“What do you mean you don’t have a website?” It was a question I asked incredulously of someone for whom I was writing a magazine advertorial. The response: “I know,” she said, “Everyone always asks me why I don’t have one. I guess I just haven’t gotten around to doing it.” Besides, I was told, the client felt as if she had enough business already and didn’t need to bring in more. Now that’s a problem we should all have. It also probably wasn't necessarily true since she was paying for a print ad. I understand, as business people sometimes we get to the point where we become overwhelmed and don’t want to take on more work. But just as quickly as the work comes in it can dry up. Then what? Websites are today’s calling card. Regardless of whether someone is looking for an Italian restaurant, or a lawyer to handle their case, websites have become the go-to place to find what we are looking for. Most people believe that a good website has to cost thousands of dollars and take months to create, but that isn’t true. There are many platforms available today that make it cheaper and easier to create one. Another roadblock for many is content creation. Website content should not just be all about you and your business, it should be about getting those who come to your site to take the next step – to become a paying customer or client. Regardless of whether you decide to write your own content, or hire a professional content writer, there are some things that must be included: About me: People want to get to know the people with whom they are doing. Tell them about you, your company, how long you have been in business, why you do what you do and why you are good at it. It’s important that you are relatable, so that potential customers will feel as if they are hiring someone they can like and trust. If you’re a big company with many players, include bios of those on the front line. Include founders, managers, folks who come in touch with your customers. Services: Outline the services that you provide. For example, if you are a roofer, explain that you do repairs, installation of new roofs, specialize in a particular area (leaks?), etc. If you are a restaurant, include a menu that is readable and even downloadable. If you sell widgets, be specific about their size, shape, the colors they come in. You get the picture. The more specific you are, the better. Unless your target audience is specifically someone in your own field, avoid jargon. Use easy to understand language.
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After watching the recent Red Cross swim poster debacle unfold in traditional and social media I found it unfortunate that this 100-year-old organization failed in some ways on a public relations level. Although the agency was quick with a response and apology, it was lacking that human touch. Rather than put a face and a name to the mia culpa, the letter posted to its website and circulated to the media went unsigned. Most news headlines read: “American Red Cross” apologizes … In fact, it wasn’t until a few days after the news broke that Executive Director Gail McGovern, via a blog on The Huffington Post website, finally stepped up to the plate, apologizing and assuring everyone that they were doing everything possible to make sure it doesn’t happen again. What took her so long? The recent tragedy in Orlando that claimed the lives of at least 49 people (as of this writing) at a LGBT nightclub has sparked an outbreak of social media ranging from outrage to the outrageous. Everyone from the LGBT community to politicians to the average person on the street, has (for better or for worse) been able to voice an opinion. Some are designed to bring people together; others seem to do little more than try to further fan the flames and rip us apart. For companies and nonprofit organizations, the events of the past week also have served as an opportunity to step up to the plate and show support not only in words, but also in action. Walt Disney, Darden Restaurants and the Orlando Magic, which call Orlando home, have pledged financial support to help those impacted. Jet Blue began offering free flights to the families of shooting victims. Nonprofits also have offered their support with one sending “comfort dogs” from as far away as Chicago and Iowa. Even some Orlando area Chick-fil-A franchisees, whose company president and COO has been a vocal opponent of gay marriage, responded by opening on Sunday to hand out free sandwiches and iced tea to those waiting in line to donate blood. Though a Chick-fil-A company spokesperson has said the decision is being made by individual franchisees and it is not a company edict. My daughter loves to watch YouTube videos of young women talking about their “hauls” or in the language of us older folk – the things they recently bought at their favorite store(s). From the hottest shade of lipstick and nail polish to the newest fashion craze to what’s hot in music – she’s on top of it. In fact, these videos even inspired her to launch her own YouTube channel, which surprisingly has nearly 500 followers with one of her videos reaching 8,500 views! Not too bad for a 14-year-old. Back in the “old days” our purchases were influenced by friends, classmates, TV commercials, magazine ads, and even who was on our cereal boxes. But today social media influencers are pushing those traditional forms aside, at least that’s the conclusion of a new study conducted by Twitter and analytics firm Annalect. The study found that 40 percent of those people asked said they purchased an item online after having seen it used by a social media influencer on YouTube, Vine, Twitter or Instagram. It went on to find that 20 percent of respondents shared what influencers were promoting -- nothing like word-of-mouth to boost sales. Among other findings: You had a blast last night partying with friends, maybe you had one too many. Photos were taken and you’re about to post that hilarious one of you after you fell face first into that girl’s décolletage (look it up if you don’t know what it means). Before you hit the post button consider this: A new study finds that 60 percent of employers are using social networking sites to research job candidates. Ten years ago, just 11 percent of hiring managers said they were using social media to screen job candidates. CareerBuilder’s annual social media recruitment survey of 2,186 hiring managers and human resource professionals suggests that employers, and potential employers, are using Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels to “get a glimpse of candidates” beyond just their cover letter. For years now we have been warned to be careful about what we post to our social media pages. Young adults, in particular, are told not to post photos of themselves engaging in the kind of activities they wouldn’t want potential employers, or for that matter their parents, to see. Surprisingly, the study found that most hiring managers are not intentionally looking for negatives – in fact six in ten are just looking for information to support a candidate’s qualifications for the job. However, 21 percent did admit they were looking for reasons not to hire someone. But should you keep your profile private? Not necessarily. Two in five of those responding to the survey said they would be less likely to interview a job candidate if they couldn’t find information about them online – that’s up six percent since last year. Public relations is not just about getting your name, or the name of your organization, mentioned in the media. It goes far beyond that. As I explain to clients, public relations also has a lot to do with establishing yourself as a credible expert in your field. Reporters and bloggers are always looking for experts to quote in their stories. And, while those in your field may consider you to be an expert based on your knowledge and experience, getting others outside of your field to recognize your expertise may take a little more work. Using the following strategies can help you to build your reputation as an expert, which eventually will lead to increasing your media visibility. Blog: Writing a regular (notice I said regular) blog is a great way to share your knowledge. Many business owners tell me they don’t have the time to write a blog, which is often why they hire me. Others love to write, but don’t necessarily have the skill. If you love to write and can, then go for it. If you can’t, you can always be interviewed and have someone else write the blog for you. Or, you can take a crack at writing it and then have someone else edit it. Whatever you choose, just make sure you blog regularly. Regular blogs are not only great for search engine optimization (SEO) but can serve as a great starting point when trying to get the media to learn more about you and your expertise. As you reach out to media contacts you can send some of the links to your blogs and tell them that if they are ever writing about such-and-such to give you a call. Blogs can be posted on your own website, or you can guest blog for others. You can also share your blogs on your other social media channels. Live streaming video has really caught on. Thanks to technology, everyone from parents live streaming their children’s ballet recital to companies live streaming meetings and corporate events is getting in on the action. Anyone with a smart phone can do it. The problem is that many are simply not doing it well. Fear not! There are a number of steps you can take to make your next live streaming event a success. First, decide what platform you want to use. The field of options seems to be growing daily. There’s Twitter’s Periscope and Facebook Live, with rumors that Google has quietly been building a new live streaming app called YouTube Connect. Click on image to enlarge Take some time and do a little research to determine which one works best for you. Make sure you have a good signal, there’s nothing worse than starting to live stream, getting your viewers engaged and then … dead air. Make sure the camera you are using is of good quality. That’s not too hard today given that even smartphones have high definition cameras. Being hired to handle an organization’s public relations is like getting married. PR pros often court a client for some time before landing the deal. But once the client “puts a ring on it,” some PR pros find the honeymoon can be short lived. Just about every one of my public relations colleagues has a horror story (or two) they can tell about “the client from hell.” It’s difficult to turn down business, but sometimes it can be the best decision you ever make. I have done it and I am pretty sure I sleep better at night because I have. Rather than rush to the alter, it’s best to take steps to spot what could become a troublesome client ahead of time and take steps to mitigate any potential problems that might pop up. Get to know the early warning signs. Ask the potential client ahead of time about their expectations. Are they realistic? Do they expect you to be at their beck and call 24/7? Do they expect to have their story told on CNN in the first few weeks of your engagement? Also, it’s best to make it clear upfront what they should expect from your efforts. Never over promise. Most of my days are spent handling public relations and doing a lot of writing for my clients. It's not often I am afforded the opportunity to get my byline. However, the Miami Herald's Business Monday editor recently afforded me the opportunity to write a column that provides some advice to those seeking media coverage. Click here to read my tips. Someone asked me the other day how I managed to get so much done in one day. I have never really given it much thought until now. Everyone works at their own speed and what works for one person may not work for everyone. What works for me is to remain focused on my goals. Doing so gives me a sense of accomplishment. I think my deadline-oriented history as a journalist provided me with a solid training ground. Here are some of the tactics I use that might be helpful for you. Start the day early: I get up around 6 a.m. and plow through my emails and skim social media (it takes about 15 minutes) before getting ready for work. I have read articles that suggest this only serves to derail your day, but the hour between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. is my creative time because the kids are still in bed, so it works for me and helps me to organize my day. Get easy things out of the way: Once the kids are up and preparing themselves for school (thank goodness they are old enough now), I grab a cup of coffee and head to my home office to see what other items I can get out of the way. Perhaps I might look for something to post to LinkedIn or Twitter for a client, or maybe I will search for a blog idea that I can start writing about later in the day for another client. Whatever it is, I make sure it’s something quick and easy that can be accomplished in under 30 minutes. |
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October 2017
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Garton-Miller Media is a full-service, South Florida-based public relations firm. Founder Susan R. Miller has 30 years of experience as a writer, journalist and PR professional. Categories
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We are a results-oriented, Raleigh, North Carolina-based public relations and content marketing firm serving clients nationwide. We focus our practice on media relations, content creation and social media.
The material on this website may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used without the prior permission of susanrmillermedia.
We are a results-oriented, Raleigh, North Carolina-based public relations and content marketing firm serving clients nationwide. We focus our practice on media relations, content creation and social media.