In PR it's often said that if you risk nothing you win nothing. But in these times of shrinking budgets, recruitment freezes and sector re-organisation, how is it possible to justify PR creativity?
Creativity doesn't have to mean big bucks and it certainly doesn't have to be an all-out gamble. It can simply be the difference between having an idea and being bold enough to put it into practice. If the idea is authentic, relevant and hits multiple objectives, better still.
As media and communications manager at the environmental charity BTCV, I feel our best assets are our 628,000 volunteers. Each has a story to tell, admittedly some more captivating than others. The challenge I've wrestled with since joining BTCV two years ago has been how best to tell these stories.
In our multi-media world with joined-up social media channels and information overload, it's not enough any more to produce traditional case studies or try and simply channel their testimonies and quotes.
Donors, funders, journalists and other volunteers want to see and hear the stories that make BTCV sing. They want to dip into these life journeys and share the ride.
Last month, BTCV equipped four of its full-time project leaders with mini Flip video cameras and asked them to start video-blogging.
The brief to each was simple. One week, one video, one story.
The project officers didn't need any training and the cameras are so easy to use, it's hard to go wrong. The blogs so far have been innovative, explanatory and engaging. In just a few days, we got the blogs online and feeding into BTCV's channel on YouTube (BTCV TV) Twitter and Facebook.
We're bringing our work in UK communities to life. From the PR corner, the blogs are delivering on a number of different levels.
I recently read a written blog by Jude Habib from the third sector communications company Sound Delivery in which she described how journalists, including BBC newsgatherers, were increasingly looking for external content.
Jude advocated that multimedia content needed to work on at least 10 levels to make it worthwhile. It sounded a tall order, but a quick calculation reveals we're almost at 10. We're pushing the blogs through all the usual social media channels, plus our own news pages on BTCV's website. Next month we're using the content in external and internal newsletters and we've shared the links with Charity Awards organisers after being shortlisted for an award.
In the four areas our bloggers operate (London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Belfast) we've been in touch with local newspapers to pitch the blogs as a rich – and very easily accessed – source of external content which underlines our organisation's place at the heart of UK communities.
We're hopeful we can build the video stories into future press releases. At a time of belt-tightening, the videos offer a good PR return. They're also offering a return for BTCV's fundraisers who have been quick to seize on them to give evidence our work and add extra depth to pitches.
Corporate partners are also relishing the opportunity to see first-hand how our projects work and how we could add further value to their corporate social responsibility portfolios.
Last week our London team video blogged from a new green gym in south London. The Penge Green Gym, which promises a gentle workout whilst undertaking community-based conservation tasks, is funded by Capital Shopping Centres Group.
The funder, the leading UK shopping centre group which owns property worth £5.1bn, promptly re-tweeted the link to the blog. Its corporate social responsibility team is quite literally watching as the project takes shape, seeing the "before, during and after".
Alexander Nicoll, corporate responsibility director for Capital Shopping Centres Group, says it is excellent to be able to see the project in action and know it is benefiting the community.
In times of cuts, charities have to be increasingly innovative about cost effective ways to communicate across multiple channels. And where there's a story to tell, a £99 Flip cam doesn't seem a bad investment.
"We're getting a lot of positive feedback from potential funders," explains Janet Ford, senior corporate partnership manager for BTCV. "So far we've used video blogs to support projects that are already up and running. Video blogs, when done well and properly targeted, can help bring our work to life.
"In time, I'd like to see us create tailored videos where a project manager would introduce a potential project, show a neglected green space and outline what needs to be done and what funds are required to enable BTCV to make a difference.
"I believe this could help to secure income, particularly from corporate partners and other potential funders, as it gives an insight into our often complex work and really demonstrates its worth.
"These first blogs are adding significant weight to corporate partner proposals in that the companies we're talking to can see how we engage with communities and how we can facilitate their own engagement."
Five way to blog you way to success
1 Choose your bloggers carefully. Can you trust this person to deliver your message and represent your organisation? Does this person understand the "bigger picture"? Look for people with varied roles who are engaging, genuine and chatty.
2 Don't overcomplicate your message. Keep it simple and keep it chatty. The best video blogs are those that are delivered with natural enthusiasm not fake fervour.
3 Keep your videos to under two minutes and vary content using pieces to camera, interviews and action footage. Same content, different location simply won't work.
4 Make use of free editing software, such as Windows Media Maker. It's remarkably easy to use and you will be able to blend videos together, fade, display titles and captions.
5 Share your links, not least with colleagues, and make social media work for you.
Remember the 10 outlets rule and ensure you're sharing your links across a range of channels. Check free analytics on YouTube and Insights on Facebook to check view counts and learn how viewers have arrived at your blog. You will learn what's working and what isn't and be able to tailor your social media efforts accordingly.
Jane Whitham is media and communications manager for BCTV
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