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PR Briefs
Our agency has learned that the key to building a great Web site is to focus on the needs and desired action of the site’s visitors. Unfortunately we’ve found that many businesses hire a programmer to create a digital version of their corporate brochure. A good example of potentially wasted Web site real estate is the “About Us” page, probably the least visited section of any business site. Put your mission and strengths right on the home page where people can see them immediately. Consumers visit a Web site for one reason and it’s not to read about you, it’s to find information they need. Much better to do build a Web site that people want to find, like Tide did. Their new “Stain Brain” section is a central resource where visitors can search through Tide’s solutions for removing stains. Everybody has stains. Visitors can even contribute a tip of their own. If you’re developing a new site, think “outward” rather than “inward” and include features and information that the people you want as customers are looking for. Some people may not think of PR as an ethical industry. We public relations professionals have been labeled as “spin doctors,” “sensationalists” and worse. As a public relations professional I consider ethical judgment a top function of my job. And there are occasional dilemmas in which ethics are challenged. A “gut feeling” generally tells me to take a closer look at a request that I might question. Fortunately the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has compiled a list of common ethical principles that serve as a working guide for the PR industry. Their Code, created and maintained by the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards, sets out principles and guidelines built on core values. Translating values into principles of ethical practice, the Code advises professionals to: Social Media Marketing for Dummies defines social influence marketing as being “about recognizing, accounting, and tapping into the fact that as your potential customer makes a purchasing decision, he’s influenced by various circles of people through the conversations that he has with them online, when he shares his own social media and consumes theirs.” Social media marketing rests on the belief that we humans are influenced by those around us when we make a purchase, donate to a cause, vote for a candidate. What someone we know (or don’t know) says about a product can have an impact on whether or not we purchase that product. In a retail environment, more and more companies (Anthropologie and WalMart are two examples) include a product rating system in their online catalogs. Once thought to be a possible deterrent to sales, the availability of opinions—both positive and negative—builds confidence in a purchase. In fact, studies show that people are more likely to buy a product that has a small percentage of negative feedback mixed in with the positive. In 2008, North American advertisers spent $13.5 billion dollars on Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and the World Advertising Research Center estimates that SEM will increase by 30% by the end of this year. Why should your business invest in Search Engine Marketing (and what is it)? SEM promotes your Web site through paid ads on search engine results pages like Google, Bing or Yahoo. The benefits of SEM are vast, but some of the most important are: Every small business should include SEM in their ad budget. Most consumers actively use the Internet to guide them in their buying decisions, and for such a minimal cost, you can’t afford to miss out. —Special thanks to Brittany M. Miller, guest blogger! Emma Web-based email service put together an easy to use checklist to help you make the most of your email campaign (excerpted): 1. Does your subject line entice readers? They’re the most important 8-10 words in your campaign. Make sure yours is a clear, concise introduction that entices your readers to look inside. 2. Are you making the most of the preview pane? At first glance, many of your recipients will just see the first few inches of your campaign, so make your point—and your brand—stand out there. 3. Is your email easy on the eyes? With simple, intentional font and style choices, you’ll help grab and keep your readers’ attention. 4. Does the message come through even without the images? Since many email clients don’t automatically display images, balancing yours with text will help you make your point in any display possibility. 5. Does the email have a personal touch? Whether it’s with a personalized greeting, warm tone or specialized content, make sure your email feels like a conversation with people you know, not a “blast” to a list. Our agency is a huge fan of Emma. The program is simple to use and takes care of ensuring our email marketing is compliant. The analytics enable us to measure the success of our campaigns and over the years we’ve been able to use this data to improve the open and click-through rates of our emails.
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