(If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) When I’m in a charitable mood, I like to say that I have a “love/hate” relationship with the infographic. When I’m being less than charitable, I describe the infographic as the “Emperor’s New Clothes” of the 21st Century, a frustratingly contrived and counter-utilitarian device which has […]
New Brand … Same Client Commitment
(If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) What’s in a name? For our firm, a rebranding/name change that’s launching this week amounts to much more than a website makeover and new business cards. As we approached our tenth anniversary this year, we realized we were overdue for the rebranding. After all, we started […]
Why PR Teams Need In-House Training
(If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) How much money do organizations invest in external trainers and educational seminars a year? Actually, U.S. companies will spend $156 billion a year on employee training alone, according to the American Society for Training and Development. But recently at W2 Communications, it only cost the price […]
Fed Shutdown Can’t Kill a “Geek” Fest
(If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) Talk about overcoming challenges: Our high-tech PR firm was determined to keep our sixth annual Run! Geek! Run! 8K going – even when the government shutdown forced us to postpone the original Oct. 5 date. (We’ve always held the event in West Potomac Park, a U.S. […]
Content Director Featured in Top B2B Pub
(If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) What are the rewards – and pitfalls – of hiring ex-journalists as content marketers? Dennis McCafferty, W2 Communications Director of Content, was recently featured in an article in a prominent website, The B2B Marketing Mentor, to share his thoughts on this topic. B2B Marketing Mentor is […]
Avoiding the ‘7 Sins’ of Content Marketing
(If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) Despite all of the ‘science’ that gets tossed out there about content marketing – such as proven techniques to get optimal SEO, ROI on content spend, etc. – we’re still talking about a pretty subjective practice here. Which means different perspectives will shape the final effort. […]
“Pin” Your Way to Customer Engagement
(If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) Most organizations recognize the value of establishing a presence on at least one social-media platform today for marketing purposes. However, sites such as Pinterest and Instagram remain somewhat of a mystery. They’re occasionally dismissed as the domain of teens and other social-media junkies. But it would be a […]
When News Breaks: 5 Tips for Rapid Response
In a recent blog, W2Comm’s Tony Welz wrote about how an effective rapid response strategy plays a key role for many of our clients. At our high-tech PR agency, we stay on top of news which breaks early and often. In positioning our client executives as Thought Leaders, it’s important to get them out in […]
Key Journalism Skills for Content Marketing
(If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) As posted here previously, I recently contributed this Content Marketing Institute piece about the growing trend of recruiting former journalists to help execute brand-content promotion. Many of these ex-reporters are hired on a contractual, freelance basis, and others – like me – do it fulltime. Either […]
Essential Steps of a Thought Leadership Plan
(The following is the second of a two-part blog on Thought Leadership PR/communications campaigns. If you like this blog, please share it. Thanks!) To create impactful brand messaging in a lasting, meaningful way, we must aim high. In today’s media environment, this means elevating your clients to the level of Thought Leader. So how do you […]