Using Google in PR: Outside of the Simple Search
Google (and search engines in general) have become entrenched in our day-to-day lives. “I’ll Google it” is a common phrase when a query goes unanswered. I personally look to the search engine daily to find everything from recommended reading material to recipe blogs. Making effective use of Google requires knowing how to use it. Learning […]
Pinterest’s New Measurement Tool: What it Means for Public Relations
Pinterest has increased its presence as a tool for businesses with the recent release of business Pinterest pages. On March 12 this year, the site announced it would continue to build on this trend with the introduction of Pinterest Web Analytics. This valuable new tool will allow anyone with a verified website to see how […]
How to Measure PR Impact
Does it make sense to measure impact? This was the subject of a recent article in Harvard Business Review. The article shares the stories of three organizations – Acumen Fund, Robin Hood Foundation, and Millennium Challenge Corporation – aiming to make a major impact on the lives of individuals, including reducing cases of malaria and […]
When Should a Start-up Business Hire a PR Firm?
Recently, I was invited to be a guest panelist for a grad school class at the University of Washington focused on entrepreneurial marketing. One of the students asked, “When should a start-up hire a PR firm?” There were three of us on the panel and the students heard three different answers that day. John Cook, […]
The Value of Quarterly Reviews
Many businesses question the value of quarterly review meetings, considering the cost and time required for preparation and execution that could have been spent elsewhere. But experts agree that businesses that invest in quarterly reviews have a greater chance of meeting their goals and succeeding in the marketplace. According to a Harvard Business Review blog […]
The Importance of Setting Expectations
As communications professionals, we at Communiqué PR don’t always like surprises. But no matter how much planning and preparation we do for a client, we’re bound to encounter a surprise or two. A product announcement just leaked before launch? A competitor publically dinged a client’s solution? A story got bumped, or our client’s quote wasn’t […]
Smartsheet: A Collaboration Tool for PR Teams
As many PR professionals and marketers may agree, the ability to prioritize multiple assignments and stay on track with a myriad of projects requires strong organizational skills. Recently at Communiqué PR, we started utilizing Smartsheet.com for our project management needs and to facilitate online collaboration. Introduced by the Bellevue-based company in 2006, Smartsheet.com is an […]
Tips for Developing a Customer Survey
Today’s marketing communication professionals have a plethora of tools they can use to connect with current and prospective customers. Whether it is engaging in a strategic social media or PR campaign, hosting webinars or speaking engagements, or pursuing traditional marketing tactics, companies are often evaluating what the right marketing mix is to effectively reach their […]
Brand Awareness & Adoption: How Much Time Does It Take?
If you have had the opportunity to launch a new product or service, you know that creating a brand presence in a consumer’s mind takes time. How long it takes is different for every brand. Brand building takes time because you often have to change the prospect’s mind about an old brand and get them […]
Five Tips for Asking for Feedback
Part of delivering excellent client service is to solicit feedback. But this can be tricky. How do you set the stage or get busy managers, directors or VPs to take a few minutes to tell you how you’re doing? I have found this five-step process to be very helpful in effectively soliciting specific feedback so […]