Archive for October, 2009

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15
Oct
09

Benefits of Optimizing Press Releases

By Beth Hardy Leave a Comment
Categories: Optimize, Press Release and Public Relations
Tags: , , , , ,

Picture 39PR and marketing practitioners have known about the benefits of press release optimization and have been doing it for their clients and their own agencies or organizations for a while now. Despite this widespread knowledge, I still run across business owners and CEOs who aren’t familiar with the benefits and don’t realize how simple and quick optimizing a release can be.

If there is anything you can do to help boost your search engine outcome – aside from optimizing your Web site – it’s optimizing your press releases. If you’re not already, you should be posting your releases on your Web site and, whenever possible and appropriate, posting them to a wire service.

Below is a great checklist from Online Marketing Blog to help you optimize your press releases:

  • Clearly define the goal and target audience of the release
  • Research keyword phrases (1-2 per release)
  • Add phrases to the title, sub heading and body copy
  • Use keyword phrases when linking to landing pages or other corporate Web site pages – not “click here”
  • Add media (images, video, audio) to the release as well as alternative formats of the release (MS Word, PDF)
  • To count conversions, use tracking codes in the URLs that point from the press release to landing pages
  • Post the release to the company online newsroom
  • Write a blog post version of the announcement and include a link to the press release
  • Distribute the release via a wire service such as PRWeb, Marketwire, PRNewswire or Business Wire
  • Optional: create and distribute a social media version of the press release
  • Monitor release rankings, social mentions, traffic and outcomes
13
Oct
09

boost your businesses SEO with video

By Joshua Woolery 1 Comment
Categories: B2B, BtoB, business to business, Digital Media, internet marketing, Marketing, SEO, Video Ads and YouTube
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I was perusing B2B Marketing Online’s Web site today when I stumbled upon a gem of a video discussing online video’s role in boosting SEO for business-to-business marketers.

The presentation focuses on video’s ability to improve SEO via universal search. Universal search essentially takes search terms (ex. Recording artist Michael Franti) and delivers an extensive list of results representing many types of media (Online articles, videos, PDFs, photos etc.)

Below is an example of the search results I received for Michael Franti. You will notice that my search produced photo, video, Web site and news results.

Picture 4

To learn more about using videos to boost your company’s SEO, click here to be redirected to the video.

12
Oct
09

healthcare ads for issues we don’t want to talk about

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Advertising, healthcare and healthcare marketing
Tags: , ,

I like healthcare advertising when it is unique and shows a benefit to me. Too often hospital and healthcare advertising is about THEM. The message is “why we are so great,” rather than “how YOU will feel better.” This is one reason I liked the Presbyterian Healthcare Services advertising campaign, “Feel Better.” You can read more about this campaign in a previous blog posting.

In my effort to find more healthcare advertising that is benefits focused, I came across the two TV ads below. These ads are about healthcare products/issues women do not typically want to discuss, and you don’t know the product until the end. What do you think about them? Do you think they are effective? Do you think they are memorable and make a point?

If you know of great hospital/healthcare ads, tell us about them!

08
Oct
09

Convenience and a ‘hot Brazilian’? What more could you want … in a PR campaign?

By Beth Hardy Leave a Comment
Categories: PR
Tags: , ,

Picture 49The franchise 7-Eleven recently launched a virtual dating game called The 711 Club. According to the press release sent out by the company’s PR/marketing agency, the game “challenges consumer’s own ‘game’ for a chance to wake up with a Hot Brazilian . . . cup of coffee.”

The virtual game is set in a Rio de Janeiro nightclub – The 711 Club – and takes players through several dating challenges, including delivering pick-up lines, dancing and lounge discussion. With each correct answer or correct dance move, players earn “mojo points.” After earning a certain amount of points, players are invited to “Wake-Up with a Hot Brazilian” via a downloadable coupon for 7-Eleven’s Brazilian coffee.

I thought this was an interesting and creative idea to attract younger consumers – despite the fact that I apparently have no “game” and couldn’t get my mojo meter out of the “cold” zone! Oh well, that’s neither here nor there.

I am disappointed that 7-Eleven hasn’t done more to promote their campaign and microsite. As Liliana Dumitru-Steffens of Everything PR points out, “7-Eleven does not promote its ‘Wake-Up with a Hot Brazilian’ campaign with a social media outreach. A short message on 7-Eleven’s Facebook profile is all I could find … No Twitter presence for 7-Eleven yet, and no other significant media coverage for the campaign.”

Surely a press release and mention on Facebook is not the only promotion 7-Eleven plans on doing. This is a very creative idea, I’d hate to see it flop because of poor marketing. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume more publicity efforts are to come.

In the meantime, I’m going to wallow in my no-mojo despair. Maybe I should visit The 711 Club a few more times and practice my ‘game.’

07
Oct
09

Franchise Marketing and Public Relations: Local Programs Should Drive Profits

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Advertising, Brand Loyalty, Facebook, Franchise, Franchising, Marketing and Public Relations
Tags: , , , ,

Executing national franchise public relations and marketing is important to drive brand awareness and promote national campaigns. It also helps increase awareness in order to sell franchises. But as franchisors, regional franchise associations and local franchise owners begin to plan and budget for 2010, I encourage you to include a focus on local programs in order to drive business to individual stores.

Start by thinking about what gets people to buy your product or service. Is it offering a food or drink sample and getting consumers hooked? Is it your ease of scheduling?  Is it through word of mouth recommendations? Is it because of your well-known quality of service? All of these things should be considered when planning and implementing local campaigns.

Here are some marketing ideas to drive local business:

Have ambassadors talk about you where and when it counts. For example, if you are a salon franchise, ask your clientele to post referrals on local blogs, in their twitter posts and on their Facebook pages. Ask for testimonials that you can post on your social media accounts. Monitor what is being said about you on local social network sites, and be sure to respond.

Plan events tied to someone else’s promotion. Is there an ongoing farmers market or one-time festival that takes place near your business? Maybe your business is not “part” of the event, but it’s “close-enough.” If it is, leverage this proximity to market your own event that day. Communicate to your current clientele the specials you are offering on event days and how easy it will be to access your business from the event.

Partner with a local nonprofit to increase awareness and exposure in the media. Even if your franchisor has a dedicated nonprofit tie-in, try to do something locally like a fundraiser. How can you make an impact in your community that will help increase customer loyalty?
Many local franchise owners tend to rely to heavily on their national franchisor when it comes to marketing and public relations. This may be detrimental to the local franchises, as it doesn’t always enable them to get to know their community. And, as we all know, being an integral part of a community can significantly drive brand awareness and sales. If you’re a local franchise owner, I strongly recommend that you get out and start meeting and partnering with your community members. It can only be a win-win on all levels.

06
Oct
09

How to become fluent in the language of millenials

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Advertising, Communications, internet marketing, Millenials, mobile marketing, Recruiting, Social Networking and text messaging
Tags: , , , ,

Additional things I learned at SHSMD 2009

More than one SHSMD 2009 session I attended had a “millennial” focus. What was clear from all this talk about millenials is that they are a major focus of everything right now, which can only mean it’s because Gen X and Baby Boomers just don’t understand this younger generation.

Here are some issues to consider: From a marketing perspective, millenials are difficult to reach. From a recruiting perspective, they want different incentives. From a management perspective, well, you need to learn a whole new language to communicated with them.

Picture 18Instead of spending time researching how the millenials got their personalities, why their personalities are as they are, and who is to blame, I would prefer to focus on the top three take-a-ways for dealing with millenials in the three areas most marketers will care about: marketing to, recruiting and managing.

Top three ways to market to millenials:

• Mobile marketing is growing and will continue to be more important to reach this audience. They live on their PDAs.

• Social networking is huge to this group, and if you don’t have skin in the social networking game, your message won’t get heard.

• It’s not business as usual. In rather recent history, we purchased TV time for advertising based on the demographics of the show. Forget it. Millenials are watching their shows on the computer.

Top three incentives for recruiting millenials:

• They have a social conscience, so make sure your recruitment campaign explains either the job’s elements of social responsibility or your company’s the social consciousness.

• Try to create flexibility in the workplace. What options can you provide offer that will allow for some freedom and flexibility in work hours?

• They care about work/life balance. Learn to accept this and determine ways you can help make this a reality for potential recruits.

Top three management styles for working with millenials:

• They grew up working in team environments and they prefer it this way. Foster this type of environment in your office. Don’t worry, it’s not just a social thing, they really will get the job done for you.

• They can multi-task. Even the men in the demographic can multi-task. So set short deadlines and demand things get done quickly and efficiently. They are up for it.

• Provide flexibility by telling them when the work is due, but not necessarily when it needs to be worked on. You may not like the hours they work, but they will meet the deadline.

How do you speak to millenials? Share with us your ideas on marketing to, working with and recruiting them!

05
Oct
09

Celebrate After a Crisis

By Tracy Weise Leave a Comment
Categories: Crisis Communications, healthcare marketing, Hospital, Public Relations, Publicity and Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,

Another great lesson learned from SHSMD 2009:

In June 2008, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was overcome with a devastating flood. Mercy Medical Center, in the heart of Cedar Rapids, did not escape without significant damage. The flood was a crisis for the city, residents, hospital, hospital staff and patients. There were many things the hospital staff did right and did well during the crisis and immediately after the two-week cleanup. But what I like most about their advertising and marketing is what they did a year a later, after the crisis was over and things were back to normal.

A year later, the time had come to celebrate all the wonderful things, some big and some small, that had happened at the hospital since the flood. I like this program because it brings the hospital together and recognizes that it truly takes the entire team to run a hospital when there is a crisis … and when there isn’t. The campaign also recognizes that the community is a huge part of the hospital’s success and was a huge part of the hospital’s survival during the flood.

The THRE3 6IXTY 5IVE campaign is a a sample of 365 great things that happened at Mercy in the 365 days since the devastating flood. Here are a few: Picture 2
#179 “Commitment to Community” fundraising campaign exceeds $184,000 goal
#183 Mock patient room created to focus on patient safety
#235 Mercy joins Twitter to provide electronic updates online
#241 Mercy pilots the upgrade of IV pumps to smart pumps
#247 All materials from demolition of the Family Practice Center were recycled

THRE3 6IXTY 5IVE shows that even though sometimes you need to mark the anniversary of a crisis, you can do it by recognizing the good things that have happened instead of remembering all of the bad things. It’s the best way to celebrate after a crisis.

05
Oct
09

Does your advertising make people feel better?

By Tracy Weise 2 Comments
Categories: Ads, Advertising and Uncategorized
Tags: , ,

I learned some great things while I was at the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) 2009 conference this past week. My postings these next few days will recap some of the best information I heard while at the conference. Following is one of the highlights:

Presbyterian Healthcare Services based in Albuquerque, N.M. has been running a “feel better” advertising campaign for several years. The campaign is simple, unique and wonderful. The name of the healthcare system is not mentioned in the ads. Neither are the services offered, hospital locations, a contact phone number or a Web site address. The ads are also not about the doctors, as so many hospital ads are. And yet, the ads were successful in changing perceptions and increasing patient preferences.

The ads are supposed to make you feel better, as the healthcare system does. And I think they do make you feel better, because they make you smile and laugh. The ads run in a series, but my favorite show a child clinging to his mother’s skirt and giggling. Happy music plays in the background as the child laughs. The copy at the end of the ad simply says, “Moms make you feel better.” Another ad in the series is an elegant shot of a man listening to music in the desert. A gorgeous sky lights up the background and symphony music plays throughout the ad. The copy reads “music makes you feel better.” Both ads end with the Presbyterian Healthcare Services logo.

Picture 3A picture is worth a thousand words, and unfortunately the ads cannot be found online. If you did not attend the session where these ads were shown, you missed a great presentation. But to get the essence of the campaign, visit www.feelbetternm.com.

Did you attend SHSMD 2009 and have a some great information to share?

01
Oct
09

Social Media and Media Ethics: A Slippery Slope?

By Beth Hardy Leave a Comment
Categories: Social Media, Social Networking and Washington Post
Tags: , , , ,

Picture 49I was intrigued to hear about Washington Post Senior Editor Milton Coleman’s social media policy, which was released to the staff about a week ago. It focuses on staffers’ use of “individual accounts on online social networks, when used for reporting and for personal use.”

Most media follow a fairly strict code to remain unbiased in their reporting, but social media has added another element to the mix, especially when a journalist is using social networking for personal reasons.

Coleman’s take on his staffers’ personal use of social networking tools is:

“Post journalists must recognize that any content associated with them in an online social network is, for practical purposes, the equivalent of what appears beneath their bylines in the newspaper or on our website. …

“Post journalists must refrain from writing, tweeting or posting anything—including photographs or video—that could be perceived as reflecting political, racial, sexist, religious or other bias or favoritism that could be used to tarnish our journalistic credibility. This same caution should be used when joining, following or friending any person or organization online. Post journalists should not be involved in any social networks related to advocacy or a special interest regarding topics they cover, unless specifically permitted by a supervising editor for reporting and so long as other standards of transparency are maintained while doing any such reporting.”

Wow! That seems a bit severe, but then again, what else is a major newspaper to do? Many readers cannot separate the journalist from the private person, so I see Coleman’s point in requiring his staff to refrain from posting anything that could be perceived as reflecting bias.

Now that Coleman has set these standards, I imagine many papers and other media outlets will follow suit. What an unhappy day that will be for the journalists at those organizations. I know several journalists on a personal level, and they are certainly not unbiased in their personal lives, especially not on social networking sites. Following guidelines such as these will pose quite a challenge.

Nonetheless, I’m interested to see what evolution this policy takes and how it will shape the journalism field down the road.

Following are a couple other interesting opinions on the subject:

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