Public Relations Archives | Modern Marketing Partners https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/category/public-relations/ B2B Digital Marketing Agency Wed, 30 Aug 2023 12:04:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cropped-MMP_Favicon512x512-32x32.png Public Relations Archives | Modern Marketing Partners https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/category/public-relations/ 32 32 5 Tips For Finding A PR Agency https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2021/03/23/5-tips-for-finding-a-pr-agency/ https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2021/03/23/5-tips-for-finding-a-pr-agency/#respond Tue, 23 Mar 2021 12:00:35 +0000 https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/?p=5916 When asked, people are usually more readily able to define social media marketing than public relations (PR). So, could we say social media is gearing up to overtake and replace traditional media?   The answer to that is no. Even though the two share some functions, they retain some specific functions that can’t be served by […]

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5 Tips For Finding A PR Agency

When asked, people are usually more readily able to define social media marketing than public relations (PR). So, could we say social media is gearing up to overtake and replace traditional media?  

The answer to that is no. Even though the two share some functions, they retain some specific functions that can’t be served by the other. If traditional media is still relevant, your business needs to be concerned about how it’s improving brand awareness through it. Building your brand through social media alone is limited in its effectiveness. It needs to be supported by PR efforts.  

But, what’s the difference? Social media marketing and marketing in general usually employ paid media, while public relations are done through earned or free media. Marketing is for driving sales, while PR is to improve brand awareness and nurture relationships with the target audience and the public.  

Understanding The Nature Of News 

It’s essential, before you even start deciding which PR company to hire, for you to understand what goes into making news as this will comprise a big portion of your PR tactics.

There are only two ways to make news. You either create a story or follow one.  

Understanding this fundamental will help you achieve your PR goals more effectively because then you can look at news from the perspective of the immediate receiver like journalists, influencers, speakers, bloggers, and others. These people are looking for good content, and your story should be able to provide that. It’s what they get for providing you with the platform.  

What’s new within your company? That is what will need to be at the centre of your PR efforts. Is it a new app, new product, or did you win an award: something newsworthy! That is how you create a story. You’re aiming not to sound the same way adverts sound because people are more sceptical towards ads than they are towards third-party pieces.  

Alternatively, you can follow stories. You do this when you notice certain stories in the news then respond to them. Journalists often need an expert to comment on certain key topics and news.  

There are many other ways to create and follow a story. These are just examples to help you form a picture of what story-making is about.  

How Do You Find A PR Agency

If you’re in London, you might be overwhelmed by how many PR agencies there are around you. But, you need not worry. You can narrow down to the exact one that’s good for you. If you’re going through branding agencies in London trying to decide which one to hire, here are a few tips to help you make the big decision:  

1) Does The Agency Get You?  

This doesn’t mean agencies must know your industry inside out. Their approach and skill should just match your industry. 

There are problems you want to be solved by a PR company, but does it seem like this will be the right PR company to trust with the job? Don’t just buy into the talk; watch the results they had produced. Results speak much more honestly than anything else can.  

2) Decide Which Agency Size Is Right For You 

Just because you have a big budget shouldn’t mean the right agency for you is a big one. Yes, agencies will charge you plenty, but that isn’t a promise to deliver. You must do your own research to see which firm will best suit your specific needs.  

Some big agencies will lure you in by sending their most senior people to pitch, but then switch to the junior staff for the real job. This will give you problems for more than one reason. You’re not just dealing with a “junior”, less experienced team but also one that likely wasn’t available on the pitch day when important details about what you want were discussed in-depth.  

Unless you’re a company with PR needs in many countries, it might be best to hire a small to medium-sized agency. That way, you get to work even with the most senior and experienced team members. You’ll see the benefits in the expediency and sharpness of the results.  

3) Decide On Your Budget

Is your budget aligned with what the company you’re looking to hire is expecting? This is an important area. Some companies might even consider it a make-or-break when looking to hire or be hired for a job.  

If your budget falls too far below what your agency expects, then you might as well begin expecting a subpar job as it might move its best talent to a different and more rewarding project. Pay for the quality you want, but above all, be transparent and clear with your prospective PR team, and make sure you’re on the same page before you proceed.  

4) Check For Capability Alignment  

Digital marketing, social media, content creation, and PR used to be distinctly separate worlds, but not anymore. The walls between them are now either very thin or non-existent!  

When hiring a PR team, you should not be just looking at what it’s saying. Go ahead and check the composition of the team. What are the specialties and qualifications of each member? Can the team adapt to difficult times? Does it look like it’ll give your organisation what you’re looking for?  

5) Talk About Result-Expectations As Early As Possible 

Yes, it’s fine for you to ask for the specific number of interviews or media placements the company expects to bring you per month. In ideal situations, you should get a satisfactory answer for this one. Above the generic, “Well, we’re not into sales. We’re more into awareness,” which is usually used as a way to not commit to a number.  

It’s best to insist on getting a minimum number to work with to help you have a clearer picture of what you’re signing up for.  

Conclusion 

Hiring a PR agency is still vital and necessary to augment what you’re achieving through your digital marketing. Finding the right PR agency for your company is not a small undertaking.  

For the best results, you’re going to have to look at several things such as your chemistry with the agency, its size, your budget, and its ability to bring you measurable results or not. This list, though not exhaustive, gives you a good place to start as you look to bring this very important extension of your team on board!

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Marketing and Public Relations in Challenging Times https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2020/11/11/marketing-and-public-relations-in-challenging-times/ https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2020/11/11/marketing-and-public-relations-in-challenging-times/#respond Wed, 11 Nov 2020 08:10:12 +0000 https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/?p=5820 The pandemic has made marketing and public relations (PR) difficult. Many  companies have had to change the way they communicate to their audience. See how to market and do PR during uncertain times below. As reported by Forbes on October 27th, 2020 by Simon Corbett. Marketing And PR In Uncertain Times Our current pandemic reality […]

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The pandemic has made marketing and public relations (PR) difficult. Many  companies have had to change the way they communicate to their audience. See how to market and do PR during uncertain times below.

As reported by Forbes on October 27th, 2020 by Simon Corbett.

Marketing And PR In Uncertain Times

Our current pandemic reality does not share too many obvious similarities with the book Love in the Time of Cholera, but you could say that marketing and love are at least partly connected.

After all, they both use communication to build a relationship. Granted, one is more intimate than the other, but for relationships to survive during a pandemic-inspired lockdown, they do need some attention.

Do You Say It Best When You Say Nothing At All?

At the moment, many organizations will be thinking that their marketing during the pandemic should be either understated or virtually nonexistent. Companies and brands have a lot to think about currently — and so do their customers. On the other, without using appropriate marketing to bolster or encourage sales, how can companies expect to come out of the other side of this crisis intact?

Without a doubt, there is a careful balancing act to perform here. Covid-19 continues to impact the nation, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. The majority of us are stuck inside unable to see our loved ones or enjoy our usual summer social life. Is now really the time to heavily promote your summer fashions? A glib, ill-considered sales message now could be a long-term branding disaster.

And while it might seem easier to stay quiet, thinking that you can’t get the message wrong if you say nothing at all is misguided — even if your product or service might seem wildly inappropriate in a Covid-19 world.

You have to consider — and wholeheartedly believe — that product or service will be relevant again in the future. You also need to act in a way now that ensures you are in a good position and have maintained healthy relationships when that time comes. You need to try to keep your customers onside now, as well as fish responsibly for some new ones.

Lost For Words — Think Perception

So, what should organizations be saying in these tough economic times? First of all, consider how something might be perceived. I mentioned “summer fashions” earlier — here’s a real-life example of an organization focusing on perception.

One clothing company emailed its regular customers to apologize in advance that its summer catalog might be dropping in their mailboxes in the next few days. This meant a catalog full of pictures of models enjoying outdoor pursuits without a hint of social distancing.

The company not only pointed out that the pictures were taken last summer, but it also highlighted that with its stores closed, as well as those of the businesses it supplied to, its own warehouse had never been so full of garments. A thoughtful offer of free delivery and free returns showed a company thinking of the enforced changes to the buying habits of its customers.

It’s a great example of thinking ahead to how something could be perceived, explaining it in honest dialogue, and offering an incentive to shop. It was a message that conveyed understanding. It had, and encouraged, empathy — even as it sought to gently encourage sales.

In these times, businesses — even multi-million-dollar ones — need to be seen to have a caring nature. People are open to hearing about how a business has protected its staff. I want my favorite pub and restaurant to survive this and reopen. If they are offering a takeaway food service or similar in order to keep the business afloat, I want to know about it so I can support it.

Social Comes Into Its Own

Creating and promoting the right social channels can really help. At times like these, listening to your customers and actively encouraging dialogues is perhaps even more important than normal. What are your customers saying? By applying social listening, you can get the tone of your communications right.

Make sure your own posts and messaging highlight good aspects of your company’s culture. Express your own concerns and acknowledge the wider pandemic context. At the moment, with no sales event, conferences or face-to-face customer meetings, your biggest sales weapon is your advertising, marketing, PR and social media content. Make it warm, relevant and human.

Focus on creating sharable, friendly and advisory content that addresses consumers’ concerns. You are an expert in whatever your field is; let people know how the pandemic is affecting it, what you and they can do to adapt, and include any lockdown-relevant suggestions. Don’t ignore the pandemic, don’t carry on as usual and don’t be oblivious to your customers changing circumstances.

Listen to, research and take part in your community — it will be the only way to successfully maintain all those vital relationships. Marketing in the time of the pandemic actually has a lot in common with marketing at any time. It shouldn’t take place in a vacuum — it has to reflect the world around it and the challenges and circumstances of its intended audience. So, don’t lock down marketing in a time of crisis. Rather, free it to adapt to the times and help your business remain relevant.

Marketing and public relations in uncertain times can be difficult, but it is possible.

Additional Marketing and Public Relations Resources

Threat or Transformation? Positive learning in disruptive times (PR Week)

Top 10 Marketing Ideas for COVID-19 (MMP)

The Four Pillars to Marketing During Uncertain Times (Forbes)

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Incorporate New PR Metrics to Measure Meaningful ROI https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2018/04/06/incorporate-new-pr-metrics-to-measure-meaningful-roi/ https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2018/04/06/incorporate-new-pr-metrics-to-measure-meaningful-roi/#respond Fri, 06 Apr 2018 17:49:41 +0000 https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/?p=5058 Public Relations (PR) has often been treated as this stand alone category that marketers know has value, but have had trouble justifying when it comes time to report on its return on investment (ROI). No, PR isn’t a real easy concept to understand because it is often intangible. There’s no widget at the end of […]

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Public Relations (PR) has often been treated as this stand alone category that marketers know has value, but have had trouble justifying when it comes time to report on its return on investment (ROI).

No, PR isn’t a real easy concept to understand because it is often intangible. There’s no widget at the end of the day that you can hold up and say, “I made this.” The results are often more long-term in nature to track and don’t fit into a neatly laid out set of common reporting metrics.

So it might surprise you to learn that companies spend an estimated $11 billion on PR annually. While both small and large companies recognize its significance to varying degrees, both struggle to determine its effectiveness. Just under 80% of marketers believe they are successful at tracking the ROI of their content marketing and PR programs, according to a 2015 Content Marketing Institute Report.

Yes, PR is still very important and belongs as part of your marketing plan. And yes, you need to be able to track it in meaningful ways. Depending on the size and nature of your company you may be able to point to tweets you’ve sent or a story lead you provided or even a story that didn’t hit the news cycle because you worked a little crisis management PR.

That’s a great start. Now you need to continue moving forward by integrating your PR tactics and monitoring into your overall marketing ecosystem. That way you are identifying and providing a framework for your PR activities so their impact is understood in the larger marketing automation landscape.

This is a different approach then simply relying on media impressions and advertising equivalencies (AVEs) to track your work. And that’s a good thing to move on from this old way of measuring. The International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication announced in 2017 to completely ban the practice of using AVEs as a metric. They have worked closely with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) to stress that members no longer provide clients this metric or provide award organizers with this metric.

Guidelines PR practitioners would like to see adopted include using metrics such as increased sales conversions, shortened sales cycle, and increased margins to name a few. To get to that though, you need to have a strong command of all the data that is at your fingertips. This may require some additional learning on your behalf or outsourcing to understand where and what data to use to help achieve your PR goals.

Let’s take a look at three key public relations metrics that will help show the important impact of PR on your company’s bottom line.

More Qualified Leads – Set your sights on getting more qualified prospects – highly motivated people who may eventually make a purchase. You will need to track the trail your customers leave after purchasing, perhaps through special URLs. Then you’ll be able to determine where the type of prospects you want are coming from, such as a specific social media post or social media outlet. This will help you understand where the serious decisions makers are getting your content that is motivating them to take action.

Shortened Sales Cycle – This may be an especially important metric for companies that are in the B2B space, where a sales cycle could take from two days to two years. To set the metric, you need to determine with your sales team the average length a sale takes. Set the appropriate goal less than the current average time. Tracking results will be easier if you utilize your company’s CRM system to schedule PR tactics and then track the results through the system. Scheduled tactics can include creating valuable content and sharing it with prospects through email, social media campaigns, and your website.

Increased Revenue – You want your PR efforts to positively affect growth. If you can attain data that shows daily revenue figures you can track this metric a little more easily. For companies that have ecommerce, tie your PR campaigns to trackable landing pages so you know how many people make purchases. Then, utilize your company’s CRM system to track purchasers back to your PR content.

Additional Resources:

15 Best Social Media Tools

A Chiquita PR Campaign was Powerful Enough to Topple the Guatemalan Government

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A Chiquita PR Campaign was Powerful Enough to Topple the Guatemalan Government https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2017/06/01/chiquita-pr-campaign/ https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2017/06/01/chiquita-pr-campaign/#respond Thu, 01 Jun 2017 19:02:59 +0000 https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/?p=4772 Chiquita’s brand image comes across as fun and playful, but the company has some dark history. Chiquita’s original name was United Fruits before rebranding and was an extremely powerful business in South America; so powerful that it had great influence over the local government. When the government tried to regain control in the 1950s, UF […]

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Chiquita’s brand image comes across as fun and playful, but the company has some dark history. Chiquita’s original name was United Fruits before rebranding and was an extremely powerful business in South America; so powerful that it had great influence over the local government. When the government tried to regain control in the 1950s, UF launched a PR campaign in retaliation, portraying the Guatemalan government as communist. Meanwhile, UF was branded as the crusader against communism in South and Central America (PS: The Guatemalan government was not, in fact, communist). The campaign was successful and led to a CIA coup to overthrow Guatemala’s leaders.

So how did all of this unfold?

A Little Bit of Background…

United Fruits: South America’s Large Monopoly

To say United Fruits had some influence in South America during the 20th century would be an understatement. UF completely dominated much of the Western Hemisphere, with effects as far-reaching as changing the pattern of rain, moving rivers, and accelerating the cycles of harvest.

Through UF’s extreme means, it made bananas available on a fantastic scale. The fruit went from being virtually unknown in the 1870’s to being the world’s fourth major food, following rice, wheat, and milk. And for much of the 20th century, UF held 90% share of the banana market. This was all thanks to the founders’ lofty goals of controlling rail, shipping, and governments in Central America. The main company founder Minor Keith was so committed to influencing the government that he married the daughter of Costa Rica’s president.

The sheer magnitude of UF’s company size made it an important player in many Central American economies, which granted it its substantial influence over local governments, and made popular the term “banana republic.”

Edward Bernays: “The Father of Public Relations”

Bernays was famous for turning PR into a formal field of study. Another famous campaign of his was on behalf of Lucky Strike cigarettes, where he convinced members of the fashion industry to use the color green so that women would be more likely to buy the cigarettes (they were concerned the green package clashed with their wardrobe). When Bernays began working for UF, he helped create the famous Senorita Chiquita Banana character and persuaded the public that bananas cured celiac disease. But serious ethical issues were yet to come in Guatemala.

Conflict in Central America

New Government Leaders Rock the Boat

Guatemala was one of the most important countries to UF early on. For a long time, it was the most corrupt, and therefore, the most pliable. When left wing democratic president Jacobo Arbenz came into power in 1950, it was a problem for UF’s prior control over the country’s government and citizens. Arbenz wanted to crack down on the UF’s massive influence through land reforms. UF didn’t like this and chose to use PR to maintain power.

Bernays and UF React

Bernays launched a massive effort in the US to discredit Guatemala’s government by labeling them communist. He flew reporters of major newspapers and magazines to Guatemala. The hosts then carefully controlled the reporters’ experiences while within the country to portray Guatemala as a communist state. This led to massive publications, including The New York Times, publishing stories exposing Guatemala’s communism. In contrast, they portrayed UF/Chiquita as the great crusader against communism. The stories were fabricated and had one purpose: to weaken the Guatemalan government in order to strengthen UF.

PR Influences the CIA

Ultimately, Bernays’ PR efforts led to action by the US government itself. When the articles about Guatemala were printed, Bernays worked to distribute them to top US officials. He successfully swayed them. Exposed in 1997, the CIA armed and trained the Liberation Army under the command of an exiled Guatemalan army officer. The result was the overthrowing of Arbenz as president and a 40 year civil war. Some speculate that had it not been for the war, Central and South America may have seen their governments go in a different, more positive direction, rather than the great corruption that still exists in many of its countries.

PR and Questionable Ethics?

The Chiquita/UF story highlights two important lessons about public relations. First, it’s clearly a powerful tool that can have great influence on the public perception. In some circumstances, its power can go beyond just perception and can lead to something like government action. This is often on a much smaller scale than CIA coups – think lobbyists and influencing legislation. Knowing that PR can have this great an influence, however, means that PR persons need to be ethical. Bernays and UF’s PR campaign had a disastrous effect on the region. If a PR effort helps the company but harms the public, then these actions must be reconsidered. When participating in PR, always strive to do no harm, because a very ugly side of PR does exist.

Need PR services? With Modern Marketing Partners, you can leverage our extensive network of media contacts and our expertise in crafting compelling stories to generate media coverage and increase brand visibility. Our team will work closely with you to develop a tailored publicity strategy that aligns with your goals and target audience. Contact us today to learn more.

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Press Release Writing for Driving Reader Action https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2014/03/20/press-release-writing-for-driving-reader-action/ https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2014/03/20/press-release-writing-for-driving-reader-action/#respond Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:40:31 +0000 https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/blog/?p=2699 As a marketer, you understand the viability of small changes that can drive website growth and improve search authority.  But what happens when you take this mentality and move it to your press release?  How can you format a release based on what readers want to see and encourage readers to take action?  Enter the […]

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As a marketer, you understand the viability of small changes that can drive website growth and improve search authority.  But what happens when you take this mentality and move it to your press release?  How can you format a release based on what readers want to see and encourage readers to take action?  Enter the F-Shaped press release, your press release designed around user reading styles.

Obviously, you want to fuel more growth than just media coverage.  You want measureable results and social interaction just as you would want on your current content marketing strategy.   For instance, if you wanted to announce an app release, your goal would less of expanding your reach and more receiving downloads.  That’s why we want to share with you new information on press release logic and reader psychology as shared by Sarah Skerik of Business-2-Community in her article Getting Press Release Readers to Take Action.

The F-Shaped Reading Pattern

An important part of web design, the F-Shaped design is the process that readers consume content.  But will the same work for your press release?

Jakob Neilsen of the Neilsen Norman Group is the grandfather of online user experience (“UX”) research, and has devoted considerable time to researching how people read content online. His conclusion – people don’t actually read content online the same way they read long-form print. Instead of methodically reading each line, online readers scan content, using an F shaped pattern, spending more time at the top of the page, and then scanning the left side.

PR pros penning press releases can utilize this research to create more effective content. When formatting news releases and other content destined to be distributed online, writers should pay attention to the following tips, taken straight from Neilsen himself in the article titled, “F Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content:”

The F pattern’s implications for Web design are clear and show the importance of following the guidelines for writing for the Web instead of repurposing print content:

  • Users won’t read your text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner. Exhaustive reading is rare, especially when prospective customers are conducting their initial research to compile a shortlist of vendors. Yes, some people will read more, but most won’t.
  • The first two paragraphs must state the most important information. There’s some hope that users will actually read this material, though they’ll probably read more of the first paragraph than the second.
  • Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behavior. They’ll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.”

It’s no surprise that the inverted pyramid of news writing and search engine optimization best practices also offer similar advice in terms of placing key information at the top of the page and using bullets and bold text to highlight information for readers. Many press release writers, however, ignore this advice, instead loading lead paragraphs with long-winded boilerplate and hiding key messages deep within blocks of text.

Rethink Your Press Release

I think it’s time to put our messages under the microscope. We need to tune our press releases for our readers, not allowing competing egos or “the way we’ve always done it,” to add barriers to message effectiveness.

Contact Modern Marketing Partners, a Naperville based B2B Marketing Agency, for a free consultation and best practices on sending out your next press release.

Also, feel free to download to download The New Rules of PR, a Modern Marketing Partners original whitepaper.

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How Brands Can Use Cause Marketing For Results https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2013/05/27/how-brands-can-use-cause-marketing-for-results/ https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2013/05/27/how-brands-can-use-cause-marketing-for-results/#respond Mon, 27 May 2013 14:36:24 +0000 https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/blog/?p=1783 Once a philanthropic tactic practiced by billion dollar mega-brands, cause marketing has grown to be a key element in the marketing mix for companies and brands of all types and sizes. Research shows 75% of consumers believe companies should support charities and nonprofits with financial donations, while 61% say they will buy a new brand […]

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Once a philanthropic tactic practiced by billion dollar mega-brands, cause marketing has grown to be a key element in the marketing mix for companies and brands of all types and sizes. Research shows 75% of consumers believe companies should support charities and nonprofits with financial donations, while 61% say they will buy a new brand if it supports a cause they care about (Do Well Do Good).

Cause marketing allows companies the opportunity to succeed financially while simultaneously doing something good for the community. In our recently published whitepaper, How Brands Can Use Cause Marketing For Results, we shared the types of cause marketing, cause marketing tips, case studies, and an infographic. Below we will share 6 tips for effective cause marketing!

6 Tips For Effective Cause Marketing

1. Pick your nonprofit partner wisely

It’s crucial to partner with a nonprofit that understands the strategic nature behind your partnership. There needs to be the understanding that a successful cause marketing campaign should ensure the mutual benefit of both sides. Your company is more than simply a source of funding and the nonprofit is more than just a way to boost your image. If you both happen to share the same target audience, that will go a long way towards forming a meaningful collaboration.

2. Integrate the cause into your company culture

The cause you’re supporting should tie in seamlessly with your company’s overall mission and values. Consumers are not naïve enough to simply buy into your cause marketing campaign without asking how the cause relates to your product or service. Authenticity and a high level of commitment from the top down are key so talk to your team and find a cause that everyone can feel truly happy about supporting. If stakeholders see that you have fully integrated the values of that cause into your company culture, you have a much higher chance of increasing returns related to your company’s goals.

3. Give more than just money

As mentioned previously, your company can and should give more than just dollars. Think about what your company can offer in addition to financial support. Donating relevant products or services will strengthen the association between your brand and the cause. Another option is to offer a corporate volunteering program. These programs allow employees to volunteer while on the company’s time and have been shown to dramatically improve both employee
engagement and satisfaction.

4. Be transparent, demonstrate impact

So the consumer has purchased your product and a portion of the proceeds have gone to your nonprofit partner. Is your interaction with that consumer done? Definitely not. Savvy consumers want to know what you’ve done with their generous donation and whom you’ve impacted. Avoid jargon that sounds like feel-good nonsense and be as transparent as possible with your results (it’s great PR). Keeping a counter on your website to track funds raised is a good option but you can also get more creative by sharing stories about the campaign’s impact on the community.

5. Leverage free PR

Make sure you’re strategic communications focus more on the cause you’re supporting than your company. If you’ve created a strong connection between the two, this should be enough to generate some fantastic PR. Because you’re associated with a nonprofit, much of the PR you generate will be organic (free) and this buzz will add authenticity and credibility to your campaign. We suggest first making good use of this free publicity but there are also wire distribution sites that will send out your press releases for a fee. PRWeb is a popular general distribution site while others such as CSRwire and 3BLMedia focus exclusively on cause marketing news. Fees range depending on the services you select.

6. Harness the power of social media

Whether you’re just starting your cause marketing campaign or celebrating its success, let the public know about it! Social media is ideal for promoting cause marketing because it gives you the opportunity to connect with those passionate about what you’re doing. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are just a few fantastic platforms to reach your audience rather than wait for them to come to you. Create videos that highlight your team’s quality work. Find prominent bloggers who are already talking about this cause and would be excited to hear (and possibly write) about your campaign. Also, don’t forget to connect with the nonprofit as well as their staff and volunteers.

Want to learn more about cause marketing? Download the full cause marketing whitepaper for more details about the types of cause marketing, case studies, and a cause marketing infographic. Link here for more information on Cause Branding vs. Cause Marketing.

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New Rules of PR: A Guide to Modern Publicity https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2012/04/06/new-rules-of-pr-a-guide-to-modern-publicity/ https://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/2012/04/06/new-rules-of-pr-a-guide-to-modern-publicity/#respond Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:20:24 +0000 http://www.modernmarketinguniversity.com/?p=275 The popularity and use of free publicity, PR, public relations or media relations historically increases when the economy tanks. In the midst of this seemingly extended downturn, PR is certainly gaining priority in the business-to-business marketing mix. At the same time, PR is changing significantly. So how can you refine your PR to realize greater […]

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The popularity and use of free publicity, PR, public relations or media relations historically increases when the economy tanks. In the midst of this seemingly extended downturn, PR is certainly gaining priority in the business-to-business marketing mix. At the same time, PR is changing significantly. So how can you refine your PR to realize greater results?

This blog will examine how PR has changed, and how your PR program can change to leverage new PR opportunities. Next, we‘ll focus on the specifics of PR distribution options and develop overall new rules of PR.

PR Has Changed – Have you changed your PR?

So, how has PR changed? Not to overstate, but PR has changed more in the last few years than in the last 30 years combined. How? The changing roles of journalists and marketing practitioners, and the rapidly increasing use of social media in PR.

No doubt, the recession has taken a toll on journalists with layoffs, and those remaining have greater workloads, tightening budgets, and added responsibilities of writing for multiple mediums. According to the 2010 PRWeek /PR Newswire Media Survey, 59% of traditional (print) journalists are the author of a blog, and are also expected to contribute to online news, Twitter and other channels.

With greater workload, the research tools used by journalists might identify opportunities for marketing practitioners. Not surprisingly, Google and other search engines rank highest. 95% in 2010 per the PRWeek survey, followed by company websites (93%), Wikipedia (47%), newswires (36%), social networks (33%), and blogs (32%).

Social Media Emergence

While the hype of social media pervades marketing practitioners, the use of social media for publicity is growing rapidly, and becoming a major part of both journalists’ and practitioners’ PR activities.

According to the survey, in 2010 79% of journalists had a Facebook profile, 46% had a LinkedIn profile, and 58% had a Twitter profile. Only 11% had no profiles. Twitter realized the most dramatic increase from just 22% in 2009.

In addition, 43% of PR practitioners use social networks to pitch media, with 76% using Twitter and 49% using Facebook. One of the key reasons practitioners use social media – Search engine results! Often posts to social media channels rank higher than even company websites for key search terms. And as noted above, journalists use search engines 95% of the time for research.

A discussion of PR and social media would be incomplete without acknowledging the growing importance of blogs. Per above, 59% of traditional (print) journalists write blogs. In addition, 45% of journalists have quoted a blog in an article, and journalists use both general blogs (24%) and company blogs (23%) for research. On the practitioner side, 66% are targeting bloggers more than before. “The corporate, brand or subject matter blog can be the hub of an integrated PR program, using social media channels for distributing blogposts and other news,” suggests Neil Brown, Managing Partner of Modern Marketing Partners.

The New Rules of PR

So what are the implications of the changing PR landscape to practitioners or client-side marketers? Clearly PR strategies and tactics should embrace these changes, and leverage the opportunities.

“Now more than ever, practitioners should be deploying blogs, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube profiles, Wikipedia pages, and Bookmark/Share links on website pages. The blog and all profiles should be linked to the website, which should have RSS feeds. News announcements should be formatted to include links to these assets and other relevant information sources,” shares Neil Brown, Managing Partner of Modern Marketing Partners. “The integration of PR and social media delivers powerful results that make both tactics more critical to the marketing mix. Publicity is a key source of content for social media, and more than ever, content is king.

Implementing the New Rules of PR

The Construction Marketing Association (CMA) is a good example of effective PR and integrated social media execution. Heather Hawes, Program Manager for the association sums it up, “Just a couple of years ago, we would email a news announcement to trade editors. We still distribute to trade editors but we also post news on our websites and blogs with RSS feeds, use Twitter, Facebook, and social bookmarking tools to distribute the news and submit to free news distribution services. If the news item is big or strategic enough, we will submit to paid distribution services. Finally, we can measure placements with alerts and searches. Its faster, deeper and more measurable.”

PR Distribution Tips

As you might expect, there is no “silver bullet” or single solution that addresses all needs. Most marketing practitioners use a combination of approaches for getting news and PR releases in front of editors and influencers.

“Distribution services increase news reach and placements, particularly across the internet, and with blogs that would be hard to identify,” adds Neil Brown.

No question, there are more PR distribution service options than ever.

So which service should you use? Per above, depending on the importance of the news, you may opt for free distribution for minor releases, to the highest level of services for news that require the broadest distribution. Or specific features like financial disclosure compliance, which BusinessWire and PR Newswire both support.

The Modern Marketing Partners staff often uses a combination of free and paid, thus ensuring that multiple news sources will pick-up the news.

MMP ranks PRWeb highest by virtue of the combination of reasonable fees, broad distribution and high Google PageRank. Upon review, Businesswire and PR Newswire are the top-end services, and very similar. Although Businesswire pricing is more reasonable for smaller clients.

We have experienced excellent search results using 24-7pressrelease.com and Free-press-release.com. After this exercise, we are inclined to further evaluate PR.com. Following are some additional services we found but did not analyze. In the meantime, what services do you prefer and why?

What are your PR experiences? Do you have additional new rules of PR that your company implements? Please be sure to share your comments with us, and share, re-tweet and like this post with your colleagues.

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