April 2009

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Social Media and Your Online Newsroom

April 23, 2009 | No comments

I’ve said it before but the story below, from PR Week online, confirms that not only do media prefer to access information online from a central location, the are interested in how your organization represents itself on via social media platforms.

“Journalists want online newsrooms to provide links to every social media platform that corporations participate in, according to the 2009 TEKgroup Online Newsroom Survey.”

“Seventy percent of the nearly 1,200 journalists who responded to the survey said they want a page that provides these links. Nearly 60% believe that the online newsroom is a “central harbor” for all PR audiences, including media, IR, and government relations. Still, less than 15% of respondents go to Facebook, YouTube, or MySpace for company news. Thirty-eight percent of participants want to receive information via Twitter.”

We can serve your interests better by serving media well–providing information that is easy to find and access.

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What's in a tagline?

April 22, 2009 | No comments

As a new upstart–but NOT new to the PR industry–I’ve got to determine my OWN brand and identity. Let me tell you that–for me–it is much easier to help someone else do this than to do it for myself. I have ALWAYS had an appreciation for my clients who have worked hard–whittled away at “old” ineffective language–to determine who they are, what they do and how they want to say it.

For me, with Robin Tracy Public Relations, I’ve struggled to land on a tag line. Today I floated the following to a group of PR/advertising/marketing professionals I trust:

Robin Tracy Public Relations
Your brand, your message, your audience. Be known.

OR

Robin Tracy Public Relations
Your audience, your message, your brand. Be known.

I got some great guidance, thinking and suggestions. But the best came from my brother-in-law, Bryan Jameson, who is a gifted photographer and a genius broadcast producer at 22Squared, a full-service ad agency here in the Atlanta area.

Here’s what Bryan said, verbatim:


Why not just ‘Be Known.’? Your brand, your message, your product, your whatever is implied. I mean what else would a client want other than to “Be Known?” And, who would you want it Be Known to? The client’s audience, of course (whomever that is).

Be Known is sufficiently informative and succinctly delivered. Look at it this way: Just Do It-Get Nike shoes and run, exercise, whatever (you is implied). It would have sucked if their slogan was “Our shoes, Your feet, Great exercise. Now.” My two cents (worth about $2000 in today’s economy, though)

Bryan gave me a GREAT belly laugh! Not sure that this is what I’ll go with because so many other PR firms use exactly this, but his point is well taken. Simplicity works. Embrace it!
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More on the all important "Brand Story"

April 15, 2009 | No comments

MSN’s Business on Main website polled its audience to measure the percentage of folks who can tell their brand story in two minutes or less.

Only 40% of respondents indicated that they have equipped themselves to do this. A shocking 60% have not addressed this basic business concept.

Sadly, if business owners cannot effectively communicate information about their business–including the brand story–potential customers will never be able to recognize the value of the product or service being offered.

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What's your story?

April 15, 2009 | No comments

Many times, when I talk to folks about their need for public relations services, they are actually searching for publicity or media relations services–”Can you get me on Good Morning America?”

Public relations is so much more than publicity! It’s building a brand, an identity and a story that makes you interesting and relevant to your key audiences. Last month, Seth Godin, author and marketing guru blogged about the differences between PR and publicity, saying:

“Most PR firms do publicity, not PR.

“Publicity is the act of getting ink…(getting) media to pay attention, write you up, point to you, run a picture, make a commotion.

“PR is the strategic crafting of your story. It’s the focused examination of your interactions and tactics and products and pricing that, when combined, determine what and how people talk about you.

“A publicity firm will tell you stories of how they got a client ink. A PR firm will talk about storytelling…”

MSN’s Business on Main website offers a great video profile–featuring Daisy Fuentes, Tracy Dyer and Dyer’s line of luxury bath products called Claudia Tracy–that illustrates the need to identify and share your story as part of the branding process.

Fuentes and her team point to the importance of seeking outside assistance when needed. If you don’t yet know what your story is and/or how to share it, it may be time for you to enlist the help of a PR professional.

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I'm Back!

April 15, 2009 | No comments

Sometimes a break is what we need! A former employer of mine provided employees with month-long paid sabbaticals every five years. I always admired this perk. Being my own boss, I decided to offer this to myself. For me, though, two and a half weeks was sufficient.

The result? I’ve started work on a new project that I’m excited about. I’m finishing up some existing projects and I’m cultivating relationships with some promising new leads–all with a rested and refreshed mind, body and spirit.

I’m back, I’m eager and I’m ready to go.

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