using pr and social media to drive sales. how you can use pr and social media to build your business
DESCRIPTION
Using PR and social media to drive sales. It’s no longer a question if you should do PR and social media, it’s how well you do them. The amplification of a business’ stories is now essential to reach prospects, customers and staff. A combination of online and offline tactics to create highly engaged audiences will build reputation, increase your profile and drive sales. Public relations and social media expert, Catriona Pollard, Director of CP Communications shares how to leverage the opportunities in both social media and public relations to effectively build your business’ profile and reputation. In this highly practical session you will learn: • How to use PR and social media to build your business so you get new business calls without even trying! • How to develop story ideas you can pitch to the media, as well as tactics including media angles and article writing. • A step by step guide to social media and how you can use it to increase the profile, credibility and reputation for your business – and yourself.TRANSCRIPT
Using PR and social media to drive sales
Catriona Pollard
CP Communications
What?
PR and social media is essential for every business.
Creates a two-way communication between a business and it’s audience.
Simply, it’s communicating with others.
We no longer have a choice about whether we do PR and social
media, the question is how well we do it.
Why?
You can’t buy respect.
You can’t buy trust.
You have to earn it.
You are building awareness of your brand – who you are, what you stand for, what you offer and why people should buy from you.
Why?
Reputation: Build and actively manage your reputation on your area.
Positioning: Become the go-to source in your area.
Profile: Get found easily – for the right reasons, and actively manage your content.
Network: Build a powerful network on your area, understand which issues are important
Promote: Social media is word-of-mouth marketing on a much larger scale.
Connect: to various stakeholders, get feedback, peer review.
Trends: Notice and comments on trends, innovations and interesting projects.
Stories: To share the stories of your business so clients and customers can connect with the business.
Sales: Lead generation
Stats
• 55% of stories were driven by some form of public relations.
• Up to 80% of coverage in Sydney metropolitan newspapers is provided through PR.
• SMEs with high digital engagement experienced a 20% increase in annual revenue.
• 71% of SMEs with high digital engagement forecasted future growth, compared to 39% with very low digital engagement.
Why do PR & SM?
Profile, reputation & credibility
Editorial has credibility factor
Reputation is the new currency
Become a known expert
Profile opens doors
PR & SM in sales
Audience – The people you want to reach - all potential customers for your business.
Prospects – People that have shown an intent to buy and an intent to (possibly) buy specifically from your company. They’ve identified a need.
Customers – Retain a customer and/or get them to buy again from you (repeat purchase). It’s all about evangelism – to get your customers to help you sell more to more people.
Sales
• Audience: motivate them to buy – moving them from audience to prospect. Inform the market about what you offer, and build brand awareness so they buy from you.
• Prospects: investigating before buying. Build reputation across all channels used to investigate purchase - whitepapers, third party reviews, blogs.
• Customers: Retaining & they are advocates that will go out and evangelise about your brand. Case studies, testimonials or through social tap into the power of word of mouth marketing.
• Advocacy - plugs back into the motivation of your audience and the investigating of your prospects to create a self-supporting sales process.
Media angle tools
•Stats•Human interest•Trends•Employees: new appointment staff, board director.•Milestones•Evergreen stories•Business Development
Story ideas
Story ideas: Mobile marketing company • Incorporating m-commerce into your business plans• Understanding the ROI of mobile • Customer experience on android – why it is behind iOS?• How mobile can make loyalty more cost effective• Pros & cons of apps for businesses• The business case for going mobile • Cross-platform optimisation as a revenue driver for business – generating apps across all platforms (iPhones, iPads, Android,
windows, Firefox, safari etc.)• Optimisation is only half the battle – businesses must be testing their apps • Why CEOs should understand mobile marketing to manage it correctly in the business• How consumers are purchasing products now and how to adjust marketing to their needs (m-commerce)• Tapping into niches through mobile marketing (more effective niche marketing)• Commentary on the retail industry – why mobile marketing is a great opportunity for smaller Australian retailers who need to
innovate to survive, now is the time for mobile• Why mobiles are becoming the biggest marketing medium since TV• How to use mobile apps and mobile websites for internal processes and efficiency – not just a marketing tool• How to decide on an app to market your business
Media releasesMedia angles/pitchesContributed articlesCase studiesSpeaking engagementsNewsletters
Social media is a set of conversations,
connections and sharing of information.
Make it easy for people to talk about you.
Get influencers talking about you.
Be where your influences are!
Blogs
Start your own
Guest post on blogs
Add comments to blogs
Pitch your story ideas to key bloggers
Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images
Rosaura Ochoa
Tips
• PR and SM needs to be the way you do business• Be strategic – look at the whole picture• Start actively building your reputation• Develop credible, real relationships
Every organisation has stories to tell.
It’s time to start telling yours.
Free ebooks
bit.ly/ebooksmcpc
Connect with me
Website:www.cpcommunications.com.au
Blogs:www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.auwww.SocialMediaSydney.net.au
Pinterest:CP Communications
Youtube:Public Relations Tips TV
Facebook:CP Communications
Twitter:@CatrionaPollard and @CPCPR
LinkedIn: Catriona Pollard, CP Communications and group: PR & social media for businesses
Google+:http://bit.ly/CPCGoogle