Message from Michelle

Greetings from Kimberling City. For the past week, I’ve been in Southwest Missouri visiting my family and relaxing.

It’s a much-needed break as my team and I have been busy this summer helping clients ramp up their publicity on- and offline. And it’s working. This past Sunday, our client Ears of Experience was featured in the Travel and Arts section of the Post and Courier. In addition to the article, within days after their optimized press release appeared online, they received four calls from prospects that saw the release.

In the past few months, more and more companies are contacting me, asking for help with promoting and marketing their companies online. This issue of Sūmèr’s Secrets focuses on how to gain more exposure-both on- and offline-through integrated PR.

Connect With Me Online at:
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/writtenbysumer
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michelle.salater
Blog: writtenbysumer.com/articles

Feature Article:

Integrated PR: Redefining the Way Businesses Gain Exposure

When most people think of PR, they understand it to be the act of relaying news to a media source via a press release. They believe once they submit a press release, that’s all they can do. They wait to see what the press release can do for them. Too many people submit a press release to a variety of news outlets–thinking they have a great story the media will pick up–but they hear nothing back.

Instead, they wait, and wait, and wait. Nothing happens.

Ever since the first press release was published on October 30, 1906, public relations has been shaped and defined by more than a written release. Networking, relationship building, trustworthy practices, and brand presence are just a few additional elements that help define public relations.

Today, with a wide variety of news mediums to choose from, the public has spread itself across several channels. If you choose to convey your company message only through one medium, such print media, you may find the public is elsewhere and your efforts wasted.

If you’re not using online platforms to enhance your public relation efforts, then you’re missing an opportunity to expose your brand to the public, generate leads, increase sales, and boost credibility.

Some of the most innovative and effective ways to reach your target market online include PR 2.0 and optimized press releases.

• PR 2.0: By definition, PR 2.0 is a social media press release. This newly developed public relations tool was born from the rise in social media popularity. As more and more people use flickr, del.icio.us, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Digg, they are more desensitized to newspapers and traditional media outlets. Because of this shift, using modern media forms, in addition to traditional forms, is the most effective way to get across time-sensitive news items related to your business.PR 2.0 incorporates a variety of interactive social media elements including video, Twitter pitches, share options, bookmarking capabilities, photos, slideshows, bulleted information, links to your website, blog, and social media sites, and contact options. Because PR 2.0 is viral, the audience base you can reach with it is infinite.Click here to view one of our client’s latest PR 2.0 releases.

• Optimized PR: Also known as SEO PR, an optimized press release is search engine optimized to ensure it pulls up on search engine result pages. In other words, the press release is written to incorporate important keywords that prospects may be using as search terms. One of the most popular places the public and even the media go for their daily news dish is the Internet. Google News, Yahoo! News, and Bing, to name a few.

If you post an optimized press release in popular search engines, you can be sure to get some hits off of it. Similar to PR 2.0, an optimized press release is viral and has the ability to reach a countless number of prospects.

It’s obvious the public relations model has shifted over the years, but public relations still, without a doubt, embodies the same principles it did over 100 years ago: provide the people and the press with truthful, accurate information that is both newsworthy and valuable.

Want to see more marketing articles like this one? Visit Michelle’s marketing blog, Sūmèr Blog.

Tip of the Month

According to WebProNews, PRWeb shared a case study that involved a firm that usually sees a 50% increase in website traffic after issuing a press release. One of their most successful releases led to a 400% increase in website traffic. In order to drive additional traffic to the releases, this same firm used social media sites to increase press release exposure.

Like this post? I’d love for you to share it on Digg, StumbleUpon, or the other social media tools found below.

In the above video, web public relations expert Brian Solis shares his expertise on how to effectively build relationships on social media sites. You might be surprised to find out the truth behind building solid connections . . .

How would you like to be able to keep growing your business no matter what the economy does?

Sign up for expert online copywriter Michelle Salater’s Online Business Marketing Bootcamp for Beginners, and she’ll show you everything you need to know to go where the customers are—online—and grow your business by maximizing your marketing efforts.

And do it in any economy. 

Over the course of 8 weeks, you will work one-on-one with Michelle as she shows you the same tips, tactics, and strategies she used to take her own business from flat broke to so busy she has to turn customers away…and she did this all within one year.

Because Michelle really wants to help you grow your business online without struggling so you can skyrocket your sales in 2009, she’s offering a $200 Early Bird Discount to those who sign up before January 4, 2008 (midnight PST). 

— https://www.marketingonlinebootcamp.com/

Now is A CRITICAL TIME for businesses to invest in their marketing. And the best way and most cost efficient way to do this is to market online.

A 2001 McGraw-Hill study found that aggressive recession advertisers / marketers increased their market share 2 ½ times the average for all businesses than in post-recession.

How would you like to increase your market share 2 ½ times?

If you’d like to skyrocket your online sales, increase website traffic, and save thousands of dollars by implementing online strategies on your own, NOW IS YOUR TIME to sign up for Michelle’s Online Business Marketing Bootcamp for Beginners. The course begins January 21^st.

She can’t make it any easier for you than the 3-payment option she’s made available and the Early Bird Special (save $200) that ends at midnight January 4, 2009.  

Remember, this special offer won’t be available after January 4…

–https://www.marketingonlinebootcamp.com/

During tough economic times, customers are more particular about businesses they’re buying from. Customers want to know you understand the current crisis and are there to help them with their needs. Showing clients you value their business during economic crisis expresses your dedication to customers and their satisfaction. Your company will appear as a helpful friend as opposed to a business looking for a quick buck.

Show customers your brand name symbolizes a business that cares about their families, their success, and their happiness.

·       Nurture relationships with customers. Sell them products / services with benefits that cater to their needs and be truthful about the benefits. Once customers recognize they have purchased a product / service worth their money, they’ll most likely come back. Strengthening brand loyalty is a great way to grab customers during this economic crisis and keep them when the economy rebounds.

·       Present customers with a mission statement on your website. When customers see a set of values on your site, they’ll be more likely to view your company as truthful and trustworthy. Customers are looking for businesses they can trust and who can satisfy their needs and the needs of their families.

·       Submit newsworthy press releases explaining company improvements and innovations during the economic crisis. This will show customers you dedicated to them.

Strengthening brand loyalty in tough times will gain customers now and keep them in the future. For more helpful tips on marketing in economic crisis and to learn about our many marketing services, visit Michelle Salater Writing and Editorial, LLC. 

If you’re ready to take your website to the next level and boost sales dramatically, it’s crucial to find the right professional copywriter.

It’s important to hire a copywriter with thorough knowledge of marketing an online business through web copy, website design, blogs, online articles, and other traffic-generating tools.

A copywriter with skills in various areas of marketing has the ability to see the overall picture for effectively marketing your business. He / she can introduce you to innovative, effective, and helpful solutions sure to send your business skyrocketing to success. 

Here’s what to look for when hiring a professional copywriter:

·       He / she offers several writing and marketing services for businesses. Someone who only does copywriting is most likely not as qualified as one who utilizes various marketing strategies through different writing / marketing vehicles. He may open your eyes to grand opportunities for your business, maximizing success and dramatically increasing sales.  

·       He has a reputable list of clients. Look over the list of past clients and what services he provided for them. Note any testimonials he may have from these clients. If he has created successful marketing strategies for one business, he can most likely do the same for yours.

·       View any sample work / websites she has worked on in the past to get an idea of her writing style, spectrum of ability, and thoroughness.

Your website is an extremely important marketing tool for your business. It’s crucial to find a dedicated professional copywriter with the right vision for your company, recognized clients, great work samples, and a list of result-driven writing services.

Sharing free tips and information about your industry to consumers is a great way to illustrate your professional expertise. Reliable information and tips can benefit consumers’ lives, helping them become better educated, solve a problem, or change their future actions.

Providing well-researched and helpful information to consumers builds customers’ trust in your company. In turn, this makes them more likely to purchase your products / services.

Ezines and free reports are excellent ways to compile information and tips for consumers since they’re free.

What creating ezines and free reports can do for you:

·       Ezines are free online articles that can drive more traffic to your website via a link at the bottom of your article. This inbound link can be clicked by potential clients, leading to a rapid increase in online sales and website viewers. Customers will associate the information they receive from the article to your company. Make sure the information is useful, focused, and relevant to your expertise. Ezines are also a great way to increase SEO with the utilization of keywords.

·       Free reports can be posted on your website or sent via email to your opt-in list, providing helpful tips, how-tos, and hints. Customers looking into your products / services will be more likely to purchase when they already find benefits through your free reports. They’ll associate the free reports’ benefits with your company and look forward to similar benefits through your products / services. 

Both ezines and free reports can be difficult to produce without the right marketing and writing skills. If you find yourself in a bind to produce a brilliant article or report, hiring the right professional copywriter can produce result-driven writing, increasing sales and customer loyalty.

If you’ve been marketing your business the same way for years now, it’s time to make changes and send your company soaring to success. Make the public aware you’re eager to lend your industry expertise and that you’re passionate about customer satisfaction.

Press releases provide an excellent opportunity to bring your brand name to life. If your business has remained at a steady rate for years now, the right press release can gain your company recognition, leading to growth and incredible success.

What makes a good press release?

·       Knowing what medium your target market is apt to use will allow you to structure your press releases towards those specific mediums and media members.

·       Newsworthy information will help you stand out to the media and public, to gain company recognition, and secure more business.

·       Press releases should encompass the elements that set your business apart from others in the industry.

·       Every bit of information in your press release must lend itself to the success and growth of your business. Let the public know you’re at the top of your game and are a solid investment for their time and money.

·       A press release must be newsworthy. News items include the following: new employees joining the team, involvement in the community, participating in fundraisers, important anniversaries, new and innovative products / services entering your market, important internal affairs, and much more. Your company deserves the spotlight as it goes through important changes.

Press releases need to sell themselves to the media, the crucial link between your business and the public eye. The media loves informative and edgy news, so flaunt it. Press releases require expert skills in writing, public relations, and selling. If you don’t have the right resources, skills, and time to create a powerful press release, hire a freelance copywriter to show off your company and all it has to offer.

For result-driven press release services, visit Michelle Salater Writing & Editorial, LLC.

Your website works around the clock to persuade customers to purchase your product without any personal interaction. However, many websites aren’t doing all they can to draw customers in and persuade them to act. This often occurs because companies do not know where their website falls in the sales process.

The sales process of your website is similar to the one you use in store—beginning with identifying the customer and ending with a customer relationship that will bring him or her back in the future.

The online sales process consists of . . .

·       Create a stellar first impression: First impressions are everything. Your website has to prove to your target that your products / services will satisfy their needs. The tactics you use on your site through words and design are equivalent to the store-based salesperson approach and must be executed to the highest degree of efficiency.

·       Promote features and benefits while answering customer objections: Websites must anticipate what questions a customer may have, and the copy should already have them answered. Once you’ve fully described the various features and benefits of your products / services, answer any customer fears and concerns. This allows the customer to make a better buying decision and recognize your company as thorough and knowledgeable. FAQ’s and customer testimonial pages can be used to get various answers across.

·       Close the deal: Make sure navigation to the purchase button is obvious and user-friendly. If you’ve gotten as far as getting them to purchase, it would be a shame to lose them during the actual purchasing process. To account for any skeptical customers, it would be beneficial for your website to recommend different products, utilize promotions, and reinforce benefits of the products / services.

·       Keep the relationship alive: It’s extremely important to keep past customers returning to your website / store. Thank you emails, coupons for future purchases, and excellent customer service all aid in maintaining future relations with the customer.

Not sure if your website could use a sales process facelift? Visit Michelle Salater Writing and Editorial, LLC, to learn how we can help you with our writing services. 

Curious about what your website is contributing to business? It’s important to measure successful and unsuccessful elements of your website in order to understand what changes need to be made for an increased return on investment.

Once you understand what your target market needs, you can predict their website behavior and track it by logging data about the number of visitors in a specified period. Also, log the number of website sales per week. This will show you the popular and unpopular items, which you can compare to store sales. Are there some items bought online more than in the store? If so, cater to those items online to increase website profits.

Identify patterns in the data that may lead you to make changes to your website content and design. Is there a page you have on your website no one is visiting? It could mean the link isn’t in an obvious spot. If many people are visiting your site, but no one is buying, it could mean your website content, such as web copy, and interactive tabs aren’t developed strongly enough to get you the sales you want. If you notice an area on your website is getting more attention than others, pinpoint the successful aspects and apply them to other pages to see if that helps increase visitors.

It’s important to constantly analyze your website data and connect it to your return on investment. Constantly keep your website fresh, user-friendly, and interactive to ensure you are effectively communicating with users, selling, and providing excellent customer services at all times.

Want to learn more about the services that will help your website be effective and increase return on investment? Visit Michelle Salater Writing and Editorial, LLC, our many result-driven writing services.