It’s not something you can easily say to a client, but “adapt or die” is a very true statement when it comes to social media. Most likely, your client made his or her way in the industry through forward thinking, willingness to change and a little bit of risk. And it shouldn’t be any different now. Social media requires all of those things – and then some. When your CEO balks at the social media tactics you suggest, ask him the 6 questions below from JeffBullas.com. Hint – the current research appears after the question.
(continue reading…)

The most effective way to increase your Facebook and Twitter followers is to provide valid and useful information that your fans may not have seen otherwise. As a PR pro, I’m constantly staying on top of current events and reading the news – on my computer, on my cell phone and in the newsfeed of my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Some of the most interesting news I see only because someone I follow posted it.

By being a dialed-in, finger-on-the-pulse-of-your-industry PR professional, you have the opportunity to share breaking news with your fans first. Post a recent article on a relevant topic or ask your followers a question about a hot topic. The beauty of social media, especially now with all of the changes to Facebook, is that every friend of your followers can now see most of their activity. So if they comment on a post on your wall, it will appear in their newsfeed and will ideally inspire someone else to click on your link, find your page interesting – and voilá – you’ll have a new follower.

This method of attracting followers is not guaranteed – in public relations there’s very little that is – but it’s a way to be recognized as a valuable and forward-thinking participant in your particular industry.

Kate Toy is a Senior Account Manager at Domus, Inc., a marketing communications agency based in Philadelphia. For more information, visit http://www.domusinc.com. For new business inquiries, please contact CEO and founder of Domus, Inc. Betty Tuppeny at betty.tuppeny@domusinc.com or 215-772-2805.

Nothing sells a product or a service better than a satisfied customer. A president or CEO can say their company is the best in the industry, but without third-party credibility, it’s just lip service. That is why services such as Yelp.com, which strictly focuses on user reviews, can make or break a company. These reviews act like mini case studies and can be amplified when they are linked to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Companies can take the customer review process one step further by including testimonial videos on sites such as YouTube. Domus incorporated this tactic with OKI Data Americas’ customers during the ISTE 2011 Conference in Philadelphia. OKI customers were given a platform to present their story and increase their Internet celebrity through the process. This strategy gives consumers a voice and also puts a face to the name, which lends additional credibility to the testimonial. The reach of these videos can be increased when distributed through social media networks as well. An example of the OKI customer testimonial video can be accessed through the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxHIxhVSFuI.

Not only do these videos provide beneficial information to prospective customers, but they also increase the company’s interaction with current clients, helping to build that existing relationship.

Greg Smore is a Senior Account Manager at Domus, Inc., a marketing communications agency based in Philadelphia. For more information, visit http://www.domusinc.com. For new business inquiries, please contact CEO and founder of Domus, Inc. Betty Tuppeny at betty.tuppeny@domusinc.com or 215-772-2805.

Daily Deal sites like Groupon and Living Social can cause problems for a business due to hurting its’ profitability, brand and relationship with customers.

With a discount offer, the business is probably appealing to customers that purchase on price. It is unlikely customers will come back to the business in the future to purchase products and services at full value. In a column on AdAge.com, Al Ries, the famous marketing consultant, states:

“Presumably, all those consumers who bought products and services for 50% off are going to be happy to return to their local retailers and return to buy those same products and services at full prices. That’s not going to happen. What is going to happen is that those same consumers are going to go back to Groupon and wait for the next 50%-off sale.”

I’m sure many of you have used Groupon, Living Social or one of the other local daily deal sites. Of those of you who have, how many of you have returned to that business to purchase the same product or service at full price? My guess is not many.

(continue reading…)

A wise person once said, “We were given two ears but only one mouth, because listening is twice as hard as talking.” This is especially true in our industry, as agencies must be good listeners to understand direction provided by their clients in order to deliver the best outcome. Most of us think we are good listeners, but in reality, we’re not.

Listening requires careful attention. Sometimes people don’t pay careful attention when someone is speaking to them, thinking instead about how to press their point when the other person stops speaking. Also consider that people talk at about 125 words per minute. However, we think at a speed that is four or five times as fast, at 500 words per minute or more. This means that our thoughts move much faster than the words we are listening to and makes it not surprising that we often let our attention wander.
(continue reading…)

Yes, we all know how hard it is to build a brand in today’s economy. All of the tried and true marketing wisdom seems to be in question for new whiz kid technology brands as well as the blue chip brands. But here are three easy steps to having your brand remain strong and even accelerate, in these challenging times:

1. Have a point of difference: Yes, this is Marketing 101, but it’s surprising how many brands, seemingly in a panic over retaining old customers and gaining new ones, slowly, but surely, are moving away from this key basic. Having a point of difference means understanding your market needs, knowing what perceptual space each of your competitors has claimed and then (based on your brand’s core competencies) differentiating your market-relevant message so that it resounds and grabs the minds and hearts of your target audience.

2. Be consistent: Again, a basic that we were all taught in “packaged goods school.”  But, now consistency is what you need to convey not only in your paid advertising, but also in your social media, public relations, promotions, event marketing and especially in your customer service and employee communications.  If your customer service reps or employees can’t describe what your company and brand(s) stand for, you’re missing a great opportunity for the most natural viral campaign. Now, everyone is a star on Facebook – and they talk about their lives, including their work – make sure they are ambassadors, not complainers or destroyers of your positioning.

3. Measure, adjust, measure, adjust, measure, adjust: Well, you get the picture. This approach is common now in online advertising, BUT it needs to be applied to every facet of your brand’s marketing mix. Gone are the days when you implemented an “Annual Planning” cycle and re-wrote the next calendar or fiscal year’s plan to launch on a certain date.  The “measure, adjust, measure, adjust” approach must be built into each program.  When you are developing a promotion, from the onset, you need to know what the monthly, weekly and, dare I say it, daily success hurdles are that your brand needs to clear.  And, they must be actively managed on an ongoing basis to reallocate, increase support or pull the plug.

It’s back to school time (let’s face it, that feeling never goes away) and that can mean back to branding basics. If you want to learn specific examples of how these three easy steps for better ROI worked for marquise brands, visit the Success Stories section at www.domusinc.com If you want to chat online, leave a comment on this post. If you want to chat in person as to how Domus can help your brand, call or e-mail me directly at 215-772-2805 Or betty.tuppeny@domusinc.com.

Betty Tuppeny is the CEO and founder of Domus, Inc., a marketing communications agency based in Philadelphia. For more information, visit http://www.domusinc.com. For new business inquiries, please contact Betty directly at betty.tuppeny@domusinc.com or 215-772-2805.

As PR and social media continue to overlap at a rapid pace, what next? Today, the boundaries between advertising, marketing and PR are becoming more blurred than ever. While PR is all about making announcements that you hope will grab editors’ attention and result in increased coverage and exposure, the goal of social media for business is to gain that loyal list of “followers” whom you must converse with, create dialogue with and hopefully …convert into customers.

Recently, we’ve all seen endless debates about who should “control” social media in ad agencies. And that “someone” should be the PR professional – often the eyes and ears of the agency.

(continue reading…)

In today’s tough business climate, companies are seeking ways to cut their marketing budgets as they look to bolster profit amid continuing concern over the state of the economy. It is a well-established fact, that in hard times, companies cut all marketing costs that are not tied to direct sales.  Whether your company intends to decrease spending or not, before you slash and burn across the board, you may want to consider preserving or even investing more money into public relations. Public relations is a proven, measurable, cost-effective method for generating visibility, credibility and thought leadership. A survey of chief marketing officers at major national and global advertisers conducted by the Association of National Advertisers found that the value public relations delivers as part of the overall marketing mix is increasing.  In addition, results from a recent survey by Vocus, a leading public relations software management company, found that 42 percent of those surveyed said their PR budgets would increase in 2011 versus only 29 percent who responded to the same question last year.

(continue reading…)

Your company has accepted the fact that you need to be involved in social media in order to maintain your presence in the digital marketplace. Excellent decision! But after constructing your Facebook page and creating your Twitter account you discover one glaring point; you don’t have any followers.

Just because you have created a social media presence doesn’t mean that clients and potential customers are going to automatically “follow” or “like” your brand.  Now, if your customers are offered an incentive to subscribe to your company’s social media newsfeed, two things can happen:

(continue reading…)

Picture a brand, very simply, as an ongoing conversation with a consumer, business decision maker or any audience you target.  From your brand’s first introduction, through ongoing discussions, encounters and experiences, you build a relationship with each person.  That relationship is fragile and can be breached at any point.  It takes focus, investment and consistent messaging to ‘brand’ – defined as winning the minds and, most importantly, the hearts, of your users.

Everything in the advertising/marketing industry has changed dramatically, yet, I believe, has stayed completely the same.  Recent research shows that consumers and businesses have shifted spending to brands that create, maintain and strengthen their relationships while delivering both value and values.  This reflects the principles of a classic marketing approach – listen to your target and speak with them, not at them.

(continue reading…)