Kase Wickman

Right now, the bestseller "Substack Mastery" is being published, chapter by chapter, on this site. At no cost. I love writing on Substack; it's a great environment, the readers aren't trolls or frauds, and I can be confident of genuine engagement with my posts. What are you waiting for? Go, check it out. Learn how to use Substack for profit and fun. For free!

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I've written thousands upon thousands of headlines in my #journalism and #media career, and helped brainstorm many more. One clear conclusion from the data and anecdotal evidence collected over the years: Clear, simple, straightforward headlines work best. New research, published today in the journal Science Advances, confirms this. Some 30,000 A/B tests by The Washington Post and by Upworthy, all analyzed by outside scientists, finds readers pay more attention to simple headlines that use common language, and they click on those more often than more complex headlines. Problem is, most #journalists and other #writers suck at headline writing, the research also revealed. Get the full story plus headline how-to advice in my latest Writer's Guide newsletter post: https://lnkd.in/gwaWGxgd

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Putting a human being at the center of a story was always the most effective way to talk through a bigger narrative, and as a journalist, getting to the core of a narrative was a critical part of my work. Now, with Prosek Partners, my work centers on establishing similar relationships with our clients that I once did with my sources, competitively developing a messaging that stands out, and putting it to work with our colleagues in the press. https://lnkd.in/edCPU_8m

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This week's PR Roundup looked at: ✅ Data on X's (formerly known as Twitter) downward market valuation spiral ✅ Nonverbal communication and the making of a Kamala Harris meme ✅ An opportunity for communicators and academics to bond and share new research at the Institute for Public Relations 2025 Bridge Conference. As we all know, users/advertisers generally gravitate toward entities with a good reputation—X's chaos and advertiser exodus shows what happens when that reputation is sullied. Brand Finance provides us with the data that proves how this impacts market value. And if you watched the presidential debate (but who am I kidding, even if you didn't you were bound to hear SOMETHING about it this week), you may have noticed that words didn't always speak as loudly as Kamala Harris's facial expressions. In a world where traditional media trainers may say to remain stoic when public speaking, the VP is breaking all the rules, making a real non-verbal impression. And finally, check out IPR's Call for Presentations! Thanks to Richard Haigh, Isabelle Dienstag, Rebecca Evans and Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., APR for their insights this week. And, I'm curious—let me know what you are seeing in regards to your organization and clients utilizing or backing away from X. Is it still part of your strategy? Happy weekend!

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Big media have been going for sensationalism and clicks. It turns off readers. Small news media are filling the gap and getting it right. #newsmedia #investigativejournalism #solutionsjournalism #businessmodels #credibility #newsavoidance

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Read my latest article before they take it down...

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If you thought you could do away with all your content and SEO people now that Google is offering AI generated responses, think again. Unless you're ok with AI telling people to "jump off the Golden Gate Bridge" if they're depressed, "add non toxic glue" to their cooking, "run with scissors" for cardio exercise, and "smoke 3-4 cigarettes a day when pregnant" - I'm not kidding, check out other examples in this article: https://lnkd.in/gWT_vw6T I've spent almost 15 years working in content in some form. It's much more complex than many people think. But I don't need AI to create content, I need it to help solve critical, complex world issues, and I need it to replace the mundane manual labour that humans don't want to do. Leave art to the humans. Art is human connection. And, content is human connection at the core.

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We often say that the term "brand" represents "a promise made and a promise kept." What we mean is, a great brand embodies the commitment it makes to its audiences—the expectations it sets, and most importantly, how it fulfills those expectations consistently over time. I know it sounds abstract! And I admit, when I first started working with clients after a decade and a half of being a journalist, it felt a little abstract to me too. That is until I started digging into this work, and seeing the challenges from the client's perspective. The more I could help them articulate their values to the world, the more I saw how that helps them connect with audiences and drive business success. What better way to make those connections than #storytelling! That's what I love about the work I get to do: together with brilliant people like my friend Karine Bailly, we help brands turn this abstract concept into everything from storytelling campaigns that pack a punch to editorial strategies that stand the test of time. As Karine writes in her latest essay for Long Dash, "When editorial content reflects a firm's brand and strategic goals—framed in a way that is useful for audiences—that very content becomes a powerful tool for informing, engaging, and credibly differentiating the firm." No brand can afford to be passive when it comes to shaping its own narrative. Why would you want to? Why not share your point of view, or your vision for the world you're trying to create? Why not stand out and be useful to your audience? You'll be setting yourself up for long-term success by building trust, credibility, and lasting relationships with the people who matter most to your brand. #BrandStorytelling #EditorialStrategy https://lnkd.in/gqYae2Rd

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New directions from Office of Management and Budget for agencies for how to successfully, securely, safely buy #AI tools and technologies. My story breaks down the new 36-page memo.

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I read this Q&A back and was struck by how much my own journey from print to digital to audience has come full circle. When newsrooms began to embrace social media more than 15 years ago, we had to solve fundamental problems: how to find signal amid noise, parse fact from fiction, discover and engage communities, track sources and topics. In many ways, we're back to square one dealing with these very same questions. I hope newsrooms take the decline of search/social for the opportunity that it presents — to engage communities directly in our storytelling and to build new/better tools (we miss you, twitter, tweetdeck and crowdtangle 🙁) for discovering and engaging them. And above all, to see the humanity of your audience! "I was born as a journalist in disruption. I think a lot of times we can get really overwhelmed by the emergence of new technology or platforms. We forget that the most important thing we can do is really understand the humanity of our audiences and how we might build meaningful, authentic relationships with real human beings. The minute that we think of our audiences in the abstract is when we begin to lose them. That’s the most fundamental lesson that we keep forgetting as journalists, because we get fixated on how to adapt ourselves to a new platform, and we focus too much on metrics and not enough on the people at the core of our work."

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How will AI impact the world of journalism? This report from Columbia Journalism Review is worth a read (or skim, it's lengthy). Felix M. Simon examines the use of AI across editorial, commercial, and technological domains and looks at the structural implications of AI in news organizations. Based on 134 interviews with news workers at 35 news organizations in the US, UK, and Germany and 36 international experts, the report explores the integration of AI with newsrooms and the question of whose interests are served by the increasing adoption of AI in the news and how this shift stands to reshape the public arena.

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I'm not a journalist anymore, but I still play one for brands (hehehe). No, really! My favorite moments on projects are when we can help clients shift their mindset from thinking "organization first" to "audience first." Just as great editorial #storytelling prioritizes the needs of its audiences—their need to be informed, educated, or enlightened—we help brands recalibrate their narratives with their audiences at the center. One of the ways we do this is by helping them operate like mini newsrooms for their brand. Just like a beat reporter is constantly digging for the most compelling angles to write about, we help brands unearth the stories buried in their own expertise or points of view. Just like a great editor can help shape a raw idea into a powerful narrative, we help brands craft stories that resonate with their target audience. And just like photojournalists and designers capture stunning scenes and create immersive stories out of numbers, we help brands bring their data to life through visuals and interactive experiences. By focusing on the audience's needs and crafting narratives that genuinely engage, brands can build trust and foster deeper connections. It's not about selling; it's about providing value and provoking thought. Who better than journalists, or former journos, to get you to think with their stories? #journalismcareers #brandstorytelling

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Inspired by a post by Omótólá Adérìnsólá Adébánjo I came up with some suggestions on how to be a "joyful journalist" including: *Knowing the implications of not being joyful. *Being intentional about liking your work. * Finding what aspect of your work gives you joy. And five more to consider. https://lnkd.in/gWzrrVTt

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Political ads are getting a contextual upgrade. Ever wonder how media coverage and sentiment can make or break a political campaign? GumGum’s Hailey Denenberg reveals how contextual advertising reshapes the game, especially in this unpredictable election season. From analyzing millions of pages of political content to offering real-time insights on Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, GumGum is cracking the code on campaign strategies. Check out the full scoop on how publishers and advertisers can leverage this tech to play offense and defense. 👇 #AdTech #ContextualAdvertising #PoliticalAds #BrandSafety

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This upcoming webinar from The Association of Health Care Journalists promises to be informative and helpful for anyone looking to learn more about health care costs

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Have you seen this study by Zefr and Magna Media on the specific impact of ad placement near "misinformation"? Interesting research. This is really a continuation of the problem with "made for advertising" sites and the lack of transparency too many advertisers have regarding where there messages are showing up. Generative AI is only going to make things worse. It really all boils down to one thing: your ad may be getting attention, but it is getting the right kind of attention? Or put another way: Put your ads in places where people care about what they're reading, watching, listenting to, etc. Go to the link to get the report. #brandsafety #brandsuitability #misinformation #fakenews #genai #generativeai

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The October monthly episode of our For Immediate Release podcast explores critical communication trends. Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I discuss six compelling topics, including Reddit's potential for crisis comms, the state of blogging in 2024, ethical concerns in celebrity news coverage, workplace connection challenges, and AI's impact across industries. In a blog post, I've set out some key takeaways that present opportunities for communicators, including leveraging Reddit for stakeholder engagement and preparing to guide organisations through AI adoption. Read more and listen now for valuable perspectives and insights on navigating today's complex communication landscape. https://lnkd.in/e5_CcMR2

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