Public Relations

What is an independent PR Practitioner . . . really?

Rae Hostetler · May 9, 2018 ·

Some 15 years ago when I decided to venture into the world of independent work (it was called freelance then) people thought I was crazy. At that time, only a few of us in Indianapolis were working independently. There were large downtown PR agencies filled with my business associates/friends I’d made over the years. Then there were PR professionals in Indianapolis working for businesses, government, sporting teams and non-profits.

Today, the independents seem to outnumber the agencies. We’ve found each other. We partner and work on projects together. We use our creativity to tap each other’s skills and get great results. If that’s not enough benefit to the client consider this:

Customization: Every client is different. That means their marketing communications needs are unique. Finding the right professionals to execute what a client needs is often easier for a well-networked independent. We can find the resources and make things happen effectively, efficiently and within budget.

Expertise: Most independents have expertise in a wide range of public relations and marketing/communications. If we don’t do it, we know someone who knows how to do it well.

Budget: Most of us have low to no overhead. I often joke my office is my duffle bag that carries my MAC and my padfolio. Like most independents, a day in the office is a rare day. We’re out meeting with clients, prospects, networking and generally getting things done. We know no work means no pay—and that’s motivational for us while beneficial to clients since we deliver.

So here’s to my independent public relations professionals in Indianapolis and throughout Indiana. Let’s keep up the good work and our successes on behalf of our clients.

Do we do websites? The answer is yes.

Rae Hostetler · Apr 29, 2018 ·

Often business leaders look to website development firms to build out their website. There are many good firms in central Indiana that do great work. The challenge for a business leader is this: often those firms ask clients to write their own copy, project manage their build out and approve steps where they’re uncomfortable (it’s not their expertise afterall). We’ve come upon this time and time again.

If you are thinking about updating or building out your website, keep this in mind. There are several facets to building a website:

Branding look: Graphic Design, photography and the homepage/interior page look.

Branding message: Writing and editing page copy.

Tech build out: The Platform, build out and making it live.

Project management: The person who makes it happen on time and to budget.

SEO: Making sure the right words are used and programmed for people searching for you.

When we work with clients on website projects, our role is project management, writing and SEO (some partners program and some do not). We have partners that are experts in the other areas. The team comes together for a seamless build out and customer experience.

Our advice to anyone shopping for a partner, ask the firm if they can manage all facets listed above. Ask how they specifically do it, too. Be sure they explain their step-by-step process so you know what to expect during the build out. If there’s a step that you’re being asked to manage and don’t understand, stop the project and get clarity before you proceed. Also ask how the website will be used in your overall marketing and public relations campaign. A website should never be a stand alone tactic. It should work for you.

Creating your website should be a great experience with an end product you feel proud to show off. It never should feel overwhelming or frustrating.

How are you communicating your image?

Rae Hostetler · Oct 22, 2015 ·

Employees, vendors, prospects, customers… people are watching, listening and making decisions whether they want to continue to work for you, with you and do business with your organization. Your corporate reputation is directly tied to those decisions from leadership style to what people know about you in social media, your website, editorial and more.

Have you ever thought about how you communicate information about yourself and your business? Is your leadership team all saying the same thing about what your organization is and does? Are you strategic about communicating your image?

I’ve seen business owners place importance on the color of their logo and look of their printed materials, but somehow along the way forgot to create the framework to build a solid corporate reputation from the inside out.

Having a leadership team that can effectively communicate what the company is and does is paramount to a successful business. This team not only sets the stage for creating the strategy, but also for how that strategy will be communicated to employees, clients, prospects and the community at large. Working with numerous clients through the years, no one style to do this is right or wrong. It’s just important to do it.

A recent study from Ketchum Leadership Communications Monitor says only 24 percent of respondents believe executives are leading successfully. It shows, among other key findings:

The era of hierarchical leadership is over, and a culture of title-free leadership is on the rise.
The world is looking to business leaders to rise to the challenges of our time.

To the first point, I’ve seen first hand how a leadership change created a culture change. Leadership moved from a hierarchy telling people what to do each day to a structure “we work for you.” Within a year morale and productivity have increased beyond everyone’s wildest dreams.

People are looking to leaders (corporate, non-profit, government, community) to rise to the challenge of leading. This means building a strong corporate reputation from the inside out. Are you prepared? Do you know how you’re communicating your image? Organizations that are authentic with strong leaders will have a competitive advantage and strong corporate advantage.

How are you communicating your image to build your corporate reputation?
It all starts on the inside.
317-733-8700

Talking Points: What are you talking about?

Rae Hostetler · May 22, 2015 ·

If you’ve ever worked with a public relations professional chances are you’ve heard the term talking points. Honestly we also like our FAQ documents. And yes, we are used to clients asking why they need these.

For some clients putting words onto paper seems like an exercise—and perhaps it is just that. When we exercise or practice in sports, trainers and coaches are looking for us to retain muscle memory. I think about my sons who throw shot and disc in track and field. They practice for hours to get the right stance, spin and throw. They do it over and over and over. Getting just the right form means the difference between placing and falling to the bottom of the pack.

Talking points are just the same. They are your practice round and game plan designed to:

Keep your story on message

Whether your company is announcing a merger, new product, new service or making a difficult announcement, leader often know what the story behind the decision is. When they decide to share the story, it can sometimes become muddled and difficult to follow if they haven’t outlined the message ahead of time. Go back to the sports analogy. Pro sports players prepare ahead for the game. Professional business leaders should do the same.

Keep your staff sharing that same message

Before anyone outside the company hears your news, have you told the people closest to you internally: leadership, their staff, clients, vendors and so on? Having a prepared set of talking points for key staff who need to share the story ensures everyone is saying the same thing you are telling to news reporters, for example.

Keep you comfortable

Talking points also can be a good security blanket to keep you comfortable. During news interviews, reporters often ask questions that take an interviewee off track. I’ve seen and heard it happen. When the news story appears the client says, they didn’t cover the story the way I wanted them to write it. Often the reason is because the client did not want to prepare by creating talking points and thinking through possible questions before the interview. When a client is well prepared, the interview and the story sound and read much talking their talking points.

Talking points keep everyone saying and hearing the same story on your big announcement. They allow your team to prepare to share your news as you’d expect and want them to practice and complete the game plan for your announcement.

What’s a PR professional relationship really look like?

Rae Hostetler · Apr 27, 2015 ·

I got a text message a couple of weeks ago from a friend out of state. She’s a business owner who operates a company providing STEM education to preschoolers. Hot business! She wants to grow it. Trouble is, she cannot find the right public relations company in her city. Her text to me said she was shopping around for a professional partner and asked for details on what to expect in a relationship. That’s not an easy text reply, so a phone call to her provided the following conversation to help her search (good information for any business leader):

First my friend asked what should show up on a PR professionals invoice? She assumed it’s similar to the legal profession. Yes, that’s true, but all PR professionals have different styles. Her prior PR professional was invoicing in 15 minute increments and that made her uncomfortable every time she called. She’d also been invoice for missing a phone call due to a family emergency (she did call 20 minutes late). She didn’t know that would show up on the invoice. I told her she needed to speak up to ensure a sound relationship. Ask questions. It’s the only way a relationship works.

So what does a relationship look like on an invoice? Our company has relationships with customers who pay for service by the hour, by the project or by retainer.

Hourly services typically are ad hoc and can create a hair-raising experience when the client gets the invoice. A few clients still request this arrangement. That ok. We believe in giving the customer what they want.
Projects are scoped and very focused on the task requested.
Retained clients have a plan and we act as an extension of the client’s team. We have focused goals and provide regular status reports with details on progress reports.

Every client has different needs and goals, so these options are just that-options. I told my friend to ask about how someone would invoice her explaining as the customer she has the right to know.

Speaking of invoices, ask your potential public relations professional how they invoice. If you have an ongoing relationship, invoices should be issued with regularity and there should be no surprises. An agreement should outline frequency of invoices. The invoice should state what you’re being billed for in time increments. For example, two hours of time to research and write a news release.

Planning ahead is key, I told my friend. She has critical ongoing communications and projects she is asking someone to manage—branding, website development/design, newsletters and social media, to name a few. A plan does not need to be reams of paper. It needs to be a blueprint that allows her and the pr professional to manage the work in partnership.

She asked, where do I find a good pr professional who is honest and ethical? I did a quick internet search and found her local PRSA website. The Public Relations Society of America board for her city has several independent public relations professionals listed. Small business owner’s do well with sole practitioners, so the match seemed to make good sense.

My friend let me know late last week that she’s met with someone who seems to be a good fit. The possible new pr professional partner is drafting a plan to derive a summary of the relationship. This will serve as her blueprint for work and invoicing and the overall relationship.