Business Advocacy

Arc 3 Communications Celebrates 13-year Business Anniversary

October 28, 2024 By Patrick L. Burns 33 Comments

Marietta, Ga. (October 28, 2024) – Arc 3 Communications, a public affairs agency located just off the historic downtown square of Marietta, Ga. celebrates its 13-year business anniversary this week. Started by founder and president, Patrick L. Burns, Arc 3 Communications has provided winning advocacy services for clients since 2011. For 13 years, Arc 3 has provided quality solutions to trade associations, businesses and non-profits, helping them achieve their public policy goals at the local and state levels of government.

“I am so grateful to our team and its commitment to providing superior results to our marquee roster of clients who have entrusted us over the years,” said company founder and president, Patrick Burns, “Our team and its commitment to our clients has made a distinctive impact and has resulted in legislative and regulatory successes at the local and state levels in the Southeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. As our agency team and client base continues to grow into the Southwest, we look forward to driving meaningful change for our clients at the local and state levels in the dynamic environment of public affairs”.

For more information about Arc 3 Communications, visit www.arc3communications.com

About Arc 3 Communications

Arc 3 Communications is an Atlanta area-based public affairs agency that specializes in advocacy services for clients. We provide winning solutions to campaigns, businesses, trade associations, and non-profits to help them achieve their organizational goals in a complex media and public affairs landscape. Our effective advocacy efforts result in legislative and regulatory successes at the local and state levels of government.

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Join Our Team! Public Affairs Internship Opportunity in Georgia

August 27, 2024 By patricklburns 33 Comments

Arc 3 Communications is looking for an Intern, Public Affairs to join our team of innovative public affairs professionals at our Marietta, Georgia office.

Would you like to be a part of a team focused on achieving public affairs objectives at the state and local government level across the country? Do you wish to help further advance the policy agenda of Arc 3 clients? We are looking for a talented and innovative individual to assist us in our work representing clients before state and local policymakers in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and the Southeastern United States.

In this position you will learn about effectively lobbying state and local legislative and regulatory bodies, working with trade and business associations, and building and maintaining strong grassroots networks. You will also learn how to write policy papers, articles and public affairs content that resonates.

Intern, Public Affairs Responsibilities

Monitors, researches, and analyzes proposed legislation and regulations and how they impact our clients
Assists the team with multi-state, state and local advocacy efforts on behalf of clients
Cover state legislative and local government meetings and hearings and write summary memos
Listen and report on political and policy calls, including trade association calls, as necessary
Maintain an internal tracker of local and state legislative priorities across the United States
Formatting and disseminating electronic newsletters
Develop policy papers, articles and content
CRM/Database Management
Assists with meeting scheduling as needed

Requirements

Must be currently enrolled in an accredited College or University completing a Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Degree
Reliable transportation or means of transportation to commute to our office and to meetings

Experience Qualifications

Demonstrated interest in public affairs
Must be highly motivated
Ability to work in a team environment
Ability to multitask and prioritize in a deadline focused, demanding environment
Effective written and oral communication skills
Ability to work well independently with a focus on detail
Must have a working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs
Digital literacy in the area of social media and email marketing platforms
Maintain highest personal levels of ethical conduct, confidentiality and integrity
Innovative and entrepreneurial spirit with a desire to constantly improve
Preferred: Experience in the political process (campaign work, intern experience with lawmakers at the federal, state, or local level).

If interested, please send resumé and cover letter to Patrick Burns, President via pburns@arc3communications.com.

Announcing New Account Executive for Public Affairs, Christian Frankl

June 8, 2024 By patricklburns 34 Comments

Rising star in public affairs strengthens multi-state advocacy capabilities in the Midwest

Arc 3 Communications, a public affairs agency that specializes in content, digital and advocacy, announced that they have hired new account executive, Christian Frankl. With extensive government affairs experience in the private and public sectors, Frankl most recently served as a lobbyist with the government relations team at Fredrikson and Byron P.A. in Des Moines, Iowa. In that position, Frankl helped clients achieve their legislative goals and advance their interests at the State Capitol. With strong local, state and federal government relations experience, Frankl will provide top-notch advocacy for clients in the Midwest to meet their public affairs needs and will be based in Chicago.

Before working with Fredrikson and Byron, Frankl interned in Washington D.C. with The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies FDD Action Congressional Relations team. He also interned with former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller’s Consumer Protection Division and worked on US Senator Joni Ernst’s reelection campaign in 2020.

Frankl graduated as a triple major from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Ethics and Public Policy, and Music. During his undergraduate studies, Frankl was a Senator with the University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government and was the Drum Major of the 275-member Hawkeye Marching Band. He also studied Politics and Law at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland as an Iowa Regents Semester in Scotland student.

“Arc 3 Communications has achieved impactful results for clients in the area of local and state advocacy across the country,” Frankl said. ““I am delighted to join the agency and look forward to helping our clients achieve their public affairs goals.”

“Christian is a rising star in public affairs and will be a tremendous asset to our clients in the area of multi-state advocacy at the local and state levels in the Midwest,” said Founder and President, Patrick Burns.“We are thrilled to be officially part of the Chicagoland community with the addition of Christian to our team”.

About Arc 3 Communications

Founded in 2011, Arc 3 Communications is an innovative public affairs agency that specializes in content, digital and advocacy services for clients. Arc 3 provides winning public affairs solutions to businesses, trade associations, non-profits, and government agencies. We produce dynamic content, innovative digital campaigns and effective advocacy that results in legislative, electoral, and civic engagement victories for clients.

Announcing New Account Executive for Public Affairs, Gabrielle Deliz

September 22, 2022 By Patrick L. Burns Leave a Comment

Rising star in public affairs strengthens multi-state advocacy capabilities

Arc 3 Communications, a public affairs agency that specializes in content, digital and advocacy, announced that they have hired new account executive, Gabrielle Deliz. With extensive government affairs experience in the private and public sectors, Deliz most recently served as a government consultant for the Thomas Howell Ferguson, P.A. CPAs firm in Tallahassee, where she consulted for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). With strong legislative and regulatory knowledge at the state and local government levels, Deliz will provide top-notch advocacy for clients to meet their public affairs needs.

Prior to consulting on behalf of the FDEM, Deliz served in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. She also previously worked for the Republican Party of Florida as a part of the 2018 campaign team behind the election of Governor DeSantis and other officials. Deliz has also served in the legislative office of the former Florida Speaker of the House of Representatives, Jose R. Oliva.

Deliz is a cum laude graduate of the Florida State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Minor in Communications. During her undergraduate tenure, Deliz was deeply involved in the FSU Foundation, where she developed a passion for philanthropy and higher education. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at FSU.

“Arc 3 Communications has achieved impactful results for clients in the area of local and state advocacy across the country,” Deliz said. “I am excited to join the agency and look forward to providing additional value for our clients in these areas.”

“Gabrielle is a rising star in public affairs and will be a tremendous asset to our clients in the area of multi-state advocacy at the local and state levels,” said Founder and President, Patrick Burns.

About Arc 3 Communications

How to Make an Impact With Your Elected Officials During COVID-19

April 23, 2020 By Patrick L. Burns Leave a Comment

Advocating for your business or association and being able to get your message across to your elected officials during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis can be intimidating. Elected officials are literally in the middle of making life saving decisions between public health and economic livelihoods. While the majority of us are sheltering in place and social distancing, there are still many ways in which you can be heard by your elected officials at the local, state and federal levels; and your input is now more important than ever. They were elected to represent and serve you, and they can best do that through your effective advocacy. Below are ways in which you can connect with your elected officials and communicate your message in a way that is clear and makes a lasting impression during this crisis.

Email Your Lawmaker

One of the easiest ways to get in touch with your elected officials is by email. You can usually find elected officials’ emails on your local government’s website or sites such as Open Secrets or your Secretary of State’s website. When writing an email to an elected official, there are many things to keep in mind to make sure your email is effective and well received. Below are some tips on successfully emailing your representatives:

Put your name and address at the top of your message.
Humanize your message.
Be brief.
Be clear about your position.
Make your message timely.
It is okay to disagree, but don’t be abusive or threaten.
Avoid attachments.
Don’t spam elected officials or their office.
Be honest.
Proofread your email.

These 10 rules are key to writing an effective email that will likely be read and resonate with your officials. They hold true anytime, but especially during the time crunch of a crisis.

Schedule a Virtual Visit with Your Elected Official

During normal times, an in-person visit is the best way to connect with your elected official and to leave a lasting impression. While this is close to impossible during the COVID-19 restrictions, local officials and state and federal lawmakers are making themselves available via virtual platforms for meetings with constituents. Schedule a virtual meeting on a platform such as Zoom, Skype or Google Hangout much like you would an in-person meeting. Lawmakers may have their virtual platform preference or may defer to yours. This is a good way to discuss the concerns and needs of your association, business or industry that are important to you during this critical time. Virtual visits with elected officials must be scheduled with staff, and you must exercise patience, and understand that these officials’ schedules are extremely busy. Also, be respectful of their time when you do get a meeting, try to limit your meeting to 10-30 minutes. After your meeting, be sure to express your gratitude for the time taken to meet with you and let your elected official know you truly appreciate their time and the opportunity to meet with them. A virtual meeting is a great way to stand out among the many emails and letters these officials receive every day.

Prior to your meeting, make sure you have a plan or strategy for what you want to say and how you want to present your information and request. You want to be prepared for any questions or follow-ups that may come from your presentation. Make sure you are knowledgeable and informed on the topic you will be discussing in order to establish credibility and even bring some leave behind materials with printed information such as flyers, petitions, or fact sheets that can be shared via the screenshare or the chat function of the virtual platform. Be sure to also ask your representative’s stance on the issues at hand and their thoughts and ideas; this will help by letting them get involved with the conversation and may shed light on certain aspects of the issue you had not thought of. Be sure to make your ask and wait for an answer; if the elected official’s response is undecided, ask when you may be able to follow up with the official or legislator and their staff for an answer. After your meeting, follow up as you would with an in-person meeting; write a follow up thank you letter and email to the elected official and their staff.

Call Your Legislator

If your time is limited, or it is important for you to get in contact immediately, calling elected officials may be your best option. A phone call could make the difference in the issue or help make progress and move things forward. When you call, remember to be professional, remain courteous and factual. Make sure you establish yourself as a constituent and a voter; this will make your elected official much more receptive. Much like in person or virtual meetings, make sure you plan and strategize your call before making it so you can stay on your message. Also, like with any other contact you may have with an elected official, thank them for their time and for hearing you out.

Whichever communication channel you decide to use, make sure you always give your name, address, and telephone number and your relevancy to the elected officials district or area they represent to drive home the fact you are a constituent and voter. Always remain confident and professional when you are presenting where you stand on an issue especially during this time of crisis. Do not be reluctant to contact your elected officials during this time; they are there to represent you and hear where you stand on issues that are important to you, your association, business or industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your email, virtual meeting, or phone call could be the one to make the difference you’d like to see for your association, business or industry.

For more information or for help with your COVID 19 advocacy and government relations efforts visit our website at www.arc3communications.com or contact Patrick Burns at pburns@arc3communications.com or 678-907-2478.

How to Better Keep Track of the News Important to You

August 9, 2019 By Patrick L. Burns Leave a Comment

For decades, people have used news monitoring to track issues that affect them, their business, their association, or their cause. In the past, this was done with a process called “clipping” which was scanning local and national newspapers for stories related to these categories and cutting them out to keep a tab on issues at hand. This form of news scanning was an essential practice in nearly every aspect of life, from politics to business to advocacy. It allowed one to keep up with new developments in a campaign, on an issue, with a market, or with a competitor. In today’s online world, this process still exists; it has simply gone to the online world and covers a much larger scale. This can be overwhelming, and it can seem impossible to keep up to date with the 24/7 news cycle and nearly immediate news updates. There are many tools and strategies you can use to help make this process easier while increasing effectiveness.

Google Alerts

Google is a search engine that grants people quick access to information. It can be quite time consuming to search each term or phrase that relates to your issue and try to sift through countless stories and websites trying to find the most recent developments. This is where Google Alerts can be used to help save time and increase the efficiency of your news scanning.

Google Alerts is a free-to-use service in which you can add all of your key terms and phrases to a list and Google will send you email alerts whenever a news story or update is released that relates to that term or phrase. You can schedule a set time that all of your alerts come into your email. You can choose morning, afternoon, or evening or even multiple times throughout the day, if you have an issue that needs constant monitoring.

It is also good practice to add a Google Alert for your name. Doing this will allow you to be alerted anytime your name appears in a story or somewhere online. Also, if you own a business or brand, you should have an alert set up for these as well for the same reasons.

Feedly

Feedly is a news aggregator application for your web browser that allows you to bookmark and organize all of the websites you regularly check for updates. You can categorize these based on your needs so you can keep track of different sites for different topics. The feed allows you to scan RSS feeds, news and updates from your tracked sites by date and popularity all in one place. Having all of your news sources together saves you the time of having to go to each site separately looking for updates.

Feedly is a free-to-use platform which includes most of its features, but also has a paid pro option that will allow you to incorporate your Google Alerts into your Feedly feed as well as give you access to unlimited feeds, sources, and premium customer service.

Following Social Media

Much important news is shared these days through social media. A good practice to have is to make sure you follow your news sources on social media platforms such as Twitter and activate notifications for any that you need to track closely. This way, when something new is posted or updated you can be in the loop. Sometimes news and updates will be posted to social media before they are released on news sites; this way, you can keep on top of important issues that affect you and your business or association.

Following specific hashtags is also a great way to keep up on trending news related to your cause or industry. You should do research and find if there are any highly-used hashtags that fit to your needs and follow them as they tend to lead you to updates and news quickly as well. Though social media can get quite noisy at times, it is still a great source of updates for news, causes, and events if you can develop a system for aggregating the news important to you through notifications and hashtags.

Stay in the Loop

There are many options for staying on top of news related to your specific needs. In today’s world of quick, shortened news cycles and instant 24/7 news updates, it can seem impossible to keep up with everything at once, but these tools help make it easier and less stressful. Of course, there is nothing wrong with reading the local newspapers or doing Google searches for news updates. These suggestions are simple tools that will make monitoring news much more productive while giving a broad scope of resources all at once in an organized way. Keeping on top of things is essential for many businesses, causes, and just day to day life, and with these tools, you’re all set.

Need More Help?

For more information, visit us at www.arc3communications.com or contact Patrick Burns at pburns@arc3communications.com. We look forward to working with you to acheive all of your content, digital, and advocacy goals.

Ways to Mobilize Your Community to Support Your Cause

June 26, 2019 By Patrick L. Burns Leave a Comment

When it comes to making a change in your community, the most powerful tool you have is the community itself. How you can mobilize your community has evolved with the growth of social media, but many of the traditional methods still remain most useful. In fact, all of these tactics should be used together to bring awareness and organize your community to support your issue and gain the attention of your elected officials. This article will explore what is known as “slacktivism,” a form of social media engagement regarding a cause, and traditional tactics to bringing attention and action to an issue.

Slacktivism

In our age of social media, many issues become viral social media campaigns resulting in shares, comments, likes, and views but most of the time, little else. This isn’t to say “slacktivism” is entirely useless, in fact, it does raise awareness of an issue and can even inform people and get people talking about the subject. The problem lies in that these campaigns alone rarely result in action being taken. People comment, like, and share or sign an online petition and feel accomplished, like they have done something to help the issue when, in fact, it takes much more effort than that. This is why the term is a combination of “slacker” and “activism” because not much effort goes into participating in these online interactions and involvement often ends there.

This does not mean that online advocacy is useless, as previously stated, it can work wonders in raising awareness and spreading a message further and faster than many traditional forms of information sharing. It becomes hindered when it ends with this social media step. When people hit share and feel they have done enough and then move on. In turn, if it goes on to spark action and mobilization in the non-digital world, then it can be measured as a useful tactic. Online advocacy should be viewed as a tool, and not a complete solution to driving your issue.

Traditional

The traditional ways are still the most effective for mobilizing your community. Traditional methods are complemented and enhanced by the online and social media aspects we have in the digital age, but the tried and true forms of raising awareness and prompting action still hold strong. As stated before, engagement efforts must be utilized offline in the community itself to see real results. Writing letters and direct mail, volunteer phone banking, going door to door, and organizing local precinct level meetings are proven ways to reach the people of your area and really add voices to your cause. These tactics allow you to know that you are reaching the population you intend to reach and also allow you to form relationships that will benefit your cause in the long run. These traditional strategies combined with an online strategy will help mobilize your community. The effectiveness of your traditional and online strategies, however, hinges on a properly developed and crafted message. It is vital that your message informs and is credible and factual. You also want to be prepared to answer any tough questions that may be raised regarding your position and help alleviate any concerns among elected officials, the media and the public. Having a message that is factual and based on credible personal stories and sources goes a long way in building support.

In Conclusion

When bringing attention to an issue, both new and traditional tactics can be used together to mobilize your community, gain support, and ultimately bring about desired policy and legislative changes. Digital advocacy and social media campaigns are persuasive and bring awareness, while traditional measures bring people to concrete action within the community. A balance of these different tactics will help result in successful campaigns. These strategies used with a strong message, grab people’s attention and provide them with enough facts to make an educated decision to act. A community mobilized behind an issue is an extremely effective force in getting a legislative or policy change. In fact, it’s near impossible to get things done otherwise.

Need more advice or help?

For more information, visit us at www.arc3communications.com or contact Patrick Burns at pburns@arc3communications.com. We look forward to working with you to achieve your goals and help your voice be heard to bring positive changes to your community.

Content Marketing and Social Media Training for Georgia Movers Association

November 2, 2017 By Patrick L. Burns 31 Comments

Arc 3 Communications recently conducted a content marketing and social media training program for the Georgia Movers Association as a part of their annual conference. The program was attended by hundreds of moving company executives from across the state of Georgia. The annual conference was held at the Idle Hour Country Club in Macon.

Arc 3 Founder Patrick Burns provided insights on what is content marketing and why it is important for a moving company’s marketing efforts. Participants were provided insights into how to incorporate a content marketing process inside their business and the fundamental elements for developing and implementing a content marketing program.

The Arc 3 Communications team also provided insights regarding the major platforms in digital marketing today – Facebook and Google. Session included strategies on how moving companies can utilize Facebook advertising to market their business using tools like the Power Editor for targeting and Facebook Pixel for re-targeting. Tips for sharing timely and informative posts and how to leverage Facebook’s live video feature were also provided.

Session attendees were also provided tips for “Keeping Google Happy”. Practical and helpful website tips in the areas of security, page speed, local SEO, caching, optimizing images, accelerated mobile pages (AMP), and inbound links were shared. Finally, insights into Instagram Stories and Snapchat and trends that may lie ahead in marketing were presented.

The training session on content marketing and social media stimulated conversation among the moving company executive attendees on the types of content and marketing tactics members were using to help them to achieve their business goals.

Arc 3’s content marketing and social media training seminars are customized for trade associations and have been very valuable to their members. Content marketing and social media are changing everyday with new platform updates, tools, shifting audiences and techniques. Through our research, lab work and networking we keep up with the latest trends in content marketing and social media.

Want to talk about a customized content marketing and social media training program for your association? Contact us here or via Facebook Messenger. Or sign up for our newsletter to get the latest tips here.

Why Content Marketing Matters for Your Trade Association’s Future

May 15, 2017 By Patrick L. Burns Leave a Comment

Every industry is facing the digital disruption of their traditional marketing and communications. Trade Associations are no different and not immune to the winds of change that have occurred in consumer and business to business marketing. Trade associations’ marketing and communications efforts to membership, stakeholders, alliance groups and government audiences is changing and aligning with big brands’ transition to a content marketing model. The largest and most effective brands in the world such as Coca-Cola and IBM, use content marketing to build relationships and brand loyalty and make future sales.

Developing a content marketing program for your trade association is important to achieving your organization’s goals and objectives in the digital age of communications. What is content marketing? It is the creating and sharing of valuable, relevant and consistent content in order to build relationships with an audience to achieve an objective such as a membership sale. It is owning media, not renting it. By sharing your best ideas and experience, good content builds trust and relationships with people and encourages them to come back to you when they need your services or product.

The most popular forms of content marketing are articles, social media content, blog posts and e-newsletters. But case studies, white papers, e-books and webinars have also proven to be effective in reaching audiences. Although social media and digital formats have made content marketing affordable and effective for big and small organizations, it is not strictly confined to online. Print publications such as John Deere’s The Furrow Magazine and Lego’s Lego Club Magazine have been around for decades and are remarkably successful in building long lasting relationships for these respective brands.

Like the big brands, trade associations must come to the realization that traditional marketing with its heavy reliance on television, direct mail and print media is a losing strategy in retaining and growing membership and promoting advocacy and policy goals, especially among millennials. With the rapid decline in cable television subscribers, newspaper readers and the increase in junk mail into mailboxes, producing compelling content that engages your members and reaches them on the digital continent is vital. The most popular television channel for millenials isn’t even on TV; it is YouTube.

The future of trade associations and all those organizations that are engaged in civic life depends upon the sharing of content online that engages and forms relationships with audiences. In order to have millenials active in your association, you must reach them on the digital continent in which they live. Support for your association’s membership, legislative and advocacy efforts depend upon this large group upon which future board members and leadership will come.

Want to learn more about the principles and fundamentals of content marketing and how you can update your trade association’s communications and marketing efforts? Contact Patrick Burns at pburns@arc3communications.com. We can work with you on content marketing fundamentals such as a content audit, the creation of a content marketing plan, content calendars, a content management system and analytics. Arc 3 can reboot your trade association’s marketing efforts and implement a content marketing process in your organization that helps you achieve success.

This Week in Digital & Public Affairs: Facebook Video Ads and Data Driven Campaigns

February 20, 2017 By Patrick L. Burns Leave a Comment

Below is a roundup of key stories in digital and public affairs for this week:

Content, Digital and Social Media

In an effort to give advertisers more control over their video ad buys, Facebook is allowing the media industry’s independent measurement monitor, Media Rating Council (MRC) to audit the measurements it provides advertisers. Facebook will sell video ads based on the MRC’s viewability standard, allow more granularity in performance measurement and introduce an option for paying for ads only when users watch the video with the sound on.

With the release of Chrome 56, Google has started tagging http payment and login pages as “not secure”. HTTP Pages that collect login details or credit card numbers will be marked as non-secure pages, and the warning will eventually be used for all http pages. With over 1 billion users of Chrome, Google’s efforts will pressure website operators to at least consider enabling site-wide HTTPS.

Gov 2.0 and Public Affairs

On Hootsuite’s blog, Jylian Russell offers the benefits that social media in government can achieve such as its role in raising awareness, citizen engagement and crisis communications. Russell also weighs some of the challenges of using social media in government and offers some solutions for mitigating those risks.

CNN reports on the decision by the White House to expand its social media team with several new hires to assist current White House social media director Dan Scavino. Since the Inaguration, President Trump and Scavino have primarily handled social media communications, posting on President Trump’s personal and official White House social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

In Associations Now, social media journalist Ernie Smith offers suggestions to associations for improving their email marketing in 2017. Smith recommends new tools for consideration for sending emails on the cheap, making design less painful, and acquiring better data.

Campaigns and Elections

In Politico Magazine, Democratic direct mail consultant Dave Gold laments how data driven campaigns by Democrats have resulted in 4 straight election cycle losses for his party. Gold argues that Democrats should pay less attention to quantitative political science and focus more on creating message driven campaigns that utilize storytelling that connects with voters’ emotions.

These are some of the reads that matter to us for the week in digital and public affairs. Want to get in depth analysis, news, and how to tips in digital and public affairs? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.