Tout — a new service that let’s you create and upload 15-second video clips with the click of a button — is gaining traction with some high-profile users, including Shaquille O’Neal (who announced his retirement on Tout), Good Morning America, Mitt Romney and NPR’s Scott Simon. But, you don’t have to be a 7-foot superstar […]
Author Archive | Heather Whaling
Carefully Crafted on September 12
Carefully Crafted on September 07
On Connecting PR to Business Goals
Media relations is often the first thing that comes to people’s mind when thinking about public relations. As a PR people, we’ve all felt pressured to deliver a big stack of clips, right? And, now with social media, companies are looking at metrics like “fans” and “followers.” But, as you talk with decision-makers higher up […]
Carefully Crafted on September 06
9/11 Anniversary Offers a New Set of Social Media Challenges
This week, media is offering countless stories to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. On Sunday, it’s safe to assume that will kick into high gear. But, how does that translate to social media? If you manage social channels for a brand — your own or your clients’ — you may face […]
Carefully Crafted on August 24
Adding Social Elements to PR-Driven Launches
What’s your goal when launching a new product? Making an assumption here, but it’s probably safe to assume that one of the main goals is to disseminate information so it reaches your target markets. For example, when you pitch the media to cover your new product, you’re doing so because you want to let their […]
Carefully Crafted on August 15
Digital Storytelling: 30+ Social Tools to Create Sharable, Memorable Stories
How often do we see companies leverage social media for generic asks: “Follow us on Twitter,” “Support our cause,” “Like us on Facebook.” But, why? How does having Brand X in my online world benefit me? One core tenant of effective public relations is storytelling — getting beyond facts and figures to communicate value, impact, […]
Carefully Crafted on August 10
"We Don't Email," Says a Customer Service Rep
Normally, I try to avoid personal rants on this blog, but I’m so dumbfounded by this, I had to share … As I was getting off the phone with a local utility company, I requested documentation of the service changes we’d just made. I was thinking they could fire off an email confirmation. No big […]
Carefully Crafted on August 08
Book Highlights: Anything You Want, by Derek Sivers
Last week, Jeana (Geben Communication’s first hire!) gave me Anything You Want, by Derek Sivers. I’m not one for “business advice”-type books. As in, I rarely read them because I normally find them incredibly boring! But, Jeana said this one reminded her of the way I think about owning and growing a business, plus she […]
Carefully Crafted on August 03
Start-up PR: Creating a Strong Agency/Client Partnership
When should start-ups hire a PR firm? How can start-ups get the the most value out of their PR firm? How exactly does PR figure into the start-up equation? Each start-up needs to assess its internal resources and determine what they can effectively manage and what makes sense to outsource. For example, some companies can […]
Carefully Crafted on July 20
Improve Facebook Engagement by Incorporating Data-Backed Best Practices
Facebook page engagement is believed to be a key metric in Facebook’s EdgeRank — the score that determines which people and pages appear most frequently in news feeds. So, what can you do to increase engagement, and ultimately, exposure? We haven’t discovered the magic wand that increases network size or engagement, but we can look […]
Carefully Crafted on July 15
Haiti … Ignite Style
I’m a fast talker. But, I had no idea I could talk THIS fast! Last week, I delivered an Ignite-style opening-night keynote presentation at Evo Conference. (If you’ve never seen an Ignite talk, it’s fast: 20 slides, 15 seconds per slide.) 15 seconds isn’t a long time to talk about any topic, let alone something […]