Marketing Guide| The ideal length of online content

Today we are more mobile than before and rely on our phones and tablets to check the latest news or check up on friends and family. As a result, we not only have to learn how to speak in soundest we have to learn how to say what we want to say in as few words as possible.  That is we are starting to communicate more and more with photos and other images.  Here is a brief guide from PRDaily to help you communicate. 

Facebook - Posts with 40 characters receive 86 percent more engagement than posts with more than that amount - 40 characters

Blog headlines - People tend to only read the first and last three words of a headline - 6 words

Email subject lines - Subject lines that fall within this range average a 12.2 percent open rate and 4 percent click rate - 28-39 characters

YouTube videos - The average length of the top 50 YouTube videos is 2 minutes and 54 seconds - 3 minutes

Podcasts - Podcast listeners won't tune in any longer - 22 minutes

Domain names -  The best domain names are short, easy to spell and remember, and don't have hyphens or numbers - 8 characters

Tweets – Shorter than 100 characters have a 17% higher engagement rate - 100 characters

Paragraphs – Opening paragraphs with larger fonts and fewer charcters per line make it easier for the reader to focus and jump quickly from one line to the next - 40-55 words

Hashtags – Don’t use spaces or special charcters, don't start with or only use numbers and be careful about using slang - 6 characters

Title Tags – Don’t exceed 60 characters or you will get clipped - 55 characters

News Release - Try to limit the content to 1,000 words. Optimal length that is short enough for people to read quickly and search engines to find is between 400-600 words or about a page and half (*Source iReach) - 1,000 words

Headline - 60 characters or you risk the headline cutting cut on a website, phone and tablet - 60 characters

*Source  (unless otherwise indicated)

To get quoted in the media - Build Relationships

I have a friend who manages a number of properties and he is always quoted in real estate stories  but has never used a PR firm. 

He has developed relationships with a number of reporters in the region by sharing information with them over the years. Studies and research, tips and other great insight that would help them craft a solid story.

He gave more than he received and for that reporters would quote him as a third party resource. Over time. the advice was sound and the reporters started to quote him more and more. 

If that is something that interests you, know what you can speak on and what you can share. Identify the reporters who cover those issues and follow them. Share their stories, send them an email or Tweet about their story, something you would add, perhaps additional insight into the issue and remain available and responsive should they eventually call you.  

Are you ready for your next interview with a reporter?

Confidence and preparation are the key to nailing any interview. As an attorney I used to be nervous appearing before a judge.  Not only was there a judge and a courtroom filled with attorneys and bystanders, but opposing counsel was there at the other table waiting to object or enforce the rules of procedure. However, with preparation and practice comes confidence and comfort. 

The same goes for an interview with a reporter. Now granted it is easier to talk with a reporter by phone, but in person, in front of a microphone (or smartphone) or camera, the nerves start to take over. In engaging a reporter like a judge, confidence is key. If this is an issue you are comfortable with you should treat as you would any conversation. In general,

• Answer only the questions asked
• Speak in soundbites
• Know what you want to say and say it
• Stick to your key messages
• Always go back to your key messages

Sometimes, however, you are caught off-guard and the subject is not positive. You are not prepared and not sure what they will ask you. 

If that happens and you find the reporter asking questions and abruptly interrupting you, such as asking more questions before you can answer the first one, know that the reporter has an agenda, and it is not to make you look good. 

If that is the case, wait for the reporter to finish and don't feel like you have to answer everything he or she asks.

Take a deep breath, look at the reporter in the eye with confidence and say,

"You asked a lot of questions, so let me try to answer them."  

While you don't have to answer everyone, just stick to your key messages.

Never be confrontational -- it makes great television, but does not make you look great. Watch out for reporters in this situation ask you the same questions differently.  If that happens just stick to your key messages.

Investigative reporters do their homework and chances are, if they come to you, they may already have produced the story and are just waiting to throw in a sound bite from you. Sometimes investigative reporters work on stories for years, file it away and just continue to work on it until they are ready to air it. 

Sometimes, a reporter will act dumb or seem ignorant. Don't assume they are because they are not -- it is a tactic -- just like silence is used to get someone to talk. If a reporter asks you to explain something, ask them what exactly they want to know. Be as brief as possible and don't talk just to talk - just stick to your message. 

Ninety-five of the reporters out there are professional and great people. In fact, you may find in some instances they are too friendly. Sometimes in preparing for a three minute story, they may spend an hour or more with you and you will talk casually. Feel free to talk but be guarded about what you say about the subject of the interview. 

Again, think as if a judge is instructing the jury that while they can go home they cannot talk to anyone about the case, read anything about the issues or go on Twitter or Facebook at risk of tainting the jury. 

So off camera or when the microphone is down, stick to sports and the weather. 

The best advice is never saw anything that you will regret if your mother, spouse or children read it, see it or hear it. Be prepared, Be Confident and Leverage the Media to help you meet your goals in protecting your reputation. 

5 lessons in PR from the ice bucket challenge

It all started with one challenge and one name and now Facebook is inundated with videos of people accepting the Ice Bucket Challenge. Luckily for ALS, so too are their on-line donations. From celebrities, singers and athletes such as Ben Affleck, Taylor Swift and LeBron James, to politicians, such as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie or Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, and business icons such as Bill Gates, we are all accepting and having fun with the ice bucket challenge and raising awareness for a very good cause. 

But the #icebucketchallenge was not meant to go global, but social media has made it viral.  As a result, this reinforces the following lessons in public relations, particularly for nonprofits:

1. Social media matters but know your audience. For social media to matter, there needs to be a purpose and it needs to find the right audience. A lot of nonprofits want to be on social media but for many they just can't find their way.  Before committing to a social media strategy organizations need to first understand who they are trying to reach and where they can find them.  If they are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or Pinterest than create campaigns around the social media they use the most. Concentrate and focus your resources on where you can make an impact. Don't dilute your budget just because you think you need to be more active on Facebook. 
2. Video integrated with social media is important. We are visual people. In fact, we would much rather look at a picture or watch a brief (3 mins or less) video than read this blog let alone anything else. 
3. Content matters. We are all having fun with the Ice Bucket Challenge and watching our friends  join us to raise awareness and money for ALS. But how many of us know what ALS is or how many people it affects.  Perhaps it doesn't matter as long as those two objectives are met. However, the campaign would have more meaning and more support if we knew more about the disease and the lives it impacts. 
4. Gimmicks still work, because we remember them. 
5. Make it personal. Social media is about relationships and finding a connection. Through this challenge we have each made connections and watched our friends accept it. A good campaign makes that connection and finds the emotional appeal that causes another to act. 

So, now I challenge you. Take #theicebucketchallenge and start your own campaign to create awareness of your own cause.