[Time to Read: 4.8 mins]
It’s 2015, a time for New Year’s resolutions, a fresh start and wiping the slate clean. There are many ways to promote your business in the new year, but here are a few to consider:
Industry Targeting
Industry targeting is a great way to reach your target customer. Last year, we did that for our cloud-based softzware client that changed its sales model from relying on dealers to selling direct to the end user.
They’re using a marketing automation tool to distribute email campaigns with gated and non-gated content and sales offers. Marketing automation, also know as lead generation, has become a standard marketing method for companies selling direct to their customers. Lead generation campaigns can be a great sales tool, but like a hungry lion, they need to be fed, and their preferred meal of choice is content. And that’s where PR comes in.
We developed a yearlong content campaign that targeted specific industries (healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and retail), generating customer profiles, bylined articles, blogs, and ebriefs. This combination of branded and non-branded content served as the fuel for these marketing campaigns. Some of the content was repurposed for media relations in healthcare and other industry publications.
The result: more brand awareness and recognition. Also, a 17-20% email open rate, which is considered successful by industry standards.
Trade Show PR
Trade shows can be a good venue for clients because of the media that attend, which today seems to be mostly bloggers. Speaking opportunities, sponsoring a breakfast or breakout session or holding an event off premise are all ways to gain attention. Furthermore, giving out personalized items such as pens or wristbands can be a great way of building your brand. People will constantly see your company name or logo, whether that’s whilst they’re writing or on their wristband. Getting your brand out there can be done in so many ways, you just need to find the correct method for you. If you’re interested in distributing personalized rubber bands at a trade show though, you could look for wristbands online.
We started working with a technology startup that has a compelling app to help expectant moms better monitor their pregnancies. Their story is interesting because it’s part of the healthcare trend of getting patients more involved in their care through digital tools.
This company is young and energetic. Their CEO is very active, meeting with prospects, speaking at conferences and getting awards.
We provided PR consultation, developed press releases and promoted the company at an important mobile healthcare trade show. We set up interviews with bloggers and influencers that resulted in media placements that can be used to build momentum as they bring on more customers. While trade shows may not be an effective PR tool for some companies, in this case, with a new product to talk about, it worked well.
Blogs
Everyone knows by now that companies need to blog. Social media has opened a world of potential prospects, and one of the best ways to communicate is through blogs. They can be used to share tips, opinion on industry trends and establish expertise.
Controversial topics get the most attention, but companies need to consider whether speaking controversially benefits or harms their brand.
We’ve helped one of our HR consultancy clients increase their output so that they’re blogging regularly and publishing content about their expertise. This helps establish them as thought leaders so their content will be shared by industry influencers, which, in turn, helps them stand out from their competition.
Some wonder whether blogging is worth the time. But today that’s not a thought worth deliberating. Your blog serves as your megaphone to tell the world about your expertise, what you think is important and what your company is doing.
Social PR can help leverage the blogs by extending the message through your social media channels so your target customer will see more of you rather than your competition. A lot of new businesses take to Instagram to try and promote their new brand. Instagram, as well as other social media platforms, can benefit a company massively. Not only can you open your company up to more of the world, you can also engage with potential customers by accessing your instagram dms online from your computer. This means that you can develop a good reputation amongst your followers in your own time, increasing the chances of them purchasing your products.
These three tools can help build your brand and enhance your reputation. In this 24/7 world, using PR is more important than ever, so make sure you include it in your budget this year. Can you afford not to?
Wendy Alpine
wendy@alpinepr.com
www.alpinepr.com
Phone: 404-641-6170
Fax: 404-806-5316