Humans are psychologically wired to enjoy a good story. The best marketers and PR pros leverage the power of storytelling because it helps to build a deeper and stronger connection with an audience.
Whether you are crafting a story you hope will resonate with journalists or building a deeper connection with customers vis social media, storytelling is a must-have skill. We had seven PR pros answer three questions on this topic. Their advice is sure to spark some new ideas for your 2021 campaigns.
Storytelling Advice and Trends
Tracie Broom of Flock and Rally
#1 BEST ADVICE
Our key piece of storytelling advice is to... ⇢ read more
We just finished our group’s annual conference – this time in beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico. We were privileged to experience the island’s warm hospitality, the beautiful city of Old San Juan and outstanding food!
Among our opportunities to experience the culture that is uniquely Puerto Rico was a collaborative visit by a dozen of our members to the Museo de Art Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (Museum of Contemporary Art – MAC).
Truly, MAC is not what we might typically think of in terms of “museum.” Yes, they have an extensive collection of modern artistic expression by Puerto Rican artists along with... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc. and Power Hour Editing, and Editor/Founder of PRCG Powerlines
Some 9-5’ers would rather watch anything on TV but something about their career. Whether I’m an entrepreneur who doesn’t know what 9-5 means or a news junkie, I’m hooked on Apple TV’s latest headline, The Morning Show.
My journalist wiring pushes me to ask a lot of questions in a variety of settings. I’ve asked doctors if they think one of my faves, Grey’s Anatomy, is accurate in its representation of medicine. If I knew anyone who sold paper, I'd definitely ask if The Office's Dunder Mifflin... ⇢ read more
The drumbeat over the growing spate of “fake news” stories reached a crescendo last week when the 2017 AP Stylebook felt compelled to address proper journalistic style when referring to “the modern phenomenon of deliberate falsehoods or fiction masked as news circulating on the internet.” Ironically, “fake news” is far from new. The Onion and National Inquirer were peddling this cheap brand of journalism long before Al Gore ever invented the internet.
What is new is the impact “fake news” is having on the Fourth Estate; where trust in traditional news media is at an all-time low. A September 2016 Gallup... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc., and Editor/Founder of PRCG Powerlines
The 14th Annual PRConsultants Group is a wrap, and it was the 3rd time this international group of PR pro’s had “boots on the ground” in the Lone Star State (Texas). This year’s theme, “Passport to Creativity,” inspired the 50 members attending to consider new, innovative ways to add color and relevance to PR campaigns around the world.
Here are some of my favorite highlights:
Keynote speaker C.C. Chapman, author and marketer, presented “Finding Inspiration & Staying Relevant in Today’s Marketplace.” He had tons of tips, and some of... ⇢ read more
It’s time to vote! Perhaps you ran to the polls this morning to help the candidate you love become our next president. Or, maybe your vote just celebrates your right to do so and the end of a very long ad season. Either way, there’s no denying the Trump/Clinton race has been particularly intense. Dominated by unprecedented levels of mudslinging and scandals—the effect may last longer than Election Day.
A sky-high level of controversy is characteristic of this year's election. But, it begs a question about whether Trump and Clinton are that much more controversy worthy than candidates in the past. Could this level of... ⇢ read more
Generational Faux Pas
by Heidi Langer, Langer Marketing & Communications LLC
Nothing screams Baby Boomer more than a double space after a period. Really? Oops, just double spaced after the period! Hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Yes, I’m a Baby Boomer. Actually straddling the fence with Baby Boomers on one side and Generation X on the other. If I fell off the fence, I’d likely fall toward the Baby Boomers as I feel more like them in more ways than I care to share, especially when it comes to typing and spaces. I learned to type in my high... ⇢ read more
By Dawn Stranne, President, Dawn Stranne & Associates
Happy Snark Free Day! Today, our group of public relations professionals from every corner of America asks everyone to take some time to think about the power of words and to be snark free, just for a day.
Snark gone bad can cross over the ugly line into bullying at the office. For most of us, we probably experience or dish out a little snark at work now and then. But for those who have been bullied, snark is probably where the bully began the torture.
While Snark Free Day doesn’t address that level... ⇢ read more
By Felicia Knight, President, The Knight Canney Group
When PRConsultants Group, a national consortium of public relations and communications professionals launched the first annual Snark Free Day last year, the response from some quarters was predictable—even funny. Turns out, some people are just too damned cool to lose the snark, if only for 24 hours. It’s like asking Gordon Gekko to nuzzle a kitten.
The point of Snark Free Day is make people take a moment to think about the effect their words or deeds have on other people. The abundance of snark is especially evident in cyber-space, where speed and anonymity... ⇢ read more
Provided by Toni Antonetti, President PR Chicago and former President, PRConsultants Group
Don’t ruin your clever blog post with an attack of bad grammar. This infographic from Grammar Check provides a quick view of the 10 most common errors:
An infographic by GrammarCheck... ⇢ read more
By Marisa Vallbona, APR, Fellow PRSA, president of CIM Incorporated,
This blog post originally appeared in PRSAY, a blog published by the Public Relations Society of America.
Have you ever encountered a colleague or acquaintance you never thought was particularly bright and suddenly they’re churning out thought leadership pieces that position them as industry gurus? Ever wonder who flipped the switch in their brain to inspire them to produce those pieces that just don’t sound like anything they could say in person?
As social media continues to explode, so does the number of thought leaders and the number of posers, or those who... ⇢ read more
PRConsultants Group, a national collaborative of independent PR firms covering all 50 U.S. markets, broadcasts its news and insights.
