Stories by Sophie Maerowitz

Type any word into Google followed by the word “video” and you’ll see a number of YouTube links load at the top of your browser. That’s because YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine next to parent company Google. And as such, it’s a crucial tool for communicators to leverage in their search engine optimization efforts, says Nati Katz, director of global agency Burson-Marsteller’s technology practice.

Corporate responsibility leadership or PR spin? That’s a question the media has been pondering regarding Starbucks’ trainings to combat racial bias in its employees. The coffeeshop giant is shuttering all of its stores across the U.S. for four hours the afternoon of May 29.

At PR News’ Social Media Awards Luncheon in New York, keynote speaker Jennifer Dulski, Facebook’s head of groups and community, hinted at a major announcement coming that afternoon from her division. Minutes later, the company announced via its blog four new features aimed at supporting communicators who manage Facebook Groups.

With the GDPR looming, it’ll soon become clear which organizations have prepared for Europe’s legal framework for the collection and processing of personal data and which companies are struggling to comply by the May 25 deadline.

The regulations stipulate that data breaches must be reported to European regulators—and to customers—within 72 hours, which makes it essential for organizations to plan ahead for the inevitable data breaches that are happening with increasing frequency.

Three new Facebook Stories features are being tested in India, but are due to roll out in the U.S. soon. These updates could be useful enough for professional communicators to warrant making Stories a new priority in their Facebook strategy.

Communicators shouldn’t underestimate the power of one-on-one customer support on Twitter to win praise for your brand. Delta Air Lines is a proven leader in the Twitter customer support space, so to aid brand communicators seeking to upgrade their one-on-one customer service, iSocialFanz CEO Brian Fanzo and PR News took a look at five of Delta’s white-glove customer support tactics.

For the first time in its 15 years of operation, Facebook has announced a major overhaul of its corporate structure, shifting leadership of several areas to form three new divisions. Here’s a breakdown of each new division’s primary function and leadership, and their potential implications for professional communicators.

At its annual F8 Facebook Developers Conference, Facebook announced a number of new features and products, including Instagram group video, more privacy and anti-bullying precautions, language translation for Messenger and—perhaps most buzzed-about—a new online dating service. We asked seven social media experts to give us their impressions of what’s coming next from Facebook.

Most organizations are short on time, money and headcount when it comes to social media. So, when juggling multiple handles, channels and campaigns, it’s paramount that communicators manage their resources effectively and efficiently. Here are three time-saving tips for those working on social media solo.

Promoting an event in 2018 is a tough gig, especially at this time of year. Summer vacations are around the corner and it’s hard to compete with Coachella or a night of binge-watching “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Luckily, there are some tactics that will grab your potential attendees’ attention and help ensure they show up on the big day. Here are four tips for upping RSVPs for your next event.