Liz Kelly: Social Media And Your PR

An important component to having a successful PR plan is to include social media efforts. As you develop your PR strategy plan, make sure it is in sync with your entire business strategy plan. Both should fit perfectly together to help grow awareness of your business.

Image: SXC.hu & edited by Kim Beasley

In an interview with Liz Kelly, she shared how business owners can us PR to grow their presence online and offline. You can reach Liz at the following:

• Email: liz@brilliantink.net
• Web: brilliantink.net
• Blog: brilliantink.net/blog
• Twitter: Twitter.com/lizkelly

Question 1: Please share information about you and your business along with your expertise and how long have you been in the industry.

I’m the president of Brilliant Ink, a boutique communications agency that provides strategic messaging and content development services, plus PR and social media strategies, to businesses ranging from very small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Our mission is simple: to infiltrate corporate America with better, brighter communications. I’ve been working in communications, PR and marketing for 12+ years, and couldn’t imagine doing anything else!

Question 2: When promoting your business using social media, what are some special tips that you can give to business owner that would help them get started quickly?

Very first thing: Reserve your business name on Twitter! If you’re following along with this conversation, you may have already done this, but it’s really important to have your biz name reserved (plus a personal), even if you’re not using it right away.

Second, think about the kind of business you have and your target audience. For example, in a business like mine, which provides B2B services, utilizing Twitter makes a lot more sense than utilizing Facebook for business purposes, because it’s a more effective forum for thought leadership and connecting with other business owners. Don’t just adopt social media because everyone’s talking about it. Take the time to think about how it can really further your business.

Third, it’s about thought leadership as well as promoting your business – so think about the types of info you can share with followers, fans, etc. that will be useful to them in addition to sharing all the cool things about your biz.

Question 3: What are some advantages of the virtual agency structure?

• Signficant cost savings to my clients – they don’t have to pay for the overhead of office space, old school phone systems, servers, etc.
• No geographic limitations – I can build the best team for my clients based on their skill sets, not their proximity to San Francisco.
• No 9-5 limitations either. My team can work whenever and wherever they want, as long as they meet client deadlines.
• Take advantage of some of the coolest new (affordable) technology out there – we use a virtual fax service, digital phone service and online project management tools. They’re all surprisingly affordable!

Question 4: What’s the best way a business owner can allocate limited marketing dollars to get the most bang for their buck?

If you have limited dollars to spend, here’s what I recommend:

• Get the basics – a sleek, well-written website is an absolute must. Don’t do it yourself unless you’re a designer. It’s worth the money and there are some amazing, affordable freelancers out there. You also need professionally designed business cards on high-quality paper stock. Don’t cut corners here – this is the first impression you’re making on clients!
• An email marketing newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with prospects and current clients. We distribute ours monthly, and always receive fantastic feedback on it.
• Check out your social networking/marketing options. Twitter is a great way to get your name out there, and all you need is the time to maintain it.
• I strongly suggest working with a professional on the official positioning of your business. They can help you spell out your unique value in a language that will resonate with your customers, not just you.

Question 5: What are some simple tips that a business owner can use to improve their business/maketing writing?

I could give you tons, but here are my favorites!

• Keep it short. 500 words or less per page, newsletter, blog post, etc. will almost always tell your story sufficiently.
• Avoid corporate speak! I’m on a crusade to rid the world of overused words/phrases like “impactful,” “end of the day,” etc. Check out our full list here: http://www.brilliantink.net/blog/?p=26
• Know your audience. The better you understand them, the better you’ll communicate with them.
• Check out more writing tips on our blog: http://www.brilliantink.net/blog/?p=339.