copy writing :: Decisive PR

A Blog on PR, Communications Management and Content Marketing

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Posted by IsabelWagner

· March 31, 2016

Executive Blogging and the Renaissance of Long Form Content

The first birthday of DecisivePR.com made me reflect on the direction blogging is taking, particularly in the corporate world. Obviously the word ‘blogging’ has been long part of the internet vernacular, paving the way for lovely new inventions like googling, tweeting and instagramming. For someone who writes copy professionally, I admit it was not easy finding my own voice. And blogging is still a journey, with so many new technical skills like social media sharing, multi-media content, and SEO techniques to get your head around.

But it’s also a timely exercise as long form content is making a comeback in the form of executive blogging. Since LinkedIn opened its platform to blogging, there’s been nothing short of an explosion of content generation. According to LinkedIn’s own stats , already more than one million members have shared their articles. And it pays to invest in your personal brand and thought leadership, with 45% of readers holding vice-president jobs and other senior positions.

Executive blogging has certainly opened a treasure trove of knowledge and expertise, but many managers struggle to squeeze in yet another responsibility in their already full schedule. And nothing creates writer’s block as someone telling you have to do it because the competition is doing it too! So where to start? Here’s a few tips from my own experience and chatting to others who have recently taking up blogging:

1. Think about the topics that you want to write about. They should relate to your area of expertise so you can build your profile as a subject matter expert over time.
2. Find your own voice. This is easier said than done. Successful bloggers strike a balance between a more casual tone and content that adds value.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is nothing wrong with asking one of your peers (or your mum) to read your first articles and give some candid feedback before they go live. And it’s easier to spot other people’s typos.
4. Don’t be shy to promote your content across other social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
5. Practice makes perfect!

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Categories : content marketing, copy writing, social media

Posted by IsabelWagner

· January 11, 2016

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How the PR Profession Reinvented Itself

In recent years the PR industry has been facing some headwinds. Challenging trading conditions have seen budgets slashed. Marketing and digital agencies have gone after a bigger share of the corporate wallet, deriding PR as mere publicity. We also struggle with our bad public image, ironically, considering that we pride ourselves as masters of reputation management. But out of this quagmire, a new, stronger PR profession has emerged. The new breed of PR pros are tech-savvy all-rounders who work in a greater variety of roles than ever – the Swiss knives of marketing communications. According to the latest US statistics, PR people outnumber journalists by more than 5:1, testament to the profession seeing anything but a bright future in contrast to journalism. But these figures only tell half the story. As Christopher Penn cautions many journalists can be found in new job categories such as ‘writer’, as current and former freelancers and journalists push into corporate publishing and content marketing. So what are the traits that distinguish the new PR from the old?

1. New skill sets
Gone are the days when PR pros were exclusively focused on pumping out press releases. The rise of the internet and social media has been a complete game changer. PR people have upskilled themselves in a variety of new techniques and abilities, many quite technical. Think social media monitoring and management, graphic design, videography and editing, infographics and others. Even PR measurement has finally become more data driven. At the same time, public relations recruits have a more solid background knowledge of public relations methodology from university courses, and as digital natives a natural affinity to technology.

2. We get content marketing
Long before content marketing became the new buzzword, PRs have routinely churned out copy for both media purposes and marketing campaigns. Take for example case studies, news releases and blogs. That’s why PR people now get involved in digital strategy, for example when businesses are building new websites

or social media channels. Strong writing skills are just part of the PR package. But we also understand how PR fits into the bigger picture, and how to leverage the synergies with other marketing disciplines for demand generation.

3. Holistic approach to communication strategy and messages
PR people are skilled in identifying target audiences and their respective wants and needs. When planning and executing a campaign, we consider not just journalists, but employees, partners, community, regulators and even competitors, and how the messages will be received. This goes against the current trend to create siloed campaigns, for example by outsourcing social media to one agency and event marketing to another. With so many channels to monitor and manage, PR people apply their holistic approach to create consistent brand experiences.

4. Story tellers of the corporate narrative
Inhouse PR and communication managers often have multi-faceted roles that also involve everything from employee communication to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Their role is to create and evolve the corporate narrative. This exemplifies the new breed of PR who seamlessly move between the traditional realms of media relations and new responsibilities as corporate publishers and story tellers central to an organisation’s growth and success.

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Categories : content marketing, copy writing, employee communications, Measurement, PR, public relations, social media

Posted by IsabelWagner

· October 10, 2015

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Three Ideas for a Successful Customer Reference Program

Hardly any marketing communications activity is considered more valuable but also more challenging than customer advocacy. After all, you can say so many nice things about yourself, but when your customers endorse your company, product or performance, it takes credibility to a whole new level. Case studies, video testimonials, customer quotes and other public endorsement provide the sales organisation with the much needed collateral to get the deals over the line. And surely, journalists are just as keen to get their hands on exclusive customer stories, making reference activity the backbone of most public relations program.

With the stakes so high, it is unsurprising that organisations spend considerable time and resources building and maintaining their reference program. But as many marketing managers will attest, these coveted references are not always easy to come by. Here are a couple of ideas to boost the number of customer stories in the long run: