Networking may not come naturally to everyone, but in today’s world there has never been so many options open to us and it doesn’t always mean leaving the office.
As part of any PR strategy we always review a client’s networking activity, on and offline, and make recommendations as to how they can raise their company profile by making clever connections.
In this region we are spoilt for choice. As well as the industry networks such as NEPA, a:design association, CIM and the CIPR to name a few, we have business to business networks like BNI, the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and NECC. The list is endless, but knowing which are right for your business and the best use of your time requires a strategic approach.
All networking takes time, which is a limited resource, so use it wisely. Consider your target customer, and what level they are at in their organisation and then identify their hunting ground. For me the CEO and Managing Director of the business is usually the one with an interest in strategic PR, so events like the NE Business Executive of the Year or the annual CBI dinner are a great way to meet senior level executives.
Remember, an event where you are forced to press your business card into another’s hand, or where a bell rings every two minutes, is not where the real decision makers will be hanging out!
Networking isn’t all about sales either. It can help you find like-minded people for advice and direction in growing your business. For me, an organisation like the Entrepreneurs’ Forum allows me to meet other entrepreneurs further along in their journey for inspiration, contacts and guidance. It can also make you more visible in your sector and lead to partnerships and collaboration with affiliate companies for greater combined returns.
Recruitment is another good reason to network. Your next recruit will be out there at your industry events, and meeting people at all levels in your own industry is a great way to make connections that could be your next appointment.
The key to good networking is to be real. Seek out people you really want to meet at the event before deciding to go, research the attendees of the event as much as you can, and have something to say to them other than a sales pitch. And always follow up afterwards if you feel you could benefit from meeting again on a one-to-one.
So what about social networking? I can connect with hundreds of people without the hassle of having to don a black tie and give up my evenings, I hear you say.
It is true that social networking sites such as Twitter, Linked In, and to a certain extent Facebook are a great way of making contacts, but more importantly I believe they are a better way of keeping in contact. Converting networking to sales is not an overnight exercise, and social networking can help you build a rapport.
The most popular brands in social media tend to post less about their products or services and more about things that help their customers get to know the people and personality of their company.
Our social media strategies for customers encourage them to be more about engaging their customers than selling to them, about starting conversations, having a valid opinion (and sharing it) and being tactical in growing their online networks - and not just socially networking with a small group of people they are already connected to, as many people often mistakenly do.
As long as you treat online social networking just as you would if you were doing it in person it can reap massive rewards for your business. The first rule is to be in the right places, just like ordinary networking not every party is worth going to. Work out where your customers are likely to be online and focus on that.
The second rule is to represent. Give your social media presence the attention it deserves, and ensure those responsible for populating it do so with your brand values in mind. Give it a personality too, be unafraid of that. There is nothing worse than a corporate Twitter page that has no feel of the people in the business.
Finally, be active. Just like the effort it requires to drag yourself to a breakfast seminar, social networking is not for the lazy. To use a cliché: you get what you put in.
Tuesday 14 September 2010
O.tv launched!
Our new blog has arrived at o-communications.tv we'll be closing this blog down soon so to find out what's happening behind the scenes at the North East's PR Agency of the year 2009/10 drop by at O.tv.../
Thursday 29 April 2010
WHO IS LOOKING AFTER THE PM AND THE OLD DEAR?
What. A. Disaster.
Yes Gordon, it sure was. After all the statesmanlike comments in the national press, the wise words about Europe on the TV debate and the campaign trail growing in positive momentum - things were starting to look a little better for the beleaguered Labour camp.
Until someone forgot to check the leader’s mike was off. First rule of PR – look after your client. Where was his PRO? Why was he allowed to make such a crippling gaffe? One that has surely cost him another 4 years in power.
Whether one agrees or not with his choice of words, they were never meant for public consumption. Someone should have been looking after his interests and ensuring he was disrobed of his microphone and tucked safely away in his car for his next endless round of media opportunities.
He’s not blameless either mind – a schoolboy error on the part of the PM, who must surely know by now ‘if you don’t say it, they won’t print it’ and that old adage ‘the walls have ears’.
He wasn’t looked after that day, but I bet his spin-doctors are wrapping around him like a blanket now.
Who’s comforting the old dear he insulted though? Have we not learnt any lessons from the ‘SuBo’ fiasco? You cannot parachute and old lady from Rochdale into the international media glare, and expect her to cope. I hear today she has a PR agency on board – I hope their representation includes a bit of good old fashioned care and common sense.
But I suspect the next photo-call is already being arranged for polling day, when her lifetime tick in the Labour box will change for good.
Wednesday 24 March 2010
Passion for your product really cuts it
By Kari Owers
It’s always easier to sell your story if you believe so passionately about it you can get close to tears. That was the case at an Entrepreneurs’ Forum event I attended this week with internationally renowned hairdresser Trevor Sorbie.
With a career that many of us would kill for, Trevor’s brand is known around the world and his ‘stylist to the stars’ status means he doesn’t have to get out of bed for less than £10,000 a day if he doesn’t want to.
But nowadays Trevor works for nothing - diddly squat. The way he stood up and promoted his new venture Mynewhair.org you were left in no doubt as to why money just doesn’t cut it for him these days.
My newhair.org is a charity set up to train hairdressers how to style wigs for people suffering from medical hair loss, most especially people affected by cancer.
It’s not just the practical tips on cutting a wig being taught, it’s how to talk to someone going through cancer treatment. For any woman especially, having their hair done is a kind of therapy, but for one that is seeing her whole identity disappear as she loses her hair, it really is ‘psychological medicine’ as Trevor puts it.
Mynewhair.org is training hairdressers across the UK how to offer the service at their salon, and hopes to see it become a way of life for people facing wearing a wig, whether they live in a remote village or a major city.
I listened to Trevor talk, and yes I did shed a tear. His passion for helping women when they are at rock bottom, by quite simply letting them face the world with a brave face and a head of hair – was simply moving.
He admitted he needs to get the word out there and asked us to spread his message. So that’s what I’m doing writing this blog. But more than that, Trevor summed up what I’ve always believed in. No matter what your business or message – if you believe in it passionately you will reach people.
This is one cause it isn’t hard to put some PR weight behind. Give that man a tip. Donate or get involved at http://www.mynewhair.org/
Tuesday 22 December 2009
O-Vote Joe
Gemma Clarke, Account Manager
A record 19.1 million of us tuned into the X Factor final last weekend. Simon Cowell must have been seeing pound signs in his eyes.
And why was this show one of the most viewed ever?
Was it purely down to Geordie Joe’s singing ability or the fact that almost half the population of teenage girls have been going ‘Radio Ga Ga’ over Olly Murs’ dance moves?
I believe what made the show one of the most successful and what inevitably helped Joe to win was down to the media frenzy that surrounded what could be dubbed as ‘Joe-Gate’.
As a region that is fiercely proud of its people and nurtures its talent, the overwhelming regional support that we have given local lad Joe McElderry is not surprising.
From illuminated boards at the entrance to the Tyne Tunnel, which have the words ‘X Factor – Vote Joe’ to South Shields Town Hall flying ‘Vote Joe’ flags at half mast, people actually changing their names live on the North East’s Real Radio via deedpoll to ‘Vote Joe’ - the region went well and truly Joe crazy.
An image of Joe’s face was also projected on to South Shields’ Town Hall for three hours prior to last Saturday’s show and the Vermont Hotel in Newcastle put up a flag, which was visible from the Tyne Bridge.
It was hard to tell at first whether this ongoing promotional campaign was coming from the X-Factor’s PR machine or whether we ‘as a region’ were just using all our own resources to support Joe– and gain a little PR for ourselves at the same time. I believe it was the latter.
From the support of South Tyneside Council, Newcastle Airport, Real Radio, Metro Radio, Tyne Tunnel, and indeed Newcastle College – to name but a few – who have all ran their own promotional ‘Vote Joe’ stories, we have all helped to create Joe McElderry mania – surely a collaborative award winning PR campaign in itself!
What also created mass hysteria in the region was the power of social media. This year, the X Factor created an online buzz, which the programme has never seen before.
Famous regional names such as Kevin Keegan ‘tweeted’ his support for Geordie Joe as did, top Toon radio presenter Tony Horne amongst many others.
But Joe faced stiff competition to take the Christmas crown this year. Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing In the Name Of’ pipped the cherubic Geordie to the post, thanks to an online social media campaign through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
It seems that the nation has had enough of the X Factor winner taking the top spot.
Simon Cowell is said to be ‘furious’. Yes, he’s furious that he has under estimated the power of social media. This was an example of social media marketing at its best and something that is sure to go down in history.
Joe McElderry The Climb: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNXayt_UiyQ
Rage Against The Machine Killing in the Name of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkuOAY-S6OY
Monday 14 December 2009
Be a social animal
Kari Owers, Managing Director
Thursday 27 August 2009
Free news is good news
So Rupert Murdoch has decided that money no longer lies in free news.
He’s pulled the plug on The London Paper free sheet, and is proposing to slap a subscription fee on all News Corp’s online news content. But is it realistic to believe consumers will pay for “quality journalism” when diverse news content is still available for free elsewhere?
We all keep hearing about the supposedly imminent death of the newspaper, and the internet has been named as the number one culprit. It’s a no brainer really. Why make the effort to leave the house and buy a paper which will be chucked in the recycling bin at the end of the day, when you can access up-to-date, real-time news and opinion from the comfort of your own bed, office or train seat?
We couldn’t go up to the newstand and take the front page from The Sun, the media supplement from The Guardian, the comment pieces from The Independent and then strike up a conversation with hundreds of other readers about what they thought about an article. The internet provides all this - and it’s all free (well, except for the monthly bill...)
Media is business, so news has to make money somehow, but with print circulations plummeting and no great success stories for online adverts, advertisers are getting cautious with budgets. So where an obvious alternative may be to charge for online content, the general consensus seems to be that this will drive surfers away whilst alternatives still exist.
Here is a cross section of comments from The Guardian in response to the original story:
"Well, I won't pay.”
“Won't affect me as I don't read his rags so I really do not care. For every crap rag that starts charging, 10 better ones can be found online for free.”
“If I have paid for the print editions of the three papers I buy daily, am I then expected to be happy if I am asked to pay to get updates on their websites?”
Consumers are always on the lookout for a bargain - better still a freebie. So maybe companies like Spotify have got the right idea. Listen to music tracks for free but expect to hear an advert every few songs which cannot be skipped or turned down. Convert this to The Sun or The Times etc, every 3 articles you click on, a tailored advert appears.
This is not to say however, that the paid-for content model is not working in some circumstances. Take the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Its editor, Walter Hussman, was profiled in last Sunday’s Observer. The 62 year old started charging for online news content in 2002 and has continued to make a profit and see print sales increase. If you’ve got something niche or exclusive though there’s always potential to make money.
If Rupert can be guaranteed to get the scoop on every story, then there’s a chance he could pull in the online readers. But until all online news content is subscription only, it’s difficult to see how this can be a billion dollar idea.
And where does this leave bloggers or independent news sites? Will they be sucked into this new, potentially profitable internet landscape?
It’s clear that the face of news is in a state of flux. Consumers are after free, up-to-the-minute exclusives with pictures, videos and comments. It seems that unfortunately quality is no longer the priority, so where is the money in this? There must be a way for the media to capitalise on the internet boom - but I don’t think this is it. I know I won’t be paying. Will you? Comment and let us know.
Janelle Hardacre (The Intern)
He’s pulled the plug on The London Paper free sheet, and is proposing to slap a subscription fee on all News Corp’s online news content. But is it realistic to believe consumers will pay for “quality journalism” when diverse news content is still available for free elsewhere?
We all keep hearing about the supposedly imminent death of the newspaper, and the internet has been named as the number one culprit. It’s a no brainer really. Why make the effort to leave the house and buy a paper which will be chucked in the recycling bin at the end of the day, when you can access up-to-date, real-time news and opinion from the comfort of your own bed, office or train seat?
We couldn’t go up to the newstand and take the front page from The Sun, the media supplement from The Guardian, the comment pieces from The Independent and then strike up a conversation with hundreds of other readers about what they thought about an article. The internet provides all this - and it’s all free (well, except for the monthly bill...)
Media is business, so news has to make money somehow, but with print circulations plummeting and no great success stories for online adverts, advertisers are getting cautious with budgets. So where an obvious alternative may be to charge for online content, the general consensus seems to be that this will drive surfers away whilst alternatives still exist.
Here is a cross section of comments from The Guardian in response to the original story:
"Well, I won't pay.”
“Won't affect me as I don't read his rags so I really do not care. For every crap rag that starts charging, 10 better ones can be found online for free.”
“If I have paid for the print editions of the three papers I buy daily, am I then expected to be happy if I am asked to pay to get updates on their websites?”
Consumers are always on the lookout for a bargain - better still a freebie. So maybe companies like Spotify have got the right idea. Listen to music tracks for free but expect to hear an advert every few songs which cannot be skipped or turned down. Convert this to The Sun or The Times etc, every 3 articles you click on, a tailored advert appears.
This is not to say however, that the paid-for content model is not working in some circumstances. Take the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Its editor, Walter Hussman, was profiled in last Sunday’s Observer. The 62 year old started charging for online news content in 2002 and has continued to make a profit and see print sales increase. If you’ve got something niche or exclusive though there’s always potential to make money.
If Rupert can be guaranteed to get the scoop on every story, then there’s a chance he could pull in the online readers. But until all online news content is subscription only, it’s difficult to see how this can be a billion dollar idea.
And where does this leave bloggers or independent news sites? Will they be sucked into this new, potentially profitable internet landscape?
It’s clear that the face of news is in a state of flux. Consumers are after free, up-to-the-minute exclusives with pictures, videos and comments. It seems that unfortunately quality is no longer the priority, so where is the money in this? There must be a way for the media to capitalise on the internet boom - but I don’t think this is it. I know I won’t be paying. Will you? Comment and let us know.
Janelle Hardacre (The Intern)
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Vivienne Westwood helps us go green...
Kari Owers, Managing Director
A passing PR stunt or a serious commitment to the environment? You know it started as a bit of fun, but just taking part started me thinking.
Just what is this climate change thing really all about and what can one little business do to help?
After a busy week, I tuned in to the regular Friday night fix of Jonathan Ross and was excited to see my all-time favourite designer Vivienne Westwood on the line up. Love her clothes with a passion (as everyone in the office knows!).
Reminiscent of her activist days in the '70s in this interview she was passionate about the need to tackle climate change. Strange for a fashion designer you might think, with fashion the epitome of unnecessary consumerism.
In just a few minutes of airtime she made me realise that climate change is a real issue for every single one of us. We have just 96 months left to tackle the problem or we face the point of no return.
In case you missed Vivienne on Wossy, read this http://tinyurl.com/kwa7eu.
So, what can one small business really do to stop climate change? Well we are about to find out. Follow us on our journey to understand how our daily 9-5 impacts on the environment, and what small steps we can take to be better global citizens.
And I’ll be doing my bit at home too. Starting with neutral shopping. For every consumer item we buy as a family, we will give one away to a worthy charity. We’re also switching to a more eco-friendly heating system and insulating our home.
I’m sure there’ll be more tips I can share, so follow us as we find out more on www.twitter.com/ocommunications and please RT to get everyone thinking about the little part they can play in the climate change crisis.
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