Justin Rubner

Archive for 2010

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Bad Business Cliches and Why it’s Time to Decommission ‘Content is King’

In business communications, copywriting, marketing strategy on 07/23/2010 at 5:34 pm

Readers of Copycation know I hate acronyms. Almost as bad are clichés. The two go together like…peas and carrots.

Since everybody uses clichés, companies think they must use them in their marketing endeavors too. Problem is, since the words are so overused, they’re not effective at messaging your point.

Clichés are useless in business communications unless your business is selling t-shirts

A cliché, perhaps powerful once, gets watered down into a puddle of mushy gruel that for some reason everyone eats. It’s a vicious circle of gruel eating. Before you know it, every company is selling “best of breed” services to address the 800-pound gorilla: value-added synergistic seamless integration.

What?

I recently found this great list, “The Encyclopedia of Business Cliches.” Thankfully, more lists like this exist. But is anyone listening?

Take “content is king.”

It’s a phrase close to my heart, given the business I’m in. But, it’s so overused not enough people pay attention to it.

According to Wikipedia, the phrase, now a cliché, implies that organizations will likely “fail through lack of appealing content, regardless of other design factors.”

In other words, so many organizations, including agencies, spend so much time on design that the content part becomes a last-minute thing. So many organizations now have incredibly-designed websites and collateral and little of consequence to fill them. Sure, they may have a blog. But are they actually using it to say interesting things?

Both good design and engaging content are needed. It’s a “win-win” solution.  Good content will “leverage” a “paradigm shift” at your organization.

See how easy–and useless–mindless business clichés are?

Today, I came across this great content is king post from Larry Melnick on Atlanta Marketer’s Forum. In the post, he told how one agency got business due to dynamic content, including a blog. Apparently, the customer had been following the agency’s intelligent musings for a year and a half and was persuaded, in part, by those musings.

I’m here to tell you engaging static content as well as frequent news releases, blogs, case studies, reports, news and social media postings not only get your name out but also lead to business–that’s real ROI.

I’m a bit tired of content is king. I’m going to think of another phrase to replace it–because it’s clearly being said…but not heard. If you have any alternatives, please chime in.

-Justin Rubner

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The Ex Journalist’s Guide to Saving the World, Soulful PR and Selling Kitty Litter

In public relations on 07/21/2010 at 8:58 pm

Selling kitty litter can be fun

There are so many things I remember about my No. 1 professor in journalism school, the esteemed Conrad Fink, a former high-ranking AP executive. He was responsible for me getting into the field of journalism in the first place. I had wanted to be a CIA intelligence analyst of all things.

Did I mention I was a Newspapers major? I have no doubt I’ll be explaining what a newspaper actually is to my grand kids.

One day during Opinion Writing class–yes, it is a class, and yes, it’s actually one of the best classes I’ve ever taken–Fink was chiding a young PR major.

“Why do you want to be in PR?” he asked, tongue in cheek, his bushy eyebrows almost pointing in the direction he was talking. “Do you really want to help some company sell kitty litter? Or do you want to be a light in a dark corner?”

Fink’s a legend. He was one of the first to report on the run-up to the Vietnam war when he was in that country. He helped shape the profession.

Anyway…I can’t remember the young PR major. But I do remember my reaction. “I want to save the world,” I thought. “I want to be that flashlight in the corner where the powerful want dark, that barking dog in the night when the corrupt want silence.”

“I don’t want to sell kitty litter!”

“I WANT TO BE A JOURNALIST!”

My first job, I was too much of a flashlight. I looked for corruption in every corner. When I did actually find it, I was told to ignore it…lest I find myself in a ditch. Sadly, I acquiesced. But I never wound up in a ditch at least.

By the time I became a business journalist, I was excited about writing “sophisticated” stories about things like corporate expansions and R&D and investing. That will certainly make me more savvy, I thought.

After a couple of years, I realized I was hardly saving the world. Rather, I was making other people money while I…well, we all know journalists aren’t in it for the money.

I became disillusioned.

Meanwhile, those around me continued to diss PR people. One downright detested them. Don’t be a flack! They’re lazy. Clueless. Soulless. Detestable even.

“I don’t want to be in PR!”

To be fair, I disliked PR people too, because many are, frankly, clueless. Many agencies think it’s perfectly acceptable to have some 22-year-old pitching the media on things like market roll-outs. These young PR people didn’t know a thing about business or  journalism, let alone anything about what my paper was looking to cover. Some of the pitches I’ve received over the years have been ludicrous.

But that doesn’t mean all, are even most, are clueless.

I eventually found the so-called lazy, clueless and soulless industry of PR and marketing is, in fact, fun, challenging, rewarding and occasionally full of soul.

Does your company manufacture kitty litter? Good marketers can differentiate it. We can put emotion in it. Does it last longer? Smell better? Look cleaner? Cost less? Is it shaped like diamonds? Diamonds are a cat’s best friend. Do cats like it better? Does it have to be changed less? Is it environmentally friendly? Has the company discovered a new formula that works better? Can we start a social media campaign for brand enthusiasts? Do we have some sort of cool lore to tell?

That, to me, is a challenge.

But…writing a story on said kitty litter company expanding to the Midwest, or how Q2 profits dipped 8 percent because of an unforeseen baking soda shortage, or how that company just raised $1.5 million in bridge financing? Is that really so much more full of soul?

Occasionally, I–and I’m sure many other of Mr. Fink’s ex students–wonder if I’m letting my professor down by being a marketer. Maybe. Probably. But I feel better about myself, even if he might not feel the same about my profession. I feel I have more value. I know I have tremendous value. I enjoy what I do.

Yet, there are things left unfulfilled.

I never went to far-off places like Vietnam.

I never told the world of important things like troop build-ups, genocides or coups.

I never became a shining light.

Or a barking dog.

I never saved the world.

Maybe I never will.

That’s OK.

I can brand that flashlight as a cutting-edge device everyone will want to root out bad politicians with.

I can get that barking dog some serious press for his selfless deeds.

I can sell the hell out of kitty litter.

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Navigating the PR Site Wasteland, Part II: PRLog

In public relations on 06/18/2010 at 2:39 pm

Recently, I mentioned I’d be testing out some press release distribution sites. One free site, PRLog.org, has really stood out.

While not the most attractive, it is easy to use. And historically, the site has had high page rankings, which means users can easily find your press releases using keywords.

I just checked PRLog’s Alexa rankings. It’s U.S. traffic rank was 747. What does that mean? The site with the most number of page views and visitors is ranked No. 1… so PRLog in my book is pretty good for a free site.  In addition, PRLog has well over 6,000 sites linking into it–which helps search engine rankings.

PRLog also has a decent Google PageRank–5–which is one of the highest I’ve seen for a free or low-cost PR site.

By comparison, another free publication site, 1888pressrelease.com, has a worldwide traffic rank of 7,169.

Other positives? PRLog does archive releases, which means it will live on month after month. Believe it or not, many sites don’t do this. As I’ve said before, what’s the point of publishing something online if it’s going to disappear in a few weeks?

PRLog Shows Where Readers Are Coming From

PRLog also distributes your releases to Google News and other search engines. Plus, inbound links are allowed. Also, you can schedule a release for later distribution.

One of the best benefits of PRLog is that it gives you basic, but free analytics tools. That means you can check out how many hits your releases have gotten as well as where readers were directed from.

In the image here are some analytics on a release for a Trio Media Group client of mine, the Marine Corps League. I’m helping to run a legislative campaign for the veteran’s organization, which has been remarkably successful. Using the tool, you can see where 1,000 unique readers came from to read this news.

On PRLog’s dashboard, you can also get a quick rundown of all your releases.

I’ve published about 20 releases on PRLog. Yet another benefit of seeing how many people read your material  is figuring out what headlines work and which ones don’t. So…it’s a great copywriting tool, too. And no, it’s not just the nature of the content that means hits. I’ve published releases on simple awards with hundreds of hits and releases with decent news value that have gotten less than 100. The releases with 70 or 80 hits tell me I need to work on the headlines–which is what will ultimately get a reader to click-through.

What are some negatives of PRLog? It does not let you target keywords through anchor. In addition, it does not have many formatting options like bolded text. One of the biggest negatives is that it does not allow you to insert hyperlinks, which is one of the best ways to send readers to your site. However, PRLog does let you spell out the full Web address.

No free site will distribute releases to the news media. That’s for sites such as  Marketwire, my favorite premium site, which I’ll delve into another time. However, nothing will ever replace a good old-fashioned call if you think your news is, well, newsworthy.

Bottom line, PRLog gives you substantial bang for the buck. Which, in this case, is no bucks at all.

-Justin Rubner

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Adventures in Copyland: Twelve Things Every Copywriter Should Know

In copywriting on 03/18/2010 at 9:17 pm

As a writer, I’ve had my share of pats on the back from editors, congrats from readers, and thank yous from clients.

I’m not the least bit embarrassed to say I’ve had a project or two implode right before my unsuspecting eyes. Because every writer, even the best of them, has had this happen.

All copywriters should have rhino skin

Writing’s a funny thing. All of us can do it. So all of us have opinions when we see it. I say that because copywriting, and marketing in general, is very subjective. Because it’s subjective, it’s impossible to say every project you do will make the client dance for joy. But if you follow some key rules, you can substantially  limit a project from getting out of hand.

I’m confident these rules will make you a better marketing professional. They certainly make me a better one.

Off we go:

  1. Ask questions. This is the most important thing you can do. Copywriting is tough. You often have to write with authority on a topic… like you’re an expert on it…even if the topic is out of your expertise. The only way you can do this is to ask questions. A lot of them. This may be a tad annoying to the client. But if you don’t get something right, even one thing, the client can tend to think you don’t have anything right. If your client or agency doesn’t understand this, educate them. How can they realistically expect you to write engaging, in-depth–and even accurate–content by pulling it out of thin air?
  2. Establish a chain of command. There can only be one head chef. And there should only be one initial point of contact. Have one person, and one person only, be the first to read your content. If you send your first draft to multiple people, there will be chaos. Especially on a big, complex project. After you’ve made the initial contact’s edits, send the second version to a small, select group, maybe section heads. Have all edits filter through one person. Once those edits are made, send it to the head chef–the CEO or VP of Marketing–for final approval. Bottom line, eliminate unnecessary cooks from the chain of command.
  3. Work collaboratively with the designer. Design should not dictate copy. Copy should not dictate design. If the designer thinks content is just boring words to fill empty spaces on a pretty page, you’re going to have problems. If you think design is just something to hold your brilliant copy, you’re also going to have problems.
  4. Stay involved till the sun sets. Other cooks in the kitchen should not be making major edits without your involvement. I can’t believe how much this happens, but it’s something you have to stay vigilant about. Other people, especially non writers, should simply not be making these kinds of decisions. I’m not saying other people can’t have input. Just the opposite actually. You want–you need–that input. But you also need to be involved. You should push back on this. Because it’s your name on it…even if someone else changes it.
  5. Establish expectations about edits. Content on a big project is going to require edits. That is unavoidable. Educate the client early on that you fully expect edits and that edits are a natural part of the process.
  6. Establish what’s expected of you. This may seem simple. But it can actually be easy to go off in a direction not intended by the client. This can be solved by listening. If you can’t listen, you’re not an effective communicator. If you aren’t an effective communicator, you’re no writer.
  7. Establish expectations about time. This is a biggie. Almost every client I’ve ever had has wanted a project “yesterday.” They often can’t understand why a writing project should take a month or more. Well, when you figure in meetings, research, brainstorming, writing, fact checking, edits and feedback, it will take much more time than most clients, and even the writers themselves, expect. Would you rather a client be ticked off because your project was three weeks late?
  8. Take copious notes. Often times, the best copywriters are simply the best note takers. Take the most savvy, pithy quotes and weave parts of them in your writing. Not only will you hit the point better, but clients will think you’re Joe Cool when they see their own words. Consciously, they may not even know why they love it so much.
  9. Make sure the first thing they see is the best thing. This is something I’ve failed to follow several times as a reporter and marketer. I’m going to tell you how editors and clients, most of them at least, act when the first sentence or two doesn’t hit the mark: They’re going to think the rest of it doesn’t hit the mark either. A poor headline or lead has led to the editor or client instantly discounting the rest of my work. Conversely, I’ve also had brilliant leads or heads to start the project out–and average body content that still needed work–and they think I’m David Ogilvy. As a near perfectionist when it comes to writing, I hate both of these scenarios. Because I want all of my work to shine.
  10. Don’t be afraid to disagree. Your clients are experts at what they do. You’re an expert at marketing. If they’re saying something you think won’t work from a marketing standpoint, by all means speak up. They’ll respect you for it.  Someone once told me most clients want you to tell them what to do…not the other way around. This may be hard for some consultants to comprehend, but it’s true.
  11. Lose the ego. You may be a great writer. But, as I said before, there are infinite ways to write something. The chances of the client liking the first one, at least for a first-time client, is small. And, at the end of the day, it’s all about making the client happy…not you.
  12. Grow rhino skin. If you let criticism affect you personally, your confidence will be shaken. Confidence is what allows us to take chances. When a copywriter ceases to take chances, he or she ceases to become a real copywriter. This advice especially works when a project disintegrates. I’ve “rescued” my share of other copywriters’ imploded projects, and have been commended for it. I’m sure the opposite has happened too. It will happen to you. But don’t let it get you down…

Because the next project is right around the corner.

-Justin

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Navigating the PR Site Wasteland, Part I

In business communications on 02/17/2010 at 1:20 am

In recent months, I’ve been writing and pitching a lot of news in press releases. I’ve also been experimenting with press release sites.

As a journalist, the only wire I ever monitored was PR Newswire. As a marketer, all I have to say is…that service is really expensive. When it’s all said and done, you can spend nearly a grand just putting out a release. The company, which provides great service, even requires you to be a member.

Is it worth it?

And what about PR Newswire’s premium competitors, Business Wire, PR Web and Marketwire?

And then there’s the wasteland of lower-cost and free press release sites:

  • 1888PressReleases
  • FreePressReleases
  • PRLog
  • PR.com
  • 24-7PressRelease
  • PRLeap
  • CityBizList
  • Pitchengine, a “social media” release site

This is a partial list, I assure you. How frustrating. There are actually too many options.

In order to answer whether a PR site is worth it, you have to answer why you’re using a service like this in the first place. This is how I see it:

  • You want to increase the likelihood of someone finding your release.
  • With a premium site, you want to increase the liklihood that your release will end up in the hands of a journalist or editor.

That’s it! Unless I’m missing something.

In the coming months, I’m going to be testing these services. Things I’ll be checking include:

  • Formatting. Do these sites publish your releases in a format that looks professional? I’m talking bolded text, nice-looking headlines, places for contact information, subheads, bullets and such.
  • Hyperlinks. These make it easy for readers to find your site. They also increase SEO for your site.
  • Page rank. I’ll discuss this later.
  • Distribution capability.
  • Archiving. If the release is deleted in a day, what’s the purpose?
  • Website design.
  • Submission to search engines AND Google News. Otherwise, your release is just sitting in space.

In a nutshell, I’m dubious about the benefits of free press release sites. Promoting your brand on something called “rockbottompricespressreleasesite” doesn’t really scream “We’re a player.” At least to me it doesn’t.

I’m also annoyed at the lack of clear messaging on these services’ websites. I want to know “how they’re different,” “why they’re better,” and “why I should use their services at all.” I don’t get any of that, except for Pitchengine, which touts that “the press release is a dinosaur.” I’m not quite buying that…but I do appreciate the emphasis on differentiation and the bold way the company markets itself.

Further, no service will ever replace the good, old-fashioned phone call and e-mail. Developing a relationship with a reporter will always be better than having your release automatically sent out on the AP wire.

So…if you have something to say, please chime in.

And please stay tuned.

I have a lot of testing to do.

-Justin