Author: Montrie Rucker Adams

September: Ethics Awareness Month
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Most people don’t understand exactly what a public relations professional does. It’s all across the board with “getting people in the media,” “writing press releases,” “cleaning up messes,” and other marketing type responsibilities.

However, what is required of a public relations practitioner is to honor the Code of Ethics.  What does it mean? It means we advocate for our client, we’re honest, are experts in our field, we’re fair, loyal and are accountable for our actions.

The following from the Public Relations Society of Awareness’ site, further desribes the public relations professional:

ADVOCACY

We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate.

HONESTY

We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.

EXPERTISE

We acquire and responsibly use specialized knowledge and experience. We advance the profession through continued professional development, research, and education. We build mutual understanding, credibility, and relationships among a wide array of institutions and audiences.

INDEPENDENCE

We provide objective counsel to those we represent. We are accountable for our actions.

LOYALTY

We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the public interest.

FAIRNESS

We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media, and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression.

When you’re looking for someone, or are working with a public relations professional, make sure s/he adheres to their professional code of ethics.

Brand Journalism: Do You Have the Skills? Part Four
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To move your company toward brand journalism, you have to be a reporter and a good writer. If you are not, find someone in your company who is, or hire a company like Visibility Marketing Inc., to do the work for you.

Remember, you must change the way you gather information. Cranking out press releases does not work. You have to tell a good story and get great quotes.

For more on the required skills to convert your communications department, click here to hear Mark Ragan and Jim Ylisela speak more on the topic.

Sometimes… You Just Need a Little Help
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Being in business for 13 years, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many people who have started businesses. What I found is there are many who have great products and services, but lack the “know-how” to get their business to the right level.

No one can do it all. Businesses are multi-tiered. Not only are there functions that include accounting, marketing, human resources, sales, etc., there are also functions/responsibilities within those areas.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are creative professionals who can assist you with ways to help your business succeed. The following is a short list in the area of public relations and marketing communications.

  • Public Relations Professional – The Public Relations Society of America defines public relations as “A strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” The public relations practitioner can help with identifying your target market (demographics), strategy, social media, developing “stories,” special events (product launches), and media relations.
  • Marketing Consultant – The marketing consultant can assist you with developing your sales and marketing strategies, pricing, product placement, lead generation, branding, Internet and SEO, developing print and online marketing campaigns.
  • Professional Copywriter – We can all have great ideas, but describing those ideas, services and products in a way that persuades potential customers can be daunting. Copywriters write content for websites, marketing and sales materials, brochures and direct mail. They also assist in advertising by writing taglines, jingles and ad copy. Copywriters can be independent or employed by ad agencies, public relations and marketing firms.
  • Event Planner – Planning a professional event is not the same as throwing a birthday party, although there are similar elements. The logistics include identifying the purpose, theme, audience, venue, program/activities, time and dates.
  • Graphic Designer – It never gets old because it’s true: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” A creative graphic designer is the bedrock of publications. Yes, the copywriter helps with words, but the graphic designer determines the look, feel , tone and personality of any printed piece.
  • Photographer – Not everyone with a camera can take relevant photos. The trained photographer understands positioning, lighting, moods, rhythm and purpose so that the image “speaks” without words.

Business owners may be the best at what they do, however no one is the best at everything. In business, it’s best not to be the jack-of-all-trades but the “master of one” great skill. Using professionals who are the best at what they do can help your business make a big impact.

MeetUp With Others to Help Your Business
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Thinking back to my teen years, the best times were when I’d get on my bike, or car after learning to drive, and meet with friends. That same concept is useful in helping to grow businesses.

MeetUp.com is the world’s largest network of local groups. It’s where anyone can organize a group or attend others in their communities geared toward many topics. As stated on their website, “MeetUp’s mission is to revitalize the local community and help people around the world self-organize. MeetUp believes that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference.”

If you are looking to start or expand your business, using MeetUp to research your demographics can be a way to gather information. Are you thinking about relocating your business to another city? Attend a MeetUp in that city. This could make moving a bit easier. Is a new product launch in the plans? Use MeetUp to create a focus group to discuss your new product, gain feedback, and much more.

It’s not just the community MeetUps that are proving beneficial. People are forging friendships across the country. It is a great way to meet and fellowship with new people with similar interests.

Check it out. Who knows, we just might meet up!

Brand Journalism: What’s Next? Part Three
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I once worked at one of Ohio’s largest newspapers. Though I was on the advertising side (at our paper, the advertising and journalism departments did not mix), I still understood the journalists and how they thought.

When moving your company toward brand journalism, you have to build a newsroom mentality among your employees. You have to write differently and perform differently in order to create a news website.

Mark Ragan and Jim Ylisela talk about how traditional media has changed. However, brand journalism is really going back to the “old school” newspaper model.

Click here to hear more.

Host Your Own Show! Guess What? You Don’t Even Need a TV
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With today’s online technology, you don’t need a television to produce a show. Many people have started their own talk shows, reality shows, sports shows, and even online radio programs, by using several free online resources. Five are listed here:

  • Youtube.com
  • Google Hangout
  • UStream
  • LiveStream
  • Spreecast

All of these platforms offer ways to broadcast your online show to millions around the world. They are open and online 24/7.

Why stop at a talk show? You can create your own commercials and sell advertising. All of these platforms allow you to share what you’ve produced on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and any other social media platform. If you provide great content, then people will share it for you.

Last December, I had the opportunity to appear as a guest on Audrey Wiggins’ “Make Something Happen TV.” The topic was, Do You Need to “Be More Visible? On the show, I commented on the importance of good public relations. I also shared personal reflections on my love of fitness and competitions. Take a look. Maybe it might inspire you to start your own show!

Brand Journalism: Convince Them! Part Two
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A few blogs ago, we introduced you to the concept of Brand Journalism, which is creating a news site around your brand.

Luckily Mark Ragan of Ragan Communications and Jim Ylisela Managing Partner of Ragan Consulting, have taken the time to create informative videos around this new way to communicate to your audiences. As mentioned in Part One, brand journalism is important because its news that you create. No more sending out press releases. Now you are the press.

Now that you have decided to make the case for Brand Journalism, how are you going to convince those that make the final decision?

First create the business case for it and figure out how you will answer the question:  Why do we need it?

Click here to find out more about how Ragan Communications and Ragan Consulting helped a health company embrace brand journalism.

 

Be More Visible – Join Patch.com
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We’re always sharing ways for you to “be more visible.” In our booklet, Be More Visible! Create More Interest in You, Your Product or Service we shared 60 ways to get attention for you, your product or service. Of course, there are much more than 60. Here’s another way: Patch.com.

What is Patch.com? Well, as they describe it… it’s “an innovative way to find out about, and participate in, what’s going on near you.”

As a business owner, Patch.com offers a way for you to add a free business listing. Are you conducting a seminar or webinar? You can add it to Patch.com’s free calendar. Do you like to write? Join Patch.com and become one of their many bloggers, or review writers.

If you are looking for potential customers, read your local Patch.com. You may discover an entirely new demographic of potential customers that you may not have known existed. Now you know how to reach them, and possibly other “hard to reach” potential customers… through Patch.com.

What better way to, “be more visible” than in your community and on its the Patch.com portal?

Check it out – http://patch.com. Select your State, then your city. And…if you start your own blog – I’d love to read it.

What Your Home Page Says About You
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Your website may be one of the most important tools in your business’ marketing arsenal. When a potential client reaches your site, the home page is the first point of contact. What does it say about you? And…what does it say about how you can help them? That’s the reason they were looking for you, right?

If you want to make their job easy, then limit the keystrokes and clicks to locate information. There should be an area that describes you, and the services you provide. There should also be an area where visitors can see how you can help them. It’s all about how you write the content.

Sit back and put yourself in your visitor’s shoes. If you were going to hire you and you came to your website – what are the key things you would look for? There are three I’d like to offer:

  1. Well placed contact information is a must. Most people who come to your site may already know about you, but the first thing they want to know is where you are. People need to see immediately how to reach you. Having the contact page is great, but people on the move – using smart phones and tablets, want to see something on the home page…if not on every page. Try placing your contact information into a header or footer area. These locations are on every page.
  2. Next, they want to see your services. Adding your most popular services on the home page gives them the information to target right away without having to click to find it. Having a “read more” link attached will push them to see the full scope of services you have to offer.
  3.  How can you help me? Having a well placed area for the kudos and “shout-outs” of how you helped others is another attention grabber. Using a snippet of a testimonial, the client’s name and their business name will also grab attention. The “read more” will take them to see how you helped others and will show them how you can help them.

You can dress up your website’s home page in these few ways. It may get the attention from your visitors and eventually that telephone call for your next meeting.
So, take a look at your home page… see how these simple changes will cause people to “read more.”

After you do, please tell me what happened.