Join now

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

 

In an ideal world, your carefully crafted message would reach your desired audience under perfect conditions: a quiet room, undivided attention, and a receptive mindset. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the reality at all. As PRs, we’re all too familiar with this. There’s a lot of discourse around cutting through the clutter and reaching your audience, whether it be from the perspective of marketers or film makers or PRs like us. But instead of getting into all of  the mechanics of that in one go, we’re starting with a simpler approach today.

We’re sharing one small change that can might make a big difference, and it all comes down to the perils of using too many big words.

Why you need to cut to the chase

One school of thought suggests that using big or unusual words is a surefire way to come across as knowing what you’re talking about. That an impressive vocabulary lends credibility. And sure, to an extent it does. But one key piece of the puzzle here is that oftentimes your audience doesn’t operate with the same sphere of reference, especially if you’re a business. They’re probably looking towards you and your content for a reason, perhaps that they aren’t as well versed in the area and are looking to learn or outsource.

So again, don’t get me wrong; there’s always value in a carefully honed vocabulary. But there is equal value in knowing when and how to use it. Context plays a big role here, and so does knowing your audience. Top tip here – if you are using more unusual or ‘big’ words, make sure you’re using them correctly, and if they’re technical, do a reality check to make sure your audience knows them too or give enough context clues so its straightforward. Otherwise this could have the opposite of the desired effect.

What is said vs what is heard vs what is understood

Another reality here is that your post/content is unlikely to actually get your point across if it’s too convoluted or time-intensive to understand quickly. In communication theory and practice, there are basic models of communication, many of which look at how linear message transmission and reception occurs between humans.

The thing is though, communication isn’t often linear these days. It can be messy or out of order, interrupted or misrepresented. There are so many factors that mediate how we receive, decode, and interpret information. Unfortunately, a lot of these aren’t easily something you as the sender can control. You don’t know where the audience will be receiving your message, if they’ll be interrupted by children or coworkers or are watching TV in the background, they might have ads pop up disrupt the flow. Or they might simply scroll away.

The point is, you should write with the assumption that your audience is distracted. That the message could easily be interrupted, and that it has a lot working against simple smooth reception on the other end.

A proactive approach

Word choice, sentence length, and paragraph structure all impact things like cohesion, flow, and comprehension. The technical nitty-gritty of this may come easier to some. But for others, here’s one easy to understand and even easier to implement tip that if you want to skip the mechanical deep dive.

That is: keep it simple stupid. Or KISS.

Ideally, your post should to be easy to read and easier to skim. Because the reality is, our attention span is not what it used to be. We have less time and maybe even less mental space to process confusing or complex information at the rate we’re exposed to it. We need the important things served up right under our nose, with big signs and underlined phrases. Make your message clear and obvious, and yes, essentially do the work for them.

Some final quick tips

Like I said, we’ll save you the over-complicated explanation of communication mechanics for another post. Today’s focus was a bit broader and focused on a trend we’ve noticed popping up in recent years, but we couldn’t leave you completely in the dark after having so much to say about what not to do. So here’s a little bit more on what you can do to optimise message reception:

  1. Repetition with variation: frequency is one simple way to enhance message retention, but the key here is to not simply restate the same information worded in a very similar way. Instead, vary your approach to keep the message fresh and engaging. Think of it like ‘same gift, different wrapping’. What’s beneath is still the same, but it’s delivered differently.
  2. Headings and subheadings: if the aim is readability, then subheadings are your best friends. They’re the epitome of linguistic sign post, guiding your readers through your content – especially if they’re a time- or attention-poor skimmer (which many of us are these days). Clear and concise headings help your audience to quickly ascertain relevance, so where applicable, we’d suggest making good use of them. Make sure they stand out to if your formatting system allows (e.g. bold, italicise, underline or resize), and follow the same rule for each one to preserve consistency.
  3. Bullet points and lists: similar to the previous point, this is all about making complex information simple, accessible, and digestible. If you have a series of related points to make, consider using bullet points, numbered lists, or these days even a series of emojis.
  4. Sensory imagery: another great way to say more whilst saying less and leave a lasting impact is to engage multiple senses. Employ descriptive language that helps readers visualise and imagine your message better, but be careful not to take it too far that things get convoluted or unnecessarily bogged down.
  5. Visual appeal: make use of visuals whenever possible. A thoughtfully-placed infographic or image can convey information much faster than any block of text, with the average visual information processing speeds much faster (the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text). Hence, visuals not only capture attention but also aid in comprehension.
  6. White space makes a difference: it’s very easy to underestimate the power of blank space on a page, especially for the attention-poor, over-stimulated audience. It provides visual relief and makes content feel less intimidating. A cluttered space often incites feelings of overwhelm for readers, and is one of those common barriers to message reception we mentioned earlier.
  7. Know your audience: understanding your audience is one step, but building on this insight by tailoring your message to their needs, preferences, and prior knowledge is the next.
  8. Testing and feedback: the final point is more for those big important messages, as most of us won’t have the time or resources to message test every LinkedIn post or email. But if you are preparing something that needs to have a sharper impact, we’d recommend you consider testing it with a small sample audience before sharing it with the intended audience. Get feedback on clarity, engagement, and comprehension. Ask your audience what they think you’re trying to say before you tell them. This may help to make more effective adjustments.

While you can’t control everything when it comes your message and what your audience takes away from it, in trying out some of these tips there’s progress to be seen. That’s it from us for now, but stay tuned for a deeper exploration to come. In the meantime, why not take a look at this post where our Social Media Manager shares her insight into the differences between LinkedIn for business and personal profiles.

Let’s be honest, most business owners and marketing professionals know that reputation matters. But how many of us can honestly say we know where our organisation rates in how its viewed by stakeholders? Not in a vague, gut-feel kind of way, but with a clear, considered view of the areas that really drive reputation?

That’s exactly why we’ve created RepScale a benchmarking tool which quickly assesses where your organisation sits in terms of its reputation. This free, interactive tool has been designed using decades of experience in PR and communications. It will help you take stock of your brand’s reputational health across five key pillars.

Why reputation matters more than ever

Your reputation is one of your organisation’s most valuable assets, and one of the hardest to rebuild once it’s been damaged. We know from experience that brands which proactively manage their reputation are better placed to attract customers, retain talent, navigate crises and grow with confidence.

Yet reputation is often treated reactively rather than strategically. It becomes something people think about when things go wrong, rather than something that’s nurtured and protected as a core business priority. At Purplefish, we believe that understanding where you are is the essential first step to getting where you want to be.

What does the scorecard assess?

The scorecard takes you through 20 statements across five reputation pillars — areas we know from working with clients across a wide range of sectors that are fundamental to a strong and resilient brand:

•        Media presence & visibility

•        Online reputation & search presence

•        Crisis preparedness & management

•        Thought leadership & authority

•        Stakeholder relationships & trust

For each statement, you’ll rate yourself from 1 to 5 — with 1 meaning the area needs immediate attention and 5 meaning you’re excelling with demonstrable results. Your score updates in real-time, giving you an instant snapshot of your reputational health.

What you’ll get from it

At the end of the scorecard, you’ll receive a personalised result with a score out of 100. We recommend aiming for a score of 80 or above, which is our benchmark for a strong, well-rounded reputation. Your result will also include tailored recommendations to help you understand what to focus on next, whether that’s maintaining strength in specific areas or addressing gaps that could be leaving your brand exposed.

It takes around two minutes to complete and it’s completely free. Think of it as a health check for your brand — honest, straightforward and genuinely useful.

Ready to find out your score?

Whether you’re a business owner keen to understand your brand’s standing, or a communications or marketing professional looking for a structured way to evaluate your communications strategy, the scorecard will provide quick. Instant insight and clarity to help you plan and manage this fundamental element of any business.

Access RepScale here and if you’d like to talk through your results or explore how a strategic PR approach could help strengthen your reputation, we’d love to hear from you. Book a free consultation with our team and let’s start the conversation.

Copywriting is one of the most powerful tools you can employ in your PR and marketing mix. When done well it captures an audience’s attention, encourages them to engage with you, and hopefully inspires them to buy from you. When PR and marketing copywriting doesn’t hit the mark though, it can have catastrophic consequences for your brand.

Long form content in particular, such as press features, blog posts, or LinkedIn articles should boost brand awareness and change perceptions in a positive way. But there are some common mistakes that can interrupt the success of your copy and make it far less effective. And in worst case scenarios, poor copy can even have a negative impact on how your brand is perceived.

Mistake #1: Copywriting for you instead of your customers

Whenever you start a piece of PR or marketing copy, you should consider who it is for. It is much easier to write about the topics you care about. But a far better starting point is considering what your readers care about.

Of course, there is a place for all kinds of copy in the overall PR and marketing mix. Brochures and websites are great channels to use to boast about your products. Readers will expect you to. But if you are writing PR copy for a trade publication, or your latest blog post, it’s worth taking a different approach.

Think about concerns or problems your customers and prospects might have. What advice would help them in the current marketplace? Is sustainability becoming more important in your sector? If so, how can you help customers comply with the latest legislation? Being helpful is worth a lot.

Mistake #2 – Assuming too much previous knowledge

Just because people work in the same industry as you, doesn’t mean they know all the same things you do. Sometimes people assume knowledge because of shared industry experience. Sometimes people assume knowledge because they have already written an article on the topic. Albeit months or even years ago. Whatever the reason, it can be a turn-off for readers.

You don’t want to be patronising in your PR and marketing copywriting, but you also don’t want people to glaze over because they don’t understand what you’re talking about. It’s far better to assume that people haven’t read that piece you published once before, or haven’t visited your website, or don’t have the in-depth technical knowledge of your products that you do. Starting from the beginning can help you to fill the sales and marketing pipeline.

Mistake #3 – Jargon overload

Here’s another sure-fire way to leave your readers feeling cold – by overusing jargon. Whether in the form of abbreviations, or overly complicated technical concepts, don’t try to sound clever at the expense of helping your customers and prospects.

Even if someone is aware of the product you are selling, it doesn’t mean they know everything about it. They might not know everything about the industry infrastructure that designs and builds it. They might not know much about the governing bodies that regulate it and the certifications that accompany it. They might not understand each technical aspect of it. If it’s relevant to talk about these things, which it may well be, start from the beginning and explain things clearly.

Mistake #4 – A lack of empathy in your PR and marketing copywriting

With years in the PR and marketing copywriting bank I have come to realise that being able to empathise with different people, whether you have been in their specific position or not, is one of the biggest strengths a copywriter can have. But on the flipside of this, it’s one of the big mistakes that are made.

To be able to empathise with your audience, you need to understand their pain points and challenges. What does it feel like to be in their position? And what can you say that is genuinely helpful in addressing those difficulties?

PR and marketing copywriting that misses the mark when it comes to understanding customers can come across as rude and uncaring. If for example your customers are struggling in a difficult market and you shout about your sales success story, or news of your latest big investment, it probably won’t endear you to them. If, however, you talk about how your success or your investment will be used to support your customers in this difficult time, it will be a lot more impactful.

Mistake #5 – Going straight to sales in your PR and marketing copy

Let’s be honest, most of the copy that comes out of a business, whether for social media, magazine articles or e-mail marketing, exists to sell. Some are more direct means of selling than others, but ultimately its aim is to raise awareness of the brand, get more people talking about it, and sell more. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give your audience something first, before you ask something of them in return.

Readers of trade press articles or blog posts are looking for advice or something that will help them with their business. Yes, they might be interested in your new product as well, but you’re more likely to generate interest and demand by explaining the pain points your product solves first, rather than jumping into the features and benefits straight away.

Tell a story with your PR and marketing copywriting and build a foundation before jumping off at the deep end and expecting them to buy straight away. At the end of the day, we’re all people buying from people so it’s about building trust.

Make your PR and marketing copywriting ship-shape for success

PR and marketing copywriting can sometimes be underestimated. People think that any words on a page is good enough to promote their business. But this isn’t the case. Poor copywriting stops readers in their tracks. It can turn off prospects and put them off of dealing with you now and in the future. Spending time and money on sourcing good quality PR and marketing copywriting is worthwhile when it comes to engaging audiences and changing perceptions.

Visit www.blogwrite.co.uk for more information

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

 

If you run a small business, you have probably already heard that PR can be a real game changer. But one of the biggest barriers (besides budget – which can be overcome and is a topic in itself – check out our eBook) is that many founders simply do not know what to say about themselves, or they feel uncomfortable saying it. 

The confidence gap no one talks about 

A lot of small business owners struggle to recognise which of their wins, stories and experiences are actually interesting to the media. What feels ordinary to you is often surprisingly newsworthy to someone else. 

Another common hurdle is that lots of founders aren’t confident in being the face of their business. And of course, this makes sense! Most people don’t start a company because they want attention. But when you are an SME, the early brand is usually at least partly shaped by the founder. If the business doesn’t have it’s own profile yet, the founder’s story is the strongest place to begin. 

This does take confidence, along with a bit of trust. Trusting your PR team to be honest about what is newsworthy, and trusting that your story has value. 

“I don’t want to sound arrogant” 

This comes up all the time. Many founders hesitate to talk about their achievements because they worry they might seem boastful or arrogant.  

But PR is not bragging!
It’s about being proud of what you’ve built and giving your business the chance to shine. You have already done the hard work. PR simply helps people see it.  

It gets easier 

Putting yourself out there can feel strange at first. But like most things in business, it becomes more comfortable with practice. Over time, sharing your story feels natural rather than nerve wracking. 

Boundaries matter 

And boundaries are a big part of that. We always work with clients to create clear boundaries between personal and professional information. You stay in control of what you share and what you keep private. 

As a small business ourselves, we understand the hesitation. But we also know that your business deserves recognition. And as a founder, being willing to step forward even a little can have a huge impact on your visibility, growth and long-term success. 

When I used to work for full-service PR and Marketing agencies, I was involved in the recruitment of copywriters to support the team, and I have to admit, it wasn’t easy. Perhaps I shouldn’t say that now that I’ve jumped the fence to be a PR and Marketing copywriter myself, but it’s part of the reason I wanted to be a writer, because it should not be that hard for businesses to get the support they need

We saw it all trying to hire a writer – we had candidates that wrote to an exceedingly high level but who delivered copy that didn’t sound anything like the spokesperson it was written for, we had writers that were not prepared to listen to feedback or make changes despite having less experience with the client involved, and we had perfectionist writers who were so focussed on getting every word ‘perfect’ they couldn’t meet a deadline.

Achieving balance in business copywriting

It is a tough balancing act writing for business. You must be able to meet deadlines. There are often strict timelines that come with copy requirements, whether with designers for brochures or websites, with the sales department to support a product launch, or with magazines for editorial features or press releases.

Writers also need to be able to write in a way that reflects the values or ethos of the company they are writing for, and more specifically write in a way that sounds like the person they are ghost writing for. The aim of writing on behalf of a business is to make their spokespeople sound authoritative and reflect their expertise, without turning people off with anything too technical.

Works both ways

So, what makes a relationship work between a freelance PR and Marketing writer and a business? I would argue that while a large degree of responsibility does lie with the freelancer to get it right for their clients, it is a relationship that works both ways and businesses need to know how to get the most out of their freelance copywriters.

You wouldn’t expect your accountant to do an outstanding job if you held them at arm’s length and only gave them some of the information they needed. And you wouldn’t expect a designer to produce a website for you without any briefing, or without at least a small amount of to-ing and fro-ing.

It can help to set some ground rules before you start working together so everyone knows what to expect. For example, how much notice should you give a writer to write various lengths of copy, how many rounds of amendments are reasonable to both sides, how quickly should you both expect to hear from each other, and what are the payment terms and conditions?

Once the ground rules are in place, keep talking! If something isn’t working on either side, bring it up sooner rather than later to see if it can be resolved. Writers can’t improve if they don’t know what they are doing wrong and businesses can’t support their copywriters if they don’t know what they need.

Stay focused on the end result

I know from first hand experience that it can be hard to find the perfect partner whether you are a business or a copywriter, but good matches do exist! And when it’s good it can be a game changer for both sides. Businesses can benefit from more flexible support without compromising on quality, and writers can benefit from ongoing work and the satisfaction of genuinely removing hassle for clients. So, don’t settle! The copy that represents you in the marketplace is too important.

The primary goal of any filming day is the final polished video. But the true story of innovation, teamwork, and expertise often lies in what happens between the takes. This is the power of a well-executed Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) strategy.

BTS content delivers three key advantages:

– It showcases your people. BTS content captures the personalities and passion behind your brand. It’s about trust, collaboration, and the shared goal of creating something great.

– It builds audience trust by offering a transparent look at your process, showcasing the technical skill and planning involved.

– It fuels your marketing. A single filming day can provide a treasure trove of authentic photos and video clips to keep your social media channels buzzing for weeks.

Case study in action: Our recent shoot with Hot Robotics and the University of Bristol for their Cerberus robot project is a perfect example.

The accompanying BTS film (shared below) goes far beyond a simple “making-of.” It captures the reality of a complex shoot: setting up the master interview ‘studio’, coordinating drone on drone aerial sequences, fun with smoke pellets and, of course, the obligatory trip to Greggs! All the while maintaining a fantastic team dynamic.

This footage becomes an invaluable asset, demonstrating both technical capability and a strong collaborative culture.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

Unblock content Accept required service and unblock content

There is so much noise right now about how the ultimate hack to getting your brand featured in AI results is simply to ensure it is all over Reddit.

The popular advice is to make sure you’ve got a number of posts mentioning your brand across the right topics and, BOOM, ChatGPT will be your number one lead generator and biggest brand advocate.

But is Reddit really the one place you should focus your AI Visibility efforts to get results?

Firstly, Reddit IS important to getting your brand found in AI tools

Let’s get the quick bit out of the way. Reddit DOES play a role in the knowledge gathered by the Large Language Models (LLMs), and therefore, it does impact which brands are included in their answers.

We know this by looking at LLMs themselves. OpenAI have been transparent about their partnership with Reddit since last year, Gemini leverages Google’s existing Reddit partnership and Perplexity are currently being sued for scraping Reddit to train their LLM.

It is true that User Generated Content, and particularly Reddit, is rapidly growing in momentum as one of the major sources of data used by AI tools when deciding who and what to surface in the answer.

There is also a growing pile of evidence that tells us Reddit is important in shaping AI’s decision-making. From a recent analysis of a quarter of a million Reddit posts, Semrush found that Reddit is among the most cited sources by the major LLMs.

Will loads of brand mentions actually get you in the answer? Well, yes, sort of…

This is the big question. Pretty much every major brand across the globe (at least every brand that’s even remotely switched on) is currently scrabbling to make sure that they are the brand that AI tools are recommending when their target audience asks their favourite LLM which product or service to use.

Right now, the data shows us that this will likely get results, so this should be part of your strategy. But this comes with two important caveats.

  1. Not all mentions are equal, and AI tools are not simply counting how many times your brand name appears in a thread.
  2. Context matters. Who is mentioning you? Why are they mentioning you? What is the sentiment of the mention?

So Reddit is the secret silver bullet?

Actually, no.

This is exactly why we came up with the concept of Earned Visibility (EV) as our approach to brand discoverability in a world of AI search.

Whilst this may sound self-promoting, it’s not (well not, really). The whole point of EV is that AI optimisation isn’t just simply the next generation of SEO.

Why? SEO as a discipline has often focused on tactics that are more likely to get results. This works when there is only really one major search tool, and they only make major algorithm updates a few times a year.

The dawn of AI search is a seismic shift. Consumer behaviour has fundamentally changed, with ChatGPT now seeing 5.8bn monthly site visits and AI search now used by half of all consumers.

But, and this is an important but, there is still no dominant tool, and each LLM has a different algorithm that will prioritise different sources.

Even if that wasn’t the case, the speed of evolution in the AI game is significantly faster than it was with search. Chat GPT launched their best model ever (5.1) in November, and then they launched their even shinier and better 5.2 barely one month later.

As tools evolve, how they make decisions – and the factors that shape which brands are included in the answer – will change.

The upshot of this? If you put all your eggs in the Reddit basket, you may see returns now, but you are also highly exposed to risk and could see an equally rapid negative impact from this as the models evolve. 

Right, so what should I do then?

The point of the Earned Visibility approach is to treat AI search tools as if they were a smart consumer – which is what they are effectively all striving to be.

Instead of focusing on one area, it’s important to consider your brand presence in the round. Don’t think “how can I game this AI tool” but instead ask “what are the factors that a consumer would look for” and layer this into your AI visibility approach. If you’re only considering one channel (or worse, one tactic) you’re missing the bigger picture.

Things like authoritative media coverage, credible third-party citations, genuine community discussion, high-quality content that demonstrates expertise, consistent brand signals across platforms, strong technical foundations, reviews and recommendations, and clear entity information in trusted data sources are all important.

Earned Visibility is the way forward

When it comes to deciding where to focus your efforts for AI visibility, you need to consider how you are performing when it comes to all of the above – and make your action plan on the back of this.

Want more? Sign up to our fortnightly AI brand discoverability email – three or four quick bullets about what’s going on in the space and one or two recommendations on what to do.

That, or drop [email protected] a line and ask me whatever you want directly.

Originally posted to www.carnsight.com

(Images include @miarosemcgrath @cultivatingboldspaces @kenniebukky @sumimrk @sophie.riichards)

Influencer marketing has dominated social media the past couple of years, but it reached new heights in 2025. Influencers held power in the online space, with audiences hanging on their every word. For brands, this was a goldmine, and influencer collaborations created natural advocates for their brand, raising awareness and having deeper connections with their audiences.  

But what’s the top influencer trend in 2026? After so much hype, creators are needing to get more inventive with their content. When we can no longer rely on aesthetics, what should we now expect? 

Intellect is the new trend

We’re seeing a slowdown in liking creators simply because of the aesthetic. Consumers are demanding more for their attention, and content that doesn’t deliver real value will get easily lost.  

For 2026, users are wanting intellectual stimulation. We’re seeing the rise of knowledge-based content: think finance influencers, cooking pros, and fitness specialists. These categories aren’t new, but the way influencers create content around them is evolving. Before, posting luxury reels was enough, but now consumers want to actually know how they can achieve the same. With the rise of FinTok (TikToks related to personal finance and money management), there’s a push for complete beginners learning how to invest in stocks and budget accordingly. With GymTok and meal prepping, it’s not about watching good food behind made anymore, people want to learn the macros behind what they’re eating, and how this fits with their wider nutrition goals. 

Whatever the category, influencers are realising they need to go more in-depth to still be adding value for their audience. Of course, you can’t share knowledge on a topic without full explainer videos, meaning we’re still going to be seeing long form content. And long-term influencer partnerships are beneficial here, as you have more time to build the connection with audiences and learn what they want to see more of (eg a weekly series explaining a topic). We’ll also still be seeing the same push for micro and nano influencers we saw in 2025, as these niche communities yield stronger engagement and brand loyalty.  

With so much competition in the digital space, audiences will reward creators who really take the time to explain something. From now on, aesthetic doesn’t hold engagement, audiences want to know what’s in it for them. 

Where has this come from? 

This need for intellectualism has largely come from cultural shifts in 2025. Once ‘doomscrolling’ was coined, audiences were confronted with how much time they were spending across social media. The effects on mental health became much more openly talked about, and people became more aware of how harmful social media can be. This was also paired with the rising pressures for self-development – ‘winter arc’ first started trending in 2024, but came in full effect in 2025. The idea of spending all our free time on TikTok lost some appeal, and people wanted to consume social media in a more meaningful, productive way.  

So ‘doomscrolling’ shifted to scrolling with purpose, which is where this demand for knowledge comes in. People don’t want to feel their time is wasted on social media, but that they’re learning something new. The Substack ‘Instead of Doomscrolling’ gained popularity, and it became a trend to share the media you had consumed for that week.  

What’s the downside?  

As with any trend, we have to remember: social media is not a reflection of real life. Sure, there’s authentic moments, but sometimes the online competition causes influencers to steal and distort the facts. Already, there’s been instances of creators plagiarising content, and passing off commentary as their own. It calls into question ‘performative intellectualism’, where the demand for intellectual content is outweighing the intellectual creators. Influencers are at risk of stealing content or giving insight into a topic they’re not particularly qualified to give, risking the trust with their audience.  

And, the same as aesthetic content, this is competitive. Users are referring to the ‘Media I consumed’ trend as the knowledge Olympics, and already creators are being questioned if they’ve actually watched what they say they have. Expanding your knowledge is always a good thing (!), but claiming you’ve watched 18 TED Talks in the past week becomes far-fetched. If it’s seen as a performance, it won’t land with audiences.  

Like with all trends, I think this is one that will eventually plateau. ‘Winter arc’ and ‘75 hard’ was a physical challenge for audiences, and whilst it was meant to be encouraging and spur motivation, it often left people feeling burnt out and socially withdrawn.  

It won’t be long before people become mentally overwhelmed by the sheer amount of long-form intellectual content, and short clips of kids yodelling become the rage again.  

But for now, we’re here for it, and ready for content that feels useful and productive. Off to go learn about the stock market… 

Want to learn more? Have a look at projects vs partnerships in influencer marketing.

Why reach beyond English?

Everybody sort of knows about translation: books by international authors, certificates and diplomas for immigration purposes, even those cheap electronic gadget user manuals that sound like they were written by aliens from outer space… But what about business?

If your company is based in an English-speaking country, it feels natural to use English in business and to target English-speaking markets. As for creatives, so much of their work is tied with culture and words, that they feel more at ease operating in their mother tongue.

And yet, there is a world out there. So, gaining more visibility, and more customers, is worth the effort to reach beyond English.

Visibility abroad and new client profiles

While still using English in day-to-day business relations, all kinds and sizes of businesses can use translation to reach a bigger audience. Let’s look at a few examples:

An independent travel writer can pitch their articles for publication in more travel and in-flight magazines if they can also include the destination countries they write about.

Video game devs will get more players by having their games localized into key market languages. Or if sticking to English for the in-game content, there’s multilingual community management.

In film and video, foreign subtitles and dubbing open up new audience bases.

For artists, photographers, musicians, production companies, applying for an international award or exhibiting at a festival abroad will be a real visibility booster.

And agencies that are translation-capable are able to compete on a bigger stage: a lot of international groups and global charities need to work with PR, web and marketing agencies that can handle copy in multiple languages.

How best to approach your translation project

Once you’re clear on why you want to use translation, comes the how? question.

Choosing the best fit between a translation agency and freelance translators will depend on your project’s specifics: do you need a lot of different languages or only one/a couple? Is consistency in quality and tone of voice important? Do you need additional services like DTP and graphic design? High volumes translated with a short turnaround time? Or shorter, recurring pieces of copy where a long-term relationship will help?

Whatever the form your translation team takes, keep in mind these three essential tips.

  1. Prepare a translation brief: translation is writing, so even before starting, you need to decide on target audience and tone of voice. But to pick the right translator and to save time on edits, you also need to be clear on the region of the world you’re targeting (is it European French? Or Canadian French? Or international French that will work on both sides of the Atlantic?) and what sector your text will deal with (same as writers, translators will produce their best work in their specialist fields).
  2. Be smart about the budget: think about how much you want to invest in translation and for what return. If that budget is limited, remember it’s better to translate less, but to translate it well. Prioritise the really strategic content. And while “budget” does mean money, it’s also about time and human resources: set aside some time and plan who will deal with queries and edits, plus any other process the translated work needs to go through, like graphic design.
  3. Most of all, talk to people: before commissioning the work, to ensure the team you’re considering working with is the best fit. During the translation process and after delivery too: translators asking questions, you querying and clarifying translation choices, all that is good for quality. Because translators know their native language (the one they’re translating into) best. And you know your project and your business best.

Need translation help?

For help adapting your public-facing content for a French audience, or defining the scope and workflow of your translation project, get in touch for a chat (in English or in French): https://bristolcreativeindustries.com/members/sandra-mouton-french-translator/

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

 

January is a month full of fresh starts, big goals, and renewed energy. For us PR professionals, it’s also a great opportunity to tap into seasonal news hooks. If you’re looking to make your brand story relevant and timely, aligning with January themes like health, productivity, and sustainability could give your campaigns the boost they need.

Why seasonal hooks matter

Journalists are always on the lookout for stories that feel current and relatable. Seasonal hooks give your pitch context and urgency, making it more likely to land coverage and hopefully more quickly too. In January, the conversation is dominated by resolutions, wellness, and planning for the year ahead. So why not join in? Or, alternatively, push back. Either way you’re getting involved with the conversation.

There’s an art to it

The hook has to be relevant, interesting, and authentic to your brand.  Just like any PR, seasonal hooks need to be considered. Here are some tips for best practice when it comes to working on a PR campaign with a seasonal hook:

Seasonal hooks aren’t just about hopping on the bandwagon of what’s trending. It’s about finding creative ways to connect your brand to conversations that matter. When done well, they can spark fresh ideas, open doors to new audiences, and even inspire long-term content strategies beyond January.

Looking for more new year PR tips. Check out or blog – why you should start the new year with PR.