Communication Strategy That Works

I was surprised and saddened to see prioritisation skills and analytical skills low on the list of what challenges lie ahead for PR pros in 2022 in the CIPRs state of the nation report out this week. Is this because we've nailed it? or is it a lack of education on what the profession can do and is capable of, and people not seeing the link between core skills and specific industry skills?   One of...

Everyone has a personality, which makes you who you are. It influences your behaviour, your thoughts, and your decisions. In marketing, personality is used to influence decisions. Use it to build rapport with customers and to create an experience that feels personal and unique. And it's no different when you're writing for an audience, whether that's your customers or your readers. One of the most...

This is a VERY exciting time as the UK Census is published in earnest this week, which means up to date baseline data on the UK's population and habits over the last ten years. Creating campaigns with insights and data at their heart can really help left-brain thinkers get behind a campaign, so internal sponsors, for example, it also means, more importantly, that your campaign is more likely to hi...

This week's podcast is inspired by my two days at a vast built environment event in Leeds, UK.     I ran the Beyond Net Zero pavilion for a client of mine UKBCSD (UK Business Council for Sustainable Development)   It was an inspiring two days of 15 talks covering everything from how we create a world for everyone to materials and data in buildings and thinking about building less so we can catch u...

Another podcast about a podcast I hear you cry? Latest research carried out by a number of organisations, including Guardian Newspapers, The Literacy Trust and Buzzsprout, indicates that not only does podcast advertising command the highest levels of attention of any media channel, but podcast listens are up, people are more engaged in brands that have podcasts, and young people are also turning t...

The aim is to get your brand, products, and services in front of as many potential customers as possible, right? The more people you reach, the more chances you have to make a great first impression and turn a one-time buyer into a loyal fan. But in our digital world, where we are exposed to an almost infinite number of ads and offers, it's getting harder and harder to cut through the noise and ge...

You may not think you have stakeholders or that it's for huge corporates of public sector bodies to think about? I think it's overlooked in PR programmes, as running alongside campaign activity it can really underpin a campaign. I advocate stakeholder planning as part of an overall communication or PR strategy, not just as a business development tool or an add-on. The main reason is that what moti...

Using the media is a great way to get your message across.  Press releases are one of the most common ways to do this. They're an excellent way to get your news out to journalists quickly and easily. They're also a great way to provide journalists with information about your company, product or service quickly and easily. This makes the Press releases are, however, just one tool in the media toolk...

This has been such a popular episode I just had to re-share it with you this week!  You might have already had a bit of PR success. Perhaps you wrote a post which got a lot of engagement on LinkedIn, or an article on your blog which brought traffic into your website. You might even have got some press coverage. But when the chatter died down, you might have been left wondering what to do next? One...

Webinars and live events allow you to make a personal connection with your audience. Whether you're trying to reach existing customers about a product or service or build up your brand awareness, these online platforms can be a great way to get your message in front of the right people. Live webinars and events allow you to speak directly to people and respond to their questions. This format provi...

ESG reporting is emerging as the most effective way for companies to build a positive reputation. This potentially means that PR and comms professionals are now being asked to become experts in environmental policy and other fields. While this may sound like a huge challenge, it actually opens up a wealth of new opportunities for PR and comms pros in smaller businesses. I haven't worked in the cor...

Trade shows are not just about turning up and networking, they are an essential part of any B2B strategy.   There are so many touchpoints where you can have a 'moment' at trade shows, however big or small.  So today I cover how to create the right strategy for you.   Why? Because we are all time-poor, so as marketing and comms pros and business leaders we need to make sure that the time spent away...

Newsjacking can be one of the most effective ways to get your message in front of the right people without having to invest a lot of money. It has been used by brands, politicians, and even charities to make a big impact. The premise being that you don't need to be the news—you just need to be related to it. It is a term that refers to the process of using current news to generate interest, includ...

I wanted to do something a little different this week to mark International Women's day so at the end of the podcast I feature some women's voices sharing their experiences.  Thank you so much to Stacey, Jo and Abi who shared their stories with me.  I feel honoured. International Women's Day this year was all about breaking the bias which is a campaign to change how people think about and act towa...

On World Book Day I thought I'd focus on how business books can be a rich source of content worth investing in.  Books have the ability to captivate our imagination. They can transport us to another place and time. They can change our view on something entirely. This is why so many authors turn to books as a way of conveying their message. World Book Day was created by Unesco in April 1995 as a wo...

Steven Bartlett inspires this week's podcast. And it's all about personal PR. This phrase resonated with me, so I wanted to share my thoughts with you on this subject.    You can have the best communication strategy, but you reach no one with your message if no one is listening.     I learned the hard way. I was young, ambitious, and didn't have many great role models when I started work. Women ro...

I recently missed out on attending 'it's a B2B Thing' over on LinkedIn with Stacey Meadwell and Ayo Abbas where, along with special guest Susie Lober, they talked all about repurposing content. So I thought I would re-release this episode all about why I think long-form content is your best friend right now and why it can help hugely with repurposing, and also tell you where you can catch up on it...

PR can help the sales process along through the 'know, like, trust' aspect of the customer journey with you. The more someone hears about your business and the better informed they are, the warmer they are as a potential lead. In plain terms, this means your customer is closer to working with you or buying from you than they were when they first heard of you. Customers have to travel along the 'kn...

When was the last time you updated your about page on your website? This week, which is National Storytelling Week, is an excellent opportunity to think about how to incorporate storytelling into your business strategy. Storytelling is an essential part of modern business strategy. The human brain processes stories much deeper than facts and figures, making them a powerful tool for communicating c...

We talk a lot about 'goals' especially at this time of the year, but often we are not clear on why we have chosen them, or how we will arrive at the outcome we want. Here are a few reasons why it's important. Setting a clear, actionable goal is the first step towards achieving success. It signals to yourself and others what you want to achieve, and mobilizes your resources towards making it happen...

The world we live in is changing at an unprecedented rate: Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things are transforming our economy and society; renewable energy is gaining momentum; and millions of people are calling for a better way of doing business. All of this means that businesses have a number of communications challenges. This episode highlights the unique opportu...

This one is a corker. I enjoyed talking to Helen Reynolds so much! Helen is a social media trainer, and her company comms creatives help a lot of professional communicators and freelancers navigate the world of social media, have more personality, and have more impact with their social media. Helen and I first met on a training session many years ago, and she has since built a successful online tr...

A new year is often a time for a fresh start. It's a great time to audit how effective your business communication is. Most businesses will undertake financial audits and expenses claims audits, but how often do you audit how you communicate with customers and other stakeholders? Some businesses I've worked with are really good at this. However, I am always amazed at the number of businesses that...

I am a big fan of testing and learning. I started my career in a credit card company in corporate comms and marketing, and they 'invented' the balance transfer (yeah, it was that long ago!). One of the many things I learned from the amazing people I worked with there and taken forward into my career from that is the 'test and learn' philosophy. This approach is probably why I love working with gro...

Social media will always be a staple of your comms plan, but it's easy to get wrong. And hard work to get right, it seems. This episode is a teaser for a great 'Deep Dive' episode I have coming up with the wonderful Helen Reynolds from the Comms Creatives in January so look out for that one. Let's dive in! Links in this episode: Sue, You're shouting at tea : https://twitter.com/yorkshiretea/status...