How to be a Role Model
As mentioned in previous blogs, I am not in favor of making New Year’s resolutions, but this does not mean that I can stop others from doing so. As individuals seek self-improvement, they may be watching the people in their lives and in the public purview to emulate their behavior. In this blog, we will offer some tips on how to be a role model.
A role model differs from a mentor
A role model is an individual whose behaviors, personal style, life style, principles, and attributes are emulated by others who are trying to create their own professional identities and are inspired by said role model. The role model is generally a passive role and the person may not even know that their behavior is a model for someone else. What the role model has done through her own behavior is to set a standard or goal that the other person would like to reach. A mentor takes an active role in helping a protégé to develop skills. Although a role model is passive, a professional setting is not the time to “dance like nobody's watching;” everyone is watching and there may be people who see you as a role model and aspire to be like you. This points to the importance of behaving in a way that will earn you the respect of colleagues, supervisors, and junior staff.
Regardless of one’s role, one should want to offer a good impression. For managers and executives, it is even more important to mind one’s actions and to realize that your behavior impacts the company culture and the behavior of others.
Competence
If you do your job well and are dedicated and committed to the organization and achieving excellence, you are ready to be a role model.
Experienced-based Action
People who have experience in the specific job title, industry and with the organization are great role models. It is always useful to be the person who remembers the corporate history and can share how we successfully helped a client in the past and maybe the same strategy could be the basis for current actions.
Service
Are you willing to give your all to the company, willing to teach others, and be of service to others? A good leader is one who helps others to develop their own leadership potential.
Integrity
Are you honest and ethical in your dealings with others? Are you showing your authentic self to others? Do you do the right thing even when no one is there to know the difference? These items all contribute to acting with integrity.
According to a survey by OnePoll for the University of Phoenix, 74 percent of Americans have a role model, and we look to our role models for examples in intelligence, leadership, and confidence. Moreover, of those with a role model, 81 percent said that their role model had influenced some life decisions such as returning to school and financial goals. If one is a role model for others, one should feel honored and flattered. Who is watching you and are you ready to be a role model?
2020 Trends that Will Impact Public Relations Strategy
As hockey great, Wayne Gretsky would say, “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” Similarly, it is important to keep on top of trends and the latest tools in one’s industry to provide the most value to clients. At NRPR Group, we are always on the lookout for new tools to garner coverage for our client or simply to help them feel more comfortable with their investment in public relations. In 2020, public relations firm strategies will be impacted by many events that are happening in the world and based on trends in technology. Here are some thoughts on the largest trends that will influence marketing and PR activities in the coming year.
Journalists are being pulled in multiple directions
According to the Pew Research Center, there has been a 25 percent drop in newsroom employment from 2008 to 2018. The largest loss has been in the number of newspaper newsroom employees, which dropped by 47 percent during the time period. USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed and other publications each announced layoffs in 2019. Those journalists who remain are resource constrained, inundated by pitches, and according to Cision’s 2019 State of the Media Survey, 20 percent of publications face staffing issues. In 2020, journalists will need to focus on the Presidential elections and the summer Olympics. Reporters who may not usually focus on sports or political reporting will be pulled in to report on these big stories and this will impact their available time and attention for other projects.
Social Media Impacts What is News and How PR Works
Social media has impacted how news is reported and how marketers and PR professionals interact with editors and customers. Social media has expanded the reach of news yet shortened the life cycle of said news. Social media has also added to the state of the “global village” in that a seemingly unknown publication or influencer can post something that can go viral. There are many downsides to social media such as the ability to post without thinking. Moreover, in 2020, Instagram will test removing the ability to hide “likes” from public view, which will reduce the visibility brands have regarding the actual reach, popularity and public perception of influencers. With everyone having the ability to post and blog, there can be an increase in misinformation and negative impacts on the reputation of a company. Consumers can take to social media to express complaints about products and services. It therefore behooves PR folks to monitor coverage and posts and be ready to react to libelous and “fake” news. Social media also makes it easier for PR professionals to interact and build relationships with an editor. By following journalists on Twitter and other platforms, the PR person can learn more about the editor’s professional and personal interests, which may help to know which news items will resonate with the journalist.
Video Content is King
The expression “a picture paints a thousand words” is not a new one and video posts grab attention more quickly and result in great engagement than text alone. Videos help to raise a brand above the myriad posts and emails competing for consumer, influencers and journalists’ attention. Short videos of under two minutes can grab attention and keep the viewer’s interest while longer videos may be abandoned midway.
PR professionals in 2020 will need to guide their clients with regards to the kind of content that they need to create in order to reach audiences across a variety of platforms. While the brand’s message may be pitched to the media in a story or video format, it also needs to be shared on the right social channels for a broader reach (backed by all the right metrics, of course). Brightcove’s 2018 Video Marketing Survey found that 53 percent of consumers report that they have engaged with a brand after viewing one of its videos on social media. Moreover, millennials and younger adults prefer to watch a video than read an article, which will propel new organizations to supply more video-based coverage. Video content can come from slicing and dicing written content such as whitepapers, case studies and newsletters and creating short-length videos. As mentioned above, constrained editors appreciate ready-made video content that can accompany or stand alone as a piece of coverage.
There are many arrows in the PR professional’s quiver. The key is matching the information clients want to convey with the interests and needs of journalists and audiences. Throughout 2020. NRPR Group will continue to share tips and tricks for succeeding in the sea of competing news stories and pitches while leveraging a variety of tools.
Don’t Make Any New Year Resolutions
In 2018, 70 percent of Americans did not heed the advice in this blog’s title and made resolutions. Moreover, according to a follow-up survey by YouGov Omnibus in June 2018, only six percent of people said they had stuck fully to their resolution. While personally loving the idea of a new year, new beginning and have traditionally made New Year’s resolution, I now realize the futility of so doing. I’ve recently heard that January 17 is “Ditch your Resolution” Day and “Fall off the Wagon” Day on February 4 in recognition of our inability to stick with resolutions.
Ellyn Kasich, in a Psychology Today article, explains that
“For most of us, these resolutions last a few days or perhaps a few weeks, perhaps until the gym membership expires, although that is usually long after the exercising has been neglected. There is a very good and very human reason for these lapses and it lies in our makeup and not in any character weaknesses. It is almost impossible to make a resolution, the motivation for which will last for 365 days. It is not realistic and it is not even human. No form of psychotherapy would attempt a behavioral change that lasts a year without any other intervention.”
When we make resolutions, we are setting ourselves up for failure and we’ve all heard the phrase, “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.”
So let’s avoid insanity and make the New Year a time for intelligent self-improvement. Every day is the opportunity for a new beginning and a small change. Today is a new day to commit to a positive step toward a goal. Note, I said a “small change.” Don’t say I am going to lose 10 pounds this week or I am going to earn a promotion this week. Instead, work slowly toward your goal with a small difference such as sharing one good idea at this week’s staff meeting or substituting oatmeal for candy for breakfast. And if you do slip one day, that’s fine, recommit to your goal and start again. Shiv Galani describes a “seed habit” as a perfect substitute for a New Year’s Resolution. He explains, “The general idea is to focus on implementing one, and only one, habit to start and then once that foundation is set, building additional habits on top of that.” You could start by exercising for five minutes per day for a week with the plan of reaching a half-hour in four weeks.
Another alternative to the New Year’s resolution is One Word. One Word is a theme or mantra for the year. Mike Ashcroft and Rachel O’Brien wrote a book entitled My One Word in 2012. They suggest picking one word to use as inspiration to guide you throughout the year. In 2019, I chose “leader” for my word of the year. I hold leadership roles at work and in personal initiatives and want to help others to succeed. In 2020, my word is going to be “health” to remind me to recommit to healthy habits and ask myself, “is this good for my health?” Backwoods Mama, a blogger, explains that your one word needs to be simple, easy to remember, flexible, and offer focus. She suggests reflecting on the past year and imagining the person you want to be as you select a word.
The bottom line is to start small with some doable tweaks so that you do not become frustrated or overwhelmed. Small changes may lead to bigger ones. We want to be able to look back in December 2020, and realize that we did embrace change and empowered ourselves to move in a positive direction. Good luck and have a great year.
This is an updated version of a blog posted on January 9, 2019.
Why Have a Company Holiday Party?
The office Christmas party—as it was once known—has a long and storied past. According to Jake Rossen in a Mental Floss article, the holiday party dates back to the Great Depression and was intended to lift the spirits of workers who did not have the funds for their own parties. Office parties were once raucous affairs that gave employees and bosses a chance to escape from the formal roles they held in the office. Over time, the entry of women into the workplace and management roles has pushed legal and human resources departments to put the kibosh on total bacchanalias. While a previous blog discussed keeping the OFFICE in the office holiday party, this blog will focus on the corporate benefits of the holiday party. The holiday party helps to reinforce company culture, show appreciation to employees, build relationships between employees and management, and help to boost morale, engagement, and motivation of employees.
The holiday party is representative of the culture of the company. Entrepreneur.com defines company culture as “a blend of the values, beliefs, taboos, symbols, rituals, and myths all companies develop over time.” Simply stated, culture is the personality or reputation of an organization, and includes adjectives such as formal, casual, hardworking, caring, factory-like, etc. Certain personality types are attracted to and succeed in certain environments. The culture is created and evolves on a daily basis and can be reinforced, decreased or improved at the holiday party. The holiday party should represent the corporate culture, according to the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness (CMOE), “Are you trying to create a more formal, traditional culture? Plan a high-class party. Maybe make it a black-tie affair. If your company culture is really laid back, choose a theme that reflects that casual nature.”
The holiday party is a great way to celebrate the successes of individual employees, teams, and the company. The holiday party needs to be seen as a genuine expression that the company cares about employees and acknowledges their contribution to the organization. The organization needs to make sure that everyone feels appreciated and no one feels left out. Moreover, employees know the state of the organization and its financial performance. The party needs to be commensurate with the situation; a glitzy party in a year when layoffs occurred, is not appropriate. Instead, a low-key event can show employees that they are appreciated and demonstrate a positive resolve for the year to come.
Regardless of company size, we tend to interact with a certain group of coworkers with whom we work the closest. The holiday party gives everyone a chance to mingle with workers from other departments or teams, which unifies the company and better positions people to work together successfully in the future. It also gives employees to the chance to mingle with management in a more relaxed environment.
Company events are great for boosting company morale and increasing positive feelings about the organization. When morale is high, employees tend to be more motivated and productive. Company parties help people to relax and become refreshed and rejuvenated. A pep talk at the party can help workers to reconnect with the company vision and feel validated about the importance of the role they play.
Have a great holiday season and start thinking about success in 2020.
This blog post originally appeared on December 19, 2018.
Organize Your Office for 2020
On the list of office-related New Year’s resolutions, “get organized” is a popular item. While as discussed previously, I am against making resolutions and favor making goals since most people fail at resolutions, the end of the year is a terrific time to clear out the clutter and get organized.
The Benefits of Organization
Research has found that clutter can have negative effects on stress and anxiety levels, which hinders the ability to focus. Melissa Gratias, PhD, a productivity specialist with a background in industrial and organizational psychology suggests “to create a calmer atmosphere more conducive to dealing with stress, reserve your desk surface solely for things you use every single day. My favorite motivation to be organized comes from Dr Eva Selhub, M.D., author of Your Health Destiny: How to Unlock Your Natural Ability to Overcome Illness, Feel Better, and Live Longer: “When you're organized at work, you're more productive and efficient, which means you're able to finish at a reasonable time and go home. This leaves you with the time you need to exercise, prepare a healthy meal, relax, and get more sleep.” (We will ignore the existence of last-minute deadlines that pop up or myriad other items that can disrupt this well-intentioned strategy.)
There are also non-verbal cues that clutter sends out. While some people believe that clutter is a sign of creativity, most literature points to your office as an extension of your personal appearance. A cluttered office could signal a cluttered mind. If you take care of your clothing and with your grooming, then it is generally best to apply that attention to the appearance of your office or workspace. Your coworkers will judge you based on your office. If you work at home or alone, being organized will de-stress you and perhaps make you feel more professional.
Whether you work at an office or at home, schedule (and yes, this means, sending yourself a calendar invite) a time dedicated to tidying up your office and setting up a system for 2020. Before you start your actual purging and organizing project, take a few days to pay attention to how you work and what items you use. Are you always searching for your glasses? You may want to assign them a place of honor on your desk. Here are some tips on how you can organize and increase your efficiency and productivity in the new year.
Clean Your Desk
Step 1. Clear everything off your desk
Dust the surface and begin looking at the items you removed. Only items that you use every day should be on your desk within easy reach. This can include notebook, computer, pens, etc. Other items can be filed, returned to their rightful places and owners. You can also have items that remind of why you do what you do, which can include family photos.
Some people suggest a series of inboxes or standing folders to track hand off, file, read, waiting on response. I personally believe that these items are clutter collectors and you are better off with the Touch Once golden rule: Act, file, or discard. This behooves you to clean out file cabinets and discard old items that you will never use again, making sure to leave room in the file cabinets for new items. If you have a digital, paperless office, all the better, you can still use the act, file or discard rule, making sure you have clearly labeled files and folders so that you will be able to search for and find what you need. You can also use this organizing time to back up files to a physical drive or cloud.
Commit to organization as an ongoing project
You cannot organize once and then be done because then entropy and disorder will naturally follow. You will need to spend time somewhere between daily and weekly to keep things organized. Fifteen minutes at the end of the day can be spent filing, straightening your desk, making your to-do list for the next day, etc.
You can make Organization your mantra for 2020 and with a little effort, reap many rewards. Feel free to add your own tips for an organized new year in the comments.
Gift Giving in the Office
The holidays can be a confusing time at companies as workers ponder the question of “to gift or not to gift?” and then if they decide to give gifts to coworkers, there are questions over how much to spend and what to buy. In this blog, we offer some tips for gift giving at the office.
Tips for Bosses
As the boss, you set the tone for the corporate culture and need either to set some clearly defined rules about gift giving or set up a committee before the holiday season to hash out the policy, which should then be shared with all employees.
- Make sure there is a limit set on spending, such as $25 per gift given.
- Remind employees that participating in gift giving, Secret Santa and similar activities is voluntary
- Remember not everyone celebrates the Christian religious holiday of Christmas
- When handing out gifts to employees, be fair and spend equitably. Not everyone needs to receive the same gift, but do not be overly extravagant with certain people. Employees will compare gifts
- Don’t leave anyone out. They will feel bad and this can harm morale and productivity, in addition to being rude on the giver’s part.
- Avoid giving any gift that may be perceived as too romantic or intimate
Tips for Everyone
- Respect price limits. It makes everyone uncomfortable if you spend $100 and everyone else is spending $25.
- Do not give your boss a gift unless it is a group gift from the team. It is awkward since the boss makes more money than you, pays your salary, and may be viewed as a request for special treatment.
- Do not buy anything too personal. There is a saying, “gifts that go on the body or touch the skin are too personal.” This rules out cologne, jewelry, lotions, and most items of clothing.
- Your gift conveys a message about you. Give all gifts purchase some thought based on the interests of the intended recipient and avoid buying gifts that yell out “last minute."
- Avoid gag gifts unless you know the person will appreciate them. And if a gag gift is deemed appropriate, you need to make sure it is also office appropriate and not offensive to anyone at work who may happen to see the item.
- Avoid giving cash, unless you are the boss. A gift card is a better alternative assuming it meets the person’s interests
- Avoid gifts that may be seen as a hint such as a toothbrush or self-help book.
- Include a gift receipt
- Don’t worry of you receive a gift from someone for whom you did not buy a gift. Say thank-you and add the person to your list for next year.
- If you are exchanging gifts with coworkers who are also friends, it is best to do that offsite and/or beyond business hours.
- Say thank-you for all gifts received and do so promptly. A handwritten note is best although email is acceptable.
Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy the festivities. This time of year is a great time to bond with employees and friends.
Say Thank You
Thanksgiving is a time to consider the things for which we are thankful. My list goes like this:
- I am thankful for the support I receive from family and friends.
- I am thankful I have a job I enjoy and a boss who offers support, guidance and boosts to me and all NRPR employees and clients.
- I am thankful for my health.
- I am thankful I have money to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, and the ability to pay my bills; and thankful for so much more.
This year, I would like everyone to flip the Thanksgiving gratitude tradition to thanking others for the contributions they make to our happiness and success. According to a survey of 1,500 workers conducted by Reward Gateway, an employee engagement platform, 75 percent of U.S. employees agreed that motivation and company morale would improve if managers simply thanked workers in real time for a job well done. Recognition and appreciation also helps to improve loyalty to one’s manager, fellow employees, and the company, which in turn improves productivity. In fact, of those who interviewed for a new job, 20 percent were motivated to do so because they did not feel appreciated in their current roles.
Showing appreciation builds goodwill and reciprocity. When people feel appreciated they are more likely to return the gesture by agreeing to help the person who expressed gratitude or follow their wishes. They will also let you know that they appreciate you, too, which adds to your happiness and satisfaction with the situation.
How does one go about thanking fellow employees, those who report to you and even bosses and clients?
- Write a thank-you note. While an email conveys the same message, a handwritten note truly says that you care. The note should be sincere, specific and personal. The note can be short, but needs to go beyond only “thank you for all that you do for the company” to point to a specific project, work ethic, or overall contribution to the organization.
- Give a small gift such as a Starbucks gift card, pen,snack, candle, or mug. When the recipient uses the item, they will remember that this was an appreciation gift and it will be the gift that keeps on giving.
- Tip the service people you see every day such as the package delivery person, the doorman/concierge, or travel agent. These people often feel invisible and again if they feel appreciated, they will be happier to take on special requests.
- Know how the person wants to be thanked. Some people may want to be publicly thanked, others may want a private thank-you and would be embarrassed by the outside attention.
From periodic surprise gifts to a verbal thank you as the person is walking out the door as in “Have a good evening, thank you for your hard work today on that application,” there is a magic power in gratitude. Have a great Thanksgiving and show the people in your life that you are thankful for them and all they do. Gratitude is contagious, share it with others.
The PR/Marketing Partnership
In many organizations public relations and marketing are separate functions in separate departments and never the twain shall meet. This scenario is a mistake because in general the two work better when they are coordinated, resulting in better successes for the company overall..
Public Relations is defined by the Public Relations Society of America as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” The American Marketing Association defines marketing as “processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” In general, public relations is about building relationships with influencers who can aid in communicating with the end user, and with the users, investors and other relevant audiences who support the organization in meeting goals. Marketing is more focused on the customer and direct communication to show the benefits of a product or service with a specific goal of boosting sales. Public relations is more subtle with its impact on sales.
According to the 2018 Global Communications Report from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, 90 percent of PR agency professionals and 82 percent of in-house PR pros predict PR will become more integrated with marketing over the next five years. With an integrated public relations and marketing strategy, the tools used by practitioners in each field are blurring. While PR pros focus on earned or free media coverage, some people may place whitepapers and social media as marketing tools. Marketing pros are more likely to use paid media tactics to directly drive sales. PR is more focused on portraying a positive image of the company and its products.
Both PR and marketing cooperate on the shared brand strategy goals and how to achieve those goals. Elements of the strategy include messaging, events, media relations, social media and inbound marketing tactics of attracting attention to and interaction with the website, social media, and chats. PR pros can support marketing in developing content for email marketing and repurposing content across whitepapers and blogs.
As campaigns continue or are completed, marketing and PR can share data on which messages received the most engagement, which moved prospective customers along their purchase cycle PR can keep the marketing team updated on when coverage will appear so the marketing and sales team can be prepared for a jump in inquiries. How will success be defined? Can metrics be assigned to this vision of success? Remember the SMART goals—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. These metrics can include likes, shares, website visits, sales, inquiries, and requests for information.
The key takeaway is that public relations and marketing are on the same team with the goal of increasing sales; the first step in this process is increasing brand awareness, Before any outbound marketing or public relations can be pursued the company need s to have its ducks in a row meaning in-place, structured messaging, collateral, and prepared staff. By working in conjunction to “sell” both the company and the product, PR and marketing increase their chances of success.
Note: this blog originally ran on February 27, 2019
Why I Want to Work in PR
My journey into a career in public relations was a bit circuitous, but worth the trip. In college, I majored in communications, thinking about a career in journalism, and took several tracks within the major including public relations, which I liked because it combined corporate communications and marketing aspects. I also took marketing classes and was interested in research and data, learning about potential customers and translating what I learned into information that could be used to target audiences. I became increasingly interested in research and writing, always wanting to learn new things and to share what I had learned with others. When I began working as a telecommunications industry analyst, I was able to leverage and build my market research, interviewing, and writing skills. Working closely with clients on custom projects was to some degree to similar to public relations in that we were working with clients to help them to develop launch plans, marketing plans, collateral, presentations, and whitepapers. When I was presented with the opportunity to switch sides of the table and work with some of the same clients as their PR rep, where I would work on messaging, press releases, bylined articles, presentations, awards and speaking opportunities, I jumped at the chance.
I am proud of the work I do as a public relations professional. My only issue is that on occasion if you tell someone you work in PR, they have negative perceptions about the field and what we do, thinking we are all either spin doctors, repairing the reputations of unscrupulous CEOs or Hollywood stars, or people who spread false news. I preferred to tell people I worked in media relations or now in marketing communications, both of which are aspects of PR.
Public relations encompasses:
- Building relationships with media by sharing stories that resonate with them and their audiences—These stories generally talk about how our clients are solving a pain point for that medium’s audience.
- Gaining visibility for clients through earned media coverage—while some coverage can be paid, the best coverage is when the media covers the products, services, leadership of your client. Attention can be focused on clients through awards won and through speaking engagements. Paid media coverage can blur the line between public relations and advertising.
- Helping clients to increase sales. While marketing is more specifically about selling products and services, public relations contributes to the sales process by increasing awareness and driving traffic to websites. PR is not a magic bullet that automatically converts media coverage to sales; and
- Creating strategies to help clients grow their business—from working with clients to create messaging that positions the company and its story to creating roadmaps and timelines, there is much opportunity in PR to plan, be creative and to translate a client’s story into one that will meet the needs of target audiences.
Public relations is part of an integrated communication plan that includes different media and channels for conveying messages and for sharing positive messages about the company, its executives and markets.
Working in PR enables me to continue my love of writing, technology, helping clients and coworkers to succeed,while always learning something new as products and markets change.
Happy to chat with others interested in entering the field or for companies who could benefit from expert PR strategy.
Creating Powerful Co-Marketing Opportunities In Your PR Agency's Network
The other half and often overlooked keyword in "public relations" is the word "relations," as in relationships, and how our field helps businesses and individuals with relating to others. It’s probably safe to say that most of us think of PR in terms of media relations, investor relations, influencer relations, and internal communications (when working in-house). Speaking to a handful of marketing peers and other agency owners, it seems that the often neglected but very valuable component in marketing and PR, especially with agencies, is the ability to develop co-marketing opportunities and relationship-building initiatives amongst agency clients.
Here are some tips as to how to bring your agency’s network of clients together to keep them helping and feeding each other for the best type of marketing.
Choose a specialty.
Fortunately, many PR agencies are built to generally focus on a vertical market in which the agency has a strength or "sweet spot," such as consumer tech, health tech, or entertainment, which means that clients generally have an alignment and can be good resources and partners for one another.
While specializing in a certain type of client, it is important to avoid competition and conflict. However, if you specialize in a niche focus area, that may very well be impossible. I recall managing the PR strategy for YouTube, M-Go and Hulu at the same time, prior to starting my agency. Transparency and a deep understanding of the media that touches these similar companies can work in everyone’s favor. Complementary markets are useful for leveraging expertise and relationships with media professionals whose beats cross what several clients are doing. This is the most basic form of synergy among clients, even when they don’t "work" together.
Do good work to prompt referrals.
When clients are happy with the work and coverage delivered by their PR/marketing agency, their positive word of mouth can be a goldmine to the agency. Satisfied clients will often recommend their agency to friends and business partners. And new clients will generally listen to trusted friends, sign on, and if they are satisfied, will pay it forward by recommending other clients.
Look for collaboration opportunities.
A great agency uses every resource available to help clients, and one client can be a resource for another. If one client is a customer of another, they can offer insight on differentiators, pain points solved and be used for case studies and testimonials. If clients are in similar industries, they can be pitched together for trend pieces. It also makes it easier for the journalist or producer to have one point of contact to coordinate interview times, background information and collateral.
More importantly, clients can act as resources for one another. For example, we worked with a client to launch its first-ever consumer device, a new wearable aimed at helping people get lean and manage weight through neuroscience. Our team selected a group of our notable clients and friends who work within the medical industry for a panel discussion, "Weighing in on Weight Loss: How Technology is Solving the Problem." The evening of the product's launch, we streamed the discussion live via Facebook, which generated more than 20,000 views and 77 shares. In this way, a trusted panel was built around our client's product and other clients of ours gained visibility.
In other cases, you could introduce clients whose brands are based on a similar purpose. For example, two of our clients -- one a self-mastery coach focused on health, wealth, spirituality and relationships; the other an executive mentor, author and motivational speaker focused on finance, real estate and learning from others who have been successful in building their own wealth and success -- have featured each other as guests on their respective podcasts. They are now in each other's personal networks.
In addition to shared media experiences, clients can network with one another, and provide advice and support to help one another overcome challenges related to operating and growing a business. If done correctly, an agency and its clients should all be partners, helping one another to achieve success. Never be afraid to ask for help.
Note: this article originally appeared in Forbes Magazine.