Proven Tactics in PR and Social Media

CMA's PR Manager Kaitlin Friedmann was recently invited to contribute another guest blog for e-Xplorations, a blog that aims to help small to mid-sized businesses adapt to digital marketing strategies. Check out the excerpt below....

I grew up in the MTV generation so when I hear social media experts predict the death of the press release, it makes me think of the panic SEO Marketing that must have stricken radio stations across the country when “Video Killed the Radio Star” was popular.

Rather than making predictions for one thing eclipsing the other, PR pros should embrace the many tools available to them. A mix of classic media relations skills and web-savvy strategies are essential now more than ever to raising awareness and proving ROI.  

To maximize your social strategy, increase the reach of your content and stay as relevant as you can to your target audience, PR professionals should take the necessary steps to optimize their next press release distribution or overall social media strategy.

The Role of the Press Release

Past – The only eyes on a press release were that of a reporter, editor or other member of the media (setting aside investor relations). Its purpose was purely informational and was rarely taken verbatim.

Present – Press releases are seen by a larger audience—they are blasted out to far-reaching lists of media and the general public optimized press releasethrough PRNewswire, PRWeb and other distribution sites. In the age of Google Alerts and RSS feeds, mass distribution is as crucial as ever. Press releases are additionally posted on company websites, sent in customer e-newsletters and linked to social networks.

While I can’t speak about the pre-Internet days of PR, I can make an educated assumption that the most proven public relations tactic has always been flexibility. What this analysis says is that PR pros don’t rely on any one method of communication and the press release must simply be newsworthy for the media and, more broadly, for the end user. The above-mentioned wire services will take care of the release’s optimized delivery, but it’s up to the PR pro to use keywords, anchor text and key messages that resonate with the target audience. The press release in the “classic sense” must also still have a real-live voice behind it (the PR pro’s follow-up calls) to increase the chance of media placement. 

The Gatekeeper-Free World of Social Media

Social media content has the power to bypass the media as the “gatekeepers” of information and go straight to your target audience. This is not just an awareness-raising tactic—there are sales to be made directly from social media working in concert with SEO. According to a comScore study, buyers “who purchase or convert online are almost as likely to use a combination of search and social resources (48 percent) as they are to use just search (51 percent) along the path to purchase.”

It’s nearly impossible to not mention social media in the discussion of the “future” of public relations, so let’s examine the future of the press release in this context.

Future – As attention spans shrink, experts say the press release could be phased out and replaced by viral infographics (visual representations of announcements that particularly involve statistical data used most prominently by FourSquare) or social media posts (Tweets, Status Updates, Discussion Points, etc).

To these predictions, again, my answer is to diversify. Why does one have to replace the other? Some of CMA’s most successful PR campaigns have been those that utilize the full arsenal of PR, SEO and social media tactics.

We recently used a healthy mix of classic PR practices, SEO and social media to “scare” up awareness for an association of haunted attractions. The first foray into our Halloween PR campaign started earlier this month with the keyword-riddled press release describing haunted attractions’ ability to compete for young adults’ attention. Distributed via PRNewswire, the release was also posted on 10 free press release distribution websites.

We also recruited the social media savvy of the association member base to further widen thepress release distribution reach of the press release to industry insiders, while following up directly with phone calls to a variety of consumer media covering the Millennial generation’s behavior. The results—placement on over 200 news websites, a feature article secured in an industry magazine and an in-depth feature article in the works on 10 haunted attractions for a major consumer magazine with more than 10 million circulation.

The bottom line here—SEO gets you on the right pages, but it’s up to you to make the most of your opportunity once you’re there.

Foursquare – A fun location to be

 

You’ve heard about it, and we want you to be in the know.

Founded in 2009, Foursquare is a location-based web and mobile application website developed primarily for use on mobile devices. Users “check-in” at venues using a mobile website application.

This means that users can check in to venues like restaurants, bars, parks, gyms and stores, among others, which allow you to keep track of your “friends” and lets your friends know what you are up to. This is just one of the social networking sites that allow users to interact with their environment.

Business and users are both benefiting from Foursquare. Many establishments are offering great discounts for being “mayor” or just for checking in. A good example was Radio Shack offering 10% off the purchase price when you checked in and if you were the mayor you got 20% off. The convenience store, 7-11, offered over 21,000 different prizes including a trip into space. This type of value-added service is causing major companies to rethink their interaction with customers.

Here’s a quick Foursquare "crash course!"

Points

Every Foursquare check-in earns you points. A few examples are:

1. You get 2 points for visiting a place more than once on one day

2. Being accompanied by a friend - 2 points

3. Locating a new place - 5 points

4. Check-in with the mayor - 3 points

Badges

Badges allow the customer to check-in to various venues. Accumulate enough check-ins and you will be awarded badges for special deals and discounts. Foursquare is reluctant to tell users how to open a badge, but click here to learn more. This is a competition and badges are just one of the rewards offered by Foursquare.

Mayor

Another perk is to become a Mayor of a particular establishment. You have to check-in to a venue on more days than anyone else in the past 60 days. Foursquare now alerts users about how many days before the user is given the Mayor title. Just like any other competition, things can get heated when battling it out for a mayorship.

Superuser Status

Superuser status is bestowed on those users who have contributed to the member community. There are three levels of superuser status and each level allows the user special privileges like creating aliases. Superuser status is sought after by avid Foursquare users.

This is a fun site and a productive one if you want to take advantage of the price breaks and special offers that participating companies bring to it. Keep this social network on your radar as another way to interact with customers and raise awareness.

Kaitlin Friedmann

Manager, Public Relations

kfriedmann@cmasolutions.com

CMA Helps Local Youth Go Back to School in Style

CMA staff members Meghan Higgins, Corie Eisenberg, Melanie Kotsonis, Diane Webster, Lynn McCullough and Kaitlin Friedmann.

CMA donated dozens of school supplies as part of The Boys & Girls Club of Trenton’s Back to School Drive.

From August 8 to August 26, CMA employees collected and donated a variety of school supplies such as binders, folders, glue sticks, pencils and markers, to help Trenton youth in grades K-12 go back to school in style.

"Providing these kids with new school supplies will help them be more confident on their first day of school," said Jeffrey Barnhart, President and CEO of CMA. "Our staff truly joined together to show their support for our community."

Using QR Codes to Promote Your Business

A Quick Response code or a QR code stores information in a seemingly random digital code. Scanned by a mobile phone, the code leads users to a website to find out more information on whatever a company is promoting.

Whether you are an avid user, or have been meaning to check it out at some point, the reality is this technology is growing in usage among businesses looking to further promote their products and services to their target audience. Check out the following ways you can market your business using QR codes.

1. Business Cards – Instead of bombarding your business card with all of your contact information, include only the essential information needed for prospects to contact you. Then use a QR code that will lead them to more information about your company and its products and services.

2. Invitations – To help drive current and prospective clients to a launch party for a new product or to celebrate a business milestone, create a QR code for your event marketing. The code will lead users to the event invite giving them the ability to easily RSVP for the event and help you track attendance. 

3. Press Releases – Use a QR code on your company press releases. This will help the media and interested readers learn more about your company and its products and services.

4. Social Media – Have your QR code direct users to a website where they can follow your business on Twitter, like your Facebook page or even join your LinkedIn Group. This will help build your company’s social media following and foster engagement. Once they participate, say thank you by sending them an email with a special discount or freebie. 

Interested in using QR codes to promote your business? Email us today.

Erin Higgins

Director of Marketing Services

ehiggins@cmasolutions.com