Lisa Zwikl

In today's data-rich environment, PR practitioners who embrace data-driven decision-making are gaining a significant edge in developing more effective, targeted and measurable campaigns -- H Patel, FINN Partners https://odwpr.us/3zBzyYe

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Writing a standout #pressrelease involves more than a compelling story. You need to know your audience, use engaging visuals and write relevant, optimized copy that informs, captivates and persuades. Here are some best practices to get you started. ✍️

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Here's added support for the claim that comms pros are taking their rightful seat at the "strategy" table. Why? Because brand building and reputation management are strategic pillars for businesses. Memo's new "Evolving Role of Comms" report shows: 💡 A 34% increase in comms teams reporting directly to CEOs. 💡 A 26% decrease in reporting to marketing since 2023. 💡 An expanding role for comms, beyond earned media. 50% say they now own executive comms, internal comms, and marketing campaigns. CEOs experienced the value of comms during the pandemic and other challenging events of the early 2020s. These data suggest the C-suite is taking a serious look at a range of reputational risks, including: 🚨 Misinformation and disinformation due to AI. 🚨 Cybercrime, cybersecurity, and customer privacy. 🚨 Activist investors, including those pushing back against ESG policies. 🚨 Macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical, and climate events. The report also underscores the power that comes from: ⚡ Sharing executive perspectives to promote understanding of corporate values and ethics. ⚡ Having an aligned workforce. Empowered employees are your best advocates. The most interesting tension in this report is the question of priorities. Gaining competitive share-of-voice (SOV), raising awareness, and amplifying key messages top the to-do list more frequently than, say, managing disinformation or changing perceptions. It's a tightly-knit group of priorities, however. And that speaks to the complexities of modern communications. Comms folks drive clarity about purpose and values. They also understand the importance of closing the gaps between corporate stories and actions. Shout out to the comms folks out there who are claiming more space. Check out the full report in the link below. #Comms #PR #StrategicCommunications

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In the follow-up to my last two posts 👇 Clients hire PR agencies to be guided by their communications expertise. However, from the pitching process onward, the agencies are guided by clients' ideas about communications. Here's what the usual client-agency conversations look like: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 1 Client: We want to issue a press release. Agency: Yes ma'am. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 2 Client: We want to organise a press conference. Agency: When do you want it, sir? 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 3 Client: Our global MD is here. Organise a few interviews with the likes of The Economic Times. Agency: Sure. We'll organise 5-6 interviews right away. Agencies take all necessary actions to fulfil the clients' demands but this approach is mechanical. If the client is to be truly guided toward results, the following steps are more suitable: 1. Seek the news value on offer. 2. Guide the client on what media activity suits the given news value. 3. Identify the right media for the activity. 4. Connect the right journalists in those publications. 5. If the client's own media assets suit the needs better, arrange for broadcast there. 6. Track the outcome and share it with the client proactively. The client may not understand/agree to these steps in the first go but, in my experience, they can be brought on board through reasoning. I would love to know your experience if you tried this approach. ⏬ If you have a different playbook, feel free to share that too. ⏬⏬ #PublicRelations #Marketing #StrategyVerse

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There are so many "awareness" days, weeks and months. You can post on something nearly every day. I wonder, though, how helpful this kind of post is and would love to hear from marketers about it. #awarenessdays #publicrelations #socialmedia #marketing

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The October monthly episode of our For Immediate Release podcast explores critical communication trends. Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I discuss six compelling topics, including Reddit's potential for crisis comms, the state of blogging in 2024, ethical concerns in celebrity news coverage, workplace connection challenges, and AI's impact across industries. In a blog post, I've set out some key takeaways that present opportunities for communicators, including leveraging Reddit for stakeholder engagement and preparing to guide organisations through AI adoption. Read more and listen now for valuable perspectives and insights on navigating today's complex communication landscape. https://lnkd.in/e5_CcMR2

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Most of us agree that the only way forward is for your PR team to be much better at using data to track results. We see many PR thought leaders comment on this subject, and there are new tech platforms that offer PR teams much better metrics. Yet still, PR metrics need to leave room for understanding what the data may not show.

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💡How are newsrooms using AI?💡  🌟 As AI continues to evolve, marketers and PR pros need to know how it affects journalism. Understanding how AI software influences story discovery and content creation enables teams to refine their pitching and press release strategies. 📰🤖 🔍 Consider these recent examples of AI projects supported by AP's Local News AI initiative and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation: 🎙️ Michigan Radio, a University of Michigan NPR affiliate, uses an innovative tool that scrapes city council meetings from video sharing services, transcribes them, and generates tailored alerts. The result? Better visibility into public meetings and proactive notifications aligned with journalists’ beats and interests. 📺 Television station WFMZ-TV in Allentown, Pa., uses AI software that sorts and prioritizes news releases and story pitches from emails and other outside sources. And then, it enters the information into a content management system. 🤔 Thoughts? 👇 🔗 Learn more about the AI projects mentioned at https://lnkd.in/ep9H9QCM J.P. Escobar Jason Fink R. Kurt Osenlund Isha Kamani Hollis Daniels Melanie Shaw Chris Hayes #ArtificialIntelligence #Journalism #MarketingStrategy #PR #AIinJournalism #Innovation #FutureOfNews #TechAdvancements #Collaboration

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Wait... what? A PR is an announcement right? Or is it a press release? Do you mean you 'do' press releases? Is that like using a newswire? What do you mean embargo?.. hmm.. and that's a.. deadline? PR terminology is a pain, like all industry jargon it makes it look more complicated than it is and you think "I really need someone who understands this stuff".. 12 years of working as a comms expert and I have conversations with companies all the time that follow the script above. So I wrote a simple breakdown of PR terminology, starting with content formats - for all the other founders and CMOs out there who are sitting on calls with their PR agencies, wondering what the *🤔🤔😑😑😬 they are talking about, but don’t ask because it will take another 30 minutes of precious billable time. In a new article, I’m covering: 🐥 What content formats to use to communicate company information 🐿 When to use them 🐫 How to structure them 🐢 Best ways to share them Read it all here: https://lnkd.in/eDCxvG9C This will be part of a broader series about all the things that cause confusion in PR (and there are many more), so let me know what PR terms you struggle with in the comments. P.s. hope you enjoyed the emojis.

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Press releases are evolving, but how are PR pros adapting? Our 2024 State of the Press Release Report is here with insights on: ✅ The use of gen AI in press release creation ✅ Crafting engaging headlines ✅ Why including multimedia is critical Download the report now to get the latest trends and tips. #PR #PressRelease #Comms #StateOfThePressRelease

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Instant gratification does little to drive long term relationship. Check our the 5 differences between AR and PR.

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If you missed our Junapr webinar on 2025 trends for marketing communications, do not fret! We have the webinar and the slides available at the link below. https://lnkd.in/eTicnDTw #communication #PR #MarketingCommunications #2025Trends

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Keep columnists on your PR radar! 🗞️🔍 Columnists focus on offering unique perspectives that spark conversations and influence opinions. They are always on top of current events and trending stories. How can you get your insights or experts involved in columns? We’ve rounded up 5 tips on how to best understand and pitch columnists! Just remember, they work fast! Don’t be left behind. Build strong relationships with columnists, research their expertise, and be ready to share a well-crafted pitch that aligns with their interests. https://bit.ly/4dMyUGg

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Want to write a press release that speaks the language of journalists and increases your chances of media coverage? 📰 Learning AP style guidelines is key for clear, concise and impactful communication. Learn the essential rules, from capitalization to formatting, and see how to structure your announcement for maximum engagement. Click to discover the power of AP style in press release writing.

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If you suspect that your #PR and #marketing strategy and approach hasn’t modernized, we've outlined several key signs to look for. If you observe more than one of them, it may be time for a change. #FintechPR #FintechMarketing #FintechRocks #Fintech https://lnkd.in/edcUSfkK

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