Posts Tagged ‘PR’

Benefits of running competitions

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

We’ve all been to events where there was a prize draw for a bottle of champagne with all the proceeds going to a local charity. Or taken part in a survey which promised a cool prize for one of the entries drawn out of a hat. Well, these are examples of competitions being run to support a good cause or to collect information which could be later used for marketing or PR purposes. The strategy of running competitions can be used for a diverse range of purposes: from straight forward money generation to collecting important information for your user
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Importance of research in PR

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

The way in which you communicate is integral to successful PR and to do this you need to have a strong strategy in place. To put all of this into practice though, you need to have carried out a sound research. Research is a very broad term and can be broken down into categories such as industry research, market research, looking at what your competitors are doing (and how) and news tracking. Research should be a constant process too, because you need to be able to react very quickly to what’s going on in your industry. Here are a
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6 creative ways to use social media to engage with customers

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

Social media is an incredibly powerful way of engaging with your customers. Here are 6 creative ways you can use various social media platforms to do this: 1. Facebook and Twitter cover images When people land on your Facebook page, the first thing they will see is your cover image, so make sure it tells people exactly what you do and what your message is. Take time to ensure it is visually attractive and engaging. The recently updated version of Twitter also means you can include a header image on your page and promote your top tweet, so this
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The fundamentals of a great business website

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

Regardless of whether you have an ecommerce site that represents 100% of your revenue or if you have a modest website to raise awareness of your offline business, there are certain fundamentals that one must adhere to have a great business website. Your website represents your brand just as much as the quality of your products or the professionalism of your customer service and sales personnel. For this reason, it is absolutely crucial you get it right, or you could be turning away potential customers and damaging your brand without even knowing it! Here are the core fundamentals of
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Top 10 PR Tips

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

1. Know Your Messages Identify three short, pertinent ‘messages’ about your brand that will inform your public relations and marketing. Everything you then do should be in line with those messages. This will ensure you are both consistent and true to your brand. 2. Live Up to Brand Values Be clear and transparent about your product and make sure that your business practices – not just your marketing – lives and breathes your brand values. 3. Distinguish Yourself ‘Be Yourself – everyone else is already taken’. This Oscar Wilde quote rings true for you and your business. Be unusual –
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PR on a shoestring

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

Having a significant budget for PR can open a lot of doors for your company – most crucially it allows you to delegate your PR goals to a reputable agency that understands the ins and outs of the business, ensuring that your message is powerfully communicated to your target audience. However, for start-ups, SMEs or struggling businesses that have a small budget (or none!) there are still numerous ways to achieve great results with limited resources. Here are some top tips for getting your company known, improving your company’s image and communicating your desired message to your target audience,
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Ways to build your reputation as an expert

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

When trying to do anything online – whether it’s building a brand, promoting a product or service or simply trying to gain a following – people interact with people they like and trust. Therefore establishing your authority as a leader or significant contributor is crucial to building a community to interact with, and the key to getting noticed is to be seen as an expert in your field and niche. Here are some tips to help you along the way: Make sure you’re always putting out original content To be seen as an expert in your field, it is
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Are you LinkedIn?

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

LinkedIn describes itself as “the world’s largest professional network with 250 million members in over 200 countries and territories around the globe.” Membership is still growing, with two new sign-ups every second, and some of these members are people you would like to do business with! But if you haven’t yet explored the opportunities offered by being LinkedIn, here are a few reasons why you may want to take a good look: Creating a professional presence Increasingly, LinkedIn is becoming the go-to option for anyone looking to create a professional presence online, from high-flying CEOs to business owners who are
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Using video in PR campaigns

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

We’ve seen the presence of online video significantly increase over the past few years and it’s largely the popularity of social networks that has made it such an important form of media. Integrating video into your PR campaign can be a fantastic way to bring your brand or story to life, add impact and create social engagement. A famous example is the Dollar Shave Club video, which made serious waves back in 2012 and subsequently, went viral. The Dollar Shave Club sell razors to their customers via a subscription based service. The funny video was low budget yet incredibly
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In-house or external PR teams?

By Althea Taylor-Salmon, posted 2nd January 2015

Many businesses and organisations often come to a juncture in their operations at which they have to decide whether to use in-house resources or external agencies for their PR campaigns. Often it’s not an either/or choice, but a matter of what is most appropriate for the company at the time of decision. There are advantages as well as disadvantages to whichever team you choose to engage for your campaign. Expertise An in house-team may be very familiar with the target audience and therefore they may know the right “language” to use, exactly where to pitch a campaign as well
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