New Year-New Habit No. 11: Write an Op-Ed Piece

Posted on January 11, 2012 by cara

An opinion-editorial, usually referred to as an op-ed piece, is an essay written for the newspaper page opposing the editorial page. This essay usually focuses on a single, newsworthy topic with broad social, legal or political implications. For example, a technology company could pen an op-ed on the importance of improving math and science curriculum among elementary and high-school students because this will afford a higher-caliber work force. If you haven’t used this among your public relations arsenal, considering adding it this year. Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 10: Maximize PR Budgets

Posted on January 10, 2012 by cara

It’s the season for resolutions, and one of the most common resolutions is to save money. In public relations and marketing, we can turn that resolution into a habit of maximizing investments. Off the cuff, PR is 10X less expensive than advertising — and about a 100X more influential. Even so, every company wants to stretch its PR dollars. Here are my tips on how to get the most out of your public relations budget.

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New Year-New Habit No. 9: Make Cause Marketing Work

Posted on January 9, 2012 by cara

It’s the second work week of 2012. Are you on track to break out of your public relations and social media rut? Here’s one new habit you might want to adopt this year to break out: Challenge your thinking about cause marketing. Think community relations is only for big companies, such as eBay? Think again. Companies of all sizes are building their brands by giving back to nonprofit groups and charities.

The idea behind cause marketing and nonprofit sponsorships is that companies win by promoting their brands and building sales, while nonprofits win by raising funds and building corporate partnerships. Here are 10 tips on cause marketing: Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 8: Talk to Employees

Posted on January 8, 2012 by cara

When we think about building strong public relations and media relations habits, we often think externally. Yet, your most-important customer is internal: your employees. One of the most critical intersections of human resources and corporate marketing today is employee communications. A well-designed employee communications program infuses organizations with personality and conveys policies, philosophy and goals.

During unstable economic times, it’s natural to want to “duck and cover.” Some executives figure that no communication with employees is better than a steady stream of bad news. However, a thoughtful corporate communications program can increase employee retention, improve productivity and squelch damaging rumor mills. Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 7: Sales Letter Writing Tips

Posted on January 7, 2012 by cara

In my New Year-New Habit series yesterday, I suggested you find new ways to incorporate customer testimonials into your marketing and sales communications. Let’s look further at sales communications today and focus on the art of writing sales letters that sizzle.

A sales letter is one of the most common forms of direct marketing. However, writing an effective one isn’t easy. Many companies hire direct-marketing professionals to create their mailings, but you can write your own by following these tips.

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New Year-New Habit No. 6: Use Customer Testimonials

Posted on January 6, 2012 by cara

Congratulations! You’ve completed the first work week of 2012. Are you developing new public relations or social media habits that will set you apart? If not, it’s not too late. Review my suggestions this week about good social media etiquette, calling instead of emailing, using social media productivity tools, updating your image and becoming headline-worthy. Today my suggestion will rev up your marketing communications. If you are looking for new ways to market your company, don’t overlook the importance of customer testimonials. Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 5: Be Headline-Worthy

Posted on January 5, 2012 by cara

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? “Our competitor gets all of the press. I don’t understand it. We’ve been in business longer, and have better products and services. We even get interviews – but few of them result in the kind of press we expect. What do we do?”

Instead of accepting mediocre media relations results this year, vow to get into the habit of earning exceptional press. Here are five ways CEOs can become headline-worthy. Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 4: Get a Professional Headshot

Posted on January 4, 2012 by cara

Sometimes, we make public relations and social media too complex and overlook the most basic block-and-tackle activities. I challenge you to shore up the foundations of your PR and social media programming this year. Journalists will thank you. Your communities will thank you. And you’ll be thanked with better branding, greater media coverage and deeper conversations with your customers. Let’s start with your image. Continue reading →

New Year-New Habit No. 2: Pick Up the Phone

Posted on January 2, 2012 by cara

Are you still lurking?

In the first post of my New Year-New Habit series, “Stop Lurking and Other Resolutions,” I suggested we cease lurking this year and start commenting on the digital content we intake. Try to build this good public relations and social media habit this week by:

Leaving one comment on a blog you read
Sharing two other articles with your Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter communities

Easy steps, right? Here’s my second suggestion, which may get some of you out of your comfort zone. Continue reading →

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