Going off script with journalists, in front of a live audience or on social media works just fine if, say, you’re a celebrity or politician (or both) who is expected to go off script and wing it, and you routinely benefit from making outrageous and provocative statements. How many senior executives, midlevel employees and new hires at brands fall into that category? One or two people, maybe, in the whole country. Everybody else needs media training in the workplace.
Topics
A Checklist to Help You Take Command of Your Media Training Sessions
April 19th, 2016 by Steve GoldsteinFacebook Instant Articles and the Changing Media Landscape
April 19th, 2016 by Mark RenfreeContinuing its efforts to keep users on its platform for as long as possible, Facebook has opened up its Instant Articles feature to all publishers. The mobile-centric program offers publishers the ability to post content that lives on Facebook, with promises of quick load times and advertising options from the company. In an era where organic reach is all but nonexistent, Facebook’s new hub of native media will offer brands an easy way to connect directly with the platform’s vast audience.
12 Essential Steps for Effective SEO
April 18th, 2016 by Steve GoldsteinGoogle’s search algorithm rewards websites that are focused on improving the user experience and that publish quality content, and punishes those sites that do neither. You know what kind of punishment this entails—your content will be buried under your competitors’ content in Google searches that use the keywords tied thematically to whatever product or service you sell. That’s the strategic side of SEO—here are some tactical tips.
5 Things Every Company Can Learn From the Panama Papers Scandal
April 18th, 2016 by Evan NiermanIt appears Mossack Fonseca simply did not have a proper crisis management plan in place—an inexcusable omission for a company that has been in operation for over 40 years and regularly handles billions of dollars in client assets.
While most organizations will never have to deal with media fallout of this global magnitude, there are certain lessons all companies should learn from the Panama Papers scandal
Org Chart: An Integrated PR Team Built to Thrive in a Complex Landscape
April 18th, 2016 by Seth ArensteinThere’s little doubt that successful communicators need to constantly adapt to myriad changes in content creation and distribution.
“The digital age has not made [being a communicator] simpler,” says Erin Streeter, SVP, communications, National Association of Manufacturers(NAM). “The talent and infrastructure needed to be successful is greater and more complex than ever,” she says. Her org chart illustrates this.
How PR Pros Can Shape a Brand’s Culture to Avert Looming Crises
April 18th, 2016 by Deborah Hileman, President/CEO, Institute for Crisis ManagementEvery day, another organization finds its way into the headlines embroiled in a once-preventable crisis that threatens its reputation, financial health, even its very survival. In this age of instant global communication, no organization is immune. Entire companies and their stakeholders can suffer from the consequences of poor decisions made by people at every level of the organization. Often, powerful cultural influences in an organization disguise the warning signs that can identify smoldering issues that spell disaster.
How Speakers Can Capture an Audience Fast and Craft an Unforgettable Ending
April 18th, 2016 by Justin Pettigrew, Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State UniversityIn my experience, it’s often helpful to save writing the opening of the speech for later in the process, rather than trying to start with some engaging anecdote or shocking fact and then trying to build your speech around your opening.
5 Hashtag Tips to Help You Promote Your Brand Without Stumbling Into Dreaded Inauthenticity
April 18th, 2016 by Seth ArensteinBrands and organizations from Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) to the member unions of the AFL-CIO last week hopped on one of the week’s trending hashtags #EqualPayDay, celebrating a holiday that brings attention to the disparity between the pay of men and women in some sectors.
To Compete in an Omni-Channel World, Adopt a New Mindset
April 15th, 2016 by Tom LindellOmni-channel marketing is no longer the buzzword du jour. It’s time to dispel the confusion over what it is and adapt to the new world it’s creating for public relations practitioners. Omni-channel is often confused with holistic or integrated marketing communications. It’s different. Forward-thinking clients and CMOs consider it the future and you should, too.
2 Rebranding Tips to Help Refresh Your Image
April 15th, 2016 by Mark RenfreeRebranding is never easy. What is really behind a rebranding effort is an attempt to uproot deeply held misconceptions about a brand; a mere facelift isn’t going to fix these communications problems. As many communicators know, perception can be a powerful force when it’s working against you.