Tag Archives: Content

You Wrote It, But Do You Own It?

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Beware trade media bearing your byline; the work you see may not be your own.

This is a universal caution Kimball Hughes Public Relations provides to all organizational leaders, business executives and subject matter experts who create and submit articles to trade media for publication. While the resulting published article may represent hours of research and thoughtful wordsmithing on behalf of these individuals, in most cases, that intellectual property—at least in part—belongs to the publishing outlet regardless of who is credited as the author. Why? Because of copyright laws.

Let Me Explain

It’s important to note I’m not a lawyer, although I have represented hundreds or more of them as a public relations practitioner. Therefore, nothing here should be considered legal advice. (This is the disclaimer that also keeps the lawyers happy.)

I was, however, a trade magazine editor for several years. And back then, when writers (many of them lawyers, by the way) would contribute articles for publication, whether compensated or not, the magazines I ran would assume First North American Serial Rights. This is just one sector of the more than 700 sections of Title 17 of the U.S. Code encompassing U.S. copyright law. Under First North American Serial Rights, a common right asserted by third-party publishers, our publications maintained the one-time right to publish a work first in the U.S. Our agreements, although this isn’t necessarily standard, also required the author to note in second and subsequent publications of the same content (sometimes on their own website or blog) that the article was first published in our magazines.

This is just one example of the intricacies of U.S. copyright law.

Why Is This Important?

According to the October 2025 findings from McKinsey, 50% of consumers are using AI-powered search already, and numerous sources note AI search will overtake traditional online search by 2028. Those AI searches are driven by third-party content.

This means trade outlet articles, Tier One media content and well-optimized podcasts and streaming platforms will form the basis of how business and non-profit leaders and subject matter experts show up. In many cases, organizations will put an increased emphasis on earned media placements and contributed content going forward. And when organization leaders have contributed articles published that highlight their deep understanding of industry trends or certain sectors of the economy, those same leaders and those who employ them are going to want to share those articles. This is where copyright law becomes important.

Those third-party publishers of contributed content may obtain, purchase or assert exclusive rights, First North American Serial Rights or full copyright transfer—among other options, where a contributed article is concerned. Republishing these works, without understanding the rights involved, can put the organizations that republish them, and/or their authors, in legal jeopardy. At a minimum, it is possible to so deeply damage a relationship with the third-party publisher that the author, as well as their employer, may be banned from ever again contributing to the outlet at issue.

How To Address Copyright with Trade Outlets

With content continuing to remain king, contributed or otherwise, authors who submit contributed articles or opinion pieces for publication should work closely with their public relations representatives to understand what, if any, copyright matters may be at issue. This is a frequent, and typically ongoing conversation editors and PR pros have when content is submitted for publication.

Additionally, most outlets will provide Writers’ Guidelines that can explain what copyright, if any, may be asserted around published, contributed content. Other outlets provide a writer’s agreement for signature prior to publication that details what rights may be assumed or assigned.

Most importantly, when uncertain, consult an attorney to avoid ambiguity, the potential for damaged relationships with important trade media as well as the possibility of costly litigation. That’s not legal advice; just smart advice.

The Value of Podcasts for Brand Awareness

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In today’s crowded digital landscape, companies are constantly competing for visibility. From improving SEO via AI platforms like ChatGPT to increasing engagement on LinkedIn, leaders must find ways to boost the reputations of their brands. While traditional earned media placements help build awareness, brands must diversify their public relations efforts to distinguish themselves among their competitors and reach their target audiences.

Enter podcasts.

The number of U.S. podcast listeners is expected to hit 630.9 million by the end of 2025. Growing in popularity for their convenience and conversational nature, these long- and short-form audio sessions provide a direct, sometimes unfiltered conduit to reach their audiences.

The Value of Podcasts

Once known for mainstream genres like comedy and true crime, today you can find a podcast on nearly any topic. Myriad trade publications, for example, now offer podcasts to complement their print, online and other efforts. This allows brands to reach highly targeted and engaged audiences through the media sources they already know and trust.

Additionally, podcasts provide a valuable quality for PR pros and brands alike: listeners actually pay attention to them. In a world of goldfish-like attention spans, lengthy articles are sometimes skimmed (or even skipped) by busy readers, sending your carefully crafted messaging to the bottom of an algorithm’s totem pole. Podcasts, on the other hand, provide a more passive way for audiences to consume information, making your brand’s message more digestible than a long-winded article.

Podcasts also allow for a conversational tone, which helps to demystify and humanize your brand. And like with trade media, podcasts often have loyal followings. This helps position your brand as more credible among your target audience.

How to Leverage Podcasts

Securing a podcast interview is a huge win, but amplifying that coverage once it goes live is vital for a brand’s return on time. Once you have landed a podcast interview, sharing and repurposing the content can help to increase listeners and amp up your brand exposure. Here are some best practices to amplify a podcast interview:

  • Share social media posts leading up to the interview to encourage followers to listen and interact using appropriate links and tagging the podcast and its hosts.
  • Post a public thank you to the host with a link to the interview once it is live. This will help further raise visibility among the podcast’s audiences.
  • Incorporate the podcast into internal marketing materials like your newsletter, blog, website and—if possible—the email signatures of the brand’s team members for at least one week after the podcast is live.
  • You can even turn the podcast interview into a Q&A article or social media content. You should always source and link to the original content but first be sure to check with the podcast host to get permission to stay on the right side of copyright law.

As podcasts continue to grow in popularity, they offer a strong platform for brands to share their messages in an authentic and conversational way. By leveraging this medium, companies can effectively grow their media presence and reach highly targeted and engaged audiences.

The Rise of the LinkedIn Newsletter: Are Blogs Old News?

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Since the early days of digital marketing, company blogs have been trusted tools for brands to share their expertise and connect with audiences, while maintaining control of the narrative. Blogs were a breakthrough in the late 90s and early 2000s, allowing brands to speak directly to engaged audiences. But as social media began to change how people discovered and consumed content, many company website blogs became an echo chamber of regularly published content, with little engagement or interaction.  

Enter LinkedIn Newsletters. The feature offers brands a direct line to their professional networks and a notification-system, as well as analytics to direct content refining efforts. Brands that are truly taking advantage of LinkedIn Newsletters will see the pivotal role they can play in strengthening their brand voice and credibility, while expanding their digital footprints. And while LinkedIn Newsletters are not a fool-proof replacement for traditional website blogs, they could be a great addition to a brand’s digital marketing strategy.  

What’s the hype?  

A well-maintained company blog still holds value, especially when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). In reality, it’s a different type of content from a LinkedIn Newsletter. Blogs are owned content, whereas a newsletter published on LinkedIn is shared content. While there is some overlap between the two, a brand has less control over how shared content is distributed through LinkedIn’s algorithm beyond the newsletter’s subscribers. With both however, brands control the message they are putting out into the world.   

With a LinkedIn Newsletter, subscribers get a notification when a new edition is published, both in-app and via email if they opt-in to that feature. Because subscribers have to actively opt in, they are more likely to read and interact with the content, much like a traditional blog. Brands will also be prompted to create a LinkedIn post with each new edition, expanding the potential reach of the newsletter beyond subscribers. While similar to LinkedIn’s article feature, newsletters allow brands to cultivate a community of subscribers who will interact with others and share the brands insights.  

Lead with Value  

Before marketing and communications teams rush to transfer their existing, evergreen blog content to LinkedIn, remember that content fatigue can be a considerable deterrent. Audiences want a comfortable cadence of content that delivers clear, useful insights. A LinkedIn Newsletter needs to read less like a company update and more like a resource. That means understanding your audience’s needs, speaking to them directly and offering perspective over promotion. But most importantly, the writing needs to read like it came from the mind of a human:  

  • Repurpose with caution: It is not necessarily beneficial to share all the content a company has posted on their website blog on a LinkedIn Newsletter. A press release announcing a new report, for example, may not offer a brand’s LinkedIn audience much value. But an article about an aspect of the report and expanding on a few key points could be valuable.  
  • Perspective over promotion: LinkedIn newsletters are not the place to be promotional and sell products. While a sales-focused call to action can be an aspect of a LinkedIn article, the key focus should be providing expertise and tangible insight. Brands that stay up to date on what matters to their audiences and challenges they are facing will have a better chance of attracting regular readers.  
  • AI is not a writer: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like Microsoft Co-Pilot or OpenAI’s Chat GPT can help with brainstorming and organizing a writer’s thoughts, but an effective newsletter still requires a content writer who understands the brand’s goals, their audience and the nuances of the subject matter. An effective writer will offer a final product that personifies a brand and showcases it as a resource an audience can trust. AI written content should always be fact-checked and writers should ensure any use of AI does not supersede proper editing and review processes to ensure human tone and accuracy.

Don’t Forget the Metrics  

LinkedIn shares several metrics around newsletters to help brands refine and improve the content they share. From email sends and open rates to article views and engagement numbers, LinkedIn offers a number of in-platform data points to signal what’s working and what’s not. To name a few:  

  • Email sends indicate how many subscribers opted into an email notification of the newsletter.  
  • Email open rate is a percentage of the email sends that were opened by users. 
  • Article views show the number of times users viewed the newsletter.  
  • Engagement rates report the percentage of interactions on a newsletter compared to the impressions.  

With the above data and more that LinkedIn shares, brands can begin testing new strategies for their newsletters like adjusting frequency, sharing new formats or approaching new, timely themes. The beauty of digital content is its flexibility and LinkedIn Newsletters give brands the time and space to experiment. 

Digital content is only as valuable as the connections it offers brands. LinkedIn Newsletters provide a way to build off a brand’s existing audience on the platform, offer real value and cultivate more meaningful connections.  

Brand Authenticity Requires Communicators to Play Lead Roles

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While brands have a voice in shaping their narratives, it is their publics who play an outsized role in holding organizations to their brand promise and reputation.

One of the best time-tested methods of ensuring adherence to brand authenticity is having a public relations or communications professional at the decision-making table from the start. Failing to do so runs the risk of self-inflicted reputational harm that is extremely difficult, and often expensive to dial back later.

In brands we trust

B2C as well as B2B consumers have vast resources to evaluate brands and a wealth of options from which to choose. Brands that consistently speak to the values and priorities of their consumers engender trust and an emotional connection. According to April 2024 data released from Shopify, 86% of American consumers say authenticity is a key reason they buy or engage with a brand.

Whether it is Red Bull, GE or Salesforce, these companies and others are great examples of organizations that use engaging storytelling, emotionally targeted messaging and brand authenticity to reach and connect with their audiences. We know Red Bull gives you wings. We know GE is focused on imagination at work, and that Salesforce positions you to manage success, not software. Their messaging goes beyond taglines, and their stories resonate with their publics because they meet a need.

What Ben Franklin said

Ben Franklin famously quipped, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” There are countless brands that illustrate Franklin’s point.

The example set by Target regarding its shifting DEI policies has put … well, a target on the Target brand with calls for boycotts and declining sales. Such inconsistent messaging causes brand audiences to reconsider the authenticity and trustworthiness of the organizations at issue. Consumers aren’t sure what, if anything, the brand stands for and repairing that damage will be a long and expensive undertaking.

On the B2B side, there is no more powerful example of reputational damage due to a lack of authenticity—as well as transparency—as WeWork. The company promoted a utopia-style revolution in how workspaces would evolve while leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs to work collaboratively. In reality, the company infamously misled everyone regarding its spending, profitability and stability, leading to a loss of trust among investors and business clients that ultimately led to the founder being ousted and a Chapter 11 filing in 2023.

The power of communications strategy

A chief communications officer with a seat at the leadership table can help organizations adhere to brand authenticity. These professionals are trained to assess the communications risks of any given action by an organization that plays out in front of its publics—internal or external. They help brands avoid unforced errors and plan for a range of responses from their target audiences.

Having that comms professional in the room from the start of major brand decisions can lead to important conversations and questions filtered through a public perception lens, such as:

  • How does this align with the public’s understanding of who we are and what we do?
  • What risks are we taking with this change, and what can we do to mitigate them?
  • Does this change align with our core values?
  • How should we communicate this change clearly to our audiences, and what are the best channels to do so?
  • What is the plan to measure the impact of this change on our brand reputation and perception?
  • What is the backup plan if this change is not well received, and what is the trigger to institute that plan?

Brand leaders are best served when their PR teams challenge group think and work to consider the reaction to organizational change among various audiences. This approach can strengthen and even improve the proposed changes, better aligning them with the brand’s reputation and perception and lead to a smoother introduction to its publics. However, making change better and more sustainable only happens if the communicators are in the room where decisions are made from the beginning. That is how you maintain brand authenticity, and it matters.

Keys to Boosting Brand Awareness in 2025: Embrace New Media

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While you contemplate adding extra protein and strength training to your weight loss plans for 2025, why not consider adding new media and video to your company’s communications strategies?

A turn of the calendar to a new year presents an ideal opportunity to not only consider weight loss and exercise, but to evaluate business strategies as well – both successful and failed strategies. In public relations, as with many other industries, this new year refresh or reinvention beckons us to consider the latest trends and undertake new initiatives to continually boost brand awareness in the year ahead.

This time of year is replete with industry experts offering outlooks on what we can expect in the year ahead. And while traditional PR tactics, like contributed articles to well-respected outlets continue to carry weight, we are increasingly seeing good PR pros encouraging industry pundits to take on new platforms or new features of existing platforms to share their views, including – LinkedIn Live, LinkedIn Newsletters, TikTok, and new X competitor Blue Sky, among others.

Depending on the audience targeted, each platform can yield considerable results for company leaders who offer original, valuable and educational content. Leaders who want to boost their brand’s visibility in 2025 should consider the following new media:

  • LinkedIn Lives – In 2025, we will continue to see savvy thought leaders connect with their audiences through LinkedIn’s event-hosting platform LinkedIn Live. LinkedIn Lives are becoming increasingly popular for the platform’s ability to host live events with a casual feel – with one or multiple speakers, while engaging and interacting with the audience through a live chat function.

The tool markets itself in many ways as the event can easily be promoted among LinkedIn followers of the company page or the individual hosting the event. Followers will receive notifications about the event, as well as when it goes live. Moreover, any form of video in social media tends to generate higher levels of engagement than written content alone.

In the insurance space, digital marketing and transformation guru Ema Roloff has seen tremendous success with this resource, gathering roughly 1,600 registrations for an insurance predictions and trends event in late 2024. She hopes to do the same and more this year ahead of her Insurance Trends to Watch for 2025 event Dec. 17.

  • LinkedIn Newsletters – As LinkedIn continues to flex its authority as the social platform for business professionals, its newsletter function has also become increasingly popular for sharing thought leadership and other educational, nonpromotional content. LinkedIn claims it has seen a 59% increase in people publishing newsletter articles and a 47% rate increase in engagement. The platform claims more than 184,000 newsletters published. Once published, these newsletters invite your connections and followers automatically to subscribe so they are notified each time you publish with an in-app and email notification. Another perk – the success of your content is easily measurable through LinkedIn analytics.
  • Tik Tok – While Tik Tok has primarily been a successful B2C tool, we are now seeing the platform used more frequently for B2B engagement. In fact, Roloff has told us, her B2B Tik Tok videos on digital marketing in insurance have attracted more than one million views. We’ve been hearing for years that video content is essential for business communications, and Tik Tok proves the point and should not be overlooked in 2025.
  • BlueSky – As some look to move away from X, the app Bluesky, which bills itself as “an open foundation for the social internet” has been gaining popularity. In fact, BlueSky just reported crossing the 15 million user mark. As audiences flock to newer platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads, business leaders will want to take note to ensure they are meeting their customers where they are.

To understand new media available to your business and what might be right for you, work with a communications specialist or agency that understands your business objectives, your audiences and the new media that can deliver on those objectives and audiences. Technology and AI are quickly changing how we do business, as well as how we communicate and interact with each other and prospects. Don’t get left behind.

Communicating with Sensitivity in the Holiday Season: A guide for home and office

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We’re all worried about it. At this time of year everyone gathers. Linda brings up the election. Todd starts mansplaining. Rarely is there a workplace holiday gathering or end-of-year meeting where sensitive issues don’t come up. Oh, wait. You thought I was talking about holidays with the family?

Whether it’s bringing together far-flung (and far right and far left) relatives or just the company holiday party, some basic rules of the road apply to help you navigate both with grace, wit and diplomacy.

Know Your Audience

Spend enough time with anyone and you know what buttons to push and what reactions to expect. Keeping these in mind can avoid disaster.

  • Holiday Meals: Aunt Linda’s wine-soaked stories can venture into uncomfortable territory, while Cousin Todd is ready to challenge you on everything. Don’t engage. Instead, start light. “Please pass the rolls” is a safe opening that builds rapport and may only offend the gluten-free wing of the family.
  • Work Communications: When your boss is a bottom-line kind of executive or you have colleagues who need a little extra communication fluff to avoid shattered nerves, tailor your tone and content accordingly. When in doubt, lead with data and empathy. “Here’s the situation and my suggestions for how we can handle it.”

Address Conflict Strategically

Conflict is part of the human experience, but it doesn’t have to become a distraction from the mission of your gathering.

  • Holiday Meals: Avoid inflammatory topics like politics, religion, and Tofurkey. Instead, take the middle ground by spreading good cheer. Compliment the chef, celebrate Grandma’s bedazzled holiday sweater and admire your nephew’s alpaca-like hair style.
  • Work Communications: Take a beat before responding to a tense email or comment. Employ diplomacy by acknowledging a colleague’s concern, but stay solutions focused. “I understand your concerns. Let me clarify what I meant so we can find a solution together.”

Manage Expectations

Clarifying both your expectations and what you can offer helps to avoid misinterpretation. Clarifying your position without offending others can be achieved.

  • Holiday Meals: Stating you are stepping outside to “get some air” can be loosely interpreted to mean you’re taking a moment to avoid listening to Uncle Ernie (who no one invited) go on about how things were so much better in his day and how the world is going to hell in a handbasket now.
  • Work Communications: Be explicit about deadlines, deliverables and resources, especially during the holiday season. Doing so early helps avoid miscommunication. And push back when necessary, stating something along the lines of “I’d love to prioritize this, but I need more clarity/resources/time to do so.” Remember, no one appreciates it when someone over promises and under delivers.

Exit Gracefully

When things become untenable or you feel there is little benefit in continuing to be part of the situation, know how to leave without burning bridges.

  • Holiday Meals: Deploy a helpful excuse like promising to help in the kitchen or needing to get home to check on your pet that you’ve never mentioned and may not, in fact, actually have.
  • Work Communications: Politely steer the meeting toward a conclusion with positive words to the effect of “It seems we’ve aligned on the main points. We can regroup on the details in our next update.”

The secret to any family or work gathering at the end of the year is the same: navigate the situation with empathy, a little humor and as much tact as you can muster. To do so:

  • Listen more than you speak
  • Breath before you respond
  • Find humor where you can, but not at someone else’s expense

Applied successfully, you will navigate this season of full-contact family dynamics and stress-inducing end-of-year business, leaving everyone convinced of your manifest diplomatic skills while creating or contributing to as few moments of holiday drama as possible.

Recent DEI Shifts Draw Attention to the Importance of Creating, Sticking to Company Brand Values

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Last month, Tractor Supply Co. announced a plan to retire all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals and eliminate all DEI roles at the company. The swift turn away from DEI came in response to a public social media campaign organized to boycott Tractor Supply for their DEI and ESG initiatives and goals.

In today’s social climate, we frequently see businesses pivoting quickly to avoid negative reactions and feedback from customers – whether we’re talking about shifting DEI focus, distancing a brand from a “cancelled” athlete or celebrity or something else. While in some cases, it may make sense to rush to adjust your company’s initiatives based on negative comments or a sudden social movement, some abrupt moves can lead to even more backlash and reputational damage.

Thoughtful planning, strategic thinking and consulting with legal and communications experts can assist your leadership in navigating a situation like this. But one of the best places to start, is to examine your brand values.

What are your brand values?

Brand values are the principles and beliefs of a company that leadership want to project upon consumers. Essentially, these are the key beliefs that guide the operation of the company and consumer perception of a brand. For example, if your business does work in the diversity, equity and inclusion space, then your core values may focus on respect, belonging and creating a culture focused on openness, innovation and handing the ladder down to create a more equitable workplace.

Before coming up with any new programs, creating content, running any media outreach, or organizing a strategic pivot, management should have clearly defined brand values that represent both the company’s goals and growth plans. These values should also align with your target audience and their interests and how you want your company to be viewed by them.

Citing another unfortunate incident in the DEI space, consider the recent controversial decision by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to remove equity from their DEI strategy. On July 10, SHRM announced it would be moving forward with a focus solely on inclusion and diversity, which came as a surprise to many organization members.

SHRM’s decision was immediately met with intense backlash. Many human resource professionals canceled their SHRM memberships, a petition was started to oppose the decision, and many speakers pulled out of their upcoming conference. Generally, HR executives have found the decision to be disconnected from the core concepts of DEI and feel strongly that SHRM needs an equity-based approach to address workplace issues.

This was a misstep that could have been avoided. SHRM’s data had shown that people were not confident in the direction for progressing certain DEI initiatives. As a result, they ended up pulling back the equity portion. In this decision, they failed to recognize that a large portion of SHRM’s audience is very DEI focused and had been supportive as SHRM played a significant role in expanding DEI efforts across the human resources industry. SHRM’s brand values historically had been aligned with promoting DEI. An abrupt decision to seemingly rewrite their brand values and goals around uncertainty in the direction of the broader DEI movement has led to continued frustration.

Keeping Brand Values in Practice

The loudest voice in the room can be distracting, but leaders need to be careful not to let it be the guiding force behind any decision-making. A company’s brand values should be at the center of any decision. The loudest voice is not always representative of your target audience’s key interests and changing direction rashly without careful thought and professional consultation can lead to reputational damage or ruin.

While society continues to be largely divided on a number of issues, we can likely agree that a decision made in haste without considering your core audience or values, is likely not a smart move.

Before reacting, stop, think and consult with communications professionals. Think: What key messages are we relaying with this move and how will our audience respond?

Public opinion will always shift. That doesn’t mean your brand values should.

The Power and Peril of LinkedIn for Professionals

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Donald Trump has done more for black people than Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. combined.

Joe Biden finally beat Medicare, so we don’t have to worry about senior citizens anymore.

If grocery stores want me to bring my own bags, they should pay me.

Pat’s is the only place to get a real cheese steak in Philadelphia.

Let’s consider the visceral reactions many would have to the above statements if posted to LinkedIn by their professional connections. The key word here is visceral.

In my view, LinkedIn is not the place for sensitive social commentary. LinkedIn was created to help people present themselves for career opportunities and for professional networking. It has evolved, becoming a venue for creative expression, sharing of expertise and insights, for calling society to action on issues of industry and enterprise, and for holding a mirror up to our workplace lives – all through the lens of the professional. It is not Facebook, where personal perspective, political ideology and countless memes are central. It is not X (formerly Twitter), where reactionaries, visionaries, citizen journalists, political and social elites and the opinionated co-mingle. Nor is it Instagram, where humor and snark co-exist with vacation photos and musical dance routines or humorous pet antics.

LinkedIn, for good or ill, remains a platform for professional discourse with a splash of the personal that should not veer into jarring zealotry. Authenticity is important, but not at the expense of alienating important audiences that might disagree with your personal, beliefs. Courtesy, respect and being a compassionate human must be central to interactions in any professional environment — virtual or in person.

You would not walk into a job interview and begin the conversation with your unsolicited views on abortion. A company-wide Zoom meeting where the boss, or anyone else, shares why her preferred political candidate is the only rational choice could constitute a hostile work environment. No sane person would begin a new business presentation by explaining why their religion is superior to others. And certainly no one enjoys that one uncle who comes to Thanksgiving dinner eager to share his criticisms of your parenting, lifestyle, romantic partner, personal finances or who also publicly shames Aunt Mable’s latest obsession with sequin holiday sweaters.

Many of us were taught that some topics are not appropriate in the workplace or even certain family functions. Most importantly, in professional circles would you want your hard-earned qualifications and accomplishments overshadowed entirely because of the personal beliefs or opinions you share that have little or no bearing on your performance in the workplace?

We counsel clients to always strive for an authentic voice on social media that best reflects the organization or individual’s values and professional strengths. No one should feel the need to contort themselves into something they are not, either in the office or on LinkedIn. However, we live in a polarized world. Adding to the cacophony of militant opinions or strident arguments in a professional setting serves almost no one. This isn’t to say social media can’t be a tool for advocacy; rather, it’s simply that LinkedIn is often not the appropriate platform.

Consider your strongly held views or opinions posted to LinkedIn may negatively impact your employer’s ability to:

  • Recruit talent
  • Retain emerging professionals
  • Win new business
  • Fundraise
  • Attract new vendor partners
  • Hold on to existing customer relationships
  • Maintain the respect and support of the communities and audiences important to them

Moreover, sharing your personal beliefs on sensitive social topics on LinkedIn might also serve to harm your career. What if employers and others believe those views, however well intentioned, might bleed into the workplace and create potential management challenges with you, your direct reports or with clients?

When you reach for that “Start a post” option on LinkedIn, remember to be thoughtful, kind and intentional. What and how you post on LinkedIn is a reflection of your character, comportment and professional judgement. If you assume future employers, employees, customers and others aren’t going to look at LinkedIn — and maybe do a lot more scrolling than you think before entrusting you with their reputation, careers, money or more — you would be mistaken. A LinkedIn post, especially one written in haste, can do considerable harm. Equally so, a thoughtful and professional piece of content shared on LinkedIn can benefit you, and your employer, greatly. Proceed with caution, respect and offer the grace and kindness you would seek for yourself when engaging on this most powerful of professional platforms. And remember, always, that nothing on the internet ever truly goes away.

If you are a business or nonprofit leader, get in touch with Kimball Hughes Public Relations to ensure you have a social media policy and protocols to protect the reputation of your organization and those to whom you entrust. And if you are facing a reputational crisis, prompted by social media or other factors, we also provide Crisis Communications services to help you as well. Contact us at info@kimballpr.com or call (610) 559-7585.

The Secret Sauce: How Video Can Spice Up Your PR Strategy

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The dog days of August are here, accompanied by late summer vacations, back to school and, if you’re lucky, quieter workdays. This precious, less-demanding time of year when customers, clients and colleagues enjoy some much-deserved time off could be the ideal opportunity to explore ways to freshen up your public relations strategy for the final stretch of the year.

So, what do we see as the secret sauce to spice up your PR efforts before we close out the year?

Video.

HubSpot laid out the reasons why video is the future for marketing in a recent report. We’ll include PR under that umbrella for these purposes. The HubSpot research found 63% of customers surveyed in 2024 watched video content to learn about a product. They ascertained that 89% of consumers want to see more videos from the companies trying to reach them.

And video is not just valuable because people see it and digest it; brands love it because consumers pass it on. HubSpot found that people surveyed were 52% more likely to share video content than other types of content.

It’s not just brands that are noticing this growing consumer interest in video. Social media platforms recognize this too. Just this summer, LinkedIn beta tested a new video tab to piggyback on the popularity of TikTok and Instagram scrollable reels of video content. After testing out the new feature earlier this summer, digital transformation consultant and social media selling expert Ema Roloff wrote, “I can confidently say it will become the most used part of the LinkedIn mobile app. Just like Reels on Instagram, or Shorts on YouTube, the video tab is the spot to get your dopamine hit.”

She went on to explain the new feature will enhance user engagement and community building as users spend more time watching video, connecting with it and are presented with more opportunities to interact. Further, the easy-to-scroll set up encourages users to stay on the platform scrolling through videos and hopefully, sharing those videos.

Working It In

In the world of PR, video can be used to complement and enliven nearly any PR tactics. Consider the following:

  • Press releases and product announcements embody traditional PR. While a press release may still be needed for convenient text containing the who, what, when, why and where for reporters, why not make the news a bit more exciting for the consumer? Video can do just that and help to make a more memorable connection with your customer related to your announcement.
  • Thought leadership prepared as text can also be recycled into video to further the writer’s point either through animation or a casual short video on the topic. It can help to highlight the main points and draw viewers in to want to take a deeper diver and learn more. As much of what we do in PR is based on telling a compelling story for our clients, video can help achieve this goal as it can help to evoke emotion and more deeply engage the viewer.
  • Issue statements, a tool used by PR pros to get a leader’s expertise out to the media on a certain topic making headlines or breaking news, can also be supported with a video message. A recorded video message by the thought leader could not only be valuable to catch a reporter’s eye, but also for reporters to insert into segments, or to demonstrate the individual is TV-ready.
  • Social media posts can get a bit stale if a company is always posting the same types of content, whether its graphics, photos or even original articles. Short, original video can help to break up this content and keep the viewer engaged.
  • Interactive events like LinkedIn or Facebook Lives seem to be the modern press conference. These platforms allow users to host live webinar-like events that can be more easily found among your connections, shareable, cost-effective and a fantastic way to encourage user interaction and promote engagement.

Dos and Don’ts

So, you’re ready to tackle video for your company. What should you keep in mind?

  • Don’t worry about producing highly polished content. Do produce “relatable and authentic” content. HubSpot found 63% of viewers prefer this.
  • Don’t publish a full-on made-for-TV mini-series. Do create a brief, thoughtful video. HubSpot found 83% of marketers believe video should be no longer than 60 seconds in length.
  • Don’t commit yourself to one channel. Do explore and take advantage of the channels your key audience frequents, whether they include LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram or Facebook.
  • Don’t assume you can do it all. Do consult a PR professional or agency. While video for these purposes should appear “authentic”, it should not appear sloppy or amateur. Work with PR pros who can help you, at minimum, with talking points, speech prep, with recording and conducting light edits on the video.

Video will play a key role in the future of PR and marketing. Freshen up your approach to PR with the latest channels to share your key messages and connect with your audience to help ensure your brand is meeting your customers where they are.  

Shouting Your Next Big Media Win from The Rooftops

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Imagine: Your company name is in the headline of an article on a reputable, national news outlet’s home page. Your colleagues and industry peers send a few emails in congratulations and maybe you even receive some inbound requests inquiring about your business, but the value seemingly ends there. How can you keep the momentum going?

Company leadership who are not taking full advantage of their media hits, or simply do not know how to amplify them are missing out on the exposure a reputable news outlet could offer.

Can I have your attention?

Whether the result of proactive media relations or an unexpected story, a media placement can help bring your business to the forefront of prospective customers’ and partners’ minds. If managed wisely and consistently over time, business leaders can enjoy a continuous flow of media hits that can lead to new business, help with recruitment and pique the interest of investors or other business partners. Consider the following tips to expand on your company’s next media win:

  • Share the good news internally: Your greatest cheerleaders should be your team members. Leadership should share media placements with team members and suggest convenient ways they can use it if they choose. Your communications team can be a great resource in crafting language to share with employees, including guidance on adding links to their email signatures.
  • Get social: As soon as a media hit goes live, business leaders should have a plan to share it broadly, tagging the outlet and – in some cases – the author as well. At minimum, social media posts should be scheduled for the same day the article is posted and a company’s website news page should be updated to include the article. Priority should be placed on interacting with comments on the posts and employees should be made aware of and encouraged to interact with them, if they are comfortable doing so.
  • Market it: Connect with your marketing team to see where else it may make sense to share the article, including newsletters or external email communications. Keep in mind the content is likely owned by the publication, not your company, so be careful not to cut and paste directly from the article or post without attribution. It could be seen as a violation of copyright laws.
  • Be strategic: As you spread the word through social media and marketing materials, be cautious not to spam your audiences with the same content. Find fresh angles where you can change up references to the articles in posts and marketing materials.
  • Don’t rest on your laurels: While a one-off media hit can lead to a nice boost for business and search engine optimization (SEO), without continued effort, it will likely be just that – a one-time thing. Engage your communications team to build a comprehensive plan for continuous, thoughtful proactive media outreach. Additionally, your communications team should be building and maintaining relationships with reporters who cover your business, leaving opportunities for you to contribute to stories in the future. Consider partnering with a public relations agency for an extra set of hands when it comes to media strategy and outreach.

Whether a feature article or a few quotes in a reputable news outlet, make your media win more than a nice-to-have article to frame on a wall. Media wins give a company credibility and a tangible way to demonstrate your leadership’s expertise. Essentially, unlike advertising, a media placement can offer third-party validation that consumers seek before placing their trust in a company. To make sure your company is more than a one-hit-wonder with the media, consider amplifying your coverage and building a long-term plan for consistent proactive outreach.