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Looking to make the most out of your new relationship with a Westchester PR agency or NYC Public Relations Agency?  Be able to clearly articulate the answers to these questions to your new PR agency before you kick off the new relationship.

• What is PR nirvana to you? What does success look like to you?
• How do you see your company growing? What’s the end goal?
• For some people, it’s a simple 5% increase in customers…for others it’s a feature story in the New York Times or a trade journal. It’s important to know the difference. (You can’t achieve an end goal if you don’t know what it is)
• What makes you unique?
• What specifically do you want to be publicized for?
• Who are you ideally trying to reach?

To set up your relationship with your public relations agency for maximum success, you want to make sure you give them as much data as possible to help them propose the best solutions.

• What tools and platforms are you currently using in your marketing efforts?
• What are your goals? Leads, customers, or revenue?
• What is the lifetime value (LTV) of each customer?
• Do you have customer personas? Who is your ideal client?
• What percentage of your customers is generated through online methods?
• Content audit- what content do you currently have?
• Who on your marketing team will be creating content?
• Who are the influencers and experts in your industry that we need to be familiar with?

You also want to define clear expectations for weekly management:

• Weekly call time?
• Who needs to be on weekly or monthly project status meetings?
• Who is approving work?

Be Prepared for a Change in Scope

If your publicist or management consultant is worth their salt, they may completely change the scope of the engagement after hearing your answers to the PR/Marketing onboarding questions. Many business owners think they need PR to fix their business issues, but what they don’t realize is that they need to actually fix the business issues first to generate any worthwhile exposure long term. “Just get me positive press” may stop the bleeding short term, but it is not a long-term solution.

The only thing that needs to change is everything.

Surprise! You have a business problem. Not a marketing problem.

The below is a standard response from a client:

“We agree with everything you identified. There are certainly issues with conveying a consistent brand identity. The best thing for us to do is review this and discuss this….most definitely we need to increase our attention to those elements because we haven’t really done much with it. I don’t have anything to add other than we need to review it.”

Typically, the client will come back and say they have discussed it internally and what they really need you for is press. Think hard before taking on an engagement where you know you are being led to fail. You are the professional. You need to drive the client engagement. If you know there is an inherent business issue, and you start pitching media to review something that is half-baked, you will only hurt yourself, your media relationships and your reputation.

In an initial deep dive discovery meeting with a client, here is an example of one of their answers for their SWOT analysis.

“Weaknesses would be team, policy and procedure, consistency in food quality, proper training, staff enthusiasm and knowledge. Absence of good marketing, branding, and PR.  Customers are unhappy with consistency and very upset with staff being completely unaware of dietary components of food items, like what is gluten free or not. Staff isn’t friendly.”

You CANNOT have good marketing if you have deep rooted organizational issues

In order to be of maximum service to your client and guide them in the right direction, you need to address the organizational issues before you can tackle the PR ones. PR should come LAST, not FIRST, when building a business.

It is my strong belief that the best PR strategists are half management consultants and half practitioners. You can only generate press when there are newsworthy items. The rest of the time you should be focused on the business challenges and how you can solve them. If the client inherently disagrees with this approach, think long and hard before committing to anything, and definitely make sure the revised scope is clearly laid out in writing.

Looking to expand social media exposure for your business on Twitter? Develop keyword rich content and establish your company as a leader in your industry. Here are RMG’s top 15 tips to ramp up your company’s Twitter exposure.

• Create a blog to promote content and tweet out new articles as they are live
• Use relevant hashtags to attract target audience and increase visibility
• Integrate Instagram into Twitter account and use frequently, especially to promote promotions/giveaways
• Frequently tweet, multiple times a day, during peak hours
• Use relevant hashtags to increase reach
• Post inspirational quote to increase “favorites”
• Retweet what customers/clients/patients tweet your own company and add your own comments
• Post tweets with visual content, especially high res photos
• Create a custom hashtag for your company or area of subject matter expertise
• Respond to mentions of other influencers in your target industry
• Utilize Twitter “lists” to monitor competitors, media and influencers
• Post DIY or DYK tips
• Create shareable and interactive content
• Retweet relevant nuggets of wisdom from industry conferences
• Engage customers/clients by asking open ended questions

We are thrilled to welcome Perry Krasnove as a Media Relations Consultant at Ruby Media Group. With more than 20 years of industry experience as a PR strategiest, media specialist and media trainer, Perry has some great tips to share with you on how to increase exposure for your business.

What is your philosophy about PR?

Using public relations to help build brands and establish industry thought leaders is a necessity, not a luxury. People consume their media through so many different avenues so they can avoid the clutter that comes from various forms of advertising. PR on the other hand, is a natural part of their consumption. When organically consumed, PR is one of the most influential forms of delivering a message. PR is about honesty and integrity. I always ask potential clients if they’d rather hear about the accolades of a product through a segment with Al Roker or on a commercial in an embellished setting. 9 times out of 10 the client wants to be validated through the words of Al Roker vs through a traditional ad.

Why is PR so important for emerging thought leaders?

Through PR, thought leaders can cut through the clutter and be heard or seen the way they want to be heard or seen. My philosophy about thought leaders is simple: don’t drink the Kool-Aid. A thought leader is most successful when they come across as an expert in their industry, not an expert in what they are selling. I’ve had success utilizing this tactic. For example, I previously worked with a Life Settlement CEO whose company buys life insurance policies from active adults. It is a part of the economic landscape that reporters, anchors and editors never want to talk about. I media trained him to become a retirement specialist and an expert. It turned out he knew the financial industry quite well. He ditched the life settlement “speak” and went on to do interviews with the goal of giving the audience a wide range of options. I pitched and earned him an interview on a national business outlet and he hit a home run. He was then invited to come back on the show for three consecutive months. He was then invited to be a part of “The Company” where he would be on the entire show as their “resident CEO.” I worked with him on the various subject matters that were going to be discussed. He became a sounding board on gun control, healthcare and Apple. Inquiries into his company spiked as viewers were able to watch him and saw him as more than a life settlement specialist or a CEO. They saw him as a human being they could relate to. PR at it’s finest. Thought leaders can have a huge impact on anything they choose to touch.

How has your background in news shaped your ability to craft stories as a publicist?

I spent so many years in the news industry at MSNBC that I look at media placements as news stories. I always ask, “What’s in it for me?” before I pitch any story and try to see it from the producers side. Once I find the answer, I can move forward because the producer, reporter, anchor or editor is asking himself or herself the very same question. My job is to not only make my client happy but to make my contacts in the media happy as well. If they are happy then their bosses are happy. Now I know I can go back to them again and again. Speaking engagements go the same way. You don’t want a “one off.” It’s not beneficial to anyone if no one comes out looking good. Every media placement and speaking engagement secured needs to be a long-term brand building experience. There is no top of the peak. There is always the next rung in the ladder. Continue to build equity with your base. I want to sell the speaker and the event planner on what the next speaking engagement can do for them two or three speeches down the road. It’s why I have been able to keep my contacts for the last decade. I can email them out of the blue and know they will get back to me despite receiving thousands of pitches a day. I also believe anyone can copy and paste a sample target media outlet list and tell you they are “targeting a comprehensive list of media outlets, including but not limited to…” but it takes a truly gifted publicist to move and flow with the client in a freeform manner. This is what creates strong working relationships between a publicist and their client. It’s what separates me from everyone else.

Any media relations tips?

You have to look at media contacts as people with lives and interests. Your basic tech reporter doesn’t just want the latest iphone; they like a wine or spirit, a customized pillow or the most innovative luggage. Those pieces that come out of product exchanges turn into some of the best placements because the reporter puts full heart and soul into the story. It’s personal!

Best way to build relationships with media?

I don’t like taking a cookie-cutter approach with the media and they can see when you have. Sometimes you have to work “the long road.” It’s where I introduce a spokesperson or a product without any intention of a true pitch in that moment. The idea is to put my client in their heads so they file it for future reference. Sometimes they come to me with a need, other times I come back with a pitch that’s not so out of leftfield now. But the one thing my contacts all have in common is this: they want it all on a silver platter for them. The less they have to do, the better. If you can make their job easier for them, you will become a valued source.

What are some critical elements to include in ongoing media relations to keep your business top of mind?

How much media can I secure? How impactful can this campaign be? Is this going to be as good as I think it will be? Will it make me want to do it again because it was so good? Anyway you slice it you are all in for “The Big Play.” Here are my top tips on scoring major ink:

Ongoing News Announcements- Post a steady stream of news such as new services, executive appointments, awards, etc. These sorts of activities should help keep your business in the media, demonstrating its significance as the most sought after firm.

Business Profiles- Editors at major business and trade publications are interested in interviewing key executives and writing stories about the company. I also recommend letting journalists and editors know that members of the management team are available for comment for trend stories.

Trend Stories- I recommend issuing pitch letters that capitalize on current trends and news items. This can help lead to inclusion in round-up and trend pieces.

Media– In addition to pitching print publications and broadcast outlets, increase your digital presence through blogs, websites and social media outlets.

Television Outreach- To secure broadcast exposure, pitch your CEO as a thought leader on business shows discussing trends in the industry, and any relevant hot topic that they could comment on.

LinkedIN Publishing- set up profile and publish your own content. Be sure to share on social media.

Contributed Columns-– become a regular columnist, Forbes contributor or secure a regular running piece in Huffington Post 
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Published Research Findings- A well-timed, content driven survey is time consuming and costs a lot of money but when done the right way, it can generate a massive amount of press.

Speaking Engagements– Speakers bureau – TED talk, Fast Company, Arianna Huffington events.

Growing a business for your brand on social media takes a lot of trial and error. Here are our top three tips for creating a strong Facebook presence for your brand:

1. Go Native: Wondering why your video or photo posts don’t attract more views? It could be because you’re not uploading videos and photos natively. When you use links, your posts lack the seamless integration and high quality that make native posts so appealing. To upload a photo natively, you must obtain the raw file and directly post it to Facebook. Additionally, you should always fill out all of the description choices for your video and photos. This descriptor information can help people searching online find your content.

2. Think About your Audience: Do you know your audience? Are they using their phones to access social media or are they more likely to use a computer? Would they respond better to an email campaign or a paid search ad? These are important questions to think about for your audience in order to reach them effectively. Regardless of your audience, you should make sure your landing pages are mobile optimized, to increase search visibility and boost your page on Google search. You also cannot rely solely on Facebook to promote your business! Be sure to optimize all of your content to make it visible on the web.

3. Stay Consistent: Don’t chase marketing trends or fads— they change so quickly, that by the time you’ve implemented something trendy, those hip marketers will be on to the next. Instead, focus on staying consistent with your content. Find a tone and brand image that work the best for your audience. By keeping consistent, your brand will appear reliable and trustworthy. Additionally, you will have a much easier time creating new content, as you’ll have clear-cut standards and procedures.

Of course, each brand has its own set of needs and challenges. However, these three tips are great starting points for all brands wanting to grow their Facebook presence!

What Facebook tips and tricks have you used to grow your audience? Share with us below!

There’s a little known tool on Facebook that only those “in the know” seem to use effectively: Facebook graph search. We’re all for sharing knowledge, so we would like to shed some light on this accessible marketing tool.

Facebook graph search allows you to target your ideal audience. When you search on Facebook, results are sorted by people, posts, hashtags, and locations as well as your Facebook friends and extended network. You can use the graph search feature to find what’s being posted about your brand, as well as to find out your audiences’ buying patterns. A great way to use the search feature is to search “posts by people who like BRAND”— by doing this search; you can easily find posts from those within your audience. Once you have this data, you can further tailor your content to your audience and increase engagement.

Using Facebook graph search, you can also search by hashtags and find out what’s trending. When you search your brands hashtags or trending hashtags, you gain further insights. By monitoring your relevant hashtags, you can find what is and is not working and tweak accordingly. By monitoring hashtags that are trending, you can stay culturally relevant and show your consumers your brand understands them.

By using Facebook graph search you can learn, monitor, and properly engage your audience. You will also have an easier time keeping up with your competition. This simple Facebook search tool is actually a great tool in your arsenal to figure out how to reach your audience effectively!

(more info found at: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-facebook-graph-search/)

In today’s increasingly digital landscape, PR, Marketing, and Advertising are merging together at a rapid pace. Now, more than ever, it is important for public relations practitioners to return to their core value: being persuasive storytellers. We’ve found that the most effective forms of communication are all part of an integrated communications plan.

Here are RMG’s top 3 recommended approaches:

1. Experiential Marketing: This creates an experience for the consumer to interact with a brand in a real-world setting. This face-to-face engagement leads to an emotional connection with the consumers, something that is necessary to reach GEN Y consumers. Experiential marketing can include branded festivals, pop-up shops, and behind the scenes tours. Experiential marketing is best used to enhance and complement traditional marketing campaigns.

2. Social Media: Social media is something we use in our daily lives, so it makes sense that brands would be eager to use this medium to communicate with their consumers. However enticing social media may be, it is important to remember that social media is a tool and not something that can stand alone in a strategic communication plan. In fact, some campaigns do not need social media components at all because it would not be effective in reaching the target audience. If social media is the right fit for your audience, content must be kept short and sweet, as consumers are usually multi-tasking and have shortened attention spans.

3. Native Advertising: This approach is similar to sponsored content. Native advertising is online advertising that appears like editorial content. This content can be a promoted tweet on Twitter, a suggested post on Facebook, or a full-page ad on Flipboard. Native ads have the tendency to go viral and are shared more often than content ads; however, it is important to remember that the information and tone of your native ads are still key in having a successful campaign. Without the correct information, tone, and placement, native ads will have a decreased likelihood of going viral.

These are just a few of the strategies that brands can use to create a successful integrated marketing plan. With the ever-changing state of communication today, we are always on the lookout for new and innovative communication tools and channels. What strategies have been most effective for promoting your business?

                       Photo credit: mkhmarketing

Did you catch Ruby Media Group CEO Kris Ruby on CNBC yesterday? Kris joined CNBC’s Retail Investor Roundtable live from the New York Stock Exchange and shared her stock picks, investing style, and where she sees the market heading.

Check out a clip below:

Have you noticed a change in the way news is reported?  Citizen journalism has become an increasingly relevant form of communication in today’s connected world. The Baltimore Riots are a prime example of how citizens are spreading the news. Thanks to technology, we know the news before it’s reported. The police can receive warnings and share their updates easily and effectively. Thanks to social media, the world can keep up with the Baltimore Riots in realtime. Kris Ruby shares her observations about social media’s role in the Baltimore Riots below.

1. Citizen Journalism: Shows an increase in citizen journalism on social media. A lot of the videos that are going viral on this topic are all from individual citizens cell phones being broadcast on social media. Citizen journalism is again happening in Baltimore. We are relying on citizen videos to get the latest news and updates. Traditional journalism cannot keep up, so we rely on viral videos, tweets, and status updates to get the latest news.

2.  Use of hashtags to follow the riots in real time. You can keep up with riot updates through hashtags. For example, we know the Crips and the Bloods are joining together in riots because of hashtags, tweets, and updates from civilians. Relevant hashtags to follow include #crips #bloods #blackguerillafamily #freddiegray. They are also bringing back the #blacklivesmatter hashtag.

3. Police and National Guard are communicating via Twitter. The police are using Twitter to send out real time updates to citizens.  This provides realtime communication between the police and the community. The National Guard is sending updates and photos to Baltimore citizens and the world via Facebook. With social media, civilians can also communicate with the police and the National Guard, asking questions, commenting on updates, etc.