As the year-end grows near, and the list of the best people President Trump has fired and or resigned reaches historic highs, we wanted to share some thoughts... When John Kelly was hired as Chief of Staff, this was like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. If John Kelly resigns or gets fired, we will see more of the same. He has all too often tapped loyalists to fill key positions who lack the necessary qualifications and experience of their predecessors. The problem is not the staff of @realDonaldTrum, the problem is @POTUS.
Hiring and Retaining Talent: look for talent in new places and insist on communicators who are curious and customer-centric. Retain them by empowering them and paying them fairly.
Diversity & Inclusion: Whether it’s within your department, agency or your organization as a whole, being part of a diverse workforce and ensuring all voices are heard and included in decision making is no longer a “nice to do” initiative.
Measuring Engagement: Being a measurement work isn’t a bad look on any self-respecting communicator. For once, memorize the Barcelona Principles and apply them to your trade. Measuring the engagement of stakeholders and communicating PR’s contribution are two areas worth digging in further.
Artificial Intelligence: It’s for real, and it’s already happening for most communicators, in the software you are using today for your comms efforts. Embrace the power of AI to help you make sense of the dizzying array of data at your fingertips while you also keep in mind that your mind is still the dominant force behind great communications.
Data and Influencer Marketing: The amount of data you have access to will only proliferate in the years to come. Gain a better understanding of data marketing, for as the lines between PR and marketing continue to blur, you will need to have a clear vision of how to leverage the most important data points. Tread carefully with influencers but don’t ignore them. Whether they are hyper-local or celebrity level, they will be increasingly important to your brand strategy.
Social Media Social Storytelling: Those who tell the best stories will win on social media, so lighten up. Master the art of visual storytelling in particular, and hone your storytelling skills on a daily basis by writing, rewriting and reading others’ work. Just like a great book, your story needs to have a strong plot and interesting characters. If it doesn’t, don’t write it.
Content Marketing: Whether you are doing the writing or you are directing a content initiative, it’s imperative you understand how content marketing works in today’s fractured media landscape. Being able to tell your brand’s story as the best journalists do is a lofty but achievable goal.
Strategic Communications: First, understand the difference between strategy and tactics. Second, do your due diligence with your company or your client and grasp the nuances so that you can put forth a strategic campaign or plan that answers the Who, Why & What before you get to the How & When.
Business Acumen: You may not like being around math but you need to hang out with it more often. It is beholden on communications leaders to understand financial goals. Learn how to read a balance sheet, keep track of the Profit & Loss for your campaign, understand margins, and talk the talk when you are with senior management or clients. Profitability looks good.
'I only have 2 hours tonight': Watch CNN's Don Lemon destroy Trump's 'best people' one by one https://www.rawstory.com/?p=1406696 via rawstory
