Public Relations Policies for Social Media

Public relations are designed by its very nature to reach the masses. Using social media for public relations has proven to be a viable option. One survey discovered companies with social media site accounts and blogs enjoy a 55 percent increase in site traffic. Social media increases visibility as it drives readers to the page. Properly prepared blogs, statuses and Tweets are useful public relation tools. Effective blogging can produce a 97 percent increase in external site links, which is important to the search ranking results of any entity. The focus of any good PR campaign is to present the product, service or person to a target group. This is done by building relationships with those who have the ability to get your message in front of their audiences. Throughout history, this was typically done using various forms of print, radio and television media. Today, however, social media groups have moved to the forefront of daily communication. In many circles, upon meeting a new business acquaintance, the question arises, “Do you have a LinkedIn or a Facebook”, and “Are you on Twitter? What’s your contact information and I will friend or follow you.” LinkedIn was designed with business networking in mind and is used by business people worldwide to stay in touch, build new contacts and help each other grow their businesses and careers. While it is important to incorporate social media to your public relations efforts, you must also have policies in place as they relate to this relatively new platform. Information provided to social media sites cannot easily be retracted, therefore, it is vital to have policies in place with regard using social media to advance public relations. Remembering that each person is responsible for online activity tied to the public relation need. Anytime a site, email or status is tied to a firm’s domain, followers believe the words and images are also the opinion of the firm in question. The actions under that domain, email or other identifier are the ultimate responsibility of the firm and will be held accountable for what is posted. All who affiliate themselves with the firm or client, even on their personal sites, must remain conscious that people reading those sites will often associate those words with the firm in question. Therefore, it is important to treat personal sites that mention professional affiliations with care and never post photos or words that could damage the client/company image. Post statuses, blogs and tweets that will not stir controversy, especially if the site has a comment section for reader response. Maintain public relations blogs on a daily basis, so if a negative comment does come through it can be quickly addressed. Never engage in hostile or negative communication on your client’s social site. Regardless of what is said, responding with hostility will make it grow worse and give rise to sharing, others joining in and a balloon effect. Answering negative comments accurately, truthfully and quickly is the best approach and the one most likely to put out the flame before it becomes a blazing fire. Social media is an excellent public relations platform if used with care. Remaining professional at all times will promote your clients or company.

Three Objectives of Brand Awareness

Marketing strategists agree that brand awareness in any industry gives that company an edge. Brand awareness accomplishes several objectives for companies seeking to increase sales in the marketplace. A brand awareness campaign needs to be flexible enough to grow with the company and adjust if needed. The company should seek to build customer awareness, promote its website and add value.

Brand awareness follows a certain process, although customers do not usually think through these steps when choosing a product. First, the customer has a perceived need for a product. In many cases, he will seek information on what product to buy. He will often evaluate his alternatives, although in some cases, such as in buying a drink, he may simply buy what’s convenient. At the same time, he will place a value, both financial and personal, on the product he plans to buy. After he buys your product, he will review his purchase and make adjustments. Sometimes these adjustments will be immediate; in other cases, they are long term. For example, if he doesn’t like the drink he bought, the next day, he will choose a different drink. But if he doesn’t like the vehicle he purchased, it could be two to five years until he makes a different purchase.

Build Customer Awareness

Target the desired customer base. From there, the business can more easily assess what it needs to do to increase customer awareness. For instance, a customer awareness strategy will focus on different audiences depending on if the product is toys, car products or walkers for those with mobility issues. In each case, the business will use different advertising campaigns to increase customer awareness. Every business needs to overcome certain challenges so the customer understands the benefits of working with that particular company.

Promote the Website

A website helps create a worldwide customer base. Customers no longer limit themselves to buying from a specific geographic location. A customer might research a product and then follow up with a catalog or phone order instead of a personal visit to the company location. Hiring a graphic designer can assist a business in projecting the type of image they want to portray. Coordinating business cards, marketing materials and additional advertising all further enhance customer awareness. Consistency in design helps customers connect that logo with the business and product.

Add Value

Every customer will determine value in different ways. Brand awareness can give your business that “edge” in making your customers aware of the extra value your company offers. This might be in the form of service, such as three free oil changes in a year with the purchase of a motorcycle. Your packaging might be slightly larger, which brings increased quantity. Your location might be unique and easily accessible. The business may sponsor special events, promote volunteer service or support a worthwhile organization. You will need to decide which one of these avenues will work best for your company.

Finally, give the business the time needed to develop brand awareness. In most cases, this process does not happen overnight. While the ultimate goal is for the company to identify the success level of brand awareness campaigns, the business should always continue to appreciate and track even the slightest progress.

Happy New Year, Public Relator

The main goal of a public relations department is to enhance a company’s reputation. Staff that work in public relations, or as it is commonly known, PR, are skilled publicists. They are able to present a company or individual to the world in the best light. The role of a public relations department can be seen as a reputation protector.

The business world of today is extremely competitive. Companies need to have an edge that makes them stand out from the crowd, something that makes them more appealing and interesting to both the public and the media. The public are the buyers of the product and the media are responsible for selling it.

Public relations provide a service for the company by helping to give the public and the media a better understanding of how the company works. Within a company, public relations can also come under the title of public information or customer relations. These departments assist customers if they have any problems with the company. They are usually the most helpful departments, as they exist to show the company at their best.

PR also helps the company to achieve its full potential. They provide feedback to the company from the public. This usually takes the form of research regarding what areas the public is most happy and unhappy with.

People often have the perception of public relations as a group of people who spin everything. Spin can mean to turn around a bad situation to the company’s advantage. It is true that part of the purpose of public relations is to show the company in a positive light no matter what. There are certain PR experts that a company can turn to for this particular skill.

The public often think of PR as a glamorous job. Public relations people seem to have been tarred with the image of constant partying and networking to find new contacts. The reality is usually long hours and hard work for anyone involved in public relations.

There are certain skills necessary to work in the world of PR. These include a very high level of communication skills, written and verbal. The PR person must also be very adept at multitasking and time management. He or she may also have some form of media background or training in order to understand how the media and advertising work. Organizational and planning skills are also important in public relations.

The PR worker must also be able to cope very well under pressure. He or she must have the ability to cope with a barrage of questions from the media and the public. If a company comes under critical attack, it is the PR department who must take control of the situation. They must effectively answer the criticism and turn it around in order to protect the company’s reputation.

A public relations worker usually has some form of relevant college qualification. Competition for jobs in PR is fierce. A talented public relations person has the opportunity to work up from a junior account executive to an account director in around five years. This is not a nine to five job; the hours are long and can be stressful. However, for successful PR workers, the pay is good and the perks may be even better.

TYPES OF BRAND

Product

The most common brand is that associated with a tangible product, such as a car or drink. This can be very specific or may indicate a range of products. In any case, there is always a unifying element that is the 'brand' being referred to in the given case.
Individual product

Product brands can be very specific, indicating a single product, such as classic Coca-Cola. It can also include particular physical forms, such as Coca-cola in a traditional bottle or a can.
Product range

Product brands can also be associated with a range, such as the Mercedes S-class cars or all varieties of Colgate toothpaste.
Service

As companies move from manufacturing products to delivering complete solutions and intangible services, the brand is about the 'service'.

Service brands are about what is done, when it is done, who does it, etc. It is much more variable than products brands, where variation can be eliminated on the production line. Even in companies such as McDonald's where the service has been standardized down to the eye contact and smile, variation still occurs.

Consistency can be a problem in service: we expect some variation, and the same smile every time can turn into an annoyance as we feel we are being manipulated. Service brands need a lot more understanding than product brands.
Organization

Organizations are brands, whether it is a company that delivers products and services or some other group. Thus Greenpeace, Mercedes and the US Senate are all defined organizations and each have qualities associated with them that constitute the brand.

In once sense, the brand of the organization is created as the sum of its products and services. After all, this is all we can see and experience of the organization. Looking at it another way, the flow also goes the other way: the intent of the managers of the organization permeates downwards into the products and the services which project a common element of that intent.
Person

The person brand is focused on one or a few individuals, where the branding is associated with personality.
Individual

A pure individual brand is based on one person, such as celebrity actor or singer. The brand can be their natural person or a carefully crafted projection.

Politicians work had to project a brand that is attractive to their electorate (and also work hard to keep their skeletons firmly in the cupboard). In a similar way, rock stars who want to appear cool also are playing to a stereotype.
Group

Not much higher in detail than an individual is the brand of a group. In particular when this is a small group and the individuals are known, the group brand and the individual brand overlap, for example in the way that the brand of a pop group and the brand of its known members are strongly connected.

Organizations can also be linked closely with the brand of an individual, for example Virgin is closely linked with Richard Branson.
Event

Events have brands too, whether they are rock concerts, the Olympics, a space-rocket launch or a town-hall dance.

Event brands are strongly connected with the experience of the people attending, for example with musical pleasure or amazement at human feats.

Product, service and other brands realize the power of event brands and seek to have their brands associated with the event brands. Thus sponsorship of events is now big business as one brand tries to get leverage from the essence of the event, such as excitement and danger of car racing.
Geography

Areas of the world also have essential qualities that are seen as characterizations, and hence also have brand. These areas can range from countries to state to cities to streets and buildings.

Those who govern or represent these geographies will work hard to develop the brand. Cities, for example, may have de-facto brands of being dangerous or safe, cultural or bland, which will be used by potential tourists in their decisions to visit and by companies in their decisions on where to set up places of employment.