Blogging as a PR Tool

Blogging as a PR Tool

By Sheila Frazier

This article discusses using blogging as a means to build a business. Blogging is a low-cost solution to public relations and marketing, but can it really work?

A recent American Express survey found that only 5% of businesses with fewer than 100 employees have blogs.

Blogging may not be for everyone. Aliza Risdahl, author of The Everything Blogging Book, said the best candidates for blogging are consultants, companies in a sector with a steep learning curve (like wine), or associated with particular lifestyles or social missions.

The main question you have to ask yourself before attempting this form of PR is if you will be able to update the blog regularly or not.

Blogging is a great way to get the word about something your company or organization is doing. It is very low-cost and extremely popular in this Internet age.

A possible drawback could be that anyone and everyone can blog, so if you do not get the word out about your blog, it could be drowned amongst all the other blogs you will be competing with. Today there are 8.5 million people blogging and a new blog is started every seven seconds.

Regardless of drawbacks, blogging still sounds like a good solution for the price. There is not much you can lose with this option. However, you really do have to do some research beforehand.

In order to make a successful blog, follow these steps:

1. Learn from others.
2. Read other company blogs.
3. Make it real.
4. Develop several blogging strategies.
5. Pitch blogs directly or set up a corporate blog.
6. Concentrate on a specific topic.
7. Read your blog before picthing it.

http://www.financialpost.com/small_business/story.html?id=315998
http://victorianewlands.typepad.com/is_blogging_a_pr_tool/
http://advertising.about.com/od/publicrelationsresources/a/prblogs.htm
http://www.salesvantage.com/article/view.php?w=242

The Growing Importance of Internal Communications

More and more companies are beginning to understand the importance of fostering a good work place environment for their employees.  A good workplace environment provides for a more productive outcome for the organization.  In order to achieve these goals, leadership has begun to implement programs that increase employee relations. The main vehicle they use to achieve this goal is through the use of in-depth internal communications programs. These programs aim to inform employees of the mission, changes and developments and issues that can potentially affect the company.

How workers perceive the organization and understand their role in its success is directly related to how hard they work. There are eight main results of a good internal public relations campaign.

1. Builds loyalty
2. Increases employee moral
3. Builds a positive corporate environment
4. Keeps employees invested in the mission or direction of the organization
5. Builds employees confidence in the business
6. Helps employees respect corporate leadership
7. Helps employees manage or counteract the multiple message received from external sources
8. Increase productivity

Some vehicles that public relations practitioners use to help disseminate messages within the company environment include newsletters, memos, booklets, company branding items, emailing systems and flyers placed strategically around the office. For example, one American-based company provides multiple resources for their employees to keep them abreast of issues in their field. On a daily basis, they compile and disseminate a list of recent media stories that affect various departments. “Keeping in the Know Daily” is formatted electronically and sent to all employees across the nation. Tools like “Keeping in the Know” help unite employees and provide a vehicle for the organization to help contribute to the formation of employee perceptions.

As times change, business hierarchal arrangements and chain of command procedures are being circumvented to keep up with today’s social climate and the belief that all can contribute equally to the company’s success. Therefore, today’s corporate leadership have begun to understand the importance of changing from a “need to know” policy to one that is more inclusive. Internal communications programs help meet those changing needs.

For more information regarding the science and importance of internal communications in the corporate environment visit these Web pages:

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2002/08/19/focus7.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2005/11/28/smallb4.html?q=the%20importance%20of%20internal%20communication

http://www.porternovelli.com/site/mainpage.aspx?pgname=internal_communications

http://www.navis.gr/manager/imp_com.htm 

http://www.ragan.com/ME2/Default.asp

Crisis Management missing in Undergrad programs

Crisis Management Missing in Undergrad Programs
By Ashlie Clay

As a college student, I often find myself engulfed in my own bubble, preoccupied with classes, my work schedule and finding time for friends, all while striving for a sufficient amount of rest and consuming some fraction of the main food groups. But in lieu of recent events, hurricane Katrina and the tragedies that occurred at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, I find it a necessary to be aware of what is going on outside of my own little world. In a utopian society the unexpected would not occur and the necessity of a crisis management plan would be null and void. But as we are all aware, the world in which we live is far from utopia.

Crisis management focuses on worst case scenarios and ultimately managing the information from internal sources to the media and general public. Good crisis management is proactive when it comes to this inevitable component of PR. So why not prepare potential PR practitioners for the inevitable? As a PR senior, graduating in less than three months, I have had no formal training in crisis management over the entire course of my studies at the University. Several universities do offer crisis management courses but are only required in graduate programs.

The crisis management link between PR, communication and business is vital in any industry and can truthfully make or break a company. We take such care in learning the art of news releases, the importance of research, identifying target publics and organizing and implementing a campaign, but what do we do when a hurricane destroys half a state and displaces thousands of people? Or our company’s number one product is found to be defective and harmful. Crisis management is part of real world PR and should be part of PR undergraduate curriculum as well.


http://www.prweekus.com/The-business-of-teaching-PR/article/45288/

http://www.gwu.edu/~guides/sciences/crisis.html

http://www.cmionline.org/

http://www.universitycrisisresponse.com/contents.htm

http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

Fashion: PR vs. Advertising

Fashion: PR vs. Advertising

by Linden Chalfant

Today, thousands of people tune in to E! to learn about the latest Hollywood gossip. Thousands of people subscribe to celebrity gossip magazines to read about the latest love interests, the latest addictions, the latest trends. One thing that these two outlets inadvertently do is provide a large base for fashion PR.

Advertising is immensely costly and the research and analysis that go into finding a target audience and a certain niche don’t always pay off. Therefore, advertising can be unbelievably costly and potentially not even work well. As many people all over the world are tuning in to learning about celebrities and people in the media, fashion PR firms are trying to link a client’s product to the ones that we all find so influential.

Because of this, major brands are now linking with fashion PR firms to get their product on a celebrity. This proves to be more cost effective and much more influential than placing an advertisement on television or in a magazine. A brand can spend much less by sending free items to the fashion PR firms and then letting the PR firm find a way to get the item into the arms of a celebrity. For example, there was a brand of baby blankets that was really great, but it didn’t get the recognition that it deserved. The brand was making sales here and there for the satin-lined fleece blanket up until Suri Cruise was photographed clinging onto one in a magazine. The second that this happened, this brand was unbelievable successful. There were backorders for these blankets in all different colors and sizes. This just goes to show how public relations through product placement makes a much larger difference than straight advertising.

Fortune's '100 Best' generates motivation

Fortune's '100 Best' generates motivation
Morgan Byram

Fortune's '100 Best' generates motivation

 

            As we all know the way to get in the industry of public relation we must to be aware of current and past public relations campaigns both good and bad. A public relations practitioner must also know the best strategies to run a public relations campaign. While searching online I came across the article “Fortune’s ‘100 Best’ generates motivation,” in PR Week, this article shows the impact public relations can have on a company or organization.

            The article states that being a great place to work is the main and most obvious reason companies get placed on the Fortune’s ‘100 Best.’ Several other tactics that can bring a company to the list is to be able to communicate openly with your employees, be able to reward their achievements in a public manner, give them further opportunities, and to make them feel needed in the company.

            One of the most important opportunities making companies’ chances to get on the list easier is to generate a team willing to put forth the long hours to complete the forms. Most businesses overlook this method of creating a team. A company willing to work hard could possibly enable them to take place in this opportunity to better the way they are looked at externally and internally. Having a positive image in the community is one step to a better-run business. Lisa Ratner, a senior project manager with the Great Place to Work Institute stated, “it’s a very comprehensive and intensive selection process, it takes about 10 months to complete, from the nomination deadline through list publication. There is no monetary cost to the companies, but it does take time and a team on the ground."

 According to the article those who did get placed on the Fortune ‘100 Best,’ did receive positive feedback in their company. Some companies gained new talent with employees and it also helps boost the moral and overall satisfaction with the company.

From the article, you can gain in regards to the ‘100 Best,’ that motivation internally and externally in a company can change attitudes and the overall behavior of those in contact with the business, and the community. Public relations may sometimes be taken lightly, but from the article we can all see the successful impact good public relations can have on a company. Public relations can make or break you.

Here are some links to check out on the topic of Fortune ‘100 Best,’ and other organizations thoughts on creating the best place to work.

PR Week:   http://www.prweekus.com/fortunes-100-best-generates-motivation/article/105261/

Great Place to Work: http://www.greatplacetowork.com/best/list-bestusa-2007.htm

CSR Wire: http://www.csrwire.com/PressRelease.php?id=522

Fortune 100: http://fortune100s.com/fortune100/

Fortune Coach: http://www.fortune100coach.com/

Campaign Evolution

Campaign Evolution

As burgeoning Public Relations Practitioners, we seek to know the latest trends in the industry, so that we are equipped with the knowledge to put our company in the best possible light. In order to keep up with the latest in the field, I leafed through the November issue of PR Week to get my topic: Digital campaigns offer profile upgrades for nonprofits.

Many of us will most likely launch our careers with a nonprofit agency or eventually do consulting work for one. If that’s the case, it is important to know that campaigns are essential to the organization in regards to revenue, awareness and behavior. Public Relations Practitioners should be strategic in their approach by capitalizing on technological resources.

The article stated that most philanthropic organizations only utilize traditional tactics such as: community breakfast fundraisers while neglecting to give their campaign an edge by using the internet. Randi Schmelzer, the journalist who wrote Digital campaigns offer profile upgrades for nonprofits, said that philanthropic organizations should combine both the traditional methods of campaigning and the contemporary. The reason that you should use both boils down to audience participation.

Devries Public Relations states that in today’s world people do not want to “just consume media; they want to be an active participant”. Once your audience is engaged in your digital campaign they might elicit more information about your organization, which could help in changing or maintaining attitudes and behaviors.

Schmelzer said that employing digital campaigns might help with budgeting issues. Many nonprofit organizations seek publicity but do not have a sufficient budget to do so. Online campaign techniques could serve to be cost-efficient promotional tools.

Of course, your campaign tactics should fit the needs of your organization and its target audience. In building those tactics, you should utilize resources that will propel your client’s interest.

To find out more, please visit the following resources:

http://www.usenix.org/events/lisa04/tech/talks/carpenter.pdf

http://www.prweekus.com/pages/Login.aspx?retUrl=/Digital-campaigns-offer-profile-upgrades-for-nonprofits/article/99194/&PageTypeId=28&ArticleId=99194&accessLevel=2

http://www.ogilvypr.com/expertise/360-digital-influence.cfm

http://www.devries-pr.com/digital_services.html

http://www.spurdigital.com/web-marketing-resources-from-spur-digital/resource/article/online-media-planning-101-what-you-need-to-know-71.html

Wrestling the Giant-General Motors working on its public relations image

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3012/is_2_180/ai_59966981