Tag: PR

Instagram: No longer just for photos

Clairemont InternBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, Trends, , ,

When Instagram launched in 2010, it was a single feed stream of singular square photos. Over the years, Instagram added options for video, stories, IGTV, Guides, Reels and even shopping within the app. In the most recent update, Adam Mosseri, company head of Instagram, states that Instagram is “no longer a photo-sharing app.” 

Instagram’s goal has always been to keep users in the app for as much time as possible. The networking service’s research findings have shown entertainment as the number one reason people use the app by a long shot. To captivate users against the millennial audience on TikTok, shopping websites and other competitors, Instagram has evolved. Moving forward, they plan to focus on more video content, creators, shopping and direct messaging. 

To make the app more enjoyable for users, Instagram will also experiment with recommendations, or showing users content in their feeds that they are not already following. To make these recommendations more personalized, it is launching a version that includes personalized topics so users can hand select which topics they want to see more or less of. 

What do these changes mean for creators and businesses?

The Instagram algorithm favors content that contains the newest features and keeps users on the app. Instagram has seen the growth video is driving across all platforms and wants to lean into it more. Therefore, creators and businesses should shift content creation to video formatting when possible, preferably to reels and IGTV videos. 

If you are a business with the ability to tag shoppable products through Instagram, you should be jumping at the opportunity to provide your customers an easier way to shop while gaining an advantage in the app. Anytime Instagram launches a new feature, you should be implementing it to your social media strategy as soon as possible. 

Need help launching your own Instagram account for your business or organization? Reach out to us; we’d love to help!

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Staying on Top in 2021: PR Trends

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , , , , , ,

This time last year, no one anticipated the economic and social disruption that would be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nor could we have predicted the months of social and professional acclimating that lay ahead — wearing masks in public, distancing from loved ones and friends, and working from home.

As we approach the one-year “anniversary” of when our lives turned upside down, it remains difficult to imagine what this year will hold. Luckily, public relations is all about identifying creative and strategic ways to come out on top — even in the toughest of situations. While we don’t have a crystal ball (otherwise we’d be able to tell you when this whole thing would be over … ), we are keeping a close eye on the following PR trends that we think will emerge in 2021.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will take a front seat.

The new relationship between humans and intelligent machines is enabling PR professionals to create data-driven campaigns, automate repetition-based tasks, analyze online conversations, predict a crisis and even produce personalized content. AI offers brands an unprecedented ability to increase revenue and reduce costs through more intelligent automation and machine-powered predictions. That’s why McKinsey predicts AI will create up to $2.6 trillion in business value in marketing and sales alone.

New communication channels are here to stay (and will continue to grow!).

The heightened use of software like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Slack is a rising tide that can’t be turned. From broadcast news to press conferences, the pandemic has forced all organizations to consider other ways to connect with stakeholders. What was once unconventional is now less expensive, less taxing and helps brands connect with an audience like never before. In 2021, PR and marketing collateral with virtual and digital elements will have even more reach and engagement.

2021 will be a new era for accountability.

For all the talk around issues like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in 2020, this year will be a time for action to speak louder than words. For example, Forbes offers a list of six DEI resolutions that companies should focus on in order to thrive in 2021 and beyond. There’s no “one size fits all” strategy, but there are innumerable DEI lessons that 2020 showed us and that companies must commit to in order to be sustainable. This year, try making a commitment to donate a percentage of revenue to organizations that support the inclusion of underrepresented groups or to diversify the workplace. Actions will speak louder than words!

Earned, paid, social and owned media will continue to integrate.

Gone are the days where we had three teams in their own silos: advertising, public relations and marketing. The pandemic fully reinforced the intersection of these disciplines and today is about integrating paid, earned, shared and owned media because it is true what they say … three heads are better than one. When the PESO Model is working at its best, it can help you establish authority. This is your industry golden ticket. 

LinkedIn will take center stage.

2020 became one of the most fruitful years for LinkedIn. The platform rolled out LinkedIn Live, Events, Polls and Stories. This year will become the year when marketers get a hold of all these different tools and explore LinkedIn opportunities in a new way. To implement these features into your PR strategy, focus on encouraging conversation with your followers. Create polls that your audience will want to vote on, ask irresistible open-ended questions in updates, share candid photos from your workday in stories, or post about celebrating career milestones.

We’re excited to see how the industry will evolve this year, and we hope you are too. Let us know your 2021 prediction in the comments!

Curious about what was in vogue last year? Check out our blog reflecting on the biggest trends of 2020.

By Clairemont intern Maia Guterbock, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Clocking Time on the Newest App: TikTok

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, ,

Have you heard of TikTok? It’s the latest social media app that’s used to create videos, and it’s creating a craze among Gen-Z (and celebs)!

TikTok’s content is largely comedic and ranges from lip-syncing and dancing to random talents. The platform’s laidback and unsophisticated tone presents an opportunity to showcase the fun, candid and expressive side of your company. 

Below are four ways you can use TikTok to promote your brand:

  1. In-feed Native Content: Companies can promote content through full-screen advertisements. Similar to Instagram Story ads, these are 9-15-second videos. The success of in-feed native content ads can be measured through engagements, video views, click-through rates and impressions.
  2. Brand Takeovers: TikTok gives companies the opportunity to take over the app for the day and create images, videos and GIFs. Users can also embed links to their own brand sites for easy access. And since analytics are key, the companies can evaluate brand takeovers through impressions and click-through rates.
  3. Hashtag Takeovers: Companies can create their own hashtags, often in the form of a challenge, to encourage participation and engagement. Dreamwork Pictures and McDonald’s have both utilized this feature in their TikTok digital marketing strategies. Dreamwork Pictures promoted its new Netflix show by challenging users to create TikTok videos of themselves dancing to the show’s theme song. Users were asked to post their videos using the specific Dreamwork hashtag. The campaign reached more than 34.4 million users with more than 2.6 million engagements.
  4. Branded Lenses: Similar to Instagram and Snapchat filters, companies can design custom lenses that users can select to overlay or filter their videos. Featured under the “hot” and “trending” categories on the platform, this new element can live for up to 10 days on TikTok.
tiktok.com

Bottom line, because the platform isn’t saturated by influencer presence and heavy marketing (yet), your approach to TikTok, as with any other successful strategy, should be guided by authenticity. But the clock is ticking, and this app has the potential to become a favorite; so jump on board early to have some fun and see if TikTok is right for your brand.

Looking for ways to get your brand noticed? We can help with that! Drop us a line!

By Haylee Hicks, Clairemont Intern and junior at NC State University.

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Patriotic PR: Advice From Founding Fathers

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public Relations, , , , , ,

In the public relations world, good advice is a valuable commodity. One of the core reasons we operate this blog is to share the insight that we at Clairemont find useful.

In honor of the Fourth of July, I thought it would be fitting to take some public relations advice from our more patriotic origins. Before the idea of a public relations profession was even in the realm of possible occupations (most sources cite the origins of the term “public relations” to the early 20th century), some of America’s most influential people had quotes and advice that are still relevant to a public relations professional today. Straight from the mouths of colonial visionaries, here are our favorite PR quotes from America’s founding fathers.

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

– Benjamin Franklin
Photo from Pixabay.com

A quote from the endlessly quotable Benjamin Franklin that speaks to one of the hardest skills to learn in writing. Make your words count. In our daily lives we consume so much content that each precious second that someone spends reading your piece should be worth his or her time. Franklin reminds all of us to edit, cut down on wordiness and make sure that each sentence you write is something worth reading.

“You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket.”

– John Adams
Photo from the Library of Congress

John Adams penned this quote to his son (and future president) John Quincy Adams. In my mind this quote complements the previous quote by Franklin. While your public relations piece should be succinct, it should still be elegant. What you say is important, but it is also important how you say it. John Adams (my favorite founding father, by the way) imparted this advice to his son as a reminder to celebrate the written word and the artistry of a well-crafted sentence. Sound advice from our second president.   

“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” 

– James Madison
Photo from the Library of Congress

Our last piece of advice is from James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. I hope this quote serves as inspiration to all of us writers. This is the reason to write — to tell stories and share knowledge. As public relations professionals, we are positioned to help tell others’ stories — a gift that very few have. By writing, by sharing and by spreading the word about our clients and our communities, we help others learn about the world around them. We are messengers, both an important and in a way noble profession.

Happy Fourth of July! Enjoy the day, celebrate with friends and family, and eat a hot dog for me. If public relations work is still on your mind, you can find all of our professional development blogs here.

Will Hornbeck is a rising senior at Wake Forest University. He’s named after a Taco Bell. Seriously.

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RPRS Luncheon: Think Outside the Box

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public Relations, , , ,

I had the opportunity to attend a luncheon hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society at the end of June. Mary Alice Holley, communications and marketing director, Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC), spoke on strategies she used to build relationships and awareness. I had a hard time thinking that strategies for land and water conservation also apply to outside fields, but there’s actually substantial overlap.

The biggest takeaway? (I mean, besides that 18 Seaboard, the venue for the June meeting, has show-stopping crème brûlée.) If you think outside the box and use creative PR, it could make all the difference.

Think of a New Audience

Photo credit to RPRS

One of the first things anyone in PR will do when developing a strategy is to determine the target audience. Holley recommends thinking of a new or unconventional audience. For the CTNC this meant not only targeting politicians and land owners but also “people who go to community gardens and walk trails.”

Anticipate Obstacles

Holley explained that, upon receiving her director position, many of the existing staff believed that developing communications strategies on the grassroots level was a waste of time. They wanted to go straight to the politicians, but Holley knew that bringing awareness would help the CTNC gain momentum. It’s a good thing she kept moving forward with her ideas! Since Holley became director, the CTNC has secured a record number of email subscribers, followers and donations. 

Activate the Plan

Holley stresses the importance exploring different messages and channels beyond the tried-and-true to reach your audience. For the CTNC Holley has implemented a strategy that involves letters to the editor, op-eds, field trips and traditional media. The CTNC uses action alerts that pique audience interest, increase awareness of the organization and gather emails.

Make Your Efforts Last

Photo credit to RPRS

It’s vital to maintain the interest of your current supporters and not only focus on the attention of fresh eyes or ears. Online content like a website or blog, fact sheets, media relations and events have all been used by the CTNC to keep interest and further inform its audiences. Holley also highly recommends taking the time to thank those that have supported you. The CTNC has officially thanked politicians that have voted for land and water conservation legislation.  Not only does this make supporters and advocates feel valued but it also helps to nurture a champion for your cause or organization.

What are some varied communication strategies you’ve seen or used? Here at Clairemont, we’re always conjuring up creative ideas for our clients. Drop us a line if you need some pizazz!

Written by Yasmine Evans, a senior at NC State University.

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