Drew Schaar

Let's keep learning! So many lessons came out of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the importance of clear communication about what we know and what we DON'T know about emerging infections. I'm happy to be part of the Council for Quality Health Communication: a group working to improve the quality of health information and increase trust among the public. New article by founding members Ken Rabin and Scott C. Ratzan on H5N1 in MedPage Today.

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This is important for #communications pros and our subject matter experts to remember. An interview is a conversation not a rote question asked, prepared answer given. Using talking points rather than scripted answers is more effective for a SME and makes for a better interview. Unfortunately that path isn’t taken as often as it should be.

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Today's #MetricMonday is all about my LEAST favorite metric: impressions. Don't get me wrong, impressions are foundational to most #communications work, because what is a message worth if it's not seen or heard? But we've asked impressions to do far too much in measuring success. In truth, impressions simply indicate how many eyes were exposed to a message. A nice volume indicator, however, impressions don't tell us: 👉 If the audience paid attention to the message. 👉 How the audience received the message. 👉 If the message drove the intended call-to-action among the audience. Other data can answer those questions, which is why I always pair impression totals with other metrics in my analysis. Impressions are a great baseline metric, but you'll always need a qualifier to make it matter. SIDENOTE: Way back in my traditional PR days we'd use a multiplier to indicate how impressions in print would scale to real-world exposure. Because apparently if someone read a newspaper, they'd inevitably pass it to two other people to read the EXACT same clip. It was around that time that my distrust for impression totals began. Is that still a thing? I hope not.

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New enhancements to our PR-driven AI tools allow comms pros to ditch the guesswork. Discover features like: ✨ AI-powered suggestions when you upload your press release draft to boost effectiveness ✨ A Press Release Score to help you refine releases for maximum engagement ✨ Data-backed insights based on years of press release performance data Click to learn more: https://prn.to/ai-for-pr #PR #AI #PressRelease

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Yes, Communications Professionals (AKA the "Itty Bitty 'Make It Pretty' Committee) should have a support group. Depending on the size of the team, Comms professionals often take on the following: - Visuals (infographics, photos) - Presentations - Stakeholder relations - Speeches, videos ...and so much more. Hug your Communications Professional today!

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Research. Record. Repurpose. That's the three-step process to create 30 days of content in 90 minutes, according to Aaron Witnish of Content Only. Learn more in this interview with Lorraine Ball on the More Than a Few Words podcast. https://lnkd.in/gSFrxTVZ #marketing #contentmarketing

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Valuable insights from Nicole Schuman for any #communications professional seeking to "measure the value of their work and tell that story to their stakeholders." #CommsForGood

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This. 💯 this. All day every day. I always ask for a seat at the table. Not because I’m nosy. Not because I want the tea. But because my role as chief communications officer / PIO / PR girl or whatever you want to call me is critical to the success of our institution. Sometimes our trained PR ears hear things (good and bad) during discussions that we can use to help tell our College’s story. We’re not going to run to the media with what we just heard nor are we going to send an all employee email (yes, I’ve been asked that /accused of those things before). But we will use our expertise to guide leadership, and be proactive and strategic in how we tell that story. PR and comms are not the bad guys. I promise. We want the same outcomes you do, so let us be part of those conversations and decisions. We all win in the end. #PR #PRLife #comms #communications

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Check out the results of the latest Communications Network Pulse Poll. There are some revealing insights, including: internal communications needs are growing + events are more important now + most folks are conducting election-related scenario planning. https://lnkd.in/gbk7EJzM

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The PR/Communications playing field is constantly evolving but these past few years have felt as if change has come at an accelerated rate. Especially in healthcare. I was curious as to what my colleagues in Communications, Engagement & Change at IWK Health were looking forward to (or dreading) in 2025. Becky Chapman, specialist, is interested in seeing what new ways we can use analytics and digital tools to better engage with those that aren’t desk-based. “The majority of our work force do much of their work away from computers so we need to make sure we’re talking to them in ways they can receive. We’ve talked about ways to communicate more through mobile and I think there’s a real opportunity there!” Kate Evely, specialist, is excited to share more progress updates about the new IWK Emergency Department as the project hits exciting milestones this year. “I’m also looking forward to improving IWK’s town hall meetings so that they better serve staff in an engaging and informative way.” “I think this year is going to be big for in-person communication and events, especially in healthcare. 2025 could re-introduce the pre-pandemic desire to communicate face-to-face and host more events in-person.” Kristen Lipscombe, senior advisor is planning on continuing to foster new relationships. “Over the past year or so, I’ve been learning from communicators who are newer to the industry, with their new perspectives, valuable insights and impressive talents using newer technology, so I look forward to continuing my growth in areas that are “new to me.” Terri Fraser, director, is foreseeing more real engagement and two-way communication. “A toll has been taken on this area since the pandemic and I think it’s foundational to any strong communication strategy. Throughout my career the projects that have been the most rewarding and successful were built on listening, trust and fostering relationships with audiences and partners.” Carole Bell, executive assistant, is anticipating supporting the team in working smarter, not harder. “I’m also excited to keep growing in my role and contributing to meaningful projects that make a real impact.” Darius Graff, digital and creative design, is interested in seeing how Google AI search results develop and whether we can control or affect it by tweaking website content etc. and how that can be monitored and measured. Darrian Thorne, senior advisor is looking forward to seeing more innovation and creative ideas from a communications perspective. “Achieving this will require continued collaboration and a shared commitment to making a difference through impactful messaging and meaningful support for families.” Andrea Slaney media relations specialist laments a dwindling media presence. “The media market will continue to decrease to the detriment of those wanting to get accurate health information out to the public and those relying on that precious resource.”

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I'm suddenly reminded of my early career days when the “final” steps in the publishing process still involved red pens, proofreading marks, deciphering tiny, near-illegible scrawls in margins, resolving conflicting edits between departments and finally hyper-focusing to get the job done as deadline drew near. Sometimes the editorial process is messy and requires us to practice diplomacy (and at times, a little tough love). But association publishing is a team effort, and to this day, there still is no better feeling than getting a finished product out the door. #editing #writing #editorial #associations

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Trust and transparency are built through consistency, not perfection. That has to start internally & your comms team has to live this core value. Why? ⤵️ PR often helps lead the charge in mobilizing the internal and external distribution of your message, so it’s helpful for communications pros to be honest with themselves on where they themselves might be the issues. Been there. We can all improve. Recognizing when you’ve skewed towards the “bad” examples from sports PR below -- and then working to quickly shift back to the fix -- is how you grow, sustain or rebuild trust. Small shifts in approach can dramatically improve team effectiveness.

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Question: What is Crisis Communication and Who Needs It? ⏩ Crisis comms is the art of communicating when the stakes are high. This can mean any incident that could impact your reputation and your bottom line. So who needs crisis comms? ⏩ Any business or business owner who has something to lose. Check out this list of five business challenges that require crisis comms expertise & tell me what you might add: https://lnkd.in/erbW-CNn #CrisisCommmunications #PublicRelations #ReputationManagement #Sarasota #SarasotaPR

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