Rae Hostetler

Be a PR promoter: Now is the time

Rae Hostetler · Apr 30, 2020 ·

Study after study shows companies that continue promoting their business are stronger than companies that slash their marketing budgets during an economic downturn. A U.S. study of recessions looked at 600 companies covering 16 industries. Firms that sustained or increased marketing communications budgets during the 1981-82 recession averaged higher sales growth post-recession than the others. Study after study provides similar data.

Yes, budgets are tight, and we’re all waiting to hear what happens next. Yet there are basic public relations tools companies can use to keep moving forward and promote business. Here is the counsel we’ve provided over the last month and a half. I hope you find a solution here to help you keep focus and move business forward.

1) Customers first
The first question several clients had in recent weeks was to ask, “What’s going to happen to my prospect pipeline?”

Our recommendation: focus first on your current customer. One client reported back that they took did just that by setting virtual customers calls to simply ask, “How are you?”

Here’s how one call went, according to the client: They talked about family, kids and life for about 30 minutes; then talked industry for about 15; and at the end the client asked for an order. That wasn’t the intention of the call. What made the difference? The client took a personal interest in the customer.

2) Use free and low-cost tools
Now is a great time to try tools and find out what works for your business. I stress make a plan with message before starting to use the tools to be sure you’re using what makes sense for your company.

If you’ve been thinking about social media (FREE), first choose the right channel. Business to business traditionally does well on LinkedIn, for example. Then try Canva to make your post graphics. Canva has a limited account that’s FREE. It has photos, graphics, backgrounds and lets you set up your brand fonts and colors. It’s easy to use and provides a professional look.

Mail Chimp and Constant Contact also have low cost accounts if you’d like to start email campaigns. Just be sure when you start the campaign to introduce yourself to people you email before pushing the sale. Right now, more than ever, people are looking for advice not the sales push.

Google has a lot of great business tools for companies and business owners that are also complimentary. If you haven’t “claimed” your business, start there. Google takes you through steps to set up the account that include adding hours, services, photos and basic information.

3) Think like the customer
Mindsets have changed since January when companies began the year with new marketing budgets and strategies. Review your company message and think about your customer. Ask yourself how they’re thinking about things now versus 90 days ago. Right now, people are focused on family and they want a good customer experience. When you watch a television show on a network pay attention to the ads now. They’re all about family and coming together. How can your company message respond to that basic human need we all have right now?

4) Listen and respond appropriately
Public relations professionals use the phrase “tone deaf” when we talk about companies or business owners who simply are staying the course and not considering current mindset—family and let’s come together. Some companies have spare time right now and it’s been noticed that they’re jumping into communications without completely thinking through the tools, message and delivery.

How many mass emails have you gotten from companies and/or people you don’t know? How many of those emails pushed product or service instead of a basic hello, how are you? I have received many for products or services I’d never need.

As another example, we just worked with a client to respond to a publication owner who didn’t ask, but told us, an ad size was moving from half to full page. He positioned it as being generous. What he didn’t understand is, the client would have to pay to have the ad redesigned/resized. We weren’t asked, simply told via email, and it was very transparent that he needed to fill space. Tone deaf.

5) Communicate clearly
Communications doesn’t work with frequency only. It needs to be clear. A local client has been sending email messages every other week to his customers. He thought he was communicating well because he was sending information.

When the messages were shared, it was apparent why customers were frustrated. He wasn’t communicating what he really meant. The emails had a lot of language about next steps and directives that were either unclear or too demanding. Remember he was communicating with his customer, so being demanding sounded heavy.

Reality is: Some of the information in these messages talked about money. And what really needed to be communicated was not going to be popular. The client was trying too hard to soften the blow. After a lot of conversation, he client agreed just stating the facts would make it easier for everyone to process and move forward.

6) Be the hero not the villain
Bottom line, it’s simply not business as usual right now. Our approach is this: We have contracts with clients that state number of hours per month will be fulfilled based on plans. Those plans changed in recent weeks and continue to evolve. Our clients need support to ensure they’re still open for business short- and long-term. We could continue to enforce hours contracted, or we could do the right thing providing counsel for business owners when they need it most. I choose to be the hero not the villain.

The phrase “we’re in this together” might sound trite, but I believe it’s true. If you’re looking for solutions not sales so you can be a promoter without becoming tone deaf, email or call. I want to hear how you’re doing, what you want to achieve and help to find easy ways to move forward to success.

What’s your social media mix?

Rae Hostetler · Feb 28, 2020 ·

Social media is a conundrum for some company leaders. It’s on trend and you know you need it. But how does it fit? Should you be on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest… and the list goes on and on. It can be overwhelming. We manage social media as a tool within a client’s strategic communications plan. Our approach: keep it simple.

Strategically choose your channels. More channels is not better. It’s simply more to manage. Is your business selling to other businesses or consumers? Are you news driven? Bottom line, know your audience and choose the social media tool where those people are active. Our client the Stutz Artists Association uses Instagram — well. Instagram is visual as is their art. Meanwhile, our HVAC client has a fantastic following on Faceboook. LinkedIn doesn’t work for either of these clients.

Think through your post mix. Social media is a lot of things: it’s news and updates AND it’s entertainment. Posting serious stuff about your company is great. Yet chances are your staff is also a group of fun people. All work and no play makes your channels dull. Think about the mix: 25% brand, 25% news, 50% fun.

Here’s a personal example. I enjoy traveling and am in a few travel cruise groups. People who cruise have a few pet peeves, including deck chair saving. Over the summer, a friend and I “staged” a photos on deck to be playful. Now when the subject comes up, I like to post this photo of a banana holding a chair to lighten the mood (and I always say it was staged and only for fun). This one went crazy. It’s entertainment. It lightened a serious topic. An extreme example perhaps but a good one to show people want to be entertained.

Plan ahead. A company doesn’t plan a product launch the Monday before it releases. Don’t plan your social media that day. We think a month ahead. Outline posts by day. Share the posts with clients and other stakeholders. Yes, the nature course of business dictates more posts over time, but planning ahead and posting ahead alleviates that–“What do we post this week?” conundrum.

Measure. What posts get good engagement and what posts tank? Yes, some posts won’t get likes and chatter. Pulling measurement reports allows you to decide what to keep in future planning and what to stop doing. Of course, some posts are necessary and aren’t always liked (examples include straight branding). Reviewing stats creates a system to measure and consider what’s needed in the social media mix and why.

Social media is not a stand alone communications tool. It should be part of a larger strategic communications program that had goals align with a company or non-profit corporate strategy. If you’d like to talk more, contact us now.

How much does a website cost?

Rae Hostetler · Jan 20, 2020 ·

Websites are critical to an organization’s reputation and image. For some clients, a sound marketing communications strategy is designed to lead customers to a website to learn, engage and buy. We often get the question: What does a website cost?

Company leaders often don’t know what they’re paying for in budgets. That’s a risk. Without sound understanding, there’s a chance of confusion, frustration and risk website budgets could be cut.

If you considering website cost, here’s a short list. Website budgets should include:

Build cost: Website builds for a simple site start at $5,000 and can go up to $30,000 plus depending on size and scope. This cost includes outlining the website framework, writing, photography or photos, programming, testing and going live. Timeframe from start to completion depends on the complexity of the website. Consider are you building custom, going with WordPress or DIYing using Wix?

URL cost: There is a payment due to own a website address. Addresses can be purchased through one of many companies including GoDaddy, BlueHost, WPE Engine and the list continues. A developer might offer to host your site on their server, which is sometimes a good idea. Read on.

Hosting fee: Once a URL is purchased, these companies offer a hosting service. Each company has service offerings based on need: space, number of emails, etc. Where to host and package type to buy depends what the type of company/business and overall website structure. Cheapest isn’t always best.

For example, we have a client company that operates a global service-related business. The business does not sell anything on its website (no credit cards or personal data is ever collected), but due to the global work, the site was hacked. To keep the company site secure, it was moved to a private server, which fixed the hacking issue.

Maintenance: Ongoing updates, additions and maintenance for a website cost money. Whether its programming related or adding a new page for a service line, consider who will do the work. Maintenance should also include updated photography. Will you have a photographer come to your business every year or two to refresh photos or will you buy photos through an online stock photo company?

Consideration for change: Technology is rapidly changing and that includes websites. A good website has a life span of three to five years if a company wants to continue to look modern and current. Something to keep this in mind during annual budgeting.

If you’re thinking about building or rebuilding a website, contact us now. We’re happy to listen and help guide you through the process.

Media Relations tips for DIY’ers

Rae Hostetler · Nov 13, 2019 ·

Often we work with clients who say they are frustrated that they haven’t gotten interviews, profiles or appearances in the press. It’s understandable. They’re trying to figure out how to work with a reporter. I often compare media relations work to making a sale. In business, timing and approach are everything to make the sale. If you’re reading this and doing DIY media relations, here are some tips to consider when working with reporters. And if you’re reading this and thinking you need more press, please give us a call to see if we can support your efforts.

1) When thinking about approaching a reporter, ask yourself, “Is this really newsworthy?”
I listened to someone tell me that he was frustrated by a business publication’s reporter because they never wrote about him and his business. His assumption was that the reporter he was emailing and calling was bias. When I asked what the story idea he was offering was, it was about him and his business. During my tenure as a reporter, our staff at the station considered that an ad. Stop for a moment and think about what you’re offering reporters. They want newsworthy items. That means timing is everything–are you prepared to talk about a trend with new data, do you have a fresh perspective, can you comment on a current topic? Human interest stories are fantastic with the data to back up what you’re offering a reporter. For example, in Indiana the need for foster parents is a constant. Writing about people who step up to help children who need loving homes will get press and help inspire others who are thinking about becoming foster parents.

2) Find the right reporter to contact.
We’ve all met reporters at social events, our kids’ schools, church and other places. Keep in mind, this professional might not be reporting on the beat that covers your topic. Start by asking not selling. It’s a professional courtesy. This tip makes me think about people I see who meet a doctor and start talking about aches and pains. The doctor is off work–professional courtesy. Some publications have a list of reporters on their website. Look at that before you call. And keep in mind, sometimes the reporter you’re pitching to cover a story is the right person but already booked with stories. That just happened at our office. We asked, are there other options in the news run down where this can fit? Yes! And we booked a segment.

3) Let the reporter say no.
Sometimes what you think is a great idea has already been covered or is just not of interest. We always let the reporter say no. We offer them that out–it’s ok to say no. Next step here, don’t take it personally. Often what happens is the reporter respects having that out to say no and comes back another time when they’re working on a story that fits.

4) Don’t give up after one call or email.
I asked a reporter a few years back, “How many news releases do you typically get each day?” Over 30! That’s a lot of information to sort through, process and make a decision about for reporting. Unless you’re announcing new jobs, a merger, a buyout–something big–your idea will be put to the side. It’s ok to follow up and ask again. We know the reporters we contact and they know us. We have to follow up, and usually get a professional apology from them for not responding sooner. Many news teams had twice the staff up to 10 years ago. These are busy professionals working on a deadline each day. That doesn’t mean they’re not interested in you. Be patient and be courteous.

5) Confirm and prepare.
You had the story idea. Now the reporter is ready for the interview. What are the three to five messages that you want to be sure are included? Prepare. Write down talking points and think them through. Maybe even do a mock interview to be ready. A good reporter will ask questions and end an interview with, “What else do you have to add?” If your talking points were not totally covered this is your opportunity to share more information. And if that question isn’t asked, you have the right to offer information before the interview is over. Just say, “Before we wrap up, can I add a few things?”

6) Know when the story will run and what it’s about.
You also have the right to ask the reporter when the story will run. Reporters are eager to share that information because most now have responsibility to share their stories and get engagement on social media. If you’re being interviewed for a story you haven’t sold to a reporter (meaning they called on you to be a source), you have the right to ask details about that story. Who else is being interviewed, is there data and what is it and so on. The reporter will get a better story if you know what they’re working on writing. And the good reporters know and understand that.

7) Use the story when it runs.
Post it to social media channels. Email it to clients, friends and family. Add it to sales kits. Post it to your website. Print it for your lobby. Bottom line, don’t be shy to share a final story in the press.

Stop the communications illusion

Rae Hostetler · Oct 20, 2019 ·

A survey of consumers and business leaders by Twilio is startling, at least to me.

Nearly 7 out of 10 businesses think they’re communicating with their
customers effectively.
Only 2 out of 10 consumers agree.

Here’s the reality. Often what feels like over communication is really, truly just—communication. People need to hear your message up to seven times to really hear it. And when it comes to communication with companies, us consumers just want it to be simple.

We work with business owners and leaders throughout Indianapolis. During the course of the day they’re juggling every facet of business from human resources issues to supply chain snafus to daily sales to keep cash coming. If cash doesn’t flow, the staff isn’t paid. That’s a hard truth. Yet too many times communications (internal or external) fall to the bottom of the list. And there’s an illusion it’s ok, because maybe it already happened, someone else said it or it’s in the works.

These are self-limiting beliefs for a business owner. If a company’s external communications are not strategically aligned and managed your business’ reputation will suffer. From an employee standpoint, C-Suite executives know when internal communications are suffering because it’s hard to put key initiatives into place and subsequently keep top talent.

Companies that are highly effective at change management, engagement and communications reap the rewards:

5x more likely to outperform industry peers
20% more likely to report lower turnover rates
5x more likely to have managers who actively support the vision

(Study Towers Watson)

So why aren’t more leaders communicating and what should they do about it?

They don’t know how (and that’s ok).

We have a current client who’s a master of operations and business growth. He’s the first person to say, “I don’t have a clue what to do to communicate my business.” And that’s why we work well together. I don’t know how to do so many things. I cannot fix a car, do my own taxes and am not handy around the house. There are smart and highly trained professionals who are experts in these areas. That’s why I call them to help. The key here is to be open to advice and ideas from professionals. Not all CEOs and leaders are, and it makes it hard to do the PR job when expertise and experience are disregarded.

Business of the day always seems to outdo communications.

At 8 a.m., we all have the best intentions to accomplish a lot. We have a list of things we and a well-structured calendar of meetings. Then we look at email. Then the phone rings. People need ideas, input and feedback. Now it’s a couple hours later and nothing on that list has been scratched off. Those high priority things to do are on fire. My guess is communications and public relations isn’t among them. It should be weighted equally to other initiatives.

It’s not a priority.

You cannot deny it. Just try! When we don’t know how to do something, it falls low in the priority list. Owning a company means wearing a lot of hats. Setting up communications goals isn’t a priority. A Forbes article from 2012 outlined what CEOs see as their #1 priority. They said, Getting and keeping top talent. Refer back to that Towers Watson survey above. It says companies that communicate well have lower turnover rates. Perhaps reprioritizing communications should become a priority for some leaders.

Leadership is out of touch.

POPin collected responses from 163 business leaders, including C-level executives, across a variety of industries. Only 21% of executives solicit feedback from employees in person, and often that feedback is not candid. Employees fear negative career consequences for being honest. When leaders try to meet, 41% said they do townhall meetings. These typically are one-sided, favoring execs. Our team worked for a global corporation that did townhall meetings once, if not twice a year. The leaders came from Europe to talk. And talk they did! They were out of touch with the issues the employees faced in the United States. Executives talked about products that didn’t affect the people in Indianapolis, and their global business speach went over employees’ heads. And yes, we tried to coach these execs with prepared and well-presented information to no avail.

Get out from behind your desk. Talk with your staff, vendors, contractors and others who work with or for your business. Take a walk through the office and work areas. During my tenure at RCI here in Indianapolis, the CEO decided to have a contest with the call center staff. The winner got to train the CEO and have him take calls from customers. Not only did the staff love it and feel valued, but the CEO learned a lot too.

Leadership doesn’t see the value.

Let’s go back to that opening piece of information. Seven out of 10 businesses think they’re communicating with customers effectively. Just two out of 10 consumers agree. When someone has a bad experience, they tell a friend or two or three or more. Even worse, they stop doing business with the company. Employees unhappy? They leave!

Make communications matter. It’s an easy tool that impacts so many aspects of operations.

If you’re thinking maybe it’s time to stop the communications illusion, email or call me o set a time. We’d love to hear how you want to be communicating your image.