Conscious Communications Blog

PR and marketing with a conscience

[consciouscommunications]

#Hashtag

Social media platforms continued to be some of the most influential marketing tools of 2015, with an ever growing amount of content posted every minute and, there is no doubt that this will continue into 2016. To ensure your social media posts achieve the greatest reach and engagement on each social media platform, use hashtags, but be selective with the words you choose. Hashtags are no longer just used on Twitter, they have spread to Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Search – even LinkedIn tested them out, so it is important for a business to know how to use them on each channel.

Hashtags on Twitter

Did you know that a tweet with one or more hashtags is 55 percent more likely to be retweeted? Every business is looking to leverage and increase online engagement of its social media posts and, hashtags have been statistically proven to do this. Twitter completed its own study of hashtags which concluded that brands can see a 50 percent increase in engagement, including clicks, retweets, likes, and replies, by using the # symbol.

Tweeting with hashtags, as shown, is a sure fire way to enhance your online presence. However, brands need to stay aware of how many hashtags they use per post as research also indicates that tweets that include one or two hashtags receive a 21 percent higher engagement rate than tweets with three or more.

Hashtags on Instagram

Instagram has been the fastest growing social platform for the last two years and now has over 150 million users with an average of 16 billion photos shared, and one billion likes each day. Unlike Twitter, generally the more hashtags used per post the better, with interactions the highest on posts with 11 or more. Remember to keep your hashtags relevant to the post!

For businesses, big or small, hashtags noticeably increase the reach of your posts, which in turn leads to more followers. Hashtags also help you find people on Instagram with similar interests and can aid market research on competitors.

Hashtags on Facebook

Facebook introduced hashtags in July 2013 and the evidence showing the positive and negative impact of including a hashtag into a post is inconclusive. Research states that posts without hashtags do better than posts with, however, Facebook uses them to categorise conversations between people so if you are looking to feature in specific searches, it makes sense to use them. Similarly to Twitter, the number of hashtags used in a post influences engagement with one or two hashtags averaging 593 interactions compared to a post with three to five hashtags receiving on average 416 interactions.

It is important to use the correct number of hashtags on each social media platform, but also to use the right hashtags to ensure you feature in the relevant feeds. Websites like ritetag.com can help to identify trending hashtags and can tell you exactly when and how they will reach your audience.

So, what were the popular hashtags of 2015? See below some of the most used hashtags of the year:

#AskRachel

#PrayForParis

#BlueandBlack vs. #WhiteandGold

#LoveWins

#IStandWithAhmed

At Conscious Communications, we use market knowledge and audience insight to define the most effective mix of social media platforms and posts for your business and can work with you to create a bespoke social media strategy. If you are looking to improve your business’ online presence in 2016 get in touch at [email protected].

#Hashtag was originally published on Conscious Communications

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The top three digital marketing trends of 2015

The top three digital marketing trends of 2015 was originally published on Conscious Communications

[consciouscommunications]

Spelling is important!

People’s views on the importance of spelling differ widely. For instance, one of our team members mentioned they had debated the correct (UK) spelling of ‘focused’ while drafting an email to a group of contributors for a blog she was writing - she Googled ‘focused vs. focussed’ and ‘focused or focussed for UK’, and frustratingly found conflicting results. The consensus of the Conscious Communications team was that ‘focussed’ was the correct answer – so eventually the email was sent. Are you, like our colleague, likely to give far less credibility to the sender of an email that includes a spelling mistake?

At the other end of the spectrum are those who revel in cutting as many characters out of texts or tweets as possible (or beyond what should be permitted, past the point of communicating any intelligible meaning from sender to reader…). We recently heard a young person ask, about a school examination, “does spelling matter?” and we were, of course, horrified that anyone would feel the need to ask whether spelling matters – about any written work, let alone a school examination! Phrases like ‘it’s a slippery slope’ spring to mind, and concerns about ever lowering standards of spelling, grammar, and the adoption of new words such as ‘binge-watching’ by dictionaries.

Stephen Linstead, chair of the English Spelling Society, writes: "the spelling of roughly 35 per cent of the commonest English words is, to a degree, irregular or ambiguous; … a need to memorise irregularity has traditionally been regarded as a minor and inevitable inconvenience... But there is growing evidence that this is not just an inconvenience – it costs children precious learning time, and us – as a nation – money."

More conservative relaxing of standards for spelling can be seen in global businesses’ communications with customers. Have you recently noticed that Santander’s website mentions ‘pajamas’ (the American preference, which isn’t even recognised by Word), and Natwest uses ‘nope’ on its website? It’s safe to say that neither of these are mistakes; rather, they are evidence of big brands taking a ‘modern’ stance on the language used to communicate with customers.

These ‘progressive’ examples show support for the views of Simon Horbin, English professor at Magdalen College, who explained: “People like to artificially constrain language change. For some reason we think spelling should be entirely fixed and never changed. I am not saying we should just spell freely, but sometimes we have to accept spellings change.”

Have standards in English changed remarkably in recent decades, or is this debate only the concern of those sticklers who run to defend the language as they believe it should be preserved? The government has re-introduced spelling tests, believing there has been a lowering of standards – but maybe Stephen Linstead is right to question, in terms of time and budget, whether spelling warrants being so high on the school agenda? What’s more, many people who are committed to using correct spelling now do so with the aid of technology. Spell-checker and predictive text, for example, enable people to spell correctly without having memorised the spelling of every word in the language; should the focus in schools and the work-place be on equipping people to notice and find correct spellings and in encouraging people to check their work?

As marketers and PR professionals it is unsurprising that our team falls in to the ‘of course spelling matters!’ side of the debate, and we do notice typos and errors and ‘lax’ spelling whenever we come across it. For people working in other sectors, though, perhaps it really is the case that spelling doesn’t matter. As long as you can communicate your meaning efficiently, clearly, does it matter whether you write focused, focussed, focursed or something else? Probably not… at the time. But, then, the more different forms of words which are used to say the same thing, the more scope there is for misunderstanding.

Is spelling impotent? Absolutely not! Is spelling important? Absolutely! Perhaps the language is evolving naturally, as it always has done, and to keep pace with the world in which it is used we should keep quiet and let linguistic evolution continue. Even so, we think that the agreed and approved spellings should be used by students, workers, businesses and the media, until such a time as the spelling is updated, by consensus, at which point the ‘sticklers’ should accept the decision of the masses.

[consciouscommunications]

What makes a memorable logo design?

When certain companies are mentioned in conversation, there is an automatic recognition response in your brain that will identify the logo that company uses. But what is it that makes these logos so memorable?

Branding firm Siegel + Gale conducted research into what makes logos unforgettable. In an online survey 3000 respondents from the US and UK were asked to evaluate logos for over 100 of the world’s largest brands. The results concluded a number of things:

Simplicity is key

Firstly, when developing a logo, respondents stated the logos they found most memorable were simple. “Simple was the word that came up above and beyond, more than anything else” commented Brian Rafferty, Global Director of Research Insights for Siegel + Gale, other descriptors were: everywhere, design, name, shape and colour.

Colour

It has been widely acknowledged that different colours used on logos will provoke different emotions from consumers. There has been extensive research into the psychology of colour and how the colour of a company’s logo alters customers’ opinion. Research suggests that 84.7 percent of consumers cite colour of a product’s packaging as the primary reason they buy it. The research also reveals that individuals make a sub-conscious decision about an environment or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing; between 62 percent and 90 percent of that assessment is based on colour alone.

80 percent of people claim colour increases brand recognition, but what if the colour changed? Would we still identify the correct logo? Take our quiz to see if you know brands as well as you think you do:

How much does colour define a brand?

Familiarity

Finally Siegel + Gale’s research indicated that there is a familiarity bias among consumers, in the sense that when individuals are familiar with a brand, they are more likely to assign positive descriptions and recommendations to that product. This goes a long way in explaining why brands receive such strong feedback when they go through logo redesigns, most recently we saw this when Google updated its iconic logo.

The research concluded that memorable logos are 13 percent more likely to get customers’ attention and 7 percent more likely to make consumers want to learn more about the brand.

Some logos serve as a figure head for their brand, therefore when you are creating a logo for your business you need to think clearly to ensure it is totally representative of your company and brand. You need to consider your audience, company values and key characteristics. So, what are the top ten most memorable global logos?

[consciouscommunications]

Recently at Conscious Communications...

Here is a little taste of what we have been up to during the last month…

  Dame Mary Archer unveils new Science Hub at St Mary’s School, Cambridge

We’re always proud to share exciting news for our clients. At the end of September, Dame Mary Archer officially opened the new Science Hub at St Mary’s School, Cambridge.

The school’s continued investment across its sites has resulted in five new state of the art laboratories, providing a first-class setting to inspire innovative learning for all subjects. The new Science Hub will provide the perfect platform to nurture female scientists of tomorrow.

  Future Experience Points 2016 is born!

In a joint initiative with Cambridge Regional College, we have been busy developing Future Experience Points (FXP) – a mobile games design and development competition for students from Year 9 – 13. The first year pilot of the coding jam will take place in 2016 with 20 schools and colleges across the region involved. FXP has been designed to raise aspirations of young people, allowing students to build valuable skills. We have secured industry involvement with the likes of Cambridge University Press and ARM among others. Watch this space!

Programmatic, curated and cultivated content and SEO – what should you invest in?

“If you approach digital advertising in the same way as you would print, you would consider audience type, cost, reach etc. of different advertising spaces and weigh up which locations are likely to have the best ROI.”

Our Digital Marketing Executive, Hannah, recently commented on the different types of online advertising and its latest buzzword – ‘programmatic’. Take a read of the feature on Digital Doughnut to see what type of digital advertising could work best for your business. If you would like to learn more about our digital marketing capabilities then get in touch at [email protected] or give us a call on 01223 421 831.

Recently at Conscious Communications… was originally published on Conscious Communications

[consciouscommunications]

How marketing can leverage Augmented Reality

At this year’s Social Media Week event in London, Blippar’s President of Global Marketing, Omaid Hiwaizi, discussed how Augmented Reality (AR) can be introduced into a brand’s marketing objectives, commenting: “AR allows brands to deepen interactions and continue conversations with the content attached to their products”. Witnessing the heightened frequency of AR usage in the past year has filled the team at Conscious Communications with excitement about the potential it presents for the world of digital marketing.

Campaigns that wouldn’t have been feasible before are now possible because of AR. AR gives you the opportunity to deliver a more enriching experience for your audiences because of the interactive element the technology could bring to your campaign, resulting in a deeper connection and an opportunity to engage with a wider audience across more meaningful touch points. Last year, Maybelline launched an AR campaign where over 5,700 people shared images of themselves on social media, virtually trying on new nail varnishes. One clear benefit was that it brought an ample amount of media coverage, but it also allowed the brand to create a list of Twitter users - ‘engaged customers’ who can be targeted again through tailored audience ads on the social network.

Hiwaizi continued: “We are naturally curious creatures; we constantly want to know more about the world around us. AR offers consumers an exciting opportunity to turn everyday objects into a learning experience. Scanning an apple can bring up recipes, the history, calorific value or other content that might be of interest.”

One of our favourite brands using AR to date is Disney and its Color and Play product, an AR colouring book app that lets you colour and watch the characters on the page come to life. Better yet, you don’t have to replace a crayon with a stylus as the app uses a digital overlay, enhancing engagement. This isn’t the first time companies have used AR to enhance traditional colouring books – there’s Quiver, Crayola Color Alive and Paint My Cat.

AR can also be utilised to leverage traditional offline marketing too - if you have an offline presence at a conference or event for example, AR can be used to bring your brand and proposition to life.  Your exhibition banner could have video pop outs which demonstrate or explain your services/products or could take the visitor to a direct landing page. Better yet, why not bring your humble business cards to life? AR will add a personal touch to networking, and you’re guaranteed to be remembered.

This year, AR has moved beyond the cool factor, and provides real value to its users. We can’t wait to see what brands and campaigns bring to the AR table.

[consciouscommunications]

What to do when crisis strikes

By its very nature, when a crisis hits you will be on the back-foot.  But this is when the preparation you have done in advance, often many years ahead, will kick-in and the plan that was developed especially for this purpose will save your bacon.  If you don’t have a plan, then our advice is to develop one now.

When a crisis strikes, it is important not to respond in a knee-jerk fashion and your plan will allow you to respond efficiently.  It will take you through the steps you need to take to ensure that your response is appropriate and proportionate.

Spokespeople

One of the most important things is to make sure you have a spokesperson who is well trained. Media training is essential for everyone and the skills needs to be practised to keep them fresh and ensure that when they’re needed the spokesperson is able to deliver clear, unflustered messages that are factual and reassuring. In most cases, journalists will want to conduct their own interviews with company spokespeople who will, ideally be someone from within the company rather than an external consultant. There are some simple and very effective techniques that all trained spokespeople should be able to employ in live interview situations.  If you’re the designated spokesperson, preparation is always the best ammunition; anticipate the questions that will be asked, even the ones you hope won’t be, and prepare your answers, sticking to the facts and remembering that you represent the company, brand and reputation.  In all but a very few circumstances, interviews will be edited down to less than a couple of minutes, in most cases just 30 seconds or so.  So, be mindful of this when you’re talking and find ways to repeat your core message so that however the interview is edited, this message will be delivered loud and clear.  

In times of crisis it is always important that your spokesperson expresses concern for the potential impact of the situation, whether it will have a direct or indirect effect on individual people, communities, the environment or wildlife. Never underestimate the power of empathy for taking the heat out of a situation.  

If your company doesn’t have a spokesperson confident and able to deliver interviews, then the best advice is always to put your comment in writing – a written statement is far better than no statement at all and, if it’s in writing, you have complete control of your messaging.

Don’t try to hide

Bad news will not go away and should not be buried.  Think back to some of the massive media issues we have witnessed in our time and in many cases there was an initial attempt to bury or disguise the bad news – Edwina Curry and the salmonella in eggs crisis is a great example; the egg industry learned, at its great cost, that burying their heads was not the solution and it took them many years and the invention of a new quality lion mark to bring their industry back from the brink.  Those were the days before the Internet even existed and you can just imagine the magnified impact of a crisis like that now with the speed of social media. One ill-advised word from a spokesperson these days can spread across the globe in minutes.  

Back-up team

As well as a reliable front-person, you also need a team in the background, who are responsible for the various different aspects of investigating the causes and managing the effects of the crisis, to bring the situation under control.  A simple, fast channel of communication involving these key people is essential and can be written into the crisis plan well before problems arise.

Media front-line

There should always be just one point of contact for the media – if journalists obtain their information from several sources the messages will undoubtedly become confused and it will be more difficult to contain stakeholders’ interest and concern. There will ideally be a team of people behind this first point of contact to handle the volume of enquiries that may arise.  

Inform all other staff that they are not to engage with the media and make sure you give them adequate information and/or training in how not to engage – journalists can be extremely persistent and will use many ‘tricks’ to get the inside track if they feel the resulting story may be worth it.

Never, ever say ‘no comment’.  This simply implies guilt.  Much better to give a comment that provides very little information if that information isn’t yet available and will satisfy the media that action is being taken, for example ‘we are aware that xyz and an internal investigation is being conducted’.

Keep in mind that there is no such thing as ‘off the record’.  It is a journalist’s job to find news and they will invest time in building relationships to get their story – remember that no matter how friendly they may seem, they can and will use your words to get their scoop.

Make friends on social

Social media can be your friend and your enemy in times of crisis.  One of the important elements of your crisis plan will be the monitoring of and response to on-line conversations.  Great crisis communicators will use the relationships they’ve built up with customers and suppliers on social media to their advantage when a crisis strikes.  These people, loyal to your business, can provide an independent and objective endorsement of the company, its practices and ethos and, as long as they are treated with respect and honesty, will support the company’s position.  Remember that the vast majority of journalists are active on Twitter and use it as a source for stories, so take advantage of this to spread your reassuring messages in times of crisis.

Video

Video forms an integral part of many communications strategies these days and can be used effectively in a crisis too to deliver a clear, personal message to stakeholders which can be posted easily across many owned platforms, as well as being offered to the media.  A crisis will never happen at a convenient time, so ensure that you have a process in place for fast and efficient filming of statements at all times of day and night.

Internal ambassadors

Finally, don’t forget that your employees can and should be your most valuable ambassadors. While they may have been instructed not to speak to the media, they will be talking with clients, suppliers, colleagues, family and friends, so make sure they are well informed as soon as a crisis happens so that they’re able to clearly communicate the ‘party line’.

[consciouscommunications]

Five tips to protect your online reputation

Earlier this month Debrett’s, the go-to resource for all things ‘proper’, announced a new course for 13 to 16 year olds called Coming of Age, the main aim of which is to help young people to manage their online reputations, highlighting the importance of online profiles for both employers and employees.  

Frankly, we’re surprised it has taken this long! For those people now nearing their mid-twenties, who were among the first to be impacted by constant connectivity from their teenage years, this may come as too little too late.  

It is increasingly common to look up job candidates, potential first dates, and persons of interest from news reports or reality TV on social media, search engines, and any other portal which can be used to gain information on individuals and those of us who lived our teenage years without every statement or action being publicly documented, share an enormous sense of relief.

The story of Paris Brown, who in 2013 was appointed as the UK’s first youth police and crime commissioner aged just 17, highlights the pitfalls of constant connectivity. Her achievement was short lived due to the ramifications of living of her teenage years ‘online’.  Paris felt pressured to resign from the post after tweets, which she had sent between the ages of 14 and 16 and since deleted from her profile, were discovered and deemed inappropriate. Bearing in mind that the role this teenager was hired to do was to improve relationships between the police force and the young people in Kent, you would have thought that Paris’ ‘misdemeanour’ might have been overlooked, or put down as a consequence of youth. If someone who was hired specifically to build bridges with young people was made an example of based on her online history, the rest of us should be quite certain that we will be subject to similar repercussions should our online history prove inappropriate in the eyes of our employers.

So, while Debrett’s digital etiquette guide is aimed at teens (who we hope will heed the advice and protect themselves against being the next public example of how online history can come back to haunt you), we think anyone not yet familiar with the most essential do’s and don’ts of online behaviour, should pay heed to the following tips. After all, people already in the world of work are not beyond making statements they might regret, or behaving in a way they wish hadn’t been captured on a phone camera!  

What’s more, many individuals set up social media accounts for use in a professional capacity, from small business owners to employees of global businesses. It can become unclear whether an individual’s post is ‘authorised’ by the brand, or is an individual’s personal opinion. If you’re a business leader, ensuring your team’s personal accounts aren’t negatively impacting your business is essential, as is encouraging your team to create a positive social media presence which can give your business an enormous boost.

Top five tips to protect your reputation online:

1.       Don’t overshare; stop yourself from venting about the traffic, your day at work (including your colleagues or cleaner), or airing any type of dirty laundry!

2.       Consider privacy settings on your personal social media accounts –remember that once you have shared, it may never be possible to completely erase a status or uploaded photo or video, as people can download your media, and even screenshot your posts, comments and responses (and do tend to if you have said something you’re likely to regret)

3.       Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t be happy to say in person. Stay positive and respectful, and try to offer something that is fun, informative, or inspirational for your audience

4.       Think about the image of yourself or the business you are representing; try to show the best of yourself, but also try to avoid showing off

5.       Take care to write using correct spelling and grammar. It may feel unnecessary, but avoiding ‘text-speak’, overly abbreviated phrases or acronyms, poor punctuation and spelling mistakes will give a better first impression to new audiences.

[consciouscommunications]

The big debate

The big debate in education at the moment is whether GCSE examinations should be continued, replaced by other exams or should be scrapped altogether. We arranged for two of our clients to be involved in the discussion, St Mary’s School, Cambridge and International Baccalaureate were featured in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday 22 August highlighting their views.  Educational establishments, organisations and politicians have all been involved in discussing whether exams in UK schools are fit for purpose for a number of years, yet the debate continues.

In recent weeks the national newspapers have been packed with conflicting stories on the success of state schools versus private schools, disputing The Telegraph’s headline: “state pupils put private schools in the shade”. This headline was purportedly based on an analysis of A Level results showing that private school students were being outclassed by top performing state schools.  The Guardian begs to differ – according to the chairman of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) The Telegraph has compared the top 500 state Sixth Forms with almost every private school in the country that offers A Levels (amounting to almost 500), not a fair comparison after all.

Fuelling what is already a raging fire is a think tank’s claims that schools should be “fined” if their pupils fail to get at least a C grade in English and Mathematics at GCSE.  Policy Exchange, the think tank responsible for the report, believes that the money gained from fining schools should go towards teaching the thousands of pupils who will have to sit those exams again under new government legislation.

So, not only do schools have the pressure of competing in the league tables and being compared against their state or independent ‘equivalents’ but they now have monetary fines to contend with too.

While we welcome this lively debate we can’t help but wonder when discussion will finally translate into action.

[consciouscommunications]

We’re liking…. Livestreaming

Livestreaming refers to content that is delivered and distributed in real time over the internet. Although livestreaming isn’t a new technology (it has been around for a number of years in the form of video conferencing) the way the technology is now being used, together with the creation of new apps, have advanced the way livestreaming is being utilised globally.

Apps like Periscope and Meerkat allow users to stream live video through their smartphones, and upload directly to social media platforms like Twitter, where the content can be seen and shared while an event is happening.

Periscope was launched just five months ago, yet the company says it has crossed the 10-million-user threshold already – an extraordinary achievement. It announced the figure in a blog post and went on to say ‘people are watching approximately 40 years’ worth of livestreaming footage every day on Periscope, that’s the equivalent of 21 million minutes every 24 hours’.

It is not just individuals who are getting involved in livestreaming; the BBC uses it to report from all over the world, uploading live news to its Twitter accounts so people can stay up to date with real time news.  Other businesses are using livestreaming; we have seen companies launch new products, highlight the inner goings-on of the business day, and there is even an estate agent that uses it for house viewings!

It will be exciting to see how the many uses of livestreaming diversify in the coming months and we look forward to using it more and more for our clients. 

We’re liking…. Livestreaming was originally published on Conscious Communications

[consciouscommunications]

Upping your blog game

It’s true there is an art and science to blogging, starting with where to host your blog, what you want to write about and how often you are going to post, to the finer details of what style and tone each blog post will follow. A blog can be hugely beneficial to your business as a marketing tool, and better yet – it’s cost-effective!

In a previous post, we gave our top 10 tips on how to break through the noise of the digital marketing landscape and create compelling, meaningful and timely content, but running a successful blog is no easy task so here are a few tips on how to get your blog off the ground.

Getting started

Choosing the right platform for your blog is the first hurdle you need to cross. There are plenty of free options out there including Wordpress, Tumblr, Typepad and Blogger. Each hosting site offers design themes to choose from or you can upload your own design. If you’re not sure how to use them, there are a selection of online video tutorials to be found on the Internet.

Goals

It is important to think about what your blog is setting out to achieve. Having a successful blog can help your business in a number of ways by:

1.     Driving traffic to your website

2.     Generating leads

3.     Establishing authority in your industry

4.     Building community engagement

Plan, plan and plan

The easiest way to ensure your blog has a healthy mix of posts is to create a blog content plan. It is the simplest way to keep on top of your posts and it’s also handy to keep as a record of your posting history – you don’t want to be reguritating the same old content. There are five elements you need to include within your content plan:

1.     Publish date

2.     Author

3.     Type of post (‘top tips’, ‘how-to’, ‘opinion’, etc.)

4.     Vehicle (text, video, audio, image, infographic)

5.     Category (the broad topic of the post)

Consistency

Consistency is one of the most important things that bloggers tend to forget. A study by Hubspot shows that consistent blogging leads to higher subscriber growth rates. However, it is important to remain realistic – how often do you think you will really be able to post? It is always better to start with a manageable target and build from that.

Keep it short and snappy

Deciding on the length of your blog posts can be difficult. You generally need around 300 words minimum to get indexed by search engines, but otherwise the length of your post is up to you. We would recommend a post around of 400 words. If you have a lengthy article on one topic then consider breaking it up into several installments.

Use tools

There are some great online tools out there that can help you organise, plan and even structure your blogs. If your website is in Wordpress, try using its content-planning widget – great for collaboration – which lets you drag and drop as you change and rearrange ideas. One of CC’s favourite tools is Trello. The platform allows you to wave goodbye to lengthy email threads and see everything ongoing in your project at a glance – and even better, it’s free!

Our copywriting team develops and utilises original, curated and repurposed content to promote its clients as thought leaders, while building engagement with audiences and stakeholders through traditional, digital and social media, blogs and websites.

Want to find out more? Get in touch via [email protected]

[consciouscommunications]

Let’s get vertical, vertical!

“People just don't rotate their phones… who can be bothered?”

This ‘revelation’ from Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel is the driving force behind the latest digital trend marketers are having to contend with, or risk getting left behind; providing vertical video and image content.

To those of us who aren’t millennials, this may seem like exaggeration. But Troy Young, president of Hearst Digital, supports Spiegel’s thinking, saying: "Mobile phones are vertical devices… turning it sideways is a lot of work." What’s more, Darren Tome, VP of product management at Mashable, believes that “phones are the dominant device for content consumption with the young, digital generation” so it’s vital that marketers heed the lessons shared by those platforms which are proving so successful with the younger generations; ensuring that content is created “in an aspect ratio that's native and natural for mobile”.

The statistics show that there is some truth in these claims: on the Snapchat platform, vertical ads are viewed to the end nine times more frequently than horizontal ones, and this is on a platform which is significant in reaching millennials, boasting 35 million daily users aged 13-34 in the U.S. alone. What’s more, as mobile increasingly becomes the primary device for accessing the internet, having accounted for more than half of e-commerce transactions for some time now, it may not just be those marketers catering to millennials who need to invest in vertical content.    

Snapchat isn’t the only platform to focus on vertical content. Meerkat and Periscope, both of which stream live video, are also configured for vertical content.

Acknowledging the trend and being keen to adopt vertical content, however, is only the first hurdle in the race to ‘go vertical’. Unless you are in the same position as Snapchat, Meerkat or Periscope’s content teams, which only have to provide content to suit their vertical display channels, you almost certainly will need to produce horizontal content as well. The majority of outlets are set up to display horizontal content, whether this is a brand website, most social media channels, or mainstream advertising channels. So in practice, to incorporate vertical content in to your strategy, you are most likely going to need to create two distinct pieces of content if you’re to continue sharing on existing channels while also investing in vertical channels. It’s not as simple as repurposing horizontal content for vertical distribution, nor is it easy to repurpose vertical for traditional horizontal distribution. Twice as much work often means twice as much budget.

Some brands and publishers are beginning to show vertical content within special vertical display boxes on their sites, for instance Mashable recently shared its first piece of cross-platform vertical content, on desktop, mobile and iOS, to some extent negating the need to duplicate content. We would have to question whether this could go too far though, as our wide screen televisions, laptops and desktops clearly benefit from wide angle filming; you can experience more from your content when it’s wide screen! Furthermore, TV advertising, cinema advertising, and horizontal billboard advertising are going to continue to require horizontal content.

It will be interesting to see how far vertical content reaches in ‘cross platform’ distribution. We would much prefer to see vertical content prioritised for mobile, but horizontal content retained everywhere else. It’s just a question of time and budget, versus optimal user experience which varies from platform to platform. We wonder which will win!

[consciouscommunications]

Top tips for graduates trying to get into PR

Leaving university can be frightening; the world you have grown accustomed to for the last few years no longer exists and you are faced with the very real task of finding a job in a market where candidates typically outnumber open positions. If you are a graduate on the search for your first job and are interested in getting into the world of public relations, here are our five top tips to help you get your foot in the door:

1. Know what is going on – it is essential in PR to be up to date with trade, regional and national news particularly in the sector you are hoping to work in. Demonstrating up to date knowledge on digital and social media trends that are affecting a client’s industry sector will set you apart from other candidates.

 2. Network – communicating is the pillar of PR so it is essential that you are comfortable talking to people. Networking at events and online is a key skill that you need to learn and hone in order to show yourself and the company you are working for in the best light. Digital networking will enhance your presence in the industry; joining relevant groups on LinkedIn and getting involved in discussions will help you make connections with appropriate people.

3. Research – before showing up for an interview make sure you have done your research. Often you will be asked to discuss a favourite PR campaign or stunt and it is important you have one picked out so you can explain why you feel it was successful.

4. Work experience – getting as much industry experience as possible will work in your favour when looking for a full time position. During your placements you will have been given the opportunity to draft press releases, gain an understanding of the day-to-day running of a  press office and the organisational skills necessary to be successful in this industry. Any work experience will be a great learning curve and a fantastic opportunity for you to polish your skills in researching and writing.

5. Build a portfolio – having a portfolio is a great way of showcasing what you can do, whether it’s working on your own or as part of a team. Employers are looking for individuals who are going to deliver results for their clients. Choose case studies that are relevant to the sector you want to get into, and successful campaigns you have been involved in that have achieved a spread of coverage in broadcast, print and online media, and be prepared to talk about how their success was measured.  

[consciouscommunications]

Recently at Conscious Communications...

Here is a little taste of what we have been up to during the past month...

Marshal Papworth on Countryfile

We love arranging great coverage for our clients.  At the beginning of July, we worked with BBC Countryfile to showcase the great work of the Marshal Papworth Fund in building knowledge and skills in sustainable agriculture in developing countries. If you missed the students, look for them on iPlayer (episode available until the beginning of August) or become a Friend here.

Cambridge Science Centre – Cosmic exhibition

This month we have been getting creative with Cambridge Science Centre to help promote its brand new exhibition, Cosmic, launching on 23rd July.  To celebrate the launch of the new exhibition, we have invited press and VIPs to witness the world’s first attempt to rocket power a punt down the River Cam fuelled with nothing more than Fitzbillies’ buns – the most potent rocket fuel known to Cambridge! We have been busy out and about filming each of the rocket tests, the making of the famous Fitzbillies’ Chelsea Bun, and the reaction of the general public in Cambridge to this world first! 

Calling all Professors and Industry – Cambridge University Press needs you!

We have been working with Cambridge University Press to develop Education Digital – a series of thought leadership articles aimed at an international audience of teachers, students and their families. With a focus on key subject areas including STEM subjects, Psychology, Modern Foreign Languages and History, each article will aim to strengthen the link between education and potential career paths, while helping to inspire a love of learning.

If you have something you would like to contribute or if you want to know a little more, please contact us on 01223 421 831.

[consciouscommunications]

Magna Carta: For the Digital Age

Monday 15 June saw the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, a historic document which formed the foundations of democracy, human rights and the supremacy of law for all subsequent centuries, not just for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, but across the world. Prime Minister, David Cameron, emphasised the relevance of the document to current society, saying: “it falls to us in this generation to restore the reputation of those rights and their critical underpinning of our legal system. It is our duty to safeguard the legacy, the idea, the momentous achievement.” At a time when Mr Cameron is trying to reform current Human Rights laws in response to ‘modern day’ issues, such as terrorism, at Conscious Communications we find ourselves thinking about human rights in relation to the internet.

March of this year marked the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web. Those of us old enough to have seen the advance of the  World Wide Web from the start will have noticed a marked change in ‘acceptable online behaviour’, which to a large extent has been allowed to flourish, unchecked, thanks to a lack of precedent or relevant laws, making the World Wide Web a difficult place to police.

In recognition of the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, the British Library in conjunction with the World Wide Web Foundation, Southbank Centre and British Council has given the public the opportunity to shape a ‘Magna Carta for the Digital Age’; encouraging young people to consider what their Digital Human Rights should be. This is a pertinent question for our modern society, and an important point for young people – who will not have had the chance to experience life before the digital influence – to ponder. School students across the world were invited to create clauses to be added to the Magna Carta for the Digital Age, before the general public voted on which clauses they thought should be included.

Clauses submitted covered issues including whether connectivity is a human right; the importance of freedom of speech and access to information; whether companies can have too much control over how the internet is run; and whether a right to privacy is important in the digital arena. According to the organisers of the Magna Carta for the Digital Age, “the clauses from students are striking: rather than a call for freedom or openness half of the submissions reveal a marked concern about safety and security online”.

Two of the students’ suggested clauses were:

•  The web we want will not let governments restrict our right to information

•  The web we want will be private and not allow the government to see what we do online

Many of the suggested clauses focus on freedom of information while, in stark contrast, others want to prioritise individuals’ privacy online.  So, how do we proceed when the proposed rights oppose each other? It is bound to be difficult to create an exhaustive list of Digital Human Rights which contains no conflicting clauses, especially when the digital arena and associated behaviours are constantly changing at such an alarming rate.

As with the original Magna Carta we expect the Digital Human Rights to be refined on an ongoing basis.

Well done to the British Library et al for raising awareness of the need for these Digital Human Rights, and for publishing a Magna Carta for the Digital Age – setting the conversation off on the right track and encouraging young people to participate.

The top 10 clauses can be seen below, or click here for more information on the selected clauses.

[consciouscommunications]

Investors In People Awards 2015

As you may have previously read in our blog, we were shortlisted for Best Newcomer at the IIP Awards 2015. We had an amazing night, and it was a real honour to be shortlisted from submissions from 77 countries! Many congratulations to The Boxing Academy for its well deserved win! Here are a few highlights:

[consciouscommunications]

Social Media: 15 minutes is all you need!

We know that social media isn’t right for all organisations, and certainly not all channels will be right for you, but it is possible to manage your social media accounts in just 15 minutes a day so it doesn’t have to be the arduous task that you dread.

But first for some general pointers…

Dos:

Assess and audit which platforms are best suited to your business – does Facebook really offer the right target demographic for your business?

Plan your time and resources effectively – there are many platforms out there which allow you to schedule your posts (e.g. Hootsuite and Tweetdeck) so you don’t have to be creating content every day when you log in, just monitoring

Try and block out the same 15 minutes each day for social media activity – it’s a good lunchtime distraction!

Don’ts:

Don’t just repeat the same sales message across multiple channels

Don’t ignore or delete negative comments – they require a response and your followers will respect you for being open and transparent

Don’t join a social media channel and leave a half completed profile for months on end; your potential customers and business partners will come across it and draw conclusions from what they find online

Ready, set, go!

0-5 minutes

Login to your accounts and check your brand mentions – this is your opportunity to respond to queries or negative comments.

6-10 minutes

Spend this time scanning your social media feeds and if appropriate like, favourite, retweet and share posts which you think will be of interest to your followers.

11-15 minutes

Find some great content to post – whether it is your own company or product news, news from the industry, or something a bit more light-hearted like a #FunFactFriday. No need to post it straight away; use a tool to schedule a few throughout the day.