5 social media trends for 2018

With over 250 billion social media users, 2018 is already another busy year for online trends and updates. We’ve summarised five social media trends that your business MUST be paying attention to in 2018. Think experiential, think bots, think interaction…

Instagram Stories

With over 250 million monthly users, Instagram Stories were the fastest-growing social platform of 2017 and they’re our number one social media trend to implement in your strategy for 2018.

According to KPCB’s 2018 Internet Trends Report the average daily time spent on Instagram is 28 minutes, compared to 15 minutes in the pre-stories era.

KPCB also found that one in five stories from a brand will result in a direct message.

With these statistics it’s easy to see why Instagram Stories should be at the top of your priority list.

 

User-Generated Content

Thanks to social media’s (particularly Facebook’s) constantly changing algorithms, organic reach from branded material is consistently decreasing across all platforms.

Brands such as BMW, Starbucks and Adobe are using user-generated content to combat this decline. These posts not only increase reach but also drive higher engagement rate between brands and their customers.

The KPCB report said user-generated content re-posted by brands created seven times higher engagement rates than branded content.

The study also showed that social media users are seven times more likely to trust user-generated content, and 56% of them are more likely to buy a product after seeing that content.

So, if you’re not currently using user-generated content in your 2018 social media plan, it’s time to re-think your strategy.

 

Social Media is Mobile

We all know how reliant we are on our smartphones. For many of us, especially in the communications industry, it’s glued to our hands 24/7.

Interestingly, Facebook recently conducted a study that showed 94% of participants had their smart phone in their hand when watching TV. The results also showed that viewers focused on the TV screen just 53% of the time, and one of the top reasons they looked away was to use their phones.

With 94% of Facebook users and 82% of Twitter users primarily using the mobile app, it’s clear that ‘we’re mobile’ and that’s only the beginning!

As such, in 2018 it’s important to ensure our content, websites and links are as mobile friendly as possible.

 

Social messaging has overtaken social media

According to a recent study by Business Insider, more people are now using the top four social messaging apps – WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat and Viber – than the top four social media apps of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The popularity of ‘dark social’ has been on a steady rise over the past three years and shows no sign of slowing down.

If social media has been a great opportunity for businesses, then social messaging cannot be ignored, especially when our last social media trend of 2018 is chat bots!

 

Chat Bots Are Here to Stay!

With the increase of social messaging, social bots are also on the rise. A study by Business Insider showed a major increase in chat bots, from 33,000 to 100,000 on Facebook’s Messenger alone.

The same study also showed that 80% of marketing managers are already using or plan to use chat bots by 2020, and with chat bots increasing workplace productivity by up to three times, it’s easy to see why bots are becoming the communicator of choice for businesses.

With voice and bots here to stay, define what ‘experience’ you should be creating for your audience.

Don’t have time to keep up with all the latest online trends? Well, its’s our job to identify social media trends and keep our clients at the top of their social media game. Get in touch.

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Our newest creative – Carlie Welsh

We’re thrilled to introduce our newest creative to Southern PR HQ! Carlie Welsh has come to us from across the Tasman and is delighted to call Queenstown her new home. After completing her degree in Professional Communications at one of Australia’s leading universities, Carlie was determined to combine her love of the mountains with her…

We’ve asked her all the hard questions so you don’t have to…

Who are you and what’s your role at SPR?

Carlie Welsh, Account Executive at Southern PR with a focus on digital communications and social media strategy.

What excites you about a career in PR and communications?

Every day is a new adventure. There’s always a new story, opportunity or event happening – no day is a boring day in PR! I love keeping on top of economic, political and social updates, crafting stories and keeping my clients in the news (for all the right reasons of course).

It’s such an exciting time to be in communications, when there’s new technologies and new opportunities for development every day. I’m truly lucky to work with a broad range of clients that I’m genuinely passionate about, helping them shape their stories and personality from within.

One lesson you learnt from your time working in PR in Melbourne?

We are always ‘on’ in PR! There’s no ‘downtime’ for a PR professional, so you’d better love your job if you want to succeed.  PR is a 24/7 job and our clients’ needs are always our first priority. Luckily, I absolutely love the industry and it has always been my goal to find a job that becomes an integral part of my lifestyle.

Finish this sentence: on Sunday mornings you can usually find me…

Out and about (with a good coffee in hand)! I’m an active person and love nothing more than hiking, biking, eating and drinking my way through Queenstown. In the winter I’m a snowboarder (sorry mum and dad, I’ve gone to the dark side), so you’ll most likely find me up The Remarkables hanging out in Outward or Homeward with my fellow boarders. In summer I’ll be out brunching before embarking on a half-day hike or a tikki-tour tour through our stunning wine country.

What would be your personal motto?

“A ship is safe in the harbour, but that’s not what ships are made for.”

This is such a great quote that my Grandpa once told me and it’s stuck ever since. We as humans often don’t like new things and pushing our boundaries, but we don’t grow and learn if all we do is stay in the safety of our comfort zone. Never become complacent and always push your limits – you’ll be surprised how exciting life can be!

Want to know more? Get in touch with Carlie.

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17 things we’ve loved in 2017

Aaaaaaaaand…. that’s a wrap. Our cosy office in the heart of Frankton is all locked up and ready for some peace and quiet this silly season! With 2018 just around the corner, we thought it was timely to summarise what we loved most about 2017. It’s been a big year – a year of change,…

17 things we’ve loved in 2017:

1 > Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern 

For her stringent citizen test and love of pineapple lumps. Oh and girl power. The fact she loves cats. For inspiring our daughters. For showing Gareth Morgan that voters can, indeed, “be that thick”. And look what happened to him, eh? (Image: ZM Online)

Jacinda-Arden-ZM-interview

 

2 > Rebranding Southern PR 

Our clients rely on us to protect their reputations and build their brands, and 2017 was our year for the brand revamp. Practice what you preach!

So we took the leap, and what came next was truly spectacular, thanks to the creative team at Whitelaw Mitchell.

We said hello to our new bright Pantone colours (mixed with a healthy balance of black), geometric shapes, and fonts to match. We love it. Hope you do too.

3 > Launching our savvy new website

With our cool new look, the next step was a website to match. We came out of the dark ages and transitioned into the digital imperatives of a responsive and mobile-friendly website, with visitor experience top of mind.

Missed it? Here’s 6 ‘must-know’ facts about our website launch.

Southern-PR-new-launch

4 > Coffee

It simply gets our creative juices flowing. Thanks to our new KeepCups we’re saving the planet one coffee at a time.

We feel good, anyway.

5 > Kiwi golfer Michael Hendry – king of the course

Hendry was the first New Zealander in 14 years to win the Brodie Breeze trophy, and what a celebration it was!

He’s back to defend his crown for the 99th ISPS Handa New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort and The Hills on 1 to 4 March 2018. See you there! (Image: New Zealand Open)

New-Zealand-Open-Michael-Hendry

 

6 > Planet Earth

A tribute to Sir David Attenborough.

He’s taken us closer to nature than we’ve ever been before and if the Hans Zimmer sound track isn’t enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, the penguins jumping off the cliff will tug at your heart strings…

7 > Award-winning us

Back in August, we were named top public relations agency in Australasia at the Australasian Leisure Management Communications and Marketing Awards.

It was incredibly exciting to be recognised for the work we do throughout Australasia in the tourism and leisure sectors.

Southern-PR-Sarah-Fiona-Laura

 

8 > Our family of clients making a world of difference

Our clients? They’re awesome. Do we need to say anything else? Highlights of the year, as always.

9 > Rabbit Ranch Pinot Noir Rosé and peonies!

Pass the pink stuff! This heavenly pink is our favourite rosé for 2017, and spring is our favourite season for the simple fact that extravagantly beautiful peonies become a must-have in our office.

10 > Hello Christchurch

Our savvy little company branched out into Christchurch this year. Starting with a bang, we worked on the PR launch for the new Crowne Plaza Christchurch. (Image: Designworks)

Crowne-Plaza-Christchurch-grand-staircase-Designworks

 

11 > Moving Mountains

Back in March we secured a 12-page spread for our client Southern Landmarx in NZ House and Garden. Yes, 12 pages. A fantastic result off the back of a double medal trifecta award win.

12 > Brain Food

With an unstoppable energy for delivering morning to night experiences, the Yonder team is rightfully winning the hearts of locals by offering something new in Queenstown.

Our favourite on the menu – the Kimchi Bowl. (Image: Whitelaw Mitchell)

Yonder-Queenstown-Kimchi-Bowl

 

13 > Networking

There’s nothing we love more than connecting with Queenstown’s vibrant business community. We’re lucky to have so many inspiring people and entrepreneurial masterminds on our doorstep.

Every event or breakfast meeting is an opportunity to ‘wow’ people with our snazzy square business cards. Who said print was dead? Make an impact.

14 > Upskilling

Don’t get left behind. Invest in your business and your people.

We’re delighted to be working with Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) to help bring more communications-based courses to Queenstown.

Our little resort town can sometimes be ‘off the radar’ due to our ‘remote’ location, so join us for a two-day course early next year to learn how to master communication and gain skills for the digital era. View course details here.

15 > Supporting culture in Queenstown

Yes we love all our clients. But we love LUMA differently because they don’t pay us. That’s because they put all the money they DO get into this awesome event that’s growing bigger by the year. We’re OK with that. (Image: Esther Small)

Luma-2017-Light-Walk-Esther-Small

 

16 > Reputation management

Reputation is key. Knowing what to do when things go wrong (and they do) is all about having a plan. We sincerely hope you never have to use your plan. But when the s**t hits the proverbial you better have one. Talk to us.

17 > Clay Target Shooting

There’s something really, really satisfying about shooting stuff (bad day at the office, anyone?). That’s shooting clays and rabbits (clay discs of course)! We just channelled our inner sharpshooter thanks to the wonderful team at Break One Clay Target Shooting.

Amidst the stunning landscape on the private Queenstown Hill Station, Fiona revealed her ‘wild side’ and took home top score at our office Christmas party! (Image: Break One)

Southern-PR-Laura-Fiona-Amy

 

And there you have it, happy holidays and see you in 2018.

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Storytelling – dare to be yourself

We’re looking into two of our favourite W’s – the what and why – in our latest blog to inspire you to think outside the box when creating content marketing strategy for 2018. Whatever the channel, it’s all about curating timely, well thought-out and attention-grabbing stories that tick all the boxes for the editor or…

We’ve attended a number of seminars since September including the Auckland-based Social Media Conference NZ and Destination Queenstown’s (DQ) Queenstown Week Insights Programme. Huge thanks to DQ for bringing international speakers to Queenstown for an exciting week of inspirational presentations on how businesses can ‘talk’ to the Australian market.

A key message that comes up time and time again, one that resonates strongly with us and ‘what we do’ is…

Think beyond your product and tell your story.

So we’ve compiled some top tips to help you on your way.

What’s a story?

In short, it’s a description of a connected series of events. Storytelling’s an age-old craft, enabling people and businesses to transform perceptions and share experiences.

We’re ALL human, and stories help show you’re human.

New Zealand Story’s Marketing Manager Gary O’Neil shared this in a recent presentation – ‘stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts’*.

So, let’s think how you can turn your (potentially dry) product or company fact sheet into a series of stories. Can these facts be broken down? Is there a news hook or angle about your history, a ‘day in your life’ or the one thing that makes you different to any comparative business? What’s your USP’s?

How and what 

Our question to you is how are you planning on capturing attention and what is your Kiwi story?

Are you a 25-year-old tourism business which started off as a one-man-band or the oldest winery in Central Otago with stories to tell about your land, people and wine?

In today’s fragmented media landscape, journalists are being asked to produce double the content but with less resources. As a PR agency, we’re producing increasing numbers of editorial pieces for clients (in addition to traditional media releases) so we can pitch to journalists with content they can pick up and run ‘as is’.

For this to work, you need to know who you’re writing for (what stories have they previously covered?), what’s of interest to them and their readers, and have a basic understanding of what’s ‘media-worthy’.

If your strategy is to create your own editorial content, you’ll need to ensure you’re curating and delivering high quality pieces, written in a journalistic-style and voice to suit your desired publication. Maybe think about hiring a writer for your team or outsourcing to a PR or content agency.

So what’s your angle?

An angle is the specific emphasis you choose for a story that you’ll use as your pitch to media.

We’ve compiled a list of ideas to help you ‘dig deep’ so you can ‘wow and wonder’ in interesting and emotional (adds the human element) ways in 2018.

  • When did you start? Your journey – break this down into bite-sized pieces to unearth hidden treasures around your brand
  • Who are your people? Locals or internationals? Is there a Kiwi story to be told?
  • Be human – where did you begin? What kind of business are you? What do you believe in? What’s your mission and values?
  • Can your audience relate to you? If so, in what areas? Think about brand personality and how you might inspire your community
  • How do you think, envision the future, and where do you want to be? Think about growth and aspirations — what’s in the pipeline for your company directors or front of house teams? Is this an opportunity to profile your people?
  • What trending topics can you relate to (think BuzzFeed and Twitter). Does your team have the ability and resources to be reactive?
  • Do you have an upcoming anniversary you can leverage? Do you recognise employees for their longevity?
  • Think about how you work with your community. Does your company donate time/people to community or charity projects? What emotions are behind this and why do you do it?
  • Something new to say or offer — don’t miss these opportunities.
  • What memories do you provide for your customers? Could this create a story in itself?

While brainstorming these content ideas, you should apply Lauren Quaintance’s (Storyation co-founder) ‘so what’ test.

“Great stories pass the ‘so what test,” she said at a recent presentation on storytelling.

“Journalists want quirky or unique stories that generate talkability or ‘water-cooler’ conversation. Ideas that will grab attention in the social feed.

“Ask yourself, is it surprising, different or eye-catching. Or is it a case of so what?”

It’s our business to communicate client messages accurately to their audiences through relevant channels. Do you need help telling your story? Get in touch.

*Jennifer Aaker, Social Psychologist. Professor of Marketing at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

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Making newsletters great again

We all do it. The days when your inbox is so overloaded you get the greatest satisfaction from a mass ‘delete’. Or you fervently unsubscribe to all your sign ups at the start of the New Year – it’s so cleansing, right? But then something catches your eye when you’re trolling the interweb. You read…

Email marketing continues to be a vital communications channel for all businesses in the days when inbox competition for attention from email subscribers remains fierce.  There’s plenty of newsletters that don’t hit the mark, that’s for sure. But every now and then, we get a newsletter that’s so good, not only do we read it, but we click it, share it, and recommend it to our friends.

So you want to be that winning newsletter

SMB’s are stepping up their game in the email marketing world. Focus on email marketing should be in your content marketing strategy for 2018 because it’s such an important strand in your multi-layered business growth strategy.

Think about it. You’ve got a potential or existing client who has already engaged with you to the extent that you’ve got their contact details. They’re willing for you to send them stuff they want or need to know, or want or need to buy (you get the drift).

So don’t stuff it up. Planning and good quality content is KEY to success. You want this to be a long-term relationship not a quick fling.

The ‘how to’ newsletter

Take ‘How to Dad’. He’s built a trusted brand by saying it like it is, with a good dose of Kiwi humour. He’s real. He’s so real and trusted a local electricity company has brought him on board as their brand ambassador to peddle a ‘good cause’.

So, back to your ‘how to’ newsletter.

Keep it real. Don’t be one of those automated email newsletters that just give us another morning task – deleting or marking as read (not read).

Exceptional newsletters or email marketing campaigns need to be cleverly written to attract attention. They should be personalised, filled with interesting graphics or images, and designed for mobile and desktop.

Above all, newsletters must contain a meaningful call-to-action. Every message must have a point to it.

And we do that how?

Try awesome subject lines and preview text. They’re always short and punchy, and they’re consistent and logical. BuzzFeed does this exceptionally well – they know their market.

Keep it simple. If you’ve got a deal or promo on the table, give it a brief initial description paired with a very clear call-to-action. The ‘skimmer’ subscribers can get the basics in a matter of seconds, while those who want to learn more are treated to a more detailed (still pleasingly simple), step-by-step explanation of how the deal works. Uber is a master at this.

Be consistent with your branding. Look at your website, social media photos, your app or other parts of your visual branding, and make sure your newsletter’s singing from that same songsheet. All communications and marketing assets should tell your brand’s story, and it makes your newsletter stand out from the inbox crowd.

What’s working and what’s not

There’s a few ways to measure what’s working and what’s not. Use your analytics, look at clicks etc. For relatively straightforward newsletter templates and measurable campaigns use something like Mailchimp to see how you’re going. Try sending out newsletters on different days of the week, different times, then look at which gets the most opens or clicks. Which parts of your newsletter are being read? Ask for feedback on content or timing – you can easily incentivise that. Keep changing and evolving and most of all, keep it real.

Regular, consistent and relevant communication with current clients is a crucial tool. Know the importance but stuck for words? Let us help, we’re wordsmiths after all.

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Social media takeaways from December

Summer is officially here (hurrah!). With only 2.5 weeks until Christmas we’ve compiled our final social media takeaway blog for 2017. Here’s a recap of seven almighty social media updates and trends to keep in mind for planning and implementation of your social and PR strategy in 2018. Video is KING

Did we need to remind you? According to a recent Social Media Today infographic, video is expected to account for more than 80% of all consumer internet traffic by 2021.

Having the ability to create video content across your platforms remains KEY in your strategy. Grab your iPhone, a tripod and get practising with family and friends this silly season.

 

4K resolution for Facebook

Uploading and sending high res images via email is a thing of a past thanks to the latest Facebook Messenger update. Communities and businesses can now send and receive images in 4K resolution (up to 4,096 x 4,096 pixels per image).

Happy sharing.

 

Milestone moment for Instagram business community

The Instagram business community has grown to 25 million. If you’re a Queenstown business and you’re not already on this platform, it’s time to discover, connect and determine whether this is for you.

Still not quite sure how to reach your customers this Christmas? Relax. Our beloved Instagram is spreading some festive cheer to help you shine bright. Click here to succeed.

 

Ephemeral Content

Never underestimate ephemeral content marketing. Yes, it’s short-lived content (shows and disappears in seconds or 24-hours) however it’s a cost-effective and authentic way to connect with your fans, followers or audiences.

Humanise your brand by sharing your behind-the-scenes moments, show a real-time snippet of your CEO collecting your latest tourism award or showcase your media coverage and products in engaging ways. Whatever your content focus or strategy, it’s one to add to your team’s daily schedule.

 

A tweet ‘storm’ is brewing on Twitter

Along with the extended 280-character limit (do you like it?), Twitter’s Tweetstorm feature is in testing, enabling users to extend their tweets by adding additional context. Here’s how this might look.

To be honest, we have the same reservations as TechCrunch. Could this feature result in never-ending ranting and trolling from critics – potentially leading to additional ‘damage control’ from crisis management teams across the world?

 

Did someone say chatbot?

It’s top of mind and we’re looking forward to watching chatbots evolve for SMB’s next year.

Adding the ‘human’ to these artificial intelligence ‘bots’ remains key and businesses need to know there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Your customer’s journey is key.

 

Organic social isn’t dead

Yes, paid social is important to reach new audiences and convert your customers, however organic social is key for nurturing engagement, relationships and interactions.

Sprout Social looks into the importance of ‘sprouting’ engagement on your channels to help your company grow.

 

Looking for some ‘social’ holiday reading?

We’ve got three recommendations for you…

 

Keen for Southern PR to help you through this process or point you in the best direction? Get in touch, we’re happy to talk it through.

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Social Media Takeaways from September

Spring has most certainly sprung and it’s been a busy month all round, not just social media. You’ve got enough to worry about with the general election just happened, not to mention which way dear Winston is going to swing. Because last month’s  social media news and updates are possibly the last thing on your…

Instagram is aiming to make the platform a friendly and welcoming place where everyone can get along in its social community. All changes come with a new heart-shaped sticker and the #KindComments hashtag.

 

Instagram adds face filters to live video

Instagram filters have been readily available on video and images captured first and then posted, but now its face filters are available on live video.

This means you can customise your live videos even further and even target those audiences that have four legs and a tail [insert puppy dog filter here].

 

The latest on Twitter

Twitter doubles its tweet length

Twitter is testing extending its character count from 140 to 280 to persuade more users to use the platform. Twitter says the reason is to give you more characters to express yourself. Is my name Donald Trump, I hear you asking? What are your thoughts on the extension? Less is more, or more is …..too much?

 

The latest on Facebook

Facebook connectivity team touches down in Puerto Rico

Facebook is not only donating economically to the relief efforts of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, it’s also donating its employees!  Facebook employees are helping restore telecommunications so people can get in touch with their loved ones and rescue workers can further coordinate relief efforts. Thanks Facebook!

 

Facebook ranks the eighth most valuable brand in the world

For the first time in history, Facebook has broken into the top 10 of the world’s most valuable brands slotting into eighth position right next to Toyota and Mercedes Benz.

Interestingly, half the brands at the top of the Best Global Brands 2017 list are in the technology sector and have mastered creating experiences through technology that reinforce the value of the brand itself.

 

The latest on Snapchat

Snapchat introducing augmented reality beyond filters

Snapchat’s latest filter is yet another step further into augmented or virtual reality. Its new ‘Sky Filters’ give you the ability paint with all the colours of the wind…or, filters. Imagine being able to change the scenery to match your mood with virtual weather, sunsets, starry skies, rainbows and so on. Well, now you can! This was released on Snapchat’s sixth birthday – Happy Birthday!

 

Google and Snapchat join forces to hold the ultimate challenge for millennials

It’s no surprise that the future is technology and coding is a skill being recognised by major technology brands Google and Snapchat.

Called #MyFutureMe, the contest is to create and code an official Snap lens and accompany the entry with a 100-word statement about the ‘future you envision’. As with any great business idea, having a slick and well-rounded elevator pitch is key to success in this fast-paced and busy world. Five finalists will be sent to the TEDWomen conference in November to work with Google and Snap engineers. Interestingly, Snapchat will only verify contestants ages after finalists are selected.

Have we missed anything? Get in touch.

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Christchurch-based creative Amy Forsyth joins SPR

Delighted to announce that we’ve introduced yet another creative to the Southern PR team! Amy Forsyth hails from Christchurch as she joins us to expand SPR’s communication services to her beloved hometown. After working in one of Auckland’s biggest PR agencies, she’s back and fizzing that she gets to get work within a busy agency…

We’ve asked her all the hard questions here so you don’t have to…

Who are you and what’s your role at SPR?

Amy Forsyth, Account Executive and the first SPR ambassador for the Christchurch region.

What excites you about a career in PR and communications?

Keeping up to date with businesses and industries, listening to people’s stories of their objectives and issues and getting their identity to where they want to be. The level of problem solving and strategic thinking that goes into PR planning is not something that’s taught at University. It’s all about intuition, keeping up with affairs, knowing who’s who, and following the forever changing digital and communications landscape.

What’s your connection to the Garden City (aka Christchurch)?

Christchurch is my home! I’ve lived here all my life so I’m very aware of the changes and the opportunities that are in motion. After returning from work experience in Auckland, I’m also now working part-time at Crowne Plaza Christchurch as their Marketing Coordinator. Being so familiar with the city and media industry means I’m up-to-speed with the number of new businesses and inspiring individuals with fantastic new services, products or events on offer as the city springs back to life. I’m working on helping some of them get their key messages and branding across to the right audience.

If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

I’m admittedly a bit of a book nerd, so I have to say it would be Roald Dahl. His imaginative stories always resonate with me, even as an adult. His own life stretched over some significant historical events and happenings, so listening to his life stories would be unreal.

How do you keep up with today’s 365/24/7 news cycle?

Every morning with breakfast I check all major news platforms, regularly watch the news, and my Sunday ritual is to have breakfast with the Sunday paper whether I’m out for brunch, or at home I enjoy taking it all in in print. I also follow local online business directories like Neat Places, POA and CHCHcentral, and of course love to keep up with all the latest society trends through publications like Cityscape, Metropol, Style Mag and naturally also via social media.

It’s all about checking into the right sources and creating routine for enabling time to keep as updated as possible.

One of your best and most valuable learning experiences to date? Any advice/learnings from internships?

My most important piece of advice thus far in my career would be understanding that when you are on your client’s time it’s as though you work for the company directly yourself. You want to listen and absorb the feeling of their identity, gather a full picture of their background operations and understand how they want others to hear them; the real essence of their business.

Want to know more? Get in touch with Amy.

 

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Social Media Takeaways from August

Feeling overwhelmed with the latest social media trends? Stay on top of news and updates with our NEW social media takeaway blog. We’ve compiled a list of updates, big and small, so you stay up to date with platform changes. The latest on social media for Instagram Happy Birthday Instagram Stories The beloved Instagram Stories…

One in five organic Stories earns a direct message from a potential customer, so happy storytelling Instagrammers!

 

Instagram added conversation threads to comments

The conversation threads update, available with Instagram version 24 or above, makes it easy to connect and respond to a specific conversation. When users hit ‘reply’, the comment now appears in a ‘nested thread’ similar to Facebook.

 

Instagram gets savvy with a choice of image orientations

As of last week (August 30), Instagram has given users the ability to share multiple images and videos in portrait and landscape orientations. Content must be consistent as there’s still restrictions on different formats (square, portrait and landscape) when sharing multiple visuals.

 

The latest on social media for Twitter

Twitter celebrates 10 years of the hashtag

A decade ago, Twitter user Chris Messina pitched the idea of ‘the hashtag’ and changed our online conversations forever.

His idea? Simple! The ‘#’ symbol could make for a better user experience by grouping tweets together. Now, the hashtag has evolved from being an unused symbol on our computer keyboards to becoming the heart of every PR and social media campaign created today.

Happy birthday ‘#’!

 

The latest on social media for Facebook

Facebook adds functions for 360-degree images

Facebook now lets you shoot 360-degree images directly on the Facebook app. The coolest thing? You can now use those images as your cover image – look for the new ‘360 photo’ option in your status bar.

The function is soon to come for video.

 

Facebook adds new controls for influencer and brand collaboration

With influencer marketing spend on the rise, Facebook is technically ‘making it easy’ by enabling brands to boost content as it appears on the influencers Facebook page.

 

The latest on social media for LinkedIn

LinkedIn adds an in-app video creation tool

Although a bit late to the video content party, LinkedIn has added the capability for users to shoot and upload native video. The feature enables users to spark engagement and build relationships/connect with professional networks by increasing productivity through ‘work hack’ videos or sharing your front row seats at a national conference.

Have we missed anything? Get in touch.

 

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Crisis Communications: What to do when your business reputation is on the line

Accidents happen. Incidents happen. Sometimes to the biggest and ‘best’ businesses out there. But it shouldn’t really matter whether you and your business are ‘big’ or ‘small’. If you’ve spent years of your hard-earned cash and sacrificed so-called work/life balance to build your business. If your personal reputation and brand is on the line if…

Sadly, it seems a fair few businesses adopt the head-in-the-sand approach to crisis communications.

WHY?

Being honest enough to admit that you and your business are not perfect (that business really, truly doesn’t exist) and being prepared before the crisis happens is not that hard.

Yes it costs to call on a communication company for training and in the event of a crisis. But what’s at stake here? The most important thing in your business is your reputation; what you’ve built up over the years is something you should be prepared to protect.

SO, HAVE A CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.

If you’re in any kind of business you’ll no doubt have operational plans, rules and regulations coming out of your ears. In, for example, aviation, adventure tourism, or events, the levels of compliance are probably driving you nuts, as you’re constantly having to refresh or re-do the mounds of *online* paperwork or show that you meet the latest standards.

But what’s the point in having all that documentation if it can all be unravelled in a matter of two or three days if you don’t respond appropriately to a crisis?

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS 101

Southern PR’s Director Fiona Woodham shares her ‘Crisis Comms 101’ top tips to help get you started:

  • Consider all the scenarios (from death, to injury, to your workplace burning down or a staff member going rogue)
  • Think about how, when and why you will communicate clearly and effectively with media, stakeholders, staff and customers
  • Think about how you will communicate with all relevant agencies involved in your incident – these might be police, your industry representatives, Victim Support or even the likes of your local RTO or Tourism New Zealand
  • Consider what your key messages would be around any of the potential incidents that might afflict your business and how and when you would communicate those to ultimately protect your business and achieve a ‘business as usual’ status
  • Review your operational plans in the light of the above scenarios and ask yourself whether you’re comfortable with successfully delivering timely, accurate and targeted crisis communications to all the channels above while you’re in the middle of dealing with the incident itself
  • Contact your PR agency so they can review your plans and assess what levels of training might be required BEFORE you need to put them into action

Accidents happen. Incidents happen. They’re going to happen because no matter how well you think you know your business and the people that work in or on it, human nature comes to the fore. People make mistakes. Things go wrong.

“Say sorry,” says Fiona.

“The company is sorry, the staff are devastated, saying sorry isn’t an admission of guilt. It’s all about reputation and trust, not about pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes.”

Businesses that deal with incidents best, big or small, are inevitably the ones that have planned for the unthinkable and are confident that their systems, processes and training are in place.

Hear more from the Southern PR team on what it takes to prepare for a crisis in our upcoming workshop – Southern PR Presents…Crisis Management 101.

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Is Public Relations Still Relevant?

Public relations has never been more relevant. In today’s 365/24/7 news cycle, public relations has never been more relevant. The PR landscape has changed, but so has the focus of traditional agencies and in-house PR departments. Everything you (a business or brand) say and do as a business is PR, whether it’s through traditional media…

We’re living in an ever-changing world of cross-channel integration, blending PR and media relations, social media and digital to successfully deliver campaigns across multiple channels. We’re engaging with our chosen audiences at the right time to inspire consumers to take notice, and take action.

A world of ‘new’ editorial opportunities

We firmly believe the traditional media release still has an important role to play for newsworthy content to reach editors of newspapers, magazines, online channels and bloggers. In fact, it’s one of the most beneficial tools if accompanied with creative visuals or video.

In this day and age, it’s imperative for companies and brands to produce shareworthy visuals to help increase exposure. Media are hungry for newsworthy content and they’re disseminating those visuals or the latest news (and remember the definition of news is ‘new’) through print, online and social media channels to engage their readers in conversation.

We live in a social media-obsessed culture so as part of your campaign strategy it’s essential to think about how your content can be reused or repurposed for different platforms to reach your audience. It’s a bit of an art form, but hey, that’s where PR companies come in!

Social Media Prism-Public relations-Southern PR

[Image: Conversation Prism]

Social media channels provide amazing opportunities to chat daily to customers, share stories and learn about each other, adding that human face to your company. Whether you’re collaborating with today’s public figures, thought leaders, bloggers and influencers or targeting your audience through traditional media channels, there are now more opportunities than ever to successfully tell your story.

The integrated public relations approach – top tip

As an agency, we help our clients get their ‘ducks in a row’ to develop content for each channel that accurately delivers key messages and is consistent with brand vision and values. We often align our campaigns with a ‘four C’s’ approach to ensure every piece of content is best placed to generate the results it deserves.

Coherence – different communications are logically connected

Consistency – multiple messages support and reinforce, and are not contradictory

Continuity – communications are connected and consistent through time

Complementary – synergistic (sum of the parts is greater than the whole)

Have you got a story to tell? We can help develop a PR and marketing strategy that delivers on your business goals, or help your marketing team deliver your next PR campaign. Get in touch today. We’re listening.

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Sharing the Process – A Story About Southern PR’s Re-brand

So, you’re thinking of a company re-brand? Well done, you’ve taken the first step – The Decision. Here, at our little Southern Public Relations office in Queenstown, we were slowly but surely thinking the same thing.  Even though it was an allegedly monumental task, it was also a story that needed to be told in…

“What’s the ultimate definition of ‘brand’?” we hear you ask.

A ‘brand’ is one of those words that’s widely used, but not always fully understood. Over time, the word has gone from its more literal meaning of a trademark used to identify a product or service to encompassing everything that identifies as that company, including the relationship it has with its customers or clients.

A brand is a promise a company makes to its customers. It exists only in someone’s mind. It’s everything the public knows about your brand offering – both tangible and intangible.

Because we’re a caring, sharing kind of company, we’ve decided to share our story and process with you. It’s in sections so you can easily digest our entire rebrand story from beginning to ‘Launch Day’ in a nutshell.

 

THE DECISION TO RE-BRAND

The initial decision came out of left field, with the sudden realisation we’d exponentially evolved to a point where our branding didn’t fit anymore – we had outgrown it! Some prevailing questions shaped our focus. There was a digital shift in the industry. Were we growing with it? Could we offer a more robust service to our clients, both current and new? Was our communications outlet a creative space offering where our clients could come for reputable connections and communication support? These were the foundation questions to taking the next step – The Story.

 

THE STORY BEHIND THE COMPANY RE-BRAND

First up, we decided to reflect to the foundations of Southern PR and review the initial inspiration behind the company.

Before diving headfirst into our backstory, we needed to pin down the main protagonist to shape the story around – Southern PR director Fiona Woodham.

Note: We strongly recommend this exercise when telling your brand story as every business has a start-up story, giving it more dimension and becoming shareworthy.

Southern PR was founded with an adventurous spirit and a lofty objective: to offer honest and authentic connections to a curious, yet hungry audience. We’re proud to say that much of the essence of that objective still stands true today.

Most companies start the same way – with a challenge or struggle that needs to be fixed. Fiona had just started working for a brand-new radio station in Queenstown and was constantly receiving bad PR pieces. Fiona knew she could do it better. There were big businesses doing good business happy to use a professional service. Within three months Fiona had kicked all her goals, had all targeted clients locked in, and behold! Southern PR was born.

 

INSPIRATION FOR THE RE-BRAND

We drew our visual inspiration from a blend of different aspects and avenues nationally and internationally. These included emotive and descriptive words that were significant to the team, their perspectives and personalities. Our SPR team plays an extremely important part in how we operate each day and so it was a no-brainer to incorporate everyone’s ideas and tell the world a little bit about ourselves through our new brand. Let’s understand our vibrant and enthralling colours and the meaning behind each:

Pink – Calms and reassures. Pink is supportive, compassionate, nurturing, thoughtful, caring and understanding. Pink is intuitive and insightful.

This is particularly relevant to when companies reach out to us for crisis communications assistance. We’re a trusty source for advice and an authentic safe haven to turn to when things get a little tricky in the business world.

Green – The colour of life. Green is renewal, energy and freshness. Green is balance, harmony & growth.

News must be current otherwise it’s not news. We broadcast your message to the world in a way that’s always fresh and full of energy. We like to think we’re always growing with and helping our clients to grow, so green encompasses all that we do with our public relations services.

Black – Powerful and elegant, yet a bit mysterious. Design-wise, black gives the feeling of perspective and depth.

Now, it’s common to associate this colour with negative emotions and descriptions, but we see black as our solid foundation. Black is our contrasting element of the company, promoting power. A good communications story is powerful.

Stripes – Clean, easy-going, straightforward communications and clear distribution channels.

The stripes represent the clear and pragmatic approach Southern PR has towards any challenge big or small. We needed to capture that somewhere and stripes just seemed the best way to do it!

We know that we’ve got a reputation to uphold in Queenstown as we’ve helped many businesses along the way to launch, grow and get where they are today. We think we’ve earned the right to say we’ve “earned our stripes” by being a loyal and available support when required.

 

THE DESIGN PROCESS 

The actual process was a big hairy audacious experience uncovering some interesting and fun points, so we’ve attached an infographic to illustrate some facts and figures about our re-brand process.

  • Meetings 56
  • Ideas brainstormed 219
  • Doodles and scribbles 152
  • Design concepts 7
  • Tweaks and changes 402
  • Copy writing marathon 1
  • Chocolate bars eaten 46
  • Coffees drunk 560

 

LAUNCH

This is the nail-biting part. The day we’d been working towards when all our hard work pays off – fingers crossed! This is when Southern PR’s brand becomes recognisable.

With our social media channels loaded up, introduction newsletter ready to go, everything organised and planned from compelling copy to customer service, we pressed the big (we imagine ‘green’) ‘Launch’ button!

3…2…1…GO!

All big projects, design or not, re-brand or not, start with a desire to change. The hardest part is already done! Drawing on the backstory of why your company initially came to life is a crucial element of the planning process. This is where your story stems from and what fuels your inspiration for ideas. Multiple brainstorming sessions are highly recommended and make sure to jot down every idea at first no matter how silly it might seem. You’re just pouring out information for now and you can streamline the ideas later.

Record the process while you’re going through it. You never know exactly how many ideas you have or absurd amounts of coffee you drink over those months if you don’t record it! TIP: Then you can make cute little graphics to showcase your hard work and it doubles as content.

Remember to enjoy the process. It’s not very often you’re with a company long enough to go through more than one re-brand. Some say it’s life-changing!

Please excuse us as we relish in the experience of our new brand and reminisce on how far we’ve come to get to this point.

If you’ve got any questions on our brand launch or our services, then please drop us a line to see what we can do for you and your business.

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