by providing a platform for them to share their own stories on the blog or Facebook. (Their Facebook fans are at an impressive 2,788). 

So please share your story, sign the “National Day of the Girl” petition, and get involved in any way that suits you. Participating in the project reminded me that I'm one of the lucky girls, and also how social media can be used as a powerful way of sharing a very important message.

Upcoming events

 Dear Ms. Pollard,

Just a few months ago, I've subscribed to cpcommunications e-newsletter, and I can't congratulate you enough on how you delve into PR complexities and turn them into an easy-to-read, afternoon-under-the-sun reads. I'm an 18-year-old Egyptian journalism student, who is very interested in the digital realms and spaces of PR agencies so as to speak, and I believe your efforts have truly been marketed on global levels.

Yours,

Nadeen