How to Amplify a Great Story

by Jennifer Goddard Combs

A well-crafted pitch, whether it’s a press release, website, video, or presentation, tells a story. In a short space, it conveys ideas about your brand, what you’re offering, and why someone should spend a bit more time with you or your product.

The next big challenge is getting that story out in front of the people you want to reach – and activating them. The most successful strategies will combine traditional media, social media and, perhaps most importantly, relationships.

Traditional media includes what is known as “earned” media. While this landscape has changed significantly in recent years, it’s still some of the most valuable exposure you can get. No matter how much the news industry has shrunk, good stories, coupled with great products and services, will still get written about.

But how do you best tell that story?

Marketing experts can help draw out the kind of narrative that captures interests. They know what makes for a unique pitch. Do you have a compelling backstory? Did a personal experience lead you to see a gap in the market your product fills? Did a new client bring a challenge you not only expertly navigated, but provide you with insight you want to share with others?

Whatever your situation, a pro will know on what to focus, and how and where to say it.

One of the great things about platforms like Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok and others is the way it allows brands to directly speak to consumers and clients. But despite its easy accessibility, it isn’t easy to do it right. Some brands have learned that the hard way – see the flap around Burger King’s now infamous “women belong in the kitchen” post on what was then Twitter (now X). It pays to approach social media as thoughtfully as you would a press release or the “About Us” section of your website.

Done well, it can feel personal and intimate and complement your other efforts. 

Another vital part of connecting your work with people involves relationships. This is where a publicist really proves their value. The best publicists take time to cultivate and develop relationships. They know editors, publishers, reporters, community leaders and other influencers, and they know how to get in front of them.

So much is said about short attention spans and the difficulties getting people’s attention in such a fragmented media-scape. But a compelling story, coupled with a product or service that will improve someone’s life, holds just as much power as it always has.

Getting the right public relations and marketing help will go a long way in getting that story told right, no matter in which media outlet or social platform you’re sharing it.

From Santa Barbara to Ventura, to Los Angeles and Orange County, across the country and around the world.

A Bot Can’t Shake Your Hand: The Enduring Importance of a Human Touch

By Jennifer Goddard Combs

It doesn’t take long to lose trust.

Think about your favorite restaurant. It’s your favorite because yes, the food is delicious, but also because it’s reliable, consistent, and you always get great service.

Then comes that night. The recipes have changed, the dishes are lackluster, and the staff seems to not realize you’re there.

You wonder if you’ll ever go back.

In a market with seemingly endless options, having a single bad experience can drive away a customer – and it can be hard to win them back. That’s why when it comes to seeking attention for your unique offering, you want to put your trust in a professional who has delivered and shown results every time. 

No machine can replace the touch of an experienced professional, who knows how to reach just the right person, with the individual approach that benefits every interaction. Each word matters; the time you have to capture someone’s attention can be mere seconds.

It’s worth asking yourself whether it’s worth putting something so important in the hands of a machine.

The business community is abuzz with the potential of artificial intelligence, especially ChatGPT, the AI-generated chatbot that can seemingly do it all. But before you ask ChatGPT to write that press release, it’s important to think about how much is at stake. That “free and easy” chatbot experience could wind up costing more than it’s worth.

Consider the case of Sports Illustrated, once the envy of other magazines, with its in-depth writing, hard-hitting investigations, and incomparable photography. Then late last year, SI was found to have been using AI without disclosing it.

Another once thriving tech outlet, CNET, was also found to have used AI. In addition to AI providing erroneous information, other reporters also found instances where it appeared to be plagiarizing other writers.

Just like that, two media outlets that has once dominated the sports and tech sectors had people asking: “Can I trust what they write?”

 ChatGPT’s own website notes its limitations, that it “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.”

A business has too much to lose when it comes to making sure the world knows about its accomplishments. Too much blood, sweat, and tears has gone into getting where you are.

In an age of rapidly growing technology, there remains no substitute for someone who knows people, who knows markets, and who can deliver the personal and unique touch your work deserves. Every single time.

From Santa Barbara to Ventura, to Los Angeles and Orange County, across the country and around the world.

Your Work is Specialized, Your Marketing Should be Too

By Jennifer Goddard Combs

In an increasingly niche world, specialization pays.

Say you’re a company, and you’re looking for some marketing help. You know you want to drive traffic to your website, boost your social media presence, land speaking engagements, get noticed as an expert in your field, increase earned media, and have business journals writing about your savvy new hires and products.

You set out to hire a firm that can do all those things.

Odds are good if you do find one place that offers it all, something may get shortchanged. That’s why it may make sense to hire different companies that specialize in different aspects of what you seek.

Consider the first thing on your list: Driving traffic to your website. Whole companies are set up just to do this One Thing. Google’s constantly changing algorithms means that what works one month could change the next. Staying on top of that requires agility and skill, not to mention learning the technical language of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Then there’s figuring out how to use Google Ads to maximize your advertising spend, not to mention designing ads and graphics.

You also want to get your name out there so journalists turn to you for expert advice or clients know about your services. That means knowing the industry – be it real estate, finance, wealth management, or the law – and knowing the players. It means connecting with someone who has well-established relationships in the media and other community’s movers and shakers.

In both cases, the skill set required to execute effectively is vastly different. So, when a company promises to do it all, they may be over-promising.

Today, it pays to specialize.

The good thing is companies have adapted to this reality. Increasingly, they offer flexible arrangements catered to your specific needs. Instead of one company that assures you it can do it all, you may find advantages in working with different companies that really know their space.

Once, I had a client who wanted more from their public relations firm. What I learned is there was a mismatch in expectations. The client wanted everything in one place but didn’t feel they were getting it. We agreed to take over part of the effort.

The result was a long-lasting, fruitful relationship for both sides. It was a win-win.

Most clients want to focus on creating and improving products or delivering the best services they can. By hiring the right mix of marketing professionals, they can do just that.

Why Your Business Needs a Publicity Plan Right Now

By Jennifer Goddard Combs

It once seemed that social media and its influencers would be the answer to every company’s prayers. No longer dependent on traditional forms of advertising, or held hostage to media gatekeepers, it seemed the playing field was at last leveled, especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Think Santa Barbara, Ventura County, Los Angeles, the United States and overseas.

Anyone could play.

The problem is, everyone did begin to play and the result was it became harder – not easier – to get noticed. Today, it can feel frantic trying to be everywhere – TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and yes, still, Facebook – and exhausting, especially when what you really want to be doing is perfecting your product or making sure you’re delivering that excellent service.

That’s why a well thought out, carefully crafted public relations strategy is essential. It’s about telling your story in ways that capture the attention of journalists, podcasters, trade magazines, tourism officials and others. It’s about getting that person to stop scrolling and want to learn more.

Here are some other reasons why investing in a strategic communications plan – especially now, when inflation is causing consumers to think harder about what they spend their money on – should be a priority, and how it can help any small business or start-up thrive.

Brand cultivation. Whether you’re a law office, estate planning firm, bank or app developer, people want to feel connected. They want to know how you’re different; what you are doing that the place across the street isn’t; and, perhaps most importantly, why they should trust you. Show them. Be generous in celebrating competitors, establish yourself as an expert in the field, be transparent about the small but important things you do daily to deliver the highest excellence.

It lets you tell your own origin story. Today’s consumers spend time looking at the history, mission and vision of a company. They want to know: What does your organization stand for? What role are you seeking to fill in the world and how does what you do accomplish that? Figuring out the best ways to tell that story is a must for any comprehensive publicity plan.

Use it to lift people up. No matter how good your product or service, it is your people who are driving success. Notice them. Tout their accomplishments. Tell their stories. Celebrate their talents. People connect with other people. They want to know they are supporting a company that treats its workers well.

You’ve got to have a cheerleader. Early in our career, many of us were taught the critical importance of networking. The problem is, for many of us, talking to strangers is uncomfortable. Publicizing your company can feel that way, and the more personal a business is to you, the harder it may be to be out there bragging about it. That’s where professionals can help. While they’re out touting your achievements, you can turn your attention to what you love most.

You create community. Think back to the early days of the internet, especially social media. At its best, it felt like a vast new world had opened up, full of friends to meet and shared interests to bond over. It still has that power. So harness it! Find people who are in your work spaces and get to know them virtually. Consistent organic social media posts that reinforce the careful brand you’ve developed goes a long way – especially if the posts are authentic. Influencers still occupy a powerful space in social media, it’s true, but even if video isn’t your thing, and you don’t plan on hiring an influencer, you’ve got to be present in social spaces.

It used to be that when budgets got squeezed, communications/marketing/public relations were the first to go. Today, no company would dare roll the dice on a gamble like that – there are too many competitors waiting in the wings. In an increasingly segmented world, a well-designed publicity plan will let you micro-target consumers while you continue to grow or get established or re-introduce yourself to people you haven’t seen in a while.

Public relations isn’t about the hard sell or the prominent ad placement. It’s about giving your brand a voice, telling the stories of the people behind it and not being afraid to put your business (and yourself!) out there. It also forces you to think about the stories you want to tell, who you want to be when you grow up, and what concrete steps it will take to get you there.

Simple social media tips every small business needs!

By Citlali Erazo

Social media is practically impossible to escape in this day and age. Chances are, almost every person you meet has at least one social media account. According to Hootsuite, there are 4.2 billion active social media users, which almost doubled in just five years. Social media has transformed the world of marketing, which is why every business should devote time to build a strong social media plan. 

Building a social media presence may seem overwhelming, however, these simple tips will guide you in the right direction. 

1. Make a plan

Before anything else, it is imperative to create a plan. The first step in creating an effective strategy is to set goals, and more specifically, “SMART” goals. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. This model is a guide to set effective business objectives. Studies show that those who write down their goals are 30% more likely to be successful. It is important to use numbers and deadlines when creating social media goals. For example, it can be as simple and specific as reaching 300 Instagram followers by the end of the year. 

Another important part of the planning process is researching the competition and other professional accounts in similar industries. Researching other accounts is great because you can learn what works and what doesn’t. Moreover, you can gain inspiration and ideas for your own business. 

The final step in setting up the groundwork is creating a social media calendar, which is an overview of upcoming social media posts. A social media calendar is beneficial because it is an excellent way to organize lots of content and ideas, as well as create a posting schedule. 

2. Find your target audience 

It is vital to understand your audience. If executed properly, social media can build a connection and increase consumer engagement. To start with, identify their needs, wants, and desires. Other important demographics include age, location, language, interests, stages in life, challenges, and spending patterns. A great way to compile data on your followers and consumers are surveys and using professional insight tools. 

3. Select the right platforms for your business

Once you have researched your demographics and established your target audience, you will be ready to decide which social platforms to focus on. Understanding how your followers spend their time online is critical. According to Hootsuite, the average internet user has 8.4 social media accounts, which means the opportunity to connect with consumers on several platforms is substantial. Researching the demographics of each platform will provide insight into choosing the best platforms to target for your business. For instance, LinkedIn is great for professionals, Instagram is perfect for highly visual content, Twitter’s specialty is microblogging, and Facebook’s power lies in being the most used social media platform, with 2.9 billion active users. 

4. Engage with followers

One of the easiest ways to build a relationship with followers is by engaging directly with them. Examples of direct engagement include liking comments, replying to comments, sending and responding to direct messages, tagging other accounts, and retweeting or reposting content. An active social media presence is also a great way to showcase brand values and personality. This promotes customer loyalty and leads to an increase in business profit. Moreover, it aids new customer acquisition and customer retention.

5. Participate in trends

Participating in trends is a great way to gain brand exposure. Being selective and exercising good judgment is key. It is important to participate in trends that align with your brand’s image. Social media is constantly evolving, and algorithms continuously change. This is why staying on top of trends is critical. Some examples of current trends are the surge in popularity of videos, and using Instagram stories for strategic marketing. Researching statistics and knowing your demographic will strengthen your social media presence. 

6. Quality over quantity 

With so many social media channels it is easy to get overwhelmed and feel like you must have a presence on each platform to be relevant, however that is not the case. The key is to post high quality content on a select few platforms. Posting high quality content on a few strategically chosen platforms is more beneficial than low quality content posted on several platforms. A helpful guideline is making sure to stay consistent with your brand image, and to produce content that keeps your followers engaged. 

To conclude, these simple tips lay the foundation for establishing a social media presence. The first step is to identify the brand’s objectives. Once that is determined, you can create a social media plan catered to your target audience and potential new followers. The long-term benefits of creating a strong social media presence include exposure, new leads, increased brand awareness and an increase in profits.

A public relations strategy is important, and here’s why!

By Citlali Erazo

Publicity. This word is used so frequently in pop culture that its significance gets overlooked. Publicity is media attention for your product, services or business, and public relations (PR) is the communication strategy used to build a mutually beneficial relationship with a company’s target audience. A brand’s image makes up 63% of the value of most businesses, however, public relations is often overlooked by companies. Implementing a PR strategy for your business will create a strong and positive presence in your industry.

Here are six benefits of having a strong PR strategy for your business.

• Creates brand credibility

Unlike advertising, PR creates a credible company image. How many times have you scrolled through a website and underneath an article or headline you see the words “sponsored content” or  “promoted by…”? Suddenly the value and trustworthiness of the information you’re reading dwindles. This is a great example of how organic news coverage is more credible than a paid advertisement. Moreover, with exposure to approximately 4,000 to 10,000 ads daily, most of us tend to become desensitized to ads and are more likely to ignore them. The benefit of PR, is the information about the goods or services does not identify a sponsor. It comes from an independent source, making it more trustworthy. 

• Affordable and effective

Advertising is expensive, however publicity is virtually free. Advertising requires you to purchase space in a publication, but with publicity, being featured in the publication is free. Publicity is proof that there is power in numbers. For instance, PR generates a great amount of readership and viewership by publishing content in newspapers, magazines, news channels, websites, blogs, and television programs. Being published in print media such as newspapers and magazines is a great promotional tool because it is organic. Moreover, publicity allows for more information to be disseminated than advertising. As a result of limited sponsored content space, a lot of important information must be cut out. However, a perk of publicity is its long form nature. For example, press releases, newspaper articles, and blog posts are abundant in information. 

• Builds a positive brand image

A company’s image will either make or break the company. Ninety percent of potential consumers use reviews and online mentions to determine whether or not to purchase products or services, which is why a positive brand image is crucial. Consumers are more likely to support a brand with a positive image because it is seen as being more credible. A positive image creates interest for your business, and reputation management is a key component of maintaining it. Reputation management repairs damage such as negative reviews, advertising gone wrong, and overall backlash that a brand could face. This is why PR is vital for branding. 

• Builds community relations

PR builds and maintains a mutually beneficial relationship with the community. A great way to strengthen community ties is by joining groups, volunteering, and donating to organizations that align with your company values. This relationship is valuable because it establishes reliability, trust, and credibility. Moreover it makes a strong impact and shows people how their community is improving as a result of your brand’s efforts. This also garners exposure and reinforces a positive company image. 

• Amplifies online presence

The internet is a powerful marketing tool, and with the help of a PR strategy, your brand can reach audiences that it wouldn’t be able to offline. For instance, social media, blogs, and press releases can boost search engine optimization (SEO) and increase website traffic. PR increases overall brand visibility which is good because consumers are more likely to buy your goods or services when a brand is familiar. A strong online presence creates several opportunities to increase sales and ultimately expand the company. 

• Increases sales and leads

Blog posts and news articles with a captivating headline create more interest than an advertisement. Why? Because they focus on a story, as opposed to the product. Due to the longform nature of PR, testimonials and case studies are a great way to spark a consumer’s curiosity. Positive reviews and word of mouth referrals increase sales and leads. Moreover, it can lead to a snowball effect, in which good press leads to even more good press. Another great strategy to implement is creating a press or media section on your website. This will establish credibility and increase sales. 

An effective PR strategy is a crucial component of a successful business. At virtually no cost, publicity offers extensive benefits including credibility, effectiveness, a positive brand image and a strong online and community presence. Most importantly, it leads to growth opportunities and an increase in business profits.

5 Important Networking Tips to Grow Your Business

By Citlali Erazo

Whether you are at the start of your career, or a seasoned industry expert, networking is a vital component of your business. Why is networking so important? It connects you with other professionals, and the relationships you build become mutually beneficial such that two scenarios play out: they ask for assistance and you help, or you ask for assistance and they help. 

Here are five important networking tips that will help you grow your business. 

1. Focus on building and nurturing business relationships

The best way to build a relationship is to treat each contact as a real person. Do your research beforehand and strike up a conversation. Get to know what type of person they are. Regard their personal interests and find ways to relate to them. Do not be afraid to show vulnerability. However, exercise good judgment when choosing to be vulnerable. This can strengthen your relationship. Another great way to nourish relationship ties is to reach out and congratulate any awards, achievements and recognitions. Reach out on social media, send an email, or take a few minutes to congratulate them personally with a phone call. These quick and easy actions go a long way in nurturing business ties. It shows you care on a personal level and establishes trust and reliability.

2. Ask yourself, “How can I help?” Give, instead of take. 

Avoid the mistake of focusing on what they can do for you; instead, focus on what you can do for them. The best way to do this is to be a good listener. Learn about their values, passions, and what their needs are. Then, you can offer your assistance. Share your industry knowledge and expertise. A few great ways to share insight are speaking engagements via Zoom and in person, workshops, and blog posts. Another simple, yet highly efficient, way to help someone is to connect them with another person. Connecting professional contacts strengthens your network and shows people you are dependable. 

3. Send a handwritten thank you note

A handwritten note may seem like an outdated notion; however it can make a strong impression. A handwritten note expressing gratitude conveys to the recipient that they are valued. Do not worry about making the message long or elaborate. A heartfelt note is simple, genuine and specific. For instance, you can write, “Thank you for putting me in touch with [Name]. We met for coffee yesterday and it went well. I truly appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to coordinate this. We have scheduled another meeting later this week. I will keep you posted. Thank you. [Your Name]” A simple handwritten thank you leaves a positive and long lasting impression. The recipient of the note knows it took extra time and effort and, as a result, feels appreciated. 

4. Utilize LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most powerful business-to-business networking platform. First, make sure your profile is optimized. This means your profile picture, banner, and summary are professional. Second, create a strong presence by sharing content such as articles, or writing your own posts. Research shows longer content is shared more often than shorter content. According to Findstack.com, articles with approximately 1900 words and precisely 8 images are shared significantly more. Tagging people and organization pages is also a great way to garner views and impressions, as well as engaging with others in the comments section by thanking them, liking comments, and opening up the conversation. Finally, connect with other professionals in your industry and make sure to add a personalized note. Sending personalized messages is much more effective than sending an automated generic one. How can you personalize a message? Find ways in which you are similar. For example, do you have any shared interests? Shared experiences? Are you both members of a mutual group? Another approach is researching their work and then reaching out to discuss it. Did you find it interesting? Helpful? Did you learn something new? Or maybe you just want to reach out and let them know you really enjoyed it and would like to learn more. These are all great ways to expand your network. 

5. Always follow-up!

The most important networking advice is ensuring follow up. A quick check-in goes a long way, especially after an important business call, video or  in person meeting. It is a great way to say thank you, and reaffirm  any pending actions. It is also a practical way to stay in touch and nurture relationships. Schedule periodic follow-up reminders on your calendar. This will strengthen ties and lead to new business opportunities. 

Expanding your business may seem daunting, however, following these five simple steps will guide you in the right direction. Networking is powerful, and incorporating these strategies can lead to new opportunities and professional growth. 

The Importance of Branding in Public Relations

By Jasmine Salik

Proper branding combined with effective public relations (PR) can supercharge a business’ sales and customer loyalty. However, many entrepreneurs don’t spend enough time investing in brand development. This is especially true for small and medium-size businesses which are often short on staff and resources and may think branding is unnecessary. However, effective branding can benefit any business, no matter its size or budget. Branding is what sets your business apart from the competition.

The Importance of Branding

• Branding Defines Value

People often conflate brand and logo, but they are not the same. Logos are images that communicate the meaning behind a brand. A brand is a marketing strategy designed to get customers to associate a business and its products or services with a particular emotion, value or experience. It’s what a customer thinks and feels when they see a product and why they choose that one instead of its competitor.

• Branding Communicates a Clear Message

When a customer comes into contact with a brand, they receive information that elicits certain thoughts and emotions, even if they don’t realize it. Over time, these subtle messages become more real in the customer’s mind than the product or service itself.

• Branding Elicits Emotional Connection

Successful branding campaigns create and nurture emotional connections between a business and its customers. This connection generates customer loyalty.

• Branding Sets Expectations

When consumers buy into a brand, they often do so because it has met or exceeded their expectations. If the brand accomplishes this consistently, it will become synonymous in the mind of the consumer with that delivered value. The brand thereby becomes the very thing the customer wants to accomplish, feel or create.

Brand Development

Branding is a lot more than a logo. The Nike brand isn’t the “swoosh” and the McDonald’s brand isn’t the “golden arches”. The brand is what those images represent to customers. Consider how you feel when you encounter those brands and what you expect those companies’ products to deliver. What do you want customers to associate with your brand?

Once you’ve determined what your brand will be, you need to create a branding strategy. There are several approaches you can take depending on your goals. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• How Should I Position My Brand?

It’s important to create a clear and compelling message about your brand. Customers, especially those for whom the brand is new, must understand what the brand offers them. What problem will it solve or what benefit will it deliver? Who is it for?

Values are another important aspect of brand positioning. What does the brand mean in the marketplace and what would supporting the brand mean to the world?

• What Should the Brand Be Called?

What’s in a name? Quite a lot. Names should be appealing and communicate specific values. Names create a reaction. It can be positive, negative, or indifferent. Think about how you’d like your customers to react to your brand’s name and what values you’d like them to associate with it.

Research what other brand names are already on the market. What do they represent? What sort of name will consumers be drawn to and which names do you think might put them off? A good name is evocative and easy to remember. It communicates the specific values and benefits of the brand. You might want to choose a name you can build upon in the future.

For companies that operate in multiple countries, make sure the name translates easily and does not conjure up any undesirable ideas in the native languages of consumers in the markets served.

• What Are My Brand’s Colors?

Color is vital to branding. It’s one of the first things people notice about your brand. An effective color scheme is easier for people to remember than a name. Different colors elicit different ideas and feelings and can help companies communicate their brand’s message. The colors chosen to represent a brand can impact how consumers perceive and feel about a company.

Creating a Successful Rebranding Campaign

As companies evolve, they also have to evolve their branding to stay competitive. It could be that your brand’s aesthetic no longer accurately represents your products or values,. Or maybe you’re looking to expand the scope of your business beyond what the current brand covers.

Rebranding requires a marketing strategy that changes a brand’s corporate image. It typically involves creating a new name, logo, symbols, and other visual assets and marketing materials. The goal is to create a new identity in the minds of the target audience, such as prospective customers, employees, investors, competitors, and the general public.

The first step in a successful rebranding campaign is to review your company’s old mission, vision, and values. Before you can begin changing your brand, you have to understand what currently sets your brand apart from others, the unique values it brings to consumers, and the types of messages you’ve been promoting.

The next step is to create a marketing strategy that aligns with your company’s old branding. Although it might seem simpler to just tear up the existing branding and start from scratch, that can be expensive and time consuming. Many companies find it easier and cheaper to pursue partial rebranding, incorporating the existing brand assets into the new brand strategy.

Consistently updating your brand will help increase your company’s value by reinforcing its market position. That will in turn allow you to attract and retain more customers while also increasing the perceived value of your company’s products or services.

PR paired with great branding creates a perfect marketing powerhouse. PR professionals use various tactics to attract media interest in a brand and develop positive associations in the minds of consumers. This creates and maintains brand loyalty.

Three Ways to Position Yourself as a Thought Leader

By Jasmine Salik

A thought leader is a person or organization that becomes an authority on a subject by sharing educational content with their audience. The idea is to help people learn and make informed decisions, without strictly promoting the thought leader’s own products and services. It’s one of the best ways to build trust with your customers and potential clients.

Here’s why creating thought-leadership content is so powerful:

• You Become Part of the Conversation

Early in their purchasing journey, consumers typically research the best ways to meet their needs. If you can provide valuable content that helps them with that process, you’re presenting your company as a viable option to invest in. You also gain authority by offering genuinely useful information that isn’t obviously self-promotional.

• Your Audience Gets to Know Your Business

If your thought-leader information is among the first your customers come across, you’ll likely be top of mind as they consider what products or services to buy. The quality of the content can help frame your business’ reputation in the mind of the consumer, so it’s important to make sure it’s accurate and appropriate for your industry.

• Your Brand Gains Exposure

The more high-value information you put out, the more people will begin to associate you with a particular market. Brand awareness and reach are important for lead generation. You won’t get any customers if no one knows about you. Thought leadership is a great way to introduce yourself or your company to the world and get your brand out there.

• You Become More Engaged In Your Industry

From an industry standpoint, it never hurts to have your peers regard you as an authority in your field. When other companies see that you’re knowledgeable and capable, you earn their respect and attention. That can lead to partnerships, referrals, and greater exposure.

So how do you become a thought leader? Here are three ways you can position yourself as an authority within your industry:

1.       Share news, make announcements and celebrate success

Communicating news about what’s happening within your company demonstrates transparency and builds trust with your audience. Through press releases and/or your own blog, you can share news about changes to company leadership, the opening of new business locations, or the acquisition of a new brand, for example. You can even use your blog as a platform to explain the reasons behind big decisions at your company, or to share and celebrate in the success of your customers and partners. This communication makes your company appear more accessible and personable, helping your customers view you as more than a transaction.

2.       Engage with industry audiences via social media

Social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter allow both companies and individuals to engage in discussions about industry current events, challenges, and solutions. You can use these platforms to routinely post your own content, and to actively participate in social media conversations by reacting to, commenting on, and sharing posts from other people and brands within your network. Get your audience engaged in conversations about your content by asking for their opinions, responding to their questions, and developing additional content based on topics that come up.

Sharing corporate blog posts and individual posts from thought leaders in your company and within your industry can also help build a community. You can use social media to showcase your team’s expertise, including when they present at industry events and when they are mentioned in the press. Be consistent with your posting schedule and produce new content regularly. Posting once every three months, for example, won't be enough to build a reputation as a thought leader.

3.       Create content that’s about more than you

Amazing content is key to excellent thought leadership. Thought leaders don’t just talk about themselves, they generate content that is relevant to their target audiences even if it’s not directly relevant to their product or service. Examples of this include blogging about trends and upcoming challenges within your industry or providing actionable advice on how to solve a common problem many of your clients face.

To attract your target audience, make sure your content is valuable, educational, accurate, and entertaining. Your “angle” can be simple. You can take a stand against a common assumption that plagues your industry, make predictions about the future, or provide a new perspective on a regularly discussed topic. Whatever you write about, contribute to the ongoing dialogue in your field – either adding nuance to the discussion or taking it in a new direction entirely. This will usually require some research on your part to uncover an area where your voice can stand out.

Thought leadership shouldn’t be your entire content strategy – you’ll still need to create day-to-day promotional materials such as short blog posts and videos about your product or service, for example. Nevertheless, becoming a thought leader can take you and your business to a new level, and is worth the time and effort involved.  Deep, insightful content of this kind can help you steer and even reframe industry discussions on terms that ultimately support you and your business.

The Top Five Reasons Your Business Needs a PR Strategy

By Jasmine Salik

No matter how long you’ve been in business or what you sell, an investment in boosting the public’s perception of your company can reap outsized returns. That’s where a good public relations strategy can help.

What is a PR Strategy?

A public relations (PR) strategy is a collection of actions taken to generate publicity and coverage of your business in relevant media outlets. These could include industry publications, newspapers, television, podcasts, speaking engagements, and blogs or online reviews. This coverage spreads the word about your business, improves its recognition, and helps you create and maintain positive relationships with your target audience.

As any business owner knows, not all content resonates with the customers you want to reach. It’s important to know what kind of publicity will earn their trust and engagement.

The Three Types of Media Channels

There are three types of media channels: owned, paid, and earned. Owned media is the content you put out into the world on your business’ own platforms, including your company’s website and social media pages. Paid media is the content you pay other outlets to place and promote in order to gain exposure for your business. Earned media is content created by others about your business that you didn’t pay for. Earned media is special because it builds greater trust in your business than owned or paid media. It improves your company’s reputation because people trust what others say about you more than what you say about yourself.

A PR company specializes in securing earned media for your business in relevant outlets. This is accomplished through years of building and maintaining relationships in the media world.

The Top 5 Reasons Your Company Needs PR

1. To build brand awareness. The more people who know about your business, the better. That’s especially true when people are finding out about your company through trustworthy, earned media sources rather than paid-for advertising.

2. To gain credibility. PR helps build trust in your organization. It starts a public dialogue about you and gets people talking about your business. One goal of PR is to help you establish a solid brand identity through messaging that reflects your company’s values. Independent news stories about your business verified by a non-biased journalist are the ultimate way to prove your organization’s credibility.

3. To manage crises. When problems arise that impact the image of your business, a solid PR campaign can alleviate the harm done and restore your company’s standing.

4. To generate business leads. A good PR strategy will help generate sales. After implementing a successful PR campaign, potential customers know who you are, and have trust in your business and the values you represent. That means they’re more likely to seek you out when they need the product or service your company offers.

5. To attract investors. Appearing in the right media outlets at the right time with a great message lets investors know you’re a viable and worthwhile business that deserves their time and money. In this way, leveraging the power of a PR company can create additional wealth and opportunities for your business.  

The Goddard Company’s publicity services include media list curation, press release writing, news distribution to local, national, and international media outlets, and extensive online reputation management.

Going Global: Generating International Publicity

By Nyah Scott

Photo via Pexels.

When you think of the superpowers of the international news media circuit, you may think of outlets like the Associated Press, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, or the BBC. Reaching audiences around the world is any publicity professional’s dream, but they are faced with the reality of reminding some clients that global pickup can be one of the more challenging feats to achieve in PR.

…challenging, but not impossible.

With the tips in this blog, you can establish a strong baseline understanding of what is required to take you or your company’s news international.

Know your story.

Every story won’t get international pickup the same way that every story is not particularly newsworthy. News outlets, whether local or global, will always be drawn towards exciting, sensational, and impactful stories. The significance of the content of your news release must be proportional to the intended size of your audience. In simpler terms, the bigger the story, the wider the reach. This is the key to international public relations work, and with increased internet accessibility and online engagement with articles, your news release can surface in both the local paper and the foremost publication in your area of specialization in China, Poland, Brazil, Finland, and so on.

Know your audience.

An international audience is worthy of international news. This facet of international pickup ties in with knowing your audience. Microtargeting has just as much (if not more) power than macro-marketing. The oversaturation of content people will come across on their phones, on the streets, and in the private sphere is difficult to cut through without the right knowledge and tools— and that’s just when it comes to paid advertising. Seek out the specialty publications that may not be as big as AP or Reuters (publications that cover a much wider array of topics). People around the world will actively search for the kind of information you are sharing, and it will commonly lead them to specialty law, technology, realty, etc. publications that provide a more in-depth look at you or your company’s area of work.

Know what will resonate.

There is a hard but very real truth that most businesses and brand managers must eventually accept; local news will probably stay local.  The quality of how people engage with your content will always depend on how relevant your story is to their lives or their community. Fortunately, there are pockets of communities around the world interested in everything from mental health to drones. The online world lets even the smallest of business entities have a voice that can reach audiences around the globe if they can carefully curate stories that they know will resonate with the people they are targeting. All it takes is one share, a few translations, and an audience ready to read, watch, and listen to what you or your company has to say.

“Once Upon a Press Release…” Storytelling in Publicity

By Nyah Scott

Successful news stories are those that accomplish the presentation of objective facts or data in a gripping, attention-grabbing way, but what happens when the draw of the headline isn’t enough to keep audiences engaged? The key to publicity and disseminating information about you or your business’ news is attention-retention. Fortunately, the answer to unlocking the asset of attention-retention is a communication strategy that is basically in our DNA. Storytelling or narrative is one of the most effective ways to follow and remember information. Because humans are “cognitive misers” (i.e., we want to complete tasks with as little energy required), we are more willing to engage information that is easier to process. Storytelling makes a lot of otherwise uninspiring information, statistics, and updates more palatable and newsworthy…if done right.

“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic.”

– Seth Godin (Author and Former Dot Com Business Executive)

What Seth Godin summates in this quote perfectly encapsulates one of the basic parts of PR and news coverage. Personability and accessibility is best conveyed through humanistic aspects in your press release writing.

First, while upholding journalistic conventions, know your audience and what level of language they are receptive to; integrating jargon in your news story is okay if your intended audience understands the vocabulary. Second, make sure the information you are sharing is carefully curated. What you relay to the public is within your control, so make sure your story’s focus is not too broad and accompanied with meaningful details. Third, ensure that a connection is made between you and your audience by making your story relevant to their lives; tie your story into a bigger picture, whether it be current events (e.g. the passing of a new law, the effects of the pandemic, supporting small businesses) or historical precedent. Show consumers and potential clientele that you have a story worth reading that will supplement their lives in some way via information on a new topic or directing them towards a helpful product or service.

That “magic.” What’s your newsworthiness?

Being effective at publicity means acknowledging that not all news is newsworthy. While it may sound self-contradictory, the reality is not all your business updates will be picked up by national or international reporters seeking to get the juiciest scoop. The story of your recently hired employee may pale in comparison to the story of a local business raising thousands of dollars to donate to charity. Fortunately, these updates, ventures, and accomplishments (including new hires) can be tailored in a way to make them newsworthy. This is where storytelling “magic” comes into play. For the new hire example, frame the story with the update of the new employee joining the team, but flesh it out to include why this is a newsworthy milestone. Maybe the new hire is a born-and-raised local looking to give back to the community that raised them. Maybe they are highly accomplished in their field, elevating the status of your business and providing more professional input for your clientele. With the right PR experts at your disposal, each milestone and update can be made newsworthy via the power of narrative.

 Remember this…

Storytelling in publicity can be the difference between your business’ news being consistently picked up by far-reaching publications and being lost in the inboxes of publication editors. That “magic” is well within your reach.

The Goddard Company’s publicity services include media list curation, press release writing, (local, national, and international) and news distribution in addition to extensive online reputation management services.

Your PR New Year's Resolution

By Nyah Scott

One of the best New Year’s resolutions you could make for you and your business aside from increasing sales and clientele is expanding your PR. Exposure and recognition of your business in 2021 is vital to reaching your targeted audience. As award-winning PR expert, Jennifer Goddard Combs, says, “The difference between advertising and publicity are two four-letter words. Advertising is paid. Publicity is free.” The way to get that free publicity? Take matters into your own hands and capitalize on connections instead of relying exclusively on capital.

Make a List

Public relations is a dynamic practice, so your content should be just as dynamic. Casting your net wide allows you to see where your content is most effective and where it will get the most traction, so don’t go throwing all of your eggs into one basket by setting up a Facebook page and calling it a day. Free media is the best media, so don’t neglect any avenues of communication that could potentially bring in customers or clientele. While online platforms are easily accessible and can expand your reach to an international audience, always keep in mind that newspapers are far from obsolete. About a quarter of news consumers say that they still read print newspapers. Accessibility will always be there for newspapers, unlike an internet connection, but don’t neglect online news sources either. The same print newspapers probably operate digitally as well, with an increased number of mediums to share content online (text, pictures, video, audio recordings, etc.).

Also keep in mind that the reach of radio is a piece of publicity you should never take for granted. Reach out to local radio stations and see if they have an existing segment that pertains to your business, guest on different shows, or coordinate referrals to statewide or even nationwide radio station contacts. In summation, make a list of what sorts of publications you want to forward your publicity to, and pay close attention to where your content gets the most traction. Keeping track of your publicity’s effectiveness, specific to publication platform, as you go along makes sure that your points of reference for later are accurate and allow you to maximize reach on future publicity campaigns.

Check It Twice

Consistency in key in managing the publicity of your brand and / or business. Even if you or your business’ personal resources don’t allow for writing press-releases every week, making custom graphics, producing video packages, and formulating entire multimedia campaigns, you can start by reaching out to those who can expand your existing content into those other domains. Team up with a reliable PR firm, like us at The Goddard Company, and ensure that you content is forwarded to newspapers, online publications, video-oriented news sources, and independent contributors to international publications like Forbes or Business Insider. Follow-up is key. Content can get “lost in the shuffle.” Establishing contacts and following up to the appropriate extent can’t hurt you or your business and increases your chances of your content being shared from a source with audiences beyond your immediate followers. When your content is published, this third-party validation tells potential customers and clientele that you or your business are reliable and important enough to be worthy of coverage.

Don’t miss out on the opportunities (and revenue) that good publicity can provide. Will you stick to the New Year’s resolution of committing to improving your PR?

The Art of Content Curation

By Nyah Scott

LinkedIn Stories, an Instagram Shop tab, and now Twitter Fleets?! If you’re an avid social media user and utilize platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to promote your personal brand or business, you may have noticed that the apps and websites we’ve gotten to know so well are changing up their layouts and available features. As a working professional or business representative in the digital age, it’s vital to keep up with new social media features that can help you capitalize on expanding your online presence, build a solid customer base, and effectively manage publicity.

 Explore those new features.

In the latter half of 2020, top social media platforms have rolled out a number of new features that added to or even dramatically changed the layout and “feel” of the sites and applications. LinkedIn Stories (similar to Instagram and Snapchat Stories) can provide a lighthearted look into the average workday, establish a personable glimpse into the professional lives of those you’re “connected” with, or build rapport with your audience by answering field-specific questions. Corporate consultant and published workplace expert Lynn Taylor, summarizes the purpose of LinkedIn Stories to Business Insider saying, "Consider [Stories] as a living résumé or a living business card…If you were attending a networking event and you were handing out your business card, it wouldn't be a photo from your family album."

 On the other end of that spectrum (i.e. where you would be able to share a photo from your family album and similar content), Instagram Reels and Twitter Fleets are meant to be utilized more creatively and expressively to be more outwardly reflective of your personal or business’ brand. Create original content, re-share user-generated content, and unapologetically embrace the client base of your business. Once users are pulled in by your casual (yet properly branded) content, they’ll be more likely to visit your page or your business’ online Instagram shop that you can set up in Settings by linking your business’ Instagram to a Facebook page and uploading a product catalog for review.

Stick to appropriate curation.

Although these platforms may start to look more and more similar, don’t think you can share the same content and copy on all of them and expect the same traction and effectiveness. Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook should generally be reserved for longer information-oriented content and a higher level of professionalism presented than platforms like Instagram or Twitter. Instagram will continue to be (in essence) a photo-oriented platform, and Twitter will be a platform for conveying succinct information or messages that direct people to sources for more information.

Find your balance and see what sticks.

While the promise of getting ahead on the capitalization of new social media platform features may seem too enticing to pass up, make sure to be realistic about your resources, your time, and what sticks. If you’re representing a law firm, you probably won’t need to spend as much time making Instagram Reels as you would answering general legal questions on LinkedIn Stories, or if your clothing store employees spend time sharing Twitter Fleets and not updating content for your Instagram Shopping product catalog, that time may be misplaced. In the end, it all depends on what sticks. If your business gets significant traction from high-quality, creative Instagram Reels, LinkedIn Stories, or Twitter Fleets, and it brings more users to your page, the better!

Design Your Business Plan Before 2021

By Nyah Scott

Time is of the essence.

2020 has been a year of obstacles, overcoming hardship, and inspiring one another to find new ways to adapt to the ever-changing times. The year that felt like it would never end is finally coming to a close, but while you or your business were focused on navigating remote work or retaining clientele during the economic dip, were you keeping track of ideas and information for your 2021 business plan?

 If not, don’t fret. It is recommended that public entities and businesses begin to formulate their next 52-week business plan around the concluding months of the year, so if you catch this blog post early on, you’re on the right track.

 Past

If you or your business has not been doing this already, compile a readable review of your sales, deals, client /customer retention, comparative values against your year’s projections, and any other pieces of quantitative information relevant to your business. Check back on your old 52-week spreadsheet and see what goals you exceeded, barely met, or passed over entirely. Use this review to “calibrate” your goals for the upcoming year. While businesses usually number crunch in a collection of one “master” Excel sheet after another, creating a short recap of your past work that you can easily comprehend and reference years later will alleviate the stress of re-crunching the numbers when you need them later. Visualizers of data work perfectly for this– graphs, tables, and charts. Applications within Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, etc.), under Apple (Numbers, Pages, etc.), and other online computing and record-keeping platforms will usually offer data compilation into these visualizers, so you and your business won’t have to spend time crafting your own program for visual data output.

 Present

Time to plan. Talk with your team, break out that fresh 52-week spreadsheet, and determine your short-term and long-term goals. Some of these goals may include updating branding, curating new additions to your media list, restructuring your marketing strategy, maintaining healthy business relationships, or increasing customer engagement and retention. Don’t forget to seek support in establishing your plan for the new year. Collaborative efforts will always produce more fruitful brainstorming and thought-out plans. In simpler terms, PR firms are here to help! Avoid tunnel vision within your business by enlisting the help of firms like The Goddard Company to take a holistic approach to PR, marketing, and online reputation management.

 Future

With your updated business plan at hand, don’t allow the motivation felt at the end of this year dwindle as you enter the new year. In the era of low-cost marketing, the easiest way to build your business is staying in the public eye. Keep the “big picture” in mind while making sure your short-term tasks are manageable. It is a common occurrence that “New Year resolutions” lose steam by February or March. That is why consistency is key– consistency of goal completion, consistency of service or product quality, and consistency of effort.

The (Not-So) Secret Guide to Zoom Networking

By Nyah Scott

Photo by A. Shvets via Pexels

Wake up. Get some coffee in your system. Hop onto one Zoom meeting after another. Sleep. Repeat.

While this may be an extreme oversimplification of what working professionals may be experiencing during the time of COVID-19, it does hold some truth about how we’ve changed how our time is spent “at work,” communicating with co-workers, and networking. Most professionals are well-acquainted with the ups and downs of navigating a Zoom-oriented world, and with the limited ability to meet people face-to-face, some believe that the magic of networking and making genuine connections has been hindered.

This blog is here to explain how that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. Networking via Zoom and other digital conferencing platforms can be done easily and effectively with the right tips.

Be on Your (Triple) “A” Game. Attentive, Active, & Ahead of the Game.

Attentive | While easier said than done, paying attention to the conversation or content being shared in your Zoom meeting is the first and foremost step to creating a networking opportunity online. You can’t effectively take in the useful information of your peers and co-professionals if you’re too focused on how you look in your little self-view window or distracted by things to fidget with at your desk. Make it easy for yourself by setting up a Zoom environment that limits distractions at the outset, and most of all, know yourself.

Active | Speak when the discussion in opened, and facilitate discourse where need be. By speaking up or actively chatting as a moderator or as a non-moderating participant, you make yourself indispensable to the conversation and keeps your name in the minds of other attendees to look up and connect with afterward.

Ahead of the Game | While meeting participants may look up memorable names and faces after the call or webinar, see if there is an invitation list accessible to you or publicized information on the virtual event speaker. Take 10-15 minutes to skim over participants’ LinkedIn profiles or online biographies, and apply the information you collected to curate questions and inquiries tailored to the people you’re meeting with and make yourself memorable through your personalized conversation and interest in the fields specific to your fellow attendees.

 Be Visible!

Moderate meetings, volunteer to coordinate event speakers, or be a speaker yourself at trade-specific or networking webinars. There are plenty of ways to participate in webinars, from hosting / co-hosting to interacting in the chat ask insightful questions. Every virtual event is an opportunity to network, so don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there when appropriate.

 Build Cross-Platform Connections

Without face-to-face interactions and in-person follow-ups, connecting with people online has become more important than ever. Online connections solidify your presence in the digital circles of others. Get in the habit of sending personalized LinkedIn connection notes, follow the social media accounts of a business or brand from a webinar, and interact with the individuals or accounts to insert yourself into relevant discourse, building rapport with each like, comment, and share. Schedule one-on-ones with people of interest and ensure the longevity of your connections to open up the opportunity of collaborations and business offers in the future.

 Beware of Zoom-Fatigue

You can’t operate at your full networking potential if you’re physically or mentally exhausted. Scheduling back-to-back Zoom meetings all day or staying on a call for more than 90 minutes is bound to make you a victim of “Zoom fatigue.” Combat the draining effects of video-call-based meetings by allotting yourself time away from your devices, using phone calls or emails as means of communication where video call is unnecessary, and pick and choose your (Zoom) battles. Do not prolong meetings longer than needed, and during meetings, try clicking away from your self-view window, avoid multitasking, and reduce your overall cognitive load. Apply your energy effectively and efficiently.

Why Marketing is Important During a Pandemic

By Nyah Scott

The normalization of remote work is one of the many effects of the pandemic in regards to the professional world.

You and your business may still be feeling the lingering effects of the pandemic felt back in March when public spaces in the U.S. were shut down, nonessential services were instructed to close, and the general public was unsure of when they would return to “business as usual.” Eight months later, the pandemic still affects most facets of business management and the rest of the professional world. We’ve established new and innovative ways of interacting while physical distancing, and even more ways to diversify marketing strategies during a time when PR can make or break your brand or business.

Most consumers are online.

There was a significant uptick in average online daily traffic after quarantining and physically-distanced practices became more widespread. Investment into physical content, adorning storefronts, paying for billboards or bench ads pales in comparison to the investment you should be making into digitally-oriented marketing campaigns that capitalize on the platforms that have millions of users flock to them everyday (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) and even more niche online means of publication like digital trade magazines or collaboration with influencers relevant to your business or brand.

Most consumers are at home.

While physical accessibility became limited during the pandemic, locating audiences physically became easier. A greater dependency on mailing services came with consumers’ need to send and receive products and documents from the safety of their own homes. Online marketing campaigns and strategies can operate in conjunction with mail campaigns (yes, letter, envelope, and all). The transition of the “workplace“ from corporate buildings and business complexes to the home office or living room presents a newfound opportunity to reach potential customers and clients in a way that feels less invasive than sending content to someone’s personal residence pre-COVID. This phenomenon plays into the idea that businesses should be tailoring their marketing angles to be “COVID-conscious.” Integrate your products or services into the “home,” present them as something supplementary to working remotely, or formulate a way to extend what you or your business were able to accomplish pre-COVID beyond physical office spaces.

Most consumers are finding free time they didn’t have before.

Spare time to research a product or service increases the likeliness that possible customers and clientele will come into contact with your business. All it takes is one post on their personal feeds, one email in their inbox (post-expression-of-interest), or one search engine recommendation to initiate the exposure needed to widen the net cast over an audience that will commit their newfound free time to pursuing business with you or your company. With that pursuit in mind, it’s important to remember that your business is only as good as the presentation of your brand online, so make sure you convey to your audience that you’re committed to safe practices (e.g. remote accessibility,  safe / sanitized spaces, etc.).

 To sum it up…

Marketing and public relations are everything to a brand or business. In the age of remote work and quarantining, the return on investment for COVID-conscious media campaigns is greater than ever. It’s just up to you or your business to remember why marketing during the pandemic is important and take the first step to get closer to that untapped ‘return.’

Defining Online Reputation Management

By Nyah Scott

Google and Yelp reviews are just two of the many ways customers and clientele can leave feedback on you or your business.

With an onslaught of vague and overly-complex definitions of online reputation management (ORM) flooding the Internet, here’s a simple and straightforward explanation of one of the most essential parts of marketing in the digital age.

 “Online”

Being online = limitless reach. The Internet. The world wide web. The great digital expanse. Whatever you call the collection of online platforms, people, businesses, and entities interacting with one another every minute of every day, it’s easy to realize that having an online presence is vital to any person or organization’s marketing strategy. Being online entails access to any individual or entity with an internet connection, and it is up to you or your business to tap into that reservoir of users to bolster positive exposure and algorithmic prioritization.

 “Reputation”

The overall presentation of you or your business is key to attracting, obtaining, and retaining customers and clientele. If the initial online presentation of your brand is littered with negative feedback, controversial news coverage, or disparaging comments, it deters online users from being confident with engaging with you or your organization, and it will most likely keep dissatisfied users of the past from recommending you or your services to others. Online reputation is everything, especially in the time of remote work and quarantining during the pandemic. People will almost exclusively get their information online when seeking out a new product or service and trust the reviews of others to inform their own decisions.

 “Management”

ORM is distinctive from the general facets of public relations because it is rooted in the reactive. Most people and businesses are focused on creating and sharing content and information that they create and they disseminate on their own, but online content and information generated by customers is equally if not more important than that self-generated media. What you share about you or your business online unprompted by outside inquiry is public relations, a proactive way of forming your online presence. What you share about you or your business in response to customers or clientele is ORM, a reactive way of moderating the buzz around your brand. Management can look like monitoring where your audience can leave reviews or directly comment on your business, responding quickly and thoughtfully to any negative comments or press, and remedy any damage done to your brand through social media campaigns or sharing toolkits with company representatives that help them in effectively replying to potential external negativity.

 Your online reputation will not remain a positive face of you or your business without management. Initial bad press or reviews, if not addressed early and directly, will only exacerbate negative sentiment towards your organization. Through efficient ORM, your audience will see how dedicated you are to transparency and accessibility. You can find a balance in management of valid criticism to help improve your products or services and unwarranted purposefully defamatory remarks which should be removed. ORM can help curate your online presence with positive content you and your customers create, establishing a collaborative effort in expanding your brand that will put you or your business on the screens of people far and wide.

How to #Hashtag

By Nyah Scott

Photo via Pixabay.

Hashtags and their prevalent use on social media came soon after businesses and content-creators realized they could use the elusive pound sign (#) as a gateway to bigger online communities, find relevant content, and build an easily-discoverable online presence.

What is a hashtag?

A hashtag is a word or phrase (with no spaces in between words) preceded by the ‘#’ sign. Usable on the biggest social media platforms of our day (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.), hashtags are “live,” clickable words or phrases that bundle posts tagged with the same hashtags into one feed of relevant content. They are used by businesses to expand the reach of their online content beyond their immediate followers. Users who don’t follow a business’ account can follow specific hashtags where content of interest is aggregated.

What kind of hashtags should you use?

The most effective hashtags on any social media platform are 1) short, simple, and readable, 2) relevant to the content being shared, and 3) not too general or too specific.

1)  When it comes to general hashtags, a simple and readable hashtag will gain more online traction than a long and convoluted one. For example, there will be more content populating “#Vote” in comparison to “#MakeSureToVoteInNovember.” Adding hashtags that are relevant to your business and brand are key to drawing in an audience that is seeking products or services you can provide. Adding irrelevant hashtags clutters your caption or comments section, and it may create some sense of deception that some audiences will not respond positively to.

2)  Find the hashtags that your community members are already using instead of attempting to insert your business elsewhere. For example, a post about a law firm would gain more traction under the “#LawyerLife” than it would under “#CatsOfInstagram” (even if the “Cats” hashtag is more populated).

3)  Finally, finding a balance between generality and specificity is key to building a recognizable online brand and tracking the effectiveness of your business’ online reach. To continue our last example, a law firm may opt to tag their post with “#Lawyer” over “#Law” or “Business” because the two latter tags may not be specifically reserved for lawyers, attorneys, or legal practitioners. However, creating hashtags that are too specific may not generate enough traffic to reach other users. In this case, only using “#JohnDoeLLPLawyers,” although more accurately representative of the firm, will not increase engagement on a post because of its hyper-specificity. However, once you have a big enough online presence, you can create a personalized hashtag that users can add to their posts, producing potential user-generated content.

How do you use hashtags effectively?

The effectiveness of hashtags varies from one social media platform to another. The success of a post seems to be most contingent upon the number of hashtags utilized and the way in which those hashtags are packaged. On Twitter, it is best to keep hashtags to a minimum, not only to save space in the allotted number of characters per tweet (280) but also in light of the pattern that tweets with 1-2 hashtags are more effective than those with four or more hashtags. The effectiveness of hashtags on Instagram is nearly opposite to what is recommended for Twitter. On Instagram, posts with 5-15 hashtags have a higher probability of extended reach than posts with one or two hashtags. For Facebook and LinkedIn, hashtags should be used sparingly because platforms like these are almost exclusively based on user-curated content (i.e. users are there for content coming specifically from friends or people they’ve actively sought out to connect with). In conclusion, using 1-2 relevant hashtags works best on Facebook and LinkedIn. For all the platforms mentioned, try to incorporate your hashtags in a way that makes sense for your post. For example, a post that reads “Our company is expanding its business consulting services to Northern California!” could integrate a hashtag right into the description— “Our company is expanding its #BusinessConsulting services to Northern California!” This method saves characters and makes your post concise, as opposed to writing “Our company is expanding its business consulting services to Northern California! #BusinessConsulting.” For hashtags that don’t fit into a pre-determined post, you can just add them at the end, with some separation from the main text.

Remember this…

Hashtags, if utilized properly, can expand a business’ reach into communities where their products and services are actively sought by users and potential clientele. They allow your content to show up on the feeds of individuals who express explicit interest in the topics relevant to your company or brand.

Why Instagram? A Beginner’s 5 Step Guide to Excelling Online

By Nyah Scott

Founded in 2010, Instagram has since grown to become one of the top social media platforms in the world.

Expanding your online presence is one of the best ways to spread information about your business and reach potential customers and clientele. With over one billion monthly users and user-friendly in-app business tools, Instagram continues to be a prime social media platform for individuals and businesses alike. During the current pandemic, there are restrictions that limit networking in-person. By sharing relevant content on Instagram, users can establish a manageable online presence that piques the interests of consumers and clientele and directs them to your business.

1)      Set up a business profile.

By setting up your Instagram page as a Business Profile, you will be given access to analytical tools and statistics that can help you better understand your audience, how to engage them, and how effective your content is. As a Business profile, you can include “Buttons” or clickable contact information in your bio that streamlines the process of connecting your business and users. The ‘Insights’ feature offers statistics about how many accounts your posts are reaching, how many users visited your profile from your posts, and other metrics that are only available for Business or Creator profiles. Creator profiles are usually reserved for individuals building a brand around themselves while Business profiles are reserved for (…you guessed it) businesses and organizations.

2)      Take time curating your feed.

Instagram is a photo-oriented platform. The content you share should be visually appealing enough that users are enticed to like, share, and comment on your posts. Make sure the photos, videos, and graphics on your feed are cohesive in quality or share a recognizable part of your branding. Filters, colors, and logos are some of the easiest ways to make your business’ posts recognizable as users scroll down their personal feeds. Diversify your content where need be, but make sure the visual aspect of the information you are sharing aligns with your business’ brand.

3)      Engage with your target audience.

Responding to comments and direct messages (DMs) provide an opportunity to not only share more information about your business but to show your followers and potential profile viewers that your business is an accessible and personable entity. Interact with the accounts you follow by liking photos and even sharing relevant content that you are tagged or mentioned in. Should you come across a post from another user that you want to share with your audience, you can repost it onto your feed (with credit to the original poster) or share it onto your Instagram Story.

4)      Make the algorithm work in your favor.

Having a basic understanding of the current Instagram algorithm can be an asset to any business. While posts are no longer displayed chronologically on users’ personal feeds, there are tips that can help your content be seen by a greater number of people. The algorithm rewards activity and interaction. Posting consistently, using appropriate hashtags in your posts, tagging relevant profiles on your photos, and homing in on your top performing content (by checking Insights) are just a few ways to expand the reach of your content. Interacting with other users by liking, commenting, sharing, or saving their posts will also signal to the algorithm that your business is a priority in the feeds of your followers and the accounts you are following.

5)      Don’t shy away from cross-platform content sharing.

Instagram has a feature that allows users to share posts to other platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Traffic can be directed from one platform or another depending upon the content you share. Directly sharing your Instagram posts onto another platform will not only diversify your media presence but alleviate the potential stress of constant content output. In simpler terms, work smarter not harder.

Conclusion

With these tips, your business can begin to create a successful Instagram profile that you can utilize to reach prospective customers and clientele while solidifying your online presence on the ever-growing platform that is Instagram.