How To Take Full Advantage Of PR And Save Lots Of Money

Did you know that public relations is the most economical form of marketing communications you can use to promote your business?

Are you taking full advantage of this cost-effective tool?

Here’s how to better understand and make good use of this outstanding service to help grow your business, its brand reputation and income, while saving money in the process:

Benefits of Public Relations and PR Include:

The most economical way by far to reach mass audiences
Stimulates awareness of and demand for your company products or services
Develops a stronger, more controlled image for your firm
Creates the perception that the company is active, “on the move”
Has seven times the credibility of advertising, studies show
Provides an advantage over competitors who do not use PR effectively

The Public Relations Revival Going On Now

Public relations is having a revival now because it is the ideal way to promote a business, its products and services, online as well as off. Originally public relations or “PR” was all about getting “free publicity” in the news media, and that is still very important.

But also in the last few years Google and other search engines have decided that the best way they can serve their search customers is to provide them with exactly what they are looking for – answers to their questions in the form of information or content.

To satisfy the search engines and get higher rankings, in the last few years there has been a big shift to what is called “content marketing.” Give the search engines what they want in terms of good content, and they will reward you by sending you potential customers looking for that content.

Become Your Own Publisher

But it gets even better! You do not have to depend on Google or Bing to get customers. You can become your own publisher of valuable information using a blog and social media like Facebook and Twitter. You build your own audience and you communicate with them directly through social media.

I started my career as a reporter/editor for The Charlotte Observer, then was public relations director for Davidson College for several years. Since starting Lawrimore Communications, public relations has remained a major focus and service of our agency. We’ve helped publish thousands of articles read and seen by millions of people in local, regional and national media.

But it’s harder than ever to get a story in the news media. Many of them have cut their staffs to the bone and don’t have time or space for anything but the big stuff (and of course crime news :-).

Online Communications On The Rise

While traditional media are in decline, online communications are on the rise. More and more companies are discovering the benefits of combining an occasional press release for the news media with an on-going content marketing program to reach target audiences.

For best results the same content can be “repurposed” for press releases, blog posts, social media, email newsletters and more. It also forms the core of a good Search Engine Optimization program. This makes public relations more cost effective than ever before as you get more bang for your buck.

Easy To Get Started

We can help you identify the best opportunities for news stories, content marketing and social media. Every company has stories waiting to be told. We’ll work with you to create content that is relevant for your target markets, whether they are complex or simple. Flexible pricing can be based on a project or monthly basis to suit your budget.

Contact us today to learn more about how the cost-effective advantages of public relations can benefit you and your company. Call us at 704-332-4344 or use the quick contact form right on this page. We look forward to helping promote your business better than ever before!

With best regards,
Buck Lawrimore

President
Lawrimore Communications

12 Marketing Ideas For Small Business On A Budget

Marketing ideas for small business when properly used can boost your sales substantially. It takes a lot of courage to start and run a small business. Sometimes your hand is forced by a corporate layoff and difficulty finding another job. Sometimes you are pursuing a dream. And sometimes you get mad working for someone else and just aren’t going to take it any more.

Whatever your motivation, the second (maybe first) most important decision you can make is to focus on getting paying customers. Without paying customers, your new business idea is just an idea, not a real business. Many start-ups think all they have to do is just open for business and the customers will come. That rarely happens. The vast majority of new businesses fail – mostly for lack of income, caused by lack of marketing.

Here are 12 marketing ideas for small business on a tight budget, based on years of working with small businesses of all kinds in both start-up and growth modes:

Small Business Consultant in Charlotte NC Will Help Strengthen Your Business

A small business consultant in Charlotte NC has to balance the varied needs of each small business client with the financial and knowledge limits which most small business owners have. The three most common small business issues we see among clients who come to us are:

Improving operations and organization
Improving their website and web traffic
Lack of a real competitive advantage

Let’s look at each of these in some detail.

How Does A Charlotte Marketing Agency Work?

How does a Charlotte marketing agency work?

Well folks, it’s nothing like Mad Men. At least not in Charlotte. No two-martini lunches, no macho cigar smoking, no drama, at least on most days.

While every Charlotte marketing agency is different because of the people that run them and work for them, here’s a general run-down of how a marketing agency SHOULD work if it’s providing value for its clients:

The 5 Key Success Factors Of Business – No. 5: Finances

This is the 5th and final installment in our series about “The 5 Key Success Factors of Business.” Today we want to give insights into what the world’s best companies do regarding finances – which includes various physical assets such as money, facilities and equipment.

As a reminder, the 5 Key Success Factors are:

Strategic Focus (Leadership, Management, Planning)
People (Personnel, Staff, Learning, Development)
Operations (Processes, Work)
Marketing (Customer Relations, Sales, Responsiveness)
Finances (Assets, Facilities, Equipment)

Here’s what the world’s best companies do for Success Factor No. 5, Finances:

Extraordinary Benefits Of Knowing What Your Customers Value

What do your customers value most from a company like yours? How satisfied are they? What could you do to improve their satisfaction, attract new customers and increase your sales?

These are some of the penetrating questions that can be explored on a well-designed Customer Value Survey, a special type of market research that can yield powerful insights and bottom-line benefits.

Over the years of administering many Customer Value Surveys, we have developed a set of questions that work for almost every kind of business. Of course we always expand or modify this set with critical issues which our clients want to explore.

How To Choose A Charlotte Marketing Agency

Click on video above to see this information as a YouTube video.

How To Find A Charlotte Marketing Agency That’s Right For Your Business

Why It’s Important To Choose The Right Charlotte Marketing Agency

Marketing is a skill and expertise that can help any business get more customers, increase sales and improve your brand image
However there are over 50 different kinds of marketing, and deciding which one(s) are right for you and your budget can be a challenge
For the business owner or entrepreneur, choosing the right marketing agency can make a big difference in the financial success of your company
A good marketing-agency relationship can and should last for many years
Just as you need a good CPA firm to help with your finances, you need a good marketing firm to help with your marketing and growth – but how to choose?

Business To Business Marketing For Your Small Business – What Really Works

Business to business marketing is easier in some ways and harder than others compared to consumer marketing. With business to business marketing, there are fewer potential customers (consumers outnumber businesses by about 100 to 1), who can often be targeted fairly precisely by company name and demographics. This allows your marketing to be more focused and generally less expensive.

But business to business marketing is also more serious. You’re not going to attract many business customers by saying “I’m Lovin’ It” or “It’s the real thing.” You need to clearly communicate the benefits of using your products or services with language, images and other forms of marketing that resonate with your target decision-makers. Businesses also tend to stick with their suppliers and not be as fickle as consumers about trying something new. So realistically to get yourself a few new business customers, you are probably going to have to pry them away from their existing relationships – not an easy task.