Please Touch Me - Tips for a Strong Subject Line

We see hundreds of emails in a week, at least a hundred in one day, and we are exposed to over 5,000 messages. That’s a lot to take in! So how do you get your email read instead of having it ignored? It all starts with the subject line! The subject line is no doubt the most important part of the email because it will decide your fate on whether or not it’s read or dead. Here is a list of tips to amp up your subject line!

1. Put the information or offer up front! 

Position is everything! Nobody wants to have search for the information or the main point of an email.They want to know right away what they are reading so present your point, or at least hint at it, right away in the subject line. Don’t turn the subject line into a guessing game for what the email is about, and definitely don’t leave it blank.

2. Keep your subject line short and sweet!

People are not attracted to lengthy subject lines and they want to see the point of the email right away. Also take notice to the fact that on mobile devices, subject lines get cut shorter than they do on desktops. Keep your subject line length to 8-10 words.

3. Give it a sense of urgency but make it personal!

People hate the thought of missing out on something good, so give your subject line a time constraint. Also, make it relatable to the reader so they feel they need to open it right away.

4. Check for spelling errors!

One single spelling error can make someone delete your email right away. It looks unprofessional, so double and triple check!

5. Most importantly, be clever!

Grab your reader’s attention! It’s found that having short and descriptive subject lines are more prone to being opened compared to cheesy lures. Subject lines can be funny, controversial, personal, or even just a single word.

Subject lines are so important when it comes to an email. If people are receiving hundreds of emails a day, there is a competitive edge to sending out an email. Use these tips to make yours stand out and beat the rest!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Alissa Steele.

 

The Difference Between the Three "Os"

One of the most common and widely accepted approaches for evaluating the effectiveness of communication-based activities focuses on measuring the three “Os”: outputs, outtakes and outcomes. 

Measuring the effectiveness of your public awareness activities is not an exact science. However, if you build a program that measures your efforts (outputs), stakeholder awareness and knowledge (outtakes) and key stakeholder behaviors (outcomes) you can determine which elements of your program are effectively impacting behaviors and influencing attitudes. 

Outputs, Outtakes and Outcomes connect the dots between communication-based activities in your tactical plan and the impact they have on behaviors and attitudes that result in safer pipelines. 

Outputs are the actions you take to communicate messages to stakeholders. Tracking your 
outputs should be one of the first measurement activities that you implement and can be done 
using a paper-based or electronic database method. Examples of outputs include: 

• Brochures or other direct mail 
• Press releases 
• Face-to-face meetings  
• Social media posts

Measuring outputs allows you to document the opportunities that key stakeholders have to see (or hear) your messages and to analyze the frequency and mix of communication vehicles used to deliver these messages. 

Outtakes are knowledge, attitudes, opinions and levels of confidence. Outtakes also include the self-expressed likelihood of an action or behavior. Samples of outtakes include: 

• Percentage of affected public that recognize the problem or issue
• Percentage of affected public who correctly answer knowledge questions 
• Basically, the takeaways from the experience

Measuring outtakes helps you determine the effectiveness of your tactical plan. Techniques for 
measuring outtakes include surveys, in-depth interviews as well as focus groups. 

Outcomes are stakeholder actions and behaviors.

Measuring outcomes is the holy grail of understanding the effectiveness of your public awareness program. Sample techniques for measuring outtakes include analyzing behaviors, field research and surveys.

How do you utilize the three "Os" within your measurement evaluation? We want to know!

Are Sponsored Social Media Posts Worth It?

The world of social media is changing at rapid rates. Popular networking sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, are realizing that they can maximize their profits by forcing brands to expand their social media budgets and pay to promote content.With algorithms and terms of service changing every day, content creators and community managers are always trying to find new ways to get their message seen.

Many professionals are choosing to bite the bullet, and shell out the extra bucks to make sure their content reaches the maximum number of audience members. However, recent studies show that the difference between engagement with sponsored versus non-sponsored or promoted posts may not be worth the extra headache and budget allocation.

PR Daily recently published findings from a HubShout study that surveyed social media users and asked them to recall details of the content they encountered. Of all surveyed, 68 percent claimed to have seen a sponsored or promoted post, but 62 percent of that 68 also said that they could not remember who posted it, or what the message was.

Does this mean that audience members are finding less value in content that marketers pay to have pushed in front of them? No, not necesarily. The HubShout study also stated that 51 percent of those surveyed find equal value in sponsored and non-sponsored content. It was not an issue of there being money behind the message, it was all about the message being relevant to the reader.

This study could be a huge wake up call to marketers and community managers who believe the message on the top is the message audience members engage with the most. This simply isn't the case; you have to do more than get the message in front of the viewer's eyes. As social media changes, messages need to be visible, and highly tailored to meet the needs to various audience members. Rather than shelling out extra bucks for a sponsored post, it may be a better idea to throw that funding in the direction of thorough market research.

Do you believe sponsored social media posts are necessary? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Tips for a Successful Phone Interview

Phone interviews are often one of the first steps on the road to finding a job or internship. Sometimes the calls come from someone in human resources for the company you're applying to and sometimes they come right from the person in charge of the position. Phone interviews are generally scheduled ahead of time, but can also come unexpectedly after a resume with contact information is submitted. This is why it's important to target your job search and make sure you're always doing your research into the companies you're applying to.

Whether you're talking to a recruiter, HR manager or the person to whom you would report if you were hired, phone interviews are tricky. They can't see you so you don't have the advantage of using body language to convey your enthusiasm or sincerity. Often times, phone interviews are only slotted for a certain amount of time, so you may have to squeeze as much information as possible into that one phone call.  In order to have the most successful phone interview, use the following tips:

1. Have your elevator pitch ready
You're always going to be asked to "tell me a little bit about yourself" and you should be prepared to answer in a complete and concise way.

2. Write it all down
Employers are impressed when you have questions to ask them at the end of an interview. If you're writing down the things they're saying and questions that pop into your mind while you're talking, you'll have something insightful to ask at the end.

3. Stay calm and confident.
Your voice is your main tool during a phone interview. Keep a steady tone and speed when you speak and make sure the person on the other end can hear you at all times.

4. Follow up
If you don't already have their email, make sure you ask for it at the end of the conversation. Let them know you plan to follow up and offer to send them any supplemental material such as writing samples of portfolio pieces. They'll be impressed with your initiative.

Phone interviews are the gateway to in-person interviews so it's important to be your best. Do you have any more tips or tricks you use during these conversations? We'd love to hear from you.

LA Clippers Community Unites Against Owner Donald Sterling

Over the weekend, an audio recording leaked that revealed some disturbing attitudes within the LA Clippers franchise. Owner Donald Sterling was recorded having a conversation with his girlfriend, scolding her for posting a picture on Instagram with a black person. Ironically, his girlfriend is black and Mexican and the "black person" she took a photo with was basketball legend Magic Johnson. Somehow, Sterling still found the entire situation highly upsetting. 

Although the recording is still under investigation, there is strong evidence to suggest the voice does, in fact, belong to Sterling. Most notably he says, "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?" He goes on to claim, "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on [Instagram] ... and not to bring them to my games." 

I suppose Sterling's wish has been granted. Magic Johnson tweeted, ".@cjbycookie [his wife] and I will never go to a Clippers game again as long as Donald Sterling is the owner." He also goes on to tweet, "I feel sorry for my friends Coach Doc Rivers and Chris Paul that they have to work for a man that feels that way about African Americans." Rivers, Paul, and a majority of the Clippers starting lineup are African American.

During yesterday's playoff game against the Golden State Warriors, the team chose to wear their warm up shirts inside out as a silent protest against the comments made by Sterling. They also maintained a united front during post-game press conferences. When asked about the purported comments, both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin chose to turn the attention back to their performances during the game. Eventually, the reporters got the hint and stuck to questions related to the playoffs.

Courtesy of Mashable

As if this story didn't have enough ironic twists and turns already, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was planning to honor Sterling with a lifetime achievement award in May. They have since retracted it in a statement from interim president and CEO, Lorraine C. Miller, saying, "Let me make it clear, the NAACP will not be honoring Mr. Sterling at the upcoming Los Angeles branch event and we have strongly urged our Los Angeles unit to take the necessary steps to rescind the previous award they bestowed on him." 

Typically, the work of one prominent member of an organization can tarnish the entire franchise's name. However, it seems the LA Clippers have come together, and its fans have rallied behind the team in support. As President Obama stated when asked about his reaction to the recordings, "When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t have to do anything, you just let them talk....The United States continues to wrestle with legacy of race and slavery and segregation. That’s still there. We’ve made enormous strides, but you’re going to continue to see this percolate up ... We have to continue denouncing it and teach our children differently."

The Joy of Office Comradery: Why It’s SO Essential In A Professional Environment

As a young professional, I’ve experienced several types of leaders.  Some positively transformed my life while others left me feeling disheartened - at myself.

It comes as no surprise that the behavior of individual leaders impacts EVERYONE within the organization.  These people oversee the success of their business while correctly leading their employees.  If a leader treats an office as inferior, fails to understand their employees and barks orders, then the office will behave as though they are inferior.  If a leader knows all their employees on a personal level and knows what sparks and motivates them, then the office will turn into a high-spirited and thriving business. 

Office comradery, the sense of organizational cohesiveness, delivers a strong bond between leaders and their employees in that they all feel connected by common goals and successes.  They have a sense that everybody is in it together, therefore work as a unit rather than individuals to achieve their goals.  That’s why this idea of “togetherness” in a work environment is so essential.  How can you possibly expect to feel comfortable bouncing ideas off of someone when you don’t even feel comfortable asking them a question?  

While office comradery requires participation by both leader and employees, it must start with the individual leader.  To build a unified work environment, leaders can utilize the following tips: 

1. Encouraging Employees to Be Themselves - Valuing individualism is crucial for comradery in a work environment.  The beauty of individuality is that everyone brings their own experience and ideas, and helps the organization look at solving problems in a different light.
 2. Creating a Favorable Environment - Leaders have the responsibility to create an environment where employees truly enjoy coming to work each day.  A soothing environmental condition causes efficient worker productivity and increases job satisfaction.
 3. Openly Celebrating Mutual Successes- There is no need for elaborate events; they could be as simple as “Bagel Wednesdays” or a post-work Happy Hour.  The important thing is that it’s incorporated in company culture.  It also encourages colleagues to chat about things other than work. 

It’s important to know that creating a unified work environment cannot be achieved overnight.  However, incorporating these tips will not only create a prosperous work environment, but will initiate trust within their employees.

This guest blog post was written by Emily O'Connell.

Social Media Spring Cleaning – 5 Steps to a Better Online Presence

With the increasingly overwhelming amounts of social media platforms surrounding us today, it is easy to get lost in an ocean of hashtags, pictures and online lingo. So what is it that many of those “cool” social media geniuses you follow have in common? The answer is a lot simpler than it seems.

1. Create an impressionable “About Me” or descriptionIn order to build your own brand in a simple and affective way it is extremely important to utilize your “About Me” correctly. Find a way to make your description stand out even by incorporating something as simple as a unique cover picture.

2. Post once a dayYou have numerous social media platforms, but do you use them regularly? Posting at least once a day ensures that your followers are reading about what you have to say and staying interested. Letting an account just sit idle without any activity will lead to loss of followers and lack of interest when you do post.

3. Quality over quantityRemember that posting an aggressive amount will have the same consequences as not posting at all. No one wants to scroll down his or her Facebook feed and see the same person promoting an event over and over again. Stay away from repetitive posts and focus on sending quality messages.

4. Using hashtagsThe purpose of a hashtag is to bring people together who have a certain idea in common. It makes it easier to search for pictures, apps, news and current events. Before becoming a hashtag fiend, remember that the following you bring in using those hashtags are a reflection of quantity not quality. Use hashtags only when relevant and you’ll find yourself building a reputable online presence.

5. Post as it happensTimeliness is a factor of social media that is often overlooked. The use of #TBT (throwback Thursdays), #FBF (flashback Fridays) and #latergrams have made it increasingly easy to make an old picture or memory relevant. However, posting about an event right when it happens creates urgency, stirs a buzz and allows your content to not get lost in a sea of throwbacks. 

Kick-start your social media spring cleaning with these 5 tips and you’ll be on your way to a reputable online presence in no time.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Hiya Ray.