A major benefit of writing blog posts is that they can be an integral part of helping your audience with specific problems they’re facing, while at the same time positioning yourself as an expert they can turn to. If blogging is part of your strategy, use keywords wisely and sparingly and focus on making sure your blog post is genuinely interesting and of value to your target audience. Blog with integrity.
Become socially responsible
As 2023 approaches, audiences are growing ever more conscious of which businesses they’re buying from. They’re looking for brands which offer sustainable and ethically made products, and brands that are open and honest across every facet of their business, in short brands that can be trusted. All this to say, your brand’s ethics and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) are more important than ever before.
If you’ve not addressed this area before, now’s the time to showcase it clearly for all to see. The more transparent you are, the more trust you’ll win from your audience. I am constantly amazed by how much good some companies do and how little they share about it. While I admire the humility and genuine giving, it also serves to elevate the cause by promoting your support.
Put up an awards shelf
You might not have won any awards yet, but now might be the time to put up an awards shelf in anticipation. Awards can be a great communications tool – not only do they showcase the quality of your product or service, but they can be great for building brand awareness – even being shortlisted gets your brand’s name out there alongside your industry peers.
Explore the awards you could enter in 2023 and make a plan to get your entries together. By 2024 you might be able to add ‘award winning’ to your brand’s tagline.
Find your community
Are you active in your community? Do you know which communities you should be active in? This is often overlooked in favour of making bigger marketing splashes elsewhere, but connecting with a community can be incredibly beneficial in terms of getting to know your audience and helping them with their problems. Mintel’s 2023 global consumer trends report says that there will be increasing localisation next year.
Whether you’re a small, local business keeping in touch with your local community, or have a specialised business which targets a niche audience, being active in the right communities both on and offline is key to connecting with its members and building your brand. Don’t forget your local press either while you might be chasing coverage in consumer and national media reports suggest that local media is more trusted than other sources, so they should form part of your media strategy.
Develop your tone of voice
As they say: when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one. Your tone of voice is how you connect and engage with your audience. Have you established a clear brand voice and tone of voice? Does it resonate with your audience?
Tone of voice is fundamental and should come from the heart of the company; it’s your personality, it’s authentic. Getting clear about what you stand for and why will help inform your tone of voice. Think about what you are, and also what you are not, for example expert but not patronising, confident but not arrogant. In writing down your company values (what you stand for) and your Unique Selling Propositions you will find your voice. Your tone of voice refers to how your brand communicates with your audience, which can include word choice, communication style, and emotional tone.
Your tone of voice must be applied consistently across all your communication channels. Your brand guideline should include tone of voice to make sure everybody is on the same page and communicates accordingly.
Integrated PR
2023 is not the time to send mixed messages. As mentioned before, people are looking to connect with and trust the brands they buy from or work with, so it’s more important than ever to ensure your PR strategy aligns with your marketing activity.
You’ll really maximise your impact by tying your PR, marketing and digital activity together, so whether it’s one person in your company working on all of those things, or you have an entire team working on them all individually – tighten your strategy up so they all work together cohesively and effectively.
Work with a pro
If you’re unsure about how a properly orchestrated PR strategy could benefit your business, or simply need guidance on where to start, it might be time to seek out a specialist. It’s worth noting that you are ‘still doing PR’ whether you are managing it or not, PR is not ‘optional’. Your customers, staff, suppliers, community and all other stakeholders will have a ‘perception’ of your company. Make 2023 the year that you take control of that rather than leaving your reputation to chance.
I’m happy to offer a free discovery call and run through a ‘PR health check’ with you to help you discover your pinch points and potential solutions. Simply drop me a message at diane@fibrepr.co.uk if you want to have a chat and we can set up a call.
