Justin Rubner

Archive for 2010|Yearly archive page

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Do You Really–I Mean Really–Need a Blog?

In social media on 10/28/2010 at 6:08 pm

Even God can't read everyone's tweets

Yesterday, I attended a great social media presentation by Internet consultant Joey Smith.

I agreed with a lot of his points, and he gave me some serious food for thought. Like the psychological power of the social web. And (he may or may not disagree with this take away) that too many social media advocates are way over-advocating the extent to which companies should be embracing the blogosphere. More on that in a bit.

First, the power part:

“With traditional sales or marketing,” Smith asked the audience, “how many times do you have to meet with a client before you get a sale?”

Some said four. One said seven. In other words, it takes a client several different “touches” to trust you and your product or service before they’re converted.

With social media, a potential client can have six different impressions of you in 60 seconds, he said. Think of your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, blog and YouTube page. Further, he said, psychology dictates that it doesn’t matter if those touches came within 60 seconds…or 60 days. The trust factor is similar.

Smith also talked about alignment, something near and dear to my heart. Basically, if your social media channels aren’t in alignment with your or your company’s real personality, you will fail online. In other words, be honest. Don’t be afraid to relax and show some personality…but make sure it’s in alignment with the other channels, and, of course, your real personality.

However…his presentation also made me think about how so many consultants, some of whom get paid for designing or ghostwriting blogs (more on that in another post), are telling clients “You must have a blog!”

No you don’t!

That is, if…

  • You don’t have the time to spend on a blog or aren’t putting out decent content.
  • You don’t have the educational spirit to truly educate readers.
  • You plan on blogging on nothing but self-promotional news.
  • You aren’t comfortable taking a stand on an occasional basis (which is OK–not everybody likes putting themselves “out there”, but some controversy does make for much better reading).

Blogs improve search engine rankings. But there are other ways to drive more traffic to your site if you don’t happen to have the time commitment for a good blog. Like setting up an industry news feed. Or putting out frequent press releases. Or, by far the best way, getting mentioned in the media!

I think we’re facing an unprecedented time of an unbelievable amount of information available to us, as well as serious information overload, thanks to the blogosphere, and now Twitter–which is an invaluable channel that has also become overrun with noise. Because of the high amount of noise on Twitter–think frivolous posts about where you’re eating, etc.–I can’t seriously follow 20 people, let alone 200. I know I’m not alone with this conflict.

If you are thinking of starting a Twitter campaign, I would give the following advice:

  • Make sure your tweets are thought-leadership focused, not PR focused.
  • Make sure you commit time resources into the regular publishing of tweets.
  • Make sure your tweets aren’t too random. I’m not saying you have to stay on target all the time–showing your personality is good–just make sure if you decide to tweet on intellectual property, for instance, that most of your tweets have something to do with law and technology and innovation, not how much you like arugula on pizza.

As for blogs, I would take this a big step further. Blogs, unlike a Twitter channel, are a serious time commitment. So, you might want to ask yourself the following:

  • Why do I want one? If you can’t answer this, or if your only answer is “Because one of my competitors has one,” you might want to reconsider. That blog, like many others, will likely become an abandoned project.
  • What am I going to blog about? Copycation is about corporate communications and the media. Stuff like public relations, copywriting, message strategy, marcom and media trends. Copycation is not about football, music, entrepreneurship or cooking–four things I love.
  • How much time do I have to spend? The great thing about blogs are, there are no rules. But I would offer this rule of thumb (you may disagree)–For a corporate blog, one or so a month. A CEO or thought leadership  blog, every two or three weeks. A personal or group blog, every week or two. An industry blog, every week. A news blog, several a day.
  • What’s the tone I’ll take? Serious? Technical? Newsy? Edgy? Humorous? Irreverent? Stick with your tone. This becomes more difficult with a group blog, but some consistency should still be maintained. Your tone is your brand. People don’t like schtizo brands.
  • How will I promote it? Get with your friendly marketer on this one.

Not everyone needs a blog. There are too many blogs out there, many of them awful or fluffy, others pitifully-abandoned orphans. Bad blogs are not enjoyable. Orphans are downright sad.

In the end, if everyone had a blog, what would be the point? We’d all be so busy opining on everything and being our own publisher that we’d never have time to read anything else.

-Justin Rubner

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One Political Mailing That Actually Isn’t Offensive or Boring

In marketing strategy, public relations on 09/30/2010 at 4:39 pm

What small business owner hasn't had problems in this economy?

I recently saw this direct mail piece in my mailbox, and something about it made me want to read the entire thing. I’m usually either turned off by attacking or patronizing tones or bored because of mushy rhetoric.

In the mailing, Jill Chambers, a state representative in Georgia, defends against  alleged attacks from her competitor. While I haven’t monitored this particular race, and am not endorsing either candidate, I like Rep. Chambers’ approach.

Apparently, she had a business that recently went out of commission, and like many such transactions, it ended up with lawsuits and tax disputes. Seizing on a potential opportunity to cast her in a negative light, Chambers’ opponent supposedly ran attack ads on the matter.

Many constituents, myself included, often complain about attack ads. But study after study shows the unfortunate and sad practice works in close races. By early September 2010, candidates running for state and federal offices spent $395 million on commercials for the midterm elections, according to CNN and Campaign Media Analysis Group. That compares to $286 million for the 2006 midterms. On the Senate side, 70 percent of the ads were negative!

It’s obvious we pay more attention to attack ads. But sometimes, thankfully, negative campaigns backfire. Maybe, it will here too.

“When she attacks me for the loss of my savings and business,” Chambers says, “she is also attacking every single citizen who is suffering from the national economic downturn.”

Well said…and very true. While it may be a good tactic in a normal economy, going after an opponent’s failed business in 2010 is a bad idea in most circumstances. We can identify with struggling entrepreneurs. We cheer for them. When you attack them for their misfortunes, even if it is their fault, you are attacking all of us.

I like how Chambers defends herself here, without being defensive, and goes on the offense, without being offensive. Inside the mailing, she further explains her business tax issues, which is brilliant, and even gets into her personal life. Strategically,  she stems any attack before it happens.

Some might see this as desperate, Georgia political insiders particularly. I think most voters, however, will see it as brutal honesty, which is sorely lacking in politics.

I’m not saying her entire campaign has been clean; I’ve read some blog posts lamenting the representative’s own harsh tactics…which have worked. This particular ad also works, in a non negative way. It connects. It humanizes.

Negative campaigning will never go away in our lifetimes. I would prefer ads to say why Candidate X is better rather than why Candidate Y is worse. But if you must attack your competition, be careful you aren’t attacking potential constituents (or customers) when you do go down that slippery route.

-Justin Rubner

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The Sad Saga of Golden Beach Hotel and Why Anonymous Postings Should Disappear

In business communications, social media on 09/22/2010 at 11:39 am

A story broke Sept. 20 about a British couple kicked out of a hotel because of an allegedly negative anonymous review on the popular site TripAdvisor.

Two days into their three-day stay at Golden Beach Hotel in Blackpool, England, a manager apparently told the couple to leave…without even giving them a refund, according to this story in USA Today. The manager was so barmy (couldn’t resist) over their review that he supposedly called the cops to escort them out!

This is how not to win customers

Undoubtedly, the PR and social media world will tar and feather the hotel, and rightly so. Clearly, the better solution would have been to respond to the review online in a constructive way and try to fix the problem the couple was disappointed in. Even more clear, kicking the couple out was a bad business decision, an even worse PR move, and gives the impression the hotel isn’t too interested in changing its ways.

The hotel’s reward for the bad decision–going from a harsh review that might be read by a few hundred users to harsh headlines in major publications worldwide that will be read by hundreds of thousands.

By the way: The guy who was kicked out is recovering from cancer.

With that out of the way, does the hotel have any valid point worth mentioning? I think so: Anonymous posts.

BBC is reporting that other hoteliers in the area are now joining in a fight against TripAdvisor and anonymous reviews. Their argument–that harsh negative attacks accompanied with no identity is cowardice. I agree completely, but would venture a guess that many don’t want any negative comments. I would also say that for every person who was turned away by an anonymous posting, there are 10 others who became customers. So, by potentially suing TripAdvisor, they are biting the hand that feeds them.

Several months ago, I wrote a post, An Injured Duck, a Tragic Death and Anonymous Posters, about the absurdity of allowing nameless readers to post trashy comments on news stories. The post mentions the elaborate process of getting a letter to the editor published in contrast to the ridiculously easy process of getting an online comment published. Online, all it takes is a few seconds, and your anonymous comments–smart, silly or hateful–are published…sometimes in the biggest publications in the world!

If interactive media really is all it’s cracked up to be–I believe it is–then why don’t we give it equal treatment with print media?

With all the good that social media has brought us, it has also brought us a flood of thoughtlessness and hate in the guise of anonymity. Do you ever read the comments in news stories or YouTube? I often wish I could watch YouTube videos without any comments. One anonymous zombie comment always seems to beget other anonymous zombie comments.

This practice does nothing for brand engagement, or freedom of speech for that matter. Instead, it sullies the reputation of websites that pride themselves on quality content. It also makes it difficult for businesses to effectively defend themselves.

Why not require users to set up accounts with full names and put in some system to help ensure they’re legit? Yes, fewer users would do it. But as a user of these sites myself, I would be far more interested in reading 20 thoughtful, by-lined reviews–positive and negative–than 200 mindless ones. In addition, if a business were serious about customer service, it could offer incentives to negative reviewers to try to win them over.

This is not possible on the nameless Web.

Requiring posters to use their real names would enhance brand engagement. As a fully identified member of an online community, I take pride in my posts. I bet most others do too. Conversely, if I’m using the handle zombie112, I’m not going to feel like I’m a real member. And I’m not going to take the extra time to ensure my thoughts are as fair or as logical as they should be. Others, frankly, will be far more hateful. In addition, enacting identification measures would substantially lessen the highly unethical, and somewhat common, practice of competitors illegitimately trashing your company on review sites.

However…the part about anonymous posts is where I draw my line for support of this hotel. In the picture, you can clearly see management’s alleged responses to users as aggressive, unapologetic and downright combative.

Sites such as TripAdvisor are a boon to businesses and consumers. They convert cold leads, deliver unfiltered feedback so businesses can better serve customers, and offer the collective power of past customers’ experiences so new ones can make better decisions.

These sites, however, require that businesses engage posters in a positive way. Be genuine. Be humble. Often, that is all it takes to win an angry poster over. Certainly, not being apologetic and calling posters names isn’t going to win you any points with anyone reading the reviews.

I hope interactive media sites are seriously exploring having some ID systems in place down the line.

Until we apply the same discipline to the social Web as we do traditional media, I fail to see how they ever could be on the same level.

-Justin Rubner

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How to Write and Promote a Press Release

In business communications, copywriting, news media, public relations on 09/13/2010 at 8:33 pm

Two of the most common phrases people use to find the Copycation blog include “How to write press releases” and “How to promote press releases.” Hence, the unimaginative title of this post–”How to Write and Promote a Press Release.”

Got to give them want they want, no?

First thing’s first, though. Before you spend resources on writing, approving, promoting and publishing a release, you really should ask yourself if the news is A) important and B) if it’s actually going to be read by anyone. That means no fluff. It also means coming up with topics that would actually be of value to readers. That’s why you have a VP of Corporate Communications or hire a PR pro or agency.

Off we go.

Press Release Headline

  • Make it pithy. Your headline is the most important part. It’s what get readers clicking on the release…or away.
  • Keep it short. Usually, headlines should be less than three lines.
  • Try to use active language. Active is stimulating. Passive is boring. Say “I write killer press releases.” Not “Killer press releases are written by me.”
  • Egos aside, remember it’s often better to focus on the impact on the company–or better, the community. What’s more exciting: “Firm X Hires Real Estate Attorney John Doe”, or “Firm X Launches Real Estate Practice”? The first one would only be of interest to publications that cover attorney hires. The second would be of interest to publications that cover attorney hires, the real estate industry, the legal profession, the local community and general business. You can get into the attorney in the subhead or lead.
  • Avoid too many proper names (such as other companies) in a headline. Your message gets lost.
  • Consider a subhead if you want to quickly communicate the impact of your news or if you have a lot of proper names to mention.
  • Use large, bolded text for headlines.

Lead Sentence

  • Get to the news right away! The lead is often the only part that gets read. I have written only one anecdotal lead in my experience as a PR person and only because the story was more powerful than the news.
  • Avoid unnecessary words such as “Company X announces…” Even the biggest firms and agencies use this language, but it’s redundant. Of course you’re announcing something. That’s what press releases are for!
  • If you’re going to tell what your company does in the lead, do so in as few words as possible. The news will get lost.
  • Make sure you put the date and city in the dateline.

Other Writing Tips

  • Watch your grammar. Bad grammar says a ton about a company–none of it good. Hint–refer to people as “who”, not “that”.
  • Avoid puffery and corporate speak. Press releases are supposed to be factual. They should read somewhat like a news article. Phrases such as “leading provider” don’t fool anyone.  If some organization says you are the leading provider, prove it somewhere in the copy…with a source.
  • Succinctly tell readers what your company does high up in the copy. Get to differentiation lower in the copy.
  • Quote feeling, not fact. “This new market represents an amazing opportunity…”said CEO John Doe. That’s feeling. “We are a software provider that does x, y and z…” That’s fact.
  • Know that quotes are not necessary. Seriously. If your company just won an award, is it really going to accomplish anything with the cliché, “We’re honored…” Yes, there are times your release needs no quotes at all!
  • Use hyperlinks to relevant pages on your website.
  • Use bullets and subheads to break up thoughts.
  • Use bold text for proper names (people and companies). This makes it easier to spot and gives the eye a break.
  • Use  the “inverted pyramid” style of writing. That is, the news up top and the facts supporting that news toward the bottom.
  • Use Associated Press style. This should be the accepted style of all your marketing communications not only because that is how most reporters write but also because most of it makes very good sense.
  • Don’t over-think length. As long as your news is in the lead, does it really matter if the rest is too long? For really important news, a lot of content can really help reporters out by giving them key facts. It can help you out by making sure your messaging points are right there.  They don’t have to read everything, but I see no harm in having long press releases as long as you don’t bury the news. On the flip side, I also don’t see harm in a release that takes up just a few paragraphs.
  • Your contact info should be on each release, even the one you’re posting on your site. Don’t make people work to find you.
  • Don’t underestimate the boilerplate. This section at the bottom of a release is often read by people to get a fuller understanding of what it is you actually do.

Promoting Press Releases

Here are some tips on getting the word out:

  • Do your homework first. Establish a list of reporters you are targeting. Don’t waste their time with fluff. And don’t send a release on your new software version to the Lifestyle editor. That Lifestyle editor might ignore you when you actually have a good feature idea for the Lifestyle section. Again, that is why you have a VP of Communications or a PR account executive on your team.
  • Know that reporters want scoops. Offer one reporter the news before you publish or send to other reporters. This will establish a rapport. NEVER tell someone you are giving him or her a scoop and not oblige. Rightly so, this can get you blacklisted.
  • When sending your news to reporters, know they are getting hundreds of releases sent to them. Copy and paste the release into the e-mail. It’s much more likely to be read that way.
  • Use premium wires such as Marketwire and BusinessWire for big news. Use free services such as PRLog and Citybizlist for all news. You can use both to maximize your exposure.

That’s not all–I didn’t even touch on social media–but I don’t want to give away everything in one post!

I hope these tips help. If you like what you see, please let me know. Also, if I might have missed something, or if you disagree with any of these, feel free to opine.

-Justin Rubner

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It’s Not Just Your Product–Why Engaging Content and Brand Advocacy Are So Important

In marketing strategy, social media on 08/26/2010 at 4:06 pm

People trust the Internet more than they do salespeople

Did you know 83 percent of consumers are “somewhat to much” more confident about purchasing something after conducting online research than they are talking to someone in a so-called brick and mortar store?

That’s according to Lauren Freedman, President of Chicago-based e-Tailing Group, who spoke yesterday at an Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association event on e-commerce.

Freedman presented findings of a recent 2010 e-commerce trends survey her consultancy released.

The 83 percent example clearly shows the need for online content that accurately and easily explains your product’s or service’s value proposition. It also shows the need to create and maintain brand loyalists (and getting positive press in the media).

One trend Freedman mentioned was that product pages are increasingly emerging as a top destination for users. That means these pages must be compelling! Pictures and quick descriptions are no longer acceptable. Consumers are wanting those products to be explained and differentiated. They’re secretly hoping to be convinced.

It’s really simple–investing in content creation helps. If you’re looking to buy a stereo receiver, for example, and one retailer has in-depth content on what makes it so good, and another has just a few technical details, you’re going to be more attracted to the first retailer.

Another trend Freedman mentioned was the importance of user-generated reviews. With numerous review sites around, and especially Facebook and Twitter, reviews from customers can have a make or break impact. According to her company’s research, 72 percent of retailers say user-generated reviews have the biggest impact on buyer behavior than any other factor!

Here’s a quick quiz:

You’re looking to purchase a product or service. You’ve narrowed it down to three companies:

  1. Company A has 40 reviews, 35 of which are positive, and an active Facebook following with frequent company posts and user comments.
  2. Company B has one review, which is positive, and no Facebook following.
  3. Company C has 40 reviews, only five of which are positive, and a Facebook account that hasn’t been updated in four months.

Which are you going to choose, presuming the products and prices are somewhat similar?

Company A, I’d hope.

Company C clearly has issues–88 percent of customers had bad things to say and the company appears to not be very interested in connecting with them because of the lame Facebook page. Company B has only one real fan out there–yes, a 100 percent success rate–but what does that say about the company’s brand engagement? Company A, on the other hand, seems to care about connecting and 88 percent of customers rewarded it with positive reviews.

It’s clear from these examples that in a user-generated world, ignoring problems won’t only go away.

I recently heard of  a great company with a bad problem. It had more than 100 reviews on various sites such as Kudzu–almost all of which were blisteringly negative. But hardly no one was complaining about the product or customer service. They were instead complaining about overly aggressive sales tactics. Seems to me that of all things, sales tactics and after-the-sales-call tactics can be altered somewhat in a world where anyone can stew you alive in a blog, message thread or review site.

Overwhelmingly bad reviews are not going to bode well for long-term success. The company may have the best product in the world. But if prospects don’t know that, they will likely make their minds up with reviews.

Of course with social media, you are not in control–the user is–so there’s only so much you can do. But that does not mean you can’t help drive those users to become brand advocates.

Why not engage customers and prospects on Facebook and encourage them to write reviews if they’re happy? Why not offer unhappy customers the chance to write their complaints first in private to the company itself–instead of on Kudzu or Facebook, where the whole world can see? Why not engage unhappy reviewers online where you can help solve their problems? This goes a long way toward quelling future bad posts.

Another tactic to improve online reputation is keeping fresh content continually going to lower bad hits on Google.

And last, but not least, why not listen to these online complaints and adjust the things you can adjust?

Oh, and if you are interested in learning more about e-commerce trends, including mobile, I suggest you check out the e-Tailing Group survey here.

Until next time,

-Justin Rubner

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Is Video Worth It?

In business communications, marketing strategy on 08/13/2010 at 4:19 pm

You betchya…at least according to panelists at a recent BusinessWire event geared at promoting videos in press releases, e-mail campaigns  and websites.

The problem with any content–online, print, marketing, editorial or otherwise–is getting people to actually read (or watch) everything. Countless studies have determined that many people who do open documents such as press releases read only the headline and lead sentence. That is why the first few sentences are such crucial real estate, as I delve into in this previous post.

That is also why video is increasingly being used to accompany text communications to better engage potential customers.

Video can make your message more believable

According to some of the research presented at the event–I didn’t see all the sources of those stats–a video attached in a press release yields fives times as many clicks as a release with just text. Putting video in e-mails also yields more clicks, according to the presentations.

As for Web traffic, Jay Durgan, head of business development at MEDIAmobz, a video production solution company, said publishing videos on your site in short “digestible” chunks helps immensely. Stats he presented indicate 25 percent of video views occur within the first four days, and 50 percent within 14 days.

So… fresh content–video or text–is needed on a continual basis to get them coming back!

I took away two main tips:

  1. Don’t be a directorial dictator. Leave that to Hollywood. And Washington. If you try to control every word, you will never get the video produced. In other words, define and craft the message, but let there be some looseness in the production.
  2. Keep it short. No more than a minute and a half. No one’s attention span is that long anymore. In addition, any video designed to last longer will take too many takes because it’s too difficult to remember messaging / lines.

There are several reasons video is becoming more popular.

  1. It’s more affordable due to the wonders of digital technology. True, but it’s not exactly cheap either, unless you’re shooting it yourself on a Flip cam. (BusinessWire, a premium newswire, charges $395 for the first video, according to a packet handed out. That is in addition to its circuit fee.) But, video is now an attainable element for any company now.
  2. It creates authenticity and engages the user. I agree. When you see a CEO talking on a video–hopefully a short and engaging video–it connects you in a way words never could.
  3. It simplifies complexity. Also agree…but it needs to be in concert with your other messaging. A random video from Left Field that doesn’t tie into company messaging doesn’t seem to accomplish much.

In a future post, I plan on discussing writing for video–how it’s different and how to do it. And yes, there is a big difference.

I’ll leave on one thought. If these stats are true, and I do believe they are, then one reason behind the incredible click rates is that video is still not mainstream…so the freshness factor plays into it. Once videos start appearing in every company’s press releases, homepages and e-mails, and I hope it isn’t overdone, I see these click rates dropping immensely.

-Justin Rubner

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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.

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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