When Should You Start a PR Campaign?

When should you start a PR campaign?
By Dave Manzer

There’s no definitive right or wrong answer about when to start a PR campaign, but there’s definitely a wrong time.

It’s after something newsworthy happens. If something important for your brand with a degree of popular appeal or relevance to a trending topic, and you are two weeks late in getting the news to the local or national media and don’t have any timely pictures or video to share, you're too late. When that happens, what you typically hear from most reporters and editors is, “I wish you had called us the day it happened or given us some prior notice.” Then all you hear are crickets, because you just blew it.

So when should you start a PR campaign? Is there a point in time in the build up to a big event or announcement when you should bring on outside PR help?

A lot depends upon the nature of the news itself (hard or soft), as well as what kind of media (print, TV, online) you want to pitch.

Soft news

Soft news concerns itself with less-urgent matters related to the community at large. Say, for example, you are small retailer in your hometown and you are opening up a third store. You are planning a grand opening and ribbon cutting and have invited the mayor and town council to attend. In this case, your news is tied to an event and because it involves some VIPs like the mayor and is about a local business doing well and expanding then there’s a good chance it will be of interest to a local reporter.

Hard news

If, however, there is an urgent news story about, say heavy rains flooding Main Street, and it turns out your business was impacted by the flooding, then reporters will be on the lookout for interviews with local business owners. Your chance for media coverage is immediate and requires prompt action.

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Media lead-time:

When you should start a PR campaign also depends upon the kind of media you are targeting. If you own a specialty hearing aid store, then you would be smart to go after TV and print news rather than online media, as many retirees tend to spend more time watching day-time TV and reading the newspaper compared to millennials.

Each media outlet, however, has its own lead-time when it comes to accepting suggested story pitches.

Here are a few examples:

TV News: TV news is still a wonderful way to get your business or nonprofit noticed by thousands of viewers looking for what’s going on in the community. The lead-time it takes to pitch your story to a TV news reporter is typically not longer than a week, possibly even just a few days, as many TV stations don’t know what they will cover until each morning’s news meeting. [Radio is similar to TV.]

Newspaper: If it’s a daily newspaper, then plan on a lead-time of one to three weeks depending upon whether your news is tied to a timely event like a product launch or is an evergreen story that is tied to an annually reccurring event such as Spring Break, Labor Day or Halloween. If you want to be included in a list of tips like “Spring cleaning tips” or “Where to plant a tree on Arbor Day,” then it pays to contact a reporter one to two months in advance depending upon how big the holiday is on the calendar, Christmas being the 900-pound gorilla of holidays.

Blogs: Blogs can be very nimble and turn out content fast, especially newsy blogs such as Mashable and TechCrunch. Some smaller blogs are not as well staffed and may take longer. A typical lead-time on a submitted news pitch could be anywhere from 48 hours to two weeks. Best to err on the side of caution and at least give yourself a week.

Magazines: The bigger and glossier they are, the longer it takes to get published. I once heard of People Magazine taking over a year to publish a story. That’s an extreme case, to be sure, and there were some odd events surrounding it, but what is true is that magazines source content for upcoming editions as far out as 4-5 months. If you have a nifty educational toy for tots and want to be included in a list of suggested Christmas gifts, then you would have to start pitching in June or July. If it’s a local magazine, the lead-time may be less, but not by much. Alow yourself a three-month margin when pitching local glossies.

Final thoughts

When considering how soon to start a PR campaign, you should clearly identify your target audience, where it resides and what media outlets serve it. Also, decide whether you will pitch locally, nationally, or a mix of both.

I always encourage my clients to start one month in advance of a major announcement or event to allow enough time for media research, message design and outreach. After all, it can take several weeks to get an email answered by, or land a coveted phone call with, a busy reporter. Why, I just got off the phone with a business reporter in Dallas after three weeks of emails and voicemails. PR isn’t called “earned media” for nothing.

Moral of the story? Start early, don’t expect immediate results, and keep plugging away.

Dave Manzer specializes in highly integrated PR & marketing strategies that help companies in technology, healthcare and professional services reach their goals in brand awareness and revenue growth. A version of this article originally appeared on the PR Over Coffee blog.

8 Reasons Your Media Relations Activity Isn't Working

8 reasons your PR isn't working
By Dorothy Crenshaw


Investing in a relationship with the right PR agency can pay enormous dividends when it comes to building reputation and even demand.

However, businesses that benefit from building or engaging PR teams can be hesitant due to uncertainty about outcomes.

PR hasn’t always done a great job defining or managing client expectations, particularly when it comes to earned media. When PR falls short, it often boils down to a handful of reasons, including these:
Expectations aren’t clear. If you’re bringing on a PR agency anticipating vague outcomes like “brand visibility” or “thought leadership,” think more deeply. One company’s visibility is another’s table stakes. It’s best to agree upon specific goals and carefully worded messaging for your program. You should also choose news outlets, social platforms, and content distribution strategies to target, among other elements. Here, the devil is truly in the details. The PR Council offers some very useful guidelines, including this PR relationship “owner’s manual.”

You don’t have news. Working journalists are looking for something new, timely, or relevant to their particular area. While a PR team’s expertise can help identify and develop a pitch, it needs the raw material (example: a new website isn’t news.). It’s important that you or your PR agency put yourself in the reporter’s shoes and approach him or her with needs in mind.

Your story is all about you. There’s definitely a place for service content, particularly in business-to-business sectors, but the key word here is service. Whether it’s earned or owned, the resulting article or post must focus on a customer problem or solution, trend, or offer useful information of interest to your end user. If it’s all about selling, it’s likely to be overlooked.

Read More: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/18969.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Savicom&utm_campaign=Why%20your%20PR%20efforts%20are%20failing&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prdaily.com%2FMain%2FArticles%2F18969.aspx

Real Time Marketing Very Effective, But Businesses Challenged to Implement It

98% of Brands See Positive Revenue Impact from Real-Time Marketing Efforts—But Report Challenges with Effectiveness
Marketers Leveraging Real-Time Marketing See Positive Revenue ROI

Brands that respond to breaking news on social media see a higher return on their real-time marketing investments than those that don’t, according to a new study from social intelligence and marketing software firm Wayin. The 2015 Wayin Real-Time Marketing Report, based on a survey of 200 manager and executive-level real-time marketers at companies with more than $100 million in revenue, finds that 64 percent of real-time marketers have leveraged breaking news on social media in the past year. That number jumps to 78 percent for brands seeing an ROI of at least 50 percent on their real-time marketing investment, compared to only 57 percent for brands with an ROI of less than 50 percent.

https://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/article/pr-biz-update/98-of-brands-see-positive-revenue-impact-from-real-time-marketing-eff

Are You or Your Business Making These LinkedIn Mistakes?

If you are DIYing your marketing or social media, there's a million things you need to stay up on. Constantly. Is it worth your time to become an expert, or is it smarter just to hire a professional? Either way, here's some news you can use:

With over 329 million members, LinkedIn can provide invaluable networking opportunities for professional services firms. Since it is a social network geared specifically to business professionals, LinkedIn users don’t have to battle the private and public persona struggle that other sites like Facebook or Twitter can create.

Users can join industry-specific groups and connect with others in their niche without having to worry about a newsfeed filled with photographs of their followers’ children. LinkedIn isn’t just a great networking tool—it can also be the perfect platform for B2B social media marketing.

Even though LinkedIn maintains a professional environment, it’s still all-too-easy to make social media blunders. Luckily, all of our top seven LinkedIn mistakes are easily corrected once realized.

Are You Making Any of These 7 LinkedIn Mistakes?


Read more at http://www.business2community.com/linkedin/7-social-media-marketing-mistakes-avoid-linkedin-01208324#excYbd3W2r8F3cyO.99

We'll Be Wearing, Walking & Working with our Tech

PR’s “Next Big Thing”: Nearly 70 Percent of Consumers Say They Are Ready to Engage with Brands via Wearable Technology Devices
Wearable Tech Poised to Emerge as a New Channel for Customer Engagement

Wearable technology is slowly but surely becoming a part of life for mainstream consumers, most visibly chronicled by the popular launch of the Apple Watch, and it is soon expected to revolutionize technology—and marketing communications. According to new research from ACCENT Marketing, the key to a successful customer engagement strategy via wearable technology is to first understand how consumers use wearable technology. From fitness monitors to smart watches to clothing, wearable tech is the new frontier in customer engagement. This new channel can help brands deepen their customer relationships, build brand advocates, and reach new audiences through wearable technologies, giving them access to be with the consumer as they move throughout their day.

https://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/article/pr-biz-update/pr-s-next-big-thing-nearly-70-percent-of-consumers-say-they-are-ready

Millennials Service Expectations Show that Many Brands Risk Going Out of Business if they Don't Adapt

Customer, Serve Thyself! Millennials Reveal Desire for Self Service—and for Brands to Improve Experiences Reflecting These Preferences
Companies Must Address These Changes or Risk Going Out of Business

Customer interaction management firm Aspect Software this week released a study examining the generational and technological divergence between consumer groups and their perceptions and preferences towards customer service. The key takeaway: Companies need to quickly address the customer engagement preferences of the Millennial demographic or risk going out of business.

The Aspect Consumer Experience Index: Millennial Research on Customer Service Expectations provides analysis on how companies can adapt to this shifting consumer challenge. The new survey developed with Millennial expert Jason Dorsey (“The Gen Y Guy”) is designed to help businesses identify key characteristics of an increasingly influential Millennial population (individuals aged 18-34). Insights in the study will help companies address Millennials' evolving needs and expectations when engaging with brands.

Key findings from the study include:https://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/article/pr-biz-update/customer-serve-thyself-millennials-reveal-desire-for-self-service-and

SEO Checklist: 15 Steps to Optimize Your Website

Or, just call The Eisen Agency and we'll take care of all this for you, but if you wanna DIY, here's some tips:

by Eugene Dediu | March 26, 2015 | 231 views


Today, just about anyone can create a new website on any topic and gather a team around it to develop and grow the site through content.

But many people fail to get on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs) because they believe it's just about content, rather than also doing keyword research, creating a semantic kernel, making the website mobile friendly, or even putting the right alt text for images, and so on.

The following list is an SEO checklist of actions that you need to take to optimize your website for search engines.



Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/27342/seo-checklist-15-steps-to-optimize-your-website#ixzz3VVAaSVtL

Why Hire a Professional Marketing Firm: Reason #2: Tools

If you're a landscaper, contractor, cook, barber or doctor -- you have tools to do your job. Those tools are critical to the success of your operation. If you're a landscaping firm, you have invested 10s of thousands (or more) dollars into lawn and garden equipment, allowing you to perform your job professionally and efficiently, and properly address the client needs. After all, when a client needs their lawn mowed, you don't use garden sheers. While it "could" work, it would obviously be incredibly labor intensive. Same with a contractor, you don't install finish trim by cutting it with a reciprocating saw.

And worst of all, it's hard to be a cook without pots, pans, knives and all the great gizmos they have. Same holds true in professional marketing and communications services. Our firm, for example, invests 10s of thousands of dollars on all the latest tools and technology that enables us to professionally and efficiently do our job for our clients. Things like Creative Suite, and ProfNET and Cision and Animoto -- research tools, survey tools, audio and video equipment and on and on and on -- all to be used professionally on behalf of a client.

Why on earth would you, as a dental practice, go spend $5,000 on cooking tools or landscaping equipment? You wouldn't right? So, for small to medium sized businesses, it's foolish to purchase these tools for your business, but it's easy to have access to all of them free of charge -- hire a professional firm. They have all the tools to do the job right, and know how in how best to use them in making great ads, nice collateral, to send releases, find reporters, tweet and make a cool video. Fix teeth. Let the agency grow your business.

Ten Great Social Media Marketing Campaigns

At The Eisen Agency, we believe social media is an important part of a good marketing mix. And while social media certainly shouldn't be the only thing you're doing to market your business, here's a sampling of 10 great ideas. Of course, if you need help or someone just the lift the marketing burden from your shoulders, give us a call.


10 Great Social Media Marketing Campaign Ideas


These are some of the most innovate and successful recent social media campaigns. They used photo contests, caption contest, coupons, polls and other strategies to strengthen brand affinity, increase engagement and drive traffic to their websites. Some of them went viral; some increased their customer gradually over time.

Digital marketing platform Offerpop cited 50 social marketing campaigns ideas gathered from its clients. Mashable named its own top social media campaigns in its “Mashies 2014.”

Here’s a sampling of the top campaigns.http://www.cyberalert.com/blog/index.php/10-great-social-media-marketing-campaign-ideas/#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=54ff40f22ec5656f&at_ab=per-14&at_pos=0&at_tot=1

You Need Editors, Not "Brand" Managers

And, at The Eisen Agency, we couldn't agree more. Founded by award winning television, radio and print journalist Rodger Roeser, he turned his combination expertise of journalism and entertainment promotions into one of Greater Cincinnati's (and the region's) most successful marketing and PR firms.

‘You Need Editors, Not Brand Managers': Marketing Legend Seth Godin on the Future of Branded Content
Seth Godin is the godfather of modern marketing—or, at least, the type of modern marketing we all want to be doing.

In 1999, Godin published Permission Marketing, and, in every way, it was a revelation. At a time when Bill Clinton was still in office, TLC’s “No Scrubs” was a #1 hit, and eToys.com was about to IPO, Godin released a practical guide to how brands could leverage the incredible connectivity of the web to engage consumers by seeking permission to do so. His creation of the concept of of permission marketing—which posited that marketing should be as anticipated, personal, and relevant, rather than interruptive—continues to echo in darn near every marketing brainstorm today.

Read More: http://contently.com/strategist/2015/02/06/you-need-editors-not-brand-managers-marketing-legend-seth-godin-on-the-future-of-branded-content/

How You Know It's Time to ReBrand!!

Last Thursday, I arrived at the office, but instead of being greeted by the same AtTask logo I was so familiar with, I found myself staring at a new dynamic logo with new colors and a new name: Workfront. In the months leading up to this, there had been a flood of emails, scores of intense meetings, and countless man hours logged by our marketing team, communications team, and development team. Don’t even get me started on all the surveys, brainstorming, consulting, and nitpicking that finally produced the new name and design. And we’re only just getting started. In the days to come, we will be spending significant time and dollars into introducing our new brand to the marketplace and getting back to the level of recognition we once had with our former brand.

All of which might lead you to ask, “Why go to all this trouble?”

First off, let me say a rebrand is certainly not something company leadership takes on just for fun or on a whim. You don’t do it just because you’re tired of looking at your old one. A rebrand is the right solution for some very specific scenarios. If you can learn to recognize those scenarios, a rebrand could supercharge your company’s potential in the years to come. So how do you know if your company needs a rebrand?

Read More: http://www.workfront.com/resources/article/how-you-know-its-time-to-rebrand/

Your Logo is Critical to the Success of Your Business

Great logos are recognizable in a blink. They also should make a lasting impression.

Target hits the bullseye, Nike goes swoosh, and Apple catches the eye. All three company’s iconic logos are unique, memorable and stand the test of time. They instantly and consistently do what a potent logo should: Identify a brand, make it stand out and, ideally, drive customer interest and sales.

We all know great logos, but we don’t all know that great logos aren’t easy to create. From concept to color to rollout, there’s much to consider when boiling your brand down to a single emblem.

Related: 5 Must-Haves for a Successful Logo

“We have less time and less space to tell our stories in than ever before,” says Alina Wheeler, a Philadelphia-based branding expert and author of Designing Brand Identity (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., fourth edition, 2013). “To rise above the clutter, a symbol or a logo is the fastest communication known to man. It unlocks associations with your brand on sight, so it’s important to get it right the first time around.”

Read More: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243181

Why Hire a Professional Marketing Firm? Reason #31: Connections

It's true, everyone knows someone. But, when it comes to the growth and marketing of your business, just like when you were looking for a job or trying to find clients, it's true when they say "it's all who you know." A good agency and good agency leadership is well connected not only the media contacts and marketing services providers (video teams, printers, database vendors, caterers, swag producers and so on and on), but perhaps more importantly to potential business, government and other influencer connections. A good business understands to whom it wishes to reach out to, and can find an agency or agency leadership skilled in those circles of influence. Having these types of connections is another reason why every business (even the ones that "do it all in house") should have an agency they value and trust. It's smart networking, and particularly in the professional services realm, having professional connections and word of mouth remains the best source of new business.

Why Hire a Professional Marketing Firm? Reason #17: Objectivity

In our continuing series on understanding some nuances and reasons to hire a professional marketing firm, today we're going to focus on objectivity. In the efforts of marketing, all too often businesses and organizations can get caught up in their own culture and language. And, while that is indeed important to have, what is critical from a marketing standpoint is translating your business to addressing the wants and needs of your customers or clientele.

And, oftentimes, like looking in the mirror with your nose pushed up to it, it can be very difficult to see the true picture. Having an agency can offer solid objectivity based on the simple notion of we provide "X" and these are the potential customers for "X" so here's how we should position this. Good agencies are more focused on their clients client, and will be honest when the company is saying, doing or projecting something not likely to engage or get a certain type of client to act.

This objectivity allows a good agency to take a step back, employ trusted and sound marketing principles, even test those if necessary, and provide solid strategies and recommendations that will most likely succeed. Also, if you're the owner of the business, having an objective look at internal marketing staff and practices may be quite enlightening in learning perhaps better, more efficient or smarter ways to execute a given marketing strategy.

A good agency is a must have for every business, but often is a critical partner in the SMB space where there is little margin for error and where you may not otherwise be able to afford the very best and brightest "in house." Good counsel is always a smart thing, so seek a trusted agency partner that you value for their honesty and objectivity.

Content is Only Smart Marketing When Someone Actually Reads It

by Rodger Roeser

Content marketing is an excellent way to inexpensively establish your people, services and your overall brand as relevant in the market place. Unfortunately, content marketing is often just self serving blather that speaks more to corporate gobbedly gook rather than the true intent of content marketing – creating relevant content to those publics with whom you wish to relate. So, good content marketing truly is about knowing thy audience. Whether a speaking engagement, a writing assignment, a video or infographic, social media or good old fashioned advertising, a keen understand what is interesting and what will motive your target public to action is critical. But, where do you get that type of information.

Fortunately, information on consumers is everywhere, and most savvy marketers know they have access to such things as claritas, scarborough, nielsen, and literally dozens of other sources that can provide the most detailed information about consumer habits. While rather expensive, these types of services are readily available for purchase and are a treasure trove of consumer information. Most media outlets also have access to this type of information, and when considering making a media buy, this type of information is used to gain access to detailed demographic data.

And while great for larger type businesses and consumer goods, these are not great in the B2B market place, and in most cases out of the reach of small businesses simply because of cost. So, the smartest and least expensive ways to garner data are two fold – quantitative and qualitative research. Survey your customers or clients often and reward them for taking the survey. You seem this commonly among restaurants and chains. Also, each quarter randomly select 5 – 10 actual customers or clients to sit in for a “round table” meeting on what they like and what they feel could be improved about your business. Most current customers have and will have striking similarities to one another, so combining data from a round table with data from surveys and you have an excellent, albeit, basic view of the likes, patterns, wants and needs of your customer or client base.

Also, depending on your type of business, you may reasonably surmise that if you are an auto mechanic and vast majority of your clients are driving luxury cars, they likely own a home, have a family, that career is important to them and they may enjoy traveling. This type of information can be particularly valuable when creating custom publications or even newsletters with content that would be enjoyed by your audience. Remember, just because you’re a financial advisor, that doesn’t mean everything you write about needs to be financial in nature – it should reflect other things a customer or client would enjoy. After all, the greatest content in the universe is of no value if no one reads it.

And most likely, if you’re like most businesses, folks don’t like your newsletter. Be honest. Look at the metrics of the newsletter. Survey often. Have specific calls to action in your content, because after all, are you trying to educate? Or are you trying to sell more widgets? Measure what’s important, not how important you sound when writing something.

Charged with B2B Marketing? How to tie that into the Big Game this Sunday!

B2B Brands and the Super Bowl: How B2B Marketers Can Capitalize on Consumer Events


by Sandra Fathi |


Often, the Super Bowl seems as if it's more of a season than a one-day event. It dominates consumer conversations for weeks and weeks before Super Bowl Sunday arrives. From the food to the entertainment to the ads and the big game itself, the public is more focused on the Super Bowl than on most national holidays.

Communications professionals typically see the game as a time for business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers to capitalize on the benefits of all that conversation. But the truth is that business-to-business (B2B) companies can, and should, also take advantage of major consumer events.

Conversations from the newsroom to the living room and even the conference room are all about the Super Bowl. It's natural for companies to want to engage in that conversation—and they can, and they should.



Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/26952/b2b-brands-and-the-super-bowl-how-b2b-marketers-can-capitalize-on-consumer-events#ixzz3QJlNjr00

You know you need to market your business, but how much should you budget for marketing to get the most for your investment?

Tips on Developing a Marketing Budget
By Rodger Roeser, CEO, The Eisen Agency

Creating a marketing budget can be one of the most daunting and insecure moments in the life of a business owner. How do I know what to spend? How do I know where to spend it, or what to spend it on? What if it doesn’t work? For the majority of business owners in the small business base, this is an area of expertise that you almost always should consult a strategic marketing firm or counselor if you feel uncomfortable doing the planning phase. A good marketing consultant will surely save you time and dollars, and direct you toward strategies and programs more likely to succeed – as a good, experienced counselor should know what will and what won’t work.

You can expect to pay between $5,000 and $15,000 for this type and this level of work, but it’s a smart and advised investment if marketing isn’t necessarily a core competency. And remember, there are two “worst and worster” things you can do with your marketing dollars – don’t market at all or just wing it. My absolute best advice is hire a professional agency, but if you insist on doing it yourself, here’s some tips to make sure you’re getting the most for your hard earned dollars. Think strategically before you think tactically.

1. Take Inventory
Gather all the materials you’ve used and have been using over the course of the year or so. Ads you’ve purchased, press announcements you’ve made, social media, trade shows, events – anything that you have spent dollars on in the marketing of your business. Take a look at what each cost and how you feel each performed in doing what you wanted it to do, and remember, putting out a press release isn’t designed to triple your business so be honest with yourself based on the tactic you chose, i.e.: develop leads, share some good news, gain exposure and the like, and attach a value between 1 (stunk) and 5 (worked perfectly) to each one. Were the items professional developed and designed? We’re they clearly written, with clear calls to action, and so forth. Once you have all your “stuff” decide what needs improved – for example, more frequency of this, better designed that, and so on. Now you know what “stuff” you need.
2. Competition is Key
Take a good look at your direct and indirect competition. What is in the way of your business adding that customer or why won’t they try you out. What is your competition doing that you’re not. What is their traffic on Facebook or LinkedIn? Do you see them mentioned in the newspaper often? Are there ads more frequent than yours or better developed? Do they do something creative that helps them build their business, such as earning local awards or hosting events? As you understand your competition, you can then look at ways to stand apart from them and invest your marketing dollars in areas where they may not – the riches are in the niches – so don’t be afraid to cater to a specific group. Don’t copy your competition, understand them and communicate why you’re better and share those benefits.
3. The Target Audience
Speaking of which, who you share that message to – your target publics – is obviously critical. And this target varies wildly depending on location, business type and literally dozens (or more) other variables. So, take a good look at your existing customers or clients and those you would like to add. Be brutally specific in creating a profile for your target public because that allows you to stretch your marketing dollars because you’re pinpointing exactly to which public you wish to relate – and your dollars can be invested in this group. Make the profile as specific and detailed as you can, for example: women between the ages of 18 – 24, income of $100,000, within a 10 mile radius of our restaurant who own their home and are single. This allows you to market in the right places and with the right type of message that would resonate to this type of individual – obviously, each business type will have to determine its own profile.

4. Be Smart
Remember, if you decide to go it alone without agency support, you’ll need to work with the various advertising representatives of each type of media and medium you are considering. So, when working with these ad reps, be mindful that they have a quota of sales to make and they are selling their specific outlet and medium with that outlet and medium in mind – they are not objective counselors – they are salespeople. There’s nothing wrong with that, and they’re certainly not bad people, but they are there to sell you their product, not what will necessarily be the smart marketing investment. Also, keep in mind the price of things varies wildly, so have some idea of what “things cost” before contacting them. Much information on the costs of basic tactical marketing purchases are available online.

5. Rule of Thumb
In many cases, you can determine your annual marketing budget with a relatively simple formula. Take your annual gross revenue and multiple that by a low of two percent and a high of 10 percent. This is most likely the range for your business – although my firm would be able to give you an exact percentage. Based on this range, one being the least you should invest and the other being the most, you now can start to look at your inventory of what you need (new collateral, a refreshed website, better ads, more media relations) and call that your foundational expense. As you look at proactive spend, it’s smart to focus on single areas and single mediums at a time, so look where your competition isn’t and consider going there – and don’t just rely on old print ads. Radio, online, sponsorships and events can be excellent tactical investments.

6. Moving forward
And, this year, benchmark all your numbers right now, this month. Take a look at all the things you want to measure – website traffic, social media traffic, turn, butts in seats, votes, sales of widgets – and set a benchmark. Then, each month, based on the marketing work performed, measure that benchmark number to growth and divide by your monthly marketing spend. While rudimentary, it will help to give you something resembling an ROI.

Rodger Roeser is the CEO of Greater Cincinnati’s premier marketing, branding and public relations consultancy, The Eisen Agency. His firm specializes in developing leading and proven marketing and business strategies and tactical execution for small to mid-sized businesses across the country. More information can be accessed at www.TheEisenAgency.com.

If you're PR agency uses these types of terms to describe itself, you may want to reconsider, says RSW's Mark Sneider

Like cold water to the face, agencies need new business reminders every now and then.

After 2008, agencies (and everyone else) got an unfortunate wake up call, and in terms of new business, realized there was no better time to get a lot better at it.

Fast forward to today and clients are spending. That means new business becomes an afterthought.

And you’re busy so you don’t think about things like positioning and how a prospect might perceive you, or not even bother to, and use terms that don’t really mean anything-the dreaded “Agency Speak.”

The type of messaging, like the famous ‘We’re Creative,” that may in fact be absolutely true, but will instantly make your prospects lose interest.

So in that spirit, I’ve culled several real-world examples of agency positioning-taken directly from agency sites today.

To protect the innocent, names are withheld ( I know, no fun).

Keep in mind this is not a shaming exercise, and I hope you’ll get a chuckle from them actually-but in all seriousness,

Read More: http://www.agencynewbusiness.com/2014/11/agencies-please-stop-using-terms-describe.html?sslid=MzQwNbcwtjAGAA&sseid=MzS2MDEFAA&jobid=3ae2a17e-bbb1-4833-853f-437f194f618f

Make 2015 Your Best Business Year Yet

Cincinnati PR, Advertising Firm Shares Five Things Every Small Business Owner Must At the End of the Year to Be Poised for Growth, Success in 2015


It’s the perfect time of the year to step back, take a deep breath and see what worked, what needs improved and what needs scrapped according to most business experts. Cincinnati and Cleveland public relations and advertising executive Rodger Roeser, also host of a national radio show on best practices in marketing and PR, says that while many executives may focus solely on the bottom line, he suggests that they take just a few moments and focus on marketing results – a simple investment of time that could not only save significant dollars, but also significantly improve performance.


1. Perform a communications audit


Roeser advises to take a look at all the pieces produced by your organization that were used for any type of public consumption, including letterhead, business cards, sales presentations, sales letters, press releases, advertisements and the like. Lay them all out on the conference table and make sure they follow your approved graphic standards and brand identity. Double check the messages being sent: are they hitting the mark, does it say what you want it to say? Are pieces outdated and does your material need refreshed? Is it easy to read and understand? What might some better and more interesting stories be about you, your team and your organization. Roeser advises consulting an expert if you feel you cannot be objective or lack the time.


2. Survey your existing clients


It’s never been easier than with the online software that exists, such as survey monkey or zoomerang – both free services. You simply craft a survey and email it out to your clients to glean valuable business intelligence. If you’re afraid to do that, you’re not following a basic tenant of business: listening to your client. Analyzing the results is also quite simple and you may find some easy things you can do to make some clients happy, but almost always, simply asking the question of “how can we make things even better,” is reward enough in that it lets customers know that they’re feedback is valued.


3. Set benchmarks before budgets


Look at what worked, what didn’t perform as expected and set a budget based on anticipated results and expectations. Marketing works because enough “oomph” is put behind it to make it work, and typically, integration is key. Look at your marketing mix and where the dollars are being allocated. Set goals, and above all, set benchmarks of where you are now and where you want to be in as many measurable facets of your organization as you can, such as overall sales, monthly sales, web traffic, store traffic, coupon redemption and the like. That way, you can look at your advertising, marketing and pr from of standpoint of “did it work” rather than “that’s a pretty color.” Most press releases, for example, that are crafted and distributed are poorly written because they are overly centric to the business sending it out, or mandated upon the agency to send it out. Don’t impose success when the release or product is the failure. Same goes with a bad ad, or bad customer service. Creativity and newsworthiness are subjective, while sales increases are not. Understand the difference.


4. If you don’t have one, find a community relations outlet for your business


There are hundreds of great causes and programs you can lend your business to, and dozens that will help strengthen and bolster your brand – if you need help, consult an agency. Cause marketing activities and community relations are proven to strengthen brand, increase sales and increase employee morale. It can be something you believe in personally, it can be large scale or small scale, but regardless, it should be part of your plan. Yes, it’s a good public relations move, but more importantly, it’s good for the overall health of your company and most likely, the community in which you and your employees live.


5. Do something different next year


Vow to do something different next year with your marketing, such as a podcast series, a custom publication or even start a blog. There are hundreds of new, fun, effective, inexpensive and creative outlets for marketing products, services or people. Again, consult with an expert, but do something and do something different. Remember, sometimes in marketing it can be okay to be that black sheep because the point is standing apart from the crowd and creating a distinctive and memorable brand. If your marketing is a bit stale, do something fresh. If you think blogs are new – it’s time for some fresh, proactive and creative counsel. Overall, marketing should be proactively effective and fun – regardless of industry.


Roeser adds that his agency provides a free service, called EMG Bootcamp, available by appointment, where business executives and practitioners can learn best practices, new services and technology, budgeting, and brand building exercises to better understand and develop strong marketing communications and sales team. EMG Bootcamp is an interactive, informative and fun two hour session.

Looking for a Marketing Firm? Here's Five Things Mark Sneider says you should look for

Great article from RSW’s Mark Sneider on selecting a good marketing firm. Read more here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141102173044-10692873-look-under-the-hood-5-things-to-look-for-when-searching-for-a-new-marketing-agency?trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_ARTICLE_POST