Today’s edition of BullDog Reporter features news regarding two new Kimball Communications clients: Alain Pinel Realtors and Landmark Hospitality. Read more about the work we’ll be doing for clients from coast to coast from Bulldog Reporter.
Blogging can be fun; it can be tedious. It’s a task for an intern, or for everyone to share. No matter how you look at it, what you say online is crucial to growing your business while also demonstrating your expertise. Let me explain…
We’ll start by exploring a little thing called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). People who know and use your business can get to your website whenever they want by entering your URL into their web browser.
What about growth, though? When new customers or clients are searching for the product or service you offer, you want them to find your website first. That is what SEO does. You can make sure that your website is clear and informative, stating exactly what it is you do; relevant information helps your website appear higher on the list of results when certain terms are searched. You can even pay for advertising around the keywords that people are typing in to increase the position in which your website appears.
But all of that applies only to your relatively static website. Each time you create a blog post, you create a new web address with relevant content for the audience you want to reach. You’re gaining credibility by talking about what you know best, and you’re stretching your online presence by providing new information for clients and customers to find when they search for a service like yours online. So now, instead of appearing in search results only once, each blog post has the potential to appear as a separate site, increasing your online presence dramatically.
What happens after you blog? Does that post disappear deep into the archives of your website? Nope! Hubspot, an inbound marketing company, explains the idea of “compounding posts,” which basically means that you may get 100 views on the first day you publish your post, but over the next few months, a good post will continue to generate traffic to your website, sometimes exponentially.
From a PR perspective, contacts generated and credibility gained are really going to make the difference. By blogging regularly, you gain a captive audience that will now see your press releases as soon as they’re posted, while we’re still in close contact with other news sources that will reach the rest of the population you’re hoping to target. You put yourself a step ahead of the game, so as days go by, it’s bigger growth for your company.
Getting started, or ramping it up (if you’re already blogging)
As far as content for blog posts, write about what you know best—piece of cake! Images make a post more attractive, so don’t forget to include one or two. Social Marketing Writing has some stats that will improve your blogging performance. My top three favorites include:
Blogging is a low-cost way to keep in touch with your clients and grow your business. We think it’s an essential part of any company’s marketing and PR strategy.
To find out more about how we can help you achieve results through blogging, contact us today!
Photo credit: Transferwise.com
Social media is to branding a successful business as cheese is to mozzarella sticks. We’ve known for quite some time that marketers need to look alive every second of the day (or even just six hours per week), on the Twitterverse. But when opportunity arises or crisis strikes, it’s all about tactical PR. A strong media presence requires time commitment, creativity, and responsiveness; dedicated and experienced PR support is the best way to meet these demands. Without a practiced PR team or agency, your company may fall victim to the #nightmares detailed below.
#Wheresthecheese
Speaking of mozzarella sticks, McDonald’s launched them as a new item on their menu recently. Customers quickly took to social media to vent their frustrations with their cheesy purchase turned “lactose-free.“ McDonald’s came out with their explanation/ apology via The Chicago Tribune, but not before some smart competitors took to social media to boast the cheesy goodness they offer.
PR Takeaways:
1) Keep a close eye on social media callouts, so you can respond to the problem before the hashtag becomes the new problem.
2) Seize the opportunity, or dare we say, “cheese the opportunity.” Use humor and offer incentives to keep the situation friendly. Your audience will get a good laugh and hopefully drop in for a bite to eat. Just be sure to put your money where your mouth is if you’re going to play this card.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s has discontinued this product in response to negative feedback.
“Fire your agency. Then fire everyone who hired them”
Twitter users across the country did not appreciate the response Red Lobster gave to their Super Bowl Sunday shout out from none other than Queen Bey herself in her newly released single, “Formation”. The somewhat controversial lyric referencing Red Lobster turned all eyes on the seafood chain restaurant. While clearly trying to maintain their family-friendly rep, Red Lobster landed themselves in hot water with the masses on Twitter who waited hours for a clever response.
PR Takeaways:
#RIPTwitter
The social media site fell victim to the power of its creation when rumors spread that they may change their news stream from reverse-chronological order to an algorithm based feed, similar to Facebook’s. Even a few celebrities got on board with #RIPTwitter to express their discontent, to which CEO Jack Dorsey had to step in and quell the chaos.
PR Takeaways:
Whether you work for a fast food giant or an insurance company, it’s important to control your own message. A small business may not generate viral hashtags the way Red Lobster would, but you can never be too sure what will happen in the realm of social media. Stay alert, stay focused, and stay out there.
Earlier this month, Bernie Heinze, executive director of AAMGA, briefed A.M. BestTV’s John Weber about his recent visit to Lloyd’s to discuss the role of MGAs in transfers, audits and more. Watch the interview here.
This week alone, I have received two press releases from two different organizations that make clear businesses don’t understand press releases.
Both came in the form of emails, the most recent one this morning.
The six-line headline of today’s release proudly announced the organization had earned a certain re-certification that had nothing to do with its products, services or customers. Put simply, it wasn’t newsworthy by any measure and, as such, had the unintended effect of reminding people like me to unsubscribe. I, the intended audience, could find no value or call to action in the message.
Sadly, this is a trend I am seeing more often. Companies large and small are firing off emails labeled as press releases to convey marketing messages that have little or no news value. As media outlets become more stratified, organizations are struggling to keep pace and employing a range of tactics to get their messages out. These ill-conceived press release emails run the risk of alienating all intended audiences: consumers, journalists and even stray PR professionals clearly added in error to email databases.
Anyone can write something and call it a press release. Anyone can send an email and call it news. Seriously… anyone.
Why ‘Anyone’ Handling PR Won’t Do
Businesses employ trained PR professionals for good reason. Most often and importantly these business communications professionals are there to ensure messaging is appropriate and generates value for an organization.
A skilled and experienced PR professional will ensure press releases have genuine news value to the recipient and the intended audience. Knowledgeable PR professionals work diligently to ensure press releases are precise, focused and targeted. Really good PR professionals will have the tact and professionalism to note when news value in a company’s messaging is lacking and must be addressed. In doing so, the experience, skill and thoughtful tactics employed via public relations professionals ensures the reputation of the businesses or brands in question are protected.
By winging it, as the organizations I’m now familiar with have done, they have demonstrated they don’t understand their audience, their messaging isn’t focused and they are employing a “spray-and-pray” tactic that has rarely worked in the past.
They’ve also managed to turn me, and those like me, away from their brands. All it took to do so was one so-called press release.
The majority of hotels recognize the critical need for crisis response planning. But have they factored in social media? Over at Hotel Executive, Gary explains eight ways hotels can be effectively using social media during a crisis response.
Addison Wolfe Real Estate, a boutique real estate firm specializing in distinctive properties, today announces New Hope’s historic Logan Inn has sold for $5.6 million to Landmark Hospitality, headquartered in Jersey City, N.J.
According to Addison Wolfe Realtor® Caryn Black, who represented Landmark Hospitality, the Logan Inn deal represents the largest commercial real estate transaction in recent history within the borough of New Hope.
“This deal has been in the works for some time, and promises to remake the face of downtown New Hope while remaining true to the building’s historic roots and New Hope’s distinctive character,” says Black. “Landmark Hospitality has an impressive track record of restoring historic commercial properties and turning them into remarkable destinations that complement their environment. The same will be true of Logan Inn.”
Established in 1722 as a tavern, the Logan Inn at 10 West Ferry Street in New Hope is Bucks County’s oldest and only in-town, continuously operational inn on the National Register of Historic Places.
Frank Cretella, principal of Landmark Hospitality, intends to work closely with New Hope’s Historical Architectural Review Board and Doylestown Architect Ralph C. Fey, AIA, to enhance the property’s curb appeal. In its current form, Landmark’s plans call for constructing two additional permanent structures that will add 17 new guest rooms and a pebbled court yard.
“As we did with the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station a few years ago, our intention is to return the Logan Inn to its true landmark status,” explains Cretella. “Logan Inn has been a centerpiece for New Hope since the dawn of this town, and we intend to renew its promise, restore its history and remake it as a showplace of fine dining and lodging for the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the area annually.”
Landmark Hospitality, a leader in urban renewal and adaptive reuse practices for historic and existing commercial structures, also operates Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City, Stone House at Sterling Ridge in Warren, N.J., and Celebrate at Snug Harbor in Staten Island, N.Y., in addition to the Ryland Inn. The company also recently unveiled its other distinctive New Hope property, the fully renovated Hotel Du Village on River Road.
Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate today announces it is scheduled to open its newest office in Toms River at 411 Main Street in early December 2015. This newest location brings the company’s total number of offices to 24 throughout New Jersey, with two locations in Bucks County, Pa., and more than 700 agents working throughout the region.
“Toms River is an extremely diverse and dynamic downtown environment that continues to be a destination of many throughout the state,” explained Jacqueline Paterno, the broker-associate branch manager who will lead the Toms River office. “With so many of our clients looking to Toms River and surrounding areas for homes, this was the next logical location for our business and our agents. We’re thrilled to be joining the local community.”
In addition to Paterno, 12 additional sales associates from Gloria Nilson & Co.’s Brick, N.J., office will join the Toms River office. Plans for an official grand opening celebration in the first quarter of 2016, as well as recruiting for additional experienced and well-trained local sales associates, are also underway.
Sales associates who will work from the Toms River office include: Ramona Bruno, Anna Fimagnari, James Hawkes, Michael Meehan, Sima Parisi, Loretta Parody, Peter Paterno, Tom Rafferty, Sarah Rullo, James Schneider, Roseann Smith and Donald Stout
“One of the reasons Gloria Nilson & Co. has continued to grow as a successful real estate brokerage is because our expansion is strategic and it focuses on meeting the needs of our buyers and sellers,” said company President Pat Bell. “Toms River gives us another key regional location in Ocean County as well as further reach into other desirable shore communities where buyers are most interested.”
For more information about Gloria Nilson & Co. and its new Toms River location, please visit www.glorianilson.com or call Paterno at (201) 218-6388.
At its recent annual public meeting in Lower Macungie Township, Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF), a nonprofit non-governmental organization dedicated to educating, supporting and financing energy users seeking sustainable energy options, announced it had committed nearly $4 million dollars to regional renewable and sustainable energy projects during its fiscal 2014-2015 calendar year.
Those commitments, totaling $3,952,871, represent low-cost loans to help fund a variety of energy projects across approximately 20 different organizations, including nursing homes, condominium developments, day care centers, museums, municipal governments, non-profits and various commercial enterprises.
A sampling of these projects include:
“We continue to see in both the non- and for-profit sectors a recognized need to control costs, plan for the long-term and commit to more sustainable energy alternatives,” said John Costlow, president and CEO of SEF.
TRSA, the leading global textile services trade association, today announces its Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certification program standards have received the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Seal of Recognition™ for its certification materials.
The AORN Seal of Recognition confirms the certification program has undergone a thorough quality review by AORN and is consistent with the organization’s Guidelines for Perioperative Practice. According to AORN, this is not a product endorsement but rather a demonstration that the educational and informative material provided about the certification program is sound and reliable. Specifically, the Seal of Recognition recognizes the certification program’s materials on the “Standard for Producing Hygienically Clean Reusable Textiles in the Healthcare Industry.”
“Since the creation of the Hygienically Clean certification in 2012, TRSA has continued its work to raise the bar and standards within the commercial laundry industry through this program,” explained Joseph Ricci, president and CEO of TRSA. “We’re honored to have successfully earned AORN’s Seal of Recognition for our Hygienically Clean program and we’ll continue to work with our membership to ensure the industry is held to the highest possible standards of cleanliness and safety.”
To be considered for Hygienically Clean Certification, facilities handling healthcare linens are inspected for adherence to best practices and quality assurance requirements. This inspection is preceded by two rounds of bacteriological testing of laundered textiles by an independent, TRSA-approved laboratory. Samples must pass a total of three rounds of testing to qualify for certification.
To maintain certification, facilities must regularly repeat the tests: the Replicate Organism Detection and Counting (RODAC) protocol, quarterly, rather than the previous protocol of twice per year; and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 62, for microorganisms most commonly found in healthcare environments, twice yearly. This frequent quantification of performance fosters continuous improvement through adoption of new laundering techniques to deliver a better level of cleanliness.
“Hygienically Clean standards have a very large and positive impact on public health in general because they lower the overall community infectious disease risk burden,” said David F. Goldsmith, MSPH, Ph.D, an occupational and environmental epidemiologist with George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health in Washington, D.C., who recently conducted a third-party review of the certification program. “TRSA Certification offers a serious marketing advantage versus competitor laundries who have not adopted the Hygienically Clean process.”
According to TRSA, by Dec. 31, 2015, it expects approximately 50 percent of commercial laundries exclusively handling linens and other textiles from healthcare facilities will have earned its Hygienically Clean certification. Complete information on the program and its newly revised protocols and best practices can be found on the program’s new website at hygienicallyclean.org.
PR Matters 