Indianapolis public relations

Happy New Year!

Rae Hostetler · Jan 12, 2016 ·

Back in the office I’ve read with great interest the story about a disgruntled customer at Indianapolis’ Kilroy’s on New Year’s Eve. While our team manages social media, it can sometimes be a conundrum how to manage customer comments on social media pages. In this case, neither the customer nor the manager held back in the Facebook dialogue.

I saw and read the post Jan. 1 while skimming my Facebook feed. I thought, “WOW, this gal actually feels ok to go to the Facebook page and rant.” She said they’d spent $700. She claimed the bill was wrong and the waitress was rude when they tried to talk to her about it. The poster claimed someone OD’ed onsite and the people who work at Kilroy’s were more worried about that than making their bill right—especially after spending so much money.

In truth, a woman was having a heart attack and the staff was doing their best to get her emergency assistance. The manager of Kilroy’s posted back a scathing message with some curse words and derogatory phrases about the gal posting the message. The gal pulled her post and Kilroy’s opened a Go Fund Me account to help the woman who had the heart attack with her medical bills. It’s raised $14,000 plus dollars as I write this.

I’m now thinking double WOW. So who’s right? Maybe they both are… a little bit.

A study from professors at the University of Maryland, Carnagie Mellon University and Cheung Kong Grad School of Business in China was published in Marketing Science recently. The study determined that addressing complaints on social media is worthwhile because it can improve the customer relationship outweighing the potential side effect of possible future grievances. OK, so the manager should have responded.

One of the study’s researching professionals says companies should not overreact to negative comments remembering that past responses to complaints can affect how consumers respond in the future. My thought to this statement is… the manager overreacted in his comments going as low as the gal who posted. I’m not thinking I’d like to head to Kilroy’s this weekend. Professional advice… keep it professional but direct.

Perhaps it’s my age or attempt to maintain a professional decorum, I still believe social media is not the place to blast a company, a person and so on. Make a phone call, talk to a manager or write a letter. Not only are you held in a higher regard by the company, often you’ll receive a better response to resolve the problem to ensure it doesn’t occur again.

For years I’ve said, social media is like a large crowded room of people at a party. If you wouldn’t say something on stage in front of them, don’t write it and post it. It’s definitely going to be interesting to watch and see how this impacts other companies’ responses on social media going forward.

Maximize your impact through social media

Rae Hostetler · Nov 18, 2015 ·

By Shannon Philllips

Let’s face it, not only is social media here to stay, its dominating presence makes it essential for companies and organizations to think differently and creatively about communicating with target audiences.

Here are a few ideas to consider in developing your social media strategy:

Upgrade your “app” knowledge – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are popular platforms, but there are dozens of other apps (YouTube, Google+, Periscope, Snapchat, etc.) that are just as well-known and widely used. Before you create a social media strategy, spend time learning about various apps and how other companies and organizations use them. Remember, every app is not a perfect fit for every company. During your research, determine which apps will be most useful for your company or organization.

Here’s a list of popular social media apps to get you started in your research:

Top 5 Best Free Social Media Apps for iPhone & Android

Here’s a list of apps to watch in 2016:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/08/13/7-social-media-platforms-that-could-explode-before-2016/

Designate a social media person or team – It is impossible to have a social media strategy without a team or person to create, post and control content. To succeed in communicating your message on any social media platform, content must be consistent (at least one post/ tweet per day) and response to followers’ questions or concerns should be timely. That’s where a social media team or person comes in handy. In addition, assigning social media coordination ensures accurate communication of your message. So often, companies assign this task to 10 or 20 people without providing direction. Very little gets posted or messaging is inconsistent. The common phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” definitely applies here. Assign one to three people to maintain your social media pages to avoid these pitfalls.

Make social media part of your daily conversation – It’s easy to focus on traditional media (newspapers, TV, radio) during communication meetings. Always remember your followers on social media who will read the information on their timeline faster than reading it on a website. Social media is a great opportunity to get creative with messaging at no cost. Planning a BIG announcement? Build anticipation with photo posts or hints each day prior to the announcement. Share the big news on social media with a short video from the CEO with the website link for more information. Remember, this is your opportunity use YOUR page to engage thousands of YOUR followers. Keep your message short and to the point.

Social media can be a fast way to connect with customers and supporters. With a solid strategy and a bit of creativity, your company or organization will experience a different level of engagement.

Shannon Phillips coordinates social media for clients at Hostetler Public Relations.

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.

Return on the investment in messaging–A true testimonial

Rae Hostetler · Aug 9, 2013 ·

Late last night I received an email from an Indianapolis public relations client. I happen to download email into my iPhone (I know a no-no) and was thrilled to read these words from one of the sales reps at a client company:

Thought u (sic) guys and Rae would like to know how (this prospect) found us, and his opinion of our web site.

We are a small company located in Indiana and are looking for a reliable and trusted (company like yours) to (partner with). I came across your company name on the a website and after visiting your website was quite intrigued by the message there.

The key word here is “message.” The client message did not just happen. We worked a process that derived the company story to ensure its authentic and compelling. Compelling enough for a prospect to reach out to a sales rep on a Thursday evening to set a meeting time generating ROI. Here’s how we did it.

The client called me a few years ago (then prospect) saying we’ve met a few times and now we need you. There are three owners at the company, an independently owned and operated mid-sized, growing company in Indianapolis. The owners thought they knew their company “story,” but didn’t know how to translate it to their marketing. We met as a group and talked through their company story “hypothesis.” I recommended this process to determine if they were right:

1) Immersion: Tell me all about your company, your staff, your long term goals and how you got to where you are today. Tell me what you think your story is.

2) Interviews: Let’s talk to people who work for you, with you and around you asking a similar series of questions to discover their experiences and interactions with your business. Will they say the same thing?

3) Download: After all interviews are completed, we drafted a topline report that revealed what people think. In this case, clients loved the company for its customer service, community relations and expertise of the staff.

4) Story telling: Draft the company message around the feedback people provided.

5) Marketing plan: Now that the company knew what to say, we created a marketing plan. It’s ongoing to this day.

It’s because of this process and plan that the prospect found the client company online. You see, that prospect didn’t just “happen” upon the website link. He’d been receiving personal email marketing with our messaging from the sales rep (our marketing), clicked to the link we provided in the email and returned to the website. It’s due to the website development with strategic messaging that this guy was intrigued. And its the ROI we love to hear about to know our clients are getting what they need from communications planning coupled with ongoing public relations work!

Public Relations–More than working with the media in Indianapolis

Rae Hostetler · Jun 18, 2013 ·

Public relations is often misunderstood to mean media relations–working with reporters to get editorial and/or broadcast coverage. Truth is, it’s how your company or business communicates its image to meet your communications goals. Those goals are unique to every organization–earning customers, gaining awareness, raising funds. I’ve worked in this business for 20-some years and am still educating clients that public relations professionals do so much more that just talking to reporters. So here’s a sample of a typical work week for an Indianapolis public relations counselor (me).

My firm typically works with six to eight clients and/or projects at one time. Most clients are retained partners, which means we have a plan that’s been outlined, developed and reviewed on paper. We agree to it and we work it together. That said here’s an overview of public relations projects for our Indianapolis-based clients.

Brand development: Working in partnership with another Indianapolis public relations firm, we are assessing a client brand to create a marketing/communications program. Through my partner company Roundhouse Resources, we are sourcing a public relations/marketing communications professional who will be staffed to execute the plan. We’ll manage and mentor the staff member. This assessment involves client/vendor interviews, a top line report and recommendations based on their perceptions and feedback.
Website development. We’re working with a new client that has an old website. The site itself has all the correct information. It needs some polish–updated messages/story about the business, new photo graphs and updated key terms for search engines.
Public relations planning: In conjunction with that website, we’re also outlining a consistent plan for the client to manage communications through 2013. The goal is to gain more customers. We’ll work on social media, blogs, media relations, events and more together. This client doesn’t require an assessment for brand development–only public relations housekeeping for a consistent program.
Service outreach/communications: Another client has a service line that needs to be brought to the forefront to gain more communications. This is being managed through social media, blogs, website updates, an email newsletter and possible direct mail to their customer based. We’ve sourced the vendors, written the communications and project managed the graphic design to ensure consistent brand and message to their publics.
Sales kit: A business-to-business client needs a sales-team tool kit. They want a mix-and-match system that includes PDFs, printed documents, bios for team members and company information. Once the kit is complete, each sales rep can pull the information they need from the file to ensure a consistent message for RFPs and sales presentations.
Media relations: One of our clients sponsors a statewide non-profit youth program that kicks off at their client site tomorrow. The program involves several partners. We support the media relations, update the client’s website and social media. We’ll also be onsite to take photos to use in marketing/communications materials for their prospects and clients.

In each of these examples, the public outreach and work is very different, yet the end goal is the same: communicating the client’s image professionally to meet their unique goals and needs.