Businesses have had to shift the way they think about marketing and public relations amid seismic changes from the rise of social media as a news source and an onslaught of millennials entering the workforce.
“Everybody’s using digital tools to communicate, and what’s really interesting, especially in the world of PR, is that everybody’s getting their news from these digital channels,” says Blair Broussard, senior vice president of AR|PR, a public relations and marketing firm. “The way we reach these people has had to change. The way we serve our clients, even five years ago when we started this business, is not how we’re servicing them today.”
Broussard used a recent Tech Park Academy session at the Louisiana Technology Park to discuss the 360-degree approach she uses to create buzz and drive leads for her clients through digital channels. Here are some of the key takeaways from her presentation.
Define the Goals and Objectives
The best digital marketing starts with your overall business goals. All too often, people will think, ‘I want to get in TechCrunch.’ And while this would be an exciting win, Broussard says, what they should be thinking about is how their PR and marketing connect with those bigger goals for the next quarter or year.
She gave an example of a company that wants to increase sales by a given percentage. To get there, it should first break down the specific industries in which it wants to see sales increase, then determine what channels buyers in that industry pay attention to.
Broussard says the company should then try to understand these potential customers. Who are they? How do they know your company? What are their interests? Once you think you’ve identified who them, you can develop a strategy to communicate with them, Broussard says — and then you can develop a plan that helps you achieve your organization’s goals.