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03 Sep 2021
Blog, Public Relations, Social Media, Uncategorized Permalink

What is Earned Media?

September 3, 2021

What is earned media? The PR experts from Playbook Public Relations explain all you need to know about earned media and its importance. Read more.

Your public relations and marketing efforts can pay off nicely when you score earned media. Earned media – also known as earned content, publicity, or organic media – happens as a result of a third party promoting your business or organization. This type of media is not paid for, in contrast to a paid ad, and your actions earn you this type of attention. 

Main Types of Earned Media

Brand mentions and awareness are increased by these types of earned media:

  • Article mentions, quotes or feature stories
  • Interviews (TV, radio, podcasts, and beyond)
  • Public-generated videos
  • Social media mentions, including reviews
  • Word of mouth

Every business touchpoint is an opportunity for earned media, even the traditional word of mouth that still remains as impactful as online or printed mentions. When you make customers or the media happy, the more positive earned media you’ll gain when their friends, contacts, or audience asks who’s top of mind and your name comes up.

Why Earned Media Is Important

When news outlets, influencers, fans, the public, or another third party publicizes you, this increases your stature as an authority and helps brand awareness grow. This helps give you more credibility as your target audiences trust these sources more to believe in your product or service, insights, and branded content. You can reach bigger audiences faster with earned media, but you do not have as much control over what they say. 

Part of Your Marketing Strategy

While earned media does take more work and time to cultivate, it is an essential, major component of a comprehensive marketing and public relations plan. Playbook PR helps clients create relationships with the press and influencers, and these groups can be regularly pitched to so you can get earned media when the message and content is a win-win for everyone. Influencer marketing goes beyond celebrities to connect with industry thought leaders and organizations, target audiences’ leading influencers, and other noteworthy third parties that can elevate your brand online and offline. Mining your LinkedIn contacts is a great place to start to show you who knows who and what shared connections they can introduce you to in an effort to further business relationships.

Attending or organizing events and distributing your content in person or online depending on the event’s format is a great tactic for earned media. Presenting on a topic that will be helpful to event attendees and gain you media mentions helps you go even farther. Pre-show opportunities and social media promotion on the event channels can be a great place to expand your brand awareness through social conversation, email marketing, links, and visuals that elaborate on your key messaging. Be sure to include all your relevant social media handles, hashtags, and links to help keep attendees focused on your top platforms to engage in.

Tap into your fan and advocate base by sharing news with them in tandem with the media, so they know they are VIPs for being loyal to you. Keeping a separate list of these VIPs helps in combination with a media contacts list as this fan list is more apt to share your news word for word and add their positive viewpoint to create even more respect and interest in your brand. Employee advocacy programs can also fit within this category as a low-cost distribution network to share the latest news on their own social media networks.

Get Extra Mileage Out of Earned Media

Plus, when you receive earned media, you can share it with your fans and social media networks to remind them that you are a quality brand and third parties recognize your value. You can also choreograph earned media to get more mileage out of it by:

  • Reprinting the earned media for distribution at events, on displays, or as mailers
  • Publishing snippets of the earned media in blog postings or testimonials
  • Including it in sales presentations or scripts
  • Sharing it on social media with reposts
  • Sharing it in award nomination submissions

Be sure to get permission for any earned media content you want to use to keep the relationship with the third-party above board. Some organizations have republishing or logo use guidelines, so contact the person who first published the earned media to ensure compliance. 

Takeaway

With a great service or product and content worth sharing, it is possible to get more earned media regularly. Working with Playbook PR will help you create engaging, timely content, more social media engagement, and connect you with tools such as social media monitoring to jump in when breaking news or a special event makes your brand even that much more relevant. Like you, we are here to exceed expectations to help your brand get more longevity and success. From media relations to event management and content creation, Playbook PR is known for its comprehensive results-driven campaigns, ROI, and helping your bottom-line results. Contact Playbook Public Relations at (813) 789-7122 or online to elevate your media strategy and brand.

30 Jul 2021
marketing advice, Public Relations, social marketing, Social Media Permalink

Types of Social Media Influencers

July 30, 2021

Public relations experts from Playbook PR break down the different types of social media influencers. Read more on the blog.

The social media ecosystem is a diverse community of individuals that can take your PR to the next level. As part of your marketing playbook, there are different types of social media influencers that you can work with to amplify your brand and goals. Each type of influencer caters to a specific population, so it’s important to have a trusted PR firm by your side to make sense of the social media landscape to help your marketing investment have a better return on investment.

Numerous studies and research show that influencer marketing yields 11 times higher ROI than other forms of digital marketing, according to MediaKix’s Industry Benchmark Survey. For every dollar spent, influencer marketing brings in more than $5 for brands. Most companies invest from $10,000 a year for influencer marketing up to six figures when budgets allow as their survey shows almost 75% of consumers would buy more than $600 from an influencer recommendation.

Dive into the most relevant apps for your brand to find the right types of social media influencers that will help your target audiences connect with your brand in more authentic ways. From the top-down, we’ll explore how each social media influencer type can work to realize your goal.

Mega Influencers

These types of social media influencers are ultra-famous celebrities. With one post, they can provide tremendous reach. These notable individuals can get your brand in front of 10 million-plus people in just one post. When your goal is to get the most awareness possible, mega influencers are worth the mega cost to collaborate with them on a sponsored post.

Macro Influencers

The macro group is the web-savvy social media stars, vloggers, podcasters, and bloggers with 100,000 to 1 million followers. These types of social media influencers create a greater reach for your campaign and often bring deep content creation experience to build unique brand experiences and recognition that stands out from the crowd.

Micro-Influencers

This group of social media influencers can help to truly impact sales, specific results, and increased engagement. As credible sources of expertise in niche topics, brands can find tremendous allies in these types of social media influencers. Niche bloggers, vloggers, activists, and educators are plentiful in this group and drive engagement up to seven times more than the influencers with hordes of followers. The people that follow micro-influencers trust them as highly credible sources and follow their recommendations more often because of their thought leadership.

Advocates

Here, the lead stage of your marketing efforts can take more shape. Advocates begin and jump into conversations about your brand to promote or defend your initiatives. When multiplied, advocates become strong legions who champion your brand and share important details about your services, core values, and key messages. This helps to build brand traction, encourages others to open up about your brand, and activates new fans. Of special note, employees can be a part of this group to help grow a brand’s reach and engagement. Active employee influencers are powerful brand ambassadors, and company cultures can benefit from cultivating this as part of their growth strategy.

Referrers

In every group, there is an essential base of people who recommend websites, brands, and individuals because they have directly experienced the benefits of your product or service. As lead magnets, these types of social media influencers are highly trusted and drive people to follow through on their recommendations. When scaled, this turns into an army of leads carrying out your desired actions.

Loyalists

This bunch sticks with your brand through every up and down. They continue to share and promote your activities and are great for re-energizing your audience as goals take shape. As an active and receptive audience, they are great to help test out different marketing messaging to help your brand be even stronger in the digital age.

Takeaway

Depending on your brand demographics and market segments, social media influencers can help you with everything from exposure, product releases, boosting loyalty, and better ROI. With a results-driven PR firm by your side, your brand can access social media research tools to identify the best types of social media influencers, create high-performing content, sharpen your strategy and monitor your campaigns for success. Playbook Public Relations is known for helping brands to define their influencer PR goals and garnering the right attention for your business. Contact Playbook PR at (813) 789-7122 or online to experience exceptional results with their expertise.

21 Jun 2021
Public Relations, Social Media Permalink

How Do Social Media Influencers Boost PR?

June 21, 2021

PR experts from Playbook PR explain how social media influencers can help boost your company’s brand. Read more on influencer PR on the Playbook PR blog.

Social media influencers have dramatically changed how content and PR can reach your target audiences. The influencer marketing industry will account for more than $15 billion by 2022, according to Forbes. Influencers can now join the largest entertainment industry labor union SAG-AFTRA, and the industry has matured during the last five years from the perception of paid spokespeople to becoming creative partners and content creators with brands of all sizes and shapes. So how can social media influencers help your brand?

Reach Your Audiences Where They Reside

Brand audiences see influencers more as friends than celebrities and provide deeper word-of-mouth marketing than traditional advertising. They create a halo effect that translates from one social media platform to another, creating a synergistic effect that helps to boost your brand exponentially. As an extremely effective form of storytelling, influencer PR helps brands unlock their creative potential by being on the right platform and showing the unique angles that are important to their audiences. 

Think of Adidas collaborating with Beyoncé on her Ivy Park fashion line, Fortnite hosting a concert series with Travis Scott, or the video game Among Us collaborating with New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitch. It’s not always about celebrities with social media influencers, but more about who has the right engagement and followers to help amplify your brand. To build a social media empire, smart brands know that influencers are a pivotal part of a brand’s DNA rather than just a wish-list item. 

Most marketers plan to spend 10% of their budget on influencer PR on Instagram, followed by YouTube, blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Twitch, and Pinterest. Instagram posts and stories are the most effective for influencer marketing, followed by YouTube and Instagram videos, blog and Facebook posts, Facebook videos, tweets, Facebook and YouTube Live, and Twitch live streams. TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Clubhouse, Instagram Reels, Houseparty, and others are emerging as the next round of social media standouts.

Define Your Influencer PR Goals

Increasing brand awareness is the main goal for influencer marketing and reaching new audiences to generate sales is the target ROI. Improving advocacy for the brand, driving and creating leads, and managing brand reputation should be a part of your top objectives too. By expanding your brand’s voice on social media, you can improve customer satisfaction and more earned media opportunities. 

A mix of having the social media influencer post on their own accounts as well as on your brand’s platforms will create an ecosystem that endorses your brand and services or products so that everywhere your audiences turn, they find you in the spotlight. This takes a consistent social media campaign and multiple touchpoints at regular intervals so your brand stays top of mind. As part product placement and part testimonial, an influencer’s connections and followers help a brand have more interactions through comments, likes, and shares.

Find the Right Influencers

Celebrities hold a mystique and tons of followers, but cost a lot of money. Micro-influencers with 1,000 to 50,000 followers are a brand’s best bet as they are experts in their niche areas. They have better engagement with their followers and deeper influence on them than celebrities adored by the masses. Studies have shown that micro-influencers have up to 85% increased engagement with their audiences than influencers with 100,000 to 1 million followers. Micro-influencers’ reviews and recommendations weigh more on purchasing decisions at both local and regional levels. 

Build Relationships with Key Influencers

One-off social media influencing is not a wise investment. Long-term partnerships with key influencers help to educate them on your brand and, in turn, builds deeper layers of trust with their audiences. An influencer’s skills, charisma, and unique offerings help to increase your ROI in a more natural way for audiences. It’s critical to set expectations with the influencer through a contract in advance so everyone is on the same page. Expectations should outline the type of content to be produced, timing of posts, talking points, and preferred content and hashtags for your brand. 

Take the Guesswork Out

By hiring a public relations agency to find, manage, and leverage influencer PR, your brand can continue to focus on daily operations while the PR company is dedicated to making the influencer campaign a success. From research to vetting influencers, coordinating content, and using analytic tools to adjust campaigns in real-time, a PR firm can help you get results faster and more efficiently. 

Contact Us

Playbook PR is here to help brands make sense of the influencer PR landscape and ever-changing social media and marketing environment. Their connections to leading influencers help to build social proof for your brand’s customers and prospects. From creating partnerships to managing content and campaigns, Playbook PR can assist every step of the way with your social media efforts. The agency’s social listening tools, expertise in helping both small businesses and billion-dollar brands, and accomplished team help you to implement more effective social media strategies. Contact Playbook Public Relations at (813) 789-7122 or online to develop and refine your influencer PR strategy to move your company’s goals forward. 

18 May 2021
Branding, Public Relations, Social Media Permalink

What Are the Benefits of Social Media in Public Relations?

May 18, 2021

Find out the many benefits of social media in PR and how it can boost your brand and company. Read more from the PR experts on the Playbook PR blog.

As part of a comprehensive, results-driven public relations strategy, social media is key to keeping your brand relevant and driving ROI. Whether you are in the startup phase, an established business, or want to reinvigorate your company, there are many benefits of social media PR. Let’s dive in and see which benefits you are already seeing, and which strategies an experienced PR and marketing firm can help you accomplish.

Increases Brand Reach

Social media PR is the modern equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing. As you post, share, and network on social media, your brand will connect directly to your target audiences through the strategic use of hashtags, sponsored posts, and more. With engaging, relevant content, your top audiences will share your posts to their networks and help to increase your brand’s reach and follower count incrementally. Making key announcements on social media (think awards, launches, and updates), sharing expertise, and even social media event posting strategies help your brand to show a diversity of content that engages viewers. This also assists in attracting the interest of journalists and the media to learn about your brand and cover it in their publications, multimedia, or TV segments. PR pros will assist you with social media strategies to interact with the media online and get them to present your story angles and interview you for more details.

Builds Trust   

As your brand posts regular, useful content, your messages will get amplified and incrementally build trust. This helps to position your brand as an authority and keeps your messaging at the top of your target audiences’ minds. Beyond your loyal social media base, this facilitates attracting investors, business partners, and collaborators to grow your company. With guidance from a proven PR agency, your brand can work with influencers to exponentially grow your fan and customer base with their networks. Influencers with large digital followings can promote offerings, help your brand’s reputation, and skyrocket visibility for your key messaging.

Shows Human Side of Business

Since social media is more conversational, companies can show more of the behind-the-scenes about their brand and mission in a friendly tone. Instead of being so formal, social media allows for a more warm, approachable, and inviting communications strategy. The key is to keep consistent with this tone to keep your audiences’ trust. As social media is a two-way communication platform, this tone carries over to how your brand engages and interacts with the audience. A social media calendar, style guide, and regular posting strategy empower business owners and marketers to stay in the driver’s seat with their PR. Many companies also use social media to drive social impact. From corporate responsibility programs to charitable causes and beyond, social media assists in raising awareness about causes that matter to your brand and how your audiences can get involved. From hashtag campaigns to other interesting and impactful posts, social media can show the good you are doing in real-time.

Creates Measurable Results

With various social media platforms that your business can use, each has specific metrics that show you how posts, engagement, and more are doing. From these measurable results, you can refine which strategies are working best. PR agencies can help with social listening tools to further understand the social media landscape and how your social media strategies are working. Social media strategies can also be used to convert leads into customers, and your PR agency can help by testing which posts work best for sales, ROI, and other metrics that are important to your brand. From liking a post to commenting and sharing, every positive interaction gets the customer closer to a buying decision. Social media drives inbound traffic to your website and key links to help your buyer advance on the customer and user journey. Search engines also use a brand’s social media presence as a factor in search rankings. With a set of regularly used keywords and hashtags in social media, search engines will rank your brand higher than others who are not actively posting.      

With your competitors most likely also being on social media, other benefits of social media PR include the transparency of what the competition is doing. From competitive research to an analysis of unique offerings and PR angles, brands benefit from seeing what the competition is doing. Likewise, you can see brands that you are inspired by to develop your business’ best practices and potential partnerships that can give your brand a boost. 

Manages Relationships and Threats

In our increasingly connected and vocal world, social media is one of the first lines of defense when public commentary and threats emerge on a brand’s social media channels. From regular monitoring to ensure relationships are being upheld to reacting to threats swiftly, a social media crisis plan is important to have in advance. With the viral nature of social media posts, it’s key to be proactive about brand reputation crises and have spokespeople ready and trained in talking to the media with a PR agency’s guidance. By working with journalists and the media in advance of any crisis, your brand helps set the stage for when an issue does occur so the media shows a more balanced version of what happened.

Increases Affordability of Marketing

Versus ad campaigns in traditional media and billboards, social media PR is an affordable investment of your company’s time and money. With a trusted PR agency to carry out all the fine details on a daily and weekly basis, you can take a lot of the guesswork out of social media PR and marketing. Paid advertising on social media channels is also reasonable and a good way to focus on how you want the social media PR to convert into an ROI. 

Takeaway

A solid social media PR strategy and regular touchpoints can be a gamechanger for your brand, amplifying your message and allowing your brand to speak from a position of strength. Contact Playbook PR at (813) 789-7122 or online to determine the mix of traditional and social media that will work best for your business’ short and long-term goals.

30 Apr 2021
content marketing strategy, Public Relations, Social Media Permalink

What is Social Media PR?

April 30, 2021

What is social media PR? The PR experts from Playbook PR breakdown everything you need to know about social media PR. Read more on the blog.

Business owners have enough on their plate, so we understand when you come to a PR agency to make sense of the social media landscape to develop a more efficient and effective integrated marketing campaign strategy to get a better ROI. In today’s hyperspeed marketing environment where mainstay social media platforms go hand-in-hand with new trendsetting ways to reach audiences, you need a highly experienced social media PR firm to help guide the way.

Social Media PR

Social media PR is all about showing your unique offerings and how this helps the niche audiences that your service or product focuses on. Social media posting topics and calendars that account for regular posting, generating brand awareness, and converting likes into leads and sales will help direct your efforts. Collaborating with a PR agency assists businesses with taking the guesswork out of all the social media strategies that are essential for being relevant on these apps, including hashtagging to tagging, working with influencers, attracting the interest of journalists and collaborators, and beyond.

A choreographed social media strategy creates awareness about your brand on your terms. For example, a marketing campaign can launch with specific story pitches and press releases that allow for social media sharing capabilities, extend to social media posts, convert to media opportunities and speaking engagements, turn into long-form content opportunities – including videos – on company marketing channels and with external online websites and platforms where your target audiences frequent. Social media content categories are key to define for your audiences. Do they prefer more inspirational, educational, conversational, promotional, behind-the-scenes content or a mix of these elements to keep their interest, and your follower counts, increasing?

Content is King

Original, consistent, and branded social media content can be regularly measured and monitored by PR pros to help evaluate refinements, opportunities, and next steps. From customer conversations to media sentiment to guidance on what it takes for a post to go viral successfully, PR professionals know how to harness social media engagement for your benefit. As companies look for creative ways to maximize their marketing investment, some have instituted brand ambassador programs to get company perks for promoting them on social media. For an entryway into the newest social media apps, this can be a smart choice to capture the next generation of customers.

As with any online platform, reputation management becomes an important consideration in your social media PR strategy. It is essential to create a real-time crisis management plan in advance so that your outside PR team and internal spokespeople are on the same page for when this reality does occur. Handling crises swiftly, keeping focused on your company’s core values that can help turnaround the situation, and communicating the play-by-play externally, and giving access to top leadership in social media posts can do a lot to help damage control.

Social media and PR pros are an affordable extension of your team that are dedicated to lifting the burden of the ever-changing social media landscape and regular posting cycles that are essential to keeping your brand’s message at the top of your audiences’ minds. From amplifying your message to creating long-term social media PR plans, the experienced PR team at Playbook Public Relations is known for delivering unprecedented media exposure, captivating social media content, and exceeding expectations for clients. Contact Playbook Public Relations at (813) 789-7122 or online to re-energize your social media strategy.

25 Mar 2021
Blog, Branding, Business Advice, content marketing strategy, marketing advice, Public Relations Permalink

Public Relations vs Advertising: What’s the Difference?

March 25, 2021

Understand the difference between public relations and advertising from the PR experts at Playbook PR. Read more on the blog.

You know it’s time to increase your business’ reach and there are many strategies to execute to not only increase the awareness of your brand but get a better return on investment for your efforts too. Knowing the difference between public relations and advertising, who can help you bring focus to your action items, and when to use each of these levers can make a dramatic difference in your business’ success.

Public relations and advertising can be seen as two-star players in your playbook. PR is earned by making connections in the media and beyond whereas advertising is paid for and targeted to certain niche audiences. Public relations cast a wider net as it helps to create brand awareness and increases your reputation. PR is a solid strategy to build trust for your business because a third party has effectively given you a vote of confidence by taking your effective press release or pitch and then gives you opportunities for an interview, thought leadership article, social media mentions, and beyond. Audiences are more likely to do business with companies they know and admire, and this is where PR helps to build this organically. Since a third party is doing the promotions, you do not control the final result or frequency of the PR.

In contrast, advertising is typically for promoting specific products, services, and deals to key groups of potential customers at a cost, oftentimes for specific buying seasons. Depending on where you place the ad, how long the ad will run, and how much exposure it gets will determine the price. You get more control with advertising from the design, content, and frequency of it running since your business is calling the plays. 

PR is all about storytelling as journalists, reporters, and editors are constantly on the lookout for credible sources to bring their stories to life. Where can your company help them see the big picture, get meaningful information to their audiences, and build their base? When your PR can make these plays, the media will be more open to your unique offerings. A magazine feature, TV segment, or newspaper article can go viral with re-posts, likes, tweets, and emails, giving you a lot of earned media for your effort. The role of media continues to expand with social influencers, industry experts, and other stakeholders becoming key storytellers in your PR efforts.

As public relations efforts increase, search engine optimization can also improve. Backlinks from top-tier websites help to build your credibility online and increased views, clicks, and sales can be measured from your PR efforts too. As others produce content about you and post it online, your business will go up in the search rankings and people will see legitimate external content about you that shows your strengths in the marketplace. Consumers like to see other content than just your website, social media, and digital marketing when they look on search engines.

The difference between public relations and advertising also comes down to timing and effort. When your business needs to make a big splash, has an ample marketing budget, knows what message you want to convey, and you need to act fast, advertising is the best lever to control the message on your terms. Advertising does take effort, but it can be distinguished between an individual ad or a full ad campaign over a set time period. In contrast, PR takes time to build. From building relationships with the media and key influencers and stakeholders to crafting pitches and press releases, PR does take time and effort on a routine, sustained basis to get wins. Many studies have shown how PR prompts more buying decisions since third-party endorsements create more trust in your company with consumers, so the extra time and effort is worth it.

As strategies to help get your business or organization to the next level, the combination of public relations and advertising in your marketing mix will create a more solid foundation. At Playbook, our clients benefit from robust campaigns that include public relations, advertising, digital strategies, social media, influencer relations, strategic alliances, and promotions. Our track record of delivering unprecedented media exposure, expertise in advertising, and serving as an extension of your team is the winning playbook for your business. Contact Playbook Public Relations at (813) 789-7122 or online to re-energize your marketing and brand.

15 Mar 2021
Blog, Business Advice, Public Relations Permalink

5 Reasons Why Public Relations Is Important to Your Brand

March 15, 2021

Public relations can make a significant impact on your brand and company. Find out why public relations is important on the Playbook PR blog.

Public relations is the gateway to increase your public perception and sentiment. With a trusted public relations agency by your side, you can build a regular rhythm of PR activities that will elevate your brand and return on investment. Why public relations is important in your marketing mix comes down to five reasons why PR is a must.

  • Increases Brand Sentiment 

Need to shed some light on all the unique offerings your company or organization provides? Your business is most likely doing some incredible things that are timely, relevant, and interesting. But without public relations to help busy journalists, reporters, or editors, they might never know about it. PR helps to tell your story, distinguish you from the competition, and provide a stream of ideas for the media who are always on the hunt for content that speaks to their audiences. From your press release or pitch, they will then produce various types of content that help to promote your brand. PR helps in times of good or bad too. With the realities of online reviews, comments, and discussion websites, a business can face disgruntled consumers whether it is true or not. This is where a PR campaign can help to get sentiment back in the right direction and shed light on as well as reinforce brand values. 

  • Generates Leads, Sales, and Profits

Public relations builds relations with a multitude of audiences depending on your business’ focus. From building relationships with the media, investors, government, community, customers, and/or internally (think employees and their morale), PR gets a targeted message to your preferred audiences in impactful ways. Since third-party content about your business carries more credibility with consumers, PR gets people closer to buying decisions and quicker. For transforming your business and profitability, PR is an ally you need by your side.

  • Builds Credibility 

Consumers feel more comfortable with established brands. Online, this equates to showing a robust history of media coverage high up in the search rankings. TV segments, articles, interviews, social media posts, and more show credibility in your industry. Added to that, you can get more mileage out of these media mentions and have sales reps and business developers use this content in their follow-ups, as well as boost employee morale and future job candidates with the goodwill you’ve created by being active in PR.

  • Creates a Proactive Playing Field

When you collaborate with an experienced PR agency, you can establish a regular daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and/or seasonal rhythm for your PR activities. By being in the driver’s seat with your PR instead of just doing it when crises emerge, you will generate lots of good press which results in a more proactive playing field. This trail of credibility and goodwill humanizes your company and helps in times of distress to point to the good that your company has done. A proactive PR plan helps you to leverage opportunities, plan for emergencies, and calculate your steps in advance.    

  • Connects to Coveted Audiences

With so many options for PR and already jam-packed schedules, marketers and business owners can easily feel overwhelmed. Expert PR agencies help to identify the best use of a business’ time and investment to get on the right platforms, publications and channels, and with the right authorities and influencers to boost their brand exponentially. Getting access to these coveted audiences is a crucial component to your growth. From small businesses to larger organizations, PR companies have the connections to reach these audiences. From tailoring the message to the audience to knowing which reporters cover which topics, savvy PR agencies can handle all these details so you can focus on other projects for the livelihood of your business. With each connection you make, your business stands to become a routine source for the media and others to call on, quote, and provide further insight on.

Takeaway

When public relations can be the quarterback to shine a light on your business, its goodwill and relevancy no matter what is happening in the marketplace, your business has the ability to flourish. As the public confidence in your brand stands the test of time, your business’ PR efforts create a lasting story about your business, personnel, services, products, and customer base. From this angle, public relations should be a mainstay in your marketing, not just a luxury when more sales are needed or crises emerge.

With more than 30 years of experience in marketing strategy, public relations, and project management, Playbook Public Relations takes the guesswork and stress out of PR for a wide variety of clients big and small. From leveraging media relationships to developing PR campaigns, Playbook is known for its high-quality standards, dedicated teams, and helping companies stand out from the competition. Contact Playbook Public Relations at (813) 789-7122 or online to elevate your PR and brand.

08 Sep 2020
Content Marketing, content marketing strategy, crisis communications, marketing, Public Relations Permalink
THEA

Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) Awards Marketing & Communications Contract to Playbook Public Relations

September 8, 2020

Tampa, Fla., – Playbook Public Relations, was awarded the marketing and communications contract with the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA). The term of the contract is three years with an option for THEA to renew a one-year extension for another two years. 

Playbook’s team brings experience in marketing strategy, public relations, and project management. The company has won numerous awards, including Small Business of the Year from the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce, the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Best of the Bay, and for the last three years, USF’s prestigious Fast 56 honors. 

Playbook was part of the team that spearheaded the Agency’s grassroots communications and outreach strategy. Notable award-winning campaigns include outreach for the Selmon Extension and “Shop Gandy!”, THEA Connected Vehicle Pilot Program, and the Deputy Kotfila Memorial Dog Park along the Selmon Greenway. 

“THEA is an economic driver for our region, building projects that enhance neighborhoods and helping our community prepare for Tampa Bay’s anticipated growth,” says Dee. “It’s an honor to serve an organization that embraces cutting-edge technology and is committed to enhancing the mobility of our region. We are excited to help THEA tell its story.”

With extensive knowledge of THEA’s current projects, Playbook will leverage every multimedia opportunity available to bring public awareness to THEA’s $1 Billion six-year work plan. 

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About Playbook Public Relations

Playbook is a certified Small Business Enterprise and Women-Owned Enterprise. It offers award-winning public relations and marketing services. The company’s comprehensive results-driven campaigns are ROI-proven and help garner attention that leads to bottom-line results for its clients. Playbook’s robust campaigns include Public Relations, Marketing, Digital Strategies, Social Media, Influencer Relations, and the development of Strategic Alliances and Promotions. Each Playbook account is managed by a team of seasoned professionals with the relationships and experience to deliver results. For more information please visit, playbookpublicrelations.com.

About THEA

The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) is a public agency of the state, created by the Florida Legislature, to provide local, user-financed transportation services that reinvest customer-based revenues back into the Tampa Bay community. THEA owns and operates the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, Brandon Parkway, Meridian Avenue, and the Selmon Greenway; designed and operates the world’s first reversible all-electronic toll road; and provides over 100,000 daily travelers with safe, reliable, and financially sustainable transportation solutions. For more information on how THEA is moving transportation forward, visit www.tampa-xway.com.

15 Jun 2020
Business Advice, Content Marketing, Uncategorized, Website Design Permalink

Should Your Small Business Have a Website?

June 15, 2020

Should Your Small Business Have a Website?

The answer is an emphatic “yes!” The bottom line is that today your customers expect you to have a website.

What! No website? Without a business website, potential customers form a certain view of your company, and it’s not favorable. Whether it’s legitimate or not, “no website” says one or more of the following:

  1. You don’t believe in the value of technology.
  2. You’re too lazy to put together a website.
  3. You’re too unorganized to make it happen.
  4. You can’t afford to pay for a website.
  5. You’re going out of business or are already closed.
  6. You don’t have anything to say to your customers.
  7. Your competitors are better.
  8. You think social media is good enough.
  9. You don’t have anything new and exciting to offer.
  10. Plus, about a dozen other things you don’t want folks thinking about your business.


If your business doesn’t have a website, today’s technological customers may go somewhere else. You see, 75% of them will determine your company’s credibility based on your website.
So, what does that mean if you have no website?

That means less business for you.

Last year, Google found that at any given point in time, 84% of Americans are shopping for something. Thus, an online presence and particularly a professionally designed and maintained business website are essential for marketing your small business.

How Do Consumers Find Information?

Today—and by today, we can say, especially in the midst of a pandemic—customers want to be able to find information about your company quickly and intuitively from your business website. Again, that’s just expected, meaning that it is standard practice.

Your customers expect an easy-to-use menu and navigation, as well as readily available contact info. They want a website that makes sense and one in which they can click a few times to arrive at the content they need.

Consumers conduct research online before they make a purchase—even if it’s to buy something they want to pick up down the street at your store. They’re verifying that you have the item in stock, that you’re open, and what the item will cost.

If you don’t have a website (or one that’s easy to use), you’re sending a message that the doors are locked, the lights are off, and their patronage isn’t required.

Your customers and prospects are living online. That’s even more true as the coronavirus pandemic makes in-person business harder to safely conduct. As a result, your small business must have a presence. 93% of online experiences start with a search engine, and 47% of people click on one of the first three listings.

Over 60% of Small Businesses Don’t Have A Website

While it might bring you some comfort to know you are in the majority, you’re losing out on sales, and that’s only going to continue to a greater degree.

Executing an online advertising strategy is vital for businesses in a post-coronavirus world. As consumers migrated to online shopping during the pandemic, it has become less expensive for businesses to purchase digital advertising.

Takeaway

There’s never been a more opportune or more critical time to invest in a website for your business. A website offers a wide variety of benefits for small businesses, and most of these will grow in value year over year.
The argument for your small business to invest today in a website has never been more compelling. Your customers are definitely spending more time online. That means increased opportunities to get your message in front of prospective clients and customers.

Playbook Public Relations can help your small business get results. Let us put together a digital marketing and advertising campaign during the pandemic to get your company increased web traffic and more business. Our market knowledge and support team will provide your company with the best multi-faceted publicity or marketing campaign. Let us create a “playbook” for your business.

Contact Playbook Public Relations today in Tampa, Florida at (813) 789-7122 or use our web contact form.

15 Jun 2020
Blog, Content Marketing, content marketing strategy, convid-19, SEO, Social Media, Website Design Permalink

Internet Usage is Up 70% During the COVID-19 Pandemic

June 15, 2020

Internet Usage is Up 70% During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Americans are definitely spending more time online. That means increased opportunities to get your message and website in front of prospective clients and customers.

In addition to watching favorite indulgences like Netflix’s Tiger King, research from The New York Times on recent internet usage in the United States shows that our behaviors shifted. In some cases, quite drastically, with the impact of the coronavirus and the need for searching online for working at home, doing schoolwork, and passing the time playing and connecting.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Netflix added 15.8 million new customers in the first quarter and currently has 182.9 million subscribers worldwide. This says that we’re looking for entertainment options on streaming services like Netflix and YouTube and seeking to interact with friends on social media sites like Facebook.

The Need for COVID-19 Updates has Increased Viewing of Traditional News Sources Online

Trying to find accurate information and updates on the coronavirus has increased readership for local and established newspapers, The New York Times reported. We’ve also been searching for more established media brands for information on the pandemic and its vast economic fallout. For example, the business news site CNBC has experienced a massive increase in readership of nearly 100%. Likewise, the websites for The New York Times and The Washington Post have both grown traffic more than 50% in the past month, according to SimilarWeb.

However, this bump didn’t also follow on partisan sites like breitbart.com and Infowars.com. Also, The Daily Caller on the right and the liberal Truthdig.com have seen stagnant or falling numbers. And, it’s local news sites that are really enjoying big jumps in traffic, as users try to learn how the pandemic is impacting their own hometowns.

But besting all of these news sites, as far as increased popularity, is the home page for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s now getting millions of readers after previously having almost next to none.

ISPs See Usage and Users Skyrocket

Internet providers across the U.S. have been experiencing drastic spikes in usage since March, as many Americans started to telecommute or take classes online. Nortex Communications in Texas saw an increase of 30% more data usage for customers since March 12th and almost triple the subscribers over the past two months compared to previous months.

Comcast, which operates the largest residential Internet network in the U.S., has seen “an unprecedented shift in network usage.” However, the company assures users it’s within the capability of its network. Comcast reported a 32% increase in upstream traffic growth and an 11% increase in downstream traffic growth from March to May.

A Move from Phones Back to PCs and Tablets

We have seen an industry-wide emphasis on mobile devices in recent years, with the latest and greatest smartphones being able to do almost anything we ask them to do. However, as Americans spend our days at home with nearby computers and smart TVs, we’re now enjoying larger screens.

This tablet and PC viewing have also boosted gaming and chatting with friends and family as ways to bring the rest of our world indoors.

And while school’s in recess for the summer, most districts were forced to finish the school year with online education, so classes were held on platforms like Google Classroom, and school gatherings and sessions on Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams. Comcast says that its weekday usage is up, driven mostly by VoIP, video conferencing, and VPN as people continue to work and learn from home. Its VoIP and video conferencing are up 210-285%, and its VPN traffic is up 30-40%.

Overall, Comcast reports that gaming downloads are up 20-80%, depending upon new releases, and its streaming and web video consumption is up 20-40%. Similarly, television viewing is up to about eight viewing hours per week per household, including streaming.

Takeaway

It’s all about “eyeballs” or website visitors. Playbook Public Relations can help your company get results as we see many more Americans searching online. Let us put together a digital marketing and advertising campaign during the pandemic to get your company increased web traffic and more business.

Large or small, we have a solution when you need it. Our market knowledge and support team will provide your company with the best multi-faceted publicity or marketing campaign. Let us create a “playbook” for your business.

Contact Playbook Public Relations today in Tampa, Florida at (813) 789-7122 or use our web contact form.

Let Us Create A Winning Playbook For Your Business

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