Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
We recently encountered an interesting scenario with one of our clients, who came across a relevant industry discussion on Reddit and wondered why their brand name was not mentioned. At first the answer seems apparent, since Reddit relies on user-generated content that, for the most part, cannot be controlled. But that got us thinking—is Reddit, the online community powered by users, a viable place for PR pros to promote brand awareness for clients?
If you haven’t dealt much with Reddit, it’s huge in terms of Internet platforms. The site describes itself as “a source for what’s new and popular on the web.” Users are responsible for providing all of the content and identifying what’s interesting or not. They share tidbits from all over the Internet on the social platform—images, stories and more. Users then comment or vote to promote content they find most appealing, which then has a chance of landing on the site’s front page for maximum viewership.
Reddit is wildly popular with users but, to many PR pros, largely unchartered territory for performing brand outreach. We came across an interesting article in the November 2013 issue of PR Week, which pitted two thought leaders against each other on the question: “Should brands embrace Reddit as they diversify their digital outreach?” The article highlights the two opposing views regarding whether Reddit is an actionable tool for PR and marketing purposes.
In the first view, the answer is an obvious yes. Reddit has definite value. With an audience of 85,901,746 unique visitors per month from more than 186 countries, the question is, why wouldn’t you want to tap into that market? The numbers showcase how, if executed well, Reddit can be an extremely successful platform for generating brand publicity.
A successful post holds huge potential for generating online interest. The site includes hundreds of topics and subtopics relevant to a wide variety of interests. Commenting with unique insight on posts can gain you votes, upping the chances that your content will be read, shared and even end up on the main page—where it will spread everywhere.
The opposing view, however, notes that there is little tolerance for commercial content among Reddit users. The site thrives on non-promotional, non-editorialized material. In general, the site’s users are sensitive to brand promotion and will immediately reject content that’s blatantly promotional. From this standpoint, Reddit is just not the place for brand messaging.
A brand butting in with self-promoting content on Reddit can ruin conversations. Promoting a client could therefore backfire and bring negative sentiment to a brand. And the only thing worse than posting obviously promotional content is trying to pass it as non-promotional—a move that can ruin your Reddit reputation for good. As the PR Week article notes, Reddit is an “earned channel.” You cannot control your image like you can on other social media outlets, such as Facebook or Twitter, which makes using the site for PR purposes risky.
So, can PR pros effectively leverage Reddit in their outreach for clients? It’s a divided question. Reddit can’t be ignored—it’s an extremely powerful platform with a wide and varied audience. But at the same time, you can’t treat it as any other social network. You can’t just jump out there with a bunch of promotional content—you have to start small and gain respect first. Once you’ve built a reputation, you can consider contributed posts geared more toward brand awareness and generating site traffic. But even then, do so with extreme caution—and always be sure to disclose the full relationship.
Sharing messages should be done sparingly and only when the content adds genuine benefit to the site’s users. Posts need to be exciting, genuinely interesting or clever. Spamming will only get you booted. For the most part, PR pros should likely stick to using Reddit mainly to monitor conversations relevant to a client’s industry or interests. Those with big-name clients might find value in hosting “Ask Me Anything” sessions, in which users participate in Q&A sessions with brand executives. No matter how you use the site, always stick to its guidelines—its Reddiquette.
Think of using Reddit like entering someone’s home. That’s exactly what it is—home to millions of diverse users who are very protective of their community. Keep this in mind every time you log on, and be sure to wipe your feet at the door.
Contributed or bylined articles serve as a great complement to editorial placements. Unlike an article written by a reporter about a company or its products, contributed articles are written by the company and are meant to lend a vendor-neutral perspective on topics relevant to a publication’s readers. We often recommend contributed articles as a way to position our clients as thought leaders in their industry or on a specific subject matter.
As newsrooms shrink and the competition for website visitors increases, we’re seeing a demand for contributed content like never before.
So far this year, Communiqué has placed 16 contributed articles and guest posts on behalf of our clients with 15 more in the pipeline. From an article on pets at work to a piece on the impact of metamaterials on the satellite communications industry, the articles have spanned a wide-range of topics. For our team, writing contributed articles allows us to flex our creative writing muscles and, more importantly, enables us to get even more rooted in the issues impacting our clients’ industries. Here’s a sample of some of the articles that have been published so far:
- AAHOA Lodging Business: What the Hospitality Industry Can Learn From Public Safety Communications
- Business2Community: Avoid Shuffling Chairs by Creating a Culture of Collaboration: Microsoft’s Reorg and the Struggle Between Teams and Tools
- Citizen Tekk: Taking the Concert Home: How it Will Benefit Consumers and Artists Alike
- Franchising World Magazine: Expanding a Franchise: Consider the Cloud
- Retail Digital: Preparing for the Explosion in Mobile Data
- O’Dwyer’s: How Collaboration Technologies are Reshaping PR
- VentureBeat: Meet 7 startups that are innovating for the developing world
- Wired Innovation Insights: Blinders at the C-Level Can Cost You Billions
Is a contributed article right for you? Ask yourself these questions:
1) How will a contributed article support my communications objectives? Developing the article and pitching it to relevant publications takes time. Be sure the investment will support your communications goals.
2) What do I want readers to learn from my article? Identifying the main takeaways can also be helpful in targeting the right publications or websites to target for your article.
3) Do I have examples that can further illustrate the points in my article? Incorporating customer stories, metrics or other types of data can go far in supporting the premise of the article.
4) Can the article be written in a vendor-neutral way? Editors rely on contributed articles to educate and inform their readers on relevant topics and issues. Any hint of blatant product or company promotion will result in an immediate rejection.
For more tips on writing a contributed article, check out this post.
Every month at Communiqué PR, we celebrate the success of our blog and its contributors by sharing stats, including the most views and the average time spent viewing the post. Analyzing these statistics allows us to track the growth of our blog and determine which topics appeal to our audience. Building a committed and involved audience is a priority, however, this is often easier said than done. PRDaily recently posted an article providing tips on building a blog readership. This advice is not designed to gain one-time views but instead to build lasting relationships with the audience to ensure frequent and involved visits.
Consider the Content
This is advice that I never tire of hearing. Whether it’s regarding a paper for school or for a blog post, the content is the main priority to any type of writing. Content will not only capture people’s attention but also maintain it. Mark Schafer, a journalist at PR Daily, suggests using content that is “RITE”: Relevant, Interesting, Timely and Entertaining. By using content that meets this criteria readers will be more likely to share and comment on posts, which in turn will generate more views to the blog.
Build a Twitter Following
This is not only a fast technique when building readership, but also efficient. By spending 10 to 20 minutes a day tweeting, you will be able to build an established audience. Mentioning your blog in tweets will draw people to your site and encourage them to read your most recent posts.
Activate LinkedIn Groups
There are more than 1.5 million LinkedIn groups. This means that there are groups for every topic and area of interest possible. Find multiple groups that are relevant to you and your blog. Use your blog to answer questions or respond to different topics by posting the link to the group as a response. You will likely find people who not only are interested in that specific post but also the overall content of your blog.
Build a Blog Network
Find a group of bloggers that are willing to support each other. It can be difficult to get involvement, especially when first starting a blog. In order to generate more interaction, find bloggers who are interested in a similar topic and who are in a similar position. Comment, share and like one another’s blogs to gain more exposure. One way to find new bloggers is to look through the comment section of your favorite blog. Another way is to use a formal approach though a service like Triberr.
Make your Blog Similar to your Email Address
This simple step is often forgotten or unnoticed. Promote the URL of your blog everywhere you promote your email address. Place it on a business card, in an email signature, on PowerPoint slides, and in newsletters. People who are viewing these things are often high-potential readers and are likely to be interested in your blog.
Building a readership is not an easy task. I hope that with these tips you will be able to gain a strong following. Are there any other tricks you have found successful?
McDonald’s recently announced its decision to part ways with longtime supplier Heinz. The two companies are cutting ties after 40 years of working together and the decision may be because of Heinz’s recent hire of former Burger King CEO Bernardo Hees and the lack of full disclosure.
McDonald’s stated flatly, “As a result of recent management changes at Heinz, we have decided to transition our business to other suppliers at this time.” Added the fast-food giant congenially, “We have spoken to Heinz and plan to work together to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.”
Just another business decision on McDonald’s part? What kind of “management change” could tear a long-standing business relationship? It seems Hees may have had a conflict of interest in trying to continue working with McDonald’s. According to USA Today, while Hees is currently the head of Heinz, he is still vice chairman of Burger King’s board of directors, and according to the Daily News, Heinz is served in nearly 80 percent of Burger Kings in the United States. This put McDonald’s in an untenable situation because Heinz clearly has an allegiance to one of McDonald’s main competitors.
For McDonald’s, it’s merely a strategic business reaction to its changing business environment. The mystifying part is that Heinz has gone silent and has yet to satisfactorily weigh in and seize the PR opportunity.
The events of these two business giants are understandably receiving a great deal of media coverage, yet Heinz has refused to comment on this situation, explaining that its company “does not comment on business matters as a matter of policy.” However, Heinz did add this: “All our foodservice customers globally remain valuable to the company and are an important part of what has made the H.J. Heinz Company what it is today. We continue to operate respecting every customer while upholding the high level of confidentiality and business ethics that the H.J. Heinz Company has built with our business partners over the years.”
Interestingly enough, this is not McDonald’s and Heinz’s first dispute. According to the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, during the early 1970s Heinz supplied nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s ketchup and pickles. However, after a tomato shortage, McDonald’s took the majority of its ketchup needs elsewhere. Heinz ketchup was recently only being sold in two United States markets, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis, with the rest of its McDonald’s business being in international markets. This split, therefore, will hurt Heinz primarily in the loss of the international business from McDonald’s.
Heinz, to its detriment, is not offering customers and stakeholders any insight, and its no-comment policy seems to be the least effective approach it could take. So what might the condiment king have done differently from a PR standpoint?
Addressing the recent events head-on may have been a better approach. Heinz should have offered an explanation to put shareholders and customers’ concerns at rest. Losing its business with McDonald’s may well have a negative effect on sales and those who have a stake in the company deserve to be updated, and may mean the general public will make its own assumptions because of the lack of response from Heinz on the matter. This is clearly a tricky situation for Heinz, but it seems the company may have overlooked some critical PR crisis strategies.
How would you have handled this PR opportunity differently?
When the Obama administration launched its healthcare website on October 1st the President’s most prized project quickly turned into an unmanageable disaster. Healthcare.gov was riddled with technical problems that made it almost impossible to use, causing enormous public backlash. But there are a few valuable PR lessons to be learned from healthcare.gov’s disastrous rollout.
Launching late is better than launching poorly
If the date of a product or service launch is looming and there are still glitches that are far from being fixed, it is always better to postpone the launch. Although the company may receive some criticism it will still maintain its customers’ trust, which is much more important.
When the Obama administration decided to launch a faulty healthcare website they lost the trust of the American people. President Obama’s approval rating has dropped below 40 percent, the lowest it has been in two years, and his unpopularity is almost certainly linked to the healthcare fiasco. Now in addition to fixing the faulty healthcare website President Obama must find a way to win back the public’s trust.
Speak up if expectations are too high
When a client’s expectations are not in line with what your experience knows to be true or are unrealistic, speak up. This requires a lot of diplomacy, but better to voice your concerns early so that you and your client can agree on the expected outcome.
Despite being warned by an outside health advisor that no one within the Obama administration was up to the task of overseeing the healthcare.gov project, President Obama insisted on putting his health policy team in charge. When healthcare.gov collapsed no one on the project knew how to fix it, so the Obama administration was left scrambling for outside help. If the Obama administration had appointed an outside technology expert earlier some of the system’s flaws might have been caught before the launch, and someone would have been readily available to fix the problems that occurred afterwards.
Always be transparent
Despite our best efforts, mistakes happen. When a crisis occurs be straightforward about the situation and don’t try to cover anything up. There are too many examples of what can go wrong if you don’t take this approach. The press and the public will be much more forgiving if they are provided with all the details.
The Obama administration were not as forthcoming as they could have been with data on the number of visitors, enrollments and purchases on the healthcare.gov website, which might have been part of the reason several media outlets that are usually supportive of the Affordable Care Act became highly critical. The Huffington Post, which has been fairly supportive of the Affordable Care Act in the past, recently published a critical blog post asserting that the Affordable Care Act is flawed.
Although the healthcare.gov rollout was a disaster, the website is fixable. The biggest challenge for the administration will be changing the public’s opinion of the Affordable Care Act. Any suggestions for how the administration should earn back the public’s trust?
If you read our blog or you work in public relations or media, you’re likely well aware of the importance of AP style. A couple months ago, the 2013 version of the AP Stylebook was released, with 90 new or updated entries.
Ninety updates is a lot of information to process. At the time, PR Daily published a helpful article compiling the five “most important” updates in the revised addition. Now that we’ve had a bit of time to get settled with the new changes, we thought we’d highlight a few of those that have been especially relevant to our work as PR professionals. Here are three that might trip you up as you write:
- Expanded social media terms. In line with the times, the 2013 Stylebook now includes terms like circles, flash mob and Google Hangout. Additionally, the updated Stylebook broadened guidelines for attributing and referencing user-generated content (e.g., in photo captions).
- Added new rules for numerals. The recommendations for numerals are now more expansive; a four-page section outlines when and where not to use figures. Pay attention to this section, and reference it as you write—the 2013 Stylebook has layered further directions onto already complex numeral guidelines.
- Enhanced fashion, food and sports guidelines. Terms like chichi, froufrou and upside-down cake are now formal additions to the Stylebook. If you target a consumer audience, updates to fashion, food and sports standards will be especially relevant for your writing.
For the fully updated 2013 AP Stylebook, you’ll need to purchase an updated version of the Stylebook.
For more information on the importance of AP style, we recommend our blog post: “Understanding AP Style and Its Importance.”