COMMUNICATION MARKETING PR SOCIAL MEDIA
NEWS & COMMENT issue one
Lead the field with clear communications Businesses have the widest choice of communications tools ever available, so why can it still be so difficult to communicate? We believe the large number of tools available plus the sheer quantity of communications printed, published and posted online each second create this complexity. If communications experts can’t keep up to date with everything, how can businesses?
Good practice makes perfect
The good news is that there is a lot we can do improve the impact of our communications and, because much of it is simply good practice, it won’t cost the earth. We’ve included tips that can help with this inside this magazine.
Communicate effectively has been helping UK business clients with their communications since 1994 –
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read about us on the back cover – and we publish z2zine to give hints and tips on how to make communications more effective. You can read this magazine in print and online at z2zine.uk plus more blog articles at z2z.com.
Contents Get communications basics right to increase your impact however you promote your business page 2 Is courtesy relevant in business? We think it is and are supporting the National Campaign for Courtesy’s #pleaseMAY initiative page 4 Is PR just for big companies? We don’t think so – see our 10 tips to improve PR campaigns page 6 We hope you enjoy this issue.
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COMMUNICATIONS BASICS
Use free power tools It can be easy to think of technology as the most important communications tool, but that ignores other powerful tools. While technology can publish content immediately, broadcast it across the world, offer a multitude of formats and enable audiences to respond instantly, first we have to develop effective messages. Anyone can do this using simple but powerful tools and techniques.
the same language that catches the attention of pensioners. How can we be sure our message will be understood by our target market? Ask them. If you’re targeting teenagers, test your message out on them. Do the same for any other group, whether targeting by age or other criteria. Your message won’t work if your target audience can’t understand it.
What’s our purpose?
Many people are afraid to write, forgetting that we all use language every day when we talk. If you want to write text for your business, stick to a few clear rules: 1. Use simple language. Whatever the audience, people are more likely to understand what you are saying when you keep it simple. Write short sentences. Use short words. Break up paragraphs so that they are concise – long blocks of text can be hard to read. 2. Keep to the point you want to make. If you add irrelevant material, you risk losing your audience. People often give up reading when they don’t understand or get confused. 3. Remember to include a ‘call to action’. What do you want your audience to do? Phone you? Purchase online? Register for an event? Direct them to call, email or buy now. 4. Read your text out loud. When we speak what we have written, we bring it to life with the natural
Why do we want to communicate? To attract new customers? Sell our product or service? Attract visitors to an event? If we don’t have a clear purpose, any time, effort or money we put into our communications will be a waste and we’d be better off switching these to something more useful. Once we know our purpose, then we can start developing our message.
Harness the power of language Language is probably the single most powerful tool available to business. No business can succeed without it, but we often take it for granted. How we use language can determine failure or success. It’s not sufficient to be good at what we do; we have to tell people. Language drives all business. We can use language effectively by adapting our messages to specific audiences. For example, a young audience is unlikely to respond to 2
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Don’t be afraid
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rhythm of language. You will hear how natural your words sound and can edit them if they sound awkward. If you can, read them to a colleague or family member. They can tell you if your message sounds natural. Do this every time you write and your audience is more likely to understand and respond.
Put your message out there
Once you have your message, you need to distribute it. This is where technology is really useful. You can publish your message on your web site or blog, send it in an email newsletter, publish it in your customer magazine or post it on social media. You can even tailor it to each of these formats.
Keep up to date
Make sure that all your messages remain up to date. This means spring cleaning your web site or printed material to check prices, product details, events and other important services:
information. If people see that you can’t be bothered to check your content, they may not trust it and could go elsewhere to buy.
Again and again
Don’t just write one blog, press release or article: write one a month or week. Persistence is essential as few people will remember your business from one mention. They need to see your web site, a photo of you in the press, your van on the road. Every time they see your brand, it will establish stronger awareness.
Essential power tools
Developing a strong message using language tailored to your market, effective distribution, staying up to date and communicating regularly are powerful communications tools available to every business. Master these and practise regularly to ensure your communications achieve the impact you require.
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3
COURTESY IN BUSINESS
#pleaseMAY we help you? In 2003 we started the web site pleaseandthanks.co.uk to promote courtesy in business. This attracted the attention of the National Campaign for Courtesy, a registered charity, and now we work as volunteers for the campaign to promote courtesy across the UK.
Courtesy in business?
An organisation that wants to be courteous needs to make courtesy the foundation of its culture. A ‘good morning’ to the chief executive or cleaner binds you to each, even if your actual work doesn’t bring you into contact with them. And if individuals can’t be bothered to acknowledge a colleague, how readily will they greet a customer or provide genuinely satisfying customer service? What’s more, courtesy is free and takes minimal effort, but the potential improvements in productivity and service are valuable for any business. What other practice gives you such a massive ROI on a zero cash investment?
How can a business benefit?
According to the late Albert Humphrey, leader of a 10-year research programme at Stanford Research Institute in the 1960s into why organisations fail, the average employee performs at an energy input of about 30% to 35%. If properly motivated in an atmosphere of ‘fair play’, an employee can 4
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increase the amount of energy they apply to 50%. If replicated throughout an organisation, productivity gains of some 35% are possible. This creates a compelling business case for courtesy.
Who needs to be courteous?
Everyone. Courtesy covers all organisational relationships: between managers and employees, between colleagues, across departments and job types, and with external parties including customers and suppliers.
Be courteous in your business
Start a courtesy initiative by walking through the front doors, smiling and saying ‘good morning’. Walk around the building, visit areas you don’t usually see. Take notice of what people are doing and comment – that means keeping your phone firmly in your pocket or bag. But, wait, are you the boss? The MD, CEO or owner needs to be doing it too, every day and fully committed. It won’t work if, once the boss has gone, everyone grins at each other cynically.
Help make #pleaseMAY
When do you want to start? Now is a good time, especially as the campaign is making May each year a month of courtesy. You can join in by supporting #pleaseMAY. For details and to join the campaign, please visit campaignforcourtesy.org.uk
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KEEP YOUR PR IN TRIM We run a workshop through our pressme PR service giving 50 tips on how to ‘make the news’ with your press releases. This 10-point taster can help you produce punchy press releases. Include PR in business 1 development – use existing market research and target audience data to develop your PR campaign. Think PR – when PR is a 2 habit, you will spot news and photo opportunities as they happen. What’s your objective? What 3 do you want readers to do? Every press release needs to lead readers to take action. Focus on one message per 4 press release – mixing two or three messages could confuse journalists and readers. If you have three different messages, write three press releases. How will it affect me? This is 5 what readers ask. If it doesn’t affect them, they won’t be interested. Show how your story affects them and they will take notice. 6
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Hang your story on a hook 6 – what will draw journalists and readers to your story? Are you the first, the best, the biggest? Do you have unique expertise? Have you important news or information?
Tell the truth – only make 7 claims that you can substantiate. If you’re not sure, leave it out. Headline – a strong headline 8 attracts attention. Make it short and punchy to give the gist of your story in up to six words. First paragraph – outline the 9 entire story in your first paragraph. These first few sentences must convince journalists to read the whole press release. Break the rules – they’re here 10 to guide you, but to stand out from the crowd you have to make your own rules. Find more tips and suggestions plus details of our PR services at pressme.co.uk
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ZARYWACZ SERVICES
ZARYWACZ
Brothers Robert and Simon launched zarywacz in 1994 to provide professional copywriting and corporate communications to clients, both large and small. From Wilton, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, and Ilfracombe, in North Devon, zarywacz provides online, print and spoken communications for clients throughout the UK, both face to face and remotely.
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Our dedicated copywriting web site details our writing services tailored for businesses. We write and edit marketing and promotional material for print and web sites, as well as contributing regularly to business magazines, newspapers, blogs and social media. copywritingresources.co.uk
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We hope you find this z2zine magazine and our blog useful and would be glad to discuss any topics covered or any communications needs you have. Please call us on 0333 0444 354 or email hello@z2z.com
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