Q: Why do you use PR?

 A: We use PR to reach our three main audiences – clients, candidates and potential employees, Without having a PR strategy in place we simply wouldn’t get ourselves in front of the right people in the right way. PR has been instrumental to our success not only in winning new business, but also in reaching specialist candidates because the coverage we have gained has positioned us as real experts in our field.

Q: How do you measure a ROI?

A:  The biggest ROI we have seen is winning a new client by ensuring that we use our press coverage as an inherent part of our pitch. We took a piece of coverage to a client meeting which featured us talking about the energy trading space in a commodities publication. That really differentiated us from our competitors and won us the assignment. We also monitor our website traffic following blog posts, and the increase in Twitter followers over each quarter.

Q: What advice would you give to recruitment businesses considering PR?

A:  Remember that the effect of your PR efforts may take some time to show, and it needs a sustained approach.  It might take a couple of months before the phone starts ringing following an article you have written, but be patient and remember to use the coverage gained in your own marketing to clients.

Some of you know and some of you don’t, but tomorrow marks my last day at BlueSky and the end of an era!

Almost four years ago I started my journey at BlueSky HQ as a fresh-faced graduate knowing not very much about the world of recruitment, or PR. Fast forward to 2011 and well, I still look as young as I did back then, but like to think that I’m older and wiser. It has been an interesting few years – we’ve had the recession but also the boom in social media and the digitalisation of both the PR and recruitment worlds. What’s more I have seen the company grow and have very much enjoyed being a part of it. Some of my highlights include our many trips to the waffle house, several drunken evenings at the Recruiter awards (we’ll save those stories for a rainy day) and of course meeting all you lovely people along the way.

So a big thanks to Tracey, Adrian and the rest of the team for being so brill to work for / with and helping me grow into the PR ‘rocket in your pocket’ that I am today! And thanks to all the journalists, clients, and tweeters that I’ve had the pleasure of working with.

I’ll still be tweeting in some capacity so you can continue to follow me or follow @blueskypr and the rest of the team for all the goings on at BS HQ.

Well that’s about it folks – I’m going to wrap up before I get too emotional about my last BlueSky blog. But as they say, it’s au revoir not goodbye…

In my job search experience I have come across some great consultants – they have listened and understood exactly what I want, then fixed me up with a good interview. However, the majority I have encountered, in both small and large agencies have been terrible. Without naming names, I have found some consultants to be rude and pushy.  They haven’t read my CV properly and they don’t listen which results in them contacting me about jobs that are of absolutely no interest to me and completely unsuitable. Here are just a few examples:

• ‘The salary is £10k less than your current wage – I think you should go for it anyway.’
• ‘The job is in Norwich – I think you’d be great for it – would you relocate from Aylesbury?’
• ‘The job is for a finance officer, I know you have a degree in marketing and pr, but I’d like to put you forward for it.’

Since leaving university, I’ve never been without a job and I’ve never been desperate enough to take any old position. So  the number of inappropriate opportunities I’ve received along the way has got me quite used to saying ‘no’, which I have found out is not a word accepted by all recruiters. One wanted to put me forward for an interview, ‘an opportunity I’d regret if missed’. The role wasn’t for me so I said no… several times. After speaking to a pushy consultant I was passed onto an even more relentless manager who informed me that if I didn’t go they wouldn’t help me in my search any more. I’ve never spoken to them since!

And it’s not just me – a colleague of mine relayed the sorry tale of a consultant asking her to change her CV so that her skills would fit a position they were trying to fill! The consultant guaranteed the interview, but the fact that my colleague didn’t have the required skills and wouldn’t be able to do the job didn’t even cross their mind!

This is why I get wound up with some recruiters; do they really realise what they are doing or how they are coming across to candidates and clients? In my experience, I can only think of 1 or 2 consultants out of about 10 who were professional and really had my interests at heart.

If I’ve had a bad experience with a recruiter then I will tell others not to use them. I’m sure that goes for a lot of people, including clients. Word of mouth is a very powerful tool, and now with social media you can reach millions!

I know you shouldn’t tar all recruiters with the same brush, and I know there are some good recruiters out there; this is just the view I have gained from my experience over the years.  And having got stuck into reading various recruitment blogs since I have started at BlueSky, it seems I am not on my own.  Andy Headworth in his recent blog post advises recruiters to:  ‘Look back at yourself through the eyes of your candidates’

Wise words indeed!

1. PR is all parties – If the media was anything to go by, we’d all be sipping cocktails, planning parties and basically be too drunk to do anything else – think Samantha Jones from Sex and the City or Eddie and Patsy from Ab Fab. No doubt this applies to a few PRs but the majority of us are busy at our computers, with no cosmo in sight. PR is about gaining quality press coverage and boosting a brand’s visibility and credibility, so that’s what we stick to.
2. Don’t be controversial – We’re not condoning offering any material of an offensive or shocking nature to the press – please don’t do that – but it is sometimes good to be a little controversial. If you have an opinion on something then share it. Journalists like articles that give a different point of view and you can be seen as a credible commentator for giving your professional judgement.
3. Tell the media about you – Writing a press release about your new office wallpaper or writing an 1000 word article about how great your new service is may seem like a really good idea but it’s a waste of time. It may be exciting for your company but it isn’t going to interest a newspaper – unless you’re willing to fork out for an advert. Journalists want stories that are going to interest readers, so you need to make sure your idea is newsworthy. Which brings me onto:
4. We don’t have anything to say – You may not have a huge piece of research to promote, but every company will have a hub of knowledge that they can tap into. Chats with our clients often bring up interesting trends and facts that we use for PR that they hadn’t thought were particularly interesting. If there’s something you have noticed which interests you, the chances are it could interest others – and that’s the basis for a news story.
5. When it comes to press, the bigger the better – This is a case of quality over quantity. Many businesses dream of being featured in the national press, but is one line in the FT more beneficial than a whole page in media specific to your sector? I’d argue that most of the time it’s not. Targeted PR allows you to reach your desired audience and really demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, which can then be used as a powerful marketing tool. National coverage is of course great too, but it shouldn’t take priority over the press which can add real value.

Investing in PR is key for recruiters who want to boost their brand in the eyes of their clients, candidates and even potential employees for themselves – however that’s really only half the story. What should recruiters do to really leverage that PR coverage and make sure that great article isn’t quickly forgotten?

We’re always saying to our clients that using PR coverage is essential. Why make that investment if all you do with the coverage is send it to your proud mother or maybe tuck it away in a folder on reception? PR can establish you as a credible and respected commentator in your field – so make sure you shout about it! And not only that, the chances are that whatever you are talking about in the media is going to be of interest to your audience, so sharing this information will be of benefit to them, and they’ll remember you for it.

With the boom in social media it’s easy to spread information at the touch of a button, so maximise on this. Put the coverage and/or a link to it onto your blog, tweet about it, Facebook it, put it on LinkedIn – not only will all your connections see it, some may pass it on to their network too. There are plenty of examples of how stories can spread virally and your news is no exception. And don’t forget to put it on your website too (just be aware of copyright rules).

But don’t just share coverage amongst management and marketing – make sure it is shared with everyone in the team. It can boost motivation and arm everyone with some useful collateral. If a recruiter is in contact with a client or candidate and the company has had a nice mention in the press, they should flag it up. Email the link or mention it over the phone – it will be informative for the recipient, whilst boosting your credibility.

In the same way, PR can be key when it comes to winning new business. One of our clients was pitching to recruit for a big Financial Director role, however he was last in on a Friday afternoon so the odds were against him. Nevertheless he began the meeting by showing the client an article we had ghost written in his name in one of the heavyweight publications in his sector. The client had in fact read the piece the day before, it automatically boosted the tone of the meeting, he won the business and made the fee – that’s a direct return on investment. Turning PR coverage into media packs that consultants can use is therefore another great idea.

So all in all, PR isn’t just nice for your ego – if used properly it can lead to increased credibility, more business and to future PR opportunities which you can use to start the process again!

Further to our recent post Working in PR for Grown Ups, we had lots of response from some great freelance journalists – the problem was they wanted to stay as freelance journalists and what we need is someone who can not only write – and write well –  but who can also account manage.

We’ve had a lot of new business wins recently – and have a raft of potential client meetings stretching into the autumn.  Clients we already work with include Antal, Aquent, CBSbutler, Twenty , Advantage Professional, Handle, Lander Associates, womenintechnology.co.uk, HB RIDA, Ochre House,  Arrows, ……and thats just for starters – we don’t want to show off too much!!

Much of our time is spent in taking the knowledge inside our clients’ heads and turning it into written interesting, authoritative material for publications, both print and online, around the globe.

We work hard and we deliver a great service (or at least that’s what our clients tell us). But we also believe in work/life balance. Which is why we prefer to be based in rural Hertfordshire than the middle of the big city down the road.

If you are a recruitment marketing person who can write or a B2B PR who has a background in content delivery then drop me a line – tracey@bluesky-pr.net   or tweet me @BlueSkyPR

And why are we so interested in journalists? Because much of our time is spent in taking the knowledge inside our clients’ heads and turning it into written interesting, authoritative material for publications, both print and online, around the globe – precisely what you’ve been doing in your career to date.

We work hard and we deliver a great service (or at least that’s what our clients tell us). But we also believe in work/life balance. Which is why we prefer to be based in rural Hertfordshire than the middle of the big city down the road.

Ok that’s enough rambling. Why not tell us more about yourself and what you’re looking to do? Simply email a short summary and some examples of your work to Adrian Barrett at adrian@bluesky-pr.net.

We look forward to hearing from you!

I came across a newly launched website today, which I had been following on Twitter. Judgethejob.com allows you to submit anonymous reviews about what it’s like to work at a particular company. Eek scary huh? Well, if you’ve got a lot of disgruntled ex-employees, yes. But let’s be honest, it’s not like they don’t have any avenues to vent their frustrations already is it?

With the rapid expansion of social media and other internet offerings, organisations now have more tools than ever before to engage with people and boost their brand. But there are also more ways in which it can be tarnished – at the click of a button. Twitter, Facebook, Bebo, MySpace, blogs – gone are the days when the only way of exposing a wrongdoing is only possible by phoning your local newsdesk. News can be posted online and spread in a flash.

Traditionally PR has all been about press releases and taking journalists out for lunch but those days have passed (shame, I could get used to the idea of being a lady who lunches), but social media has to play a vital role today because it’s so powerful. However sometimes PR is left with the role of picking up the pieces and carrying out damage control, by which time there is limited chance of rescuing your reputation. Whether you employ a PR function or not, it’s time to think about your own PR.

We’ve all seen the examples of social media gone wrong – but if these have passed you by then take a quick look.

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8241509.stm
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5164216/Dominos-Pizza-defends-reputation-on-Twitter-after-YouTube-video-shows-employees-abusing-food.html
• http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/874256/Tesco-investigates-malicious-staff-comments-Facebook/
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/13/twitter-online-outcry-guardian-trafigura

Those are just a few. When I did a Facebook group search for “I hate working at” I got 500+ results. Do you know what people are saying about you? Maybe it’s worth looking into – or better still, thinking about prevention rather than cure. Here are my top 10 tips for keeping an eye on your own online PR:

1. Twitter search – set one up to see every time someone mentions you.
2. Google alerts – has someone written about you on their blog? Google alerts will notify you whenever a certain word or phrase appears online, including:
3. Facebook groups – the above stories speak for themselves. You don’t want a Facebook group full of disgruntled customers or employees when you’re working hard on your recruitment strategy (see picture at top for an example!) Monitor any mention of your company on the site
4. Create a closed group on LinkedIn for your own employees to promote discussion in private and tackle any problems before they become an issue.
5. Set up your own blog so you can demonstrate that you’re a professional organisation that cares about its people and its customers
6. Respond to all feedback – positive or negative. Tackling the issue head on could resolve the issue easily; burying your head in the sand could make it worse.
7. Social media guidelines – create some or build them into your company’s IT policy. At best it will stop people from posting damaging pictures or comments online. At worst it will allow you to cover your back if something does go wrong.
8. Remember this is an ongoing exercise – ensure you take some time to do this at least once a week.
9. Take on a PR company who can do all of this for you!
10. Perhaps most importantly, make sure you’re doing everything right as an employer – if you treat your people well and make sure they’re happy in their jobs, chances are they won’t go setting up a Facebook group moaning about how rubbish your company is!

It looks like 2010 will be a busy year for us here at BlueSky. With a number of new clients this month and lots more potentials in the pipeline we’re pleased to say that it looks like the recovery may be underway. We’re even moving into a new office – and we’re looking to take on someone new to help us fill it.

The role remains title-less at the moment but will be something along the lines of Digital PR Executive. With the boom in social media, we need someone to support the PR activity we’re doing in this area and give us a hand with some general PR as well. Tasks will include:

• Monitoring clients’ Twitter accounts every week – analysing followers, finding new followers
• Tweeting on behalf of clients and researching around client sectors to find things to tweet about
• Researching bloggable news and ‘ghost blogging’ for clients
• Contributing to our blog here
• Preparation of social media reports – blog and twitter stats
• Researching other blogs and communities for clients to be engaging with
• Researching new media channels such as social media press wires etc
• Looking at PR opportunities for BlueSky
• Monitoring, saving and printing client coverage for reporting and portfolio purposes
• Researching  potential awards for clients to enter
• Maintaining database (currently being built)
• Researching media for new sectors

We’re based in (currently very snowy) Hertfordshire and are a small, close knit team. Part time or pro rata would be considered for the right candidate. If you’re interested in joining us or have any questions just drop us an email at info@bluesky-pr.net. Look forward to hearing from you!

N.B. We cannot guarantee the meeting of any more David Beckham lookalikes…