Have you ever had “Blank Sheet Syndrome?” That’s the not-so-rare disease many people face when it comes time to create new public relations and social media content that advances their business goals. In an environment where we are told repeatedly that superior thought leadership is necessary for survival, “writer’s block” could even cost you your [...]
Good, quality research doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. And most companies don’t have a ton of extra money sitting around right now to throw against it – especially surveys that primarily support PR. But, you don’t have to throw in the towel just because you’re lacking budget.
Are you doing PR for a B2B company that provides a service? Yes, that means you, all lawyers, consultants, financial advisors, asset managers, software developers and search firms. In fact more than half of the US GDP has come from services companies since 1982 , which is why marketing intangibles is a critical skill in our world.
Let’s be honest – the intricacies of the 2,300 page Restoring Financial Stability Act are challenging to digest. Even as a financial public relations professional, the task of tracking the ongoing developments of the financial reform while also developing strategic thought leadership for our spokespeople has been daunting – to say the least. However, the need to work closely with spokespeople to help translate their insights on complex financial issues into comprehensible, interesting and differentiating thought leadership is exactly what makes financial services public relations rewarding.
As a professional services public relations firm, client satisfaction is something we think about on a daily basis. We want to be sure we’re providing quality client service and that, as a result, our clients are “happy.” However, in his book “If Disney Ran Your Hospital,” Fred Lee raises an important point: it is customer loyalty, not mere satisfaction that binds clients to an organization and protects it against serious competition.
I was born in 1975 and raised a Yankees fan, so George Steinbrenner made it an interesting time to grow up. I was a little young to remember the late-70s championship teams, but I have some vague memories of the 1981 World Series loss to the Dodgers. For some reason, though, they center around Goose Gossage beaming Ron Cey and a beyond awkward post-victory performance on “Solid Gold” (Of course I’ve also blocked out most of the 2001 and 2003 World Series’ too, so maybe age wasn’t the issue).
Last week, I gave a training session to entry-level employees of our firm about delivering excellent client service. I spent a bit of time trying to recall my first impressions of what made clients happy. Is it saying “yes” to everything they ask? Is it getting great results for everything we do? Is it giving smart answers to every question that they ask or having the most creative ideas? What makes some PR professionals stand out?
I recently gave a “Social Media 101” presentation to the marketing team of one of the world’s largest law firms. To be candid, I wasn’t sure if I’d have any believers at the end of the presentation. That’s because there are very few stories of Fortune 500 General Counsels awarding large matters based on a thoughtful Twitter feed.
Professional services firms are pioneers in content marketing. Consulting firms, law firms, accounting firms, engineering firms and architects: these are the professions that invented idea-based marketing. Since the early 1960s, professional firms have invested heavily in bylined articles, publishing, seminars, webinars, podcasts and conferences. But they’ve been slow to embrace social media.
At a recent event hosted by the Association of Management Consulting Firms (AMCF) Walter Kiechel, former editor of Fortune magazine and author of The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World, discussed how strategy’s great gurus influenced the development and implementation of ideas within their organizations and those of their clients.
