Blog

Short, snappy articles full of practical communication tips and insights.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

How communications helps set your workplace culture

Workplace culture is what people actually experience every day, in the way decisions are made, expectations are communicated, mistakes are handled and people treat one another when nobody’s watching; which is ultimately where a lot of organisations get it wrong. So, how does communications help set your workplace culture? Find out.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

What is social media moderation and why it’s become a part of PR (and reputation management)

Social media management is often treated as a publishing job, but this forgets the whole other side to social media that can be considerably more complicated: what happens after you hit publish. Which is where social media moderation is no longer just an operational task for whoever manages the organisation’s Facebook or Instagram account. It has become part of public relations and reputation management.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

How to measure communications impact, not just outputs

Performance review season has a habit of turning our attention to numbers like how many projects did we deliver? However, there is a problem with relying too heavily on outputs to demonstrate our value because producing something is not the same as achieving something. So, how do we measure communications impact rather than just outputs?

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

How AI is changing communications, and where your human skills come in

If ChatGPT and Canva didn’t automatically make you a talented graphic designer… then why would it make you a comms expert? The value of a communications professional has never just been the ability to put words on a page. It’s understanding the audience, the context, the risks, the relationships and what needs to happen when the message lands. So, how is AI changing communications and where do your human skills come in?

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

How communications plays a role in psychological safety at work

Psychological safety has become a familiar term in workplace conversations, especially with the introduction of psychosocial hazard legislation here in Australia. At its simplest, psychological safety is about whether people believe they can express themselves, admit mistakes, ask questions, raise concerns and disagree without being punished, humiliated or unfairly judged. It doesn't mean everyone has to agree, and it certainly doesn't mean everyone needs to feel comfortable all the time. So, how do we create that?

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

What's the difference between change management and change communication?

Change management and change communication are closely connected, sure, but they are distinct disciplines. Understanding the difference matters because successful organisational change requires both, where you’re able to work together, but do different jobs. So, what’s the difference between change management and change communication?

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

Does brand actually matter in internal communications?

Does brand actually matter in internal communications? Yes! It does, and most likely more than you think. Internal communications and consistency of brand are critical to ensuring everyone is on the same page… so how do you ensure it remains consistent? Find out now.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

The business communication skills we all need

Communication in business has changed significantly. There are more channels, more technology, more information and now more AI tools than ever before which means the ability to write a grammatically correct email is no longer enough. In fact, AI can do a pretty good job of that for us. The real communication challenge is knowing what to say, who needs to hear it, how they need to hear it and what needs to happen as a result. So, what are the business communication skills we all need?

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

Helping people navigate change using communications

The goal of change communication is to ultimately, help people understand what’s happening, make sense of what it means for them and navigate what comes next. So, how do we help people navigate change using communications?

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

What is horizon scanning for a communications professional?

Communication professionals spend much of their time responding to what has already happened. While that's an important part of our role, it also means we're often helping organisations navigate change after decisions have been made, rather than helping them prepare for what's coming next. Which is where horizon scanning comes in.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

How to recover your reputation after a crisis - communication edition

Reputation is everything. But no matter how strong a brand may be, at some point, it’s likely to face a reputational crisis. As a communication professional, your role in crisis response is critical. But the real challenge lies in what happens after the initial storm has passed—the recovery phase. So, how do you rebuild a tarnished reputation? Here are five key strategies.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

Things we can learn from the comms community in the Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region is a powerhouse of growth, diversity, and innovation. With over half of the world’s population and a rapidly expanding economy, there are some incredible opportunities for comms pros to get their teeth into. Especially after the recent IABC Asia Pacific Fusion 2025 conference in the Philippines - where attendees got five key lessons that communicators everywhere can take from the Asia-Pacific.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

How to make a career out of change management

Change is a constant in today’s business world, and organisations increasingly recognise the need for skilled change managers to guide them through transformation. But how do you turn change management into a rewarding career? Whether you're just starting out or looking to pivot into this field, we spoke to change management expert Lata Hamilton and asked her how to make a career out of change!

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

What bulk toilet paper hoarding can teach us comms folks

The latest natural disaster on the eastern coast of Australia, Tropical Cyclone Alfred, reignited some old-time habits that we saw from the peak days of the COVID-19 pandemic: toilet paper hoarding. So, we thought we’d take this opportunity to look at not only why this happens, but what we can learn from it in the comms space. Here are four behavioral drivers behind toilet paper hoarding and what they teach us about communication and change management.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

Top tips on event management for comms pros

Event management is a crucial skill for communication professionals and according to event management expert Sally Porteous, great event management is more than just booking a venue and setting an agenda—it requires strategy, audience focus, and attention to detail. Which is why we’ve got some top tips for comms professionals managing events right here.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

How to make your presentation work for your audience

Whether you’re in the comms field or not, there has more than likely been a time (or plenty of times) where your colleague, manager or friend has asked you to review a presentation pack for them. Luckily, we’ve got some strategies you can use to help others create presentations that actually work from the get-go, without the need for review.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

The biggest barriers to creativity in comms and public relations (and how to overcome them!)

Creativity is often associated with artistic ability, but in the world of PR and communications, it’s more about mindset and collaboration. It’s about thinking differently, solving problems in innovative ways, and embracing fresh perspectives. So… what are the barriers to creativity in PR, and how can we overcome them? Here are some of the biggest tips, according to Kirsty Visman and Mel Loy, on getting ahead of the game.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

Key things you should ask before you begin your communications

In the fast-paced world of communication, we often don’t have the luxury of developing a full-blown communications plan for every message we send. But if you want your communication to be effective without spending hours crafting it, we have three key questions you should ask before you begin. These questions will help you cut through the noise, engage your audience, and ensure your message actually lands.

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Melanie Loy Melanie Loy

What is a personal brand and why do you need it?

What is a personal brand, and why do you need it? Your personal brand isn’t just a buzzword—it’s your professional reputation, and in today’s digital world, it’s built online before you even meet someone. Recruiters, clients, and industry peers Google you before they call you. So, what are they finding? A strong personal brand helps you stand out, build credibility, and future-proof your career. So if you’re ready to build your brand, you can start here.

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