New Pros Summer Book Club – Made to Stick SUCCESs Principles

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As communicators, we really only have one goal: make our messages stick. And no book better teaches the key components of a sticky message then Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.

Why do some messages stick and others die? That’s a question that has been plaguing PR and marketing professionals since the dawn of both professions. It’s not uncommon to spend hours or days or even months crafting the perfect messaging (in you or your organization’s opinion of course) just to have it fall on deaf ears.

So how do we make messages stick? The authors say that sticky messages follow the six SUCCESs principles: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional and Stories. A message doesn’t need to incorporate each principle to be sticky, however the authors say the more the better.

Simple

Simplicity is about prioritizing, finding the core of your message. No need to beat around the bush or clutter up a good message with meaningless buzzwords and gobbledygook. Keep the message compact, simple and to-the-point. Remember, a person’s attention span is fleeting, so don’t distract with unnecessary words and information.

Unexpected

Grab and hold attention. Have you ever been caught off guard by a message? We all have and those are the messages we remember and pass on. Pique people’s curiosity, and by doing so, your message will more likely stick.

Concrete

Concrete messages make people understand and remember. When something doesn’t add up, that’s when doubt and confusion sets in. Connect the dots for your audience by providing a solid example or relatable context.

Credible

Make your message believable. The credibility of the person and/or organization delivering the message is very important. No one will believe a message if they feel a person is not qualified to deliver it. In cases where the deliverer isn’t believable of their own, then the credibility of the facts and details of the message can help you overcome doubt.

Emotional

People care about people and even more about their own self interests. Tell your audience why it matters to them. By connecting with them on an emotional level, they are more likely to be moved to action. If they don’t care, they won’t listen.

Stories

Tell people how to act through stories. Stories simulate real life situations and provide important clues on how someone is expected to act. By telling a story with your message, you are providing a blueprint and context for action.

Now, whenever I write news releases, website copy, quotes, talking points, marketing collateral, etc., I go through the SUCCESs checklist. It may sound involved and time consuming but it’s not. Why bother spending time crafting a message that won’t stick.

There are many great examples of sticky and not so sticky messages in the book. Next week I will highlight some of the great ones and share a few I’ve found on my own.

What messages have stuck with you? Share with us by commenting below!

Intro To Series… Travel & Tourism PR by Kay Maghan

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Public relations professionals in the travel and tourism industry can generally best describe what we do in four words…..“Never a dull moment.”

Opportunities in our world exist in a variety of “client” forms – hotels, resorts, attractions (think zoos, theme parks, water parks, museums, state/national parks, campgrounds, restaurants, etc.), airlines, cruise lines, spas, golf courses, public relations and advertising agencies, convention and visitors bureaus, state tourism offices…the list really is almost endless.  Our industry is everywhere – literally.  Every state in this nation has a tourism office, and most every community in those states wants to attract visitors.  The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest employers in the United States – 7.4 million Americans work in this industry.  Opportunities are not limited just to our country; tourism is an aspect of the economic makeup of just about every country in the world.

One of the things that makes travel and tourism public relations so rewarding is that no two days are ever the same – really.  You could be part of a public relations team or you could be the sole public relations person doing it all.  So if you like variety, changing scenarios and keeping on your toes, then welcome to our world!

From my experience, many public relations professionals in our industry really are masters of doing it all – writing/editing press releases, researching media, writing newsletters, pitching story ideas, responding to media inquiries, arranging media visits and/or events, working with film crews, and – most importantly – justifying our role to our company or client through measuring return on investment (ROI).  In our current economy, when we have seen public relations and marketing staffs being downsized, the public relations professional is juggling even more hats, including that of photographer and social media guru.  As an example of this expansion into “other” job duties, programming at the recent PRSA Travel & Tourism Section Conference (May 25 – 28, 2010) was heavily concentrated on social media and included a pre-conference “Boot Camp” on “doing it yourself” photography and video.

What came across loud and clear at this conference from both media speakers and industry peers is that the field of public relations is rapidly changing, just as the field of journalism is changing.  More journalists and PR professionals find themselves having to do more with less, and both groups see the fluid landscape of social media as one of the biggest areas about which they need to be solidly educated.  In addition, the growth of bloggers has expanded the audience that travel and tourism public relations professionals must target, and “citizen journalists” armed with cell phones that capture photos and video have thrown a big curve ball into crisis management plans.  But another message that came through at the conference is that personal relationships with the media (bloggers included) are just as important to the core of public relations as ever.

Students studying public relations would be well served to take classes in marketing and advertising, if such classes are not already built into their existing curriculum. Of special importance is a strong knowledge – either through academic courses or hands-on experience – of social media, both current and emerging.  FYI Fact: Be careful what you post about yourself; hiring managers use Google Search as a tool when researching job candidates. As always, being able to show on-the-job experience via internships is very important because it shows me, as the person hiring, that you have initiative and practical experience.  Remember, unpaid internships are just as good as paid on a résumé because experience is experience regardless of funding.

If you are currently studying public relations or are a new graduate on the job search, one of the best ways to decide if travel and tourism – or any other industry – is right for you is to schedule informational meetings with professionals in your area.  See if they would allow you to shadow them for a few hours; talk with them in-depth about what they do, what they like best about the industry, what classes or skills they look for when they are hiring, and so on. These meetings also help you build a professional network. FYI Fact: Treat such meetings as an interview (i.e. dress professionally) and be sure to send a written thank you email or card as a follow up.  If you do such small, but important things for us, we know you will do them for media if we hire you.

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Kay Maghan has 17 years of experience in PR. She  currently serves as Secretary of PRSA’s Travel & Tourism Section.

new pros update…Gearing up for 2011 at the PRSA Leadership Rally by Sarah Siewert

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The first weekend of June, more than 90 PRSA Section and Chapter leaders from across the country traveled to New York City for the 2010 PRSA Leadership Rally to learn how to best serve their members in 2011. As Chair-elect, I took my first trip to NYC to represent the New Professionals Section. Here are some of the highlights from the keynote speakers, as well as a look into what is coming for the New Pros Section:

You’re already doing it: What to do when you can’t not communicate presented by David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA; president & founder, The Grossman Group

  • Not communicating is communicating. Everything from what you wear, to what you do or don’t say is communicating.
  • People may be born with the natural skills to be a leader and a communicator, but they still need to be shown how to succeed and need to practice. If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not practicing.
  • Many people assume most PR professionals are extroverts. However, extroverts tend to communicate a lot (high quantity) but what they are saying is not always high quality. Introverts communicate less (low quantity) but the quality of what they say is high.
  • The Great Eight Basics
    • Understand your audience
    • Make your messages clear, compelling and relevant (especially during times of change)
    • Plan your communication (only 10-15% of leaders do)
    • Set context and make information relevant (add value to the information by adding the “why”)
    • Listen and check for understanding
    • Select the right vehicle
    • Communicate with truth and integrity
    • Match words with actions
  • Don’t communicate with emotions. Instead, be purposely passionate focusing on what is possible rather than directing emotions at someone.
  • In negotiations, the person who talks the least usually wins. Don’t forget to listen.
  • Remember, nothing is neutral.

Putting the Public Back in Public Relations presented by Deirdre Breakenridge, president and executive director, communications, Mango!

  • PR is not dead; it is being reinvented by the social web.
  • Communication is about good conversations.
  • The C-suite is the consumer suite – consumers are taking control of communication.
  • The hybrid model is the new standard mixing traditional with social media.
  • Communication planning is more difficult now.
  • No one owns social media; it’s like e-mail or the web.
  • Social media is about sociology and how people interact within communities.
  • The new workflow process is:
    • Observe (learn the culture of the communities your audience lives in)
    • Listen (pay attention to conversations about your brand)
    • Identify (key communities based on frequency of said conversations)
    • Internalize (analyze the feedback you have gathered)
    • Route (channel the information internally to the appropriate group i.e. sales department or customer service)

What’s next for the New Pros Section and how can you get involved?

  • We are about to kick-off an effort to connect with local new pros groups across the country. We hope to create a national network of new pros groups to share ideas and resources. Are you a part of a local new pros group or hope to start one? E-mail Crystal at crystal.a.olig@gmail.com.
  • Guest blogging for this blog is open to all members. We are always looking for writers interested in being featured on this national platform. If you are interested in writing for the blog, e-mail Andi at andrea.wilmes@gmail.com or Brian at brian.camen@gmail.com.
  • Connect with other members on Twitter by using our Section hashtag #npprsa, or by adding your Twitter handle to the e-group discussion here.
  • We want to give members what they are looking for in professional development opportunities. Have a topic idea or know a great speaker? E-mail me at sarahsiewert@gmail.com.
  • Mentors are a great way to expand your network and gain a valuable perspective from a senior practitioner. We have a mentoring program in the works, so stay tuned!
  • Getting involved with the executive committee allows you to connect with new professionals across the country, and increase your credibility. Interested in helping out this year? E-mail Janet at janetqs@gmail.com for potential projects. Want to be on the Executive Board in 2011? E-mail me at sarahsiewert@gmail.com.

If you have any general suggestions or ideas please feel free to leave them in the comments. I look forward to serving the New Pros members in 2011!

New Pros Summer Book Club – Social Pollination Review

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Social Pollination by Monica O’Brien is an easy to read book that can help small businesses effectively utilize social media. This 224 page book focuses on small businesses, but O’Brien’s book can also be applied to your own personal brand.

A few of the chapters that really stood out to me as a reader were “The Psychology of Online Sharing,” “Optimizing your Content” and “Social Media Tracking and ROI.” “The Psychology of Online Sharing” explains why people share online content as well as why people don’t share online content. People don’t often think about the psychology behind sharing, but it is definitely a point social media users should understand.

“Optimizing your Content” and “Social Media Tracking and ROI” are chapters that provide tips and tools on how to understand and evaluate search engine optimization and quantitatively measure your brand’s social media impact. Both are tools social media users need to understand to take their social media ability to the next week.

Case study and “buzz tips” throughout the book apply O’Brien’s lessons to real-world companies to make the tools discussed even more easily understandable for the readers. O’Brien commonly uses a summary and learn more section at the end of almost every chapter so the reader can easily pursue more information on the topic discussed. She makes it very easy for you, the reader, to understand social media and I’m happy to recommend this book to others.

What are your thoughts on Social Pollination?

New Pros Summer Book Club – Social Pollination

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Welcome to the first installation of PRSA’s New Pros Summer Book Club. Over the next three months we’ll be discussing and reviewing books that will help you succeed as a pr new professional.

The New Pros recently had an opportunity to interview Monica O’Brien, the author of “Social Pollination” about digital media and how her book can help you. Read our interview with O’Brien, and check back next week for our review of her book.

New Pros (NP):Tell us a little about yourself. Where did your passion for digital media come from?

Monica O’Brien (MO): I spent about 5 years, starting my senior year of college, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. In search of “the answer,” I learned an extremely valuable lesson: Every single person has a skill set that is valuable. I don’t mean this in the Kumbaya way, like we should appreciate all of God’s children. I mean that everyone has a skill set of things they enjoy doing­—a skill set that people are willing to pay for.

So why isn’t everyone doing a job they love then? One word: Marketing! People don’t know how to package and distribute their skill set into a product or service that people are willing to pay for. Even when they get past that step, they then don’t know how to find their target customers effectively and affordably. My book helps people and companies do this using digital media.

NP: Your book helps businesses leverage their social media presence, how can your advice be translated to personal social media use?

MO: Every person is selling something. You may be trading your time and skill set to a company for monetary value as an employee, but you are still selling. Consider yourself a small business of one to take advantage of the information in the book.

NP: You write about the psychology of online sharing. More specifically you talk about whether information is important enough to share. Gen Y’ers often over share. What advice would you give to Gen Y’ers so this doesn’t happen?

MO: Two things:

  • Despite privacy settings solutions online, you should always be careful with what you say. Very obvious, but for some reason people don’t get it! So do a quick check: write a list of topics you wouldn’t want your boss or your grandma to hear you talk about. Do you share this information online anyway, even behind privacy settings?
  • Look around you and see what pointless stuff other people are sharing. Do you care if someone is at the airport three states over, heading to another airport 12 states over? Probably not. Do you care what people ate for lunch? Only if they provide a yummy picture and a recipe. Watch others to know when you annoy people. And accept that no matter what you do, you will annoy someone anyway.

NP: Do you have any advice for new professionals who are looking to break into digital media?

MP: Sure! Before getting on Twitter or even starting a blog, you should learn the logistics of how to inspire people in your every day life. You should also learn how a movement is started, because that’s what you are trying to do online. I have links to two TED videos to watch: Simon Sinek on How Great Leaders Inspire and Derek Sivers on How to Start a Movement. Once you are done watching these, you can learn the technical logistics of breaking into digital media from my book.

Special thank you goes to O’Brien for taking the time to chat with PRSA. You can purchase “Social Pollination” on Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. Check back next week for our review of her book, but in the mean time here are a few discussion questions to get you thinking.  Feel free to post your responses in the comment section.

1)   What social tools are you currently using to promote yourself online?

2)   In your opinion, what do you consider to be too much sharing online?

3) O’Brien says before you get started online, you should learn the logistics of how to inspire. How do you inspire people in your life?