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Tag: advice

Patriotic PR: Advice From Founding Fathers

Patriotic PR: Advice From Founding Fathers

July 2, 2019January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public Relationsadvice, America, Fourth of July, history, PR, tips, USA

In the public relations world, good advice is a valuable commodity. One of the core reasons we operate this blog is to share the insight that we at Clairemont find useful.

In honor of the Fourth of July, I thought it would be fitting to take some public relations advice from our more patriotic origins. Before the idea of a public relations profession was even in the realm of possible occupations (most sources cite the origins of the term “public relations” to the early 20th century), some of America’s most influential people had quotes and advice that are still relevant to a public relations professional today. Straight from the mouths of colonial visionaries, here are our favorite PR quotes from America’s founding fathers.

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

– Benjamin Franklin
Photo from Pixabay.com

A quote from the endlessly quotable Benjamin Franklin that speaks to one of the hardest skills to learn in writing. Make your words count. In our daily lives we consume so much content that each precious second that someone spends reading your piece should be worth his or her time. Franklin reminds all of us to edit, cut down on wordiness and make sure that each sentence you write is something worth reading.

“You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket.”

– John Adams
Photo from the Library of Congress

John Adams penned this quote to his son (and future president) John Quincy Adams. In my mind this quote complements the previous quote by Franklin. While your public relations piece should be succinct, it should still be elegant. What you say is important, but it is also important how you say it. John Adams (my favorite founding father, by the way) imparted this advice to his son as a reminder to celebrate the written word and the artistry of a well-crafted sentence. Sound advice from our second president.   

“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” 

– James Madison
Photo from the Library of Congress

Our last piece of advice is from James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. I hope this quote serves as inspiration to all of us writers. This is the reason to write — to tell stories and share knowledge. As public relations professionals, we are positioned to help tell others’ stories — a gift that very few have. By writing, by sharing and by spreading the word about our clients and our communities, we help others learn about the world around them. We are messengers, both an important and in a way noble profession.

Happy Fourth of July! Enjoy the day, celebrate with friends and family, and eat a hot dog for me. If public relations work is still on your mind, you can find all of our professional development blogs here.

Will Hornbeck is a rising senior at Wake Forest University. He’s named after a Taco Bell. Seriously.

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How to Write Convincing Calls-to-Action Copy

August 30, 2012January 31, 2023 Josephine ButlerBlog, Marketing, Public Relationsadvice, best practices, call to action, calls-to-action, copy, copywriting, CTA, CTAs, how to, projects, services, write, writing, writing skills

Like we’ve mentioned before, one of the ways that Clairemont team members work on professional development is by reading. We’re constantly seeking the latest and greatest when it comes to social media and public relations. Without further ado, here’s a review of our most recent find: an e-book from Hubspot entitled, “Mastering the Design and Copy of Calls-to-Action.”

When it comes to click-through rates, lead conversions and sales, good writing practices are important. Public relations professionals must master the art of calls-to-action (CTAs), a website’s request for a visitor to take action (think of the copy that precedes a “Like us”).

While we’d really love to write the copy for you (seriously, contact us!), we’d also like to share a few tips on how to write your own compelling CTAs. They are:

  • Start with subjects and verbs. It helps readers to quickly understand the meaning of the sentence and what you’re asking them to do. Never forget to include a verb – if you do, you aren’t prompting any action!
  • Include numbers. This way, you can be specific about what you’re offering. Research proves that CTAs with numerical data have high view rates.
  • Use adverbs sparingly. They have no fixed position in a sentence and are the part of speech that gets the fewest number of shares on Twitter.
  • Keep your CTA between 90-150 characters. In true Twitter fashion, your CTAs should also stay within the 140-character limit. It’s always better to be short, concise and to the point!
  • Stay away from technical lingo. If you had to look it up, your reader probably will have to do the same. Instead, use words like “insights,” “analysis,” “answers,” etc. These words suggest that your content can help improve your reader in some way.
  • Be specific. Instead of the vague “click here” or “submit” button, try being more upfront about what it is that you want your reader to do (i.e. “browse,” “compare,” or “grab”).

We hope you found these tips helpful. Stay tuned as we continue to share more best practices in the weeks to come. In the meantime, be sure to share your questions and comments. We’d love to help!

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What I Learned from Interning at a Raleigh PR Agency

August 22, 2012January 31, 2023 Josephine ButlerBlog, Marketing, Professional Development, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Teamadvice, college, high school, how to get an internship, internship, Marketing, NC, NCSU, PR, Public Relations, Raleigh, Triangle, UNC, what I learned at my internship2 Comments on What I Learned from Interning at a Raleigh PR Agency

Today was our ambitious high school (yes, you did read that correctly) graduate’s last day as a Clairemont intern. Before she leaves us, though, she wanted to share a few things that she learned during her internship here. Without further ado, Miss Erica Amatori…

Be sure to wish Erica luck as she leaves for the College of William & Mary on a track/cross country scholarship!

I was frantic the first morning of my summer internship at Clairemont Communications. What should I wear? It was going to be an important day! I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. I knew it would be way different than my strategic marketing class I took in high school, that’s for sure. But after the first day of getting to know Josie and Margot, I immediately felt like part of the Clairemont team.

Learning marketing in a class is one thing, but applying it to real life situations is another. During my internship, I was able to experience first-hand what it’s like to work at a public relations agency and make real contributions to clients (and my portfolio!).

Here are some key points I learned that I’d like to share with you:

  • Know your client well. In order to satisfy what they expect to be accomplished, one has to put a lot of research into getting to know the company and gain knowledge on their customers.
  • Before reaching out to the media, prepare. When I was asked to create a media list for a project, I quickly realized how important research would be in finding the right contacts at each outlet – all of this before we ever even made one phone call!
  • Even the smallest of tasks can make the biggest difference. When you’re working in PR it’s important to have the bigger picture, but it’s all the little things that get you there. Taking things step by step is sometimes the best way to tackle big tasks.
  • Be the sponge. Absorb all the information you can and put it to good use. In the future, all of the information I learned about PR and social media will help me become a more skilled employee.
  • Ask questions – it’s how you learn! Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions. An internship is a learning-based environment!
  • Network! In what is actually a small world, connections are everything. Networking provides mentors and working relationships. Did I mention that my high school teacher is good friends with Josie, and that’s how I heard about Clairemont?

My advice to other hopefuls who are striving for an internship: only set one goal – to succeed! Be prepared to learn and open your mind to new experiences that can advance your knowledge. Even though today is my last day, I was still wondering what I should wear and was just as nervous this morning…but it was a different kind of nervous. The kind where you knew you had to say your goodbyes, but you don’t want to leave!

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To Tweet or Not to Tweet?: A Guide to Twitter Business Etiquette

July 11, 2012January 31, 2023 Josephine ButlerBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagementadvice, business, don't reply to every tweet, etiquette, schedule tweets, social media monitoring, social network, tips, Twitter, Twitter for businesses

As consumers of all things public relations, the Clairemont team can’t seem to get enough of Twitter. From managing our own personal accounts to strategizing for clients, we’re constantly on the social networking site, tweeting away. And when we’re not having conversations on Twitter, we’re researching the latest industry tips and trends, via sites like HubSpot, where we recently stumbled across this gem. Too good not to share, we hope you’ll find these Twitter etiquette for business tips as helpful as we do!

Tip #1: In lieu of time, don’t make it a habit of replying to every single Tweet. You should be replying to two types of tweets on an ongoing basis: questions and negative comments. And it pays off. Did you know that 64 percent of users are more likely to purchase from businesses that answer their questions on Twitter?

Tip #2: Follow back your followers! This way, if your followers end up with a question, they have the opportunity to DM (direct message) you, and you better believe it: this is especially ideal when it’s a complaint!

Tip #3: To allow for more time to monitor content, schedule tweets in advance. And now that you have all this extra time on your hands, have a colleague take a second look — you never know what might come off the wrong way.

With these three tips, you’re well on your way to becoming a Twitter pro! Still need a little help writing, scheduling or creating a strategy surrounding your tweets? Clairemont can help! Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Have more tips to share? Ditto!

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Does Facebook Advertising Really Work?

June 6, 2012January 31, 2023 Josephine ButlerBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagementadvice, Facebook ads, Facebook advertising, Facebook marketing, how to create Facebook ads, social media marketing, tips

Are these things really worth it?

I recently had the chance to sit in on a webinar hosted by Justin Kistner of Webtrends and Jason Keath of Social Fresh, where they addressed the age-old (well, not that old) question: Does Facebook advertising really work?

This question has been in the forefront of debate recently with General Motor’s announcement that the company is pulling all of its advertising from the social network. So, we must know, did GM make a good choice? Is Facebook advertising really worth it?

The short answer is yes!  The long answer: certain types of ads work better than others. Here are a few important things I learned that will help you create the most efficient and effective Facebook ads:

  1. Use many highly targeted ads versus one big-reach ad. It’s better to create separate ads that target specific groups (i.e. twenty-something females with an interest in interior design, middle-aged men that enjoy exercising) than it is to create one all-encompassing ad.
  2. Target ads to fans for conversion. Fans are seven times more likely to click on an ad than a non-fan. An added bonus? Cheaper CPC (that’s cost per click).
  3. Link ads to Facebook apps instead of websites. What happens to fans that click on a Facebook ad that leaves Facebook? They go back to Facebook. Ads that don’t redirect traffic to a different website receive twice the conversion rate than ads that do leave the site. In short, keep fans on Facebook engaged by directing them to an app on your page!
  4. Refresh creative regularly. Ideally, you should update your creative within 72 hours after launching the ad. This ensures a higher CTR (click-through rate) and will keep your audience intrigued.

So what do you think? Did you find these tips helpful? We’d love to hear your comments, and please stay tuned – we’ll be sharing a few best practices when it comes to writing copy for your Facebook advertisements.

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clairemontcommunications

Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media platform? It’s called Threads, and it’s being referred to as “the new Twitter.” Read everything you need to know about Threads in our latest blog post - link in bio!
SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc (client) today, and rumor has it that @blah2voila has already been hamming it up with Dell! We know you want a selfie with Dell to post on Pigstagram, too!
We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of P We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of Public Relations Consultants Group, allowing us to offer clients expertise and support across the country! Clairemont founder, Dana Phelps aka @blah2voila, recently attended the PRCG conference in Oklahoma City.
2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Comm 2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Communications! Visit our blog for the full 2022 year in review!
As communications professionals, we wear a variety As communications professionals, we wear a variety of hats to meet our clients’ needs.
 
We’re writers, social media managers, photographers, marketers, editors, content creators- the list goes on and on.
 
Check out our recent blog post to learn what @olivia.noles , account coordinator here at Clairemont, does on a weekly and monthly basis.
#communicationsagency #communicationsmajor #pragencylife #pragency #raleighpr
This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voi This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voila , will be speaking at the 2022 @nc_prsa Strategic Communication & MarCom Conference! Phelps is a repeat presenter at this annual conference, and this year she is leading a session called Growing from Communication Technician to Strategic Counselor during which she will share three of her coined concepts: knowcasting, morecasting and collabolighthing. Visit our blog for the link to register for the conference!
@clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative g @clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative go together like the bacon and eggs! And speaking of bacon and eggs, have you been to @therainbowluncheonette yet? YUM!
Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc, a master-planned community just 15 miles from downtown Raleigh, will welcome @parksideraleigh, a Raleigh-favorite restaurant known for its fresh, made-from-scratch dishes, to the community!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Parkside.
“What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we “What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we get this question often, we have a series on our blog where we dive into our recent projects to give you a look at what a PR Agency really does.
 
For example, a statewide resource for small businesses recently hired Clairemont to devise an executive visibility campaign to help position the organization and its director as the leading small business resource in North Carolina.
 
Head to our blog to read what exactly an executive visibility campaign entails and to learn more about our services!
So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let us tell you about our new favorite @drink321coffee ! If you are in Raleigh, go see Paul, the other Paul, Emma  or whichever smiling faces are working today. We LOVE this place and the coffee! ❤️❤️❤️
Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest mas Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, closed on its first age-eligible rental community plan, Arden at Wendell Falls, that will offer 140 open-concept units and exclusive onsite amenities!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Arden at Wendell Falls.
Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by client @vitaviteraleigh for good snacks and great wine!🍷 Both locations are open normal hours Friday-Sunday and closed on Monday.
You never know who might be hanging out at The Cla You never know who might be hanging out at The Clairemont House. Thanks to @yellowdogcreative for helping save this buddy. Notice that we speak lizard. Or skink. Or gecko or whatever he is. Or maybe it’s the extra caffeine before our client presentation.
Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh
Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting?
Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street South @raleighwineshop ! @blah2voila was there today representing Clairemont at the grand opening festivities and enjoying the @grandchamphospitality sandwich pop up. Yum! 🍷🥪
It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers ar It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are needed more than ever! Many organizations with scarce resources rely on volunteers and would not exist without them. Visit our recent blog post to read about the organizations Clairemont has supported and how you can make a difference in your community!
Authenticity is trending, and research shows that Authenticity is trending, and research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. Read our recent blog post to learn about UGC, how it can benefit your brand and how to use it in your marketing strategy.
From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 has left an impact on every sector of life, including marketing. Read our blog on marketing in a post-COVID world to learn how things have changed and how that should impact your business strategy.
We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned eight awards, five gold🥇and three silver🥈, at this year's Sir Walter Raleigh Awards hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society!🎉 We are beyond grateful to work with so many amazing partners, clients and industry friends!
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