Blogs - Whiteoaks PR

The PR industry can be a challenging environment. With new types of media blossoming each year and the ever-growing number of PR professionals vying for journalists’ attention, it’s become harder and harder to make an impact and secure top-tier coverage for your brand.

Sure, sending out press releases en masse to hundreds of journalists may save you the headache of having to tailor your pitch to individual journalists. In the long run however, this approach will not deliver top-quality PR results for your brand. To avoid making similar mistakes please see below as I outline three top tips for worthwhile PR activity.

Build A Strong Media List: Building and maintaining a strong media list is crucial to successful PR activity. The first step in creating a worthwhile media list is to recognise who you’re going to try and reach with a story and identify which publications are going to have the greatest impact. Study a journalist’s recent content and understand if this story is relevant to them. With this information garnered, the media list will be highly targeted for your story. This greatly increases the chance of receptive feedback from journalists: cybersecurity journalists don’t want to hear the latest developments in agriculture! A strong media list is never static either. To keep its relevancy, it must be updated regularly with new journalists or editorial changes in media outlets.

Pitch Effectively to Journalists: Before you draft a pitch it’s vital that you understand what you’re trying to pitch and why it’s worthy of a journalist’s time. If you don’t understand the story yourself it will be challenging to sell the story convincingly to someone else. If in doubt, ask yourself the classic five questions: who, what, where, why and when? Once you understand your story thoroughly it’s then vital to tailor your pitch to be as attention-grabbing as possible. This isn’t about flashy fonts or images but rather making the task of reading your pitch, not a chore. Most journalists receive several pitches per hour throughout the day so it’s important your pitch stands out. Perhaps get creative or use a stat to leverage your story. If in doubt, keep it short and sweet and get to the point quickly.

Distinguish Yourself: The challenge of securing a top-tier placement for your brand is that it’s an extremely competitive environment with potentially hundreds of PR professionals vying for the same opportunity. It’s important that whilst you represent your business and story responsibly, you make an effort to stand out from the crowd. Even if you aren’t successful in securing a placement, catching their eye with something atypical can establish a connection with a journalist which may prove to be valuable in the future.

Adopting the three top tips above is sure to improve your PR skillset and help produce outstanding PR results for your brand.

By Ellie Nash, Digital Account Executive

As we all know, short-form video platform, TikTok is taking the world of social media by storm and completely re-inventing social as we know it.

Platforms such as Facebook are now having to re-think their strategy to keep up with the fast-paced world of video content and have stayed quiet until last week, when they launched Facebook reels.

What are Facebook reels?

Facebook reels, much like Instagram reels, are an opportunity for users to record a short and snappy 60-second video to share to their platform. There is a chance for followers to like, comment and ‘Remix’ videos much like TikTok’s famous ‘Duet’ option.

In the coming weeks, Facebook will begin trialling ‘Stars on Reels’ which allows people to buy and send stars while watching Reels to support creators.

What are the benefits of Facebook reels?

The main idea behind Reels is for creators to get discovered and connect with their audience, all while earning money. Meta wants creators to reconnect with the platform and steer away from TikTok so Facebook becomes an application of entertainment again.

Making money from Facebook reels

Facebook has launched a ‘Reels Play’ bonus programme that grants creators the opportunity to earn up to $35,000 a month based on the views of their reels. This is currently only available in America but after the success of creator, ‘Jason The Great’, Facebook will soon begin trials to develop this worldwide.

Unlike TikTok, there are two advert formats available for creators on the platform.

Banner ads: Banner ads sit at the bottom of a Facebook reel and as a semi-transparent overlay.
Sticker ads: Sticker ads are static and can be placed anywhere on top of the reel.

How to set up a Facebook reel

Open your Facebook app and look in the top left corner, underneath the Facebook logo.
Click on reel.
Add your video by either selecting pre-recorded videos or hold down the record button.
You will see you can add audio, select the length, speed, add effects, set a timer or add a green screen on the right-hand side of the screen.
Tap next once you’ve finished editing.
Write a description for your reel and select who you’d like to view the reel. This can be anyone on or off Facebook or just your friends.
Tap share to publish your reel to your Facebook stream.

In the opinion of the Digital team, we’re not sure whether Facebook reels will catch on. TikTok is already the number one platform for short-form video viewing and is used by billions … Maybe Facebook were too late to jump on the band wagon?

By Millie Goodwin, Business Development Executive

As someone who spends a lot of their free time on social media, as most people seem to do nowadays, I wondered to myself what am I even getting out of this? What is it that’s keeping me drawn in for hours upon hours? Lockdown was an excuse for a ridiculous amount of screentime, and according to Ofcom an average of four hours a day were spent online in April 2020.

Social media apps benefitted hugely from the pandemic, too. TikTok experienced huge growth during the pandemic – from 3 million UK adult visitors in September 2019, to 14 million by March 2021.

When I really thought about why my mind gets so caught up in the whirlwind that is social media, I realised it really does come down to 3 simple things:

The first one being FOMO or fear of missing out. For a lot of people Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, etc… are where we build our links with most people. It’s where conversations start; it’s where we build links with people who share the same interests and values as us; it’s where we get the new ideas of places to visit, eat, see, and what to watch on the telly. I know I would have never tried Squid Games off my own back but the influx of tweets raving on about it sparked my interest. We use social media to share the best parts of our lives. If we didn’t have social media, these connections would be lost, and we would be left wondering what connections and shared experiences people are having without us.

The second one being validation. When we post a picture, we get notified about how many people have liked the post, the more the better. If you were to post on someone’s feed who had a large following and they responded or just even liked the post, you would feel proud. As adults we all need validation. It’s just part of human nature and social media enlarges that – we don’t have to do anything amazing, just sit behind a screen and hope a few people press the like button. When lockdown limited our opportunities to engage with family and friends in person, social media offered us the virtual alternative.

The third and final thing is comfort. I know it sounds ridiculous; how can you find comfort in something that nine times out of 10 gives us a headache. But when you think about it, it’s giving us comfort and familiarity in an unfamiliar setting. Sitting in a restaurant waiting for a friend, attending an event with strangers, social media gives us a way to connect to social objects and to people that we know, so we feel less alone or uncertain.

I do believe lockdown had a dramatic change on everyone’s intake of social media so maybe that’s harder to let go of. But it’s important that we establish relationships outside of social media and that we realise we might be so busy obsessing over what we are missing out on social media, that we are actually missing out on what’s going on right in front of us.

By Angelo Suanno, Junior Account Executive

In an ever-thriving technological world, the hybrid working model has forever changed the foundations of office-based jobs. The impacts of hybrid working are a point of discussion for many, predominately concerning physical and psychological wellbeing. However, according to recent news headlines, energy bills are set to slowly rise in price over the coming year. How will this affect people’s decision to work from home? Will this see an influx of people returning to the office? Is there anything we can do? – yes there is!

Here are the three tips to lower energy consumption in your home without impacting your quality of work.

#1 The sun is our friend.

The overwhelming desire to instantly turn on the lights in the morning, or at the first sign of impending darkness may be powerful, especially during the winter months. However, resist the urge for as long as possible, open the curtains fully and allow natural daylight into your home. Not only will this help reduce energy consumption and warm you up at home, but as a bonus, exposure to sunlight has also been shown to correlate with happiness and positive wellbeing. Remember: the sun is your friend.

#2 Standby still means on.

There is a growing concern that working from home has resulted in our monthly energy bills spiking ever so slightly. Leaving the laptop on for several hours a day or using an additional monitor to increase work productivity still has a cost, and who pays that cost, those who work from home. To prevent any unnecessary power drainage, don’t shut the laptop display or leave the monitor on standby overnight, turn everything off at the source when not in use or at the end of the day. It may not always be convenient to switch off during your lunch break if you’ve got a meeting straight after, try using power-saving mode to save you time and money.

#3 Wrap up, don’t crank up!

With the cold winter nights nearly at an end, it will almost be time to stop using the heating, but not just yet. While working from home may provide the opportunity to dress less formally from the waist below, resist the impulse to turn on the heating immediately after the first few cold shivers. Instead, layer up on clothing or rest a blanket on your lap, that way you’ll remain comfortable, warm, and formal, while also saving energy.

To sum up, in addition to the physical and psychological impacts of the hybrid working model, there will be a surge in both ecological and financial effects due to the slowly increasing energy prices, in the coming year. Will people continue to work from home knowing the extra price they’ll have to pay? What sacrifices will need to be made to maintain a balance between a professional yet sustainable working environment? Whatever the answers are, hopefully these tips will help you make your decision.

By Susan Richter, Marketing Communications Manager

It’s fair to say we’re a cynical bunch when it comes to being a consumer. After all, we’ve had a lot of practice. We know phrases like “never seen before low prices” and “wait…there’s more” are mostly hype, and we know BOGOF doesn’t always translate into better value.

What about as business consumers? Especially marketers? Ramp that cynicism up to the max! We know all the tricks and which questions to ask. We can see through the marketing hype, which makes us better at scouting out value and finding what we actually need. At least it should!

But it also means that as marketers marketing to fellow marketers, we need to be spot on because we’re a far less forgiving bunch. It’s a bit more complex than making sure the content is relevant to the target audience, timely and has value. It’s about getting the little things right, being smart and continuously striving for improvement.

Without sounding too sanctimonious or naming and shaming, here’s my list of things to avoid based on real examples:

– Don’t tell me you’ve prospected with care and then ask if I am the right contact to approach
– Personalisation is great; but don’t talk like you know me. You can be friendly and engaging without being creepy!
– Don’t send a follow-up email to a mythical first email. Even worse, don’t send a follow-up email three hours after the first one
– Don’t try sell me things that are clearly not appropriate for a PR agency or part of our offering – like a listing on Amazon or social media services
– Pay attention to your preview text and make sure your subject line, even if the email is valid, doesn’t sound like a phishing email or clickbait
– Don’t send the same email twice from two different salespeople
– Don’t send the same email to me a few weeks apart featuring the same spelling mistake!
– I appreciate some may like this approach, but don’t ask me to click on your diary to book in a call! You want it? You need to work for it.

And finally… proofreed…proferead…proofread. Don’t let grammar issues, typos or blatant misspellings creep into your emails!

All that said, I am not a complete grump. I do enjoy a good sales email, even when the content / service on offer isn’t that relevant to me. I received a great message the other day that was self-deprecating (yes, I am aware it was the author not the message 😊), honest and quite funny.

“Hi Susan – bumped into you on LinkedIn and I was hoping to try and strongarm you into a dull and monotonous pitch where we can bore you to death on the wild tales of our many digital successes.

Not really, but my boss told me to try some varied approach methods – not sure that one will stick.”

Now that is something I can appreciate!

By Millie Goodwin, Business Development Executive

What’s your career background, in brief?

After going to college, my first job was as an Account Assistant at the luxury car dealer, Rolls Royce. While it was nice working for such a high-end brand and experiencing the luxury market, I felt it was time for a change and a new challenge, so I decided to dive into the PR world.

What’s the most challenging job you’ve ever had?

By far my most challenging job has been working as a waitress in a pub, with it being my first job, I was quite shy and I was really thrown in the deep end with it. Firstly, I realised how challenging some people can be. Secondly, I was working for my parents and if you have ever worked with family before, you know what a big no no it can be.

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?

I hate to say but Instagram 100%. I have a love/hate relationship with it, I love it because I’m quite a nosey person, and I love to get inspiration of things to do and places to go. But I know it has its negatives and can be quite toxic.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

My favourite quote ever is “great things never come from comfort zones”. I don’t think it’s a particularly well known or famous quote. But I believe it’s so true, all those scary job interviews, nervous first days, awkward moments, and all the mistakes you make are just pushing you to be more confident and realise how much you are capable of.

Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling…

I haven’t worked in new business for too long, but in my short time, I have learnt there is nothing more thrilling and exciting than getting a response from a potential new client, knowing your work stood out against the rest is truly a great feeling. It makes me excited to win some new business!

Do you personalise your workspace?

Unfortunately, not yet but I intend to get a plant (probably a fake one) because I don’t think I would keep a real one alive. I’ll definitely get some organisers because a tidy space is a tidy mind.

What’s the first thing you do in the office in the morning?

100% make myself a cup of tea, I cannot function without my morning cuppa.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to at the moment?

At the moment, I’m watching Grey’s Anatomy, it’s by far one of the best things I’ve ever watched, I’m currently on season 5 and there is 18 so I think it’s going to be keeping me busy for a while.

By Laura Bundy, Junior Account Executive

It’s no surprise, that after a dramatic rise in smartphone usage, we would one day need to learn the TLC behind our greatest connection.

This week Apple introduced us to ‘self-service repair’, a scheme that allows customers to fix their own devices by gaining access to the tools and guides to do so. This has been applauded for the opportunity it has given and for the right to repair that many feel is owed to them. With the amount current iPhone and MacBook’s go for, it’s no wonder that its owners believe once the product is theirs, they should be able to have full access to it- parts and all. But what does this mean in the long run?

Hanging up on old habits

With COP26 being such a hot topic throughout society, it raises the question as to how this scheme may help in driving forward progression in sustainability. Or how we as individuals can influence this change. We’ve all been there, the excitement of purchasing your phone quickly turning into panic over how you can protect it. We buy screen protectors, cases, we keep the box in the back of our cupboards for years just in case it’s needed. Yet, when it comes to looking after our once loved now broken products, we result in chucking them away and buying new as quickly as we replaced the one before. I believe that with this new scheme there will be a change in habit, now that we have the access to solve any issues that may arise. Consumers instead may work on fixing and quickly resolving the problem, causing less hassle for the customer than buying a new product itself. In turn, aiding in the recycling and reconditioning of technological devices.

Fixing the progress

Apple has made their stamp too, claiming that customers who return their broken part for recycling will receive credit toward their purchase. With a company as huge and influential as Apple this can only prove to be successful in setting an example for the rest to follow and to perhaps inspire others to do one better. Representing a way to source such a positive impact on the climate! Could this be the way forward for technological businesses? A move in the right direction, to create an element of sustainability and care in how we tackle protecting the environment. I for one believe that this will have a domino effect in businesses to come, raising the importance of sustainability and laying out how this could be achieved.

There has been a mark made in the technological world toward positive environmental impact, the question is, how long till others follow in its footsteps.

By Leo Nash, Junior Account Executive

What’s your career background in Brief?

I graduated from Bournemouth University last year with a degree in Public Relations. I worked at Victoria’s Promise, a woman’s cancer charity, for a year as a PR Intern and have worked in the hospitality industry for over three years!

What’s the most challenging job you’ve had?

Although extremely rewarding, working at the Basingstoke Vaccination Centre was really challenging and physically demanding due to the long hours and freezing weather. Talking down anti-vaxxers wasn’t much fun either.

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?

It’s got to be Spotify really, podcasts and music get me through the day.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

You can always add more spice, but you can’t ever take it out!

Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling…

Having only really started my career path, I have to say learning new things and seeing improvement in day-to-day tasks is giving me a kick as of late.

Do you personalise your workspace?

Only with snacks, nothing special.

What’s the first thing you do when you get into the office in the morning?

Say good morning and head for the coffee machine.

What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?

Currently reading Go Ahead In The Rain by Hanif Abdurraqib, watching What we do in the shadows and revisiting MFDOOM’s discography.

By Ellie Nash, Digital Account Executive

With LinkedIn Creator Mode, anyone can become a LinkedIn influencer… Even you! And here’s how.

What is LinkedIn ‘Creator Mode’?

LinkedIn launched its new ‘Creator Mode’ feature in March 2021 with the aim to help professionals on the platform help build their personal brand. The tool supports individuals with growing their following, building a presence on the platform, getting their content noticed and also provides a higher opportunity to be noticed by potential clients. This new feature is a strong step forward in creating a bigger LinkedIn influencer community.

How do I turn on ‘Creator Mode’?

LinkedIn Creator Mode is now available for all profiles. You’ll find the option to turn it on via your LinkedIn dashboard on your personal page. Once you’ve switched the toggle on, you’ll be encouraged to add 5 hashtags that will be based on topics you’re most likely going to be discussing and these will be displayed on the top of your profile. These hashtags are optional, but I’d highly recommend adding them to your profile. But why? These topics help to show potential followers what you discuss the most. For example, on my profile, I have added; ‘#PR #marketing #PRcareers #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing’, as these are what I talk about most frequently on any content I share or post organically. You can find these hashtags underneath your job title on your profile.

What’s happened to my profile?

Don’t panic! Once you’ve turned on the ‘Creator Mode’ toggle, LinkedIn will automatically shift the profile around to show off your content. Previously, the ‘About’ section lay above the ‘Featured’ section but after turning on ‘Creator Mode’, the ‘About’ section will appear below ‘Activity’ and ‘Featured’ section so that your content is forefront and centre for everyone to see.

How do I grow my network now ‘Creator Mode’ is on?

Once ‘Creator Mode’ is turned on the ‘Connect’ call-to-action button immediately changes to a ‘Follow’ button. Don’t worry, people can still connect with you by clicking on the ‘More’ button on your profile, but the idea behind ‘Creator Mode’ is to increase and grow your following.

What is the ‘Creator Community’?

Once you have turned on LinkedIn’s ‘Creator Mode’, the app will encourage you to sign up to their weekly newsletter, the ‘Creator Community’. Now, I know what you’re thinking, SPAM! But no, think again. This newsletter is written by Daniel Roth, the editor-in-chief and VP of LinkedIn and will provide you with endless ideas for what content you should be posting, some strategy ideas to boost your following and more! It’s a great opportunity to gain insight into what’s trending in the industry so that you can keep on top of it as a creator and excel.

How else can I show off my profile as a Creator?

If you’ve turned on Creator Mode and are still looking to take your profile to the next level, how about considering a ‘Video Cover Story’? The ‘Video Cover Story’ feature provides you with the opportunity to replace your profile picture with a 30-second video where you can introduce yourself to new followers. This feature is a fantastic way to show off to recruiters, as well as helping you gain potential clients; you immediately look friendly and approachable to anyone who visits your profile.

You could also use this cover story to tell followers about an upcoming webinar that you’ll be speaking in or tell them about an event that you’ll be at. You can say a lot in 30 seconds!

To conclude…

Now ‘Creator Mode’ is turned on and you’re ready to become a LinkedIn influencer, it’s time to start growing! To grow your network now ‘Creator Mode’ is fully set up, you must start considering a content plan. LinkedIn favours a mix of content so be creative, post videos, photos, blogs, and polls to start conversations. According to statistics, it’s best to post a maximum of 4 times a week on LinkedIn.

Not only should you worry about your own content, but you need to start thinking about other people’s content too. It’s key to engage with other people’s content on LinkedIn. You can like, share, and comment, all of which will help you gain exposure to your page. Why not comment asking a question about the post? Why not share and congratulate how insightful the post is and tag a few of your connections to view the post? All of which is helping you grow.

But overall, get creative! Have a bit of fun with Creator Mode because you never know, a year from now, we could be looking at a LinkedIn influencer.

By Natalia Kaczmarek, Digital Content Creator

We’ve all heard the saying ‘cash is king’. And it certainly has been for a long time. While some people still largely rely on notes and prefer them for everyday spending, others have permanently shifted to credit cards. Whatever the preferences, we can’t ignore that the financial system is changing, with mobile payments on the rise and a boom in crypto and digital currencies.

In fact, the Bahamas is the first country to issue central bank digital currency (CBDC). Launched in October 2020, the sand dollar is a digital iteration of the Bahamian dollar and one of just two fully operational retail CBDCs worldwide. The second one is electronic yuan (e-CNY) backed by The People’s Bank of China. The blockchain-powered e-CNY is China’s response to the declining role of cash, aiming to eventually and completely replace it.

But will more countries follow China’s footsteps to kill cash?

Perhaps.

CBDCs are currently a hot topic, with many governments running initiatives and pilot schemes to explore the applications and impact. In July this year, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced it was approaching the next phase of its digital euro development project. However, it explicitly stated that the digital euro will complement, not replace, cash. The Bank of England has also set up a taskforce to coordinate the exploration of a potential UK CBDC. Sweden, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and Nigeria are all among 81 countries looking into digital currencies. Interestingly, while the race is hotting up, the world’s foremost economic power, the US, is quite behind. Could this be an omen?

Benefits of digital currencies

As an inclusive digital payment medium, CBDCs would be available to all citizens and businesses, offering an array of benefits in the future. Unlike unregulated cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, they’re issued centrally as digital tokens or deposit accounts, and have real values not set by the market’s supply or demand. That means they should be stable through the enforcement of monetary policies.

Digital currencies could allow financial service providers to improve efficiency and offer innovative, progressive services to us all. They could drive the Internet of Things payments forward. Your smart vehicle could pay for its own power or toll, or your smart home could sell excess electricity from solar panels to the next-door neighbour. And maybe finally we won’t need a coin for a supermarket trolley?

With CBDCs, local and cross-border payment transfers can occur almost instantly, with much lower fees. Faster, more convenient and cheaper transfers can promote economic growth and benefit poorer regions. People visiting foreign countries for business and pleasure could have easier access to local currency, encouraging them to spend more and boosting the economy. With digital smart wallets, we won’t have to check our pockets every time we leave the house. Just a small benefit for the forgetful.

Privacy considerations ahead

It seems like the future of CBDCs is promising. However, one of the greatest concerns with any digital currency and the transition to fully cashless banking systems is consumer privacy. Many businesses have betrayed our basic right to privacy in the past, so some might be more hesitant than others to permanently switch to this new means of payment. As central banks will be able to monitor every transaction performed through CBDCs, the culture of greater surveillance might be born. Banks could trace our whereabouts and create detailed personas of their citizens and spending habits, leading to unstable governance and highly dissatisfied nations. It could be argued that most of our moves are already being scrutinised, yet we’re still happy to geo-tag our latest Instagram posts…

Whilst electronic currencies are picking up and promise many benefits for the society of the future, it will take a few years for us to forget about good old cash. For now, I’ll personally keep hold of any coins from the back of the sofa. One day, they might be worth a lot of e-money.