Carson and Company

If you are like a lot of media research people, or a publicity professional who is always trying to find useful web sites for your pr marketing strategy project, I have something of great value. First, realize the Internet is pack full of information that makes it difficult to find what you are looking for. Google has done an excellent job in allowing more than keywords, but allows you to use key phrases for a finer method of narrowing your search. Ever feel lost in the Internet? Im sure you have.

Publicity professionals, pr clients and all advertising companies use the web to gather information for creating marketing plans, or developing a pr marketing strategy. Knowing where to start can be a great help. But how do you do that? Is there a place that actually has grouped, or categorized sites for all us web surfers to find “stuff”?. The answer is yes. Ok, your saying, get to the point…here is a useful web site that has a good listing of subjects: PINAKES, A Subject Launchpad. The site has an array of topics to find most anything from Music, to high tech to arts and humanities to biotech and many more categories.

It may not be the super list of all lists, but as I said, you need a place to start and this is just one of the many useful sites that can get you pointed in the right direction. So the next time your pr client, or publicity professional has a research project, or you need more information to make that next presentation, check out PINAKES.

If you are really ambitious and want to dig deeper for information on a specific topic, then consider sites like DMOZ, the Open Directory, or About.com, or intute. Each has resources that will get you surfing. But beware, this can get habit forming. You might just find yourself spending hours looking and not doing the research project your had started out to do. Put a time limit on your research, and bookmark sites that could be of value. Then go back and make notes on those sites that can help complete your project. For more information on web site listings, call Carson Marketing, Inc. Ask for George Carson.

When developing your pr marketing strategy for your web site, ask yourself, is buying my branded name as a keyword important?

We recently had this asked by one of our pr clients. The answer isn’t a simple yes, or no. You might think, wait, my product or company name is important, how can you say it isn’t. The reason to consider buying it or not, is purely an emotional decision, mixed with a business decision. To help me further explain this pr marketing strategy, I read an article in iMediaConnection that is titled “5 Reasons to pay for branded keywords“. The five reasons are based on a study he uses to show ten top companies, and lists those who do, and those who do not. For example you would think that McDonalds would purchase their keyword with Google, wrong. What about IBM, wrong again. Both of these companies, along with Intel do not purchase their branded names as keywords on Google, or any other search engines.

So why aren’t these big companies buying their names as keywords. Here are a few of their reasons:

• “We are already in the number one slot in the natural search results, so why waste the money?”
• “We have not integrated search into all of our marketing campaigns.”
• “We believe other companies should not be allowed to bid on our branded terms, so we take the same approach.”
• “We have not given it much thought.”

So as you can see, this may or may not be a good reason for you or even the big guys. But it is their decision. The article points out good arguments why you should consider buying the keywords. They are:

1- Consumer Behavior

2- Your competition will

3- More control, there are two others, check them out on the article.

Yet other major companies like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz do purchase their branded keywords. I usually tend to tell my clients, if you can budget purchasing your branded keywords, then it is a good pr marketing strategy to do so. Most companies are not worldwide and should make the decision to do it or not, before their competition does and they have no choice to make.

To learn more about web marketing, or to improve your pr marketing strategy, give Carson Marketing, Inc. a call. They can get your site noticed and positioned high on Google, Yahoo, and MSN, among many others.

This is a second part to the Understanding Web 2.0 series.

You may not always agree with the different perspectives, or the tips given about how to better make use of Web 2.0, but at least I feel this is giving your mind the opportunity to see a different side.

Make sure you review the first series so that you know what we are talking about. The social media, Web 2.0 as commonly referred to needs to have pr clients, pr agencies and all marketing experts “change their mindsets” on how to improve their marketing. Let’s jump forward to a few more of the 12 steps by Larry Weber.

4. Target behavior. Traditionally, marketers did this by demographics. This is still the practice, because we have been taught that media is bought in that manner. The new marketing changes this pr marketing strategy. The web actually can map the behavior more closely. You can track a visitor’s behavior by the amount of time they spend on a page. Social Web will do much more and provide a lot of informative details about the visitor. Customers are more open on these sites, letting you know what they like, how often they visit a place, or purchase the kinds of items they want. The old strategy was too much a one-to-one targeting. Now we need to see the behavior, know that the individual visits four or five different types of sites. These factors paint a better behavior picture and opens up a new marketing strategy.

I am not going in any specific order that Mr. Weber wrote, so if you want to view all the 12 steps now, you can do so by clicking here.

5. Invert your strategy. For all those pr marketing strategy people, and marketing strategy people, listen to this. Traditionally you worked from the top down. Now it is to be from the bottom up. Companies should test ideas and products, and let the strategy bubble up from there, rather than trickling down from top management. For example, using Social Web you can test quickly, and learn from those results. You can ask questions as to what the customer would pay, where to find the product, etc. This should be part of an overall marketing strategy, such as in the automotive or soft drink industry that relies heavily on traditional marketing strategies. Using Social Web can open your marketing eyes and help build a strong pr marketing strategy.

I’ll point out more of the 12 steps in another blog. So for now, do your homework. Start thinking non-traditionally and get into the social network. When you want results and are not sure how to building a solid pr marketing strategy, give George Carson a call. Carson Marketing can make things happen for you.

Companies still think that publicity is only for those large companies, or pr clients that have offices all across the country. No True!

The size of your company should not be a factor in developing a pr marketing strategy. What you need to understand is that publicity when implemented correctly, can actually help any size company grow. When you see articles on the larger corporations, like Microsoft, pr clients tend to feel that only “those guys” get all the glory. If you have a solid pr marketing strategy, and your publicity agency is equipped to implement a pr campaign, then you too can be “in the news”.

Just make sure what you offer is newsworthy. And above all, keep your company away from legal issues or personnel issues that can have a bad reflection on your business. For years we have provided pr clients with a host of programs designed to accomplish their goals. Here are a few tip that you should include into your pr marketing strategy campaign.

1- Put together an eNewsletter. This can be monthly, or bi-monthly. Write informative “how to” or “tips” that your customers will enjoy and learn from

2- Get involved in community programs or events. This is what the press are looking for. You can submit your photos of an event your company sponsored or created and invite the press to attend. If they don’t, send photos of the event to the reported covering community stories in the newspaper.

3- Become a guest speaker. Look at local Chambers of Commerce, community and civic groups to see if they will let you speak on topics you know. It makes sense to discuss about your industry. But don’t SELL your services or products. Instead, discuss how your industry, and your company) is improving the area, or helping to change things for the better.

Many other tips can be found in various articles that discuss publicity. One in particular is an online site called Direct. You can also find tips at the PR Insider. And if you want to get a professional group to get your small business noticed, give us a call. We can show you how to make your company grow using publicity. It is an affordable solution for small businesses.

A retail store, Beauty Source, recognizes the need to have an eCommerce web site in addition to their retail outlets. Why? Because consumer activity of eCommerce is still growing and the need to keep customers is greater today than it was just four years ago.

Web marketing is no longer for the part-time designer, or artist. It requires savvy marketers who understand how to grow a company and what eCommerce is about. That is just one of the many reasons why the PR Client, Beauty Source, chose Carson Marketing, Inc for their web site development. Creating the site is one small segment to a successful site. You need to have a clean design, the right placement of products, create an easy navigation system, and above all establish a solid optimization program that is constantly updated.

PR Clients rely on marketing professionals, like Carson Marketing, Inc. to help guide them with their pr marketing strategies. Unlike vertical agencies who specialize in one area, such as web development, or media advertising, Carson Marketing was chosen for their complete knowledge of all areas including publicity, promotions, web marketing and the ability to recognize trends when other competitors are learning where the industry is going. Since 1980, Carson Marketing, Inc. has been instrumental in helping pr clients and manufacturers discover how to increase business. The “core branding” approach is what makes Carson Marketing successful in helping pr clients reach their goals. This includes a pr marketing strategy plan that ties directly into the overall business plan. If you don’t have a direction, it makes it difficult to know where you are going. Carson Marketing will show pr clients the path to success.

The Internet is constantly moving fast forward, and your pr marketing strategies need to keep the pace.

If you are an aggressive pr client, or publicity professional, then you are probably a savvy Internet person that knows the power it offers. But are you aware of social media? Do you understand how to use this media? Are you prepared to get into the hottest next media? If you answered yes, then Podcasting needs to be part of your pr marketing strategy. The word podcast is made from two words, “iPod” and “broadcast“.

Not all web sites are created equal. Those that know web marketing, like Carson Marketing Inc, understand the power a blog site has and when you add podcasting, it brings a new dimension to the Internet. If you are a pr client and your ad agency or public relations service agency doesn’t recommend your company to have a blog site, then it’s time to look for another marketing agency. Why? Becasue you are then missing out on increasing your company’s position in the market. In order to increase sales, you need to get more visible. You need to tell the story about the company, its services and products. The most cost effective way to do this is with a blog site and podcasting. Unlike ads in a publication, or press releases, blogs can be controlled and changed daily. This keeps the information fresh and current to perspective customers.

Isn’t it time your company sets the pace in your industry? If you want to be the leader, then start a professional blog site that is well supported with qualified marketers who can get you noticed. Call George Carson at 949-477-9400.

Be sure the pr marketing strategies for your company includes promotional events. It can be an excellent media for building a company’s brand.

You can develop a local publicity event that can be as effective as a national campaign.

Our pr client, Extreme Karting, held their first promotional event at K-1 Speed in Irvine, California. It was an indoor racing go-karting event. The turnout was great and the fun was at an all-time high. Drivers ranged from dad’s to son’s who participated. As usual, the younger group showed the dads their skills by outperforming them. The event gave an opportunity for new customers to experience go-karting while getting to know our pr client. This was a great pr marketing strategy that worked.

We completely handled the publicity with K-1, developed and created the special eMail invitation to the event, and coordinated the activity including taking photos. In addition to the promotional event, Extreme Karting has a shifter GP go-kart on display for all to see. The kart was set between a formula race car and an off-road race vehicle, making the display area more exciting. Potential customers took handouts from the go-kart display giving more branding exposure to Extreme Karting.

Branding for Extreme Karting was lifted several more levels as many of that company’s customers and potential customers became familiar with the Extreme name and products. We are planning other promotional events as part of our overall pr marketing strategies for this year and next. We enjoy seeing our pr clients get results.

If your company needs to uplift its branding image, then it’s time to contact Carson Marketing Inc. Ask for George Carson. He can create a special event to make you smile from the results.

Everyone wants a successful web site. But if you build one without a pr marketing strategy plan that includes web marketing and optimization, they won’t come!

Many factors determine if a web site is search engine friendly. For example, optimizing meta tags, title pages, text in the body of the site (each page is important), the url, alt tags, among many other things.

If you are a pr client, or a B2B company in today’s competitive Internet business world, you should include social networks. These may include Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and many others.

A PR marketing strategy campaign for a web site should include inbound links, site submission to directories and search engines submission. If you want to outpace the competition, then social media and blogging need to be part of the overall media mix.

Ok, let’s get back to being “user friendly” and “search friendly”. Your site might look good, but is it designed for the crawling of search engines? Make sure you have the following:

1- Use text that is rich in content. Use the keywords and title that are in your source codes. Don’t have a home page that is an “only registered’ page without text.
2- Develop a domain name that says what you do. It is getting more difficult to create a domain name that isn’t already taken. But there are creative solutions to that problem. If you face this issue, give us a call. We can suggest alternate domains that will work for you.
3- Keep the site simple. A lot of content is ok, but if the site has too many pages deep to get to a specific area, then it will turn off customers, as well as SEO’s.
4- Design the site for users. Although SEO’s do not read images, or videos, you can still build a good site with these and have good content. A poorly created site is a sure way of not getting recognized by search engines as well as users.

Those are some of the basic rules to follow. Now all you need is traffic. Be sure to read many of our other tips and topics that can help you achieve your goal. Or contact us for a free, one-hour session on how to build a solid web site.

Few CEO’s, and presidents will admit that they get sidetracked when growing their company. This can cause negative branding as well as losses. Usually a weak pr marketing strategy or none is in place when this happens.

What is the answer? Keep the focus on your core products and services that are offered. As companies grow, they tend to diverse into other areas to expand their market reach or to increase profits. What happens typically, a company will either purchase smaller competitors or find “similar” products to market. If the strategy is to become more diversified within the company, then the direction the CEO and president had initially intended to grow the company, soon gets lost.

Having a strong pr marketing strategy is important. Connected with any pr marketing strategy is the branding of your company and/or the products you offer. A recent article in Brandweek illustrates this topic that discusses how Heinz made a turnaround to become more profitable. A man named Nelson Peltz had to re-direct the companies products and begin to focus on those that were the core to the company’s future. By increasing spending on marketing the company will gain the awareness to have a successful pr marketing strategy tied into higher profit core products. Peltz is known for his turnaround at Snapple, so he is both liked and hated by various leaders in the industry because he strategizes for what makes a company survive rather than be an executive with blinders.

We are in an age of branding. It is now more important to understand how to create a branding campaign along with a strong pr marketing strategy. Together these can be powerful when implemented correctly. If you need to increase your brand identity, then start now, not later. If you need help, give George Carson a call at Carson Marketing, Inc. You will be pleased with the results when you become one of his clients.

Another “Publicity is Everywhere Series”

Starting a new business can be difficult and sometimes very challenging when you are in a “me-too” industry. What if you started a unique business and got a lot of free publicity. Was the business started because of a need, or because it could generate a lot of publicity? Let me tell you about a story that appeared in a recent issue of Inc magazine. Then you decide if it was a pr marketing strategy or a campaign for a business really needed.

The company is called SpotScout. What makes this business unique..it is an online company that helps find “Parking spots for drivers”. Yes, the company makes available what parking garages, private spaces, and on-street parking spots are available. The company, SpotScout focuses his business in congested markets such as New York City, Boston and San Francisco.

Publicity Strategy or Marketing?
Is this for real? According to the many agreements the company has, which is over a few hundred arrangements with commercial garages and even private spaces advertised by people offering their driveways or garage, it seems so. Now what do you think, is this a publicity stunt to draw attention to a possible new business venture, or someone wanting and finding a solution to congested parking?

No matter your thoughts, it is an excellent pr marketing strategy that is getting a lot of publicity. The company has been mentioned in publications such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Financial Times among many others.

Who knows, it may not be long before you start seeing signs above people’s cars when parked that read “Parking Spot For Sale/lease”. Do you get the feeling that our major cities are becoming so overcrowded that we are now looking to sell our parking spot? Maybe it is time to consider moving to the suburbs and take a train, or bus to get around in the metro cities.