THE PRACTITIONER

B2B vs B2C PR: The Gap is Not so Wide After All

Despite being in the same profession, potentially having a similar educational background, and instinctually knowing how to make a good story great, the differences between the two areas are substantial.

Is Social Media a Crutch for Media Relations Pros?

For many PR professionals, picking up the phone and calling a reporter can be a daunting task. Why? Because you have to be intimately familiar with a client's product, how it works, what benefits it provides, what the ROI is and an idea of why each and every reporter might be inclined to write a story for their readers. It’s the power of persuasion at its best, and you have to be prepared for anything since you can potentially secure new media opportunities by thinking quick on your feet and offering something different than your planned pitch, if that isn’t resonating. Although it sounds elementary, it seems social media has allowed us to move away from smart, carefully planned media relations. For example, can a conversation like the one I just described go on in 140 characters or less? No.

How to Reach the Social Media Influencer:

Recently, Forrester released a study that showed 80 percent of impressions and posts about products and services come from a mere 16 percent of individuals. This is a media pain-point that marketing and public relations professionals know all too well. From a strategy standpoint, targeting the right social media influencers is much more critical than playing a numbers game.

Social Media Tools: A Sticky Situation for Many Marketers

The sheer volume of social media tools can often seem overwhelming. However, a critical aspect of any social media strategy is determining which tools will be most effective in achieving the desired end result. Whether that end result is to increase sales, build brand awareness or promote the most famous Australian opera singer the world has ever known, knowing which tools can provide the most leverage is key.

Refreshing Citrus Libation Seeks Market Differentiation

Being able to identify and communicate compelling differentiators and develop messages that tie those into what is relevant for your customers and reflects the unique environment of the industry you serve is crucial. One exercise I perform with our clients is to have participants draft an ad about their company or product, personal-ad style. Over the years, this exercise has yielded some pretty interesting and humorous written responses. To drive the point of the exercise home, I’ll ask them to read aloud their ad to the others in the group. It’s a great bonding experience, but it also is valuable to the process, as it gets people to think differently, outside of business vernacular tired marketing jargon. Invariably, the information that is shared provides the inspiration for clearly defining the differentiators.

The Local Angle

In order to spread the good word about the benefits community papers offer, the New York Press Association started a $4 million statewide ad campaign highlighting the fact that local papers provide strategically tailored, demographically-focused information relevant to communities. According to the New York Times City Room blog, this ad campaign features “about a dozen examples of failure — a pickup half-sunk in a river, a speeding ticket, a father and son staring longingly at an empty carnival site. The tag line on each is ‘Your Community Paper. Told Ya.’”