Speech Up

So for the past year I have been nervous about giving the Matron of Honor speech at my sister’s wedding. I am not horrible at public speaking by any means, but I definitely could improve my skills. Granted, with a few drinks I know I will be fine and probably won’t even notice the 200 people staring at me.  

For the past couple of months I have been going through old pictures and thinking of different childhood stories about my sister. Most of them I dubbed inappropriate since I don’t want to embarrass her on her big day, especially in front of her new in-laws.  

After going through hours of writing and rewriting this speech, I decided it might be a good idea to look up PR speech writing do’s and don’ts. I know this isn’t the same type of speech I would give for a company or client, but I figured this would be the perfect time to learn more about public relations speech writing. This is also a good time to look into how to write a strong speech, because there is not an undergraduate course requiring speech writing.

A few interesting tips from Ragan’s  “Eight Essential Tips for a Strong Speech,” include:

1. Connect with your audience. Make sure to connect with your audience with both eye contact and body language. It doesn’t matter if your speech is for a nonprofit or a wedding; just make sure to filter it through the audience’s interests and concerns.

2. Tell a story. Use knowledge from personal experiences to help illustrate important points in your speech.  Also, learning how improvise when telling these stories will help “unleash genuine emotions, energize the remaining words, and humanize you or your client” during the speech.

3. Start—and end—strong. Since people have the attention spans of gnats, it is best to use a strong opening statement, story or anecdote. People usually listen for the first couple of minutes before zoning out, so make good use of your time. In order to end powerfully, use a call to action or second-best story to draw in the audience.

4. Always be prepared. There aren’t any shortcuts when it comes to rehearsing. Practice is the best way to conquer nerves.

With these tips, I am hoping to tell the true story about how I grew up following in my sister’s footsteps, and how I would not be the woman I am today without her guiding me along the way. I can’t say that I will be able to conquer all of my nerves, considering this will be my only chance to give my speech. I can only hope that I prepared myself enough in the past few weeks and that the booze is strong enough for me not notice the 200 people staring at me.

Companies Find New Pinterest

Lately everyone has been talking about the online platform Pinterest. I am apparently behind in everyone’s not-so-new found obsession. My sister has found numerous (and delicious) recipe ideas for different holidays and special occasions, and several of my friends have talked about finding some of the cutest decoration ideas for their rooms from this platform.

So for everyone else who has also apparently been living under a rock, Pinterest is a platform that “lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web.” People use “pinboards” to plan their weddings, decorate their homes and share their favorite recipes.

I have been playing around on this website now for a few days and I see what people like about it. It’s basically a new way of organizing and sharing your interests with other people. Pinterest is similar to scrapbooking, but it is all online. You can take photos you like from websites and other people then pin them to your own board.

Another interesting aspect of this site is how some businesses are using it to their advantage. According to PR Daily there are 11 brands reaching out to consumers through Pinterest, which brings even more personality to their brands than ever before. A few of these businesses include:

1.    Klout

If you’re not an avid social media user, Klout measures your online influence from several different social media platforms. This brand specifically uses Pinterest to share pictures of office events and happenings, which is a great way to better personify this brand.

It even has a “pinboard” dedicated to Klout Perks, which highlights products and services based on its members’ digital influence. This proves to people who use Klout that if your influencer score is above a 50, then you could receive an actual gift or a “perk.”   

2.    Nordstrom

This is an upscale department store known for its amazing customer service. This company actually has a team of people who handles its Pinterest “pinboards.” The boards display top trends and different product categories, including: coats, accessories, shoes, beauty products and dresses. They even feature TOMS and Zella brands on their own board which showcases their products that are sold in Nordstrom stores.

A presence on Pinterest makes Nordstrom an even stronger fashion influencer. Since not too many other companies are on this platform, people are pinning Nordstrom pictures, not their competitors’ pictures.

3.    Whole Foods

This is a grocery store emphasizing its natural and organic foods. On Pinterest the company pins several different types of food ideas including seasonal, artistic and dessert. There are also boards dedicated to helping the environment and people, including the “We’re Used to Reusing” and the “Whole Planet Foundation” boards.

A presence on Pinterest only strengthens the image Whole Foods already owns. They are environmentally friendly and organic which is what their “pinboards” illustrate.

These companies are ahead of the curve when it comes to having a strong presence on several online platforms. It is only a matter of time before other companies see the benefit of using Pinterest. 

From this, I also discovered my new obsession.