Take a New Look at PR in 2010

Easy Answers to Your Tough PR Questions

In an information-driven age, most companies have a story worth telling, people who are ready to help tell it, and audiences who will listen. PAVE PR offers guidance to common questions that may keep people from using public relations to build their businesses:

• What will a program or a single PR initiative do for my company?
• How do I measure effectiveness?
• All this sounds expensive -- how do I fit PR into my budget?

The answers to these questions are easy. And they just might persuade you to make a PR move today.

What will a PR program do for my company?

• Create credibility with news stories
• Enhance your reputation as a source of expertise
• Expand your network of supporters (and influencers)

How do I measure the effectiveness of PR?

• Watch for indicators such as increased Web site traffic, buzz on social media outlets including blogs, Twitter or Facebook, and interest from journalists
• Survey your customers for changes in opinions about your company
• Evaluate the goals you set before the initiative began. Did you achieve success?

How do I make room for PR in my budget?

• Spend time on goal setting up front to control costs.
• A well-timed story can bring attention to your company in excess of what you spent to develop it.
• Outsource the work. A PR firm brings additional resources and experience that are both strategic and cost effective.

Now's the Time to Invest in Your Business

People still buy necessities such as food, utilities, home goods and healthcare even in tough economic times. If your business is working in or with these industries, you could benefit from a PR investment.

Small businesses, corporations and non-profits are outsmarting competitors by investing in PR while others in their industry are making the knee-jerk move to cut spending.

Here are some ways to get your efforts into focus before your competition wises up.

• Talk about what's interesting at your business – a new hire, interesting industry news, new customers or a charitable project.
• Share your opinion. If you have views on what is going on in your industry give your opinion to journalists, bloggers and anyone else who is ready to listen.
• Be targeted. If budget is tight, engage a PR firm to target one industry sector at a time or a few key business publications.
• Embrace different kinds of opportunities. There are many PR tactics you can use to influence audiences, such as speaking at roundtable events, blogging and writing opinion pieces.
• Set key PR objectives. Establish from the beginning what you want your PR program or initiative to accomplish. Ensure your PR goals are tied to your business objectives.
• Evaluate. If you are in a PR agency relationship, ask them to evaluate your campaign at six-month intervals or sooner for shorter initiatives.
• Use your media coverage. Get permission to put links to it on your Web site, reference it in your sales pitches and send it to your existing customers or prospects.

It's Not too Late to Make These Resolutions

The first month of the New Year is halfway over, but you still have time to commit to making cost-effective moves that can help your organization get noticed.
 
Here are some ideas to get you started.
 
Resolve to prioritize. No PR shot gunning this year! Write a cohesive plan that details  what you want to happen this year, when you'll do it, how much you'll spend, and what the expected outcomes will be.

Resolve to get involved in social media. Using social networks as a complement to your traditional efforts gives you a broader reach. Tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Wikipedia, blogs and customer reviews are good places to start. You can start with one initiative that makes sense for your business.

Here's an interesting article about how LEGO went from a "company-centric" culture to a "customer-centric" culture by listening to its customers: http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2010/01/08/legos-mind-shift-from-company-to-consumer/

Resolve to evaluate your efforts. Put measures in place like Google Analytics. This and other tracking measures can help you evaluate Web site impressions, click-throughs, conversions to sales, and campaign ROI. Armed with this feedback, you'll have the information you need to make smart decisions.

If you would like to ramp up your PR efforts in 2010, contact Neely Turlington at (336) 721-1021, ext. 1015 (neely@paveways.com) or Kristin Eckart at (336) 721-1021, ext. 1014 (kristin@paveways.com).