This is the fourth blogpost in our five-part series discussing the most important trends in public relations and marketing.
Over the past few years, a new word has been introduced to the lexicon of marketing and public relations: Influencer.
That word, and associated phrases such as “influencer marketing” and “influencer branding,” has become part of our daily PR jargon – whether we are planning outreach for a non-profit in Loudoun County, a small business in Leesburg or a multinational corporation in Washington, DC. For today’s effective marketing strategies, influencers matter.
Let’s define our terms.
Influencer (noun): A person, usually not a professional journalist, who has cultivated a social-media following (within a particular community or among the general public) sizable enough to warrant influence with that audience.
Influencer marketing (compound noun): An increasingly common outreach technique in which businesses, non-profits and organizations will strategically partner with online influencers to disseminate and share their message in a direct, targeted way.
Now a few points demonstrating why influencer marketing matters:
According to that same report, every $1 put into influencer marketing in 2018 resulted in an average of $5.20 in earned-media publicity, and some influencer marketing strategies netted returns up to $18 in earned-media value.
Over our many years as a Public Relations & Marketing agency serving clients across the country, clients often ask us, “Exactly what is Public Relations (PR)?”
Many people think they know what PR is: working with the media and not much else. They think we call newspaper reporters, TV producers, magazine editors and online influencers, and try to get them to mention our client in a favorable way. In fact, that’s pure Media Relations, which is only one small part of the PR picture.
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) – one of the premier associations for PR professionals – defines PR as, “… a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” PR is about analyzing an audience and crafting a message that resonates – it’s storytelling. We have been proud members of the PRSA for more than two decades and have served in leadership capacities during that time.
How do we tell your unique story? Quite simply, we tell it clearly, concisely, and consistently. In practice, PR can be many things, including:
Community Relations. The operative word in “public relations” is “public.” You are communicating with people and in this case, the community. PR relates to the public where they live, in their community, and becomes part of their lives. Good community relations are the foundation of a good reputation.
Media Relations. What makes you different or exciting? Your brand’s story is your unique pitch. If it’s unique enough, it may become newsworthy. Earned local media (i.e., coverage you want but didn’t pay for) is great PR.
Internal Communications. Just like it matters what your company says outwardly (to the public) it also matters what your marketing people are saying internally (to each other). Focusing on how you’re talking to your employees matters. Ask yourself: are your employees telling the same story about your company as you are? If not, you might need stronger internal communications.
Digital/Social Media. PR is changing and evolving as the communications world changes and evolves. Today’s modern PR practice embraces social media like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Event Planning. Events are a great way to share your mission and celebrate the essentials of who you are as a business. PR professionals can help tell that story through an event.
Reputation Management. Your reputation can make or break your company. When your reputation is good, people trust you and do business with you. Should your reputation take a hit, the foundation of your business can be destroyed. PR professionals can help tell your story, keeping your reputation positive and trustworthy. And when the hits come – even a small hit can cause your reputation damage – PR storytelling and message management can help repair your reputation.
Crisis Management. When the unexpected happens, controlling your story is imperative. Being both responsive and proactive are the keys to successfully navigating through a time of crisis and maintaining positive PR.
Public Relations is more than just engaging with the media. And the stakes are much higher than getting a positive story with the local news. PR demands consistency and PR professionals navigate the complexity of the PR world with ease.
When we get down into the nitty-gritty of PR with our clients, they begin to understand the value of storytelling through PR. They see how communicating a consistent, unique, branded message makes their business stand out in its market. It builds the trust they need to thrive.
Get PR the way it should be. Let the team at Loudoun Clear Marketing provide you with a complimentary consultation on how to put Public Relations to work for your business.
Make the Most of Your Marketing Strategy with LCM Events
“Eat the Frog” Grand Opening Event
Remember ‘Show-and-Tell’? Standing up in front of your classmates, showing them a favorite stuffed animal, or a toy that Santa brought, maybe an “All About Me” poster?
Show-and-Tell was a great way to make a memorable impact on your friends – and also a great way to make new ones.
That’s how we think of Events at Loudoun Clear Marketing. Events are like Show-and-Tell for companies and organizations; they’re an effective method to increase brand visibility, interact directly with the marketplace, and demonstrate your nonprofit’s worthy cause or your business’ unique sales proposition. Events should seek to reach people and inform them about your organization and inspire them to become your customers. In short, events are a fantastic way to tell your story, advocate for your brand and strategically reach your target market in a way that leaves a lasting impression.
At Loudoun Clear Marketing, we know the value of an event done well – creative planning, risk managing, budgeting, producing, auditing, everything. That’s why we make Event Development, Sponsorship and Production a fundamental component of our tailored, comprehensive Marketing Strategy.
Think of your Marketing Strategy like a baseball diamond. The bases are loaded and ready with social media, digital content, traditional news outlets, and they’re all geared toward making it to the home plate that is your Event. Your Event will be an engaging and interactive experience that gets attention in your market and reinforces your brand’s message and purpose. When your events inspire your customers to remain engaged with your organization, you’ve hit a home run.
Let’s look at one recent example from the Loudoun Clear Marketing portfolio. LCM produced the grand opening celebration for Eat The Frog Fitness’ new Ashburn location. It was spectacular, fun, and a wonderful introduction of the brand to a new market – but more than that, the event was a chance for Eat The Frog Fitness to strengthen its engagement with existing customers.
Build stronger relationships with current clients AND reach a wider market of prospective clients. That’s what Events can do for your Marketing Strategy.
Want a better way to define your brand and present your vision? Through LCM Events, you can SHOW what your organization does and TELL your story to a receptive audience who’s primed to hear it.
Put our experienced Event Development & Production team to work and let us help you hit a home run with a customized, well-rounded, mission-focused Marketing Strategy. Learn more at LoudounClearMarketing.com/events. Turn it up!
How To Post On The World’s Most Popular Business Networking Site To Demonstrate Professional Leadership and Go-To Expertise
There are “show-offs” and then there are people who are just really good at what they do. They have earned the right to “show-off” and become a thought leader in their industry.
Loudoun Clear Marketing encourages each client to elevate his or her personal brand as the preeminent go-to expert in their company, organization or industry – using the awesome power of the LinkedIn network.
With nearly 600 million accounts, and more than an average of 150 million everyday users, LinkedIn is where business influence happens online. LinkedIn is the premiere way to establish and market your business’ resume and show-off your particular expertise.
There is room for your particular brand of thought leadership
There is an abundant amount of whitespace on LinkedIn waiting for your content. With 63 million LinkedIn users holding decision-making positions, roughly 3 million accounts share any sort of content at least weekly.**
Your perspective can attract a massive audience of prospective clients, employers, employees, and brand advocates.
How to Build Your Audience On LinkedIn
Look the part.
The most important step toward becoming a thought leader: Create your best LinkedIn profile.
Take a smiling high-resolution photo, with appropriate dress and background. Give yourself a meaningful, truthful title. Make your 120-character headline something unique, that only your expertise brings. Write your 2,000-character biographical summary like an advertisement for your knowledge; put your best call-to-action in the first two lines.
Show, don’t tell.
You’re not just a leading voice in your line of work – you’re an accomplished professional with awards, recognitions, degrees, milestones. Mention such achievements on your LinkedIn profile to build credibility.
Create and curate.
Thought leaders recognize good ideas from others, and bring their own wealth of innovative insights. Produce and also curate compelling content that supports your expertise – and share it regularly.
Be a show-off and build a following.
The best actions you can take on LinkedIn: Post; Engage; Repeat. Write an expert-level article about a recent teachable moment at your company, and share it. Respond to comments. Always be searching for content that reinforces your viewpoint. Consider how you’ll build on the premise in your next LinkedIn post – which should be coming soon!
Need help taking your brand to the next level? Give Loudoun Clear Marketing a call!
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