As the daily question of whether to bring folks back into office is a real deal for employers…and employees continue to enjoy dressing “business on top and party on the bottom,” it looks like video conferences will be in play for some time.
So whether you are in a standing weekly meeting with the boss, a new business pitch, or in a television interview, here are some reminders on things to focus on before you get in front of that computer camera.
(I actually sent this email to a client this week.)
We were fortunate enough to garner two stories around our lack... ⇢ read more
(Excerpted from original post on February 20, 2018 on CuriousAndClever.com, a website founded by Julie Dennehy and Toni Antonetti)
Each year at our annual meeting we present our favorite tech tools to our colleagues at PRConsultants Group, a consortium of senior PR professionals who represent the top U.S. media markets. They're a very discerning audience, so we know that the apps we recommend need to be easy to use, practical and attractively priced. This year, it was all about tools that help us collaborate with co-workers and clients, and connect with the media and the world.
Our picks for 2018:
Slack: Every team... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, Founder/Editor of PRCG Powerlines and Founder/President of Write Ideas, Inc. and Power Hour Editing
It was time to “plug into PRCG” with business development and community service in Tempe, Arizona, for PRConsultants Group’s 15th Annual Conference. Some 42 members attended, representing 40 markets, for education, networking, and strategizing how to capitalize on public relations opportunities in 2018.
The State of the Network revealed a robust combination of ongoing development, growth potential, and an unprecedented amount of intra-group collaboration. Next, members enjoyed a hands-on “Embracing Your Creativity” workshop with Many-to-One’s Dennis Skinner. This 17-year creativity veteran outlined the barriers... ⇢ read more
I love being a public relations consultant for the past few decades, and have enjoyed representing New England's largest and longest-running Renaissance Faire for the past five. Running your own PR firm can be fascinating, and we are required to keep all the “balls in the air” at all times. Just like a good juggler at the Faire, I’ve uncovered eight life lessons gleaned from observing master performers, including my favorite: the “grand finale” is a simple compilation of many smaller achievements.
Whether you are striking out pitching a story or creating a clever idea, or just need extra motivation for a personal goal, here are tips... ⇢ read more
According to a recent survey, more than 50 percent of journalists visit online newsroom sections of organizations’ websites at least once a week.
What are they looking to find in the online newsroom? More than news releases. The online newsroom should serve as an organization’s online filing cabinet with news releases, company information and digital assets readily available, including:
news releases;
visual assets like photographs (including key leaders’ headshots in print-quality resolutions) and video;
succinct information about products and services;
biographies of key executives;
media contacts, including cell phone numbers;
financial statements.
Smart PR professionals are now thinking about online newsrooms as... ⇢ read more
My wife, a human resources executive, recently attended a half-day professional development program and was so stunned by the behavior of the other participants that she was nearly (not quite totally) speechless when I asked her about how it went.
“The program content was fine,” she said. “But I couldn’t believe the other ‘so-called professionals’ – they were anything but… Instead of using the time to learn, network and develop relationships with other HR professionals, virtually all of the other participants at my table had, and kept, their faces and their attention buried in their smart phones the entire time.”
Prior to... ⇢ read more
By Jennifer Evans, Principal of The CKP Group in Houston, Texas.
My spouse and I work in different environments. He leads a technical team in the oil and gas industry. I spend my time at The CKP Group building robust communications efforts for clients. Still, we frequently “talk shop” and share best practices. There are two things we both detest: rudderless meetings and ineffective or missing measurement.
Meetings that matter
Meetings should be meaningful and strategic. Most meeting appointments originate from either an information gap or a problem that needs to be solved. Face time is key to relationship management whether it comes... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc., and Editor/Founder of PRCG Powerlines
When you put a group of premier public relations experts in a room for three days, you never know what magic will happen. And this year's conference was no exception. Our theme, "Turn it Up," had multiple applications, including a colorful conversation of best/first concerts, and action-packed sessions on branding, social media, PR strategy, and lots more. The theme, how do we work together to "Turn it Up" for our clients, our individual firms, and most importantly, the incredible collective experience of PRConsultants Group, was prevalent throughout the... ⇢ read more
Whether you tweet, Facebook post, Instagram, Snapchat or shoot Vine videos for yourself or a client, every social media moment matters. Just as the goal of any actor is to be able to tell a story through a character, your brand needs warmth and personification to really resonate and engage.
Not all brands are wild and wacky, but there are plenty of examples of conservative brands who exploded on social in 2015 once they found their “voice”. Check out the Twitter feeds of @oldspice, @tacobell, @MyCascade, @lushcosmetics, @jetblue, @PopChips, @Intel and the SM conference favorite, @Oreo (check out #OreoHorrorStories). It’s okay... ⇢ 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 Amy Kossoff Smith, Write Ideas, Inc., and Founder/Editor PRCG Powerlines
Boots and lots of brainstorming were on the ground in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, this year for the PRConsultants Group Annual Conference. More than 40 of the network’s markets attended for professional development, networking, and of course, some great Tex-Mex food. Themed, “Not the same old bull,” there was a healthy dose of humor and Southwestern fun as we held our annual crash course in PR education together.
Here are highlights from this year’s conference:
Day One, after a team brainstorm (get ready to be wowed in 2015 by some new... ⇢ read more
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