Why Classic Public Relations is the Future of Digital Marketing

By Montrie Rucker AdamsMay 29, 2014 Blog google+, pr, public relations, SEO, traditional pr

We’ve always touted the importance of content. It’s not about what you say, but the content’s quality.

To underscore our point, Google’s recent change in its Search Engine Optimization (SEO) algorithm rewards social media links and quality content. The evolution of SEO makes a good case for traditional public relations (PR) in marketing.

Google wants sites to be rife with high-quality content that users will want to use and share. That’s where PR comes in. It can deliver consistently valuable content that appeals to target audiences. PR professionals can create good content, engage with influencers and devise a social networking strategy.

Traditional PR knows how to emphasize the interesting aspects of a business and craft an appropriate profile to engage with and engender trust with its audience. This can include handling media relations, corporate communications, and managing events through blogger outreach and social media.

Classic PR tactics can earn coverage from reputable news sites. This can lead to a company’s website to gain inbound links, upping their SEO factor. Online and offline activities complement one another. If you’ve been mentioned in traditional media, bolster that by providing the content online as well.

PR is about quality, not quantity. Digital marketers should follow their lead. Build long-term relationships with both online and offline sources, such as bloggers and journalists who will give you coverage many times.

Websites see a spike in viewers after a traditional PR campaign is kicked off, like a newsletter or event. A regular review of your company’s PR strategy is key to succeeding digitally.

Try it. Let us know the results.

How to Get More Referrals for Your Construction Company

By Montrie Rucker AdamsMay 27, 2014 Blog construction, referrals

Of all the ways one can “advertise” their business, referrals are at the top of the list. There’s even an organization structured solely around generating client referrals for members.

If you are affiliated with a construction company, getting referrals from existing satisfied customers is a way to expand your client base. Here are six easy ways to do that:

Invite Your Customers—And Their Friends—To The Construction Site

Extend the invitation close to the completion of the project, when the result is easy for customers to visualize and most of the debris is gone. This can spark a discussion on problems and needs which can lead to new projects.

Give Away at Least Three Business Cards

Customers still collect business cards. When they ask for yours, give them more – three to five. When friends ask about how the project went, they’ll act as your salesperson and hand out your cards.

Follow Up

Send a thank-you note to customers after you’ve completed their project. Printed letters or the personal touch of a hand-written note can offer more impact than email.

Ask

When following up, ask for referrals. Enclose a postage-paid postcard they can send back with names and contact information.

Offer a Reward for Referrals

A retail or restaurant gift card, sporting event tickets or $50 in cash can encourage leads, if it turns into a sale.

Stay Focused

Make the referral process part of the marketing plan. Don’t do it once, continue to focus on inviting, asking and following up. Your rewards will soon come.

Majority of Americans Believe Climate Change is Caused by Humans

By Montrie Rucker AdamsMay 21, 2014 Blog, Sustainability Climate Change, global warming, hurricanes, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, sense and sensibility study, sustainability

There is so much talk about climate change that it sometimes makes my head spin. The pros and cons are everywhere. Some say it’s just a farce, others say we’d better start building bunkers in which to hide and store food.

It seems that over 60 percent of Americans now believe that over time, human actions are causing global warming. The spate of natural weather disasters are influencing this opinion, according the the fifth annual Sense & Sustainability Study.

The study indicates that 48 percent of Americans found water scarcity to be a concern. Media coverage of extreme weather events is a big influencer. Even if Americans are not immediately affected by storms, the news about hurricanes and droughts can evoke fear and concern.

While an increase in climate change awareness is happening, it needs to be higher. Last fall, leading scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced they are 95 percent confident that human influence is the dominant cause of global warming. The IPCC states that the last three decades have been warmer at the Earth’s surface than at any other decade since 1850.

Storytelling is effective strategy to make climate change relevant when addressing issues of sustainability and social responsibility. Companies need to take note, as only 21 percent of those surveyed said they believe the majority of businesses are committed to being “green.”

If you’re concerned, why not find a space to get busy “spreading the word.” You can begin with your closest family and friends…and by being an example.

Together, we can save the planet for future generations.

Clippers’ Owner Donald Sterling Does more Damage in “Damage Control” Interview

By Montrie Rucker AdamsMay 14, 2014 Blog clippers, donald sterling, LA Clippers, Magic, Magic Johnson, sterling

In a televised interview on Anderson Cooper 360 (AC360), embattled NBA Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling attempted to put a positive spin on his racial rant that led to his lifetime ban from pro basketball. His spin was anything but positive. He created more fodder to bolster his image as a racist. Sterling claimed he was “baited” into making his racial slurs and went on to blame former NBA star Magic Johnson for his scandal.

Public relations professionals see a prime-time interview after a scandal as an opportunity, a chance for redemption and to reverse negative public opinion. Sterling’s remarks ensured that the scandal won’t die down soon. His attempt at repentance wasn’t convincing, as he said he didn’t mean the things his alleged girlfriend V. Stiviano caught on tape, and that he was not a racist.

Sterling then turned on Cooper, saying, “I think you have more of a plantation mentality than I do,” he said. “You’re more of a racist than I am.”

He then called out Magic Johnson, whom he called Stiviano out for being seen with in the tape, stating,

“What has he done? He’s got AIDS.”

“I just don’t think he’s a good example to the children of Los Angeles…that he would go do what he did and then get AIDS.”

“The players don’t hate me. The sponsors don’t hate me. The fans don’t hate me. It’s just the media,” he said. “People call me by the thousands and give me support.”

Putting aside Johnson’s 23-year-old charitable foundation and millions of dollars invested in urban communities, Sterling continued: “What does he do for the black people? He doesn’t do anything. Some of the African Americans—maybe I’ll get in trouble again—they don’t want to help anybody.”

One person who did do damage control correctly was NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who issued a statement after the Cooper interview aired:

“I just read a transcript of Donald Sterling’s interview with Anderson Cooper and while Magic Johnson doesn’t need me to, I feel compelled on behalf of the NBA family to apologize to him that he continues to be dragged into this situation and be degraded by such a malicious and personal attack. The NBA Board of Governors is continuing with its process to remove Mr. Sterling as expeditiously as possible.”

What Sterling failed to do was his own damage control. When faced with this situation, he should have followed Silver’s lead and done three things:

1. Apologize. When you’ve clearly offended…rather it’s an individual, group or organization, sincerely apologize.

2. Admit wrongdoing. As with the apology, admit that you were wrong.

3. Keep your mouth closed. After you’ve stated one and two, stop. Say nothing else about the situation. If questions continue, continue with one and two.

In a subsequent interview with Anderson Cooper, Magic Johnson stated, “He didn’t apologize to me.” This clearly shows that sincere apologies are important.

We all make mistakes and are entitled to them. However, owning up to and acknowledging mistakes is key to damage control.

How an Electric Company’s Brochure was Created without Using Electricity

By Montrie Rucker AdamsMay 13, 2014 Blog, Sustainability blackout 2003, electric, electricity

I will never forget the Northeast blackout in August, 2003. The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. east coast states. Ohio was one of them. I was pregnant with my daughter and could only think, “This is crazy. We do everything with electricity!”

It seems that we can actually live without it (at least for a short time).

The creative team at the advertising agency Leo Burnett Lisboa were hired to produce a brochure for the electric company EDP Group to educate consumers about its “Access to Energy” campaign. The campaign hopes to bring power to isolated communities and raise awareness about global electric consumption. And they produced a print brochure without using electricity.

In one month, designers drew by hand folded the brochures by hand. Sunlight was the light source and the printing was done manually. The process was documented by using analog cameras. Beyond the content of the brochure, the process makes a statement about sustainability. Watch it here:

Incorporating SEO into Your Website Content

By Montrie Rucker AdamsMay 1, 2014 Blog

When people “Google” our information, we want it to be the first on the long list of results. Now, search engine optimization (SEO) is tailoring your website’s content to what they use to index it and help visitors find your site. Here’s a primer on how you can do it:

Use a great, concise headline, eight words or less, if possible. Only 20 percent of website visitors read past the headline. Make it compelling.
Keywords help people find you. Once they’re at your site, it lets them know what you’re about and what you’re selling. Google analytics offers tips on how and where to use keywords—and how not to abuse them. Sites can be taken off their index for using too many, i.e. “packing keywords.” Remember that you’re also trying to convince visitors to become customers, so don’t list random keywords as a list. Work them so they’ll get you indexed but also flows naturally.
Images are attention-getters and important, but don’t forget to write relevant descriptions and add captions if applicable. “Alt tags” for all images help with searches (descriptions that are in the code but aren’t visible to the viewer). Work keywords into the text. Think of what words you would use if searching for your product or service and use them.
Add video. This ranks higher in Google searches than any other type of content. Visitors will also respond favorably to it.

Try out these steps and then use the analytics to see how it’s working for you. Now that Google is a verb, use their information to get optimal results. Who best to help than the one that’s at the top of its game?

Let us know what you think.

Five Ingredients for Readable Blog Content

By Montrie Rucker AdamsApril 30, 2014 Blog blog, blog content, blog posts, blogging, smartphones, storytelling

The “in” thing is that everyone should blog. There are so many questions that need answering. One of the them I get is, ” I’m not a good writer. What do I say?”

Well…good, engaging blog posts are a mix of storytelling and visuals. There are five key ingredients comprising readable content:

Headline: Grab the reader’s attention, as well as the search engine’s. Keep the word count low and make the subject matter clear.
Story: Have a beginning, middle, and end – which are the classic storytelling elements. This goes for posts that are about something (storytelling) or about a product (when you’re telling its story).
Visuals: These also grab attention and will interest the audience in the subject of the post. Visuals are digested faster than words. A catchy photo or illustration will keep them reading.When shared on social networks, they help the content stand out and can help a post go viral.
Flexibility: Content must work on all devices, meaning the platform is responsive. “Downtime” is a great time for your content to be read. Commuting time is optimal reading time. Readers use their smartphones to consume content when traveling, and any time during the day when they have time to use their phones.
Sharing: People share more than 5.5 million gigabytes (that’s a lot) of content each day. Make it easy for them to share. Reduce clicks by having share buttons at the bottom of each post.

If you’re new to blogging, hopefully these five tips will get you started. If you have questions or need a little more help, just contact us. We’re here to help “make you more visible.”

How to Communicate and Market Sustainability

By Montrie Rucker AdamsApril 29, 2014 Blog environmental, environmentally responsible, sustaintainability

Now that more people are becoming aware of how to treat our planet, there are greater opportunities to share your company’s sustainability practices.

Here’s how you can do it:

Engage consumers emotionally as part of your branding. Make your practices relevant so that they can feel a part of it. Provide them with experiences and education.
Communicate what you offer, be it a product or service, and highlight its green benefits. Outline what practices go into making your company environmentally responsible.
How you communicate is of prime importance. Deliver a message that is authentic and make your sustainable vision a part of your company’s mission.
Reach for zero environmental impact. Help your customers be more environmentally responsible by following your lead. Relate stories of how your company is green and what goals you plan to take it even further.

What’s important is that people feel engaged and empowered to make a difference. For those that don’t just want to stand by, give them work to do. Let them kn0w that they, too can contribute to helping our environment.

Method’s C2C-Designed LEED-Platinum Factory Plans

By Montrie Rucker AdamsApril 24, 2014 Blog, Sustainability Adam Lowry, C2C, cradle-to-cradle, Eric Ryan, LEED, Method, Mother Earth

When childhood friends and former roommates Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan founded Method® amost 15 years ago, they set out to create “clean” cleaning products that you didn’t have to hide under the sink.

Now, the San Francisco-based Method® plans to build a LEED-Platinum factory in the U.S., where it will produce its environmentally-friendly cleaning products, which include soap and laundry detergent.

The state-of-the-art factory, designed by William McDonough + Partners is being built in Chicago’s Pullman district, where the Pullman railroad cars were built. Before construction, Method® will clean up the site, which is now a brownfield.

The factory will be run entirely on renewable power. Solar photovoltaic structures will generate electricity and provide shade for parked cars and solar thermal panels will provide hot water for the manufacturing processes. Building materials safe for people and the environment will use the Cradle-to-Cradle CertifiedCM protocol. This will restore and support the surrounding habitat and stimulate the neighborhood’s economy with an estimated 100 manufacturing jobs. A rooftop greenhouse will provide food for the local community.

The construction and operation of the factory serves to bolster Method®’s environmental philosophy and line of green cleaning products.

Talk about a company true to its mission. As we continue to celebrate Mother Earth, let’s support companies that support her, and ultimately us. Method® is definitely one of them.

Chipotle Lists Climate Change as a Company Risk in its SEC Filing

By Montrie Rucker AdamsApril 22, 2014 Blog, Sustainability Chipotle, Earth Day, guacamole warning, Mother Earth

Today is Earth Day. While whether or not we have control over climate change is still being debated, the fact that we are affected by how we treat Mother Earth is not.

When Chiptole listed climate change as a company risk in its annual 10K SEC filing, the language used served to downplay the risk. The “guacamole warning” stated that if weather events linked to global climate change continue, the availability of ingredients used in certain products would result in Chipotle taking them off the shelves.

This statements opens up a climate change disclosure risk for other companies, driven by shareholders who can demand why climate change might not be a material risk. While Chipotle addressed the risk, many other companies do not and avoid using the words “climate change” as a whole. This practice is made possible by the SEC, whose disclosure requirements don’t demand transparency.

Companies should recognize that while climate change may be a difficult concept to address, litigation isn’t. Failing to address this risk could leave them open to shareholder lawsuits. Companies should take appropriate action to prevent suits, starting with transparent disclosure.

Chipotle demonstrated both business and scientific sense to disclose the risk and addressed ways they could adapt.

Happy Earth Day! Do something good to make your “Mother Earth” happy.

Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) Celebrates 50th Anniversary Year

By Montrie Rucker AdamsApril 16, 2014 Blog

April is APR Month

Ohhhh, so that’s what APR after your name stands for!

I remember when I joined the local chapter of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). I was excited for the camaraderie and the opportunity to learn and network with my peers.

After a few months, I learned about the APR, Accreditation in Public Relations. I immediately jumped at the chance to become accredited. I said, “I just have to have it!”

I was told it was a rigorous exam, that studying for it is like studying for a college test and that it would take up a lot of my time. I didn’t care. I had to have it. It would distinguish me from other public relations professionals and make me know and understand my profession more.

This year marks a landmark year for the Accreditation. It is the only nationally recognized certification of the public relations profession.

More than 5,000 professionals from the agency, corporate, association and education fields hold the APR mark. That’s not many.

Established in 1964, the Accreditation in Public Relations is the profession’s only national postgraduate certification program. It measures a public relations practitioner’s fundamental knowledge of communications theory and its application; establishes advanced capabilities in research, strategic planning, implementation and evaluation; and demonstrates a commitment to professional excellence and ethical conduct. The skills acquired through the process are applicable to any industry or practice area.

Do you understand now why I had to have it?

Unlike other professional certifications, such as CPA, Accreditation in Public Relations is a voluntary demonstration of competency. Since it is not a requirement, it reflects a strong commitment to the profession. The PRSA states further that,

“Earning Accreditation also provides a distinction that can set individuals apart and open doors to career advancement and higher compensation. Through their high professional and ethical standards, Accredited professionals contribute to greater understanding of public relations as a vital management function, and undermine those who would refer to our craft as spin, our professionals as flacks, and our currency as misrepresentation and disinformation.”

Wow. Not only is it difficult to acquire, we have to work to keep it. Every few years, we have to prove that we’re truly practitioners and are participating in our career development.

Congratulations to the Accreditation for serving our organization for 50 years. I love the craft and am grateful to serve.

Montrie Rucker Adams, APR

Stop Diversity and Inclusion—What We Need is SmartInclusion

By Montrie Rucker AdamsApril 15, 2014 Blog

Cleveland (my hometown), and Detroit are attempting to restore the 20th century greatness that is synonymous with Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie and other past titans. Midwest cities big and small are scrambling to address the ravages of home foreclosure and an eroding tax base. Cleveland and Northeast Ohio civic leaders recently announced $18 billion in major construction and capital improvements for the region. Major investors have committed to redeveloping downtown Detroit. There is even progress being made relative to minority contractor participation relative to such projects. Is this enough to sustain 21st century urban revitalization?

Although I am encouraged by all of this investment, talent attraction is also essential to sustainable growth within a region. In a tech-driven, global, and knowledge-based society, this talent is also inherently diverse. I am speaking of integrating a new diversity paradigm that goes way beyond the performance indicators of racial and gender quotas.

At Visibility Marketing Inc., we recently launched our SmartInclusion approach to communication planning and stakeholder engagement. SmartInclusion is about creating an international human capital ecosystem whose ultimate outcome is regional growth and economic development. It means that continually improving the cross-cultural IQ among the masses is inherent to regional sustainability. Attracting immigrants and new migrants is fundamental to population growth. It means that old folks have to stop chasing the young talent away to New York, Chicago, or even Austin, Texas for that matter. SmartInclusion is a rising tide lifting all demographic group’s boats.

It starts by telling a compelling narrative of forthcoming prosperity, holistic inclusion, and substantive collaboration. New immigrants and institutions need to be able to quantify the value of an adjacent African-American neighborhood. A recent college graduate needs to be able to know that a leading edge tech startup in Cleveland is a viable possibility. And a Latina needs to know that business collaboration with the Chinese community is part of the natural landscape.

If this all sounds crazy, then just take a road trip to Toronto, Canada.