Going Online - Launch Your Own Digital PR Campaign
By Jenn Connelly
As the digital media landscape speeds ahead, are your marketing tactics keeping pace? If not, it’s time to think about launching your own digital communications campaign. Especially in times of industry change, it’s important to seize on market opportunities with a clearly defined strategy. The financial industry has undergone dramatic change, and the media industry, too, is changing. The Internet is transforming communication as more people go online for news and information.
These changes present a great opportunity for you to expand your message reach, stay in “constant” communication with more clients and even emerge as a recognized thought leader in your chosen market.
To get started, here are a few basic tips:
1. Revamp Your Web site
Your Web site is often the first place that clients, prospects and media will go to learn about you. So, the first step: Make sure your Web site truly reflects what you have to offer each of these constituencies.
Secondly, your Web site needs to always be current. Too often, Web sites fall into a “set it and forget it” mode. Your goal should be to make your site a recurring destination for up-to-date information. Some tactics include:
- Write weekly or monthly market commentaries. Post these online, and ask readers to register for free. This way, you can capture contact information for prospects and spotlight your expertise for media and public speaking engagements.
- Create an “In the News” page. This page should provide an easily accessible contact person so that journalists can always schedule an interview with you. In addition, post any news coverage of your firm here, which further establishes you as an authority and thought leader.
- Ask for emails. Create a link on your Web site for visitors to leave you feedback, schedule appointments online or submit queries about your offering. This is another way to capture contact information. It also opens a new and more efficient line of communication with current clients, versus the telephone.
Start Networking
Social networking is one of the best new communications tools for businesses to take advantage of. Facebook, Linked In and Twitter are among the most well known sites. If you aren’t already registered with these sites, start investigating them as soon as possible. Again, the key here is to stay current. Journalists especially check Twitter and Facebook for story ideas. They want to know what you’re thinking and hearing. If your last post was from a week or two ago, they’ll stop visiting your page.
For clients and prospects, the big advantage to online social networking is reaching a wider audience. To get started on this front, some sample tactics include:
· Offer a free personal finance consultation, or another promotional event, to the first 20 people who 'friend' you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter. (Email those addresses you’ve captured from your Web site.)
· Repurpose your Web content. Each time you have a new weekly commentary on your Web site, post a link to it on your Facebook and/or Twitter page. This will drive people to your Web site, and be an easy way to look current to your social media network.
Be Aware of Compliance
As a provider of financial services, you’ll need to be sensitive to regulatory and compliance issues that curb what you can do as part of a digital communications strategy.
It’s critical that you get a full understanding of the topics and communications you can engage in, depending on your business. Your compliance department, general counsel and an external public relations firm familiar with financial services should provide guidance in this realm.
Bottom line, digital media might seem daunting at first blush, but for advisers who approach it as an extension of their larger marketing strategy it can be a game-changing piece of your plan.
Jennifer Connelly is President of JCPR in Parsippany, New Jersey, a full-service public relations and strategic communications specializing in the financial services industry.