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How Can Small Businesses Prepare for the Recovery? Nine Marketing Pros Give Their Best Advice

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Marketing during a crisis can be a challenge. As small businesses struggle to get their bearings, many wonder how to market themselves.

More than 60% of small and medium business owners surveyed said they felt their revenues would shrink for the next six months.  Given the shaky economic conditions, they want to retain current customers and appeal to new ones, but how to communicate without sounding opportunistic can be tricky.

So what can they do to market effectively now and as we move forward? To provide some help and direction, I asked nine marketing and communications pros for their best advice.

I asked: “If you could give one piece of advice to small businesses as they prepare for the recovery, what would it be?”

How Can Small Businesses Prepare for the Recovery?

Continue reading How Can Small Businesses Prepare for the Recovery? Nine Marketing Pros Give Their Best Advice

5 Reasons to Over-Communicate With Your Audiences Right Now – and What to Say

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As we catch our breath from the past few weeks of dealing with the coronavirus quarantine, one thing has become apparent – companies are anxious to keep in touch with their audiences. They’re just not sure what to say to them.

With our daily routines as we know them on pause for now, brands are searching for ways to stay in contact with their employees, customers and other stakeholders.

And, some are in doubt about the best way to do this. Should we post on social media? Should we email? Should it be business as usual?

The answers to that question are differ from brand to brand. In this time of uncertainty, no one formula works for everyone.

The worst thing companies can do right now is to stop communicating. If anything, now is a time when you should over-communicate.

5 Reasons You Want to Over-Communicate With Your Audiences

Continue reading 5 Reasons to Over-Communicate With Your Audiences Right Now – and What to Say

Media Pitching in the Age of Coronavirus – Should We? Or Shouldn’t We?

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As we navigate these uncharted waters together, PR pros, we have questions.

One question I see coming up a lot is – can I pitch the media my non-virus related news? Or should I hold off for fear of overwhelming journalists or the news getting lost in the flood of COVID19 stories?

As fellow public relations professionals continued to ask me about this – and I was also wondering – I decided to take the question to Twitter to ask journalists and communicators for their take.

The responses were mixed. Let’s look at some replies on both sides of the issue. Continue reading Media Pitching in the Age of Coronavirus – Should We? Or Shouldn’t We?

7 of the Best – and Worst – PR Plays in 2018

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2018 held lessons for all of us in PR. While we can look to brands who did PR right for inspiration, sometimes we learn as much from the fails as we do from the wins.

As we look back on a year filled with brilliance – and sometimes ignorance – we consider what made these brands and their choices unforgettable.

Here are my selections for some of the best and worst public relations moments of the year. Continue reading 7 of the Best – and Worst – PR Plays in 2018