Marketing Communications: Understanding how public relations

grows your business and the tools to useEnterprise University

Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications LLC

Mary Schanuel, Synergy Group Marketing Communications

September 22, 2009

Today’s take-awaysThe Message - every company has a storyDefine your storyIdentify your audiencesCommunicate your storyImpact your bottom line

Marketing umbrellaAdvertisingDirect MailE-MarketingPublic RelationsReferrals

Why public relations?Communicates

strengths to target audiences

Enhances credibilityIncreases awareness

Communicating strengths

Products and servicesBenefits and solutionsKey messageTailor message to audiences

Defining your messageWhat sets you apart?How is your company perceived by employees,

peers, competitors, customers, prospects?Elevator speech

Elevator Speech

Succinct and memorableClient/prospect wants to know

“What is in it for me?”Offer solutionsKeep your prospect wanting moreConversational

Anatomy of an elevator speechAttention grabberUse action verbsFocus on benefits and solutions Use metaphors Differentiator Use testimonialsEasy to deliver 15 – 30 seconds or about 150 words

Public relations tacticsWeb siteInternal communicationsMedia relationsE-newsletter, E-blastsBlogSocial media

Web site reviewA positive, competitive imageEasy navigationSmart informationUpdated oftenSearch engine friendly

Media relations What is media relations?Tools

News releases Media familiarization meetings Media advisories Story pitches

Media & the WebPush vs. pull Shrinking media funnelGatekeepers to your customersJournalists depend on the Web

Arketi Web Watch Media Survey88 percent of journalists spend 20 or more hours a

week on the Internet – up from 60 percent in 2007 85 percent have a LinkedIn account55 percent are on Facebook 24 percent tweet on Twitter…

Journalists online

Sources for stories

Out of (web)site, out of mind80 percent of B-to-B journalists say companies

without a Web site are less credibleWhen journalists can’t reach a company source,

44 percent turn to the organization’s Web site

Your virtual imageYour on-line presence Does your Web site reflect your corporate image?What does it say about quality? What image does it project?

What makes a Web site useful?

New ways to connect

Social networking*:Advantages

Connect with lots of new peopleGet the word out without an intermediaryEstablish yourself as expert in your fieldConnect with clients

DisadvantagesCan consume lots of timeMost connections don’t amount to paying clients

*Credit: “Strategies: Which social networking site is best for your small business?” by Rhonda Abrams,

May 15, 2009, USAToday.

What are they? – 140 characters; establish a base of

followers. Quick hits. – Focused on helping professionals

connect. (Facebook) – Social networking site for family

and friends. Use to create business fan page.

– Site is all videos. Post video of your products for prospects.

Differentiated? Oops!Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world.

Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.

Connects you to trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas and opportunities with a network of professionals.

A place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the Web.

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are needed to see this picture.

Today’s take-awaysThe Message - every company has a storyDefine your storyIdentify your audiencesCommunicate your storyImpact your bottom line

Questions & Answers