Author Archives: Mary Fletcher Jones
September Editorial Calendar Ideas and Communications Events
Here are a some ideas to round out your September editorial calendar, plus some events you might like to celebrate or attend.
September Health Observances
There are many health observances and special recognition days this month that you can use to help raise awareness. September is Cholesterol Education Month, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Healthy Aging Month, National Atrial Fibrillation Month, National Yoga Awareness Month, and Whole Grains Month. It is also Fruit and Veggies: More Matters Month. And many more!
Each of these observances is associated with one or more nonprofit organizations or trade organizations, who usually offer associated media kits and promotion ideas, as well as hashtags.
National Preparedness Month
It’s National Preparedness Month, which means it’s the perfect time to review your workplace emergency prevention plan, crisis relations plan, and check on emergency supplies you have on hand, such as water, first aid kit, crank radio, emergency lanterns.
For $5 per person, you could also equip each employee with their own personal Safety Tube, which I think makes a lot of sense if you work in a large office building. Read more workplace preparedness tips here.
If you have a B2B clients, consider working this theme into your social media updates. Follow @FEMA on Twitter for tips and use the hashtag #NPM.
Hey, here’s an idea: you could also pin your photos of your workplace emergency response kit or drill activity on a company Pinterest board.
Back To School
Back-to-school makes a great theme for informative and how-to blog posts. Another hot topic is how parents can keep kids safe online.
Advertising Week DC: September 6-12
Saturday, September 6: Advertising Week begins today and runs through Friday, September 12. You can follow the action @AdWkDC on Twitter.
Grandparents Day: September 7
Sunday, September 7: In addition to suggesting cards and gifts, some ideas: offer an event for grandparents and grandchildren, share anecdotes learned from grandparents and link to your marketing or business theme, or promote your services or discounts for seniors.
Football Season Starts: September 7
Sunday, September 7: Football season kicks off today for DC fans with the opening game of the Redskins vs. the Houstan Texans (in Texas). Kickoff is at 1 pm, EST. Like the team on Facebook.
Hey, people like to talk about football. Find ways to work this football chatter into your Facebook Page updates for your brand, so you can increase your organic newsfeed placements.
Moon Festival: September 8
Monday, September 8: Today is an important day in Asian communities — the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival. The ancient festival is celebrated with dragon dances, lanterns, mooncakes, and celebrations.
If you’ve never had a mooncake, you must try one! They’re sweet and taste like flowers. Visit Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia to find an authentic mooncake. Mooncakes are a unique treat to distribute to clients or for your kids to take to school.
Harvest Moon: September 8 – 9
Friday September 8 and Saturday, September 9: The full moon tonight will also be a Super Moon. Read more about this natural phenomenon everyone will be chatting about.
Patriot Day: September 11
Thursday, September 11: Today is Patriot Day, a day for remembrance of the tragedies of September 11, 2001. U.S. flags are flown at half-mast, by order of the President, and there is a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. EST. A number of memorial events are taking place throughout the DC area.
200th Anniversary – Star Spangled Banner: September 14
Sunday, September 14: Today is the 200th anniversary of our national anthem. This is the day that Francis Scott Key wrote the song in 1814.
There are many events this week in Maryland associated with this anniversary. Follow @starspangled200 and use the hashtag #StarSpangled200
National Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15 – October 15
Monday, September 15: Beginning today, the theme for the recognition month is “Hispanics: A legacy of history, a present of action and a future of success.” Here is a list of some notable Hispanic Americans.
German American Heritage Month: September 15 – October 15
Monday, September 15: Coinciding nicely with Oktoberfest season, the month for German Americans starts today, with the legally official day of recognition on October 6. Check out the accomplishments of some famous German Americans.
Constitution Day: September 17
Wednesday, September 17: Today commemorates the day (in 1787) that the U.S. Constitution, the document that is the supreme law for the U.S. and the basis for our judicial system, was signed into law in Philadelphia, PA.
This day used to be known as “Citizenship Day” before Congress changed it with legislation in 2004.
The legislation mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions (including all public schools and universities that receive federal funding) provide educational programming for students on the history of the American Constitution on this day. Also, all federal agencies must provide education about the history of the Constitution to their employees on this day.
Did you know that? I did not know that!
Independence for Scotland? September 18
Thursday, September 18: Today, Scots will vote on the Independence Referendum to decide if Scotland should split off from the United Kingdom and become an independent nation.
After the controversy over their advertising campaign, I don’t know if the Brits stand much of a chance anymore!
Talk Like a Pirate Day: September 19
Friday, September 19: Arrr! Avast, matey, today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Everything you need to know is right here. You know what would be fun? If everyone in the office also DRESSED
like Pirates. You know you want to do this. Think of the Facebook pictures and video potential here!
But if you just can’t bring yourself to do it, then try this: change the language setting on your Facebook profile for today. Go to your account settings, and under “Language,” select: “English (Pirate).”
Don’t worry, no one else will know 🙂
International Day of Peace: September 21
Sunday, September 21: There will be a moment of silence for peace at noon today. Learn about the other ways you can promote peace through this recognition day, sponsored by Pathways for Peace. Follow @PeaceDay on Twitter and use the hashtag #PeaceDay.
Fall Begins: September 22
Monday, September 22: Today is the first day of autumn and also the autumnal equinox, a day when sunrise and sunset occur 12 hours apart.
UN Climate Change Summit: September 23
Tuesday, September 23: Learn more about this environmental event taking place in New York City today. Use hashtag #climate2014 for updates.
Rosh Hashanah: September 24
Wednesday, September 24: Beginning at sundown and running through September 18, Rosh Hashanah is an important Jewish observance that marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year and the start of the High Holy Days. The traditional greeting is to wish people “Shana Tova,” or “a good year.”
Google’s Birthday: September 27
Saturday, September 27: Happy Birthday, Google! The company turns 16 today. A good day to share SEO tips, or check out and share the Google Doodle 🙂
Museum Day: September 27
Saturday, September 27: On this day, many museums will offer free admission. Spotlight a museum that is important to your brand or industry, or if you are a museum, showcase your museum today with events, photographs, and video.
World Heart Day: September 29
Monday, September 29: The World Heart Federation sponsors this observance that emphasizes advocacy and healthy heart choices. Use the hashtags #worldheartday and #heartchoices, and share the video and other resources. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfhB3NJ8uTU
Fill your calendar with these August events and notable dates
Whew! Congress is out of town! I thought they’d NEVER leave.
Let me let you in on a little secret, my content-generating friend. No one, self included, wants to talk about anything remotely work-like this month. Not in DC, and not online. Nobody is working. You know it, and I know it.
So have a little fun with Twitter, Facebook, and your blog this month.
NOT TOO MUCH FUN. I said, a LITTLE fun.
Hey, it’s President Obama’s birthday! See: that’s fun. And the pig races at the Arlington County Fair. Free admission at the National Parks. And the Hard Crab Derby – friend, it does not get any more wholesomely fun than that.
You know what never gets old? Besides Elvis? Racing blue crabs, that’s what. Now if you can’t somehow link your brand to a crab derby, and make it sound almost relevant, then you’re not the social media genius I know you are.
I mean, you can do this. I have faith in you. Now get to work, slacker. Read the rest of this entry
Important July dates
Sure, ANYBODY can tweet about the 4th of July.
But how many people are going to talk about International Kissing Day? Or the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona? They might get the Tour de France, sure, but the Palio?
Nah, YOU got the Palio!
You are going to OWN Twitter, my friend. Will they ever be surprised! Prince George’s first birthday? The Monty Python reunion debut? Comic-Con? Who knew you were such a cultural chameleon? You trendster, you!
I see your Facebook Likes going up up up. They name you among the cognoscenti, in hushed and reverent tones…
Your editorial calendar is on fire! It’s hot hot hot!
Just like July in DC. There’s a blog post topic for you in here somewhere, I just know it. Now get to work.
P.S. Don’t forget little Misty of Chincoteague…
July
Jul 1 – Monty Python reunion debuts, London
Jul 2 – Palio di Siena (1st race), Italy
Jul 4 – Independence Day
Jul 5 – Tour de France begins
Jul 6 – International Kissing Day
Jul 7 – Running of the Bulls, Pamplona, Spain
Jul 7 – Fortune 500 ranking world’s largest corporations
Jul 12 – “Super” full moon
Jul 14 – Bastille Day
Jul 21 – National Ice Cream Day
Jul 22 – First birthday of Prince George (UK)
Jul 24 – Comic-Con opens
Jul 28 – 100th anniversary of World War I
Jul 29 – Eid al-Fitr
Jul 30 – 89th Annual Pony Swim & Auction (Chincoteauge, VA)
Why bother with YouTube? The benefits of online video
As you may know, YouTube has been around since 2005, and since then, there have been tremendous benefits to posting on YouTube, but those have changed slightly over the years, as YouTube has changed. The incentive for posting depends on your objective. I’m just going to address the benefits and not the caveats and potential drawbacks for the purpose of this answer. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, by the way.
YouTube dramatically increases your visibility and by extension, credibility (as long as your videos are well done). My clients have definitely seen benefits from posting videos on YouTube, as have I.
If you have a business, posting well-executed, relevant, informative and brand-enhancing videos on YouTube is a low-barrier-to-entry marketing tactic that will increase your search engine results online and is a proven reputation- and business-booster. CEOs turn to YouTube to gather information on businesses.
If you have a nonprofit organization, YouTube has demonstrated results in leading to additional support and funding. People are visual and naturally respond to the power of storytelling — there is no better way to tell the story of your mission than with video.
And YouTube is a form of creative expression. Most people find creative expression gratifying, whether it’s through art, music, writing, dance, etc . Creating videos is just another way of sharing what you are about, your experiences, and what matters to you. A very human impulse 🙂
Those are my thoughts on the benefits of YouTube. You can find more tips on the Fletcher Prince Slideshare page. Remember, YouTube is a powerful medium and the adage “Anything worth doing is worth doing well” definitely applies to YouTube video planning and production! Thanks for asking me to answer this question and let me know if you have any other questions about YouTube!
A Summer Book Bag for PR professionals
After what has got to be the snowiest winter ever, it’s finally here: summer.
Well, not technically until next week. But I’m already in summer mode, aren’t you? Rehoboth, here I come!
Do you read on the beach or by the pool? Here are some of my PR book recommendations. These are all enjoyable, as well as informative reads, with memorable anecdotes.
Hey, you’re on vacation, right? You may as well enjoy it.
Add a couple of these winners to your summer reading list….tell me your own picks in the comments!
Topic: Crisis Communications
Title: Crisis Communications: The Definitive Guide to Managing the Message (2013)
Author: Steven Fink
Topic: PR, Content Creation, and SEO
Title: Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age (2014)
Author: Gini Dietrich
Topic: Design
Title: Steal Like An Artist (2012)
Author: Austin Kleon
Topic: Video Production (I’m looking at you, PR agencies!)
Title: How To Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro (2011)
Author: Steve Stockman
Topic: Marketing
Title: Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help, Not Hype (2014)
Author: Jay Baer
Social media inspiration for June bugs
What? You don’t know what to blog about? You don’t know what to tweet about?
Don’t tell me you don’t know what to FACEBOOK about!
No worries, skippy. Here’s a list of can’t-miss conversation-starters for the whole month of June. From the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival to Fortune’s 500 list, to the World Cup and the first day of summer, you’re bound to find some inspiration in these trending topics.
Now, stop daydreaming about the beach and get back to work!
June
Jun 1 – Happy Birthday, Morgan Freeman!
Jun 2 – Fortune 500 America’s largest corporations announced
Jun 2 – On this day in 1924, U.S. citizenship was granted to all Native Americans. Does anybody else think this was a weird move? Weren’t they here first?
Jun 3 – Happy Birthday, Anderson Cooper!
Jun 4 – The U.S. Secret Service was formed today in 1778.
Jun 6 – 70th anniversary of D-Day
Jun 6 – Celebrate Fairfax Festival – all weekend! Check out All-American Rejects and Cheap Trick!
Jun 7/8 – Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk
Jun 12 – US Open (golf) begins
Jun 12 – World Cup (soccer) begins, Brazil
Jun 14 – Flag Day
Jun 14 – Washington Soap Box Derby (Capitol Hill)
Jun 14 – The U.S. Army was formed on this day in 1775.
Jun 15 – Father’s Day
Jun 18 – Last Day of School (Fairfax County)
Jun 18 – On this day, Virginia became the first colony to adopt a bill of rights, in 1776. Thanks, George Mason!
Jun 21 – First Day of Summer
Jun 23 – Wimbledon begins
Jun 25 – Smithsonian Folk Life Festival – featured countries are China and Kenya
Jun 27/28 Choctaw Nation festival – Museum of the American Indian
Jun 28 – Happy Birthday, John Cusack!
Jun 29 – Ramadan
The ones that got away…
You know, in this business, you don’t land every single client. Even if you are Fletcher Prince.
Gasp!
Truth. You have to fish a lot and bid a lot and write all kinds of proposals and it often goes nowhere. Heck, I bet I have lost at least half the jobs I have bid on.
I have been taking a break from Fletcher Prince to explore teaching (which I love, maybe there is a way to do both). But I haven’t dropped Fletcher Prince altogether. I am just reassessing. Today, I was listening to some news about the Muslim Brotherhood and I thought, oh, I remember them. They were almost a client.
The toughest part about proposals is that you pour your heart and soul into them, and when you don’t get them, 90% of the time you don’t find out why. We ask for feedback but rarely get that. I think that is not unusual for this industry. So you never really know why you didn’t make the cut. It’s demoralizing. Failures are part of success, but knowing why you failed is essential for growth. That part is often missing.
These are sad stories, but in some cases, preventable tragedies. And in other cases, just part of the way business is done. Learn from them, grasshopper.
1. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Oh, this one hurt. David and I really wanted this one. We both like to work with clients who do good things, and NAMI is right up there with the best. We thought we were so close! They needed a website and they didn’t have a big budget. Usually, that is a good fit for us. We met with them and learned a lot about their mission, and submitted the best proposal we could create. But…it was not to be. It happens. It was, pardon the expression, depressing.
Lesson learned: Well, it’s hard to take a lesson from this. We did everything right. We just didn’t make the grade. I guess the lesson is, sometimes, you can do your best, but your best isn’t good enough. You just have to deal.
2. The Muslim Brotherhood. Before the economic downturn, Fenton Communications was using David for a lot of their graphic design, and occasionally batting over a client that wasn’t right for them. That’s how we landed the Florida Education Association, and how they put us in touch with potential clients like the Muslim Brotherhood. But we did not get the Muslim Brotherhood. This was before the Arab Spring, and they needed a website. They needed some very basic PR work. The budget was not large. It probably is, now. I wondered what they were all about. Were they like a Muslim Knights of Columbus? Well, sort of, but not really 🙂 They did not yet have a Wikipedia page. Of course, now they are all over the news. But at one, time, they read our proposal for a website. We thought it was in the bag, but we didn’t get it. Probably a good thing, considering how uninformed I was. Who knows why? We just weren’t the right fit. Oh, well. We did go on to do pro bono work for two American pro-democracy in Bahrain groups, though.
Lesson learned: Writers say write about what you know. This can also apply to projects. If you really know little about the issues and countries involved, it’s not appropriate to try and bid on a project.
3. Lake Placid CVB (visitor’s bureau). They needed branding work and a website. We gave it the old college try and we didn’t get it. This was heartbreaking for two reasons. I used to have a family home in Lake Placid and David has a family home near Lake Placid, so we have both spent a lot of time in this beautiful place. Having a client there would mean frequent trips, trips we could have written off, even better. The other heartbreaking reason was the proposal for the RFP was so freaking difficult to complete. It felt like finals trying to get that sucker together. And we never made it to first base. Sigh.
Lesson learned: Stick close to home. Proposals are about connections, too. If you are a small firm, like Fletcher Prince, if you can’t meet face to face easily, you may be hoping for too much. It certainly would make it tough if you actually had won the bid.
4. St. Charles, MD. A new community needed a social media program, soup to nuts. It was one of those situations where they seemed to know where they wanted to be but they weren’t sure how to get there. It’s hard to do proposals like this, because you feel a bit like you are shooting in the dark — there’s no hint of a budget, no real deadlines, no specific requirements. They basically just want you to come up with a plan that will work. You can only hope your plan will fly with them.
I started to get suspicious (or paranoid, depending on how you look at it) after this RFP. I mean, it could have been that our proposal stank, but when we heard nothing, I started thinking — maybe some clients — especially the ones who have not really talked to us in person — are using us for some free consultation.
I began to get more cagey and conservative with my time and intellectual capital. The truth is, proposals are rich with billable marketing advice and insights, and usually include quite a bit of research and competitive analysis. That’s a lot of work for no return at all. After this, I began charging a fee for detailed proposals. Estimates were still free, but major, multi-page proposals were not. That way, I would receive some compensation for my advice, and the amount would be credited to the invoice, if were hired.
Lesson learned: Even in subcontracting situations, never, ever write a major proposal without meeting with the client first, in person. Make sure you are a real contender, before you put too much work into a proposal.
5. Hickok Cole. What a train wreck this client relationship turned into. I lost track of how many meetings we had this reputable architecture firm. We were hired, eventually, to create a video. It was a surprise to me because I actually recommended that they hire one of my more experienced colleagues for their project. But they wanted me, and I was flattered as all get out. At first.
I made the mistake of not collecting a deposit. I didn’t make that mistake again. I know now that when you take a client’s money, they have an incentive to work with you to stay on track. Nice people but…meetings started getting cancelled, because they didn’t feel ready. I tried to explain that it was the purpose of the meeting to discuss those questions, and that I would help them get ready. The bride just wouldn’t come to the altar.
The client called me with less than an hour’s notice to tell me that they would have to cancel, once again, because they didn’t feel ready to talk about the video. This meeting had already been rescheduled twice. I was already in DC. The drive had not been fun. It was a hot day. I had declined a meeting with another client to take this meeting. I had paid for parking 🙂 So, I was steamed. I tallied how many hours I had put into educating this client about video. That amount definitely reached the amount it would cost to produce a video. It exceeded it. I was losing money, technically. Months had dragged on. And I had no video to show for it. So, after explaining my position, I broke up with the client, and sent them the invoice for my time. To their credit, they paid it, but I never got to do their video, and it felt like a divorce. It just felt bad.
Lesson learned: How you write your proposal and agreement can make all the difference in the success of the project. Decide where you can be flexible and where you will stand firm. Get paid upfront (at least 50% deposit) and bill for your time for meetings that go outside the scope of the project.
6. The Just Ask Prevention Project. Along with a couple of other companies, we were asked to bid on this Fairfax County teen sex trafficking project, after being referred by a client to whom we had provided social media training services. The specifics for the website were very slim, but the budget was bare bones. We talked about social media and video, as well, but were advised to just stick to an estimate for basic website production.
We created a proposal at a discounted rate, since nonprofits were involved and the issue was right in our community, and we wanted the job.
We didn’t get the project, but a much larger, out-of-state company did — one that created what appeared to my experienced eye as high quality, multi-thousand dollar commercial websites, that frankly, we couldn’t touch. We never did figure out how they were able to produce the work at seriously below-market rates. They did an outstanding job, but the match between the stated budget and the outcome is something I still have not been able to fathom. It could have been that this firm was willing to take on a below-market project, as some firms will, with the idea that the website will be submitted for awards work, or for good will. Or maybe their websites really don’t cost very much to produce, actually. Who knows? Still, I am happy for the organization because if they really achieved all that they did, for the quoted budget, they landed quite a bargain!
Lesson learned: Sometimes, the deck is stacked against you. Small fish can’t compete with big fish. You can’t win ’em all!
Important May dates
What to tweet…what to blog…what to do…
You won’t lack for inspiration this month! From the Mother’s Day and the Kentucky Derby, to the anniversaries of LinkedIn and WordPress, the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and Cannes, content and engagement ideas for Facebook updates, blog posts, and tweets abound.
If you have not yet been to the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race, you must go. I guarantee it’s even more fun than the Gold Cup, fun as that is (also, it’s free).
Here are some conversation-ready dates to add to your editorial calendar in May.
May
May 1 – May Day
May 2 – National Cathedral Flower Mart
May 3 – Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race
May 3 – Virginia Gold Cup
May 3 – Kentucky Derby
May 3 – White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner
May 4 – International Firefighters Day
May 4 – National Music Week begins
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo
May 5 – Teacher Appreciation week begins
May 6 – Buddha Day
May 6 – LinkedIn’s 11th Birthday (2003)
May 8 – World Red Cross Day
May 10 – National Train Day
May 11 – Mother’s Day
May 14 – Cannes Film Festival opens
May 17 – Preakness Stakes (Horse Race) Baltimore
May 18 – International Museum Day
May 25 – French Open begins
May 25 – Indianapolis 500
May 26 – Memorial Day
May 27 – WordPress’s Birthday (2003)
April events to celebrate
It’s a beautiful spring day in the Washington, DC area. I hope you get outside for a bit!
From World Autism Day to William Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday to the White House Easter Egg Roll and the Smithsonian Craft Show, content and engagement ideas for Facebook updates, blog posts, and tweets abound.
Here are some conversation-ready dates to add to your editorial calendar in April.
April
Apr 1 – April Fool’s Day
Apr 2 – World Autism Awareness Day (wear blue today)
Apr 6 – Volunteer Week begins
Apr 7 – U.N. World Health Day
Apr 10 – Smithsonian Craft Show begins
Apr 12 – National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade
Apr 13 – Palm Sunday
Apr 13 – National Library Week
Apr 15 – Tax Day
Apr 15 – Passover
Apr 15 – Birthday of Leonardo da Vinci (1452)
Apr 15 – Lunar eclipse
Apr 16 – 50th anniversary of the first album released by the Rolling Stones (1964)
Apr 18 – Good Friday
Apr 20 – Easter
Apr 20 – Virginia Historic Garden Week
Apr 21 – White House Easter Egg Roll
Apr 21 – Boston Marathon
Apr 21 – Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday
Apr 22 – Earth Day
Apr 23 – Administrative Professionals Day
Apr 24 – Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
Apr 25 – Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
Apr 26 – USA Science & Engineering Festival (DC)
Apr 26 – The 450th birthday of William Shakespeare
Apr 29 – International Dance Day
Apr 29 – Solar Eclipse today
Apr 29 – Tony Awards nominations
Apr 30 – Children’s Day
Important March dates
What to tweet…what to blog…what to do…
You won’t lack for inspiration in March! From the Oscars to Mardi Gras to the National Cherry Blossom Festival and Twitter’s 8th birthday, content and engagement ideas for Facebook updates, blog posts, and tweets abound.
Don’t forget my birthday on March 16! 🙂
Here are some conversation-ready dates to add to your editorial calendar in March.
March
Mar 1 – St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Alexandria
Mar 2 – Oscar Awards
Mar 2 – Read Across America Day
Mar 4 – Mardi Gras
Mar 5 – Ash Wednesday
Mar 6 – Birthday of Michelangelo (1475)
Mar 7 – South by Southwest Festival begins
Mar 8 – International Women’s Day
Mar 9 – Daylight Saving Time starts
Mar 11 – Special House seat election, Florida
Mar 16 – Mary’s Birthday (that’s me!) 🙂 @MaryFletchJones
Mar 16 – Freedom of Information Day
Mar 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
Mar 17 – Holi
Mar 17 – TED conference on Technology, Entertainment and Design (BC)
Mar 20 – First Day of Spring
Mar 20 – National Cherry Blossom Festival begins
Mar 21 – Twitter’s 8th Birthday (2006)
Mar 25 – Maryland Day
Mar 29 – Kite Festival (DC)
Mar 31 – Opening Day, Washington Nationals
Mar 31 – Hindu New Year
