Archive for June, 2015

How to Get Customers to Spread the Good Word

Tuesday, June 30th, 2015

by Linda Pophal

 

wrote a post recently about the value of positive public relations compared to other ways of generating awareness and preference for organizations. I made the point that what others say about us (e.g. positive word-of-mouth) is always more impactful than what we say about ourselves. One reader followed up with a question: “So how do we get our satisfied customers/alumni to talk about us more?”

This was my response: (more…)

The Biggest PR Myth is That PR Doesn’t Matter

Thursday, June 25th, 2015

by Linda Pophal

A journalist asked me recently, “What is the one biggest PR myth that you hear over and over?” Here’s my answer:

I think the biggest myth about public relations that I continue to hear is that PR is becoming less valuable, or valued, in this social media era, and that social media will eventually take the place of PR. That sentiment, I believe, is patently untrue. In fact, I think the situation is exactly the opposite. (more…)

Using Social Media to Build Your Business

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015

by Linda Pophal

 

“Does social media really work?” I get this question a lot and, as for most marketing communication-related questions, my answer is generally, “It depends.” It depends on what is being offered, who the audience is and what the goals/objectives are. Social media can certainly work to drive business results, but it is still not the answer in all cases.

Building Your Brand: Both Easier and Harder Than You May Think

Thursday, June 18th, 2015

by Linda Pophal

 

The most important element in brand building is that small business owners take the time to determine what they want their brand (or identity or reputation) to be and then take steps to ensure that all elements of the marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion) are aligned consistently to convey that desired brand image. Branding is not about a logo or a tagline—although those are important communication elements that help remind consumers about the company and its products. Brand, though, really is driven by (more…)

Why Your Homepage Isn’t Really Your Homepage

Tuesday, June 16th, 2015

by Linda Pophal

 

For me, the summer months represent a relatively quiet time to catch up on some professional development activities that tend to be at the bottom of my list during busier times of the year. This summer, I’ve signed up for a few Coursera courses, including one called “Digital Analytics for Marketing Professionals.” One of the reading assignments led me, as is often the case, down a rabbit hole to more and more intriguing topics until I found myself looking at (more…)

Are You Attempting to Influence “Controllers”? What You Need to Know

Saturday, June 13th, 2015

By Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

A few weeks ago, we looked at an article in Harvard Business Review written by Gary A. Williams and Robert B. Miller titled “Change the Way You Persuade.” In the article, Williams and Miller discuss what they found after spending two years studying over 1,600 executives. The authors discovered that the executives could be categorized into five different decision-making types: thinkers, charismatics, controllers, followers and skeptics. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve looked at thinkers , charismatics, skeptics and followers.  This week we’re going to look at the final group: controllers. (more…)

Graduates: Have You Perfected Your Elevator Pitch?

Tuesday, June 9th, 2015

It’s graduation time, and many are thinking about landing their first job. Even those entrenched in a career may be prompted by graduation season to think about their career paths and whether it’s time to consider a job switch.

We responded recently to a reporter’s query about creating “elevator pitches.” It’s an important concept for graduates, for those 30 years into their careers, and for any company or organization that has a key message to convey to a target audience. (more…)

Are You Attempting to Influence “Followers”? What You Need to Know

Saturday, June 6th, 2015

By Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

A few weeks ago, we looked at an article in Harvard Business Review written by Gary A. Williams and Robert B. Miller titled “Change the Way You Persuade.” In the article, Williams and Miller discuss what they found after spending two years studying over 1,600 executives. The authors discovered that the executives could be categorized into five different decision-making types: thinkers, charismatics, controllers, followers and skeptics. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve looked at thinkers, charismatics and skeptics. This week we’re going to look at the followers. (more…)

Are You Attempting to Influence “Skeptics”? What You Need to Know

Thursday, June 4th, 2015

By Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

A few weeks ago, we looked at an article in Harvard Business Review written by Gary A. Williams and Robert B. Miller titled “Change the Way You Persuade.”In the article, Williams and Miller analyze the results of a survey in which they surveyed over 1,600 executives over a period of two years and categorized them into five different decision-making types: Thinkers, Charismatics, Controllers, Followers and Skeptics. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve looked at thinkers and charismatics.  This week we’re going to look at the Skeptics. (more…)

It’s All About the Brand, ‘Bout the Brand, No Bull$#!!

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015

I responded to a reporter’s query recently wondering about whether companies in industries with historically “poor” reputations (e.g. airlines, cable companies, telephone providers, etc.) are hindered because they serve as a “middleman” for consumers to access their services and that they may purposefully decide to just suck it up, accept the fact that they will never be able to satisfy their customers and, therefore, cut back on the costs of providing exceptional service. My short answer: “No.”

Here’s why, and what I think is really at play here. (more…)