Communications Commandment #1: Know Your Audience
There is a common thread that led to success when writing a cover letter, marketing message and media pitch: know your audience! I recently interviewed Heidi Scott Giusto on the FIR on Higher Education podcast to discuss a topic that I am not an expert in: communications during the career search. It was interesting for me to hear Heidi discuss […]
Why Groups and Individuals Within Higher Education Should Consider Podcasting
It is a crowded content space out there. Attention spans are limited. As you think about your content marketing strategy, you should perhaps consider podcasting as a medium to achieve your goals. Podcasting is the only form of content that can be consumed while an individual is doing other activities. Whether you are doing housework, […]
Introducing the Experiential Media Event: Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Positive press can open doors for individuals and organizations in dramatic ways. For start-ups, awareness is generated amongst investors, clients and future employees that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. For a university, it leads to visibility among key stakeholders like current students, prospective students, alumni and the community. Rarely does ongoing positive media visibility happen by […]
Institutional Social Media Goals – New Year Perspectives from Duke University and Indiana University
The beginning of the year is a time to re-evaluate our goals. On that note, we asked two different directors of social media strategy at two institutions the following question: In what ways are looking to experiment and innovate in 2016 to advance your institution’s social media goals? Here are responses to this question from […]
Join My Free Media Training Mini-Course on Periscope! (#MediaTrainingScope)
There are lots of shiny new objects that come out on a regular basis. All too often, what is the talk of town quickly fades away. I think Periscope is an exception. There are many unique differentiators about Periscope that set it apart from other social networks. If you haven’t seen Periscope in action, I […]
New Survey: The State of PR and Communications at Public Policy / Public Affairs Schools
Public policy and public affairs schools still have work to do in ensuring that their PR activities are aligned with institutional big-picture goals. This is among the findings from Experiential Communications’ inaugural public relations and communications survey of schools focused on public policy and public affairs. The 10-question survey was conducted in May and June […]
Lessons for Communicators from Book “Believer” by David Axelrod
Politics is a great way to see communications done well. It also is a means to see how a few mishaps can be extremely detrimental for a candidate, industry and a nation. On that note, I really enjoyed reading David Axelrod’s new book entitled Believer: My Forty Years in Politics. Disclaimer: I actually am not a […]
Why University Presidents’ Pay Is a Communications Matter
I don’t know many people who would turn down more money in favor of a lower salary. That is exactly what took place at the University of Texas Austin when Gregory Fenves turned down a seven-figure salary to be President of the institution, Inside Higher Ed reported. He negotiated his salary down to $750,000, a […]
Think Like a Media Company in Creating Content as an Academic
It seems the best content initiatives go by the wayside. We get too busy, other priorities creep up and we lose the inspiration. Does this resonate with you? At the same, there are academics / higher education communicators who are strategically creating content on a regular basis and consequently achieving some of their personal / institutional goals. The […]
Episode #35: How to Work with Practitioner Publications Like Harvard Business Review
Getting visibility in Harvard Business Review can be a game-changer. In the case of thought leader Dorie Clark, an HBR blog post led to a full-length piece in the print magazine which then led to a new book (and she had written a follow-up book for good measure). On episode 35 of FIR on HIgher Education, […]