Born to Socialize: My Boss Living the PR Dream

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For one of my classes at TCU, I had to write a personal profile on a professional. I chose to write about my boss.

When companies are looking to hire a Public Relations director, they usually are not looking for someone with a bachelor’s degree in German and a minor in Classical Studies. This was not the case for Katherine Rose Watson. After graduating from Texas Christian University in 2011, Watson began her successful career as a Director of Public Relations.

Currently working at Anchor Marketing and Design located in Fort Worth, TX, Watson is the Director of Public Relations and Social Media. Watson makes sure her clients are seen positively by others. Her acting experience allows her to offer media training for her clients, which is often overlooked. “I absolutely love everything about Anchor and what we stand for and what we do,” she said. Watson had always dreamed of becoming an actress or even an author; she never realized that public relations is where she always belonged.

It all started when Cynthia Shearer, Watson’s freshman year English professor and published author, inspired Watson to write and publish her first book entitled Little Gabby Meets Her New Family. After publishing her book about her own puppy Gabrielle, Watson worked hard to promote her book. She created a Little Gabby Books website, Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube videos that she films and edits herself. This promotional experience served her well during college and she is now able to bring well-behaved Gabby to work with her. Gabby’s job at the office is to make sure everyone is smiling, which she excels at.

While acting on set for an industrial training video for one of Anchor’s clients during her last semester at TCU, Watson met BJ and Amber Caldwell, the co-owners of Anchor Marketing and Design. Mr. Caldwell was immediately impressed with Watson when she managed to memorize 60 pages of medical dialog in one night when no one else had their lines memorized. The Caldwells friended Watson on Facebook and her positive, eye-catching posts kept her on their adar. Two weeks after Watson graduated, Mrs. Caldwell asked her over Words with Friends what she was doing post-grad. When Mrs. Caldwell repeated Watson’s reply (“I’m looking for a job”) to Mr. Caldwell, he said, “She’s hired.”

Even though there was no position available at Anchor, they knew that Watson could do great things for them and brought her on. In July of 2011, Watson officially started working at Anchor. She started off as only a Social Media specialist; however, it did not take long for Watson to move up within the company. In just one year, Watson was made Director of PR & Social Media. Although her position is not sales, she even brings in new clients. What is her secret? “It’s all about who you know; you never know who you’re going to meet,” said Watson.

One of Watson’s favorite parts about working as a the Director of Public Relations is the social aspect of it all. She has made tons of friends in the media. “They aren’t just work friends whom I see only for business; I’ve met so many friends in the media whom I adore,” said Watson. Although she loves public relations, Watson admits that being so social for work can be draining. This has made her truly appreciate her free time.

Whenever Watson has any free time, she loves to ride her two horses. Watson had always loved riding horses, but now that she is older she appreciates it much more. “After working on a computer all day, it’s so wonderful to be outside,” said Watson. Riding horses is not the only activity she enjoys. She also loves having picnics, walking her dog, wake boarding, kayaking and boating. Above all of these things, Watson’s all-time favorite thing to do is baking and cooking, which she even blogs about. It works out perfectly because Watson does social media for the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival.

Watson suggests that having a positive attitude is the key to finding a good job. “I was so tired the morning that I met Amber and BJ, but instead of being cranky, I chose to be positive, and look where it led me!” said Watson. If it were not for her positive attitude, Watson would not be the happy, hard-working Director of Public Relations and Social Media she is today.

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What to Look For in a PR Rep

Posted on September 25, 2012 by krwatson

There is a plethora of PR companies to choose from, so how do you decide which rep will work the hardest for you? Here are some key characteristics to look for:

Someone with media connections. Many PR companies simply send out press releases through wire services and call it PR, but if you ask the majority of media professionals, you will find that most have never even heard of the most popular wire service sites. Real connections are a PR professional’s most valuable asset. Their name and respect among the media is what will get your name in the news.
Someone whose clients are frequently in the news. It may seem obvious, but note how often a company’s clients appear in the news. Is it sporadic or do they get their clients monthly coverage? What they’re doing for their current clients is a good indicator of how often you can expect similar coverage.
Someone who stays calm and takes action. PR professionals need to have the ability to stay calm and productive in stressful situations so that they can manage any PR crisis efficiently. If you know individual reps at a company, follow them on Twitter. Look for a rep who can turn any bad situation around, not a rep who tweets about how ruined his or her day is. When life gives you lemons, your PR rep should be able to get you an interview – or even an endorsement deal – about the benefits of lemonade.
Someone who offers guidance. Does the PR company offer media training and consultation? Without these services, you may not look or sound your best during interviews. It is your PR rep’s job to work with you on polishing your interview skills, yet this service is often overlooked. Find someone who takes the time to consult with you before every press opportunity.
Someone who puts their clients first. PR doesn’t end at five o’clock. You want a rep who will hop off a treadmill to take a call from a reporter at nine o’clock at night to secure coverage for you. You want a rep who goes above and beyond to think of creative ways to promote you and who puts their company and clients first. And finally, you want a rep who will tell you the truth instead of what you want to hear. Otherwise you will find out the hard way that that blouse really was too sheer under studio lights.

Tweet me your thoughts! @krwatson

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Social Media and Business: Customer Service In The Online World

Posted on September 21, 2012 by krwatson

By Guest Blogger Allison King:

In the summer of 2011, I became a social media intern for a local retailer I worked at called Aggieland Outfitters. The position opened up after our Facebook fanbase jumped from a couple hundred people to 20,000 due to an online competition. Customer service is the pride of our stores, and the company wanted to make sure we were successfully taking care of our new online fans. My duties included checking the Facebook page regularly, as well as finding interesting content to share with our fans. I must admit, when I first signed on, I thought I had hit the jackpot of summer jobs. I (along with my friends and family) could not believe I would be getting paid to sit around, browse online, and monitor a Facebook page. However, I quickly learned there was much more to successfully maintaining a social media presence. Here are some tips that I learned and wish I had known sooner to optimize customer service.

Social media is the frontline of customer service. We were able to cater to customers and develop a rapport before they even set foot in the store. Having consistent interactions with our fans gave us credibility and reliability, which eventually turned fans into customers.

Entertain them, and they will come. We made sure to limit our posts about merchandise because we did not want to swamp them with advertisements. Many times, that frustrates fans that believe companies are only out for their money. Instead, we worked very hard to provide entertaining content such as videos we shot or A&M related articles. Once they started to tune into our page out of their own will they were more willing to buy our products.

Be quick. Being the first to post about current events or breaking news is crucial. After the story has had time for others to see, a post you think is really interesting is now old news. It is important to be the first to send it out to fans for them to pass around with you as the original source. Once you’ve missed it, the moment has passed.

Include your fans. We often asked fans for their opinion on products or let them vote on certain designs. We also hosted a variety of events where we photographed and made videos of everyone who came. This brought back a lot of fans to the page so they could tag themselves in the photos or share a video they “starred” in with their friends. This assured fans that we truly we truly valued and were interested in them.

My time as a social media intern showed me the importance of using the online world to generate new customers. Our sales improved along with our social media presence. Though the sales were certainly important, our greatest success was learning how to utilize our customer service skills we valued so much from a new perspective. Using social media today in businesses can be a great tool for satisfying customers, and I hope you can take these tips to apply to your own social media outlets. Good luck!

Connect with Allison:
Email: amichellek@gmail.com
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/allison.king.31
Twitter: https://twitter.com/a_king2013
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/amichellek/

Want to be a Guest Blogger? Submit your entry to katierose@anchormd.com.

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9/11 and Business

Posted on September 13, 2012 by bcaldwell

On September 11, 2001, our country fell under an unexpected terrorist attack. It was one of the darkest days our generation has ever seen and a day that will live in history forever. We lost family members, good friends, acquaintances, and strangers. No matter where you were, from New York to California, whether or not you knew someone in the towers or on a plane, you could feel the pain of an entire nation.

America got knocked down.

Briefly.

It was a catastrophic attack. We saw the smoke, we witnessed planes, we called those close to us…we were scared. You remember where you were when it happened and I’m sure you’ll never forget; we all have our stories. I recall that my father was on a plane that day and I spent hours trying to get a hold of him before my fears were eased.

Why do we keep reviewing the tapes? One reason is that we let our curiosity get the best of us. What could we have done differently? How could we have prevented this? Whether we know it or not, we’re studying. The CIA/FBI/ETC study the scenario in attempts to take extra measures for the safety of our citizens. You and I study and think about what we would have done in those moments on the plane, we study the tears and smoke, and we study the resilience of a nation.

There is a lot that we can learn about this tragedy as it applies to our businesses.

First of all, it’s important to take as many precautions and you know to take. When you engage in business, make every effort to protect yourself. Use past experiences of others and yourself for improvements.

Look towards the future. What elements can impact the success of your business? How can you control those elements or have a “plan B” prepared?

Businesses can often be impacted by the decisions of others. Sometimes things seem like they are going well but then you are blind-sided. It’s important to always be on your feet and be ready to act so that you’re not caught off guard in any situation.

But if you do get knocked down, don’t stay down.

Just like the United States of America did following the attacks of September 11, you have to dust yourself off and rebuild. Sometimes getting knocked down is just the beginning of something great. If you’ve been knocked down, turn it into something better than you had before. Today, New York is rebuilding to be better, safer, and bigger than it was before. You can too, you just have to be able to see through the smoke.

Get back up. Determine what you could have done differently. Do it better

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Twitter: There’s More Than Meets the Eye.

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Before becoming an intern at Anchor Marketing & Design, I never realized how much went into maintaining an effective Twitter account. It is so much more than just a simple status update.

Timing is Everything: One thing that is often overlooked when it comes to tweeting is the time each tweet should be posted. Originally, I thought it would be best to deliver tweets between the times of 5-10 P.M., thinking most people are busy during the day. I also thought that the weekends would receive the highest reach level because many people are off from work. I had it all wrong. According to new data released by bit.ly, the peak traffic time for Twitter is usually 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. Monday-Thursday. In the morning, Friday is still a decent time to tweet, but anytime after 5 P.M. is not as affective. Research shows that posting links after 8 P.M. on any day do not get as much traffic. However, it should be noted that each brand should know its audience in order to find the best times to reach those people.

Mastering the Hashtag: I have also noticed that many people use hashtags (#) on anything that they please. The purpose of the hashtag is to categorize tweets. Tweets including a common hashtag are grouped together in a thread that becomes a bit of an evolved chat room. For instance, if I composed a tweet for my business trying to promote people to remodel their kitchen, #kitchen would be a great. Before using a hashtag, it’s a good idea to search for it on Twitter first. If you search for #kitchen, and no one is talking about it, then it probably isn’t a good hashtag to use. It’s also smart to keep up on trending topics in case something relevant to your business trends.

Encourage Retweeting: Research shows that when you type out the word ‘Retweet’ instead of writing RT or simply hoping to be retweeted, you will actually have higher engagement rates. Of course, if you want your audience to retweet something and can’t fit the whole word in, you can still use RT. If someone retweets something, thank them! Make them feel appreciated because, well, you appreciate them!

Be Visible: If you are trying to promote yourself or your business on Twitter, tweets absolutely must be visible for all to see. Tweets do not have a long shelf life, meaning if you only tweet once per day, not many people will see it. You don’t want your audience to become overwhelmed by how much you tweet, but you also want to give them enough information to keep them interested. On average seven to ten tweets a day is prime.

Tell Them Who You Are: On your profile, you should include the link to your website or blog. Be sure to have a profile picture – your company logo works well – and a clear bio. Throughout your tweets, make your audience aware of the type of business that you do and why you are on Twitter, but be sure to entertain them as well! Ask questions and share industry news, relevant articles, and company photos and videos.

Be Yourself and Know Your Audience: Stay true to your company’s voice and brand. You want to reveal your personality, but also remain professional. Get to know your target audience and what they like. What is the age range of your audience? What do they like to do? Are they active adventure seekers, college students, busy moms, or successful businessmen and women? Know their interests and share information you know they’ll be interested in. In general, only talk about yourself 20% of the time. The remaining 80% of tweets should be about sharing interesting, relevant, sharable information.

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Custom Web Agencies vs. Template Based Agencies

Posted on September 6, 2012 by marnold

Knowing what a great business asset a successful website can be for your company, it is important you find the right web agency to take on your project. There are generally two types of agencies offering services; template based agencies and custom agencies.

Template based agencies start your project by purchasing pre-made templates from other designers; modify graphics and present you with a cookie-cutter site. Just like all other companies who simply purchased this template; your site will probably “work”. Not only are they not taking the time on your project to make it ultimately successful, they are charging the price as if they did.

Custom web agencies take pride in the development process, resulting in a customized product for your specific needs. Your project is taken on by a team; which extensively researches, brainstorms, and develops a successful game plan from the beginning. Custom designs are created and developed specifically for your company. If your site needs an application or database, they are built from scratch. There is no need to depend on third-party providers or having to work with software that has been hacked together to try to meet your needs.

As a developer, I know the effort and time that goes into developing and creating web projects through the custom process. It’s important to me that I can take pride in the finished product. Don’t get cheated on your next web project; find a custom agency.

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Design: Communicating Daily

Posted on August 30, 2012 by acaldwell

Did you know that design plays an important part in everyday life and is often overlooked. The fact is, we rely on it so much, it isn’t even thought of as “graphic design”. What in the world am I referring to? Transportation signage.

I just took a trip out of DFW and as I was went to check my baggage, go through security and find a trash can, I noticed how important the icons are around the airport to help direct passengers. This would be especially important if I were visiting from another country and wasn’t able to understand the signage.

Back in 1974, American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) partnered with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop this system of symbols to be used worldwide to clearly communicate messages to all cultures and ages, that would be legible even at a distance. For close to 40 years, this has been helping to navigate passengers all over the world!

Design has a purpose beyond making things aesthetically pleasing. It directs us on freeways, in hospitals and at sporting events, such as the Olympics.

Comment below about designs you’ve noticed that helps to communication universally.

@Caldwild

Anchor Marketing + Design is a firm located in Fort Worth, Texas. Established in 2008, Anchor has created brands, marketing, PR and social media campaigns, corporate identities, websites, packaging, video production and much more, for clients in Fort Worth, Dallas, Keller, Grapevine, Los Angeles, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Denver, Cincinnati, and New York. Contact us to work with a true partner in business.
Anchor Marketing + Design: Creative strategy beyond imagination.

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Case Study: Dallas TNT

Posted on August 28, 2012 by krwatson

The Dallas remake on TNT wrapped a strong first season earlier this month. Let’s take a look at their innovative social media campaign:

Facebook Voice
Many television shows have standard Facebook pages through which they share actors news, quotes from the show, promo videos, et cetera. Dallas TNT has taken their Facebook page up a notch through the use of JR Ewing’s voice. Every Facebook post is written as though JR himself is posting, the wording remarkably in stride with his character’s distinct way of speaking. This gives the Facebook page a personal feel and better connects Facebook users to the show when it’s not on the air.

Facebook Timeline
We applaud Dallas TNT’s use of Facebook timeline. Few brand pages have really warmed up to the actual Timeline part of Timeline, but Dallas has added events from 1978 to the present, including marriages, divorces, births, and deaths. This helps play up the JR voice, as the Timeline reads like his own scrapbook. Each life event includes a photo and is written in the first person as the news relates to JR.

@Dallas_TNT Tweets
Dallas TNT encourages fans to tweet during the show using the hashtag #DallasTNT. Dallas often retweets their actors and fans, providing a constant stream of content. They also use their Twitter to promote their Rise to Power game and their characters’ Twitter handles.

Character Twitter Handles
Most notably, Dallas has created verified Twitter accounts for their characters to tweet in first person. Twitter handles include:

@RealJREwing
@TheOneJohnRoss
@TheChrisEwing
@TheBobbyEwing
@RealSueEllen
@TheAnnEwing
@TheElenaRamos
@RebeccaSutter

These accounts have between 5,000-18,000 followers each. The characters even tweet with each other in real-time during the show, occasionally arguing with one another and creating their own hashtags. Each Twitter page is impressively written in the appropriate voice for each character.

Rise to Power Interactive Game
This game is housed on the Dallas TNT website where fans declare their allegiance to characters each week. The game gives fans the opportunity to win prizes through Game Entries, which are obtained through tasks such as tweeting the character handles, posting about Dallas on Facebook, and checking in on Get Glue. This is a clever way for TNT to boost their social media presence and reward their fans for essentially advertising for them. After all, there’s no better way to reach a new audience than to have your existing audience voluntarily sing your praises.

We anxiously await what social media campaign is in the works for season two.

@krwatson

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Know what is bad so you can be good

Posted on August 24, 2012 by randerson

What is the worst movie you’ve ever seen?

For me it was “Disaster Movie”. I’ve never walked out of a movie before I saw that.
The movie was trying to fit in as many pop culture references as they could instead of making a parody of the genre of “disaster” movies.

It is very important to know what you like and don’t like about a movie and more importantly be able to articulate what it is.

The reason I’m bringing this up because as a filmmaker you need to be able to dissect films that you see in theaters for it’s strengths and weaknesses. If you see a movie that you like, take note of the things that you’d want to do similar in your film. If you see a film that you don’t like, then notice the elements that you would want to avoid in making your film.

This may seem obvious but many people will bad talk a film and just say things like “You know it was just bad.” But if your goal is to make films in the future you need to know what things could have been changed to make the movie better or even to try and understand what it is the writer or director was trying to convey thought the movie.

In order to make a good video, you need to know what is a bad video. Next time you go out to see a film take note of why you liked it or why you didn’t.

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5 Tips on Launching a Website

Posted on August 21, 2012 by marnold

1. Getting all your social media accounts

By getting your social media accounts setup before launching, you are guaranteed that you get your preferred account name before you become well-known. Social media allows your users to have additional ways to engage with you, so this is a crucial step in preparation.

2. Building anticipation for the launch

To try to create anticipation, let people know that your site will be launching soon. Let interested users get excited about what’s to come, and sign up to be notified.

3. Making sure the site is complete

The launch will be your users’ first experience with your site, so first impressions are pretty important. Make sure that the site is complete, all links are working and the site doesn’t contain any dummy content.

4. Launch on schedule

Once you have decided on a date, it is important that you keep on track and launch on time. If users are anticipating the launch, you don’t want them to be let down when this doesn’t happen.

5. Promote the site

After launching, contact all anticipating users that the day has arrived. Start promoting your site online and through social networks.

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