As we begin a new year in which the "new" media are still king, it's not surprising that many PR pros spend a lot of time talking about how we need to adjust our communications strategies to accommodate all that has changed. A worthy exercise, to be sure, but sometimes I think it's worthwhile to take a look at what has not changed. In communications the things that have not changed are significant.

For example:

News Values
Even in the "new" media, your audience will expect the information you share to have news value. Here is a refresher on what makes news worthy:

• Impact - the more people affected, the more valuable the story

• Timeliness - recent events rule

• Prominence - people in the public eye are viewed as more newsworthy

• Proximity - closer to "home" is more newsworthy than far away (note: in the new media world, "home" may also refer to your market, business niche or industry.)

• Bizarreness - who doesn't love weird news?

• Conflict - strife sells

• Currency - if you can tie it to current events, it's news

Just because you can communicate like crazy, doesn't mean you should. Filter your content or disappoint your audience.

Human Nature
In general, human beings are social creatures. We seek community. We like to gather and share information. We are curious. Social media have taken off because they enable and empower these human traits. Twitter's popularity may fade one day, but the human appetite for information and interaction has been whetted, and it won't be suppressed.

Future technologies that empower us to share information will become the next generation of "new media." The evolution is unending, but the human need driving it is constant. Recognizing this can mean the difference between capitalizing on trends to enhance communications and blindly chasing fads for the sake of being "current."

The Bottom Line
As much as I love my work, I'm always first in line to question "communication for the sake of communication." Every organization is bottom-line focused, and the goal of public relations should be to support the organization's pursuit of a healthy bottom line. As communicators, we should think first about how our organizations earn revenue and then work backward to develop audiences, strategies and vehicles to support bottom-line goals. The news value that most interests the C-suite is often the one with the dollar sign in front. Make friends with that fact.

As you navigate the exciting possibilities new media bring, remember to take regular inventory of communications basics to keep your company on sound footing.

Tags: Media Relations | social media

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Architects are fond of the adage: "form follows function." What they mean by this is that a building's design should be driven primarily by its purpose. The same holds true for public relations campaigns. Every public relations effort should be driven by a defined goal - to leverage a trade show presence, to garner publicity for a new product, to improve the sentiment of conversations about your brand, to empower employees to serve as internal ambassadors, etc.

Broken down to its most basic elements, public relations is about ensuring that your target audience receives your message. Now more than ever, it's possible to connect directly with audiences who are interested in what you have to say. Traditional media still play an important role, but savvy communicators increasingly are using new media to connect with (and build relationships with) their target audiences.

Know thy audiences
As you consider the audiences you hope to reach, think broadly. Customers and potential customers obviously figure heavily in the mix. But also think about opinion leaders, industry watchers, bloggers, active social media participants and purchase influencers. All of these are important audiences with a role to play in helping your company generate sales, drive growth and build/manage your reputation. Cast a broad net, and you'll give your message more opportunities to reach interested recipients, wherever they may be.

Tell them what they want to hear... sort of
Rarely is it appropriate to simply blast the same message to each audience. Your audiences are diverse, and your communications strategy should take into account each audience's unique perspective on your company. Are they interested in how your product or service affects their lives? Is their interest in your company tied to broader industry trends? Are they niche followers whose interest will only be piqued with detailed, revelatory information?

Think about what motivates each audience, then give them what they need to be intrigued by what your company has to say.

Make it a special delivery
We're not sure there ever was a day when sending out a press release constituted "public relations," but if there was, it's long gone. Effective public relations depends on outreach to each of your audiences through the channels they turn to most frequently. Certainly that will often include news releases to traditional media. But it will also include email pitches, phone calls, blog posts, tweets, personal meetings, wiki entries and even hand-delivered or mailed packages. Consider every channel available to you and pick the ones that can most effectively deliver your message to your target audiences.

From purchasing managers to polymer scientists, truckers to teachers, your audience is out there. And today you have more tools than ever for reaching out to them. Whether its new media or old school, let creativity and intuition be your guides in delivering a message that will break through the din.

Tags: public relations | social media

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I can't tell you what the next crisis to affect your company will be, but I can promise you this: there is a crisis out there with your name on it, and you'd better be ready. Be it a traumatic event at your location, a lay-off or a problem with a product or service, crisis will come knocking - and happy is the communicator who feels confident and prepared when it happens.

Confidence comes from having a crisis communications template in place before disaster strikes. Largemouth Communications recently developed a communications training presentation for one of our clients, with the goal of helping human resources and facilities managers at this company feel confidant and prepared to handle media inquiries in a crisis situation. We recommend a simple, three step process to prepare for and manage crises.

Step One: Do Your Homework

Before a crisis occurs, it is essential to identify specific individuals in your company who are authorized to speak to the media. Make sure all employees and anyone who answers the phone know who these individuals are.

It is also useful to outline your approval tree ahead of time. By this we mean the people (executives, attorneys, etc.) who must approve any internal or external communication before it is delivered.

As soon as you become aware of a crisis, immediately get to work gathering the "5 Ws"

What - what happened?
Who - who was affected?
Where - where did the event occur/where do those affected live?
When - when did this happen?
Why/Significance - why did this happen, or what is the significance of this event?

Use this information to craft the appropriate communications to internal and external audiences and route them through your approval process.

Step Two: Manage the Media

An asterisk to this step would read "*to the extent this is possible." You can't control the media, of course. What you can do is manage, to the best of your ability, the flow of information out of your company about the crisis. Here are some key tips:

1. When a reporter calls, find out the nature of their inquiry and their deadline.
2. Respond to reporters promptly, but only after properly preparing and gaining approval of the information you plan to share.
3. If you can't meet the reporter's deadline, be honest. There are few times when having a good rapport with reporters matters more than in a crisis situation.

Step Three: Control the Message

You can't control the reporters you deal with or the stories they write, but you can control your company's message - and you must.

Here's a simple fact: if your statements to the media only include the messages you want to deliver, then you ensure that those messages will be represented in the coverage. Why? Because you've given them nothing else to use. I'm not suggesting you play coy or stonewall - in fact I would strongly advise against these tactics. Craft a statement that gives the media as much information as you responsibly can, and stick to it, even if you have to repeat the same three or four sentences over and over.

Last but certainly not least, show your internal audiences the same respect you show the media. That cuts two ways. First, effective internal communication during a crisis helps mitigate rumors and protect productivity. Second, all your internal communications (or the absence of communication if you make that mistake) can and probably will be shared publicly. When it comes to employee communications in a crisis, it pays to be dogmatic about two things:

1. Make sure they hear it from you first whenever possible.
2. Don't share any information internally that you would not be willing to share with a reporter.

I close with a caution for those who think these guidelines seem so intuitive as to be unnecessary: when the feathers hit the fan and the adrenaline kicks in, you'll be glad to have a simple but well-thought-out crisis communications plan to fall back on. Take the time to get it on paper and get the necessary players on board while the seas are calm. You'll be glad you did.

Tags: communications | Largemouth PR | public relations | Media Relations

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One of the great things about working at Largemouth Communications is that we all truly like each other, and we like to have fun. So when my tennis team played in the North Carolina state USTA championships over July 4th weekend in Pinehurst, I stepped on the court knowing that my whole Largemouth family was rooting for me. It was a great weekend. Good competition, great tennis, incomparable atmosphere (imagine hundreds of tennis players packed into Pinehurst for a weekend we've all been anticipating since last August!), and a chance to try for a new "personal best." Our team did well - we placed third in our group after winning three of our five matches. As a team of busy working moms in our 30s and 40s, we felt pretty good about that! We snapped this photo after celebrating our first win with a terrific lunch at Pinehurst's Village Deli. That's me in yellow. They say tennis makes happy people. I believe that!

Tags: Local NC | Largemouth PR

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