Tag: wellons communications

Why you need to say “Thank You” to your clients

Posted on by Wellons team

There is no better time to express your gratitude for the business of your clients than to simply wish them well for the holidays.

Yet, surprisingly, sending a simple and direct message to your clients to let them know that you value the confidence they invest in you is an opportunity that is often overlooked.

Personal messages can cost virtually nothing. They take only a few moments. And the benefits can be immeasurable.

Here are a few ways to let your clients know you are grateful for their business.

The power of a personal note

When was the last time you received an actual hand-written note from someone?

Take five minutes to compose a short message that lets your client know you appreciate the business they have afforded you over the past year. The written word, in your own hand, is enormously powerful.

In an age when tweets, texts, and emails dominate communication, notes stand out. And all they cost is a few moments of your time and postage.

A phone call personalizes your gratitude

Just as simple as a personal note is a personal call to your client.

The act of simply picking up the phone and wishing your client a happy holiday is thoughtful and will stand out simply because you have thought of them.

Better yet, personalize the call by letting your client know you are generally familiar with their family or loved ones. Simply by extending the good wishes to one’s spouse or children in your call can let your client know you have their interests at heart.

What if you want to symbolize your thanks with a gift?

Everyone enjoys receiving gifts. But be careful. Gift-giving needs to be carefully thought through.

Who should you gift? Many companies forbid any corporate gift giving, or only allow employees to accept gifts valued at less than $25.

What should you give? The decision of what to give should comply with your client’s standards and directives on gift-giving and gift-receiving. Sending a gift to a client who’s unable to keep it is awkward for both parties.

The best solution? If you feel a gift is necessary, employ common sense and send a gift that is useful, not overly extravagant, and reflective of both your values and those of your client.

How do other organizations express their thanks during the holidays?

Want to explore more about addressing your client during the holidays, from contact to gift-giving?

You might want to glance at Do’s and Don’ts for Client Gifts Over the Holidays, authored by James Harris that first appeared in Entrepreneur Magazine in December 2017.

Harris’s article is loaded with tips and examples of approaching gift-giving and using gifts—and enhancing connections—with clients. 

And thanks to you for taking an interest in Wellons Communications

As we approach the holiday season, those of us at Wellons Communications are grateful for your interest in us.

We value the responsibility and business our clients invest in us to address their public relations needs. We remind ourselves daily that if our clients succeed, we succeed, and without our clients, we do not exist. Best wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful 2019 holiday season.

Bring your story to life with visuals

Posted on by Wellons team

People often think of public relations and journalism in terms of the written word.

Mention “public relations” and people immediately think of “press releases.” Say “journalism” and people connect it with “stories.”

Both perceptions are only the tip of the iceberg. Public relations firms and print journalists are, indeed, centered around the written word. We certainly value the importance of what you say, but in today’s contemporary Big Data environment, at Wellons Communications, we place equal emphasis on using visuals to project your story.

Here’s an example, as illustrated by London-based NeoMam Studios, a leading graphics design communications firm based in the UK:

The picture, indeed, is worth a thousand words.

Your brain craves visuals

Written communications are designed to conjure up a picture or image. With that in mind, let’s cut to the chase and examine just how important visuals are in telling people about your business:

• The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text.

• Ninety percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual.

• We can get the sense of a visual scene in less than one-tenth of a second.

• Color visuals increase the willingness to read by 80%.

• People following directions with text and illustrations do 323% better than people following directions without illustrations.

Visuals make your information more engaging

Organizations that specialize in visual communications have a name for communicating visually: infographics.

Infographics are particularly effective at communicating complex ideas. Non-experts better comprehend and understand information that requires long, complex explanation when graphics present the idea. Statistical information, e.g. trends in your industry or key points about why your product or service is superior, are more easily understood by laymen when presented visually.

An example of the power of infographics is the popularity of the informational graphics published regularly by USA Today. Not only is your eye attracted to the graphics, the ideas they project are quickly and easily understood. Even if you have little interest in the subject or know nothing about it, once you look, you come away with an image and information that you cannot easily forget.

Put Wellons to work on making your story easy to see … and understand

Our team at Wellons Communications firmly believes in making your message as easy to understand as possible. Simplicity in understanding is augmented by visuals. And that’s why we look for the best way to visualize your story and get people to notice you and your organization’s key attributes.

If you want to make your story come to life and possess qualities that will make people look at you a first—and second—time, keep Wellons Communications in mind. Contact us (407-339-0879 or will@wellonscommunications.com) and let us show you how we can blend words and pictures into memorable stories aimed at increasing your bottom line.

What is a news peg, and how can you use them to get publicity for your business?

Posted on by Wellons team

When we first sit down with clients, one of the things we consistently hear is “We want to become better known. We need recognition for our product (or service).”

Public relations, of course, goes considerably beyond getting recognition in print, broadcast and online media. But coverage over and above paid advertising is the primary reason why companies and organizations call on us to augment their marketing program.

News coverage demands…news

The first rule of publicity is that one’s story has to possess newsworthy qualities.

That means the information you serve up to news media has to have some news value that will benefit or interest their audience.

So how do you sift through the mountain of information about your organization and isolate what will be interesting to media…and what won’t?

Examples of news pegs

Basic information about your product or service, by itself, is not particularly newsworthy.

But, when you link your information to another story, the combined effect can be magic. It all comes down to finding a peg on which to hang your story—a news peg (or news hook).

Examples include tying your story to something like:

  • A new wrinkle (and consumer benefit) to your product or service
  • A holiday or significant anniversary
  • An award recognizing achievement via your product or service
  • A high-visibility topic already in the news
  • A special event showcasing something new or different about you
  • An opinion on a topic of interest from an expert on your staff
  • A local twist on a story generating national attention
  • Information from a survey or poll on a topic of interest
  • Identification of a trend you are witnessing, or a trend that you foresee

Connecting to other news pegs

Identifying news pegs is an ongoing process that demands remaining aware of what’s going on in the world – or your industry. One needs to be constantly in tune with new and different trends (or what might signal a trend), what’s popular with consumers or within a trade category (or what might be popular), and of how and where your story can fit into news coverage.

A financial service provider, for example, might want to remind media that one of their authorities is available as a resource and is willing to provide commentary (i.e. a quote) or observe ongoing trends just after the start of the year, when tax preparation goes into high gear.

A restaurant might want to explain why their menu conforms to their target market’s tastes and preferences, or feature a menu item they can totally
“own” in the mind of their audience.

A company serving a narrow segment within a particular trade category (e.g. suppliers and vendors in warehousing) can offer an observation of how their particular industry is changing and provide examples of how they are adjusting to those changes. Or, if they recognize a change in another industry, project how that change may affect their industry.

We scour the media for what’s getting coverage

At Wellons Communications, it’s part of our job to be aware, at all times, at what’s being covered and how we can connect our clients to what’s in the news.

Every day, weekends included, we are news junkies, watching what’s getting coverage, aggressively looking for story opportunities or creating opportunities others might not see.

Rather than simply issue press releases, which media recognize as self-serving, we seek to augment ongoing stories with information reporters will not know unless someone like us tells them.

That means knowing about our clients, what they are doing, learning what they are seeing, and identifying targets who can use that information. It means our clients must tell us what they are doing and seeing and requires us to listen and take that information and connect it to news media.

What’s more, when you bring an experienced, knowledgeable PR team to your side, you get considerably more than simply a publicity team. You acquire a team of marketing professionals who proactively help you sell your ideas while covering your back to fight off challenges that prove damaging to your enterprise.

Consider publicity in your overall marketing mix

If you find yourself spending the vast majority of your marketing budget on paid advertising, you may be overlooking the opportunity afforded you by placement of a high-value news story about your organization.

The cost of augmenting your marketing program with an ongoing public relations/publicity program is minimal, particularly in comparison with the kind of money that is frequently invested in paid advertising. Although news coverage is not guaranteed, the publicity it can generate when it is successful can be substantial…at considerably less cost than advertising.

When you are ready to tell the media about yourselves, give us a call

Wellons Communications has been identifying news pegs — and generating results for clients — for more than a decade.

We have news experience in our professional backgrounds and know how to recognize what’s newsworthy.

Want to learn more? Call or email me (407-339-0879 or will@wellonscommunications.com) and tell me your story. I’ll be happy to relate to you how we can hang your story on the right news peg.

The importance of pitching stories

Posted on by Wellons team

When we sit down with clients, one of the first things we hear is some version of “We want media to recognize who we are, what we do and what we offer our customers. What we do is important, and people need to know about it.”

Those are noble ambitions and we agree with that objective.

However, the biggest challenge to attracting media attention is that everyone wants recognition. And by everyone, we mean all products and services in virtually every category. In other words, your product or service competes with everyone and everything in the world for attention.

Our job is to drill down and find out what really makes you unique and how to project that unique attribute to the media. And that leads to pitching – contacting media on a one-to-one basis to let them know how and why you stand out.


Pitching differs completely from simply issuing press releases.
The information within press release stands on its own. If the information is newsworthy, a press release will serve as an effective and useful means of generating news.

Press releases, however, are impersonal. They do not necessarily lead to or promote in-depth or feature coverage about your product or service.

A more tried-and-true method of using your information to achieve greater coverage about you is pitching, which means calling or meeting one-on-one with relevant news sources.

A pitch is a description of a story idea (and why it should matter) to an editor or reporter. A pitch can be delivered over-the-phone or sent via email. It should be crafted to appeal to both reporters and the editors they serve. And, importantly, it should be short and to the point.

Unique and compelling media pitches can lead to coverage that goes far beyond what a press release can provide. Small businesses, in particular, can gain a greater exposure and a larger audience by enabling their public relations team to conduct aggressive pitching.


The benefits of pitching
Media pitching provides three key benefits.

First, pitching provides information tailored for particular media outlets. It serves up news about you that is relevant to their audience. Pitching allows your PR team to raise and answer the question “Here’s why this is important news for you and your audience.”

Second, pitching allows your public relations team to identify what kinds of stories media outlets are seeking. Knowing what media are looking for is valuable information and provides insights into how your information can be employed to answer that need.

Creating real relationships with reporters, bloggers and journalists is invaluable to anyone in the business world. But to build those real relationships you need to be genuine and think more of their needs than your own.

Like everyone else, reporters only have 24 hours in a day, and they’re looking out for their own interests. They want to write about things they are interested in and that will drive lots of traffic and get them paid.


Reason number three: the human dimension
The third reason pitches are effective is that they provide editors and reporters with an actual name and face they can call upon as a reliable, informed source. They create real relationships between you and the media.

When media need someone to comment on a particular story or seek background or clarification on story, they inevitably rely on sources they know, recognize and respect. This kind of relationship often results from having previously presented a newsworthy pitch.

Pitching is a key part of establishing and maintaining those kind of relationships.


So, who actually does the pitching?
The reality is that you simply don’t have time to pitch the media. If that were the case, you would already be talking with them.

The solution is to rely on your PR team to identify which media make most sense for you and which stories make the most sense to the media and then turn your PR team loose to pitch, pitch and pitch some more.

Generating results from pitches can take time, but the results can exceed expectations and have an enormously favorable impact on what you market.


Call us and let us pitch you
Want to get acquainted with our pitch? Call or email me (407-339-0879 or will@wellonscommunications.com) and tell me the kinds of stories you want others to know. Let us listen to your story and share with you how we can go about expanding the kind of marketing-oriented, ongoing news coverage you seek.

Why your business needs a press room, and how to create one

Posted on by Wellons team

How many times have you gone online to research a prospective client’s organization only to find yourself mired in promotional gobbledygook that fails to clearly state what the organization does?

Now, put yourself in the shoes of an enterprising journalist under the gun on a rapidly-approaching deadline. Imagine how they must feel while slogging through materials laced with trade jargon, especially if they aren’t familiar with your industry.

That raises an even more basic point: where, on your website, do journalists go to find out the most basic information about you and your organization?

Do you have a press room clearly marked? Or do journalists have to scour your site to find it? And, once they’ve found your press room, what’s in it?

Do you even have a press room?

Press rooms contain the basics

At Wellons Communications, we organize press rooms under the premise that they cannot be too simple.

We approach their development with the same mindset as a journalist: who, what, when, where, why and how.

Like Jack Webb in the now-ancient television series Dragnet, we stick to the facts, ma’am. We put the answers out there as plainly and simply as possible.

Why the simplicity in press rooms?

The information in press rooms is basic for the simple reason that journalists often want the simplest possible explanation to extract and convey to their audience. This is particularly important if a journalist is on deadline or unfamiliar with your organization or industry.

Another important reason simplicity is paramount in press rooms is that you control the information being conveyed. Or, to say it another way, by making the answers available before the question is asked, you have made it as easy as possible for the journalist to say about you what you say about yourself.

This does not mean that you use over-the-top hyperbole. It means you boil your elevator speech down to a phrase or a few well-chosen words that will accurately and clearly tell people who you are and what you do.

What do you put in a press room?

No two press rooms are exactly alike, but there are basic elements that should serve as a foundation. These include:

  • Copy blocks, in varying length, that allow journalists to cut and paste information (a big help if they are on deadline). The blocks can range from 25 to 100 words in length and should include your website address. The purpose of the copy blocks is to define who you are, what you do, and how to get more information about you.
  • A fact sheet that provides the 5 W’s and H in succinct phrasing that can be adopted for use by journalists. The fact sheet should be free of hyperbole and contain only relevant factual information that is important to you, your industry, and your clients.
  • An undated overview release that provides a basic introduction about your organization. Keep it short (two pages max) and readable. The key element is to keep the release undated and limited to information that will not change very often.
  • Recent news. Include a list of the most recent press releases in chronological order. This allows journalists to see what you’ve been saying.
  • Press contact. Who should journalists call for more information? Name, phone number, email address and any other relevant information should be included. This should be one page, no more, and easy to find.
  • Graphics. It’s always nice to include a downloadable logo, photos, and a short video (:20 seconds is plenty).

Let media know you have a press room

The fact that you even have a press room provides a legitimate excuse to contact media and let them know that a) you exist and b) you are a readily available source of information for your organization, your industry, and any related topics that might be important to the media.

You can communicate this via an email, or you may want to go a little further and send the information out via some memorable tchotchke that will linger on a journalist’s desk and have a lengthy life span (i.e. a magnetic bookmark, a mousepad, pen cup or magnetic calendar).

If you are on a tight budget (who isn’t?), create two levels of tchotchkes: a more expensive tchotchke for your A-list media and a less expensive notification for everyone else.

So how do you create a press room?

We’re glad you asked. That’s what we do.

We are experienced and knowledgeable in developing and maintaining press rooms. That’s because we’ve been on the other side (the journalist’s side) combing through the web (and everywhere else) seeking information necessary to create a story about something that we just learned was important.

We know what journalists want and how to format a press room that meets their needs.

If your press room needs updating – or if you simply need a press room for the very first time – call on us.

We will be happy to look over what you have in mind—or even recommend what you need—and furnish you with a press room that will be valuable to you and the media you want to reach.

Crisis communications: How prepared is your business?

Posted on by Wellons team

clipboardWhen you hear “crisis communications,” your first reaction might be “It won’t happen to me.” After all, you’re just a business—not the target of something you’d see on the news.

And you’re right—mostly. While you probably won’t suffer some kind of incident that will make major headlines, the rise of social media has made it much more likely that your business will face some kind of crisis situation.

Because there is a possibility, you need to have a crisis communications plan in place now.

What kinds of crises are we talking about?

There are different degrees and types of “crises.”

Any one of them could have an enormous impact your business. Indeed, any of these types of crises could happen to you and they don’t have to make headlines to have a meaningful, negative, effect on your business. Here are some examples of impactful, but often unseen, kinds of crises that affect businesses with more regularity than you might suspect.

• Negative actions by a former employee. These can range from someone sending harmful emails to your key client database to someone going to the local media and spreading negative misinformation, creating a false image of your organization.

• Criminal activity involving an employee. What would you do if you discovered that one of your employees had been arrested for embezzling organizational funds? Or had been arrested for sexual abuse against children? How would you respond if an ex-spouse showed up at your business and took threatening action against their ex?

• Negative spotlight on your business category. How well prepared are you to respond to client or media inquiries about a sharp sales downturn in your product or service category? What about some kind of inquiry about the safety or reliability of products or services in your particular category?

It doesn’t have to be your fault to call attention to your business. Media often call on anyone in a particular industry to add context to a story.

Need specific examples? How about the safety of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder? Or the recurrence of E. coli or salmonella in Chipotle’s restaurants? If you market a product related to parents or operate a restaurant, there’s a good possibility you can get caught in the news fallout, even if it is someone else’s problem.

Need examples closer to home? How about the shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub? Or the disappearance of the 2-year old who was attacked by an alligator at Walt Disney World? What about the impact of hurricanes on Central Florida and their disruption of normal working cycles on businesses?

How to handle a public relations crisis

Thanks to the interrelationship of social media and mainstream media, an incident can morph into a full-blown crisis in just a few hours.

If you have a well-constructed crisis management strategy, backed-up by a regularly-conducted rehearsal program to test it out, you are in position to deal with the crisis.

Such a plan will enable to you quickly interact with your clients, the leaders and influencers in your category, media, and any other audiences that are important to you. Even a short, basic plan identifying your key audiences (along with their contact information) will position you to address an unseen crisis in a businesslike, responsible manner.

How do you create a crisis plan?

You can create your own plan.

Or you can call on the seasoned professionals at Wellons Communications to create a plan for you.

Our team members have served both sides of crisis management (the media side and the client side) and have first-hand knowledge of how effective a good plan can be. They have also seen the disastrous results that inevitably occur when a business lacks crisis planning.

We will be happy to provide you specific examples of the kinds of crises we have addressed in the past. More importantly, we will listen to you, learn about your business and better understand what kind of readiness you need to have to address a crisis situation.

Let’s discuss how we can ready your business to be prepared to address a crisis situation effectively and professionally—and before it ever happens.

Call us (407-339-0879) or email us at will@wellonscommunications.com to start on your crisis communications planning.

Are you too much in love with social media?

Posted on by Wellons team

Social media—and its hold on businesses that are seeking to sell to those millions of fans—has dramatically changed how we market to wanna-be clients.

Businesses like to call on social media because it is relatively inexpensive, allows rapid formulation of messages and makes it easy to distribute information.

But how effective is social media? Does it really sell things and ideas? Or is it more “white noise” in a world where communications have become overloaded?

Social media’s sheer volume offers opportunities to influence customers 

Consider this: According to Social Media Today, “…. (the) total time spent on social media beats time spent eating and drinking, socializing, and grooming.”

That’s a lot of time. And that huge chunk of everyone’s daily life offers a tremendous marketing opportunity. But simply lobbing information on an indiscriminate basis without an organized plan and strategy is not the answer.

Because social media is so prevalent, businesses in love with social media often spew out tons of information that may not, in fact, be “share-worthy” or even interesting. That leads to less-than-satisfactory (or no) results and wastes the time and energy of the business.

In short, there’s more to it than simply “Let’s post a lot of news, information, and graphics on Facebook and Instagram.”

Social media CAN work, but only if it is based on newsworthy information

Cision, who prospered for decades as a leading press release distribution company, has morphed to a distributor of information via electronic resources.

Even though the means of distribution has changed, Cision has never varied from its belief that whatever information is shared, it has to have some value to both the reader and the organization that is issuing the news.

Cision’s philosophy is encapsulated the still-relevant article 7 PR mistakes to avoid in 2017. The theme of the article can be summed up in two ideas: you have to distribute information to reach your audience and your information has to be relevant.

So how do we approach social media at Wellons Communications?

We still subscribe to the old 5 W’s—who, what, when, where, why and how—but supported by modern technology and adjusted to fit prevailing attitudes.

When you put the new technology and attitudes aside, it still comes down to  clearly identifying who can use your information, when they can use it, and clearly stating and explaining why your message matters.

How we go about that is more complex. How and what revolves around putting together a well-thought out plan that integrates messaging and timing and generates results…. all without breaking your bank

We certainly believe social media is paramount in today’s communications environment.

But we look at social media as a means of distribution, not the “magic bullet” that makes people buy products, services and ideas. Posting information on the Internet doesn’t necessarily mean sales will skyrocket. It simply means you have distributed information.

At Wellons Communications, we take a total approach to public relations. We recognize the power of social media, but we also understand the value of traditional public relations, marketing, content, SEO and more.

They all work together to move the needle for clients, and no one plan fits all. There is only one plan that works—and that plan is the one that is best suited to accomplish your marketing goals, within your budget, and delivering the kinds of results that will enable your profitability and success.

Social media is more than likely part of that plan—but if you’re only doing that, and if you don’t have a clear idea of why, it may be time to rethink the relationship.

As you plan ahead and seek to more actively involve public relations in your overall marketing, keep Wellons Communications in mind.

We’re mindful that you only have so much money to invest in marketing and eager to help you use PR to serve as an affordable and reliable means of augmenting and strengthening your overall marketing program.

How to get the most out of your elevator speech

Posted on by Wellons team

Quick! When someone asks you “What do you do?”, what’s your answer?

Do you tell the questioner, in a single sentence, what you do – or do you focus on the benefits you provide your clients? Are you able to define, in as few words as possible, the results you deliver on behalf of your clients? Do you stick to that definition?

Emphasize the value you bring to your clients

We’ll start with our own business. When people ask members of our public relations account team “What do you do?” we respond, “We help our clients sell things.”

If the questioner wants more information, they will ask—and we’ll respond with a broader explanation of how we develop and distribute information that helps our clients reach their key audiences and helps them sell their products, services and ideas.

Too much information and too little time to absorb it

The avalanche of communications that has emerged in the 21st century demands your communications be clear, simple, to the point and quickly and easily understood. No surprise, social media has led the way in creating the crowded competition for attention, to wit:

  • Every second, on average, around 6,000 tweets are tweeted on Twitter, which corresponds to over 350,000 tweets sent per minute, 500 million tweets per day and around 200 billion tweets per year.[1]
  • Every minute on Facebook: 510,000 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded.[2]
  • 3,607,080 Google searches are conducted worldwide each minute of every day.[3]
  • Ninety percent of all data was created in the past two years (that adds up to 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day.) [4]

The result of all this electronic overload has upended and revolutionized print and broadcast media, as well as other communications industries.

On one hand, social media and electronic communications provide an entirely new means of reaching one’s audience. On the other hand, the sheer volume of information generated by electronic communications weigh down one’s ability to take it all in, much less make sense of so much information.

“Just show me the baby”

The communications overload places a premium on presenting your message in a quick, easy-to-understand format.

To illustrate, there was a leading executive in the theme park industry who was regarded as a terror for those who insisted on long, windy explanations. The theme park exec would, in front of everyone in the room, cut them off and say, in a loud voice, “Enough. Just show me the baby.”

While it wasn’t pleasant to hear, it was his way of saying “get to the point.”

We agree with his philosophy (if not his manner of management); it’s important to present your message quickly and simply, as well as memorably.

Brevity is king

Eons ago, one of the key tools for PR folks was Strunk & White’s Elements of Style. The book’s benefit can be summed up as “omit needless words.” It’s an old philosophy, but it’s one that holds true today.

Because of the crowded communications field, we have shifted to presenting and absorbing information in headline fashion. We cannot communicate simply enough. And that means communicating in as few words as possible.

In a day and age when we want people to read white papers that detail everything you would like them to know about your product and service, no one has time to read them.

They’d rather get a postcard with one sentence and an interesting graphic that drives your point home.

We work simply, but effectively

Our team at Wellons Communication recognizes how quickly communications is changing.

We understand how to craft a message that will cut through the clutter, gain recognition from your target audience, and provide them the reasons it is important for them to do what you want them to do.

If you want to start communicating with simplicity and clarity, think about our approach at Wellons Communications. We keep it short and to the point, focused on making your message more powerful in its simplicity.

We help you sell things, which is the whole point of being in business.

[1] http://www.internetlivestats.com/twitter-statistics/
[2] https://blog.microfocus.com/how-much-data-is-created-on-the-internet-each-day/
[3] https://blog.microfocus.com/how-much-data-is-created-on-the-internet-each-day/
[4] https://web-assets.domo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/17_domo_data-never-sleeps-5-01.png

Social media check-up: Is your business healthy?

Posted on by Wellons team

With more than 2 billion people on social media, we’d be surprised to find someone who doesn’t think it’s important for his or her business.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’re a seasoned pro, social media inevitably comes with a lot of questions. Am I doing this right? Am I getting the most out of it? Where do I even start? We’ve heard them all.

And we can relate! Social media has been on our minds at Wellons Communications lately. Our CEO recently led a workshop on social media, and as a staff, we did a deep dive on best practices across platforms.

A short check-up never hurts. Below are five essentials for your business’ social media—so you can be sure you’re in tip-top shape.

  • Know your platform
    There are a multitude of social media platforms out there, from Facebook and Instagram to LinkedIn and Google+. Each platform operates differently, attracts a different demographic, and has different requirements. For instance, Instagram is driven by visuals. LinkedIn attracts a more professional crowd. Twitter allows the use of hashtags. Understanding each platform and selecting the right ones for your business can set you up for success.
  • Set a strategy
    Just like with any other marketing and public relations tactic, you must establish a plan. Jumping head first into social media without setting a strategy is like driving down a dark road without headlights. Eventually, you’re going to crash. Ask yourself what you want from social media. Do you want direct ROI? Do you want to be seen as a thought leader? Your goals will drive the strategy you use.
  • Craft your content
    What you post on social media defines your company, just as much as a sales presentation or your website. Content shows viewers what your company is, what it does and what it stands for—so it has to support your goals. What does your brand want to convey? What is your aesthetic, visually and tonally? Do you post videos, photos, articles or something else? Take some time to set some brand standards. After all, posting to a personal account is not the same as posting to a business page.
  • Stay consistent
    To effectively use social media, you have to be engaged. That means posting regularly (this is where that plan comes in!), responding promptly to comments and concerns, and actively listening to what is being said about your company on social media. Are you doing all you can to protect your reputation and keep your voice out there?
  • Keep up-to-date
    The social media landscape is constantly changing and growing. It’s essential to stay in the conversation and up-to-date on the latest trends to remain relevant. Are you reading up on changes on platforms or best practices in your industry? At Wellons, we make sure to brush up periodically to make sure we stay sharp.

If you still have questions or want to ensure your company is getting the most out of this powerful tool, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to share our knowledge and expertise with you. Give us a call at 407-339-0879 or email Will at will@wellonscommunications.com.

Communications is a two-way street…starting with listening

Posted on by Wellons team

One of the traits of successful business people is their ability to communicate. Successful businesses center around great ideas, augmented by the ability of their leaders to clearly and persuasively convey why their product or service is important for their target audiences. These leaders have the gift of simply and effectively underscoring the need for what they do and how their product or service benefits their customers.

But in many instances, there is a single trait that distinguishes a business leader from their competitors. It costs nothing but a modicum of patience and minimal amount of time.

That “magic bullet” is listening.

Active listening is a consistent trait among business leaders

Canadian business consultant Brady Wilson—whose Juice, Inc. has earned a reputation for improving communications between businesses, their customers and their own employees—offers an insightful tip on getting people to engage.

Wilson shares a story about a bank that decided to change its customer service interactions. Like every other financial institution, the bank was engaged in transactional currencies where one transaction was just like another.

However, by engaging the brain and the heart in tandem in a process called “human currencies,” the bank was able to increase the sale of financial products and increase customer loyalty.

The first step was to ask a question: “How are you doing?” By demonstrating empathy along with patience, bank employees were able to make a positive brain connection with the customer.

By recognizing the “human element” through active listening, positive changes in customer service interactions happened.

The notion of active listening

Active listening requires a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying, but more importantly, the complete message being communicated.

This demands that one pays attention to the other person.

You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you or by forming counter arguments while the other person is still speaking—nor can you allow yourself to get bored and lose focus on what the other person is saying.

In short, active listening is hard work. It requires patience and focus. It demands putting aside what you want to say and deferring to someone else for a few moments. And it demands a commitment to listen.

More about active listening

More examples and insights about aggressive listening are underlined by an insightful article by publisher Ashley Stahl, a Forbes contributor, who makes her point by showcasing three Ted Talks in an April 30, 2018 article.

 You can hear the Ted Talks here.

Try talking with Wellons Communications. We listen.

At Wellons Communications, we take listening very seriously. We know what we know…but there is a lot we don’t know. The only way we find out what we don’t know (and need to know) is listening.

We listen to what our clients want to accomplish. We pay attention to what our clients’ target audiences say they want, another form of listening that can point us in the right direction.

Only by listening to our clients can we accurately and successfully help them communicate – and listen – to their target audiences.

Take a shot at active listening and give us a call. Start by telling us what you want to do and, generally, how you want to go about it.

We’ll listen. We will ask questions. And then we will listen some more.

And, when it comes time for us to provide feedback, we will have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and have sound ideas of how we can help you achieve your goals.

I’m ready to start listening to what you have to say. Call me at 407-339-08798 or email me at will@wellonscommunications.com.

 

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