PR 101 eNEWSLETTER - SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
With simple tips and actionable advice, you'll be able to quickly and easily enhance the visibility of your product, service and brand.
“As President of a Las Vegas based boutique public relations firm working with limited staff and resources, I have found PR Newswire to be an extremely valuable tool in branding and marketing my clients. Representing small businesses and not-for-profit organizations with restrictive budgets (especially in the current economic climate), PR Newswire’s distribution services allows for what I note as the 4Es: the most efficient, effective and economical means of Exposure. Exposure that spans the nation and beyond! In addition to the traditional media pick-up, there are hundreds of TOP internet news rooms which post PR Newswire releases “word-for-word.” The internet news room postings have a two-fold effect: increasing the opportunity for media, businesses and consumers from across the globe to read the release, as well as enhancing the internet Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of the client and its product/service.”
Mary B. Vail, OSG
The Philanthropic Publicist
http://maryvailpublicist.com
Why Maintaining A Company Blog Is Important To Small Business
By Steve Lazuka, Zerys for Agencies
A blog can attract visitors to your website, generate leads and help you guide those leads to the point of purchase. Blogging is particularly valuable for small businesses because it helps level the playing field with larger competitors. Better yet, it helps establish your company’s persona. And as Thomas Petty likes to say, “people buy into you before they buy from you.”
Business blogging works. Hubspot notes 66% of companies that post monthly have acquired a new customer via their blog, and even 43% who post less frequently have met with success. 25% of companies that maintain a blog say it’s “critical” to their business, and another 56% say it’s important or useful – that’s 81% altogether. 67% of companies attribute an increase in leads per month to active blogging.
- Gives you a voice. It can be just-the-facts, funny or slightly irreverent or informal as long as it’s in keeping with your product type and audience. It should always be conversational because you’re speaking directly to the reader, whether B2B or B2C. It’s your chance to show you understand their needs and concerns. And, you know sales success depends on meeting people’s needs.
- Helps you get found, by expanding your online presence and establishing more, higher quality inbound links. This improves your website SEO and traffic.
- Introduces you to prospects you’d never encounter otherwise.
- Helps increase your email list for future contacts.
- Enables you to expand upon subjects of importance, whereas social media such as Facebook, even LinkedIn and especially Twitter only let you share snippets – a quick thought, photo or link.
- Reinforces branding and builds reputation by building credibility and trust – as long as you’re always honest and accurate. If you’re a sole proprietor or provide professional services such as an attorney or dentist, it’s important to brand yourself as well as your practice because people frequently choose the person, not the firm. That makes it more important than ever to demonstrate knowledge, expertise and approachableness.
- Distinguishes you from the competition, whether you operate in a fiercely competitive environment where others are also blogging or you’re the industry trend-setter. And by the way, prospects and customers really like to know you’re in the forefront, not just some “runner-up” company.
