Brian Lee, Author at Public Relations, Advertising & Social Media - Revelation

How lobbyists can use social media

Posted on January 8, 2013June 8, 2018 by Brian Lee

I recently gave a presentation on social media at an Association for Wisconsin Lobbyists meeting. I’ve worked on campaigns that are based on getting various legislation passed or defeated, so I’m familiar with the process. I showed in my presentation that social media is a necessity for lobbying, as it goes hand-in-hand with other tried-and-true tactics.

Looking at this chart, you can see how social media and digital marketing can be used in conjunction with traditional tactics in achieving lobbying and/or political objectives:

Objective	Traditional Tactics	Social Media or Digital Tools
Generate Awareness	Earned media coverage, op-eds	Twitter, PPC ads
Educate Audiences	Campaign website, handouts	SlideShare, YouTube
Engage, Stay in Contact	Public meetings, direct mail	E-newsletter, blog
Call-to-Action	Phone calls, canvassing	Text messages, Facebook page

While these tactics are often executed by a PR practitioner working with a lobbyist, it’s important for the latter to know about the tools out there to best reach constituents. Remember, getting their support will always make it easier to get the support of the elected official.

Create your own newspaper

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Brian Lee

I often talk about how personalization and customization have become more prevalent through social media. If you think of traditional broadcast media such as TV, newspapers or radio, there’s no real choice by the consumers in the content they receive.

For example, I can’t turn on the radio to an oldies station and pick the next 20 songs. Now, with a tool like Spotify, I can create my own playlist and even share it with others.

Let’s talk about creating your own newspaper. You’ll need an RSS reader, like Google Reader (and in this case, a Gmail account; both are free). From there, you can pick the sections from any newspaper, magazine, blog or online publication and subscribe to its RSS feed.

Maybe you want the New York Times Dining section. You can either click on the orange “Subscribe” button in Google Reader and type in the URL of the section (note: Google Reader doesn’t always locate the RSS feed correctly), or better yet, find the “RSS” link on the actual site. In the case of the New York Times, it’s at the bottom of the page. Now, locate the Dining & Wine link under “Style,” and it’ll take you to a subscribe page. As you’ll see, there’s a Google button you can click, and you’re done!

Finally, sort your “newspaper” in one of two ways. You can either create subfolders based on sections (e.g. news, sports, business, etc.), or you can create a folder just for your one newspaper that includes all the sections you want. You can manage folders in the “Feed settings …” menu.

You can now read your personalized newspaper through a browser or even an app on your smartphone.

Why media training is important

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Brian Lee

Missed opportunities.

That’s what I tell clients you can avoid with media training. Chances are interview opportunities are going to be far and few between. You don’t want to regret or waste those one or two sound bites you’re going to get.

I know many new and seasoned business owners who panic and/or don’t know what to do when a reporter calls–things like return calls promptly and speak on message.

Media training helps you emphasize your key talking points and avoid traps for all types of interviews, including on camera, live, radio and phone. As with any skill, practice and repetition makes perfect.

Here’s a test: Tell me clearly and succinctly what your company does (no slogans, no jargon). You’ll be surprised how difficult this question can be without training. If you think this is tough, imagine answering questions during a crisis!