Want to Build Credibility? Sustain Hope.

http://successcomgroup.com/build-credibility-sustain-hope/

As public relations professionals, our currency is credibility. Without it, there can be no communication, engagement, or persuasion.

And thanks to political bickering and Wall Street scandals, credibility is at a premium. Those leaders and organizations rising above the fray are those able to sustain hope and demonstrate a genuine belief in the capacity of others. People will seek out those who lift our spirits and restore a belief in humanity. Naysayers and finger-pointers may capture media attention and ruffle feathers, but they generally  don’t rise to become true leaders.

Ask yourself who are the individuals and brands that have a positive, confident, can-do approach to life and business, and who are the pessimists, doubters and detractors. Which of these do you wish to follow? Who has true credibility?

Noted leadership experts and authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner offer some of the best research on this topic and in their book Credibility explain “credible leaders sustain hope by painting positive images of the future. They arouse optimistic feelings and enable their constituents to hold positive thoughts about the possibilities of success.”

Kouzes and Posner note that those who sustain hope have a strong will to succeed and a desire to be different; they acknowledge reality and see change as an opportunity. They are proactive, have courage, act boldly, enjoy life, inspire people to see positive images of the future, reflect optimism, and give love and encouragement.  Successful brands own many of those same characteristics.

Have hope … and you too can build credibility.

Rebuilding Trust In A Doubtful World.

http://successcomgroup.com/rebuilding-trust-doubtful-world/

Trust is powerful and represents the bedrock of every relationships.  Trust is the glue holding different individuals together; without it organizations and individuals are but dispirit, divided islands incapable of collaboration toward common goals.

The two-week government shutdown, reports of widespread cyber-spying, and the launch of the Affordable Care Act have pushed public trust in government near record lows, with fewer than two in 10 Americans saying they trust Washington to do what’s right most of the time.  Trust in media, big business, and a host of other institutions is anything but robust.

So, how do institutions build trust in a doubtful world? Like losing weight or quitting smoking, the techniques are surprisingly simply … but never easy. Here are 10 trust-building tips:

1) Have a strong set of core values and stick to them, even if your ideas are unpopular.

2) Be honest with your words and actions. Do what you say you will do – promises made, promises kept. Aim to exceed expectations.

3) Listen. Encourage dialogue. Organizations and individuals need to listen to others, acknowledging and responding appropriately.

4) Personally and visible show care and concern for others. Be responsive to the needs of others.

5) Question your motives. Don’t focus on “What” when thinking about tough decisions; instead, ask yourself “Why?”

6) Stay focused on the success of others and not yourself.

7) Communicate openly, honestly, consistency and with clarity

8) Assume personal responsibility and accountability.

9) Be prepared to say “I’m sorry.”

10) Be human and authentic.

Remember, “Trust is like the air we breathe. When it’s present, nobody really notices. But when it’s absent, everybody notices.” (Warren Buffett)

(Source: Success Communications Group is a full-service public relations firm based in New Jersey.)

Why are #Hashtags so important for Public Relations?

A “hashtag” is a word or phrase preceded by the pound symbol (#) — as in #hashtag, #PR, etc.  This is a quick way of grouping messages on social media platforms like Twitter,Instagram, Facebook and Google +.  Simply put, hashtags bring e-conversations together into one thread.

Consider a recent study by RadiumOne, which found 58 percent of consumers say they use hashtags regularly, while 43 percent say they’re useful, 34 percent use them to search, and 41 percent say they use them to communicate ideas or feelings.

For marketers and professional communicators, hashtags are potent tools for boosting a campaign’s online visibility and have the potential to sync multi-platform social media and traditional media programs. It could prove – at least for now – to be the ideal means of bridging all social media platforms. This is why we’re seeing an increasing number of organizations include their hashtag, as opposed to an unwieldy list of URLs, into traditional advertising and marketing information. In addition, hashtags are particularly well suited for tradeshows, special events, and  entertainment-related communication.

Hashtags are also a way to gain attention to your brand or cause.  For example, including #hunger into your social media post and/or news release about your company’s support of a local food pantry will link your brand to the broader conversations about #hunger. If your company is launching a drug to treat glaucoma, use “#glaucoma” to add your voice into the discussion.

Photo by LG Patterson, courtesy of MLB.com

READ THE FULL BLOG HERE: http://successcomgroup.com/hashtag-public-relations/

The Tale of Two Coaches – The Fall And Rise of Leaders and Their Reputations

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”

Rutgers University men’s basketball coach Mike Rice, Jr., was caught on video being verbally and physically abusive toward his players, including using homophobic slurs (a particularly sensitive issue with the university given the recent suicide of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers student taunted about his sexual orientation.)  In December, when reports first surfaced, the school suspended and fined the coach who earned a mediocre  44–51 record during his tenure.  This month, once the tape became public, the coach and his assistant were fired, popular Athletic Director Tim Pernetti and in-house lawyer John Wolf resigned, multiple basketball recruits pulled their commitments to the university and Rutgers President Robert Barchi’s future remains uncertain.

Seven years ago, almost to the day, that same university earned high marks when it came to the defense of its women’s basketball team after radio and TV personality Don Imus and his cohorts referred to the Rutgers women’s basketball team — comprised primarily of African-Americans — as “nappy-headed hos” and “hard-core hos.” Imus was eventually fired, and Rutger’s Hall of Fame women’s head basketball coach Vivian Stringer, one of the winningest coaches in history, was recognized nationwide for her leadership during the crisis.  The controversy helped establish Stringer as a protector of players — the kind of coach someone would want for their daughter. It cemented her reputation.

TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE

http://successcomgroup.com/rutgers-rice-reputation/

Two Persuasion Techniques That Work… Hey, it’s a bargain!

You may be trying to sell a product or service, convincing someone to join your company or trying to forge new partnerships. Or, you may simply be trying to change someone’s opinion or vote. Outcomes will vary, the goal is universal … persuasion.

The PsyBlog blog, a website about scientific research into how the mind works, recently probed two persuasion technique: “But you are free” and “disrupt-then-reframe.”

To read the full blog, click here: 

http://successcomgroup.com/effective-persuasion-techniques-public-relations

Advertising, Public Relations, and Social Media All Require Good Storytelling

It’s been said that the industrial revolution replaced some of our muscles … instead of digging a ditch, we could use a machine. And the information age replaced some of our brains … from complex calculations to news and data, information is now at our fingertips. But nothing will ever replace our ability to tell a good story. Storytelling – the sharingwords, images, and sounds in a compelling manner — predates writing and will likely outlast even the most powerful computer. In fact, technology has only amplified the voices of good storytellers.

An example of good storytelling is Ram Trucks’ 2013 Super Bowl commercial “Farmer.” This commercial tells the story of the American farmer, using a 1978 poem from radioman Paul Harvey, along with a series of powerful images. Simple, clean … and powerful.

CLICK HERE TO SEE COMMERCIAL AND FULL BLOG POST

http://successcomgroup.com/advertising-public-relations-social-media-require-good-storytelling/

Content is like Vegetables — Fresh is always better than Canned

So you can purchase cheap, canned content for your blog.  Granted it’s inexpensive, and it does fill space … but if it’s generic and is already in use by countless other sites, then it’s not interesting, authentic or truly relevant to your business, it’s not likely to be shared or spark a conversation, and search engines are already ignoring it and will actually penalize Web site utilizing such canned content. And for regulated professionals, like lawyers and accountants, the courts have found that canned content is open to greater regulation and oversight.

In contrast, fresh, professionally-prepared content — which varies with each issue and doesn’t promote commercial products — has standing far beyond the canned stuff you purchase off the Web.

To read the full blog post, click here:

http://successcomgroup.com/canned-content-original-content/