What a year!

Like I’ve said before, it’s important to celebrate the wins in this competitive world of public relations and media. So, now’s the time to recap on the year and celebrate all the good stuff! 

Our business has doubled in size in the past 12 months! We are working with clients in Springfield, IL, St Louis, MO, Guernsey and Jersey (the Channel Islands, Europe). Our portfolio of clients is rich and diverse. We’ve worked on state projects. We have worked with politicians. We are involved in a number of non-profits, civic and networking organizations. We sit, and advise, on several boards. We have opened our US headquarters in Springfield. We have welcomed two new faces to the team and we have launched our free, online, lifestyle magazine – Eighteen21.com. 

But what is most important is the recognition, awareness and revenue growth we have achieved for our clients. Several have been shortlisted and won awards. Others have appeared in a range of publications from The State Journal-Register to Guernsey’s Chamber of Commerce magazine, Contact, and on TV from Good Day Marketplace Illinois with host Melanie Streeper to Fox 32’s Good Day Chicago with former Springfield native Natalie Bomke. We’ve seen their businesses grow and as a result the need to increase staff numbers and move into large offices or workshops. 

It’s been a great year and we cannot wait to see what 2017 brings.  Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Ten tips for social media managers

If you’re the one in the public relations department, or business, tasked with creating and curating content for your online activity – on a daily basis – we know it’s tough at times. Coming up with new content when you’re between campaigns, or there’s a lack of inspiration, can cause the equivalent of writer's block. So, here are a few tips to help get you started – or keep you moving in the right direction when it comes to creating and curating content for social media. 

1.    Follow daily themes. What’s trending? Who’s #s are getting noticed? Are there any world events you can piggyback on? Look to others for inspiration.

2.    Can you use daily #s to your advantage? #ThrowbackThursday or #TriviaTuesday, for example. 

3.    Mark unusual holidays. There are a plethora of daily holidays out there (and easy info to access on the internet) from doughnut day to black cat day. Use these to your advantage – especially when fun or relevant to your business or cause. 

4.    Ask questions of your audience – make sure they are engaging – and one thing social media marketers often forget is to a) tell people why you are asking the question and b) follow up and let your audience know the outcome/response. 

5.    I say this to all our clients ‘people are inherently nosey’ they want to know what goes on behind the scenes of your organization – and they want to learn about the people running it. I think it’s important for your employees or volunteers to build a relationship with your audience, customers or clients, on and offline. So why not profile an employee or volunteer once a month? 

6.    Share news about your local community and what’s going on in it. I always say ‘It’s nice to be nice’ so why not share upcoming events in your local area and give a shout out to the charities or non-profits working to improve the lives of the people who may be the friends or family of your employees or customers? 

7.    Share links to updates on your website or blog. This is a great way to improve your SEO and curate untapped content. It’s good to remind your audience of the places they can find more info about you – your website and alternate social media channels are right there and waiting for you. 

8.    If you are REALLY struggling here’s an easy go to. There’s no reason you can’t revisit and share an old post! If the subject or topic is still relevant then what harm is there in reminding people of the post that already exists. I’m not saying this should be your everyday fallback. However, on the odd occasion when you have a million things going on and you’ve got to social something out – go for it. 

9.    If you’ve got a big event approaching what about a weekly countdown? Or, if you’re fundraising, what about a weekly, or daily, count? When people are contributing to an event or cause they like to remain informed. When the head coach of the Springfield Jr Blues was raising funds for the ‘Men Making Strides’ campaign to raise funds for breast cancer during October we asked each of his team’s players (during the countdown to the end of the month/fundraising goal) to tell us why they were supporting their coach and wanted to help beat cancer. The posts did exceptionally well because people related to the players and their own stories of cancer. 

10.    Share news with your audience. I get most of my news from the internet and I’d say 50% to 75% of that through social media. If you’re competing in a busy marketplace – and you can’t afford paid content, advertising or boosting, share valuable, relevant and FREE information with your audience. Look to the news for inspiration – is there a journalist or reporter that you follow because they are industry relatable – will your audience gain from this info also? There is always something interesting, funny, quirky out there in the news to share. 

Journalism versus public relations

I feel like I can talk about this topic honestly and openly because I’ve sat on both sides of the fence. Having trained and worked as a journalist in the UK, Channel Islands, and Australia and as a public relations consultant in Europe and the USA I believe I have a unique perspective on the matter. 

I can tell you now that not all journalists dislike public relations consultants and not all public relations consultants dislike journalists. I think, for those who have crossed over to the ‘dark side,’ we have a different point of view because we’ve experienced the riggers of being a journalist and the frustrations of working in public relations. 

As a news editor, I had, even more, respect for good public relations consultants and companies out there, dare I say it, at times I even relied on them to help fill the paper. I fondly recall, and he knows who he is, exchanging calls with a PR chap (who’s gone on to do great things by the way) about the state of my basket (usually on a Friday at 3pm while I was putting to bed Saturday’s paper, planning Monday’s and worrying about Tuesday’s edition) was it full, room for improvement, or empty. On the other side of the coin I once heard a PR colleague or mine say (following a presentation by an economist) ‘well, if he (the journalist) can write a story so can I,’ I hasten to add that she struggled, mostly because she didn’t have shorthand or a Dictaphone so missed chunks of information. This is what I’m talking about when it comes to respect for the other team. Journalists are trained to extract the salient details of a story, report accurately, and interpret information even a seven-year-old can understand. I loved being a journalist – I love the newspaper industry – it’s where I learned my trade and I put a lot of the success we have now at Gem PR & Media down to the fact I was taught by some of the best journalists I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. When I was news editor (and if you’re a West Wing fan you’ll know what I’m talking about) I had a post-it note on my computer and it read ‘WWJD’ – short for ‘what would X do’ J will remain unnamed. And, for the first year in the job I often got calls from J challenging my editorial decisions and pushing me to look at the newspaper I’d helped produce with fresh eyes – for this, I am truly thankful. One of my best friends crossed over from the dark side to the newspaper world and still, today, I hear her voice giving me advice when it comes to making decisions about my clients because she too understands the relationship between PR and journalism. 

From a PR perspective, I think my best advice is to always go with your gut – if it doesn’t feel right then trust your instincts. It’s also the way you can justify your decisions. Experience counts for a lot. I’ve made some mistakes, the kind that causes sleepless nights, but I’ve always come away thankful for the experience and the knowledge I’ve gained to better serve my clients. 
At the end of the day if you can build great relationships with the media, show respect for their work, and confidently provide good quality content you’ll do ok! 

Gem PR & Media Account Manager, Ericka, on life as a PR professional

So far, working at Gem PR & Media has been a bit of a whirlwind – to say the least.  I hopped on the Gem wagon in late August and since then not only have I been exposed to new areas of PR and media, but I’ve also had the opportunity, and support, to raise my game as a working professional.

From day one I knew that this was going to be a fast-paced environment where I would learn hands-on how to navigate my way through the world of Gem PR & Media. I have learned an extraordinary amount of information on topics I have never thought of reading about, whether it’s retirement planning, mortgage loans, website development, or even local Springfield businesses – and enjoyed it. Who would’ve known that there is so much to see and do in what is perceived as such a small town from the outside looking in?

Overall, I find that each day is a new adventure. The proverbial anthill that I started upon continues to mound as I explore new areas, am pushed outside of my comfort zone, and find creative ways to help each of our unique and wonderful clients discover their, and my, true potential.

Public relations in action

The world of public relations can be brutal at times. You think you have a great story but no one will buy into it because everyone else believes their story is great too. Sometimes a crisis can occur and your day, week, or even month is thrown completely off schedule and you have to spend your time doing damage limitations.

Natalie Bomke and Sensible Innovations founder and creator of the Aware app live at Fox 32 in Chicago.

That’s why, at Gem PR & Media, we think it’s important to enjoy each and every success our clients experience – and today we had a major win for Sensible Innovations! Our client, the founder and creator of the Aware app, Rasha Said appeared on Fox 32 in Chicago with Springfield native Natalie Bomke to talk about the impact this technology is making, and can make, in improving the lives of America’s 21 million visually impaired. 

A massive thank you to Natalie for recognizing a great story! And a huge thank you to Sensible Innovations for trusting us with the brand and allowing us to be part of your journey. 

Today we are a step closer to bringing this technology to the mass market for those who need it most! 

Social Media Butterfly

Social Media Butterfly 

Last week I attended a reception for this year’s ATHENA leadership award recipient, hosted by IWIL. I was taking photos and a fellow board member referred to me as IWIL’s ‘social media butterfly’. I rather liked it. When I got to thinking about it I realized it was a perfect description for what the person responsible for an organization’s social media should be. 

I attend almost all IWIL events and have also committed to being on both the ATHENA and Symposium committees. Honestly, sometimes I have to attend via conference call (even I can’t be at two places at once), but I feel it’s my duty as the person responsible for keeping our membership informed about our activities, via our social media platforms, which include Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to keep myself in the loop. 

At Gem PR & Media we manage a large number of social media accounts, in fact, much of Chris’ time is taken up posting, boosting and scheduling ads for our clients on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. We pride ourselves on delivering a great return on investment for our clients. So much so that our most recent, large-scale social media project, blew other mediums; TV, radio, and print, out of the water – and best of all we have the stats to back up the claim – because with social media we can actually measure engagement, reach and buying power. 

Back to the social media butterfly comment, for which I am quite proud, it is imperative to immerse ourselves in our clients’ businesses, to absorb all that they have to offer, to have an understanding of their products and services, to gain feedback and testimonials from their clients so that we can portray the very best of their business. 

Whether that’s attending a retirement party, visiting a group that a client is speaking to or creating traditional media (by that I mean TV, radio, and print) opportunities so we can then spread the word via social media too – then that’s what we’ll do. We don’t sit still for one minute. We move from place-to-place seeking out opportunities to create engaging posts for our clients’ target markets. Much like a social (media) butterfly. 

Millennials

Chris recently prepared a presentation about marketing to millennials for one of the networking groups we attend in Springfield. Here, he explains why, no matter your business, you cannot ignore this generation in your marketing, media or public relations planning. 

Essentially, a millennial is anyone born in 1981 and onwards, according to popular opinion – although some say it goes as far back as those born in 1976. More simply, millennials were the first generation to come of age in the new millennium. 

One of the world’s most famously successful millennials is Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Facebook is a key marketing tool that we use for clients in order to target and engage with their preferred audience. It’s extremely cost effective and measurable – it’s where, not just millennials, but all generations are at. For example, within a 25-mile radius of Springfield, there are more than 46,000 Facebook users over the age of 50. 

Millennials work hard when motivated; they like the opportunity to be  heard, prefer an interesting office environment (at Gem PR & Media HQ we have a range of workspaces from a large table that seats six for collaborative work to sofas and quieter breakout areas – oh and of course, we have a beer fridge). Millennials are decisive and want their leaders/mentors to be the same way. 

Millennials appreciate an environment that rewards creative problem solving: hence our collaborative desk at Gem PR & Media. The open culture that millennials have adopted allows people to move around and solve problems they care about most. For example, sometimes life means it’s difficult to work from the office and we need to stay home for a day or more – we have no problem with that. Happy employees mean happy clients and continuous growth for our business, which also means we have more resources at our disposal to give back to the community. Something else millennials care about – brands that care. 

Did you know, according to Hubspot, 84% of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising? We also spend a great deal of our time researching potential purchases – online mostly – before taking the plunge. We pass on to our peers for advice about products, we read news stories and blogs before committing to a brand. However, once we’ve chosen a brand were vehemently loyal to it. 

The value of columns, blogs and paid for editorial is far greater than the traditional, bog standard ad. So think about your market – 90% of millennials log more than two hours a day on Facebook – and how you want to spend your marketing dollars – or speak to us and we’ll show you how! 

Online tools

There are a number of online tools we use at Gem PR & Media almost every day. So, we thought we’d share these with you – especially as most of them are completely free!

Wetransfer.com

One of our favorites. Wetransfer.com allows for the sharing of large files without subscribing to the platform – and it’s free. You simply upload, or drag and drop, your files onto the page, type in the recipients email, add a message if you want, and send. You’ll not only receive an email to confirm that your files have arrived safely, but you’ll also get an email when the recipient has downloaded the files. The only drawback is that the files must be downloaded within a certain time, about a week, however you are sent an email notifying you if the files have not been downloaded about two days before deadline, which is handy because you can remind your recipient to do so. When you’re editing magazines from around the world, like we do at Gem PR & Media, this tool is invaluable.

Toggl.com

At Gem PR & Media we time keep so that we can measure our effectiveness in managing client accounts and track other activity such as admin, or our own PR, for example. Toggl is free and easy to use. You can also add members of the team to your account so you’re all recording to the same timesheets. There’s also an opportunity to download projects, which is extremely helpful for ad-hoc clients.

Canva.com

Canva.com is fantastic for creating images for social media. Now, we have some pretty creative people in our team, such as Courtney who’s a whiz when it comes to Photoshop and video, but I’m better with words so Canva is perfect for me. What I like about Canva is it’s pretty foolproof. You can upload your own images, add text and download to your desktop. The images are even sized for the various social media platforms – which is fabulous!

Facebook.com

An obvious choice right? As a team, we don’t just use Facebook for the promotion and marketing of our clients, we also use messenger to communicate, especially if there’s more than two of us involved in the conversation and we’re working remotely or it’s the evening and we’re watching TV with our cell phones in hand.

Grammarly.com

I was a skeptic, at first, when I came to grammarly.com but now, I wouldn’t be without it. Essentially, Grammarly.com is an automated proofreader – anything I write online is tracked and when there’s a typo or a missing comma grammarly.com suggests a correction. This is great if you’re multi-tasking or in a hurry. I love to get my red pen out and proofread, but when you’re in the middle something and you have to quickly add a post to Facebook, the phone is ringing, and you’re in the supermarket – Grammarly.com has your back! 

E-newsletters

Newsletters are an effective way to get your message out to a captive audience. However, I would highly recommend that you go for an e-newsletter over a traditional one. Cost effectiveness, increasing engagement with your target audience, and the ability to measure the success of your newsletter are major reasons for sending by email.

The key to successful e-newsletters is:

1.     Having a ready-made, captive, database for past, current, and potential clients. Newsletters allow you to remind past clients of your continued existence, developments, and new offerings. It’s always good to keep your current clients/customers updated about your activity and efforts. And, with potential clients, it’s another great marketing tool.

2.     Interesting content is vital. If you’re able to create content that’s not just interesting, but also informative or educational then all the better.

3.     If you say you’re going to send out your e-newsletter monthly, or quarterly, make sure you stick to your timetable. The worst thing you can do is begin sending out great content only to let it fall by the wayside and leave potential clients disappointed – thinking that you’re a flake.

4.     Evaluation. Make sure you are measuring the success of each e-newsletter. Which stories/articles are you getting feedback on? Which links are getting the most clicks? This will inform decisions about how you proceed with your newsletter.

If you’re thinking about devoting your valuable time to creating and sending out e-newsletters you should have a clear idea about success and what that looks like. What I mean by this is set goals. Is it your intention to drive recipients to your social media platforms? Do you want people to visit your website? Or will you have a direct link to a donation page?

Here are my top tips:

1.     Select a single goal for each newsletter – it’s easier to concentrate on one aspect of your marketing campaign and you won’t get bogged down when it comes to content creation.

2.     Align the goals of your e-newsletter with your marketing/PR strategy and objectives.

3.     Generally, the first link in the e-newsletter gets the highest number of clicks.

4.     Don’t bombard people with information. Make stories short and to the point. Use photos and graphics to illustrate, and create, a theme.

Don’t panic when it comes to content. Here are a few ideas:

1.     Use exerts from your blog page.

2.     Create a calendar of forthcoming events.

3.     Include information and updates about new services or products.

4.     Feature employees, interns or volunteers.

5.     Remind your audience of ways to connect with you, for example, links to your social media platforms.

6.     Feature case studies.

7.     Provide client testimonials.

Whatever you do, have fun with it. Create an engaging reminder of your quality offering, while at the same time providing your readers with the advice they will find useful. Start small and grow as you become more confident. Good luck! 

Don’t Just Do Facebook Videos—Do Them Well

According to the social media analysts at News Whip, engagement is down across the platform for every kind of Facebook post except for one: video. And it’s not just for easy cooking or the latest Wine About It. According to the Boston Globe, it generated 12 million views through video on social media—something its team could never have imagined hitting on its website.

Why does it work? Well, frankly, it’s less work than reading. When done right, it’s easy and informative. When done right, it’s a boon to your company and what it’s capable of in terms of delivering a message in a timely and interesting way.

When done wrong, however? It’s a massive waste of money and can make you look bad.

But don’t worry. We’re here to help ensure you do this right.

1.     Keep it simple.

According to a recent study, 85% of users watch Facebook videos with the sound off. Consider your viewers—if they’re busy professionals in an office, they’re probably not wanting to draw attention to the work they’re not doing. With that in mind, you’ll want to use text to get your message across rather than or in addition to voiceover. But no one wants to read a novel in a Facebook video. If you’re using voiceover, show only the major bullet points on-screen. Keep the text short and concise—no more than seven to 15 words on screen at a time.

2.     Keep it short.

With that small amount of text on the screen, it would likely take a long time to get every bit of the message you want across or an entire interview. Don’t do that. Frankly, it’s rare that anyone has the attention span to watch a video online for longer than two or three minutes. If you can’t get your message across in that amount of time, break it up into a few shorter videos, or use video in addition to a lengthier blog.

3.     For the love of all that is good and holy make sure your spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.

It does not matter how good and well-produced your video is if the text is poorly written. The fact is, a lot of people think they don’t need writers. Everyone thinks they can do it themselves. And that may well be the case at your company—but you must check, double-check and triple-check that it looks good. If there’s a typo, not only do you discredit yourself as an expert in your topic, but also this is the internet—people are going to comment on it. And who wants their awesome video to turn into a conversation about “your” versus “you’re?”

4.     This isn’t the Blair Witch Project. Don’t bounce the camera around too much.

If you don’t have fancy tools, keep the camera still. You don’t want to make your audience seasick.

5.     You don’t need a big budget.

That said, you don’t need fancy tools at all. I once made a video using an IV stand in place of a tracking dolly. One time I used a rolling golf bag (this worked terribly, I do not recommend it). Try different things and see what works for you. You don’t need expensive lights if you have a nicely lit room. You don’t need a costly boom mic if you buy a $30 lavalier microphone on Amazon.

6.     Landscape. Please do landscape.

People get really annoyed about portrait. Just turn your phone on its side and head off complaints before they happen.

Video is scary if you’ve never done it before. But you don’t have to be a film major to get it done. Smartphones, iMovie, these simple tools make it easy. Practice and see what works and doesn’t. Go forth and have fun!

Hot stuff

We are getting ready to make the final touches to the July/August edition of Springfield’s Own Magazine. One of our last tasks was the Summer themed fashion shoot. We could not have chosen a better day for it, a nice spot, or a more beautiful model. We headed out to Lake Springfield Marina with the beautiful water as our backdrop. 

The ladies from Full Blown Salon worked their magic on our model, Allie, clad in summer dresses and shirts from Itty Bitty Fashion Truck. Kate Spencer of Kate Spencer Photography took gorgeous photos. Choosing just seven, including the front page, is going to be tough. 

It’s a great day, I love collaborating with talented people who are all willing to volunteer their time, put in the work and gain amazing results. Springfield has a wide talent pool and I love to remind people of that in the pages of SO Magazine. 

I can’t wait for everyone to see this edition, which is full of fab stories; from the remarkable Rasha Said of Sensible Innovations, to a travel piece from the Big Easy, a book review by the wonderful Courtney Westlake, author of the blog Blessed by Brenna, and her latest release ‘A Different Beautiful,’ to an interview with the CEO of Sojourn and a look at domestic violence. It’s going to be a great read! 

Lake Springfield Marina

Alyssa Furling from Full Blown Salon starting hair and make up

Heidi Furling of Full Blown Salon doing Allie Fitzgerald's hair and make up.

Heidi Furling of Full Blown Salon Doing Allie Fitzgerald's make up.

Allie with hair and make up finished

Dresses from the Itty Bitty Fashion Truck

Kate Spencer and Allie Fitzgerald braving the shore for the perfect photo.

Allie at Lake Springfield Marina

It's all yellow

We did not "borrow" any flowers from Lake Springfield Marina...

New style

Hanging out on the docks at Lake Springfield Marina

Allie smiling with flowers in her hair.

Final outfit of the shoot.

Award winning entries

As a professional public relations company, with years of experience in gaining positive exposure, we know the importance of recognizing the achievements of our clients. 

This is why, as part of our PR and media plans for each, we work towards gaining clients recognition within their industries, amongst their peers, and for giving back to the communities in which they operate. 

A great way to do this is through the entry of awards, whether that be the Chamber of Commerce in the area, awards given through a media outlet or an industry association or body, which recognizes those that excel in its field. Sometimes the awards we enter, on behalf of clients, are for the entire business and at other times for individuals within the organization. 

The benefit of entering an award comes, not just, from the winning of it, but other PR opportunities, which derive from entering. Although this may sound contradictory, it really isn’t all about winning when it comes to positive exposure and award entries. Clients who are nominated for awards often gain significant recognition in the run up to and during the occasion. Not only will the media participate in spreading the word, but also there is an opportunity for us to PR the nomination through traditional and online content, such as the business’ social media platforms. 

We pride ourselves on an outstanding record when it comes to gaining clients’ recognition for their achievements and making the very most of their nominations and/or wins. There’s no denying it takes skill, knowledge and experience, not everyone can write a winning award entry. This is why we work hard to get to know our clients and their businesses too – it’s all part of our strategic approach to PR, media and marketing and to running successful campaigns, which see our clients’ companies grow and achieve their objectives.