Improve Your Headlines

We are now living in a short attention based world where the headline needs to speak for an entire article. As Twitter and other social media means are slowly ruling the news consuming world, the headline speaks volume in only a few short words. A recent article on Ragan.com, “9 Tips for Writing Magnetic Headlines Right Away,” provides some great tips for writing a catchy headline.

Use numbers- Studies show that using numbers in headlines increases consumer traffic. For example, this article, “Nine Tips for Writing Magnetic Headlines Right Away”, allows for the reader to get a sense of the length of the article, therefore the reader can allot a specific amount of time to the article.

Speak directly to the reader- Using words like “you” or “your” helps personalize the article for the reader. Compare these two headlines:

8 Tips for Writing

Your 8 Tips for Writing

The second headline, “Your 8 Tips for Writing” is more appealing because it suggesting that it was meant for you, the reader.

Make it bold- Making your reader go “huh?” is sometimes not a bad thing. A headline such as, “Improve How You Write Your headlines-Because Nobody Cares About Your Content,” can make your reader do a double-take and say “what?” which will inevitably lead to heavier traffic.

Appeal to the reader’s curiosity- By asking a question to the reader it evokes curiosity while the reader looks for a response in the article, for example:

“Do You Read Headlines?”

Stress the “urgency factor”- Key words like “now,” “today,” “immediately,” and phrases such as “right away” instills a sense of urgency and immediate result for example:

“How You Could Improve Your Klout Score Today!”

Be specific- Being specific can allows interested readers to value the content on a deeper level. The more specific your headline, the more specific your audience may become which may allow your reader to be more invested in your content. For example:

“Get More Readers by Improving Your Headlines”

Appeal to emotions- Playing to your readers emotions allows you to connect with your readers and possible establish a more constant following, for example:
“Get the Respect You Deserve: How to Improve Your Email Signature”

Don’t be too witty- Let’s be honest, sometimes headlines go over our heads. In this case, we miss vital readers, so let’s keep it simple people.

For more tips, visit the article.

Saving More with Social Media

After the Thanksgiving break, it almost seems as though Black Friday (or should I say Thursday, Friday, Saturday) shopping has taken consumers by storm this holiday season. With the use of social media sites, stores took their advertising to another level. Shoppers could be notified of the latest sales and even better deals on big-ticket items at their favorite stores through the following outlets...

• Foursquare: Stores such as JCPenney, Sports Authority, Aeropostale and Toys "R" Us, allowed customers to check-in on the location-based site to get discounts from their mobile phones. JCPenney even donated $25 to The Salvation Army for each person that checked in between certain times on Black Friday.
• Facebook: People that "Liked" the pages of major retailers, such as Macy's and Target, were able to see a preview of the deals that they might be interested in through their mini-feed.
  
• Twitter: Aside from announcing Black Friday deals through their company's page, there were accounts solely dedicated to the day's deals, like @blackfriday.
  
• Groupon: While not Black Friday-specific, Groupon offered different holiday deals under the name Grouponicus. They featured tickets to talk shows, cooking classes with famous chefs and even a round-the-world trip.
  
• Black Friday app: If social media sites weren't good enough for you, this free app featured ads from different retails that could be searched through store or category.
  

How did you use social media for your holiday shopping?

To read more about Black Friday social media marketing, click here.

Define: Public Relations

There are many definitions of public relations floating around. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, public relations is "the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution." However, the most widely practiced definition today was introduced by the PRSA 1982 National Assembly. It reads, "Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.”

In recent years, PR professionals has felt that this definition is not all encompassing or sufficient enough to inform the public of what PR practitioners do. This is primarily because since 1982, PR has done a 360. In 1982, social media did not exist. Now, it plays a major role in PR strategies and tactics. In response, PRSA has decided to redefine public relations by starting the "Public Relations Defined" initiative. Public relations practitioners are welcome to send in their definition of public relations in an effort to put out a more standardized definition.

If you would like to submit your definition, PRSA has suggested that you phrase it in the form of they [DO WHAT] with/for [WHOM] to [DO WHAT] for [WHAT PURPOSE] and fill out The Definition of PR Submission Form. Good luck!

Fashion PR 101

First things first, what is Fashion PR? Fashion PR helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance, and cooperation between an organization and its consumers in terms of fashion. Skills such as writing press releases, gathering research, and the ability to protect the interest of the company you work for are musts in fashion public relations. As a consultant in this realm you must focus on gaining exposure for the fashion line you work for, whether it is through communicating with editors and seeing what styles they need for upcoming shoots, talking to celebrity stylists and coordinating which looks would be great for their clients, or even setting up photo shoots and interviews.

The first step in “making it” in the business of fashion PR is to obtain a fashion-based internship. This can include working in a clothing store or working under a designer, the latter being more difficult to acquire. A great advantage you can have when entering the fashion PR industry is having attended a fashion school such as the Fashion Institute of Technology or the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, both centered in Manhattan, NY. Although attending a fashion institute can give you a leg up in the fashion world, any school you choose to enroll in will not be overlooked just because it is a "regular" school. Because it is such a competitive job market the more hands-on experience in the fashion world you have, the better chance you have at obtaining a job in fashion PR.

Many in the PR industry say that it doesn’t matter where you work on account of the varied roles PR practitioners fill. However, for such a specified area like fashion PR, it is to your best interest that you land a job in one of the five major fashion capitals of the world; New York, Milan, Paris, London, or Japan. By doing so, not only will you be introduced to different cultures but you will also be able to understand how fashion revolves in different parts of the world. A lot of fashion is about the glitz and the glam, but as a multi-billion dollar industry it is also about business. Most importantly, remember why you are working so hard to do what you are doing; it is because of your love for fashion and communicating with others that you have decided to enter such a competitive, commanding, and innovative job market.

Best of luck to all of you choosing to enter this amazing field of work!


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jummy Temidayo.

#Occupytheclassroom

If you are a public relations student, professional or if you simply keep current with the news, then you have heard a lot about the Occupy movement or #occupyeverything. A couple of weeks ago, sympathizers of the Occupy Philly movement held a rally on Temple University’s campus and encouraged students to skip their classes in order to attend. They stated in their flyer, “...don’t worry about your classes. They won’t get you a job”.

Of course, no one is recommending that you skip your classes. You are paying good money for a college education but it made me question, what exactly do you get out of college classes and what exactly will get you a job? Below are some benefits to seeking higher education:

1. A higher paying salary. On average, those who earn a college degree typically earn a higher salary. So while that ‘chemistry of wine’ course may seem completely inapplicable to your career aspirations, it will lead you to that degree, proving to be worthwhile in the long run. Also, try to make these ‘inapplicable’ courses applicable. Network with other students in your class and impress your professor for a recommendation in the future.

2. Job availability. Even in today’s gloomy job market, holding a college diploma augments your chances of finding a job over a high school graduate. As public relations and communication students we are even more likely to find a job because we are so diversified in what we learn in college and what our responsibilities can, and will, include.

3. Internships and career events. Your college’s career days and internship experiences will put you in touch with real-time markets and companies, giving you the hands-on kind of knowledge that will give you a push into the “real world” post-graduation. By taking advantage of these opportunities, you will be able to schedule classes and decide what organizations to join accordingly.

4. Networking opportunities. Your college will bring you into contact with a diverse number of professionals. They will include your professors, adjuncts, speakers, and advisors. You will not only be able to use them as references and ask for recommendations, but for most of your professors, this is their full-time job and they want to see you succeed.

5. The social aspect. While college is a place of academia it is also, in a sense, an institution of socialization. College helps you to ‘come out of your shell’ and learn how to develop into the social butterfly that we all can be. Socializing is a very important aspect, and requirement, for a public relations student and professional. This is your time to network with other students at your university or other young professionals outside of your current networks.

Again, don’t skip your classes. Instead, self-evaluate what you have been getting out of your classes and make sure that you always strive to get your money’s worth to best suit your career aspirations. Your classes should work for you and serve your education needs.

How beneficial have your classes been? What will you do to make sure that you are getting the most out of your college classes?

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Cori Shearer.

Social Media Sparks #SmallBizSaturday Buzz

While millions of shoppers are still running from store to store, sixth Red Bull in hand, taking advantage of the Black Friday sales, Twitter is buzzing with talk of tomorrow's Small Business Saturday sponsored by American Express.

Launched last year by AmEx in the hopes of developing a stronger connection between consumers and their local mom and pop shops, the new shopping holiday has generated a large deal of support from the online community through sites such as Google+, Facebook and Twitter.

The Small Business Saturday Facebook page has over 2.5 million likes and although #BlackFriday is still the top trending topic on Twitter, the hashtag #SmallBizSaturday has only continued to grow in momentum.

Thanks to American Express' efforts, it has been reported that small business merchants saw a 28% sales increase from the previous year and according to The Small Business Saturday Consumer Spend Survey 2011, it was shown that 61% of consumers plan to shop at a locally-owned store on November 26, equating to roughly 89 million people.

American Express has urged small business owners to take part in the social media push by encouraging them to:

• Create Facebook Ads — American Express gave away $100 in free Facebook advertising to the first 10,000 business owners to sign up. For small businesses that don’t yet have Facebook pages, American Express provided a tool that to walk them through the Facebook page creation process.

• Video Tools — Google teamed up with American Express to help create personalized business stories on YouTube.

• Twitter Follow Button — Small business owners were shown how to make sure that their business website included a Twitter button to allow people to easily follow then.

• Check YourBuzz — YourBuzz is a service that helps small businesses reach more customers by enabling them to view and respond to customer reviews and online mentions all from one place.

As an avid supporter of small, locally-owned businesses, I am incredibly excited to see the increasing momentum of the newly-created shopping holiday, especially with the help of a well-organized and implemented social media campaign. What are your thoughts on #SmallBizSaturday and its use of social media? Let us know!

To read the rest of the article, go here.

Happy Thanksgiving from PRowl Public Relations!

Today is a day to give thanks. On behalf of PRowl Public Relations, I would like to thank everyone who has helped this firm out along the way:

• Staff Members: PRowl would not exist without the hard work and perseverance of its wonderful staff members. Thank you all for your commitment to the firm!
• Executive Board: PRowl’s executive board has been instrumental in our firm’s success. Members of the executive board edit work, manage the blog and lead the firm forward every day. Thank you!
  
• Clients: PRowl’s current and past clients provide opportunities for our firm to grow, learn and thrive. Thank you for your patronage and support!
• Past Members: Your dedication to the firm has not been forgotten. Thank you for helping to build an amazing firm!
• You: PRowl would be nothing if it wasn’t for you, our supporters! Thank you for visiting our blog and be sure to keep an eye out for some exciting news coming soon!

Thank you and have a great Thanksgiving!