Communication Strategy That Works

To effectively incorporate case studies into a campaign, it is essential to understand their significance and the impact they can create.

Case studies provide real-life examples of how a product or service has successfully addressed specific problems or challenges faced by customers, thereby establishing credibility and trust.

Today I share some tips on how to obtain the best case studies, as well as formats to use and why testimonials are not case studies.

I will cover:

• Understanding the Basics

• The difference between a case study and a testimonial

• What Format to Choose? e.g. Written, Video, Audio?

• How to Write an effective Case Study / Conducting an Interview

• Hints and tips

Let's dive in!

Liked Listening today? What to do next:

Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business.

Listen to more episodes, take some training, or download a resource: Find out more here.

Hire my expertise

Whether that's support with a one-off comms project or an entire strategy for your business, drop me a line if you want to explore this further. You can also work with me 1:1 as a trainer and mentor - [email protected]

Work with me closely

If you'd like to work with me to develop and implement your communication strategy through 1:1 work, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas, and lots of accountability and up-skilling, then email me at [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

Leave me a voicemail on my Speakpipe page I would love to hear your feedback on this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

When planning a PR campaign, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the competitive landscape. By taking a detailed look at key competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and their PR strategies, you can gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn't in your industry.

Furthermore, analysing your competition can enable you to identify opportunities that your organisation can gain from, or gaps in the market that have yet to be filled. In short, understanding your competition permits you to create a more effective and impactful PR plan that speaks to your target audience and sets your organisation apart from its competitors.

Today I look at 5 ways you can do this.

Let's dive in!

Liked Listening today? What to do next:

Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business.

Listen to more episodes, take some training, or download a resource: Find out more here.

Hire my expertise

Whether that's support with a one-off comms project or an entire strategy for your business, drop me a line if you want to explore this further. You can also work with me 1:1 as a trainer and mentor - [email protected]

Work with me closely

If you'd like to work with me to develop and implement your communication strategy through 1:1 work, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas, and lots of accountability and up-skilling, then email me at [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

Leave me a voicemail on my Speakpipe page I would love to hear your feedback on this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

I was asked 3 times recently if I would help people start their podcast. My answer was yes of course! but what's stopping you?

I realized that one of the biggest questions people have is why should they start a podcast? Is it for fun or for business? The answer varies for everyone, but for me, it was a way to establish myself in my industry and to connect with like-minded individuals.

Today's episode rolls off the back of hitting a top 50 position for Marketing in Apple podcast charts. A highly competitive area to make a mark in with a podcast. so I thought I would reflect and share a bit about my podcast and why you should start one of your own.

Let's dive in!

I knew I was going to launch a podcast for several months before Communication Strategy That Works went live. I was just waiting for the right time. Guess what it never comes!

It fitted into my communications strategy, I knew what it was going to be about and who it was for, but two lockdowns, a puppy, and life in general got in the way. I kept telling myself, "I haven't got time".

It got to the point where I actually thought, "I'm going to do this and I'm going to launch it because I am actually now putting more barriers in front of it." And I was ready, I was totally committed to the idea of starting a podcast.

But what is it that draws people to this medium?

For some, it's the desire to share their knowledge and expertise on a particular subject with a wider audience. For others, it's the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and build a community around a shared passion.

Maybe you are listening and this sounds like you? You've got an idea for a show, or you're quite a way down the road with the planning, and yet something is holding you back. I'm now 118 episodes in and regularly hitting the top 200 for marketing for my podcast up against some huge competition from the Marketing Meet Up, Amy Porterfield, The Digital Marketing Podcast and many other great podcasts.

I get asked a lot about my podcast, in fact, its the first thing people talk to me about when we meet. Which is great.

But I also get asked how to get started, so here are three common barriers you may come across and how to overcome them:

Barrier 1: Time

People think that it takes a lot longer than it does eventually. I always say to people when you do start a podcast point at the centre of everything, so that it helps you to create content everywhere else in your business. If you're creating a podcast repurpose that content, transcribe it, and use it in lots of different ways. There are lots of ways to make creating a podcast a lot quicker, including batching your episodes.

I've followed this advice and found a podcast is very rewarding for time spent. I find it easy to talk about a topic and then I can transcribe each episode and turn it into blog articles or social media posts.

Barrier 2: Content

People worry about, 'Who's going to listen to me'. It overlaps with mindset. People think, "Well, who's going to listen to me? Who's going to listen to this topic? Who am I to do this? I've not got any good content. How am I going to pull together all of this content?"

People worry about being consistent with that content as well. They're all just stories that we tell ourselves. I work with clients and students all the time on helping them get through this and showing them that they do have a really unique story. They've got a unique message and it's important to get it out there.

And when you flip in your head into being more about the audience than about you, then that anxiety around it tends to ease."

I sympathise with those early nerves. The first time you record a podcast episode it does feel awful and cringy and you feel like you've really put yourself out there. And then it becomes very normal and now I say to people actually the recording and the editing for me is the easiest bit.

I think being in communications as well, for me I felt like there was this pressure to get it perfect.

Barrier 3: Fear of tech

People worry about the tech all the time. It's perfectly natural to feel a bit of anxiety about something that you've not done before but think about things that you've done in your lives that you never thought you'd be able to do and now you can do them with your eyes closed. It's the same with podcasting.

It takes a bit of practice to get started, but once you do and you're in your flow it's going to become so much easier for you. The tech doesn't have to be that complicated either. You need a few pieces of equipment that don't have to be expensive and it's fairly simple to learn how to create the podcast, how to edit, record it, get it approved by Apple and so on."

Whenever you are embarking on a new aspect of your communications strategy you are bound to have concerns.

Focus on your goals and how what you are doing is going to count towards them. If you would like to talk through your plans, whether you want to launch a podcast, or are wondering whether audio is a good fit for your business, get in touch with me.

My Podcasting Made Simple is a quick and easy introductory programme could be for you, to find out more check the show notes or go onto my website to find out more and register for the next cohort. You can also download my free beginner's guide to using Audio in your comms strategy too.

Spring marks a new beginning in many ways and is sometimes close to the end of the financial year. It's an opportunity to spring clean your mind, your workspace, and your plans and figure out what could help you spring forward into the next few weeks and months.

Today's episode is a quick guide on reviewing your plan, cleaning your workspace, tidying your mind and looking more holistically rather than just refreshing your current strategy and tactics.

We will cover the following;

- How to Get Started

- Evaluating Your Current Plan

- Listen to Outside Advice

- Set Your Personal and Biz Goals

- Tweak Your Tactics

- Upgrade Your Technology

- Streamline Your Workspace

- Block Off Time for Reviewing

Let's dive in!

Links mentioned in this episode:

My top ten tools podcast episode: https://henbe.co.uk/2022/12/15/ep-105-top-ten-tools-for-efficiency-and-time-saving/

Liked Listening today? What to do next:

Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business.

Listen to more episodes, take some training, or download a resource: Find out more here.

Hire my expertise

Whether that's support with a one-off comms project or an entire strategy for your business, drop me a line if you want to explore this further. You can also work with me 1:1 as a trainer and mentor - [email protected]

Work with me closely

If you'd like to work with me to develop and implement your communication strategy through 1:1 work, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas, and lots of accountability and up-skilling, then email me at [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

Leave me a voicemail on my Speakpipe page I would love to hear your feedback on this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

I am looking forward to bringing you this episode all about Digital PR.

Digital PR is an essential element of a comprehensive communications plan. It involves ensuring that a brand's digital presence – including websites, social media accounts, online press releases, and other digital content – is optimised and managed effectively to engage target audiences and build relationships that drive successful business results.

Often mistaken for being about getting as many people as possible to visit a website; it's also about ensuring that the right audience is engaged in the right way with the right message.

Knowing how to execute digital PR successfully is key to achieving business goals.

Someone who knows this inside-out is Andy Barr. Andy is co-founder and co-owner of 10 Yetis Digital – an award-winning digital PR and online public relations agency that manages influencer, social media, design and PR campaigns for brands of every size. He is a Global Conference Speaker about all things social, public relations and digital and I am excited to have him on the show today.

We talk about what's new, skills that are useful, why PRs are great at their job, and the relevance of digital PR in today's complex PR operating context.

Let's dive in.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Ten Yetis Website https://www.10yetis.co.uk/

Alertr bit.ly/2F9g3a9

Crisis Communications Playbook https://crisiscommunicationsplaybook.com/

Follow Andy on Twitter https://twitter.com/10Yetis

Often, the decision of when to skill up and when to outsource PR can be tricky. You want someone with the right experience, who knows what they are doing and will be able to deliver the desired results. In most cases, it makes sense to opt for an experienced professional who can make sure that the job is properly completed. For certain campaigns or projects that require specific expertise, outsourcing is the more ideal option, as it allows for access to a broad range of skills and resources.

Today I look at a few areas of when and how to consider when to skill up and when to outsource. And 4 tips on briefing a PR or Comms consultant to work with you.

Let's dive in!

Liked Listening today? What to do next:

Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business.

Listen to more episodes, take some training, or download a resource: Find out more here.

Hire my expertise

Whether that's support with a one-off comms project or an entire strategy for your business, drop me a line if you want to explore this further. You can also work with me 1:1 as a trainer and mentor – [email protected]

Work with me closely

If you'd like to work with me to develop and implement your communication strategy through 1:1 work, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas, and lots of accountability and up-skilling, then email me at [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

Leave me a voicemail on my Speakpipe page I would love to hear your feedback on this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

The automation of public relations is a bit of a crowd-splitter for very good reasons; arguably the benefits are yet to be fully demonstrated but the impact on ethics has been.

Companies can already use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software solutions to manage their PR, allowing them to reach a wider audience and increase their visibility with minimal effort.

Automation also allows for faster response time and more accurate tracking of data, which is essential for successful public relations campaigns. In the future, public relations automation is likely to become even more sophisticated, allowing companies to automate more complex tasks and take advantage of advanced machine learning algorithms to better target their audiences.

And it can be helpful; automation can improve how public relations professionals manage projects, as well as how they measure success. It can automate mundane tasks, like data management, which enables PR specialists to focus on other aspects of their jobs. It also supports better analytics and data-driven decision-making, which can help PR experts create smarter and more effective communications strategies.

Today I take a look at some of the opportunities and challenges for AI with public relations practitioners.

Let's dive in!

Liked Listening today? What to do next:

Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business.

Listen to more episodes, take some training, or download a resource: Find out more here.

Hire my expertise

Whether that's support with a one-off comms project or an entire strategy for your business, drop me a line if you want to explore this further. You can also work with me 1:1 as a trainer and mentor – [email protected]

Work with me closely

If you'd like to work with me to develop and implement your communication strategy through 1:1 work, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas, and lots of accountability and up-skilling, then email me at [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

Leave me a voicemail on my Speakpipe page I would love to hear your feedback on this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

Telling your sustainability story is an essential part of any business model and a growing area for us communications professionals. By telling this story, we're helping to create a strong connection with customers on this topic and helping establish that credibility.

As we move into 2023, I think this topic is becoming even more relevant and important as businesses look to even monetise sustainability and see it as an opportunity of jumping on the bandwagon. There are two important reports launched recently. And I think they're proof of this.

UK Minister Chris Skidmore launched Mission Zero and his report; and the Confederation of Business Industry (CBI), just released a report on mapping the net zero economy.

I think this proves this topic needs to be high on our agenda as communications professionals. We need to be sure we're communicating this story in an authentic and compelling way focusing on the impact of the initiatives, rather than individual products or services – or waving company flags. So here are some of my thoughts on this topic this week.

Let's dive in.

Liked Listening today? What to do next:

Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business.

Listen to more episodes, take some training, or download a resource: Find out more here.

Hire my expertise

Whether that's support with a one-off comms project or an entire strategy for your business, drop me a line if you want to explore this further. You can also work with me 1:1 as a trainer and mentor - [email protected]

Work with me closely

If you'd like to work with me to develop and implement your communication strategy through 1:1 work, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas, and lots of accountability and up-skilling, then email me at [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

Leave me a voicemail on my Speakpipe page I would love to hear your feedback on this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

111- Deep Dive with Shayoni Lynn, Part Two: Misinformation, Disinformation and the PR challenge

I am thrilled to have on the podcast Shayoni Lynn, in a special double-bill all about behavioural science and its application in PR. Shayoni is founder and CEO of Lynn Group, a fast-growing communications consultancy powered by behavioural science.

Shayoni is a CIPR and PRCA Fellow, and Chair of PRCA Cymru. With over 15 years' experience, Shayoni is an industry leader in data-driven strategic communications and applied behavioural science. She sits on the UK PR Council and is Vice-Chair of CIPR's Behavioural Insights Interest Group. Shayoni sits on CIPR and GCS committees and is an Associate Lecturer at Cardiff University.

In this 'Deep Dive' double-bill we will cover;

Behavioural Science and its application in PR campaigns

Misinformation disinformation and conspiracy theory and how it relates to modern PR

This episode explains the differences between misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theory, and how as PR practitioners we can spot this and react.

Let's dive in!

Links mentioned in the episode;

Misinformation frameworks

APEASE

INCASE

Wall of Beliefs

Lynn Group report

BS Monitor

I am thrilled to have on the podcast Shayoni Lynn, in a special double-bill all about behavioural science and its application in PR. Shayoni is founder and CEO of Lynn Group, a fast-growing communications consultancy powered by behavioural science.

Shayoni is a CIPR and PRCA Fellow, and Chair of PRCA Cymru. With over 15 years' experience, Shayoni is an industry leader in data-driven strategic communications and applied behavioural science. She sits on the UK PR Council and is Vice-Chair of CIPR's Behavioural Insights Interest Group. Shayoni sits on CIPR and GCS committees and is an Associate Lecturer at Cardiff University.

In this 'Deep Dive' double-bill we will cover:

- Behavioural Science and its application in PR campaigns - Misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theory and how these relate to modern PR

This one is all about Behavioural Science - and how and why it's important to apply it in PR Campaigns.

Let's dive in!

Links mentioned in the episode:

Misinformation frameworks

APEASE

INCASE

Wall of Beliefs

Lynn Group report:

BS Monitor

Website link:

https://lynn.global/

Liked Listening today? What to do next:

Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business.

Listen to more episodes, take some training, or download a resource: Find out more here.

Hire my expertise

Whether that's support with a one-off comms project or an entire strategy for your business, drop me a line if you want to explore this further. You can also work with me 1:1 as a trainer and mentor - [email protected]

Work with me closely

If you'd like to work with me to develop and implement your communication strategy through 1:1 work, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas, and lots of accountability and up-skilling, then email me at [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

Leave me a voicemail on my Speakpipe page I would love to hear your feedback on this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.