Sword and the Script

03/17/2021

03/16/2021

Optimism Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels Among Marketing Leaders: 5 Statistics from a Survey of CMOs | Sword and the Script

CMOs are pretty optimistic about the future.

They say their marketing strategies performed well during the pandemic. And both the standing of marketing among business peers and budgets have grown.

Inclusive decision-making is a blind spot.

5 takeaways from the most recent edition of The CMO Survey.

#marketing #cmos #marketingstrategy #strategy #future

Marketing leaders say their efforts performed well during the pandemic, and say both prestige and budgets have grown; inclusive decision making is a blind spot

03/09/2021

PR Agency Owner Started Making Homegrown PR Software; Today it’s a VC-backed Startup; Off Script No. 47: Zach Cutler Co-founder and CEO at Propel | Sword and the Script

At just 28 years of age, he grew his PR agency to people and $1 million in revenue.

The he started looking for software to help manage the flow of work inside his firm. He couldn't find any he liked, so he started making his own.

Today, that need has turned into a VC-backed business in its own right.

Meet Zach Cutler of Propel PRM. He's my guest for No. 47 in the Off Script Q&A series

Zach Cutler says he built a $1 million PR agency by age 28 and when he couldn’t find a PR software product for managing the work that he liked, he started developing one

03/02/2021

Here we Go Again, Cision to Acquire Brandwatch; Top Reasons Why One Company Acquires Another [PR Tech Sum] | Sword and the Script

There are several reasons why one company acquires another:
- acquire a new piece of technology
- acquire customers in a new market
- accelerate growth
- kill the competition
- sexy headlines aimed at becoming an acquisition target yourself.

That's top of mind because Cision, with new owners and a new leadership team, is back in the M&A game. It's the top story for this month's PR Tech Sum:

1. Cision announces plans to acquire Brandwatch

2. BuzzSumo introduces journalist profiles (and they are soon to be owned by Cision too)

3. Forbes contributor compares PR tech tools - here's a different view

4. PR tech mentions:
-Proof Analytics
-Signal AI
-Prezly - PR Software
-PublicRelay
-Onclusive
-SocialChorus
-Talkwalker

5. Vendor posts supporting Black History Month
-Business Wire
-Burrelles
-Muck Rack
-PR Newswire

6. Articles, blog posts and content picks
-Bulldog Reporter
- Meltwater
- Critical Mention

#PR #technology #PRtech #PRsoftware #publicrelations

Cision announces plans to acquire Brandwatch; BuzzSumo introduces journalist profiles; Forbes contributor compares PR tech tools; PR tech vendor posts supporting Black History Month

02/23/2021

PR Coverage May have a Bigger Influence on SEO than Links | Sword and the Script

New post! PR may have a bigger impact on SEO than previously thought.

Media coverage PR earns can drive searches for branded terms which technical SEO experts say can be *more powerful* than even links or keywords.

#seo #pr #earnedmedia #mediarelations

Media coverage PR earns can drive searches for branded terms which technical SEO experts say is more powerful than even links or keywords

02/16/2021

Have you seen the latest Trust Barometer from Edelman?

Some of the findings are simply stunning.

>>> People have more faith in businesses than they do in NGOs, government or the media.

But wait, there's more!

>>> Business was the only institution that respondents classified as both ethical and competent.

And here's the kicker:

>>> Both media and government were labeled – by survey responses – as unethical and less competent.

Some numbers?

>>> 61% say “the media is not doing well at being objective and non-partisan.”

If you've read me for any period of time, you know where I'm going with this next...

When there’s so much distrust in traditional information sources, it creates an opportunity for businesses to step up and fill a part of the void where they have both competence and credibility.

You can build credibility through content...if you can follow the golden rules outlined in this piece.

Seriously makes some time to read this one (not skim). It's the wind direction for PR and marketing.

Read the post: http://bit.ly/3b7Sg9W

#marketing #media #pr #content #business #publicrelations #contentmarketer #contentstrategy

Have you seen the latest Trust Barometer from Edelman?

Some of the findings are simply stunning.

>>> People have more faith in businesses than they do in NGOs, government or the media.

But wait, there's more!

>>> Business was the only institution that respondents classified as both ethical and competent.

And here's the kicker:

>>> Both media and government were labeled – by survey responses – as unethical and less competent.

Some numbers?

>>> 61% say “the media is not doing well at being objective and non-partisan.”

If you've read me for any period of time, you know where I'm going with this next...

When there’s so much distrust in traditional information sources, it creates an opportunity for businesses to step up and fill a part of the void where they have both competence and credibility.

You can build credibility through content...if you can follow the golden rules outlined in this piece.

Seriously makes some time to read this one (not skim). It's the wind direction for PR and marketing.

Read the post: http://bit.ly/3b7Sg9W

#marketing #media #pr #content #business #publicrelations #contentmarketer #contentstrategy

02/02/2021

AI to Identify Story “Boundaries” and Filter Ads in Broadcast Monitoring [PR Tech Sum] | Sword and the Script

Happy Groundhog Day!

It's the first Tuesday of the month, so here's the latest summary of news from the PR tech community:

1. Isentia brings AI to broadcast monitoring;

2. Propel PRM adds social media monitoring;

3. Muck Rack partners with non-profits for journalists; plus mentions and picks;

4. Mentions + moves: Signal AI appoints Clancy Childs as CPO; Tom Perchinsky joins Agility PR Solutions to lead sales; he previously had sales leadership roles for Vocus and later IQ Media;

5. Content picks from Bulldog Reporter and Muck Rack.

Isentia brings AI to broadcast monitoring; Propel adds social media monitoring; Muck Rack partners with non-profits for journalists; plus mentions and picks

01/26/2021

Your Response to Business Reviews Might Count as Much as the Review Itself | Sword and the Script

Should you respond to a negative business review?

Chances are (but not always) the answer is yes - especially in considering this survey.

Why?

While your words may not change the reviewer’s mind, it will have an impact on other customers and potential customers that read it.

#PR #publicrelations #customersatisfaction #reviewmanagement #reviewsmatter #digitalmarketing

Respond to reviews with diplomacy; while you may not change the reviewer’s mind, it will have an impact on other customers that read it

01/19/2021

8 Innovations in Public Relations Technology to Watch | Sword and the Script

Someone recently asked me what I get excited about in PR technology.

There are quite a few. Here are 8 innovations in PR technology to watch:

1. AI-assisted recommendations suggesting contacts to pitch

2. AI predicting a pitches chances of earning coverage

3. Better collaboration for PR teams

4. Identifying backlinks in media monitoring (finally!)

5. Podcast monitoring

6. Integration with Google Analytics to measure referral traffic from earned media

7. Marketing attribution for earned media

#prtech #technology #publicrelations #mediamonitoring #earnedmedia

Mentions: Notified, Intrado, Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack, Prophet, Propel PRM, Critical Mention, TVEyes Onclusive and others.

Vendors are giving us reason to be optimistic about public relations technology – from AI that will predict your pitching success to more tangible PR measurement and attribution

01/12/2021

Looking for press release pricing? Can't find it for the big vendors? We got you!

Here's how much press releases cost -- and other FAQs about releases.

Check out the full post for details: http://bit.ly/38CFMXF

#PR #publicrelations #PressReleases

Looking for press release pricing? Can't find it for the big vendors? We got you!

Here's how much press releases cost -- and other FAQs about releases.

Check out the full post for details: http://bit.ly/38CFMXF

#PR #publicrelations #PressReleases

01/05/2021

Meltwater Quietly Goes IPO [PR Tech Sum] | Sword and the Script

Happy New Year!

Here's the first monthly summary of news from the PR Tech Community for 2021.

Highlights:

1. Meltwater quietly goes public

2. Propel PRM hits 50 customers in 2020

3. The all-new "Vetted" is like HARO or ProfNet with no pitching

4. Mentions: Cision gets new sales lead; Muck Rack launches a customer community

5. Content picks from SocialChorus, Universal Information Services, Signal AI, Burrelles, and Michelle Messenger Garrett.

#PR #publicrelations #technology

Meltwater lists on a Swedish stock exchange ; startup Propel hits 50 customers; Vetted launches – it’s like HARO or ProfNet with no pitching

12/29/2020

The Top 10 Most Read Posts on Sword and the Script in 2020 | Sword and the Script

Thank you for reading.

Here are the most-read posts on Sword and the Script this year.

Good riddance 2020!

Wishing you success and health in 2021.

Several posts on PR technology made the top 10 posts on Sword and the Script as measured by reader clicks

12/22/2020

45 Marketing and PR Statistics that Recap the Year We Had in 2020 | Sword and the Script

Here’s a look at statistics across PR, marketing, and social media that were surfaced in the various reports and studies covered on this blog throughout 2020.

Some of the standouts include:

> Some 68% of B2B professionals surveyed say it takes longer to complete B2B sales cycles compared to a year ago.

>“More than 50 percent of CMOs indicate they are responsible for 11 or more distinct marketing activities,” according to a survey by Deloitte and the CMO Club.

> Brands that emphasize employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX) achieve business growth nearly 2x faster, according to a study by Salesforce.

>Three-quarters (75%) of PR and comms pros say media relations is getting harder – up 25% over three years.

> B2B technology decision-makers say they consumed 11 or more piece of vendor content over one year.

There's a whole lot more goodness in the post.

Here's a look at statistics across PR, marketing, and social media that were surfaced in the various reports and studies covered on this blog throughout 2020.

12/15/2020

Seeing Around Corners: 30 Marketing and PR Predictions for 2021 | Sword and the Script

Predictions usually include some element of aspiration.

It’s not just what we think will happen, but also a reflection in some way, shape or form, of what we hope will happen.

If there’s a common theme to this year’s annual list of predictions, is that we’re all hopeful about 2021.

Check out this list of #marketing and #PR predictions for next year. 👇👇👇👇

Two dozen marketing and PR professionals express what is largely aspirations for 2020 along with educated guesses about the future over the next 12 months.

12/10/2020

21 Influencers Share Stellar Advice for Digital Marketing in 2021

Nice round-up of ideas compiled by Garrett Public Relations
for #digital #marketing in 2021:

- "re-invest in getting to know your audiences"
- "align your values with your value"
- "for bottom-of-funnel content, it’s about who, not how many"

Thanks for the inclusion!

How can marketers focus on the right elements in 2021? These 21 influencers weigh in with their best digital marketing advice.

12/08/2020

3 Keys to Running Successful Internal M&A Comms Campaigns [Guest Post] | Sword and the Script

Leaders should plan and execute comms around M&A with the same level of detail as any other marketing campaign or business initiative writes Dwayne Alicie in this guest post.

His suggestions include:

1. Consider your audience and prioritize communicating with your employees.

2. Lay down a solid strategy once you understand employee perceptions.

3. Plan everything and pay attention to timing.

Read more in the link below.

#merger #acquisition #comms #corpcomms #financialcommunications

Leaders should plan and execute comms around mergers and aquisitions (M&A) with the same level of detail as any other marketing campaign or business initiative writes Dwayne Alicie in this guest post

12/01/2020

New Tech Tool Aims to Predict the Probability Your PR Pitch will Resonate with Reporters [PR Tech Sum] | Sword and the Script

Is it possible to know if a pitch will land with a reporter?

New PR tool "PRophet" says it has analyzed millions of stories from thousands of reporters to produce the probability of a journalist covering your story.

It tops the PR tech sum this month.

Mentions include Proof Analytics, Cision, PRgloo
and Prezly.

Link picks from Muck Rack, Agility PR Solutions, and @Burrelles.

#pr #tech #analytics

“PRophet” has analyzed millions of stories from thousands of reporters to produce the probability of a journalist covering your PR pitch

11/24/2020

6 Actionable Ways B2B Marketers Can Improve Virtual Events | Sword and the Script

How are your conversion rates -- from registrants to attendees -- on webinars and virtual events?

If you're getting 50% to attend, you're doing pretty well.

Survey says:

- 44% of respondents said they get 26-50%
- 39% of respondents said they get 51-75%
- 8% of respondents said they get 75%+

Check out this post for some actionable ways to get both more attendees and get more engagement from those that attend your events.

#marketing #digitalmarketing #engagement #virtualevents #b2bmarketing

A survey identifies several ideas B2B marketers can use to improve attendance, engagement and get more value out of their investment in virtual events

11/17/2020

Can B2B Build Credibility with Content Marketing? | Sword and the Script

One of the occasional critiques of content marketing I hear from PR professionals is that content lacks credibility.

The old adage in PR suggests nothing you say about yourself is as credible as someone saying it for you.

There is definitely value in third-party validation, but a key reason people believe that third-party is the fact they have a relationship with the subscribed audience.

It’s their audience, not yours.

That’s where content marketing – when performed according to research-driven best practices – flips things around.

#contentmarketing #publicrelations

Diligence and accuracy in owned media publishing allows B2B to foster a relationship with a subscribes audience and build credibilty for the organization in the process.

11/10/2020

6 Reasons B2B Marketers are Unsatisfied with their Own Content | Sword and the Script

B2B marketers say too much work, too few resources and too much interference forces them to choose between quality and completion.

A survey identified six key barriers:

1. Conflicting priorities and weak processes
2. B2B marketing faces interference
3. Insufficient resources
4. Too much work, and not enough time
5. Lack of cooperation from other departments
6. Limited exposure to customers

Here are the stats...and some ideas to adapt and overcome, in the link below, such as:

Shield time for your people to get their work done. We can talk all day in meetings, but someone in your organization still has to produce the marketing materials that advance your message.

One of the recommendations the report offers is to “build a controlled space for creativity.” It’s a good idea that I think is intended to present an opportunity to try new things – just don’t forget to make time for the essential tasks too.

#b2b #b2bmarketing #CMO #content #contentmarketing

h/t Radix Communications Ltd

B2B marketers say too much work, too few resources and too much interference forces them to choose between quality and completion

11/05/2020

Want the Fastest Growth in Business? Take Care of Your Employees First, Study Says | Sword and the Script

Study: “revenue growth is linked” to employee experience (EX).

Further, the growth as a result of EX is linked “regardless” of the emphasis the company placed on customer experience (CX).

As Tiffani Bova of Salesforce put it:

“The fastest way to get customers to love your brand is to get employees to love their jobs.”

#employeeexperience #customerexperience

A detailed study finds brands that emphasize employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX) achieve business growth nearly 2x faster