A Media & Communications Checklist for Savvy Attorneys Sue Evans, Northwest Media Allies

Understand the fundamentals of communications: your goal drives strategy and tactics. Media, social media and marketing are tactics, not strategy. For most attorneys, the goal is to secure a strong result for their client. The second goal is to generate more referrals. Start planning your media strategy when you sign your client. Make sure you […]

Upcoming WSAJ seminar focuses on managing your case in the media

Sue Evans, owner of Northwest Media Allies, was invited to speak at the upcoming seminar for the Washington State Association for Justice on Friday, Dec. 6 at the Washington State Convention Center. She will be sharing best strategies and tactics for managing cases in social media and traditional media outlets.

Powerful story telling speaks for itself

Everyone once and awhile you come across powerful story telling. This is powerful story telling at its best. Take the time to watch this video: This is Water by David Foster Wallace.                  

Why I love Tumblr and gifs

  Nobody has time to investigate every social media app or stream every second of the day. But I’ve fallen in love with Tumblr, Instagram and Gifboom, here’s why. Sheer impact. Like an asteroid aimed at Earth, these images give you pause. They tell stories that captivate your imagination and heart instantly. You either dig […]

Eat the meat of the feedback sandwich

My favorite thing I learned this week was this: When we deliver praise sandwiches, people only hear the bread, not the meat. It comes from an article in The New York Times by reporter Alina Tugend. She interviews Tim Harford, author of Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure. He says this: “Most people offer […]

Want to be more social? Talk to a six year old

It’s amazing how many adults suck at being social. We are typically terrified of intimate social conversations, anticipating that a judgmental and bloated egoist awaits us. Want to be better? Talk to a six year old. I was walking my dogs today when a school bus unloaded a pack of elementary school kids. They were […]

Social media – the free focus group

I’m a social-media binger. I jump on the merry-go-round of social media and then jump off to clear my head and stay focused on strategy and objectives. But my No. 1 objective when I jump on is to listen. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are still my preferred streams, easily managed through Hootsuite. They help drive […]

Trusting great journalism begins with a commitment to a truthful narrative

Trusting great journalism I have been married to journalism professionally and personally for nearly two decades. My husband is a journalist. I used to be a journalist. I don’t always agree with journalists, but I know I can’t live without them. In February, I lost my college friend Anthony Shadid, a two-time Pulitzer winner for […]

Smart tips for building a trusted brand of truth on social media

Jumping into social media streams can be like inhaling a cloud of gnats up your nose. How do you screen social media content for value? And how do you create it? I recently attended Seattle’s Interactive Conference #SIC2011 where the top social media gurus and brand managers gathered to highlight what’s working and what’s headed […]

The tricks and treats of political campaigns – political ads

Behind the tricks and treats of political campaigns is a lot of voter contact and hard work. There’s no substitute for voter outreach. And while candidates orbit the Earth like the moon in attempt to reach you, they can’t possibly do that without targeted mail and television ads. If you’re a political PR junkie like […]

Know what the shot is

“You want to learn the first rule you’d know if you’d ever spent a day in your life? You never open your mouth ‘til you know what the shot is.” -  Ricky Roma, Glengarry Glen Ross Only three questions matter in marketing – Do you love me? Do you hate me? Why? Knowing why you’re […]

You are a message strategy pro, but you don’t know it

When you inform the waiter that you would like the Cobb salad with the ranch dressing on the side, minus the croutons, you are a message pro. You know what you want. And you know who needs to hear it. Consider your mother. Mothers broadcast and signpost that a message is coming so you won’t […]

Persuasive writing means show me, don’t tell me.

Persuasive people tell stories about other people. They don’t lecture you. They let you decide for yourself. Consider these openings. Sally was profoundly sad. Sally cried in her car for a half an hour before blowing her nose. She looked into her rearview mirror, using the same fast-food napkin she used on her nose, she […]

Facebook less. Book more face. Go have lunch!

Facebook less and book more face and your social media marketing will flourish Connecting with people on a personal level is direct marketing at its basic and best. And it makes your work life happier and more productive. If you have 500 connections on Linked-In, but only have lunch with targeted peers and clients twice […]