New Year, New You

Tiffany Cunningham

So, every day I tell myself, “You’re going to make it to the gym, you’re going to make it happen today!” By the time I leave the office, at 5:45 (most nights), it’s already dark in Dallas and it’s winter, so my motivation to make it to the gym has plummeted. I need to fix this and want to, but how do I break this routine? It just takes two steps: throw on tennis shoes and drive to the gym. Right? I thought that, but it also takes focus and dedication and re-engaging yourself to want to feel better – not sit slumped on the couch every night.

I’m putting a stop to this no-working-out business and want to share a few helpful secrets that gave me the motivation to start moving again and stay on track, even if it’s cold out!

Make an investment.

Try a new workout class like The Barre Code or invest in new workout apparel to help bare the freezing temps outside. Fun workout classes make working out so much better and are an easier way to adjust to a workout routine again. You invest in a lot of things in life and most are not focused on your overall health and well-being. Save up, and you’ll find the biggest reward from relieving stress from a workout!

Make the cold winter months work for you.
I’m a huge fan of going on a walk. No matter what the temperature is, I grab my dog, Blakeley, and head for the Katy Trail. After 30 minutes, I feel better and my body temperature increases while I reduce my stress levels and bask in a peaceful environment for an hour or so. (Blakeley does chase after squirrels every now and then, but it’s still a great way to take my mind off work or other things happening without my cell phone.)

Reassess your fitness goals.

What do you want to get out of it? How committed are you? I have to ask these questions quite often. List the reasons you have for prioritizing exercise, and think about everything you’ve achieved in 2014 toward your goals. How are you going to keep it going and take it up a notch in 2015?

Get back to the basics.
Winter is also a great time to get back to square one. Identify what you need to improve on and get stronger. Now is the time to do that for the long term. Think in terms of useful fitness. Don’t do exercises that won’t lead you to your goals.

This is the perfect start to get re-energized and ready for the new year! Bring it on, cold weather!

Prioritizing your social media efforts for clients

Tiffany Cunningham

Eight hours in the day really doesn’t give a PR professional or anyone enough time to keep track and organize all the to-dos social media platforms put in front of us. Since we all live in “the social media age,” it’s way too easy to let pings, buzzes and notifications interrupt and distract us throughout the day. Nonetheless, being connected and involved with social media can be an asset to you and your client’s long-term success. Social media needs its own “time management” strategy to get down to business efficiently.

1. Social media return on investment

At the end of the day, where are your social media posts, tweets, etc. going to lead your client? In every account meeting when you’re discussing social media, it’s important for the client to understand that social media results take time. These efforts are valuable to businesses, but how much time should be devoted to it? Aside from the type of business and how you’ll operate all the social media platforms you want to be part of, your client will also want to consider the skills and abilities it takes for each platform. From taking photos to coming up with catchy headlines, it’s all in a day’s work of postings. All efforts lead to significant ROI when executed correctly.

2. Automate your posts

HootSuite and other platforms will become your best friends when deciding how to manage all the different posts. One task that has helped us at Obsidian is “task batching.” There are probably other terms for it, but essentially, spending several hours at one time planning out social media posts for weeks at a time rather than trying to create a new post or posts every day for each client.

That said, don’t make the mistake of trying to automate your client’s presence. When people tweet at your client or engage in the brand, whoever is managing the social media will need to be part of the conversation and react with a live post. You need to be engaged at all times, except when you’re trying to catch up on sleep.

3. Focus your attention

There are thousands of social networks buzzing around out there, but there are really only five that matter most to companies and businesses that hire you to operate their social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google Plus. Depending on your client, YouTube might be important, but obviously that is video oriented. You will want to emphasize to your client that these are the most important networks to be active on in the web of social networking.

4. Make time to disconnect

Whether it’s turning off your phone at night (if you can), setting your iPhone to “Do Not Disturb” for a scheduled period, or just leaving your laptop to release some energy and get fresh air, do it! At any rate, just make sure you have “UN-social” scheduled time in your regular workday.

Social media can take over and it does, but it’s OK to step away and look at something not technology based. I hope this post gave you some good ideas for improving your management skills for social media campaigns. If you have questions, please send me an email at tiffany@obisidanpr.com. 

Email timeout: A four-step guide to curbing email addiction at work

Tiffany Cunningham

How many times have you left your office at the end of the day feeling like you just spent the entire day sending, responding to and managing email? And, to add to that feeling, your real “to-do” list is still there – not done? For me, it’s too many days to count. The number of emails one receives is dependent upon clients, internal staff size, client stories, newsletters, junk mail, etc. The amount of time we spend focused on email is where an important question lies: how much of my productivity, results-based work and daily job satisfaction is “lost” in the shuffle of sorting emails?

Although the inbox has become a central hub of workflow, adjustments to the number of emails coming in can be made. For example, it’s time to say ‘adios’ to those Google Alerts you set up for clients you haven’t worked with in seven months. Below are a few more suggestions I’d like to share with you to help curb email addiction and encourage efficient management of your inbox.

1. If you want to receive fewer emails, send fewer emails.
This is the golden rule of email management: Send less of it. The more you send, the more responses will hit your inbox each day.

2. Think before responding.
You may want to hit ‘reply’ as soon as you see an email, but take a step back and see if your reply will have any relevancy to the question or information sent. Instead of just sending ‘thank you,’ try to see if you need additional information or have other information to mention back to the sender. You’ll be surprised how many emails don’t really need a response.

3. Communicate over the phone.
A five-minute phone call with a client can be worth 20 emails back and forth. Sometimes, words get lost in emails (along with tone), and it’s easier to explain thoughts in more detail in a short phone call. Real conversations are worth it!

4. Bundle your responses.
No one likes receiving a ton of one-off emails with partial information throughout the day. Try to keep emails comprehensive and complete as possible. One email equals one response. Six emails equal six responses. Keep it closer to one email unless it’s an urgent news release or hard deadline. As you know, sometimes this is inevitable.

As your inbox slims down, you should have more time to focus on hard-hitting deadlines and pitching your client stories… and all the other projects you get pulled into. Don’t forget to unsubscribe to emails that have no meaning to your clients, job or have three or more sent in one day.

Have a question about emails or want to add insight into effective email management? Comment below! 

How to Manage Deadline Stress in PR

Tiffany Cunningham

When we all have those whirlwind weeks, it’s important to remember the key ways to manage deadlines and the stress associated with those deadlines. As PR professionals, every day we are faced with deadline stress when we are trying to pitch an editorial piece, achieve key targets and milestones, and manage campaigns, projects and strategies. Below are some pieces of advice and my favorite ways to regain peace – even on the most stressful of days.

• Build a positive environment. Create positivity in your office by encouraging others and saying “good job” when a media hit comes through for any client. Offer to help your co-workers, when possible. An optimistic office that functions as a team will improve your overall work experience and help eliminate stress.
• Prioritize. Set daily, weekly or monthly goals – whatever works best for you – and make to-do lists. This is always a struggle of mine personally, but I have found that by setting reasonable and achievable goals, while following my to-do list, I manage my time and tasks much more effectively and remain levelheaded. 
• Take a break. When your brain feels like it’s spinning and you’re feeling extremely overwhelmed, a five-minute break can go a long way. A walk to the kitchen, around your building’s block, a break for coffee or logging onto your favorite blog to read the newest post can help to manage your stress. A short break helps you to regain focus, so you can deliver the highest quality of work.
• Exercise. A healthy lifestyle outside of the office will translate into less stress at the office. I personally enjoy running to take focus off any frustrations, in addition to frequent yoga sessions to stretch and relax.
• Keep your balance. As PR professionals, we are committed to communicating and responding instantly to the public and our clients, but in order to avoid harmful levels of stress, it is essential to try to avoid mixing home and work. To alleviate stress on the weekends and after work hours, check your work phone and email often, but don’t keep these devices glued to your body.
• Reward yourself. When you accomplish a big goal, reward yourself! A little vacation or spa day may be just what your mind and body needs to de-stress.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how boring are your news releases?

If you ranked six or under - it’s time to revamp your newsworthy content. 

Tiffany Cunningham

How many times have you had an important announcement and think to yourself, “How can I make this different than any other company announcement out there?” I don’t know about you, but that thought replays continually in my mind every time one of my clients has important news to share to a broader audience. 

I have no doubt that the news is significant to the organization or company wanting a news release written and distributed, but it’s not likely to make front page news on its own. 

As a PR professional, you could beg and plead with a reporter who has covered your clients before or write a traditional news release and think positive thoughts in the hope it will get picked out of the thousands of pitches reporters and writers skim through on a daily basis. But, success is hard to accomplish, even for the “PR Gods” in our universe. 

So, the most important thing to remember is not to write a boring news release. There are some cases where it can’t be avoided, but try implementing these tips to your current news release writing approach: 

• Headline makes perfect.
• The most important element is the headline. A striking headline must communicate your subject matter instantly and convey why the content is new and interesting. 
• If headlines are not the easiest for you, try writing several headlines and then combining the best of each. Rework and simplify so what remains is no longer than one sentence. 
• To keep creative juices flowing and understand exceptionally written headlines, check out local and national publications – editors are among the best at sparking a readers’ interest in three to five words. 
• Transition your headline into your email subject line. Half the battle is getting a reporter to open the email that contains your news release. 
• Promote like a salesperson. 
• This is important to consider so you will understand the best way to present the news. 
• The information in the first paragraph must be a summary of what is presented in the full body of the news release. The first paragraph will give the who, what, when, where, why and how of the event or news distributed. 
• If the reporter is sucked in quickly, it will increase the likelihood that they continue reading and find the call to action within the news release. 
• Don’t forget to tap into a reporter’s innate desire to find the next big thing or know about the latest and greatest product that is newsworthy. 
• News releases are not a story or a novel. Be specific. 
• Keep the sentences short and to the point. 
• News releases should not exceed one page – most journalists and readers will lose interest after the first page. 
• Tell reporters exactly what they can expect from reading the news release. Will they learn how one company tripled its inquiries, or how to take advantage of frequent flier miles?
• Infuse the news release with facts and numbers with which they can relate and see themselves benefiting from by the details presented and become motivated by the call-to-action. 

Next time you browse the magazine/newspaper rack and start reading a story that interests you, take time to understand what attracted you to those headlines and leverage that in your own news release content. 

Have a question about news releases or insight into writing a great release? Comment below!

History lesson: The first news release published

Tiffany Cunningham

On Oct. 28, 1906 (108 years ago), public relations expert Ivy Lee wrote the first news release to journalists about a tragic train accident that happened on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Fifty passengers were killed when a three-car train of the Pennsylvania Railroad's new electric service jumped a trestle at Atlantic City, N.J., and plunged into the Thoroughfare creek.

According to About.com, Lee convinced the railroad company to release the news to journalists before any rumors were spread or reported on about the accident. The New York Times printed the news release, word-for-word, on Oct. 29, 1906. 

On the left is an image of the printed version of the news release in The New York Times. Since 1906, there have been two major changes to news releases: distribution and multimedia platforms. Distribution methods evolved along with technology. Today, there are four main points of distribution: email, wire service, post on website, and social media platforms. There are many things added to the distribution of a news release, i.e. SEO keywords, videos, photos and links to websites, but the core messaging in a news release have not changed that much over time. Technology has helped news releases to transition as a modern tool while still maintaining its original roots. 

News releases are simply written public relations announcements made to draw media attention to a specific event or product launch that is newsworthy for readers and viewers of various outlets. Never forget your “five W’s” for a release and always research the writer, editor or blogger you would like to send the release to before actually clicking send in your email box. 

Have a question about news releases or insight into writing a great release? Comment below!

Wake up call for work: How to spring ahead without losing sleep

Tiffany Cunningham

In the wonderful/crazy world of public relations, the spring forward a couple of weekends ago has really thrown me for a loop. I’m not able to go to bed until after midnight; the sun’s not rising until 7:40 a.m. doesn’t help with my morning schedule before work; and I’m exhausted by 5 p.m. every day, so far. 

The real issue isn’t daylight saving time; the issue is my sleep habits. In fact, up to 40 percent of Americans don’t have healthy sleep habits, which cause some symptoms of insomnia – not being able to fall asleep easily, or daytime drowsiness. For me, daylight saving time makes my poor sleep even worse, and I want to share a few sleeping tips I read recently on Medical Daily online to help smooth the transition for any others out there who are still feeling the effect.

Soak up the sun during waking hours: 

One of the best ways to reset your internal clock is to soak up the sun during the day. Next week, I’ll be making small outings at lunch to help suppress my sleep-inducing hormone known as melatonin.

Take a low dose of melatonin:
I don’t have an issue falling asleep when I hit the pillow, but on nights that I feel extra energized, taking less than 0.3 milligrams of melatonin in the late afternoons on the weekends will aid in falling asleep faster or staying asleep longer. The National Sleep Foundation says that it’s inactive during the day, but it is “turned on” by the supra-chiasmatic nucleus at night.

Exercise in the sunlight before 5 p.m. – daily:
Luckily, one of the benefits of daylight saving time is that the sun is out when I get home from work. A lot of my workouts have been on nearby trails or walking my dog around the neighborhood when the sun is still shining. Sunlight and exercise can boost serotonin production, and its release in the brain, which can offset the effects of daylight saving time.

Avoid caffeine after noon and avoid alcohol consumption after dinner:
Although this week I’ve felt like grabbing something caffeinated several times in the afternoon I keep sticking to the water to help push me through the day. A study by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that 400 milligrams of caffeine consumption even six hours before bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle. It takes one hour per drink to process alcohol and is recommended that if you want to drink, you should do it one hour before sleeping.

Follow a consistent bedtime schedule, even on the weekends: 

This is impossible for me, but I will try to make my sleeping hours as consistent as possible to help get over the hurdle of sleep deprivation I’m causing myself. An interesting fact I learned was that our internal body clocks adjust to time and schedule changes slowly. At least there’s one excuse for being a little slower this week. 

It’s important to take care of your health, even when the weather is perfect and the sun is out until 8 p.m. – just remember sleep is important and vital for productivity in the work place. 

The strong bond brewed between coffee and work

Tiffany Cunningham

No matter what coffee shop I drive or walk by, Starbucks, Sip | Stir Café, etc., there are always people working, studying and conducting meetings at the coffee shop. This recently intrigued me and I stared wondering what it is that draws people to coffee shops and how they’ve turned into the modern working space even when you have an office. Not all work environments allow for working outside the office, or “coffee shop days,” but those that do may increase the creativity in their employees. Here are a few reasons why it might be great to try working at a coffee shop one or two days every month. 

Courtesy of Flickr

Change of environment = stimulates creativity. After so long in an office environment it typically becomes routine. Routine isn’t a bad thing, but creative thinking, motivation and inspiration can dwindle without someone realizing it happening. Changing your environment, even for a day, brings new types of ideas and stimulation to increase motivation and productivity. 

Fewer distractions in a bustling area. It seems strange to think that more interaction creates less distraction, but the majority of the time a quite office can be more distracting. The coffee shop environment combines the benefit of obscurity with the dull buzz of excitement and interaction. You’re able to have human interaction when you want and not when someone request it from you in the office. 

Networking possibilities. Saying hello, people watching or meeting someone new most of the time provides new ideas, a different perspective for different situations, or an interesting connection to a new person. Never hurts to hold a five-minute conversation that may lead to a story idea, published article or potential client. 

Work and coffee will always have a strong bond and if you haven’t experienced it, give it a shot – never know what ideas will come next for your clients. And, out of curiosity through my  “working in a coffee shop” research, I found an interesting website: http://coffitivity.com/. It’s actually an app that produces coffee shop sounds to boost creativity while you’re in the office – great for those who can’t leave the work space, but want to experience the “creative buzz.” 

A few more tips: 

1. Rotate coffee shops if there are a few near each other to avoid a routine. 
2. Purchase a coffee or two. The owners and employees will notice and will acknowledge you appreciate their space for your business. 
3. Make sure your computer is powered up or you have your power cord –you’ll need it if your there for half a day or longer. 

Why sitting pretty isn’t always pretty

Tiffany Cunningham

We are in a deadline-driven industry, and sometimes, that accounts for a 12-hour sitting binge. Most recently, I was working on an extensive media list for one of my clients and didn’t realize I hadn’t left my desk in five hours. Typically I wouldn’t think about it as a problem, until I saw a report about the dangers of inactivity. 

Those who spent the most time in chairs had a 147 percent increased chance of cancer, heart disease and diabetes, compared with those who sat the least, according to Richard Rosenkranz, a professor who led a sitting study at Kansas State University. The most persistent sitters also had a soaring diabetes risk and were 49 percent more likely to die earlier of many different causes. 

The thing that really made me look into this news was that my daily activity on the Katy Trail in Dallas, Texas, or taking advantage of my gym membership wasn’t enough to undo the damage. 

People with an on-the-go career – Julianne Hough (Dancing with the Stars) – do not need to be concerned. But for those of us who spend countless hours on our perches of demanding projects, there is growing evidence that sitting is the new smoking. 

Image courtesy of  - http://athingcreated.com/2012/12/04/all-dressed-up-with-places-to-go/

“Standing should be your default mode – when you’re on the phone, texting, even watching TV. The body was designed to be up and moving; our systems work best when we’re on our feet,” said James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., an obesity expert at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

It’s a fact that preindustrial women probably sat half as much as our nation’s leanest people today, but no one knows whether they were more creative, cheerful, focused or slender than today’s office professionals. 

More and more people are catching on the new walk-and-talk meeting to counteract over-sitting and to improve work productivity. There are a lot of things people can do to get moving for 10 minutes every hour during the work week. When you start moving a little more, your body will thank you in more than one way. Simply standing can reactivate key cellular responses that shut off when you sit. 

Ways to kick off your blogger outreach campaign with success

Tiffany Cunningham

In the past five to 10 years, blogs and blogging have become an important part of our online and news culture. 

Side note: If you haven’t heard of a blog or haven’t read one, then there must be limited access to the Internet in your area or you prefer traditional methods of communication (which are great, too!). 

That being said, practically everyone reads blogs now, whether they’ve glimpsed at a few, follow five or 50 or have created their own blog – the term and action of blogging is very known and used in our culture. 

Blogs are now streamlining as one of the most effective ways to get your company or

www.flickr.com/photos/barnett/2836828090

product recognized among millions of readers around the world. It’s mind-boggling to think that in 1999 there were only 23 blogs on the Internet, according to a list compiled by Jesse James Garrett. In 2012, there were an estimated 31 million bloggers in the U.S., and it’s now become a very successful profession for many people. 

Despite it being one of the oldest forms of social media, connecting with influential bloggers is still a key element of generating interest for your client’s campaign. It sounds easy to build a connection with bloggers, but they have their own set of standards and some don’t like to be contacted by outside sources. It takes a little time and research to find out how to best approach getting your story to the blogger without having an “X” marked on your email address for the rest of eternity by the blogger. 

Here are a few helpful tips for engaging bloggers in your campaigns: 

1. Even though you may not be in college anymore, you still have to do your homework: Bloggers will make sure to write you back a lovely email about how your product or news story is unrelated to their interests they’ve posted on their blogs. So, build a list of blogger prospects, even make side notes about what they’ve covered. It very time-consuming, but worth the investment when you have the perfect story to pitch. 
2. Tailor your content: You may have a great story, but make sure it correlates with their personal interests. Sometimes, there will be no obvious link to your campaign or strategy, but if you genuinely think they look like a good match just say so, it will come across genuine in your email. Bloggers are normal people and appreciate honesty. Even if they let you know they’ve passed on posting it, you at least gave them a compliment and allowed for more growth in getting to know what they like to write about. 
3. Be part of the “blogosphere”: Not only should you follow that blogger and see what they write about, but show your personality when you email or speak with them. Also, even if you don’t know what to blog about yet, create your own blog and see what its like to create your own ideas and see how many people you can reach with your posts. It’s OK if you know blogging isn’t your thing, but be supportive of those that you want writing about your stories you’ve shared. 
4. Be interesting: Back to showing your personality – give bloggers ideas that inspire them to create their own new ideas and run with what you send them. That’s one of the main reasons bloggers get sent free samples. They’re intrigued to write about their own experiences and once they use their five senses with a product, they are more compelled to write about it and usually produce interesting thought-provoking content. 
5. Keep trying: You may not get a blogger’s attention easily. Some have their own rules about being paid before they’ll write about a product or service and others simply just want their own content to be read without outside influencers giving them information. The good thing is though, like I said above, there are more than 30 million bloggers in America alone. So, get back out there and start searching – you’ll find the perfect blogger eventually!