The Public Relations Blog

Science now allows you to really get into your customers’ heads to see what reaches them. In order to give your customers the best possible experience, you need to know what every step of the customer journey looks like. Take care of your customers because without them, you wouldn’t have a business.

Social media is now the No. 1 way the majority of Americans spend their time on the Internet. Currently, there are more than 1 billion active Facebook users and 400 million Twitter users – and these numbers are increasing rapidly. It’s clear that social media is booming. People use it for everything: to obtain news, to be entertained and to research and buy products and services. In fact, social media offers a straight, quick path to your target audience – which is why you can’t afford not to be using it.

Optimize your digital footprint with these steps

Incredible amounts of research have gone into determining how people form first impressions. The digital age has complicated the phenomenon by eliminating physical signs and signals. In place of smiles are likes, retweets and reviews, not direct word-of-mouth referrals. Businesses must therefore consider how their digital first impressions (gained not only through their websites but also via social media chatter and search engines such as Google) impact their brands.

If you ignore Google, it may ignore you!

By Jason Mudd, APR

Your company has followed all the smart advice about making the most of social media for business. Most likely, you have hired a social media manager (or outsourced one) who ensures that you have a constant presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and maybe even Instagram and Pinterest. You may also have some videos on YouTube. What about Google+?

Many companies have neglected Google+ because they feel it’s still new and unpopular. However, there are several reasons why you need to give this platform more than a passing glance. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Google+ should move to the front of the line when it comes to the social media focus for your business. Here’s why:

With help from PR, you can use inbound marketing to turn strangers into satisfied customers faster

You may remember the days when businesses opened at 9 and closed at 5 (maybe a bit later on the weekends). If a business was closed, no sales were made and that was that. Additionally, all it took to get a customer’s attention was a huge holiday event or cheesy gimmick like Christmas in July.

Thanks to social media, smart devices and constantly connected consumers, the concept of what it takes to attract a customer and close a sale has significantly changed. Audiences now expect 24-hour access and real connections. It can all be very bewildering if you don’t know how to maximize the potential. With help from PR, inbound marketing can help you take advantage for increased profitability.

Embrace, understand and leverage this important tool

Everyone reading this post likely has a general understanding of social media. Regardless of the platform, social media is about one thing and one thing only: social engagement.

All businesses should seriously consider at least a minimal social media presence. Unlike traditional public relations, social media is focused on creating brilliant content, sharing it, then listening and responding in an effort to take traditional PR efforts to the next level. Using advanced reporting, monitoring and structuring tools, public relations teams can further build brands and create a loyal, active following of customers and fans – all of whom can further extend your reach.

Follow these tips to make your customers swoon

Contrary to popular opinion, delighted customers are not natural; they are created. With so much competition, it’s not enough to simply gratify your customers. You must find ways to enchant them and keep them coming back for more.

The sales cycle funnel includes the stages of attraction, conversion, closing the sale and delighting your customers. Many companies spend all their time on the first three stages and then stop, apparently believing that once a customer makes a purchase, he will always remain loyal. However, like any relationship, it has to be nurtured and cherished, and a PR firm can help you do that.

If your company doesn’t appear within the first two pages of Google search results, you could be in trouble. Even though it’s not usually considered part of the plan, strong corporate leadership could be an invaluable tool for your company’s success. Earn your customers’ trust to keep their business.

Learn the difference and let PR show you how to control both for increased profits

Would you let your accountant or HR officer run amok with no oversight or direction from you? Of course not, but that’s exactly what many companies do when it comes to their online presences.

Some believe that as long as they have search engine optimization covered, they’re fine. They use the right targeted keywords numerous times and customers will be able to find them, so that’s it. However, how consumers find you is not as important as what they see when they do. It is vital to control the information about your company on the Internet. This is called online reputation management, and having professional PR help in this area is essential.

Taking extra care of your customers could be the key to your business’ success in 2015. Google’s new algorithms mandate a significant change in your SEO practices. Now is the time to re-evaluate and switch directions for your business.