Trends Come and Go, But These 5 PR Tips Are Forever

By Aisha Belagam—Jr. Communications Strategist

Twitter: @AishaBelaPR

As we get closer to 2017, amidst a flurry of new trends, it is important to remember that the traditional fundamentals of public relations are timeless and the backbone of any campaign, be it 1977 or 2017.

Here are five forever PR techniques that I always return to, no matter what platform, reporter, or message I’m working with:

1) Write well, not good
The digital age has certainly increased the demands placed on public relations professionals. As the role has evolved into a management discipline, strategy and critical thinking drive executions. However, no matter how you slice it, writing continues to be the fundamental skill one must possess to thrive in the industry. Strong writing skills are consistently the top-rated PR skill in multitudes of surveys, including this recent one from Gould and Partners.Typewriter illustration vector Free Vector

Advanced writing skills are more important than ever in today’s changing landscape, where everything is instant. Journalists and PR professionals are dealing with 24/7 deadline pressures, while citizen journalists are simultaneously posting stories, videos, rumors, and statements that can permanently damage reputations. With heightened expectations and less time for give-and-take between journalists and publicists, it is vital that a PR professional can write well and deliver content that can be published as is, if needed.

It’s no wonder why so many PR pros, including myself, have journalism degrees.

2) Do your homework
Want to gain credibility and be taken seriously by reporters? Do your research. Distribution is easy if you spend your time wisely. Rather than blindly pitching hundreds of reporters and publications, spend your time developing a highly-targeted media list with unique angles to work with. You are more likely to spark interest this way. What has the reporter written about lately? How does it relate to your client’s story? Connect the dots and show the reporter why your story is relevant. Remember what runs through the reporter’s mind: WIFM (What’s In It For Me).

3) Put the relations back into public relations
Alluding to my last point, PR/journalist relationships still rest on the rudiments. Good chemistry trumps a random, well-crafted pitch. There is no substitution for real, emotional connection, regardless of how strategic and seamless your pitch is. Behind the screens, we are all humans. Build trust, rapport and friendships with media members and make life easier for both sides. Sure, no one has time for frequent business lunches anymore. Leverage the tools of today to balance it out. A Facebook comment, Instagram like or casual chitchat over the phone can help build that relationship.

“That Facebook video of your son taking his first steps was precious, William. Did he end up making it to the chair with some practice?”

4) Man bites dogyorkshire Free Photo
That sure got your attention. You never read about the dog that bit the man. Or about the plane that did not crash. Alfred Harmsworth’s (1865-1922) words hold true to this day. Be unusual. Make your story different. Offer a unique angle.

Why? Because as New York Sun editor John B. Bogart so eloquently said, “When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a dog, that is news.”

5) Do the right thing
Public relations professionals face many unique and challenging ethical issues. Simultaneously, protecting integrity and public trust continue to be crucial to the profession’s role and reputation. That’s why it is vital to refer to the PRSA Code of Professional Ethics. Ethics make or break careers. The power of doing the right thing is illimitable.

It’s why I’m a part of (W)right On Communications. We provide award-winning, full-spectrum communications to billion-dollar companies and small businesses alike because we live by these timeless tips as we embrace the ever-changing landscape.

What matters most to you? Let us know in the comments. Or of course, tweet, tweet!

(W)right On Communications Adds Four Team Members

SAN DIEGO, Calif.; Oct. 20, 2016 – San Diego public relations agency (W)right On Communications has added four new team members. Aisha Belagam joins the agency as Communications Strategist, Collin Chappelle as Video Producer, Phelan Riessen as Lead headshot_aishaDeveloper and Teronda Williams as Marketing and Administrative Coordinator. With a multi-cultural background, Belagam brings experience in public relations, marketing, social media and advertising most recently with Vitality Medical and ViTRO Agency. She graduated magna cum laude from San Diego State University. Chappelle has been shooting both video and stills since 2004 and specializes in community journalism, business to business storytelling and commercial advertising.
Using the latest digital cinema equipment, including 6K-capable headshot_colincameras and aerial drones, Chappelle has collaborated with client partners such as Coca-Cola, the United States Marine Corps, AMWAY, Milk Life, NASCAR and many others. Chappelle holds a Master of Art in Commercial Photography degree from Savannah College of Art and Design. Riessen is a well-established web developer and known locally for his support of various technology and business events around town including RefreshSD, March Mingle and Startup Week. Williams’ experience in marketing and administration includes positions with La Vida Del Mar, CW6 Channelheadshot_phelan and the Rock Church, and she is a Cal State University San Marcos graduate.

“Our new team members bring excellent practice area knowledge and technical skill to help us provide the full spectrum of communications expertise to our client partners,” says Grant Wright, CEO of (W)right On Communications.

About (W)right On Communications

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Founded in 1998 in Vancouver, British Columbia, (W)right On Communications is among California’s largest communications and public relations agencies. Supporting the hospitality, healthcare, energy, technology, professional services, government agencies, land development and other industries, San Diego-based (W)right On has produced results-driven media relations, social media, crisis communication, graphic design, videography, branding and marketing campaigns for client partners including hotels, hospitals, major utilities, startups, clean tech and renewable energy providers, land developers, city governments and universities among many others. To learn more about (W)right On, visit wrightoncomm.com.

How to Write Winning Award Nominations

By Chance Shay, Senior Communications Strategist

“You play to win the game.” As a sports enthusiast, this is one of my favorite quotes. When it comes to organized sports, if you’re not playing to win then what’s the point? The same thing goes for submitting award nominations. To make sure you’re helping your organization get the recognition (and buzz) it deserves, here are the four key elements to writing award nominations that win.

1. Focus on the category: There are a ton of award categories, which means your award nomination needs to emphasize how your product/service/organization is outstanding in that specific area. If the award category is about innovation, focus on how your widget solves a problem in a new way or how it created a new class of products. Many organizations make the mistake of writing award nominations that explain how fantastic their product is in a breadth of ways. Instead, focus on how fantastic the product is as it pertains to the one category. This will help reduce wordiness of a nomination, better hold judges’ attention and gives them everything they need to know to evaluate your product without having to dig through the nomination for it.

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2. Write for the criteria: All sound awards programs lay out criteria against which nominations will be judged. Use those criteria as an outline for your nomination. Make sure you clearly and succinctly address each aspect of the criteria within the context of the larger category. If pricing isn’t part of the criteria and your widget doesn’t have a price point benefit, don’t distract from what’s remarkable about the widget by mentioning its price. Also, don’t get lost talking about the widget’s features. Instead, discuss features in terms of the benefit they provide- feature A makes the product more reliable, feature B allows it to solve the problem faster, feature C relieves a pain point that’s a barrier to entry for a wider audience. Judges don’t care as much about what the widget is as they do about what it achieves.

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3. Use figures: Anyone can add superfluous adjectives to an award nomination to make it seem more impressive than it really is, but numbers don’t lie. Include data on how successful the product launch was, figures on the number of times it solves a problem, or show metrics that illustrate the benefit of the widget. If the figures included in your nomination are bigger and better than that of competing nominations, it doesn’t matter how much a competitor embellished on their nomination description. Use stats to your advantage.

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4. Make a good first impression: Set the tone for which your nomination will be judged with an opening statement that clearly conveys why your organization deserves to win the award. Assume the judge will only read the first sentence of your nomination. What MUST they know and understand about the widget? Build your opening statement around that and be sure to showcase the passion your organization has for what the widget achieves.

Write Winning Award Nominations
Bonus tip: Incorporate visuals! Depending on the award program size. Judges may have to sift through hundreds of nominations and can get cross-eyed looking at block of text after block of text. Use visuals- from infographics to product marketing photos- to show them how awesome the widget is, rather than just tell them. For nominations that don’t allow you to upload and send visual files, incorporate links to online-hosted visuals within the nomination text itself. Sure, not all judges are guaranteed to click the links to see the visuals, but it will give your nomination the edge for those that do.

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The point of submitting an award nomination isn’t to say you’ve nominated your organization for an award. The point is to win the award, tell your audience about why you won the award, differentiate your organization from competitors and boost sales or fundraising. By following these four (or five) tips, your nominations will be better positioned to help you win, and that’s what it’s all about.

Need a little help winning attention or awards for your organization? We are all about achieving wins for our clients. Let us know what a win looks like for you, and we’ll let you know how we can get you there. Email cshay@wrightoncomm.com to start the discussion today.

The Secret to Becoming a PR Expert

By Julie Wright, President

It’s what every bright up and comer wants to know. How do I become a PR expert?

What’s the straightest line to the top? What blogs do I need to follow? What technologies do I need to use? Are there short cuts?

If you aspire to be an expert in PR, there is one thing you need to know and to do.

The answer to becoming an expert transcends conventional wisdom or insider scoop because it is backed by scientific research.

Social scientists have studied this question because it is an important one and has significant implications. In fact, in demanding, complex jobs like PR—particularly in an agency environment—research has shown that the top 10% produce 80% more than the average. Even in low complexity jobs, the top 10% produce 25% more than the average.

So researchers isolated and removed all variables – how much people practiced, worked, studied, networked, got lucky, etc. — to identify the single factor that most correlated with becoming a top performer.

But before I tell you what it is, I’ll tell you that it’s entirely within your control. It is an internal factor. And it’s not talent.

J.K. Rowling was once jobless, living on welfare and deeply depressed. She was also rejected countless times by publishing houses for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Now she’s a billionaire and one of the world’s best-known authors.

Rowling worked through her setbacks and spent five years penning her first Harry Potter book and never gave up on finding a publisher. She was going to be an author.

Michael Jordan didn’t make the varsity team when he tried out as a sophomore. But he went on to be one of the best basketball players of our time.

Jordan famously said “You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.” Clearly, when he thought about his future, it was as the best basketball player he could be.

So, here’s the answer to the question “How do I become an expert?”

It’s your commitment.

Ask yourself “How long do I plan to do this?”

If the answer is “for a couple of years,” “until I start a family” or “I’m not sure;” you can still do well but it’s unlikely that you’ll get to the top of your game. If you answered that question with “forever,” “this is my life’s work” or “until I’m the CEO;” you are on your way to a level of achievement few attain.

If you don’t believe me, read more here in my favorite weekly blog, Barking up the Wrong Tree, by Eric Barker. It is worth subscribing to as it is always filled with wisdom backed by social science—or as Eric explains “science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life.”

Barker’s post on how to become an expert includes seven other tips. It’s well worth the read if you’re serious about becoming a PR expert.

The 411 on Social Media Best Practices in 2016

By Kara DeMent, Communications Coordinator

With more than two billion active social media users today, having a presence on social media is a must for brands that want to get noticed. With “best practices” and social media platforms evolving and ever-changing, it can be tough navigating the social media landscape to create effective campaigns.  If you want to be a savvy social media communicator in 2016, here are five ways you can stay on top of the game.

1. Inspiring Visuals

Use strong visuals that leave a lasting impression. Content paired with a great picture creates 650% more engagement according to recent studies. Recently, WOC helped hospitality client partner, Delaware North, secure the win for Best Use of Visuals from PR Daily – a great example of how creating captivating visuals can help your social media presence stand out.

2. Consistency is Key

Content says everything about your brand. And if you’re not consistent with creating and producing your own content, your brand will feel it. Continuously producing good original content gives you a better chance of being seen by your audience. The more you produce, the more love you’ll receive from your audience – although this depends on what your brands/clients’ needs are, you don’t want to over produce or under produce, so always keep this in mind.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Whether it’s a fun visual, new product launch or exciting announcement; share, like and comment on content that other brands and influencers of interest to your audience produce. This exposes you to others who in return, may also share your content and help increase your followers and help your engagement. Give and you shall receive.

4. Engage Your Audience

Those of us who are social media pros don’t post content for the fun of it. We post for the opportunity to help our clients raise awareness, drive interest and build relationships. In order to make that opportunity a reality, that means we engage with our target audience by answering questions, commenting, sharing and liking content. The more you engage on social media, the closer you’re to achieving your client’s business goals.

5. Measuring Success

Measuring your social media results only helps you better your social media strategy. It shows you what’s working and what isn’t working. It gives you the leisure to experiment with what works for your brand. If you’re not sure how best to measure your results, the “Big 4” from Buffer is a great guide to follow.

If you’re still stuck on breaking through social media, our team at WOC can get you on the right track. Give us a call or find out more about our capabilities here.

Write Your PR for Robots AND Humans

By Kat Beaulieu, Communications Strategist

Whether you call it a press, news or media release or a press statement, it’s all the same thing—it’s the communication piece aimed at hooking the media onto your story. Far from being a relic relegated to our past, the press release lives on as an important tool in a PR professional’s toolkit. But in this age of media overload, getting your press release noticed is no simple feat. Plus, nowadays it’s equally important to ensure your press release appeals to robots and humans alike.

Read on for some best practices for ensuring your press release is seen by robots and humans and not getting lost in the shuffle.

The Writing Phase

Writing a press release for robots

Start writing your press release with an audience in mind. In this case, let’s begin with our robot audience. When I say ‘robots,’ I’m not talking about The Terminator, or Autobots & Decepticons, or cute heartstring-pulling characters like WALL-E. I’m talking about those web-crawling spiders that do all the grunt work of indexing the internet so that when we do a Google search on “press release,” it only takes 0.84 seconds to return 272,000,000 results (take THAT, human!)

Writing a press release for robots, or more specifically, writing an SEO optimized press release, follows certain protocols which are largely determined by the current algorithms of the top search engines you want to place prominently on. Basically you need to follow the same rules for your press release as you would for a web page. Fundamentally, this comes down to:

1. figuring out your key search terms

2. making sure those terms are peppered as naturally as possible throughout your press release.

Robots don’t care about varying your language to keep things interesting, using creative, emotional hooks to encourage them to read more, or even grammar and typos (unless they’re your key search terms, of course.) The robots will read to the end of your release no matter what and then efficiently and mathematically rank your press release among the 272,000,000 other ones out there.

Writing a press release for humans

Humans, on the other hand, care about all of those things. If there’s nothing compelling about your headline, they won’t bother reading more. If the release reads like a boring SEO-peppered document with no WIIFM (what’s in it for me, or my audience), they won’t bother remembering it. And if your release has grammatical mistakes or typos, it will also upset most humans in editor, journalist (and many) blogger roles and they’ll stop reading it. So after investing time creating an SEO optimized press release, edit it for human consumption. This means spending the time to:

1. Create a catchy headline for your press release that piques a human’s curiosity

2. Elaborate on the press release headline with supporting detail in the sub-head

3. Embed WIIFM detail throughout the body of the press release, preferably with an emotional connection—make it instantly clear why this topic is relevant, interesting, funny, sad, irritating, inspiring, joyful and most importantly, worth sharing. Give it the Facebook share test—is the info cool enough that you’d share it on Facebook given the right audience?

4. Include a good and relevant photo that supports the story. A picture says a thousand words, and this is so much more important in today’s highly-visual media arena. Plus, providing a low-res image in your initial press release provides an excellent opportunity for you to accompany the release with a personalized note to get in touch with you for a hi-res version.

5. Proofread. Robots don’t care about typos. Humans do.

The Distribution Phase

Distributing a press release to robots

Sending your press release over a paid wire service is an almost guaranteed way of capturing the attention of the robots. In fact, paid wire services serve little other purpose. In addition to sending your press release out over the wire, you can help contextualize it by supporting it through owned media channels (like a corporate website and social media). This is another place where your good and relevant photo will come in handy as you tweet and post teasers from your press release to followers.

While you might not see any immediate results, getting the robots to index your press release will pay off in the long term. It’s called seeding the internet—consider it like good press insurance. You want lots of good stories indexed by the robots so that the good outweighs the bad. This way, when something “bad” hits the media, the search results present some of the good along with the bad.

Distributing a press release to humans

As you’re probably already aware, humans are a lot more high-maintenance than robots and as such, require more time investment. To get humans to notice your press release, it helps to keep some uniquely human behaviors in mind, like:

  • Humans are social. Fact: humans are more likely to respond to humans they already know. It’s not fair, but it’s true. An editor will more likely read an email and respond to a voicemail from someone they know and trust. Build those relationships.
  • Humans have expectations. Humans expect you to do your homework. Do your research and find out which editors specialize in the topic of your news release. If it’s not that person’s specialization, they probably won’t care about your press release. This is where an up-to-date media list and your WIIFM copy is crucial.
  • Humans have a short attention span and can forget things. Unlike a robot, who will systematically comb through each and every press release in an orderly fashion, a human will likely skim through until something catches their interest. This is where your short catchy headline is golden, and where a heads-up or follow-up call can make all the difference.
  • Humans are lazier than robots. Avoid relying on attachments that humans have to double-click to open. Put the press release and image in the body of the email where possible.

So should I write a press release for a robot or a human?

The answer is that a really good press release that gets noticed is written for both. You can start with a skeleton press release that hits all the SEO sweet spots, and then flesh it out with the strong emotional meat that hits the humans in the feelies.

Need help with your press release? Fortunately we have a full team of humans who specialize in writing captivating press releases that appeal to both robots and humans. Get in touch and we’ll respond in a humanistic way that’s refreshingly un-robotic.