practical

Tips and information for effective public relations - Spring 2015  

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Name Dropping

Here's a sampling of what's going on with our clients and staff:

L&F's co-founder and current owner/president, Susan Finco, has been honored with the Green Bay Rotary Club's Free Enterprise Award. She is the first female to receive the prestigious award in its 34 year history. The Free Enterprise Award recognizes business leaders for their contributions to the free enterprise system as well as their efforts in the community.

Deanna Johnson as our new internal accountant. Deanna earned her accounting degree from UWGB and joins us from Five Guys Burgers. For those of you who knew our previous internal accountant, Linda Krout, she and her family have relocated to Florida - where they are enjoying all those warm temps and sunshine! We wish her well.

U.S. 41 is now Interstate 41, running from Green Bay, Wis. to the Illinois border. L&F worked with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
throughout the conversion project to educate and communicate with the public about the conversion and its economic benefits.

   

The Humane Society of the United States has awarded one of its "Now That's a Walking Horse" grants to the Parelli Education Institute of Scottsdale, Ariz. and Pagosa Springs, Colo. The Institute will pilot a series on humane gaited horse training to be held this fall in Ocala, Fla.
 
The Port of Green Bay's 2015 shipping season officially started Friday, April 3 at 5:30 p.m. with the arrival of the Great Lakes - Michigan. The ship came from Cheboygan, Mich. where it exported gasoline from the U.S. Oil terminal.

Congratulations to Mike Reed, director of the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary for being selected as the 2015 Watershed Champion by NEW Water and the Green Bay Water Utility. Reed was selected for his work with students in the 4K OAK Learning Center located at the Sanctuary.

 

U.S. Venture, Inc. a leading distributor and marketer of energy, automotive and lubricant products in North America has established a separate corporate division for its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) business. The new division, called U.S. Gain, will encompass all operations related to its expanding CNG network for commercial fleet operators and shippers in North America. The network is marketed under the GAIN Clean Fuel brand which has 39 sites operational or underway with a target of 100 locations in the next two years.

 

Dredging and processing resumed on March 30 for the seventh year of the Fox River Cleanup Project. The work to reduce the impact of PCBs will continue to progress downstream toward the bay for the next three years.


Are you guilty of
"Generational Media Bias?"
 

When you want to reach your target audiences, you need to reach them in the most effective ways. That means you have to know your audience and use proven methods to reach them. However, we've seen a growing trend among all age groups we work with to only want to communicate in the ways they personally get their information. We've dubbed it "generational media bias."

 

In the past, we used to hear senior leaders say "oh, social media is just for the kids." That was their bias. But what's been surprising to us, is that we are now seeing generational bias coming more frequently from younger professionals who believe the only way anyone is getting their news these days is via social media. That way of thinking is as limiting as hanging on to "old school" approaches that may no longer work for your audiences.

 

The truth is, traditional, online and social media, plus other methods of communication, should all be considered when you're trying to reach your target audiences. The ultimate decision as to what you actually use should be tailored to how your target audience gets its information. It's that simple.

 

Remember, just because you get your information one way, or you think it's the latest and best method of communication, it doesn't mean your target audience thinks the same. As communicators, we all have to put generational media bias aside if we want our messages to be heard. 

How to Get Twitter Talking
 

Congratulations! Your company just hit 1,000 followers on Twitter. The only catch is that no one is talking. If your followers aren't engaging with your company or each other, 1,000 followers is just about as useful as having 10. So how do you engage?

 

Don't just tell, ask. Don't get so caught up in sharing information about your brand that you forget to ask questions. Start by simply asking for an opinion: "Launching a new product line. Here's a sneak peek. What do you think?"

 

Talk about more than just you. It may be your Twitter feed, but don't make it all about you. Your audience will quickly lose interest if all you do is post about yourself. Consider adding posts about community events, relevant industry news or just fun items you come across that might help spark a conversation. "Milwaukee Summerfest line-up just came out today. Who are you going to see?"

 

Be active and responsive. If someone asks you a question, be sure to respond in a timely manner. This is what you've been waiting for! In addition, be sure to check out any new followers and follow them back if the fit is right. And be sure to give credit where credit is due by mentioning people's names when you make a comment or share something from their feed: "Great post about how B2Bs can best use social media from @ABCcompany."

 

Hashtags. The poor hashtag has come under a lot of fire lately for overuse or misuse. Don't blame the hashtag, blame the user! Hashtags were designed for a reason: to let you search for specific information and find new followers. That being said, use hashtags when it makes sense and keep it simple: "Can't wait to see who the #Packers pick in the #NFLDraft."

 

Taking just a few minutes each day to really engage with your Twitter followers can be fun and have big benefits in the end. Give it a try and see who you start a conversation with! 

Are you ready if a reporter calls?
   

Being prepared can be the difference between a good interview and one that you hope no one sees. Leonard & Finco Public Relations has the experts to help you understand today's media and help you prepare if you're approached for an interview. For more information, contact us at (920) 965-7750 or [email protected].

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Quick Quote
 
"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others."  
 
 - Tony Robbins