Whether designed to connect with customers, deliver industry news, chum for prospects or update employees and business partners, newsletters have been in the communication tool kit for years.  Newsletters used to be solely in print. An issue could take hours to write, lay out and proof, then they were sent off to the printer for a day or three before they were ready to distribute. Depending on the size of distribution, they could be pricey to print, too.

When newsletters are done well, people read them. I remember a print newsletter that used to come from our trash disposal company. Each month it arrived with names of three customers embedded somewhere in the text.  If you found your name and contacted the company, you got a free month of trash service. I read it.

We do a lot of newsletters for customers – about 18 each month, some months more. We don’t do many print newsletters.  In fact we usually discourage them. Email is the vehicle of choice today.  Yes, most of us get a lot email, but if you design and write your newsletter well, people will read them.

We create newsletters with several objectives:

- inviting, attractive design

- concise, sharp content

- rewarding the reader

The design should reflect the client’s brand and personality.  Most email newsletter tools (Emma, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, etc.) are more limited in design capabilities than print, but if you are creative and know a trick or two, they can be eye-catching.

You can provide good quality information and can keep the length of the document manageable by linking to the full articles from the newsletter. Those links can take people to your website or to pertinent industry articles.

People want something for their time, so give it to them.  Offer relevant, fresh information, not a rehash of old news. If you have an offer or special, give it to your loyal readers. People will read your stuff if they feel it is worth their time or saves them money.

Most of the time we see open rates above the industry averages for our clients’ newsletters. I believe this is a reflection of the quality of the design and content.

Email newsletters can be done quickly and cost-effectively, unlike their print ancestors. Done well, they are a great tool for maintaining relationships, informing people and getting attention.

Blogs can give people anxiety. Honest, I’ve seen it.

Some people get squeamish when you talk about blogs because they don’t really know what one is or where to find one (not everyone will admit that, and this is less common with younger people).

We encourage a many of our clients to blog. We explain it’s a platform to offer a glimpse of their expertise. We tell clients that a good, consistent blog can help raise the visibility of their business. We explain that it lives on their website and it improves the website’s visibility overall. That usually gets them to seriously consider blogging.

There are people who are scared of committing to a blog because they don’t know what to write about, or they can’t imagine where they’ll find the time. Legitimate concerns.  Who wants to start something you can’t finish? Truthfully, I’ve read several public relations and marketing firm blogs in recent years, and I’ve seen some casualties. Where there once was a blog, now there is none.  And you don’t want your blog to languish (which reminds me of our Facebook page, but that’s another blog post).  So, what are some tips to overcome blog anxiety?

First, if you have a team to participate, it spreads out the work. With just four people, if everyone contributes one blog a month, that’s one post a week. That’s a great start.

What to write about? Something you’ve noticed, experienced or seen that might be valuable to people in your industry, clients or potential clients. That’s a pretty broad category. I’ve started to notice “blogs” in my day-to-day business. Something that a client does or says, an event, a piece of news, results from a project, trends that emerge.  There are potential blog posts everywhere. Jot them down. Blog posts are short, maybe 300 words.  Write one on the airplane or in the dentist’s waiting room.  Write three; unless it’s a timely event, they’ll keep.

I’ve seen firsthand that blogs improve website visibility and traffic—it’s worth overcoming the fear and taking the leap.

I’ve often read, and been told, that the easiest way to build your business is by growing existing clients, especially if they have been happy with your work to date. I recently learned firsthand that clients don’t always know when you’ve added services or products, and they only think of your business as offering what you’ve always offered.

We recently met with a long-time client (10 years) to make plans for 2012. In that meeting I clearly heard that the client only thought of us as a PR firm, when in fact we’ve added so much in the last few years. Pivot provides social media tools, marketing support, design, and more. It may take some time to change a client’s perception of what you do, but it’s key that you educate them when you add services or products.

Something we’ve started to do to remind people of our capabilities is sending out a short, bi-monthly e-newsletter. It highlights client projects and successes while illustrating what we did for the client.

Remember, your existing clients are the low-hanging fruit for increasing business. If you’ve added services or products, be sure to let those who are closest to you know about it.

We’ve provided PR and marketing services for almost 15 years.  We have long-standing clients with monthly budgets, and we get frequent requests to bid on new projects. Most projects, new or existing, come with someone’s vision and a need to promote something; the client “just wants” a logo, a brochure, a blog, a website, an ad or media campaign, etc.; can we prepare a proposal? The Pivot team discusses the project, brainstorms, breaks out the parts and tries to think of the details and how it all fits together.  We estimate the time to do the work, then we prepare a proposal.  Here’s the hidden part: it’s rarely “just a website” or “just” anything.  The devil is in the details – how is it used, what is the process, what does the customer see, get, have to do?  Clients think we just have to produce something to help tell the story—which is not always the case. A new project really includes a process of discovery.

Often before a project is complete, we  helped clients better understand their product or service, how it compares to competitive products, how it works and how their audience perceives it.  We ask questions and get details so we really understand what we’re selling and to confirm our ideas are the right ones. The process is healthy and the result can be rewarding because we help clients think it through.  We’ve seen clients change course based on what we’ve uncovered – they come asking for a brochure and we figure out it’s better to have a website, a newsletter that needs to be more frequent to have impact, or deciding that a logo has passed its prime.

It’s disheartening when you provide a proposal and the client asks,“ will it really take that much time?”  Truth is, it will (or we wouldn’t bid it that way) and it could take longer, but we stick to our bids unless the scope of work changes, and then we’ll give clients a heads up.  And, we charge for our time so if things happen more quickly, we charge accordingly.

We built Pivot by providing value – good work at a fair price – but we do need time to do things right. That’s how we succeed and, just as important, that’s how our clients succeed.

When you are opening a new location or introducing a new service or business, hosting an event is one way to get people talking and lay the groundwork for future marketing efforts.  If it’s a new property, host a groundbreaking; if you are halfway built, have a beam signing or dusty shoe tour; if you are about to open, plan a grand opening.

Here are five tips to get you started:

Pick a good date and time

Make sure there is nothing important happening on the date you choose.  You could be overshadowed, or make it difficult for people to attend. Google the date and check the chamber, city, county and local news outlet websites for upcoming events. You won’t be able to ensure everyone can come, but try and choose times that are convenient. The best time for the press is generally between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Invite interesting people to speak

Ask appropriate speakers to say a few words. Local celebs and public officials are great, but think too about other angles. If you’re opening a bookstore, ask a local author to say a few words; if the building design is unique, ask the architect to talk about their vision; if it’s a recycling service, ask the municipal waste department for a representative who can discuss why reducing waste saves money and saves the environment. Keep presentations short, to the point and related to your project.

Be ready – for anything

Do you have a place for people to go if it rains? Where do people park? Do you need a podium and microphone?  Should you offer light refreshments?  Do you need bathroom facilities?  Work from a comprehensive list of planning details.  We adapted a planning list produced by the military;  they don’t miss a thing.

Send invitations by mail

No, this isn’t a plug for the post office, but in the email barrage, “snail” mail still has a certain cachet. We like to hand address invites, too. You are more likely to get an RSVP for you headcount. Send out invites 2-3 weeks in advance.

Contact the media and provide good details

Before the event, blog, tweet it and send out a press release. Personally invite (write, email or call depending on your relationship) editors or reporters you really want to come. Have press kits ready with background info, facts and details that can help them write the story. If they can’t come, ask if you can provide them with photos and information afterward so they can still write a story. We always hear how newsrooms are understaffed. If you present information, and don’t try to “sell,” many reporters appreciate the support.

If you start to tell the story early, you’ll have more people talking about your project from the get-go. Events don’t need to be over the top, but if well thought out and timed right, they are a nice way to start the conversations.

When we begin work with a new client, whether it’s public relations, marketing, or one-time project activities, there are behaviors we work toward in those first months together. When our relationship starts, it’s sort of like a first date at a dance, and it can take a few steps to get in sync.

Communication – We encourage clients to tell us every detail about what’s going on with their business. This helps us really understand who they are and what story-sharing opportunities lurk in their day-to-day. On the flip side, we strive to keep them informed without burdening them or tying them up when they have a business to run.

Honesty – We need the truth from clients. That means the good, bad and everything in between. You can’t plan or make the best decisions without all the facts, so this is especially important. We have to be honest too. That can mean explaining to a client that what they thought was a newsworthy idea, is not.

Trust—This is key in any good relationship. You have to trust the people you’ve chosen to be with. We know it takes time to prove that we’re worthy, but when we get going, our best work results have come with the clients who trust us to do our job.

Rhythm – This is when we hit our stride. We learn how everyone works, the timing for checking in, following up and delivering results.  We love when clients tell us they have an idea, but we also know when it’s our job to go to the client with ideas. The best relationships have a give and take; busy times, and times filled with slower, steadier activities.

We’re helping a client who would like to rebrand his organization. To kick off the process, we attended  a meeting with the organization’s board and department heads, and I facilitated a rebranding discussion to gauge how the group felt about the idea.

First, I reminded everyone that your brand encompasses your purpose, vision and values, and that it is expressed in many forms, from your name, logo and colors, to the way your employees behave. A brand can be a tough thing to manage.

We discussed the organization’s core competencies, their clients and what clients want.  We listed competitors and talked about what differentiates them, or at least what they think does. To end the session, I asked each person to share a concern they had about rebranding, and offer one benefit they could see from doing it. One person asked, why rebrand at all?

There are more than six reasons to rebrand, but in my experience, the following are reasons I’ve most often encountered with clients.

1. To support a name change
2. To reposition the organization in the marketplace
3. To organize and bring coherency to a cluttered brand, especially as products or services have been added
4. To highlight change such as offering additional services or products
5. To better illustrate what the organization does and offers
6. To update the look and feel of the organization because the current look is dated

If you consider changing your brand, it should be for a clear and valid reason. Use a thoughtful process and a realistic timeline.  It is important to budget for it, too, so you know what you can afford and how fast. If done well, it can breathe new life into an organization and spark greater success.

Pivot Communication recently redesigned the website and online marketing materials for Integrated Fire Solutions, a Boulder-based provider of training workshops for firefighters and fire officers. We spent a few weeks giving the company a cleaner, more organized site and setting him up with a blog. Quinn is an authority on fire training, so firefighters will definitely want to check out his site.

A start-up marketing firm in upstate New York had a nice write up in its local paper recently (and yes, thanks for the mention, Oh Hey Mktg).  Started by two 20-somethings who decided to do their own thing because the traditional “career path” for today’s college grad has changed. The company is making headway after only six months in business.  Oh Hey has provided consulting services to several larger firms and is starting to add accounts of its own.

Oh Hey Mktg helped us structure some of our social media programs, and I tapped their tech skills for fast production work on some video shorts.  The work was thought out, the ideas creative, and I enjoyed working with professionals who offered a fresh perspective.

Read more »

Pivot Communication has been retained to retool the website and online marketing strategy for Integrated Fire Solutions, a Boulder-based provider of unique training workshops for firefighters and fire officers. IFS founder Quinn MacLeod is an interesting guy and we’ve enjoyed working with. Keep an eye open for the new IFS website…