The Byline: PR and Marketing Insights from Eiler Communications

It is increasingly difficult nowadays to be recognized for ones expertise in Michigan public relations, hi tech companies, and communication world with the amount of information that is out there. However, there is hope, and it has been around for a while: blogging. Interactive market positioning is oftentimes key to giving people the needed information they seek. The importance of blogging rests on six principles:

First, blogs are easy to publish on the web. The ability to upload thoughts, ideas, or general information is just a few clicks away, allowing for a mass flow of information across a wide spectrum.

Second, blogs are inexpensive. Especially in today’s economy, Michigan PR companies don’t have to spend vast sums of money getting their names out.

Third, it is quick and efficient. There is not wait time. The information is “published” fast and allows for instant reactions. This works especially well with a public relations organization like Eiler Communications to respond to industry and client needs.

Fourth, similar to my third point, blogging grabs the attention of search engines. The more the company blogs the more hits they might get and the more attention it receives via non-paid publicity, a huge bonus for the organization.

My last two points are tied together in that it both positions the company in a favorable light in the eyes of client, industry, and public to treat them as an expert and as a result, hopefully, increases its profits and notability.

Regardless of the reason a PR organization uses blogging, it can be an extremely important tool in the sphere of high tech communicating. And what better way to prove that the company knows media and the field of communications than actually communicating!

Christian

Public relations is the art and science of establishing relationships between an organization and its key audiences. In today’s business world and economy who doesn’t need to establish long lasting loyal relationships?

It is always amazing to me that in times of hardship in a company or small business the first thing to get “cut” is public relations and marketing. When business is slow, isn’t the objective to attract more business? The pieces don’t seem to fit in the logic of cutting what drives consumers to your business.

There are many different forms of marketing to reach your audience, but the first thing that should come to mind is positioning your company. Marketing positioning strategy is when marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. In other words, try to say something that is so profound or shocking (but true) that you clear enough space in the brain of your consumer to make them forget about all of the other competition.
Sounds pretty simple right?

In most cases, it is not that simple.

That is why it is so important to use a mix of marketing methods, one of them being public relations. PR reaches your audience in a much different way because it is not a paid advertisement. It also helps you to reach an audience that you might not have been able to reach or afford to reach with traditional marketing methods. Public relations also uses diverse techniques such as opinion polling and focus groups to evaluate public opinion, combined with a variety of high-tech techniques for distributing information on behalf of their clients to the target audience.

What if you wanted to reach the audience that reads the Wall Street Journal, but your marketing budget wouldn’t allow you to spend 40k on a small black and white ad? PR will help you to reach an editor at the WSJ with a compelling story and get it published. Wouldn’t you be much more likely to read an article written by a third party rather than a paid advertisement and find more value in that?

Think about the different forms of social media these days! Blogging, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook! If you are not staying with the changes in technology then you will be left behind. All of these groups of social media are forms of PR and a good way to reach your audience or at the very least, hear what they are saying about your product directly.

Here is one more thing to think about. What if you had a major public relations crisis in your company and no one on your staff knew how to talk to the media? Wouldn’t you regret not having a PR firm?

Jenny

Picture this; your mother is urging the boy next door to ask you out on a date. She is trying to convince him what a pretty and special child you are… Hmm..This might be true, but the information source seems to be a little biased, and after all, she is your mother. But, if your other neighbor approaches the boy next door and hails you as that sweet and pretty darling your mother has claimed you to be, you have just been backed with third party credibility, and that is a fundamental strategy of public relations.

In applying this scenario to business, you are the product, your mother is the business that is advertising you, the boy next door is a customer, and your neighbor is the third party credibility (newspaper journalist, magazine reviewer, health reporter, etc.). The boy next door can’t trust alone in your mother’s advertisement, she would never advertise anything negative about her own creation. With another opinion, the boy next door would be more willing to take you out on a date. It’s an easy concept to understand, that is why companies need public relations firms to help find third party/editorial credibility through releasing news and advances to the right media and objective journalists who then carry out message to the target customers. Public Relations help find that neighbor to give you the credibility that you need.

What customers want from any business is to be able to trust that what they are buying is credible. People are much more likely to believe a media source rather than a paid advertisement. This is why PR is so crucial to any successful business.

Connie Chung

To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing when I first started blogging… (judging by my lack of comments maybe I still don’t…) but, I’ve come to realize the importance of blogging to a Public Relations firm for 3 main reasons:

1. To get attention. Well, that’s the obvious purpose right? The number of journalists and editors who are reading blogs on a daily basis for content is increasing. In fact, according to a study sponsored by Novelli and Cymfony, “the majority of companies surveyed (76%) indicated that they have noticed an increase in media attention and/or website traffic as a result of their blog(s).” Interest in your PR firm blog helps both your clients and your company, a win-win situation. Blogs are an easy way to get your site noticed by search engines. It’s always exciting for me to hear that my blog has popped up on Google alert, meaning that somewhere in the vast World Wide Web I’ve written something that may be of significance to someone. You can also track the number of people who visit your site and where they come from through Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics/).

2. It takes one to know one. A PR Firm can’t claim to offer or specialize in social media unless they are part of it. A blog should demonstrate their knowledge in the social media and in the public relations industry. Prove to reporters and clients that the social media is a tool you are quite handy with.

3. Provide insight to your firm. Blogs are more than just facts, links and numbers. They are written with opinion, analyses, and contain a more personal touch. From a blog, you can capture the character of the PR firm. Blogging really let’s readers get a sense of who we are, as individual people and as a part of the PR firm.

I’m still relatively new to being part of the social media, meaning that I’m still learning, but I hope in time that if I can generate attention from readers, demonstrate my knowledge in a specific area of public relations, and provide insight to Eiler Communications agreeable to their public image, I know that I will have achieved my goals as a PR firm blogger (and maybe start to get some comments…).

Connie