CHARLESTON, S.C. [April 2, 2024] – NP Strategy, a strategic communications firm providing crisis, media and public relations assistance, expands its Lowcountry presence with the hiring of Kelsey Barlow who will work out of the Charleston, South Carolina office as a Senior Advisor. With nearly 20 years of experience in local government and media, Barlow brings a wealth of valuable knowledge that will benefit NP Strategy clients from coast to coast in the U.S.

“Kelsey has successfully navigated newsrooms during a crisis and advanced in local government during challenging years. She will add immense value to our clients especially those with crisis communications and community/media relations engagement needs,” said CEO Heather Hoopes Matthews. “We are blessed to have her join our growing NP Strategy team. ”

In March 2024, Kelsey left her role as the Public Information Officer for Charleston County Government where she spearheaded the county’s messaging and community outreach efforts during crises including the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple hurricane emergencies. Kelsey also played a key role in introducing new technology to residents to improve communication channels in Charleston County.

Prior to her time in local government, Barlow spent nearly a decade as a journalist, including time as an executive producer at WCSC TV in Charleston. She led a team of journalists through significant events including the Mother Emanuel Church shooting, which garnered national and international media attention.

“It is an honor to join NP Strategy and work with this incredibly talented group of professionals,” said Kelsey Barlow. “I am excited to utilize my journalism background, media connections, and experience in local government to provide strategic communication advice for our clients and continue to grow NP Strategy’s reach in the Charleston area.”

Barlow is an active community member and graduate of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Charleston Program. She also has served on the Adopt-a-Highway Board since 2018 and volunteers to beautify the Charleston community. Originally from New Orleans, Barlow studied broadcast journalism at the University of Georgia.

Reach Kelsey Barlow at kelsey@npstrategy.com.

At NP Strategy, we recognize the value of effectively managed social media in support of public relations and strategic brand communications. And through our extensive experience in managing social media for clients, we’ve seen firsthand the impact of a well-conducted social media audit and competitor analysis.

What is a Social Media Audit and Competitor Analysis?

A social media audit and competitor analysis is a comprehensive review of your organization’s social media program compared to a short list of other organizations competing for attention in your same market or industry.

Why Conduct a Social Media Audit and Competitor Analysis?

Conducting a social media audit and competitor analysis will tell you how your social media program stacks up against others that you view as key competitors. This will uncover new opportunities and potential threats, and provide actionable recommendations to improve your overall social media strategy going forward.

1. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses: A social media audit provides a clear picture of what’s working and what’s not across your social media channels. This insight allows you to capitalize on your strengths and address your weaknesses.

2. Enhance Engagement: By understanding the types of content that resonate with your audience, you can tailor your social media strategy to increase engagement and foster stronger connections among new and existing customers.

3. Stay Ahead of the Competition: A competitor analysis gives you a bird’s-eye view of what your competitors are doing. This knowledge helps you to innovate and stay ahead in your industry.

4. Optimize ROI: Do less of what’s not working and do more of what is. By reallocating resources from underperforming areas to strategies that get better engagement and conversions, you can optimize your overall return on investment of using social media.

Key Steps for Conducting a Social Media Audit

There are countless ways to approach doing a social media audit and competitor analysis. Here are the steps we use for clients at NP Strategy.

1. Inventory Your Accounts: Begin by listing all your social media accounts, including those that are less active. Verify that each account is complete and aligns with your brand’s messaging and aesthetics.

2. Analyze Performance Metrics: For each account, assess key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement rates, follower growth, and content performance. Tools like Google Analytics and native social media analytics can be invaluable here.

3. Evaluate Content Quality: Review the content you’ve posted to identify what types of posts generate the most engagement. Look for patterns in format, topic, and posting time.

4. Understand Your Audience: Use analytics to gain insights into your audience’s demographics, preferences, and behavior. Tailor your content strategy to better match their interests.

5. Set Goals: Based on your findings, set realistic and measurable goals for improvement. These goals should be specific, time-bound, and aligned with your overall business objectives. Determine which goals will have the greatest impact vs. the overall effort to implement each (see graphic below).

Conducting a Competitor Analysis

1. Identify Your Competitors: Make a list of your direct and indirect competitors on social media. Don’t overlook smaller players who might be doing innovative work.

2. Analyze Their Strategy: Look at the content they post, their engagement rates, and how they interact with their audience. Note what works well for them and what doesn’t.

3. Spot Opportunities: Identify gaps in your competitors’ strategies where you can excel. This could be a particular content type they’re neglecting or a demographic they’re not engaging with effectively.

4. Benchmark Against Competitors: Use your findings to benchmark your social media performance against your competitors. This will help you understand where you stand in the industry landscape.

5. Incorporate Insights into Your Strategy: Leverage the insights gained from the audit and competitor analysis to refine your social media strategy. This might involve experimenting with new content formats, adjusting your posting schedule, or targeting new audience segments.

By understanding your current standing and the competitive landscape, you can make informed, data-driven decisions that propel your brand forward. Whether you’re looking to enhance engagement, increase your reach, or simply stay ahead of the curve, an audit and competitor analysis can be a vital tool in your social media toolkit.

Learn more about our firm’s digital and social media services and contact us to discuss doing a social media audit and competitor analysis for your organization: www.npstrategy.com/services/digital-and-social-media.

COLUMBIA, S.C. [March 14, 2024] –  NP Strategy, a strategic communications firm providing crisis, media and public relations assistance, continues to expand its social media team with the hiring of Maryanne Grinnell who will work out of the Columbia, South Carolina office as a Specialist. Grinnell’s expertise will help support the ever-growing social media team and better meet the needs of its clients.

“We’re thrilled to add another talented member to our rapidly growing team with an exceptional background in social media,” said CEO Heather Hoopes Matthews. “Maryanne’s skillset aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing top-notch digital solutions to our clients and we believe she will be an invaluable addition to our team.”

Grinnell joins NP Strategy with extensive experience crafting compelling online communications strategies to enhance client engagement. Prior to joining NP Strategy, Grinnell supported the Retail Services and the Industrial Brokerage Teams at Collier | South Carolina through property marketing and business development initiatives. At Colliers, she executed highly successful social media strategies across four offices bolstering brand awareness. She also spearheaded rebranding efforts for a local consulting firm and established its first-ever presence on social media.

“The integration of social media into PR efforts is essential for building trust and fostering meaningful engagement between organizations and their audiences,” said Maryanne Grinnell. “I am thrilled and honored to work alongside the talented professionals at NP Strategy and contribute together to the continued success and growth of our clients.” 

A South Carolina native, Grinnell studied Marketing at the University of South Carolina. She completed the Seasons Leadership Program in 2021, a 12-month workshop led by former female executives at Boeing. Grinnell also founded a podcast empowering women in the workforce called the “Seasons Leadership Podcast.”

Reach Maryanne Grinnell at maryanne@npstrategy.com. 

ABOUT NP STRATEGY

NP Strategy is a strategic communications firm composed of former journalists, communications professionals, political insiders, and public relations executives. NP Strategy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Maynard Nexsen, a 550-attorney national law firm with 24 offices from coast to coast, providing NPS access to deep relationships across the United States. For more information visit www.npstrategy.com.

When met with disinformation about your business, brand, or even yourself, it is natural to want to snap to the defense. And in today’s digital-driven world, it is easy to jump to posting an emotionally-fueled response on social media.

In these moments, it is crucial to pause, digest, and thoughtfully respond. Having a toolkit in place for handling disinformation about your brand will help to ensure a swift and effective response without exacerbating the situation.

Counter disinformation with readily available facts 

The simplest and most effective strategy to fight disinformation is to promptly provide accurate counterpoints while correcting any falsehoods. A timely and transparent response demonstrates accountability and a commitment to truth, which will help in rebuilding trust. Sometimes, a clear and well-timed response is all that is needed to counter rumors. If you’ve attempted to educate those spreading falsehoods about your brand online and they continue to do so, consider flagging these conversations to have the social media platform review them. 

Attempt to find common ground 

Try to connect with opponents to understand their needs and points of view. For example, ask a member of the opposition to meet with you and listen to their concerns. You might find that there is common ground you can build on. Showing who you are and what you value can go a long way in building trust. 

Monitor online conversations and report misleading posts or comments

Being proactive with social media listening is an easy way to get in front of disinformation and possibly prevent it from gaining traction. Utilize a team like NP Strategy who can conduct social listening and track mentions of your company’s name or employees online. Timely detection allows you to respond quickly before conversations get out of control.

Regardless of the situation, always maintain your composure when faced with challenges or even personal attacks online. Responding impulsively could tarnish your reputation even more, so be cautious with what you say to your audience online and in person. Remember, you cannot control what others say about you online, but you can show who you are to help earn the trust of community members and stakeholders.

As the New Year unfolds, it’s often a time of goal setting and reflection. What did you accomplish last year that you want to enhance this year? What was unsuccessful or has room for improvement? Among the various resolutions we set, one that often gets overlooked but is crucial personally and professionally is the art of consistency in communication. Maintaining a reliable communication style is imperative in today’s fast-paced world.

Consistency in communication is not just about your frequency of interactions, it’s about creating a recognizable and dependable way of expressing yourself or your company. Whether it’s the tone in your emails, the way you carry your voice in meetings, or the style of your presentations, consistency helps build trust and provides clarity.

When people know what to expect from you and your communication style, they are more likely to trust you. This is crucial in both personal relationships and professional collaborations. Furthermore, consistent messaging provides clarity and helps avoid confusion. It ensures that your audience understands your message, leaving no room for misinterpretation. A constant communication style also helps strengthen your brand identity by making your messages more recognizable and memorable. Lastly, consistency in communication fosters reliability. People will typically rely more on individuals and organizations that are consistent in their communication.

If you’re still reading, you’re probably wondering how to achieve this communication consistency. The process involves defining and adhering to your communication style while meeting your audience’s needs. Regular feedback is crucial for perfecting your approach, and remember, like any skill, consistency improves with time and practice.

This approach is critical to ensuring your message is compelling and transparent while building trust and reliability in your personal and professional relationships. As we embark on a new year, let’s not forget the power of consistency in our communication. It’s more than what we say, but how and when we say it that often makes the most impact.

COLUMBIA, S.C. [January 4, 2024] –  NP Strategy, a strategic communications firm providing crisis, media and public relations assistance, will launch a robust expansion of its social media team with the hiring of Ryal Curtis who will work out of the Columbia, South Carolina office as a Senior Director. With more than a decade of experience crafting and executing successful social media campaigns, Curtis will amplify the firm’s reach and ability to meet the strategic digital needs of clients across the United States. 

“Ryal not only brings unmatched expertise to this role, but a great reputation as a valued leader and strategic thinker,” said NP Strategy CEO Heather Hoopes Matthews. “We are thrilled to welcome such a high-caliber professional to our growing team and look forward to the new opportunities and value he will bring to our team and to our clients.” 

Curtis joins NP Strategy after spending 10 years with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, where he served as Social Media Manager and the company’s first social media strategist. During his tenure, Curtis led the company’s corporate social media strategy and social media team, which has one of the largest social media followings in the state and is now recognized as one of the top healthcare social media programs in the country. Curtis also served two years on the communications team at the University of South Carolina and spent nearly seven years working for a full-service marketing and social media agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

“Social media now plays a central role in how brands of all shapes and sizes connect with customers, key stakeholders and the general public at large,” said Ryal Curtis. “I’m thrilled to  join NP Strategy and work alongside award-winning communications professionals at a time when the firm is expanding its footprint and strategic service offerings for clients across the U.S.”

A Michigan native, Curtis graduated from Michigan State University. He is a graduate of Leadership Columbia and Leadership South Carolina and previously served on the board for the Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia, and the American Marketing Association (AMA) – Columbia Chapter. In 2015, he was recognized on the “20 Under 40” list awarded by The State newspaper. 

Reach Ryal Curtis at ryal@npstrategy.com.