You’ve just learned you’ve been chosen for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award.  In your excitement, you announce it at your staff meeting and pat yourself on the back.  But not wanting to seem too big-headed, your lauding ends with a phone call to your mother.

Although it may be in your nature to accept an award graciously and quietly, this sort of behavior does not bode well in the business world.  Instead you should be shouting the news from a mountaintop, building third party credibility and recognition for your business. 

Today’s best mountaintop from which to shout happens to be the Internet. Using the Internet to post awards, press releases or articles featuring your business are excellent ways to gain third party credibility. Additionally, back links from prominent Web sites to your site increase your site’s ranking in search engines, so sharing the good news turns into an avalanche of accolades from your initial announcement.

What’s in it for my business?

Whenever you start a campaign, the question you’ll most often hear is “What’s my ROI?” ROI (or Return on Investment) is one of the most difficult things to measure in the marketing and PR world. It’s not always plausible to measure the success of your brand’s saturation of the marketplace…and it can (unfortunately) take time for strong marketing to result in profit spikes.

So how do you understand if your PR campaigns will be equal to or surpass the money you spend on them? Even more so, how can you be sure you are maximizing your PR efforts and getting the most bang for your buck?

If you haven’t already figured it out, the Internet is your most cost effective PR tool. Utilizing the Internet is one surefire way to maximize your investment, measure ROI and give your business a boost in “street credibility” by showcasing media and PR hits as well as awards you’ve won, company sponsorships, bylined articles and features that showcase your business.

The key is to be proactive, not only with your business’s Web site, but with other sites on the Internet.  The beauty of getting press on the Internet is two-fold. 

• Instant access to showcase positive PR to potential customers. 
• More ways for potential customers to find your company when these media hits are posted on other Web sites. 

Getting the recognition for your company wasn’t accomplished by sitting back with your feet up, so translating that recognition into sales dollars should also not be a lesson in laziness. The following are several ways to leverage investment in public relations to improve online company and/or executive positioning, credibility, internal and external communications, as well as sales and marketing materials.

Making an Online Newsroom Work for You

In the "old days" of public relations, the hard copy press kit reigned supreme. Big bulky folders loaded with press releases, glossy photos and slides were standard in the industry.  Today, you can simply direct a potential customer to a page on your Web site where all the press materials, high definition artwork and background information await, ready to be used. Often called an online newsroom or press center, this is a huge time and money saver.  In fact, nearly half of all journalists report visiting a corporate Web site or online newsroom at least once a week. Here are some tips when it comes to creating an online newsroom:

Now's the Time to Brag!

When an award is bestowed or there are articles written about your business, communicate this to stakeholders. Third party endorsements in the form of media hits lend credibility to a business when customers are searching for recommendations. 

Most media outlets have an online version of their print publication. Oftentimes, television stations also place digital clips online of news segments.  Make certain to communicate these press hits to customers:

• Create electronic newsletters or e-blasts and highlight the news in a special section with links to the Web sites that include the feature or article.
• Write an e-letter (in the form of an email) from the president, CEO or administrator and include links to recent articles to show current and potential customers how the company is growing, helping the community, setting trends, impacting the industry, etc.
• Create a virtual clip book in your online newsroom of media articles to impress customers and potential employees, clients, investors and other media.

Give Your Business a Boost in Credibility

• Enhance the credibility of sales presentations with images of important articles (include a listing of headlines, bylined articles, speaking engagements and sponsorships, as well as logos).
• Boost the credibility of your sales brochure, marketing kits or proposals with Web links in your materials to bylined articles, source quotes and other media coverage.
• Produce a “one-pager” that shows your company’s extensive media coverage with a caption, “(Company name) in the News”. Include Web links to your media coverage so potential customers can visit them on the Web.

Ride the Ripple Effect

We hope these tips have been of some assistance to you as you look to maximize your media and public relations success through the Internet. At corecubed we are experts at shouting your success from the mountaintops and building your company credibility through both online and traditional print media as well as radio and television.  corecubed provides integrated marketing communications services using a strategic approach to help clients create high-impact campaigns to launch or rebrand products or companies.

Visit us online at www.corecubed.com, contact us at 1-800-370-6580, x1 or email us at info@corecubed.com.

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