PR Effectiveness in a Virtual World

June is Effective Communication Month—as if we could ignore effectively communicating the other eleven months of the year! However, it is an excellent opportunity to get back to the communications basics and discuss how some of the time-tested tools and strategies for PR effectiveness  might be applied to successfully communicate in the virtual world of the Internet.

According to Clifford N. Lazarus, PhD, there are a number of tools used in establishing and maintaining effective communication.

• Make Sure You Have the Other Person’s Attention. On the Internet, getting a visitor to read, or at least browse, your web page or email message is the objective. Unfortunately as early as 2007, the average person visited over 130 web pages per day, and in 2011 (according to the Nielsen Norman Group), “the average stay on those pages was just 10-20 seconds,” which means visitors are usually reading less than one-quarter of the text on any particular page.
  
• Maintain Eye Contact. In the world of the Internet, this means keeping the visitor on your page long enough to make them a potential customer. Once you have crossed that 10-20 second threshold they are more likely to stay longer and explore your site.
  
• Be Direct and Honest. Remember you have a small amount of time to capture and hold a visitor’s attention.
  
• Good Communication Involves Clear And Concise Messaging. Content and design should complement each other. People are as easily turned off by dissimilar messages. And the sheer volume of options available on the Internet, will make sure visitors move on if they do not feel comfortable on your website.
  
• Ask For Feedback and Listen To Ensure The Intended Message Was Received. There needs to be an electronic equivalent to the phrase “are you following me?” Comment opportunities on web pages and visitor/customer feedback options, will provide ways for your company to receive crucial responses and amend or clarify your content and tone.

Is your company having a hard time crafting an effective content strategy? We can help. Contact 2GC today.

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Consistent Brand Messaging-Your Key to Business Success

In today’s media driven world, marketing your business is not only a good idea, it’s absolutely essential to be successful. Between the traditional media such as newspaper flyers and direct mail, and newer media such as websites, social media and blogs, consistent brand messaging is the key to telling everyone who you are and what you do.

Your brand is your most important voice in reflecting your business. According to Brand Periscope, a brand is a promise of quality and value. It’s your commitment to be consistent and reliable and deliver exactly what you have promised each and every time. It’s the first step to take in developing any marketing campaign. In fact, it’s the first step you should take when you decide to start a business.

When you are writing your business plan, describe what you plan to sell or provide for your customer. Research your target market and discover exactly what they want and how you can deliver it for them. Create your brand to let them know how your product will simplify their life, make their life better or benefit them in some other way they find necessary.

Creating your brand requires one unified voice that consistently spells out who you are and how you can meet the customers needs. Sending a uniform message is reassuring. If you send mixed messages or go “off-brand”, you will erode the trust you are trying to develop. Losing focus can also mean losing the target market that is a match for your product or service. The consistent approach must be across the whole spectrum of your marketing plan and not just hit or miss. You need to deliver the same message each time, but in new creative ways.

That’s where TwoGirlsConsulting (2GC) can help. We can define your brand message, keep it consistent and help you build the trust and value your clients need to do business with you. Developing your brand message will keep your customer focused on your product and how you are committed to meeting their needs.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you develop your brand and increase your market share to meet your business goals.