Public Relations in the News

I have been reading the New York Times for the past month and have been intrigued by how PR professionals insert their client stories into the news. It is a brilliant tactic and necessary for the success of many clients. I want to point out just three things that it takes to get your story into the news. This, of course, isn't professional advice, it's just what I have observed and what you may want to do to improve your efforts in getting stories into the major news outlets.

First, be relevant. Many stories are great, but are they specific to what is going on now and what people are interested in? Make your story fit what is being covered or be relevant to a trend that is happening now.

Second, provide a compelling and interesting story. People love stories, so if you can make your story speak to people at a personal level -- whether it be funny, sad, or any other emotion -- it will be accepted more easily.

Third, be clear and concise. News editors know what they are looking for and if you send a ten page story that isn't clear or concise you will not be taken seriously. Be kind to news editors and send the story with a compelling header. They want a good story, make them see why yours is the best in every way.




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Content- Focus on the customer

Focus on the Customer

Focusing on the human interaction on your website and/or social media channels is what search engines are really looking for.

There are several ways to get your information into the right channels and increase site interaction and sales, like aligning your site with what the user wants. It is so important to focus on task completion by asking “What is the task the user wants to achieve?” and then optimize for what they want. By doing this you answer questions the user hasn’t asked yet. The most popular sites encourage users to browse and stay on the site.

Another way to focus on the customer is the use of supplemental content, which makes a page very satisfying for its purpose. YouTube is a great example because it always shows related videos to keep you on the site. They do a great job of finding what the human want to read or find on their site.

Lastly, use the free channels like blogs and social media. Interaction is very important because, after all, you are dealing with people.

As marketing teams, focus more on the customer and a little less on analytics. These ideas are just part of a very large equation. Focusing on what the customer wants is the only way to stay relevant in search.



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Volkswagen in the news

As you might know, Volkswagen is reeling from an apparent breach of trust by installing software to cheat the emissions systems in several countries, including the United States.

Volkswagen dealers everywhere are afraid their ways of life will be affected by dropping sales of the Volkswagen cars on their lots. Volkswagen has contacted many of their dealerships and have assured they will reimburse the dealers for lost profits, but is that possible? That would require billions of euro's and billions more to repair the thousands of cars created to cheat the system.

I believe Volkswagen is doing almost all they can do to assure dealers and customers alike they will fix the problem. They have done well in firing their CEO and bringing in a more experienced CEO to call the shots with the company, but with  Facebook and Twitter being the only platforms offering information and not replying to tweets, Volkswagen has rubbed a lot of customers the wrong way.

With the slow to react on social media scrutiny for their social media tactics, Volkswagen has a lot more to repair than their cars. I think  consistent communication forms over all communication platforms would be the best thing they could do right now.

We will see how it will all play out, but Volkswagen should have the money and resources to make it through.

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Building Relationships

One of my favorite things about preparing for the PRSSA National Conference is getting to know better the UVU PRSSA members. Getting to know what makes people 'tick' is one of the most fulfilling part of public relations.

Public relations is the best profession because it is relationship based. But, relationship building isn't always simple, it can quite difficult if selfishness arises. I am reading a book titled "Leadership and Self-deception." The book talks about building relationships and how it determines our ability to lead and see people as people-- not as objects-- therefore determining our success as PR professionals.

The best way we can build relationships is by seeing people as people; with fears, hopes, dreams and aspirations. People can sense your motives when getting to know them. If a person notices that you are sincere in your questions and motives, a positive relationship can be built. When getting to know someone is a selfish desire, such as a boss getting to know a co-worker so he can know how to use the co-workers talents to his gain, a negative and resentful relationship is built.

Every person loves to be seen as someone of value. As we value people and make them feel that we really care about them we can have a great and rewarding professional experience.


 Check out the book "Leadership and Self-deception" to learn about relationship building in greater depth.