News Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Michelle Rogers, Inc.

Using social media and blogs strategically to promote your organization

This week I was a guest speaker at two University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill classes. One was an undergraduate class of about 27 senior public relations students at the School of Journalism. The other was a master’s level class of about 17 enrolled in a marketing for nonprofits course at the School of Social Work.

I presented on “Using Social Media and Blogs Strategically to Promote Your Organization,” and drew from my experiences as a director of communications at UNC as well as with my clients and my healthy lifestyle blog.

First, I showed them all of the social media channels and online communication vehicles we are using at the School of Social Work, including blogs, our e-newsletter, and our Contact Magazine news site. Then I relayed the ways that we are using social media and blogging together to increase our readership and to bring visitors to our website. I also explained some of the benefits of having a WordPress-based blog, and encouraged them to establish their own site and use social media to drive traffic to it, rather than rely on a Facebook page to be their organization’s site.

In a section I called “The Art and Science of Social Media,” I explained that being successful in social media requires using both sides of your brain — the analytical, and the creative.

I emphasized the importance of defining your target audience, and how to use Google Analytics and other tools to learn more about your site’s visitors, such as where they are located, when they are online, and what content they respond to. For example, it’s important to take time zones into account with social media if you have a national or international audience.

I also offered some dos and don’ts, strategies for increasing your followers, and tips on using Facebook and Twitter to grab attention, encourage engagement, and drive traffic to your site.

We also discussed style, voice, and the use of storytelling and visuals in creating compelling content.

They were both outstanding groups, and asked a lot of wonderful questions. I enjoyed this experience so much, and love being able to share what I’ve learned and discuss strategy. I can’t wait until the next time!

© Michelle Rogers, Inc.

Website for professor shines spotlight on her research

Recently I welcomed a new client, Jennifer Swanberg, Ph.D. I first met Dr. Swanberg when she was a visiting professor at UNC. It was a pleasure working with her at UNC, and I enjoyed presenting on social media to her class. Since then, Dr. Swanberg joined the faculty at the University of Maryland, where she is continuing her research focused on low-wage worker health, safety and quality of life.

When she wanted to launch a website about her research, I was honored that she called on me. I created a beautiful WordPress site that she will be able to easily keep updated on her own.

Here is what Dr. Swanberg had to say about her new website:

“I chose to work with Michelle Rogers because of her expertise in marketing and website design, as well as because of her experience helping university faculty promote their research. I also chose to work with Michelle because I like her visual aesthetic. That is, she seems to have a unique ability to represent information in a way that is visually engaging.

Working with Michelle has been easy and fun. She is very professional, prompt and honest. When I was explaining what I thought I wanted for my website, she asked many questions to ensure she understood my vision. The website she developed for me exceeded my expectations. I had no idea that the WordPress platform that we selected could produce such a clean, engaging and easy-to-navigate website. Michelle clearly heard what I wanted and made it happen!”

Learning and connecting at Fitbloggin ’14

This year I attended Fitbloggin ’14, a conference for those who blog about fitness, wellness and a healthy lifestyle.

It was my first time at this annual conference, which this year was held in beautiful Savannah, Ga.

The primary reason I invest in conferences is for the invaluable learning opportunity, where seasoned bloggers share insider tips and techniques and answer questions. Fitbloggin didn’t disappoint, and I came home with pages of notes. There was also a small expo, providing an opportunity to connect with brands in person.

The workshops I chose to attend were business, marketing and technical related. They included:

How to Organize Community Wellness Programs
Taking Your Smartphone Video to the Next Level
So You Want to Start Podcasting
Monetizing and Affiliate Marketing
How to Pitch Brands for Ambassadorships and Sponsorships
Media Kits and More: The Art of Being Booked
Positioning Yourself to Make Monetiziation, Sponsorship, and Growth More Efficient, Effective and Purposeful

Filming a video clip for Walgreens on the healthy choices I make. — Filming a video clip for Walgreens on the healthy choices I make

While there, as part of my sponsorship agreement with Walgreens, I also participated in and wrote a post about health screenings at the Walgreens Way to Well Tour bus. After that I filmed a video clip for Walgreens on the healthy choices I make. I gave my top tip, which is set a time every day to work out. My spot will be combined with others, and I can’t wait to see the finished video!

There is so much to see and do in Savannah, and my time there was much too short. I can’t wait to go back.

I always return from events like this with my head spinning from everything I learned, and with a very long to-do list of things to implement, accomplish, or investigate further. Time to get to work!

Using video as a public relations tool to generate media interest

Filming the interview in the professor's office — Filming the interview in the professor’s office

There are many ways that video can be used in public relations and communications. Here I’m going to focus on one: A very effective strategy I use to attract media interest in my press releases is to include a video.

A perfect example of this is a recent UNC news release we did about a professor’s study that found promising results in a local domestic violence prevention program. To go along with our great article, I filmed an interview with the professor. I then went to Raleigh to film an interview on-site with the program’s coordinator, who is also an alumna of our School.

We captured about 90 minutes of video. I then reviewed all the footage, crafted how I wanted the story to unfold, selected the best sound bites, and edited the final cut down to about 3 1/2 minutes.

A video makes a news story come to life, and certainly makes it more interesting. But a big advantage of using it in public relations is that a news release with a video generates more media attention than one without.

In a video, media producers can see and hear how well someone presents himself — leading to increased confidence in booking them on air.

And this works not just for TV, but for radio as well. The professor and program manager were quickly booked by a radio station for an on-air interview in a news story, and were also featured guests on “The State of Things” on NPR for a show based on the topic of our press release. Another time, a radio station didn’t interview the professor but used an audio clip from the press release video I’d produced when they aired their news story.

The bottom line? In PR and communications, it’s always an advantage to show and not just tell.

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