Context Public Relations

Effective PR doesn’t just mean putting your own news and opinions out there in press releases, articles and interviews.  There are newsworthy incidents happening all the time that are related to your business, that you can use to your advantage — if you’re willing to offer a pithy, relevant comment.  All it takes is a little planning, an eye on breaking news that’s relevant to your organisation, and the ability to deliver a rapid response.

One of the staples of journalism is including comments from expert industry observers into a breaking news story.  The comments help to explain the story, and to balance it by giving the point of view of a third party.  It’s natural to think that these comments come from the journalist’s established contacts, built up over years of lunches.

That may have been the case a few years ago - but not any more.  Journalists are under real pressure to deliver a quota of news stories per day, so time is a key factor.  They’ve got maybe 90 minutes to get the story finished before moving onto the next one, and if you can offer a quick comment that fits the story and the journalist’s needs without too much editing, you’re in.

What are those newsworthy events?  Well, it depends on what industry you’re in.  For example, if you’re in the IT security sector, either as a vendor or a service provider, incidents such as data leaks or virus outbreaks (such as the recent infection on Greater Manchester Police’s networks) are ones to watch out for. 

What’s more, these breaking stories tend to be syndicated to other news outlets, spreading the story quickly across the web, giving you a big footprint on Google, and positioning you as an industry expert to boot.  Why not contact us to find out how you can get your points of view across?

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No, we haven’t won the PR account for LinkedIn, but its motto is very apt in the world of PR. Yesterday a journalist from one of the national newspapers rang me to verify a report she’d been sent from a travel company – her particular question was “is this just a publicity stunt?”

As it happens, it was not a publicity stunt and as the topic falls well within the realms of a client we work with, it allowed me to confirm the validity of the content and provide her with further information to back it up - a great opportunity for national coverage.

There’s a little bit of it’s not what you know, but who you know in this, but whichever way you look at it, it’s the relationship that is important. Clearly if you’ve got the story of the century, then you could be as rude as Simon Cowell at the tone deaf society and still no credible journalist would turn you down. Having said that, when it comes to building a rapport for the long term, it comes down to being a friendly and reliable source, who provides interesting material and can deliver promptly for the ever-approaching deadline.

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There has been some confusion in the press over the past week about whether certain premier league football clubs had banned their players from using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. However one of the football clubs clarified that they don’t forbid the use of social networking but have a Code of Conduct for players regarding what and how information is disclosed, and outlined that in fact they are very active in social media.

With social media fast becoming the communication tool of choice, having a social media campaign as part of your overall PR and marketing strategy is a must.

The main purpose of social media for business is to raise the profile of your company and encourage traffic to your website.  But with its informal nature it can often be difficult to know what you should and shouldn’t be talking about. And with numerous social networking tools out there it’s even difficult to know which one to use.

But whether you are blogging, tweeting or updating your Facebook status, it’s important that only information relevant to your business or customers is posted up for others to see.

If you are unsure about social networking ask your PR and marketing agency to advise you on how it can best benefit your business. By using their knowledge and expertise you will be able to implement a campaign that’s right for you without fear of saying the wrong thing.

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…. That is the question. With social media taking the World by storm and providing the perfect platform to get messages to your customers, is there really any place for e-mail marketing anymore?

In short – yes. E-shots and e-letters make up an important element of any marketing mix. Not only do you get your messages directly into your clients inbox, but keeping them informed with relevant and interesting stories will encourage both customers and potential customers to visit your site, boosting those all important click-throughs’.

To maximise potential, keep your e-letters simple, relevant and make sure the message is strong. A clear, easy-to-read format with simple but attractive design will provide the impact you need to catch the readers’ attention while personalisation will give your message the ultimate personal touch.

Most importantly, you need to make it a regular thing. A one-off e-shot once in a blue moon can leave customers wondering exactly what’s going on so develop a programme and stick to it.

This, combined with your Facebook page, your Twitter feed (also updated regularly of course!) and your PR programme will work wonders in boosting awareness of your company, giving you the potential to boost your profile and win more business.

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Writing on his blog, Ricky Gervais has confessed he doesn’t get Twitter, branding it undignified for adults, confining it to the realm of teenage social networking.  However, his tirade against the social media site seems somewhat ill-founded considering he was using another form of social media to make the comments. 

Maybe the irony was intended; Gervais is after all a comedy genius.

In all seriousness though, social media such as Twitter, Blogging, Linked-In and Facebook are all important elements of any marcomms campaign, maximising the way you communicate and engage with customers.

The advantage of Twitter is that if forces you to be highly succinct in your messaging.  Bite-sized, digestible headline news over Twitter is an effective way to get your message across to busy professionals.  He may be on a Twitter holiday, but Stephen Fry is an exemplar of how being a man of few words can help you to engage and hold the attention of 1.2 million followers. 

It’s a mode of communication which has found a practical use in many sectors.  Hospitals and schools can use it to inform patients and pupils about planned closures or postponed operations, and as part of continuity planning.  Entertainment venues can use it to raise awareness of forthcoming gigs and shows, to help drive ticket sales.

Of course, for this to work, you need to have your followers, but again this is something you can look to promote and grow as part of a comprehensive marcomms campaign, in the same way that you will build up and add to your customer databases and mailing lists.

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I recently read an article that said that SEO was the most important part of any marketing campaign. Obviously it was written by an SEO expert but just because we all use the Internet every day does not mean that it should be the only source of new business opportunities.

SEO is a very valuable part of the marketing mix but you should also consider using other programmes to help develop new business. Even now some of the more classical approaches work. Here are just a few activities you may want to implement in 2010.

Direct Mail - Have you noticed how much less mail you get now. It’s all sent via email and if we are honest most of it is deleted straight away. Think about your next campaign and see if it would be worth putting something in the post. A nice letter and company promotional flyer is much more memorable than an email.

Events - Gone are the days of spending thousands on stands, hotels and hospitality but there are some very good regional or vertical market shows where you can pick up business.

Networking - We’re not just talking about Linkedin and Facebook. There is absolutely no better way to win business than meeting and talking to people. Don’t forget the “virtual world” but also get involved in local business clubs and networking events at trade shows. You never know you may just meet up with that old customer who moved on years ago.

Advertising - Like all marketing communications you should use advertising when it best suits your business. We all know that there are cheap deals available but look at what you are trying to achieve and how different activities can support your business.

Public Relations - If you are ever wondering how your competitors always seem to be in the media it’s down to PR. It may not make the phone ring instantly but it could help close the deal.

If your business is looking for more business ideas don’t forget to give us a call.

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“The definition of ’news’ is something that is new,” as the old saying goes.  And with the sheer number of news outlets available now – from national papers to specialist magazines, websites and insider blogs, that old saying is more relevant than ever before.

Journalists are under increasing pressure to deliver news stories before anyone else — or at least, at the same time as their rival publications.  When we are pitching news stories to the press, especially to the national press or major consumer publications, we’re usually asked if we’ve already spoken to any other titles. 

If the journalist can find that your ’hot’ story has already been published on another media outlet or blog, it automatically reduces the value of the news, as well as the journalist’s interest.

So if your organisation has a significant story coming up, take extra care to co-ordinate and control exactly how you release the news.  If it appears on a company blog or Twitter feed the day before you issue the press release, news aggregators and RSS feeds could pick up the story before you even start speaking to the press. 

This could either kill the news value of the story or — if it’s significant news from a publicly-quoted company — break stock exchange rules, with the risk of heavy fines or even imprisonment.

So to get the most from your news, draw up an announcement timetable which starts with the press announcement, then covers uploading to blogs, sending to partners and so on.  Make sure everyone involved in spreading news, both internally and externally, sticks to it.  That way, you won’t steal you own thunder though bad timing. 

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‘Tis the season to be jolly and all that, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean that you can put a hold on any crisis until January. Take British Airways, for example. The news of their cabin crew’s decision to strike is causing endless disruption for thousands of passengers, which is being eagerly followed by every news channel and publication in the UK.

A cabin crew strike is inconvenient for passengers at the best of times, but a cabin crew strike at Christmas is a passenger nightmare and guarantees a media frenzy. In order to ride out the storm, British Airways need to be openly communicating with the press to ensure that all affected passengers are aware of what is going on, as well as trying to limit further damage to their reputation.

Good crisis management relies on a stream of open communication that is well planned, covering the facts of the situation and telling people what is going to be done to improve things, which when done well can save your company’s reputation, but when done badly can become a complete disaster.

Unfortunately, sometimes there is little that can be done to avoid a crisis, but if one should happen to your business, don’t add fuel to the fire – have a crisis management plan in place and be proactive about speaking to the relevant media. If you have no experience in crisis management, then seek advice from those who do…a crisis is no time for improvising.

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With the likes of facebook, twitter, IM and myspace becoming more and more popular, many people have started to keep in touch on a more regular basis – and many even keep regular contact with those they only previously contacted once a year with a Christmas card. With this being the case is there still any real need to send a Christmas card? With social networking people can get in touch with family and friends as often as they want, quickly, easily and more importantly, for free. 

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As we put up the office Christmas tree and organise our Secret Santa, it’s easy to think that we can relax our PR activity for a couple of weeks. All the journalists are on holiday now after all…

Think again!

While it’s true that the Christmas holidays are generally quieter than the rest of the year, deadlines still need to be met in the media World and magazine staff are still working hard at getting copy finalised for their January issues.

Take advantage of any quiet periods in your own business to step up your December PR and make sure that’s it’s your company that appears in the post-Christmas publications.

The fact of the matter is that regardless of the time of year it’s important to keep a steady stream of news flowing to help maintain your company’s profile in the press. In fact, with people being out of the office for the holidays, your PR material will have less to compete with potentially giving you far more press coverage than you may have expected.

The same goes for your social media – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Using press releases and PR coverage to create regular updates for networking sites is a great way to build awareness and boost your SEO, but if you slow down your PR you also slow down the flow of content into these sites, running the risk of slipping off the radar.

So if you want to look forward to a prosperous 2010, add PR to your Christmas list this year!

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