Archive: July 2016

Writing—and the rules associated with it—is, without a doubt, one of the most-argued-about tasks for any public relations professional. Between obeying basic grammar expectations, observing the rules of AP style and adapting it all for individual client preferences, writing press releases and other material can be a bit confusing. Some rules should always be followed. Here are a few that can (and often, should) be broken.

Securing that coveted top ranking in search results requires equal parts art and science. Search companies are constantly changing and updating their algorithms, and recently they’ve been favoring quality content over quantity of content and keyword stuffing. To rank well your content has to first be good, and then be optimized.

Beleaguered, embattled PR pros have been trying hard to keep up with all the updates from Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube and more, but it may be time to monitor another blip on the radar: Tumblr. On July 26, the microblogging/social networking platform announced it would introduce ads “so that later this year people can start making money from their blogs.”

Navigating the various social media platforms can be a little like traveling the globe. Each network has its own individual customs, languages and culture. If you want to thrive in such strange and often disparate arenas, you’re going to have to approach each social space on its own terms. Just as every traveler needs a pocket dictionary to help fumble through choppy conversations in a foreign tongue, myclever Agency created an infographic that should serve as a helpful reference for communicators who navigate the wide world of posting on social media.

In a situation where the reader automatically deletes messages from unknown senders, then nothing will help you get read. In other scenarios, well-crafted subject lines are crucial to get readers to at least open your message. At that point “the key,” says Sheri Johnson, president of Morningstar Communications, “lies in creating personalized, relevant content delivered at the right time to fit your prospects’ needs.”

As communications professionals, we must make sure the connection between PR and the customer service department is solid, guaranteeing that when the rare but potentially inflammatory incident occurs, all possible reputational ramifications are addressed.

Ten years ago, Yahoo and AOL were cutthroat competitors for search engine and web portal dominance. Today, however, Yahoo’s unexpected PR savior in the post-sale fallout has been AOL’s CEO Tim Armstrong, who, having recently sold his own company to Verizon, has taken the opportunity to spin the Verizon acquisition as a merger of two user bases and an opportunity for digital advertising sales, refuting the media’s portrayal of Verizon’s opportunistic seizing of a sinking ship.

Although DNC officials are bound by the rules of their own party to remain neutral in the primary contests, the leaked emails show some of them discussing how to undermine the campaign of Bernie Sanders in favor of Hillary Clinton. Among the more objectionable content were suggestions to question his religious beliefs and raise questions about whether he is an atheist.

Say What? Item 1: Who knew? The fact that you’re not sure whether you are loyal to Lady or the Trump influences how much Starbucks’ coffee you drink. It’s true. Starbucks got creative July 21 in explaining a sales-target miss, its third consecutive whiff. Starbucks’s officials said the quarter was an “anomaly,” owing to terror concerns around the world (sadly relevant), civil unrest (ditto) and political uncertainty in the U.S. (see, I told you—a presidential election reduces the American penchant for caffeinated libations).

Kmart employees believe the company is approaching bankruptcy and closing all its locations, despite comments indicating the opposite from its parent, Sears Holdings, Business Insider reported on July 23. After speaking to employees and reviewing an online message board that workers use to communicate with each other, Business Insider found that the recent implementation of “path to profitability” plans left many store-level employees fearing the worst.