practical

Tips and information for effective public relations - Winter 2016  

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Here's a sampling of what's going on with our clients and staff:
The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary received national media attention for the team effort involved in rescuing and rehabbing "Reggie" the snowy owl. Reggie was found inside an unused smoke stack at Titletown Brewery and was rehabilitated at the Sanctuary. He was released back into the wild in December. 

L&F is working with the Grafton School District on referendum communication efforts for a $49 million district wide project. The referendum goes to vote in April.
 
The Lake Companies has announced a new, patent-pending Bluetooth™ beacon technology that brings indoor positioning and proximity-based information to the shop floor. It means for the first time ever, shop floor managers now have immediate access to dynamic information from their surroundings.

Leveraging the strength of its location, Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB) will soon become Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport. This will make it readily identifiable for travelers when booking online or searching for information about the airport.

The Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling  received a near record 14,690 calls in 2015, just 41 calls below the record mark set the previous year. Based in Green Bay, WCPG is a statewide organization with a mission of educating and promoting public understanding of problem gambling and the disorder of compulsive gambling. 
                
 In response to an industry need for a better paper towel dispenser system, Wisconsin Plastics Inc. of Green bay has launched a new, patented roll towel dispenser system called PROvider. The new dispenser is designed not to jam, yet is simple for maintenance staff to reload. PROvider was introduced at the ISSA-INTERCLEAN North American Trade Show in Las Vegas in October 2015. 
 
Congratulations to Menominee Indian School District, part of a collaboration receiving one of this year's Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Awards. The Menominee Nation collaboration incorporated traditional culture and practices as part of its efforts to create a healthier population. 
 
Congratulations to the Leonard & Finco team on earning a PRSA PRemier Award for communications work with the Port of Green Bay! The award was presented at the annual awards luncheon in November by the Northeast Wisconsin chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Are You Ready If a Reporter Calls?

There are few "nevers" in the world. But when we go through media training with a client, we make it clear that "no comment" is never acceptable.

Of course, that is just one important thing to remember if you're preparing for a media interview. Most people would rather run for cover than to face questions from a news reporter. Some people actually like it. But whether you're a rookie or veteran, preparation is the key. Those who don't prepare - even those with experience - often find out that they don't like the outcome when they see the results in print or on the air.
 
Knowing how you should prepare for an interview is important even when it's a positive story. The media training sessions that we do cover a range of topics to help you get ready if you get that call for an interview, including:
  • Understanding today's media
  • Preparing for an interview
  • Real world experience
  • Hands-on, interactive scenarios
  • Rehearsals
Our media training sessions were created to get people thinking in terms of what the media wants and is looking for and providing techniques to get more comfortable in dealing with reporters and photographers.
 
For the vast majority of people, being interviewed may be the last thing you really want to do, but you'll feel a lot better about dealing with news reporters if you've had media training.
Do You Have a Social Media Plan?

In a time where everything posted and shared on social media seems to be so random, having an actual plan seems to be a bit out of the ordinary. But if you are a business and you want to leverage everything social media has to offer, having a plan in place will be the key to success.

Start with the end in mind. What goals do you want to be able to measure? Keep in mind that your goals may be different from one social platform to another. 
Once your goals are in place, you can then start tackling a plan of how you will meet them.

One way to develop a plan is to create a spreadsheet that organizes each month. For each month, include a focus area so your team knows what type of posts need to be developed. Each month should also include the dates you will post, if there is a link to include, what image or video should be included, what platform(s) the update should be posted to and who is responsible.

Other things to consider as you develop your plan:
  • Determine who will be involved in seeing the plan through. Not only will this share the responsibility of executing the plan, it brings variety when creating content, keeping things fresh.
  • Be specific. The more specific you can be with posts during the planning stage, the easier it will be to execute the plan during the year.
  • Be sure your measurement tools are in place. How will you measure your success? Most social platforms offer statistics, but what about your website? Be sure you have monitoring set and ready to go so when it comes time to evaluate you'll have all the information you need.

Developing a social media strategy starts with a strong plan. It can take some trial and error to hone in on the right message to the right audience, but with a good team, solid content and a plan to provide direction, success will come sooner rather than later. 

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Quick Quote

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." 
-Warren Buffet