Networking

Networking is a great way to build relationships and develop leads for your business. At times, however, you may find that the last thing you want to do is attend another networking event. Worse still, your networking group has become stale and the quantity and quality of referrals is declining. If this is the case I have a few suggestions to help bring energy back to your group. 

A social, which also involves the families of your group’s members, is a great way to get to know one another better and spend time together without the added ‘pressure’ of referrals. In and around Springfield there are a number of venues that would suit a relaxed gathering. Sheedy Shores in New Berlin, for example, allows you to bring your own food, there are plenty of tables, a grassed area, and on Sundays, there is live music. An afternoon picnic at Southwind Park is another great spot as there’s plenty for kids to do and explore. 

A community project is another way to help bring the group together and develop relationships. You may want to prepare and serve a meal for those staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield, for example.

Perhaps the start time of your regular meeting needs to change, or even the day. Do you need fresh blood in the group? What about setting aside meetings for guest visits. You could make this a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly activity. There could even be representatives from certain industries that you would like to add to the group. Sometimes it takes one or two members of the group meeting with a potential recruit, for coffee or lunch, to explain how your organization works and its benefits. It’s also worth revisiting your own contacts. Perhaps you’ve missed someone from your network that would fit right in and benefit other members – as well as themselves of course.

 
With many organizations, the leadership team can lose momentum if they have been in their respective positions for too long. If it’s time to shake things up to encourage those who have not taken on leadership roles in the past to do so.

 
Finally, is your group doing all that it can to get the word out about its members? Do you have a Facebook page or Instagram account that you can populate with members’ businesses and activities? If not then perhaps it’s time to engage in social media as well as meeting in person to share referrals and develop relationships. 

If you are interested in visiting a networking group, members of the Gem PR & Media team are involved in the following organizations and would be more than happy to provide further information.

Business Networking International 
Central Illinois Networking Group 
Illinois Women in Leadership 
Springfield Junior Chamber of Commerce (Springfield Jaycees) 

All women networking event in Springfield

I’ve always been a firm believer in supporting fellow local business owners, especially those established or operated by women. 

Where we can we will use local printers Emerson Press, a contact I made at Illinois Women in Leadership a few years ago. The team at Emerson provides great customer service – anything we have printed is delivered directly to our office door. Deb Sarsany helped us to find our office on Springfield’s west side and Kate Spencer of Kate Spencer Photography, whose studio is based alongside Gem PR & Media 2121 W White Oaks Dr., provides us, and most of our clients for that matter, with headshots and images for our/their social media, websites, and marketing material. 
 

On June 8 Gem PR & Media, Kate Spencer Photography, IWIL  will be participating in the Women Empowerment networking event at Erin’s Pavilion, which has been organized by the Deb Sarsany Team at The Real Estate Group. The event will provide an opportunity for businesswomen to get together, share their work, and develop new relationships. In total 25 business and or organizations will fill the venue at Southwind Park from 5pm to 8pm. 

It’ll be loud no doubt; as it always is at women-only events, but I also think it will be a great evening. I’m looking forward to meeting new people that we haven’t  come across yet in Springfield and to see if there is anything they can do for our business or vice versa. You can find more information about the Women Empowerment event on Eighteen21.com or on June 1 on Good Day Marketplace Illinois between 8am and 8.30am. 

Congratulations!

The Gem PR & Media team would like to say congratulations to all those nominated for this year’s Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards. Especially to our clients The Real Estate Group and Lincoln Academy of Illinois – but in particular those listed in the New & Emerging category, which we are proud to be included. 

•    Mark D. Cortesi – Cortesi Insurance and Financial Services Inc.- A State Farm Agency
•    Paul S. Carlson – Falcon Hobby Supply, Inc.
•    Diane Davenport, Julie McCormick & Hero Tameling – Freedom Real Estate
•    Gemma Long and Chris Long – Gem PR and Media, Inc.
•    Daren & Lisa Bohannan – Mosquito SQUAD
•    Steven T. Dunker – Tails to Remember Pet Services
•    Josh & Andrea Hester – The Storyteller Studios
•    Melissa Hamilton – Your Corner Office, Inc.

We have talked about the importance of entering, being nominated for, and winning awards in the past on more than one occasion. Third party endorsement of your efforts, dedication, and professionalism towards your clients, peers, and the community, in general, is something that cannot be bought. 

We believe that at Gem PR & Media if we practice what we teach then we are demonstrating our knowledge, experience, and most of all our strong belief in what we do daily for each and every client. 

Good luck to all those listed – see you at the awards next month! 

What our clients have taught us: part two

More than a year ago I wrote a blog about what our clients have taught us. I had a conversation this week, which reminded me of that blog. I was talking to a client for the first time and I told them that they were paying for my advice, that I would give it to them, but if they didn’t like it that was their prerogative. 

When I first launched Gem PR & Media I was reluctant to say exactly what I thought when counseling clients. This was unusual because previously I had been very upfront as an account manager. I think, no, I know it was because I was afraid to offend Gem PR & Media clients and lose them. Then, a client asked me for my professional opinion and I didn’t give it to them. Instead, I told them what I thought they would want to hear. Well, eventually, my ‘politeness’ came back to bite me and the client told me not to tell them what I thought they would want to hear, but give my professional opinion because that’s what they were paying me for – even if I knew they weren’t going to like it.

 
This was one of the most important lessons in my professional life. I just needed to be reminded that I do a good job for my clients because I am always upfront with them.

 
I enjoy working with clients that have a strong personality, that challenge me, and question my approach. There are times, of course, when you need to evaluate the extent to which you ‘push’ your point (as a friend once said to me ‘lose the battle but win the war.’) I’m actually quite good at this – especially when I’m dealing with a crisis – the gloves come off and I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect that client. In my life, I’m terrible at seeing the big picture. Sure, I have no problem telling friends what I think and why, but me, personally, I’ll jump in before I’ve taken the chance to consider all options and evaluate the situation properly. I was talking to a friend the other day and I told her something I knew she needed to hear, but that I also knew no one else would, we were on the phone but I could hear the relief in her voice because all she needed was someone to be totally honest and upfront with her. 

As a professional that, at times, along with a team of attorneys, insurance advisors, even police has to lay out the ups and downs of their future, the future of their livelihood, you can be nothing but honest and upfront. Experience has taught me, as have my clients, that I’m here to help them navigate a path that they alone cannot. 

Gem PR & Media: Good as gold!

On Monday evening Gem PR & Media was selected for the 2017 Good as Gold Business Honor Roll at the Good as Gold Springfield Volunteer Awards in recognition of commitment and dedication to volunteerism, service to community, and financial support of non-profits and charitable organizations. The event was hosted by the University of Illinois, Springfield at the Public Affairs Center on campus and is supported by the Junior League of Springfield and United Way. The room was packed with individuals, organizations, and businesses that give back to our community and it was a very humbling experience for our team. 

This perhaps is the award we are most proud of because we feel extremely honored to be recognized alongside such fantastic people. Once being Patty Stremsterfer, who we recently featured in Eighteen21.com, for her more than 40 years of volunteer work at Memorial Medical Center. Patty received the Good as Gold Springfield Volunteer Awards Distinguished Volunteer Award and I cannot think of someone more deserving. Congratulations Patty! 

Something we have learned, and continue to remind clients, is that it’s ok to take a minute every so often and acknowledge your achievements – then it’s time to get back to it and work harder. For our family owned and run business it’s about raising the standards of our industry, helping businesses to grow and meet their goals, and giving back to our community. One of the ways in which we like to support our community is through our free, online, lifestyle magazine Eighteen21.com.

If you’re involved in a non-profit or charitable organization in Springfield that you believe deserves recognition or you have an event/fundraiser planned that you’d like to promote please get in touch with us. Email 1821@gemprmedia.com  and we’ll get back to you. 

A great public relations campaign – by today’s standards

When we talk with clients about their public relations campaign strategy we divide activity into traditional and digital media. Traditional media being TV, radio, and print and digital being anything we do online. 

Online activity plays a major part in communicating with stakeholders. But you can’t just throw out content, hope it sticks, and that it influences behavior. You must be strategic. 

Consumers jump around online; from Facebook to a news page, to a Google search to Instagram, back to Facebook, next a blog, online shopping, and then back to Facebook. So, in order to capture their attention you must be visible. 

It doesn’t matter how many likes or followers you have on your Facebook page, the way in which you influence your audience has nothing to do with this. It’s about your ability to affect change through your stakeholders. And by the way – this has never changed – it’s always been the case that the job of public relations is to persuade. We’re just applying it to the online world in this instance. The key here is engagement. The actions that follow a post will prove whether your campaign is a success or not. 

If you’re not thinking about SEO, when planning a public relations campaign, then you might as well go home. SEO should be part of your integrated approach today. As public relations professionals we are perfectly placed to impact search results. 

Traditional media can also play a vital role here. A TV interview or newspaper article is highly likely to appear online at some point – and on multiple platforms. It’s what you do with this content that matters. 

Artificial intelligence and augmented reality also play a part in the field of public relations – and even more so in the future. In fact, we already work with clients to ensure that intelligent assistants, such as Siri and Alexa, are working in their favor. 

For years, those in the field have struggled with evaluation and measurement. Thanks to the data we are now able to extract online we can make improvements in real time. We’re also better able to prove ROI. 

I actually remember the day I sent a fax to the media when there was a crash landing at the airport and the airline was the client of a consultancy I worked for. A fax! Civic journalism and the digital world now take care of ‘breaking news’ now. This is what crisis comms people live for – the fast paced unfolding of a story that’s likely to hit the World Wide Web before you can even utter the word ‘let’s get out in front of the story’. Therefore you need a solid plan when it comes to crisis comms.  

Whatever your budget and timeframe, you need to make sure all of the above is fully considered – and acted upon – to deliver a successful public relations campaign.

United Airlines: You must apologize

Today the main trending topic on social media was a video showing a man being wrestled from his seat and dragged, by law enforcement officers, from a United Airline’s plane at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport because the airline had overbooked the flight.

United CEO response to United Express Flight 3411. pic.twitter.com/rF5gNIvVd0

— United (@united) April 10, 2017

 
United has said it is reviewing the incident. Frankly, that’s not good enough – you need to say sorry – now. The CEO apologized for having to ‘re-accommodate these customers,’ but he didn’t say sorry to the passenger assaulted on his plane. He said it was upsetting for the staff. What about the gentleman and passengers? If you watch the footage, caught by passengers on their cell phones, these people look genuinely shocked and concerned for the gentleman’s wellbeing. 
The actions by those involved are bad enough, but why didn’t the CEO drop everything to meet with this man and apologize? It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t his staff that removed the passenger – it matters that it happened on his watch. The video has gone viral. There’s no stopping this one. The damage has been done. I don’t envy the PR team at United they have a tough challenge ahead. 

Having run crisis communications for companies in the UK and the US my recommendation is to issue a statement, saying that the organization puts customers first and is appalled at the way this situation was handled. As well as launching an investigation into the matter I would have the CEO take full responsibility, given the incident occurred because his airline had overbooked the flight. This was a paying customer it’s not his fault that greed supersedes service. Then I’d have the CEO go on TV, do the morning shows, look the public in the eye, and say this will never happen again. I have no doubt that the passenger will appear on TV and in newspapers over the coming weeks to have his say about the matter. Damage limitations are all about a quick response, getting ahead of the story, and saying SORRY. Good luck United. 

Sensible Innovations

For more than a year now, we have been working with Rasha Said, founder and CEO of Sensible Innovations. When we first met with Rasha in early 2015 she had recently launched the first version of the Aware app. Aware is designed to help improve the lives of America’s 21 million visually impaired, using Apple iBeacon technology to communicate information about a person’s surroundings.

The app has been created with the visually impaired in mind, but is also being used by people with dyslexia and the elderly, who find it difficult to navigate a new environment. The iBeacons' signals trigger the app, which identifies the location, downloads the information and a text reader on the smartphone describes the environment. Access to information at the right time and place for the visually impaired, or individuals who have difficulty understanding signs, negates the need for memorization or fear of getting lost. Rasha’s ultimate goal has been to provide the visually impaired the opportunity to explore the world without limitations – and she’s doing exactly that. 

After her pilot installation at Glenwood High School in Chatham, Illinois, Rasha then placed iBeacons, free of charge, at The Mary Bryant Home for the Blind in Springfield, Illinois. Gem PR & Media has worked with Rasha to develop a pro-active public relations campaign, which has built brand recognition here in Springfield, in the state of Illinois, across America (especially amongst her target market), and around the world. Rasha is now installing iBeacons across the country and will have a pilot scheme go live in London, UK, later this year. 

We have spread word of Sensible Innovations’ Aware app through a number of channels, including attendance at conferences for the visually impaired, technology symposiums, building a relationship with and installing iBeacons at Chicago Lighthouse, speaking occasions, interviews on TV, in newspapers and magazines – including, and perhaps one of our most successful activities, an interview in the American Foundation for the Blind’s publication and online. 

Most recently, and the reson for this blog, we entered Rasha for two regional awards: the ATNENA Leadership award, which is presented to female leaders in the community for their personal and professional dedication and the Springfield Business Journal’s Women of Influence award. Rasha has been shortlisted for the ATNENA award, of which there are 10 nominees, and is one of five 2017 winners of the Women of Influence award. 

It goes without saying how extremely proud we are to work with Rasha, continue to help her build the Sensible Innovations brand, and deliver the Aware app to those who will benefit from it most around the world. 

If there was ever the perfect example when it came to a client who understood the positive impact of public relations Rasha Said and Sensible Innovations is it. 

Gem PR & Media shapes message for Sangamon County Fair 2017

We were delighted to have the opportunity to work with the committee to promote this year’s Sangamon County Fair, which takes place between Tuesday 13 and Sunday 18 June. 

The most important messages that we needed to deliver to the fair’s stakeholders were changes to the event, which is steeped in tradition – and expectation. The committee decided that this year, following feedback from previous years, that it would reduce the admission fee to the fair – with a separate fee for grandstand entertainment. Also, we announced that the 2017 Sangamon County Fair would run six days instead of the usual five with the Sangamon County Fair Queen Pageant taking place on Tuesday (opening day of the fair) opposed to the Wednesday. The committee made these changes with the aim to increase attendance, particularly for families. 

With Gem PR & Media being headquartered in Sangamon County (home to Springfield, IL) we are always excited to get involved in local events. The Sangamon County Fair committee had the challenge of sending out a clear message about changes to the event so we were only too happy to provide them with the support they needed.

As a result of the campaign so far, multiple news organizations in Central Illinois have reported on the fair and the changes positively, which were announced on Friday 31 March. 

We look forward to continuing to manage the public relations campaign for this year’s Sangamon County Fair. 

Why you should hire a social media manager

Gem PR & Media can improve your social media and manage the day- to-day operation of your accounts.  We know you're busy and social media often is pushed back to take care of your clients. That’s where a social media manager comes in. 

The main role of a social media manager is to represent your business through the various social platforms and engage with your stakeholders. The return on investment comes with his or her know-how, experience, and time. 

If you work with a team, such as ours, you don’t just get the support of just one, but of many. When immersed in the world of social media it’s easier to respond quickly to changes on individual platforms – and to stay abreast of current trends. We know the central Illinois community and manage numerous accounts in the area successfully.

A good social media manager should respond effectively to questions from your stakeholders, create original content, remain informed about best practices and provide feedback after analyzing results. 

If you want a successful social media campaign there must be a strategy, defined goals, and a chance for evaluation. You should expect to engage with your social media manager on a regular basis. He or she should develop a relationship with your key staff and have an opportunity to meet with them to find out about activity within the business so that they can inform your stakeholders. 

Make sure you work with someone who is enthusiastic about social media. And, like I’ve said before, don’t be afraid to ask for samples of work from past clients, this is a good way to evaluate whether he or she has a clear understanding of how social media plays a key part in any marketing plan. It certainly doesn’t hurt to do a Google search of the social media manager and their own social media platforms. Their image is as important as yours. 

Writing award entries

It’s that time of year when we sit with our clients and recommend a list of awards they should enter some local, some statewide, and others that are national. Our experience and some research mean we are able to identify award opportunities that will not only suit them best, in terms of their business development goals, but we genuinely believe they have a chance of winning.

 
In the past, I’ve talked about the importance of award entries in building brand awareness, but I haven’t talked about how to write an award entry, which I will do now. 

First, you must identify which awards suit you, and your goals, best. If you want to build your brand in the community perhaps you need to look at a volunteer award. If it’s the community you want to relate to you must focus on local opportunities. If you want to demonstrate your capabilities then you’ll want to enter a business award, such as the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce awards, for example. Perhaps you want to gain recognition for something more specific to your industry. If that’s the case you may need to look to an association. We have a number of female clients who have not only excelled as entrepreneurs – there are plenty of award opportunities here too. 

Once you’ve identified the award to enter you need to read over the criteria. Can you fulfill all of the criteria? Will you stand out against others in the same category? If so, you can begin drafting your responses. If you don’t meet the criteria, work out what it is you need to do in order to meet the requirements of the award entry and work towards this over the next year. 

I always start by copying and pasting all of the questions into a word document. Often, these awards are entered online so it’s a good idea to create a draft in case the site crashes. It’s also a great reference point for future entries. 

Make sure you have all the salient details correct, such as contact numbers, email address, names etc. When responding to a question I like to highlight the words that explain what the judges are looking for. That way I can refer back to make sure I’m answering the questions.  
I always try to write award entries in the first person. This demonstrates the relationship between the nominator and the nominee. It is a much stronger entry if the judge believes he or she is reading the words of the person who has nominated the nominee.

 
If you’re entering your business for an award, opposed to an individual, you need to write passionately about your business. As in all good stories, especially if the entry form calls for it, start at the beginning, work through the crux of the business, and talk about your future goals. 
If the entry asks for additional documents, in support of the nomination, choose wisely – don’t send too much that you’ll drown out the reasons for the nomination. 
Proof your responses, errors are frustrating for judges who must read multiple entries and, if you’re entering an award for your business, appear unprofessional. Don’t waffle; get to the point. Have another member of staff review the entry; there may be something you have forgotten, which is crucial. 

Finally, make sure you make yourself available to the judges if there are any further questions.  

Public relations and media outsourcing

Have you ever considered outsourcing your company's communications to a consultancy like Gem PR & Media? Well, if you haven’t, you should. We think you might be surprised at how cost effective it really is. 

Recruitment costs are high; you have to get the word out about the fact you’re hiring, pay for advertising in print or online, sift through resumes, conduct interviews and negotiate a salary, plus benefits. Once you’ve hired your new public relations, marketing, or social media manager you then have to train them, again, this can be costly and extremely time-consuming. After all that, you’re only getting one person for your money. That person may get sick, for example, and then you’re left without the support you need to promote your business successfully.

What a consultancy, like Gem PR & Media, offers is an experienced, knowledgeable, and qualified team right at your fingertips. There’s no such thing as a sick day – because we are not one individual person, but a well-oiled, fully functioning team that gets to know your business as well as you do.

We have a wide skills base, which is difficult to find in one person. And, we’re well connected in the community. We have a network of clients, suppliers, software, and contacts that we can call on when you need something. We can even manage the tender process for you – acting as a go-between so you can concentrate on running your company smoothly.

Outsourcing is a great way to manage your time and finances. Having an expert team on hand to support you, your staff, and your business in the most cost-effective way is the road to success. 

So what’s stopping you? 

Experience speaks volumes in our opinion

Lead by our CEO, who has not one, but two degrees in Journalism, a diploma from the Press Association and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, one of the largest bodies representing public Relations professionals in the world, our team has worked in marketing, PR, and media roles around the world.

Together we have worked on political campaigns, helped bring companies back from the brink, and won numerous awards for our clients. We believe in creating and delivering a strategy tailored to each client and their business’ individual needs.   

So, next time you hear or see that someone ‘does’ PR, social media, or marketing ask what it is exactly that they do. Don’t be shy about asking for examples of their work.

Ask to speak with clients to find out if they had a good experience. Do clients feel they have achieved a return on investment? And, with that in mind, did the consultancy meet the objectives set at the beginning of the campaign?

For the team at Gem PR & Media, it’s about putting into practice the skills we’ve learned, the knowledge we’ve gained and the experience that sets us apart from all others that say they are experts or visionaries in the field.

Redundant vocabulary

I love proofing articles.  One of the most common issues, in addition to poor grammar and punctuation, is the use of redundant vocabulary. 

Some of the most common redundant vocabulary currently in use includes: 

• Really/very unique – Something is unique or it isn’t – it can’t be really unique. 
• Empty out – Empty is all you need. 
• End result – The result comes at the end.
• Frozen ice – Ice is frozen water.
• He died from fatal injuries – It's obvious his injuries were fatal if he died.
• Local residents – Avoid the word local in news stories at all costs.  How do you define local?
• A new innovation - If something is innovative it’s generally new. 
• Past experience - If you’ve experienced something it happened in the past. 
• Sum total - The sum or the total will do, no need for both. 
• Never before - Never makes it pretty clear.
• Added bonus – The bonus is the addition of something. 
• At the present time - At this time or the present work perfectly well. 
• Collaborate together - Collaborate means together. 
• Filled to capacity – One or the other, please.
• Final conclusion - A conclusion means the end. 

The next time you’ve been asked to write an article, post or blog have a read through and make sure you’re not making any of the mistakes above. 

10 tips for a press release

When I began drafting press releases more than a decade ago there was really only one consideration – how would the information appear in the newspaper? That may sound a little harsh, but often when it comes to TV or radio the news editor wants a sound bite from the spokesperson you are representing they don’t want to read from your press release. Now, you’re not just writing for print, but you’re also writing for online content too – and that’s a whole other ballgame. The headline you write for a newspaper will be significantly different to the one you write for the web, for example. 

So, how do you combat this? Well, when I launched Gem PR & Media three years ago I began writing content for individual media outlets, whether radio, TV, print or online. A few tweaks here or there can make all the difference. This is definitely something to think about. 
If you’re a complete novice, or it’s been a while since you drafted a press release, here are 10 things to take into consideration.

1. Make sure you cover the who, what, when, where, why and how of the story 
2. Provide a title – ensure you adapt it for different media 
3. Write a great intro  
4. Provide contact info for the company’s spokesperson (and yourself) 
5. Don’t bury the lead – that never works 
6. If you need a sponsor included in the published version weave this into the quote (from your spokesperson) 
7. Don’t use jargon - Joe Blogs on the street needs to be able to understand what it is you are saying 
8. Don’t cap up job titles or roles - the only people that deserve caps are the Queen, the President, and the Prime Minister 
9. Include a release date 
10. There’s no need to rewrite War and Peace – a press release should be clear and concise – I try to keep mine to 300/350 words

When drafting and issuing a press release make sure you are a) writing for individual media platforms, b) providing all of the salient details and, c) communicating clearly with your audience. 

Crisis communication

As a former journalist and news editor, there’s nothing quite like a crisis to get the heart rate going. Even at 2am you’re already writing the front page headline as you’re getting dressed because someone jumped off scaffolding at a construction site thinking they were a superhero or one of the city’s largest locally-owned businesses announces its closure after 100-odd years. 

However, when the crisis is happening to you or your business there’s nothing worse, which is why it’s imperative to get a public relations consultant, with experience, on board to help you through the turmoil. 

It takes experience to know how to best handle a crisis. So, here’s what I’ve learned so far. 

1. Call your public relations consultant as soon as the crisis begins to unfold. 
2. Halt all interaction online – until you have a plan and clear messaging. That means no social media posts! If you have posts scheduled to go out postpone these – you don’t want to receive criticism for something that’s slipped through the cracks. The same for any radio, TV or print ads. 
3. Hold a meeting with the board or heads of departments (you must include your PR team, whether internal or external) and make sure everyone is on the same page. 
4. Decide on a plan of action – and key messaging. How often will you make updates online – or put out a statement? 
5. Inform staff of the situation. Make sure they understand and know the public message – even if that’s a ‘we don’t have any further information at this time,’ type comment. 
6. If you need to issue an apology do so. 
7. Get ahead of the media – release a statement, inform them of when the next update is likely to be and who their main point of contact is. 
8. Choose a spokesperson who can handle multiple interviews and or calls and will stay on point. 
9. Have your team planning for the future now. I worked with a company that suffered a comms crisis and less than 12 weeks later won a national award because we were already planning how to ‘save’ the reputation of the company as the crisis was unfolding. 
10. Handling a crisis well is key to the ongoing success of your business – what you do in those first hours or days could be the making of you and your company. 

Whatever the situation, make sure you have the right people on board to help you through. PR crisis experts are worth their weight in gold. 

11 business networking tips

Networking and building relationships have been key to the growth of Gem PR & Media. Making time for networking is tough, I know, but it is important. I’m talking about making the best of your time, building relationships, and giving back. 

So here are my top tips when it comes to networking: 

1. Join the committee or board of a non-profit
2. Volunteer at a non-profit
3. Join an association
4. Join a networking group – in which you will be the only one representing your field
5. Use your LinkedIn profile wisely -spend a few minutes every day updating your contacts, commenting on, sharing or posting content
6. Attend open days or ribbon cuttings
7. Offer yourself as a speaker
8. Always make sure you have business cards on you – keep them in your car, house, or office
9. Offer yourself as a commentator to various media outlets
10. Hold an open house or coffee morning at your place of work
11. Always follow up with someone once you’ve secured his or her business card

Make networking part of your everyday work life and I promise if you think of it this way it will become less of a burden and more of a pleasure. 

Internal communications

I would strongly argue that internal communication is just as important, if not more important, than external comms. Your people are your brand. They are the ambassadors for your company. If you want to develop a great reputation and relationship with your stakeholders you must first address the way you communicate with your team. 

There are a number of ways of you can improve your internal comms. One is simply to communicate clearly with your staff. Make sure they understand all policies and procedures. Ensure there is two-way communication – do your staff have someone they can go to at any time to discuss questions they have? Do you keep your staff updated with the latest information about your business, whether that’s the opening of a new branch, the recruitment of additional staff, or a new bonus scheme? How do you keep your staff updated? Do you have regular meetings? By regular meetings, I mean more than once a month. Do you have an internal newsletter or blog where you can share the success of staff members – inside and out of the workplace? Do you recognize when someone you employ reaches a milestone – say their fifth year of employment? Do you have an employee of the month program or an internal awards process? 

If you develop clear communication with your staff when the going is good you’ll have a much easier time when things get tough. If you’re unlucky enough to experience a crisis the first person you should tell is your public relations consultant and the first thing they will tell you is to inform all staff so that everyone is on the same page. In my experience, if you are going through the closure of a division of your business or redundancies an open line of communication with those involved will prevent rumors and upset from the outset. 

If you don’t have an internal comms plan then I highly recommend that you speak with your public relations team about creating and enacting one. Happy staff mean happy clients and a better bottom line. 

What makes a good story?

One of the first things you discuss as a journalism student or newbie journalist is ‘what makes a good story?’ Something that public relations professionals also face on a daily basis. 
Sometimes your client thinks they have a great story, but really it’s just the promotion of a new service or product – and you’re the one that has to tell them it’s a no go. On the other hand, clients, who understandably are busy in their day job, often miss the signs of a great story – so it’s your job to seek out the good stories by asking the right questions and staying abreast of the issues. 

If you know you have a good story, you must now consider whose interest it will pique. Is it a news story? Does this have feature written all over it? Do you need to speak to the sports editor? Is there a special section of the newspaper or magazine where your client’s story will feature more prominently? Is there a radio program that features topics such as this? Is there room for an interview? Could you organize or offer photos to accompany the story? If you find the right slot for your client’s story and the editor or journalist bites then you’re golden. 
Another thing to consider is timing. Sometimes it’s worth holding onto a good story, which will gain increased traction at a certain time of the year or on a certain date. 

I talk about the need for corporate social responsibility often, however, when it comes to the media, this market is becoming saturated so you need to look at alternative ways to gain exposure for your clients. I have turned to blogs and online newsletters where I know I have a decent story to tell for my client, but at the same time know that I’m almost certainly wasting my time and my client’s money when it comes to the daily newspaper. 

I’d also consider, in this day of 24-hour news, how your story will play out online – including social media – and at what time of day you might want to release it to the media – if you know they will want to run with it a.s.a.p. 

Also, do you want to provide an exclusive to ensure coverage versus a blanket approach?  This may not gain the exposure you were hoping for. 

And finally, if you’re approaching an editor or journalist make sure you can quickly and easily provide them with a synopsis of the story and/or the who, what, when, where, why and how. Oh, and don’t pitch to them as they are approaching deadline wait until they have time to listen to your idea. 

Social media audits

At Gem PR & Media we often talk about how important it is to set goals and measure success, whether that’s a political campaign, marketing plan or public relations strategy.
Engaging in a social media campaign without having a clear strategy is a waste of time and money. You may have great content on your platforms, but without an objective and lack of measurement how do you gauge what is a success and what is not? The time you take developing goals, creating a strategy and measuring the value of your activity will truly pay off for you and your business. 

In order to develop goals, a strategy and measure activity you must first conduct an audit. 
To begin with, decide what your objectives are. Do you want to improve SEO? Do you want to increase traffic to your website? Do you want to engage a greater number of past, present and potential clients online? You may find it’s actually a combination of these things. 
Next, and this is something people often forget to include when developing their social media strategy, identify your competitors. If your competitors appear to be achieving the goals you have set for yourself check out what they are doing to make this happen and make sure you are doing it better. We can also learn a lot from what people do wrong so that we do not make the same mistakes ourselves. 

In the same way that you keep a close eye on your competition make sure you have a clear idea of your own strengths and weaknesses so you can combat these early on. 
Don’t think of an audit as a static thing. Continue to evaluate your activity and identify whether it is meeting your objectives. This will give you an opportunity to go back and correct what has failed or build upon what has proved a success. 
Make sure you know all of the social media platforms you are on and accounts you have – you don’t want a rogue Instagram account out there that an ex-employee set up that you no longer have access to. Have your passwords saved somewhere secure and make sure you’re not the only one who has access – what if you get hit by a bus? 

Measurement is key. I go on and on about it all the time, but that’s because it’s vital to the success of a campaign. Make sure you’re up to speed with the analytics each platform offers you and if you require a more in-depth look at your activity there are plenty of third-party platforms, which offer great insight. We use Sprout Social at Gem PR & Media. 
Don’t just rely on analytics, speak to your staff, customers and those that are engaging with you online. Are your posts engaging? Do they contain calls to action? Are your users acting on your posts? Are you asking new clients where they found out about you? Or what prompted them to use your service or product? It’s really important to gain feedback from clients – you need to know what is and isn’t working. 

Make sure you communicate with your team; relay positive and negative feedback and allow them to contribute to your audit so that they can take ownership of the strategy to follow. 
Don’t think of an audit as a chore; instead look at as the beginning of a great strategy, which leads to opportunities for you and your staff, happy customers and increased profits.