Let's Get Visual!
The old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" has been around for decades, and for good reason; visual images get attention. Studies indicate that adding visual images to online communications boosts the odds that audiences will both notice and engage with that content. This can be seen in the findings from a study by HubSpot, an inbound marketing software platform company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts:
- Consumers only remember about 20 percent of what they read and as much as 80 percent of what they see
- Most website visitors spend less than 15 seconds actively reading content on a page
- Infographics are liked and shared three times more than other content
- Videos increase the likelihood of visitors purchasing product or service by 64 percent
- Videos on landing pages increase conversions by 86 percent
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Benefitting From Strategic PR
As noted in an article titled " How Public Relations Can Help Your Small Business Grow for PR Newswire": "When a consumer sees third party coverage of a product or service, it is perceived much differently than a traditional advertisement. When we see an advertisement, we know the company is trying to sell us something. When a third party, such as the media, endorses a product or service, the company gains credibility."
So how does one conjure up such useful third-party publicity? There are several avenues for business owners to generate third-party publicity through self-promotion. Services like HARO and ProfNet* are good examples of tools that even very small businesses can leverage to learn about opportunities for media coverage. The connections made through these channels can help to build an ongoing network of media contacts, assuming the businesses are able to be responsive, thorough, on point and non-promotional. Social media channels like LinkedIn (B2B primarily), Facebook (B2C primarily) and Twitter (both) can also be used to not only build audience but also identify and connect with reporters and journalists online. Following key journalists in their industries/markets can provide insights into what topics they're covering and what they're interested in, which can open the door for online interactions. As an article for Kabbage states, "Know your target market, and know the target market of the major publications you are looking into. What kind of press does your target market typically listen to? Once you respond to that question, the answer is the best place to start when it comes to generating good media coverage." What's most important is that small business professionals interested in generating media attention focus on providing content that is valuable for whoever the end user audience might be--e.g. readers or viewers of this content. It's not about self-promotion; it's about providing useful information. If you can do this consistently, the reporters will be calling upon you!
Interested in generating credible, relevant media coverage for your business, products, services, or yourself? We can help.
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