Happy social media day – is anyone else bored?
I may be putting my head slightly above the proverbial parapet here, but I need to get something off my chest.
I am so bored of social media.
Shock! Horror!
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
How can you be bored of social media when you work in PR and communications? Social media is what the industry is all about at the moment.
But seriously, am I the only one who is I’m bored of talking about social media and discussing how great it is and how it has changed the shape of the media landscape forever?
The point is – we know this.
I’ve been feeling like this for a while now but seeing the announcements for today’s social media day, has finally pushed me over the edge and into writing my first ‘rant’ for this blog. (Although in all fairness, after closer inspection, the idea behind the day and getting people to connect, I actually quite like).
Are you celebrating social media day?
The benefits of social media are huge, and I, more so than many of my colleagues, have embraced it and can see the benefits of it for both personal and professional use.
I have three Twitter accounts and look after the company and clients social media, but, like us all, I am still learning and I’m excited about what the platform of social media will bring to the table over the next few years.
But it’s the incessant talking about it which is driving me mad!
I’ve been to a fair few social media events recently and each time I have walked away with interesting talking points, but ultimately each event is the same – different experts saying the same thing in a slightly different way.
Now that’s not to say they are not useful events but instead of talking about it, surely it’s better to just get on and do it?
I expressed this on LinkedIn once and was quickly shot down and told that you need a ‘strategy’ before ‘just getting on with it.’
Really though?
Perhaps I’m being naïve, but surely just making sure you don’t say anything stupid, that you follow and befriend people who are of interest to your industry, and that you signpost articles and news that are of interest to the types of people you want to follow or befriend you, is strategy enough?
Social media is a slow burn.
It takes a long time to get results and when you do get them its bloody hard to measure the return on investment. I’d rather just get stuck in and get the ball rolling.
Perhaps the reason I’m frustrated is that I like things that are black and white or yes or no and the one thing I have picked up from all this conversation about social media is that there is no yes or no answers.
Using Twitter for PR
Everyone who is anyone in the industry should be on Twitter by now, or so we are led to believe by the countless blog posts and news articles.
But it’s all well and good being ‘on’ Twitter – but how can it actually help you to build relationships with journalists or get coverage for your clients?
56% said social media was important or somewhat important for reporting and producing stories - Graphic by Cision
The Guardian recently reported that more journalists than ever are using social media as a way to research stories.
Here’s a few tips to make sure you don’t miss out:
1. Follow the publications you target
Whether it’s national consumer press, trade titles or regional publications and newspapers that you’re interested in, many of them can be found on Twitter, opening up a whole new method of communication and research. Check out the list of Twitter accounts here or search Twitter for publications in your area. Following publications can give you a good idea of what they’re covering and some even use their account as a way of asking for information or interviews.
2. Search effectively
Freelance journalists have been using Twitter for a while now to help them find content for stories. However, it can be a nightmare navigating though Twitter to find the right posts. Many have started using the hash tag #journorequest. Search for this every day on Twitter to make sure you don’t miss any opportunities for your clients.
3. Follow journalists
Follow journalists relevant to your area. Ste Davies (previously PR Blogger) has done an amazing job at compiling a list of UK journalists on Twitter. Don’t expect them to all follow you back though – unfortunately it doesn’t work like that! It’s also worth checking out Muck Rack, which gives easy access to journalist’s latest tweets.
4. Don’t spam
Just because you’re following a journalist or a publication on Twitter doesn’t mean you should spam them and send them links to every press release or feature you write. Use Twitter to listen to them and monitor what they want and how they interact with other users.
5. Make your own Twitter account interesting
Post links to your press releases on your Twitter site and have links through to your company’s website too. If it’s interesting enough then you may just get journalists following you too.
6. Be nice
Building relationships on Twitter is hard and time consuming and its best to start with the journalists you already have a relationship with in the real world. It’s always nice to promote someone’s Twitter account – a good way to do this is ‘Follow Friday’ where people recommend fellow Twitter users to their followers. Check out hash tags #ff or #followfriday to see how it works. This is a bit sneaky but a good way to make first contact with journalists without being overtly sales driven.
7. Pitch carefully
Twitter, in the grand scheme of things is still a fairly new platform for the industry, and it is yet to be decided if pitching stories directly to journalists via this medium is OK or not. Play it by ear and use your PR instinct.
8. List it
A new tool on Twitter is ‘lists’ which allow you to create lists of Twitter users from the same industry, or who tweet about the same topic. It’s a great way to find new Twitter users to follow. EConsultancy has put together a great list of some of the best ones to follow.
9. How not to do it
Another hash tag worth checking out is #PRfail – posts usually written by disgruntled journalists who have been on the receiving end of some bad PRs. Take note – bad PR is talked about, so don’t make the mistakes in the first place!
Do your own PR
I think I have a slight obsession with applying for jobs.
WARNING: If my current employers are reading this please don’t be too alarmed – it’s not for myself but for other people.
There is just something really satisfying about re-doing a bad CV and turning it into a great one, not to mention the thrill of writing a covering letter which could help make your application stand out against all the others.
I recently re-wrote my mum’s CV which, once uploaded online, resulted in her being headhunted for a high-paid position as a commissioner for a mental health company.
I’ve also re written my boyfriends, my best friends and now I’m moving onto my dads with the hope of helping him secure a management position in the hospitality industry in Cheltenham (if anyone from Cheltenham Racecourse is reading this – that’s his dream job and he’d be great at it!)
Anyway, I’m not big headed enough to think it was my writing skills that have made these results happen – after all, even the best written CV can’t hide lack of experience and poor qualifications.
But I do think that having the insight of a PR helps.
After all, a CV is about selling yourself, your services and everything else you can offer to a prospective employer.
It’s that ‘selling’ via the written word that PRs know how to do.
So, here are my top tips on using PR to sell yourself:
1. ITS IN THE DETAIL
Detail is really important – and by this I don’t mean lengthy paragraphs and flowery language. Just be precise. For example if you work in marketing and look after a database, don’t just say ‘I manage a database.’ Make it clear – ‘I manage a database of 50,000 contacts, which I cleanse and update on a daily basis.’
2. GET YOUR DATES RIGHT
PRs are a stickler for accuracy. If I were to send something to the press which had wrong dates or product information it could spell disaster, and the same goes for your CV. Make sure the dates for each position are right. If you’ve got exact dates, great, but usually the month and year should suffice.
3. CHECK, CHECK AND CHECK AGAIN
A recent Ranstad survey suggested that poor spelling and grammar was the biggest turn off when it came to CVs and covering letters. Forum 3 agree and suggest that CVs without these mistakes are 61% more likely to get a reply. So, make sure you proof read carefully – don’t just rely on the spellchecker (and make sure this is set to English UK and not English USA). Some of the common words not to get picked up by spellchecker are fro instead of for, grate instead of great, liased instead of liaised and stationary instead of stationery. Other tips include reading it backwards, or, in an ideal world getting someone else to glance over it too.
4. BE PERSISTENT
If I were to give up on coverage simply because a press release got rejected by one publication then I would never get results for my clients. Be persistent. It’s not rocket science – the more CV’s you send out the more likely it is that it will get picked up and you’ll get that interview you’ve been after. But that doesn’t mean littering recruitment agencies and companies across the city with the same CV – which brings be on nicely to my next point.
5. TAILOR IT TO YOUR AUDIENCE
Like newspapers and media outlets, jobs and companies aren’t all the same. They require different skills sets and different approaches. By all means have a CV which is your master version – but tailor it to each job. Read the job specification carefully and make sure you’re ticking all the boxes and drawing your relevant experience to the reader’s attention.
6. GET YOUR CONTACTS RIGHT
I wouldn’t send a business story to the news desk or a fashion feature to the sports desk and a similar rule applies in the job hunting process. Make sure you send it to the right person – if the job advert gives you a name then address it to that person. If you’re sending out speculative applications then do your research and find out who deals with HR or recruitment. If in doubt put in a call and find out.
7. ITS ALL IN THE RESEARCH
A lot of people think that the research part comes in when you get an interview, but I feel it’s also important to show knowledge of the company at the application stage. The CV may not be the best platform for this but the covering letter allows room to draw attention to projects the company are undertaking that you find exciting – this then gives you a chance to mention your skill set and what you can offer to the business.
8. KEEP IT CONCISE
A huge turn off for journalists is when they receive a press release cluttered with useless information that they then have to wade through to get to the main point of the story. Employers are in a similar situation – they receive hundreds of applications for jobs and don’t have the time to read through everything. Keep your CV to two pages of A4 and only use the relevant information – don’t include information no one needs to know.
9. MAKE IT LOOK PRETTY
And no I don’t mean flowery stationary, and script font. And certainly not spraying it with your favourite Gucci perfume (you know who you are!). Simply make it look good. Use a simple to read font such as Ariel or Times New Roman and make the font size readable – 11pt usually works. Make sure the formatting is right and that all the paragraphs are aligned and the headings are in bold.
10. RESEARCH YOUR MARKET
Sometimes you can have a great story but not know what to do with it. And there are plenty of people, especially in the current market, who are perhaps feeling the same. But if the jobs aren’t there then you need to create your own chances and be proactive. Start researching companies you’d like to work for and send out speculative applications. You never know what opportunities might present themselves.
The PR’s perfect journalist
I’m sure there has been a fair few posts on this in the past, but it is something that continues to be discussed between myself and colleagues, if only in a tongue in cheek manner.
So what is the PR’s perfect journalist?
The easy answer could be ‘the one that publishes everything I send them’.
But I’m not sure that it is as simple as that. I can envision that should that ever happen the already declining state of journalism would slip even further.
And after all, it’s nice to have to fight (at least a little) for that key piece of coverage and know that you’ve done a good job for your client.
So, here’s my vision of the perfect journalist – if you have anything to add, or indeed take away – leave a comment and let me know!
1. HONEST TO THE POINT OF RUDENESS
I’m not adverse in the slightest to a bit of rudeness – and many journalists have a reputation as being a bit surly. But honesty really is the best policy when it comes to PRs. If we send you a press release, and it’s not of use, replying with a simple ‘NO’ would save everyone involved so much hassle, not to mention eliminating the need for those annoying ‘did you receive my press release….’ phone calls.
2. FEEDBACK IS WELCOME
There is one regional journalist I work with on a regular basis who is well versed in the above, but is in fact one of my favourite journos. They nearly always reply when they receive a press release – whether it’s ‘great story – thanks’ or ‘too weak, not using it’. It’s all valid feedback and will help us to define what to send you next time.
3. VALUE OUR SKILLS
Although of course there are some (very) bad PRs out there, many of us are ex journalists, or have been working in the industry for years and know what works and what doesn’t. Journalists who take the time to get to know their decent local PRs are the ones that benefit from exclusive stories, tailored features and being offered the first bite at the cherry when something really good comes along.
4. DON’T MAKE PROMISES YOU CANT KEEP
If you don’t know when you can use the story – don’t make up a date – just say you don’t know! The worst thing is telling a client when to expect coverage and then having to explain, tail between your legs, when the coverage doesn’t appear.
5. DON’T PRETEND YOU HATE US THEN BEG FOR STORIES
Everyone knows that there is a love hate relationship between PRs and Journalists, but the fact is, and apologies for sounding like a naff 80’s film, but we need each other. You get some great stories from (some of) us and in return we get great results for our clients. Nurture relationships with a few key PRs and you’ll always have someone who will go out of the way to get a story for you when you’re suffering from the dreaded ‘slow news’ day.
6. TELL US WHAT YOU WANT
Need a case study or a quote from a reputable source? Contact us! If we haven’t got the clients ourselves, if we’ve got the time we’ll try and point you in the right direction. After all, the ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ approach is always going to work.
7. WE’RE NOT PSYCHIC
There are a million posts out there that say you shouldn’t phone a journo, you shouldn’t send attachments on emails, and you shouldn’t do this, that or the other. But the fact is everyone is different and if it’s a PR you’re going to be dealing with on a regular basis tell them how you like to be communicated with. Do you prefer emailed press releases, a short synopsis or a phone call outlining the story? Perhaps you even prefer a Tweet or a Direct Message? The best PRs will listen and make sure they do what works best for you.
Budget day could be easier this time round – for PRs at least
MPs are to be asked to agree to an earlier sitting of the House of Commons next Tuesday, so the emergency Budget can be held at the earlier time of 12.30pm, according to the BBC.
This is great news for business PRs and journalists alike.
I moved to the B2B team from consumer about three months ago and was lucky (!) enough to experience my first taste of budget day fairly quickly after starting.
Usually the budget is announced at 3.30pm and having to juggle numerous clients and get their comments together in time for close of play can be a nightmare.
This move to 12.30pm should be a huge relief for both PR’s and business journalists in the region – giving more time to source good quotes, case studies and reactions.
The only thing left to find out is are the reactions from businesses in the region going to be good or bad?
With previous threats of ‘painful cuts’ from the new coalition government , and George Osborne set to announce additional public spending cuts or tax increases of £34bn a year, I have a feeling it might be the latter.
Cameron and Clegg set to announce 'painful cuts'
