Press

For almost every organization dealing with a pandemic such as coronavirus its uncharted territory. Many of our clients have already reached out for assistance in navigating internal and external communication strategies both in preparation for potential COVID impact, or in response to an incident.

A general principle when dealing with a matter of public health and safety is to be proactive. You never want a situation where potential harm could have been avoided, if only we had been more proactive and forthcoming with what you knew.

Anyone right now will understand and accept an employee that could be potentially be infected with the virus, and that might have come into contact with others. What the public will not accept is if you knew this information and did not share it, or if you weren’t fully prepared.

With that in mind, we wanted to offer some best practices and considerations.

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

• Develop relevant internal & external messaging pre-crisis and templates for post-crisis
• Identify your crisis team’s assignments and roles
• Compile a list of key team member contacts
• Perform a media audit and update the contact list
• Decide on a preferred vendor list
• Outline a digital communications plan comprehensive of best practices and guidelines

CRISIS PR TEAM INTERNAL PROCESS NEEDED FOR:

• Engaging Media during Crisis
• Staff Responsibilities in a Crisis
• Internal Protocol
• Crisis Team and Communication Channels

For more information on crisis communications services contact us at mike@bontspr.com.

Finding and closing new business means sourcing as many high-quality leads as you can. Now with coronavirus on everyone’s mind and the cancelling and postponing of events and meetings, it is more important than ever to use tools and marketing strategies that go beyond face-to-face.

Trust is one of the major factors to drive success to your real estate business.

Whether you are a developer building a new community, establishing yourself as a new broker or you have been selling residential or commercial properties for years, real estate public relations and marketing is also a vital part of the sales process.

Everyone knows real estate is all about location, location, location. But to a real estate developer, it’s called great dirt. One day, we’re wearing hard hats touring a reporter around a job site, and the next night, we’re passing the punch and cookies at a contentious neighborhood entitlement hearing.

In a competitive industry like real estate, developers and builders must always be searching for new leads and new avenues to promote communities and properties for sale or rent.

We think great dirt deserves great media coverage, effective digital marketing, great Web sites special events and targeted ad campaigns.

We help builders and developers find innovative ways to showcase communities and homes while staying within a marketing budget.

We create a strategic marketing and public relations plan that promotes developments and properties while establishing you, our client partner, as an expert source.

Our PR solutions enable you to constantly focus on your target market. Making your brand visible online and off.

If interested. Let’s talk.

Commercial real estate firms can be greatly impacted by a strategic and effective public relations plan. By using PR tactics like press releases, media pitches and blogging, firms can create brand awareness and establish themselves as experts in the field, gaining the trust of customers.

So, what sets commercial real estate PR apart from PR for other industries?

CRE firms have it both easier and more challenging when it comes to public relations.

For CRE firms, there’s news all the time. Any time a project is announced or a property is sold, for example, there’s a potential story.

However, the media doesn’t necessarily find every single announcement newsworthy. The challenge comes in using CRE announcements to create angles that the media finds unique, and it’s a huge success when that’s accomplished.

Our job is to make that happen.

Gone are the days when we used only words to tell a great story. Today, especially when communicating sustainability, we rely more on the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Please don’t get us wrong; words, statistics and data measurements are crucial to sharing a company’s focus on the triple-bottom-line, but we need to use more visual and compelling elements to truly portray a commitment to sustainability. That’s the only way to break through. Furthermore, effectively communicating sustainability can be a key driver in positive organizational change.

We live in a world where people are bombarded every day with new messages and up-to-date information. In fact, here are a few statistics supporting this phenomenon:

The average person gets one information interruption every eight minutes, or approximately seven an hour and 50-60 per day.
The average American is exposed to 247 commercial messages and 3,000 advertising messages each day.

Message vehicles vary from social media posts to text messages, emails, face-to-face interactions, radio commercials, online and in-print articles and advertisements, bus signage, billboards and even logos on buildings.

In the midst of this chaos, we have found several ways to cut through the clutter and stand out — sustainability is too important not to communicate it effectively.

In the ultra-competitive field of luxury real estate marketing, social media can be your secret weapon. Here’s how strategic platforms can help set your brand apart, and drive conversions.

• Social media is an ideal place to create and share your brand narrative.
• With social media usage consistently on the rise, these platforms help lead users to your website.
• The visual nature of social platforms like Facebook and Instagram is ideal for marketing luxury real estate.
• Luxury real estate doesn’t exactly sell itself — if you’re a marketer, you’re well aware of this fact! The relatively limited customer base and highly competitive field make it crucial for luxury real estate brands to set themselves and their properties above the pack. When it comes to marketing luxury real estate, social media can be your best friend.

Of course, social media marketing and real estate are a match made in heaven. Real estate is inherently personal, even at the corporate and luxury levels, and marketers can use social media to great effect in cultivating productive relationships with leads.

As the influence of digital and social media has soared, PR agencies who focus primarily on earned media (once known as publicity) are often warned that they’re falling behind.

There are regular calls for PR services to include paid media and other offerings. Many firms like to brag about how little they depend on earned coverage generated for clients. They’ve moved on to other things.

This is understandable, in part because PR is much more than media relations. But it’s also about the bottom line; the fastest way to grow is to offer more services, ideally those that can be automated and offered at high margins. PR agencies naturally want a piece of the digital media budget pie. Large firms in particular have big overhead to feed and face constant pressure to add offerings.

Earned Media: Labor-Intensive, Hard To Scale
Earned media work is notoriously hard to scale. When Tom Foremski referred to public relations as “an artisanal, hand-crafted service operating within a brave new digital media world that rewards scale,” he was probably talking about the back-and-forth that results in earned coverage. It’s difficult and time-consuming in practice — an inexact and often inefficient process that takes talent, imagination, and timing, and that rests on relationships.

But reports of earned media’s death are premature. A new study on the credibility of various information sources shows that it may be more relevant than ever. Three researchers looked at how people evaluate earned news stories, traditional ads, native ads, independent blogs, and branded blogs. The study’s authors surveyed 1500 members of a consumer panel and conducted focus groups with 46 of them.

The upshot? Consumers found earned media stories the most credible of all the information sources they reviewed.

Earned Media Beats Paid And Native Ads
It always comes down to credibility. That’s what earned media offers – within limits – and that’s what many PR agencies still deliver. It’s also notable that although the highest percentage of study participants found earned media stories the most credible among all the news and ads provided, they valued posts written by independent bloggers, rating them more credible than corporate blog content.

The news isn’t all bad for paid media, though. Though study participants considered ads less credible than earned media, they found them useful and showed a sophisticated understanding of how different information sources work together. The study’s authors points out, “people recognize that companies will face legal consequences if they don’t tell the truth.”

Negative Comments Add Credibility
Interestingly, negative information or reviews aren’t a dealbreaker for most people; in fact, they tend to enhance authenticity and therefore can make an earned media story or social post more credible.

What fared the worst in the study were the native ads shown to participants. Nearly half considered them the least credible information source, using words like “sneaky,” “tricky,” and “disingenuous.”

So, should PR agencies double down on their earned media offerings? Not necessarily.

The point is that when preparing to buy a product or service, people tend to get information from many sources. PR campaigns should continue to deliver messages and tell stories across paid, earned, shared, and owned channels. Yet the study does reinforce the central role of earned media as a PR deliverable, and it’s backed up by the results of PRWeek’s most recent Agency Business Report. Earned media remains a centerpiece of what we do, and although many agencies are expanding their offerings, it’s valuable both as a key service and as a point of view that stresses the credibility of a brand message.

PR Firms Can’t Be All Things To Clients
There’s also the credibility of the agency offering itself. The mega-firms who’ve invested in paid media services can plausibly do so, but many simply can’t be all things to all clients. Look at the flipside; today it’s common for branding, digital marketing, or even SEO agencies to say they offer PR or earned media services. But no knowledgeable communications professional would trust them with a major PR campaign. The promise just isn’t credible.

Bottom line, we should focus less on the superiority of any one source of information and more on better integration of messages that are consistent and compelling across all platforms and channels – including earned media, which will be a key part of public relations for a long time to come.

There was a time when PR was associated with free publicity and marketing with paid advertising. That distinction has blurred since the popularity of the internet, especially social media. On the other hand, it depends upon whom you ask.

For companies selling products or services, marketing, and public relations have the same goal of producing positive returns that result in increased business and profits. That has never changed but social media has drawn the lines closer together in what’s called relationship management. It’s also called relationship marketing.

How so?

Paying for an ad on Google would normally be labeled marketing while paying for materials to nurture a potential customer would generally be considered PR. It was kind of a one-two punch. PR set up the potential customer and generated goodwill and interest wile marketing followed up with a deal that the customer couldn’t refuse and acted on.

What Is Relationship Management?

Relationship management aims to draw a consumer deeper into the company’s service and/or product circle with comments, feedback and offers to become more engaged. Once a person likes a product or service on social media, it opens a doorway for the company to connect even more closely by sharing and informing the customer about recent advances, changes, etc. for what they liked.

Relationship management then is a hybrid of both marketing and PR.

Different Schools of Thought

Some observers would tell you that social marketing aims for a larger market, while PR concentrates on the existing one. Others would argue that PR today throws out a bigger net to not only appeal to current customers, but also potential ones. That outreach could be enormous. Consider how some GoFundMe stories and sites have become overnight social media sensations and successes. There’s validity in the latter argument. In order to survive and grow, PR has to extend its boundaries. That’s the value and difference of blogs, influencers and other strategies that weren’t popular a decade ago.

As with the evolution of so many other things, it’s time for marketing and PR to unite.

Combine Both For Success

Should marketing and PR be separate? To achieve maximum success today, both should be located within the same department so they can coordinate and collaborate. They should be supervised by the same person.

By working more closely together, marketers and PR folks not only learn to collaborate but also discover more about each other’s arenas which enables them to become even more effective and successful. Providing meaningful content as well as exceptional information to customers and potential ones will only serve to generate more leads but also a much-appreciated increase in sales

Now is the time to bring the PR and marketing together.

Google search rankings and website traffic are among the key metrics for PR and marketing analytics. That’s one reason PR firms stay abreast of the latest Google algorithm updates.

Google constantly tweaks its algorithm. It made 3,200 changes last year alone. Staying attuned to Google’s algorithm changes helps secure better positioning in search results for the corporate and brand websites – and for other content created by PR.

Google releases significant changes to its algorithm – what it calls core updates — several times a year. Some websites suffer substantial drops in rankings, much to the dismay of SEO pros and website managers. Some think Google has penalized them and desperately seek a quick fix.

No, they likely haven’t done anything wrong and there might not be anything to fix, writes Danny Sullivan, Google’s public liaison of search. The websites only dropped relative to other sites that produced superior content.

Key Content Questions to Ponder

• Does the content provide original information, reporting, research or analysis?
• Does the content provide a substantial, complete or comprehensive description of the topic?
• Does the content provide insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious?
• Is this content written by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic well?
• Is the content free from easily-verified factual errors?
• Is the content free from spelling or stylistic issues?
• Was the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?

SEO experts have listed 200 ranking factors, some more technical than others, but Google continues to emphasize the significance of superior content. Over time, Google’s search engine algorithm has become far more sophisticated in its ability to rate expertise, authority and trustworthiness.

Google’s continued effort to rate content means PR may have a greater role in managing websites, creating story content and improving page rankings. For page one ranking, the Google algorithm prefers in-depth information and analysis

It wants definitive content that offers a thorough and preferably complete account of the subject. That’s why

PR pros who manage corporate and brand websites can benefit from Google’s advice on how to manage the constant updates to its search engine algorithm.

Superb content and writing for readers, not search engines, offers the best path to page one placement in search results.

Just completed a presentation to the Southeast Building Conference on brand development for builders, general contractors and developers.

The audience had an interest in learning more about how rebranding or retargeting fits into their overall marketing strategy to reach prospects and customers.

Retargeting is a form of targeting online advertising to reach people who have already visited a website or are already in a database as a lead or customer.

Retargeting ads reach people based on their previous internet actions.

Developers want to sell more home sites in thir communities, sell them faster, at a greater profit, and have more demand for those home sites from successful builders.

Builders want to sell more homes at higher profits, and both need to have an overall greater customer satisfaction level.

What does it take? A cohesive, coordinated marketing and positioning program in which the developer cooperates with their primary customers — builders — by assisting them in reaching their primary customers — potential home buyers.

Branding can create a scenario where the overall community is well-positioned within the marketplace, with a central information or sales facility, community advertising, and cohesive signage.

This generates more consumer demand for homes in that particular community. As a result, builders sell homes faster and the developer realizes quicker returns. By creating higher sales velocity, prices may even justifiably increase.

A developer can accomplish positive results through a marketing program designed to draw new-home prospects to the community. This could include all or part of the following: a well-designed website; an effective  public relations campaign, an ad campain, billboards, and directional signs; on-site promotional events; targeted social media; direct mail; and positive media exposure.

All of these activities should be implemented as a result of a well-thought-through marketing strategy, with the costs amortized over all the builders and the developer.

Whether a hotel is small, inexpensive, luxury, a resort, near a national park, or something else, PR should be a primary concern for any destination. For all types of hotels and whether or not a PR professional is in their budget, it’s still important to get the word out and keep getting it out.

In small communities near a significant tourist attraction, there are built-in approaches that can be shared on websites and social media. But the truth is, for all hotels one of the most important things to know is what about your hotel is special, unique, outstanding, or better than others in a similar price range in the area.

FIND WHAT’S UNIQUE
A honeymoon specialty resort in the Poconos might have a heart-shaped or champagne glass tub, a fireplace, and a round bed, and pictures of those should be on the website, but many other hotels in the area will also have those. Either look for or create something unique to your hotel, maybe horse riding lessons or putting that tub with sauna jets out on a private balcony overlooking particularly scenic views. It could also be a four-star Michelin rated restaurant on the premises. Whatever is special about your place should be key to all your advertisements and PR, setting you apart from the rest.

If you aren’t certain, then speak to your visitors, ask them what they loved about their stay, what they think would make it better, and ultimately, ask them to write a quick paragraph about your place. Offer them something special for doing so – maybe five free postcards or two-for-one coupons to a local bakery.

Do something special after they leave. Send a thank you or if they came celebrating an anniversary or birthday, make note of it in your calendar to send a card the next year to commemorate and offer something in celebration of that event. It might be an all-day lift ticket if you operate a ski resort, or send a picture of how beautiful nature is there during your off-season.

PR BENEFITS
PR is usually less expensive than ad campaigns, but they can also work together to amplify your efforts. For small hotels, using social media platforms is a good way to do some targeted advertising without spending a lot of money. Just make sure you get professional-grade photos for your efforts. If you don’t want to spend a lot, offer your guests the opportunity for a free night added to a paid two-night stay if they win a monthly photo contest of the area or something about the hotel they loved.

Talk to employees about extracurricular activities and share their stories with the local newspaper, then share those articles on social media right after it comes out as well as about a month later, and then maybe again six months later. People don’t see all the things listed on social media since only so many things appear on a news feed on the sites.

Small hotels may take advantage of opportunities to list travel-related sites to share their unique and special traits such as extreme customer service or maybe a breakfast buffet for all guests that features fresh blueberry items if the hotel is in blueberry country. Have free drop-off and pick-up service to a nearby amusement park or other activity.

IDEAS FOR A HOTEL PR CAMPAIGN

• Look at sites for other hotels near and far to see what works for them and get ideas, then make them applicable to your place.
• Share stories on social media about events in the community, local places to visit, annual festivals, even who the best local teachers are for skiing, swimming, snorkeling, and surfing. Tell about where the best place to find arrowheads, seashells, souvenirs trinkets, etc.
• Mention special services like a spa, driving range for golf, tennis lessons from a pro, or family style eating for guests.
• Always ask for them to write a brief review or to share what they liked best on their social media accounts.
• Word of mouth PR is one of the most effective ways to promote your business.