January will see many business owners wanting to shake off 2020 and hit the ground running with new plans, visions and goals to implement and achieve.
A PR and copywriting firm in Corby is supporting several businesses in the county by becoming their virtual PR and comms team and taking ownership of their PR activity and marketing communications, creating bespoke plans that will help them to stand out from their competitors and get seen and heard amid all the noise online.
Emma Speirs, Director at Ballyhoo PR, said:
“The way a business communicates with current and potential clients and referrers has never mattered so much. In a world where we can’t attend face-to-face meetings and networking events, our chance to make an impression and build trust is all done virtually and with a degree of separation.”
This means that getting your key messages and news out there when you can’t is so important. Setting out a PR and comms plan that looks objectively at your business and focuses on one or two key areas each month is a good place to start, advises Emma.
When working with clients to create PR and comms plans or timelines, Ballyhoo PR uses the PESO framework as a guide – a concept that considers the four main types of media you can use to spread a message. These are:
- Paid media – paid for editorial, advertising, paid social media campaigns, sponsorships
- Earned media – PR/press coverage, influencers raving about your products, guest blog posts or being a guest on a podcast
- Shared media – tie-ins with others, such as supporting a charity or working in a partnership with other companies on a project
- Owned media – media and comms you can use to self-publish, such as your website, social media, case studies, webinars, blogs, email campaigns
Traditionally, PR has focused on the earned and owned media but inevitably there is some crossover. Shared media, such as being mentioned in articles published by other companies, charities or community groups is often a by-product of a PR campaign, such as a charitable event or big cheque presentation organised the press team.
Equally, when dealing with the media for the earned coverage, the PR team is offered advertising packages to take back to the client. The management of social media accounts is also a grey area and could sit with PR or marketing.
“We work with our clients to become an extension of their own business and pull together monthly, quarterly and annual plans that incorporate all four of these areas,”
said Emma.
“We have regular catch ups and decide what is newsworthy enough to make a good press release idea and what would make an interesting blog. We manage the daily social media posts and seek out guest blogging and podcast opportunities. We also plan ahead, looking at launch dates, awards we can enter, national awareness days and any other business milestones such as anniversaries, new contract wins or grand openings. Then we pull all of this together into manageable activities that we can take ownership of for our clients and ensure they are getting seen at every opportunity.”
Is 2021 the year you would like to get noticed? Contact Emma on 01536 682800 or email emma.speirs@ballyhoo-pr.co.uk
