I’ve worked with a number of startups both inside and out of the built environment sector.  One thing they have in common is an infatuation with media coverage.  Don’t get me wrong this is essential for a startup, but it’s not the only tool in the toolkit.  But, public relations isn't just about media coverage—it’s about building credibility and trust. For a startup, positive profile-raising activities can boost your visibility, attract investors, increase customer confidence, and open doors for partnerships. The challenge? As a newcomer without a well-known brand, breaking through the noise requires creativity and persistence. The good news is that even on a tight budget, you can build a PR strategy that maximises your resources. Today I share 6 tips for success. Let’s dive in!  

I wanted to conclude September’s focus on Crisis Comms by focusing on In the world of Public Relations and Comms, and how overwhelming the fast-paced, high-pressure environment can often feel. From managing client expectations and navigating media relations to dealing with crisis communications, the challenges can be relentless.  This conversation was raised in my recent ‘deep dive’ with crisis expert Amanda Coleman.   For communication and PR professionals, the pressure to be constantly “on,” to think quickly, and to maintain a positive image for both themselves and their clients can take a toll on mental well-being. As someone who works remotely all the time, the resilience to deal with things sometimes gets thin. In this episode, I will unpick my conversation with Amanda in more detail and explore why mental well-being is vital in PR, the unique challenges that arise from dealing with difficult situations, and how to develop strategies for maintaining balance.   So, let’s dive in!  

I wanted to unpack in more detail a topic that I am also very passionate about in my everyday work—issues management. Having worked extensively in communications, I’ve seen firsthand how vital it is to identify and manage potential problems before they escalate into full-blown crises. It’s an area I’ve dedicated much of my focus to, helping organisations develop proactive strategies to address emerging issues and protect their reputations. In a recent conversation with Amanda Coleman, we discussed some shared experiences in crisis communication, but this is a topic I’m deeply invested in myself. I wanted to share my perspective on why effective issues management is essential for any organisation and what I’ve learned throughout my career. So, let’s dive in!  

Welcome to today's episode, where we're diving into the world of crisis communication with an expert who's been on the front lines. Amanda Coleman shares her incredible journey, starting as a journalist and transitioning into key roles in the public sector, including her time at the Environment Agency and Merseyside Police. Amanda brings valuable insights from her extensive experience, including the pivotal role she played during the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack. In this conversation, Amanda emphasises how crucial crisis communication is in shaping operational responses and why organisations need clear communication plans that focus on empathy and authenticity. She also breaks down the impact of social media on crisis management and why it's essential to be ready for rapid response in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you're in communications, crisis management, or simply curious about what it takes to navigate through tough situations, this episode is packed with takeaways you won't want to miss! So, let's dive in!   

As someone who started life in Corporate Communications for a famous American credit card brand, I lived through the pain of Internal Communications as posters and internal launches through to a strategic function. Comms under Corporate Comms, but got moved to HR and back again, even 25 years ago. Reflecting on these complexities and inspired by Jenny Field’s insightful "Chaos to Calm" model, and the podcast where we spoke about this, I delve into the strategic role of internal communication and its optimal positioning within a business. So, 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.  

In the ever-evolving landscape of public relations and corporate communication, data analytics has emerged as a game-changer. In this podcast, I share five ways data can transform your communication strategies, making them more effective and impactful. So 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.

This week we reflect on a recent ‘Deep Dive with Adam Driver to unpick a bit more around what SEO is, highlight its numerous benefits for comms folk and businesses, and emphasise how it should be integrated into a broader marketing strategy for optimal results. Why? Well in today's digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for any business looking to succeed. SEO is one of the most effective tools available to achieve this. However, it is often misunderstood and misused, leading to confusion and missed opportunities. So 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 work with lots of Senior leaders directly, often providing guidance and expertise when there is no in-house resource to do so.  This means that I am often rating the brief as well as taking the briefing about it!  This is fine but today I wanted to spend some time outlining more about why effective briefs are so important. Creating effective briefs is a cornerstone of successful projects and solid client-agency relationships. For non-experts in marketing, such as Managing Directors or Project Managers, mastering the art of writing a detailed, clear brief can lead to more efficient workflows, better creative outputs, and ultimately, more successful campaigns.  So if you're a project manager or leader listening today and want to create more value from your partners, or you’re a consultant who wants to guide your clients better, this one is for you! So 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.  

Following on from the topic of self-help coaching and mentoring this month, I thought I would talk a bit this week about how embarking on new projects in podcasting and how self-doubt has impacted this, and how coaching helped unblock me. These challenges, dominated by the whispers of imposter syndrome, have been a significant part of my professional journey. And has led me to talk to you here on my own podcast today So 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.  

Today, I am delighted to welcome to the podcast Jo Twiselton, Human Change Specialist, executive coach, facilitator and fellow communication consultant. Jo has worked with leaders and teams across the tech, transport, healthcare, manufacturing, media and services industries, helping them to emerge better from any change. We talk about all aspects of self-help, mentoring and coaching.  It’s a great chat and I learned loads! So if you want a free coaching session tune in! Jo is a qualified executive and wellbeing coach who helps empower leaders, managers, and teams who want to introduce positive transformation.  How to get in touch with Jo: www.twistconsultants.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jotwiselton/ Links: LinkedIn post on the meaning of 'learning' https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jotwiselton_learning-coaching-organisationalchange-activity-7185660666706284544-7dig?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop Executive Coaching services: https://www.twistconsultants.co.uk/executive-coaching   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.

Do you wish more people were telling their friends about your company? When people are looking for recommendations on LinkedIn, you wish your name was being tagged.  When someone at an industry event is asking for examples of people in your niche, you want your brand to come up in the conversation. What about when things do not go to plan? A network of trusted people can also help test your response in a crisis and help you out of a reputation hole. One way to do this is through finding brand advocates, those who rave about how good you are when the going is good and when it’s not so good. Today I delve into this topic with a focus on crisis management and stakeholders and give tips on what to think about before you start, whatever your programme. 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.

Today, I wanted to talk to you about the importance of fostering business relationships in B2B when building your brand from scratch. I reveal why this approach is not just for big consumer brands. Getting people to tell your story for you is a powerful way to build trust and credibility. It's tough when you start because no one knows you. You may be new in a market, have a new way of doing things, or compete in a very established industry. 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.  

Through this month’s theme of building effective relationships that matter, I dive into the topic of stakeholders, crisis and brand building. In the dynamic realm of business, understanding and leveraging stakeholder engagement transcends the boundaries of size and industry. It's a pivotal strategy that unveils what truly drives people towards or away from your offerings, thus illuminating the path to not only solving pertinent issues but also profoundly connecting with your audience.  Surprisingly, this critical aspect often remains shadowed, tucked away from the spotlight in PR and communication strategies. Yet, its power to amplify and underpin a campaign's success is undeniable. 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.

In this final episode on the theme of learning and development this month, and integrating new skills we take a look at some practicalities.  Let’s face it, skilling up isn't just an option; it's a necessity for staying relevant and competitive in the field. We'll explore the importance of continuous skill development in PR and Marketing, how to identify skill gaps, and practical steps to enhance your abilities without breaking the bank. So 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.

Today I present practical insights on integrating AI to streamline your team's processes and enhance collaboration. Drawing from my recent conversation with Ben Lee, let's elevate your content, energize your team, and optimize performance. Let’s jump 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.

Ben has been working with GenAI at Bidwells since early 2022, determined to focus on the art of the possible. Having seen a few technological shifts in a 20-year career as a journalist, public affairs consultant and PR professional, Ben quickly recognised this one as the most seismic.   So when ChatGPT landed in late 2022 his team were already using AI tools each day to transcribe interviews, edit videos and create content. Since then, Ben has been focused on leading AI adoption across his business and speaks regularly on the topic. His team won Best Use of AI in the 2023 B2B Marketing Awards after delivering a four-figure ROI for their AI adoption work. So let's dive in!   Links mentioned in this episode: Descript - https://www.descript.com/ Fireflies - https://fireflies.ai/ Japer - https://www.jasper.ai/ ChatGPT Team -https://openai.com/chatgpt/team Microsoft CoPilot -https://news.microsoft.com/reinventing-productivity/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benlee22uk/

Welcome to the final episode on the January measurement and evaluation theme! Today we're looking at three ways to set yourself up for success using measurement and evaluation techniques. So let’s dive in!   Links mentioned today: Track your success with my free measurement framework: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/1g85gwokl5  

Building on the recent Deep Dive with Adam Driver and January’s measurement and evaluation theme, I explore a bit more about how SEO can specifically help your PR campaigns. In today's digital age, the landscape of Public Relations (PR) has transformed significantly, with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) emerging as a pivotal tool for gauging the effectiveness of PR campaigns.  Let’s dive in!   Links mentioned today: Deep Dive with Andy Barr: https://henbe.co.uk/2023/02/23/ep-114-deep-dive-with-andy-barr-all-things-digital-pr/  

Today I am delighted to have on the podcast Adam to unpick and demystify SEO or search Engine Optimisation as part of January’s measurement and evaluation theme. Adam originally trained as a journalist and has experience on both sides of the agency divide having been in-house and an account director at an agency. Adam has been a CIPR Chartered Public Relations professional since 2020. Adam set up Authentic comms in 2020, and describes his work as delivering in a ‘channel neutral, sector agnostic’ way, focusing on the audience(s) much like me! So we chat about a LOT of things including starting a business in a pandemic, measurement and evaluation and, of course, he provides us with a simple approach to getting started with SEO. So let’s dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: Find out more about his SEOhhh™️ and LinkedIn coaching at ww.authenticcomms.co.uk.   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.

Today, I want to talk about the process of creative thinking. Long ago I read a book by PR Practitioner Andy Green called Creativity in PR. He highlights the importance of creativity in virtually every project. Today I share some resources for creative thinking with you. You see, creative thinking is essential for innovation, whether it be writing, designing, or strategising. Often, people break creative thinking down into five stages of creativity. So let's explore what the creative process entails and how each stage builds upon the previous one. It'll certainly come in handy the next time you embark on your creative journey! Simply click on the tags for a full description of each stage. Let's dive in! Links in this episode: Andy Green's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Creativity-Public-Relations-PR-Practice/dp/0749456507   Lateral Thinking book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lateral-Thinking-Creativity-Edward-Bono/dp/0241257549/ref=sr_1_3?crid=18UZVINHMZI48&keywords=lateral+thinking+debono&qid=1702034408&s=books&sprefix=lateral+thinking+de%2Cstripbooks%2C74&sr=1-3   Thinking hats book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Six-Thinking-Hats-Edward-Bono/dp/0241257530/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IAB8XJE17AZ8&keywords=six+thinking+hats&qid=1702034439&s=books&sprefix=6+hats%2Cstripbooks%2C68&sr=1-1 For more broader understanding of how we think: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-Fast-and-Slow/dp/B006QXGLA8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=AFOYJK5Y3CCZ&keywords=thinking+fast+and+slow+by+daniel+kahneman&qid=1702034530&s=books&sprefix=thinking+fast+and+slow%2Cstripbooks%2C73&sr=1-1 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.

In today's episode, we'll be taking some notes from the deep dive and unpacking in more detail creativity related to your environment, and also procrastination. We'll uncover the challenges of creativity in comms and PR, the importance of choosing your battles wisely, and how seemingly unrelated factors can influence our creative prowess. Here are a couple of things you may not know to weave into your strategy 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.

As we kick off December’s creativity theme, I am delighted to welcome back to the podcast Helen Reyolds founder of Comms Creatives.  Why creativity this month? Because we often get stuck in ‘doing the do’ and finding the time to lift ourselves out, reflect and put some effort into thinking can be hard especially when you work in a busy comms team.  So this month Helen and I kick things off by covering a variety of subjects around where to get your inspiration from to how to unboring your content, with some interesting examples thrown in! Helen is an award-winning social media expert trainer, international speaker on TV, radio and podcasts, avid doodler and founder of Comms Creatives. She’s helped hundreds of corporate comms pros in organisations such as BBC Studios, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Manchester City Council to: inject much-needed creativity into their social media increase their online reach and engagement and have lots of fun in the process! Through her business Comms Creatives she’s on a quest to bring inspiration, support and most importantly – creativity back to your life and work as a comms pro. So 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.

Today on the podcast as part of November's focus on brand tracking and insights, I take a look at customer feedback and how it can be used to improve brand reputation. Looking after our customers has never been more important. Competition is fair and platforms a plenty for people to take to and give their positive, or negative, opinions about your brand, product or service. How does this relate to PR - well it's about public perceptions and how we can influence opinion so intrinsically linked in fact. So today I am exploring the significance of customer feedback and three actionable steps to succeed in this critical area. So 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.

Remember when we dug deep into brand reputation and its importance in our previous episode? Well, today, we're taking it a step further as part of our reputation and insights series this month. Buckle up because we're exploring the captivating relationship between brand reputation, Gen Z, and the power of honest communication. And include 3 conversation starters to have honest and transparent communication around ESG. In today's fast-paced and socially conscious world, brand reputation has become a crucial element for an organization's success. The incredible influence of Gen Z, the demographic cohort that follows Millennials, is shaping the reputation landscape. 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.

Today I'm delighted to have on the podcast, Steve Leigh, from Sensu Insight.  In 2022, he left his role as a director of a large, independent PR agency to start Sensu Insight. He helps in-house PR agencies, and C-suite teams make sense of reputation, sales and audience behaviours, and how all of these things impact communications and market issues.  Join us as we 'Deep Dive' into PR measurement and evaluation, how to use research to improve your brand's reputation, and much more. 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.    

Artificial Intelligence and PR are becoming increasingly intertwined as we grapple with the pros and cons in real-time. As professionals, we recognise the immense potential of leveraging this technology to enhance strategies and deliver more impactful messages to their target audience. I find I am using it more and more as I find new tools and think 'oh yeah, is there an AI for that?' In this episode, we will delve into the various ways AI can be used in public relations, not listing the tools but the how -  focusing on three key areas: sentiment analysis, chatbots, and automated content creation.  These AI-powered tools are revolutionising the PR & Comms landscape, enabling us to gain deeper insights, engage in real-time conversations, and streamline content creation processes. 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'm delighted to have on the podcast this week Jo Twiselton, human change specialists, executive coach, facilitator and consultant. Jo is also a qualified executive and wellbeing coach. She works with leaders, managers and teams, who want help during times of upheaval, and she does this through her business Twist Consultants. Jo's worked with lots of people over the years, she has worked across tech transport, healthcare, media, and service industries, helping them create change for the better for many, many years. By focusing on the fundamentals of human change, Jo's specific approach is designed to help minimise organisation disruptions in times of change. And we talk about everything today, mostly about Jo's squiggly career and how that can lead to really rounded skill sets. She talks about what big changes and how any kind of change can affect people in an organisation. Plus, she shares some tips and links with us all that Jo has her own podcasts coming out in 2024.  Let's dive in.  How to get in touch with me: www.twistconsultants.co.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jotwiselton/ Twitter/X - @jotwis Links  mentioned in this episode: Twist Consultants Wellbeing and Change Report https://www.twistconsultants.co.uk/downloads   Further info: Wraw (Workplace Resilience and Wellbeing): https://www.twistconsultants.co.uk/resilience-wellbeing   Health and Safety Executive - 6 management standards - https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/   Get started on improving listening skills (blog post): https://www.twistconsultants.co.uk/blog/want-to-improve-your-listening-skills-and-have-better-conversations-this-might-help?rq=listening Wellbeing and resilience report for SMEs: https://whatworkswellbeing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/small-business-Oct2018.pdf 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 really pleased to be back with fresh content this Autumn after a short break over the summer. I also have some news - for the next 6 months, the podcast will have 3 monthly episodes that will combine into one theme, hopefully with a guest episode 'deep dive' and some useful tools and insights. It's a trial I am doing based on feedback for longer episodes. I didn't just want to do longer episodes in the same format, so I am switching it up a bit and would love to hear what you think! I hope you like it. Kicking off in October we have a theme of communication, well-being and productivity in the workplace; - Why autumn is a good time to focus on productivity as we all get asked to do more (with less) - A 'Deep Dive' on Wellbeing, Communication and Change with Jo Twiselton - How AI is impacting our teams and tasks in real-time; and how to use this to your advantage So let's dive in with this latest episode shall we? 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.  

Today, I delve into five valuable suggestions on how public relations (PR) can considerably influence the sales procedure by concentrating on the "know, like, trust" elements of a client's experience with your company. I cover an essential approach to this task and 5 tips to get started. 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.  

If you are looking to change behaviour with your campaign, it's crucial to design the most effective messages to influence people's outlook and actions. One popular method for optimising these messages is A/B testing. In this episode, I'll explain what A/B testing is, how to conduct it in behaviour change campaigns, and tips for maximising its effectiveness. I cover what A/B testing is for comms pros, and seven tips on how to get started. This episode was inspired by a 'Deep Dive' episode with behaviour change expert, Shayoni Lynn of Lynn Globalwhoit was a pleasure to host on the pod earlier in the year. I've added the link to the show notes today so you can listen to that whole episode. Let's dive in! Links in this episode: Shayoni Lynn on Behaviour Change: https://henbe.co.uk/2023/01/19/ep-110-deep-dive-with-shayoni-lynn-part-one-behavioural-science-and-pr/  Statistical Significance - Meaning: https://www.qualtrics.com/uk/experience-management/research/statistical-significance-calculator/?rid=ip&prevsite=en&newsite=uk&geo=GB&geomatch=uk  Lynn Global: 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.

Today, I'm exploring how customer problems can be a valuable source of ideas for PR campaigns. You'll learn how to turn those ideas into successful campaigns, what makes a good campaign, and how to measure its success. And a couple of great examples along the way. This episode was inspired by a recent Deep Dive with Ayo Abbas on Campaigns - check the link in the show notes. Let's dive in! Links for show notes: How to use campaigns in your strategy ‘Deep Dive’ with Ayo Abbas: https://henbe.co.uk/2023/05/25/ep-127-deep-dive-how-campaigns-can-improve-your-strategy/   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.

As communicators, we must recognise that our roles require essential attributes including; active listening, empathy, curiosity, tenacity, analytical thinking, and creativity. Today, I explore these essential skills. And This week's episode relfects back on a Deep Dive with Jenni Field where we talked about the softer skills needed to make a great internal communicator - which I think actually are good skills whether you are internal or external. Let's dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: 51. Deep Dive with Jenni Field https://henbe.co.uk/2021/12/02/ep-51-strategic-internal-communications-how-to-go-from-chaos-to-calm/

ITV recently added an audio blog for their contestants on Love Island in a move to make their content more accessible after criticism that it wasn't accessible to all. So this week I discuss audio-first content creation and how it boosts accessibility. If you want to learn more, stay tuned as we delve into how you can use the power of sound to reach and engage with a broader audience. Let's dive in!   Links mentioned in this episode: https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/the-role-of-audiobooks-to-engage-reluctant-readers-and-underrepresented-children-and-young-people/   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.

What struck me this week was my own personal ethical stance on things like trust, transparency and honesty.  A situation occurred and it made me feel betrayed.  What happened?  I will not recommend that company and people again.  It got me thinking that content creation requires many of the same qualities I desire from a partner I work with.  It is no longer just about grabbing attention or quick wins for self-gain; it's about engaging audiences with messages that resonate with their values.  So today, I explore the importance of values-based content creation, who it matters to the most, and the top 5 trends playing out in 2023. Let's dive in!   Links/show notes: If you're interested in starting a podcast for your business or yourself and you work in comms or marketing - find out more about my podcasting for comms managers and creators course here: https://bit.ly/StartAudioPodcast Sources: [1] Deloitte (2020). The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2020: Research Findings: https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/millennialsurvey.html [2] Forbes (2019). Good Storytelling Is Key To Building Your Brand Value: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2019/10/16/good-storytelling-is-key-to-building-your-brand-value/ [3] Influencer Marketing HubBencmarkreport2023https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/ [4] Hubspot marketing trend report 2023https://www.hubspot.com/hubfs/2023%20State%20of%20Marketing%20Report.pdf  

One of the top three things people ask me is how you measure the effectiveness of your communication activity. My answer is that, without knowing what your current marketing and communications activities are, and how they are performing, it’s impossible to know where to focus your energy and resources. Lots of people trip up on this first step. Many growing businesses struggle to generate enough revenue to keep their doors open. Even the most successful businesses often operate on a thin financial margin, making it difficult to invest in or make a case for the marketing, advertising, and customer service that can drive more business and increase sales. Just as you wouldn’t drive without checking your rearview mirror, you shouldn’t launch a marketing campaign without knowing where you are along the road. So, in today’s podcast, I’m going to share a simple tool that will enable you to track your comms and measure how it performs, thus improving your outcomes. Let’s dive in! Links mentioned in today’s episode: My simple measurement framework   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.

Today, we're diving deep into the immense value well-planned campaigns can bring your overall strategy. We'll explore how effective campaigns can boost brand awareness, increase customer engagement, and ultimately drive business growth. So, join me as I connect with industry expert, Ayo Abbas, who shares her insights and experiences in designing result-driven campaigns that truly make a difference!  Ayo Abbas is an award-winning built environment marketing consultant and was recently named as the overall winner for the Digital Woman of the Year Awards 2022. She has worked in B2B marketing for 21+ years’ and has worked with many of the world’s leading engineering and design firms including Arup, Mace and Ramboll working on marketing projects such as the Olympic Park transformation, the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station and King’s Cross Rail and Underground stations. She also led a marketing team of five at an ed-tech scale-up in 2019. In February 2020, Ayo founded her own consultancy business, Abbas Marketing, offering marketing strategy and content creation services to a plethora of firms both large and small. We cover: Ideas vs Execution Top tips Skills Planning tools Lots of examples!   Let’s dive in!   Links in this episode: https://www.abbasmarketing.com/about   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.

Are you considering starting a podcast for your business but feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start? Look no further! In this episode, I provide you with a step-by-step checklist on how to successfully launch and manage your own podcast. Oh and this episode is a taster for a talk I am giving for the CIPR Global network on The Dos and Don’ts of podcasting for members and non-members on 8 June 2023 where there will be a Q&A and you can ask me anything!  I will also be advertising a new online training at this talk so make sure you join! Link is in the show notes folks. Let’s dive in! Sign up for my lunchtime talk on 08/06/2023 from 12:30 - 13:30. https://www.cipr.co.uk/CIPR/Events/Event_Display_Groups.aspx?EventKey=EA23060806  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.  

We talk a lot about ‘goals’, especially at this time of the year, but often we are not clear on why we have chosen them, or how we will arrive at the outcome we want. Here are a few reasons why it’s important. Setting a clear, actionable goal is the first step towards achieving success. It signals to yourself and others what you want to achieve, and mobilizes your resources towards making it happen. Without a goal, you might be working towards something that isn’t quite what you really want, or you might not be working at all. You might think you’re making progress when in reality you’re nowhere near your goal. When you set a goal, you’re committing to working towards a result. This can be as simple as ‘I will complete this project by the deadline So I am sharing with you why I think it’s important to set strategic goals regardless of what time of year it is and how you can go about it in a simple way. Episodes mentioned in this podcast; Ep. 04 How to measure your comms impact 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.

Workflow management is a critical component of any business, and its importance cannot be overstated. I recently had a conversation with a client about how we can make our case study development more efficient rather than undertaking hour-long calls. We discussed workflow systems as a way of collating and sharing information. I also use workflow for administering my podcast and for planning content. A PR team, in particular, can benefit greatly from workflow management in client work. Being able to assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate efficiently can help the team work more effectively and ultimately provide better results to clients. Additionally, workflow management can reduce the chance of errors and miscommunications, leading to a smoother and more streamlined team workflow overall. So today I delve into how workflow can be used not just for project management but in our everyday work as Comms professionals. I cover: - What workflow is - Examples of how it can be used - Tips on raising this with clients and stakeholders as a way of being more efficient - How automation and workflow are game changers for content generation   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.

Business events, such as trade shows, conferences, and networking sessions, can be a valuable tool in promoting your business product or service. Not only do these events provide opportunities to showcase products and services, but they also allow for face-to-face interactions with potential clients and partners. Additionally, attending industry events can provide insight into emerging trends and challenges within the market, helping marketing experts stay ahead of the curve. As such, we professionals must understand the various benefits of business events and develop strategies for leveraging them effectively. Today I run through some simple strategies you can use to maximise your event experience and a list of quick takeaways. 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.  

There are some huge events in the Spring calendar.  I’m currently working on a big event for a client and it reminded me of this episode as I am busily briefing sponsors and speakers about how to make the most out of this opportunity.  You’d be surprised how many people do not, and just rock up and talk. But the thing is you can create a lot of authenticity and credibility by speaking at events. But it’s essential to plan your time and to make sure that the time spent away from the office is worthwhile, as well as make those few minutes on a panel of experts count. This episode is for you if you are a seasoned pro or starting out as it acts as a helpful reminder of all the things to think about when speaking at an event to make it worthwhile for you, your biz or your brand, product or service. So 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 to prove a theory on a stakeholder campaign recently. My first port of call? The UK census data. In the UK, we recently had a new Census in 2021, the first in ten years. The Office for National Statistics started releasing this data in June 2022, providing valuable demographic information for businesses and organisations alike. It's into the final last sets to be released, and there is a wealth of information for the taking for PR professionals. Today I cover four reasons to use this data in your campaigns. 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.  

A crisis communication plan before you need one can be daunting—everything from when to write one and how to get engagement on it. But it doesn't have to be, so today; I run through a quick ten-point checklist you can use to get going, however small or big your business is. I cover: What to do before you start My ten-point checklist My biggest tip Share lots of links and my free download so make sure you check the show notes Let's dive in! Listen to episode 72 of the podcast for how to work with stakeholders for brand advocacy. Links for this episode: View or listen to my free summary guide: https://mailchi.mp/811ad97adf7a/doyouneeedacrisisplan   Listen to Episode 72 on stakeholders: https://henbe.co.uk/2022/04/28/ep-72-why-you-need-stakeholders-and-advocacy-to-be-an-integral-part-of-your-pr-strategy/  Amanda Coleman is the author of Effective Communication Strategies - get her book Andy Barr is an expert in handling crises, especially with the media - get in touch 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.

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.

Now that we're all back to work and most likely revved up with new goals and resolutions, I'm sharing this podcast again, as I can't emphasise enough the importance of goal-setting. We talk a lot about ‘goals’, especially at this time of the year, but we are often unclear on why we have chosen them or how we will arrive at the outcome we want. So here are a few reasons why it’s essential. Setting a clear, actionable goal is the first step towards achieving success. It signals to yourself and others what you want to achieve and mobilises your resources towards making it happen. Without a goal, you might be working towards something that isn’t quite what you want, or you might not be working at all. As a result, you might think you’re making progress when in reality, you’re nowhere near your goal. When you set a goal, you commit to working towards a result. This can be as simple as ‘I will complete this project by the deadline. So I am sharing with you why I think it’s important to set strategic goals regardless of what time of year it is and how you can go about it simply. Let’s dive in!   Episodes mentioned in this podcast; Ep. 04 How to measure your comms impact 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.

To continue the festive spirit, I’ve focused on 12 comms tips for you over the 12 days of Christmas, from 25th December to 2nd January. Here are the final 6. These are short and snappy episodes to keep you going over the festive period to help you improve your comms. 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.   Full Transcript (unedited) To continue the festive spirit, I’ve focused on 12 comms tips for you over the 12 days of Christmas, from 25th December to 2nd January. Here are the final 6. These are short and snappy episodes to keep you going over the festive period to help you improve your comms. Let’s dive in!   Manage the issues, not the crisis If the global pandemic of 2020 is anything to go by, we know now that we cannot plan for acts of God. But, still, many bubbling issues within organisations were there when the pandemic hit, and what happened is it unveiled lots of these under-the-radar issues that have been hidden just beneath the surface. Like IT, ways of working, and operational and HR failures. And what lots of businesses realised at this point was that they had to supercharge their operations to deal with some of these issues that could have been dealt with previously.   PR isn’t just about column inches – no, really, it isn’t! An important part of strategy creation should always include ensuring the strategy is aligned with the organisation’s culture. Not just in a strategic sense, though. We cannot change the culture through a PR strategy, just the perception of it, arguably, but it would be tricky to have a plan that contains newsjacking if the organisation is risk-averse. We have to, therefore, find multiple ways to engage the audience in 2023 without conflicting with the culture of where we work or clients’ businesses.   Make your comms more accessible We assume everyone can read. So Number one, reduce the need for alternative format versions. So writing clear English. Sounds obvious, but we all make this mistake, no doubt. And there’s lots of slang now, especially around social media posts and marketing. Be as concise as possible, like short sentences that get to the point quickly. And design it to be as legible as possible. For example, using 14 typeface rather than 12 or 11, which quite a lot of us default to. Think about using audio-first to engage with your audiences, as some disabilities are hidden from view. By doing these three simple things, the information will be more accessible to a greater number of people straight away and may reduce demand for alternative versions.   Use photos in your press releases From a consumer product media and trade media point of view, a good image is non-negotiable. If you send a pitch without one, it simply will not get looked at in the same way or tool. Journalists get thousands of emails every day. And a photo can be part of the filtering system. National media also use images as page holders and page turners, as they know that they add this to the story, and it’s their job to make it the best possible story it can be for the publication they’re working for and for their readers. It’s worth researching the publication you want to be in, as they will likely have a particular style. So as part of your strategic approach, you need to think about where we want to be pitched and what images they’ll be looking for. Also, see number 9 regarding accessibility.   Use technology and AI to help you be more efficient From project management software to content planning calendars, many tools can help you with your comms planning and content generation. So choose wisely and make it a priority to include some new technology as part of your comms mix in 2023. AI is here to help, not hinder, and using it will help you to be more efficient. I use a few; Canva, Calendly, Hyperwrite.ai, Buffer, and Trello. These are all powered by AI, and they all help me be more efficient.   Spend some time understanding your purpose I talk about the “why” quite a lot on the podcast regarding how businesses talk to their customers and explain what they do in a way that resonates with people. The “why” is about understanding what your purpose is, I think. This purpose can translate well into external marketing and comms plans. In terms of what you are ultimately trying to achieve? If you’re a council, what’s your purpose, and how does that inform your communication goals? This takes some thought to make sure that your messages and activity align. What would a successful campaign look like to you? You know what you want to achieve, but how will you know when you’ve done it? Without an overarching purpose, this is hard. Purpose is outcomes driven and can also be a much higher organising thought around climate or diversity. A lot of people are aligning ESG to purpose, for example. It also is a good way of aligning comms within the business so that the role is critical to success or failure, and it’s therefore seen as a strategic function, not about words and pictures. I hope you’ve enjoyed my 12 Comms Tips of Christmas.

To continue the festive spirit, I've decided to focus on 12 comms tips for you over the 12 days of the Christmas period, from 25th December to 2nd January. So here are the first 6 to get you going! These are short and snappy episodes to keep you going over the festive period to help you improve your comms. 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.

If you want to make an impact in 2023, you need to measure your impact. Doing this will help you hire an effective team, budget and focus your efforts where you need them most, and start to see better results. But it's not just for work; use this episode to review your personal goals too! 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've compiled a list of my top 10 tools to help you become more efficient in your PR and marketing in 2023. From project management software to content planning calendars, these tools have been carefully curated by me using them firsthand and those my guests have recommended.  Whether you're just starting or have years of experience, these ten tools are must-haves for 2023. 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.

With the technological advances of the 21st century, as communication professionals, we must adapt our skills to stay ahead of the curve. Trends in communication and public relations (PR) are constantly changing, and those who want to stay ahead of the game must be aware of the latest developments. Today's short episode covers communication and PR trends to look out for in 2023. 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.

In today's business world, the ability to anticipate and respond to disruptive challenges - both internal and external - is essential. A comprehensive business continuity and resiliency plan can help you anticipate and manage these challenges, ensuring that your business can weather any storm. And when disruptions do occur, a robust public relations program can help you protect and defend your company's reputation. I have covered a number of topics that relate to business resilience planning in a communication context in this podcast, such as understanding who your competitors are, how to anticipate and manage disruption challenges, and how to communicate your plan and engage stakeholders along the way. Today I'm bringing this together into an episode that gives this all a badge and added some free downloads and resources for you at the end, so look out for those. You'll learn what business resilience is and how to take some small steps to communication planning, whatever the size of your business. Let's dive in! Additional links and downloads: If you’re a creative business or Agency check out Wadds Inc's free Strategic Planning and Crisis Preparedness report: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6316046fe5302f1a8f8f41c2/t/6340194579013c1db5cdf27a/1665145160000/Wadds-strategic-planning-and-crisis-preparedness-report-2022.pdf  Amanda Coleman has some great advice in this reasonably priced book; Everyday Communication Strategies: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Everyday-Communication-Strategies-Prevent-Protect/dp/1398606979  Check out my reputation management resource page on my website: https://henbe.co.uk/projects/protect-your-brand/  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.

How do you make an impact when you don’t have time to create content or run a campaign? There’s a simple action you can take which won’t take long at all but will keep you top of mind on – repurposing your resources. Today I cover how repurposing can save you time, money and effort, and help you win big in the longer term! 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.

It was the 100th episode of the podcast recently. To say that the 100th episode of the podcast is special would be an understatement. I've poured my heart and soul into it, so I'm so proud of what I've accomplished. In honour of this milestone, I've decided to take a look back at the past 100 episodes in this “101” episode. The first episode was released on 3rd December 2020. I will cover; why I started the podcast, what's been popular with listeners and what topics have stood the test of time and why. 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.

Culture and PR have many links, but communication is arguably the most important one. Culture shapes how people communicate, and effective communication is essential to successful PR. There are many ways to define culture, but I use the definition of shared values, beliefs, and norms that shape how people think, feel and behave. In this context, PR manages the spread of information between an individual or organisation and the public. PR practitioners use various tools to influence how the public perceives their clients. Today I explore both and how this is linked to good issues management. Let's dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: https://henbe.co.uk/2021/10/07/ep-43-six-steps-to-help-manage-potential-reputation-issues/   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.

In times of economic downturns, it's essential to ensure your communication and marketing plans are recession-proof. However, the latest research from Linkedin suggests brands will keep on building and not hold back, despite the economic picture. You can do a few things to ensure your spending remains conservative while still reaching your goals in times of challenging external influences.  But this doesn’t necessarily mean less is more. Here are some reflections on LinkedIn's latest marketing research and expert views and three tips to get you thinking. 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. Links mentioned in this episode: My simple measurement framework: https://henbe.co.uk/2022/06/30/ep-81-how-not-to-fail-at-comms-a-simple-measurement-framework/  LinkedIn research https://pressgazette.co.uk/b2b-marketers-remain-positive-despite-economic-gloom/   

How to use PR to build trust in your product One of the many ways PR can help the sales process along is through the ‘know, like, trust’ aspect of the customer journey with you. The more someone hears about your business and the better informed they are, the warmer they are as a potential lead. In plain terms, this means your customer is closer to working with you than they were when they first heard of you. The customer has to travel along the ‘know, like, trust’ pathway with you to know your products, to like them, and to work out if they will work for them. They also need to trust you, so they will choose you over the other options that might be available out there. Using PR this way can influence your lead generation and become an essential cog in your sales wheel. Now I say this is for B2B, but it can be easily translated into B2C – it’s just that B2B is my genius zone, so I am focussing here today. 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.

You've a new CEO and you're tasked with creating a public relations programme for her. She's been working hard to improve the company's image, and you want to ensure that the public is aware of the changes. You've been thinking about this for a while, and you've come up with a few ideas, but you're not sure which one is the best? The first 100 days have long been a marker for success for a new CEO, either new to the role or experienced. There are lots of research and case examples to back this up.Some of you may know that my background before becoming an independent consultant was an in-house career.  I have supported many incoming and outgoing CEOs as a strategic advisor or trusted advisor in all my roles pretty much so I am sharing some tips with you this week on what you could be doing should you find yourself in this position... 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.  

WorkLife Week is the 10-14 October in the UK and is celebrated by the Working Families Charity. So I wanted to again this year raise some awareness of this topic for communications people and share my thoughts and experiences on this topic spurred on by this charity’s work.  A recent study by the charity showed that, of the UK parents currently in work, 3 in 10 are in jobs below their skill level because their jobs offer greater flexibility. This shows a need for more high-quality part-time and flexible roles in the labour market. Employers also need to think beyond just home and hybrid working: Nearly half of these parents (46%) work in place-based roles, which cannot be done remotely because the work has to take place in a specific location. Working flexibly is also about being productive, and it’s not easy in a comms job as sometimes you need to be ‘in the thick of it’, or at least that’s the perception.  There’s also a ‘productivity stack’ for 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.    

Have you got a plan to build trust with your audience or just a communication plan? Good Public Relations (PR) is about creating trust in your brand. It's a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their public or audiences. Ethical public relations practices seek the truth and provide accurate and balanced information. However, this is increasingly difficult in our current age. The internet has allowed for a free flow of information that has led to a new level of transparency between people, businesses and consumers. This podcast today is inspired by a particularly challenging week communicating with my teenager and the perils of social media they are exposed to daily. 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. Links mentioned in this episode: Lynn PR Misinformation Cell / definitions:​​https://lynn.global/welcome-to-the-misinformation-cell/  BBC Education Survey: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/61856053 

Do you wish more people were telling their friends about your company? When people are looking for recommendations on LinkedIn, you wish your name was being tagged.  When someone at an industry event is asking for examples of people in your niche, you want your brand to come up in the conversation. What about when things do not go to plan? A network of trusted people can also help test your response in a crisis and help you out of a reputation hole. One way to do this is through finding brand advocates, those who rave about how good you are when the going is good and when it's not so good. Today I delve into this topic with a focus on crisis management and stakeholders and give tips on what to think about before you start, whatever your programme. 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.

It's been an odd time. It's been a time to reflect and review recent events in a few areas of my life and work. I've some new business opportunities I am working on and rethinking how I work and when. Sometimes you just need to change it up, but it's also good to reflect on how I spend my time at work and home to see if being more thoughtful about approaching this could improve anything. I also have a teenager in the house, and trying to help them think about how to improve their behaviour led me to reflect on what has worked well for me and how it might work well for them. I also like to Champion not just essential skills on this podcast for our industry and profession but also approaches and ideas to help us feel better, work better and reach our personal goals as humans. Reflection time is something we all talk about, and there is evidence to support that it can help improve our well-being by allowing us to reflect on thoughts and emotions and the actions we've taken. It can also help us identify areas in which we could improve. So today, I cover reflective thinking and some tips on how it can improve your comms strategy and general well-being. 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.   Links in this episode: Sketchnotes https://www.sketchnotes.co.uk/  OneNote (Microsoft Office needed) MindMap apps (App Store) Bullet Journal https://bulletjournal.com/  Remarkable 2 https://remarkable.com/

Firstly, I wanted to note the sad passing of Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II recently, which has been felt worldwide, not just in the UK. She always captured the hearts and minds of her audience when she undertook her Queen's Speech and at other times in our history.  It was national Roal Dahl story week this week in the UK, and I was thinking about how this topic is increasingly important for leaders of state, nations, and for brands in an increasingly noisy, politically challenging, and divisive world. Storytelling has long been a part of human communication. It is an important tool for conveying a message, preserving culture, and connecting people. For brands, storytelling can be a powerful way to connect with audiences and create an emotional connection. So today I delve into storytelling a little more and explore how it is used every day by brands to connect deeper, and some tips on how to get started or refine your own message. 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.

We need to be inspired to feel creative and fulfilled because, without inspiration, we may not be able to produce the best work possible. If we don't have the drive to do our best, then what is the point? This inspiration can come from many different sources, but one of the most important is our own personal experiences. We can gain inspiration from our own life experiences, other people we know, or even things we see in the world. We need to be inspired to feel creative and fulfilled because if we aren't, we will likely become bored with our work and stop producing good results. I was at a swimming event with my daughter recently, and we had the privilege of meeting some of her current swimming heroes and Olympians. Hearing their words and stories has inspired this podcast episode today, where I will talk about how to get creative in your ‘every day’, and improve your creativity at work. 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.

Some of the most important skills for a public relations professional are lifelong ones. You can't learn all the knowledge you'll need in a few months of school or a few years of experience.  Instead, we need to keep our skills up to date. This not only helps us learn new things, but it also keeps us competitive in our specialised field of work. But how do you know what skills you need or where to focus your time? Today, I run through what skills I consider to be top of the pack when it comes to keeping up to date and how a skills audit can be a really effective place to start for you or your team. It’s back to school for a lot of us across the world, but especially in the UK, so I thought I would spend some time talking about skills today, how you identify what you need and what’s hot to skill up on. 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.

Welcome to the 2022 summer hacks series Part Two! These are really short ‘food for thought’, bite-sized episodes, so you can dive in when you have a moment.   I decided to focus on planning tips over the summer.  Why? Because when people think about comms planning, they often focus on what they are going to say. You have a great product or service and you want to tell people about it. Focusing on the message seems the logical first step, but before you start typing, let alone promoting your offer, there are some vital actions you need to take.  The summer hacks is an overview of the 7 steps to effective comms planning. I use this process with all my clients, whether it’s a brand new product or we’re marketing a built environment project. This is the final episode, all about reviewing how well you've done and why this is an important part of the process for future planning. Let’s dive in!

Welcome to the 2022 summer hacks series Part Two! These are really short ‘food for thought’, bite-sized episodes, so you can dive in when you have a moment.   I decided to focus on planning tips over the summer.  Why? Because when people think about comms planning, they often focus on what they are going to say - you have a great product or service and you want to tell people about it. Focusing on the message seems the logical first step, but before you start typing, let alone promoting your offer, there are some vital actions you need to take.  The summer hacks is an overview of the 7 steps to effective comms planning. I use this process with all my clients, whether it’s a brand new product or we’re marketing a built environment project. Part two is about implementation, review, and evaluation.  This is the second episode of Part Two and is all about tracking and reviewing how well you’re doing. One of the top three things people ask me is how you measure the effectiveness of your communication activity. My answer is that, without knowing what your current marketing and communications activities are and how they are performing, it’s impossible to know where to focus your energy and resources.  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.

Welcome to the 2022 summer hacks series Part Two! These are really short ‘food for thought’, bite-sized episodes, so you can dive in when you have a moment.   I decided to focus on planning tips over the summer.  Why? Because when people think about comms planning, they often focus on what they are going to say. You have a great product or service and you want to tell people about it. Focusing on the message seems the logical first step, but before you start typing, let alone promoting your offer, there are some vital actions you need to take.  The summer hacks is an overview of the 7 steps to effective comms planning. I use this process with all my clients, whether it’s a brand new product or we’re marketing a built environment project. Part two is about implementation, review, and evaluation.  This is the first episode of Part Two all about getting your message out there - this is often where people start!  Let’s dive in.    Links mentioned in this episode My FREE Seven Steps Webinar - https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/free-webinar-7-steps-190722    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.

Welcome to the 2022 summer hacks series! These are really short ‘food for thought’  bite-sized episodes so you can dive in when you have a moment.   I decided to focus on planning tips over the summer.  Why? Because when people think about comms planning, they often focus on what they are going to say. You have a great product or service and you want to tell people about it. Focusing on the message seems the logical first step. But before you start typing, let alone promoting your offer, there are some vital actions you need to take. I’m going to give you an overview of the 7 steps to effective comms planning over the summer hack series. I use this process with all my clients, no matter whether it’s a new product or we’re marketing a built environment project. This third in the series is all about messages - what will you say and how? Let’s dive in!   Links mentioned in this episode My FREE Seven Steps Webinar - https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/free-webinar-7-steps-190722    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.

Welcome to the 2022 summer hacks series! These are really short ‘food for thought’  bite-sized episodes so you can dive in when you have a moment.   I decided to focus on planning tips over the summer.  Why? Because when people think about comms planning, they often focus on what they are going to say. You have a great product or service and you want to tell people about it. Focusing on the message seems the logical first step. But before you start typing, let alone promoting your offer, there are some vital actions you need to take. I’m going to give you an overview of the 7 steps to effective comms planning over the summer hack series. I use this process with all my clients, no matter whether it’s a new product or we’re marketing a built environment project. This second episode in part one of the series is all about researching your audience  Let’s dive in!   Links mentioned in this episode My FREE Seven Steps Webinar - https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/free-webinar-7-steps-190722  How to find your customers and help them buy: https://bit.ly/FindCustomersHelpThemBuy   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.

Welcome to the 2022 summer hacks series! These are really short ‘food for thought’, bite-sized episodes, so you can dive in when you have a moment.   I decided to focus on planning tips over the summer.  Why? Because when people think about comms planning, they often focus on what they are going to say. You have a great product or service and you want to tell people about it. Focusing on the message seems the logical first step. But before you start typing, let alone promoting your offer, there are some vital actions you need to take.  I’m going to give you an overview of the 7 steps to effective comms planning over this summer hack series. I use this process with all my clients, whether it’s a brand new product or we’re marketing a built environment project. First up is purpose and goals.  Let’s dive in!   Links mentioned in this episode My FREE Seven Steps Webinar - https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/free-webinar-7-steps-190722   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.

As social media has evolved, so have our expectations of what it can offer us. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other platforms were once used mostly to keep up with friends and share news with the world. However, social media is used today to build brands, grow businesses, and even find jobs. But is all this time spent on social media worth it? Maybe your employees are glued to their phones and computers, watching cat videos and scrolling through social media feeds instead of working, or your customers are complaining about how long it takes to get an answer from your company. Or you are posting across all platforms without much luck and slowly losing motivation? Quite rightly, you might be starting to question whether social media is worth the time you've invested. In this podcast, I'll explore this topic, and whether it's a waste of time or an important part of your B2B strategy. I'll also share some tips on how to best use social media to increase your company's reach and generate leads. Let's dive in! Links in this episode: It's a B2B Comms Thing Listen to the whole thing Interview with Helen Reynolds Listen to why you need networks  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.

Networking and expanding your networks is a great way to bring in new business if you're in B2B. Whether you're a freelancer or working for another business, introducing your company and connecting with like-minded people can bring in opportunities.   I am always surprised at the number of events people go to where they spend most of the time with people they know. There are several reasons why this is a bad idea if you want to extend your network.   Plus, I am always amazed at how much better I feel from making an effort to meet new people, over the prospect of not having to! This is always a dilemma if you're not an extrovert. It's surprising the number of opportunities that arise just by talking to people about your business or the business you are in. The important thing is to have a bit of a plan. So today I am talking about how to increase your networks to bring in new business and also increase awareness of your brand, product or service. Let's dive in!   Links mentioned in today’s episode Build Your Own Brand Fans - my simple guide to building strategic relationships for business:  https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/iwktvyr6cb   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.

One of the top three things people ask me is how you measure the effectiveness of your communication activity. My answer is that, without knowing what your current marketing and communications activities are, and how they are performing, it's impossible to know where to focus your energy and resources. Lots of people trip up on this first step. Many growing businesses struggle to generate enough revenue to keep their doors open. Even the most successful businesses often operate on a thin financial margin, making it difficult to invest in or make a case for the marketing, advertising, and customer service that can drive more business and increase sales. Just as you wouldn't drive without checking your rearview mirror, you shouldn't launch a marketing campaign without knowing where you are along the road. So, in today's podcast, I'm going to share a simple tool that will enable you to track your comms and measure how it performs, thus improving your outcomes. 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.

Today, I share a case study on how a startup used a white paper to build trust in a new product. This is a new format I am trying; sharing case studies.  These will sometimes be from me, like today, and sometimes be from guests as well, hopefully.  I’d love to know what you think? Today’s case study is all about when you are new to the market and you need to convince people to buy from you, even though you don’t have a track record. You might be a new company, or you might have developed a new product, either way, your potential customers are going to have a lot of questions and you need to gain their trust. I’m going to share how I co-developed a PR campaign using a white paper to help a housing sector startup attract customers. Let’s dive in!   Links mentioned in todays’ show:  Intelligent Conversation The White Paper featured in today’s episode (which has been turned into a ‘guide’).   Liked Listening today?  What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap for 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 at [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 with me, 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.

Using owned content, such as blogging, is a powerful tool for generating awareness about your business. It's also an effective way to build a brand, generate traffic, and position yourself as an industry expert.  In addition, as you think about how you want to build your brand, you should also consider how you want to build your audience, and whilst there are a number of different ways to reach potential customers, one of the best ways is to provide them with content they can't get anywhere else. This helps to build the 'know, like, trust factor. But I think owned content is underused and undervalued by B2B businesses. So today's episode explores why owned content is a must for your PR plans and an introduction to something called the PESO model for using content. Let's dive in.   Links mentioned in this episode: https://spinsucks.com/communication/peso-model-breakdown/   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.  Work with me closely If you’d like to work with me to develop and implement your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, 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 surprised and saddened to see prioritisation skills and analytical skills low on the list of what challenges lie ahead for PR pros in 2022 in the CIPRs state of the nation report out this week. Is this because we've nailed it? or is it a lack of education on what the profession can do and is capable of, and people not seeing the link between core skills and specific industry skills?   One of the concerns flagged in the recent state of the PR nation report by the CIPR was the reputation of PR in the future - and well I think reputation and lack of recognised business skills are intrinsically linked. If we cannot prove that we have brains that can craft messages based on research and evidence and not just gut feel, surely that puts our knowledge and ability higher on the agenda?   If we are overworked due to not being able to prioritise (all the way up the management chain) then how will the reputation of the function ever improve?   There is also a surprising lack of skills being cited as a reason for slow recruitment. I wonder if the skills sought are those not being matched—too many writers and not enough project management and analytical skills, perhaps.   The CIPR is the only chartered body for PR Practitioners globally and has been conducting a report on trends and insights for over a decade. We haven't seen many shifts, but key things highlighted in the 2022 report published this week include; an increasing lack of diversity, poor working conditions and mental health, and a lot of movement in jobs, as well as the lack of skills available for those recruiting into roles. So this episode focuses on skills and my opinions on what's important.   Let's dive in.   Links mentioned in his episode: CIPR State of the Nation Report The Productivity Planner 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 with me, 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.

Everyone has a personality, which makes you who you are. It influences your behaviour, your thoughts, and your decisions. In marketing, personality is used to influence decisions. Use it to build rapport with customers and to create an experience that feels personal and unique. And it's no different when you're writing for an audience, whether that's your customers or your readers. One of the most effective ways to do this is to have a tone of voice in your content. This can help you stand out from the crowd and sound more authentic, which in turn helps your audience connect with your message. Today I take a quick look at why this is important and how you can review or implement yours. 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? Then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

This is a VERY exciting time as the UK Census is published in earnest this week, which means up to date baseline data on the UK's population and habits over the last ten years. Creating campaigns with insights and data at their heart can really help left-brain thinkers get behind a campaign, so internal sponsors, for example, it also means, more importantly, that your campaign is more likely to hit the mark with your audience. One of my passions is data and insight. And the Census is about as interesting as it gets! It is a treasure trove of information about the nation's population and can be used in many ways. The Census is the most extensive survey globally, in fact, carried out across many countries every ten years. Importantly, this data also helps to better understand the demographics of the population, which is critical for marketing and communication purposes. And, it informs how we can talk to our audience better based on their habits and demographics. Today you will learn; what demographic data is, why it's useful in campaigns and where to start. Let's dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: The UK Census release schedule 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? Then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

This week’s podcast is inspired by my two days at a vast built environment event in Leeds, UK.     I ran the Beyond Net Zero pavilion for a client of mine UKBCSD (UK Business Council for Sustainable Development)   It was an inspiring two days of 15 talks covering everything from how we create a world for everyone to materials and data in buildings and thinking about building less so we can catch up on our carbon challenges as a sector.   Communication was a strong point as well not just in our tent but across the conference and it made me think that we have a job to do to support this epic challenge for businesses and places.   This episode was originally published after COP26 around six months ago last year, where I reflected on the communication challenge and responsibility we have as communicators to help with this topic.   We can't keep having the same conversations; we need action, and communicators have a role to play in enabling businesses to do that. Links mentioned in this episode: First published on LinkedIn live event 'It's a B2B comms thing' watch it here:  https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6860905845253779456/ https://greenclaims.campaign.gov.uk/ https://www.cpicode.org.uk/news/code-for-construction-product-information-and-guidance-published/ Further listening: Episode 43. 6 steps to manage potential reputation issues Grab your FREE 6-step guide to reputation issues management (also here: https://bit.ly/6StepGuideIssuesNoTissues) 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? Then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.  

Another podcast about a podcast I hear you cry? Latest research carried out by a number of organisations, including Guardian Newspapers, The Literacy Trust and Buzzsprout, indicates that not only does podcast advertising command the highest levels of attention of any media channel, but podcast listens are up, people are more engaged in brands that have podcasts, and young people are also turning to podcasts. The Guardian study found 65% of listeners paid attention to podcast adverts - more than adverts on TV at 39% and adverts on the radio at 38%. And by all accounts, if it's worth spending money on, then the medium is worth exploring, whether paid or unpaid? Aside from this, I am a huge advocate, and I am even imparting this info to you on a podcast as I know you are more likely to engage with the content. And whilst there is lots of research out there on podcasts, it is a fairly new medium in that it's different to radio, for example, so all research is taken with a little bit of caution. So, today I run over some of the reasons why it's essential to explore audio as part of your communication mix, as it is growing much-needed, whether that's in-house or external communication. Let's dive in! Links mentioned in this episode The Guardian research on podcast advertising April 2022 BuzzSprout research May 2022 Statistica forecast UK listeners Get 5 lessons from a podcast host Audio Book and Downloadable book + my 15 things to think about before starting 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? Then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

The aim is to get your brand, products, and services in front of as many potential customers as possible, right? The more people you reach, the more chances you have to make a great first impression and turn a one-time buyer into a loyal fan. But in our digital world, where we are exposed to an almost infinite number of ads and offers, it's getting harder and harder to cut through the noise and get noticed. One of the best ways to get noticed is by using a few key messages repeatedly in your content, so that customers start to associate your brand, product or service with those messages. This is also why it's important to sell the sizzle and not the sausage, especially in B2B. So today is a reminder of how important it is to remember who's buying or benefitting and why they should even bother listening, for every campaign you are working on. I cover my insights and tips on how and throw some examples for you too. 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? Then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

You may not think you have stakeholders or that it's for huge corporates of public sector bodies to think about? I think it's overlooked in PR programmes, as running alongside campaign activity it can really underpin a campaign. I advocate stakeholder planning as part of an overall communication or PR strategy, not just as a business development tool or an add-on. The main reason is that what motivates people to participate or not is an important part of helping us understand what problems to solve, who will buy your product or service, and, in turn, understand our audience better. This means we can create messages that resonate with them and talk to them in ways they can understand the benefits. So today I share what stakeholders are, and how to build them into your communication strategy and some of the most important questions to ask yourself when trying to understand your customers' needs as well as how to prioritise who to talk to first. Let's dive in! Links mentioned in tis episode: How to craft messages that resonate Kahootz for stakeholder engagement Tracktivity for stakeholder engagement Download my free guide to effective stakeholder planning 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? Then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

Using the media is a great way to get your message across.  Press releases are one of the most common ways to do this. They’re an excellent way to get your news out to journalists quickly and easily. They’re also a great way to provide journalists with information about your company, product or service quickly and easily. This makes the Press releases are, however, just one tool in the media toolkit.  Today I share seven ways you can utilise the media as part of your strategy and some of my personal experiences of using them too. Let’s dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: Every picture tells a story Using newsjacking successfully 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.  

This has been such a popular episode I just had to re-share it with you this week!  You might have already had a bit of PR success. Perhaps you wrote a post which got a lot of engagement on LinkedIn, or an article on your blog which brought traffic into your website. You might even have got some press coverage. But when the chatter died down, you might have been left wondering what to do next? One press release will give you that kudos in the moment, but it won't support or grow a business over time. A programme of activity really is the best way forward if you're starting out. You want this to support a particular business goal otherwise it can be a little bit scattergun and have mixed results. What does success look like for you and how would the activity you are planning support it? I’m going to walk you through today how to start using public relations in your business, so you create content which makes the right impact. 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

Webinars and live events allow you to make a personal connection with your audience. Whether you're trying to reach existing customers about a product or service or build up your brand awareness, these online platforms can be a great way to get your message in front of the right people. Live webinars and events allow you to speak directly to people and respond to their questions. This format provides the opportunity to build a personal connection with an audience, which is vital in today's age of impersonal marketing. Today I share how to utilise this for your B2B content, talk a bit about my experience of LinkedIn Lives as a platform for doing this in B2B, and look at some of how you can use pre-recorded content. Let's dive in! Links mentioned in today's episode: How to reach your audience online with Hybrid events 'Deep Dive' It's A B2B Comms Thing youtube channel If you liked this episode please share it with one person! 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 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 with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

ESG reporting is emerging as the most effective way for companies to build a positive reputation. This potentially means that PR and comms professionals are now being asked to become experts in environmental policy and other fields. While this may sound like a huge challenge, it actually opens up a wealth of new opportunities for PR and comms pros in smaller businesses. I haven't worked in the corporate world for some time, so I wanted to find out more on this topic, particularly how it relates to diversity and inclusion, not just the external factors that a company's operations may entail. So today, I explore what this new lens through which reputations are being managed and judged means for PRs and reputation management and help PRs and comms pros in smaller businesses be aware of how this could affect day to day campaign planning. Let's dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: Grab my ‘No tissues’ reputation issues management guide 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 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 in a group of like-minded peers to develop your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.  

Trade shows are not just about turning up and networking, they are an essential part of any B2B strategy.   There are so many touchpoints where you can have a ‘moment’ at trade shows, however big or small.  So today I cover how to create the right strategy for you.   Why? Because we are all time-poor, so as marketing and comms pros and business leaders we need to make sure that the time spent away from ‘the office’ is worthwhile.   If you’re hosting a stand and/or speaking or both, this is true.    This was the subject of the latest It’s B2B Comms Thing Live over on LinkedIn - so I also cover some of my co-hosts' insights as well Ayo Abbas and Stacey Meadwell.   You can watch the replay of that podcast HERE I will cover; What actions should you take now before your trade show?  What’s the most important activities to prioritise during the event itself?   Mopping-up – most important tasks post-event 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 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 in a group of like-minded peers to develop your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [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 in this episode and thoughts on any topics I could include in future ones too.

Newsjacking can be one of the most effective ways to get your message in front of the right people without having to invest a lot of money. It has been used by brands, politicians, and even charities to make a big impact. The premise being that you don’t need to be the news—you just need to be related to it. It is a term that refers to the process of using current news to generate interest, including media interest, and reach a wide audience. In this episode, I'll share some of the tips and tricks you can use to undertake newsjacking and some examples of newsjacking campaigns from other organisations so you can get an idea of the impact that this form of public relations can have. Keep in mind that newsjacking should be a strategic part of your overall public relations plan, not a standalone tactic you use when the timing is right. 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 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 in a group of like-minded peers to develop your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team. Leave me a voicemail on my Speakpipe page

I wanted to do something a little different this week to mark International Women’s day so at the end of the podcast I feature some women’s voices sharing their experiences.  Thank you so much to Stacey, Jo and Abi who shared their stories with me.  I feel honoured. International Women's Day this year was all about breaking the bias which is a campaign to change how people think about and act toward women by celebrating women’s achievements and galvinishg strength and support from men and women around unconscious and conscious bias against women.  Women in the workplace, in our communities and in sport. It’s a good example of a behaviour change campaign so I thought I’d cover behaviour change today I have been so inspired by today’s topic, and it is such a big one, that I am planning a ‘deep dive' episode with an expert later in Spring so look out for that one. I also dedicate this episode to my daughter.  A woman in the making, champion swimmer, resilient, studious and kind.  She is already tackling bias in sport.  Fingers crossed her workplace experiences will be different. Love you Bea x 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 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 in my Communication Strategy Lab  If you'd like to work with me in a group of like-minded peers to develop your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

On World Book Day I thought I’d focus on how business books can be a rich source of content worth investing in.  Books have the ability to captivate our imagination. They can transport us to another place and time. They can change our view on something entirely. This is why so many authors turn to books as a way of conveying their message. World Book Day was created by Unesco in April 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It’s marked in more than 100 countries around the globe. The day aims to promote reading for pleasure while offering “every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. But as well as children reading and enjoying reading, over the years, books have been used by businesses and organizations as a means of storytelling. The advantages of using books as part of a content strategy are numerous. So today I cover my own personal reflections and share 3 ways I have used business books for my business, my personal PR and my clients. So let’s dive in! Links in this episode About World Book Day Shaping Future Places case study Shaping Future Places initiative Promoting Property and Insight How to use Audio in your B2B Strategy 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, download a resource or enrol in a mini-course: Find out more here. Hire my expertise, whether that's support with a one-off comms project or entire strategy for your business drop me a line if you want to explore this further.  [email protected] Work with me closely in my Communication Strategy Lab  If you'd like to work with me in a group of like-minded peers to develop your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

Steven Bartlett inspires this week's podcast. And it's all about personal PR. This phrase resonated with me, so I wanted to share my thoughts with you on this subject.    You can have the best communication strategy, but you reach no one with your message if no one is listening.     I learned the hard way. I was young, ambitious, and didn't have many great role models when I started work. Women role models were dominant boardroom archetypes, or I had male role models. I realised that I needed to create an excellent profile to get on in life. But building credibility in your job is hard.   If you work in-house, you need credibility to be heard to get your point across in meetings. If you are running a small business, you also need to do these two things. Personal credibility is the difference between getting referred for work or not as a freelance consultant. So these are hugely overlooked components of creating an effective strategy for your business.   I decided for me this podcast has three parts;   Staff as your biggest ambassadors Building personal credibility How credibility can help you build external brand ambassadors   Let's dive in!   Links mentioned in the episode today;   Steven Barlett's LinkedIn post HR Director article / research   Liked Listening today?  What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business Explore how I can help you, there are 3 main ways you can do this: 1. Listen to more episodes, download a resource or enrol in a mini-course: Find out more here. 2. Hire my expertise, whether that's support with a one-off comms project or entire strategy for your business drop me a line if you want to explore this further.  [email protected] ​3. Work with me closely in my Communication Strategy Lab  If you'd like to work with me in a group of like-minded peers to develop your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.

I recently missed out on attending 'it's a B2B Thing' over on LinkedIn with Stacey Meadwell and Ayo Abbas where, along with special guest Susie Lober, they talked all about repurposing content. So I thought I would re-release this episode all about why I think long-form content is your best friend right now and why it can help hugely with repurposing, and also tell you where you can catch up on it's a B2B Comms Thing podcast too.   I am going to cover today;   What long-form content is How it helps you gain authority   We do It's a B2B Comms Thing live on the first Friday of every month, over on LinkedIn, then you can watch the podcast afterwards. Just follow me on LinkedIn to get a notification and sign up to watch the next one on 1st March.   Let's dive in!   Links mentioned in this episode:   Watch the B2B Comms Thing Podcast   Follow me on LinkedIn  Liked Listening today?  What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://bit.ly/SevenSteps2Success ) Want to explore how I can help you? there are 3 main ways you can do this: 1. Listen to more episodes, download a resource or enrol in a mini-course: Find out more here. 2. Hire my expertise, whether that's support with a one-off comms project or entire strategy for your business drop me a line if you want to explore this further.  [email protected] ​3. Work with me closely in my Communication Strategy Lab  If you'd like to work with me in a group of like-minded peers to develop your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, podcasts, workbooks, sharing ideas and lots of accountability and up-skilling? then email me [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.  

PR can help the sales process along through the ‘know, like, trust’ aspect of the customer journey with you. The more someone hears about your business and the better informed they are, the warmer they are as a potential lead. In plain terms, this means your customer is closer to working with you or buying from you than they were when they first heard of you. Customers have to travel along the ‘know, like, trust’ pathway with you to know your products, like them, and work out if they will work for them. They also need to trust you so they will choose you over the other options that might be available out there. Using PR this way can influence your lead generation and become an essential cog in your sales wheel. Now I say this is for B2B, but it can easily translate into B2C it’s just B2B is my genius zone, so I am focussing here today. 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 (also here: https://bit.ly/SevenSteps2Success ) Want to explore how i can help you? there’s 3 main ways you can do this: 1. Listen to more episodes, download a resource or enrol in a mini course: Find out more here. 2. Hire my expertise, whether that's support with a one-off comms project or entire strategy for your business drop me a line if you want to explore this further.  [email protected] ​3. Work with me closely in my Communication Strategy Lab  If you'd like to work with me in a group of like-minded peers to develop your communication strategy through 1:1 work with me, podcasts, workbooks and lots of accountability and up-skilling, testing and learning as we go? then email me [email protected] to register your interest for you or your entire team.  

When was the last time you updated your about page on your website? This week, which is National Storytelling Week, is an excellent opportunity to think about how to incorporate storytelling into your business strategy. Storytelling is an essential part of modern business strategy. The human brain processes stories much deeper than facts and figures, making them a powerful tool for communicating complex ideas and building customer trust. The businesses winning right now are using storytelling to build their brand reputations to provide helpful information and build a human connection with their customers. Today I share how you can restart your about page during National Storytelling Week by sharing some tips and insights and examples of how it's well-executed in B2B. Let's dive in! Resources and links from this episode: https://henbe.co.uk/2021/06/10/ep-27-telling-your-story-when-you-work-in-a-technical-industry/ https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/storytelling https://extance.co.uk/ My consulting business About page https://henbe.co.uk/about-henbe/ What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://bit.ly/SevenSteps2Success )   And,   Follow me on LinkedIn   Full Transcript (unedited): When was the last time you updated your about page on your website? This week, which is National Storytelling Week, is a great opportunity to think about how to incorporate storytelling into your business strategy. Storytelling is an essential part of modern business strategy. The human brain processes stories in a much deeper way than facts and figures, making them a powerful tool for communicating complex ideas and building customer trust. The best businesses are using storytelling to build their brand reputations, not only to provide helpful information but also to build a human connection with their customers.  Today I share how you can restart your about page during National Storytelling Week by sharing some tips and insights and also some examples of how it’s well-executed in B2B. Let's dive in Intro People often think of storytelling as a way to capture the attention of an audience, but the benefits of storytelling go far beyond the punchline. It’s a proven method for humanizing your brand and establishing a trustworthy reputation that makes customers feel good about doing business with you. When you tell a story, your customers can feel like they know you better, and that makes them more comfortable in doing business with you. That’s why it’s so important to use storytelling in your business. We like to think that storytelling has been with us since time began, but the truth is that it has evolved and changed over time. In many ways, today’s modern style of storytelling is a far cry from the way tales were told by our ancestors. For example, our oral traditions and the art of storytelling have evolved significantly since the days when storytellers would weave tales around campfires. Today, we tend to be far more concerned with the content of our storytelling, rather than the style and delivery. And for good reason. We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t tell me the facts, tell me a story.” Today, we’re surrounded by facts and figures, data and statistics – but these aren’t the best way to communicate complex ideas and help people understand the world around them. In fact, storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to help people understand the world and the people and places within it, and to build a sense of trust and rapport with your brand and customers. But when it comes to building a brand reputation, most business owners focus on the big, flashy marketing campaigns. But there’s a whole world of communication out there that doesn’t require a single dollar. It’s called storytelling. The beauty of storytelling is that it’s an opportunity to connect with your customers on a deeper level. However, stuffy copywriting often cripples B2B brands in particular and they seem remote and impersonal, too corporate. When looking to learn more about a company, we often head straight to the “About” page. A good About page should contain the following information: The story of how you got started and why the business exists in the first place Your company’s mission, and what you want to achieve Information on your team, what they do and perhaps their interests How they can get involved and join your cause If you have a story of why and how you started your business, then the About page is the place to share it. It humanises your brand, providing context and meaning around why it exists. But how do you actually go about telling a story? especially if you work in B2B Here are a few simple tips you can take to get started telling your business story, whether it’s your personal story or the story of your business. The first step is to set a clear, actionable goal. What do you want your business to look like in the future? What do you want your customers to think of you? Next ask yourself why you think your customers care about your story? This helps to develop the right story and one that your customers will want to hear Be open and honest about the story you want to tell. What do you hope to communicate to your customers? Do you believe your story reflects the real you? Are you proud of your company, its products and services? Make sure your story is true. Don’t embellish, or just make it up. Make sure it’s relatable to your customers and that it feels real and authentic. What’s your core purpose in business? What are your values, beliefs, and values? What are your customers values and beliefs? make sure your story rings true with all these things.   Start by telling the story as you would if you were telling a friend.   And, reiterate your story and purpose often, pepper it into what you say on social media and in your communication, its not a campaign, it should be embedded so remind customers why they should buy from you and that you have deph and meaning to your brand and why yo are on the planet.   Microsoft do this really well on a large corporate scale in B2B thier https://news.microsoft.com/stories/ StoryLabs showcase examples of how their people's skills are helping the world. On a smaller scale UK architecture Practice Stride Treglown do a similar thing with their people stories and showcasing the people that live in the buildings they create, demonstrating a depth of understanding of end customer need and how important it is for them. I'd love to hear your example. Case-study led examples of practising what you preach as a brand works really well. Rather than talking about yourself. Google Ads does this well too showcasing smaller businesses and how google ads have helped them become successful. Formats are a really important tool so a mix of video and words can help communicate how you feel, and your outlook by combining some of these elements. Finally, when we start to tell our story as a business, it’s really, really easy to jump into the technical speak. We’ve all done it. If you work in a very technical area, you might need to explain quite a lot of the technical issues associated with your product or service. However, to the person who’s not really working in your business, including your customers, the technical aspect is not the most compelling part of your story. Being too technical with your content can also mean that there’s no really compelling reason for people to engage with that content or connect with your product, service or business, and more importantly, to take action from reading it or hearing about it. Now there are exceptions to this of course, say you work in medical device R&D and your customers are highly informed, for example. But your story then needs to still communicate trust and track record and you need to stand out from the competition. Regardless, we need to be telling people the why behind what we do and why does it matter to them. So we need to dig a little deeper. We need to give them that thing that they really need. Why should they buy from you? Why should they invest in you? Or why should they work with you and not another company? Find a way this week and revisit that About page. I have this week, I'd love to know what you think?  

We talk a lot about ‘goals’ especially at this time of the year, but often we are not clear on why we have chosen them, or how we will arrive at the outcome we want. Here are a few reasons why it’s important. Setting a clear, actionable goal is the first step towards achieving success. It signals to yourself and others what you want to achieve, and mobilizes your resources towards making it happen. Without a goal, you might be working towards something that isn’t quite what you really want, or you might not be working at all. You might think you’re making progress when in reality you’re nowhere near your goal. When you set a goal, you're committing to working towards a result. This can be as simple as 'I will complete this project by the deadline So I am sharing with you why I think it’s important to set strategic goals regardless of what time of year it is and how you can go about it in a simple way.   Episodes mentioned in this podcast; Ep. 04 How to measure your comms impact Let’s dive in! What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://bit.ly/SevenSteps2Success )   Follow me on LinkedIn  

The world we live in is changing at an unprecedented rate: Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things are transforming our economy and society; renewable energy is gaining momentum; and millions of people are calling for a better way of doing business. All of this means that businesses have a number of communications challenges. This episode highlights the unique opportunities and challenges faced by communicators in terms of skills and how communications professionals can help businesses with their internal and external comms in 2022 and beyond. What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://bit.ly/SevenSteps2Success )   Follow me on LinkedIn  

This one is a corker. I enjoyed talking to Helen Reynolds so much! Helen is a social media trainer, and her company comms creatives help a lot of professional communicators and freelancers navigate the world of social media, have more personality, and have more impact with their social media. Helen and I first met on a training session many years ago, and she has since built a successful online training business Comms Creatives. She is also well known for her comms cartoons which make us all laugh. Helen and I have a really engaging and conversational discussion covering some important topics such as; - How do you promote yourself on social media? - Why and when to use social media - what’s your purpose? - Authenticity and tone of voice - how hard is this? Is it easy to get wrong/right? - Balance and content - we hear a lot of opinion around this, how much is too much etc - what’s hot and what’s not right now? What should people look for in 2022? And as always, I throw in some personal reflections and insight. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I have enjoyed making this one. Let’s dive in. You can also read the transcript attached to this episode. Check out Helen's social media courses at Comms Creatives What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://bit.ly/SevenSteps2Success )   Follow me on LinkedIn   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

A new year is often a time for a fresh start. It's a great time to audit how effective your business communication is. Most businesses will undertake financial audits and expenses claims audits, but how often do you audit how you communicate with customers and other stakeholders? Some businesses I've worked with are really good at this. However, I am always amazed at the number of businesses that don’t do this. This could be a big factor in why some of those messages are not getting through to customers. Effective communication leads to better marketing and more traction, which ultimately helps with more sales, right? So measuring how it's going and starting with a desktop audit it a good idea if you've not done it before. So this episode is a re-run, a refresh and a New Year reminder to audit your communication. It covers four reasons why I think you should undertake a communication audit of your business now and gives you some tips on getting started. Let's dive in! Episode mentioned is: Episode 4. Before you go;   You can download my FREE activity tracker if you’re thinking of doing an audit, this is a good first step.   Want to learn more with me? visit my learning platform Comms That Works   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

I am a big fan of testing and learning. I started my career in a credit card company in corporate comms and marketing, and they 'invented' the balance transfer (yeah, it was that long ago!). One of the many things I learned from the amazing people I worked with there and taken forward into my career from that is the 'test and learn' philosophy. This approach is probably why I love working with growing businesses and startups so much. A blended channel mix and trying new things should be part of every great comms plan. So I will give you three content types to try on 2022 if you haven't tried them already. Let's dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: Invideo.com ; https://invideo.io/blog/video-marketing-statistics/ YouTube stats Think With Google https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-ca/advertising-channels/video/self-directed-learning-youtube/ Video stats HubSpot: https://research.hubspot.com/content-trends-global-preferences Content Marketing Institute content to try in 2022: https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2021/11/fresh-content-types-marketer-consider/ What to do next: Get my FREE 5 Lessons on how to use Audio as part of your B2B strategy https://bit.ly/B2BAudioLessons OR grab my FREE 7 steps to success roadmap for strategic communication Follow/DM me on LinkedIn : https://bit.ly/FollowMeLinkedIn PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

Social media will always be a staple of your comms plan, but it’s easy to get wrong. And hard work to get right, it seems. This episode is a teaser for a great ‘Deep Dive’ episode I have coming up with the wonderful Helen Reynolds from the Comms Creatives in January so look out for that one. Let's dive in! Links in this episode: Sue, You're shouting at tea: https://twitter.com/yorkshiretea/status/1232293516862218240?lang=en What to do next: Get my FREE 5 Lessons on how to use Audio as part of your B2B strategy https://bit.ly/B2BAudioLessons Follow/DM me on LinkedIn : https://bit.ly/FollowMeLinkedIn PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

Afer the success of the 'summer hacks' series, I thought I would do another one to give you some quick hacks to help you at this busy end of year period. This is episode one of three and focuses on reviewing and assessing your success from 2021 in order to plan 2022. Reviewing and measuring your impact means you can hire an effective team, you can focus your budget and effort where it's needed, and you will start to see better results. The great thing about this episode is it can be used for your personal life goals as well as work. What do you need to do to hit your goals in 2022? let's dive in! Download my free resource to help you start recording your activity to effectively plan for 2022 nd beyond!: My Activity Tracker: https://bit.ly/TrackActivity Get in touch Follow/DM me on LinkedIn : https://bit.ly/FollowMeLinkedIn PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

Continuing celebrations for the podcast's one year birthday, I reflect on what's been popular and successful for marketers in B2B in terms of content and where your focus should be in 2022. I cover, Understanding your audience's preferences or 'audience-led content' what to focus on and how to engage your audience effectively, how to prioritise and when to say; no, it's not working let's move on. Let's dive in! This episode content was first featured in It's a B2B Content Thing on LinkedIn live WATCH IT HERE:  https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/652904803 What to do next? Treat yourself to my strategic planning resource bundle of templates and guides to help you plan 2022 HERE: https://bit.ly/CTW_Resources

I am thrilled to have Jenni Field on the podcast, especially as it's the podcast's birthday month! I usually talk about external communication. But, today I wanted to open up the conversation around internal communication as a strategic function within your businesses. And Jenni Field has worked in communications for almost 20 years, and she now specialises in helping teams and leaders use communication to take people and organisations from chaos to calm. She helps business leaders understand how to get teams to work better and work more efficiently with a focus on internal communications.   We cover a lot in this 'Deep Dive' episode! you'll learn;   when is the best time to think about internal communication support as part of your team where it sits in a growing business how to recognise 'chaos' in your business what soft skills to look for in a great internal communicator what's changing/has changed in internal communications post-pandemic   Let's dive in! Links mentioned in this episode:   Jenni's book:  https://redefiningcomms.com/influential-internal-communication-book-jenni-field/   The Field Model podcast episode:  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/chaos-to-calm-the-field-model-s1-e7/id1588233391?i=1000541284904 Redefining Communications   Podcast:  https://redefiningcomms.com/podcast-redefining-communications-with-jenni-field/   Get my strategic download bundle of templates HERE: https://bit.ly/CTW_Resources  

Oh my, we are on episode 50! I can't believe it. How do I celebrate this epic milestone? I can't possibly give you 50 things - that's a challenge even for me, and you have my back catalogue to work through for that already...:) So I thought I would summarise the heart of this show, which is about creating the right approach for your B2B comms. So today, I share 5, not 50, things to create a B2B comms impact. You see, a good comms plan involves a number of elements working together as part of a strategy. You don’t want to set off and say, ‘we’re going to hold an event’ without thinking about who that is for and what you want the end result to be for your business. When I put a strategy together I follow a process. I look at your purpose, what success looks like, who your customers are, how to get in front of them, what to say to them, and what tactics to use. Let's dive in! Further listening - my entire back catalogue of 50 episodes! But in particular, this one: Ep 02. Are you a goal digger? https://henbe.co.uk/2020/12/01/ep-02-are-you-a-goal-digger-why-you-need-to-set-communication-goals/ Join my learning community and unlock my resource pack of 4 amazing resources https://bit.ly/CTW_Resources Get in touch Follow/DM me on LinkedIn : https://bit.ly/FollowMeLinkedIn PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

A recent report from Muckrack on PR measurement stated that more than 94% of PR Pros agree that media placements were a top priority in 2021—and that will remain largely unchanged in 2022 The report from the global media platform unveils how PR pros measured success in 2021, plus their plans and predictions for 2022. Disappointingly, for me, there is a huge focus on media placements. Those of you that have listened to the podcast before will know this, but PR is not all about media placements! So today I wanted to share with you how you can measure the success, or failure, of your PR plan so you can invest in the right team, activities and resources to reach your business goals and not be fixed in the groove of placing media stories. Spoiler alert - it’s not all about getting in the press. You will learn: Three reasons why you should measure your PR activity, top tips for getting started and why quality, not quantity, should be your driver. Links mentioned in the episode: My Activity Tracker: https://bit.ly/TrackActivity MucRack's report: https://info.muckrack.com/state-of-pr-measurement-2021-research Further listening:  Episode 05 https://henbe.co.uk/2020/12/17/ep-05-how-and-when-to-use-public-relations-in-your-business/ Get in touch Follow/DM me on LinkedIn : https://bit.ly/FollowMeLinkedIn PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

As COP26 draws to a close this week, I'm reflecting today on what this means for you as communicators. Clearly, there is a big stick as well as carrot coming down the line and planning for supporting reputation issues around greenwashing, having difficult conversations with people and working out who's culpable for information shared should be high on the list for all businesses, large or small in the wake of COP26. Today I share some insights into what I think companies need to think about and what communicators need to think about. I cover 3 big questions in this podcast episode and share some further thoughts, next steps you can adopt, and things to look out for.  Let's dive in! Useful links from this episode: First published on LinkedIn live event 'It's a B2B comms thing' watch it here:  https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6860905845253779456/ https://greenclaims.campaign.gov.uk/ https://www.cpicode.org.uk/news/code-for-construction-product-information-and-guidance-published/ Further listening: Episode 43. 6 steps to manage potential reputation issues Grab your FREE 6-step guide to reputation issues management (also here: https://bit.ly/6StepGuideIssuesNoTissues) You can also: Follow me on LinkedIn   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

Attracting investors can be a challenging, time consuming and often relentless task. Moreover, It can be tricky to know what to say and how. Today, I explore what to look for in this deep dive episode when pitching to investors as an audience. This fundamentally takes a strategic communication approach and a very specialist one. However, at its heart, it’s still about connecting with an audience and making them act. I wanted to bring someone onto the podcast who knows all about this, so I am thrilled to be joined by Andrea Cockerton, award-winning social entrepreneur, founder of DIUO (the new Smart TV platform for musicians just closing its first investment round), and - under her Mudhut brand - a pitch consultant for more than 15 years to a staggering 2000 plus entrepreneurs & CEOs delivering investor & business-critical pitches, including Dragon’s Den record breakers The Wand Company, and direct pitches to Bill Gates. We cover what to say, how to create 'magic moments' and what investors are now looking for post-pandemic. So let’s dive in! Useful links: Discover more about Andrea: www.mudhut-communications.com www.diuo.info www.linkedin.com/in/andreacockerton   Fundraising links:   No warm intro list: https://airtable.com/shrsDIW1FMuA5cI9P/tblaahhCCc2v0065Q/viwdm9nLc4Aj3sHJO?blocks=hide Useful London lists: https://medium.com/@jennyjudova/list-of-seed-investors-in-london-3da42d7de9f4 Massive, slightly overwhelming list: https://airtable.com/shrd9SJKaophxf6Tm/tblpObRZstC5uBDhs?backgroundColor=cyan&viewControls=on Most active EIS funds in the UK: https://seedlegals.com/resources/17-most-active-eis-investment-funds-in-the-uk/ Best 100 early stage investors: https://www.businessinsider.com/seed-100-top-early-stage-vc-investors-2021-4?r=US&IR=T The 25 best early stage female investors: https://www.businessinsider.com/seed-25-best-female-early-stage-investors-2021-4?r=US&IR=T Diverse investors list: https://www.foundersforchange.org/diverse-investors-list/ Impact investment directory: https://techforgood.global/impact-investing What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://bit.ly/SevenSteps2Success )   If you're new to marketing your business or need a refresher on audience insight, checkout How to find customers and help them buy from you’   Follow me on LinkedIn   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

Making a strategic choice in terms of who you put forward as a spokesperson is really important if you are going to be engaging with the media of making B2B content of any kind. Today I cover 5 key things to look for in a topic expert for your campaign. We all want to raise the visibility of our businesses, products or services, and one way to do that is by choosing a topic expert or influencer to sell your story for you. This can be an excellent strategy, I’ve used it myself, but you might be wondering what to look for. There’s lots of talk of influencers these days. You might know exactly who is influential in your industry right now, especially if you are in B2B or you might be trying to figure out who really is an influencer and who is giving an impression of being one. Let's dive in! What to do next: Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://bit.ly/SevenSteps2Success )   If you're new to marketing your business or need a refresher on audience insight, checkout How to find customers and help them buy from you’   Follow me on LinkedIn   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

I recently spoke at an event for property marketers where I joined two other experts to discuss what has changed for property marketing in a post-pandemic world.  I thought I would share these insights with you today as the points around audience, community cohesion and the use of technology are relevant to any industry and provide some food for thought around where your communication strategy is now, and what you could do to improve it. Let's dive in! You can watch the webinar event that was the inspiration for this episode HERE Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   If you're new to marketing your business or need a refresher on audience insight, checkout How to find customers and help them buy from you’   Follow me on LinkedIn   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

This week in the UK is national Work-life week promoted by Working Families - the UK's work-life balance charity. Work-life balance is a tricky subject, right? I think it is a modern dilemma where we need to balance life and work as more parents have working households, not just one person bringing in a salary. The 'life' part doesn't have to include kids. It can also mean creating a balance and space from a job. I wanted to raise some awareness of this today for communications people out there and share my thoughts and experiences on this topic spurred on by this charity's work and some recent feedback from my network about how they create work-life balance. I wanted to raise the topic from a certain angle, mine, and provide you with some tips and advice based on getting it wrong over many years! I have also created a 'productivity stack' for you. Let's dive in! Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   If you're new to marketing your business or need a refresher, checkout my bite-sized digital course on my learning platform 'Comms That Works'; How to find customers and help them buy from you’   Follow me on LinkedIn   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

I wanted to talk to you today about how to manage potential reputation issues without being overwhelmed, and how this can quickly form part of your daily or monthly planning. The recent Facebook outage had some online businesses shifting in their seats uncomfortably whilst secretly panicking about when it would come back on. I have also seen more and more 'automation gone wrong' and businesses creak and groan that rely heavily on automation, software and Facebook. So building on a recent episode around making sure your marketing promise meets your customer experience, I am sharing six simple steps you can follow to make this part of your regular comms planning. So let's dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: Why customer service is your biggest PR tool (also here https://henbe.co.uk/2021/09/23/ep-41-why-customer-service-is-your-biggest-pr-tool/) Grab my 'No tissues' reputation issues management guide :  (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/6gveu61kn5) You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Checkout my bite-sized digital course on my learning platform 'Comms That Works'; How to find customers and help them buy from you’   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips.   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

Things have changed since the phrase 'Content is King' was coined and I have also recently reflected on my own content strategy as I am a consumer and a business owner. Things have changed since that phrase 'Content is King' was coined by Bill Gates in the mid nineties, and I have reflected recently on my own content strategy as I am a consumer as well as a business owner. I think it’s important to make sure we share enough content to please the algorithms and account for the fact that not everyone is on social media ALL the time..:) and make sure it’s relevant, timely and rich with what your audience wants to hear. So here are some tips on content development approaches you could take.  So let's dive in! Links in this episode: Repurposing: https://henbe.co.uk/2021/05/13/ep-23-why-investing-in-the-right-content-once-is-a-good-strategy/  5 Whys : https://henbe.co.uk/2020/12/30/ep-06-whats-your-story-how-to-create-messages-with-impact/  Today’s episode was inspired by brand strategy agency, Mobas’s article ‘content makes for a rubbish king: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/content-makes-rubbish-king-adam-tuckwell/?trackingId=DiTdigjeQYKqghc2vvfGvw%3D%3D  You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Checkout my bite-sized digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you’   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips.   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

If you follow me on social media, you will know that I have recently had a bad customer service experience. It got me thinking about how brands can easily get it wrong if the back-office function is not connected to the brand message.   Public relations is about managing and protecting your reputation as a business, and how you handle customers is a huge part of that. It can make or break a customer's experience of your business or brand.   More and more brands are turning to a digital customer experience, and that's great, and some are nailing it. But it's not all plain sailing right? When we buy into a 'brand promise', we don't expect it to break as soon as you start interacting with the back-office functions.   So today I will cover a few things to think about how digital customer service can affect your hard-earned reputation if not managed as part of your public relations plan. Links in this episode: Top Customer Service Expectations and How To Succeed Them You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Checkout my bite-sized digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you’   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips.   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

Context is everything in terms of making sure your message lands; how often do you review what you are doing and what I call the 'operating context' in which you are doing it? If 2020 has taught us anything, customers have a higher expectation for information exchange and show loyalty to businesses that deliver this to a high level through their customer experience with them. The days of 'set it and forget it' have long gone for communication planning, and as communicators, we need to be responsive and adaptable. Exhausting, though, right? Today I cover why you should review your operating context for a modern approach to communication planning and tips on integrating this into your comms strategy. Let's dive in! Links in this episode: The One-Page Marketing Plan on Amazon You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips.   Checkout my bite-sized digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you’   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

Events are back with a vengeance, people! As are speaking opportunities, I thought I would re-release this episode as it was so popular in February as a reminder of how to nail your first or next opportunity and make the most out of that content.     You can create a lot of authenticity and credibility by speaking at events. But it's essential, especially as we are all time-poor right now, to plan to make sure that the time spent away from the office is worthwhile.   This episode is for you if you are a seasoned pro or starting out as it acts as a helpful reminder of all the things to think about when speaking at an event to make it worthwhile for you, your biz or your brand, product or service.   I'd love it if you would please leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you’   Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

In the last of the summer hacks series, I share with you how audio can help you with your content creation. Audio transcriptions services AI and automation for recording your voice have changed unrecognisably over the last ten years. You no longer need to write a blog. That’s right, you heard me! I am going to talk to you today about why voice notes and audio can help you create quick and easy content for your business by sharing my own experiences of why I started my podcast. Let’s dive in! Links metioned in this episode: How To Find Customers and Help Them Buy - New online resource now available, also here: https://commsthatworks.mykajabi.com/find-customers+help-them-buy Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   OR   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

In this third episode in the summer hacks series, I will cover some hacks around making social media content easier for you, whether you work in-house as part of a team or a solopreneur who needs to carve out more time for running your biz. Do you find social media is taking up a lot of your time? You’re busy writing posts, creating graphics, possibly recording videos, and then you think posting would be quick but somehow you emerge 30 minutes later and think, ‘where did the time go?’ You might also find you’re posting for the sake of it. You’re not being intentional about what you are writing about. Let’s dive in! Links mentioned in this episode: My new learning platform Comms 'That Works' (also here: https://commsthatworks.mykajabi.com/ Social media scheduling tools I mentioned in this episode: SEMrush is an all-in-one digital marketing platform. It’s best known for its SEO and PPC toolkits, but it also has a Social Media toolkit, which includes the Social Media Poster tool. SocialBee is a powerful social media scheduling platform that goes beyond scheduling and includes features like competitor research. Sendible is an all-in-one social media management tool designed to help solopreneurs and agencies manage and amplify their brands. MeetEdgar is a purpose-built social media scheduling and automation tool that makes it easy to publish your content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Buffer is a software application for web and mobile that lets you schedule content to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Linkedin from one dashboard. Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

In this second episode of the summer hacks series, I talk about how Public relations is often seen as something you do if you have something to launch or some good news to talk about. But PR is not all about the media - it’s so much more than that. One aspect of PR is nurturing relationships that are already strong—reaching out to people who you already work with and who know your business and nurture those relationships. Often underused as a strategic tool, PR is one of the simplest - and most effective - activities you can do to help your business. I am going to talk to you today about how to utilise these relationships to your advantage. Let’s dive in! Links in this episode: That Weetabix example:also here: shorturl.at/bkJ18  How To Find Customers and Help Them Buy - New online resource now available, also here: https://commsthatworks.mykajabi.com/find-customers+help-them-buy Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

I wanted to do a few short episodes during August that were super-short that you could binge on and save you some time and effort over the summer months. I am calling this a ‘summer hacks series’. Today’s episode is all about repurposing your content. How do you make an impact when you don’t have time to create content or run a campaign? There’s a simple action you can take which won’t take long at all but will keep you top of mind – repurposing your resources. I will cover today; What is repurposing? Where to start with repurposed content? Links in this episode: How To Find Customers and Help Them Buy - New online resource now available, also here: https://commsthatworks.mykajabi.com/find-customers+help-them-buy Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

Today I am keeping it super simple for you. Maybe you are a smaller business or startup that needs some help putting together ideas on how to promote your business using PR or thinking of entering the PR world and wondering what a simple PR plan could include? PR is an effective tool for building brand awareness. I’m one of only a few hundred chartered PR practitioners in the UK, and in this article, I’m going to walk you through how to start using public relations in your business, so you create content that makes the right impact. I am covering some of the 'big buckets' in terms of activities and some of the strategic steps you need to consider to have a plan that hits the mark and achieves results. Links mentioned in this episode: Bitesize course! How To Find Customers And Help Them Buy Ep 04. Is the comms working? Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

Automation and artificial intelligence is becoming a big part of PR and Comms and marketing, often carrying out and replacing everyday tasks in the digital marketing space in particular, but it is much more far-reaching than scheduling a few social media posts. As teams get back to work in earnest in 2021 and work generally ramps up for us all, automation tools can be really effective at helping us get set up super quick and automate some of those everyday tasks. The AI market is projected to be worth $16 billion by 2022, so this is an especially exciting time to bring automation to your brand or business or both.. So today, I cover some of the key communication tools that I use and give you some tips on getting started.   Links in this episode; Grammarly Buffer Mailchimp Mailerlite Answer the public Pocket Google trends Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

I am a bit of a research nerd. A lot of strategy work I undertake for customers is grounded in data and insights. Why is this so important?   A lot of communication is for communication's sake, and in a world where we are all overwhelmed with content more than ever, we should focus on what matters and why. Only producing communication that supports our business or purpose (or both)   So today I wanted to share with you why you should be planning your communication activity and not sailing into it hoping for a happy accident.   You will learn - Why research is important to set yourself up to succeed - How communication is a support function of your business  - Why goal setting is important   Links mentioned in this episode:   Are you a goal digger? https://henbe.co.uk/2020/12/01/ep-02-are-you-a-goal-digger-why-you-need-to-set-communication-goals/   Tax Made Easy https://archive.thedrumprawards.com/the-drum-pr-awards-2020/b2b/making-tax-easy   The Used Kitchen Company https://ciprawards.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1.-Corporate-and-Business-Comms-003.pdf   Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

As I have said many times, a communication strategy is at the heart of your business. Most businesses will undertake financial audits and expenses claims audits, but how often do we audit how well we communicate with our customers? Most businesses will have growing pains, and effective communication leads to better marketing and more traction, which ultimately helps with more sales, right? I am always amazed at the number of businesses that don't do this. This could be a big factor in why some of those messages are not getting through to customers. So this episode covers four reasons why I think you should undertake a communication audit of your business now, and gives you some tips on getting started. Episode mentioned is: Episode 4. Before you go;   You can download the free activity tracker if you're thinking of doing an audit, this is a good first step.   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

It's deafblind awareness week here in the UK. It got me thinking about how accessible my podcast is and educating myself more on better understanding and considering accessibility as a professional communicator. Nearly 15 million people in the UK have problems with their sight, hearing or both. It's inevitable that some of these people will be in our networks and could be customers. These needs can be hidden from our view, so how do we make sure that we are inclusive as we can be with our communication material? Listen to Holly's Story: https://youtu.be/OQvgnx_j1l8 Links from this episode: https://www.rnib.org.uk/braille-and-moon-%E2%80%93-tactile-codes-moon/learning-moon  https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/2018/09/07/top-tips-for-accessible-communications/  https://webaim.org/intro/  https://deafblind.org.uk/deafblind-awareness-week/  https://assistivlabs.com/use-cases/testing-any-screen-reader-on-mac    Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

In-person events are looking likely to be coming back this year, thank goodness; it’s reassuring to see audiovisual companies and venues starting to gear up to get full and busy again. It’s tempting right now to go ‘hell yes!’ Let’s have an event! Everyone is desperate for interaction, but events are costly, so it’s important to think about your end goal when setting out to raise your profile through an in-person event. I cannot wait to get back to events, and I am also considering having one of my own this year. But people will increasingly want more value from attending I think, so how do you put on an event that has your business goals at its heart whilst delivering value to your potential and existing customers? Before you go;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   And   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

I wanted to talk to you today about connecting your marketing and sales messages.   There was some interesting research recently from Global PR firm Fleishman Hillard. Their 2021 global report looks at The Authenticity Gap, which measures the gap between consumer expectations and their actual experiences of a company or brand using the Nine Drivers of Authenticity that shape consumer perceptions and beliefs.    I think there are lots of key points that growing businesses can take from this report in terms of making sure what you say you do, what you actually do and how you operate are all telling the same story.   you will learn;   Why you need to have your brand messages connected to your sales How you might start this process A simple method to organise your messages into a document you can refer to   Links I mention in this episode:   Fleishman Hillard Global Authenticity Report https://fleishmanhillard.com/brand-consumer-expectations/    Messagehouse.org and free toolkit https://messagehouse.org/    You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   OR   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice and to find out first about my new digital course; How to find customers and help them buy from you' Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.  

Keeping it simple can help tackle overwhelm, help achieve your goals, and also transform your productivity.   I wanted to talk to you today about telling your story when you work in a technical industry.   It’s easy to get this simple step wrong as we are surrounded by technical people in property, construction and tech who are great at their job. Still, we need to help connect technical products and services or initiatives to the right audience and help customers buy or engage in content, in whatever form, to do this.     So I’ve some tips for you today; let’s dive in!   I mention Ep 05. What's Your Story    You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   OR   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.  Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

I wanted to talk to you about PR today, and why I think, sometimes it has a bad reputation for being about spin. It's also made famous by TV shows like Absolutely Fabulous, The Thick of It, and The West Wing. So our perception is skewed of how PR can be used to help businesses grow.   More recently, there have been some reports of darker uses of Public Relations to create a negative reputation of a rival company as well.     But, many good PR firms, consultants, and individuals uphold strong ethical codes of conduct and continue to support a fair and professional industry. I am here to tell you that it is one of the best business tools you can have in your arsenal—done right, of course!   So I bust three big myths today. If you are embarking on a PR programme in your business, this episode is for you.   Here are the links I mention in this episode.    Edleman Trust Barometer 2021  https://www.edelman.com/trust/2021-trust-barometer     The Times investigative news story about allegations around the World cup 2022:  https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/exclusive-qatar-sabotaged-2022-world-cup-rivals-with-black-ops-glwl3kxkk     Guardian story on the allegations surrounding the Pfizer vaccine and paid influencers  https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/may/25/influencers-say-russia-linked-pr-agency-asked-them-to-disparage-pfizer-vaccine    You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   OR   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.  Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.

If you're not sure what the opportunities are with a podcast, or you know but are uncertain about how it could fit in with your communication strategy, then this episode today is for you.   You will learn;   How audio content is here to stay How play-on-demand content can help your business Why it could be a useful part of your strategy   Ready to start your podcast? Join Lynsay Anne's Start Your Podcast in A Day course (link also here: https://lynsayanne.firstpromoter.com/signup/8145    Sources mentioned in this episode: Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) Spring 2020 Infinite Dial 2021 My Podcast Reviews stats, via Apple Podcast statistics   You can also;   Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   OR   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.  Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot

'Purpose' is a term used by businesses and entrepreneurs to define what they do and believe in. But what does it mean, and is it something you can implement in your startup or growing business? In this 'Deep Dive' episode, I talk to Nick Ranger, a brand strategy expert who is the Managing Partner for a global consulting team at Brand Pie, a boutique brand transformation agency. Brand pie recently released their annual CEO purpose report, and Nick joins me today to talk to you about the findings. You will learn what purpose is, and how you can implement it in your startup or growing business. READ the CEO Purpose report here: https://www.brandpie.com/thinking/ceo-purpose-report Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with communication activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 )   You can also;   Please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts as it helps others find the show and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.   Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot

I wanted to share with you today how one fantastic piece of long-form content can serve you well for a few different reasons and fill your content calendar in one sitting.   I am going to cover with you today;   What long-form content is (and isn't) How it helps you gain authority    Get my FREE roadmap to get more strategic with activity in your business (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3 ) You can also;   Please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show and subscribe to be the first to listen each week. Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.   Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   DM me on LinkedIn emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake or email [email protected]   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot

I wanted to talk to you today about the importance of fostering business relationships in B2B when building your brand from scratch.  I reveal why this approach is not just for big consumer brands. Getting people to tell your story for you is a powerful way to build trust and credibility. It’s tough when you start out because no one knows you, you may be new in a market or have some new way of doing things or competing in a very established industry. I am going to cover with you today; Why you should use business relationships and key influencers to help build your brand and  How this can form part of your overall strategy HERE is the cheat sheet I mention in this episode. (also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/iwktvyr6cb) You can also; Please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.  Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.   Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   Follow me on LinkedIn_emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot?

This week, I want to talk to you about creating a great brief and not wasting time, effort, and energy when hiring someone to help you with PR. No one wants to waste time, effort and money. So here are four things to think about when writing a brief to stand the best chance of getting the results you need. Everyone needs help at some point with specific skills and expertise; flying solo on everything means you are spreading yourself thin. I can relate as I run my own business, and there comes a time when you have to write a clear brief to get a good brief for someone to help you. GET YOUR FREE CHEAT SHEET to guide your promotional activity in a strategic direction, saving you time, energy and money. Also here:https://mailchi.mp/9903a79513e9/hzjh7aey22    You can also;   Please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.  Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.   Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   Follow me on LinkedIn_emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot?

Understanding your competitors is a crucial step when starting to plan your communication strategy. However, this is often only ever carried out at the start of the process… well, guess what? You have to keep doing it. I will share why today, especially given the year we have all just had when lots of businesses have had to pivot. I share the 3 types of competitors to look out for, plus when and how to start to make plans to utilise this information as part of your business planning. HERE is that link to the competitor visual map example. REGISTER INTEREST in my online learning and get my FREE cheat sheet which can guide your promotional activity in a strategic direction, saving you time, energy and money. Also here:https://mailchi.mp/9903a79513e9/hzjh7aey22    You can also;   Please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.  Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.   Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   DM me on LinkedIn emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake or email [email protected]   PS - Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot

Every picture tells a thousand words, right? This week I share how using an image-led approach for your media strategy can be a game-changer for you. Why? I started my career as a photojournalist from Essex, UK, in the early 1990s, mostly working with music mags and creative portfolios before I trained in public relations and never looked back. Here’s the thing, one of my first proper PR jobs was as a global PR manager for a technology consulting company, and I had some very technical topics to talk about let me tell you! But, because of my background, I knew how important a good image was to getting featured in the media or not. Even if that was a bought stock image of that represents the context of what I was talking about. I made sure that every press release or media pitch had an image after that. And guess what? It works. REGISTER INTEREST in my online learning and get my FREE cheat sheet which can guide your promotional activity in a strategic direction, saving you time, energy and money. Also here:https://mailchi.mp/9903a79513e9/hzjh7aey22   You can also;   Please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.    Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   DM me on LinkedIn emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake or email [email protected]   Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot   **When people hear information, they're likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later. (Brain Rules via Hubspot visual content stats April 2021)

In this episode, I’m delighted to be doing another ‘Deep Dive’. This time, the topic is how to use events as part of your marketing strategy, take them online and still create an impactful and memorable experience for your audience.   We have all had online overload in 2020, and this episode aims to dispel myths of online events and share best practice to engaging your audience in an online event experience.   I am delighted to have Vikki Barcroft as my guest, Director of Events with Impact, based in the UK.    Vikki shares her insights on how events have changed, how she has pivoted her business and successfully ran global online events as a result. And how events are changing in terms of how we feel about attending events, whether events you travel to remain an inclusive option physically, what attendees are looking for now and what you can do to take your event online with success.   You can connect with Vikki at https://www.eventsforimpact.co.uk/  On Linkedin or Twitter    Download my FREE cheat sheet; seven simple steps to communication activity with impact which can guide your promotional activity in a strategic direction, saving you time and money.   Also here:https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp  You can also;   Please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.    Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   DM me on LinkedIn emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake or email [email protected]   Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot

Today I share how using topic experts can add real value to your business by building trust and credibility in your brand, product or service.   This tool is related to the PR discipline of communication for your business but could be used in any content too.   I’ll give an overview of what this tool is and how you can use it, what to look for in a topic expert, and provide examples of where it has worked well.   Download my FREE cheat sheet; seven simple steps to communication activity with impact which can guide your promotional activity in a strategic direction, saving you time and money.   Also here:https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp  You can also;   Please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.    Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   DM me on LinkedIn emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake or email [email protected]  

Today I share how to avoid three common communication strategy mistakes I see growing businesses make when communicating their business products and services to customers. I am sharing this with you, so you don't make the same costly mistakes and you can save precious time and effort in the process. I also give you some tips on creating a strategic approach to your activity and sharing my FREE cheat sheet, seven simple steps to communication activity with impact which can guide you in the right direction. Episodes referenced in this one: Ep 3 - Are you goal digger? How to set effective goals Ep 4 - how do you know if the Comms is working? Ep 6 - What's your story? Ep 8 - Is there anybody out there?   Also here:https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp  You can also;   Leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show, and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.    Also here:https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   DM me on LinkedIn emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake or [email protected]

In this episode, I wanted to share how using PR strategically can help build credibility with customers in your sales pipeline and help generate warmer sales leads. If you are not using PR this way, you are missing a trick!   Most businesses are selling something, and one of the many things that PR can help is building the 'know, like trust' aspect of a customers' journey with you.   I reveal one way you can do this in this week's 10 min episode.   Before you go... Get a FREE copy of seven simple steps to communication activity with impact   https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp    You can also;   Leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or my FB page @commthatworks as it helps others find the show, and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice.    https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   DM me on LinkedIn emmadrake or Twitter @_emmadrake or [email protected]      

Today I share 3 simple things you can implement right now that will help you have an impact with your comms and save you time whilst hitting your personal or business goals. We have to adapt to the mood right now amidst a global pandemic, but we can still continue and create value with our business communication. These 3 tools and approaches can be used together or individually and will help you have a short term plan or approach to communicating in this time of continuing change or flux for everyone, and will set you up for when things improve too. Today you will learn; How to repurpose your content to create value and impact right now How and why you should be nurturing people who already love your business How scheduling can save you time on your social media planning Social media scheduling tools I mentioned in this episode: SEMrush is an all-in-one digital marketing platform. It’s best known for its SEO and PPC toolkits, but it also has a Social Media toolkit, which includes the Social Media Poster tool. SocialBee is a powerful social media scheduling platform that goes beyond scheduling and includes features like competitor research. Sendible is an all-in-one social media management tool designed to help solopreneurs and agencies manage and amplify their brands. MeetEdgar is a purpose-built social media scheduling and automation tool that makes it easy to publish your content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Buffer is a software application for web and mobile that lets you schedule content to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Linkedin from one dashboard. Other links I mentioned: Weetabix twitter: https://twitter.com/weetabix  Before you go...   I'd love it if you would leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   You can also; Get a FREE copy of seven simple steps to communication activity with impact   https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice    https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks  

PR is not just about promoting your business; it's about protecting your fledgeling reputation. I share with you why crisis plans are not just for big corporates, why you need one whatever size your business is and show you how simple it can be to get started.   It's important to have a plan for when things might go a little bit wrong, however big or small your business is; whether that's a product that you've had to recall, a service that wasn't delivered effectively, or if the IT fails in your online business.   So in this episode, you will learn What a crisis plan is and why you need one Tips on how to create your own simple plan   Let's dive in!   I'd love it if you would leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   You can also; Get a FREE copy of seven simple steps to communication activity with impact   https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice    https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks    

Audio is on the rise as a digital media with Amazon getting involved in streaming podcasts last year and the audio-only app Clubhouse's popularity.   It took me a while to fall in love with podcasting and understand the value it could bring to my business and my clients' businesses. But now I am completely hooked! So it seemed only right that for my first interview 'deep dive' episode, I wanted to share insights on podcasting and how it can help you grow your business, grow your reach, and grow your brand awareness.   So, I'm super excited this week to have Lynsay Gould on my show. Lynsay is a podcast and business coach and the founder of the Podcasting for Business Show. Lynsay runs a podcast production company called The Podcast Boutique and is the Podcasting for Business Awards founder. Lynsay helped me start my podcast and start the right podcast. And she's helped hundreds of men and women start theirs too.   So today you will learn; When is it a good time to start your podcast, and the right podcast? What are the biggest barriers? How you can use podcasts in your business as part of your communication strategy Personal learnings on how we have used a podcast in our businesses with success The wider and growing opportunities with audio including the Clubhouse app (sorry Andriod users you have to wait a bit for this is one!)   I'd love it if you would leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   You can also; Get a FREE copy of seven simple steps to communication activity with impact   https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice    https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks

It's that time of the year when to reflect and think; could we enter a business award? If you want to enter business awards, the number one rule is you need to prepare.  Spoiler alert: it's not all about the winning! In this short episode I am sharing with you;   When and what to enter into an award 3 Tips on how to write a killer award entry How to get the most mileage for your entry fee Some do's and don'ts to look out for I'd love it if you would please leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week. You can also; Get a FREE copy of seven simple steps to communication activity with impact (https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp) Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice (https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks)

In episode ten, I thought I would give you ten tips on how to make the most from speaking at events.   You can create a lot of authenticity and credibility by speaking at events. But it's essential, especially as we are all time-poor right now, to plan to make sure that the time spent away from the office is worthwhile.   This episode is for you if you are a seasoned pro or starting out as it acts as a helpful reminder of all the things to think about when speaking at an event to make it worthwhile for you, your biz or your brand, product or service.   I'd love it if you would please leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   You can also;   Get a FREE copy of seven simple steps to communication activity with impact (https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp)   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice (https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks)     

I wanted to talk about productivity.  I've been asked about this by a few people recently, and there's been some chatter on social media about how some of us are struggling with creativity, focus and productivity during the lockdown in the UK (and globally) so this is a little bonus episode all about a technique I've been using that I thought I would share with you. Hopefully, it helps!   The Productivity Planner combines Most Important Task First (The Ivy Lee method) with the Pomodoro Technique, which uses timed slots to complete tasks.    I got my planner from Intelligent Change. Head over to their website: (https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/the-productivity-planner) And bag one for yourself with this discount code!:  LetsDoThis5   In this episode, you will learn'   How I use this technique to power through my to-do list each day and week How to prioritise what needs to be done (not what you think needs to be done) To feel more satisfied and accomplished at the end of the day How you can use this for your daily comms planning   I'd love it if you would please leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   You can also; Get a FREE copy of seven simple steps to communication activity with impact (https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp)   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice (https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks)   

We all see so many messages each day. On tv, mobiles phones, social media, online, at work etc. So to have an impact, you have to make sure that your content cuts through and speaks directly to who you are targeting.   In this episode, I explain how to work out who your ideal audience is for your content, and where they are hanging as I unpick in more detail Step Three & Four of my Seven Simple Steps to Effective Communication Activity with Impact.     You will learn how to implement these two steps and gain tools and insights into each of these steps so that you can understand more about how to define your audience and reach them effectively.   Get a FREE copy of seven simple steps to communication activity with impact (https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp)   I'd love it if you would please leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   You can also;   Follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice (https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks)    Connect with me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadrake/)

How bubbling issues can impact your business reputation, and what you can do prevent it from happening.   Your reputation is by far the most valuable asset you will have as a business. It is a culmination of how you are perceived by everyone who interacts with your business or product/service from the general public to customers, staff, investors, and other people important to you biz.   In this episode, you will learn What reputation impact is How to implement a simple 6 step process to spot, monitor and mitigate potential reputation issues in your business  How by pre-empting bubbling issues and managing them effectively you can avoid a crisis hitting Please leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Get a FREE copy of my six-steps cheat sheet to managing reputation impact (https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/me4aassrqp)   Connect with me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadrake/)   OR follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice (https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks) 

In this episode, I share how to create a unique and impactful statement that defines what your business, product or service does and how it helps people. After listening to this simple process, you can write your own story that sells what you do, and create more impact with your content.   Please leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Get a free copy of my seven simple steps to comms planning.  https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3   Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadrake/    OR follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice: https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks   

In this episode, I’m talking to you about PR. Some of you may know, I’m one of only a few hundred chartered PR practitioners in the UK, so PR is one of my big passions, and today and I’m going to share some insights on this topic. I will bust some of the biggest myths, I’ll share how to effectively support your business with PR, and some tips on how to get started with a PR programme of your own.   Please leave me a review and subscribe to be the first to listen each week.   Get a free copy of my seven simple steps to comms planning.  https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/n8xnx5bjj3   Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadrake/    OR follow my Facebook page for daily tips and advice: https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks 

Today I talk about how you can measure the effectiveness of your communication activity using a straightforward approach. I'll share why you should track your activities, how this approach can help support your business goals and save you money. This is up there as one of the top things I get asked about by business leaders and comms people.  So listen and learn, and hit subscribe if you are listening on iTunes and leave me a review. You can download the free activity tracker Also here: https://mailchi.mp/henbe.co.uk/1g85gwokl5 Make sure you also follow me on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks  

In this episode, I am going to talk to you about how to be a goal digger, what's that I hear you cry? Well, it's all about how setting effective goals can help you have more impact with your comms activity. I am using an example of a campaign I ran to explain this in details, where the activity was a business event, but the goal was much more than that. You will learn: Why it's important to set strategic goals as part of your event plan The common reasons why most people do not set goals for events An example of an initiative I helped launch and the results it achieved  Get your copy of the FREE 7 simple steps cheat-sheet and create your own effective comms plan from scratch.  

In this episode, I get nerdy about building your very own brand fans.  I'm going to be sharing with you how using industry partners and brand advocates can grow your customer reach and grow your business. You’ll learn what the heck brand advocates are, how they can help you grow and protect your brand and your business. And, I'm also going to talk you through the simple steps on how you can start your brand advocacy plan, and cover the common pitfalls to avoid. HERE you can download the quick guide to building brand fans that I mention in the episode and the additional notes so you can create your own list of fans. Connect with me on LinkedIn Follow my Facebook page for more tips and advice.  

In this episode In this episode, I run through my seven simple steps to success for planning effective communication activity. You will learn: The seven steps I use for simple yet effective communication activity planning How and why this can help you achieve results and more impact Why it’s important now, especially when resources and budgets are tight And, how by following these straightforward steps, you can ensure that your activity is relevant, needed and effective in supporting your business goals AND your budget. Get a copy of the 7 simple steps cheat-sheet and create your own plan. Listen to Ep.04 for more on how to measure your comms impact I'll be unpacking each of these steps in more detail over the coming months here on my podcast and through StratChat my monthly email 

Welcome to the Communication Strategy 'That Works' podcast!   I'm Emma, your host and I am making it my mission to help smaller businesses like you that want to grow and have ambitious plans to be a bigger company, to get the 'comms stuff' right earlier on in your journey. I want you to grow your brand more effectively, protect your fledgeling brand reputation, spend your budget more wisely and, ultimately, have much more impact with your comms.   In this trailer, you can learn a little bit more about me, my background, and why I have produced this podcast for you, and what you can expect to learn each week through listening to my show.   There are step-by-step processes, downloads and freebies to help you get started, and mini masterclasses to look forward to. Each week you will get actionable advice you can implement straight away. There's no navel-gazing here, just straight-up free advice and tips distilled from my 20 plus years in the business. I hope you enjoy it!   You can also get my monthly email StratChat enables you to be first in line to hear about my offers and free downloads and also get new episodes straight to your inbox each week. https://mailchi.mp/c73d7cdfb037/stratchat   Connect with me on LinkedIn Emma Drake Chart.PR https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadrake/   And please follow my Facebook Business page CommsThatWorks for daily tips and advice https://www.facebook.com/commsthatworks