The PR Maven Podcast

Many think that SEO is all about keywords, but it should really be about our customers. In this podcast episode, Dale Bertrand talks about SEO best practices and creating content with the customer, not just search engines, in mind. From attracting people with content, to converting them to customers, Dale explains what conversions look like for different businesses. Dale describes how AI will change SEO and the content you should be creating. Dale also gives an overview of what his keynote speech will cover. 2:50 – Dale started his career building websites, but explains how he switched to marketing. 3:54 – Dales talks about what he will be speaking about in his keynote speech. 4:35 – Nancy and Dale discuss content marketing and SEO. 9:11 – Dale defines what conversions are for different businesses. 13:09 – Dale explains how Google’s shift to using AI could impact SEO. 16:26 – Dale describes what is wrong with doing SEO for rankings. 24:49 – Dale talks about how SEO is not about keywords, but about your customers. 28:39 – Dale shares how he creates valuable content for his clients’ customers by first doing phone surveys. 31:56 – Dale explains how to improve search rankings. 34:00 – Dale shares some resources that have been helpful to him. Quote “It’s those conversions at the end of the day that matter for SEO. Whether you’re generating those, rather than just rankings. I work in an industry, the SEO industry, where a lot of SEO agencies are talking about rankings and traffic. They can get you to rank for some keyword your excited about and they can get people to come to your website, but that doesn’t matter if it’s not the right people.” – Dale Bertrand, founder and president of Fire&Spark Links: Content Marketing World: https://www.contentmarketingworld.com/ Heroic Public Speaking: https://heroicpublicspeaking.com/ Marketing AI Institute podcast: https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/podcast-showcase About the guest: Dale Bertrand has been an SEO specialist and AI consultant to Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed startups around the world for two decades. His clients include global brands such as Citizen Watch, Nestle, Raymond Weil, Exxon Mobil and Bulova. He applies his graduate school work in artificial intelligence to search engine marketing and speaks at marketing industry conferences. Looking to connect: Email: dale@fireandspark.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalebertrand Website: fireandspark.com

What do you do when the media calls for an interview after a crisis? From time to time, businesses are forced to engage in crisis communications — messaging to the masses during turbulent times. You may want to just say “no comment,” but that’s the worst thing to say after a crisis. It immediately implies guilt and will hurt your reputation in the court of public opinion. Perhaps your business is going through a product recall, or you’re dealing with an environmental issue. The 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill is just one infamous example of corporate turbulence. The parties involved likely had to rapidly develop a viable public relations plan — at a time when 4 million barrels’ worth of oil was flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. But you can’t just wait until a crisis strikes to be ready to communicate. It’s critical to prepare a crisis communications plan months and even years in advance, proactively mapping out how to respond if and when the ship starts rocking. The best reaction comes from planning your actions in advance and listing specific steps that you will take to respond. That’s how you weather a storm — you don’t just act in the middle of one, but before. Continue reading here. The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in April 2023. Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join The PR Maven® Facebook group page. Sign up for email notifications for when new episodes are released.

After being incarcerated at age 20, Meshell Baker realized that the people who stay out of jail work and launched her career in sales. In this episode, Meshell shares some of her tips for working in sales including the power of positive energy and placing the focus of a sales call on what the person you are trying to sell to needs, rather than what you want to sell them. Meshell also talks about her recent and upcoming speaking engagements, how PR has helped her and building her personal brand. 4:36 – Meshell talks about how her career in sales began. 11:55 – Meshell shares how positivity helps people working in sales and marketing. 14:57 – Meshell describes imposter syndrome. 19:01 – Meshell explains that in sales you want to prepare to have a call about the person you are trying to sell to and why doing this is so important. 25:14 – Meshell talks about her keynote speaking engagements, focusing on women working in male-dominated industries. 27:13 – Meshell explains how she has benefited from public relations. 28:37 – Meshell describes how she has built a strong personal brand. 31:35 – Meshell shares some resources that have helped her. Quote “It is on the marketer or the seller to leave that person better off because when they are ready to make the purchase or make the decision, you will come top of mind. Now, if you try to cajole and connive and convince them right there on the spot and you try to manipulate the situation... What people really don't understand about the power of positivity is that we are emotional creatures and what you evoke in that person when you are trying to manipulate, they know it. They don't understand why they don't necessarily connect with you or why there are red flags going off, but internally they have been exposed to your disingenuousness. Positivity is just the impact. I always say positivity is a direct path to profits.” – Meshell Baker, Chief Confidence Igniter Links: Listen to Episode 235 with Kris Kelso to learn more about imposter syndrome. Listen to Lynn Campbell’s episode on The PR Maven® Podcast. “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek: https://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447 UPS: https://www.ups.com/us/en/global.page Women in Auto Care: https://www.autocare.org/networking-and-development/communities/women-in-auto-care Any Baby Can: https://anybabycan.org/ Women in Trucking: https://www.womenintrucking.org/ “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill: https://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Landmark-Bestseller/dp/1585424331 “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319 About the guest: Meshell Baker understands that many founders, business owners and sales leaders struggle with doubt, their inner critic and imposter syndrome. She is on a mission to ignite confident belief in as many people as possible. Meshell Baker is a sales and confidence igniter, exhilarating keynote speaker and confident living catalyst who masterfully guides her clients to capitalize on their current conditions and leverage obstacles as opportunities, and confidently convert more conversations into raving fan clients. Meshell has phenomenal results, accolades and awards and has compiled an incredible track record of raving recommendations with clients over the past 25+ years. Looking to connect: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meshellrbaker Twitter: @MeshellRBaker Instagram: @meshellrbaker Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meshell.baker Website: www.meshellbaker.com

Influencer marketing is all the rage. It is a form of social media marketing that leverages endorsements and product placements from famous personalities and businesses to change hearts and minds. Think Kylie Jenner endorsing a new face lotion on TikTok or Roger Federer tweeting about that new Rolex in his watch collection. In many ways, influencers are often trusted more by everyday consumers than brands themselves since people can form strong connections with the people they follow online (even if they never meet them). Look at it this way: Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has more Instagram followers than there are people in the United States and Russia combined, making his thoughts, feelings and endorsements massively consequential — and uniquely marketable. Influencer marketing can be a valuable tool in your toolbox, even if you work with influencers of a lower level than famous athletes. At the very least, such marketing should be a consideration, based on your business and budget. Continue reading here. The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in March 2023. Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join The PR Maven® Facebook group page. Sign up for email notifications for when new episodes are released.

Do you know what imposter syndrome is? In this episode, Nancy speaks with Kris Kelso, author of “Overcoming The Impostor,” about what imposter syndrome is, how to overcome it and how overcoming it can benefit your personal brand. Kris also talks about his career and his public speaking journey. Kris shares how writing his book helped him become a thought leader and how his PR plan helped spread the word about his book. 4:24 – Kris talks about his career, starting in music, software development and tech, and now as a leadership coach. 5:50 – Kris explains why he decided to enroll in Heroic Public Speaking. 9:25 – Kris gives an overview of what imposter syndrome is. 12:50 – Kris talks about mindset differences. 20:06 – Kris gives tips for how to overcome imposter syndrome. 27:09 – Kris talks about his book, “Overcoming The Impostor: Silence Your Inner Critic and Lead with Confidence.” 27:38 – Kris explains how he considered using a guest writer for his book because he had imposter syndrome. 29:28 – Kris talks about how his book has helped establish him as a thought leader. 31:27 – Kris describes the PR plan he had for his book. 34:15 – Kris shares some resources that have been helpful to him. Quote “This really applies to digital marketing and those little bets. Whenever I try something for the first time, there are only two outcomes that I'm going to get. I'm either going to succeed or I'm going to learn. It's one of those two and either one is a net gain.”– Kris Kelso, Keynote Speaker, Author and Leadership Coach Links: Heroic Public Speaking: https://heroicpublicspeaking.com/ Dexterity Books: https://dexteritybooks.com/ “DIY Brain” by Dr. Roger Hall: https://www.amazon.com/DIY-Brain-Mindset-Makeover-Performance/dp/161206261X#:~:text=DIY%20Brain%20will%20help%20you,thoughts%20to%20improve%20your%20life.&text=Capital%20Management%20LLC-,Dr.,monitor%20and%20manage%20their%20thinking. About the guest: Kris Kelso is a professional speaker, a certified leadership coach, a two-time entrepreneur, and a mentor to leaders around the world. He’s the author of “Overcoming The Impostor: Silence Your Inner Critic and Lead with Confidence.” Kris is a faculty instructor at the Professional Christian Coaching Institute, an advisor and instructor at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and is a contributing writer for Fast Company Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and The Nashville Business Journal. He has unusually specific willpower, having not eaten a single donut in the past 17 years. Looking to connect: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kriskelso Twitter: @kriskelso Website: kriskelso.com Website: overcomingtheimpostor.com

This episode covers what you need to know about AI in public relations and marketing. Parry Headrick, founder of Crackle PR, talks about how his agency is adapting to the age of AI and working with experts like Chris Penn, co-founder and chief data scientist at Trust Insights. Parry and Chris explain how AI will be used to streamline data and coverage reporting, content creation and other lower-level tasks. Chris also gives two helpful lists of the different types of machine learning and what agencies must do to survive the shift to AI. 3:08 – Parry explains how he started his career as a journalist but decided to transition to PR after a story he wrote was sensationalized. 6:01 – Chris talks about how he started his career in IT, the evolution of technology in marketing, working at an agency and starting his own business. 10:07 – Parry talks about the role AI will play in PR including streamlining efficiencies, monitoring and content generation. 17:06 – Parry describes how his agency is adapting to AI, such as the shift in SEO. 23:10 – Chris shares how data analytics and PR should go together. 26:45 – Chris explains the three branches of machine learning. 37:50 – Chris lists the three things that agencies must do. 39:58 – Chris talks about what Trust Insights does for its clients. 42:15 – Chris describes the origin of his podcast, Marketing Over Coffee. Quote “I think ultimately, the biggest disruption is going to be how the largest agencies are billing and justifying the fees they get and I think at the smaller level it's going to get a little easier to be more nimble because you haven't pinned your hopes and dreams on a model that is antiquated in the age of AI.”– Parry Headrick, founder of Crackle PR “Every person in your company who uses Microsoft Office will now have access to a language model and will be able to do things like make a 10-slide presentation out of this press release or tell me what's important in this Excel spreadsheet. Tell me what the outcome was. And the models will do that instead. So it will dramatically shorten the time it takes people to do work and everyone is going to have to get good at this because it's going to be built into Office, it's already built into your search engines and it's going to be appearing in pretty much every piece of software that's complex to use.” – Chris Penn, co-founder and chief data scientist at Trust Insights Links: Marketing Over Coffee Podcast: https://www.marketingovercoffee.com/ DALL·E: https://openai.com/product/dall-e-2 ChatGPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt Listen to Chip Carey’s episode on The PR Maven® Podcast. Listen to The PR Maven® Podcast episode featuring students from Northeastern University. About the guests: Parry Headrick Founder of Crackle PR, Parry Headrick is a 20+ year tech PR agency veteran, having grown some of the largest privately held agencies in North America. Headrick has grown an audience of more than 60,000 across social media channels by discussing the good, the bad and the ugly about the public relations industry. Chris Penn Christopher S. Penn is an authority on analytics, digital marketing, marketing technology, data science and machine learning. A recognized thought leader, best-selling author, and internationally renowned keynote speaker, he has shaped five key fields in the marketing industry: Google Analytics adoption, data-driven marketing and PR, modern email marketing, marketing data science, and artificial intelligence/machine learning in marketing. As co-founder and Chief Data Scientist of Trust Insights, he is responsible for the creation of products and services, creation and maintenance of all code and intellectual property, technology and marketing strategy, brand awareness, and research & development. Mr. Penn is a 2023, six-time IBM Champion in IBM Data and AI, a Brand24 Top 100 Digital Marketer, an Onalytica Top 100 AI in...

If you work in public relations, you’re bound to know what “op-ed” means. Even if you don’t, you’ve probably come across one — perhaps without even knowing it. An op-ed column refers to a piece of written content that is traditionally “opposite the editorial page” of a newspaper. It is an article written by a subject matter expert as a form of commentary, taking a stand on a particular issue and informing readers in the process. Because it is a commentary piece with a particular slant, an op-ed is separate from a news story, which should be an objective piece of reporting (at least in theory). People in the PR industry understand op-eds — and their value — because they work with clients to draft, pitch and place them. (By “place,” I mean submit an op-ed to a news outlet that then accepts the submission, securing a placement.) Through op-eds, clients can position themselves as thought leaders, leveraging a news cycle to bring their subject matter expertise directly to readers. That thought leadership needs to be legitimate and topical, providing content to the target audience in a timely manner. We call it “newsworthy” in the PR business. Continue reading here. The article read in this episode originally appeared in Mainebiz in March 2023. Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join The PR Maven® Facebook group page. Sign up for email notifications for when new episodes are released.

This episode features nine students from Northeastern University’s Experiential Network (XN) Program who have been working with The PR Maven® Podcast to create a marketing plan. The XN program aims to educate Northeastern students through educational curricula using real-life projects and problems that reflect experiences in the professional workplace. Since January, we have been working with this group of students and their professor, Carolyn Boviard, to develop two marketing plans specific to The PR Maven® Podcast’s goals. Listen to this episode as they talk about what they have learned through this experience and how data can help your PR and marketing plan. 2:23 – Brooke talks about her educational background and what got her interested in marketing and PR. 4:23 – Kaixin explains how PR has opened up a new vision for her career. 6:19 – Eashwar describes how PR and research work so well together. 10:54 – Apoorva talks about how data can be used to help organizations make informed decisions. 13:10 – Eashwar shares how data can help with brand positioning. 16:35 – Eashwar gives his definition of psychographics compared to demographics. 21:43 – Aaksha explains how technology has changed PR and networking. 24:51 – Anjas describes what he thought PR was versus what he has learned that it is through this project. 28:38 – Mary explains how she got interested in marketing and what experience she has in it. 31:06 – Mehal talks about some of the challenges small businesses can face related to PR and data. 35:55 – Saurabh describes the benefits of studying PR when pursuing a career in business. Links: Northeastern University: https://www.northeastern.edu/ The West Wing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_West_Wing Hootsuite: https://www.hootsuite.com/ Listen to Chip Carey’s episode on The PR Maven® Podcast

Are you looking to grow your personal brand and become an authority in your field? In this episode, Claire Mason shares how you can become a thought leader, improve your visibility and track these improvements using data. Claire describes the importance of media in your growth strategy. Claire also talks about using social media networks, such as LinkedIn, to build your personal brand online in addition to utilizing in-person tactics. Listen to find out what the lighthouse and breadcrumb strategies are and how to use them. 3:35 – Claire talks about her career and how she got into it. 7:13 – Claire defines personal branding or her preferred term, authority branding. 9:93 – Claire describes how visibility can be used in your growth strategy. 11:16 – Claire talks about media mindset insights you might not be aware of. 13:14 – Claire explains vanity metrics. 16:25 – Claire shares how you can combine online and in-person personal branding. 21:04 – Claire talks about her speaking engagements through the eight networking groups she is part of. 23:25 – Claire explains how to leverage LinkedIn, including the lighthouse strategy and the breadcrumb strategy. 26:23 – Claire describes how she has benefited from public relations. 27:36 – Claire shares the three secrets that will land you media coverage. 29:38 – Claire explains how to use media coverage to create additional content and amplify your brand. 32:35 – Claire answers the question of whether people are still reading newspapers. 35:35 – Claire explains how curation and credibility make the media unique. 37:23 – How can people get in touch with you? Quote "What has happened in the wake of these amazing pieces of software being invented is that we focus exclusively on lead generation and we forget that before anybody can hop into your sales funnel and purchase your software or sign up to a newsletter or sign up to your webinar, whatever the case might be, book a call with your potential business development team, they have to actually see you. And that's where the visibility piece comes in. It's very much the psychological element, the branding piece, and that is why I am a believer that the more visible you make yourself, the more your opportunity pipeline is going to be stuffed to the gills." – Claire Mason, thought leadership publicist Links: HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/ Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/ LinkedIn Social Selling Index: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/social-selling/the-social-selling-index-ssi Heroic Public Speaking: https://heroicpublicspeaking.com/ Dorie Clark books: https://dorieclark.com/books/ Cindy Gallop: https://cindygallop.com/ About the guest: Claire Mason is a Thought Leadership Publicist, who works with founders, coaches and solo entrepreneurs. She helps them earn the publicity they deserve to grow their visibility, credibility and opportunity pipelines using her proven LinkedIn and media strategies. Claire has earned bylines from numerous publishers, including The Guardian, Marie Claire and The Sunday Times. And she has placed her clients’ stories in publications like Forbes, CNBC and Wall Street Journal, among others. She is often called on by other Publicists as their secret ingredient to land media coverage for their clients. Claire’s clients regularly see increases of 40% or more in their pipelines after implementing her content strategies. Her work has been showcased as an example of best practice by HubSpot. Claire is also a regular contributor to Business2Community (USA), Digital Doughnut (UK), Thrive Global (USA) and CoFounders Town (India), where she writes how content marketing can move the needle for B2B brands. Looking to connect: Email: claire@clairemason.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-mason-thoughtleadership/ Twitter: @CMwritesalot Website: https://www.clairemason.co/

Telling your story is a big part of building your brand. In this episode, Mads Hanna starts off by talking about her career and how it led her to brand storytelling. Mads explains how you can breathe storytelling into your brand, the four fundamental pieces for brand storytelling and when having a clear story is important in all aspects of your business. Nancy and Mads also discuss how brand storytelling is important to staying relevant, especially with all the different methods of sharing your story today. 2:29 – Mads explains how she grew up telling stories and how her mom suggested that she pursue a career in public relations. 4:22 – Nancy and Mads talk about staying relevant and consistent. 10:26 – After working in PR at the beginning of her career, Mads describes how she took a gap year (or two) and went abroad, becoming a digital nomad. 17:54 – Mads shares how to breathe storytelling into a business. 20:12 – Mads lists the four fundamental pieces for brand storytelling. 27:37 – Mads explains how storytelling impacts all aspects of your business or brand, helping make sure everyone is on the same page. 33:31 – Mads talks about the importance of consistency which can allow customers to see themselves in your brand and help them trust the brand. 36:26 – Mads gives her advice to PR professionals on how to incorporate storytelling into their work. 38:11 – Mads shares some resources that have helped her. Quote " I think everybody needs to understand the story so they can bring it to life within their own discipline. I look at everything. How are we telling our story here? Is there a moment where we can bring the identity to life? Have that surprise and delight moment. We can catch people off guard and show that they're seen and heard." – Mads Hanna, founder of Curated Compass Links: Check out these other episodes featuring storytelling: Episode 219: Growing Your Passion Into a Brand Episode 114: How to build brand exposure by understanding your story Episode 77: How to tell stories that build authenticity and relationships Pure Barre: https://www.purebarre.com/location/portland-me Unilever: https://www.unilever.com/ Intuit QuickBooks: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/ Heroic Public Speaking: https://heroicpublicspeaking.com/ Sugarloaf: https://www.sugarloaf.com/ StoryBrand: https://storybrand.com/about/ I and love and you: https://iandloveandyou.com/ Cultish by Amanda Montell: http://amandamontell.com/cultish/ Defining Decade by Meg Jay: https://megjay.com/the-defining-decade/ About the guest: Mads Hanna has 12 years of blended work experience across PR, copywriting, storytelling and brand strategy. She’s worked with big-box consumer lifestyle brands like Unilever (frozen novelties and spreads) and B2C tech companies like Intuit QuickBooks. She now runs her own remote-always brand storytelling studio where she partners with founders and small business owners to help them articulate their story and share it with the masses. Looking to connect: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madshanna/ Website: www.curatedcompass.com

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the art of the podcast became a full-blown renaissance. But in truth, podcasting predated the coronavirus, responding to the evolving wants and needs of young listeners who don’t just want to blast the radio in their cars. Around the globe, there are more than 400 million podcast listeners who tune in for all sorts of content. Because of that high listenership, there are over 2 million independent podcasts with tens of millions of episodes between them. That’s right: Over 2 million podcasts. Nowhere is the podcast more popular than in the United States, which lays claim to the most podcast listeners in the world (over 100 million). The growth in recent years has been astounding. Nearly 80% of Americans over the age of 12 are now aware of podcasts – up more than 30% from a decade ago. Even in 2015, only a minority of Americans considered listening to podcasts in their day-to-day lives. So much has changed in less than a decade. Continue reading here. The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in December 2022. Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join The PR Maven® Facebook group page. Sign up for email notifications for when new episodes are released.

TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform worldwide, surpassing social media giants like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In this podcast episode, Anna McDermott shares some of the tips she has learned from creating TikToks for Marshall Communications. Anna also shares the data and demographics that prove why TikTok is an important PR and marketing resource for your business. 1:32 – Anna explains how her career started in the hospitality industry. 2:40 – Anna describes how she started using TikTok for herself personally and for Marshall Communications. 3:38 – Anna talks about the kinds of videos she creates. 5:04 – Anna shares what some of her most popular videos have been so far. 6:08 – Anna explains what Marshall Communications’ goals are for using TikTok. 11:48 – Anna talks about how social media fits into PR. 12:26 – Anna describes the demographics for TikTok. 14:20 – Anna explains why you should consider using TikTok. 16:27 – Anna talks about the algorithm on TikTok. 18:45 – Anna explains how to share a TikTok video to Instagram Reels. Quote "Most public relations agencies are not doing TikTok. They have experience with the older, familiar platforms like Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. We're kind of on the cutting edge, I think, for social media marketing, and that's where we as an agency want to be. We want to be at the intersection between traditional PR and social media marketing. I think TikTok is helping position us very well for that." – Anna McDermott, account supervisor at Marshall Communications Links: Listen to Anna’s first episode on The PR Maven® Podcast. Listen to Kat Child’s episode of The PR Maven® Podcast. Listen to Chip Carey’s episode of The PR Maven® Podcast. University of Southern Maine: https://usm.maine.edu/ Down East Magazine: https://downeast.com/ Mainebiz: https://www.mainebiz.biz/ About the guest: With a passion for creative strategy, Anna brings nearly 20 years of experience to our Marshall Plans. Her insightful work highlights each client’s unique qualities and connects them with targeted audiences and media. Anna’s areas of expertise include crafting vibrant copy for press releases, pitches, newsletters, SEO and other promotional materials as well as bringing a fresh perspective to social media marketing. Recently, Anna has been creating TikToks for Marshall Communications and is here today to teach us about TikTok! Looking to connect: Email: amcdermott@marshallpr.com TikTok: @marshallcommunications

Did you know that the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 96% of all the world’s oceans? Anna Dibble joins Nancy to talk about her environmental advocacy as an artist and what Gulf of Maine EcoArts is doing to shine a light on the impacts of climate change. Public relations plays a key role in helping spread the word about art exhibits, including the Gulf of Maine EcoArts’ latest collaboration with Maine Maritime Museum, an exhibit called “SeaChange: Darkness & Light in the Gulf of Maine.” Listen to this episode to find out what role PR plays and learn more about the SeaChange exhibit. 2:47 – Anna explains how growing up around nature led her to her career and helped her realize how there is a disconnect between most people and the natural world. 4:38 – Anna talks about the inspiration behind the SeaChange exhibit at Maine Maritime Museum. 10:15 – Anna describes what she hopes will come out of the SeaChange exhibit. 14:26 – Anna shares how PR is important for all the different aspects of SeaChange, whether the exhibit is being covered from an environmental or artistic perspective. 17:10 – Anna explains how PR can help promote art exhibits. 18:55 – Anna talks about working with interns to create the SeaChange exhibit. 21:52 – Anna shares one of her favorite books and some environmental authors that have impacted her work. Quote "I've had to do a lot of publicity for myself and for the arts, it's extremely important because the arts in our culture are almost put in this separate category. It's too bad they're not more part of the culture the way they are in Europe and Canada and even Mexico. They are separated so publicity is extremely important, I think. Otherwise, word of mouth isn't enough. We need the press." – Anna Dibble, founding director of Gulf of Maine EcoArts Links: Listen to Amanda Pleau’s episode of The PR Maven® Podcast. Colin Woodard’s Gulf of Maine series: https://www.pressherald.com/2020/09/07/mayday-gulf-maine-distress-six-part-series-from-colin-woodard/ Bigelow Lab: https://www.bigelow.org/ Maine Maritime Museum: https://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/ Conservation Law Foundation: https://www.clf.org/ Commentary: Art Can Help Us Understand the Gulf of Maine’s Warming Problem: https://www.pressherald.com/2023/02/06/commentary-art-can-help-us-understand-the-gulf-of-maines-warming-problem/ Intertidal: Maine Maritime Museum Exhibit Features Underwater Mountain Range: https://www.pressherald.com/2023/02/09/intertidal-maine-maritime-museum-exhibit-features-underwater-mountain-range/ Where Art and Science Intersect: https://news.colby.edu/story/where-art-and-science-intersect/ Maine College of Art & Design: https://www.meca.edu/ Saint Joseph’s College of Maine: https://www.sjcme.edu/ Maryland Institute College of Art: https://www.mica.edu/ “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr: https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Cuckoo-Land-Anthony-Doerr/dp/1982168439 Gretel Ehrlich: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Gretel-Ehrlich/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AGretel+Ehrlich Barry Lopez: https://www.amazon.com/Barry-Lopez-Books/s?k=Barry+Lopez&rh=n%3A283155 Paul Kingsnorth: https://www.paulkingsnorth.net/books About the guest: Anna Dibble is a visual artist, project designer and curator. She has shown her work in galleries and museums in the northeastern United States since 1971. Between 2018 and 2023, she founded and directed a project-based initiative, and produced two collaborative large-scale, year-long sculpture and environmental exhibitions. In the past, she worked in the animation industry in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York at Disney, Sesame Street and Electric Company, Marvel and Hanna Barbara. Looking to connect: Instagram: @anna.dibble Website: www.gulfofmaineecoarts.org Personal website: www.annadibble.com

Social engagement is the name of the game for business leaders. As we move into the new year, take some time to consider your own social capital and goodwill. The key to branding yourself is the impact you have on others – whether or not they know, like and trust you. Elevating your social capital and fostering goodwill among others (including clients and customers) takes your entire brand to another level. Ask yourself: Am I (still) relevant? Am I (still) recognizable in the eyes of others? Because online branding is so important these days, relevance and recognizability come down to “searchability” – your presence in Google Search. When people search for your name or your business, they want to see your expertise. They want to see thought leadership. They want to see content that demonstrates unique know-how – from LinkedIn posts and tweets to news stories and op-ed columns. Continue reading here. The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in December 2022. Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join The PR Maven® Facebook group page. Sign up for email notifications for when new episodes are released.

How can you get your pitch noticed? In this episode, Rob Caldwell describes what he looks for in a pitch. If you tell a story in your pitch and make sure it is targeted to the media outlet, your pitch will be more likely to get noticed. Sending a handwritten note can also break through the clutter and help you stand out. Also, someone with a lot of personality will increase the chances of your story being covered or being featured in a cooking segment. Listen to the episode to find out more tips and learn about Rob’s career. 3:05 – Rob shares how he had no plans to get into broadcasting, but quickly realized he didn’t want to be a cab driver after graduating from college. 14:11 – Rob gives his advice on how to become better at interviewing, starting with having a genuine interest, curiosity and being prepared. 18:16 – Rob explains that he is always looking for a good story and broad appeal in a pitch, specifically stories about people with lots of personality. 25:28 – Rob talks about handwritten notes and how they can help you break through the clutter. 28:32 – Rob recalls how TV, media and news have changed since he started his broadcasting career. 30:42 – Rob explains how NEWS CENTER Maine uses social media to promote its programming. 35:29 – When it comes to the NEWS CENTER Kitchen, Rob shares that they are looking for people with personality in addition to having talent in the kitchen. 40:48 – Rob shares a resource that helped him figure out a career path he did not want to take. Quote "Tell me a story. That's what I want to hear in a pitch, or from anyone, whether it's a pitch from a PR professional or from the person I meet on the street. What's the story here? Why is this a story that people will want to hear? " – Rob Caldwell, anchor and reporter for NEWS CENTER Maine Links: Listen to Bill Green’s episode of The PR Maven® Podcast. Listen to other episodes about handwritten notes: Tate Sandrock Christine Richards 60 Minutes: https://www.cbsnews.com/60-minutes/ Pure Barre: https://www.purebarre.com/location/portland-me Portland Press Herald: https://www.pressherald.com/ O’Maine Studios: https://omainestudios.com/ “One L” by Scott Turow: https://www.amazon.com/One-Turbulent-Story-Harvard-School/dp/0143119028 About the guest: Rob Caldwell is an anchor and reporter for the NBC television stations in Maine, WCSH in Portland and WLBZ in Bangor. He has done thousands of interviews and stories in his 41-year career and his stories have received honors that include regional Emmys and a national Edward R. Murrow award. Since 2003, he has been the co-anchor of “207,” a news magazine that airs weeknights at 7 p.m. In 2015, he was inducted into the Maine Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Looking to connect: Email: rob.caldwell@newscentermaine.com Website: www.newscentermaine.com

Nancy’s love of public relations started early on when her father, an electrical engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation, suggested she pursue a career in PR. After graduating from Colby College, Nancy worked at Sugarloaf as the assistant director of communications. In 1991, Nancy opened her own agency with Sugarloaf as her first client. Because of her love for PR, Nancy always wanted to experience her clients’ businesses and show that she had the credentials to be the spokesperson for these organizations. When she worked for Sugarloaf she became a certified ski instructor, for Northern Outdoors she become a whitewater rafting guide, for the Victory Chimes Windjammer she learned what it was like to be a member of the crew and for Orvis she learned fly tying and how to fly fish. Nancy wraps up the episode by answering the question, “What do you love about public relations?” Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join The PR Maven® Facebook group page. Sign up for email notifications for when new episodes are released.

Do you wonder what it takes to build a strong community for your brand? In this episode, find out how the Trek Across Maine builds their brand community and how you can get involved. The Trek Across Maine benefits the American Lung Association, bringing people together from across the country and the world to support healthy lungs and clean air. The mission brings everyone together, but the experience keeps the community close. Listen to find out how Gale Auclair became part of the Trek Across Maine community and how her work is helping to grow that community even further. 4:08 – Gale describes how she was introduced to the Trek Across Maine through volunteering. 6:20 – Gale shares that her passion for her job is what keeps her in Maine. 10:09 – Gale provides all the information you need to know about the Trek Across Maine including the dates and what the route will look like this year. 14:53 – Gale explains how to sign up for the Trek Across Maine. 21:34 – Gale talks about how much the Trek Across Maine raises and where that money goes. 22:45 – Gale lists some of the different reasons why people ride. 24:52 – Gale gives some information about the virtual Trek. Quote "The Trek is this tool that helps people meet other people. They solve a personal challenge. They might make a decision on what type of journey they are going to go on. They make friends for life. It’s a healing tool. I really believe that." – Gale Auclair, senior development director for the Trek Across Maine Links: VIP Tires & Service: https://www.vipauto.com/ L.L. Bean: https://www.llbean.com/ Puritan Medical Products: https://www.puritanmedproducts.com/ Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown/Waterfront: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/pwmcd-courtyard-portland-downtown-waterfront/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0 Garmin: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/ Hammond Lumber: https://www.hammondlumber.com/ Martin’s Point Physical Therapy: https://martinspoint.org/become-a-patient/learn-about-our-services/physical-therapy Central Maine Healthcare: https://www.cmhc.org/ Bank of America: https://www.bankofamerica.com/ Mid Coast - Parkview Health: https://www.midcoastparkviewhealth.com/ Kennebec Savings Bank: https://www.kennebecsavings.bank/ Bangor Savings Bank: https://www.bangor.com/ Spectrum Medical Group: https://spectrumhcp.com/ Cross Insurance: https://www.crossagency.com/ Bilodeau Insurance: https://bilodeauinsurance.com/ Maine State Credit Union: https://www.mainestatecu.org/ Blueberry Broadcasting: https://www.wtosfm.com/ WGME: https://wgme.com/ Down East Magazine: https://downeast.com/ Fielder’s Choice Ice Cream: https://www.fielderschoiceicecream.com/ Vibe Media Production Co.: https://www.vibemediaproductionco.com/ Gorham Bike & Ski: https://www.gorhambike.com/ CycleMania: https://www.cyclemania1.com/ Ski Rack Sports: https://skiracksports.com/ SideCountry Sports: https://www.sidecountrysports.com/ The Rusty Crank: https://www.rustycrank.com/ L.L. Bean Bike, Boat & Ski: https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1000001707?page=store-bike-boat-ski Rainbow Bicycle: https://rainbowbike.com/ Ernie’s Cycle Shop: https://www.erniescycleshop.com/ About the guest: Gale Auclair was born and raised in New Jersey as one of five children. Her parents would bring the family to Newport, Vermont, every summer to visit their grandparents and rent a house on Lake Memphremagog. Gale was adamant that she was going to one day live in Vermont! After graduating from Trinity College in Burlington, Vermont, with a Bachelor of Science, Gale started a family in St. Johnsbury and began her career in management. She then moved to Winooski, to work with the Vermont Children’s Aid Society as a development assistant. After 33 years of calling Vermont her home, Gale moved to Augusta, Maine. Her love of development brought her to work at the Sisters of Mercy in Portland and after four years, to the American Lung Association in...

“Do what you love, and the money will follow.” But will it? Michael Katz used to be a big believer in this theory but now he’s not so sure. In this episode, Michael talks about the two parts of his career: the first part where he had unfulfilling jobs and the second part where he developed his own business. Specializing in email newsletters, Michael explains the importance of doing what you are good at and being likable to your target audience. Michael connects the topics discussed in the episode by explaining that growing a career out of something you are good at is the key to loving what you do and being able to make money doing it. 3:30 – Michael describes the two parts of his career, before and after founding Blue Penguin. 6:32 – Michael talks about why e-newsletters are still valuable. 12:43 – Michael explains how e-newsletters and social media can work together. 14:50 – Michael compares being likable and being good at what you do. 21:50 – Michael shares his new theory of making money by doing what you love, including the critical component of being good at what you do. 26:33 – Michael talks about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. 28:14 – Michael shares a book that has been helpful to him. Quote "What I think is a better approach, actually, is to figure out: What are you really good at? That's hard, too, for a lot of people because again, it's not usually 'I can play the guitar or play basketball' as a thing that I'm the best at." – Michael Katz, Chief Penguin at Blue Penguin Links: Listen to Michael’s first episode on The PR Maven® Podcast. The Likeable Expert Gazette: https://bluepenguindevelopment.com/newsletter-blog/ “The Likeable Expert” by Michael Katz: https://www.amazon.sg/Likeable-Expert-Insights-Start-Business/dp/1975606663 “Company of One” by Paul Jarvis: https://www.amazon.com/Company-One-Staying-Small-Business/dp/1328972356 Stephen Church: https://www.copywriternorthampton.co.uk/ About the guest: An award-winning humorist and former corporate marketer, Blue Penguin founder and Chief Penguin, Michael Katz, specializes in coaching professional service firms and solos in improving their marketing. Since launching Blue Penguin in 2000, Michael has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Business Week Online, Bloomberg TV, Forbes.com, Inc.com, USA Today, and other national and local media. He is the author of four books and over the past 20+ years has published more than 500 issues of “The Likeable Expert Gazette,” a twice-monthly email newsletter and podcast with 6,000 passionate subscribers in over 40 countries around the world. Michael has an MBA from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from McGill University in Montreal. He is a past winner of the New England Press Association award for “Best Humor Columnist.” Looking to connect: Email: michael@bluepenguindevelopment.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljkatz/ Website: https://bluepenguindevelopment.com/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-likeable-expert-podcast/id129322485

Using hashtags can often seem a bit overwhelming and confusing. With the unlimited number of hashtags and variety of social media channels using them, you may be asking, “What hashtags should I use? How many should I use? Should I even use hashtags?” The bottom line is that hashtags should be used, and they do benefit social media marketing efforts when used correctly. They can help improve social media visibility, encourage user engagement and clue you in on industry trends. Here are some strategies a brand, business or individual social media account can utilize to improve their hashtag usage. Continue reading here. Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join The PR Maven® Facebook group page. Sign up for email notifications for when new episodes are released.

Let’s be honest: Social media is sexy, and so is the discourse surrounding it. From the latest TikTok trend to Elon Musk taking over Twitter, there always seems to be something new happening in the digital world. Social media is full of “influencers” with millions of devoted followers, and those influencers can have more of a public platform than Fortune 500 CEOs and elected officials in many cases. (Don’t look now, but Kylie Jenner has more than 372 million followers!) Still, public relations practitioners should be careful about getting too caught up in the social media craze. Yes, the digital aspect of PR is important, and increasingly so. By now, we all know the value-add of influencer marketing – the strategy whereby brands partner with those who have engaged social media followings. Influencer marketing is often described as the contemporary version of product placement, further blurring the lines between paid and earned media, given that it’s more of a paid advertising tactic (paying influencers to endorse products). But there’s more to PR than the digital universe. It is my opinion that the ultimate influencer for PR practitioners to leverage is still traditional media. After all, PR budgets seldom include paid influencer marketing, so professionals in the field need to be creative about promoting their clients in other ways. The original way – and still the most important way – comes down to traditional media. Continue reading here. The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in November 2022. Activate The PR Maven® Flash Briefing on your Alexa Device. Join The PR Maven® Facebook group page. Sign up for email notifications for when new episodes are released.