CaliberPulse

The way we do business has changed significantly in the digital age. Every aspect including lead generation, customer service and retention, branding and marketing has shifted into overdrive as customers are more empowered and informed than ever before with research tools at their fingertips. Reputation management is more challenging as customer touchpoints continuously emerge and […]

Is a weak content marketing strategy hindering your social media efforts? Ten years ago, social media was an untrusted tactic that only the most cutting-edge marketers dared to explore. As the social movement gained traction, successful case studies emerged & people began to see how it could help their organizations.

In this fast-paced world, are you maximizing your “second screen” time by using the most efficient business apps?

Our social media team recently participated in a highly successful Twitter chat and wanted to pass along a few thoughts of using Twitter chats to increase your professional development, customer service, community relations and most importantly your business objectives.

We’ve conducted our fair share of social media bootcamp sessions with clients from a variety of industries and two basic questions seem to always arise, “which social media platforms should I be using and how do you expect me to find time to do all of this?”

Two recent op-ed pieces featured by Mashable presented opposing opinions on the value of LinkedIn’s relatively new endorsement feature. One article, written by Todd Wasserman, called it “meaningless,” while David Berkowitz’s rebuttal article argued that it is “…one of the best uses of game mechanics online...” So which is true?

Now that you’ve taken the plunge into the world of social media, you are faced with yet another decision. How do you find the best person to maintain your company’s message? The importance of this decision cannot be overlooked. Social media has opened a window that gives your customers a more personal connection with your business. It creates an opportunity for us to talk with our customers instead of at them. As a result, loyal followers expect authentic interaction and finding the person or team who will act as your authentic company ‘voice’ is crucial.

Now more than ever, your customers are being bombarded with messages from your competitors demanding their attention and motivating them to open their wallets. When consumers are presented with competing choices to your offerings that appear equal in price, benefits and quality, one sure way to stand out from your competition and gain customer loyalty is to support a charitable cause that your customers care about.

I’m an avid motorcyclist. The current business environment feels a lot like some of the roads I’ve traveled, filled with sharp turns and unexpected hazards, but also plenty of promising pavement ahead. The events of the past few years have brought our profession into a new era of doing business. The pressure to perform is high. We’re asked to help business partners in ever-increasing ways—yet often with fewer resources—to anticipate change, enhance reputation, and deliver results that provide greater impact on business goals. Change of this magnitude also presents new opportunities for all PR pros. The trick is whether we’re “looking through the turn,” a fundamental principle of motorcycling that offers a great business insight. As you approach a turn, you must look where you want to go, rather than fixate on potential hazards within the turn itself. The challenge is keeping your eyes focused on where you want to end up while using your instincts and experience to make necessary adjustments—all at a moment’s notice. My firm is continually focused on looking through the turn for clients to help drive their business—and ours—forward in spite of the current environment. What’s working for us? Here are our five “driving” tips.

John C. Maxwell once said, “Feeling appreciated brings out the best in people.” We all want to be appreciated in our relationships; at work by our staff, boss, and clients, and at home by our family and friends. Eileen Shenker recently gave a seminar called “Romancing Your Relationships™” at the February Women’s Financial Group hosted by National Bank of Arizona. Shenker reminded attendees that we have to make a conscious effort to appreciate those around us. She pointed out that often times, we think about calling someone up and saying thank you or think about sending a small gift, but never end up following through. In this case, it is not the thought that counts. Shenker’s mantra is “When you think it, act on it.”

Clients and colleagues are always asking “What’s the next ‘hot’ thing we should be doing?” Our latest answer? Quora. According to its administrators, “Quora is a collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it. The main goal is to be the best possible resource for someone who wants to know about each question.” According to Peter Baskerville, Quora reviewer, entrepreneur, educational resource developer and vocational teacher, Quora is: -An online collaborative information sharing and learning platform. -An online engineering platform that connects the information needs of real people with information solutions provided by real people.

There are hundreds of thousands of outlets in the U.S. that serve as resources of entertainment and news for millions of consumers. To achieve placements in these outlets, PR professionals and publicity seekers must provide a service to the publications; providing impactful, pertinent information that their readers can use. Interpretation: pitches must be targeted to publications and writers that are interested in providing your story to their readers. Building a targeted media list entails finding topic-specific publications, becoming familiar with their content, combing through previously printed/posted articles to find the editors and writers on a particular beat, and digging for their contact information. While this process is educational, it is time-consuming and may be prohibitive if there is a wide swath of publications and consumers you plan to reach.