Three Takeaways from “The Feedback Exchange: Navigating Copy Edits from SMEs and Clients”
The review and approval process doesn’t have to be a pain or throw off project timelines. PRSA Nebraska’s first monthly program of 2024 was focused on how you can successfully navigate the review, editing, and approvals process with internal and external stakeholders.
The panel was comprised of four communications professionals from agency, corporate, nonprofit, and higher education backgrounds, including:
- Mike O’Connor, Senior Corporate Communications Specialist at Scoular
- Blake Ursch, Strategic Communications Manager at NCITE
- Angie Hempel, APR, Director of Creative Services at Emspace + Lovgren
- Kara Neuverth, Director of Media Relations at Boys Town
- Moderated by Melissa Matczak, Director of Corporate Communications at Scoular
The hourlong program was full of helpful insights and expertise, so make sure to attend PRSA Nebraska’s next program to catch all the insights and best practices. If you missed the event, here are three takeaways that can help create a smooth review and approval process within your organization.
No matter the project, keeping your eye on the final objective is critical, yet sometimes a stakeholder can get too wrapped up in their own thoughts and opinions about the final piece. Hempel pointed to sharing reminders of the goal that the team is working toward and how to balance those with personal preferences of the client. Keep the focus on where the project is going and whether those preferences are helping to move in that direction or not. A project manager or a project management tool can also be helpful to stay on target, particularly for lager projects that have a national or regional impact.
Waiting for a review on a deliverable can be especially difficult when the person reviewing doesn’t have the same sense of urgency. Neuverth talked about creating and communicating the need for urgency during the review process by establishing a timeline and setting deadlines to keep reviews moving forward. In the nonprofit world especially, she said, it’s a matter of changing the mindset for how quickly a stakeholder needs to share their feedback.
O’Connor talked about setting expectations for content practices and for what an executive or stakeholder would review. At first glance, a stakeholder might think the copy for a social media post could seem too short or too simple. These individuals can be more focused on including as much information as possible rather than the right amount of detail for the platform, and it’s up to the communications pros to make the right recommendations for the right platforms.
As strategic communications manager for the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), Ursch sees the feedback stage as an opportunity to ensure accuracy. Working in higher education often requires using communications and storytelling skills to distill down the academic expertise of NCITE researchers into something concise and accessible for audiences with no prior knowledge of the subject matter. By building relationships with these subject matter experts, they trust that the communications team will make them look their best in the final piece.
When dealing with industries that deal with a hefty number of regulations and legal considerations, having a helping hand from a legal perspective can be a lifesaver. Neuverth shared that, in her work at Boys Town, she’s become best friends with the legal team given the sensitivities and strict regulations tied to the subject matter that she’s covering.
These three takeaways can be valuable for any public relations professional, but the panelists shared a wealth of additional expertise throughout the hourlong event. The best way to experience events through PRSA Nebraska is to join us as they happen. Keep an eye out for our next event and learn more about becoming a member by visiting PRSANebraska.org.
PRSA Nebraska thanks Scoular for hosting this event and providing lunch for attendees.
- Brandon Bartling
