Businesses have long been guilty of relying on the somewhat antiquated product PR model to attract consumers. It’s time to step-up the game!
PR is more than simply pitching product news; it’s about generating communication that influences brand perception and awareness.
To be a successful business, it’s necessary to review your PR stance; you can no longer place all the emphasis on product to attain consumer loyalty, it’s about creating an emotional connection with your consumer.
We live in an age dominated by sophisticated consumers that seek more than mere product. To succeed in this marketplace, the need exists for a business to act as a conduit through which ideas flow. It’s about creating conversation.
While products still remain at the heart of the ‘conversation’, they do not and most certainly should not, form the basis of the PR effort.
It’s about leveraging the power of integrated media to conduct the conversation. Such communication initiatives should not be seen as a side effect of the PR effort, but should be assumed the very point of them.
Public Relations provides the means to encourage dialogue, form opinion, and spur change. Used well it should also act to defy the oft’ faceless company doing random deeds just to ‘look good’. It’s all about forming genuine emotional connections, on a human level, to create a more authentic brand with a high level of consumer loyalty and commitment.
By becoming a conduit for communication about bigger messages, businesses can heighten the aspirations of their consumers. When a business acts in its customers’ emotional interests, it builds a far stronger and more resilient business.
The key is honesty. The conversation must relate specifically to your company and come from within. A manufactured cause won’t work. If you’re able to identify ideas and issues that are true to the business and its founders, they’ll be real to your consumers too; you’ll find common ground and the interactions that follow will become powerful tools to secure your brand’s market position and longevity.
Brands such as Dove successfully tapped into a core section of their market, with a message not about deodorant or soap, but a drive on positive body image, the 'Self Esteem Project'. It’s something their target market could associate with and discuss. It was the conversation starter; the conduit. The campaign has since driven much interaction between consumer and brand, and thus generated an alliance that is far stronger than a product alone could ever achieve.
PR done well can’t be measured purely on the number of press clippings, but are best represented by the opportunities provided to converse with your consumer.
It can be all too easy to become reliant on new products to aid the PR initiative but it’s becoming increasingly necessary to develop this, and ensure that the product is the secondary focus.
Publicity services for businesses and brands targeting the family market
Facebook: Hello New Year, Goodbye Organic Reach!
Facebook algorithms have been playing havoc with the proverbial ‘organic’ reach (unpaid) of brand page posts for quite some time. Until now, a typical Facebook page might enjoy an organic reach of up to 16% of their total fan base, with reports suggesting this to be as low as 2% in some cases. This organic reach is ultimately governed by the quality of posts, according to preordained algorithms at play; like counts, story bumping, etc.
Last year, Facebook announced another substantial change which is being implemented this month (January 2015), one which will see the demise of organic reach almost in its entirety. This latest change will influence the kind of content fans and followers will see from the brands they follow. It is set to have wide reaching impact, especially amongst smaller businesses which have traditionally relied upon organic posts to drive their business. Even Dan Levy, Facebook’s Small Business Vice President, is quoted as having ‘a lot of empathy’ for business owners negatively affected by this change.
What’s behind the change?
In their November 2014 statement, Facebook said they had surveyed thousands of people to find out what they want to see in their News Feeds. Facebook learned that people want to see more stories from friends and pages they care about, and less promotional content.
What qualifies as a post that is ‘too promotional’?
According to Facebook, it’s one of the following three things:
1. Posts that solely push people to buy a product or install an app
2. Posts that push people to enter promotions and sweepstakes with no real context
3. Posts that reuse the exact same content from ads
The new algorithm will determine the posts seen by users based upon trending topics, as well as the time and rate when people like or comment on posts:
Trending Topics – Facebook currently displays a list of topics and hashtags that have recently spiked in popularity on Facebook aka 'trending'. This list is personalised based on a number of factors, including Pages you've liked, your location and what's trending across Facebook.
Timing – Rather than simply relying on the ‘like count’ of a post, Facebook now considers when people ‘liked’ and commented to determine whether to show the post at the top of the news feed.
How will this affect Facebook Advertisers?
This change will not increase the number of ads people see in their news feeds. The idea is to increase the relevance and quality of the overall stories – including page posts – people see in their news feeds.
Businesses with Facebook advertising campaigns in place that enable them to expand reach won’t be greatly affected. However, companies that rely heavily on organic posts to increase their reach may wish to reconsider their advertising strategy, as Return on Investment (ROI) of this approach may become insufficient to justify the time required to succeed in Facebook marketing. This represents a serious issue, especially if Facebook is one of your main sources of online sales.
Surviving the Change
According to Facebook, you should stick to posting strong content that’s relevant to your audience - not try to ‘game’ the news feed algorithm.
Do:
- Posts that generate lots of likes and/or comments
- Experiment and evaluate the types of posts your users prefer e.g. photos, videos, or status updates
- Posts that reference a trending topic
- Link posts
- Videos uploaded to Facebook that receive a large number of views or extended viewing duration
- Posts that tag other pages within the text
- Posts that are liked or commented on by one’s friends
- Posts from pages that one interacts with often
- Post types that one interacts with often
- Posts from pages with complete profile information
- Posts from pages where the fan base overlaps with the fan base of other known high-quality pages
- Images and videos that have not previously appeared in the Open Graph
- Links that have not been posted before
Don’t:
- Clickbait – Content which drives attention and draws visitors to a particular web page. A couple of ways Facebook determines clickbait include: If a user clicks through to a link and then comes straight back to Facebook. If a lot of people click on the link, but relatively few people click Like or comment on the story when they return to Facebook
- Frequently circulated content and repeated posts
- Like-baiting - Posts explicitly asking users to take an action on the post like commenting, sharing, or liking. These posts tend to get greater engagement but Facebook users don’t associate these posts with quality.
- Posts that include spammy links
- Text-only status updates from pages
- Posts that are frequently hidden or reported (a sign of low quality)
- Posts that contain the words ‘like’, ‘comment’, or ‘share’
- Posts with unusual engagement patterns (a like-baiting signal)
- Posts that receive negative feedback categorises as ‘meme content’
- Posts that are classified as memes by Facebook’s visual analysis of overlayed text on image
- Passive fans of a particular Facebook page may see that page’s posts bundled together in the News Feed, such that the user would need to click a link to see more from the page.
- Overly promotional content from pages - pushing people to buy an app or service, pushing people to enter a contest or sweepstakes, posts that reuse the same text from ads
The Alternatives
Here are some suggestions of alternative marketing tools you can utilise to stay engaged with your Facebook audience.
Email Marketing – Email Marketing remains one of the most successful forms of organic marketing for businesses. Ideally you have been action-gating (campaigns requiring users to share specific information) to collect email addresses from people who have entered your promotions. If you haven’t tried action-gating to build an email list, don’t waste time!
Host promotions, giveaways and other campaigns on your website – Unlike Facebook where you’re effectively borrowing space on their site, your website is your own, an asset unique to your brand. The good news is that it’s pretty simple to host the kinds of campaign that you may have been hosting on Facebook, through your website or blog by using software that lets you embed the campaigns.
Explore other social networks - If your business has been reliant on Facebook and you've been dragging your feet about establishing a presence elsewhere, 2015 is the year to expand your horizons. Social media platforms such as Pinterest & Instagram have experienced rapid growth in popularity, not forgetting Twitter of course. Do your research, and discover where your customers are spending their time. Make sure you have a strategy for each network and you aren’t just spreading the same message around. Your audience will be more likely to follow you in different places, which means you have a better chance of catching their attention, if you provide value everywhere.
Keep on top of traditional PR methods – Media Releases, Blogger Outreach, InBlog Posts, etc.
Advertise - If you've advertising budgets available and consider Facebook a vital part of your marketing strategy, it would be well worth considering assigning a portion of this to advertising through Facebook.
How do you feel about these latest algorithm changes? Do you think Facebook has made the right choice?
An Integrated Approach to PR
The communications landscape has never before seen the level of diversity that exists today. What began as an ‘experiment’ back in 1981 (see below), has led to a revolution in how we attain and consume news. With worldwide, 24/7 access, available through a multitude of digital devices, the ability to consume information has never been so easy. But with this, comes an increased pressure on modern PRs to deliver an integrated approach.
As the internet becomes the ‘go to’ for sourcing information, products and suppliers – and none more so than within the family marketplace, where mothers are still amongst the main consumers of digital media - so too, does PR become as much about populating the web with compelling content, as it does about generating traditional press coverage; managing reputation and image through all available platforms.
Lil’ Spin works across media platforms, encompassing traditional, digital and social media, to ensure messages are delivered to those that need to hear it, and here’s why:
Online image
Gone are the days where one could afford to be complacent with their online presence. Now, every credible company needs to be on-top of their website and adopting social media or else risk looking out of touch and, worse still, lose custom. Where once the realms of the internet sat strictly in the hands of HTML coders, now PR plays a fundamental role: developing strong SEO-led copy for web-pages and engaging content for social media.
Social value
If you’ve ever had any doubts about social media, it’s time to reconsider. According to research, 40% of social media users have purchased an item online or in-store after interacting on a social network i.e. Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. At least 50% of those purchases have been made within a week of that interaction. Indeed, it’s reported that a majority of social media users now prefer to connect with brands through Facebook, and over half of Twitter users recommend companies or products via Tweets.
Credibility
Traditional media outlets still have a big advantage over their digital media rivals - the value of the tangible, printed hard-copy still outranks that of digital media, even if only in perception alone. Whilst the readership figures of traditional media might be half that of a digital counterpart, their readers are invested into that media, especially if they’ve paid to receive copies; generating a more loyal readership, thus adding credibility to their editorial content.
Visibility
Digital exposure can work on multiple levels, not only increasing awareness and exposure for the brand but also with aiding search-engine visibility and organic results. Digital stories also have longevity and can remain on servers for far longer than a print copy might stay on a desk or coffee table - it should be remembered that this will be the case with both positive and negative stories.
Consumer Journalism
Blogs now reign dominant in the realms of consumer journalism, and none more so than within the nursery sector, where there are currently in excess of 6k active parent bloggers. Existing media outlets have already integrated consumers into news reporting. The Huffington Post is amongst the pioneers, regularly publishing bloggers’ posts since its inception back in 2005, whilst other media outlets allow consumers to comment and add to news reports. This interactive form of consumer journalism is the modern day answer to traditional Word-Of-Mouth (WOM) and it can be one of the most effective methods of gaining traction for specific PR messages. For further information about the value of blogs why not revisit our post: The Importance of Mummy Blogs: Mummy Blog Savvy
If you require assistance or advice with the best way to implement an integrated approach to your PR, why not get in touch with Lisa at Lil' Spin for a free consultation. t. 0845 257 1479 e. pr@lilspin.co.uk
As the internet becomes the ‘go to’ for sourcing information, products and suppliers – and none more so than within the family marketplace, where mothers are still amongst the main consumers of digital media - so too, does PR become as much about populating the web with compelling content, as it does about generating traditional press coverage; managing reputation and image through all available platforms.
Lil’ Spin works across media platforms, encompassing traditional, digital and social media, to ensure messages are delivered to those that need to hear it, and here’s why:
Online image
Gone are the days where one could afford to be complacent with their online presence. Now, every credible company needs to be on-top of their website and adopting social media or else risk looking out of touch and, worse still, lose custom. Where once the realms of the internet sat strictly in the hands of HTML coders, now PR plays a fundamental role: developing strong SEO-led copy for web-pages and engaging content for social media.
Social value
If you’ve ever had any doubts about social media, it’s time to reconsider. According to research, 40% of social media users have purchased an item online or in-store after interacting on a social network i.e. Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. At least 50% of those purchases have been made within a week of that interaction. Indeed, it’s reported that a majority of social media users now prefer to connect with brands through Facebook, and over half of Twitter users recommend companies or products via Tweets.
Credibility
Traditional media outlets still have a big advantage over their digital media rivals - the value of the tangible, printed hard-copy still outranks that of digital media, even if only in perception alone. Whilst the readership figures of traditional media might be half that of a digital counterpart, their readers are invested into that media, especially if they’ve paid to receive copies; generating a more loyal readership, thus adding credibility to their editorial content.
Visibility
Digital exposure can work on multiple levels, not only increasing awareness and exposure for the brand but also with aiding search-engine visibility and organic results. Digital stories also have longevity and can remain on servers for far longer than a print copy might stay on a desk or coffee table - it should be remembered that this will be the case with both positive and negative stories.
Consumer Journalism
Blogs now reign dominant in the realms of consumer journalism, and none more so than within the nursery sector, where there are currently in excess of 6k active parent bloggers. Existing media outlets have already integrated consumers into news reporting. The Huffington Post is amongst the pioneers, regularly publishing bloggers’ posts since its inception back in 2005, whilst other media outlets allow consumers to comment and add to news reports. This interactive form of consumer journalism is the modern day answer to traditional Word-Of-Mouth (WOM) and it can be one of the most effective methods of gaining traction for specific PR messages. For further information about the value of blogs why not revisit our post: The Importance of Mummy Blogs: Mummy Blog Savvy
If you require assistance or advice with the best way to implement an integrated approach to your PR, why not get in touch with Lisa at Lil' Spin for a free consultation. t. 0845 257 1479 e. pr@lilspin.co.uk
Choosing the right PR Agency
There are many things to consider when embarking on the process of appointing a PR agency to handle your affairs: local or national, specialist or cross-market, large or small and so on.
To help you get a handle on things, here are a few points to consider…
To appoint, or not to appoint a PR agency?
A fresh pair eyes equals a new perspective
You and your colleagues may have been mulling over the wording of that press release, or how best to pitch to a journalist for a while, without being able to give the pitch the edge it needs. A PR agency will be able to look at your business with fresh eyes, a new perspective and a greater level of objectivity. Any PR agency worth their salt, will be adept at delivering stories that are likely to generate interest and will spot those opportunities which you may have missed.
PR’s have invaluable media connections
If you are looking to generate publicity quickly, you will need the expertise of an agency who has a network of connections in the media. Whilst building relationships with journalists is possible, it does take time. A PR agency will come with those relationships already in place; each agency to varying degrees.
Valuable writing skills
Public Relations professionals are good writers - it is a core part of their job requirement. Their talent in the art of writing, and subsequent way with words, can make anything (i.e. you, your business or your product) sound like the best thing the world has ever seen. Whilst a talent for the written word may not be one of your strongest skill-sets, it is an imperative that any media release being pitched to the media is well written.
Time
The exercise of PR is extremely time consuming and one that cannot be completed effectively if you’re not fully committed to the task. Employing an agency will mean a set proportion of time is attributed to your account to achieve the goals you have set in place, meaning that your PR affairs are never neglected.
Cross-Market Agency Vs. Specialist Agency
Jack of all trades, master of none
A cross-market PR agency may be a master of integration and possess just enough knowledge of many market sectors to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manner. However, a specialist PR agency is an expert in their field and often has extensive knowledge, ability and proven experience in that sector.
Greater knowledge of the sector
Every industry has its niche, none more so than that of the family/kids market sector. Specialist PR agencies will have the edge here. They should be familiar with industry movements, your competitors and be the first to know of great opportunities to help propel your business forward.
Communicating effectively with the audience
Understanding the audience you’re targeting is equally important, especially with the social networks proving so prolific in the spreading of messages.
Contacts
A specialist PR will have built-up a strong and reliable source of sector specific contacts. They’ll know who the 'Movers & Shakers' are and how to pitch your brand/business/products effectively. This list of contacts may prove invaluable when exposing opportunities for your business.
Investment
A specialist PR is likely to invest heavily in the very best PR resources specifically for their sector.
Local or National Agency?
This really depends upon what you’re hoping to achieve. A PR agency with a local focus will be able to deliver strong local PR opportunities. If however, you’re looking for a campaign that delivers nationally, it goes without saying a PR agency with a national focus will be much more beneficial in helping achieve your goal. Nationally focused agencies will be familiar with working alongside national media outlets as well as the regional titles and whilst their ‘local’ connections may not be quite as strong, with the correct contacts and pitch they shouldn’t struggle to deliver.
Small Vs. Large Agency?
Smaller working teams
Small teams can often benefit a business or brand in terms of, (a) chemistry with the client, (b) enthusiasm for the brand and products, and (c) level of priority – you’re much more likely to feel like you are a key priority with a small team.
Personal approach
Typically, larger PR agencies will leave the pitch process to founding/executive members of the team. Once they've won your account, it'll be handed over to a lesser experienced ‘Account Executive/Manager’. In contrast, smaller PR agencies tend to provide a much more hands-on and personal approach to your PR affairs.
Lower overheads
Smaller agencies are more likely to have lower overheads and this will impact the fees they charge to their clients.
If your business targets the family market (children/parents/families) and you are considering taking on the services of a PR agency, contact Lisa at Lil' Spin for a free consultation. t. 0845 257 1479 e. pr@lilspin.co.uk
To help you get a handle on things, here are a few points to consider…
To appoint, or not to appoint a PR agency?
A fresh pair eyes equals a new perspective
You and your colleagues may have been mulling over the wording of that press release, or how best to pitch to a journalist for a while, without being able to give the pitch the edge it needs. A PR agency will be able to look at your business with fresh eyes, a new perspective and a greater level of objectivity. Any PR agency worth their salt, will be adept at delivering stories that are likely to generate interest and will spot those opportunities which you may have missed.
PR’s have invaluable media connections
If you are looking to generate publicity quickly, you will need the expertise of an agency who has a network of connections in the media. Whilst building relationships with journalists is possible, it does take time. A PR agency will come with those relationships already in place; each agency to varying degrees.
Valuable writing skills
Public Relations professionals are good writers - it is a core part of their job requirement. Their talent in the art of writing, and subsequent way with words, can make anything (i.e. you, your business or your product) sound like the best thing the world has ever seen. Whilst a talent for the written word may not be one of your strongest skill-sets, it is an imperative that any media release being pitched to the media is well written.
Time
The exercise of PR is extremely time consuming and one that cannot be completed effectively if you’re not fully committed to the task. Employing an agency will mean a set proportion of time is attributed to your account to achieve the goals you have set in place, meaning that your PR affairs are never neglected.
Cross-Market Agency Vs. Specialist Agency
Jack of all trades, master of none
A cross-market PR agency may be a master of integration and possess just enough knowledge of many market sectors to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manner. However, a specialist PR agency is an expert in their field and often has extensive knowledge, ability and proven experience in that sector.
Greater knowledge of the sector
Every industry has its niche, none more so than that of the family/kids market sector. Specialist PR agencies will have the edge here. They should be familiar with industry movements, your competitors and be the first to know of great opportunities to help propel your business forward.
Communicating effectively with the audience
Understanding the audience you’re targeting is equally important, especially with the social networks proving so prolific in the spreading of messages.
Contacts
A specialist PR will have built-up a strong and reliable source of sector specific contacts. They’ll know who the 'Movers & Shakers' are and how to pitch your brand/business/products effectively. This list of contacts may prove invaluable when exposing opportunities for your business.
Investment
A specialist PR is likely to invest heavily in the very best PR resources specifically for their sector.
Local or National Agency?
This really depends upon what you’re hoping to achieve. A PR agency with a local focus will be able to deliver strong local PR opportunities. If however, you’re looking for a campaign that delivers nationally, it goes without saying a PR agency with a national focus will be much more beneficial in helping achieve your goal. Nationally focused agencies will be familiar with working alongside national media outlets as well as the regional titles and whilst their ‘local’ connections may not be quite as strong, with the correct contacts and pitch they shouldn’t struggle to deliver.
Small Vs. Large Agency?
Smaller working teams
Small teams can often benefit a business or brand in terms of, (a) chemistry with the client, (b) enthusiasm for the brand and products, and (c) level of priority – you’re much more likely to feel like you are a key priority with a small team.
Personal approach
Typically, larger PR agencies will leave the pitch process to founding/executive members of the team. Once they've won your account, it'll be handed over to a lesser experienced ‘Account Executive/Manager’. In contrast, smaller PR agencies tend to provide a much more hands-on and personal approach to your PR affairs.
Lower overheads
Smaller agencies are more likely to have lower overheads and this will impact the fees they charge to their clients.
If your business targets the family market (children/parents/families) and you are considering taking on the services of a PR agency, contact Lisa at Lil' Spin for a free consultation. t. 0845 257 1479 e. pr@lilspin.co.uk
Digit-All Change
Following the news that Junior Magazine (part of Immediate Media Co’s stable of parenting titles) has closed its print publication, opting for a purely digital presence only, I thought it apt to revisit the current trends in digital media usage.
We live in a world that is increasingly mobile in digital arenas (no pun intended!): we shop online, socialise online, game online, watch TV online, etc. It’s inevitable that we are going to want to consume our media online too.
In my post ‘The PR Mix’, I wrote how mothers in particular are amongst the main consumers of digital media. As a mother myself I can relate to this; much of my news and information is sourced online – it’s convenient, often free, up-to-the-minute, and you can search multiple topics easily.
According to a recent news report by The Guardian, a global analysis of ‘How Consumers Spend Their Media Time’, a study by GlobalWebIndex cited by Warc, finds that people around the world now spend more time with digital than traditional media.
The study, based on responses from more than 32,000 internet users in 31 countries found that 5.6 hours or 57% of daily media consumption, was dedicated to digital, including social media and mobile internet usage.
Interestingly, it would seem that mobile technology has also had a significant influence over digital media consumption. A report, covering 14 countries, released by InMobi demonstrates that growth of mobile media is constantly reshaping media consumption habits:
- Globally mobile ranks first in media consumption with 1.8 hours a day, outpacing TV (1.5 hours), PCs (1.6 hours) and any other channel.
- 50% of the average global mobile web users now use mobile as either their primary or exclusive means of going online.
It seems that the film industry too has been quick to play their digital media card as The Daily Telegraph journalist Mick Brown pointed out in a recent interview with The Guardian, stating that he has witnessed a decline in the value that the film industry place upon ‘traditional’ media and are instead investing more of their PR campaign into digital and social media.
Many media outlets have now adopted a ‘best of both’ approach - broadcasting news both online and in print. Some have (controversially) begun to capitalise on this new digital media movement, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who has already introduced a Paywall system to The Times and is reported to be doing the same with The Sun later this year.
Traditional Vs. Digital
With the rise of citizenship journalism, it is important to consider whether the digital media is a credible and trustworthy resource. As I touched on in my earlier post ‘PR Misconceptions’, when you receive a piece of editorial about your brand/product, it generates a level of credibility with the reader. The higher they rate the media, the higher the perceived credibility of the brand/product. For example, if you read about a ‘flying pig’ online, you’d probably be far more cynical about the story than if you’d read it in, say, The Daily Telegraph national newspaper.
Traditional media outlets still have a big advantage over their digital media rivals - the value of the tangible, printed hard-copy still outranks that of digital media, even if only in perception alone. Whilst the readership figures of traditional media might be half that of a digital counterpart, their readers are invested into that media especially if they’ve paid to receive copies; generating a more loyal readership, thus adding credibility to their editorial content.
On the flip side, digital exposure can work on multiple levels, not only increasing awareness and exposure for the brand but also with aiding search-engine visibility and organic results. Digital stories also have longevity and can remain on servers for far longer than a print copy might stay on a desk or coffee table.
What can we deduce from this?
I think it’s safe to say that it’s no mystery that digital media is the way of the future. For all those sceptics and old-school PRs that believed it was a fad, here’s looking at you! I have always believed it is the responsibility of any publicist worth their salt to communicate messages across multiple platforms; both digital and traditional. This research, while compelling, doesn’t mean it’s time to ditch ‘traditional’ and go digital. What it does mean is that it’s time to embrace the digital media age - where once it might have been a nice boost to the ego to see your name in ‘print’, it is no longer wise to dismiss the value of digital media coverage garnered.
We live in a world that is increasingly mobile in digital arenas (no pun intended!): we shop online, socialise online, game online, watch TV online, etc. It’s inevitable that we are going to want to consume our media online too.
In my post ‘The PR Mix’, I wrote how mothers in particular are amongst the main consumers of digital media. As a mother myself I can relate to this; much of my news and information is sourced online – it’s convenient, often free, up-to-the-minute, and you can search multiple topics easily.
According to a recent news report by The Guardian, a global analysis of ‘How Consumers Spend Their Media Time’, a study by GlobalWebIndex cited by Warc, finds that people around the world now spend more time with digital than traditional media.
The study, based on responses from more than 32,000 internet users in 31 countries found that 5.6 hours or 57% of daily media consumption, was dedicated to digital, including social media and mobile internet usage.
Interestingly, it would seem that mobile technology has also had a significant influence over digital media consumption. A report, covering 14 countries, released by InMobi demonstrates that growth of mobile media is constantly reshaping media consumption habits:
- Globally mobile ranks first in media consumption with 1.8 hours a day, outpacing TV (1.5 hours), PCs (1.6 hours) and any other channel.
- 50% of the average global mobile web users now use mobile as either their primary or exclusive means of going online.
It seems that the film industry too has been quick to play their digital media card as The Daily Telegraph journalist Mick Brown pointed out in a recent interview with The Guardian, stating that he has witnessed a decline in the value that the film industry place upon ‘traditional’ media and are instead investing more of their PR campaign into digital and social media.
Many media outlets have now adopted a ‘best of both’ approach - broadcasting news both online and in print. Some have (controversially) begun to capitalise on this new digital media movement, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who has already introduced a Paywall system to The Times and is reported to be doing the same with The Sun later this year.
Traditional Vs. Digital
With the rise of citizenship journalism, it is important to consider whether the digital media is a credible and trustworthy resource. As I touched on in my earlier post ‘PR Misconceptions’, when you receive a piece of editorial about your brand/product, it generates a level of credibility with the reader. The higher they rate the media, the higher the perceived credibility of the brand/product. For example, if you read about a ‘flying pig’ online, you’d probably be far more cynical about the story than if you’d read it in, say, The Daily Telegraph national newspaper.
Traditional media outlets still have a big advantage over their digital media rivals - the value of the tangible, printed hard-copy still outranks that of digital media, even if only in perception alone. Whilst the readership figures of traditional media might be half that of a digital counterpart, their readers are invested into that media especially if they’ve paid to receive copies; generating a more loyal readership, thus adding credibility to their editorial content.
On the flip side, digital exposure can work on multiple levels, not only increasing awareness and exposure for the brand but also with aiding search-engine visibility and organic results. Digital stories also have longevity and can remain on servers for far longer than a print copy might stay on a desk or coffee table.
What can we deduce from this?
I think it’s safe to say that it’s no mystery that digital media is the way of the future. For all those sceptics and old-school PRs that believed it was a fad, here’s looking at you! I have always believed it is the responsibility of any publicist worth their salt to communicate messages across multiple platforms; both digital and traditional. This research, while compelling, doesn’t mean it’s time to ditch ‘traditional’ and go digital. What it does mean is that it’s time to embrace the digital media age - where once it might have been a nice boost to the ego to see your name in ‘print’, it is no longer wise to dismiss the value of digital media coverage garnered.
The PR Mix
Public Relations (PR) has long been considered a powerful and cost-effective way to promote a business. It allows a customer to feel they have made an informed and educated decision based on research or valued opinion, rather than simply being ‘sold to’ through traditional advertising.
Not so very long ago, certainly within my lifetime (and I’m no dinosaur!), managing the flow of information between an organisation and the individual was somewhat more confined.
Over the course of the past decade, the PR industry has witnessed rapid developments. Where once, the concentration of the PR effort fell on traditional print and broadcast media, the digital age has seen to the development of an entirely new arena of mediums which form, what us practitioners term as, The PR Mix. Not least so in the family/parent marketplace, where research has identified a new consumer movement that has seen the widespread adoption of these new mediums.
The PR Mix is, in essence, a combined use of the media at your disposal i.e. print, social media, digital media, and broadcast media. A good publicist will attempt to utilise as many of these media outlets as possible to successfully communicate the message they’re trying to convey. This utilisation of The PR Mix is particularly important as 94% of people view multiple media before making a purchasing decision (Demand Gen 2012) – meaning your message must be seen in more than one place before a person is likely to make any commitment. The more widespread your message, the more likelihood there is of achieving sales.
The New Kids of The PR Mix:
The newest additions to The PR Mix are all, unsurprisingly, online. If utilised correctly, not only can they begin to spread-the-word ‘virally’, they can also help aid Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Social Media /
79% of mums with children under the age of 18 are active on social media*.
For mums like me, social media can serve many purposes: a source of information and peer recommendations, and a way to keep in touch with family, friends, etc.
There are of course numerous social media channels which I’ve detailed in earlier posts, but of these Facebook and Twitter continue to be the two most popular destinations for many mums. Brands have been quick to recognise this and most will have their own identities on these sites.
However, maintaining social forums is a real commitment for a brand. Fans expect a quick and helpful response to questions and comments they post, as well as to be engaged with useful and entertaining content.
Digital Media /
84% of mums use the internet (11% more than the overall population)*.
Raising a family brings many challenges and a constant need for information, inspiration, support and new things to buy. The modern, time-poor, parent heads online to fulfil all of these needs utilising websites such as AOL’s Parentdish, BabyExpert, MadeforMums, iVillage, MummyPages, etc.
Content can be informative, entertaining, commercial, or simply reinforcing brand messaging, and can take the form of news, features, images, video or games and apps.
Blogger Outreach /
The parent blogging community has grown rapidly in recent times, with over 6,000 parent blogs in the UK alone.
Bloggers write about a wide range of topics close to their hearts and based on their experiences. Many are open to mutually beneficial relationships with brands that are both relevant and appropriate.
To find out more about how your business can successfully embrace the PR Mix, why not get in touch? We look forward to hearing from you soon.
* Data compiled by eMarketer
Not so very long ago, certainly within my lifetime (and I’m no dinosaur!), managing the flow of information between an organisation and the individual was somewhat more confined.
Over the course of the past decade, the PR industry has witnessed rapid developments. Where once, the concentration of the PR effort fell on traditional print and broadcast media, the digital age has seen to the development of an entirely new arena of mediums which form, what us practitioners term as, The PR Mix. Not least so in the family/parent marketplace, where research has identified a new consumer movement that has seen the widespread adoption of these new mediums.
The PR Mix is, in essence, a combined use of the media at your disposal i.e. print, social media, digital media, and broadcast media. A good publicist will attempt to utilise as many of these media outlets as possible to successfully communicate the message they’re trying to convey. This utilisation of The PR Mix is particularly important as 94% of people view multiple media before making a purchasing decision (Demand Gen 2012) – meaning your message must be seen in more than one place before a person is likely to make any commitment. The more widespread your message, the more likelihood there is of achieving sales.
The New Kids of The PR Mix:
The newest additions to The PR Mix are all, unsurprisingly, online. If utilised correctly, not only can they begin to spread-the-word ‘virally’, they can also help aid Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Social Media /
79% of mums with children under the age of 18 are active on social media*.
For mums like me, social media can serve many purposes: a source of information and peer recommendations, and a way to keep in touch with family, friends, etc.
There are of course numerous social media channels which I’ve detailed in earlier posts, but of these Facebook and Twitter continue to be the two most popular destinations for many mums. Brands have been quick to recognise this and most will have their own identities on these sites.
However, maintaining social forums is a real commitment for a brand. Fans expect a quick and helpful response to questions and comments they post, as well as to be engaged with useful and entertaining content.
Digital Media /
84% of mums use the internet (11% more than the overall population)*.
Raising a family brings many challenges and a constant need for information, inspiration, support and new things to buy. The modern, time-poor, parent heads online to fulfil all of these needs utilising websites such as AOL’s Parentdish, BabyExpert, MadeforMums, iVillage, MummyPages, etc.
Content can be informative, entertaining, commercial, or simply reinforcing brand messaging, and can take the form of news, features, images, video or games and apps.
Blogger Outreach /
The parent blogging community has grown rapidly in recent times, with over 6,000 parent blogs in the UK alone.
Bloggers write about a wide range of topics close to their hearts and based on their experiences. Many are open to mutually beneficial relationships with brands that are both relevant and appropriate.
To find out more about how your business can successfully embrace the PR Mix, why not get in touch? We look forward to hearing from you soon.
* Data compiled by eMarketer
Un-blurring the Lines between Marketing, PR and Advertising
There’s often much confusion generated by the terms ‘marketing’, ‘PR’ and ‘advertising’. To some, the three represent the same thing but to practitioners, it’s a very different story.
There is, of course, cross-over between the three disciplines. Effective use of all three will invariably do wonders for stengthening the position of your business/brand in the marketplace.
Industry professional bodies explain the various fields of expertise as follows…
Marketing: Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably – Chartered Institute of Marketing
Public Relations: Public relations is about reputation - the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you – Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Advertising: Creates the most relevant and distinctive way of communicating in creative & media terms – Institute of Practitioners in Advertising
The Proud Parent Analogy
To help explain further, I have come up with a very simplistic analogy, in keeping with the ‘Family’ theme, which I’ve called ‘The Proud Parent Analogy’…
Marketing:
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Advertising:
There is, of course, cross-over between the three disciplines. Effective use of all three will invariably do wonders for stengthening the position of your business/brand in the marketplace.
Industry professional bodies explain the various fields of expertise as follows…
Marketing: Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably – Chartered Institute of Marketing
Public Relations: Public relations is about reputation - the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you – Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Advertising: Creates the most relevant and distinctive way of communicating in creative & media terms – Institute of Practitioners in Advertising
The Proud Parent Analogy
To help explain further, I have come up with a very simplistic analogy, in keeping with the ‘Family’ theme, which I’ve called ‘The Proud Parent Analogy’…
Marketing:
.jpg)
Public Relations:
.jpg)
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