“What does Alpine Communications do?” I’m often asked at networking meetings.
When I say “PR,” I often get a glazed look. If there were a thought bubble, what probably would appear is an ad for their company. My thought bubble would be here’s my chance to explain what I do.
The main thing PR does is:
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Develop creative ideas to help you get known
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Build credibility for your business
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Establish you as an expert in your field
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Enhance and protect your reputation
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And, what you really want: Help get you more customers by doing all of the above.
It also helps you head off a crisis, manage the crisis and create something positive when you’re faced with a negative situation.
It used to be that we would do this using print, TV and radio outlets only. But today, there are many ways to capture an audience’s attention. While mainstream media are still important, I recently read an article on a tech research site about all the competition that journalism now faces from blog networks, crowd-powered sites and media sites created by companies themselves. This just in: Stubhub is creating an editorial operation!
Today it’s getting harder and harder to capture the consumer’s attention. And you have to think about what type of product you have and how best to communicate its value. A company that serves a particular vertical market would be better off in an industry trade pub (online or print) than in its local newspaper, for instance. Digital advertising is becoming more and more popular for lead generation such that one colleague mentioned that her client thinks print is dead.
Whichever way you go, do something. While inbound marketing can help drive outbound leads, you also have to attend trade shows, networking events and industry meetings (yes, you have to talk to people). You need to consider webinars, speaking opportunities and awards. Dabble in Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn ads. Educate not only your customer, but your employees (your best ambassadors). Write press releases, bylined articles and case studies, and ask your PR firm how you can leverage them.
Preferably, hire a PR consultant to help you pull all this together in an organized plan. You don’t have to do it all at once. One company we work with uses two-week “sprints” to get things done, while others work on a quarterly basis.
A PR consultant can help you break it down the way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.
Have you thought about what PR is and what it can do for your business? We can help, so drop us a line at wendy@alpinepr.com or call us at 404-641-6170.
Wendy Alpine
wendy@alpinepr.com
www.alpinepr.com
Phone: 404-641-6170