What PR lessons can we learn from St. Patrick?
Quite a few, it turns out. You see, St. Patrick was a legendary story teller. He had a great story to tell about his faith to the people of Ireland.
St. Patrick, the Story Teller
In the year 432 after the Pope made him a Bishop, the King of Ireland invited St. Patrick for a visit. The good St. Patrick had to figure out how to tell his story of faith to a large audience (the people of Ireland) that had never heard such a story (because most of the Irish people were Druids) and he had to do it in such a way that people would be inclined to listen and perhaps believe.
Effective Use of Illustration
St. Patrick knew that the Druids considered the shamrock to be a sacred plant because the leaves of the plant formed a triad. So, he used the shamrock as an illustration. He explained that this sacred plant with three beautiful leaves was like the sacred mystery of the Trinity – God in three persons. You know what happened? People listened, and many believed. In fact, the King was so impressed, they say, that he immediately became a Christian, and then gave St. Patrick his permission to travel the country and tell everyone.
What does this have to do with Public Relations, you say?
Everything, I say. PR folk are bound to be professional story tellers. We are often given the responsibility of communicating a story to a large receiving public who may not have heard our story before and who may not be likely to be very receptive.
Like the good St. Patrick, we’ve got to reach out to those innovators and early adopters, and remember to meet our audience where they are by using language and creative illustrations that the audience can relate to so the message is not just delivered but received. Our goal is to educate, inform and impact attitudes and opinions that will ultimately lead to a measurable and meaningful change. That means that we’ve got to take into careful consideration the communication style and informational needs of the receiving public and customize our messaging accordingly using language and symbols with a shared frame of reference.
When it comes to getting the word out, we could all take a cue from St. Patrick who took the time to tell his story in a way that his listeners could understand and relate to in a meaningful way. Think about it!
Copyright 2010, Tracy L. Teuscher, The Buzz Maker! LLC
What’s love got to do with it? The media speaks out.
In a conversation with a media professional recently, I was reminded again how important good media relations habits are for public relations professionals.
I had made a call to check on the production schedule and content requests for a consumer print publication, and to make sure the editorial staff knew I would be sending something on behalf of one of my clients for consideration. At the end of the conversation, this gentleman took to time to tell me how much it meant to him that I had taken the time to call and have a conversation. I’m paraphrasing of course, but he basically told me that because I had taken the time to keep the relationship strong, the news items I send will receive stronger consideration than those received from folks who don’t do that.
What the Experts Have to Say
Now, couple that with a similar report from a panel of experts I had the great pleasure of hearing from at a recent Akron PRSA Chapter meeting. Here were the most important messages of the day, at least to me:
- The media industry has been significantly impacted by the economy. They are all working more hours with far less staff than ever before. (So, you’re going to have to maintain some personal contact to set yourself apart, because they are overwhelmed with work and inundated with requests, so make sure you’ve got something important to share and then pick up the dang phone.)
- They receive hundreds of email every day. (So, use a simple, content-specific headline, keep the email brief and focused on the facts of interest, and then pick up the dang phone.)
- They rely upon public relations professionals now more than ever, and most consider us to be reliable sources for accurate information. (So, deliver the relevant, accurate information and then pick up the dang phone.)
- They are using social media platforms to gather information and identify sources for information because they can reach more people faster that way. (So, use your Facebook and Twitter to follow your journalists so you are poised to respond to their requests when they make them, and then, maybe still pick up the dang phone.
Note the Theme?
Fewer people with far more work and the weight of the inbox and the social media platforms means that folks are going to be much more likely to give attention to the news items you send if they know you and see you as a trusted source. We can only earn that kind of relationship if we’re keeping good media relations habits at the center of the work. Think about it!
Copyright 2010, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
Write for the Reader – Be a Trusted, Informative Voice
This article was originally published by The Buzz Maker in May of 2007, but some folks requested that I share it again. Enjoy this slightly edited version.
Write for the Reader
Content is king. We’ve all heard that saying more than once. And, for folks trying to put out a quality newspaper, magazine, website, Blog, or other media marvel, it’s still true.
What Does the Reader Want or Need?
One of the most important things should be doing as Public Relations professionals is connecting with Editorial teams to determine what kind of content their readers want so we can deliver it while simultaneously achieving that somewhat challenging goal of making the Editor’s job easier. But a number of Editor’s I’ve spoken with recently seem to have a good deal of trouble getting editorial contributions that don’t read like an infomercial. If you want space for an infomercial, you need to buy it – it’s called advertising.
The Editor’s Choice
As a PR professional, you do not want advertising space. You want Editorial coverage. You want to get an article, or feature, or news item or interview or review published. You want your company or client to become a trusted, informative voice for the readership they desire to reach. To do so, you must be a thoughtful content provider for your Editor and his or her readers, because when you do, you become a trusted source of information regarding the industry, product, information or service (i.e. client or company) you represent.
What to Do When You Call
When you have that unique opportunity to speak with an Editor or Journalist and they are willing to give you a few minutes of their valuable time, ask them as many questions as they will let you.
What would they consider to be the hottest topics for their readership currently? How are they trying to deliver information to their readership in a unique way as compared to competitive publications? How is the current state of the union, fuel costs, new federal or state guidelines, global warming or war time effecting the industry and readership they serve in unique ways? How is that industry responding in both positive and negative ways? Do they accept by-lines? Most specifically, if they received a ready-to-publish article in their inbox today, what would it look like? What format would it be in? How many words do they want? What section of the publication do they need it for? Can they refer you to a sample? What is the deadline?
Now, Think Like a Solution Provider
Armed with the answers to these important questions, carefully consider how your writing can provide relevant content to that Editor while writing for the reader and positioning your company or client as the trusted, informative voice on the subject you select. Then, collaborate with the management team to collect the necessary information and craft an article that fills the bill, and send it in advance of the deadline. You’ll be surprised at the response you get.
A Personal Story
I received the greatest phone call from an Editor once after receiving something I submitted to him for a new section of his publication he was trying to develop. He called from his direct line, and I didn’t recognize the number, so answered in my typical professional manner. Without giving his name, he simply said, “If you were here right now, I would kiss you. This is perfect.”
By working hard to create a content solution for your Editor, you create a win-win situation for everyone. And, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Copyright 2009, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
Doing Good for Goodness Sake – It’s Good PR
I was talking to a good friend of mine the other night about helping. I can’t help helping. I don’t think of helping as something required of me, like a duty or a job. It’s simply something I am always trying to do as a natural part of living in the world. There is no element of expectation of reciprocation, I just dig it.
Doing Good is Good PR
Now, ride my thought train with me and think of this whole helping thing in terms of public relations. Think about the relationship we have to the community in which we live and work and share our lives, and our goals for strengthening that relationship.
If you want to connect with the community, and engage them as advocates and story-tellers (and that, of course, includes the media), then look around and see what kind of good you can do, and get involved. What is happening in your community, in your neighborhood, at the school, at the church? Has someone lost their home in a fire? Is the regional food bank having a hard time meeting the needs of the hungry? Did the school lose funding for the art program? Is the Pastor at the church ill?
Choosing a Group to Help
You’ve done some digging and now you’ve got an overwhelming list, so where is the biggest need? What are you and your team passionate about? What opportunity to make a difference is related in some way to the products and services you offer, or ties directly into your core values and beliefs?
Here’s an Example
Okay, so you decide you want to engage the community by hosting a really nice open house event. Great! Make it really fun, and inject the whole gig with an opportunity to help people in your community! Then, you tell EVERYONE how they can participate in helping! You know what happens? The whole thing immediately takes on its own life and its own energy. People want to support you, they want to be involved, they want to bring their friends, and they want to tell everyone. That goes for the media, too, by the way.
If you want to be a leader, be a helper. Do some good, for goodness sake. When you do, everyone wins, and it’s good public relations. Don’t you just love that?
Copyright 2009, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
Thoughts on Social Media and PR
The advent of robust, rapidly growing social media landscapes has made the job of determining the appropriate use of social media platforms a very big job for us PR folks. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m finding it tough to keep up.
Recent research indicates that there are already more than 100 million Blogs. FaceBook is expected to have as many as 300 million users by this fall with the fastest growing group the 55+ crowd, http://www.istrategylabs.com/facebook-demographics-and-statistics-
august-2009-55-grows-25-in-one-month/. Twitter, just launched in 2006, now has users from all over the world with 72.5% of all users joining during the first five months of 2009 http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/. Because of the range and astonishing rate of growth of social media platforms, and the unique users and inherent management functions of each platform, social media management programs have recently been developed to help us keep track of it all. Well, that’s cool, but that gives us one more thing to learn how to effectively use! It’s exhausting!
What’s the good news for PR? Well, there is a lot of good news! Every social media platform available today was created to enhance interpersonal communications. After attending several educational webinars and reading every related white paper I can find on the subject (yes, I’m one of those people who read the directions before I build something), I consistently see several major rules relating to effective use of social media for professional communications, and they are consistent with the rules for PR best practice: Do your research, assess the uses of the medium by your primary stakeholders and media sources and their unique needs and goals, communicate with honesty and transparency, provide supportive data, be prepared for opposing opinions but avoid argument, and be prepared to measure and evaluate effectiveness.
Whether we are using social media to communicate with our stakeholders or we are using social media for media relations, the basic rules still apply: Do your research, be a reliable source, be an immediate responder, be a solution provider, and be honest and genuine. Learn as much as you can about the social media platform you are using and the unique needs of its users, and then make a contribution that attempts to meet those needs through ethical, meaningful communications. It is our challenge as public relations professionals to do this with an acute awareness regarding the responsibility we have to our profession, our clients, our company and our brand. By doing so, each social media environment offers a unique communications avenue to enhance awareness and build relationships. The world of social media is here to stay and it’s up to us to find our place in it – not because “everyone’s doing it”, but because we have something of value to offer. Think about it!
Copyright, Tracy Teuscher, 2009.
Tracy Teuscher is a Public Relations Consultant and President of The Buzz Maker™ Public Relations. She maintains active membership in PRSA serving the Board of Directors for the Akron Area Chapter of PRSA. She is also a member of the PRSA Independent Practitioners Alliance, the SBN Select Committee and her local Jackson-Belden Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit http://www.thebuzzmaker.com
Honesty – The True Grit of PR
Honesty and the Code of Ethics
The centerpiece of every other part of the professional code of ethics, honesty is the true grit of public relations practice. Those of us that adhere to this code of ethics embrace what the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) calls the highest standards of accuracy and truth. In so doing, we elevate honesty to its rightful place. Stemming from honesty are all other important elements of our professional code of ethics.
Making Honesty and Ethics the Foundation of the Work
By making honesty the foundation of my work, I simultaneously fulfill my commitment to ethically inform, to serve the public good, to provide a voice in the marketplace and contribute to informed public debate, to provide objective counsel, to avoid omission, to preserve the integrity of the communications process, to promote respect among PR professionals, to set an example for others, and to enhance to the profession as a whole. When I do this as a constant exercise, I am continually grounding myself in the stuff that makes me a better professional and a better consultant, not to mention a better citizen, a better leader, a better mother, a better daughter, and a better friend. I become someone worthy of trust – a standout quality in the business world today – making me the kind of professional that people want to do business with.
Honest = Trustworthy
Making honesty the core principal of my professional life is good for business and helps me to overcome the storm of perpetuated perception of the public relations professional as doctor of spin and misinformation, and to attract clients and partners that share this value system. Now, that’s good PR! Think about it!
Copyright 2009, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
Public Relations Born of Adversity
Hey! It’s May 20th, and I’m back in Blog action. My “Buzz of the Month™” has recently been “Buzz of the Quarter” as a result of the level of adversity in my world lately, so you have my apologies for that.
A History of Adversity
Speaking of adversity, at this time in our nation’s history, a time that is filled with constant adversity and change, public relations professionals find themselves overwhelmed with the incredibly important responsibility to facilitate effective, honest, informative communications with varied internal and external publics that must also simultaneously reassure and reestablish confidence. During times like this, it helps to remember that public relations in this country was born of adversity.
Samual Adams, a Public Relations Trend Setter
So, let’s journey back in time and reflect on the ingenious work of Samuel Adams during the Revolutionary War. This guy and his team were truly remarkable. Sam Adams and his supporters understood the importance of communicating with, and gaining the support of the public in order to achieve their organizational goals – mobilize the public, affect public opinion, fight a war, and form a government.
Use of Slogans
For example, he precisely developed the use of slogans to compress complex information into bite sized, memorable sayings that could be easily remembered and shared: “No Taxation Without Representation”.
Use of Organized Community Events
He also coordinated big events with community involvement to create a larger platform for idea sharing in order to solidify public opinion and get attention: The Boston Tea Party.
Dissemination of Information Through Communications Channels
He also organized The Committees of Correspondence, a group responsible for interpreting British actions to the colonists and to foreign governments, raising public awareness, and engaging public involvement: One of the members was Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense.
Thomas Paine and Common Sense
Now, let’s look at the example of the writings of Thomas Paine. His pamphlet, Common Sense, was published three times reaching publication of over 100,000 copies very shortly after being introduced to the public in January of 1776 – talk about viral marketing! Common Sense is often considered the greatest public relations act of the Revolution by assigning blame to King George III for the suffering of the colonists, steeling the resolve of the people and calling for an immediate declaration of independence – talk about swaying the early adopters!
Overcoming Communications Challenges with Creativity
Looking back, these folks were faced with incredible communications challenges, and they worked together to employ a wide variety of tactics – spokespersons, journalists, publications, flyers, slogans, and organized events to achieve their communications and organizational goals. And, we can too! It’s times like these that help us remember the foundational principals of effective public relations and reaffirm our importance and value to the organizations and publics we have sworn to ethically serve. Think about it!
Copyright 2009, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
She’s Got Style! Your Personality and Media Relations
Today is March 3rd, the birthday of my beautiful Irish grandmother. My grandmother was as grand and as saucy an Irish dame as God ever made, rest her soul. Her glistening red hair, her fair freckled skin, and her sparkling green eyes made her a beauty, but what really made her a stunning woman was her inner person.
Grandma had style!
She was, for lack of a better word, an individual. She had a passion for life, and it painted everything and everyone she touched with light and laughter. She worked hard, she played hard, and she loved hard. And, she was just as much at home on a bar stool as she was in a ballroom because she understood that class is not defined by a persons financial status, it is defined by their character.
What does all this have to do with PR, you say?
Everything, I say. If we are going to be successful public relations professionals, we had better bring our charisma and our own personal style to the work. Each of us has special talents, gifts, experiences, intellect, education, and perspective that we bring to the table. These things together define our personal and professional style, and it’s that style that makes us memorable.
Personal style makes you memorable!
And, you certainly want to be remembered. You want to be remembered there is a need for the specialized service we provide. You want to be remembered when an editor or journalist is developing content related to what you do or what your client or employer does. And, you certainly want to be remembered when it comes time to sign the check.
In order to be remembered, you’ve got to have style! You’ve got to have that special something that differentiates you from the sea of public relations professionals out there. That style must set you apart in a positive way, and must be authentically you.
What makes you so special?
If you haven’t really thought about this whole style thing much, now is the time to get started. What makes you different? What makes you special? Why- oh-why should people call you, choose you, rely on you? If you don’t know, figure it out! Make a list. Focus on the things you immediately recognize as excellent and identify other qualities and areas of skill or knowledge that you would like to develop to the level of excellence. Focus on the best and work on the rest.
In business, as in life, relationships are everything.
And, people will only develop a relationship with you if they like you. For public relations professionals, this is essential because as public relations professionals, we are bound to be influencer’s. It is our goal to influence awareness, attitudes, opinion, and behavior through the specialized practice of the work that we do and the way that we do it. In order to be influential, we must be likable, ethical, and reliable. We must be memorable. In short, we’ve got to
have style.
I don’t know about you, but when people think of me, I want them to say to themselves, as they always did about my grand Irish grandmother, “Now, she’s got style!”
Copyright 2009, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
Media Relations Tips
Well, hello again, and Happy New Year! Welcome, 2009! Virtual worlds allowing us unique expression and real-time, self-controlled publishing options like this Blog give us a unique opportunity to be contributors of content. And in every media platform, content is still king. This brings us back to the basics when it comes to our role as creators and contributors of content through our most valued media sources, and how we accomplish that through effective media relations habits.
What Editors Hate Most
I read an article recently that said that the thing that editors hate the most is poor targeting. Based upon what folks tell me, I would add that the other things they hate as much as poor targeting are poor responsiveness on the part of the PR professional, and a lack of knowledge regarding the development goals and working style of the editorial staff.
Three Rules to Remember
To avoid common mistakes in media relations, experience has shown that you must focus on three main areas and work to develop purposeful habits in each area: Do your research, be a solution provider, and be an immediate responder.
1. Research each Media Source
Learn as much as you can. Make sure that you have an understanding of the content, its goals, and the readership. Learn all you can about the unique role this particular media source plays in the media landscape, and their approach to serving their readership. Gather information about the demographics of the readership, and make sure that you have something of value to share with those readers.
2. Offer a Solution
When approaching an editor or journalist, make sure you have something to offer in the form of a solution. The editor is challenged to create relevant, timely, interesting content for their unique audience on a regular basis. If you can present your story or content idea as something of interest to that audience in the littered landscape of messages, you have immediately become a solution provider for that editor, and thus simultaneously become a solution provider for the reader, as well as your company or client.
3. Be an Immediate Responder
If you are contacted by an editor or journalist with a request for additional information, images, or simply a return call or email, make sure that you respond immediately. I can’t tell you how many compliments I have received from editorial staff simply because I responded immediately to their needs. I’ve had more than a few editors tell me that their past experiences with Public Relations professionals had been colored in a negative way because of lack of responsiveness. In addition, please remember the value of a phone call. Many of us get stuck in email land. There is no replacement for personal contact. Remember, at its heart, media relations is about relationships, and it’s difficult to successfully build or maintain them when relying solely upon the computer.
If you can customize your habits in each of these areas based upon your unique situation, you will be far more likely to be successful in your media relations efforts.
Copyright 2009, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
Tracy L. Teuscher, APR
