How Bloggers and Influencers Can Work With Brands and PR Agencies

In this business video Ronke Lawal provides some insight into how bloggers can build effective relationships with PR agencies and brands.

Blogger and influencer relations is a powerful tool in the PR brand building mix. 
Brands can enhance their online presence and digital media impact by working effectively with bloggers. Bloggers can also increase their content and build dynamic relationships with brands and publicists. Every so often the relationships don't always go to plan or expectations are not met, hopefully this video will enable any bloggers looking  to improve their relationships with brands or work with PR agencies and consultant for the first time.

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How to Use Media Coverage to make an impact for your business

One of the most sought after services that any PR agency is requested to undertake is media relations. Here's a video which gives some useful tips on getting media coverage:

Businesses often want to see themselves featured and profiled by the media, the bigger the better in their eyes.  But once that media coverage is achieved how can businesses harness that attention and convert it to consistent and ongoing visibility. Media profiling is in essence about enhancing a brand's credibility and relatability to their target audience but too often businesses do not do enough to ensure that the media coverage they receive is part of their ongoing business strategy.

Here are a few simple tips to ensure that media coverage lasts and makes an impact to your business:

Get social - Make sure the business shares media coverage achieved and thanks the publication that has profiled the brand. Sharing widens the reach of the coverage and grateful sharing shows that the brand doesn't take any coverage for granted. Encourage (but do not force) team members to share stories on their personal social media platforms too, there should be a sense of collective pride when the brand is showcased by the media, regardless of the size of the media outlet.

Email matters - Send an email to your database with a round up of the media coverage you have received to highlight your efforts and showcase any relevant good news stories.

Monitor response to media coverage - Whilst we would not recommend spamming, I would say that undertaking an audit of responses eg. via twitter to see what people are saying about the story can help to address whether the angles are moving in the right direction, if the key demographic is actually consuming the story and how it has made an impact on the brand. 

Keep Press Clippings - Depending on the sector that the business operates in press clippings and video clips/sound bites from interviews serve as testimonies which encourage more custom. If you have way to digital manage press clippings or if you can show case press clippings in a physical space not only does it boost credibility but it can also motivate team members to work harder.

Media relations never stops - Keep looking for opportunities to pitch your stories to the press. This is why being social media savvy can really make an impact in your media relations mix, once you see what is trending you can also work out how to position your business to relevant media outlets so that you are part of the trending topic.

If you want help or need guidance in terms of media training or any other media relations services feel free to get in touch info@ariatupr.com

10 Tips To Promote Your Luxury Brand

The luxury goods market in the United Kingdom is worth up to £54bn and whilst Brexit may have an impact on the luxury brand market growth in Europe, internationally the UK has always been considered as one of the go-to destinations for shopping tourists as well as lovers of luxury on a global scale. If you are launching a luxury brand here are a few important tips and ideas that you can use in order to thrive in the luxury sector:

1. Understand the power of public relations - It is important to have an in house PR rep even if you do not assign an external party to ensure that the brands reputation is being managed and handled effectively at all times. Reputation is everything in the luxury market, ensure that you have a strong PR and communications strategy to maintain the credibility of your luxury brand.

2. Organise Press Days and attend events - This can be co-ordinated in house or by an external agency but the luxury brand experience is crucial in engaging the media and influencers. If you want high impact press coverage take the time to organise press days and events which are in alignment with your core luxury brand values. Take part in luxury brand events, showcase your product or service at events which offer high exposure and industry recognition.

3. Use social media - In today's digital age, social media platforms like twitter, instagram, facebook and pinterest allows luxury brands to promote themselves effectively and consistently. The aspirational nature of the luxury experience can enhance a brand's online visibility with the use of high quality images and content. Undertake a social media audit to monitor how effectively you are using social media for your luxury brand.

4. Use video content - In the same way that social media has an impact video content can bring your brand to life. Use video to showcase the high quality nature of your brand and why people should spend money with your brand. Video also opens up your brand to wider audiences who shop internationally for luxury goods.

5. Assign high quality brand ambassadors - This is where every brand must be mindful. A brand ambassador can leverage their influence and following to encourage their audience to favour a luxury brand however the brand must undertake due diligence. Select an ambassador based on more than follower count, look at credibility and engagement.

6. Invest in advertising - It is important to look at the strategic benefits of advertising on the right platforms in the right way. There are more options now than ever before and it is definitely worth considering investing in targeted advertising.

7. Research your customers - There are plenty of resources available which can help you research your core customer base and market trends. It is crucial that you keep track of what is happening in the luxury goods market and how your customers are spending their money as well as who your ideal customers are.

8. Go beyond the product, be a ritual - Word of mouth is still one of the most powerful forms of promotion, if you focus on the customer experience and turning their buying experience into a ritual they will be more likely to share their positive experiences with their network and keep coming back to be part of that experience.

9. Develop a Rewards programme - Create a programme which does not simply focus on discounts, give gifts and add value. Make the customer feel like they are special at every step of their buying journey.

10. Tell a story with your visual identity - Your brand values, logo and visual identity must all tell a story, your customers must feel like they are part of your journey and that they are buying a part of your story. Make sure your brand tells a story which resonates throughout the buying experience whether online or offline.

Feel free to share and do not hesitate to contact Ariatu PR if you are a luxury brand start up looking for Public Relations support. 

How PR Can Help Your Business

This is a follow up to the "What is PR?" video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaIAHjY77Pg, the purpose of this video is to give a little more depth to how PR can help small businesses. In this episode I focus on problems which PR can help to resolve.

By undertaking the right planning and strategy, PR can make a real impact on how a brand engages with its target audience.

http://www.ariatupublicrelations.com/

What Is Public Relations?

"Public Relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics." - CIPR

Public relations is about building and maintaining reputations, reputations that are built on fact and maintained by trust.

We see what happens when brands and businesses do not the importance of Public Relations and communications with their "publics"; anyone they need to communicate effectively with including stakeholders, employees, customers and the media into consideration. One of the most obvious and urgent impacts being PR disasters and cristes.  By understanding PR you can understand how it can be used to improve your business credibility, raise visibility and enhance communications. Whether you choose to hire a PR Agency, publicist, PR consultant to help you with your public relations or you choose to do it yourself it is important to understand the fundamentals.

In this video Ariatu PR Founder, Ronke Lawal, provides a simple yet hopefully effective definition of Public Relations (PR) and it's overall impact on society at large. Whilst we work primarily with business clients it is still important to understand the influence that PR has on our communities and society as a whole.