ChatGPT has been around long enough now for us social media types to understand how to apply it to the everyday tasks that we may find tedious. At the very least, it can fill a couple of skill gaps that we can identify for ourselves.
Let’s be honest, it’s a great tool when wielded wisely. An AI chatbot that fulfils your every whim (within reason).
I’ll be the first to put my hands up and say, copywriting is not in my wheelhouse. I often stare at a blank space on my screen wishing for inspiration to strike only to find myself looking for examples online, just as a jumping off point. That is until I realised how I could be using ChatGPT.
Let’s break it down a bit. What are the advantages of this tool for anyone working in social media specifically?
Keep things tidy: finesse copy that you have already come up with;
Research tool: if you’re not 100% sure about a statistic or nugget of information that backs up your post, ask ChatGPT for more info (be sure to fact check the responses though and cite the info if you can, ChatGPT does not provide this);
Idea generation: Don’t know what to post for the next week? Month? Year? Just ask it to generate some content ideas!
Editorial: Grammar not your strong suit? Run your text through ChatGPT and ask it to correct any errors;
Blog title ideas: you know roughly what you want to write about but maybe not sure what angle to approach it.
Generate new hashtags for your brand: they still need to be used consistently though!
Like every tool in your arsenal, there should be some best practice rules in place that you are aware of. Although ChaGPT seems limitless, you’ll quickly find it probably isn’t.
I always think of a phrase that a previous manager used to say; “S**t in, s**t out”
Don’t just accept the first answer from the chatbot. Could it be refined further? Add commands like; Can you make it shorter? Or, even better, give it the specific amount of characters to stick to.
Give it detail. it won’t know unless you tell it. Include tone of voice, what platform you’re posting to, what type of post is it? Give as much context as you can, this will mean that you will get better examples.
If you’re not happy with the response you have received, could you reword your command so that it’s as clear as possible? Keep iterating until it comes up with something usable;
Reuse/reword previous posts: A slightly different twist could give you something new!
If all else fails, take the responses as an inspirational guide. Copy the bits you like the most and then rework it yourself.
Here are a couple of real life examples that I have used (and disregarded in some cases):
There could be a danger, over time, that everyone will start sounding the same. How boring would that be?
This tool does crawl the internet for examples that already exist after all, so isn’t it just plagiarising lot’s of other people’s hard work?
Working in a strategy and design agency, with multiple clients across a number of industries and sectors, I have to be hyper aware of finding the correct tone for each. Uniqueness and creativity is still as important as ever.
Essentially, the key to using ChatGPT is personalisation. You may not be a good copywriter, but try to get good at editing. 99% of the time, the responses you receive from ChatGPT may not be exactly right, and that’s ok, add your personal touches and knowledge to it.
No-one knows your brand tone of voice better than you (hopefully) so don’t allow this tool to change it.
We still require that human touch and a spark of creativity.
Content marketing has become an essential strategy for business growth. But with so many options available, how do you choose the right content formats to achieve your goals?
This comes down to a question of, what do you want to achieve. Because not all content marketing is made equal.
Before you’ve even made a piece of content, let alone published it. You need to consider a number of factors, from your audience and prospective customers, buyer journeys, timeframes and what you want to achieve from your content marketing efforts.
The most successful content marketing examples are built and grounded in this strategic understanding of a business’s audiences and objectives.
Your content strategy should map to your audience’s buyer journey.
Understanding the different stages and how different content marketing formats and types fit within each stage will allow you to make the most of your content marketing strategies.
At this point, content should inform, entertain and engage. The purpose is to hook potential customers, not to sell to them.
Blog posts, whitepapers, and social media help raise awareness of a problem your product solves. Focus on educating your audience at this stage. This isn’t the place for hard sales and conversion CTAs.
This is where things start to get more information and detail-driven. At this point, a potential customer will be more serious and considered about their purchasing. They may not be quite there with a final purchasing decision, so this is the time to start dialling up the informative and story-driven content.
Videos, email marketing, and social media posts can showcase your product benefits and competitive advantages. Make your content informative and story-driven.
We’re at the the end of the funnel now. Buyers are tooled up and informed. Now you have to give them a real reason, and incentive, to buy.
Free trials, coupons, case studies address final questions and objections. Give decision-makers an incentive to choose you over competitors.
The more versatile your content, the more effective and efficient it will be.
You should not be making content solely exclusive to one channel or output. When you’re planning and putting together your content strategy. Consider how you can ‘sweat your assets’ and create a versatile multi-channel content strategy.
As for what adaptable content is, this can really vary. Hero video content can be broken down into smaller pieces of shareable snippets. This can then be used across all of your owned channels.
White papers and reports can be broken up into blog content and multi-channel social media campaigns.
Don’t put the blinkers on your content strategy. Repurpose, reuse and re-engage.
To ensure your content is shareable, ask yourself if the content gives you a reason to be shared.
Does it offer insight into an issue, concern or problem? Does it ignite the imagination and inspire ideas? Or does it show impact and results that really wow?
Then ask yourself, would I share this personally?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one size fits all approach to creating shareable content. There is no one winning formula. Every business, every audience and every industry is different.
But fundementally, shareable content is interesting content. So prioritize creating content that is interesting.
Your content strategy should but tuned to your business goals. What is the purpose of your content? What output is it aligned too?
Is it brand awareness, pushing certain products or services, or are you looking for lead generation or driving conversations and engagement?
Don’t just create your content and then try to tack activation and strategy on at the point of delivery. Create content to match the desired outcome.
Analyze performance data to see what content resonates best with your audience. Refine your strategy based on insights.
AB test your content, to trial combinations of copy and creative. Take what’s working, remove what isn’t and learn from your analytics. A data-driven approach helps create a content marketing flywheel, where you continually optimize content for impact.
Even the most creative and insightful piece of content marketing can be brought low by bad timing.
Whether this is trying to come in with a hard-line sales message too early in the incubation period, or being unaware of how external factors, such as news agendas, sector-specific or even global issues, may have impacts on your content… external factors can and will impact your content marketing strategy. So there has to be a certain level of pliability in your approach.
From a funnel perspective. The 95-5 rule tells us that 95% of an audience will be ‘out of market’ and AirBnB learned the hard way, how external events can impact your content marketing.
Content creation is so much more than just pumping out images and videos to the world.
Effective content creation and content marketing strategies are built around goals and outcomes. Simply making content, for the sake of making content, will not give you the ROI you desire. So it’s really important to know your audiences and what kinds of content they are most reactive and receptive to.
You also don’t have to have Hollywood-level production, to create content. In fact, in many instances, a more stripped-back production value is more beneficial than something slick and expensive looking… an iPhone can be a content marketer’s best friend.
But, the most important thing to note… make interesting content.
Everyone is looking for reach, shares and engagement. You won’t get any of this with uninteresting content. You can force all the messaging and calls to action you can in there, but if the crux of your content is boring to your audience, it isn’t going to work.
So, the next time you’re in a content planning session, or strategising for the year ahead before you’ve shot a frame. Think about about what you want to get out of this content, and what would be the most interesting way to achieve this.
Originally posted to www.carnisght.com
You win some you lose some, but either way, there’s a lot to be said for entering awards beyond the obvious benefit of winning. From networking to the credibility that still comes with being shortlisted even if you don’t take home the top spot, awards can be a great way to scope out like-minded businesses and perhaps even potential clients. They’re also a testament to what you’ve achieved and can provide well-earned recognition and morale boosts for your team because you still made it this far.
Sometimes the competition is stiff! Yes, winning will always be the most coveted benefit but even when you don’t win, there’s still value to be taken and joy to be had. Building on that, award-winning small businesses are also reported to see a 63% increase in income and a 39% growth in sales. So let’s unpack this a little more – here are five reasons you should enter awards (other than to win).
Awards and the events that are often associated with them allow you to make the most of another networking opportunity. Attending ceremonies, industry events, and gatherings related to the awards can allow you to connect with a wide variety of other businesses, potential clients, and industry leaders whom you can form relationships with.
Reconnecting with old faces or getting to know new ones is always a benefit in some capacity, especially when they are considered worthy of being shortlisted.
The process of preparing award submissions can also be valuable because it often requires a deep dive into your business strategies, achievements, and future goals. Entering awards also often involves a thorough examination of your business operations, strategies, and achievements. This self-assessment can help identify areas for celebration or improvement and set benchmarks for future success.
Applying this critical lens inward, answering prompts, and having to articulate things about your business that you may not normally have the time to prioritise doing can be a very insightful and reflective practice. It can also just be a useful document to have on hand for the future to refer back to, and can help your team gain clarity too.
Being shortlisted or nominated still sets your business apart from competitors. Being recognised for excellence in a particular area can be a key differentiator in a crowded market, helping you stand out to potential customers, partners, and investors. It can also have a positive impact on the recruitment side of things, as the positive association and attestation of excellence can attract talent.
There’s also the benefit of building trust and loyalty within your client or customer base. The credibility that comes with being shortlisted shows that your product or service is of value according to external and impartial judgment.
Even without winning, being a finalist can build trust because it demonstrates that you meet, and more so exceed, industry standards to the point where you stand out and are worthy of being shortlisted.
The recognition associated with awards can boost employee morale and motivation. It’s a tangible acknowledgement of their hard work and achievements, fostering a positive work environment and culture of value recognition. It’s also just nice to get dressed up and enjoy a night out together as a team, celebrating your efforts and achievements and building up team collaboration.
As well as these internal benefits, awards also give you a good chance to survey the lay of the competitive landscape from an external perspective. It may help identify which of your peers and competitors or product/service offerings are catching attention.
So whether you win or not, it’s fair to say that attending awards is still time well spent as a team, and as a business getting your name, face, and credibility out there amongst like-minded company. The process can provide great insight and incentivise you to prioritise putting time into reflecting on your business. If you’re interested in the topic of awards and entries, we’ve got some more posts that dive deeper into the actual process of preparing an entry. You can also get in contact if you have any questions, as we have experience entering awards for a variety of clients and industries.
Short-form social media video content is short, snappy, informative, or humorous videos that are posted on social media by brands and businesses to gain the attention of their target audience. The ideal sweet spot is somewhere between 30 – 60 seconds.
So why is it important to utilise this type of video content as a business on social media?
It’s a proven way to reach new audiences by incorporating it into a multi-media social media strategy. Plus, it’s a cheaper way to reach new audiences if you are currently operating on a limited budget and can’t yet afford to outsource to an agency or hire a marketing team. Whilst it may not promise the same reach and consistent results as running correctly optimised ads, these ads rely on a solid foundation of organic social media content to be successful- and this content will benefit from short-form video content!
But as great as that all sounds, what if you are a time-short business owner, or just have limited experience when it comes to social media content creation?
We’ve compiled our top 3 favourite video and reel / TikTok editing apps to help you create post-worthy content whilst saving time. They are all affordable and easy to use, with plenty of features and video templates to use.
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
Cons:
If you are just starting out and need an app for some basic video editing, it probably won’t make a difference which one you use. They are all fairly cheap, and CapCut is completely free. Once you become more confident and decide to replicate specific social media trends or look for specific video editing features, transitions, or filters, it’s likely you will find one of the above suits your business better.
Thankfully, they all at least offer a free version or free trial to test out the app before investing in a monthly subscription.
Trusty Social is a social media marketing and management agency. We work with busy businesses to improve their online presence through social media, while positively impacting the world and donating 3% of our profits to social justice initiatives each year. Find out more by visiting here and get in touch with us here!
This post was written on www.carnsight.com by guest author, Jill Misson. Jill Misson is a freelance writer and broadcaster with over 20 years of experience working on radio stations in the UK and around the world. As a presenter and producer, she has hosted programmes, podcasts and documentaries for the BBC and BFBS.
Your favourite radio station is probably on in the background while you are busy working, driving or washing up. The familiar sound keeps you company without demanding your full attention yet certain conversations catch your ear and draw you in to listen more closely. The challenge for the team behind the scenes is to create compelling content that appeals to their particular audience, provokes a response or keeps them tuned in for longer.
Radio producers and presenters need a constant supply of fresh ideas to set up interviews, features and phone-ins to fill programmes. Press releases may drop into their inboxes every day but they don’t just sit around waiting for emails to tell them what to cover and who to speak to. The creative process is much more proactive than that with a drive to produce original content by finding untold stories and new voices.
So where do the ideas come from and how are they turned into on-air content?
News
All radio stations cover the news to some extent so that’s a good place to start. Current affairs can be considered from various angles by reflecting different viewpoints or delving deeper than the headlines. Most newsrooms still get daily newspapers delivered and producers will scan them for ideas as well as searching online on websites and social media.
Programme teams have access to shared newsgathering diaries where events happening on a fixed date are added in advance with relevant contacts which helps forward planning.
Breaking news can mean dropping everything that was lined up and starting from scratch with little time before broadcast. Guests need to be found quickly. Trusted speakers who have been interviewed before on related subjects will often be called up to comment but producers also ring around other potential guests and book them at short notice.
For local radio, there is an appetite to show how people in the area will be affected or to discover how they feel about a topical issue. Reporters will go out onto the streets to record vox pops to gather a range of thoughts. Posting on social media can also bring in case studies, particularly in specific groups connected to the story by location or interests.
A big news story is always a good hook for content so pitches to a radio station can land well if they are well-timed and relevant with knowledgeable speakers available for interview.
TV & Film
Popular culture gets everyone talking from the latest plotline on a popular soap opera to the must-see movie at the cinema. TV and film can therefore be a source of good ideas for radio, not just for reviews or interviews with the stars but when stories or ideas portrayed on screen can be opened out for wider discussion or to offer advice and greater insight.
Everyday Life
Stand-up comedians come up with sketches from observing the world around them and the same goes for radio. Some of the best content starts from a simple observation that can spark a talking point. Listeners can relate to a presenter revealing an embarrassing moment or chatting about a personal experience and in turn share their own anecdotes.
Questions
A random thought or question can create fascinating content. What have you always wondered but never fully understood? People love learning new things so producers will search for experts who can explain a concept, show how something is made or answer queries on a phone-in programme.
Success
It is often heartwarming or inspiring to hear about other people’s achievements particularly when there is an element of triumph over adversity. People who are prepared to talk honestly about their own journey or personal experience, including the highs and the lows, can make great radio content. Someone at the top of their game in any field can share tips to help others succeed. To tell the story of a successful business, try to focus on the people in the company rather than the product or service you are trying to sell.
Nostalgia
We all love any excuse to look back with rose-tinted glasses and reminisce. Stories that trigger memories are a rich seam of content and can lead to warm recollections or moving accounts. This can work well on local radio where people in a community can come together to share their experiences of a school, a workplace or a venue.
Campaigns
Producers keep an eye out for fundraising events and charity challenges as they often lead to people who are passionate about raising money or awareness for a cause for personal reasons. Experiences of illness, bereavement, disability or mental health can make for strong content. Ongoing campaigns to achieve a goal can also prove interesting if listeners can follow progress and feel part of the journey.
Occasions
Certain events roll around every year so spotting an occasion like Valentine’s Day on the calendar might suggest a theme. However, finding a new way to cover it is the tricky part as so many ideas will have been done to death so an original or unusual idea is key.
Sharing stories
As you can see, radio producers find their ideas everywhere and can make content out of anything. They are always on the lookout for new people to meet and new stories to tell.
For more on the world of radio broadcasting, check out Jill’s previous blog on preparing to be on air and working within time constraints.
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com by Leigh-Ann Hewer
Being a PR can be really fun and exciting. That coverage buzz you get when you land a piece you worked really hard on is incredibly rewarding.
But it’s also not an easy job.
It’s an incredibly fast-paced industry and requires PRs to wear a lot of different hats. You have to be resilient and tenacious. You have to be great at writing and creative problem-solving. You have to be able to work with all kinds of different people.
The most challenging part by far, however, at least as far as I’m concerned, is learning how to balance the mental load.
As a PR, you have a lot of plates to keep spinning. You’re working across a number of different accounts and likely have a number of projects on the go for each of them. If, like Carnsight, you work across different sectors, these accounts could be vastly different, requiring different processes and approaches on any given project. Any given day, even! Your tone of communication is likely to shift from one email to the next. You’ll likely have to shift mental gears multiple times throughout the day.
Luckily, when you’ve had a bit of practice at it, it gets easier and easier until most of the time you don’t have to think much about it at all.
But that can still take a mental toll. It’s a lot of mental work. It’s a lot to balance in your mind.
I definitely found that this balancing act was the trickiest thing to master when I joined the industry. In fact, I still struggle with it at times. Maybe no one ever does master it completely. But there are definitely things you can do to help yourself, and today I wanted to share some of my top tips for managing that mental load.
It’s paramount you don’t try to keep everything stored in your brain. It’s too much to ask of yourself to remember everything. Instead, write everything down. To do lists, notes, even little sketches. Get as much of the information out of your head and on to paper. It’s much easier to manage when it’s there.
If all you have is one massive to do list then you’re quickly going to become overwhelmed. Try to group tasks and to dos together in a way that makes most sense to you. Maybe it’s by client, maybe it’s by type. I usually go with the former but I’ve also tried batching tasks related to how long they’ll take to complete as well eg. 5min tasks, 15min tasks, over an hour tasks.
The advice, eat the frog (or the elephant or whatever) first is great. But I do think there are times when the opposite might actually be helpful.
Eating the frog first is basically doing the hardest task on your to do list first. That way you might have the most energy for it and you’ll get the big dreaded thing out of the way before anything else. I love this, an it can be a great way of ensuring your prioritising correctly and using your energy in the most efficient way.
However…
Some days, eating the frog is just too much. It’s important to know how to check in with yourself and understand what your brain needs on any given day. Sometimes, on harder days, letting myself start by ticking off some nice and easy quick wins allows me to build a bit of confidence and momentum before getting stuck into the big hard task.
Know yourself well enough to know when you need to eat the frog and when you need to nibble away at a few side dishes first.
In an ideal world, our working lives and personal lives would remain entirely separate and sacred, but unfortunately our complex brains mean that regardless of how great our work-life balance is, one will usually impact the other.
This is especially the case when it comes to managing the mental load. If you’re stressed and overwhelmed in your personal life, it’s going to be very hard not to carry that into work. The same goes the other way around too.
In order to be your best self at work and at home, you have to get good at taking care of your own needs as well as rushing around after others. It’s so much easier said than done, right? Many of you reading this might have children, be caring for someone or be working multiple jobs or balancing multiple projects. It’s so much easier to give the advice than to take it. But it is worth bearing in mind.
Being your best self will look different every day, just like your needs both professionally and personally will change every day. Be as kind to yourself as possible and remember that it’s nothing to be ashamed of if your work or personal life seems to be bleeding into the other. Just take note, take a deep breath, and ask yourself ‘what’s one small thing I can do today to feel more at peace in my work/home life?’ (or in control, or happy, or fulfilled – whichever feels most resonant to you).
Despite what society likes to tell women all the time (
) no one can be perfect and no one can have it all and get it right 100% of the time. You must and I mean must know when to ask for help or delegate some of your overwhelming mental load to someone else.
This shows strength, maturity, self understanding, effective communication. The list goes on and on. Asking for support is vital. Find someone you feel secure asking, and if you can’t find someone, well frankly reconsider who you keep close by – both professionally and personally. Everyone deserves a helping hand when they juggling a lot.
So there you have it, my quick tips for managing mental load at work. They’re not anything ground breaking, I confess, but I hope if nothing else this serves as a reminder that if you’re a PR struggling a bit with mental load at work, you’re not alone.
Celebrate those coverage buzz wins, take breaks when you need and remember, you got this!
For more tips on mental health and productivity at work, check out my blog on managing stress in PR.
Bristol Academy of Voice Acting (BRAVA), is thrilled to announce the appointment of Fern Dunn as social media and community manager, who joins from globally renowned British animation studio, Aardman.
Fern is a communications specialist with nearly a decade of experience working across the creative industries in Bristol, including the independent multi-arts venue and cinema, Watershed. With a degree in Graphic Design and an MA in Curating from UWE, Bristol, Fern has a passion for all things communications – from social media to web design, to copywriting and print design.
Fern brings her wealth of communications and social media knowledge to the BRAVA team to continue to help them realise their growth ambitions.
She also runs the Cary Comes Home Festival, a biannual film festival that celebrates the Bristol roots of the iconic Hollywood star, Cary Grant. Fern has hosted events at the Hippodrome, Trinity Centre and St Mary Redcliffe Church – and even Hannover, Germany, bringing the magic of vintage cinema to all.
Fern Dunn said: “The voiceover world is fascinating, full of talented people and amazing stories. I can’t wait to delve in and start creating content to showcase BRAVA and the breadth of work of its Talent.”
Melissa Thom, Founder and CEO of BRAVA said: “It’s brilliant to have Fern on board, she has fantastic creative skills across a multitude of areas. She will drive the strategy and implementation for our social channels, ensuring our community of professional voice actors is targeted with relevant and inspirational content.”
BRAVA offers personalised training in the art and business of voiceover and is aimed at professionals who are interested in adding voice acting to their skillset or for those who wish to work on voice, impact and presence in the workplace and beyond.
About BRAVA
Founded by experienced voice actor and communications consultant, Melissa Thom, BRAVA brings together acting and voice experts from the UK & US to deliver best in class training and advice about the industry.
At BRAVA, all learning is done online, meaning students can learn at their own pace, wherever they are. Training is offered as personalised 1-1’s or group sessions and covers a wide range of topics, including Getting Started in VO, Corporate, Commercial and Narration, Characters, Audiobooks, Performance Techniques, Home Studio, Marketing, Vocal Health, VO & Shakespeare, Voice, Presence, Impact, Presentation Skills and more.
Find out more at www.brava.uk.com
Wow, what a response! Our latest project, dubbii broke the Top 20 on the App Store and Google Play charts on launch weekend, with over 25,000 active users.
Partnering with the fabulous Rich & Rox, social media influencers of ADHD Love fame, dubbii is a body doubling app to help ADHD people with their household tasks.
We were incredibly excited to work with ADHD Love on a different kind of self-help app and as their ongoing tech partner, we’re in it for the long haul.
We’re committed to staying engaged with the community to find out exactly what the audience wants and how best to provide it. 
There are many pros to using social media to promote your business, with few cons. If you are just starting out, establishing a presence on the platforms can be completely free if you are doing it yourself. Once your business grows, investing more in your social media presence is a good idea. This could be by outsourcing this aspect of your business to a social media agency, or by having a marketing team take them over.
Businesses with better customer service tend to see better customer loyalty. Responding to direct messages on social media or comments on posts is a way to speedily and efficiently provide customer service.
Email marketing is currently one of the most successful ways to convert leads into customers. If you have the budget to run social media ads and promote lead magnets, this is a great way to grow your mailing list.
Facebook is one of the oldest and most established social media platforms, therefore it is important to ensure you have a business presence on this platform. It also has the most social media users at just over 3 billion, out of those on this list. Depending on your business industry and your budget, it will depend on the success you see on this platform and how is best to use it.
Organic reach on Facebook is difficult and most businesses utilise social paid advertising or post boosting on Facebook. (This is then shown on both Facebook and Instagram as the platforms are connected and both owned by Meta).
But if your budget is limited, one way to still make the most of Facebook is to set up a group instead of a page and drive people to join this group. This will act as a concentrated space to nurture the group members.
Firstly, ensure your profile is set to ‘professional’ status rather than just ‘personal’. This feature gives you access to support, analytics, and tools that a personal account doesn’t.
Instagram is all about optimisation. It has a wide range of features, which is great! But it’s especially important on this platform they haven’t been half-hearted, and they have been optimised.
This includes optimising your bio and profile, the links in your bio, your Instagram shop, and any direct messages or automated messages page visitors might receive.
If you already have an established presence on Twitter – great! If not, now might not be the best time to start a new account. With the change in ownership when it comes to Twitter, it has undergone a lot of changes. Furthermore, with the new verified paid structure the platform is prioritising the content of accounts that pay to use the platform rather than those that don’t.
If you want to set up a new Twitter account, why not consider Threads…
If you also use Instagram and are looking for a Twitter alternative, Threads could be the answer. The latest Threads stats show the platform now has 130 million users (that’s a lot). Despite being a fairly new platform, it’s showing no sign of slowing down or users changing their minds and closing their accounts.
Compared to Twitter, Threads also has a more generous 500-character count, compared to the smaller 280 offered by Twitter. Plus you can post videos up to 5 minutes long.
YouTube is often referred to as the second largest search engine after Google. It has the second most users after Facebook. Therefore given its high user rate, it’s an excellent place to promote your business. Short-form video content you post on your social media can be turned into long-form video content for your YouTube channels, providing customers with a more in-depth, exclusive insight into your business.
There are lots of SEO features and opportunities on YouTube your business can utilise which can assist in driving more traffic to your website.
Most users use Pinterest as a vision board or a source for ideas and inspiration. There’s nothing stopping you from using Pinterest if you have the means and resources to create content for this platform; but it is ideal for businesses to ‘showcase’ e.g. interior design businesses, fashion designers, virtual assistant tips and advice, home improvement businesses or planning a vacation and hiring a travel agent, just to name a few.
Anything related to showcasing, ideas creation, products, or just mood boarding, is ideal on Pinterest.
Last but by no means least – TikTok. The good thing with this platform is you can repost your Instagram reels onto TikTok, and vice versa, meaning you can appear on both platforms without having to create brand-new content for each!
This platform is an excellent place to partner with influencers (as well as on Instagram), showcase your products or services through catchy and fun short-form video content, and make the most of user-generated content (this is content created by your customers on their experience with your service or product).
___________
Trusty Social is a social media marketing and management agency. We aim to improve the online presence of busy businesses through social media while positively impacting the world and donating 3% of our profits to social justice initiatives. Find out more by visiting here and get in touch with us here!
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Maybe it’s generational, or perhaps it’s just a mix of personality and communication style. Either way, I can’t deny a professional pitfall of mine is working up the confidence to pick up the phone and dial.
But it’s so important.
Hearing someone’s voice on the phone helps to develop trust and can build better relationships, especially if the contact is purely digital/remote. It can also be a quicker and more direct way of reaching someone when emails get lost in the inbox. Organic conversations can flow and things that may otherwise go unsaid can arise in this more natural form of reciprocal communication.
And yet, this aversion is apparently becoming more commonplace. One article describes the phenomenon as “telephobia” and shared that one survey of UK office workers found that 70 per cent of millennials experience anxious thoughts when the phone rings, while Gen Z was described as ‘generation mute’ by some.
But, when you work in PR like I do, that ‘phone call phobia’ has got to go. Of course, it’s not as simple as flicking on a switch, and the transition to cool and confident doesn’t come overnight. But it is absolutely a skill and attitude you can work towards honing, just like I am.
Different approaches will suit different people more, but are all equally valid.
For some, charisma comes naturally. Confidence is as easy as breathing, and speaking on the phone is a breeze if not a joy. But for those of us who find it a little harder, the route to success can be the classic ‘fake it ‘til you make it’. You can be whoever you want on the phone, so try adopting a persona. A version of yourself that is calm, cool and collected. It’s still you, and it’s still genuine, just with a little false pep to get you feeling confident.
Another tip from communication coach Mary Jane Copps, who is known as “The Phone Lady”, is to
print or cut out pictures from a magazine of a smiling person and look at that while talking on the phone. Apparently, this can help you feel more comfortable with how the other person is receiving your conversation. It also helps to humanise the conversation. It is also said that certain aspects of body language can still translate through the phone and the voice, such as smiling – speaking with a smile can affect your vocal tone. It can also release natural mood-boosting chemicals in the brain like dopamine and serotonin.
For the people pleasers of the world, this sip can be a hard one to swallow. But swallow it we must, because it really is true – you’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. And that’s okay.
When calling someone up in a professional context, I try to strike a balance of being polite but direct. In PR, the people you’re calling are generally busy people doing busy jobs, where time is precious. So don’t be blunt, but at the same time, try not to beat around the bush and waste words. Be impactful with your time. But also remember that the person on the other end is just that – a person. Being genuine, kind, and respectful is equally as important.
I might not feel like it, but remember you’re allowed to call someone. Especially if they’ve given you their work number. It’s not automatically intrusive or taking up time, and if it is – they’ll let you know, and that’s okay too. Just be respectful. Make sure you’re recognising someone’s working days/hours. If it’s not someone you speak to often such as a new journalist, check they’re the correct contact (e.g. they still work for the publication and haven’t moved on!). Relevance is also key in that instance – try to keep your discussion relevant to them.
As you develop professional relationships, you’ll also come to understand how different people prefer to communicate, and you can navigate from them.
These tips may help you in the short term to build confidence and get familiar with professional phone calls, but it’s not necessarily a long-term fix. That’s because sometimes you need to understand why you fear something – the anxiety that drives the aversion and apprehension – to properly address it and move forward. When you know what the problem is, you can research and adopt more targeted strategies that specifically address the root cause.
Some of the reported reasons that Millennials and Generation Z like me might dislike making phone calls include:
But how can you figure out your root cause?
Aside from speaking to someone with more expertise than myself, I’d start by making one of those calls, and as soon as you put the phone down, grab a piece of paper. Sit with your mind and body for a moment, and really analyse what you’re thinking and feeling. Try to name the emotion or write some of the phrases floating in your mind and put pen to paper. If you can identify some of these things, you might unpack a common theme or feeling which can point you in a good direction for what you want to work on developing. Emotion wheels like the one below (courtesy of The Junto Institute) are a great tool to help dig deeper with this exercise:
At the very least, I always try to remind myself: what’s the worst that can happen?
Technically this depends on the context of the call, but generally, the stakes are never that high. You might get a sharp decline or a blunt hang-up, but that’s rarely the case, and if it is, it’s really not the end of the world. Even though sometimes it can feel like it is (silly, I know – but this kind of stuff isn’t always rational, it certainly isn’t for me otherwise I’d have no trouble here) it isn’t. I’m still growing my confidence when it comes to this, so I’m by no means an expert. But if you’re a bit like me and have found this skill one that needs a little TLC, then I hope this blog has been helpful, or at the very least, validating. Now, if you’re interested in a refresher on PR strategies and tactics, have a look at this article here.
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