The Write Blog

PR campaigns can be the difference between successful and unsuccessful ventures – and they’re the lifeblood for getting your company’s news story into the public eye.

We’ve previously posted a blog about how to write a press release, but where do you go from there? There are a couple of different strategies out there for cultivating a PR buzz both in print and online:

1. Releasing a press release

Releasing a press release is pretty easy now. There are a number of searchable databases available, such a PRWeb, PRLeap, ClickPress, etc – where you can upload your press release, sometimes for a small fee. Journalists and media members with access to these databases will be able to search databases for relevant information or story ideas. In some cases, these sites will also distribute your press release to journalists or send your release to industry-related sites or news hubs. It’s a good idea to upload your press releases to these sites so that your news is archived and available to the online community.

2. Targeting the Media

A really successful PR campaign will include directly contacting media sources. If you can, hire a PR firm. If not, check out Kristina Hill’s blog, Tips for Avoiding the PR Spam Zone. Cultivating a good working relationship with print and broadcast journalists – as well as any online journalists who work for relevant industry sites – is the best way to get your press release seen, and, mainly, your story told.

Good old fashioned etiquette and research go a long way in this business. Hill’s recommendations include:

1. Identifying the correct local or regional media contacts and paying close attention to their style of reporting
2. Finding out their preferred methods for pitching a story – maybe they only want emails, or maybe they want to be pitched on the phone, afternoons only.
3. After identifying local and regional media contacts, broaden your range to include national, international, blog, and online contacts.
4. Reviewing, updating, and double-checking your lists regularly – the easiest way to the trash bin is to send your press release to the wrong person or a deleted email address.

For more best-practice media relations tips, check out the Media Relations blog with suggestions straight from the horse’s mouth: journalists themselves.

Principles that have traditionally been used for search engine optimization are now being applied to a new wave of internet marketing techniques – social media optimization, or SMO. That’s using things like Myspace, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

But aren’t networks like Myspace only for the Generation Nexters? The typical Myspace encompasses a broad demographic, since Myspace is still currently the big kahuna of social networks. Should businesses use this Myspace thing after all, or just forget it?

The answer is definitely yes, especially if you already have a social media marketing campaign underway and you have a little time to dedicate to updating your profiles. Companies who feel that they don’t have enough time for Myspace, or that there isn’t a need for a business profile on Myspace should consider the following:

1. Word of Mouth

Any business revolves around one thing: relations. Today, most companies operate using traditional modes of communication, mainly telephones and email. And Myspace can be used as just another mode of communication to link with current, past, and potential customers. With Myspace, you build your community by adding friends. And then their friends can link to your profile as well. Features like bulletins are used in the same way as email – only it blankets your entire “friend” base at once. For instance, you can post a bulletin about a current promotion and have it appear on your entire community’s homepage as soon as they log in. By providing content that is entertaining and useful, you can start connecting and building relationships with clients using new, internet-based communication tools.

2. Search Engine Optimization

Search engines pick up Myspace pages – what better way to multiply your internet presence by having an page, in addition to your website, where users can go and check out your business.

3. Pictures and Video

Engage your target audience by uploading pictures of yourself, your offices, your products, your logo, and even printable coupons or whatever you feel is relevant – it will give your audience a better understanding of who you are and what you can offer. There’s also an option for you to upload video to your page. Myspace videos can become viral, meaning that if one user likes it, they recommend it to their friends, and then their friends’ friends, and so on.

4. Company Overview

Your Myspace profile is an extension of your business. You can customize your profile to match your company’s colors, and give users a detailed overview of your company and your product offerings. Having your business on Myspace allows you to market your brand to over 100 million current users.
Ultimately, the decision is yours: Only you know your business’ specific needs and your specific client demographic. Myspace may or may not be the right fit. For more reading about Social Media Optimization and to determine if Myspace is right for your business, check out Associate Content’s article, Using Myspace to Promote a Company’s Visibility.

Copyblogger’s “Four Ways to Target Online Buyers with the Right Words” has a great analysis/advice section for marketing to eco-friendly, socially conscious, tree-hugging types (among other types of consumers). Green is the new black, and it seems a lot of businesses are trying to revamp their marketing efforts to promote a more “green” brand.

But some of these companies are just using this newest wave in the green revolution as a cheap advertising and PR marketing opportunity. Greenwashing – deliberately misleading customers about the environmental practices or ingredients in a product – has become so prevalent that the Federal Trade Commission is getting involved (some good examples of greenwashing can be found at NPR’s Greenwashing blog). Years ago, the FTC laid out clear rules for using words like “biodegradable,” “ozone safe,” and “ozone friendly” on product labels.

A lot has changed since then, and the FTC’s new green guidelines for advertising are eagerly anticipated and long overdue. Look out for the new FTC guidelines in the coming year if you plan to market in the green industry.

A confession: I’m a wannabe treehugger. It’s so easy to get caught up in the do-good rush of a label that is Cruelty Free! Sustainable! Free range! Naturally derived! Renewable! But in actuality, these words have no real definitions, and their use is not currently regulated by the FTC (however, if you see the “USDA Organic” seal on a product, you know it’s been certified as the real deal).

So as the American consumer becomes more jaded in this greenwashed society – especially when corporations like Shell, BP, and GE are regularly accused of greenwashing their marketing campaigns – here are some tips about giving treehuggers what they want to hear (and generally just good marketing advice):

1. Be Specific

Forget generic claims like “All-natural” – it’s an obvious greenwashing term that means nothing. But, if you can be very, very detailed about your product, your company may gain some points in the green revolution. Consider the difference between labeling your product as “All-natural” versus “Our products are grown at our farms in Greensburg, Kansas. We don’t use pesticides or toxic chemicals of any kind, and we harvest everything ourselves so that we can deliver our best product straight to you.” The latter is obviously more detailed, and seemingly more reliable than the nebulous, broad-reaching, unsubstantiated claim.

2. Be Relevant

Don’t include irrelevant “eco-friendly” features about your products – unless your product is new or the feature is new. For example, claiming that your paper towels are “100% Biodegradable” is irrelevant – all paper towels are biodegradable. And a certain major beverage company, in an advertisement for their new “eco” water bottle, claims that the bottle is “100% Recyclable” – which is great, but the bottle has always been recyclable, and all plastic bottles are recyclable anyway.

Don’t drive people away with silly or misleading information; instead, include information like this only if your product is new or improved.

3. Be Transparent

In other words, don’t try to hide anything. If you want to gain reputability in the green community, always refer consumers to your website on your product label – true eco-conscious consumers will check! Make sure everything, such as all ingredients used, your refinement and manufacturing processes, company affiliates and associations, philosophy, and pictures, are clearly spelled out on your website. It’s not always easy to make a name for yourself in the green community, but after establishing your credibility and earning consumer’s respect, you’ll have a long and prosperous relationship with your devoted followers.

Recession, or no recession? I’m no economist, but even the experts can’t decide if we’re in one, beginning one, ending one, or if the economy’s just a little slow.

The R-word strikes fear and anxiety in the heart of everyone – doesn’t matter if you’re CEO of a major corporation or self-employed entrepreneur. In a blog post titled “How to Market in a Recession,” John Quelch, marketing expert and Harvard Business School professor, writes about different marketing techniques to use during a recession.

But this is a hot topic, and it seems that a lot of bloggers have joined the marketing-recession dialogue. After surveying some various internet resources, here are my four top online marketing tips. Best of all, they’re free.

1. Focus on Content

This comes from Ian Lurie’s Conversation Marketing blog. So if you want to maximize your customer base, go over your content. Look at your website, pay per click ads, and even your marketing materials that aren’t web-based. Ian Lurie says that each page should be a “perfect sales letter.” Now, all writers know that perfection in prose rarely happens. So don’t be afraid: edit, re-write, change up your wording, pay closer attention to branding on your site – constant improvement and constant updates will get your higher up in search engine rankings and better conversion rates.

2. Use Time, Not Money

The genius thing about web 2.0 and social media marketing is that they’re free for anyone to use. But they do consume a lot of time. If you’re a small business owner with more time than money, start looking at how you can tackle these two beasts.

The easiest way to do this is to start blogging. Blog about your business, industry news, whatever (see our previous post about blogging). From there, you can move on to the more serious social marketing sites, like marketing via Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter profiles, or getting your blog readers to Digg/Reddit/Stumble your blog articles.

3. Know your customers — Track Results

Know who your customers are – and where they’re coming from. How is your cold-calling campaign holding up to your pay per click campaign? If you haven’t already, you need to research, quantify, and get some real numbers about which marketing techniques are working, and which aren’t. Then you can focus your time and marketing dollars accordingly.

Also, get to know your customers – or your potential customers. Who are they and what is important to them? Are they cash rich or cash poor? Is their business or industry recession proof, or are they at the mercy of the markets too? Understanding your clients’ situation can help you predict their needs and market accordingly.

4. Adjust Prices

In a recession, promotions like sweepstakes, mail-in-offers, and the like, don’t get as much attention as price breaks, according to John Quelch’s blog. So adjust your prices, offer more credit, give temporary price breaks to existing customers. A small cutback on prices now can help convert customers and create lifelong devotees, ultimately bringing in more money than the price cut lost.

Our economy is changing – we buy things now from people we never have met (and never will meet). Websites like eBay and Amazon use a customer rating system to add credibility to sellers, but independent websites don’t offer the same peace of mind to visitors. So, how can you inject some credibility into your website to help differentiate you from the phoneys? A few tried-and-true methods can help put your future clients at ease:

• A “Testimonials” page with quotes from past clients. If you don’t have any testimonials, start asking for them now.
• Case studies, including any real statistics or real results (i.e. don’t round “103 clients” to “over 100 clients” or “47%” to “about 50%).
• Lists of previous clients and projects.
• Facts about your reputation and stability (including the number of years in business, number of employees, and the size of your operations).
• Photos of real company employees (no stock photography, please!).