PR Strategy: Rethink, Re-energize and Re-ignite Your Business

It’s that time, the year is drawing to a close. The new year is looming and with it comes new opportunities. For most businesses, December is a slow time, for others it is the busiest time of the year. Regardless of where your business falls in that range, as the year comes to a close, put some time aside to rethink, reenergize and reignite your business’s PR and marketing strategy.

Use this time to take your business matters into your own hands. If your business isn’t coming to you the way you would like it to – go to your business. Reach out.

Some Quick Tips:

1. Speak to them directly. Let your potential consumers, clients and customers know not only that you’re there, but what you offer.

2. Separate yourself from your competition. Develop programs and services that are new and captivating.

3. Present your products in a new way.

4. Speak to your clients or customers needs. Address their problems and let them know how you offer solutions. Become a problem solver, a trusted expert in your field. Be the person or the company that your target market turns to.

Brainstorm Your Stories: You’re not going to reach your market by waiting for them to come to you. You need to reach out and speak directly to them. Set aside some time this month to schedule a brainstorming session. If you have a public relations company on board, or a marketing team, have them in the meeting. Otherwise bring in some of your employees or associates. Block a couple of hours where you can be undisturbed. Make this a fun experience. Now throw out every marketing and PR idea you can think of. I’ll be writing an article devoted strictly to brainstorming, but you get the basic idea. Don’t hold back; be creative. Remember you don’t have to use these ideas, but if you don’t allow yourselves to really let the creative ideas flow; you could end up missing out on some of your best marketing and media relations stories.

Define and Refine Your Target Market(s): Now define your target market, or target markets. You hopefully know your primary market, but has it changed? Is there another way you could approach it? Are there secondary target markets that you’re missing? If your’s is primarily a male oriented market, is there a way that you can broaden your scope to attract female clients? Can you repackage your marketing to attract a different age group? You get the idea. This is an extension of the brainstorming concept, but here you’re not focusing on the type of marketing promotion or public relations, your focus is on who your clients and/or customers are. Focus not only on who they are, their age, sex, interests, etc., but also on where you can reach them. What do they read? What do they watch? What do they listen to? What sites to they visit?

Create Your New Marketing Mix: This leads you to your final step, creating your marketing mix. Once you’ve brainstormed your marketing and PR ideas, and have defined (and hopefully redefined your target market) now focus on how you’re going to reach your market with your new marketing ideas. What marketing programs and campaigns will best meet your needs and reach your customer base. Again, continue in brainstorming mode. List all of the ways that you can reach your target market such as advertising, direct mail marketing, public relations, email marketing, social media and blogging, etc. Although every company will have a different marketing mix, every company should have a program that includes public relations and social media. Combined those two approaches reach your target market and offer you validation and credibility. But your exact marketing and media mix will be specific to your company’s needs, so take some time to study your market and promotional avenues.

Now that you’ve brainstormed your ideas, your target market and defined your new marketing mix, you are ready to make this your best, and most financially rewarding, New Year on record.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010