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Networking - what's not to like?

22/3/2019

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Networking.  It's a bit like marmite.  But love it or hate it, if you want to stay on the industry radar, remain current and - at the most basic level - continue interacting with real people (if, like me, you work from the solitary confines of your home office) then, it's a must-do. 
At a recent - and very enjoyable - networking event I attended, I found myself wondering why networking is often considered a necessary evil.  Is it because we feel we have to sell ourselves and are inherently bad at self-promotion?  Is it because we worry about walking into a room of mostly strangers or more precisely, worry about what we should be saying to these strangers?  Is it because we're experiencing a kind of FOMO anxiety - we can't possibly talk to everyone in this room can we ? Or is it because we have to put ourselves out there - out of our comfort zone?  And yet, the life coaches will tell you that this is where the magic happens, when we push ourselves out of the everyday. 
So as all good PR and marketing experts would do, I decided it was time to conduct some market research.  At my next networking event, I duly dropped in a few networking related questions to my unsuspecting subjects:  "Do you come to these kind of events often?";  "What do you feel you get out of them?";  "What is your aim in attending these kinds of events?".   The responses ranged from "I chose this particular event because it was being hosted at a brewery" (fair enough, I'm with you there!) to "I'd had enough of being cooped up in the office and needed to take a break" (yep, that too!) to "keeping yourself on the radar and building relationships with potential clients who don't need us all the time but might simply want to ask a question from time to time" (smart, one to adopt!).   So, I think it's fair to say that we all have slightly different agendas and motivations when we select our networking platforms.
One of the conclusions I did reach is that it's a common misconception that networking is about the hard-sell.  It's NOT. No-one wants to be sold to. Not surprisingly, no-one actually said that they were there to make a sale.  OK, so we all swapped business cards and I even connected an accountant with a business owner who was looking for an accountant, so that was a prime example of the benefits of networking, right?  But hands up, if you enjoy discovering new things or solving problems or what about the old saying "a problem shared, is a problem halved"?  For me, this is the essence of networking.  It's about being truthful about our business journeys, building new professional relationships through common ground. It's about letting people know who you are and building trust.  It's about comparing notes and sharing your business headaches and maybe even finding a solution.    Personally, I enjoy learning a bit more about the companies around me, sharing a moment and finding out what people's biggest business challenges are. 
So with that in mind, here are my top takeaways to ease the pain of working a room full of strangers:
  • Ask lots of challenging questions
  • Be prepared to share some of your own business highs and lows
  • Be a good listener and don't butt in on other people's conversation
  • Take plenty of business cards - it's a chance to give out  some of that huge stack you have!
What's not to like?    

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What’s in a blog?

8/11/2018

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I recently helped a client realise a new blog with the aim being to showcase their team of experts and engage with new and existing customers. It got me thinking about how we can ensure our blogs are more purposeful.  Rather than being somewhere you can post all your news, features and anything else that occurs to you as a way to generate content, your blog should have a clear objective, a voice suited to your audience and relevant, engaging content.
So, let’s imagine you’re looking to position yourself as an expert solutions provider in your market rather than simply a producer or supplier. A blog can certainly help you achieve this. It’s ideal for showcasing the breadth of your industry knowledge and your trend analyses to give customers market insight.
So, here are my top tips for a purposeful blog:
  • Keep your posts concise, around 300 words should do it. After all, it’s bitesize digestible chunks we’re looking for, not a five-course meal.
  • Consider setting up categories to allow your readers to navigate your blog and find specific information easily.
  • For organisations with a team of experts, attribute blog posts to individuals and facilitate interaction with your experts to build client relationships.
  • Give your blog a title and a snappy catch-line, this allows your audience to immediately understand the purpose and content of your blog.
  • Think about tone of voice: a blog is informal and subjective, unlike say a press release, so keep it light, simple and maybe inject some humour.
  • Distinguish press releases and features for publication on a separate news page.
  • So, you’ve drafted and published your first post, now you must ensure you are consistent by posting regularly on relevant subjects.  A content plan with topic suggestions and a schedule will help with this.
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    Clare Pope, always has her head in a book - current read Gathering Storm by Rachel Hore​

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