Event PR: the Original Mobile Marketing by Andrea Nourse

Heather Sliwinski 2 Comments

Mobile marketing can mean one of two things. The most recognized meaning today involves smart phones and mobile Internet. The other, more traditional, kind involves hitting the road and bringing a brand or product to the masses. Although the two can, and often do, go hand-in-hand, mobile event marketing presents its own challenges and advantages.

MMA Creative, the agency I work for, represents one of the largest food organizations in the world, and this weekend we kick off two separate tours to promote the nonprofit society. Aside from the hours of logistics that go into these tours, there is also time spent on pre-event PR and marketing through social media that lead up to each of the 20 to 25 stops each tour makes. That adds up to many Tweets.

Being a smaller business, our agency creates everything internally, from press releases and social media to logos, collateral and even truck wraps. Planning for 2011 started long before our 2010 tours ended. As the sole PR practitioner in the agency, I help create and execute this plan.

The PR Plan

For each tour, we create a national press release to announce the tour along with local releases and media advisories for each stop. For our primary tour, we have seven primary sponsors and two secondary sponsors. Two of our primary sponsors also have their own special programming, which includes additional stops and contests. Additionally, a separate partner has its own mobile marketing program. This program creates another layer in the plan, as we target the additional local markets and create a national release to announce the new programs. So on any given week, there are between one and five events going on (two tours and three partner programs), and I am responsible for making sure the local media are out in full effect.

Social Media

The part of mobile marketing that I enjoy the most is using social media—reaching out to and engaging the enthusiasts that make the societies we represent so huge. Even when we are not hosting an event or on the road promoting the client, I am always working hard to ensure that the conversation around our clients and partners continues. Social media is a crucial tool in the success of this effort. Where else can you directly and personally reach out to such a large and diverse audience?

This plan is only a small piece of what goes into producing and managing a mobile marketing tour, but it is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. Our clients and partners invest significant amounts of money into these programs, and our agency must deliver the results they expect. One thing I love about mobile marketing tours is the quick results. Whether it is from handing out samples to event attendees, engaging them in social media conversations or having our tour team interviewed by the local network affiliate, we get real, tangible results that increase awareness for our clients.

Andrea NourseOriginally from Kansas City, Mo., Andrea Nourse moved to Nashville, Tenn., in 2005 to pursue a career in songwriting. Then, in 2006, she enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University, where she studied public relations, marketing and political science. While in college, Nourse worked full-time as the assistant manager for Jos. A. Bank, interned with U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon and, after graduating in May 2010, joined his staff as a field representative and communications assistant. Nourse currently works as a content specialist for MMA Creative, a full-service marketing and advertising agency with offices in Cookeville and Nashville, Tenn., and serves as an At-Large Member of the PRSA New Professionals Section Executive Committee.

Creating a Blog Strategy that Works: 10 Tips for Company Bloggers and Teams by Crystal Olig

Heather Sliwinski 5 Comments

Blogging can be frightening because no matter the size of your organization, not everyone believes they are a writer. The allure of a brand-spanking new blog tarnishes quickly when everyone realizes you have to feed the beast.

As PR pros, we mobilize a company’s internal experts and find a way to help them turn their knowledge into dynamic and compelling content. Whether we write it, ghostwrite it or edit it, thoughtful preparation and tools go a long way. Here is a quick guide to creating a long-term strategy that works.

1.       Editorial strategy & calendar

Blog platforms today, from WordPress and Blogger to Tumblr and Posterous, are intuitive to use, and you can be up and blogging in a day. However, that day should include at least a basic outline of content areas of focus with a frequency goal – once a day, a few times a week or once a week, at minimum. Even better is a strategic plan based around a few key information architecture elements.

Combine your content plan into strategic groups. A tool like MindMeister is great for team brainstorms and collaboratively creating a plan with your team. Within each of your topical areas, pick out a few descriptive words or phrases. Your groups can become blog categories, and the rest are viable tags.

Lastly, a deadline calendar that you gently enforce, or even better, incentivize your staff with, helps everyone know what they are expected to do and when.

2.       Be a great curator

While brainstorming is great, sometimes you just do not have it in you to start completely from scratch. I remind my clients that they are constantly consuming great content and forming an opinion. Applying an expert eye to e-mail newsletters, tweets from colleagues and magazine articles, a good blogger just picks the most on-trend, compelling or controversial info. Flip it around, add your own spin and you have a new post. The ability to curate content and choose the most compelling to share and open for commentary is a cultivated blogging skill.

3.       Content isn’t just words

Pay attention to your blogging team members’ strengths. The most persuasive and prepared salesperson can turn to jelly at the thought of putting pen to paper. Find a way to capture that person’s voice through rich media. Put a flip cam in the table in the breakroom and ask the salesperson some questions – “What is the most common question you get asked?” or “What questions do you wish our customers asked you?” can generate fascinating “vlogs.” Even a quick audio recording using a microphone or headset can do the trick.

4.       Mobilize a team

Unless you are a sole practitioner or an executive blogging for the sake of your own reputation, payday or thought leadership, chances are writing for the company blog is not your only job. Find a team who can help you, and get buy-in from the top to support everyone’s involvement. A monologue is rarely as compelling as a conversation or symphony of voices and perspectives.

5.       Do what you do

When you create your team, do not limit it to your peers in communications. A favorite client of mine mobilized his school’s whole staff to post on their education blog. Everyone can bring a unique perspective.  Some of the most popular posts are photo-driven, created by the school’s facilities and maintenance manager showing events across campus. If your goal is to highlight the rich talent at your organization, allowing them to talk about their passions in relation to your industry and individual roles is a great starting point.

6.       Come packing

Rich blogs full of photography, infographics, videos and graphics do not just happen. Arm yourself with the gadgets you need to capture the moment when inspiration strikes. A flip cam, digital camera and smart phone are all helpful and affordable.

You do not have to be an expert to produce blog content.  If the content is thoughtful and compelling, it counts. If you have access to a design team or some skills of your own, enrich your verbiage with imagery.

7.       Make it recognizable

Not just any old blog will do. It is getting easier every day to create customized and branded blogging platforms. If you know enough about the web or HTML to be dangerous, you can tweak colors, add logos and imagery templates and designs. Template libraries like Themeforest can help you on your way.

8.       Simplicity & SEO

One of the most common questions I hear from my interactive marketing clients is how to keep a corporate website interesting and the content timely. Often times, competing priorities of an organization or the complexity of your corporate site technology prevent communicators from changing it up. A blog can be simpler to use and involve fewer hoops to jump. Google sees the recency of content and gives value to fresh stuff. Blogs today typically have all kinds of built-in SEO-friendly features like the ability to manipulate title tags, URL structures and heading tags.

9.       Make it sharable

In a social world, the best stuff gets shared. Plug-ins and widgets like Topsy, Share This or AddThis, paired with other direct interaction opportunities like Facebook or Linked In “Like” buttons, make it easy to pass along great ideas or stories.

10.   Create a voice

While communicators today often advocate for a clearly articulated brand voice, not everyone in the C-suite sees value in talking to your customers in a casual, non-journalistic or even friendly tone on your corporate site. A blog by nature is often more conversational and meant to elicit commentary and discussion. Writing about issues and trends affecting your industry, great corporate social responsibility initiatives or community action can often allow for more freedom – and more fun for those who are blogging.

Crystal OligCrystal Olig is an online content and digital marketing professional at Oxiem, an interactive marketing agency in Columbus, Ohio. She serves as the New Professionals Section Mentorship Liaison and is on the University Liaison committee locally, working with future PR pros through the Central Ohio PRSA chapter.

Intro to Small Business PR

Diahnn Henderson Leave a comment

In 2009, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy estimated that there were 29.6 million small businesses in the United States. Not only do they represent 99 percent of employer firms, they also employ over half the U.S. private sector workforce. Small businesses are a growing force even as we recover from the recession. With those numbers, it is no wonder that the small business industry can provide great opportunities for new PR professionals.

So what is a small business anyway? And why I would I want to work for one?

In general terms, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) defines a small business as an independent business that has fewer than 500 employees.  For new professionals or those transitioning to the small business PR industry, small business can be exciting path to expand your knowledge base of the PR function. Within a small business, you have the flexibility and ability to work on a variety of projects. There is greater access to key personnel, clients and decision-makers, which can ultimately allow you to shine and show your best. Overall, a small business is a great place to learn the intricacies of a business and its operations that would otherwise take years to learn in a large company.

Small Business PR sounds interesting. What is a typical day like in this field?

A typical day for a small business PR practitioner is the same as that of a large company.  Activities can include client meetings, monitoring local and national media, making calls to clients and journalists, writing press releases, brainstorming or doing research. No two days are ever alike; there are always circumstances that can change the course of the day. Your activities and focus can vary from client to client. You could be consulting on PR strategies, creating communication plans, managing promotional events or just generating WOM (Word of Mouth) for a client.

Are there any special skills I need to be a small business PR practitioner?

Developing relationships, listening and having the ability to write and communicate effectively are key skills of a small business PR professional. These skills can carry a lot of weight when dealing with stakeholders and managing day-to-day activities. Establishing and managing positive relationships can take you far in and out of business. As a matter of fact, fostering relationships outside of business can actually lead to new business, so it is always wise to be courteous and respectful regardless of where you are because you never know who you will be working with on a project.

Ok, no profession is perfect. Are there any challenges I can expect?

Working in the small business industry is exciting, but there are some challenges that you may face in your new career as a professional in this field. Many of these challenges have to do with misconceptions of PR.  The main misconception is that PR is expensive and out of reach for a small business. Yes, small businesses may have difficulty competing with larger business when it comes to expensive marketing and advertising campaigns, but a carefully planned public relations campaign can level the playing field since both entities use the same principles of PR. Convincing your client to spend money on a project may entail you investing time and your creative resources to show the benefits of public relations. If you can meander through this roadblock working with small businesses can be an exciting adventure allowing for creativity and “out of the box” thinking. 

As a result of limited resources, another challenge new PR professionals face in small businesses is a lack of mentorship.  Having less than 500 employees, a small business may only have room for one PR specialist.  Being the lone PR specialist on a company’s team as a new professional can be overwhelming without a seasoned mentor to show you the ropes.  However, most businesses will reward initiative and a can-do attitude.  What you lack in experience, you can make up for in enthusiasm and the willingness to learn and try new tactics.  Use your contacts in the PRSA or your professional network to ask for help, and take advantage of the resources the association provides, like seminars and industry-specific section membership.

What kind of non-PR coursework/skills/interests could be helpful?

 There are three areas a new PR pro should consider when they move forward in their careers, regardless of which industry they choose–including small business PR. They are:

  1. Know the business – General knowledge of how your client’s business operates will be useful. Spend some time researching your client and its industry. This will help you in targeting specific audiences within their industry.
  2. Learn technology – Since the world is becoming more technology-focused and technology businesses are increasing significantly, taking a few courses in Information Technology could prove to be very valuable when you are establishing an online presence for your client.
  3. Problem Solving Skills– These skills will prove to be beneficial as you tackle the unexpected details that come your way. 

Small business PR can offer you an opportunity to be flexible and creative if you are willing to put in the effort. So roll up your sleeves and jump in.  We would love to welcome you to the industry.

Diahnn Henderson is the owner of Collaborative Communications, a communications and PR boutique firm, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.   

Intro to Sports PR: Professional Sports Not the Only Game in Town

Diahnn Henderson 1 Comment

When you think of the Sports PR industry, do you think of professional sports teams, red carpet events, and flashing bulbs from cameras? Maybe you think of representing high profile athletes.  While this may represent one segment of Sports PR, there are other opportunities within the industry that are equally as valuable. Our New Pros Section Chair, Sarah Siewert, interviewed her KemperLesnik colleague Alex Prosperi on life in the sports PR industry. KemperLesnik is a full service sports marketing, event planning and PR agency in Chicago.

Sarah: Describe a typical week in this industry.

Alex:  A normal day at KemperLesnik always involves a lot of work, brainstorming of new ideas and reaching out to clients. The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, which KemperLesnik has managed since 1990, is the premier early-season college basketball tournament in the country that is annually played during Thanksgiving week, and it is my primary account. When the tournament is in full swing, my typical week includes monitoring stories about the Tournament, pitching college basketball writers, building the media list, updating the Tournament website and managing our social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr). The other challenge is preparing for our on-site needs, like outlining where media will sit on press row, figuring out our needs for the media room and of course, how many Hawaiian shirts to bring for the trip

Sarah: What is the work environment like?

Alex:  The work environment depends on the day. When we have a big announcement (i.e., announcing the bracket, the future fields or a new sponsorship) it can get pretty chaotic. There is a lot of work that goes into drafting, editing and sending out press releases as well as contacting key media to pitch our story. During a typical work week, I always try to keep the environment lively by throwing around new ideas and talking about current events.

Sarah: Who are your clients?

Alex:  KemperLesnik has a wide variety of clients, but I personally work on the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. I’m also working on the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games, but I am more involved in the operations side for that event.

Sarah:  Are there specific PR activities you do not typically do in this industry?

Alex:  Not really. For the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, I’m pitching, monitoring, managing social media, promoting the tournament at schools through our Surfboard Delivery Program, and then managing the media on-site.

Sarah:  Are there specific PR activities you do often in this industry?

Alex:  Out of all my roles, my biggest responsibility comes down to managing the media on-site and helping to produce great coverage of the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. To me, the bottom line is that I’m working to help promote the Tournament and make sure everyone knows that it’s the premier early-season college basketball tournament in the country.

Sarah: What other activities are important in this industry?

Alex:  In any industry, I think the main thing to remember is that everything comes down to personal relationships. So whether it’s through email, phone calls or face-to-face, I’m always working to develop close personal relationships. Once you have those, it’s much easier to work, especially in PR.

Sarah: What are industry-specific challenges?

Alex:  One of the biggest challenges in PR is getting that initial first step in the door. You may have a great pitch but sometimes it’s challenging to get past that first stage. This idea reinforces the importance of first impressions and to not get discouraged when something doesn’t go your way.

Sarah: What might surprise you about this industry? 

Alex:  It’s a lot more work than you would think. Growing up with a Dad that did PR, I had no idea the legwork involved with doing something as simple as getting a placement in a local magazine. It truly opens your mind to the hard work that goes into any industry, whether it be PR, marketing operations, you name it.

Sarah: What kind of non-PR courses are beneficial?

Alex:  With any field, but especially in PR, it’s critical that you see the entire picture. You can’t be short-sighted or not understand multiple perspectives. My favorite class in college was Sports Law because it taught me to think things through all the way and really examine situations in detail. In PR, it’s crucial to think like your audiences thinks. Will the pitch letter you write resonate well with a certain writer? Just because you’re pitching 10 writers on one topic doesn’t mean you send all 10 the same pitch letter. Think like your audience.

Sarah: What kind of non-PR skills/interests are important?

Alex:  It’s important to educate yourself in the field you’re working. I love basketball so knowing information about the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational comes naturally. But if you are a sports nut who finds a job in PR for a technology firm, you have to learn about your field. It sounds simple enough, but I can say with confidence that part of the reason I enjoy my job and can do it well is that I know my field.

Sarah: What specific tips can help new pros find a job in this niche field?

Alex:  Right off the bat I’d say to read and surround yourself with social media! Learn as much as you can about it. Although it’s mainstream, lots of firms are still in the infant stages of using it. If you can demonstrate a sound knowledge and ability to run a social media outlet for your company, you become a key asset.

Alex Prosperi graduated in 2010 with a degree in Sports Management from the University of Michigan.  Through his internships with KemperLesnik and ESPN he gained valuable experiences that led him to his current full-time role with KemperLesnik where he supports the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational.

Don’t Press “Send”! E-mail Lessons from a New Pro by Joshua Romero

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

Being a new staffer at an organization can be a challenge – reading through binders of HR paperwork, figuring out everyone’s names and responsibilities, getting the copier code right, learning how to dial out, the list goes on and on. The last thing you should worry about is making rookie mistakes communicating via e-mail.

Here are some of my tough lessons learned in the world of e-mail communication:

Did I Press “Reply”? I Meant “Forward”.

What Happened: When I was assigned to write my first news release for the law school featuring a quotation from the dean, my supervisor suggested that I craft a statement from the dean and ask for his approval. She was very encouraging of my work, suggesting that the dean rarely, if ever, suggests changes or revisions to the statements we prepare. I sent the dean my quotation.

When he replied, I was surprised to see that he had some significant changes to what I had prepared. Keeping my supervisor in the loop of my progress, I sent her an e-mail: “Of course, he would want to edit the very first quote I put together for him. HAHAHA! Good thing this hasn’t gone out yet. Can we just go home, since this is most definitely a Monday!?!”

I thought the e-mail went to my supervisor. Apparently I hit “reply” instead of “forward” and the lighthearted message went right to the dean’s inbox.

What I Learned: Our dean is a very gracious man! In all seriousness, he was very understanding of the incident and understood my joking about the challenges of our work. He even said that it is good for us to laugh at those things. More importantly, I learned to always double-check the recipient before I press send.

Can I Have Your Number?

What Happened: It was a busy media day for me with three requests for legal experts coming in from three reporters on three different subjects. With the chaos of logging reporter contact information and trying to get professors on the phone or on e-mail, my desk was covered in a patchwork of Post-it notes. I secured one of our professors and the reporter asked me to e-mail her the professor’s contact information. I typed out the e-mail, double-checked who I was sending it to and pressed send. Moments later, I got an e-mail back from the reporter: “You sent me my phone number.”

What I Learned: As important as it is to respond quickly to media requests, it’s just as important to provide our media colleagues the correct contact information. I got lucky. The reporter saw my e-mail and corrected me. She gave me a chance to make things right, when she could have just moved on to another legal expert.

You’re Not So Special

What Happened: I’m probably not alone in sending out news release e-mail blasts. I’ve been fortunate enough to develop one-on-one relationships with some members of the media who have asked that I send all of our news releases to them. With these contacts, I compose a news release e-mail and “Bcc” them. After a few weeks without sending news releases, I had some news to share. Since I was out of practice on my releases, I accidentally entered my contacts in the “To” box instead of “Bcc.” Whoops! Looks like my media friends aren’t so special anymore, because everyone gets that news release.

What I Learned: On the surface, I learned to double-check where you’re entering recipients’ e-mail addresses. More importantly, I realized the value of that personal touch with your media contacts. Just because everyone wants your news release, that doesn’t mean you can’t send it out individually. It is more work, but I’ve found that it helps to nurture those relationships you’ve already built. It also gives your media friends that “I’m special” feeling. Plus, it keeps them from thinking that someone else might cover the story so they don’t have to.

Learn from my mistakes. Only press ‘send’ when you know you’re sending the right message to the right person. For those who can’t break the habit of pressing ‘send’ prematurely, you can always learn how to recall an e-mail!

 

Joshua P. Romero is the marketing & communications coordinator at California Western School of Law in San Diego. He manages the media relations and social media programs for the school. Romero is Member Co-chair of the New Professionals Section of PRSA.