Five Skills for Exceptional PR

“What exactly do you DO?” It’s a question us PR folk hear frequently, most often from parents, acquaintances, and high school friends, (siblings stopped asking moons ago), those who aren’t in our professional circles and are several industries removed from those that consume me daily. Some of my favorite people in the world are as far away from my profession as you can imagine — they plant and sell trees, design and sell jewelry, build houses from dirt, teach children with disabilities to read, and support women in their right to choose whatever it is they want to choose. Yummy professions that I love to talk about, yet most of those folks don’t know exactly what I do, and I love them for it.

But there’s a crop of people who need to have a firm grasp on what we do and why: those who want to work in PR. We’re growing, searching for more great people to round out the incredible team we already have here. We’ve worked with interns who have not studied communications but get it and excel immediately, and those who are graduating with “Public Relations” inked on their diplomas who don’t like to write. Curious. We’ve had senior team members give us and our clients their skills, enthusiasm and loyalty, and those who take their business relationships for granted (the proverbial match to the bridge in most books).

The process of building our team has sparked some interesting discussions here about what it takes to succeed long term in our profession, and the nuances we look for in candidates new and seasoned. We’re a protective bunch (over our clients and our team) and because my partner and I have been successful for two decades and still love what we do, we thought it right to share some of our learnings. For success in our field, we’re looking for a blend of talent, passion, integrity, respect and humor. Let’s break it down:

1. Talent. Obvious, right? The skills needed for PR are different from those required in other professions, but would serve you well anywhere. You need to be an incredible multitasker, intelligent, creative, tenacious, thoughtful, organized, and calm. Yes, calm. It gets pretty harried in our line of work, and you have to keep it cool. There’s also a lot of activity in the brain every moment, and you need clarity and organization.
2. Passion: You need to really care. Really. It’s not just a product we’re promoting, it’s our client partner, and our success is directly tied to their success. Their wins are our wins. Their happy customers make us happy. We absolutely HAVE to care about that. If you don’t get excited when you land a great story or hear “great idea” from your client fairly often, you’re in the wrong field. It’s simple, really.
3. Integrity. We all have this, right? Well… The PR profession is famously knocked for its lack of integrity. I’ve not experienced the horrific stories reporters tell about PR pros in the two decades I’ve spent here. Have we all made mistakes? Sure. Human nature, folks. But we’re doing exceptional work to promote exceptional products, strategies and people, and it’s coming from a place of genuine integrity.
4. Respect. Again, sounds obvious but boy have we seen some things here! We don’t take a single thing for granted. Companies and clients are entrusting us to do great work for them. We do it. We appreciate that they’ve given us an opportunity to help grow their businesses. They’re spending valuable resources on our brain power, we love that and we appreciate it very much. We thank them for their trust, we deliver what we say we’re going to deliver. And if this respect isn’t bi-directional, then we bid adieu, because we also respect ourselves and our teams in equal measure.
5. Humor. Critical. I’m not sure what more needs to be said. You absolutely have to laugh at yourself, make light of situations, and keep it all in perspective. Life is funny all around you. Lighten up.

We’re looking for a few new talents to join our team. If you have the above chops, and enjoy collaboration and challenge, flexibility and fun, then give us a call!

CES 2011 Media Poll: Get Show News the Way You Want It

Calling on all media friends!

We at Concept Communications have attended CES for more than a decade with our clients, and each year we try to hone our communications with the media to ensure that you and our teams have a successful show. We want to make your jobs easier!

We are taking a very quick poll on how you, the media, like to receive and discuss news before and during CES.

For every response we receive, Concept Communications will donate $5 to Computers for Youth, an organization dedicated to improving technology resources available to low income school children.

Thank you for taking a minute out of your busy day to participate!

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY.

The Dos and Don’ts of Optimizing Your Press Release

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to find a practical tips piece by eReleases.com founder, Mickie Kennedy, on the dos and don’ts and of writing SEO-optimized press releases in my email inbox. As PR professionals, we are always trying to leverage the power of SEO to drive the organic search result placement of our client’s products and services, and I think Mickie did a very nice job at summing up the steps to take when writing your next press release to ensure that it is search-engine friendly, but not overkill.

Happy writing and remember, be natural about it all!

1. Do keyword research before you start writing: When done properly, keyword research can help you figure out the exact terms your customers are using when searching for your products or services. Never just assume or guess what you think the best keywords are. Use a free keyword research tool to discover the terms you should be targeting. Make a list of some of the top keywords, and use these as a foundation for your press release.

2. Don’t sacrifice readability for SEO: Why do SEO writers always seem to get carried away with stuffing keywords in every possible piece of their copy? Good press release optimization isn’t about seeing how many times you can get the keyword in your copy. It’s about creating an easy-to-read piece that just happens to also be optimized for the search engines.

3. Do place keywords toward the top: Keyword placement is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of optimizing a press release. To give yourself the best chance of having a well-ranked press release, you should try to include the targeted keyword in the headline, subhead, and first paragraph of the press release. You should also use the keyword throughout the rest of the press release when it makes sense to do so. Remember, the goal is to include the keyword naturally, so don’t force it if it doesn’t work.

4. Don’t get caught up measuring keyword density: Keyword density is one of those old SEO myths that just won’t die. Some people still swear that by using a keyword a certain percentage of the time in your copy, you can rank better in the search engines. It’s total BS. Don’t waste your time measuring keyword density, because there is no magic number you need to hit. Instead, focus on creating a natural flow in your press release.

5. Do use keyword-rich backlinks: Many times, you can include links back to your website within your press release. This lets readers get more information about your story, and it drives traffic to your website. But that’s not the only purpose of doing this. If you use keyword-rich anchor text in your backlinks, you can actually help improve the rankings of the pages being linked to. For example, if you’re linking to a page on your website about ABC widgets, your backlink should include should include the words “ABC widgets.” This lets the search engines know what the target page is about, helping to rank it accordingly.

6. Don’t write press releases just for the sake of SEO: While press release marketing can be an effective SEO tactic, you shouldn’t do it solely for the sake of improving your search engine presence. That’s how you end up sending out high volumes of poorly-written, uninteresting press releases. Always focus on writing newsworthy, interesting press releases.

If you follow these six tips, you should be able to enjoy the best of both worlds: media coverage and high search engine placement. The key is to always write newsworthy press releases with a strong hook that draws readers in.

AdAge: As Media Market Shrinks, PR Passes Up Reporters, Pitches Directly to Consumers

Michael Bush at Advertising Age published a very interesting, poignant article today about the shrinking media market and the direct effect it’s having on the PR industry as a whole. Specifically, the way in which we garner coverage for our clients, engage customers and communicate key messages.

With roughly 30,000 reporters leaving the U.S. newspaper industry in 2008 alone, it’s a sure thing that marketers are looking for new ways to communicate directly with end consumers and disseminate their product messages. We can no longer rely solely on the traditional new product pitch to a targeted list of media in hopes to secure coverage. PR professionals need to be looking at other outlets and platforms (à la Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) to engage their clients’ customers in creative, sticky ways.

The article sites great examples of how companies like Coldwell Banker, Best Buy and Mastercard are using social media tools and original content to reach customers and share messages without having to rely heavily on traditional media write-ups or reviews.

My two cents…Embracing new communication channels is an inevitable and important part of PR this day and age, however it does not lessen the importance of maintaining relationships with traditional media and news outlets. After all, that is what our job is about – relationship building. “Earned media” will always provide a company with a higher level of credibility and help them achieve leadership in their respective industries and we simply can’t forget that.

Click here to read the full article on Advertising Age.

Oh, and Happy Birthday to Digital Advertising! The first digital banner ad ran on October 27, 1994 on Hotwired.com, the first commercial digital magazine on the Web and the offshoot of popular Wired magazine. Great walk down memory lane by Frank D’Angelo at AdAge here.

Razorfish Selects Concept Communications as Agency of Record

Senior Team to Execute Strategic PR Program for Top Digital Agency

SEATTLE, Oct. 13, 2009 – Razorfish, one of the world’s largest digital agencies, has hired Concept Communications as agency of record to implement a public relations program that enhances Razorfish’s market leadership position. Concept will support the Razorfish brand through the promotion of significant activities, such as the launch of new services and thought leadership, across both traditional and social media.

Razorfish has emerged as a power agency in the digital arena, responsible for campaigns and applications that create new standards in marketing. The agency, which employs over 2,000 people across 19 offices worldwide, helps its Fortune 500 clients harness the power of technology and digital media to drive business results.

Concept’s strategy is to assemble custom teams from a stable of accomplished professionals in marketing, media and technology. Tailored for Razorfish, the Concept team has deep experience in vertical industries such as automotive, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, retail, technology and travel, and will focus on Razorfish operations in the United States, adding international markets as needed.

The hiring of a new PR agency comes after an extensive RFP process, which involved an in-depth look at the capabilities of several firms.

David Deal, vice president of marketing at Razorfish, said, “The Concept team impressed us with their depth of understanding of our business and client industries, a precise focus on how we need to tell our story, and an impressive senior team that handles both strategy and execution. We’re very excited that Concept Communications will help Razorfish strengthen our market leadership and brand.”

“Razorfish is a visionary agency with a compelling story of leadership and innovation, and this is a great time for them to tell it,” said Samantha Steinwinder, co-founder and managing director of Concept Communications. “We handpicked our team to align strategically with their objectives and are proud to have been selected as the partner who can best package and promote Razorfish’s inherent strengths as a digital marketing agency.”

About Concept Communications
Concept Communications is a unique public relations firm with a modern business model, employing a virtual network of senior communications professionals from across the country. The Concept team holds deep experience in marketing, traditional and social media, consumer goods, Web-based and small business services, mobile, enterprise software and various vertical industries. Concept has managed global and domestic communications programs for leading brands and emerging start-ups, and has delivered effective communications campaigns that impact sales, partnerships and perception since the early ‘90s. For more information on Concept Communications visit http://www.conceptpr.net.

About Razorfish
Razorfish is one of the largest interactive marketing and technology companies in the world. With a demonstrated commitment to innovation, Razorfish counsels its clients on how to leverage digital channels such as the Web, mobile devices, in-store technologies and other emerging media to engage people, build brand loyalty and provide excellent customer service. The company is increasingly advising marketers on Social Influence Marketing, its approach for employing social media and social influencers to achieve the marketing and business needs of an organization. Its award-winning client teams provide solutions through their strategic counsel, digital advertising and content creation, media buying, analytics, technology and user experience. Razorfish has offices in markets across the United States, and in Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom. Clients include Carnival Cruise Lines, MillerCoors, Levi Strauss & Co., McDonald’s and Starwood Hotels. Visit www.razorfish.com for more information. Follow Razorfish on Twitter at @razorfish.

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Contacts: 
Samantha Steinwinder, Concept Communications, samantha@conceptpr.net, 206-760-9809  
David Deal, Razorfish, david.deal@razorfish.com, 312-696-5056