Tips for Error Free Writing and Twitter’s Tenth: Inside PR

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Twitter turns ten. Four tips for good writing. And a legal decision that brings nothing good to anyone.

Inside PR podcastThis week, on Inside PR 437, Gini Dietrich and I fly without Martin Waxman. But we’ll all be back again next week. So, please come back.

This week’s first #IPRMustKnow: Twitter turns ten. It changed communications for Gini and Joe – and it’s still as relevant for us as it’s ever been. There’s been a lot of talk about Twitter being in trouble. And while it may not be meeting the venture capitalists’ expectations, it meets our expectations for a useful tool that we use every day. But as we look back, we know that Twitter was a learned tool. Just take a look at the very different first Tweets that Martin, Gini and Joe published.

Gini was true to her form, using Twitter to try another tool:

And Martin was loquacious. Why waste a good communications opportunity?

Finally, Joe was dry and matter of fact in his first tweet.

For our second #IPRMustKnow, we point to an article by Sylvia Stead, the Globe and Mail’s Public Editor, warning against the four most common sources of mistakes by journalists. As Gini and Joe see it, these aren’t just the source of errors for journalists, but also for any research-based writer. Stead suggests,

“…it’s worth keeping these things in mind: 1. Stay focused. 2. Don’t hurry. 3. Never assume you know. 4. Check one last time – especially names, numbers and factual statements.”

Finally, Gini and Joe talk about the Jian Ghomeshi trial and verdict in Canada. Not an easy issue. One on which we all have views. And not something that Gini or Joe would go near.

This post was originally published on the Inside PR Podcast blog.

Medium shows that even the routine action is an opportunity for creativity

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Medium iOS App Update

Medium reminded me today that even the most boring and trivial interactions with your community can be a source of unexpected creativity and delight. I’m used to seeing the same old same old boring “bug fixes” explanations of updates to iOS Apps. But when I checked the iOS App updates on my phone today, I saw this messages, which was anything but routine. And as I read it, not only did it bring a smile to my face, but it reminded my that Medium is a place for creative ideas and intelligent discussion.

It’s easy to say, “OK, that’s Medium’s business.” But don’t go there. That’s a dead end. Ask yourself, “Why should the people at Medium be any more creative than I am? Don’t I have many opportunities in my day to turn the routine into something fresh and unexpected?”

We all get used to things that are routine. They pass by as a blur in our day. They may be unremarkable or even irritating necessities. But they don’t have to be.

So, make this promise to yourself, “Today, I will look at all the routine things I do and turn at least one of them into an unexpected moment of creativity and joy.”

 

Sylvia Stead offers advice all writers can use

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Sylvia Stead, the Globe and Mail’s Public Editor offers some cautionary advice on the most common causes of mistakes by journalists. Stead illustrates these mistakes and their consequences with by referring to recent errors in Globe and Mail stories. According to Stead,

…four root causes of mistakes cover pretty much every mistake. For journalists, it’s worth keeping these things in mind: 1. Stay focused. 2. Don’t hurry. 3. Never assume you know. 4. Check one last time – especially names, numbers and factual statements.

Good advice is advice that can be readily put into effect. And Stead’s advice provides a set of common sense rules that should be remembered by every writer. Regardless of how pressing the deadline, don’t become a casualty of one of these lapses.

 

Inside PR 436: Meerkat pivots, Facebook Reactions, Snapchat videos

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Gini Dietrich, Martin Waxman and I are back together again for  Inside PR 436 – the first episode in over a month in which all three of us are together.

Inside PR podcastInside PR MustKnows

In this episode’s #IPRMust Know segment, we talk about Meerkat’s pivot, Facebook Reactions and Snapchat’s big video view numbers.

Meerkat is moving away from live streaming and attempting to pivot to become some type of video social network. Not surprising, given the tight integration of Periscope and Twitter and the introduction of Facebook live videos. It would be tough to see how Meerkat could stand out with the two main realtime social networks offering their own live streaming platforms.

Facebook Reactions have been with us for several weeks now. Chris Penn’s early look at the impact of Facebook Reactions suggested that “haven’t statistically changed engagement yet. If you publish unengaging content, Reactions won’t help you. If you already have a highly-engaged audience, you will likely continue to do so – Reactions don’t appear to make it better or worse.”  We offer our own early reactions to Reactions.

If you didn’t have enough video in your life, take a look at Snapchat. Snapchat’s CEO Evan Spiegel says that Snapchat users are watching more than 8 billion videos per day. There’s clearly an audience for video. So, if you produce video as part of your initiatives, it’s worth checking out what works well on Snapchat.

Fake accounts. Could this happen to you?

We close out this episode with a discussion of the communications agency executive who faked over $250 million in contracts go gain advancement at this advertising agency. Sad but true.

And a big thanks to Suzy Chisholm. Suzy, who heard me state a few episodes back that I preferred single purpose apps over those that take a “Swiss Army Knife” approach. Suzy, who lives in Switzerland, sent us three Swiss Army Knives, branded with the Philips logo (where Suzy works) and a very nice note. Thank you Suzy. You brought smiles to our faces and reminded us that there are times when you want to reach for that one thing that does it all. 🙂

Listen to the podcast

You can listen to this episode or subscribe on iTunes.

This post is first appeared on the Inside PR Podcast blog.

Inside PR 435: Of Twitter, Celebrity Advertising and Advertising Value Equivalency

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Gini Dietrich and Martin Waxman fly without me on Inside PR 435. I was traveling for business and unable to record at our usual time.

FIR_itunes-cover_Inside_PR-728x728Martin leads off with a discussion of Jack Dorsey‘s attempt to shift perceptions in the ongoing conversation about the future of Twitter.  Gini talks about the importance of managing crises by participating in conversations  where they are already taking place. As Gini points out, many people resist change to the applications they know and are accustomed to using. That resistance will only be overcome with clear explanations and allowing people time to consider and try the new and changed features.

Speaking of shifting perceptions, Martin and Gini have a great discussion about ads featuring celebrities. And then they use this as a launching point to talk about advertising equivalencies (AVEs) and the importance of the PR industry to measure meaningful outcomes.

(This post originally appeared on the Inside PR blog.)

 

The lost art of making a business phone call

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Young people who have grown up with e-mail and texting don’t have a clue how to talk to clients, says the Phone Lady

This article speaks some truths that we should all pay attention to. Too many people use email as their primary means of communication at work. Email is good for transactions, quick agreement or sharing info. But it sucks for resolving differences or building relationships.

Source: The lost art of making a business phone call

Inside PR Podcast 434: Talking about Counselors Academy, Specialization in PR, and Beavertails!

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FIR_itunes-cover_Inside_PR-728x728On this week’s episode, Inside PR 434, Gini Dietrich, Martin Waxman and I take a look at PRSA’s Counselors Academy this week. The Counselors Academy conference is coming up May 1-3 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. All three of us have participated in the past. It is a unique opportunity for PR agency leaders to learn about the “business of the business.” It’s a networking place to find others who share the same business challenges that you do as a communications business leader. In fact, Martin, Gini and I first met at the Counsellors Academy annual conference in Phoenix. It’s not too late to register for this year’s conference. If you do attend, make sure to say hello to Martin! 🙂

For our second topic, Gini asks the question, “Is specialization in PR a thing of the past or the way of the future?” Martin and I weigh in with our views and how they have harnessed generalist and specialist knowledge in their careers. But, why not download the episode or subscribe to the podcast to listen to the complete episode?