The Associated Press recently added a new section on polls and surveys. The guidance is focused on political polling and explains in a blog post, “The new chapter, available immediately to AP Stylebook Online subscribers, leads with longstanding guidance that the mere existence of a poll is not enough to make news.” While the new chapter is focused on political polling – PR practitioners should keep this guidance in mind when considering consumer surveys for media relations outreach. You know the one. Seeking media attention, a company commissions research through a telephone or Internet firm to poll 1,000+ Americans and …
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There’s a recurring debate in Fredrik Backman’s endearing book, A Man Called Ove, in which the title character and his best friend lock horns over the supremacy of one Swedish car manufacturer over the other. This Volvo vs. Saab rivalry reminds me of the ongoing debate between PR practitioners who subscribe to our traditional strategies of media relations and the more progressive proponents of content marketing. Of course, if you have a two-car garage, and budget is not an issue, the easy answer is to go with both. But that is not always the case, and so we often have …
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Not every video you post on your social channels needs to have Oscar-worthy production values. Sometimes you need to move more quickly—and spend less money—than you can when using a professional videographer. But even for smartphone video quickly captured in the field, you can take a few steps to improve the final quality of your videos. Here are a few quick tips for capturing better video in situations where it doesn’t make sense to hire an external videographer. Standing too far away There’s a phrase you’ll find in photography circles that applies equally well to video: Zoom with your feet. …
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Recently, one of our clients had a question about the way Facebook was displaying their reviews. To set the scene: the business has an impressive 4.3-star overall rating, yet right there at the top of the home page, Facebook’s algorithm elected to display two one-star reviews. If you are a potential customer checking out the page, it isn’t a great first impression. That’s extremely frustrating as a business owner. The majority of the reviews of the business are overwhelmingly positive, but it’s the two outliers that get the spotlight. Our client wanted to know why Facebook prioritized these negative reviews …
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“Does social media advertising really work?” “What kind of ROI will I get on my social ad spend?” These are the kinds of questions we get a lot from clients. So, let’s start with the second one, the important question about using social media to move the needle. The answer: it depends. Goals and objectives are different from client to client, so it’s tough to give a concrete, one-size-fits-all answer. For example, if your goal is awareness, the metrics you’d use to see if social media advertising has had an impact would be different than if your goal were generating …
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When last we met, I was huffing and puffing over the PR anathema commonly referred to as “spray and pray” – i.e. the practice of public relations practitioners indiscriminately carpet bombing the media battlefield with news releases and pitches in the hope that one might hit a receptive target. It’s a tactic loathed by reporters and many PR professionals alike, and what makes it all the more confounding is that it rarely works. So, while I’m on the topic of profligate tactics, let’s talk for a bit about electronic news distribution services, which in many ways are like the electronic …
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Two of my colleagues recently interviewed journalist and author Roben Farzad on what’s becoming one of my favorite podcasts, appropriately enough called It’s a PR Podcast. Roben hosts Full Disclosure on NPR One, is a special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and used to write for Bloomberg Businessweek. He’s smart and curious, engaging and fun, and he’s also pretty generous with his time. The episode is worth a listen. First, for the sake of full disclosure (speaking of which), I’ve had the pleasure of being interviewed on the podcast myself, weighing in mostly on the changes I’ve seen in our …
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Do you know what the beauty of owned content is? You have total control, and for a control-freak like me, developing original, owned content puts me in a happy place. Chances are, if you have a content marketing strategy in place, you are already producing some level of owned content. But if you’re looking to beef up your practice, or get started from the ground up, you may need a little bit of guidance. The world is your content oyster, and it can get overwhelming if you let it. Elsewhere in The Gong Blog archives, you’ll find five helpful questions …
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Last night was a whirlwind to say the least. Whoever decided that the announcement of the Rising Star award should be the final one of the night is a sadist. The introvert inside of me was dying up on stage, looking at hundreds of people I respect and admire. But I am overjoyed – and extremely overwhelmed – by what an honor it is to be named this year’s Rising Star by PRSA Richmond. Some very impressive people have been recognized with this award, and it’s exciting to think about everyone who will stand up here in the years ahead. …
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When is the last time you took an assessment of your team’s engagement? Are you the type of manager that constantly thinks about this? Or have you not revisited this topic since the last employee engagement survey? There’s no wrong answer but there may be an opportunity for you to transform how you approach employee engagement. For starters, employee engagement is not about employees’ happiness levels as it’s possible to have a highly satisfied team that produces mediocre results. Think about it: what employee wouldn’t report high levels of satisfaction if they’ve got a “good gig” with a nice manager …
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