How To Write a Compelling Twitter Headline
PR pros know just how important Twitter has become to our jobs and daily lives. Not only does it keep us connected to news and industry trends, it’s also important to leverage it as a tool for clients to help them join the online conversation and position themselves as thought leaders. But how do you catch a reader’s eye with Twitter headlines? How do you make them click on the article you’re posting? While there are no set rules, there are a few guidelines that are useful to follow. Here are our tips:
1. Use Top 10 Lists
People like to see information packaged neatly into lists. Lists make the story more digestible and quicker to read. Using a list – and it doesn’t have to be “Top 10,” it can be “Top 5” or any other (relatively small) number – lets the reader know the article will be easy and manageable to read.
2. The promise of something to come
Don’t give away the entire story in the headline. The best tweets promise more information to come if the reader clicks on the included link. For example, write a tweet that says, “How PR is just like football,” or something else surprising, and then include the link. Readers might just be intrigued enough to click on it.
3. Ask important questions
Another way to draw readers in is to ask them a poignant question. For example, ask, “What is your biggest concern about running your small business?” Or “What do YOU think about this politician’s statements?” Asking a question directly engages the reader and makes them more likely to click on the story so they can better answer your question and be part of the conversation.
4. Use calls to action
Sometimes you can simply tell your followers to click on a link. As long as the tweet is concise, grammatically correct and engaging, people are willing to click on a link if you tell them to. Use a tweet that says something like, “Click here for your invite to this exclusive event,” or “Click here to vote on your favorite story of the week.”
5. News blurbs
Tweeting breaking news is a great way to catch the attention of your followers. Tweeting something that’s time sensitive (as in, the news came out within the last hour) gives readers an incentive to click and read more. Stay on top of breaking news and be sure to tweet right away when a story breaks.
6. Use the word “infographic”
People love infographics. In fact, according to an infographic by BitRebels, infographics were retweeted 578 times compared to just 63 times for the non-infographic tweets. That’s a 832 percent difference! If you have an inforgraphic, tweet it, and be sure to mention the word “infographic.” Better yet, hashtag the word “infographic” to make it stand out even more.
7. Tips, tricks, and how-tos
Readers also tend to gravitate toward how-to guides and articles that give them tips and tricks on how to do something better. Write a tweet like “How to maximize your workday for efficiency” or “Tips on how you can stop procrastinating” and watch your article’s click count climb.
What are your tips for crafting the perfect tweet headline? Let us know in the comments!
Source: http://www.prdaily.com/writingandediting/Articles/14378.aspx
Image courtesy of http://polishedperceptions.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/creating-an-attractive-twitter-headline/
Success at Work: Tips for Women in PR
Photo credit: http://www.damselsinsuccess.com/
Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, recently published her book, Lean In, which outlines her ideas on what makes a successful woman in the workplace, and has certainly caused quite a stir in recent weeks. Sandberg gives us several great ideas for how women can thrive in their careers, which we as PR pros, especially women in this industry, can take some great lessons from.
Confidence
One of the most important traits at work is confidence – but how can we build confidence? Sandberg tells us that women should feel free to make their own rules, especially if the old ones are no longer working. She also says that it’s important for women to mentor other women at work. Although it may be tempting to slide into the mentality of “I did it the hard way and so should you,” more experienced women should encourage their younger counterparts to succeed. This not only helps build confidence in women new to the PR profession, but it also enriches those mentoring them.
Balance
Sandberg also points out that everyone, especially women, needs balance to succeed. Many tend to take on too much without drawing boundaries from their professional life and personal life. Sandberg said, “Families with more balance are happier,” and what she means is that women must have an equal passion for both their professional life and their personal life in order to succeed at either one.
However, women – especially those of us working in PR – have to keep in mind that balance is not always possible every day. On nights when we’re on deadline and working late, it’s important to keep in mind that not every evening will be that way, and to embrace the days when we can leave right on time.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Knowing the difference between hard work and smart work is integral to success. PR teams are given credit for results, not the hours they put in to get those results. It’s up to all PR pros – including women – to shine a light on those great results, because no one is going to do it for them. Also remember that “done” is better than “perfect.” This mentality cuts down on unnecessary hours worked and keeps tasks humming along efficiently.
Sit at the Table
Perhaps Sandberg’s most famous advice is, “sit at the table.” Women too often sideline themselves by sitting in the back of the room or at the side of the table. Remember, you only have one shot to make a great impression, so when you walk into a meeting do it with confidence and act as if you belong right there at the table – because you do.
Ladies, any more tips for being successful at work and in the PR industry? What do you think of Sheryl Sandberg’s ideas? Let us know in the comments!
Source: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/4_things_PR_women_should_know_for_success_14241.aspx
New Report: Smartphone Use
As PR professionals, we are constantly checking our smartphones because we never know when that important email from a reporter or client is going to come through. Not only are we tasked with staying on top of email conversations, we also have to update Twitter feeds, monitor Facebook conversations, and read up on breaking news. It’s no wonder us PR pros are constantly checking our smartphones, and it turns out we’re not alone – according to a recent report from IDC Research, people across the board are checking their smartphones more and more frequently.
To put together the report, which was sponsored by Facebook, IDC conducted an online survey of 7,444 Android and iPhone users, ages 18 to 44, during a week in March. The age group is limited because it represents the highest levels of ownership across mobile devices, according to Danielle Levitas, a senior analyst at IDC Research.
Exactly how much time do people spend on their smartphones? The report says that smartphone users spend 132 minutes on average each day communicating and using social media, and over the weekend (Friday through Sunday) that number increases to 163 minutes. On Monday through Thursday, it drops to 87 minutes.
According to the report, smartphone owners ages 18 to 44 spend more than two hours a day communicating and using social media on their devices, and eighty percent check their smartphones within 15 minutes of waking up. For anyone working in PR who has scanned through emails with bleary eyes before dawn, that stat is not too surprising.
In addition to checking emails, social networking is a very popular smartphone activity. The report states that 70 percent of smartphone users check Facebook on their phones, and 61 percent check it every day. The average number of times respondents check Facebook on their phones is 14.
How often do you check your smartphone? What are the apps that you most frequently use? Let us know in the comments!
Source: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/14170.aspx#
PR Agencies Should Take an Interest in Pinterest
Nielsen reported in December 2012 that Pinterest had the largest year-over-year increase in audience, amounting to 1,698%. And one thing is for sure, Pinterest is only going to continue to play a more prominent role in the social media landscape having just received an investment of $200 million from Valiant Capital Management. Clearly, Pinterest is a growing force that can’t be ignored.
While Pinterest was initially used to strictly target individuals with personal accounts, it is now branching out and catering to businesses with its latest business account offering, launched at the end of 2012. As a result, companies can now leverage Pinterest for commercial activities and can access “business microsites”, (a segment of Pinterest that allow companies to look at case studies of other businesses on Pinterest to see what is working to achieve high traffic volume).
As a result, Pinterest offers an incredible opportunity for agencies to more effectively leverage to drive awareness. For example, businesses are now able to upload pictures and content to highlight specials or weekly features, and most importantly have access to the “Pin It” button so individuals can pin images from company boards, thereby promoting the company and increasing the likelihood of going viral.
By catering to businesses with Pinterest’s latest features, PR agencies will have yet another channel to leverage and may find it even easier to drive traffic to company websites. Pinterest is just one more way to get noticed in the very big world we live in. Since Pinterest is quickly becoming the next Facebook or Twitter, PR agencies need to jump on the Pinterest bandwagon for their clients’ benefit before it is too late.
Living (and Tweeting) in the Moment
Social media has created a new landscape for PR and marketing. It enables the general public to globally share in big events, such as the upcoming Academy Awards, live and in real time. It is no longer just before and after the event that we share, but rather throughout the duration of it. This creates many opportunities for the unknown to happen with a higher possibility for a global discussion to take place. Savvy companies can gain recognition for their brand for free on the national stage if their PR and marketing staff is prepared for all possible situations. They should be ready to whip up a cute tweet or post for Facebook concerning memorable moments that take place at live events.
Oreo is a prime example of how this is done. When the lights went out at the Superbowl this year, Oreo tweeted a picture with a comment that you can still eat an Oreo in the dark. People loved this timely humor during an unfortunate situation, and it was retweeted thousands of times before the lights came back on. Oreo’s PR and marketing team was quick on their feet, knew their audience, kept their message short and sweet, and in the process won free add space and huge recognition.
So why not capitalize on this free publicity? Live in the moment and be ready for any and everything. While watching the Academy Awards next weekend, make sure your brand’s PR and marketing team is ready for anything to happen with a quick witted comment that will capture the audience and give your brand national recognition in an instant.
http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/13809.aspx
Balancing Work and Life in the PR Industry
Most of us have heard by now that PR is one of the most stressful jobs you can have. With unpredictable hours, never-ending client demands, temperamental journalists, and constant deadlines to contend with, it’s no wonder us PR pros get stressed out from time to time. How can we balance work life with the rest of our lives, and reduce stress as much as possible so we can be our best, most productive selves while we’re working?
Learn how to unplug
Sure, PR is a 24-hour-a-day job, with calls and emails coming in late at night and early in the morning. However, sometimes you just have to find the time to unplug from your phone and laptop. If there isn’t a pressing reason to be checking your email (like a looming deadline or a press release that needs to be approved), don’t check it. When you leave the office, truly leave the office – vow to not check your email again until the next morning. Wrap up all your ongoing electronic conversations before you leave for home. Completely disconnecting like this once or twice a week will work wonders for your sanity, and will make you more productive when you come back into the office the next morning to face the emails again.
Engage with the PR community
Gather up your colleagues and hit a PR industry networking event, or attend a webinar that addresses a PR-related skill you want to learn more about. Truly connecting and engaging with the PR industry outside of your own office will make you feel more in tune with what you are doing and why you’re doing it, and will help grow your network, giving you a greater support system of other PR professionals and a deeper connection to the industry.
Get a hobby
It’s important to have something to look forward to after work, something that doesn’t involve more stress or obligations to others. Pick up a hobby – learn to knit, play an instrument, take a dance class, or join a book club – anything that you find interesting and fun. If the activity involves spending time with others, that’s even better. Connecting with people while doing something you truly enjoy is a sure-fire way to beat stress.
Striking a balance between your demanding PR job and the rest of your life will not only help you be happier overall, it will also make you more focused and engaged while you’re at work. What are your tips for achieving this tricky work-life balance? Let us know in the comments!
How to Get Your Brand to Stand Out
Public relations will continue to evolve as new tools and technologies emerge, yet one thing will stay the same. Companies and individuals will always work to get their brand to stand out in the market and create a loyal following.
With millions of people getting their news from the Internet, it only makes sense to try to highlight your company through social media. After all, the more clicks a name gets, the higher up on the food chain they become on search engines. Yet, how do you focus your time in order to grab the attention of followers to make your company the next Nike or have a well-recognized (for better or worse) name like Lance Armstrong?
First things first, you must ask yourself what message you are trying to get across. Perception is key in branding, no matter what outlet is being used. Most likely, you’ll want a positive message about your brand with a goal of getting the most Likes on Facebook, the most Tweets on Twitter, and pictures being pinned on Pinterest.
If you’re starting from a clean slate, make sure to maintain that positive, untarnished image. A brand’s first impression is what pops up first on a search. Once something finds its way onto the Internet, it is nearly impossible to eradicate it. Hence, watch what you post on Facebook and say on Twitter. Posting about a late-night binge with some buddies or making political statements may turn people off and should be avoided. Some things are meant to be kept private!
If your brand already has a bad reputation you may need to start with some crisis management in order to restore its image. For instance, Lance Armstrong’s PR team will need to revert back to crisis mode now that he has confessed to blood doping. He was followed by people from all over the world, but now is losing them due to his bad choices. Most likely his PR team is trying to shift the focus to the fact that he is seeking forgiveness, is human, and that this one digression (no matter how big it may have been) was just a bump in the road, ideally shifting the focus to the positive.
The next step is to make sure you have a target audience. Now that you know what your message is, who is most likely to respond to it? Post content that would draw their attention. The more interested the audience, the more likely the brand is to be noticed. Think about who is going to help you evangelize your brand through social media and help it go viral.
Finally, accept that the results may not be instantaneous. You most likely will not become the next big thing overnight. However, the more you post, tweet, and put pictures up on Pinterest and Instagram, the greater potential your brand has to get noticed.
The resources you use to bring awareness to your brand will continue to change and evolve, but the winners will always be the brands that are liked the most, with the most visibility and the greatest fan following.
How to Build a Better Brand
Sometimes as PR professionals, we’re called upon to help our clients identify and build their company’s brand. The brand is the core and basis of what a company is and it tells customers what they can expect. It’s also what makes a company stand out from its competitors, so it’s very important to get it right from the get-go. To help you on your branding journey, we’ve laid out some essential steps to building a company’s brand.
Step 1: Define the Brand
Defining the brand requires research and deep thinking – basically, it’s a journey where the business must take a close look at itself and be honest about what it is and what it stands for. This journey can be difficult, time-consuming and uncomfortable, but it’s also crucial. It demands that the company answers the following questions:
- What is the company’s mission?
- What are the benefits and features of its products or services?
- What do its customers and prospects already think of the company?
- What qualities do you want them to associate with the company?
Once you have answered these questions and you have a clear idea about the definition of the brand, you can start putting together a logo and tagline, and continue building the brand on the base you just established.
Step 2: Messaging
As part of the branding exercise, you may be asked to help with the company’s messaging, which is what they say and how they say it. Take a look at the company website and think about how they talk to their customers and what message they are trying to get across. Are they formal and corporate? Fun and laid-back? Friendly and welcoming? A huge law firm’s website messaging is going to be completely different from a website for a yoga studio, which will be different from a university’s homepage. Figure out the tone and style of the organization’s voice and observe how they talk to their customers face-to-face, and then mimic that style for their online messaging. If they would like to change the way they talk to their customers, research how the company wants to position itself and build the new messaging from the ground up.
Step 3: Social Media Presence
Although the popular thing to do nowadays is to sign up companies to every social network under the sun, first take some time to think about which networks would be best to leverage the company’s brand before blindly joining them. Consumer products are great for image-based social networks like Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram. Many fashion brands and other consumer-based companies use these websites with great success. Alternatively, more B2B and business-facing brands benefit from Twitter and LinkedIn, where they can post the latest market research and industry articles and use more text-based content.
Step 4: Keep it Consistent!
Once you’ve put in the hard work to build the brand and get it off the ground, stick with it! Staying consistent with the message, logo, tagline, and online presence will garner the brand more recognition and will make it stand out in customer’s minds. Changing things will only confuse them, so stick with what you initially started – you can always make changes down the road if you need to, after the brand is firmly established.
Share your ideas for building great brands in the comments, and follow us on Twitter @onechocolatecom for more PR tips and tricks!
PR 101: The Infographic
An infographic, a graphic containing facts and statistics that provides meaningful insight into a topic, is certainly a creative way to get some PR for a client—it can go viral across social media, get some great placements in the media as well as get some great SEO for your client’s website. Unfortunately these days, reporters are bombarded with so many infographics, making it extremely important to get it right so that the investment matches the return.
Now that you’re up to the challenge, it’s time to collect facts and statistics around your topic. A brainstorm with your client always helps as well as trying to hook your topic into something timely, e.g., an upcoming national event, holiday, season, etc. This way it makes it more likely that your infographic will get picked up by the media and go viral. Furthermore, getting first hand facts and stats from your client is a must as well as documenting your sources.
On a side note, it’s also best to do some research and look to see what infographics are already out there on the topic. Did your client’s competitor do something similar last year? Don’t fret, see how your company data stacks ups against theirs to make the topic fresh and more meaningful for the current year.
Having collected facts from respected sources such as Pew Research, analyst reports, etc. are great to include (and footnote in your infographic). However, it becomes more meaningful, and prized by reporters, when your client adds their own data to make a topic more understood, while lending credibility to your client acting as the source.
In terms of designing an infographic, there are several free or low-cost web apps e.g., info.gram, that let you become the designer. It’s certainly an attractive option but infographics that get the most views by far are those expertly designed by graphic designers who specialize in the trade. We are big fans of Infographic World.
For an added resource, Samantha Murphy from Mashable, one of the best sites to get your infographic placed, talks to an expert designer and offers some helpful tips in How to Create an Awesome Infographic.
Also, here’s an example of one of our own client’s infographic on how mobile transformed political engagement for the 2012 election: http://bit.ly/payvia_mobile_election
Got a great infographic tip to share? Please leave us a comment and thanks for reading.
How to Pitch on Twitter
With all the noise and constant stream of information in our hyper-connected world, it’s no longer enough to send out a standard email pitch and hope it reaches the right target. Twitter is such a big part of our daily lives, so it’s important to be able to leverage the micro-blogging platform to your advantage as a PR pro.
So what’s the best way to go about pitching to journalists on Twitter? Follow these steps:
Find the Right Person
With email pitching, of course you want to be targeted – how many times have we heard journalists complain about an email pitch that has nothing to do with what they typically cover?
With Twitter targeting, the stakes are even higher. The message takes on a more personal feel, and if you send your pitch to the wrong person you’ll be marked as a Twitter spammer. This is even worse than being an email spammer, because on Twitter having this reputation will make you lose followers and will effectively make the community shun you – so avoid the spammer perception at all costs!
Do your research and be absolutely sure that the reporter might be interested in what you have to tell them before you tweet – read their most recent articles and blog posts, and look over their Twitter feed to find out what they find interesting and worth sharing.
Just to be safe, a good rule of thumb is to avoid cold pitching a reporter on Twitter if you don’t already have a relationship with them. They will be more likely to ignore your tweet if they don’t know who you are, and tweets coming from someone they have actually spoken to or had email correspondence with are a lot more likely to get a response.
Make an Impression with 140 Characters
Think of your pitch as a headline and put all the essential information in it: who, what, when, where, and why. Also think about why the reporter would be interested in what you’re tweeting and cater your pitch accordingly.
However, you can’t give too much away in your tweet. Think about it: everything you write will be seen by that journalist’s Twitter followers. Don’t give away an exclusive or any inside information in a tweet. Often, Twitter works as a better place to get a personal introduction and tell them a little bit about who you represent, and provide a link where the reporter can see more information. They can then either Direct Message or email you back if they are interested in finding out more.
Alternatively, you can send your initial pitch via email, and then send a follow-up tweet. This adds more personality and a human touch to an otherwise generic, run-of-the-mill email pitch.
Don’t Fade Away
Journalists hate being badgered over and over again after you send them a pitch, but you do have to follow up. This is especially true on Twitter, given the newsfeed is so fast – your message might get lost in the shuffle. Send a friendly follow up tweet to the reporter a day or two after you pitch them.
Persistence, targeted tweets and most importantly, the right journalist for your story will help your 140-character message reach its desired target.
What are your tips for pitching on Twitter? Let us know in the comments!