March is Women’s History Month, and to celebrate, businesses are recognizing the women who make them successful, and taking the opportunity to bring awareness to the issues women still face daily, both inside and outside of the workplace.

5WPR is celebrating Women’s History Month internally, by thanking our female employees for everything they do, and externally, by highlighting female founded startups that are making an impact.

There’s an old adage that you only get one shot to make a first impression. That was true the first time it was said, and it’s exponentially truer in the days of digital marketing and online media, when a single interview – good or bad – can be played, indefinitely, on an endless loop, meaning people are “introduced” to new audiences all the time… a dynamic that is often out of their control.

The rules for a successful TV or online video interview go all the way back to the first televised U.S. Presidential debate, when candidates Kennedy and Nixon squared on in prime time. Kennedy looked cool and poised, while Nixon appeared sweaty and nervous. The impressions of those watching at home were solidified, and Kennedy beat Nixon handily. 

In public relations, media refers to any messaging channel or platform the brand might use to connect with customers. Traditionally, there are three types of media: paid, earned and owned. The modern PR landscape has added a fourth: shared. Funneling all PR messaging through one of these four channels is sometimes called the PESO model, for Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned. While the ultimate goal – building a positive brand reputation – is the same in all cases, the strategy to leverage each kind of media is distinct.

Owned Media is any content or messaging platform the brand owns or exclusively controls. This may include print media, digital platforms, websites or social media pages, as well as all the content on those channels. Other effective forms of owned media could include white papers, presentations, e-Books or other forms of brand-controlled content. Marketing through email, newsletters, or any other direct to consumer or direct-to-list operations also falls under owned media, because the brand controls the content being sent.

Traditional journalism is dead, just ask the Internet. Except, of course, we know that’s not true, because traditional media – what some like to call Legacy Media – is going strong, maintaining a solid grip on the hearts and minds of millions upon millions of faithful fans and followers.

But what is the role of traditional journalists in the modern age of digital marketing and social media influencers? It’s a strong, vital role, to begin with.

We’ve seen some large companies take positions on controversial issues and even brand some of their product lines to reflect their feelings. Ben and Jerry’s and Starbucks were among the early adopters of this growing trend.

Now employees at several large and well-known companies are raising their voice and informing their employers how they feel about different social and political issues. Is this good or bad for a company’s business?

Collaborative environment. Flexible schedules. Free coffee. Happy hours. “Unlimited” paid time off.

Sound familiar? This is a generic list of workplace perks and benefits often found in job descriptions spanning multiple industries. Today, there is an increased amount of attention placed on company culture. But this term is a bit open to interpretation, and not every culture is created equal.

Paid advertising can be a tricky business, but with careful strategizing and tracking on the go, it can surely be a reliable source of leads and sales. When done wrong, however, it can be an expensive lesson.

The more you know about your audience, the better your ads will perform. Perhaps this is why many firms prefer to advertise on Facebook: the platform offers a host of options for audience targeting.

We live in a digital world. Everywhere we look, consumers are tied to smartphone, a TV, even a smart screen in the car. There is no way to escape the digital age, it seems. And as the world we live in is built around convenience, there is a lot of use for having so much information available on demand.

But there is still an argument for connecting with consumers off screen. It’s easy to forget about the importance of basic human connection, and this is an opportunity many brands are missing when it comes to marketing.