This is why you need to revisit your lists on a regular basis and if at all possible do as much background checking as you can.
This is not the first press release we’ve received from this organization. At first we thought it might just be a mistake. Then they kept coming. For no apparent reason. You tell us, reader, on this glorious (depending on where you work) Friday – how does this fit into our wheelhouse?
So, the time has come and you want to be your own boss. Maybe you’ve been forced into this because of a company’s downsizing or maybe you would rather work from home to have additional freedom. If you do a Google search, you are sure to find a ton of links to books and seminars to assist you along the way.
I’ve been contemplating my own future, so when I had an opportunity to read Richard Walsh’s book, “The Start Your Own Business Bible,” I jumped at it. If you are even close to thinking like I am, this book is worth a read.
Walsh breaks down each business into how much you will need to start, with statistical information at the beginning of every entry. It shows you potential earnings, start-up cost, advertising, and the bottom line, to name a few. Continue reading
The latest focal point of measurement fanatics has been standardization. Most recently public relations professionals convened in Lisbon for AMEC (The International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication) to set standards for measuring PR and social media.
While I applaud their efforts, and they were able to make some important steps toward standardization, it seems the whole industry is going at this problem from the completely wrong direction.
The approach seems to be to try to find standard, but unique methods to measure PR and its value. Continue reading
Oh Twitter… receiving a suck notice , being told it has a stickiness problem. Are you really still useful to PR pros, if not just for helping us craft more weighty headlines in 140 characters? Besides the obvious observations for how a tweet helps PR pros pitch more effectively, one thing is definitely overlooked and it’s something I stumbled upon just today: the timehook. Continue reading
As many people know, I’m a vocal advocate for the value of PR. Hell, I wouldn’t be doing my job at PRSA if that weren’t the case, and it’s something I sincerely believe in. Yet from time to time, like most folks, I get down about certain aspects of the business. This is the story of one of those moments.
And it has to do with the growing use of online reputation management firms and the increasing prevalence of spurious tactics some of these firms are using. I point to two recent articles in The Times of London (sub req’d) as exhibits A and B. But you don’t have to look far to find other examples. Continue reading
We know you’d rather be anywhere else than at work this morning…and we respect that. Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I have really been questioning what is wrong with PR people. Now, I am no journalist and I’m not going on a rant about communicating with reporters. I am alarmed at two things: “the state of ME” and coverage.
The first is “the state of ME.” While social media is a really powerful tool that all PR pros should know, lately it seems as if folks in the industry have had their vision clouded by social media. Instead of making the company or client the story, many flacks have made themselves an integral part of the story.
Sure, we could easily say that the Brian Solises and Peter Shankmans of the world have fostered the appearance of PR pros turned media darling pundits, but that is just stupid. At the end of the day both Brian and Peter have busted their asses and I am pretty sure that when either worked on a client, they made sure that it was the client that got credit and didn’t try to make the success about them. They also made it possible for many to see PR as an important corporate cog. At the end of the day, as a PR pro, you took a selfless job to make others see their name in print – remember that. The C-suite signing your checks surely will.
My second beef Continue reading
The Economist Intelligence Unit recently released a report about how the value of customers is being measured. There are some important implications for businesses, and you can download the full report if you want to dig a bit deeper.
One of my favorite quotes from the report was the following:
…measures of customer value that focus solely on transaction activity capture only a fraction of an individual’s behaviour and potential value.
It’s so true. While we always need to tie metrics and measures of social media back to our business goals (and often the bottom line), there is so much more value to the new social customer than the $29.99 they just spent on your website. Continue reading
Recently Entrepreneur Magazine hosted Guy Kawasaki’s talk “Enchant and Engage More Customers with Social Media” just outside of DC. The session was based on Guy’s current book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. It was a great morning centered around a very charismatic speaker. The event wasn’t your typical social media conference, which I highly valued, and it highlighted one core truth – no matter the tools or message the act of PR is enchantment.
This idea was solidified when post-event I started reading Guy’s book and saw that the first few chapters reinforced that enhancement is present whenever people are trying to make the world a better place. Making the world a better place is why we work with mission-driven companies and organizations here at CFox Communications. We tell our client stories as our small part in making the world a better place, and we can tell more stories the more enchanting we are. Continue reading
Three simple letters can mean so much to a public relations professional. The letters stand for distinction in our field and the dedication to the profession. APR, or Accredited in Public Relations, has set the bar high. The test is not easy and it challenges your knowledge of proper practices and strategic planning, among others.
There are some that debate whether APR is necessary and if it is even worth it. I believe it definitely is worth your time. I know because I have taken the test, but didn’t pass it the first time (I’m gearing up to take it again). I’m a member of PRSA and hemmed and hawed whether I should go for accreditation. I ultimately decided to go for it because I wanted to challenge my PR knowledge and go to another level.
Here’s why APR can benefit you: Continue reading