thrive pr

July 21, 2015 By Kelly Kirkendoll

NEW Facebook Feature “See First” Lets Users Take Back Control of Their News Feed: Oppty for Businesses

In the earlier days of Facebook, if a user “Liked” a business page, that page’s posts typically showed up in the follower’s news feed. Then Facebook went public…and things changed. Facebook altered their news feed algorithm and introduced advertising for business pages. Businesses then had to advertise (“boost”) their posts in order for them to show up in more than a small percentage of their followers’ news feeds. Compelling, engaging content also became more important than ever — users who engaged the most with a page were more likely (but not guaranteed) to see more of that page’s posts in their news feed.

Now there is a new Facebook feature just introduced in the U.S. called “See First.”

As a Facebook user, it gives you much more control over what you’re seeing in your Facebook news feed by allowing you to prioritize which friends and pages you’d like to see updates from first. No more missing posts from your favorite friends and pages!

As a business owner or nonprofit leader with a business Facebook page, it gives you an opportunity to ask your followers to “See First” you…getting more of your great content in front of those who want it.

Here’s how it works:

On Your Computer

1) Go to the business or organization’s page you like (such as Thrive PR)

2) Go to the box where it says “Liked” with the thumbs up icon

3) Hover over that box and then click “See First” so you’ll be sure to see that page’s posts in your news feed. That’s all!

On Your IOS Device

(note: this feature should be available on Android devices very soon)

1. Make sure you have the most recent version of the Facebook iPhone app installed

2. Open the app and click “More” on the bottom right of the screen

3. Scroll down to “Settings” and click “News Feed Preferences”

4. Then, click “Prioritize Who to See First”

5. Finally, click on all friends and pages (like Thrive PR) you’d like to see at the top of your feed

Facebook changes often, so stay tuned for further tweaks or changes to this new app. Click here to subscribe to our enewsletter.

August 25, 2014 By Kelly Kirkendoll

Don’t Waste a Conference Experience: 6 Lessons Learned

I attended a business conference earlier this month, and I had to drag myself there, kicking and screaming. Why? Oh, I was busy…I had too much work to do…I had family members who needed me… The excuses went on. Luckily, I hate to waste money, and I knew this about myself when I committed and paid for the conference 6 months ago.

So I had to go…and I’m glad I did.

Here are a few things I learned (or re-learned) that I hope to remember throughout the year:

1) Get outta your comfort zone. Find a way to get out of your comfort zone more often. Go to a conference, speaker event or something that puts you in a different setting and focused on you and/or your business at least once per year (ideally, once per quarter). It forces you to step back, look at things from a different angle, learn new information and approaches, meet new people and grow. For me, if I haven’t done anything dynamic in a long time, I begin to forget that I can. Shaking myself up and forcing myself out of my comfort zone always propels me and my business forward!

2) Take stock of your WHY. It’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of our business. We can lose touch with why we started our business in the first place, what we love to do the most and who we love to work with the most. Give yourself time — away from your desk, phone and computer — to re-examine your “why” from time-to-time.

3) Work on yourself first. Oftentimes, it isn’t a lack of skills, knowledge, experience or exposure that is holding us back in our business — it’s us. We can get in our own way and don’t even realize it. So when you want to work on and grow your business, look at yourself first. Are there places where fear is holding you back? Where you aren’t dreaming big enough? Where you need to make an adjustment? Where you can outsource some of the busy-ness off your plate so you have more time to lead, invent, strategize, develop, sell or expand?

4) Don’t sit with the same people. Even though I’m an extravert, I can also be shy sometimes. At a conference, I’m much more comfortable finding one or two people to sit, talk, laugh and compare notes with the entire time. I have several good friends across North America I have made this way. But at this most recent conference, while I did hit it off particularly well with a few women I now call friends, I forced myself to sit next to new people at almost every session and meal. The result? I met a LOT more people and learned much more this way. Beyond the conference and in a broader context, this can be applied to any kind of networking or socializing I do.

5) Follow up…and do it early. When I make new connections, the sooner I follow up and follow through, the better. It’s easy to get caught back up in work, life and my normal routine. The sooner I follow up (or make a plan to do so), the more likely I won’t end up putting this important step off.

6) Take action. It’s great to get fired up, motivated and inspired. But it’s mostly a waste if you don’t translate all of that into ACTION. Make an action item list for yourself (or at least start it) before you even leave the conference or event. Is there an action you can take immediately? I have 10 on my list, and I have already been able to check off several of them!

July 16, 2014 By Kelly Kirkendoll

Beware of Pay-for-Play “Media Coverage” and Award Scams

A client of ours was recently notified that they won a prestigious award. It seemed legitimate, and the website looked genuine…until we did a little digging. The organization wrote a press release about our client, which was as non-specific as a horoscope, and after more digging, we found that they would charge our client a fee for it if they “accepted” the award. They also wanted hundreds of dollars for award plaques and certificates. It turned out to be a scam; bad press forced them to shut down and rename several times under numerous DBAs.

More common, we see clients get approached with an offer that provides the opportunity to be interviewed by a TV or radio host, if the client would just pay thousands of dollars to “cover expenses.” Throughout the past 11 years, we have seen clients tempted by these offers, but, fortunately, they have brought them to us to research before responding.

If you get approached by an award, radio or TV program opportunity, what should you do? If you have a PR or Marketing consultant, forward the information to them. If not, we recommend the following:

1) Ask: are they charging you a fee? Most salespeople pushing this type of pay-for-play offer will try to sidestep this question. If they do, that’s a big red flag.

2) If there is a fee, is it obvious that it is paid-for programming? Or, are they trying to make it look like real, earned media coverage? Legitimate news sources do not ask a guest to pay fees in order to be interviewed, and legitimate, paid-for advertising is obvious about it (an advertorial, for example, is clearly marked as an advertorial).

3) Research the program, host, award, etc.online. Add the word “scam” at the end of the name in your online search. If it’s a scam-like offer, you’ll most likely find sites and discussions from other businesses who took the bait and were disappointed or angry about the outcome.

4) Ask: when will the program or interview be aired and where? The biggest complaints we see, after someone has paid thousands of dollars, is that their video or radio interview was aired when nobody would be watching or listening.

5) Realize that there is no silver bullet and that a $50,000 paid-for TV spot with a well-known, retired politician, for example, that airs at odd times and odd places is not going to catapult your business across the tipping point.

Need more advice? Contact us at kelly@thrivepublicrelations.com or 972.330.2882.

May 20, 2014 By Kelly Kirkendoll

Social Media Dos and Don’ts for Your Business

Business owners and nonprofit leaders are busy with an endless supply of tasks, priorities and challenges that they must juggle each day. In the midst of it all, marketing is a key component to growing and sustaining their organizations, but with more communication and marketing channels than ever before, it can all become overwhelming, especially when it comes to social media marketing.

Whether a company manages its social media in-house or works with a PR and communications professional, these 10 social media dos and don’ts are helpful to keep in mind:

Don’t

Ignore social media as part of your marketing/communications mix
Look at social media as separate from your other communication efforts (it should be integrated with all of your PR, marketing and communication efforts)
Put all your marketing eggs in the social media basket (social media is important, but there is no single magic marketing bullet)
Post willy-nilly
Forget to proof your posts. Good grammar and spelling matter – they build trust and credibility.
Assume that the youngest person on your team is automatically the best person to manage your social media
Let someone manage your social media who does not: 1) understand your business, 2) understand your branding, marketing and communications strategy or 3) have good writing and grammar skills
Put your hand in every social media channel all at once to start
Make every post all about promoting your company (it’s called “social” media for a reason – no one wants to talk to the guy at the party who only boasts about himself all night…)
Post images you don’t have the right to publish

Integrate your social media marketing and make it part of your overall marketing communications plan
When starting social media, pick one or two social media channels that make the most sense for your business and target market
Monitor your social media pages; engage and respond appropriately and quickly to those who interact with you
Proof your posts and responses – good grammar and spelling build trust and credibility
Consider investing in social media advertising, especially for your business facebook page
Use a “single voice” that fits your brand when posting and responding, even if several different people are responsible for your social media
Share relevant, helpful and interesting content that appeals to your target market
Post regularly and consistently
Monitor your posts to gauge the type that engage your audience the most
Post photos and branded graphics (photos garner more engagement on Facebook than any other type of post; a photo added to a tweet boosts retweets on Twitter)

January 1, 2014 By Kelly Kirkendoll

Ten Things I’ve Learned after a Decade in Business, from Kelly Kirkendoll, Owner of Thrive PR

Thrive PR celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2013. As we start the New Year and a new decade of service to clients, I’m reflecting for a moment before I dive deep into the busy first quarter…

First, I want to extend my gratitude to the clients we have worked with through the years. To ALL of you, I say THANK YOU! I take what we do and how we serve our clients very personally, and I am proud to call you my friends, partners and colleagues.

At the end of a decade in business, I have learned a few things about owning and running a business. In honor of the last 10 years, here are 10 of those:

1) Always remember the “why” of your business or organization. It’s easy to get distracted, side-tracked or worried as you face challenges and opportunities, but taking a moment to remember WHY you do what you do will keep you centered and focused as you make decisions.

2) Fill your team with people who care about your why! Skills, talent and knowledge are important; equally important are passion, enthusiasm and dedication.

3) Stay focused on your target market. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. It’s o.k. if everyone doesn’t buy from you – you don’t want everyone (really)!

4) Don’t sweat the natural ebbs and flows. Recessions happen. So do recoveries. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted or deterred by negative chatter or temporary setbacks.

5) Take time to work ON your business…not just in it. And make your own business a client: for example, if you own a spa, take time for spa services; if you own a PR/Marketing company, take time to market yourself; if you are a plumber, take time to fix your own pipes. The cobbler would have been more successful if his children had worn shoes!

6) Be consistent – in your service, communication, invoicing, branding, messaging…everything.

7) It’s o.k. to look around at what others are doing, but just long enough to learn. Don’t get distracted by comparisons, and don’t imitate anyone. Learn from others, but be yourself.

8) When it comes to new ventures, new approaches and new ideas, avoid the extremes of 1) analysis paralysis and 2) randomly throwing spaghetti against the wall hoping that something will stick. The sweet spot is in the middle with smart risks, strategic planning, steady progress and consistent efforts.

9) Always say thank you.

10) Have fun! Working hard and having fun are not mutually exclusive as you run and grow your business.

Bonus lesson: always proofread! Good writing, grammar and spelling build trust and credibility.

I also want to thank my team members over the years, specifically: Natalie (my original right-hand person, who relocated to Nashville several years ago) and current team members Coleen, Laura and Jessi. Being part of a PR and Communications business can be unpredictable, fast-paced and full of deadlines. You meet these challenges with good humor, good ideas and a dedication to a job well done that is not easy to find.

Happy New Year and Many Successes to All of You in 2014 and Beyond!

Kelly

December 3, 2013 By Kelly Kirkendoll

10 Tips for Getting (and Staying) Top of Mind With Customers

We all want more clients, but how do we get them? And then, how do we keep them?

If they don’t know about you, they can’t buy from you, so building awareness is key to gaining clients. If they don’t remember you, they won’t buy from you, so being “top of mind” is equally important (for both new and past or existing customers). And, finally, unless you are top of mind AND they prefer you (TOMP – top of mind preference), they’ll give their business to someone else.

In addition to providing a stellar product or service, here are 10 tips we suggest for getting (and staying!) top of mind with customers and clients:

1) Start with your target market in mind. Who are they? Spend your precious resources (time, money and energy) going after the customers you want to attract (and keep).

2) Assess your brand. Does your branding speak to and appeal to your target market? Does it still resonate with who you are, what you provide and what makes you unique? Are you “competing with yourself” with branding and marketing efforts that are not consistent?

3) Assess your current website. It’s your calling card, your online brochure and a sales tool. Is your website’s branding consistent with your other branded efforts and materials? Is it up to date in terms of look, layout and content? Does it tell your unique story? Is it filled with industry jargon and claims everyone else could make? De-jargon it, tell your story and explain your claims.

4) Do you have newsworthy events or stories you could let the media know about? Are you involved in the community? Let people know what you are doing – via your website, social media channels and, if appropriate, the media.

5) Social media. Don’t ignore social media as a tool to get and stay top of mind with your target market (and those who could refer you). If you haven’t already, start with 1 social media channel…and do it well. Don’t make the mistake of thinking “if I build it they will come.” Stay active. And remember that it’s called SOCIAL media. Be social – engage, participate and respond.

6) More on social media: be where your target market is. If you are a B2B company (a business selling to businesses), LinkedIn is a natural choice. But remember that your customers’ targets may be consumers…so they will be more active where consumers are, such as facebook.

7) Pictures are powerful. Use them – on social media, on your website and in email marketing.

8) Assess your marketing materials, advertising and other marketing efforts. Are your efforts speaking to your target market, in terms of content and images? Could your advertising be refined to more narrowly go after your target market? For example, if your target market is primarily men and you’re doing general radio advertising, could you reach a higher concentration of your target market if you advertised during a sports radio program?

9) Where does your target market go to network for their business? The chamber? A trade association? Get involved where they are – join, sponsor, advertise, volunteer, speak, network.

10) Email marketing. Are you communicating with potential, past and existing customers via email or an eNewsletter? Many companies shy away from email as a tool because they don’t want to bombard their database. And yet others DO bombard people. There’s a nice place in the middle…especially when you provide tips, links to helpful articles and special offers.

December 3, 2013 By Kelly Kirkendoll

Client Spotlight: Award-Winning Texas Poet Laureate Karla K. Morton

Congratulations to award-winning author and Texas Poet Laureate, Karla K. Morton, on the release of her latest book – Hometown, Texas.

Published by TCU Press, this book is the culmination of an 18-month, 80,000-mile journey throughout Texas, where Karla spoke at secondary schools, conferences, universities, public libraries, bookstores and cancer support groups (for a total of 70+ speaking engagements). Hometown, Texas includes poetry, photography and artwork by Karla and selected students from 24 Texas towns.

Hometown, Texas is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and TCU Press.

The book (Karla’s 9th) has received great media coverage so far, including:
Good Morning Texas, the front page of the Denton Record-Chronicle, the Austin American- Statesman and more.

September 25, 2013 By Kelly Kirkendoll

12 Tips for Promoting Your Organization’s Next Event

During Thrive PR’s 10 years in business, we have promoted many different types and sizes of events — from conferences to galas to festivals, theater productions and more.

Because many organizations – especially nonprofits and trade associations – rely heavily on events to sustain their missions and operations, we wanted to pass along several tips for successfully promoting your next event:

1. Target Market. Our golden rule is: always start with your target market. Who is your target market, in terms of attendees? Sponsors? Those to help you spread the word? Think about who the decision makers are, not just who you want to attend the event.

2. Planning. Start planning, if possible, 6 to 12 months in advance. The sooner you have the who, what, where, when (and why) details nailed, the sooner you can start promoting your event. We have never heard a client lament about starting the planning process too soon.

3. Branding. Brand your event with a name and logo of its own — one that appeals to your target market and does not conflict with your organization’s brand in terms of color, style, message or other attributes. Make sure your event logo and materials are professionally designed and that the designer knows how to create materials for web use, professional printing and signage. Also, be consistent in your branding across all of your communication efforts.

4. Website. Make sure your event information is on your website and that it can be found easily. Update your site as new activities, speakers, sponsors, etc. are added, and make sure that the event information is easy to find. Don’t make it difficult for visitors to figure out how to attend, buy tickets or sponsor your event.

5. Social Media. Share event details on your social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Instagram. Post topics could include: activities, photos, sponsors, special guests, speakers, agenda info., purchase info., media coverage, deadlines, new announcements, etc. Not all channels are necessarily appropriate for every organization or event. Think about your target market(s) and where they can be found and reached.

6. Email. Email communications/email blasts are a timely and cost-effective way to get the word out to your email database (which you should be mindful of growing all year, every year). I often see organizations fall into one of two categories related to email: they either hardly use this tool, for fear of being a nuisance to their database, OR they inundate people with emails. There is a fabulous place in the middle, and that’s where you should aim to be!

7. Media Relations. Write and send a press release about your event to appropriate media outlets. Be sure that your press release includes who, what, where, when, why and that it’s written using AP Style guidelines. Magazines and industry trade journals have a much longer lead-time than newspapers, TV or radio, so keep their deadlines in mind. Follow up with key media contacts (but not just to say – “hey, did you get my press release?”).

8. Printed Materials. Don’t forget about printed materials you’ll need before (and the day of) your event, such as invitations, marketing postcards, ads, signage, posters/fliers and the event program.

9. Sponsors. Recognize your sponsors (unless they wish to remain anonymous) in all of the above. And recognize them often. Include them, as appropriate, in your press release, on your website, in email blasts, in social media posts, on invitations, on marketing postcards, on posters/fliers, in ads, on signage at the event, in the event program and during the event (have the emcee publicly thank and recognize them). If you can get a media sponsor(s), invite a radio or TV sponsor to serve as your emcee or a magazine sponsor to distribute copies of their publication to your guests (note: it can be much more difficult for a new event or organization to obtain a media sponsor).

10. Photos. Get high-resolution photos taken during your event, preferably by a professional photographer. Post them, afterward, on social media channels and use them to promote next year’s event. Be sure to give photo credit to the photographer.

11. Post-Event Promotion. Your event promotion work is NOT over when the event is. Post photos on social media channels, add a few photos to your website, send thank you messages via email, send high-resolution photos to media outlets (if appropriate) and mail cards and/or letters to say thank you to sponsors, donors, speakers, volunteers and other contributors who made your event a success.

12. Pre-Planning for Next Year. Shortly after your event, hold a meeting to discuss what worked, what didn’t, ideas and steps to take the next year!

If you need help promoting your next event (yes, here’s the shameless plug), please contact us at Thrive PR to discuss how we can help! Contact Kelly Kirkendoll at kelly@thrivepublicrelations.com or 972.330.2882.

May 28, 2013 By Kelly Kirkendoll

Client Spotlight: North Texas Roofing Contractors Association Receives National Recognition

The North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA) – a regional association for residential and commercial roofing contractors, distributors, manufacturers and associates who maintain the highest industry standards – recently received national recognition for its “Who’s On Your Roof?” consumer advocacy campaign when it won a Gold Circle Award honorable mention earlier this year, in the category of community service. The Gold Circle Awards are given annually by the NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association).

NTRCA’s “Who’s On Your Roof?” consumer advocacy campaign helps educate North Texas consumers and provides them with information and resources to protect themselves from scams and roofing storm chasers.

“We are honored that NTRCA was recognized for its commitment to the North Texas community,” said Karen Vermaire Fox, executive director of NTRCA. “NTRCA is proud of its consumer awareness work. With no state licensing or registration required of roofers in Texas, anyone can call themselves a roofer, regardless of their experience – or lack thereof. The onus, unfortunately, is on the consumer to protect themselves from storm chasers and scam artists, and we feel it is critical for our organization to help arm North Texans with information to protect themselves.”

The NTRCA Who’s On Your Roof? consumer awareness campaign is ongoing and has included: the development of a one-page list of questions that NTRCA recommends consumers ask of any roofing contractor they are considering (available in both English and Spanish on the NTRCA website); a consumer advocacy postcard (in both English and Spanish) with information and an abbreviated list of the NTRCA-recommended questions; media outreach and interviews; communication with municipalities in areas that were hit the hardest by damaging storms; consumer awareness advertisements in local newspapers; sharing consumer awareness information via social media channels; an advice page on the NTRCA website (in both English and Spanish) and two consumer awareness videos – one for homeowners and one for commercial property owners.

NTRCA was honored during NRCA’s annual awards presentation at NRCA’s 126^th Annual Convention and International Roofing Expo, held February 6, 2013 in San Antonio. Click here to see a full list of winners.

May 28, 2013 By Kelly Kirkendoll

Is it Time to Rebrand Your Business?

Sooner or later, almost every business or nonprofit faces the question: is it time to rebrand? If you’ve ever entertained this thought (and even if you haven’t), consider the following:

When it may be time to rebrand….

Your founder created your logo based on their favorite color, animal, child’s name, etc., and it just doesn’t make sense for your business. If there’s an owl, for example, in your logo simply because your founder loved owls, and it has nothing to do with your business and no appeal to your target market, it’s probably time to rebrand. Or, if you’re a health food company and your original logo is perfect, except that none of the colors can be found in a naturally grown food, it is time to update your brand’s colors!

You have changed names, expanded and/or shifted directions, and your logo no longer encompasses who you are and what you do. For example, if your company originally made candy canes but now makes pretzels, chips and chocolate too, yet you’re still using a red and white striped logo, you have outgrown your current branding.

Your brand doesn’t appeal to your target market. If your target market is men, yet your logo is pink with feminine swirls, it is definitely time to rebrand. Your logo’s design style and other choices need to appeal to your target market.

Your logo dates your company and/or no longer represents the image you’d like to portray. Perhaps when you started 15 years ago, you created your own logo (or had your brother-in-law do it) out of budget necessity. It served your needs then, but now it’s too common, doesn’t capture who you are or simply doesn’t look professional enough.

Your brand name no longer works for you. Perhaps the name of your company now has negative associations, is offensive in a new market or, much to your horror, is the same as a bad, popular new slang word.

Your brand name or logo doesn’t stand out or differentiate itself. If your name or logo is too common or similar to others in your field, it will be difficult for potential customers to know the difference.

When it may NOT be time to rebrand…

You can’t afford to do it yet. If you’re a startup or a small business just barely making it, and you have a lot of printed materials that would need updated, it may be best to hold off until you can afford to update everything. Don’t rebrand if you will be putting yourself in a 2-brand position – one online and another offline (with your printed materials).

You’re bored with your logo and think it’s time for a change. If you or someone on your team wants to rebrand simply for the sake of rebranding and none of the factors above apply, now is probably not the right time to rebrand. Consistency – unless your brand needs changed – is more important.