Catriona Pollard

What makes a great website?

What are the essential traits of a great web site? After you visit a site and you browse through it for a while, what makes you stay? Great design helps. Amazing graphics are eye catching. But the fundamental trait that makes a website work is the content.

The content or copy of your website is critical. This is where you hold the attention of your audience and your word choice and grammar are critical. Misspellings and poor grammar are a quick turn off. If your content isn’t easy to read people will go to another site to get information and buy.

Copy writing is often one of those jobs that people think they can do themselves but probably shouldn’t. We often help clients with their web copy to assist them in the creation of a professionally written website.

Tips on writing effective website copy:

Keep it short
While choosing the right words are important, keeping them to a minimum is equally important. The length of your copy online should be about half that of the print version. Re-work your original, including succinct sentences and short paragraphs. Dot points are often a great way to achieve this.

Choose your words carefully
Try to avoid words that are too descriptive, colloquial or flowery. Descriptive words often don’t tell readers much and are a waste of words.

Understand your audience and write for them. Just because you have a well versed vocabulary doesn’t mean your audience does. At the same time by choosing colloquial language you often dumb down your website and limit credibility.

Organisation is the key
Organise your content and information. Start simple and then get to the details. Your homepage is designed to welcome your readers and include your key words. It is designed to tell readers what’s in it for them. Your inner pages can go into more detail.

Make sure each page is friendly, organised and uncluttered. Information is great, but make sure it is readable and easy on the eye.

Use subheadings
People often get lost or bored reading online so include subheadings to catch their attention and allow for scanning. Ensure paragraphs are short by cutting out any unnecessary copy. Make sure the font is reader friendly and bold all headings and subheadings.

Check and re check spelling and grammar
Check and re check your content to make sure it is correct. If you are unsure whether there should be a comma, a colon or a semi colon it is a good idea to consult a grammar guide. Good grammar and spelling ensures your professionalism and increases your credibility.

Avoid exclamation marks!
If you are one of those people that put an exclamation mark after every sentence – stop! They make people edgy and they are annoying! Exclamation marks don’t make your sales pitch any more effective!

Want more tips? Download this FREE ebook:

 

Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more PR tips see www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au

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by Catriona Pollard

How to write a case study

Case studies provide ideal opportunities to leverage business successes and can be used to reinforce your core messages through “story telling”. They provide audiences, including journalists, with a picture of the benefits your business provides its clients.

Market research consistently shows managers refer to the experiences of their peers when making purchase decisions. You most likely have many “stories” and it would be a shame if you didn’t tell your audiences about the successes you have.

Case studies follow the same format:

• Identify the challenge a particular customer faced.
• Describe the solution provided by the company.
• Illustrate the measurable results gained from using the service.

Many publications require case studies to be written in a specific way, for example Marketing Magazine submissions require the following structure:

• Background – what were the contexts of the case study?
• Objective – what did the company hope to achieve?
• Strategy – how did the company plan to achieve the objective?
• Execution – how did the company actually implement the strategy?
• Results – what were the results of the execution? Did they align with the objectives? What did the company learn from the whole experience?

When writing a case study we interview our client as well as their client so we can include quotes and get both sides of the story. The story should demonstrate how your company’s product or service was a key factor in solving your client’s problem. It doesn’t have to be solely about your product or service, but your influence must be vital to the success.

Here is a sample case study that we have achieved extensive online and print coverage for Prime Digital Media.

Case Study: PDM and Boost Juice – marketing to youth

A New Slice of Digital Media
Out-of-home digital (OOHD) media is the fastest growing slice of the marketing and communications pie. As the Australian media landscape becomes increasingly fragmented, OOHD is a new media that businesses are adopting to influence purchasing decisions and elevate brand awareness.

This rapidly emerging new media solves many of the problems plaguing traditional media, including declining national audiences as well as modern technology allowing consumers to skip or avoid ads. It is becoming increasingly clear that advertisers need to adapt their media mix to match changing consumer media-consumption habits.

Human attention, as an economic resource, is becoming scarce. As a result there has become a fundamental shift in the way advertisers and agencies buy media. OOHD targets the hard to reach demographic and offers opportunities for media buyers and planners to close the communication gaps that exist in their traditional marketing execution.

OOHD is typically defined as the ‘narrowcasting’ (as opposed to broadcasting) of video content to Plasma and LCD screens in either in-store or captive consumer ‘out of home’ environments. Many companies are beginning to advertise using OOHD and Boost Juice, one of Australia’s fastest growing franchises, is one of them.

Boost Juice commissioned Prime Digital Media (PDM), Australia’s leading provider of out-of-home digital media to develop and manage their OOHD content and enhance their customers experience by entertaining and informing them while waiting for their juice.

Boosting customer experience
Boost Juice stores turn over $100 million annually selling over 18 million juices and smoothies. Situated in major retail precincts and high traffic flow areas in metropolitan and regional sites key brands and products can talk directly to the ‘captive consumer’ whilst they wait for their fresh product to be made each day.

Boost Juice wanted to deliver an exceptional experience to their customers when visiting their stores. PDM developed Boost TV, a channel on the PDM Lifestyle network that consists of portrait oriented LCD and plasma screens at 65 prominent locations nationally. Boost TV displays an engaging mix of relevant, dynamic news and entertainment content interspersed with Boost Juice retailer promotions, and third party advertising.

With an average dwell time of five minutes for each transaction the Boost Juice channel delivers key brands with rich, dynamic digital content to the hard to reach 18-34 year olds on fully networked and live LCD/Plasma screens giving brands the immediacy and cut-through required in today’s fast changing consumer world.

PDM offer an end-to-end solution for Boost Juice from Advertising sales through to content creation and network management.

Capturing the new consumer
Most marketers understand that decreasing product differentiation and shorter product lifespan means it is vital that advertisers create a brand differential to ensure the product is at the forefront of consumers minds when they purchase. Because products are bought everyday, brands need to remind consumers of their name and value everyday.

PDM’s Creative Director, Julie Frikken believes that the Boost TV channel is attractive in delivering messages to a highly targeted and ‘captive’ youth audience, in a rich and compelling way.

“Boost TV targets the new consumer. They are the new breed of active, media- savvy consumer rather than the passive, naive consumer of yesterday.”

New consumerism is an essential ingredient of future influence and no individual can be truly future-influential if they are not acting in ‘new’ ways.

Boost Juice TV targets the new consumer. Their customer is a young, healthy, positive consumer segment, with 85% of the audience between 18-34 years old. The advertising on Boost TV guarantees that the brand messages are reaching an audience with a strong youth skew.

Capturing audiences
Boost TV targets 1,170,000 captive youth consumers every month with a mix of content that can be tailored to suit certain locations and target certain audiences.

“PDM’s media is unique in that it allows marketing ‘surgical strikes’ - messages relevant to a particular environment, location, day of the week and time of the day.”

“In environments with frequent revisits, such as a Boost Juice store, the constant refreshing of content also engages. Mixing advertising content with other forms of ‘infotainment’, such as real-time news and entertainment headlines, also drives impact,” said Ms Frikken.

OOHD captures audiences as they dwell. Screens that simply rotate through a series of static images will quickly disengage the audience, as they operate like traditional signage.

People don’t ‘watch’ OOHD screens like they do a TV, instead they take away high impact snippets of information as they dwell.

“We are all consumers, and we’re living in different times. We’re time poor, we’re mobile, we’re media savvy and we’re much harder to reach. Out-of-Home Digital Media networks bring rich, highly targeted relevant messages to a ‘captive’ consumer – allowing marketers to finish what they start in other media.”

“It’s a natural extension of the marketing mix, and will soon be just another component in every media plan,” said Ms Frikken.

Innovative technology
On Boost Juice TV all the screens are networked and centrally managed by PDM through a sophisticated, web-based media management system which manages large, complex out-of-home digital networks with ease. It allows PDM to analyse and deploy networks, plan, produce content, schedule and traffic content and measure its impact.

The screens provide the ability to adjust messages to fit the local market and to create, publish and measure communication in a way previously unheard of. Via PDM’s centrally managed network, they have the capability to feed relevant content and updates tailored to each store location and time of day.

The content used on Boost TV is updated over a broadband internet connection via PDM’s central trafficking system and averages 98% uptime over a year of 7-day-a-week operation.

Great results
Dynamic out-of-home digital media is now part of Boost Juice’s marketing strategy. The OOHD content that PDM manages has helped raise the profile and awareness of Boost Juice’s new product lines (e.g. Boost Hotties) and in doing so has driven product sales.

The creation of Boost TV has helped deliver cost efficiencies with Boost Juice’s corporate wide area network delivering a series of cost displacement or marketing efficiencies which measurably drive business benefits.

The OOHD content has not only allowed Boost TV to enhance customer experience, it has also allowed for a more efficient means of communicating with a difficult-to-reach youth audience,

As a result of the success of Boost TV, Boost Juice is now working with PDM to expand the size of the network, with plans to install additional panels into stores both in Australia and internationally.

Boost Juice’s adoption of digital signage is just one company that is taking part in the growing trend for retailers to adopt OOHD technologies as they recognise the benefits of this efficient and cost effective medium.

Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more PR tips see www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au

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by Catriona Pollard

Pitching & writing articles

Writing and distributing media releases is just one way of getting media coverage. You can also write an article and pitch it to a publication. You can also come up with a story idea and pitch that to a journalist.

Pitching is where you contact specific media outlets to offer them either an exclusive story, and article or a story opportunity that is more specific than a media release topic. Your story idea could be about a development within your industry, your opinion on a specific topic or where you believe certain trends within your industry are heading. You can pitch via email or phone, however before contact develop a clear outline of your story and ensure it is succinct and compelling.

Many publications are stretched for resources and welcome well written articles. You can write an article that positions you as an industry expert and offers topical, helpful information. Ensure it is written in an objective, informative and entertaining manner.

It should never be a blatant advertisement or advertorial. Determine which publications your potential clients read, and approach editors focusing on what you can do for their readers.  This is an effective way to generate future requests for comments from journalists as it positions you as an industry expert.

How to write an article:

• Before starting think about what the readers of the publication you will be pitching it to are interested in. Topics can include: identify a problem & give a solution, suggest a new approach, describe the lessons learnt from a project and their applications to other areas or even how to paint/weave/draw whatever your art is.

• Try not to use first person, so use ‘you’ rather than ‘I’. Write in short clear sentences, using sub headings, use dot points and bolding to communicate key points.

• Writings are invariably improved by allowing a few days to go by and then returning to your work.

• Proof read it and even ask someone else to check it. Other people see things you don’t and their final finesse can turn your article from being good to great.

Sydney PR Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more PR tips see www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au

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by Catriona Pollard

Use PR to get into the spotlight

The most cost-effective and successful means of building your business and attracting customers is through public relations, and in particular getting media coverage.

The reason that PR works is that it provides third-person credibility not obtainable through paid advertising. In fact, it is said to have 10 times the impact of traditional, paid advertising, placing you above your competitors as the “top of mind” choice for customers, investors and business partners.

There are a number of ways to go about getting media coverage and seeking journalists to call you for comment on industry matters or issues relating to your business.

Media releases are a great way of distributing relevant and topical information to a group of targeted publications (think about which media outlets your target audience get their information from). The release must be newsworthy and cover the “who, what, where, why and when”.

Case studies provide an ideal platform to leverage business success and tell your story to the media through your customers. Many trade publications publish case studies and you can use them as testimonials when speaking to journalists.

Pitching is where you contact specific media outlets to offer them either an exclusive story or an opportunity that is more specific than a media release topic. You can pitch via email or phone, however before contact develop a clear outline of your story and ensure it is succinct and compelling.

Special features are published in most printed media and cover specific topics relevant to readership. They are an excellent avenue for reaching a specific audience. Contact the feature editor or the journalist in charge to see what angles, topics and issues they wish to cover and then develop a story, case study, or offer comment. Be proactive and contact features editors well in advance of publishing deadlines, as often they are pre-printed.

Write an article that positions you as an industry expert and offers topical, helpful information. Ensure it is written in an objective, informative and entertaining manner.  It should never be a blatant advertisement or advertorial. Determine which publications your potential clients read, and approach editors focusing on what you can do for their readers.  This is an effective way to generate future requests for comments from journalists as it positions you as an industry expert.

Develop compelling messages so you can get your story across. When a journalist asks you for comment, ensure you have developed clear key messages as they create meaning, headline the issue and allow you to control the interview. With your audience in mind and focused on your objectives, you should work out in advance of the interview what you must say on the topic concerned.

It can be difficult to figure out which topics journalists are writing on and how to approach them. Many media outlets publish lists of upcoming features on their websites, usually under the advertising section. This will give you a good idea about which topics the feature editor will require comments and stories on. The key is to offer newsworthy, compelling stories that place you firmly in the spotlight.

Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more PR tips see www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au

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by Catriona Pollard

Start Blogging Today

With an increasing number of people reading, writing, and commenting on blogs, the way we use the web is shifting in a fundamental way. Instead of being passive consumers of information, more and more Internet users are becoming active participants.

A weblog, or blog, is a personal journal on the web. Weblogs express as many different subjects and opinions as there are people writing them. Some blogs are highly influential and have enormous readership while others are primarily intended for a close circle of family and friends.

The blogging phenomenon
A few years ago, web search was revolutionized by a simple but profound idea — that the relevance of a site can be determined by the number of other sites that link to it, and thus consider it ‘important.’ In the world of blogs, hyperlinks are even more significant, since bloggers frequently link to and comment on other blogs, which creates the sense of timeliness and connectedness one would have in a conversation.

The power of weblogs is that they allow millions of people to easily publish their ideas, and millions more to comment on them. Blogs are a fluid, dynamic medium, more akin to a ‘conversation’ than to a library — which is how the Web has often been described in the past.

The benefits of blogging
Your favourite thing about having a blog may be that they naturally attract search engine traffic. Blogs already have optimized site architecture. Most are set up with a clear navigation, where every page is set up to link back to the other main pages. They also have the inherent potential to be well-linked.

Increasingly, savvy companies are turning to blogs to complement their communications arsenal of press releases, sustainability reports and investor conference calls. What’s more, some start-up companies are forgoing press releases altogether in favour of blogs.

For a business, blogs also:

• Build your profile as blogging demonstrates expertise
• Allows you to shares information with customers
• Informs people about other things your business is doing
• Generate powerful referral networks
• Creates an opportunity to network and share information with people from around the world
• Permits the kind of conversations that are necessary to truly connect with modern customers
• Creates an opportunity to build relationships with your customers
• Search engines are attuned to finding blogs

How to blog
Starting a blog is easy. Several companies, such wordpress.com offer free blogging tools.

You don’t need to a technical whiz, they are take care of everything. It does take a little time to do the initial set up but once you have done that all you need is the story ideas and away you go.

What you write is up to you, but try to spark discussion and share experiences, ideas and relevant information. To build traffic, read other blogs and comment so that it links back to your own blog.

Monitoring crisis situations through blogs
From a PR perspective it may be very important for you to see who is commenting on your business or your products. Certainly if you are managing a crisis situation you will need to monitor it, not only through the media, but now through blogs.

Tracking company, Technorati tracks the number of links, and the perceived relevance of blogs, as well as the real-time nature of blogging.Technorati automatically receives notification from weblogs as soon as they are updated, it can track the thousands of updates per hour that occur in the blogosphere, and monitor the communities (who’s linking to whom) underlying these conversations.

According to Technorati data, there are about 75,000 new blogs a day. Bloggers update their weblogs regularly; there are about 1.2 million posts daily, or about 50,000 blog updates an hour.

To search for comments in blogs, go to www.technorati.com and type your search terms

Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more PR tips see www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au

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by Catriona Pollard

So what is PR anyway?

Public Relations is all about effective communication. It helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organisation and its target audience.

Public relations programs enhance the internal and external understanding of a company’s strategies, objectives and achievements. They build positive public image and reputation.

Many organisations don’t understand the importance of PR or media coverage for the business. This is a common problem that many businesses face even though public relations essential to the success of a business.

Public relations plays a strategic role in identifying, responding to and even creating trends, crafting appropriate messages and providing sophisticated communication methods.

Every organisation survives ultimately only on public consent, and that consent cannot exist in a communications vacuum. The PR program needs to be based on a long-term view of a business’s relations with the various groups of people that make up its public (clients, potential clients, staff, media etc).

Every business has a story to tell which will interest the media. The PR professional has to be an expert at seeing an organisation through the eyes of the editors and program directors, assembling the facts which the media would use, and giving them material at the right time. Anything from a speech to a new product has greater news potential if expertly handled. And it has absolutely no news value if it isn’t released to the media at all.

Public Relations practitioners are pivotal to the communication process between an organisation and their publics. They must ensure that any form of communication is clear, honest and unambiguous so that the messages are easily understood by the respective target audiences.

The power of PR is harnessed by an expert operator, however it must be owned at management level.  It is vital to building business, whether it is used it to establish credibility, enhance reputation or sell more products and services.

Want more tips? Download this FREE ebook:

Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more PR tips see www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au.

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by Catriona Pollard