6 Tips for Stellar Marketing Results

By Chance Shay, Senior Communications Strategist

Productivity overactivity.

It’s a motto all marketers should live by. The point of marketing isn’t to do marketing, it’s to support the bottom line of a brand, which means increase sales, drive new membership and increase donations. A marketer who isn’t showing results is a marketer soon to be without a job. Of course, for some marketers it’s a bandwidth issue and for them we’ve put together a cheat sheet for improving marketing productivity by 30% in 30 days (you can download that here).

Every industry is unique and what works for one brand is different from what works for their competitors. However, there are a few guiding principles that transcend industry’s and brand’s individual market standing. To help every marketer deliver stellar results, we’ve put together this skim-able guide of six principles each with quick take-homes that you can implement in your marketing efforts today.

  1. Know your audience.
    • Focus all marketing on showcasing how you solve that problem/fit that need better than your competitors.
  2. Speak in terms of benefits, not features.
    • People care about a product that will make their lives easier and will serve to benefit them in a way nothing else can. They aren’t concerned about breakthrough/proprietary/new/cutting edge technology – they care about how it will change their life.
  3. Go where your audience is.
    • Determine where your target audience is, what stage of the purchase cycle they’re likely to be in at that place, and then tailor your marketing materials and message accordingly.
  4. If it doesn’t get their attention, it doesn’t matter.
    • You can’t bore your audience into action. If your marketing materials are full of text or your communication channels are vanilla, your audience will tune out.
    • Take your text heavy collateral and turn them into visuals. Ask yourself, “What would my audience tell their friends about,” then create that.
  5. Use content to give and give and give.
    • Provide value to your audience beyond the product you’re marketing. They don’t want to hear from you only when you’re trying to get them to buy something.
    • If you’re a manufacturer of a product meant for pools, blog about pool ownership and ways to improve the pool ownership experience. If your company produces software to automate some aspect of business, create a video series with weekly tips for being a successful entrepreneurial.
    • By producing content, you’re engaging customers to drive repeat business and creating ambassadors for your brand. You’re also creating opportunities to reach a new audience. If your content is truly hitting the mark for the audience you’re targeting, they’ll want to share with their network.
  6. Tell your audience what to do.
    • Always include a call to action for your audience to make a purchase, join an exclusive membership and follow your social channel – whatever action it is you want them to take.

 

Want to learn more about how WOC rocks client partner projects with a unified approach? Check out WrightOnComm.com or drop us a line at info@wrightoncomm.com.

PR Firms Are More Than Earned Media

PR firms looked a lot different a few years ago than they do today. Agencies were siloed and CMOs would sometimes spread their work across three or four different firms. Ad agencies, digital shops and PR firms all had different capabilities. And to be honest, some are still doing it that way today.

For many years, (W)right On Communications considered itself a PR firm.

funnelOver the years, we added video and graphic design capabilities, but PR was our bread and butter. Five or 10 years ago, that ‘siloed’ model worked for us. Back then, PR professionals focused on traditional PR strategies and measured earned media based on advertising value equivalencies (AVEs). PR work was largely focused on the top of the marketing funnel (awareness) and not focused enough at the bottom (action). Back then, communications often happened in a vacuum. Today, the lines are blurred.

Savvy PR Firms Today

Savvy PR experts recognize that they need to focus on ROI for client partners and help advance their business in proven, “bottom of the funnel” ways. We take our client partners’ bottom lines seriously, from leveraging our AMEC certification in measurement and evaluation, to integrating ourselves as a full-spectrum communications agency. We’ve blended PR with other marketing and communication strategies to address an array of needs and drive powerful outcomes from multiple outputs.

From media integrations with local broadcast news outlets to social media campaigns to engage and build communities, (W)right On Communications has a diverse toolbox to call upon for client partners.

We’ve always said, “Media hits are not a communications strategy.”

PR professionals need to know how paid social media ads, inbound or content marketing, paid advertising, social media for customer service, community partnerships, earned media, and native content all tie together. It’s important to take a holistic, unified approach allows for more meaningful campaigns, better measurement and, most importantly, greater success.

Want to learn more about how WOC rocks client partner projects with a unified approach? Check out WrightOnComm.com or drop us a line at info@wrightoncomm.com.

How To Get More Done With Less Stress

Stress-at-work

By: President, Julie Wright

Twitter: @juliewright

Delays are expensive. B2B marketers know this! When a product launch is pushed back, potential revenue is lost. When a prospect’s purchasing decision drags on, that’s money your company isn’t putting in the bank. So, yes, time is money.

That’s why the team at (W)right On Communications prizes productivity—so much so that we wrote an e-book full of tips for being more productive to share what we know. It’s called “How to Get 30% More Productivity from your Team in 30 Days.”

Public relations and marketing agencies are environments where time is an extremely perishable commodity. Like many professional services companies and consultants, we charge for our expertise but bill by the unit of time. As our colleague’s coffee mug states, “You have as many hours in a day as Beyoncé.” And that is the truth. It is what you do with that time that sets you apart.

So, to achieve the highest public relations and marketing communications ROI for our clients, we’ve found ways to get more done in less time and make sure that time is never wasted—ours and our clients. (Internally, this is known as our GSD philosophy.)

Here’s some data on why productivity matters:

  • 28% of the average office worker’s day is spent focused on unnecessary distractions.
  • 27% of office workers feel disorganized. (And an equal number must be lying or in denial!)
  • Over 30 hours a month are spent in unproductive meetings.

I can think of several people in my professional network who are so busy attending meetings that they’re not available to advance their real work (that’s where consultants like us can come to the rescue to take ownership of key projects and keep them moving on time and on budget).

For this post, I am going to focus on prioritization because it is essential to productivity.

You will get a ton more done in your day if you don’t overthink prioritization and instead make it a simple, no-judgment habit. In other words, make prioritization a no brainer. It’s easier than you might think.

Start by creating categories of work. Come up with three to five buckets for your tasks. Now prioritize those. The highest ranked should be the task that is most aligned with revenue or profits. What part of your daily work most impacts your company’s bottom line or your team’s goals?

You’ll be torn between two types of activities: those that drive short-term rewards and are very deadline oriented and those that drive longer-term performance and are not deadline-driven. It’s this second group typically has a much larger impact on your performance, your team’s or your company’s but falls by the wayside when the urgent gets all of your attention.

This is the tension between the urgent and the important that is a fact of business life.

But business is all about creating efficient systems. So set a policy for yourself to make handling these conflicting priorities a no-brainer. For example, plan to always prioritize 2 or 3 daily tasks from the urgent bucket and 1 to 2 from the important bucket every day. And if you’re not getting to the important task after three days, move it to the top of your list.

This blog post is a perfect example of that. Writing it is not urgent to my business today, but long-term it is very important to my business. Because of that I have prioritized it ahead of some client and other agency management tasks.

If a client called me right now with a crisis or urgent request that would become my immediate priority – prioritization needs to be somewhat fluid. What I like about this approach is that it brings a sense of order to the chaos which makes me feel better about my crazed work life and more in control of it.

Once you have prioritized the type of work you do every day and determine a policy for managing the urgent and the important, schedule five to 10 minutes at the start and end of every day to update and categorize your work.

The beauty of this is that each morning you can look at the day’s demands in a relaxed state of mind no matter how much work greets you. Give each task a category, rank your categories and then rank your tasks. Voila. There’s your list. You might choose to do this at the end of the day only so that your list is there for you each morning and you get the satisfaction of hitting the ground running—whatever makes prioritization easier for you.

I also like this morning ritual because it allows me to start the day feeling a sense of immediate accomplishment. (See our tip for Day 1 in “How to Get 30% More Productivity from your Team in 30 Days.”)

Do this prioritization process first thing before you even look at your email. You can look at your email later and make adjustments as needed. (See Day 2 for ways to minimize email distractions.)

 

A tool that I’ve been using is Todoist. I can easily move tasks around, assign or change due dates or create and schedule recurring tasks. Plus I can color code my priorities. The Todoist mobile app is especially handy for capturing action items during client meetings.

Despite all of my best efforts, there are too many days where I don’t even get to my to-do list. While we have identified and adopted many methods at (W)right On Communications for increasing our productivity, we’re always open to new and better ideas. Please feel free to comment and share ways you tackle your to do list!

Five Tips for Sparking Creativity

creativity Kara blog

By Communications Coordinator, Kara DeMent

Twitter: @KaraDeMent_

As a PR professional, it’s critical to be creative. Campaigns can live or die based on an idea.

But I have a confession to make: sometimes I struggle with creativity.

Creative ideas seem to come naturally for some of my colleagues, so it makes me anxious and nervous when I’m not producing them. I enjoy art, dance and writing; which are all creative activities, so why do I struggle so much with getting my own creative juices flowing?

Can you relate?

It turns out, a lot of PR professionals feel the same way. After digesting a copious amount of advice and best practices, I’ve learned five great tips for saying “goodbye” to those anxiety-filled creative blocks.

  1. Draw something – give your left brain a break and doodle! The right side of your brain is more visually oriented, so doodling can help “rev up” your creative engine. Drawing helps you relax and gives your analytical brain a break.
  2. Think outside the box – try viewing things from a different perspective. Think like your client, co-worker or audiences. Put yourself in their shoes. What do they like? What are their motivations? What’s in it for them? What’s the big picture? You never know what you might discover!
  3. Change your environment – move your creative thinking outside, to a coffee shop, or to a quiet room. Small changes can make a big difference. For example, the people watching & soft hum of noises at your local coffee shop may give you a different perspective than the office. In fact, Hollywood’s most successful writers often work at Chateau Marmont just for the inspiration. So, get out there and discover what makes you inspired!
  4. Take a break – step away from whatever project you’re working on and take a moment to collect and conquer. Sometimes a brisk walk and some fresh air can make a big difference.
  5. When in doubt, read! – read articles, blogs, and newsletters that you wouldn’t normally to give you different tips and perspectives.

Whether you’re brainstorming your next big strategy or social media campaign, consider these tips to tap into your creative side. If you’re still struggling with creativity, tap into ours! Feel free to contact us at info@wrightoncomm.com.

Need a Creativity Boost? How About a Run?

Running image

 

By Shae Geary, Senior Communications Strategist

I went for a run today. This is not out of the ordinary, but it had been a while since my last run. As I settled into my road rhythm, my mind began to whirl and I had one of those Oprah “a-ha” moments. Having been away from the activity for a period of time, I had forgotten how much running was vital to my job.

Yes, you read right. More than just a cardio boost, running has always been an essential part of my professional toolbox. It just took time away to realize how much. While my endorphins were flying high, I was equally excited about the creative juices that had started to flow. I finished my run with a great mental outline for a press release I needed to write, as well as a fun new idea for a program a client partner has been trying to get off the ground.

As many of us are continuing to tackle health resolutions for the new year, this serves as a good reminder that the benefits of exercise often spill over into our professional lives, making us more productive, happier and, as in my case, creating the ideal time and space for brainstorming. I find that running is especially conducive to creative inspiration because the activity itself doesn’t require a ton of thought or even strategy (unless you are training with time intervals, but that’s a whole different kind of running!) As muscle memory kicks in and heart rate peaks, so does your brainpower.

Scientific research seems to concur with my experience. According to this recent blog post by Eric Barker, researchers at University of Pennsylvania found that movement is in fact a secret to being more creative. If you’re not a runner, even the simple act of walking can help solve problems and provide a new perspective.

While the dream of showing up to the office in spandex and running shoes is probably far off, it’s exciting to know that stepping away from your desk for a run or walk is becoming part of the corporate culture for some companies. I loved reading about Facebook’s new headquarters, which include a nine-acre rooftop garden complete with walking paths so that employees can get outside and even hold walking/running meetings.

In short, the next time you’re looking for your a-ha moment, try plugging in your headphones, tying up your shoes and hitting the road. At best, you’ll return to your desk flowing with ideas. At worst, you’ll be reinvigorated to finish off the day. To me, that’s a win-win.

 

Meet the Team: Joaquín – Communications Specialist

We’re giving you the inside scoop on the entire WOC team with our “Meet the Team” series. This month, the spotlight is on our new Communications Specialist, Joaquín Enríquez.

Headshot_Joaquin-898x1024

Originally from Los Angeles, Joaquín is a senior at San Diego State University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a focus in Public Relations. Before joining the team, he spent time in the U.S. Army as an Infantryman deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Joaquín’s strengths as a communicator include organization, active listening and an eye for detail. Joaquín is two-year member of Public Relations Student Society of America, with ambitions to build upon his PR experience and one day start his own sports communications firm.

 

What would you be doing if you weren’t at your current job?

Coaching soccer somewhere

What’s one word you would use to describe yourself?

Classic

Fill in the blank. “If you really knew me, you’d know ____.”

That I’m working on a suspense novel

What super power would you like to have?

Time manipulation

What would a “perfect” day look like to you?

Barbeque with my family and friends

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in the past year?

Appreciate the time you spend with others

Best vacation you’ve had?

Napoli, Italy 2004

What’s your most embarrassing moment at work?

I’m still working on that

Favorite quote?

People tell you who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would be cast as you?

Joaquin Phoenix

What’s your drink of choice?

Old Fashioned (double citrus)

If you were stuck on an island and could only choose 5 CDs, what would they be?

Morrissey/ The Smiths mix, Dean Martin’s Greatest Hits, The Eagles mix, Depeche Mode mix, and New Order mix.

Fill in the blank. “People would be surprised if they knew___.”

That I’m a two time combat Veteran

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Bandwagon sports fans

What tv show/movie is your guilty pleasure?

Married with Children

What’s one thing you can’t live without?

My family

Favorite line from a movie?

“They drew first blood, not me.” –John J. Rambo

Do you have an office nickname? What is it?

Not yet

What’s the best/worst gift you have ever received?

Best gift: mom Worst gift: non-functional bottle opener

What do you like to do in your free time?

I watch a ton of sports. Mostly vintage Real Madrid footage/ matches.