Greetings,  and welcome to Think. Do you have an opinion? If so, sharing it can be a great way to increase your organization's visibility. We'll talk about that and issues management this time.

Do me a favor, please. There's a link at the bottom of this newsletter that says "edit profile." Would you click that and make sure I have your most current contact information? Thanks. Now, let's get started.

P.S. if you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter, please feel free to forward this to a friend or subscribe here.

Cordially,

Harry Hoover
harry@hoover-ink.com
Ink Briefs
Touchpoints that connect a consumer to a brand are very important in the purchase process. Do you know what part word-of-mouth, TV ads and email marketing play in the touchpoint equation? Learn more here.



In the final analysis, it's all about style, isn't it? Even in writing, style counts. Visit this online editorial style manual from Yale to see if you are in style.



If you are not the most plugged in person when it comes to popular culture, then check out BuzzWhack, a site that gives you definitions of current phrases, such as audio caffeine. That's high energy, stimulating music that gets you moving in the morning. A buzzwhack, by the way, is a person who takes great glee in bursting the bubbles of the pompous.



Fast Company magazine provides some meaty tips to improve your media relations techniques with just about any media outlet. Visit Fast Company.



Want to be more creative? The Charlotte Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators is presenting a half-day professional development event on developing creativity April 22 at Charlotte's Light Factory. Register here.




About Hoover ink PR

Hoover ink PR helps position businesses that are serious about their success. Then, we craft and deliver bottom line messages that ensure it.

Who are we? We're a marketing communications firm with more than 25 years experience in providing services to financial, high tech, real estate, tourism and consumer products companies.

From employee relations and media relations to collateral material and e-newsletters, we develop the programs and communication tools that will differentiate you from your competitors. And that's the bottom line.
 
  What's Your Op, Ed?

 Everyone has an opinion on something, and you can leverage the opinion of top executives to heighten the visibility of your organization. How? By getting them to write so-called op/ed pieces for newspapers.

Of course they'd love to be in the New York Times, but that typically is the purview of the mega-corporation. So, let's start closer to home at our local newspapers.

Here are a few key things you should know in order to write a successful op/ed feature.

  • Check your local newspaper's website to learn about their op/ed policy
  • Tackle a subject currently getting coverage. This improves your chances of getting the piece published
  • Include a short bio, and your contact information at the end of the piece. Also, have a head and shoulders photo available
  • Focus on a single issue or idea
  • Don't waffle: take a strong stance
  • State your conclusion first and then support it with your strongest points in descending order, building to a compelling conclusion
  • State your opinion at the outset and support it with facts from other authorities, and solid first- or third-party research
  • Write tight. Remember, this is a newspaper piece, not War & Peace. A piece of 750 - 1,000 words has the best chance of appearing in print
  • Don't use jargon
  • Don't commit an act of literature. Limit adjectives and adverbs as well as flowery language
  • Use a personal and conversational approach
  • Write in active voice
  • Be controversial, but reasonable
  • Summarize and state your call to action
  • Publish. Repeat
  Do You Have Issues?
Every organization has issues that could affect its operation. The following are some thoughts on issues management and some of the tactics available to us in this discipline.

First of all, what is the objective of issues management? Typically, it is to proactively and responsibly identify and manage emerging or existing issues that can have an impact on our:

  • assets
  • position
  • image
  • competitiveness
  • performance

Now, some companies become obsessed by issues management and dissect every small problem they foresee. We believe that keeping it simple is best. Identify a few issues that are most likely to materially affect you, determine the key concern each issue holds for you, determine how urgent it is, prepare an action plan, and then mount a focused attack.

Visit Hoover ink to read the rest of the story.