The Public Relations Blog

PR Tip: There are critical business lessons you can take away from the recession, including the importance of communicating with your audience and customers online.

Utilizing social media is important, but there’s a lot to consider before you make the leap. We’ll help you prepare, monitor your company’s reputation online and avoid negative publicity.

It's Time To Ask The Most Important Business Question Of The Year

The year that started in severe economic turmoil is now half over. Now you have to ask this question: "What do you have to do the rest of this year to reach your profit goals?"

The Power of YouTube: 20 Hours of New Videos Uploaded Every Minute

Over 60 percent of all the videos watched online originate from YouTube's servers. Last month, YouTube reached a milestone with 20 hours of video being uploaded every single minute of the day. YouTube offers a number of marketing opportunities to promote your business to its millions of online users worldwide.

The popularity of Twitter (twitter.com) as a social media platform continues to zoom. Up to 10,000 people join Twitter each day, and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon, using Twitter as a micro-blogging conversational tool for their customers.

Don’t panic and look to quick fixes. The best way to beat the recession is to be proactive: create a plan for winning, long-term business strategies.

PR Tip:

This year will go down in Internet history as the year when PR and video content became accepted as an integral element for dispensing information and entertainment online. Spearheaded by news organizations such as CNN, Fox News and the big three networks, news clips and full-length TV programs are now available on a “when-you-want-to” basis.

• As you receive this issue, Katie Couric has already started her reign as the first solo female news anchor on the CBS Evening News. Despite Ms. Couric’s popularity, CBS executives still felt compelled to get information on the public’s perception of Ms. Couric and how she would best make the “fit” as a trustworthy communicator of the evening news.
• The elements used in marketing Katie Couric from a “perky” to an “authoritative” prime-time newscaster is a blueprint that all companies, in every business category, should explore. They include the following:
  • Don’t take new markets lightly — your product might be successful in one market, but don’t assume that it will be accepted in new, untested markets.
  • Talk to your marketplace — implement research from buyers and non- buyers on their perceptions about your product/service.
  • Develop a differentiation — in an over-crowded category, how will your product/service stand out or be packaged from the others?
  • Be visible — meet and greet your potential customers; make as many friends as possible and tell your story.

Good PR: The Benefits of “Owning” Your Customers