Join Ann Wylie for her in-person training session, “Web Writing Boot Camp,” on Sept. 21, 2012 9 a.m.–4 p.m. EDT in New York, N.Y., and learn how to make your posts personable, and write dramatic, compelling status updates that draw followers and get clicks.

In the headline for one of his articles, usability expert Jakob Nielsen asks, “How do users read on the Web?”

“They don’t,” he answers in the first sentence.

If you’re lucky, then your Web visitors may scan through your site, searching for specific facts and key ideas. But they aren’t reading. Check out these research results:

• Half of all Web users scan content instead of reading methodically, a 2007 eyetracking study by the Poynter Institute found.
• Visitors read only 20 percent of the words on a page, according to a 2008 analysis of nearly 50,000 page views by European computer scientists, psychologists, sociologists, engineers and other professionals.
• Visitors view most Web pages for 10 seconds or less, concluded four German researchers who studied those 50,000 page views.
• Fewer than one in 10 page views extend beyond two minutes, the same German researchers discovered. That included unattended browser windows that users left open in the background.

It’s enough to make a Web writer toss his or her laptop out the window.

But you can reach these online scanners if your page will pass the “skim test.”

Continue reading " Lift Your Ideas Off the Screen with Microcontent, or Online Display Copy "

Join Grace Leong for “Bringing the Power of PR to Brand Marketing” on Sept. 25, 2012 noon–4:30 p.m. EDT, and learn how to build brands with public relations insights and strategies.

What do the brands Chipotle, Chrysler and Nike have in common?

If you answered that these three brands are seeing strong growth in their sales, and consistently maintain top spots on the lists of the world’s most admired brands, you would be correct.

However, even more interesting to me as a marketer and a public relations professional, is the fact that each of these brands has recently won a top national or international award in an advertising competition for a campaign that was not led by advertising, but rather driven by a public relations insight and powered by traditional public relations techniques.

Yup, it’s true. As several bloggers in the communications industry have already noted, these brands, and dozens of others, are winning advertising campaign awards by embracing public relations practices and using our principles to drive deeper levels of engagement and connect more completely with consumers. An examination of some of these award-winning programs clearly shows that public relations ideas are serving as the foundation for best-in-class, 360-degree marketing campaigns.

What’s happening here? It’s simple really. These brands have evolved into a new era of marketing by adopting a values-driven approach. Simply put, values-driven marketing is based on the premise that brands can spark the emotional connection that leads to engagement by focusing on the values shared by both the brand and consumer.  

Continue reading " PR’s Influence in the New Era of Values-Driven Brand Marketing "

Join Ann Wylie for her in-person training session, “Writing That Sells — Products, Services and Ideas,” on June 22 at 9 a.m.–4 p.m. EDT in Boston, Mass.

Writers usually say that they use the inverted pyramid because readers stop reading after the first paragraph.

Meanwhile, readers typically say that they stop reading after the first paragraph because writers use the inverted pyramid.

Before you pound out your next pyramid, check out the following three trends in story structure:

Continue reading " Three Trends in Story Structure: Beyond the Inverted Pyramid "

A new key Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) membership benefit grants members free access to the 50 live and on-demand online public relations training webinars that are planned for this year, and now, there is a more user-friendly way for you to find them.

We have been working behind the scenes on the PRSA Calendar of Events to make virtual programming and in-person training easier and faster for you to locate. You can browse training sessions by date, or fine-tune your search by selecting a category to find a session by category.

Click Narrow By Category to see the categories available.

To access the free live and on-demand online training webinars or pay the member rate for in-person training seminars, first log in to your MyPRSA account and then complete the registration.

Expanded program categories, which are defined on each category page, now include:

• Accreditation Preparation & Maintenance
• Communication Strategy
• Crisis & Reputation
• Leadership & Management
• Measurement & ROI
• Media Relations
• Social Media
• Techniques & Tactics
• Writing

Continue reading " A New Look for the New Year: The PRSA Events Calendar "

As is customary at the start of a new year, many communications professionals are seeking ways to stay current with the latest trends for the upcoming year and yearning for professional development opportunities to further their skill set. I am no exception. But the task can be a bit daunting, stressful and, let’s be honest, usually comes with a price tag.

So for 2012, in addition to the plethora of professional development that cost moola (and are well worth it), like luncheons, workshops, conferences, etc., I’m excited about public relations training that is now FREE.

PRSA members now have access to more than 50 free live and on-demand online training webinars ($200 value each). No need to rush to a workshop. No need to request additional professional development funding in my budget. No need to pick one topic over another.

Continue reading " Perk for 2012: Access to Free Online Public Relations Training for PRSA Members "