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The Beast from the East and agile PR

Posted by brookscommon April 9, 2018October 29, 2021in UncategorisedLeave a comment

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A structured communications strategy should be part of any business strategy and will help to achieve key business objectives.

Producing interesting content which resonates with target customers and other stakeholders should be part of this plan. Published material gives huge credibility to a company and can establish key company spokespeople as experts in their field.

However, having a great plan is all very well, but to derive the best results, it is necessary to be flexible and take both a proactive and a reactive approach to what is produced and when. Responding to topical news events and having something useful and informative to say on the subject can be a great way to get great results. You can keep ahead of the competition by producing quality content that journalists and bloggers will find useful and which enhances or elaborates on a breaking news story in the media.

Tackling the Beast from the East

Be pro-active with your reactive PR. Think ahead to what might happen and produce content ahead of the game. Take the Beast from The East for example!

We all know that the winter weather in the UK can be miserable. Back in February, snow was being forecast to hit the country in a big way. Along with one of our clients, a leading law firm, we produced a tips article on what people’s rights were if they were unable to reach work due to adverse weather. This served as an advice piece for employees and highlighted employer obligations to staff in the bad weather. This was issued to a targeted audience of business and consumer lifestyle publications and web sites just before the snow arrived. The timing of the article lead to huge interest and the results were amazing. Local press, national papers, specialist employment sites and even BBC radio all wanted to run the article.

Timely PR, boosted by social media, will increase the likelihood that you will reach and resonate with your target audience.

At brookscomm we have over 20 years of PR & marketing expertise and a proven track record of providing an integrated communications strategy. We can help you boost your business, email hello@brookscomm.com or call us on 01483 537 890.

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The Benefits of Outsourcing Social Media

Posted by brookscommon January 20, 2017August 3, 2017in Uncategorised1 Comment

Social media isn’t just for teenagers! Whether you are a start-up company or an established brand, utilising a variety of channels to increase brand awareness and generate leads has many benefits. In fact, the possibilities are endless. Google aside, Facebook accounts for approx. 40% of website referral traffic.

Social media presents the opportunity to engage with your target audience, potential clients, easily become a thought leader in your sector and cross promote content. With 90% of businesses attributing increased brand exposure, and over half reporting improved sales just from social media, you should seriously consider optimising to reap the rewards.

Arguably, the most attractive aspect of social media is that it’s free! However, the consistency and regularity of posts is vital and an active social media presence is great for your business.

So, here’s why you should outsource your social media…

Messaging:

Although social media is a great tool for promotion, being perceived as too overtly salesy can do more damage than good. Therefore, it is imperative first and foremost to establish a genuine connection, listening and conversing with a human, empathic voice. Anyone can buy 1000 followers, but just as in real life, relationships aren’t built overnight and a loyal customer base evolves over time.

Quality, Consistency & increased ROI:

The best results are achieved by curating clever content which resonates with and benefits your target audience, in addition to joining in and responding to key trends and customer queries. A combination of commentary by a brand, mixed with agency input ensures the best of both worlds. An agency can organise and schedule PR and marketing activities to seamlessly align with social media efforts, generating an integrated campaign to achieve greater return on investment. Since content creation alone can take as much as 18.5% of the day, it’s worth outsourcing these activities, allowing more time to be spent on other areas of a business.

Paid Advertising:

Creating a social media account might appear to be free, but. in doing so the platform uses your profile and demographic information as currency. These social media platforms offer sophisticated segmentation tools enabling users to advertise, for a fee, to whoever fits the profile of their target customer. Additionally, the reporting features offer a wealth of metrics such as engagement, click-through rates etc. which provide valuable insight. Knowing how to set up advertising campaigns, how much to spend, which adverts work best and how to convert clicks into sales requires in-depth experience. When utilised correctly such strategies can be highly cost-effective in meeting sales and marketing strategies.

Efficiency:

It’s a fast-paced world, especially in social media, so it’s paramount to have a team who really know their stuff, from the latest Twitter updates to knowing which social media platform is right for your target audience. There’s no need to stress about self-teaching yourself the basics. Instead, leave it in the safe hands of an agency who can easily and effectiveness understand your goals, implement a blend of organic and scheduled tweets to grow your following, engage your audience and report back with key performance indicators.

So, what are you waiting for? Find out how you can benefit from outsourcing your social media right now.

Call us on 01483 537890 or, alternatively, email us hello@brookscomm.com and we can help you engage with your target audience successfully using Social Media.

2017: PR Predictions

Posted by brookscommon January 12, 2017January 27, 2017in UncategorisedLeave a comment

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Looking back, 2016 was a very eventful year for many different reasons. We witnessed PR moments from the likes of Jeremy Corbyn and Virgin Trains, Brangelina’s clever PR tactics, the exploding Samsung Galaxy saga, and of course, Brexit & Trump’s victory.

So, what will be in store for PR in 2017? Read on for our predictions…

1: Bloggers, vloggers & peer-to-peer reviews will become more influential

Forget multi-million-pound celebrity endorsements, consumers now favour and are more likely to be influenced by someone who is more relatable. Therefore, in 2017 there needs to be a focus on promoting reviews from bloggers, vloggers and your everyday consumer, as big ad campaigns and celebrity endorsements no longer resonate as much with consumers.

2: Tech PR growth will outstrip the rest of the industry

A report from last month’s PRCA PR & Comms Council meeting detailed a downturn in fees and activities in the corporate, financial, consumer and industrial PR sectors. But, that the healthcare and tech PR sectors are bucking this trend with some agencies reporting 30% growth in 2016 and forecasting up to 50% growth in 2017. This trend is evident by the record number of exhibitors and visitors to the CES show. In the healthcare sector, technological innovation is driving growth alongside US and UK Government initiatives to improve public sector cyber security.

3: PR professionals will need a broader range of skills

Good writing and communication skills are still fundamental attributes to anyone wishing to pursue a career in PR. However, the proliferation of social media demands that PR professionals need to adopt a range of content, publishing, design, and analytical skills and become familiar with a variety of digital tools. In addition, with clients expecting a more strategic service in 2017, it’s vital for PR professionals to have good business acumen.

4: PR will become more measurable & more integrated

The increasingly wide range of digital media platforms available to PR professionals will provide greater insight into the effectiveness of their activities. This is making PR just as measurable and accountable as sales and advertising activities.

By measuring each disciplines results, enlightened clients can see what works, what doesn’t and where a blend of integrated activities more often than not will lead to best results.

What do you think will be the trends to watch out for in 2017?

Blink and you won’t miss it!

Posted by brookscommon December 6, 2016December 6, 2016in News: Company Updates1 Comment

Blink branded items next to Xmas tree

On a chilly November morning, a selection of top IT and Tech journalists braved the elements to join us at the UK launch event for the Blink Home Security & Monitoring system.

Held in the private dining room at the prestigious Ivy restaurant in London, brookscomm’s Media Director, Chaz Brooks welcomed the guests and introduced Blink’s executives. Supported with Blink branded promotional merchandise and press sample products, the scene was set for the Blink team to present an overview of how the company has rapidly grown to become a leading provider of Home Security & Monitoring Technology.

Effective and affordable piece of mind

They detailed why many homeowners are put off from buying security systems due to the perception that they are expensive, require specialist installation involving drilling and unsightly cables. Blink is helping consumers to overcome these challenges with a competitively priced, wireless system.

There was a live product demonstration, showing the journalists and guests how versatile and user-friendly the system is. The Blink executives went on to detail its key features:

HD video capture with built-in motion detector; when motion detector is triggered, the cameras will send an alert to your smart phone and record a short clip of the event to the cloud
Totally wire-free; powered by 2 AA Lithium batteries (included) and data is sent over Wi-Fi
Simple self-install in minutes; easy control with the included iOS & Android apps
Check back in on any Blink camera in real-time with “Live View” streaming mode
No monthly fees or service contract!

Blink team demonstrate the system
A Q&A session followed the presentation with a very pleasant lunch, as befitting the Ivy, rounding off the day’s activities.

The Blink systems are now available to buy at the Amazon UK store, to find out more about Blink, read the UK launch press release or visit: www.blinkforhome.co.uk

Tips for writing the best Press Release!

Posted by brookscommon December 1, 2016August 3, 2017in How To:Leave a comment

startup-photos

Good press releases are worth their weight in gold and are solid components of your PR and Marketing armoury.

Professional press releases need to be concise, interesting, thought provoking, and, for best results, should adhere to certain industry guidelines. A press release is a public announcement that your company wishes to make to the media. By its very nature, it should have real news value and be of interest to people outside your organisation.

Our Co-Founder and Managing Director, Mandy Brooks, offers tips on how to write compelling professional press releases that hit the mark:

Make sure the headline is direct and to the point; just give a short description of what’s being announced. Read the headline and ask yourself – So What? If you are not convinced then try to word it differently for greater impact.

Keep the first paragraph to three or four simple sentences that answer the following questions: Who? Why? What? When? Where?

Avoid overselling the company up with meaningless phrases. Instead, try to present the whole story in one easily digestible paragraph.

The body of the release should exclude all extraneous material. In particular, any phrases that don’t mean anything shouldn’t be in there. If you’re going to describe what a product or a company does, do it without too much marketing jargon.

Always make sure that the company web site is listed, and that the names, numbers, and email addresses are given for anyone who will be handling enquiries from the press. Name two people, if possible. Add yours/the company’s twitter handle so press can use that for contact or find out more information – both the website link and the twitter link are also valuable for SEO purposes should it be distributed online, or if the press release is published online.

We offer press release & PR training on a range of subjects, from Social Media to speaking to the press.

Call us on 01483 537890 or, alternatively, email us hello@brookscomm.com and we can help you engage with your target audience successfully using Twitter!