corporate communication and public relations
TRANSCRIPT
CORPORATE COMMUNICATION and PUBLIC RELATIONS
- TYBMS
Introduction to Corporate Communication
Meaning:
Corporate communications refers to the way in which businesses and organizations communicate with internal and external various audiences. Corporate
communication is the practice of developing, cultivating and maintaining a
corporate identity or brand image.
Customers and potential customers
Employees
Key stakeholders
The media and general public
Types:
Internal – Emails, The company’s mission statement, Trainings and
seminars
External - Annual reports, Websites, Facebook, Twitter and other
social media
Written – Brochures and printed sales materials
Verbal – Press conference, Advertisement videos
Scope of Corporate Communication
To create an identity
To Maintain reputation
To have an upper hand over the competitors
Advertising
Brand Building
To maintain smooth running of the organization
To develop future strategies
Corporate communication in India
In the 1950s, when industrialization just commenced, the focus was
more on production and need-based
today, the corporate communication is all about corporate
branding and reputation management
The objective of the company moved from attention seeking to
relational capital (reputation + bonding)
India, as a country is a brand driven consumer markets
Need/ Relevance of corporate communication
in Contemporary scenario
It is extremely relevant in today’s flat worldwide interconnectedness world.
Corporate communication helps to develop a culture of dialogues, feedback,
and flexibility.
Any organization who works and go ahead along with its people is bound to get
success and excel in the field.
The success of Tata, Reliance, Facebook, Mahindra & Mahindra and many other
companies define their way of communicating values to their people.
It has a potential to shape culture, enable better decisions and significantly move
the need for building an engaged workforce to capture the value.
It is important for every corporate to recognize the need for communication
category and usage of communication tools which has the greatest impact on
building a strong organization socially and economic point of view.
Corporate identity
Combination of color schemes, designs, words, Slogan, logo etc, that a firm employs to make a visual statement about itself and to communicate its business philosophy.
It is an enduring symbol of how a firm views itself, how it wishes to be viewed by others, and how others recognize and remember it.
Corporate Identity is largely unaffected by its financial performance and ups and downs in its fortunes.
Basic visual corporate identity elements include:
Naming (exclusive company name)
Logo
Color palette (color)
Corporate font
Business card
Letterhead
Envelope
Features of Corporate Identity
It provides visibility and recognition to brand
It provides support role to corporate reputation
It gives corporate visual identity structure
It relates organisation as a whole
Corporate Image
A corporate image of a company can be defined as an image
that people hold in their mind about the company, its products, and its
services.
The corporate image of a company is the product of a
company’s performance, media coverage, and its activities.
the corporate image of a company keeps on changing continuous and can
be changed by putting the right efforts in the right direction.
Having a positive corporate image is a boon as it helps in to increase in
earning dollars at the cash counter.
Positive image helps in attracting shareholders, business partners, and
customers.
The companies which don’t make efforts actively to strengthen the image of
the company leaves its destiny in the hands of others.
Factors Influencing Corporate image
Corporate image has two main elements:
The functional
The emotional
The functional component is related to easily measured concrete characteristics – Quality or visual representation of the product
While the emotional component is connected with feelings and attitudes towards a firm that come from individual experiences –Customer service
Factors Influencing Corporate image
Likeability – Rasna or Red lable Tea
Credibility – Dettol
Supports environmental and social concerns – Classmate notebook
Trustworthy - Honda Activa
Maintaining Ethics – Current restaurant hygiene measures
Corporate Reputation
corporate reputation is the impression that significant people have
about your business.
The company’s past actions and future predictions are the factors
that govern the corporate reputation.
Many businesses assess corporate reputations using financial
soundness, quality of management, products and services and
market competitiveness as the criteria for ranking.
Also, Having a good reputation would mean that the company is
performing well and is able to provide the customers with what
they need.
Advantage of good Corporate
Reputation
Increase in sales
Increase in share value and share holders
Support from investors during crises
Increase in value of the organization
Increase in employment generation
Attracting great talents in the organization
Decrease in government interferences and influence on policy
formation
Ethics and law in corporate
communication
Defamation
Invasion of Privacy
▪ Public Disclosure of Private Facts
▪ False Light
➢ COPYRIGHT ACT
DIGITAL PIRACY
Right to Information
Mass Media LAW
Defamation
Digital Piracy
Intellectual property rights / copyright
Accuracy, fairness & lack of bias
Right to Information (RTI)
Caution against defamatory writings
Right to privacy
Recording Interview
Fundamental of Public Relation
What is Public Relation (PR) ?
Public relations is a strategic communication process companies, individuals, and
organisations use to build mutually beneficial relationships with the public.
They also help clients defend their reputation during a crisis that threatens their
credibility.
A public relations specialist drafts a specialised communication plan and uses
media and other direct and indirect mediums to create and maintain a
positive brand image and a strong relationship with the target audience.
Essentials of PR
Research/ Situation analysis
A PR strategy
Relationship Building
Storytelling
Visuals representation
Effective use of Social Media
Objective of Public Relation
Maintain Positive Reputation
Maintain Relationships with costumer
Creating Interest (Public)
Providing Information
Building Product Awareness (Mail, Msg, Giving statement to
media – Video, press release, Official statement )
Stimulating Demand
Strategic planning during crisis
Scope of Public Relations
The scope of public relation is wide and is also included by the following:
Entrepreneurs
Political leaders
Social workers
Religions leaders
Teachers
Corporates
Celebrities
Social media influncers
Significance of Public Relations
PUBLIC RELATIONS INCREASES BRAND CREDIBILITY
INCREASE PROFITS, SALES AND LEADS
PR CHANGES THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT A BUSINESS
PR ENHANCES ONLINE PRESENCE
Give your brand a voice
PR HELPS YOUR COMPANY TO FACE MARKET COMPETITION
AND CRITICISM
Growth of Public Relations In India
Public Relations (PR) and the National Movement
After the First World War, the professional PR in India did not see much success.
Many of the newspapers were also forced to shut down with allegation of anti-government campaign.
The government created a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, during world War II.
The Ministry used PR techniques to create opinion in favor of the war effort.
These efforts to mobilize the public opinion in favor of the war effort gave a fillip to organized public relations activities in the country.
The PR techniques also played a crucial role in the national movement., Mahatma Gandhi was able to communicate with the people and won public support.
PR in Organisations
Public relations, despite being over a century old across the world,
began in India in the early 1990s ( Period of Privatization).
Though there were several individuals and small companies which
started even before that, they offered PR with the limited scope of
media relations only.
It was only natural that the entrepreneurs who began these services
came from a background of journalism, seen as a natural hunting
ground for the nascent PR industry.
the first independent PR agencies was set up in Chandigarh in 1986
October by a PR professional Charanjit Singh, who resigned from a
German company to set up CorePR
Reason for Emerging
International Public Relation
The reasons for emerging International Public Relations are as follows:-
❖ Globalization:
Increase in competition
International investors
International business expansion
❖ Multiple means to do PR:
It all started with the printing press and then came the mass communications. Such as print media, radio, and TV. Later came cable, satellite, videotape, videodisks, video typewriters, portable cameras, word processors, fax machines, and cell phones. And then came the internet and social media.
❖ Access to Internet:
About 1.4 billion of the world’s population uses the Internet. The
extraordinary growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web has made
hundreds of millions of people around the world not only instant
consumers of communication but also instant generators.
Public relations was forced to make rapid changes in order to keep up
with the rest of the worlds advancements.
❖ Ease of Operations
❖ Growing Knowledge and Importance of Communication
Public Relation Environment
The functions and decision of public relations (PR) are influenced by internal
and external environment. The internal environment is generated within the
organization which influences in the decision making of PR. They are
controllable factors and comprise of personnel, infrastructure facilities,
organization facilities etc.
The external environment is not under the control of an organization. It may include competition, industry problems, a threat of substitutes, social cultural
factors, political factors, economic factors and many others which are
externally related to an organization. It is uncontrollable factors and the business
entity can only try to minimize it but can’t control it.
Social and Cultural issues
The societal perspectives/trends by PR practitioners can be understood from at least four perspectives.
Stakeholder Part of Society: – stakeholders are also a part of society. Their values and beliefs come from broader societal influences. For instance – the interest of society in health and fitness developed ample opportunities for fitness centers, nutritional products, fitness industries.
Socio-Cultural trends: – A social system with high degree of civilization, mobility industrialization and urbanization are the primary factors impacting the business. Business depends on the social environment for all the needed inputs. Therefore, it is rightly said that business is one unit of the total social system. No business can control the social belief, culture, heritage, family systems, religion etc. but, they can influence them to a limited extent. Therefore, it is imperative for PR practitioner to develop a social connection with the public.
E.G. in the late 1990s, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, was facing rising societal concern about the extraordinary profits generated by Microsoft therefore in 1999, he donated $ 3.35 Billion to the William Gates Foundation, which provides grants for health and human service organizations. The Gates Learning Foundation, today gives software, computers, and services to libraries in low-income areas.
Restrictive Legislation:-It is essential for PR practitioners to guide the
organization to follow the ethical paths. It will help them to avoid any
serious legislation activity. For E.G. when many companies started
generating profits and revenues, at that time they split their
businesses or diverse it into some other field too.
Demographic and Economic Change: – Due to the changes in
demographic and economic changes, many companies have
garnered the opportunity. The concept of “DINK (Double Income and
No Kids)” has brought significant changes in couple lifestyles, the
standard of living, etc. today, as many women aspire to achieve high
in their life, therefore, they choose too baby later in their life. This led
them to spend more on baby accessory items, giving a better life,
child care midwives and education. It also opens a way to movies and
television shows to produce serials center for families and children.
Economic issues
The growth in an economy, interest rates, government policies, support
agencies, contributions, inflation rates, fiscal policies, foreign exchange
rates, and foreign trade balances are among the most critical economic
factors.
The economy also has an impact on consumer demand for products
and services. Mostly, organizations to assess the effect of economic
factors model their business environments using different scenarios.
The major economic factors which have a considerable influence on
business include growth strategy, labour legislation, industrial
relations, stock exchange and its regulations, commodity exchange,
price policy, exit policy, export promotion, technological environment
etc. the PR should be well versed with all these terms and use it while
making their PR decisions in a company.
Political Issues
Politics and business have a close connection. The government itself
is a political boy created by a political system.
There are numbers of business legislation enacted by the
government which regulates business transactions.
The current changes in political dynamics impact the businesses on
a larger scale. The government who is in power makes the suitable or
favorable changes in the economy which benefit the businesses and
large, the nation.
A successful PR analyze the prevailing political environment and
then formulate strategies to avail of the opportunities emerging out
of a political system.
Legal Issues
Legal aspects of business regulate both economic and non – economic issues.
For E.G. the announcement by the government to demonetize Indian rupee has
drastically impacted many business sectors.
Many times government passed the acts to bring changes in the Indian
economy and give benefit to the masses. Therefore, PR professionals have to
take a keen interest in the legal aspects affecting the performance of the
functions and have to adopt a constructive role in this relationship.
There are many acts passed by India government related with business and
economy aspects like The Indian Contract Act 1872, Indian Partnership Act
1932, Sale of Goods Act 1930, Negotiable Instrument Act 1881, Law of
Insurance, Arbitration Act, 1899, Law of Carriage, Essential Commodities Act,
1955, The Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, and the Consumer
Protection Act, 1986.
Theories used in Public Relations
Systems Theory
Systems theory is a way of looking at organizations. We can use it when we create business systems, and we can also use it to analyze them and diagnose their problems. According to systems theory, every organization is part of a system with three components: the organization, its publics and its goals. The ultimate organizational goal is survival.
Systems theory essentially works from the premise that publics, like customers, employees and neighbors, all form a kind of social environment for the organization. Like the physical environment, the social environment is always changing. Organizations that adjust to the changes survive and prosper, and organizations that do not adjust do not survive.
The company mission statement should identify organizational identity and goals, and this should guide all adjustments. When organizations adjust, they have to make only adjustments that are consistent with their identity and goals. To over adjust could be as fatal as not adjusting at all.
The reason system theory is of particular concern in public relations is that
adjustments require feedback. If a system receives no feedback from its publics,
then it cannot make wise adjustments.
There are four broad public categories for all businesses: shareholders,
employees, customers and community members. Businesses make a profound
decision when they choose how they will communicate to these four public
groups.
To a public relations professional there is no public, only publics. Identifying and
distinguishing between publics are necessary first steps in the application of
system theory and for all public relations activities.
Therefore, it is incumbent on public relations departments to not just send
messages to publics, but to create processes and perform research to insure
that messages from publics are coming into the organization, and that
organizational leadership is considering the feedback when steering the
company into the future.
Situational Theory
The situational theory of publics is a communications theory that states large
groups of people can be divided into four publics based on their recognition
and involvement about an organization or issue .
The situational theory of publics was developed by J. E. Grunig in 1968.
The situational theory of publics informs public relations professionals how to
divide publics into smaller groups based on three variables.
By dividing people into groups based on problem recognition, constraint
recognition and level of involvement, public relations professionals will be more
successful in developing tactics and delivering messages that will accomplish
their objectives.
It helps explain why certain publics are active or passive in their search for
information about a topic. It also helps explain a publics’ behavior after they
process information .
Types of Public
▪ Non-publics are the most passive of the groups. This group is made up of people who
are unaware or do not acknowledge certain situations.
▪ Latent publics are aware of a topic or issue but do not recognize it as a problem.
▪ Aware publics see a situation but do not participate in finding a solution.
▪ Active publics are the least passive. These people see a situation as a problem and
are involved in finding the solution to it.
▪ active and aware publics will be referred to as the “active” publics and the “latent”
and “non-publics” will be referred to as the “passive” publics.
In this theory there are two dependent variables. These variables are active and
passive communication behavior. The two are also more commonly called
information seeking and information processing.
Information seeking is how people gather information about a topic.
If they go out of their way to find stories and information about a
topic they are more likely to be a part of an “aware” or “active”
public.
Information processing describes how people deal with information
that is put in front of them. Someone that is a part of an aware or
active public will try to understand information to the best of their
ability. On the other hand, people who are in a “latent” or “non-
public” will process the information only if it is put in front of them
by chance and will not reflect on the information after they have
consumed it.
Social Exchange Theory
Social exchange theory is a concept based on the notion that a relationship
between two people is created through a process of cost-benefit analysis. In other
words, it’s a metric designed to determine the effort poured in by an individual in a
person-to-person relationship.
The theory is unique in the sense that it doesn’t necessarily measure relationships
on emotional metrics. Rather, its systematic processes rely on mathematics and
logic to determine balance within a relationship.
Social Exchange Theory discusses an individual’s outcome to different social
interactions by examining the exchange of resources during social interactions.
It should be noted that this expectation plays a large role in an individual’s analysis
of the value of the outcome. This affects the individual’s social relationships
because an individual anticipating a particularly high outcome will be disappointed
and ultimately unsatisfied with the relationship if a smaller outcome is reached.
However, an individual with a lower expectation for the outcome will not encounter
this difficulty. Therefore, satisfaction can be calculated by subtracting a “comparison
level” from the outcome. If the comparison level is higher than the outcome, the value
for satisfaction will be negative.
For example, One common example of dependence occurs in exchanges for goods
and services. Steve might frequent a family-owned grocery store in his small
hometown. The prices are annoyingly high and the selection of products is poor, so
Steve is unsatisfied with the outcome of his grocery shopping experience. However,
this might be the only grocery store for miles. The only possible alternative is a gas
station convenience store with an even smaller selection, so this is not a viable
alternative. Steve continues to interact with the grocery store and its owners because
the alternatives are not better than the outcome of his current interaction.
According to A Theoretical Basis for Public Relations, the social exchange
theory uses the economic metaphor of costs and benefits to predict behavior. It
assumes that individuals and groups choose strategies based on perceived rewards
and costs.
Social exchange theory proposes that social behavior is the result of
an exchange process. The purpose of this exchange is to maximize benefits and
minimize costs. According to this theory, developed by sociologist George Homans,
people weigh the potential benefits and risks of social relationships.
Diffusion Theory
Diffusion Theory or the Diffusion of Innovations, which
breaks down the process of how people perceive, process
and make decisions in regards to new information and
products.
Diffusion is defined as “the process by which an innovation
is communicated through certain channels over time among
the members of a social system.
Understanding how people process information and make
decisions is crucial to successful public relations,
marketing and advertising campaigns.
In public relations there is an emphasis on the ability to
reach a target audience through methods and tactics that
will reach them effectively and influence their behavior.
The Diffusion Theory provides a clear and concise guideline to explain the steps one
undergoes when processing new information and making decisions.
Understanding this theory allows for public relations practitioners to have a clear
outline to follow when planning a campaign and allows them to know exactly what to
do at each stage of the Diffusion Theory process.
The Diffusion Theory suggests that there are five different categories of individuals
that go through the process of adopting innovation and that these individuals adopt a
new idea by going through five distinct steps: awareness, interest, evaluation, trial
and adoption.
Awareness
The public relations practitioner must first ensure that there is enough media coverage,
promotional materials, press releases, etc. to spread awareness of the product or idea
at the center of the campaign.
InterestThe second step of interest or persuasion tells the practitioner (PR professional) that
they will need to somehow convince the consumer of why they will need this product or
why they should care about an idea. This can be done through fact sheets, comparison to
similar things, relevant statistics or simply telling the consumer why it will make their life
better.
Evaluation and Trial
The third and fourth steps of evaluation and trial tell the public relations practitioner that
the consumer will need to be able to somehow try this idea or product without a formal
commitment. In order to allow for this, they might implement something such as a 30-day
trial, or a tester product in a store. Ideas are more difficult to measure in steps because a
person is able to change their way of thinking freely, but these steps tell the practitioner
that a trial period will take place while the consumer decides whether or not to care
about the idea.
Adoption
The final step, adoption, is the end goal for a public relations practitioner.
This is where an individual will make the decision to either buy or reject a
product, or jump on board and change their way of thinking and behavior as a
result of the campaign.
If many people did not adopt the main goal of a campaign, a practitioner can
evaluate the previous steps and see how they can be changed and improved
upon in the future.
The Diffusion Theory can also be useful in helping public relations practitioners
decide who to target.
In order to have a successful campaign, they may want to target early adopters
and early majority members as they are more open to adopting innovation and
serve as role models and influencers to spread the message to others. It would
not be as effective to target individuals who have a tendency to fall into the late
majority and laggard groups.
The iPhone was such a cutting edge and innovative product; the team at Apple had
no idea that they would eventually change the world.
The widespread adoption of the iPhone can be broken down using the Diffusion
Theory adopter categories and five-step adoption model.
The creators of the iPhone can be categorized as the innovators while the first
people to embrace this revolutionary new idea of a smartphone were the early
adopters.
These are the people that are camping outside of the the Apple store when a new
version is released. The early majority later adopted the iPhone after hearing
about it through peers and influential people in their social groups.
They eventually served as models to the late majority and over time the laggards
had to get a smartphone because they are basically essential in order to keep up
with society.
Media Relations
Media Relations involves working with media for the purpose of
informing the public of an organization's mission, policies and practices
in a positive, consistent and credible manner.
Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people responsible
for producing the news and features in the mass media.
The goal of media relations is to maximize positive coverage in the mass
media without paying for it directly through advertising.
Many people use the terms public relations and media relations interchangeably; however, doing so is incorrect. Media
relations refer to the relationship that a company or organization
develops with journalists, while public relations extend that relationship
beyond the media to the general public
Importance of Media Relations
One important aspect of media relations is maintaining long term relationships
with journalist and media publications and maintaining these long term
relationships can offer several advantages to a business.
Media relations is important from a business perspective because having third
party endorsements of is a more effective in establishing a reputation for
whatever you are trying to sell to the public.
This is because an integral part of gaining press coverage for a media relations
campaign is ensuring that your message is something that the public would find
interesting enough to be the focus of a newspaper or magazine article or
feature.
Media relations is also important for businesses for press coverage of your
company. This gets your company’s name out into the public consciousness
and informs consumers of your company’s products, services, mission and
identity through media channels that they trust and have chosen to consume.
One of these advantages is that a journalist who has a positive working
relationship with a public relations agency or a press office will be more likely
to provide press coverage, than a journalist who is being pitched to with no
prior relationship.
Many types of media share product roundups on a regular basis, and this can
be a great way to put the spotlight on your brand to grow awareness.
Depending on the type and price tag of your company’s product, an editor,
reporter or blogger (For Unboxing and product review), might want to receive
the product before writing or talking about it.
If your company has a spokesperson that is an expert in his or her field, your
public relations agency can pitch your spokesperson to talk about industry-
related news. Trending stories or observances often present opportunities for
this type of media coverage. For example, we work with many banks in the
tristate area who often have financial advisors and experts we leverage to
secure media coverage when there is a financial crisis or breaking news about
bankruptcy, increase in debt rates, etc.
Sources of Media Information
Newspaper
Radio
Television
Magazine
Blog
Website
E-mail communication
Interview
Official Records of organisation (for eg: Annual Report)
Photographs
Surveys ( market analysis, public opinion and polls)
Building effective Media Relations
Understand who are you pitching:
Avoid sending email pitch to the Media, as they won’t be interested in
covering it. Once you have read the press release, you will know the relevant
titles for a particular media list.
If this is the first time you’re sending out a press release to a certain
publication, do your research. Open their website and see where the story
could fit. Who are the journalists writing similar articles?
In such a relationship, it is worth taking care of the details. Is the journalist an
urban activist? Do not suggest topics related to a difficult investment. He/she
will probably write about it, but certainly not in the context your boss/client
would appreciate.
If you’ve created a media list, include notes in the document to help you
remember what you discovered, and don’t forget to update them often.
Focus on the right people
You don’t need to know the most people, just the right people.
Focus on fortifying relationships with the media and influencers that really
matter to your brand.
Make notes – details are everything in building valuable relations
Not only will this help you keep track of all your interactions with each of
your contacts, but it will also give your team some hints on who’s speaking
with who about what. This is particularly useful for teams working with the
same media lists.
For e.g: If a journalist you’re in contact with is going on holiday next month, make a note of this fact so that next time you speak with him or her, you’ll remember to ask how the trip was.Or, If you see an interesting journalist’s tweet that matches the topic you wrote to him? Save it and start with a glowing e-mail.
Figure out what they’re interested in
Some magazines have a clearly defined target audience while others talk to many different groups (e.g. “The Times”) so it is worth finding out what they’re interested in and tailoring your approach accordingly.
Remember that their time is valuable
For a freelance journalist time is really money. They get a fixed fee to do a story and the more time it takes, the less money they make.
Staff reporters are on a salary but they are overworked and constantly looking towards deadlines.
Consequently, you should respect their time as you would an important prospective client’s. Irrelevant phone calls are a big time waster.
Use PR techniques effectively
That said, a good PR firm can help a journalist in several ways:
Authenticate and introduce them to the client
Provide pictures
Answer stupid questions (‘how much does it cost again?’)
PR is easier to get hold of than people inside companies for the reporters
Use your website
Journalists use the Internet to do their research. Their dream is that they type the title of their article into Google and it spits out a finished text. Consequently, it is important to have a PR-friendly website. This means:
A press link on the home page,
Linked to a page containing names, emails and telephone numbers of one or more dedicated press contacts and
Optionally, a one paragraph company overview, downloadable high resolution pictures of the product, company, key personnel etc.
You can include an index of old press releases on this page too if you want. But the key thing is the contact details.
Don’t be desperate for coverage.
Sharing every small piece of company update with media, finally adds you in their spam list and your company’s scope of coverage to the backburner.
Prepare a detailed quarterly PR plan, and spread it over different weeks and phases. If you have a strong story idea, write a mail to the journalist, listing out points of reference around the story, and ask for a suitable time to connect on the same over a call.
In case you don’t hear from him, sending a gentle reminder or making a brief
call to the journalist after a few days should be helpful. Of course, your
communication and articulation skills play a major role when generating the
journalist’s interest in your proposed story idea.
Befriend media, even if professionally.
An informal interaction and meetings with a couple of influential media
persons, once in a while, helps you all the way in your PR and communications
career.
It all starts with the first interaction or meeting. Be polite, not timid. Be
confident, not arrogant. A pinch of witty humor helps too in making a long
lasting impression and relation with the journalist.
In short, the way you conduct yourself before media – with confidence, poise
and humility (or otherwise) – largely defines your relationship with them.
Principles of Good Media
Relations
1. A relationship is both inevitable and necessary between an
organization and the media. The actions of the organization will
determine if this relationship is good or bad.
2. The organization should publicly speak with one voice, by designating
and preparing a single spokesperson or multiple spokespeople with a
coordinated message.
3. The person closest to the situation should be the designated
spokesperson or at least be in close communication with the
spokesperson.
4. "No comment" is never an option. Every bona fide question should be
addressed.
5. The organization should look upon reporters as allies in reaching
various publics rather than as intruders or enemies.
6. The organization should consider itself accountable to all of its
various publics, internal as well as external. This includes customers,
employees/volunteers, stockholders/donors, supporters, and the
community. Further, it should view the news media as one of the
vehicles available for communicating with these constituencies.
7. The organization should not expect to control the media's agenda or
their assessment of what is newsworthy. But it can help add issues to
that agenda.
8. The public/media relations office should always be "in the loop" in
all newsworthy situations, especially those with negative potential.
9. Reporters should be accommodated with professional assistance
such as parking permits, access, and a functioning media room.
10. The organization should expect that it occasionally will "take a hit"
in the media. Its response should be to accept this, try to understand
it, and get over it as quickly as possible.
11. Media skepticism and scrutiny can be more bearable when the
organization interacts with reporters in a timely manner and with
openness, accuracy, and candor.
12. Media coverage is considerably more credible than advertising.
The effective use of the news media gives an organization a
believable voice in the community.
Employee Communication
Employee/organizational communications refer to communications
and interactions among employees or members of an organization.
Communication is one of the most dominant and important activities
in organizations.
Fundamentally, relationships grow out of communication, and the
functioning and survival of organizations is based on effective
relationships among individuals and groups.
In addition, organizational capabilities are developed and enacted
through “intensely social and communicative processes”.
Communication helps individuals and groups coordinate activities to
achieve goals, and it’s vital in socialization, decision-making,
problem-solving and change-management processes.
Internal communication also provides employees with important
information about their jobs, organization, environment and each
other.
Communication can help motivate, build trust, create shared identity
and spur engagement; it provides a way for individuals to express
emotions, share hopes and ambitions and celebrate and remember
accomplishments.
Internal communications PR should be part of your overall PR
strategy and should reflect your brand promise, values and business
goals in exactly the same way as your external communications.
Just like your external PR strategy, the consistency of your message,
the frequency of your message and the channel you use are key to
your success.
Sources of
Employee Communication
Formal Source:
1. Organization’s human resources management
2. Organization’s public relation (PR) system
Informal Source:
1. Co-workers or supervisors
2. Organization’s culture
3. Leadership and management
Organizing Employee
Communication
Taking a close look at the organization
Developing a strategy:
1. Determining the goal
2. Defining objective
3. Identifying key message
4. Developing an implementation plan
5. Finalizing the strategy
Measuring the Effectiveness and Impact:
1. Implementation
2. Evaluation
3. Updation
4. Review
Benefits of Good Employee
Communication
Benefits to Employees:
1. Clarity of purpose
2. Employee motivation
3. Teamwork
Benefits to Company:
1. Demonstrates integrity
2. Better customer service
3. Goodwill
4. Better quality of working experience
Steps in implementing an effective
employee communication program
Communicate up and down:
When high-level managers isolate themselves physically and psychologically from their employee, effective communication cannot happen. Communicating up and down is reopening communication lines from senior management down to the front-liners of the firm which are key driving force that leads a firm to success and lower employee turnover.
A company should also communicate downwards instead of only upwards, to the management, to keep the employees informed, what is going on the company. Additionally managers should take the time to listen to employees' thoughts and concerns.
Make time for Face-To-Face meetings:
Regular meetings, of the senior management with employee groups, ensure that employees have access to the management. In these regular meetings the management can share company results with the employees and progress on key initiatives as well as demonstrate responsiveness to employee feedback. Effect of such meetings is that the employees go back to work ready to contribute to the organization's success.
Communicate Online:
The technology of company intranets in the late 90s provided a new channel through which companies could reach their employees quickly and broadly with important news on events and key management initiatives. The intranets also serve as interactive platforms where employees can rally together and share their views on company programs and activities that contribute to building trust.
Another way to stay in contact is over the internet. A company could for example offer an online platform to exchange thoughts, ideas, concerns, as well as information and feedback. However one has to be careful that employees are not overloaded by information, as they receive a lot of e-mails every day and may not be able to decide which subject is important and which not.
Create Employee-Oriented Publications:
Another way of sharing information is through the print medium. Examples are monthly newsletters or magazines. This is a channel that can be used for employees with no email access.
A point of consideration for company is to ensure that the company publication provides materials that will be able to communicate with the employees and make them feel that they are part of firm's success. Like any other publication, a strong communication is required that is creative enough to get the attention of the audience who are sophisticated consumers. The tone of the publications should also be realistic as many employees will see through the distrust anything that seems more like a propaganda than a genuine communication.
Communicate Visually:
Due to most employees' preference of visual media, a company should consider to
communicate via web casts or multimedia presentations. Big companies can produce "Video
Magazines" for employees.
Webcasts from the head quarters could also be used to communicate the message. Visual
communication need not be high tech. It is a question of what will work for the firm and the
employees.
Focus on Internal Branding:
Just as branding campaigns aim to create an emotional tie, in the same sense connection
should be created with the employees. Internal branding builds up the morale and engages
employees with their jobs.
Most of the time, internal branding campaign should be happening simultaneously with the
external communications. Though employees may be understanding the company's brand
promise or key services, until they believe it they may not be able to carry it out excellently.
Consider the Company Grapevine
Communication does not only occur over formal channels, in fact most of the communication
is informal talking. An organization should take into consideration most of the employees think
that it is through the grapevine they get word of major corporate changes. In this distribution of
messages (mostly negative) happen much faster.
If employees do not receive complete or timely information from their employers, they will
have no choice but to rely on such informal sources to fill in the gaps. The stronger the sense
of trust, commitment and engagement, lesser the employees will resort to the grapevine.
Role of Management in Employee
Communication
Employee communications is no longer seen as a function which solely involves media
management. Rather, it acts as a tool for reducing communication pollution to enhance individual
understanding.
1. Regular Communication Practices
Great managers don't just tell employees what's expected of them and leave it at that; instead,
they frequently talk with employees about their responsibilities and progress. They don't save
those critical conversations for once-a-year performance reviews.
Managers should find ways to communicate regularly without making it tedious, particularly if you
have younger employees who find routines difficult. This can be done through regular staff
meetings. Online social media sites and email alerts can be used. They can ask employees if
they would like to get updates via text messages on their smartphones. Getting routine
communications — such as sales figures — in addition to "breaking" news like snagging a new
client, helps employees feel engaged with the company as a whole and understand how
their roles fit with the company's mission.
Managers must understand what employees
COULD KNOW
Relatively unimportant or office gossip
SHOULD KNOW
Essential but desirable organizational information
MUST KNOW
Key job-specific job information
Therefore, it is crucial for the manager to understand and classify the level of employee's
knowledge accordingly so that a suitable employee communication strategy could be properly
implemented. These three categories contribute to the challenges in communications
management.
2. Soliciting Feedback
Find ways to solicit feedback from employees. This facilitates two-way communication and lets
employees know their, ideas are important. For managers, it gives them an opportunity to gain
new ideas, as well as insight into employees' jobs.
For example, while one employee may be responding to incoming complaints per company
policy, another employee may actually have a solution to the problem causing the complaints,
such as a product modification, but can't get anyone with authority to listen to her. A feedback
system can eliminate this problem.
:
3. Listen
Listening is as much a communication skill as speaking or writing. As a manager, ensure that when you set aside time for employees, you also set aside telephone calls, glancing at email notifications, or other intrusions.
Let the employee speak without interrupting, even if you know you are going to disagree with his position or you have personal biases. The better your reputation as a good listener, the more comfortable employees will be about.
4. Lead by Example
In most organizations, employees follow leadership's example. To create change, executives, directors, and managers must be the champions of knowledge sharing, transparency, and worker engagement. Employees need to know that their managers are credible and will follow through on what they say. Management can establish credibility by promising only what they can deliver; admitting when they're wrong; never taking credit for an idea that came from an employee; and never denigrating an employee or their ideas, particularly in front of others.
Dedicated personnel may give advice and direction, such as employee communications managers. But senior executives, department directors, and team managers need to back them up. This has to be a collaborative effort.
Managers also need to be mindful of their communication styles and aware that their non-verbal signals — everything from how they stand to their facial expressions — indicates an openness and willingness to communicate.
Crisis Communication
Crises happen everywhere, especially in workplaces where there is a high degree of
interaction, and where the levels of communication are intensive and complex. Crises
impose problems to the organization; in particular, crises can tarnish its image and
reputation.
However, if the organization handles and responds to a crisis well, this could bring glory to
the organization. Communication is the key! It plays a great responsibility in the examination
of organizational crises in line with the development of traditional crisis management.
Crisis communication is a concept that gives particular attention to the process of
exchanging information from the crisis management team to the needful persons for the
purpose of helping them in crisis or simply to prevent the crisis from happening.
Crisis communication can be defined as "the collection, processing and dissemination of
information required for addressing a crisis situation" (Coombs and Holladay). Crisis
communication is also defined as "the flow of information during a crisis among an
organization, its employees, the media, the government, law enforcement and the general
public" (Roos).
In general, crisis communication is a process of information gathering by a special a
crisis communication team for decision-making purposes. It can be divided into three
categories :
1. Pre-Crisis : Pre-crisis communications involves how an organization communicates with
various audiences to establish a positive image and credibility, so that when the crises
comes perception of the organization is easier to mold in the organization's favor. -.aniztion
s Organizations must operate under the assumption that a crisis Will u. rache hit t
organization. Once this realization is understood organizations can p a i: implement plans
and strategies before a crises, which can help when octrivleys inevitably strikes the
organization
2. In-Crisis : Once the public is aware of a crisis affecting an organization the suffer.
organization must do something about the negative image it will most likely It should send
across messages to repair the image.
3. Post-Crisis : The primary focus of post crisis communications is on ensuring the
organization follows up with key publics to further establish a positive relationship.
Human and Social:
• The potential for loss of human life is the most severe outcomes of organizational crises. While
the potential for physical injury is well documented, the mental or emotional effects of crises on
individuals are often overlooked.
• Employees involved in a crisis can suffer severe trauma, stress, depression, withdrawal from
social interaction, inability to concentrate, fear, anxiety and sleeplessness. Stress on individuals
may originate from at least three sources :
i) the nature of the crisis and their action or inaction duty event
ii) their lack of experience in dealing with such events, leading to feelings of uncertainty about
appropriate responses, and
iii) the expectations placed upon them by the various stakeholders to re-establish control, safety
and confidence in the organization.
• The ability of individuals to deal with stressful situation varies. The emotional consequences off
crisis can appear at any time during the crisis and may continue well after the situation has
resolved.
IMPACT OF CRISIS
Financial:
• A crisis threatens to disrupt an organization's operations and poses a financial threat. It can harm
stakeholders financially.
• A wide array of stakeholders are adversely affected by a crisis including community members,
employees, customers, suppliers and stockholders. Amongst these employees suffer most.
• The direct effect is the fall in the employee numbers. Many times they suffer cuts in profit sharing,
bonuses and also in their regular monthly income. They have to perform under greater pressure
which worsens the work-place atmosphere.
• Besides this, the promotion prospects also dims.
Tarnishing of Corporate Reputation:
• Crises threaten to damage reputations because a crisis gives people reasons to think badly of the
organization. The news media and the internet play a critical role. A crisis inflicts some reputational
damage - reputational capital is lost. A favorable prior (pre-crisis) reputation is a buffer against
• Daring capital lost a crisis. An organization with a more favorable prior reputation will still have a
stronger post crisis reputation because it has more reputational capital to spend than an organization
With an unfavorable or neutral prior reputation. As a result, a favorable and organization suffers
less and rebounds more quickly.
Administrative
Tackling crisis issues places exceedingly reason effectively. Crisis decisions are "wicked demands on decision-makers' ability to handle these types of issues under the pressure of time creates the stress that is often associated with large scale crises.
In periods of high stress, decision makers make more errors and suffer from impaired intellectual functioning. Part of this is due to the fact that doing a crisis decision makers become preoccupied with the potential for loss and may seek premature closure. In an attempt to rapidly solve the issues, decision-makers become cognitively rigid and rely more on prior experience than on available information to make decisions.
Technology
Organizations are becoming more dependent on high technology. Computers, advanced medical equipment, transportation systems and rapid communication systems art examples of technologies used in everyday business. These technologies and systems are now so complicated that it is difficult to anticipate all of the possible interactions and inevitable failures.
Failures of these systems can have severe consequences for an organization, including disruption of normal business. Crisis that could affect and organization's technological dimension include natural disasters, such as the flooding off a computer room, employee sabotage of equipment or unpredicted mechanical breakdowns..
External Impacts
There could be crisis on people and communities external to the organization. For example
Union Carbide chemical leak in Bhopal, India. Situations like these not only contaminate the
physical environment, they also contribute to the death of a significant number of people and
destroy wild life.
In addition, these crises also had a negative impact on other social systems, such as the
political and economic interactions between countries. felt The physical effects as well as the
social impacts of these situations undoubtedly is by subsequent generations.
Loss of Trust and Confidence
The uncertainty of a crisis produces stress for stakeholders. To cope with this psychological
stress, stakeholders need information about what had just happen? Furthermore,
stakeholders want to know what is being done to protect them from similar crises in the future
— what corrective actions are being taken.
Corrective actions reassure stakeholders that they are safe thereby reducing their
psychological stress.
Role of Communication in Crisis
Website:
• An Organization may create a separate web site for the crisis or designate a
section of its current web site for the crisis.
• The site should be designed prior to the crisis.
• The crisis team should anticipate the types of crisis an organization will face
and the types of information needed for the website.
• For instances, any organization that makes consumer goods is likely to have
a product harm crisis that will require a recall.
• A crisis web site designed to help people identify if their product is part of the
recall and how the recall will be handled.
Internet:
• Be prepared to use the Internet as one of the channels for reaching employees and any
other stakeholders. Stakeholders, including the news media, will turn to the Internet
during a crisis.
• Crisis managers should utilize some form of web-based response or risk appearing to be
ineffective.
• A good example is Taco Bell's E.coli outbreak in 2006.The company was criticized in the
media for being slow to place crisis-related information on its web site.
• Of course not placing information on the web site can be strategic.
• An organization may not want to publicize the crisis by placing information about it on the
web site.
• This assumes the crisis is very small and that stakeholders are unlikely to hear about it
from another source.
• A web site is another means for an organization to present its side of the story and not
using it creates a risk of losing how the crisis story is told.
Intranet:• Intranet sites can also be used during a crisis. Intranet sites limit access, typically to
employees only though some will include suppliers and customers.
• Intranet sites provide direct access to specific stakeholders so long as those stakeholders
have access to the Intranet.
• Coombs(2007a)notes that the communication value of an Intranet site is increased when
used in conjuection with mass notification systemns deslgned to reach employes and
other key stakeholders.
Mass Notification:
• Be prepared to utilize a mass notification system for reaching employees and other key
stakeholders during a crisis.
• With a mass notification system, contact information(phones numbers, e-mail etc.)are
programmed in prior to a crisis.
• Contacts can be any group that can be affected by the crisis including employees,
customers, and community members living near a facility.
• Crisis managers can enter short messages into the system then tell the mass notification
system who should receive which messages and which channel or channels to use for the
delivery.
• The mass notification system provides a mechanism for people to respond to messages
as well.
GUIDELINES FOR HANDLING CRISIS
Respect the Role of the Media:
The media are not the enemy; they have direct access to the audiences you
need to reach.
Rather than avoiding media, use them as a conduit to communicate key
messages.
Prepare a statement that includes the confirmed facts; communicate what
the company is doing and provide background information.
DOs DON’Ts
• Prepare for interviews
• Develop key messages and facts about the
incident and steps taken so far.
• Anticipate questions journalists will ask. Have
answers and keep them short.
• Respect deadlines
• Provide written information
• Be positive but show empathy for those affected
by the crisis
• Ask a journalist to clarify something you don't
understand
• Correct misinformation
• make yourself accessible
• Speculate about circumstances or facts Tell a
reporter what you know and commit to
disclosing more as you learn the facts.
• Repeat loaded words like "crisis“ or＂devastating“
• Make“ off the record“ statements Anything you
say can be used by the media
• Say "no comment“ to something you are not
very sure about. Tell what you know
• Lose your temper
• Try to stop a journalist fro writing a story
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
▪ The first rule of crisis management is to communicate. Early hours are critical and they
set the tone for the duration of the crisis. The media's first questions are likely to be
simple and predictable:
▪ What happened?
▪ Where?
▪ When did you know of the problem?
▪ What are you doing about it?
▪ Who's to blame?
▪ Were there warning signs?
▪ How will life or property be protected or compensated?
▪ Be as forthright as possible; tell what you know and when you became aware of it;
explain who is involved and what is being done to fix the situation. Be sure to correct
misinformation promptly when it emerges.
Take Responsibility • One of the more controversial tenets of crisis management is that someone involved in a crisis
must be prepared to empathize, even publicly apologize, for the events that have transpired.
• This is different from accepting blame.
• Taking responsibility means communicating what an organization is doing to remedy a
situation that the media and the public have determined involve that organization in some way.
Centralize Information ▪ A company needs to move quickly to gain control over information and the resolution of the
crisis.
▪ Ensure that appropriate levels of management are updated with information from a wide
variety of sources (media coverage, analyst comments, competitive intelligence, managers'
first-hand reports, etc.).
Communicate with Employees • Remember that employees are your front-line "ambassadors" in a crisis. Be sure they are
aware of what the company is doing to deal with the situation.
Establish a Crisis Team • Create and train the crisis team before a crisis strikes, and establish a situation room. During
a crisis, when everyone goes into action, be sure the team has access to the highest levels
of management.
• "Plan for the Worst; Hope for the Best"
• Assume the worst-case scenario.
• Develop contingencies for the hours and days ahead, forecast possible consequences and
determine plans of action.
Third Parties • Use third parties to speak on your behalf. Third parties act as character witnesses and often
carry more credibility than the organization at the centre of a crisis.
Use Research to Determine Responses • Polling, market research and focus groups provide essential insight into the magnitude d a
crisis and public attitudes about where hidden issues may lie. Monitor the Internet, chat
rooms and blogs.
TRUST BUILDING
Trust appears to be an important element in managing crisis communication.
The notion of trust provides a basic awareness of why crisis communication
management can be successful or unsuccessful.
This is especially true for public trust as it is the lifeline for an organization's survival.
Companies should consider a broad range of potential communication initiatives to
restore trust and loyalty.
1. Empathy and Caring
2. Competence and Expertise
3. Honesty and Openness
4. Commitment
5. Accountability
CASE STUDY
➢ On April 13, 2009, the Domino's Pizza corporate
office received a notice from Consumerist.com
that it had just posted a video to its site that
Domino's should know about.
➢ In the video, two Domino's store employees
were seen joking around as they contaminated
customer food orders with unsanitary stunts
such as sticking cheese up their noses before
adding it to a customer's sandwich.
➢ Within limited time, the video popularized and
gained viral publicity with more than half a million
views and the major news media covering the
event.
➢ Most of the discussions took place on Twitter.
➢ The company responded nearly 48hours later sharing an apology on
Youtube because it wanted to restrict further public knowledge on the
video.
➢ Company also did not issue any formal press release to the mainstream
press. The crisis caused dire consequences for the company.
Question:
What action Domino’s could have taken to regain
control over the situation and preserve its reputation?
TRACING THE GROWTH OF FINANCIAL
COMMUNICATION IN INDIA
Financial communication is intended as the process where the firm, actual and
potential investors, offer, demand and exchange data on corporate financial
performance and on events which could affect its prospects.
As the success of any organization depends on its ability to attract capital
resources from its environment.
It can attract capital only if investors have confidence in the business and its
management. For this to happen is required a financial communication expert.
Though the five year plans play an important role in creating strategies for India's
growth going forward and financial institutions too are playing a key role in
attracting the funds needed to meet the government's private sector investment
targets.
• The government and RBI have acknowledged that India's corporate debt
market lags behind other leading economies and that development of this
market should be a priority.
• At present, too little of the country's vast savings are being channelled into
the capital markets to support investment in infrastructure, business growth
and other development opportunities.
• There is no doubt that the growth in India's economy since the advent of
liberalization in the early 1990s (an average growth of 8% a year over the
past ten years ) has transformed the country into an economic superpower.
• The India growth story, although impacted to a great extent by international
factors, is equally driven by domestic factors
• 1. Demographic Change Customers and their demands are changing. The
shift in India's demographics has led to significant changes in customer
preferences and trends, for instance, the evolution in media and technology
has set a higher bar of expectation for customer experience.
• 2. Social and Behavioural Change Consumers are more informed and
empowered than ever before, and old notions of value and loyalty are
breaking down as digital technology allows consumers to both compare value
and expand their choices.
• 3. Technological Change The mobile revolution has played a huge role in
taking banking to India's un-banked population and it continues to be the one
of the most critical pillars. The rapid emergence of social media in parallel with
the rise of mobility has seen customers increasingly turn to their peers for
information and advice, rather than to financial experts
AUDIENCES FOR FINANCIAL
COMMUNICATION
As the firm is the source of financial communication and carries out coding
activities to express its message, which is delivered through a channel to
investors, who are the receivers.
Individual Stockholders
Stockholders are a vast untapped resource of potential customers and
grassroots support on financial issues.
Companies know that uninterested stockholders may be quick to sell their
shares to even the most unfriendly entity attempting takeover.
Moreover, stockholders themselves have become more vocal and active.
They can be influenced in the following ways :
i) Treating them as important customers has a number of implications.
ii) Communicating in readable and non-technical language is a must.
iii) Learning as much as possible about stockholders makes excellent
sense from a communications perspective.
iv) Welcoming new stockholders and writing to express regret when
stockholders are lost is good business practice.
v) Prompt and appropriate response to stockholder correspondence or e-
mails also helps maintain Positive relations. For example a Company can
send a very readable newsletter with dividend cheque to each stockholder.
It can also send a welcome note from the company's chairperson to each
new stockholder.
vi) In order to attract, inform and involve the stockholders, the company
holds annual meetings. This enables management to reach all
stockholders.
Financial Analysts
➢ These include investment counsellors, fund managers, brokers, dealers and
institutional buyers (professionals in the investment business).
➢ Their basic function is to :
i) gather information concerning various companies, to develop expectations in
terms of sales, profits and a range of other operating and financial results and
to make judgements about how securities markets will evaluate these factors.
ii) ii) gather quantitative and qualitative information on companies, compare their
findings to statistics from other companies access opportunities and risks, and
then advise their clients.
iii) iii) assist analysts by providing information and in doing so may positively
influence expectations and judgements.
Therefore, it is imperative that all communication with financial analysts should be
characterized by responsiveness, openness and regular communication.
The Financial Press
➢ The third major audience of the financial communication is the financial
press.
➢ It provides a foundation and backdrop for any corporation's financial
communications program.
➢ It develops credibility and it can add impressive third-party endorsement.
➢ Financial communication experts deal with media much as other public
relation specialists do.
➢ The major difference lies in the specialized nature of the financial media.
➢ These are :
1. Daily Newspapers
2. Trade
3. Cable television
4. Market Newsletter
Tools of Communication :
➢ Analysts want to know the company's background; that is the nature of
business, primary factors affecting the business, current operating
conditions and estimates of future outlooks.
➢ Analysts are also vitally interested in management forecasts, pricing data,
capital expenditures, financial data, labour relations, research and
development and any other information that may materially influence the
quality of an investment.
This can be done in the following ways :
1. Annual Reports : Annual reports provide much of the needed information. A survey of
institutional investors showed annual reports as the most useful and
informative source of information.
A good annual report normally has the following elements:
a) Meaningful or provoctive pictorial cover
b) A well designed format
c) Complete and understandable graphics
d) Unstilted photographs and artwork
e) Comprehensive text
f) Comparative figures
g) Tasteful presentation of products
2. Investment Conferences : A primary way to reach financial analysts is through investment conferences,
which are meetings that investment professionals attend specifically to hear
company presentations or discuss corporate issues. These programs contain
information on a company's performance and provide persuasive arguments
for buying its stock.
3. Conference Call :
➢ A more popular conference in recent years has been the conference call, rather
than the actual meeting.
➢ In some cases it is a video conference and in other cases it is a phone
conference.
➢ Relationships with financial analysts are not all one-way.
➢ Analysts can provide valuable information to companies as well.
➢ They can give significant feedback about a financial relations program in terms
of its adequacy, credibility and sufficiency of information.
➢ Company can understand, this way, how the market perceives its strength and
weaknesses and the behavior of the business as a whole.
FINANCIAL ADVERTISING
All advertisements which are designed to raise money / finance from the
general public are named as financial advertising. In the financial pages of
most papers you will find financial advertising everyday.
1. Who goes for financial advertisement?
By law, quoted companies are obliged to announce trading results in the
press, also listing statement, announcements or dividends, rights issues
or takeovers of quoted companies.
All these must be advertised. All financial institutions, banks, insurance
companies, mutual funds, investment institutions, companies going for
public issue of shares, debentures, bonds, etc. issue financial advertising.
2. Content of the AD :
• The ad copy of financial advertising highlights opening date of public issue,
closing date of public issue, expected returns, risk factors etc.
• So, in financial advertising ad's focus is on higher returns, safety of funds,
liquidity of funds, tax benefits etc.
• These ads have to follow the norms of set by Securities and Exchange Board
of India (SEBI) and have to highlight the risk factor attached to it.
• This kind of advertising is very dull because of the somber look of the
columns of uninterrupted figures.
• However, to the interested reader and financial experts such advertisements
contain important financial information on which they rely to make investment
decisions.
3. Purpose of Financial Advertisement :
• Financial advertising is a useful means of attracting the attention of a
broad public to the enterprise, to gain potential investors and to achieve
an image transfer from well known successful products of a company to
its share.
• Agencies like Pressman, Saubhagaya concentrate on financial and
public equity issue advertising.
• The investing public is motivated to invest by suitable body copy, a
slogan and a promise of dividends / returns.
• For example, the advertisements by UTI and ICICI (Financial
Institutions).
• However, daily report on stock market prices is not financial advertising
because it is not paid for and must be viewed rather as a service
delivered by the newspaper.
Contribution of Technology to Corporate Communication
Much has changed in a short time. In the technology sector, 20 years are more like five generations.
The rate of technological innovation in ICT has accelerated dramatically, and the sector today is orders of magnitude.
The sector includes hardware, software, the Internet, telephony, and content, application, and support service, provided by entities ranging from corporate giants to garage entrepreneurs to individual developers and open-source networks.
TODAY'S COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
1. Email
➢ It saves time and is more reliable
➢One bonus of the email message includes saving on postage costs.
➢Many providers, such as google Mail and Yahoo!, provide free email accounts.
2. Social Networking Sites
➢ Social media marketing allows companies to communicate directly and instantly with their
stakeholders, marking a shift from the traditional one-way output of corporate
communications, to an expanded dialogue between company and consumer.
➢Many businesses today use social networking sites to enhance their online presence and
increase revenue.
3. Online Chat
➢ Online chat is the synchronous, interactive, real time exchange of messages via a mediated
source.
➢ With technological advances, video chatting, which allows participants to be seen and heard
has become popular.
4. Blogs
➢ Businesses use blogs for promotional purposes.
➢ Blogs provide a unique and personal way to communicate with current and prospective
customers.
➢ By talking to people, in a conversational manner, a blog puts a human face on a company, that
is difficult to duplicate in any other way.
➢ Should a disaster happen either to the business or its customers, a business blog provides an
immediate and personalized vehicle to discuss the issue with the public
5. Video Calls
➢ Saves time and cost
➢ Helps to connect with the with people globally
➢ Distance communication
➢ Helpful during crisis or pandemic
6. Cellphones
➢ The popularity of the cellular phone has increased in recent years because this portable
telephone allows people to stay connected just about anywhere they may go.
➢ ability to send text messages to other cell phone users.
➢ People use their cellphone to access social networking websites and send instant
messages.
➢ A few cell phones even allow users to place video calls.
➢ Using cellphones, public relations professionals can be available anytime and at any place.
➢ In health-care public relations, cellular phones are being used to provide treatment
reminders and to organize activist and support groups.
➢ Presence of cell-phones in teen and young adult populations help public relations
professionals to reach this important target audience.
IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY TO CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
1. Improving routine business tasks:
Technology makes your routine business tasks more efficient and effective.
For example, writing press releases using a word processor with an integrated office suite would be easier as you can set a designated format and layout, and then upload the press release onto an organization's website or send to a particular media company.
Using computer spreadsheet or budgeting applications help a communication consultant to improve financial planning, budgeting and forecasting in any consulting project the firm undertakes.
2. improving Communication Efficiency with
Clients:
• Communication efficiency can be improved by
using a smartphone, where short message
service (SMS) and e-mail communications can
be conducted on the go and in an instant.
• As it is in the nature of the job for a
communication executive to meet many clients
in different situations during office hours, a
global positioning system (GPS)-linked app will
help them to navigate efficiently and find the
exact location of meeting places.
• Laptops can be used for business presentations
to potential clients not only in the office but also
in a coffee shop or restaurant over a meal or
drinks.
3. Helping in the Managerial Decision Making Process:
• The ability to make management decisions is vital to being a successful
communication executive.
• However, it is too risky to make a decision if you do not have much information
about a particular project.
• By accessing an updated database and doing simple research on a client's
background, an executive will make better decisions in any business negotiation.
4. Exploring and Tracking New Business Opportunities:
• The Internet allows communication executives to explore new business
opportunities and expand new market at minimal cost.
• Here, it is really cost-effectiveness that leads to business efficiency.
• A communication executive should also act as a Web content provider, working
together with web-masters to target the content at online businesses and global
constituencies.
5. Research and Evaluation:
• Today's technology advancement allows practitioners to create online
survey or research with better speed and cost much less.
• With one click, new media eliminates labour and time constraint, and
allows the researcher to make faster analysis as data are received.
6. Information Retrieval and Distribution:
• Another important impact of technology is information retrieval and
distribution.
• Information from text to audio, video or images can be easily sent to
publics in vast array of methods.
• This way relationships are created faster and easier, too.
FUNCTIONS OF TECHNOLOGY TO CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
With today's communication technology, many problems such as finding,
storing, and retrieving information to improve the quality of services are
easy to resolve efficiently.
As corporate communication executives always communicate with various
stakeholders internally and externally using communication technology, it is
vital to know its functions so that it can be improved.
1. Communication Programs:
• Many organizations have developed two-way, interactive, and
dialogical communication programs through digital media,
especially using blogs and microblogs such as Twitter.
• These are designed to cultivate relationships with publics.
2. Environmental Scanning:
• However, public relations process actually begins with
management decision processes and not with communication
programs.
• The digital media are ideal for environmental scanning
research, and there are many tools available for scanning
cyberspace for problems, Publics, and issues.
3. Segmenting Stakeholders and Publics:
• Several different kinds of publics can be found within each stakeholder category.
These publics can range from activist to active, passive, and non-publics.
• It is important to segment stakeholders and publics to understand their differing
relationships with an organization and to be able to communicate with them about
their problems and interests using the new media.
4. Anticipating and Dealing with Issues and Crises
• Most issues result from the actions of publics (publics make issues out of
problems) and that most, but not all, crises result from poor management
responses to issues.
• Thus analysis of online media can continue beyond segmenting stakeholders and
publics to search for and categorize the issues publics might raise and the crises
that might result from these issues.
• Digital media such as websites and blogs also can be used for issues and crisis
communication programs.
5. Measuring Relationships and Reputation: • Organizations that segment their stakeholders and publics, anticipate and deal with
issues and crises, and actively communicate with publics at all stages of the process,
should be more likely to develop relationships with their publics that make it possible
to achieve organizational objectives, develop a positive reputation, and reduce the
consequences of poor relationships on the implementation of management decisions.
• In addition to measuring relationships from online content directly, additional survey
research can be done to evaluate the outcomes of communication programs
implemented through social media.
6. Evaluation of Communication Programs: • A number of analytical schemes have been developed to evaluate the effects of
digital media programs.
• These range from simple measures of hits on a website to measures of cognitions,
attitudes, and behaviours, as well as indicators of the types and quality of
relationships.
• In many cases, these measures can be applied directly to online content.
Q. Your company’s sales is going down because
of the increase in market competition.
How will you use communication technology to
come out of the crisis?
Write at least 5 points
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Traditional Media
1) Print Media : Print media refers to any written publication that is produced and distributed in printed form including newspapers, magazines, bulletin, newsletters, and so forth for commercial and social purposes.
a) Local Newspaper : In most towns and cities, the local newspaper still has the biggest staff of journalists. Hand-in-hand with a good bullpen is the idea of specialization. A beat reporter (health, business, education, government, etc.) can be a big help to an organization looking to promote, publicize or influence behaviour.
2) Broadcast Media : • Broadcast media is any electronic (visual and audio) instrument that is produced
and distributed in electronic form such as radio and television for commercial and
social purposes.
• A broadcast journalist has the ability to get more eyeballs and investment in a story
by pulling people in with visual and audio cues.
• Beyond geography, broadcast coverage of a brand can build to opportunities
across multiple platforms as well.
• Although the marketing of news shows used to be left to a station's promotions
department, reporters now play a much more significant role in the promotion of
their content.
b) Weeklies: Most weeklies operate without any local media competition, and
are open to story ideas and submitted news releases. Most community/business
leaders and decision makers look to newspapers as the most credible source of
information. Newspaper editors provide a real check-and-balance on news
stories that most bloggers will never have.
• New Media
• New media is regarded as an interactive media that is produced and distributed
via the Web or Internet.
• Any visual/audio works including news, photos, songs and movies can be viewed
using personal computer or smartphone and even interactive television.
• Internet-based social media tools like blogs, podcasts, online video and social
networks are giving voice to the opinions of millions of consumers.
• Digital PR capitalizes on this somewhat
recent phenomenon by making
information convenient for viewers to
read and discover more about the
company.
• Many times, the tweets and Facebook
posts link back to the more formal press
release or blog post, which gives readers
the opportunity to delve deeper into the
information presented.
Traditional Media New Media
Geographically constrained
Unidirectional
Space/time constraints
Professional communicators
High access and start-up costs
Larger audience
Slow Feedback
Big revenue
Fixed format
Distance insensitive
Interactive
Fewer space/time constraints
Non—professional
Low access and start-up cost
Narrowness and individually
tailored
Immediate and easy feedback
and online chatting
Limited revenue
Flexible format
INTERNET
Public relations is essentially about communicating effectively in order to build
valuable relationships and therefore the Internet being a medium for communication
is bound to have implications for the practice.
It has been said by many professionals that a company will not survive without a link
to the online world and without good public relations the link to the online world will
not survive.
1. Ease of PR Communication
2. More Demanding Consumers
3. The Website Advantage
WEB CONFERENCING
• Web conferencing, which can be likened to a
chat room or instant messaging session (i.e. a
series of typed messages exchanged among
members of a work group), are increasingly
valuable in public relations.
• Because of the ubiquity of personal computers,
web conferences are becoming commonplace.
• Mobile computing with laptop, mini note-book
and palm sized PDAs makes out-of-office
conferences during business travel an
important part of the business communication
landscape.
• Free software such as Net meeting is available
for web conferencing. More sophisticated
applications are available for those with more
advanced needs.
Following features are very useful to them :
1. Saving of Transcript The transcript of the exchange can be retained in computer
memory or printed for documentation of negotiations with a client or establishment of
common ground with a public.
2. Conversation With The 'Publics' Practitioners use their computers to "converse" with
clients and suppliers or to participate in forums on professional matters with their
peers.
3. With the rise in telephone services over the Internet, named VoIP for Voice over
Internet Protocol, voice conferences have become less expensive. Traditionally,
conference participants would call in to toll-free 800 number that charges the
conference host a significant fee. Callers provide a passcode and enter the
conversation. Now, VoIP service, such as Skype enable computer to computer voice
calls as well as computer chat for no charge.
4. Better Collaboration Recently, Skype released its own conference calling function,
enabling unto log participants to call in using Skype.
This Is an excellent tool for functions such as briefing public relations teams and clients
about emerging issues, conducting problem-solving sessions and gaining consensus on
what stance along the contingency continuum the organization will take regarding a
public.
REALLY SIMPLE SYNDICATION
PR practitioners today are faced with a situation where merely a continuously update
of the content is not enough.
What is needed is a set of tools for automatic dissemination of personalized content.
New media are enabling content delivery on demand by consumers, the so-called
pull media.
Examples of this media include Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds that allow
favourite news and information updates to be delivered to a -consumer as soon as
they are posted online without consumers having to search for the content.
Public relations industry defined a customized XML - XPRL (extensible Public
Relations Language).
XPRL aims to assist practitioners to transfer data or information electronically. Its
purpose is to automate information exchange as much as possible, the result being
quicker and higher quality communication, with fewer errors.
Following are its important functions :
1. Provides Links
• RSS feeds usually include a short description of the content with a link to a
full version.
• Journalists and others can reduce the volume of information.
• For corporations, they represent an alternative communication channel
that can be for direct communication with the target publics.
2. Users in Control
• What differentiates RSS from e-mail is basically the feature that allows
users to control incoming information streams.
• They can choose exactly what they would like to receive.
• If they like what they are receiving they will continue to be a subscriber,
otherwise they will cancel their subscription.
3. Easy to Use
• One important advantage lies in the fact that the users don't have to read
RSS, they can just skim through the titles.
• They don't have to worry about deleting an important email by mistake.
4. Podcast
• Podcasting is similar to RSS and allows subscribers to subscribe to the
feeds of a syndicated content.
• The main difference is that instead of reading the feeds on computer
screen, users listen to and view the new content on their personal
computer or mobile devices such as iPod.
• A podcast is a web feed of audio or video files placed on the Internet for
anyone to subscribe to.
• Podcasts can be used for internal communication: the CEO can use it
for weekly communication of major business decisions, the marketing and
R&D departments can communicate key features of a new product, etc.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN CORPORATE
Information technology is a catalyst for changes in organizational
structure, function, and communication.
This implies that the impact of information technology on the organization
is huge.
Similarly, information technology has substantially revolutionized the
practice of corporate communication around the world.
The impact of information technology can be seen through changes in
the methods of corporate communication, which focus much on the
digital strategies of communication today.
This has facilitated executives in making better decisions and improving
their overall productivity. Information technology impacts on the key
functions of corporate communication are as follows :
1. Information Technology facilitates networking among PR groups
spread out across the world.
2. Information Technology facilitates quick and accurate
communication between people in different parts of the world., thus,
PR companies can reach their global partners irrespective of
location through telephone, emails etc.
3. Information Technology helps PR firms generate, distribute and store
information rapidly. This enables more effective operations in
research and documentation.
4. Information Technology boost organizational communication within a
PR firm.
E-MEDIA RELATIONS
1. Video News Release (VNRs):
It is a short news package
presenting a news item from the
organization's viewpoint.
The VNR is usually distributed by
satellite, but videos and scripts
sometimes are mailed or carried
directly to TV stations.
Following are the advantages of doing a VNR
i) A VNR seen in the context of a TV newscast offers credibility not afforded by
commercials.
ii) A VNR can help position the company as the authority on a certain topic, issue
or industry.
iii) It can get key product placements. By producing a VNR relating to an ad
campaign or a new tred, product can be featured legitimately as the "next, best,
biggest" thing looking like a commercial plug.
iv) Company can take a stance on a controversial issue. Using VNRs, it can spell
out its side of an issue.
v) Producing and distributing VNR is cheaper than producing a commercial.
2. Electronic Media Kits:
A press kit, also known as a media kit, is a page on company's website that contains
resources and information for reporters and publishers. A press kit makes it really easy for
reporters to quickly learn about company's product and brand, and access photos and
marketing materials they can use in their content.
i) Anyone can use it
ii) Help to the press
iii) Easy access
3. Webcasting:
Webcasting is a form of broadcasting production that incorporates streaming video and
audio on the Internet. It is used to deliver a live press conference or event to the computer
screen of target audience. In the case of media relations, a reporter or producer can watch
from his or her desktop, laptop etc. viewing not only video but text and photos, participate
in interviews if they are part of the package, then "download the Internet feed or run a tape
to get excerpts for use in the on-air coverage
4. Satellite Press Conference:
Satellite press conference provide an opportunity for TV journalists to participate in
question and answer sessions via satellite with an organization's representatives. Often
the organization makes a presentation preceding the press conference. Some
participants may be in studios with interactive uplink facilities, but some watch the
satellite feed and phone in questions.
5. Satellite Media Tours:
This technology provides individual interviews with a guest personality in a remote
studio. Each interview is exclusive; some are carried live. Guests may be able to
appear on two or three dozen stations per day this way. Two-way television is used,
permitting a visual dialogue. Each station's reporter is put through to the personality at
a specified time; thus a series of interviews, 5 to 10 minutes each, can be done in
sequence. Corporations also employ satellite media tours to promote their products or
services, often using a well-known Performer other "name" figure as a spokesperson.
er or
E-INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
E-Internal communication technologies provide:
• opportunities for connectivity, which enables new relationships to develop,
• enhances group productivity
• allow the most able people to work together and contribute to organizational
activities improve communication flow, time use, access to information
• attitudes towards office systems technology; and
• quality of working life High connectivity benefits all employees, but
employees- on the outskirts of the organization should benefit the most by such
technology.
Voice Mail
• Voice mail is a computer aided telephone system that is capable of
storing and forwarding digitized spoken messages.
• Voice mail is the voice equivalent of E-mail, and allows you to send a
message simultaneously to a number of people, add comments, and
store a message to be released at a certain time (communicate
asynchronously).
Advantages of Voice mail
1. Reduces telephone tag
2. Saves time
3. Quick and easy
4. Information retrieval
E-mail is defined as "the creation, editing, sending,
receiving, storage, forwarding and rioting of text all
facilitated by the computer".
E-mail provides an asynchronous method of
ectronically transmitting text, from one computer
terminal to another.
Advantages:
1. Broadcast function
2. Speed Other advantages of e-mail include speed,
lower costs and increased access to fellow vi
3. Reduce telephone tag
4. Accessibility
5. More frequent communication.
Electronic Meeting Systems
• Electronic meeting systems (EMS) are defined as a meeting process
where communication is relayed electronically.
• An EMS relies on text for conveying messages, which may mean people
forget their audience and become less constrained by norms and rules
for behaviour.
• Such technology facilitates bolder or uninhibited discussion among
communication participants that may overcome problems such as
groupthink (on-line).
Advantages of EMS:
1. More willingness to contribute
2. Better group dynamics
3. Improved decision making
Intranets
• An intranet is a duplicate version of the Internet, Providing internal information to
employees, and the ability to communicate with others within the organization.
• An intranet uses a network transmission control protocol/internet protocol
(TCP/10 Protocol applied to internal organizational communication.
Advantages:
1. Platform to connect
2. Sharing of information
3. Employment opportunities
4. Access to company database
5. Cost effective
CORPORATE BLOGGING
Meaning and definition
Blogs were initially used by companies as an internal collaborative
authoring tool.
The purpose of these blogs was to streamline internal communication
practices and to facilitate incremental collaborative intelligence within the
company.
Corporate blogging can be defined as "the use of blogs to further
accomplish company goals" (Weil).
TYPES OF CORPORATE BLOGS
A) Product Blogs
Following the analogy of advertisements on television and in radio and print media product blogs
seek to showcase a product or service. Accordingly, the target audience for a product blog is
formed by potential customers.
Features of a product blog
1. No time and space constraints : Whereas most traditional advertising must work with
extreme time and space limitations, i.e. seconds in TV broadcasts and a few lines of text in most
print ads, blogs are under no such constraint, but can instead spread out large quantities of
content. Blogs can be continuously filled with novel information related to a brand or piece of
merchandise without redundancies.
2. Not exclusively the product : It is often not or not exclusively the product itself that is
promoted, but a related activity or subject matter. It also gives the opportunity to showcase
extensively company's other items too. This strategy of indirect marketing can be related to the
characteristics expected of blogs: that they contain news, discussion, thoughts or feelings.
B) Image Blogs
Image blogs are concerned with how the public or specific communities part of the larger
public but external to the company perceive the organization. This includes a wide range of
functions, such as :
i) corporate social responsibility
ii) recruiting and lobbying
iii) presenting the company, specifically its stance on specific issues (e.g.
environmental policy, workplace safety standards, education).
While usually aiming at presenting the company in a positive way, image blogs do not
necessarily filter out all external criticism. The manner in which the company acts and
reacts on the communicative stage significantly contributes to its impression.
For example, in the above figure, McDonald's Open for Discussion company blog, focused
on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and integrated into the company's broader CSR
strategy, by permitting comments by readers who voice criticism of the company and its
conduct.
C) Employee Blogs/Blog Hubs
These are the oldest of the variants described here. It is semi-professional blog
of the company's employees.
The content of such a blog focuses almost entirely on job related topics. A typical
employee blog realizes a dynamic combination of both personal and
organizational goals.
Employee blogs differ from other types of corporate blogs in that they are :
i) Self-initiated and not started as part of a mandated company strategy. This is
reflected by the fact that they always have a single author who sets the
agenda independently of others.
ii) ii) While what he or she can cover is restricted by company blogging policies
and general legal preliminaries it is usually not directed in other ways.
D) Executive Blog
There is a natural pressure on executives to communicate with the public and to give an
ongoing account of the company's situation and how they are steering the organization,
ideally in a successful way.
They feel that their main objective is to communicate inside the company.
Following could be some of the reasons :
1. The situation of open multiplicity in which public blogs live poses a key difficulty.
Different stakeholder groups evaluate the same text differently, demanding it be
tailored to their informational needs. The more a blog is written with explicit
communicative goals in mind, the more likely it is to target a specific audience and
sideline others in favor of this group.
2. Corporate blogs in general and executive blogs in particular are highly focused in their
communicative intent; a CEO's blog will seek almost exclusively organizational ends.
3. positioning, Persuading and motivating are all important activities for senior i
executives in relation to consumers, staff, investors and other stakeholders.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A BLOG
1. No Technical Knowledge Required
2. Readers Can Leave Comments
3. Automatically Organized
4. Search Engine Magnets
5. Instant Distribution Of Information
6. Multiple Authors
7. Internal And External Links
8. Permalinks
ROLE OF CORPORATE BLOGS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
1. Media Relations & Coverage
Due to the opinion-driven and social nature of the blogosphere, it is been
conceived as an ideal opportunity for companies to :
▪ quickly reach (new) influencers, to recruit brand advocates or even to find support
on controversial topics.
▪ bypass traditional media, become a part of the online conversation and in doing so
gain some influence and control over these conversations.
▪ provide unique and interesting content on a corporate blog, which might even
create a viral buzz over time.
▪ increase their coverage and market awareness.
2. Differentiation and Humanization
• Corporate blogging offers a differentiated communication channel for customers and
employees to expose their talents.
• Furthermore, corporate blogging humanizes the company and enhances the loyalty,
commitment and trust among all kinds of stakeholder, since it addresses the
stakeholders' need for personalized rather than mass communication practices.
• It is, therefore, very effective to establish a low-cost and long-term relationship.
3. Issues and Crisis Management
• An issue can be identified and tracked through a blogger's opinion and the extent to
which other bloggers agree. a quick, clear, honest response is essential to prevent
issues from becoming crisis" and a corporate blog certainly is a medium that
organizations can use to provide the public a quick, clear and honest response.
• In situations of a possible or on-going crisis, blogs are useful for organizations to
communicate with its publics and thereby influence the level of perceived crisis.
4. Environmental Scanning
Corporate blog is a suitable channel for :
• observing attitude and stance amongst stakeholders.
• understanding the world-view of diverse individuals and publics.
• dialogue, which enables organizations to listen to what people are saying about the
organization which gives them the opportunity to respond.
5. Reputation
To acquire a reputation that is positive, enduring, and resilient requires managers to
invest heavily in building and maintaining good relationships with their organization's
constituents.
Many large international organizations, such as GM, Microsoft and McDonald's have
CEO's and other managers to engage in corporate blogging.
It is evident that blogging is time consuming however, if the audience finds the blog
credible, it can help an organization to establish a good reputation.
MAKING A BUSINESS BLOG
Whether it is a large working on a og, there are a number of elements that
one should be looking.
While the exact requirements will differ according to how one intends to
use the blog, there are certain features; they are :
1. Blog Plan of Approach
Once a company is determined to create its own blog, the first thing to do
would be to develop a comprehensive plan of approach. The plan of
approach deals with the direction or engagement and elaborates on
elements like :
i) Focal topic :
ii) Audience
iii) Goals : Blogging serve very specific company goals. For example, these goals may include
(1)enhancing customer relations,
(2)customer insights, or
(3)driving purchase intent.
The objectives related to these goals may include
(1)encouraging ongoing interaction with customers and media,
(2)identifying common topics among discussions and
(3)enhancing the customer engagement with the company's website
iv) Ethics
2. Blog Design
The key design features for corporate blogs are :
i) Proactively promote having people sign up for the newsletter. This should be
somewhere on the top of the page.
ii) Although many blog designs use the right-hand column for navigation, people are
more used to left-hand navigation. Therefore, blogs should make use of the left-
hand column for navigation.
iii) RSS subscriptions are widely considered a prominent metric to determine the
popularity of a blog. Therefore, it is important that the RSS subscription button is
positioned at a prominent place in the blog design.
iv) Since blogs display published posts in a reverse-chronological order, the most
recent posts will show up on top. It is therefore recommended to create a widget
that displays the most popular blog posts.
3. Blog Content
Below some essential considerations on creating distinctive content are
mentioned:
i) Choose the right topic and find your voice.
ii) Make use of an "about me" page, where readers can find a biography of the
author, the author's passion for the topic and a photo.
iii) Invite a conversation.
iv) Do not make blog posts too long.
v) Always leave a reference when external sources are used.
vi) Readers are often more loyal to blog posts with lots of white space, snappy
subheads, bullet points, short paragraphs and a mix of text, images and video.
vii)Using popular keywords in the post title will positively affect ranking in search
engines.
viii)Try to blog frequently.
ix) Take risks, for instance by blogging about controversial issues.