The identities of the millions of brands in the global marketplace are as unique as the fingerprints of the billions of people in the world. No matter how similar two brands may be, each has a unique identity, or fingerprint, that makes it distinctive and one-of-a-kind. How do some brand managers strive to have their brands stand out in a crowded market and differentiate their product or service offerings from those of their competitors? While the answer to this involves a complex overview from creative messaging to budgeted output, it all comes down to strategic branding and branded content.

Branding, as defined by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), is the process of creating and disseminating a brand name. It can be applied to an entire corporate identity as well as to individual product and service names. The process involves producing and communicating creative information about a business’s identity, reputation and what sets it apart from the competition in its specific industry or sector.

Branded content strives to establish professional and emotional connections with consumers and target audiences. It consists of creating content that engages, educates and entertains the consumer, which encourages brand awareness, recognition and trust. Personifying your business and driving connections through story-driven content is essential when building a memorable and reputable brand. Doing so draws people to your company and helps them distinguish your business, products or services from the rest.

Many people may recognize a brand based upon its logo or colors, but it is the content that truly communicates the personality and values of a brand, along with the quality of a product or service. Brainstorming branded content ideas offers the opportunity to define your brand in more detail than just a logo or name. Whether you are creating a tagline or slogan, blog post, newsletter, video, podcast, case study, or other marketing tool, every piece of content you publish reflects your brand. Therefore, while some feel it is easier said than done, it is important to keep your content consistent across all of your branding materials.

Well-written, consistent content can promote brand recognition, leading targeted customers or clients – whether business-to-business or business-to-consumer – to associate the content with your brand and the specific products or services your business offers. Effective branded content can inform, improve or reinforce consumer perception of your brand and, more purposefully, what it stands for. Furthermore, content consistency can enhance and grow your business by promoting your unique brand identity and making your brand become more recognizable and favorable to your target audience.

Here are five tips to writing branded content that can help you better grasp how to generate sales leads for your business and brand success.

Tip #1: Develop and uphold brand standards.

Writing branded content starts with developing brand standards, which are a set of guidelines on how your brand should be represented and communicated to your target audience as well as the general public. Your brand standards and guidelines should serve as a resource, both internally and externally, offering information and instructions on how to properly use all brand assets. From logos and typography to mission statements and messaging, it is important to align all aspects of your brand, so it comes across in a uniform manner to your targets, and, ultimately, so your brand identity, values and products or services are reflected accurately.

Many ask, “Do I need a brand standards guide?” The answer is a resounding, yes. Once your brand standards have been developed, you can and should utilize and refer to them when writing branded content for your business. By implementing your new brand standards, you can ensure the content being written is on-brand and properly emulates your brand identity. Since your business is built upon its brand identity, upholding your brand standards will allow you to present a consistent and cohesive brand to the public.

Tip #2: Communicate your brand story and key messages.

Your brand story and key messages can shape how consumers perceive and interact with your business. Taking the time to craft a creative, authentic brand story and communicate your key messages can influence, encourage and enable consumers to form a personal connection with your brand. Delivering a strong brand story and story-driven content can reinforce your brand identity, values and persona without making your target audience feel as though you are trying to “sell” them on your products or services. Rather, you will be offering real value and insight into your business, which motivates consumers to engage and connect with your content, brand and personnel.

By repeating your story and key messages across all forms of branded content, you will instill your brand identity in the minds of consumers every time they see your logo, visit your website, read your blog, view your advertisements, read your news, and receive your email campaigns. As a result, they will remember your brand and positively associate your content with the products or services you provide, giving your business the competitive advantage it needs to stand out and succeed.

Tip #3: Avoid jargon and focus on clarity.

Clarity is key when it comes to writing effective branded content. Messages can be obscured by jargon, slang and buzzwords, causing the content to be confusing and difficult to read or understand. The goal is to create straightforward and readable pieces of content that are well-written and have the consumer or your ideal client in mind. Your branded content should be catered to your target audience, and you should use natural language to communicate true value through individual thoughts or ideas.

If you keep your messages clear and concise, consumers will gain a better understanding of what exactly you are communicating. Plus, the messages will come across as more powerful, effective and credible.

If your objective is to draw leads and prospects, the goal should include writing genuine content with unparalleled resources and insights from your company thought leaders. To achieve this, put your writing through a phased approach to evaluation and proofing. Given you have a meaningful and grammatical handle on the content, consider beginning with the quintessential outline that takes into account intended content that exudes value and interest, punctuated with well-researched words and phrases to grab the attention of your audience.

Writing engaging content customers can find online is part of the project. Then, it must draw them in within seconds and hold their attention long enough to appreciate what your brand has to say and offer. One without the other does not cut to the chase of results-oriented content.

Tip #4: Maintain a consistent brand voice.

As we touched on earlier in this blog post, brand consistency leads to brand recognition. Thus, maintaining a consistent brand voice and tone is crucial when writing branded content. It is essential to have an established, distinct voice because it makes your brand, products and services highly identifiable to your target audience and the public.

If you are still in the process of building your brand voice, asking yourself the following questions may help you establish it:

• How would you describe your brand in three words?
• How will you incorporate those traits into your brand messaging strategy?
• How will you communicate and deliver those messages to your target audience?

A consistent tone of voice creates a strong brand for your business and positions your company as a trustworthy resource in your field of expertise. If your voice is rooted in your unique brand identity, your content and messaging can grab attention, strengthen relationships and build affinity with your target audience over time. The more consistent your brand voice is, the more distinguishable and trusted your branded content will be in the eyes of consumers.

Tip #5: Optimize your content for SEO.

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your target audience discover your content. We recommend optimizing branded content by including keywords and phrases that are unique and relevant to your brand. Doing so will help people find information about your business, products or services when they search online. By infusing your branded content with SEO, you can maximize the visibility of your brand and broaden your audience and reach.

When optimizing branded content, think about what your brand offers and how your products or services can provide solutions to the problems or challenges consumers or your wish list of clients may face. Then, consider the possible, practical words and phrases your target audience might enter into the search engines to find products or services such as yours. Be innovative with your SEO-focused content, and research and include key words and phrases your targets may search online when they are looking for ideas or solutions like the ones your business provides. As you plan your content, you can and should consistently target words and phrases with high search rankings and applicability to your area of expertise. In time, the result will yield content that is easier for your audience to locate.

Incorporating SEO into your content can not only increase search traffic and brand awareness, it can also create a positive brand experience for your potential customers or clients and compel them to make a purchase.

At Eberly & Collard Public Relations, we design brand-building programs and campaigns that include comprehensive solutions, strategies and standards; are client-customized; and offer returns-on-investment. Our branding team produces creative concepts that serve as baselines for yielding tangible results via marketplaces in which our clients are attempting to progress their business objectives. Contact us to learn more about our strategic branding services.

If you are a business owner or leader, chances are you have heard of public relations and media relations. These two terms are often thought of as the same thing and may even be used interchangeably. However, while public relations and media relations overlap in certain ways, they possess different meanings and involve different processes and strategies.

For businesses looking to launch a public relations and/or media relations program, it is important to first understand the difference between the two and the ways in which each can benefit your brand or business.

What is Public Relations?

According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between businesses or organizations and their publics. At its core, it involves interfacing with a company’s key stakeholders and target audiences through various channels to shape the public perception of a business or brand. To do so, public relations specialists help businesses craft and share powerful brand stories and messages, conduct market research, identify industry trends, develop thought leadership, and plan and implement effective public relations campaigns.

In our professional experience, physical, in-person events are one of the most effective public relations strategies for businesses to increase visibility, share key messages, connect with target audiences, and attain new business. Plus, it provides the opportunity for you to place your company, products or professional services in the public eye and allow consumers to experience them in real-life, real-time environments. A public relations firm can help explore and secure opportunities for your brand or business to get involved in industry or consumer-based events. Whether it is a panel discussion, speaking engagement, book signing, sponsorship, business or product launch, private or public activity, etc., participating in events can promote your brand, product line or service offer, and, furthermore, position your company’s personnel as experts within your industry or field of practice.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, most in-person events have been cancelled or postponed until further notice. In the meantime, many businesses have transformed their physical events into digital experiences using online technologies. Virtual events, such as webinars, virtual trade shows, online conferences, and virtual product launches and tours, have become the norm for the time being.

In-person events will eventually return. But, until then, businesses should leverage virtual events and digital opportunities to stay involved, connected and engaged with existing and potential partners, investors, philanthropists, partisans, customers, and clients.

Public relations can involve any number of supplemental strategies and tactics to influence or persuade key contacts to evoke or evolve their ways of thinking, become loyal to a brand, support a cause, make purchasing decisions, or switch from one allegiance to another. How, when and with whom to go about executing public relations campaigns that generate positive results and minimize risks, is a matter of creative and clever planning. An appraisal of intended cause and effect with a seasoned public relations specialist is a wise and preliminary component at the onset.

There are several advantages of public relations. When performed properly, it can build and maintain a positive image and reputation for your brand, generate business leads and sales, and establish a strong online presence, allowing you to further interface and engage with your target audiences. You can learn more about why public relations is essential for businesses in our blog post written May 22nd.

What is Media Relations?

Media relations is an aspect of public relations. At Eberly & Collard Public Relations, we define media relations as a professional activity that generates mutually beneficial associations between public relations specialists or publicists and editors, reporters, journalists, industry or public bloggers and influencers, and other members of the media, with a strategic goal of reaching audiences through newsworthy messages and stories of public or industry interest.

According to the PRSA, the function includes seeking publicity for a business or organization and responding to requests and questions from journalists on behalf of the business or organization. Maintaining up-to-date media lists and a strong knowledge of media audience interests are necessities when it comes to media relations success.

When compared to public relations, which uses multiple channels to communicate key messages, media relations is different in that it only uses one, albeit wide, channel of communication, being the press. Companies use media relations in an effort to secure coverage of their brand’s story, and other business or organizational messages, in the news; this can achieve desirable distribution among and cognizance on the parts of targets. Public relations comprises developing key messages and communicating them to or with stakeholders, such as employees, customers, communities, shareholders, and others in order to build relationships and trust.

Media relations requires managing relationships with relevant and appropriate print, online and broadcast media outlets, and strategically communicating your company’s compelling and newsworthy messages, stories, case-studies, and prudent information. This, in turn, motivates media members to share your company news and content with their readers, listeners, viewers, and followers, providing your brand an opportunity to reach and gain exposure to a larger and often highly coveted audience.

Earned media (or publicity) is a media relations essential. It is achieved or secured editorial content regarding the news, activities, thought leadership, etc. of a business or organization that is published by editors, reporters, journalists, and other members of the media as well as industry or public bloggers and influencers. Simply put, earned media refers to the media coverage you earn through effective media relations and outreach. In a previous blog post, we defined and discussed earned media, and included 5 tips to earn media coverage for your business or brand.

Incorporating a results-oriented media relations strategy into your overall public relations plan can bring many benefits to your business. Doing so builds brand awareness and increases credibility and trust among your publics and target audiences. Enlightening members of the media about your business news focuses upon sound media relations, such that magazine editors, television network or program producers, journalists, and others are compelled to report or comminate it to their audiences. This is one of the most effectual means to gaining third-party endorsements and positive reviews for your business, products or services, which influences and increases the positive behavior and purchasing decisions of existing and potential customers or clients.

Whether you are just getting started with public relations and media relations or have been implementing them for years, understanding the difference between the two and the ways in which each can benefit your brand or business is essential in order to reach challenging business goals.

From business-to-business (B2B) to business-to-consumer (B2C) brands, the Eberly & Collard Public Relations team prides itself in developing, executing and managing strategic public relations and media relations programs that help our clients achieve measurable results toward their communication, sales and marketing objectives. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about our creative and comprehensive public relations and media relations services.

“Best hotels near me”… “Landscape and garden stores close by”… “Top architecture firms in my area”…

You likely are familiar with entering search terms, such as these examples, into Google to find and research local businesses, products or services. The same is true for your customers. According to HubSpot, 46% of all Google searches are seeking local information. To put that in perspective, almost half the time people utilize Google is spent searching for businesses nearby. So, how can you ensure your business appears in local search results?

Enter: Google My Business.

Google My Business (GMB) is a free business listing that can help consumers in your local area find your business on Google Search and Google Maps. It presents them with a summary of key information about your business, including a description, address, phone number, website, photos, reviews, and more. GMB has quickly become an SEO game changer as one of the most powerful tools you can use to strengthen your business’s local online presence and positively influence the purchasing decisions of new and existing customers.

By the way, even if you seek customers and prospects from other cities and states beyond your business’s close physical proximity, you still ought to utilize GMB to help clearly communicate your locale and contact information. GMB is a top means for posting and promoting your phone number, website address, positive reviews, key messaging, images, and more.

Optimizing your GMB listing brings several benefits to your business. When properly optimized, it can improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) and on Google Maps. With a stronger presence in the SERPs, you have the potential to reach new customers, drive traffic and sales, and increase the visibility of your brand or business.

Here are five steps you can take to optimize your GMB listing.

Step 1: Verify your business.

The first and foremost reason to verify your GMB listing is so you can fully manage your business information in Google Search and Maps. If you don’t verify your business, you won’t have the ability to manage, edit or protect your listing. Another reason why verifying your business is of utmost importance is because, according to Google, verified businesses are twice as likely to be considered reputable by users. When your GMB listing has been confirmed and authorized by Google, your business will appear more trustworthy and rank higher in the SERPs.

There are a few different ways to verify your business on Google, such as by phone or email. However, most businesses verify by mail. The “by mail” verification process involves requesting and receiving a postcard from Google. The postcard will have a verification code that you will need to enter and submit from your GMB account. After entering the verification code, you should review your information, make any final changes, and confirm all details are accurate and up-to-date. Once your business is verified, you can edit and complete your profile, add posts and photos, and respond to reviews.

Step 2: Complete your profile and keep it up-to-date.

Another essential element of a well-optimized GMB listing is a complete profile. You should complete every section in detail and include as much local information about your business as possible. It goes without saying that your business name and description should be completed immediately so searchers can quickly learn who you are and what you have to offer.

Did you know, according to HubSpot, 88% of consumers who search for local businesses on a mobile device either visit or call within 24 hours? Thus, adding your contact information, including street address, phone number, email address, website URL, and hours of operation, should be at the top of your profile checklist. You do not want to miss out on visits or calls from potential customers by simply failing to fill out the contact fields of your profile.

Additionally, you should select your business category and service area, as well as upload your logo and other high-resolution photos. This will allow searches to gain insight into the specific industry in which you work, where your business provides services, and your brand imagery. It is also recommended to enable messaging on your GMB listing. Doing so allows customers to communicate and interact with you, which can result in leads, appointment requests and queries about your products or services.

Completing your profile will improve your local search ranking and increase the number of actions that customers take on your listing. After you complete the priority sections of your profile, you can start thinking about the ongoing aspects, including promotional posts and customer reviews.

Step 3: Create a content posting schedule.

An often-overlooked feature of GMB is the ability to share content about your business via posts with photos and links. There are a few different types of posts you can publish. From business updates to special offers to event promotions, you have the option to choose which type of post will best deliver the message you are trying to convey.

One of the most efficient ways to stay on top of your GMB posting game is to create a content posting schedule. This includes plotting out the dates, determining the topics and writing the content in advance. High-resolution photos and linked call-to-action buttons, such as “learn more,” “sign up” or “order online” are highly recommended. These additions can make your posts stand out and drive customers to your website or other relevant sites you want to call attention to.

It is best to post at least once a week as GMB posts automatically expire after seven days. They will remain archived in your GMB dashboard, but they will no longer appear on your listing or be viewable by the public. So, you should make it a goal to post regularly, keeping live content on your listing whenever possible.

An optimized GMB listing will get your posts in front of relevant searchers, offering them the opportunity to learn more about your business, products or services.

Step 4: Collect and respond to reviews.

Once you have a stronger presence on Google and begin receiving reviews, you should always go the extra mile to respond to each one. Doing so shows your business is engaged and responsive to feedback, which, ultimately, helps build customer trust and loyalty.

You should also encourage your customers to leave product or service reviews on your GMB listing. You can request a review in person, on social media, via e-newsletters, etc. The key is to make the process as simple and accessible for your customers as possible.

• Pro Tip: The “Get more reviews” widget, which lives in the GMB dashboard, generates a link that you can share with your customers, making it quick and easy for them to review your business on Google. It takes them directly to your listing, a review form pops up, and all they have to do from there is fill it out and submit!

Research shows that positive reviews make 91% of consumers more likely to use a business, and the average consumer reads 10 reviews before feeling able to trust a local business. Consistent and quality reviews are invaluable. So, don’t be afraid to ask for and, more importantly, respond to customer reviews.

Step 5: Evaluate Google’s upgraded GMB profile promotion.

Google recently rolled out an “upgraded” GMB profile promotion, which adds the Google Guaranteed badge to your profile, for $50 per month. The badge adds an interest factor to business listings on which it appears. So, if you are looking for ways to stand out among your competitors, you may want to evaluate this promotion and keep your eyes peeled for any updates as they become available.

GMB is an essential tool for businesses that want to improve their local search ranking on Google. There are many benefits of an optimized GMB listing. It is one of the best ways to improve your local SEO, increase your online visibility, and provide new and existing customers with valuable information about your business. Contact us to learn more about how we help our clients with search engine optimization and digital marketing.

The press release continues to be a tried-and-true method of communicating to the media. In fact, more than 70% of journalists want to receive content from brands in the form of press releases and news announcements, according to Cision’s 2019 State of the Media Report. However, the press release is just a starting point for earned media success.

You may be wondering, “What is earned media?”

Earned media refers to the unpaid, organic publicity generated through word-of-mouth, press coverage, social media mentions, interviews, product reviews, and other various methods. One of the most effective ways to earn media coverage for your brand or business is to pitch a press release or story idea to the media. But, what many people fail to realize is that a well-crafted content or story pitch is just as, if not more, important as a well-written press release.

Most journalists receive hundreds of pitches and press releases each day, many of which will likely be ignored or cast away. So, how can you hook the media’s attention and stand out in the sea of pitches?

Here are five tips to cut through the clutter and increase your media pitching success.

1. Keep it clear, concise and compelling.

Journalists are inundated with large volumes of information daily, including more email pitches than they have time to read. Given the competition for attention in a journalist’s inbox, your pitch needs to be as clear, concise and compelling as possible. Two important factors that determine whether a journalist will read and respond to your pitch are: (1.) your subject line and (2.) the length of your email.

Create a strong subject line to compel a journalist or editor to open your email, and summarize the most important and interesting information in the first sentence of your pitch. If your lead-in piques their interest, they will likely read the remainder of your pitch. That is, as long as it is straightforward and succinct.

Your goal should be to provide the most information in the least amount of words. A general rule of thumb is to keep your email pitch under 200 words. A common pet peeve among journalists is a pitch that consists primarily of buzzwords, so make sure it is plainly written and free of jargon or fluff. If your pitch is too long and complex, journalists will quickly give up and move on to the next.

2. Make it visual.

Offering more than just a press release in your pitch can result in more earned media coverage. A great way to catch the eye of a journalist and illustrate the news you are pitching is to incorporate high-quality visuals, such as photos, videos, infographics, diagrams, etc.

These types of visuals can enhance your story by providing more information and context without overloading your pitch with text. If you can provide journalists with accompanying assets, they will view their job as halfway done and be that much more motivated to cover your story.

Go that additional step for your outgoing pitch by researching and gathering data to back or substantiate your story idea, news information or the quotable thought-leader you are pitching. Combine the data in the form of statistics, and showcase the numbers in a colorful pie chart, bar chart or possibly through a line graph, pictograph or histogram. Visual interpretations make otherwise dry data more appealing for the editors to whom you are sending the pitch concept.

3. Personalize your pitch.

According to Muck Rack’s Annual Journalist Survey, a lack of personalization is the No. 1 reason journalists reject pitches. Many factors play into why this is commonly the case. One factor being that journalists too often receive copied-and-pasted email pitches that have no relevancy to their beat or reader interest. So, the obvious question is, how to ensure your pitches are perfectly personalized and avoid rejection?

It is critical to research and study the sections of the publication or media outlet prior to sending your pitch email. Journalists will appreciate those who take the time to learn and gain a solid understanding of the beats they cover, their writing style, in what they have interest, and the types of sources they tend to seek. Once you have done your homework, you will then be able to tailor your messaging to each publication and journalist.

Every pitch should be uniquely written and individually sent to each journalist you are pitching, rather than sending a mass email to multiple recipients. While it may take some extra time to personalize your pitch to each specific journalist, the results will be worthwhile.

4. Engage on social media.

Relationships are key when it comes to pitching the media. It is best to make an introduction and foster a relationship before asking a journalist to publish your press release or story. Social media offers a fantastic opportunity to connect and build relationships with journalists prior to pitching.

When you see a journalist who is on your target list has written a new article and posted it on social media, show you follow and support their work by liking, commenting on and sharing it on your own social media channels. The more often (yet appropriately) you do so, the more likely they will take notice of your engagement. Then, when it comes time to pitch the journalist, there is a good chance they will recognize your name when it pops up in their inbox. Ideally, and in turn, they will read your email and consider sharing your content with their readers and followers. If the journalist or editor chooses to publish your news, make sure to show your appreciation by thanking them through social media direct messages, email or a handwritten card in the mail.

5. Think outside the box.

Last, how can you go above and beyond the press release to garner the media’s interest? Attempt to come up with creative, unique ways to help journalists visualize, engage and connect with the news or expert analyst you are pitching.

For instance, if you are announcing the launch of a new product, consider sending samples to the media so they can experience the product first-hand. Though, seek permission first to avoid a possible return or dead-end shipment. Another idea, offer an exclusive interview with a company thought-leader who can share insight regarding industry trends, topics or statistics. If you are announcing an event, you could invite a group of journalists to participate in a press tour or attend a media event or press conference that is part of the schedule.

In addition, if you are pitching a professional services firm, a creative idea would be to offer a case study to an editor or journalist about how a specific professional service generated market change or sector results for a business or its customers.

Whether it is a product sample or a unique perspective, offering something out of the ordinary will benefit the journalists whom you are pitching and encourage them to cover your story.

The truth is that pitching is a process. It takes time and tenacity to achieve earned media coverage. Working with a public relations agency can help make the pitching process not only easier, but also more successful.

At Eberly & Collard Public Relations, we specialize in media relations. Our team of experts helps brands and businesses craft compelling media pitches that result in earned media success. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about our strategic and results-oriented media relations services.

It might feel as if staying in a hotel or eating at a restaurant will never be the same again. At least for the immediate future, both activities for consumers will come with certain risk factors. Whether or not consumers will be willing to confront these risks, and to what extent, remains slightly unknown.

This does not mean all hope is lost; people will continue to find ways to enjoy their favorite restaurants and stay in their favorite hotels – it is simply human nature to do so. However, the ways in which people choose their patronage will be vastly different in the age of COVID-19.

With this new shift comes an entirely new way for hospitality groups to look at their marketing strategies and evaluate how their marketers are communicating brand information to the public. It has been said that 2020 will be a landmark year for marketing communications, especially when it comes to brands being able to successfully communicate an immediate, effective message to their target audiences. And, for hospitality groups, nothing is more urgent or immediate to be communicated through marketing than their patrons’ safety.

In times such as these, if you are a marketing manager or C-suite leader in the hospitality industry, you must ask yourself an important question: Are our brands effectively portrayed as “safe” establishments through our marketing? If not, how do we communicate our messages of safety and preparedness to our target audiences?

1.    Marketing for Hospitality: The Back of House becomes Front of House

Your Back of House staff will become one of your most important assets in this next era of hospitality.

When it comes to any consumer-facing media, especially owned digital media, such as your brands’ blogs and social media channels, consider shifting your messaging to highlight Back of House operations to keep potential patrons aware of the steps you are taking for their safety.

Your restaurant brands may import some of the highest quality ingredients, and the rooms at your hotel brands may feature bedding with very high thread counts; however, these aspects of hospitality simply aren’t top-of-mind for patrons at the moment. That is not to say they are not important, but we predict patrons of hotels in the near future will care less about the brand of sheets they are sleeping on, and more about who cleaned the room, and how they did so.

Take this time to show your potential patrons your goals and safety objectives align with theirs through creative owned media, such as social media and blogging, and earned media through key publications. In your press releases, or preferred method of delivering brand-messaging to the media, highlight the capabilities of your staff, and keep the language concise, technical and straight to the point. Let no message be too difficult to understand, and be as transparent as possible in explaining your objectives.

For owned media, write a blog profiling the now-immensely important role of your sanitation staff and the ways in which their best practices translate to guests’ safety and comfort. This, too, should be on the shorter, concise end as far as blogs go. You want to avoid are large, “wordy” messages filled with jargon and pre-existing slogans and promotional messaging that may seem tone-deaf.

The most important asset hospitality groups have at this particular point in time are attentive, well-trained sanitation teams; this is the new message that should be delivered to consumers through social media marketing for hotels and restaurants. Though promotional discounts any of your brands are offering, or new updates to your facilities are important, your messaging should directly target the possible anxieties of potential patrons and guests, and how your Back of House teams are working overtime to extinguish these anxieties.

This does not mean you should halt all communications with promotional messaging; these messages should absolutely continue, but not take precedent to timely, more relevant messaging.

2.    Transparent, Uniformed Messaging from the Top   

Leaders in the hospitality and related industries, who own or operate multiple brands, should not only invest in a strong communications plan aimed at making the efforts of Back of House staff known, but make sure these communications are uniform across all their brands, and repeated at the top.

To ensure your smaller brands are communicating with the same transparency as your larger brands, enlist the services of a fully integrated public relations agency to develop a top-to-bottom communications strategy to effectively distribute your messaging.

For hospitality groups, re-opening establishments across the United States, and especially in Europe, is going to vary depending on location. For example, the re-opening of a larger New York City brand is going to be vastly different than the re-opening and continued operations of a smaller brand in a place like Colorado. So, you may ask, how do we keep a single, uniform message of safety, when many of our brands are in different areas and adhering to different protocols?

The answer can be simple, and involves the most immediate form of communication for a brand or business: social media.

Leverage the influence of your C-suite leaders on your group’s social media channels, by using their Live functions when there are immediate announcements related to COVID-19. However, and as we’ve said before, keep the messaging concise, technical and straight to the point. After all, immediate, safety related messaging cannot always wait for the news cycle, and must be relayed immediately by executive leadership in some cases.

3.    Align your Digital Messaging with Consumers’ Priorities

So-called “behind the scenes” operations must be highlighted in outgoing digital marketing communications for hospitality groups. Hotel and restaurant patrons can be a risk-averse bunch, even before the ongoing pandemic. Prior to a staying at a hotel or dining at a restaurant, some sort of preliminary research is conducted, often using search results from Google or a similar search engine.

It’s no secret that what is found about your hotel or restaurant brands through online searches can be highly valuable. Hospitality groups, in the past, strived to rank highly on search engines like Google for keywords and phrases such as, “best hotel near me,” or “best restaurant in New York City.” Future patrons, now with realigned priorities when on the hunt for the right hotel or restaurant, will be dropping the word “best” in some cases, for “cleanest.”

So, if your restaurants offer expansive outdoor seating, which, by many standards, is considered a safer method of dining in this era, really focus your efforts on ranking well with SEO. In conducting target market analysis for restaurants, make sure to target potential patrons searching for the best outdoor dining options in your markets’ surrounding areas.

To relate this back to our point on owned media, write a blog about the steps you are taking internally (i.e., what your Back of House is doing), and use a strategic, targeted SEO strategy to draw people to your blog who are looking for their safest options. When doing this, make sure you are vetting and incorporating SEO terms into your owned media that rank well amongst other related search terms.

4.    Have a Well-Developed, Responsive Crisis Communications Plan

We’d be remiss in not mentioning the importance of having a fully developed crisis communications plan in your back pocket. Fluid situations such as these call for preparedness, and, if you are a hospitality group that attracts guests and diners to your brands from across the country, you must be ready with a communications strategy in the event of a patron or guest falling ill.

This message, too, should begin with a uniformed message from the top, followed by (again!) a short, to-the-point message regarding your brands’ commitment to patron safety, as reaffirmed by the efforts of your Back of House staff.

Crisis strategies often encompass all aspects of public relations in some way or another, and should be shared across all your social media accounts related to the brand(s) affected by the situation.

If you haven’t yet developed a crisis communications plan, or your crisis plan needs updated, here are a few pointers for making sure your crisis strategy remains on-point:

–       Communicate to your audiences using an omnichannel approach: Create a strategy that consists of scheduled, outgoing communications that are seamless in nature. This means that all external marketing communications, such as unpaid, organic social media posts, paid media, blogs, e-newsletters, etc., are uniform and omnipresent, rather than unique, parallel messages that may compete against each other.

–       Make sure the executive and C-suite leaders are well informed on the issue at hand: In keeping with the omnichannel marketing communications approach to handling a COVID-19 related crisis, it is vitally important that your deployed crisis communications plan is aligned from top to bottom.

–       Timing is everything: If a health-related crisis does arise in one or more of your hotels or restaurants, carefully monitor the news to ensure your messaging is being communicated in the right places and at the right moments.

Though the coming times ahead will be challenging, we are looking forward to a hospitality renaissance coming soon after the smoke clears, so to speak. These important communications strategies, though time consuming, are true value propositions. With uniform, transparent and timely communications / marketing plans in place, you can go on doing what leaders in the hospitality industry do best: ensure guests and patrons experience your brands in the best light possible.

At times, the most viable means to reach target audiences is a combination of paid promotion or advertising, strategic publicity and digital marketing, punctuated with engaging copywriting and graphic design. Though, most marketing managers and C-suite leaders agree promoting products, professional services or brands to mass groups of consumers – or to trade professional targets – through paid advertising and content marketing, can seem overwhelming.

We have heard more times than we can count that some marketing communication managers have a love-hate relationship with the advertising and media buying parts of their day-to-day scopes of responsibility. This is hopefully not due to disregard or disdain for the process. Rather, it is likely because of advertising’s various layers of forecasting and numerous rounds of creative and approvals, along with the sometimes-unpredictable pitfalls.

If you are like most marketers, you try to plan your advertising campaigns as succinctly as possible. When executed comprehensively, the process takes time and is many-sided. Only those who have managed media buying and planning inherently know that it is no small feat.

For some, advertising strategies involve tiers of planning that can run a wide gamut, which most often begins with strategic planning, messaging objectives and vetting opportunities. Whether in organized tandem or a get-it-done hustle, this leads to cost negotiations, budgeting overviews, and careful media buying with timely scheduling. Creative, copy and coordination come next, followed by tracking, reporting and the all-important results analytics.

For companies with both business-to-consumer and business-to-business marketing communications needs, the charge to create results-earning advertising campaigns, nearly always with a lesser-than-desired budget, can feel like crossing a chasm. However, advertising planning and media buying can be completely enjoyable and worth the effort when approached with a competitive and industrious mindset.

Understanding media planning and buying.

 Media planning and buying involves the art and science of researching, negotiating and scheduling advertising placements. The cause or trigger is known as paid media; the effect is, or always should be, brand awareness that translates to brand equity. Masterful and adept media planning satisfies goals to influence clearly identified audiences, targets, leads, and prospects. Ultimately, advertising-induced visibility for available products or offered professional services acts as a cornerstone of the marketing mix to achieve sales conversions.

Converting leads to sales is, at times, disproportionately thought to be the marketer’s role. Yet, while sales and marketing personnel should be dually tag-teamed for real-time sales growth; undoubtedly, a marketer who oversees media buying and planning has the capacity to conjure customer or client expansion, perhaps, like no one else in an organization.

Assuming you have a solid understanding of the types of advertising options that are possible and necessary for your business – and your messaging strategies and creative concepts are well underway – a key, initial planning factor is budget.

Achieving successful ad campaigns begins and ends with the budget your business or brand can assess and allocate. While cost-effective advertising is extremely possible to conceptualize and implement, a good grasp of what to expect with your marketplace’s ad options is essential. A realistic advertising budget is paramount to carve out a sound messaging and promotional victory.

Again, with the assumption your strategic plan for advertising is in place, move toward a systematic approach of evaluation to find and consider cost-effective media buying. To assemble a collection of cost-effective media buys that also offer potent reach and influence among your targets, you will want to research qualified media outlets and digital platforms.

This does not mean buying an ad in a print magazine or newspaper because you saw that one of your competitors advertises in it. Nor, should you jump on the first or second advertising opportunity that lands in your inbox, even if the offer says you will be missing out if you wait.

Efficacious, profitable advertising is an outcome of a nuts-and-bolts valuation, surrounding qualified and quantified audience reach at the most reasonable cost to do so. There are any number of strategies to accomplish this seemingly far-flung objective.

 Starting with a defined advertising budget begets cost-saving measures as you proceed. It is recommended to reach an upfront decision how aggressive your ad plan should be as a piece of your overall marketing communications campaigns.

 How to create an advertising budget.

The number one question we are asked about media buying and advertising budgets is, “How much should I spend on advertising for my business?” If nothing else, it is a loaded question. The answer lies in the business’s desire and need to market its products or services, and exactly what are the coming year’s revenue and profit goals.

A conservative ad budget includes a media buying budget of between 1-3 percent of your prior year’s, or forecasted year’s, revenue. By no means is this an ambitious budget, and it may verge on ambiguous. Though, at this budget level, you may keep your head at or just above water’s level in terms of customer retention.

Your company advertising budgets will be fundamental at this level, but you can unify them with synchronized public relations, consistent content marketing and basic Search Engine Optimization to have a perceptible brand voice amid the competition.

Take it up a couple of savvy-marketer notches and consider an ad budget based upon 4-5 percent of last year’s earned revenue, or next year’s anticipated revenue. If you are a seasoned media planner and buyer or your agency specializes in advertising, your percentage allocation should create advertising campaigns that will result in a fair level of customer retention and picking up new customers or clients.

At this tier, we have witnessed MarComm managers get a little too comfortable. Some perilously assume the 4-6 percent ad budget standard has them covered. To avoid this pitfall, ensure your advertising campaigns are one of several messaging formats. Support your paid media with press releases, blogs, social media, digital marketing, product demos, collateral, speaking and virtual events, networking, and the list goes on.

When working to build market share and brand voice, dig deeper into more vigorous forecasting. Budgeting for paid media at 7-10 percent has the likely power to launch your business to the next rung, possibly two or three, of your market’s or sector’s competitive ladder. This budget should focus upon prudently conceptualized and meticulously managed campaigns.

To safeguard your ad budget’s precious allocation and its subsequent triumph, media buying in this scenario must be complemented with visionary publicity and media relations programs, leading-edge digital marketing and advanced public relations. One without the other can leave too many metaphorical stones unturned in your tactical plan of action for the year.

Before crunching the numbers, there is more to consider when allocating a media buying budget. New thinking in marketing communications during the last few years proposes an even more proactive maneuver. The theory being put to work among select companies is the idea that media buying budgets should be based upon an equation of forecasted revenue and estimated profit, not anticipated revenue alone.

With a profit goal set forth for the following fiscal year, a dynamic option is to set an advertising budget by calculating a percentage of the predicted revenue and profit. This comprises many marketers’ formulas, which vary or fluctuate among industries, sectors and decision-makers.

One method we have found to be effective for determining a year’s media buying budget is 6-10 percent of the new fiscal year’s predicted revenue, plus 1-3 percent of the forecasted profit. It is worth noting that no one recipe works for every business and brand.

Understanding Cost-per-Thousand and Pay-per-Click.

Drilling deeper, no consideration of advertising budget details would be complete without at least a look at the Cost-per-Thousand model, and how to calculate your impressions at a cost per thousand ratio.

Cost-per-thousand (CPM) is calculated by starting with the total cost of advertising. This number could be the baseline for each of your individual media buys or the total advertising expenditure for a campaign, season or year. The “M,” by the way, does not mean 1 million, despite common thought. It represents the Roman numeral for 1,000.

Thus, CPM means cost per thousand. The price paid for a CPM-based media buy is calculated by multiplying the CPM rate by the number of CPM units. If you are considering an ad buy with, say, 1,300,000 impressions, and the cost is $18,000, the CPM is $13.85.

This is not to be confused with digital marketing’s common cost for performance or action, which equates to a total budget expenditure based upon how well your ads perform in terms of action taken by viewers. Actions such as click-throughs or Pay-per-Click (PPC) drive traffic to websites, where the advertiser pays a search engine or content publisher for each time the ad is clicked and the prospect lands on the advertiser’s website.

Both CPM and PPC help advertisers determine the cost and profitability of their ad campaigns. With CPM, you will pay for every 1,000 impressions (or, as we like to call them, “eyeballs” or views), and your PPC cost is your fee per click or per impression.

Mindful, strategic and creative planning of your entire annual advertising program as well as the quality and quantity of each campaign’s placements, will have a direct result on the effectiveness of your CPM and CPC.

Go it Alone or Go with an Agency.

From where, when and how to advertise to the right blend of multiparty outreach campaigns, all advertising teams should focus upon cost-efficiency, creativity and a streamlined process. Evaluate your internal team’s ability and available time for building and supervising your media buying strategies, budgeting and creative. Consider how their collective experience and strengths are weighted compared to potential inexperience or simply a lack of time.

When and where it makes sense, interview agencies to assess the ways in which their advertising and media buying expertise can balance your in-house capabilities. One of the reasons to work with a firm or agency is the cost-savings. Talented advertising agencies can acquire discounted or value-added bonus ad buys for some or most ad campaigns. A truly prepared agency should be able to increase your Pay-per-Click advertising results on average by 50 or more percent.

The advertising campaigns our Eberly & Collard Public Relations media buying and planning team manages for clients are available at widely discounted rates, given our overall ad-buying power and media relationships. Unlike many firms and agencies, we commonly pass along our entire agency discount to clients, in addition to appendage ad-buy savings and value-added bonus advertising print space, digital or airtime we secure for them.

Simplifying otherwise intrinsic advertising plans for clients to minimize their time and maximize their budgets is our advertising team’s forte. We design digital, print, outdoor, indoor, and collateral-based advertisements that inform and influence targets as well as negotiate, coordinate and schedule advertising placements to free our clients of the hassle. We have earned annual advertising awards for our ad concepts, graphic art and layout designs for their innovation, design, written copy, and creativity.

Whether you go it alone or consider the support of an agency for your new fiscal year ahead, we hope this information will lend a hand. Be inspired to generate fresh ad campaigns integrated with your public relations and converged media, ultimately engaging and converting leads to new sales.

In a crowded marketplace, it is estimated that we interact with over 3,000 brands in any given day. Understanding the process of how a well-established B2B (business to business) thought leadership marketing strategy is developed and exactly how to convey your brand’s value proposition clearly and effectively is paramount to ensuring your brand voice is heard. When done properly, this can be a powerful tool that is not just another piece of marketing jargon, but instead a way to solidify and position your company as a leader in its field.

A study conducted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) determined that 83% of B2B buyers believe that ‘thought leadership’ had increased their trust in organizations, with 88% saying they use thought leadership to build a shortlist of potential vendors. The study also stated that approximately 50% of C-suite executives and decision-makers believed thought leadership content had a direct impact on awarding business. 61% of C-suite executives say they are willing to pay a premium to work with an organization that has articulated a clear vision.

The most interesting takeaway from the study suggests that 45% of B2B marketers said they take advantage of thought leadership marketing. This finding presents a unique opportunity and an excellent way to breakthrough barriers in your specific sector, become an industry disruptor and increase your sales and new business.

Thought Leadership Marketing Defined:

So, what exactly is thought leadership? By definition, thought leadership is a method of marketing which positions you as an expert and authority in your industry and conveys that your company or brand has deep understanding of the subject matter at hand. To be a thought leader in your industry is to share the philosophies and business knowledge that your company uses. It can be a unique take or perspective that will create a significant impact on a business model or even the sector’s marketplace at large. Thought leadership builds brand affinity which, in turn, enacts trust. This is an excellent entry point and foundation when employing demand generation as a strategy. Creating awareness and trust, which is one of the core components of demand generation, is often accomplished with thought leadership.

Below, we have outlined three main cornerstone strategies that, when followed properly, are proven to accelerate your industry positioning, and will also propel your company as a thought leader in your industry or sector.

Build Thought Leadership Through Media Relations –

In order to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, you need to reach your target audience. This is where the media can help amplify your message as well as your brand. From traditional channels like business newspapers, B2B industry trade magazines, business radio shows to growing mediums like podcasts, there are many avenues for you to reach and, thus, influence others.

It is important to note that media relations outreach is a separate strategy in and of itself. Working with a public relations firm that specializes in your industry niche is vital to success. Otherwise, you will have to work on the time-consuming process to pitch yourself to media outlets and journalists to build trust and make the case for why you should be featured in an article or interview.

The influx of different channels helps tremendously in these efforts. Focus on niche publications that targets your industry. With patience and consistency, partnering with the media will help you get in front of your audience and establish your place as a thought leader. Once you are featured, you will start to earn credibility and can use your new media placements to show that you are considered an expert in your field. Then, it is more likely other journalists or publications will become interested in connecting as well.

We recommend studying each and every individual media outlet to determine exactly what topic and format is best suited for them. The largest mistake we see people make is the use software to mass (or blanket) pitch the same information to every media outlet out there. This is not the proper way to influence the media outlets to profile or feature your business or interview you.

You’re only a thought leader if you truly showcase expertise in your field and offer valuable insights and opinions. Sound media relations is a catalyst to accomplish this.

Establish Brand Authority on Your Owned Media Channels –

As we discussed above, gaining credibility is one of the foundations of thought leadership. While media engagements require cooperation with a journalist or publication, your brand’s owned media channels allow for self-publication of your thought leadership articles or whitepapers instantaneously. Social media channels, blogs, podcasts, and webinars are a few of the main examples of owned media channels. Defined as brand channels you or the company owns, you and your marketing staff members have the freedom and ability to publish as you see fit.

Thought leadership marketing allows you to get in front of your audience on your own terms. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll want to post and share content on a whim. Creating a content strategy with a posting schedule is an important step toward gaining trust with your audience, while establishing yourself as a B2B thought leader.

First, you have to determine your audience and the sectors that reside within the audience. These are the prospective customers you are trying to reach. Who are your customers and what questions are they asking? Once you establish this, you can begin the process of crafting content that is targeted to this group. This step will also reveal which channels you should use to deliver your message. For example, if your B2B target audience includes professional service companies, you’ll want to focus on blogs and LinkedIn much more than Facebook or Instagram. White papers with broader subject matter may also resonate with them, more so than shorter content that consumer product companies tend to seek.

Regardless of how and where you are publishing your content, it is essential to establish your frequency. You want to publish often enough that people remember and identify you as an influencer; but, you do not want to flood your followers’ timelines and blog subscription email inboxes with content lacking research and relevance, just to hit a number. Each post should add value and include a call-to-action.

Activate New Audiences with Public Relations Engagements –

One search for “thought leaders” on YouTube will present hundreds of videos that feature speeches from various influencers across a wide variety of industries. Speaking engagements work because they allow you to share a message with a specific audience free from other distractions. Seminars and conferences focused on your industry are the most ideal settings for delivering this message, because they are filled with attendees eagerly awaiting your message. Even though the current situation with the global pandemic has caused in-person events to be cancelled or postponed, virtual speaking engagements and events are thriving and are here to stay. With the proper planning and strategy, it is even possible to create your own “industry though leadership” related event or webinar. This is a valuable means by which to reach your intended audience.

Utilizing social media for both pre- and post-event messaging surrounding your chosen topic is another excellent way to reinforce the message you are trying to convey. Another excellent way to share your thoughts is by hosting your own podcast. We wrote a previous blog post about using a podcast as a vehicle for publicity. It contains several valuable steps on how to go about this process. The equipment needed is extremely low cost to put together a podcast.

Any medium that allows you to speak passionately about your authoritative topic or industry will go a long way proving your status as a thought leader. Maintaining the aforesaid steps in a strategy that is consistent is key to saturation for your thought leadership marketing plan.

If you are not leading, you are following. B2B buyers and decision makers want to work with leading brands. It is crucial to build a reputation through strong, compelling, accessible, and impactful thought leadership marketing content. Once you’ve built a strong foundation of trust and confidence with your audience, the rest of your marketing strategy is a matter of ongoing creative and maintenance.

Please contact us to learn more about how our firm works with brands to create successful thought leadership marketing plans.

 

In today’s digital world, social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools for businesses to promote their products and services. There are 3.8 billion active social media users worldwide, according to We Are Social and Hootsuite’s Digital 2020 report. With more people using social media than ever before, and the number of users continuing to increase year after year, a social media marketing plan is essential for businesses looking to stay relevant, grow online presences, connect with their target audiences, and stand out from the competition.

Here are four key steps to developing an effective social media marketing plan for your business.

Step 1: Define your goals.

The first step to any social media marketing plan is to clearly define what you want to achieve through your social media marketing efforts. When setting social media goals, it is important to align them with your overall public relations and marketing plan.

Helpful tip: Follow the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting framework to ensure each goal you establish is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.For inspiration, here are some examples of what your goals could be:

– Build brand awareness and loyalty.

A social media plan can help your brand become more known and reach potential customers or clients. If your goal is for your audience to gain familiarity and loyalty with your brand, make sure to post content regularly and engage with your audience frequently.

– Increase engagement with current and potential customers/clients.

To gain traction and interaction on your social media channels, you must also be willing to engage with your audience. Liking, commenting, sharing, and responding are all great ways to show your audience you are interested and listening to what they have to say. The more you engage with your audience in authentic and beneficial ways, the more attention and engagement they will give back to you.

– Drive website traffic.

Sharing content from your website and blog on social media offers your audience a chance to learn more about your business, products or services. Always incorporate a link to the respective webpage or blog post to ensure your audience is being led back to your website. Hyperlink them with vanity words that clearly specify the intended web page content. Consider also using UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) codes for these links, so you will be able to see which links produce the best click-through rates to other pages on your website.

– Generate leads and sales.

If you are looking to acquire more leads and increase sales, you can leverage social media to turn your audience into paying customers. A well-constructed social media plan will allow you to interact with new, potential customers and provide an answer or solution to their questions or needs. Once they come to see your business and your social channels as valuable resources, you will have generated a probable lead.

Step 2: Research your target audience.

After you have set specific goals for your plan, you should research your target audience to determine their interests and needs, and discover how to engage with them.

What are the demographics for your target audience? What topics are they interested in? Which social media channels do they actively use? What types of content do they interact with?

While you may already know your target audience, how do you make sure you are keeping your content relevant? Evaluate the topics you have covered to determine which are resonating with your audience most. Then, increase the frequency and conceptualize new, creative ways to continue covering those topics. Another idea to consider is sending a survey to your target audience, asking what types of content they have enjoyed the most or feedback about what they would like to see more of.

Answering these questions will help you better understand your target audience, and give you the insight you need to tailor your content to their interests and needs. Engaging content that resonates with your audience will draw them closer to your brand and the products or services you offer. Use your social content to inspire them to act by emailing or otherwise contacting you.

Step 3: Build your brand voice.

Some brands are known for being humorous and witty on social media, whereas others are commended for being friendly and helpful. The common denominator of their success is that they use a distinctive brand voice to communicate consistently across social media channels.

Establishing a unique brand voice is a key component of your social media marketing plan. Start by thinking about how you want to reflect your brand values when delivering messages to your social media audience. Then, identify two or three words that describe your brand, and keep them in mind to ensure your social media content remains on-brand.

Whether it is a post, comment, direct message, or other form of content, use your descriptors as the basis of everything you publish. Doing so will help cultivate the connection between your brand and audience, grow a loyal following, and stand out among your competitors.

HubSpot is a great example of how a B2B brand can combine professionalism with personality through a distinct brand voice on social media. The company’s brand voice is clear, genuine and witty, which offers its audience educational, relatable and entertaining content. Study their and others’ social media channels to gain perspective. Don’t forget to view your competitors’ social media and gauge their pros and cons, as this will offer insight about your own strategy.

Maintaining a consistent and memorable voice will help you tell your brand’s story as well as connect and engage with your audience.

Step 4: Track your progress and adjust your plan as needed.

Once your social media marketing plan has been implemented, you should track the progress and measure the performance of your social content based upon your goals. Doing so will help determine if your plan is on track to be successful, or if it needs to be improved or adjusted.

The key metrics you should plan to measure include follower growth, impressions, engagement rate, clicks, shares, mentions, sentiment, and conversion rates, among others. Each social media platform offers its own, built-in analytics. But, there are also a variety of additional social media analytics tools available online, such as Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Google Analytics, among others, that offer deeper insight into how your content is performing. Your public relations or marketing firm should also be providing you with this data and working with you to mold and manage your creative plan.

A successful social media marketing plan takes time to develop and refine, but it is an essential element necessary for your business to thrive in the digital world. If you are not yet utilizing social media to benefit your business, you should consider following the four steps above or contacting a marketing and public relations agency to assist you in creating a customized plan. Contact us to learn more about how we help our clients with social media strategy, content creation and audience engagement.