“The Trifecta” is our boutique agency’s reference to the power of PR, marketing and social media working together to support platforms for growth and business success. If you’re game (and we are), you can think of them as BFFL – that is, “best friends for life.”
In the 21st Century, your marketing and PR toolbox should contain tools from social media.
So, what’s in your marketing tool box for Q4-2014 and 2015?
Website/Do you have a call to action? Any updates? Blog/What are your writing about? Monthly Communication Tool/What are you telling your world? Community Event/How are your interfacing with the community? Social Media Outreach/What are you saying online and to whom? Networking/Who are you talking to and why?The great thing about social media entering the traditional marketing space is the boost to the measurement and metrics arena. That is, you can easily measure what’s in your toolbox:
Website/Google Analytics Blog/Reach Monthly Communication/Clicks or Opens Community Event/Turn out Social Media Outreach/Analytics & Follows Networking/2 events per month and the results of follow upThe great thing about having a marketing plan that includes public relations as well as social media, is that all of these BBFL’s work together to boost the brand that you worked so hard to create.
Let me back up that statement with facts about why you need a PR plan:
- To build your brand identity: Don’t let the market decide what your brand means. Be proactive and tell your own story . PR allows you to direct your brand identity.
- To keep the competition out of the limelight: Without a PR campaign, the media is going to be talking about the competition instead of you.
- To increase your SEO: The media has very powerful SEO (search engine optimization). Therefore, you become more “Google-able” when the media talks/writes about you.
- For the endorsement: 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends/family more than any other marketing platform. When you take your media landing and “shout out” about it in social media, “your people” will talk about you and start the process known as “viral word of mouth” (VWOM). People you don’t know (potential clients and customers) will be reading about you.
- To create invaluable relationships for your company: PR allows you to be a “service” to the media, i.e. to create lasting “relations” with media tastemakers, journalists and prominent figures. These relationships allow you to bridge your needs with the media’s needs (remember … it’s a 24/7 news cycle).
Back to our BFFs.
Traditionally, it’s been tough for PR execs to measure a PR moment or “hit.” Measuring public relations ROI goes beyond the dollar for dollar measure and that’s what makes measurement challenging. There’s no doubt that when (unguaranteed) “hits” happen, they spur brand affinity, however the reality is that PR, like the old MasterCard commercial, is “priceless.”
Beyond the “priceless” reference and my favorite, “PR is something you pray for” (read my blog, “Do you have a Public Relations Strategy?”), PR execs have always relied heavily on-analytic measurements.
- Competition: Take a look at how the competition is fairing during the period of your PR campaign.
- Media Rolodex: Measure the value of “priceless” new relationships formed with the media and the new local movers/shakers who endorse your product.
That said, social media can ride in on its white horse and help save the day! After all social media provides a venue for analytic measurement of PR:
- Website hits: Google Analytics
- Social media spikes: FB analytics (e.g.)
- Feedback: Bring your PR (brand identity) into your social media venues, then ask people directly for their feedback (through two-way social media dialogue).
The final member of our Trifecta BFFL’s is social media. Here are four (and there are more) reasons to create a social media plan:
- Social media is a place to connect with, engage and pitch influencers for your company or clients
- 2. Social Media is where your potential clients and customers, even the Fortune 50, “hang out”
- 3. Social media is a place for YOU to talk TO millions of people about your business
- 4. Social media is a place for millions of people TO talk about YOUR business
From social media guru, Jay Baer, “The goal is not to be good at social media. The goal is to be good at business because of social media. Never forget that.”
Of course, once you have agreed that all three members of the Trifecta are key, you need to infuse them into your plan. Start with these steps:
- Set realistic goals: Create a checklist of realistic action item goals for you’re your plan.
- Review the calendar: Choose a “themes” that supports your business platform. September examples:
- Place themes/ideas in a spreadsheet.
- Implement your plan, that is, communicate your theme using The Trifecta.
Let’s take those September examples and specifically look at what a Financial Advisor could plan for “College Savings Month” by incorporating marketing, PR and social media strategies.
The angle: “Tips on saving for college”
Public Relations
Pitch tips to the media
Marketing
Open house event
Social Media
Blog
e-blasts
Shout outs in social media
Website updates
In our next blog, a case study example detailing the winning combination of Trifecta’s BFFLs.
