Public Relations

A public relations professional’s New Year’s resolution–Stop the jargon!

Rae Hostetler · Jan 8, 2014 ·

It’s no secret I hate jargon! Our corporate public relations professional website has images all over it that make fun of public relations jargon. Since we’ve come up with those images, many more words and phrases have been uttered in the professional communications and business world.

In a new poll of more than 500 marketing professionals, “synergy” tops the list of their most despised buzzwords, beating out “viral” (one of my most despised) and “best-in-class.” A recent Wall Street Journal article cites CEOs and the words they want to see go. Love it! Here are a few more that I’ve heard and vowed not to use.

Solution-Everyone has one no matter what industry, product or service their organization provides. Find a better word.
Content Management- This is a term made up by marketers. It’s something us PR professionals have been managing for years—sharing a client’s message (ok jargon word there) in various places, articles, interviews, websites, blogs, social media etc. I researched the term to find out where it originated. I discovered it’s actually an IT term. It makes more sense in that profession.
Hashtag – I hear this term used in every day sentences. Someone says, “I HASHTAG FunThingsToDoWithKids.” What? It’s a Twitter term. Let’s keep it where it belongs.
Offline – During meetings I hear people say, “Let’s talk about this offline.” Then I hear my brain say to me, “Ummm… we’re in a meeting, not on the internet. Wonder where offline is exactly.” How about just saying, let’s talk about this later outside the meeting?
Viral – I know what it means in the business sense, but ICK! Viral means getting sick. I thought we just wanted to communicate online and share the information without getting people sick.
Reach Out – I always see someone literally reaching out for me with their hands instead of just contacting me when this term is used. Just imagine this the next email you get that starts, “I’m reaching out to you today…” with hands coming for you from the computer screen.

My resolution in the New Year is to communicate simply. I’m curious, what words and phrases do you want to see go in the New Year?

Public Relations Consultant–It’s a bad phrase to describe a real pro

Rae Hostetler · Nov 1, 2013 ·

Although some professionals may call me one, I am not a fan of the phrase public relations consultant. The word consultant means to impart advice. I, along with many other public relations and communications consultants with whom I work, do so much more for clients. And often the clients are pleasantly surprised by the scope of connections and skills that turn their business outreach goals a reality.

Over the past 14 years working as a public relations professional, my style has evolved to become a professional who works as an extension of a client company’s staff. We’re a trusted partner. Clients confide in us, and yes we provide counsel. The best part is really what happens after the counsel concludes and the work begins. That’s when we become the tacticians. This is the list of everything we do and have done for clients.

Message Development–Ever try to write your company’s story? It’s hard! Is it real? Is it what your client and partners would say? That’s why we don’t just counsel a client to make a message. We make it for them. We interview employees, their clients, vendor partners and anyone else close them. We ask questions about what they think of the company, how they describe the people and more. That’s where the story becomes true and the brand becomes authentic. Then we write the message and present it to the client. We also help them integrate it into their communications systems via planning.

Planning–We don’t just tell clients what to do, we use the messages, identify their audiences, research the marketing communications options, write them down on paper (not just tell them), find out how much it costs and create a timeline. Maybe a client has someone on staff who can do the work. Great! We bring that professional into the process to create along with us. Maybe they don’t have someone to do the work. We have partners who do graphic design, photography, videos, internal communications and all of those other communications tactics that complement our integrated marketing and public relations expertise. I also co-own a company that helps client to find professionals at affordable rates.

The tactical work…

Writing–and a lot of it! Letters, news releases, websites, social media, blogs, byline articles, employee memos, company descriptions for websites/online and the list goes on and on.
Community Relations–We’re actually working with a client right now to craft a new community relations program. This project means consulting and meetings, yes, but it also means events, connections and ideas.
Working with reporters–There are a lot of them in Indianapolis and I am fortunate to have built great relationships with many journalists. If you want to have an article written and published, it’s not as easy as you’d think. It takes many phone calls, conversations and connections.
Trade Shows–A client recently decided it was time to get involved in trade shows. We created the trade show graphics, planned the communications, prepared their speaker for his presentation via editing PowerPoint slides and updating brochures (writing/graphics/printing).
Email newsletters–Writing and keeping up with the graphics to make the content readable and consistent with message is part of our weekly work flow.
Websites–Build it and they will come. So not true. We write the content and have partners who design and tech it out to our specs. Then we optimize it for Google and other search engines. Adding those blogs noted above keeps the content fresh and Google happy because you keep feeding content.
Meeting prep and planning-I’ve work with clients to prepare small business meeting forums–AKA Roadshows.
Photos–Some clients don’t have big budgets. I have a camera. I take a few photos and then they own the photos instead of buying them from a stock photo company or having a photographer come in to do staged shots. The latter, I’ve also coordinated for clients with bigger budgets.

This list could go on and on. So if your truly wondering what a public relations consultant in Indianapolis can do for your business… just ask them. Chances are they’ll do a whole lot more than you’d ever expect to help you achieve your communication’s goals.

Social Media Tips for Companies in Indianapolis

Rae Hostetler · Oct 24, 2013 ·

We get the question from Indinapolis-based clients all of the time–should I join social media? Clients who are a decade or two older than me, often say, I just don’t get it. Whether you want to or not–if your an Indianapolis business owner, it’s time to get it and consider getting on it. The next generation (those 20, 30 somethings) gets it, reads it and is heavily influenced by it. Over the last few years, we’ve implemented and now maintain social media programs for clients as part of their integrated communications programs.

Here are a few lessons learned along the way that should be considered:

1) It’s not that hard. Honestly, social media is not that hard. You sign up, friend, follow, like, people you know (many social media programs will actually access your address book and reach out to people for you). Then start reading what people are telling you. Think their pictures or insights are good–click like, retweet and so on.

2) No one else really knows what they’re doing either. This one is for those readers who say–I just don’t get it. There is no right and no wrong to social media. These systems are evolving daily. Have a new great idea to help drive business? Try it. Chances are people are going to think–“WOW, that’s innovative.”

3) Be sure you have time. Social media takes time, regardless of if you post every day or use a tool to prep auto posts. As you decide which systems to use, consider the people who use those tools and if you have time to manage all of the social media sites you select. It’s not just posting the information that takes time. It also takes time to read what other people say to your post and respond to them immediately.

4) Be patient. Social media followers take time to build. It’s like any communications initiative. You start it and over time people start to follow and comment on your programs. Don’t expect a silver bullet.

5) Have a plan. Then deviate from it if needed. This simply means–think about an outline of topics that you’d like to include in your posts each day of the week (maybe weekend, too). Consider that photos drive more likes and activity. Contests engage the people you are active on your pages.

6) Keep in light. Social media is fun! Having people “like” your post is the ultimate stroke in business. Who doesn’t like to be liked? Right? Even the most serious of businesses have lighter moments among employees and clients. Share them.

7) Have a policy. We recently wrote a policy for a client… in it we stressed that we want employee engagement. We reminded employees that if they would not be proud to see a photo on the cover of the newspaper–then don’t post it to social media. If they would not say something in front of the client–then don’t post it to social media. Best judgement is crucial to stress to employees in these policies.

8) Hiring it done doesn’t make it easier. If your thinking, we’ll just hire this out, remember your team still has to provide ideas, information and content to the process.

9) Pictures get more likes. It’s true! Go look on any social media site and see how many likes photos have.

10) It’s ok to be a social media voyeur. Before jumping in, read and watch what others are doing. It’s ok if you don’t want to share or over-share right out of the gate. Being a social media voyeur is a great way to get comfortable with the technology.

Are you DIY’ing public relations in your Indianapolis company? Why?

Rae Hostetler · Oct 17, 2013 ·

2014 is coming! Yep, it’s true we’re 60-plus a few days until the New Year. It’s that magical date when business starts new in Indianapolis–with new budgets, goals and ROI measurements. Are you prepared?

In our work with mid-market business leaders and non-profit leaders, many are thinking about what they need to continue business growth in 2014. The New Year is a time when they put plans and ideas on paper. They get excited thinking they can DIY their communications in the New Year. About 30 to 60 days in, the plan starts to fall apart. Business is brisk and communications initiatives fall to the bottom of the “to do” list by February.

It happens to all of us. Heck, it happens to me! I have prospects that confessed these truths and then turned client. It’s ok to throw up that white flag and call for marketing/communications reinforcements. It’s easy to say I can find time to do this, but often hard to admit that someone else can do it better, stronger and faster.

I recently compared this notion to home fixes with a new client. Yes, my husband and I know how to paint a wall, but we have a great painter who does it so much better than we can. This is a guy who doesn’t even need to tape his lines at the baseboards and trim. His hand is so steady the line is perfectly straight and beautiful. No way I could do it that well!

Convinced and ready to talk to a professional? I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions–think hard about them. Then call me. If we’re not a good fit, I’ve got a lot of great connections around town and would be happy to find the best fit for your business.

How do I want to grow my business in the New Year?
Who’s my target market? Name companies and people!
Where will I find these business leaders or consumers? Where do these people hang out? (PR practitioners can help with this question.)
How far out do I need to plan my prospecting on the calendar to generate business leads and phone calls?
What’s my story? Can everyone in my company share the same story, well?
What tools am I going to use to attract these people so they know who I am, what I stand for and to call me!?

The best first conversations I have with new clients happen when the business leader can solidly answer these questions. They know their business initiatives and see their future clearly. Why is this important to me and fellow public relations professionals? With a firm business directive, we recommend public relations strategies to communicate your image and work alongside your staff to drive business where you want it to be–together.

Indianapolis public relations: Working with the media a harsh new reality

Rae Hostetler · Sep 11, 2013 ·

I have been working professionally in Indianapolis public relations since the early 1990s. A lot has changed in my work with the media. I hear clients say, boy my paper is thin. The next breath is the question: Why am I not included in this article?

The following is a reality check for all of us, including me. I am fortunate that I’ve created some great relationships with reporters over the years. They are really great people who work hard with less every day. During recent discussions with several reporters, here’s what they’ve had to say:

200 email pitches a day: Yes, that’s right—200! Think about your inbox for a second. You work hard to get back to everyone and keep it cleaned out. (Honestly it’s a personal goal of mine to keep a clean inbox in 2013.) So when you wonder why you don’t hear back from a reporter, chances are you are probably down, down, down deep in their inbox.

Beats that include everything but the kitchen sink: Reporters are asked to cover large geographic territories these days. Think of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s North of 96^th. Andrea Davis works the following communities: Zionsville, Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Noblesville. She depends on people to keep her updated on what’s making news. That doesn’t always mean you’ll be in the news today. It means you’re on her radar. Be patient. She’s a thinker. She’ll figure out how to use you as a source or resource.

Multiple platforms are a must: I remember the old days in Indianapolis media relations. There was a morning and an afternoon newspaper and lots of print media along with radio/tv. Reporters took a lot of time and did due diligence on every story. Those days are gone. It’s about Twitter, Facebook and getting information onto the website now. I see typos and misspellings due to the rush. The newspaper is not the place to get the news of the day anymore. Sad but true.

Time is at a minimum: This means if you promise a reporter a byline, interview or piece of information—get it right the first time. These professionals are doing so much with so little in their daily work, they have no patience for sources that cannot get it right the first time. Sounds harsh, but it’s true. You will be black balled from their list of contacts for future interviews and discussions.

Ask yourself: why would this person care about me? Another harsh truth—unless you are part of a trend, offer something sexy or fit the story they have to turn in within an hour, they don’t. Sometimes it’s better to send a quick introduction and offer yourself as a source or resource when the time is right. Give your cell number. The day you get the call—call back within minutes. Again—time is at a minimum. You can’t wait til tomorrow to return a media call when the reporter’s deadline is right now.

Here’s the reality. If you really, really want to work with reporters, find a good public relations firm or practitioner who can walk you through the ins and the outs. We’re the professionals who know these reporters personally and professionally. We know what reporters want, when they want it and how to deliver the information. You’ll be respected and become a resource long into the future.