Lindsay Nahmaiche: Partner, Jive communications
If perception is nine-tenths of the law, then careful communications planning is essential to your company’s success. Here are three communications issues a lot of companies overlook in their planning process.
1) Building ongoing relationships with media. Just as you wouldn’t ask someone you barely know to help you move, don’t expect to have media clamouring to write about your business if you haven’t taken the time to get to know them beforehand. Forming relationships can be done through simple things such as retweeting what they say on social media, inviting them out for lunch and learning more about what they do. Having a relationship with media can also help if your business ever goes through a crisis and you need to get your side of the story out or if media just need an expert comment on your industry – if they know you they can quickly pick up the phone and get your thoughts.
2) Putting the hook in “news hook.” Though I’m sure you have the most exciting product or service in the world, you need to make it newsworthy: articulate what the hook or angle is that makes it more than just a promotional puff piece. Additionally, journalists want to see that you have taken some time to investigate the stories that they cover and know why this story would be interesting to them. A little bit of careful planning can go a long way.
3) Don’t over-promote your business on social media. Only 25% of what you say should be about your business. The rest should be geared toward engaging consumers and positioning yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Remember, it’s not about what you say to your customer that matters, it’s about how what you say makes them feel.
Rachel Thexton: Partner, Dunn PR
In a multicultural market such as Vancouver, companies often forget the importance of tailoring communication to the diverse audiences that make up a significant portion of our population. PR teams need to ensure that Chinese and Punjabi media and bloggers are being reached with messaging that is tailored to their needs and that these media have access to multilingual spokespeople and translated media materials as needed. We can’t assume media of all cultures and languages have the same needs and priorities.
Companies also tend to overlook the importance of a transparent social media and online presence that involves hands-on participation from company leaders. Outsourcing some social media tasks is OK, but without a commitment and ongoing participation from the company team, you can end up with a disjointed online presence that lacks transparency and rich content that only those inside the company can provide. Content creation is increasingly important for both social media and with traditional media outlets. Bring together the talents, expertise and passions of your team members to create rich content as you tell your stories.
Finally, it sounds simple but don’t forget to focus on the visual. We are communicating in an age of data overload. Planning creative and informative video, infographics and other visuals to illustrate your company’s story will provide both traditional and social media with content that people are more likely to consume and share.
Ashley Letts: Senior account manager, Yulu Public Relations
My top three key issues would be:
- Timing: There is a direct correlation between the amount of time devoted to PR strategy and the results one can expect to see in a campaign. A mistake companies often make is soliciting PR services right before their news is to break, allowing little time to prepare the message, research the target audience and craft the right angle for the media or audience. Having at least one month leading up to the launch of a campaign gives your PR team enough time.
- Community relations: Proactive community relations should be an integral part of any PR strategy. Any time you launch a product, service or initiative, it’s important to solicit feedback from the community you’re trying to engage. For instance, if you’re building a new real-estate development, a great way to engage the community is to host an ideas fair or consultation session that allows the public to offer suggestions. Will it include new restaurants? A public courtyard with benches? Even if the concessions you make are small, letting the community have a voice goes a long way.
- The power of social impact: Consumers are expecting more public engagement from brands than they ever have. They’re looking to get behind brands that share their core values, that look beyond a singular bottom line and consider their communities, people, and the environment as stakeholders. Your PR strategy should demonstrate a commitment to improving the lives of both your employees and your community. That might be allocating days for staff to volunteer while getting paid, reducing your carbon footprint or committing your organization to a greater purpose such as job creation. There are many cost-effective channels where companies can communicate the impact they are having, which will resonate with consumers.
