Leeza Hoyt, Author at The Hoyt Organization

Why You Should Care About What Customers Feel

Long gone are the days when a company could simply open its doors on a busy street and expect tons of sales.

For a business to be successful in 2022, one truly has to connect with your customers on a deeper level in order for them to choose and support your brand.

But how exactly do you do this? And why should you care about your customers’ feelings and thoughts? We discuss all you need to know regarding a brand’s emotional connection to its customer base below.

Why You Need To Form An Emotional Identity With Your Customers

Before we jump into the best ways to form an emotional connection with your customers, it is important to understand why emotional connections are vital to being successful.

With so many different products and services to choose from, customers are constantly weighing one brand against another. When considering purchasing your products, customers are asking themselves why they should choose you.

And why should they? This is, in fact, a very valid question. Out of all the brands that are constantly bombarding them with offers, deals, and sales, why should they settle on what your brand promises?

To stand out from the crowd, your brand has to go the extra mile. Customers may not recall what exactly they bought from your store a year from now. However, they will never forget how your brand made them feel.

Emotional branding is critical if you want to develop brand loyalty. Brand loyalty can be defined as a long-term commitment that a customer has towards a brand. When brand loyalty is high, higher sales numbers usually follow.

Emotional branding can help to refine your brand’s personality and highlights common interests or values that are shared by a brand and its customers. When done right, emotional branding can render your brand irreplaceable and make your buyers feel both seen and heard.

3 Tips For Establishing Your Brand’s Emotional Identity

Be Original

There are probably a million other companies that also offer what you sell, but none of them should look or sound like you. This is how you maintain your brand’s originality and truly stand out from the crowd.

If your brand was a real person, who would he or she be? What would the characteristics be of your brand and why would people want to hang out with your business? What does your brand care about and why? These are just some of the questions that you’ll need to consider when first creating your brand personality.

However, the most important step is to define how your brand communicates with your audience. In order to be original and to stay true to your brand personality, what you say and how you say it should line up with who you say you are.

Remember, you want to authentically connect with each customer in an intuitively human way that stays true to your unique brand personality. If there is a disconnect between what your brand silently promises and how you communicate with your customers, it will lead to confusion.

Identify Your Customers’ Emotional Motivators

After establishing an original brand personality, it’s time to look at what motivates your buyers. By understanding what motivates your target audience on an emotional level, it will be easier to nurture an emotional connection.

Each target group may have different emotional motivators, which means you will have to adapt your communication angle depending on who you are trying to connect with.

For example, some customers are more concerned with being perceived as special or unique. Knowing this, your marketing efforts should be highly personalized, and your team should be ready to immediately assist these types of customers whenever they need it.

Just don’t forget to always stay true to your brand’s image. The goal is to establish where your buyer’s emotional needs line up with what you can authentically offer. It won’t be sustainable for your brand to cater to the emotional motivators of a customer if meeting those needs doesn’t align with your brand personality.

Tell Great Stories

Storytelling is in every person’s DNA and has helped humans to communicate, connect, educate, share experiences and unite since the dawn of time. From a marketing standpoint, storytelling can help you to forge a deeper connection with your target audience.

In fact, lots of big brands use storytelling to construct brand traditions, build trust, make their brand more memorable, and communicate what their brand is all about.

In Summary

By establishing your brand personality, you’ll be able to connect with your target audience in a meaningful way. This will enable you to show every customer that you truly care about each interaction they have with your brand.

By embracing your brand’s value proposition, identifying what your customers care about, and crafting great branding stories, you can make each buyer feel special.

Leeza Hoyt

Words to live by: Why Communications is Critical

While the world will continue to evolve, there is one constant that will stay the same: the need to communicate — effectively. Remember, the way we communicate may change, but the need to do so will not. How did The Hoyt Organization, Inc., (THO) manage to stay at the top of its game for 30 years? Here’s a few pointers that may help you do the same.

Embrace change. It will forever be your guiding star. Each generation has a different history, which leads to a different perspective, and an evolving lifestyle. This, in itself will help agencies with their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Realize now, that your history and background belongs uniquely to you. Applaud the similarities of your team, and respect the differences. It will lead to a positive synergy that will make your team stronger and more effective.

Become a ‘technologist.’ — I personally find the evolution of technology a fascinating science. If anyone has watched ‘Mad Men’ the sitcom with Don Draper that takes place in the 60s, it easy to understand how far we’ve come. They were using typewriters (one episode features the excitement of getting a copy machine) and rotary dials. Today, cell phones are on everyone’s hips, and we’re embracing virtual reality technology, that is being used to do everything from showing properties, to navigating roadways, and much more. Now, we’re even discussing the impact of interactive holograms that will be the next evolution.

Master social + digital (and whatever comes next). Myspace was a leading communications tool of its time; until it was overtaken by Facebook. Then we added Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, and more. Gone are the days of relying on print newspapers. While they still exist, its only a matter of time before they go fully digital. It’s critical to stay on top of those channels that champion your brands. Be active on the key channels, and make sure you understand the rest. No doubt there will be more added to the mix as the calendar moves forward.

Trust your gut. Ever had a new business meeting and walk out with an uneasy feeling? Pay attention to it. Whether that be on a new hire, a new client, or anything else. As my grandma said, there is another bus that comes along in 10 minutes. Be selective about how you plan your business, and your life.

Live with integrity.

Lead by example.

Learn every day.

…and laugh. After all, life is short. Enjoy it!

Leeza Hoyt

How To Promote Telehealth For Healthcare Services

Even though the world is gradually opening up again after the pandemic, many people are still hesitant to go outside and see their doctor in person. Telehealth provides a great solution for patients who want to consult with their physician from the comfort of their own homes.

Telehealth is becoming more and more popular as a way to provide healthcare services. In fact, research shows that over half of hospitals in the United States use telemedicine.

There are many benefits to using telehealth, including improved access to care, increased convenience, and reduced costs. However, many people are still not aware of what telehealth is or how it works.

In this article, we will explain what telehealth is and discuss some ways that you can promote it to increase its visibility and usage.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is the use of technology to provide healthcare services remotely. This can be done using video conferencing, phone calls, email, or even text messages. The important thing is that it allows patients to receive care without having to come into an office or hospital.

There are many types of telehealth services that can be provided. They include mental health counseling, primary care, disease management, and even specialty care.

How to Promote Telehealth

Here are a few tips on how to promote telehealth within your organization:

1. Create Value In Your Content

In the digital world, content is the undisputed king. No matter what you’re trying to sell, your potential customers are going to do their research online before they make a purchase.

The best way to promote telehealth within your organization is to create content that will show potential patients the value of your services. Write blog posts, create infographics, and shoot videos that explain the benefits in a way that is easy for people to understand.

Here are a few tips for creating valuable content in your messaging:

Make it Visually Appealing

People are more likely to engage with content that is easy on the eyes. Use plenty of visuals, and break up your text with headings and subheadings.

Keep it Short and Sweet

No one wants to read a novel when they’re trying to learn about a new service. Get to the point, and make sure your content is easy to skim.

Use Patient Testimonials

Nothing is more convincing than a real-life success story. If you have patients who have had positive experiences with your telehealth services, ask them if you can use their stories in your marketing materials.

2. Make Telehealth Easy To Access

One of the main barriers to telehealth adoption is patient confusion. Many people are still not familiar with the concept of virtual care, and they may not know how to access your services.

Make it easy for potential patients to find your telehealth offerings by prominently featuring them on your website and in all of your marketing materials. Ensure you include clear instructions on how to connect with a provider virtually.

You can also promote telehealth within your organization by following these tips:

Create a Dedicated Landing Page For Your Telehealth Services

Having a dedicated landing page will make it easy for patients to find the information they need and connect with a provider.

Have A Call-to-action On Your Site

Include a “Book Now” or “Schedule an Appointment” button on your website and in all of your email communications. This will make it easy for patients to take the next step.

Send Email Blasts To Patients Promoting Your Virtual Care Offerings

Include a “Book Now” or “Schedule an Appointment” button on your website and in all of your email communications. This will make it easy for patients to take the next step.

Include a link to your telehealth landing page in all of your email communications.

3. Build Trust Through Telehealth Success Stories

As with any new technology, there is always some uncertainty when it comes to adoption. Many patients may be hesitant to try telehealth because they’re not sure if it will work for them.

One of the best ways to promote telehealth within your organization is to share success stories from patients who have used your services. These stories can be included in your marketing materials, on your website, or even shared on social media.

By sharing success stories, you can help to build trust and show potential patients that your services are effective.

Use Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is a great way to promote your telehealth services to a wider audience. You can use paid ads to target potential patients in your area who may be interested in your services.

There are a number of different platforms you can use for paid advertising, including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads. Each platform has its own strengths, so it’s important to choose the one that will work best for your needs.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to promoting telehealth, there are a lot of options and avenues available. The key is finding the right mix that works for your organization and patients. With the tips outlined in this article, you should be well on your way to getting started with a successful telehealth program.

Leeza Hoyt

3 Healthcare Lessons Public Relations Agencies Learned From The Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the healthcare industry. And while the impact has been felt by everyone from hospitals and insurance companies to patients and families, there are also important lessons to be learned by those in the public relations field.

Los Angeles healthcare PR firms and other PR players across the globe have been forced to adapt and innovate at a breakneck pace over the past year. They’ve had to navigate uncharted territory, deal with new challenges and find new ways to reach and engage their audiences.

In this article, we are going to look at ways public relations shaped the pandemic as well as three key lessons that healthcare PR agencies learned from the pandemic.

Public Relations During The Pandemic

From the very beginning, public relations has played a vital role in shaping how the world perceives and responds to pandemics. In fact, PR agencies were some of the first to sound the alarm about COVID-19 back in January 2020. They were helping their clients navigate the ever-changing landscape and providing guidance on how to respond. They did this through:

Educating

PR agencies played an important role in educating the public about the pandemic. They did this through traditional means such as news releases and media relations, but also through newer channels such as social media.

Informing

PR agencies also served as a valuable source of information for their clients. They provided them with up-to-date data on the pandemic, helped them understand the latest research, and advised them on how to best communicate with their audiences.

Assuring

Finally, PR agencies also played a vital role in assuring the public that their clients were taking the necessary steps to protect them. They did this by sharing information about the measures their clients were taking, such as increased cleaning and sanitation efforts, and by highlighting the importance of following safety guidelines.

3 Key Lessons Healthcare PR Agencies Learned From the Pandemic

The pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone, including healthcare PR agencies. They have had to adapt the way we work to keep their clients and staff safe, while still delivering results.

Here are three key lessons we’ve learned during the pandemic:

Flexibility Is Key

The first healthcare lesson PR firms learned from the pandemic is the importance of being flexible. With client meetings and events being canceled at short notice, we had to be adaptable to the way we work. This has included moving to virtual meetings and events, managing remote teams, and finding new ways to pitch media and connect with different audiences.

Most importantly, we learned that being flexible is key to delivering results in a rapidly changing environment. This will be an important lesson for PR firms going forward, as the world continues to change at a rapid pace.

Throughout the pandemic, clients appreciated agility and adaptability in these challenging times. The pandemic has shown that healthcare PR firms are able to be nimble and adapt to change quickly, which is a valuable skill in an ever-changing world.

The Importance Of International Communication

Healthcare PR firms learned that international communication is key during a pandemic. When the COVID-19 outbreak started, many healthcare organizations were caught off guard because they did not have protocols in place for dealing with a global health crisis. As a result, these organizations turned to PR firms for help in communicating with the public and the media.

With countries going into lockdown at different times, and with different restrictions in place, it was important for healthcare PR firms to be able to communicate effectively with their clients around the world.

This meant having a good understanding of the situation in each country and being able to adapt their communications accordingly. It also meant being able to provide support and advice to clients in different time zones, as well as dealing with the challenges of working with teams in different countries.

Re-Evaluate Crisis Plans

Los Angeles healthcare PR firms and other healthcare communicators had to re-evaluate their crisis plans in light of the pandemic.

This has meant looking at what worked well and what could be improved, as well as thinking about how to respond to future crises. Crisis communication is an important part of healthcare PR, and the pandemic has shown that it is possible to adapt and improve plans quickly during a crisis.

Final Thoughts

The COVD-19 pandemic has been a tough time for everyone. Healthcare PR firms are no different. They had to adapt the way they work, think, and operate. However, there have been some silver linings. The pandemic has taught them many lessons that will make us better at our jobs moving forward. It has also inspired us to be more creative and innovative in our work.

If there’s one thing that we can take away from this pandemic, it’s that healthcare PR firms are resilient. We’ve been able to weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side.

Leeza Hoyt

How Public Relations Can Globally Influence Support for Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has been raging on for over one month now, and it seems like there is no end in sight. However, with the help of public relations professionals, maybe we can start to turn the tide and gather more public support for Ukraine.

Public relations (PR) campaigns can be used to build awareness of a cause, shift perceptions, and generate support from the public. By crafting a strategic PR campaign, the public relations global network can bring more attention to the situation in Ukraine and make it a global priority.

In this article, we will explore ways in which public relations can be used to support Ukraine. Hopefully, with the help of these tactics, we can start to bring about change.

Create Awareness

If your business is looking for ways to help create awareness for Ukraine, here are some tips that can help you achieve this:

Identify The Messages You Want To Communicate

The first step is to identify the key messages that you want to communicate and then craft a story that will resonate with your target audience. This story should be based on the facts, but it also needs to be engaging and relevant.

Develop Creative Content

Once you have your key messages nailed down, you need to develop creative content that will help to get your story out there. This could include videos, infographics, articles, social media posts, or any other content that will catch people’s attention.

Engage Key Influencers

To reach your target audience, you need to engage key influencers who can help spread your message. This could include journalists, bloggers, social media stars, or anyone with a large following who can influence public opinion.

Track Results And Adjust Course As Needed

It’s essential to track the results of your PR campaign and adjust the course as needed. If something isn’t working, make changes and try something else. The key is to keep trying until you find the best approach for your target audience.

Shift Perceptions

Public relations can also shift perceptions about a situation or organization. The war in Ukraine has been mulled in propaganda and conflicting reports. Therefore, it can be difficult for people to form an accurate opinion. By running a PR campaign, you can help to shift perceptions and build support for Ukraine.

Establish A Clear Narrative

One of the main goals of public relations is to establish a clear narrative about the current situation. This narrative should be based on the facts, but it also needs to be easy to understand and engaging.

Build Relationships With Key Stakeholders

Another important part of public relations is building relationships with key stakeholders. This includes journalists, bloggers, social media stars, and anyone who can help to spread your message.

Read Information From Reputable Sources

It is your responsibility to remain vigilant and only consume information from reputable sources. This is especially important given the current state of affairs in Ukraine.

By verifying information before sharing it with others, you can help to ensure that people have the most accurate picture of what’s happening on the ground. Also, doing this can help to dispel any myths or misconceptions that may be circulating.

Generate Support

Public relations can also generate support for a cause or organization. This support can come from individuals, businesses, or governments. By running a successful PR campaign, you can help to build a global coalition in support of Ukraine.

Some ways that you can generate support include:

Organize Events

One way to generate support is to organize events that bring people together to learn more about the situation in Ukraine and show their solidarity with the country.

Launch A Social Media Campaign

Another great way to generate support is through a social media campaign. This could include videos, photos, or articles that help raise awareness of the situation in Ukraine.

Engage Key Decision-Makers

It’s also important to engage key decision-makers who can help influence policy decisions that will benefit Ukraine. Find out what you can do to help them and what messages you should be sharing.

Provide Resources

Finally, you can also provide resources such as information packets, fact sheets, and talking points to help people learn more about the situation in Ukraine and how they can get involved.

Final Thoughts

Through public relations, you can help to build awareness of the situation in Ukraine and generate support for the country worldwide. By following these tips, you can help to make a difference and support the people of Ukraine.

If you are looking for the best Los Angeles PR agency that can help you globally influence support for Ukraine, or attain your business goals, look no further than The Hoyt Organization. We have a team of experienced professionals who are passionate about helping to make a difference in the world.

Leeza Hoyt

What Brands Need To Know About Marketing In The Metaverse

The metaverse is more than just a trending buzzword. If you were around during the birth of social media and digital marketing, you know big things are coming.

Statista reports that there are currently over 4.2 billion active social media accounts. Another study determined that 93% of all marketers use social media to market businesses.

There’s no doubt that your business uses social media for marketing its products and services. If you want your business to succeed in an ever-changing world, it’ll pay to keep an eye on the metaverse.

Luckily, preparing your business for the metaverse doesn’t have to be a daunting task!

At The Hoyt Organization, we help brands authentically connect with their audiences and tell stories that inspire growth and loyalty.

Here is our concise guide to everything a brand needs to know about marketing in the metaverse.

What Is The Metaverse?

The metaverse, short for “meta-universe,” is a virtual world that connects directly to the physical world. You can think of it as the next generation internet or Web 3.0.

Individuals will be able to instantly connect to the virtual world while interacting with the physical world.

For instance, instead of meeting your coworkers on Zoom, you can don a pair of VR goggles and hold the meeting in a virtual reality boardroom.

Just like in the physical world, people will be able to do the same things in the metaverse. They’ll be able to buy clothing, accessories, or even art.

Some innovative companies plan to sell physical copies that you can also take into the digital world.

Imagine buying a rare painting for your office. You can scan in a code and display this rare painting in your digital boardroom to impress visitors and staff.

This connectivity between the physical and the digital is the metaverse. It brings many incredible benefits that brands and marketers can capitalize on.

How Can Brands Prepare For The Metaverse?

The metaverse will provide marketers with plenty of new opportunities to promote their products, services, and brands.

The most obvious opportunity is renting ad space, similar to how you’d rent billboard space in the physical world.

Yet, it’s not the only way to prepare for this new marketing frontier.

Companies, big and small, should also start investing in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality experiences (VR), and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

These technologies all form an essential part of the metaverse. If your company isn’t familiar with it, you may not be able to outperform your competitors within the metaverse.

5 Tips For A Long-term Business Strategy In The Metaverse

Marketers and business leaders need to understand the power of the metaverse. It would be best to stay updated with the latest trends and developments.

Knowing what’s happening and how it’s occurring will make it easier to adapt your marketing strategy for the metaverse. Here are our top tips for capitalizing on the growth of the Metaverse.

1. Embrace Parallel Marketing In And Out Of The Metaverse

The metaverse seamlessly merges the digital and the physical world. Your marketing efforts should reflect this.

For instance, AB InBev’s brand, Stella Artois, worked with Zed Run to create a unique marketing experience for the Kentucky Derby. Together, they created an online platform where users could trade horses, race them, and even breed them.

This marketing experience offered a digital adventure while nurturing brand loyalty in the physical world.

2. Create Immersive Experiences

Offer immersive experiences. For example, several savvy realtors offer prospective buyers VR tours of prestigious properties.

Architecture firms also offer VR tours of proposed buildings, allowing investors to walk through the structure before finalizing the construction plans.

3. Make Collectables

Let your fans and followers collect unique items. People love collecting things!

One brand that embraced this was Gucci with their Gucci Garden Experience. Users could collect limited Gucci items in the metaverse. They could even sell these items.

So, consider releasing some sort of NFT items that people can buy for their VR avatars to wear when in the metaverse.

4. Engage With Leaders And Promoters

People are mostly opposed to ads. So, engage with your community. Search out promoters and leaders that can help take your brand into the metaverse.

If you’re not sure how to do this, check out our guide on why your brand needs an influencer PR strategy.

5. Continue To Experiment

Don’t be afraid to experiment. This area of marketing is relatively new and brands should embrace the opportunity. There are no concrete rules for what works and how you should do it.

Be flexible and experiment when looking for new, creative ways to grow your brand in the metaverse.

Final Thoughts

As the metaverse continues to grow, more and more brands will adjust their marketing strategies to make the most of this digital world. So, it’s important to ensure your brand stays on top of it too. If all of this sounds complicated, don’t worry! We’re here to help simplify your marketing and PR strategies.

Connect with us, and let’s see how we can grow your brand within the metaverse.

Leeza Hoyt

Why Your PR Strategy Needs Digital Marketing

Traditionally, PR was print-based. However, today’s world is all about digital channels. As such, your PR tactics need to embrace more digital strategies. This includes digital marketing to help boost your brand awareness and image.

If you’re looking to evolve your business and create an impactful online presence, then digital marketing is the way to go. From driving traffic to relationship building, we’ll discuss how digital marketing and PR go hand-in-hand in building your brand.

The Connection Between PR And Digital Marketing

Digital PR is an online marketing tactic used by businesses and marketers to increase a brand’s online presence. This strategy is used to:

improve SEO
enhance brand awareness
increase traffic to a website
boost sales
improve social engagement

Digital PR strategy is therefore a combination of digital marketing and public relations.

Digital marketing involves the use of online technology to promote brands and their products or services. Public relations, on the other hand, is a process of communication. It is used to build relationships between companies and their customers.

By using digital marketing in PR, brands can further boost their brand awareness and build better relationships with customers.

Why Is Digital Marketing Important In Your PR Strategy?

There are many ways in which you can use the internet to your advantage with PR. Digital marketing helps your PR strategy to include interactive and user-driven tactics that may help build better relationships with customers.

Digital marketing has become an essential part of PR as its benefits exceed those of traditional marketing.

Although digital PR may be similar to traditional PR, it provides an opportunity to reach a much broader audience than traditional methods. Strategies such as SEO, content marketing, influencer marketing and social media marketing help your brand to connect relatable content with the right audiences.

Digital PR can achieve its goal of improving online presence and visibility as well as building long-lasting relationships with users as information can now be turned into real conversations.

By investing in a digital PR strategy, you can connect with users by speaking directly to them at any time of the day. Not only is this quick and effective, but it is available 24/7.

How Digital Marketing Can Boost Your PR Strategy

Analytics Improves Performance

There are many helpful tools available to give your organization a competitive advantage in the world of PR. Analytics tools help track the performance and metrics on your pages, posts and campaigns. As a result, you can see what is working and what isn’t.

Analytics tools can provide metrics such as post reach, number of clicks, views, bounce rate and demographics. When you use this in your PR strategy, it will provide you with the consumer insight that you need to improve your strategy.

You can easily adjust campaigns where necessary. And after finding what works for certain target groups, you can target your audience more precisely.

Creative Content Creation

Content is the key to building credibility and authority. It is a key aspect of digital marketing – and it can work wonders for your PR strategy, too.

Creative content can be a powerful persuasive tool that can drive conversation. As part of your PR strategy, make sure you create content that engages and interests your customers. Including video content is a great way to do this while boosting ROI for your campaigns. This is because video content has shown to be the most effective among different types of content.

All content created for your PR strategy must be creative and exciting. It also needs to be relevant to your audience. You can create content in the form of graphics, video content, interactive content, and blog posts. Digital content can reach a large audience across various channels. So, it is a sure-fire way to drive traffic, increase brand awareness, build trust, and boost conversions.

Links To Drive Traffic

Receiving backlinks from reputable, authoritative sites can not only drive traffic but can boost your website’s authority too. This is an effective digital marketing and SEO tactic but it can be a valuable PR tactic as well.

Other websites in similar industries or affiliate sites will include a link to your site if the content is valuable and relatable to their readers. This will give your site credibility and a good reputation.

If you want your PR campaigns to reach and impress these types of reliable sites, you must create consistent content and promote it well. Implementing a digital marketing strategy can help you to do this.

Key Takeaways

By incorporating some effective digital marketing tactics into your PR strategy, you can improve brand awareness, boost your credibility, and increase traffic to your site.

Gone are the days of traditional marketing. It’s crucial to embrace what the digital world has to offer. This will help you stay in a competitive position in your industry and boost your online presence and success.

Leeza Hoyt

Why Your Brand Needs An Influencer PR Strategy

In today’s fast moving, ever changing digital world, you have to invest in effective marketing strategies that resonate with your audience to get your brand noticed. By incorporating an influencer PR strategy into your strategic digital marketing plan, you have a better opportunity to really connect with potential customers.

Unlike any other marketing tactic. consumers find influencers more trustworthy than brands.

Consider the following facts:

The average consumer has 8.4 social media accounts
Over 60% of marketers report that influencer marketing outperforms other type of marketing
93% of marketers have used influencer marketing
Influencer generated content outperforms brand posts

And this is exactly the kind of advertising connections you should be looking for.

Below, we’ve outlined why your brand needs an influencer PR strategy, and how you can create one.

Why Invest In Influencer Marketing?

Hearing about the advantages of a product or service first-hand is one of the best ways to effectively boost brand awareness.

With social media taking over the digital world, word-of-mouth publicity has evolved into influencer marketing. Influencer marketing involves collaborating with carefully selected social media influencers in an effort to get more people to notice your brand on a myriad of social media platforms.

Is it effective? Yes.

Is it a more lucrative investment compared to traditional marketing? Well, it depends on what industry you are in and how you leverage influencers that complement your brand.

One thing is for certain, though. Compared to more traditional marketing tactics, social media influencers are considered more credible. Influencers are great brand ambassadors because they tell people what they honestly think.

If you team up with an influencer that loves what you offer, he or she will be able to authentically sell your product or service.

Social media influencers introduce their whole following to your brand. This can make it easier for you to reach a new target demographic.

If a well-loved influencer gives your brand the stamp of approval, then your business will automatically have more credibility in the eyes of that influencer’s following.

The Perks Of Influencer Marketing

It’s Affordable

Apart from email marketing, influencer PR marketing is one of the most cost-effective PR tools. If you have a set budget to work with, you can collaborate with influencers that are in line with the amount of compensation you can offer.

Up and coming influencers who are still finding their feet are a great option for brands that want to spend their marketing budget as efficiently as possible.

It Begins A Conversation

Consumers are tired of traditional and digital adverts. In general, conventional ads are viewed with skepticism and as closed-off, one-sided conversations.

However, with influencers, you have the opportunity to start a conversation on a particular topic. Your brand isn’t the main focus of the conversation. Instead, it can feature as an add-on or a solution to a specific problem that is mentioned in the conversation.

Most influencers will only endorse products that they have used themselves. After all, they also have a reputation to maintain. Moreover, they share a strong connection with their followers, making them a trusted and credible ally to have in the marketing sphere.

Influencer Marketing Allows You To Track Your Return On Investment

Unlike traditional marketing efforts, the success of influencer marketing is a lot easier to track. In the past, the success of traditional PR campaigns was mostly guessed through the impact they had on sales. But it was never an exact science as monthly sales were subject to a myriad of factors.

However, the emergence of digital marketing has made it possible to accurately measure the success of PR campaigns. A variety of metrics can be used to measure the performance of a social media influencer campaign. These include metrics like brand mentions, social media likes, referral traffic, click-through rates, and revenue.

Creating Your Influencer Marketing Strategy

If you have set your sights on creating your own influencer marketing strategy, we have the action steps to get you started.

Create a budget. A well-thought-out budget is the first step to figuring out how much money you can allocate to influencer marketing. It will also help you to monitor your spending and see what marketing avenues are truly lucrative for your business.
Outline your unique goals and brand message. Knowing what your goals are will help you to focus on your unique brand needs. This will enable you to find the right influencer.
Determine your target audience. You have to invest time and effort in various research initiatives that will allow you to hone in on your target audience. At first, you can target more widely, but to see results you will have to narrow your reach. The more intentional you are with your marketing initiatives, the more successful you will be.
Identify potential influencers. You need to build long-lasting relationships with influencers who align with your goals and target audience.
Measure your campaign results. Unique hashtags, affiliate codes, tracking links, and revenue are great ways of monitoring your marketing efforts. Be sure to use all of them to determine the effectiveness of each of the influencers you collaborate with.

In Summary

With the right influencers by your side, you can take your brand to the next level. By doing your research, monitoring the effectiveness of your campaigns, and collaborating with people that believe in your brand, you will be one step closer to achieving success.

Leeza Hoyt

How To Promote Your Luxury Day Spa With Public Relations

Luxury day spa offers customers a chance to indulge and unwind. These pamper parlors are often so dreamy that one may assume that these establishments simply promote themselves.

This, however, is not the case. Even top-class day spas need a great public relations strategy to stay ahead of the competition and win over new clients in the consumer lifestyle category.

Below, we have carefully selected the most relevant promotional tools and PR tactics that will help to put your luxury spa on the map.

3 Best PR Strategies To Promote Your Luxury Spa

Reward Loyal Customers

It may sound simple, but by rewarding both new and old customers, you can incentivize them to return more regularly to your day spa. If you are looking for a way to show your customers that you value their support, then now would be the perfect time to implement a spa loyalty program.

In general, spa enthusiasts like to be pampered on a regular basis. By rewarding your customers whenever they support you, you can become their new home away from home. All you have to do is give them even more reason to return to your day spa whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Your loyalty program can allow customers to earn loyalty points whenever they pay for spa products or services. These loyalty points can accumulate until your customers qualify for a free treatment or product. You can also give people extra loyalty points for referring their friends to your spa.

A loyalty program can make your customers feel seen and heard. With each point you award them, you are essentially saying that you see and value their support. Most customers would rather shop at establishments that make them feel included and reward them, rather than support businesses that don’t value them.

Cultivate a Strong Online Presence

In this day and age, creating a strong online presence for your brand is no longer optional. Most reputable PR firms have broadened their horizons to include online marketing in their strategies. This is largely because, during the last decade, more and more people have been finding and purchasing what they need online.

Firstly, you’ll need a website. If people are curious about your spa, then this is likely the first place they’ll go to research your company. Your website is one of the first impressions your brand will make on new customers. So, be sure to cross your T’s and dot your I’s.

Among other things, your website should be SEO-friendly and easy to navigate. It should list your services, products, and prices, and provide valuable information to all your customers. The easier you make it for potential customers to navigate your website, the more likely it is that they will book a day spa treatment.

Also be sure to list your day spa on various listing websites, starting with Google My Business. This will help to improve your local SEO ratings. Moreover, it will let people know how they can contact you and what your operational hours are.

Lastly, don’t forget about investing in your social media presence. Whether you prefer Facebook or Instagram, make sure you post regularly on all your social media platforms. These platforms can help you to communicate with your audience and make real connections with your brand followers. Further, it helps to boost brand awareness and drive more people to your luxury spa.

Partner Up With Local Businesses

The day spa industry is all about inner and outer wellness. As such, it is the ideal establishment to take hands with other similar businesses. By partnering with other companies that share your ideals and values, you can both benefit when it comes to boosting sales.

Of course, it wouldn’t be ideal to partner with another day spa. There are plenty of non-competitive options out there, like hairdressers, dietitians, chiropractors, and even nutritionists.

By partnering up with local companies, you could help to promote each other. This could increase brand awareness and up the revenue of both your spa and the company you’re partnering with. It really is a win-win situation and would require very little effort on your part.

By simply displaying each other’s business cards, or mentioning each other on both of your websites and social media platforms, you could significantly help boost each other’s brand visibility.

Alternatively, you could also write creative content and mention each other on your respective blogs. There is also the option of running a promotion together. This urges your combined customer pool to support both businesses.

There truly are numerous ways that partnering up with another local business can help to promote your luxury day spa.

In Summary

Whether you are a day spa marketer, owner, or manager, these PR strategies can help to boost your brand visibility. They can lead more people to your website and ultimately ensure you are fully booked all year round.

By investing in your online presence, rewarding your customers, and partnering up with other businesses, your day spa can get the marketing traction it needs to really thrive.

Leeza Hoyt

Public Relations For Restaurant and Food Brands

The food and restaurant industry is evolving at a rapid pace. With consumers being quite adamant in understanding where their food comes from and how their purchases can affect social issues, climate change, and overall wellness, it is now more vital than ever to tell your brand’s story in an authentic way.

Below, we delve into tried and tested PR tactics that can help place your restaurant or food brand on the map.

3 Key PR Tactics For Food And Restaurant Brands

Allow Customers to Experience Your Brand

People rarely stay spectators if they see something fun they really want to participate in. Why not grab this golden opportunity to transform your food brand into the next experiential treat? After all, foodies are all about enjoying and truly indulging in each and every culinary experience.

So, how exactly does one do this? There are numerous ways to get your customers actively involved in your brand. Events, competitions, or even food tours can all allow your target market to devour your food and beverages.

This is also where digital marketing comes into play. Social media is one of the greatest and most effective tools when it comes to creating brand awareness. If you are planning on launching a competition or organizing an event, then be sure to spread the word on all your social channels.

By uniquely presenting your food and beverages at these events, people will start posting about it on social media.

Why not create a unique brand hashtag? This will help you to spread the word about your brand. Your target market will share, retweet, or repost content relating to your products and services.

In a way, each and every potential customer can become a brand advocate. It really just all depends on your willingness to give your audience the experiences they truly crave. If it’s worth doing and it’s Instagrammable, then brand hype will be inevitable!

Partner With The Right People

When just starting out in the restaurant or food industry, it can be hard to gain traction on social media and to reach your ideal consumer.

Not only does it require knowing exactly how to optimize your social media ads, but it also means you have to know what your ideal customer wants or needs.

Figuring all this out is an important part of the branding process, but it can be time-consuming and is usually done over a number of months.

The best way to get around this roadblock and to really propel your brand into fame is to form partnerships with other brands or influencers. This will allow you to position your brand in a certain way so you can target the people you think will really enjoy your brand.

You don’t necessarily have to team up with companies that are also in the restaurant and food industry. A better way to form partnerships is to partner up with brands that will truly complement yours. Ideally, it should be a mutually beneficial relationship that will benefit both parties.

When picking an influencer, it is best to choose people that fit right into your brand’s lane. Remember, it’s not worth it to compromise your brand’s integrity for five seconds of fame.

Although social media platforms are the ideal choice when it comes to hosting partnerships and collaborations, you can also opt for more traditional marketing mediums.

Print media, TV ads, and even radio ads work phenomenally well when it comes to featuring brand collaborations. It all just depends on what your end goals are, and if you would like to measure the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns.

Content Is Still King

Immortalizing the essence of your brand on camera and broadcasting your brand’s voice through articles, blogs, recipes, and opinion pieces is one of the best ways to increase brand awareness.

Yes, content is still king, and without it, you won’t be able to show how your food or restaurant business is making its mark in the industry.

High-quality brand content allows you to tell your company’s story in a fast and effective way. As such, it should be a vital part of your PR and marketing strategy.

The best way to create content is to do it in such a way that it can be used throughout multiple traditional and digital marketing platforms. By doing this, you can maximize the return on your marketing efforts.

In addition to creating versatile content, you should also be creating evergreen content. This is content that stays relevant so that you can use it over and over again. The key to generating great content is to work smarter, not harder.

In Summary

Your PR strategy for your food or restaurant brand should be supported by high-quality content creation, partnerships and collaborations, and experiential opportunities that specifically cater to the wants and needs of your customers.

By implementing these three marketing tactics, you will create lots of brand awareness and allow your brand to speak to your ideal consumer in a personable and authentic way.

Leeza Hoyt

Expanding into new market for a virtual addiction treatment company

Expanding into new markets during a pandemic created an interesting challenge for a virtual addiction treatment company. Already designed to provide online and in-person care through web and other applications, the strategy for this program centered on positioning key spokespersons as experts in their field.

The initial program accomplished two goals:

All key media spokespersons completed media training sessions.

2. The preliminary six- month outreach efforts, which were focused on media relations, focused on specific regions.

CAMPAIGN INITIATIVES

These media relations efforts targeted specific regions for the states that were identified by the company’s expansion plans. These included New Jersey, Alaska, California, Michigan, Alaska and Washington. The program, which launched in May 2020, was originally designed to distribute one press release a month.

THO adjusted strategies and started to create and pitch media advisories highlighting virtual addiction treatment center co- founders as interview sources. Other clinicians were also brought into the program to discuss the company and how its treatment programs worked.

CAMPAIGN RESULTS

This strategy provided a strong basis for placements in broadcast, digital news platforms, magazines and newspapers that include Yahoo News, NJTV and Alaska Business. All of this has resulted in consistent and ongoing outreach. To date, coverage for the year includes newspapers, magazines, broadcast and key digital news platforms such as:

Yahoo News ABC 23
NJTV
AOL.video
The Observer CNBNews
News Break
Los Angeles News Observer
Detroit Free Press Chronicle Press

While the first couple of months were focused on pitching regional coverage, THO shifted the outreach to focus on securing limited interview opportunities with top executives on a national basis. Results show approximately 18 placements with an ad value that exceeds $83 , 000. In addition, the coverage received continues to expand the firm’ s digital footprint, which will support online search activity which drives consumers to the virtual services.

Total media placements for the first six months included:

Total circulation: 142,186,233
2020 ad equivalent costs to date: $534,984
Cost per impression: $1,04,952

Leeza Hoyt

Serving as the voice for a treatment center expanding further into the East Coast region

When a national treatment center brand stepped up their expansion plans, new locations were selected in Virginia, New Jersey, Kentucky, Ohio and several other states. These were only the first of many that were planned during the year.

To raise awareness of these centers, they engaged The Hoyt Organization ( THO) to develop and execute a strategic, comprehensive public relations campaign. This campaign started on the regional level, depending on the location, then i t was eventually expanded to add national placements as the year progressed. In addition, THO managed the media relations outreach for the opening of approximately 10 clinics throughout the year.

In order to position the company as a well- respected, established organization, THO implemented an intense media relations program centered on:

Positioning clinicians as thought leaders/ experts in the recovery and substance use disorder space;
Positioning facilities and clinicians as accessible to all, offering progressive, evidence- based treatment option;
Highlighting the strides in SUD care made by the organization

CAMPAIGN INITIATIVES

In order to reach these goals, THO developed a customized strategic plan tailored to their unique treatment center requirements. The media relations campaign incorporated the following initiatives:

Interviews with key clinicians to determine where they can be most effectively inserted into the news cycle to highlight key clinicians and elevate the company as a leader in treatment & recovery;
Drafting press materials for each treatment center and clinician;
Press outreach ( which included broadcast, print/ digital/ blogs and other outlets) in designated local and national markets;
Identifying media opportunities to elevate brand recognition for the company

THO garnered tangible results in each area, broadening the overall brand awareness, significantly elevating the brand through broadcast segments, thought leadership interviews and bylines, and digital media. THO ensured the company was able to see a steady stream of quality placements in top- t ier and local publications throughout the campaign.

To expand the reach of the program, THO drafted several media advisories and news releases, announcing new sites or offering clinicians as an interview source on relevant news topics and trends. This effort encompassed both regional and national outreach. The media advisories and press releases were distributed to key media contacts at top-tier and local outlets. The following is a holistic view of the campaign and THO secured results.

MEDIA RELATIONS EFFORTS

The robust media relations campaign increased the overall awareness. THO targeted key media outlets with the goal of securing placements in publications that would reach not only those in the industry i tself, but potential clients, including their relatives, who were looking for various treatment facilities and options. This effort was successful, resulting in print, online/ digital placements and broadcast ( television/ radio) interviews in key media targets as well as local and national publications including:

Associated Press
Crain’ s Business Journal Global Banking & Finance Behavioral Healthcare
Executive
Practical Pain Management National Public Radio ( NPR) SHAPE magazine
Reader’ s Digest
Population Health

Hospital
Management Diet of Life Mic. com
Healthy
Health Affairs
Soaring in Sobriety Podcast
Health
Professionals Radio

This effort also was successful in securing placements on the local level, garnering coverage in/on:

The Patriot WTVR- TV
WAVY 10 News WFXR Fox
ABC 8 News
Virginia Living
The Record Courier Erie News Now
Western Wayne News And more …

These placements provided the support necessary to elevate the Pinnacle brand, while depicting the facilities and the clinicians as leaders in the f ield of treatment and recovery.

CAMPAIGN RESULTS

Total placements: 53 ( not including additional online distribution)
Circulation: 48,322,326
Editorial Value: $ 1,367,268
Ad value equivalent: $ 455,756

Leeza Hoyt

Raising the awareness of a mental health and addiction treatment center in Southern California

When a family of treatment centers wanted to raise the awareness of two of their mental health and addiction treatment centers, they turned to THO to broaden their brand. THO worked closely with management and its partner facilities to generate a broad range of coverage for the brand and its key executives, highlighting its leadership in behavioral healthcare, mental health and addiction awareness and treatment.

THO supported the company’s facilities through an integrated PR campaign focused on:

Leveraging “ real- t ime” news topics as well as utilizing quarterly media topics to conduct outreach and secure coverage for the brand, i ts partner facilities and key executives in top- t ier health and wellness, behavioral health and local and national business press
Supporting local events and partnerships through key news announcements
Coordinating byline submissions with their in- house writer for key first responder publications
Working closely with the SEO/ digital team to report on real- time coverage and synchronize publicity efforts

THO OUTREACH

The Hoyt Organization’s outreach efforts helped produce over 142 million impressions and the equivalent of 63 pages of editorial content promoting the brand and i ts partner facilities. These have resulted in an editorial value equal to $1 , 604 , 952 .

CAMPAIGN RESULTS

The following metrics offer a brief summary of the editorial coverage THO

secured on behalf of the organization during the six- month campaign. Please note, while advertising and editorial are different media, the ad cost comparison provides a benchmark that shows the associated advertising budget that would have been necessary to achieve comparable coverage in these publications.

While advertising is paid media, editorial is considered “ earned” media, providing third- party credibility. As such, the industry standard values the impact of editorial at three times that of paid advertising.

To accurately reflect the significance of editorial coverage, we’ve also included the associated editorial value.

Results were as follows:

Total impressions: 142,186,233

Ad cost comparison: $534,984

Total placements: 25

Editorial value: $1,604,952

Top key features included:

Behavioral Healthcare Executive
Bio Plus Health Bustle
Dr. G Engaging Minds
Emergency Management Forbes Books Radio
Healthline

Malibu Surfside News
Modern Healthcare Orange County
Business Journal Our Weekly
Readmissions News U. S. News & World Report

These efforts have further helped broaden the awareness of mental health and addiction, plus the appeal of this brand as a leading behavioral health center while the company continues to grow and adjust to changes.

Leeza Hoyt

Public Relations and Marketing For Plastic Surgery Practices

The plastic surgery industry is becoming more cutting edge by the second. With more and more talented surgeons entering the field, plastic surgery practices have to invest in more PR to build credibility within the industry.

PR can help to establish your brand, which is why it’s best to incorporate it into your overall healthcare marketing strategy.

In this article, we are shining a light on how plastic surgery businesses can benefit from utilizing a public relations firm.

3 Ways Public Relations Can Benefit Your Plastic Surgery Practice

PR Can Help To Boost Your Website’s Google Ranking

In today’s digital age, you have to ensure that your online content is discoverable on search engines. How exactly does one do that? The answer lies in investing in your website’s search engine optimization (SEO).

There are plenty of ways in which you can improve your website’s overall SEO ranking. First, you have to write content that is both intriguing and informational. After doing some keyword research, you’ll know exactly what your audience wants to read about. You will then be able to get more organic traffic by simply providing information that’s already in high demand.

Another way of boosting your website’s SEO ranking is to write guest blogs on other health care websites that link back to your website. Each backlink gives your website more credibility and will increase your website’s Google ranking. This means your website will have a higher chance of being noticed, which will increase organic traffic to your website and ultimately get you more clients.

A great PR firm will help your website to climb rankings by making sure your practice is consistently building online authority and trust. This will help to establish your online presence and turn any press opportunity into potential customer acquisition opportunity.

PR Drives Long-Term Online Results

Compared to traditional advertising, a well-written, evergreen editorial can drive more long-term results. Why is this? Because a traditional advertisement is only utilized once and placed on one specific platform for a limited amount of time.

An editorial, on the other hand, can be published on more than one platform, can be reshared multiple times, and allows for online discussion. The ripple effects of a compelling editorial are, quite frankly, never-ending.

However, this is not the only benefit that PR content has over traditional marketing. PR allows you to build connections within the media industry. For example, once a journalist has worked with you, they will keep your contact details on file for any future stories. However, for this to happen, any interaction with journalists needs to be positive and professional in nature.

By hiring an experienced PR firm, you can be sure that you will always have marketing materials readily available for journalists. This means that the entire process will run smoothly, which will entice them to work with you again. This could lead to additional free exposure on a long-term basis and send more clients to your door.

Establishing Brand Credibility

Brand credibility is vital, especially in the health sector. However, getting your brand to be perceived as the go-to place for plastic surgery in an unbiased way takes time.

How people feel about your brand can make or break your practice. As such, it is crucial that you get the right type of exposure.

A lot of people think that by implementing an expensive advertising campaign you will get the brand recognition that your practice needs. While this is true to an extent, an elaborate advertising campaign can also be perceived as biased self-promotion. This means that when it comes to building authentic brand credibility, advertising may not be your best bet.

PR, however, relies on third-party endorsement from news anchors, local columnists and bloggers, and even media houses. In other words, PR allows a trusted media house to put their stamp of approval on your medical practice. Seeing that lots of people view journalistic reporting as accurate and unbiased, they tend to put a lot more trust in what the media has to say about businesses.

This method of getting your brand’s name out there can easily establish you as a specialist in your field of practice. Whether you prefer to give your two cents on a new plastic surgery fad or you would like to comment on a popular surgery technique or pro bono work your practice has been doing, the media can provide plenty of ways to get your brand’s story out there.

In Summary

With an experienced PR company at your side, there are lots of ways that your plastic surgery business can benefit from tried and tested PR practices.

Whether you want to boost your website’s Google ranking or establish your brand in the medical field, PR can ensure more brand visibility and get more clients to knock on your door in no time at all.

Leeza Hoyt

Public Relations Tips and Strategies For The Banking Industry

Competition in the banking industry can be fierce. With numerous financial services companies to choose from, one has to go the extra mile to retain and acquire more clients. This is where public relations comes into play.

In this article, we will be discussing PR tips and strategies that support the brand growth of banking and financial services providers.

4 Public Relations Tips and Strategies For The Banking Industry

Invest in Social Media

Social media is a wonderful marketing tool that can foster direct communication between your brand and your customers. In other words, it effectively opens the door for quick and honest feedback and gives your company a chance to immediately address any concerns that your online audience may have.

Why is this important? It shows that you value what your customers have to say.

By giving your customers a platform where they can feel seen and heard, you not only have the opportunity to build more brand awareness, but you can also connect with your online audience.

With so many social media platforms to choose from, it’s best to research what each platform can help you to achieve. Facebook fosters a sense of community, while Twitter helps to spark conversations. No matter what platform you choose, be sure to always include LinkedIn as it will help to establish your bank’s expertise and professionalism.

Empower Your Customers

A lot of people are struggling to manage their money in a way that will benefit them in the long run. Not everyone has a degree in finance, but most people are interested in learning how to manage their investments and savings. By identifying where your customers fall short, you can be their guiding light.

Through various PR initiatives, you can appoint trusted and recognized financial services executives to educate your brand’s audience on how to manage their money properly. While doing this, you can shine a light on the various services your company offers. Show how you can help your customers achieve their financial goals.

Whether your bank wants to start a blog or you want to invest in other forms of digital content creation, there are numerous ways that you can provide financial resources for your customers.

Traditional PR, like TV interviews or articles in finance magazines, can also help you to empower more people in managing their finances.

Establish Your Brand’s Credibility

Would you trust an unknown bank with your money? Probably not. People want to be able to put a face to the companies they do business with. The more you know about a brand, the more likely you’ll be to trust them. Trust, especially in the financial services industry, is key when it comes to ensuring company growth.

So how do you build more brand awareness and foster trust and credibility in the process? You need to share your opinion on relative matters. If you want to establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry, you need to be a great conversationalist – both online and in traditional media outlets.

Your brand’s voice can earn you lots of positive media exposure. By sharing some tips and tricks via news websites, radio shows, and interviews, you can establish your company’s credibility. At the same time, you can also build more brand awareness. In the long term, this can help to boost both client acquisition and retention.

Develop an Actionable PR Plan

For any PR strategy to be effective, it needs to be actionable. To really get a headstart on any of the PR ideas you have for your financial company, you need to develop a long-term PR plan. This will help you to organize your action steps and to make the most of your PR budget.

To start, you can decide on the following:

the platform you want to utilize
the topic you want to cover
the angle you want to try
and the team member that will speak on your chosen topic

You can also consider the media outlets that you’d like to target and the budget you have for each month.

Your plan doesn’t have to be intricate to be useful. As long as you take note of everything that can help you to organize your PR event, then you should be right on track.

You also don’t have to think of a PR strategy on your own. By building connections within the PR industry, you can regularly ask for tips and tactics from PR professionals.

You can also expand your network to include marketing and media house professionals. The more people you befriend, the better your feedback will be on what you have planned for the year.

In a Nutshell

By forming a coherent PR strategy for your banking company, you can successfully grow your brand. It can help to establish your company within the financial industry, allow you to connect with your customers, and lend credibility to what you specialize in.

Leeza Hoyt

Media Relations Strategies For Law Firms

The legal industry in the U.S. is very competitive. It can be challenging for new law firms to stand out among the crowd.

This is where tried and tested media relations strategies come into play. You can build trust with prospective clients by raising your firm’s visibility, showcasing your success rate, and tying your brand to high-profile cases.

To help you out, we’ve outlined four top media relations strategies for law firms below.

Four Media Relations Strategies For Law Firms

1. Reach Out To Media Publications

No matter what area of law you specialize in, it is essential to proactively reach out to various media houses. Bloggers and journalists from esteemed publications can portray you as a thought leader in your respective field. They will also be able to share your firm’s valuable insights regarding everyday matters.

Whether that means writing a monthly opinion piece for a national magazine, or providing a quote in a local newspaper, every bit of positive brand awareness counts. You might even want to take it a step further and do on-camera interviews. These allow people to put a face to a name and form a real connection with your firm.

Many law firms are wary of media attention because they don’t want to comment on cases they are actively involved in. Because of this, they miss out on all the excellent advantages that positive media coverage can bring their firm’s way. Instead of fearing media publicity, think of it as a tool that can help you to benefit both your firm and your local community.

Your firm can provide helpful tips for law students, talk about the do’s and don’ts when it comes to drawing up contracts, or simply give great insight into other high-profile cases. The important thing is to decide what you are comfortable talking about and create a media strategy that will guarantee positive brand exposure.

2. Put Someone In Charge Of Your Firm’s Marketing

If you have an established firm, then you are probably receiving quite a few media inquiries on a monthly basis. If you are struggling to stay on top of all the media opportunities heading your way, it’s probably best to appoint an experienced PR firm, like The Hoyt Organization. Not only will a PR firm be able to identify the best media opportunities, but they will also be able to prepare and coordinate interviews.

This is also true when it comes to speaking engagements. Talking about a specific legal topic that you specialize in will allow you to demonstrate your expertise and help to establish your firm’s credibility. An experienced PR firm can help identify relevant speaking opportunities and take care of all the administrative arrangements.

When it comes down to it, having an extra set of hands around to take care of your marketing affairs will allow you to do what you do best.

3. Display Your Firm’s Achievements and Ratings Online

If your firm has won legal awards or has garnered top-level ratings from previous clients, then it is time to put them on full display. Legal industry awards and high ratings can really help in establishing your firm’s credibility and, in doing so, get more clients to knock on your door.

In today’s digital age, most prospective clients research a law firm before contacting them. This is why it is so crucial to proudly display your awards or other achievements online. If you haven’t yet submitted any cases for award consideration, now is the time to apply. It may be a time-consuming process, but with an established PR company at your side, you won’t have to worry about any of the clerical duties.

This is also relevant when it comes to your firm’s online ratings. You have to make sure that your firm is listed on multiple websites, search engines, and other online locations so people can voice their opinions about your firm. Not only will this bolster confidence in your firm’s capabilities, but it will also boost your website’s overall SEO rating, which will make you more discoverable online.

4. Proactively Manage Crises

Whether your law firm is just starting out or has been in business for years, any business can fall victim to a PR crisis. Whether it is a negative review on a search listing or a high-profile case that could harm your firm’s image, you need a mitigation strategy for any potential crisis.

The best solution is to appoint an experienced PR firm to deal with any hiccups before they happen. This will not only give you peace of mind but will also allow you to protect your firm’s reputation should the worst come to pass.

In Summary

Becoming a great lawyer takes years of dedication and commitment. Don’t let your law firm’s accomplishments go unnoticed by failing to implement stellar media relations strategies.

Getting your firm noticed by prospective clients can be easier than expected, especially if you have the right PR firm to help you out. Connect with The Hoyt Organization today.

Leeza Hoyt

Public Relations In 2022: What Will The Future Bring?

Most people will agree that seeing 2021 in the rearview mirror is a good sign. Although it’s been a difficult year, we’ve seen compassion, growth and resilience throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The public relations industry itself has seen a great deal of change as well. Here are a few things that our crystal ball is predicting for 2022:

The ESG movement will continue to grow. Companies that embrace ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) policies and dedicate their corporate culture to supporting these environmental and social measures will set the stage for good stewardship of not only their own company but the world at large. I believe a company’s ESG score will become a defining factor for many of their audiences moving forward, and those that want to remain on the cutting edge better keep an eye on it.

The needs of the workforce will continue to change. Employees are now interacting with five generations in the workplace, each of which has its own set of factors that define their work style. While millennials have dominated the more recent conversations, Gen Alpha — those who are now between 11 and 25 years old — are now moving into the prime of their work years. Their viewpoints are quite different from millennials and they bring a different definition of how they view the work world. As a result, employers will continue to need to determine how best to engage the various generations given their different work styles, needs, desires and views on work-life balance. As the generations shift, this need will continue moving forward.

The workplace isn’t a place; it’s a mindset. With the “work from anywhere” moniker, I believe companies will continue to grapple with how company culture can be defined. Can there be a company culture when much of the interaction is now on a screen? Many employers have implemented various strategies that range from full work-from-home to hybrid schedules and some demand traditional in-the-office workplace routines. One thing is for sure: This will continue to evolve and the companies that dedicate their corporate culture to trying to figure how to evolve with these shifts — whatever that looks like for their company — will thrive.

Technology will continue to be a strong driver. The link that has allowed the workplace to evolve is technology. It’s now acceptable to have Zoom meetings, and there is a wide variety of communications tools that have increased our ability to communicate. These include Slack, email, text, WhatsApp and many, many more. As if that weren’t enough, social media platforms — Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and others — are also tools that are available to reach specific audiences. With that comes the overarching challenge of deciding which channels are important to the audiences our clients need to reach. This makes the public relations professional all the more valuable as the trusted advisor who can design a program using the right channel that pushes out the right brand message.

PR itself continues to evolve. While public relations originally sprouted from the news side of the industry, today the communications wheel includes everything from company newsletters, news releases and articles, advertising, sponsorships, brand layering, social media, influencer campaigns, crisis management and more. A campaign today can include a variety of earned, owned, paid and shared media. As a result, PR agencies are morphing into blended services in order to provide a holistic program for their clients and to capture a larger portion of the campaign dollars. There is no doubt that this trend will continue moving forward.

Public relations has always been an evolving industry. It shapes our world, changes our perceptions and drives things forward. There is no doubt that it will continue to evolve as our world changes. Here’s to an amazing 2022!

This article was originally published on Forbes, here.

Leeza Hoyt

Social Media Marketing For Healthcare Providers

The entire world has realized the power that great social media marketing can give to a brand. The healthcare industry is no exception.

Competition within the industry is getting steeper and patients are demanding faster response times when it comes to sharing critical medical information. Luckily, healthcare social media can help providers to stay on top of their tasks.

Whether your practice prefers Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram, social media can give you ample opportunity to educate, inform, and stay in constant contact with your demographic audience.

Below are the top healthcare social media marketing tactics for the healthcare industry.

6 Social Media Marketing Tactics For The Healthcare Industry

Educate Your Followers

The people that follow you on social media are already aware that a healthy lifestyle is important. You can use this to your advantage and reel them in with informative content. Educate your audience on health, fitness, the repercussions of unhealthy habits, and the tell-tale signs of certain diseases.

The key is to be the voice of reason in a sea of online noise to help guide them in living healthier lifestyles.

Remember to not only create self-promotional content when speaking to your audience. Give valuable knowledge away for free to establish trust with your followers. Afterward, you can mention the healthcare options your practice provides as an added bonus.

Making Your Healthcare Practice Stand Out

It is critical that you establish your brand as a leader in your respective field of healthcare. Competition can be fierce in the healthcare industry, which is why you shouldn’t give prospective patients an opportunity to add other healthcare specialists to their speed dials.

Broadcast every win for your company. Whether you place the spotlight on your highly trained, dedicated employees, or show off your advocacy efforts – every opportunity should be fully utilized on social media.

You can also use your social media platforms to be more transparent and personable. This can help you to connect more deeply with prospective patients.

Keep One Ear on the Ground

Social listening is a gold mine in today’s digital world. It allows you to keep track of what is being said online and use this knowledge to foster relevant conversations with your audience. Social listening can also help you to get a better understanding of people’s feelings toward your staff, practice, products, and services.

Want to scope out what people like about your competition? Keeping your eye on what is being said online can also help you to do that.

If analyzed properly, social media banter can also help you to form new communication strategies. And lastly, it can help you get a sense of how people are responding to emergent health issues.

Counteract Misinformation

Social media gives ample opportunity for misinformation to be spread around. However, the opportunity to counteract these rumors can allow your healthcare practice to shine. The answer lies in grabbing the bull by horns and becoming part of the online conversation.

There are numerous ways in which your organization can combat this and use social media to reinforce the facts. And it doesn’t have to be a boring task at all. From quizzes to questionnaires and even competitions, you can make sharing the correct information on social media fun for your followers.

Harness the Power of the Hashtag

When it comes to Instagram and Facebook, the hashtag remains king. This little social media staple has become indispensable over the years. It gives healthcare businesses a real opportunity to stand out.

Not only can hashtags help you to target your ideal audience, but it allows you to start a movement or label your latest digital marketing campaign.

Hashtags give your audience an opportunity to join in the fun and to share your company values with the world. From healthcare-specific hashtags to hashtags that promote and extend your content’s reach, your content can travel further with them by your side.

Support Those in Need

A small section of your audience may include vulnerable individuals that are in need of support. So, use your social media platforms to share valuable resources and support groups to help them out.

Even by spreading awareness of a specific disease, you can help some people not feel so alone on their health journey.

If your healthcare practice already has resources in place, such as affordable classes, webinars, seminars, or free phycological support, then now is the time to spread the word.

You can also support local charity organizations or causes that align with your practice values by giving them a shout-out online.

Conclusion

There are ample ways that your healthcare practice can use social media marketing to connect with your audience. From spreading awareness about causes that you believe in, to providing quality, informative content to your patients – the online world is your oyster!

By putting the needs of your patients before your own, you can build your brand to new heights in record time.

Contact The Hoyt Organization for a consultation about healthcare public relations.

Leeza Hoyt

Persuade Public Opinion With The Right Attitude

Public opinion can make or break your company’s brand. So how exactly can you persuade public opinion to better understand your company? The answer lies in having the right attitude.

How you treat your customers and how you handle both the highs and lows that your company experiences say a lot about the kind of company culture you have.

Below, we explore what public opinion is and how having the right attitude can influence how your customers engage with and perceive your brand.

Public Opinion and Brand Perception

Public opinion can be defined as the view of a sum of individuals on a specific issue. Public opinions regarding a particular business can be formed in multiple ways. Word of mouth, brand interactions, or witnessing how a brand treats its customers can all influence the public opinion of that brand’s target demographic.

Ultimately, public opinion affects how a brand is perceived. Brand perception has to do with what customers believe a product or service represents. Notice that brand perception has very little to do with what you say about your brand. Rather, the emphasis is placed on what your customers think or feel.

Why do public opinion and brand perception play such a critical role in any company’s success? Well, if you have a very negative brand perception that’s fueled by public opinion, then conventional marketing practices won’t get you very far. Even if you shout your company’s honorable values from the rooftops, it will do little to sway public opinion.

So, how can you create a positive brand perception? It all starts with your brand’s attitude.

How Your Brand’s Attitude Affects Public Opinion

A brand’s attitude can radically affect public opinion. It all comes down to confidence and what you sell and how you sell it. You can boost confidence in your brand in a myriad of ways. Below, we touch on the four pillars that support brand confidence so that you can sway public opinion in the right way.

Social Validation

People want to fit in, and because of this, they tend to follow the crowd. According to research, people generally become more certain of what they believe in when they think that others share their opinion. This is known as the attitude consensus effect and is the reason why some things become popular and other things don’t.

This could be beneficial to your brand if your customers already hold a desired opinion towards your products or services. You should then aim to reinforce those positive opinions regarding your brand by showing that it is widely shared.

Of course, you can also show that your brand is well-loved by posting online reviews and surveys on your website and social media channels. When it comes to sales, you should always try to reinforce any endorsements – whether it’s towards your products or services or your brand as a whole.

Repetition

There is a well-known rule in marketing that any message you send out generally has to reach your target audience seven times before it becomes effective. However, repetition is also very effective when it comes to people expressing their own opinions.

Not only does it increase people’s own certainty regarding their stance on something, but it increases their willingness to promote, defend, or act on it.

Marketing teams should use this to their full advantage and encourage stakeholders, customers, and even employees to express their positive opinions about your brand. You can even reward people for doing so, which will give them that extra motivation to speak their minds.

Easy to Understand

Research shows that if you can easily form an opinion on something, the more confident you will be that your opinion is valid. Therefore, it is important for brands to simplify the marketing material they present to their demographic audience.

Easy-to-read fonts and simplified graphics can easily persuade your customers. In turn, your customers will be more certain of the validity of the message you are trying to convey.

In other words, don’t overcomplicate what you are trying to say. Instead, focus on making it as easy as possible for your target market to understand what you are trying to convey. Sometimes, less is more.

Defending What You Believe In

In general, people tend to defend what they believe in. According to research, people also feel more certain of their opinions after defending them.

When people already like your brand, then it won’t take much for them to come to your defense. The trick lies in giving them the opportunity to do just that. It can be as easy as asking the right questions on your social media platforms and letting your customers do all the talking for you.

Creating these opportunities where your customer base can defend your brand can help you to effectively build confidence, support, and loyalty towards your company.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to persuading public opinion with the right company attitude, you have to get your loyal customers on board. Authentic public opinion holds the most votes in the marketing world, which is why you should create opportunities for your brand’s followers to speak up.

Leeza Hoyt

Planning Your Public Relations Healthcare Strategy

An effective PR healthcare strategy makes use of both digital marketing campaigns and traditional marketing methods. In order to really set your healthcare brand apart from its competition, you have to stay on top of the latest PR trends. This involves analyzing what works and doing away with what is not adding value to your marketing efforts.

In this article, we will be taking an in-depth look at how you can plan a practical yet successful public relations healthcare strategy.

How To Plan Your PR Healthcare Campaigns

Determine the desired outcome

If you want to effectively measure the effectiveness of your PR efforts, you will have to define the outcomes of all your marketing campaigns. Whether you want more brand awareness, reach a different demographic, or simply increase sales, you can effectively measure your success by setting goals.

The results garnered from traditional marketing channels can be difficult to keep tabs on. However, it is not impossible. For instance, simply asking a potential client how he or she heard of you will give you plenty of insight into the effectiveness of your traditional marketing channels. By doing this, you can actively determine if you are achieving your traditional PR goals.

When it comes to digital marketing, setting and measuring the success of campaigns are much easier. This is largely because most of your digital platforms will automatically provide you with campaign analytics.

If you want to maximize your success, you can set SMART goals for each campaign. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timebound.

By setting these specific goals, you can constantly check on the progress of your PR healthcare strategy, and tweak certain aspects of your marketing campaigns if needed.

Create engaging content

Content is still king. This is unlikely to change anytime soon, which means your public relations healthcare strategy should center around quality content. What does this mean exactly? It means that your content should be of real value to your audience.

It’s not just about which graphic catches your audience’s eye. You have to really know what your audience wants, and then you have to give it to them. The golden rule is to provide your audience with 80% free, valuable information that will benefit them. You should only be promoting your brand roughly 20% of the time.

Quality content is not a sales pitch. Instead, it gives a voice to your healthcare brand and helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level. If your content is engaging and thought-provoking, it will get more engagement on social media. This means your healthcare posts will get shared more readily with other people, which means you’ll be reaching a wider pool of potential clients.

Choose your PR channels for distribution

One may think that digital PR channels are more effective when it comes to getting your healthcare brand’s name out there but this isn’t necessarily the case. Just because the effectiveness of traditional PR marketing campaigns is harder to track, it doesn’t mean it’s not working.

PR firms that specialize in traditional PR are more likely to have a lot of contacts within the industry. This means that healthcare brands that decide to go the traditional route are more likely to advertise on ideal traditional platforms. If the demographic you are trying to reach is older in age, then traditional media may be the perfect avenue to guarantee more sales.

On the other hand, if you are trying to connect with a much younger audience, then digital PR channels are your best bet. Seeing as digital platforms are the local hangouts of most people under 40, it would make more sense to advertise on Facebook, Instagram, or even TikTok.

Another factor to consider is the cost of advertising on each distribution channel. The cost of TV and radio ads can get quite expensive, especially if you want your ad to be featured during prime time. However, these costs can vary from network to network.

Review the performance of your campaign

Each campaign you run, whether traditional or digital, has to give you a proper return on your investment. In order to determine whether your campaigns are working, you will have to measure the success of each campaign.

With digital campaigns, this should be done throughout the lifespan of each ad so you can tweak it if needed. If you use traditional PR platforms, be sure to check if sales increased during the duration of the traditional ad campaign.

Alternatively, you can also ask potential clients where they heard of your healthcare business. This will allow you to see if your traditional marketing efforts are successful or not.

Conclusion

Planning a public relations healthcare strategy is easy if you have a professional PR company that can help you reach your marketing goals. By establishing your PR goals, creating killer content, and choosing the right channels to distribute your marketing message, you will reap the benefits of your hard work in no time.

Leeza Hoyt

What You Need to Know About PR as a Tech Startup Company

As a tech startup company, there are certain mistakes you cannot afford to make. One of these is underestimating the importance of establishing your brand on the media landscape. A winning public relations strategy can be (and often is) the difference between success and failure.

With only 56% of startups making it through to their fifth year, don’t make the same avoidable mistakes as many companies have before you. How your company is portrayed to the public is incredibly important. As such, you need to adopt a PR strategy for your business that is structured and thought out.

Below, we outline the most important things you need to know about your tech startup’s relationship with the public.

5 Things To Know About PR As A Tech Startup Company

These tips should help you navigate how to choose a PR strategy for your company.

Start Small

Remember: you are a business, not a celebrity. More is not always better when it comes to attention from the press.

Going out guns blazing in the press without a media strategy can be detrimental to your brand. Make sure you have a carefully staged plan for your release in the media. First impressions are important so make sure you control yours.

In the early stages, you want to make sure your social media channels and website are ready to go with the image you want to portray of your business. By the time you increase your media coverage, your website and social media should be developed to the point where you look professional and attractive to customers.

Focus on Your Customers

What do your customers need or want from your business? Focus on that. While a good PR strategy should lead you to investors, it should not be the target of your PR strategy.

Investors are important and they will come. Don’t lose sight of the people who will keep your company relevant. Take the time to engage with your customers or potential customers across every platform.

Interacting with customers is part of creating a brand that people trust. Listen to their criticisms and praise. At the end of the day, you are building your product for them.

Build Friendships Not Connections

The ultimate goal is to have great connections with media outlets. This is a goal that requires a lot of work and effort, but it is very important. Connections with the media are invaluable for your business.

Instead of approaching every outlet asking them for a mention, start by engaging with the media on their various platforms. Reply to their posts or comment on them. Start slowly building relationships with different outlets by getting them to notice you.

If you are in this for the long run, you will need media personnel on your side. The establishment of relationships with journalists is only going to benefit you. You should start founding these relationships as early as you can.

Choose the Right Journalists and Media Outlets

It is easy to identify the biggest names in the media and try to get mentioned by them. But, a better strategy for startups is to identify and narrow down your target market and then choose your media outlet.

If you know your target audience well enough, you will know which channels are best to reach them. It may not sound as glamorous as being mentioned by the big tech media outlets, but it may be the best source of leads for future customers or investors. You will also have a better chance of being mentioned by less mainstream channels.

Keep Your Messages Consistent

Consistency is really important when it comes to public relations. Your PR strategy needs to account for both short-term and long-term strategies. The long-term strategies need to focus on building relationships and establishing a presence in the media.

If the messages put out from your tech startup brand on various platforms are consistent, it is easier for people to understand what you’re all about. It helps consumers and investors see the value in what you are doing.

It may seem tedious and slow, but the more people hear about a brand, the more trustworthy it becomes. This comes from a long, consistent journey in the media. If you keep putting your brand out there, people are going to get curious and see what you’re offering.

Conclusion

Presence in the media for companies today is vital for success. While you may want to hit the ground running in the media, there is great value in sticking to an incremental yet methodical PR strategy.

Focus on your long-term media goals and ensure you really build relationships with various media channels. These small steps will pay off in the long run when you have a well-developed and trustworthy brand.

Leeza Hoyt

Public Relations Planning Tips For The Holiday Season

The holiday season is almost upon us which means it is nearly time to take a well-deserved break. But just because you are planning on taking things slow, it doesn’t mean your business should do the same.

Now is the time to start planning ahead so your brand can continue to benefit from effective holiday PR campaigns during the holiday season and beyond.

Below are some tips on how to make the most of your PR strategy during the holiday season.

5 Top PR Planning Tips For The Festive Season

Launch a Charitable Campaign

If you really want to grab the media’s attention, then a charitable campaign is the way to go. Charitable campaigns not only tie in nicely with a corporate social responsibility mandate. They also give you the opportunity to mingle with other stakeholders.

By choosing a charitable campaign that your company really believes in, you can do some good while ensuring positive media coverage for your brand. This will allow you to incorporate the holiday, feel-good theme into your campaign which will guarantee ample brand awareness.

Keep The Content Flowing

The holiday season usually has lots going on with lots of events to attend and many family and friends to visit. Even though people tend to be quite busy during this time, most of them actually frequent social media platforms more over the holiday season.

This means it is the perfect time to capitalize on increased user activity by ensuring that your content calendar is packed to the brim!

By planning ahead and preparing lots of content for all your social media platforms you can effectively increase user engagement.

Make sure everything goes to plan by scheduling your content on each platform ahead of time. This way, you can sit back and relax while the content keeps streaming in on all your social media platforms.

Remember to update your cover photos, background photos, and your company’s profile picture on each platform. This will help you to reflect the festive spirit of the holiday season.

Create Relatable Campaigns That Appeals To All Customers

The holiday season is a celebratory time that shouldn’t exclude any cultures, religions, or alternative ways of life. Instead, you should aim to celebrate all the differences within your customer demographic.

Be sure to post content that will appeal to the various segments of your customer base. One way to do this is to let your employees help get your company’s festive message out there.

If you have a large company that employs a large variety of people, then each of them can share a holiday greeting with your customer base. Each greeting can be representative of that specific employee’s heritage, culture, nationality, or native language.

This way, your customers will be able to see that your company really values them. A campaign like this one will also be able to establish your company as an international employer. Spread the festive cheer and be sure to involve as many customer demographics as you can while doing so!

Invest in New Holiday Packaging

Whether you have an online shop or your products are typically found on store shelves, new packaging is a sure-fire way to grab anyone’s attention. This holiday season is the perfect time to add some festive cheer to your packaging’s design, so go all out!

You can pair your new packaging with a marketing campaign that features recipes and different angles to highlight your brand’s features and benefits.

You can also consider collaborating with another brand to increase the exposure of your new packaging. Try to pick a brand that will truly complement what your brand brings to the table. This way, both companies can come out victorious.

Go Big With a Holiday Giveaway

Competitions attract lots of attention, both online and in-store. By launching a massive giveaway during the holiday season, customers are even more likely to interact with your brand’s social media pages.

Everybody is looking for that perfect gift to give to loved ones, so be part of the solution and help your customer base to tick off items on their to-buy list.

The best thing about online giveaways is the conditions you can set for people to enter the competition. You can ask them to subscribe to your company’s newsletter, to like and follow your social media pages, or simply to interact with your social posts. You can also advertise in media outlets to spread the word about your giveaway even further.

By launching a holiday giveaway, you will ensure a win-win situation for both your company and your loyal customer base.

In Summary

The holiday season is the perfect time to maximize your brand’s reach and capitalize on user engagement. Whether you want to launch a competition, invest in new cheerful packaging, or give back through a charitable campaign, now is the perfect time to start plan

Leeza Hoyt

7 Things Everyone Should Know About PR Professionals

Any public relations firm in Los Angeles will tell you that PR professionals wear many hats. The PR industry combines best marketing practices with strategic communication, editorial, and brand management skills.

A great PR firm can help to build brand credibility, increase sales and improve customer and client relationships. Most people have some idea of what PR professionals actually do. However, there is still some confusion regarding their skillset.

To shine a brighter light on this topic, here’s a list of seven things everyone should know about PR.

7 Important Things You Should Know About PR

PR And Advertising Are Not The Same Thing

People often contact PR agencies with the idea that PR professionals can meet all their advertising needs. Although there are some things that PR and advertising have in common, they are not the same thing.

Where advertising normally utilizes only paid media, PR typically focuses on more organic positive interactions between customers and your brand. In other words, PR focuses more on building trust with your audience. However, both advertising and PR base their promotional approach on thorough market research.

The Skills of PR Professionals

An experienced Los Angeles public relations agency will largely focus on maximizing earned media opportunities.

Aside from writing press releases, newspaper articles, or thought leadership content, a PR professional will also be able to research target markets and personas and create compelling pitches.

They are experts at organizing appearances at social events, writing public speeches, and managing public company crises. Lastly, PR professionals can also track and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and adjust where needed.

Should Public Relations Experts Use Social Media?

While social media alone cannot offer your brand everything that a PR expert can, it is still an invaluable tool for connecting with your target audience.

Where possible, PR experts should use social media as an amplifier to broadcast your brand story. It is one of the best channels through which you can communicate with your audience in a clear, fun, and relatable way.

Most public relations firms in Los Angeles are experts when it comes to leveraging each social media platform to its full advantage. An experienced PR professional will be able to tailor content so that it captivates your audience on every social media platform.

PR Is Rooted In Strong Values

All public relations firms in Los Angeles are required to act ethically and according to strong moral values. They need to understand your company’s vision and values so they can strategically communicate with your target audience.

Not only are PR professionals required to win the trust of your customers. They should also earn your trust by being open and honest about your brand and communication strategy. This helps to prevent any future crisis from getting worse and creates the necessary room for your brand to grow and flourish.

PR Is All About Building Positive Relationships

A PR expert’s main job is to develop and maintain meaningful relationships with existing and potential customers, clients, and other key stakeholders.

By fostering these relationships, a PR expert can help you to effectively grow your company. It will also help to open the door to new marketing opportunities. In turn, this helps to boost your brand awareness and company credibility.

PR Can Benefit All Industries

Unlike other forms of marketing, PR has the potential to benefit all industries. This is because PR helps to boost brand credibility and influence the perception that customers have of your company. An experienced PR firm is also an invaluable asset during a PR crisis.

No matter your industry, your brand perception can make or break your company. As such, investing in PR is always a good idea when wanting to stay ahead of the competition.

PR Campaigns Is Measurable

We all want to know that the resources and time we invest in our marketing and brand awareness campaigns are worth it. The good news is that a PR expert will be able to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns with online tools.

In turn, this will give them the information they need to adjust their marketing efforts where needed. This means that you won’t be guessing when it comes to reaching your target audience. Rather, you can be more strategic and feel more confident that your campaigns will leave a lasting, positive impression.

Conclusion

There is a lot to know about public relations agencies and how they can go about getting your brand the recognition it deserves. By measuring their success, building positive relationships, basing their communication approach on strong ethical values, and incorporating tried and tested advertising tactics, there is little that PR experts can’t do.

To elevate your brand’s reputation to higher levels, consider hiring an experienced PR firm to help you out.

Leeza Hoyt

Practice Active Listening

The goal of any PR firm is to help clients craft messaging and then clearly communicate. But what is the most important way to prepare empathetic, and relatable communication? Active listening.

By really listening to what your clients’ target markets are saying, you can effectively position brands into market segments.

In this article, we will dive into what active listening entails and how it helps you to better understand what your client base truly needs.

What Is Active Listening?

When it comes down to it, active listening requires you to be genuinely interested in the everyday concerns, wants, and needs of your target audience.

It enables you to look at your brand from another vantage point and objectively analyze your shortcomings. More importantly, it also enables you to truly understand what your audience thinks about your brand and why.

This allows you to weigh the opinions of others against what your business stands for and then respond in a relatable, meaningful way.

All brands have a story to tell. The question is, do you truly know your target market? Or do you have preconceived notions that cause your brand story to fall on deaf ears?

How Does a Company Practice Active Listening?

As companies grow, it might be tempting to gear your communication style to achieve monetary goals. While this isn’t wrong, it is still important to follow these next steps. This helps to ensure that you stay in touch with your target market on an emotional, practical, and intellectual level.

Invest in industry research. By keeping up with the evolution of your target market, you can tweak your communication style to provide solutions for their current problems.
View dissatisfied customers or clients as opportunities to learn and gain invaluable information.
Proactively work to prevent or resolve mistakes rather than denying their existence.
Make every customer feel heard by opening yourself up to honest critique. Apologize where it’s needed and create open lines of communication within your company.

Why Does It Matter In Public Relations?

By actively listening, a PR firm can help a company to confirm its approach to its target market. In the long run, this can help a business to examine a situation from multiple perspectives.

Active listening can also help PR firms to come up with proactive local media relations campaigns. This can aid your brand in taking control over the narrative and allow you to tell your brand’s story in a compelling, authentic way.

Active listening can help your PR team in strengthening your existing messaging, identifying communication misunderstandings, and even inspire new product ideas or identify an entirely new customer base

The Advantages of Active Listening In PR

There are plenty of advantages that active listening can offer your company. With the help of an experienced PR firm that knows how to correctly apply the principles of active listening, your company can benefit in the following ways:

Better understand the communication style of your target audience.
Better understand the fears, hopes, and dreams of your target audience.
Create a communication strategy that will resonate with your customer base.
Keep you up to date with trends or fads that your customer base finds appealing.
Help you to objectively analyze the shortcomings of your company.
Help you to lead your audience towards a solution that will benefit both them and your company.
Be proactive when it comes to communication misunderstandings.
Help to minimize the financial losses arising from lawsuits.
Clearly communicate your brand’s story and message.
Help you to structure thought leadership articles that your audience wants to read.
Help you to identify new customer bases or inspire new product development.

When it comes down to it, actively listening starts with empathy. If you can successfully place yourself in your customers’ shoes, you have a better chance of understanding what they need.

The idea of really listening and opening yourself up to criticism can be daunting. However, it can also help you to build a more successful company. When you put it all in perspective, it’s a rather simple practice for ensuring future success.

Final Thoughts

By hiring a Public Relations firm to help you actively listen to your target audience, you can create a more relatable, empathetic, and meaningful brand. With so much digital noise bombarding customers on a daily basis, this is a sure-fire way to stand out above your competition.

Make sure your brand is heard by taking the time to listen to what your customers have to say.

Leeza Hoyt

Moving Through a Most Difficult Year: Communications Makes a Difference

COVID-19 and now the Delta variant continues to impact our world. It’s not news that it has changed the way we work, socialize, and shop and more. While things have improved since spring 2020, we continue to grapple with the new normal. As a result, what is crucial to moving forward is how we manage our communication.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve been through this. From the Spanish Influenza of 1920 to the economic crisis in 2008, if there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that bad things will continue to happen. That said, it’s important to realize that every storm will eventually pass. The difference between how we view something retrospectively lies in the way that the issue was communicated in the first place. It’s important to remember that good communication builds trust, eliminates panic and allows for teamwork to effectively solve a problem.

As a result, communications should be at the front line for every company. Using a communications strategist to craft key messages that are presented to your stakeholders and publics in a timely and transparent fashion is crucial in upholding both business and reputation. These processes are designed to clearly present top-line messages, convey the right sentiment to the right audience at the right time.

Five Key Elements to Successful Communications

If you’re looking for a fast easy way to do this, there isn’t any. What you can do is build a framework that will allow you to build as you move forward. Here’s five things you won’t want to overlook.

Focus on the Message. Before you send anything out, remember what the purpose is. Does it resonate with your audience? Is the writing appropriate for this group?

Use the right channels for your message. There are many ways to communicate to each audience. Given the wide variety of channels that are currently available – everything from a social media channel such as Twitter, Facebook or Instagram – to a news release to an internal memo for employee communications and more — choosing the right channel is critical. It’s the best way to make sure that what your communicating is reaching the right audience in the right way.

Remember, communications is a continuous process. Covid has changed everything. To build a brand, its not a ‘one and done’ thing. Not sure what to say? Consider an update on company activities. Profile one of your key employees or clients. Be proactive and find ways to reach out to customers and clients, as well as employees and other audiences. It lets them know you’re still there, engaged and actively working. It also sets the stage for information and news in general which includes good and perhaps not-so-good news.

Be relevant, transparent and authentic. In today’s communications, compassion and understanding are paramount. How is your company responding to the Delta variant? Has the supply chain been impacted and what does it mean to deliveries? If you’ve been impacted by a natural disaster, how is the company moving forward? All of these elements come into play to make the company seem responsive, human and real.

Be engaging. This means talking directly to your audience in the most appropriate manner. Remember to set the right tone. Even bad news can be framed in an effective and more positive note. This alone is critical to how your audience receives – and processes your message.

Crises will continue to happen and companies will survive and move forward. For that to happen, having an effective communications strategy in place will set the stage – and the roadmap for success. Those companies that have this will have a roadmap for success.

Leeza Hoyt

What We Can Learn From The Condo Collapse in Miami

The recent tragic condominium collapse near Miami showed once again how important being prepared for crisis management response can be. Tragedies happen. However, how we respond to them can be the difference between failed public relations and professionally crafted crisis management communication with government agencies, media and the public.

7 Things We Can Learn About Crisis Management From The Miami Condo Collapse

Let’s take a look at seven crisis management lessons that the condo collapse highlighted.

Be Proactive

Before any crisis occurs, it is best to act quickly to prevent the escalation of a potential problem. After the collapse of the Surfside condo, there was documentation that showed what state the condo had been in before its collapse. Various structures within the condo were in poor condition.

We cannot know for sure if these structural issues contributed to the collapse of the condo. However, the condo’s collapse could perhaps have been prevented had there been proactive steps taken that minimized structural risks.

The primary goal should always be to stop a crisis from happening in the first place.

Make Sure You Only Release Accurate Information

In any crisis, it’s important to handle information responsibly in order to refrain from causing more panic.

As with the condo collapse, authorities had to assess when to release important information regarding damages, injuries, and the death toll. By knowing when to release what, they were able to inform and console many loved ones during this tragic event.

By releasing inaccurate information too soon during a crisis, you could cause more public outrage. Although third parties may press for more information, it is better to ensure that the data is correct before releasing it. Not only will this improve your credibility, but it will also prevent a PR disaster.

Don’t Speculate

When a crisis hits, it’s tempting to compare it to similar disasters. Based on what happened during similar past events, one can easily speculate about what’s going to happen next. However, in the event of any crisis, you need to avoid speculation at all costs.

Wondering about the causes, effects, injuries, or tactics that may be used to solve a crisis is natural. But, by sharing your musings with the world, you could cause even more panic.

To keep everyone calm, you should always communicate responsibly. Rather than speculate, wait until you know all the facts before communicating with a third party.

Communication Is Critical

Crisis communication plays a vital role in managing any crisis effectively. How you communicate to your audience is very important. Avoid blaming anyone and don’t make any rash judgments. Instead, take your time assessing the situation and the outcomes of all your options.

If possible, it would be better to shift all the communication responsibilities to a firm that specializes in crisis management. This is exactly what the condominium association in Florida did after the condo collapse.

Be Transparent

In order to handle a crisis effectively, you have to be transparent. This can be hard, seeing as some of the details relating to a crisis can be upsetting. However, telling half-truths can not only damage your integrity but also cause more harm than good.

No matter how uncomfortable, the truth should be communicated clearly and tactfully. Once you have all the facts lined up, there should be no reason to not share all the pertinent information.

When the Florida condo collapsed, the public remained updated around the clock. This helped everyone come to terms with what happened.

Have A Crisis Plan In Place

No one wants to think that the worst possible disaster will strike their business. However, you still need to be prepared for anything. Not only will it help you to get back on your feet sooner, but it will also show leadership, thoughtfulness, and compassion.

Your company should have a crisis plan in place for every possible scenario that can affect your employees, customers, and your business itself. By having a crisis protocol in place, you can avoid panic and jump right into action mode when it’s needed.

When the condo collapsed in Florida, the condo association relied on many regulations and outside help to navigate the situation. Without a proper plan in place, it will take you much longer to get to the bottom of any crisis.

Be Flexible

Even if you are prepared, a crisis can still knock the wind out of your sails. In situations like these, you need to be flexible in how you manage a sticky situation. What would have worked six months ago may not work now. By objectively analyzing the situation, you will be able to make informed decisions much faster.

The condominium collapse in Florida triggered conversations about revising condominium regulations. To stay up to date with the latest requirements, you have to be flexible to accommodate changes in your regulatory environment.

Key Takeaways

The condo collapse was a tragic event that made worldwide headlines. However, we can learn from that loss and implement new crisis management protocols that will help prepare us to communicate more effectively with key stakeholders during the next disaster.

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