by Administrator | Aug 9, 2023 | Blog
The media times, they are a-changin’.
With much-needed apologies to Bob Dylan, we are indeed in the midst of a “historic media transformation,” which has created “unprecedented challenges” for leaders and executives across virtually all industries, according to the Harvard Kennedy School.
In an era of political, technological, and social upheaval that has led to disinformation and mistrust, “convincing data and compelling ideas are no longer enough for leaders to prevail in the public square,” according to the Kennedy School.
To cite just one data point that illustrates changing attitudes about media, consider a recent survey from Pew Research Center. The survey found that young adults (aged 18 -29) trust information from social media sites (50%) almost as much as information from national news (56%). This stands in sharp contrast to adults aged 65 and over, with 67% trusting information from national news and just 20% trusting social media.
The healthcare industry is not immune to these seismic changes. For example, digital health companies play a pivotal role in helping transform the industry by making healthcare more efficient and accessible, while improving patient outcomes. Unfortunately, many organizations struggle to rise above a cluttered marketplace to truly make an impact.
However, a comprehensive PR approach can represent the difference between a digital health company getting noticed and falling through the cracks.
“An effective PR strategy helps organizations get noticed in a packed, multifaceted field like healthcare and find their niche through relevant content and thought leadership,” said Yancey Casey, senior account director. “It also helps address the complex challenges unique to healthcare, such as regulatory and ethical issues, and to communicate the benefits and risks of using healthcare technology.”
“PR helps digital health founders increase their visibility and reach a wider audience, ultimately driving more engagement and adoption of their services and solutions,” added Marcia Rhodes, vice president.
Amendola’s public relations experts bring decades of combined experience and expertise in helping healthcare companies navigate the constantly changing digital media landscape. The following are some best practices shared by our thought leaders.
Stake out a clear position in the market: “Digital health is a crowded media landscape, and having a clear positioning can help a company cut through the clutter,” said Mardi Larson, senior account director. “Be sure to revisit positioning documents regularly – quarterly if possible. Digital health is moving at a rapid pace with new players and new technologies being launched daily, morphing the space at each step, and the fast-paced evolution can impact these foundational communication materials.”
Spread the PR message through multiple channels: “Using a combination of written content, media interviews and social media, PR professionals can showcase the expertise of leaders, their awareness of new trends, their insights on how new trends are impacting the industry, and their predictions for future trends,” said Michelle Noteboom, senior account and content director. “By positioning the organization and its executives as trusted and well-informed industry leaders who are prepared for on-going innovation, PR teams can help build a company’s credibility, attract new partners and clients, and foster customer trust and loyalty.”
Prioritize trust and transparency: “The skepticism surrounding AI has arisen almost as swiftly as the technology itself, compelling stakeholders to navigate through many AI-related claims, some of which may lack precision,” said Janet Mordecai, senior account director. “Drawing from interactions with clients seeking to distinguish themselves amidst the din of AI skepticism, a pivotal strategy has been the creation of lucid and concise messages that address how AI is being used to obtain and integrate patient data in compliance with existing regulations and ultimately transform care. A focused and unwavering public relations strategy is essential to building trust and should center on transparency about a company’s AI technology, processes, and applications.”
by MIchelle Noteboom | Jul 26, 2023 | Blog
Industry awards that recognize a company’s achievement are a valuable, yet sometimes overlooked, component of a successful PR campaign. Winning is fun – but that’s not the only reason to consider seeking industry recognition for your organization, products and services, and employees.
Winning an industry award is an excellent way to promote your brand and build credibility, as well as strengthen your employee recruitment and retention efforts.
Companies seeking award opportunities have an endless number of options, including awards that highlight specific products or campaigns, or honor the outstanding achievements of an individual or organization.
Not sure that seeking awards is worth the time and effort? Consider some key benefits of winning an industry award:
- Elevates your brand. When you win an award, you raise awareness of your company or products in the industry, which is especially beneficial for lesser-known players in the market.
- Builds credibility. Winning an award from an independent third party may carry more weight than the words of your best company spokesperson. Many awards include a serious vetting process, requiring the company to provide detailed information on the organization, its products, leadership team and overall success. Having outside validation can help customers and prospects feel comfortable that they are making the right choice when selecting your company and its solutions.
- Increases employee morale. Everyone likes a winner, including your employees. Winning an industry award can improve employees’ morale and camaraderie, especially if they are involved in the entry process. Furthermore, being an award-winning organization can help with employee recruitment and retaining existing staff.
- Creates new PR fodder. Once you’ve been named a winner, you can get the PR wagon rolling to realize big benefits. Make sure your employees, customers and prospects know about your achievement, perhaps starting with a press release highlighting the news. Add a blog post to your website summarizing the reasons you were selected over other worthy applicants. Consider sending an email blast to further amplify the message with customers, prospects, and investors, and note the win in your company newsletter. Don’t forget your social media channels and ask your employees to repost the news as well.
Once you are convinced of the benefits, you will find no shortage of award opportunities. To narrow your choices, consider your key objectives. For example, if you want to raise awareness of your company and products for potential prospects, awards that are tied to your industry vertical might be the best option. Often these awards are sponsored by trade publications, such as Becker’s Hospital Review and Modern Healthcare for healthcare and health IT organizations.
If your focus is attracting and retaining top talent, look for awards that honor the achievements of individual contributors, or consider one of the many Best Places to Work awards. Some of these programs are segmented by industry, while others target specific geographic regions.
Another way to find relevant awards is to check your competitors’ websites and see if they have been recognized by any programs that align with your goals. Professional associations, such as HIMSS in healthcare or PRSA in public relations, also have award programs that target the talents and achievements of their members. Finally, if you work with a public relations firm, ask your PR professional to help research opportunities on your behalf.
As you identify options, you will realize that application processes vary from fairly simple online forms with no entry fees, to programs with rigorous guidelines, pricey entry fees, and detailed applications that take considerable time to complete. Before applying, vet the various programs by researching previous winners and making sure the program sponsors adequately recognized winners across social media and/or in press releases. Finally, to ensure success, make sure you dedicate sufficient resources to prepare a high-quality application. And if you need tips for writing an award-winning award entry, check out a few here.
Industry awards can give your business a PR boost that supports organizational goals and raises awareness with your target audience. Winning awards is also fun – but as the saying goes, you can’t win if you don’t play!
by Administrator | Jul 5, 2023 | Blog
Tips From The A-Team
The foreman of an orchard reported to the owner that the trees were growing fewer apples and only on the higher and harder-to-reach branches. What should we do, the foreman asked.
Let’s spend less on ladders, the owner said.
That doesn’t make sense, but many businesses react similarly during economic downturns by cutting their marketing and PR budgets, the very things that generate sales and visibility.
We asked our team of experts for their thoughts on why marketing, PR and social media are more important than ever in difficult times. Here’s what they had to share.
A good agency will work with clients to get the most out of a reduced budget, says Senior Account and Content Director Michelle Noteboom: “The right PR team will help you find ways to maximize the value of your PR investment by creatively repurposing well-crafted thought leadership content and earned media placements.”
Tough times often lead to increased competition for a shrinking pie. Doing less marketing puts a company at a disadvantage, says VP Marcia Rhodes: “PR can help differentiate a company from its competitors by highlighting its unique value proposition, featuring its strengths, and showcasing success stories. Effective PR can position a company as a thought leader, innovator, or industry expert, giving it a competitive edge and attracting clients who are seeking stability and reliability.”
Tough times don’t last forever, but tough companies do. Smart companies will take the opportunity during a downturn to position themselves for when the economy recovers, says Senior Account Director Mardi Larson. “Remaining top of mind among your key audiences is important so when conditions improve, they’ll remember you. Plus, with competing companies falling out of the PR field, it’s time to pounce and seize the opportunity to amplify and own your position in the marketplace through earned media,” she says.
“The No. 1 mistake I see companies make during tough economic times is cutting their marketing and PR when, in fact, marketing and PR are what is going to bring your company awareness, which, as we know, leads to business,” says Katlyn Nesvold, Senior Account Director.
An economic slowdown is the time to dig in, says Senior Social Media Account Director Michelle Smith. “In a down economy, investing in your brand and social media presence is crucial for standing out, establishing yourself as an industry leader, and attracting new business opportunities. By creating a unique brand voice and consistently sharing valuable content, you can build credibility and differentiate yourself from the competition, ensuring your business thrives even in challenging times.”
In times of economic uncertainty, businesses want to work with vendors they trust, says Grace Vinton, Account Director and Media Specialist. “Having a solid PR program can help you build that industry trust and help you close the deals you’re trying to close,” she says.
If a downturn prevents a business from creating new marketing content, it can always recycle old material, says Account Manager Maddie Noteboom: “Content marketing can cost far less than traditional marketing, making it one of the most cost-effective methods to connect to your target audience. One low-cost content marketing strategy I recommend to clients is a content refresh. Dig into the archives of old blog posts, ebooks, white papers and infographics, and update them with new insights, fresher graphics, and revamped SEO.”
The experts agree. If you want to harvest apples, invest in ladders.
by Mardi Larson | Jun 21, 2023 | Blog
When I served as Content Marketing Director for a telehealth startup, I learned a lot. Mostly, I discovered it’s possible to write great content for people’s enjoyment, education, and readability, while also writing for search engines like Google. This was during the pandemic, and telehealth was taking off in a big way as a crucial and safe solution for patients to connect with their providers.
At the time, everybody was searching for answers about telehealth – office managers at independent physician practices, IT leaders at the largest health systems in America, and consumers of all ages, from teens to seniors. It was this big telehealth pivot that provided new insights about creating readable-yet-searchable content.
I recognized it’s possible to address human readability while ensuring high-ranking content. In fact, it’s not only doable, but also necessary so that people searching for answers can find helpful, readable content.
Earlier in my career, I was told you couldn’t do both — that writing for humans and Google were mutually exclusive. That’s not true, and content creators can deliver engaging and easy-to-understand content for readers that is optimized for search engines to drive traffic to your website and raise awareness for your brand. The trick is generating high-value information that answers the top-of-mind questions from your target audience and provides easy-to-understand content incorporating relevant keywords in the storytelling. To achieve this content “holy grail,” writers should have a basic understanding of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices, especially for on-page SEO must-dos.
When you balance SEO with the reader experience, you can generate powerful results. All this is truer with thought leadership communications, in which content strategies aim to establish a company or brand as an expert – and “trusted authority.”
Here are some tips to help writers create content for both humans and Google:
- Survey Your Target Audience:If you can, conduct a quick survey of your target audience to ascertain their most urgent, burning questions. If you can’t, get with those closest to your customer/prospect organizations – such as sales leaders or customer success experts — and interview them to learn what they believe the top-of-mind questions might be. Answering these questions can drive your content plan.
- Create a Working Title: Draft a working headline that strategically differentiates your company or brand and succinctly articulates the storyline you believe is essential to tell your target audience. Headlines are powerful as they deliver — in a short bit of copy — the strategic intent of the story. As you write working titles, know they can and usually will improve, especially with feedback from content reviewers and experts included along the way in your collaborative review process.
- Conduct Keyword Research:Good writers conduct thorough keyword research using tools like MozPro, SEMRush, and others to identify the keywords and phrases readers most frequently use to search for answers online. Doing keyword research for content is different than for paid ads, where you may look at the competition and identify costs for purchasing those keywords. For organic content, SEO research is inspiring because you can see which keywords are popular and used most often for searches, as well as which may hold “white space” and could be ownable. This should be conducted for each strategic piece of content. This research helps ensure the content you are creating is relevant and of value — optimized for search engines people use every second of every day. It’s essential to limit to 1-2 keywords or phrases that make the most sense per each content piece, given the strategic intent of your storyline and your working title. This research phase also can change your working title and probably should!
- Naturally, Incorporate Keywords. Use keywords in the content, but use them strategically and sparingly. Keywords should fit naturally in the heading, subheadings, and the first 100 words of the piece. Make sure you incorporate the keywords in a way that helps both the human reader and the search engine. After all, when we are all Googling, we want to be served up the most trusted and easy-to-review content that answers our questions. Remember to use keywords in the file names of images you post with the copy, in the alt text, and the meta tag.
- Think About the Reader’s Experience. As you pull your content together, focus on creating an engaging, informative, and easy-to-understand story. Use visuals like photos, infographics, and even videos embedded within the content for a superior reader experience. Keep it tight, though, as nobody has time to read 2,500 words. Go for the sweet spot of 800-1200 words, if you can.
- Optimize for Search. Google rewards those who do this best! Your content should have internal and external links to trusted sites. Ensure that the content is well-structured and easy to navigate.
- Deliver High Value. Make sure your content is valuable and informative for readers. You will know when you read it and when you write it. And if you are creating Thought Leadership content, infuse a bold point of view with authenticity. As you read your first draft, ask yourself, is this insightful and useful information? Will a reader enjoy reading this? Does this content make an impact?
As content creators today, we should think about humans and about the search engines like Google that can ultimately deliver your content to a broader readership (of humans). Addressing both forces will result in online content best worthy of answering questions from top searches and telling an engaging story.
by Jim Sweeney | May 31, 2023 | Blog
I’ve previously warned of the dangers of writing with vampire words – those useless words and phrases that latch on to sentences and bleed them dry of meaning and vitality; bloodsuckers like “focus” and “prioritize” and “process.”
In sticking with the horror theme, this post is about zombie sentences, those lifeless clumps of words that lurch and stagger through memos, emails, white papers and reports. Like zombies, these sentences drag themselves across the page, shuffling along without any real animate spark or personality.
Specifically, I’m talking about passive voice, the default construction for too much business writing. What’s passive voice? It’s when a noun that would be the object of an active sentence instead becomes the subject of the sentence. For example:
Active voice: Michonne cut off the zombie’s head. – The subject is Michonne, who acts on the object (the zombie’s head).
Passive voice: The zombie’s head was cut off by Michonne. – Here the zombie’s head occupies the usual position of grammatical subject and Michonne switches to the spot usually occupied by the object.
Well, so long as the zombie is decapitated, who cares?
You should.
In most cases, passive voice weakens your writing, robbing it of clarity, energy and momentum. It also implies a lack of ownership and responsibility. Consider the usual politician’s copout: Mistakes were made. The implication is that no one made the mistake; it just happened.
Like a solitary zombie, a single passive sentence does not pose much danger. But in large numbers, zombie sentences can overwhelm and devour the brains of any reader. Consider the following:
A meeting was held to discuss Q3 results and to plan initiatives for the coming year. Reports from the relevant committees were delivered and discussed by attendees. It was decided that the reports would be combined and presented to the C-suite in preparation for a companywide strategy. Further deliberations were postponed until the next meeting. Lastly, it was agreed that the Cinnabon order would be doubled for the next meeting.
Horrible, isn’t it? Sentences barely alive, yet relentless in their tedium.
It’s not uncommon for vampire words and zombie sentences to come together to form some truly ghastly writing: A consensus was reached to strategically leverage the assets in a focused implementation. This sort of writing calls for mobs with torches and pitchforks.
Passive voice can be sneaky. You know how in every zombie movie someone gets bitten and keeps it a secret and no one knows until the victim turns full zombie and attacks? Passive voice also can go undetected until the damage is done.
How to spot passive voice? Look for a form of “to be” (is, are, am, was, were, has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, being) followed by a past participle (a form of the verb that typically ends in –ed), and you have passive voice, i.e. We have all been chased and bitten.
If that sounds too much like grade school grammar, here’s a simpler way that uses zombies to detect zombie sentences. If you can tack the phrase “by zombies” to the end of a sentence and it still makes sense, then you have passive voice.
The research was analyzed and a final report was delivered to the client . . . by zombies.
A search for the CEO’s replacement was initiated . . . by zombies.
Neat, huh? It’s like getting zombies to eat each other instead of us.
On TV, there is no cure for the zombie virus; the only recourse is a bullet to the brain. But there is a happy ending in business writing. Zombie sentences can be restored to life and it’s usually quite easy to do. The antidote? Use active voice, the old subject/verb/object sentence structure.
Instead of “The research was analyzed and a final report was delivered to the client” try “We analyzed the research and delivered a final report to the client.”
Instead of having something being done to someone, have someone do something.
“Further changes were made to the logo by the artist” becomes “The artist made further changes to the logo.” Cured!
Of course, there are times when it’s a good idea to use passive voice, just as it’s allowed — once in a great while — to let a zombie live. (Remember the end of Shaun of the Dead, when Shaun chains up Zombie Ed so they can still play video games?) Here’s when passive voice works:
- When you don’t know who did something or want to de-emphasize who did it: The quarantine was put into place too late to stop the outbreak.
- To emphasize an object: A zombie herd was spotted crossing the highway.
The outbreak of zombie sentences has reached pandemic levels. Keep your writing clean and aim for the head.
by Administrator | May 16, 2023 | Blog
Tips from The A-Team
Fewer reporters, with greater demands on their time. Fewer outlets and more competition for coverage. Face it, it’s a shrinking strike zone for media pitches.
That’s why it’s crucial to make those media pitches as good as possible: well-composed, on target and impossible to ignore. We asked our public relations experts for their advice on how to create pitches that journalists can’t resist:
Know the news and stick to it
“So what?” is the most devastating response to a pitch. “A former colleague who had worked as a newspaper journalist would always ask me, ‘so what does this mean for my neighbor Sally?’ when reviewing my pitches,” says Account Director Megan Moriarty. “A basic pitch to a reporter tells them what the news is, and I always try to add perspective about why it matters for their readers. Answering the ‘so what?’ question in a pitch provides clarity about the potential impact and demonstrates why the reporter should cover the story.”
Remember that the release must work for the outlet, not just the client. “The first question I aim to answer when drafting a pitch is, ‘How does this news provide value to the media outlet?’,” says Account Manager Maddie Noteboom. “If you can make that connection, the rest of the pitch will fall into place. By concisely stating the value to journalists, you can make the transaction feel more mutually beneficial rather than a one-way activity.”
Clients love to talk about themselves in press releases. The problem is journalists don’t care about the company, just the news. “Limit the puffery and keep the company in the background. Always keep the audience in mind,” says Jim Sweeney, senior account and content director.
One way to do that is to make the value of the pitch explicit. “Instead of just pitching a thought leader and their generic bio, explain why this person is the best suited to discuss the topic, especially if you are pitching a vendor!” says Senior Account Director Katlyn Nesvold.
Newsjacking, or tying a pitch to something else happening in the world, is another proven tactic, says Senior Account Director Janet Mordecai: “Pulling from the day’s headlines and directly correlating that to the company or the spokesperson’s experience speaking to that exact issue often works.”
Include data
Reporters love data. It lets them know there is some substance behind the pitch, advises Senior Content Director Morgan Lewis. “Pitches that contained fresh, original and relevant data always got my attention when I was a reporter and editor,” he says. “Case study outcomes, survey data, or clinical trial results that were pertinent to my publication would receive more consideration because the information could be used in so many different ways: a short brief, a stat to include in a related article, or in some cases, a byline about the data itself.”
If a client doesn’t have data, sometimes they can create their own. “Consider conducting an online survey using Pollfish or Harris Poll to generate data that’s supportive or even counter to your pitch. People’s points of view on the story enrich the pitch,” says Mardi Larson, media relations and account director.
Present the news concisely. “Reporters and other influencers consume content differently than in the past. Use bullet points and economy of words to convey your pitch. The pitch still needs to be substantive, but one can’t forget presentation either,” says General Manager Philip Anast.
Identify the right reporter and outlet.
Pitching a journalist or outlet on a subject they don’t cover is not only a waste of time, but hurts your credibility and that of your client, says Grace Vinton, account director and media specialist: “You need to be 100% certain a journalist covers a topic before sending them a pitch about it. There’s no excuse. All of their articles are online. The best pitches are tailored to a journalist’s beat and interest area and will help level-up the journalist’s coverage on the topic in some way!”
When possible, individualize the pitch, says Senior Account Director Yancey Casey. “Making a connection with reporters through custom-tailored pitches is the best way to rise above the noise and drive conversations. Respect their time — and yours — by pitching thoughtfully, concisely, and with their readers in mind,” he says.
On-target and personalized pitching is a great way to build long-lasting media relationships, says Tara Stultz, chief strategy officer: “If you take this approach, reporters will know that you only reach out to them when you have a story that is aligned with what they are looking for. As a result, they will be much more likely to open your pitches, respond to them, and cover your clients’ news and thought leadership. Yes, media relationships matter–and this is how strong ones are forged.”
Write a great subject line.
In the old days, a reporter at least had to open an envelope and read a release before crumpling it into a ball and firing it into the wastebasket. Now, an emailed pitch can be consigned to oblivion without ever being read. That’s why an eye-catching and compelling subject line is so important, says Michelle Noteboom, senior director of accounts and content. She offers the following tips:
- Use active voice.
- Include a question, e.g., “Can AI tools enhance patient safety? One health system leader says ‘yes’.”
- Be provocative when you can, e.g., “We don’t have a doctor shortage. We have a shortage of using doctors efficiently.”
- Offer a numbered list, e.g., “5 ways AI is driving documentation efficiencies.”
Keep it short, adds Senior Account and Content Director Maria Meredith: “Make the subject line pithy, with something their readers will care about, and then get to the point quickly within the first few lines. Anything you can do to make it faster and easier for journalists to hone in on stories that will pique their readers’ interest will help build those relationships.”
It’s an unfortunate fact of PR that most media pitches fail to generate coverage, but following the advice above will give yours a better chance of succeeding.
