Getting the right timing can be one of the most frustrating things Public Relations practitioners face with every campaign. Sometimes it feels like you can never find the right time to execute something.
I’m working on a pitch right now, but it’s the end of the year and a couple of weeks before Christmas. Unfortunately, the timing of the announcement is now, and now is when we need to pitch it, so how do you make it work?
Another example of bad timing is Instagram.
Instagram has been under fire after the Facebook whistleblower revealed businesses practices that weren’t exactly conducive to protecting children. Since then, there’s been pressure from lawmakers, regulators, parents and child-safety advocates to address the negative affect social media has on kids’ safety, privacy, and mental health.
Instagram has launched several new features meant to make the platform safer place for teens and kids. For instance, it’s making new accounts private by default for kids under 16, blocking some adults from interacting with teens on its platform, and restricting how advertisers can target teenagers. And the organization is taking many additional steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of teens on its platform.
We could talk all day long about this topic and what needs to be done, but we’re discussing timing today.
And the reason we’re using this as an example is Instagram made this announcement just ahead of when Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, was set to testify before a Senate panel.
That’s right, just hours before he was set to go in front of regulators and lawmakers Instagram announced these measures.
Facebook has been under fire for months (maybe years by some activists), and Instagram has been in the crosshairs for a while, so the timing seems suspicious on the surface. The unfortunate part is that the surface is all that matters sometimes.
I’m not here to judge whether these measures are sincere or come from a place of purpose and morality. I’m simply saying that timing is everything.
Even if it’s a positive step in the right direction, it can look suspicious if it’s done at the wrong time, like right before a hearing. And audiences are more skeptical than ever. Trust at an all-time low, so giving them reasons to doubt your sincerity is not in your best interest.
These are complicated times and brands operate in a more complicated landscape than ever before. It’s not easy to say the least.
But that means you need to take all the advantages you can get, including timing. Here are four things to consider when making an announcement or putting out news:
1. What’s happening in your industry: Is there anything happening in you industry that is going to positively or negatively affect your news?
2. What’s happening in your company: Integration with all areas of your company is the key to this point. What’s happening throughout your company that may affect your news. Is there a new product rollout, new leadership announcement, or even congressional testimony that you need to consider?
3. What’s happening with your employees: Your employees are the ones that carry your message to the masses and either validate your position or call you out for not living up to the expectations. What is happening with your employees that may affect your announcement?
4. What’s happening in the world: Is something happening that will change the way your audiences view your announcement? Every brand has learned that COVID changes the way their audiences see them, so what else is happening that may affect how your internal and external audiences receive and perceive your news?
Finding the right timing can be challenging, but it’s worst every second of discussion to ensure you get it right, so choose your timing wisely!
Here are some recent posts to help as you create your Strategic Communications campaigns, including the importance of having a strategic communications plan:
– Do I Really Need A Strategic Communications Plan?
– Tips For Managing Unethical Communications Requests
– A Meaningful Message, Or Pandering Without Purpose
– Pitching Media Like The Pros
– Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of Effective
– Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat.
– How to Create Content That Engages Audiences and Builds Brand Trust Quickly
