New friends, new work colleagues, new business enquiries. This year has seen all of these and more for me, as a result of Twitter. I've trained a couple of people with my basic knowledge of how to tweet, I've worked with LinkedIn and Twitter to meet new people and brought in business from overseas!
I've kept in touch with some of you, but would love to keep up-to-date with you all. Many of you have fascinating jobs and lives, which I'd like to chat and learn about. But we just can't do it all, can we?
I'd like to shake your hand(ssssssss) and pat you on the back(ss), see what you've been making and admire your handiwork. I'd like to look through that fantastic digital lens and see all your beautiful pictures. I'd like to go on a tweet-up and hike, nature ramble, admire the view and see what you see. Sharing poetry - we've done some of that too, haven't we?
I've chatted to some brilliant businessmen and women by phone, and met some of you face-to-face. I've exchanged some inspiring direct messages and even moved onto email to 'take things further' - business-wise and personally. Thank you.
So, I'd like to send you all a mince-pie - home-made of course! I'd like to sing for you - maybe one day, via Youtube if I get something I'm proud of. I'd mostly like to just work in a big twitter-office with all of you, and enjoy a pint in the evening.
Anyway, wishing you all a Happy Christmas, keep well, keep peaceful and all the very best for your business and home lives in the New Year.
Keren.
Friday, 23 December 2011
Friday, 24 June 2011
How to prepare for your call to the media
You have a story, or you think you do. You've prepared a press release and have your angle. Now you are ready to ring the press - or are you?
One of the main things that I still have to remind myself about is to ‘be prepared’. It’s so easy to rush into a call, with enthusiasm and what you think is a fun approach. But if you are not careful you’ll be wasting the editor’s time, your own time and worst of all – fudging the opening of an important editorial relationship.
This involves careful thought – taking a quiet moment to really get to know the publication you are about to ring. Look at all the background you can get your hands on – including the editor’s background and track record if you have access to a media database. Where did they work previously – what will their particular interest be, how well do they understand the market? Are you a beginner, compared to their years of industry experience?
How can your client's business fit in with the magazine’s ethos, aims and editorial layout?
Look at the forward features schedule – is there a feature planned in the near future to which you could offer an angle that ties in with your client's work?
In a nutshell – how can you help the editor?
Get the basics right – what’s the editor’s name, how is it pronounced? In case the editor is currently away from his/her desk, make sure you have the name of a deputy or the editorial assistant so that you can ask to speak to them instead.
Once you have your ideas lined up, and you know a little about the publication, you have to be relaxed and prepared for whatever reaction you may get.
Introduce yourself clearly, confidently and briefly.
ALWAYS ask if the editor has a minute or two to talk right now. They may be on deadline, or in mid-flow of another important topic.
If you are given time and can say your bit, do so concisely and clearly, explaining why you are ringing and why you feel this may be of interest to the editor.
Some of these comments were first published in an article written by @daneyparker http://ow.ly/5oBMU for @therealprmoment. http://www.prmoment.com/.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Don't forget to talk to people
A blog beckons, spurred on by a reply to a LinkedIn message that I have sent out this morning. I wanted to raise awareness of some annual countryside awards in my home county of Hampshire, for which I am handling the PR. We launched the awards in March and we are looking at finding new news angles, features opportunities and updates worth telling people about - all with the aim of stimulating more entries from businesses, schools and voluntary organisations.
So, thinking creatively I have been searching for trade magazine contacts, as well as considering more use of social media, including publications' forums (I want to write 'fora', as I did Latin at school); Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
So, I chose the maximum 50 contacts who may know of worthy institutions in Hampshire that might wish to enter the awards. An answer winged it's way back to me before lunch-time from Mr Adrian Bold http://twitter.com/#!/adrianbold. Thank you to him.
After lunch I returned to my office to find another reply via LinkedIn - from my office Landlord!!! I see him several times a day, but it took the international LinkedIn network to bring us together. Sweet.
Does this mean that, in general, some of the chitter-chatter by the coffee-machine has dropped off more than might be healthy nowadays?
Talking face-to-face is a good thing and keeping up-to-date with what your colleagues are working on can be helpful to client service and company success.
However, at the same time - social media works. This latest contact and the hoped for fall-out from it, may bring extra success for the client in due course.
So, thinking creatively I have been searching for trade magazine contacts, as well as considering more use of social media, including publications' forums (I want to write 'fora', as I did Latin at school); Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
So, I chose the maximum 50 contacts who may know of worthy institutions in Hampshire that might wish to enter the awards. An answer winged it's way back to me before lunch-time from Mr Adrian Bold http://twitter.com/#!/adrianbold. Thank you to him.
After lunch I returned to my office to find another reply via LinkedIn - from my office Landlord!!! I see him several times a day, but it took the international LinkedIn network to bring us together. Sweet.
Does this mean that, in general, some of the chitter-chatter by the coffee-machine has dropped off more than might be healthy nowadays?
Talking face-to-face is a good thing and keeping up-to-date with what your colleagues are working on can be helpful to client service and company success.
However, at the same time - social media works. This latest contact and the hoped for fall-out from it, may bring extra success for the client in due course.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Does spelling matter?
How important are spelling and grammar in your organisation?
As sole traders, or as the head of an international PR consultancy, do you mind if there are inaccuracies in the press announcements that you issue? When you take people on, do you mind how well they spell or is it more important that they are creative, energetic, enthusiastic and capable of pulling in the results?
I am firmly of the opinion that it does matter - to the right journalists and to the right clients. I think taking care of the small details shows respect to the people reading your literature or your online copy. Apart from anything else, some seemingly insignificant errors can lead to misunderstanding, in an industry where clear and speedy communication are important. Furthermore, will the press take you seriously?
Emma Judd, reporter for The News @pn_Emma_Judd commented via twitter: "If I see a press release littered with S&G errors I'm more likely to doubt the accuracy of the material and disregard it. One of my pet hates is people in the industry, both PR and journalists, who don't know how to set up direct speech quotes. That really gets me!"
Well, I hope I have got that last bit right in terms of speech marks! In written communications - be it old-fashioned letters, email, and to some extent facebook and tweets - spelling and grammar go a long way towards opening and maintaining relationships with clients and journalists. Into the same pie I would add courtesy and empathy. Notice if the editor still likes to use the term 'Dear' in his emails; check your spelling quickly as you post an update online.
Years ago, I was asked by a consultancy CEO which area I would like to specialise in as part of the team, so I said 'proof-reading'. This was laughed at - if I'd been the boss then I'd have responded by offering 'quality control' to the employee. To me, proof-reading is part of service quality; get the introductions right and you're half-way to succeeding over the long-term.
As sole traders, or as the head of an international PR consultancy, do you mind if there are inaccuracies in the press announcements that you issue? When you take people on, do you mind how well they spell or is it more important that they are creative, energetic, enthusiastic and capable of pulling in the results?
I am firmly of the opinion that it does matter - to the right journalists and to the right clients. I think taking care of the small details shows respect to the people reading your literature or your online copy. Apart from anything else, some seemingly insignificant errors can lead to misunderstanding, in an industry where clear and speedy communication are important. Furthermore, will the press take you seriously?
Emma Judd, reporter for The News @pn_Emma_Judd commented via twitter: "If I see a press release littered with S&G errors I'm more likely to doubt the accuracy of the material and disregard it. One of my pet hates is people in the industry, both PR and journalists, who don't know how to set up direct speech quotes. That really gets me!"
Well, I hope I have got that last bit right in terms of speech marks! In written communications - be it old-fashioned letters, email, and to some extent facebook and tweets - spelling and grammar go a long way towards opening and maintaining relationships with clients and journalists. Into the same pie I would add courtesy and empathy. Notice if the editor still likes to use the term 'Dear' in his emails; check your spelling quickly as you post an update online.
Years ago, I was asked by a consultancy CEO which area I would like to specialise in as part of the team, so I said 'proof-reading'. This was laughed at - if I'd been the boss then I'd have responded by offering 'quality control' to the employee. To me, proof-reading is part of service quality; get the introductions right and you're half-way to succeeding over the long-term.
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