Have you ever had one of those fabulous “aha!” moments at work? One of those times when the perfect idea popped into your head and you knew it was the solution you and your team had been seeking? Ever been in a client meeting, glumly sitting listening to voices drone on and on, when suddenly you saw the entire problem from a new angle, one that changed everything?

That’s creativity.

Creativity is the lifeblood of any organization’s real growth. Creative problem-solving abilities are what set you apart from your competition. Creative PR campaigns stand out in the crowd, help reach client goals and get people talking. Creative visuals jump off page and screen and into our minds and hearts. Creativity matters.

Getting and keeping creative juices flowing can be an ongoing battle, as all of us respond to the pressure and challenges of daily life.

Right now most of us are stumbling to the end of the year, and toward the holidays, which for some, have already started. We’re juggling myriad responsibilities. Work and family and holiday commitments intermingle and for many of us, being or feeling creative is the last thing on our minds.

Creativity, that mysterious and powerful “thing” we hear about so often, is an integral part what we bring to our work and our lives.

And a stifled or burnt out sense of creativity can quickly be recharged or built stronger during the holidays.

What Is Creativity?

“Creativity begins with a foundation of knowledge, learning a discipline, and mastering a way of thinking,” says Linda Naiman of Creativity at Work. “You learn to be creative by experimenting, exploring, questioning assumptions, using imagination and synthesizing information. Learning to be creative is akin to learning a sport. It requires practice to develop the right muscles, and a supportive environment in which to flourish.”

Merriam Webster defines creativity as “the ability to make new things or think of new ideas.”

Though we often tend to associate creativity with the visual arts, music, and literature, creativity expresses itself in myriad other ways at work and home. We see it in the way people make something work on a limited budget, or teams come up with new and exciting solutions to client problems. We know as we watch kids approach digital tools, fearlessly using them in ways we’ve never imagined. We see it in exploration and discovery and new product development. 

How Do We Use Creativity in PR?

“Developing ‘creative’ solutions to problems is a critical part of the planning process in public relations,” says Edward Glassman in his book Team Creativity At Work I and II: Creative Problem-Solving At Its Best. “Creativity in the field involves developing new themes for programs or stories, identifying new audiences or creating new media opportunities.”

Whether we’re part of a “creative team” or working as a solo PR, all of us use creativity on a daily basis. We call on it to find the right approach for a pitch or campaign, in the use of digital tools in new ways, and sometimes in just figuring out how to keep on keeping on. We use our creativity in working on public relations campaigns, finding the perfect joke or story for our presentation and in combining just the right words to get and hold an audience’s attention.

But Creativity Can Be Easily Squelched 

Deadlines and work pressures, self-criticism and being too concerned with what your co-workers will think of you can squelch creative thinking in a heartbeat. Feeling like you need to follow the rules and color inside the lines, or being afraid to try something new or stick your neck out are also creativity-killers.

And finally? Stress and anxiety, are the big blockers. You may feel as you find yourself working through all of the tasks associated with the end of the year and approaching holidays. Strangely enough, those same holidays can be what you need to rebuild your creative muscles and recharge those creative batteries.

10 Steps to Building Creative Muscle During the Holidays

1. Walk away from the routine.

Use your time away from the office to celebrate being outside of your daily routine. Do something different, out of the ordinary for you, and note how much fun you have. Store those thoughts and feelings away for later.

2. Permit yourself to have fun.

Many of us dread certain aspects of the holidays. Whether it’s the annual dysfunctional family get together or the watching of that odious Christmas special one more time, try to give yourself permission to have fun. Find something you can enjoy and view the holidays through a filter of determined enjoyment.

3. Explore new places or holiday customs.

Visit someplace new or explore new and different holiday customs. Breaking away from the familiar, whether it’s geographic or cultural, feeds your mind and provides new images, sounds and smells on which your creativity can feast.

4. Express your inner artist through decoration.

Have fun with the gaudiness of the holidays and express your inner artist by decorating. Try something new, experiment and have fun. In regular day-to-day life, we often overlook our hidden artistic sides. Even the least imaginative person can put up some fabulous holiday decorations.

5. Give back.

Giving to someone during the holidays just feels right and warms the heart. Find a way to give back to your community, to your friends and your family. You’ll smile, and your heart will lift.

6. Soak up holiday music and pageantry.

Dive into the music and pageantry of the holidays. Go to the concerts and take part in the music. Sing your heart out to holiday music while driving. Feast your eyes on the lights and decorations surrounding you. Allow yourself to be enchanted by the magic that can appear at the holidays. Attend the theatre, the Symphony or the ballet and feast your senses on the visual and audible richness of the arts.

7. Connect and reconnect with family and friends.

Enjoy them, even the weird ones. Listen to their jokes and stories and marvel at who they are and what they mean in your life. Let them know how much they mean to you. If you can’t? Smile at the thought of what you could say.

8. Indulge in festive foods and drinks.

What better time in the year to enjoy the richness of food and drink? Have fun with it. Taste new things. Prepare favorite recipes. And then? Get out and walk off the indulgences. The exercise will do you good, and your creative mind will rejoice in both feasting and walking.

9. Write notes of appreciation to people who matter.

Take the time to tell the people you love how much they matter. Find new ways to express yourself. Thank the people in your life for being there for you. Kind of like giving back, it feels good, and it makes them feel good also.

10. Laugh.

Laugh at ridiculous holiday sweaters, stupid Santa and reindeer jokes, absurd holiday decorations, awful gifts (but not in the face of the giver, please), and the hilarity of awkward holiday social gatherings.

Do any of these things—or all of them—and find your creative juices flowing again when you get back to your desk. And that creativity, charged up and ready to go, will stand you in good stead in the year to come.

A version of this post was first published on the Cision blog.

Images: Hartwig HKD  (CC 2.0), matthew venn (CC 2.0) Linus Bowman (CC 2.0), Chlsgraphy (CC 2.0), Elliot P. (CC 2.0)

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In 2016 the number of Internet users in the U.S.  expanded to 286,942,362, representing more than 85.5 percent of the total population.

“More than 40 million Internet users will go online exclusively via mobile device in 2017,” according to eMarketer.com. “That number will reach, 52.3 million by 2021, as people continue to drift from desktops/laptops to mobile devices for internet access.”

No matter how they access the web, the number of new users, including those with little to no previous experience, grows daily.

For those of us who work online, and hang out in social networks, it’s easy to forget what it was like in those first months of using the social web.

We’ve learned how things work, we understand the pace is furiously fast, and we’ve discovered some of the pitfalls and challenges.

Not so for everyone.

Lose the Training Wheels

Remember learning to ride a two-wheeled bike? Watching with envy as the kids without training wheels zipped past you, riding without holding on to the handlebars?

Those daredevils.

Remember how exciting it felt when they took off your training wheels and you teetered off on your own steam, figuring out how to balance, how to go faster, how to slow down or stop abruptly? Remember crashing? The skinned knees and elbows, tear-streaked face and bloody lips?

Riding your bike. Exhilarating, often terrifying–and at times downright painful.

For many, this entry into the online world feels a lot like the early days of learning to ride a two-wheeler. From the weeks and months spent quietly lurking, trying to figure out how it all works, to the first sallies forth out onto the social web; the first tweets, updates, and even blog posts.

Stop Shouting!

MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THIS DIGITAL WORLD DON’T KNOW ABOUT THINGS LIKE POSTING IN ALL CAPS. THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT, TO THE REST OF US, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE SHOUTING.

Until someone tells them.

These people don’t always know how to create a password that isn’t easy to figure out, or why it matters. They don’t realize the dangers of clicking a link to see that video, or that the message from the friend on Facebook, who is stranded and needs money sent to London, is likely fake and may lead to a virus.

Until someone tells them–or they learn the hard way.

Many don’t comprehend the depth and power of the web and its ability to connect people beyond geographic, cultural, and language boundaries. To create bridges between people and concepts; between problems and solutions. To enhance or damage reputations.

Share Your Knowledge

For those of us who live online and love the social web, with its pace, flexibility, vibrancy, and potential, the chance to share what we love comes naturally and often effortlessly. Reaching out to show someone how to dodge certain pitfalls, pointing out the things to avoid and to remember, sharing the shortcuts and the humor is part of the fun of it.

Well, it is for me, and probably for you too, but I see so many short-tempered responses aimed at those who are still learning. I often post warnings when I read about a virus that is spreading, or remind followers not to click on a link to see a video, or tweet to let someone know that they’ve been hacked and need to change their password.

More often than not I get snarky comments from people who assume we should all know these things by now.

We don’t though. Not all of us. But those of us who do can help those who don’t.

Some will learn quickly, jumping in enthusiastically, consuming information with voracious appetites. Others will make painful mistakes–over and over again.

Some will walk away and dismiss the social web as having no value, but thankfully for those of us who love it, a new crop will show up bright and early the next day!

A version of this post was first published on Spin Sucks.

“Joe learning to ride a bike” by Lisa Williams is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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We’re all inundated with marketing messages, social updates, email and even boatloads of “snail mail.” We’re growing weary and cynical. Daily news of corporate blunders and celebrity missteps aren’t helping matters either.

But we do still pay attention to people who matter to us. We do still listen, and more and more, we take their opinions and advice to heart. Most of us check with friends or family, before making purchases or taking action. Many of us read online reviews and search social networks for advice and recommendations.

And sometimes the people that matter to us, that we consider influential, are people we’ve never met face-to-face. “They are people who have established credibility and influence over an audience. By virtue of their reliability and authenticity, they can convince their audience about what they endorse,” says Andrew Cravenho, CEO of cbacfunding.com, in a post for MarketingProfs.

Enter influencer relations, a part of niche public relations that grows in value and importance every day.

What Is Influencer Relations?

Simply put, the work involved in managing the development of relationships, with those deemed influential, for marketing or public relations campaigns. Influencers can be bloggers, or journalists, celebrities or just people who are highly regarded in our social circles, marketplaces or industries.

Influence campaigns are being used to do everything from increasing sales to public education campaigns, event promotions, fundraising, new product introductions and reputation management.

Public relations has always been about building and maintaining relationships. Influencer relations programs channel relationship building for specific purposes, ideally, clear cut goals, objectives, and deliverables.

As in the development of any relationship, influencer relations programs take time, organization, sincerity and a lot of effort. As our world continues to evolve, with new channels of communications, technologies and consumer demands, the practice of influencer relations should as well.

“We still tend to define influencers in ‘traditional’ terms and influencer relationships as largely tactical and temporary,” says Laura Ciocia, Director of Media & Engagement for W20 Group. “It’s as if we settled into early 2.0 era definitions of what influencer marketing encompasses, ignoring all of the external shifts that are challenging and reshaping these notions.”

According to Laura, the change must come in seeing influencers as partners in business growth instead of elements, however valuable, in a campaign. With this mindset, we must view building relationships with influencers as extending beyond a single campaign or initiative.

Influencer relations campaigns are often designed with short timelines built to support specific campaigns. For the most part, the relationships you build can and should be nurtured to maintain long-term relationships.

“Having quality influencers in your back pocket can be great when you need to execute crisis management, when you have a tight turnaround for an Influencer program or when you simply need someone you can trust,” says Robin Shroyer of Ignite Social Media.

Building Long-Term Influencer Relationships

So how do we do this?

The same way we build any other relationship. Only more so.

“The key to unlocking powerful, lasting influencer relationships is consistent one-on-one communication; two-way conversations interspersed with the occasional push of some valuable, relevant information.,” says Ed Schauweker, Principal, of AVID Public Relations. “But you can’t stop there. Influencers don’t want to just share their insights. They want to see that your company’s behavior is modified and improved by their insights and counsel.”

“So, leveraging automated tools to help find the right influencers can be good. Automated measurement tools can be very beneficial,”  adds, Schauweker. “But, to be effective, make sure your communication with influencers is consistent, one-to-one, two-way and authentic.”

Where to start?

Begin by getting to know your influencers, which means paying attention to what they do. Read their articles, posts, and updates, listen to their podcasts and interviews. Watch their videos, observe their updates and notice who they pay attention to and what they view as important. Comment on their updates and shares, but do it sincerely.

Start to get to know them the way you would someone you’d just met at a networking event or cocktail party. Be genuine. Then, at the conclusion of your campaign, practice these six steps to take those budding short term relationships into something long lasting and enduring.

1. Thank Them

It seems obvious, doesn’t it? And yet, we can forget to say thank you.

Send them a quick thank you via email. Write your influencers a short, hand-written note of thanks (this tactic is even more valuable today since few of us get hand-written anything anymore, so you’ll stand out in the crowd.) Just make sure to communicate your gratitude, simply but sincerely.

2. Think Long Term

Building a long-term relationship means investing your time, attention and interest in the other person. Communication is essential, and that often means listening more than talking and looking at things from your influencer’s perspective. Be careful not to be seen as only making contact when you want something from an influencer.

“Nobody wants to be recalled only when they need something. You’d be quick to dismiss that kind of relationship in your personal life, so why shouldn’t the same apply in business,” Laura Ciocia says.

She advocates finding opportunities to invest in what’s important to your influencers.

3. Deliver Value

Again, look at things from your influencer’s perspective. What do they view as valuable? Can you introduce them to people within your network? Can you offer them other projects?

As you get to know your influencers over time, you’ll discover opportunities to serve as a resource and deliver value.

4. Put in the Time

In most cases, you can’t get to know someone in a few moments. While there are a few exceptions to this, most relationships take time to develop. Putting in the time, on a regular basis is an essential part of taking a budding relationship from initial contact and campaign participation to a longer-term business friendship.

You may find it helpful to set up a system of tracking so you can remember when you last checked in with your influencer and what you heard them say. Be willing to invest your time in them.

5. Share

Most of us have networks of people with whom we share content, ideas, and conversations. Use your networks, and those of your company or organization, to help your influencers grow their own. Share, where appropriate, the content they create and help them build new audiences.

6. Meet Face-to-Face

When possible, meet your influencers in person. Face-to-face conversations offline are invaluable and can be helpful in taking a cordial business relationship to the level of friendship.

Take advantage of industry events or any travel that takes you to their part of the world, to set up a meeting. No matter how short, those face-to-face meetings help build influencer relationships for longer-term friendships.

“If you conduct influencer relations appropriately, a large volume of the relationships should blossom into true friendships,” says Jay Swansson, co-founder of content marketing platform ClearVoice.com. “Congratulate them on wins, pick up the phone and check in with them, thank them for their time, buy them a drink at the next conference. Your relationships with influencers shouldn’t be kindled only when you need them.”

A version of this post was first published on Cision.com.

Image: Sean MacEntee, Iain Farrell, Anne Adrian, Alan Levine  (Creative Commons)

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Are you using Flipboard yet? You should be. The digital social magazine app aggregates content from across the web and displays it in lush, four-color magazine format. You “flip” the pages as you scroll through magazines created around the topics that interest you.

Entertaining. Impactful. Mobile.

Flipboard was introduced to the marketplace in 2010 and is installed on more than 300 million mobile devices. Flipboard boasts more than 500 million downloads and features more than 34 thousand topics.

“Flipboard has been working hard over the last few years to build an app that makes reading stories on mobile and tablet devices as engaging as flipping through a magazine,” says Ryan Lawler, of techcrunch.com in 2014. “Those readers are flipping about 8 billion pages per month, and that number continues to grow.”

Flipboard combines the power of the digital and social web with the look and feel of high-end print publications—allowing it to serve as a bridge from traditional print to the digital world, especially helpful for those old school clients who haven’t truly embraced the web yet.

It’s also easy to use.

“Flipboard is doing for magazines what Twitter is doing for major newspapers; resurrecting a print medium by allowing readers to curate online and digital articles from a variety of publications that matter to them most,” says Mike Lizun, of PR agency, Gregory FCA. “The result is a customized magazine that users can share and promote across their own social networks,” he adds.

For individual use, Flipboard can replace your RSS reader and provide you with a seamless reading and viewing experience. Once you’ve established a Flipboard account, connected your social networks and chosen your topics, you can browse the newest stories, images, and video by flipping from one to the next on your smartphone, tablet or desktop.

The glossy magazine look and feel and the flipping action as you turn the page makes it seem very familiar and even entertaining. “Flipping” or sharing articles, images, audio and video with your social networks is done in a simple keystroke with the ability to comment before sharing.

In March of 2013, Flipboard updated its functionality to include the ability to create and subscribe to virtual magazines based on their interests—which was a game changer for many. With this ability to publish, and curate content from across the web, users began rediscovering the power of the Flipboard app.

“Magazines have been incredibly popular on Flipboard: The company says there have been more than 10 million of them created and curated by readers since launch,” says Ryan Lawler. “They can range from having just a few followers to hundreds and thousands of followers — and the top magazines have generated tens of millions of page flips from readers.”

“Flipboard has made the ability to use the app as frictionless as you could imagine,” says Digital Strategist, Amy Vernon. And, “While visuals are vital on Flipboard, the setup allows you to include all sorts of content that isn’t visual, as it will be interspersed with lovely photos and videos. You can set the cover to whatever you want, so you don’t have to worry that a photo-less article will grab the cover from you,” she adds. Amy Vernon also points out the impact of Flipboard’s recent sharing of magazine analytics with publishers. “I‘m able to see the impact it has each time I flip a new article into a magazine as viewership shoots up with new content added.”

Flipboard for Thought Leadership

For PR professionals, having the ability to quickly and easily create virtual online magazines has tremendous potential. Now, it’s easy to create a magazine that showcases your thought leadership or serves as a portfolio of the work you’ve done.

“One of the most important rules of public relations is to think like an editor, and with Flipboard, you also become a publisher,” says Mike Lizun. “Not only can you use it to stay up to speed on what’s interesting to readers in your particular area of interest or expertise, but you can also pair a blog post from your company in with an article from a major publication in your space.”

Flipboard as a Portfolio

Where Flipboard gets useful for public relations professionals is in its use as an agency portfolio of all online client mentions, including posts from bloggers, featured articles, press announcements, social networks updates and comments, video clips and images of client products and services.

“We use Flipboard for many different things,” says Janette Speyer, Vice President of Web Success Team and Hot Ice Media. “We’ve found it to be incredibly valuable as a tool to showcase online brand mentions for our clients, especially those who are not completely web-savvy,” she added.

“We create a magazine for their brand and then flip all online mentions into it and show it to them on a tablet. The uncanny resemblance to the familiar four-color print magazine is reassuring and then seeing the actual proof of what’s going on online is impressive to them,” she states.

“When they have this magazine they can flip through, with all of the different content about their brand, they feel a sense of relief.”

Flipboard for Public Education Campaigns

Janette has used Flipboard for her clients in other ways. She recounts the challenges faced when her client, Marukan Vinegar, a sponsor of #FoodieChat, was trying to introduce the product into more rural areas, to an audience who didn’t consider rice vinegar a staple and didn’t have any idea what to do with it.

Janette quickly created a Flipboard magazine called “The Many Uses of Rice Vinegar” to showcase how traditional Japanese seasoning can be used in cooking a wide range of recipes. She shared the magazine widely in her clients’ social networks and the #FoodieChat Twitter chat.

To date, the magazine contains 101 articles and has generated 3,274-page flips, 1,006 followers, and 191 viewers.

Flipboard for Introducing Products

For another client, the PopStar Club, Janette created a vibrant Flipboard magazine as part of a new product introduction.

“The Beatrix Girls is an innovative new line of collectible pop-star dolls driven by original music with wholesome values geared to empower your girls ages 4-9,” she explains. Her objective was to educate consumers about the availability of The Beatrix Dolls, who compete against established doll brands like Barbie and Bratz. Janette built out a Beatrix Girls Flipboard magazine, with links to video and downloadable music, that became part of a strategy to engage consumers to follow the escapades of the dolls, who have personalities and live and interact in the real world.

To date, the magazine contains 214 articles and has garnered 1,815-page flips, 1,005 followers, and 400 viewers. The campaign continues to build momentum as the content is shared in the Flipboard magazine and throughout the social web.

Amy Vernon uses Flipboard to help support several non-profit projects near to her heart. One of them, “The Tutu Project,” chronicles a friend’s effort to raise awareness and funds for women and their families needing financial support during their breast cancer journey.

“The Tutu Project” magazine tells the story of Bob Carey’s work to support his wife after her breast cancer diagnosis by having himself photographed wearing only a pink tutu. The resulting photographs have been compiled into a book and an ongoing effort to raise funds to support breast cancer patients and their families.

Amy’s Flipboard magazine, “The Tutu Project” has 315 articles, and has generated 11,288 flips, 768 page views, and 550 followers.

“The visuals are so powerful, and they show beautifully in the Flipboard magazine,” she says. “Each article links back to its original source, so readers can view the content there and purchase products or read further.”

Of course, Flipboard has been embraced by both brands and media and is being used successfully to provide the virtual magazine version of the traditional print publication, as in the National Geographic’s Flipboard magazine, which has 879 articles, 15 magazines, and 22,774 followers.

Or the food brand Dole considered the most followed magazine to date, which contains 115 articles, and boasts 687,626 viewers, and 328,123 page flips.

Flipboard is also being embraced by brands large and small as an easy way to quickly create an online catalog of products. Flipboard magazines can serve as online catalogs by showing images and product descriptions complete with price, that link back to the original website for fast online purchasing. The catalogs can be shared in social and embedded in the brand’s website for users who prefer to flip through an online catalog.

“If someone were to ask me what my pick for the Next Big Thing would be, I’d have to say Flipboard,” Amy says. “This is becoming the killer app for a social media world in desperate need of skilled curation.”

I agree. Flipboard is also the Next Big Thing for public relations and the creative uses of the app just continue to grow. If you’re not currently using Flipboard, it’s time to start. For help in getting started with Flipboard, visit the Flipboard tutorials. For more information on publishing on Flipboard, visit the Flipboard publishers FAQ page. And check out the Digital Marketing PR magazine I curate, here.

A version of this post was first published on Cision.com.

Image: Gustavo da Cunha Pimenta, dieHauteCulture  (Creative Commons)

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In public relations, persuasion is a vital component of everything we do.

Think about it. Building relationships, creating compelling content, managing crises, and reputations, media and blogger outreach, public speaking, sharing and connecting with social media, getting our colleagues, clients, and bosses to support our strategies—all use liberal doses of persuasion.

Some consider persuasion an art form. Others refer to it as a science. We all know people who seem born to influence others, for whom persuading is as natural as breathing. Then there are the rest of us who could use a little help in this area.

Enter Robert Cialdini and his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, which, since its publication in 1984, has become accepted as one of the foundations of marketing strategy.

In this book, Cialdini, Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University, identified six psychological principles as integral pieces of the influencing process.

Take a look at how we apply these now familiar “Six Principles of Influences” in public relations.

1. The Principle of Liking

If you want to influence people: Win friends. How? Uncover real similarities and offer praise.

According to Cialdini, two factors stand out as especially compelling methods of winning friends: finding similarities and offering praise. Similarities draw people together. Praise disarms them.

Building relationships starts with identifying similar interests, experience or objectives. Praise breaks down barriers and shows interest and concern for the other person. We tend to like the people we feel like us, and we are all susceptible to a genuine compliment or commendation. Also? Be likable. Be charming, considerate and engaging.

Use the Principle of Liking in media and blogger relations, in building online communities or working to organize event participation. Ask your social media communities open-ended questions, and monitor their answers. Highlight the similarities you note and offer genuine praise, where merited.

Caution: be authentic and consistent, however, insincerity can backfire and cause real damage.

2. The Principle of Reciprocity

“Give what you want to receive. Whether it’s a sense of trust, a spirit of cooperation or a pleasant demeanor, leader should model the behavior they want to see from others.” — Cialdini

As human beings, we’re wired to reciprocate. We tend not to want to owe anyone. Modeling reciprocity builds goodwill and trust, essential in the development of healthy business relationships—online and offline.

Reciprocity in public relations is demonstrated by word of mouth referrals, favors, coverage, sharing and re-sharing of other people’s content and by building networks and online and offline communities of people who know they can count on each other.

3. The Principle of Social Proof

“Use peer power whenever it’s available. Social creatures that they are, human beings rely heavily on the people around them for cues on how to think, feel and act.” — Cialdini

The Principle of Social Proof is a constant in PR as people try to assess the value and importance (to them) of your experience, accomplishments, publications and professional connections. With the growth of social media, people also look for social proof in markers such as numbers of friends and followers, numbers of retweets, mentions in online search engines and content shared by people they know and respect.

In PR today, we demonstrate social proof by developing and sharing content that has genuine value to our audiences, and by acknowledging those who communicate with us directly and share our content with their networks. Content can include all electronic forms of communication as well as traditional vehicles such as books, articles, white papers, public speaking, etc.

4. The Principle of Consistency

Cialdini recommends making commitments active, public and voluntary. “There’s strong empirical evidence to show that a choice made actively—one that’s spoken out loud or written down or otherwise made explicit—is considerably more likely to direct someone’s future conduct than the same choice left unspoken,” he states.

We put the Principle of Consistency to use in public relations in several ways. As integral parts of our communications strategies, we remind readers to sign in to receive newsletters or to be able to comment on blog posts; we ask them to donate or make public commitments of support to our cause or client or organization. For ourselves, we demonstrate the Principle of Consistency by showing up regularly, communicating clearly and using a broad range of tools to share our message.

5. The Principle of Authority

“Expose your expertise; don’t assume it’s self-evident. Surprisingly often, people mistakenly assume that others recognize and appreciate their experience.” — Cialdini

Everyone looks to experts for direction at times, especially in areas where we feel we know less than we should. In today’s marketplace, people regularly search for expert advice online. PR professionals demonstrate expertise to win buy-in for strategies and campaigns and to be taken seriously as part of high-level planning.

We use both offline and online platforms to showcase and highlight expertise, and author articles, books and white papers that answer important questions, or demonstrate in-depth knowledge. We use social media, where our experience commands high value and attention and can be used to persuade others to purchase products, share content and make referrals to their networks.

6. The Principle of Scarcity

Cialdini suggests highlighting unique benefits and exclusive information. “Study after study shows that items and opportunities become more valuable as they become less available,” he says.

We use the Principle of Scarcity to generate a sense of urgency to take action. We create unique offers for products or services or admission to events with availability limited by time or quantity. However, scarcity can also be experienced as exclusivity, and in PR, people are often strongly motivated to be included in groups, committees and online communities they perceive to be exclusive.

Scarcity and exclusivity are effective in persuading people to purchase, download and participate—for fear of losing out.

Caution: Do not make deceptive offers. If the deception is discovered, it can backfire wildly—especially in social media networks, where negative situations can go viral in minutes. 

Putting the Principles to Work

While the Six Principles of Influence can be reviewed and practiced separately, using them in combination increases their effectiveness. As a PR professional these six principles will help you build your reputation as a leader and an expert in your industry, something to which all of us aspire.

However, Cialdini cautions us to remember that ethics apply to their use as in all other areas of life. “Dishonest or high-pressure tactics work only in the short run—if at all,” says Cialdini. As a public relations professional, this message is entirely congruent with our training and our commitment to embrace ethical behavior in our daily work.

So, if you feel like your persuasive abilities could use a little tune-up, go back and re-read each of the Six Principles of Influence and start applying them to the specifics of your job and your life. You will be pleasantly surprised at the rewards you’ll receive.

For further information, take the time to read Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, which is also offered in Kindle format if you simply have to have it the same day.

What are your secrets to the art of persuasion?

A version of this post was first published on Cision.com.

Image: Insomnia Cured Here, Mai Le (Creative Commons)

The post Persuasion: 6 Principles That Power PR Success appeared first on Allen Mireles Consulting.

Why? In part, because public perception of the role of PR ranges from a complete lack of understanding of what public relations is, to the idea that PR consists of nothing but creating “buzz” or “spin”… or worse.

Like this.

“Ironically, public relations has a huge PR problem: people use it as a synonym for BS. ‘PR types.’ We all know what that means: they’re the used car salesmen of the corporate world,” said Doc Searls and David Weinberger, authors of The Cluetrain Manifesto.

Or, how about this?

“What I have finally come to understand is that P.R. people are paid to twist reality into pretzels and convince you that they are fine croissants. At some point, they actually believe their own concoctions.” Bruce Buschel, The New York Times.

Now, wait just a minute.

As PR professionals we know the truth. Public relations, while facing challenges, is an industry with an honorable history, filled with talented, truthful and ethical individuals who work hard every day to:

• Tell a brand’s story through both traditional and new media channels
• Manage investor relations and communications
• Build relationships with media, bloggers and industry influencers
• Help create strategies to address the next crisis—online or off
• Guide companies and organizations through those crises when they happen, as they happen
• Create content in a growing number of formats including written, video, audio and visual
• Monitor and manage reputations on and offline
• Coach clients on how to handle on-camera interviews and tough questions
• Stay abreast of changing industry trends
• Educate clients and coworkers on new tools and technology
• Measure and evaluate the effectiveness of each campaign and initiative and translate the data into understandable language

And so much more.

And yes. Doing this job in the midst of the current digital revolution can be…challenging.

“Pr professionals know, of course, that their job is to build meaningful relationships with their stakeholders. However, doing so today means reaching them through paid, earned, owned, and shared media — understanding how all of these channels work, the content each requires, and how to piece it all together into an integrated plan,” says Steve Radick, Vice President, Director of Public Relations at Brunner.

And we know that good PR is “…understanding who your target audience is, what you’re trying to achieve (be it members, subscriptions, sales, etc.), and then creating and implementing a holistic PR strategy that works towards these ends,” says Social PR Strategist, Shonali Burke, founder of Shonali Burke Consulting.

Right?

Sure, public relations is evolving in response to the digital revolution and the massive changes rumbling through our global economy. As in other industries, some of us are leading the charge, and some of us are moving more slowly toward the future. But the industry is changing; working to integrate the new tools and technology into its processes—and to educate the public and its own members about the benefits it brings to the table today.

And it’s up to us to address the challenges and help tell the PR story.

Like many industries trying to stay abreast of global market changes and wave-upon-wave of new technology, PR faces many challenges today and in the future. What might some of those be?

Consider the following 1o challenges defining the future of PR, as presented by Boris Beker in an article for the Holmes Report.

1. The Mobile Mind Shift

The importance of optimizing for mobile means thinking through how brands fit into consumer mobile usage. It’s not enough to simply think through how a site appears on a mobile device.

2. Hyper-Personalized Content

More and more we see information that is hyper-personalized and sent through the right channel at the right time. This trend will only continue to grow as technology continues to advance.

3. A “Glocal” Industry

Glocalization, thinking globally and acting locally, is taking over as stakeholders look for support in their immediate neighborhood while understanding market conditions mean understanding geographic and cultural specifics.

4. Real-Time Crisis Monitoring

According to CyberAlert.com, “Nearly 30% of company crises spread internationally within an hour, and over two-thirds of crises gain international reach within 24 hours.”

Most experts in crisis management agree that it isn’t a matter of how a company or organization will experience a crisis, but a matter of when.

5. The Death of Traditional Journalism

Traditional journalism, once seen as the “gatekeeper” of information and access to audiences, has changed utterly. PR is still finding its footing in communicating effectively and building relationships with members of traditional and new media.

6. Transparency

Whether or not brands like or understand it, the new digital order is forcing transparency. The only effective crisis strategies include transparency and honesty, while the risks of losing control over negative information continue to rise.

7. Measurement

Measurement has become increasingly important as brands seek verification that public relations are effective in helping reach organizational goals. The industry is redefining how and what we can and should measure. PR is going to have to include measurement as a core offering going forward.

8. The Power of Images

Visual literacy and visual communication continue to drive both communications and sales in today’s marketplace. In the future, we will likely see a massive increase in utilization of video content. The power of imagery, while always known, continues to grow and demand for video grows right alongside it.

9. Brand Values

Brands and organizations are increasingly including their values in their communications as consumers are drawn to cause-based brands. Communicating the brand’s values to its core audiences using multiple channels will become more and popular.

10. Integrated Communications

As the boundaries between disciplines blur and merge, companies and brands will move to tear down the silos between departments to measure and improve ROI.

“In a connected world companies and brands can’t tell and live different stories…they must provide the public with one face and one story line,” says Boris Beker in his post.

Truthfully? The challenges faced by the public relations industry include more than the ten reviewed by both Boris Beker. But they work well to start the discussions not only on how public relations is challenged, but how each one of us, individually and as an industry, can help overcome those challenges and misperceptions.

“But, of course, the best of the people in PR are not PR Types at all. They understand that they aren’t censors, they’re the company’s best conversationalists,” said Doc Searls and David Weinberger in The Cluetrain Manifesto. “Their job — their craft — is to discern stories the market wants to hear, to help journalists write stories that tell the truth, to bring people into the conversation rather than protect them from it.”

“In the age of the Web where hype blows up in your face, and spin gets taken as an insult, the real work of PR will be more important than ever,” they conclude.

And boy are they right on that one.

What is your greatest challenge in PR today, and how do you work to overcome it? Is there something we’ve missed in this—what would you add?

A version of this post was first published on Cision.com.

The post PR Is Facing Challenges, But They’re NOT Insurmountable! appeared first on Allen Mireles Consulting.

There’s often so much focus on getting your site to rank in Google Web search that another route to more potential customers is frequently overlooked – Google News.

Why Should Your Business Story Be In Google News?

First, if you’re already trying to get noticed in other parts of Google, a little extra work could get you more exposure in an area where there’s less competition for eyes.

After all, you’re already producing the content. Or as Search Engine Land tells us:

…what would you say if I said your site could earn 10% more clicks from Google with very little extra work? Would 20% more clicks interest you? What if the number was 30% or more?

You can get that kind of extra traffic from Google News, and it can come faster.

Second, reading the news is one of the top things people do when they come online. 87% of US Adults use the internet, according to Pew Internet Research. 78% of adult internet users come online to check the news.

Since the top activity is to use a search engine, it’s tempting to stop there for additional exposure. But if you can increase the amount of targeted visitors who visit your site just by getting that same content in different hands – and often get results sooner – isn’t it worth the extra effort?

How Do You Get a Story to Show Up in Google News?

There are three main ways. The first way, of course, is to submit a press release (or an article) to a site that appears in Google News.

Of course, you can submit your press release to many of the services that will share it in Google News for a fee. You can also often find smaller publications that accept free or low-cost press releases.

However, this is a bit of extra work for a yield that will be less than the one you pay $25 – $100 to do. If it takes you an hour, will that extra hour be worth the savings?

Here’s the Easiest, Fastest way 

The second way to get into Google News is to be published in a publication that already gets exposure from Google News in the form of blog posts or news stories.

You don’t have to be a marketing genius to understand the benefits of being published in a prominent publication with a byline that points back to your site, versus the amount of money you’d have to spend in advertising to get that same level of exposure.

This method is also a bit harder because you will often be asked to submit only completely unique content. You may not be guaranteed publication either – which can be a plus, as this also means low-quality competition cannot follow you here.

Don’t let that scare you.

(One of the secrets is to find the best publications for your niche, that are most likely to publish your work – I’ve found publications that run stories on everything from pet food to online dating.)

Here’s the Long-Term-But-Worth-It-Way

The third way to get into Google News is to become a Google News publisher yourself. It’s not quick, it’s not easy, and it’s not for people who don’t have staff that can publish daily news, as Google News does not accept publications which only have one writer.

According to Google, there are 50,000 of these Google News Publishers shared the six billion clicks that Google news send to it, per month. The clicks can’t possibly be distributed evenly, however, a shot at 120,000 extra visitors a month is reason enough to make the attempt if you meet all the other criteria.

Most existing sites don’t qualify to be Google News publishers, so you may need to make major modifications or build a new one.

Before you build the site, examine Google’s technical requirements for Google News publishers. Review the Google News publisher guidelines even if you have seen them before, as they may change from time to time.

Also, study guides on becoming a Google News publisher from reputable search publications. You can also find communities where people have gone through the application process to become a Google News publisher and review their feedback for clues.

These three methods can help you get into Google’s news database, sometimes faster than you would show up in search. And even in cases where the risk of being rejected is higher, the rewards are higher as well.

Tinu Abayomi-Paul is a respected author and digital marketer who has been working on the internet since 1998. She has published a low-cost guide that reveals her secret tips for the easiest method of getting high-quality links, leads, and visitors from Google News. 

You can pick it up here*: http://freetraffictip.com/0-google-news/?e=mam56

Versions of this article first appeared in Web.com, Vocus and on FreeTrafficTip.com.

* I am an affiliate of Tinu’s Free Traffic Tip program and am compensated when you purchase using this link.

Image courtesy of Spencer E. Holtaway https://flic.kr/p/69pNSR (Creative Commons)

The post Why Should Your Business Story Be In Google News? appeared first on Allen Mireles Consulting.

The Hope Project is a campaign to inspire urban masses towards empowering rural women through small contributions. What makes this project special is that the women, in this case, are ex-Devadasis and the possibility of self-reliance through entrepreneurship is a ray of fierce hope for them. milaap.org

What would you say if you were told that a small loan—not a donation, mind you, but a real loan, where you’d get your money back—could completely change someone’s life? And that in 2014 you could invest in businesses started by former Indian sex workers, helping these women stand on their feet for just $25?

You’d probably sign on to help like I did and join Milaap’s #HopeProject.

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Today Milaap celebrates its fourth anniversary.

Happy Fourth Birthday, Milaap!

Four years of providing loans (100 percent repayable) to the working poor of India. Four years of providing help—and hope.

Milaap, the Hindi word for “unity,” is a mission-driven for-profit organization that inspires and empowers urban and informed dwellers around the globe to effect social change through micro-loans. Founded in June 2010, Milaap is the vision of three Millennial entrepreneurs, Anoj Viswanathan, Sourabh Sharma, and Mayukh Choudary, who wanted to change the popular concept of “giving” to make it a personal, transparent and sustainable process.

Milaap targets poverty improves access to sanitation, helps students get their education and improves the lives of those who really need it. To date, Milaap has been able to raise more than $1.6M and help more than 47 thousand people in India.

Milaap encourages people from all around the world to lend individually and collaboratively, via social fundraisers hosted on its platform, to micro-businesses started by India’s working poor, for causes as diverse as water, energy, sanitation, and education. So literally, when you lend a little, you end up changing a lot.  And when you take it one step further, by adopting a cause and starting your own fundraiser, you become a Milaap Champion!

Champions of Hope

I’m Championing Milaap’s 2014 flagship campaign, The Hope Project, which shines a spotlight on former Devadasis (pronounced “day-vuh-daah-sees” and meaning “servants of God”). These are rural Indian women who, because of a centuries-old tradition (outlawed but still prevalent) were “dedicated” to serve their temple deity for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, the system was abused, and many were forced into the sex trade. In fact, it’s estimated that even today, approximately 250,000 girls in parts of southwestern India are still dedicated to this ancient practice.

What are Devadasis?

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Devadasi refers to a hereditary female dancer and courtesan in a Hindu temple. An ancient practice in India, the Devadasi (meaning ‘servant of God’) system involved dedicating a girl, as young as 5-6 years of age to the temple of the Goddess. She would spend her entire life serving the temple and would not be allowed to marry. The system was abused by the rich and powerful who began to force the young Devadasis to sleep with them.

Devadasis are denied employment due to social stigma. It is a vicious cycle where future generations are also drawn into their ruthless system. 91 percent of devadasis are illiterate, and 93 percent are unmarried.  One of the biggest challenges Devadasis face is that the projected image spoils their chances at employment and the stigma associated with it. The government does help them, but there is still a long way to go, to eradicate this system.

Establishing the Devadasis in small businesses of their own helps considerably since that reduces their dependence on anyone else for employment opportunities. When they are in relatively stable jobs and earning an income, they can provide for their families. Their children can get an education and will not be forced to get into the same system.

“Yet the Devadasis’ situation is complex, and their views multifaceted. Their love of the goddess; their pride at their Devadasi status; and set against that, the appalling stories of their mothers and grandmothers dedicating them to a life of sex work, often before they can walk,” says film-maker, Beeban Kidron, who made the documentary, ‘Sex, Death and the Gods’ about the Devadasis. “The women’s stories are often heart-wrenching and their stoicism remarkable. Theirs is a life ‘dedicated’, not chosen – and they must comply. ‘What should I do?” ask their mothers, struggling to support a large family with “no money in my hand’.”

The average Devadasi empowered by the #HopeProject is 45 years old, has a family of five including three school going children, rears cattle and livestock and saves about $30 a month.

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#HopeProject aims to help these hardworking women rebuild their lives by starting their own businesses. And when you, and I, and hopefully many others, invest in their lives, we’re doing just that—giving hope. Help me help them? Join us or contribute today.

Follow the #HopeProject hashtag for updates or to learn how you can be involved as well.

Images courtesy of Milaap.org  (https://www.flickr.com/photos/milaap)[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

The post Celebrating Four Years of Providing Help and Hope: #Milaap4Hope appeared first on Allen Mireles Consulting.