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Aligning your brand with a charity, more than just PR

Let's face it, people like to associate themselves with businesses and brands that support causes. When embarking on a charity initiative, consider the sort of giving that you'd like to be involved in and why you're doing it. If corporate charity is undertaken as an obligation or as a means of self-promotion, this will show through in your efforts, and no matter how great your giving, it will be seen as less than sincere.

Are you sharing your successes through case studies
Case studies provide ideal opportunities to leverage business successes and can be used to reinforce your core messages through "story telling". They provide audiences, including journalists, with a picture of the benefits your business provides its clients.

Create buzz with social media competitions

Last year we saw Twitter go mainstream and despite reports that it might not remain popular, it appears to be stronger than ever. People (and businesses) realised it was so much more than updating your followers with what you had for lunch. Take your twitter and Facebook strategy one step further by including competitions to engage and reward your followers. CP Communications has been exploring and implementing social media competitions for clients and gaining remarkable results.

Does Networking really work?
From specific association networks to broad business groups, there are so many opportunities for business owners to network, but does networking actually work? In my experience, the answer to that question is a resounding YES. But just turning up isn't enough. And it isn't just about getting new business either.

Get the LinkedIn advantage

Unlike Facebook and Twitter where you can mix personal with professional, LinkedIn is specifically for business and professionals. There are over 25 million registered users from virtually every industry and profession. LinkedIn is a non intrusive way of staying in touch with business contacts. And even better, it's an easy entry point for small businesses looking to get into social media because doesn't take much time and it's pretty easy to use.

Maximise the power of public speaking

Public speaking is a fact of life, whether we like or not. Whether you are doing a speech at a seminar or conference, or a pitch to clients at a workplace, somewhere along the line we have all done public speaking. It is a known fact that the fear of public speaking ranks higher than the fear of death. This means most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy at a funeral! However public speaking doesn't have to be a traumatic experience; in fact when done right, it can often be to the most effective form of communication. It is so powerful we build speaking opportunities into the PR strategies we do for clients.

A checklist for writing a great article
Writing an article for publications can be challenging. Follow this checklist before writing it.

Blogging- the essential PR tool

We all read blogs - but have you thought about creating one for your business? Blogs create PR and marketing opportunities that allow businesses to interact with customers like never before. As the blog has evolved – and because it is an interactive medium where readers can comment on the articles, or ‘posts’ – businesses have embraced the blogs ability to build rapport with customers and humanise the business.

Do you have effective key messages?
In PR we are always going on about key messages. We use them in everything from prepping for a media interview through to writing websites and corporate brochures. But what are they?

Features of a PR campaign
A PR program means to communicate with your target audience and it doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. You can choose from a variety of simple and inexpensive activities that will help you achieve your business objectives.

Writing a great media release
Developing and distributing a media release is one of the most effective ones of telling your story to the media. A media release can contain information such as the work your business is doing, a new product release, the signing of a new contract or commenting on industry issues and trends.

Get the most from a media interview
So you have distributed your media release, you have had some interest from journalists – and now a couple of them have called you for an interview. What do you do? The most important thing to remember is that this is an opportunity for you to get your messages to your customers through the journalist. You are in control of the interview.

How to deal with different types of media interviews
Each medium – radio, TV and print – have specific requirements you should understand before the interview.

Key tips for managing a media interview
A media interview is a great way to get your message to your audience. So what are the key things to remeber when going into an interview?

So what is PR anyway
Public Relations is all about effective communication. It helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organisation and its target audience.

The importance of having a media policy
A media policy is essential to maximising all media opportunities – for any type of business, even if you are working from home. The following is an example of a media policy which you can use for your business. It should be treated as one of your key policies/procedures.

Use PR to get into the spotlight
The most cost-effective and successful means of building your business and attracting customers is through public relations, and in particular getting media coverage.

Networking for women- what's the point?

Most business women are familiar with the term "old boy's network," an exclusive network of business men who can call in a favour from their exclusive group to help close a deal, get new business or progress in their career. There is no reason why women can't do the same. They can achieve this by making it part of their career strategy to join networking groups that can further their career or connect with the right business people. From specific association networks to broad business groups, there are so many opportunities for business women to network, but does networking actually work? In my experience, the answer to that question is a resounding YES.

Is it time you Facebooked your business?

If you thought Facebook was just for keeping contact with friends and family, think again. It can be a great way of building an online community, or simply reaching another audience online. With a Facebook Page you create a public profile that helps you to share your business and products with Facebook users. You ask people to become a ‘fan' and you can engage with them by posting videos, photos, company news, promotions and discounts and by starting discussion groups. Also, you can make your page viewable by everyone, whether they are members of Facebook or not.

How to produce an Enewsletter that gets read

We thought we would share our tips on what makes a great enewsletter. Enewsletters improve communication channels with clients, share good news stories, share expertise through tips and also assists in building a database of potential clients. Not only is it a great way to share your stories, it can also be a powerful marketing tool providing useful information to the reader while indirectly promoting your services.

What makes a great website

What are the essential traits of a great web site? After you visit a site and you browse through it for a while, what makes you stay? Great design helps. Amazing graphics are eye catching. But the fundamental trait that makes a website work is the content. The content or copy of your website is critical. This is where you hold the attention of your audience and your word choice and grammar are critical. Misspellings and poor grammar are a quick turn off. If your content isn't easy to read people will go to other site to get information and buy. Copy writing is often one of those jobs that people think they can do themselves but probably shouldn't. We often help clients with their web copy to assist them in the creation of a professionally written website.


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