The New York Rangers are currently battling the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals of the NHL Playoffs for the right to play for the Stanley Cup against the winner of the Western Conference. The New York area has been captivated by this series as the Rangers battle their way through the NHL’s … Continue reading “Advertising Spotlight: Rangers in the Playoffs”
The New York Rangers are currently battling the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals of the NHL Playoffs for the right to play for the Stanley Cup against the winner of the Western Conference. The New York area has been captivated by this series as the Rangers battle their way through the NHL’s best in order to make their second straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Cablevision is offering local businesses a way to be a part of the excitement with advertising spots during the Eastern Conference Finals. Continue reading “Advertising Spotlight: Rangers in the Playoffs”
The 2013-14 NBA regular season is quickly coming to a close with two local New York teams having playoff aspirations. The New York Knicks, led by Carmelo Anthony, are seeking their fourth straight playoff appearance and are currently in the middle of a heated battle for one of two remaining playoff spots in the Eastern … Continue reading “New York Advertising Spotlight: NBA Playoffs”
The 2013-14 NBA regular season is quickly coming to a close with two local New York teams having playoff aspirations. The New York Knicks, led by Carmelo Anthony, are seeking their fourth straight playoff appearance and are currently in the middle of a heated battle for one of two remaining playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of a turnaround season and have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the franchise moved from New Jersey in 2012. The NBA Playoffs, beginning on April 19th, will offer local businesses a great opportunity to advertise to a wide audience.
Cablevision is now offering separate packages of NBA advertising spots for the first and second round of the playoffs for both the Knicks and the Nets. Local businesses looking to attract a male audience will have a great opportunity to advertise with options available on channels such as ESPN, ESPN NEWS, TNT, NBA TV, YES Network, and MSG. All of these networks have a male-dominated audience, with viewership primarily in the 18-54 year-old range. Continue reading “New York Advertising Spotlight: NBA Playoffs”
The New York Times has 17 distinct e-newsletters that are sent out on a weekly or daily basis. These emails cover a wide variety of topics, including politics, health, money, entertainment and headlines. All subscribers opt-in to these lists and can be targeted by county of residence. Through the “Sophisticated Shopper – Run of Email” … Continue reading “Advertise with The New York Times’ “Sophisticated Shopper – Run of Email” program”
The New York Times has 17 distinct e-newsletters that are sent out on a weekly or daily basis. These emails cover a wide variety of topics, including politics, health, money, entertainment and headlines. All subscribers opt-in to these lists and can be targeted by county of residence.
Through the “Sophisticated Shopper – Run of Email” program, the Times can get your ad into the mailboxes of active, affluent consumers who are seeking more information about new products and services. The ad is a cube, large by industry standards (336 x 280 pixels), and is situated just below the fold of the email. The program works by taking your ad and dropping it into whatever space is available, in any of the e-newsletters, during a particular date range. Since advertisers are unable to target by a specific email topic, the pricing for this program is more affordable. This remnant space pricing provides exposure for advertisers that may not otherwise be able to afford placing their message in front of the Times’ readers. We recommend this advertising opportunity for businesses looking to target more affluent audiences in specific counties.
More than ever before, we live in an age of lightning-fast exchanges of news and a seemingly endless stream of information at our fingertips. While traditional public relations techniques are still important, being able to adapt to recent Web and social media trends is essential for success in this industry. The ability to create content, … Continue reading “5 Web Skills Every Public Relations Professional Should Have”
More than ever before, we live in an age of lightning-fast exchanges of news and a seemingly endless stream of information at our fingertips. While traditional public relations techniques are still important, being able to adapt to recent Web and social media trends is essential for success in this industry. The ability to create content, build relationships and convey information is as important as ever, but there are a variety of new, digital methods to doing this. This article will provide you with an overview of five important skills that every public relations professional should have, including creating content for online sources, proactive monitoring, visual communications, adaptation and consistency.
Online Content Creation — It has always been important for public relations professionals to create strong and compelling content but, especially in this age, it is equally important to optimize this content for the Web. Even if your online press releases or social media updates contain quality content and writing, your efforts will go unrecognized if no one can find it online. Using methods to optimize your content for search engines will help your content get found. Make sure to always include keywords throughout your copy and include hyperlinks and relevant tags whenever possible. For more information on content creation and search engine optimization, read our articles, “Why Quality Content Reigns Supreme” and “What You Need to Know About SEO.”
Proactive Monitoring — It’s important to set aside some time for a Web and social media monitoring strategy to keep informed of what’s being said online. For anyone in the field of communications, it’s helpful to monitor conversations, mentions of brands and businesses and current trends and to get involved in online discussion groups. If you haven’t already, set up Google Alerts for phrases that either interest you or are related to your business or clients. For example, create alerts for business names, products and areas that you want to receive updates from. Always keep yourself informed with what’s being said about your business or client on the Web and stay up-to-date with industry updates and tips on how to grow professionally. For more information, please refer to our articles, “Social Media Publishing 101” and “How to Monitor Your Facebook and Twitter Success.”
Visual Communications — Strong visuals have always been powerful in regards to public relations efforts. Many people are able to connect stories and information more easily on a visual level rather than through text alone. Infographics, charts and traditional photographs have become immensely popular online thanks to the rise in photo sharing websites such as Pinterest, Flickr and Instagram, which can be downloaded on iPhone or Android devices. It’s important to include a multimedia element, such as a photo, video or graph, in press releases, social media updates and blog posts whenever possible. You may even consider creating a Flickr or Pinterest account to store and categorize your photos. For more information on the importance of visual communications, refer to our article, “How Photo Sharing Sites Can Help Your Business.” Public relations professionals should be able to harness multimedia to engage audiences and encourage them to share this content.
Adaptation — Especially in the ever-changing realm of social media, there are constantly new updates and tools to be explored. With Twitter redesigning its interface and Facebook’s new Timeline for business pages, professionals should be prepared for these changes and implement new strategies and techniques accordingly. Being able to adapt and take advantage of new tools can keep you one step ahead of the competition.
Consistency — With the majority of online and social media outlets, it’s imperative to find the right balance with your efforts. If you don’t update your pages enough, your efforts will go unnoticed. Yet on the other hand, if you overdo it with postings that are too frequent, you could push your audience away and this could work against you. It’s essential to commit to a consistent updating schedule. Updates don’t have to be exact, but at least have a loose idea of how often you should update each platform. For example, blogs should be updated twice a week while Twitter should be updated daily, if possible.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest business-oriented service and allows users to network and keep in touch with business contacts and potential clients. When used properly, LinkedIn can help members build stronger personal relationships to facilitate more direct contact and business opportunities. This article will explain several common mistakes that can impact the effectiveness of your … Continue reading “Top Five LinkedIn Mistakes to Avoid”
LinkedIn is the world’s largest business-oriented service and allows users to network and keep in touch with business contacts and potential clients. When used properly, LinkedIn can help members build stronger personal relationships to facilitate more direct contact and business opportunities. This article will explain several common mistakes that can impact the effectiveness of your LinkedIn marketing strategy. Those who are new to LinkedIn can first read our article, “Making the Right Connections with LinkedIn.”
Having an Incomplete Profile — Having a LinkedIn profile that is 100 percent complete with an accurate description of your professional experience, skills and qualifications will help to optimize your LinkedIn profile and establish your professional identity online. In today’s technological world, a LinkedIn profile is becoming the new resume. To complete your profile, add a photo, list your professional work experience with accurate dates and responsibilities, include skills and expertise keywords in each section and request professional recommendations from your connections.
Not Participating in LinkedIn Groups — There are no benefits to joining dozens of groups on LinkedIn and then not participating in group discussions. LinkedIn Groups are powerful online networking tools for business professionals. We recommend searching for groups that are related to your industry or groups that your potential customers and clients are likely to be active in. Once you’ve requested to join, start participating in discussions and sharing your professional expertise. Users can also participate in the LinkedIn Answers section, when appropriate. By answering other users’ questions in this section, you can boost your authority, online reputation and exposure.
Not Requesting or Giving Recommendations — To build authority on your profile, always request professional recommendations from your contacts and return the favor. These can greatly enhance your profile by giving potential clients and business contacts a clear indication of the quality of your company’s work.
Not Having a Custom URL — One of the most overlooked yet valuable features of LinkedIn is that users can create a customized URL for their profile in place of the default URL. By creating a customized URL with either your full name or your business’ name, prospective clients or customers will have a better chance of finding and recognizing your account. To customize your URL on LinkedIn, click here and then “Customize Your Public Profile URL.”
Requesting to Connect with People You Don’t Know — We don’t recommend sending emails to users who you have never met or spoken to. In some cases, this can get you banned from LinkedIn if enough people report “I don’t know this person.” If you want to connect with someone who you don’t know personally, see if there are any shared connections who may be able to introduce you. You can also develop relationships with users through the LinkedIn Groups’ discussion boards and then send an invitation to connect once you are comfortable enough to do so.
Most of all, it’s important to stay as active as possible on LinkedIn. At a minimum, users should make sure that their profile is 100% complete and use about a half hour per week to browse through LinkedIn Groups and join in the conversation. By consistently updating your LinkedIn profile, maintaining your company page and participating in group discussions, you’ll find that this social networking site is essential when it comes to online marketing, especially for B2B professionals.
With Mother’s Day around the corner and spring in full bloom, Long Island businesses may benefit from advertising with The Gazette’s May issue. The Gazette features community events, children’s happenings and local news surrounding individual towns on Long Island. This free publication is dedicated to providing residents with a community-oriented and localized view of the … Continue reading “Advertise with The Gazette this Spring”
With Mother’s Day around the corner and spring in full bloom, Long Island businesses may benefit from advertising with The Gazette’s May issue. The Gazette features community events, children’s happenings and local news surrounding individual towns on Long Island. This free publication is dedicated to providing residents with a community-oriented and localized view of the news.
This advertising opportunity is appropriate for companies that are active in the springtime and looking to reach their target audience. For example, landscaping companies, lawn services, home improvement organizations, flower companies and gardening services may benefit from placing an advertisement in this issue. Businesses who buy three months worth of advertisements can also get the fourth month free of charge.
All Island Media publishes the Pennysaver/Town Crier in many regions across Long Island. They have recently launched a number of new inserts that can be added to the weekly free paper to communicate your company’s message more effectively. All inserts can be distributed by zip code and are charged by every 1,000 households (cpm). Below … Continue reading “Advertising Spotlight: New Products from All Island Media”
All Island Media publishes the Pennysaver/Town Crier in many regions across Long Island. They have recently launched a number of new inserts that can be added to the weekly free paper to communicate your company’s message more effectively. All inserts can be distributed by zip code and are charged by every 1,000 households (cpm). Below are three of the inserts most worthy of your attention:
The Frequent Flyer program offers the largest insert at 10”x11½”. Printed on 50# glossy paper stock, the flyer is perfect for the advertiser that has a lot to say — or a lot of photos to show. It extends far outside of the parameters of the 6¾”x10” booklet and costs as little as $49 cpm.
The VIP Card is a 5”x11” postcard that is placed into the book on top of the flyer. This postcard allows the advertiser to print on both sides, without requiring space for mailing information. The lightweight cardstock also makes this product a good vehicle for coupons. When purchased by zone, the card costs only $35 cpm.
The Mega Card, a 7”x9” flyer, is printed on a heavier stock and glossy on one side. The advertiser gets printing on both sides of this product as well and the glossy finish displays photos crisply, with bright color. This eye-catching card is available for as little as $54 cpm.
New Redesigned Publication
Old Design of Publication
Also of note is the redesign of the Long Island Trends lifestyle publication. What used to be an ugly, ad-driven paper has morphed into an attention-grabbing resource for consumers, complete with relevant editorial. Advertisers can now purchase the cover and a full-page ad on page 3 (the first right-hand page of the book) for $1,359.
A recent survey conducted last month by Text 100 Global Public Relations discovered that a significant number of journalists use social media and blogs on a regular basis when researching a business, brand or organization for an article. A total of 72 full-time journalists working in print, online and broadcast media were surveyed and the results … Continue reading “How to Engage Journalists Using Social Media”
A recent survey conducted last month by Text 100 Global Public Relations discovered that a significant number of journalists use social media and blogs on a regular basis when researching a business, brand or organization for an article. A total of 72 full-time journalists working in print, online and broadcast media were surveyed and the results found that, on average, journalists look at 2.6 social media channels for every story they research. Given these statistics, and the rapid rate at which social networking is growing, public relations professionals can use social media channels to engage with journalists and reach out to them in an outlet where they’re known to be active.
This article will explain the best methods public relations professionals can use to engage journalists through social media.
Maintain Social Media Profiles — Since reporters may look at several social media channels when conducting research, it’s important that your organization has a positive presence on all of them. By creating professional, thorough and favorable profiles for your business online, journalists will be able to discover the information that you want to be highlighted. For example, use social media channels to display media coverage, upcoming events, company news and anything else that you would like the public to be aware of.
Focus on Twitter — An important finding in this study was that Twitter is the best social media channel for public relations pitches and media relations. The survey found that journalists are far more likely to welcome contact on Twitter rather than LinkedIn, Google+or even Facebook. Public relations professionals can use Twitter to connect with reporters by seeking out their profiles and “following” them. Twitter is a great way to stay in touch with journalists and pitch stories, business news and upcoming events. Of the journalists surveyed in this study, 53% found that a company’s Twitter profile was instrumental in their research when writing an article.
Create a Blog — Blogs are also an increasingly important venue to attract media attention. According to this survey, 63% of journalists found a company’s blog to be extremely useful in their research. By creating and maintaining an active blog, your business can establish itself as an industry leader and nourish an interactive hub of information about your organization. Businesses should provide useful information and quality content that relates to your organization and industry as a whole. For more information on how important blogging is for brands and businesses, read our article, “Should My Business Have a Blog?”
It is also important to keep in mind that while social media is becoming increasingly important, journalists still value press releases and phone conversations. While the media is increasingly turning to social media and online outlets for information, they still rely heavily on these more traditional methods of contact when covering a story. These social media techniques should be used to supplement press releases, media advisories and other traditional communications outlets.
For more information about engaging with journalists using social media, please contact The Public Relations and Marketing Group at (631) 207-1057 or johnzaher@theprmg.com. You can also visit our blog for more valuable articles, advertising spotlights and more.
As the weather improves and the school year comes to an end, people move outside. If you want them to see your message, you need your ad campaign to move outside with them. Outdoor advertising presents a message to the viewer that they cannot opt out of. They cannot turn off a billboard, or turn … Continue reading “Start the Summer With Outdoor Advertising”
As the weather improves and the school year comes to an end, people move outside. If you want them to see your message, you need your ad campaign to move outside with them. Outdoor advertising presents a message to the viewer that they cannot opt out of. They cannot turn off a billboard, or turn the page on a bus ad.
Outdoor advertising comes in many forms, but the key is always location. Your ads need to be in a place rich with foot traffic. If you are a brick-and-mortar retailer, the ads should be within walking distance from your shop. If you provide a unique service, the ad can be in driving distance, but still within the community. For wider exposure, ads can be placed on public transportation or “mobile billboards”; you can even have your billboard towed by scooter!
Your business may do well to consider some of the following options:
• Bus and bus shelter ads
• Train station platform billboards
• Train trestle ads
• Street and sidewalk decals
• Lawn signs and exterior vinyl banners
• Summer event sponsorships
PRMG can help coordinate a comprehensive outdoor advertising plan to fit in with your company’s marketing strategy.
By advertising in Special Parent LI’s April edition, your business will be featured in the most informative, professional and useful resource for parents of children with special needs. Special Parent is a biannual magazine dedicated to all families of children with special needs. This magazine includes professional editorial, a directory of resource providers, a calendar … Continue reading “Advertise with Special Parent LI’s April Edition”
By advertising in Special Parent LI’s April edition, your business will be featured in the most informative, professional and useful resource for parents of children with special needs. Special Parent is a biannual magazine dedicated to all families of children with special needs. This magazine includes professional editorial, a directory of resource providers, a calendar of events and a guide to support groups that will reach over 100,000 families.
Special Parent will also be distributing this issue directly to families and professionals at popular events this April. By advertising in this issue, your business will receive extra exposure at the following events:
April 8th “Sensitive Bunny: Easter Celebration for Children with Sensory Integration Disorders” at Apply Day Camp
April 22nd “All Kids Fair” Nassau County
April 22nd “EJ Foundation’s Jigsaw Race” Suffolk County
April 27th and 28th “Behavioral Approach to Language Assessment and Intervention for Children with Autism” – Marion K Salomon and Associates Conference – Suffolk County
We would recommend this opportunity for organizations who work with children with special needs. The rate for a ¼ page ad is $495, $795 for a half page and $1,395 for a full page. Please note that the deadline for this advertising opportunity is Wednesday, March 28.
For more information about our services or to find out how we can help you attain your marketing goals, click here to email us, or call: Toll Free: 855-PRMG-123 .: Phone: 631-207-1057
