A 2013 Strategic Communications Wish List

A wish list is just a that, but when it comes to strategic communications, marketing and brand management, here are some things you should not only wish for, but look for when you evaluate firms to help with your brand management:

1. Make sure they stand for something other than communication, content and design.  Huh?  Make sure they are pros, but also make sure they are on the same page that you are, that they display a true interest in your business, that they have your best interest at heart, and that they have integrity and ethics.

2. Make sure they can condense and communicate your brand in very succinct terms.

3. Make sure they can turn on a dime while producing collateral that is top-tier, yet cost-contained and complements your budget.

In as little time as it took to write this blog, one of our designers turned out this new piece.  In a few words, it says who Concierge PA is, what Concierge PA stands for, communicates our brand clearly and invites the viewer into our homes, whether in Dallas or Atlanta (by the way, we make housecalls...after all it is almost 2013).  Now, that's top-tier, cost-contained strategic communication if I have ever seen it.

Concierge PA.  It's who we are!   

2013: A New Year and Time to Turn Over a New Page

Whether you are in Dallas or Atlanta, our newest corporate office, or any city on this big planet, when it comes to strategic communications and marketing, 2013 will prove to be as fast-paced and challenging as this past year.  One way to get a jump on the new year is to make sure your Linkedin Company Page is up and running.  Here are the reasons why:

1. Linkedin is critical to engaging your professional audience.  Trust me, your employees and your competitor's employees are constantly on Linkedin.  And, trust me again, they are constantly updating their profiles.  Why would your company not do the same?  Without a Linkedin Company Page, you have no "landing page" within Linkedin for engagement.  And, your employees and supporters will not be able to promote the business.  If you do not have a Linkedin Company Page, and an engaging one at that, make sure that building it is your first resolution of the new year.

2. Linkedin is a great platform to drive business to your website.  Consistent Company Page updates help bring people to your dot com home, and, in many cases, can turn into professional leads and possible sales.  But, you have to work at Linkedin like you do your social media channels.  Considering your Linkedin Company Page as a static online billboard is a big mistake.  As the saying goes, "It works when you work it."

3. Think of Linkedin as a search engine microcosm.  Again, trust me when I say that your employees and your competitor's employees are using Linkedin.  And, they are constantly searching Linkedin.  Make sure your business is there when they do search.  And, make sure when they find you, your Company Page is up-to-date and engaging.

Concierge PA...from Dallas to Atlanta,

 we will always try to keep you linked in.

In 2013 Content Will Still Be King

No matter how you look at strategic communications and marketing, from Dallas to Denmark, content will reign king in 2013 and beyond.  When it comes to marketing and especially the advertising platform, images still hold significant roles in terms of brand strategy.  When someone thinks of Coca Cola, the logo image is forefront in many consumers' minds.  And, we all know that video is an extremely compelling marketing tool.  But, graphics and video standing alone cannot have a significant impact on a brand.  Content is the component that drives engagement and consumer spend.
According to MarketingProfs (an outfit for which I have written) and the Content Marketing Association,

• 79% of businesses use content marketing as part of their branding strategy,
• 91% of B2B operations employ content marketing to impact sales, and
• 54% of marketers plan to increase their content marketing budgets in 2013.

Those numbers are significant and are indicative that marketing is becoming even more intricate than ever.

With the social media revolution, many consumers and marketing professionals alike thought that marketing was going to be "dumbed down."  In many ways, the opposite has happened.  Just think of the term, engagement.  To engage you have to have a dialogue.  And, dialogue is much more than images and video.  Content drives engagement.  And, there is no way around it.  Even tweets and short posts on Facebook or Google+ rely on content to engage the audience.  Even when we may engage consumers in "short bursts" of communication, that micro-marketing material is developed through structured content management.

With the decentralization of strategic communications and the social media frenzy, many marketing professionals thought that the marketing process was becoming less structured, less focused and less involved.  How wrong they were.  Today's decentralized marketing channels and platforms call for greater expertise in terms of strategic communications.  And, it means that creativity is alive and content is king.  The game continues to change, but one thing is evident; we all have our work cut out for us as creativity and content demand discipline and shear hard work.  Gone are the days where a tweet was just a tweet, and post was just a post.

Concierge PA...we know how to craft a message made for a king.

The Main Thing You Need to Know about Strategic Communications and SEO Today is That it's a Zoo

Some say SEO is dead.  And, in the traditional sense of what SEO originally entailed, that is true.  But, search engine optimization is still a relevant strategic communication pursuit - just not in terms of the mechanics of days past.  SEO of the past was a game.  Plain and simple.  You paid some outfit to game the system with backlink structuring operation that relied heavily on "static content" directory submissions and similar antics.  Today the game has changed significantly and will never be the same.  In fact it's a zoo.

We use the term zoo to refer to Google's Panda and Penguin algorithms.  Panda refers to Google's algorithm that favors sites that deliver high caliber, original and context-rich content.  The Penguin algorith slays sites that try and "game the system" with fake backlink tricks.  In other words, Google, and even Facebook, have been forced to clean house.  Reputable organizations with marketing clout have demanded that reputable tactics which produce reputable search results be the only game in town.  So what does that mean to the small Dallas business owner?  It means a lot of work.

In today's strategic communications ecosystem, you cannot pay a "firm" for 1,000 backlinks and some crazy directory submission operation and win the SEO game.  In fact, you will be punished and sent to the lion's den as Google, through their indexing and search formulas, will see the antics for what they are...fake.  Today, building a liked, followed, patronized, and engaged brand is all about cross-channel marketing.  It not only means writing great content, but pushing that great content one story, one post, one campaign, one link at a time.  And, in many ways it is like going back to the future.

20 years ago, if you wanted to build a brand, you had a relatively straight-forward path.  You advertised on radio, television and in print.  You may have used direct mail for a more targeted campaign.  And, you hired a public relations firm to pitch your stories to writers, editors and producers.   Although the strategic communications and marketing landscape has forever changed with new marketing channels which have a heavy focus on mobile and social communication, the tactics are basically the same.   Like the old AD man of yesteryear who developed story boards, wrote copy, developed a 1975 Procter and Gamble AD campaign, and then pushed it to every available medium he could, today's business owner or their firms must do the same.  We just have different media (and a complex inter-connectivity) to write and produce for.

The SEO of yesterday is dead on arrival.  Today, backroom backlink trickery is dead.  We are back to the future in this stategic communications zoo.  We actually have to work at marketing communication.  Creativy is alive again.  And, that's a good thing. 

Concierge PA.  We're here if you need us.  After all...it's no fun going to the zoo alone.

For Your Brand Strategy...You May Just Have to Lawyer Up

I was struck by a conversation I had with a new client.  She indicated that she was approached recently by a firm that offered her an "$899.00 PR Package."  This "wonderful" package included 4 press releases and at least a dozen radio podcasts.  And, they offered  her the wonderful deal without asking her the first question about her business.  For a better understanding of her as a client, I asked her why she did not take "the firm" up on their offer.  She said, "It just did not sound right."  Right she was!

Everyone supposedly hates lawyers.  They think attorneys are a necessary evil in times of need, but in most cases, many people try to avoid them like the plague.  Regardless of what you think about our legal eagle friends, there are some indicators and comparisons that any business seeking a firm to assist them with developing their brand and their strategic communications should be aware of.  Here are some tips:

1. Run like Michael Myers was chasing you on the set of Halloween 4 if you come in contact with someone that offers you a PR or marketing "package."  They  are what we call marketing sharks.  A reputable firm that is advising you on your strategic communications and marketing initiatives will never offer you a package deal.  Like an attorney (a good one), a reputable firm will have to engage you considerably to even begin to offer you advice and counsel regarding your brand messaging and strategic communications.  A reputable firm will invest a great deal of time learning your business and researching the market before they offer you anything in terms of guidance.  And, it won't be a package deal.

2. Only deal with firms that present you a comprehensive plan that is full of research on your business, as well as your competition and your market.  Would you retain a lawyer that did not thoroughly research your case and present you with a sound offense or defense for your case?  Like a law firm, for a reputable strategic communications firm, it is all in the details.  It is not a whim or a one-size-fits-all deal with an associated, arbitrary retail dollar figure.

3. And, speaking of money...reputable firms offer detailed plans based on actual budgets and tie billing to actual performance.  Again, whether or not you like lawyers, there is sound reason to their billing and fees.  Make sure any strategic communications firm you consider offers you a plan which incorporates justifiable billing such as a monthly retainer or billiable hours for projects that incorporates a budget and is based on actual performed services.

Concierge PA.  Whatever your case, we provide excellent counsel and we build great reputations!

Go ahead…Be Average! Our Tips for Being Mediocre

When it comes to branding and strategic communications, no one wants to be known by their public as mediocre.  In this competitive media environment, being average is a recipe for failure.  And, speaking from a strategic communications perspective, more businesses fail from the lack of communication with their customers and potential customers than any other factor.  The next huge blunder that businesses make is failing to differentiate themselves from their competitors.  To drive home the point, here are some tips on how to be mediocre and fail in business.

 

1. Live in a Y2K World.  If you want to be mediocre, live in the past.  There is a world of difference between 2000 and 2012, especially when it comes to strategic communications.  Just think of how consumers receive communication today.  In case you have not noticed, for a good many people, it is mainly on these things called smart phones.  In 2000, although in decline, the networks still ruled the airwaves in terms of advertising and consumer reach.  Today, we have Facebook and Twitter to name just a few of the new avenues customers are not engaged.  I cringe when I hear small business people totally disregard Facebook as a tool for their business communication.  Times have changed and all businesses from American Airlines to Sherry's Sub Shop must embrace the change to succeed in today's marketplace.

2. Focus on only one front.  If you want to be really average (or even a failed business) focus on only one form of strategic communication.  You do not have to be a general to understand that a war cannot be won if you do not fight on all fronts.  The same is true for business owners of today.  The media world is complicated; and calling it multidimensional is an understatement.  Make sure you are "ON AIR" on a variety of media outlets.  No business just tweets today.  Their tweets hit their Facebook page and update their blogs all at once.  Their websites point to their Facebook fan pages and so on and so on.  To be better than average, the small business owner knows that he or she must engage his customers and potential customers through as many channels as possible.  It is time consuming and it may even seem like a merry-go-round on steroids, but the smart business owner of today knows he or she must get his or her ticket punched and get on the ride.

 

Very few businesses present service or product offerings that are revolutionary and no other business offers.  In today’s fast paced world, even if you invent a new product or service, within days your competition will have replicated it and put their spin on your idea.  The key to success in branding is strategic communications.  You have to consistently tell your story and share with the consumer why you are better and what you offer is superior than that of your competition.  You have to show today's public - bobmbarded with media - that you deserve their interest.  After all, everyone wants to be liked.

Concierge PA.  We're here if you need us.

In the 3-D World, Winning Brands are Still One-dimentional!

Have you ever watched the Academy Awards and later (sorry guys) been bombarded with the pain-staking details of who made the Best Dressed Red Carpet List from Entertainment Weekly, Bravo and People Magazine?  Then, you find out that the winner was always the one wearing a “classic” dress or suit with “simple lines,” and “refined details.”.  The commentator described it as, “simple elegance.”  Well, all the fashion hullabaloo aside, building a winning brand follows the same prescription.

 

Whether in Dallas or Dubai, a winning brand has to be classic, focused, singular, and simple if you want it to be instantly relatable to your audience.  Your brand has to instantaneously convey what your company or organization stands for to the consumer.  It is almost hypocritical, but it takes a great deal of work and a complicated strategic communications plan to build a brand that conveys its “worth” to consumers in very simple, classic terms.  The strength of strategic communications and marketing strategy has a foundation in simplicity.

Often times, business owners are the experts in the myriad of intricacies, benefits, offerings, unique components, value added elements, proprietary hues, and those “never-before-offered” assets associated with their beloved products and services.  But, those one-of-a-kind product and service line attributes do NOT a brand build.  Too often business owners are too engrossed in the details to…well…see the forest for the trees.  Building your brand is like packaging all of your unique offerings into a simple, beautifully-wrapped Tiffany box.  Now that’s a brand.

 

Concierge PA

 

 

 

Concierge PA Shines The Spotlight On: Tracy Merzi of Dallas Business Journal

When it comes to strategic communications, marketing, and media, Dallas has some outstanding professional talent.  And, if you are "in the business" so to speak, you can appreciate that we have a professional like Tracy Merzi in Big D.

Tracy is the Publisher of the Dallas Business Journal.  She took the reins almost a year ago after coming to Dallas from Washington, D.C. where she was a director with the Washington Business Journal.  We are lucky to have her.

Tracy spent three years at the Washington Business Journal and 15 years at the Pittsburgh Business Times.  She has solid experience in publishing and advertising, but also has the spirit, depth and warmth that we in this business so appreciate.  She is an asset to our Dallas professional community.  Daniel Brown of our office was just at a Dallas Business Journal event and he always comments on how Tracy's events have the complete "marketing mix" when it comes to professional networking

No list of tips today.  We will just highlight the importance of having great talent in our great city of Dallas.  And, Tracy is just that.  Well...here is a tip...get to know Tracy and the Dallas Business Journal.  And, get to one of her events if you can.  She and it will make you proud to be in our profession.

This is Concierge PA signing off.

Check out Tracy and the Dallas Business Journal.

Beware of “Marketing” Sharks and How to Keep Them at Bay

Let’s just be honest.  Whether in Dallas or Denmark, there are individuals out there that run around claiming to be “marketing” experts but are really just sharks that simply give the profession a bad name.  And, truth be known, there are many small business owners that are ripe for being preyed upon by these unscrupulous individuals because “marketing” is still the “unknown” to many of them. Here is some advice and a little shark repellent to keep the hammerheads at bay.

 

1. Learn what marketing truly is.  Marketing is price, product, promotion and place (distribution).  It is not simply promotion.  Promotion including advertising, public relations, social media and the like are only components of marketing.  In actuality, marketing is a complex discipline that includes many elements.  Ever read a marketing plan?  Hopefully you have one, but if not, the plan entails much more than promotion.  Read up on the fundamentals of marketing and gain a true “textbook” understanding of the business discipline.  And, the next time someone says they are in the “marketing” business ask him or her what that exactly means.  You will be surprised at the lack of knowledge “marketing” geniuses really have about marketing.

 

 2. Demand a plan. Once you have a solid understanding of marketing, beware of those that use the term loosely, and ask them to submit a written plan for what they are proposing for you.  At Concierge PA, our core service offering is strategic communications.  The term is significant because we tie every effort on behalf of our clients to a comprehensive and structured plan that is designed to positively impact their fiscal goals.  Our efforts are not whimsical, but are based on solid research and involve measurable results.  When someone says they can do this or that in terms of “marketing,” tell them to put it in writing and demand a plan.

 

3. After you have demanded the plan, demand a contract.  Make sure that key deliverables are in writing with deadlines attached.  We recently have heard from several Dallas business owners that they each paid over $3,000 for websites and still have yet to get anything other than a landing page.  Without a contract, technically someone could argue that the landing page is the website and they did their job.  That is horrible business, but more importantly, it is unthinkable that a business owner would pay someone that amount of money without a completed product based on a mutually agreeable contract.

 

4. Never pay for any “marketing” service in full until it is produced as agreed.  If some “marketing guru” demands full payment before they begin a project, tell them to go fish, as there is no legitimate reason to justify full payment before project completion.  Take website design for an example.  If someone offers to produce a website for you, why would they need the full payment up front?  Many times you will hear the argument that he or she has been “stiffed” by past clients.  That argument is not valid because designers keep control of the password to the site until you pay them in full.  In other words, they already hold the power, so that argument is not valid in the least.  The same is virtually true with any project.  Demand for payment in full before production is even started should be a red flag.

 

You are in business to generate and gain business.  And, there is a reason for the phrase, "business is business."  Why on earth would anyone throw money around without sound business processes, documents and decisions to back up the expense?  Business should be structured and based on data and logic.  If you do not protect your business using sound business principles, you may as well swim with the sharks.

 

As always, keep your head above water and contact Concierge PA.

www.conciergepa.com

The Top 3 “Marketing” Mistakes Small Businesses Make

More often than not, most small businesses make “marketing” blunders that they do not even know they are making.  The main reason is that unfortunately, “marketing” represents the unknown to many small business owners.  Here are the top 3 mistakes small business owners make when it comes to “marketing”:

1.  Most small business owners do not even know the true definition of marketing.  Marketing is price, product, promotion and place (distribution).  Most entrepreneurs equate marketing solely with promotion.  And, that is a problem in itself.  Business owners need to have a solid foundation in the principles of marketing and understand each of its vital components.

2.  Because there is lack of understanding of the fundamentals of marketing, and because most small business owners equate marketing with promotion, the second biggest mistake is that many businesses get taken advantage of financially by many so-called “marketing firms.”  Because many entrepreneurs are not marketing savvy, they do not know how to source and negotiate their "marketing" expenditures.  They simply leave it up to the “experts.”

 

3.  The major mistake small businesses make in terms of "marketing" is not partnering with a reputable firm that not only can produce great marketing materials, but also can serve as a consultant and thus provide for significant “marketing” RIO.  When it comes to "marketing" in today's competitive and social environment, "do it and forget it" processes are over.  Connecting with and engaging potential customers is a constant process that takes considerable time and skill to have a real impact on your bottom line.  You have to hire a true partner when it comes to one of the most important components of your revenue cycle.

Break the cycle and stop making common small business “marketing” mistakes.  Contact Concierge PA and let us show you how we build great reputations while we practice good, old-fashioned business practices where we value our client partnerships above all else.