Public relations | Words For Hire

Getting the Most Out of Learning Opportunities with #Workhacks

February 28, 2013 by Karen Swim

Raise your hand if you have ever had conference brain? After a conference you are brimming with ideas and have a long list of things that you want to try, implement or learn more about. I don’t know about you but I often come down from the conference high, and land back in the real world with deadlines to manage, campaigns to organize and clients to please. I may get to one or two things on the list but far too often that list become one more of my kids with no shoes.

Overwhelmed (Photo credit: Walt Stoneburner)

Last week I attended the first ever Solo PR Pro Summit. It was an amazing event with a great lineup of speakers. The information shared was too valuable to languish in the “land of knowledge never applied” so I decided to try a different approach.

Post conference I started my day off with the #workhacks idea presented by Sarah Evans. As someone who was a Six Sigma trainer I truly appreciate efficiency improvements that are repeatable and help you reproduce the same high quality results in less time. The idea of #workhacks is to get more done in less time by strategically automating tasks and centralizing workflow to one hub.

My first workhack was to set up an account with Tracky which would function as my centralized hub for projects, ideas and status updates. Tracky will take time to really use effectively but is one of those hacks that has immediate payoff.

I cannot possibly implement everything I learned at the summit so made a prioritized list of tips that I could begin hacking away at over the next several months. I used Tracky to set up tips as tracks with links to the accompanying presentations and other resources that will help me work my way through putting insight into action. I can track my progress, and break up larger tasks into milestones. I can also add people to each track. This allows me to add subcontractors, subject matter experts or accountability partners to each specific project.

By using a project management approach, I am treating myself like a client (thanks to Heather Whaling for the reminder on this one) with a commitment to work on and not just in my business. The bonus is that I also have a personal development plan for the year to keep me growing, learning and becoming an even greater resource for clients.

How about you, do you have workhacks that help you to be more productive?

Is Your PR Strategy Crazy?

March 10, 2011 by Karen Swim

Image by Picture Taker 2 via Flickr

There is an old adage that all publicity is good publicity and I vehemently disagree. Visibility at all costs is not only ineffective but can be dangerous to your brand.

The discipline of Public Relations (PR) seeks to communicate, and influence perception. It is not carried out in a silo, with haphazard strategies but harmonized with marketing, branding, sales and every other part of your business. The symphony of your efforts are ultimately judged by customers, for if they’re not paying to hear the music you have no reason to play. Visibility in and of itself is not the goal, but being visible, relevant and respected by the right people.

These days, I can understand why many would confuse visibility with sustainability. Losing it seems to be an effective media relations strategy. Become a train wreck and people show up to watch by the millions. Get arrested, drive drunk, flub the lyrics to the national anthem or just plain lose your grip on reality and you become a media star. In spite of the seemingly effortless publicity generated, I do not recommend ‘crazy’ as a PR strategy. However, if crazy is your brand and you want to be known as an unhinged bag of nuts who is the punchline of loser jokes, go for it. For everyone else there is a better way.

Outside of the realm of comedians and celebrities, your PR efforts should help you gain respect. You want to gain attention for what you know and offer; for being a leader in your space rather than an unfortunate break with reality. Visibility at all costs is not the best path to creating longevity in your market. Trust is an essential component of the sales cycle, but also of your staying power. People need to trust your brand and brand promise to purchase from you. Bad behavior may grab headlines but it does not translate into sustainable relationships with your customers. Further, eventually someone else will trump your bad behavior and you will become old news.

A far better approach is to build your brand with purpose. Be strategic and purposeful about who you are and how you present yourself to the market. Brand perception is in the eyes of your consumer but you can influence that perception for good or bad by what you do and say. Be visible for the value and solutions you offer to your market, and leave the meltdowns to those who are pros at entertaining.

Get Media Coverage and Build Your Brand

October 13, 2010 by Karen Swim

: Image via Wikipedia

This is a guest post by award winning and Emmy-nominated TV journalist Dwann Holmes Olsen. One short year after coming off the air to focus Media & Marketing for Non-Profits and SMBs, Dwann was named (1) of 30 Future Leaders of America by Ebony Magazine. With a long history of success, Dwann now helps ministries and business owners with marketing and media relations.

Years ago when I first started off in business on my own, it seemed like I was featured in the media all the time! Every where you looked, there was my head-shot with a different story.

Once the first article came out, I noticed something. More and more reporters started calling and with every new article, there seemed to be a new burst of energy from within and even on the outside.

No, the phones didn’t start ringing off the hook, but there was some clear indication that overall interest and website traffic spiked every time my company was featured in the media. Then next thing you know, one article led to another, to another …all without me having to spend a dime on lofty magazine ads, although I always made sure to have some sort of affordable media presence in my community so that by the time the articles and coverage started flowing, my brand was somewhat recognizable.

Then years later as I began to study what kind of stories seemed to draw the most attention, it was quite obvious.

HONORS & AWARDS!

Anytime you can win some sort of award, trust me, the buzz about your business will keep building.

For instance, when I was named one of Ebony Magazine’s TOP 30 FUTURE LEADERS of America, it seemed like everyone I knew was just as excited as I was. Not only did my local paper do a blurb on it but my hometown I grew up did one, so did my birth city. But that wasn’t it. My Pastor announced it from the pulpit, the Chancellor of the University I graduated from sent me a letter and the college paper announced it as well. It was like INSTANTLY, my credibility was being leveraged, in ways I never imagined. All because I had a goal of wanting to be featured and I had a magnificent producer who worked to make sure my “entry” packet was stellar.

So, today I want to encourage you to set your sights high and GO FOR IT!

No matter what industry you are a part of know that there is always some sort of award, honor or competition you can strive for that could potentially net you spectacular complimentary press from all kinds of media outlets. (TV, print, radio etc…) (Tip: Use AwardSync to find awards by topic, region, role and more)

Just follow these simple steps to get started.

Get Research: Take your time and find out about the prestigious local and national industry awards that you or your business may qualify to compete in.
Get connected: Do your best to join at least (1) local and (1) national industry specific trade organization that will help keep you in the loop regarding competitions
Get Busy: Once you’ve done the research and gotten connected it’s time to GET BUSY and start apply for competitions. Since there is normally a cost associated with the application I recommend doing this on a quarterly basis and budgeting a certain amount of your funds for competitions.
Get Coverage: Once you start winning or even placing in the TOP 5, it’s time to GET COVERAGE by creating and distributing professional press releases regarding your recent honors.

There’s NOTHING like being honored by a group of peers, especially those who are clearly at the top of their game in your industry.

Unfortunately, many solo-preneurs seem to forget or don’t seem to realize that good news surrounding winning a local, national or even international award is definitely worthy of announcing.

Meaning, it really is okay to brag on yourself when you are singled out for a stellar contribution. What’s even better is that the news media are the ones reporting on you, which in turn helps add a little bit of influence and integrity to your brand.

The great thing is that after you win, you are then able to create a press release that any local news outlet would want to highlight, especially if it looks like you’re a local SUPERSTAR right in the midst of your community.

That’s when you have to be prepared to Tell Your Story Like a Pro!

Is media a part of your marketing strategy? If not, why haven’t you leveraged this tool yet?

About Dwann Holmes Olsen

Dwann Holmes Olsen helps small to medium sized businesses, entrepreneurs and ministries with their media and marketing strategies through coaching, consulting and producing. You can learn more about her signature media coaching program for business owners at Tell Your Story Like a Pro .

Why Professionals Hate You

July 13, 2010 by Karen Swim

: Image by Colin Purrington via Flickr

Every industry has its own criteria for determining distinction. These criteria may include education, type and level of difficulty of work performed, and years in profession. Popularity does not necessarily gain you peer recognition and insider standards are vastly different than popular opinion. Industries create their own rules for admission and long held traditions and beliefs are slow to change. Traditions are received as snide arrogance by the “outside” group and factions occur among those who are in reality on the same side working for the same goal.

In my own career I have witnessed:

Orthopedists versus Chiropractors
MDs versus Alternative Practitioners
Sales versus Marketing
Bloggers versus Journalists
Graphic designers versus Web Designers
Writers versus “Real Writers” (these fractions may be self published vs published, print vs web, academia vs fiction)
Marketers versus online marketers

And this is only a partial list! Some lines are drawn based on false assumptions about the level of expertise and quality, and others appear arbitrary markers decided erected as a ritualistic rite of passage. Still others will blur over time as factions come to respect and adopt best practices from the other side, and/or innovation changes the game for everyone.

There are also lines that are drawn because of a passionate commitment to preserving high standards in your industry. There is no doubt that there is a difference between the trained and untrained. It is these differences that can lead to misinformation that casts a negative light on the entire profession. In this digital age, platforms are easy to gain and self-defined labels do little to illuminate true expertise.

The ease of entry definitely has its advantages such as an even playing field and the opportunity to break through barriers and create your own success. I personally applaud those advantages because they allowed me to create a business. But there are disadvantages of it being too easy. Training and experience can immunize you against the risks of certain tactics. Without knowledge of the professional code you risk conduct that diminishes the integrity of the profession and the experience of the end user.

Off-topic pitches, form letters with missing or wrong names, sales pitches as an intro and automated direct messages are all tactics that diminish the professional brand of those in marketing and PR.

Enthusiasm and change are good for any profession. By all means challenge traditions, and innovate the way things are done but do not sacrifice excellence in your pursuit to get the end result. Doing so can not only hinder what you are trying to achieve but bring on the wrath of those who could actually help you.

What are your experiences? Do you have your own criteria for determining “true professionals?”

Marketing Perspective Is Going To Have To Shift (webguild.org)
Defending the PR Profession: A Call to Action From the Collective Industry (prbreakfastclub.com)

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