(Tricia, Best practices, Media relations) Permanent link
I love seeing marketing best practices in use. As a member of The Preservation Society of Newport County, I received a copy of the society’s latest reprint in the mail this weekend. It’s a strategy Morningstar Communications and our clients often implement but I’ve never personally been the recipient of a reprint mailing.
The concept is simple, but often overlooked. Instead of hoping articles in the media reach your target audience, send a reprint and cover letter to those who matter most to your business.
I joined the Society to gain an all access pass to the many historic properties found in Newport, RI. For a woman from Kansas, this was a one-time deal to save money on a summer vacation. But by sending me its reprint the Society is staying top-of-mind. And who knows, I may re-up my membership because they continuously show me how my money helps preserve these pieces of history.
(Eric, Best practices, Executive insights, Professional development, ROI) Permanent link
All initiatives have three primary components to complete every task: Prepare – This is the planning and research phase. This is the phase that incorporates strategic leadership, to ensure that we’re doing the right thing, instead of doing the wrong thing very well. Often called planning, this stage focuses on the “end-in-mind” and all of the necessary steps to get there. Implement – This is where the actual work gets done. In this phase, we prepare the materials, develop the final product, and produce and generate results. The goal is always to achieve outcomes, not just outputs. This “heads-down” phase is solely focused on doing excellent work. Report – Now, we need to be sure that the right people know what we’ve accomplished. So we must report or “merchandise” the results. Our internal and external “clients” must understand what we’ve done. The key is determining what percentage of time should be spent on each of these three parts. We recommend, that while all three are essential and are mutually-interdependent, the key is creating the proper balance. As a rule of thumb, we recommend the 20-70-10 model: 20% of your effort is to prepare; 70% to implement; 10% to report. (There are always exceptions, but it’s a good place to start.) Particularly in today’s fast-paced world, all initiatives must be flexible as you focus on all three phases. But regardless, be sure that most of your effort remains focused on the implementation, and less on preparation and reporting.
Technorati Profile (Erin, Corporate culture, Morningstar Communications updates) Permanent linkIt seems to me as though everyone hesitates when it is time for a transition. Whether it is starting a new job, getting married, having children, gaining clients or losing clients, everyone has a momentary hiccup before stepping into new territory.
One month ago I was an intern, finishing up my college career and desperately looking forward to the life ahead of me – THE REAL WORLD. But two weeks ago, as I was getting ready to come to my first day as a full time employee, I found myself hesitating.
I have known this company and these people for nearly six months now, and I couldn’t ask for a better work environment. I am challenged daily, always kept busy and surrounded by like-minded people. Yet when it came time to say hello to the first day of the rest of my life, regardless of the welcoming atmosphere, I couldn’t shake the instinct to pause.
Don’t worry team – I’m over it now. After thirty minutes back at my desk already being added to new accounts the hesitation melted away.
Here’s my moral of the story: It is good to take a moment and hesitate, I think it means you appreciated what you are leaving behind and anxiously awaiting what lies ahead.
Now no more “here’s what is going on with my life” blogs. Next week I’m getting to the good stuff. Erin Gregory
(Shanny, Best practices, Online marketing, Web) Permanent link
Check out Web Monkey's Tips for Better Blogging: Establish a Brand - create your own look and feel
Write Better Headlines - make sure that your headline is short, describes your takeaway and be careful about being funny
Promote Yourself - use blog rolls, create relationships with other bloggers, respond to your commenters
Banish the Bling - avoid blinking lights and having too many widgets
Syndicate, Track and Analyze - use RSS feeds and validate them and use the information you get from tracking where your site visitors come from
(Interns, Best practices) Permanent linkIntern. The word can make some cringe, mostly because of the implications that come along with such a title. Tasks like running errands, sorting mail, making coffee, filing, etc. are things every young professional dreads. But good news, Morningstar Communications offers a little more than your average internship. In this family, everyone puts in the extra effort to make the agency run. Even, if it is running to grab the mail or putting the dishes away.
I started almost a month ago and I have:
• Traveled and took part in a client planning session
• Developed marketing and PR pieces for my portfolio
• Completed my first follow-up calls to reporters
• Written my first client report and mailed it off
If I had tried to predict what I would have accomplished by now, I probably would have guessed that my portfolio would include a couple press releases and stories. I wouldn't have guessed that in my first two weeks here that I would travel with the CEO (whom I never met before the trip) on a 16-passenger plane to a small-town and write the meeting report for the client. And never would I have imagined that upon completion, I would be looking forward to my next trip to help the same client prepare more tactical planning materials.
Wow, this is some internship. I can't wait for what lies ahead...MB
(Interns, Professional development) Permanent linkHaving just finished my first two weeks as an intern, I have come to realize that in some ways, school is absolutely useless. I have never had an internship, and I came into the job thinking I was prepared. After all, I had countless teachers explaining the “real world” to me since my freshmen year of college. Three years later, I can honestly say that their explanations taught me very little.
This isn’t to say I’ve learned nothing in my three years of college. I’ve read countless classics, written one too many essays and read nearly every journalism textbook known to man. I wouldn’t be here if I was absolutely clueless. But, it is fair to say that education cannot really prepare you for your first day in the “real world."
Since starting here I realized how important experience really is, and without this experience I would be absolutely bewildered after graduation. It’s common knowledge that experience is irreplaceable, and you never really know how inexperienced you are until you’re surrounded by professionals. Now that I’ve had a “real job,” (even if it has only been two weeks) I think I will find school a little more valuable. Now maybe I will really listen to what my teachers tell me, and look for how to apply it in the future. LK
(Andy, Best practices) Permanent link When your team is on a tight deadline, recommend adopting a "two-minute rule" to speed things up. Agree that when someone gets stuck on a problem, they should not spend more than two minutes trying to solve it before they ask for help. Customize the rule to fit the kind of work you do. A 10-minute or a one-hour rule might be more realistic for your team.
(Interns, Best practices, Corporate culture, Online marketing, Web) Permanent linkby Jarrod Morgenstern
While most public relations practitioners are coming to grips with social networks like Facebook and Myspace, one emerging communications platform is quickly becoming a key medium for consumer marketing.
Twitter, a micro-blogging community allows users to comment to one another in 140 characters or less. "Tweeters" access their account from the web, a stand-alone application, or their mobile phone via text message. As more and more users flock to this platform, several consumer brands like Zaphos, Jetblue, and H & R Block have been quick to set up accounts to quickly reach their audiences.
And lovable, charismatic, innovative Southwest Airlines is just one company leading the way. On Twitter since October 2007, members of their PR team respond to customer complaints, questions, trivia, and jokes, all with the jovial jest that customers have come to love from Southwest Airlines. In fact, Twitter was used to help repair one customer's (and blogger's) misdirected anger to the airline with a personal touch and a joke. According to their press releases more than 500,000 visitors have been reached through their blogging group, Nuts About Southwest.
By coming to their audience in this personal way, consumers will continue to recognize Southwest as one of the friendliest brands in the cyber-sky. |