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Only Fools Rush In: What Marketing & Communications Professional Need To Know About Threads

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Now that it looks like the much-anticipated but always-farfetched Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg cage fight is unlikely to happen, we’ll all have to settle for X vs. Threads.

By now, we all know that Threads is Meta’s answer to Musk’s struggling X (formerly Twitter), which continues to deteriorate amid plunging advertising revenue and rising hate speech. Threads holds the record for fastest-growing consumer app, jumping from zero to 100 million users in less than a week after its launch in early July.

Threads was billed as a kinder and gentler version than X, or “Twitter without the rough edges or news,” as The Guardian phrased it.

As a quick primer, here are some of the basic facts about Threads:

  • Users log in to Threads using their Instagram credentials and can port over their entire profiles. No Instagram? Then no Threads.
  • After creating a Threads account, users are free to delete it. But doing so also deletes the corresponding Instagram account.
  • Threads can be used only via the mobile app, but a desktop version is reportedly on the way at some point.
  • Threads’ feed is algorithmically organized – not chronologically, as X is.
  • Posts can be up to 500 characters and can include photos or videos that last five minutes.
  • Threads has no search functionality, hashtags, or advertising.
  • It is not available in the European Union due to regulatory concerns.

The waiting is the hardest part
Unfortunately for Meta, what appeared to be an early success story has now crashed down to reality. Following its peak in the days after launch, Threads saw its number of daily users plummet 79% globally in just a month, according to Similarweb. Relatedly, the average amount of time users spent on the app dropped precipitously, from 14 minutes per day down to 3 over the course of just a month.

These early returns don’t mean that Threads is doomed to fail; just that it’s having significant growing pains after dreams of its overnight success proved to be wildly optimistic.

So, with the Threads hype, followed by its near-inevitable crash back to Earth, what is a diligent and curious marketing and communications professional to do? In short, watch and wait.

It is advisable to secure desired usernames while they’re available, but business-to-business companies should not feel compelled to rush in at this early stage to “join the conversation,” especially since the conversation seems to be dwindling. Instead, marcomm professionals can prepare today for a possibly-more-relevant Threads tomorrow by seeking out answers to the following three key questions:

  • Is our target audience here? Admittedly, without search functionality, this one is tough to answer. However, for most business-to-business companies, the answer is likely to be “not yet,” and quite possibly, “never.”
  • Is it worth the effort? Evaluate the time and resources that Threads would require and consider whether they would be more efficiently directed elsewhere.
  • What’s the strategy? Due to the differing natures of the two social networks, posts to Threads should not be mirror images of posts to X. Experts advise producing humanizing content that shouldn’t be only brand-focused.

While Threads may hold some promise in the future for marketing and communications, companies should not feel obligated to jump on the platform simply because it’s the latest shiny object to briefly attract public attention. As Amendola Jodi Amendola shared last year, the PR landscape continues to evolve, so it’s best to take a cautious approach, monitor your competitors’ social activities, and keep an open mind. 

While this approach may lack the excitement of a bloody battle between two petty, infantile, and thin-skinned ultra-billionaires, it’s what makes the most sense for public relations professionals as Threads seeks to gain traction with a business audience. 

Navigating The Changing Digital Health Landscape: How PR Can Help

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The media times, they are a-changin’.

With much-needed apologies to Bob Dylan, we are indeed in the midst of a “historic media transformation,” which has created “unprecedented challenges” for leaders and executives across virtually all industries, according to the Harvard Kennedy School.

In an era of political, technological, and social upheaval that has led to disinformation and mistrust, “convincing data and compelling ideas are no longer enough for leaders to prevail in the public square,” according to the Kennedy School.

To cite just one data point that illustrates changing attitudes about media, consider a recent survey from Pew Research Center. The survey found that young adults (aged 18 -29) trust information from social media sites (50%) almost as much as information from national news (56%). This stands in sharp contrast to adults aged 65 and over, with 67% trusting information from national news and just 20% trusting social media.

The healthcare industry is not immune to these seismic changes. For example, digital health companies play a pivotal role in helping transform the industry by making healthcare more efficient and accessible, while improving patient outcomes. Unfortunately, many organizations struggle to rise above a cluttered marketplace to truly make an impact.

However, a comprehensive PR approach can represent the difference between a digital health company getting noticed and falling through the cracks.

 “An effective PR strategy helps organizations get noticed in a packed, multifaceted field like healthcare and find their niche through relevant content and thought leadership,” said Yancey Casey, senior account director. “It also helps address the complex challenges unique to healthcare, such as regulatory and ethical issues, and to communicate the benefits and risks of using healthcare technology.”

“PR helps digital health founders increase their visibility and reach a wider audience, ultimately driving more engagement and adoption of their services and solutions,” added Marcia Rhodes, vice president.

Amendola’s public relations experts bring decades of combined experience and expertise in helping healthcare companies navigate the constantly changing digital media landscape. The following are some best practices shared by our thought leaders.

Stake out a clear position in the market: “Digital health is a crowded media landscape, and having a clear positioning can help a company cut through the clutter,” said Mardi Larson, senior account director. “Be sure to revisit positioning documents regularly – quarterly if possible. Digital health is moving at a rapid pace with new players and new technologies being launched daily, morphing the space at each step, and the fast-paced evolution can impact these foundational communication materials.”

Spread the PR message through multiple channels: “Using a combination of written content, media interviews and social media, PR professionals can showcase the expertise of leaders, their awareness of new trends, their insights on how new trends are impacting the industry, and their predictions for future trends,” said Michelle Noteboom, senior account and content director. “By positioning the organization and its executives as trusted and well-informed industry leaders who are prepared for on-going innovation, PR teams can help build a company’s credibility, attract new partners and clients, and foster customer trust and loyalty.”

Prioritize trust and transparency: “The skepticism surrounding AI has arisen almost as swiftly as the technology itself, compelling stakeholders to navigate through many AI-related claims, some of which may lack precision,” said Janet Mordecai, senior account director. “Drawing from interactions with clients seeking to distinguish themselves amidst the din of AI skepticism, a pivotal strategy has been the creation of lucid and concise messages that address how AI is being used to obtain and integrate patient data in compliance with existing regulations and ultimately transform care. A focused and unwavering public relations strategy is essential to building trust and should center on transparency about a company’s AI technology, processes, and applications.”

And The Award Winner Is…You!

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Industry awards that recognize a company’s achievement are a valuable, yet sometimes overlooked, component of a successful PR campaign. Winning is fun – but that’s not the only reason to consider seeking industry recognition for your organization, products and services, and employees.

Winning an industry award is an excellent way to promote your brand and build credibility, as well as strengthen your employee recruitment and retention efforts.

Companies seeking award opportunities have an endless number of options, including awards that highlight specific products or campaigns, or honor the outstanding achievements of an individual or organization.

Not sure that seeking awards is worth the time and effort? Consider some key benefits of winning an industry award:

  1. Elevates your brand. When you win an award, you raise awareness of your company or products in the industry, which is especially beneficial for lesser-known players in the market.
  2. Builds credibility. Winning an award from an independent third party may carry more weight than the words of your best company spokesperson. Many awards include a serious vetting process, requiring the company to provide detailed information on the organization, its products, leadership team and overall success. Having outside validation can help customers and prospects feel comfortable that they are making the right choice when selecting your company and its solutions.
  3. Increases employee morale. Everyone likes a winner, including your employees. Winning an industry award can improve employees’ morale and camaraderie, especially if they are involved in the entry process. Furthermore, being an award-winning organization can help with employee recruitment and retaining existing staff.
  4. Creates new PR fodder. Once you’ve been named a winner, you can get the PR wagon rolling to realize big benefits. Make sure your employees, customers and prospects know about your achievement, perhaps starting with a press release highlighting the news. Add a blog post to your website summarizing the reasons you were selected over other worthy applicants. Consider sending an email blast to further amplify the message with customers, prospects, and investors, and note the win in your company newsletter. Don’t forget your social media channels and ask your employees to repost the news as well.

Once you are convinced of the benefits, you will find no shortage of award opportunities. To narrow your choices, consider your key objectives. For example, if you want to raise awareness of your company and products for potential prospects, awards that are tied to your industry vertical might be the best option. Often these awards are sponsored by trade publications, such as Becker’s Hospital Review and Modern Healthcare for healthcare and health IT organizations.  

If your focus is attracting and retaining top talent, look for awards that honor the achievements of individual contributors, or consider one of the many Best Places to Work awards. Some of these programs are segmented by industry, while others target specific geographic regions.

Another way to find relevant awards is to check your competitors’ websites and see if they have been recognized by any programs that align with your goals. Professional associations, such as HIMSS in healthcare or PRSA in public relations, also have award programs that target the talents and achievements of their members. Finally, if you work with a public relations firm, ask your PR professional to help research opportunities on your behalf.

As you identify options, you will realize that application processes vary from fairly simple online forms with no entry fees, to programs with rigorous guidelines, pricey entry fees, and detailed applications that take considerable time to complete. Before applying, vet the various programs by researching previous winners and making sure the program sponsors adequately recognized winners across social media and/or in press releases. Finally, to ensure success, make sure you dedicate sufficient resources to prepare a high-quality application. And if you need tips for writing an award-winning award entry, check out a few here.

Industry awards can give your business a PR boost that supports organizational goals and raises awareness with your target audience. Winning awards is also fun – but as the saying goes, you can’t win if you don’t play!

Why Down Times Call for More Marketing, Not Less

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Tips From The A-Team

The foreman of an orchard reported to the owner that the trees were growing fewer apples and only on the higher and harder-to-reach branches. What should we do, the foreman asked.

Let’s spend less on ladders, the owner said.

That doesn’t make sense, but many businesses react similarly during economic downturns by cutting their marketing and PR budgets, the very things that generate sales and visibility.

We asked our team of experts for their thoughts on why marketing, PR and social media are more important than ever in difficult times. Here’s what they had to share.

A good agency will work with clients to get the most out of a reduced budget, says Senior Account and Content Director Michelle Noteboom: “The right PR team will help you find ways to maximize the value of your PR investment by creatively repurposing well-crafted thought leadership content and earned media placements.”

Tough times often lead to increased competition for a shrinking pie. Doing less marketing puts a company at a disadvantage, says VP Marcia Rhodes: “PR can help differentiate a company from its competitors by highlighting its unique value proposition, featuring its strengths, and showcasing success stories. Effective PR can position a company as a thought leader, innovator, or industry expert, giving it a competitive edge and attracting clients who are seeking stability and reliability.”

Tough times don’t last forever, but tough companies do. Smart companies will take the opportunity during a downturn to position themselves for when the economy recovers, says Senior Account Director Mardi Larson. “Remaining top of mind among your key audiences is important so when conditions improve, they’ll remember you. Plus, with competing companies falling out of the PR field, it’s time to pounce and seize the opportunity to amplify and own your position in the marketplace through earned media,” she says.

“The No. 1 mistake I see companies make during tough economic times is cutting their marketing and PR when, in fact, marketing and PR are what is going to bring your company awareness, which, as we know, leads to business,” says Katlyn Nesvold, Senior Account Director.

An economic slowdown is the time to dig in, says Senior Social Media Account Director Michelle Smith. “In a down economy, investing in your brand and social media presence is crucial for standing out, establishing yourself as an industry leader, and attracting new business opportunities. By creating a unique brand voice and consistently sharing valuable content, you can build credibility and differentiate yourself from the competition, ensuring your business thrives even in challenging times.”

In times of economic uncertainty, businesses want to work with vendors they trust, says Grace Vinton, Account Director and Media Specialist. “Having a solid PR program can help you build that industry trust and help you close the deals you’re trying to close,” she says.

If a downturn prevents a business from creating new marketing content, it can always recycle old material, says Account Manager Maddie Noteboom: “Content marketing can cost far less than traditional marketing, making it one of the most cost-effective methods to connect to your target audience. One low-cost content marketing strategy I recommend to clients is a content refresh. Dig into the archives of old blog posts, ebooks, white papers and infographics, and update them with new insights, fresher graphics, and revamped SEO.”

The experts agree. If you want to harvest apples, invest in ladders.

Employee Brand Advocacy: Why Your Brand Needs It & 3 Steps To Get Started

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Brand advocacy is not a new idea, but many brands are still lacking the momentum behind it. As we move into 2023, brand advocacy should be a vital part of your marketing strategy. In fact, according to Edelman Trust Barometer, employee advocacy-related leads converted seven times more often than other types of leads.

At Amendola, we recently had an employee contest to incentive staff to invite friends to “follow” our company page on LinkedIn. This simple, short, three-week campaign proved to be effective and resulted in a 33% increase to our LinkedIn engagements and a net follower growth of 850%. If this alone isn’t enough reason to jump on the employee advocacy band wagon, here are a few more stats that might convince you:

Many of us have heard the Richard Branson phrase, “Take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients.” When you have employees who are passionate about the company they work for, it’s obvious to outsiders, especially when the employees are active on social media. Organizations in that position have a large, targeted audience that could and should be leveraged.

Your social media and PR strategy should be intertwined, as should your approach to brand advocacy. As you are planning for 2023, find ways to leverage your employees’ networks as part of your marketing efforts. LinkedIn is uniquely positioned for B2B, has a large reach and is a great place to post and find thought leadership. Here are three easy steps to jump-start your efforts, get your employees set up and engaged (or re-engaged) on LinkedIn, and build or amplify your brand.

1: Encourage your employees do a LinkedIn makeover: Provide them with a correctly sized company branded cover photo that they can add to their profile (and make sure to provide updated images if you have a campaign you’re promoting.) Advise them to update their current job to reflect where they work, if they haven’t already. Suggest that they share details about what they do in their current position in the about section – or go one step further and provide them a few options for suggested copy to help get the creative juices flowing.

2: Kick off your advocacy campaign with a contest: Implementing a simple contest, such as sharing company posts, is more likely to get participation than a complicated multi-step process. As employees share posts with their own networks, the company’s posts will become visible in their newsfeeds and attract new views – and it’s likely than many of these new viewers are your target audience. To drive success, don’t forget to offer your employees a worthwhile prize!

3: Make it part of your marketing workflow: Share media hits, important news, and brand posts with staff with a simple link to the LinkedIn post. Alternatively, provide them with recommended copy they can post if they reshare a post. Take it one step further and ask them to “comment” on posts to move them up in the news feed. For any of your company thought leaders with larger, more targeted audiences, this should be a standard workflow any time you have a media hit or a post you’d like amplified.

Encouraging your thought leaders to be active on social can lead to an additional benefit: potential media interviews. Often reporters will search social media to identify thought leaders for interviews. Having an active and updated social media presence provides another layer of credibility for your thought leaders and brand.

The benefits of employee brand advocacy go far beyond boosting your marketing efforts. If you’ve tried to recruit in the last few years, you know just how valuable it is to retain talent. Having engaged employees is known to boost company culture, which leads to happier and more productive employees, and increased talent retention.

Have you started an employee brand advocacy program? If not, make it part of your 2023 plan and watch your social media channels grow.

Six Considerations When Evaluating A PR Agency

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So, you want to engage a PR agency to help get the word out about your solutions or services.

Sounds like a plan. Sounds easy.

But the process can be daunting, time-consuming, and expensive. And, most importantly, it may not help you achieve your goals.

If this sounds oddly pessimistic coming from someone in an agency, bear with me. I’m here to share some considerations, observations, and best practices gleaned from over three decades split between agency and corporate marketing gigs. Avoiding the mistakes of others can save you time and money, and result in a productive, positive working relationship with your agency.

Know what you want to accomplish.

Do you need straight-up media relations? Industry analyst engagement? Help with messaging and positioning? Social media strategy and support? Editorial and content development? Speaking opportunities? Is there the potential for crisis management? Will your executives require media training?

Having a grasp of your near- and longer-term objectives can help you narrow the field. Most agencies will claim to provide a full menu of such services, but the quality and scope of the offerings can vary wildly. Be skeptical and do your due diligence.

PR Agency? Full-Time Employee? Freelancer?

There are pros and cons to each of these approaches, and your organization’s budget, timeline, and internal processes will dictate the best approach.

Agencies can be expensive, depending on the retainer structure or the billable rates of your account team, but can actually be more cost-effective than the alternatives. They also bring a wealth of expansive and deep marketing expertise, along with a solid bench. They are often very good at helping determine what you need (see above), are responsive and reliable, and 100% dedicated to your agenda. Agencies also provide access to a host of services––from art/creative direction and design, to web development, digital marketing, and social media strategy and support.

Full-time employees are great because they are invested in your success and are in it for the long haul. But they often require substantial budget outlays, and can take months to identify, recruit, sign, and onboard. Once they are thoroughly steeped in your offerings, they can be outstanding brand ambassadors and stewards, and can also work on other marketing initiatives as needed. But once they leave, you’re back to square one.

Freelancers can be nimble hires––they often have excellent credentials, can start right away, and hit the ground running. But they typically operate with minimal resources, have no back-up, and must dedicate hours to other clients. They also can be brutally hard to integrate into existing systems (HR/accounting, project management, content management). They also are prone to terminating their arrangements abruptly (which can also work in your favor if you only need a limited engagement).

One size does not fit all. 

Yes, big agencies have big resources, but don’t let claims of a national footprint, local presence, global reach, or head count sell you on an ill-matched relationship. Think expertise, applied experience in your market, and skillsets that dovetail with your agenda. Access to creative resources is a plus. Know how many hours are available to your account each week or month.

Who’s on the team? 

This consideration also hinges on knowing what you want to accomplish. If you’re looking for a clip shop to get you mentioned in every low-value round-up article, then seniority matters little. But if you’ll need responsive counsel with expertise in and contacts spanning your market, look for senior-level account team members. Ask the tough questions: What’s the average tenure of your account team? Where have they worked? What companies have they represented? What results have they generated? How many former journalists are on staff? How many accounts do they manage at once?  

Mind the old switch-a-roo.  

Let’s assume you’re down to a few final candidates and are evaluating pitches. For these meetings, most agencies will send out the big guns––often including the person with his/her name on the door. But will you ever see or hear from these folks again? Many times, agencies get a bad rap by orchestrating a senior executive dog-and-pony show, only to later hand the account over to junior staffers (or even interns) who, while eager, often require more direction and a longer ramp-up period. Get firm commitments on your team’s composition, and don’t hesitate to challenge if you aren’t sold on the match. You want them to operate as an extension of your team.

Beware of scope creep.

Will the agencies you are considering be able to accommodate your needs as your marketing strategy evolves? If your program may eventually require social media support, make sure the agency of record has the capabilities––and not just an intern with a huge stable of Instagram followers, but applied expertise in cultivating an online presence with a custom mix of organic and paid content. Ditto for the media training and crisis communications mentioned earlier. Otherwise, you’ll be saddled with the chore of evaluating and enlisting additional vendors.

In the end, it’s entirely up to you, and highly dependent on your organization’s budget, processes, and requirements. And remember, the old adage, “Fast, cheap, or good? You can only pick two” applies here as well. If you want something fast and good, it won’t be cheap; if you want it cheap and good, it won’t be fast; and if you want cheap and fast, it won’t be good. Choose wisely.

Why Strategy Matters (but Action Matters More) When It Comes to PR

Why Strategy Matters (but Action Matters More) When It Comes to PR

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We’ve all heard of analysis paralysis the state of over-analyzing or over-thinking a situation so much that a decision is never made and the outcome is impacted. Recently I’ve been witnessing a curious yet similar phenomenon at healthcare IT companies across the country and the analysis paralysis is all about “strategy.” As in overall corporate strategy and direction.

In short, these companies are all about strategic planning, but in the end they seem to come out of it having virtually no strategic plans. They’re all about all-day strategy meetings which result in no strategy but rather more questions that prompt more all-day meetings and shockingly, yet still no strategy.

From the outside looking in, this cycle is an endless hamster wheel that leaves team members feeling tired rather than energized, frustrated rather than empowered, and most troublingly, so terrified that their actions won’t follow the still-to-be-approved (or never-to-be-approved) strategy that they simply don’t act. This inaction can be minor or major as it builds up over time but it’s always detrimental.

Back to basics to get results

Their “strategic focus,” while well-intentioned, sets companies on the wrong path in the short and long-term, especially in regards to PR which should have a constant, ongoing cadence to create momentum and maximize results.

While company strategies can be complicated and have a profound impact on PR efforts, many aspects of PR strategy are quite uncomplicated. In fact, there are core tenets which are quite basic and fundamental to any sound PR plan. There are the pillars that cannot be disputed so they need not be delayed regardless of executive indecision.

Whether your strategy is set or you’re one of many stuck on the endless hamster wheel, these four actions are key to success. They are mission-critical, and safely fit into any PR strategy for 2018 and beyond:

1. Write and distribute press releases

It sounds like a no-brainer but for many companies it’s not because they live in fear of being “off brand” or “misaligned.” They live in fear of putting out too many press releases yet not enough press releases. Those fears are unwarranted though since your company is doing good work. Why shouldn’t it be shared? Did you develop a new product? Let’s write a release. Did you sign a new customer? Let’s write a release. Is your CEO speaking at an industry event? Let’s write a release.

Writing a press release is one of the simplest ways to communicate what’s happening and why it matters. Distributing those press releases positions your company as a key player and thought leader in the ongoing industry dialogue. It’s not complicated. It doesn’t need to be debated and as long as you’re not regularly putting out more than 2-4 press releases per month, you’re not overdoing it. So, just do it.

2. Highlight your customer’s success stories

Once again, it sounds like a no-brainer. You have customers. They like your products. They like your team. They have achieved impressive results that they’re willing to share. Let them be your advocates. Capture their stories in writing. Put them in front of reporters who are eager to hear from both executives and end-users at provider organizations. It’s as simple as that. Just like with press releases, these customer success stories illustrate that your company is doing good work and that’s what makes more customers want to work with you, which of course is one of the biggest end goals of any strategy. It’s not complicated. It doesn’t need to be debated. As long as your customers are singing your praises, hand over the microphone and let them sing.

3. Emphasize your expertise

In addition to highlighting your clients, highlight your company’s thought leaders. After all, they are also doing good work (you may see a pattern here). They have knowledge to share. They have ideas to contribute. They are the faces of your company and you need some faces even if you don’t have a final strategy. This action can mean authoring bylined articles or blogs on their behalf or pitching them as experts for media interviews. By positioning your executives and SMEs as thought leaders and joining the industry conversation, you’re helping to make your company a go-to source for future media opportunities. It’s not complicated. It doesn’t need to be debated and it would really be a shame for their knowledge to go to waste.

4. Educate your sales team about PR efforts

Regardless of strategy indecision, your sales team needs to close deals. There is nothing off-strategy about building your business. Media placements from your PR efforts are one of the most powerful but underutilized tools in your sales team toolkits. Obviously, sales prospects are not interested in the same information as the media. In fact, they may be turned off by being sent a press release about a new client that just signed on. However, they may be very interested in press coverage from well-regarded industry publications that profile your company news, thought leadership, and customer success stories. That is not only informative but also adds credibility and implies that you want to keep them in the know.

Similarly, if one of your client case studies is featured in a third-party publication, that’s a prime opportunity to reach out, share the article and offer a reference call with the client quoted. It’s not complicated. It doesn’t need to be debated and if you’re earning media placements it is certainly a shame not to use them to their fullest potential.

It’s time to get off the hamster wheel and get on with the real work that makes a difference.