Client loyalty and customer referrals have now hit an all-time low, and these types of new business connections are fast being replaced by having relevant expertise in a niche service category.

Even with 2020 past us, we are still living in unprecedented and chaotic times. But, most of all, these are times of profound change. At Eberly & Collard Public Relations, we believe we are on the precipice of a revolution as it pertains to how leaders at professional service firms can market themselves. Buyers need to know how to assess service providers in today’s environment. And, sellers need to understand what types of sales and marketing methods will gain the attention of buyers.

Buyers stated in a study last year conducted by the Marketing Research Institute that relevancy of services or specialization in a niche category was a key selection factor. This factor has risen 33% over the last two years and will continue to rise. Relevant expertise translates to higher client satisfaction, loyalty and referrals, all of which are at all-time lows. Because it is much easier for a buyer to do a quick web search than it is to reach out to a friend or a colleague for advice or for a referral. The loyalty suffers and is not established if the client does not see you as highly relevant to their current challenges and needs. The old methods will not work in today’s environment.

What is the best path forward? In today’s marketplace, a strategic and customized approach is paramount to success. A modern, digital-fueled content marketing approach is the right mix of ingredients. Traditional methods are not dead. It’s understanding how to balance them both appropriately in varying percentages based on your specific industry or unique needs.

Digital Marketing Dominates

Digital communications and marketing have been on the rise for more than a decade, but companies that have not evolved to include some form of digital marketing communications are being left behind. The 2020 pandemic forced many companies to convert to all types of virtualization where digital interactions are now routine. With so many gaining experience and comfort with virtual services, it will only continue to be more prevalent. Having a strong digital content marketing strategy will help aid in staying relevant. Items like Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), a digital media kit, and a robust media relations strategy that will help secure articles and placements online will also help with high authoritative backlinks to your website. Podcasts and videos will also fall under this category, to name a few.

The Importance of Industry Specialization

Specialization is essential and considered a real competitive advantage over companies that do not do so. The benefits are obvious. Clients benefit by virtue of specialized service and added value through insights and suggestions. We decided years ago to be an industry niche-based marketing firm and have maintained our commitment to this decision. It’s been our strength in an otherwise uncertain economic environment because our target audience demands as much value out of their professional advisors as possible. We believe that specialization gives this to them. After all, by virtue of serving many organizations and individuals engaged within the same industries, we see challenges and opportunities much clearer than another firm not working in that specific industry category. This brings a lot of value to our clients in the niches we serve. We believe other professional service firms that follow in this similar model will also yield the same successes.

Niche Marketing is A Successful Strategy

Differentiation, the most common, and most difficult marketing issue for professional services firms. Competition within the professional services space is fierce, and many industries are incredibly analogous—which makes differentiation that much more difficult. Take an unbiased look at your industry. See how competition saturation, economic or political volatility, and trends and challenges affect your position.

Define your target audiences and what they want. The critical rule here: Don’t guess. Internally generated client surveys and client service programs only go so far. What your clients and prospects say and do varies greatly depending on a variety of factors. Third-party research can help. Once you know the pain points and perceptions, make sure you have a solid plan on what to do with that vital information.

Use your resources and or the resources of your specialty marketing firm to focus your efforts. This involves all of your firm’s professionals, including technical, business development and marketing focused. Is your marketing department at capacity? Is this the time to outsource? Do your business development and marketing teams have the right skills and roles in place? Once you make changes or revise your strategy, do you have individuals that can champion the efforts and see things to fruition?

Understand What is and is Not Working

This tends to be one of the most difficult questions to ask, as the answers can be very nuanced. For example, are you engaging in reactionary marketing (or is marketing more of an afterthought in your organization)? Do you have a strategic plan in place? As mentioned in the beginning of this article, content development will be crucial to help increase awareness and education among your targets. But, it takes time. A realistic timeframe is approximately 3-4 months before a measurable difference can be seen. It’s quite often in today’s world of instant gratification that expectations are not realistic. Don’t set yourself up for failure by having unrealistic expectations from the very beginning.

There are numerous ways to increase B2B lead generation, but the information above will help guide you along the way. Working with an agency that truly understands your specific industry is the way to achieve success and convey your value proposition. Working to ensure that your client loyalty does not suffer is a sure-fire way to remain relevant to your customer base.

The influencer marketing industry is on track to nearly double its worth from $8 billion in 2019 to $15 billion by 2022, according to a Business Insider Intelligence report. Showing no signs of slowing down, influencer marketing is increasingly becoming a vital strategy for businesses to build brand awareness, generate engagement, attract leads, and drive sales.

What is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that employs or engages industry-leading content creators, or influencers, to advocate your business and endorse your products or services. The goal of influencer marketing is to increase the visibility of your company and drive your brand’s message to your target audience via a variety of channels, such as an influencer’s blog and social media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, etc.).

According to HubSpot, 80 percent of marketers say influencer marketing is effective and helpful in growing their businesses. However, it is important to note that an influencer marketing program is only as results oriented and effective as it is managed. When managed properly, it can expand your reach and produce new, unique and positive results for your business.

Understanding the difference between macro-influencers and micro-influencers is a critical aspect of any successful influencer marketing program. Doing so allows you to determine which form of influencer marketing will be most beneficial for your business and the goals you wish to achieve.

Macro-Influencers vs. Micro-Influencers

Macro-influencers are celebrities and other well-known individuals with broad, diverse audiences of hundreds of thousands to millions of followers. There is no denying that macro-influencers are capable of introducing and promoting brands, products and services to a wide-reaching audience; however, this is not always the best influencer marketing strategy for every business. Not every brand has the budget to engage macro-influencers; and depending on your marketing goals and objectives, smaller-scale influencers may be a better fit for your company.

Micro-influencers, on the other hand, typically have between 1,000 to 100,000 followers. They have more specific and targeted audiences, and are regarded as experts in their respective niches. Not only are micro-influencers considered to be far more accessible, affordable and authentic than macro-influencers, they also drive increased awareness, fans and followers, engagement, website and blog traffic, leads, and sales conversions for brands and businesses of all kinds and sizes.

While a micro-influencer’s number of followers is smaller than that of a macro-influencer, they have proven to achieve similar, if not better, results for businesses and brands. In fact, influencer marketing trends predict micro-influencers will continue to rise in 2021 and are emerging as the most effective influencer marketing strategy. As such, more and more businesses are realizing the importance and value in partnering with influencers who have smaller but highly engaged followings.

Below, we share five of the top benefits of using micro-influencers, as opposed to macro-influencers, to build brand awareness and boost sales for your business in 2021 and beyond.

1. Micro-influencers have higher engagement rates.

Did you know that influencers with smaller followings tend to have higher engagement rates than influencers with larger followings? This statistic may catch you by surprise, but according to Markerly, influencers with a follower base of 10,000 to 100,000 offer the best combination of engagement and broad reach, with like and comment rates that exceed influencers with a higher number of followers.

Although micro-influencers have fewer followers, they hold a large and powerful influence on their tight-knit, loyal communities and audiences. Micro-influencers are much more engaged and able to interact more frequently and authentically with their followers. Conversely, macro-influencers have such large followings that it is difficult to engage every single follower on a personal level. The more influencers interact with their audiences on a genuine level, the more connected, relatable and influential they become in the minds of their followers.

This is one of the best ways micro-influencers can benefit your brand, as partnering with them often yields more impactful results by helping connect your brand, message, product or service with their highly engaged and responsive followers.

2. Micro-influencers reach niche and targeted audiences.

Micro-influencers are seen as industry experts and topic specialists in a particular market, and they reach niche and targeted audiences consisting of people who share the same or similar interests. In contrast, macro-influencers have a much broader audience with diversified interests. Thus, partnering with micro-influencers for brand, product or service promotions instead of macro-influencers is often recommended. Doing so allows you to reach highly engaged followers in a specific niche and easily connect with your target audience, as opposed to getting lost in the masses.

3. Micro-influencers are more affordable.

Incorporating a micro-influencer strategy into your marketing mix can benefit your business’s overall budget. Micro-influencers are far more affordable than celebrities or top-tier influencers with millions of followers. This has encouraged many brands to turn to micro-influencers for collaboration.

More often than not, macro-influencers charge thousands of dollars for a single post promoting a product or service, whereas 97 percent of micro-influencers charge less than $500 for a promotional post. Instead of paying a costly fee for a single, short-lived post from one macro-influencer, consider investing in several different micro-influencers to maximize the benefits and longevity of your influencer marketing program. By doing so, you can reach a larger, more engaged and targeted audience that is more likely to have a true interest in your brand and take action on your products or services.

4. Micro-influencers provide more authentic content.

Micro-influencers generally give the impression of being genuine and trustworthy individuals, as they provide their audiences with more authentic and relatable content. They are very invested in the communities they have created, and their followers look to them for honest reviews and recommendations. Because of this, they are strongly motivated to produce creative, high-quality content that impresses their followers as well as the brands with which they work. In doing so, they are able to deliver your brand’s message in a way that will appeal to and resonate with their followers, ultimately encouraging them to transform into potential customers.

5. Micro-influencers generate higher conversion rates.

Collaborating with micro-influencers is an excellent way to increase your conversion rates. According to a recent study, 82 percent of consumers are highly likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro-influencer. This, in part, goes back to the authenticity factor that we mentioned just above. The suggestions and reviews made by micro-influencers are considered to be candid and sincere by their followers.

A great strategy for this is to create special discount codes or affiliate links for your micro-influencers to share with their followers by way of product reviews, tutorials, sponsored posts, etc. In turn, this will encourage and motivate their audiences to purchase your products or services. As a result, there is a strong likelihood your sales conversion rates will increase.

At Eberly & Collard Public Relations, we develop and manage influencer marketing programs for our clients, and carefully research and vet influencers that are the most beneficial for their brands. Contact us if you are looking to kick-off a new or improve a current influencer marketing program for the new year.

Today’s marketing communications world is more integrated than ever before. Companies and corporations around the globe are recognizing the true value and efficacy of melding various aspects of marketing communications to maintain a consistent corporate identity and brand message across traditional and nontraditional channels. Implementing an integrated marketing approach helps businesses reach and interface with their publics and target audiences through the many networks and formats they use to find and purchase products or services.

Corporate public relations and corporate branding are two aspects of marketing communications that are key to the success of any business or corporation. While these two marketing components have separate definitions, strategies and campaigns, they are far more effective when planned and executed synergistically to market and promote a business’s brand. The integration of corporate public relations and corporate branding can convert leads and prospects into new sales and clients for your business. Therefore, it is important to understand how each of the two activities operates separately as well as how they integrate and work together as a unified force.

What is Corporate Public Relations?

Corporate public relations refers to the practice of establishing and maintaining communication and relationships between a business or brand and its various publics, such as its employees, clients or customers, key stakeholders, investors, the media, and the general public. It also involves creating and cultivating a positive reputation and public perception of a corporation.

From brand storytelling to media relations to crisis communications, corporate public relations comprises a wide range of responsibilities and functions that contribute to a company’s long-term success.

• Brand storytelling: Various methods of communication, including press releases, social media posts, newsletters, etc., can be used to disseminate your brand story and messages.
• Media relations: A corporate public relations department manages requests from the media for information about the company and interviews with key executives and managers, as well as conducts media outreach to garner positive coverage in targeted publications and news outlets.
• Crisis communications: If a crisis arises, a company’s public relations team is typically responsible for initiating and guiding the crisis plan, crafting a strategic statement or response, providing information to the media, preparing messaging points to address important groups with interest or involvement in the organization, and advising the company spokesperson on how to respond to the media appropriately and in a way that provides the public with the facts of the situation and explains how the crisis is being handled.

Your corporate public relations strategies and campaigns should be designed to communicate your company’s mission statement, values, products or services, and achievements to the media and general public. A proactive approach is paramount when it comes to corporate public relations. Proactive public relations strategies entail researching, vetting and acquiring new opportunities that generate exposure and activate thought leadership for your business and brand.

Some great ideas for corporate public relations events and activations you should seek to secure include speaking engagements, panel discussions, webinars, podcasts, industry awards and recognitions, and third-party endorsements. Securing these types of opportunities will allow your target audiences to interface with your business and gain a better understanding of your brand, products or services.

What is Corporate Branding?

Corporate branding refers to the practice of promoting the name of a business or organization as a whole, rather than the name of a specific product or service. It creates a unique corporate identity for your business that reflects the company’s mission, values, character, and culture. This is conveyed through visual and non-visual elements, including your brand colors, logos, taglines, fonts, product packaging, professional service descriptions, website and blog content, tone of voice, etc. Every message you communicate, both internally and externally, reflects your corporate identity.

Understanding the importance of corporate branding versus corporate public relations is essential. From a public relations standpoint, corporate branding develops and maintains a distinguishable corporate identity and consistent brand messaging that shapes how clients and prospects perceive your brand. Ultimately, it helps stimulate brand recognition, trust and conversions. To achieve this, businesses must create and implement well-planned, creative corporate branding strategies and campaigns.

Successful corporate branding strategies will connect your brand with your target audiences. Social media marketing is a great strategy to increase the visibility of your brand and reach potential customers or clients. Building a social media presence and plan for your business offers users the opportunity to discover your brand, learn about your products or services, ask questions, and share feedback. When executed properly, this strategy can drive brand awareness, engagement, website traffic, sales, and more. You can learn how to create an effective social media marketing plan for your business in our blog post written May 29th.

Branded content can also be used as a corporate branding strategy and campaign. Branded content is a powerful tool that can deliver true value, insight and customer service to your target audiences. In today’s digital landscape, especially, branded content can be packaged in a variety of formats, including videos, podcasts, blog posts, case studies, etc. An effective branded content strategy or campaign can further your brand story and communicate important information about your business to your targeted customers or clients. In a previous blog post, we shared five tips to writing branded content that can help you better grasp how to generate sales leads for your business and brand success.

Corporate public relations and corporate branding both focus on keeping a company’s corporate identity aligned with its brand messaging. Therefore, they may naturally overlap at times, but the results are maximized when they are used in unison. Integrating the two practices and executing them simultaneously ensures your corporate identity and brand messaging are consistent across all channels, creating a unified and seamless experience for your publics and target audiences to engage with your brand. In addition, doing so generates sales and customer loyalty for your business’s brand, products or services because the more you consistently meet or exceed your customers’ expectations, the more they will trust and depend on your brand.

The Eberly & Collard Public Relations team specializes in integrated marketing communications, public relations and corporate branding. By creating and managing integrated public relations and branding strategies and campaigns, our firm helps drive interest in and promote positive perceptions of our clients’ businesses, key personnel and product or service offerings. Contact us if you’re seeking to generate authentic connections with your target audiences that lead to winning their respect, earning their trust and gaining their patronage.

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.