QUICK PR READS YOU CAN TACKLE BETWEEN BITES
Welcome back, Lunch Breakers! This week, we’re diving into the power of user-generated content in your social media strategy, the impact of Texas’ abortion ruling on the state’s business community, and an exercise for acting in an ethically responsible manner at work.
User Generated Content (UGC) to Generate Audience Loyalty
No matter your client, their PR goals, or your personal social media strategy, one thing is constant – user generated content (UGC) outperforms nearly any other type of social media post. While there is certainly something to be said for high quality, well edited and professionally produced videos, nothing resonates more with an audience than content that they created themselves.
In our world of oversaturated and constant social media content, finding ways to truly develop a connection with your audience can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. But, by integrating content that your target audience created, you are doing two crucial things: letting your audience know you value their input and showing newer audience members that you don’t need to create your own content to showcase your product or service in action. Rather, your loyal customers do this for you, out of their own love and passion for the product. Ultimately, UGC brings the power of influencer relations to a micro-scale, driving traffic to your brand through word-of-mouth.
A good place to start is this new UGC guide from Insense.
An Industry Exodus from Texas
Many of us in the PR and marketing world are familiar with South by Southwest (SXSW), an annual conference that brings together tech, film, music, education, and culture at a festival designed to elevate creatives to achieve their goals. This world-renowned conference competes with those such as Cannes Lions in France and Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, with the potential to bring in roughly $350 million to Austin’s local economy.
However, due to backlash in response to the recent Texas abortion ruling, making it illegal for a woman to get an abortion after six weeks, marketing and PR gurus alike are urging their clients to pull their submissions from the PanelPicker to be considered at this event. On the opposite end, SXSW is known for its focus on social issues, including discussions focused on civil rights and George Floyd, making this exodus a controversial one.
According to Ad Age, it is hard to predict how this ruling will impact turnout at SXSW, but based on ongoing conversations, it seems likely that the conference will feel the loss of those choosing not to attend.
Acting Ethically to Embrace Cultural Differences at Work
In any professional setting, there are always several different personalities, backgrounds and work styles that must be embraced to get the best out of each employee. This can be a challenge for any company, but gets particularly difficult for teams who are still working remotely. Fast Company shared an exercise to address the complexities of the various personas in a workplace.
The exercise requires a small group of four to eight people. In advance, compile a set of readings that encompass a variety of different points of view. Have the entire group read the articles and then plan to meet and discuss with an open mind. Set the stage for four 10-minute debates, going through each article one by one. Assign two people to represent opposing perspectives for each article, whether they agree with it or not. Ultimately, the goal is to unpack the different perspectives, with no one winning and no one losing. To see an example of the results of this exercise, visit Fast Company.
If you take one thing from this Lunch Break, let it be the importance of bringing diverse voices into every workplace conversation, no matter how seemingly small. From sharing UGC on client social channels to understanding each other’s viewpoints within our own organizations, diversity is crucial to the success of our industry.
