The new year is upon us and that means it’s time to take a hard look at your public relations and marketing strategy for 2014.
Four trending topics stand out to help you better connect with your targeted audience, confirm or change perceptions with stakeholders and clients, and convert more prospects into customers.
1. Use more video
Statistics indicate that the use of video is one of the fastest growing marketing segments.
This includes not only posting your videos on your website but using them as tools spread across a multitude of social channels.
YouTube is certainly the leader of that pack. It has become the number two search engine. According to YouTube statistics more than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month. You can read all about it here
http://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html
Video channels do not stop there. Depending on your targeted audience you could also consider
Daily Motion, Instagram, Veho, Vine and more.
You do not need a video that goes “viral” to be successful. In fact shorter, more frequently distributed videos can do much to reinforce your message and bring a more human element to your communications strategy.
Studies have shown that videos used in email newsletters greatly enhance open rates by as much as 60%.
It is also relatively easy to measure the return on investment as the video channels can provide viewership numbers and, depending on the package utilized, click through rates and more.
2. Use more audio
Video is getting most of the headlines but audio podcasts can also be an effective strategic tool.
Audio podcasts are easier to produce and the investment in equipment is a lot more affordable than building a video studio.
Unlike video, you can bring in experts and other sources from distant locations and interview them as part of the production.
Similar to video the audio podcast is great for messaging and is shown to enhance open rates in email newsletters.
3. Create PowerPoint presentations
Once thought of only as a tool for conferences and seminars, a PowerPoint is a great way to connect with your audience through online methodology.
Slides can be created that are much more than text. You can add attention grabbing graphics, photos and even videos to the presentation.
Microsoft Office and other software programs have many templates to assist in the process.
Once completed, the PowerPoint can be uploaded and shared to dedicated sights such as SlideShare
The benefits are many including establishing yourself and your firm as experts in your field and providing excellent content to use in emails, sales calls, trade shows and other vehicles.
4. Do More Storytelling
The growth of social media is having a far reaching effect on how individuals wish to receive their information.
The growing number of social savvy consumers is creating an audience that wants to be “spoken to”, not “talked at”.
This includes more than sending out press releases on social sites concerning your latest product introduction but rather explaining the human element behind it.
Instead tell a story using photos, graphs and charts. Add video or audio. Explain the “why”, and how it will benefit the user.
Increasing the use of video, audio, and PowerPoints with a storytelling approach will help lay the groundwork for a successful marketing and PR strategy in 2014.
