Top of Mind Must Reads for the Week of January 29, 2018
Top of Mind is a weekly, hand-curated selection of must read articles on public relations, social media and content marketing. These are the articles that we are reading and reacting to this week. Expert PR advice is all about preparation and knowledge. Hope these articles add to your ongoing education and PR toolkit.
The 10-Minute Guide to Creating a Perfectly Professional Editorial Calendar — MeetEdgar
Even if you only write blogs once a week, every two weeks, or three, it’s daunting to open up a blank page and have no idea where to start. Using a calendar template, like the one provided by MeetEdgar, can help you organize your writing way in advance so you always have a topic to choose from.
The 7 Best User Generated Content Examples From Brands on Facebook — Falcon.io
Organic reach on Facebook has been declining for a while now, and the new algorithm changes are about to make it a lot harder. A tried and true strategy for positive engagement and growth is to involve your audience. Look through these examples of successful integrations to see how you can ignite your relationship with your audience, and send your conversions through the roof.
HuffPost, Breaking From Its Roots, Ends Unpaid Contributions — The New York Times
Once seen as a democratizing force in news, where everyone was welcome to self-publish news on the platform, HuffPost is dissolving. The cacophony of unvetted news has tangible impacts on the way news companies are being run, and what information climbs to the top of our radar, credible or not. Changes like these are definitely a sign of the times.
Americans say social media is destroying the news — but nobody knows what to do about it — Mashable
If you have a Humanities degree, this is a great way to put it to use. Studies show that as social media crosses more into news media, Americans are increasingly suspicious of and hostile toward the press, only furthering partisan separation. Even Facebook is feeling unstable about its place in the world. However, this leaves room for conversations about how we cross many of the divides, thinking less about what we can do versus what we should do.
The Future of Chatbots for Social Media — Falcon.io
Chatbots have long been dismissed by many major platforms, but there is a case for their use once more. The ability to directly and quickly interact with your customer base is an important aspect of building loyalty to your brand. Consider these methods of use for chatbots, and see how they might transform your strategy this year to connect with your ideal audience.