Communications Staff Training

Many of our clients find themselves in situations where they are responsible for answering questions brought up by their communities and the media. With proper media training, media-facing professionals can anticipate behavior, avoid miscommunication traps and enhance confidence and focus. Tripepi Smith offers hands-on Media Training to assist you in handling crisis communications, other sensitive issues and your on-camera presentation.

Media Training is essential in an era of a 24-hour news cycle. Once a crisis hits or a news story breaks, you will immediately have reporters and bloggers asking you for interviews, and you may only have an hour or two to prepare. The purpose of media training is to empower communicators — whether you are a mayor or a PIO — by inspiring confidence and equipping you to be prepared for the unpredictable.

Tripepi Smith offers Media Training in a customizable layout. Training sessions are flexible and can accommodate groups from one to forty people, in half-day and full-day formats. Training is presented in a multi-station, interactive setting with stations specifically designed for press conferences, 1-on-1 news interviews, webinar/podcast/radio interviews, and teleprompter use.

While written content is one of the most-used forms of communication, it can be challenging to know what to say and how to say it. Equipped with experience in and knowledge of writing strategy, Tripepi Smith can train clients to ensure that their written communication is both professional and comprehensive.

A few key training concepts include:

• Best practices
• Active vs. passive voice
• Summary news leads
• Readability
• Plain language
• Style
• Grammar
• Strategic messaging

In the digital age, social media strategy is an essential part of every industry – whether it be public or private sector. Users flock to social media as their main source for news, entertainment and to get involved in various interest groups. Many municipalities have embraced social media as a civic engagement tool that is a critical component of their public safety and emergency communication strategy, talent recruitment plan, or even as a parks and rec event promotion tactic.

Responsible social media use takes strategy, intentionality and preparation. Tripepi Smith is prepared to set clients up for success by not only sharing best practices, but also by equipping them to be able to measure their own success milestones using key performance indicators.

Tripepi Smith highlights both how to create the best social media for your brand and how best to reach your target audiences. Learn how to make high-quality content that makes an impact in the digital space today.

“The best camera is the one you have on you.” This is a phrase often heard in the world of photojournalism. While professional equipment is ideal, it can be expensive and impractical to have someone with technical skills and professional training available at all times. When that’s not on the table, what are you left with?

Enter the modern smartphone: your close companion with a lens. Smartphones have come a long way in technology specs and professional capabilities. However, smartphone use still requires certain know-how to capture photos and videos. Tripepi Smith offers in-person and virtual training sessions on how to use your smartphone to take high quality photos and videos on-the-go. These sessions include: the technical aspect, like how to capture clean audio and video; equipment recommendations for stability; and the best camera angles and lighting. Our workshops are practical, with hands-on time to take a dive into your phone’s exposure and zoom for optimal use in various environments.

Creating engaging communications sometimes requires a graphic designer. But for basic designs, particularly quick-turnaround social media, many people turn to Canva. Tripepi Smith offers Canva training that covers basic design principles, with simple tips to make beautiful designs and improve your Canva workflow. A workshop-style session is also available, with specific prompts to practice and live feedback.