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Truth is the foundation of all effective communications. By being truthful, we build and maintain trust with the media and our customers, clients and employees. As professional communicators, we take very seriously our responsibility to communicate with honesty and accuracy.
The Public Relations Society of America, the nation’s largest communications association, sets the standard of ethical behavior for our 22,000 members through our Code of Ethics. Encouraging and perpetuating the use of alternative facts by a high-profile spokesperson reflects poorly on all communications professionals.
PRSA strongly objects to any effort to deliberately misrepresent information. Honest, ethical professionals never spin, mislead or alter facts. We applaud our colleagues and professional journalists who work hard to find and report the truth.
– Jane Dvorak, APR, Fellow PRSA, Chair of the Society for 2017
As of today, Ben Carson no longer “inches”, nor “edges” nor “pulls” ahead of Donald Trump in the polls. He “takes it”, and “opens up his gain” and “flat out” leads in the rankings. I’m not going to proliferate on all the theories why this has happened. But, I do know one thing. Donald Trump really hasn’t changed his public relations approach one bit. And, neither has Ben Carson.
Is the American public finally tiring of the brand and the product that is Trump? Is it coming to realize it’s the man Trump vying for its vote? If that’s the case, ethics and values begin to make their presence known quickly. These principals are intangibles that play out in business and in life each and every day, and they usually do it pretty quietly.
When it comes to the current political race, America has heard a lot of a lot of a lot of late, and with Trump its heard it at varying decibels. Is it just finally time to listen to what’s being said in the quiet?
Online videos now account for 50% of mobile traffic. Just using the word “video” in your email subject line can boost your open rates by 19%, click-through rates by 65% and reduce unsubscribes by 26%. Facebook is now averaging more than 4 billion video views per day. It’s time to jump on the video bandwagon with free mobile apps for developing, editing and uploading high-quality videos to enhance your news releases and share on your social media platforms.
During our August 25 chapter meeting, Wichita Eagle business columnist Carrie Rengers discussed how daily newspapers and other media organizations are utilizing the mobile app Videolicious to enhance their online stories. Rengers also covered how to prepare and submit your own videos to the Wichita Eagle with your news release package. Wichita Eagle videographer and photographer Jaime Green provided tips for maximum visual storytelling. Angie Prather with the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce testified that even an untrained amateur can jump into the video world and begin to incorporate short and simple videos in marketing and communication plans.
Tips from Rengers and her video editor:
–Videos submitted to the Eagle should be unique and newsworthy rather than promotional.
–Pitches to reporters about covering your stories can include video snippets to snag their attention.
–Short videos are the key for maximum viewership. Think 30 to 60 seconds. Viewers begin to drift off at 45 seconds.
–Submit in MP4 or .mov format.
–Upload to Google Drive with a public setting. The Eagle doesn’t currently utilize Dropbox. YouTube is also an option, but those videos originally placed on The Wichita Eagle’s YouTube channel will have a higher priority, so Google Drive is the best option.
Tips from Green:
–Horizontal only. No vertical videos.
–Get close to the subject. Move your legs to zoom instead of the lens.
–Move away from distracting sound.
–Be aware of the light. Windows can make for nice interview lighting. Avoid harsh sunlight.
–Hold each shot for at least 5 seconds.
–Try to keep camera steady and don’t pan.
–Put phone in Airplane mode to avoid interruptions.
–3 rings on a microphone cord indicate it will work for your phone without an adaptor.
Helpful Links:
—Rode Smart Lav
—Rode microphone extension
—Manfrotto compact Tripod
—OBEN TT table top tripod
—Square Spring Tripod Mount
—Videolicious tutorials
—VGA Adapter speakers used to show phone images onscreen
Links to finished videos for your review:
(amateur mistakes include: excessive panning, hand-held shakiness, and the lack of a microphone)
—Wichita Force Kicks Off 2015 Season – shot and produced on iPhone. Edited with Videolicioous.
—Symbolism behind the Wichita Flag – shot and produced on iPhone. Edited with iMovie phone app.
As we discussed during our August 25 chapter meeting, utilizing photos, videos, and other images is the most effective tactic for optimizing your 2015 marketing and communication messages. Texas-based Creative Director and nationally-known blogger, Jeff Sieh, will share his tips on creating and cross-promoting effective visual content on Thursday, September 24, when he visits Wichita. Sieh will deliver ready-to-use information to help you boost engagement with your most important messages during a two-hour luncheon at Century II. The discounted price for registering by Tuesday, September 1 is $25 (includes lunch). Registration increases to $40 after that date. Follow this link to register for the event.
Special bonus – Sieh’s presentation takes place adjacent to the Wichita Metro Chamber’s annual business-to-business trade show, Exposure. Reserve some time before or after the luncheon to see all the new products and services offered by local businesses and organizations.
Follow Jeff on Twitter or Instagram @jeffsieh, Facebook (jeff.sieh), YouTube (TheJeffSieh) Blog (http://manlypinteresttips.com/blog/) and Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/jeffsieh). Sieh has 64 boards on Pinterest where he’s collected useful tips and the latest information on effectively utilizing social media, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook,Pinterest and YouTube.
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